Chapter 52

"Sir, look, the Tartars are leaving?" Ma Biao shouted at the top of his lungs.

Zhang Ke and Qiao Tieshan hurriedly climbed up to the city wall to look into the distance. Indeed, the Tartar cavalry was lined up like a long dragon, heading south.

"Uncle Qiao, do you think the Tartars are really leaving or is it a trick?"

Qiao Tieshan shook his head: "I'm not sure. They might be heading for Dashing Castle, or it could be a trap to lure us out of the city."

Zhang Ke nodded: "Everyone, guard the city strictly and don't slack off. Ma Biao, take a few people and go check it out."

"Understood!" Ma Biao turned and left.

Zhang Ke let out a long breath, "Uncle Wu, have the casualties been counted yet?"

Mentioning casualties, everyone's expressions turned grim.

Wu Boyan, with a serious face, stepped forward and bowed: "Sir, within five days, we have experienced three battles. In the battle defending against Xianshu, seven soldiers were killed, and two of the severely injured later died. In the ambush at Heishankou, three brothers were killed, and one is missing. In the defense against the Tartar attack, twenty-seven soldiers were killed, and five severely injured are on the brink of death. Additionally, there are about sixty to seventy lightly and severely injured... "

As Wu Boyan spoke, tears involuntarily streamed down his eyes. The total number of casualties was over forty, and even if some of the injured could survive, some would be disabled and unable to return to the army. After the battle, the force had lost at least fifty men!

Fifty men!

An entire squad, and the village of Hewan only had five squads, losing twenty percent of its fighting force in one go! A regular Ming army would have collapsed long ago, but fortunately, everyone had suffered under the Tartars and harbored deep resentment. Moreover, Zhang Ke led by example, boosting everyone's morale. Otherwise, how could a small village like this withstand the repeated attacks of bandits and Tartars!

Zhang Ke had long regarded these soldiers as the foundation of his rise. The scale of the casualties far exceeded his expectations. Zhang Ke sat on the city wall, holding his head in his hands.

"It's all because I didn't think it through. If we hadn't come to Hewan Village, maybe the casualties wouldn't have been so heavy!"

Yue Zixuan stepped forward: "Sir, don't blame yourself. Without you, it wouldn't just be forty or fifty deaths, it could have been four or five hundred! The brothers died honorably, and as long as we take good care of their families in the future, it will be enough!"

Qiao Tieshan also said: "That's right. We fought very well. Even the Ming border troops would find it hard to win against the Tartars with fewer numbers. We killed nearly a hundred Tartars, which would be a great achievement on the nine borders..."

Qiao Tieshan suddenly jumped up from the ground, leaping three feet high.

"Quick, let's go out of the city!"

Qiao Fu was puzzled and couldn't help but ask: "Father, what's wrong with you? Are you running a fever?"

"You're the one with a fever. There's a pile of official hats outside the city. Do you want them or not?"

Zhang Ke frowned: "Uncle Qiao, what hats?"

"Official hats!" Qiao Tieshan said excitedly: "We were so focused on killing the enemy and protecting our village that we forgot. Killing Tartars is a great achievement. We killed nearly a hundred Tartars, which is a significant accomplishment. The court will reward us and promote us!"

Zhang Ke finally came to his senses. At first, Zhang Ke only saw this as a battle for survival, defending their homes and lives. Qiao Tieshan's words opened his mind.

Killing a hundred Tartars, even in the past, was no small feat, let alone now when the Ming army had suffered consecutive defeats in Liaodong, losing face and morale. A bright spot in such a bleak situation was even more precious!

Zhang Ke stood up suddenly: "Uncle Qiao is right. We are not just a militia but a real border army. I am still a probationary hundred-man commander, though I haven't received the official appointment yet..."

Qiao Tieshan laughed: "With these heads, not just a probationary hundred-man commander, but a full hundred-man commander is guaranteed. We might even be promoted to a thousand-man commander, equal to a defense officer!"

Zhang Ke smiled: "The military achievements are not mine alone. Each of the fallen brothers will be recognized, and all those who fought bravely will be promoted."

"Thank you, Sir!"

Yue Zixuan led the way in bowing to Zhang Ke. Everyone wanted to look forward. While the heavy casualties were sad, the prospect of promotion and wealth, and the honor of their families, was what everyone looked forward to.

In no time, the village was filled with joy. Ma Biao also returned with his men.

"Sir, the Tartars have indeed left. There are still many severely injured in their camp waiting to die!"

Zhang Ke's face lit up, and he laughed: "What are we waiting for? Let's go out and cut off their heads!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically. Qiao Tieshan led fifty men to guard outside, while Yue Zixuan and Qiao Fu each led fifty men with knives and axes.

The cold weather had frozen the bodies harder than bricks overnight.

Yue Zixuan, without hesitation, swung his large axe and cut off heads. The more he cut, the more excited he became. He even took off his coat, showing his muscular body, and swung the axe like a wheel, quickly piling up a stack of Tartar heads.

