Chapter 146: Wang Ziteng Misleads the Army and the Country
"Your Majesty, there is a mutiny in the Beijing camp, someone is rebelling!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Emperor Yuanzhen and all the officials in the palace changed suddenly, and there were stormy waves in their hearts.
The Jingying is the most important guard force of the Shenjing City. Once any change happens, it will be like the sky falling.
Emperor Yuanzhen looked solemn and shouted, "A rebellion broke out in the capital? What exactly happened? What is the situation now?"
Zhao Quan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, a quarter of an hour ago, the Jinyifu received a report from the guards at Anding Gate, saying that there was a 'mutiny' in the Beijing camp, and more than 10,000 rebels are now attacking Anding Gate. Now all the city gates and palace gates have been urgently closed and locked..."
The rebels were attacking Anding Gate, and these words were like a bolt from the blue, exploding in the hearts of the emperor and his ministers.
Prime Minister Yang Yanzhi's old eyebrows twisted into a "川" shape, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Why did the Beijing Army rebel? Where is Jiedushi Wang Ziteng? Where is he?"
Zhao Quan shook his head and said, "It is still unknown at the moment. Jinyifu has already sent people out of the city to inquire, and we should be able to get the news soon."
Emperor Yuanzhen took a deep breath, but he was still upset. He had experienced many ups and downs in the past ten years, but the crisis of the mutiny in the Beijing camp was far greater than ever before. He said in a serious tone: "Zhao Quan, quickly let the Five Cities Military Department and the Jinyifu go to defend the city and do not let the rebels enter the city."
The Beijing camp mutinied, the situation outside the city was unclear, and inside the city of Shenjing, the only military forces that could be mobilized were the ten thousand yamen runners of the Five Cities Bingmasi and the five thousand Jinyiwei.
In fact, there are still thousands of imperial guards in the palace, but they are the last barrier to protect the emperor and should not be moved lightly.
Zhao Quan said: "Your Majesty, the Five Cities Military Department and the Imperial Guard have already sent people to Anding Gate to assist the new army in defending the city."
"New Army Guards?"
Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and Emperor Yuanzhen was also deeply surprised.
He had just thought about sending someone out of the city to find Shen Yuan and quell the rebellion, but then he remembered that the New Army Guards were still outside the city, and there were only 5,000 people. How could they defeat the Beijing Camp Army?
Emperor Yuanzhen asked, "Why are the new army guards in the city?"
Zhao Quan said, "Your Majesty, according to the news brought back by the guards at the city gate, General Shen Yuan of Yunwu sensed that something was wrong and sent Feng Ziying to lead two thousand new army guards to guard the city. If Feng Ziying had not arrived half a quarter of an hour earlier, I'm afraid that Anding Gate would have fallen into the hands of the rebels by now."
When everyone heard this, they were shocked again.
Did Shen Yuan sense a mutiny in the Beijing camp?
Why are there only two thousand people? Don’t the new army have five thousand people?
Just as everyone was puzzled, another eunuch came in to report: "The Jinyiwei outside has delivered news."
Emperor Yuanzhen glanced at the paper in the eunuch's hand and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Quan, read it."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Quan took the paper from the eunuch, unfolded it, took a look at it, was stunned for a moment, and then began to read it aloud.
"Your Majesty, according to the Jinyiwei, the governor of the Beijing camp, Wang Ziteng, had a conflict with the officers of the Fenyong Camp and the Liwei Camp over the issue of reorganizing the army. Wang Ziteng beat dozens of officers with sticks and tied them up and exposed them to the sun, resulting in the death of a guerrilla general and three thousand households, thus provoking a mutiny.
Afterwards, the generals of the Four Brave Camps incited the soldiers, under the slogan of "clearing the imperial court and killing Wang Ziteng", and divided the troops into two groups. One group went to the Jiedushi camp to besiege Wang Ziteng, and the other group was attacking Anding Gate.
