Chongzhen's expedition to Denglai and Denglai was extremely high-profile.
Not only did it become known to everyone, but it was also highly praised by all the ministers before the war.
The 120,000-strong army that went on the expedition was also a battle-hardened elite force, and generals such as Hong Chengchou, He Renlong, and Zuo Liangyu were also battle-hardened veterans.
Various equipment, ammunition and food and wages are also extremely sufficient.
Almost everyone did not expect that the Ming army would be defeated, let alone a big defeat.
Although out of the 120,000 troops that went on this expedition, only 50,000 were lost.
However, the 30,000 Yulin Battalion commanded by Hong Chengchou and He Renlong were the core of the entire army and also Chongzhen's confidence.
Now that the commander-in-chief Hong Chengchou died in battle, the general He Renlong was beheaded, and the entire army of 30,000 Yulin battalion elites was wiped out, making Emperor Chongzhen instantly lose his confidence.
As the saying goes, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
Emperor Chongzhen was not yet 20 years old at this time, but he had worked very hard in the three years since he took the throne. He often stayed up late to correct memorials, and he had already developed some minor health problems.
In addition, after hearing the news of defeat, I was so angry that I fainted.
Fortunately, after being diagnosed and treated by the imperial physician, His Majesty is fine!
The first thing Chongzhen did after waking up was to ask about the latest battle situation in Shandong.
Feng Quan, Minister of War, said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, the Yulin Camp commanded by Governor Hong is the elite of our Ming Dynasty. Even if those pirates annihilate the Yulin Camp, their own casualties will not be small, and they may not be able to continue their invasion in the short term." The hinterland of Shandong.”
"According to the report from Supervisory Army Yuan Chonghuan, the main force of our army on the northern front has safely withdrawn to Qingzhou. There are still the main forces of Zuo Liangyu, Chen Yongfu, and Liu Zhaoji in Qingzhou, as well as the remnants of Yang Wenyue's nearly 70,000 troops."
Chongzhen felt a little calmer after hearing that the bandits had not continued to advance for the time being.
Then he asked: "The army cannot be without a commander for a day. Is there any arrangement for the selection of the Qingzhou commander?"
Feng Quan said: "Originally, according to the official position, Governor Yang Wenyue of Baoding should temporarily take over the command of Marshal Hong. However, Governor Yang was defeated in Gaomi and it may be difficult to convince the public."
"Although Zuo Liangyu, the deputy commander of the Yulin Battalion, has been confronting the bandits in Shandong for a long time and is familiar with the situation, he is a military general after all and cannot assume the important role of commander. Therefore, the Ministry of War asked the supervisor Yuan Chonghuan to temporarily take charge of the various ministries."
"Zhang Fengyi, the left minister of the Ministry of War, used to be the governor of military affairs in Xuanda, Baoding and other places. He is also proficient in the art of war. The Ministry of War wants to let Zhang Fengyi go out of Shandong to fully command the Denglai war. Please make your decision!"
Feng Quan, the Minister of the Ministry of War, was somewhat "professionally mismatched". His previous record in suppressing bandits in Jiangnan was very poor. He was defeated by bandits in Chongming and almost lost his life in suppressing bandits in Taihu Lake.
He became Minister of the Ministry of War only by dedicating a "Four Right, Six Corners and Ten Sided Net" strategy for suppressing bandits and gaining the relationship with his chief minister, Zhou Yanru.
Originally, this position should have belonged to Zhang Fengyi, the left minister of the Ministry of War.
Of course, the relationship between the two is on the same level. Zhang Fengyi especially dislikes Feng Quan, who relies on flattery to get to the top through the backdoor!
However, although Feng Quan was not good at leading troops in war, he was good at conducting political struggles.
Although he is only in his thirties this year, he has already entered the cabinet twice, and he is very familiar with the methods of punishing people.
Don’t you, Zhang Fengyi, think you are skilled in your business?
Then I will simply recommend you to go to the Shandong front line and give you a chance to make meritorious deeds.
Facing Feng Quan's proposal, Chongzhen was also hesitant.
