The prince is more stable

Chapter 415: Killing and Beating

The Xiang Army was also part of the Song Dynasty army.

However, the Xiang army was recruited locally, and there was a big gap between them and the imperial guards in terms of combat power, training, troop quality, equipment and other aspects.

In Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes, the Xiang Army was roughly equivalent to local militia, an informal local armed force. In wartime, he should be able to help transport supplies, maintain public order, etc.

But if the coach sends them to the battlefield to kill the enemy or perform some important tasks, he will have to take certain risks.

There is no discrimination, but the Xiang Army rarely trains on a daily basis, has backward equipment, and has low morale. Many Xiang Army soldiers join with the mentality of just eating and waiting to die. Such an army may only be used by the commander-in-chief when the war is urgent and he has no choice.

To be honest, when Zhao Xiaoqian dispatched troops to fight against the Liao army, he had no intention of using the wing troops from the beginning to the end.

Especially after the officialdom of Zhending Prefecture was purged and many imperial guards were implicated, Zhao Xiaoqian became even more distrustful of the local wing troops.

When Zhao Xiaoqian heard that the two wing commanders were causing trouble in the camp, he was stunned.

"Have the soldiers under your command recently had conflicts with the local troops?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked the generals in the tent.

The generals shook their heads in confusion. If there had been a conflict, something would have happened long ago. If there had been friction between armies of different structures, it would have easily led to large-scale fighting, and in serious cases, even to mutiny. It was impossible for everything to be so calm.

His father's face involuntarily popped up in his mind, and Zhao Xiaoqian asked worriedly, "Can the moral character of the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Battalion be trusted? They won't sleep with the wives of the local soldiers, right?"

The generals were stunned, their expressions silent and uneasy.

Zhao Xiaoqian's heart sank. Could it be that he really fell asleep?
He couldn't help but feel uneasy in his heart. He tried to calm himself down, cast a glance at Zhong Jianzhong as if he was going to settle the score later, and then gave orders in a deep voice, asking the two wing commanders to enter the tent.

A moment later, amidst a commotion, two wing commanders stumbled in. After entering the tent, they did not even greet each other, but turned around and started cursing outside the tent.

Zhao Xiaoqian and the generals in the tent looked at them expressionlessly. After a long time, the two finally realized that the situation was not right. Looking back, they saw that the bosses were all looking at them quietly.

The two were startled and bowed hurriedly.

Zhao Xiaoqian tried hard to suppress his dissatisfaction. Before the matter was clarified, he was also worried that the soldiers of the Longwei Camp had done something wrong to the Xiang Army.

"Two generals, um..." Zhao Xiaoqian put on a smile and just started to speak, then froze. He leaned close to Zhong Jianzhong's ear and whispered, "What are the names of these two guys?"

Although Zhao Xiaoqian had been in office in Zhending Prefecture for so long, he had only met the two of them once on the day he entered the city. After a quick introduction, they said goodbye. Zhao Xiaoqian actually forgot their names for a moment.

The whisper was too loud, so the two wing commanders smiled bitterly and clasped their fists.

"I am Shao Jing, the commander of the Zhending Prefecture's wing army."

"I am Feng Sheng, the commander of the Zhending Prefecture's wing army."

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly realized: "Ah, I've heard a lot about you."

All the generals in the tent, including Shao Jing and Feng Sheng, were speechless.

You even forgot his name. Isn't the phrase "I've heard of you for a long time" a bit hypocritical?
Although the two were low-ranking generals, Zhao Xiaoqian still had to be polite to them.

What he was worried about now was that the soldiers of his Dragon Guard Battalion had caused some trouble, and now they had come to him to demand an explanation, so he couldn't help feeling guilty.

With a polite smile, Zhao Xiaoqian asked tentatively, "I wonder why the two generals suddenly arrived today because..."

Shao Jing is a little older, about forty years old, with an ordinary appearance but a strong build.

"Duke Zhao, why do you treat the wing troops as outsiders?" Shao Jing asked honestly.

Zhao Xiaoqian said cautiously, "...I already have a family. I can't treat you as my wife, right?"

Someone in the tent chuckled, which immediately broke the solemn atmosphere. Zhao Xiaoqian picked up a teacup on the table and threw it in the direction of the sound. There was a loud bang, which should have hit the iron helmet. He didn't know if he hit the wrong person.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the two of them with a pleasant expression: "You continue."

