Huangming

Chapter 277 A Special Expedition Ordered, the Great War is About to Begin (Bonus Chapter for 800 Monthly Tickets!)
The echoes of the imperial edict still lingered in the hall. Xiong Tingbi wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, accepted the imperial edict from Wang Chengen with both hands, and knelt respectfully on the ground.

Wang Chengen stood aside, watching the generals in the hall with tears in their eyes from excitement, and hearing the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" coming from outside the courtyard, a gratified smile appeared on his lips.

He secretly calculated in his heart: His Majesty allocated 100,000 taels of silver to reward Liaodong this time. In addition, with the silk, grain, and land rewards, he spent hundreds of thousands of taels in total. Now it seems that all this silver was spent in vain.

These generals truly remember His Majesty's kindness.

Wang Chengen rubbed his fingers together, recalling His Majesty's instructions before his departure: Liaodong is bitterly cold, the soldiers are willing to risk their lives, and they must not be treated unfairly.

Only now do I truly understand its profound meaning.

With people like these who are willing to risk their lives for the imperial court, how could Liaodong not be stable?
We will surely win more battles in the future, which will bring more stability to Your Majesty's empire.

"Angel."

Xiong Tingbi had carefully put away the imperial edict, but his eyes were still red when he turned around, clearly not yet calmed down from the excitement.

"Now that everything is settled, shall we distribute the rewards?"

"As it should be."

Wang Chengen nodded in agreement, and then said to his entourage, "Pass down the order to have the officials of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Personnel set up platforms at the Great Parade Ground, count out the rewards one by one, and distribute them to the soldiers."

The news caused a stir throughout Shenyang.

On the parade ground, dozens of long tables were quickly set up. Officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War brought in boxes of silver and presented bolts of silk. The gleam of the silver, the shimmer of the Shu brocade, and the splendor of the Yun brocade dazzled the eyes.

There were also jars of fine wine and mountains of grain piled up on the edge of the drill ground.

The soldiers who came to receive their rewards lined up in neat rows, stretching from one end of the training ground to the other.

The Liaodong Military Governor's Office had already compiled the list of award recipients, arranging them in a clear and orderly manner from generals to soldiers according to the size of their battle achievements and the severity of their casualties.

The first group to be named were the White-Spear Soldiers who blocked the two Blue Banner infantry outside the Shenyang ferry crossing.

The battle that day is still fresh in my mind.

With their long spears, thousands of White Spear Soldiers built a flesh-and-blood defensive line on the banks of the Hun River, holding off the Jurchen infantry of the two Blue Banners for an hour and a half.

After this battle, they lost nearly half of their men. The bloodstains on their gun barrels congealed into a purplish-black color, and the bones of many brothers are still buried in the reeds along the riverbank.

For this reason, their rewards and compensation were the most generous among all the rewarded groups.

As the White-Spear Soldiers slowly entered the Great Parade Ground, even the air seemed to grow heavier.

In the queue, many people were missing arms or legs. Some had their injured arms in slings, while others limped forward with makeshift wooden canes. Yet their spines remained straight, and there was no trace of fear in their eyes.

Wang Chengen stood on the high platform watching this scene, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a heavy silence.

He had grown accustomed to the fine clothes, sumptuous food, and peaceful life in the palace. Although he had heard of the cruelty of the battlefield, it was only when he saw these mutilated bodies and wounded soldiers with his own eyes that he truly understood the weight of the words "bloody".

That wasn't just lyrics from a play; it was real pain scraped off your bones.

"Begin distributing the rewards!" With the master of ceremonies' shout, the bestowal of rewards officially began.

"Qin Ergou, the White-Spear Soldier Commander!"

A one-armed man stepped forward in response, his empty left sleeve swaying slightly in the wind.

He has a scar on his face that runs from his brow bone to his jaw, but it does not diminish his heroic spirit in the slightest.

"After beheading ten enemies, you will be promoted to commander and rewarded with one hundred taels of silver, one bolt of cloth, and one hundred catties of grain!"

