During the four years that Sun Chengzong sat in Liaodong, he echoed with Li Banghua, the governor of Tianjin, and Yuan Keli, the governor of Denglai, "The police are closed, and the Chinese and Korean dynasties are feasting, and they no longer worry about side affairs." ”

In such a relatively stable background, measured by his military exploits, it seems that Sun Chengzong is a little inactive.

However, Wang Yongguang, the secretary of the military department at that time, made a very pertinent evaluation of Sun Chengzong's active defense: "There are clouds in soldiers, and those who are good at fighting have no outstanding achievements!" ”

This is also the reason why Wang Yongguang will nominate Sun Chengzong.

In the past two years, Sun Gelao and Yuan Junmen have never had the opportunity to launch a major campaign, and the opportunity to launch a strategic general counteroffensive to drive Houjin out is not ripe.

But on the other hand, Sun Ge Lao invisibly saved a lot of military expenses for the imperial court, ensured that Shanhaiguan was safe and sound, and gave the Ming Dynasty more opportunities to recuperate, fully demonstrating the power of the Celestial Empire without war. Shoufu Kong Zhenyun commented: "Gong has been on the sea for a long time, where the terrain is dangerous and easy, the military reserves are shrinking, whether the generals can be, and the captivity is like a candle shining on the back, so the end of Denglai (Yuan Keli) is the head of the drum." ”

On the other hand, this also affirmed the active defense of Sun Chengzong and Yuan Keli.

It is regrettable that just as Sun and Yuan Ergong had been preparing for several years to organize a major counteroffensive, the eunuchs had fully controlled the situation and forced Yuan Keli and Sun Chengzong to resign successively.

Sun Chengzong and Yuan Keli were very good partners, judging from the failure of the Battle of Liuhe later, Yuan Keli's departure had a great impact on Sun Chengzong's military operations and regrets.

Judging from the results of the later war, Yuan Keli's actual combat ability was stronger, and in the weak state of lack of food and reinforcement in Denglai, he was able to combine superior forces across the sea within a few months, and the battle line stretched to thousands of miles, dispatching soldiers and horses from the two towns to raid many times, and countering the Houjin son-in-law Liu Aita with counter-plots, and connecting many strategic points such as Kejin, Fu, and Gaisanwei Lushun, Hongzui, Wanghai, and Yongning, so that the Houjin was curled up in a corner for several years without a peep to the west.

Yuan Keli's Denglai Theater turned out to be the only frontal battlefield in the history of the Ming and Qing wars that took the initiative to call for battle.

At this time, Wei Zhongxian tried to expand his power, and when he saw that Sun Chengzong's merits were very high, he wanted to cling to him, so he sent Liu Yingkun to show Sun Chengzong what he meant. But Sun Chengzong didn't say a word to Liu Yingkun after seeing him, and Wei Zhongxian hated Sun Chengzong because of this.

Wei Zhongxian persecuted the ministers of the DPRK and China, expelled Yang Lian, Zhao Nanxing, Gao Panlong and others from Beijing, Sun Chengzong was inspecting the Jizhou area, thinking that the emperor might not read the book in person, so he asked to enter the court on the grounds of congratulatory birthday and took the opportunity to impeach Wei Zhongxian.

When Wei Guangwei heard about it, he told Wei Zhongxian the news, saying that Sun Chengzong planned to kill Wei Zhongxian on the grounds of the Qing monarch's side, so Wei Zhongxian ran to the bed of Emperor Zhu Youxiao, crying and pleading, and Gu Bingqian also said that it was illegal to leave the defensive place without a holy decree.

So Zhu Youxiao summoned the military department Shangshu overnight and sent three people to ride fast horses to stop Sun Chengzong. Wei Zhongxian also falsely passed the holy decree to the eunuchs of the Nine Gates, and if Sun Chengzong arrived at Qihuamen, he would be tied up.

After Sun Chengzong arrived in Tongzhou, he received Zhu Youxiao's will and had no choice but to return to Liaodong, and Wei Zhongxian asked his henchmen Li Fan, Cui Chengxiu, and Xu Dahua to write a letter to slander Sun Chengzong.

Sun Chengzong then asked for dismissal.

Later, Ming Xizong Zhu Youxiao died, and his younger brother Ming Sizong Zhu Youzhen ascended the throne, and Wang Zaijin was able to enter the dynasty as the secretary of the military department.

Wang Zaijin hated Sun Chengzong bitterly, insisted that Ma Shilong and Mao Yuanyi confused the center, corrupted the border affairs, and instigated the officials and others to slander Sun Chengzong to prevent him from coming out as an official.

tried his best to slander Sun Chengzong and Ma Shilong, and blocked Sun Chengzong's appearance.

