Yu Shilang (right minister of the Ministry of War), who was still in Wuchang Mansion, heard about what happened in Lizhou too late, so he immediately sent a letter to Changde Mansion to question him. Because he had other matters, Yu Qian summoned Xue Lu to return to Wuchang for an interview.
Xue Lu still didn't know his fault and didn't take it seriously for the cruel things he had done. He believed that the "traitors" would be troublesome if they were alive and the court would not hold them accountable. Yu Qian couldn't help but get angry and said: "The rebels have surrendered their weapons and become prisoners. You kill like this."
What benefit do they have? Moreover, it is reported that most of the nearly 1,000 people are newly recruited by the rebels. These people were farmers not long ago, so what is the use of killing them indiscriminately?"
Xue Lu was speechless. Yu Qian said again: "Paper cannot contain the fire. Once this incident comes out, the enemy will fight to the death with the rebels. Even if it is a battle where we have the upper hand, we will definitely have to fight to the death."
Paying unnecessary casualties. Alas...Why is Marquis Wuyang so confused?"
At this time, Xue Lu reluctantly accepted his mistake and said: "Fortunately, we won the first battle and killed more than a thousand enemies. Why did Yu Shilang have a sad face? Thinking about the previous defeat of Duke Cheng Guo, the rebels only had more than a thousand people."
"Things are different now. At that time, Cheng Guogong faced off against the main force of the rebels. This time, Qin Yousheng encountered only a small group of rebels, most of whom were just newcomers. What's more, the rebels have now grown in size, with their military strength reaching
More than 10,000 people."
Yu Qian saw that Xue Lu had admitted his mistake and did not want to have any more conflicts with him, so he said: "I should care about General Xue when I report my merits to the court. The matter of killing prisoners will only be submitted to the Ministry of War in a secret report. I hope Xue
From now on, the general will put the overall situation first and must be cautious. The Huguang matter is of vital importance. If we make another mistake, it will definitely cause serious trouble and become a sinner for the ages. Since you and I have been ordered by the emperor to be in danger, we must not ruin the emperor's important affairs.
."
"Yes." After hearing this, Xue Lu bowed in earnest.
Yu Qian couldn't help but sigh in his heart, there were very few truly impeccable talents, and a court general like Wu Yanghou was only so talented. In the end, he had to have a scholar to make military plans for him.
"There is another important matter to recall Wuyang Marquis to Wuchang this time." Yu Qian said, "It was originally planned to mobilize troops from Jingzhou, Wuchang and Changsha into a two-pronged attack, but it will take time to make preparations. We cannot waste this time.
Nothing has been done. The enemy will not wait for us to be ready before taking action. The second thing is that we have to pay attention to defense... Changde Mansion, I have talked with my friends many times in the past few days.
Debate, and believe that it is necessary to immediately mobilize troops and horses for defense."
Xue Lu said with a surprised expression: "Shilang Yu, do you think the rebels dare to attack the big city?"
"What are you afraid of?" Yu Qian said, "The rebel force has expanded to tens of thousands, and the small Chenzhou government cannot bear it. It is reasonable for them to attack the city again. For Zhang Ning, which place is the most important right now?
valuable?"
Xue Lu said: "In this case, the rebels may really want to get Changde Mansion. This place has good weather, rice harvests all year round, rich aquatic products, and is a prosperous place."
"Not only that. The strategy of this place is also very important. We have always planned to use Changde as the basis for the suppression. This place is not only close to the area occupied by the main rebel forces, but also has convenient water and land transportation; the river directly enters Dongting, and ships pass through Dongting.
It is Changde Mansion. With this place, the government and army can rely on river boats to transport a large amount of food and war preparation materials to the front to ensure the supply of soldiers. For the rebels, if they can capture this place, they will not only eliminate a major threat; they will also be able to
The lake threatens to harass a large area along the Dongting coast, especially grain routes and rear supplies. With a small number of troops, the army can be forced to deploy a large number of troops to defend and seize the initiative."
After hearing what Yu Qian said, Xue Lu bowed sincerely and was immediately convinced.
At this time, even Jin Yiwei Lu Qianshi, who had just come in, was convinced and said: "Our people recently found out that the bandit army has set up a new battalion of soldiers and horses, named Changde Camp. Maybe the mystery lies here."
...Some people say that the person who understands him best is the enemy, and sometimes this is accurate. Zhang Ning did have some consideration in naming Changde Camp. He discovered Changde's important strategic value in this stage of the battle early. But his own people
However, few people in China understand its meaning; perhaps people just think it is just a name. Whether it is Changde Camp or Changsha Camp, there is nothing wrong with naming it Jingying.
The first army of the Suzaku Army only had more than a hundred people at first, and its name was the First Brigade of the Left Post of Yongding Camp. The name of Yongding Camp came from Zhang Ning's belief that Yongding Guard was the most important strategic location in the early days of the army. But until now,
The Yongding Acropolis is still in the hands of the official army; at first, he has been unable to capture this very important acropolis. As the situation changes, it gradually loses its value, and there is no need to capture it specifically. The importance of any place,
It all depends on when it is, but that's all.
