The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 135 Test
Three days later, the Kaiyuan army arrived in Tieling.

Tieling is the closest to Kaiyuan, and there are two flag teams of soldiers stationed here, totaling 218 people.

The commander-in-chief was the captain of the Zhejiang Army Flag, who was promoted after the bloody battle of Kaiyuan. His name was Tao Guobin. He was an old soldier from the Sarhu war and had a life-and-death friendship with Liu Zhaosun.

The main force of the Kaiyuan Army marched south from Tieling, making feints to the east and attacks to the west while concealing the truth, and wandered around Liaodong by the nose of the Bordered Blue Banner and the Plain White Banner.

With a brilliant operation, the troops of the Bordered Blue Banner and the Plain White Banner were attracted to the direction of Shenyang and Hetuala. Tieling, which was originally going to be the focus of the attack, remained peaceful and calm.

After Huang Taiji retreated, part of the Tieling garrison was transferred to garrison the newly occupied city and participate in the enclosure movement. Now there are more than 200 guards in the city.

The army rested in the city wall that day and did not enter the main city.

Tao Guobin and a civil servant named Qian went out of Qingyun Gate (South Gate) to welcome the triumphant army.

Liu Zhaosun rode his horse in front, followed by Kang Yingqian and others.

This was his second time stepping into Tieling City, and his mentality was completely different from the last time.

During the last raid on Tieling, Liu Zhaosun was only a short-term occupier and was ready to retreat at any time. When he came again, he had become the master of several cities.

When the defending army saw the Marquis of Ping Liao returning in triumph, they shouted "Victory!"

Liu Zhaosun rode on his horse, waving to the soldiers on both sides. Most of the soldiers stationed in Tieling were boatmen, all trained by him and Deng Changxiong personally, and they were considered his direct subordinates.

Under the escort of the central army guards, with Captain Tao and Liyuan Qian leading the way, and Lin Yu and Wu Xiao guarding on both sides, everyone slowly entered the Qingyun Gate.

There are many corner towers, the city walls are high and the moat is deep, and both sides of the city walls are covered with bricks.

In Liu Zhaosun's opinion, Tieling's overall momentum is more majestic than Kaiyuan, and its city defense is also more solid.

Like Kaiyuan, Tieling was also primarily a commercial city. Before Nurhaci launched his rebellion, it was the largest horse market in Liaodong.

During the Jiajing period, Tieling was relatively small, with a perimeter of 4.60 li (approximately 150 meters) and a height of 20 feet. The pond was 15 feet deep and 30 feet wide. The four gates were: Fuyi in the east, Cheng'en in the west, Qingyun in the south, and Weiyuan in the north.

There are only four corner towers.

In the middle of the Wanli reign, Li Chengliang spent a huge amount of money to strengthen the wall to resist the invasion of the Mongols and Jurchens. He built an outer city outside the wall, added eight corner towers, and repaired the Sheep and Horse Wall and the War Horse Slope.

Since then, Tieling has become one of the most fortified cities in Liaodong.

Normally, a strong city like this would have been enough to keep the Jiannu out. However, due to the conspiracy of an internal traitor, historically, the city was captured by the Later Jin in less than half a day.

“All failures originate from within.”

Liu Zhaosun muttered to himself.

Thinking of the day when Tieling was captured in just half an hour, I couldn't help but laugh.

Kang Yingqian and others followed behind, while Jin Yuji sat in the carriage and slowly entered the city with the large group of people.

Entering Qingyun Gate, Liu Zhaosun dismounted and walked, handing the reins to Wu Xiao. According to Kaiyuan military law, horses were not allowed to ride in the inner city without reason, unless they were carrying a message.

"General Kang, dismount!"

Kang Yingqian muttered something and dismounted on foot. Old Kang was the Liaodong Provincial Governor, theoretically responsible for supervising all civil officials in Liaodong, and his rank was equal to that of the Liaodong Governor.

In the Kaiyuan system, Kang Yingqian is now recognized as the third in command - Liu Zhaosun does not allow the existence of a second in command in the army.

