Chapter 357 Decisive Battle, Life or Death II
Gu Huan is older, over sixty, and the white hair on his temples makes him live up to his youth. He has also come from a dandy step by step. If the Zhenyuan Hou family had not held important positions in the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, he would not have There will be a military career.
"This expedition is a major event for the country. It cannot be said to be just a formality, but Chen Cao is not an ordinary person. Whether Duke Cheng Guo can win is a question mark..."
"After my father went to war, you are the head of the family. Remember, no matter what you do, never lose the prestige of our Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion. Your ancestor was a general who followed Emperor Wen in five northern expeditions. Naturally, your father cannot behind..."
"If things are not harmonious, I believe that His Majesty will definitely let you seize the title, so you can study hard, and don't become a dandy, which will be of no use to the country..."
Gu Huan sighed. After recalling the conversation with his eldest son Gu Zhaoji on the eve of the expedition, he adjusted his thoughts to the present. The previous memories made him completely immersed in himself. When he came back to his senses, the shouts of killing outside were louder. Got some...
"Master Marquis, you retreat first. I will protect the Marquis and retreat to the Chinese army..."
The general Gu Zhong looked anxious, but Gu Huan smiled slightly: "Gu Zhong, come here..."
Gu Zhong's expression changed several times. He nodded at first, then turned stern, and then said urgently: "Master Marquis, you must not do it. If this is the case, I will not be able to go back and face the young Marquis and everyone in the Marquis."
"Why, do you think I can't even command you as a general after my defeat? Or do you think you have to find a new master now?"
Gu Huan's tone was stern, and Gu Zhong immediately knelt down and kowtowed, crying: "Master Hou..."
"Go ahead..."
Gu Huan waved his hand: "Remember to tell Zhaoji word for word. If you miss a word, I will die and I will never spare you..."
With tears streaming down his face, Gu Zhong bowed to Gu Huan three times: "Master Marquis, take care, I will serve you in my next life..."
"Let's go..."
.
When Zhang Gaoping arrived outside the general's tent, Ding Wenqing was cleaning up the people. The riding crop whipped a guerrilla. The guerrilla didn't hide, but kept saying "guilty..."
"What's the matter?"
Facing Zhang Gaoping's inquiry, Ding Wenqing looked helpless: "Commander, when the general arrived, our army had already broken through Gu Huan's last line of defense. It was only when the general entered the tent that he discovered that Gu Huan had committed suicide. ..."
Zhang Gaoping frowned, not because of Gu Huan's death, but because of the burning pain in his wound...
"Forget it, let the sergeant say that Gu Huan is dead and we want to break Zhu Chunchen's military morale..."
The loud shouts reached all the way to Zhu Chunchen's central army. At this moment, the forward army came to report that it had been defeated. Although the battle was continuing, it was somewhat ineffective. Even the white pole soldiers led by Ma Xianglin were coerced and retreated by the defeated troops of the forward army. come over.
I'm about to lose...
Zhu Chunchen panicked. He thought of running away, but when he turned to look at Qin Liangyu, the woman did not panic at all: "General Qin..."
Qin Liangyu turned around: "Commander, I am here to take charge. Commander, you can retreat first and start again after gathering the army."
Zhu Chunchen's body went limp and his words were a little incoherent.
Zhu Yanrong stepped forward to support Zhu Chunchen and asked Qin Liangyu: "General Qin, our army can still fight back."
Qin Liangyu frowned: "If Marquis Zhenyuan can withdraw, our army still has the ability to strike back..."
The words couldn't be simpler. Gu Huan committed suicide in the big tent, and Duan Sannian also died. This had a huge impact on the morale of the army.
Zhu Yanrong and Zhu Chunchen both understood what Qin Liangyu meant, but Zhu Chunchen still wanted to persist: "General Qin, what if I personally take action?"
Qin Liangyu didn't speak, but just glanced at Zhu Chunchen, his face expressionless...
That's right, I don't have Zhang Gaoping's skills as a guard of the feudal princes. I am simply a dandy lord...
Zhu Chunchen was paralyzed, and he was unwilling to retreat: "Bao Guo Gong went to the rear army to supervise the formation..."
Zhu Yanrong immediately shouted: "Mr. Cheng Guo, if you die here, what will I do when you go back?"
Zhu Chunchen died, and the blame-bearer could only be Zhu Yanrong. Although he did not mainly take the blame, the implication was indispensable.
"Report...Commander, the main force of the Southern Army has entered the camp, and the forward battalion has fallen into the enemy's hands."
Gong Liang said: "Two princes, you go to the rear army to supervise the formation. Leave this place to me and General Qin..."
"Consort Gong..."
Gong Liang's identity is the consort, and Chongzhen's purpose is to let Gong Liang monitor the lords. Although he is only the consort, Zhu Chunchen also knows that Gong Liang's joining is not easy.
This is a serious royal relative...
The shouting suddenly became louder, but Zhu Chunchen could clearly see the chaos in front of him...
"What happened?"
.
"What happened?"
Zhang Gaoping grabbed a running soldier.
"Commander... something bad happened. Tens of thousands of Confederate troops suddenly appeared behind our army. They caught the rear army by surprise and were defeated..."
rub...
Zhang Gaoping drew his sword and beheaded the soldier who shouted "big defeat", and then cursed angrily: "Go and investigate..."
Sure enough, outside the camp, the rear troops belonging to his own formation could see panic in their eyes, with soldiers and horses running around.
