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

Chapter 96 Li Daitao is stiff
"What?! A offer of amnesty?!"

"A eunuch delivering an imperial edict? Or from the palace?"

Upon hearing this, the entire tent fell silent instantly.

The officers inside the tent were all stunned, exchanging bewildered glances with disbelief written all over their faces.

They repelled the government troops who were trying to suppress them, killed the imperial general in battle, and fought their way from Shaanxi to Shanxi.

They thought that what awaited them next would be an even more frantic and relentless pursuit by the imperial court!

But now a palace eunuch has arrived, carrying an imperial edict, to pacify them?!

Even Jiang Han himself was stunned by this sudden news.

His original plan was to rest here for a while, get a feel for the situation in Shanxi, and then lead his troops north to meet up with Wang Jiayin, Gao Yingxiang and others.

But who would have thought that it would be the imperial court that first sent people to offer amnesty?

Jiang Han pondered for a moment and decided to assess the situation before making any plans.
"Go, bring the person in."

Before long, Zhao Jinzhong and his group were taken to the camp.

But when Zhao Jinzhong, who was in charge, entered the tent, he was so frightened that he dared not even breathe, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Several fully armed generals stood solemnly on both sides of the tent, their helmets and armor gleaming, their hands on their sword hilts, their sharp eyes scanning him.

Especially Li Laowai, whose eyes, as big as copper bells, glared fiercely at Zhao Jinzhong, like a hungry tiger ready to devour him.

Upon seeing these seasoned veterans, Zhao Jinzhong felt his scalp tingle and his legs go weak, almost causing him to lose his balance.

The county magistrate of Shilou who accompanied him was pale as a ghost and didn't dare to breathe.

Before coming here, Zhao Jinzhong made a special trip to Shilou County.

He had originally intended to bring County Magistrate Fang Huai'an along to offer his condolences, thinking that having a local official present would at least bolster his reputation and put the place in order.

But to everyone's surprise, when Magistrate Fang heard that he was going to the rebels' territory, he refused to go no matter what, fearing that if he failed to win them over, he would be killed by the rebels.

Finally, he simply "fell ill in bed" and sent an unfortunate clerk to replace him, accompanying Zhao Jinzhong to pacify Jiang Han.

At this moment, Zhao Jinzhong looked at Jiang Han, who sat high at the head of the table, with a young face but an imposing aura, and was somewhat at a loss as to how to address him.

Calling him "Your Majesty" would seem to diminish his status as an angel, since he came with the Emperor's decree and could not lower himself.

But he didn't dare call him by his name directly, fearing that he might displease Jiang Han and have him killed.

For a moment, Zhao Jinzhong stood in the center of the tent, caught in a dilemma, unsure of what to say.

But Jiang Han grew impatient and waved his hand:

"Alright, just say what you have to say!"

"You're a eunuch, are you carrying the Emperor's decree?"

Zhao Jinzhong felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and hurriedly nodded and bowed, forcing a fawning smile onto his face:

"Exactly, exactly!"

"General, I am Zhao Jinzhong, the Director of the Palace Secretariat. I have come here on His Majesty's orders to persuade you to surrender!"

As he spoke, he secretly observed Jiang Han's expression.

"His Majesty knows that you are all loyal and virtuous men of our Great Ming Dynasty, and your hearts are with the Emperor. It is only because you have been forced to rise up in rebellion by treacherous officials."

"It's really understandable."

"Now, His Majesty is so gracious and generous that he is willing to forgive and forget the past and bring you all back into the embrace of the court, so that you may all be bathed in His holy grace!"

"Furthermore, a special imperial decree was issued to bestow official titles and rewards upon the recipients, in order to demonstrate the Emperor's benevolence!"

After listening, Jiang Han's face remained expressionless, but his fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, as if he were deep in thought.

After a moment, Jiang Han raised his eyelids and said calmly:
"understood."

"You have come from afar, please go down and rest for a while."

“This matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with the brothers before making a decision.”

Zhao Jinzhong was stunned. With such generous terms and conditions, why did they still need to be discussed?

