Amida wanted to inquire about the situation in Yunnan in detail, so she said: "Oh, hundreds of thousands of troops from the Qing Dynasty have invaded Yunnan, why do you say that Yunnan is not safe to live?" Could it be that the Ming army in Yunnan is so powerful that even the Eight Banners army of my Qing Dynasty can't do anything about them? ”

Li Bensheng shook his head and said: "Last year was better, but this situation did not occur at the beginning of this year." Ay! Not to mention the beginning of the year, even in the first half of the year, there was no change. By the way, now is not the time to speak, the strong man should follow us back to Guangxi first. After speaking, he pulled Amida and urged everyone to leave quickly.

Amida didn't leave, and said, "I can't go back to Guangxi now, I want to go to Kunming." Li Bensheng hurriedly said: "What are you doing in Kunming alone?" It's all the Ming army there, and if you go now, you're going to die. Amida was taken aback and asked: "Kunming is the capital of Yunnan, and now I have hundreds of thousands of troops in Yunnan, why is Kunming all Ming troops?" ”

Li Bensheng said: "It seems that you really don't know, now that the whole of Yunnan has been broken by the Ming army, and the hundreds of thousands of troops of the Qing Dynasty are also finished. Let's go quickly, if we are caught by the Ming army, we will die. Then he pulled Amida and left, constantly beckoning others to go quickly.

Amida grabbed Li Bensheng and said, "You can't leave now, you go back to Kunming with me, and how are the Xinjun kings, we have to find them." Although Li Bensheng wondered how this person knew that King Xinjun was in Kunming, ordinary people only knew about the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, and as for who led the army, outsiders didn't know anything. But Li Bensheng is now only concerned about fleeing for his life, and he has the courage to go back. Seeing that Amida was holding him, he suddenly didn't care about the life-saving grace just now. He scolded: "What's the matter with you? I kindly saved you and told you to run for your life, why didn't you listen? ”

After saying that, he struggled fiercely, and saw that Amida was still holding on to himself, so he immediately shouted to the soldiers who came with him: "Quick, come here, beat this person away, and when I get to Guangxi, I will tattoo a hundred taels of silver for each of you." As soon as the people around heard that there was a hundred taels of silver, they immediately gathered around.

As soon as Amida saw that these people were about to make a move, he directly pulled Li Bensheng over, and said in Li Bensheng's ear: "Let me tell you, I am the emperor's bodyguard Amida, who went to Yunnan on the emperor's order to deliver the decree to the king of Xinjun, if you delay the emperor's order, you will not be able to cut off ten heads." ”

When Li Bensheng heard that this person was a Qincha or the emperor's guard, he was immediately shocked. As soon as he remembered that he was very familiar with the official rank of the Qing Dynasty, and his skills were extraordinary, and he went to find the king of Xinjun by name, he suddenly felt a little convinced. Immediately stopped those soldiers who were about to make a move, and then said, "What proof do you use?" Now this Yunnan is very chaotic, I can't believe it after listening to a few words from you. ”

Amida said: "You wait first, my official identity and identity card are in the woods, I will go and get them." With that, he went straight into the woods. At this time, those soldiers bravely said: "My lord, let's go quickly, the few Ming soldiers who ran away just now, maybe the Ming army will chase after them at some point,"

Li Bensheng said: "Let's wait first, maybe there will be a big fortune." Hearing that there was a rich and noble scene, this person immediately came to his senses and asked: "My lord, what is the wealth, what is the identity of this person, you can't lie to us." Li Bensheng said: "Look at what you said, you accompanied me to escape from Kunming, that is also a lifelong friendship, how could I lie to you!" Don't worry, if the situation is not right, we have more than a dozen people here, and I am afraid that he will not be able to do it alone. ”

At this moment Amida came out of the woods, carrying a package on her shoulder, and holding her guard's waist card in her hand. Li Bensheng saw that it was indeed the waist card in the palace, and immediately said respectfully: "It turns out that it is really Lord Qincha, and the lower official was rude just now." When the others saw that Amida was really Lord Chincha, they were all terrified.

