Jiliao Governor Yuan Chonghuan set off on May 25, and met with Mao Wenlong on Shuangdao on the 29th, the meeting was agreed in April, Yuan Chonghuan also rewarded Mao Wenlong's entourage of the Dongjiang Army, and then talked intermittently for a few days, all talked about some money and grain, moving towns, setting up Taoist ministers, etc., there was no result, the two sides were friendly on the surface, and they feasted each other every day. On June 5, Yuan Chonghuan pretended to be ready to leave, carried 100,000 taels of silver ashore, let Mao Wenlong's soldiers carry it, asked the generals to go to the shore to speak, and said to the generals of the Dongjiang River: "You can't bow in the coming day, the country will resend it overseas, and you will receive the rest of the worship." The people of Dongjiang were very moved. Mao Wenlong didn't know that everything in front of him was just to paralyze him, and then everyone climbed the island mountain together.

After climbing the mountain, Lord Yuan suddenly changed his face, he asked the general Xie Shangzheng to lead the troops to separate the periphery, and accused Mao Wenlong of twelve crimes, and then knelt west to ask the emperor for instructions, and after getting up, he ordered the military flag officer Zhang Guozhi to behead Mao Wenlong with a sword from Shang Fang, Mao Wenlong was fifty-three years old.

When the Dongjiang army on the two islands heard the news, they beat their chests and cried bitterly, and the crowd was turbulent, and they were once tense with the Guanning army. Yuan Chonghuan pretended to be the emperor, and declared that he would only kill Wenlong, subdued the generals of the Dongjiang army, and took Chen Jisheng in charge of the Dongjiang River, and then divided the Dongjiang River into four associations, one of which was led by Liu Xingzuo, who surrendered in the first year of Chongzhen.

Mao Wenlong was born in Hangzhou, a young man, to Liaodong to attack his uncle Mao Dechun Haizhou Wei Baihu official, after a slow promotion, 20 years all over the mountains and rivers of Liaodong, since the Liao matter, he ushered in the opportunity to show his talent, the first year of the Apocalypse because of the preparation of gunpowder and emerged, and then in the whole Liao fell, all the Ming army heard the name of Jiannu when they were frightened, but they dared to attack Zhenjiang with one hundred and ninety-seven people, single-handedly established Dongjiang Town, which was behind the enemy, swept the Houjin forces along the coast of Liaodong, and lived hundreds of thousands of Liao people, The Dongjiang Army was formed with the children of Liaodong, although they lacked food and clothing, and the equipment was not in order, but the bitter hatred made them not afraid of the barbarians who were strong in the soldiers, fought tenaciously between the white mountains and black waters, and went deep into the hinterland of Liaodong countless times, successively attacked Houjin Shenyang, Liaoyang, Laochao Hetuala and other places, and captured the Houjin town of Salhu City in the first year of Chongzhen, and the number of beheadings far exceeded the Guanning army that took ten times his military salary, Dongjiang Town's storage zài effectively restrained Houjin. Without Dongjiang Town, the Ming Dynasty would have fallen into a strategic disadvantage during the Apocalypse.

In the years when he opened the town, he quarreled with civilian officials almost every year about the number of soldiers and military salaries, but he never won the same treatment as the Guanning army, and the generals he appointed did not have official salaries, and in addition to drifting, the porter expenses in Dengzhou and Tianjin had to be deducted from his military expenses.

On April 18, he sent out the last Tang Bao of his life, in which he reviewed the history of Dongjiang Town, from the initial attack on Zhenjiang to the recent arrears of money and grain, which seemed to be his farewell summary of his eight years of opening the town.

In any case, this person who made Houjin unpeaceful and hated by Nuer Hachi finally died.

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On the evening of June 12, the seventh day after Mao Wenlong's death, in the palace in the north of Shenyang, Huang Taiji looked at the paperwork in his hand, and his face could not hide the joy, Mao Wenlong finally died, these days there are people who have fled from the Dongjiang River to the shore, Tangma has been constantly bringing back the news, the power accumulated in Dongjiang Town for eight years has suffered heavy losses in just a few months, and it is still declining, according to the people who fled, the food has still not been delivered. Huang Taiji can foresee that Dongjiang Town without Mao Wenlong will be scattered. This abominable bone disease can finally no longer affect his strategy, and today he has already set a date for October when he is in the middle of the council.

