Chapter 36

Sun Youguang's chubby cheeks trembled as he sighed after a long pause, "Zhang Erlang, the relocation of the people is a command issued layer by layer by the court, and it cannot go wrong. I can, for your sake, have Wan Baiquan requisition houses and fields from the western city, but I cannot neglect the relocation. Do you understand?"

Zhang Ke laughed, "Sir Sun, I understand your meaning. You think I don't see the big picture and only want to stand up for the people whose houses are being requisitioned. Please rest assured, I am not so shortsighted."

"Oh!"

Sun Youguang had to carefully examine Zhang Ke. Although the young man was not old, he exuded a confident air, unlike rash young people.

"Zhang Erlang, do you really have a way to settle the people?"

"Sir Sun, I have a few heartfelt words to say to you."

"Please speak!"

Zhang Ke smiled, "Sir, moving the people to Daqing Fort is to consolidate our forces and defend the city, to prevent the Tartars from frequent raids and causing losses to the people."

"Hmm, you are right, that is the intention."

"Sir Sun, I think there is a big problem with this. Daqing Fort can hold at most two thousand people. Suddenly moving in over a thousand more will make the population exceed three thousand. Perhaps safety can be temporarily guaranteed, but how will the extra people live? Without a place to live, without food, without work, what will they do? They will either steal and plunder or flee."

Sun Youguang nodded as he listened to Zhang Ke, for such situations were not uncommon at the border. As the Ming's power declined, the people had to move inward, only to be followed by the Tartars, leading to internal and external troubles, forcing them to abandon their land. The distant example was Daining Capital Command, and the closer one was Kuandian Six Forts, all the same.

"Sir, if the people are moved to Daqing Fort, even if they temporarily avoid disaster, it won't be long before chaos ensues, perhaps even worse than now. I just returned from Guangning and heard some words from Lord Wang..."

"Speak!" Sun Youguang's tone carried a hint of fear.

"Sir, the court has been defeated by the Jurchens and is determined to reorganize the military affairs in Liaodong, especially the garrisons. If Daqing Fort has any problems, it will not be favorable for you!"

Sun Youguang's features twisted, his face uglier than a cry.

"Zhang Erlang, the garrison troops are no longer reliable, and the court knows it. Why make things difficult for us?"

Zhang Ke saw that Sun Youguang was afraid and secretly smiled, but it wasn't enough. He needed to make the old man even more afraid to make him follow his orders!

"Sir, the court is gathering elite troops to move north, including Zhejiang soldiers, Sichuan's White Pole soldiers, and the elite from the Nine Borders. They are all recruited soldiers. If we cannot strengthen ourselves and continue to make mistakes, the court will certainly target some garrisons and allocate funds to the recruited soldiers."

"This cannot be!" Sun Youguang, his body shaking with fat, roared, "Take Daqing Fort, for example, we have suffered three consecutive years of disasters and lack food. We rely on the court's grain and pay to survive. If even that is gone, we are no better than commoners!"

Zhang Ke laughed, "Sir, you are absolutely right. When I met Lord Wang Huazhen, I offered to join the army and serve in the garrison to help you solve problems."

Sun Youguang squinted at Zhang Ke and gritted his teeth, "Zhang Erlang, if you can help me solve the relocation problem, any position in Daqing Fort, except mine, is yours to choose!"

"Ha ha ha, Sir, we have a deal. From today on, I am your subordinate."

As they were talking, suddenly there was a commotion outside. Wan Baiquan, his face ashen, rushed in and was startled to see Zhang Ke.

"Sir, he..."

Sun Youguang said indifferently, "Zhang Erlang is willing to help me solve the relocation problem. From now on, you are colleagues. Let bygones be bygones."

Zhang Ke knew that previously, he relied on Lord Wang Huazhen's face and could ignore Wan Baiquan, even Sun Youguang. But now that he had joined the garrison system, he had to follow the rules.

Zhang Ke hurriedly bowed and said, "Wan Buhu, I have offended you in the past. Please forgive me for my youth and ignorance. As for the money I owe, I will pay it back soon."

"Hmm!" Wan Baiquan, as if he had eaten a mouthful of flies, was extremely disgusted. He just coldly snorted and said to Sun Youguang, "Sir, things are not good."

"How old are you, and you still can't handle things? Speak quickly!" Sun Youguang slammed the table.

"Sir, about two hundred villagers from He Bay have moved to Daqing Fort. I arranged for them to stay in the western city."

Sun Youguang nodded, "Hmm, we have already discussed this. Is anyone causing trouble?"

"Sir, indeed, someone is causing trouble. For example, Huadajie, who sells wine, is hugging a wine jar and threatening to burn her house!"

"Hmph, you can't even handle a woman? You are a complete failure, incompetent!"

