Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 149 I'll borrow your head to warn the entire army

For several days in a row, the sky over Xi'an was a clear, azure blue. The bright autumn sun shone on the pomegranate trees in the courtyard of the imperial residence, making the plump fruits appear bright red and translucent, almost as if they were about to drip with honey.

However, for the dozens of generals from the four garrisons of Yansui, Guyuan, Yulin, and Ningxia who were invited to this exquisite courtyard for a meeting, the bright sunshine was more chilling than the coldest winter rain.

They stayed in the best guest rooms, and the emperor did not put any shackles on them, nor did he say a harsh word to them.

But they all knew that this courtyard without high walls was the most solid cage, and the face of Li Ruolian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who always had a smile on his face, was more terrifying than any fierce prison guard.

They are like a group of crickets kept in a brocade box, able to hear the noise of the outside world, but unaware of when they will be squeezed out by some invisible hand to fight to the death with another.

This kind of waiting is more agonizing than an immediate trial.

Zhu Youjian, the young emperor, seemed to have completely forgotten their existence.

He would meet with Sun Chuanting in the inner hall of the Provincial Administration Commission every day, or personally visit the Tianzitun construction site outside the city to plan the field ridges and ditches with the peasant refugees, as if the most important thing in Shaanxi was how to make those people have enough to eat and wear.

On the third day, the first imperial edict was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, read aloud in this courtyard by the eunuch who had accompanied the emperor.

The little eunuch's voice was soft and gentle, but every word he uttered was like an ice needle piercing into the bone marrow.

This decree was titled "Order to Reward Merit".

"...General Du Wenhuan of Yansui, General Yang Qi of Guyuan, General Wang Chengyin of Yulin, General Ma Ke of Ningxia, and the soldiers under the command of the four garrisons have guarded the border for many years and repeatedly resisted the enemy. Their achievements are great... I am very pleased with them. I have heard that the soldiers of the various garrisons often suffer from arrears in their rations and pay. This is the fault of the court, not the fault of the generals. Now I will allocate silver from the imperial treasury to fully pay all the arrears in military pay owed to the four garrisons of Yansui, Guyuan, Yulin, and Ningxia since the sixth year of the Tianqi reign! Not a single penny less!"

Upon reading this part of the imperial edict, a suppressed gasp erupted from the guards outside the courtyard. Inside, however, the generals were all deathly pale, as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

Full payment of back wages?

This is an incredibly good thing, a great favor from the Emperor! But for them, it's a death knell!

Because the imperial edict ended with a casual sentence: "...to avoid errors and omissions, all salaries must be verified by the officials of each ministry and the officials dispatched by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, and distributed according to the existing roster."

Verify the existing roster!

These words weighed heavily on the hearts of all the generals present, like a mountain collapsing.

The practice of receiving salaries without working was an open secret in the Nine Border Regions.

A battalion is supposed to have 500 men, but in reality, there might only be 300, or even fewer. The extra 200 or 300 rations and pay would naturally end up in the pockets of officers at all levels. This was their most stable and important source of income.

Now that the emperor is going to issue pay based on the number of people, wouldn't all those ghost soldiers they've falsely reported over the years be exposed in broad daylight? At that time, if they were charged with "deceiving the emperor and embezzling military pay," no one would get away with it!

Du Wenhuan stood at the front of the crowd, his weathered face twitching slightly as he forced a smile. As the head of the four garrisons, he had no choice but to kneel down and express his gratitude: "Your subject... Du Wenhuan, on behalf of the soldiers of the four garrisons, kowtows to thank the Emperor for his grace!"

Behind him, dozens of generals knelt down sparsely, their cries of "Long live the Emperor" weak and feeble, as if they had exhausted all their energy.

The generals were then alarmed and realized that, according to the emperor's intentions, he was to send one of his own men to the military camp with silver to count heads and distribute pay to all the soldiers in front of them! This was a complete bypassing of them, the generals!

In this way, the emperor used this pile of silver to create a bottomless chasm between these officers and ordinary soldiers.

From then on, the name of the emperor was no longer a distant phantom in the eyes of the soldiers, but a vast and immediate imperial grace!
However, before they could even devise a countermeasure to this blatant and devastating scheme, the little eunuch's face, bearing a subtle smile, appeared once again the next day.

