After Hong Chengchou led Cao Bianjiao, the general soldier of Yutian, Bai Guangen, the general soldier of Jizhou, Wu Sangui, the general soldier of Ningyuan, and Wang Tingchen, the general soldier of the Qiantun guard of Guangning, arrived in Ningyuan, he explored the terrain of Songshan, Tashan, Xingshan and other places, and asked Chongzhen to transfer Yang Guozhu, the chief soldier of Datong, Wang Pu, the general soldier of Datong, Tang Tong, the general soldier of Miyun, and the general soldier Ma Ke of Shanhaiguan to gather in Ningyuan, with a total of 130,000 people. Since Chongzhen's thirteenth year in May, the Chinese army camp was moved to Ningyuan, and a whole year has passed in the blink of an eye, and there has been no large-scale conquest. He is so serious, knowing that it is important to fight well or badly, since Yuan Chonghuan Ning Yuan and Ning Jin won great victories, the Ming army has not won for more than ten years, so he can't be more careful. Qing soldiers are good at cavalry shooting, erratic, treacherous, accustomed to wild wave warfare, the most suitable to the car battalion step by step, lasting attrition, a little careless, rash moves, ruined reputation needless to say, I am afraid it will shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

He was cautious and extremely cautious, but he was anxious to break Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the military department. Since the beginning of the spring, for more than two months, there have been people complaining and complaining every day in the yamen and private houses of his military department, especially the household department and the Ministry of Industry, from Shangshu and Shilang to Langzhong, Wailang, and the chief of affairs have taken turns to come to the door like a marquee, which disturbed Chen Xinjia and made him very annoying, and he was not easy to shirk at first, and he also met with a smile on his face. Those Lang officials from the Ministry of Household and the Ministry of Industry actually moved chairs in front of the lobby of the Ministry of War and sat on the street and scolded: "What kind of bad idea did the Ministry of War come from, hundreds of thousands of troops are outside the customs, and it has been a year for a year, and today I want things and tomorrow I want money, so I don't know that the war only started in the Year of the Monkey and the month of the horse, so many people are empty of food and salary, and our household department can't produce gold and silver, where to make it?" ”

"When the military department sent troops, they promised happily, how could they be a turtle with a shrunken head when they asked for food, and they only knew how much money the army spent on a day to reach out to the household department and the ministry of industry. If you want money like this, you will simply merge the household department and the industrial department into the military department, and teach them to taste the taste of asking for debts! ”

Chen Xinjia knew that they had the support of the cabinet ministers and monks, and they didn't dare to offend, since Yang Sichang left Beijing until he died, there was no cabinet minister who led the troops, Chen Xinjia was alone, threw Hong Chengchou's document urging food and salary on the case, and fell down on the chair in a daze. Zhang Ruoqi, a member of his confidant military department, came in quietly and said in surprise: "My lord, I can really bear it!" Let them be so abusive? Call a few colleagues and drive them out of the door, why suffer from their bird anger! ”

"Don't be too troublesome, what's the use of driving them away? As long as Ning Yuan keeps asking for food and money, they will keep coming to the door to complain, they use our military department as a punching bag, but they don't hate us completely. With an army of 130,000, it is really not easy to raise salaries! ”

"Well, that's always so good to serve them, when will there be a head? They have the ability to go to Ningyuan Ma Hong Chengchou! ”

"Don't say these angry words, how dare they provoke Hong Chengchou? Yang Ge is gone, and we have no one to support us, so we have to swallow our anger. Let them go! Anyway, it didn't hurt much. ”

"I can't swallow this evil breath if I am humble......" Zhang Ruoqi sat on the chair with his head in his hands, his face pale.

Chen Xinjia pondered for a long time, and said helplessly: "They forced us, we had to force Hong Chengchou." I'll go into the palace to see the emperor. ”

Chongzhen was also worried about the war in Liaodong, and after reading the Hong Chengchou urging food and salary sent by Chen Xinjia, he said while thinking: "At that time, the platform was called right, and I approved his strategy of using troops. I know that the war in Liaodong is about money and food, and if there is a long-term confrontation, our army will win. ”

"The minister is worried that he is too serious, and the salary of the laborer is a taboo for the soldiers, and now the household department and the Ministry of Industry are complaining about the hardships of raising food and ordnance, and the minister also feels that it is tricky......"

"If you go to war easily, if you wear down the morale of the soldiers, it is not in the country's interests."