A messenger came running: "Commander, the Southern Army coming from the direction of Yizhen is carrying the Du banner."
"Du Wenhuan?"
Ding Wenqing's body was shaken, and then he became a little panicked.
Zhang Gaoping didn't speak, but suddenly his body shook, a mouthful of blood spurted out, and he fell off the horse...
...
Messengers come and go frequently, but entering Zhenjiang at this time must be a big event.
Chen Cao has the habit of getting up at night, but it is midnight now. He has been hanging out with Zhao Minji, who was brought back from North Korea recently, and he is a little tired...
"Your Majesty... Urgent report from Yangzhou front line..."
After Chen Cao saw it, he immediately became energetic: "Immediately summon everyone to the lobby to discuss..."
"Zhang Gaoping broke into the Northern Army camp with Song Changfu as the main force, but was intercepted by Qin Liangyu's men. In a stalemate, the forward general Duan Sanyan of Zhenyuan Hou Gu Huan killed Song Changfu in the formation, and the Southern Army's morale was defeated...
At that time, Zhang Gaoping personally charged into the battle, and the army entered the forward camp again. Zhang Gaoping killed Duan Sanyan with his own hands. As a result, Gu Huan's forward army lost morale. Gu Huan himself, Ding Wenqing, led his troops to besiege the camp...
By the time Zhang Gaoping arrived, Gu Huan was already dead. According to the account of the defeated soldiers captured by the Jin Yiwei, Gu Huan committed suicide...
The forward army was wiped out. Zhu Chunchen heard that he was about to escape, but Du Wenhuan arrived in time to save his life. Zhang Gaoping, focusing on the situation that he was already winning, was stolen by Du Wenhuan. He himself vomited blood and fell to the ground on his horse. Nan As a result, the army was severely defeated, 200,000 people were defeated, and countless people knelt down and asked to surrender..."
After hearing the report, Chen Cao knocked on the table: "Even if Zhang Gaoping doesn't die, Yangzhou won't be able to defend it for long. The only situation is to withdraw troops and return to Nanjing..."
Huang Chunyao said: "Your Majesty, Yangzhou cannot be given to Zhu Chunchen..."
"I know..."
Chen Cao handed over the troop deployment order to Tang Kainian: "The troops are ready to march into Yangzhou in three days. The defense of Yangzhou City must be taken over by our army..."
.
Chen Cao is very busy, especially when Zhang Gaoping's life and death are unknown after vomiting blood, but compared to the rebellion in Suzhou, Zhang Gaoping is not even a hair.
After getting off the train and just standing still, Huang Degong, who was staying behind in Suzhou, came up to him: "Your Majesty, the general is guilty..."
"Tell me carefully..."
"After the news of clearing the land and paying taxes to the gentry spread here, the local gentry in Suzhou began to secretly collaborate. The general was ordered to stay in Suzhou. He did not find out and stop it in time. I made a mistake here, and I ask the prince to punish him..."
"Where's Wei Zhongxian?"
Zhao Xin whispered: "Eunuch Wei has been in Suzhou since the gentry rebelled, and he has been loyal in his work."
"How are the casualties?"
"The main reason is that among the recruits there are many local children from Suzhou. Most of their families have land that they donated in the past. This cleanup is among them. The general did not expect that they would secretly connect according to their family arrangements. If the military instructors hadn't discovered it in time, a big mistake would have been made...
At the end of the day, the generals led the troops to clear up the area, but there were more than 300 casualties..."
You can't kneel unless something big happens, but Huang Degong did.
"Get up, where is Lou Xingye?"
"The last stronghold of gentry rebellion in the south of the city, Lou Xingye has gone..."
Chen Cao entered Suzhou City. Due to the previous war, Suzhou is currently being actively rebuilt, especially the dedicated railway lines outside the city and the cement straight roads inside the city.
Outside the Suzhou Yamen, Chen Cao summoned the petty officials, a total of three hundred people, most of whom were graduates of the new school.
"Have you ever joined the party?"
"Back to your lord, the students joined the Ming Party while they were in school, and now they are all party members."
Chen Cao nodded: "Clearing the land in Suzhou and paying taxes to the gentry is a major event. If it is completed, it will benefit the people. When you come out of school, you should also know what the teacher has taught you. Why did it cause the Suzhou gentry to rebel?"
Songjiang also had resistance back then, but only in Qingpu. Huating was because of the correct alignment of Huang Shijing and Liu Wenzheng and the suppression of the soldiers. Suzhou...
"Suzhou is so rich..."
A student was the first to speak: "After students join Suzhou as petty officials, they will follow the predetermined process to clear out the gentry. Regardless of the official position, there are ninety-eight people in Suzhou, and there are another 272 people who have been elected, and seven scholars. One hundred and thirty-one, in addition, there are twenty-four farming and reading families that have been handed down since the time of Emperor Chengzu. All of them occupy the fields in Suzhou. There are only seventy-seven households of good people owning the land. All the fields are no more than 120 acres, and the rest is in the hands of the gentry."
Chen Cao was shocked after hearing this, but he was relieved immediately: "I know this matter. You are not bad. It seems that you are studying well in school."
"The students did not dare to praise the prince, they just did their duty. In addition to the above, the farmland dedicated to provide food is less than 30,000 acres..."
The student representative's report made Chen Cao understand the situation: "As a member of the Ming Party, you should put the people first in everything. This Suzhou rebellion will definitely end. You must do your best in every county."
