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

Chapter 237 Did they really give benefits to the people?

Tsering led his troops, chanting unidentified slogans, as they relentlessly threw stones and logs down the mountain.

The boulder, carrying debris, crashed into the vanguard of the government troops, instantly crushing several men into a bloody pulp.

The panicked soldiers tried to find a place to hide, but the rain of arrows overhead and the unpredictable stone mines underfoot made it impossible for them to move an inch.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the official road at the foot of the mountain was filled with the corpses of government soldiers lying in disarray.

Even though there were no survivors left at the foot of the mountain, the barbarian soldiers continued to throw stones and logs down the mountain one after another, showing no sign of stopping.

It wasn't until Li Dingguo lashed his whip twice into the air that the barbarian soldiers snapped out of their daze and stopped what they were doing.

Seeing the heavy casualties of the government troops below the mountain, the group of young men felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure.

They were born slaves, yet they could kill people.

At this time, the soldiers in the valley were already like frightened birds, and many of them scattered and fled.

In the chaos, many more fleeing soldiers stepped on trip mines, causing a series of explosions.

In the blink of an eye, the vanguard of government troops had suffered heavy casualties.

Ding Yunxiang, from the central command, was shocked to see this, as he did not know how many bandits were hiding in the valley.

He knew that if he didn't leave soon, all three thousand people would probably perish here.

Ding Yunxiang immediately ordered his personal guard captain to lead his men forward and forcibly drag Song Hong and the others, who were still trapped in the minefield, out of the valley in a sorry state.

The tribal soldiers on the hilltop were overjoyed at their first victory.

But Li Dingguo and Yu Chengye, standing to the side, sighed as they watched the government troops flee in disarray.

We still don't have enough manpower.

Judging from the chaos the government troops just caused, if we gave them a thousand elite soldiers, they could launch a surprise attack from the mountaintop, and with the support of Li Zicheng in the rear, they could definitely capture all three thousand government troops.

Now they could only hide on the hilltop and shoot arrows from afar, watching helplessly as the government troops escaped from the valley.

The first clash between the two sides ended with the government troops fleeing in disarray.

Ding Yunxiang and Liu Hanru suffered a minor but unpleasant loss shortly after they set out.

Although the post-battle inventory showed that the number of men and soldiers lost was not too great, the enemy's unpredictable minefields and sudden attacks cast a shadow over the hearts of all the officers and soldiers.

Many people were disarmed and crawled and scrambled to their deaths in the valley.

Both sides returned to their respective camps, and the victorious side was naturally overjoyed.

When Li Zicheng and his men returned to their mountain camp with the captured weapons and supplies, cheers echoed through the valley.

"Wan Sheng!"

The long-waiting civilians and militiamen rushed forward, took the knives and guns from the soldiers, and handed over the food and ginger soup that had been prepared beforehand.

This camp, located in the Pingtong River Valley, was a refuge that Li Zicheng had chosen long ago.

The camp was located in a strategically important mountain valley, accessible only by a narrow path, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Although conditions inside the camp were harsh, it was very well organized.

After the soldiers finished their meal and ginger soup, they took charge of guarding the outer perimeter under Tsering's leadership.

The other militiamen set up dozens of sentry posts, both visible and hidden, on the surrounding cliffs, protecting the entire camp like an iron barrel.

The people who were evacuated from the villages then worked together under the organization of the village heads and hamlets.

The men were responsible for building and fortifying the camp, while the women were responsible for starting fires, cooking, and mending clothes.

The cave was filled with grain and firewood transported from various villages, enough to sustain thousands of people through the entire winter.

Although the environment wasn't great, almost no one showed any anxiety; instead, everyone was busy at their respective posts.

In contrast, the government troops suffered a defeat.

The officers and soldiers dared not linger on the road, fearing that the bandits might suddenly appear from some corner, and could only retreat all the way back to Xialing Village in the rear.

Xialing Village and Shangling Village, where He Mingsheng lives, are not far apart.

Shangling Village is located on the mountaintop, while Xialing Village is at the foot of the mountain. The two villages are less than ten miles apart.

The villagers of Xialing Village had long since followed Li Zicheng back to the valley, leaving behind only rows of earthen houses.

Ding Yunxiang took advantage of the village to set up camp, prepare to rest and cook a meal.

Although they were not lacking in food and clothing for the time being, they had just escaped from the brink of death, and the entire army was still immersed in fear and anxiety.

After suffering a defeat and losing their brothers, some arrogant Ming soldiers vented their resentment and anger on Shangling Village, which was not far away.

