The Dushikou Great Wall is an important pass in Xuanfu Town since the Ming Dynasty. It is at the junction of the northern Hebei mountains and the Bashang grassland. The Gushui River flows into Sai Pass. Because it is the pass from the grassland to the mountains, it is also a key fortification site in the Xuanfu Defense Area. .
It is known as "the throat of the upper valley and the right arm of the capital". It is named after a solitary rock rising from the ground at the pass.
At this moment, the sounds of cannons, drums and shouts of death were heard from the pass. Looking down from a high place, on the hills that are lower in the north and higher in the south, there are the Jurchen and Han military flags, Horqin Mongolia and Jurchen elite soldiers. Scholars are pouring towards Guancheng.
"Rumble..."
Small Franco cannons pulled by mules and horses swayed upward from under the pass from time to time. Smoke and dust filled the air, and the iron sand and gravel falling on the city wall caused widespread damage.
At the same time, firecrackers and crossbow arrows poured down like rain from the Great Wall Pass. Relying on the geographical advantage, Li Guohan and Tong Tulai of the Eight Banners of the Han Army who charged suffered numerous casualties.
With the sound of drums as thick as raindrops, some erected ladders were pushed down by Han troops wearing red mandarin duck jackets. With the screams of the sergeants, everything was in a mess.
In front of the pass city entrance, densely packed Han troops wearing Jurchen cloth armor were still attacking and defending Dushikou.
Wang Ziteng stood at the crenellation at the head of the city and looked at the Jurchen-Han army below, with a solemn look on his face.
Originally there were 9,000 soldiers and horses at Dushikou, but they were scattered among the 11 surrounding forts such as Junzibao, Zhenanbao, Zhenningbao, etc. The number of troops was indeed not too many. When Wang Ziteng led the troops to reinforce, the number of troops would be sufficient. Some.
But even so, facing the Jurchen who was about to enter the fortress, Wang Ziteng still felt a little guilty.
First of all, the Han army flag of the Manchu Qing Dynasty belongs to the Hundred Battles Division. I don’t know how many big and tough battles it has fought with Huang Taiji.
Secondly, the Peiping Dusi soldiers and horses brought by Wang Ziteng and his subordinates belonged to the local second-line troops. As for the Xuanfu town troops, they were not a strong army in the first place.
Wang Ziteng's soldiers and horses were more or less trained in the Beijing camp that Jia Heng had reorganized. However, due to the intensity of the training, the soldiers were very resentful, so Wang Ziteng quickly gave up.
Once bitten by a snake, he was afraid of well ropes for ten years.
"General, all the Tatars below have the faces of us Han people." A general hid on the side of the wall and said.
"These people who have forgotten their ancestors are the scum who have turned traitor and served the enemy!" Wang Ziteng said angrily.
At this moment, a soldier came up from the foot of the mountain and called out urgently: "General Wang, there are people from Xuanfu. They are anxious to see General Wang and tell me something important."
Wang Ziteng's face paused slightly, and he felt a little surprised. He cursed secretly and said, "General Wang Shen, just wait here. I'll be back soon."
With that said, he climbed down the stone stairs and hurried towards the official office in Guancheng.
Said to be an official office, it is actually just five rooms made of clay mixed with blue bricks and covered with large pieces of thatch and moso bamboo. It has a courtyard with two entrances in front and back, and a military camp is just a stone's throw away.
Wang Ziteng, accompanied by his generals, entered the official office. The visitor who was sitting in the hall stood up and faced the visitor.
It was none other than Jia Yun.
After Qu Guang became the commander of the Henan Dusi, Jia Yun did not follow him to Henan. Instead, he returned to the Beijing camp and continued to serve as an officer.
In order to train these young Jia generals, Jia Heng found a general for each of them. For example, Jia Fang gave Xie Zaiyi, and Jia Yun gave Qu Guang, but they only followed as trainees for a period of time, and then they still had to become independent generals.
Then Jia Fang and Jia Chang participated in the Jiangnan Water War. Jia Fang was promoted to a guerrilla general, and then the young general of the Jia family established a firm foothold in the Beijing camp.
As the Northern Expedition army moves towards the outside of the Great Wall, the Jia family will have become active in this war against the captives.
