Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 8
As soon as the thief's momentum was vented, several nobles immediately regained their spirits.

Liu Wenbing, Wei Shichun, and Zhang Qingzhen rushed into the state government office like tigers and wolves with dozens of servants, and slashed at the thieves who had just woke up from their sleep and had no time to put on their clothes.

But Chongzhen turned his horse's head and walked towards the civil servant who had just shot the arrow.

The civil servant who tried to turn the tide was Wailang Jinxuan, a member of the Military Selection Department of the Ministry of War.

Jin Xuan, according to the original historical trajectory, after the martyrdom of Chongzhen, he would also jump into the Jinshui River to die. However, the Jinshui River was too shallow to drown, so he sank his head into the mud and was able to kill himself.

Being able to suffocate himself to death is definitely a ruthless person.

Sure enough, those with only one word in their name are ruthless people, such as Tie Xuan.

Chongzhen just didn't expect that Jin Xuan's riding and shooting is also so good.

Jin Xuan was a little embarrassed by Chongzhen, bowed his bow and said: "I made the Holy Majesty laugh at me."

"It's too late for me to be grateful to Aiqing, so why not talk about laughing at me." Chongzhen patted Jin Xuan on the shoulder, and said, "Qing's riding and archery skills are not much worse than Grand Master Lu's."

"I listened to the greedy rumors back then, which caused Grand Master Lu to die in battle."

"Daming lost the pillar of the country because of this. Whenever I think about it, I often can't sleep at night."

"But today, I can sleep peacefully, because I, Ming, have a new pillar of the country."

Hearing the words, Jin Xuan's expression changed suddenly, he got off his horse and bowed to the tunnel, and said, "I'm no more than a sixth-rank lowly official in the military selection department of the Ministry of War, and I haven't made an inch of merit in the country. How dare you be so ridiculously praised as a saint, and how dare you compete with the former Grand Master Lu Gong?" on a par."

"Aiqing, please stand up." Chongzhen dismounted and helped Jin Xuan up, and said solemnly, "Although Qing is only a low-rank official today, his achievements in the future will never be inferior to Duke Lu's. I firmly believe in this."

At this time of life and death, Chongzhen had to seize every opportunity to pour chicken soup on his subordinates.

No matter how effective these chicken soups are, it's better to feed them than not to feed them. What if Jin Xuan really becomes Lu Xiangsheng's second?Anyway, this deal is not a loss.

Jin Xuan was already too excited to contain himself.

Wu Linzheng, Meng Zhaoxiang and other officials also had a first-class feeling of admiration for Chongzhen.

After the bandits broke into the capital, the Holy One seemed to have an epiphany overnight. He suddenly became more knowledgeable about soldiers, less mean and suspicious of his ministers than before, moreover he was calm and calm when encountering situations, and he was more courageous in commanding the battle. Pro-Mao Shishi, all kinds of things actually give people the feeling of the reincarnation of the first-class Taizu Chengzu.

The fighting in the state government office will soon end.

The seriously injured Jinyiwei Commander Wang Guoxing was also carried to Chongzhen.

"My lord." Wang Guoxing struggled to sit up, "Old minister, I am afraid that I will no longer be able to serve you..."

"Aiqing, don't move." Chongzhen stopped him, "You will be fine, it's thousands of miles away, and I still rely on Aiqing for your escort."

"The old minister is not good enough." Wang Guoxing shook his head, his eyes suddenly lit up, which was the flash of light.

He laughed again: "However, before dying, the old minister can see the majesty showing the posture of a dragon and a tiger. Even if he dies, it is worth it. Under the nine springs, when he sees Shenzong Guangzong and Xizong, the veteran can also tell them that I am hopeful for Ming Zhongxing. !"

Good guy, Wang Guoxing is actually a veteran of the four dynasties, and he was already the commander of Jinyiwei during the Wanli period.

After Wang Guoxing finished speaking, he kicked his legs and died. Chongzhen sighed softly and said to Wang Chengen: "Wang Daban, please write it down for me. Posthumously present Wang Guoxing as a loyal uncle, and Yin's son as Jinyiwei Qianhu."

It's just an honorable title, not worth a lot of money, but it can buy people's hearts.

Chongzhen went to see Li Ruolian and the Jin Yiwei around him again, and his expressions were quite different.

To put it bluntly, a small number of literati in this era may have lofty ideals of establishing virtue, establishing words, making meritorious deeds, and then becoming saints, but most literati and all warriors have only one simple ideal, that is, to honor their ancestors and seal their wives and sons. What's the point of selling this life to the court if they can satisfy them?

……

Li Zicheng also deeply understands the necessity of buying people's hearts.

Those who win the hearts of the people win the world, but there is a price to be paid for winning the hearts of the people.

Because before the Eastern Expedition, the Dashun Army had issued a three-year exemption banner, which meant that in the next three years, the land that the Dashun Army had just conquered would not be taxed for a grain of grain.

But raising officials and soldiers requires money and food. Where does the money and food come from?
Sitting on the dragon chair in Qianqing Palace, Li Zicheng felt a little hot in his buttocks.

Liu Zongmin repeated the old saying: "According to our old Liu, we should follow the old rules. We have already found out that those honorable officials and eunuchs in Beijing are all very rich!"

