When Guo Dajing led his troops back to Xiliu Town, it was already early in the morning. He arranged for the soldiers to light a fire to eat and rest, and he went directly to the place where the seized supplies were stored.
The large and small vehicles were gathered together and had not been counted. This was what Guo Dajing wanted, so he ordered his soldiers to guard the outside. He walked through the vehicles and began to work hard as a porter.
No matter how many rewards the court will give, these are all obtained by the Dongjiang Army soldiers with their blood and lives. If they get less, I feel sorry for them.
If you don't take it, it will bring benefits to the people. Even if the court wants to use it to resettle the people, most of it will be swallowed up by the officials who handle it.
Guo Dajing had completely lost confidence in the bureaucracy of the Ming Dynasty. Even if there were some good things, it would be difficult to achieve anything within the solidified system and the big dye vat.
Boxes of gold and silver treasures, bundles of silk and satin, Guo Dajing refused to accept them all, and even tiredness could not stop his enthusiasm.
Counting money can make your hands cramp, but your heart is happy. Guo Dajing is in this state now, moving wherever he goes, moving wherever he can, moving hard!
Until his arms were so tired that he couldn't move any more, and the space was not full yet. Guo Dajing estimated that the gold and silver treasures must be worth five to six million, plus silk and satin... and more than two thousand heads.
.
Forget it, leave some travel expenses and some belongings for the people!
Guo Dajing looked around at only a small portion of the money and materials left, shrugged his arms, and walked out reluctantly.
It is not his duty to reward people based on their merits, and he must avoid such suspicions and give people an excuse to criticize him. Returning to Jinzhou and letting Mao Wenlong distribute silver rewards and pensions is the right way.
Another 3,000 infantry and more than 1,000 artillery were sent to the direction of Qian'an. He didn't know if they could catch up with the battle. But by doing so, Guo Dajing felt more confident.
Anyway, we have to pass through Qian'an when we return to the army. These troops will be stationed in Qian'an without the hassle of going back and forth.
There are still some intact houses in Xiliu Town, which are used as residences for the sick and wounded. Guo Dajing also had a small room. After returning home, he fell asleep and was really unwilling to lift his fingers.
After the great victory, all the nervousness was gone, and my heart felt lighter than ever before; the porters worked hard and were even more exhausted than marching and fighting.
Guo Dajing slept soundly, but he didn't know that the city of Zunhua was in full swing. Cao Huachun and others could not sleep at night, and they were so excited that they lost all sleep.
"Report to the father-in-law." The messenger knelt down on one leg and said loudly to Cao Huachun: "General Guo led his troops to pursue the captives, and killed the slave chief Prince Daishan in the Baozi town formation, and his son Sahalian, the leader of the red flag.
, and wiped out more than 2,000 enemies. Also, the special warfare battalion intercepted Jianlu and killed Mang Gurtai, the third prince of the slave chieftain."
Not long ago, Cao Huachun had received a report that the Dongjiang Army defeated the Jianlu, rescued tens of thousands of plundered people in Xiliu Town, and recaptured a large amount of property and materials.
This has already made Cao Huachun very excited. Don't let the captives escape from seclusion, but this is what Chongzhen said.
Although he didn't think it could be realized at the time, the result was beyond his expectation. This news comforted the emperor!
The next piece of good news was even more shocking, causing Cao Huachun to open his mouth wide and be shocked on the spot.
"General Guo is really our most powerful general in the Ming Dynasty. Killing the three slave chiefs in formation is the greatest achievement since the rise of the army." Fang Zhenghua sighed, which also made Cao Huachun wake up slowly.
Cao Huachun coughed dryly, and seemed to want to save himself from the embarrassment of losing his composure again. He pretended to be reserved and asked: "General Guo is extremely brave and his hard work has made great achievements. I wonder where he is now?"
The messenger replied: "Back to my father-in-law, General Guo will lead his troops back to Xiliu Town, place the wounded, and rest for a while. After dawn tomorrow, he will return to Zunhua City. Please also ask your father-in-law to send someone to make arrangements first. There are tens of thousands of people who need to be resettled.
.”
"The Zajia family will make arrangements in advance to settle my people of the Ming Dynasty." Cao Huachun was not angry because his rest time was taken up. On the contrary, he felt that he finally had an errand and had achievements that could be recorded in the memorial.
Fang Zhenghua asked with concern: "What about Huang Taiji, the fourth prince of the slave chief?"
"The slave chief Huang Taiji led the remnants of his troops to flee to Qian'an, and the slave chiefs Azig, Dorgon, and Duduo also fled to Qian'an. Our cavalry is chasing after them, but there is no report of the battle yet."
Cao Huachun's eyes flashed brightly. If he killed Huang Taiji, it would shock the government and the public more than killing Daishan and Mang Gurtai, and would make the emperor Longyan happy.
"Okay, okay!" Cao Huachun couldn't help but praise repeatedly.
