Chapter 1116 Changes in Jinyang
These newly returned disciples are really affecting morale, and the accusations of the generals are not unreasonable. It is really suspicious that Wei State treats them so favorably. Even if these people are not a group of rebels, there may be some secret rebels hidden among them. scholar.
Therefore, Duan Shao ordered to choose a remote camp to temporarily imprison these people. As for their convoy materials, they were naturally confiscated and searched to see if there were any suspicious items.
As for how to deal with this group of people in the end, Duan Shao still had to go to the emperor for instructions. We also need to ask for further instructions as to what punishment He Baren should be given. Although the emperor said that he would give him the task, he was only making things difficult for him, not giving him the opportunity to kill dissidents and establish his authority.
When Duan Shao returned to the fortress to ask for an audience, he was quickly introduced again. Gao Yang's situation had not changed significantly compared to before. When he heard that He Baren was being captured in the camp obediently, he couldn't help but He sneered and said: "The old man still has some self-awareness and sense of propriety, so he didn't bother me to punish him to death!
However, this defeat was caused by many things. Death penalty can be avoided, but living crime cannot be escaped! The former is in a bad situation, but the punishment is still light, so his arrogance still exists and he makes mistakes again and again. Now he should be deprived of his official title and exiled to Huainan as a soldier in the border guard camp! "
In Gao Yang's view, He Baren's biggest crime was not that he was attacked on his way back to the division, which caused the division's collapse, but that he had made his own decisions on the battlefield and refused to obey his orders to return to the Chinese army, so that Gao Yang finally Unable to withstand the pressure of the Wei army's strong attack, they had no choice but to withdraw their troops and flee.
This kind of refusal to carry out the orders of the general is definitely a serious crime that deserves the death penalty. However, due to the particularity of the composition of the military force of the Northern Qi Dynasty, these noble elders have considerable privileges and have great appeal to the middle and lower-level soldiers. It is also very strong and has become a being that can faintly confront the imperial power.
Even in normal times, this is something Gao Yang hates deeply, not to mention that now that he has just suffered a big defeat and his own physical condition is worrying, Gao Yang is naturally more sensitive and irritable, wishing to execute He Baren immediately.
However, because Duan Shao also made a similar mistake, and now due to the serious enemy situation, Gao Yang had to rely on Duan Shao to handle military affairs, so he had no choice but to give up on this, lest the relationship with Duan Shao become embarrassing.
He knew that the foundations of these nobles were all in Jinyang and the Jinyang soldiers, and as long as they were separated from each other, He Baren's qualifications and influence would be greatly reduced. As for the plan to send He Baren to Huainan, it is even more of a deliberate abuse against him.
The climate in Huainan is characterized by hot flashes in summer and cold flashes in winter. For the Beizhen soldiers who are accustomed to the seasonal climate in the north, they feel extremely uncomfortable. And this is one of the reasons why Gao Yang made several plans for Huainan, but the main force of Jinyang soldiers rarely participated in it. He Baren is already very old now. If he is sent to an environment that he cannot adapt to again, he may not have a few more years to live.
Duan Shao knew that according to the emperor's temperament, He Baren would inevitably suffer some torture, but he never imagined that it would be so cruel. But he didn't dare to say anything about it. After all, his personal relationship with He Baren was not good enough to challenge the emperor again.
After talking about the treatment of He Baren, Duan Shao talked about the tens of thousands of returned soldiers and asked the emperor for instructions on how to deal with it.
"The Qiang thieves are full of tricks and play with people's hearts. They are really hateful!"
After Gao Yang heard this, he couldn't help but said angrily. Thinking of the neglect of the troops on the battlefield, his mood suddenly became worse, and he immediately scolded: "These cheap soldiers and thieves are extremely stupid. The Qiang thieves can be bribed with a few favors, but they have forgotten the great kindness that the country has accumulated for many years. Such people who cannot distinguish between grudges and right from wrong should all be killed, and their ugliness should not be exposed in the world! "
From Gao Yang's perspective, there is nothing wrong with these words. The Northern Qi Dynasty was rich in national power and could enjoy special preferential treatment and support. In addition to the dignitaries of Jinyang and Yedu, the Jinyang soldiers were the group with the best treatment.
They did not work in production and worked full-time as soldiers. Not only could they receive a large amount of material support from the court, but also considerable trophies seized during battles, as well as generous rewards for winning the war. Compared with those in Hebei who had worked hard for years and lost most of their harvest, Compared with the Han'er farmers in Guan Dynasty, the life of these Jinyang soldiers is really comfortable.
Since they enjoyed all this, of course they had to have the consciousness to fight to the death. As a result, when they were fighting the Western Wei Dynasty and relied on its strength, they not only refused to fight hard, but directly abandoned their weapons and surrendered. Now they accept gifts from the Wei people with great arrogance. To shake the morale of the army, he should be cut into pieces with a thousand swords, even if he can't vent his hatred!
