The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Managing the military and government is easier said than done.

The ease lies in the fact that everyone knows what to do.

As long as you reward the good and punish the evil, and do both kindness and power, you will be successful.

The easy part is here, but the hard part is here.

Rewarding good and punishing evil, and practicing kindness and power at the same time are easy to say, but extremely difficult to do.

Reality is not a game. No one can know the ability of his subordinates.

No one can know whether their subordinates are truly loyal.

All judgments can only be made based on the messages received.

The news delivered from below may be distorted, concealed, or fabricated. It is difficult to distinguish the details of all this when one is dazzled.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the government was in chaos, corruption was common, and parties were feuding and fighting against each other.

When Chongzhen ascended the throne, he killed Wei Zhongxian, but failed to find a close associate to replace Wei Zhongxian.

The power of the factory guards was weakened by himself. Until Chongzhen came back to his senses and understood that those courtiers who talked about the country's justice and seemed to be extremely upright could only talk empty talk, and even many of them were filthy, but it was already too late. many.

After Yuan Chonghuan's incident, Chongzhen tried to strengthen the factory guard force several times, but in the end he had little effect.

Chongzhen thought that the eunuchs who had been following him would be sincere to him, but after all, he misjudged many people.

The corruption in the court also affected the military and palace.

A lot of the information that can be passed to the palace, even the information passed by Jin Yiwei and Dongchang, is actually distorted.

Those who serve the country with all their heart will be exposed in the wilderness; those who whitewash the war reports will be promoted and honored.

Those who have the courage to do their job will be severely punished repeatedly; those who shirk responsibility will be rewarded and promoted.

Those who strictly observe military discipline are reprimanded; those who indulge in military plunder are not held accountable.

Those who are upright and unyielding will be exposed to rumors; those who form cliques for personal gain will seize high positions.

Money opens the way, official career is prosperous, gold and jade are used as chariots, and they go straight to the blue clouds!
……

When Chen Wang saw Zuo Liangyu again, more than four years had passed since the last meeting in Chunhua.

Although more than four years have passed, Chen Wang still remembers what Zuo Liangyu said to him at that time, and also remembers Zuo Liangyu who was so high-spirited because of his victory.

However, Zuo Liangyu, who is now sitting in front of Chen Wang, is full of twilight energy and lacks any of the high spirits of the past.

Zuo Liangyu sat back on the chair, his eyes were dull, his face was dark, his back was no longer as straight as before, and he no longer had the sharp momentum of the past.

Zuo Liangyu was only 40 years old and had just reached his forties, but Chen Wang noticed that Zuo Liangyu even had a lot of gray hair on his temples.

Chen Wang remembers the first time he met Zuo Liangyu in Shaanxi.

At that time, Zuo Liangyu was like a tiger and a dragon, full of vigor and vitality. He was completely different from his current image.

From Zuo Liangyu's body now, there is no trace of him from back then.

But Chen Wang also knew the reason for all this.

Not long ago, on July 25, Zuo Liangyu fell into ambush in Luohou Mountain and returned in defeat.

All the military seals and letters were lost, all military supplies and equipment were thrown away, and as many as ten thousand soldiers died. Luo Dai, the deputy commander-in-chief, died in the battle, and more than ten people below the rank of general and guerrilla were killed.

The military order to march was given by Xiong Wencan.

The rebellion of Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai and a group of bandits made Xiong Wencan feel that disaster was imminent.

Xiong Wencan knew very well that once Zhang Xianzhong and others rebelled and the Southern Kingdom was in trouble again, he, the prime minister of the six provinces, would be done with it.

So Xiong Wencan hurriedly ordered the commander-in-chief Zuo Liangyu to lead his troops to suppress the attack.

Zuo Liangyu naturally refused to go to quell the rebellion, because the area around Yunxiang was full of mountains and the road was dangerous, making it difficult to transport food and make it difficult to catch up.

And the most important thing is that Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai and others have been entrenched in Yunxiang for a year, so they are probably well prepared.

The enemy army is waiting for work. They are thousands of miles away and the enemy army occupies a favorable location, but they are as if they are blind and find it difficult to win.

Knowing that he could not explain himself to the court, he hoped that a lucky victory would alleviate his guilt, so he insisted on marching.

However, at this time, Xiong Wencan knew that he could not explain to the court. The purpose of ordering Zuo Liangyu to attack was that if he could win by chance, he would be able to reduce his guilt. Therefore, he still insisted on advancing and ordered Zuo Liangyu to attack. .

Zuo Liangyu had no choice but to be ordered to carry out the suppression.

Everyone knows the final result: Zuo Liangyu was defeated at Luohou Mountain and finally broke out after several bloody battles.

Zuo Liangyu fled back to Gucheng to clean up the remaining soldiers, but in the end only a thousand men had to be replaced, and the rest were lost in the battle formation.

Of the [-] servants led by Zuo Liangyu, only about [-] remained after him, and more than half were killed or injured.

