It was impossible for the imperial court to promote Huang Yi in vain. It was necessary to whip the fast ox, and the order from the Ministry of War followed closely.
Huang Yi was asked to send at least 2,000 troops into the pass to stop and annihilate the bandits that spread to Shanxi.
Although the court provided food and salary, it was only a drop in the bucket. If all the food and salary from the court were used, Huang Yi would probably be able to train only seven to eight hundred armored cavalry.
Huang Yi now actually has two garrison battalions with a total of 1,600 troops, and a reinforcement camp with 3,600 troops and horses along the way, with a total of 5,200 troops under his jurisdiction.
The Ministry of War wanted to dispatch two thousand troops to the pass to kill the bandits. Even though Governor Xuan was his father-in-law, Huang Yi refused to obey the order obediently.
It is the consistent style of generals in the late Ming Dynasty to ask for true colors and reduced colors as departure expenses, and Huang Yi is no exception.
So he submitted an official document stating that he would dispatch two thousand soldiers, including nine hundred cavalry, nine hundred infantry, and two hundred artillery. In addition, there must be no less than two thousand carriage drivers, porters, etc.
The court needs to pay 1,000 dan of military rations and 20,000 taels of silver for military pay, otherwise it will be impossible to send troops.
When you need food and money, you must actively prepare for war.
Among the troops under his command are soldiers from Shanxi and Shaanxi. In the past few days, these people have taught the entire army to shout a few slogans that can be understood by the people in Shaanxi and Shanxi.
For no other reason than to better capture prisoners, the slogan is "surrender and avoid death!"
"Disarm without killing!"
"If you want to live, put your hands up and kneel down!"
"We are the Xinghe Army that will never disturb the people!"
"The Xinghe Army has strict military discipline and will never kill good people to take credit for their merits!"
"Xinghe Junqiu has done nothing wrong!"
All soldiers and generals are required to be able to shout these slogans clearly in Shanxi and Shaanxi accents and Mandarin in the base areas.
The world is declining, people's hearts are not as old as they used to be, and the army of the Ming Dynasty in the last days is no better than the bandits!
Therefore, Huang Yi began to clearly distinguish himself from the Ming army in dress.
Today's Xinghe Army uniforms are based on grass green, the flag is sky blue, and the cape is white.
Huang Yi wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of entering the Pass to suppress the bandits to let more people know that the Xinghe Army had strict military discipline and excellent work style, and had made sufficient preparations before setting off for the expedition.
There were as many as fifty doctors and veterinarians accompanying the army, and they carried four large carts of medicine, honey, and alcohol.
In order to increase the survival rate of the wounded and sick, Huang Yi often discussed anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs with Li Yongtai and his sons and several army doctors.
In fact, it’s not a discussion at all, it’s just about sharing some of the recipes saved on my phone.
Based on the formula provided by Huang Yi, Li Yongtai boiled willow bark, added rhubarb, coptis, skullcap and other traditional Chinese medicines, and prepared a Chinese patent medicine "Jiu Ming San" with obvious anti-inflammatory and labor pain effects.
The wounds of stab wounds and cuts were disinfected with alcohol, and after sutures were sutured, hemostatic powder and honey were applied externally, and "Jiu Ming Powder" was taken internally. The cure rate increased by 50% to 60%.
Another unique feature of the Xinghe Army was that there were actually thirty water trucks accompanying the army.
This kind of water cart is equipped with a large wooden barrel, which can be filled with one cubic meter of clean water.
In ancient wars, the proportion of attrition due to injury or illness may exceed 30%.
Huang Yi will never allow this to happen, because what he pursues is zero casualties!
How to strictly control the spread of the disease?
The simplest and most effective way is to pay attention to personal hygiene, adopt a separate meal system, and do not drink raw water.
Every soldier has his own gourd and coconut gourd to store water for drinking, and a copper lunch box for cooking vegetables and soup.
The ancient army basically drank raw water.