But he dared not say more, and could only offer a few flattering replies:
"Yes, yes, that's how it should be, that's how it should be."

Jiang Han waved his hand, and immediately his personal guards stepped forward, leading Zhao Jinzhong and the clerk behind him out of the tent.

As soon as the outsiders left, the tent erupted in chaos!

"Lord Jiang! What are we still discussing? You're not really going to surrender, are you?"

Li Laowai, the most impatient of them all, was the first to object, spitting as he spoke.

Hei Zi, standing to the side, also stepped forward and quickly objected:
"Yes, Commander, we've killed so many soldiers, even the brigade commander. Do you really think those corrupt officials in the imperial court will let us off the hook?"

"Maybe they're targeting Wu Zimian's mindset, trying to lure us back so they can all be killed!"

"That's right! Not a single word the imperial court says can be trusted!"

"If we surrendered to the imperial court, would we still have the good life we ​​have now? We probably wouldn't even have enough to eat!"

Immediately, the atmosphere inside the tent became heated, with several officers speaking out against the offer of amnesty.

Jiang Han raised his hand and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Quiet down, everyone, and listen to me!"

The tent fell silent instantly, and all eyes were on him.

Jiang Han glanced around at everyone, a cold smile playing on his lips:
"What's the rush?!"

“You’ve been following me for quite some time now. Do you think I would believe the government’s lies?”

He stood up, paced back and forth a couple of times, and analyzed:
"First of all, I definitely will not lower my price!"

"Among us soldiers in the eyes of the imperial court, which one of us hasn't been oppressed over the years?"

"Could the emperor, who is high and mighty, and his officials, who are all talk and no action, really change their ways?"

"In the end, the reason they are willing to send someone to offer us amnesty is simply because they see that we are capable of fighting and have value to them."

"If we went back to Yansui Town, it would be hard to say whether we could even get enough to eat. How could we have three meals a day like we do now?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Jiang Han's eyes.
"This so-called amnesty is most likely just a sugar-coated bullet sent by the emperor!"

"They say nice things on the surface, pardon our sins, and reward us with official positions and silver, but who knows what bad things they're up to behind the scenes, trying to kill us."

"In my opinion, the best outcome if we accept the amnesty is that we will be immediately sent to suppress other rebel armies, forcing us to fight each other with Wang Jiayin and the others!"

"Either we pack up all of us and throw us into that godforsaken place in Liaodong to fight the Eastern barbarians to the death!"

Jiang Han understood perfectly.

The imperial court must have already agreed to Yang He's strategy of appeasement, and there are no longer any large-scale rebel groups in Shaanxi.

Now, the two rebel groups with names and identities, which even the imperial court fears, are both in Shanxi: one is Wang Jiayin from Hequ, and the other is Jiang Han.

Chongzhen might have wanted to recruit him to fight Wang Jiayin, or simply send them to Liaodong to fend for themselves!
Liaodong?

Even dogs wouldn't go. If the foreign troops went to Liaodong, they'd probably be killed by their own people before they even got to fight the Tartars!
After listening, Li Laowai nodded repeatedly:

"Lord Jiang, since we won't surrender, what should we do with these people outside?"

"How about we go all the way and kill this eunuch and all the men he brought?"

After saying that, Li Laowai picked up his knife and prepared to leave.

Jiang Han quickly stopped him:

"What's your rush? Let me finish!"

"This eunuch was sent by the emperor. If we really kill him, wouldn't that be slapping the emperor in the face?"

"No, no, that won't do."

Jiang Han knew Chongzhen's temper very well. If he really slapped Chongzhen in the face, Chongzhen might really get angry and ignore Wang Jiayin, and mobilize a large army to besiege him.

With my weak arms and legs, how could I withstand the combined attack of several armies of the imperial court?
So Jiang Han began to explain his plans:

"Aren't those Shanxi rebels entrenched in this area?"

"Let's use a substitution trick on him!"

After saying this, Jiang Han ordered his personal guards to bring Zhao Jinzhong and the others back.

Before long, Zhao Jinzhong entered the main tent again, his face filled with cautious anticipation.

