"Thank you for your respect for Yiwu people. We are unworthy. Lord Zhu, please forgive me for speaking frankly. The garrison troops are weak and cowardly, and their military discipline is poor. Are the Zhejiang troops capable of fighting and have strict military discipline?"
Chen Dacheng was touched by Zhu Ping'an's praise for the people of Yiwu, but he did not forget his original intention at all because of Zhu Ping'an's compliments. After thanking Zhu Ping'an with a fist, he raised his questions very directly.
In his opinion, what is the difference between Zhu Ping'an's Zhejiang Army and the soldiers of the garrison except for the different names
"I wonder if Chief Chen knows about the Japanese pirates from Shangyu attacking Yingtian?" Zhu Ping'an asked instead of answering.
"I've heard a little about it." Chen Dacheng nodded slightly.
"Since Chief Chen has heard something, you know that the Japanese pirates from Shangyu who harassed Yingtian were annihilated by our Zhejiang army."
Zhu Pingan asked further.
"I know this too. However, weren't the Japanese pirates drugged by you in advance? After they were drugged, anyone could annihilate them. This doesn't mean that the Zhejiang Army is good at fighting." Chen Dacheng said disapprovingly.
"Not all the Japanese pirates were bewitched. Some of them still have the power to fight back. We only annihilated them after a fierce battle." Liu Dadao couldn't stand Chen Dacheng's attitude and said indignantly.
"Haha, I've heard about it too. It's just that there are nine Japanese pirates rebelling. You, the Zhejiang army, have more than 800 people fighting against nine Japanese pirates. Does that mean you are good at fighting and capable of fighting?" Chen Dacheng sneered.
Liu Dadao opened his mouth but was speechless. What the other person said seemed to make sense.
"It seems that Patriarch Chen has a deep understanding of the battle situation at that time. Patriarch Chen should know that the Japanese pirates in Shangyu first broke through the Jiangning Camp, burned, killed and looted Jiangning Town. Yingtian sent Hu Zongxian, the inspector of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, to lead 1,300 elite soldiers to snipe the Japanese pirates in the Cherry Garden, but they were defeated by the Japanese pirates and lost more than half of their soldiers. The Japanese pirates in Shangyu took advantage of the victory in the Cherry Garden to invade Yingtian City. They were dressed in red and yellow, showing off their power and being arrogant. The 40,000 defenders of Yingtian watched from the sidelines and dared not go out of the city to fight. It was my 800 Zhejiang soldiers who raised flags and beat drums, fearlessly rushed towards the Japanese pirates, and made them retreat in fear. In this way, doesn't it show that my Zhejiang army is different from the officers and soldiers of the garrison? Doesn't it show that my Zhejiang army is capable of fighting?!"
Zhu Ping'an smiled slightly and spoke slowly.
"Well..." Chen Dacheng paused for two seconds before nodding his head. "This does show that the Zhejiang Army is different from the soldiers of the garrison to some extent. At least they dare to charge at the Japanese pirates."
Chen Dacheng shook his head again. "However, the two armies have not come into direct contact, which is not enough to prove that the Zhejiang Army is capable and good at fighting. In addition, how can you prove that your army has strict military discipline, which is different from the corrupt military discipline of the garrison soldiers?"
"Big Knife, you should recite our military discipline to Patriarch Chen, starting with the Four Iron Laws and Eighteen Slashes."
Zhu Ping'an said to Liu Dadao and others.
"Four iron laws: follow orders in all actions; do not take even a single needle or thread from the masses; turn over all captured goods to the public; do not demolish houses even if you freeze to death, and do not plunder even if you starve to death. Eighteen beheadings: those who fail to arrive after three drum beats when selecting the generals will be beheaded; those who do not advance when the drum is beaten, do not stop when the gong is sounded, do not raise the flag, and do not surrender when the flag is pressed will be beheaded; those who feign illness in battle will be beheaded..." Liu Dadao and others had already engraved the four iron laws and eighteen beheadings into their bones, and they could recite them fluently.
Seeing this, Chen Dacheng opened his mouth in surprise. First, he was surprised that the military discipline of the Zhejiang Army was so strict. Second, he was surprised that Liu Dadao and others could recite it so fluently. It can be seen that the "Four Iron Laws and Eighteen Beheadings" were implemented very thoroughly in the Zhejiang Army.
"Our Zhejiang Army also implements the law of collective responsibility. First, the superior officer is collectively responsible for the subordinate officer. If the subordinate officer is afraid of death and deserts the battlefield, the superior officer will be guilty as well. Second, the subordinate officer is collectively responsible for the superior officer. If the subordinate officer deserts and causes the superior officer to be killed, then all officers under the officer will be executed. Soldiers are also collectively responsible for officers. If a soldier deserts and causes the death of the sergeant, then all soldiers in the squad will be executed. Third, soldiers are collectively responsible for each other. If one person deserts, the whole squad will be punished!"
While Chen Dacheng opened his mouth in surprise and had not yet come to his senses, Zhu Ping'an further introduced the Zhejiang Army's system of collective responsibility.
As a result, Chen Dacheng opened his mouth even wider...
There is no doubt about the military discipline of the Zhejiang Army. The military discipline of the Zhejiang Army can no longer be described as "strict", it is simply "harsh".
"Chief Chen, is the military discipline of our Zhejiang Army strict?" Zhu Ping'an asked with a smile.
"Military discipline sounds very strict, but I don't know how it is enforced. It's like the government, it sounds better than it does."
Chen Dacheng is still very stubborn.
"Then you can take your men with us to the Zhejiang Army camp to see for yourself how our military discipline is being enforced?"
Liu Dadao raised his eyebrows and asked.
Chen Dacheng shook his head and said calmly: "What can I prove by going there and seeing it? What I saw in your military camp must be what you wanted me to see. What I see with my own eyes is not necessarily true..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Dadao said angrily, "We in the Zhejiang Army are open and aboveboard, and we don't do those empty talk! Ten days ago, Han Laosan, Liu Gouzi, and Zhang Tiedan from our Zhejiang Army secretly left the camp and slept with two widows from Bianjia Village. Our lords held a public trial in Bianjia Village, invited people from the surrounding villages to the trial, and beheaded the three of them on the spot, a fair execution! The people from the surrounding villages saw it with their own eyes, and you can definitely find out if you are willing to ask around. This incident can prove that our Zhejiang Army not only has strict military discipline, but also enforces it strictly!"
After hearing what Liu Dadao said, Chen Dacheng was stunned for a moment and looked at the villagers who were watching the excitement in and outside the yard.
One villager scratched his head and whispered, "My wife's aunt's family happens to be from Bianjia Village. My little boy turned one month old the day before yesterday, and her aunt's family came to our house for a full-month banquet. Her uncle seemed to be chatting at the table and seemed to have mentioned this incident, but he didn't explain it clearly. He said that three soldiers from a military camp sneaked out of the camp and raped two young widows from their village. Then a young officer from the military camp held a public trial in their village and chopped off the heads of the three soldiers on the spot. It was bloody and scary. Her uncle had nightmares for several days in a row."
"My uncle is a businessman who travels all over the country. A few days ago, a soldier from Yiwu Garrison came into the village and raped a woman, but the matter was settled privately. My uncle also mentioned this matter in indignation, saying that there was a military camp in Yingtian where three soldiers raped a woman and all of them were beheaded. But nothing happened here..."
Another villager followed suit.
There is no wind without waves; there is no smoke without fire. More than one person has heard of this, which shows that it is true.
After hearing this, Chen Dacheng couldn't help but look at Zhu Pingan. (To be continued)