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

Chapter 291 The First Night in the Camp

Zheng Zhifeng kept chattering behind them, trying her best to get closer to them.

But the guard leading the way merely glanced at him sideways and replied in a gruff voice:
"Guests can just call me Xu Li."

"Just turned twenty-one."

After saying that, he stopped talking and just kept leading the way.

Zheng Zhifeng was still not giving up and tried to ask again, but Xu Li either managed to utter a word or two or remained completely silent, appearing very taciturn.

And so, the group walked silently into the twilight. Fortunately, the camp gate and watchtower of Li Dingguo's troops were already in sight in the distance.

But just a hundred paces from the camp gate, a sharp bamboo whistle suddenly rang out from the haystack to the right.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, sharp voice shouted:

"Stop! Command!"

Zheng Zhifeng and her group immediately stopped in their tracks, looking at each other in bewilderment, having no idea what the password was.

Seeing no one respond, a dozen fully armed sentries quickly emerged from the shadows of the camp gate and its sides, holding knives, guns, and shields, and instantly surrounded Zheng Zhifeng and her group.

The leading officer warily scanned Zheng Zhifeng and the others, and asked sternly:

"What do you do?"

"Don't you know that you can't approach the camp at night without a password?"

Shao Yong's personal guard, Xu Li, stepped forward and explained:
"Brother, don't misunderstand."

"This is Mr. Zheng from Chengdu, a guest of Your Majesty."

"I am here on the orders of the General to personally escort them to pay a visit to Li Youji."

As he spoke, he pointed to Zheng Zhifeng behind him.

Upon hearing this, the leading officer's expression softened slightly, and he extended his hand, asking:

"I see."

"However, rules cannot be disregarded. Do you have any proof?"

Seeing this, Zheng Zhifeng hurriedly took out the warrant signed by Shao Yong from her bosom and handed it over:

"Yes, yes, this is General Shao's order. Please do me the favor."

The officer took the warrant from him, carefully examined it with a tinderbox, and finally nodded after confirming that it was correct.

He handed the warrant back to Zheng Zhifeng, clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"So it's Mr. Zheng. My apologies for not recognizing you."

"Please wait here for a moment, sir, while I go into the camp to inform General Li."

Zheng Zhifeng never expected that even with the commander-in-chief's personal guards and warrant, entering a subordinate general's camp would be so troublesome, and she was taken aback.

But as someone who led troops, he immediately realized how valuable this was and felt great admiration for it.

With such strict military discipline and clear orders, even the worst troops wouldn't be too bad.

Along their southeastern coast, it was common for officers and soldiers, including Zheng's own troops, to be lax in discipline and have loose camp rules.

The Han army's vigilance, with its closely linked passwords, credentials, and notifications, not only greatly enhanced the security of the military camp but also demonstrated a high degree of organization and discipline.

Soon, the sentry who had gone to report hurriedly returned to the camp gate and reported to Zheng Zhifeng:
"Mr. Zheng, General Li requests your presence. Please follow me."

After saying that, he turned to Xu Li.
"Brother, you can leave the man to us now, you can go back."

"This is General Li's signed reply. Please present it to General Shao."

As he spoke, he handed over a slip of paper.

Xu Li took the note, read it carefully, and then put it in his pocket.

He clasped his hands in a gesture of greeting to Zheng Zhifeng, then turned and left without any hesitation.

Zheng Zhifeng was even more astonished by this scene and couldn't help but say to the sentry beside her:
"It's just a handover of personnel, why make it so complicated?"

"Does your esteemed army really require a reply?"

The sentry led the way while explaining earnestly:
"Mr. Zheng, you may not know this, but this rule was personally set by His Highness the Prince of Han."

"In the military, no matter how big or small the matter is, if it involves personnel transfer, material handover, or order transmission, it must be supported by the commanding officer's hand order or document, and the receiving party must also issue a reply as proof."

"This is called having a written record for future reference and verification."

"The goal is to clarify responsibilities, ensure that everything is traceable, and avoid situations where people shirk responsibility or spies take advantage of the situation in the future."

After listening, Zheng Zhifeng nodded thoughtfully, secretly praising him in her heart:
"What a wonderful idea to 'keep a written record for future verification'!"

"Although this move may seem cumbersome, it can minimize management loopholes."

"I never expected that the King of Han would be so adept at governing his army. This trip was definitely worthwhile!"

He followed the sentry into the military camp. By then, it was completely dark, and it was well past mealtime.

However, the camp was not entirely deserted.

