Chapter 991
: Killing Prisoners at the South Gate
Chapter 991: Killing Prisoners at the South Gate
Beijing,
It's another refreshing and pleasant morning.
In the busy streets and alleys, the shouts and calls of small vendors can be heard. People who get up early to rush to work get up early and buy a few pastries, eat a few buns, or take some naan bread when passing by the stalls, and then leave in a hurry.
As for the noble families, the rich and powerful, they followed the customary practice of getting up, changing clothes, washing and eating.
Outside the South City Gate,
The garrison commander Han Ling,
I slept on the tower last night. That was not right. Han Ling had been sleeping on the tower these days. Every night, when he couldn't sleep, he would often go out to enjoy the night view alone until he was exhausted.
unfortunately,
In this way, no one dared to slack off for a single day. Even the deputy governor Fu was on duty in the yamen and refused to leave. He worked diligently. It was said that there was nothing to do in the South City, but now it seemed that the North City Gate was much less busy.
"Report, General, General, the city gates have been opened, and many caravans have entered the city. But the caravans that came in said that there is an army camp not far to the south, and they also said that they saw many Taiping sect bandits being held there. It seems that they have already started cooking and are about to rush over."
The general did not need to specifically instruct him on this matter, he had kept it in mind and had been inquiring about news in this way for the past two days. As for who had returned, it went without saying. Those generals of the palace army were so majestic when they left, but now they are so embarrassed. Tsk tsk.
"Okay, I understand. You ask the brothers to work hard today. Don't make any mistakes. Also, inform Master Fu about this matter."
"Yes, General, I will obey your orders."
The captain of the city gate responded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked,
"General, I heard that the government army was defeated. How did these bandits capture the prisoners? I heard that quite a few people came, and many high-ranking members of the Tianping Sect were also captured."
I was curious and wanted to find out more, but Han Ling glared at me and scolded me;
"You are a talkative kid. Is this something you and I can discuss? Trouble comes from the mouth."
"Uh, yes, General, I am just curious."
The captain immediately bowed his head and admitted his fault. No more questions could be asked.
"Get out and clear the people at the city gate. The imperial guards are coming."
Following General Han's gaze, the captain turned his head and saw the imperial guards on the streets of the city, marching majestically towards the city gate. There were at least 10,000 of them.
"General, I will go down right away."
The captain of the city gate greased his feet, ran to the city gate, and immediately ordered the soldiers to drive the people away.
"Hurry up, hurry up, the South City Gate is going to be closed today, everyone, hurry up!"
I don't know where they got the whip from, but they were cursing and driving them away. The people were confused, but they also knew that something big had happened. Those who were still crowding at the city gate rushed in. When it was almost time, the captain of the city gate waved his hand and
Soldiers on both sides immediately left the city and stopped the people from entering.
With the arrival of most of the imperial guards,
Han Ling led his personal soldiers to greet him at the foot of the city. Unexpectedly, it was Kang Guichen, the Marquis of Baoning, who led his troops personally. He quickly saluted.
"General Han Ling greets the commander-in-chief,"
"Well, General Han, don't be so polite. When will the government troops arrive?"
Marquis Baoning looked a little worried. He had received an imperial edict early this morning, which required the imperial guards to escort 20,000 Taiping sect prisoners to the capital camp for custody. In addition, an oral order was given to Wang Ziteng and the generals of the palace army, but the content did not contain a summons, so he didn't know what the emperor meant.
"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, a merchant caravan entered the city early in the morning and said that a large army was camped on the official road outside the south city. I think it was General Jie and his men, so they should arrive not too late."
Han Ling's face looked a little strange. No matter when he came, he couldn't rush them. At this hour, even if the army was to set out, it would take time.
"Okay, in that case, I will wait here."
After saying that, he dismounted, threw off the reins, and hurriedly climbed the city wall with his men. Although Han Ling was puzzled, he could only follow him up the city wall and look south, but he could not see any shadow of the army on the official road. The worry in his heart came back to him. Seeing that Han Ling behind him was quite respectful, he asked calmly;
"General Han, what do you think of the government army?"
