Chapter 332: The Old Eighth Squad Arrives
Luochuan County.
The captains of Bu Zhan Ni's seven squads were converging.
Ever since the internal conflict between Captain Dian Dengzi of the Second Squad and Captain Ye Bushou of the Seventh Squad, which saw both units routed, Bu Zhan Ni had promoted two new captains, so he still commanded seven squads.
They were: Yan Qian'er of the First Squad, Shuang Chihu of the Second Squad, Li Jinwang of the Third Squad, Xie Zikuai of the Fourth Squad, Old Zhang Fei of the Fifth Squad, Luanshi Wang of the Sixth Squad, and Zijin Long of the Seventh Squad.
Their might was immense; they could practically swagger through Luochuan County with impunity.
Not long ago, when Yang He had just taken office, five regional commanders were dispatched simultaneously to suppress bandits everywhere. Bu Zhan Ni, for his part, had tucked his tail between his legs for a few days. But soon, Manchu forces entered the pass, and all five regional commanders rushed to the capital to defend the emperor. With no imperial troops left in the northwest, who could possibly challenge Bu Zhan Ni now?
He was currently taking stock of his large army, brimming with arrogance.
A subordinate reported, "Chief, a small rebel force is seeking an audience outside the camp, wishing to pledge allegiance to us."
"A small force?" Bu Zhan Ni frowned. "How many men, exactly?"
Bu Zhan Ni scoffed, "Fewer than a thousand? What use could they possibly be?"
The subordinate lowered his voice. "These thousand men are different. They are all able-bodied young men, without the burden of the old, weak, sick, or disabled. Their presence is formidable; they are not easily dealt with."
That piqued Bu Zhan Ni's interest. "All able-bodied young men? Now that's interesting. Hmm, I'll go see for myself."
Bu Zhan Ni went out to meet them outside the camp and there he saw a ruthless man, a man who, at a glance, you knew was ruthless.
"I am the Dashing General from Mizhi." That man was Li Zicheng, who cupped his fists respectfully to Bu Zhan Ni. "I hear that Elder Brother Bu Zhan Ni is widely recruiting talent for a great undertaking, so I have brought my fellow villagers from home to join you."
"The Dashing General from Mizhi?" Bu Zhan Ni had certainly heard of Mizhi. "Seven out of ten people in Mizhi had turned bandit, the county was almost empty, and their relatives and friends joined the rebellion as if returning home," (as recorded in historical texts).
He looked at the fewer than a thousand subordinates behind the Dashing General. He hadn't known it until he looked, but he was startled by what he saw. Although there were only a few hundred people, each of them had resolute expressions and fierce eyes, clearly not people to be trifled with.
When it came to battle, the strength these fewer than a thousand men could unleash would likely be no less than that of four or five thousand from other armies.
A smile spread across Bu Zhan Ni's face. "Brother Dashing General, I can tell at a glance that you are a man of iron will, and your men are all formidable warriors. You are more than welcome to join us."
"I already have seven squad captains here, so for now, I'll have to trouble Brother Dashing General to take on the role of Eighth Squad Captain. From now on, I'll call you 'Eighth Brother,' how about that?"
Li Zicheng cupped his fists. "Elder Brother!"
In the third year of Chongzhen's reign, Li Zicheng led a squad of his fellow villagers from Mizhi and joined Bu Zhan Ni's forces, becoming the Eighth Squad Captain. This was the origin of the later renowned Old Eighth Squad, also known as the Fengtian Changyi Battalion, one of the fiercest armies in the land!
In Gao Family Village, a solemn atmosphere pervaded.
Cheng Xu had returned from Huanglong Mountain, bringing back the heads of Wang Zuogua, Fei Shan Hu, and Da Hong Lang. A large altar had been set up in the center of Gao Family Village, displaying the spirit tablets of four "martyrs."
Gao Yiye, dressed in a plain white robe, stood on the altar, serving as a spiritual leader.
Bai Yuan himself ascended the platform, placing the heads of the three bandit leaders before the spirit tablets. These four had died for him, so he naturally had to treat them with utmost solemnity.
