Chapter 247 Sharp Blade

It was day and night.

Orders were issued from the general's tent.

And they were through the Jinyiwei channel, and Leng Hantie, another thousand households, was in charge.

So Ma Zhongxi, Qiu Ju and others had no idea what was going on. They could only watch Zhongshan Hou lead 30,000 soldiers to advance towards Bazhou without haste, and they didn't seem to worry about these rebels fleeing everywhere.

Zhongshan Hou was not in a hurry, but someone soon couldn't sit still.

In the past half month, the rebels conquered three county towns again. Wherever they passed, they did not harm the people, but the gentry in the city suffered a great disaster.

Such behavior instantly caused an uproar in the world, and the court and the people were boiling.

Under pressure, the civil officials and gentry had to put pressure on Emperor Zhu Houzhao, forcing Zhu Houzhao to order Zhongshan Hou to march to suppress the rebels and wipe out this damn rebel who was roaming around and robbing the gentry as soon as possible!

Otherwise, who knows where these damn things will go next?

What if they went to the hometown of some important official in the court and harmed him?

These damn rebels are specifically targeting the gentry and wealthy families!

Zhu Houzhao was also happy. He also saw the plan of the wild man Tang Ritian, so he was not in a hurry at all.

However, due to his feelings, he still wrote a letter to Tang Hao.

He briefly explained the situation in the court and then urged him to update.

As for how Tang Hao would suppress the rebels and how to prepare to march, it was all up to Tang Hao to decide.

After reading Zhu Houzhao's secret letter, Tang Hao couldn't help but raise his mouth slightly.

"My Lord, are those people restless?" Tang Mu asked curiously.

"Ha!" Tang Hao sneered, "Of course they can't sit still!"

"Do you really think that I have such a good temper? They want me to come out to quell the rebellion, so I have to come out to quell the rebellion. I was led by them by the nose the whole time?"

"These bastards deliberately led this rebel army to run around everywhere, deliberately trying to delay time, so that they can take the opportunity to attack Qinghe Shipyard and want to pick my peaches."

"I have always been very patient. Since they want to play, let's play well and see who can't sit still first in the end!"

Tang Mu chuckled and was about to continue asking.

However, at this time, there was a noise and scolding outside the door.

Tang Mu drove him out immediately without Tang Hao speaking.

A moment later, Tang Mu came back to report: "My Lord, it's Ma Zhongxi, he wants to see you!"

"Let him in!" Tang Hao replied without raising his head, "After all, he is the military supervisor, so he has to give him some face!"

Oh, he threatened to kill him in public before?

Is this the "little face" you, the Marquis of Zhongshan, gave me?

Tang Mu complained in his heart while going out to ask for permission.

Soon Ma Zhongxi walked in angrily, while Tang Mu was stationed outside the general's tent.

"Marquis of Zhongshan!"

"What do you want to do?"

"You deliberately stopped and delayed the military plan, and watched these rebel forces grow stronger and stronger. You, Tang Hao, can't escape the blame!"

Tang Hao glanced at this guy, then sneered: "Oh!"

"Since Minister Ma thinks that this Marquis is not doing enough to suppress the rebellion, then this Marquis still says the same thing, you can lead the troops to suppress the rebellion on your own!"

"Tang Hao!" Ma Zhongxi shouted angrily: "You are the commander-in-chief appointed by the court!"

"If the rebels continue to cause trouble everywhere and shake the country of the Ming Dynasty, then you, the commander-in-chief of the three armies, will be a traitor to the country that everyone despises..."

Traitor to the country?

What a big tone!

Is this the Confucian rhetoric commonly used by civil officials and gentry?

To put it more bluntly, this is moral kidnapping.

Using the name of the righteousness of the country and the people, the civil officials and gentry achieved their own goals.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty in all dynasties were fooled by these bastards.

"Traitor?"

"Ma Zhongxi, do you really think that this marquis is so easy to fool?"

Tang Hao sneered: "This marquis was staying well in Shandong before, why did he come here to quell the rebellion, don't you Ma Zhongxi know it in your heart?"

As soon as these words came out, Ma Zhongxi's face changed slightly.

Although he did not participate in the intrigues here, he also heard some of them.

