In the governor's Yamen of Yingtian, Suzhou, the sound of patrolmen's bangs sounded far away and reached the study room of the back Yamen.
"The imperial edict, Qian Qianyi and other greedy and heinous matters, the original purpose is very clear, why is it not heard about, and the teacher is suspected of being a favoritist, and the individual funds are named and committed, so we should study it according to the facts and draft it as soon as possible
The ministry will know."
A middle-aged curtain friend looked up at Zhang Guowei after reading in a low voice, "The imperial edict is for the patrol, and this vote must have come from Wen Tiren. If it was just a normal thing in the past, it's just not the time now."
Zhang Guowei looked haggard and his eyes were red. He had not slept for two nights since he received Shi Kefa's first letter.
After returning to Suzhou from Anqing, a secret message from the Ministry of Punishment arrived, requesting that Qian Qianyi and Qu Shiyuna be sent to Beijing.
This was an official administrative document from the Ministry of Punishment, so Zhang Guowei had no choice but to arrest the two men and then set off to Beijing.
But at the same time, he also sent a letter to the emperor, and now he received a reply with a rather harsh tone.
The friend of the curtain paused for a moment and then said, "Previously, Your Majesty asked for your resignation, but the Emperor refused to do so. That vote may also have come from Wen Tiren."
"Responses such as resignations should always be approved by the emperor himself, but if it is really drafted by Wen Tiren, he is not just asking me to resign."
Zhang Guowei sighed softly after speaking.
The Ming Dynasty had a vast territory, and there were countless memorials on various yamen in various places. The emperor could not read them alone. When the memorials and memorials were handed in, they were nominally approved by the emperor, but in fact most of them were drafted by the cabinet and the secretary.
Only the important things approved by the ceremonial supervisor were reviewed by the emperor, which means that the imperial edict may have been written by Wen Tiren.
The secret agent knew what he meant. Wen Tiren and Dong Lin had been feuding for a long time. They had been preparing for this for a long time. They were not just targeting Qian Qianyi and Qu Shichu, but wanted to use Qian Qianyi as a breakthrough point to drag everyone in Dong Lin into the water one by one.
The issuance of the secret order from the Ministry of Punishment means that Wen Tiren's attack on Donglin has reached its peak, and the capital is in turmoil. Anyone involved in this struggle has an unknown future and may fall into the abyss at any time.
How many people Wen Tiren will implicate, how far the emperor will take this case in the end, whether he will just beat Dong Lin, or uproot Dong Lin, everything is unknown. The first thing to see is what crime Qian Qianyi will be convicted of.
Only then can we guess the emperor's thoughts, and the imperial edict approved this time can also be used to infer.
Qian Qianyi has been out of office for a long time. Although he and Donglin belong to the same faction, they are still far apart. As Donglin's local official and close to Qian Qianyi, Zhang Guowei is still the easiest to be implicated. He can't help but
Worry.
The friend was silent for a moment and said, "I have an estimate here. Wen Tiren has not just targeted Donglin this year. Last year, after the war in Chuzhou, he captured Gao Yingxiang. When the Central Plains invaders calmed down, Wen Tiren had already planned to take action. It happened to be the entrance of Jiannu, and the current situation was turbulent.
In this way, the emperor naturally does not want the situation in the government to be unstable. This year, the rogue bandits are on the rise again, so whatever plans the emperor has in mind may not be as warm and benevolent as his wishes."
Zhang Guowei pondered for a moment and said, "There is no turning back when you draw your bow. Wen Tiren and Dong Lin can only survive. It is extremely critical now. There is still no report on the battle situation in Anqing...Fengjiapu?"
The secret agent shook his head. After receiving the Shi Ke Fatang Newspaper the day before yesterday, he soon received an urgent news report from Anqing Prefecture, saying that some soldiers had fled to Huaining, saying that the aiding suppressor officers were besieged by tens of thousands of rogue bandits. On the 23rd, they arrived at Cao Cao's first battalion.
, Cheng Long failed to break through the encirclement, and the army had less than two days of food and grass.
According to the time it took Anqing to report to Suzhou, the battle had already ended. The secretaries and Zhang Guowei knew that Cheng Long might be in danger. Just from the report of the rogue camp, there were eight kings, the king of sweepers, and the king of breaking into the sky.
