Zhu Chunchen saw that Kong Yinzhi had relented, so he was not polite!
He smiled and said: "The matter of Duke Yan Sheng's funding of bandits has been spread among the army. Even if Marquis Ning Yuan wants to suppress this matter, I'm afraid it will take a large amount of money to keep it secret."
"There are a total of six thousand Liaodong soldiers following Ningyuan Marquis south this time. Isn't it an exaggeration to pay a hundred taels of sealing silver for each person?"
As soon as Zhu Chunchen said this, everyone present in the Kong family looked quite embarrassed, and Li Xianzhong asked for 600,000 taels of silver.
But then I thought about how the bandits had asked for 1 million taels before. Although the money was painful, the Kong family in Qufu could still get it with their hundreds of years of accumulation.
Although Kong Yinzhi had only served as Duke Yansheng for two years, he had also had many dealings with bandits and government troops.
Before he sent 100,000 taels, Li Xianzhong was not even willing to make an offer. He had made such a big move, and he couldn't just send him away with just 600,000 taels.
Kong Yinzhi said: "Since we are sealing the door for the Kong family, the money will naturally come from my Kong family. I wonder when Marquis Ningyuan will send troops south?"
Zhu Chunchen said: "As long as the sealing silver is in place, no one will mention this matter again. As for Kong Yantao, he himself is no longer willing to return to Qufu. Marquis Ningyuan will arrange him in a safe place and will never let him go." If he comes out and talks nonsense again, Duke Yan Sheng can rest assured."
"Concerning the issue of exterminating bandits, does Marquis Ningyuan still need Duke Yan's help?"
"The reason why a large number of people will follow the White Lotus Sect to rebel is because their lives are unsustainable."
"It is said that it is easy to get rid of thieves in the mountains, but it is difficult to get rid of thieves in the heart. If we don't find a way to resettle them, I'm afraid it will be difficult to completely eradicate these bandits!"
"Marquis Ningyuan needs the Kong family to provide 200,000 acres of fertile land in Yanzhou. With these fields, the rogue bandits will collapse without a fight!"
Kong Yinzhi knew that Li Xianzhong would never let go of the Kong family easily, but 200,000 acres was too much for his appetite.
He hasn't replied yet. Kong Shangyu on the side said: "It is the court's business to appease the people. 200,000 acres of land costs almost 3.5 million taels of silver. How can my Kong family afford it?"
Kong Yinzhi also said: "Although my Kong family is willing to share the worries of the court, the amount of 200,000 acres of land is huge, and we cannot afford it!"
Zhu Chunchen said with a smile: "3.5 million taels, this is the purchase price of land in normal years. In the past two years, there has been a severe drought in Shandong, and 200,000 acres of land can be exchanged for just over 300,000 taels of grain."
"Everyone knows who has the most food in Yanzhou and who takes the opportunity to annex the most land at a low price. Everything has a cause and effect. If the land was not annexed too much, how could it have caused today's disaster?"
"You know how much food the Kong family funded and provided to the bandits. These things are not enough to keep the Kong family safe for two months, right?"
"Once Marquis Ningyuan sends troops, you will no longer have to pay money and food to the White Lotus Sect. Only in this way can you truly protect the Kong family."
Kong Yinzhi said: "This matter is of great importance. Kong still needs to discuss it with the elders of his clan before he can reply to Duke Cheng. Please take a rest for the time being!"
Zhu Chuncheng said: "It's rare for me to come to Qufu, so naturally I want to pay my respects to the 'San Kong Holy Land'!"
Under the current situation, Zhu Chunchen was not worried at all that the Kong family would not obey.
Kong Yinzhi's move was nothing more than apportioning who would pay for the 200,000 acres.
Sure enough, only two hours later, Kong Yinzhi handed the relevant field deeds to Zhu Chunchen.
Yanzhou is located in the hinterland of the Central Plains. The fertile land here is naturally valuable, but it is a pity that he did not become the Duke of the country.
