The autumn of the 18th year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty was a difficult season for the prominent people in Wuchang City.
The battle of "Bloody Stream" that took place in the summer gave the generals in Wuchang City a blow to the head and completely shattered their illusion of separatist rule over Jingchu. Because Zuo Liangyu once led troops in Liaodong for a long time (he himself is from Shandong and is a fellow villager with Qiu Lei), he has many military leaders from the Liao army under his command, some of whom are related to the Liaodong military leaders who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and became traitors. Maintain secret contact. Therefore, these people know the significance of the "Bloody Creek" battle very well!
The Prince of the Qing Dynasty, the leader of the Zhenglan Banner, and General Jingyuan Hauge were all killed... and the Qing Dynasty even admitted it!
What kind of character is Hauge! He would not rush into danger without thinking. Therefore, if Zhu Cihong was able to kill Hauge, he must have severely damaged the Qing army at the "Bloodstream Creek". There is no problem in killing thousands of Eight Banners warriors.
And the Eight Banners Real Manchurian Army had a total of 50,000 to 60,000 warriors, and ten percent were lost at once... Haha, can Zuo Liangyu's group of candidate traitors still hope for Master Wang?
However, this news was not what shocked them the most. The news that shocked them most was that the Qing Dynasty implemented equalization of land by population in Henan, Shandong, Beizhili, Shanxi and other places...
The news of the Qing Dynasty's equalization of land came, and the whole Wuchang was dumbfounded. Anyone with a brain can figure out what the equalization of land in the Qing Dynasty means to the Ming Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty used the Eight Banners tribes and tens of thousands of skilled bows and horses to bravely enter the Pass and capture the Central Plains. There is a huge element of luck in it, and to conquer the world, it is not enough to rely on tens of thousands of warriors. You must have the support of Han people and officials.
And what do Han Chinese officials hate most? A fight against Confucius? It's not at all... Of course it's not about shaving your hair or changing clothes, it's about equalizing the land!
If the Qing Dynasty did not equalize land, the scholar-bureaucrats in the south might still seek refuge. But now, the possibility of surrender is gone, and the Qing Dynasty must fight hard if it wants to bring peace to the world.
However, in the Battle of Bloody Creek, it is not possible to attack with force... So the Qing court announced the equalization of land after the Battle of Bloody Creek, which actually showed that they had given up on unifying the world!
Anyway, this generation of Eight Banners officials only wants the Central Plains, and they don’t expect the southeastern scholar-bureaucrats to welcome the king’s master and become traitors.
Since the Qing Dynasty is no longer here, what do these potential traitors in Wuchang City expect?
There is really no way to betray the country now...
Being a traitor to one's country is already very miserable, but there are even worse things to come! What's even worse is that the Chongqing Prefecture in Sichuan was actually captured by Ma Shiying!
Zhang Xianzhong, who looked very powerful, didn't know what kind of medicine he took? After entering Chengdu, he became a useless snack and was hung up and beaten by a bunch of Sichuan people! After losing Chongqing, they lost Luzhou, after losing Luzhou, they lost Xuzhou, after losing Xuzhou, they lost Jiading... In the blink of an eye, half of Sichuan was gone!
If they had known that Zhang Xianzhong was so easy to fight, those people under Zuo Liangyu would have saved Zuo Liangyu from entering Sichuan. Now he is the "King of Sichuan".
But now that Ma Shiying has entered Chongqing and is in high spirits, can the Zuo Army be allowed to enter Sichuan to seize territory?
Losing the opportunity to enter Sichuan is not the worst thing. The worst thing is that Zuo Jiajun will soon be regarded as a landlord by Li Zicheng.
Just a few days ago, Li Zicheng sent a detailed notice titled "Welcome King Chuang and Equalize Land" posted outside Wuchang City.
This "Notice" declares that millions of Shuntian soldiers will come to Fuhan to drive away the left thieves and rescue the people of Jingchu! Then we have to equalize the land based on population, so that all the poor farmers in Jingchu can have land to cultivate, food to eat, and clothing to wear!
There is really no way to survive now... If the Tatars don't come, Li Zicheng comes first, and Zuo's army doesn't even have room to take refuge in Sichuan!
Not only were the generals of the Left Army panicked, but even the Hubei gentry and wealthy businessmen living in Wuchang City and Hankou Town had a feeling of impending disaster. When they got together, they could only sigh and lament.
"...The "Notice" clearly states that the intruders must make decisions for the people and equalize the land according to their income. All the land owned by the gentry and merchants who are rich and unkind must be given to the poor peasants who have little land and little land... ....How many days has this traitor been quiet? He is coming to harm Huguang again!"