Jiang Han didn't waste any words and went straight to the point:

"Eunuch Zhao, I think the matter of pacification is feasible."

Can?!
Upon hearing those two words, Zhao Jinzhong's eyes lit up, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled back into his stomach, and he was overjoyed.

"It worked! It really worked!"

"I knew it! These soldiers still wouldn't dare to disobey the imperial court!" "Give them a little something, promise them an official position, and they'll obediently wag their tails and come back to serve the court."

Thinking of this, Zhao Jinzhong straightened his back unconsciously, and the fawning smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a condescending arrogance.

He cleared his throat and snorted coldly:

"Since you are willing to submit to the imperial court, that's good! A wise person knows when to yield!"

"Kneel down and receive the imperial decree!"

He assumed Jiang Han would immediately kneel down and respectfully listen to the imperial edict.

But Jiang Han in front of him didn't move an inch, not even raising his head.

"Ok?"

Zhao Jinzhong frowned, looking at Jiang Han with some displeasure.
"I told you to kneel down and receive the imperial decree! Are you deaf?! The imperial decree is above us, how dare you be disrespectful?!"

After hearing this, Jiang Han slowly raised his head, glanced at him, and said in a calm tone:

“I’m wearing armor, so I can’t kneel down.”

Zhao Jinzhong was furious and about to explode.

But Jiang Han waved his hand impatiently:
"If you want to recite it, then recite it. If you don't want to recite it, then go back to where you came from!"

This completely extinguished Zhao Jinzhong's temper.

He realized that this attempt to win him over seemed to be different from what he had expected.

But there was nothing he could do; he dared not jeopardize the emperor's important plans because of his attitude.

He had no choice but to steel himself, produce the imperial edict, and slowly read it aloud:
"Given that you, Jiang Han, though you have committed rebellious acts, still possess usable talents, I hereby appoint you as the Assistant Commander of Yan'an and award you five hundred taels of silver."

"His troops were all placed under the command of the General of Yansui Garrison, and the weak were eliminated and the strong were incorporated into the government army."

"All former generals and officers under Jiang Han shall be transferred to other garrisons for service. A supervising censor shall be stationed in their camps to conduct inspections every three days and report every five days. Anyone who dares to speak of treason again shall be executed without pardon!"

"Be careful! Do not say that my kindness is not lenient, nor that the laws of the land are not strict! This is my decree!"

Upon hearing these conditions, Jiang Han almost burst out laughing.

Five hundred taels of silver? Are you trying to fob off a beggar?

A lieutenant general? I've even killed a lieutenant general!
Not only should he hand over the troops to Hong Chengchou, but he should also transfer away his trusted generals and finally send a military supervisor to keep an eye on things.

As expected of Zhu Youjian, you've got a good plan.

Jiang Han suppressed a laugh and waited for Zhao Jinzhong to finish reading the imperial edict before extending his hand to him:
"Bring it here."

Zhao Jinzhong stared at Jiang Han's outstretched hand for a moment, then subconsciously handed over the imperial edict.

Jiang Han accepted the imperial edict and casually handed it to the guard beside him, but his hand remained outstretched, not withdrawn.

"anything else?"

Zhao Jinzhong was stunned again:
"What else?"

Jiang Han smiled knowingly but not quite:
"The reward money and the seal of a military commander! Isn't it clearly written in the imperial edict?"

"Oh! Yes, yes!"

Zhao Jinzhong then realized what was happening and quickly gestured to the eunuch behind him to bring up the two trays.

One tray held silver, and the other held a brand-new bronze seal.

Jiang Han accepted the silver and seal without hesitation and had his personal guards take them away.

Seeing that Jiang Han had accepted everything, Zhao Jinzhong finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile returned to his face.

It's done! This attempt to appease them has finally succeeded!
Zhao Jinzhong has accomplished a great feat! He single-handedly and without losing a single soldier persuaded Jiang Han's three thousand rebel troops to surrender!

With this achievement, once we return to the capital, we might be promoted from the Directorate of Ceremonial to the Directorate of Imperial Sacrifices, becoming a favorite of the Emperor!