That evening, a centurion named Zhong Yao led a dozen or so soldiers into the village.

"What the hell is this bad luck!"

Zhong Yao kicked open the gate of a villager's courtyard, cursing under his breath.
"I'm leading my troops, risking my life on the front lines, while these damned civilians are hiding in the back like nothing happened!"

He waved his hand.
"Search for me!"

"Bring out everything you can eat, drink, and that valuable stuff!"

"These rooms around here are nice. The brothers have nowhere to sleep tonight, so they'll stay here!"

Upon hearing Zhong Yao's order, the soldiers were overjoyed and immediately scattered, driving all the villagers who were hiding in the houses, trembling with fear, out.

They then skillfully began rummaging through drawers and cabinets, searching for valuables.

How could the villagers dare to provoke this group of fierce and menacing government troops?
Left with no other option, they went to He Mingsheng, the village's leader, hoping he, as the village head, could help uphold justice.

Upon hearing the news, He Mingsheng was furious and led a large group of villagers to search for the place.

This guy is a complete idiot. He naively thought that the government soldiers would be like the bandits before him and would try to reason with him.

But reality dealt him a heavy blow.

When He Mingsheng angrily found Baihu Zhong Yao, he was about to confront him.

But before he could finish speaking, Zhong Yao stood up impatiently.

Snapped!
A resounding slap landed hard on He Mingsheng's face, sending him flying.

He Mingsheng saw stars from the powerful slap, and his left cheek visibly swelled up.

Before he could react, Zhong Yao stomped on He Mingsheng's chest, spat in his face, and cursed angrily:
"Who do you think you are? A poor nobody like you dares to put on airs in front of me?"

"I'm giving you face, right?!"

"My brothers are lending you a few rooms for the night. If you know what's good for you, get lost and don't spoil my fun!"

"If you dare utter another word of nonsense, believe me, I'll chop you up right now!"

He Mingsheng covered his burning face, looking at the crude and vulgar brute in front of him with disbelief in his eyes.

As a mere scholar, he had just enjoyed a pleasant conversation with the governor a few days ago, yet this soldier dared to lay a hand on him!
Just you wait, this isn't over yet!

Early the next morning, He Mingsheng rode his mule and rushed to the government army camp in Xialing Village, intending to complain to Governor Liu Hanru.

But Liu Hanru was the governor of Sichuan; how could an old scholar like him just see him whenever he wanted?
Although the two had met once before, the soldiers on duty outside the camp did not recognize He Mingsheng at all.

He Mingsheng kept saying that he and the governor were old acquaintances, but he was still stopped outside the military camp and couldn't even get in the door.

Just as he was waiting anxiously, he finally caught a glimpse of a familiar figure through the gap in the wooden fence.

Upon closer inspection, he recognized him as Governor Liu Hanru!
At this moment, Liu Hanru was preparing to go to the central army with his generals to discuss how to launch the next military campaign.

Seeing this, He Mingsheng mustered all his strength and shouted loudly into the camp:
"Governor Liu! Prefect Liu!"

"Student He Mingsheng has something important to tell me."

Liu Hanru was deep in thought, racking his brains, trying to figure out how to break through the enemy's minefield, when he suddenly vaguely heard someone calling him.

He glanced up but didn't see anything, and then lifted his leg to continue forward.

But his personal guards, with their sharp eyes, recognized He Mingsheng outside the camp gate:
“Governor Liu, there’s someone outside the camp gate. It’s that old scholar who greeted us in Shiquan County before.”

Liu Hanru looked up and saw He Mingsheng shouting and yelling, and his brows furrowed instantly.

"What's this guy doing here? The war isn't even over yet, and he's already trying to climb the social ladder?"

"It's totally nonsense!"

"Go, drive him away!"

The guards nodded, preparing to chase He Mingsheng away from outside, but soon he rushed back.

“Your Excellency, this man surnamed He says he has something important to report to you.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanru's eyes lit up. Could it be that this fellow had discovered some important military intelligence, such as the specific movements of the enemy troops?

Liu Hanru dared not delay and immediately ordered his personal guards to bring He Mingsheng in.

He then beckoned to the generals around him to hurry to the central command tent, wanting to hear what new news He Mingsheng had brought.

To his utter surprise, as soon as He Mingsheng entered the tent, he knelt down with a thud.

Before Liu Hanru could speak, He Mingsheng lay on the ground and began to sob:
"Governor Liu! You must stand up for the people of Shangling Village!"