Shao Jing and Feng Sheng looked at each other and clasped their fists at the same time.

Shao Jing said, "Forgive me for being so presumptuous. This time, Duke Zhao launched a surprise attack on the Liao army, and he mobilized only the Dragon Guard Battalion from beginning to end, while not moving a single soldier from our wing troops. I would like to ask Duke Zhao why this is so."

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked: "You broke into the camp just for this?"

The two nodded, their eyes clear. Zhao Xiaoqian asked with a smile, "Anything else? For example...are there any problems with the marriage and family life of the soldiers under your command?"

"No." The two looked puzzled.

Zhao Xiaoqian finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the moral quality of the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp passed the test and they did not sleep with the woman.

Since he was not coming to demand an explanation, Zhao Xiaoqian's aura inexplicably became stronger.

Zhao Xiaoqian slammed the table and turned hostile.

"Damn it! How dare you break into the camp for no reason? Who gave you the courage! As the commander-in-chief, don't you know the military law? What crime should a general be punished for breaking into the camp without reason?" Zhao Xiaoqian shouted sternly.

The two were startled, their faces turned pale, and they fell to their knees.

The news that the Dragon Guard Battalion had completely wiped out 10,000 Liao troops spread throughout the city, and naturally also reached the Xiang army.

The two wing commanders were immediately upset. Such a great opportunity to make merit was taken by the Dragon Guard Battalion for nothing, and their wing troops didn't get a single cent.

The two angry men didn't think too much about it. They rode their horses to the camp and started making trouble without saying a word. They beat and scolded the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp and demanded to see the Duke of Zhao.

In addition to venting their emotions, the motive for causing trouble was also a mentality of "the crying child gets the milk". Once things got out of hand, Duke Zhao would have an impression of them, and if there was a war next time, even a small task would be handed over to the wing army.

They actually forgot for a moment that it was a big taboo in the army for a general to break into the camp, and this matter could be a big deal or a small one.

If you meet a more magnanimous coach, you can just scold him a few words and let it go.

If you encounter a coach who is too picky, he will be severely punished.

The Song Dynasty had particularly strict controls on military generals. If a general entered the camp hall without orders, his future would basically be ruined, or at least he would be dismissed and exiled.

Lin Chong in "Water Margin", the instructor of the 800,000 imperial guards, was exiled thousands of miles away because he was framed by Gao Qiu and mistakenly entered the White Tiger Hall.

Now Shao Jing and Feng Sheng have made almost the same mistakes as Lin Chong.

Fatal mistake.

The life and death of the two people at this moment depends on Zhao Xiaoqian's thoughts.

"I admit my guilt!" The two men knelt down and said in fear.

"You are not allowed to enter the camp without the general's order. Not only did you force your way in, you also beat and scolded the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp, deliberately provoking trouble. Do you really think that military law and discipline do not exist in my camp?" Zhao Xiaoqian said in a cold tone.

"I was impulsive at the moment, please forgive me, Lord." The two men's momentum had been shattered at this moment, and they were frightened.

Seeing the two men's sincere attitude, Zhao Xiaoqian's expression finally eased a little.

After all, the local wing troops were also soldiers under his command, and Zhao Xiaoqian could not be too serious with them. Zong Ze was still reorganizing the 10,000 imperial guards. If he really punished the two of them now, the morale of the wing troops would be shaken again. There was no need to cause trouble for himself.

"You guys made the mistake. If I pretended not to see it, I wouldn't be able to explain it to the soldiers. If everyone follows your example, how can I still be the commander?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said slowly, "Take him away and punish him with sixty military sticks, which can be completed in three installments."

"Shao Jing, Feng Sheng, do you accept my treatment?"

The two men kowtowed with tears of gratitude: "We are deeply convinced. Thank you, Lord Zhao, for your magnanimity!"

Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand, and the two were led out of the tent by the imperial guards. Not long after, screams like pigs being slaughtered were heard from outside the tent.

The generals of the Dragon Guard Camp in the tent were silent as a cicada, not daring to say a word.

Zhong Jianzhong whispered, "My Lord, I don't know the details of these two people, but now is the time to deal with the Liao army. My Lord is punishing them with military sticks because..."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled faintly: "First, let's test their tempers and then see if they can be used. The two of them have 40,000 soldiers under their command. If they are trained and equipped with new weapons and armor, they may become an elite force."

(End of this chapter)