That night, the banquet ended in the middle of Xu Shi, but Zhang Cheng didn't come out of the governor's quarters until the end of Xu Shi. He looked up at the starry sky, exhaled a big breath of wine, and suddenly felt a lot of relief in his chest and abdomen.
After the officials dispersed just now, he was left alone by Wang Chengen to continue the banquet. This time, even the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi and the governor Qiu Minyang were not able to participate.
There were only four people at the banquet, Wang Chengen, Fang Zhenghua, Zhang Cheng, and Hong Chengchou, and the focus of the banquet was no longer to celebrate Zhang Cheng and Hong Chengchou.
After thirty days of drinking, Wang Chengen brought up a question that was difficult for everyone to avoid but inconvenient to ask: when can we withdraw troops from Liaodong?
It turns out that since the new Trilateral Governor Fu Zonglong died in Xiangcheng in September, the Governor of Baoding Yang Wenyue was dismissed from his post by Emperor Chongzhen because he led his troops to escape first, and was temporarily appointed as an official in order to atone for his crime.
Although Yang Wenyue tried his best to collect scattered soldiers, his strength was greatly damaged and he was unable to fight anymore, so he immediately led his troops to defect to Gao Mingheng, the governor of Henan, to assist in the defense of Kaifeng.
Nowadays, intruders are raging across the land of Henan Province, and no one can control it, although there is Ding Qirui, the Minister of War and the commander of the armies in Huguang, Henan, Sichuan, and the north and south of the Yangtze River.
However, he led Zuo Liangyu and other generals in the army, and only pursued Zhang Xianzhong and the bandits from the fifth battalion of Gezuo in Guangshan, Shangzhou, Gushi and other places, and did not dare to lead the army north to fight against the bandits.
Although the imperial court issued an imperial edict appointing Wang Qiaonian as the right minister of the Ministry of War, replacing Fu Zonglong to supervise the military affairs of the three sides and march into Henan to suppress the bandits, but even though the Ministry of War sent letters one after another, Wang Qiaonian was still unable to go out to fight.
There is no other reason for this. It is because most of Shaanxi's elite soldiers and horses were defeated and died in the battle after following Fu Zonglong out of Shaanxi. You asked Wang Qiaonian to get these many soldiers and horses in a short period of time?
Even if the imperial court appoints him as the governor of the three sides, there are no generals available and no troops to deploy. Even if Wang Qiaonian has three heads and six arms, what can he do?
Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen, who was already worried, was very excited after hearing the news that he had successfully solved the Jin Siege on the Liaodong battlefield and had defeated the slave thieves with successive victories.
It seemed that in the past few months, this was the only good news that could give him some comfort, but at the same time Emperor Chongzhen also discovered that where there is Zhang Cheng, there will be good news.
Just like the last time when Luoyang City fell and Fu Fan was in trouble, it was Zhang Cheng who not only rescued the Prince of Fu Fan, but also relieved the danger of Kaifeng, and even pursued the intruders hundreds of miles away.
Not long ago, the news that Zhang Cheng's formation had killed the slave king Duduo made him very energetic. It seemed that he had not felt so happy since he fought against Yuji.
According to the wishes of Emperor Chongzhen, Zhang Cheng was about to be made an earl at that time, but he was blocked by the senior ministers of the court. Although Chen Xinjia, his own soldier, supported him, he was indifferent because he was not a cabinet minister, so it was of no avail.
It can be seen from this that although it is said that "under the sky, it is the king's land, and on the shore of the land, it is the king's ministers." However, the emperors after the middle of the Ming Dynasty found it difficult to rely on their own will without the support of the courtiers. Make a decision.
Fortunately, Liaodong once again announced victory this time. It had successfully driven back the slaves, bandits and cavalry, and solved the siege of Jinzhou. The person who made the first contribution was Zhang Cheng of the Xuanfu who had made frequent achievements.
According to the reports from Jin Yiwei and Dongchang, the whole city of the capital was already in a state of excitement. People rushed to tell each other, and the streets and alleys were full of people talking about the matter. The deeds of Zhang Cheng's two brothers, Wang Yuetuo and Duduo, also became the capital's capital again. The focus of people's discussion.
This undoubtedly gave Emperor Chongzhen great courage and confidence. He secretly warned himself that he would never be blocked by cabinet ministers again, and that he must reward Zhang Cheng with a big award, and not chill the hearts of loyal ministers and good generals.
It was precisely because of Emperor Chongzhen's persistence that Zhang Cheng was named "Uncle Yongning"!
Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua kept revealing the reasons for this during the banquet. Naturally, they wanted to make Zhang Cheng appreciate the emperor's kindness so that he would always think of repaying the emperor's kindness in the future.
However, Emperor Chongzhen also had a secret order, which he sent to Wang Chengen, the internal supervisor who stayed on the front line in Liaodong, asking him to test Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao. Can the officers and soldiers of Jiliao towns resist the slave thieves alone?
