Sweep Yuan

Chapter 123 A Triumphant Return to the City: A Show of Force

“Brother Zhu is indeed very good! Commander Tang’s recommendation of him is commendable and will be included in his performance evaluation. Deji, Brother Zhu will be temporarily added to your team. You must teach him to be familiar with military regulations and flag and drum signals as soon as possible. You must take good care of him.”

Hu Deji had been following Shishan for some time, and seeing the marshal's instructions, he took a second look at the new monk.

"I must be careful!"

"Go."

Everyone has multiple faces, and Zhu Chongba was no exception.

In front of his childhood playmate Tang He, he was a domineering and uninhibited older brother;

When faced with Marshal Shi's audience and probing, he responded with composure, displaying a sharp wit and prudent speech.

However, after the examination was completed and his whereabouts were determined, Zhu Chongba regretted it somewhat—had I been too cautious today?

Hu Deji personally led Zhu Chongba to the supply camp, where he received a full set of military uniforms and weapons. Along the way, he explained many of the Red Flag Battalion's military regulations and systems, which Zhu Chongba memorized.

But back in the marching ranks, Zhu Chongba was still somewhat absent-minded.

With Tang He as a "reference point", Zhu Chongba thought that even if he couldn't become a commander directly after joining the army, he could at least become a squad leader. However, after asking a few questions, Marshal Shi handed him over to Hu Deji, who hadn't even grown his hair yet, to be a common soldier!
Is there some mistake here?
Zhu Chongba really wanted to find Tang He and ask him, but the marching order of the Fourth Battalion was in the rear army, separated from the Central Army's Teaching and Guard Battalion by three or four miles.

Previously, when I followed Captain Hu to the rear army to collect uniforms and weapons, I actually saw Tang He from afar. That kid was riding on horseback. He clearly saw that Brother Chongba was glaring at him and even gave him a "I'm optimistic about you" look. This made Zhu Chongba so angry that he wanted to kick him on the spot.

Of course, Zhu Chongba was only thinking about it. "Strict military law" was no joke. If Marshal Shi was incompetent in managing his troops and entrusted important tasks to just anyone, even allowing them to beat their superiors at will, Zhu Chongba would not dare to entrust him with such a task.

The problem is, am I, Old Zhu, an ordinary person? Tang Xiaosan started as a commander, so why should I start as a common soldier?

"Hey, newbie, you seem to have something on your mind. Are you wondering why you ended up in the health and safety camp?"

Zhu Chongba was shocked. He turned his head and saw the tall comrade on his right looking at him with a wicked smile.

"How could you tell I have something on my mind!"

Zhu Chongba vehemently denied it, but the man was overly familiar and seemed oblivious to the deliberate distance in Chongba's tone.

"Hehe, I see you have sharp eyes and a strong physique, brother. Do you know any martial arts? Let's have a fight. If you win, I'll teach you; if you lose, I'll protect you from now on. How about it?"

The man who spoke was at least six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back. He walked with a steady gait, bulging temples, and large knuckles. Zhu Chongba knew that this fellow was no ordinary man and was secretly amazed that Marshal Shi's forces were full of hidden talents, with even a lowly soldier possessing such an aura.

Zhu Chongba was poor from childhood and rarely ate a full meal until he became a monk. He was of medium build, but his bright eyes concealed a fearless and fierce spirit. In fact, he was not afraid to challenge others to a duel.

But he was preoccupied with his own thoughts and had no time to fight this guy.
"Captain Hu has already told me that officers must first undergo training at the training battalion. Besides, why would I want to fight with you?"

"Hey, are you scared?"

Zhu Chongba realized that this guy was a fighting fanatic, so he immediately turned his head away, too lazy to pay attention to him, but the man still insisted on pestering him.

"We don't fight privately. We can compete in the army. Once we get back to the city, we'll—".

"Feng Guosheng, what are you muttering about!"

Feng Guosheng had not been defeated and surrendered for long, but his reputation for being straightforward and fond of martial arts sparring had already spread. He had sparred with Captain Hu on his very first day here, and he was not afraid when Hu Deji discovered him.

