I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Along an official road within the jurisdiction of Ningyuan Guard in Liaodong.

All eight large pots were steaming.

Among them, three large pots were steaming white rice, two large pots were stewing chicken, two large pots were boiling egg drop soup, and one large pot was stir-frying mushrooms and tofu.

The forty-eight deserters from the garrison who were rescued by Shen Nian volunteered to help with the fire.

They gazed at the delicious food in the pot, their mouths watering from time to time.

The soldiers of the Liaodong garrison mainly ate millet cakes and wheat cakes as their staple food, supplemented by a bowl of pickled vegetables with beans and pickled vegetables, every day.

These people haven't eaten white rice or chicken for at least six months.

A moment later, the rice and dishes were cooked, and the bowls and chopsticks were placed in front of them.

But without Shen Nian's permission, they didn't dare to serve the rice.

At this moment, Shen Nian walked over and said, "Everyone, don't eat food that's too hot. Let it cool down a bit before you eat it. Also, it's best to drink half a bowl of soup before eating rice and chicken, otherwise you'll easily get a stomachache. Don't worry, these are all for you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The deserters kowtowed to Shen Nian, genuinely believing him to be the leader of the Imperial Guard on patrol.

Qi Hu stood beside Shen Nian the whole time to prevent the group of unfamiliar soldiers from making any dangerous moves against her.

A moment later, Shen Nian called out loudly, "It's ready to eat!"

Immediately, the deserters rushed to get soup. After drinking half a bowl of egg soup, they each filled a large bowl with rice, then picked up two pieces of chicken, mushrooms and tofu with their chopsticks and wolfed it down.

"They're all pitiful people!" Shen Nian sighed helplessly.

These deserters from the garrison were clearly honest and hardworking soldiers who had settled in the fields. If they had enough to eat and had not been oppressed by their superiors, they would never have risked their lives to become deserters.

In about fifteen minutes, all the food was eaten up by the forty-eight people, and then they took the initiative to clean up the pots and pans and wash the dishes.

"Qi Hu, how far are we from the nearest post station?" Shen Nian asked.

"A journey of one hour!"

"Then let's continue on our way and try to reach the post station before dark!" Shen Nian said.

The group of Imperial Guards behind Shen Nian were all encamped and stayed there, even when they went to the post station, they camped outside the post station.

Even if Shen Nianruo did not bring his wife and children, he would still choose to camp. He would walk until dark each day and then set up camp to live, but the nights in Liaodong were very cool.

Shen Nian could bear it, but Shen Yanche and Shen Zhiyi couldn't, so Shen Nian stayed at the inn every night.

Qi Hu immediately approached the forty-eight deserters and said, "Go to the back and each of you get on a horse. We need to reach the post station before dark, otherwise it will affect our journey tomorrow."

Upon hearing that they needed to hurry on their way, a deserter in his thirties suddenly knelt down.

"Imperial Envoy, you have already rescued us and fed us. Could you please do us a favor and release us? If we return to Ningyuan City, we...we will all die!"

After he finished speaking, the other deserters also knelt down, looking begging.

Shen Nian walked over with a puzzled look and asked, "What happened?"

"Imperial Envoy, please let us go! We'll be dead if we go back to Ningyuan City!" The deserters kowtowed to Shen Nian.

"Dead? According to the Great Ming Code, if you haven't fled abroad, the maximum sentence you'll get is three years of penal servitude! Besides, I'm bringing you back to Ningyuan City not to punish you, but to resettle you!"

"Your Excellency, no... that's not how it is. Ningyuan Guard has an ironclad order regarding deserters: anyone who gathers more than ten people to desert will be executed for treason. Commander Yuan of Ningyuan Guard is reluctant to report deserters to the court. In our case, it's treason, and there's no way we'll be spared!"

Shen Nian's face turned ashen.

Local officials, in pursuit of political achievements, would punish deserters with the death penalty for treason, not only without charge but also with public interest. Sometimes they could even conceal this from the imperial court and embezzle military funds.

"Is this true?"

"Really! Really! We really dare not go back. If the envoy forces us to return, then let him give each of us a knife and let us die here!"

Shen Nian then asked, "Is this the case in Ningyuan Guard, or is it the case throughout Liaodong? Does General Li know?"

"This...this humble one does not know!"

Shen Nian paused for a moment and said, "Everyone, come with me. Don't worry, with me here, no one will dare to arrest you again. I will arrange a new place for you. As long as you work hard, you can drink and eat meat every day!"

Upon hearing this, the forty-eight deserters looked puzzled but remained motionless.

The leader of the deserters said again, "Your Excellency, I know how powerful the Embroidered Uniform Guard is, but... in Ningyuan territory, no one has more power than Commander Yuan. You... either release us or let us commit suicide. Don't worry, we've eaten your food, we won't complain!"

Seeing that these people would rather die than move forward, Shen Nian couldn't help but say, "I can really protect you. I am not a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I am Shen Nian, the Minister of War. Do you know that?"

Shen Nian wasn't sure if these people would react when they heard his name; it was highly likely that the lower-ranking soldiers in Liaodong had never heard of him.

