Speaking of Mongolia in the mid-Ming Dynasty, the ruler that ordinary people may be most familiar with is Ye Xian. No one else, because this man really met a good opponent. He not only destroyed hundreds of thousands of elites of the Ming Dynasty, but also captured the emperor.
But how should I put it? Zhu Qizhen’s degree of cerebral palsy is unparalleled in the entire history of Chinese emperors, and Yexian himself was not that wise.
First of all, this man has no determination and ambition to be a hero. His mother is a Han. After he captured Zhu Qizhen first, he did not even dare to let his mother know. In the end, after his mother's persuasion, he did not get it from the Ming Dynasty.
There were so many benefits that Zhu Qizhen was actually released. It can be seen that although Ye Xian is brave and good at fighting, he is not a decisive person. This is actually fatal for a hero who wants to open up a business.
. You must know that when Wanyan Liang launched his crusade against the Southern Song Dynasty, his aunt and adoptive mother, Tu Shan, opposed it. Wanyan Liang did not hesitate to kill his aunt and move on.
Secondly, he didn’t have much foresight. When Ye Xian’s tribe was at its most powerful, it was considered invincible in conquering the grasslands. However, even then, he never thought about unifying Mongolia. Instead, he kept asking for money from women from the surrounding khanates.
His reputation was very bad. In the end, he supported a puppet khan of the Golden Family and served as the "regent" for a while. He felt unhappy and killed the puppet and took the position himself. However, within a year, everyone betrayed their relatives and died tragically in the tent.
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After Ye Xian died, a young khan named Boljijin Batu Mengke took the opportunity to conquer Wasa. He was the fifteenth generation grandson of Genghis Khan, and the Ming Dynasty preferred to call him the "little prince."
The difference is that the little prince really unified Mongolia, and his attack on the Ming Dynasty was even more crazy.
Fortunately, although his counterpart, the Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao, was ridiculous and playful, he was not a fool like Zhu Qizhen. He actually defeated the little prince once, and that time left a deep impression on the other party, making him unable to resist.
Dare to send troops rashly again.
Seven years ago, the little prince died of illness, and his heirs inherited various tribes. The ones who attacked Datong this time were his grandsons Ji Nang and Anda, who were in charge of the Ordos and Tumut tribes.
When Jiajing first heard the news of the fall of Datong, the first reaction was to capture the envoy who reported the news and ordered the Jin Yiwei to carefully examine whether someone had instructed the other party to lie about the military situation and confuse the government.
Apart from Zhu Houcong's sensitive and suspicious personality, he is not to blame for having such a reaction.
After all, the status of Datong Mansion is too special. Today, when the territory of the Ming Dynasty is becoming more and more precarious, it is almost the last barrier between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia. The previous Shanxi governors and capital commanders have been relatively reliable, and the imperial court every year
They also transported troops and food to Datong Prefecture, so that since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, even if they encountered tragedies such as the Tumubao Incident, they did not capture Datong Prefecture, but instead encircled and suppressed Beijing.
At that critical moment, nothing happened in Datong Mansion. Now, let alone the peace and prosperity of the country and the people, the imperial court is on track, so how could Datong fall!?
However, when he heard that the clan in Datong Prefecture had colluded with the White Lotus Sect, burning the grassland and then taking the opportunity to kidnap the city guards and take the initiative to open the city gate and bring in the Mongols, Zhu Houcong's eyes darkened and he almost fainted.
Huang Jinzai was so frightened that he quickly stepped forward to support him and said worriedly: "Your Majesty, you must take care of the dragon body."
Zhu Houcong pushed him away, his face flushed, and he held the armchair firmly with both hands until his joints turned white before he calmed down. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, "Send the order and let the officials of the fourth rank and above come to the palace to see you.
"
Huang Jin did not dare to hesitate and walked out quickly.
After a while, the civil and military officials put down their work and hurried over.
On the way, they had learned about the fall of Datong from various channels. Like Zhu Houcong, they were surprised at first, then angry, and after all the emotions had taken a turn, the rest was fear and uneasiness. They were far away from Yu Qian and Shaobao.
