The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 261 Iron Stone
The wheel of history is rolling forward, and although many things have changed, it has not completely deviated from the original track.

In the 12th year of Chongzhen, the [-]th day of the first lunar month, the ninth day after the Battle of Jinan.

Within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, north of Zhili, north of Wuqiao County, Hejian Prefecture.

Red flags are spread all over the countryside, like a prairie fire.

The forts are stacked on top of each other, stretching for more than ten miles. At a glance, they look like a vast river and sea.

Wuqiao, a small town that has been unknown for thousands of years, was remembered by people all over the world in the fourth year of Chongzhen.

Kong Youde's troops, who led the army to the north for reinforcements, encountered heavy rain and snow in spring, and the troops were short of supplies and fell into a dilemma of hunger and cold. However, the prefectures and counties along the way closed their city gates and refused to transport food for relief.

Everyone knew what happened next. The mutiny broke out, and Kong Youde led his troops to capture many cities in Shandong. They were unstoppable along the way.

The consequences of Kong Youde's defection were extremely serious, and even laid the groundwork for the subsequent collapse of the Ming court.

Sun Yuanhua, the governor of Denglai, died unjustly in prison. The imperial court mobilized reinforcements from all walks of life, and it took eighteen months to finally put down the rebellion.

Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming and others led their troops to leave Shandong, and Fuhai finally surrendered to Houjin.

Kong Youde's defection changed the situation of Houjin at that time. Although Houjin had won consecutive battles at that time, it had actually begun to gradually be at a disadvantage.

The winding Great Wall blocked their way south, and the deep and solid high castle hindered their attack.

The shortcomings in the ability to attack fortresses and naval battles made it impossible for Houjin to continue to expand their results.

However, the arrival of Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming solved this problem for Hou Jin.

Kong Youde brought a total of more than twenty Hongyi cannons, as well as the fleet, cannon-casting craftsmen, and elite gunners that Houjin urgently needed at that time.

Wuqiao has since become a county name that the entire Shandong officialdom does not want to mention anymore.

Rushing north to help, traveling and traveling tirelessly, to rush to the national disaster, what you get in exchange is not fame, fortune, nor dignity and honor.

All along the way, I encountered blank stares and endless neglect. Not to mention the salary, even having a full meal or wearing a cotton coat was a luxury...

Feather-like snowflakes fell from the sky one after another, and the sky and the earth were vast.

The cold north wind seems to be telling stories of the past.

The wilderness is covered in white snow, with snow-covered woods lining both sides of the broad avenue, and the outlines of dilapidated villages standing in the white snow.

On the far horizon, black smoke was rising from below.

Passing through the many military tents, the gates were locked in the center of the Ming army camp in the north of Wuqiao County. A huge green curtain tent was surrounded by burqa belts and sharp armored soldiers.

A tall tooth flag was erected in front of the tent. This was Sun Chuanting's Chinese army tent.

"Wow——"

Chen Wang was wearing a bright red cloak. He bent slightly and walked slowly out of the Chinese army's tent, making a slight sound as he passed through the tent door.

Outside the camp, a group of armored soldiers with robes and belts standing with their swords in hand followed the sound. The air almost condensed at this moment, and a chilling air suddenly rose up.

Originally, when I went to the north to serve as King Qin, I heard about the viciousness of Jiannu. The names of people, the shadows of trees, and the morale of each battalion and army were inevitably affected.

The morale in the army has always been very low. Not to mention the other battalions, even the Hanzhong Army led by Chen Wang himself was also a little afraid of the Qing army at the beginning.

The reason why the momentum was so low at the beginning was because the rumored Jiannu was too terrifying, with green faces and fangs, cannibalism and bloodthirsty, just like a demon. People could not help but feel fear just by hearing about it. Even before the battle, they were already... The momentum should first be timid.

The soldiers from each battalion who followed Sun Chuanting to rush for reinforcements were elite soldiers from all three sides of Qin.

Since the victory in the two battles outside Zhending and Jinan City, the Qin soldiers no longer fear the slaves, nor the Qing soldiers.

The strong spirit of the past reappeared, and the momentum of each battalion and army was more than a few times stronger than when they first came out of Tongguan. It was the time when fighting spirit was high and the momentum was like a rainbow.

None of the armored soldiers guarding the central military tent looked anything like what they looked like. Every one of them was fought out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

Lu Xiangsheng took the lead and often went into battle. He was extremely brave. Even some generals who were born as generals and practiced martial arts all year round could not compare with Lu Xiangsheng.

Sun Chuanting was the same as Lu Xiangsheng. Although they were both civil servants, and although they were not as skilled in martial arts as Lu Xiangsheng, they never lacked the courage to go into battle.

During the Battle of Heishui Valley, Sun Chuanting led his troops in front of the formation, arrayed in ten layers, fought fiercely with the elite troops of the intruders, and even braved arrows and stones to charge into the formation.

These pacesetters who were directly under Sun Chuanting were trained rigorously and fought bravely. They were all experienced soldiers.

