RPAGF Chapter 757 The New Embroidered Uniform Army
Chapter 757 The New Embroidered Uniform Army
Chapter 757 The New Embroidered Uniform Army
Imperial College.
Wang Qiang stood on the podium, looked around at the students in the classroom, and solemnly said: "Dear students, although a plague has broken out in the capital, His Majesty is worried about your studies and has specially ordered me to come here to supervise your studies."
"Pooh!"
"You servant of the mad dog Wang Wenzhou's family, who do you think you are!"
"Wang Qiang, you little brat, don't try to bully others by relying on your master's power!"
The students in the classroom immediately started swearing.
These students were all sons of high-ranking officials, both civil and military. Wang Qiang, carrying the imperial edict, used the pretext of caring about their studies to arrest them all and bring them to the Imperial Academy.
These privileged kids have always been bullies. Although they were once bullied badly by Wang Wenzhou, and their families had told them to run away in circles when they saw the mad dog Wang Wenzhou, they still despised Wang Qiang.
"Hmph!" Wang Qiang snorted coldly and said irritably, "I am very angry that the students are so disrespectful to their teacher. Someone, slap them!"
"Bang!" A man slammed his hand on the table and said sternly, "I am Zheng Daozhi, and my ancestor was Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Personnel. Who dares to cause trouble!"
Wang Qiang waved his hand and said sternly, "Slap him!"
"Yes!" The guards rushed forward.
"Damn it! The servants of the mad dog Wang Wenzhou dare to bully us! Brothers, let's go!" Yang Shanxin, the youngest son of Yang Sichang, the Minister of War, said angrily.
"Fight them!"
"Back when Mad Dog Wang Wenzhou led his troops to attack the city, I fought on the city walls without even blinking. Why would I be afraid of Mad Dog's servants?"
"Brothers, let's attack together!"
The young and impetuous sons of the powerful officials never considered the consequences of their actions. In an instant, they swarmed forward and began fighting with the guards.
Wang Qiang frowned immediately, unsure of what to do. Although he had come by imperial decree, he didn't want to cause any deaths, especially since these people were the sons and nephews of important officials. Although Zhu Youjian wanted to suppress the Donglin Party, not all of them were children of Donglin Party members. If there were any deaths or injuries, he would have a hard time explaining himself.
At this moment, Hou Fangyu cupped his hands to Wang Qiang and said, "Lord Wang, please order someone to stop. I know them well; let me try to persuade them."
Wang Qiang thought for a moment and then shouted, "Stop!"
Hou Fangyu stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to the young men, and said, "Gentlemen, what kind of behavior is this, so unruly and cruel?"
After leaving Hanshan, Hou Fangyu returned to the capital. He distinguished himself in the defense of the city and was rewarded with a nominal post by Zhu Youjian. Because he had stayed in Hanshan and was considered a big shot in the capital's official circles, Zhu Youjian appointed Hou Fangyu as Wang Qiang's deputy.
Upon seeing that it was Hou Fangyu, the young men all stopped.
Yang Shanxin said irritably, "It's true that one should look at a person with new eyes after three days of separation. I never expected that you, Brother Hou, would actually collude with the servants of the mad dog Wang Wenzhou."
"Sigh..." Zheng Daozhi sighed dramatically, then said sarcastically, "Time will tell! Brother Hou, you've really disappointed me! My grandfather and father always used you as an example when educating me! I never imagined you were this kind of person!"
"Pfft..." Hou Fangyu was furious. These young masters were not only good at causing trouble, but also very quick-witted.
"Gentlemen! Please calm down!" Hou Fangyu cupped his hands and said, "Please let me say a few words first!"
"Hmph! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth!"
"Hou Fangyu, you are utterly shameless! You actually acted as a dog for the mad dog's servants! If Uncle Hou knew, he would be heartbroken!"
Hou Fangyu thought for a moment, walked over to Wang Qiang, whispered a few words to him, then waved his hand and said sternly, "Come in, all of you!"