General Yunwu Shen Yuan was aware of this in advance and sent Feng Ziying, the commander of the New Army Guard, to lead 2,000 people to Anding Gate to defend the city. General Yunwu Shen Yuan personally led the remaining New Army Guard to the Beijing Camp to quell the rebellion..."
After Zhao Quan finished reading, the emperor and his ministers in the hall had a basic understanding of the causes and consequences of the mutiny, as well as the current situation.
Unexpectedly, Wang Ziteng's military training led to a mutiny.
Emperor Yuanzhen's expression changed, and he shouted angrily: "How dare a group of arrogant and brave generals act so recklessly? This is simply too much to bully the emperor!"
He was angry and thought to himself: "Wang Ziteng is eager for success and profit, and he is harming the army and the country!"
Suddenly, he remembered that Shen Yuan had reminded him before in the imperial study. Now thinking about it... he regretted ignoring Huaizhong's words!
The only thing to be thankful for is that only four regiments and battalions have participated in the mutiny and it has not yet spread to the entire military camp. There is still room for recovery and the sky has not fallen.
Shen Huaizhong has personally led the new army to quell the rebellion, but... he only has 3,000 men, how can he fight against tens of thousands of rebels?
After a short silence, Emperor Yuanzhen tried his best to appear calm. He looked at the civil and military officials in the court and said in a deep voice, "My Lords, what do you think we should do now?"
Sun Xingchang, the Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Palace and the Second Assistant of the Cabinet, replied: "I think the most urgent task is to quickly put down the rebellion. Your Majesty can issue an order to have the other eight regiments send troops to put down the rebellion..."
Upon hearing this, Yu Qian, the Minister of War, suddenly changed his expression and said in a hurry, "No!"
Facing the doubtful eyes of the crowd, he continued, "Right now, the morale of all the soldiers in the Beijing camp is unsettled, and the commanders of the various regiments are surrounded in the central army camp and cannot lead their troops at this time. Once the order to mobilize troops is issued, I am afraid that there may be people in other regiments who will join the rebellion. If this happens, it will be impossible to suppress the rebellion. Therefore, I suggest that other regiments should not leave without permission."
Sun Xingchang refuted: "If we don't mobilize soldiers from other regiments and camps, how can we suppress the rebellion? Can we only rely on Shen Yuan's 3,000 men?"
After a pause, he added, "Besides, if we let Prince Beijing and Prince Nan'an go to mobilize the troops, will those people still join the rebellion?"
As soon as he said this, Nan'an County Prince Zheng Chong quickly responded: "The soldiers in the Beijing camp are very excited now, and I am afraid that it is difficult for this old minister to suppress them."
Zheng Chong is not stupid. Naturally he is unwilling to take the risk of cleaning up the mess caused by Wang Ziteng.
What's more, this matter is extremely risky. The Prince of Nan'an has always been on good terms with those regiment commanders. In the eyes of middle and lower-level officers and grassroots soldiers, he has no prestige. It is indeed a bit guilty for him to mobilize troops at this time.
At this time, Prince Beijing Shui Rong stepped forward and said to Emperor Yuan Zhen: "Your Majesty, I agree with your opinion. It is not appropriate to mobilize troops from other regiments and camps at this time, but we have to mobilize troops to quell the rebellion.
I am not a talented person, but I am willing to go to each regiment camp to appease the troops, and then select some loyal soldiers to help Shen Huaizhong quell the rebellion! "
"Shui Rong..." Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanzhen's expression changed slightly and his mind was filled with complicated thoughts.
No matter what he thought of Shui Rong and Wu Xun, he had to admit that the King Beijing in front of him was indeed a capable and responsible minister.
Volunteering at this time is a huge risk. Not to mention the success or failure, once you leave the city, you may encounter unexpected events in the chaos of the army.
Emperor Yuanzhen was silent for a moment, then he looked at Shui Rong intently and nodded, saying, "I agree with what you have said."
The outside world is in chaos now. I am afraid that only Prince Beijing Shui Rong has the qualifications and prestige to pacify and dispatch the generals of the regiment.
As for Zheng Chong, Prince of Nan'an, he seeks profit and avoids harm, only considers his own gains and losses, and is not fit for important tasks.
