After Li Song, a close aide of Hong Chengchou, welcomed Mr. Liu at the Hongtile Store, he rode all the way back to Ninghai City and headed for Chenghai Tower.
Mr. Liu, whose name is Zizheng and whose ancestral home is Henan, is now in his early sixties. His three long beards have turned gray, but his spirit is still very good and his body and bones are still very strong, which seems different from his age. proportionate.
From a distance, he saw Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, standing in front of Chenghai Tower with a group of staff and trusted generals to greet him. He quickly dismounted, stepped forward, and bowed.
Hong Chengchou also bowed quickly, then stepped forward and grabbed him, saying, "But I've been waiting for you!"
After he said this, he burst into laughter with joy.
Liu Zizheng said apologetically: "I didn't want to leave the capital because I caught a cold wind, but I knew that Governor Hong would soon leave the country to kill the enemy, so I made the effort to come.
I didn't stay here long. After talking with the governor, even if I returned to the capital, I still lived in seclusion in the monk's dormitory, focusing on closing my door and writing books, and no longer asked about worldly affairs. "
Hong Chengchou didn't force him to stay. He just held his hand and walked into Chenghai Tower. As he walked, he said, "I'll save these words for later. Please go to Chenghai Tower to rest first."
He pulled Liu Zizheng into the Chenghai Building surrounded by his generals and staff, but he was not in a hurry to go upstairs. He first introduced Liu Zizheng and others in the hall on the first floor, and they exchanged greetings. Then he sat down and started talking.
After a while, the memorial drafted by the staff had been completed and sent into the hall. After a brief reading, Hong Chengchou immediately issued the urgent memorial to send troops in advance.
He then invited Liu Zizheng to go upstairs alone, then dismissed the servant with a wave of his hand, and had a heart-to-heart talk with him alone.
Hong Chengchou seemed to have countless things to discuss in detail with Liu Zizheng, but he also knew that time was running out, so he first informed Liu Zizheng of the secret order sent from the emperor this morning, urging him to leave the customs as soon as possible. If there was any further delay, he might be convicted.
After Liu Zizheng thought for a moment, he asked him: "Does the governor have any strategy for defeating the enemy and winning the siege of Jinzhou this time?"
Hong Chengchou smiled calmly and said: "Today's situation is very clear to you and me. Today, the arrogance and laziness of the troops and the ineffective deployment have been accumulated for many years. Although the student is the governor of Jiliao, he also relies on the power of the Holy One and his shangfa. Even with a sword in hand, it is difficult for all generals to fight vigorously.
From the last years of Wanli to this day, none of the governors and ministers who have left the seclusion have met with a good end. The students who were ordered to leave the seclusion this time can only do their best to serve the king, but they dare not have the thought of victory.
Unless we can be allowed to establish a foothold in the Ningyuan area of Liaodong and slowly recover our morale, we can have some hope of victory when the morale of the army is lifted.
The sending of troops to aid the Jin Dynasty was really the key to the student's life or failure. Even if he died on the battlefield, he would not complain.
What is the future of this battle with Jiannu under the city of Jinzhou? The stakes are extremely high. The success or failure of one student cannot be cherished. If the important affairs of the imperial court are ruined because of this, how will the students see their fathers in their homeland, let alone the emperor, so in their hearts It’s very heavy, so I specially invited Mr. Xiang for advice. "
Liu Zizheng continued: "What Governor Hong has seen is very true. Let's ignore the situation outside the customs for the moment and focus on the overall situation of the country and the court. Now the court is fighting the Tartars and rogue bandits on both sides. It is besieged internally and externally. The situation has become extremely dangerous.
Not only is the overall situation outside the pass related to the survival of the country, but what if the situation within the pass is not so fierce?
Nowadays, more than 100,000 capable soldiers and horses at home and abroad are all headed for Liaodong. The troops in the pass are already very empty. If the captives succeed, not only will Liaodong be left without troops, but the entire pass will also be in danger.
It's a pity that the princes in the court did not see this. They only wanted to rush out of the seclusion and made a desperate attempt to defeat the slaves in one battle. They did not care about how to defend the capital's important position! "
Hong Chengchou also sighed and said: "The emperor always has good intentions, but he is anxious about everything and thinks ahead instead of behind. The more difficult the situation, the more helpless he feels and the more anxious he becomes.