At this time, the guards came to report, and Haugbel asked to see him. Huang Taiji loved this son the most, and when he heard that it was him, he immediately said, "Let him in." ”

After a while, the guard came to the door with a young man with a strong physique and a rough appearance, and the young man came to Huang Taiji in a vigorous manner, knelt down and said, "Say hello to Khan Amma!" ”。

Huang Taiji looked at him with a smile, Haoge is his favorite son, his future heir, Haoge is brave and good at fighting on the battlefield, with a flexible mind, and he sees a lot of Huang Taiji's own shadow from him, but the shortcomings are also obvious, the character is slightly indecisive, and the decision is insufficient, but in Huang Taiji's opinion, these are all compensable.

"I'm Going to Get Up"

Huang Taiji sat firmly on the chair, raising one hand weakly, this Xiaoxiong who made everyone in awe of Houjin and Daming was just a kind father at this time. "What's the point of coming here late at night?"

Hauge got up and replied, "Erchen is here to ask Khan Ama for peace, and secondly, he doesn't know anything in his heart, and he can't think about it during the day, so he wants to ask Ama for advice." ”

"Oh? So it is very good, that if there is anything unclear, you can always ask your father, and say, "What is it that is not clear today?" Huang Taiji still smiled and said, he really wished he could put all his power and art of war into Haoge's head.

"Today, Khan Ama and the three major Baylors have decided to start an army this year, but they are going to Karaqin, from the Jizhen break, thousands of miles away from Liaodong, and the labor division is far away, and it is still necessary to reach the Beijing division, hundreds of miles in the enemy territory, if there is a mistake, the sons are worried that the flags are boiling."

Huang Taiji waited for a moment before he spoke, but what he said was not the question that Haoge asked: "You beat the slaves in the fourteenth brother's family yesterday?" ”

Haoge peeked at Huang Taiji's face, still very kind, and then said indignantly: "He called Khan Ama the two yellow flag bailes after people, how can I spare him." ”

Huang Taiji shook his head and said lightly: "He is not wrong, Khan Ama is the two yellow flag Baylor." Although Dolgon is three years younger than you, he is your elder after all, so pay attention to some proportions in the future. ”

Haoge looked at Huang Taiji in astonishment, and was about to open his mouth to defend himself, Huang Taiji waved his hand and said: "Since the old Khan established the system of the eight kings to discuss the government, no one in the eight families can control anyone, and the people and instruments in the fields are all owned by the banner. My Hou Jin Khan is far inferior to the old Khan, and he is indeed the two yellow flag Baylor, so why be afraid of people. Coming to the throne, the strategy in the chest is always subject to the eyes of the mouse, so I know that it is not enough to calm people's hearts. Therefore, I intend to go straight to the Jingshi of the Ming Kingdom, even if I only go to the city of Jingshi, if I fight or make peace in the future, I will take the initiative to be in me, not in the Ming Dynasty, Mongolia and North Korea regard me as Dajin is different from now, and Zhushen sees me as different from today. ”

Hauge tilted his head, still not understanding what it had to do with the question he asked, "This idea is Khan Amman's, and if it wins, it will be the benefit of each family, and if something goes wrong, the others will have to blame Amma." ”

Huang Taiji smiled: "If you don't enter the tiger's den, you can get the tiger." If the old Khan had raised an army to attack the Ming Dynasty, who would have known that my Jianzhou could have exclusive Liaodong, and it would be very important for people to do extraordinary things, so that it could have a deterrent effect. ”

"Khan Amma, this person can't see or touch his heart, but what is the use?"

