On the 20th day of the first lunar month of the 15th year of Chongzhen, although the Lantern Festival has passed, lanterns are still hanging all over the streets and alleys of Chicheng Castle, and the lively atmosphere is still the same, even worse than during the 15th Lantern Festival.
This is naturally because the soldiers from the various camps of the Yongyi Army have returned one after another from their vacations, so the area around the Red Castle and all the way south along the Baihe River are filled with soldiers wearing military jackets. The rows of military camps even extend to the vicinity of Yitian Fort.
Today, there are more than a thousand elite knights standing in formation outside the south gate of the Red Castle. Amidst the neighing of the war horses, there is not a sound of human voices. Instead, the soldiers and civilians outside the cavalry formation are shouting happily.
Occasionally, some soldiers from other battalions shouted hello to the cavalry formation, but there was no response from the cavalry formation. They were like stone statues standing on horseback, motionless as a pine tree.
Suddenly, a group of knights rode out of the large gate of the Red Castle. They were all dressed in bright red cloth-covered armor, with a purple wool cloak behind them. They looked heroic on their horses. , but all of them are extremely young.
They were Zhang Cheng's twenty-horse soldiers, and behind them was Zhang Cheng, wearing a golden helmet and armor, riding out slowly on his green horse.
Veteran general Guo Yingxian and deputy general He Zhenxiong, who had been waiting outside Dading Gate for a long time, had already urged their horses to meet Zhang Cheng's horse when they saw Yong Ningbo's guards coming out.
"How could a poor general be sent to you by a great general?" Guo Yingxian said with his fists clasped as he rode on his sturdy old horse.
However, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng smiled and said to him: "Old General, go back to the town first. This is taking the lead for me. How can I not give him a gift?"
Since the end of the Liao War, when Zhang Cheng was crowned Earl of Yongning, Guo Yingxian no longer joked with Zhang Cheng, and even the title was always commensurate with his official name and title.
This was not because he was estranged from Zhang Cheng, but because he loved this devil he had grown up looking up to so much that he cherished his reputation and prestige so much that he did not hesitate to lower his status to keep Zhang Cheng's reputation.
I heard him reply with a respectful look on his face: "The soldiers of the Biao camp are all willing to be driven by the general. It is a great honor for all the soldiers to be able to clear the way for the general!"
Guo Yingxian's words were not false at all. The nearly 4,000 soldiers in Zhenbiao camp were extremely supportive of Zhang Cheng. There were two main reasons for this.
First, most of the team leaders and commander-in-chief in Yang Guozhu's camp, especially the generals and commander-in-chief Qian, were old comrades who had killed slaves side by side with Julu. This was a comradeship that was thicker than water.
The second thing is the most critical, but Zhang Cheng has paid them the previous salary arrears, and paid them in full and on time every month. Who among the dozens of generals in the world can do this?
This has been the case since ancient times - rich people sell goods. Even if people in this era still have the word loyalty in their hearts, they can't let the whole family go hungry. Let me tell you about loyalty.
Of course, it is not ruled out that people would surrender their lives to others for the sake of loyalty, and indeed, some people would dedicate all of themselves to a meal.
However, it is an indisputable fact that the officers and soldiers of the Zhenbiao Camp are very supportive of Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng. Even if other officers and generals want to bribe them at this moment, they may not be able to do so.
After all, Yongning Bo's reputation of loving his soldiers as his sons is unquestionable here, and there is no room for anyone to have any more doubts!
Zhang Cheng looked up at the sky and said to Guo Yingxian: "It's almost dark. Let's set out to catch up with the front team. We can reach the base camp at Diaohao Fort before dark."
He clasped his fists on the Bi Cong horse and said to Guo Yingxian: "Old general, I will send you across the Qingquan River. Please set off now!"
"Here. I obey the general's orders."
After Guo Yingxian received the order loudly, he and his deputy He Zhenxiong followed Zhang Cheng and galloped across the bridge on the Qingquan River to the Biaoying cavalry formation on the south bank.
"...Wan Sheng...Wan Sheng...Wan Sheng..."
Nearly a thousand soldiers of the Biaoying Cavalry stood in formation on the west side of the avenue. When they saw Bo Yongning galloping on his horse from a distance, they couldn't help but shout excitedly.
Opposite them were the generals and deputy generals of the other six battalions, each leading their elite cavalry to see off Guo Yingxian's standard battalion. When they saw their commander slowly walking to the front of the formation, they hurriedly waved their hands to stop him. Each of his subordinates cheered and rode up to meet him.
The six generals and twelve lieutenants all bowed to Yong Ningbo and then stepped aside. After all, Guo Yingxian and He Zhenxiong were the protagonists today.
