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

Chapter 43: Dealing with Prisoners (Please Read)

As the sun sets, the afterglow shines on the city wall, covering the ancient city of Yangshuo with a layer of golden gauze. The city is built with blue bricks and black tiles, and the roads are paved with stone slabs. A clear river runs through the city and flows into the Li River through the Shuidong Gate.

If the mess of corpses, weapons and blood on the ground could be cleaned up, Yangshuo would really be a beautiful ancient city!
In the evening, Jiao Lian led his troops into the city and stationed in the county government office. The city was filled with solemnity.

The results of the battle have been counted. Including the Yao people, about 3,000 enemies were captured, 80 bird guns, more than 220 war horses, and countless money, food, armor and weapons were seized.

Jiao Lian was very happy and summoned all the generals to a banquet.

After three rounds of drinking, Jiao Lian's face was rosy and he was full of confidence. He said, "Today we have captured Yangshuo and surrounded the city from all sides. It is like an iron barrel, and not a single enemy can escape. It is really gratifying. Yangshuo is the gateway to Pingle. If we capture Yangshuo, Pingle will be captured in no time."

General Bai Gui was brave and bloodthirsty. He said, "General, I am not happy. I led my troops to station at the South Gate to block the Qing reinforcements. We were attacked from both sides and were almost exhausted. I am still angry and resentful.

"These prisoners of war are all traitors. They killed their compatriots and resisted the army, leaving endless troubles. In my opinion, except for the Yao people, all other prisoners should be killed to prevent future troubles."

Killing prisoners has existed since ancient times. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, wars became increasingly brutal, and it was not uncommon for the army to torture and kill prisoners.

Cen Danchu did not approve of killing prisoners. Prisoners were valuable human resources and should not be killed arbitrarily. They should be used to supplement the army and serve as hard labor.

Previously, Jiao Lian's army was small in number and captured few enemies. Although there were many prisoners in the Battle of Guilin, they were backed by the big city of Guilin and had soldiers guarding the city to help guard and deal with the prisoners. Now, the Ming army had to continue to advance eastward and had no time to deal with the prisoners.

Killing prisoners is the simplest and most brutal way to deal with the situation, but it is obviously inappropriate.

Dan Chu knew that his status was not high enough, so he was not in a hurry to speak, so as not to anger Bai Gui.

Zhao Xing was a talented general and he objected immediately, saying:

"Old Bai, killing prisoners is unlucky. The Qing invaders surrendered because they had no hope of escaping, but they also held out a glimmer of hope. If we rashly kill the prisoners and cut off their chance of survival, the Qing invaders will know that they will die if they surrender, and they will fight to the death in the city, and it will be difficult to persuade them to surrender again.

"Moreover, the Tartars are good at winning over the hearts of the soldiers and taking it as their greatest strength to persuade the Ming army to surrender. Whenever there is a war, the Tartars often drive the surrendered soldiers to the front, and the surrendered soldiers often instigate the Ming army to rebel, with internal and external cooperation, which always works. If you rashly kill the prisoners, you will fall into the Tartars' evil plan."

The generals discussed the matter and expressed their opinions.

Danchu also expressed his own opinion: "I think that prisoners of war should be treated differently. As for the Tartars, especially the Eight Banners of Manchuria and the Eight Banners of Mongolia, the possibility of them surrendering to the Ming Dynasty is very small, so killing them is not a pity.

"The Eight Banners of the Han Army, those who were incorporated into the Han Army before entering the Pass, are unlikely to surrender. The surrendered Ming soldiers who were incorporated into the Han Army and the Green Camp after entering the Pass will still surrender. The captives in Yangshuo City are all Han people, except for the Yao people.

"Among the Han people, there are very few Han troops. Most of them are Green Camp. Even the Ming army that surrendered not long ago did not even have a Green Camp organization. As long as these people are properly won over, they can still be used by our army."

Ma Qijiao has the highest prestige among all the generals, and his words carry a lot of weight:

"It is better to kill only the officers, not the soldiers. Check the officers among the prisoners and kill all the officers above the rank of captain. The prisoners have no officers, so they are leaderless and cannot cause chaos. Our army can also use the prisoners to supplement the army."

Ma Qijiao had the strongest army, with more than 2,000 men, and needed another 1,000 men to reach full strength. The other towns were similar, and most of the generals agreed.

Cen Danchu still disagreed. There was no essential difference between killing officers and killing soldiers. The prisoners were panic-stricken and disorderly, and officers could take the opportunity to disguise themselves as soldiers. It was not easy to pick out officers and kill them. All the generals looked at Jiao Lian, expecting Jiao Lian to make the right decision.