"The arrogant slave chief actually ran away like a bereaved dog. This was all due to the heroic fighting of General Guo and the soldiers of the Dongjiang Army. The Za family will report to the court to ask for credit and reward for the Dongjiang Army."
After saying that, Cao Huachun couldn't suppress the excitement and joy in his heart and burst into laughter.
From the time he came to Zunhua to deliver the decree to the great victory, there was no doubt that the big stone in Eunuch Cao's heart was suddenly lifted, and the joy and excitement were released all at once.
Fang Zhenghua and others also relaxed completely. They smiled and praised Guo Dajing and the Dongjiang Army, and there was a flood of flattery.
It's hard to say that I can take some credit for this great victory. Jianlu was defeated miserably, so I don't have to worry about the safety of fighting with them.
After Cao Huachun laughed heartily, his mood was elevated and his state of mind stabilized, he said to everyone: "The Dongjiang Army is fighting desperately outside, let's not be afraid of hard work in the city. Hurry down and make arrangements, and wait for General Guo to return in triumph tomorrow.
.”
"What the father-in-law said is absolutely true." Yang Chun bowed and said, "It's just that the people in the city should rest. If they are disturbed, it may cause chaos."
Fang Zhenghua thought for a while and said to Cao Huachun: "Eunuch Cao, Xiliu Town is more than ten miles away from here. They will have to eat before setting off after dawn. The Za family sees that it is not too late to start setting up arrangements at dawn.
"
Cao Huachun pondered for a moment and said, "Then follow what Eunuch Fang said and Eunuch Fang will be responsible for the arrangements. The Za family is going to draft a memorial and send it to the capital as soon as possible, so that Long live peace of mind."
As he said that, he turned around and glanced at the generals who had not gone to rest, and said with a smile: "Everyone in the family will remember your contribution, and the court will not treat the meritorious officials badly."
Everyone's spirits were lifted, and they all bowed to express their thanks, and some even made generous speeches, asking them to lead their troops to clean up the battlefield outside the city.
"There is no rush to leave the city for now." Cao Huachun waved his hand and said with a smile: "It is better for Eunuch Fang to take command and do a good job of settling the people first."
After cupping his hands, Cao Huachun, accompanied by two chamberlains, turned and walked down the city wall. The wind blowing on the city wall for such a long time, even though there was a fire for warmth, was not something that ordinary people could bear.
Everyone watched Cao Huachun leave, thinking that they could still have one or two hours of rest, but when they heard Eunuch Cao laughing happily as he rode away at the foot of the city.
No one laughed at Eunuch Cao's ecstasy, because their hearts were also filled with joy and a sense of relief.
………………
Although there are only Malanyu, Da'ankou, Xifengkou, Lengkou, etc. in Zunhua and Qian'an at the Twelve Road Pass in Jizhen, Guo Dajing thinks it is still impossible to completely block the retreat route of Jianlu.
As for how much price Jianlu would have to pay to break out of the pass, Guo Dajing did not have extravagant expectations. The Ming army guarding the border pass had only so much fighting power and could not stop Jianlu at all.
Therefore, he only hoped that the two thousand musketeers stationed in Qian'an and the five or six thousand flying cavalry and lances chasing Jianlu could kill more Jianlu.
But no matter what happens in the end, there is no doubt that it is an unprecedented victory. Now that the battle has been fought, it is basically over, and we can even consider returning to the division.
The long queue stretched as far as the eye could see, with thousands of soldiers escorting tens of thousands of people carrying carts and burdens, slowly heading towards Zunhua.
"The Chinese New Year is almost here!" Guo Dajing thought of the present day and saw the people surviving the disaster, and he felt both emotion and pride in his heart.
Yes, it was he who saved these people of the Ming Dynasty and allowed them to celebrate the New Year in their own land instead of trudging outside the pass in the wind and snow to the distant Liaodong, suffering many deaths along the way.
Although their homes were destroyed and some of their relatives were killed, their lives were still there and they would not fall into the hands of the captives and become slaves as humble as grass.
Not only the people in Zunhua City and the people in front of them, but also the people in Yongping, Luanzhou, and Qian'an. Without the cross-sea attack led by him, their fate would have been the same miserable.
You must know that during the Jisi Incident in history, after the Jianqi invaded the capital, they stayed there for as long as four months.
After Huang Taiji returned to his army, he also captured Yongping Prefecture, Luanzhou, Qian'an, and Zunhua, a total of four cities, and stationed troops to garrison them.
Amin, who was originally staying in Shenyang, was deceived by Huang Taiji because of his money-grubbing nature. He was so stupid that he became the guard guarding the four cities of Yongping.
In May and June, the Ming army launched a massive counterattack. Amin realized that his troops were insufficient, so he killed all the Ming generals and officials who surrendered, massacred the people in the city, collected their gold and silk, and returned eastward from Lengkou at night.
Amin escaped and temporarily saved his life, but later Huang Taiji, whose prestige had increased, imprisoned him on the pretext that he was too afraid to fight, and successfully killed a competitor.
