When the imperial edict was sent out, Zhu Lunkui and the ministers were waiting for good news on the front line, but on the fourth day of August, the news from Suzhou was sent back. Zhang Guozhu, who was highly expected by the emperor, was defeated.

In the battle report, Zhang Guozhu told the battle in detail. At the beginning, Zhang Guozhu led his 30,000 elite troops south along the canal, preparing to capture Jiaxing. However, unexpectedly, in Wangjiangjing outside Jiaxing Prefecture, Zhang Guozhu fell into the ambush of Zhu Changjun. After a battle, he suffered heavy losses. Zhang Guozhu had no choice but to retreat to Wujiang County, Suzhou Prefecture, and defended the city.

Zhu Lunkui was so angry that he received this battle report, but he was not worried about Zhang Guozhu's losses. After all, the war was impermanent, and no one was a monster like Ma Cheng. He could fight 400,000 with 10,000, so temporary failure is acceptable.

In order to comfort Zhang Guozhu, Zhu Lunkui sent a letter of comfort to Zhang Guozhu, reassured that Zhang Guozhu must use his strengths to defend the city. Although he was defeated in the field, as long as he adhered to the good tradition of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, victory would definitely come. According to Zhu Lunkui's analysis, Zhang Guozhu may not be good at fighting in the field, but defending the city is his strength. After all, Zhang Guozhu held Zhengyangmen under the heavy pressure of the Qing army for a year, but the Qing army did not take any advantage.

But Zhang Guozhu once again disappointed the emperor. On August 24, half a month after Zhang Guozhu retreated to Wujiang County, Zhu Chang's army sieges 50,000 people attacked the city, and Zhang Guozhu retreated again. This failure was even more complete, and even Suzhou City was lost.

Suzhou is no better than Wujiang. Suzhou is the central city of the Taihu Economic Circle. Now most of Zhu Lunkui's taxes come from Suzhou. At the same time, Suzhou will not be protected when it is lost to Songjiang in the east, and Changzhou in the west can not be protected, so he can only retreat to the front line of Zhenjiang to defend. Zhenjiang is less than a hundred miles away from Nanjing. When Zhu Lunkui's army was about to attack the periphery of Nanjing, Zhu Lunkui was so angry that he was crazy.

Zhu Lunkui didn't know Zhang Guozhu's intention at this time? This is because Zhang Guozhu could not defeat Lu Wang's army, so Zhang Guozhu didn't want to fight and directly surrendered to Suzhou.

"It must be Ma Cheng! It must be Ma Cheng, the bastard!"

Zhu Lunkui scolded Ma Cheng in the Qianqing Palace for being a good person and smashed the porcelain from the Qianqing Palace, but what can he do? Now the generals in the army have expressed their dissatisfaction, and Zhu Lunkui dared to touch Ma Cheng even more. He was afraid that he would force Ma Cheng too much, so what was this guy doing?

Zhu Lunkui had no choice but to find Qian Qianyi again. Now Qian Qianyi's position in Zhu Lunkui's heart has risen sharply. If Ma Shiying had not made great contributions, it would be possible that this assistant would have to be exchanged for Qian Qianyi.

Qian Qianyi has been very angry these days. He didn't expect that Ma Cheng's strength could spread so far. Zhang Guozhu, who is far away in Suzhou, has to obey Ma Cheng's command.

When Zhu Lunkui saw Qian Qianyi coming in, he asked angrily: "Qian Qianyi, Zhang Guozhu was recommended by you. Now he is like this. What do you think should you do?"

What else can you do? Just leave the responsibility clear! Qian Qianyi bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Zhang Guozhu is from Guiyang Guard and has served as Ma Shiying's central army for many years. It is not surprising that he can listen to Ma Cheng!" After Qian Qianyi said that, seeing Zhu Lunkui's face was not good, he quickly continued, "But please rest assured that Zhang Guozhu has few soldiers after all, and the 150,000 troops outside the city are still loyal to His Majesty the Emperor!"