This time, he brought with him the "Order to Relieve the Troops".

"...When I inspected the Tianzitun military camp, I saw the displaced people there rejoicing at having land, and I was filled with emotion. I thought of our soldiers in the border towns, who brave the elements to defend the country, while their families cultivate the land in the military camps, but how much do they gain? I have heard that many of the land in the military camps have been seized by cunning and lawless people, leaving the laborers without food and the soldiers without provisions. This situation makes me restless and heartbroken!"

The generals in the courtyard all lowered their heads. How did the military fields become their private property? No one present had clean hands.

"Therefore, I have decided that the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard shall take the lead, and soldiers from the newly formed Beijing Garrison shall be drawn to assist in the resurveying, registration, and cataloging of the military farmland in the four garrisons of Yansui, Guyuan, Yulin, and Ningxia, effective immediately! We must clarify the ownership of every inch of land and return all the land granted to the soldiers by the court to them! Only in this way can the soldiers of our Great Ming be able to fight bravely in wartime and be well cared for in peacetime, without any worries about the future!"

After the decree was read aloud, the entire courtyard fell into an eerie silence.

If the first decree created a rift between officers and soldiers, then the second decree used the emperor's authority to tear that rift into an insurmountable abyss!
He portrayed himself as someone who sought justice and stood up for the lower-ranking soldiers.

This is attacking someone's spirit!

Even more terrifying was the executioner—the Embroidered Uniform Guard in charge, with the newly formed Beijing Garrison as assistants. This was tantamount to telling them unequivocally that the Emperor did not trust them, nor any local power in Shaanxi. He intended to personally cut this piece of cake, riddled with rotten flesh, with the knife he had brought with him.

Du Wenhuan felt a cold sweat running down his back, while the generals in the hall were terrified.

The emperor's sword was already hanging over their necks, yet they didn't even dare to think of struggling or resisting.

It's simply because these generals and brigade commanders, which one of them wasn't deeply entrenched in their clans?

Whether their families and relatives were in the capital or in their ancestral homes, they were all under the emperor's control; this was a situation where one had to be careful not to harm the innocent.

Even if they were to risk everything and rise up in rebellion, what could they possibly achieve?
Who dares to say that their small force can defeat the three thousand White Spear Army soldiers personally trained by Qin Liangyu and the ten thousand new Beijing Garrison troops trained by the Emperor himself?
Trying to fight a losing battle with an egg!

These two invisible shackles had long since bound them so tightly that they could not move.

Therefore, on the third day, when the little eunuch appeared in the courtyard for the third time, many generals' legs trembled.

They had no idea what kind of imperial decree awaited them this time, one that they could neither refuse nor resist.

To everyone's surprise, this third decree was full of warmth and compassion.

Retirement Order.

"...All of you are pillars of our Great Ming Dynasty, having spent your lives on the battlefield and rendered meritorious service to the nation. However, time waits for no one, and I am concerned that some of the veteran generals are getting old or have old injuries and are no longer fit for battle. If we were to force them to remain in the army, it would not only be of no benefit to the country, but it would also be unkind of me as a ruler."

"Therefore, I hereby issue this special decree: All military officers of the rank of deputy general and above who feel they are old and frail may request to the Ministry of War to 'retire honorably.' The court will review their past merits and, taking into account the amount of land they have 'contributed,' grant them a one-time grant of a substantial sum of silver to ensure their comfortable retirement."

Upon reading this, everyone pricked up their ears and held their breath.

The young eunuch smiled slightly and continued reading: "...Those who retire honorably may have one son admitted to the Imperial Academy or the newly established 'Military Academy' of the Beijing Garrison, where His Majesty will personally select renowned teachers to instruct them, so that they may carry on their fathers' aspirations and serve the country in the future. This is my way of showing my love and care for these meritorious officials. So be it."

After the decree was read, the courtyard was first deathly silent, then filled with heavy breathing.

This...this is a way out!
A golden road where land and military power are exchanged for wealth and the future of one's descendants!
The three decrees were linked together, like an intricately woven net, and were thus brazenly and openly imposed upon us.