Obviously, none of this will happen, and the humiliation suffered by Ming Dynasty will end here.
There were only a few thousand captives, but they were able to stay in the occupied city for several months and still escape intact. The weakness of the Ming Empire was fully exposed.
There were as many as five times in history when Jianlu invaded the Pass and plundered. Each time was easier, more arrogant, and more rewarding than the last.
Especially the fifth time I entered the customs, which lasted for eight months, and I even took a leisurely rest for a month. I was as arrogant as if I was at home.
This time they invaded Zhili and Shandong, and ravaged parts of Jiangsu. They captured 94 towns, captured 360,000 people, and plundered 100,000 taels of gold and 2.2 million taels of silver.
A double blow to people, property, and spirit. I don’t know how desperate and angry Chongzhen felt when he heard the news that kept coming, and how miserable the suffering people were.
I hope all these tragedies will be ended by my own hands.
Guo Dajing let out a long breath, and the thick white mist filled and dissipated in front of his eyes.
After this drastic change, the useless effect of the Guan-Ning-Jin line of defense was fully exposed. If Chongzhen tightened his belt and invested heavily in it, how much water would have gone into his head?
But if there were too many cuts at once, Chongzhen would also worry about changes in Guan Ning's army, such as rebellion, and he had to guard against it.
If I were Chongzhen, I would take three steps first. The first step would be to mobilize part of the Guanning Army to garrison Ji Town to prevent the border invaders from building captives or Mongols;
The second step is to remove the defense of Jinzhou and shrink the strategy to Ningyuan and Juehua, which can not only save food and pay, but also strengthen the control of Guanning Army.
The third step should be carried out at the same time as the first two steps, which is to gradually strengthen the power of the imperial court in Shanhaiguan, whether it is sending supervisory troops, eunuchs to supervise the army, or sending generals like Man Gui and Sun Zushou there.
The Guan Ning army, unable to support itself, seemed to have no choice but to surrender and build captives outside the Pass to get rid of the control of the imperial court.
At least, everyone still accepted Chongzhen's imperial decree and the court's orders as long as they were not excessive.
The majesty of the imperial power was only perfunctory and ignored by the gradually formed warlords in the turbulent last years of the late Ming Dynasty.
It is a pity that Chongzhen used his supreme imperial power in the wrong place and was in vain.
"Sir." Shen Shuoqing came closer, bowed on his horse and said: "I have a merciless request for a humble position, and I hope you can give me a compliment."
Guo Dajing smiled and said, "You want to get an official position in the Ming Dynasty, right? It's best to be in the capital."
Shen Shuoqing blinked his eyes and said in surprise: "Your Excellency, your eyes are like a torch, and you hit the nail on the head."
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "If you follow Cao Huachun's path, someone will recommend you a good word. But it's hard to say whether it will succeed or not."
"Thank you, sir." Shen Shuoqing expressed his thanks with a cupped hand, "I would be very grateful if you could recommend me, sir."
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "I guess it's a casual job, the kind that doesn't mean much. Of course, you're not doing it to make money."
Shen Shuoqing also laughed and said, "It's just a backlash, but it's nothing for a humble position."
If Shen Shuoqing was an official in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, his father Shen Qi's status in North Korea would be quite stable. Even if he committed a serious crime and the King of North Korea wanted to kill him, he would have to think carefully or ask the Ming Dynasty for instructions first.
As a righteous North Korean, Chongzhen would not care about a casual official position. After all, North Korea was also the one that the Ming court wanted to win back.
Although North Korea and Jianlu formed a brotherly alliance, they still refused to abandon the status of the Ming Dynasty as the suzerainty. It can be regarded as a desire for the Ming Dynasty, but it was a helpless move dictated by the situation.
Therefore, as long as Guo Dajing clearly explains the stakes to Cao Huachun, he believes that Chongzhen will make the right choice.
Guo Dalue had to do this kind of favor, but it was just a matter of a few words. Or he could give Cao Huachun some gold and silver.
"Sir." Shen Shuoqing said slowly: "Jianlu suffered such a disastrous defeat. Even if Huang Taiji survives, I am afraid he will be unable to recover. The attitude of North Korea should change."
Guo Dajing slightly chinned his head and said: "Not only North Korea, but also the Mongolian tribes. If Hu Duntu learns of this news, I expect that he will go eastward and attack Haraqin and other tribes."
Huduntu is a fast runner, but he is not a fool. Haraqin and other tribesmen invested money in their backs, and even went westward with Jianlu. How could he not avenge this?
Haraqin and other tribes were attacked and killed, and Jianlu lost his accomplices outside Jizhen Pass. It was not easy for Jianlu to take a detour to enter the pass.
Of course, after this disastrous defeat, coupled with the growth of the Dongjiang Army, there is almost no possibility for the Jianlu to detour into the pass again. Unless, they give up their old nest and follow the example of Hu Duntu and head west to find a new base.