The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 112 Deng Yang: I'm going to beat up Wang Jiayin?
The class went on until late at night, and the students were reluctant to leave.

A group of people surrounded Jiang Han, asking him all sorts of questions, as if they had opened the door to a new world.

Deng Yang was the only one who felt like he was being pricked by needles, and every minute and every second was torture.

Finally, as dawn broke, Jiang Han, his throat dry from talking, waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.

Deng Yang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and practically scrambled out of the tent, becoming the first to do so.

He took his personal guards, who were still outside and unaware of what was going on, and ran back to Kulong Pass in a flash.

"Damn it! I'd rather die than come back to this den of thieves in Shilou Mountain!"

As Deng Yang ran, he made a vow in his heart.
"If this happens a few more times, I'll really become a traitor! Then even if I'm covered in mud, I'll still look like shit."

He returned to his room, removed his armor, and collapsed onto his bed.

All he wants now is to get some sleep and forget everything he heard last night.

But things didn't go as planned. Before Deng Yang could even warm his backside on the bed, there was a frantic knocking on the door from his personal guards.

"General! General! Something terrible has happened!"

Deng Yang was already in a bad mood, and being woken up by the noise made him even angrier.

He sat up abruptly and roared towards the door:
"What's all the noise about?! Are we at a funeral?! Don't you know I'm catching up on sleep?"

The guards outside the door, panting heavily, said urgently:
"The Provincial Surveillance Commission has sent someone here, saying they are here to inspect military affairs!"

Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office?! Inspecting military affairs?!
Upon hearing these words, Deng Yang felt as if struck by lightning, and instantly lost all sleepiness.

He jumped out of bed, not even bothering to put on his shoes and socks, and rushed barefoot to the door, pulling it open.

"Who's here?! What military inspection are they doing?!"

Deng Yang stared with bloodshot eyes and asked sharply.

The guard was so anxious he stamped his feet:
"They are people from the Military Affairs Office. They say they have come to inspect the troops at Kulong Pass on the orders of Governor Xu!"

"The person has arrived in the main hall, General, you should go quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang dared not delay for a moment. He turned around and rushed back into the house, hurriedly putting on his clothes and shoes. Without even bothering to wash up, he rushed to the main hall.

His heart pounded like a drum, and his mind was in turmoil. How could someone come to inspect military affairs in this remote and impoverished place?
Could it be that his lie about his military achievements has been exposed?
With a heart full of trepidation, Deng Yang rushed to the main hall of the military fort.

Inside the hall sat a middle-aged man with a lean face, dressed in a blue official robe, slowly sipping his tea.

Deng Yang quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands, and knelt down to pay his respects:
"This humble general, Deng Yang, the garrison commander of Kulong Pass, pays his respects to his superior."

"May I ask your honorable name, sir? What brings you to my humble abode?"

When the man saw Deng Yang enter, he put down his teacup, nodded to Deng Yang, and smiled.
"General Deng, there's no need for such formalities."

"My name is Hou Bin, and I am currently the Military Affairs Councilor of this province."

"This trip was undertaken on the orders of Magistrate Xu to inspect Kulong Pass."

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang immediately understood: it was someone from the provincial government.

During the Ming Dynasty, local authorities were divided into three departments: the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office, and the Provincial Military Commissioner's Office.

The three departments were in charge of civil affairs and finance, judicial supervision, and military defense. Their leaders were also known as the provincial governor, the judicial commissioner, or the commander.

The functions of the Regional Military Commission were greatly weakened by the end of the Ming Dynasty due to various reasons, and it almost became a mere formality.

Its power gradually shifted to the military commissioner under the Provincial Judicial Commissioner.

Daotai is the title for the head of this level of organization.

The "Xu Daotai" mentioned by Hou Bin is Xu Dingchen, the current Daotai of the Shanxi Military Circuit.

Xu Dingchen was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 35th year of the Wanli reign. In the early years of the Chongzhen reign, he served as the governor of Shanxi Province, but was impeached and dismissed after only ten months in office.

He is currently the Deputy Commissioner of the Shanxi Provincial Judicial Commission, in charge of military affairs.

