Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 287 Happiness Comes Too Suddenly

While in Xuzhou at this time, Chongzhen was anxiously waiting for news.

Because Chongzhen has played all the cards in his hand, Huang Degong, Lu Zhenfei and even Fengyang Governor Ma Shiying have tried their best, but it is still unknown what choice Jiannu will make.

To be honest, the price paid for this counterattack against the army and civilians of Ming Dynasty can be described as extremely high.

More than [-] people were killed by the frontier troops in the ten towns alone, and more than [-] people were injured. People who went out of the city to pull out wheat seedlings were successively attacked by Jiannu, Eight Banners Mongolian, and Outer Domain Mongolian cavalry, with more than [-] casualties.

There is also the navy, which has lost more than [-] bird ships so far, and killed more than [-] officers.

This is only the casualties in Xuzhou. The Xiazhen Ming Army, Pizhou Ming Army and Fengyangfu Ming Army must have suffered casualties, especially the frontier troops in Xiazhen and Pizhou. The number of casualties will never be small.

Because Chongzhen gave the two towns a death order.

The so-called "at all costs" means that even if the frontier troops in the two towns are wiped out, even if Xia Town and Pizhou fall, they must entangle the Jiannu in front of them, and they must not be allowed to come back!

So neither Li Zicheng nor Dorgon was wrong, it was really a desperate move.

For this fierce counterattack, Chongzhen really put all his bets on it.

Then again, as long as the bet wins in the end, no matter how much money you bet on, it will be profitable, and it will be bloody, because as long as you survive this hurdle, the rest will be easy.

But what is frustrating is that we still don't know how Jiannu will choose?
Or maybe Chongzhen wasn't sure if Jiannu had hidden backhands?

Three days have passed, and there is still no definite news. Chongzhen's anxiety is getting worse day by day, so he keeps pulling Huang Zongxi, Du Yinxi and other scholars and officials to review the battle situation in Xuzhou.

Chongzhen asked again: "Gao Banban, how many catties of green crops have you received so far?"

Gao Qiqian hurriedly said: "If you go back to the Lord Long Live, you have received a total of [-] million catties of young crops that have been removed from the roots and mud, but there will be another batch of young crops shipped back to the city before evening, and the total will definitely exceed [-] million catties. "

Chongzhen nodded and said: "One mu of young crops is one hundred catties, and two hundred million catties is two million mu."

This is estimated repeatedly by Gao Qiqian, and one mu of young crops is about [-] catties.

Huang Zongxi said: "That is to say, at least two million mu of young crops are gone."

Du Yinxi said: "Xuzhou's arable land is as high as [-] million mu. Even if there is a discount, the total mu of Jiannu's farmland will definitely not be less than [-] million mu. After going to [-] million mu, there are still [-] mu. ten thousand mu."

Zheng Sen went on to say: "Based on two stones per mu, that's two million stones!"

Huang Zongxi added: "Based on the supply of three buckets per month, it is enough to support an army of [-] for one and a half years!"

"Then it's over." Chongzhen's face darkened instantly, "If the remaining one million acres of farmland cannot be destroyed, Jiannu will be enough to last until next year's winter wheat is ripe."

Huang Zongxi said: "The scout cavalry of [-] barbarians has been scattered around Guide. So far, no Jiannu army has returned to help. This shows that Jiannu is also hesitating, so we still have enough time."

Gu Yanwu said: "Even if Jiannu came back, Xuzhou's water transportation has already been opened up, and grain and rice from Huai'an Prefecture and even Yangzhou Prefecture will be continuously imported into Xuzhou, so this protracted battle still has a fight."

"It's too optimistic." Chongzhen said worriedly, "Once the slave building army returns to Xuzhou, they will definitely restore the blockade and forts on the west bank of the Yellow River. At that time, water transportation will be interrupted again. At least the tank boats will definitely not be able to reach Xuzhou."

Water ships are not like naval warships. Navy warships have sculls and sails and can walk independently, but water ships cannot.

There is no problem when the boat sails along the current, but when sailing against the current, it must pull the fiber. If both sides of the Yellow River are under the control of Jiannu, how can the tracker pull the fiber?Why don't you court death?

Zhu Cijiong said with a dark face: "Then destroy this one million acres of farmland at all costs!"

"His Royal Highness Ding, do you know what you mean at all costs?" Huang Zongxi said suddenly, "That will mean the death of hundreds of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of old and young women and children!"

Zhu Cijiong said: "No matter how much the price is paid, it is worth it."

Huang Zongxi said angrily: "The people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least. If a court is reduced to the point where it has to rely on sacrificing the people to survive, then..."

Zhu Cijiong said angrily: "Then what? Huang Zongxi, what do you want to say?"

Chongzhen's expression became even more embarrassing, but this is the reality. When things are going well, everything seems to be going smoothly, but when the situation is facing adversity, everything seems to be in chaos.

There can also be fierce conflicts between princes and scholars.

This has never happened in the past half a year or so.

"Enough, stop arguing." Chongzhen could only forcefully suppress the quarrel between the two.

Looking at the anxious Chongzhen, Li Xiangjun suddenly felt distressed, and immediately persuaded: "My lord, Jiannu must be more troubled than us at this time, because if they return to Xuzhou, they will take greater risks."