As an official becomes more powerful, he or she will naturally become more arrogant, especially one like Kang Yingqian who is superstitious about power.

He doesn't care about anyone except Ping Liaohou.

"General Liu, Tieling is the most prosperous place in Liaozhong. There are countless brothels and gambling houses in the city, just as many as in Liaoshen and Shenyang. That scoundrel Ding Bi makes a large portion of his income from this. For the sake of General Liu and the suffering people of Liaodong, the brothel and gambling industry in Tieling must be taken over as soon as possible... Well, I'll take the risk and go inspect the brothels first. I'll then make detailed plans with General Liu when we return to Kaiyuan."

The fact that Supervisor Kang could describe visiting a brothel in such a refreshing and righteous way shows how shameless he is.

This is no wonder. Kang Yingqian has been concentrating on fighting these days, and the King Kong Powder has been useless. Now that he has returned triumphantly, it is a good opportunity for him to explore the flowers and understand the people's sentiments.

As Kang Yingqian spoke, he took out a vase of colorful things from his sleeve, avoided Qiao Yiqi and others, and walked straight to Liu Zhaosun, whispering:
"Marquis Ping Liao, would you like to come with me and experience it for yourself? The women of Liaodong are different from those in Jiangnan. They have a unique..."

Ping Liaohou glanced at Lao Kang's gray beard and shook his head with a smile:

"General Kang is still as sharp as ever, and I admire you. However, I still have a tigress to deal with at home, so I won't accompany you. You have to hurry up, because tomorrow I will go to Tieling to distribute land to the people. Also, the brothel will be banned soon."

As the territory gradually expanded, some problems that had never been considered before began to emerge, such as brothels and gambling houses.

Although these things have their rationale for existence in this era, and there would be many obstacles to their rash abolition, Liu Zhaosun's character would not allow him to keep anything he considered a cancer. He planned to ask Xie Yang and Song Yingxing to carry out reforms after returning to Kaiyuan and ban brothels and gambling houses in Liaodong.

"Ban brothels? Why? What are we fighting so hard for?"

Liu Zhaosun said sternly: "The great cause has not yet been accomplished, so we must not slack off!"

Kang Yingqian shook his head and sighed, his face full of regret.

"General Liu considers himself a saint, but you can't force others to be like you. Otherwise, chaos will break out sooner or later!"

"Giving land to the peasants is indeed a good thing, and it can win people's hearts. The Liao people all remember General Liu's kindness. But why should brothels be banned? Oh... what a pity! What a pity that one of life's greatest joys is gone!"

