Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 607
Yan Congnian was originally from Shandong and moved to Beizhi. In the second year of Chongzhen, Jiannu broke through the wall and killed him in Beijing. Yan Congnian, who was nearly 20 years old, witnessed the massacre of the whole family and thousands of people in the county by the Qing soldiers. All those who were lucky enough to survive were captured by the Qing army, the women were reduced to camp prostitutes, and the men were reduced to slaves.

The battle under the city of Beijing did not last long. With Yuan Chonghuan returning to aid, Huang Taiji withdrew from the pass.

Although Jiannu failed to threaten the capital, it shocked the government and the public, including the captured Yan Congnian.

This battle was Huang Taiji's first plunder, known as the "Jisi Change" in history, and also a major turning point in the Ming and Qing wars. Yuan Chonghuan's strategy of killing Mao Wenlong and abolishing Mongolia in order to negotiate peace with the Qing court completely failed.

The Ming Dynasty's fortress advancement, economic blockade, and diplomatic alliance policies all gradually disintegrated after this campaign, and the strategic initiative was permanently lost.

The mutiny of the army kings in Shan, Shaanxi, and Gansu became the key force in the peasant uprising in the late Ming Dynasty. Chongzhen was forced to raise his salary again, and finally fell into a financial cycle.

From the Ming Dynasty's support during the Tianqi period to the sharp turnaround during the Chongzhen period, Yan Congnian witnessed Jiannu's gradual strength and unstoppable momentum.

Yan Congnian was captured outside the pass, and it was better for those with skills, who could help build ordnance, but it was a little bit harder for those who were powerless like him.

Faced with the hatred of the slaughtered clan, the abuse he has received, and the powerful Man Qing, there are generally three choices at this time, either to aspire to revenge, or to give up revenge and endure humiliation, but Yan Congnian's choice is indeed the third one, completely Submit, recognize the thief as your father, and hope to be able to integrate into the Manqing.

After that, he got rid of Manqing by Fan Yongdou who came from outside the pass, but he still worshiped Manqing instinctively in his heart, because Manqing was ruthless and strong.

The Ming army hacked the tent to death and threw the body into the river, which made him fearful.

The lives of Han people are worthless in the eyes of the Manchus, and they can be killed as soon as they say it. Yan Congnian never thought that the lives of Han people are now worthless in the eyes of Han people.

At this time, the Ming army had already lifted off all the tarpaulins covering the deck, revealing piles of golden copper ingots, at least tens of thousands of catties.

Copper is money, and the eyes of Ming soldiers immediately lit up when they saw it.

"Tell me." Man Dazhuang took a look, pointing at Yan Congnian this time, the guards had already held down the hilt of the knife, and just waited for the general to wave their hands, and killed him too.

Yan Congnian hasn't recovered from the slap, but he has an advantage, he will obey anyone who is cruel, and hastily explained, "I was ordered to transport this batch of copper ingots to Jiangning for offering Governor Hong used it to cast cannons."

"Jiang Ning? Governor Hong? It seems that Qing Yongchang is really a dog slave of the Manchu Qing." Man Dazhuang snorted coldly and wanted to kick.

Man Dazhuang was just a rough man at first, but as his official position got bigger and bigger, he had to read books and be ignorant. In the past two years, the ink in his stomach has improved a lot, and he understands the harm this traitorous businessman will do to Daming , not much worse than the Green Camp.

Yan Congnian reacted, and kowtowed like garlic: "It's Jinling, it's Hong thief. The villain is wrong, the villain is wrong, and next time, the villain is willing to be divided by five horses."

Man Dazhuang said contemptuously: "You are the only one who deserves five horses to quarter the body? One knife is enough."

Yan Congnian shivered and collapsed on the ground like a puddle of mud.

Man Dazhuang didn't have time to argue with him, so he waved his hand annoyedly and said: "I will spare your dog's life for now, get out of here."

Yan Congnian didn't dare to get up, and really rolled on the ground, showing his ugliness, but Man Dazhuang's face turned cold when he saw it, and he couldn't smile at all.

After all, he is a Han, so lack of dignity, revealing this ugliness, also makes many soldiers who are Han feel dishonored.

