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

Chapter 267 Dressed Beast
The sky was gloomy and drizzling. Shang Kexi was in a bad mood, so he invited his strategist Jin Guang to come over and drink with him to relieve his sorrow.

"Your Highness, are you already drinking to drown your sorrows before noon?" Jin Guang and Shang Kexi had a close relationship, to the point where they could joke with each other.

"Ah!" Shang Kexi sighed. A personal soldier had already pulled out a chair and asked Jin Guang to sit down. "I've been feeling very worried lately, and I've been tossing and turning at night, unable to fall asleep. I can only drink some old wine at noon and take a short rest."

The coach suffered from insomnia at night and was in a bad mood, which was not a good sign.

Jin Guang looked at Shang Kexi, smiled, and said nothing.

Shang Kexi was born in Hongdong, Shanxi, and his life experience was quite legendary. His ancestral home was in Hongdong, Shanxi, and he was born in Haizhou, Liaodong. When he was 18 years old, the Later Jin invaded Liaoning and Shenyang, and his mother died in the war. Shang Kexi and his son joined the army one after another. His father first joined Wang Huazhen, the governor of Liaodong, and then followed Mao Wenlong to Pidao. In the third year of Tianqi, Shang Kexi transferred to the navy of the Ming army. The following year, he went to Pidao to find his father, joined Mao Wenlong's army, and was adopted as a grandson.

In the fourth year of Chongzhen, a mutiny broke out on Pi Island. Shang Kexi, who was loyal to the Ming Dynasty, led his army to suppress the rebellion and killed Geng Zhongyu and other leaders. Shen Shikui wanted to take over Pi Island, but Shang Kexi supported Huang Long in taking over Pi Island. Geng Zhongyu was the brother of Jingnan Prince Geng Zhongming, and Shen Shikui was the father of Xushun Gong Shen Zhixiang.

After the Wuqiao mutiny, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming rebelled and led their troops to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. Shang Kexi led the navy to attack them and killed Kong and Geng, leaving them with no place to stand. Afterwards, Kong and Geng led the Later Jin to attack Lushun. Shang Kexi's family members were all in Lushun, and hundreds of them jumped into the water to die for their loyalty.

In the sixth year of Chongzhen, Shang Kexi's benefactor Huang Long was defeated and died, and Shen Shikui succeeded him as the general of Dongjiang. Because of his feud with Shang Kexi, Shen Shikui plotted to murder Shang Kexi. Shang Kexi was desperate and decided to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. He was treated with courtesy by Huang Taiji and from then on he devoted himself to the Qing Dynasty.

As fate would have it, this young general who once vowed to fight against the Qing Dynasty has now become the vanguard of the Qing Dynasty's conquest of the Southern Ming Dynasty. The former comrades in Dongjiang Town, who once turned against each other, now gather under the banner of the Qing Dynasty, launching a ruthless conquest against the Ming Dynasty and raising the bright butcher's knife against the Han compatriots.

In battle after battle, in massacre after massacre, Shang Kexi's hat became more and more red, his prestige became higher and higher, and his character became more and more cruel. The ideals of his youth had long gone, and his ambition to resist the invaders became a joke.

Since entering the Pass, Shang Kexi had never suffered a major defeat. But this time in Guangzhou, he was first defeated by the Guangdong Army, and then defeated by the Red Army in succession. He could only hide in Conghua and avoid fighting. The prospects for the Qing army were not good, so what should be done?

"Gongxuan," Shang Kexi drank a cup of sorrow wine and asked, "I heard recently that the Red Bandits are expanding their army, and Dongxun is relying on their power. In your opinion, our army is defending Conghua and Qingyuan, and is in a stalemate with the Ming army. When can we hope to break through?"

Shang Kexi had asked this question many times. Jin Guang repeated his usual answer and said, "Cen Danchu, with the power of victory, killed Chen Bangfu and his prestige has been established. The Ming army towns surrendered and the Red Bandits were in high spirits. Our army is advancing alone and living in eastern Guangdong. The surrendered army is wavering. With the current situation, we are no match for the Ming army. If we want to break the situation, we have to wait for the arrival of King Dingnan and the General Manager of Jiangning. When King Dingnan's troops arrive, they can threaten western Guangdong, and the Red Bandits will have to return to rescue. When the General Manager of Jiangning arrives, our army will increase the number of Manchu soldiers and compete with the Ming army for supremacy."