Liu Zhaosun was silent.

~~~~~~~
South of Tieling, Dadianzi Town.

Liu Zhaosun reined in his horse and stood on a fallow field. The black soil under his feet was frozen as hard as iron. The crops in the field had been harvested, and some withered straw remained between the ridges.

All the guards of the Central Army and 300 soldiers of the 1,000th headquarters stood quietly under the banner of Marquis Ping Liao. Kang Yingqian, Ma Shiying, Deng Changxiong and others were talking in low voices.

Across a narrow ridge of field, the Kaiyuan army faced a huge crowd of people, numbering thousands.

At the head of the group was a stout man who resembled a student, dressed in unusual attire. He was flanked by dozens of servants, all of them built with broad shoulders and strong build, stronger than the Tartar soldiers in white armor. Behind them followed a large group of local tenant farmers. The servants wielded long swords and clubs, while some carried bows and arrows. The tenant farmers were all dressed in rags, many without pants, and shivered with cold, looking like beggars. A few wielded clubs and hoes, while many more carried hoes and shoulder poles, following the student's servants in a clamoring frenzy.

Liu Zhaosun glanced at the opposite side impatiently, then turned to Sen Ti and said:

"Have you reached an agreement?"

Sen Ti shook his head, suppressing his anger. "General Liu, this bastard refuses to recognize our land deeds and doesn't want the silver. He insists that the land deeds were stolen and don't count. He wants Ding Bi to come out and speak in person. He wants Ding Bi to transfer the land to us in front of the eighteen families before they are willing to hand over the land. In addition, they say that one tael of silver per mu of land is too little compensation. We should give them at least fifteen taels..."

"Hahaha! Fifteen taels? Why not one hundred and fifty taels?"

Liu Zhaosun laughed twice, subconsciously pressed down the brim of his hat, and prepared for battle.

"Ding Bi was chopped to pieces by the Liao people. Tell these local tycoons that my patience is limited. People all over Liaodong are waiting for land to be divided. Give them a stick of incense to think about it. Either take the silver and leave, or be buried with Ding Bi!"

After the Kaiyuan army entered Tieling, Ma Shiying and Xie Yang worked tirelessly to clear the fields. They took the land deeds seized from Ding Bi's mansion and went to various garrisons to collect fields.

All the land under the name of Lieutenant General Ding has been sublet. Needless to say, the tenants are all local wealthy families. After obtaining the land, these wealthy families immediately sublet it to nearby tenants at high prices.

To protect the interests of these wealthy families, the Marquis of Ping Liao offered them an unprecedented compensation of three taels per mu of land, which he considered to be the most benevolent. However, these people not only refused to appreciate the offer, but seeing the chaos in Liaodong, they decided to seize the land and, relying on their numbers, beat up the people sent by the Civil Affairs Bureau to clear the land.

There are eighteen local tyrants and evil gentry who occupied land and attacked people. They think they are the local tyrants, have been operating in Tieling for a long time, and have complex connections with western Liaoning and the capital. Even the governor has to give them some face. Now that Ding Bi is dead and there is no evidence, they are not afraid of the Kaiyuan army coming to cause trouble...
The crowd was noisy, like the buzzing of a swarm of bees flying from afar, which made people feel upset.

Before Liu Zhaosun could say anything, someone had already thrown stones at him.

The soldiers, holding spears and muskets, stared at the mob in front of them with eager eyes, waiting for Ping Liaohou to give the order to attack.

"God damned southern barbarians, those starving southern soldiers, they came to Liaodong to wreak havoc on us Liao people. Don't think you can stay put just because you beat the Tartars!"

"Go back! Go back!"

Deng Changxiong led the spearmen to form a line, with the sharp blades pointing diagonally forward.

The fat student came to the front surrounded by servants.

The fat man wore a purple brocade cotton robe, an eight-petal hat inlaid with oriental pearls, and held a string of patinated Buddhist beads in his hand. He walked with a square step like a fortune teller. He looked at Ma Shiying and others with a smile, as if he had everything under control. "Is this Mr. Ma?"

Ma Shiying was about to reply, but he saw the fat man slightly bowed and said in a bad tone:

"You are a juren, and so is Guo. As juren, you should understand the truth. Paying rent from your crops and repaying your debts are natural. Don't think you are the only ones with backers! The Imperial Censor and the Ministry of Revenue in the capital all have our people. You are bullying the weak and bullying men and women."

Mr. Guo paused for a moment, then suddenly used his ultimate move and said:

"Fuck you guys, are you soldiers or bandits?"

"We, the eighteen families of Tieling, are all interdependent. If we suffer together, we will suffer together. In the past, Commander Ding also gave us some face. Even if you are a powerful dragon, when you arrive in Tieling, you have to curl up for me..."

Liu Zhaosun didn't bother to look at the student any more, and pointed the command flag forward:
"I don't care if you have eighteen or seventeen families. You've forced the people to the point where they can't even wear pants. You've bullied men and women and are running rampant in the countryside, exploiting the people. And you still think you're right? Soldiers, listen to my orders! Anyone who dares to block the land distribution will be treated as a traitor! Kill them without mercy! Confiscate the land!"

When Mr. Guo was about to die, he waved his hands and cursed:
"Liu Zhaosun, you are not a rebel. The imperial court does not know your background, but we know it well. You are just a servant, a pig and a dog. You got lucky and gained power, but you caused public outrage in Liaodong. There are more people who want to deal with you than just the Eighteen Tieling..."

With a "puff" sound, the spear pierced into the fat body and came out from his back. Mr. Guo looked at the spear that pierced his body, then looked at Deng Changxiong standing in front of him, with an incredible expression on his face.

"You, you warrior..."

Deng Changxiong kicked the fat man away and blew the bamboo whistle. The long spear in the hands of the soldiers flashed with cold light and rushed towards the crowd opposite frantically...
~~~~~~
Three days later.