……
Beijing camp, the main tent of the Jiedushi.
After Wang Ziteng sat at the commander's desk, the commanders of the regiments and camps under him sat on both sides. The atmosphere was tense. "You all saw that those criminal generals outside the tent did not obey my command to reorganize the army and dared to collude to cause trouble. They deserved this fate." Wang Ziteng's eyes narrowed slightly and he reiterated, "I am following the order to reorganize the army in order to realize the dream of Your Majesty and the Great Zhou to build a strong army. I hope that all generals will cooperate wholeheartedly in the future."
The commanders of each regiment and camp had ashen faces. They saw the miserable conditions of the dozen people outside the tent and had a new understanding of Wang Ziteng's cruel methods.
These governors are all military generals who command thousands of soldiers. Except for Wang Xian, the governor of Zhenwei Camp and Yangwei Camp, the others all have military backgrounds. Now they are being crushed by Wang Ziteng using the imperial power. How can they not be angry?
Yan Hao, the commander of the Ganyong Camp, questioned: "It is your majesty's wish to strengthen the army, and we should cooperate with him. But the commander-in-chief is so violent and kills officers indiscriminately. Aren't you afraid that it will cause grief and unrest?"
These words did not give Wang Ziteng any face at all, and even implied a threat.
Yan Hao had no good intentions, he just wanted to use the morale of his soldiers to put pressure on Wang Ziteng so that he would not go too far.
All of the military commanders and governors present here have engaged in corruption to some extent in the past. According to Wang Ziteng's current practice, regardless of whether he will be dismissed from his post, at least the proceeds of his corruption will have to be compensated.
Tao Qian, the commander of the Guoyong Camp, also echoed, "Commander Yan is absolutely right. If unrest really breaks out because of this, I'm afraid that Commander Wang Jie won't be able to explain to His Majesty. There should be a limit to the military reorganization. Don't push people into a desperate situation."
Wang Ziteng looked uneasy, stared at the two men, and said in a tough tone: "Are you two questioning your majesty's strategy of rectifying corruption and dismissing the old and weak?"
When he first took charge of the Capital Camp, he lacked experience and had some concerns. But now, after serving as the commander-in-chief of nine provinces, he is back in charge of the Capital Camp and has the trust of Emperor Yuanzhen. If he succeeds in reorganizing the army, he may be able to enter the Privy Council and take charge of military affairs. His status in the court may even be comparable to that of the two kings Nan'an and Beijing. Why should he worry about these military merits?
Wang Ziteng has been relying on the emperor all these years. It has been so in the past and will be so in the future.
After these words came out, Yan Hao and Tao Qian looked at each other, clearly seeing dissatisfaction in each other's eyes, but they were helpless and gritted their teeth and said, "I dare not!"
Even though Wu Xun was rebellious, he did not dare to openly question the emperor in front of so many people.
Wang Xian, the commander-in-chief of Zhenwei Camp and Yangwei Camp, sighed in his heart when he saw this scene. He knew very well what these people were planning.
People like Yan Hao and Tao Qian took advantage of empty quotas, drank the blood of soldiers, and were corrupt by nature.
However, Wang Ziteng was greedy for short-term success, used radical methods and ignored risks.
How can the Beijing Army have a good outcome if these people are causing trouble?
Just as they were arguing in the tent, there were suddenly bursts of shouting and killing sounds coming from outside the camp, accompanied by screams and the sound of swords clashing.
"What's going on?" Wang Ziteng's heart tightened and he asked anxiously.
At this time, a guerrilla general under the Jiedushi entered the general's tent with a panicked look on his face, and said anxiously to Wang Ziteng who was sitting in the main seat: "Jiedushi, something terrible has happened. There are people in the Beijing camp rebelling... I'm afraid there are no less than 20,000 people, and they are besieging the central army camp..."
When everyone in the tent heard this, their faces changed.
Yan Hao and Tao Qian were just talking about threatening Wang Ziteng, and now someone is really... rebelling?
