The situation in the south has deteriorated further with chaos and rebellions.

In the twelfth year of Chongzhen, on August 25, Beizhili, Jingshi.

Chongzhen's edict ordered Yang Sichang to go south to supervise Pingkou, give Shang Fang a sword, and give him a cheap act.

The soldiers and horses of all provinces are self-supervised, fu, and below the town are all listened to moderation, and the deputy commander-in-chief and the general are engaged in the following with the sword, and their edicts and other items are quickly and done.

September 4th.

Chongzhen summoned Yang Sichang on the platform to see him off, and even wrote a poem for him to see him off:

"Yanmei is now temporarily used as a dry city, and the admiral is majestic and willow camp. Sweep away the atmosphere of Kou from now on, and return the period of education and people's livelihood. ”

September 6.

Yang Sichang led 100 elite horsemen from the five military camps, left Beijing and went south, traveling lightly and simply.

September 29.

In twenty-three days, Yang Sichang had already arrived in Xiangyang with Chongzhen's edict.

When he left Beijing, Yang Sichang brought a total of more than 100 cavalry from the Fifth Army Battalion as escorts, and there were only 150 people in total, including the staff and officials who assisted in the supervision.

However, when he entered Xiangyang, the servants who followed Yang Sichang had already surpassed a thousand horses.

The extra 1,000 cavalrymen were Zu Dabi, Cao Bianjiao, He Renlong, and Chen Wang's personal guard cavalry.

Although Chen Wang and the others went first, there were a lot of infantry in the army, so the marching speed was not fast.

Later, because of the plundering of the Qing army in the south at that time, Beizhili, Shandong and other places have been eroded, and the supply of grain and grass is insufficient.

In many cases, there was no way to march, so they could only camp temporarily along the canal and wait.

That's it, many times everyone is hungry and full.

The Qing army swept south, leaving Beizhili and Shandong in ruins, displacing hundreds of people, and the daily need for disaster relief was undoubtedly an astronomical amount.

After the war disasters in Beizhili and Shandong, they were hit by drought locusts again, and the demand for grain and rice increased even more.

As a result, the amount of food that could be supplied to the army was even more scarce.

Originally, the quickest way to go south from Jingshi all the way to Huguang was to go south from Beizhili all the way to Kaifeng Mansion in Henan Province.

However, because of the problem of grain and grass, once it is too far away from the canal, there will be a lot of loss on the way.

Henan Province was in the midst of a severe drought at that time, and the displaced people were everywhere, and the hungry people were flooded with wilderness, and they could not get any grain and grass at all.

Therefore, Chen Wang and others could only take a long detour, go south through Beizhili into Shandong, and finally go all the way south to Xuzhou in Shandong, and then go west from Xuzhou to enter Henan Province.

At this time, the suburbs of Xuzhou, and on the official road, gathered a large number of displaced people who fled the famine.

In the 10th, 11th, and 12th years of Chongzhen, Henan was first hit by drought, and the drought caused locust plagues, which made the disaster even more extensive.

In June of the tenth year, there was a great drought in Henan, there was no grass in the wild, and ten rooms and nine were empty.

In June of the 11th year, there was a big locust plague in Beijing, Shandong and Henan, and in the autumn of the same year, the locusts flew to cover the sun, and the grains were eaten up and bamboo, trees, water chestnuts and reeds.

Twelve years of drought locusts, great famine, thousands of miles of red land.

The first short paragraph from the Henan Political Department already explains everything: "People cannibalize each other, the grass and trees are exhausted, and the soil and bandits rise together." ”

Many officials from Henan who were in Beijing knelt down to ask for disaster relief.

However, when the music was transmitted to the palace, there was no news in the end, and they were all left behind.

Henan was hit by military disasters, even drought locusts, thousands of miles of red land, and it was already a bleak country.

In order to survive, those who are still alive in Henan Province can only flee with their families and families to the surrounding areas that have not been affected by the disaster.

In such a situation, the speed at which Chen Wang and the others led the troops became extremely slow.

It was only after they barely entered Henan Province that the real difficulties came.

Entering Henan Province and leaving the canal, it became extremely difficult to replenish supplies.

In this way, along the way, it was not until September 23 that we finally arrived in Nanyang Prefecture, Henan Province, near the Xinye area of Huguang.

Because of the previous war, there were not many displaced people in the Xinye area, and relying on the grain transported from Huguang Xiangyang, it could be regarded as temporarily stable.

On the 23rd, when Chen Wang, Cao Bianjiao and others were preparing to continue to lead their troops south into Huguang, Yang Sichang's military order was passed on to Xinye first.

Then, in accordance with Yang Sichang's order, Chen Wang and others led the soldiers and horses to camp on the outskirts of Xiangyang and wait for Yang Sichang's arrival.

September 29, in the morning,

Yang Sichang led more than 100 elite cavalry of the five military battalions to enter the military camp of the four towns outside Xiangyang, and raised the tent to gather troops.

Chen Wang, He Renlong, Cao Bianjiao, and Zu Dabi each brought more than 200 elite horsemen, a total of 1,000 horsemen, and went straight to Xiangyang City.

