That night, the banquet ended in the middle of Xu Shi, but Zhang Cheng didn't come out of the governor's quarters until the end of Xu Shi. He looked up at the starry sky, exhaled a big breath of wine, and suddenly felt a lot of relief in his chest and abdomen.
After the officials dispersed just now, he was left alone by Wang Chengen to continue the banquet. This time, even the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi and the governor Qiu Minyang were not able to participate.
There were only four people at the banquet, Wang Chengen, Fang Zhenghua, Zhang Cheng, and Hong Chengchou, and the focus of the banquet was no longer to celebrate Zhang Cheng and Hong Chengchou.
After thirty days of drinking, Wang Chengen brought up a question that was difficult for everyone to avoid but inconvenient to ask, that is, when can we withdraw troops from Liaodong?
It turns out that after the new Trilateral Governor Fu Zonglong died in Xiangcheng in September, the Governor of Baoding Yang Wenyue was dismissed from his post by Emperor Chongzhen because he led his troops to escape first, and was temporarily appointed as an official in order to atone for his crime.
Although Yang Wenyue tried his best to collect scattered soldiers, his strength was greatly damaged and he was unable to fight anymore, so he immediately led his troops to defect to Gao Mingheng, the governor of Henan, to assist in the defense of Kaifeng.
Nowadays, intruders are ravaging the land of Henan Province, and no one can control it, although there is Ding Qirui, the Minister of War, who supervises the armies in Huguang, Henan, Sichuan, and the north and south of the Yangtze River.
However, he, led by Zuo Liangyu and other generals, only pursued Zhang Xianzhong and the bandits from the fifth battalion of Gezuo in Guangshan, Shangzhou, Gushi and other places, and did not dare to lead the army north to fight the intruders.
Although the imperial court issued an imperial edict appointing Wang Qiaonian as the right minister of the Ministry of War, replacing Fu Zonglong to supervise the military affairs of the three sides and march into Henan to suppress the bandits, but even though the Ministry of War sent letters one after another, Wang Qiaonian was still unable to go out to fight.
There is no other reason for this. It is because most of Shaanxi's elite soldiers and horses were defeated and died in the battle after following Fu Zonglong out of Shaanxi. You asked Wang Qiaonian to get these many soldiers and horses in a short period of time?
Let me ask you, even if the imperial court appoints him as the governor of the three sides, there are no generals available and no troops to deploy. Even if Wang Qiaonian has three heads and six arms, what can he do?
Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen, who was already very worried, was very excited after hearing the news that he had successfully solved the Jin Siege on the Liaodong battlefield and had defeated the slave thieves with successive victories.
He pulled up Chen Jiugao and Wang Puhou, and then stopped Fu Yingchong from kneeling down. Only then did he have time to pull up Li Fuming and said to him: "Brother, it's really embarrassing for me to be like this."
He went on to say: "Although Yong Ningbo's Ye Bu Sui is very capable, Supervisor Biao's camp and General Chang Bo's sentry cavalry are not much inferior. General Xiao Cao's Ye Bu Sui also found slaves in both camps.
The thieves have been on the move frequently in recent days.
Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu, Fu Yingchong and others came out quickly, their faces full of joy. They didn't know whether they were happy for Zhang Cheng or because they had received military merit awards.
The reason why Wang Pu and others have been waiting for Zhang Cheng is simply to cling to the big tree of "Yong Ningbo". Through several wars since aiding Liao, they have understood a truth.
Just like the previous time when Luoyang City fell and Fu Fan was in trouble, it was Zhang Cheng who not only rescued the Crown Prince of Fu Fan, but also relieved the danger of Kaifeng, and even pursued the intruders hundreds of miles away.
In a side room of the governor's residence, Qiu Minyang, the governor of Liaodong, said with doubts on his face.
For three days in a row, there was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate him, making it almost impossible for Zhang Cheng to even go out.
It was precisely out of concern for Nanyang and even Henan that Emperor Chongzhen was eager to mobilize Zhang Cheng's Xuanda troops to return to Henan to aid and suppress the rebellion.
According to the reports from Jinyiwei and Dongchang, the whole city of the capital was already in a state of excitement. People rushed to tell each other, and the streets and alleys were full of people talking about the matter. Zhang Cheng's nickname was Wang Yuetuo, and Duduo's deeds also became the capital's capital again.
The focus of people's discussion.
Zhang Guang hurriedly knelt down and said, "Zhang Guang, congratulations to my adoptive father, congratulations to my adoptive father."
If it was feasible, Emperor Chongzhen thought of sending the Xuan army back to Henan to help suppress Chuang Xian and other bandits. Especially the Chuang bandits were too big to be eliminated. They were wreaking havoc in Henan Province and were likely to besiege Nanyang Prefecture.
The four infantrymen from the right wing of the Chinese army who were on duty in front of the door also came forward, bowed down and bowed down, shouting loudly, "Congratulations to the general, congratulations to the general, pay homage to the commander-in-chief."
Before Zhang Cheng could answer, Zhang Chengfang was the first to step forward and scolded with a smile: "Zhang Guang, you can control your eyes. My father is now the general of Zhenshuo, the dignified 'Uncle Yong Ning'. In the future, we will
Call your adoptive father 'Shuai'."