Nowadays, those around Chongzhen are all cabinet bachelors, and Zhang Fengyi himself is not qualified to participate.
Zhang Fengyi, the left minister of the Ministry of War, was Wen Tiren's main target to win over Feng Quan and Zhou Yanru. Naturally, he couldn't stand to see Feng Quan stumbling upon him.
So he said: "Although Minister Zhang knows a lot about military affairs, he lacks experience in actually leading troops. Now that the situation in Qingzhou is critical, Wei Chen suggests that it is safer to choose the commander from among the governors of Jiubian!"
"Wei Chen proposed that Governor Liang Tingdong of Xuanda be the commander-in-chief of Shandong this time!"
Chongzhen was dissatisfied with both Zhang Fengyi and Liang Tingdong, but he couldn't find a suitable candidate for a while.
They had no choice but to ask the Ministry of War to send the 10,000 Yulin Battalion from the capital to Qingzhou and mobilize troops from surrounding provinces.
But soon he received a secret message from Yuan Chonghuan.
Yuan Chonghuan still emphasized his "five-year plan to level the Liao Dynasty".
As he had previously analyzed, the imperial court was likely to be at a disadvantage when facing Li Xianzhong's Liaodong elite in the first year.
Hong Chengchou was a little eager for success and wanted to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop, so he adopted an adventurous strategy of going deep alone.
We should still insist on fighting a protracted war, using space in exchange for time, and finally relying on the Ming Dynasty's powerful manpower and material resources to completely exhaust Liaodong.
Yuan Chonghuan believed that in addition to the line of defense in Qingzhou, the imperial court should take the initiative to station troops in Jinan and establish a second line of defense while Li Xianzhong did not directly annex Shandong.
In this way, even if something happens to Qingzhou, Jinan can serve as a barrier to the capital!
In addition, due to the annihilation of Hong Chengchou, He Renlong and 30,000 elite troops, the morale of the soldiers on the front line is very low.
He suggested that the imperial court pay more tributes to the deceased Hong Chengchou and He Renlong, which could also stabilize the morale of the army.
We must not hold the two of them responsible for the defeat, otherwise the soldiers on the Qingzhou front line will be completely chilled!
He believed that Zuo Liangyu's 20,000-feather battalion was quite elite. He himself confronted the pirates for many days and saved Qingzhou, which was actually meritorious.
It is recommended that the imperial court praise his efforts in conquering Wei County and withdrawing from Qingzhou to stabilize the war situation.
Zuo Liangyu is a warrior who can serve as a general but not as a commander. It is suggested that the imperial court appoint another high-ranking official to personally take charge of Jinan and lead the overall situation. Zuo Liangyu can be relied on to hold on to Qingzhou.
At present, the Shandong Ming Army can only temporarily shift from a strategic offensive to a strategic defensive posture!
Chongzhen was also moved by Yuan Chonghuan's unswerving determination to fight against the bandits. He had a plan and a plan, and he knew the situation among the bandits and bandits very well!
It’s a great responsibility!
So Emperor Chongzhen appointed Yuan Chonghuan as the governor of Shandong, Henan, and Zhili provinces, with the title of Shangshu of the Ministry of War, and was given a sword by Shang Fang! Governor Denglai War.
Emperor Chongzhen's appointment greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.
But this is not a good job. The governor of the three provinces seems to have unlimited glory, but in fact he may die at any time.
Naturally, the ministers were not interested in this kind of death mission.
Except for the censors, almost no one objected.
Zhang Fengyi, who escaped the disaster, even praised His Majesty for his wisdom!
On September 15, the third year of Chongzhen, Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian personally wrote a memorial for Hong Chengchou, the governor of the five provinces of the Central Plains of the Ming Dynasty and the prince Taibao, the Minister of War:
Alas! The calamity is a red sheep, and the disaster is deep, and the border is stable, and it depends on the important ministers! God is not kind to me, my thighs and thighs are broken. I am so weak in virtue that I suffer from this pain.
Since I succeeded to the throne, thieves and bandits have appeared everywhere. Crossing the border and wreaking havoc on the Central Plains, I ordered you to governor the three sides, sweep across Qin and Jin, and stabilize the northwest!
