The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 434 Speaking out
The atmosphere in the central military tent was tense.

Chen Wanggao sat in the main seat, and the armored soldiers of the Hanzhong army around him all put their swords on their waists and stood around the central military tent.

Zuo Liangyu, Meng Ruhu, Cao Bianjiao, Liu Guangzuo, Luo Rucai, and a group of officers from Zuozhen and Mengzhen sat on both sides.

Everyone was silent, still thinking about Chen Wang's extremely straightforward question at the gate.

The building is about to collapse, what should we do?

Everyone has different thoughts about what to do next.

But the question Chen Wang asked started when they entered the Hanzhong military camp.

No.

Precisely.

From the moment Chen Wang led his troops to Hanyang, they actually had no other choice.

Thirty-five thousand fully armed Hanzhong troops are now stationed in the eastern suburbs of Hanyang City.

In Luzhou Prefecture in the east, there were 12,000 soldiers from the Henan Camp led by Chen Yongfu.

In Hanzhong Prefecture in the west, there are more than 20,000 elite armored soldiers from Hanzhong Town.

Some time ago, more than 30,000 rebel troops wanted to attack Hanzhong Prefecture, but the result was that they were defeated directly at Wudu Mountain in Hanzhong Prefecture and fled in panic, abandoning their weapons and armor.

In Henan to the north, there are still more than 20,000 Henan soldiers stationed there.

The Henan rebel army that is now wreaking havoc in Nanyang Prefecture is actually just Chen Wang's white gloves.

Otherwise, why for such a long time, there was no decent campaign against it, but instead it was allowed to move around and fight.

When Nanyang Prefecture is also cleared, Chen Wang will issue a military order, and the Henan volunteer army that has been wreaking havoc in Nanyang Prefecture will be transformed into a new army under Henan Town.

Although Zuo Liangyu had 35,000 soldiers under his command, Meng Ruhu had nearly 30,000 soldiers under his command. The total number of soldiers under his command was nearly 70,000.

However, the commanders of each town knew very well how many of these 70,000 people could actually fight.

The 35,000 troops brought by Chen Wang are all real combat soldiers, elite warriors who have experienced hundreds of battles.

All the troops under his direct jurisdiction had followed Chen Wang through the mountains of swords and seas of blood and struggled their way out.

The rest of the troops, whether the original Six Battalions of Huguang or the militia of Yunyang, had also experienced the Battle of Xiangyang and fought many battles with the Western Army.

The weapons and equipment have been replaced, and the combat capability is no longer what it used to be. It is a world of difference from when Chen Hongfan was in charge.

With these 70,000 people combined, they would probably have a hard time fighting against the Sixth Battalion of Huguang.

This is based on the sincere cooperation between the two sides.

But how can the two sides cooperate sincerely?

Not to mention getting into a dispute with the Hanzhong army?

In such a matter that concerns life and future, everyone remained silent.

Chen Wang slowly glanced at the officers sitting in the tent.

It's normal to hesitate at this moment.

Chen Wang tilted his head slightly and looked towards Zuo Liangyu.

Now, most of the generals in the tent are looking for Zuo Liangyu's opinion.

As for being as fierce as a tiger, everyone knows it well.

Meng Ruhu was originally a surrendered soldier from outside the Great Wall. He served as garrison, guerrilla, lieutenant general, deputy general, and general, and was promoted along the way.

In eight years, he was promoted from a surrendered soldier to a general, the head of all military officers.

He was personally appointed as the president by Chongzhen, and was in charge of suppressing the various towns.

Meng Ruhu has always kept this kindness in his heart.

Otherwise, in history, he would not have been unwilling to surrender when the Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. Even though he was seriously ill, he still went to the battlefield and ultimately died for his country.

Among all the people present, the one who is most loyal to the court is undoubtedly Meng Ruhu.

"The people's army attacked the southern kingdom, while the rebels occupied Guanzhong and aimed at the northern kingdom."

"Liaodong, the southern desert, and all the tribes on the grasslands have been controlled by the Jiannu. After the Battle of Songjin, Liaodong was completely lost, and the nine frontiers collapsed. A repeat of the Wuyin Incident is imminent."

"The soldiers of the Northern Kingdom are no longer able to sustain the war..."

Chen Wang paused for a moment and examined everyone's expressions.

Meng Ruhu's face turned pale and he clenched his fists subconsciously.

Zuo Liangyu had a cold and disdainful look on his face.

Cao Bianjiao closed his eyes and sighed, with worry filling his brows.

Liu Guangzuo's eyes flickered, he felt uneasy sitting on his seat, and his body swayed slightly.

The other camp commanders also had different expressions, some were shocked, some were afraid, some were suspicious, and so on.

Among the crowd, Luo Rucai was the only one whose expression did not change.

Luo Rucai looked normal, sitting upright with his eyes wandering as if he was examining the soldiers around him.

When Chen Wang's gaze turned over, Luo Rucai also turned his head over.

When their eyes met, Luo Rucai narrowed his eyes, and the sharpness in his eyes slowly faded away.

Chen Wang calmly shifted his gaze away and focused his attention on other things.

"The imperial court is now on the decline."

Chen Wang did not hide anything.

In the past, when he still needed to rely on the power of the imperial court, Chen Wang had always been careful about his words and actions and never overstepped the boundaries of official conduct.

But now, no matter what he does, the court has no way to interfere, nor dares to interfere.

Chen Wang's simple and straightforward words were like a thunderclap, instantly attracting the attention of everyone in the tent.

Zuo Liangyu's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze first falling on Chen Wang, and then he looked at the other officers in the tent.

He noticed that after Chen Wang said this, the expressions on the faces of the Hanzhong officers in the central army tent did not change at all, and there was no surprise at all.