"well……"
However, Emperor Chongzhen also had a secret order, which he sent to Wang Chengen, the internal eunuch who stayed on the front line in Liaodong, asking him to test the governor of Jiliao Hong Chengchou. Can the officers and soldiers of Jiliao towns resist the slave thieves alone?
According to the wishes of Emperor Chongzhen, Zhang Cheng was about to be made an earl at that time, but he was blocked by the senior ministers of the court. Although Chen Xinjia, his own soldier, supported him, because he was not a cabinet minister, he was ignored, so it was useless.
Fortunately, Liaodong once again announced a victory this time. It had successfully driven back the slaves, bandits and cavalry, and solved the siege of Jinzhou. The person who made the first contribution was Zhang Cheng of the Xuanfu who had made many achievements.
During the Yongle period, a large-scale Tang palace was built in Nanyang City. Later, after several generations of reproduction, nine new princely palaces were built in Nanyang City during the Chenghua period.
It can be said that Nanyang City is full of royal family and nobles, and the traffic is busy all day long, and the business is also active. Merchants from Shan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hubei and other places come in droves.
Xie Sixin poured tea for Qiu Minyang next to him, and then said: "The student and Mr. Li have the same guess, but it seems that it remains to be seen. Maybe we will know in a few days."
…………
At this time, Zhang Cheng, who was sitting on his horse, caught the wind and felt a sense of drunkenness. Although he didn't drink much, he didn't drink as freely as his generals, but he did drink a lot.
A feeling of dizziness came over him. Zhang Cheng hurriedly grasped the reins of his war horse and tried his best to control his body from shaking from side to side, lest he lose his balance and fall under the horse, which would be embarrassing.
Fortunately, Zhang Chengfang was leading the way, and he controlled the deceleration very well, neither slowly nor hastily. Although there were always some bumps when riding on the horse, Zhang Cheng could still bear it.
Hong Chengchou looked at Qiu Minyang and continued: "Changbai, you know, my army of hundreds of thousands gathered among the pines and brocades, and the daily consumption of money and food was so huge?
As he spoke, he bowed down again and said, "See 'Uncle Yong Ning' and pay my respects to the Commander-in-Chief!"
Not long ago, the news that Zhang Cheng's formation had killed the slave king Duduo made his spirit greatly invigorated. It seemed that he had not felt so happy since he fought against Yuji.
At this time, Hong Chengchou slowly opened his eyes, and two rays of light shot out. Although his appearance was as elegant as ever, there was an air of majesty about him that made people dare not look directly at him.
But instead, he said that rogue bandits were raging in Henan Province and that the Tang vassal in Nanyang was in danger, but it could not be ignored. He did not mention whether the large-scale reinforcements to the Liao army could be withdrawn, but only said that Ding Qirui and Wang Qionian would be dispatched to Henan Province as an emergency and that they would go into Henan Province together and suppress the bandits at the same time.
After he suddenly listened to Zhang Chengfang's words, his eyes widened and his mouth was opened wide and he could not close it. He was stunned for half a stick of incense before he came to his senses.
Nanyang Prefecture is the fiefdom of Tang Wang Zhu Tong, the 23rd son of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. It has two states and eleven counties under its rule, and is more than 680 miles away from Kaifeng Prefecture.
After all, Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming was a man who had been punished and suffered losses. His behavior was much more prudent than before. He knelt down and worshiped from a distance: "Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming, see 'Yongning Bo'!"
Hong Chengchou sighed, and then continued: "Even without the urging of the imperial court and the princes, Xuan Da aids the Liao army, and it is absolutely forbidden to station under Songshan City anymore.
It seemed that in the past few months, this was the only good news that could give him some comfort, but at the same time Emperor Chongzhen also discovered that wherever there is Zhang Cheng, there will be good news.
It can be seen from this that although it is said that "under the sky, it is the king's land, and on the shore of the land, it is the king's ministers." However, the emperors after the middle of the Ming Dynasty found it difficult to rely on their own will without the support of the courtiers.
Make a decision.
This undoubtedly gave Emperor Chongzhen great courage and confidence. He secretly warned himself that he would never be blocked by cabinet ministers again, and that he must reward Zhang Cheng with a big grant, and not chill the hearts of his loyal ministers and good generals.
Even the slave thieves in places such as Liushui Fort and Dasheng Fort seem to be retreating to Yizhou, and their carts are always seen heading north."
It was precisely because of Emperor Chongzhen’s persistence that Zhang Cheng was named “Uncle Yongning”!
Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua kept revealing the reasons for this during the banquet. Naturally, they wanted to make Zhang Cheng appreciate the king's kindness so that he would always think of repaying the emperor's kindness in the future.
Qiu Minyang glanced at Hong Chengchou at this time, and said slowly: "Supervisor, if it is confirmed that the slave bandits are indeed reducing their troops, the prince will definitely force Xuan Da's aid troops to return to the Liao army again."