It had only been 70 years since he led the "Beijing Defense War", and many people had heard about the dangers at that time from their elders. It can be said that Yu Qian was dancing on the tip of a knife at that time. Any tiny mistake could end up being fatal.
This caused the fall of Beijing. Fortunately, Yu Qian, a famous official throughout the ages, withstood the fall.
But now, looking around, is there a second Yu Qian in the court?
On the dragon chair, Jiajing looked at the flustered faces of his ministers below, feeling irritated in his heart, and said bluntly: "I guess you have also heard the battle report sent from the front line. Although Datong Prefecture fell and the Shanxi governor died in the battle, Mei Qinshu was ordered to clean up the situation.
The remaining troops retreated to Yanmen Pass and are now holding Yanmen Pass to confront the Mongols."
Yanmen Pass is located in Yanmen Mountain. It is one of the major gates to defend the capital in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that "Yanmen Pass is the first of the nine fortresses in the world". In the past, Zhu Di set up many guard posts here and stationed heavy troops. Although many of them are now abandoned,
But it works anyway.
After hearing this, everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief, and some people swallowed their words that they hoped Jiajing would take them to move south quickly.
"Even so, the situation is not optimistic now," Yang Yiqing frowned. He has been in the northwest for half his life and knows the enemy's situation better than most people. "We haven't counted how many people there are in Mongolia, but there are still 70,000 or 80,000.
Well, I heard that they are not having a good time this winter. The cattle and sheep in Monan are infected with diseases and many livestock have died. This time we came with a large army and only occupied one Datong Prefecture, so I am afraid we will not be able to stop them."
Zhu Houcong nodded. This is what he is worried about now. Although Yanmen Pass is steep, Mei Qinshu leads a group of weak soldiers and does not know how long he can hold it, so he must quickly send more troops.
"Actually, it doesn't have to be so laborious." At this moment, the deputy inspector Yushi suddenly spoke.
Zhu Houcong thought that the other party had some good ideas, so he quickly asked him to speak boldly.
Seeing the emperor's encouragement, the imperial censor flashed a trace of confidence on his face and said forcefully: "Your Majesty, although the Mongols are capable of fighting, they are only as brave as an ordinary man. Especially today, there are only two small tribes in action. Even if they break through Yanmen Pass and come to
In the capital, as long as we just stay closed, there is nothing these people can do. There is simply no supply of food and grass, and they will go back when they have grabbed enough nearby. As for Datong, they can also be redeemed with money, as long as...
…”
"That's enough!" Jiajing listened to the other party's talk, and the anger in his chest became more and more intense. Finally, he even stood up and pointed at his nose and cursed: "Mongolia violated our border several times, and this time they came directly to kill me.
The people of the Ming Dynasty were brutally robbed. As an official of the imperial court, you did not want to protect your family and the country, but you were timid and afraid of getting into trouble. If everyone in the Ming Dynasty was like you, how could I have the face to meet my ancestors?
!”
The deputy inspector-general felt aggrieved by the emperor's harsh words, and he didn't know what was wrong, so he said directly: "What I said was for the sake of the Ming Dynasty. Your majesty forced the reform of the clan before, which caused disarray in the local people." , that’s how today’s scene happened. If we continue to have our own way, it will affect the Ming Dynasty!”
As soon as this statement came out, the civil and military officials in the court were a little shocked.
"Oh? So it's my fault." Zhu Houhuan tilted his head, and Yang Yiqing secretly thought that it was not good. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the young emperor on the dragon throne shout loudly: "Come here! Pull him down with the staff. Decide!!"
Fei Hong and others did not dare to say any more and quickly bowed their heads to apologize.
As a result, the court meeting dispersed without discussing anything. Zhu Houcong returned to the Qianqing Palace alone, took out the map of the northwest and looked through it. His brows furrowed more and more as he looked at it. At this moment, Huang Jin came in to report that Xian Ruxing wanted to see him.
Zhu Houcong quickly put away his things, pretended to be nonchalant, and let the other party in.