Guarjia Bashan, a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Manchus, served as the governor of Jiangning. In the first year of the Hongguang reign, he led the Manchu soldiers to garrison in Jiangning and was given the title of assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. The Manchu soldiers were not used to the southern climate, so they only stationed more than a thousand soldiers in Jiangning, and they were always under the command of Bashan.

Shang Kexi repeatedly petitioned the Qing court to send more Manchurian banners to Guangdong to help. Bashan had received the order and led the Jiangning banners to the south first, but the journey was long and it would take some time for him to arrive.

"Well, Gongxuan has a good idea." Shang Kexi drank a glass of wine, pondered for a moment, and said: "Bashan has too few soldiers and horses, I'm afraid they are useless. If the Red Bandits attack with all their strength, our army will respond hastily and still be unable to resist."

The powerful Prince of Pingnan Shang Kexi actually had moments of sadness? Jin Guang laughed and said, "If Your Majesty is so afraid, why doesn't he surrender to Cen Danchu?"

A gust of hot wind blew past, and Shang Kexi almost choked on his drink. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "Gong Xuan, this joke is not funny at all."

"Haha," Jin Guang waved his palm-leaf fan, still with a grin on his face, and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, I'm not joking."

Jin Guang picked up a cup of wine and drank it by himself, with a meaningful smile on his face.

"Why bother to think about it?" Shang Kexi pretended to be relaxed and said with a smile: "The Ming Dynasty is in decline, and the Qing Dynasty is in its heyday. Cen Danchu and Du Yonghe are just like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Jin Shenghuan, Li Chengdong and Jiang Ge each rebelled in their own province, but they were defeated and died. Cen Danchu is just a kid, a rookie, how can he compete with Jin, Cheng and Jiang? Once the Manchu army arrives, all the Ming troops will scatter like birds and beasts."

The Qing court attached great importance to the war in Lingnan. In addition to sending Bashan to the south, it also sent another famous general, Kakamu, to lead troops to the south to first take over the defense in Jiangning. If the military situation in Lingnan became urgent, Kakamu could lead the Eight Banners troops nearby to rescue.

“Hahahaha!” Jin Guang laughed loudly, ignoring Shang Kexi’s displeasure. He almost cried because of his laughter, and then he said, “Your Highness is in a confused position. Have you forgotten the death of Jueluo Guoke?”

Last year, Jiala Zhangjing Jueluo Guoke led the Manchu Bordered White Banner to attack Xing'an County in Guangxi. He underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, and was killed by the Red Army. His troops lost more than 1,200 Manchu soldiers. Afterwards, every family in the Manchu Bordered White Banner wore mourning clothes, and the cries shook the West City.

Bashan led his troops to aid Guangdong. He had 5,000 men, but only a thousand of them were Manchus, and the rest were Green Camp soldiers. It would be difficult to turn the tide of the war with such a small number of men.

Shang Kexi remained silent, looking uncertain.

Seeing this, Jin Guang drank a cup of wine with him, recalled the past, and said: "Back then, you and I met for the first time in Dengzhou. I failed the imperial examination and had no way to serve my country, while you had already made your mark and were praised for your bravery. We hit it off right away. We stood on Jieshi in the east, looking at the vast sea, and looking at Liaodong in the distance, pointing out the mountains and rivers.

"At that time, I was full of vigor and vitality. I always felt that Manchuria was a barren land with few people and there was nothing to worry about. As long as the court was resilient and the officials were dedicated, we would be able to pacify Manchuria and revive the Ming Dynasty.

"I didn't expect that more than a decade later, the Manchus would take over the Central Plains. China was submerged, the Central Plains changed hands, and we all shaved our heads, grew braids, and became beasts in human clothing."

It was an open secret in the Qing army that Jin Guang missed his homeland and was in Cao's camp but his heart was with Han. Despite this, Shang Kexi still trusted him.

Looking back on the past and looking at the present, Shang Kexi was filled with emotion and sighed, "God has his own way. I was loyal to the Ming Dynasty and more than 300 of my family members died for the country, but I was framed by treacherous officials and could not accept it. Huang Taiji forgave me and named me the King of Zhishun. The regent tried his best to win me over and changed my title to the King of Pingnan. Gongxuan, if it were you, what would you do?"

