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

Chapter 169: Toast of the Assembly
Cen Danchu took Cen Yan as his concubine in order to unite the chieftains of Guangxi. To this end, he held a meeting of chieftains in Nanning in the name of a wedding and invited chieftains of the fifth rank and above from Sien, Tianzhou, Sicheng, Shanglin, Siming, Longzhou, Shangsi and other places in western Guangxi and southern Guangxi to attend the wedding.

The general who conquered the barbarians summoned the chieftains, and it was legitimate. Danchu defeated Xu Biao and overwhelmed Chen Bangfu. With the prestige of the victory, he married into the Cen family of Si'en. The "Little Overlord" was famous for a while, and the chieftains in various places received the letter and obeyed his orders.

Since the end of the first month, the invited chieftains began to arrive in Nanning one after another and were all settled in the Shibu area west of the city. This was a rare event for the chieftains in Guangxi. Many chieftains dressed up in their best clothes, and their guards also wore bright clothes and rode horses, trying to overpower the others and stand out in the limelight.

Danchu transferred his personal guards and the first infantry battalion to the west of the city and set up camp on the east and west banks of the Xinxu River, taking the opportunity to show off his military power and intimidate the chieftain.

February 2nd is the day when the dragon raises its head and it is an auspicious day.

At si in the morning, Danchu ascended the platform to accept the congratulations of the chieftain. About a foot to the left and back sat the right assistant general Fang Yizhi. About a foot to the right and back sat Cen Xun, the chief of Si'en Prefecture.

About forty chieftains were invited to attend the wedding and were waiting on the west bank of Xinxu River.

As soon as the three men of Danchu sat down, the soldiers beside him waved flags to signal the start of the ceremony. The Red Army on the west bank of Xinxu River responded by waving flags, guiding the chieftains to cross the floating bridge one by one and go to the general's platform to pay tribute.

"Tianzhou Tusi Cen Guangyun has arrived!"

The one at the top is Tianzhou Tusi Cen Guangyun. Since the Ming Dynasty, Tianzhou Tusi has been the most powerful military force in Guangxi.

During the Jiajing period, the chieftains of Tianzhou rebelled, Cen Meng usurped power, and then rebelled, which was suppressed by Wang Shouren. The Ming court took the opportunity to change the chieftains in Tianzhou into officials, downgraded the Tianzhou Military and Civilian Office to a direct-controlled prefecture, and sent officials to preside over the prefecture.

Although the Cen family of Tianzhou no longer served as the local governor, they still owned vast tracts of land and maintained a large number of local chieftains and soldiers, which were enough to compete with the provincial government.

Since the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Tianzhou Cen family took advantage of the chaotic situation and tried to restore the Tusi rule, even colluding with the Qing army. In order to win over Cen Guangyun, Chen Bangfu issued a garrison imperial edict to Cen Guangyun without asking for permission. As a result, the Tianzhou Cen family nominally restored the status of military Tusi.

Tianzhou is located upstream of Nanning and adjacent to Guohuazhou in Nanning Prefecture. Cen Guangyun has a strong army and is said to have 20,000 soldiers. Danchu accepted Cen Xun's suggestion and listed Cen Guangyun as the first to win him over.

"I'm Cen Guangyun, the garrison commander of Tianzhou. I'm here to pay my respects to the commander-in-chief." A middle-aged man in his thirties, with a sturdy build and a voice as loud as a bell, came to the platform and knelt on his right knee. He saluted Danchu with a humble attitude.

"Very good, please stand up." Danchu was wearing golden armor, and he looked majestic without being angry. He said, "Cen Guangyun, you and I, together with my Cen family, have been ordered to come and congratulate you. I am very happy. From now on, you should abide by your duties and serve the country with loyalty."

"Yes." Cen Guangyun saluted again, said goodbye and left, sitting down on the chair under the podium.

Before the next chieftain came on stage, Cen Xun took this opportunity to lean over and said, "Cen Guangyun is very utilitarian and is eager to restore the glory of his ancestors. The Marshal can use this to control the Cen family of Tianzhou."

"Yes," Danchu nodded slightly and said, "I already know."

Next, local chieftains took turns to come forward to meet Danchu. Cen Xun introduced them one by one, and Danchu memorized them in his heart.

These chieftains lived in seclusion in the southwest, and were like local emperors in their respective territories. They constantly attacked each other all year round, and most of them were martial artists. Only seven or eight chieftains lacked dignity and did not look like brave warriors.

If even the Tusi were like this, what about the Tusi soldiers? The Red Army camped outside the Tusi camp to maintain order and prevent Tusi soldiers from fighting each other. According to their report, although Tusi soldiers were not well disciplined, most of them were skilled in martial arts and could endure hardships.

Danchu's thoughts flew, and he couldn't help but think of the history of Sun Kewang and Wu Sangui managing Yunnan. There were many Yao, Miao, Zhuang and other ethnic minority soldiers in their army. They were brave and courageous and could compete with the Eight Banners for supremacy. To deal with these chieftains, you must use both kindness and force to win them over.