"Clap clap clap..." In a short while, a group of people, fully armed and dressed in Jinyiwei uniforms, marched in in neat rows, stepping to a unified rhythm, looking dignified and imposing.
"Huh?" The young masters were dumbfounded, because they recognized many of the people in the group; they were all students who used to frequent brothels and drink with courtesans.
These people were actually tricked by Wang Wenzhou into going to Hanshan to join the Youth Army, and then left Hanshan under the leadership of Hou Fangyu and Mao Xiang.
Hou Fangyu nodded to Mao Xiang and said, "Fellow soldiers, remove your armor!"
Mao Xiang took the lead, removing their armor and clothes, instantly revealing all the scars on their bodies.
Hou Fangyu looked at the group of young men and said coldly, "Brothers, you must know most of the people in front of you. A year ago, we were just like you, living a life of debauchery and wasting our time! But now, the scars on our bodies are enough to prove something!"
"Hmm..." The young masters were quite shocked. After all, most of these people were their childhood friends, and now their friends had such different temperaments.
Hou Fangyu spoke with great passion: "When the youth are wise, the nation is wise; when the youth are wealthy, the nation is wealthy; when the youth are strong, the nation is strong; when the youth are independent, the nation is independent; when the youth are free, the nation is free; when the youth progress, the nation progresses. The rising sun shines brightly; the river bursts forth from its hidden source, flowing into a vast ocean; the hidden dragon soars from the abyss, its scales and claws flashing; the young tiger roars in the valley, causing all beasts to tremble; the eagle tests its wings, stirring up dust and wind; the rare flower begins to bloom, resplendent and magnificent; the sword is sharpened, its edge gleaming..."
As Hou Fangyu spoke, he observed the expressions of the young masters. At first, the young masters looked at him with disdain and contempt, but gradually their eyes became bright with admiration.
Hou Fangyu sighed inwardly, unable to help but admire Wang Wenzhou's talent. This passage was copied by Wang Wenzhou from "A Discourse on Young China," which Wang Wenzhou had used to mislead the Youth Army. Hou Fangyu memorized it; the article was brilliantly written and truly exceptional.
"Brother Hou is truly talented; I admire him greatly!"
"As expected of Brother Hou!"
As soon as Hou Fangyu finished speaking, the young masters began to cheer. Although these young masters were mischievous, they had received a good education from a young age. Even if they couldn't write eloquent articles themselves, they could still tell whether other people's articles were good or not.
Hou Fangyu said sternly, "Now the Ming Dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles, and it is the time for good men to serve their country! When the traitors led their troops to attack the capital, most of you here fought as bravely as I did to defend the capital! I would like to ask you brothers, do you still want to continue to live a life of idleness and waiting for death?"
Fame, fortune, and a bright future—none of you here lack that! But do you want to live your whole lives in your parents' shadow?
Hou Fangyu's words truly resonated with the young masters. These young masters lacked nothing, yet they lived rather dull lives, and were unhappy unless they caused trouble.
"No!" the young masters roared angrily.
Wang Qiang frowned as he looked at Hou Fangyu. He increasingly felt that Hou Fangyu was just like his young master, Wang Wenzhou. In Wang Qiang's mind, only Wang Wenzhou could pull off such a deceptive act.
Hou Fangyu smiled slightly and said with great passion, "The flames of war illuminate the western capital, and my heart is filled with indignation. I leave the imperial palace with my military seal, and my iron cavalry encircles the dragon city. The snow obscures the painted banners, and the wind mingles with the sound of drums. I would rather be a centurion than a scholar. Gentlemen, would you like to join the Embroidered Uniform Army and, for the sake of our Great Ming, recover Liaodong?"
"We are willing!" the young masters shouted in unison.
Wang Qiang shook his head with a wry smile. Where did this new Jinyi Army come from? Hou Fangyu has quite the ambition! If the Emperor knew about this, he would only go with the flow and establish the new Jinyi Army.