On November 23rd of the first year of Chongzhen, Luoyang officially sent troops. General Zhu Youcong personally commanded an army of 50,000 people. In the name of Sun Chengzong, he secretly served the king.
Along the way, it passed through prefectures and counties, and with the help of Gu Xichou, who had the title of governor in Henan, it was naturally smooth. On the 26th, after the army arrived at Zhangde Mansion to rest for the night, it continued towards Beijing. There was no one there.
It was noticed that nearly 2,000 people were suddenly missing from this army; in the afternoon of that day, a Tao family caravan also set off towards Shandong, and the common people were spitting behind them.
After passing Cizhou, we entered Beizhili. Although there was an imperial decree, no accident occurred. However, due to folklore, bandits were passing through like combs and soldiers were passing through like grates. In line with the principle of protecting the environment and the people, the local government offices did not dare to open the city gates to let people in.
The army entered the city to rest. However, what surprised the people and bureaucrats everywhere was that this sudden and mysterious army not only did no harm to the people, but even the silver coins placed outside were not taken away, and only the corresponding grain and grass were taken away.
"Old Tie, where did this army come from?" Looking at the smoke and dust rising in the distance, Lin Mo, the Shunde government official, weighed the money in his hands and was very puzzled. Isn't the purpose of being a soldier just to eat and get paid? Not really.
Having seen soldiers like this, it’s fine if they don’t steal or rob. They don’t even take the money brought to them. It must be the officials who have trained them to be stupid.
"I heard from people in the magistrate's yamen that it was Sun Chengzong's army who came from Henan to attack King Qin in Beijing!" Tiewen used to be a guard in the magistrate's yamen. He didn't know who he offended, so he was driven to the yamen to work as a small guard.
But he has many old connections, so he naturally needs to be a little better informed.
"Sun Chengzong's army?" Isn't it the army that the late emperor sent to guard Henan? I heard that there were ten thousand Guanning cavalry in it, and there were also many Jizhen soldiers, the elite of the capital. But they have had a hard time in the past few years.
It's definitely not very good. They were still looking gorgeous when they went there. But when they came back from this trip, they all wore black clothes without even a nail on them. The funniest thing is that they all had small iron pots on their heads. Is it difficult?
Doesn't it mean that you have to make a fire to cook and eat by yourself during the march?
"Hey..." Tiewen's family is a military household. He had served as a garrison soldier in Liaodong for two years. Although he never actually fought against the Tatars, he knew how powerful the Tatars were. Seeing that this army in the past was not fully equipped,
I was also secretly worried. They should be carrying fire blunderbuss, but that thing is really difficult to use. Not only can it hit close range, but the firing speed is also very slow. The one that is tightly covered should be the legendary little general cannon, but
The Tatars are not stupid and will not stand and bombard them. I wonder how many of them will come back after this battle.
"I said, why are you all wasting your time? Why don't you move all the money back quickly? Mr. Liu is still waiting in the house!" After confirming that all the passing troops had left, Shunde prefect Liu Hongxun couldn't bear the thought of those who had finally been recruited by force.
Lao Jun's money was just left in the wilderness to be beaten by wind and rain, so he decided to move it all back to his home for safekeeping.
"Let his mother-in-law Liu Broom pick up a big deal again!" Lin Mo was very dissatisfied. They were the servants who went from house to house to collect the silver. When they were carried into the Yamen, there were three big boxes, but one was missing when they came out;
Those stupid soldiers who passed by didn't want it, so they had to give it to us hard-working people no matter what. I didn't expect that now they have to carry it to his home.
In fact, Mr. Liu was also quite aggrieved. As early as the Tianqi years, he was repeatedly suppressed for offending Wei Zhongxian. After finally surviving the death of the late emperor, Wei Yi's backstage collapsed. I thought that now he could finally rely on the things he boasted about in the past.
With a reputation like that of a cabinet minister, I never thought that the old guy Li Guopu would find out all the bad things he had done. If he hadn't had an old relationship with Chen Xinjia, he would have hooked up with Wang Dehua through him.
I'm afraid I won't even be able to get the position of the prefect of Shunde. Now I finally meet a group of fools. Isn't the money left behind shared by everyone?….
"Guoxiang, where are our troops now?" As soon as Zhu Youcong arrived in Shijiazhuang, he received an urgent message from Chongzhen from the capital. There were only three words on it, "Save the Ming Dynasty"! After reading the letter, Zhu Youcong was even more excited.
He was so anxious that he ordered the whole army to speed up. Lu Xiangsheng had now led the cavalry division and rushed to the front to set up a camp for the army.
"Reporting to the general, our army has just passed Qingyuan and is less than twenty miles away from Baoding Prefecture!" Shi Guoxiang used to be a sixth-grade military cavalry officer under Sun Chengzong. Now he is the commander of a small reconnaissance battalion, but he is very proud.
.Not to mention anything else, I am afraid that no one can match the speed of this army. He who has read some books knows that during the Battle of Huayang, Bai Qi led his army to march 800 miles in eight days.
, the average is only one hundred miles per day, which is already very impressive. Now it is more than 1,500 miles from Luoyang to Baoding, and the entire army arrived in less than ten days. However, the general also said
There was an army that once traveled two hundred and forty miles a day. Oh my god, were they still human? I'm afraid those so-called flying immortals on land could only travel at that speed!
Of course, the reason for such a fast marching speed, in addition to the usual rigorous training, is also due to the fact that he did not bring those heavy howitzers when he set off. Zhu Youcong was going to fight the Tatars on this trip, so he brought them with him.