This time, Zhu Chunchen still took a lot of risks when he stepped forward to attack the Kong family for Li Xianzhong.
The Kong family of Yanshenggong was very important among scholars in the world, but Li Xianzhong promised to give 300,000 taels of silver, of which Zhu Chunchen got 200,000 taels and Zhang Weixian also got 100,000 taels.
Zhu Chunchen's Shenji Camp suffered a huge defeat, this time it was a blessing in disguise!
After taking care of the Kong family, the next step is naturally how to eliminate the remnants of the White Lotus Sect.
At present, the territory controlled by the bandits is still relatively large. Except for the northern area of the entire Yanzhou Prefecture, with Dongping Prefecture as the core, which was recovered by Li Xianzhong, only Yanzhou, Jining, and Qufu have not been lost, and almost all the other vast areas have fallen.
Li Xianzhong decided to start from the periphery first, slowly shrinking the territory of the rogue bandits, and finally annihilate them in one fell swoop.
After Xu Hongru learned that Kong Yinzhi refused to continue to provide him with money and food, he decided to "conquer personally."
However, facing Mao Wenlong's 3,000 Liaodong cavalry, Xu Hongru's 100,000 army could not do anything to them.
After several battles, five to six thousand of his White Lotus followers were killed, while the Ming army suffered almost no casualties.
That is to say, Li Xianzhong ordered the Liaodong cavalry not to take the initiative to pursue the bandits, otherwise his 100,000 people would have become like birds and beasts and dispersed!
When Xu Hongru saw that this was not possible, he urgently ordered the Bailian sect stationed in various places to move closer to Qufu.
His followers are not strong enough to fight, so they can only rely on numbers to embolden them.
His move can be said to have played into Li Xianzhong's wishes.
Taking advantage of the absence of the main force of the White Lotus Sect, the British Duke Zhang Weixian led the remaining 25,000 Beijing troops to set off from Puyang in a series of victories.
In less than ten days, they recaptured Yuncheng, Juye, Caozhou, Dingtao, Jinxiang, Chengwu, Shanxian and other places along the way, directly liberating the vast area in southwestern Shandong.
Zhang Weixian couldn't believe this record. How vulnerable were these bandits? It actually made the normally timid Jingying gain confidence.
Liu Zhaoji, the commander-in-chief of Shandong Province, set out from Linyi and recaptured Feixian County and Tancheng.
After three days and nights of fierce fighting, they conquered Teng County, which was heavily defended by bandits, and annihilated 20,000 bandits.
When Xu Hongru saw that the army had surrounded him from all directions, he had no choice but to give up the siege of Yanzhou City and led the main force back to his home base of Zouxian County.
Previously, Li Xianzhong attracted the main force of the rogue bandits to the Qufu area, so he did not let Mao Wenlong pursue them.
The rogue bandits were in a major retreat at this moment, and the Ming army would naturally not miss this golden opportunity.
Facing the pitiful rogue cavalry, they rushed forward and slashed and killed them.
How could a group of bandits on horseback be a match for a heavily armed cavalry?
The Ming army didn't even need to turn their horses for a second charge. They defeated more than a thousand celebrity bandits who blocked them in just one confrontation.
Then he slashed and killed the fleeing bandits.
I saw the Ming army constantly waving their swords, and these bandits were killed in an instant.
There was a huge difference in combat power between the two sides. In addition, the Ming army had easily defeated these bandits in the previous confrontations.
The Ming army inevitably became scornful.
Soon they pursued them to Bijia Mountain south of Qufu.
On the hillside, the right prime minister Chen Canyu said: "To inform the emperor, the Ming army has entered our ambush."
Xu Hongru said: "The officers and soldiers were arrogant and slaughtered countless of my followers. This time they will never come back."
Following Chen Canyu's order, the White Lotus cultists who were ambushing on the mountains on both sides immediately pulled out the wooden bars blocking the boulders.
Soon huge rocks rolled down from the mountain, sealing the narrow mountain path.
