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

Chapter 228 Women will only slow down my sword-drawing speed
The matter in Nanjiang County will be temporarily handled by Dong Erzhu.

The leaders of Yaohuang debated for three or four days in the county government office about whether to surrender or disband on the spot, but they couldn't come up with a decision.

Left with no other choice, they could only lead their team to Baizhang Pass, intending to personally visit Jiang Han and see if they could negotiate a better deal.

He was quite confident, though.

He felt that with his beautiful third sister around, the warlord Jiang from Long'an Prefecture would definitely show them some leniency.

My third sister's looks and figure are unmatched in the surrounding area; I doubt any man could resist her.

Ever since Yao Huang and his gang became outlaws and mountain kings, every leader in the group with any status has started to take wives and concubines.

Chen Daiyun, this beautiful "femme fatale," naturally became a coveted prize in their eyes.

However, because of her two sworn brothers, no one dared to force her into marriage.

When Huang Long told Dong Erzhu about the idea of ​​a "marriage alliance," Dong Erzhu was also extremely excited and couldn't wait to make the marriage happen.

He didn't think much about that; he just felt that his second brother Han should have a woman by his side, as being so engrossed in official duties all day wasn't a good thing.

Besides, if the commander-in-chief is still a bachelor, which of his men would dare to get married first?
Soon, a group of over a thousand people, personally led by Dong Erzhu, set off in a grand procession toward Baizhang Pass.

The Yaohuang Army is not large in scale, with only seven or eight hundred people in total. The leaders also ride horses and accompany the army.

Chen Daiyun, on the other hand, received special treatment; Dong Erzhu specially arranged a carriage for her.

Inside the carriage, Chen Daiyun lifted the curtain and silently gazed at the scenery outside the window.

The closer she got to Baizhang Pass, the more surprised she became.

Soldiers from Long'an Prefecture could be seen everywhere along both sides of the road.

Some of them were setting up checkpoints to check passersby; others were building temporary housing to provide shelter for people displaced by war.

Some, led by officers, repaired the potholed dirt roads.

Unlike their fierce and valiant demeanor when they first met outside Nanjiang County, these soldiers were completely different when they treated the villagers.

Although their expressions remained cold and stern, they no longer displayed the arrogant and domineering demeanor they had shown before when facing the common people; instead, they seemed to be behaving as if they were not harming anyone.

Even when facing trembling people, he would force out a slightly stiff smile.

Some soldiers would even take out their own rations and share them with the children who were starving, emaciated, and swollen by the roadside.

"Sister Yun,"

Chen Fang, the maidservant in the same carriage, was somewhat surprised and whispered:

"I heard these guys are all arrogant and domineering thugs, why have they suddenly changed their personalities today?"

"Could it be that you're deliberately putting on an act for us?"

Chen Daiyun remained silent for a long time, then shook his head:

"We don't have that much influence."

“I see that these people are very efficient and their hands are not rusty at all, which means they must have been used to doing these trivial tasks for a long time.”

Her slender hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the hilt of the sword at her waist. It turned out that this army also had such a friendly side.

These people are worlds apart from the imperial court's patrol and garrison soldiers who only know how to plunder and seize.

So what kind of person would be the head coach who leads this team?

Chen Daiyun's curiosity grew stronger.

……

Three days later, at Baizhang Pass.

When Yao Huang and his group arrived at Jiang Han's main camp, everyone was stunned.

This is hardly a campsite.

This is practically a mobile war fortress.

Outside the camp, layers of barricades, chevaux-de-frise, and moats formed a formidable defensive structure.

Soldiers carrying long spears stood guard every five steps and sentries every ten steps, vigilantly watching every corner.

Inside the camp, thousands of military tents were arranged neatly, stretching as far as the eye could see.

In the distance, a martial arts training ground was bustling with activity.

Thousands of soldiers wearing red headscarves were shirtless, practicing drills and bayonet techniques in perfect unison under the command of their officers.

The deafening roar startled the leaders of the Yellow Army, making their legs go weak.

According to Dong Erzhu, who was traveling with them, this group of people were newly joined militia members and were undergoing intensive training.

On the other side, the artisans' camp was bustling with activity.

The clanging and banging sounds were incessant as the craftsmen took turns inspecting and cleaning the heavy cannons.

The entire camp was like a sophisticated and massive war machine, with every component operating efficiently and systematically.

Both leaders, Yaotiandong and Huanglong, were stunned and felt a pang of emotion.

"No wonder he's so arrogant. If I were in charge of the troops, I could be a hundred times more arrogant than him."

The thought echoed in his mind.

