The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 264 Shangfang Sword

Chongzhen 12th year, the first day of March.

On the second day after the Qian'an forward was frustrated, the Qing army suddenly changed the direction of its attack. Taking advantage of the wind and snow stopping in the early morning, they concentrated their forces to attack Hongmen Zhuozi Ridge and Si'er Valley.

Chen Guowei, the commander-in-chief of the Santun Battalion who was guarding the local area, saw the Qing army's strength and actually led his troops to flee without fighting. As a result, the Qing army easily occupied the key terrain of Qingshan Pass and nearby mountains and peaks.

When the news of the fall of Qingshan Pass reached Sun Chuanting's ears, Sun Chuanting was still sitting in Yong'an Mansion, coordinating the situation of soldiers and horses in various places, while dealing with the Qing army outside the pass who was attacking the key point.

On this day, all the generals of the Ming Army also saw another side of Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting is usually serious in speech and orderly, and rarely expresses joy or anger.

But when the news of the fall of Qingshan Pass came, Sun Chuanting, who was arranging defenses in the Chinese military tent, overturned the desk to the ground.

In the western suburbs of Yong'an Mansion, the Ming Army camp.

In the Chinese military tent, Sun Chuanting's face was as heavy as water, and the air even condensed because of it.

Below the tent, a group of generals from each battalion who had just arrived from their respective camps were standing with their heads lowered and their eyes down.

No one dared to touch Sun Chuanting's troubles at this time and make himself uncomfortable. This was the first time that Sun Chuanting had become so angry.

Chen Wang and Cao Bianjiao followed Cao Wenzhao into the tent, and then stood among the crowd.

Because of his rank, the messenger told him what was going on in advance, and Chen Wang also learned about the fall of Qingshan Pass.

Qingshan Pass is also a pass on the Great Wall, located in the branch of Yanshan Mountain, in the hinterland of Daqingshan Mountain.

Since then, the Great Wall has meandered past, and the castle was built on a platform at the foot of the mountain, hence the name Qingshan Pass.

Although the traffic at Qingshan Pass is worse than in Lengkou, Xifengkou and other places, it can still be used as an exit.

In the original time and space, the Qing army also captured the exit of Qingshan Pass.

Chen Wang knew history. He remembered that Qingshan Pass was where the Qing army exited during the Wuyin Incident. Therefore, he had already advised Sun Chuanting in advance, mentioning that Qingshan Pass might be selected by the Qing army as one of the exit points.

After the previous battles, his status in Sun Chuanting's heart was much higher. Therefore, Sun Chuanting also valued his opinions and personally ordered Chen Guowei, the commander-in-chief of Santun Battalion, to lead nearly [-] soldiers and horses to guard Qingshan Pass.

Near Qingshan Pass is the location of Jizhou Town. Chen Xinjia led an army of [-] to garrison in Jizhou Town.

Most of the 3 people under Chen Xinjia came from the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi. They were elite soldiers trained and reorganized by Lu Xiangsheng. Some of them came all the way from Shanxi with Hong Chengchou to help, and rested in the capital for nearly a month. After more than a month, Qin's elite gathered their strength and strength.

Encouraged by their previous victories, the Ming troops in each town had high morale and fighting spirit.

Not only that, the battalions in each town also received the military pay that had been delayed until late February, and received sufficient food and grass supplements.

The only person who can lead all of this is Yang Sichang, who is surrounded by the Holy Family at this time.

The Qing army invaded and invaded, burning, killing, looting and wreaking havoc for thousands of miles. Yang Sichang, as the minister of the Ministry of War, had already been blamed for such things.

The more results Sun Chuanting can achieve, the more he can alleviate Yang Sichang's guilt. Under such circumstances, Yang Sichang will naturally do his best.

Jizhou Town is not far from Qingshan Pass. As long as Chen Guowei is a little tougher, he can block the first wave of the Qing army's attack. When Chen Xinjia leads his troops to rush over for reinforcements, it will not be difficult to defend Qingshan Pass.

After all, the main force of the Qing army is still in the north of Yutian. There is not much movement, and there are not many troops attacking Qingshan Pass.

But Chen Guowei was as timid as a mouse and ran away, which directly opened a huge hole in the originally airtight defense network.

Chen Wang sighed in his heart, Jiuzhen Jiuzhen was almost rotten to the core.

Although Liaodong is also bad, the soldiers in Liaodong are not really without combat effectiveness.

However, Jizhen's performance has always been lackluster. After several rectifications, it still achieved little results.

Chen Guowei fled in fear of the enemy, which was both unexpected and reasonable.

It's a pity that the current situation is already the best for them, but they fall short at the last moment.

If Chen Guowei insisted on holding Qingshan Pass, the Qing army would inevitably suffer huge losses, and they would also be able to rescue more people who were kidnapped.

"Where is Chen Wang?"

While he was thinking, Chen Wang suddenly heard Sun Chuanting's shout.

"The end is here."

Chen Wang responded subconsciously.

The generals and commanders standing around Chen Wang all turned their attention to Chen Wang and at the same time made way for a passage.

