With the death of Xu Chunyang, the battle of Jiuyuan Mountain finally came to an end. In this battle, Zhang Cunmeng's troops were almost defeated, with more than half of the casualties and countless casualties. If Zhang Cunmeng had not reacted quickly enough and forced a breakout, it is estimated that this army at the rear would have been defeated.
All were wiped out.
It cannot be said that Zhang Cunmeng made any mistakes when he moved to Jiuyuan Mountain. Even if he continued to attack Yicheng according to the original plan and assault Zhou Dingshan's exhausted troops, he might not be able to get any benefits. The most important thing is that Zhou Dingshan only needs to retreat to Yicheng
, rested for half a day, and could still rely on the mobility of the cavalry to entangle Zhang Cunmeng's army. In the plains, if you are bitten by an elite cavalry, the end will be worse than in Jiuyuan Mountain.
The road to Jiuyuan Mountain cost Zhang Cunmeng a heavy price, but in comparison, this loss was already the most cost-effective.
This battle once again refreshed the peasant army's understanding of the Xuanfu frontier army. From then on, Wang Ziyong's troops really had no intention of confronting the Xuanfu frontier army. Zhang Cunmeng, in particular, after a series of fierce battles, no one was left.
My chances of winning and my confidence were completely destroyed.
After the battle at Jiuyuan Mountain, Tie Mo ordered all his troops to enter Pingyang Prefecture to rest and recuperate, leaving only Zhou Dingshan's troops to follow Zhang Cunmeng's remnants and not launch a strong attack on Shaanxi Province. In this way, Zhang Cunmeng withdrew to Shaanxi Province and crossed the Yellow River with Deng Yanda.
The king himself crossed the Yellow River with 100,000 troops, causing a bloody storm in the Mianchi area. The court also stirred up trouble, targeting the newly appointed governor of the three provinces, Tie Mo.
On July 11, the ministers gathered in the main hall. In the hot summer, the main hall was filled with sultry heat and humidity, which made people even more irritable. Cheng Jiming, Qian Qianyi and others all had cold faces when Chongzhen sat down.
Afterwards, Qian Qianyi was the first to stand up and said: "Your Majesty, I have my own report. The governors of the three provinces ignored the overall situation. They did not pursue the remnants of the battle at Jiuyuan Mountain and allowed the bandits to cross the Yellow River. This is a huge dereliction of duty."
Chongzhen frowned. He knew very well what happened in Jiuyuan Mountain. Ever since Tie Mo took over as the governor of the three provinces, whenever there was a war, he would receive military reports before the Cabinet Ministry of War. Of course, the military reports received by the Ministry of War originated from the government.
Yamen, the content is different.
The battle at Jiuyuan Mountain was fruitful, but these people still want to accuse Tie Mo. The tens of thousands of elite soldiers under Tie Mo's command are not iron men. Don't they need to rest after fighting a fierce battle?
"Qian Aiqing is right. Let's do this. Since Aiqing feels that Tie Mo is incompetent, I will remove him and let him return to Xuanhua Mansion. Let Qian Aiqing serve as the governor of the three provinces...
.”
Hey, Qian Qianyi stared at his old eyes and was speechless for a long time. Asking Qian Qianyi to be the governor of three provinces, isn't that asking the scholar to kill pigs? Qian Qianyi just said it was okay,
If you really lead troops to fight, your eyes will be black. Bandits are raging in the Central Plains, and Henan is in danger. The job of governor of the three provinces is not a fat one, and he will most likely be blamed.
After swallowing his saliva, Qian Qianyi raised his hands and said solemnly: "I am old and healthy. Although I am determined to do my best for the king and lead troops to defeat thieves, my body cannot bear it after all..."
"Hey... What a pity. If Aiqing was younger, why would I let Tie Mo take on such a big responsibility?" Chongzhen seemed to be sighing, but there was obvious irony in his eyes.
Qian Qianyi moved his lips and sighed bitterly in his heart. When did Your Majesty learn to curse people in a roundabout way? Although His Majesty spoke tactfully, the mature elders still understood it.
What Emperor Chongzhen wanted to express was very clear!
If you can do it, go ahead, if you can't do it, don't complain!
Qian Qianyi was forced into a corner by a few words, so that Cheng Jiming and others did not dare to speak rashly. What do you mean if you are good, you will be better? Although they did not want to admit it, these bosses thought that they were really not good at it.
If there is anyone who is confident of being the governor of the three provinces, he should just yell to His Majesty: "I can do it, let me go!"
Qian Qianyi felt depressed in his heart. He couldn't trouble Tie Mo anymore. As long as Tie Mo was still suppressing bandits, His Majesty would greet you with these words. Isn't this a scoundrel? When did Your Majesty become so thick-skinned?
Zhang Fengyi wanted to say more, but was stopped by Cheng Ji Ming's wink. Cheng Ji Ming was an experienced man, and he had already made some guesses in his mind. His Majesty defended Tie Mo so much, and it was probably because Tie Mo had already communicated the news to His Majesty in advance. Sometimes Cheng Ji Ming
Ji Ming also lamented that Tie Mo was obviously very young, but he did everything right and was more slippery than an old man who had been in the court for decades. Regardless of big or small matters, he always let His Majesty know first, so that His Majesty would not doubt Tie Mo.
ink.
