Hongshan County, Xia Xia's camp outside the city.
The army led by Du Qi was stationed here, and the soldiers were resting and reorganizing when they needed to, and training when they needed to. However, Du Qi's infiltration of the county city had never stopped. There were people constantly sneaking in and spreading news in order to break the hearts of the people.
This was a strategy to subdue the enemy without a fight.
It was a little slow, but Du Qi was waiting.
Du Qi was in the army, observing the soldiers' training. He was extremely attentive to this. He could not neglect training just because he was out on a campaign. This was absolutely unacceptable.
While Du Qi was patrolling, a soldier came to Du Qi's side and reported, "Your Majesty, we have the latest news. The sentries are waiting in the camp. "
Du Qi nodded and turned to head to the main tent.
When he arrived at the main tent, he saw the sentries who had returned to report the news. He asked, "What's the situation?"
The sentries said, "Your Highness, our men in the city have discovered that there has been a change in the palace. The army stationed in the city suddenly gathered in the imperial city. We don't know what exactly happened for now. However, there should be news soon. "
Du Qi raised his eyebrows and a smile appeared on his face.
The opportunity had come.
Du Qi had full confidence in this battle.
If Gu Erha's son hadn't died, if he hadn't sent people to the Fire Nation for help, and if he hadn't been so desperate, then there might not have been a mutiny under Gu Erha's command. After all, the soldiers under Gu Erha's command were all loyal to him.
However, Gu Erha's actions were purely to take revenge on Du Qi.
This was a problem.
No one was willing to follow Gu Erha in his madness, and they were even more unwilling to die like this.
Du Qi ordered, "Continue to gather information."
"Yes!"
The sentries turned and left.
Du Qi sat in the tent, thinking about the follow-up matters. After all, there had been a change in the city. Then, it would be clear whether the next step, the change in the palace, was beneficial to Du Qi.
Time trickled by, and another hour passed in the blink of an eye. At this time, another scout returned and hurriedly entered the tent to report, "Your Majesty, the city has just received news that Guerha is dead. Furthermore, the army within the city has already left the city in a grandiose manner and is beginning to charge towards our camp. I don't know whether they are here to surrender or to fight. "
"Search again!"
Du Qi ordered again.
Following Du Qi's order, the sentinel turned around and retreated.
Du Qi also left the tent and immediately ordered people to assemble the army. All the troops under his command were neatly lined up in the camp. Even the mortars and other weapons in the camp were all in place.
If the Ming Kingdom's army wanted to launch an attack, then Du Qi's artillery would aim and fire fiercely.
This was the current arrangement.
Du Qi himself was also fully equipped. He stood at the entrance of the camp and waited quietly.
Time passed little by little.
Du Qi did not wait for long before he saw a cavalryman rushing over on a galloping horse. The soldier arrived outside the barracks and dismounted. He cupped his fists and said, "I am here on the orders of Prime Minister Zhao Tianxin of the Ming Kingdom to report to the King of the Xia Kingdom. Prime Minister Zhao has eliminated Guerha and is leading twenty thousand soldiers in the city to surrender. King Xia, please accept him."
Du Qi's eyes were smiling.
It was indeed so.
They were really here to seek refuge. This was a good thing.
Du Qi ordered, "I will wait here for Zhao Tianxin's arrival."
After the soldier received a reply, he turned around and went back to report the news. Not long after, a black mass of troops appeared outside the camp on the official road in the distance.
This army was approaching the camp.
The soldiers in the army did not carry any weapons.
Zhao Tianxin, Zhong Yunwu, Yang Zheng, and the rest were at the front. They led all the soldiers to surrender.
When the army was less than twenty steps away from the camp, Zhao Tianxin waved his hand to stop all the soldiers. Then, he personally led Zhong Yunwu and Yang Zheng to the entrance of the camp. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Zhao Tianxin, Zhong Yunwu, and Yang Zheng greet Emperor Xia."
The three of them bowed in unison.
Du Qi had a bright smile on his face. He waved his hand and said, "Rise."
"Yes!"
Zhao Tianxin and the other two stood up.
Zhao Tianxin continued, "Emperor Xia, now that Guerha has been killed, the entire county of Hongshan County is under our control. We have specially come to pledge our allegiance to Emperor Xia."