Qin Ergou knelt on one knee, accepting the reward notice and heavy silver ingot with his only right hand, his voice hoarse but firm: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

Immediately afterwards, the master of ceremonies' voice suddenly turned somber: "Zhao Erhe, commander of the White-Spear Army—killed in action!"

A boy dressed in mourning clothes stepped out of the line. He looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old and was Zhao Erhe's eldest son.

He held his father's memorial tablet, his shoulders trembling slightly, but he forced himself not to cry out.

"A pension of five hundred taels of silver, an official appointment for one of his sons to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a nominal title of centurion, and a reward of ten bolts of cloth and a thousand catties of grain!"

The young man accepted the reward with both hands, kowtowed three times to Wang Chengen on the high platform, and finally couldn't hold back his tears, which rolled down and fell onto the cold stone slab: "My father... even though my father is dead, I am still grateful for Your Majesty's holy grace!"

Wang Chengen turned his face away and sighed softly.

He waved his hand, signaling to continue distributing rewards, but his gaze fell on the white-spear soldiers.

These soldiers from Sichuan earned their rewards with their blood and flesh, and also gave Liaodong a chance to breathe.

However, no matter how generous the reward, it could never bring back those lost lives.

The roll call will continue, and the prize distribution will continue.

The voices of the crowd pierced through the clamor of the training ground and reached everyone's ears clearly:

"Li Yongnian, the White-Spear Squad Leader, is hereby awarded fifty taels of silver and fifty catties of grain!"

"Wang Zhuzi, a soldier of the Liaozhen Army, died in battle. His younger brother, Wang Shuanzi, is to receive ten taels of silver in compensation and a tax exemption document on his behalf!"

With each call of homage, the soldiers on the drill ground lined up to receive their rewards.

Some of them were agile and their armor was damaged, clearly warriors who had just come from the battlefield.

Some were missing arms or legs, and they used wooden canes to slowly move to the table, their empty sleeves fluttering in the wind, making one's eyes ache.

There were also women and teenagers crowded in the queue, holding the memorial tablets of their loved ones, who were there to receive compensation on behalf of their fathers, brothers, and husbands who had died in battle.

As the heavy silver ingots were held in their hands, as the tax exemption documents bearing the official vermilion seal were tucked into their pockets, and as the brightly colored silks and sacks of grain were counted, suppressed sobs gradually rose from the drill ground. A one-armed old soldier stroked the patterns on the silver ingots, and suddenly tears streamed down his face.

He had served in the army for thirty years, fighting in the south and the north, and had never seen such a generous reward, let alone such consideration from the court for the families of fallen brothers.

"Long live my emperor! Long live! Long live!"

It's unclear who shouted first, but the shout quickly spread like wildfire.

The soldiers who received the reward knelt down in unison. Those who were missing an arm used their remaining hand to support themselves on the ground, and those who were injured endured the pain and straightened their spines. Even the women and children held the memorial tablets and kowtowed heavily.

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" shook the flags on the parade ground, echoing through the streets and alleys of Shenyang, across the Hun River, and reverberating throughout Liaodong, as if to let the emperor in Beijing hear this sincerity.

At this moment, the morale of the entire Shenyang army was as if it were tightly bound together by invisible threads.

Those soldiers who had complained about the delayed military pay, and those officers who felt hopeless about their future because of their humble origins, all had only one thought in their minds at this moment.

Fighting under such a ruler is worthwhile!

The emperor's prestige grew wildly like spring grass and trees with each shout of "Long live the emperor!" and took deep root in the hearts of every soldier and civilian in Liaodong.

If anyone dared to say a bad word about the emperor in Shenyang right now, calling him a tyrant or a foolish ruler, these soldiers who had just received their rewards would probably grab their weapons and surround him before the government could even take action.

Who the hell dares to say His Majesty is a tyrant?
Your Majesty is the greatest and most enlightened ruler of all time!

How could an emperor who loves his people and his army like his own children not be a wise ruler?

Xiong Tingbi stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping across the training ground.

Although the line to receive the reward was long, it was orderly. Even though the soldiers were so excited that their eyes were red, no one made a fuss or cut in line. Even the women and children followed the line obediently.

His tense lips finally relaxed a little, and most of the weight that had been hanging over his heart was lifted.

