Ten days before Dongfang Zhu visited Linqing garrison Pu Gang at night, Ming Dynasty Governor Liu Zongzhou led the Northern Expedition from Feng County, Zhili, northward, and slowly entered Shandong.
The Northern Expeditionary Army passed through Yutai and Jiaxiang, then turned westward into Wenshang and Dongchang. It was not until July 20 that they finally arrived at Gaotang Prefecture and appeared behind Linqing Prefecture, which was equivalent to cutting off the defenders in the city from crossing the sea to the northeast. A way out.
At the same time, Ma Hongqi, the deputy general of Pingxi in Henan Province, also led 30,000 troops north from Linzhang. The army crossed the Zhanghe River and entered Shandong. It went north from Guanxian County, crossed Weihe River and Qinghe River, and occupied Qinghe County on July 16th, blocking Linzhang. The road used by the Qing garrison to escape westward.
Lieutenant General Ma Hongqi was originally a powerful man in the southeast of Henan, and had no enmity with Emperor Wu Ding's Qi. During the Taichang period, Ma Hongqi and his four brothers controlled the salt well in Runing Prefecture, Henan. Relying on the profits from well salt, he smuggled millions every year and gradually became the biggest tycoon in Henan. At that time, Kaiyuan's army was on an expedition to the east and west, and the Ming army was too tired to deal with it. No one paid any attention to this rebellious rich man.
Until the first year of Tianqi, Li Xianzhong fled into Henan, which was corrupted. By forming an alliance with Shaanxi bandits, the Ma family gradually expanded its power to northern Henan. After Emperor Hongguang ascended the throne, in order to win people's hearts, he granted many titles indiscriminately. Ma Hongqi was successfully appointed to the rank of deputy general, and his servant Minyong was finally cleared to become an officer. In the first year of Wuding, there was a big explosion in the capital, and Henan was torn apart. The remnants of the Qi army, Shaanxi bandits, and local powerful people were all working in their own way. Ma Hongqi judged that this was an excellent opportunity to expand his strength, so he actively requested a war and asked Liu Zongzhou, who was stationed in Yangzhou, to attack Shandong together. The remnants of the Qi army.
~~~~~~
The Nanming army dragged its feet, stopped and walked along the way, and its marching speed was comparable to that of the Korean army on the Yalu River.
Although they were the king's division of the Southern Ming Dynasty, and although they had sufficient food and pay, the Northern Expeditionary Army inherited the bad habits of our Ming army, such as cocks crowing, dogs stealing, and killing good people for credit. Especially in the wilderness villages far away from the prefectures, counties, and capitals, burning, killing, and looting were the norm.
After entering Shandong, Qi troops were stationed in many prefectures and counties. Such stains naturally became evidence that they were blackmailed and extorted by the Ming army.
In this way, Master Wang made money while walking. The journey that originally took twenty or thirty days took more than two months.
Liu Zongzhou was a great Confucian in the late Ming Dynasty, adhering to Mr. Hengqu's compassionate heart of "building a heart for heaven and earth". He would feel ashamed for a long time if he scolded the servants at home, but in front of these Qiu Ba, he was helpless.
Inspector Liu was originally a Jinshi. He had only served as a household official before, and then returned to his hometown to give lectures until he was inexplicably appointed as the Inspector of the Northern Expedition. A resume like his would never have anything to do with leading soldiers in battle under normal circumstances.
However, what is normal in this world? The small court in Nanzhili has never been normal since its birth.
Liu Zongzhou's rise to power was actually the result of a fierce game between several political forces and had nothing to do with his own experience and ability.
This kind of phenomenon was actually the norm in the politics of the late Ming Dynasty when party strife was prevalent.
Since Zhang Juzheng, all officials who did practical things have been suppressed, so that in the end, the focus of the Ming Dynasty was not government affairs, but personnel.
To put it more directly, regardless of the right and wrong, they all think about how to promote people of their own faction and suppress rival officials. It can be summarized about people and things...
Liu Zongzhou had no foundation in the army. He knew very well that these temporarily recruited soldiers, especially the recruits from the Huaiyang area, were all arrogant and difficult to control. If they were pushed into a hurry, there would be no guarantee that a mutiny would not occur.