Zheng Zhifeng noticed that many tents had been set up with makeshift sheds inside, lit by oil lamps or pine torches, which illuminated the figures of groups of soldiers.

To his surprise, despite the large number of people gathered together, there was no noise or commotion as he had imagined. Instead, there were bursts of somewhat stiff reading voices.
Zheng Zhifeng was very curious, so she slowed down and approached a larger shed to look inside.

Inside the shed sat about twenty soldiers, each with a red headscarf tied around their head and a thin booklet in their hand.

A leader stood at the front, also holding a booklet, and read out the contents word by word.

The commander loudly led the reading, and the soldiers below followed along, reciting each word carefully.

Seeing that Zheng Zhifeng was interested, the sentry officer began to explain:

"This is a routine after dinner, and it's a rule set by the King, called literacy and literacy education."

"Literacy eradication?" Zheng Zhifeng was unfamiliar with this term.

"yes,"

The sentry's tone carried a hint of pride.
“In our army, especially among the newly recruited brothers, eight or nine out of ten came from poor backgrounds. They can’t even read or write properly, let alone recognize their own names.”

"The king said that it is not enough to just know how to fight and charge into battle; one must learn as many characters as possible so that one can understand reasoning."

"There is a strict rule in the army that every day after dinner, unless there is no fighting, there must be a literate officer or veteran to teach everyone to read and write."

"The booklets in their hands are the 'New Army Regulations and Command and Instruction Outline' personally compiled by His Majesty."

Zheng Zhifeng held her breath and carefully observed the scene before her.

In the dim light, the group of soldiers, their faces dark and weathered, stared intently at the booklet in their hands, reading it aloud word by word, following the orders of the officer in front.

Every now and then, someone would raise their hand, wave the booklet in their hand, and ask their questions.

Although they were all simple words and phrases, as well as some everyday characters, the commander would patiently explain each one.

Occasionally, someone would misread something, which would cause a burst of laughter, and then, blushing, they would reread it under the guidance of the master of ceremonies.

Seeing this scene, Zheng Zhifeng felt a lump in her throat and couldn't help but sigh softly.

He recalled his own navy, where the sailors spent their leisure time either gambling and drinking or thinking about where to seek pleasure.

Fighting and infighting are common in the military, and military discipline is mainly maintained through brotherhood, clan ties, and severe corporal punishment.

Whether it was the eldest brother Zheng Zhilong or Zheng Zhifeng, the Zheng family from top to bottom never felt there was anything wrong.

In their view, as long as they can fight, why bother with anything else?

In contrast, Zheng Zhifeng greatly admired the strong literacy culture and strict discipline within the Han King's army.

He shook his head, looked no further, and had the sentry continue leading the way.

Soon, the group arrived outside the central command tent. After being informed, Zheng Zhifeng and the others were invited inside.

The tent was brightly lit, and a young general was standing in front of a map.

He wore a hairnet to tie his hair up, an indigo cotton robe with arrow-sleeved sleeves, a cowhide belt around his waist, and black cloth boots on his feet.

Although dressed simply, she appeared clean, neat, and exuded a heroic air.

Zheng Zhifeng's eyes lit up, and she immediately stepped forward, cupped her hands in greeting, and smiled:

"This must be Li Dingguo, the guerrilla commander, right?"

"Sure enough, a hero comes from a boy!"

"My name is Zheng Zhifeng. I apologize for the intrusion and for disturbing the general!"

As he spoke, he habitually gave a wink, signaling his attendants to bring out the gifts.

Li Dingguo turned around, cupped his hands in return, and spoke calmly:

"Mr. Zheng, you're too kind."

He glanced at the gift and immediately shook his head in refusal.

"I appreciate your kindness, sir."

"But there are strict orders in the army that forbids the private collection of money, so please don't put me in a difficult position."

Zheng Zhifeng was once again rebuffed. She smiled bitterly to herself and could only wave her hand, instructing her attendants to take back the gifts.

Without wasting words, Li Dingguo immediately got to the point:
"General Shao has already explained Mr. Zheng's purpose in coming."

"I wonder how you would like to observe, sir? If you don't mind, you can come with me."

Zheng Zhifeng quickly waved her hand:
"I dare not disturb the general in handling military affairs."

"I was wondering... if I could go among the soldiers, eat and live with them, and truly experience the life of your army?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingguo was visibly taken aback, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

He carefully examined Zheng Zhifeng's luxurious attire and hesitated before saying:

“This… Mr. Zheng, our army will break camp and set up stockade in three days, cross the Wujiang River secretly, and launch a night attack on the enemy camp.”

