In the blink of an eye, it was the summer of Chongzhen's fourteenth year, and Wang Qiang had been in the palace for more than a year. Since the marriage disturbance incident, Wang Qiang seems to have changed as a person, few words, deep and silent, every day is still as usual, the rest of the time is hidden in the house to read, he is patiently waiting for his chance to make a comeback, because Chongzhen has mentioned more than once that he wants to use him again.

During this time, the mansion given to Wang Qiang by the emperor had been repaired, and Cai Ling'er also moved her family back to the capital. Wang Qiang considered the special identity of Father-in-law Jiang, so he asked Xiaoshanzi to secretly buy a piece of land in Xishan, build a house, and arrange Father-in-law Jiang and Father-in-law Gao to live there.

The opportunity has finally arrived.

On this day, Chongzhen sent someone to call Wang Qiang to the south study, and after Wang Qiang arrived, Chongzhen ordered him to sit, and then asked Wang Qiang about some things in his family, and Wang Qiang also answered them one by one. After chatting for a while, Chongzhen suddenly asked: "Wang Qiang, when the Queen Mother asked you to tell Yue Fei's story before she died, do you know why?" ”

Wang Qiang replied: "This Weichen hasn't thought about it, and he really doesn't know. ”

"Well, I was also puzzled at the time, these days I have pondered, this is the queen mother is warning me." Chongzhen said with a deep face.

"Oh?" Wang Qiang looked at Chongzhen suspiciously.

"The Queen Mother is warning me not to be Song Gaozong (Zhao Gou), don't kill loyal ministers in vain and destroy the country and the species." Chongzhen said.

Wang Qiang thought about it and was silent.

Chongzhen continued: "I won't tell you the truth, I killed Yuan Chonghuan because I listened to slander and fell for the tricks of the Jin people. Later, I also knew that I had made a mistake, but it was too late. If Yuan Chonghuan was here, this Manchu Qing would not be as rampant as it is now! Now Chongzhen has absolute trust in Wang Qiang and regards him as his confidant, so he doesn't hide his words.

Chongzhen was reviewing his own mistakes, and Wang Qiang didn't want to say anything, so he had to remain silent.

Chongzhen looked at himself and continued: "I still have a mistake, what is your Dao?" ”

"I don't know." Wang Qiang replied.

"It's just that I shouldn't have put such a talented ruler of you in the palace!" Chongzhen said solemnly.

Wang Qiang was taken aback, and said with sincere fear: "The emperor has won the award, how can the emperor arrange Weichen has his own emperor's reason, and Weichen will never dare to have a heart of condescension." ”

"Well, you are loyal to me, I know, but the country is the time to employ people, and it is time to use your talents, so I plan to reactivate you." Chongzhen said.

"Thank you for the emperor's trust, no matter what mission is handed over to Weichen, Weichen will never give up!" When Wang Qiang heard that Chongzhen was going to reactivate himself, his heart was happy, his eyes were also bright, he turned over and knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Chongzhen.

Chongzhen got up and paced and said: "Now that the imperial court is fighting on the northwest and northeast fronts, it is very difficult, so I plan to stabilize the situation in the northeast first and concentrate my forces to solve Li Zicheng in the northwest. But Hong Chengchou is already old, these days in the northeast of the army is not effective, one after another a few defeats, morale is low, then Wu Sangui supports the army and respects, not much cooperation with Hong Chengchou, this is another situation of discord between the generals. I think about it, now I have really defeated the Qing army only you, Wang Qiang, so I want to transfer you to the northeast and appoint you as the chief army of the four northeastern provinces, first, to assist Hong Chengchou in reorganizing the army, and second, to deter the Qing army and improve the morale of the officers and soldiers. I give you the sword of Shang Fang, for those who are cowardly in the face of the enemy, fornicate with the Manchus, and are not loyal to the imperial court, you can cut down the generals below the adjutant general first, and the officials above the deputy general, you must play and then deal with them. I believe in you, so you can do it boldly! ”

Wang Qiang thought in his heart: "This prison is a nominal position, and it is most hated by front-line generals, but as long as you can get out of the palace, you can't take care of so much." So he said, "Wechen obeys." Your Majesty, please rest assured, Wei Chen's visit will definitely help Hong Jingluo boost morale, rectify his subordinates, and make it easy for the Qing army not to invade the territory! ”

"Good! I'm waiting for you to get the good news. Chongzhen said happily.