Chen Wang came back to his senses, followed the passage left by the crowd, met Sun Chuanting's gaze, stepped forward, clasped his fists with his hands, bowed with his head lowered, and answered again.

"The general is here."

Sun Chuanting's expression was cold and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk. He took a step forward and said in a cold voice.

"Chen Guowei, the commander-in-chief of the Third Tun Battalion, escaped before the battle, causing the loss of Qingshan Pass, and allowed the slaves to break the siege. This is an unpardonable crime!"

"The generals and generals of the three armies were all brave and brave, and the soldiers and civilians at the top and bottom risked their lives. When they saw that the encirclement was successful, they fell short due to cowardice!"

Sun Chuanting pressed the knife with one hand and carried the belt with the other. Facing Chen Wang, he ordered solemnly.

"I order you to immediately hold Shang Fangjian and rush to the north of Jizhou Town to punish Chen Guowei and correct military law!"

When Sun Chuanting issued the order, it was like a big stone falling into the calm water, and it immediately stirred up thousands of waves among the generals in the military tent.

For governors who hold great power, the emperor usually gives Shang Fangjian to show his respect, which also means granting him the power to act expediently.

After all, fighter planes disappear in an instant on the battlefield. If everything needs to be reported and everything needs to be asked for instructions, it will inevitably delay military affairs. Therefore, the governor actually has the power to act expeditiously, and Shang Fangjian is just a symbol most of the time.

Basically no one takes the right to kill first and report later.

For so long, Yuan Chonghuan is the only one who has truly exercised the right to kill first and report later. He has taken action directly without going to trial.

However, Yuan Chonghuan borrowed the power of Shang Fangjian to land on Dongjiang Island and kill Mao Wenlong first and then report the past events, which caused great shock among the government and the public at that time.

The generals in each town were in danger and did not even dare to step out of the barracks for fear of repeating the same mistakes.

Yuan Chonghuan's final fate was to be executed by Lingchi in the capital. One of the charges was specifically for killing the commander, accusing him of killing Mao Wenlong, the commander-in-chief of Pingliao, without trial.

Chen Guowei fled in fear of the enemy and refused to fight. He should indeed be punished or even beheaded, but all of this must first be convicted by the court.

Although Chen Guowei and Mao Wenlong cannot be compared, although they are both general soldiers, Chen Guowei is actually much lower in rank.

To put it simply, Dongjiang Town under Mao Wenlong was huge, almost comparable to the original Jiubian Town.

The town led by Chen Guowei is just a small town.

Moreover, it has been confirmed that Chen Guowei did escape without a fight, but the court has not yet convicted him.

When Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong in the past, many of the crimes he assigned to Mao Wenlong were unfounded.

But no matter how unbearable Chen Guowei is, he is still the commander-in-chief of a town, the pinnacle of the battalion generals, and the highest position among the military officials. He is not an ordinary general or guerrilla.

Since the Tumubao Revolution, the emphasis has been on civil affairs over military affairs. Later on, civil affairs have been used to control military affairs. Civilian governors have the power to control the general troops of all walks of life, formulate strategies, and issue orders.

However, no matter how powerful the governor's power is, he does not have the right to kill the commander-in-chief of a town, neither emotionally nor rationally.

Chen Guowei did deserve to die, but he shouldn't have died in the hands of Sun Chuanting.As the commander-in-chief of a town, as the top military official, he could be killed without trial.

Ordinary generals like them could be executed even more arbitrarily.

In the military tent, the atmosphere almost condensed for a moment, and the eyes of all the generals and commanders in the tent were directed towards Sun Chuanting.

Chen Wang stood at the front of the crowd with his hands clasped, not daring to bow, not daring to lower his head, and not daring to answer orders.

The order issued by Sun Chuanting made him feel tremendous pressure. If he responded to the military order at this time, he didn't know what kind of impact it would have.

But it would be impossible not to accept it. Sun Chuanting had already issued a military order. If he did not accept it, he would be disobeying the order.

Sun Chuanting has now begun to regard him as a confidant, and his status in Sun Chuanting's heart is gradually rising.

The reason why Sun Chuanting had just personally ordered him to be called by name was precisely because he regarded him as a confidant.

If he does not accept the military order now, his evaluation in Sun Chuanting's heart will inevitably be lowered.

"Governor..."

Just when Chen Wang was about to bite the bullet and obey the military order, Cao Wenzhao's voice happened to ring from his ears.

"Please also ask the Governor to temporarily calm down the anger of Thunder."

In his peripheral vision, Chen Wang saw Cao Wenzhao emerging from the crowd, and his tense spirit relaxed.

"Chen Guowei cannot escape the blame for establishing slaves and breaking the siege. However, the commander-in-chief neglected his duty. He should wait for the court to discuss the crime first..."

"I know."

Before Cao Wenzhao finished speaking, he was interrupted by Sun Chuanting.

Chen Wang felt a chill in his heart, raised his head, and met Sun Chuanting's sharp eyes.

Sun Chuanting's sharp eyes slowly swept over the generals in the military tent, and his voice was terrifyingly low.

