Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 160 Killing and Punishing the Heart

The next morning, the dawn was just breaking and the morning glow was as red as fire.

In this quiet morning, a horse galloped into the camp. A personal soldier dismounted, took out the order from He Guozuo, and said to his comrades who stopped him: "Quick, quick, I want to see the commander-in-chief, there is an urgent letter!"

When they arrived at the central military tent, the soldier collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion. He took out a greasy bookcase from his arms, which contained a thin letter.

Dan Chu opened it and burst out laughing. There was only the word "Xu" written on it, with a big cross above it, and the captain's seal of He Guozuo was stamped underneath.

This sloppy handwriting was obviously written in an emergency. Perhaps Xu Guobiao had died, and He Guozuo was illiterate and could not write the character "Xu", so he used "Xu" instead.

"Xu Biao is dead?" Feng Lin asked anxiously.

"Dead." The soldier drank some tea and his breathing slowed down a little.

"Did you see the body?"

"I haven't seen him yet. The captain said the natives killed Xu Biao and asked us to withdraw."

"Have you seen Xu Biao's head?" Dan Chu asked.

"Yes, the natives opened the gate of the fort and handed over Xu Biao's head."

When asked again, the personal guards didn't know. Perhaps because the matter was rushed, He Guozuo was eager to send someone to deliver the letter and didn't explain it clearly.

Danchu was overjoyed, but he remained calm. "Not right, not right..." He paced back and forth in the tent, feeling that something was wrong.

Seeing this, Feng Lin ordered his personal soldiers to retreat and rest in the camp first.

Danchu caught a glimpse of the captives in the distance, and instantly understood what was going on. He slapped his thigh and said, "This is not a good job!"

Feng Lin hadn't reacted yet. Xu Biao was dead. This was great news. Danchu didn't have to sacrifice a single soldier. The natives were frightened by the might of the Zhaoyong Army and killed Xu Biao for them. What was wrong with this?
"Send a letter to He Guozuo immediately! Have the natives bring Xu Biao's head to the camp to see me, and He Guozuo will accompany him! Write clearly in the letter that the natives should bring Xu Biao's head! Don't let He Guozuo bring the head!"

At noon, He Guozuo led dozens of Zhaoyong troops and a team of local soldiers to Huanghuayi.

The battlefield was still in a mess, the bodies had not yet been collected, and the enemy's armor and weapons were piled up like a mountain. Among them was a pile of muskets, there were hundreds of them, stacked up layer by layer, so densely packed that the local soldiers envied them.

What surprised them even more was that the war elephants, which had always been feared, had been gutted by the auxiliary soldiers of the Zhaoyong Army. The elephant meat was used to reward the soldiers, and the excess was pickled and dried and hung on wooden racks to be used as dry food for the march.

A thirty-year-old militia leader, a landlord and tyrant in the eastern foot of Kunlun Mountain, was riding side by side with He Guozuo. Seeing that the situation was clear, he took advantage of Xu Biao's desperate situation and poisoned him to death.

With such a great achievement, he would surely please his new master. He was very proud of himself and hung Xu Biao's head in front of his horse, looking very proud and happy. The local soldiers behind him followed suit, and the bloody head hung on the horse's head was Xu Biao's confidant and son.

The Zhaoyong Army built four camps at Huanghuayi. The captives were working, cleaning the battlefield and collecting corpses under the command of the Zhaoyong Army.

Last night, Wei Guosong arrived with his army, which increased the number of Zhaoyong troops, but it was still far less than the number of prisoners. Although Cen Danchu promised not to kill the prisoners, the prisoners were imprisoned, like fish on a chopping board, and they were all uneasy.

At this moment, seeing the bloody head of the commander, the captives were deeply moved. Xu Biao was born in the countryside, but he was also kind to his subordinates and was a hero. He was able to defeat Chen Bangfu repeatedly, but he met a fierce man like Cen Danchu.

Alas, the captives sighed again and again. If they had to blame someone, they could only blame themselves for not meeting a wise leader. If they had followed Cen Danchu, how could they be in this situation today? How could they allow these local soldiers to show off their power today?
"Xu Zhentai! Xu Zhentai!" A young general, dressed in white, trotted out from the central army camp. Isn't this the commander-in-chief? Isn't this too exaggerated? He Guozuo returned victoriously and was chatting and laughing on his horse. Danchu's behavior frightened him so much that he quickly dismounted and shouted, "Commander-in-chief!"