Mao Wenlong knew that he had encountered an ambush by bandits and had just ordered his army to turn around. The mountain road behind him was also blocked by falling boulders.
Although all the Liaodong cavalry were wearing armor and the bandits' bows and arrows could not do anything to them, the stones and logs rolling down from the mountains still caused some casualties to them.
Many soldiers were hit by these things rolling down. They were instantly knocked down by the huge impact and pain. Their bodies were like a ripe fruit, limp and limp on the ground. Blood seeped out from the wounds, knocking them down. clothes stained red.
Although they were all veterans who had experienced hundreds of battles, they still felt a little panicked and helpless when they saw their comrades dying tragically beside them.
On the battlefield, time seemed to have stopped, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood. The soldiers' shouts, gasps, and painful groans intertwined with the neighing of the horses to form a tragic movement.
At this time, the Liaodong cavalry dismounted one after another and looked for cover to avoid the rocks and rolling logs falling from the mountain.
The war horses that lived with them day and night suffered greater losses. The war horses themselves were relatively large, and now they were in a frightened state. The losses to the war horses were several times higher than the human losses.
At this time, Mao Wenlong also regretted extremely. He had indeed underestimated the enemy and entered rashly.
Two thousand of the three thousand people were besieged in the valley. Although there were still a thousand cavalry who did not enter the ambush circle, there was nothing they could do in the face of the huge rocks blocking the valley.
Although the rocks and logs falling from the mountain caused huge casualties to the Liaodong Cavalry, these were not what Mao Wenlong was most worried about.
Sure enough, after these bandits threw away all the prepared stones and rolling wood, they started to light fires down the mountain.
Fireballs were pushed down from the mountain one by one by the bandits.
Fortunately, this group of bandits were not very professional, and many of the fireballs fell apart completely before rolling down a few times.
Moreover, they did not pile dry firewood, kerosene and other burning materials in the valley in advance.
Although they ignited some trees on the mountain, the fire did not spread quickly into the canyons below.
Soon the news that the Liaodong Cavalry was besieged by bandits in Bijia Mountain reached Li Xianzhong.
So the Pinglu Guards were quickly dispatched.
He had previously complained about the low efficiency of the Pinglu Guards in killing people, but now he thought it was a good thing that he carried a 6-pound field Franco machine gun this time, otherwise he would have had to watch the enemy attack the Liaodong Iron Cavalry in this situation.
Fortunately, Bijia Mountain was not far away. With the sound of cannons, the boulders blocking the valley entrance were finally blown open.
The Ming army in the valley quickly burst out.
Afterwards, the Ming army's artillery aimed directly at the White Lotus cultists on the mountain. After a while, the bandits on the mountain were beaten and fled.
Mao Wenlong directly knelt on the ground to plead guilty and said: "I was reckless and accidentally fell into the ambush of bandits. I lost more than 300 brothers and half of the horses. Please punish me by Marquis Ningyuan."
Li Xianzhong was also frightened at this time. Fortunately, the ambush prepared by the White Lotus Cult members was hasty, otherwise the Liaodong Iron Cavalry would have been trapped here.
Mao Wenlong made such a serious mistake and it was impossible not to punish him. Otherwise, how could he explain to these dead brothers?
So he said: "Mao Wenlong, the deputy general of Liaoyang, advanced with light troops and caused heavy losses. He was demoted to the rank of general of Liaoyang and was fined half a year's salary and given 40 military sticks. I hope you will take this as a warning and make meritorious service in the future!"
Mao Wenlong said: "Thank you Lord Marquis for showing mercy outside the law. In the end, I will definitely pay for my crimes and make meritorious deeds!"
This attack also served as a severe wake-up call for the entire army.
Every opponent must be respected. Underestimating the enemy is always a taboo for military strategists.
If you think about it from their perspective, if you were to lead the attack this time, you would most likely fall into the same ambush.