"Shen... Grand Secretary Shen... are you the Grand Secretary Shen who said it's better for officials to suffer than for common people to suffer?"

Shen Nian could tell from the looks in these people's eyes that they had heard her story.

"I am no longer the Grand Secretary. I am here to oversee the Ji and Liao regions by order of His Majesty. I am on my way to Liaodong Town. Do you think I can save your lives and arrange a new place for you to live?"

"Yes! Yes! You...you're a big shot!"

With the concurrent post of Governor-General of Jiliao and the official position of Minister of War, Shen Nian was practically the ruler of Jiliao.

"Can we go now?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" The deserters immediately became excited, suddenly feeling that there was hope for the future.

……

An hour later, Shen Nian and the others arrived at a small inn and settled down.

Shen Nian wanted to learn a lot from these deserters, but knowing they were all exhausted, he decided to talk about it tomorrow.

He ordered people to boil hot water for all these people and then changed them into clean clothes.

……

The following morning, Shen Nian and his party continued their journey.

After lunch, Shen Nian chatted with these veterans of the garrison, discussing why they deserted, the current situation of the garrisons in Liaodong, and the oppression of the garrison officers by the garrison soldiers.

Shen Nian was furious when she learned of their plight.

Their land was completely seized by the officers, and even their wives were taken. They were treated as the officers' private servants, forced to perform all sorts of menial tasks. As for their pay, they were lucky if they received 30% of their wages each time.

They wouldn't have chosen to desert if they hadn't been forced into a corner.

Shen Nian heard a sentence from them that made her particularly sad.

"It is better to be born in Liao than to be born in Hu."

In other words, living in Liaodong was not as good as living within the jurisdiction of the Mongol or Jurchen tribes.

This shows how disappointed they are with the current court.

Li Chengliang was only concerned with military achievements and treated Liaodong as a military camp, without giving any consideration to the lives of the lower-level military households and soldiers.

Of course, it wasn't his fault.

Faced with the provocations of the Jurchens, he could only prioritize military action, while the people's livelihood had to take a back seat.

After learning about the experiences of these deserters, Shen Nian had a bold idea.

He wanted to recall the deserters from the garrisons in Liaodong, gather them together, and send them to the port of the East (Vladivostok).

At this moment, Dongfang Port is still a desolate place, and what Shen Nian wants to do most in Liaodong is to build a commercial city in Dongfang Port that can support 100,000 people.

Han Chinese, Jurchens, Mongols, and even Koreans from nearby areas could all settle and live there.

Once their basic needs are met, these people will absolutely not commit further acts of arson, murder, and looting.

In the afternoon, Shen Nian and his group continued their journey.

Shen Nian continued in the same manner as before, walking ahead with Qi Hu and more than 30 others, maintaining a distance of five to ten miles from the main force, so that Shen Nian could observe the local people's lives.

Based on their speed, they should arrive in Ningyuan City around noon the day after tomorrow.

Shen Nian planned not to notify Yuan Cheng, the supreme commander of Ningyuan City, for the time being.

He planned to first take a stroll around the city to see the current state of people's lives. Only by understanding the people's lives could he know how to develop commerce.

at this time.

An undercover Imperial Guard, who was acting as a scout ahead, rode up to Shen Nian.

"Minister, the day before yesterday, those soldiers driving the prison carts, along with a large group of men in armor and carrying weapons, were rushing towards our direction. There were about three hundred of them, and they should be less than twenty miles away. Could they be planning to attack us?"

“That’s possible!” Shen Nian murmured.

Shen Nian and his group, posing as members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, intercepted these deserters from the garrison. The deserters would surely accuse Ningyuan Guard of executing them for treason. In order to avoid punishment, they might take a risk and annihilate all thirty-odd Embroidered Uniform Guards, then pretend they were killed by the Jurchens.

This kind of thing has happened before.

"Do they have any firearms among their weapons?" Shen Nian asked.

"We haven't seen it yet!"

Shen Nian looked at Qi Hu and said, "Qi Hu, quickly order someone to summon five hundred Imperial Guards from behind and have them all take electric flintlock pistols. We'll stop at the bend three hundred paces ahead. I want to see if they're really bold enough to attack the Imperial Guards!"

These people were wearing armor and carrying weapons, and were most likely acting on the orders of Commander Yuan Cheng.

“Minister, we can be used as bait. You must return to the rear immediately!” Qi Hu said.

"What do you mean by 'bait'? Once we're sure they're going to make a move, we'll just turn our horses around and run back, letting the Imperial Guards behind us take action. There's no danger, so I don't need to go back!" Shen Nian said.

"Minister, you must go back! If you don't go back, I will tell Elder Hai right now, and after we get to Liaodong, I will also report this matter to Master Shen and Madam Shen!"

"I'm going back, I'm going back! Qi Hu, how dare you threaten me with Elder Hai and my parents? This is the only time! If you dare to use this trick again, I'll kick you to death!" Shen Nian reluctantly turned his horse around and galloped back.

Qi Hu smiled smugly; this was a move that Hai Rui had taught him.