"Last night, your soldiers broke into my Shangling Village under cover of darkness, looting everywhere and forcibly occupying houses."

"The student wanted to reason with him, but to his surprise, he not only didn't repent, but also hit the student!"

The generals inside the tent looked at each other in bewilderment after hearing this.

That's it?

I thought it was something huge, but it turned out to be just a robbery of some valuables and a nap.

There was no murder committed, yet this pedantic scholar actually came all the way to the military camp to file a complaint?
Liu Hanru was so angry that he almost burst out laughing on the spot.

I'm leading troops to quell the rebellion! Not to be your servants, you commoners!
The soldiers on the front lines bleed and sacrifice their lives, so what if they eat some of your food and take some of your food?
A mere scholar who didn't even pass the provincial examination actually thinks he's some big shot?!

But He Mingsheng remained oblivious, kneeling on the ground, sobbing and lamenting:

"We beg the Governor to uphold justice for Shangling Village!"

"Stand up for the students!"

Liu Hanru stared at He Mingsheng, who was kneeling on the ground, his face turning pale and then red. He wished he could strangle this ignorant and foolish scholar. This was the central military tent, where important military and national affairs concerning the suppression of bandits and the quelling of rebellions were being discussed!
This isn't a county courtroom where you're asked to discuss trivial family matters!

Despite his immense anger, Liu Hanru, as the governor of a province, managed to maintain the last shred of dignity.

Liu Hanru looked at He Mingsheng and replied calmly:
"I already know about this."

"I will send someone to punish him after the meeting."

But He Mingsheng persisted:

"But Governor, those soldiers are still in my Shangling Village."

Seeing that He Mingsheng still wanted to argue, Liu Hanru finally couldn't hold back anymore.

He slammed his hand on the table and roared:
"Nothing but!"

"I am currently discussing matters of great importance to the nation. If you dare to utter another word, be careful, or I will punish you for delaying military operations!"

"roll!"

Hearing this, He Mingsheng was completely dumbfounded.

He couldn't believe that Governor Liu, who had been chatting happily with him just a few days ago, had suddenly changed his attitude today.

How could the "royal army" of the imperial court condone its soldiers plundering the people's wealth?
Seeing that He Mingsheng was not moving, Ding Yunxiang, the adjutant general standing to the side, was too lazy to say anything. He got up, grabbed He Mingsheng by the collar, and threw him out of the tent like a chicken.

"Get out of here!"

"Watch out or I'll chop you up!"

After getting rid of He Mingsheng, Liu Hanru's expression finally improved:
"Forget about this idiot, let's get down to business."

"Tell me, what are your thoughts on this failed campaign?"

Ding Yunxiang was the first to step forward, clasping his hands in a fist salute and saying:
"Governor Liu, the terrain in northern Sichuan is indeed too complicated."

"The enemy soldiers had made preparations in advance, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, and they also laid out a minefield on the official road."

"We were caught off guard and that's why we lost our composure."

"Next time we advance, we will definitely make preparations in advance."

"I plan to have Commander Song lead a squad of soldiers to clear the mines at the front of the column; the main army will remain on guard and follow after the mines are cleared."

"As long as we remain vigilant, their bandit soldiers will not be able to break in."

However, Song Hong, a commander standing nearby, offered his own perspective:
"General Ding, clearing mines is not a difficult task."

"But what if, while we're clearing mines, enemy soldiers suddenly emerge from some hidden corner?"

"If they are suddenly attacked, the soldiers clearing mines will inevitably be frightened and panicked."

"If the ranks break up, the enemy soldiers will still pick them off one by one."

"This humble general believes that the enemy can at most lay stone mines in a section of Sanhe Road; the roads there are narrow, and the army cannot maneuver freely."

"In my opinion, it would be better to find some livestock to lead the way."

"Firstly, it can reduce casualties; secondly, it can prevent us from being ambushed by enemy soldiers."

Upon hearing Song Hong's suggestion, the generals in the tent all nodded in agreement.

If we could use livestock to clear mines, that would be even better.

After all, they only have a little over 2,500 soldiers left.

If we are ambushed by the bandits again, our forces will be severely depleted.

But Liu Hanru frowned deeply:

"Send the livestock? What about the supplies and provisions?"

"Our army doesn't have many mules and horses to begin with."

"If we allocate another portion to mine clearance, we won't be able to transport the supplies."

Just when everyone was at a loss, Ding Yunxiang suddenly spoke up:

"Governor Liu, I've heard that Shangling Village is quite prosperous."

