Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

"Brothers, work harder!"

Inside the military camp, more than a dozen soldiers were carrying a log together. They were shouting slogans and carrying the log with difficulty towards the direction of the carpenter.

These logs will be made into defensive equipment such as chevaux de frise by craftsmen.

But the log was too heavy, and more than a dozen soldiers tried their best to climb up a small slope but still failed.

At this moment, a young man in a purple robe came forward to help. He put his shoulders under the log and gritted his teeth to work with the soldiers.

The two servants behind him also took action one after another, and the logs were successfully transported.

"Thank you for your help, sir. I didn't expect you still have so much strength." A soldier said loudly.

These soldiers probably all knew that this young man was the rich and powerful friend of the Lord in the capital, and his superiors said that he came to experience life in the military camp.

Most soldiers, due to their low status, maintained due respect for the children of nobles, but in their hearts they generally looked down on them.

The soldiers in the Beijing camp, in particular, had already been influenced by Zhang Shikang's ruffian nature and looked down on the spoiled children of nobles and relatives.

But this guy in purple is not only polite in the military camp, he also never bullies others by taking advantage of his power. He will always help wherever he sees help is needed.

Therefore, the soldiers gradually changed their views on Brother Purple.

"Hehe, it's just a small favor, nothing to mention." Brother Ziyi had a smile on his face and bowed to them.

In fact, he didn't put in much effort in moving the logs just now. It was all thanks to Zhang Xiuqing and others.

The guy in purple is naturally Emperor Chongzhen. He has been wandering around the military camp for most of the day, and he helps wherever he sees help needed.

At first he was not used to it and often made mistakes due to his unfamiliarity with the affairs, and was laughed at by a group of soldiers.

But he soon got used to it. Although the soldiers laughed at him and called him stupid, he knew that they were just joking and would always teach him how to do something after laughing.

Gradually, soldiers in various parts of the barracks got used to this purple figure.

The soldiers all knew that Brother Purple was here to experience life, and since he never got angry, they would call him over to help when there was work to do.

Emperor Chongzhen spent the whole day helping out in various parts of the military camp. Although he was tired, he was full of energy.

This is a completely different feeling from handling government affairs in the palace. State affairs are difficult and government affairs are complicated, and it is the spirit that is exhausted.

What is tired here is the body, but although the body is tired, the spirit is relaxed.

"How is it, brother? Feeling okay?" Zhang Shikang walked over with a smile and handed Emperor Chongzhen a water bag.

This idea was proposed by Zhang Shikang. It cannot be said to be brilliant, but it can be said to be very ordinary and simple. If the officials in the court knew about it, they would definitely impeach him for damaging the royal dignity.

But it definitely had an effect. At least he became familiar with people in the military camp. He would occasionally go around the camp and often heard the soldiers praising Brother Purple in front of him.

"Well, so this is the life of a soldier. Although it is tiring, it is not boring."

Emperor Chongzhen rolled up his sleeves to wipe the sweat off his face, then opened the water bag and filled it with water.

Compared to the monotonous life in the palace, he felt much more fresh when he first arrived in the military camp.

“Haha, that’s because you didn’t stay long enough, brother. After a while, you’ll get bored.

It's human nature, but that's their life.

For this military pay, they have to fight and risk their lives on the battlefield.

You see them laughing and talking happily now, but after a war, I wonder how many of them will never be seen again." Zhang Shikang said with emotion.

He had never had such feelings before. He only thought that the court had given money and these people should risk their lives for them.

But since he experienced a real battlefield, he no longer thought so. Although these people were miserable and had nothing, they were also living lives.

If one has to work hard for a salary, then he really wants to give military pay to all those talkative kings in the court so that they can also experience the feeling.

Soldiers should be respected, given due status, and even given preferential treatment in some aspects. This is what they deserve for this profession.

Today, the status of the lower-level soldiers in the Ming Dynasty is almost comparable to that of the bandit troops in the Song Dynasty.

There is still a long way to go to change this situation, but at least Zhang Shikang has the final say now. As long as we work hard, things will always turn out for the better.

Zhang Shikang actually had a better idea to boost morale, but he chose the dumbest way.

He just wanted to let Brother Chongzhen know that although you are of noble status, these lower-level soldiers, and even the lower-level civilians, also have dignity.

"Alas, I always feel guilty when I see them." Emperor Chongzhen sighed.

Just as Zhang Shikang said, if the court gave them military pay, they would fight the Tartars to the death, but now he couldn't even pay the military pay.

"It's over, brother. It's great that you can make it this far," Zhang Shikang comforted.

He wondered if this was a bit too much. He wanted to let this guy go to the grassroots to experience some life and let him know how difficult it is for grassroots soldiers.

But I don't want my brother to feel too guilty and self-blaming. After all, the responsibility for the operation of a country cannot be blamed on one person.

"It looks like they're going to be busy over there again. I'll go take a look. If you have nothing to do, you should do some work." Emperor Chongzhen glanced at Zhang Shikang and said.

Zhang Shikang now calls himself "brother" all the time and he never changes his tone even in private. Emperor Chongzhen thinks this guy is addicted to it.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but Lu Xiangsheng and Sun Weifan had already protested several times, believing that this was against etiquette and would not only undermine his dignity but also give Zhang Shikang an easy target to use against him.

"Ha, go ahead bro, I just remembered I need to pee."

When Zhang Shikang heard that the old man wanted to ask him to work together, he immediately urinated, which caused Zhang Xiuqing to look at him with contempt.

Emperor Chongzhen was not annoyed, he just shook his head and muttered:

"Even after arriving at the military camp, I still can't change my lazy habits."

……

On the third day of November, the army finally got the opportunity to fight.

The scouts reported that after Dorgon's attack on Hejian Prefecture failed, he led his army straight to Dingzhou. Lu Xiangsheng judged that Dorgon must have lost his patience and was finally going to have a decisive battle with the court.

Under Zhang Shikang's order, all soldiers gathered in the military camp for the final pre-war mobilization.

Winter has arrived and the weather is particularly cold today.

More than 40,000 soldiers lined up in the military camp. The atmosphere was extremely solemn, and there was a dry and cold wind in the air.

Generals such as Zhang Shikang, Lu Xiangsheng, and Sun Weifan were all standing on the platform, but none of them spoke first, as if they were waiting for someone.

The soldiers below were all confused, wondering who the important person could be that made Lord Bo and Lord Lu wait so solemnly.

After a while, a group of people walked out from the central army tent, led by a young man in a bright yellow robe.

Behind him was a eunuch holding a whisk. This eunuch rarely appeared in the past two days. Only a few generals knew that he was the military supervisor sent by the court.

Behind the military inspector were two rows of guards dressed in tight clothes with steel swords on their waists, among whom were Zhang Xiuqing and others.

The young man in the yellow robe had a calm expression on his face, and he walked slowly towards the reviewing stand.

The soldiers below the stage even began to breathe heavily.

……