After Du Youwei retreated, Zhang Cheng discussed some military matters with the generals over meat and wine, including rewards for those who had made meritorious service in the battle in recent days, and how to resettle prisoners and hungry people in this battle.
.
Some of the skilled people among the hungry people have been registered, and they are nothing more than carpenters, masons, tailors, coopers, etc. Since they are close to the Yellow River, there are also a few boat builders and cabin boat builders.
But there is only one blacksmith.
In addition to these craftsmen, some literate people were also selected and given special care and placement. Among them was a scholar named Liu Chengzu, who was specially mentioned by Wei Zhice.
The reason why Wei Zhice mentioned Liu Chengzu at this time was because he sympathized with his plight, but the most important thing was that Liu Chengzu not only performed well in collecting information on prisoners and hungry people, but also actively requested to join Wei Zhice's army.
Liu Chengzu's personal experience made him understand the nature of rogue bandits, and the performance of Wei Zhice's army greatly improved his knowledge and understanding of the army.
If we say that before he was coerced by the intruders to fill trenches and dig bricks for the city, he had a strong attitude toward his family because of the bullying of his family by corrupt local officials and the popular saying that "thieves are like combs, soldiers are like grates, and officials are like shavers."
Daming was extremely disappointed.
However, the experience of being coerced by the Chuang army made him extremely confused. Corrupt officials were everywhere, running rampant and unscrupulous. The officials and soldiers of the imperial court were like wolves and tigers, and they looted more than thieves. He originally expected that King Chuang could live up to his name and rescue everyone.
To be free from suffering, how could you ever imagine that it is just a false name and a person who deceives the public with lies.
He just felt like he was in the Abi Hell. The sky and the earth were dark, the fields were wailing constantly, and everything he saw was killing. From the moment he hid his daughter under him, he thought he was dead.
But he couldn't die. At the moment when he lost consciousness, the cry of his daughter "Nanny" attracted the officers and soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield. These officers and soldiers were particularly kind. Not only did they save him, they also took the initiative to
Distribute rice porridge and steamed buns to him and his wife and daughter.
He vaguely felt that everything he saw before him was so unreal. The kind-hearted officers and soldiers, the steaming rice porridge, and the mixed-noodle steamed buns were extremely soft and delicious in his mouth, as if he was in a dream.
among.
He muddleheadedly registered the names of the rescued hungry people. No matter how those hungry people commented on the difference of this group of officers and soldiers, he turned a deaf ear. However, the appearance of his son Liu Sijie and the arrival of Uncle Wu who treated him like a son made him
It was like a sudden enlightenment.
After that, not only did he work more seriously and hard, but he also became energetic. Therefore, Wei Zhice recommended him to Zhang Guodong's camp to continue registering the information of prisoners and hungry people.
As he came into contact with this army over time, Liu Chengzu's understanding gradually improved, and he couldn't help but come up with the idea of joining this army. However, Zhang Guodong was busy with his affairs, and he did not have much contact with them and could not talk to them.
So he found an excuse and asked to see Wei Zhice, the commander of the chariot camp, and asked to join his command as a soldier. No matter how hard and dangerous it was, he was willing to endure it. He just wanted to follow General Zhang Cheng to kill all the bandits and pacify the world.
Give all people a bright future.
Wei Zhice was originally a deer harvester and a scholar. Naturally, he understood Liu Chengzu's current mood very well, so he first comforted Liu Chengzu and told him to have a good rest and not to worry about this matter.
Wei Zhice also knew that there was no shortage of generals in Zhang Cheng's army, and there were many people in his army who could be promoted and trained. However, there were very few real scholars in the army, and even some literate bookkeepers could only read a few words.
That’s all.
Therefore, after Zhang Guangda, Wang Yuanjing, Chen Zhong, Cui Shijie and others returned to the camp, Wei Zhice personally visited Wang Yuanjing and solemnly recommended Liu Chengzu to him.
Through Wei Zhice's introduction, Zhang Cheng now knew about Liu Chengzu, but he still couldn't spare the time to see him, so he sent an order to Liu Chengzu to temporarily serve as a scribe next to Wang Yuanjing, and wait until later to see if he could be placed elsewhere.
Everyone then summarized their understanding and experience of the battle with the Chuang army. The generals spoke one by one. The scene was very lively and lively, but it only made the scribe in the corner responsible for recording miserable.
Finally, Zhang Cheng even announced that tomorrow would be the last day of the year, "the day when the month ends and the year ends". Inspector Gao Mingheng led all the officials and relatives in Kaifeng City to work outside the city, and someone had been sent to inform them that sufficient supplies would be sent.
"New Year of the Pig" allows the soldiers to eat meat dumplings and pork stewed vermicelli on New Year's Eve to live a prosperous year.
Because the battle was won with a large army, Zhang Cheng also decided to reward each soldier with two taels of silver. He also decided to ask the soldiers to take turns to take vacations within five days, visit the bustling city of Kaifeng, and reward the cigarettes they brought with them on this trip.
Each of the officers and men received one packet, and those with meritorious deeds could receive two or three packets.
The generals felt a burst of joy when they heard this, but it was not until then that they remembered that it was the end of the year.
…………
On the first day of the first lunar month of the 14th year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty, the city of Kaifeng was decorated with lanterns, gongs and drums, dragon dances, stilts, and flower and drum teams. People walked out of their homes and came to the streets, not only to visit relatives and friends, but also to celebrate the New Year.
The intruder retreated.
The palace of Prince Zhou was also decorated with lanterns and decorations, and several tables of banquets were set up in the palace hall. Zhang Cheng, Chen Jiugao and other generals who came to support were sitting at their seats. Gao Mingheng, the patrol commander in Kaifeng City, and Liang Bing, the envoy of Henan Zuobu, who was in charge of Taoism, were on the right.
The chief envoy Cai Maode and other officials from Henan Province, as well as the governor of Kaifeng Prefecture Wu Shidao, Huang Shu, Guanhe Tongzhi Sang Kaidi and other officials of Kaifeng Prefecture.
Naturally, the deputy commander-in-chief of Henan Province, Chen Yongfu and his son, were indispensable. After the incident of the bandits attacking the city, the ministers and officials in Kaifeng City also respected the veteran general even more. Chen Yongfu's face was also glowing and he was full of energy.
Originally, some of them were not qualified to come to pay New Year's greetings to King Zhu Gongzhen of Zhou. However, because they had caught up with the great victory in defending the city, King Zhou was very interested. This time, he even invited all the meritorious generals under his command.
Celebrate the New Year together.
Although it was in the main hall of Prince Zhou's palace, after three rounds of drinking, toasting to each other was still indispensable. All the generals and officials formed groups to wish Prince Zhou a new year.
Although the scene was lively, it was not intense enough. Someone during the banquet mentioned that the intruders had returned home in defeat at the gates of Kaifeng City. The fierce flames were no longer there. When the superintendent Yang Gebu freed up his hands, they would be completely eradicated.
These words naturally aroused a resonance in the banquet, and all the generals and officials expressed their approval, as if they had already seen the intruder Li Zicheng and other giant bandits destroyed.
Zhang Cheng was the only one holding the wine glass, looking out the window of the hall with a slightly confused look, and fell into deep thought: "Whether Xiangyang City has been attacked by Xian thieves, there will be news in the near future. But where is the Yangge Department now?