If it was feasible, Emperor Chongzhen thought of sending the Xuan army back to Henan to help suppress Chuangxian and other bandits. Especially the bandits were too big to be eliminated. They were wreaking havoc in Henan Province and were likely to besiege Nanyang Mansion.
Nanyang Prefecture is the fiefdom of Tang Wang Zhu Tong, the 23rd son of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. Under his rule, he has two states and eleven counties, and is more than 680 miles away from Kaifeng Prefecture.
During the Yongle period, a large-scale Tang palace was built in Nanyang City. Later, after several generations of reproduction, nine new princely palaces were built in Nanyang City during the Chenghua period.
It can be said that Nanyang City is full of royal family members and nobles. Traffic is busy all day long, and business is also active. Merchants from Shanxi, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hubei and other places come in droves.
Various commercial halls and mansions also emerged in the city. Grain, cotton, raw silk, tobacco, silk satin, oil, fur, wood, medicinal materials, copperware, ironware, etc. poured into Nanyang in large quantities and were sold throughout the Ming Dynasty.
At that time, Nanyang City was prospering in all industries, including architecture, gardens, painting, sculpture, calligraphy, etc., and all had great development.
But who would have thought that such a large city with a large population and extremely prosperous economy and trade would soon be destroyed by intruders. Not only would the Tang family be in trouble, but the people in the city would no longer have peace.
It was out of concern for Nanyang and even the whole of Henan that Emperor Chongzhen was eager to mobilize Zhang Cheng's Xuanda troops to return to Henan to aid and suppress the rebellion.
During the banquet, Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, did not express a clear opinion on this. He suddenly said that the war in Liaodong was crucial. Although the slave thieves temporarily retreated, there was no guarantee that they would not come again.
But instead he said that rogue bandits were raging in Henan Province, and that the Tang vassal in Nanyang was in danger, but it could not be ignored. He did not mention whether the large-scale reinforcements of Liao troops could be withdrawn, but only said that Ding Qirui and Wang Qiaonian would be dispatched as a matter of urgency to make an appointment to enter Henan Province and suppress the bandits at the same time.
In fact, Wang Chengen's banquet today was just a test. After all, an army of 100,000 slave thieves is near Jinzhou and can make a comeback at any time. It is indeed inappropriate to mobilize the army to return at this time.
…………
When the time came, Zhang Cheng left the governor's residence drunkenly.
The biting cold wind blew on him, and Zhang Cheng sneezed violently. He wrapped his wool cloak tightly, and with the support of Zhang Chengfang and Zhang Mingyuan, he got on his horse and walked slowly to his residence.
At this time, Zhang Cheng, who was sitting on his horse, caught the wind and felt a surge of alcohol. Although he didn't drink much, he didn't drink as freely as his generals, but he did drink a lot.
A feeling of dizziness came over him. Zhang Cheng hurriedly grasped the reins of the war horse and tried his best to control his body from shaking from side to side, lest he lose his balance and fall under the horse, which would be embarrassing.
Fortunately, Zhang Chengfang was leading the way. He controlled the deceleration very well, neither slow nor hasty. Although there were always some bumps on the horse, Zhang Cheng could still bear it.
Soon they arrived at the Xuanfu Army's station in Songshan City. This was where Zhang Cheng stayed when he first arrived in Songshan. Later, he had been living in the military camp, so this place became unused.
Even so, there was still a group of Xuanfu army infantry stationed here. Before Zhang Cheng could dismount, he saw a soldier running quickly. He took the reins and said hastily: "Commander, you are back. Chen Shuai from Beijing, Wang Shuai from Datong, and Li Shuai from Shanxi have been waiting here for the lordship for a long time."
Before Zhang Cheng could answer, Zhang Chengfang was the first to step forward and scolded with a smile: "Zhang Guang, you can control your eyes. My father is now the general of Zhenshuo, the majestic 'Uncle Yong Ning'. In the future, we will Call your adoptive father 'Commander'."
Zhang Guang is also one of the thirty-six adopted sons that Zhang Cheng accepted. They are now with Zhang Cheng as personal soldiers. After some experience, they will be sent to serve in various camps, each according to their ability. Come out and fight for your future.
After he suddenly heard Zhang Chengfang's words, his eyes widened and his mouth was wide open but could not be closed. He was stunned for half a stick of incense before he came to his senses.
Zhang Guang hurriedly knelt down and said, "Zhang Guang, congratulations to my adoptive father, congratulations to my adoptive father."
As he spoke, he bowed down again and said, "See 'Uncle Yong Ning' and pay my respects to the Commander-in-Chief!"
The four infantrymen from the right wing of the Chinese army who were on duty in front of the door also came forward, bowed down and bowed down, shouting loudly, "Congratulations to the general, congratulations to the general, pay homage to the commander-in-chief."
From then on, because of the rash words of his adopted son Zhang Chengfang, not many people in the Xuanfu army called General Zhang Cheng, and almost all the generals under his command were called "Commander".
Zhang Cheng just stepped into his mansion and saw Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu, Li Fuming, deputy general Fu Yingchong and others who had heard the commotion coming out to welcome him.
Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu, Fu Yingchong and others came out quickly, their faces full of joy. They didn't know whether they were happy for Zhang Cheng or because they had received military merit awards.
After all, Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming was a man who had been punished and suffered losses, and his behavior was much more prudent than before. He knelt down and worshiped from a distance: "Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming, see 'Yongning Bo'!"
After his reminder, Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu and others remembered this matter. Zhang Cheng was now the dignified "Uncle Yongning", and his status was much higher than that of their generals.
Due to emotion and reason, when they saw Zhang Cheng, they all wanted to bow down and bow down. At that moment, Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu and others stopped and started to bow down and bow down.
Seeing this, Zhang Cheng hurriedly stepped forward, supported the two of them, and said hurriedly: "Why should we be so polite? Why should my two brothers and Zhongchen be so polite?"
He pulled up Chen Jiugao and Wang Puhou, and then stopped Fu Yingchong from kneeling down. Only then did he have time to pull up Li Fuming and said to him, "Brother, it's really embarrassing for me to look like this."
Several people couldn't help but feel happy from the bottom of their hearts when they saw that Zhang Cheng treated them so kindly and without any pretense. They followed Zhang Cheng all the way to the inner hall.
The reason why Wang Pu and others have been waiting for Zhang Cheng is simply to cling to the big tree of "Yongning Bo". Through several wars since aiding Liao, they have understood a truth.
That is, as long as you follow Zhang Cheng, you will have no worries about military achievements. Now that Zhang Cheng is rising steadily and his future is even more limitless, how can they be willing to let go.
After arriving in the inner room, Zhang Cheng immediately ordered people to prepare some wine and food. He wanted to have a drink with his brothers...
…………
For three consecutive days, there was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate him, making it almost impossible for Zhang Cheng to even go out.
Songshan City was full of joy, but there was still no movement on the part of the slave thieves. As the sentries reported one after another, in the past two days, groups of slave thieves were found to have withdrawn from the White Temple Fort. The two pontoon bridges on the river were both set on fire and burned down.
"It seems like the slave thieves really want to withdraw their troops?"
In a side room of the governor's quarters, Liaodong Governor Qiu Minyang said with doubts on his face.
Hong Chengchou seemed to be thinking about something and did not answer. However, his staff Li Song continued: "Bo Yongning's sentry cavalry has always been very capable, and they have always been very effective in detecting information. It seems that they are not wrong."
Xie Sixin poured tea for Qiu Minyang next to him, and then said: "The student and Mr. Li have the same guess, but it seems that it remains to be seen. Maybe we will know in a few days."
He went on to say: "Although Yong Ningbo's Ye Bu Sui is very capable, Supervisor Biao's camp and General Chang Bo's sentry cavalry are not much inferior. General Xiao Cao's Ye Bu Sui also found slaves in both camps." The thieves have been on the move frequently in recent days.
Even the slave thieves in places such as Liushui Fort and Dasheng Fort seemed to be retreating to Yizhou, and their carts were always seen heading north. "
Qiu Minyang glanced at Hong Chengchou at this time, and said slowly: "Supervisor, if it is confirmed that the slave bandits are indeed reducing their troops, the prince will definitely force Xuan Da's aid troops to return to Liao."
Hong Chengchou slowly opened his eyes at this time, and two rays of light shot out. Although his appearance was as elegant as ever, there was an air of majesty about him that made people dare not look directly at him.
"The troops and horses aiding the Liao Dynasty from Xuanda will eventually be withdrawn. Even the soldiers and horses from the battalions in Ji Town are not suitable to stay among the pines and brocades for a long time."
Hong Chengchou looked at Qiu Minyang and continued: "As you can see from Changbai, my army of hundreds of thousands gathered among the pine trees and brocades, and the daily consumption of money and food was so huge?
In the past, slaves and thieves attacked Jinzhou very fiercely, and the imperial court also knew that Jinzhou could not tolerate any losses, so it worked hard to raise food and grass and transported it all the way.
But since our division entered the city of Jinzhou and the slave bandits retreated, the grain and grass that was transferred was not as good as the day before, and there was a big worry of sitting on nothing. "
"well……"
Hong Chengchou sighed, and then continued: "Even without the urging of the imperial court and the prince, Xuan Da aids the Liao army, and it is absolutely forbidden to station under Songshan City anymore.
Not to mention Xuan Da's reinforcements to the Liao soldiers and horses, even the camps in Ji Town must be transferred back to their respective stations, otherwise Liaodong's hoard of grain may be eaten up by them.
If this is the case, how can the castles in Liao Town satisfy their hunger, survive this severe winter, and get grain seeds in the coming spring? "
Several people nodded after hearing Hong Chengchou's words. The situation in Liaodong is indeed what Hong Chengchou said. Seeing that the siege of Jinzhou has been resolved, the imperial court is no longer as active as in the past in transporting grain and grass.
At this time, Xie Sixin seemed to remember something, and he said with concern: "General Chang Bo got up early yesterday and hurried back to Jinzhou, and even Zu Dabi and Zu Dale left with him.
Could it be that something happened to Master Zu? "