Zhang Cheng pointed at Wu Zhizhong and other generals and said to Guo Yingxian: "The old general still has some weight. Look, all the generals from the six battalions under my command came to see you off. You are very proud."
Guo Yingxian's old face was also slightly red. He laughed and said to Zhang Cheng: "There is no need to send the general far away. We will lead the sons back to the town to lead the battle for the general and clean up the Zhenshuo Mansion. .”
Zhang Cheng grabbed him and said in a deep voice: "Brother, you can't do this... you must never do it..."
He sat on the green horse and looked at the veteran Guo Yingxian with a solemn expression. He couldn't figure out what his words meant?
"It's absolutely impossible!"
After Zhang Cheng emphasized it again, he continued to say to Guo Yingxian: "Brother, Yang Shuai fought against the slave slaves in Liaodong, fought fiercely for the country, and died heroically. Now his body is not cold, how can I ask Mrs. Yang to move to Tengyuan at this time? Woolen cloth!"
Guo Yingxian's face was full of confusion, and it seemed that he was not pretending to do so. He just heard him say: "That being said, the general took over the post of commander-in-chief. If he doesn't live in Zhenshuo Mansion, where will he live?" ?”
Zhang Cheng saw that he was definitely not pretending, and for a moment he couldn't figure out what he meant when he mentioned these words at the moment. However, it was always his usual tactic to show off at first sight.
"This is easy to handle."
Zhang Cheng continued: "My uncle used to have an old house in Zhencheng, but it has been idle for more than a year. After a little cleaning, it can be occupied. When I return to Zhencheng this time, I will live in the old house.
He Shihui has been staying in the town to take care of my old house. You only need to go to Hu Siwang's village in the north of the city to find him and tell me what I mean, and he will know what it means. "
Guo Yingxian was stunned when he heard this, and then said: "That being said, the general is the commander-in-chief of Xuanzhen. He should live in Zhenshuo Mansion. Why did he go back to his old house to live in it?"
"It's settled!"
Zhang Cheng continued categorically: "You don't need to say anything, but just follow my instructions. That's all."
"Here."
Zhang Cheng finally urged him: "Go. It's time to leave."
Guo Yingxian nodded, turned around and cupped his fists at Wu Zhizhong, Zhang Guodong and others and shouted: "Generals, I, Lao Guo, go ahead and set up a banquet in the town to welcome you and wash away the dust!"
He turned his horse's head and ran towards the Biaoying Cavalry Formation. He raised his arms in front of the formation and shouted: "The Brave Army..."
"Wan Sheng... Wan Sheng... Wan Sheng!"
"Uncle Yong Ning..."
"Wan Sheng... Wan Sheng... Wan Sheng..."
Another burst of enthusiastic shouts suddenly resounded throughout the sky.
Looking at the smoke and dust slowly disappearing with the Biaoying cavalry, Zhang Cheng still recalled Guo Yingxian's words just now in his heart.
In fact, what Guo Yingxian said was not wrong. Zhang Cheng was now the commander-in-chief of Xuanzhen. If he went to the town to serve, he would definitely stay at General Zhenshuo's mansion.
But Zhang Cheng couldn't bear to ask Mrs. Yang to worry about moving and moving during the mourning period.
If this is true, not only will he feel guilty, but he will also be notorious for bullying orphans and widowed mothers. This is also a result that Zhang Cheng does not want to see.
What's more, after all, it's just a house. In the eyes of others, that place may also be a symbol of power and status, but in Zhang Cheng's eyes, he believes more in his own strength.
"The knife is in my hand, who dares to say no?"
This sentence is the real monologue in Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng's heart.
…………
The New Year is about to pass, and Zhang Cheng has also received news from the capital that Bian Yongqing, the brave eunuch appointed by the emperor to oversee the army, will also leave Beijing to take up a post in the Xuan Mansion in the near future.
Bian Yongqing, also known as Zhenyuan and Taoist Xuanyin, was a native of Mancheng in Baoding Prefecture of the Ming Dynasty. He had served as the steward of the Qianqing Palace during the Tianqi reign of Emperor Xizong, and later served as a separate eunuch for many times during the Chongzhen reign, and even monitored Xixie , served as the admiral eunuch of the Zhongyong Camp.
However, this person seems to be different from most other eunuchs. His temperament is relatively weak, and his obsession with power and gold and silver is not strong. He can be said to be one of the few good eunuchs during the Chongzhen period.
According to the surviving records of "Laoshan Chronicles", after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Bian Yongqing did not surrender to his enemies like Du Xun, Du Zhiyi and others did.
After Bian Yongqing escaped from the battlefield, he came to Laoshan and abandoned his family to become a Taoist. He changed his name to Bian Jingning and became the abbot of Wanggezhuang Xiuzhen Nunnery in Laoshan.