Sun Chengzong defended himself and told Hubu that after he took office, he found that the soldiers in the previous gate were undisciplined, and there were a large number of unqualified people who took the army's salary, so he cut the army by 67,000 people, saving the court 680,000 taels of silver.

Chongzhen's ascension to the throne was a time of lack of money, so he did not blame Sun Chengzong.

On the contrary, Wang Zaijin was cut down and returned to his hometown because of excessive criticism of Sun Chengzong.

"The minister seconded the proposal."

"The ministers seconded the proposal."

......

The courtiers scrambled to call Sun Chengzong.

Chongzhen is Zhao Chengzong, the original official and the secretary of the military department, and summoned the right, and ordered Chengzong to protect the Beijing division.

After Sun Chengzong entered the palace, Zhu Youzhen summoned him on the platform and asked Sun Chengzong about his strategy of retreating from the enemy.

Sun Chengzong said: "The minister heard that Yuan Chonghuan was stationed in Ningyuan, Mangui was on standby in the military government, and Hou Shilu was stationed in Sanhe, which was a good strategy for defense. ”

Zhu Youzhen asked: "Do you think Mangui is available?" ”

Sun Chengzong said: "This person is brave and good at fighting. ”

Chongzhen thought for a while and said: "The post of the chief soldier of Datong has been vacant for a long time, and I appointed Man Gui as the chief soldier of Datong. ”

Man Gui (1594-1630), Han nationality, Xuanfu people, (it is also said that the Mongols from outside the Guan, but Mangui himself did not admit it), his ancestral home was Yi County, Yanzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province (now Zaozhuang City).

Man Gui practiced riding and archery since he was a child, and after enlisting in the army, he successively served as the general banner, hundred households, and garrison with military merits.

In the second year of the Apocalypse (1622), the scholar Sun Chengzong served as the border marshal, and Man Gui went in to meet him.

When Sun Chengzong came out to guard the Shanhaiguan, he promoted Man Gui to serve as the deputy commander-in-chief, responsible for the affairs of the Chinese army.

Man Gui has a very rude personality, but he is loyal and brave, different from the ordinary, not good-looking, and can share weal and woe with the soldiers.

In the third year of the Apocalypse (1623), Sun Chengzong planned to go out of the customs to repair Ningyuan City, and asked the general if he could go to garrison.

Ma Shilong recommended Sun Ji and Li Chengxian, but Sun Chengzong did not agree.

Yuan Chonghuan and Mao Yuanyi said: "Man Gui can, but he is your Chinese army, and we dare not invite him out." ”

Sun Chengzong said: "Since he can, it doesn't matter if he is a Chinese army or not." ”

So he called Man Gui and told him, Man Gui readily agreed, and asked for his life.

Ma Shilong suspected that Man Gui's ability was not good, but Sun Chengzong didn't listen, so he set up a banquet on the same day and served for him.

After Man Gui arrived in Ningyuan, he and Yuan Chonghuan worked together to build the city wall, so that Ningyuan stood majestically and became an important town in Liaodong.

At that time, some Mongolian tribes were stationed in the eastern suburbs of Ningyuan (now Xingcheng, Liaoning) to graze, and the people of Liaodong who came to join Ningyuan were robbed by them, and Sun Chengzong was very worried about this.

In February of the fourth year of the Apocalypse (1624), Sun Chengzong sent Man Gui and the chief military officer You Shilu to attack them at the Daling River.

As a result, the Mongolian tribes cried and fled westward, and the eastern suburbs of Ningyuan were at peace.

Gongtu, Fried Flowers, Zaisai and other tribes ostensibly surrendered but secretly wanted to rebel, Man Gui was good at mastering and handling, these tribes obeyed, and saved countless bounty silver every year.

At the beginning, Ningyuan City was full of barren hills and ruins outside the city, and after Mangui took office, more than 50,000 soldiers and civilians cultivated here and cultivated 50 miles away from the city. Sun Chengzong reported his merits, and the imperial court issued an edict to promote him to the governor of the capital, and added the rank of chief soldier.

Sun Chengzong then ordered him to take charge of the rear and fight with Zhao Shujiao in the front.

Yang Chengxiu, the governor of Langzhong, withheld military rations, and the deputy general Xu Lian inspired a mutiny and besieged Yuan Chonghuan's office.

Because they were afraid of the courage of Man Gui's soldiers, they did not dare to surround him, so they fled in groups to the east.

Man Gui and Yuan Chonghuan caught up with the perpetrators of the mutiny, pacified the rest of the men, and brought them all back.