All the pacesetters had sharp eyes, but when they saw that the person who paid the bill was Chen Wangzhi, all the pacesetters guarding outside the camp bowed their heads slightly and saluted.

In the military, generals with outstanding achievements can always capture the respect of the soldiers.

Not to mention the halo of leading by example and being brave and good at fighting.

Zhending's fierce battle, Jiazhuang's capture, and Jinan's rescue made Chen Wang's reputation rise.

No soldier likes to follow a mediocre general, because mediocrity itself is often a crime on the battlefield, and many times it is even the root of a complete defeat.

Chen Wang's eyes did not stay on the pacesetters outside the camp, nor did he notice the eyes of those pacesetters, because now all his mind was focused on post-war arrangements.

Historically, after the capture of Jinan, the Qing army turned north and planned to withdraw after completing the looting.

After Sun Chuanting took over the post of governor of Lu Xiangsheng, he learned the lesson of Lu Xiangsheng's disguise as a disciple and followed him, so he adopted the strategy of copying the past.

The so-called advance strategy is to set up ambushes and defenses in the dangerous passes of the river, the only way for the Qing army to retreat north, to consume the strength of the Qing army and rescue the plundered people.

The Qing army looted and obtained a large amount of property, gold and silver along the way, and also captured many civilians. Therefore, the speed of the army's march was seriously slowed down.

But the Ming army marched lightly and simply, so they could naturally set up defenses in advance.

In history, Sun Chuanting adopted the strategy of "copying the front", which was considered to have achieved certain results. He defeated several battles and rescued some people who had been robbed.

The measures taken by the Qing army in response to the Ming army's advance were not head-on battles, but constant movements. They divided their troops in various places to contain the Ming army's strength, or stood still to weaken the Ming army's defenses.

The first reason for this is that the Qing army, which robbed a large amount of gold and silver property and a large number of people and livestock at this time, had no intention of fighting.

The second reason is that the Qin Wang Ming army under the command of Sun Chuanting is indeed not bad in combat power and has the courage to fight in the field. They are not a weak brigade that was defeated at one stroke. The strength shown in successive battles also gave them the opportunity to enter the pass. The Qing army also brought a lot of pressure.

The current situation is better than the original course of history.

Xuan Dajun, who originally suffered heavy losses in history and lost the ability to fight again, has regained a certain degree of combat effectiveness after resting.

Jiazhuang was not defeated, and Jinan was not captured. On the contrary, there were great victories in Zhending several places, which greatly increased the momentum of the troops from various places to assist King Qin.

In the battle to relieve the siege of Jinan, Sun Chuanting led the troops to push back the main force of the Qing army. The good news of lifting the siege of Jinan was conveyed to the capital, and the whole city was excited.

Chongzhen issued an imperial edict to commend the three armies for their fierce fighting, and gave Sun Chuanting the honorary title. As a result, the morale of the three armies was high, and all departments were high-spirited to fight.

However, Sun Chuanting was still as cautious as in history, and still adhered to the established strategy of not attacking lightly, guarding strictly, and waiting for opportunities to attack.

Therefore, Chen Wang expected that the subsequent situation should not be much different from the original historical process.

After that, there should be only a few larger battles in Dong'an, Wuqing, Jizhou, Lengkou Pass, and Taipingzhai.

In the wars that broke out in these places, the Ming army took the initiative to launch attacks to rescue the plundered people and recapture the looted property. The Qing army mainly defended, and the intensity of the fighting was not strong.

The wind and snow are fierce, and the cold wind is biting.

Chen Wang tightened his tight cloak, and his eyes were slightly focused. He saw a few figures standing outside the central military camp not far away. They looked familiar, but the lights were dim, but it was difficult to see them. Who is it?

Chen Wang paused for a moment, then stepped forward and walked out of the camp gate.When he came closer, Chen Wang could see clearly who was standing at the camp gate.

The person standing at the front was Cao Wenzhao, who had just left the tent first.

Cao Wenzhao was wearing a crimson military attaché uniform with a fur coat, standing with his hands behind his back.

Standing beside Cao Wenzhao were Cao Bianjiao and Cao Dingjiao.

"For a humble position, see the general."

Chen Wang's belief changed. He knew that Cao Wenzhao might be waiting for him because of some important things, so he quickened his pace a little, lowered his head and bowed in salute.

"Get up."

Cao Wenzhao's gentle voice sounded in Chen Wang's ears.

"Let's talk as we walk."

The dim lights danced in Cao Wenzhao's eyes. He glanced back at the Chinese army tent not far away, and then walked slowly towards the darkness in the north.

Chen Wang responded in agreement, and after meeting Cao Bianjiao and Cao Dingjiao, he quickly quickened his pace and kept up with Cao Wenzhao's pace, walking slightly behind Cao Wenzhao on the right side.

"The slanderous discussion was fierce, and the storm was rising in the court."

The first sentence of Cao Wenzhao made Chen Wang's heart lift.

"Governor Hong, Governor Sun, and I may all be left in the North."

The appointments from the imperial court have been made, and Sun Chuanting was transferred to the post of Governor of Baoding, in charge of the military affairs of Baoding, Shandong and Henan provinces.

