Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 334 How to deal with Zhang Xianzhong and the Manchu Qing Dynasty
Zhu Youjian couldn't help being stunned. Although he had already expected that Zhang Xianzhong was suspected of plotting against Yunnan and Guizhou, he was still quite shocked when he suddenly heard that several state capitals controlled by Daming on the border of Yunnan and Sichuan had fallen one after another.

"Didn't I already tell Wang Yingxiong and Fan Yiheng not to underestimate the enemy, and ordered the police to guard against Zhang Xianzhong's main force to go south with the intention of going south to Yunnan, Guizhou and other places in southern Sichuan. Why did they lose so many territories so quickly?"

Zhu Youjian asked a question.

The Commander of Jin Yiwei made Wu Mengming pause for a moment, he really couldn't answer the words of Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian for a while.

Although Jinyiwei has developed many members under Zhu Youjian's sufficient capital supply, there are spies from Jinyiwei from Nanyang to Southwest and even Mobei.

However, in a region like Yunguichuan, which is located in the west of the empire, even if the information is obtained, it will still take some time to transmit the detailed information to Beijing.

Sometimes it is not uncommon to know about the war after several months or even a year or so.

And now Zhu Youjian wanted to ask Wu Mengming why he lost so many state capitals in such a short period of time. Although Wu Mengming was the commander of Jinyiwei, he hadn't received more detailed information, so he didn't know how to answer for a while.

Four or five days later, the Ministry of War also received a detailed battle report from Yunnan, and Ma Shiying, Minister of the Ministry of War, reported to Zhu Youjian:
"Your Majesty, it is reported that although the officers and troops retreating to Zunyi have already made preparations, but the rogue Zhang Xianzhong's troops are very powerful. Among them, Li Dingguo is the best at fighting. The defense lines in several counties have been defeated."

"Li Dingguo?"

Zhu Youjian couldn't help but feel a little headache, he naturally knew who Li Dingguo was in the late Ming Dynasty.

The most outstanding Han general in the late Ming Dynasty, especially in the history of the Southern Ming Dynasty, and the last shining star of the Ming Dynasty.

But now Li Dingguo is still Zhang Xianzhong's general, and because the main force of the Manchu Qing Dynasty suffered a heavy blow from the Ming Guards in the 18th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong's department in Sichuan today has not suffered the blow of slavery in Sichuan as it did in the original history.

It was not the same as the original historical development, because Zhang Xianzhong was killed by an arrow, which prompted Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo and other Zhang Xianzhong's remaining troops to surrender to Ming Dynasty.

"Since it's Li Dingguo, it's not surprising that this happened, but it's a pity that I can't use it now!"

Zhu Youjian sighed helplessly, then slapped the table and stood up: "Heaven, discuss matters in the Grand Marshal's Mansion!"

Soldiers come to block, water comes to cover, now that Zhang Xianzhong has arrived at Kunming City, Yunnan Prefecture, Zhu Youjian naturally can no longer take it lightly, and can only call the officials of the Generalissimo's Mansion to discuss the matter of dispatching troops to rescue Yunnan and Guizhou.

"Zhang Xianzhong's army marched south to Yunnan and Guizhou. It has been planned for a long time. Since he entered Sichuan, he has started to mobilize his troops, hoard food and grass, and suddenly attack southern Sichuan. It is reasonable. The loss of the army lies in the fact that the major generals are weak. Therefore, I suggest that the affiliation between Governor Fan Yiheng and Superintendent Wang Yingxiong should be clarified, or an important official should be selected to command the troops of the two places, coordinate food and grass, reinforce elite soldiers, and set up defenses everywhere, so as to defeat the bandits. offensive."

When Qin Liangyu said this, the rest of the officials nodded.

Li Yan also stood up and said: "Maybe we can send heavy troops to surprise Chongqing, Sichuan, and force the main force of Zhang Xianzhong's troops to return to Chongqing, Sichuan."

"What the two love ministers said are all solutions, but what soldiers can be adjusted right now?"