Jia Yun stood up, with a respectful look on her face, clasped her fists and said, "But in front of Mr. Wang's uncle?"
When Wang Ziteng heard Jia Yun's words, he couldn't help being slightly shocked, and whispered: "Who are you?"
Jia Yun said: "I am Jia Yun from the corridor of Rongguo Mansion. I have met my uncle."
Hearing this, Wang Ziteng felt suddenly. He looked at the person who came with a kind of kindness in his eyes and said, "Jia Yun, why are you in Xuanfu Town? Why are you here again?"
Jia Yun said: "My uncle, I don't know. The general sent General Xie to Xuan Mansion to support me. I also went out with the army. My uncle, this is a letter from General Xie to you."
As he spoke, he took an envelope from his arms and handed it over.
The prince calmed down and reached out to take the envelope. He saw that not only was Xie Zaiyi's name and personal seal written on it, but he took out the paper and read it attentively.
The text on the paper was not short. It roughly described some changes in Xuanfu Town, and then said that if Dushikou on the other side of Wang Ziteng needed military support, reinforcements would be sent immediately.
Obviously there is no confidence in Dushikou's ability to withstand the Qing army's attack.
Wang Ziteng asked: "Where is the general?"
When the word "General" was mentioned, Wang Ziteng felt a little strange in his heart, but there was no trace of it on his face.
Sometimes I think about Jia Heng’s current achievements and honors. Everything started from the original Jingying Incident. If it hadn’t been for the Jingying Incident, he might still be the commander of the Jingying Festival. The original Central Plains Rebellion, Jiangnan Bandits The disaster...
But these thoughts only flashed through the deepest part of my heart. As Jia Heng captured Duduo alive, these thoughts gradually faded away.
If it’s not for anything else, it’s just this kind of achievement... Ask yourself, I do have shortcomings.
Jia Yun said: "The general has arrived in Datong. He killed Taiyuan's commander-in-chief Wang Chengyin and deputy commander-in-chief Shang Zhonggang at the Taiyuan military town. After Datong, he will take over the military power of Datong. He should be in Datong now."
Wang Ziteng heard Jia Yun describe Jia Heng's past in a respectful tone, and his heart was filled with turmoil.
When they arrived in Taiyuan, they killed the commander-in-chief Wang Chengyin and the deputy commander-in-chief Shang Zhonggang, and seized their military power. They killed decisively and vigorously.
"When the general arrived in Datong, he removed Jiang Zining from his military post and stayed in front of the army to serve him. He sent General Xie to the Xuanfu and killed Jiang Yu, the general of the Xuanfu who tried to surrender to the enemy."
Wang Ziteng was shocked and speechless at this moment.
The commander-in-chief of the three military towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Taiyuan wanted two to die and one to die. How courageous is this? Isn't he afraid of a mutiny by the border troops?
There was also such indiscriminate torture and killing. If the war did not go well, civil servants in the DPRK and China would inevitably impeach him and write a memorial.
In fact, when Jia Heng went to Taiyuan, Datong, and Xuanfu, he just responded to the situation and chopped down his own people.
In fact, once the news reaches the capital, it will definitely cause an uproar. The officials of the Han Dynasty will probably be numb by this wave of manipulation.
However, after careful study, we all agree that in order to fight against foreign aggression, we must first settle the domestic situation. The laziness of the soldiers in the three towns is a problem left over from history, and some of them are generals who mistakenly led the army.
Only by clearing the hidden dangers of mine explosions in border towns can we deploy troops calmly. Otherwise, the lone army will penetrate deep beyond the fortress and the rear will be unstable.
Wang Ziteng's expression changed, and he didn't know what he felt in his heart.
If it were him, he would definitely not dare to be so good at killing and killing, and the young man would have no scruples.
Jia Yun didn't know the complexity in Wang Ziteng's heart, and said: "Uncle, here at Dushikou, we need to communicate military information with the Xuanfu at all times to provide support. General Xie said that although Hebei and other places are well prepared, we can't avoid being attacked by the Jurchens." The surprise attack is critical, and the Jurchens are given a head-on blow, so they must be wary."
This is true. After the Jurchens were hit head-on, they realized that the Han army's combat power was not low. Even if they entered the fortress, they were wary and did not dare to go deep or linger for too long.