"The minister knows the emperor's thoughts, but he is worried that it is not easy to raise food, not to mention that the court is anxious to wait for a battle outside the Guan, relieve the siege of Jinzhou, so that a few elite soldiers can be transferred back to the Guannei to exterminate the two thieves, and I really can't afford to delay it! The minister thought that when he sent someone to Ningyuan to supervise the army, first, he could urge Hong Chengchou to enter the army as soon as possible, and secondly, if there was anything going on, the emperor couldn't stand being deceived. ”

"I'm not sure I'm steady, so it's better to send someone. I don't want to send eunuchs this time, can there be a suitable candidate in the military department? ”

"Zhang Ruoqi, the staff officer, is familiar with the map outside the Guan, is capable and promising, and is a good candidate. The minister was worried that his qualifications were too shallow, and Hong Chengchou might not take him seriously. ”

"I wrote an edict to him, and I said that I sent him, not to ask him to point fingers, to see more and talk less, and to have a secret turn back regularly."

"I understand."

"I intend to order Ding Qirui to be the secretary of the military department, the governor of Huguang, Henan, Sichuan and the north and south armies of the Yangtze River, and still the governor of the trilateral military affairs of Shaanxi, and give Shang Fang sword, flying fish suit and Yin Yi to replace Yang Sichang's shortage."

"If he can deal with Hong Chengchou's triumphant entry, it will be a great achievement."

"I know that it is necessary to exterminate the thieves by Hong Chengchou."

"Sun Chuanting's talent is also very useful." Chen Xinjia said carefully, he didn't know if the emperor had the intention of forgiving Sun Chuanting, the last time he urged to leave the three Qin soldiers and horses, it was really a suspicion of self-respect with soldiers, the emperor became suspicious, and changed him to the military affairs of Baoding, Shandong, and Henan, but Sun Chuanting actually asked to resign and return to his hometown with ear disease, and the emperor was furious and sent him to prison.

Sure enough, Chongzhen shook his head and said: "Sun Chuanting is a rare general, but he is wild and untamable, and I will not use him unless I have to." You see, this is the "Yongdai" poem he wrote in prison, and there is no intention of reflection and repentance. I'm going to lock him up for a few more days. ”

Chen Xinjia held the piece of paper with both hands, and saw that a song of seven laws was written on it: "The garden is shaken and hurt, but the chrysanthemum in front of the steps is fragrant." Is it a lonely and arrogant thing, just because the group of flowers can't help but frost. The leaf carving is cold and the jade is deep and blue, and the flower is inlaid with fine gold and dense yellow. I am also quiet and can be a couple, and I will be drunk next to the king. I couldn't help but sigh: "The emperor Shengming, he is still the temperament of that arrogant and arrogant thing, and he can't tolerate people in his eyes, so he should really sharpen his edges and corners." "Kowtow and stand back.

Ningyuan, an important town outside the Guan, was originally the place of governance of the Liaodong General Army, and it was once a commercial and trade distribution center for the merchandising and traveling branches, flowing and moving, and looking at it as a happy land from afar, but since the five years after the Apocalypse, after repeated wars, the people have almost fled, and now it has become a military city. The square city, there are city gates in the middle of all sides, the east is the Chunhe gate, the south is the Yanhui gate, the west is the Yongning gate, the north is the Weiyuan gate, the city gate is built with the gatehouse, there is a semicircular urn city outside the city gate. For more than half a year, Hong Chengchou got up at dawn every day, went to bed in the middle of the night, was diligent in managing things, bowed to his own books, tired and tired, not impatient on the surface, but deep in his heart he was worried and anxious. Sometimes, in addition to official duties, Confucianism wears a square scarf, and only brings his personal clerk Jin Sheng and guard Cai Jiuyi to check around the city. Ningyuan is indeed a strong city, the city wall is built with blue strip stones, the outside is built with large blue bricks, the inner base is a huge stone, and the loess is rammed in the middle. There are two floors of pavilions and corridor-type arrow towers on the city, and each has a slope-shaped stone pavement to climb up and down freely. The city was surrounded by high forts and red-coated cannons. On this day, he changed into a blue half-old round neck lake and other light green robes, tied purple silk around his waist, wore a seventy percent Xinyuan Qinggong satin scarf, and a rectangular jasper in front of him, climbed the drum tower, and looked south to see the street leading to Yanhui Gate, taverns, money houses, tea houses, and silk shops were lined up one after another, but there were few ordinary people who came in and out. He couldn't help but sigh, clenched his fists like air, and lightly tapped on the eight-foot-square cowhide drum, and the low drum sound came far away, and he couldn't help but think of Ning Yuan's great victory back then. Get off the drum tower, walk on Yanhui Street, two tall stone workshops that are less than 100 steps apart are the Chongzhen Emperor for the ancestral Dashou who has meritorious service in guarding the border pass, the ancestral Dale cousin built by the ancestors, the former is the "loyalty and courage" workshop of the ancestors, the "Ascending the Altar Junlie" workshop is the back of the ancestors, the pillars are embossed with exquisite figures, birds and beasts, flowers, etc., and under the pillars is the mighty lions. "Zu Dashou is not easy!" He muttered to himself: "Zu Zongzhen, worship by Hong. After saying that, he shook his head to the ground, and Cai Jiuyi and Jin Sheng also bowed.