The next day, the emperor issued a holy decree, appointing Wang Qiang as the chief army of the four northeastern provinces, leading the military department with the title of Shangshu, and giving Shang Fang the sword, and having the right to dispose of it first and then play!

In the Ming Dynasty, the emperor sent eunuchs of his cronies to serve as supervisors in the army, the main purpose was to monitor the actions, words and deeds of generals at all levels. These prison guards rely on the trust of the emperor, and either indiscriminately interfere in military command, or embezzle and accept bribes to bully others, which is the most annoying. This time, Wang Qiang served as the commander of the Northeast Army, receiving the title of second grade, which was unprecedented, and he held the sword of Shang Fang, and had the identity of Qincha, and his authority was heavier, and Wang Qiang had the merits of the former minister of the Special Administrative Region and the prestige of killing the Qing army, which made him even more distinctive. When this news came out, it was another high-profile event.

In the next few days, Wang Qiang handed over the envoys in the palace, received the seal letter of the prison army and the sword of the monk Fang, said goodbye to the courtiers he had befriended, and settled the affairs of the family, and was very busy. That Cai Ling'er just moved back to the capital to reunite with Wang Qiang, not a few days later, Wang Qiang was going to leave Beijing to go to the Northeast to take up his post, he was reluctant, he was chattering, crying and complaining, Wang Qiang also had a trace of guilt for Cai Ling'er because of Chen Yuanyuan's matter, and it was naturally a comfort of warm words, but Cai Ling'er did not have the talent of Chen Yuanyuan's Yage to send her husband, but let Wu Sangui compare, Wang Qiang felt a slight regret in his heart.

On the eighth day of July, Wang Qiang set off on the road and went to the border to take up his post.

It was the height of summer, the weather was unusually hot, Wang Qiang and his party of more than 30 people rode horses and cars on the official road, Wang Qiang sat in the carriage, leaned on the back of the chair, shook the fan in his hand, his eyes were slightly closed, as if he was asleep, but he kept thinking in his head. This is the second time he has been entrusted with a heavy task by the emperor, although the grade is high and the power is great, but this time he can't create any situation independently, and he doesn't even have a serious subordinate, and the army is actually still in the hands of Hong Chengchou. Chongzhen just treated him as an obedient eagle dog and sent him to the northeast to show him his home.

Since the last time he was transferred back to the palace by Chongzhen, Wang Qiang was determined to completely break away from the emperor's control and no longer be at the mercy of others as soon as he had the opportunity. He once seriously analyzed the reasons for his previous setback, during his time in the SAR, everything he did was under the banner of the imperial court, and the power in his hands was also given by the emperor, and the so-called meritorious deeds and forces he established belonged to the imperial court in the final analysis, and when the emperor announced that he would take these things back, he had no room for resistance. Therefore, it is simply unrealistic to rely on the power given by the emperor to develop his own power, especially an emperor like Chongzhen.

Wang Qiang thought hard that if he wanted to truly establish his own power, he had to establish a system outside the normal system of the imperial court, but he didn't have the ability to do anything, and it was too difficult to do something without relying on the emperor's power. At this time, Wang Qiang really regretted that he didn't seriously learn some useful skills when he was in school, and he couldn't even find a job in modern society, and in ancient times, he still had nothing to do.

Thinking of going to school, Wang Qiang's eyes lit up, after all, he has mastered a lot of modern knowledge, he went to school in books, watched on TV, read in novels, these are his own unique resources, the reason why he can do several big things in front of him, these knowledge and insights play a key role, this is what makes him different! Yes! I can't lead soldiers, so I should be able to run a school! I don't have any subordinates, but I should be able to bring a bunch of students! With this modern knowledge in his head, he can teach a group of capable students and recruit a group of talents, and once the time is ripe, he can establish his own power, and these students will become the backbone of his own power. With this thought, Wang Qiang became excited, and his mind turned away again.

Wang Qiang followed Chongzhen's instructions, all the way north, along the way to the border towns parades, he is the identity of the Qincha, and has the reputation of resisting the Qing Dynasty, everywhere he goes is warmly welcomed by the local people, local officials at all levels and border guards are more "warm" reception, naturally the more you go, the heavier the luggage on the car, so stop and go, more than a month later, Wang Qiang arrived at the base camp of the Ming army in the northeast - Jinzhou, and his plan to set up a school has been basically formed in his mind.

