"The capital and the capital are all plains, and the Donglu's elite cavalry are running at great speed. If we wait until Sun Ge Lao takes office, I'm afraid the situation will be over."
Hou Xun's analysis was very detailed, but it also caused a huge blow to the hearts of the monarchs and ministers.
But he had something even more terrifying to say.
"In addition, Zhangjiawan in Tongzhou is a grain distribution center. If we don't rescue it as soon as possible, once it is captured by the Donglu, King Qin's army will lose all their grain and grass supplies and will become enemies. When the situation reverses, our army will not be able to fight even if it wants to. Fight."
Zuo Menggeng's ventilation to Hou Xun focused on Zhangjiawan in Tongzhou.
During the Jisi Incident, the Hou Jin army was able to toss back and forth in the capital for several months. In addition to looting enough supplies, the food and grass in Zhangjiawan is the key.
Hou Xun did not mention this matter, and no one in the civil or military dynasty thought of it.
Chongzhen was so shocked that he almost fell off the throne.
At this moment, he could no longer care about his previous dissatisfaction with Hou Xun.
"Does Hou Qing have any good ideas?"
Hou Xun's face was solemn and his words were shocking.
"For the present plan, I asked you to go ahead and rush to Tongzhou. One is to save food and grass to avoid being taken advantage of by the Eastern captives; the other is to pave the way for Sun Ge Lao to take office, so that Sun Ge Lao will not waste time."
As soon as this statement came out, the whole court was in uproar.
Everyone looked at Hou Xun as if they were looking at a fool, but they couldn't help but admire him.
When the Hou Jin Dynasty was raging, instead of hiding in the city, he actually invited himself out of the city to join the war. This is completely putting yourself in danger.
However, under the difficult situation, Hou Xun was not afraid of life and death and stood out generously. This alone was enough to set an example for the officials.
Chongzhen's eyes really filled with tears and he couldn't help himself.
It’s not easy!
It’s really not easy!
I still have loyal ministers and talented people!
Not only can he make suggestions and suggestions, but he can also share your worries without avoiding danger.
Chongzhen actually stepped off the platform and grabbed Hou Xun's hand.
"Hou Qing is really my Qiancheng! As the saying goes, when the country is in trouble, we miss good generals, and when we are rough, we know loyal ministers. I have Hou Qing, so why worry about the arrogance of the Eastern captives?"
Hou Xun made an impassioned speech.
"I am a humble minister with a weak body and no strength to tie a chicken. I wish I could go into battle and kill the enemy myself. If I can break it down for my father, I will die without any regrets!"
Chongzhen was moved.
That's who he is.
Once you think a person is trustworthy, you will be 100% kind to that person.
Of course, only God knows how long this trust can last.
But now the problem raised by Hou Xun is real, and only Hou Xun is willing to go out of the city to serve at such a dangerous time.
Chongzhen no longer was stingy and hesitant, and announced in public that he would give Hou Xun the title of Shangshu of the Ministry of War and oversee the military and political affairs of the capital.
He rushed to Tongzhou in advance to handle Zhangjiawan's grain supply and at the same time set up a command center for Sun Chengzong.
Before Sun Chengzong took office, all the armies of King Qin were under the command of Hou Xun.
In other words, Hou Xun had the right to mobilize troops.
After accepting the appointment, Hou Xun did not thank him immediately, but hesitated.
Chongzhen was in a better mood and saw that he was hesitant to speak, so he asked, "Does Hou Qing have something to say?"
Hou Xun gritted his teeth and felt that he could not forget morality, so he still spoke.
"Your Majesty, Wang Sima is good at government affairs. He has made outstanding achievements in disaster relief, flood control, farming, and anti-theft. However, he does not neglect military affairs. Respect is the foundation of military affairs, which is really a great promotion. Wang Sima does not dare to live up to his holy grace and is diligent and diligent. The Eastern invaders invaded. Since then, I have seen with my own eyes that King Sima has been unable to sleep at night. Although he made some omissions in deploying troops and generals, the crime will not lead to death. He is not good at adapting to emergencies. If he encounters a sudden disaster, he will see his failure due to the difficult times."
These words were actually quite rude, almost accusing Chongzhen of causing chaos to his face.
Obviously he doesn't understand military affairs, so he can't be the minister of the Ministry of War. As a result, you see how handsome the person’s parents are, and then you put them on the shelf.
Wang Qia has a responsibility, but it is definitely not to the level of death.
Chongzhen listened silently, the anger in his heart rising again.
But Hou Xun just had the courage to take charge and proposed specific and effective measures. If he were convicted on the spot, wouldn't that mean that he would even lose the face of the Holy Lord and Mingzhu?
Feeling aggrieved, Chongzhen had to respond.
"Wang Qia is leading the military affairs. He cannot resist the Eastern invaders if he advances, and cannot rationalize his own affairs if he retreats. Although the crime will not lead to death, he will not escape the crime alive. Hou Qing does not need to say more, I have my own opinion."
However, this sentence was enough for Hou Xun.
When such a big thing happens, it is impossible for Wang Qia, the Minister of War, not to take responsibility at all. But from a capital crime to a living crime, the result is completely different.
The situation was urgent and Hou Xun did not dare to delay. He left the palace immediately after receiving the order. He didn't even return home and rushed to Tongzhou as soon as possible.