Now Changde Mansion has come into Zhang Ning's sight again, and he can't help but use it as the name of the second battalion. Sometimes vision is indeed a kind of talent. Experience can make people proficient; talent can make people imaginative.
and creativity.
News of the fall of Lizhou and other three counties quickly reached the center of Chenzhou. First, an urgent military report was received from Kong Wuyang, and then it was confirmed that the three counties had fallen into the hands of the official army. The massacre of the Lizhou Division was soon revealed;
In addition to the army, there were many members of the Suzaku Army in the area. So many people were massacred. Even in the secluded mountains and forests, it was difficult to hide it.
When Zhang Ning heard the news, he still remembered Kong Wuyang's voice and smile. He knew this military commander. He often met in the military camp and occasionally participated in discussions. He lamented the loss of a general and a force.
Thinking rationally, he felt that this should be Yu Qian's mistake...but it was probably not what Yu Qian ordered. Based on Zhang Ning's understanding of him, he should not be someone who does such cruel and useless things. Officialdom
There are many rules, but there are also many people who are good at making opinions.
After discussions at the Council of Ministers, the Suzaku Army decided to make a special statement about this incident. At this time, there was no concept of human rights, but there was still a concept of morality; no matter whether they were sinners or not, they were all Han people, and massacring fellow racers was obviously not the right thing to do.
It's a glorious thing. Even the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di killed many people, but he didn't show it off himself.
First, Wang Yu and others found a group of literati to write several sensational memorial articles to incite the black and white values of scholars, because it is easy for the common people to be affected by the public opinion of scholars. Then the Council issued an official document to warn Li.
The entire army was informed of the tragic situation in the state.
The Council of Counselors believed that Kong Wuyang surrendered when he ran out of ammunition and food and the enemy was outnumbered, and had fulfilled his duty to defend the territory, so the soldiers who died in the battle were compensated for their families with the treatment of those who died in battle. Now they are not worried that this is encouraging surrender. I am afraid that it will be difficult in the future.
If someone is willing to surrender, it is better to die in battle than to be pitted and killed like an animal.
Zhang Ning had seen various methods of confusing right and wrong in modern politics. He was not satisfied with telling the truth to the world. He also wanted to create something new. Soon after, he ordered the Council to fabricate many stories about what happened after the army occupied Lizhou and other places.
Tyranny, officers and soldiers burning, killing, raping, committing adultery and so on... And these things sound very real. In the experience of ordinary people, when encountering a military disaster, there is actually no difference between soldiers from outside and bandits.
With various "facts" as evidence, Zhang Ning can openly publicize his righteousness and justice in various places in Chenzhou. In order to overthrow the tyranny, the war is not just a civil war for dominance. He means that the "pseudo dynasty" cannot
It is righteous and illegal (according to the traditional system, it is illegal for Zhu Di to seize power from the eldest grandson of Taizu). These remarks not only inspired some laymen, but also many generals within the Suzaku Army believed it.
Before preparing to attack Changde Mansion, Zhang Ning personally gave a speech on the street in front of the city gate to boost morale. On that day, soldiers gathered on the street, and there were many people watching the excitement, and it was crowded for a while.
He claimed that the emperor was appointed by heaven, and once someone came to power through "unrighteous" means, evildoers would appear. That's why there are many unjust cases in the world today. The souls of unjust deaths are still lingering in the world, and justice cannot be served. Officials
The gentry colludes with the common people. Of course, these problems are unavoidable in any feudal dynasty, but using a mythical tone can actually arouse the approval of the military and the people.
He then said that his troops existed to establish a fair and righteous country, to correct the wrong path taken by the Ming Dynasty, and to rebuild the dream of a strong and prosperous empire.
The soldiers in the city shouted long live, and the crowd was so excited that it was like a festival.
At this time, Zhang Ning accidentally discovered a team of guards guarding a pavilion by the city wall. The person watching upstairs seemed to be Zhou Niang. Zhang Ning couldn't help but think of those clear eyes, and subconsciously felt that his words would not be affected.
Will that girl find out? His mood was affected a little by this, and he couldn't continue talking loudly, so he waved to the crowd below the city and left the city. Unexpectedly, people still didn't finish their thoughts and shouted the name of the Jade King.
Zhang Ning walked to the tower and saw Wang Xian and others inside, as well as Zhou Mengxiong, Zhou Mengxiong's father. He casually asked Zhou Mengxiong: "I just said a lot in public, is it wrong to say too much?"
Unexpectedly, Zhou Mengxiong clapped his hands and praised him profusely, saying that he was clear in articulation, sincere and powerful in his words, and had the ambition to achieve great things. Wang Yu also said: "Both the emperor's relatives and the feudal officials have always lived within high walls. Ordinary people
Only hearing his name but not seeing his person, the prince faces the army and the people directly and treats them as one, and his reputation will be heard in the countryside."
He immediately returned to the official office and continued to work. Zhou Mengxiong then said that most of the soldiers of the Suzaku Army were new recruits and had insufficient training time, so they were not ready for a big battle. Alluding to the plan of rushing to attack Changde.
Zhang Ning said: "The best training is to experience it on the battlefield. After fighting a few battles, the new army will become an elite soldier." He thought about his strategic thinking again, and couldn't help but ask: "Now as a
What would Yu Qian, the governor of Huguang, think about it?"