My eunuch godfather

Chapter 68 Post-War Summary

It turned out that Zhang Zhiyuan was preparing to lead his troops to attack the dozens of thieves who had first entered Wang Sheren's shop.

Zhang Jixu and Zhang Wenlang led more than two hundred bandits in the distance, which frightened Zhang Zhiyuan so much that he immediately led his troops to flee.

After fleeing eastward for several miles, Zhang Zhiyuan sent his servants to find another group of British troops who were scouting the enemy's situation.

He personally led his troops in a circle to the north, hoping to meet up with Zhang Jingzhen, who was likely to be arriving, to prevent her from running into the thieves.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jingzhen moved too fast and had already led her troops into Wang Sheren's shop.

But speed has its advantages; Zhang Jixu and Zhang Wenlang simply couldn't stop them.

Zhang Jingzhen fought her way from west to east through Wang Sheren's shop, but found no trace of her cousin, nor a large number of corpses.

Ignoring Zhang Kun behind him, he headed north in circles and encountered Zhang Zhiyuan's servants, learning that his cousin had not fought with the bandits.

Hearing continuous gunfire coming from Wang Sheren's shop, they planned to send reinforcements to Zhang Kun from the north.

As a result, Cao Meng, whose troops were sent to this side by Zhang Kun, led more than 30 guards to fight against dozens of bandits and blocked the road.

Seeing that Cao Meng had the upper hand, Zhang Jingzhen ignored Cao Meng and circled north again, from west to east.

They intercepted and killed Zhang Jixu and other bandits who were trying to escape from the west side of the T-junction, and then joined forces with Zhang Kun.

......

Temporary camp.

Zhou Zhong, his face grim, stepped out of the central command tent and launched into a tirade of angry words at Cao Meng:

"You bastard! What kind of leader are you? Making Master Kun personally take up arms and fight the enemy, putting himself in grave danger?!"

Although Cao Meng was Zhang Kun's confidant, Zhou Zhong was Cao Meng's direct superior and also addressed Chen Jizong and Zhang Kun as brothers.

Zhou Zhong was taking Zhang Kun's side when he said these words, joining in the criticism.

Cao Meng felt somewhat aggrieved, as dividing the troops was not his idea, but he still obediently lowered his head and accepted the scolding.

"Old Zhou,"

Zhang Kun, his face somewhat pale, stepped out of the central command tent, waved to Zhou Zhong, then patted Cao Meng on the shoulder and took responsibility, saying:

"This time it was my poor command; go and rest."

Although Zhang Kun's side ultimately won the Battle of Dingzikou, the battle was fought in a truly disastrous manner.

Of the 74 soldiers who participated in the battle, 9 were killed, 7 were seriously wounded, and 21 were slightly wounded.

Moreover, the casualties were mainly on Zhang Kun's side, while Cao Meng's side only had two seriously wounded and no one killed in action.

After reviewing the situation, Zhang Kun believed that he had two main problems:

First, divide the forces.

Knowing full well that there are insufficient troops and a lack of intelligence, dividing up the forces is a very poor strategy.

However, Zhang Kun placed greater emphasis on finding Zhang Zhiyuan, turning a military battle into a political one, which resulted in increased casualties.

On the contrary, Zhang Jingzhen, although she insisted on coming to provide support, used a quick in-and-out tactic to maximize the advantages of the cavalry.

By not lingering too long in terrain like the market where cavalry is at a disadvantage, there were almost no casualties.

Zhang Kun not only chose to divide his troops, but also arranged for Xu Xin to stay behind at the T-junction, which led to Xu Xin being ambushed by the bandits.

Fortunately, Xu Xin was lucky and quick-witted enough to avoid having his carotid artery slashed by the thief. He fell to the ground pretending to be dead, but was seriously injured.

Second, control the situation.

Zhang Kun lacked experience in commanding battles, which led Tang Sheng and his men to charge too aggressively and get caught up in a melee with the bandits.

As a result, the bandits' retreat was cut off, turning them into trapped beasts. Under the leadership of fierce leader Zhang Wenlang, they launched a desperate counterattack.

If Zhang Kun can control the situation, even in the face of such a sudden situation, he can withstand the impact by relying on the formation.

They achieved such a humiliating victory not solely due to advantages in equipment, physical strength, and training, but also due to good luck.

Third, they do not value their lives.