……

About two quarters of an hour later.

Upon hearing the sound of horses' hooves approaching, Qi Hu and his group of over thirty men waved their hands, ordering all the plainclothes imperial guards to stop.

Stop so you can turn around and run back.

Soon, about three hundred soldiers in armor appeared in front of Qi Hu and his men.

The leader was the middle-aged man whose neck Qi Hu had placed a knife on.

He pulled on the reins to stop, glanced at Qi Hu, and then looked around for Shen Nian.

Where is your boss?

Qi Hu ignored him.

"Did you release those deserters? What did they say to you?"

Qi Hu glared at him and said, "What right do you have to interrogate the Embroidered Uniform Guard? The Embroidered Uniform Guard is on duty, so you should all step aside immediately!"

"Haha! What I hate most is you bunch of Imperial Guards. Today, I'm going to wipe you all out. Once I catch you, I'll force you to answer my questions. Right now, those deserters won't be able to leave Liaodong. Before they can leave Liaodong, I'll be able to capture them all!"

Having said that, the middle-aged man raised the broadsword in his hand.

"Brothers, drive them all to the east side of the main road. Remember, don't let a single one escape. Leave two or three alive!"

boom! boom! boom!
The soldiers were very excited, as if they were going on a hunt, and they all held their weapons and patted the armor that extended to their legs.

Qi Hu's face turned ashen; this was the first time he had encountered soldiers who dared to attack and kill members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"withdraw!"

At Qi Hu's command, more than thirty Imperial Guards quickly turned their horses around and galloped away.

"Chase them! These are all rich kids, all show and no substance, good for nothing!" the middle-aged man shouted, and took the lead in chasing after them.

Giddy up! Giddy up! Giddy up!
Qi Hu and his men were excellent riders, and they rode fine horses, so those behind them couldn't catch up at all. However, since they had already threatened to kill them to silence them, they naturally couldn't stop.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Five hundred Imperial Guards stopped on the official road. A moment later, a scout ran over to report: they would arrive here in half an hour.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
With a wave of his hand, a hundred Jinyiwei commanders hid in the grass on the west side of the official road, a hundred Jinyiwei hid behind the rocks on the east side of the official road, and another three hundred Jinyiwei lined up in formation, setting up their muskets. In the middle, there was an opening more than ten feet wide for Qi Hu and his men to enter.

Shen Nian stood at the back, accompanying her family.

After a while.

Qi Hu and his men spotted the Imperial Guards waiting in ambush on the official road and immediately sped up, rushing into the passage reserved for them.

Soon, after Qi Hu and the others had all entered the rear, the opening was closed.

"Don't hurt the middle-aged man who's in the lead!" Qi Hu warned.

The Imperial Guards began firing their weapons when the soldiers were about fifty paces away.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
The lightning musket was a rapid-fire weapon with extremely high efficiency; almost in the blink of an eye, more than ten soldiers fell to the ground.

"Surrender and you will not be killed! Surrender and you will not be killed!" shouted a member of the Imperial Guard.

The soldiers were terrified when they saw that there were people with firearms all around them. When they heard "surrender and you will not be killed", they immediately dismounted, dropped their weapons, and covered the back of their heads with their hands.

Their surrender was performed with remarkable fluidity.

Before long, apart from the twenty-odd people who were dead or wounded, everyone else surrendered. The Imperial Guards took less than a quarter of an hour.

This is the deterrent power of firearms; once they are used, the opponent knows they are no match.

Immediately, the Imperial Guards tied all the soldiers up with ropes.

After a while.

Shen Nian walked up to the middle-aged man who was bound hand and foot and asked, "How dare you surround and kill the Imperial Guards? Who gave you the audacity? Tell me, who ordered you to do this?"

The middle-aged man glared menacingly at Shen Nian.

"Hmph, so what if you're a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? So what if you have firearms? Who do you think you are when we get to Liaodong?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian looked at Qi Hu and said, "Qi Hu, you can interrogate him!"

Qi Hu was originally from the Imperial Guard, and he was known for his brutal and decisive approach to interrogating people.

Immediately, Qi Hu excitedly dragged the middle-aged man aside.

About fifteen minutes later, Qi Hu walked up to Shen Nian and said, "Minister, this matter was instigated by Yuan Cheng, the commander of Ningyuan Guard. He was afraid that we would report to the court that they had treated deserters as traitors, so he wanted to kill us all!"

“Yuan Cheng, does he really think he’s the local tyrant of Ningyuan Guard? He even dares to kill the imperial envoy. Tomorrow when we enter the city, we’ll arrest him first!” Shen Nian said coldly.

Shen Nian could be sentenced to death for assassinating the emperor's envoy, not to mention that he also wanted to kill Shen Nian.

The Governor-General of Jiliao was the emperor's representative, even more important than an imperial envoy. Assassinating him, even without the emperor's knowledge, was a serious crime.

Shen Nian felt it necessary to first reorganize the Ningyuan Guard, and then make Li Chengliang understand what his purpose was in coming to Liaodong. (End of Chapter)