Faced with all this, when the court learned about it, what it sent was not a document of relief or a military salary, but an edict of punishment.

Xiong Wencan cleared away all the blame for his crimes and sent a report to the capital. It was Zuo Liangyu who underestimated the enemy and made a mistake in command, which led to the defeat of the Zhongfu army.

Zuo Liangyu was demoted to the third level for the crime of frivolous advancement, and he was ordered to perform meritorious service.

Xiong Wencan was also dismissed from his post and on standby together with Henan Commander-in-Chief Zhang Renxue because of this incident.

"Shuai Zuo..."

Chen Wang spoke up to break the silence.

"I can't afford to be your handsome guy now."

Zuo Liangyu's head did not move, his eyes slowly moved a little, and his voice was low and hoarse.

The battle at Luohou Mountain was his worst defeat in so many years. The wealth he had accumulated over the years was almost wiped out, and almost all of his direct soldiers were wiped out.

The old brothers who had followed him all the way from Changping to the north and south, now only a few hundred people are still alive.

The series of changes and blows had almost exhausted Zuo Liangyu's energy.

Xuzhou's mutiny left him without a home.

The tragic defeat at Luohou Mountain caused him to lose countless soldiers.

The issuing of the edict to punish him caused the originally warm blood under his body to drop to freezing point little by little.

Zuo Liangyu felt that this world was ridiculous and terrifying.

In the past, he did not respect orders, evaded orders, and at most was just a reprimand.

This time, he led the troops to obey the order and pursued him all the way, but in exchange he received a document of demotion and accountability.

"If I didn't have thousands of soldiers and horses under my command staying in Xiangyang, and because Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing were recruited by me, I'm afraid I would have been like Zhang Renxue, who lost his official position and was dismissed. It would have been bad. And he will be thrown into prison."

After the defeat of Luohou Mountain, the rogue bandits became more powerful, and many wavering bandits started to revolt.

Zuo Liangyu received an order to be demoted and held accountable. At the same time, he also received a letter asking him to maintain the situation and control the surrendered bandit leaders such as Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing.

Speaking of which, Zuo Liangyu felt it was ironic. He fought with the bandits for seven years, but the reason why he was not imprisoned and held accountable in the end was because of the bandits under his command.

"The imperial court has always been like this..."

Chen Wang sighed. If there were clear rewards and punishments, no matter whether they were rogue bandits or slaves, they would have turned into ashes long ago. How could they threaten the huge Ming Empire.

"Shuai Zuo was heart-to-heart with me back then, and I will always remember our past kindness."

Zuo Liangyu had all kinds of bad things and bad things in history.

However, from the first meeting to the subsequent parting, she did not harm him, and she even had a heart-to-heart talk with him.

Although it was more for Cao Wenzhao's sake that Zuo Liangyu had a good attitude.

However, one has never considered one’s heart when it comes to deeds. There is no perfect person in the world when it comes to heart.Chen Wang didn't know what kind of person Zuo Liangyu was.

According to only a few fragments of historical data, Zuo Liangyu once served as the governor in Liaodong and was very brave for a while.

He won military exploits in the Zunyong War first and was promoted based on his merits.

Then in the battle of Daling River, Zuo Liangyu was ordered to rescue, and then fought in Songshan and Xingshan, and was ranked first among all the battalions. It can be seen that Zuo Liangyu was still brave at that time.

The reason why Zuo Liangyu ended up being self-respecting, arrogant and domineering, and turning into a long-legged general who could only run away was largely due to the officialdom at that time.

As the Ming Empire gradually decayed, the court's unclear rewards and punishments became increasingly unpopular.

Everyone gradually understood a sentence.

Troubled times arise in all directions, and where there are soldiers, there is the grass-headed king...

And now, Zuo Liangyu, who has gone through many ups and downs, has completely understood the meaning of this sentence.

There was a little sparkle in Zuo Liangyu's eyes, and Chen Wang's words somewhat touched his heart.

"Commander Cao was kind to me in the past. Now that you have led a general who is a thief, I will definitely try my best to help you. You can rest assured about this."

Zuo Liangyu raised his head, looked at Chen Wang, pondered for a moment and then said.

"Although I don't have many soldiers under my command now, I still have some prestige in the army."

"Shuai Zuo misunderstood."

Chen Wang slowly shook his head.

"I didn't come here to ask Zuo Shuai for help."

Zuo Liangyu's eyes moved slightly, a little confused.

"I have learned a lot about everything in the south. I came here to see Commander Zuo this time because I want to ask if there is anything I need help with."

"I have already released some of the soldiers' armor, food and wages in advance and escorted them to the camp."

Chen Wang looked solemn and spoke in a deep voice.

"I know that the shortfall is huge and difficult to fill in a short period of time. I will try my best to supplement military equipment and military pay for Commander Zuo as a means of rebuilding the army."

As a general who pacifies thieves, he has the power to mobilize some military supplies. These were all brought by Yang Sichang's request.

