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

Chapter 63 Cen Danchu Riding Alone to Repel the Tusi
On September 21, Cen Danchu led his troops out of the camp and, under the pretext of training, lined up their troops for drills eight miles south of Guni Pass.

Tan Mingke had already received the imperial edict and Danchu's private letter in advance, but he was still very nervous, fearing that Danchu would take the opportunity to cause trouble.

It is said that Cen Danchu is good at commanding his troops. He has veteran soldiers from northern Shaanxi, foreign soldiers, Yao people, and Dong people under his command, and his strength is not to be underestimated. On the other hand, the Tan clan's soldiers have been in a closed and remote mountain area for a long time. They are good at single-player melee, but if they really have to line up to fight, they are really no match for the Ming army.

At 9:00 pm, Danchu, wearing golden armor, rode his horse to the front of the Tusi camp, with only 20 cavalrymen behind him. He shouted at the camp gate: "General Qin, I have the emperor's order to discuss something with you. Please open the camp gate."

In the sunlight, the golden armor on Danchu's body shone brightly, and each piece of armor was shining with the sun's light. He was tall and straight, with a stern face and a focused expression. Although he was young, he had an unquestionable majesty.

Next to him was a Portuguese standard-bearer, carrying a large flag with the Chinese character "Cen" fluttering in the wind. Behind him were twenty cavalrymen, carefully selected from the entire camp, each of them tall and mighty, with bright armor, strong mounts and excellent weapons.

Qin Mingke stood on the watchtower and saw Danchu in high spirits. Looking back at the shabby-armored Tusi soldiers in his own army, he could not help but feel ashamed. He responded: "General Cen is an angel officer, why is he setting up a battle formation two miles away?"

Danchu laughed and asked, "General Qin, since you came to ask for an official post and to appeal for justice, why did you bring five hundred elite soldiers with you? Why did you approach the imperial garrison? I came here on the orders of the Emperor, and I only brought twenty cavalrymen with me, which is enough to show my sincerity."

Qin Mingke thought about it and felt that it made sense, so he ordered the camp gate to be opened and Dan Chu and others to enter the camp.

After meeting, both sides bowed to each other first.

The Tusi soldiers in the camp were quite afraid when they saw Cen Danchu wearing golden armor, the flag bearer with deep eyes and a prominent nose, and the twenty murderous cavalrymen. Tan Mingke was also suspicious, and after the greetings, he became a little awkward.

When Danchu saw this, he said, "General Qin, let our cavalry rest on the side. The two of us have important matters to discuss."

Tan Mingke's heart moved, and he said, "General Cen wants to talk alone?"

Danchu said generously: "This is a confidential matter, I can talk to you alone."

"The general is a straightforward person," Qin Mingke was touched and said, "Let's go inside the tent to talk. The weather is hot and humid, I'll have someone open the tent for ventilation."

It was late autumn, the weather was getting cooler, and it was not hot and humid. Tan Mingke did this to let Danchu's followers see the commander and ensure his safety.

It seems that this young chieftain is a thoughtful and reasonable person. Danchu is more confident, and as soon as he sits down, he speaks bluntly:
"Brother, you brought troops to Guni Pass this time, ostensibly to seek an official position, but in reality to appeal for justice, ostensibly to seek instructions, but in reality to demonstrate. This is a truly bad move."

The word "old man" eased Qin Mingke's hostility. But thinking of his father's unjust death, he was still indignant and said:
"He Tengjiao was incompetent in command and dispatch, which led to the defeat of Huguang. My father had followed He Tengjiao for many years and owed him tens of thousands of gold in military pay. He went to ask for pay, but He Tengjiao not only refused to give him pay, but secretly sent Long Wenguang to capture my father and mistakenly killed him in Quanzhou.

"Think about it, my father was loyal to the country, why did Teng Jiao fight for his life for so many years, but was killed by this murderer? If I can't get rid of the traitors for the country, wouldn't I be disloyal? If I don't redress the injustice for my father, wouldn't I be unfilial? If I am unfaithful and unfilial, I will live..."