Hong Chengchou, the commander of the four northeastern provinces, personally led the generals out of the city for thirty miles to meet Wang Qiang. At the beginning, Wang Qiang was put on death row by Chongzhen because of the loss of military rations, it was Hong Chengchou who interceded in front of Chongzhen and saved Wang Qiang's life, and after Wang Qiang managed the military supplies, he also took special care of Hong Chengchou, the supply of food and salary was timely and sufficient, and he never deducted delays, Hong Chengchou also knew very well, so although the two did not have any contact, the relationship was unusually cordial. When the two met, they happily greeted each other, and Hong Chengchou introduced the generals to Wang Qiang one by one, and then Wang Qiang changed his mount, and the two rode into Jinzhou City.

At the gate of Jinzhou City, a high color shed has been erected in advance, both sides of the street are crowded next to each other are the people who came to welcome the chief army, Wang Qiang and his party just entered the city, the gongs and drums were immediately noisy, firecrackers rang out, several Yangge teams writhed with the drum music, and the people also cheered happily, Wang Qiang said to Hong Chengchou immediately: "Dashuai, it is just a small prison army in the next, and there is no size of the merit, so a grand welcome ceremony can not be in the next ah." ”

Hong Chengchou smiled slightly and said: "Lord Wang is too modest, these ordinary people spontaneously came to welcome the adults, and even these colorful sheds and gongs and drums were funded and prepared by the squire merchants. Everyone is not here to welcome the prison army, but to welcome the heroes who resisted the Qing Dynasty. The people here have been ravaged by the Qing army for many years, and you fought in Tongzhou and defeated the Qing army, but you gave everyone a sigh of relief, and I won't tell you that since the news of your arrival here has spread, the sound of firecrackers has not been broken in the city of Jinzhou. Hehe. ”

Wang Qiang didn't want to say anything, and sighed in his heart: "I didn't expect that I would retreat from the Qing army by mistake and be so loved by the people of the border city!" ”

The group arrived at the Shuaifu, everyone sat down again, Wang Qiang conveyed Chongzhen's will, Hong Chengchou also expressed his loyalty on behalf of the generals, this is a routine scene, the ceremony is over, Hong Chengchou invited Wang Qiang to the small study of the Shuaifu to talk privately.

Hong Chengchou said with a smile: "Lord Wang is young and promising, with outstanding talents, and a famous general who resisted the Qing Dynasty, the emperor is wise, this time I sent my lord to the northeast to coordinate the anti-Qing plan, which is really a blessing for the people at the border pass, and also a blessing for my northeast garrison." You're here, and the burden of this handsome man will be reduced. ”

Wang Qiang knew that this was Hong Chengchou using compliments to probe his bottom, so he said in a casual tone: "The handsome man has won the award, you know my roots, but he is just a little eunuch in the palace, neither martial arts nor the art of war, but he was lucky to get the emperor's favor to mix up some fame, and the Qing soldiers who retired that time also relied on the city's strong artillery and soldiers' lives, so I picked up some false names in vain, and where am I a hero." Dashuai, you have experienced a hundred battles, the sound of the government and the opposition, more than half of the world's soldiers and horses have personally commanded, to say fame and prestige, I can only hope that you old neck. So I'm here to learn from adults, and it's better to help adults, at least not to make trouble for you. ”

Hong Chengchou saw Wang Qiang's humility, and secretly praised in his heart: "Well, this kid is really different, he is not arrogant, and he has a clear understanding of his identity, so it is easy to cooperate." He smiled and said: "Eh, Lord Wang, you are too modest, although the old man is older than you and has more things, but you Lord Wang is still young, he has made so many achievements, and he is so modest and thrifty, it is really a future life, and the future is immeasurable, hahaha." ”

After a few kind words, the two began to talk about the topic, Wang Qiang asked: "Dashuai, what is the current situation of the enemy here?" What was the effect of your previous stage of army reorganization? ”

