Chapter 76 of 100

Chapter 76: Settlement

17 min read4,126 words

Standing in the road was Deputy General Zhang Keda of Denglai, who was on official business in Huang County. Not long after leaving the city, he discovered this group of people on the main road, led by a formation of thirty men. When he saw this group of "household troops," Zhang Keda was greatly startled. He was an experienced veteran and could immediately tell the difference in this army.

The Dengzhou camp had five naval battalions and twelve land battalions, with a total of 9,197 soldiers and an annual salary of 222,479.6 silver taels. Despite the large amount of silver, Zhang Keda knew very well how many of these soldiers could actually fight. He had only about a hundred capable household troops, while the rest could only serve as laborers and would certainly be useless in battle. This was the general state of the Ming army, and Zhang Keda was no exception. The root cause was the low status of military officers. The salary for the Dengzhou camp was allocated by the Ministry of Revenue, and normally, about 30% would be lost before it even left Beijing. This meant that out of the 220,000 taels, only about 160,000 would actually be received.

Reining in his horse, Zhang Keda raised his hand as a signal. The thirty-man formation approaching him responded to the officer's command: "Halt!" The thirty men stopped in unison, a feat that Zhang Keda, an experienced commander, knew was extremely difficult.

Zhang Keda knew that the renowned doctor Chen Xie had donated to become a militia commander. This was something he couldn't control. Wang Tingxi, the naval defense commissioner of Denglai, could simply accept the money and send a document to the Ministry of War, stating that the local gentry of Dengzhou had formed a militia to prevent bandits and appointing someone as the commander. The court would know about it but wouldn't take it seriously. After all, what could a militia do?

Not to mention, the officials at the Ministry of War didn't care, and neither did Wang Tingxi. Who would have thought that in just over half a year, Chen Xie could train a hundred or so militia into such a formidable force? Zhang Keda wasn't particularly concerned about the matchlocks; what he cared about was the spirit of this army. Even without armor, he wouldn't dare to underestimate this militia.

Therefore, the curious Zhang Keda stopped the formation to meet Chen Xie.

"Chen Xie greets Deputy General Zhang." Chen Xie had already figured out that Zhang Keda was the deputy general. The general of Denglai was Yang Guodong.

Even with the commendation, Chen Xie didn't wear the official attire. However, with his reputation in Dengzhou, it didn't matter what he wore.

"I didn't expect that a renowned doctor would also be a skilled trainer of troops. Why don't these militia wear armor?" Zhang Keda's question was not casual; it carried a hidden threat. The more experienced a veteran, the more they knew how difficult it was to train such a force. If Chen Xie admitted to having armor, Zhang Keda could use it against him. In the Ming dynasty, civilians could possess weapons, but armor was strictly forbidden, even for a militia.

"Deputy General Zhang, the men I train are militia. Wearing armor is no joke," Chen Xie replied calmly. Zhang Keda, with his thick skin, showed no embarrassment at being caught in his trap.

"What about these people?" Zhang Keda pointed to the craftsmen. At this moment, Qian Buduo approached, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Deputy General Zhang. It's not convenient to speak here. May we step aside?"

Zhang Keda dared to challenge Chen Xie because he knew that Chen Xie only had the support of the local gentry, Zhang Yao. As long as he didn't go too far, Zhang Yao wouldn't make a fuss. However, Qian Buduo, a powerful merchant with connections, was a different matter. One never knew who was behind such people. If he offended them, he might find himself in trouble, with someone finding a reason to accuse him, leading to the confiscation of his property and even execution. At this time in the Ming dynasty, warlords had not yet formed. Even a powerful figure like Mao Wending could be executed by Yuan Chonghuan the next year (1629).

Qian Buduo whispered something to Zhang Keda, and Zhang Keda's face broke into a smile. He apologized, "I see, I was too hasty."

Before leaving, Zhang Keda said to Chen Xie, "Doctor, I've heard you are skilled in treating wounds. Could you help train the doctors of the Dengzhou army?" This was not to regain face but to make up for his earlier obstruction.

Chen Xie smiled, "That's easy. You can send the doctors from each camp to the Zhangjia Village Hospital, and I will personally train them." This was not to slight Zhang Keda but to indicate that the Zhangjia Village Hospital was a place where only certain people could receive treatment. Those people were not to be offended, and neither was he.