, Cao Cao, the total number should be more than 100,000, and they are all notorious among the rogue bandits. When he was in Chuzhou, he relied on elites from several provinces plus border troops. Now Anqing has no foreign aid, only Yingtian soldiers and horses. Even if Cheng Long holds the camp, he can't.
There was only food and grass for two days.
Zhang Guowei's eyes slowly turned to the dancing firelight on the candlestick. After being lost in thought for a long time, he said, "Over the past few years, I have selected the sons of good families from the Jiangnan camp to form this army."
The secret agent knew Zhang Guowei's anxiety. At the critical moment of the duel between the chief assistant and Dong Lin, Zhang Guowei, who was involved in it, was already in dire straits. At this juncture, he also encountered a huge defeat. The pressure can be imagined.
After thinking about it, he persuaded, "The Shidaotaitang Newspaper mentioned that the Anqing garrison battalion has been ordered to garrison Shipai, and Vice Town Cheng may have been saved."
Zhang Guowei took a look at the map. There were Fengxiang Station and Erlang Town on it, but Fengjia Store was not marked. Zuo Liangyu defeated the rogue bandits here last month, so Zhang Guowei knew the general location.
The battle in Anqing has ended long ago, and he is just waiting for the result now. Even if Zhang Guowei chooses the elite from Jiangnan, it is still difficult to compare with the many habitual thieves who lick blood all the time.
Although the Anqing garrison is the strongest battalion in Yingtian's jurisdiction, it is far away from Shipai after all. From receiving the order to dispatching, according to the common sense of the military town at this time, it is impossible to reach Fengjiapu in two days, and it may not be possible to deal with it.
With hundreds of thousands of rogue bandits, the outcome seems to have been determined.
The worse outcome is that Pang Yu was defeated by the bandits during the rescue, leaving Anqing with no more troops to use.
The reinforcements and suppressing officers and soldiers led by Cheng Long are already elite in the Jiangnan area. Zhang Guowei only has 1,400 troops stationed in Jiangpu and 2,000 stationed in Liuhe. If Cheng Long is defeated, the situation in Jiangbei will definitely deteriorate, and the rogue bandits will form a tangle in the Anqing area.
, once it goes down the river, Jiangpu, Liuhe will be difficult to hold on to, and the situation in Nanjing will be extremely critical.
Zhang Guowei has been anxiously waiting for the Tongbao for two days, but he is also afraid that the Tongbao will bring bad news, and he is at a loss.
The friend of the guard whispered, "Your Majesty, it is clear to you that Anqing is thousands of miles away from Suzhou and hundreds of miles away from Puliu. Yingtian's troops are not enough to defend two places. Your Majesty, I have proposed to set aside Anqing."
The appointment of another governor should be urgent."
Zhang Guowei shook his head tiredly, "What you said makes sense, but if this is discussed during a great defeat, the emperor seems to be shirk-shielding. The most urgent task now is to ask the imperial court to quickly send reinforcements and bring Liu Liangzuo, who was dispatched by the emperor's decree.
The troops were transferred to Anqing to stabilize the situation in the north of the Yangtze River to prevent it from getting out of control. This memorial is difficult to write, but preparations need to be made in advance. Once it is determined that the army in Anqing has been defeated, it must be sent to the capital immediately to ask for help."
The secret agent took another piece of unfinished submission paper, hesitated for a moment and continued writing, "The road was transferred back to each camp in Fengjiadian. They didn't hear about the distribution of horns. They were worried (original text). According to the Anqing Prefecture newspaper, according to
Tang newspaper official Li Xinghong..." Zhang Guowei's eyes fell on the submission paper, and he could see clearly under the candlelight that the memorial was written in Zhang Guowei's name. This paragraph had the meaning of shifting the blame to Shi Kefa.
But Zhang Guowei didn't say much. Shi Kefa was the military and political leader of Anqing. This defeat happened in Anqing, so it was reasonable to bear the responsibility. He stood up with a sigh and walked slowly in the house.
As soon as I moved to the middle of the study, the butler's voice came from outside the door, "Sir, the officer in charge of the Central Military Department sent a newspaper, saying it is important."
"Bring it quickly."
Zhang Guowei didn't wait for his friend to open the door, hurriedly opened the door, took the newspaper from the butler's hand, and strode back to the room.
He stopped in front of the candlestick, held the newspaper tightly in his hand, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before leaning towards the firelight.