Zhu Youjian asked this question, and Ma Shiying, Minister of the Ministry of War, replied: "Now the elites of the Ming Dynasty who can fight against the bandits are only the Guards and the Extermination Army, but the Extermination Army has fought fiercely with Jiannu Azig since Chongzhen 18th. Afterwards, there was a lot of staff reduction, and now it seems that it can only be transferred to the Guards.”

"If the guards are transferred to support Yunnan and Guizhou, how many troops will be needed to defeat Zhang Xianzhong's troops in the vast mountainous area around Yunnan and Guizhou? In addition, if the guards are transferred to the west, what will happen if the slaves go south?"

Zhu Youjian continued to ask questions, but Ma Shiying couldn't say anything more. He was not familiar with the wars in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other mountainous areas, and he didn't know how many troops he needed to deploy, so he could only look at Qin Liangyu.

Qin Liangyu participated in the pacification of the Bozhou Rebellion in his early years, and made great contributions. Therefore, he has quite a lot of experience in mountain warfare in Yunguichuan, so he went forward and said back and forth:
"The mountains and rivers at the junction of Yunnan and Sichuan have always been dangerous, and one hundred thousand elite soldiers are not enough to guard the main roads everywhere. However, as His Majesty said, the northern slaves are still eyeing, let alone the transfer of 60 or even [-] will affect the entire Ming Dynasty. Jiannu's defense line, after all, the [-] guards have to defend the defense line from Huguang to Huaiyang, after all, no one knows where Jiannu will go south if it goes south."

Zhu Youjian asked Wu Mengming, the commander of Jinyiwei, to also talk about the situation of slavery in recent days.

"According to the report of our Jinyiwei spies, since the 19th year of Chongzhen, the slaves have been recruited several times, and each household consists of males and one of the two is selected. Now there are nearly 50 green battalion soldiers. The Han Army Eight Banners and Mongolia Eight Banners There has also been an increase of 30, and at the same time more than 2 Manchurian cavalry have been transferred from outside the pass, plus troops from various places, the total number of slaves in the pass has reached a million."

"In addition, Weihui Mansion in Henan Province and Baoding Mansion in North Zhili Province both showed signs of mobilization of a large number of grain and grass. The so-called soldiers and horses moved forward before the grain and grass were mobilized. I guess this is the reason why the Qing court will mobilize a large number of troops to go south. There is so much food and grass gathered at the frontier of the handover."

After Wu Mengming, the commander of Jinyiwei, said, all the officials present fell into deep thought, and He Xin, the eunuch in charge of the imperial horse supervisor, couldn't help saying:

"From this point of view, it is clear that the Qing court wants to go south to attack me again. The Ming Dynasty has already revealed. Although the Jiannu lost two main Manchurian forces, they are not exhausted in the end. Moreover, they have expanded so many troops at the moment. Once they go south It is bound to mobilize hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops, so our Daming Guards cannot be easily transferred away from Jiangnan, otherwise the Daming will be in danger!"

Zhu Youjian nodded approvingly. At this time, he was quite depressed. He thought that Zhang Xianzhong would really pick the right time to attack Daming at this juncture, making it impossible for him, the Emperor Chongzhen, to move his trump card westward to support Yunnan and Guizhou. and so on.

Moreover, Zhu Youjian also had to admit that Zhang Xianzhong also had no strategic awareness, as if he would have failed in the original history, he is the same in this era now, and he did not realize at all that Jiannu is the common enemy of both sides today. The heavy troops defending the key passes were attacking the armed forces of the Sichuan landlords under his control. If Jiannu suddenly went south to Sichuan at this time, how would Zhang Xianzhong respond?

Although Zhu Youjian felt worthless for Zhang Xianzhong, he had no way to stop Zhang Xianzhong. He could only optimize the combat power of the officers and soldiers in Yunnan, Guizhou and other places as much as possible, and at the same time hoped that Daming could do his best without the deployment of guards. When I went there, Yunnan, Guizhou and other places were still in Daming's hands.

However, reinforcements must be sent, and a top decision-maker who is in charge of troops in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and other places is also needed.

But the question now is whom to send, and which army can be drawn.

(End of this chapter)