Huang Yi's Xinghe Army did not want to do this, so they had water trucks with the army and specially arranged auxiliary soldiers to find clean water sources to boil water for the soldiers to drink.
There are countless dangerous places in the mountains and rivers inside and outside Shanxi. In the second year of Chongzhen, King Qin's 5,000 Xuanda frontier army collapsed due to lack of food and looted all the way back to his hometown.
These people have caused great trouble, and of course it is impossible for them to return to the original army or go home.
Most of the people who gathered in the mountains and forests engaged in robbing homes and houses.
Therefore, there are so many bandits in Shanxi and Xuanda today.
The Xinghe Army entered the Pass from Zhangjiakou and was about to go to the state capitals and counties at the junction of Shanxi and Shaanxi to exterminate the rogue bandits.
The distance is no less than two thousand miles.
Huang Yi knew very well that if the Ming Dynasty did not completely reform and knock down the clan, officials, local tyrants and evil gentry who were knocking their bones and sucking their marrow, then they would not be able to kill all the rogue bandits. They would just press the gourd and lift the gourd.
"The Romance of Fairy Wood"
This time, the main task of entering the pass to suppress the bandits is not to kill the enemy, but to let the people of Shengdou who can't survive know that there is a Xinghe army that can save the people and are in trouble.
You can't lose money in a war, you must also make a profit!
Asking for money and clarifying where to get food and fodder can only barely preserve capital.
If you want to make money, you must grab it!
You definitely can’t rob people!
The Xinghe Army had not yet fallen out with the Ming Dynasty, and could not rob the government, gentry, or big landowners.
Therefore, on the road from Zhangjiakou to Puzhou, Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi Province, which is less than two thousand miles, bandits and horse thieves who deviate from the road less than thirty miles will be targeted.
In order to improve efficiency, Wang Jinbao led thirty-six spies and set off on the day he received the order from the Ministry of War and Governor Xuanda to mobilize troops.
None of them wore military uniforms, and none of them belonged to the military establishment. They all mingled with the coachmen in the horse and carriage shops to find out about the distribution of bandits and horse thieves in Shanxi Prefecture.
They also need to prepare guides for the incoming army and reserve some food and grass in several prefectures and counties.
Huang Yi knew that the Ming Dynasty's system was completely rotten, and he never believed that the prefectures, cities, and counties along the way could provide food and grass in time.
Historically, the father-in-law's five thousand soldiers and horses of King Qin were defeated because he did not bring enough food and grass. He believed in the policies and regulations of the Ming Dynasty and thought that they should be there when they arrived. In the end, they were deceived and killed.
The rogue bandits at this time were no better than those eight years after Chongzhen. The turning point should be the period when the famous bandit suppressor generals Cao Wenzhao and Ai Wannian were ambushed and defeated.
Before this, the rogue bandits were mainly from the Liu Dynasty and basically did not dare to fight openly with the Ming army.
In most cases, when they see the established Ming army, the bandit leader abandons the old, weak, women and children and only takes some strong, old bandits with horses and mules to flee.
Huang Yi never regarded Wang Jiayin, Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai, Ma Shouying and other bandit leaders as revolutionaries.
These people killed innocent people indiscriminately and kept destroying again and again, causing more people to freeze to death, starve to death or be killed, and each of them died unjustly.
The officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were very bad, and the bandits were even worse. The Qing army that followed was actually almost as bad as them.
But all the Han people ignored the brutal killings by the government troops and bandits, and blamed the Qing army for their hatred.
Of course Huang Yi knew that the Ming army, rogue bandits, and Qing army were all enemies that must be eliminated, but he could not rush and take his time.
There are many benefits to sending troops after autumn. It is guessed that the lairs of horse bandits, bandits, and bandits must have stored enough food for the winter.
If we fight all the way, we will definitely be able to capture many prisoners and take in many refugees. I don't know if the captured food will be enough for consumption.
