Sweep Yuan

Chapter 121 Imperial Guards and Chongba

Legend has it that at the end of the Han Dynasty, Pang Tong once "solved a case that had been accumulated for more than a hundred days in half a day," which led to him being treated as an honored guest by Liu Bei.

Although this story is somewhat exaggerated, it reveals a truth: a truly talented person can handle matters like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox, seemingly doing so with ease, yet able to grasp the essentials and get to the heart of the matter.

Li Shanchang had never been involved in politics and had no administrative experience, but he got up to speed very quickly. Seeing that Shao Rong and Li Shanchang were working together to get the military and political affairs of Dingyuan on track, Shishan took advantage of the fact that the snow had not yet fallen heavily and returned to Haozhou.

In the Battle of Luqian River, the Red Flag Battalion made a name for itself. The government troops of the surrounding prefectures and counties all guarded their cities strictly, fearing that Shishan would take advantage of the situation to attack and seize territory. Even the mountain bandits in Moye Mountain dared not harass the nearby Dingyuan civilian settlement, and some mountain bandits even went down the mountain to join the Red Flag Battalion.

Without the pressure of government troops harassing them, the army could march much faster on its return journey. However, Shishan was not in a hurry. He observed the living conditions of each village and community along the way and checked the progress of the construction of military and civilian settlements.

After the army set up camp, each battalion submitted its marching log to headquarters as usual.

The contents of the marching log were roughly as follows: personnel injuries and illnesses, equipment damage, food and fodder consumption, difficulties encountered, and requests for instructions, so that the commander-in-chief could keep abreast of the true situation of the entire army and make correct judgments based on the actual situation at any time.

In the past, the army was small and the marching distance was not long. Shishan usually listened to the reports from the commanders of each battalion in person when setting up camp.

As the Red Flag Battalion continued to expand, its size grew larger and larger. The army's camps often stretched for miles, and sometimes it was necessary to set up camps outside the main camp to create a defensive perimeter and prevent enemy attacks.

Calling meetings with senior officers for routine matters is not only inefficient, but also poses significant risks to officers traveling to and from the office.

When the scholars from Dingyuan came to join them, Shishan appointed some of them as clerks in each camp, responsible for teaching the soldiers to read and write and to assist the commander in handling daily official documents and other matters.

However, the marching log had to be written by the commander himself. Even illiterate commanders like Sun Deyan had to dictate it to the clerk, who would then transcribe it to preserve its original flavor so that Shishan could judge whether the person truly had a clear understanding of the situation in his camp.

Outside the camp, the north wind howled, and heavy snowflakes drifted down.

Inside the main tent, Shi Shan sat by the brazier, flipping through the Xiaoji Camp's marching log. He couldn't help but chuckle as he read Li Wu's crooked and misspelled descriptions of mundane daily life: "Today I tripped and fell three times, found a frozen rabbit, roasted it, and shared it with the brothers."

Despite the numerous errors in this log, it's clear that Li Wu took it very seriously; every stroke of the pen showed his dedication.

Unlike Sun Deyan, whose writing was not only done by a clerk but also clearly not something a real person would say, I must find an opportunity tomorrow to ask him in person about the details of today's marching log. If he can't answer, I will take the opportunity to give him a good talking-to.

Shi Shan put down his marching log and looked up to see what appeared to be figures moving outside the tent flap. It was Guo Ying's turn to be on duty today, and the only people who could be waiting outside the tent flap without being notified at this time were Tong Si'er and Chen Daye, who had come to report on the situation of the Imperial Guard Camp.

"come in."

Tong Si'er and Chen Daye lifted the curtain and quickly went inside, standing at the doorway and brushing the snow off their bodies.

Taking the opportunity, Shishan got up, stretched his limbs, and called to the two of them:
"Are you freezing? Come warm yourself by the fire. How was the Imperial Guard's training today?"

In recent years, Huaixi has been plagued by alternating floods, droughts, and locust plagues, resulting in widespread displacement. Hongxian, Wuhe, Haozhou, and Dingyuan have also suffered from war, leaving behind many orphans. If no one helps them, these orphans will soon die in some dark corner.