The Han nationality is a big family, one scum out of a hundred people, multiplied by the huge population base, there are tens of thousands of people, it is with such a group of talents that the Manchu Qing was able to enter the Central Plains.

Man Dazhuang ordered: "No one is allowed to take the copper ingots on the ship privately. Wu Junsheng, you arrange someone to send the twenty cargo ships to Wuchang. That person will stay for now, and all the others will be sent to the mine."

In Jiangning City, at the Xingyuan of the Governor's Mansion, Hong Chengchou, who was sleeping, was awakened by the officials outside the door in the early hours of the morning. He quickly put on his robe and got up, walked out of the room and asked, "What happened?"

"Your Excellency, the beacon towers along the river are lit up one after another. I'm afraid the pirates are coming again."

Hong Chengchou was taken aback. What he was most worried about was that the Ming army would cut off the water transportation, so he quickly put on his clothes and rushed to the city. The beacon fire soared into the sky and spread from the sky to the outside of Jiangning City.

Duoduo has returned to Beijing to explain to Dorgon and the nobles of the Qing Dynasty the details of the failure of the Chu-Jiang War, admonitions and delays, and Hong Chengchou is now fully responsible for Jiangnan.

Only when pirates from Chongming overseas enter the Yangtze River on a large scale will the beacon towers along the route give warning.

These beacon towers were built by Hong Chengchou after the pirates went deep into the Yangtze River in August, and they were not expected to be used so soon.

A group of upright officials in Nanjing City got the news, and many people also ran to the city. Governor Lang Tingzuo walked up to Hong Chengchou, and looked at the beacon fire under the night sky, which was particularly eye-catching. Morale in the south of the Yangtze River is exhausted, and the local bandits will swarm up again."

Hong Chengchou shook his head, "The governor used the Tiaojiang Waterproof Division and the Taihu Navy to garrison Zhenjiang. Although the Jiangjiang Waterproof Division was corrupt and could not be reused, the Taihu Navy had been fighting Taihu rebels before. They were proficient in water warfare and kept the pirates at bay In Zhenjiang, it shouldn't be difficult."

"Governor, the pirates are so rampant. In the southeast, there are no longer a few old-minded people. If the pirates often enter and leave the Yangtze River, the governor manages the south of the Yangtze River, and the money, food and taxes provided for the court will be affected. We must try to eliminate them."

Hong Chengchou nodded, the restoration of the Ming forces at sea has always been a worry in his heart, but the navy is the weakness of the Qing army, and it is indeed powerless to wipe out the pirates, but Hong Chengchou is a person who is good at finding opportunities, "The pirates stationed in Chongming, Zhoushan is bound to be empty, so the governor ordered Zhang Xuesheng, the governor of Zhejiang, to find an opportunity to attack Zhoushan and make the pirates lose their foundation. If the governor vigorously rectifies the river defense and trains the navy, the pirates will definitely be wiped out within five years."

"To seek Zhoushan, this is a plan to draw salary from the bottom of the pot and take the ladder from the house." Lang Tingzuo couldn't help admiring Hong Chengchou after hearing this, "The governor's strategy to break the situation is really good!"

Hong Chengchou was not as optimistic as he was, "Whether this plan will succeed depends on whether the Zhejiang navy has the ability to capture Zhoushan."

In order to maintain the Qing army's control over the Yangtze River and the south of the Yangtze River, Hong Chengchou used several tricks. One was to build cannons, build forts, train sailors, and enhance the strength of the Qing army. It was really well-intentioned to plan a surprise attack on Zhoushan and weaken the strength of the Ming army.

Several people were talking, at this time a general of the Qing Dynasty hurried up to the city. He stood on the top of the city and watched for a while, and saw Hong Chengchou immediately ran to him, knelt down and reported: "My lord, Jin Gushan Urgent report, the Dongting navy is heading east."

(The state is not very good these days, and there are many things. I haven’t added what should be changed, and I haven’t made up what should be supplemented. Allow me to adjust for a few days. Thank you Yue Dong Woxin, Ye Shui Walking for the reward, thank you Ye Shui Water Walking, Xiami 007, Genesis Book Club 4028 monthly pass, and finally I hope everyone will support the genuine QQ reading, start reading, after all, the genuine is the motivation for the author to write.)
(End of this chapter)