"This mission is not only arduous, but also extremely risky. For the soldiers on the front lines, life and death often hang in the balance."

"Are you sure you want to join the front-line troops, sir?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhifeng was not afraid at all; on the contrary, she became even more excited.

He patted his chest and boasted:
"Don't worry, Li Guerrilla, it's just a night raid across the river, isn't it?"

"To be honest, I've experienced my fair share of stormy seas and hand-to-hand combat." "This little matter is no problem for me. Please grant my request, General!"

Seeing that he was very determined, Li Dingguo stopped trying to dissuade him.
"Alright, I'll make the arrangements for Mr. Zheng right away."

He immediately summoned his personal guards and gave them instructions.
"Take Mr. Zheng and his entourage to Zhao Laoba's squad."

Tell him that everything remains the same and no special treatment is needed.

Zheng Zhifeng was overjoyed upon hearing this and repeatedly clasped her hands in thanks:
"Thank you, General Li!"

Soon, Li Dingguo's personal guards led Zheng Zhifeng and the others through rows of neat tents to a tent located to the north.

"Zhao Laoba, you have something to say!"

The guard called out inside, and soon a shirtless, wounded man lifted the tent flap and came out.

His gaze swept over Zheng Zhifeng and the others, finally settling on his personal guards.

“Zhao Laoba, these three are Mr. Zheng and his entourage. They were sent by the guerrillas and will stay with your team for a few days and act together.”

"This is a guerrilla order."

As the guard spoke, he handed over a slip of paper.

Zhao Laoba took the note, glanced at it, and nodded:

"Understood, you can go back now."

He then turned to Zheng Zhifeng and the others, and nodded.
"Brother Zheng, right? Come in with me."

Zheng Zhifeng lifted the curtain and saw an oil lamp burning inside, casting a dim light.

Inside the tent were ten simple beds, and four or five soldiers were sitting on their beds, carefully wiping their weapons.

When they saw several strangers come in, they all looked up and stared at them curiously.

Zhao Laoba explained to the people inside the tent:

"Listen up, everyone. These are Brother Zheng and his men, sent here by the guerrillas."

"They will be living, eating, and training with us for the next few days, so everyone can get to know each other."

After saying that, he looked at Zheng Zhifeng:
“Brother Zheng, these are all our brothers in the team.”

Zheng Zhifeng quickly clasped her hands in a fist and bowed to the surroundings.
"My name is Zheng Zhifeng. I'm new here and I apologize for causing trouble for you brothers."

"It's just a small token of my appreciation."

As he spoke, he had his attendants bring out gifts.

However, this time Zheng Zhifeng learned his lesson. He knew that sending money or knives would not work, so he replaced them with more practical food.

These were mostly dried meats brought from Chengdu, as well as some salted dried fish and candied fruit brought from Fujian that could be stored for a long time.

When everyone saw that it was food, their eyes lit up, but none of them reached out to take it. Instead, they looked at Zhao Laoba.

Seeing this, Zhao Laoba nodded:
"Since it's Brother Zheng's kind gesture, then please accept it."

"Everyone, share this, eat, and then go to sleep."

The soldiers were delighted and thanked them profusely as they accepted the gifts, instantly enlivening the atmosphere in the tent.

Zheng Zhifeng smiled and said:
"Just a little snack, to tide you over tonight."

Zhao Laoba pointed to the few empty beds at the very back of the tent:
“Brother Zheng, we’ve cleared out beds for you, so you can sleep there.”

"According to the camp rules, lights must be turned off at night upon hearing the bugle call, and no noise or disturbance is permitted."

Zheng Zhifeng quickly agreed:
"understand."

Soon, three deep, long horn sounds came from outside the camp.

Zhao Laoba blew out the oil lamp, plunging the tent into darkness instantly. There was a rustling sound of people lying down, as everyone prepared to go to bed.

Zheng Zhifeng lay on the hard cot, covered with a thin blanket, staring at the dark tent ceiling above her, wide awake.

What he had seen and heard before kept flashing through his mind. Everything in the Han King's army was quite novel and shocking to him.

He couldn't help but turn over, tentatively speaking in a low voice, trying to get closer to the soldiers in his tent:
"Brothers, are you all asleep?"

"How about we talk?"

After a moment of silence in the darkness, Zhao Laoba's voice suddenly rang out:
"Not yet, Brother Zheng. What do you want to talk about?"

Zheng Zhifeng was overjoyed and began to talk:

"Let's talk about our lives and get to know each other."

"I come from the coast of Fujian; my family runs a boat business."

"My brothers and I have been at sea since we were young. We have seen many storms and been to many places."