After all, there were rumors in the capital before. Who didn't know that the Marquis of Zhongshan and His Majesty the Emperor were secretly forming a fleet in Shandong, preparing to go out to sea for trade and profit?

Then this sudden rebellion broke out, so that His Majesty the Emperor had to dispatch the Marquis of Zhongshan to lead the army to quell the rebellion!

No matter what, I'm afraid that such a strange thing would happen if someone really instigated it!

"Zhongshan Hou!"

Ma Zhongxi's tone softened.

"Even if you are angry, you shouldn't act on your anger at this moment."

"Now the rebels are looting everywhere, with great momentum, and the people are suffering. Can you bear to watch these innocent people suffer from the looting of the rebels?"

"Furthermore, if my army cannot wipe out these rebels with thunder and lightning, it will also be a fatal blow to the prestige of the court. If the people are not attached to the prestige, how can the court govern the people of the world?"

Tang Hao waved his hand impatiently and sneered: "Since they can do it, why can't I, Tang Hao?"

"For the sake of the profits of maritime trade, they deliberately instigated the bandits to rebel. When they did this, did they ever consider the civilians and the prestige of the court?"

"If you, Ma Zhongxi, are really a smart man, you shouldn't question me now, but ask those gentry and gentry, what do they want to do?!"

The wrong person is not me, Tang Hao!

But those gentry and gentry who deliberately instigated the rebellion!

"Back then, I was responsible for rectifying the Beiwodusi, and a rebellion occurred. It was done by Huang Xingfu, Zhu Maogong and Bian Xiong!"

"This time, they want to use the same means to check and force me. Do they really think I am a soft persimmon?"

Tang Hao deliberately showed a hateful look of arrogance and disregard for his country and people, just to vent his anger.

Ma Zhongxi frowned and his face turned pale when he heard this.

To be honest, from the perspective of Zhongshan Hou, he didn't seem to have done anything wrong.

After all, anyone with a discerning eye could see that there must be some unknown intrigues behind this rebellion.

The gentry and the officials plotted against him again and again, so why not allow him to launch a counterattack?

Even a clay man can get angry!

What's more, he is the Marquis of Zhongshan in the Ming Dynasty with a large army!

However, this is the truth, but Ma Zhongxi still has to continue to ask Tang Hao to send troops.

There is no way. During this period, I don't know how many people sent secret letters, threatening and luring them to send troops to suppress the rebels immediately.

It's ridiculous to say that the original plan of the gentry and the officials was to delay time as much as possible, so that Tang Hao would fall into the quagmire of suppressing the rebellion and have no energy to take care of the Qinghe Shipyard, so that they could pick peaches.

However, man's plans are not as good as God's plans, and plans are far slower than changes.

Qi Yanming and others did raise troops, but they were not really brainless. After all, they were born in poor people. So even if they really raised troops and became "generals", they still did not forget their original intentions. They were focused on slaughtering and robbing gentry and officials, but they did not harm the civilians!

As a result, the first people who could not sit still were the gentry and officials!

Who knew that these damned rebels would be so "benevolent" and focus on killing gentry and officials?

They were now roaming around and looting everywhere. Who knew if they would go directly to their hometown and kill all their family members?

Under such circumstances, the gentry and officials would not care about the profits of maritime trade, and would not dare to plot against Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao. They wanted to kneel on the ground and beg Tang Hao to march in and wipe out this rebel group immediately, otherwise they might be the next unlucky ones to suffer!

"Tang Hou!"

Ma Zhongxi's tone softened.

"If we move forward slowly like this and sit back and watch the rebels roam around, if the families of Shandong officials in the court are lost, then Tang Hao will face impeachment from both the court and the public!"

"War is dangerous, their families' lives are lives, but the lives of the soldiers of the Beijing army are not lives?"

Tang Hao said coldly: "I still say the same thing. If you are not satisfied, you can impeach me and directly take away my power as the commander-in-chief. Then you, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, will lead the troops to quell the rebellion in person, and I will go back to Shandong to continue to stay honestly. What do you think?"

How is it?

Not very good!

Ma Zhongxi couldn't help but sigh.

He was not worried that he could not lead the troops to quell the rebellion, but that he could not take on this job!