Wang Ziteng said: "There are now 10,000 to 20,000 officers and soldiers in Dushikou, but they can only stand in a stalemate with the enemy and cannot counterattack. There are still many forts along the entire east road. Once the enemy invades elsewhere, Xuanhua still needs to lead troops to support them."
Just when war clouds were gathering over the entire Xuanfu area, and the war was about to break out——
Shenjing, Daming Palace, Hanyuan Palace
It has been more than half a month since Jia Heng led the army to Datong. Officials and people throughout Shenjing City are also paying attention to the war that affects people's hearts.
A court meeting was being held in the palace. The chief officials of the Cabinet, the Military Aircraft Department, the Fifth Army Governor's Office, the Sixth Ministry, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate were all present in the palace.
Emperor Chongping was discussing matters with several cabinet ministers and members of the Military Aircraft Department. This was an imperial meeting. After a few days, two days ago, the memorial from Shanxi Governor Gu Binghe and the memorial from Jia Heng were almost the same. It is the front and back legs that have arrived at Shenjing.
It immediately caused an uproar in the capital, and some impeachment memorials were submitted by the Kedao Yanguan, but Emperor Chongping ignored them all.
Emperor Chongping looked calm, glanced at the cabinet ministers below, looked at Han Huang, and called: "Han Qing."
Han Huang cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I am here."
Emperor Chongping said loudly: "The Ministry of Revenue has recently been trying to raise food and grass for the frontline army, and priority must be given to ensuring the supply of military supplies for the frontline. Since this year, there has been no snow, and droughts are serious in various provinces, such as Hebei, Shandong, and Guanzhong. Replanting is needed Sweet potatoes relieve the worry of hunger."
Han Huang said: "The weather in the south of the Yangtze River is good this year, so we should be able to transport three million dan of grain."
Since he became the chief minister, Han Huang's overall mentality has also undergone some subtle changes. The so-called "not in his position and not seeking political affairs" should be looked at the entire northern and southern provinces of the Han Dynasty. If he does not bleed money from Jiangnan, the financial resources of the Han Dynasty will not be sustainable. .
Of course, if there is any reform, Han Huang will definitely oppose it.
Emperor Chongping nodded, temporarily satisfied, and said: "The Ministry of Rites is preparing for the Spring Trial. How are the preparations going?"
Han Huang said: "Back to the Holy Spirit, we have already discussed registration matters with the provincial academic administration and the various provinces."
"There is a war in the north. If the war situation is urgent, the Spring Festival can be postponed to May or June."
When Han Huang heard this, he raised his hands.
At this moment, Cen Weishan, the Minister of Punishment, raised his ivory and jade wat, with a respectful look on his face, and said: "Your Majesty, Yongning Marquis went to Taiyuan and killed the general of a town without verification. I beg your Majesty to issue an edict to reprimand him and curb his arrogance. gas."
As soon as these words came out, all the ministers in the palace were shocked, and most of them looked sideways.
As for the Kedao Yushi class train, there are also many officials who are eager to try it.
Emperor Chongping frowned and said in a deep voice: "If I remember this correctly, Marquis Yongning has the right to kill first and report later. Cen Qing, do you have any objections to this matter?"
In the past few days, imperial officials and historians have been mentioning this matter, but Wang Chengyin misled his army and his country, and he should be killed!
Cen Weishan cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, although Marquis Yongning has the trust of your Majesty and is entrusted with the power to kill, but he kills a general without going through the state's criminal seal, this trend must not rise."
Emperor Chongping looked slightly cold and said: "In order to fight against the outside world, we must first make peace at home. Since Wang Chengyin came to Taiyuan Town, he has been greedy for military pay, arrogant and domineering, and only half of the soldiers in the town are worth it. What will he do when the Jurchens come? And Wang Chengyin is even more so. He used state funds to support his private army and kept them as child servants in an attempt to support his own self-respect. Such a rebellious general was beheaded by the Marquis of Yongning for favoritism. Does Cen Qing want to excuse him?"
The troops in Taiyuan Town should have been reorganized a long time ago. Because they were not as ready as Xuanda and Da Towns to face the enemy directly, they were often slack and negligent, not only wasting the country's money and food, but also using the country's money to support private troops. Their intentions are to be punished.
