Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 409 Returning to Jiangnan
In the early morning of this day, Zhu Youjian woke up in Kaifeng City, opened the window and took a look at the ancient capital.

The world was completely white, the bullet marks on the city wall had been covered with snow, and the sound of fighting had disappeared in an instant.

The main force of the 50 Qing army led by Hong Chengchou finally came to an end as the heavy snow fell.

These are almost the last batch of adult males in the north and even outside the customs from the 17th year of Chongzhen to the 20th year of Chongzhen.

The Manchu Qing Dynasty was not a tribe composed of pure fishing and hunting peoples since Wanli.

Although he was dominated by Manchurian military aristocrats, a mixed Manchu, Han and Mongolian regime had been formed in the Baishan and Heishui areas in the past 40 to [-] years. After years of development, the population was no longer the size of tens of thousands of wild boar skins.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to nibble away the outside of the customs almost bit by bit during the reign of Tianqi Chongzhen.

These adult males outside the customs plus adult males from the northern provinces.

The Manchu Qing collected 80 people and went south in an attempt to destroy the Ming Dynasty in one fell swoop. The ambition was shattered.

It is conceivable that the northern provinces at this time may be empty, with thousands of villages dying.

Zhu Youjian didn't know how Dorgon would face such a situation.

But he doesn't have time to worry about what Dorgon will do now, he has to go back to Nanjing to deal with those gangsters.

Manchu Qing is no longer a serious problem.

Zhang Xianzhong in the southwest can only separate one side at most.

Only Nanjing.

In Jiangnan.

Some people with ulterior motives around me are the ones I need to be vigilant at all times.

Although with the current power and influence of the emperor himself, these people are no longer enough to shake him.

But sometimes it is easy to hide the open gun and difficult to defend against the hidden arrow.

Zhu Youjian would never have imagined when they would suddenly stab him in the back.

For example this time.

Zhu Youjian really didn't expect it. He thought that these vassal kings had no ambitions.

I have never deprived the vassals of their high salaries and privileges to the land, and have always treated them like pigs.

However, reality tells Zhu Youjian that these people are also ambitious.

As long as they are given a chance, they will also covet that dragon chair.

It is already the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, and the Spring Festival is coming.

Due to the end of the war, Kaifeng City once again restored its former peaceful atmosphere.

The festive atmosphere began to permeate the market.

Since the abolition of the guide system, the common people have become more and more free in their lives.

Now that there is no war in Kaifeng, coupled with the resolution of the conflict between people and land, there are many people engaged in trading activities inside and outside the city at this time.

Although it has not yet fully shown the excitement of the Qingming Festival and Tuli in the Northern Song Dynasty, there is also a trace of spring vitality in this cold and severe winter.

However, the entire Grand Marshal's Mansion and the guard system are still busy.

The number of casualties of the guards needs to be counted, and the matters of pensions and job transfers are complicated tasks.

In addition, there are arrangements for the escort of captives and their assignment to labor in various factories.

As well as the transfer of troops to the south, they all need to be dealt with.

The Third Army of the Guards has rested in the city to replenish recruits.

Liu Fangliang himself is the director of the General Training Department of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, responsible for the training of recruits across the country, so naturally he dispatched recruits to supplement the Third Army.

However, according to Zhu Youjian's intention, the Third Guards Army will expand a corps in preparation for the formation of the Seventh Guards Army in the future.

Naturally, the war cannot end, and the Guards must continue to expand.

Zhu Youjian didn't want to hope that there would still not be enough main forces in the rear to stabilize the situation during the Northern Expedition.

As for the increased defense expenditure after the expansion of the army, these are naturally things that Zhu Youjian will consider in the future.

The four cavalry battalions of the second army totaled [-] cavalry, and the commander-in-chief He Xin personally led them back to the south of the Yangtze River.

The infantry battalion and artillery battalion are preparing to take a short rest before heading south.

Zhu Youjian and Qin Liangyu naturally followed the infantry.

The war had just ended, and many affairs had to be handled by him and Qin Liangyu himself before he could leave with peace of mind.