The conversation went off topic, so Danchu interrupted him coldly and said, "Brother, you are wrong. The court is full of twists and turns, not to mention the battlefield. Brother, you are far away in Guangxi, and your father is in Huguang. How can you know the situation in Huguang? How do you know that there is no other hidden secret?

"He Dushi is of high status. He was appointed Dushi during the Hongguang period, and was in charge of military affairs in the four provinces of Henan, Chu, Sichuan, and Guizhou. During the Longwu period, he was conferred the title of Dingxing Earl. Since the current emperor ascended the throne, he has been very kind to Dushi He, and has conferred him the titles of Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace and Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

"Even if he was defeated in Huguang, he still had brave generals such as Ma Jinzhong, Hao Yongzhong and Zhao Yinxuan under his command. You are just a local chieftain in Guangxi, and you ran to the imperial court to ask the emperor to kill General He. If you were the emperor, would you listen to the chieftain or the general?" Tan Mingke remained silent, but he was very resentful in his heart.

Danchu continued, "Besides, the court has just moved here from Fengtian, and people's hearts are still unsettled. You brought troops here, how would the court officials feel? It is natural for the son to succeed the father as a chieftain. You petitioned for the title, but the court was reluctant to respond, just to force you to go back. Brother, if I were you, I would retreat to advance, and play hard to get!"

Tan Mingke became interested and asked, "What does it mean to retreat in order to advance and to play hard to get?"

Danchu looked around, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Qin Mingke understood and sent away the personal soldiers inside and outside the tent.

Danchu then said, "Brother, why don't you lead your troops back to Liuzhou first? The matter of enthroning the chieftain will be safe. Hou Xing has prepared the imperial boat, and the emperor will visit Liuzhou soon.

"Brother, you are the chieftain of Liuzhou, and you have a lot of support in the local area. When the emperor arrives in Liuzhou, you might as well take the opportunity to gather the locals, stir up grievances, and create momentum. At that time, the soldiers and civilians will complain together, and the people will be unsettled. The emperor will not ignore it. Even if you can't do anything to Commander He, it is more than enough to punish Long Guangming."

Qin Mingke thought about it for a long time and felt that this plan was reliable. However, Cen Danchu and he didn't know each other, so why would he help him come up with this plan?
Before he could ask, Danchu took the initiative to answer: "To be honest, this strategy is a retreat to advance and a strategy of playing hard to get for you. It is the same for me. I am under the order of Lord Qu to ask the emperor to return to Guilin.

"You can see without me saying anything that the emperor does not want to return to Guilin, but only wants to stay in Liuzhou for a while. The key to the current situation is in Guilin, not in Liuzhou. If the emperor stays in Liuzhou, it will be detrimental to the current situation.

"By then, my brother will make a scene in Liuzhou, and the emperor will not feel at ease. I will ask Lord Qu to submit a petition, and the emperor will not be able to stay in Liuzhou any longer, and will most likely return to Guilin."

Tan Mingke suddenly realized something and couldn't help but look at Cen Danchu with new eyes. He said, "Brother, you really have a supernatural plan."

Danchu struck while the iron was hot and gave him a big hat: "Brother, if you return to Liuzhou, you can get the chieftain's title, avenge your father, save the situation, and urge the emperor to return to Guilin. This is a good thing both publicly and privately."

"Good!" Tan Mingke was delighted and said, "Brother, I will listen to you."

The two men shook hands and talked happily. The more they talked, the more they got along. Their laughter spread throughout the camp. The soldiers of both armies finally felt at ease.

Cen Danchu and Tan Mingke swore an oath of blood, broke arrows as an oath, pledged not to invade each other, and agreed on terms.

On September 24, Tan Mingke retreated to Liuzhou.

The court was relieved, and the next day an imperial edict was issued to allow Tan Mingke to succeed as chieftain. Emperor Yongli was also very happy, and promoted Cen Danchu to the rank of general and set his official rank as the second grade military officer.

Danchu and his wife took the help of Empress Dowager Ma and were given the title of "General Guarding Yong'an". As a general, you can become an independent town! With the title of Guarding Yong'an, you can legitimately station troops in Yong'an Prefecture!

(End of this chapter)