When Cen Weishan heard that Emperor Chongping was gradually speaking harshly and almost scolding him, he felt a cold sweat running down his back.
At this time, Shi Jie, the Minister of War, raised his hands and said: "Master Cen, you can follow the classics or authority. A single mistake in military affairs can lead to overthrow and catastrophe. The Marquis of Yongning dealt with it with thunder. I think there is nothing wrong with it." .”
Cen Weishan wanted to say something else, but Zhao Moqing, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, coughed and came out of the class holding an ivory jade wat in hand and said: "Since the Holy Lord has entrusted Marquis Yongning with full military power to conquer the generals, it is the right thing to make a decision when the opportunity arises, and to depose the generals as punishment. "
Seeing this, Cen Weishan's expression changed and he backed away.
Emperor Chongping glanced at Zhao Mo indifferently and said nothing else. Instead, he looked in the direction of the military aircraft and asked, "Shi Qing, where is Marquis Yongning now?"
Shi Jie cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, a secret report just came from the front line this morning. Marquis Yongning has arrived in Datong to organize military affairs. Because of embezzlement of military pay, Jiang Zining was dismissed from his post as chief military officer of Datong and stayed in front of the army to serve."
Cen Weishan: "..."
Is this another town commander?
At this time, Liu Jixian, the governor of Jinyi Mansion, cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, Jin Yi Fei Ge sent a letter to report that because of his collusion with the Jurchens, Jiang Quan, the commander-in-chief of Xuan Mansion, has secretly sent Jin Yi and Guo Yong Camp of the Beijing Camp to conquer the captives. Correct military law."
Cen Weishan's face was gloomy and he was speechless.
Impromptu decision or Weifu's own use?
At this moment, the palace was completely silent, and everyone was shocked and speechless.
The generals of the three towns of Taiyuan, Xuanfu, and Datong were either dead or dismissed. The Yongning Marquis really used the eight words "make decisions at the moment, kill first and then report" to the fullest. However, he was not afraid of shaking the morale of the soldiers in the border towns, which made all the border generals free themselves. Danger?
They didn’t understand and didn’t dare to ask.
Prince Yan Ye of Nan'an County, who was in the military train, could not hold himself back. With a solemn expression on his majestic face, he came out of the squad and said: "Your Majesty, I have never heard of anyone who kills his own general before fighting with the enemy. Like this When the morale of the army is shaken, who can effectively fight to the death? Your Majesty, these actions of leading troops are actually painful for your relatives and quick for your enemies. The humble ministers think that they have hidden the worry of a big defeat. I ask your Majesty for your clear warning."
As soon as these words came out, the words from a martial artist undoubtedly gave confidence to the officials present.
Among the six subjects and the imperial censor's class, some of them came out to present memorials.
Suddenly, there were calls for impeachment.
Emperor Chongping looked indifferent, looked at Yan Ye calmly, and then asked: "What did the Jinyi Mansion say about Jiang Yu's rebellion?"
Liu Jixian looked respectful, raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty, according to the report from the Jinyi Mansion, through investigating the clues of the Kang family's smuggling to Liaodong, it was found that Jiang Quan had correspondence with the Jurchen princes and ministers due to smuggling in his early years. The report from the Jinyi Mansion said Jiang Quan intends to present the city to Yue Tuo. The detailed military report is still on the way and has not yet been sent, but the Jurchen army has arrived from Yehuling to the Xuanfu."
Emperor Chongping said coldly: "Since it is rebellion, the crime cannot be punished. The land of Xuanfu is the first of the Nine Passes and is far away from Mongolia and Jurchens. The generals and high-ranking Jurchens only want to surrender in case of emergency." Rebellious, this is probably the case with Jiang Quan. Since they have second thoughts towards the imperial court, if things get urgent, the town will be in danger of losing everything."
Prince Nan'an's face was frosty and his heart was cold.
Who knows if that kid was guilty of trying to seize Jiang Yu's military power.
This kid is really ruthless. Two of the generals in the three towns died and one was crippled. He was so messy. Is he really not afraid that the border army generals would die and surrender to the enemy?
At this moment, when the ministers in the palace listened to Liu Jixian of Jinyi Mansion explain the whole story, their frowning brows slightly opened.