In the main hall of the Tieling Lieutenant General's Mansion, Liu Zhaosun held a cup of hot Biluochun in his hand, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, feeling refreshed.

"How strange! I thought this tea was bland and tasteless last time, but why is it so sweet today? Ugh, it's so refreshing!"

Kang Yingqian was holding a large stack of banknotes in front of his face, greedily smelling the stench of copper, and said with a smile:

"Haha, of course. With 80,000 to 90,000 mu of fertile land and so much money, even horse urine would be a fine wine, not to mention Biluochun!"

"You can drink if you want. I don't have that hobby."

Liu Zhaosun smiled and patted his old partner on the shoulder. Looking at the table full of banknotes and land deeds, a look of pride appeared on his face.

Kang Yingqian's eyes narrowed into lines:
"Marquis Ping Liao, the Jiannu army has been crippled. Huang Taiji will not be able to recover for a while. The imperial court can do nothing to us and can only pay the Liao tribute. I think it's time to take the next step!"

"I asked a fortune teller to look at your face. The face of Ping Liaohou is extremely noble..."

Hearing Lao Kang's tone, Liu Zhaosun knew he was going to cause trouble again. He thought for a moment:

"You mean, lead the army into the pass?"

Kang Yinggan laughed dumbly, but his face showed an expression of teachable child.

"Ahem, that's the next step. I think the enemy in Kaiyuan right now is..."

Before he could finish his words, hurried footsteps were suddenly heard at the door. When Liu Zhaosun looked up, he saw Pei Dahu and Zhang Dong running towards him in a hurry.

"Master Thirteen, something terrible has happened!"

~~~~~~
The next morning, Guangyu Street in Qingyunmen was bustling with people. Shops were filled with southern goods, sable furs, and ginseng, and vendors with accents from all over the country were shouting their wares.

Ping Liaohou, surrounded by Lin Yu, Wu Xiao and others, stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the bustling street scene before him, and said to Qian Liyuan and Tao Bazong:

"You two are both capable people. I fought bloody battles in Hunhe River and kept Tieling's trade going. Your contributions are not small!"

After hearing the compliment, the two of them even addressed him as part of their duty.

Tao Guobin didn't dare to look up. Clerk Qian said, "General Liu and Inspector Kang, please rest for a while. I have prepared the carriage and sedan chair."

A row of military sedan chairs with lion-draped curtains suddenly appeared at the gate of the courtyard.

Liu Zhaosun felt a burning pain as if his eyes had been stabbed. Clerk Qian remained oblivious and chuckled obsequiously beside him, "Marquis Ping Liao has come from Shenyang, and he's already busy dividing the land with barely a moment's leisure. He's toiled like a dragon, a ghost. Tonight, we'll host a banquet at Xiyue Tower to welcome Marquis Ping Liao and Inspector Kang!"

Liu Zhaosun said nothing. At this time, Wu Xiao stepped forward, looked at the two people in front of him coldly, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Ping Liaohou's face suddenly changed and he stormed out, leaving Qian Liyuan and Tao Guobin bewildered.

Kang Yingqian raised his hand and pointed at the two of them. He wanted to say something but didn't say it. He sighed and hurriedly followed them out.

Ping Liaohou walked in front angrily, and the guards followed him jogging with shields in their hands, panting from exhaustion.

Kang Yingqian also stepped forward, breathlessly saying, "It's all... the people below are ignorant. They also meant well."

Liu Zhaosun turned around suddenly and looked at Pei Dahu who was following him. "Have you checked everything? How much silver is left from the last seizure?"

That day, when Tieling was captured, one million taels of silver were found in the cellar of Lieutenant General Ding's residence. 800,000 taels of silver were transported back to Kaiyuan, and the rest remained in Tieling.

Pei Dahu said in a deep voice: "Lord Liu, the 100,000 taels of silver, which was said to be for the relief of refugees, are all gone."

"My soldiers will not be corrupt!"

Liu Zhaosun was furious and grabbed Pei Dahu. Kang Yingqian stepped forward to persuade him. Ping Liaohou closed his eyes and gasped for breath.
"Zhang Chao, Lin Yu, you two will lead the Central Army Guards. I will transfer three hundred soldiers from the 1,000th Headquarters to seal off the four gates. Pei Dahu, Wu Xiao, and Zhang Dong, the three of you will follow me to the cellar!"

Seeing that Ping Liaohou was furious, Pei Dahu and others did not dare to hesitate and immediately scattered to prepare.