With clear rewards and punishments, morale in the army remained stable, and it seems that the foundation of Liaodong has finally been established.

He turned to look at Wang Chengen beside him, raised his hand in a "please" gesture, and said with a hint of seriousness in his smile: "Angel, there are too many people here, why don't we go to the inner room to discuss this in detail?"

Wang Chengen was extremely astute. Seeing Xiong Tingbi's expression, he knew that Xiong had important military and national matters to ask him.

He nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the noisy training ground, and said softly, "Please, Commander."

The two walked one after the other through the corridors of the governor's mansion and entered the heavily guarded White Tiger Hall.

This meeting place has always been open only to core officers. At this moment, the hall is empty, with only the sandalwood incense burning on the table, filling the air with a calm atmosphere.

Xiong Tingbi invited Wang Chengen to take the seat of honor, but Wang Chengen insisted on declining. In the end, the two took their seats as host and guest, respectively.

The guards served hot tea, and the rising steam blurred the faces of the two men.

Xiong Tingbi picked up his teacup but didn't drink. He lightly touched the rim of the cup with his fingertip and asked directly, "Your Majesty, regarding Ligdan Khan's request for aid, has Your Majesty issued any decree?"

Ligdan Khan's Chahar tribe was a crucial force in containing the Jurchens. If Ligdan Khan were to be defeated and killed, the pressure on Liaodong would increase several times over. This matter was of paramount importance, and he had no choice but to act hastily.

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen took out a secret edict sealed with wax from his brocade pouch and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty anticipated this. This is a secret edict for the General. Your Majesty's intentions regarding the Liaodong matter are all contained within it."

Xiong Tingbi received the secret edict, his fingertips touching the cold wax seal, and his heart skipped a beat.

He carefully removed the wax seal, unfolded the bright yellow scroll, and quickly scanned the writing on it.

His Majesty entrusted him with all military and political power in Liaodong. Whether it was conscripting soldiers, allocating grain, or negotiating with various Mongol tribes, he could make decisions on his own without having to ask for permission for every matter.

"His Majesty……"

Xiong Tingbi's throat moved slightly, and his eyes welled up with tears again.

Since taking control of Liaodong, although he had the emperor's support, he could not avoid criticism in the court. Now, this trust that was given to him with full authority moved him more than any reward.

He carefully rolled up the secret edict, put it into his bosom, and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty trusts me so much. If I, Xiong Tingbi, fail to defend Liaodong, I will be guilty even if I die ten thousand times!"

Wang Chengen nodded to himself as he watched his excited expression.

His Majesty was right in his judgment; Xiong Tingbi's loyalty and ability truly deserve this trust.

"The best way to repay Your Majesty is for you to serve me, General Jinglue."

Xiong Tingbi nodded, then changed the subject, his tone becoming sharp.

"Although Ligdan Khan was unruly and difficult to tame, he often bargained with the court."

"But the Chahar tribe is ultimately our ally on the grasslands. Whether it's according to the old system of controlling the Mongols, or to relieve the pressure on Liaodong, this aid must be sent!"

He stood up, walked to the Liaodong map hanging on the wall, and pointed emphatically at the border between the Chahar tribe and the Jurchens: "Saving Ligdan Khan is saving ourselves. The Jurchens want to annex the Chahar, we must not let them succeed!"

At this point, his eyes flickered, and he suddenly remembered something: "Besides, Mao Wenlong is probably about to make a move."

Wang Chengen was taken aback: "Mao the Guerrilla?"

"He led the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison to launch a surprise attack on Hetu Ala."

Xiong Tingbi lowered his voice even further.

"Hetu Ala is the Jurchen's stronghold. If this battle succeeds, it will surely shake Liaodong. But for the surprise attack to succeed, we must pin the Jurchen's main force to the front line. In Shenyang, we must start a war with Nurhaci as soon as possible to draw their attention!"

He turned to Wang Chengen, his gaze unwavering: "Therefore, rescuing Ligdan Khan and provoking a major war with the Jurchens is imperative. The arrow is on the bowstring, and we must release it!"

(End of this chapter)