Deng Yang was somewhat puzzled. Why would such a big shot from the province come to his poor and remote village of Kulongguan?
His Kulong Pass has no soldiers, no pay, and no military affairs to carry out inspections.

Deng Yang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly put on a smiling face:

"Counselor Hou, you must have had a long journey!"

"This humble general's Kulong Pass has few soldiers and generals, and for years it has been a pass that no one cares about. Why did Governor Xu suddenly send you here?"

Upon hearing this, Hou Bin sighed softly:
"General Deng, to be honest, I've come here not only for inspection, but also to bring with me an order from Magistrate Xu."

After saying that, he pulled out an official document from his sleeve and handed it to Deng Yang.

"transfer order?!"

Upon hearing those two words, Deng Yang felt a sense of foreboding.

He quickly took the document, pretended to look it over, and then sheepishly returned it.

"Um, Councilor Hou, could you please read it to me? I can't read."

Hou Bin was slightly taken aback, but didn't say anything, and then took the official document and began to read it aloud:

"Hequ has been captured by the imperial army, and Wang Jiayin led his troops in a rout. I fear his remaining forces will flee to the vicinity of Fenzhou."

"I hereby order Deng Yang, the garrison commander of Kulong Pass, to immediately select 800 of his elite troops to rush to Jingle within five days, and then move to Ningwu Pass. The original garrison duties will be temporarily handed over to the deputy general."

Deng Yang was stunned upon hearing this:

"Wang Jiayin lost? When did that happen?"

Hou Bin said calmly:
"Not long ago, the imperial court mobilized 20,000 troops from Shanxi and Shaanxi to besiege Hequ."

"Wang Jiayin was outnumbered and led his men to break through the encirclement. They are now heading towards Fenzhou Prefecture."

Deng Yang panicked, cold sweat pouring down his forehead:
"Why would you suddenly think of transferring me to Ningwu Pass?"

"Isn't Ningwu Pass, such an important pass, always heavily guarded?"

Hou Bin patiently explained:
"General Deng, you may not know this, but in order to encircle and suppress Wang Jiayin, the imperial court has almost drawn all the available troops from the surrounding area."

“The Ningwu Pass is currently very weak in terms of military strength, and Wang Jiayin has taken this into account, which is why he wants to break into Fenzhou Prefecture from Ningwu Pass.”

Hou Bin paused, his gaze sweeping over Deng Yang.

"Xu Daotai happened to be in Fenzhou reorganizing military affairs. He heard that General Deng had won a series of victories, beheading hundreds of enemy leaders, and that his troops were all elites. That's why he appointed you as his general."

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang slumped into his chair, his legs going weak.

Finished!

He reported his achievements in suppressing bandits too aggressively, boasting excessively. He sent over so many heads, his only thought being to get promoted.

Now, things have gotten really interesting. The bigwigs in the province are actually treating Deng Yang like a rising star!

Only you know what's going on in your own family.

Weren't all the heads that Deng Yang handed over obtained from Jiang Han?
He knew better than anyone what kind of men his men were.

Now, the imperial court actually wants to transfer him to Ningwu Pass to intercept Wang Jiayin?!

Who is Wang Jiayin?!

Those were notorious bandits who roamed the Shanxi and Shaanxi regions!
Deng Yang had already heard that Wang Jiayin was originally a border soldier from the Dingbian Camp, and his strength was not weak.

His core team members were all border troops, and their combat effectiveness was extremely strong!
They repeatedly repelled the generals Wang Guoliang, You Shilu, and deputy general Cao Wenzhao who came to encircle and suppress them.

Back when Wang Jiayin was a soldier in Yansui Town, he was no pushover. He often led his men across the Yellow River to raid for supplies in Shanxi.

After each raid, they would offer tribute to the officers and soldiers of the nearby border fortresses. Once the tribute was paid, they would return to their fortresses and stay there, never causing trouble.

The nearby officers and soldiers, having received Wang Jiayin's tribute, naturally didn't bother with him.

Anyway, the soldiers we take out will come back, and they'll be well-fed. It's a win-win situation!

Over time, this even led to the formation of an underground industrial chain where officers tacitly approved and divided the spoils among themselves.

Later, if it weren't for that damned deputy general of Gushan, Li Zhao, being so greedy and pushing him to the brink, he wouldn't have raised the flag of rebellion!

