Chapter 195 Primary Liberation (II)
The rescued women were sent to the base one after another, and Qian Qing personally welcomed them. Seeing the tall Qian Qing in military uniform, the women were very surprised. Qian Qing calmly accepted such gazes, and calmly arranged accommodation and food for the rescued women.
Lei Hu happened to pass by here, and seeing Qian Qing's friendly behavior, he couldn't help but stop and watch. That calmness made Lei Hu's admiration for her even deeper.
Just as Qian Qing finished his arrangements and was about to return to the headquarters, Lei Hu hurried over to greet Qian Qing and went to the headquarters together. At the same time, he asked, "Commander Qian, I think you didn't kill anyone to establish your authority, isn't that a little unimpressive?"
Qian Qing was amused by Lei Hu's words, "Chief of Staff Lei, if you didn't kill anyone, then did the 100,000 Qing soldiers commit suicide?"
"No, no, no, I meant to go to the countryside." Lei Hu corrected quickly. He also participated in the meeting before the liberation operation and knew that Huo Chong emphasized that this operation could not be aimed at killing people. Lei Hu felt that in order to establish his authority in the countryside, he had to be a little fierce.
After listening to Lei Hu's explanation, Qian Qing shook his head and said, "I don't know what you Hebei people are like. We in Shandong are a reasonable place."
Lei Hu felt embarrassed when being bombarded by the map cannon, and quickly explained: "We in Hebei also listen to reason. But those gentry in the countryside don't listen to reason. When they fight, people often die."
"In Shandong, killing is a big deal. If you are not right, no matter how powerful you are, no one will pay attention to you. The master wants us to make friends with the people, not to scare them. The reason why so many people are willing to come to the master is also related to the fact that the master did not allow us to buy their things at low prices before the disaster relief."
That was the only disaster relief that Huo Chong had ever done. Lei Hu knew about that incident, and when it was brought up again, he felt a little emotional.
Generally speaking, everyone believes that people who contribute money and effort to disaster relief should be respectable. Even if they are not arrogant, there is no need to be like Huo Chong and his gang, who bought things at low prices from the victims who were selling them in order to get through the difficult times, and then sent people to apologize and return the items.
However, looking back now, that incident not only did not damage Huo Chong's reputation, but instead made Huo Chong's name for benevolence and righteousness widely known in the disaster area.
But Lei Hu still did not change his position because of this. "I was framed by the gentry in the past, and I know what kind of people they are! They say that the barbarians fear power but not morality, and the gentry are the barbarians!"
Qian Qing did not object to Lei Hu's opinion, "Of course. Everyone is like this. It is human nature to bully the weak and fear the strong, so we must become stronger, tougher than those officials! If we can do that, the officials will be afraid of us."
The two chatted until they arrived at the headquarters. After meeting Huo Chong, Qian Qing raised a question: Would the Qing army take advantage of the Han army entering the vast countryside and attacking the headquarters when the interior was empty?
Huo Chong nodded after listening, "That's why I try to place as few people and supplies as possible here at the headquarters. If they come, we will just leave."
Lei Hu thought Huo Chong's attitude was too strange, so he asked, "Sir, wouldn't it hurt our prestige if we did this ?"
"Prestige? I think your lives are more important than prestige."
Seeing that Huo Chong and Qian Qing, the master and disciple, didn't care about Wei Feng at all, Lei Hu felt very disappointed. Judging from their reactions, it seemed that Lei Hu had done something wrong. Finally, Lei Hu could only ask, "Sir, I think that with your current strength, you should have people flocking to you wherever you go. But I haven't seen such a situation until now, so I wonder if there is something wrong."
"Lei Hu, I think everything is fine now. Those who come to seek refuge here are all from good families, and at most they are just a little poor. Isn't this great? If you insist on recruiting scoundrels, isn't that against the art of war?"
"Which part?" Lei Hu decided to find out.
“Treat your soldiers like babies, so you can go to the deep river with them. Treat your soldiers like your beloved sons, so you can die with them. If you are generous but cannot command them, you love them but cannot order them, you are chaotic and cannot govern them, you are like a spoiled child and cannot be used.” Huo Chong immediately told this to Lei Hu.
Lei Hu's writing skills were absolutely perfect, and he understood everything. Looking at Lei Hu's expression, Huo Chong sighed in his heart, wondering when his disciples, other than Qian Qing, would be able to reach Lei Hu's level of classical Chinese.
Lei Hu had no idea of Huo Chong's thoughts, and was just savoring the words. Qian Qing saw that Lei Hu had been talking to Huo Chong, wasting her time, so she simply said, "Bad boys don't join the army just to make a living, and good boys join the army just to make a good living. Lei Hu, your personality is actually that of a bad boy."
Lei Hu rolled his eyes at Qian Qing to express his dissatisfaction. But when Huo Chong actually laughed, Lei Hu became even more dissatisfied.
Qian Qing also rolled his eyes, "Lei Hu, what on earth are you thinking of?"
Lei Hu could only say: "Sir, I have actually listened to some of the soldiers' complaints. They themselves don't quite understand at this time that their families were actually forced to death. Now sir, you are just saving people first, what about others? If they were not forced by the gentry, many people's relatives would not have died so early."
Huo Chong couldn't help but nod. What Lei Hu said was exactly what Huo Chong was thinking about. Of course, those gentry didn't rush to the soldiers' homes with knives to kill people, but Lei Hu was right. The various rules of renting land were the culprits that forced the people to death. However, in the face of such injustice, the families of these soldiers chose to commit suicide, or hurt their bodies in heavy labor, and then were completely destroyed by a minor illness, and finally died tragically.
Lei Hu saw all this... just assume he saw it. But making such a contradiction clear would only intensify the class contradictions immediately. Huo Chong believed that he was capable of dealing with the Qing court, but not the entire ruling class of feudal society.
Thinking of this, Huo Chong told Lei Hu, "Come to the meeting tonight, let's stop here for now."
Lei Hu was overjoyed. Huo Chong often held night classes for a few people, and Lei Hu had attended several training sessions. In such small classes, Huo Chong's content was really exquisite. However, Lei Hu did not attend all such training sessions, and he was really happy to be able to attend one more at this time.
Finally getting rid of Lei Hu's interference, Qian Qing quickly asked: "Sir, I came here this time to ask if we should just take over Qingzhou."
Facing his pillar, Huo Chong also spoke his mind, "Maybe I think too much and want to blame too much. It's not difficult to take over Qingzhou, but it's not easy to govern Qingzhou well."
Qian Qing immediately volunteered, "Sir, don't think too much. If you trust me, I will go to Qingzhou."
"The female bandit leader occupied Qingzhou?" Huo Chong sighed with a wry smile.
"What's wrong with the female bandit leader!" Qian Qing said in a somewhat coquettish manner.
Listening to the conversation between the master and the apprentice, Lei Hu felt sour and envious. Only in front of Huo Chong did Qian Qing look like a child. When facing Lei Hu, there was an indescribable barrier.
When will I be able to have such a conversation with Qian Qing? Lei Hu really envied Huo Chong.
