The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 2 Strategy to break the situation
Upon hearing these familiar lines, Jiang Han's alarm bells immediately went off. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked:

"May I ask, sir, where is Commander Wang? Why haven't we seen him?"

The clerk glanced at Jiang Han with some surprise, then said calmly:

"Wang Jun has gone out of the camp to purchase grain for everyone, following General Wu's orders."

"The rations will be distributed as early as tonight, or at the latest tomorrow morning."

The soldiers, upon hearing this, had no doubts and all showed joy.

Immediately, they all knelt down in unison, kowtowing and shouting towards the direction of the main tent:

"General Wu loves his soldiers like his own children! May his descendants be honored for generations to come!"

Seeing this, the clerk nodded in satisfaction and continued:
"Now that everything is alright, everyone return to your camps. Remember! No wandering around! No leaving the camp!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, their faces beaming with smiles. They put away their weapons and returned to the rear camp in high spirits.

"Great! Once the paychecks come in, I can finally give my mother an explanation when I get home!" A young soldier exclaimed excitedly, his eyes filled with a long-lost sense of relief.

“Yes, New Year’s Day is almost here. I’ll go back and get some cloth for my wife and kids, make them a couple of new clothes, and buy some food so we can have a lively New Year!” A middle-aged soldier chimed in, his face showing his longing for family reunion.

The soldiers chatted idly in twos and threes, their faces beaming with joy.

But when Jiang Han looked at the group of jubilant soldiers in front of him, he felt his hands and feet turn cold and his heart turn chilled.

This isn't about paying wages; it's clearly taking advantage of these soldiers' lack of education and knowledge of the Jizhou Mutiny!

Jiang Han's face was gloomy, and his fists clenched unconsciously.

At this moment, Dong Erzhu, who was standing to the side, noticed Jiang Han and asked with a smile:

"Second Brother Han, what are you thinking about? Once we get our paychecks, let's go back and fix up the old house, and find a wife!"

Jiang Han's heart sank as he looked at Dong Erzhu's jubilant expression. Just as he was about to explain, he caught a glimpse of a sinister gaze out of the corner of his eye.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that the clerk was staring at him with narrowed eyes, perhaps because he had asked about the whereabouts of Commander Wang earlier, which had aroused his suspicion.

It seems even Commander Wang is in trouble himself! What a vicious tactic!

Jiang Han relaxed his brows and smiled, feigning ease:
"Yes, once the paychecks are paid, we'll go back and find a wife!"

After saying that, he put his arm around Dong Erzhu's shoulder and walked towards the rear camp with a smile.

The clerk watched this scene from afar, and his tense expression relaxed. He nodded.

It seems he was being paranoid. These stinking soldiers from the Loess Plateau can barely read a few words, how could they possibly know the old stories of Jizhou hidden in the dusty archives?
Jiang Han returned to his tent and sat silently in a corner, his face gloomy, pondering how to break the deadlock.

Nearby, Dong Erzhu and several soldiers were gathered around the campfire, excitedly discussing the use of the pay and dreaming of a better future.

Building houses, getting married, buying new clothes for children—everyone was immersed in wonderful dreams.

Seeing Jiang Han's gloomy face and thoughtful expression, the others leaned over and teased him:

"Commander, why are you so sullen when it's time to pay wages? Don't tell me you have too much money and want to go to the Embroidery Spring Pavilion?"

Jiang Han looked up at them and forced a smile.

These soldiers were all from the same hometown and had a good relationship with him. Although they were superiors and subordinates, they were more like brothers.

After much hesitation, Jiang Han decided to explain the situation to them:
"Brothers, this matter of paying wages is probably not so simple."

The men were taken aback and exchanged bewildered glances. One of them, a dark-skinned soldier, frowned and asked:

"Commander, what do you mean? Didn't you say that General Wu used his personal wealth to pay us in an emergency?"

Jiang Han shook his head and sneered, "Do you know about the Jizhou mutiny?"

