Chapter 156 Famous generals often laugh and recommend themselves when they die
Chapter 156 A famous general recommends himself to death with a smile
Chongzhen went to court on his first day to find out how his ancestral grave was dug up by Zhang Xianzhong! The news from Fengyang had not been fully transmitted before, but it was almost done today.
The situation is very simple. Everything starts when Cao Wenzhao, the king of hell, who has been chasing Wang Ziyong and his party, captures a deserter.
At that time, Cao Wenzhao was worried about chasing Wang Ziyong and his entourage, and captured a fugitive named Lin Heizi. Naturally, he was beaten and tortured. Lin Heizi could not bear the torture, so he was killed. He also told the place where Wang Ziyong and others were stationed.
He came out and took Cao Wenzhao with him.
When Cao Wenzhao arrived, not long after Wang Ziyong and others left, Cao Wenzhao divided his troops into two groups and followed them all the way around to intercept.
Wang Ziyong and his party were originally going to find a village to slaughter the village for food. Even if there was no food, human flesh would be fine. They were so hungry that they should take care of themselves first and not be picky eaters!
These bandits had been hungry for several days, and after living in the cold ice and snow for a long time, they basically had little fighting power, not to mention fighting power, and they didn't even have much resistance. In addition, they had no
Be prepared.
Therefore, they were plotted by Cao Wenzhao and defeated in a battle. Wang Ziyong was killed directly in the battle. Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng each fled with a hundred of their men.
This was a great victory. In this battle, Zijinliang was killed and more than 4,000 were beheaded. This almost wiped out the entire banditry.
Cao Wenzhao was overjoyed and chased around again. After wasting four or five days, he finally failed to find the whereabouts of Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng. However, these two people were not big fish now, so they ran away.
, and Cao Wenzhao's men did not have much food, and snowflakes began to float in the sky. It was looking like another heavy snowfall. Cao Wenzhao could not afford to continue to consume it, so he withdrew his troops.
Cao Wenzhao wandered around the mountains for more than ten days. When he came out, he was supposed to announce the good news. However, he heard that a group of bandits ran out of the mountains more than ten days ago and were recruiting soldiers and refugees. At first, there were only more than 3,000 people.
, but in just ten days, tens of thousands of people came together, and the momentum was huge!
The reason why Zhang Xianzhong was able to gather people at such a fast speed was thanks to the heavy snowfall. People who had no food to eat immediately had no way to survive. People in despair, if they want to see hope, then
He had to take an unusual path, so after Zhang Xianzhong put up the banner of "open the warehouse and put out grain, everyone will be fed", he swept away people wherever he went, like scraping the ground.
This heavy snowfall is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it alleviates the drought, but on the other hand, it makes people's lives more difficult. Many who can't survive can only join the rebel army just for a bite of food.
Of course, we can also put it another way, that is, it was the heavy snow that Chongzhen had been waiting for for a long time that enabled Zhang Xianzhong to gather so many people in such a short time, thereby destroying the Zhu family's ancestral tomb.
Cao Wenzhao was particularly depressed. He had just killed seven or eight thousand bandits here, and more than 10,000 people came out over there. This really made the gourd rise.
However, Cao Wenzhao didn't take it too seriously. On the one hand, the route Zhang Xianzhong took was to leave the area under his jurisdiction. Outside of the area under his jurisdiction, these bandits would have nothing to do with him. On the other hand, the bandits would gather together.
Being together is just a common thing. Although the number of ten thousand people is quite large, Cao Wenzhao doesn't pay much attention to it.
Cao Wenzhao's first thought was to drive Zhang Xianzhong away from his jurisdiction. After all, he killed Wang Jiayin and Zijin Liang. This achievement was not small. After fighting for so long, he
He is also tired, and his people are also tired. It is time to take a good rest, and let others take care of the rest.
His idea is not wrong at all. He is just a part-time worker, with a high-level position at most. Now that he has killed two big enemies, it is already interesting enough. He can just wait for the bonus in the New Year. It is really not worth it.
You need to work harder.
Therefore, Cao Wenzhao drove Zhang Xianzhong out of Shaanxi, his jurisdiction, and then withdrew and went back to rest.