After passing through three heavily guarded checkpoints and unloading their weapons, Jiang Han's personal guard commander, Feng Chengxuan, had been waiting for a long time at the second gate.

"My lords, you've had a long journey."

Feng Chengxuan clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, a polite yet distant smile on his face.
"The commander-in-chief is currently in the central command tent, discussing crucial military matters related to the capture of Baoning Prefecture with his generals, and is unable to leave for the time being."

"I have been specially ordered to come and greet you all."

Upon seeing this, Yao Tiandong quickly stepped forward:
"Commander Jiang is extremely busy, so the fact that he sent someone to welcome us is already a great honor for us."

"General, when will the Commander-in-Chief be available? We have important matters to discuss."

But Feng Chengxuan shook his head after hearing this:
"The commander-in-chief didn't say it explicitly, so I can't reveal it either."

"To be honest, I'm mainly here to inform General Dong that the Marshal wants him to go to the Central Army Office for a meeting immediately."

"You leaders may need to wait a little longer."

Yao Tiandong was taken aback upon hearing this.

He never expected that, as the leader of a force, he would travel all the way to Baizhang Pass only to be unable to even see Jiang Han.

He was somewhat embarrassed and could only force a smile:

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!"

"Marshal Jiang is busy with military affairs, and we should be understanding."

Feng Chengxuan nodded, seemingly oblivious to his embarrassment, and gestured for him to proceed.

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar. The commander has prepared separate tents and courtyards for you. Please rest first."

"Let's talk about it after the meeting."

After saying that, he led the Yellow Army through the heavily guarded camp and arrived at a secluded corner surrounded by a fence.

Dong Erzhu didn't think much of it. After saying goodbye to Yao Tiandong and the others, he went straight into the central command tent.

He was now eager to share the good news of the "marriage alliance" with everyone in the tent.

But when he lifted the curtain, he found the inside empty; no one was discussing anything.

Jiang Han was the only one in the tent, sitting alone behind a mountain of documents, writing furiously.

"Second Brother Han, aren't we supposed to be discussing business?"

Dong Erzhu was very puzzled by this.
"Why are you all alone?"

Hearing the noise, Jiang Han stopped writing and looked up:
"Zhu Zi is here. Please have a seat and wait for me to finish replying to this letter." "Someone, bring two cups of tea."

Seeing that Jiang Han was busy, Dong Erzhu could only suppress his excitement and obediently sit down on a chair to the side, drinking tea to pass the time.

After waiting for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Jiang Han finally finished his official duties. He was almost dozing off when he finally finished.

"Zhu Zi, what's the specific situation in Nanjiang County?"

Tell me in detail.

Dong Erzhu perked up and quickly recounted what had happened before, in detail:
“I had originally led my troops to attack Nanjiang, but several messengers suddenly came along the way, saying that Nanjiang had already been occupied by them, and asked me to show mercy because they were all righteous troops.”

"This group is called the Shaking Yellow Army. Their leader is called Shaking Heaven, and their second-in-command is called Yellow Dragon."

"Later, I led troops to take over Nanjiang County and gave them two options: either surrender or be dismissed."

"Judging from their current attitude, it seems they want to discuss terms with you, Brother Han."

Jiang Han listened while sipping his hot tea, nodding frequently.

He had only heard of Huang Jun and didn't know much about him.

In historical records, the Thirteen Families of Yao and Huang did not appear until after Zhang Xianzhong entered Sichuan, and they were not considered a major force.

It was just a local militia, not worth mentioning.

Seeing that Jiang Han didn't seem interested, Dong Erzhu then dropped what he considered to be "breaking news":
"Also, Second Brother Han, I have some good news!"

"These people are planning to form a marriage alliance with you!"

puff--

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han spat out his tea.

"What the heck? A marriage alliance?"

He stared at Dong Erzhu in astonishment.

But Dong Erzhu nodded excitedly:

"That's right!"

"There is a third leader in the Yaohuang Army, who is a woman."

"Second Brother Han, I've approved him for you. Although this Third Leader is a bit old, he certainly looks dashing."

Jiang Han looked at his honest and straightforward brother and asked with a hint of helplessness:
"Hey Zhuzi, don't you think I'm just an old bachelor nobody wants at the edge of the village?"

"Huh?" Dong Erzhu didn't react for a moment.

Jiang Han slapped Dong Erzhu across the forehead:
"I control an entire prefecture and have tens of thousands of soldiers under my command. Does he even dare to propose a marriage alliance with me?"

"What beauty could compare to the tens of thousands of elite troops under my command?"

