In the Ming Dynasty, Ding Yunyi's promotion speed was staggering, but there was another person who was promoted at an equally unusual speed:
Wu Sangui!
In the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, almost at the same time that Ding Yunyi was promoted to the rank of staff general, Wu Sangui was also promoted to the rank of staff general of the forward right camp at the age of twenty-three.
This year, Ding Yunyi had just turned twenty-one according to his age in this era.
One is a 21-year-old general, and the other is a 23-year-old general. These two are the two brightest young generals in the Ming Dynasty!
"Taiwan Ding Yunyi, Ningyuan Wu Sangui".
The Ming Dynasty court had already started to say this.
In the same year, the captive chief Huang Taiji abolished the old clan name "Zhushen" and named the clan "Manzhou".
In the eighth year of Chongzhen, in order to cooperate with Dorgon's military action to recruit Lin Dan's son Ezhe, Huang Taiji first appointed his 22-year-old younger brother Aixinjue, who was awarded the title of Baylor at the age of 13, unified the white flag, and participated in the political affairs of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War.
Luo Duoduo was the commander and led the army to attack Jinzhou and fought with the Ming army at the Daling River.
General Wu Sangui of the Ming Dynasty's forward right battalion was ordered to provide reinforcements!
The Second Battle of Daling River breaks out!
Wu Sangui was famous for his bravery in the Ming Dynasty. The Jinlu and the Jinlu were all afraid of his bravery. Duduo used his fierce general Oreshun and the Ming Dynasty's surrendered generals, the leader of the "Heavenly Help Army" and the general officer Shang Kexi to block Wu Sangui's reinforcements, and himself personally
Led the main force to attack the Ming army at Daling River.
Wu Sangui saw that the Jinlu were heavily guarded and the troops were in order. He did not dare to attack easily. He stood with the enemy for a day and thought hard about how to defeat the enemy.
At this time, a piece of news that surprised him arrived.
"Shen Rong, Taiwan's military commander, Captain Zhaowu, Ding Yunyi, asked to see Shen Rong."
"Ding Yunyi?" Wu Sangui was startled, but then he was overjoyed: "That's my second brother, please come quickly. No, I'll go out to greet him in person!"
With that said, he hurried to the outside of the camp and saw Ding Yunyi at a glance. He laughed and said, "Second brother, you are here!"
"Brother's style is still the same!" Ding Yunyi also greeted him with a smile.
When the two met, they were both happy. Wu Sangui held Ding Yunyi's hand. While smiling, he walked into the tent as if no one else was watching. The subordinates all looked at each other in confusion. When did Shen Rong gain a younger brother?
"Second brother, you have done a good job." As soon as he sat down, Wu Sangui said with a smile: "The bloody battle in Yingzhou was so heroic. Killing the bandits was like going straight into an uninhabited land. I heard about it at the border, and my face also glowed. I thought of you.
We had not been able to meet each other for three years, and I felt so sad that I didn’t expect my second brother to actually come!"
Ding Yunyi said with a smile: "I also missed my eldest brother. I couldn't bear it anymore. So I came to the border. When I arrived, I heard that the Jinlu were invading the Daling River. My eldest brother commanded a strong army to reinforce me, so I came here to see you."
"Where did the heroic soldiers come from?" Wu Sangui stopped smiling: "The second brother came just in time. The golden captives, with Oreshun as the main general, was the second most fortunate, formed a camp to stop our army. There are fifteen thousand golden captives, and our army
Six thousand. I am worried here."
Ding Yunyi frowned: "Jin Lu is in a hurry to besiege Daling River, so we will delay here for a day. Daling River is more critical than one day, so why not find a breakthrough for Jin Lu's weakness?"
"Come, come with me." Wu Sangui stood up and just entered the tent. He led Ding Yunyi out and came to the earth platform. He pointed to the front and said, "See for yourself."
Ding Yunyi looked around and saw that the Jinlu camp was tightly guarded and the troops were in order. The cavalry were galloping back and forth, shouting "Hehe" constantly, closely monitoring the movements of the Ming army.
"I already have a method." Wu Sangui stood on the earth platform and said: "The Jinlu are fierce, but the flanking Tianshu Army is slightly weaker. I want to personally lead the main force to attack the Tianshu Army and open a gap, but I need one person to lead him.
Two thousand soldiers are fighting against golden prisoners. And these two thousand soldiers must hold on for more than an hour. Unfortunately, there is no one around me who can take on this important task."
When he said this, his eyes suddenly lit up and he looked up to the sky and laughed: "God has been kind to me. I was looking for a strong general, but my second brother came here. Isn't this God's intention, asking my second brother to help me defeat the enemy?"
Ding Yunyi was a little bit dumbfounded.
I came to Wu Sangui to buy a horse, but who would have thought that I would end up in such a mess. I came at the wrong time. Wu Sangui didn't even try to be polite to him. He even asked me to lead the army when his butt was still hot.
Go to war.
