The next day, Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting did not have time to rest the soldiers and horses, Sun Chuanting was the front team, and Hong Chengchou followed, each leading the men and horses to the north immediately. On the way, there were constantly reports from the Tang of the Military Department, and the first Tang newspaper said that the Lugou Bridge was lost. Sun Chuanting entered the Hebei boundary and received the second Tang report, knowing that Lu Xiangsheng had died in the battle of Artemisia Water Bridge. He did not dare to slack off, and led 3,000 elite soldiers to advance day and night, and there were still twenty miles away from the Beijing division to set up camp. Chongzhen got the news that the reinforcements from Shaanxi had arrived, and promoted Sun Chuanting's military department to the right squire and the right to the imperial history, replacing Lu Xiangsheng's governor's reinforcements, and giving Shang Fang a sword.

The Qing soldiers went deep into Jinggi four times, three times directly under the city of Beijing, swept dozens of prefectures and counties in southern Jinan, and broke into Shandong, conquered Jinan, the German king Zhu Youshu was captured, the political envoy Zhang Bingwen, the deputy envoy Deng Qianji, Zhou Zhixun, the prefect Gou Haoshan was killed, the city of Jinan was burned and plundered, 130,000 corpses inside and outside the city, and the horse stepped on the Central Plains for thousands of miles, as if entering the realm of no one. Chongzhen was ashamed every time he thought about it, and he secretly gritted his teeth with hatred, and summoned the scholar Yang Sichang to the Qianqing Palace several times to discuss countermeasures. He knows that although the thieves need to be careful, but now Li Zicheng Tongguan is newly defeated, whether life or death, there will be no more trouble between hastiness, Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai and others have surrendered to Xiong Wencan, and there are only a dozen less-known small streams left in the Central Plains, which are already devastated, and Donglu has become the emperor's confidant, the emperor deliberately prospered, and he will never say anything more at this time, and the peace conspiracy has been rumored to be, and the people in the city have also talked about it, and the people's hearts cannot be violated! He tentatively recommended Hong Chengchou to break the thief's military might, the governors of Ji and Liao, and went out to deal with the Qing soldiers, and the new governor of Shaanxi and the three sides was recommended by Hong Chengchou, Chongzhen thought for a while, and then approved. Queen Zhou and Tian Guifei reconciled as before, although they suffered the pain of losing their son, but Tian Guifei was happy in Chengqian Palace night and night. Although the Central Plains bandits did not dare to say that they were eradicated, Li Zicheng's life and death, Hong Chengchou's excerpt of the victory, was a little vague, only saying that the search was being intensified, but Sun Chuanting played a success, claiming that the thieves were all wiped out, and they would die if they were not captured. The resistance of the two families made him suspicious of Li Zicheng's death, but after all, the battle of Tongguan was a great victory that had not been achieved in ten years, and the suppression of thieves in a few years was considered to have a temporary end, and the time had come to use troops in Liaodong. He learned that Hong Chengchou was going to Liangxiang in the southwest of Beijing, and specially appointed Yang Sichang to work in the suburbs. After repelling the Manchu Tartars, he entered Beijing with Sun Chuanting to meet His Majesty. The Qing soldiers entered the customs this time, still with the intention of harassing, and unintentionally, once they were plundered, they returned to the north of Qingshan Pass. Although Jingshi experienced another tribulation and catastrophe, he was fortunate that there was no major accident, but it was just a false alarm.