The deputy general of the Chinese army hurriedly came and reported: "Marshal, the imperial court has sent a supervisor, who has arrived outside Yanhui Gate, can I go to greet him?" ”

"Who's coming?"

"Zhang Ruoqi in the Ministry of War."

"A little five-rank official, do you still need me, the governor of twelve years, to pick it up?" Hong Chengchou had a gloomy face and sneered, "You just go and accompany him into the city, I'll wait for him in Xingyuan." ”

Zhang Ruoqi and his entourage, under the guidance of ***, rode into Ningyuan City. Zhang Ruoqi looked around on the horse, but saw that from the urn city at the gate of the city, the outer city to the inner city, there were full of soldiers. On the street, every short distance, there was a sergeant with a gun, standing there like a nail, not squinting. Groups of patrolling soldiers did not walk by, checking for suspicious people. He has long heard that Hong Chengchou has managed the army well, and his soldiers are known as "Hong Army". At the gate of the line, the weather is even more severe. The officers and soldiers are like forests, bright helmets and bright armor, and swords, guns, swords and halberds are shining in the bright sun. An iron-core banner stands high outside the gate, and hangs a satin banner with yellow characters on a blue background, with a line of big characters written: Qin ordered the governor of Jiliao to serve the army. Next to the wide line gate, there are two iron signs that are more than a foot high, one side reads "civil officials get off the sedan chair and military attaches dismount", and the other side reads "quiet avoidance". Twenty majestic military academies lined up on both sides, waiting by the iron plate. This street has long been closed to the public, and people who are waiting for leisure are not allowed to approach. got off the horse ten zhang away from the gate, and said to Zhang Ruoqi, who was still riding on the horse: "Lord Supervisor, the governor has been raised, please rest the horse here." ”

Zhang Ruoqi thought about how to meet Hong Chengchou along the way, and how to advise him many times, but he didn't expect Hong Chengchou to be so difficult, and on the surface, he was grand, but in fact, he wanted to use the majesty of the army to intimidate himself. He touched the emperor's hand in his arms, his heart still couldn't stop pounding, hurriedly got off the horse, and said with a smile: "Please go to the Governor's Stage, I'll go in and see you." ”

Three cannon shots rang out, and the door was wide open. From the gate to the lobby is a deep two-entry compound, with two doors in the middle, and two lines of guards standing inside and outside. Under the stone steps outside the door, a pair of stone lions on the left and right, open teeth and claws, lifelike, the stone lion on the left is next to a dark green tribute satin made of the Chinese army's big sitting, the center is embroidered with red Taiji diagram, the gossip surrounds, the outside is the fighting, the bull, the house, the heart and so on the stars, inlaid with white silk flames; On the flagpole hung a five-foot-long apricot yellow tassel, full of beads, and a silver spear was exposed on the tassel. A three-winged high house, with four big black characters written on the door forehead of the White Tiger Festival Hall, two seven-foot-long leopard tail flags erected under the steps, and the head of the flagpole is a sharp blade. The White Tiger Festival Hall is an important place for military aircraft, and officials of all sizes are not allowed to trespass unless they have an order from the commander, and violators will be dealt with. With a pager, Zhang Ruoqi walked into the lobby and saw Hong Chengchou wearing a second-grade civil official crane supplement, sitting majestically behind the big case. The officials above the hall were dressed neatly in men's clothes, the generals were dressed in distinct armor, bowed and stood solemnly, and their voices were dignified and fearful. Hong Chengchou bypassed the big case and said with a smile: "I should have gone to the official pavilion to greet the Qincha in person, but I was busy with military affairs and armor, so I hope to bear with it." ”

"How dare you work Lord Dutai. Humility is ordered to serve in front of the army, and from now on, he will serve under his command, and if there is an order, he must bow down and obey it! ”

Hong Chengchou listened to him politely, but the word "order" was suspected of oppressing people with the emperor's order, and said calmly: "Since you are the person who obeys the order, how dare I send you?" I was tired all the way, and I waited to wash the dust in the back tent. However, the bitter cold outside the fortress is not as comfortable as the capital, if you are not used to it, and when the war takes a slight turn, I can ask the Holy Lord, so that you can return to Beijing with dignity and reinstatement. ”

