Jinan Mansion

Shandong Governor's Palace

It was approaching, and Sun Chuanting's study was still brightly lit and the candlelight was flickering. The concubine Lin who served on duty tonight had asked Sun Chuanting to summon him back to his dormitory to rest, although it was time for him to be a child, Sun Chuanting didn't want to sleep yet, but just pinched a letter and pondered silently.

Fang Yuan's mighty Northern Expedition did not have any suddenness at all, and it had already been spread to the world and the date of the Northern Expedition was announced. More than half a year ago, Sun Chuanting had already gotten the news, and the preparations for the war had been going on for more than half a year. The 20,000 train battalions, 70,000 new-style Ming troops, and 110,000 Ming troops have all been assembled, and the military rations and gunpowder are fully prepared.

This letter, which made Sun Chuanting fall into contemplation, was a letter of persuasion from Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan once again stated to Sun Chuanting in his letter of persuasion that he did not have any idea of usurping the Great Tomorrow. It's just that today's court is stupid and perverse, and he sent troops to the Northern Expedition to clear the monarch's side, abolish the prince of the prison country, and reorganize the Ming court. Fang Yuan asked again, and Sun Chuanting gave up his senseless resistance and went north with him to the side of the Qing monarch to capture the prince of the prison state.

In addition to clarifying his intentions, Fang Yuan also made a solemn promise to Sun Chuanting and the placement of all the general soldiers under his command except Gao Jie in the letter of persuasion.

Sun Chuanting was named the third duke, served as the governor of the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, commanded the barracks and guards of the world, rewarded 100,000 acres of fertile land, and shaded five generations.

The other commanders, Zheng Jiadong, Niu Chenghu and others, were originally the commanders of the Qin army in Shaanxi, and could be transferred back to Shaanxi as commanders-in-chief; Bai Guangen can choose to serve as the chief soldier in any of the border towns on the nine borders of the original Ming Dynasty. The general soldiers who surrendered each rewarded 10,000 acres of fertile land and sealed their wives and sons.

Sun Chuanting read Fang Yuan's letter of persuasion, put the letter on the table, and began to close his eyes to recuperate, his heart was already full of emotions.

He had to admit that Fang Yuan's surrender conditions were very generous, and even far exceeded the treatment that the imperial court in the capital could give him and the generals. As long as Sun Chuanting's department can raise everyone to surrender, everyone can be crowned with a wife and a son, and they will be rich and glorious. It can be seen that Fang Yuan attaches great importance to his 200,000 Ming army and the urgency of persuading him to surrender.

Moreover, Fang Yuan looked left and right, which was the standard of the virtuous monarch and the master in the history books. Moreover, Fang Yuan repeatedly promised not to usurp the Ming Dynasty, Sun Chuanting never believed it before, but now he is a little skeptical. If Fang Yuan had a guilty conscience, he really didn't know what he was looking for, why did he repeatedly promise him that he would not usurp the Ming Dynasty and make him laugh? !

On the other hand, the imperial court in the capital, the prince of the supervising state, the scholars of the cabinet, and the other governors of the five military governors' mansions were very suspicious of him, and they were everywhere. Even before Fang Yuan's soldiers came to the city, he got the news that Fang Yuan was about to go on a northern expedition, and sent several letters to the capital, asking for troops to send food support, but like a stone ox into the sea, he didn't see half a figure or any food.

A few days ago, there was even a news in the capital that Zhang Guowei, the first assistant of the cabinet of the prince of the prison state, forced Zhang Guowei to commit suicide in humiliation. The prince of the prison country has long been frenzied, and Sun Chuanting really feels aggrieved for this kind of faint monarch guarding the country.

"Squeak!"

The door of the study opened, Sun Chuanting's wife Zhang walked in with a bowl of cold soup, seeing that Sun Chuanting was still thinking hard with his eyes closed, he put the cold soup on the table, and asked softly, "Husband, I heard that Fang Yuan has raised troops to attack Shandong, is it going to war?!" ”

Sun Chuanting opened his eyes slightly, took a sip of cold soup, and sighed, "Madam, it's not just a war, it's a decisive battle related to the life and death of the Ming Dynasty!" ”

It was early autumn, the heat had not yet faded, and the weather was still hot.