Hong Chengchou has a lot of ears and eyes, Yang Sichang has not arrived in Liangxiang, he has set up a big camp and rushed to meet him from afar. Hong Chengchou had heard the name of Yang Sichang under Yang He back then, and knew that he was well-versed in literature, worked in writing, poetry and writing, and was full of eloquence, but he had never met him. After Zhang Fengyi's death, Yang Sichang, who was worried about Ding Ding's home, was reinstated as the secretary of the military department. After his arrival, the recital "Respecting Chen Annei's First Priority" was written extraordinarily, and Hong Chengchou praised it after reading it. He still remembers a few famous sayings in the compromise, you must first settle inside and then you can go outside, you must first eat enough before you can go to the army, you must first protect the people before you can swing the army, admire Yang Sichang's foresight, not to mention that Yang Sichang is in charge of the military department with the Eastern Pavilion University Scholar, and he is the first favorite minister around the emperor, and there are many places to rely on in the future, so he naturally does not dare to be contemptuous. The last time the emperor drove to the army of good villagers, because he couldn't hide his arrogance, he suffered a big loss, if it wasn't for the thieves swarming rampant, I don't know what year it was to be reinstated, how dare I hope that the title of the secretary of the military department of the Jin Feng Palace is protected? A gentleman is not a gentleman! Hong Chengchou kept admonishing himself, he saw that Yang Sichang was about the same age as himself, his face was white, and the long black beard under his chin was not messy at all, and he had run for dozens of miles, and the red first-grade crane supplement still looked neat, and he suddenly felt good in his heart. Yang Sichang was in his father's old department, and when he saw that he was a Confucian general, he felt sorry for him. The two greeted each other and walked into the big tent amid the salute, Hong Chengchou knelt down to receive the holy decree, and gave Yang Sichang to the tiger skin gold chair in front of the black lacquer Pixiu screen. Yang Sichang smiled and excused himself: "Nine elders, although the students live in the pavilion, they also know the law and discipline in the army. It's like standing in the middle of the court, it's chaotic! ”

Hong Chengchou bowed and said, "That's not polite." He first ordered someone to set up a seat for Yang Sichang at the top, and then sat down steadily, shouting: "Someone! The elder of the pavilion worked tirelessly, went out of the city to work on behalf of the Holy Son of Heaven, and ordered the generals to enter the account to pay homage. ”

Yang Sichang waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, don't worry!" The students still have a few words to talk to the nine elders. ”

Hong Chengchou waved everyone away, and without waiting for Yang Sichang to speak, he asked bluntly: "What Elder Ge said is related to Liaodong?" ”

"Not bad." Yang Sichang smiled.

"Ge Lao, it seems too early to send troops to Liaodong at this time, Li Zicheng's life and death are unknown, Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai and others may not really surrender, if the troops of the Central Plains are withdrawn, wouldn't it give the thieves a chance to breathe? Wildfires can't be burned, the spring breeze blows and grows, and it will be difficult to extinguish them when the thieves are arrogant. Now that the Dongyu have retreated outside the border, Gyeonggi is worry-free, and the Central Plains cannot be empty for a long time, and they should also take advantage of the victory to pursue and exterminate the thieves. There is no beginning, there is an end, distraction, you can't do one thing, you can't do one thing, you can't do one thing, it's really a taboo for soldiers! ”

"It is difficult to withdraw the troops, and the enemy country is angry, and if you want to cut off the heart of the eastern captives to enter the pass, it is necessary to have a strong army to defend Gyeonggi. At the beginning of the internal troubles, the Manchu Qing Dynasty was my enemy, different from the thieves, only to fight, not to peace, and to make peace was cowardly to the enemy, which really damaged the emperor's holy virtue! ”

"The nine sides stretch for nearly 10,000 miles, and there are countless passes, and it is difficult to hold them firmly. At that time, Yuan Chonghuan held the line of Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan, but he could not prevent the eastern captives from attacking from the west. ”

Yang Sichang lowered his voice and said: "The emperor intends to take advantage of the lurking thieves to cut off the Dongyu in one fell swoop. ”

"That's even harder! Long-distance expedition, thousands of miles of mountains, between eagerness, how to succeed? I don't dare to take such a risk! ”

"The Ninth Elder is the old family of my father, I don't have to hide it from you. The emperor has made up his mind, don't argue anymore, why make the emperor unhappy! ”

"I'm worried that the emperor will be responsible for the credit on time, and he won't be able to pay the difference!" Hong Chengchou's face was gloomy and worried.

"You can rest assured, as long as the student is in the pavilion for a day, the emperor will confess on your behalf."