He could only secretly make up his mind that when he returned from the Northern Expedition, he must improve military discipline and build a strong army comparable to the Qi family's army.
On July 21st of the first year of Wuding, the day after the Northern Expeditionary Army arrived at Linqing Prefecture City, Ma Hongqi launched an attack on Linqing Prefecture City in advance before he had time to notify Governor Liu.
The idea of this Henan tycoon is very simple. He wants to take advantage of the chaos in Beizhili to capture as many cities as possible and expand his power from the north of Henan to Shandong.
The case of Liu Zhaosun's successful ascension to the throne greatly stimulated the powerful powers in various places. Everyone gradually understands that these days, as long as you have soldiers in your hands, anything is possible.
~~~~
Five miles northeast of Linqing Prefecture City, Zhengjiakou Town.
Continuous tents filled this small town in northwestern Shandong like a flood, and messy tents were set up everywhere. From the outside, there was no order of formation at all.
Groups of civilians dressed in silk satin were lighting fires and cooking in the open space on the edge of the town. Wisps of green smoke soon floated over the camp. From time to time, groups of armored soldiers entered and exited the camp, holding a bunch of weapons in their arms. There were piles of silks, satins and jewelry, and the camp was still noisy long after nightfall. It was like a busy market, and occasionally the screams of women could be heard.
In the evening, Master Wang paid a visit to this wealthy town closest to Linqing Prefecture City. It is said that this town once received wounded soldiers from the defeated puppet Qi army, although the other party gave money to the people.
In any case, this kind of blatant aid to the enemy must be severely punished. Moreover, when Wang Shi arrived, it was said that there were still remnants of the Qi army in the town. Without waiting for Liu Zongzhou's order, several local green-skinned scoundrels led this group of arrogant soldiers. Rushed into the town, searched house to house, and found evidence of collusion with the Qi army - a piece of armor leaf or the owner's suspected Liaodong accent - then burned, killed, and looted them.
Zhengjiakou is close to the canal. Although it is not as good as Linqingzhou City, it is full of merchants and quite prosperous.
When Master Wang was robbing jewelry and silk, a dozen unruly people tried to resist and were quickly hacked to death with random knives.
Now, these dead heads are hung at the entrance of the camp for public display.
If all goes well, when they break through Linqing Prefecture City, the heads of these unruly people in front of them will be salted with lime along with the heads of the remnants of the Qi army in Linqing City, and quickly sent to the Nanjing War Department Yamen to serve as the king's pacification. Qi's military exploits were finally distributed to the generals of the King's Division with a reward of ten taels of silver per head.
Dozens of women in Zhengjiakou Town who had not had time to escape were also robbed by Wang Shi and brought to the camp, and are now being enjoyed by several generals.
~~~~~
Under the dim candlelight, Mr. Jishan unfolded a yellowed volume of "The Doctrine of the Mean" and studied it carefully, ignoring the woman's cry outside the tent.
"The Tao of "Great Learning" can be summed up in one word, it is just to be cautious about being alone. "Great Learning" talks about being cautious about being alone, and "The Doctrine of the Mean" also talks about being cautious about being alone. Apart from being cautious about being alone, there is no other learning."
Before Liu Zongzhou became the chief minister of the cabinet and the governor of the Northern Expedition, he had been giving lectures in Shanyin, Shaoxing Prefecture. Because he lectured in Jishan, Shanyin, some people called him Mr. Jishan. Simply put, another identity of Governor Liu is thinker.
Mr. Jishan believes: "The learning of a gentleman is all about being cautious about independence."
"Independence" is the original heart, conscience, and a subjective moral ability that people have.
It has to be said that this kind of view is quite similar to Zhang Zai's Three Sentences on Hengqu, and is of great significance in guiding the behavior of scholars in the Ming Dynasty.
For example, now, when the arrogant and powerful generals under his command are doing whatever they want and taking human life into consideration, Mr. Jishan, who is powerless to stop them, only needs to be cautious and guard his own conscience without interfering too much.
"If a person can be careful in his independence, he will be a perfect person in heaven and earth."
Liu Zongzhou closed the book, looked at the dark night sky of the Ming Dynasty, and murmured to himself.