When Zhu Lunkui mentioned this, he looked much better and asked with a breath of relief: "What do you think you should do?"

Your Majesty, please send Luo Bingran to lead 100,000 elite troops to fight the rebels!"

Zhu Lunkui was already suspicious by Ma Cheng at this time. He was unsure of whether Luo Bingran could command the 150,000 troops outside the city. After listening to Qian Qianyi's proposal, Zhu Lunkui pondered and asked: "Can Luo Bingran really command the troops outside the city?"

When Qian Qianyi heard the emperor say this, he patted his chest and promised: "Please rest assured by your Majesty. Luo Bingran has already made ten deputy generals and more than 30 sect generals replaced with a confidant. He is absolutely loyal to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Lunkui was skeptical after hearing Qian Qianyi's words, but what else can I do now? Zhu Lunkui had to issue an imperial edict, asking Jiangnan Governor Luo Bingran to lead 100,000 horse and infantry troops to go out to fight against the rebellious Zhu Chang.

Zhu Lunkui didn't know that there was a Murphy theorem in later generations, which roughly means that if things were at risk of going bad, no matter how small the possibility was, it would always arise. If translated into popular language, it would be unlucky, and drinking a sip of cold water would make the teeth stuffed. Zhu Lunkui's imperial edict was passed to the military camp outside the city. Murphy's theorem made, and all the middle and low-level officers actually resisted the edict and refused to go to the expedition.

After taking over the new army, Luo Bingran replaced some senior generals according to the traditional idea, and all the officials above the general were replaced with their own people. After the incident, Luo Bingran thought the result was done, but what he did not expect was that Ma Cheng's military management was not based on these senior generals, but on grassroots officers such as hundreds of households and small flags.

Hundred households are equivalent to the company commander of later generations, thousands of households are equivalent to the battalion commander of later generations, and guerrillas are equivalent to the regiment commander of later generations. These talents are the cornerstone of Ma Cheng's command of the army. Most of these intermediate officers are from Guizhou, and some are Ma Cheng's personal soldiers. Can these people listen to Luo Bingran's orders?

After receiving the imperial edict, Luo Bingran sent an order to gather the generals and prepare to go out, but the news from each battalion was that all the middle and low-level officers asked for sick leave together. According to the military laws of the Ming Dynasty, this was already a sign of mutiny. Luo Bingran did not dare to be careless and went to a battalion to see the situation and prepared to capture a few unlucky ghosts to deter other officers.

However, when he arrived at the barracks, all the ordinary soldiers looked hostile to Luo Bingran. If Luo Bingran had not brought hundreds of personal soldiers, he might have made a mutiny and killed Luo Bingran. The appearance of ordinary soldiers would have made Luo Bingran sweat. This was a 150,000 army. If there was a mutiny, Luo Bingran would have a hundred heads that were not enough to cut, so Luo Bingran had no choice but to deal with the low-level officers, and withdrew from the camp in shame with hundreds of personal soldiers.

Most of the ordinary soldiers in the new army were former Qing army prisoners of war. It was useless to tell them about family and country justice, but Ma Cheng naturally had the means to conquer their hearts. When he first formed the new army, the treatment of these Qing army prisoners was the same as that of the new army. Three meals a day and one meal of meat, plus nine cents of silver in the monthly salary, which was a more favorable treatment than the border army.

However, after Luo Bingran became the new commander, the food standards were immediately reduced, and three meals became one and two meals, and the meat was gone at night. As for the monthly military pay, it was even owed for several months. Of course, this was not Luo Bingran's heart and blood. The entire new army's logistics were under the control of Wang Xian. Wang Xian, who was ordered by Ma Cheng, did not give you Luo Bingran a small shoe.

Luo Bingran also went to Wang Xian for this matter, but Wang Xian was already the chief minister of the State Marshal. Luo Bingran could not take care of others at all. At the same time, there was no money in the army, so it was not enough to go to the Ministry of War to allocate. The Minister of War Tian Yang, the Minister of Revenue Li Zhan, and one was Ruan.

