Chapter 836: Answer Me with a Clear Conscience
Dai Jun'en watched the "Commendation Ceremony" in a daze, seeing many "outstanding militiamen" receive certificates of commendation and bonuses. Then, to his surprise, a song and dance performance began on the city wall, with "artistic representatives" from various factories singing and dancing joyfully.
Their performances were far from professional, yet the workers watched with immense delight, their thunderous cheers shaking the very air.
Only then did Dai Jun'en and his two brigadier generals finally get their chance. They parted the crowds and pushed their way to Xing Honglang, who had just stepped off the stage to rest. "General Xing," Dai Jun'en asked, "what exactly is going on here?"
Xing Honglang turned, cupping her fist in a greeting. "Ah, Governor!" she exclaimed. "We're celebrating our victory over the rebel forces..."
They talked on and on for what felt like an eternity, finally explaining clearly how three bandit chiefs had attacked the steelworks and been defeated by the militia.
Dai Jun'en and his two brigadier generals listened to the full account, utterly astonished. "This is preposterous!" Dai Jun'en exclaimed. "Five thousand rebel soldiers, defeated by the Hedong Circuit's militia? The regular army wasn't even deployed; it was entirely thanks to the militia. This defies belief!"
Xing Honglang produced three boxes, each containing the head of a bandit chief. "These three bandit chiefs," she announced, "I'll entrust them to the Governor."
Dai Jun'en accepted them with both hands, a slight awkwardness in his demeanor. "I will report this merit on General Xing's behalf," he stated.
Xing Honglang shook her head. "This isn't my merit, it's the merit of the militia. If this achievement were attributed to me, your subordinate, I wouldn't be able to rest or eat in peace. Governor, please report it directly as the achievement of the local villagers."
"Oh, right!" Dai Jun'en interjected. "General Xing, you sent most of your troops to the Xuan-Da Command. Do you know what the situation is like there?"
Xing Honglang grinned. "The situation there is good," she reported. "The Manchu scouts near Daizhou have already been cleared out. Our forces are now holding Yanmen Pass, preventing Manchu raiding parties from entering and looting. At the same time, we've split into two forces and exited the pass, advancing towards Yingzhou..."
Hearing this, Dai Jun'en grew even more perplexed. *I'm in Taiyuan, yet I'm not as well-informed as you are here in the Hedong Circuit? Where on earth do you get your intelligence from?* he wondered.
Xing Honglang continued, "In any case, many thanks for coming to the Hedong Circuit's aid, Governor. But our primary task right now is still to resist the Manchus from the north. Governor, you should quickly lead your army back to Taiyuan to take charge."
Dai Jun'en found her words reasonable. Cupping his fist in a salute, he hastily gathered his two brigadier generals and headed north again, returning to Taiyuan.
Datong Prefecture, to the southwest, Xinma Camp Village.
North of the village stood an ancient earthen fortress, Xinma Fort.
This was a border fort of the Datong garrison, constructed when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Great Ming Dynasty, much like the ancient fortress at Wangjia Fork in northern Shaanxi, specifically built to defend against foreign tribes.
The fort housed 110 border soldiers, led by a centurion.
However...
As everyone knows!
The actual strength of Xinma Fort was only sixty men.
At this moment, these sixty soldiers were trembling with fear inside the small Xinma Fort.
Just moments ago, Manchu scouts had discovered this small border fort. After whistling a few times in the distance, the Manchu scouts had departed.
But the soldiers knew that "going" meant "coming."
Soon, the main Manchu force would arrive.
A small earthen fort with sixty soldiers stood no chance against the large Manchu army. Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, it was a suicidal endeavor, leading only to certain death.
"Let's run!" Xinma Fort's centurion declared. "Rather than dying here, it's better to cut our losses and run."
"Sir," one soldier ventured, "if we run, we'll become deserters. We'll be beheaded afterwards."
The centurion replied, "We'll go find the rebels and join them."
His soldiers fell silent...
They truly didn't want to follow such an order, but what would happen if they didn't?
Staying here meant certain death!
Ultimately, all sixty soldiers heeded the centurion's command. They packed their valuables and personal belongings, took their wives and children—over a hundred people in total—abandoned the border fort, and slipped away to the south.
As deserters, they
naturally couldn't take the main roads, only cutting through forests and ravines, taking paths no ordinary person would.
Ahead lay a mountain ravine named Kouqianyu Gully.
As the group had just entered the gully, a sharp shout echoed around them. Then, from behind the rocks and trees on both sides of the gully, a large group of heads emerged. Each person held a flintlock rifle, pointing at the border soldiers trapped in the gully.
The border soldiers were startled, but they were too few in number and also had their families with them, surrounded by flintlock riflemen. They didn't dare to even think of resisting, quickly laid down their weapons, raised their hands, and declared their surrender.
The centurion mustered his courage and looked around. Seeing that these people's clothes didn't resemble Manchu attire, nor did they have the Manchus' strange shaved hairstyle, he called out loudly, "Which government army unit is ambushing here? Please send someone to speak."
From among the ambushers, a man stepped forward, with a full, rugged beard that made him look very imposing. It was none other than Wang Er from Baishui County, who now perpetually wore a thick beard, more effective than any disguise. He called out, "Don't ask who I am; tell me who you are first! From your clothes, you seem to be border soldiers from Datong Prefecture. Instead of defending against the Manchus on the border, you're sneaking off to the south. Hmph! You must be deserters."
The centurion's face showed embarrassment. "Well... we..." he stammered.
"No need to explain," Wang Er snorted angrily. "Facing the enemy, you dare not fight. All government soldiers are useless cowards."
At his words, the centurion grew agitated. "It's easy for you to talk when you're not in my shoes!" he retorted loudly. "Fight? How the hell am I supposed to fight? I only have sixty men! Short on supplies, starving – what am I supposed to fight the Manchus with?"
Wang Er let out a sound of surprise. He hadn't expected this fellow, with hundreds of flintlock rifles pointed at him, to still dare to get angry and roar. He's quite a tough character, actually, Wang Er mused.
"Why do you only have sixty men?" Wang Er challenged. "You embezzled the pay for over forty soldiers, didn't you? Hmph!"
The centurion exploded in anger. "Me, embezzle pay? Wouldn't having more soldiers under my command better protect my own life? Why the hell would I embezzle pay? It's the officials above me who embezzle! Every time a soldier died in battle, I'd ask for reinforcements, but the higher-ups would never send them. Fewer soldiers meant fewer expenses, and they could send even less money to Xinma Fort. All that shortchanged money was pocketed by those above me. Not a single copper coin landed in my pouch!"
The centurion wailed with indignation. "Every battle, I lose a few more of my brothers. Now there are only sixty, sixty, I tell you! You want me to defend Xinma Fort with sixty men against the large Manchu army? Am I supposed to block them with my head?"
By this point, his voice had turned hoarse. "I'm asking you, damn it, with your hand on your heart, answer me honestly: if you were in my position, would you run or not?"
Wang Er fell silent...
After a long pause, Wang Er finally spoke. "What if I were to appear here now with two thousand soldiers? I'd ask you to join me in blocking the Manchus. Would you dare?"
The centurion scoffed, "Damn right I would! With two thousand men, why wouldn't I dare? Do you take me for some spineless coward?"
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