They are all infantry cannons and rifles. As for the siege weapons, they will not arrive until all production by the institute is completed.
"Send the order and stay in Baoding tonight!" Although Zhu Youcong was impatient, he could not ignore the physical strength of the soldiers. Looking at the sky, it was starting to get dark.
"Brothers, work harder! Baoding is ahead!" The orders were passed down layer by layer. The soldiers endured their fatigue and quickened their pace.
"What's going on? Didn't I give an order not to harass the people?" When Zhu Youcong arrived in Baoding, it was completely dark. The difference from usual was that this time Lu Xiangsheng did not build a camp outside the city; instead,
When we arrived at the city gate, there were many gentry standing there, and some common people were also busy setting up pots and stoves to heat hot water.
"Reporting to the general, this was specially organized by Gao Doushu, the prefect of Baoding, in order to reward our troops..." Lu Xiangsheng explained quickly, but he knew that if military discipline was violated, it would not be solved by lying on the roof for a few days!
Gao Doushu? Shouldn't this guy be in charge of the Ministry of Justice? Why did he come here to become a magistrate? Facing such a big fish, Zhu Youcong couldn't help but have the bad idea of grabbing grass and hunting rabbits.
"My minister, Gao Doushu, led the Baoding villagers and met the general who ruled the country! I hope the general can do nothing more than criticize Mr. Lu harshly!" Since receiving the official edict from the current emperor, this army no longer uses the banner of Sun Chengzong. Gao Doushu can't figure it out.
When did King Fu of Luoyang have such a large army? But as a minister, and at a time when the country was in crisis, he couldn't control that much.
"We have prepared hot water and food for the army. Please move the general to the city to rest!" Baoding is too close to Beijing. Although the Tatars have not been able to attack yet, the gentry present also know that if Beijing is not secured,
Judging from the methods the Tatars have used during this time, it will only take them a few days to reach the city within a few days of traveling three to four hundred miles. The army in front of them is not very well equipped, but it still has tens of thousands of people, and the leader is still
The royal family members. They just don’t have the ability, at least they won’t be like Hong Chengchou who fell in just one day! If they can hold on for one more day at the front, we can also transfer more assets and family members to go out!
"General, I would like to thank you all fellow countrymen!" The forced march of more than 150 miles a day has left many soldiers with blood blisters on their soles. Although they did not complain, they always secretly endured the pain by themselves during their breaks.
He sprinkled medicine on his sore wounds and followed the army in high spirits the next day. However, as the commander-in-chief, Zhu Youcong still couldn't bear to let his subordinates sleep in the open every day. Now that there are such good conditions, of course he should let them
They took a short rest, heated their feet, and drank hot soup...
"The whole army has them! Salute to the folks in Baoding!"
"Shuashua——"
Following Zhu Youcong's order, tens of thousands of soldiers straightened their backs and neatly performed a new military salute.
"Enter the city!"
"Mounts pointed at the outside world, march forward together! Do not hurt the common people, do not hit your own people! We are an iron team, we have an iron heart, protect the Chinese nation, and always be free people!..." The loud military song sounded, and the whole army
There was no trace of fatigue in the troops. Although they had to travel no less than usual today, this was the first time they had received such generous treatment since leaving Henan. The whole army couldn't help but sing this song that the general had taught them.
"Song of National Salvation".
"Whose army is this? The guns are aimed at the outside world and the common people are not harmed?" Old man Su, who was busy adding firewood, did not know what the bullets in the lyrics were or what a free man meant; but in the past, there were troops passing by.
, when has he not brought trouble to poor families like them? This is the first time he heard soldiers say that they will not beat their own people! Is this really our Ming army? If there really is such an army, let's not say that we will burn it for them.
The water is ready for cooking; I am even willing to take out the little grain hidden in the cellar!
"General, what are you..." Gao Doushu didn't understand very much. It was just that Zhu Youcong didn't want to participate in the banquet specially prepared for him. After all, there were many generals in the book who were willing to share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers; and this approach
He also deeply agrees that at least the current performance of this general who governs the country is much more pleasing to the eye than his relatives who live in poverty. But what is going on when people in the army are not allowed to live in ordinary people's homes? You must know that Baoding only has a small one.
The school ground can't accommodate so many people. Could it be that he didn't give me any money and he didn't like me and wanted to find an excuse to deal with me? Then I really made a mistake!
"There is nothing surprising, because this is the army of the Ming Dynasty, and it is the army of the people of the world! The royal grains and wages we eat on weekdays are not given by the people? Of course there is no reason to add burdens to them now!" Zhu You
Cong's explanation is very simple, and this concept has now penetrated into the marrow of this army.
The army of the imperial court? The army of the common people? Gao Doushu was a little doubtful whether the general who ruled the country was deceived by lard and could actually say such nonsense. Seeing that the world was about to be in chaos, who would not support his troops with self-respect and win over people's hearts?
Is this happening now?
The whole night, Gao Dou was tossing and turning but could not fall asleep. Just now his confidant had gone to see the cavalry and the cavalry drove the horses to the school ground. The security of the school ground was extraordinary. People would be discovered before they could get within ten feet of him. He just heard
There were faint sounds of dogs barking inside. The rest of the people just slept on the street, really not disturbing the people.
Early the next morning, when the people opened their doors with anxiety, they discovered that the army had disappeared and the streets were as clean as if they had never been there. After several inquiries, finally
Only then did I learn from the officers and soldiers guarding the city that they had already gotten up and cleaned up at two o'clock in the morning, and quietly drove out of the city, heading towards the capital!