The group looked blank, clearly unaware of this event from the Wanli era.

Jiang Han was not surprised. He slowly recounted the story of the Jizhou mutiny from beginning to end, his tone growing colder and colder.

In closing, he said in a deep voice:

"What happened today is exactly the same as back then; this so-called pay tomorrow is probably a scam!"

He glanced at the group and continued:

"They even specifically instructed us not to wear armor. Isn't that because they're afraid we'll resist? They clearly want to wipe us out in one fell swoop!"

Jiang Han paused for a moment, then continued his analysis: "Also, we watched as Commander Wang walked into the central army camp, but when he came out to report, it was just a clerk who said that Commander Wang had been ordered to buy grain."

"With so many eyes watching, has anyone seen Commander Wang leave the camp?"

"I reckon even Commander Wang is in dire straits himself right now!"

The tent fell silent instantly. The joy on their faces faded, replaced by deep fear and unease.

Dong Erzhu was the first to react and asked in a low voice:

"Second Brother Han, what should we do now? How about... we escape under the cover of night?"

Jiang Han nodded, his expression slightly grim. He stood up, opened the tent flap, and prepared to go out and check the situation.

After taking only a few steps, a harsh shout came from afar:

"What are you doing? Get back here!"

Jiang Han looked in the direction of the sound and saw an armored soldier holding a spear standing not far away, watching him warily.

Jiang Han forced a smile, cupped his hands, and said:

"Brother, I need to pee, I need to go outside to take care of this, please do me a favor."

The armored soldier snorted coldly, raised his spear, pointed it directly at Jiang Han, and roared without any politeness:
"No! The General has ordered that no one is allowed to go out without permission! Even if I have to pee, I have to pee in my tent!"

Seeing this, Jiang Han had no choice but to cup his hands in a gesture of respect, turn around, and retreat back into his tent.

“No, martial law is in effect, we can’t get out now.” Jiang Han looked at the people inside the tent and shook his head.

At this moment, the dark-skinned soldier suddenly stood up, grabbed the steel knife from the ground, and gritted his teeth:
"Boss Qi, why don't we fight them? We can't just sit here and wait to die!"

Jiang Han quickly pressed him down and said in a deep voice:

"No! Hei Zi, there are only a few of us right now. If we act rashly, we definitely won't win!"

His gaze sharpened as he continued, "We need to come up with a foolproof plan to get the message out!"

Jiang Han slowly sat down, held his breath, and seriously considered how to break the deadlock.

Seeing this, the group didn't dare to breathe loudly and could only wait patiently, but they still couldn't help pacing back and forth around the campfire, their faces full of anxiety.

After a moment, Jiang Han finally raised his head, his tone urgent:

"Listen to me, do you have any money left? Give it all to me!"

The group was taken aback, clearly not quite understanding. Hei Zi couldn't help but ask:
"Boss Qi, what do you need the money for?"

Jiang Han's face darkened, and he said in a low voice:

"Stop talking nonsense! If you have money, hand it over to me now. I'm going to town to buy some things!"

Seeing this, the men dared not delay and took out some loose silver coins from various corners of their bodies and handed them over.

Jiang Han took the silver and lowered his voice:

"I plan to go to the city to buy some grain, and when I come back I'll say that the grain has been distributed. I'll take this opportunity to gather everyone together so that we can get the news out."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately realized what was going on and hurriedly pulled out some loose silver and copper coins from their clothes, fearing that Jiang Han might not have enough money.

In a life-or-death situation, there is no room for hesitation.

At this moment, Dong Erzhu frowned and asked:

"Second Brother Han, how do you plan to leave the camp? The guards are keeping a close watch!"

"Judging from that situation just now, I'm afraid even a bird wouldn't be able to fly out!"

Jiang Han's face darkened. He stomped his foot hard, pulled up his trouser leg to reveal his muscular calves, and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Pillar, give me a cut!"

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(End of this chapter)