Sweep Yuan

Chapter 117 The Initial Settlement of Dingyuan by the Ming Dynasty

Guo Zixing led Sun Deyan and other leaders and thirty guards out of the city and hurriedly came to see Shishan. However, the group was stopped by the Fourth Battalion, which was cleaning up the battlefield, as soon as they arrived at the outer edge of the battlefield.

Tang He had heard Zhang Tianyou introduce Guo Zixing and could roughly confirm that the leader, dressed in fine clothes and with an extraordinary demeanor, was indeed Guo Zixing. However, he still acted in an official manner, inquiring in detail about their reasons for seeking Marshal Shi. He then ordered Guo Zixing to leave behind guards and armor before sending someone to escort them to the central army.

In the past, let alone Guo Zixing, even Sun Deyan, Yu Er, Lu Da, and Lao Pan would never have suffered such humiliation at the hands of Tang He.

But in the Battle of Luqian River, the Red Flag Battalion not only gained prestige but also completely shattered the arrogance of the heroes of Dingyuan. No one dared to make a fuss in front of the Red Flag Battalion soldiers.

Chen Daye, who was in charge of the inner security, learned the reason for Guo Zixing and others' arrival. He then summoned Shao Rong to confirm their identities again and personally checked them before letting them wait in place for the marshal to receive them.

From a distance, Guo Zixing could only see Shi Shan's profile. While admiring the latter's youthful composure, he keenly noticed that only Shi Shan's cloak was made of silk, while the fabric and color of his inner military robe were almost indistinguishable from those of the other soldiers.

Looking at the silver-gray fur cloak she was wearing, she suddenly felt it was particularly conspicuous and wished she could take it off immediately and find a place to hide.

Even after taking off this magnificent cloak, the black fox fur hat on his head, the bright red brocade robe with twelve chapters, the sable cloud-patterned shoes on his feet, and the rhinoceros horn belt around his waist, each of them was extremely eye-catching.
The Yuan court had strict regulations on the style and color of clothing for officials of different ranks. Although the various rebel armies rebelled against the court, they did not rebel against this hierarchical system. The leaders of the rebel armies all liked to wear luxurious clothes to show their noble status.

Guo Zixing was used to this outfit and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Today, the Red Flag Battalion suddenly won a great victory. Guo Zixing instantly lost the courage to compete with Shi Shan and hurriedly left the city. Only then did he realize that his own attire had outshone Marshal Shi, and he felt as if he were being pricked by needles all over his body.

Shi Shan had noticed Guo Zixing and his group long ago, but he didn't pay attention to their nouveau riche attire—after Sesame Li, Zhao Junyong and others rebelled, weren't they all wearing gold and silver?

After sending away Miao Daheng, Shishan ordered Gong Wu to summon the heroes of Dingyuan.

"Guo Zixing and Sun Deyan of Dingyuan pay their respects to the Marshal!"

On the way here, Guo Zixing was still struggling with what kind of greeting he should give to Shishan. He was somewhat disdainful of the disheveled appearance of Miao Daheng kowtowing, but when he faced the imposing Shishan, he panicked and knelt down on the blood-stained mud ground to pay his respects.

His kneeling had an immediate effect; the leaders behind him, including Sun Deyan and Yu Er, who were still bowing with clasped hands, were stunned. They looked at each other, then quickly knelt down as well, no longer daring to look up.

Shi Shan stood up and slowly walked towards Guo Zixing, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Commander Guo, in today's battle, all the armies fought with all their might, and the sound of war drums and fighting echoed for miles. You were so close, yet you stood by and watched. Do you think my marshal's seal is just paper and cannot command you true heroes?"

The phrase "to watch from the sidelines" comes from the "Records of the Grand Historian: The Biography of Xiang Yu". When the Qin army besieged Julu, the various feudal lords came to the rescue, but they were afraid of the Qin army's strength and watched the battle from the camp walls. Only the Chu general Xiang Yu broke the cauldrons and sank the boats, and fought ten battles and ten decisive victories, which made the Qin army and the various feudal lords tremble with fear.

