The New Year is approaching, and the capital finally has a festive atmosphere. The shops and shops have begun to decorate with lights, and the people walking on the road are smiling more.
The reason is simple. After nearly two months of ravaging the Gyeonggi region, the fierce Jianlu were finally defeated outside Zunhua City by the Dongjiang Army who came across the sea for reinforcements. More than 10,000 people were beheaded, which was a heavy loss.
At the same time, this battle also announced the complete end of the Jianlu invaders. Tens of thousands of King Qin's troops were stationed in Jizhou, Zunhua and other places. The remaining Jianlu had escaped and were no longer in trouble.
On this occasion, even if there is no holiday, it is still worthy of a big celebration. Now it is a double happiness. Months of tension and depression have been swept away, and I have finally found a channel to vent my emotions.
The tavern was full of people, noisy, and filled with the aroma of wine and meat, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere.
He Guizhong swept away the gloom and worries of the past, and his face was filled with joy and excitement from the bottom of his heart. He talked and laughed, greeting the drinkers and giving orders to the waiters from time to time.
After finally winning the battle, Guo Dajing was too proud of the Dongjiang Army. He Guizhong could not wait to announce loudly that he was a member of the Dongjiang Army and win everyone's praise and envy.
"With more than 10,000 heads, we can build a grand temple and become a sight in the capital!" A usually gentle and elegant drinker, now red-faced and tipsy, said loudly: "This great victory shocked all the barbarians.
To show the prestige of our country, the Ming Dynasty, we should make it clear."
"On the day of the victory, I will not only go to watch it, but also get drunk before resting." The gray-bearded drinker said with emotion: "In the past few years, the Dongjiang Army has played victorious games one after another, which has boosted the country's prestige and strengthened the people's hearts. Come, congratulate the Dongjiang Army.
."
The drinkers had no objections to this. They offered victory to the capital again and again, and the results were real kills. It was much better than the Ningyuan Victory or the Ningjin Victory.
What's more, the Ningyuan and Ningjin victories were not only false, but were also commanded by Yuan Chonghuan, who had colluded with Jianlu, which is even more fishy.
"Congratulations to the Dongjiang Army!" He Guizhong picked up the wine glass, shouted loudly from behind the counter, and drank it all in one gulp.
Breathing out the breath of alcohol, He Guizhong said loudly: "Today's drinks are half price. On the day of the dedication to the capital, the drinks are free."
"OK!"
"Boss He is very grand."
"Thank you, Boss He."
The drinkers were chatting and laughing loudly, making the atmosphere even more lively.
There is nothing more satisfying than defeating a foreign enemy. Months of depression and resentment are wiped away. The patriotism we usually talk about can only be felt more deeply in moments of real crisis.
If the country is strong, how can foreign enemies attack the capital? If the army is strong, how can foreign enemies wreak havoc?
The Ming Dynasty finally had a strong army that could turn the tide, destroy powerful enemies, and strengthen the country's prestige.
“The common people are tightening their belts to pay Liao’s wages, but they support the Guan Ning Army and this bunch of bastards.” Some drinkers vented their resentment and dissatisfaction, “I heard that Yuan Chonghuan, a traitor, withheld the Dongjiang Army’s food and wages to help build the country.
If the captives weaken the Dongjiang Army, their intentions can be punished, and their intentions can be punished."
He Guizhong's eyes flashed, but he did not say anything in agreement, but he recognized that he was a spy from the capital, guiding public opinion.
The imprisonment of Yuan Chonghuan and the escape of Guan Ning's army almost confirmed the charge of colluding with Jianlu to enter the Pass. Although the court has not yet made a final conclusion, the people have already concluded so.
Therefore, there is a widely circulated saying that "if you capture Governor Yuan, half of the prisoners will escape".
It can be said that from the time Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned, to his execution, and in the more than 100 years since then, history books and public opinion have mostly had negative evaluations of him.
"Yuan Chonghuan is short and sharp, shaped like a small dog, but has a very irritable nature. He holds hands and talks about world affairs, and he talks without shame. But he dreams all day long, and falls into the mist of the curtain, not knowing that he has a nightmare."