Du Qi nodded and said, "It is excellent that you are willing to pledge your allegiance. I welcome you with open arms. Pass down the order for all the soldiers to enter the camp. I have something to say. "
"Yes!"
Zhao Tianxin immediately arranged it.
Zhong Yunwu personally went to pass down the order and led all the soldiers into the camp.
The army of twenty thousand did not carry any weapons.
Everyone followed to the drill ground in the camp and stood still. The army under Du Qi stood at the side.
They were always on guard.
Du Qi stood on the frontmost stage with a simple loudspeaker in his hand. He looked around at all the soldiers and shouted, "All soldiers of the Ming Kingdom, I am Du Qi, the Emperor of Xia Xia. We have fought before, but that was a war between two armies. We fought for our masters, so we killed each other. "
"The past has happened, but what has happened is in the past. There is no need to mention it again."
"After all, it is difficult to tell the truth."
"What I want to say now is that now, you have all pledged your allegiance to me and have all served me. Just this matter alone, I need to make it clear. "
Du Qi spoke with fervor and assurance. He continued, "Previously, nearly eight thousand soldiers of the Ming Kingdom were captured. At that time, I said in front of them that the area under my rule would be exempted from taxes for a certain period of time, that there would be no enlistment of corvee labor, and that you would be given land to cultivate. I am repeating these words now, and they are still effective. I am not just brushing them off. "
Whoosh!!!
The soldiers in the camp began to talk about it.
In fact, the reason why so many people stood on Du Qi's side was because of Du Qi's policy of distributing land and exempting taxes. This gave countless people hope for life.
The taxes of the Ming Kingdom were, in fact, somewhat heavy and not simple.
Many people had a difficult life.
Similarly, these soldiers were the same. Especially among these soldiers, the vast majority of them were newly recruited. Therefore, at that moment, Du Qi's words made these soldiers, who had turned from civilians, even more excited when they heard Du Qi's words.
Du Qi stood quietly on the stage and did not say a word, letting the soldiers talk.
Zhao Tianxin also stood below.
He looked at the scene in front of him, and there was no surprise on his face, because Du Qi was like this.
This was Du Qi's method.
Of course, ordinary people would not dare to use such a method. Even if everyone knew that the exemption of taxes would definitely make the people rejoice and support the imperial court. However, the exemption of taxes was equivalent to reducing a large amount of revenue.
Zhao Tianxin also sighed with emotion.
Compared to Guerha, Du Qi was much, much more tyrannical.
This was a wise king.
Du Qi let the soldiers talk, but after a while, the soldiers finally stopped talking. Everyone stopped talking and looked at Du Qi, waiting for Du Qi to continue.
Du Qi said again, "Most of you are civilians. Because you were forcibly recruited, you stayed in the army. Regarding this point, I intend to make a change. "
"You all know that the government's strategy will reduce the burden on the people, so that they can farm without paying taxes, and will even be allocated two days. Many people will definitely want to go back. "
"So, I will give you two choices."
"First, stay in the army and continue to be a soldier. This King accepts your allegiance. Second, leave the army and go back to your hometown, work hard, and farm well. "
Du Qi continued to speak frankly and frankly, "In these two aspects, there is no distinction between high and low, nor is there any distinction between importance and urgency. It all depends on the individual's situation and personal choice. Since you have made the decision, there is no need to worry about anything. Going back to your hometown to farm is a bowstring to the imperial court. Being a soldier in the army is also a contribution. "
"No matter which choice you make, I agree with it. I agree with all of you."
"So, go ahead and make your choice."
"Now, you can make your choice. Soldiers who are willing to stay, stay where you are. Soldiers who want to leave, stand out and stand on the left side of the army formation. "
Du Qi said, "Don't worry about anything. Go ahead and make your choice. I will support the choices you have made. I will approve of them and approve of them. I will even give those who want to leave a certain amount of money and food so that you can go back to your hometown to do your work. "
Wow!!!
Countless soldiers heard this and started to discuss.
Many people were discussing.
When the soldiers looked at Du Qi, their eyes were filled with disbelief and disbelief.
They felt that this was too rare.
Du Qi not only allowed them to go home, but also gave them money and food.