Seeing this, Amida said: "Everyone didn't know just now, and those who don't know are not guilty, and there is nothing rude." It's just that you're going to Kunming with me now. "Originally, when I heard that Amida had forgiven everyone's sins, everyone was very grateful, but now when they heard that they were going back to Kunming, they suddenly stopped doing it. The general flag said: "My lord, it's not that we don't go back, but we can't go back at all now, and now Kunming has been occupied by the Ming Dynasty, and it's a dead end for a dozen of us to go back." ”

Everyone else also agreed, and even Li Bensheng said: "My lord, I really can't go back now, if we can go back, we don't have to run out of Kunming." Seeing that he had revealed his identity, Li Bensheng and the others were still reluctant to go back, and suddenly said: "You are all afraid of Kunming, and you also said that Kunming was occupied by the Ming army, what is going on?" And what about the army of the Qing Dynasty? What about the King of the Faith Gun? If you don't explain it, I will never let you go. ”

Seeing this, Li Bensheng had no choice but to say: "My lord, this is not something that can be said clearly for a while, let's leave here first, and then I will tell you slowly." Amida thought about the few people who ran before, and suddenly responded. "Okay, let's find a hidden place to hide first." ”

So after walking for a while, they turned into a path. After walking for two or three miles, they found several abandoned houses, and when everyone was resting, someone went to clean the houses. Amida hurriedly asked Li Bensheng to tell him in detail what the situation was.

Li Bensheng thought for a while and said: "The previous matter, I think adults also know, so I won't say more." In February of this year, I was promoted by the imperial court to be the deputy envoy of Yunnan, and at the end of March, I was appointed by the imperial court. Then I went into Yunnan. In May, I arrived in Kunming. ”

When Amida heard Li Bensheng talk about his credits, he was immediately a little impatient. Seeing this, Li Bensheng had no choice but to get down to business, and said: "The first half of the year was better, since Yongli fled to Burma, the Ming army in China has been defeated. Coupled with the encirclement and suppression of our Qing army, he was either killed or led his troops to surrender. The only ones left were Li Dingguo, Bai Wenxuan, Gao Chenggui and others who refused to surrender at the border, and they had no influence on the general trend of the entire Yunnan. ”

Amida said: "In that case, why is it now said that the whole of Yunnan has been captured by the Ming army?" And you, the officials, are fleeing one after another. ”

Li Bensheng listened to Amida's words, and he didn't know what was going on, which made Li Bensheng sad, and actually choked up a little: "Why don't I know exactly, how do I know that this good situation has suddenly changed?" In August, Na Song of Yuanjiang rebelled, and after receiving the news, King Xinjun sent Zhuo Luo and King Pingxi to lead an army to quell the rebellion. ”

Amida said: "It's nothing, the court also agreed at that time." Li Bensheng wiped away his tears and said: "Yes, this is really nothing, but King Xinjun has to wait for the will of the imperial court, and this wait will be in mid-September, and the will of the imperial court will finally come." Who would have thought that at this time, just when Zhuo Luo and King Pingxi were about to set off, Chongqing sent a military report asking for help. ”

Amida knew that this was a report from Liang Jiaqi, the chief soldier of the Chongqing Suppression and Pacification Bureau, asking for help. I heard Li Bensheng say again: "It's this military report, and King Xinjun also thinks it's not a big deal." In addition, Yunnan's extermination of the Ming army also reached the last moment, so he asked the general Guo Liai to return to Chongqing with 3,000 troops, who knew that it was this Guo Liai who had an accident. ”

Amida said: "He is a general, what can happen with only three thousand troops?" Li Bensheng said: "I don't know what the specific thing is, it is said that when he went to Guiyang, he directly occupied Guiyang." also killed Zhao Tingchen's subordinate general Bian Sanyuan, directly cutting off the back road of the army. ”

When Amita heard this, she was immediately angry and said: "This Guo Li Ai is really damned, he must be broken into ten thousand pieces." Li Bensheng said: "Yes, at that time, King Xinjun and others were also furious, and directly sent Ba Sihan with the Eight Banners of Manchuria with red flags, as well as a lot of Han army banner troops and Huguang troops, to return to Guiyang to seize Guiyang to quell the rebellion. ”

Amita suddenly reassured: "That's right, these people who dare to betray the Qing Dynasty should all be killed." Li Bensheng said: "What's right, General Basihan led the army, and there was no news as soon as he went." There has been news before, saying that the army is on its way back to Guiyang, and I don't know what's wrong. A month ago, it suddenly came to the news that Guiyang was occupied by the Ming army. ”

Amida exclaimed, "What did you say? Guiyang was also occupied by the Ming army? I thought to myself: "It's good that I didn't go to Guiyang, otherwise I would have taken two people to Guiyang, wouldn't I have thrown myself into the net?" Li Bensheng said: "Yes, the king of Xinjun was immediately anxious when he heard it, and the next day he sent the king of Pingjun back with the army of the Eight Banners, so that the king of Pingjun must capture Guiyang." ”

When Amida heard that the Eight Banners army was dispatched, she immediately relieved her heart and said: "Fortunately, as long as the Eight Banners of Manchuria make a move, there must be nothing wrong." ”

Li Bensheng was a little embarrassed and said: "It's not that it's okay, but it's a bigger matter." In order to defeat Guiyang as soon as possible, King Xinjun sent most of the Manchurian Eight Banners, the cavalry of the Eight Banners of the Han Army, and even the Guanning cavalry of the King of Pingxi back. As a result, there was no news as soon as the cavalry went. ”