"On April 22, I received Shi Daotai's order. Deputy Cheng and other troops in Fengjiapu were surrounded. He ordered me to send troops to rescue. The garrison battalion set out on the same day and headed for Susong. On April 20
On the third day, I met the Eight Bandit Kings on the way, Lao Huihui, the Sweeper King and other troops, totaling 13 battalions and about 100,000 people..." Seeing this, Zhang Guowei's hands kept shaking, and the submission paper made a slight squeaking sound.
.
"The garrison battalion attacked a group of eight thieves in Erlang Town and killed many prisoners. The general immediately intercepted the following group of thieves and personally led the troops through Moyanpu and Chema River to rescue Fengjiapu on the 24th.
Chemahe defeated most of the thieves..." "Ha, ha."
Zhang Guowei's face relaxed, and his whole face seemed to be shining. The screen friends also came over to take a look, but they were afraid of bumping into Zhang Guowei, so they had to tilt their heads to the side, with the same excited expression.
"The plan is to kill about 5,000 thieves and capture 40,000 thieves. The remaining thieves are still being pursued. There are also about tens of thousands of thieves including Lao Huihui and others at the northern pass of Erlang Town. We are scheduled to take advantage of the victory and attack tomorrow.
"
"What a small class... General Pang!"
Zhang Guowei walked back and forth a few steps excitedly, "I knew that the garrison camp would definitely be able to relieve the siege."
"I really didn't expect it. Congratulations, sir, on getting another strong man."
The secret agent followed Zhang Guowei excitedly, paused and said, "But the Tang newspaper does not seem to mention whether Deputy General Cheng has rescued the siege."
"That doesn't matter. Killing the thief is the first priority. If the thief is defeated, he will be surrounded."
Zhang Guowei strode back to the table, looking at the map and checking Pang Yu's newspaper, "As expected of the general I have chosen, Pang Yu passed through Taihu Lake and passed through Songerlang Town instead. This cut off the retreat of the thieves."
, it can be said that it is extraordinary to take the rank of general among thousands of troops."
A friend of the secretariat joked, "It is better for the military to have a sharp eye, otherwise General Pang would be nothing more than a first-class leader in the Tongcheng County Yamen."
Zhang Guowei smiled with satisfaction, picked up the half-written submission paper on the table, crumpled it into a ball, and put it on the fire to light.
My friend also knew that he needed to rewrite the memorial. Now that he has a great victory, it will be much easier to write.
"Sir, please give me your advice on how to write this good news."
Zhang Guowei stood there and calmed down for a moment. For him now, if he reported a victory earlier, he would be able to escape from the dangerous situation earlier.
But so far, we have only received Pang Yu's report, which is still an isolated certificate, and the results of the battle approved by the local government have not yet been reported.
At this time, what Zhang Guowei wanted to believe most was a great victory. Indeed, the procedures were incomplete. Although the memorial could not be submitted, it could not waste time.
"First, the Titang officer will send a report to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of War in the South. When Shi Kefa's application details arrive, he will report the victory to the emperor and send a horse to Anqing to supervise the reminder. The application must be detailed. If the results of the battle are true, my officer will be General Pang.
Ask for credit from the emperor."
..."Reporting to Mr. Tai, there were 4,300 levels of beheadings on both sides of the Chema River, 2,100 levels of beheadings in Erlang Town, 74 levels of beheadings in Moyanpu, and four levels of beheadings from Chema River to Fengjiapu.
Level one hundred and fifty-nine, and zero gains in other places are still around level 200."
In the Yahou Hall of Susong County, the county magistrate Gou Tianqi was reporting in a low voice. Shi Kefa waved his hand and interrupted, "The killing levels of Moyanpu are added to Erlang Town, Chema River and Erlang Town. It should be regarded as the military merits of the garrison battalion. Nuclear merits are undoubtedly
There must be no confusion at this time.”
Gou Tianlin immediately recorded it, while Pang Yu stood aside and said nothing.
Shi Kefa rushed back to the old county from Baiyazhai on the 27th. The first thing he wanted to do was to verify his military exploits. The meaning of what he just said was that the leaders east of the Chema River were considered to be assisting and suppressing officers and soldiers. In fact, most of them were also second-level officers and soldiers.
The one who kills.