Of course, this is only Gao Yang's perspective. From the perspective of the Jinyang soldiers, without their full support, how could the Gao family transform from a military-controlled family into a country, replacing the Yuan and Wei Dynasties as the imperial family in one fell swoop?
They can serve the Gao family loyally, but they should not be meaninglessly abandoned or even tortured and killed. Since the Six Towns Mutiny, they have been struggling to survive, and have been under the command of various heroes. The Gao family is not the only one, and if the Gao family really wants to ignore the tacit understanding of symbiosis between them, they will not mind abandoning them. Gao family, so that it cannot be the last one.
Of course, there is a heavy price to pay for making a new choice, but in the face of survival, all costs can be ignored. After all, only by living can you have various possibilities for the future.
In the final analysis, there is only a state of mutual benefit and symbiosis, and no one is a pure provider with no return.
Duan Shao did not dare to comment on Heba Ren's punishment, but when he heard that the emperor actually wanted to kill all these newly returned soldiers, he could not help but be shocked and hurriedly advised: "These soldiers were captured by the bandits and failed to die for their loyalty. They are indeed guilty, but they are also defeated in the end.
Besides, they are still determined to return to their country after surrendering to the enemy. Although they should be punished, their situation is quite pitiful. Moreover, since this battle, many of our soldiers have been captured by the bandits, and there are also many loyal soldiers who hope to return to their country. If all the returning soldiers are slaughtered this time, although it is a punishment to kill all the ugly ones, it is difficult for many patriots who are living abroad to know the details. After hearing about this, I am afraid they will not dare to return to their country."
After hearing this, Gao Yang frowned again. The so-called law does not punish the masses, and it has never had any binding force on him, but the situation mentioned by Duan Shao cannot be ignored. Since the battle, tens of thousands of soldiers were captured by the Western Wei. Once he killed the surrendered soldiers, it would undoubtedly cut off their desire to return home, and they would be more dedicated to serving the Western Wei, which was something he absolutely did not want to see.
Therefore, after pondering for a while, he said reluctantly: "Then send these prisoners to Jinyang Jiafang as slaves, and they will not be exempted for life! Now the country's armor and sticks are greatly damaged, and we need to build new weapons to counterattack the Qiang bandits. Leaving these dogs alive is just for this purpose."
This punishment is not much different from direct execution. After all, there is no hope for the rest of your life, but it is considered to have saved your life, and the emperor has rarely compromised. Duan Shao saw that Gao Yang's expression was getting tired, so he stopped fighting and got up and left to go back to the camp to deal with related matters.
After returning to the camp, Duan Shao took the lead in announcing the punishment for those returning soldiers. When the generals and soldiers heard that the punishment was so severe, they felt very uncomfortable for a while. In the final analysis, they were just angry that these returning soldiers had food and drink after being captured, and their treatment was better than theirs. They were happy to see these people suffer some punishment and torture, but they didn't want to see them enslaved to death. After all, there were many of their relatives and friends among these people.
As for the returning people, they complained again and again. The reason why they enjoyed preferential treatment was because of the benevolence of Prime Minister Li of Wei. In this process, Prime Minister Li never made any harsh requirements on them, and their stay was entirely voluntary. However, they didn't want to suffer such cruel punishment and abuse after returning to the country!
For a time, there were many different opinions in the army, and the morale of the people became more and more chaotic. Although all this was the emperor's decision, and it was the result of Duan Shao's intercession, others did not know the inside story. Duan Shao, as the executor, naturally suffered a lot of criticism.
However, Duan Shao had no time to think deeply about this. After initially stabilizing the military situation, he needed to rearrange the defense line based on the current situation of both sides. In recent days, in addition to the basic disposal of the camp, he wandered between the mountains and rivers in the north of Shangdang, choosing a place to build a long wall fortress for defense, to prevent the enemy from advancing further and encroaching on more Northern Qi territory.
While Duan Shao was still busy with this matter, news came from Jinyang.
The good news was that the Wei army had lied before. Although after conquering Pingyang, its Jinzhou division continued to move north to attack Queshu Valley and other passages, under the strong defense of Hedong King Pan Zihuang, Nan'an King Gao Sihao and others, the enemy still failed to break through Queshu Valley to the north, let alone conquer Jinyang.
The bad news was that Baishui King Hou Mochenxiang, who was detained in the army before, was executed because his son had previously discussed the right and wrong of personnel and was suspected of treason when he was guarding the Jinyang Palace. Hou Mochenxiang was so sad that he actually crossed the border to surrender to the enemy.
Although Houmochenxiang had been dismissed from his military post before surrendering to the enemy, as a senior Jinyang noble, his surrender itself was a huge shock. It should be noted that Sima Ziru, who also surrendered to the enemy, had not yet been dealt with, and the Qi army had just been defeated in the decisive battle. If such a thing happened at this time, it would have a huge impact on the people's hearts.
Therefore, after learning about this, even though Gao Yang was still bedridden and not suitable for long-distance travel, he decided to lead a group of troops back to Jinyang immediately. As for the frontline matters here, he could only entrust Duan Shao completely.