A few days later, Deputy General Tian Zhenbei led the Sixth Battalion of the garrison to Beijing and escorted Hong Chengchou, Wu Sangui and thousands of prisoners into the city. At the same time, he brought Liu Yan's good news.
As the army entered the city, Tian Zhenbei specially sent out fast horses to announce the victory of "killing Li Zicheng and wiping out a million-strong army of thieves" along the streets and alleys. For a time, the streets were deserted.
Tian Zhenbei personally delivered the good news outside the Meridian Gate, where it was picked up by Tian Huixu, Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, and sent to the palace. Wu Sangui and Hong Chengchou, as well as thousands of prisoners, were imprisoned in the Ministry of Intelligence's prison. And in various prisons in the capital.
Li Zicheng was beheaded by the formation, and millions of thieves were wiped out in one fell swoop. This news caused the entire city of Beijing to boil. The streets and alleys were filled with crowds of people, cheering and celebrating people everywhere, and thousands of Beijing officials, large and small, swarmed. When they arrived outside the Meridian Gate, they cried and reported to Emperor Chongzhen. There were even some old officials from the capital who cried and passed out directly outside the Meridian Gate.
In the palace, there were Zhao Min, the Minister of Civil Affairs, Yue Ming, the Finance Minister, Tian Huixu, the Minister of National Defense, Xun Jingyun, the Minister of Equipment, Zhang Lei, the Minister of Agriculture, Song Gongming, the Minister of Commerce, Bao Xuezhen, the Minister of Health, and Bao Xuezhen, the Minister of Military Intelligence. Wu Guojin, Minister of Personnel Wang Wenzhen, Minister of Punishment Shang Wenyuan, Minister of Rites Huang Jin, Minister of Works Song Shiwen, Minister of General Staff Chen Xinjia, and the thirteen ministers of the cabinet gathered outside the imperial study. Chen Xinjia held the victory report and officially reported the victory to Emperor Chongzhen .
In the imperial study, Emperor Chongzhen burst into tears, lying on the desk and crying. The bandits who almost destroyed the Ming Dynasty were finally eliminated. Li Zicheng, who was digging the Fengyang Emperor's Mausoleum, was also killed. He finally had something to say. noodle
Now I’m going to meet my ancestors!
Wang Chengen on the side was also crying loudly, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing continuously, saying: "The sky will not fail me! The sky will not fail me!"
After a long time, Emperor Chongzhen finally stopped crying. After gathering his emotions, accompanied by Wang Chengen, he opened the door to the imperial study and walked out with his head held high.
No matter how powerful Liu Yan was and how he suppressed the imperial power, he finally wiped out Li Zicheng and blocked the Manchu army in the north. Emperor Chongzhen still recognized this contribution in his heart, and his resistance to Liu Yan also grew with him. The army of thousands of thieves was reduced to ashes, and much of it dissipated.
At this time, everyone saw Emperor Chongzhen coming out. Under the leadership of Chen Xinjia, everyone shouted in unison: "The Li thieves have been destroyed and the national thieves have been eliminated. I am sure that your majesty will sacrifice to the Ancestral Temple and deal with the prisoners outside the Meridian Gate to comfort our ancestors." Zong, to calm the hearts and minds of the people of the world!"
Emperor Chongzhen suppressed the excitement in his heart and said loudly: "Accurate performance!"
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
The next day, under the auspices of Huang Jin, the Minister of Rites, Emperor Chongzhen offered three animal sacrifices to the Ancestral Temple, reporting to the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty that Li Zicheng's million-strong army, which had wreaked havoc on the world, was wiped out, and the internal troubles of the Ming Dynasty were completely eliminated.
Later in the afternoon, Emperor Chongzhen climbed onto the Meridian Gate Tower. Accompanied by the Thirteen Ministers of the Cabinet, he looked at the thousands of prisoners in the Meridian Square. The two people standing at the front were Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui.