More than ten days later, when Cao Wenzhao's request for merit had just arrived in the capital, Cao Wenzhao suddenly heard that Zhang Xianzhong, whose number had reached 40,000, had occupied Fengyang overnight. Not to mention, he
They also burned and dug up the ancestral graves of Lao Zhu's family. Cao Wenzhao couldn't even hold onto his job at that time.
His reaction was more intense than Chongzhen's, and he even wrote a suicide note. When he thought about it, Chongzhen, who never showed mercy, really had no reason to let him go!
However, Chongzhen did not kill him, nor did he even criticize him, not even a harsh word.
Because he, Cao Wenzhao, was known as the best general in the world, Chongzhen could not do without him. And to be honest, Fengyang was indeed not Cao Wenzhao's guarding area, and this matter had nothing to do with Cao Wenzhao!
But even though he said this, he couldn't resist the fact that Cao Wenzhao, the imperial censor, said that he deliberately drove Zhang Xianzhong to Fengyang with evil intentions. His words were so heartbreaking that Cao Wenzhao's teeth were itching with hatred!
But even so, Chongzhen still didn't say anything to him.
Cao Wenzhao also understood the seriousness of this matter, so he took the initiative to write a letter to capture Zhang Xianzhong. If Zhang Xianzhong's head was not cut off, he would never come home!
In short, Cao Wenzhao wanted to fight Zhang Xianzhong to the death, and what Chongzhen wanted was his words, so he immediately agreed. Cao Wenzhao took a thousand Guan Ning cavalry and a thousand infantry to chase Zhang Xianzhong's 40,000 army.
Two thousand men chasing 40,000 people sounds a little ridiculous, but it is not funny at all, because Cao Wenzhao is not called a good general in the world for no reason, let alone in vain, it is because he can fight!
When Cao Wenzhao chased Zhang Xianzhong, Zhang Xianzhong had already captured Fengyang and then successively captured Luzhou (today's Hefei, Anhui), Anqing, Hezhou, Chuzhou, and several cities. At this time, his men had already reached 80,000 men.
There are still 60,000 people guarding the city.
Two thousand against sixty thousand, Cao Wenshao defeated them! He chased and beheaded a thousand people along the way.
Zhang Xianzhong mustered up all his strength to fight again. Everyone has to fight again. After all, he had 60,000 people and his opponent only had 2,000.
As a result, Cao Wenzhao was defeated!
This is the difference between a famous general and a rogue bandit!
Zhang Xianzhong refuses to accept and fights again!
Cao Wenzhao was defeated!
Zhang Xianzhong decided to escape.
Cao Wenzhao made a great wish to Chongzhen that he would kill Zhang Xianzhong, so he pursued him desperately, and in the end he really lost his own life.
Cao Wen ordered his horse so well that he rushed into Zhang Xianzhong's camp. He even saw the panicked Zhang Xianzhong. Unfortunately, it was then that he realized that he had rushed too far and there was no one around him.
Being trapped among thousands of people, there is only one outcome, death. Not only a mortal like him, but also a great monk.
The death of Cao Wenzhao was a huge blow to Chongzhen. There were only a few people in the Ming Dynasty who could fight, and some of them were used to guard the borders. Now that Cao Wenzhao died, Chongzhen had no one left to use.
It's not that there are no people who can fight, but no one dares to go. Why? Because there is only one Cao Wenzhao in the court, and because Chongzhen can only give 8,000 soldiers, but the opponent has 60,000.
A comparison of figures like eight thousand versus sixty thousand is enough to illustrate one problem, that is, there is no ambiguity at all about who will go and who will die.
Chongzhen looked at the ministers under his eyes. The civil servants were like fighting cocks, biting anyone they saw, while the generals were cowering. No one in the huge court was willing to share his worries.
At this time, Chongzhen understood Chang Xiao's words more and more: "When fighting foreigners, you must first calm down the inside, and when you are inside, you must first manage the officials." It's such a golden saying. As long as these ministers stay in the court for one day, the Ming Dynasty will be a mess.
filthy.
"Which beloved is willing to share my worries?"
This is the fourth time Chongzhen has asked this question today.
The answer to Chongzhen was still deathly silence.
Chongzhen took a deep breath and sighed in his heart. Just when he was about to walk away, a voice sounded: "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your worries and capture the thieves! Take the heads of the thieves and bandits and present them to the Emperor!"