But Pang Yu did not intend to fight for this few heads. At the court level, the heads of ordinary bandits were not important. What was important was the bandit leader. So many soldiers died during the suppression of the army. If the heads were not divided, Zhang Guowei's face would be lost.
It doesn't look good either.
He now has the living sweeper king, who has been verified by Pi Yingju and Mr. Ma. He has been escorted to Anqing in the past two days and will be reviewed by Ying Tianxun and Zhang Xuan. This most important achievement does not need to be worried about being taken away.
After the entire battle of Susong, more than 7,000 people were beheaded. It is difficult to kill so many people with cold weapons. In fact, only three or four thousand people were killed by swords and guns. Most of the others were trampled or drowned by themselves.
Cars and horses fished thousands of them out of the river.
Pang Yu was already exhausted and wanted to lead his troops back to the camp to rest and recuperate. The officers and soldiers in the reinforcement campaign were almost destroyed. Shi Kefa asked the garrison battalion to retain troops to guard the three counties. Pang Yu could only transfer the Third Division, which had suffered the most losses, back to Shipai, and the rest of the troops were temporarily stationed.
Fortunately, in Erlang Town, Jiuxian County and Taihu County, some seized food and grass can be used, but the bandits are already short of food. Pang Yu captured 40,000 people and could not find a place to house so many people. He also had to take care of their food. Now, for
For Pang Yu, placing prisoners is more urgent than killing people.
"In addition to being beheaded, there are many prisoners captured in this battle. Please tell me how to deal with them."
Shi Kefa sighed, he had never fought such a great victory before, and naturally he had no experience in dealing with so many prisoners. Now he was raising people who needed food, and he was worried about surrendering to thieves when they were released.
He turned to Pang Yu, "What does General Pang think we should do?"
"Although these people are rogues, most of them are common people held hostage by old thieves. They are also the sons of our emperor. I think that killing them will bring peace to the world."
Shi Kefa immediately agreed that killing prisoners was the most convenient way to deal with it. Zuo Liangyu could kill the prisoners, but Shi Kefa, as a scholar who cared about the people, would never do this.
Capturing rogue bandits has always been a headache. Shi Kefa wanted to wait for Zhang Guowei to come up with an idea, but Zhang Guowei probably couldn't solve it. Apparently Pang Yu suggested that they could only discuss it first.
Pang Yu continued with a thoughtful look, "If we let them leave on their own, no matter whether they go to Huguang or into the mountains, there will be no way to feed these many people. The local officials will not accept them. If they encounter the army, they will behead them and take credit for themselves."
, when you encounter a stray thief, you will surrender to the thief again, so this method is not advisable."
After hearing what Pang Yu said, Gou Tianqi immediately said, "General Pang means that he can only support these people. I have made it clear before..." Pang Yu only listened to his beginning and knew that this man did not want to provide money and food, and that
It is very likely that he is not even willing to relocate. Of course, he cannot be allowed to say what he said, so he quickly interrupted, "Master Gou is worried, and I understand it, but the continuous suppression of thieves is rooted in the people's livelihood. Since they cannot be killed, they can be allowed to
They were left to fend for themselves. Susong suffered a lot of hardships, and the fields were abandoned everywhere. Previously, due to the difficulty in supply, troops and horses could not be stationed. I would like to come and identify the good people among the captives, gather them, and cultivate the abandoned land. In this way, we can garrison troops in Erlang Town.
One piece can prevent rogue bandits from marching straight in."
Gou Tianlin hesitated for a moment. He had originally opposed the placement of prisoners because the people of Susong County had a great hatred for the bandits. The locals who stayed behind would be suspicious and would cause many troubles.
This time the bandits entered the country, he was very frightened. There had been warnings repeatedly before, and he had to hide on the lake. Even though he was a magistrate, his life was very difficult. He had to go ashore to deal with affairs from time to time. He was frightened all day long, but he also hoped to have a chance to escape.
Soldiers and horses are stationed.
If the garrison camp can station troops, Susong can be considered settled. Regardless of the imperial system or the practice at this time, the permanent troops and horses must be supplied by the local government, which Gou Tianqi is not willing to do.
But according to Pang Yu, if he did not agree with the gathering of prisoners, he would not station troops.
"Today Shidaotai is here. I have an appointment with General Pang. It is true that these prisoners are the emperor's sons, but after all, they have surrendered to thieves. I am afraid that they will gather in this county and cause chaos again. If you want
We can also resettle it, and we also ask General Pang to lead troops to garrison Susong to suppress them."
