Chapter 383: Changes in Xi'an (I)
On the fourth day after the Hebei Campaign ended, Hong Zhou learned about the fate of General Basai's 100,000 Qing troops. The Manchu civil and military officials in Shanhaiguan were dumbfounded. Liu Tongxun and Liu Zhongtang felt like they were struck by lightning and stood there in a daze. He wanted to say something, but he felt his heartbeat in his chest seemed to jump out of his throat, so how could he have any thoughts?
Hong Zhou also sat in the main seat in a daze, not knowing how to answer for a moment. At this moment, an official suddenly shouted: "Is it a mistake? Maybe it's false news from the enemy army!"
Many civil and military officials were shocked. Yes, this was indeed possible. Someone immediately shouted, "Your Majesty, please order another inspection!"
In response to such a request, many civil and military officials followed suit, and their words showed that they did not believe it at all.
Liu Tongxun thought that these officials could not bear such bad news and had begun to lose their minds. Somehow, Liu Tongxun felt that his heartbeat had slowed down and he had regained some of his ability to think.
After his brain was working well, thinking was not difficult for Liu Tongxun. The current situation was indeed critical. Looking at the officials in the court, Liu Tongxun suddenly became alert. Just when Liu Tongxun felt alert, he saw Hong Zhou slamming the table, pointing at several officials and shouting: "Arrest Lan Gui and his accomplices!"
The guards in the big tent were all imperial guards, and they were very decisive when arresting people. They rushed over and started arresting people. Those who were arrested did not kneel down and shout that they were innocent. Instead, they fought back vigorously. Some even rushed towards Hong Zhou, intending to capture him.
Although Liu Tongxun was excited at this time, he was still calm in his heart. Sure enough, those people in Shengjing were unreliable! After a brief inspection of the people who escaped back to report the news, it was found that at least 70% of them were originally from the Shengjing court.
When Liu Tongxun heard this, he felt as if a thorn had been stuck in his heart. But they were Manchus after all, and it was not the Han people's turn to say anything. Seeing that these people were desperately resisting when Hong Zhou ordered them to be captured, they must have had ulterior motives...
Not good! Liu Tongxun cried in his heart. Before Liu Tongxun could speak, he heard a commotion outside and explosions in several places. The guards had already restrained several people, and the civil and military officials were desperately protecting Hong Zhou. Hong Zhou was not panicked at all. He stood up angrily and cursed: "Go and see if those bastards from Shengjing have escaped!"
Liu Tongxun originally agreed with Hong Zhou. This made the emperor frivolous and often very unpopular, but he was also particularly perceptive in some matters. Although the matter was so sudden, Hong Zhou actually guessed a rough idea.
Many people ran out, but soon came back to report. The Shengjing thieves who were under surveillance really blew up the pass, escaped from the north of Shanhaiguan, and continued to flee north.
After anxiously recounting what happened, the general asked anxiously: "Your Majesty, do you want to chase them?"
Hong Zhou shook his head, "Don't chase anymore, withdraw your troops!"
"Return to Shengjing?" The general answered without thinking.
Hong Zhou's face was full of displeasure, but he didn't say anything unpleasant. He just replied, "Go back to Xi'an."
Even with such a quick response, Hong Zhou's troops were still pursued by Shengjing troops when they entered the border between Manchuria and Mongolia. At this time, Hong Zhou only had less than 10,000 troops left, and Shengjing troops were all cavalry, numbering 7,000 to 8,000. Fortunately, Hong Zhou retreated decisively, and when Shengjing troops caught up, he was able to barely resist. It was not until Kangxi's son-in-law, Prince Tseren of Mongolia, led his army to support them that they were able to get rid of Shengjing troops.
Hong Zhou led his army back to Xi'an without stopping, making the accompanying civil and military officials miserable. Fortunately, although it was July in Mongolia, it was not that hot at least. It was just too sunny. Many people's hair began to peel due to the sun.
At the end of July, Hong Zhou led his army back to Xi'an. Just as he entered the city, Hong Zhou's expressionless face twitched. He ordered the Qing army to stop and set up incense, candles, and paper horses. When Hong Zhou knelt down towards Hebei, he was already in tears.
When the civil and military officials saw the emperor kneeling and crying, they also knelt down and cried half-heartedly.