At this time, the commander cannot hesitate for a moment, lest his prestige be damaged. Jiao Lian thought for a moment and said:
"One thousand Yao people voluntarily surrendered, so they should be saved. The rest of the Qing captives were all forced to surrender, so there is no need for sympathy. We will only punish the main culprits, the four You leaders, and the rest of the captives will be dispersed and incorporated into various tribes, or used as hard labor, and those who refuse to obey will be killed."

Danchu secretly admired Jiao Lian and thought that he handled the situation properly. This is what a general should do, he should fully consult with other generals and make decisive decisions.

In order to prevent the night from getting too long, Jiao Lian ordered the beheading of the Qing leaders, including the governor Ma Bijin, the deputy general Guan Xiong, the guard Li Sheng, and the assistant general Mo Zhiyuan. The rest of the captives were given porridge and the people's hearts were finally settled.

During the banquet, Jiao Lian, under the influence of alcohol, said: "The Central Army of the Governor's Brigade is still too weak. I plan to add a cavalry unit, and let He Guoju be the captain. He won the first merit this time, and according to the law, he should be promoted to captain. Zuo Xie has no position, so let him be the captain of the Central Army Cavalry Unit."

With the establishment of the Left and Right Associations, Jiao Lian was able to command the standard-bearing soldiers more easily, but he vaguely felt a sense of loss as power fell into someone else's hands.

After all, there is a support platform between the standard-bearer and the commander-in-chief. If the captain has something to do, he will not report directly to the commander-in-chief, but will first report to the support platform. The commander-in-chief has no idea what the standard-bearer is thinking.

There is no other way. When the army expands to a certain size, it is impossible for the generals to lead the troops themselves. Even the standard soldiers and personal soldiers have to be led by their trusted ones.

Cen Danchu's heart skipped a beat. He was the one who promoted He Guoju, and he felt reluctant to let the coach go.

On second thought, the Duke was a rough but meticulous man, and he must have done it on purpose. The Central Army usually did not have combat troops under its command, but the Dubiao Central Army had made an exception by adding an artillery unit and a musket unit. The Duke was still not satisfied and wanted to add another cavalry unit.

He Guoju was promoted to captain based on his merits, but there was no position for Zuo Xie. Tan Chu originally wanted to add a boy troop to the central army, but the rumor of "yin-jie juvenile" made the boy troop plan come to nothing.

In front of all the generals, Danchu expressed his opinion on the spot, saying: "Marshal Jue is wise, He Guoju has made great contributions and deserves a reward. Marshal Jue has specially appointed the captain of the central cavalry army, and the position is vacant. He Guoju will definitely repay the favor and serve Marshal Jue wholeheartedly.

"I will go back tonight and find He Guoju and tell him the good news. Tomorrow, I will have him take a sentry from his unit and report to the central army."

Jiao Ke, the commander of the Right Brigade, understood and said, "The Right Brigade will also send a detachment of soldiers to the Central Army Cavalry."

Jiao Lian was very satisfied and said with a smile: "Very good. However, there is no need to rush. Let's take down Pingle and then formally establish the cavalry team."

After the banquet, Danchu found He Guoju and told him about the cavalry team, and then said:
"Congratulations, Juzi. The captain is the chief officer of a team. He is the specific executor of military orders and the specific manager of soldiers. It is an important position and very challenging. The commander appreciates you very much and specially promoted you to the center army. You must repay the favor, work hard, and be loyal to the commander."

He Guoju was somewhat surprised, somewhat delighted, and somewhat resistant. After careful consideration, he said, "Xietai, you promoted me, and I am familiar with the brothers of Zuo Xie. If I want to be promoted, I should be promoted within Zuo Xie.

"The Central Army is arrogant and has foreign soldiers. There are all kinds of monsters in it. They surround Marshal Jue every day, so there are few opportunities to go to the battlefield and make merit. Xietai, I'll be honest with you. I would rather be a sentry leader in the Left Army than a captain in the Central Army."

Danchu was secretly happy in his heart, but he scolded him: "Foolish! A good man has ambitions to go far and wide, how can he be depressed and be inferior to others for a long time? No matter where you are, we are good brothers. You are in the central army, and you are valued by the commander. I have eyes and ears around the commander. Do you understand the reason?"

He Guoju suddenly realized and said, "Xietai, I understand."

During the new book period, we sincerely invite readers to read and give valuable suggestions

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(End of this chapter)