In fact, when Ma Zhongxi was the governor of Xuanfu, the Tartars invaded, and he personally commanded the army to defeat them and crushed them.

So, even if Ma Zhongxi could not be called a civil and military man, he had led troops to fight, and there was no problem in dealing with this group of rebels roaming around.

But the problem is that he can't do this.

Once Ma Zhongxi squeezed out Zhongshan Hou and led his troops to quell the rebellion, it would indeed be a great achievement, but he would also attract the jealousy and exclusion of the gentry.

You, Ma Zhongxi, are good at tactics. You took the opportunity to make achievements in quelling the rebellion, but Zhongshan Hou took the opportunity to get out of this quagmire and went back to build ships and set up a fleet.

What's the point of the gentry working hard to plan all this?

So it's just for you, Ma Zhongxi, to benefit?

In the final analysis, the petty intrigues behind this war are the real reason why Ma Zhongxi is unwilling to intervene.

Therefore, he can't take this job, otherwise he will cut off his future and his career!

"Zhongshan Hou, what do you want to do to send troops?"

Tang Hao looked at Ma Zhongxi with a playful look on his face, and a hint of mockery flashed across his face.

"Master Ma, you are just a military supervisor, so just do your duty as a military supervisor."

"Marching and fighting is not as simple as you think. You can only move forward steadily and ensure absolute safety. Although these rebels are not powerful, they are now in full swing and their morale is high. It is really not suitable to send troops to fight them at this moment!"

Tang Hao didn't care about the rebellion of Liu Liu, Liu Qi and others.

To be honest, although the current Ming Dynasty court is rotten to the core, at least the foundation is still there, and it is not so easy to overthrow it.

Besides, the gentry and the gentry will not tolerate anyone destroying their basic base. If the Ming Dynasty court is gone, who will recognize their status as officials and gentry?

This uprising in history, including the uprisings in the early and middle Ming Dynasty, were all ruthlessly suppressed.

Of course, most of these uprisings were caused by the White Lotus Sect. This group of professional rebels has never succeeded once.

From the side, it can be seen that the White Lotus Sect does not have a long-term political program and military organization ability.

No matter how large the uprising is, it will still be suppressed in the end. The only effect is to shake the ruling foundation of the dynasty and make it easier for the later generations to overthrow the dynasty.

Tang Hao has a clear understanding of these rebellions. Although these people are not capable of overthrowing a dynasty, they can completely shake the foundation of a dynasty.

It is easy to suppress bandits and suppress rebellions, but how to eradicate the soil for the survival of rebel organizations such as the White Lotus Sect is the key. If the current political system of the Ming Dynasty is not thoroughly scraped and healed, even if there is no White Lotus Sect, there will be some Black Lotus Sect and Red Lotus Sect.

For example, the last time the White Lotus Sect rebelled in Juzhou, even if there were Bian Xiong and others who deliberately indulged behind the scenes, why were two White Lotus Sect demons able to incite and encourage the people of Juzhou to rebel?

In the final analysis, it is because the people of Juzhou are too miserable!

As long as the civilians can have enough food and warm clothes!

If only the common people could live a stable life!

They have nothing to do, so they will follow these White Lotus demons to rebel!

Why is the White Lotus Sect so persistent and why can it take root among the lower-class people?

It is because the lower-class people live too hard and can't make ends meet, so it has become a hotbed for the White Lotus Sect to take root and reproduce!

And the culprit for all this is none other than the gentry from all over the world!

Back to the present, the rebels led by Qi Yanming are just a group of bandits. As the number of people gradually increases, the food and grass they need will naturally increase, which will force them to continue to attack cities and rob wealthy families.

Originally, after Tang Hao joined the army, he really wanted to send troops to suppress these rebels immediately. After all, they could not be allowed to continue to harm the people and shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

However, from the intelligence collected by Jinyiwei, Tang Hao found an interesting place.

That is this group of rebels, more like a righteous army that robs and loots, robs the rich and helps the poor!

Well, Tang Hao is the Marquis of Zhongshan in the Ming Dynasty, a close and important official of the Emperor, and he really shouldn't have such thoughts, after all, he is a member of the court.