Zhang held a big sunflower fan to fan Sun Chuanting's cold, and asked, "Husband, can you win this battle?!" ”

Sun Chuanting drank the cold soup one by one, and sighed, "Madam, as soon as the war starts, it will be a war and chaos, so you should take Shirui, Shining, and your daughters to the countryside to take refuge!" ”

Sun Shirui, Sun Shining is Sun Chuanting's only two sons, of which Sun Shirui was born to his ex-wife Feng, and Sun Shining was born to his step-wife Zhang. Sun Chuanting also has three daughters, one was born to the Zhang family, and the other two were born to the concubines of the Sun family.

Zhang has followed Sun Chuanting for ten years, and has never seen Sun Chuanting confess to take his children away for refuge without a fight, she faintly had an ominous premonition, her eyes fell on the persuasion letter above the table, and she secretly looked at it, and asked, "Husband, I have long heard in Shandong that Fang Yuan in Jiangnan has a generous temperament, and he is even more light-hearted, not only strictly prohibiting the apportionment of land endowments, but also strictly controlling high land rents, which is the real savior of the common people." Just in our Jinan Mansion, everyone is looking forward to Fang Yuan to rule. ”

Sun Chuanting was silent when he heard this, of course he could see the crux of the Ming Dynasty, and he also did some benevolent policies to reduce the burden of the people in Shandong. However, Shandong is not as rich as Jiangnan, and he simply cannot reduce the land on the one hand, and raise and train troops on the other. Therefore, Shandong's land endowment and land rent policies are still far from those in Jiangnan.

Sun Chuanting didn't want to pursue it anymore, who wanted to open the door to welcome Fang Yuan, because this was definitely the common aspiration of most of the people in Shandong. The so-called one who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, this battle has not yet started, and the balance of victory and defeat has already tilted towards Fang Yuan.

Sun Chuanting smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, so Madame must keep in mind that if I am shrouded in horse leather in this battle, Madame must not take Shirui, Shining, and her daughters back to the capital, it will definitely die." Madame must surrender to Fang Yuan, and Fang Yuan will treat Madame and my children well. ”

Zhang was stunned, with her knowledge, she really didn't understand why Sun Chuanting believed in Fang Yuan so much, but he still had to fight Fang Yuan, and would rather die than surrender.

Her tears couldn't help but flow out, "Husband, I'm a woman who shouldn't have a lot of tongues. But when it comes to Shi Rui and Shi Ning, I still have to ask, since Fang Yuan was merciful and wrote a letter to persuade him to surrender, why didn't my husband surrender to Fang Yuan with us?! ”

Sun Chuanting got up slowly, walked a few steps with his hands in his hands, and arrived in the lobby of the study, then stopped and turned around, raised his head and pointed to the plaque in the middle of the study and said, "Madam! I have to give an account of this plaque! ”

Zhang followed his hope, and it was the plaque of "the mainstay of the Ming Dynasty" that Emperor Chongzhen rewarded.

Sun Chuanting stared at the plaque dejectedly, and also burst into tears, "There are only the mainstays of the horse leather shroud in this world, where is the mainstay of surrender?" Your Majesty has the grace of knowing me, and I will eat the king's fortune, and I will bear the king's worries. If Fang Yuan surrenders, it will be a shame on the Sun family's plaque, and it will be a great shame for the Sun family! The history books will not only laugh at my Sun Chuanting for being timid and afraid of death, but also laugh at His Majesty's unknown knowledge! ”

Only then did Zhang know that Sun Chuanting had already had a premonition that this battle was a life of death. He made up his mind to die for his country and serve Chongzhen in exchange for the name of loyalty. But he didn't want his wife and children to be martyred together, so he let them surrender to Fang Yuan.

Zhang's was already in tears, since Sun Chuanting had made a choice, she could only choose to obey if she married a chicken and a dog.

She wiped the tears on her face and said, "Okay, I immediately ordered my uncle to take Shi Rui, Shi Ning, and his daughters to the countryside to hide, and when the war is over, the world is peaceful, and then I will surrender Fang Yuan." ”

Sun Chuanting looked straight at her, and had guessed that she had asked her uncle to send her children to the countryside, that is, to accompany Sun Chuanting to die together, "Madam, you must go together!" ”

Zhang shook his head bitterly and said, "My husband was martyred, and I was martyred, so I am worthy of the name of the Sun family's martyrs!" ”

Sun Chuanting was slightly stunned, bowed, bowed, and saluted her deeply, "Sun Mou thanks Mrs. Gao Yi, there is a woman like this, what more can a husband ask for!" ”