Amida was stunned for a moment, and said: "How is it possible, my Manchurian Eight Banners is a strong soldier in the world, how can I have no news?" Li Bensheng said: "I don't know this, originally I was a deputy envoy of the inspection, and I couldn't inquire about these military information, but watching a large number of Qing troops return to Guiyang, to be honest, I was scared at that time." I can't just ask the king of Xinjun. ”

Li Bensheng seemed to be a little scared and said: "I went to Lord Lin Tianqing, the governor of Yunnan, but the servant said that Lord Lin went to Yongchang Mansion and has not come back yet." I had no choice but to go to Lord Hong Chengchou. As a result, as soon as I went, I saw Lord Hong and Yuan Kuoyu, the governor of Biyuan, at a loss in the house, and they looked very anxious. When the two adults saw me enter, they ignored me. ”

Li Bensheng took a breath and said lonely: "I whispered to Lord Yuan to investigate, only to know that someone secretly came from Sichuan to report to Lord Hong. said that Sichuan had been completely beaten back by the Ming army, and the troops were divided into two ways to attack Wusafu and Huichuanwei, preparing to enter Yunnan. But now there are only 7,000 Manchurian Eight Banners in Kunming, 20,000 Han Army Banner troops, and the rest are the army of King Pingxi. These troops were 50,000 people, but now that the king of Pingxi was not there, these people saw that the Manchu and Han Eight Banners had been transferred, and they were immediately unwilling to resist the Ming army. ”

When Amida heard this, she was a little curious: "How could it be?" Aren't they afraid of the imperial court to blame? Li Bensheng said: "What's the use of blaming? At that time, there was no food for the army, and the army of the king of Pingxi, as long as it was in Kunming, had not been paid food for a month. It was all up to them to go out and grab some in the people's houses, and now the king of Xinjun wants them to resist the Ming army, and they will listen there, and at this time the king of Pingxi was sent to Burma. ”

Amita said: "Wu Sangui's army does not move, what about the other armies?" Aren't the troops transferred from Huguang by Hong Chengchou and the troops under the Dingnan Wang Domain also in Yunnan? Li Bensheng said: "At this time, where is there still an army movement. Hong Chengqing's army, Guizhou left Daniel Zhang, Li Benshen, Nan Yikui and other troops, only Yang Mingyu, Wang Ping and Yuan Kuoyu's own Fu Biao entered Yunnan, a total of 8,000 people. The army of Lian Guoan suffered too many casualties when attacking Guangxi Prefecture, and later suffered casualties in Mopan Mountain, and now there are only more than 4,000 people. I followed King Pingxi to quell the Nasong rebellion together, so there was no army at all. ”

Amida said: "My Qing Dynasty has hundreds of thousands of troops attacking Yungui, why is there no more?" Li Bensheng said: "I don't know about this, but these are the people who were in Kunming at that time." Among the 50,000 troops of King Pingxi, there were also a large number of former Ming surrender troops. But thinking about it, it is almost the same, in Yongchang Mansion, I stationed these 30,000 troops in the Qing Dynasty, and there were 100,000 troops pursuing Li Dingguo. There are also nearly 100,000 people stationed in various places to prevent the Tusi rebellion, plus the troops who stayed in Guizhou and sent back to Guizhou before. There are nearly 400,000 people in this calculation, and of course there can be no army. ”

Amida said: "This is not right, since we are still stationed in these hundreds of thousands of troops, why is it only a few days, and now the army is gone?" Li Bensheng said: "Of course there is no army now, since the loss of Kunming, the king of Xinjun does not know where to go, the army of all walks of life has no co-ordination, they are fighting separately, and many people are scattered." Amida said: "Then how did Kunming lose it?" ”

Li Bensheng said: "Isn't this what I'm about to say? Seeing that the army could not be mobilized, Yuan Kuoyu kept asking what to do. In the end, Lord Hong Chengchou said that he would let Lian Guoan take the army to Yao'an Mansion. As long as he blocked the Ming army in Huichuan in Yao'an Mansion, Yuan Kuoyu's Huguang army was left to defend in Kunming. In addition, there are more than 20,000 Eight Banners troops in Kunming, and the troops who want to come to Kunming, as well as the army of the King of Pingxi, do not dare to move, and force them to fight against the Ming army when the time comes. ”

Amida said: "This is a way, as long as my Manchurian Eight Banners Army is here, they will definitely not dare to move." Li Bensheng said: "Yes, there is an army of eight banners, and these people will not have any ideas when they are people." At that time, everyone in Kunming City thought so. ”