What to do? What to do? Chongzhen listened to Bi Ziyan's reply, his eyes rolled, and he turned anxiously.

"Who is available? Who is available? Chongzhen raised his hands to the sky and chanted in the court.

"Back to the emperor, the minister recommended Sun Chengzong." Wang Yongguang, the secretary of the ministry, returned from work.

Sun Chengzong, the word Zhizhi, the number Kaiyang, was a native of Gaoyang County, Baoding Prefecture, Beizhili (now Baoding City, Hebei Province).

In the thirty-second year of Wanli (1604), Sun Chengzong ranked second in the Jinshi, awarded the Hanlin Academy for editing, and then turned to Zhongyun.

In the forty-eighth year of Wanli (1620), Zhu Youxiao of Ming Xizong ascended the throne, and Sun Chengzong served as a Japanese lecturer with Zuo Shuzi.

In the first year of the Apocalypse (1621), Sun Chengzong was promoted to Shao Zhan.

In the same year, Houjin attacked Liaodong, Shenyang and Liaoyang were captured successively, and Yuan Yingtai, the governor of Liaodong, committed suicide.

The ministers of the court also thought that Sun Chengzong knew about the military affairs, and recommended Sun Chengzong to add a squire to the military department to preside over the defense of Liaodong, but Ming Xizong did not want Sun Chengzong to leave the chair, and the second dismissal was not agreed.

In the second year of the Apocalypse (1622), he was promoted to the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites and assisted in the management of the Zhan Mansion.

Soon, the Qing army entered Guangning, Wang Huazhen abandoned the city and fled, and Xiong Tingbi entered the pass with him.

Zhang Heming, the secretary of the military department, was afraid of being convicted and went out to inspect the border defense. The emperor was also anxious about the war situation in the east, so he appointed Sun Chengzong as the secretary of the military department and a scholar of the Eastern Pavilion University, and entered the court to do business.

A few days later, he was ordered to take charge of the affairs of the military department as a minister. Sun Chengzong asked for attention to military generals, and took countermeasures such as pacifying the western region, relieving the refugees in Liaoyang, inspecting the troops of the Beijing Division, increasing the commander of Yongping, building the road to Jizhen, and opening up Tuntian in the Jingdong region. The emperor happily adopted.

At this time, the border defense was in a state of emergency, and the cabinet ministers only hoped that they would be safe for the time being, but the discussion became more and more disturbed day by day. Sun Chengzong then impeached Xiong Tingbi, Ming Shiju in the matter, Li Da of the Imperial History, Fang Zhenru, the governor of Liaodong, Liang Zhiyuan, the supervisor of Denglai, Shao Keli of Jizhou, and others, all of whom were punished, and there were many people who hated him and resented Sun Chengzong.

After Xiong Tingbi was deposed, the imperial court took Wang Zaijin as the strategy of Liaodong. After Wang Zaijin took office, he planned to attack Quang Ninh, but the governor Wang Xiangqian thought that even if he could capture Quang Ninh, it would not be easy to defend, and it was better to defend Kyoto by defending Shanhaiguan. So Wang Zaijin built a heavy pass in Bali outside Shanhaiguan, leaving 40,000 horses to guard.

Yuan Chonghuan thought that Wang Zaijin's move was not a good strategy, and after arguing with Wang Zaijin to no avail, he wrote to Shoufu Ye Xianggao.

Ye Xianggao thought that it could not be based on subjective guesses, so Sun Chengzong asked to go to Liaodong in person to make a decision. Zhu Youxiao was very happy, crowned Sun Chengzong as the crown prince, and rewarded python robes, jade belts, silver coins, etc.

After Sun Chengzong arrived at Shanhaiguan, he patrolled the border fortress, and Yuan Chonghuan asked Sun Chengzong for instructions: "Garrison 5,000 troops in Ningyuan to strengthen the momentum of the Thirteen Mountains, and then send generals to lead troops to rescue the Thirteen Mountains." Ningyuan is only two hundred miles away from the Thirteen Mountains, and can easily occupy Jinzhou, if you can't retreat to Ningyuan, how can you give up 100,000 refugees? ”

Sun Chengzong then consulted with the governor Wang Xiangqian, Wang Xiangqian thought that the army stationed at the pass had just lost the battle, and the morale was depressed, so it was better to mobilize the army of 3,000 people to protect the pass to Ningyuan, Sun Chengzong agreed to transfer troops to Ningyuan on the one hand, and on the other hand to rescue the refugees, the rescue failed, and only 6,000 people were rescued from the 100,000 refugees.