"Brother Zhu knows I know some martial arts and invited me to spar with him after we return to the city. Hey, Brother Chongba, say something!"

Zhu Chongba: ...

Hu Deji was born with a strong physique, but he could only subdue Feng Guosheng in terms of fist and sword skills. He was far inferior to Feng in spear, staff, horsemanship and archery, and was quite troubled by him. However, the marshal made it clear that the purpose of entrusting Feng Guosheng to him was to teach him to be familiar with the military system and flag and drum signals. Once he had learned well, he would be sent out to work elsewhere.

"If you don't want to release it outside, then go ahead and fight!"

"No more fighting, no more fighting. Commander, look at the nice weather today. We've been marching so hard, when we get back to Haozhou City, will the Marshal treat us to some wine?"

After the minor incident of Feng Guosheng's challenge, Zhu Chongba's mindset calmed down a bit—Marshal Shi's forces are full of talented people, and if I want to stand out, I must work even harder.

Damn it, how come Tang Xiaosan is so lucky!
Yu——

As Zhu Chongba was lost in thought, he suddenly saw a cavalryman approach the central army and stop. The cavalryman jumped off his horse and ran towards the banner.

"Marshal, Chief Secretary Liu led the officials and civilians of the city out of the city to welcome the triumphant army."

Shi Shan wasn't surprised that Liu Xingge would be interested in doing this, but given Li Wu's love of excitement, the fact that he specifically sent a team with Huang Siwen to report on the situation suggested that this triumphant ceremony was somewhat unusual.

"Is there something wrong?"

Huang Siwen glanced at Pu Daoren, Feng Guoyong, and the others behind Shi Shan, and said with a somewhat strange expression:
"Commander Li said that the entourage was a bit too grand."

Shi Shan could already imagine the grand spectacle, but it was not appropriate to leave this matter to Li Wu.

"Okay, I understand. Go back and inform Commander Li to continue marching back to the city as planned, and ignore Chief Clerk Liu and the others." "I understand!"

In the Battle of Luqian River, the Red Flag Battalion achieved a brilliant victory.

Shi Shan, however, used the excuse that Haozhou had just been captured and was still unstable to leave the civil officials of the Marshal's Office in the city to govern and pacify the people. These people had not been able to go to the front lines to share the credit, and if they did not take advantage of welcoming the triumphant army back to make a fuss, they would really not be able to benefit from this battle.

As the business grows, competition for credit between civil and military officials becomes almost inevitable. As long as it doesn't affect the overall situation, Shishan generally won't interfere.

At approximately 1:00 PM, Haozhou City was already in sight.

South of the city, a vast expanse of people, the officials and civilians of Haozhou, lined the streets to welcome the triumphant army. Shi Shan roughly counted them and estimated that there were probably six or seven thousand people in total. He immediately frowned, finally realizing just how grand Li Wu's description of the spectacle was.

As Shi Shan rode his tall horse, he could see from afar that a clearing had been temporarily set up behind Liu Xingge. The ground was covered with straw and wooden planks to prevent the dirty snowmelt from being trampled on. A dozen or so women in colorful clothes sat on the ground, each holding a pipa, a xiao (vertical flute), or other musical instruments.

"stop!"

When they were still nearly a mile apart, the slowly approaching banner suddenly stopped. Marshal Shi's entourage ceased its advance. The welcoming crowd of civilians had already formed their ranks and could not be adjusted. Liu Xingge quickly dispatched Xia Mao, an official from the Bureau of Records, to inquire about the situation.

"Marshal! Have we overlooked anything?"

"How much did today's ceremony cost? Where did the money come from?"

Xia Maoqiang tried to remain calm and replied with his prepared statement:

“The wealthy families in the city admired the marshal’s great victory over the Tartars, which spared the people of Haozhou from the ravages of war. They spontaneously organized a triumphant return ceremony, and not a single penny of their money or grain was donated to the public fund.”

"Oh?"

Shi Shan pointed his whip at the distant, dark mass of people and said coldly:

"I didn't realize that the wealthy families in Haozhou had such influence. In this freezing weather, they managed to get so many people to wait outside the city for half a day. Where is Zhou Twelve? Did you kidnap him? Or did he take bribes from the wealthy families and let the people come and go as they pleased?"