"I've been to Japan and Korea in the east, and Luzon and Siam in the south..."

"Now that I've been on land for so long, I'm starting to miss home."

"You wouldn't believe it, that ocean, hey, it's truly boundless!"

"Sometimes it's so blue it's dazzling, as calm as a mirror; other times it gets angry, and the waves are higher than mountains..."

He was speaking enthusiastically when a curious voice with a Shaanxi accent interrupted him in the darkness:

"ocean?"

What is the sea? Is it boundless?

"We've only ever seen the Yellow River flood, and that's terrifying enough. Could there be a flood bigger than the Yellow River?"

Zheng Zhifeng was taken aback when he heard this. He suddenly realized that these soldiers, who were born in the Northwest, had probably never seen the sea.

He thought for a moment and tried to explain:

"The sea, well, it's... it's a really, really big lake."

"It's so big that you can't see the other side; it's all water, and it connects with the sky."

"Can't you see the big lake on the other side?"

Another, younger voice murmured,

"That would require so much water... If it could be diverted to northern Shaanxi, the drought-stricken areas for miles around would be saved!"

"My father was fighting with a neighboring village over water, and he got a head injury. He didn't have the money to see a doctor, so he didn't make it..."

The voice gradually lowered, tinged with a sob.

Someone immediately chimed in:
"If there were that much water, the three border areas of Shaanxi wouldn't be suffering from such a severe drought."

Zheng Zhifeng gave a wry smile, then began to explain:

“Brothers, this seawater is salty, bitter and astringent. It cannot be drunk or used to irrigate the land.”

"Huh? Salty? Can't it be used for irrigation?"

The voice of the Shaanxi soldier earlier was filled with disappointment and confusion.
"So what's the use of this huge body of water besides sailing? You can't drink from it or irrigate the fields..."

Zheng Zhifeng was speechless for a moment. He found it difficult to explain the strategic value and trade benefits of the ocean to this group of border soldiers from the Northwest.

So he changed the subject and asked in return:
"You've been talking about me all this time, but you still don't know what the names of the rest of you brothers are?"

"And how did you end up in the military?"

This opened up a lot of conversation.

The veteran, speaking with a Shaanxi accent, was the first to speak; his voice was rough:

"I don't have a name. My parents just call me Shuanzi."

“In the early years, my family had a few acres of poor land, but later there were disasters every year, but the imperial court still paid taxes in full.”

"I've served in the army for so many years, and I haven't received a single penny of pay or rations. I still have to rely on my family for support..."

"It wasn't until later, when we joined the king in rebellion, that we finally started to live a good life. We received our full pay and could even smell the smell of oil from time to time."

"A few days ago, the king even distributed land and wives to us old brothers!"

"I've been tossing and turning for several nights, and my wife almost couldn't get out of bed..."

A voice nearby laughed and cursed:

"Old Wang, you son of a bitch, you have no sense of chivalry whatsoever."

"The King wants you to marry a wife to continue the family line, so don't you dare ruin her life!"

A suppressed chuckle suddenly rang out from inside the tent, filled with the rugged atmosphere of soldiers.

Wang Laoshuan wasn't annoyed and chuckled:

"What's wrong? Are you envious?"

"Once you greenhorns have rendered meritorious service, the King will also provide you with wives!"

"If you ask me, you militiamen are the lucky ones. The king gave you land as soon as he invaded, unlike us who have to fight to the death on the battlefield..."

Before Wang Laoshuan could finish speaking, a young soldier with a Sichuan accent quickly interrupted him:
"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Even though we've divided the land, we're not ungrateful bastards."

“My parents made me join the army so that I could repay the king’s kindness.”

"Just wait, after all this training, I'll definitely pierce the Ming army's asshole in three days..."

Zheng Zhifeng lay on the bed, quietly listening to the soldiers' conversation, feeling somewhat uneasy.

He sensed a strong sense of alienation from these simple, even vulgar, conversations.

He had seen the vastness and wealth of the overseas world, but these soldiers' world had once been nothing but hunger, taxes, and despair.

Both were once subjects of the Ming Dynasty, one a pirate and the other a bandit, both were rebels despised by the officials and gentry.

However, these bandits had gradually transformed into a new regime, and although the Zheng family had obtained official positions, they still could not gain the trust of the imperial court.

And so, amidst the intermittent conversations that followed, the sounds inside the tent gradually subsided, turning into a chorus of snores.

In this unfamiliar environment, Zheng Zhifeng, with mixed feelings, slowly drifted off to sleep.

(End of this chapter)