Zhang Keda was well aware that the Zhangjia Village Hospital was now the designated hospital for officials and their families in Dengzhou, where treatment was free. With a renowned doctor in charge, offending Chen Xie would not be wise. Asking Chen Xie to go to the camp was out of the question. Zhang Keda didn't take it to heart; he just wanted to make amends and avoid any grudges.

With his household troops, Zhang Keda rode away. Chen Xie watched him go, without much malice. Zhang Keda had died in the chaos of Dengzhou, failing to protect the region as a general, which was a sign of incompetence. Such generals were common in the Ming dynasty.

The craftsmen, including Jin Laocheng and his companions, were taken by carriage to a new village. This village, built specifically for the craftsmen, had rows of tiled houses, each with a yard. Similar houses were still being built, and many craftsmen had already moved in. During the day, the craftsmen worked, and the children attended literacy classes, while the elderly and women stayed home to look after the new residents.

"Listen up, men to the left, women to the right. Those still nursing, stay with their mothers."

The soldiers, who had been showing their bayonets, now had the upper hand. Jin Laocheng was pushed along in a long queue, moving slowly forward. His two sons, Jin Liang and Jin Shan, who were not married, followed behind him. At a wooden fence, soldiers with guns maintained order, and anyone who caused trouble was immediately threatened with bayonets and ordered to stand still.

Finally, it was Jin Laocheng's turn. At a long table, a well-dressed middle-aged man with a roster asked, "What's your name?" Jin Laocheng answered truthfully. The man didn't waste time, found his name on the roster, marked it, and filled out a form, occasionally asking about his family. Jin Laocheng's wife had died years ago, and his two sons, in their thirties, were still unmarried, making his family situation simple.

After filling out the form, the man had the three of them put their fingerprints on it, gave each a wooden tag, and instructed them to wear it and not lose it. He then pointed them inside.

Inside the fence, another long table awaited, and another man asked for their names, had them put their fingerprints on a form, and gave them a set of living supplies. The items included a set of toiletries, clothes, and shoes. The person distributing the items was a tailor with a keen eye, who could tell the size of the clothes needed with just a glance. He handed the clothes to Jin Laocheng and said, "Next!"

Jin Laocheng felt as if he were in a dream, carrying his belongings and following the crowd into a large house. At the door, someone checked his wooden tag. Inside, someone directed him to a chest where he could store his items.

Inside the house, there were rows of chests and a long bunk bed. The walls were lined with wooden chests, and each bunk bed had someone showing how to store clothes, take shoes, and bathe.

Later, Jin Laocheng learned that there was a mountain nearby with a spring. The doctor had people build a pool on the mountain to collect the spring water, which was then filtered and piped into the village.

The bathhouse was like a dream. They were stripped and herded into the bathhouse, where they saw a row of showerheads. Turning them one way opened the water, and the other way closed it. The hot water on their heads was a shock, causing them to scream. A supervisor's harsh command and the threat of a whip made them quiet down and bathe properly.

The hot water and soap scrubbed away a layer of dirt from their bodies, and their hair was washed repeatedly. The water on the floor was black and was then flushed away with clean water. After about half an hour, the three of them left the bathhouse and returned to the bunk bed. Outside, a supervisor shouted, "Hurry up and get dressed; there are more people waiting."

Like being chased away, they were hurried out, carrying their belongings, and followed a corridor to a courtyard where they smelled a strong aroma of millet porridge.

"Take your tags; one tag for one meal. No tag, no food." Several large pots were steaming on coal stoves (which they later learned about), filled with fish and millet porridge, with one bowl per person.

...

Smoke billowed, and the stench was unbearable. Chen Xie, wearing a mask, watched as a group of servants, dressed in white coats and masks, threw the old clothes into a fire. After observing the entire process and finding no issues, Chen Xie left the village satisfied.

This village was built specifically to settle the craftsmen. Originally, it was a rocky hill. Taking advantage of the drought, Chen Xie hired nearly a thousand workers to level the area, build roads, and construct houses. Although it cost a lot of silver, Chen Xie was not afraid to spend it; he was more concerned about avoiding unnecessary casualties.

To prevent illness, he also brought Yu Lian and several students from the Huichun Hall to the village.

The construction of the village continued, and the workers, after this project, would become skilled laborers. Chen Xie continued to use them to build roads, kilns, and fortifications. In just a year, Chen Xie had become one of the prominent gentry in Dengzhou, thanks to his collaboration with local landowners, which made his position very stable.

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