Guo Zixing was well-educated, fond of military affairs, and knew the story of "standing on the sidelines." His current situation was exactly the same as that of the feudal lords who stood on the sidelines.

What frightened him even more was that Xiang Yu and the other feudal lords had no subordinate relationship at that time, but after he accepted the fiefdom of 10,000 households from Shishan, the two sides established a superior-subordinate relationship.

To be honest, if Shishan had few soldiers and generals, its so-called reputation was a joke. Until the great battle, although Guo Zixing acknowledged that Shishan's army was strong, he was never really afraid of the latter.

After all, in chaotic times, having soldiers and food gives one the courage.

After these days of expansion, Guo Zixing's troops numbered nearly five thousand, not much less than the Red Flag Battalion.

Unfortunately, generals are not all the same, and soldiers are not all the same.

Let alone sending him on a march of over a hundred miles to find a strong enemy for field battles, even just guarding the city would feel uneasy.

However, right under Guo Zixing's nose, the Red Flag Battalion fought against a government army that was three times the size of his own forces and won the battle at a very low cost. At this time, their power was at its peak, and breaking through Dingyuan was as easy as breaking a chicken egg.

Who wouldn't be afraid of a ruthless person who can decide their life or death with a single word?

"My men are all newly recruited soldiers who have not been trained and do not know how to fight. They are hastily sent into battle. It is a small matter if they cannot kill the Tartars, but it is a big matter if they collapse and crash into the Marshal's main camp when they encounter the enemy."

Although both were filled with fear and anxiety, Guo Zixing was at least able to maintain his composure, and his speech was much more organized than that of Miao Daheng. He was able to leave a mark on history, proving that he was no ordinary person.

However, Shishan had already selected Shao Rong to preside over the military and political affairs of Dingyuan, so Guo Zixing, a guy with great ambitions and even greater selfishness, had to step aside.

"If I remember correctly, my capture of Haozhou and Guo Wanhu's capture of Dingyuan were almost at the same time, right? Why was I able to organize my troops, march over a hundred li, and defeat tens of thousands of government troops head-on under the walls of Dingyuan? You have several thousand soldiers, yet you dare not come out of the city to cheer for me?"

The Red Flag Battalion originated in Xuzhou and fought in Chulan, Suzhou, Lingbi, Hongxian, Wuhe, Haozhou and other places. Although it was still inferior to the elite government troops in terms of equipment and training, it was a terrifying force that was strong and powerful and could not be defeated by the hastily assembled Dingyuan rebels.

Shi Shan's question was almost a difficult one, but Guo Zixing went out of the city to see Shi Shan because he knew he had made a big mistake. He couldn't escape and he couldn't fight back. He came to apologize, so how could he dare to make excuses?
"The government troops are powerful, but I am too timid to go into battle. I have failed the Marshal's high expectations and beg for punishment!"

Shi Shan wanted to get rid of Guo Zixing and his men right now, but the Dingyuan rebels were basically all from Dingyuan, and their core fighting force consisted of these few kneeling servants and retainers. If they were investigated and punished now, Dingyuan would surely be thrown into chaos.

More importantly, when other heroes come to join them in the future, they will be concerned about following in the footsteps of Guo Zixing and others.

Moreover, Shao Rong is also ambitious, and it's not a good thing that he's completely unchecked.

"How can a general lead a brave army if he lacks the ambition to fight on the battlefield? If Dingyuan continues to be in chaos, how can we face the imperial army's invasion? We can't have me personally leading the army to the rescue every time there's danger, can we? You are an incompetent commander!"

These words seemed to drain all of Guo Zixing's strength, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably. He instantly thought of his tragic end after being stripped of his military power and desperately wanted to retaliate against Shishan, but reason told him that doing so would only result in his immediate death. Fortunately, Shishan did not threaten him for long before changing the subject.

"Every inch has its shortcomings and every foot has its strengths. A commander doesn't need to charge into battle. Even if he lacks courage and bravery, it doesn't matter, as long as he can make good use of his subordinates."

