nucmednet Chapter 597 Confrontation
Chapter 597 Confrontation
After digesting this shocking news, Yang Sichang decided to retain the head for further examination. If it was genuine, he would report it to the emperor; if it was a forged head, he would hold those responsible accountable. However, he insisted on maintaining control and not allowing the actions of any single unit to jeopardize his peace negotiations. This action by the Director of the Bureau of Military Affairs was precisely at his behest.
Upon hearing what the officer in charge said, Yang Sichang feigned surprise, as if he had just learned of the matter, and asked Huang Gan, "Which battalion are you from? Is what he said true?"
Huang Gan had no idea about all this behind the scenes. He thought a high-ranking official had arrived to uphold justice, and hurriedly protested, "Sir, I am a battalion commander in Qionghai Town. He said he would leave the heads behind and let us leave on our own, and that whether we had rendered meritorious service depended entirely on his word. Naturally, I am not convinced. Although I do not understand the rules of the Ministry of War, shouldn't so many heads be counted in front of us? Even in business, there is a principle of cash on delivery, right?"
Huang Gan wasn't wrong. In the past, when faced with similar situations, the Ministry of War would first count the number of heads in person to verify with the other side, and then slowly check whether the heads were genuine and whether there was any killing of innocent people to claim credit. But how could Yang Sichang give the other side such an opportunity? He wished there were as few heads as possible, lest a great victory boost Chongzhen's confidence and make him impulsively decide to fight the Tartars to the death, thus putting his peace proposals at risk.
Hearing that the other party was Qionghai Town, which he didn't have a good impression of, Yang Sichang became even more determined. He cleared his throat and said slowly, "You soldiers receive your pay and go to war. Just do your duty. As for how the Ministry of War operates, it has its own set of rules. You don't need to overstep your bounds. This Chief Fang is right. Hand over the head, and we'll take care of the rest. Go back and wait for news. You will receive all the credit you deserve."
Huang Gan was dumbfounded. He could argue back against a minor official, but now that a high-ranking official from the Ministry of War had said the same thing, he didn't know what to do. He thought for a moment, then whispered a few instructions to a soldier beside him. After the soldier turned and left the Ministry of War, Huang Gan said to Yang Sichang, "Sir, I am from the countryside, uneducated, and don't understand grand principles. I only follow the rules. Please don't take offense at me. Just do me a favor, count the heads, write me a note, and I'll leave immediately."
Yang Sichang laughed in exasperation. The Ministry of War, which controlled the promotion of military officers and had the power to deploy troops, was the de facto highest military institution in the country. No matter their rank, military officers who came to the Ministry of War were always extremely respectful, fearing to offend their superiors and jeopardize their careers. Now, a mere battalion commander from Qionghai Town dared to act like a rogue and haggle with the powerful Right Vice Minister in the Ministry of War's office—this was unheard of! If word got out, other ministries would laugh their heads off, and the Ministry of War's prestige would be completely destroyed.
His face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "My patience is limited. You have two choices: either take your men and get out of the Ministry of War immediately, or wait for the Beijing Garrison and the Five City Garrison to arrest you. You'll be charged with storming the Ministry of War. Choose for yourself!"
Huang Gan's face alternated between pale and flushed, clearly weighing the pros and cons. If anyone else had humiliated him like this, he would have already grabbed a knife and attacked. But this man was a high-ranking official in the Ministry of War. Would offending him be detrimental to the general?
Yang Sichang waited a moment, and seeing that the other party showed no intention of moving, he sneered a few times: "Very well, today I've seen it all. A mere battalion commander dares to act recklessly in the Ministry of War. Men, go to the Beijing Garrison and the Five City Garrison Commands and summon men to arrest this audacious commander!"
Huang Gan brought over two hundred soldiers with him to escort the severed head, all heavily armed. No matter how much Yang Sichang despised them, he couldn't ignore their muskets. A scholar can't reason with soldiers; let the soldiers handle the matter. Although the Beijing Garrison wasn't directly under the Ministry of War, mobilizing some troops to arrest people was still no problem. As for the Five City Garrison Command, it was responsible for patrolling the capital, apprehending thieves, managing streets and ditches, and overseeing prisoners and fire prevention—equivalent to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau and Urban Management Bureau. It was directly under the Ministry of War; summoning them was somewhat humiliating, treating Huang Gan and his men as thieves and prisoners.
Huang Gan had no idea what the Five Cities Garrison was, but he wasn't afraid of a direct confrontation. He silently walked to the carriage carrying the severed heads and stood protectively in front of it, as if in silent protest against the Ministry of War officials. The other soldiers followed behind him, standing in front of the carriage and raising their rifles.
When the Ministry of War requested personnel, neither the Beijing Garrison nor the Five City Garrison Commands dared to delay. Before long, large groups of men arrived at the Ministry of War from the north and south. Two officers leading the groups stepped forward and saluted.
"This humble official, Shen Chong, the guerrilla commander of Shenshu Camp (Note 1), greets Lord Yang."
"This humble official, Yang Zihua, Commander of the Eastern City Military Command (Note 2), greets Lord Yang."
Yang Sichang snorted, acknowledging their presence, and turned to point at Huang Gan and the others, saying, "These people disregard the law and stormed the Ministry of War. You must arrest them immediately!"
Shen Chong, the guerrilla commander of the Shenshu Battalion, and Yang Zihua, the commander of the Eastern City Military Command, exchanged a glance, and then said in unison to Huang Gan, "Excuse me!"
A large group of Shen Shu Camp soldiers and soldiers from the East City Military Command rushed forward, raising knives, spears and other weapons, and surrounded Huang Gan and his men. Shen Chong advised, "Brother, I advise you to put down your weapons and surrender. If you resist, your crime will be compounded."
Huang Gan gritted his teeth and remained silent, but he did not lower the gun in his hand.
Shen Chong raised his right hand and ordered, "Everyone, listen to my command! Confiscate their muskets and tie them all up!"
Just as the soldiers of the Divine Pivot Camp and the soldiers of the Military Command were about to make their move, a loud shout came from behind: "Let's see who dares!"
A large group of guards swarmed in, breaking through the encirclement of the Divine Pivot Camp and the Eastern City Military Command, and stood alongside Huang Gan and his men, bayonets drawn. The towering Lin San strode over, glanced contemptuously at those around him, and said, "My men, anyone who dares to lay a finger on me will face the consequences!"
When Huang Gan was being harassed by officials from the Ministry of War, he sent a soldier to inform Lin San. Upon hearing this, Lin San immediately bid farewell to Wen Tiren and hurriedly led a large group of men to the Ministry of War.
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Note 1: The Jingying (Beijing Garrison) was divided into the Five Armies Camp, the Three Thousand Camp, and the Divine Machine Camp. Later, the Three Thousand Camp was renamed the Divine Pivot Camp. It had one left and one right deputy general, two training officers, two assistant generals, two guerrilla generals, and two adjutant generals, each leading 10 camps. The total strength, including reserve troops, was about 70,000 men.
Note 2: The Five City Military Commands refer to the military command offices of the Central, Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern cities, which is a collective term for five government offices.