The local soldiers were also terrified and dismounted and knelt down.

The prisoners dropped what they were doing, stunned by the scene before them.

"Quick! Hurry and hold a memorial ceremony for Xu Zhentai's soul!"

Xu Biao was born a bandit and was looked down upon by the small imperial court. It was not until Emperor Yongli visited Nanning that he promoted him to the rank of general in order to win over Xu Biao.

Outside the camp, under the gaze of the captives, the guards hurriedly brought the incense table, placed Xu Biao's head on the table, washed the blood with clean water, and combed his hair. They also brought in an injured old horse and killed it for sacrifice. They made a temporary soul-calling banner, folded several stacks of paper money and lit it. It seemed like a child's play, but it was serious.

Danchu wanted to cry, but he couldn't squeeze out tears, so he howled at the incense table. Anyway, the captive was far away and couldn't see clearly. The local soldiers all knelt on the ground, thinking that they had offended Danchu, and were afraid to look up.

"Taiwan Governor Xu! I, Cen Danchu, had heard of your name when I was still not well-known, and I admired you very much! In the last years of Chongzhen, you raised an army of righteous men, robbing the rich to help the poor, and helping the weak! In the first year of Yongli, the Tartars invaded Guangxi, and you followed Chen Jin to recover Lingshan. In March of the second year, you and Luo Quanbin defeated the Tartars on the south bank of Yujiang River.

"But once you were in power, why did you kill innocent people and abuse the people? Zhao Fantai was loyal to the emperor and patriotic, loved by the people and supported by the chieftains. You were jealous of his high reputation, and humiliated him repeatedly, forcing him to resign and retreat into the mountains. The Duke of Qing was in a high position and had great power, but you fought with him for years, causing great suffering to the people!

"Taiwan Governor Xu, you are like two different people now and then. It is hard to tell them apart. Duke Qing has the power to control the civil and military forces of Guangxi. He ordered me to attack you, and I had to obey. I originally planned to persuade you with kind words to stop the fighting, but I didn't expect that I would be self-defeating. When the two armies fought, you fled into the mountains and your body and head were separated..."

Danchu's performance was clumsy, but also very effective. The frightened captives gradually relaxed their guard and were also touched by Danchu's words.

There were no righteous wars in the Spring and Autumn Period, nor in troubled times. These days, when a general attacks, he is determined to wipe out the enemy's roots. After killing the enemy general, they often kill his body to show their irreconcilable hatred. Danchu performed a sacrifice to summon Xu Biao's soul, which was the opposite of what he did, and made the captives sigh.

"Tai Xu, don't worry. After you die, all the grudges between you and Duke Qing, Tai Zhao, the imperial court, and me will be written off. I will not harm your family, and I will send people to protect your mother, wives, concubines, and children.

"You are in the underworld. You should reflect on your merits and demerits in this life and become a loyal soul to continue to protect the Ming Dynasty. I will send people to find your body, sew it together, bathe it and burn incense to return it to you. I will also send people to find your coffin and tomb so that you can rest in peace..."

Killing corpses to relieve hatred is only what a reckless person does. Danchu, however, wants to kill people and destroy their hearts, and then subdue the captives and use them for his own purposes. Soon, the Zhaoyong Army will enter Nanning and Taiping, which will also reduce resistance.

Danchu took a cup of wine from his personal guard, poured it on the incense table, and said, "Taiwan Governor Xu, rest in peace!"

This pretense soon paid off. One of the captives immediately took the lead and said, "The commander-in-chief is so kind and righteous, and we are so grateful for his kindness. Today we have met a wise leader, and we should be loyal to him. If we have any second thoughts, we will be struck by lightning."

I knew this would happen. Danchu was secretly delighted. He looked at the captive and asked, "Well said! Warrior, what is your name and what is your original position?"

The man was about thirty years old, with a simple appearance and a sturdy body. He said, "My name is Lin Feng, and I was formerly a captain."

"Okay. Lin Feng, are you willing to serve under me? I will make you a sentinel first."

Lin Feng was overjoyed and said, "Of course I am willing."

Seeing someone taking the lead, the captives were overjoyed and volunteered to serve the Zhaoyong Army.

(End of this chapter)