"It took five years to destroy the invaders, but the invaders could not be destroyed, and they destroyed themselves. Woohoo! Qin Hui advocated peace talks and delayed the demise of the Song Dynasty for more than two hundred years. How can Chonghuan, a dirty and mediocre man, be compared to Qin Hui?"
"... He also betrayed his ministers Yang Hao and Yuan Chonghuan, and successively sacrificed Liaoyang and Guangning. It was difficult to cultivate the spread; but it still lasted twenty years of ravage..."
Some evaluations were extremely harsh, and they demoted Yuan Chonghuan to the point where he was even inferior to Qin Hui. It may have been caused by righteous indignation, but it did illustrate one issue: Yuan Chonghuan was guilty.
Historically, it was not until the Qianlong period that Hongli read history books at night and suddenly discovered that Yuan Chonghuan was unjustly killed and it was the faint emperor Chongzhen who fell into the trap of counterintelligence.
The emperor set the tone, and all history books had to be revised accordingly. After hundreds of years of passing on, people began to believe that Yuan Chonghuan was the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Only after his death did the Ming Dynasty fall, and the Qing army was able to enter the pass.
But in fact, what military achievements did Yuan Chonghuan, the "Great Wall", have against Jianlu? The Ningyuan victory and the Ningjin victory were the only two that could be used, but they were just huddled and defending the city.
As for the talk of returning to the capital from thousands of miles away, the great victory at Guangqumen, the relief of the siege of the capital, and the defeat of 20,000 to 100,000, they are all just bragging, and no convincing evidence can be produced.
In Guo Dajing's view, Yuan Chonghuan may not be a traitor to the country, but he is definitely a mediocre person who speaks loudly and deceives the world.
After the Battle of Guangning, he went to Shanhaiguan for inspection and said, "Give me money and food, and I will guard this place alone." He was promoted all the way by boasting that "how bold a person is, how productive the land is."
In the end, bragging became Yuan Chonghuan's habit. He couldn't speak without bragging, but he didn't know it himself. Finally, the bragging blew up and led to a miserable ending. Who can blame him?
"Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Ji Liao, was in trouble with our government, but he was still loyal to what he was doing. At that time, he was secretly in power and could not exhaust his sincerity. As a result, he suffered a heavy loss. It is very pitiable."
Hongli rehabilitated Yuan Chonghuan, and the profound meaning behind it can be understood from his words. They set off Chongzhen's mediocrity and the corruption of the Ming court, indicating that the demise of the Ming Dynasty was inevitable and that the Qing Dynasty had the legitimacy to replace it.
But now, Huang Taiji is gone, Nuanxi is gone, and the bullshit "textual research expert" Hongli is gone, Governor Yuan is afraid that he will not be able to turn around and rectify the rebellion.
At this time, the subjects in the capital already hated Yuan Chonghuan to the bone. In addition, the people who had been burned, killed, and looted by the Jianjun had their families broken up and their families destroyed. It was difficult to express the overwhelming hatred in their hearts with their hatred.
"The Liangxiang, Gu'an was massacred, it was really tragic..."
"Don't talk so far away. The villages, towns and counties around the capital were all ravaged by the slaves. How many people died and how many houses were burned down..."
The mood of the drinkers became depressed again. Some relatives and friends who were in trouble outside the city were gnashing their teeth, and some were crying.
"I heard that Yuan Chonghuan conspired to kill Mao Wenlong in order to negotiate peace with the rebels." Another drinker raised a new topic, sparking another round of discussion.
He Guizhong pursed his lips slightly, picked up the wine glass with a half-smile, and sipped it gently.
Yuan Chonghuan not only wants to fall, but also the big bosses in the DPRK and China who secretly support him, and even Denglai Dao Wang Tingshi who suppresses Dongjiang Town.
No matter whether the replaced officials can bring benefits to Dongjiang Town, it can't be worse, right?