In this way, Wang Chengyin was short-changed, greedy for military pay, and deceived the court to find his own way to death. And Jiang Yu, the general soldier of the Xuanfu, was executed because of collusion with the Jurchens?
What about Datong?
Almost all the soldiers in the three towns were captured in one fell swoop.
Emperor Chongping looked at the ministers in the palace who were looking at each other, thinking that the three towns of Jiubian should have been adjusted long ago, and now that Ziyu has dealt with them with thunderous means, he has gained the essence of seeking justice for the military and the country.
Otherwise, the war will break out and the three sides will be unstable, which will affect Ziyu's use of troops at any time.
Then, while Emperor Chongping was speaking, he looked down at Liu Ke and the censor in charge, and said: "The border troops in the three towns of Taiyuan, Datong, and Xuanfu have been slacking off for a while, and now they are rectifying the border affairs to prepare for the bandits. This is how it started. You sir, don’t have any doubts.”
In a word, Jia Heng's treatment of the three towns of Taiyuan, Xuanfu, and Datong was all justified and well-founded.
Prince Yan Ye of Nan'an County looked a little darker, cupped his hands, and slowly returned to the train.
The emperor's respect for the boy was not formed overnight, and it certainly did not waver this time or twice. Just wait, being so good at killing generals has already hid the hidden dangers of trouble.
When the battle is defeated, these are the ways to die.
In fact, what the Prince of Nan'an County thought was not unreasonable. He launched such a large battle, but ended up losing the battle. The backlash at that time was overwhelming.
Afterwards, after the court meeting was over and the ministers dispersed, Emperor Chongping left several important officials from the cabinet and military aircraft department alone to continue discussing the military situation.
Emperor Chongping said: "The Jurchen army has arrived at Xuanfu. I think a war will break out soon. I have Ziyu in charge of Xuanda and Dazhou, so I have no worries. Is there any latest military information in Beiping and Jizhen? Where is Li Ge? "
Shi Jie said: "Back to Your Majesty, Mr. Li Ge should have arrived at Baoding Mansion by now. There is currently no urgent military information from Peiping."
"Jinyi Mansion?" Emperor Chongping asked.
Liu Jixian cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the flying pigeons of Jinyi Mansion deliver messages once every two days. There are still no signs of Jurchen invasion."
Emperor Chongping pondered for a moment, looked at Yao Yu and Xu Lu, the censor of Zuodu, and said: "Yao Qing, Xu Qing, at the beginning of the new year, the two yamen of the Ministry and Yuan will inspect the officials in Beijing and Nanjing, examine their character and ability, and select good ones. When patrolling the local area, the official of the Department of Science and Technology cannot just sit back and talk without knowing anything about local affairs."
In the political system of the Han Dynasty, censors were promoted faster than local officials.
Emperor Chongping's words were actually to free up vacancies in the science and education for the upcoming Spring Festival selection of Jinshi. Of course, the fundamental purpose was to change the atmosphere of the science and education.
When Yao Yu and Xu Lu heard this, they quickly raised their hands and said yes.
Xu Lu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, there are a lot of official vacancies in Nanjing. We can fill them this year. Because we were delayed by military affairs, the governor of Liangjiang did not reach the court."
As soon as these words came out, the hearts of Han Huang, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Zhao Mo, the minister of punishment, moved slightly.
In fact, during the period after the chief minister of the cabinet was finalized, the entire Han Dynasty was worried about side affairs, and the candidate for the governor of Liangjiang was still undecided.
Emperor Chongping thought for a while and said in a deep voice: "Recently, the cabinet department has been in charge of the court selection, selecting the ministers of the world, and choosing loyal and upright people to serve."
Gao Zhongping has been the governor of Sichuan for a long time, and he should be transferred to Liangjiang to suppress the scholars in Jiangnan, so as to prepare for joining the cabinet in the future.
In fact, before Jia Heng, Emperor Chongping also had a favored minister with outstanding talents who was both civil and military. He was based in Sichuan and served as the governor of Sichuan. However, the land in Guanzhong was gradually becoming barren, and Sichuan was known as the land of abundance. He was guarded by his trusted ministers. It can be said to be the basic plan of Emperor Chongping.
(End of chapter)