The high-ranking officials might be sincere or fake, the soldiers knelt down under the strict orders of the officers. When they heard someone crying, their dull expressions gradually eased a little.
The strictest military orders were enforced throughout the journey. Anyone who whispered would be beheaded. Anyone who cried would be beheaded. The cruel military orders and the terrible march tortured the Qing troops into a state of numbness.
At this time, it was rare to see that crying would not lead to death. No matter who Hong Zhou was worshipping, or who the officials were crying for, the soldiers burst into tears in great pain.
At about the same time, outside Henan City, several teams of Qing troops were already pointing at the top of the city wall and shouting, "If you don't open the city walls, we will destroy your Luoyang City!"
Seeing that the Qing soldiers below the city still had no weapons but stones and sticks, the Qing soldiers on the city wall shouted at them: "You traitors, we don't know who will die by then. When the imperial court arrives, you will be dead!"
The Qing soldiers under the city cursed for a while, and seeing that the defenders of Luoyang City were really not afraid, they lost their previous momentum. But at this time, the camp had been blown up, and the Qing soldiers knew that they would not have a good time when the government troops arrived. Someone immediately shouted: "We are leaving!" and then turned around and left.
Some of the Qing troops followed them, while some refused to give in and wanted to rush into Luoyang City. In the end, they were still helpless under the tight defense of the city wall, so they called their companions to break into a few wealthy families in the nearby villages to make some money first.
The Chinese army did not hear about what was happening near Luoyang until the end of July, and the news came from released Qing prisoners who had crossed the mountains and bypassed Hulao Pass.
It turned out that after the Henan Campaign , 70,000 Qing troops were captured. The Huaxia Army did not abuse the prisoners, nor would they execute them. They just let them go.
Although the Qing soldiers' personal property was not looted, they also lost their weapons. The armor of the Eight Banners soldiers was also stripped off, leaving them in cloth clothes.
It can be seen that the Qing Dynasty's Hulaoguan garrison who received these tens of thousands of prisoners were not grateful at all. Some Chinese officers and soldiers who escorted the prisoners even heard the garrison soldiers cursing, "Why send them back ? Why not just kill them!"
When these Qing prisoners, who had once caused great trouble to the Huaxia army, arrived in Luoyang, the Eight Banners Army was welcomed into the city, while the Han people basked in the sun outside the city.
Although it is said that the fire is flowing in July, this July is not the seventh month of the Gregorian calendar, but the seventh month of the lunar calendar. The fire is not referring to the hot weather that seems to be flowing from the sky. The "fire" here does not refer to the weather like fire, but the name of a star. "Fire" refers to "Mars", which the ancient Chinese called "Antares". "Flow" means "sinking to the west". Every year in late summer and early autumn, the position of Mars will gradually descend to the west of the night sky. Therefore, "the fire is flowing in July" does not mean that the weather in July is as hot as a fire, but refers to the time when the weather is gradually getting cooler.
Outside the city, it was dry and lacked water. Luoshui was also part of the Yellow River. The natural environment was severely damaged in this era, and the river water was mixed with a lot of silt. Not to mention that even if the silt was not serious, the river was not a good place to get water.
Finally, thirsty and hungry, the surrendered soldiers, who had long been afraid of their future, suddenly blew up the camp. But blowing up the camp was useless, and it was obvious that Luoyang City had already considered this possibility.
Seeing that they had offended the imperial court and were treated in this way, some surrendered soldiers simply turned back and surrendered to the Chinese imperial court.
From the perspective of the Huaxia Army, these surrendered soldiers were not good people. Moreover, the Qing Army was different from the Huaxia Army. The Huaxia Army adopted a conscription system, which meant that any adult male had the obligation to join the army. Then, those who were suitable for the military were selected.
These soldiers are between 18 and 20 years old, healthy, and come from clean families. They are all from good families. The Chinese Army, from top to bottom, firmly believes that the good military discipline of the Chinese Army so far is due to the strict discipline and management in the army. The origins of these good families also determine that they hate all kinds of military atrocities and viciousness. After all, when the army behaves recklessly, the families of these good families will suffer the most.
Seeing that these Qing soldiers who came from military households were full of hostility, and the reason they defected to the Huaxia Army was just because they were worried about being killed after the mutiny, they all did not want to accept these rebels.
