Chapter 1183: Shouting

The riders were, of course, the commanding general and the various officers. They had actually intended to flee first. Had they managed to escape, it might have been one thing, but their failure to get away instantly shattered the morale inside the manor. Amid the shouting and cursing from within, before the horses on this side could even strain to pull away, someone on the wall yelled out, "Honored lords of Xuzhou down below, we are willing to surrender! We'll open the gates right now—please, honored lords, hold your fire!"

The household troops below did not let their actions be affected in the slightest and continued their advance, with the firearm troops pushing forward a bit more. But just at that moment, the raised drawbridge was directly lowered, the manor gates were thrown open, and soldiers dressed in government army uniforms came pouring out, tossing aside their weapons as they ran.

This time, it was the household troops who burst out cursing. They had already squared up, ready to fight, and never expected the enemy to be this pathetic. What merit could there possibly be in this? Nothing more than taking prisoners. The several company commanders leading the assault, however, remained unflustered. They had one flank of household troops clear a path while reporting to Zhao Jin, requesting the local militia to come assist in guarding the captives. Every squad and company of household troops maintained a state of combat readiness, prepared to attack at any moment, lest the enemy be feigning surrender.

But the fighting spirit and courage of the government soldiers were truly pitiful. The moment they realized the manor could not be held, and that the commanding general urging them to fight to the death was about to abandon them and flee, the entire army collapsed. Those squad leaders and corporals who had personally led their men were the first to surrender. Who would be foolish enough to throw their life away for you? Some even ran out shouting wildly, "Long live the Heavenly King Zhao! Long live, long live!"

"The elite troops under Lord Jin are indeed unmatched in valor. At this rate, the rebel soldiers will surrender in no time." That Zhong Gongxian, being from a gentry family after all, truly possessed a remarkable talent for tactful flattery.

Zhao Jin merely smiled and said, "If they don't want to die, naturally they'll surrender. There really aren't many in the Great Ming's army willing to fight to the death. But if we were besieging a native stockade, I fear the able-bodied militiamen would fight us to the bitter end. These prisoners will be temporarily handed over to you for guarding. The agricultural reclamation department will allocate supplies to you. First, put them to work repairing the water conservancy projects. Once Xuzhou is fully secured, these men will be sent to the northern district of Huai'an to labor. Don't be soft on them, but there's no need for excessive slaughter either. I'll leave this matter to you."

The regard for Zhong Gongxian in his words was clear for all to hear. Zhong Gongxian suppressed his delight and quickly made a solemn pledge. He had just bowed when a sudden commotion erupted behind him at the manor gate. There were shouts of alarm and barked orders—it looked like chaos was about to break out. Could the government troops be feigning surrender after all?

Turning to look, he saw that the already chaotic and jam-packed manor gate had become even more disorderly. Some people were frantically jumping into the trench. A squad of cavalry had actually charged out from there. Were the government troops trying to make a desperate rush at them? The household troops, who had never let their guard down, shouted in unison. Long spears and halberds were raised, and the crack of firearms erupted anew. The cavalryman charging at the very front raised his hand, but before he could speak, several bloody holes were blasted through both man and horse, and he tumbled into the trench, landing on who knows whom. A chorus of screams and panicked cries followed.

"Lords of Xuzhou, we are surrendering too! Let us ride out first—we aren't carrying any weapons!"

"We've already thrown away our weapons! Surrender, we surrender!"

The shrill shouts had become distorted. No matter how the men on horseback screamed in explanation, the firearms and bows, which had never slackened, continued to fire without pause. You're on horseback—if you charge, you can reach Zhao Jin in an instant. How could the household troops possibly make such a mistake?

"Get down, all of you get down!" The household troops of Zhao Camp roared furiously. The targets of their shouts were the government soldiers who had already surrendered but had not yet been formed up and led away. They were caught right between the firearms, the archers, and the trench. The only option was to make them lie flat. Anyone accidentally wounded or killed could only be called unlucky.

The government prisoners, already in a state of shock, were once again stunned by the scene before them. The rapid, continuous volleys of arrows were nothing extraordinary—the government army had no shortage of such skilled archers. But the uninterrupted, round-after-round fire of the arquebuses was truly terrifying. They watched the Xuzhou firearm troops, busy yet orderly, loading ammunition with practiced efficiency, firing in volleys. The crossfire from both flanks completely sealed off the manor gate, and the thunderous reports never ceased for a moment.

"Damn, if you ran into that head-on, wouldn't it be just like mowing grass?" a prisoner in the distance muttered. If they met this on the battlefield, the relentless volleys of gunfire alone would inflict devastating casualties.

But the roar of the firearms did not last long. The government cavalry charging out of the manor soon learned why. Some dared not even hold their reins, raising both hands high above their saddles and desperately trying to slow their mounts. Yet as those in front slowed, those behind grew frantic. The narrow drawbridge at the manor gate became impossibly jammed. Some at the front had just slowed when they were rammed from behind and sent tumbling down, a chorus of miserable shrieks and wails filling the air.

Moments later, no one was riding out on horseback anymore. Instead, a cluster of burly men in full armor pushed their way out. It was clear they were shielding someone. The moment the government prisoners—those lying flat, those who had walked further away, anyone who saw this—spotted these men, they erupted in furious curses. For an instant, the Zhao Camp household troops thought a riot was about to break out, but they quickly realized the curses were all directed at this newly emerged group.

"Le Qianhu, you worthless coward who deserves to be hacked to pieces! You made your brothers fight to the death while you, you bastard, tried to run first!"