Tie Mo is much better than Yuan Chonghuan in this regard. He has never been arrogant and does things step by step. He is not impatient or impatient. It is difficult to find reasons to find fault with him. For some small problems,
It can't cause any harm to Tie Mo at all.
In July, the hinterland of the Central Plains of the Ming Dynasty was attacked by the peasant army. However, misfortunes never come singly. In the middle of the year, some people began to make trouble in Shandong. The White Lotus Sect took advantage of the opportunity when the Yellow River burst its banks and rose up to disrupt Dengzhou and other places. Later,
Fan Yang was conquered and Fan Yang's granary was emptied. The White Lotus Sect in Shandong, the peasant army in the Central Plains, and the more mysterious Jin Chan Sect emerged in North Zhili, and the Ming Dynasty was in a state of distress.
On the one hand, the cabinet urged the Xuanfu troops to go to Henan to suppress the bandits. On the other hand, it was also worried about suppressing the White Lotus Sect uprising. Everyone was a little undecided about who to send to Shandong. Whether it was to suppress the bandits or suppress the White Lotus Sect, in fact,
It's not a good job. In some ways, the White Lotus Sect is more difficult to deal with than the bandits. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect has been with us to this day. There have been occasional rebellions, but the court has never been able to completely eradicate the White Lotus Sect. In the final analysis, the White Lotus Sect has hidden among the people.
If given the opportunity, a congregation of believers will develop.
Sending people to Shandong, if the White Lotus Sect is not suppressed but makes the White Lotus Sect more and more troublesome, it will be a disaster.
Cheng Jiming sat in the chair, frowning, placing his left hand on the table, tapping his fingers gently. The sound of tapping again and again was like a small hammer, constantly beating everyone's heart, "Colleagues
, Dengzhou has urged several times, hoping that the imperial court will mobilize troops to Shandong to suppress the White Lotus Sect rebels. Now that most of the imperial troops are deployed in Henan, what should we do about Shandong?"
Does the imperial court really have no troops to use? Of course not. Cheng Jiming and others wanted to protect the Central Plains more than Shandong. If they had troops, they would be transferred to Henan. However, the Chief Secretary of Shandong and the Dengzhou Shipping Department kept urging reinforcements. If not
It's not even possible to join the Council.
Zhang Fengyi thought for a while, then held up his hands and said: "We might as well transfer troops from Daming Prefecture and other places to the vicinity of Dengzhou. Last time the Tatars captured the capital, we saw that Lu Xiangsheng, the prefect of Daming Prefecture, was both civil and military. He is a rare general who can be
use."
Cheng Jiming recalled it and soon had an impression. He remembered that at that time, a civil servant named Lu Xiangsheng, holding a phoenix-mouthed knife, killed an opponent from the enemy camp. At that time, the incident was rumored to be a good talk.
"Lu Xiangsheng can be used, but as Lu Xiangsheng, I am afraid it is inappropriate to preside over Shandong government affairs. Moreover, those soldiers and horses near Daming Mansion are not of great use!"
"Well, what Master Cheng said is true. It is inappropriate for Lu Xiangsheng to preside over military affairs, but there is a person who is very suitable..." After saying that, Zhang Fengyi smiled mysteriously and raised his hand to point to the southwest.
At this time, several adults in the room, all of whom have matured, were stunned for a moment and soon understood who Zhang Fengyi was talking about. Qian Qianyi stroked his beard and said with a faint smile: "Master Zhang said that
Is it Yuan Chonghuan? This person does have some prestige, but can we use him?"
Qian Qianyi expressed doubts about this. Yuan Chonghuan is a man of great ambition and talent, but he has many thoughts. If Yuan Chonghuan is used, who can guarantee that Yuan Chonghuan will not do anything disgusting in the future.
However, Cheng Jiming raised his hand and signaled Qian Qianyi not to worry, "I think this is a good suggestion. Yuan Chonghuan has been imprisoned in the sky prison. His Majesty has ordered that Nancheng Lingchi be executed soon. As long as Yuan Chonghuan wants to live, he must listen.
Our, this person... still has a very strong desire to survive... Why not give it a try?"
Cheng Jiming's words constituted a decision, and then everyone began to discuss how to fish out Yuan Chonghuan tomorrow. Of course, Cheng Jiming wanted to use Yuan Chonghuan, not just to suppress the White Lotus Sect. Since His Majesty is determined
Since we are determined to protect Tie Mo, and there is nothing we can do about Tie Mo for the time being, we might as well support another person to create constraints for Tie Mo. After much thought, only Yuan Chonghuan is the most suitable to play this role.
He served in Liaodong several times, and when he was the governor of Jiliao, he gathered many confidants and had great influence in the army. As long as Yuan Chonghuan knows how to behave, he will know what to do in the future.
The possibility of success in this matter is very high. Would Yuan Chonghuan, a man with many thoughts, ambitions and desires in his heart, really be willing to die?
...