Zhao Jinzhong's thoughts became increasingly optimistic, as if he could already see his bright future ahead.

However, things seemed to have deviated from his expectations once again.

Jiang Han finished packing his things, waved at him casually as if shooing away flies:

"Alright, that's all for you, get lost."

Zhao Jinzhong's smile froze instantly, and he stood there stunned.

"Go away?"

"General, what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Han glanced at him and asked in return.

"What do you mean? Don't you understand? Do you want me to get lost?"

After saying that, Jiang Han didn't even bother to look at him again, and turned to leave: "Someone! Show him out!"

Now, Zhao Jinzhong was completely panicked.

He quickly stepped forward to stop Jiang Han, his voice trembling with tears:
"Hey! General! General, please wait!"

"You can't go back on your word! You've accepted the imperial edict, the reward money, and the official seal, but now you refuse to lead the troops back to report. How am I supposed to explain this?"

Jiang Han stopped, frowned, and looked at him with some impatience:
What other explanation do you want?

Zhao Jinzhong said urgently:

"Naturally, it would be General Yang who would lead his troops back to Yansui Town to be reorganized by Governor Yang!"

"Otherwise, wouldn't our job have been done for nothing?!"

Jiang Han shook his head after hearing this:
"I can't give you this explanation."

"However, I can give you a different explanation."

Having said that, Jiang Han waved to Li Laowai, who was standing to the side:

"Old Wai!"

"Go, take two men from the division and wipe out those Shanxi soldiers on Shilou Mountain!"

"Bring back the head of that 'Mountain Tiger' to Eunuch Zhao!"

After giving his instructions, Jiang Han turned to Zhao Jinzhong, a warm smile on his face:

"Eunuch Zhao, please stay here with me for a couple more days and don't be impatient."

"Once you get that bandit leader's head, you can go back and explain."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinzhong was completely dumbfounded. Take the head of a bandit leader back to report? If the Emperor found out, he would surely be executed!
Seeing Zhao Jinzhong's dumbfounded expression, Jiang Han could only patiently explain to him:
"Eunuch Zhao, you are still too young and don't know how to be flexible."

"When you get back, report this to the Emperor."

"You should say that after receiving the imperial edict, the criminal Jiang Han suddenly repented and immediately decided to submit to the court."

"It has just been learned that there is a Shanxi rebel army on Shilou Mountain, which has gathered in the mountains and forests and is causing havoc in the area."

"Therefore, Jiang Han prepared to send troops to annihilate this Shanxi rebel army and pacify the region!"

Jiang Han paused, then hooked his arm around Zhao Jinzhong's neck and whispered:
"But unfortunately, the Shanxi rebels, taking advantage of the terrain, almost completely annihilated Jiang Han's forces."

"That head is Jiang Han's head."

"Don't worry, no one has ever seen my face. The only one who did, Li Bei, is already dead."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinzhong immediately waved his hand in refusal:

"Is the general trying to substitute one thing for another?"

"How can this be allowed? The officials from the neighboring Shilou County will find out as soon as they inquire!"

"Besides, if the general refuses to surrender, does that mean he won't attack other prefectures and counties?"

Jiang Han explained calmly:
"Eunuch Zhao, I promise to stay quiet for a few days and not attack the surrounding prefectures and counties. We also need to recuperate."

"As for the officials of Shilou County and the nearby garrison, I will send someone to have a good talk with them."

"If we can reach an agreement, then there will be benefits to be had; if we can't, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

This matter was of great importance, and Zhao Jinzhong, upon hearing it, dared not readily agree.
Seeing this, Jiang Han threatened:
"Eunuch Zhao, if you agree today, you might be able to leave this camp alive."

"If you don't agree, then I'll have no choice but to send you to the Western Paradise."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinzhong's legs trembled, and he collapsed to the ground, too afraid to speak.

Jiang Han lifted him up from the ground:

"Don't worry, once this is done, Jiang Han's troops will disappear forever."

“When I go out again in the future, I will definitely change my appearance and adopt a different bandit name so that I won’t implicate you, Eunuch Zhao.”

(End of this chapter)