Xia Mao's knees buckled, and he immediately knelt down with a thud.

The structure of the Red Turban Army Marshal's Office in Haozhou was incomplete, and Liu Xingge, the chief secretary of the Marshal's Office, had no military power. In order to organize this event, Chief Secretary Liu personally sought coordination with Zhou Shier, the commander of the Second Battalion who was left behind, so that Quyang Gate could be opened and so many people could leave the city.

However, upon closer examination, it turns out to be a taboo.

Xia Mao felt as if his heart had stopped in fright, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. After a few breaths, he dared to speak.

"Commander Zhou is maintaining order inside the city, and the vanguard has already entered the city as ordered by the Marshal. Marshal, the wealthy households indeed acted spontaneously—"

Shi Shan was well aware that these wealthy families had come to welcome his triumphant return. The Red Flag Battalion had won such a great victory that the scholars of Dingyuan knew to take the initiative to join them. If the gentry and wealthy families of Haozhou did not show any appreciation, then they were not worthy of continuing to enjoy the social resources they possessed.

"What benefits did you promise the people that made them leave the city to freeze in the snow?"

Xia Mao wanted to say that the people had also spontaneously come out of the city to welcome the marshal. Although many people had indeed come out to watch the excitement on their own, and the government had prepared ginger soup and mixed flour cakes for them in advance, he dared not provoke Shi Shan again after he had just lost his temper. He gritted his teeth and gave a number.

"Ten catties of mixed grains per person, five coins."

"Get up! Kneeling all the time! What kind of behavior is this!"

Shi Shan remained expressionless, but his tone softened somewhat as he continued:
"Since we have promised the people the benefits, and I have already led the army back, and it is freezing cold, let's not keep them waiting any longer. Let's distribute the money and grain to the people now."

"I will take care of it immediately."

Xia Mao breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run back. He wanted to avoid the marshal's wrath first. As for how to deliver the money and grain he had casually mentioned, he would let Chief Secretary Liu and Magistrate Fang worry about it. After all, they had taken the initiative to start this matter!
Liu Xingge was much more composed and capable than Xia Mao. After listening to Xia Mao's explanation, he knew where the problem lay today—Marshal Shi did not oppose holding a triumphant ceremony, but he disliked the abuse of manpower and was even more wary of their ability to abuse manpower.

There was actually some misunderstanding, but it's not important. Marshal Shi's original intention was to take this opportunity to give Liu Changshi a warning. There's no need for Liu Changshi to explain. The important thing is to resolve the issue quickly and carry out the triumphant ceremony.

Xia Mao was startled by the marshal's words. He only asked for such a small amount of money and food. The New Year was coming soon. He had already planned to help the poor and needy to win people's hearts. Anyway, today's expenses were all sponsored by wealthy families. This would help Marshal Shi win people's hearts and take the opportunity to check the population in the city. So he couldn't be too stingy.

Liu Xingge immediately consulted with several of the wealthiest households and quickly raised the money and grain needed for the reward. Then, he arranged for several newly recruited officials from the Marshal's Office to relay his message amplified.

"The Marshal has decisively defeated the Tartars and is sharing the spoils of war with the people. He hereby decrees that all citizens of the city, regardless of age or gender, shall be rewarded with twenty catties of mixed grains, ten coins, and half a catty of meat to celebrate the New Year. These will be distributed to each household by the respective villages and neighborhoods tomorrow. If any deductions are made, one may go to the prefectural government office and beat the drum to lodge a complaint!"

The people who left the city today were originally allotted two mixed flour pancakes. After waiting for half a day, they finally received this good news and immediately became excited.

"The Marshal is benevolent and righteous!"

"The Marshal is benevolent and righteous!"...

The shouts grew louder and louder, shaking off the snow on the city walls and reaching the ranks of the central army.

Zhu Chongba was quite far from Shishan and didn't know exactly what had happened before. He could only guess the general outline from Xia Mao's clothing and expression.

"Wow, Marshal, you've got some impressive skills!"

(End of this chapter)