Historically, Zuo Liangyu was originally the Pingthief General.

In the spring of 13 years, Yang Sichang felt that it was difficult to control the towns, so he recommended Zuo Liangyu, who was depressed after the defeat at the time, as the Pingtei General.

Zuo Liangyu was therefore grateful to Yang Sichang, and then fought bravely and defeated Zhang Xianzhong in a row, almost forcing Zhang Xianzhong to a desperate situation.

However, Yang Sichang had stayed in the capital for too long. He was worried that Zuo Liangyu would become bigger because of this, so he secretly promised that He Renlong would replace Zuo Liangyu in the near future.

Then, just when He Renlong was eager to replace Zuo Liangyu, Zuo Liangyu defeated the rogue bandits in a confrontation with the bandits in Agate Mountain.

Yang Sichang then told He Renlong that the appointment would be postponed for the time being.

He Renlong held a grudge and told Zuo Liangyu about this. After Zuo Liangyu found out, his attitude towards Yang Sichang was not the same as before.

At this point, Zuo Liangyu has completely become an out-and-out warlord and embarked on the road of no return.

But now, many things will never happen again, and many things will change.

The outcome of the Wuyin Incident has changed. Too many things have suffered twists and turns, and all developments are unknown.

Now General Ping Thief's seal has fallen into Chen Wang's hands.

As more and more things change, more changes will surely follow.

And these changes, these changes, will inevitably make today's history take another path.

"Commander Zuo and I are both camp generals, we are both far away from home, and we both know the pain of losing an army and being defeated."

"All the troops fought hard to save Zuo Shuai from the siege, so that Zuo Shuai could survive in the world, so that Zuo Shuai could one day avenge him, and so that Zuo Shuai could take care of their parents and family members behind them."

"The dead are gone, the living are like this."

Chen Wang finished his last sentence and stood up.

"Chen Wang, I hope Zuo Shuai can regain his strength."

Chen Wang bowed slightly, just like he did in Chunhua, clasped his hands and solemnly performed a military salute to Zuo Liangyu, then turned around and walked out of the tent.

Outside the tent, Chen Gong was already waiting for his arrival with his horse and stirrups.

Chen Wang mounted his horse and led a group of guards toward the outside of the tent.

I don’t know if the words he said to Zuo Liangyu in Chunhua were the cause that has now borne fruit.

From the moment he first entered the camp, he found many familiar places.

The mental outlook of the soldiers under Zuo Liangyu was completely different from that of the rest of the Ming army. There was little noise in the camp. Except for the sound of training coming from the direction of the school grounds, the rest of the place was basically quiet.

The camps are clearly separated, and all campsites are clean and tidy.

The patrolling soldiers were meticulous, and anyone who came to see them would be impressed by how well they managed the army.

Perhaps Zuo Liangyu listened to a lot of what he said.

I just don't know how much Zuo Liangyu will listen to him this time.

Without the title of general ping thief, can Zuo Liangyu regain his strength?

Chen Wang undoubtedly hopes that Zuo Liangyu can regain his strength.

From Zuo Liangyu's eyes, Chen Wang saw Zuo Liangyu's frustration.

There is dissatisfaction building up in Zuo Liangyu's heart, and it only needs someone to break through it, and in the end these dissatisfactions will erupt like a volcano.

Chen Wang led the war horse and walked slowly towards the camp gate.

As the war horse rose and fell, Chen Wang's figure also followed.

The torrent of the times engulfs the destiny of individuals.

The destiny that is engulfed by the times can only rise and fall with the times.

But nowadays, Chen Wang is not rising and falling with the tide of the times.

Chen Wang now has firm control of the reins.

With the reins in his hands, he can lead the horse under him and control the direction of travel.

His destiny is now under his own control.

General Pingtei is just the starting point, not the end.

Now that you have the power, you can conquer the world!
　Zuo Liangyu, courtesy name Kunshan, was born in Linqing.Official Liaodong Cheyouying Dusi.In the first year of Chongzhen, Ningyuan rebelled. Governor Bi Zisu committed suicide and Liangyu resigned and returned to the defense...

　　Prime Minister Ma Shilong ordered guerrilla Cao Wenzhao to assist Yutian and Fengrun, and fought in Hongqiao and Daqishan until they reached Zunhua.

　　On restoring the merits of the four cities, he advanced to the rank along with Wen Zhao and others, and was subordinated to Hou Xun, the governor of Changping.

　　The siege of Daling River was urgent, and the Changping army was ordered to come to the rescue. The general, You Shiwei, could not protect the mausoleum, so Liangyu was recommended to lead the troops there.

　　Already, Xun was recommended as deputy general. He fought at the foot of Songshan and Xingshan mountains and won the first place in meritorious service.

　　Liangyu, a young orphan, was raised by his uncle. He had no knowledge of books and was very resourceful. He favored the soldiers, so he often achieved meritorious service in battles.

　　(End of this chapter)