Wang Ziteng's heart sank, his face turned pale, and he looked at the guerrilla general with cold eyes. He asked in a deep voice: "Can you see which regiment and camp the rebels are from?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the commanders of the various regiments and camps under his command, his expression gloomy and filled with suspicion.
All the commanders-in-chief of the Beijing camp are here. Who can mobilize the rebels to cause chaos?
The guerrilla general said in a trembling voice: "It's... people from the Fourth Brave Battalion."
There are twelve battalions in the Beijing Army, namely, four military battalions (Fenwu, Yaowu, Lianwu, Xianwu), four brave battalions (Danyong, Guoyong, Xiaoyong, Guyong), and four powerful battalions (Liwei, Shenwei, Yangwei, Zhenwei). Each battalion is distinguished in its military flag and soldiers' uniforms.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ziteng stood up suddenly and looked at Yan Hao and the other commanders of the Four Brave Camps. He was furious and shouted, "How dare you rebel! Come on, take down the people from the Four Brave Camps."
"Yes!" The guards in the tent moved upon hearing the voice, and went up to capture the commanders of the four battalions, namely, Ganyong, Guoyong, Xiaoyong and Guyong.
When these generals entered the tent, they did not bring any weapons with them and had not been in the battlefield for a long time. Facing the swords of the central army guards, they had no strength to resist and were all tied up in a few breaths.
"Wang Ziteng, don't seek revenge!" Yan Hao and others shouted angrily, "I didn't rebel, I didn't..."
They had no idea what was going on. Although they vaguely sensed that the soldiers under them were dissatisfied, they did not know that these people had already colluded to cause chaos.
Even if these governors above are investigated, they will not be left with no way out because they have the support of military families behind them. However, they do not know that once the officers and soldiers below are investigated or laid off, they will have no way to survive, so the reactions of the people below will be more radical.
Wang Ziteng ignored their explanations, ordered his men to tie up the commanders, lifted the curtain and walked out of the tent, and the other generals followed him out.
Outside the tent, the central army camp was in chaos. Wang Ziteng's 5,000 personal soldiers were relying on the camp wall to organize defense, but the central army camp did not have deep trenches and high ramparts as barriers, and the rebels soon opened a gap and attacked.
Wang Ziteng and the other generals were also shocked and their faces turned pale when they saw the scene before them.
"The Four Brave Battalions...really rebelled!"
Even though it was happening right before their eyes, they still found it hard to believe.
"General, what should we do?" asked Lieutenant General Pang Guang in a trembling voice.
Wang Ziteng was extremely confused at this moment. He turned to look at the commander of the Four Brave Camps. His eyes were cold and sharp as a knife.
Yan Hao shuddered and explained, "Marshal Wang Jie, I...I really don't know about this. God knows why these bastards rebelled!"
"Yes, I really don't know the truth..." Tao Qian and others also explained.
Wang Ziteng thought for a moment and said in a cold tone: "I will give you a chance to make meritorious deeds and atone for your sins. You should immediately step forward and speak to the rebels to take back control of the army."
He knew this might not work, but there was no other way at the moment.
Upon hearing this, Yan Hao and the others looked at each other, then nodded repeatedly and said hurriedly: "Okay, okay, we'll go right away, right away..."
They have no choice now. Looking at Wang Ziteng's eyes, if they dare to say no, they will probably be chopped off immediately as rebels.
Wang Ziteng did not give them any chance to waste time and ordered his personal guards to immediately escort them to a high platform.
Soon, Yan Hao shouted, "Listen, brothers in the brave camp ahead. I am your commander Yan Hao. I am discussing the reorganization of the army with General Wang Jie. I will make proper arrangements for you brothers and will not let you suffer any grievances. Everyone return to the camp now, and we will forgive you for what happened..."
"call out!"
Before he could finish his words, he heard the sound of an arrow breaking through the air, followed by the sound of an arrow piercing the flesh.
"Pfft!"
Yan Hao was pierced through the chest by an arrow, and fell face down from the platform, dying on the spot.
