0p0 Chapter 398 Winning Hearts and Minds is Paramount! The Plan of the Marquis of Zhenxi and the Poison
Chapter 398 Winning Hearts and Minds is Paramount! The Plan of the Marquis of Zhenxi and the Poison
Hearing the words of the surrendered soldiers, Sheng Yanwei's confidence soared. He had come to muster troops on the orders of Baili Luochen, who instructed him to use whatever method was necessary to completely win over the hearts of the people.
After all, Yunzhou is a vast territory and a strategic point bordering Nanjue. If the Pofeng Army wants to secure its rear and launch a full-scale northern expedition, Yunzhou must be extremely secure.
After much deliberation, the best solution was to have local soldiers stationed there, with some trusted generals under his command also assigned to oversee the situation.
If Yunzhou is unstable, the surrendered soldiers and generals in the southwestern states will become restless.
If someone were to harbor disloyal intentions at that time, although it would not cause substantial harm to the Broken Wind Army, it would greatly slow down the progress of the Northern Expedition.
Therefore, before following Baili Dongjun into the city, Baili Luochen specifically instructed Baili Chengfeng and Sheng Yanwei on this matter, ordering one of them to subdue the commander-in-chief Lu Ting'en and the other to subdue the remaining 10,000-plus surrendered soldiers.
"Brothers, silence!"
Sheng Yanwei's voice was even gentler than before. He waved his hand, which was resting on the hilt of his sword, and the flag-bearing junior officer standing beside him took two steps forward, turned around, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:
"General!"
Sheng Yanwei nodded, then his gaze shifted to the more than ten thousand surrendered soldiers below the field:
"His name is Luo Sanxi. He's currently a flag bearer in my battalion. Half a year ago, this guy was a woodcutter from Shaohan County in Bingzhou. Because our army was recruiting soldiers here, he couldn't refuse his elderly mother and was forced to join the army..."
"Although this kid is a bit slow-witted, he's developed a strong physique from chopping wood and carrying loads over the years. He's quite powerful. After basic training, he was promoted to a flag bearer and now he has some military merits!"
"As a deputy general in the army, it is indeed unfair of me to compare myself with you. Let this kid tell you about the salary and benefits of our Breaking Wind Army!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Sanxi stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the soldiers descending from the platform, and said:
"Brothers, when I was a new recruit, I heard from the veterans that following the Marquis meant that his pay and rice were never delayed. Although the training was tough, we had vegetables and meat every meal after we left the camp, and we ate rice and wheat flour!"
"Even during the march, the army's rations were not compromised. The worst they had were millet flour buns, dried meat, and pickled vegetables!"
"Since I was assigned to General Sheng's army as a flag bearer, my salary has increased from two taels and eight mace to ten taels! Brothers, that's ten taels of silver, enough to buy a shang (that is, fifteen mu) of fertile land in Shaohan County!"
"Moreover, the pay was issued on time every month, never even half an hour late. In less than a year after I joined the army, my family built a tiled house and bought an ox for plowing. Every time my parents wrote, they praised me for being successful. My younger brother was also able to afford to attend a private school and hire a tutor..."
"I'll tell you something you won't believe: the young master still recognizes me. It's because I was at the forefront when we attacked Kuimen at the beginning of the year, and I killed four or five defenders all by myself. After the battle, he personally gave me a reward, and I haven't been able to spend that silver ingot to this day!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a five-tael silver ingot from his pocket, proudly displaying it to the surrendered soldiers. After showing it off, he put it back in his pocket and continued:
"My only regret is that I didn't listen to my mother and serve the old Marquis earlier, otherwise I would have made a name for myself long ago!"
Luo Sanxi finished speaking with a proud look on his face. His accent was very strong, but the surrendered soldiers present understood the basic meaning without a doubt: the generous salary and wages of the Pofeng Army were almost seven or eight times that of the Yunzhou Army!
What is most commendable is that they never delay payment, and there are rewards for military merits, which is enough to make the surrendered soldiers of Yunzhou excited.
"You'll be a lowly soldier no matter who you follow, so why not follow Lord Baili? His pay is generous and he pays it on time. With that kind of treatment, nobody would follow Lu Ting'en!"
“That kid’s arms aren’t as thick as mine, and he’s not as tall as me, but his military pay is more than five times higher than mine. Why is that? I’m going to skin the Yunzhou army alive. Agan and Lu Manman, are you two coming with me to join the Pofeng Army? If you’re not coming with me, go by yourselves!”
"Soldiers get paid, anyone who doesn't go with you is a fool!"
"..."
As the voices of the surrendered soldiers grew louder, a smile gradually appeared on Sheng Yanwei's lips. He knew very well that these surrendered soldiers would soon sincerely submit to the Pofeng Army.
He waved for Luo Sanxi to step back, then stepped forward and took the blank roster handed to him by the military clerk beside him, proclaiming loudly:
"That concludes my remarks. To those who have sincerely pledged allegiance to the Breaking Wind Army, on behalf of the old Marquis and the young master, I welcome you all!"