The "Order for Rewarding Merit" was a form of alienation, causing soldiers to lose their unity and loyalty.

The "Order to Relieve Soldiers' Wages" was a form of exploitation; it used irrefutable moral justification to take away the very foundation upon which they depended for survival.

The retirement order was the first step; after pushing them to the brink, it threw them a seemingly irresistible golden chain.

To jump or not to jump?

For a moment, the atmosphere in the courtyard became extremely strange. The generals gathered in twos and threes, exchanging glances, each with their own thoughts.

Some had greed in their eyes, quickly calculating the future of their land and offspring; others had fierce glints in their eyes, clearly unwilling to give up the business they had built up over a lifetime; and many more were bewildered, painfully oscillating between resistance and submission.

They were trapped in a huge prisoner's dilemma: whoever was the first to stand up against it would become the chicken the emperor used as a warning to others, and whoever was the first to choose to submit would be able to secure the most favorable conditions for themselves and their families.

...Just as this suppressed undercurrent was surging, a spark was ignited in Yansui Town, a hundred miles away.

The guerrilla general in Yansui was named Wang Zhenying. He was brave, but also a notorious scoundrel, greedy and foolish. He himself was invited to Xi'an, and his family affairs were managed by his equally domineering son, Wang Hu.

When the Beijing garrison soldiers, led by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, appeared before the thousand acres of fertile land occupied by the Wang family, Wang Hu was dumbfounded.

He sent a messenger on horseback to Xi'an to deliver a message, but received no reply. Seeing that his land was about to be measured and registered inch by inch, this spoiled young master made the most foolish decision.

He gathered nearly a hundred servants from his household and his father's personal guards, armed with clubs, knives, and spears, in an attempt to drive away the government troops who had come to conduct the land survey.

"This is my Wang family's land! Anyone who dares to touch it, I'll make them leave lying down!" Wang Hu shouted from his horse, his voice a mix of bravado and cowardice.

The commander of the Imperial Guards in charge of leading the group looked at this rabble and a strange smile appeared on his face. He then gestured behind him.

Just as Wang Hu thought he had the situation under control and was about to say a few more polite words, a series of rapid footsteps suddenly sounded from the woods not far behind him!
The next moment, countless soldiers dressed in blue cloth short jackets with white headscarves and holding long-handled white wax spears appeared out of nowhere and silently surrounded them from all directions.

Each of them wore the resolute and indifferent expression characteristic of the mountain people of Southwest China. Their movements were swift as the wind, and their formation was orderly and imposing. A chilling killing intent instantly enveloped the entire field ridge.

They are Qin Liangyu's White-Spear Soldiers!

Wang Hu and his group of servants turned pale instantly. Their numbers were no match for this legendary, invincible elite force.

Wang Hu and his rabble collapsed instantly, throwing down their weapons and kneeling to beg for mercy.

It's too late.

"The Wang family, the guerrillas, have incited their servants and personal guards to besiege officials appointed by the imperial court, intending to rebel. The evidence against them is irrefutable. By imperial decree, they shall be immediately annihilated!"

The white-spear soldiers' long spears descended like a forest.

This was hardly a fierce battle; it was merely a swift and decisive annihilation.

The news reached Xi'an with astonishing speed.

That afternoon, guerrilla general Wang Zhenying was dragged out of the exquisite courtyard and executed in front of all the generals by Li Ruolian.

A flash of light, and a head fell to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the second order was announced in public: all of Wang Zhenying's property and land were confiscated, and a small portion of it was given as a reward to the local soldiers of Yansui Town who had taken the initiative to report the Wang family's unusual activities to the court and assisted the government troops in suppressing the rebellion.

The bloody human heads, along with the gleaming silver and heavy land deeds, created an unparalleled and impactful scene.

The generals in the courtyard were completely devastated.

The emperor's overt scheme had now completed its final loop.

Resistance led to Wang Zhenying's downfall: he died without a burial place, and all his property was confiscated.

If one complies, there is the glittering path of retirement through the "Retirement Order."

How do I choose? Do I even need to choose?

That night, General Du Wenhuan of Yansui Town did not sleep a wink.