After all, he only sent 6,000 men. In fact, he had already underestimated the enemy from the time he sent out troops.
This group of White Lotus cultists are not ordinary peasant rebels, but a group of cultists.
That is to say, there are no conditions for a suicide attack at this time, otherwise your losses will be even greater.
Although Xu Hongru claimed that his unborn mother came down to earth to help him inflict heavy losses on the army at Beacon Mountain.
But he had to face the situation of being heavily surrounded by the Ming army.
Because the counties controlled by the White Lotus Sect have been captured by the Ming army.
Many believers were also wiped out or dispersed by the Ming army.
Currently, there are only 150,000 to 60,000 members of the White Lotus cult remaining in Zouxian County.
That's half of its peak.
But officers and soldiers from all walks of life have already surrounded him.
Xu Hongru is also a brainless idiot. He just wants to rebel and become a king.
If you just claim the title of king and there is a possibility of being recruited, how can the court tolerate you if you insist on proclaiming the title of emperor?
At this time, British Duke Zhang Weixian, Shandong Commander-in-Chief Liu Zhaoji and Shandong Governor Zhao Yan also led their troops to Wuxian County.
Including the local warriors from various places who assisted in the war, the Ming army currently has 60,000 troops.
Liu Zhaoji, the commander-in-chief of Shandong Province, said: "Thanks to Marquis Ningyuan attracting the main force of the rogue bandits to Qufu, our army was able to easily capture their strongholds on the periphery and surround the main force of the rogue bandits in Zouxian County."
"Now that our army has strong soldiers and horses, we can break the city in one fell swoop and completely wipe out the bandits!"
Li Xianzhong said with a smile: "The bandits are already frightened now. Why do we need to do it ourselves if we want to eliminate them?"
Although Xu Hongru, a magician, continued to brag about the boundless magic power of the "Wu Sheng Old Mother", the White Lotus followers under his divine power were still blown up completely by the Ming army's artillery.
Li Xianzhong also ordered people to hold some iron loudspeakers and shout: "Anyone who voluntarily surrenders to the army, as long as he is not the core backbone of the White Lotus Sect, will be spared death and given a lighter sentence."
"Whoever can capture Xu Hongru and offer it to the army will be pardoned for the crime of treason, granted the hereditary royal guard position of thousands of households, and will be given flying fish uniforms and a reward of ten thousand taels of silver!"
At this time, the Kong family in Qufu had already cut off their food supply, and the food reserves in Zouxian County were getting less and less!
It was obvious that the White Lotus Sect was no match for the official army.
They followed and rebelled, but their whole family was killed, so more and more Bailian followers fled to the Ming army and surrendered.
In just a few days, more than 20,000 people surrendered to the army.
At this time, the people within the rebel army can be said to be disorganized.
The leaders of the White Lotus Sect Shen Zhi, Xia Zhongjin and Hou Wu found the resourceful right prime minister Chen Canyu.
Hou Wu said: "Prime Minister Chen, now our men are constantly running to the army to surrender every day. If we continue like this, it won't take more than a few days. Before the army attacks the city, all the brothers will be gone?"
Xia Zhongjin also asked: "Is it true that His Majesty said that the main force of the Ming army was wiped out in Bijia Mountain?"
Chen Canyu looked at these people, smiled slightly, and said: "The ambush at Bijia Mountain is certainly true, and it did surround the main force of the Ming army in the valley. However, they used artillery to blast away the huge rocks blocking the road, and they did not completely annihilate the Ming army. .”
Xia Zhongjin said: "That means the main cavalry of the Ming army is still there. What can we do to resist it?"
Chen Canyu sighed: "Judging from the current situation, we have been surrounded by the Ming army in Zouxian County, and we cannot break out at all."
"If His Majesty had not proclaimed himself emperor, we would still have a chance to be recruited by the army. But now that His Majesty has proclaimed himself emperor, the army will not let go of us, the backbone of the White Lotus Sect."