But suddenly I felt excited. I had fought pirates, killed Hongyi, and fought bloody battles with bandits. Now, it was finally the next opponent's turn:
Jinlu!
Ding Yunyi said coldly: "The Jinlu seized my land and killed my people. If I don't kill them, God will kill them too. Since the eldest brother wants to defeat the Jinlu, how can Ding Yunyi refuse to agree?"
Wu Sangui was overjoyed, but then he was also a little worried.
He had long heard of Ding Yunyi's bravery, but he had never seen it with his own eyes to what extent he was brave. If his reputation was not true and he could not stop the Manchus, the troops he led would also be surrounded.
But Wu Sangui knew very well the principle of trusting people without trusting them. Moreover, he had already been delayed here for a day, and the fighting was fierce in the direction of Daling River. A day's delay would increase the possibility of failure.
Without hesitation: "Bang the drum, raise the tent!"
The drums sounded "dong dong", and all the generals arrived. Wu Sangui said with a sullen face: "The Jinlu invaded the Daling River, and Zuzong Town fought bloody battles, hoping for reinforcements. Although I have six thousand people now, I am an elite division. Together.
When we break through the Jinlu blockade, we rush to the aid of the Daling River. This is Zhaowu General Ding Yunyi and Ding Canrong who fought against Yingzhou. He came from Taiwan thousands of miles away to help. You all have come to see him!"
Ding Yunyi originally came to pay a visit to Wu Sangui, but at this moment, in Wu Sangui's words, it turned into rushing for help from thousands of miles away. It was originally to boost the morale of the army. The generals said in unison: "I have seen the soldiers!"
When the two sides met, Wu Sangui said: "It is better to use troops sooner rather than later. Now that Ding Shenrong has arrived, pass on my military order to use troops tomorrow!"
"yes!"
"Where is guerrilla Deng Changgui!"
"Deng Changgui is here!"
"You have two thousand soldiers under the command of General Ding Shen. General Ding Shen will be here as long as I am here. Anyone who disobeys the military order or obeys the command will be killed!"
"yes!"
"Guerrilla against Kong Xiwu, guerrilla against Tan Jiangtong!"
"exist!"
"You two each lead 1,500 soldiers to serve as my two wings, and I myself lead 1,000 soldiers to clash with the enemy in person!"
"yes!"
"Everyone!" Wu Sangui stood up with a loud "Ouch": "Tomorrow's battle is of great importance. My border military order states that those who are disadvantaged in the battle will die! If we cannot defeat the enemy tomorrow, I, Wu Sangui, will chop off your heads first, and then
Cut off your head to apologize to the court!"
"When the order is given, the three armies advance! Fight to the death and never retreat! We are willing to join the army and kill the enemy to the death without retreating!"
These generals shouted in unison, with astonishing momentum.
Ding Yunyi saw that Wu Sangui's troops were not inferior to his own Tiger Guards, and even outperformed his own men in terms of strict military orders.
It is no wonder that Wu Sangui's troops will gradually become the most elite troops of the Ming Dynasty and become the target of many forces competing to win over them.
After finishing his instructions, Wu Sangui asked the generals to prepare. He personally hosted a banquet in honor of Ding Yunyi. It was his duty as a general to drink wine from large bowls and eat large pieces of meat.
There is a dish that tastes like dog meat, but when chewed carefully it is not. Wu Sangui said with a smile: "Yesterday I went out to inspect the camp. I saw two hungry wolves in the distance, so I chased them and killed them. I originally wanted to dry them.
I'm serving myself some wine, I don't want my second brother to come. It's my brother's pleasure to drink."
He said and took a sip of wine: "When the Jinlu are eliminated, you and I will resign from our posts and go away, hunting in the mountains and old forests, rowing on the sea, and not caring about worldly affairs from now on. How carefree and happy we will be."
Ding Yunyi laughed it off.
Jinlu is not so easy to destroy. Even if it is destroyed, I am afraid that Wu Sangui will not be able to let go of his official position. In fact, not only Wu Sangui, how can he let go?
"Second brother, you're here not just to see me, right?" Wu Sangui asked, putting down his wine bowl.
Ding Yunyi nodded and explained the purpose of his visit. Wu Sangui frowned slightly: "Second brother, you have to know that although there are many war horses at the border, we are also nervous. But since the second brother has come so far, I always have to
I’ll help you solve it. Don’t take this matter to heart. When you leave, I will always make you satisfied.”
Seeing that the matter was resolved so smoothly, Ding Yunyi felt happy and offered two bowls of wine to Wu Sangui.
Wu Sangui wiped his mouth and suddenly sighed: "Second brother, you came at the right time this time. Firstly, you can help me. Secondly, I stay at the border all day long and there is no one around me to talk to."
"Brother, if you have any concerns, just tell me." Ding Yunyi asked.
Wu Sangui was silent for a while: "In the past, Huang Taiji launched the Battle of Dalinghe. My father escaped when he went to help and the entire army was destroyed. He was sent to prison. Although he was later reinstated, he was still not as good as before. I am worried about the future.