After the rebellion, Wang Jiayin used his connections and the grain he had to continuously recruit border soldiers near the border wall.

He moved back and forth between Shanxi and Shaanxi, repeatedly defeating government troops.

Later, they even broke through Fugu County and captured important fortresses such as Mugua Garden, Qingshui, and Huangfuchuan.

Forced into a corner, Lieutenant General Yang Maochun was unable to resist and committed suicide to take responsibility. Garrison Commander Zhang Dechang was wounded, and Li Zhao was also beheaded.

This series of victories alarmed Yang He, the governor-general of the three border regions, who was far away in Guyuan. Yang He was forced to personally go to Yansui Town and mobilize multiple armies to besiege Wang Jiayin.

But in the end, he still managed to get him to Shanxi.

It can be said that Wang Jiayin's achievements are in no way inferior to Jiang Han's.

Jiang Han even had to thank Wang Jiayin. If it weren't for Wang Jiayin constantly tying down a large portion of the Ming army's main force near the border wall, Jiang Han wouldn't have been able to develop peacefully in Yan'an Prefecture for several months. Now, when Deng Yang heard that Xu Dingchen wanted to transfer him to intercept Wang Jiayin, his face turned ashen.
"You want me to beat up Wang Jiayin? Really?"

Hou Jun sat to the side, squinting at Deng Yang. Noticing that Deng Yang's expression was a little off, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"General Deng, are you alright?"

Deng Yang dared not tell the truth, so he could only force a smile and reply:
"No, it's nothing! I was just too excited!"

"The thought of fighting against a formidable bandit like Wang Jiayin fills me with excitement."

Although Deng Yang spoke eloquently, the tremor in his voice was impossible to hide, but fortunately Hou Jun didn't think too much about it.

Hou Jun nodded, a smile of approval on his face:

"That's good. General Deng, go and gather your troops."

"I'd like to see for myself what kind of fierce and powerful army it is that can take the heads of hundreds of bandits in succession."

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang's pupils dilated slightly.

broken!

If Hou Bin were to see his group of old, weak, sick, and disabled men, wouldn't he completely expose his scheme?

In desperation, Deng Yang had no choice but to bite the bullet and come up with an excuse:

"Counselor Hou, I'm afraid it's not going to work out today."

"Some of my troops have been sent out for training, while the rest are currently stationed at the foot of Shilou Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Hou Jun asked in confusion:
"Why is this?"

Deng Yang's mind raced, and he quickly made up an excuse:
"Counselor Hou may not know this, but to train an elite force, daily drills alone are not enough; they must also undergo real combat tests."

"My current method is to have the soldiers take turns fighting those bandits."

"Firstly, it can be used for actual combat training, and secondly, it can also stop those bandits from going down the mountain to plunder everywhere."

Upon hearing this, Hou Jun suddenly understood and clapped his hands in praise:

"General Deng's methods of training troops are indeed unique!"

Hou Jun thought about it more and more and felt that this method was feasible. If it could be promoted, wouldn't it greatly improve the combat effectiveness of the garrison troops?

So he stood up with great interest:

"In that case, I must go and see for myself!"

"If General Deng's method really works, I'll write a report and submit it to other garrisons and passes. Then I can even give General Deng a credit!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, signaling Deng Yang to lead the way, seemingly ready to set off immediately.

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang was stunned.

Isn't this just making things worse by trying to explain it?
If this guy surnamed Hou really goes to Shilou Mountain and meets Jiang Han and his gang, wouldn't everything be over?
But if he refused again now, he was afraid Hou Jun would become suspicious.

There's no other way but to take it one step at a time.

Deng Yang gritted his teeth and had no choice but to answer reluctantly:

"Since Councilor Hou is interested, then please follow me."

Immediately, Deng Yang, accompanied by his personal guards, led Hou Bin and his entourage out of the fort.

The mountain road was rugged and difficult to traverse, covered with loose stones and overgrown with weeds.

But Hou Bin, this old man, seemed very relaxed and at ease, even having the leisure to appreciate the early spring scenery on Huangyun Mountain.

He doesn't need to walk at all.

Hou Bin was sitting comfortably in a sedan chair carried by two people.