Hong Chengchou was also transferred to the governor-general of Jiliao to take charge of Liaodong affairs.

"To be precise, we may all be left in the Northland."

"The entrance of Donglu was to harm Zhili in the north and to cause chaos in Shandong. The emperor was furious. Shanhaiguan, Ningyuan, Jizhou and other towns were defeated one after another, which made the emperor lose confidence in them."

"The rogue bandits in the pass have been eliminated, and news has been sent from the DPRK. The emperor wants to mobilize elite troops from the three sides to strengthen the Liaodong border defense to resist the Donglu outside the pass."

Cao Wenzhao's voice was low, floating in the night sky with the cold wind, making Chen Wang's heart slowly freeze.

Although Chen Wang had already heard all this, but hearing it from Cao Wenzhao himself, he still couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness in his heart.

"The three battles of Zhending, Jiazhuang, and Jinan were victorious, which stirred up discussions in the court and gave rise to other ideas in the emperor's mind."

Cao Wenzhao's eyebrows were lowered, and his entire face was completely hidden in the darkness.

Chen Wang also heard a little about what Cao Wenzhao said.

During this period, the edicts issued by Chongzhen were all praises for the Qin army, but almost all reprimands for the Liaodong army, which was uncharacteristically true.

Different from history, Gao Qiqian was severely reprimanded by Chongzhen and ordered to make meritorious service for his crime.

If it weren't for the sudden change of generals, I'm afraid he might have been taken down on the spot even if he was high and low.

Chen Wang also knew the reason for such a difference.

In the original historical process, Gao Qiqian did not receive much punishment. He collapsed at the first touch of the enemy, and the Liaodong Army, which avoided the enemy without fighting, did not receive much blame either.

Instead, the Qin army and the towns in northern Zhili were punished after many hard battles.

The reason for this is very simple, because the battle strength of the towns in Northern Zhili is weak, the Qin soldiers are cautious in fighting under the leadership of Sun Chuanting, Chongzhen does not know the details, and the Qing soldiers are still staying in the pass, so they can only temporarily rely on Liaodong in the pass military.

But today is different from the past, the situation has changed.

Sun Chuanting led the Qin army to successive victories, which not only inspired the reinforcements in the towns, but also emboldened Chongzhen, so he unceremoniously issued an order to hold Gao Qiqian and the Liaodong Army accountable.

"Governor Sun should have made many things clear to you in the past few days. Although what you did in Hanzhong was outrageous, it was widely effective."

Cao Wenzhao stopped, turned slightly sideways, and asked slowly.

"Yes."

Chen Wang nodded and replied.

Although I had known that many things could not be kept secret, whether it was land reclamation, military machinery, military training and population expansion, these things were all in the fields and could be seen at a glance.

As for the rest of the things, you can know the details with a little attentiveness, and you can't hide anything at all.

Sun Chuanting knew far more than Chen Wang originally expected.

That day on the city tower, Chen Wang also learned from Sun Chuanting how close he was to being dismissed.

"The Governor has told me the worst-case scenario."

The worst-case scenario is that he really stays in Beizhili in the future, resigns from the position of deputy commander-in-chief of Hanzhong Town, and is transferred to a border town in Beizhili.

However, he is not just an ordinary deputy commander-in-chief. If he really stays in Beizhili, Chen Wang will also be in charge of military training in various towns.

At the same time, Sun Chuanting also planned to open up farming and military manufacturing rights to Chen Wang.

If you really get these permissions, even being transferred to the Northland is not completely unacceptable.

After a year of rectification, Hanzhong Wei has almost fallen under his control.

Especially in the two newly established Thousand Household Offices, everyone from the Qianhu household to the military household can be regarded as his direct lineage and controlled by Chen Wang.

Even if you are not in Hanzhong Mansion, you can still remotely control the development of Hanzhong Guard, and the cornerstone is still there.

only……

Chen Wang knew very well that Sun Chuanting's promise would be in vain in the end.

Sun Chuanting is indeed a man of his word. He has a very strategic vision and sufficient courage and talent.

But Sun Chuanting, the governor of Baoding, did not last long.

Because just six months later, it was July 12, the 23th year of Chongzhen.

Sun Chuanting will be arrested and imprisoned by the Jinyi Guards, and will spend three full years in prison.

And it was during this short period of three years that the world underwent great changes, chaos arose, and the situation took a turn for the worse, and it was out of control.

……

All the plans were in chaos, and all the planning was in vain.

Chen Wang's heart went back and forth a thousand times, and the dim road in front of him seemed to indicate an unknown future.

A small impatience will mess up a big plan... After all, his heart is not made of iron and stone, and after all, he cannot be cruel...

In troubled times, perhaps only those people can go further...

When the Qing army entered the Pass, they were able to occupy the Central Plains and dominate all parties because of the extremely sharp butcher's knife in their hands.

They used the butcher knives in their hands to kill off all the rebels and rebellious ministers, subdued all opposition voices, and finally won everything they wanted and became the masters of the East...

(End of this chapter)