"This is what I want to teach you today, the human heart is the same as everything in the world, it is easy to know, it is difficult not to know, the human heart is not visible, but it can be discerned in subtlety. Just as I sit with the three great Baylors, but there are only three more stools, but the human heart does not think so, and this stool is the human heart. ”

Hauge understood a little and asked, "Then how do I remove the other stools?" ”

"There are only two tricks to removing this stool, just to build momentum. When you know that people's hearts are the most profitable and avoid disadvantages, you can abandon righteousness for selfish interests, and you can destroy people for power, as long as the general trend is successful, it is a matter of time and evening to remove the stool, and power is also like the art of war. ”

Haoge's eyes lit up: "Khan Amma's momentum is Vaming." ”

Huang Taiji nodded approvingly: "I can see through a little bit." Lao Khan conquered Liaodong, but never went to Guannei, if I took eight families to go, everyone will think that I can do what others can't, plus the profit will be far greater than the previous two years, my heart must be grateful, this is the momentum. ”

"But Khan Amma, even if he wins and grabs something, seventy out of eight families are evenly divided, and only thirty percent are in the public middle school, and they are still the dominant families. The three Dolgon brothers possess the three banners, and they are also getting stronger and stronger. Erchen felt that they still remembered Abahai's incident. ”

Huang Taiji sneered: "Don't forget what, the matter of Abahai is discussed by the four major Baylors, and the three brothers are not without gaps, which is also the reason why we must want Abahai to die, without Abahai, the three of them will not be able to screw together." Killing a man is not killing indiscriminately, but it will reap the benefit of killing a man. Even if the three of them hate me, they have to honor me as a khan, and I know that they hate me and use me the same. This is the human heart. ”

Hauge nodded and was taught, "Erchen understands that he must use the big and small Baylors to contain each other. ”

"That's basically the case, but you must have a broader vision, don't always be on the eight families, the eight families are my golden pillars, the system has been decided, and you can't move without permission. However, the Mongols, the Han Chinese, and the Korean are all the parties that can be used, so why did I vigorously promote the Han and Mongolian people, give preferential treatment to the generals, and increase the Mongolian and Han elements in my big gold? Because no one side can dominate, the eight banners are used to suppress the Mongolian and Han, and the Mongolian and Han are used to contain the banners, and there are also divisions among the banners, so this is the way to check and balance. ”

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On June 19th, the Xinuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace in Beijing, the supreme Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Empire was reviewing the chapters, the young son of heaven was wearing a yellow pan-collar narrow-sleeved robe, the chest and back were embroidered with golden dragon patterns, and a winged dragon crown was worn, and the young face of only nineteen years old was a little pale, but there was no childishness, and some cooling ice cubes were put in the house, and the two palace maids shook gently with palm fans behind them, and the house did not feel the annoying stuffiness.

There was a sound of footsteps outside, and a eunuch came in to report that Cao Huachun was coming. The emperor smiled and nodded. A moment later, Cao Huachun, wearing a beam crown and wearing a red sticker, came to the imperial case and knelt down, his head was already covered with sweat.

Chongzhen smiled: "Why is Cao Banban in such a hurry? ”

"Your Majesty, there is a book of inscriptions on Jiliao Governor, and the cabinet does not dare to vote, so I still ask the emperor to take a look."

"Bring it up."

Cao Huachun took two steps on his knees, handed over the music with both hands, and the eunuch next to him took it and put it in front of Chongzhen.

Chongzhen was a little displeased and said: "Cao Banban is the old man of my Xindi, and there are no outsiders here, so I don't need to be so polite in the future." ”

"Yes, the slave thanked the emperor for his grace." Cao Huachun stood up at this time, stood sideways, wiped the sweat on his forehead, and secretly looked at Chongzhen's face from the corner of his eyes.

Chongzhen opened the recital and read the first line, "Yuan Chonghuan, the commander of the military department and the secretary of the military department, respectfully entitles the title of Gong Bao Dao Shuai's retrograde appearance, the opportunity cannot be lost, the law is cheap, and the guilty are treated carefully, and the holy judgment is listened to." ”

"Cheap Fa-rectification?" Chongzhen sat up straight with some doubts, and then looked down, "...... And the general soldier Mao Wenlong was self-indulgent according to the sea, and all kinds of illegal spreads...... Auxiliary minister Qian Longxi bowed back to the minister's private business for this matter. The minister said: Entering the army and beheading its handsome is like the ancients, and the ministers are also ...... Those who changed the tribute road to Ningyuan, and wanted to take advantage of this, so they were all Tuwenlong. also relied on the emperor to indulge in the gods and martial arts, one by one. Since December last year, the minister's arrangement has been decided, and Wenlong is dead or alive. ”

Chongzhen's face was solemn, and he muttered in his mouth: "One by one, Xu Chen, all of them are Tuwen Longye." Cao Huachun didn't hear clearly, lowered his head to the side and didn't dare to make a sound, and peeked at the emperor's hand that was trembling slightly.