One of Dacheng’s confidants is Ma Shiying’s confidants. Can you give you Luo Bingran money?

This is how people look like. In the past, no one said anything about pig food every day, but they were afraid that they would give you some delicious food for several months, and then change to pig food. This would mean something. The complaints of ordinary soldiers, coupled with the fanning of middle and low-level officers, these soldiers certainly had no good opinions about Luo Bingran.

When such a major event occurred in the army, Luo Bingran dared not stay in the army. He could only take hundreds of personal soldiers out of the barracks and then go to the palace to ask the emperor what to do.

After receiving the news, Zhu Lunkui smashed the porcelain from the Ganqing Palace again, but what can I do? The army no longer obeyed the command. Zhu Lunkui now dared not replace those disobedient officers at will. If he didn't have to fight to Nanjing, he would be killed by the mutiny soldiers.

Zhu Lunkui knew that this was all Ma Cheng's fault. Originally, Zhu Lunkui thought that Ma Cheng was so easy to hand over military power for the country and the people, but now it seems that Ma Cheng is simply trying to advance and retreat. But Zhu Lunkui knew that there was nothing he could do. The matter was here, and if it was to solve the problem, Ma Cheng must come forward.

Zhu Lunkui sat on the dragon throne in the Ganqing Palace and sighed. He had no choice but to let Lu Jiude go to issue an order to Ma Cheng, and let Ma Cheng restore his post and lead the army to quell Zhu Chang's rebellion.

Lu Jiude came to Ma Cheng's mansion with the emperor's imperial edict. When the doorman saw the imperial envoy coming, he hurried in to report the news. Soon the mansion prepared a incense case to prepare for the imperial edict.

But what surprised Lu Jiude was that Ma Cheng was actually carried out. Ma Cheng went out of the gate and saw Lu Jiude, and said with a wry smile: "Uncle Lu, my nephew has committed hemorrhoids. I really can't get up. Please forgive me. I can't kneel down to welcome the imperial edict!"

When Lu Jiude heard Ma Cheng say this, he frowned. Now the emperor asked Ma Cheng to lead his troops to fight, but this guy had hemorrhoids. What should I do?

Lu Jiude had no choice but to say, "It's not a problem!" After that, he stood in front of the incense table and opened the imperial edict and read it.

The imperial edict was very short, just saying that Ma Cheng would be re-activated as the governor of Jiangnan and asked him to lead his troops to quell the rebellion.

After hearing the imperial edict, Ma Cheng said with a bitter face: "Uncle Lu, please report to Your Majesty the Emperor. Although I want to get on the horse to eliminate the rebellion for Your Majesty, my health does not allow it! The doctor asked Ma Cheng to rest. If he rode a horse to go on the battle, he might die in front of the formation!" After Ma Cheng said that, he lay on the stretcher and cried.

When Lu Jiude saw Ma Cheng's appearance, he was pretending. Although hemorrhoids may die if they are severe, Ma Cheng is young and even if he has hemorrhoids, it must be that this guy knows about the military camp outside the city. He wants to raise the price and threaten the emperor to increase his position.

Lu Jiude had no choice but to say: "Since this is the case, please ask the Marquis of Zhenguo to rest well, I will report back to Your Majesty!"

After Lu Jiude said that, he returned to the palace with his guards and told Zhu Lunkui about Ma Cheng's illness.

Zhu Lunkui is not a fool either. Ma Cheng did not get sick early or late, but he was sick at this time, so he must have wanted to use this matter to threaten himself. Zhu Lunkui was so angry that he scolded Ma Cheng again in the Ganqing Palace. But cursing people could not solve the problem. Zhu Lunkui thought about it and had to guard Nandu again, and gave Ma Cheng the position of the Grand Governor of the Central Army again, hoping that Ma Cheng would not refuse this time.
Chapter completed!