Zhang Ruoqi secretly wondered: Why, you just came here and wanted to drive me away? That's not going to work! If I go back in three or five days, it will be difficult for the soldiers to explain to me, and my future career will come to an end, unless I sweep away the Dongyu and restore the outside of the pass in one fell swoop. He grinned and thanked, "Your Excellency is gracious, and you have received your humble heart." If it weren't for the emperor's edict, I am afraid that it would be difficult to return to Beijing from humble positions, and I would have to deal with the war in Liaodong all the time. ”

Hong Chengchou secretly said ruthlessly in his heart: "The emperor sent you to supervise the army, it seems that he is suspicious of my delay in using troops, but the emperor can't squeeze you as a scholar?" He smirked, "Good! I received a report from the military department's mansion that I heard that you were coming, and I was worried that you wouldn't be able to endure hardship! What is the situation in Liaodong, you must have experienced it yourself when you left Shanhaiguan. Ning Yuan is a former enemy, one hundred and twenty miles away from Jinzhou, which was besieged by the Qing soldiers, and it is very different from when you just came out of the customs. At present, in May and June, there are fresh vegetables to eat, and in the middle of winter, needless to say, the greens, even the knife-like white-haired wind will kill people. He paused deliberately, glanced at Zhang Ruoqi with his eyes and said: "The food can no longer be transported in time, hungry, hungry and cold, needless to say, it is not easy to save your life." ”

Zhang Ruoqi gave him a chill in his back, but he secretly laughed in his heart that he was sensational, I am also a prisoner of Qin's order, even if I starved to death, can I still have food? Besides, I came to Ningyuan this time to fight a quick battle, why wait until winter, and said magnificently: "If the country lives and dies, will it be avoided because of misfortune and fortune?" He has a heavy responsibility and should share weal and woe with the officers and men of the three armed forces. ”

"Knowing that you came from the capital to inspect the army on behalf of the emperor, I will raise my account and teach you to take a look at the army."

Only then did Zhang Ruoqi restrain his smile and said to everyone on both sides: "The emperor has a secret decree for Hong Dutai. Untied the cloak on his neck, revealing the yellow dragon burden on his back, and took it off and held it in his hand. Because it is a secret edict, there is no need to arrange the incense case, and when Hong Chengchou kneels, Zhang Ruoqi opened the yellow satin bag and took out a yellow silk dark dragon envelope. Hong Chengchou respectfully accepted it, and after returning to the big case, he carefully opened it and looked at it carefully, and the edict read:

Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao: Your soldiers are sufficient, and you should encourage the soldiers as soon as possible to relieve the siege of Jinzhou, even if you can't restore Liaoshen in one fell swoop, you can also relieve the worries of the north. Zhang Ruoqi, the director of the Ministry of War, has been sent to help Jin's division as a member of the Ministry of War. How to enter the army and fight, we should work together with Zhang Ruoqi and make a discretionary decision, in order to go to the army as soon as possible and play a good role as soon as possible. This is the message!

Hong Chengchou read it and carefully collected it in his sleeve. Zhang Ruoqi took out a scroll of paper from Huanglong's baggage and said, "Qin gives the imperial pen banner, Hong Chengchou kneels to take it!" ”

Hong Chengchou hurriedly knelt down, took it with both hands, kowtowed to thank him, and shouted long live. Then stand up, open the scroll, three feet long, one foot wide and narrow dark dragon pattern depicting the golden palace silk with "extinguishing the snow shame" four big characters, covered with the "treasure of Chongzhen" seal, the lower right hand has a hand of the royal character flower monogram. When the civil and military officials saw it, they were all moved and shouted together. Hong Chengchou said to Zhang Ruoqi that he was lacking and ordered to prepare a banquet in the flower hall. Zhang Ruoqi said: "Don't be busy eating and drinking first, I still have a few words to say to Lord Dutai." ”

"Please come and sit in the study."

Hong Chengchou's study is extremely large, but there is not a single book in sight, military posts and copywriting are piled up everywhere, and a large wooden sand table is planted with small flags of various colors. Hong Chengchou pointed to the sand table and said: "You are the old man, see if this sand table can be accurate?" ”

Zhang Ruoqi is naturally no stranger to the terrain and mountains of Liaodong, he politely praised a few words, sat down and talked about the loss of Luoyang and Xiangyang, and the suicide of Yang Wulingsha City. Hong Chengchou had learned about these news in the newspaper, and after many days, it was not news, but he couldn't help but sigh: "It's a pity that Wen is weak and skillful, and he is in a hurry, and the general does not listen to the dispatch." Otherwise, it has been many days since the thieves were exterminated, and the emperor does not need to be anxious, and the court can concentrate on dealing with the Eastern Prisoners with all its might. ”

"I'm about to ask about the Dongyu, and my lord is talking about how to enter the army?"

