There were not many eight-hundred recruits, and it was not at all many. In fact, Wang Kuiyi held a small share. However, it was enough to allow Kung Xianglin, the chief advisor sent by Saishang Ea, to leave the Yuan Gate and go to the Yuan Hall with a happy heart.
"Prime Minister, I have lost the city, and I am guilty!"
Although Wang Kuiyi led 800 battalions to enter the city, he still felt a bit weak in his bones and a bit scared. Seeing the imperial envoy Saishang Ea sitting neatly in the hall with his complete attire, he trembled and knelt to ask for forgiveness.
However, Huang Shijie, who entered with him, stood straight and stiff as a board, and Wang Kuiyi didn't kneel even when he did.
How can Master Huang kneel? Master Huang is a scholar and holds official titles. A scholar with official rank is entitled to meet officials without kneeling!
Moreover, Master Huang and his 800 battalions are fully qualified to stand and beg for food!
So Master Huang now just stands carelessly over there, and it's clear that he is a bandit leader who is arrogant and bossy.
Saishang A was a seasoned fox, and upon seeing the performance of Wang Kuiyi and the country magnate who came with him, he immediately understood who had power and who had overstepped their bounds.
So he didn't pay attention to Wang Kuiyi who didn't apologize, but looked at the arrogant Huang Shijie and asked in a gentle voice, "May I know your name, sir?"
"I am Daozhou Huang Shijie, a scholarly name!" Huang Shijie bowed respectfully, "I have the honor to meet the Prime Minister!"
A scholar, and from Daozhou localities, yet so proud.Needless to say, the eight hundred battalions must be ones he organized!
Saishang A, with his white beard, asked: "Master Huang, are those eight hundred battalions that you brought from Daozhou?"
"Yes!" Huang Shijie nodded vigorously, "These eight hundred men are mostly my kin and friends, and some are old troops of Yu Junkuan. They have been following me for a single-minded desire to avenge the death of Yu Junkuan."
It's only a shame that we are still weak and outnumbered, and couldn't hold onto Daozhou. Now we have to wander here to Quanzhou, hoping to get a meal at the table of Minister Saishang."
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Saishang A and said: "I humbly ask for Your Lordship's mercy and kindness to accept our humble request for food, and to give us a chance to serve Your Lordship!"
Oh, are you here to beg for food, or to stand and ask for it?
It seems that what is said in this "Counter-Text" is not without truth!
These Han scholars, who usually appear meek and deferential, are willing to borrow money for any reason, including to become a tiny official. However, once they have some soldiers in their hand, they dare to stand and ask for food!
This is still just a scholar, with only eight hundred soldiers!
If this Huang had eight million soldiers, he might become "Yellow Baopao" or even "Yellow Emmanuel."
But if this middle official does not give this Huang scholar food, will he just cut his queue and become a rebel?
"Never mind, never mind," Saishang A naturally replied with a series of "never minds," "Master Huang, the Ministry is here to exterminate rebels, and we need loyal men like you! I will not only allocate rations and supplies for you, but also recommend you for an official post, starting as a temporary magistrate!"
The wisdom in the "Counter-Text" is indeed true!
In Huang Shijie's heart, he thought: "I began to study at the age of five, and I have been reading diligently for twenty years. Yet I am merely a scholar. To become a temporary magistrate, I still need to pass the examination for the Ecole des Examinations du Ministère de l'Éducation (a state examination system for selecting talent), pass the Imperial Examination, and go through the appointment process at the Board of Personnel —— what is called appointment is actually about spending money to get a position."
Now that I have eight hundred battalions under my command, I can skip the local examination, the ministry examination, the imperial examination, and the selection process. I don't have to spend a single coin, and Saishang A even has to give me money.
It seems that I need to recruit more troops. The more troops I have, the bigger my official title, the more I can stand straight when begging, and the more money I can get!"
Thinking of this, Huang Shijie bowed deeply to the ground again and said, "I humbly thank the middle official for your nurturing and promotion. If you have any tasks, I will do them without hesitation!"
Saishang A nodded with a smile and turned to his personal advisor, Wang: "Uncle Wang, you go with Master Huang to count the troops first, and then discuss how to allocate the food and rations."
"Yes!"
Wang agreed with a smile and said to Huang Shijie, "Please, Master Huang."
With the food secured, Huang Shijie no longer cared about Wang Kuiyi still kneeling there asking for forgiveness. He smiled and walked off with great joy, following Uncle Wang.
Seeing Huang Shijie leave like that, Wang Kuiyi suddenly became nervous.
And the smile on Saishang A's face in the hall was also wiped away.