"On May 29, we arrived at Shuangdao, and Wenlong arrived. Treat it with kindness. A glass of wine. Wenlong disdains his ministers. The minister proclaimed, 'The emperor is sacred, and Heyao Shun Tang Wu is a king.' The courtiers should be reluctant to conquer the field.' And if Wenlong is unwilling, it will be said that the Emperor Xizong (Apocalypse) is the grace of the Longye. The minister did not feel discolored......"

Chongzhen's face began to flush, his breathing became slightly short, and he sneered, "When I am a three-year-old child, no." Cao Huachun heard Chongzhen's words this time, looked at several eunuchs and palace maids around him, waved his hand, and those people all consciously retreated. Only Cao Huachun was left to accompany him.

Cao Huachun said at this time: "Your Majesty ......"

Chongzhen raised his hand lightly and motioned to Cao Huachun not to speak. He had seen the middle part of the inscription, "...... Worship Wei Zhongxian as his father, and paint a crown portrait on the island. To this day, Chen Ruming and his gang are still entrenched in Beijing. What is the reason for the emperor's ascension to the top of the court? befriending close servants, ten should be beheaded; The slave chieftain broke through the Iron Mountain, killed the Liao people without counting, Wenlong fled to Phi Island, and covered up the defeat for the merit, and eleven should be beheaded; Eight years after the town was opened, he could not recover an inch of land in Liaodong, wait and see how to raise the Kou, and he should be beheaded at the twelve. ”

The red on Chongzhen's face was even stronger, and the inscription finally saw the last part, "The minister is kowtowing to the west, and the edict says: The minister is now punishing Wenlong to suppress the military and politics." Among the town generals, there are people who are like Wenlong, and they are also punished by law. The ministers can't be pacified for five years, and they ask the emperor to punish the ministers with the dragon......"

"But Wenlong is handsome, and he is not a minister. Cheap killing, the minister does not realize it. However, the territory is enclosed for profit, and the ministers will not avoid ......"

Chongzhen's eyes narrowed suddenly: "Non-ministers are punished without permission, it turns out that you also know!" He clenched his hands too tightly, and he was already a little wrinkled, and when he saw this, he scolded violently: "How dare you do it!" With both hands waving at the same time, he swept off all the pen and ink inkstones on the imperial case, and there was a clanging sound on the ground.

Cao Huachun was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, and persuaded in his mouth: "Maybe that Jiliao Governor also has a last resort, or Mao Wenlongguo has something illegal." ”

Chongzhen shook his head, Cao Huachun was not clear about the imperial court system, and he did not explain to Cao Huachun, the reason why he was angry was that he suddenly found that the current Ji Liao seemed to be no longer under the control of the imperial court.

"Cao Companion, accompany me for a walk." After Chongzhen took a few breaths, he stood up, Cao Huachun was one step behind him, Chongzhen walked slowly all the way, and when he arrived outside the gate of Qianqing Palace, he subconsciously walked in, bowing his head and contemplating all the way, and Cao Huachun didn't dare to disturb him. Walking to the middle of the main hall, Chongzhen stopped, and after standing quietly for a long time, he seemed to suddenly remember something, he raised his head and looked at the Qianqing Palace couplet in his handwriting.

The plaque in the middle is written with the four big characters of "Respecting Heaven and Ancestor", and the two books are "People's hearts are in danger, and the Taoist heart is only slight", "Only the essence is the only one, and it is allowed to cling to the middle".

Chongzhen read a sentence in his mouth, "The human heart is in danger, and the Taoist heart is only small." ”

After a while, Chongzhen slowly turned around, his face was already full of calm, and he said to Cao Huachun: "Cao Companion, pass on my message, and tell the military department: I pay the supervisor Yuan Chonghuan with side affairs, and the military aircraft outside the border are cheap to engage in, and the island handsome Mao Wenlong hangs the army at sea, and the town has been open for many years, in the name of containment, it is completely ineffective, and he is persuaded to surrender and deceive the imperial court...... Chonghuan witnessed the crisis and bowed to the Fa-rectification ......"