Sun Chengzong asked Wang Zaijin about this: "After the new city is built, will the soldiers and horses of the old city be moved to 40,000 to garrison?" ”

Wang Zaijin said: "Another army of 40,000 men should be set up. Sun Chengzong said: "In this way, there are 80,000 soldiers in Balipu, but don't you send troops to garrison it in the northwest of Shixi?" Build a heavy pass in Balipu, behind the new city is the old city, are the mines buried in front of the old city used to deal with the enemy, or are they used to deal with their own recruits? If the new city can be defended, can the old city still be used? If the new city cannot be defended and the 40,000 defenders defect, do you plan to open and let the enemy in, or do you want to surrender to the enemy in retreat? ”

Wang Zaijin said: "There are three passes outside the gate that can be entered. Sun Chengzong said: "If this is the case, the enemy soldiers are approaching the city, and the soldiers flee as before, where is the need for heavy passes?" ”

Wang Zaijin said: "We are going to build three camps on the mountain to prevent the soldiers from escaping." Sun Chengzong said: "The soldiers built a camp and waited for them without a rout, are you teaching the soldiers to escape?" Moreover, the fleeing soldiers could enter, and the enemy could follow them. You don't plan for recovery now, but you are in retreat here, withdrawing all the outer defense lines, and fighting at the imperial court every day, is there still a day of peace east of Kyoto? "Wang Zaijin has nothing to say.

Sun Chengzong then convened the generals to discuss the issue of defense outside the pass. Yuan Chonghuan advocated guarding Ningyuan, Yan Mingtai advocated guarding Juehua Island, and Wang Zaijin advocated guarding the front of Zhongzhong. Sun Chengzong adopted Yuan Chonghuan's suggestion and personally guarded the gate. Later, at the suggestion of Sun Chengzong, Ming Xizong dismissed Wang Zaijin from his post as the Liaodong Governor.

In August of the second year of the Apocalypse (1622), Sun Chengzong invited himself to be the supervisor, and also let the original generals such as Ji and Liao supervise everywhere, so that they did not have to be restricted by others when they saw the opportunity.

Sun Chengzong used Yan Mingtai as the governor of Liaodong, and Lu Shanji and Wang Zegu as praise paintings, and asked to take 800,000 yuan from the treasury. After Emperor Zhu Youxiao agreed, he personally sent Sun Chengzong out of the palace gate, and gave Sun Chengzong Shangfang sword, python, etc., and the cabinet ministers sent Sun Chengzong directly outside the Chongwen Gate.

After Sun Chengzong took office, he asked Jiang Yingzhao to formulate a military establishment, Yuan Chonghuan to build barracks, Li Bingcheng to train firearms and equipment, Lu Shanji and Wang Zegu to deal with military supplies, Shen Di and Du Yingfang to repair armor, Sun Yuanhua to build forts, Song Xian and Cheng Lun to buy military horses, Wan Youfu to cut down trees, Zu Dashou to assist Jinguan to guard Juehua Island, Chen Zhizhu to help Zhao lead the teaching to guard Qiantun, Lu Zhijia to save refugees, and Yang Yingqian to recruit Liao people to form an army.

In the third year of the Apocalypse (1623), Sun Chengzong recommended Yan Mingtai as the governor of Liaodong, thinking that he had no practical talent, so many military matters were not discussed with him, Yan Mingtai was unhappy, and after the court discussed, Yan Mingtai was dismissed and replaced by Zhang Fengyi, but Zhang Fengyi was timid and advocated retreating to Shanhaiguan.

Sun Chengzong was not happy about this, went out to inspect Ningyuan, convened a meeting of the generals, most of the generals wanted to retreat to Shanhaiguan, Ma Shilong suggested guarding the Zhonghou Station, Yuan Chonghuan and others advocated guarding Ningyuan.

Sun Chengzong adopted Yuan Chonghuan's proposal, so he asked Zu Dashou to build fortifications, and ordered Yuan Chonghuan and Man Gui to garrison Ningyuan.

Sun Chengzong, fearing that his rights would be restricted, wrote to Zhu Youxiao that the governor and the governor could not be established at the same time, and asked to remove him.

Zhu Youxiao then terminated the election of the governor and ordered the governor of Liaodong to move to Ningyuan, Zhang Fengyi felt that this was putting himself to death, and slandered Ma Shilong with Wan Youfu and others.

Not long after, Wan Youfu was impeached by Yue Hesheng, the governor of Jizhou, and Zhang Fengyi claimed that Ma Shilong and Yuan Chonghuan had framed him, fabricated lies to deceive the imperial court, and tried to thwart the plan to leave the customs.

Sun Chengzong was very angry, and wrote to Zhu Youxiao about the defensive strategy of the border pass, saying that Ning Yuan and Juehua could not give up, and defended Ma Shilong, and exposed the crime of collusion between Wan Youfu and Zhang Fengyi.

In the fourth year of the Apocalypse (1624), Ningyuan City was repaired, and the garrison equipment outside the pass had been built, Sun Chengzong wrote to Zhu Youxiao to request a military salary of 240,000, so that he could attack on a large scale, but the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry obstructed it, and Zhu Youxiao could not give money, and Sun Chengzong's letter to urge was fruitless, so Sun Chengzong's army did not go out.