Tianlao, where all the key criminals appointed by the imperial court were imprisoned, was guarded here for a long time by Jin Yiwei, and not just anyone could come. However, since Chongzhen came to power and cooperated with the Donglin Party to destroy the factory guard system, Jin Yiwei is no longer what it used to be.
, a large number of people within Jinyiwei are attached to the Donglin Party. Therefore, it is not difficult for Cheng Jiming and others to enter the Tianlao.
In a relatively spacious cell at the end of the Sky Prison, there is a bearded man sitting. He is wearing a white shirt and sitting cross-legged at the table. He looks very quiet. This man is Yuan Chonghuan. Since he was imprisoned in the Sky Prison,
, seemed to know his fate, he did not struggle too much, nor did he cry out for injustice. It was not that he did not want to cry out, but that it was useless to cry out.
The sound of light footsteps came, but they stopped at the door, "Master Yuan is so elegant. I didn't expect that I could meditate quietly in the prison."
"Huh?" Because the light was too dark, Yuan Chonghuan squinted and took a closer look, and then showed a surprised look, "Mr. Qian, it's you. Yuan didn't expect that the first person to come to see Yuan in such a long time would be you.
It will be you."
That's right, the person who came was none other than his former friend Qian Longxi. When Yuan Chonghuan was in Liaodong, he was able to know the affairs of the imperial court very well, thanks to Qian Longxi's help. Yuan Chonghuan knew this friend very well. Since being appointed by His Majesty,
After being imprisoned in the sky prison, Qian Longxi was afraid of getting into trouble because of his past events, so he hid far away.
A captain in Jinyi opened the cell door, Qian Longxi stepped in, sat opposite Yuan Chonghuan, and was not in a hurry to speak. He looked at Yuan Chonghuan carefully and found that Yuan Chonghuan had grown longer in addition to his beard after being imprisoned for so long.
She is still full of energy, and even her clothes look so neat.
No wonder Mr. Cheng is so sure that Yuan Chonghuan does not want to die. How can a person who accepts his fate to die still care about so many images? Maybe, just like what Mr. Cheng said, Yuan Chonghuan has been waiting, waiting for Emperor Chongzhen to change his mind. Perhaps, from the bottom of his heart
Here, I felt that Emperor Chongzhen would not really send Yuan Chonghuan to the guillotine.
"Master Yuan, you may not know that preparations have already begun at Caishikou in Nancheng. Your Majesty has also issued an official document and it will be implemented in autumn."
Although Yuan Chonghuan looked calm, his slight frown still betrayed his unwillingness. An official document was issued and the execution ground was prepared at Caishikou. Is His Majesty really determined to kill Yuan Chonghuan?
Punishment, Your Majesty, do you hate it so much?
Qian Longxi smiled in his heart. Seeing Yuan Chonghuan's reaction, his confidence in persuading him increased a bit, "Master Yuan, Qian can tell you some other things. Recently, Tie Mo has been promoted to the governor of three provinces, supervising Southern Zhili.
Henan, Shanxi military affairs, and just severely damaged the bandit king's private troops near Yueyang..."
Qian Longxi spoke slowly, telling the other party everything that had happened recently. As the content became more and more detailed, he found Yuan Chonghuan's hand under the low table and slowly clenched it.
Sure enough, Yuan Chonghuan has realized one thing, that is, the stronger Tie Mo is, the smaller his hope of Yuan Chonghuan's life will be.
Your Majesty is vindictive. The better Tie Mo is and the more capable he is in fighting, the more he will feel how incompetent Yuan Chonghuan was in Liaodong. And Qian Longxi's purpose is also very simple. He is to destroy the few hopes in Yuan Chonghuan's heart.
Crush him completely and tell him clearly that if he wants to survive, he should not count on His Majesty, but can only count on the cabinet.
What the two said next was unknown to others.
When the next day came, Chongzhen went to court as usual. He thought that today he would discuss the suppression of bandits in Henan. Who would have thought that officials from the six departments led by him would jointly request orders to intercede on behalf of Yuan Chonghuan.
Seeing this scene, Chongzhen was a little confused. In his impression, didn't the people in Cheng Jiming also want Yuan Chonghuan to die? What happened?
Seeing so many officials interceding on behalf of Yuan Chonghuan, one can imagine Chongzhen's expression, "Yuan Chonghuan was in power in Liaodong, killed Mao Wenlong without authorization, allowed the Tatars to seize the border, and harassed the hinterland of the capital. If you don't kill this man, it will not be enough for the people to be angry. Everyone.
My dear, there is no need to say more."
Qian Qianyi immediately came out and said: "Your Majesty, Yuan Chonghuan bears the unshirkable responsibility for the Tatars' blockade, but Yuan Chonghuan cannot be blamed entirely. The Tatars were cunning and attacked the capital. Yuan Chonghuan rushed to the rescue, which shows his loyalty to the emperor. Now
It is the time for the imperial court to employ people, so why not let him serve his purpose?"
"snort!"
Chongzhen looked at the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty and didn't know what to say for a while.
Now you are excusing Yuan Chonghuan, but that was not what you said before!