"But when Jian Nu broke out of the siege and captured Qingshan Pass, the situation took a turn for the worse. Times were difficult, and extraordinary things must be done."

Chen Guowei was under the establishment of Jizhou Town and was not under the jurisdiction of Sun Chuanting.

Although Sun Chuanting had the power to command the troops and horses of King Qin in various towns, he only had the power of temporary control.

"Although I have been ordered to be the governor and command the troops of the King of Qin in various towns, in reality I am only in name but not in reality."

Sun Chuanting stepped forward again, stood with his sword in hand, and spoke again with a tone that left no room for doubt.

And what he said again brought an end to Chen Guowei's fate.

"Chen Guowei left behind not only Qingshan Pass, but also hundreds of thousands of people who were kidnapped by the slaves. Those common people and elders will be taken outside the pass by the slaves to work as slaves and maids, and to work as cattle and horses!"

Sun Chuanting stepped on the overturned desk, gritted his teeth, and spoke sternly.

"With the fall of Qingshan Pass, Jiannu will march north in large numbers. Jiannu has nearly [-] infantry and cavalry. Our army is united with Xuanda, Guan Ning and other town troops, and the strength is only comparable to them."

"Speaking of other people's ambitions, Jiannu has a strong fighting force, and often defeats more with less. With equal strength, our army is undoubtedly at a disadvantage."

"Under the current situation, only by working together as one and the other in all towns can we stabilize the situation and save more people."

"But how difficult is it to work together as one?"

Sun Chuanting's eyes were firm and he said in a deep voice.

"If military law is not up to par, how can we run an army? If rewards and punishments are unclear, how can we serve the masses?!"

"I killed Zhao Guowei not because I wanted to kill the general, but because I had no choice but to do it."

"In the current situation, the only way to rectify military law by killing Zhao Guowei is to make the generals know my intention of decisive victory!"

Sun Chuanting held his head high and spoke loudly, his eyes full of sharpness as he looked around.

The nearest guard was already holding Shang Fang Sword in his arms and standing beside Sun Chuanting.

Chen Wang was moved in his heart. After Sun Chuanting's words fell, he had already understood the key to it.

Qingshan Pass was captured, and it was impossible to stop the Qing army from leaving the pass.

According to intelligence reports, the Qing army still has at least [-] soldiers ready to fight.

And they only have 3 people. Even if Chen Xinjia's 6 troops are included, there are only more than [-] people.

The two Ming armies totaled no more than 6 people, and most importantly, because the Qin army accounted for a larger proportion, the number of cavalry was relatively smaller.

If you are fighting on foot against a horse, once you lose, you will be defeated thousands of miles away, but if you win, you won't gain much.

If only two armies were to attack the Qing army, they would suffer heavy casualties if they were defeated, and it would be hard to win even if they won.

However, the unit with many cavalry was the Guan Ning Army under Gao Qiqian.

Gao Qiqian stood still twice, first sitting back and watching the fierce battle in Jiazhuang, and then sitting back and watching Jinan besieged.

Although after being reprimanded, Gao Qiqian led his troops to fight several field battles with the Qing army, he was no longer as timid as before.

But after all, we can't completely rest assured.

Moreover, the arrogant and powerful generals in Guanning and Liaodong are difficult to control. Once they find that the situation is not right, they will retreat without hesitation to preserve their strength.

Anyway, as long as the soldiers under his command are still there, the court will only pick them up high and put them down gently, without any real and personal punishment. This is the court's historical behavior.

On the contrary, most of those generals who risk their lives and fight desperately will have a good ending...

The reason why Sun Chuanting knew that he had gone too far but still wanted to kill Chen Guowei was precisely because he wanted to change the Northland general's view on such things.

Killing Chen Guowei was actually just a signal to convey a message.

Sun Chuanting wanted to tell the generals in the other towns not to hold on to the old ideas and preserve their strength.

Forcing the soldiers from Guanning and other towns to join the battle, forcing Gao Qiqian to lead the troops to close up, and at the same time establishing an authority.

The troops from various towns were gathered to fight against the Qing army in separate battles to maintain the turbulent situation.

If military law is not good, how can we run an army?
If rewards and punishments are unknown, how can we convince the public?
Sun Chuanting's words were like a heavy hammer hitting the hearts of the generals in the tent, suppressing the original dissatisfaction in their hearts.

Chen Wang looked sideways at Cao Wenzhao, and what came into view was Cao Wenzhao's calm face.

Chen Wang was clear in his heart. Cao Wenzhao probably understood what Sun Chuanting meant from the beginning. He stood up just to let Sun Chuanting explain everything so that the generals could be convinced.

Cao Wenzhao put down his hand and pressed down gently. All this fell into Chen Wang's eyes. This was obviously Cao Wenzhao's signal to him.

Sun Chuanting has already said this, and he will no longer suffer the hostility of everyone after accepting the military order.

At that moment, Chen Wang no longer hesitated and took another step forward, reaching the front of the generals.

Then he knelt on one knee, looked solemn, and loudly agreed to the military order issued by Sun Chuanting.

"Little general, take orders!"

(End of this chapter)