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

After being treated like this for more than half a month, Jirgalang was already exhausted and was kicked to the ground by Zhang Shikang.

"You must get out there and go to Yizhou, and jump off the Yizhou city wall!

Don't fucking kill me, Yizhou, and let that fat guy Huang say that I'm dishonest."

After Zhang Shikang finished speaking, he ignored him and immediately returned to Jinzhou City.

After this battle, Huang Taiji lost another 10,000 elite troops. Seeing that the Guanningjin defense line was impregnable and there was no chance for him to take advantage, he had to return to Shengjing.

It is said that Huang Taiji fainted again from anger after meeting Jirgalang.

On Zhang Shikang's side, on the second day after the 100,000 returning Liao people arrived in Jinzhou City, he divided these 100,000 people into several teams and assigned them to several cities including Shanhaiguan, Ningyuan, and Jinzhou City.

The military settlements of the garrisons were taken back, the land was remeasured and redistributed, and all the soldiers of the Guanningjin garrison were removed from their military household registration and allocated land.

On February 18, Zu Dashou summoned all the military generals of the family to discuss matters, and the meeting lasted until late at night.

Zhang Shikang did not participate, but when he came to the military camp again the next day, there was no one from the Zu family in the camp.

Zu Dashou reported to him that he had convinced all the generals of the Zu family and they were willing to obey all the arrangements made by Zhang Shikang.

Zhang Shikang didn't know how much effort Zu Dashou had put in last night, but it was indeed a very uncomfortable thing to let so many family members withdraw from military law.

After all, many people are in their prime. Who would be willing to give up Guan Ningjin, which they have run for so many years?

But sometimes it's like this, in the overall situation, everyone has to obey.

Guanningjin will serve as a benchmark for the military towns in the nine borders, so there will definitely be some short-term pain, but there is nothing that can be done about it.

On February 19, Zhang Shikang summoned all the troops in Jinzhou City and announced in front of all the Liao soldiers the decision that the Zu family would leave Guanningjin and return to the capital.

When the 20,000 Liao soldiers first heard the news, they were all stunned.

Almost all of these soldiers fought with the special identity of servants of the Zu family. How could they accept such a big change in the Zu family now?

Zhang Shikang waved his hands, trying to calm the Liao soldiers, but he found that he couldn't do it at all.

In the end, Zu Dashou stood up and waved his hands, and the excited Liaodong soldiers soon calmed down.

"Marshal, let me talk to them first." Zu Dashou requested.

After getting Zhang Shikang's approval, Zu Dashou walked a few steps to the front of the parade ground.

He was not wearing armor today, but only a typical Liaodong cotton coat. Zu Dashou did not speak immediately, but looked around at his former soldiers.

Then he said in a deep voice:

“Soldiers, for a long time, you and my ancestors have been dependent on each other for life and death. Many of you, even I, have grown up watching them.

You have followed my ancestor for many years, and I am grateful for your loyalty."

Zu Dashou's eyes turned red as he spoke, and some of the Liao soldiers below him were wiping away tears.

The general is old and his hair has turned gray.

"But we all know that this is wrong!" Zu Dashou's voice suddenly became high-pitched.

"Liaodong belongs to the Ming Dynasty, not to anyone else. Your military pay and uniforms are issued by the imperial court, not by my ancestors.

If we do this, we are courting death.

Your Majesty is benevolent and the Marshal is merciful. They allowed my family to retire peacefully. This is a blessing for my family.

Over the years, I have learned a lesson.

This person can't have it all.

From now on, Guan Ningjin no longer has an ancestral home, and you must all obey the orders of the Grand Marshal.

Anyone who dares to flatter the Marshal would be opposing the imperial court and harming my ancestor's birthday.

The imperial court is no longer the same as before. With the Grand Marshal here, no one dares to withhold your military pay, let alone reduce your military merits.

I am old now, and here I can only wish you...prosperity in military affairs!"

After Zu Dashou finished speaking, he was already in tears, and no one understood how he felt at the moment.

He has dedicated his whole life to Liaodong, and now he is leaving here.

Zhang Shikang patted Zu Dashou's old but still upright body to show his comfort.

"My fellow soldiers, please do not treat me as a villain. I am not that bad." Zhang Shikang made a joke, trying to ease the depressing atmosphere.

But it was obvious that the effect was not very good. A considerable number of these Liaodong veterans followed their ancestors to retreat from the east of the Liaohe River to the west of the Liaohe River, and then retreated to Guanningjin.

The bitterness of this is unknown, and only people from Liao can empathize with it.

“The Zu family has made contributions to the court, this is beyond doubt, but the court will not treat the Zu family unfairly.

See what this is? "

As Zhang Shikang spoke, he took out a golden imperial edict from his thick cotton coat as if by magic.

“Holy oracle.

The Zu family defended Guanningjin for ten years and made great contributions. In the Battle of Jinzhou, the Zu family made great contributions again and served the world.

The imperial decree conferred the title of Ningyuan Marquis on Zu Dashou, promoted him to Junior Protector, awarded him a Feiyu robe, and bestowed him with two hundred taels of gold.

Zu Dabi was granted the title of Earl of Changping, promoted to Commandant of Light Cavalry, awarded a Douniu suit, and a gift of 100 taels of gold.

Zu Zeyuan was conferred the title of Earl of Yongping, promoted to Commandant of Light Cavalry, awarded a bullfighting uniform, and given 100 taels of gold.

Wu Sangui was conferred the title of Weiwu Earl, promoted to Light Cavalry Commandant, and succeeded Zu Dashou as the Commander-in-Chief of Guanningjin Military Affairs, with the seal of the Vanguard General of the Liao Expedition, and was awarded a Feiyu robe and 100 taels of gold.

Zu Dacheng was promoted to the rank of Light Cavalry Commandant, awarded a bullfighting uniform and fifty taels of gold.

Zu Zerun was given the title of Cavalry Commandant.

Zu Zeqing, was given the title of Cavalry Commandant.

......"

The list of rewards was very long, almost including all the generals, big and small, in the Zu family.

The battle report from Jinzhou was delivered to the capital by the Embroidered Uniform Guard at full speed more than ten days ago, along with a letter written by Zhang Shikang himself to his brother Chongzhen.

In the letter, he stated the contributions of his ancestral family and hoped that Brother Chongzhen would no longer mind the conflicts between the court and his ancestral family over the years and look forward to everything.

He knew that Brother Chongzhen was a vengeful person, and originally wanted to ask for only a marquisate title for Zu Dashou. Unexpectedly, this time Brother Chongzhen was quite generous and directly gave Zu's family a marquisate and two earls.

Although they were all titles of nobility, for Zu's family who came from a military family, it was already the highest honor.

Zu Dashou never dreamed that the current emperor would confer a title on him, and it was a marquis.

The other members of the Zu family also had tears in their eyes. This was a completely unexpected surprise. They all knelt down in the direction of the capital and shouted "Long live the emperor".

Zhang Shikang threw the imperial edict to Zu Dashou, and then looked at the 20,000 Liao soldiers on the parade ground and said:

"Our family has fought for the imperial court for decades, and the glory that belongs to our family has been given by His Majesty.

But the glory that belongs to you still needs you to fight for it yourself.

I have heard that many of you have your ancestral homes east of the Liao River.

Your hometown has been occupied by the Tatars for decades.

I am asking you now, do you want to go home? "