"Let's wait." Li Zicheng still hesitated.

"Chongzhen's son hasn't been caught yet, so it seems a bit too hasty to chase after the stolen goods and pay him."

"What are you waiting for, let's do it directly." Liu Zongmin said with some disapproval, "Chongzhen children can't run away, it's nothing more than a few hours earlier and a few hours later."

"Maybe it will be caught by now."

"Li You is escorting Chongzhen back to Beijing."

Li Zicheng waved his hands and said, "Maybe it's on the side of the right army division."

"Never mind him, it's all the same anyway." Liu Zongmin's heart was on recovering stolen goods and extorting money, and he said, "Brother, we have to make an agreement, and we will do it when Chongzhen returns."

"Success." Li Zicheng finally nodded.

……

There was nothing to say all night, and the time soon came to the next morning.

Li Yan led two thousand light cavalry to chase them for a whole night,
This meeting has already passed Sanhe County, and is almost at Jizhou City.

"Woo." Li Yan, who was urging the horse to rush forward, suddenly stopped the horse.

The more than two thousand riders following behind also slowed down and stopped.

"Brother, why don't you chase after me?" Li Nian asked immediately.

As the right army division and general of the Dashun Army, Li Yan stayed with Li Zicheng most of the time, so the soldiers he brought out from his hometown were usually led by his younger brother Li Nian and Li Mou.

Although Li Nian and Li Mou are young, they are as good at bow and horse as Li Yan, and they are good at shooting arrows.

When Li Zicheng conquered Xi'an and rewarded the old troops with great fanfare, Li Yan was named General of the Central Power Pro-Military System, and Li Nian and Li Mou were named General Guoyi.

"Don't you think it's abnormal?"

Li Yan looked ahead and said quietly.

"Abnormal?" Li Mou scratched his head and asked, "Which aspect is brother referring to?"

Li Yan said: "We sent out so many teams of scouts, but none of them found fresh horse manure along the way."

"Could it be because the scope of our search has become smaller?" Li Nian said, "Or maybe the imperial army of the Chongzhen old man cleaned up all the horse manure?"

"Horse manure can be swept away, but dust cannot be completely removed."

Li Yan pointed to the vegetation on both sides of the road and said, "Do you see any floating dust on these vegetation?"

By the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, due to the serious soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, the wind and sand in the capital area was already very large. In addition, the drought continued during this period, so the dust was extremely large.

If there are a large number of cavalry passing by, it is impossible for there to be no dust.

Li Nian frowned and said, "So, the old Chongzhen went to the south?"

Li Mou was disappointed when he heard the words: "Then, wouldn't our trip be in vain?"

"That's not necessarily the case." Li Yan closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Give me the general's order, the whole army should turn around and head north, follow me to Gubeikou!"

"Ok?"

"To Gubeikou?"

Li Nian and Li Mou looked at each other.

However, Li Yan had already reined in his horse's head and headed straight to the north.

It wasn't until Li Yan took dozens of steps that Li Nian and Li Mou woke up like a dream.

"Turn around, turn around and head north to Gubeikou!" The order was passed on quickly, and two thousand Qingqi rode in a circle on the wilderness, cutting diagonally to the northwest.

……

Changping Prefecture.

The Ming army woke up and was packing up.

Last night's battle was quite rewarding, not to mention the interception of several thousand stones of grain and grass, more than one hundred high-quality war horses and more than three hundred mules and horses.

Now the Ming army has more horses than people, and can achieve one war horse per capita.

There are even more than a hundred mules and horses, which can be specially used to carry grain and grass.

Chongzhen took out the last bit of porridge left in the pocket and ate it with his fingers, then put the lukewarm pocket on his head, stood up and walked out.

Seeing this, the faces of the surrounding Ming soldiers showed enthusiasm.

They really didn't expect that the emperor didn't open a small stove, but ate a big stove with them, eating brown rice porridge mixed with bran cooked by the cook.

But these big soldiers don't know that this is also a kind of chicken soup.

Eating the same food and sleeping in the same tent as the soldiers can easily gain the approval of the soldiers. This is a simple but effective way to buy people's hearts.

But the premise is that you have to bear the hardship.

When I went out, I happened to meet Wang Chengen and asked, "Wang Daban, is Uncle Changping buried?"

"Returning to the Long Live Lord, he has already been buried." Wang Cheng'en said, "But I haven't had time to engrave the tombstone and epitaph."

"The tombstone and epitaph will be engraved later." Chongzhen said as he took the saddle and put it on his horse. Wang Chengen hurried forward to help, but was stopped by Chongzhen.

"Go ahead, I have my own hands."

Chongzhen insisted on dressing his war horses.

This is an attitude, and it is also a chicken soup.

What is strengthened is the concept of being one with the soldiers.

Judging from the reaction of the soldiers, the effect is not bad.

Because there is already light in the eyes of the soldiers, not as empty as last night.

Especially civil officials such as Wang Jiayan, Wu Linzheng, Meng Zhaoxiang, etc., when they led the troops to the Yumajian last night, they all looked dead, but today they obviously came back to life.

No matter how difficult the future journey is,
But at least they see hope.

(End of this chapter)