After arriving at Xiangyang City, he found out his identity and knew that it was Yang Sichang who led the army to come in person, and the generals guarding the city gate did not dare to stop it, so they could only open the city gate and let him go.

Yang Sichang did not stay, and went straight to the camp in Xiangyang, where he was promoted to gather generals.

When Yang Sichang entered the camp in Xiangyang, Xiong Wencan was handling official business in the governor's palace in Xiangyang.

For Yang Sichang's arrival, Xiong Wencan was completely unprepared.

By the time Xiong Wencan hurried to the Xiangyang camp, all the generals and colonels of the Ming army were already standing in the tent.

Yang Sichang sat down and sat in the main seat where he had been sitting.

Yang Sichang wore a black gauze hat, a gold-woven moire over-the-shoulder python robe, and a jade belt around his waist, sitting upright on the first seat, and the sharp spirit of the Ling people diffused from his body.

Gu Pan's eyes were full of domineering sharpness and majesty, and even people didn't dare to look at him.

Beside Yang Sichang, a guard dressed in the costume of a Han general was holding a sword covered in brocade.

The ochre-yellow sword spike hangs outside, and the delicate beast pattern is engraved on it, and all kinds of performance show that the sword is the Shang Fang sword given by the emperor.

The four generals with murderous spirits, helmets and armor, and Yanling knives in their hands were standing on both sides of Yang Sichang at this time.

These four generals have luxurious armor and extraordinary robes, and Xiong Wencan even vaguely saw the ornamentation of the bullfight under the armor of one person.

If there are few uniforms given today, the generals who have been given bullfighting uniforms are undoubtedly rare.

This couldn't help but make Xiong Wencan's eyes stay a little more on the general wearing a bullfighting uniform.

The general seemed to notice his gaze, and his gaze turned with it.

Xiong Wencan's heart was slightly cold, and he only felt a chill rising from the ground, and he only felt very uncomfortable.

The eyes on the front were as sharp as falcons, and even he was a little frightened.

Xiong Wencan's mind fluctuated, and all kinds of thoughts were born from the bottom of his heart.

However, before Xiong Wencan could think about it for too long, Yang Sichang's cold voice had already sounded in the tent.

"Take it!"

In front of everyone's eyes, Xiong Wencan was clasped by two armor soldiers who came from behind.

Xiong Wencan was frightened in his heart, and looked up at Yang Sichang who was sitting at the top.

Yang Sichang's abnormality, the sudden arrival, the first to start the tent, brought into the city thousands of elite horses.

made Xiong Wencan think of an extremely terrible thing.

"Cabinet, this is ...... What do you mean......"

Because of fear, Xiong Wencan's voice even trembled a little.

"What do you mean?"

Yang Sichang snorted coldly, his eyes were full of coldness.

"If you want people not to hear, don't say it, don't know if you want people to know, don't do it."

"I will take you down today, so what is going on, do you really not know at all?"

Xiong Wencan's heart was shocked, and Yang Sichang's eyes were extremely cold, without the slightest temperature.

"Do you think your matter can be solved by simply removing you from office?"

Yang Sichang looked at Xiong Wencan as if he was looking at a dead man, his eyes were full of ruthlessness.

If it weren't for Xiong Wencan's repeated disobedience to his orders, he forcibly pushed and appeased everything.

After the implementation of appeasement, it is not possible to appease.

After the surrender of the 72nd battalion of Liu Kou such as Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, one was not reorganized, the second was not transferred to the camp, the third was not dispatched, and the fourth was not unloaded and returned to the field.

Such an act, Xiong Wencan was close to Xiangyang, and he turned a blind eye!

"You deceive your superiors and subordinates, accept bribes extensively, and regard the suppression of criminals as child's play, and the emperor has already explained to me before leaving."

"You have committed such a serious crime, and no one can save you, I advise you to be arrested, bear the guilt, and preserve the last dignity."

Yang Sichang's face was full of coldness, and his sleeves flicked.

"Escort down, put in prison, and escort to Beijing tomorrow!"

"Impossible...... It couldn't be ......."

Xiong Wencan's mind was in turmoil, these things had obviously been suppressed, and Yao Minggong in the cabinet had just sent him a message not long ago, this time it was only a dismissal and investigation, and there would be no other things.

But at present, Yang Sichang took him down directly in the military camp, and even had to be put on the Beijing Division.

Xiong Wencan was already completely panicked at this time, for so many years, the governors and prime ministers of various provinces have been dismissed and demoted because of their ineffective suppression of the Kou and the ineffective imperial captives, but none of them were taken down by the armor, and then they had to be escorted to Beijing.

This situation reminded Xiong Wencan of Yuan Chonghuan, who was also taken down by the armor at the beginning.

Later Jin bypassed the defense line of Jizhou and approached the city of Beijing, Yuan Chonghuan led the troops back to help, and was later captured by the soldiers, and was sentenced to Ling Chi for the crimes of "stealing the city's rice", "beheading the commander with money", and "arsoning with the enemy".