At this time, Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui's faces were ashen. The last time they left Beijing, they were governors and general officers of the Ming Dynasty. But now that they have returned to Beijing, they have become rogue generals and become the Ming Empire. The captives are really impermanent!
Emperor Chongzhen sits high
Looking at the prisoners outside the Meridian Gate, I naturally saw Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui kneeling at the front, with very complicated expressions.
Once upon a time, Emperor Chongzhen regarded Hong Chengchou as the Optimus Prime of the Ming Dynasty and the best candidate to fight against Liu Yan. But now Hong Chengchou became Li Zicheng's military advisor and was taken back to Beijing as a prisoner. The sadness in this made Emperor Chongzhen's eyes reddened.
Then Emperor Chongzhen declared loudly that the Ming Dynasty was the orthodoxy of China, and that everyone was a traitor and would be punished by national law and spurned by the world!
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen really wanted to personally punish these prisoners, especially the two thieves Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui. However, when he came over, Chen Xinjia had already mentioned in words that he hoped to wait until Liu Yan led his army back to Beijing in triumph before punishing these prisoners. captive.
Although Emperor Chongzhen felt a little unhappy, he also knew that these were minor details, so he acquiesced.
So Emperor Chongzhen loudly rebuked the thousands of prisoners outside the Meridian Gate for "ignoring the country's grace and committing themselves to being thieves to poison the world." He ordered the soldiers of the Sixth Battalion of the garrison to maintain order to escort thousands of prisoners including Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui back to wait for the court. of disgrace.
At this time, Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui looked at the Meridian Gate Tower at the same time, and saw Emperor Chongzhen under the bright yellow umbrella, and also saw the Thirteen Ministers of the Cabinet. They had mixed feelings in their hearts, and they were escorted back by the garrison officers like zombies.
Then the news of the great victory in Dingzhou was like a hurricane, sweeping across the territory of the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, especially Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Hubei and other places. The gentry and wealthy families in these places led their private soldiers and servants to attack. Take refuge in the stream
The officials and generals of the thieves also responded one after another, began to gather troops and horses, and besieged the intruders' left-behind troops in various places. In just over a month, all the intruders' troops and horses in various places were wiped out, and the northwest provinces of the Ming Dynasty changed their banners one after another and returned. Under the Ming Dynasty.
When the news came back to Beijing, it was already early June. At this time, Emperor Chongzhen was radiant. With the fall of Li Zicheng and the defeat of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the day of the Ming Dynasty's resurgence was just around the corner!
On this day, Emperor Chongzhen ordered Wang Chengen to go to the Cabinet Office in the palace and summon the thirteen ministers of the cabinet to the imperial study room to discuss matters.
Soon, Chen Xinjia, Tian Huixu and other thirteen people came to the imperial study. Emperor Chongzhen smiled and greeted everyone, and then asked: "I wonder when Duke Lu will lead his army back to Beijing?"
Everyone was stunned. When Liu Yan returned to Beijing, he would definitely report to Emperor Chongzhen first. But now Emperor Chongzhen wants to ask everyone in the cabinet, what does this mean? Is Emperor Chongzhen indicating that he believes there is a secret connection between the cabinet and Liu Yan?
Everyone looked at each other, and then Chen Xinjia raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty, I don't know. The Duke of Lu did not give me any news."
Emperor Chongzhen frowned slightly and said: "At present, there are many obstacles in the implementation of the New Deal in various places. Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi have just been recovered, and the imperial court continues to send soldiers, horses, and officials for management. However, the cabinet has been unable to come up with so many matters. Come on, why is Duke Lu still staying in Xingtang County?"
After saying that, Emperor Chongzhen looked at Wu Guojin. Although Wu Guojin, the Minister of Military Intelligence, was not his confidant, he was the eyes and ears of the court. Wu Guojin was sure of what Liu Yan was doing in Xingtang County.
I know.
