Chapter 8 Gathering Troops

  The central of Lingshan Weibao has a big bell, which is said to have been cast during the Zhengde period. The purpose of this bell's existence is only one, that is, to gather soldiers. However, since this big bell was cast, it has rarely been used. The last time the bell rang was six years ago when a small group of Japanese pirates landed and struck it. Today, this more than 500-catty heavy big bell finally rang again.

  When Pang Gang followed Da Chui and Dazhuang to the school field, he saw that Qian Hu He Zhengnan and Deputy Qian Hu Zhao Daxian were already wearing helmets and armor, standing on a high platform made of yellow earth.

  Ten battalion commanders (baihu) and various other officers were all gathered at the front of the drill ground, while over a hundred sturdy-looking house guards stood around the perimeter, eyeing coldly the flag troops who had hurried in from all directions.

  Many military dependents stood bewildered on the school grounds, wandering around like headless flies. Some were barefoot, others still held hoes and sickles in their hands, while even more people stood idly by, whispering to each other. The entire school grounds was as bustling as a vegetable market.

  Standing on the earthen platform, He Zhengnan looked at the originally empty school field gradually gathering those military dependents, his eyebrows furrowed, and turned to Vice Captain Zhao Daxian beside him: "Younger brother, these decadent military dependents are indeed lazy and sloppy, hearing the bell ringing is still so slow, it seems necessary to let them know what is called military discipline."

  Zhao Daxian smiled wryly and said, "Sir, these military households have not practiced for over ten years. It's already good that they can rush over upon hearing the bell."

  "Hmm!" After hearing Zhao Daxian's words, He Zhengnan also shut his mouth. He too knew that in recent years he had indeed embezzled too much. The 1,200-strong banner army had been reduced to nearly 700 empty salaries under him, and the remaining 500 or so military households had become tenants of him and other hundred households.

  He Zhengnan looked around and saw that almost everyone was present, then said with a serious face: "Form ranks!"

  "Fall in!"

  As He Zhengnan gave the order, the hundred officials and the flag bearers all shouted loudly to get the soldiers in line. However, these soldiers had never been in a formation before, so how could they understand what was going on? The hundred officials yelled for half a day, but the soldiers still swarmed around like flies. Finally, He Zhengnan's face slowly darkened as he gave a signal to one of his servants, who understood and led over a dozen servants carrying large clubs onto the drill ground, where they started beating the soldiers who were still milling about.

  The big stick with a thick handle hit the crowd of soldiers, causing cries and curses to fill the air. Several soldiers were beaten until they bled profusely and fell to the ground, wailing loudly.

  This formation method is cruel, but the effect is also immediate. Under the education of wooden sticks, the original military households who were whispering to each other all closed their mouths and stood in ten rows on the school field under the leadership of the general flag, although they still looked a bit disorganized, but compared to earlier, it was much more pleasing to the eye.

  Clever Pang Gang had long been pulling Dog Sheng and Da Zhuang to closely follow behind Bin Shi Jian. Just now, when those family servants rushed over, clever him had already pulled the two men to stand upright behind Bin Shi Jian, thus avoiding a beating.

  After the efforts of dozens of housekeepers, a team of over 500 people finally formed a barely visible square array. By the time the square array was barely formed, more than a dozen housekeepers responsible for organizing the team had already sweated profusely.

  He Zhengnan looked up at the sky helplessly, the sun had already risen to the top of the mountain. He originally wanted to give a pep talk to the soldiers, but now he didn't have the mood for it either. He just loudly said to the troops: "All officers and men, do you still remember what we are?"

  "Report back to Commander Qianhu, we are military households!"

  A faint and weak voice with a lingering echo rose up.

  He Zhengnan continued to say, "Well said, we are military households and as military households, we have the responsibility of defending our territory and protecting the people. Yesterday, the commander-in-chief of Qingzhou and the defender-in-chief issued a public notice ordering this official to lead troops to annihilate the bandits who have been entrenched in Wangjia Village for generations. This is an unshirkable responsibility for us military personnel, so I have decided to dispatch troops to Wangjia Village today to annihilate the bandit soldiers there!"

  "What the grass! How can we suddenly go to war?" Pang Gang was stunned when he heard this news, not that he looked down on these military households. If they were allowed to take up hoes and poles or even bare fists to suppress bandits, it would be better for them to collectively cut their throats.

  There were not a few military households that had the same idea as Pang Gang, and as soon as they heard this news, they immediately exploded, no longer caring about the family guards who were still lurking around them with their big clubs, and they all shouted out.

  "Sir, isn't sending us to suppress bandits just sending us to our deaths?"

  "Right, are we supposed to use these clubs to suppress bandits?"

  "Yeah, we don't even get paid for overtime, what's the point of us working ourselves to death for you guys?"

  On the side, Pang Gang looked at these enthusiastic military households with a cold eye, raised his head to look at Qian Hu Ge Zhengnan's pale face on the stage, and combined with what he had learned about Ming history in his mind, he understood. In the late Ming Dynasty, the army was divided into regular soldiers, strange soldiers, touring soldiers, and supporting soldiers, which were also called war soldiers, the main force of the court, and only these armies were qualified to receive grain rations from the court. The military households of Ling Shan Wei Suo were collectively referred to as garrison troops, garrison troops or flag troops, they not only had no grain rations to receive, but also had to pay tribute to their superiors in peacetime, which was similar to the nature of agricultural reclamation corps or construction corps in later generations.

  However, there is one thing. If these troops are sent to fight outside, the court will still have to issue a certain amount of grain and salary to encourage them. The emperor cannot afford to starve his soldiers, this principle is the same whether in ancient or modern times. Otherwise, who would be willing to risk their lives for you if they don't get anything in return?

  "Alright, what's all the commotion about!" A loud voice rang out on the school grounds, and everyone looked over to see that it was Commander Qian speaking. "Of course, you won't be left out of the mobilization fee - each of you will receive one or two silver coins as a mobilization fee, which will be distributed immediately. Later, Commander Zhao will lead you all to the armory to collect your weapons. Remember, we'll be departing in half an hour, so everyone come over to collect your silver and then head to the armory to get your weapons. We'll depart immediately in half an hour!"

  He Zhengnan's voice trembled slightly when he mentioned the silver, and he suddenly splashed out more than 500 taels of silver. He felt that his heart was aching, but this money had to be spent. Otherwise, if these military households made trouble, it would be difficult to deal with. Could he order his servants to kill them all? Who would cultivate the land for him in the future?

  As soon as they heard that there was silver to be distributed, all the military dependents cheered up. Soon, two servants carried a heavy box and placed it in front of everyone. Zhao Daxian came to the side of the box, kicked it open with one foot, revealing a pile of glittering silver ingots.

  "My goodness, I've never seen so much money in my life!"

  Under the comfort of silver, the emotions of the military households quickly calmed down. This year is a father and mother are not as dear as silver.

  After the boxes were arranged, the officers loudly ordered the soldiers to line up one by one to receive their silver.

  As the saying goes, money can make ghosts grind mills. Although these one or two silver coins are not a lot, they are still better than nothing! After taking the silver coins, the military households no longer strongly opposed sending troops to suppress bandits.

  In order to send troops, He Zhengnan was both sending silver and sending military equipment, until nearly noon at the time of Si, a total of 500 soldiers from the garrison and more than 100 households from the bandit-suppressing army slowly left the Ling Mountain Wei Fortress and marched towards Wangjia Village over 30 miles away.