In fact, Wang Chengen's banquet today was just a test. After all, the army of 100,000 slave thieves is near Jinzhou and can make a comeback at any time. It is indeed inappropriate to mobilize the army to return at this time.
At that time, Nanyang City was prospering in all industries, including architecture, gardens, paintings, sculptures, calligraphy, etc., all had great development.
Soon they arrived at the Xuanfu Army's garrison in Songshan City. This was where Zhang Cheng stayed when he first arrived in Songshan. Later, he had been living in the military camp, so this place became unused.
When the time came, Zhang Cheng left the governor's residence in a state of drunkenness.
Zhang Cheng just stepped into his mansion and saw Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu, Li Fuming, deputy general Fu Yingchong and others who had heard the commotion coming out to welcome him.
Zhang Guang is also one of the thirty-six adopted sons that Zhang Cheng accepted. They are now with Zhang Cheng as personal soldiers. After some experience, they will be sent to serve in various camps, each according to their ability.
Come out and fight for your future.
Various commercial halls and mansions also emerged in the city. Grain, cotton, raw silk, tobacco, silk satin, oil, fur, wood, medicinal materials, copperware, ironware, etc. poured into Nanyang in large quantities and were sold throughout the Ming Dynasty.
From then on, because of the rash remarks made by his adopted son Zhang Chengfang, not many people in the Xuanfu army called General Zhang Cheng, and almost all the generals under his command were called "Commander".
Songshan City was full of joy, but there was no movement on the part of the slave thieves. As the sentries reported one after another, in the past two days, groups of slave thieves were found to have withdrawn from the White Temple Fort.
The two pontoon bridges on the river were both set on fire and burned down.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Cheng hurriedly stepped forward, supported the two of them, and said hurriedly: "Why should we be so polite? Why should my two brothers and Zhongchen be so polite."
The biting cold wind blew on him, and Zhang Cheng sneezed violently. He wrapped himself tightly in his woolen cloak, and with the support of Zhang Chengfang and Zhang Mingyuan, he got on his horse and walked slowly to his residence.
In the past, slaves and thieves attacked Jinzhou very fiercely, and the imperial court also knew that Jinzhou could not tolerate any losses, so it worked hard to raise food and grass and transported it thousands of miles away.
During the banquet, the governor of Jiliao, Hong Chengchou, did not express a clear opinion on this. He suddenly said that the war in Liaodong was of vital importance. Although the slave thieves temporarily retreated, there was no guarantee that they would not come again.
Due to emotions and reasons, when they saw Zhang Cheng, they all wanted to bow down and bow down. At that moment, Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu and others stopped and started to bow down and bow down.
"Xuan Da's troops and horses aiding the Liao Dynasty will eventually be withdrawn. Even the soldiers and horses of the battalions in Ji Town should not stay among the pines and brocades for a long time."
Hong Chengchou seemed to be thinking about something and did not answer. However, his staff Li Song continued: "Bo Yongning's sentry cavalry have always been very capable, and they have always been very effective in detecting information. It seems that they are not wrong."
Even so, there was still a group of Xuanfu army infantry stationed here. Before Zhang Cheng could dismount, he saw a soldier running quickly. He took the reins and said hurriedly: "Commander, you are back.
Chen Shuai from Beijing, Wang Shuai from Datong, and Li Shuai from Shanxi have been waiting here for the lordship for a long time."
"It seems like the slave thieves really want to withdraw their troops?"
…………
When several people saw that Zhang Cheng treated them so kindly and without any pretense, they couldn't help but feel happy from the bottom of their hearts. They followed Zhang Cheng all the way to the inner hall.
That is, as long as they follow Zhang Cheng, they will have no worries about military achievements. Now that Zhang Cheng is rising steadily and his future is even more limitless, how can they be willing to let go.
After his reminder, Chen Jiugao, Wang Pu and others remembered this matter. Zhang Cheng was now the dignified "Uncle Yongning", and his status was much higher than that of their generals.
But who would have thought that such a large city with a large population and extremely prosperous economy and trade would soon be destroyed by the hands of intruders. Not only would the Tang family be in trouble, but the people in the city would no longer have peace.
After arriving in the inner room, Zhang Cheng immediately ordered people to prepare some wine and food. He wanted to have a drink with his brothers...
But since our division entered Jinzhou City and the slave bandits have retreated, the food and grass that have been transferred has become worse day by day, and there is a big worry of sitting on nothing."
Not to mention the large-scale reinforcement of Liao troops and horses, even the camps in Jizhen must be transferred back to their respective stations, otherwise Liaodong's stored grain may be eaten up by them.
If this is the case, how can the castles in Liao Town satisfy their hunger, survive this severe winter, and get the seeds of grain for the coming spring?"
After listening to Hong Chengchou's words, several people nodded their heads. The situation in Liaodong is indeed what Hong Chengchou said. The court saw that the siege of Jinzhou has been resolved, and the transportation of grain and grass is no longer as active as in the past.
At this time, Xie Sixin seemed to remember something, and he said with some worry: "General Chang Bo got up early yesterday and hurried back to Jinzhou, and even Zu Dabi and Zu Dale left with him.
Could it be that something happened with Master Zu?"