Jin Guang had heard this argument many times. He snorted coldly and said, "Your Highness, the Qing court won you over just to force you to fight for your life. Your mother died at the hands of the Manchu soldiers, and your father also died in Liaodong. You are a prince of the Qing dynasty, fighting for your parents' enemies. What will history say about you?"

"Enough!" Shang Kexi was angry, veins bulged on his forehead, and he slammed the table hard.

The personal soldiers arrived upon hearing the news, looking stunned, not knowing what had happened.

"Get out!" Shang Kexi tried his best to calm down and ordered his soldiers to leave.

Jin Guang drank the wine slowly, peeled a lychee and tasted it, saying meaningfully: "'If I could eat 300 lychees a day, I would be willing to live in Lingnan forever.' Today's lychees are not sweet, not sweet at all."

At some point, the drizzle stopped and the sky gradually brightened, looking like it was going to clear up. Shang Kexi pretended to calm down and asked out of the blue, "I heard someone say that you secretly let several Red Bandit spies go?"

Jin Guang was startled and said, "The army is cruel and violent, arresting people on the pretext of being spies. People are afraid of me like a tiger, and they are unwilling to support me. If people are unwilling to support me, it will be difficult to defend the city. I will release the prisoners privately to win the hearts of the people for the prince."

Jin Guang sympathized with the anti-Qing patriots, and whenever the Pingnan Fan army captured anti-Qing patriots, Jin Guang always tried to protect them. Shang Jixi knew this very well, but he turned a blind eye. He brought up the old matter just to warn Jin Guang.

However, Jin Guang was not afraid of death and did not care about it. He was determined to recover and became close friends with Shang Kexi. However, as fate would have it, Shang Kexi turned evil and became a traitor, slaughtering countless Han compatriots.

As Shang Kexi's strategist, Jin Guang is also to blame and feels guilty. If he could die early, perhaps he could be freed sooner.

Shang Kexi looked at the golden light and sighed helplessly. If a person is not afraid of death, what else can threaten him?
"When will the prince meet Jin Bao?" The atmosphere was awkward, and Jin Guang changed the subject. He had already established a connection with the Red Army scout, who would be of great use in the future, so he couldn't expose himself easily.

The Red Army was about to break camp and retreat westward. Before leaving, Cen Danchu sent Jin Bao to meet with the Qing army.

Shang Kexi was greatly stimulated and regained his fighting spirit. He said, "In an hour."

At noon, Shang Kexi smoked a bag of cigarettes, washed and combed his hair, changed into his official uniform and hat, and immediately felt refreshed.

Jin Bao walked into the hall with his head held high, and saw Shang Kexi sitting in the main seat, with two rows of his confidants sitting on his left and right, Geng Jimao on the left and Jin Guang on the right. He bowed without kneeling, and said, "Jin, the former Li Keshi of the Ming Dynasty, greets Shang, the former deputy general of Guanglu Island."

Before Shang Kexi surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, he served as the deputy commander of Guanglu Island in Dongjiang Town. This familiar yet unfamiliar official title, coming from Jinbao, actually moved Shang Kexi's heart. He asked with a stern face, "Are you Jinbao?"

"Yes."

"What position do you hold in the Red Bandits?"

"The Red Army is strong and capable, and has won many battles since entering eastern Guangdong. In the first battle, they burned down the shipyard and the artillery factory. In the second battle, they wiped out the Red Flag pirates. In the third battle, they severely damaged the fake king. In the fourth battle, they recovered Sihui. Your Excellency calls them bandits. Aren't you deceiving yourself and others?"

As soon as these words came out, all the generals in the tent glared at each other. Jin Guang was also worried about Jin Bao, fearing that Shang Kexi would lose control of his emotions and kill Jin Bao unjustly.

Geng Jimao was young and not well-educated, so he immediately stood up and scolded, "Jinbao, you are disrespectful and deliberately provocative. Do you think there is no one in Jingnan Prefecture?"

"Haha," Jin Bao said with a smile, "I was sent to the enemy camp by General Cen, and I have already put life and death aside. It is my wish to die for the Ming Dynasty."

During the Ming Dynasty's "tiger hunting" campaign, Jinbao suffered greatly, but was fortunately saved by Cen Danchu. He also restrained himself greatly, and was deeply moved by what he saw and heard in the Red Army camp, and had sincerely surrendered to the Red Army.