(End of this chapter)
"Your Majesty, there is a mutiny in the Beijing camp, someone is rebelling!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Emperor Yuanzhen and all the officials in the palace changed suddenly, and there were stormy waves in their hearts.
The Jingying is the most important guard force of the Shenjing City. Once any change happens, it will be like the sky falling.
Emperor Yuanzhen looked solemn and shouted, "A rebellion broke out in the capital? What exactly happened? What is the situation now?"
Zhao Quan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, a quarter of an hour ago, the Jinyifu received a report from the guards at Anding Gate, saying that there was a 'mutiny' in the Beijing camp, and more than 10,000 rebels are now attacking Anding Gate. Now all the city gates and palace gates have been urgently closed and locked..."
The rebels were attacking Anding Gate, and these words were like a bolt from the blue, exploding in the hearts of the emperor and his ministers.
Prime Minister Yang Yanzhi's old eyebrows twisted into a "川" shape, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Why did the Beijing Army rebel? Where is Jiedushi Wang Ziteng? Where is he?"
Zhao Quan shook his head and said, "It is still unknown at the moment. Jinyifu has already sent people out of the city to inquire, and we should be able to get the news soon."
Emperor Yuanzhen took a deep breath, but he was still upset. He had experienced many ups and downs in the past ten years, but the crisis of the mutiny in the Beijing camp was far greater than ever before. He said in a serious tone: "Zhao Quan, quickly let the Five Cities Military Department and the Jinyifu go to defend the city and do not let the rebels enter the city."
The Beijing camp mutinied, the situation outside the city was unclear, and inside the city of Shenjing, the only military forces that could be mobilized were the ten thousand yamen runners of the Five Cities Bingmasi and the five thousand Jinyiwei.
In fact, there are still thousands of imperial guards in the palace, but they are the last barrier to protect the emperor and should not be moved lightly.
Zhao Quan said: "Your Majesty, the Five Cities Military Department and the Imperial Guard have already sent people to Anding Gate to assist the new army in defending the city."
"New Army Guards?"
Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and Emperor Yuanzhen was also deeply surprised.
He had just thought about sending someone out of the city to find Shen Yuan and quell the rebellion, but then he remembered that the New Army Guards were still outside the city, and there were only 5,000 people. How could they defeat the Beijing Camp Army?
Emperor Yuanzhen asked, "Why are the new army guards in the city?"
Zhao Quan said, "Your Majesty, according to the news brought back by the guards at the city gate, General Shen Yuan of Yunwu sensed that something was wrong and sent Feng Ziying to lead two thousand new army guards to guard the city. If Feng Ziying had not arrived half a quarter of an hour earlier, I'm afraid that Anding Gate would have fallen into the hands of the rebels by now."
When everyone heard this, they were shocked again.
Did Shen Yuan sense a mutiny in the Beijing camp?
Why are there only two thousand people? Don’t the new army have five thousand people?
Just as everyone was puzzled, another eunuch came in to report: "The Jinyiwei outside has delivered news."
Emperor Yuanzhen glanced at the paper in the eunuch's hand and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Quan, read it."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Quan took the paper from the eunuch, unfolded it, took a look at it, was stunned for a moment, and then began to read it aloud.
"Your Majesty, according to the Jinyiwei, the governor of the Beijing camp, Wang Ziteng, had a conflict with the officers of the Fenyong Camp and the Liwei Camp over the issue of reorganizing the army. Wang Ziteng beat dozens of officers with sticks and tied them up and exposed them to the sun, resulting in the death of a guerrilla general and three thousand households, thus provoking a mutiny.
Afterwards, the generals of the Four Brave Camps incited the soldiers, under the slogan of "clearing the imperial court and killing Wang Ziteng", and divided the troops into two groups. One group went to the Jiedushi camp to besiege Wang Ziteng, and the other group was attacking Anding Gate.
General Yunwu Shen Yuan was aware of this in advance and sent Feng Ziying, the commander of the New Army Guard, to lead 2,000 people to Anding Gate to defend the city. General Yunwu Shen Yuan personally led the remaining New Army Guard to the Beijing Camp to quell the rebellion..."