Dong Erzhu covered his forehead and muttered:
"Just say it, why take action? I'm only doing this because you're all alone, Brother Han, and that woman is really quite nice."

"I'm doing this all for your own good!"

"Such a large family fortune, and you, Second Brother Han, have no children, what if..."

Realizing he had made a slip of the tongue, Dong Erzhu didn't continue speaking, but instead changed the subject:
"Besides, if you don't get married, Brother Han, none of our brothers will dare to get married either."

Everyone is worried.

Jiang Han nodded slowly after hearing this.

That's not wrong.

For a regime, whether its leader has any offspring is a crucial factor.

"Offspring" are not only the continuation of family bloodline, but also the core symbol of the legitimacy and stability of power.

Especially now that Jiang Han is still in the rebellion stage, his regime is not yet stable.

During this period, the impact of whether a leader has offspring will be magnified many times over, directly affecting the regime's cohesion, its prospects for survival, and the outcome of internal and external power struggles.

Offspring are like a ballast stone.

If the leader has offspring, then there is hope for the entire rebel team; if they win the gamble, they will become founding heroes.

Without offspring, a regime can easily descend into infighting and degenerate into a loose, disorganized group that lives for the moment.

But Jiang Han was, after all, a transmigrator at heart, and this was the first time he had ever rebelled. He didn't want to become a breeding machine.

Besides, even if a marriage alliance is to be formed, shouldn't one choose a family with some power or background?
Throughout history, especially for self-made emperors, their first marriage was almost always a political alliance.

Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, came from a humble background as a village head in Sishui. In the early stages of his uprising, his power was weak, and his marriage alliance with the Lü family can be regarded as a model of early "political investment".

Take Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang as an example.

He was originally just an ordinary soldier under Guo Zixing. After marrying Ma, he went from being an outsider to a son-in-law, directly entering the core circle of the rebel army and gaining the opportunity to lead troops independently.

It can be said that in the initial stage of a rebellion, a successful marriage alliance can often save the forces from taking a decade of detours.

Although Jiang Han has already passed the most difficult initial stage of his uprising, he no longer needs to rely on "marriage" to obtain initial capital.

But deep down, he still hopes that his other half will be a virtuous and capable wife who can help him share some of the burdens.

What do those Yellow Army soldiers have?
How dare she have the audacity to discuss the word "marriage" with him?
But Jiang Han didn't want to dampen Dong Erzhu's enthusiasm, since they were his own brothers who cared about him.

Therefore, he could only make a promise:
"How about this, once I've conquered Chengdu, I'll consider getting married."

"We'll hold the wedding together with the brothers under our command!"

Dong Erzhu wanted to persuade him further, but Jiang Han firmly interrupted him:
"Our current goal is to occupy the entire Sichuan province!"

"Let's put these matters of personal feelings aside for now."

"Don't worry, it won't take long."

As Jiang Han spoke, he stood up, picked up a letter from the table, and handed it to Zhu Zi:

"I just received a letter from Zhao Sheng. Li Zicheng and his men have returned from the snowy region."

"The relics were exchanged for a total of 18,000 warhorses, to be paid off in three to five years."

"Li Zicheng brought back 2,920 horses on this trip, some of which got stuck in the grassland."

When official business is mentioned, Jiang Han gets really excited:
"Nearly three thousand warhorses!"

He looked excited and paced back and forth inside the tent.
"Pillar, do you know what this means?"

"With these warhorses, we can set aside a cavalry corps outside our main force, specifically for flanking and encircling."

"With this army, we can find an opportunity to annihilate the Ming army's field forces in Sichuan!"

"If we can wipe out the main force of the Sichuan Army, we can take over the entire Sichuan province and then threaten the Yunnan and Guizhou provinces."

Seeing Jiang Han's excited expression, Dong Erzhu sighed inwardly.

As the army grew larger, Brother Han had endless military affairs to worry about every day.

Sometimes, when everyone else was asleep, only the central command tent would have its light on until dawn.

He was afraid that Jiang Han wouldn't be able to hold on one day if there wasn't a caring woman by his side.

But now that he had at least received Jiang Han's promise, he stopped bringing it up.
"Since you've thought it through, Brother Han, let's get to work and try to take over Baoning Prefecture before the end of the year."

"Also, what about those people who were shaking the roof? Should they be dismissed or what?"

Jiang Han waved his hand dismissively:
"Didn't you already set out the rules?"

"Those who want to join us will be dispersed and made into militia; those who want to return to their hometowns will be given land."

"They can do whatever they want, as long as they don't get in the way."

"Women will only slow down my speed in drawing my sword."

(End of this chapter)