This mission to the Qing army was extremely dangerous. Jinbao was determined to die, and would rather die than humiliate the Red Army.

"Haha," Shang Kexi pretended to be open-minded and said to Geng Jimao, "Nephew, why bother to argue with him? He is a madman, just like Ni Heng of the Han Dynasty. Cao Cao wanted to kill Ni Heng, so he sent Ni Heng to Liu Biao. Liu Biao was also insulted, so he sent him to Huang Zu. Huang Zu killed Ni Heng and ended up being cursed. Nephew, we two should not fall into Cen's trap."

Geng Jimao suddenly realized what was going on and immediately insulted him, saying, "I heard that Zheng Zhilong wanted to kill you a few years ago, but Fang Guoan protected you and allowed you to live until now. As a result, you did not repent and spread rumors and disrupted the government under Prince Yongming. You deserve to be killed, you deserve to be killed."

"It is my wish to die for the country." Jinbao said with emotion: "After I die, I hope to turn into a ghost and continue to kill bandits to repay my country."

Shang Kexi was deeply moved and couldn't help but look at the golden light. These two people were both scholars with the same surname, and they were not afraid of death. He had killed countless people in his life, and he was afraid of meeting such people, who were unmoved and fearless of life and death.

Jin Guang tried to smooth things over: "Since you are an envoy, you should treat him with courtesy. Why are you arguing about life and death here? Please, King Pingnan, allow me to sit down."

Shang Kexi obeyed Jin Guang's words and ordered his personal soldiers to bring a stool.

Jin Bao refused to sit down, saying, "I have sworn that I will never eat a grain of rice or drink a drop of water from the Tartars, never wear a piece of clothing or a hat from the Tartars, and never sit on a stool or bed from the Tartars. Today's messenger only has a few words of advice, and I will leave after I finish speaking."

Having hit a tough spot, Shang Kexi suppressed his anger and asked, "Go ahead."

Jin Bao looked solemn, clasped his fists and saluted Shang Kexi, then looked around at the generals, saluted one by one, and said: "I am here on the orders of the Great Ningguo Duke of the Ming Dynasty to assist the suppression of the general Cen Gong, and I have come to inform you. Cen Gong said that the Red Army issued a notice to strictly prohibit killing, so the people were loyal and supported. In troubled times, wars were fought, and the Tartars repeatedly massacred cities. From now on, if anyone dares to massacre a city again, regardless of whether they are Manchu, Mongolian, Han, or Green Camp, Cen Gong will personally lead the army to eliminate the tyranny and punish them even if they are far away. When we meet on the battlefield in the future, the two armies will fight happily and don't let the people suffer..."

As Jinbao said, the Red Army had issued a notice strictly prohibiting killing. The notice also threatened the Qing army that if they dared to massacre the city and kill civilians again, the Red Army would kill them all and would not show mercy.

The Manchu Qing Dynasty, like the Mongols, was a foreign race defending the Central Plains with a small but elite army, so they were accustomed to massacring cities. On the one hand, they wanted to intimidate the Han soldiers and civilians, and on the other hand, they allowed the soldiers to plunder in order to boost morale.

This time, when they invaded eastern Guangdong, Dongxun fled at the sight of the enemy, but the defenders in Nanxiong and Qingyuan also put up fierce resistance. After the cities were captured, Shang Kexi ordered a massacre to intimidate the Guangdong people. The soldiers looted the two cities and reaped a lot, which made them very satisfied.

Guangzhou is a famous pearl in Lingnan, with a population of nearly one million and wealth of no less than 10 million. The Qing army has been coveting it for a long time, and once the city is captured, it will be looted. Massacre is undoubtedly the simplest and crudest means of looting.

In order to stop the Qing army from massacring the city, the Red Army issued notices and sent envoys to intimidate them. Now the Qing army had to consider its own weight.

"In order to win the hearts of the people, Cen Danchu actually dared to interfere with the military orders of our Pingnan and Jingnan provinces. This is outrageous!" Shang Kexi was very angry, but he was intimidated by the might of the Red Army and did not dare to speak out.

"The message has been delivered. My mission is accomplished. Goodbye." After saying this, Jinbao left.

(End of this chapter)