Now he has no way to deal with Huang Shijie, for the man truly brought eight hundred battalions!
Although Saishang A is a high-ranking official and a diplomat, he does not have many soldiers under his command. According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty, high-ranking officials such as governors, generals, and colonels are actually "company leaders" who can command no more than 2000 or 1500 soldiers, and some of them even have to eat into their soldiers' food rations. They also take some of their soldiers' lives.
Even with twenty generals, commanders, and colonels under Saishang A's command, their total troops would only amount to thirty thousand.
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom across the way is expanding their army in Daozhou!
They are distributing land and recruiting people while also recruiting miners across the Daozhou area. The army has expanded at least by three times, reaching a total of at least six or seven million combat-ready troops. Including the original three or four million, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom now has at least 6 million to 7 million battle-ready troops.
Saishang A's disciplined troops are at least double that amount!
If he doesn't recruit more troops from Hunan, Guangxi, and Guangdong provinces, what will he use to fight against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom?
By the time the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has finished organizing in Daozhou, Saishang A, as the imperial envoy, might have to serve as a commander in the army in Xinjiang.
Therefore, Huang Shijie, a bandit leader who can actually recruit people, must be flattered by Saishang A now.
Now, Saishang A does not have the ease of handling things with such grace as the three elders in the movie "The Warlords."
But Wang Kuiyi has no troops.
No troops? Then take the blame!
The blame for the fall of Daozhou cannot be placed on Yu Wanqing! Saishang A has received "definite information" that Yu Wanqing and his Lieutenant General Wu Shibin perished together at the Battle of Egutang.
Whether their battles were fought well or not, they are certainly loyal martyrs of the Qing Dynasty.
How can a loyal martyr bear the blame? Moreover, Yu Wanqing is not the governor of Daozhou. He was only temporarily stationed in Daozhou to block the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
While Wang Kuiyi has the responsibility to defend his territory!
"Pap" - Saishang A slapped the table with his palm. Knowing that things were not looking good, Wang Kuiyi trembled and looked at Saishang A with despair.
Saishang A asked in a stern voice, "Wang Kuiyi, you've lost your army and territory, yet you're still unwilling to die for your country. Do you know that you are guilty?"
"Lowly, lowly, my subordinate," Wang Kuiyi stammered and reached out to pull out a memorial, "This is the memorial I submitted for my apology."
A memorial for apologies.
How wonderful!
Saishang A was overjoyed in his heart. Since you've submitted a memorial for apologies, it's all settled then. The blame is all yours now, whether it's to be executed at the market square or to serve in Xinjiang depends on the emperor's mood.
"Servant Shengbao and Yuanbao, we respectfully ask our master for peace!"
In the most opulent courtyard garden in Beijing, named "Fufu Pavilion" in a garden called "Jingcuipark," P Prince Yixin finally saw his two favorite slaves Shengbao and Yuanbao after watching an opera titled "Huoyundong" featuring Monkey King beating the demon king Niuomojiao. His father-in-law was the Minister of War, Guerjia Qinliang.
"Stand up, both of you, take your seats! Sit down and talk to me; there's no need to be formal here, we're all friends," Prince Yixin said politely, waving his hand. Immediately, two eunuchs from the Prince's Palace brought over two round stools for Shengbao and Yuanbao.
Shengbao and Yuanbao both sat straight, with Shengbao holding his knees with both hands, looking like a little boy who has done something wrong. While Yuanbao put the mooncake into a paper bag and placed it on his lap.
Qinliang, the father-in-law of Prince Yixin, spotted the unassuming paper bag on Yuanbao's lap. He inquired: "Yuanbao, you've got a present for the prince? It looks quite nice. What is it?"
Yuanbao's face turned red, quickly explaining: "Uncle, this isn't a gift for the prince. It's something I found during a battle against a demon in Quanzhou at the Xuewei Crossing."
"Juicy tidbits of a demon?" Prince Yixin was taken aback, "Is it true or false?"
Qinliang also asked, "Yuanbao, you kid, are you telling tales to fool the prince?"
"Really! I would never deceive my master. This mooncake is evidence left by the demons!" Yuanbao picked up the mooncake, walked forward two steps, then kneeled down with one knee and held it up, presenting it to the prince with both hands,"Please Your Highness to inspect it!"
Today's 20 updates are completed! So far, by 17:37, the pre-order situation is not bad, it has broken 1300, it is 1301. It seems that there is great hope for achieving a pre-order of 2000 copies. Tomorrow it is estimated to be ten updates. But in the morning at 6 o'clock there will be one update. If there are extra updates, all of them will be released at noon.
————Da Luoluoluo thanks everyone for their support, thank you all.