This question was a bit abrupt. Everyone in the court knew what the government army was like. Han Ling came from a military background, so he knew everything about it. They drank the blood of the soldiers, ate the money, and had shocking vacancies. These were almost all exposed, but he didn't dare to say it. Besides, the Bingmasi was an independent army, which was not comparable to those government armies. At least they never lacked money.
But the question asked by the commander-in-chief must not be that simple. After a little thought, he answered evasively.
"Commander-in-chief, I believe that they are all serving the court, and the government troops are still here."
"Oh, why do you say that?"
Baoning Hou became interested. The imperial army was now almost in name only. Otherwise, how could the Taiping Sect and the White Lotus Sect have caused such a stir in the south of Beijing? The city where the imperial army was stationed collapsed at the first touch.
"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, the brothers in the government army are also human beings. They also need to eat food and receive wages. If these problems are not resolved, it will be the same for everyone else."
I didn't want to say all this, but when I thought about the soldiers led by Marquis Luo Yun, all of them were paid in full, the difference was obvious. Then I thought about the last time when I intercepted the prince of a vassal state and the scene of distributing silver, who wouldn't be happy? If the government army had received such pay, they wouldn't be in such a state.
"That's true. Soldiers have been fed with food since ancient times. The government army is still there, but the money is gone."
Baoning Hou sighed and looked at the official road outside the city. For a moment, the top of the city was so quiet.
Thirty miles south of the capital,
The entire camp had been packed up and ready to go. The army was still in the same state as when they came. Han Zhiwei, the general of the Beijing camp who was in charge of escorting the prisoners, had already arranged everything early and asked the guerrilla general Xie Cheng to lead the way.
After receiving the order, Xie Cheng was still a little hesitant, so he rode back to the back of the team and asked for instructions;
"General Han, I have no problem leading the way, but the government troops are not on the same side as us. If we go to the capital together, will the Marquis and His Highness ask me to present another merit book? Will it cause misunderstanding?"
There was nothing that could be done about it. The merit books written by His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin and the Marquis were all lists of the generals in the Beijing camp, and at most included the troops of General Gu Ping of Jingnan. They never mentioned the merits of the government army and the Lu family of Daliang City. If they entered the city together with the government army and handed them in, how would they explain it to the generals of the government army if they saw it?
This question stumped General Han, as if he had never thought about these principles. How could he know how to respond when asked this question?
"You kid, you're always looking for trouble. Whatever happens, it's fine. Didn't you say that we're not together? You must do what His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin and the Marquis have told you to do. As for the commander-in-chief, it's not something you and I can ask about, let alone the palace army."
Han Zhiwei thought for a long time but couldn't come up with any solution. He simply gave up and decided to just send the prisoners to the Imperial Guards. Seeing Xie Cheng's respectful look and not having the impatient tone just now, after all, he was the grandson of Dingcheng Marquis Xie Liang.
"By the way, are those Taiping Cult leaders safe?"
"General, everything is fine. Most of the damned ones died on the way. Those who survived can make it to the capital. Don't worry, the brothers under your command are taking good care of them. You know that these are all credits."
Xie Cheng knew all about this and responded to all the questions one by one. He led his men to patrol three times a day, and the situation of the prisoners was clear at a glance. Besides, the Marquis had said that as long as the prisoners were safely delivered to the Imperial Guards, both the merit and the reward would be guaranteed. The Marquis' reputation was known to everyone in the capital.
"Well, that's good, don't wait, let's get going."
"Yes, General."
Xie Cheng nodded, rode back to the front of the team, picked up the horn and blew it. As the horn sounded, the army returning to the capital slowly moved forward.
However, unlike the soldiers escorting from the capital camp, the soldiers of the government army looked increasingly unhappy. The closer they got to the capital, the more uneasy they felt. Even Jia Lian and Wang Ren, who had never thought about this, were a little nervous. What if the court issued an edict to punish them?
Looking around, he saw the generals of the government army all had gloomy faces. His bad premonition became stronger and stronger. Jia Lian rode on his horse and touched his elder brother Wang Ren's arm with his hand. When he saw Wang Ren turn his head, he winked at the seat behind him. Wang Ren understood and nodded. Gradually, the two of them slowed down their horses, left the front team, and gradually moved closer together. Then, Jia Lian asked in a low voice;
"Brother, the capital is just ahead. Do you think your uncle knows something? These armors and clothes should have been replaced long ago. Now the whole army has changed into the original blood-stained clothes. Do you think there is a plan to deal with it?"