"Sicheng Tusi Cen Guozhu has arrived."

"I am Cen Guozhu, the chieftain of Sicheng, and I am here to pay my respects to the commander-in-chief." The visitor was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a fat head and big ears. He had no dignity and was not liked by Danchu.

After the greeting, Cen Guozhu was about to leave, but he suddenly knelt on his knees and said, "I beg the Marshal to do justice."

The incident happened suddenly, but fortunately Danchu reacted quickly and said, "If you have any grievances, please feel free to tell me. As the general of conquering the barbarians, I have the power to control the chieftains and the responsibility to uphold justice for them."

Just when he was trying to establish his authority in front of the chieftain, Cen Guozhu came to him.

He said in an urgent tone, "The governor of Sicheng, Hu Zhigong, is tyrannical, corrupt, and abuses local officials. The military and civilians have suffered for a long time. I beg you to act for the people and expel Hu Zhigong."

Hu Zhigong was from Shanyin, Shaoxing, and was a fellow villager of Chen Bangfu. According to historical records, he was "a vagrant in the capital, accustomed to making private seals and forged documents." After the fall of the capital, Hu Zhigong defected to Chen Bangfu, helped him preside over the central army, and drafted memorials on his behalf. He was Chen Bangfu's military advisor, and "all Bangfu's presumptuous actions were instigated by him."

In August of the second year of the Yongli reign, Hu Zhigong falsely claimed military merit and was awarded the title of Wukangbo and stationed in Sicheng. Sicheng borders Yunnan and Guizhou and is the only way for Yunnan to enter Guangxi, so its strategic location is quite important.

Hu Zhigong had no military achievements, but he was recommended by Chen Bangfu to be an earl. This shows how reckless Chen Bangfu was and how stupid and incompetent Emperor Yongli was.

Cen Xun knew the inside story well, and approached Danchu and said, "Hu Zhigong has a boy lover named Chen Anguo, who is the assistant military supervisor and has committed many crimes. He is a nuisance to Sicheng. If it is inconvenient for the commander to get rid of Hu Zhigong, he can get rid of Chen Anguo first."

"I know that Hu Zhigong is Chen Bangfu's confidant and a count, but I'm not afraid of him, let alone Chen Bangfu." Danchu said to Cen Xun, "This kind of bastard is the most bullying. The stronger you are, the more he shrinks. The weaker you show, the more he will show off."

He turned to Cen Guangyun and said loudly, "Cen Guangyun, don't worry, I will do you justice. How can we allow a coward like Hu Zhigong to do evil in this bright and clear world? Soon, I will drive Hu Zhigong away and restore peace to Sicheng."

"I would like to thank the Marshal on behalf of the soldiers and civilians of Sicheng!" Cen Guangyun knelt on both knees, performed a great salute, and left with satisfaction.

After the chieftain finished his congratulations, the Red Army began the military review.

Cen Danchu summoned the chieftains this time, ostensibly to celebrate the wedding, but in reality to show off his military might. The Red Army's most elite personal guards and the First Infantry Battalion were all present, and cavalry, musketeers, and infantrymen took to the stage for drills one after another.

The Red Army's superb horsemanship and archery, sophisticated firearms, and strict formations made the chieftains present marvel and feel inferior. They realized that there are always people better than you, and the chieftains' soldiers were nothing compared to the Red Army.

After reviewing the military salute, Danchu stood up and addressed the chieftains: "I am deeply grateful to you for coming to Nanning to attend the wedding. You have been favored by the emperor for generations, and have been guarding the local area and serving as local officials. I am the general who conquered the barbarians and was ordered to control you. Now I have a few words of advice that I cannot help but say.

"Nowadays, the situation is difficult. You should put the affairs of the country first, take the loyal marquis (Qin Liangyu) as a role model, be loyal to the king, and serve the country with integrity. Do not hesitate or doubt, and do not secretly make friends with the Tartars. Otherwise, I will personally lead the troops to fight against the rebellious people and turn the land into the people.

"Private fighting is a bad habit of chieftains. It not only damages your reputation, but also harms the local people. I order you to strictly abide by the laws of the country from now on. You must not fight privately or stir up trouble. If you encounter injustice, you must first tell me. I will uphold justice and will not be partial. Otherwise, I will definitely attack you.

"Although the current situation is chaotic, it is also a time for heroes to make achievements. I joined the army last year and have been in the army for two years. I have been appointed as the general and given the seal of the general who conquers the barbarians. I have obtained Nanning, Hengzhou, Zhaoping, Yong'an and other places. The soldiers are slightly stronger, the food is slightly more sufficient, and the weapons are slightly better.

"If you are willing to share wealth and honor with me, I will definitely support you and reward you. I am also willing to join hands with you to fight against the Tartars, revive the Ming Dynasty, usher in a prosperous era of peace, and bring happiness to hundreds of millions of people!"

The chieftains stood up and echoed enthusiastically.

(End of this chapter)