"What is there to be afraid of? Now that the Ming Dynasty has the Prince of Fujun, and even Lord Faqiubele of Donglu was killed, are you still afraid of Li Zicheng?"
"But Huguang is not the prince's territory..."
"Isn't that right! Marshal Zuo regards the Crown Prince as Cao Cao, who is holding the emperor hostage and commanding the princes!"
"Then what should we do? Can Marshal Zuo stop Chuang Ni?"
"It would be strange if he could be blocked! If he could be blocked, he wouldn't come to Wuchang City..."
"And Marshal Zuo is almost dying of illness!"
"But really?"
"Of course it's true. Huang Zhonglin, Marshal Zuo's military advisor, and I are both descendants of Donglin, and we were studying together in Jinling... These days, Huang Zhonglin's hair has turned gray with worry!"
...
Wuchang Houfu.
This lifeless Hou Mansion is now heavily guarded inside and outside!
In a study in the deepest part of the mansion, the prince of Wuchang, Zuo Mengeng, was walking around irritably. He is now just the eldest son of a marquis, and has not been awarded the seal of the general who defeated thieves. Although he submitted several memorials in Zuo Liangyu's name and wanted to get this seal that symbolized the head coach of Zuo Jiajun, Zhu Cixiang always ignored him.
In other words, once Zuo Liangyu dies of illness, Zuo Menggeng will only have the official position of the Wuchang Prefecture's Chief Guard...and there are several Chief Guards in the Zuo Family Army, and they all belong to the same prefecture. Commander-in-Chief, why should Zuo Mengeng take command? Besides, there is also a King of Chu here in Hubei, who is also the son-in-law of Marshal Zuo!
Now Zuo Liangyu is still holding his breath. For the sake of his old man's reputation, everyone respects Zuo Mengeng as "Young General" and still listens to the orders of the Pingthief General's Mansion.
But Zuo Liangyu is now so ill that he can no longer manage politics and may die at any time. What will Zuo Mengeng do then? Do you want to hand over your power and go to Nanjing to become a wealthy prince?
If he hands over his power, will he be settled by Zhu Cihong's wife?
If you don't hand over your power...
Zuo Mengeng let out a long sigh when he thought of this!
But the biggest problem now is not whether the generals of the Zuo Family Army will submit to him as the young master, nor whether Zhu Cixiang of Nanjing is willing to let him succeed the Zuo Family Army, but that Li Zicheng is about to attack! When his father was strong, he couldn't beat Li Zicheng. What's more, now that Zuo Liangyu is dying, Zuo Mengeng is so anxious that he can't even think about it. How can he beat him?
Moreover, Li Zicheng also used the banner of "equalizing land" to confuse people... What should we do?
Huang Shu is now one of the few core figures in the Zuo family army who can see Zuo Liangyu every day. He is currently sitting in Zuo Mengeng's study, watching the young master walking around like a headless fly. As if, he also frowned tightly.
It is unthinkable to go east to Qing Jun's side...Hauge is already dead, and Zuo Mengeng will become "dreaming Geng" if he wants to go east. It is not possible to enter Sichuan from the west, because Ma Shiying will not let Zuo's army go to Sichuan to grab territory, and it is autumn when the water is shallow, and it is difficult for the ships Zuo Menggeng can collect to enter the Sichuan River. How to transport a large amount of materials and family members when entering Sichuan by land?
As for going north to seek refuge with the Qing Dynasty...it doesn't seem possible. Because the closest territory to Huguang in the Qing Dynasty is now Ye County in Nanyang Prefecture and Xiping County in Runing Prefecture. If the Zuo family wants to go north, they have to pass through the territory of Li Zicheng or the king of Tang. How is this okay? Now Zuo Menggeng and his gang have no way of betraying the country!
Just when Huang Shu was thinking hard, Zuo Mengeng suddenly stopped, looked back at Huang Shu, and said with a trembling voice: "Military advisor... If I go to Nanjing now to meet him, there will still be a rich man." Do it?"
Huang Shu looked gloomy and shook his head slightly: "The old commander left so many generals, deputy generals, generals, and guerrillas. Everyone is a rich man... Half of Hubei has been looted! Now Li Zicheng We are about to call, but we all want to go to Nanjing to become a rich man. Do you think this is okay, Marshal?"
"This..." Zuo Mengeng also shook his head, "What should I do? Military advisor, you must give me an idea!"
