Chapter 1174: Take It Up With My Superior
Even as new militias were being recruited in Sichuan, Li Daoxuan was studying the limits of his field of view.
His field of view had expanded to Hanzhong Prefecture, covering an area with a radius of approximately 400 kilometers centered on Gao Family Village.
It now basically covered half of Henan and most of the Yunxiang region.
Li Daoxuan casually tapped the "North, South, East, West" buttons on the Diorama Box, letting his gaze roam freely across Henan.
He continued moving his view until it reached the southeasternmost corner, where a small county town appeared.
A plaque hung above its gate, bearing three large characters: Wuyang County.
Wuyang County was another town long since breached by bandit armies. Its walls had been torn down on all sides, leaving behind only crumbling ramparts and ruined sections. The local populace had been massacred, robbed, or coerced, so only a sparse hundred or so households remained in the city.
Such a small number of people living in a devastated county town looked quite desolate.
Previously, Li Daoxuan couldn't see them and thus couldn't offer aid, but now that he could, he certainly couldn't ignore their plight.
Just then, his eyes sharpened. Through the county town's north gate, a contingent of people entered – it was the Gao Family Village Militia.
Li Daoxuan exclaimed, “Oh? The militia is here?”
His hand paused.
Since the militia had arrived to help, he wasn't in a rush to intervene, lest he inadvertently frighten the locals.
He simply followed the militia with his gaze.
This militia detachment wasn't large, fewer than two hundred people. It seemed to be one of the smaller, detached teams from the Gao Family Village Militia, dispatched to scout and search for distressed civilians.
Li Daoxuan surprisingly had a faint recollection of the captain leading the detachment. Where had he seen that face before?
He thought hard for a long while, then it suddenly clicked: this man was Wang Chenggong. He had once been a bandit leader, later holding an ancient fortress at Wangjia Fork in northern Shaanxi. The Gao Family Village Militia had sent Shi Jian, along with Luo Xi, who was then an adjutant general, to attack Wangjia Fork.
At that time, Mongols from the Wushen Tribe had also caused trouble, but the Gao Family Village forces repelled them in a mere ten breaths.
After that battle, Wang Chenggong had surrendered!
Li Daoxuan hadn't seen him since, assuming he had been undergoing Labor Reform. Now, released and having joined the Gao Family Village Militia, he was surprisingly leading his old subordinates out to assist disaster victims.
The Wang Chenggong of today was a completely different man from a few years prior. His stride was no longer swaggering, and the expression on his face was noticeably more modest and reserved. He no longer possessed the air of a bandit chief, resembling instead an ordinary middle-aged man, utterly devoid of aggression.
As soon as he entered Wuyang County, he saw the common folk on the streets retreating into their homes.
Well, amidst the chaos of war, the locals were like startled birds. Seeing two hundred men approach, their hearts naturally quivered. Whether the newcomers were good or bad, hiding first was surely the safest bet.
Wang Chenggong seemed accustomed to this scene. He immediately produced a tin megaphone. “Folks, don’t be afraid! We are not bandits, nor are we government troops. We are the militia, the people’s own army. We mean you no harm; we are here to help you. Come, come, everyone! Come house by house to receive grain. Each household will get three catties first, to fill your stomachs. Then, we can discuss what comes next...”
This strategy never failed. The locals immediately felt at ease, and many began to emerge from their homes. Wang Chenggong’s face bloomed with joy as he called out to them, “Line up for the grain! No disorder, no snatching. Every family will get their share!”
Li Daoxuan watched this scene with satisfaction when suddenly...
From the southernmost corner of his field of view, another troop emerged.
Their numbers were considerable, a full three to four thousand. They appeared to be government troops, flying a banner that read “Runing Garrison.” However, their armor and weapons were far from orderly, instead appearing utterly haphazard, as disorganized as any bandit army.
Some carried firearms, others swords, and there was even one foolishly brandishing a treasured sword, much like Padi Tu. Their attire was a motley assortment: some wore Ming cloth armor, others simple hemp clothes, and some were even clad in women’s floral dresses...
Li Daoxuan’s brows furrowed slightly. “The Runing Garrison’s army is this disheveled? They look even sloppier than those unkempt garrison soldiers.”
This disorganized contingent of government troops entered Wuyang County town through the south gate. As they headed towards the city center, they spotted the Gao Family Village Militia distributing grain.
The two sides met face to face, and both were momentarily stunned.
The locals, who had been queuing for grain, scattered with a hubbub, all rushing to hide.
Wang Chenggong quickly clasped his fists and said, “We are the militia from Luoyang, acting under the orders of Governor Fan Shangzheng of Henan, to provide relief to disaster victims.”
Seeing that they were government troops, he invoked Governor Fan Shangzheng’s name, hoping it would make for an easier conversation.
From the government troops flying the Runing Garrison banner, a figure dressed as a military officer stepped forward. “My name is Zhang; you can call me Commander Zhang,” he announced, clicking his tongue. “Tsk, tsk. Your militia has quite a bit of grain on hand, enough to even distribute to others.”
Noticing the officer’s unfriendly tone, Wang Chenggong subtly gestured with one hand behind his back, warning his subordinates to be wary. Yet, he calmly stated, “This grain all belongs to Governor Fan.”
“Oh, so you’re bringing out the Governor to scare me?” Commander Zhang burst into laughter. “Do I look like someone easily frightened? Forget it. I don’t want to waste words with you. Since you’re here to help disaster victims, why don’t you help us out a bit too? Look, my men are all victims themselves, and every single one of them is starving.”
With those words, he made his intention to rob them perfectly clear.
Wang Chenggong’s face darkened. Behind him, the militia soldiers were already reaching for their muskets.
Wang Chenggong glanced at the enemy’s numbers and whispered, “They have too many men, thousands of them, and we’re only two hundred strong. Don’t force it; if we fight, we’re certain to take heavy losses.”
Hearing this, the militia soldiers discreetly took a few steps back...
Wang Chenggong continued, “I doubt, as a garrison commander, you’d have the audacity to rob the Governor’s provisions, would you? Who’s backing you? Give me a name, so I can report back to the Governor. If your patron is powerful enough, the Governor might have no choice but to overlook it, and you won’t face any trouble. Isn’t that reasonable?”
Commander Zhang sneered. “Still trying to pressure me with the Governor? Fine, I’ll tell you. My direct superior is Grand General for Aid and Suppression, Zuo Liangyu. If you have any complaints, go tell Fan Shangzheng to take it up with Zuo Liangyu. Let’s see if that stinking scholar-official has the guts.”
As soon as he uttered those words, both Wang Chenggong and Li Daoxuan simultaneously understood.
So, they were Zuo Liangyu’s subordinates!
No wonder, no wonder at all.
That fellow Zuo Liangyu, though nominally the Grand General for Aid and Suppression, had never done any serious bandit suppression. While ostensibly fighting bandits, he always deliberately let the big fish slip away, only devouring the small fry.
The small fry he did 'catch' were all absorbed into his personal army. He amassed troops and grew powerful, increasingly disregarding the imperial court.
No wonder these government troops were so chaotic and slovenly in their dress; they were merely a bandit army absorbed by Zuo Liangyu.
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