The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 149 Assassination (I)

After the Spring Festival, the weather finally began to warm up, and roads connecting Kaiyuan to surrounding areas gradually reopened. During the first month of the lunar year, refugees poured into Kaiyuan every day, many of whom came from Tieling, Baishan, and other places.

When Huang Taiji retreated, he led his troops to plunder northward along Shenyang, and finally reached the city of Kaiyuan.

The Liao people suffered horrifically once again as the Later Jin army passed through their territory. Many families had their money and food robbed, their houses burned, and they froze and starved to death in the winter. The surviving refugees had no choice but to sell their land at low prices in exchange for some food to survive until spring. In this process, they were exploited by their employers and loan sharks.

So when they learned that Kaiyuan was recruiting soldiers (providing them with food and land), the refugees who had not yet starved to death flocked to Kaiyuan, hoping to live a good life there.

Years ago, Ping Liaohou was mainly busy fighting with Yuan Yingtai, Zhang Quan and others, and the task of dividing the land was handed over to Qiao Yiqi, Sun Chuanting and others. Several newly occupied cities in Liaodong were busy recruiting refugees and dividing land for them. Qi Jin and Ma Shiying were responsible for recruiting and training refugees in Kaiyuan.

On the 14th day of the first lunar month, the north gate of Kaiyuan was opened.

Several large pots were set up in the open space in front of the moat, with bonfires blazing. Thick rice porridge bubbling inside. A large group of hungry refugees gathered around them, many craning their necks to peer into the cauldrons, drooling.

Qi Jin and the four captains of the combat battalion selected the refugees, and more than 30 combat soldiers stood around them to maintain order.

Ma Shiying's performance while accompanying Yuan Chonghuan to stay in Kaiyuan was remarkable, as he was efficient in government affairs and impressed Liu Zhaosun.

Ping Liaohou realized that it was a waste of talent to let this person do military missionary work and talk nonsense, so Ma Shiying was transferred to assist Kang Yingqian in sharing civil affairs and cultivated as his confidant.

Yuan Chonghuan's servant Sen Ti, because of his intelligence and courage, took over Ma Shiying's position and became the chief instructor of Kaiyuan.

"You bunch of losers, you're so lucky! You've accumulated so much good fortune to have met General Liu, to be in the Kaiyuan Camp, to fight under General Liu! You're well fed and warmly clothed, and you get two taels of silver every month. Where else can you find such a good thing?"

Sen Ti spoke with a strong Dongguan accent, leaving the Liao people confused.

Although Dongguan people are trying hard to learn Liaodong dialect these days, there is still a certain gap in their accent compared to their Northeastern friends.

He was full of energy and gestured a lot before he finally made his words clear.

Qi Jin, who was recruiting new soldiers nearby, glanced at Dongguanzi and shook his head in astonishment.

This man was dark and thin, and could not even speak Mandarin clearly. According to the descriptions in "Records of Military Training" and "New Book of Effectiveness", he was not suitable to be a training officer.

However, General Liu felt that Dongguan people were full of energy, jumping around with passion, and dancing like Nahdaler every time they gave a speech. As for the accent problem, it would just take a few more practices.

All the refugees looked at the big pot eagerly. Before the instructor finished speaking, they rushed to the pot to distribute porridge. Qi Jin sent soldiers to wave wooden sticks to drive away the disorderly refugees.

Senti's inner world suddenly exploded, and he climbed onto a carriage:
"Don't rush, don't rush! Line up and go to General Qi for inspection first. Only those who are selected can eat the porridge! Do you think General Liu's money is all blown away by the wind?"

Qi Jin led four captains and sat in front of the iron pot, surrounded by a group of soldiers. He said to the captains according to the selection standards of the Qi Family Army:

"Qi Shaobao once said that the most important thing in the military is to select soldiers. Ping Liaohou has entrusted us with the important task of selecting soldiers, so we must keep a close eye on it and not recruit any soldiers who are lazy or cowards!"

"You must abide by the following rules!"

"First, we can't choose those who are slick in the city. We want soldiers from the countryside! Unless they are canal trackers or miners!"

"Second, do not choose evil people. If you look at their eyes and see any uncertain expressions, do not choose them."

"Third, give priority to honest people from the countryside. Observe their middle and index fingers to see if they have calluses."

"Fourth, those with large bodies may not necessarily be courageous. Soldiers without courage are useless no matter how strong they are. They don't necessarily need to be selected."

"Finally, those with families don't want any of them."

Unlike Liu Zhaosun, Qi Jin, a professional soldier, was intolerant of any flaws and did not tolerate any personal feelings when selecting soldiers. Those who were suitable were retained, and those who were not were eliminated.

Under the strict selection of Qi Jin and others, most of the more than 10,000 refugees were eliminated, and in the end only 2,000 people were selected.

Fortunately, there was a steady stream of refugees pouring into Kaiyuan.

While Qi Jin was selecting soldiers, Pei Dahu, deputy commander of the Central Army Guard, was also working tirelessly to replenish his ranks. By the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the sixty-man quota for the Central Army Guard had been gradually filled, and Ping Liaohou's guards had finally regained their fighting strength. In addition to the veterans, several Zhejiang spearmen and white-pole soldiers were also selected, along with two Liaodong warriors and a Tieling hunter.

After the corruption incident at the Tieling War Barracks, Ping Liao Hou placed even greater value on this most loyal guard unit. All guards received double the monthly salary of combat soldiers, and had more opportunities for promotion.

Pei Dahu will conduct regular assessments. Those who pass the assessment can be promoted to officers in the combat camp, or they can choose to continue to stay beside Ping Liaohou as a guard.

The guards were required to abide by Kaiyuan Army regulations and only appear to the public as combatants. General Liu planned to continuously expand the Central Army Guard, eventually expanding it to around 300 men.