"If anyone wants to return to their hometown of Yunzhou and does not wish to rejoin the army, that's fine too. I will provide travel expenses and rations. You can choose to stay or leave as you wish!"
"I am busy with my duties, so I won't say much to you brothers. The chief clerk is here. Those who wish to surrender, please line up in front of the chief clerk's tent and be registered one by one. Your name and place of origin will be written on this register. From now on, we will be comrades who share life and death!"
After speaking, Sheng Yanwei threw the roster back to the army clerk and strode away from the command platform, surrounded by his guards, leaving behind only the Yunzhou soldiers who had surrendered and were swarming forward, ready to submit to the Pofeng Army.
……
Inside the Chinese military tent.
Lu Ting'en put his armor back on neatly, and Baili Chengfeng returned the longsword and lance that had been with him for many years to him.
"General Baili, a gentleman's word is as good as his bond. I, Lu, will arrive at Tianqi City soon. If His Majesty forgives my defeat, I hope you will keep your promise and return these ten thousand troops to me!"
Baili Chengfeng pursed his lips, suppressing a smile: "I will naturally keep my promise, but I would like to add one more thing. General Lu has been guarding the border for many years, and I'm afraid he knows very little about many things in the court. If Emperor Tai'an imprisons you, don't say that I, Baili Chengfeng, didn't warn you!"
Lu Ting'en put on the bronze helmet, placed his lance aside, and bowed respectfully to Baili Chengfeng, saying:
"I will forever remember General Baili's mercy in sparing my life. I will follow Yulong to the death for my sovereign. If my sovereign commands me to die, I have no choice but to submit. Consider this my good fortune!"
Baili Chengfeng did not answer, but simply handed Lu Ting'en his riding whip.
Lu Ting'en understood, took the riding whip, and gave Baili Chengfeng a grateful look: "General Baili, I'll take my leave!"
Lu Ting'en stepped out of the main tent, where his personal guards had been waiting for a long time. Seeing that their commander was safe and sound, several guards wept and said, "We are relieved that the commander is alive!"
Looking at his personal guards who had followed him through thick and thin for many years, Lu Ting'en was filled with emotion. His eyes reddened slightly as he said, "I am not as good as others now, and I have caused my brothers to suffer!"
"Fortunately, Baili Chengfeng is a gentleman. He allowed me to enter Tianqi City to apologize to His Majesty in person. If His Majesty forgives us, he will allow me to take my brothers back to Yunzhou to continue our garrison."
Upon hearing this, the guards exchanged bewildered glances. They had been arranged by Baili Chengfeng to wait in front of the tent and were unaware of this matter. After hearing their commander's words, they all found it quite unbelievable.
The deputy captain, who had miraculously survived, said with some concern: "Governor, please forgive my offense. I have always known that His Majesty's kindness and might are unpredictable and his temper is hard to fathom. Even if Baili Chengfeng were to let you go to Tianqi City, even if you went to the palace and apologized to His Majesty in person, I'm afraid His Majesty would not forgive you!"
They might even...they might take their anger out on the Governor-General, who, let alone escape punishment, would likely face imprisonment!
Lu Ting'en was completely absorbed in his fantasy of returning to Yunzhou and ruling a region, ignoring his subordinates' advice. He interrupted them, saying:
"You are short-sighted and do not slander His Majesty. He was able to appoint me as the Marquis of Yunzhou and put the armies of the southwestern prefectures under my command. Moreover, the court is currently in need of capable people, so how could he possibly be angry with me? You are completely overthinking this!"
Seeing that the commander-in-chief was so certain, the deputy captain had no choice but to pack his bags, prepare food and water, and set off with Lu Ting'en.
……
Half an hour later, a graceful figure fell from the sky and landed straight into the Pofeng Army camp.
Inside the central command tent, Baili Chengfeng held the list of surrendered soldiers, slowly flipping through it. Suddenly, he felt a gentle breeze in front of him and looked up—
Wen Yanzhao had entered the tent at some point, and upon seeing Baili Chengfeng, he bowed respectfully.
"Uncle, Zhao'er isn't late, is he?"
Baili Chengfeng put down the roster, quickly got up, pulled Wen Yanzhao to sit at the lower seat, and poured him a bowl of tea:
"Perfect timing! Zhao'er, your lightness skill is truly superb; I didn't even notice it!"
Wen Yanzhao took the tea and sipped it, saying, "Uncle, don't praise me. Your Instant Kill Step is still more skillful! I just saw Lu Ting'en's group heading northeast from the sky. I guess you started to act according to the plan, so you came directly to Uncle's tent without saying hello."
Baili Chengfeng smiled as usual: "That's right, I've already let him go to Tianqi City. I didn't expect Lu Ting'en to be so naive, actually fantasizing that Xiao Chongjing would forgive him for his defeat and loss of territory!"
Wen Yanzhao put down his teacup, a smirk playing on his lips: "So be it, so be it. He'll only truly wake up when he sees the coffin fall to the ground. Then I'll follow Grandpa Baili's plan and rescue him. I'm not afraid he won't sincerely surrender to us!"
……