weaving

Chapter 1503 A thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a general is hard to come by.

Xuzhou, the headquarters of the anti-bandit general.

The Earl of Yongning, along with Generals Chen Zheng and Jiang Mingwu, as well as Garrison Commander Xia Shuncheng, Battalion Commander Huang An, Deputy Commander Yu Jin of the White Tiger Battalion, various captains, and Liu Hongqi, Shen Wandeng, Han Jiadi, Liu Xuan, Li Hao, Xiao Yingxun, Han Huamei, Zhang Changtui, Li Zhenhai, Fang Wenyu, and many others, dined together at the banquet.

The military officers who followed the Earl of Yongning included Lin Fangping, Xu Jinyong, and Chen De, as well as advisors such as Hu Yiwen and Liu Chengzhu, and three newcomers to the shogunate: Guo Jinyi, Qin Sheng, and Yuan Fucheng.

In addition, there is the newly appointed guerrilla general Zhu Zhicang, who, thanks to the persuasion of Prince Zhou Zhu Gongxiao, has now become a member of the Yongyi Army. However, he was not assigned to any of the lower camps, but instead stayed by the side of the Earl of Yongning.

Another one is Xiao Sanjie, the youngest son of Xiao Yingxun, the garrison commander of Biyang. He is now following the Earl of Yongning and learning from Zhang Mingyuan, a central army officer, and is temporarily serving as the adjutant of the central army.

The gathering of nearly thirty civil and military officials was only a quarter of the total number of officers and generals under the command of the Marquis of Yongning. If all the civil and military officials and generals were gathered together, the number would probably exceed one hundred and twenty.

As the saying goes, "It is easy to find a thousand soldiers, but difficult to find a general."

Now, he has more than a hundred officers and generals under his command, and more than 100,000 soldiers—the Earl of Yongning, Zhang Cheng, has grown into the number one warlord in the Ming Empire!

Jiang Mingwu was the happiest among them, and he also performed the best.

In the previous purge of the slave merchants in Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi, he chose to side with the Earl of Yongning. This was not only because of the friendship they had shared in the eleventh year of Chongzhen's reign, but also because he valued the Earl of Yongning's strength.

Even this time, following the Earl of Yongning to aid in the suppression of Henan was firstly to further demonstrate loyalty, and secondly, naturally, it was also for the sake of his own future—who wouldn't want to get promoted, make a fortune, and bring glory to their ancestors?

It is important to know that although there is only one word difference between the deputy commander-in-chief and the commander-in-chief, the difference is so small that it can lead to vastly different outcomes!
Moreover, in this campaign to aid the Central Plains, Jiang Mingwu was only in charge of the periphery, essentially doing odd jobs and not participating in any real battles, yet he was promoted to general in one fell swoop.

Even though he was just a commander-in-chief in charge of the relief and suppression campaign, Jiang Mingwu was very content with that position!

Therefore, today's banquet is the perfect stage for Jiang Mingwu to express his loyalty to Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning—under the watchful eyes of everyone, his expression of loyalty will better highlight his sincerity.

In fact, Jiang Mingwu was able to be promoted to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Henan Expeditionary Force mainly because of the balancing act of Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning.

Although this campaign to aid in the suppression of the rebellion in Henan repelled the army of Li Zicheng and successfully defended Kaifeng, it failed to capture or kill the rebel leader Li Zicheng, and it also failed to conquer the entire territory of Henan.

Based solely on his military achievements in defeating the rebel army in open battle, recommending two of his generals for the position of commander-in-chief was already quite remarkable. If he were to continue recommending his generals, it might arouse suspicion from the court and the current emperor, and in turn, invite attacks from opposing forces in the court and the public.

Therefore, the Earl of Yongning promoted Jiang Mingwu. In this way, he could both silence the gossip and bring Jiang Mingwu under his command. Why not?

During the banquet, Liu Hongqi, Shen Wandeng, Han Jiadi, and other newly surrendered local bandits stepped forward to toast the Earl of Yongning.

The Earl of Yongning welcomed everyone, drinking with them one by one and offering kind words of comfort, which warmed the hearts of Liu Hongqi and the others.

After all, the example of Jiang Mingwu was right in front of them, which showed that the Yongning Earl's consolation and encouragement to them were not empty promises. If they performed well enough, even if they could not become the commander-in-chief, it would not be difficult for them to become the deputy commander or vice commander!
That very evening, after the banquet ended, Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng summoned Liu Hongqi and Shen Wandeng. In addition to praising them, he also offered them heartfelt encouragement and advised them to unite sincerely and cooperate with each other in Runing Prefecture, so that when one place is in trouble, help comes from all sides.