After Zhao Quan finished reading, the emperor and his ministers in the hall had a basic understanding of the causes and consequences of the mutiny, as well as the current situation.
Unexpectedly, Wang Ziteng's military training led to a mutiny.
Emperor Yuanzhen's expression changed, and he shouted angrily: "How dare a group of arrogant and brave generals act so recklessly? This is simply too much to bully the emperor!"
He was angry and thought to himself: "Wang Ziteng is eager for success and profit, and he is harming the army and the country!"
Suddenly, he remembered that Shen Yuan had reminded him before in the imperial study. Now thinking about it... he regretted ignoring Huaizhong's words!
The only thing to be thankful for is that only four regiments and battalions have participated in the mutiny and it has not yet spread to the entire military camp. There is still room for recovery and the sky has not fallen.
Shen Huaizhong has personally led the new army to quell the rebellion, but... he only has 3,000 men, how can he fight against tens of thousands of rebels?
After a short silence, Emperor Yuanzhen tried his best to appear calm. He looked at the civil and military officials in the court and said in a deep voice, "My Lords, what do you think we should do now?"
Sun Xingchang, the Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Palace and the Second Assistant of the Cabinet, replied: "I think the most urgent task is to quickly put down the rebellion. Your Majesty can issue an order to have the other eight regiments send troops to put down the rebellion..."
Upon hearing this, Yu Qian, the Minister of War, suddenly changed his expression and said in a hurry, "No!"
Facing the doubtful eyes of the crowd, he continued, "Right now, the morale of all the soldiers in the Beijing camp is unsettled, and the commanders of the various regiments are surrounded in the central army camp and cannot lead their troops at this time. Once the order to mobilize troops is issued, I am afraid that there may be people in other regiments who will join the rebellion. If this happens, it will be impossible to suppress the rebellion. Therefore, I suggest that other regiments should not leave without permission."
Sun Xingchang refuted: "If we don't mobilize soldiers from other regiments and camps, how can we suppress the rebellion? Can we only rely on Shen Yuan's 3,000 men?"
After a pause, he added, "Besides, if we let Prince Beijing and Prince Nan'an go to mobilize the troops, will those people still join the rebellion?"
As soon as he said this, Nan'an County Prince Zheng Chong quickly responded: "The soldiers in the Beijing camp are very excited now, and I am afraid that it is difficult for this old minister to suppress them."
Zheng Chong is not stupid. Naturally he is unwilling to take the risk of cleaning up the mess caused by Wang Ziteng.
What's more, this matter is extremely risky. The Prince of Nan'an has always been on good terms with those regiment commanders. In the eyes of middle and lower-level officers and grassroots soldiers, he has no prestige. It is indeed a bit guilty for him to mobilize troops at this time.
At this time, Prince Beijing Shui Rong stepped forward and said to Emperor Yuan Zhen: "Your Majesty, I agree with your opinion. It is not appropriate to mobilize troops from other regiments and camps at this time, but we have to mobilize troops to quell the rebellion.
I am not a talented person, but I am willing to go to each regiment camp to appease the troops, and then select some loyal soldiers to help Shen Huaizhong quell the rebellion! "
"Shui Rong..." Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanzhen's expression changed slightly and his mind was filled with complicated thoughts.
No matter what he thought of Shui Rong and Wu Xun, he had to admit that the King Beijing in front of him was indeed a capable and responsible minister.
Volunteering at this time is a huge risk. Not to mention the success or failure, once you leave the city, you may encounter unexpected events in the chaos of the army.
Emperor Yuanzhen was silent for a moment, then he looked at Shui Rong intently and nodded, saying, "I agree with what you have said."
The outside world is in chaos now. I am afraid that only Prince Beijing Shui Rong has the qualifications and prestige to pacify and dispatch the generals of the regiment.
As for Zheng Chong, Prince of Nan'an, he seeks profit and avoids harm, only considers his own gains and losses, and is not fit for important tasks.
