mtl008 Chapter 590 Local Snake
Chapter 590 Local Snake
Liu Ye retorted, "Yes, what, Commander Xu, do you think I'm lying?"
Xu Zhong trembled slightly and quickly explained, "That's not what I meant. It's just that the news was too shocking, and I lost my composure for a moment. Your Excellency is known throughout the land for your bravery and skill in battle. Since you were able to capture Gao Yingxiang alive, it's not impossible for you to defeat Abatai..." Although he said this, he didn't really believe it. The Ming Dynasty had been fighting the Tartars for decades and had suffered repeated defeats. Let alone killing thousands of Tartars, it would be quite an achievement to be able to face the Tartars head-on and escape unscathed. If you were lucky enough to cut off the heads of a few real Tartars, that would be a remarkable achievement that you could boast about for many years.
Liu Ye turned around and instructed his men, "Just take any head and show it to Commander Xu."
After the Battle of Changyi, on Yan Guang's advice, the heads of all Later Jin soldiers and Mongols were cut off. Apart from those that were smashed to pieces by cannonballs and could not be identified, there were more than 800 Later Jin soldiers whose heads were barely intact, and more than 1,300 Mongols. As for Han soldiers and bondservants, there were even more, but they were not very valuable, so they were buried and not cut off and taken away.
A wooden box was handed to Xu Zhong and opened, revealing the head of a hideous Later Jin soldier. Ignoring the stench of blood and lime emanating from the box, Xu Zhong leaned closer to examine it closely. The head had a typical queue (a type of braided pigtail), a smooth scalp (not freshly shaved), dark skin, and teeth distinctly different from those of Han Chinese. It was clearly a genuine Tartar, not a forged head obtained by killing innocent people.
Xu Zhong nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, he is a true barbarian, without the slightest falsehood. Your Excellency is truly a renowned general of the current dynasty, a model for us warriors." In his view, even if the record of killing several thousand Tartars was exaggerated, being able to cut off the heads of a hundred or eighty Tartars was already a glorious achievement that had not been seen in decades. This Earl of Pingnan is so capable in battle, he will surely rise step by step in the future, and he must not offend him, but must curry favor with him.
Liu Ye laughed and said, "Commander Xu, you flatter us. Now that the head has been verified, it proves that we are really here to fight the Tartars, not to plunder. Please help us find a place to rest."
Xu Zhong quickly replied, "Your Excellency is too kind. How could I dare claim to be verifying the head? I am merely paying homage to your unit's military achievements. Arranging a place is no problem. I will immediately give the order to clear space in the garrison camp. If that's not enough, I will discuss it with the Left and Right Garrisons." Each of the three garrisons in Tianjin had its own commander, but the Tianjin Garrison was established earlier and had more seniority than the Left and Right Garrisons, thus holding a significantly higher position. If Xu Zhong were to speak up, the commanders of the Left and Right Garrisons would generally not refuse.
Liu Ye was pleased; Commander Xu knew how to handle things, saving him a lot of trouble. He then naturally made his second request: "Our troops are on a long-distance raid, and resupply is inconvenient. Could some of the provisions be allocated for emergency use, and the paperwork with the Ministry of War can be completed later?"
In his view, since Xu Zhong was easy to talk to, this second request should not be difficult to fulfill. The daily rations and pay of the garrisons and soldiers in various places were fixed and approved and allocated by the Ministry of War. However, the rations and pay during wartime, as well as the funds for troop deployment, were separate expenses. As long as the Qionghai Army acted first and reported later, and this military operation was approved by the Ministry of War, then it would be a matter of course to complete the formalities and allocate the rations and pay. Borrowing rations and feed from Xu Zhong for emergency use could be regarded as an advance, to be repaid afterward, and would not have any substantial impact on Xu Zhong.
To everyone's surprise, Xu Zhong looked troubled: "My lord, you are unaware that Tianjin Garrison has a Military Commissioner who oversees the transport and allocation of grain and provisions for the three garrisons of Jizhou, Liaodong, and Tianjin. The amount and timing of these provisions are entirely at their discretion. Although our three garrisons of Tianjin are backed by granaries and don't suffer hunger like other garrisons, our provisions are allocated monthly and are entirely controlled by the Military Commissioner; there's no surplus. Therefore…"
Liu Ye understood. In Tianjin, the military commissioner had the final say on provisions and pay, so it seemed that the supply of provisions wouldn't go smoothly. Although they had made ample preparations for this expedition, and the provisions on the ships were enough to feed more than 10,000 troops for a while, they didn't know when the battle would end. It would be best to resupply locally and not use the ship's reserves, in case something unexpected happened and the army was left without food.
He asked, "What's the name of the Tianjin Garrison Commander? I'd like to go and meet him."
"The military commissioner's name is Pan Da. He was originally a supervising secretary in the Ministry of War, and he has been in Tianjin for three years."
Tianjin was essentially a garrison city. Although its commerce developed rapidly and its population increased quickly due to the convenience of its docks and ports, it had only been a city for one or two hundred years. Its industries were relatively simple, mostly relying on canal transport for merchants. Its cultural heritage could not compare with ancient cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou, or with other port cities like Quanzhou. It was more comparable to Dengzhou, an important town in Shandong.
Amidst the simple shops and dilapidated houses lining the streets, a government office stands out. High walls, deep courtyards, black tiles, and red gates exude a solemn and dignified air. This is the Tianjin Garrison Commander's Office. The office's owner, Panda, is currently dozing in the backyard, one concubine massaging his legs, the other rubbing his shoulders—a picture of contentment.
The position of Military Commissioner was usually held by the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner and Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner dispatched by the Censorate. In a given area, they were only responsible to the local General, and their authority was extensive with few checks and balances. In the area of Tianjin, a key hub for the Grand Canal, grain and fodder from various regions were distributed and transported to Jizhou and Liaodong, and even some supplies were needed by the Beijing Garrison and Xuanfu Garrison. The Military Commissioner's authority and responsibilities were extremely heavy among similar offices.
Panda held this position as the Deputy Commissioner of the Provincial Surveillance Commission, a rank of fourth grade, which meant that his word was law in the Three Guards of Tianjin.
He was originally a Supervising Secretary in the Ministry of War, a seventh-rank official, but one of exceptional prestige and promising future. Had he followed the normal promotion path, he would have been at least a Provincial Treasurer if he had been transferred to a post outside the capital, and with a bit of maneuvering, even a Governor was not out of the question. Now, he has been sent to Tianjin to serve as the Military Commissioner, which is widely believed in the court and among the public to be a demotion in disguise, a consequence of offending someone.
In fact, he did offend someone.
In the third year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Pan Da, then a censor in the Ministry of War, accepted the enticements of the then Grand Secretary Zhou Yanru and became his henchman. At Zhou Yanru's instigation, Pan Da launched an impeachment against ministers in the faction of the Second Grand Secretary Wen Tiren. At that time, Zhou Yanru was being relentlessly pressured by Wen Tiren, who seized upon numerous incriminating charges against him. He was in a state of utter distress, and seeing his position as Grand Secretary teetering on the brink of collapse, he desperately needed to turn the tide. Therefore, he rallied a group of censors, represented by Pan Da, to launch a counterattack.
Unfortunately, Panda chose the wrong side. Zhou Yanru was no match for Wen Tiren and was defeated after only four months as Grand Secretary, resigning due to illness and returning to his hometown. After Wen Tiren became Grand Secretary, he began a large-scale purge of Zhou Yanru's supporters the following year, and Panda was not spared, forced to leave the capital.