Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Name?"

"My surname is Hao, and I'm here to help Brother Tian raise his flag. They all call me Hao the Flag Bearer."

"I didn't ask you that, so don't bring up those irrelevant things. Place of origin?"

"We are from Yan'an, and General Tian is my brother!"

"Eight out of ten people say the same thing as you, is there any proof?"

"What proof? Brother Tian, ​​do you think you can deny it?"

"Without proof, you are a vagrant. Do you come to Fuzhou Guard as a military household or a civilian household? There are five thousand-household units available for you to choose from."

“I’ll listen to Brother Tian; I’ll go wherever he tells me to go.”

"Follow the assignment. Next!"

Write Hao Yaoqi's name on a wooden sign and tell him to wait for job assignment.

Hao Yaoqi was confused and followed the people in front of him to stand in the camp, waiting for the officers to make their selections.

A short while later, he saw Tian Jianxiu leading a group of officers, walking over in a majestic manner.

Overjoyed, he hurriedly shouted:
"Brother Tian, ​​I've come to seek refuge with you!"

"There are still dozens of brothers!"

The officer in charge shouted angrily, but Tian Jianxiu recognized his voice and laughed heartily.
"Brother Hao, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

"What, your injury has healed, and you're all better now?"

He told the officer in charge to step back and then punched Hao Yaoqi hard in the chest.

Hao Yaoqi clutched his chest, grinned, and laughed loudly:
"Alright! Everything's ready!"

"If it weren't for the fact that the guy surnamed Ma got injured, I would have at least gotten a place."

"We have no choice but to come and seek refuge with Brother Tian!"

Tian Jianxiu laughed heartily and repeatedly expressed his welcome.

He and Hao Yaoqi were both from Yan'an Prefecture and met while participating in a martial arts tournament.

Unlike him, Hao Yaoqi, despite his considerable strength, unfortunately encountered Marco—

He was the champion of this year's horse race, and it is said that he is second only to Cao Bianjiao in the military.

Unaware of Marco's strength, Hao Yaoqi was injured in the ensuing struggle and failed to even make it into the top 100 of the horse battle.

Tian Jianxiu knew his abilities and sympathized with his plight, so she immediately said to Hao Yaoqi:

"I know Brother Hao's abilities."

"I can't guarantee anything else, but I'll give you the position of cavalry squad leader right now."

"The dozens of people you led will all be incorporated into your squad."

Hao Yaoqi laughed heartily:
"How wonderful!"

"From now on, I'll be eating with Brother Tian!"

It's like in a play:
"This humble servant greets General Tian!"

Tian Jianxiu patted him on the shoulder and then personally helped him register his citizenship.

Seeing that his file stated "refugee," he frowned and said:

"Brother Hao, didn't you bring your household registration certificate with you to the martial arts tournament?"

"Why does it say 'refugees' here?"

Hao Yaoqi scratched his head and said:
“I told him I knew him, and he asked me for proof.”

“What do you mean by proof? He says if you don’t have proof, you’re a vagrant.”

“Brother, you know I’m a civilian registered under the military-civilian garrison, not actually a vagrant.”

After rambling on and on, Tian Jianxiu finally understood. Frowning, he turned to the clerk and said:

"Are you new here?"

"You're not serious about your work!"

"You overlooked what he didn't explain clearly, mistaking perfectly good citizens for refugees."

"If you keep causing trouble for the people in Yan'an Prefecture, what will you do when they demand your return?"

He gave the clerk a severe scolding, believing that he was careless in his work.

The Ming Dynasty now places far greater importance on documents and archives than ever before. Even a single discrepancy in an archive could lead to serious trouble in the future.

The clerk blushed and could only assure Tian Jianxiu that he would not do it again.

Seeing that he knew what was good for him, Tian Jianxiu offered a few more words of gentle comfort and did not impose any formal punishment.

After all, there are too few scholars here; it's already a rare find to find someone who can write. If he drives people away, there won't be anyone to replace him.

However, this matter did not trouble him for long. Soon, the imperial court, which was extremely concerned about "fighting the barbarians," sent a group of people over.

Ai Nanying, a junior official in the Hanlin Academy, personally led the team, which also included a group of students from the normal school.

This solved the immediate problem, and preparations for Fuzhou Guard quickly got back on track.
-
Ai Nanying came to clarify the distinction between Chinese and barbarians. After helping Tian Jianxiu assign personnel to the various thousand-household units, he said:

"The imperial court is paying close attention to your strategy of fighting the barbarians."

"But we need to figure out how to fight and how to allocate the land."

"Now I will concurrently serve as your guerrilla battalion's protector, and obey your command to fight the barbarians."

Tian Jianxiu repeatedly said he dared not accept such praise, showing great respect for this Hanlin scholar.

Even if the other party was of the same rank as him, a seventh-grade official, he still treated Ai Nanying as his superior.

After some back and forth, Ai Nanying finally said:
"His Majesty said that the Imperial Guard decides whether to fight or not, and the military generals decide how to fight."