Later, the bandits fled to the Central Plains and were suppressed for a long time. They finally broke through the central capital and destroyed our imperial mausoleum.
Qing stepped forward again and served as governor of the five provinces, working day and night to pursue and annihilate them, working tirelessly!
Finally annihilated the enemy in Chuzhou, captured Gao Yingxiang, defeated 300,000 thieves, restored stability to the world, and clarified the Ming Dynasty!
Now all the bandits are destroyed, but Denglai still survives!
Your Majesty led the army to the east again to share my worries!
However, there are many thieves and sharp firearms. Qing did not live or die, he took risks and captured the sea, defeated Jimo, Laiyang, and captured Dengzhou.
I was surprised and happy when I heard it!
Shocked, Nai Qing went deep into the army alone, narrowly escaping death!
I'm glad that you can take care of the country's worries and have no fear of life or death!
If you can regain Denglai, you will be the number one hero of the Ming Dynasty!
I was very concerned when I heard that Qing was surrounded.
The lone army hangs far away, and it is difficult for loyal eyes to see the help of a single soldier; fighting bloody battles, fighting with all one's heart for the eternal life!
Trapped in a tight siege, Ran Qing still supervises the soldiers to fight to the death, shouting to kill the enemy; his weak horse is hit by an arrow, and then fights on foot; his hands are cut by several prisoners, and the sleeves of his robe are stained with blood; he is wounded twice, but he jumps up again; when he is about to kill himself, a group of bandits They came and were killed!
At this time, the war drums are all destroyed, the stars and the moon have no light, the sky is dim, the wind in the wilderness is sad, light and suddenly zero, the wind is not stopping, the sky is loyal to the sky, the heaven and the earth are sad and weeping for it!
Qing was choked with anger and shed tears. He couldn't speak, but he fell to the ground and died, his eyes still wide open.
Is this how a gentleman becomes benevolent?
Oh, what a pain!
Although you are dead, you will never die!
In addition, Chongzhen also set up an altar to worship Hong Chengchou outside Zhengyang Gate.
In the past, the highest standard of altars was nine altars, but Hong Chengchou was entitled to as many as twelve altars, which shows the great courtesy he received.
Countless officials and people in the capital were moved to tears!
The people asked the court to send another large army to conquer Denglai and avenge Governor Hong!
After Yuan Chonghuan took office, he quickly received 10,000 Yulin battalions from the capital and 40,000 reinforcements from Henan, Huguang and Nanzhili. At this time, the Ming army in Qingzhou and Jinan reached 120,000!
Yuan Chonghuan recited the memorial written by His Majesty in public, which made the soldiers cry.
Soon their morale was restored.
Yuan Chonghuan also made adjustments in terms of personnel. Yang Wenyue, the governor of Baoding whose official position was close to his, was driven back to Baoding by Yuan Chonghuan due to his previous defeat.
Cao Wenzhao, who had previously been demoted to civilian status and never employed due to the fall of Fengyang, was reactivated at Yuan Chonghuan's insistence.
Cao Wenzhao was also grateful to Yuan Chonghuan and vowed to regain Denglai for the Ming Dynasty.
However, despite the loud slogans, Yuan Chonghuan did not take the initiative to attack. Instead, he reinforced the city and overhauled fortifications in Qingzhou and Jinan.
After Li Xianzhong saw Chongzhen's memorial inscription, he quickly asked someone to send it to Hong Chengchou.
However, Hong Chengchou was already in North Korea at this time. According to the itinerary arranged for him by Li Xianzhong, Hong Chengchou would go to North Korea, Ryukyu, Taiwan, Monan, and Nurgan City for inspection for a period of time, and would return to Liaodong in almost half a year.
He will then decide how to deal with Hong Chengchou.
But for the time being, like Tian Ergen, he is a gangster who has lost his identity.
At critical moments, Li Xianzhong could also use Hong Chengchou to disgust Chongzhen.
Yuan Chonghuan is just a scholar, and his "Five Years of Ping Liao" is pure deception!