Wan Baiquan, his face red and white, hurriedly said, "Sir, I am not afraid of one Huadajie, but a group of people from the Chao Hua tribe have also arrived at Daqing Fort. I arranged for them to stay outside the western city and set up tents, but their leader said they have suffered Tartar attacks and need to take care of the elderly, women, and children, insisting on moving into the city. As a result, the city's residents, hearing this, started to riot, calling them Tartar barbarians, and many people with shovels and hoes rushed out, and both sides are about to fight!"

It turned out that the immigrants were divided into two groups. One group was the local residents around Daqing Fort, who were to be moved into the city. The other group had escaped from the Mongols, some of whom had been captured for over ten years, and some had even married and had children, changing their clothes and customs.

From the Ming court's perspective, their escape from the Mongols was a return to the light, a matter of great honor, and they required good resettlement. However, at the grassroots level, these people were seen as barbarized, as Tartars! When Wan Baiquan resettled them, he simply allocated a piece of farmland outside the city, not allowing them to enter.

Such a crude arrangement was bound to cause problems!

Sun Youguang, hearing this, felt his blood rush to his head. The old man, unsteady, was about to fall, and Zhang Ke quickly supported him.

"Sir, are you okay?"

Sun Youguang, his face mournful, said, "If I were in trouble, it would be better. Wan Baiquan, why can't you handle things? They escaped from the Tartars and want to return home. At least show some kindness. They start causing trouble as soon as they arrive, it's killing me!"

Wan Baiquan's face turned even uglier, thinking, "Isn't it all your fault, old man? What does it have to do with me!"

"Sir, I want to settle them well, but the city has limited housing. Should I evict the city's residents to settle them? If it weren't for the court, Daqing Fort is so small. Sending them to Yizhou would be better, and we would be spared the trouble."

"Dream on! The higher-ups are afraid of trouble, so they arranged for them to come here. I heard that the people returning from the grasslands are full of Tartar influence, fierce and cruel. If they are sent to Yizhou, and they cause trouble, the higher-ups will also be troubled!"

What can we do!

Sun Youguang and Wan Baiquan were at a loss, with no solution in sight.

"Sir, things are not good!"

"Is there anything else? I'm about to die!"

This time, Tang Bi rushed in, his forehead sweating, his fur hat lost.

"Sir, the city's residents, including Sun Mazi, are fighting with the people who have returned from outside the city. Three people have been killed, and hundreds are shouting to rush into the city!"

"Ah!"

Sun Youguang's legs gave out, and he fell into a chair, wailing.

"Oh, this is inviting the wolf into the house, it's killing me!"

Tang Bi, anxious, paced back and forth, sighing, "Sir, you must make a decision, or Daqing Fort will be doomed."

"Decision? What decision? We have hundreds of people, and you don't know how many we have in Daqing Fort?"

These people were like ants on a hot pan. Wan Baiquan suddenly saw Zhang Ke, who was standing aside with a slight sneer, and his eyes blazed.

"Sir, didn't Zhang Erlang say he could help solve the relocation problem? I think we should give this task to him. If he fails, we can charge him with dereliction of duty!"

Wan Baiquan clearly wanted to push Zhang Ke into a fire, but Zhang Ke had already planned. He wanted to enter the garrison system to have a stage for training troops and accumulating wealth, forming his own base. This was the best opportunity. He quickly thought of a plan and bowed, "Sir, I am willing to talk to them."

"You! Can you do it?" Tang Bi asked in surprise.

"Ha ha ha, it's all about effort. I have at least a fifty to sixty percent chance, but I hope Sir will give me the authority to act independently."

Sun Youguang, no better than a drowning man, clung to the lifeline, regardless of whether it would work.

"Zhang Ke, I will keep my word. If you can solve this, any position in Daqing Fort is yours."

"Thank you, Sir, I will go now!"

...

"Close the city gates, close the city gates!" Twenty soldiers pushed the city gates with all their might.

Bang, bang, bang, the people outside the city used their knives, sticks, and fists to pound on the city gates.

"Don't close them, let us in!"

"We have suffered so much, is this how the court treats its people?"

"Shameless officials, treating lives like grass!"

No matter how they shouted, it was in vain. The city gates were closed, and the bolts were locked. The soldiers in the city, with bows and arrows, rushed to the city walls, aiming their weapons at the people below.

The people outside the city looked at each other, their hair standing on end with anger. Some of the elderly and sick collapsed on the ground. A young man ran to Yue Zixuan's side.

"Brother, it's too cold, and our food is gone. If we stay out here for the night, hundreds will die! Brother, you must make a decision!"

Yue Zixuan sighed, "Ah, we always hoped to return home, thinking that being in the Ming would be good, but they don't treat us as their own. It's disheartening! Brothers, listen to me, let's storm the city and take what we need."

"Right, storm the city!"

The angry crowd rushed toward the city, and the arrows from the city walls whistled, showing no mercy!

"Stop, no shooting!" Zhang Ke, with a stern face, rushed to the city wall.