"I hereby decide that the Liaonan Garrison Guerrilla Battalion shall be dispatched to capture the remaining barbarians."

Tian Jianxiu shouted "Understood!" and summoned his generals, saying:

"Capturing the barbarians in the mountains and forests is like hunting."

The imperial court's records of the Jianlu hunting methods state:
The Jurchens organized five Niru into a unit, moving along one route and stopping at one place, proceeding in sequence, and attacking one place in battle.

Those clad in armor and wielding spears led the way, followed by those with bows and arrows. Elite soldiers stood on horseback, observing from elsewhere, ready to assist if any were to fall.

"Our guerrilla battalion is arranged in the same way:"
The entire battalion was divided into five battalions, with armored soldiers carrying spears in the front, followed by those with muskets, and cavalry providing support as needed.

"Did you all understand? Can you do it?"

Everyone shouted "Yes!" and didn't think it was difficult at all.

Indeed, this was the case. Nurhaci used this method to train even savages, let alone the extremely obedient Ming soldiers.

Under Tian Jianxiu's command, the first 2,500 men he selected quickly became well-organized. Led by officers, they went into the mountains and forests to drive away wild animals and barbarians.

When wild beasts suddenly appeared, the musketeers were the first to unleash their power. Then the swordsmen and shieldmen stepped forward, skinning and dismembering them.

Whenever they spotted a person, the soldiers would excitedly swarm around them and arrest them regardless of their identity.

It would be best to capture him alive, but if that's not possible, kill him with a musket, cut off his head, and use it to earn merit.

After Tian Jianxiu rewarded several soldiers with military merits and corresponding land on the spot, the soldiers were even more excited and wanted to capture more barbarians.

Such radicalism led to problems. Some Liao people hiding in the mountains were also captured and recorded as barbarians for merit.

It was only when Ai Nanying was counting the prisoners that she realized something was wrong and discovered that several of them could speak Chinese.

"You are Han Chinese, why are you hiding in the mountains and forests like barbarians?"

A disheveled Han Chinese man, looking like a wild man, heard the Ming official asking him questions and hurriedly shouted "Your Honor!" to tell his grievances.

It turned out that they had hidden in the mountains when Daishan massacred Fuzhou. They knew nothing about what was happening outside until they were driven out by the Ming army.

Hearing their cries, Ai Nanying felt a pang of sympathy. She had only read about the suffering of the Liao people under the rule of the Jurchens in the newspapers, but now that she had come to southern Liao, she realized that the actual situation was even more tragic.

In southern Liaoning, the Jurchens basically wiped out the entire population.

The massacre of Fuzhou occurred in the third year of the Tianqi reign. At that time, Liu Xingzuo was preparing to defect, but he was betrayed by a traitor. Nurhaci then sent Daišan to massacre the men of Fuzhou.

This story was performed in the play "Blood of Liaodong," and Ai Nanying saw it in Beijing.

He said with deep feeling at this moment:

"The Ming army is coming, and you will be saved."

"From this day forward, you are citizens of the Great Ming once again!"

He ordered someone to bathe him, change his clothes, and tie his hair up again.

Then they found Tian Jianxiu and explained that these people were not barbarians, but Han Chinese from Liaodong.

Tian Jianxiu was now in a dilemma, because he had already distributed the military merits. He asked:

How are military merits calculated now?

"Won't arresting Han Chinese be criticized as taking credit for innocent people?"

Ai Nanying was also in a dilemma because there was indeed this risk.

Moreover, releasing people without discrimination could allow traitors who had defected to the Jurchens to infiltrate the ranks.

After much deliberation, he finally used the power granted to him by the emperor to temporarily establish a system:
"Liaodong has long since fallen, and there are no ordinary people living a peaceful life there."

"The Han Chinese captured here have either already surrendered to the Jurchens or are hiding in the mountains and forests."

"The people behind are the ones who rescued, and their merits can be recorded as if they had captured barbarians."

"What needs to be distinguished is the former."

Saying this conclusion, Ai Nanying said:
"The Tartars forced prisoners to shave their heads and change their clothes. All prisoners who shaved their heads, whether they were barbarians or Han, were incorporated into prisoner camps."

"Then select those who can speak Chinese and whose misdeeds have not been pointed out by anyone, organize them into military households, and use them to manage the captured barbarians."

“Those with bad deeds shall be punished, and sentenced to hard labor just like barbarians.”

"Rescued Han Chinese can choose to become civilians, and their military merits will be recorded as 1.5 times that of ordinary prisoners of war."

This was intended to encourage soldiers to rescue more Han Chinese civilians and bring them out of hiding in the mountains and forests.

Tian Jianxiu approved the policy and quickly ordered its implementation.

Now, when soldiers were capturing prisoners, they began to distinguish whether the prisoners had shaved their heads and changed their clothes.

Those with braided pigtails can be attacked at will; killing them will also earn merit.

Those who haven't shaved their heads can't be beaten indiscriminately. If it's determined that someone killed a Han Chinese, not only will there be no merit, but the guards will also hold them accountable.