With the income of the Ming Dynasty, he still wanted to consume Liaodong to death. It seems that his brain was frozen in Nuergandusi.
But he still decided to disgust Chongzhen!
Soon the warships of the Eastern Ryukyu Company appeared in the waters off Tianjin. They bombarded Tianjin Port and directly blocked the port.
The pirates claimed that this was retaliation for the Ming Dynasty's attack on Denglai. If the Ming Dynasty did not withdraw its troops from Qingzhou, they would bombard every port of the Ming Dynasty, and even sail into the Yangtze River to block the Ming Dynasty's Yangtze River waterway and the canal south of the Yangtze River.
At this time, the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was in chaos. They were very afraid that these pirates would land in Tianjin and invade the capital.
If the bandit navy really blocks the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the canal, then the entire capital will collapse.
In just one day, the price of food in the capital rose by 50%, from 6 qian per stone to 9 qian!
Only then did Chongzhen realize that the Ming Dynasty's economy was so unbearable that the bandit warships could be attacked with just a few cannons in Tianjin, which made the capital panic!
Chongzhen was not an emperor who was completely ignorant of the sufferings of the people.
On the contrary, his life has not been very good since he was a child. His father has not been favored since he was a child, so his life is naturally difficult.
That is to say, after his imperial brother Zhu Youxiao ascended the throne, he had more money.
But he was often bullied by Wei Zhongxian's minions.
He himself often wears casual clothes to go to the market. He is very clear about the prices of various daily necessities. He understands the consequences of soaring food prices on the people.
However, as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he would never compromise with the bandits (and Li Xianzhong behind him).
He quickly ordered Zhu Chunchen and Zhang Weixian to lead 30,000 Beijing troops to station Tianjin Guards to prevent rogue bandits from landing.
Li Xianzhong had long expected that Chongzhen would not compromise, otherwise he would not be Zhu Youjian.
But since it was to disgust him, Li Xianzhong naturally had his own method.
Soon the capital received a report from Liaodong, saying that the copper ship they were transporting from the sea to Tianjin was sunk by pirates, and the sea route was cut off. They were temporarily unable to transport copper to the imperial court!
After hearing this, Chongzhen was furious and cursed: "Li Xianzhong, a traitor and traitor, now wants to default on the copper ingots he gives to the court every year?"
Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Household Affairs, said: "They have no intention of defaulting on their debt. According to the news from the mine supervisor in Liaodong, Liaodong is preparing to open a land route to the capital. They hope that the imperial court will allow them to transport copper mines to the capital by land."
At this time Zhou Yanru said: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible!"
"What should we do if the Liaodong Army sends troops directly to the capital in the future under the pretext of transporting copper?"
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian clenched his fists, and the veins on his forehead popped out.
Said: "What a man, Li Xianzhong, you actually played the trick of guarding and stealing. I didn't know that you were an accomplice with those pirates. The pirates bombarded Tianjin. I think it was Li Xianzhong who was bombarding Tianjin and threatening me!"
He then asked Luo Yangxing, the commander of the Jinyi Guards: "How many relatives does Li Xianzhong have in the capital?"
Luo Yangxing said: "The Duke of Liao's wife Ha Qiya, and his two legitimate sons Li Shengzu and Li Shizu are all in the Duke of Liao's mansion in the capital. There are more than 60 other relatives of the Li family, among whom the most distinguished ones are Li Xianzhong's second son. Uncle Li Rubai!"
The angry Chongzhen said: "According to my decree, all the wives and children of Liao Duke Li Xianzhong and Li Rubai will be sent to the prison of Jin Yiwei!"
Chongzhen's style of operation frightened many ministers present.
Zhou Yanru, the chief assistant, said quickly: "Your Majesty, please calm down. If Li Xianzhong's wife and children are directly imprisoned, the imperial court will have no name. Instead, it will give him an excuse to rebel against the imperial court."
Chongzhen scolded angrily: "He colluded with Hai to capture Denglai and intimidated the court. How can he be nameless?"