Chongzhen couldn't help but perked up when he heard the words, but when he looked around, he frowned slightly, because the speaker was Chang Xiao, who was standing at the top of the list of officials. Ever since Chang Xiao occupied this position that he definitely should not have occupied on the first day he went to court,
After that, his position never changed, and the emperor didn't care. Although all the officials gritted their teeth, they didn't mention it. They were just waiting for Chang Xiao to suddenly fall to his death because he was so scared! Don't look at it.
This incident won't offend Chang Xiao now, but in the future if Chang Xiao falls out of favor, then this incident will be a ready-made crime!
Chongzhen's eyebrows that had just opened a little immediately tightened again.
"Chang Xiao, although you are a military attaché, you have no experience in marching and fighting. You'd better not go."
At this time, Chang Xiao was able to stand up and speak, which made Chongzhen understand Chang Xiao's loyalty. Regardless of whether this loyalty was true or false, at least it gave Chongzhen some relief in his face. At least there were still people among the officials who were willing to share his worries.
Yes, regardless of whether this person can use it or not!
Although Chongzhen is short of people, he has not yet reached the point where he can use it alone, especially Chang Xiao, who has reserved it for dealing with hundreds of officials. Although the matter of dealing with hundreds of officials has to be put aside now, Chongzhen
The idea of governing officials is even more urgent than before. Chang Xiao is also a talented person in this regard. It would be a pity if he ran out and was killed by Zhang Xianzhong. Even if he was defeated, the civil servants would definitely attack him in groups.
It's because he couldn't protect him even if he wanted to. Therefore, he should always laugh at him or let him stay in the capital and train him to be a jester and a treacherous minister.
Chang Xiao has long wanted to gain military power. This is the only way for him to advance up the ranks. Chang Xiao sees clearly that there is no way out among civil servants! Since ancient times, civil servants have rebelled and proclaimed themselves emperors.
No, there are many builders among the military attachés. Now is the best opportunity for Chang Xiao. Naturally, Chang Xiao will never give up. However, Chongzhen refused too simply. For a while, Chang Xiao could not find anything better.
He used his words to persuade Chongzhen.
After leaving the morning session, Chongzhen sat on a chair with a tired look on his face. After closing his eyes for a while, he regained his energy.
For some reason, Chongzhen always felt that he was not as energetic as before. In the past, he could review memorials without sleep for three days, but now there are always a few hours a day where he is easily tired. In the past, he could sleep for three hours.
Excellent, but now sleeping for three hours is no different than not sleeping at all!
Chongzhen even felt that his body was not as healthy as before. His internal organs were a little uncomfortable, and he often felt like there was a foreign body shaking in his head!
At first, Chongzhen thought that he was too hard hit by the digging of his ancestral graves, but as time passed, Chongzhen denied this. He considered himself to be a mentally tough person who could stand up and face setbacks.
, this will never happen.
"Your Majesty, the people from Qintian Prison are back. Do you want to summon them?"
Chongzhen was rubbing his brow, his eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said: "Hurry up!"
After a while, two officials from Qintian Prison rushed over.
Chongzhen had been waiting for them for several days. He immediately stood up from his chair and asked, "What kind of damage did Fengyang's ancestral tomb look like?"
Among the two officials of the Qintian Prison, one of them had a handsome face and was in good shape, while the other had an unfamiliar face and seemed to be submissive.
When Gan Yi heard Chongzhen's question, his throat tightened slightly and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Although he had been prepared before coming in, he still felt extremely nervous at this moment.
Because from his point of view, the Feng Shui Dragon Cave of the Ming Dynasty had been completely destroyed and buried, the dragon veins had been cut off, and the country of the Ming Dynasty was in turmoil. If he said this directly, it might be a crime of beheading.
It was precisely because everyone knew that this errand was the most difficult, and any answer was destined to anger the emperor, so this errand was sent to Gan Yi and another unlucky guy who was not popular with others.
"Don't deceive me, I want to listen to the truth! I don't blame you!" Chongzhen seemed to see the worry in Gan Yi's heart at this time, and said directly.
Gan Yi had already prepared a set of harmless rhetoric that could save his life, but at this moment Gan Yi instantly threw those rhetoric behind him, because Chongzhen's eyes were filled with persistence and aggressive intelligence.