The central mountains of southern Liaoning are densely forested, appearing quiet most of the time, but quite a few people actually live hidden inside.

In just half a month, Tian Jianxiu rescued four thousand Han Chinese from the prison.

However, not many barbarians were captured; most of them were incorporated into the Eight Banners by the Jurchens.

If it weren't for the policy of rescuing the Han people and earning merit, he would have wasted the past two weeks.
-
"Rescuing our Han compatriots is also a meritorious deed, and on behalf of the imperial court, I thank you!"

"His Majesty said that every citizen of the Ming Dynasty is protected by the court."

"The imperial court will completely wipe out the Jurchens who have massacred Han people!"

During an educational session in the military camp, Ai Nanying spoke loudly.

He wanted to instill in the soldiers the brutality of the Jurchens and make them understand the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

Most of these soldiers were from Shaanxi disaster victims who usually toiled in the fields and had no idea what Chinese or barbarians were.

However, upon witnessing the tragic plight of the Han people in Liaodong, they, with their simple sense of right and wrong, immediately understood what true cruelty and inhumanity meant.

Compared to the court officials who oppressed them, the Jurchens who slaughtered people at the drop of a hat were truly brutal and ruthless.

A sense of justice was suddenly aroused in them:
This was not only aimed at the Han people of Liaodong, but also at their own expense.

After all, once they joined Fuzhou Guard, they would be living here from now on.

If we don't completely eliminate the barbarians, they themselves or their descendants might suffer the same fate.

With this mindset, their enthusiasm for fighting barbarians was off the charts, not only for meritorious service but also for future stability.

The Han Chinese who were rescued were equally filled with hatred. With just a little education from Ai Nanying, these people understood the difference between Chinese and barbarians—

Those Jurchens in Liaodong were the reason for their suffering.

After a two-week rest period, they were assigned to the Fuzhou Guard. As long as they were physically fit, they would choose to join the army.

Tian Jianxiu's guerrilla battalion expanded rapidly, from 2,500 to 5,000, then to 8,000, 10,000...

Even Yang Yufan was alarmed, because such a battalion was equivalent to a brigade in size.

He worried that this camp was a rabble wasting supplies, but after visiting Tian Jianxiu's camp, he found that everyone had a determined look in their eyes and was full of hatred for the Jurchens.

"This is the foundation of a strong military!"

"The people of Shaanxi truly live up to their reputation as the valiant Qin people!"

This is a song, or rather a slogan, that has recently been circulating in the military. The entire song consists of only four lines:
"The mighty Qin, shall we reclaim our land! We will fight until our blood runs dry!"

It was very popular among people in Shaanxi and was widely sung in the military.

At this moment, Yang Yufan looked at the soldiers under Tian Jianxiu's command and couldn't help but recall this sentence:
He believed that these people were capable of fighting to the last drop of blood, and that each of them was determined to die for their cause.

Not understanding why such a big change had occurred, Yang Yufan stayed in the army to inquire carefully.

But Tami Hide couldn't explain it either, because he hadn't done anything special; he was just fulfilling his duties.

It wasn't until Yang Yufan discovered that Ai Nanying, along with a group of students, was spreading the concept of the distinction between Chinese and barbarians within the army.

When the students performed the play "Blood of Liaodong," it stirred the soldiers' eyes to tears.

Some soldiers were even so excited that they wanted to kill "Li Yongfang," that big traitor.

Ultimately, the killing didn't happen; after all, everyone on stage is an actor.

Ai Nanying appeared at the opportune moment as a military officer, leading his students to promote the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

After recounting the events of the Five Barbarian Invasions, the An Lushan Rebellion, and the Mongol invasion, the soldiers immediately understood what it meant to be "not of our kind" and why they had to fight against barbarians.

The Han Chinese who were rescued forgot their fear of the Jurchens in this atmosphere and shouted that they wanted to kill the enemy.

Yang Yufan immediately understood upon seeing this:
This army was so determined not only because of the division of land, but also because it understood the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

In order to protect their land and prevent invasion by barbarians, they chose to actively eliminate the barbarians.

Such an army is proactive and cannot be compared to an army that simply serves soldiers and provides them with rations.

For a moment, Yang Yufan was somewhat envious of Tian Jianxiu, who had managed to train this army in such a short time.

This army may seem weak now, but it has already begun to develop a military spirit.

A strong army is one that can fight several battles without being defeated.

They could even continue to expand, like the Dongning Army stationed at Dalinghe.

If he had such an army under his command, he would have a chance to be ennobled!

"My brigade needs to train, but this battalion can't be abandoned either."

"Seizing troops is not my doing, but I can let my father command this powerful army."

His father, Yang Zhaoji, served as the commander-in-chief of the anti-bandit campaign in Shaanxi Province and was hailed as the second most capable person in the army after Man Gui.

With him leading the Shaanxi soldiers here, he should be able to command this powerful army.

Yang Yufan knew his prestige was insufficient; his current position as the acting commander-in-chief of Liaonan was merely that of an acting commander. He hoped his father could come and lead the Liaonan army into a main force. (End of Chapter)