In the Battle of Hong County, Shao Rong was among the first to charge into battle for our army; he was incredibly brave and can perfectly complement your shortcomings. Today, I appoint him as Deputy Commander of Ten Thousand, to assist you in training troops and going into battle. Does Commander Guo have any objections?”

Guo Zixing felt a sudden relaxation wash over him, and he almost fell to the ground. How could he dare to have any objections?
"Thank you for your guidance, Marshal Xie. I will do my utmost to support Vice Commander Shao in his preparations for war and will not dare to be negligent in the slightest."

Guo Zixing was relieved, but Sun Deyan was dumbfounded—Shao ​​Rong became a deputy commander of ten thousand households, so should he continue to be a deputy commander of ten thousand households?
"Sun Deyan".

When Shi Shan called his name, Sun Deyan knew something was wrong and quickly responded.

"Your humble servant is here!"

"You're not even qualified to be a deputy commander, you're dismissed."

"what!"

Sun Deyan felt a tightness in his chest, shortness of breath, and dizziness. If he hadn't been kneeling on the ground, he probably would have collapsed.

Before the man could explain, Shishan continued:
"I've heard you're quite brave and strong, and only by becoming a general can you truly showcase your talents. If you're willing, come back to Haozhou with me, and I'll grant you command of a battalion of soldiers; if you don't wish to be bound by military discipline, you can take the money you've earned these days and return to your hometown to live the life of a wealthy man."

They've already rebelled, and their names have been left behind; how can they possibly go back?

Despite his reluctance, Sun Deyan had no choice but to obey Shishan's arrangements.

"I am willing to serve under the Marshal."

"very good!"

Having dealt with the strongest two, Guo Zixing and Sun Deyan, the remaining three—Yu, Lu, and Pan—are no longer a threat.

What are your thoughts, the three of you?

Guo and Sun were completely at Shi Shan's mercy, so how could Yu Er, Lu Da, and Lao Pan dare to have any ideas?
"I'll listen to the Marshal."

"It is entirely up to the Marshal to decide."

"I'll listen to the Marshal too."

"Alright! Get up, all of you. Yu Er, you..."

While Shishan was carving up the post-Battle Dingyuan landscape at Shilitang, Li Wu was also dominating the fate of another group of people on the upper reaches of the Luqian River.

“That corrupt official, you can’t escape. I respect your men as heroes, so you should end your own lives and give them a way out.”

To facilitate their escape, the government troops' infantry had already removed the embroidered gold banners and bundled them up, and had also abandoned their heavy iron armor.

In this way, the speed was faster, but they became more vulnerable to the pursuit of the elite cavalry. Of the three hundred elite infantrymen, less than fifty remained to protect Dong Angxiao, and almost all of them were wounded and trapped on a riverbank.

Dong Angxiao was hit by several arrows, and after a long run and bleeding from his wounds, he was already somewhat dazed.

"Hahaha, you're going to end it all yourself?"

He braced himself, unfurled the banner, and saw that the gold thread of the character "Dong" on the blood-stained flag was stained. Then, he raised his sword and resolutely declared:
"The Dong family only has loyal souls who died in battle, not cowards who would commit suicide. If you want to fight, then fight. Don't try to demoralize our army. Traitors, come on!"

"Hmph! You're about to die, and you still want to fight to the death? You don't deserve it!"

Corrupt officials must die, and all government troops who resist to the end should also be killed.

Li Wu was simply influenced by Shi Shan and unwilling to fight meaningless battles. He was reluctant to exchange the lives of the elite cavalry soldiers for the lives of these desperate men, but that did not mean he was soft-hearted. He immediately gathered the few dozen arrows he had left and handed them over to his best archer.

The defeated soldiers guessed Li Wu's intentions and immediately became restless.

Dong Angxiao was about to boost morale when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned around and saw someone pull out a blood-stained dagger and plunge it into his chest.

"you--"

Before his consciousness faded, Dong Angxiao remembered that the man was a surrendered soldier recruited in Anfeng.

(End of this chapter)