While he was still on the road, he wrote the first transfer order, which was sent out eight hundred miles away as quickly as possible.
This transfer order is of course for Zuo Mengeng.
Moreover, the transfer order specifically emphasized that the left side can act cheaply. You can make your own decisions regarding garrisoning, marching, and fighting, and there is no need to report to Hou Xun for instructions.
This is equivalent to giving Zuo Menggen an environment where fish can leap in the sea and birds can fly in the sky.
As for what kind of performance he can achieve and what kind of record he creates, it all depends on him.
Tongzhou is not far from the capital. Hou Xun entered Tongzhou City that afternoon and immediately took over the military and political power of the city.
"You will send people quickly, gather all the vehicles in the city, and follow me to Zhangjiawan. In any case, all the grain stored in Zhangjiawan must be transported into the city before early morning tomorrow."
When local officials in Tongzhou heard this order, they all got into trouble.
Zhizhou had to come forward and complain to Hou Xun.
"My lord, the local transportation capacity is really limited. Even if we mobilize all the carriages, I'm afraid it won't be enough..."
Hou Xun was impatient to hear this and shouted: "If your yamen doesn't have enough chariots and horses, go and recruit big families and ordinary people, I will only give you an hour and a half. If you don't recruit enough chariots and horses, I will chop off your heads."
All the officials couldn't sit still anymore and started to cry.
"The general administration doesn't know anything. All the big families in the city have deep backgrounds, and they are all subordinate officials..."
Hou Xun slapped his hand on the table and at the same time displayed the Wang Ming flag.
"I have obtained permission from His Majesty, and my main purpose is to resist the Eastern invaders. Anyone who resists and disobeys the order will be punished as a collaborator."
As soon as this threat came out, local officials had no choice but to bite the bullet and start confiscating vehicles.
Under the high pressure of Gaowei, these officials all burst out with unprecedented energy. It only took an hour to collect the required vehicles.
The heads of two big families hanging on the flagpole at the city gate told the officials and people in the city that the new chief minister really dared to kill people.
As soon as there were enough vehicles, Hou Xun took action immediately and rushed to Zhangjiawan.
It's still peaceful here, the freight is busy, and there is no sense of crisis at all.
Hou Xun was not polite when he saw him. Whether it was grain stored by the government or grain transported by merchants, all were confiscated and loaded into trucks and sent to Tongzhou City.
Anyone who dares to object will be killed without mercy!
At the same time, Hou Xun sent an order along the canal, asking all cargo ships coming from the south to stop in Cangzhou and not to continue going north to avoid endangering the enemy.
Hou Xun also ordered reinforcements from all walks of life to accept command from now on.
This day is the sixth day of November. Originally, on this day in history, Chongzhen would hand over the command of the troops and horses to Yuan Chonghuan, but now they are all in the hands of Hou Xun.
Hou Xun also made corresponding arrangements based on the situation of each ministry.
The general troops of Datong were stationed in Shunyi to cover the Tongzhou flank.
Hou Shilu, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, no longer went to Sanhe to avoid being driven back to Changping by Yuan Chonghuan, thus avoiding the pain of traveling back and forth.
Hou Xun directly asked Hou Shilu to come to Tongzhou to strengthen the defense of Tongzhou City.
Originally, the grain was collected in Zhangjiawan, but now it has been brought into the city. Hou Xun was not sure whether Hou Jin would attack Tongzhou because of this, so it was necessary to increase the defense force.
Changping was given the responsibility of You Shiwei to guard the north wing of the capital.
Liu Ce, the governor of Jiliao, was originally in Jizhou, but Hou Xun ordered his troops to turn around and guard the imperial mausoleum.
Originally Liu Ce would have been sent to Miyun by Yuan Chonghuan.
Poor Liu Ce, as the governor of Jiliao, was not transferred around by Governor Yuan, but was transferred around by Hou Xun.
Anyway, he has no say in the territory that originally belonged to him.
However, after Hou Xun's arrangements, the conditions of the various Ming armies were much improved.
First of all, the various armies did not waste time and supplies on the road due to chaotic deployment. They were able to wait for work while garrisoned in the fortified city.
In addition, Hou Xun also issued death orders to various places.
One is the place where various Ming armies are stationed, which must ensure the supply of food and grass for the army.
According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty, how was the food and grass provided for marching and stationed?
After receiving the transfer order from the Ministry of War and arriving at a certain place, the Ministry of War will not allocate food and grass that day. Military supplies will not be released to the army until the next day.
If it were normal times, there would be no problem in doing this, and all armies would be able to wait.
But this is wartime, and the situation is changing day by day. No one can guarantee when the troops will fight Hou Jin.
If the army is not well-fed, how can it fight?
Moreover, the Hou Jin cavalry came and went like the wind, and they still relied on the Ministry of War to allocate supplies, and they were not afraid of being robbed on the way.
In addition to ordering the local area to provide food and fodder for the garrison, Hou Xun also strictly ordered the walls to be fortified and the country cleared.
In fact, in the face of invasion by foreign enemies, strengthening the wall and clearing the field is definitely a very effective move.
When the invaders cannot obtain supplies in the wild, the only way is to attack the city.
Regardless of whether the siege is successful or not, it will be a huge loss to the attacker.
It was precisely with Hou Xun's advance arrival that the Ming army's deployment became more orderly, and the situation was much better than in the original history.