The next morning, he looked haggard but as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He was the first to step out of his room and went straight to Li Ruolian, bowing deeply to her.

“Lord Li, this humble general… is guilty.” He tremblingly pulled out a thick book from his bosom. “This is the land property that this humble general and his family have acquired over the years, totaling more than 13,000 mu. This humble general humbly requests that it be offered to His Majesty in its entirety to serve as ‘Emperor’s Garrison’.”

"Furthermore," he raised his head, his eyes full of earnestness, "this humble general is advanced in years and lacks the energy to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the border garrison. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to retire and return to my hometown. My son is dull-witted; if he could enter the military academy to receive the Emperor's instruction, it would be a great fortune for the Du family!"

Li Ruolian's smile finally became more sincere. He helped Du Wenhuan up and said gently, "General Du is very righteous. His Majesty will surely be pleased. Please rest assured, His Majesty remembers all your merits."

The collapse of a building begins with the first crack in its beams.

With Du Wenhuan taking the lead, the remaining generals had no more illusions and rushed forward to surrender and offer up their land to Li Ruolian, fearing that if they were left behind, the honor of their retirement would be diminished.

Within just a few days, more than 90% of the military farmland in the four towns of Yansui, Guyuan, Yulin, and Ningxia, which had been seized by the generals, was successfully brought back to the emperor's possession.

The deep-rooted problems of military settlements that had persisted for decades were resolved without bloodshed in this open conspiracy of "inviting the enemy to their deaths" without the sound of gunfire.

This move shocked the entire Shaanxi officialdom.

For these officials who had long resided in Shaanxi, they were all too aware of how deeply entrenched the problem of military families encroaching on military farms was.

This disease was deeply rooted and could only be cured with drastic measures. However, no one expected that the emperor would subdue all the generals with a mere few days of cunning and shrewdness.

When Sun Chuanting received the report in the governor's office, he could only sigh. He had nothing but awe for the emperor's ability to manipulate events so drastically.

A large amount of land was redistributed, with some becoming new "Emperor's Villages" to absorb more refugees; the other part was distributed as allotted land to ordinary soldiers.

……

On the drill ground in Yansui Town, as soon as the announcer called out the name "Wang Zhong," an old soldier with a weathered face walked out tremblingly.

Those were hands that only knew how to grip knife handles and gun barrels, covered with thick calluses and old scars, yet now they were handling the land deed stamped with a vermilion seal with utmost care, as if holding a priceless treasure.

He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on his name on the paper, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The surrounding noise seemed to have faded away, and all that remained before him was that piece of paper, a piece of paper heavier than any military order he had ever seen.

Suddenly, a scalding tear fell onto the paper, spreading into a small ink stain. He hurriedly tried to wipe it away, but this only brought out more tears.

Finally, the man who hadn't uttered a sound even when a stray arrow pierced his shoulder beneath the walls of Yulin City slowly squatted down and buried his face deep in his arms.

His broad and strong shoulders trembled violently, as if he wanted to shake off the hardships and bitterness of half a lifetime onto this land that belonged to him!

But within this trembling, besides the catharsis, there was also a trace of unwavering determination.

Wang Zhong was a rough man, but he wasn't stupid.

He knew better than anyone that this field wasn't given out of kindness by any general or grace by any official, but by the emperor! It was the emperor who forcibly carved it out of these "soldier-bosses" from the mouths of the generals who were eating until their mouths were full of grease!
Wang Zhong suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes no longer filled with tears, but with a shrewd glint like a wolf guarding its prey.

This field was given to him by the emperor, but he also knew that the hungry wolves whose food had been taken away were lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce and devour this field bearing his name, skin and bones!
Who can stop these hungry wolves?
Only the emperor!

This most basic truth struck him like a thunderbolt.

He suddenly turned around, knelt down on both knees facing the direction of Xi'an, and kowtowed heavily on the land that had just become his!

Wang Zhong knew that at this moment, the thousands of veterans on the training ground, just like him, were thinking the same thing.

From this day forward, His Majesty will no longer be just the high and mighty emperor, but the guarantor of these soldiers, the second great seal unseen on their land deeds!
Anyone who dares to oppose the emperor is trying to tear up their land deeds and uproot their families!
(End of this chapter)