Hong Chengchou stroked his beard and said: "At present, the Qing army has stationed 100,000 soldiers and horses in the western Liaoxi area, and there is no sign of a large-scale attack. Our army has a total of 250,000 troops stationed in the northeast, and 150,000 troops have been concentrated in Jinzhou and Jinxi alone. In the past, although the imperial court garrisoned a large number of troops in the northeast, but the deployment was too scattered, like sprinkling pepper noodles, it was difficult to concentrate troops to destroy the enemy in a mobile way, so it was repeatedly defeated by the Qing army. However, in this way, we could not take care of some remote towns and counties, and the small units of the Qing army often harassed and looted, and also occupied several of our county towns while we were transferring troops to change our defenses, and these places were originally given up and did not have much impact on the overall situation. However, when I first arrived in the Northeast, I lost my power and land, and there were a lot of discussions between the government and the opposition, and I am afraid that the emperor would also be a little dissatisfied, and this pressure was not small, but at this time, the adjustment of our troops has not yet ended, and the training of the troops will still take time, and it is not enough to fight a decisive battle with the Qing army, so avoiding war is the best choice at present. I also hope that the adults can learn from the hardships here and take care of me more in front of the emperor! ”

Wang Qiang felt that Hong Chengchou's strategy was right, and it was the best choice to preserve the strength of the official army and strengthen the internal training, so he said: "There is nothing wrong with the marshal's measures, and I must make it clear in the excerpt to the emperor." Don't worry, my little life was saved by the emperor from the emperor, and my Wang Qiang is not an ungrateful person. ”

"Where, Lord Wang is so polite, what a little thing to worry about back then." Hong Chengchou was still happy when he saw that Wang Qiang did not forget his old kindness.

Wang Qiang said: "Don't hide it from the marshal, I haven't really led the troops, this prison army is just a false name, so all military measures are decided by the marshal's words, I will never interfere, you don't have any concerns, I think my biggest help to the marshal is to don't care about anything, don't ask anything, anyway, I plan to do so, I don't know if the marshal thinks this is appropriate?" ”

The commander of the unified army is most tired of supervising the army meddling in the affairs of military command, so Hong Chengchou was naturally happy when he heard Wang Qiang say this, he said with a smile: "Eh, how can it be done, Lord Wang is the emperor's envoy, and we dare not despise it." However, the daily affairs in the army are trivial and complicated, if everything is discussed with an adult, it may be too tiring, it is better to do this, the daily trivial matters are determined by the commander, and in case of a major military transfer or initiative, how about finding an adult to discuss together? ”

"That's fine." Wang Qiang said. He saw that the military matter was almost over, so he changed the topic and said: "Marshal, there is still a thought below, say it and ask the marshal to decide." ”

"Oh? Please speak. Hong Chengchou said.

"That's right, I'm thinking about staying here for a long time, and it's not interesting to waste time doing nothing all day, you know, I haven't read any books, and I haven't practiced martial arts, so I want to take advantage of this opportunity to find a clean place to set up a library, and invite a group of people of the same age to study and discuss knowledge together, I don't know if it's appropriate." Wang Qiang said.

"Hahahaha, what's wrong with that? Young people are eager to learn and progress, but now there are tens of thousands of officials and soldiers stationed in the city of Jinzhou, and the squires and landlords from all over the country have also run to the city to hide. Hong Chengchou said thoughtfully.

Wang Qiang smiled: "It doesn't have to be in the city, it's okay outside the city." ”

"Well, if this is the case, then I might as well go to Tashan, the county seat of Tashan is in the southeast of Jinzhou, the city is well defended, there are more than 1,000 officers and soldiers stationed, the Qing army can not disturb it, it is very safe. The environment there is quiet, sparsely populated, and it is only more than 20 miles away from Jinzhou, and it is less than an hour away from riding a horse, and it is also very convenient for us to meet and discuss things, I wonder if Lord Wang is satisfied? Hong Chengchou asked

"Great, I just wanted to find a place like this." Wang Qiang patted his thigh and said.

Wang Qiang wanted to find a clean place to run his school in a down-to-earth manner, and Hong Chengchou was also willing for Wang Qiang to leave the base camp and not interfere with his command in front of him.

That night, Hong Chengchou held a banquet for Wang Qiang in the Shuaifu, during the banquet, the two talked about the past in front of the generals, praised each other, and behaved intimately.

Wang Qiang stayed in Jinzhou City for a few days, inspected the training of the troops and the situation of the city's defense, and then rushed to Tashan County with his cronies and a batch of materials purchased to set up his school.