Chapter 345: Traitors' Thoughts
As soon as Zhao Xiaofei returned to the Datong government office, he said to his eldest brother, "What kind of drama is this kid putting on with us? He just injured his leg a little bit, and he's pretending to vomit blood. He owes him an Oscar for Best Actress!"
"Does Wu Sangui have any idea what his brain is for? He doesn't even use his brain. Can't he do anything else except changing his attitude according to the situation?" Zhao Xiaokun said.
Zhao Xiaokun was also impressed by his brother-in-law. Couldn't he see the situation clearly? Well! If he could see clearly, he wouldn't have rebelled. He wouldn't have failed to attack when he should have. Otherwise, his dynasty might have been established long ago.
"It seems we still have to be on guard against him! Brother, I think it's better to just kill him to save ourselves the trouble!" said Zhao Xiaofei.
"Let me think about it again. We can't rush this matter. I'm afraid the Guanning Iron Cavalry will mutiny." Zhao Xiaokun said.
"Then let him die on the way to capture the city! Besides, we still have Wu Sanfeng and Wu Sanfu! As long as someone from the Wu family supports us, it will be fine. At worst, we can let Wu Sanfeng and Wu Sanfu take charge of the Guanning Iron Cavalry!" said Zhao Xiaofei.
"Sure!" Zhao Xiaokun felt that Wu Sangui was no longer his brother-in-law. He and his brother couldn't take any risks.
Wu Sanmei saw Wu Xiang and asked, "Father, how is our second brother?"
"Hey, just pretend you don't have this second brother!" Wu Xiang said with a long sigh. His son didn't take them seriously at all, and his heart was already cold.
"What happened to second brother?" asked Wu Sanmei.
"He is still trying to play tricks on the prince and the admiral. He is not far from death." Wu Xiang left after saying this, leaving Wu Sanmei standing there in a daze.
Wu Sanmei thought about it and immediately went to find her second brother Wu Sangui.
"Second brother! I beg you, please don't lead the troops anymore. Just find a place to be a rich man. Sister Yuanyuan is still waiting for you in Nanjing!" Wu Sanmei pleaded.
"Third sister! A real man should be awake to hold power in the world and drunkenly sleep on the lap of a beauty. How can I be a rich man? Even if I want to be one, once someone knows my identity, I will have no soldiers and no power, and a prefect can easily kill me." Wu Sangui said.
Wu Sanmei was surprised after hearing this. How could her second brother be like this? He had no family or lover in his eyes, only his own power.
When Wu Sanmei thought of this, she shed tears and wanted to leave.
Wu Sangui took his sister's hand and said, "Third sister, please help my second brother. He needs you to speak a few good words to the admiral. You are his legal wife, so he must like you very much. Even if my second brother begs you!"
"Let go!" Wu Sanmei glared at the second brother. Now she didn't know the second brother at all, and she didn't want to see him again. She understood that the second brother was seeking death on his own, and no one could stop him.
When Wu Sanmei returned to her room, Zhao Xiaokun was reading the intelligence from the front. He raised his head and asked, "Madam, what's wrong? Who made you so sad?" Then he walked over to her and took out a handkerchief to wipe Wu Sanmei's tears.
"If my second brother makes a mistake one day, can we give him a chance?" asked Wu Sanmei.
"Okay! I will only give him one chance because you are my wife. But only this time, never a second time!" said Zhao Xiaokun.
"Thank you, husband!" said Wu Sanmei. She thought she had done her best as a younger sister.
The next day, Wu Sangui limped into Zhao Xiaofei's study.
Zhao Xiaofei didn't look up to pay attention to him, but looked at the information in front first. He also wanted to show off and be cool for a while.
After reading a letter, he looked up and asked, "Oh, Pingxibo. You're getting better so quickly!"
"People who practice martial arts will naturally recover quickly with strong bodies! Thank you for your concern, Your Highness!" said Wu Sangui.
"I asked you to come, do you know why?" Zhao Xiaofei asked.
"I, the guilty minister, don't know!" said Wu Sangui.
"Since you don't know, I'll tell you clearly. You said you are a criminal, so you are guilty, right?" Zhao Xiaofei asked.
"Yes! I am guilty!" said Wu Sangui.
"Then I'll give you a chance to atone for your sins. Are you willing to take it?" Zhao Xiaofei asked.
"I, a guilty minister, am willing to atone for my sins with my merits. I am willing!" Wu Sangui quickly agreed.
"Okay! I like you as a straightforward person! I appoint you as the deputy general of the Western Expedition and give you 10 days to reorganize your troops. You will serve as the vanguard of the Western Expedition. Are you willing?" Zhao Xiaofei said.
"I'm willing! But please, Your Highness, provide them with military pay and food. They haven't had enough to eat for a long time, so please show them some mercy!" Wu Sangui said.
"You don't have to worry about these. We have a special quartermaster and you, as a general, don't have to worry about it. The only thing you need to worry about is training the soldiers well and leading them well. You don't have any authority over anything else!" said Zhao Xiaofei.
Wu Sangui was stunned. What did he mean by "no financial allocation authority"? How could he lead the army? How could he recruit people? He was still thinking of getting the equipment of the Kenan Army and then starting a new one! It seemed that not only was his weaponry formidable, but he also understood the intricacies of leading troops.
"What's wrong, General Wu? If you have any opinions, just tell me right away!" Zhao Xiaofei said with a smile.
"No! I, a guilty minister, admire Your Highness very much!" Wu Sangui said against his will.
"Okay! Since there is no problem, then you can go down and discuss with General Zhou how to reorganize the Guanning Iron Cavalry!" Zhao Xiaofei began to drive people away.
Wu Sangui clasped his fists in a salute, then left the room. Zhao Xiaofei watched him leave, cursing, "You still want to fight me? I've seen all your tricks before, and you still want to play these tricks on me? We've already blocked the road, and we'll slowly add some sand to your Guanning Iron Cavalry, and you won't be able to cause any trouble. Serve us like a dog, or we'll kill you in a matter of seconds."
General Zhou and Wu Sangui reorganized the Guanning Army as quickly as possible, eliminating those who were unqualified, leaving about 60,000 combat-ready soldiers.
General Zhou disrupted the organization of these veterans and appointed his own elite soldiers from the Conquering Difficulties Army as the chief and deputy commanders. It can be said that this tactic was very effective, and even if Wu Sangui had great ability, he would not be able to make any waves.
There were also instructors responsible for ideological education, all of them old students who had failed the imperial examinations. Their primary focus was persuasion and education, complemented by Zhao Xiaofei's art troupe. They performed daily operas, carefully selected by Zhao Xiaofei. Such operas included "The Biography of Yue Fei" and "The Legend of Min Ran." These operas subtly brainwashed the soldiers.
Of course, it is impossible to make all the soldiers follow his Zhao family army, but it is enough for these uneducated Guanning soldiers.
The reorganization under Datong City lasted for a full month, and time was short. They couldn't give Li Zicheng too much time, as they still had to go south to deal with the traitorous troops.
Geng Jingzhong and Kong Youde had already received the news, and they were now wondering where to escape to. In any case, they could not fight the Kenan Army head-on, otherwise they would die miserably.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