……
Beijing camp, the main tent of the Jiedushi.
After Wang Ziteng sat at the commander's desk, the commanders of the regiments and camps under him sat on both sides. The atmosphere was tense. "You all saw that those criminal generals outside the tent did not obey my command to reorganize the army and dared to collude to cause trouble. They deserved this fate." Wang Ziteng's eyes narrowed slightly and he reiterated, "I am following the order to reorganize the army in order to realize the dream of Your Majesty and the Great Zhou to build a strong army. I hope that all generals will cooperate wholeheartedly in the future."
The commanders of each regiment and camp had ashen faces. They saw the miserable conditions of the dozen people outside the tent and had a new understanding of Wang Ziteng's cruel methods.
These governors are all military generals who command thousands of soldiers. Except for Wang Xian, the governor of Zhenwei Camp and Yangwei Camp, the others all have military backgrounds. Now they are being crushed by Wang Ziteng using the imperial power. How can they not be angry?
Yan Hao, the commander of the Ganyong Camp, questioned: "It is your majesty's wish to strengthen the army, and we should cooperate with him. But the commander-in-chief is so violent and kills officers indiscriminately. Aren't you afraid that it will cause grief and unrest?"
These words did not give Wang Ziteng any face at all, and even implied a threat.
Yan Hao had no good intentions, he just wanted to use the morale of his soldiers to put pressure on Wang Ziteng so that he would not go too far.
All of the military commanders and governors present here have engaged in corruption to some extent in the past. According to Wang Ziteng's current practice, regardless of whether he will be dismissed from his post, at least the proceeds of his corruption will have to be compensated.
Tao Qian, the commander of the Guoyong Camp, also echoed, "Commander Yan is absolutely right. If unrest really breaks out because of this, I'm afraid that Commander Wang Jie won't be able to explain to His Majesty. There should be a limit to the military reorganization. Don't push people into a desperate situation."
Wang Ziteng looked uneasy, stared at the two men, and said in a tough tone: "Are you two questioning your majesty's strategy of rectifying corruption and dismissing the old and weak?"
When he first took charge of the Capital Camp, he lacked experience and had some concerns. But now, after serving as the commander-in-chief of nine provinces, he is back in charge of the Capital Camp and has the trust of Emperor Yuanzhen. If he succeeds in reorganizing the army, he may be able to enter the Privy Council and take charge of military affairs. His status in the court may even be comparable to that of the two kings Nan'an and Beijing. Why should he worry about these military merits?
Wang Ziteng has been relying on the emperor all these years. It has been so in the past and will be so in the future.
After these words came out, Yan Hao and Tao Qian looked at each other, clearly seeing dissatisfaction in each other's eyes, but they were helpless and gritted their teeth and said, "I dare not!"
Even though Wu Xun was rebellious, he did not dare to openly question the emperor in front of so many people.
Wang Xian, the commander-in-chief of Zhenwei Camp and Yangwei Camp, sighed in his heart when he saw this scene. He knew very well what these people were planning.
People like Yan Hao and Tao Qian took advantage of empty quotas, drank the blood of soldiers, and were corrupt by nature.
However, Wang Ziteng was greedy for short-term success, used radical methods and ignored risks.
How can the Beijing Army have a good outcome if these people are causing trouble?
Just as they were arguing in the tent, there were suddenly bursts of shouting and killing sounds coming from outside the camp, accompanied by screams and the sound of swords clashing.
"What's going on?" Wang Ziteng's heart tightened and he asked anxiously.
At this time, a guerrilla general under the Jiedushi entered the general's tent with a panicked look on his face, and said anxiously to Wang Ziteng who was sitting in the main seat: "Jiedushi, something terrible has happened. There are people in the Beijing camp rebelling... I'm afraid there are no less than 20,000 people, and they are besieging the central army camp..."
When everyone in the tent heard this, their faces changed.
Yan Hao and Tao Qian were just talking about threatening Wang Ziteng, and now someone is really... rebelling?