The Central Army Guard will serve as the main source of officers for the Kaiyuan Combat Barracks, used to control Liu Zhaosun's most core direct lineage, thereby balancing any centrifugal forces that may emerge in the Kaiyuan system.

Of course, for now, the Central Army Guard is just a pure escort force.

The Central Army Guards rotated in three shifts daily, guarding the General's Mansion. When Ping Liaohou was away, one group stayed behind, while the remaining forty escorted him, ensuring safety both inside and outside. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the Lantern Festival.

Ping Liaohou held a family banquet at the General's Mansion to entertain all the guards. In the past period of time, thanks to the protection of these guards, Liu Zhaosun was able to escape danger and avoid several thrilling assassinations...
Jin Yuji and Pei Dahu, as the captain and deputy captain of the central army guard, first toasted Ping Liaohou. Ping Liaohou smiled at them and drank the wine.

Then he stood up, holding a wine jug, and toasted the guards one by one. Recently, the guards had expanded to 80 people, and he didn't recognize some of the new faces. So every time he raised the wine glass, Liu Zhaosun would carefully ask the guards' names, ages, hometowns and family situations. Because he was afraid of not being able to remember them, he just wrote them down in an account book.

These guards came from all over the Ming Dynasty, both in the north and the south, including Huguang, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and northern Zhili, and even a Mongolian.

General Liu stood up and toasted the guards one by one, patted them on the shoulders and encouraged them, saying that Kaiyuan had a bright future and as long as they were loyal to their duties, they would have everything in the future.

Before I knew it, I walked in front of a tall guard.

Ping Liaohou stopped and poured a glass of wine for the tall man. The guard took it with both hands, his hands trembling with excitement.

"Are you a subordinate of General Qi?"

I vaguely remember this Zhejiang soldier with a spear. In the bloody battle of Hunhe, the Zhejiang soldiers suffered heavy casualties, with only one in ten surviving. The last thousand or so survivors joined forces with the Kaiyuan soldiers and finally completely defeated the two red flags.

During the decisive battle with the Later Jin army that day, Ping Liaohou was deeply impressed by this Zhejiang soldier's spearman.

This person was extremely tall and had a very sturdy build, even taller than himself. In this era, he was a true giant.

"Lord Liu, I am Lin Yu, a captain under General Qi."

Liu Zhaosun smiled and said:
"How old is this year?"

Lin Yu was very frugal with words and said:
"nineteen."

Liu Zhaosun felt that the guard was very calm and didn't talk much, and was a good candidate for an officer. He turned and looked at Pei Dahu.

Pei Dahu hurried forward, glared at Lin Yu, leaned close to Ping Liaohou's ear, and said in a low voice:

"Sir, this guy is quiet, don't argue with him. In the bloody battle at Hunhe, all the members of his assassin team died. This guy was lucky enough to kill two Bayalas and escape unscathed. When he heard that you were recruiting guards, he signed up and defeated five people. I chose him to join."

Ping Liaohou nodded after hearing this, looked at Lin Yu with a smile, and encouraged him:
"Excellent! The bloody battle at Hunhe was so brutal, yet you managed to escape unscathed. You seem like a lucky general. Tomorrow I will go to Kuandian, and you will accompany me as a guard. If you perform well, I will promote you to sergeant!"

After hearing this, Lin Yu nodded casually and saluted.

Pei Dahu was so angry that he wanted to jump up and slap him on the forehead.

It should be noted that the sergeant of the Central Guard has a very high status, and there are only five of them. He is equivalent to the flag captain of the combat battalion. If he goes out to serve in the combat battalion in the future, he will have to start at least as a deputy captain.

Seeing his character, Ping Liaohou didn't care and continued drinking with other guards.

After a round of drinking, he was already drunk.

Fortunately, today was the Lantern Festival, so getting drunk was fine. As the alcohol wore off, Jin Yuji and Yang Qing'er supported their husbands as they slept in their clothes, sleeping until noon the next day.

The next day was the 16th day of the first lunar month, and the road between Kaiyuan and Kuandian was finally reopened to traffic.

Ping Liaohou gathered his men early, bringing with him forty guards including Pei Dahu, Wu Xiao, Lin Yu, and also called Yuan Chonghuan. After everyone made some preparations, they left the general's residence and headed towards the north gate.

At the North Gate parade ground, Qi Jin, Qin Jianxun and others have begun training new recruits. There are roars on the training ground. The new recruits are waving their spears, repeating two or three movements, one move after another, in a methodical manner. They no longer have the weak and destitute temperament of the refugees in the past.

"As expected of Qi Jiguang's direct descendant, you're much better at training soldiers than I am."

Ping Liaohou paused to watch for a moment, and was about to go up and offer some encouragement to the two officers when suddenly a horseman crossed the moat bridge and galloped towards them. The man was in a hurry, leaning against the horse's back, and appeared to be injured.

"Wu Xiaolin Yu,"

Liu Zhaosun pointed with his whip, and Wu Xiao and the other man quickly stepped forward to question them. The two men blocked the city gate, and Na Ye Bu Shou reined in his horse so hastily that he nearly fell off.

"Why are you so panicked? Even if you were a sentry, you couldn't charge into the city like this!"

Wu Xiao shouted loudly, and Ye Bushou looked anxious and cried out, "Two brothers, take me to see Shangguan! There's an emergency in Kuandian!"

Wu Xiao and Lin Yu looked at each other and were about to go back to report when Ping Liao Hou rode his horse towards them.

"What's the matter?"

That night, Bu Shou met General Liu and burst into tears, saying, "Marquis Ping Liao, Supervisor Qiao was assassinated in Kuandian!"

(End of this chapter)