The female Taoist priest arrived without saying a word and said directly: "Something happened in the northwest? What are you going to do?"
"What should we do?" Zhu Houcong said calmly: "It's just that the Mongols came to plunder as usual. I sent people to send them away. Two small tribes cannot make a difference."
Xian Ruxing shook his head and exposed him unceremoniously, "Do you have anyone?"
Zhu Houcong stiffened and said nothing.
Yes, although Beijing claims to have a population of one million, it is actually empty.
Seventy years ago, after the Battle of Beijing, the capital camp that had been completely destroyed in Mongolia was transformed into a 12th regiment camp by Yu Qian, with only 140,000 troops left. After so long, there were only 50,000 or 60,000 horses left. And in Among the 50,000 to 60,000 people, most of them are on empty pay and those who are too old to bear arms. Although 20,000 people were transferred from the border army under Zhengde's hard work, these are the capital's last trump cards. If Sending them to the front line, not to mention the Mongols coming in, just a large armed battle may change the dynasty. By then, the emperor will be no different from running around naked.
If it were just a lack of troops, Zhu Houcong could dispatch them from other places. But the problem is that he currently has no generals or supervisors.
"I'll go," Xian Ruxing sighed and volunteered.
"No!" Zhu Houcong's expression changed drastically and he retorted directly, "There are so many ministers in the court, including Yang Yiqing and Wang Qiong, who have all led troops. What are you going to do!"
"The expansion of the outer city has just begun. Wang Qiong cannot move, and the same goes for Yang Yiqing. The front line is fighting, and the fighting will continue to come to the capital. Your Majesty, you have never been exposed to war, and you need someone who can take care of the details. The rest The person is either inappropriate or has doubtful abilities." Xian Ruxing looked into the young man's eyes and said seriously: "Believe me, I can do more than you imagine. And..."
"Your Majesty knows that it is most appropriate for me to supervise the army at this time."
Zhu Houcong remained silent. Prior to this, most of the supervisors in the Ming Dynasty were eunuchs.
Zhu Di had seized the throne from his nephew at that time and was not very confident about the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, so he had to rely on the eunuchs. He also had very strict control over the government at that time, so the eunuchs did not cause too much trouble.
However, the shortcomings of the eunuchs supervising the army later became apparent one by one. Let’s not talk about the unprofessional command and the cruelty of dissidents. Just mentioning that they embezzled military expenditures almost ruined the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. You must know that when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the country, he was known as "doing nothing for the people" "A grain of rice." For this reason, he implemented the military camp system to ensure that the army could be self-sufficient. However, after the eunuchs supervised the army, they went so far as to embezzle all the fields in the generals. The soldiers often had to fight hungry. As time went on, the army's combat effectiveness became worse and worse. .
On that day, Yang Tinghe took advantage of the fact that the new emperor had not yet entered the capital and eradicated many eunuch groups. After Jiajing ascended the throne, he also deliberately alienated the eunuchs in order to gain the support of civil servants.
Therefore, it is impossible to send eunuchs to the front lines now, and if only civilian officials are sent to supervise the army, it is equivalent to handing over this power to others, and it will be difficult to take it back when the time comes.
Xian Ruxing was a close confidant of the emperor and a monk. Her appearance on the battlefield also represented the emperor's attitude. There was really no one more suitable than her.
"Mei Qinshu is on the front line, and I'm just a striker in the rear. And it's not the first time we've been on the battlefield. When we first met, we annihilated Prince Ning's rebels together. Why did it work then but not now?"
"You!" Zhu Houcong was a little angry when he saw that she was asking questions knowingly.
"Okay, I won't tease you anymore." Xian Ruxing chuckled, and then said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I am also a citizen of the Ming Dynasty. Now my compatriots are being bullied by others. How do you want me to stay out of it? I beg your Majesty to put aside the personal rights of my children for the time being.
Love, just let me go."
Zhu Houcong stared at the female Taoist priest and saw that she had made up her mind. After a long time, he spoke with difficulty: "Promise me that you will come back safely."