Below the sedan chair were two ragged, emaciated laborers, gritting their teeth and sweating profusely as they carried the chair.

These were all local people who were temporarily brought in to serve. They not only received no reward, but also had to bring their own food for these officials to use when they traveled.

Deng Yang walked at the front, extremely anxious.

He even considered whether he should just steel himself and kill this man surnamed Hou, along with his entourage, right here in this desolate wilderness! That would be the end of it all!
But in the end, he still didn't dare.

This is a councilor sent down from the province. If he disappears without a trace, the entire Huangyun Mountain will probably be turned upside down if the investigation is carried out.

Just as Deng Yang was caught in a dilemma, his personal guard Zhou Liyong quietly approached and whispered:
"General, this can't go on."

“If you don’t want to kill anyone, there’s only one way: lead this group of people down a difficult path.”

Deng Yang frowned:
"Tell me in detail."

Zhou Liyong quickly said:

“Look at that Hou guy, he’s so delicate and fair-skinned, he definitely can’t endure hardship.”

"When those two laborers can't take it anymore, or when they shake the sedan chair apart, maybe that man surnamed Hou will just give up and go home."

Deng Yang's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he slapped Zhou Liyong hard on the shoulder:

"Good lad! You've got a sharp mind! Let's do it this way!"

So, Deng Yang then focused all his efforts on leading Hou Bin astray.

He has been stationed on Huangyun Mountain for so many years that he knows every blade of grass, every tree, every ditch and ravine here better than anyone else.

He specifically chose to take those narrow paths with many ravines that required crossing.

Hou Bin and his entourage didn't know the way, so they had no choice but to follow Deng Yang. Before long, the group was panting heavily from exhaustion.

Hou Bin finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked weakly:

"General Deng! How much further?"

"Can't we take the official road?"

Upon hearing this, Deng Yang immediately adopted a pained expression:

"Counselor Hou, it's not that I insist on taking these side roads, but the main road was washed away by heavy rain a few days ago, and it's simply impassable!"

He pointed to the even more rugged and difficult mountain path ahead and continued to deceive people:
"Please bear with it a little longer, we'll be there in about forty li."

Hou Bin's face turned green upon hearing this. More than forty li left?!
Hou Bin waved his hands repeatedly:

"Never mind, never mind, the journey is too long. I'll go another time."

Seeing this, Deng Yang was overjoyed, but still pretended to offer a word of advice:
"No, Councilor Hou, we'll be there soon after we cross this hill."

Upon hearing that they would have to cross mountains and valleys, Hou Bin shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.
"Never mind! I have official duties to attend to, I'll go another time!"

After saying this, he impatiently signaled the sedan chair bearers and attendants to turn around immediately and return the way they came, completely ignoring Deng Yang's desperate attempts to persuade him to stay.

"Phew, finally got rid of that god!"

After seeing Hou Bin off, Deng Yang stood there and let out a long sigh of relief!

But when he thought of that damned transfer order, his heart sank again.

Deng Yang didn't know what to do.

He only has a total of 800 employees under his command, and more than 200 of them are receiving salaries without working.

Apart from a dozen or so trusted servants, the rest were mostly old, weak, sick, or disabled.

Sending him to confront a powerful bandit like Wang Jiayin is practically pushing him to his death.

But Deng Yang didn't dare tell Hou Bin the truth.

He colluded with bandits and falsely reported his military achievements, which is a first-class crime!
Advancing now means death! Retreating also means death!
Deng Yang felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and he wished he could just plunge headfirst into Huangyun Mountain and end it all.

Just as Deng Yang was in despair, his personal guard Zhou Liyong approached again and cautiously reminded him:

"General, in my opinion, why don't you go back to Shilou Mountain and ask again?"

"That Tiger Up the Mountain has a lot of ideas, maybe he has a solution?"

Deng Yang felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his eyes suddenly lit up:
"Oh right! How could I forget about Brother Mountain Tiger?!"

He suddenly waved his hand and took off running:
"go!"

"Go back and prepare a generous gift; I want to pay a visit in person!"

After saying that, Deng Yang quickly took Zhou Liyong and rushed back.

He completely forgot that when he returned that morning, he swore he would never set foot on Shilou Mountain again.

(End of this chapter)