Not to mention that the two of them had some ideas, even the remaining soldiers following behind them looked the same. Some of them had their arms and legs chopped off, but they were still alive and were transported back to Beijing in carriages. This kind of look, not to mention that he had some ideas, if it were anyone else,
Wang Ren nodded, a complicated look flashed across his face. These things were all thought up by General Hu and General He. The two old generals knew everything about the military. Besides, these were all true, so there was no need to pretend.
"Brother Lian, my uncle has not received any news, but these methods were ordered by General He and General Hu, and they are very useful. I don't know what the court says yet."
Wang Ren was feeling anxious at the moment. According to the records in the merit book, he and Jia Lian's military achievements were enough to make them guerrilla generals. But now it seemed that this was in jeopardy.
As the two were talking, suddenly, someone in front of the team shouted,
"We have arrived at the south gate of the capital."
Everyone was shocked. Looking around, they saw the towering tower of the South City Gate. Everyone was shocked and their morale was low.
In less than half an hour, the procession arrived at the South City Gate. The crowds of onlookers had already filled the gate. Even the merchant caravans were not in a hurry to enter the city, but instead followed to watch.
When the team got closer, everyone gasped. The bloody and murderous aura of the remaining government soldiers rushed towards them. The Taiping sect soldiers behind them looked like evil spirits, which frightened many people and made them retreat.
The soldiers naturally did not need to be told off. The defeated soldiers were all wounded, with blood-stained clothes, and they all gave off a strong stench. The generals in the front, although not as bad as the soldiers, had damaged armor and many were wounded. They were covered in blood-stained armor, not to mention how miserable they were.
Even when Baoning Hou saw this, a trace of horror flashed in his eyes. Why was it so? He thought it was intentional, but when he looked closely, he found that the armor on Hu Le and He Yong's bodies was not only full of holes, but even the fish-scale iron blades were missing a lot, which was obviously cut by a sharp weapon.
In addition, the military uniforms they wore were those worn by the generals of the imperial court. There were many knife marks and broken holes from arrows. These were not added later. They were the only two who could escape from such a fierce battle. Of course, although the others were not so embarrassed, they left many marks. This battle was not unfairly lost.
As for the captured bandits, they had fierce and ruthless eyes. Although they looked embarrassed, they were strong and healthy, and did not look like ordinary people who had been hungry for a long time. They were old bandits with ruthless hearts and minds, especially the leaders. They should be high-ranking members of the Taiping Sect. Being watched by so many people aroused their fierceness.
"Humph, you are just a defeated general. If I hadn't been exhausted, I wouldn't have been caught by you good-for-nothings like you. The Taiping Sect is acting in accordance with the will of Heaven. The Great Sage Master saves the suffering. The Taiping Sect is destined by Heaven, and the world will be blessed! Haha."
I don't know if this shout was a kind of encouragement, but almost 20,000 Taiping prisoners shouted in unison.
"The leader has great fortune and a long life. The Taiping Sect is destined by heaven, and the world will be blessed with good fortune!"
The roar was so deafening that the onlookers retreated in fear, and the officers present turned pale, then lashed out with their whips.
"This is outrageous. Beat them hard, beat them hard."
Han Zhiwei's face turned pale. The prisoners had not been handed over yet, but this had happened. He immediately ordered his soldiers to attack, wielding horse whips and beating them hard. Somehow, it was as if the Taiping Cult members were possessed by a demon. The more they were beaten, the more fiercely they shouted. Their faces turned red, and they shouted with all their might. The shouts of 20,000 people almost spread throughout half of the capital.
Baoning Hou's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He was so arrogant in the capital. He immediately raised his hand and ordered,
"Kill until the sound stops,"
"This is the Commander-in-Chief,"
Deputy General Yao Datong, sweating profusely, gritted his teeth and agreed, and immediately shouted;
"The commander-in-chief has ordered that the person who is shouting be killed immediately,"
Then, the imperial guards behind them drew their weapons in unison, and slashed at the unarmed, shouting Taiping prisoners in front of them without mercy. The blades flashed, and blood splattered five steps away. Unfortunately, even so, the Taiping prisoners seemed to be possessed by a demon, and did not stop at all.