But just looking at what Qi Yanming and others did, it is hard not to respect them!

Every time they conquer a city, they do not harm the civilians, at most they force the young and strong among them to rebel together, that's all.

On the contrary, when it comes to those gentry and officials, these guys are really ruthless, killing those who should be killed and skinning those who should be skinned alive, and they will never show mercy!

How to say it?

They are now doing what Tang Hao has always wanted to do!

After confirming this meaning, the Marquis of Zhongshan, who was anxious before, is now really not panicking at all, and he even wants to laugh.

In Zhili, there are many powerful nobles and gentry, so the people of Hebei suffer from exploitation and oppression. Their lives are really miserable. It is not an exaggeration to say that the people are living in dire straits.

For example, the "harm of horse politics" is just one of them, and it is not even enough to describe the suffering of the people of Hebei!

In this case, it is better to start all over again.

Anyway, it is not Tang Hao, the Marquis of Zhongshan in the Ming Dynasty, who killed people. At most, he will be charged with the crime of "ineffective suppression of bandits" afterwards, and he will not lose a piece of meat.

On the contrary, wherever these rebels passed, they almost killed all the gentry and gentry. Except for one or two with good reputations and virtues, the rest were all confiscated and exterminated.

What Tang Hao has to do now is to think about how to use this "sharp blade" well!

Qi Yanming and others are now the knife, cleaning up the gentry and gentry in Hebei and Zhili for him, and he only needs to lead the army to drive away the rebels. After the rebels confiscate the gentry and exterminate the gentry for food, he will send troops to recapture the city!

A clean city without gentry and gentry, a city with a lot of unowned land that can be redistributed to the people!

Tsk tsk, what a good person!

Tang Hao's words were righteous, but Ma Zhongxi sneered.

"Zhongshan Hou, don't think that this official can't see your little thoughts!"

"You just want to take this opportunity to clean up the gentry and gentry, just like you did in Shandong back then, right?"

"This official can tell you clearly that if you really dare to do this, the gentry in the world will regard you as an enemy, and you will definitely be attacked and impeached, notorious, and infamous for thousands of years!"

These words are almost clear cards.

Unfortunately, the wild man Tang Ritian has never been threatened by others, let alone his reputation.

Tang Hao looked at Ma Zhongxi leisurely and sneered: "You want me to quell the rebellion, but now I am here, what else do you want?"

"If you have the guts, you can use some more conspiracies and tricks to get me away?"

"Tang Hao, you..." Ma Zhongxi was furious.

He hated the arrogance of the Zhongshan Marquis, and even more hated the lawlessness of this reckless man!

You must know that Hebei is a Zhili land, with countless gentry and officials. God knows how many court officials come from these Zhili prefectures.

If this damn reckless man is really determined to purge all these gentry and officials, then the foundation of the Ming Dynasty will really be shaken!

Unless... replace this damn reckless man, let others come to take over the army and immediately send troops to quell the rebellion!

In other words, these gentry and gentry have undoubtedly shot themselves in the foot this time, and they have smashed their feet so hard that their feet are broken!

Ma Zhongxi finally returned empty-handed. After returning to his tent, he immediately wrote a memorial, in which he wrote about Tang Hao's deliberate connivance of the rebels to slaughter the gentry, and also made an impassioned speech and took the initiative to ask His Majesty the Emperor to strip Tang Hao of his power, and let him, Ma Zhongxi, take over the army and immediately go out to quell the rebellion.

Things have developed to this point, and he has no choice but to take the initiative.

Although doing so is likely to arouse the jealousy of some gentry, if he does not do so, he, Ma Zhongxi, will be unacceptable to the gentry of the world!

Knowing that the Marquis of Zhongshan deliberately used a knife to clean up the gentry in Zhili, you, the military supervisor, did nothing. Then when this matter is over, he, Tang Hao, will bear the infamy, and you, Ma Zhongxi, will not be much better!

So, Ma Zhongxi had no choice!

The memorial soon arrived in the capital, and it instantly set off an uproar.

When Yang Tinghe, the chief minister in charge of the cabinet, saw this memorial, he smiled inexplicably.

Zhongshan Hou is indeed a loyal and good man!