"You never charged at the front when we were fighting, but now you scramble to be first in surrendering! Have the dogs eaten your conscience?"

The foul language and curses wishing them childless and extinct were a chaotic din. The group of burly men, however, seemed largely indifferent. The moment they emerged, they threw down their weapons, raised their hands high, and knelt on the ground, saying only that they wished to surrender.

The household troops of Zhao Camp suppressed the disturbance and led the relevant parties away. Then, under the cover of firearms and bows, they approached those burly men. These men were clearly more elite than the ordinary soldiers, and they were kneeling together in a tight group, subtly shielding the person in their midst. Who knew if there was some trickery afoot?

One by one, they were made to crawl out on their knees. The household troops searched them thoroughly, and only after confirming there was no problem were they released. This one-by-one process was extremely laborious. Meanwhile, a large mass of soldiers continued to pour out of the manor gate, all of them cursing furiously. It was only then that the household troops learned what had actually happened.

"Lord Jin, that Le Qianhu saw the situation was hopeless and tried to lead his men in an escape through the west gate, but our militia blocked them and drove them back. His attempt to flee instantly caused the government troops' camp to erupt in chaos. He and his personal guards had intended to retreat back inside, but unexpectedly, some of the soldiers turned on them and attacked. After a brief skirmish, they used their horses to charge over to this side, wanting to surrender. If they had stayed in the manor, a full-scale internecine battle would have broken out." A household troop company commander reported to Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin, standing there, nodded impassively. The government army was rotten to the core, but reaching such a state was still surprising. Back when the government forces had pressed in from both the north and south, the battles on both fronts had been swift and decisive victories. Yet even then, the fighting will of the government troops had been somewhat commendable. This Fengyang government army, however, was simply beyond pathetic.

"To be fair, these four thousand troops weren't completely useless. They managed to break out and even found a manor to fortify. If this weren't on our Xuzhou turf, they might actually have been a bit troublesome." Behind him, Tao Gui and Xu Yong were discussing. Hearing this, Zhao Jin chuckled wryly. He suddenly realized that this Fengyang army wasn't actually that bad—it was just that his own standards were too high.

The man who had just reported also took the opportunity to request instructions, saying that the guerrilla commander Le Qianhu wished to meet Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin did not refuse, and the man had already been brought over. A guerrilla commander was a ranked military officer, a high official commanding a mobile force. Zhao Camp had not had much contact with high-ranking government generals, dealing mostly with that Xuzhou Regional Commander Zhou Baolu. Zhao Jin was somewhat curious about this Le Qianhu.

Bound tightly with ropes, Le Qianhu was brought before him. Government military officers all looked roughly the same—solid and burly in build. Officers above the rank of squad leader ate well and trained diligently in martial arts, so their physiques were naturally not poor. When Le Qianhu saw Zhao Jin, he could not help but be shocked by his youth. But Le Qianhu's reaction was not slow; he immediately and solemnly knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Long live the Heavenly King Zhao, long live, long live! This humble one is willing to submit to Xuzhou, to go through fire and water for the Heavenly King, even if my bones are ground to dust!"

Zhao Jin had been smiling as he observed, but these words made him freeze. The household troops beside him, however, showed expressions of excitement. Tao Gui and Xu Yong looked very stirred, and even Bayin was muttering to himself, though no one knew what he was saying.

"You're surrendering, just like that?" Zhao Jin asked.

"The Heavenly King is brilliant and divinely martial! This humble one previously failed to understand the great righteousness and was blinded by the traitorous Zhu Ming rebels, nearly committing a grave error. I beg the Heavenly King to show mercy and allow this humble one to charge at the forefront, to crusade against the Zhu Ming bandits for Xuzhou!" Le Qianhu declared in a gruff voice, his face full of solemn gravity.

Zhao Jin coughed dryly twice. Despite the fawning loyalty being directed at him, Zhao Jin himself felt awkward. After coughing twice, he waved his hand and said, "Don't harbor any crooked schemes. Just do whatever you're told to do. Our Xuzhou will not cruelly kill or mistreat prisoners. But if you don't know what's good for you, our Xuzhou will not be soft-hearted either. Just follow the arrangements."

Le Qianhu, however, grew somewhat anxious at this. He had said so much, yet the other party had given no response whatsoever. Was he about to be killed? But looking at the young man's face, he saw only boredom and disinterest, with no discernible killing intent. He wanted to say more, but the household troops directly hoisted him up and took him away.

"Military officers like this all have families they care about. We can send letters to their families for them. The men must stay here obediently, but their families can be allowed to come and reunite with them. If they're willing to spend silver, we can facilitate housing and supplies." Zhao Jin gave simple instructions. He had no interest whatsoever in such a government military officer. Killing him would be pointless; better to let him live and work for Xuzhou. He might as well be humane about it.

Zhao Jin was very calm, his mind already turning to the military affairs of Xuzhou and Qingjiangpu. But the several company commanders behind him were extremely excited, exchanging glances with one another. Xu Yong rubbed his hands together and stepped forward to ask, "Lord Jin, this batch of prisoners includes nearly four hundred cavalry. Shouldn't they be assigned to our Mounted Household Troop Regiment? That's enough for another company's establishment."

"They can't be used right now. If these army riffraff and old campaigners work directly for us, they'll only lead our household troops astray. You've all been through this—do you still not understand? Send them to the farming estates. We'll talk about anything else after they've been trained into obedience." Zhao Jin was very stern about this matter. The company commanders of the mounted household troops all chuckled dryly and fell silent.

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