Of course, the military regulations and discipline of the Yongyi Army were also reiterated, warning them that in addition to strictly abiding by the orders of Commander-in-Chief Chen Zheng, they must also strictly discipline their subordinates. He warned that he would not be lenient if anyone tarnished the reputation of the Yongyi Army. However, amidst the warnings, there was also encouragement. The Earl of Yongning solemnly told the two that if they truly served diligently and achieved military merit, he would not hesitate to reward them, and that it was not impossible for them to be promoted to Assistant General, Deputy General, or even Commander-in-Chief in the future.

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The Earl of Yongning did not linger in Xuzhou. The next day, he led Lin Fangping and other officials and generals north along the official road, passing through Changge and Xinzheng, and headed straight for Zhengzhou to meet up with his wife, Ji Xuanzhu.

On September 18th, the Earl of Yongning arrived in Zhengzhou and met up with his wife. They then traveled west to Gong County, where his wife, Ji Xuanzhu, crossed the Yellow River. With Chen Zhong and his men as escorts, she went to Huaiqing Prefecture to visit her brother, Ji Youci.

Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, continued westward and arrived in Luoyang, the capital of Henan Prefecture, on September 22.

Zhang Guodong, the garrison commander stationed in Luoyang, along with his deputies Du Chungang and Kuang Yongzhong, the garrison commander Fang Zhihai, the camp officer Liu Changliang, and other officers of the Qinglong Camp, all came out of the city to welcome him.

Also present were the newly appointed guerrilla general Ji Zhiying, as well as the newly appointed Assistant Magistrate of Henan Prefecture and Magistrate of Yanshi County Yang Shibin, Assistant Magistrate of Henan Prefecture Wang Guanqin, Garrison Commander of Luoyang Yang Shijie, Magistrate of Mengjin Li Shidong, Garrison Commander Zhang Shikuang, Magistrate of Gong County Xu Yousi, Garrison Commander Feng Gang, and a host of other officials and generals.

Furthermore, there was the newly surrendered Dengfeng garrison commander Lei Peng and his subordinates Qianzong Tong Guanchu and Shang Wugui, plus Songxian garrison commander Zhang Ding.

In addition, the prefect, grain commissioner, military inspector, and judge of Henan Prefecture also came out of the city to welcome the arrival of Earl of Yongning, Zhang Cheng.

However, these local officials, who were entirely appointed by the imperial court, were not highly regarded in the eyes of the Earl of Yongning, a fact they themselves were well aware of.

Surrounded by General Zhang Guodong and other officers, the Earl of Yongning, Zhang Cheng, and his entourage entered Luoyang in a grand procession, passing through streets and alleys, heading straight for the General's Office.

A lively banquet is, of course, indispensable.

The format was similar to the banquet in Xuzhou. First, the Earl of Yongning praised and encouraged the officials and generals, and then everyone came up to toast and express their loyalty.

Apart from the officials from Kaifeng and the newly appointed pacification officials Zhang Ding, Lei Peng, Tong Guanchu, and Shang Wugui, almost everyone else here was an acquaintance.

Needless to say, Yang Shibin and Yang Shijie were already familiar with the Earl of Yongning, and even Wang Guanqin and other members of the original Mangshan militia could be considered as members of the Earl of Yongning's ranks.

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The following day, Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, first met with the prefect of Kaifeng, the grain commissioner, and the military commissioner, explaining the current situation in Henan to them and asking them to fully cooperate with Zhang Guodong to first defend the Henan prefecture before discussing the matter of suppressing the rebel Li Zicheng.

Immediately afterwards, the Earl of Yongning summoned the former members of the Mangshan militia and solemnly warned them that they could no longer simply guard their own land and property from harm as before. Now that they were civil and military officials of the court, they had to remember their mission and protect the local people.

In particular, Yang Shijie, Zhang Shikuang, and Feng Gang must not be as carefree as they were in the militia. They must remember that they are now members of the Yongyi Army, keep military rules and discipline in mind at all times, and intensify the training of soldiers in preparation for future battles.

Zhang Ding, Lei Peng, Tong Guanchu, Shang Wugui, and others were no exception. They were also personally summoned by the Earl of Yongning. However, the Earl of Yongning was very respectful to them. He first offered words of encouragement and praise, and then reiterated military discipline, requiring them to strictly train their soldiers and assist Zhang Guodong in protecting the local people of Henan Prefecture.