Sitting in the Qianqing Palace today, I don’t know everything about the situation on the battlefield. I only rely on a few words in some newspapers, the secret reports of the supervisors, and the spies from the Jin Yiwei. I think I know the battlefield well and can control the war. Thousands of miles away.
For example, I and other ministers who are supervising the division outside are easily offended and find it hard to take precautions. Now that Fu Zonglong has been released from prison, he has been appointed governor of Shaanxi and the three border areas, focusing on supervising the suppression of intruders.
His job is not easy to handle, so his life will not be any better than that of a student. "
Liu Zizheng gave an emotional wry smile and said: "Governor Fu went out to Beijing to suppress thieves this time. I think he may not be able to return to Beijing again. This may be the last time he leads troops to fight. If there is no accident, he will definitely be defeated. .”
Hong Chengchou said with a surprised look on his face: "After Fu Yuanxian arrives in Xi'an, if he can train an elite army, he may still be able to suppress thieves."
Liu Zizheng said without thinking: "He also has this intention, but he can't do it! He is like an arrow at the moment, it has been set on a string, and the hand pulling the string is with the current emperor.
Just think about it, Governor Hong, the arrow is already on the string and the bow is fully drawn. How can there be any reason not to release it?
I'm afraid that his troops have just been recruited and have not yet been reorganized, so they will rush eastward from Tongguan. With untrained troops, they will fight against the bandits who have survived hundreds of battles. How can they be invincible? "
"well!"
Hong Chengchou shook his head when he heard this, sighed unconsciously, and asked: "In my opinion, sir, when the students leave the seclusion this time, although there are nominally 130,000 officers and soldiers, we can eliminate the vacancies and eliminate the old and weak. So, There are probably less than 100,000 people left, can we fight against the bandits?"
After Liu Zizheng thought for a while, he said: "Although I have been away from Liaodong for many years, I have heard about the situation here. Jiannu is now gaining power. In terms of military strength alone, it is not superior to us. The soldiers' dedication to their lives and their united efforts are indeed beyond our ability to match.
Although Governor Hong commanded eight generals and supported more than 100,000 soldiers, they all had their own minds and it was difficult to form a joint force to concentrate on fighting Jiannu.
However, Huang Taiji, the fourth prince of the captive chieftain, was able to go to the front line and personally command the battle. He knew the situation of the two armies very well. It can be seen that our side, from the emperor to our soldiers, is always very hazy about the situation between us and the enemy, just like watching flowers through fog.
Things on the battlefield are changing rapidly, and the four princes of the captives can make decisions on the spot, retreat or advance, and command flexibly. However, our temple planning depends on thousands of miles away. The person who is the supervisor is called the supervisor. He is controlled by the emperor. In the middle, there are constraints from the Ministry of War. In the middle, he is also controlled by the supervisory army. He cannot act according to the opportunity and takes advantage of convenience. .
It is very obvious that commanding is inferior to building slaves.
Besides, although the land for establishing slaves is small and the products are not abundant, there are no hidden worries in it. Regardless of bannermen, coats, or slaves, they are directly subordinate to the Eight Banners, just like large military camps. When there is nothing to do, they farm, and when there is police, they go to war. Unlike In our Ming Dynasty, there are rebellions everywhere, frequent wars, people displaced, and military morale in every town. Who is willing to really contribute to the court?
At present, the imperial court is focusing on one thing and not the other. There are bandits and wars everywhere. This is because the country is not as powerful as Jiannu.
Finally, although we have mobilized the whole country to transport grain and grass outside the customs, it is said that we can barely sustain it for one year, but what will happen after one year? Once the war drags on for a long time and cannot be won within the year, the next step will be difficult.
What's more, today's food is mostly transported by sea. Not only is the journey long, but it is also dangerous and dangerous, and the losses are heavy. If the food route is intercepted by the Jian slaves, the morale of the army will be lost. Even if there are hundreds of thousands of troops, they will collapse without fighting!
However, Jiannu was fighting in his own territory and was not in danger of being cut off from food routes. Not only could he transport supplies by himself, he could also extort and force North Korea to transport food to him via sea routes.
In terms of food and grass alone, our side is far inferior to Jiannu. "
