Chapter 47: Forming the Sixth Inspection Battalion!

However, Qiu Fu did not dwell too much on the spoils of victory gained at Huailai.

"General Zhang," Qiu Fu ordered sternly, "immediately arrange for the logistics troops to transport all grain, fodder, and military supplies from Huailai City to Juyong Pass. Furthermore, accelerate troop deployments. Have the First, Second, and Third Assistant Commander Battalions quickly replenish their numbers and resume the advance. Now that Song Zhong is dead and his forces are routed, we must seize this opportunity to take complete control of Beiping Prefecture. Only then can our army hold its ground against the upcoming encirclement by the treacherous faction."

Zhang Yu immediately accepted the order. "Understood, General. By this afternoon, the main army will be ready to march and fully recapture Beiping Prefecture."

Qiu Fu nodded and said nothing more. Standing up, he swept his gaze across the generals in the grand hall and spoke in a booming voice, "Generals, all necessary arrangements have been made. You may all return to execute your military duties. Although our army has won the victory at Juyong Pass, the challenges we face hereafter will be even more arduous. Make the best use of every moment. Dismissed."

At these words, the generals stood up in unison and replied, "We obey our orders!"

Shortly after, the generals withdrew one by one to carry out the military commands.

"General," a personal guard stepped forward respectfully, presenting a bright yellow imperial edict to Qiu Fu, "when we broke through Huailai City, this imperial decree was captured as well. Please read it, General."

Qiu Fu took it directly with one hand, paying no heed whatsoever to an edict from the imperial court. He unfolded it, and a sneer immediately appeared on his face.

"Hah," Qiu Fu scoffed with a cold laugh, "the court is utterly ridiculous. They have actually stripped the Prince of his princely title and degraded him to a commoner." After scanning it briefly, he mocked it with a cold laugh, dismissing it entirely.

"That is all they are capable of," Zhang Yu also sneered. "His Highness's princely title was bestowed by the Founding Emperor, the Hongwu Emperor. How could these treacherous villains be allowed to act so presumptuously?"

"Send this edict to the Prince," Qiu Fu said, tossing the decree back to the guard.

"Yes." The guard accepted the order respectfully and quickly withdrew.

"Although Juyong Pass has been captured and Song Zhong is dead, the true, fierce battles are yet to come," Qiu Fu said in a deep voice. "General Zhang, we must formulate a detailed deployment for our subsequent defense. Once we recapture the entirety of Beiping Prefecture, we will transition from the offensive to the defensive."

"Indeed," Zhang Yu nodded with a solemn expression.

...

The Camp of Surrendered Soldiers!

All of the more than thirty thousand captive soldiers taken during the Battle of Juyong Pass were detained here. Surrounding this camp were the military encampments of the Beiping forces, all on high alert with patrolling soldiers ready to suppress any unrest among the captives instantly.

When Zhu Zheng arrived at the camp of surrendered soldiers, he saw tens of thousands of captives sitting across the open ground. They had already been stripped of their armor and weapons. Most sat on the ground with vacant stares, seemingly pondering what their future fate would hold.

At that moment, right in front of the camp, several hundred soldiers wielding sabers were escorting dozens of men up onto a high platform erected in the open space.

This scene was naturally witnessed by the captives seated on the ground. Moreover, under the horrified gazes of many, the identities of these dozens of bound men became instantly obvious, for they were none other than their former commanding officers—ranging from deputy battalion commanders and battalion commanders to garrison commanders. At this moment, they had all been reduced to prisoners.

"Brother Zhu, what are they doing?" Zhu Gaozhi asked, looking at the escorted men with puzzled eyes down below.

"The victors are kings, the vanquished are bandits," Zhu Zheng replied briefly after a glance.

Executing these men publicly in front of the captives was clearly intended to serve as a deterrent. Evidently, this was a measure decided upon by Qiu Fu and Zhang Yu. Originally, they had considered executions in the streets, but after further thought, they decided to carry them out right outside the surrendered soldiers' camp. In this way, it would heavily suppress the captives and prevent any rebellious thoughts from taking root in their minds.

"All surrendered soldiers, look here!" Zhang Fu, the son of Zhang Yu, shouted loudly from atop the high platform. "These men were formerly officers of our Beiping army, and among them were also lackeys serving the treacherous faction. Today, all of these men have been captured. By military order, they are to be beheaded immediately in public as a warning to others!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Fu shouted coldly, "Execute!"

Instantly, dozens of soldiers holding executioners' blades brought their swords down in unison. Amidst the cracking of bones, dozens of heads rolled to the ground, blood spurted, and the severed heads even tumbled down the high platform.

This scene was fully laid out before the eyes of the tens of thousands of soldiers gathered on the open ground. For them, the psychological impact was absolute.

"The imperial court," Zhang Fu shouted loudly, once again proclaiming the righteous cause of "clearing the emperor's side and pacifying the national disaster" to all the captives, "is now controlled by treacherous villains! The current emperor is young, bewitched by traitors, and treats his own flesh and blood with cruelty, showing no benevolence toward his own kin! His Highness the Prince of Yan, upholding the ancestral instructions of the late Hongwu Emperor, must raise troops to clear the court of treacherous ministers and save the nation from crisis when traitorous officials plague the state! Our Yan army is a righteous force, upholding the realm and securing the eternal survival of the Great Ming! Everyone, I hope you will see the truth clearly hereafter and cease to act as accomplices to evil!"

Having finished speaking, Zhang Fu walked down the platform. When he caught sight of Zhu Zheng standing below, a flicker of complex emotion crossed his eyes.

Thinking back just over a month ago, Zhu Zheng was merely a bailiff and part of the newly reorganized logistics troops. At that time, Zhang Fu had been Zhu Zheng's direct superior. Yet now, in less than two months, Zhu Zheng's identity had undergone multiple transformations.

The current Zhu Zheng was no longer a logistics soldier; in the blink of an eye, he had become a heroic figure within the Yan army, achieving countless merits and now directly promoted to the rank of general. He had become the youngest Assistant Commander in the entire army and had even been granted a peerage.

"This subordinate pays respects to General Zhu," Zhang Fu stepped forward, bowing deeply to Zhu Zheng.

"Garrison Commander Zhang, please rise," Zhu Zheng said with a slight smile, retrieving a military order from his bosom and handing it to Zhang Fu. "This is the reorganization order written by General Zhang Yu. I need nine thousand surrendered soldiers to reorganize into my Assistant Commander Battalion," Zhu Zheng said in a deep voice.

Zhang Fu took the military order, glanced at it, and immediately nodded. "This subordinate obeys the order. Please have your men guide them, General Zhu."

Zhu Zheng nodded and immediately turned to look at Tan Yuan and Zhu Gaozhi behind him. "Go and lead the surrendered soldiers into the camp."

"Understood," Tan Yuan and Zhu Gaozhi answered promptly.

This time, Zhu Zheng had not come alone; he had brought over a thousand soldiers from his own Centurion Battalion as the core to build the new Assistant Commander Battalion. In the military council, it had already been decided that the Assistant Commander Battalion under Zhu Zheng's command would be designated as the Sixth Assistant Commander Battalion of the Beiping Army.

Zhu Zheng would serve as the Commander of the Sixth Assistant Commander Battalion, leading a force of ten thousand. Furthermore, based on their military achievements, Tan Yuan and Zhu Gaozhi were promoted to Garrison Commanders, assisting Zhu Zheng in commanding the battalion.