As for what the history books said, the remnants of the Eunuch Party once again occupied the court, but Guo Dajing dismissed it. What happened to the Eunuch Party? It was no worse than the sanctimonious Donglin Party.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves roared past outside, accompanied by loud shouts of victory.
"The great victory in Qian'an, and the slave chief Taiji was captured alive."
"The great victory in Qian'an, and the slave chief Taiji was captured alive."
Some of the drinkers were shocked, some didn't hear clearly, and the noise suddenly became quiet.
But He Guizhong heard it clearly, stood up suddenly, the expression on his face changed, and suddenly laughed like crazy, laughing and shouting: "Huang Taiji was captured alive, the slave chief was captured alive, hahahaha..."
There was an uproar in the tavern. The drinkers were shocked by the shocking news and finally woke up. They were laughing, talking loudly, and clinking glasses.
"Drinks are free today, drink and have a good time." He Guizhong was so excited that it was hard to describe, his face turned red and his voice was trembling.
"Congratulations to the Dongjiang Army."
"Congratulations to Deputy Commander Guo."
"Congratulations to the Ming Dynasty."
The atmosphere in the tavern reached its peak, and the sound was so loud that it almost broke through the roof.
………………
"Okay, okay!" In the Qianqing Palace, excited voices suddenly burst out. It was Emperor Chongzhen who had just received the good news.
Standing in front of the throne, Chongzhen's chest rose and fell violently, his fists clenched and unclenched, unclenched and clenched again, sometimes gritting his teeth, and sometimes wanting to laugh heartily.
As soon as possible, the great victory of Zunhua relieved the depression in his heart, but the slave chief Taiji was captured alive and was about to be escorted to the capital. It was like a spring breeze that completely relaxed Chongzhen's mind.
A few months ago, when Jianlu besieged the capital, Huang Taiji was so high-spirited and arrogant that he even wrote to him, saying: "Heaven does not care about the size of the country, but only the right and wrong of things... Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty even bullied me wantonly. I made another treasure and ordered you to make a seal and speak to me, but he will not obey..."
"...I was angry and sent troops here. As far as the residents of the city are concerned, I will not attack any of their belongings. I will only punish the soldiers who resist and conquer the castle. If the castle does not surrender, I will not be happy to attack it. It’s time to punish him. All the Ming emperors are arrogant and want to make peace but refuse to obey. This is nothing more than a self-destructive attack on his own ears!”
Faced with the Jianlu who were ravaging the capital and the threat of Huang Taiji, Chongzhen could only hide in the palace and frequently issued edicts from the king. He felt helpless and embarrassed.
What is this? This is humiliation. The supreme emperor of the Ming Dynasty was so unbearable in the face of the rampant barbarian slave chiefs. The extreme humiliation has been deeply rooted in Chongzhen's heart.
Although he didn't say it explicitly, the poisonous seeds always stimulated Chongzhen, piercing his heart like needles.
Now, the arrogant and arrogant slave chief has been captured alive. He will be escorted in front of him and paraded in the capital, with thousands of subjects watching. There is nothing more exciting and more vengeful than this. A big deal?
If it weren't for the emperor, Chongzhen would have wanted to go up and slap Huang Taiji hard in the face, kicking him one after another. To make you look down on me, to make you intimidate me...
Well, I have to cut the slave chief into pieces to relieve the hatred in my heart. Dongjiang Army, Guo Dajing, did a great job, completely reversing the bad influence of the invaders, and also saved my face.
Chongzhen took a long breath and finally calmed down a little.
Wang Chengen bowed and said with a flattering smile: "Your Majesty, please order the Ministry of Ceremonies to prepare a prisoner gift immediately."
Chongzhen smiled and nodded, sighing: "Since I ascended the throne, this is the second prisoner gift, right?"
Wang Chengen replied: "This time it should be more grand, surpassing the time Wanli Ye defeated the Japanese and aided the dynasty."
Chongzhen thought for a while and then asked in a deep voice: "I looked at the history books and found that when Wanli was twelve years old, there was another prisoner ceremony. It seems that Wang Gao, the right guard commander of Jianzhou, was sacrificed to the prison."