Wherever Shi Shan went, he searched for orphans. Those who were too weak to survive were not accepted. Those who were too young were first fostered in families with the means at the Veterans' Association, receiving a monthly allowance of money and food. When they were a little older, they were then given unified education and management.

Those with some self-care ability were organized into a battalion called the "Feathered Forest Battalion". Those under the age of ten were managed by the Veterans Affairs Bureau, where they studied and worked part-time to temper their character; those over the age of ten were required to practice martial arts and become familiar with battle formations.

Before the battle, there were already forty-six members of the Imperial Guard who remained in Haozhou.

The children who are now traveling with the army were all found in Dingyuan. There are seventeen of them in total. Shishan let them travel with the supply battalion, and Chen Daye and Tong Si'er were in charge of them.

Among them, there were only eight who were slightly older, and they were given some simple training by Tong Si'er.

This was certainly not about forcing children to endure hardship to toughen their will; orphans who survived the chaos of war already possessed strong wills. Rather, it was about cultivating the children's habits of military life.

However, the orphans have just been adopted and their nutrition has not yet caught up, so the intensity of training and marching should not be too high.

"Reporting to the Marshal, the road was slippery today, and we only traveled six li. No one fell behind. During the rest period, we helped the supply battalion with cooking and fire-making."

After the farcical incident involving Liu Xiaoniangzi in the inner courtyard of the Hongxian County Government, Chen Daye became much more efficient in handling affairs. Shishan entrusted him with the management of his future reserve talents, which fully demonstrated his trust in him.

"Hmm, not bad. The children are all growing, so training should be done gradually."

After acknowledging Chen Daye's achievements, Shishan looked at Tong Si'er.

"What did Master Zhou teach today?"

Shishan recruited two clerks in Haozhou and assigned one of them, surnamed Kong, to teach literacy to the teachers and orphans.

But Shishan didn't just sit back and do nothing. He not only took the time to teach the children himself, but also sat in on Kong Shuban's classes. He was very dissatisfied with the result—this guy had no knowledge but loved to show off his literary skills. He wouldn't teach the common characters that he was supposed to teach, but insisted on talking about "four ways to write the character '回'".

Unfortunately, I had no one to help me at the time, so I had no choice but to accept it.

The arrival of scholars from Dingyuan slightly alleviated the talent shortage in Shishan. A scholar surnamed Zhou, known for his honesty and simplicity, was specially selected to teach the Imperial Guards.

"The Thousand Character Classic and the 'Little Nine-Nine' (i.e., the nine-nine multiplication table) were taught according to my godfather's requirements."

Tong Si'er was covered in mud, and had frostbite on her hands and face, but she was full of energy. After saying that, she added:
"By the way, the teacher also praised Mu Ying (note), saying that although he was young, he was extremely intelligent and learned to read quickly." Similar to Tong Si'er's experience, Mu Ying's father died early, and his mother also died in the previous turmoil. At the age of seven, Mu Ying actually begged his way to the city of Dingyuan and even used his family's land as collateral to request to join the army, which was quite a legend at the time.

"it is good."

Shishan adopted so many orphans, certainly not because he was kind-hearted.

In this era, the more a lone individual builds a business, the more ambitious individuals under his command will covet it. These children, whom he raises and personally teaches, are not only Shishan's relatives but also important organizers and executors of his business in the future. Naturally, the stronger the emotional bond between them, the better.

"With the New Year just around the corner, each member of the Imperial Guard will receive two sets of new clothes. Once we get back to the city, ask your brothers and sisters if they want anything else."

"My child understands!"

The howling wind and snow outside grew louder. Shi Shan glanced at the tent flap, got up, and Tong Si'er, understanding, hurriedly went to get the cloak.

"Hey, the snow is really heavy today. The soldiers don't have a fire to warm themselves. You all go back first. I'll come and visit the kids after I've finished inspecting the camp."

