The ruthless emperor in the late Ming Dynasty forced Chongzhen to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 148 The Army Was Corrupted
"My lady is back..."

After getting off the boat, the red lady didn't go into the city, but went directly to the barracks outside the city, wanting to see how the army was doing.

Knowing that the imperial concubine was back, the whole camp erupted with cheers, and Li Dakai led a group of generals to greet him at the gate of the camp.

"Your Majesty, you are finally back."

"What happened? Where did everyone else go?"

The red lady glanced at the generals behind Li Dakai, and found that most of the generals were not there, her eyebrows frowned, and she asked in a deep voice.

"Back to your mother, the other generals have all asked for leave to go to the city." Li Dakai replied honestly.

"Why are so many people going to the city?"

"This...the empress has all gone to Qinhuai River."

"what?"

"Li Dakai, how did I tell you when I left? Is this how you carried out my military orders?"

"Say, who are they? How many times have you been there?"

The red lady was furious when she heard the words, she lashed him with a whip and shouted, she didn't understand what was going on, she didn't expect that the military discipline would be so corrupted during her absence.

"Please forgive me, the minister is incompetent, and the minister is not effective in supervision. I have failed my mother's trust and entrustment, and I deserve to die!"

Li Dakai knelt on the ground and said with guilt and helplessness.

It's not that he doesn't care, it's that he doesn't care at all.

Those generals were all the confidantes of the imperial concubine, and many of them were old brothers who followed the empress to rebellion in Qi county. Once the empress left, these people didn't take him seriously at all.

The other generals also knelt down one after another and lowered their heads with guilt. Obviously, they usually did not go to the Qinhuai River less often.

"Get up first and call everyone back. If you haven't rushed back to the barracks in half an hour, don't come back."

The red lady left a sentence with an ugly face and walked towards the barracks.

She also knew that she couldn't completely blame Li Dakai, she couldn't be more clear about the virtues of her old brothers.

That's why it was stipulated that each of them could only ask for leave twice a month, but judging from the current situation, it may be more than ten times.

"Yes!"

Everyone hurriedly replied, and then got up to follow quickly. They all knew that the empress might be really angry this time.

The barracks was very large, and 8 recruits were divided into eight camps. Almost all of these 20 recruits were young men recruited from western Zhejiang, and they were all between the ages of [-] and [-].

Although most of the middle and senior generals left their posts without permission and were not in the battalion, the [-] troops were still practicing in full swing, with shouts of killing everywhere.

After walking around, the red lady finally looked much better.

"That's right, the training of the recruits has finally come to an end. The whole army is assembled, and I want to give a lecture."

"Yes!"

Li Dakai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He can't control those arrogant soldiers, and he can't count on them. He can only train the recruits himself. In the past few months, he has almost devoted all his energy to the [-] recruits.

With the sound of the horn, all the [-] troops rushed to the central school ground and assembled in a short time.

Seeing that the [-] army had assembled and lined up after only half an hour, Hong Niangzi was even more satisfied.

At this time, more than 200 middle and high-ranking generals and nearly a thousand low-ranking officers also rushed to the school grounds in a state of embarrassment, and knelt directly under the high platform.

"good very good!"

When Hong Niangzi saw so many people leaving their posts without authorization, her body shook for a while, and she almost fainted out of anger.

Seeing Hong Niangzi being so angry, everyone lowered their heads in shame, and didn't dare to look at her at all.

"Tietou, get out of here."

"Your Majesty, don't be angry, be careful if you get angry, I won't dare again from now on, no matter how you punish your Majesty, I will never frown."

A general of five ranks and three roughs quickly got up from the ranks, ran to the red lady and knelt down.

But the red lady kicked him to the ground: "Tell me, how many times have you been to the Qinhuai River in total?"

"No... I don't remember, there should be dozens of times!"

Tietou hurriedly got up and knelt down again, thought for a while and answered in a low voice.

"Dozens of times, where did you get so much money?"