Chongzhen said: "Although this is the case, Jiannu has always dared to take risks."

The old slave concentrated his troops on one side in the Sarhu War, Huang Taiji's all-out army in the Songjin War, and the establishment of slaves this time is also an all-out army.

What is even more irritating is that Jianu's previous adventures have all won.

So things like national fortune are really mysterious sometimes, and you have to believe it.

So no one can guarantee that Dorgon will not take the risk to return to Xuzhou.

In short, before the final mystery is revealed, Chongzhen has to continue to worry.

While anxious, Chongzhen vowed secretly in his heart that as long as he survived this test, he would never repeat this situation again, because betting all his wealth against others, it is too excruciating.

If he kept betting against others like this, Chongzhen seriously doubted that he would not live to be fifty years old.

How strong is the psychological quality to bear such psychological suffering?
Chongzhen was suffering, brothers Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong, three eunuchs including Wang Chengen, Lu Jiude, and Gao Qiqian, dozens of scholars including Huang Zongxi, and officials such as Du Yinxi were also suffering.

Everyone was anxiously waiting for Jiannu's reaction.

But Jian Nu didn't respond immediately.

This torment lasted until midnight that night.

At the beginning of the year, the old and young women and children who went out to pull out the green shoots returned to Xuzhou one after another.

Naturally, Chongzhen would not let them go back to the city, and temporarily arranged the gun platforms outside the city. Anyway, there were enough gun platforms outside the city to accommodate everyone, and besides, it was already summer, so it was okay to sleep in the open.

Around the time of Chouchu, Jin Xuan and Zheng Hongkui, the navy commander, returned to Xuzhou at the same time.

Then the two came to Chongzhen's place, and reported their discovery to Chongzhen.

It was Zheng Hongkui who walked in first: "My lord, when the scout fleet of our navy entered the junction of Guide Mansion and Xuzhou, it received a group of remnant soldiers from Dashun fleeing for their lives."

"At that time, a group of Mongolian cavalry was chasing them."

"The navy's scout fleet repelled the Mongolian cavalry and rescued the remnants of Dashun."

After a pause, Zheng Hongkui continued: "The remnant soldiers of Dashun told us that they were ambushed by the main force of the slave establishment on the way to Guide Mansion, and the [-] army has collapsed."

"Fifty thousand people?" Huang Zongxi said, "Did they say who the general is?"

Zheng Hongkui said: "I told you, the chief general is Liu Zongmin, the number one general under the command of the intruder."

Huang Zongxi said: "Your Majesty, this is interesting. Jiannu actually ambushed the pseudo-Shun army at this time, and what is even more interesting is that the pseudo-Shun army actually attacked Guide Mansion at this time?"

Zhu Cijiong said: "Something unknowable must have happened between Pseudo-Shun and Jiannu."

Xu Yingwei said: "We might as well make a bold guess. Jiannu wanted to set up a trap before returning to Xuzhou. He took advantage of Pseudo-shun's eagerness to hunt down and kill a carbine? Then Pseudo-shun really fell into Jiannu's scheme."

"Not necessarily." Huang Zongxi shook his head and said, "It's impossible for Pseudo-Shun to have such kindness to chase Jiannu for us."

Xu Yingwei said: "What if the pseudo-shun is not for us, but just wants to take advantage of the opportunity to attack Guide?"

"Well, there is such a possibility." Huang Zongxi nodded and said, "Emperor Pseudo-Shun, Prime Minister Niu Jinxing, and that Zuo Junjun Song Xiance, I don't think they are visionary figures, maybe they really have such careful thoughts."

Xu Yingwei said: "Then the question now is, after Jiannu plotted against the Puppet Shun army, should he return to Xuzhou, or take the opportunity to turn around Kaifeng Mansion?"

Huang Zongxi said: "It's hard to say, both are possible."

As soon as the words were finished, Jin Xuan also walked in hurriedly.

"Jin Qing!" Chongzhen asked anxiously, "Did you find anything there?"

"Your Majesty." Jin Xuan cupped his hands, "I'm afraid Jian Nu is going to retreat!"

"What?" Chongzhen didn't hear it clearly, or he had already heard it clearly, but he just couldn't believe it, so he had to confirm with Jin Xuan again to be at ease.

Jin Xuan repeated with a serious face: "My lord, Jiannu is about to retreat!"

When he said it the first time, Jin Xuan still used the word "I am afraid", but when he said it the second time, the word "I am afraid" was gone, because he was already sure that Jiannu had indeed retreated.

"Jiannu has retreated!" Chongzhen was stunned.

Happiness came so suddenly that Chongzhen was a little at a loss.

Huang Zongxi, Du Yinxi, Zheng Sen and other officials and scholars also looked at each other in blank dismay.

When Jiannu didn't retreat, they all hoped that Jiannu would retreat, but Jiannu did retreat, but they couldn't believe it. The human mind is so complicated.

"Haha, Jiannu has retreated!"

After a long while, Chongzhen finally realized.

Excited, Chongzhen immediately hugged the person closest to him.

"Jiannu has retreated, Jiannu has finally retreated!" Chongzhen yelled twice in excitement, only to realize that it was Li Xiangjun who was hugged by him, and his pretty face was flushed with shame at this time.

(End of this chapter)