"Do I have to wait for Li Xianzhong to kill him at the gates of Beijing before I can convict him of rebellion?"
Zhou Yanru said: "Of course what your Majesty said is the truth, but the court has no evidence; this is just the inside story revealed by Yuan Chonghuan, how can the world be convinced?"
"When Li Xianzhong denies it and takes the opportunity to rebel, the world will really be in chaos!"
"Your Majesty must not be impulsive!"
As a member of the Intelligence Department, Feng Quan seemed to be fine at this time.
Even Duke Tian Ergeng and Liao Guo, who was imprisoned in the Jinyiwei death row, could be exchanged. How could his wife and children stranded in the capital still be the same person?
Even if you beat Feng Quan to death, he still wouldn't believe that Li Xianzhong could leave his wife and children as hostages to Emperor Chongzhen!
Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Household Affairs, also hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please calm down. It is not a big deal to take the copper mines overland. As long as we find a place outside Shanhaiguan to receive the copper ingots sent from Liaodong, they will have no reason to go south to the capital!" "
Chongzhen, who had calmed down a little, thought for a moment and realized that it was indeed inappropriate to go to jail directly. He could not fall out with Li Xianzhong directly yet.
But I still have to teach him a lesson.
So Chongzhen issued an edict: "Li Shengzu and Li Shizu, the two legitimate sons of Duke Li Xianzhong of the Liao Kingdom, were taken to live in the palace as companions to the eldest son of the emperor, Zhu Cixiang."
Good guy, the emperor's eldest son is not yet one year old this year and can't speak clearly. What kind of book should he read?
You are clearly putting Li Xianzhong's two sons under house arrest in the palace!
But this is much better than sending them to jail directly. Anyway, the current relationship between the two parties is well known to each other.
After Li Xianzhong learned the news, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
It seems that Chongzhen has been forced by himself to have no choice but to use his "wife and children" as a warning to himself.
Although Li Xianzhong had many women, he really didn't have many children.
His wife Haziya has two sons and one daughter. The eldest son is now 8 years old and the second son is 6 years old. They are studying with Mao Yuanyi and others.
Fortunately, Tian Ergeng's arrival took over a lot of Mao Yuanyi's work in the intelligence department, otherwise he, the "Prince and Tutor", would be really busy.
Of course, in addition to Mao Yuanyi, people like Yan Mingtai, Fan Wencheng, and Song Yingxing, including myself, will also teach the two little guys.
Li Sanshun is responsible for their fighting, equestrian, and archery skills. Firegun.
Except for Mao Yuanyi and Li Sanshun, everyone else is a guest.
It is nothing more than claiming the status of a teacher and student to show that one relies heavily on them.
In addition, the concubine Hai Lanzhu gave birth to a son and two daughters for herself, and Bumu Butai gave birth to a son for herself the year before last.
As for other women, those are completely political marriages, and Li Xianzhong will not allow them to be pregnant with his children!
At present, Li Xianzhong has four sons and three daughters.
He himself felt that he had enough heirs, but the civil and military officials in Liaodong persuaded him to have more heirs.
After all, by the emperor's standards, Li Xianzhong's heirs are still a little thin.
As for his second uncle Li Rubai, he is already over 70 this year.
Li Rubai is his second uncle by blood. In fact, Li Xianzhong treats him as his father. After all, Li Rubai has been his "father" for a long time.
Both himself and Li Rubai's eldest son, Li Huaizhong, have been persuading Li Rubai to move back to the Li family's old house in Tieling like other Li family members.
But Li Rubai insisted on not wanting to leave, which roughly meant that he was old and would not live much longer.
He could stay in the capital without arousing suspicion from the court. He was determined to sacrifice himself to give the Li family another reason to rebel against the court. This could be regarded as his last contribution to the Li family's empire.
Everyone in Liaodong is waiting for them to raise troops so that they can be the heroes of the founding of the country.
It can be said that everything is ready now, all we need is the east wind!
With the end of the autumn harvest and the increase in "Liao rates" and "Lian rates", the wind that Li Xianzhong and others had finally started to blow!
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(End of chapter)