“There seem to be quite a few livestock in the village. We can ‘borrow’ them for use first.”

"Anyway, it's already winter, so the livestock don't need to plow the fields for the time being."

"Once we wipe out the bandits in the mountains, we can return them all."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanru agreed without much hesitation.

He originally didn't want to touch Shangling Village.

After all, when I led my troops into Shiquan County, it was He Mingsheng who led the villagers of Shangling Village to be the first to welcome the government troops.

Although there was no scene of "welcoming the king's army with food and drink," it still met Liu Hanru's expectations.

His original plan was to treat the people of Shangling Village well, promote some of them, and appoint them as minor officials.

They used this as a benchmark to attract those civilians who had joined the rebels to turn back.

But today, He Mingsheng's lack of pragmatism has caused Liu Hanru to lose face in the army.

He didn't intend to give these people a friendly look anymore.

The real priority is to wipe out the bandits.

As for protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people, let the future county magistrate worry about that.

……

"Sir! Sir! This is our family's ox! Please have mercy! Please have mercy!"

In Shangling Village, several villagers were kneeling on the ground, trying to stop the soldiers from forcibly seizing their livestock.

"If you take all the cattle away, it will be very difficult to plow the fields next spring!"

However, Zhong Yao, the leader of the centurions, turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the villagers kneeling on the ground.

Instead, he kept directing his soldiers to bring out all the livestock from the shed.

Seeing this, the villagers panicked, crawled two steps on their knees, and hugged Zhong Yao's legs:
"Sir! Please! Give us a way to live!"

"We are all subjects of the Great Ming Dynasty, and have been good citizens for generations."

Zhong Yao looked at the man at his feet with disdain, his face full of contempt and impatience.

He suddenly raised his foot and kicked the man hard in the chest.

"Go away!"

"We were ordered to requisition supplies to suppress the bandits, and you dare to obstruct us?"

"Are you all tired of living?"

The man was kicked backward and flew out, crashing heavily to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was clearly not going to make it.

But Zhong Yao didn't even bother to look at him.

The officers and soldiers casually took away the oxen without hesitation and went straight to the next house, searching each one.

When they encountered families with livestock, the officers and soldiers would pack up all the animals.

Whether it was chickens, ducks, or mules and horses, big or small, they took them all away in one go.

For those without livestock, they would simply ransack their homes and forcibly seize their money and food.

In an instant, the entire Shangling Village was in chaos, with cries and screams filling the air.

After looting for most of the day, the government troops finally returned laden with spoils, all beaming with joy.

Unexpectedly, Shangling Village, which looks unremarkable, is actually quite lucrative.

In fact, Shangling Village is not a wealthy place.

These livestock, including mules and oxen, were actually distributed by Jiang Han's army.

At that time, in order to complete the spring plowing and autumn harvest as soon as possible, the officials in charge of Shiquan County lent some of the captured oxen and mules to the people of several villages.

The system was to be used by several villages in rotation to improve production efficiency.

However, due to the urgent military situation, Li Zicheng took over the defense with his troops and devoted all his attention to military affairs, leaving him no time to attend to anything else.

Therefore, these oxen and mules were left in Shangling Village, and He Mingsheng, against his conscience, kept them privately, intending to treat them as public assets of the village.

But before it could even warm up for two days, it was forcibly requisitioned by the government troops.

Although they said they would return the money, the villagers had no hope whatsoever after seeing the brutal actions of the government troops today.

They dared not provoke the soldiers, so they could only block He Mingsheng's doorstep, demanding an explanation from him.

After all, it was He Mingsheng who encouraged everyone to stay, saying that they should resist the rebels and return to the rule of the imperial court.

But now, although it has returned, no benefits have been seen at all.

On the contrary, the village was repeatedly robbed, and everyone had considerable complaints.

Although they were under the rule of bandits, they never disturbed the people. Instead, they even lent them seeds, oxen, and mules.

Although the villagers of Shangling Village were not well-educated, anyone who wasn't a fool could see who was committing evil by comparing the two situations.

Having no other choice, He Mingsheng had to bite the bullet and go to the military camp again to plead with Liu Hanru for leniency.

But when he told Liu Hanru about the origins of these oxen and mules, Liu Hanru was so angry that he laughed.

He slammed his hand on the table and roared:
"Those damned thieves, how wicked their intentions are!"

"They actually gave benefits to the people?!"

　Refresh the page; I just posted the draft.

　　I exceeded my capacity today, writing nearly 5500 words, almost breaking my perfect attendance record.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)