"Thank you, Elder Ge. Since ancient times, there has never been a person who has made meritorious contributions without internal aid from the DPRK and China, and with the words of the elder, he can rest assured that he will be humiliated. Hong Chengchou took a long time away from the table, "The humble position of the emperor knows that he has met a great favor, and he should rectify the military affairs outside the customs and relieve the emperor's worries a little, but there are two things that need to be approved." ”

"What's the matter?"

"The Donglu has been confronting our dynasty for many years, and now they are arrogating false names, which is by no means the time when Nurhachi's thirteen remnants of armor raise troops, and they should not be underestimated. If the confrontation lasts for a long time, step by step, and the financial resources are wasted with them, the humble position thinks that although this method is stupid, it is the most feasible, and it must not be easily warn. Sun Baigu is well versed in military affairs and is a rare general, if he can stay to guard Gyeonggi, even if the Dongyu breaks through the pass and enters, the Beijing division will not be in any danger. The lowly position can take the opportunity to wave the army to the north and go straight to Shengjing. If these two things are approved by the emperor, the recovery of Liaodong is not far away. However, the thieves have not been eradicated, and they may not be able to concentrate on Liaodong. ”

Yang Sichang nodded and said, "When the student goes back, he will blow the wind to the emperor first, and he will be summoned by the platform in a few days." Before summoning the right one, the nine elders can go up to the fold to ask His Majesty to see him, and personally plead to the emperor. ”

The platform summoned not only Hong Chengchou, but also Sun Chuanting, who was reinforced by the governor from all walks of life. Sun Chuanting had heard that Hong Chengchou had been reappointed as the governor of Ji and Liao, and also knew that Hong Chengchou had arrived in Beijing, and the emperor's special cabinet minister Yang Sichang had ceremoniously worked in the suburbs, and was allowed to enter the city to see His Majesty. After Chongzhen ascended to the throne, he waited for Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting to perform the regular court salute, and asked Hong Chengchou some of the starting dates and how to prepare for the soldiers and horses. Ordering Hong Chengchou to get up, Chongzhen looked at Sun Chuanting who was kneeling on the ground, and asked: "Sun Chuanting, there is a shortage of governors on the three sides of Shaanxi, who do you think will take over?" ”

Sun Chuanting bent down, waiting for the question, but he didn't expect the emperor to have such a question, he was secretly happy in his heart, thinking that the emperor intended to order himself to take over, and the platform was like a court, so it was naturally not good to be arrogant and self-recommended, but looking at the world, there was really a bit of self-sacrifice, he hesitated for a moment before replying: "It's all up to the holy judgment." ”

"You are a rare general, who has repeatedly made meritorious contributions to thieves, I want to keep you in the military affairs of Baoding, Shandong, and Henan to protect Gyeonggi, are you willing?"

Since Sun Chuanting Hong Chengchou was reappointed as the governor of Ji and Liao, the absence of the governor of Shaanxi and the three sides, whether it is based on military merits or military talent, should be promoted by himself, but the emperor was eager to stabilize the situation outside the border, and made an exception to call himself back, compared with Hong Chengchou, the emperor seemed to be a little biased, Sun Chuanting couldn't help but feel sad, and replied with some negative anger: "The holy will is so, how dare Wei Chen disobey!" ”

Chongzhen heard the grievances in his words, and soothed: "You not only have merit in suppressing thieves, but you are also talented in training and raising salaries." I stayed with you, first, to continue your training, and second, to borrow troops from you. ”

Sun Chuanting was stunned and blurted out: "Borrowing soldiers? ”

"Yes, I want to mobilize the troops available in the world, fight to get out of the pass, conquer the eastern captives, and relieve the worries of Liaodong in one fell swoop. The Shaanxi soldiers and horses under your command are one of the few elite divisions, and I want to hand them over to Hong Chengchou to command. ”

"Your Majesty, don't do this!" Sun Chuanting raised his head suddenly.