According to the records in "Laoshan Stele Inscriptions", Bian Yongqing died around the tenth year of Kangxi.
Zhao Sizu, a Jinshi from Haiyang County, once wrote an ancient poem "Song of the Bian Taoist", detailing Bian Yongqing's life. One of the poems is "I heard that the Bian Taoist will be envoys in the Ming Dynasty. The dragon's beard flies to the sky, sideways and wild. There is no land. I love to be with my four maids, and I stand on top of the yellow dust in pain."
Of course, Zhang Cheng still doesn't know the content of these historical records, but according to the information passed back from the capital, one thing is very clear - Bian Yongqing still has some principles in his actions and is not very greedy!
In addition to Bian Yongqing's supervision of the army, the military merits of the generals in Xuanzhen who aided the Liao Dynasty have also been reviewed. Official documents from the Ministry of War will also be sent out in the next few days, and they are expected to arrive at the same time as Bian Yongqing.
This news is enough to make people excited. I don't know how many of the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Xuanfu army will be rewarded by the court. Some of them are destined to be promoted and make a fortune.
In fact, within the Yongyi Army, Yongningbo Zhang Cheng has already promoted a round of rewards to the meritorious soldiers. They have not lost any promotion, promotion, or silver reward.
The reward given by the imperial court this time was just a title. Although the public official positions of the generals were awarded by the imperial court, it was Zhang Cheng's final decision. How he repaid the reward was how the imperial court awarded him. It all depended on his decision.
As for the money rewarded by the imperial court, after layers of deductions and losses, there was not much left. After Zhang Cheng accepted it, it was naturally returned to the public treasury and would not be distributed to the soldiers.
This was also the main reason why after he returned in triumph, his first priority was to honor the spirits of the fallen soldiers, and his second priority was to reward his soldiers.
Taking the lead, promoting and rewarding their officers before the imperial court. Over time, they would only remember the kindness of their general, Zhang Cheng, and would gradually ignore the imperial court's pitiful and almost dispensable rewards.
First of all, Zhang Cheng must report his merits first, and then the court will reward him according to his merits, so the decision lies with Zhang Cheng.
Secondly, no matter how high the court appoints you, Zhang Cheng has the final say in the Yongyi Army. Even if the court appoints you as the deputy commander-in-chief, Zhang Cheng can just let you be an idle one instead of actually leading the army. General, so the final decision-making power on personnel still lies with Zhang Cheng.
…………
While waiting for the military supervisor Bian Yongqing and the Ministry of War to commend their merits, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng was not idle. While he stayed at home with his female relatives, enjoying singing and dancing every night, he frequently convened everyone to discuss matters, and finally decided how to implement the rank. It was established.
According to the policy agreed upon by Uncle Yongning and others, each battalion will organize its own examination of the combat skills of ordinary sergeants, and their sergeant ranks will be assessed based on the results of the examination.
From now on, all newly recruited sergeants will be classified as private soldiers. They can only stand in the queue, which means the lowest rank of sergeants in the entire army. They are not allowed to enter the battlefield except under special circumstances. They all act as auxiliary soldiers.
Private soldiers can only be promoted to senior sergeants such as corporal, sergeant, and staff sergeant in sequence if they pass the sergeant combat skills test and meet the standards.
At this link, Zhang Cheng also set some additional rules for them. For example, after enlisting in the army, private soldiers will first participate in intensive training for six months, and then they will take a combat skills test. If they pass, they will be directly promoted to corporal. If they fail, they will have to pass twelve months. You can take the test again after a few months.
Similarly, after six months of being promoted to corporal, you can also take part in the combat skills test. However, if you fail the first test, you will also have to wait twelve months before you can take the test again. By analogy, sergeant, sergeant, etc. The same is true for the promotion rules for sergeants.
Of course, if you achieve military merit while going into battle, you can receive different rewards based on the size of your military merit, including promotion to military rank and promotion to position.
Among the various military awards, from high to low are promotion to military rank, promotion to post, medals, medals, land, silver, etc., as well as tax exemptions, exemption from corvee, expiation of crimes, and exoneration.
Among them, promotion to military rank is the most rare. After all, sergeants in the Brave Army are promoted mainly based on combat skills, and promotion to military rank based on military merit is just a supplement to reward loyal and brave soldiers.
Most of the time, some sergeants will be promoted after each war. This is because after every war, some officers will be killed or leave due to injuries. Therefore, a group of meritorious soldiers with outstanding performance are needed to promptly Supplement it.
But this is not the case with military ranks. After all, military ranks have little to do with battlefield command. They can slowly test their combat skills after the war, so there is no rush to promote them.
Everyone had no objections to the system for promotion of ordinary sergeants to military ranks and the rules for examination and comparison, and it was easily established.
(End of chapter)