"The strategy remains the same."

"The emperor already has an edict, and your lord is still so stubborn?"

"Since ancient times, the generals have been exempted from the orders of foreign monarchs, as long as Jinzhou is safe and Liaodong slowly recovers, the emperor will not blame." Hong Chengchou twisted his slender beard, calm and composed, and didn't seem to take the message to heart.

"I'm afraid that Huang Taiji won't teach adults to be so calm."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Adults won't forget Yuan Chonghuan, right?"

"I used to serve with him in the military department, but I never met him."

"Why did Yuan Manzi die in the West Market?"

"I don't believe in the idea of collaborating with the enemy. Tell me about your high arguments. Hong Chengchou was patient and listened to him talk around the bend.

"The world says he died unjustly, but in fact he is just a scapegoat."

"Oh?"

Zhang Ruoqi saw that Hong Chengchou was quite interested, and said eloquently: "I have been thinking about this matter in the military department all these years, saying that Yuan Manzi died in Xishi, it is better to say that he died at his own hands. He didn't expect that the emperor's nuclear skills were very harsh and the punishment period was very strict, and this crime of bullying the king alone was enough to kill his head. There are also unauthorized killings of Mao Wenlong, private peace, etc., all of which are superficial talk. In fact, there are two things that are enough to kill him. ”

"Which two?"

"There are too many people who have offended, and before they get out of the customs, they rely on the grace of the saints, and the lion opens his mouth widely, asking for money, food, equipment, and the right to use people. Among the six ministries, the officials, households, soldiers, and workers are all offended miserably, and they will use the emperor to oppress people at every turn, can those ministers not hold their breath? The other colleagues were also afraid of taking him for hard work, and they all stayed away from ghosts and gods. No one will object to your contribution to the court, but you shouldn't get in the way of others! He is in full swing, and no one can afford to provoke him, but when he is imprisoned, the courtiers secretly clapped their hands and applauded, who is willing to go up to save him? He came out and returned to Liaodong, didn't he let the tiger return to the mountain? Tigers always have to eat people, what should I do when it's my turn? The courtiers are all thinking like this, and he is not alone. The emperor just wants to let him go, but someone has to give him a step! It's just that everyone is determined not to give the emperor a step, and it has dragged on for seven or eight months, what should the emperor do? You can't break your word and fatten yourself! Yuan Chonghuan must not die. What's more important is that he almost defiled the sage of the emperor's Zhongxing Lord. The emperor has not been in power for a long time, and when he wants to make a difference, he handed over the trust of Liaodong to Yuan Chonghuan, but he had tens of thousands of Guanning iron horsemen in vain, but it caused the police to be gone, and the capital suffered a danger that had not been encountered in a hundred years, the emperor was humiliated, and the Gyeonggi Manor of Qi Wan and the gentry was ravaged, and the emperor, Qi Wan and others could not hate him? At that time, the emperor had a clear edict: 'At the beginning of the emperor's reign, the inner town was returned, and the world's major affairs were entrusted to the ministers, and the more private plans were made than those who co-ordinated the people. In the winter, the capital was attacked, the sect was shocked, and the doctor was responsible for the country. This shows that the sadness and resentment are extreme. Since ancient times, the lord has been worried about the humiliation of the ministers, and the lord has humiliated the ministers to death, and Yuan Chonghuan will definitely die, only in this way can he thank the world, and it is not surprising that he was tortured by Ling Chi. ”

Zhang Ruoqi is young and impetuous, likes to talk about soldiers, and is really articulate and extremely strong. Hong Chengchou suspected that he had insinuations, so he simply made it clear: "You are lobbying me for what you said, right?" ”

"Don't dare, the governor is a person who understands, and there is no need to say much about the humble position, but since the humble position has arrived in Liaodong, he naturally can't stand by and watch, and he should share some worries for the adults."

"Yintai, you don't have to go around in circles, you have something to say!"

"If you are lowly, you will be presumptuous and outspoken." Zhang Ruoqi saw that Hong Chengchou's tone was softened, and he politely called his cousin, and said: "Supervising Taiwan has been using troops for more than a year, spending millions of taels of silver in food and salary, and the siege of Jinzhou has not been solved. At that time, rumors were spreading, how did the emperor trust the superintendent, and how did he explain to the ministers? Yuan Chonghuan was also in such a dilemma back then, what a miserable end! ”