Chongzhen thought that he was reluctant to give up, and persuaded him: "I am not a person who does not distinguish between rewards and punishments, and I am definitely not a cunning rabbit and a dead lackey, and I will take away your military power, it is really Liaodong that urgently needs to call soldiers, but I can't wait for the training of troops." The hinterland of Gyeonggi is open, and I will allocate you some internal silver, and in less than a year, your soldiers and horses will not be less than today. ”

"Your Majesty, the minister never has the selfish idea of supporting the army and respecting himself, and intercepting the Qin soldiers, the minister thinks that there are three musts."

"What are the three musts?"

"Intercepting the Qin soldiers, Shaanxi is bound to defend the emptiness, it is for the thieves to clear the official army, the thieves will inevitably take the opportunity to breed, if it becomes a prairie fire, then Shaanxi has been ruined for several years of hard work. This must not be left behind. Qin Bing's wife, children, and family are scattered in Shaanxi, Qin Bing has been on the border for a long time, and must miss his family, either mutiny or flee back, and when he returns to his hometown, he is worried about being arrested by the government, so he has to go to the thieves, these deserters cannot be used by the court but are used by thieves, and they are driving soldiers from thieves! These two must not be left behind. Liaodong is cold, the water and soil are very different from Qin, the Qin soldiers went to Liaodong, the water and soil are not adapted, and they are bound to be weak or sick, which is really not helpful for the defense of the Ji and Liao borders, and it is better to defend the Liao land with Liao people. These three must not be left behind. Among them, the opportunity for safety is to ask the emperor to be clear. ”

Chongzhen said unhappily: "There are few Li people in Liaodong, and only the soldiers of Liaodi are selected, how can it be enough?" When will Liaodong recover? When will the East be peaceful? Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai have all returned to the imperial court, how can they grow? Are you worried about Li Zicheng! I ask you, where is the rebellion now? ”

Li Zicheng's whereabouts have not been verified, no one is alive, no body is dead, Sun Chuanting has no bottom in his heart, vaguely feels that the thief has fled somewhere, hiding, seeing the emperor asking, how to explain clearly, Deng Shi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, stiffened, and replied vaguely: "The prelude of Weichen The thief was wiped out, it is indeed the truth, and I dare not have the slightest deception." ”

"Strong argument!" Chongzhen patted the royal case and asked: "Since the whole army was wiped out, how can the culprits and evils such as rebellion slip through the net together?" Isn't it a deception? ”

Sun Chuanting kowtowed and said: "The monarch's father is in front, how dare Weichen argue." In the first battle of Tongguan, the ministers and the troops of Hong Zhitai surrounded and suppressed, set up three ambushes to wait for the thieves, and indeed defeated the whole army. Because the minister starry night led the division of King Qin, failed to capture the thief and other ditch leaders, I think most of them died in the chaos, but the dead and wounded are all over the field, and the abandoned armor is like a mountain, and it is difficult to search for the body of the giant thief for a while, and the head is sacrificed, so that the whereabouts of the thief are still unknown, which is really a big hatred in Weichen's heart. ”

"Do you know that all the rebels have slipped through the net?"

"The minister led his troops to the king, and when he arrived in Shanxi, he heard that there were thieves who had escaped into Shangluo Mountain. In order to cut the grass and eradicate the roots and avoid future troubles, Chen Feitong Pass prepared Ding Qirui to go into the mountains to search and suppress, and sent the deputy general He Renlong to lead the troops back to assist. Whether the thief who slipped through the net is a rebel or not, I don't know. ”

"Look at it!" Chongzhen picked up a few copies of the song and Tang newspaper from the imperial case and threw them to Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting has always held the hope that Li Zicheng would die in the chaos, and he would rather believe that the body is unrecognizable because of the mutilation or decay, rather than believe that Li Zicheng fled with his whole body and hid in the boundless mountains and forests. He picked up the documents, held them and hurriedly browsed the Yinhuang posted aside, kowtowed, and said, "The minister thinks that these documents are all in vain." Those who are thieves are not thieves. ”

"How so?"