When Wu Guojin saw Emperor Chongzhen looking at him, he raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty, I have not received any official documents from Duke Lu, and I have nothing to say. It's just that the battalions of the new army and the garrison were damaged in the battle of Dingzhou. Seriously, I guess that Duke Lu must be resting his troops and replenishing his troops in Xingtang County. These things are very time-consuming and are excusable."
Emperor Chongzhen was noncommittal, and then said: "Since that's the case, I don't care. The current affairs of the government are handled by the cabinet ministers. But we must not let the delay in political affairs lead to the emergence of such a shocking bandit like Li Zicheng!"
"My lord, take the order!"
Then everyone walked out of the Chancery's study room one after another. When returning to the Cabinet Office, Chen Xinjia quickly caught up with Tian Huixu and Xun Jingyun, and whispered: "Mr. Ge is reorganizing the troops in Xingtang County. Is it true that the battalions of the New Army are really The casualties were so huge?”
Tian Huixu and Xun Jingyun looked at each other, and then Tian Huixu asked: "I have lost thousands of more than 100,000 soldiers, which is almost 10% casualty rate. Isn't this considered a huge casualty?"
Chen Xinjia was stunned. If the loss of thousands of soldiers and horses was considered a huge casualty, how would Li Zicheng's army of one million feel, and how would the Qing Dynasty's hundreds of thousands of troops feel?
"That's what I said, but if Mr. Ge doesn't come back for a long time, I'm afraid there will be turmoil in the capital!"
"Um?"
Now Tian Huixu and Xun Jingyun stopped, looked at Chen Xinjia, and said almost in unison: "What does Mr. Chen know?"
Chen Xinjia waved his hands hurriedly and said: "I don't know anything. I'm just worried. It's not that the capital is really
What's going to happen! "
"I asked you two, please stop being so nervous. One of you is the Minister of National Defense and the other is the Minister of Equipment. If you get nervous, the capital will be shaken three times!"
Xun Jingyun didn't say anything, waved his hands and took the first step. Tian Huixu said to Chen Xinjia with sincerity: "If Mr. Ge doesn't come back, there will naturally be reasons for not coming back. What we can do is to ensure that the affairs of the government and the court are in the government's favor." There won't be any trouble before Lao comes back. Even if there is trouble, we must suppress any evil fire, Master Chen, do you understand?"
Chen Xinjia nodded hurriedly when he heard this. Although he was the Minister of Staff, according to the current military-oriented government, he was the first of the thirteen ministers, but it was just a convention.
Most of the Thirteen Ministers were Liu Yan's confidants, who followed Liu Yan step by step from Lingshan Guard. Chen Xinjia knew that he could not offend these people under any circumstances.
"Don't worry, Mr. Xun, I know what to do!"
After Chen Xinjia left the palace and returned to his residence in the city, he stayed alone in the house, thinking about the current situation.
"All the northwest provinces have been recovered, but they recovered on their own. Isn't this the result that Duke Lu wants? Duke Lu still wants to fight back inch by inch?"
Chen Xinjia suddenly shuddered, and suddenly remembered what Liu Yan once said: "Only the peace that is won is the most rare, and only the territory that is fought back is the most stable!"
"Yes, most of the officials and military generals in the northwest provinces are self-proclaimed. When the imperial flag is planted on the city wall, they are open to the outside world.
Declaring himself to be an official of the imperial court, with the character of the Duke of Lu, he would naturally not accept such a situation! "
Therefore, Chen Xingjia determined that Liu Yan had stayed in Xingtang County for a long time and must be planning some big move. Once this move was implemented, it would definitely stir up the entire Ming Dynasty. He didn't know what it would be like by then. Everything is turned upside down!
Just like another sentence Liu Yan once said before: A single spark can start a prairie fire!
Chen Xinjia secretly thought: "Maybe Lu Guozheng wants to light such a prairie fire and temper the entire Ming Dynasty!"