According to the tradition of the Huaxia Army, when in doubt, they push the decision up. After all, the emperor of the Huaxia court, Huo Chong, is a boss who is very keen on solving problems and has the ability to solve them. He will not get angry when people push difficult problems up to him. Of course, everyone sincerely asks Huo Chong for instructions.
When Huo Chong saw this report, his first reaction was disgust. The old ruling class was able to rule not by relying on the people, but by relying on violent organizations such as the army. Therefore, these Qing soldiers must be trained to be extremely vicious so that they can be used as vicious dogs to bite the people.
This bunch of vicious dogs was so ferocious that even the Qing Dynasty looked down on them, thinking that if they were let free, they would do evil.
If these Qing troops were captured men, it would be fine. In the War of Liberation, most of the liberation fighters were captured men, so once they were liberated and educated on their grievances, they could immediately be transformed into excellent Liberation Army soldiers.
Moreover, the KMT troops were not lackeys of the KMT, but were recruited to fight against the Japanese invaders. At least they were given patriotic education. They are fundamentally different from this group of people.
Although Huo Chong felt disgusted, he could not pretend that he did not see it. The 400,000 troops sent by the Qing Dynasty at this time were the last elite troops of the Qing Dynasty. Two hundred thousand were annihilated in the battles of Henan and Hebei. The remaining Qing army that went to Handan was severely damaged in Handan City and immediately fled.
The only remaining Qing troops in Wuhu were still cautious and the Chinese army did not want to fight them, so they were able to survive temporarily. However, it was only a matter of time before they were annihilated.
After the main force of the Qing army was annihilated, recruiting surrenders and accepting traitors really became part of the future plan. Huo Chong called the Minister of Rites Luo Yiren and Gong Yu from the Personnel Department to ask the two brothers who had proposed recruiting surrenders and accepting traitors long ago how to deal with these people.
Luo Yiren no longer had the anger he had before. Hearing this topic, he couldn't help but laugh at himself and said, "Your Majesty is blaming me. It's not your fault. I took it for granted and boasted before."
Gong Yu chuckled when he heard this, "Your Majesty shouldn't be bothered by this matter. I want to ask, what exactly made Your Majesty so unhappy about these people?"
Huo Chong spoke his mind straightforwardly, "They are military households, professional soldiers. Although they are paid for their service, there is nothing wrong with that. However, our army is a major source of future grassroots personnel. If they perform well in the army, they can become village chiefs after returning. If they join the Ministry of Rites in the army, they can become village branch chiefs after returning to the village. I think it is inappropriate for these people to join the army."
After hearing what Huo Chong said, Luo Yiren and Gong Yu couldn't help but look at each other. Luo Yiren was young after all, and even had a smile on his face. Gong Yu was older, and he coughed twice to suppress the joy in his heart.
The Ministry of Rites was established not long ago, and both of them believed that it had a bright future. However, they were still not quite sure how bright it would be. After hearing what Huo Chong said, they finally understood how bright the Ministry of Rites would be.
If it is determined that civil servants are clerks or staff who run errands and give advice, then the Ministry of Rites is the officials from Jiachang to Prime Minister. In this case, all the power in the world belongs to the Ministry of Rites. With their current positions, they have a bright future.
Gong Yu was older after all, and not as passionate as Luo Yiren. He coughed twice and changed his mind, "Your Majesty must have some ideas. If it's difficult, why not discuss it with the Ministry of Rites?"
"What I'm worried about is that these people will go back to their hometowns and do evil after they are dismissed. They are military households, so they may not have many acres of land."
After hearing what Huo Chong said, Gong Yu nodded. "Indeed, we don't have enough manpower to deal with these military households. But leaving them is not a good idea. Your Majesty, we cannot be blamed for many things. Why not allocate some land and let them farm first?"
"Do they know how to farm?" Luo Yiren asked immediately.
Gong Yu was also stumped by this question. After thinking carefully, Gong Yu quickly said, "Your Majesty, I was not thoughtful enough. Please don't blame me."
Huo Chong sighed. The so-called military households are households designated by the government to go to the army. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the household registration of soldiers and their families belonged to the military government and was called "military households". After becoming a military household, they would serve as soldiers for generations and had a low social status. There were also military households in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, but the system was slightly different.