Heavy snow has its advantages. At least during heavy snow, the government troops cannot attack the heavily fortified city of the Red Flag Battalion. However, when camping in the open field, the soldiers suffer greatly from the wind and snow. They are the executors of the current work in Shishan and must be well cared for.

As for the common people suffering from hunger and cold, in which winter under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty did countless starving people not freeze to death?

At least within the Red Flag Battalion's controlled area, those who participated in city construction and land reclamation projects received money and food. Shi Shan was not a savior; he could barely support his army and some of the civilians who worked for the army. He couldn't take care of the starving people in remote rural areas or the elderly and weak in the city who were unable to work.

"I'll prepare a horse for the marshal!"

Outside the tent, Guo Ying saw Shi Shan come out and went to fetch his horse.

"No need."

Shi Shan reached out and brushed the snow off Guo Ying's raincoat.

“A few months ago, I was just a lowly soldier guarding the city. I could walk the same paths that the soldiers could walk.”

After inspecting his own camp, Tang He returned to his tent and began writing a letter to his childhood playmate and friend.

Marshal Shi captured Haozhou and inflicted a major defeat on Dong Tuanxiao's government troops. This former playboy who used to hang out in Haozhou City was now appointed as the commander of the Red Flag Battalion. He also participated in the Battle of Luqian River and witnessed the marshal's heroic demeanor in winning over the civil and military talents of Dingyuan County.

What happened in less than a month was more exciting than the previous twenty-five years of Tang's life.

Feng Guoyong, Li Shanchang, and other outstanding figures of their time had far-sighted vision. They could see the extraordinary nature of Shishan just from a few details and made a decisive bet on it.

Tang He naturally lacked the exceptional strategic vision of Feng, Li, and others, but being in the army and closer to Marshal Shi, he had a vague premonition that he was participating in a momentous event of changing dynasties, and that a tremendous opportunity for a dynasty to last for generations was right before his eyes.

In a chaotic world, everyone has a strong sense of "isolation crisis". Shishan needs to adopt orphans and cultivate relatives, and Tanghe also needs the help of his brothers. The friend he wants to contact today is not only a childhood playmate, but also a hero whose ability and knowledge are far superior to his own.

When Tang He first became commander, he wanted to contact this friend, but Shishan was very strict in managing his troops. After the battle of Haozhou City, he was allowed to enter but not leave, and countless eyes in the army were on him.

Even setting aside the question of whether the letter could be delivered, simply contacting people outside the city would easily give others cause for gossip.

Tang He only wanted to persuade his friend to join the army. In fact, he could have easily sought approval from Shi Shan and sent the letter out openly. However, being cautious by nature, he did not dare to ask Marshal Shi for permission without knowing whether his friend would actually join the army.

The army will be returning to Haozhou tomorrow, and their route will be less than three miles from the temple where my friend lives. If I don't write a letter now, it will be difficult to have such a good opportunity to send a letter once we return to the city.

In the letter, Tang He first recalled his childhood fun with his friends, then talked about his experiences over the years, especially what he saw and heard after joining Marshal Shi, and strongly urged his friend to join the army and make a name for himself.

He was engrossed in writing when a cool breeze blew by. He looked up and realized that Shishan had already walked up to him.

"marshal!"

"Writing a letter? You seem quite engrossed."

Tang He hurriedly got up and handed the unfinished letter to Shi Shan to show that he had no selfish motives.

Shi Shan didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the letter with a smile. The contents of the letter were as follows:
Brother Chongba: It's as if we're meeting in person. ...I've made it big now, a commander in the Red Flag Battalion, in charge of about three hundred men. Marshal Shi... he's a true dragon...

……

P.S.: Mu Ying's surname is not Mu.

Historically, Mu Ying was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang when he was eight years old and took the surname Zhu. Later, he was given the surname Mu, and his original surname is no longer known.

A seven-year-old child, being extremely intelligent, would certainly remember his original surname. However, if it were written as Wang Ying, Li Ying, or Zhang Ying, readers would likely not be able to relate to it. This book uses the surname bestowed by Zhu Yuanzhang from the very beginning, so those who are particular about historical research should not get hung up on it.

(End of this chapter)