After a period of solemn mourning, the heroic souls of the four martyrs were appeased.
Only then did Li Daoxuan speak, "I now announce that Gao Family Village's great vengeance has been exacted. Starting today, the 'emergency wartime status' is lifted, and Craftsman Well will resume normal operations.'"
The villagers all responded in unison, then returned to their posts and resumed their work.
At the distant construction site, Lao Nanfeng and a group of labor reform prisoners watched from afar, their expressions deeply complex.
One of the border army labor reform prisoners said, "Only four people died, yet look how grandly they're commemorating them. How many men die in a single battle on our border? They never treated us like that.'"
Lao Nanfeng snorted. "What do you know? Only by treating the dead with respect can the living feel how much they are valued. Only then will they fight with their lives in battle.'"
The labor reform prisoner exclaimed, "Huh?"
Lao Nanfeng said, "Think about it carefully yourself. If you were to die and receive such generous treatment, would you still cower and hesitate to advance in battle?'"
The labor reform prisoner replied, "I understand."
Lao Nanfeng said, "Good that you understand. Now get back to work quickly.'"
Just then, Zhong Gaoliang walked over. "Lao Nanfeng, I have something I'd like to discuss with you.'"
As soon as Lao Nanfeng saw the 'jailer' approaching, he immediately straightened his posture. "Sir Jailer, how may I be of service?'"
Zhong Gaoliang said, "Our militia won a great victory. You all must have seen it.'"
Lao Nanfeng replied, "We saw it. What does that have to do with us labor reform prisoners?'"
Zhong Gaoliang said, "Wang Zuogua's forces numbered a full ten thousand men. We weren't so cruel as to kill them all. In this battle, more than seven thousand labor reform prisoners were captured. Over five thousand of them are old, weak, women, and children. All of them will be put into the prison to undergo labor reform.'"
Lao Nanfeng was taken aback by this. "What's the point of keeping that trash? Wouldn't it be better to just kill them all?'"
"The Heavenly Lord's attitude toward these bandits is the same as his attitude toward you at the beginning," Zhong Gaoliang said, eyeing him askance. "The primary offenders must be executed. Those who followed them will be put through labor reform, to see if there's any possibility of redemption. Especially the old, women, and children – they were all forced into banditry. They don't have the capacity to loot or kill, and most acted against their will. If we were so cruel as to kill even them, would you all still be alive right now?'"
Lao Nanfeng gave an awkward laugh. "That's true."
Zhong Gaoliang continued, "So, the prison is about to be expanded. It will become an enormous prison capable of holding over ten thousand people.'"
Lao Nanfeng had an inkling of what was coming. "Does the jailer mean for me to help maintain order in the prison?'"
Zhong Gaoliang affirmed, "Yes, and this is also the Heavenly Lord's will. Look up at the sky.'"
Lao Nanfeng looked up, and saw a small cloud already hovering directly above his head. Gao Yiye, the Saintess who spoke exclusively for the Heavenly Lord, also walked up to him, a smile gracing her face. "Lao Nanfeng, you've been undergoing labor reform for quite some time now. The Heavenly Lord sees that you are quite shrewd, and anyone who's been in the army knows a thing or two about discipline. Therefore, this glorious and arduous task is being entrusted to you.'"
Lao Nanfeng quickly performed a deep bow. "The Heavenly Lord need only command.'"
Gao Yiye continued, "From now on, Jailer Zhong will manage the 'external' aspects of the entire prison, while you will be responsible for the 'internal' affairs. You'll have your men maintain order within the prison, observing those seven thousand-plus people for any ill intentions. If anyone tries to escape or cause trouble, you are to notify Jailer Zhong in advance. That will count as a meritorious deed, and it will benefit your future sentence reduction.'"
Lao Nanfeng understood. He chuckled mischievously. "Don't worry, this matter can be left to me and my brothers. Everyone wants to get their sentences reduced and be released early, then go work under Commander Ghost.'"
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