Hong Chengchou kept clamoring to see him, but Zhu Youjian was not in the mood to talk to such a person.

Wu Sangui was a military minister anyway, and he decided to surrender to the enemy after learning of the fall of Beijing in March 17. Zhu Youjian didn't expect him to have much loyalty.

Originally, the Ming court did not treat military officials very favorably, or it could be said that the civil official group did not treat military officials very favorably.

Naturally, Zhu Youjian couldn't force the military officials to have many loyal soldiers.

Naturally, Liaodong military nobles like Wu Sangui can't count on it, but at least they are still willing to join King Jingqin, at least they need money.

This is why Zhu Youjian only killed Wu Sangui but did not escort him to Nanjing Lingchi.

Zhu Youjian showed the guards how different he was to Wu Chen.

Today's Ming Dynasty is not the late Tang Dynasty, so there is no need to deter military officials for the time being.

However, it was still the civil service group that threatened the imperial power.

As for Hong Chengchou, as a civil servant, Zhu Youjian treated him well. Compared with Lu Xiangsheng, he was extremely kind.

But Hong Chengchou surrendered to the Qing Dynasty in the 14th year of Chongzhen, and he was not forced to. He should have died in full name festival or died in battle like Lu Xiangsheng.

But Hong Chengchou didn't choose to do this, and Zhu Youjian mistakenly thought that he would die in battle, he would commit suicide and martyrdom, and he had to hold a funeral for him.

Not to mention, Hong Chengchou actually took the initiative to help Dorgon destroy Daming, and took the initiative to make suggestions.

It can be said that Wu Sangui is at most a knife that anyone can hold, a knife that anyone can use.

And Hong Chengchou is a poisonous snake that will bite himself back after being raised for ten years.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian wanted to severely punish Hong Chengchou, in order to deter the civil officials in the south of the Yangtze River and the gentry who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty!
On New Year's Eve, Zhu Youjian left Kaifeng City with the infantry artillery of the Second Guards Army without spending the Spring Festival in Kaifeng City.

At this time, Zhou Ze also crossed the river from Taojiadian with Luke Dehun on his back and left Kaifeng Mansion.

Zhu Youjian knew about Zhou Ze's rescue of Dorobe Lek Dehun from the Qing court.

Luck Dehun was Zhou Ze's backer in the Qing Dynasty. If Zhou Ze wanted to play a greater role in the Qing court, he must have the help of Luck Dehun.

Therefore, Zhou Ze now staged a perfect scene of loyal servant and savior. He led two hundred riders out of an army of hundreds of thousands to forcefully rescue Luck Dehun, and carried Luck who was shot on his back all the way. Dehun broke through to Taojiadian.

The guards also chased and killed him for a while, and even shot Zhou Ze in the arm.

In short, the current Luck Dehun is very grateful to Zhou Ze, and has begun to completely believe in Zhou Ze, thinking that Zhou is his most loyal slave.

"Master, we have finally returned to the north shore. As long as we persist for a few more days, we will be able to enter Weihui Mansion to rest. Master, tell me, the imperial court will not punish us if we lose this time, especially the slave, the admiral of Henan. , the servant is worried that if he is punished and sent to Ninggu Tower, no one will serve the master."

Zhou Ze said very worriedly.

"Don't worry, Ben Baylor is desperate to keep you, and Hong Chengchou is mainly responsible for this defeat. You can't be blamed. Ben Baylor will intercede with the prince, and your performance is not bad. First, use your resourcefulness to win back." Xinghua Ying found that the enemy's situation had changed and decisively sent out surprise soldiers to rescue the king. This kind of courage and wisdom is not easy. If you say, the prince is not good at employing people, why let Hong Chengchou, an old scholar, be in command, it is better to use his own slaves really."

When Luc Dehun said this, Zhou Ze couldn't help but sneered in his heart, but it was true as Luc Dehun said, he was promoted soon.

　Thank you for the 10000 book coin reward for the book friend who is like yesterday and forever, and the 588 book coin reward for the book friend who has no * marks. Thank you very much, continue to code.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)