Xiong Wencan stared at Yang Sichang angrily, the fear in his heart turned into anger under the pressure, and he was escorted by the armor to walk out of the tent, while shouting insults.

"Yang Sichang, you are a chaotic minister and thief, I am the prime minister of the six provinces, and an important minister of the imperial court, you are clever and eloquent, and you actually slander ......"

Yang Sichang's body leaned back slightly, but he raised his hand, and a soldier had already stepped forward to block Xiong Wencan's mouth, so that he couldn't say half a word.

With Xiong Wencan being pressed down by the armor soldiers, the atmosphere in the Chinese military tent sank again.

Previously, when Yang Sichang came to the Chinese army to raise the account, everyone expected that the current situation would encounter great changes.

But no one thought that Xiong Wencan, who was originally the prime minister of the six provinces, was taken down like this, and he had to be escorted to Beijing.

Although it is old-fashioned, it can reap enough results in many cases.

And this time, Yang Sichang did not kill an insignificant chicken, but Xiong Wencan, who was powerful in the past.

"From today onwards, this soldier will be the governor of military affairs."

Yang Sichang sat on the seat, still as calm and breezy as before.

Before Xiong Wencan's arrival, Yang Sichang had already spoken first, explaining everything.

The eyes of all the generals in the tent subconsciously looked at the Shang Fang sword beside Yang Sichang.

The lowest level of the generals who can be in the tent is the garrison, guerrilla, and the governor who has served for many terms.

However, no governor was appointed as prime minister as Yang Sichang with the official title of scholar of the Eastern Pavilion University, the official secretary of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War.

All the provinces, the governors, the governors, and the battalions and towns were to obey moderation.

Moreover, the Shang Fang sword has a clear indication in the edict that the deputy chief soldier and the general below can be cut first and then played.

Today's Yang Sichang is the real power!

"Obey the Prime Minister's military orders!"

With the bow of the first general.

All the generals in the tent bowed their heads and bowed down.

"Obey the Prime Minister's military orders!"

All of a sudden, the sound was like thunder!

Yang Sichang bowed slightly, seeing the generals bowing down, his mind finally relaxed a little.

He played the right first move, and he knew that he had temporarily suppressed this group of proud soldiers.

Yang Sichang is well aware of his situation.

Although he served as an auxiliary minister in the cabinet, he served as the prime minister of the two ministries.

But these are not enough to really deter the proud generals of the southern provinces today.

The situation of the battalions in the towns and towns of the southern provinces is complicated, there are border troops on the nine sides, battalions in the south, local soldiers in Tusi, and those rogues who surrender anyway.

Military discipline is both good and bad, and combat effectiveness is high and low, but without exception, it is difficult to control them.

In the past, Lu Xiangsheng used to be difficult to control these arrogant soldiers.

Although Yang Sichang and Lu Xiangsheng did not agree, he also had to admit that Lu Xiangsheng's talent in governing the army was indeed extraordinary.

Yang Sichang knows what he knows, he is not afraid of attacks and insults from the court, nor is he afraid of party disputes, he can deal with those things.

However, he didn't have much experience dealing with military generals.

The only general who is familiar with fighting a lot is Cao Wenzhao.

But there is a huge gap between Cao Wenzhao and ordinary military generals, Cao Wenzhao often behaves as a person, more like a civilian official, far-sighted, and does not leak.

Yang Sichang thought that his military strategy was acceptable, but he had no experience in commanding the battle, controlling the generals and colonels, and managing the army.

Although such a thunderous method can be deterred for a while, it will not last long after all.

Yang Sichang slowly stood up and said in a deep voice.

"There are a large number of rogues, and for the sake of the provinces, the transfer is fast, and the fighters are fleeting."

In order to prevent the generals from domineering, the dispatch is not effective.

The best way is naturally to encircle a strong and prestigious general and hold other generals hostage......

"Chen Wang listens to orders."

Yang Sichang's sudden voice made Chen Wang, who was standing on the side, slightly stunned.

Chen Wang didn't know Yang Sichang's plans and plans now, and thought that he was just entering Xiangyang to go through the motions, but now Yang Sichang suddenly called him, which was indeed unexpected.

However, Chen Wang has experienced a lot in the end, and he has come back to his senses after a moment of stunnedness.

Chen Wang walked forward to the tent, then turned around cleanly, and replied in a deep voice facing Yang Sichang's military salute.

"Admiral, here!"

Yang Sichang raised his hand slightly, and a guard soldier standing near him holding a brocade box immediately walked in front of Chen Wang.

With Yang Sichang's calm and powerful voice, the brocade box held in the hand of the pro-guard armor soldier was slowly opened.

"I am giving an edict to grant Chen Wang, the chief military officer of Hanzhong Town, hang the seal of the general of the thief, and grant the president's ministries the right to change careers and dispatch!"

A square and square, gilded, carved beast pattern of the general's seal letter came into Chen Wang's eyes.

A member of the general and the president's ministries listened to his command, and the ministers planned and changed careers. Then the people will be dissatisfied, the people will be harmless, the thieves will be indestructible, and the thieves will be ineffective.

(End of chapter)