But no matter how the system changes, military households are all off-farm. If they are not off-farm, they are civilian households. It is expected that these people will go to the battlefield to kill the enemy when they pick up weapons, and return to their hometown to farm when they put down their weapons. Now only the Huaxia Army has such a system. The soldiers of the Huaxia Army are brave warriors and the pillars of the country. They are glorious soldiers. They are completely different from military households.
Luo Yiren thought for a while, but didn't know how to solve the problem, so he said, "Your Majesty, don't delay this matter. If so many people are rounded up, they will definitely cause trouble. If that doesn't work, how about sending someone to investigate? After all, Your Majesty said that without investigation, there is no right to speak."
Huo Chong could only agree, "Yes. The Ministry of Rites will arrange this."
After the two came out, Gong Yu invited Luo Yiren to dinner. Luo Yiren smiled and said, "No need to eat, I have some tea, try it."
After drinking a cup of tea from Fujian, Gong Yu sighed, "I thought you were going to volunteer to lead these people."
"The harm of the guards is well documented in history books. I didn't have any soldiers at that time, so I used the tactics of a strategist to persuade His Majesty to have someone to rely on. It would be really stupid to use the guards at this time."
Gong Yu nodded. It turned out that after holding great power, as long as he was cunning, things would be very different. At the same time, Gong Yu also determined why Luo Yiren could be favored by Huo Chong. Gong Yu could not do it just because of his openness.
"Minister Luo, the reason why His Majesty is so concerned about this matter is indeed unusual at this time. The Qing Dynasty is about to end. Even these military households are treated like this. The only people they can trust are the Eight Banners and some officials. The Eight Banners are the Qing Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty is the Eight Banners. However, those Han officials may have their own calculations at this time."
Hearing this, Luo Yiren couldn't help but sneer, "Brother Gong, you and I are brothers, and I always feel that you envy those officials too much. I have said long ago that they are really no good. The Qing Dynasty system wants slaves, and even good people have changed under the old system. For a really good person, look at Gao Pang, who won the top spot in the imperial examination but didn't want to be an official. Isn't it better to be an upright person! This is a real talent. Brother Gong, you take them too seriously as human beings."
Gong Yu was very unhappy when he heard Luo Yiren refute him. He felt that he was looked down upon by these little brothers. But when he heard the end, the redness on his face caused by shame and anger completely disappeared, and he couldn't help but applaud, "Brother Luo is right, I did underestimate myself. I will definitely not do this again in the future."
Luo Yiren replied sternly, "Brother Gong, you also know my family background. I will surrender to Your Majesty even if my land is confiscated. It is because what Your Majesty says is the right way for the world. Following Your Majesty, we will have a result. Look at the Qing Dynasty, which has been ruling the world for decades, but is still a thief at heart. Even the ideas that Your Majesty advocates today are comparable to those of the First Emperor. The people of China will benefit from it, and the great China will no longer be harmed by foreign races. As for those officials, if they know what's best for them, they will naturally know what to do. After all, the dog officials can't do anything else, but they are very good at being dogs!"
Gong Yu heard Luo Yiren's harsh words, even scolding the officials in his family, and felt that Luo Yiren was a bit too radical. But on second thought, he felt that what he said was not wrong.
When I said goodbye, I made an appointment with Luo Yiren to have a drink at some time. On the way back to the office, I couldn't help but stand next to the climbing roses planted in the yard. Some of these climbing roses were still short, and they were planted by the Ministry of Rites after they arrived and organized activities.
Some of them were planted earlier, and everyone took turns to water them every day. The tall ones had branches leaning against the racks that everyone had built by hand, and clusters of flowers, both red and white, were climbing heavily on the racks. The fragrance was overflowing, and it made people feel happy.
Facing such a cluster of flowers, Gong Yu was immersed in the fragrance. Thinking back to what Luo Yiren said, Gong Yu couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He had already sat in such a position, but he still envied the Qing officials. If Luo Yiren hadn't said it to his face and picked this suitable time, Gong Yu knew that he would probably not have felt enlightened.
The Chinese court is the court, and the Qing court is the thief. After firmly grasping this understanding, Gong Yu felt refreshed, as if he had taken off an infinite burden.
I am Gong Yu. Director of the Personnel Department of the Chinese Ministry of Rites, a Chinese citizen, and a member of the glorious Chinese Ministry of Rites.
As a Chinese, I envy the officials of the Qing Dynasty. This is really absurd!