Meng Ruhu wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say the rest of the words.

"The imperial court employs generals like slaves. They come when they are called and go when they are dismissed. If there is any mistake, military law will be enforced."

"We have traveled thousands of miles away from home, fighting non-stop, and have never dared to slack off."

"Officers risked their lives, soldiers died, but what did they get in return?" "They couldn't even get the money and gold of the An family, or the salary for their lives."

"If we were defeated in accordance with military orders, the civilian officials who formulated the strategy are not responsible at all, but we, the military officers who followed the military orders, should be held accountable."

"At the least, they will be sentenced to prison, and at the most serious, they will be beheaded in public."

Chen Wang's voice was clearly heard by all the officers in the central military tent.

All the officers in the tent had gloomy expressions. How could the public not know that the court was not handling things properly?

The towns have been in arrears of wages for a long time and are almost unable to continue.

Rewards and punishments are not equal, merits are not rewarded, and mistakes are not punished. Many of them are like carp crossing the river.

Who among you here has not suffered similar injustice?

The hot water had already been turned into ice by the basins of cold water.

Cao Wenzhao had made great military achievements, but his military credits were withheld. He was exiled to a military garrison just because of one defeat.

Zuo Liangyu was defeated at Luohou Mountain, and Xiong Wencan put all the blame on him. Even though he was later cleared of the charges, he was still demoted two levels.

Cao Bianjiao fought over a thousand miles and remained in armor for twenty-seven days and nights, but because he failed to suppress the bandits within the deadline, he was fined three levels and criticized for incompetence.

Meng Ruhu was promoted for his meritorious service and fought bravely for the king. He was wounded seven times, but was convicted for a trivial matter, stripped of his official position, and exiled to the border to make meritorious contributions to atone for his sins.

Zuo Guangxian fought hard all the way, but was eventually deported without any fault and abandoned.

There are so many things like this.

Among all the officers and soldiers present here, who can remain calm?
"Those who serve their country with all their heart will be left dead in the wilderness; those who whitewash war reports will be promoted and given titles."

“Those who are brave enough to take on responsibilities are often severely punished, while those who shirk and avoid responsibility are rewarded and promoted.”

"Money paves the way for a prosperous career, gold and jade are the carriages, and one can rise straight to the top."

People like Liu Zeqing and Liu Liangzuo, who were just figurines in their positions but did nothing, were able to be appointed generals and be in charge of a region.

Liu Zeqing had no talent or virtue and was extremely mediocre, but he was able to be appointed as the Prince's Grand Tutor.

Cao Wenzhao fought bloody battles in Songjin, but was only posthumously awarded the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. How unfair!

Chen Wang did not say anything else, and the atmosphere in the tent became solemn.

Years of pent-up resentment and unwillingness left all the officers present speechless.

It has been more than ten years since the civil uprising and the rise of the Jiannu. They have been fighting outside, and many of them have not returned to their hometown even once.

Many of the servants and soldiers who followed them into battle were buried forever in foreign lands.

How can they have the face to return home?

"The Jiannu disaster began during the reign of Emperor Wanli, and has become a serious threat to China. If they are allowed to occupy China, the disaster will be even more severe than the Mongols."

"Natural disasters continued and the court was incompetent, causing the people to be in turmoil and corruption throughout the country."

Chen Wang slowly stood up, his eyes sharp as torches, and glanced at the generals in the tent, his voice low and firm.

"I originally wanted to be a figure like Wen Tianxiang, a hero who could turn the tide and save a country from collapse."

“But it turns out that I have no choice.”

Chen Wang tightly grasped the hilt of the goose-feather knife at his waist, his knuckles turned white from the force, and his voice rang out deep in the military tent and in everyone's ears.

"The imperial court is corrupt and the country is in chaos. At this time of internal and external troubles, the situation is turbulent."

"But those high-ranking officials in the government are still only protecting their money bags and holding on to their own interests."

"The Ming dynasty has long been gnawed away by them."

"I led my troops from south to north, from west to east, fighting bloody battles all the way."

“But it seems like this battle will never end.”

"The more wars we fight, the more numerous they become; the more bandits we subdue, the more widespread they become; the more slaves we suppress, the stronger they become."

Chen Wang's voice gradually became deeper, and his eyes were as sharp as knives, staring directly at the generals in the tent.

Many generals and officers in the tent lowered their heads.

Meng Ruhu closed his eyes, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, but he didn't utter a word in the end.

“This shouldn’t be the case.”

"It shouldn't be like this!"

Chen held the knife with one hand and clenched the other into a fist, saying hatefully.

His mood was also affected and he thought about a lot of things.

I thought of all the tragic things I had seen along the way.

I thought of the people who were massacred by the Jiannu in Qingshan Pass.

I thought of the scene after the sinking of Shenzhou, where everything was destroyed.

Thinking of the century of humiliation...

"The ultimate root of all this is because of those termites who live high up in the building!"

"They have sucked the blood and fat of the people dry, and yet it is still not enough."

"They talk a lot about morality, but secretly they are eating away at the country and society, leaving only an empty shell."

Chen Wang slowly exhaled and lowered his voice.

Although his voice was a little softer, everyone in the tent heard Chen Wang's words clearly.

"Even if we clear all the enemies."

"Even if we defeat all our enemies."

"As long as the court is still controlled by those bureaucrats who are just sitting there doing nothing but eating and drinking."

"As long as this country is still controlled by those high-ranking intellectuals."

“Nothing will change.”

"The world will always be the same old world, and the world will always be the same old, corrupt old world!"

Chen Wang stood up straight, looking down at the officers in the tent, and gradually raised his voice.

"Qin lost its deer, and the whole world chased it away."

"The destiny of heaven is unpredictable, only... those with virtue can hold it!"