"Long live Emperor Xia!"
Suddenly, a soldier in the crowd shouted.
"Long live Emperor Xia!"
"Long live Emperor Xia!"
…
More and more soldiers began to shout. Their shouts were noisy at the beginning, but they gradually became orderly. Gradually, there was no more noise. Their voices were uniform, and they soared into the sky.
Countless people's shouts were deafening.
When Zhao Tianxin saw this scene, he praised in his heart. Du Qi was indeed worthy of his name. His methods were brilliant.
His methods were brilliant, but they also seemed simple. However, many kings would not do this. This was because this arrangement benefited the soldiers and not Du Qi.
The shouts did not stop for a long time.
It kept reverberating.
Du Qi waited quietly. Not long after, the shouts started to die down. Many soldiers started to stand out and occupy the left side of the army formation. They were leaving.
After all, most of the soldiers were newly recruited soldiers. They were not willing to be soldiers. However, since they had been caught, there was no way for them to escape. Thus, most of them began to step forward.
Batch after batch of soldiers stood out. Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, almost 15 minutes had passed.
At this time, there were no more soldiers who wanted to leave. The soldiers who wanted to stay had been reorganized. All the soldiers reorganized. Du Qi roughly glanced and estimated the number of soldiers who wanted to stay. At most, there were three thousand people. There could not be more.
The rest who wanted to leave would be sixteen or seventeen soldiers.
After seeing this scene, Du Qi said again, "Now, is there anyone who wants to make a choice? Make your choice now. If there is no one, then this is the end. "
The army formation of both sides did not change.
Everyone had been divided properly.
When Du Qi saw this, he called for the generals under his command and asked the soldiers to take out silver and dry rations. Every soldier who left was given one tael of silver as travel expenses and a few pieces of flatbread as dry rations.
This was a very generous treatment.
The reason why Du Qi did this was not to pretend to be rich, nor was it to puff oneself up at one's own cost. It was because Du Qi wanted to win people's hearts. This batch of soldiers had pledged their allegiance. Originally, they did not have any conflict with Du Qi. Now that he gave some small favors, everyone completely accepted Du Qi and even stood on Du Qi's side.
This was spending small money to do big things.
After all the arrangements were made, the sixteen or seventeen thousand soldiers left. The army camp was emptied on time.
Only Du Qi's men and the three thousand people who had just pledged their allegiance were left.
The number of soldiers in this batch had been recalculated. The exact number was three thousand one hundred and eighty-five people. More than seventeen thousand people left.
The three thousand people who stayed were all elites and young adults.
At least, they had some ambition.
Du Qi came to the front of the army formation. He looked at the three thousand soldiers and shouted loudly, "Soldiers, thank you for being willing to stay and serve me. Although I welcome you and thank you, I still want to make one thing clear. Since you are in my army, then you have to follow my rules. If there is anyone who breaks the law, kill without mercy! "
"Can you abide by the rules?"
Du Qi asked loudly.
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in unison.
This batch of soldiers were all elites in the army. The aura they exuded was very domineering.
Du Qi waited for everyone's voices to stop. He also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. With this batch of soldiers pledging their allegiance, the fighting strength of Du Qi's army would rise to another level.
Just as Du Qi was about to speak, someone raised his hand. It was obvious that he wanted to speak.
Du Qi waved his hand and said, "Come forward and speak."
"Yes!"
The soldier who raised his hand replied.
This soldier walked forward step by step. However, he was quite tall and sturdy. He did not look like an ordinary soldier. At least in the army, he would be a basic general.
After this person walked out of the army formation, he was less than fifteen steps away from Du Qi. However, his eyes were fierce. When he was not far away from Du Qi, he suddenly sped up and shouted, "Du Qi, give me your life!"
He took out a dagger from his sleeve.
He was going to assassinate.
Seeing this, Du Qi looked calm. He did not panic at all. In fact, Du Qi just stood there and did not move at all. When Du Qi did not move, Mordor, who was not far away from Du Qi, took a step forward and stood in front of Du Qi. He looked at the person who was about to kill him and reached out his hand to unsheathe his saber.
With one slash, he slashed horizontally!
Just as the soldier approached, before the dagger could get close to Mordor, the blade had already slashed across the soldier's chest.