In the heat of the moment, relying on his superior equipment, physical strength, and training, he withstood the siege of bandits and personally killed nearly ten of them.

The body releases adrenaline and dopamine like crazy, which is very stimulating.

Looking back now, it's terrifying. I was just lucky to have been stabbed in the back by a spear.

Zhang Kun, you're supposed to be a man who's going to reform the Ming Dynasty. You've finally achieved some success, and if you die here, it'll all be over!

This kind of task of charging into battle should rightfully be given to subordinates like Cao Meng and Tang Sheng; that's what they're kept around for.

Unless absolutely necessary, how can the commander-in-chief go to the front lines to fight?

Do you think you're Li Shimin?

Even if you were truly blessed with a destiny, why don't you consider that Li Shimin suffered from numerous injuries and didn't live past fifty?

"Commander Zhang! How are your injuries?!"

Zhang Zhiyuan rushed into the tent, interrupting Zhang Kun's reflection and introspection, his face full of gratitude and shame:

These days, there are countless examples of allies remaining steadfastly in the face of trouble.

For example, Xu Bengao refused to send troops to support Zhang Zhiyuan in order to preserve the strength of his standard battalion.

Zhang Kun not only personally went to Wang Sheren's shop to support Zhang Zhiyuan, but was also ambushed by bandits and found himself in danger.

Such a loyal and righteous man, we have to help him marry my cousin!

"The injuries aren't serious, nothing to worry about, just excessive blood loss..."

Zhang Kun forced a smile at Zhang Zhiyuan, inwardly cursing, "If it weren't for your insistence on earning military merit, I wouldn't be in this situation."

Just as Zhang Zhiyuan was about to thank Zhang Kun, Zhou Zhong strode into the tent. "Brother Kun, Governor Li wants to see you!"

......

The government army camp.

Governor Li Changgeng looked at the two severed heads in the box, then looked at the young man in front of him.

The opponent hadn't changed his armor yet; it was covered in blood. His face was pale, clearly indicating serious injuries.

Originally, they only asked the other party to provide support from the outside, but unexpectedly, the other party actually helped a lot and killed the bandit king's two most vicious generals.

This favor must be repaid. Regardless of the other party's efforts, one must also consider the eunuch godfather behind them.

Thinking of this, Li Changgeng said gently to Zhang Kun:

"Officer Zhang, I am unaware of the matters concerning the opening of the Jin Yun shipyard in Shandong. How can I assist you?"

Zhang Kun had a soldier hand over the prepared project proposal and respectfully said to Li Changgeng:

"Your Excellency, this is a memorial I have prepared. Please take a look."

Li Changgeng took the project proposal and flipped through it, finding the content concise, well-organized, and substantial.

There were many brilliant ideas, and the conditions proposed were not unreasonable, such as the revenue sharing with the governor's office.

Her impression of Zhang Kun improved, and she asked with a smile:

"The memorial is well-written, but Zhang, as for Yanzhou, Dongchang, and Dezhou, we'll still have to rely on Minister Chen, won't we?"

Chen Jian was originally a second-rank official, serving as Minister of Revenue and concurrently Right Vice Censor-in-Chief. He was appointed as the Grand Canal Commissioner and concurrently Governor of Fengyang.

Although Yanzhou, Dongchang, and Dezhou are not within each other's jurisdiction, the Grand Canal passes through two prefectures and one state.

It would be absolutely impossible to monopolize the tampons market in the three regions without the other party's assistance.

Moreover, the goal was to establish the Nanjing Jinyun Railway, which served the four prefectures of Fengyang, Huai'an, Yangzhou, and Luzhou in Southern Zhili.

In addition, Xuzhou, Hezhou, and Chuzhou are all within the other party's jurisdiction!

"What the Grand Commandant says is true. I wonder if the Grand Commandant could help me persuade Minister Chen?"

Zhang Kun sensed that Li Changgeng's words had a hidden meaning, so he probed further.

"I have only nodding acquaintances with Minister Chen, but I have a close friend who has a very close relationship with Minister Chen."

Li Changgeng nodded to Zhang Kun and smiled:

"This man is named Zou Yuanbiao. If Assistant Zhang is willing, I can ask Brother Zou to write a letter to Minister Chen."

Zou Yuanbiao, that name sounds familiar... one of the "Three Gentlemen" of the Donglin Party!?

Alarm bells rang in Zhang Kun's mind. Getting involved with the Donglin Party would complicate matters considerably.