"In the beginning, I spent my own money. Later, I met a member of the army. He heard that I was a general, so he wanted to marry my sister to me and give me a house. My mother said that I am not allowed to marry without authorization, and I am not allowed to accept bribes. In the end Will refuse.

He didn't give up, so he invited me to Qinhuai River for drinks every once in a while, I know he must have no good intentions, but I don't want to eat for nothing, hehe..."

"You idiot, you also know that he has no good intentions, why don't you marry his sister? The house is also taken over?"

The red lady angrily kicked him over again.

"Madam, I'm not stupid. I know exactly what they're up to."

Tietou said at the end, with a smug expression on his face, as if he had taken a huge advantage.

"Go to the side first, and I'll clean you up later."

The red lady ignored him, and asked other middle and high-level generals and low-level generals one by one.

As a result, almost all middle and high-level generals have been recruited, even many low-level generals are no exception.

"Your Majesty, I have also been wooed. A wealthy businessman in Yangzhou wanted to marry his daughter to me as a concubine. He even gave me a mansion and [-] mu of fertile land, but I refused." Li Dakai also had a bitter expression on his face. Said.

"I believe you are all aware of the plans of those who have drawn you, so I won't say any more.

The person who received money from the woman's house and good land came to me.

All those who violated military discipline and went to the Qinhuai River, with [-] military sticks above a thousand generals and [-] military sticks below a thousand generals, were not allowed to ask for leave to leave the camp within one month. "

In the end, tens of thousands of people were beaten with military sticks.

The [-] recruits all looked at each other secretly.

It was dark after finishing the affairs in the army, but Hong Niangzi still returned to the palace, her face was very solemn along the way, she knew that these old brothers had to get married as soon as possible and divide the fields.

"Ying'er, you are finally back."

"Auntie, thank you for your hard work. What's going on?"

Seeing Zhang Yan's haggard face, the red lady was startled, and the anger in her heart was even worse.

"Ugh!"

Zhang Yan sighed helplessly, and then explained to her what happened in the past half month.

"Auntie, just for the best cotton cloth? The gentry and landlords in the south of the Yangtze River are going to rebel?"

The red lady was also full of disbelief after hearing this.

"It's not a rebellion, it's just a petition. Auntie guesses that they saw that Lang'er would reform Jiangnan. The matter of cotton cloth is just a pretext. They want to test Lang'er's attitude. I have reported the situation to Lang'er in detail." It's time." Zhang Yan explained.

"Did Your Majesty reply?" Hong Niangzi frowned.

"It can't be so fast. It will take at least one month to go back and forth. I'm afraid I have to wait another ten days, so Yinger has to work hard in these ten days. Don't let all the places in the south of the Yangtze River cause big troubles."

"It's simple, don't worry, my aunt. The army outside the city is already worthy of a battle. Tomorrow, I will let Li Dakai lead the army to Yangzhou, and first wipe out those salt merchants. I want to see who dares to eat enough." Make trouble."

The red lady waved her hand, with a strong killing intent on her face.

"Ying'er, don't act recklessly. The Huaihe River salt merchants are intertwined. If there is a move, it will really shake the entire Jiangnan."

Zhang Yan was also taken aback when she heard that she was going to wipe out the salt merchants. Salt merchants are no more expensive than Xungui.

"Auntie, let me tell you the truth. I have endured those salt merchants for a long time. Not to mention that a catty of salt is sold for a hundred cents, and a lot of mud is mixed in. Those salt merchants who really cook salt are exploited by them. Military households are not as good,

But now they have set their minds on those of my subordinates, if they don't strip their skins and cramps, ransack their homes and exterminate their families, it's really hard to get rid of my hatred! "

The red lady said the last, already gnashing her teeth.

She knew that His Majesty asked her to come to Jiangnan to murder people and ransack their homes to clear the way for subsequent reforms. If she didn't do these killings, could she let His Majesty do it?

"But..." Although Zhang Yan knew that those salt merchants were hateful and deserved to die, she was still a little worried.

(End of this chapter)