Pang Yu shook his head quickly, "I only said that one garrison was stationed, and did not say that the garrison battalion could be garrisoned. The garrison battalion was stationed in the capital city, and it was really unable to divide the troops into Susong. Since Mr. Gou had no intention of placing them, he killed them all in one go, so as not to follow the thieves again.
, please give the order, Master Daotai."
Gou Tianqi looked stunned. It was Pang Yu's suggestion just now, which meant that the garrison camp could be stationed. Now he denied it and stopped talking. The killing was also Shi Kefa's responsibility, and it had little to do with him as a county magistrate.
Pang Yu had just made such a big statement, and Shi Kefa naturally couldn't bear the blame for killing prisoners. He began to advise, "The officers and soldiers suffered heavy losses in this round of reinforcements and suppression. I'm afraid that we won't be able to fight again for a while. This is Susong, Anqing, and we will always have to fight."
The garrison handle is more secure."
"Your Excellency, it is clear to me that the garrison camp has also suffered heavy losses. It is not easy to organize and train elite soldiers. If another battalion of thieves comes at this time, the garrison camp will not be able to defeat it."
Pang Yu glanced at Gou Tianqi and said, "Master Daotai planned this battle well, but the victory was still extremely dangerous. The official thought that although the battle was won, the rogue bandits were not far away. After the official sent someone to interrogate, it was found that the eight thieves in this battle were
Cao Cao and other giant thieves escaped, and most of his subordinates from the old camp accompanied them. Yesterday, a sentry report was sent to Matang, saying that a group of thieves were passing through Guangji to gather at Yingshan. There was also Fatty Zhang, a hundred thousand and other battalions gathered at Huoshan, Ge Liyan and other battalions.
Trapped in Huangmei, Anqing is still surrounded by thieves. The lower official believes that the top priority is to train troops and horses as soon as possible to restore combat effectiveness in preparation for the bandits' return.
If we do not return to the garrison to train the new soldiers in a down-to-earth manner, the garrison camp will no longer be usable soldiers."
When he said this, Gou Tianqi didn't look too good. The situation around him was so tense. If the garrison camp was withdrawn, he would have no choice but to live a life on the water.
Pang Yu continued, "Your Majesty, I know that I am really in trouble. The garrison camp suffered heavy losses. In addition to Fucheng, we also have to take care of Tongcheng, Qianshan, Shipai and other places. In particular, Susong and Tongcheng are far apart from each other to the west and east."
With a distance of two hundred miles, it is difficult for the garrison camp to take care of both ends. As the saying goes, the number of troops will be small, and the garrison camp cannot defend the entire territory of Anqing."
Shi Kefa frowned. It was clearly after a great victory, but he felt that there were still problems everywhere. It was true that too many troops had been lost. In addition to the guest soldiers, the local Tongbiao Camp, Xinyong Camp, and Junyong Camp were all defeated by the Feng Family.
Currently, the only ones that can be used are the garrison battalion and Xu Ziqiang, and Xu Ziqiang's combat readiness level has already been experienced by Shi Kefa.
"Then after the Tongbiao Battalion is completed, the garrison battalion will no longer need to be stationed."
"General Pan Shen of Tongbiao Camp died for his country, and the general will be extremely sad in the end. However, the atmosphere of thieves is rampant. Tongbiao Camp has lost all its troops, horses and equipment, and there is no one in charge. I just don't know when the training will be completed."
"This..." Shi Kefa was speechless for a moment. Almost the entire Tongbiao battalion from Pan Keda down was completely wiped out. It was not easy to train the troops from scratch.
Gou Tianqi rolled his eyes and said to Pang Yu, "The Pang Pang people's garrison camp has only been practicing for more than a year before it can produce strong and capable soldiers. Why not assign capable generals to temporarily take charge of the Tongbiao camp. If the army is formed as early as possible, the garrison camp will not be independent and difficult to support."
Pang Yu said in embarrassment, "So...if the training takes a short time, the garrison camp can still do its best."
Shi Kefa breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that this problem was expected to be solved, he immediately said eagerly, "That's it. General Pang quickly recommended a general who is good at training troops, and I immediately appointed him to temporarily take charge of Tongbiao camp.