~~~~~
Half an hour later, Ping Liaohou stood at the entrance of the cellar of the general's mansion, looking at the empty big box in front of him. The silver inside had long disappeared, and his eyes were full of anger.

The silver left behind to provide relief to the refugees, along with more than 200 flintlock pistols, all disappeared.

Captain Tao and Clerk Qian had already heard the news and knelt at the door of the cellar.

"Ping Liao Hou forgives the crime, and all the money will be used to help the refugees..."

Liu Zhaosun kicked him to the ground and waved to Zhang Dong. Zhang Mazi, with a sinister look on his face, came up to Fatty Qian, his sharp eyes sizing up his prey.

"You're about to die, and you still dare to lie! I asked the refugees, and besides cooking porridge twice, you didn't give me a single copper coin. Tell me, where did the silver go?"

Liu Zhaosun looked at Qian Liyuan indifferently, and an inexplicable feeling of powerlessness suddenly surged into the heart of the time traveler.

"How much did you embezzle?"

Qian Liyuan's mouth dropped open, having never expected Ping Liaohou to ask him such a question. While he was still hesitating, Wu Xiao had already drawn his sword and placed it on the fat man's neck.

"Marquis Ping Liao, this is unjust. I only took eight thousand taels, and the rest will be divided among..."

Chief Tao, who had remained silent the entire time, kowtowed to the ground with his head.

"I am guilty! I just wanted to make life better for my brothers and divide the silver."

Liu Zhaosun drew his sword, pointed at his old subordinate, and said angrily, "Tao Guobin, you are so brave!"

Tao Guobin burst into tears: "After the army left, the merchants in the city kept giving us silver and women, asking us to turn a blind eye and let them smuggle with the Jiannu... I was confused for a moment and thought that the silver could make up the difference. I have never seen so much silver, nor have I seen those women..."

Liu Zhaosun felt a fishy and sweet taste in his throat and almost vomited blood. Kang Yingqian and Wu Xiao hurried forward to support him.

"Yesterday, I was still fighting to the death with the eighteen wealthy families, thinking about dividing the land with you people. You, you, have only been away for two months, and you have fallen to this state! There are so many refugees in Liaodong, people are starving to death or freezing to death every day, waiting for me to save them! I bled in the front and almost died in the Hunhe River several times, and you are stabbing me in the heart like this! Tao Guobin, you have never seen silver or women!"

"You're still selling muskets to Huang Taiji! Why don't you give my head, Liu Zhaosun, to the Tartars? Come on, I'm Zha Zha Hui. If you're a brother, come and chop me up! Come on, chop me up!"

With a clang, Liu Zhaosun threw the goose-feather knife to the ground. His old injury under the ribs flared up, bleeding profusely and in unbearable pain. He covered his chest and gasped for breath, his mind blank, and his words were incoherent at the end.

Seeing this, Kang Yingqian quickly winked at Pei Dahu and said to Zhang Donglinyu and others:

"What are you all standing there for! Take them away and interrogate them thoroughly to find out where the silver and muskets went! Arrest everyone involved in this matter!"

Zhang Dong stepped forward and tried to tie up Tao Guobin with a rope. Liu Zhaosun said angrily:

"No need to tie him up! He used to be my servant and once blocked an arrow for me at Sarhu! He won't run away!"

(End of this chapter)