Xia Zhongjin, who had been silent at this time, said: "Actually, the army has left a way for us. Not only can we be innocent, but we can also be promoted and receive silver rewards!"
After Xia Zhongjin finished speaking, several people's eyes immediately lit up.
Chen Canyu said: "I will ask His Majesty to inspect Beicheng tomorrow. You guys should be prepared and capture the Xu Hongru brothers. At least our lives will be saved."
At this time, it was definitely a dead Taoist friend but not a poor Taoist, and soon several people recognized Chen Canyu's plan.
The next morning, Chen Canyu and others escorted Zhongxing Fulie Emperor Xu Hongru, Yinglie King Xu Heyu and some key members of Xu Hongru's men to the Ming army camp to ask for surrender.
After all, there were more than 100,000 bandits at this time. Although they surrendered, it was still a troublesome matter.
Li Xianzhong killed more than 3,000 of Xu Hongru's men to frighten these bandits.
On the other hand, he awarded 10,000 taels of silver to Chen Canyu and four others in public, and said that the imperial court would soon grant them corresponding official positions.
In this way, Chen Canyu and others' betrayal of Xu Hongru soon became known to everyone. Even if there were remnants of Xu Hongru who wanted to take revenge, it would be wrong and debtor.
This massive White Lotus Sect uprising that lasted for more than two months was put down in this way!
However, something unexpected happened while escorting Xu Hongru to Beijing.
Wang Xifan and other remnants of the White Lotus Sect actually came to rob the camp at night and successfully kidnapped Xu Hongru's younger brother, the heroic king Xu Heyu.
At this time, Xu Hongru had been escorted to the capital. Wang Xifan had been conferred the title of King of Hejian by Xu Hongru before. He also had heroic deeds of robbing the savior. White Lotus followers scattered everywhere came to seek refuge.
Soon Wang Xifan, as the Ninth Rank Lotus and the King of Hejian, gathered thousands of White Lotus followers in the Yanzhou area to fight guerrilla warfare against the government troops.
When Li Xianzhong saw that Wang Xifan's nail had been buried, he led his army back north.
Although this trip to Yanzhou lost hundreds of elite Liaodong cavalry, it still gained 200,000 acres of fertile land from the Kong family, as well as more than 400,000 taels of silver and more than 800,000 shi of grain, which was considered a worthwhile trip.
In addition, the nearly 200,000 people captured from various places are also a considerable amount of wealth. If these people are transferred to Liaodong, then there will also be border residents of Hetuala and Kuandian Six Forts who were originally established as states.
On the eighth day of September in the second year of Tianqi, Xu Hongru, the Fulie Emperor of Zhongxing, was sentenced to Lingchi in the capital. For a time, the streets were packed with people, and people rushed to watch the execution.
After all, this kind of death by a thousand cuts is rare, and many people will never see it once in their lifetime!
Originally, the executioner was going to chop the man with more than 3,000 knives, maybe because his skills were relatively unfamiliar. However, Xu Hongru couldn't help being frightened, and he died of fright after only receiving more than 100 knives.
In the end, the executioner continued to complete the rest of the process, cutting him a total of 3,600 knives.
Maybe it was because Wei Zhongxian had taken over 200,000 acres of land from Li Xianzhong before and failed to accomplish anything, which made him feel a little embarrassed and wanted to compensate him.
This time, Wei Zhongxian and his wife, the Hakkas, requested Li Xianzhong to be crowned Duke of the Liao Kingdom in recognition of Li Xianzhong's meritorious service in quelling the invaders. His Majesty actually approved it.
On the same day, Li Xianzhong was canonized as Doctor Guanglu, Zhuguo, former general who conquered the captives, economic envoy to Liaodong, governor-general of North Korea, crown prince and Taibao, governor-general of the left of the Central Military Governor's Office, and Duke of Liao.
However, it is quite intriguing that Emperor Tianqi chose to confer Li Xianzhong as Duke of Liao on the same day as Ling Chi and Xu Hongru!
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(End of chapter)