There was a screeching sound!
The blade cut through the armor and clothes and cut into the skin.
Puff!
Blood immediately spurted out.
The soldier was severely injured and stopped. His body felt uncomfortable. However, in this moment of pause, Mordor moved forward again and slashed down with the saber in his hand.
The saber slashed down diagonally.
The saber flashed in the air. In an instant, the soldier's neck was cut open.
The soldier screamed and fell to the ground.
He was killed on the spot.
After Mordor killed the soldier, he stood aside with a serious look on his face.
At this moment, the remaining three thousand people were all stunned. This included Zhao Tianxin, Zhong Yunwu, Yang Zheng and the rest. Their faces showed a look of disbelief and even some seriousness.
They were all sincere in pledging their allegiance.
They did not have any ulterior motives.
If Du Qi thought that they had ulterior motives and wanted to harm Du Qi, they would definitely be punished. Then, after this incident, all their efforts would be in vain.
Zhao Tianxin took a step forward and immediately apologized, "Emperor Xia, I did not expect that there would be people with ulterior motives in the army. This incident is my dereliction of duty. Please punish me, Emperor Xia. "
Zhong Yunwu also said, "Please punish me, Emperor Xia."
Yang Zheng also immediately agreed.
They were all important people. To them, this was simply a stain. It was not easy for them to kill someone and achieve success. But now, it was ruined by an assassin, causing all their efforts to be in vain. They felt terrible.
Du Qi waved his hand and asked Mordor to step back. He then looked at the people on the ground and said in a deep voice, "I believe that you are innocent in this incident. If you really wanted to assassinate, there was no need to make it so complicated. "
After seeing this, Zhao Tianxin suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
In any case, Du Qi believed in them.
Zhao Tianxin walked over and looked at the people on the ground. He did not know them, so he ordered, "General Zhong, come over and see if you know this person."
Zhong Yunwu walked over and looked at the people on the ground. He sized them up and said, "Emperor Xia, I do know this person. This person's name is Gu Jin. In the army, he is considered a valiant general. But I did not expect Gu Jin to be so bold as to harm Emperor Xia. "
Yang Zheng took the initiative to walk up and said, "About Gu Jin's situation, I vaguely know a little. Gu Jin was born in the imperial army. This time, he was arranged to be in the army because of the formation of the army. I reckon that he supported Gu Erha, which was why he wanted to go against Emperor Xia. This person's death is not to be regretted. "
Du Qi nodded and said, "No matter, he is already dead."
At this point, Du Qi looked at all the soldiers present. He shouted loudly, "Gu Jin has been killed on the spot. So, soldiers, do not worry. Do not worry that I will take my anger out on you because of this incident. I will think that all of you are unreliable and not worthy of my trust. You do not have to worry about this at all. All of you now belong to me. Next, you will be the soldiers of Emperor Xia. "
After all the soldiers heard this, they were slightly relieved.
In any case, Du Qi did not implicate them.
If Du Qi did not trust them because of Gu Jin, then they would be pitiful.
In fact, Du Qi was also aware of this, which was why he gave this order. He knew that the people who wanted to assassinate him must be very few, which was why he gave this order.
Du Qi continued, "All three thousand of you have pledged your allegiance to me. From now on, your treatment in the army will be the same as the treatment of the soldiers under my command. You will be treated the same way as my soldiers. So, do not worry that you will be discriminated against. It will not happen. "
"Yan Three!"
Du Qi ordered.
"Here!"
Yan Three immediately stood up and spoke.
He was now the main general in the army and was responsible for the generals in the army.
Du Qi said, "I will let you reorganize these three thousand people. After you have disrupted them, arrange them into the army. All the soldiers belong to Emperor Xia. Remember this. They will be treated the same. Do not discriminate against them or resist them. If I find out, kill them without mercy. "
"Yes, Sir!"
Yan Three immediately replied.
Du Qi waved his hand and Yan Three immediately left with the soldiers to prepare for the reorganization.
Du Qi looked towards Zhao Tianxin, Zhong Yunwu and Yang Zheng as he instructed, "All of you, follow me to the command tent for a discussion."
"Yes, Sir!"
The three of them replied in unison.
Du Qi led the group of people and headed straight for the main tent.
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