Wang Chengen was not very clear about it, so he hurriedly ordered someone to go to the historian to check it. In a short time, he got a reward.
"Long live a shrewd memory and a photographic memory. This is indeed the case."
Wang Chengen took the information sent by the historian, complimented him first, and then reported to Chongzhen: "This Wang Gao is also a slave, the grandfather of the old slave, and the great-grandfather of the slave chief Huang Taiji."
After a pause, Wang Chengen added: "At that time, Wang Gao only had 18,000 men and horses, and he was not even a sweat. It was no better than the slave chief Huang Taiji, who had tens of thousands."
The Jurchens in Jianzhou are divided into left guards and right guards. The Nurhachi family belongs to the left guard and Wang Gao belongs to the right guard.
According to records, Wang Gao's real name was Atuhan, and he was a descendant of Fancha, the right guard of Jianzhou. He inherited his father's business when he was sixteen years old, and used Gule Mountain as his base to expand his strength.
At that time, Wang Gao was the most powerful and could suppress various ministries. In order to maintain the stability of Jianzhou, the Ming Dynasty tried its best to win over Wang Gao and gave him many rewards, but Wang Gao was not satisfied.
After growing in strength, Wang Gao continued to invade the border areas of the Ming Dynasty in the last years of Jiajing. For example, in the thirty-sixth year of Jiajing, Wang Gao killed the Ming Dynasty guard Peng Wenzhu and plundered Dongzhou and Hui'an forts.
In the forty-one year of Jiajing, Wang Gao even formed an alliance with Mongolia to invade the border, defeat the Ming army, and capture Heichun, the deputy chief soldier of the Ming Dynasty, alive and "Zhezhi".
For more than ten years, the situation in Liaodong was very tense. Three generals, Yin Shangzhi, Yang Zhao, and Wang Zhidao, were all killed in the battle. "The Liao people were in great fear".
The person in charge of the government affairs of the Ming Dynasty at that time was Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the cabinet. Under his planning, he decided to launch a large-scale military operation against Wang Gao.
Li Chengliang, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, personally led an army of 60,000 to Fushun, divided his troops and dispatched generals, and defeated Wang Gao's army in one fell swoop. After that, Li Chengliang continued to pursue Wang Gao until he reached Gule Mountain, Wang Gao's old camp. Wang Gao was defeated and forced to flee.
In July of the third year of Wanli, Wang Gao was sacrificed by Wang Tai, the leader of the Haixi Jurchen Tribe. Afterwards, Wang Gao was taken to Beijing and eventually executed by Ling Chi.
History seems to be repeating itself, but compared with Huang Taiji, Wang Gao and Huang Taiji are not the same in terms of power and fame.
This made Chongzhen quite proud, because this achievement had surpassed that of his grandfather. The three great conquests of Wanli were famous, but the rebel Jianlu occupied almost the entire Liaodong.
"The slave chief Huang Taiji can be sacrificed to the prison. Long live his achievements, which are comparable to those of Taizu and Chengzu." Wang Chengen's flattery made Chongzhen even more flattering.
"How can I dare to compare with Taizu and Chengzu before Jiannu was exterminated?" Chongzhen waved his hand, pretending to be humble, and said slowly: "The Dongjiang Army has accomplished such a remarkable feat, which is very commendable. I have clear rewards and punishments, so I can't let the soldiers do it.
Chilling."
If there was still hesitation before, Chongzhen has now made up his mind. Without rewards for such achievements, how can we motivate the soldiers? If there is a similar crisis again, who will be willing to sacrifice their lives?
"Drawing up the decree, the Jin Dynasty granted Mao Wenlong the title of Marquis of Pingxi, and made him the Crown Prince and Grand Master... Guo Dajing was promoted to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and he was made the Crown Prince Shaobao and promoted to the Right Commander..."
Chongzhen actually regretted that he should not have been granted the title of Marquis of Guidong Ping. If he was just an earl, he would naturally give Mao Wenlong the same treatment.
But in terms of merit, Mao Wenlong cannot be ranked below Mangui now.