"Kill, kill again,"
Baoning Hou's face darkened and he shouted harshly. Even Wang Ziteng drew his sword and said,
"kill,"
Almost at the gate of the city, the government troops, the capital camp, and the imperial guards were almost slaughtered. Nearly 20,000 Taiping sect members died inside and outside the city gate, shocking the entire capital.
The blood had almost gathered into a stream. The onlookers had already fled in fear. The remaining officers and soldiers were also silent. The enemy army was so powerful that they were terrified.
Baoning Hou touched the blood on his face and looked at Wang Ziteng who was in the same situation. He moved his mouth but had no words of comfort.
"Your Majesty's order,"
Once the word is spoken,
All the generals of the government army, led by Wang Ziteng, knelt on the ground without caring about the filthy blood on the ground.
"The guilty minister, Prince Teng, led the generals of the government army to listen respectfully to the holy teachings,"
"Wang Ziteng and all the soldiers of the prefectural army have worked hard and made great contributions to protecting Daliang City. I am very pleased. I order the commanders to return to their respective prefectures to rest while their contributions in this battle are small. The pensions for the fallen soldiers will be jointly distributed by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I decree this."
"I, your humble servant Wang Ziteng, receive your order! During this march south, eight or nine out of ten of the more than 100,000 soldiers in the imperial army were killed. This is because of your humble servant's incompetence."
Wang Ziteng's eyes were red as he howled and the officers and soldiers behind him cried even more bitterly. For a moment, even the imperial guards could not bear to watch.
Baoning Hou brought the palace's oral order, and after reading it, he quickly walked forward, held up Wang Ziteng's arm with both hands, and chanted;
"Brother Wang, you have suffered a lot, please go back home and rest."
"Brother Kang, how can a defeated general go back with dignity? Go to the palace and apologize now."
at this time,
Wang Ziteng did not have any previous plans. The emperor did not even want to see him. He was afraid that the palace army would be finished in the future. So he made up his mind and went to the Meridian Gate to apologize.
Without waiting for the Marquis of Baoning to persuade him, the remaining 20,000 defeated soldiers crossed the downtown area and went to the Meridian Gate to kneel down and apologize. Although they were accompanied by the imperial guards, everyone who saw them could not bear to watch.
"Commander-in-chief, now that everyone has been killed, how can we explain this?"
Yao Datong was still a little frightened at this moment. Twenty thousand people died here, which was unheard of. Baoning Hou's face flashed with cruelty.
"What else can we do? We will kill the traitors and take their bodies outside the south city. We will have the brothers build a memorial to deter the rebels in the world."
"This, is, Lord."
Deputy General Yao murmured in response. At this moment, he realized the power of the Marquis and turned around and shouted,
"Someone, take the body out and build a memorial."
The remaining soldiers of the Beijing Camp had already returned to the camp. After General Han handed over the merit list of the front to Marquis Baoning, he immediately walked away. When he returned to the Beijing Camp, his face was still pale. He even vomited all the meat stewed in the morning after smelling it.
But what happened at the city gate spread throughout the capital in an instant.
Not to mention the small vendors, wine shops and teahouses, even the prostitutes in the big restaurants and brothels all rushed to send people to inquire about the tragedy. When they heard about the tragedy at the South City Gate, everyone was shocked. In order to attract more people, some diners, whether they were there or not, all boasted about it. Among them was a peddler who ordered two pots of wine and two plates of meat, and then a group of people gathered at the table.
"Hey, you know, at that time, the people had been driven out of the South City Gate, and the imperial guards also came out of the city. Do you know what it was like outside?"
He spoke in a mysterious manner. The people who gathered around him had no idea what was going on. They all shook their heads and asked anxiously,
"Brother, please tell me quickly, could it be that the captives of the Taiping Sect have entered the city?"
The head of the merchant shook his head and smiled without saying anything, which made many people around him dissatisfied. Suddenly, someone spoke up.
"Waiter, come and serve this gentleman six meat dishes. This table is for him."
(End of this chapter)