Wang Ziteng's heart sank, his face turned pale, and he looked at the guerrilla general with cold eyes. He asked in a deep voice: "Can you see which regiment and camp the rebels are from?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the commanders of the various regiments and camps under his command, his expression gloomy and filled with suspicion.
All the commanders-in-chief of the Beijing camp are here. Who can mobilize the rebels to cause chaos?
The guerrilla general said in a trembling voice: "It's... people from the Fourth Brave Battalion."
There are twelve battalions in the Beijing Army, namely, four military battalions (Fenwu, Yaowu, Lianwu, Xianwu), four brave battalions (Danyong, Guoyong, Xiaoyong, Guyong), and four powerful battalions (Liwei, Shenwei, Yangwei, Zhenwei). Each battalion is distinguished in its military flag and soldiers' uniforms.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ziteng stood up suddenly and looked at Yan Hao and the other commanders of the Four Brave Camps. He was furious and shouted, "How dare you rebel! Come on, take down the people from the Four Brave Camps."
"Yes!" The guards in the tent moved upon hearing the voice, and went up to capture the commanders of the four battalions, namely, Ganyong, Guoyong, Xiaoyong and Guyong.
When these generals entered the tent, they did not bring any weapons with them and had not been in the battlefield for a long time. Facing the swords of the central army guards, they had no strength to resist and were all tied up in a few breaths.
"Wang Ziteng, don't seek revenge!" Yan Hao and others shouted angrily, "I didn't rebel, I didn't..."
They had no idea what was going on. Although they vaguely sensed that the soldiers under them were dissatisfied, they did not know that these people had already colluded to cause chaos.
Even if these governors above are investigated, they will not be left with no way out because they have the support of military families behind them. However, they do not know that once the officers and soldiers below are investigated or laid off, they will have no way to survive, so the reactions of the people below will be more radical.
Wang Ziteng ignored their explanations, ordered his men to tie up the commanders, lifted the curtain and walked out of the tent, and the other generals followed him out.
Outside the tent, the central army camp was in chaos. Wang Ziteng's 5,000 personal soldiers were relying on the camp wall to organize defense, but the central army camp did not have deep trenches and high ramparts as barriers, and the rebels soon opened a gap and attacked.
Wang Ziteng and the other generals were also shocked and their faces turned pale when they saw the scene before them.
"The Four Brave Battalions...really rebelled!"
Even though it was happening right before their eyes, they still found it hard to believe.
"General, what should we do?" asked Lieutenant General Pang Guang in a trembling voice.
Wang Ziteng was extremely confused at this moment. He turned to look at the commander of the Four Brave Camps. His eyes were cold and sharp as a knife.
Yan Hao shuddered and explained, "Marshal Wang Jie, I...I really don't know about this. God knows why these bastards rebelled!"
"Yes, I really don't know the truth..." Tao Qian and others also explained.
Wang Ziteng thought for a moment and said in a cold tone: "I will give you a chance to make meritorious deeds and atone for your sins. You should immediately step forward and speak to the rebels to take back control of the army."
He knew this might not work, but there was no other way at the moment.
Upon hearing this, Yan Hao and the others looked at each other, then nodded repeatedly and said hurriedly: "Okay, okay, we'll go right away, right away..."
They have no choice now. Looking at Wang Ziteng's eyes, if they dare to say no, they will probably be chopped off immediately as rebels.
Wang Ziteng did not give them any chance to waste time and ordered his personal guards to immediately escort them to a high platform.
Soon, Yan Hao shouted, "Listen, brothers in the brave camp ahead. I am your commander Yan Hao. I am discussing the reorganization of the army with General Wang Jie. I will make proper arrangements for you brothers and will not let you suffer any grievances. Everyone return to the camp now, and we will forgive you for what happened..."
"call out!"
Before he could finish his words, he heard the sound of an arrow breaking through the air, followed by the sound of an arrow piercing the flesh.
"Pfft!"
Yan Hao was pierced through the chest by an arrow, and fell face down from the platform, dying on the spot.
(End of this chapter)