"Be careful. One Tartar head can get you a promotion, or fifty taels of silver if you don't get promoted. Be careful!" Qiao Tieshan shouted.

Hearing that heads were so valuable, Yue Zixuan finally calmed down.

Zhang Ke watched everyone working, a smile on his face.

"Uncle Qiao, one head can get a promotion. I think this time, we will have at least a few dozen new flag commanders and squad leaders!"

Qiao Tieshan lowered his voice: "Nephew, the situation in Liaodong is not good. You have won a great victory. If you claim all the credit, you might be promoted to a thousand-man commander immediately. Your brother took a year or two to get there, which is much slower than you. Truly, a tiger father has no dog sons!"

Zhang Ke was also excited. A thousand-man commander was a fifth-rank official, eligible for positions like defense officer, and could operate independently. Climbing higher would mean becoming a senior military officer.

Who wouldn't want power and prestige? Zhang Ke's breathing quickened, and his face turned red.

"Brother Ke, we cut off seventy-three heads. Some Tartar wounded were rescued last night, or we could have gotten at least a hundred! Father, why didn't you remind us earlier?" Qiao Fu said regretfully.

Zhang Ke gradually calmed down and smiled: "Didn't Ma Biao just say there were still wounded in the Tartar camp? Go quickly, don't let them escape!"

"I know!"

Qiao Fu and Yue Zixuan ran off. Zhang Ke looked at Qiao Tieshan and smiled wryly: "Uncle Qiao, I've been leading troops for less than ten days and am already a thousand-man commander. Is that really good?"

Qiao Tieshan was also stunned and said: "What's wrong with getting promoted based on your own achievements?"

Zhang Ke smiled: "Uncle Qiao, it's not that simple. The military families in Liaodong are deeply entrenched, greedy, and jealous of talent. Why did Xu Bangyan hire Xianshu to attack us? One, he was afraid I would expose his misdeeds, and two, he was afraid we would grow and threaten his position!"

"If I am suddenly promoted, it will highlight the incompetence of these Liaodong commanders. Will they be willing to accept it? Besides, our new troops are not yet well-trained. If we suddenly get promoted, it's like sitting on a volcano!"

Qiao Tieshan frowned, and Zhang Ke continued: "Apart from these military families, there is another hidden danger. Our men are all civilians who fled from the Tartars. The court hasn't properly settled them, which is a loss of face. They might make things difficult for us in the future. My idea is to use this achievement to get the court to officially recognize everyone."

Hearing Zhang Ke's analysis, Qiao Tieshan nodded.

"Ah, I've always known the court is a mess, full of corrupt officials. Nothing can be done openly. Since you've thought it through, Uncle won't worry about it."

Zhang Ke smiled: "I'm just thinking it through. Once the Tartars retreat, I'll consult with Wang Huazhen to see what he thinks."

Just as they were talking, Qiao Fu returned with his men from the Tartar camp. They had searched around and found that the Tartars had left behind about ten abandoned tents, with nineteen severely injured inside, all on the brink of death, some already dead.

Dai Angelai, following Xianshu's advice, was planning to attack Dashing Castle. Carrying these wounded was a burden, so he left them behind. Qiao Fu and Yue Zixuan, without hesitation, rushed in and cut off their heads.

They still felt unsatisfied. Three days ago, they had defeated Xianshu and killed many bandits. In the cold weather, they couldn't be buried and were temporarily placed in the valley. Everyone found them, and fortunately, only five or six bodies had been eaten by wolves, the rest were intact and frozen like stones.

They cut off these heads as well. In total, they had 92 Tartar heads and 65 bandit heads.

In the early Ming, military achievements valued both the number of heads and battlefield performance, such as capturing enemy leaders, turning the tide, or aiding allies. This was a more scientific method, but it required verification by officials on the front lines. Later, the civil officials lost their courage and chose the simplest method: counting heads. This led to some commanders killing civilians to claim credit, and even buying Tartar heads on the nine borders.

Regardless, these heads were genuine, especially the Tartars, who were Dai Angelai's elite. No one could deny Zhang Ke's achievements!

"Sir, where should we put these heads?"

Zhang Ke thought for a moment and said: "The Tartars haven't left yet, and the inspection officials haven't arrived. For now, place them in front of the fallen brothers' spirits to comfort their souls."

"Understood!" Yue Zixuan excitedly called everyone to move the heads into the city.

The pile of heads in front of them made the villagers, young and old, smile. Zhang Ke took out the silver from Heishankou and distributed compensation and rewards in advance, further boosting the village's morale.

Everyone was elated. Even those who had lost family members felt that Zhang Ke treated his subordinates well and provided generous compensation. In such chaotic times, what more could they ask for!

As everyone was thanking Zhang Ke, suddenly, Qiao Gui, responsible for patrols, ran in with someone.

Zhang Ke recognized the person as Doctor Zhou and was surprised.

"Mr. Zhou, what's the matter?"

Doctor Zhou, upon seeing Zhang Ke, fell to his knees.

"Zhang Er, I beg you on behalf of the people of Dashing Castle. Please, save us!"