, fought hard to kill the enemy, and worshiped the governor-general Guan Ning and the commander-in-chief of the two towns Gao Qiqian as his adoptive father. In a short time, he was promoted to the rank of general. However, I heard that there were already criticisms in the court, saying that I was too young to take on this responsibility.
It's such a heavy responsibility. Second brother, at the moment, the imperial court is in charge of recruiting people, so I won't listen to these words, but when there is a little peace, the so-called three people will become a tiger, I am really worried about it."
Wu Sangui originally had no such worries. He only knew that killing the enemy with all his heart and serving the court loyally would always lead to a bright future. However, since his trip to the capital the year before last, he discovered that things in the court were not as simple as he thought. Returning to the border
After that, there were more and more ideas.
Ding Yunyi remained silent and listened to Wu Sangui continue: "If you don't say anything else, just talk about military pay, which is paid every year and owed every year. I begged my adoptive father in the first two months, and in the end, he managed to get two months of it.
The military pay can alleviate the urgent need, but I still owe the brothers in the army half a year's military pay. If I hadn't suppressed it hard and killed two more officers who took the lead in making the payment, I'm afraid things would have been out of control. I think that, after all, it is still
Our foundation is too shallow and no one takes what we say seriously."
Ding Yunyi nodded: "Brother, things are pretty good here. Although the military pay is in arrears, there is always hope, but what about my Taiwan? The Holy Father has long said that he will not give me even one tael of silver in military pay, and I will have to rely on myself.
solve."
Wu Sangui said "Ah". He only thought that the situation here was bad, but he didn't expect that there was someone even worse than himself.
But he didn't know that although Ding Yunyi could not get a single tael of silver from the imperial court, he was an out-and-out local emperor in Taiwan. All the decisions of killing and killing were in his own hands.
", I neither want to take care of it nor have the energy to take care of it.
As for military pay, Ding Yunyi opened up the sea route and made a lot of money. Although it is not as good as Zheng Zhilong, as long as the income goes smoothly in a year, it is still a huge sum of money.
Things were very different for Wu Sangui at the border. He had a military governor and eunuchs to supervise the army. As a general, he could capture a lot of them at the border. What was even worse was that all military pay depended on the imperial court, which was in arrears for two months.
In three months, Wu Sangui would be so anxious that he would hang himself. He would not have any autonomy at all, and he would not be able to move forward or retreat as freely as Ding Yunyi.
Not to mention anything else, just because Ding Yunyi came to purchase war horses this time, he decided on his own and could leave on the same day. But if Wu Sangui wanted to do something, he had to ask for instructions at all levels and report one by one. In the end, the money was almost **
It cannot be approved.
Wu Sangui had never been to Taiwan, and he only thought that his second brother's place was similar to it. At that time, he felt like a close friend.
"Brother, let me say something unpleasant." Ding Yunyi lowered his voice and said: "Those of us, although we have a few soldiers in our hands, we have no power and no control over what we are told to do.
, we have to do what we do. Why? Because we don’t have our own power. Although the eldest brother is only a general at the moment, there is almost no day without fighting at the border. Military achievements are easy to obtain. It will only be a matter of time for the eldest brother to be promoted to the commander-in-chief. When the time comes, the eldest brother will always
One side of the town is powerful, and the younger brother is in Taiwan just to show off his ambitions. In this way, the border and Taiwan echo each other, and they are each other's wings. The eldest brother goes up to the border and says that the border needs to be strengthened. He informs the brother, and the brother also goes up and talks about the border.
The important land needs to be strengthened, and the two sides should contact each other. We are not afraid that the court will not agree."
Wu Sangui nodded slightly, but then he became a little worried: "The Holy One hates forming cliques for selfish purposes. If the border and Taiwan are closed at the same time, the Holy One will definitely see the flaw. What will happen if Lei Lei is furious?"
"Your Majesty indeed hates forming cliques for personal gain, but the most helpless thing is forming cliques for personal gain." Ding Yunyi smiled faintly: "We saw this clearly when we were in the Central Plains. The more powerful you are to form cliques for personal gain, the more powerful the court will be.
But you can't. Not only can I help you, but I also have to follow your wishes and comfort you properly."
Wu Sangui suddenly realized, and Ding Yunyi continued: "To be honest with you, I have maritime business support in Taiwan and can earn some money. I send you a batch of money every six months to solve your urgent need in the army. Where is your brother?"
Every time, you also bring some unused war horses and weapons and medicines captured on the battlefield for me to take with you. You don’t need to go through the above and can be carried out quietly. Everyone gets what they need, and it saves a lot of trouble in procedures."
"Okay, let's do it!" Wu Sangui said, "Second brother, this matter is settled, let's do it!"
Ding Yunyi smiled and raised his wine bowl and took a sip. The alliance between him and Wu Sangui had been forged. To be continued...