"If the thief is not dead, he will definitely lurk and wait to move, and he will never be just ruined, and he will not have time to recuperate, but he will erect a big banner in vain and guide the officers and soldiers to pursue and suppress."

"Well, that's reasonable." Chongzhen nodded slightly.

Hong Chengchou said: "Brave and cunning, I will not take this risk easily." ”

Sun Chuanting sighed and said: "If it weren't for the edict to go north, the king of the starry night, there would never be a thief who slipped through the net." ”

"Bold! Sun Chuanting, you are so blind, take it! ”

When he arrived, two brocade-clothed wrestlers dragged Sun Chuanting from the ground, stripped off his clothes, and pushed him out. Hong Chengchou hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "When the country is employing people, Sun Chuanting is very skillful, and he also practices the battle formation, and he begs the saint to breathe the wrath of thunder, and reads that he has been suppressing thieves for several years, and he has worked hard to make meritorious contributions. ”

Chongzhen sneered: "If I don't do this, Qin Bing is afraid that he won't be able to adjust." I have instructed the military department to return the former Tun guard chief soldier Wang Tingchen, Jizhou general soldier Bai Guangen, and Ningyuan general soldier Wu Sangui to your control, Yutian general soldier Cao Bianjiao and other your old troops, as well as Sun Chuanting's strong army, are also for you to drive, and half of the world's elite soldiers will gather in Shanhaiguan. Wangqing is honest and does his best, does not teach Dongyu to enter the customs for half a step, and destroys Kou Xue's shame, so don't live up to my hopes! ”

Hong Chengchou said with tears in his eyes: "Although the ambush in Tongguan is called a great victory, but the thieves and others have slipped through the net, and the corpse is the governor, and the law cannot be shirked, and it should be guilty of negligence." The emperor not only exempted him from punishment, but also paid Liaodong to the ministers, knowing the grace of the encounter, the sky is high and the earth is thick, and the ministers are grateful, but they can only promise the country with their bodies and serve desperately. ”

Chongzhen smiled and said, "Get up!" You can rest assured to run Liaodong, don't have worries. I don't blame Sun Chuanting, I have to use him to defend Shenjing. Tomorrow at noon to give the banquet platform, civil and military officials will be outside the Chaoyang Gate for you at a moment. ”

Hong Chengchou kowtowed and thanked him, secretly thinking: The emperor's grace is unpredictable, if he goes to Liaodong without success, he really has no face to return to the court, so he has to become benevolent and righteous. As soon as he stood up, a eunuch stepped up the steps quickly, gasping for a long white breath from his mouth, and bent down to put a document on the imperial case, and stood beside him with his head down. Chongzhen looked at him on a cold day, but he ran with a hot sweat, put down the tea bowl in his hand, and asked urgently: "Wang Chengen, what is the urgent matter?" ”

Wang Chengen replied: "Long live Lord, Xiong Wencan, the prime minister of the five provinces, urgently submitted a secret fold for 600 miles, and Zhang Xianzhong asked to surrender." ”

"Please descend? There's a deception in it! Chongzhen took the secret fold and looked at it, and asked, "Didn't Liu Yuanbin, the eunuch of the Yongwei Battalion, have no echoes?" ”

"I didn't get it! Wen Can has an excerpt, and he will definitely follow suit. ”

"Hmm!" Chongzhen took pleasure in the Zhu pen, and criticized on the dense fold: The soldiers have won a row and the thieves are embarrassed, and they can be caressed; If the thief is not defeated and the thief is not embarrassed, it will never be appeased. It is okay to caress it and seek to disperse, but it is not possible to caress it and seek to gather; It is okay to care for it and seek to kill the thief, but it is not okay to care for it and seek to support the crowd and consolidate themselves. Beware of thieves who use the carriage gorge tricks again, and there is fraud in the release. After a pause, he wrote: The thief Zhang Xianzhong once disturbed the ancestral tomb, and his crime is unforgivable, and he must not be let go!