Chapter VIII

About eight miles outside the west gate of the Shanhai Acropolis, on the main road of Guanma, there is a small village called Hongwadian. There used to be a restaurant here, all with a red tile roof. Although the original house has been burned down after many years, and only some of the old red tiles have been used for the rebuilt houses, and most of them are new and old gray tiles, the village is still called Red Tile Shop, which has long been famous, and this place name has been recorded in the county annals. A few miles away from Hongwadian to the north, there are undulating mountains, and the first thing you see is Erlang Mountain, and the further north you go from there, the more majestic the mountains become. There is a gorge between the mountains on both sides. Along the canyon, it is necessary to pass through about 20 miles of winding and steep mountain roads to reach the Nine Gates. The nine gates are also known as a piece of stone, which is a dangerous place to defend the flank of Shanhaiguan. Looking south from the red tile shop, a few miles away is the seaside. When the tide goes out, the red tile shop is a little further from the sea, but only a few miles away. Between the sea and the mountains, there is a wide area of undulating hills, and the Red Tile Store is in the middle of this area. Since ancient times, countless travelers, porters, and countless soldiers have walked from here to the outside of Shanhaiguan, to Liaodong, or to further places. Some people are able to come back, and some people go and never come back. Especially since the Apocalypse, the military situation outside the Guanxi has undergone tremendous changes, and there are many, many soldiers who have gone out from here and died on the edge of the Liao River, on the Ning and Jin fronts, and those who can come back are mostly disabled and depressed. The village of Hongwadian is regarded by passers-by as a very important and commemorative place before leaving the customs. Whether it is from Beijing, from Yongping, from Tianjin, land exit, you need to go through the red tile shop, stop here, rest and rest, and then go to Shanhaiguan, and then belong to Liaodong as soon as you get out of the customs.

On this morning, the east showed a pale green dawn, and there were sparse stars and waning moons on the treetops, and chickens and dogs barked from whose courtyards. The bleak moonlight shone on the houses and roads of the red-tiled shop, and a hazy mist flowed on the main road outside the street. Many, many wagons, mules, and camels carrying grain and all kinds of baggage went to Shanhaiguan from here. The camels with brass bells, one by one, went out into the wilderness with the sound of bells, and went slowly eastward. The scrawny tired horses and the chauffeurs with vegetables on their faces also continued to move forward in the cool breeze and mist of the morning. Sometimes a crisp whip sounded from the dawn mist, but the whip could not be seen, only the red tassels on the whip flashed in the light of dawn. After the sound of the whip, in the village of Hongwadian, here and there, there caused a burst of dog barking, responding to each other.

After a while, it was getting brighter. The rooster has crowed three times, but it is still crowing intermittently. On the southern side of the sea, there was a milky white mist that seemed to grow heavier and heavier, but after a short time a cool breeze blew, and the fog dissipated again, thinning out, revealing the boundless color of the sea. The color of the sea and the sky and clouds in the distance are mixed together, and the sky is vast, and it is impossible to distinguish which is the sea, which is the clouds, and which is the sky. In this vast and indistinguishable place, a line of white sails gradually appeared. The sails were clearly moving, one after the other, maybe dozens, maybe more. Occasionally, the dawn flickered on the sails, but then vanished, and even the fleet slowly disappeared into the mist.

At this time, a small group of horseback riders came out of the west ring of Shanhaiguan, and one of them was dressed as a civil official. When he was approaching the red tile shop, he kept looking west, apparently to greet an important person. He rode across the long bridge of the Stone River and ran to the center of Hongwadian Street.

When this group of people came to the red tile shop street, the paved doors on the side of the street had been opened one after another, and some of the shops were already poking the stoves, preparing to cook for the passing travelers. After dismounting, the officer did not go to rest in the small dining room, but sent a small colonel to lead two cavalrymen to the west to meet him. On the south side of the street, there is a private house on weekdays, which is specially designed for officials from the capital to rest and sharpen, commonly known as the official reception hall. The official, who was dressed in a five-grade supplement uniform, dismounted in front of the receiving hall and went in to rest. He is a native of Henan, surnamed Li, named Song, the word Zhenzhong, was originally an alternate prefect, and now he is the confidant of Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, and this morning he was ordered by Hong Chengchou to come here to welcome a friend who knows well about military affairs and has a strategic mind. At the moment he went round about the reception hall, but still not at ease, he went out of the courtyard again, and stood on the mound and looked for a moment, and then returned to the hall, and ordered that breakfast be prepared, and that the Governor's distinguished guests were coming, and that he must be prepared.

After about a quarter of an hour, the sound of horses' hooves came to a halt outside the gate of the reception hall. Li Zhenzhong quickly stood up and said unconsciously: "It's here!" He was about to go out to greet him, but an officer hurried in, and several of his own soldiers remained outside the gate. Seeing that he was not a guest, Li Zhenzhong smiled unconsciously and said:

"It turned out to be General Zhang!"

This General Zhang and Hong Chengchou are fellow villagers in Fujian, and they have not yet had a formal official position when they have not been here, so they are temporarily taking care of chores under the rank of guerrilla under the adjutant general of the Chinese army. After he greeted Li Zhenzhong, he sat down and asked:

"Will the guests be able to arrive this morning?"

Li Song said: "He was on the road overnight, and according to the distance, he should have arrived this morning." ”

"The master of the Taiwan system was anxious to meet this old man Liu, so not long after the old gentleman left, he sent a humble general to come. The master of the Taiwan production instructed that if Master Liu came, please take a short rest here, and after the sharpening, he would be accompanied by the old man to Shanhaiguan to meet. The humble general will go back first to report it. ”

"Why do you want Master Liu to go to the city first? Isn't the master waiting in Chenghai Tower? ”

"In order to choose to go out of the customs early tomorrow morning, I want to inspect the situation of the Great Wall today, so I decided to go to Shanhaiguan City as soon as I have breakfast, and after seeing Master Liu, even if I go out to inspect the customs."

Li Song sighed and said: "Ah, Taiwan is very hard for state affairs, and you have to do things for a few days a day!" ”

General Zhang asked again: "I haven't seen this Master Liu, but I heard from Master Liu that the current situation is very difficult to defend the war, and there are some things I want to plan with Master Liu." What kind of character is this Mr. Liu, does the old gentleman know? ”

Li Song said slowly: "I've only seen it once. I heard that this person fought outside the gate for 20 years, and the battle of Liaoyang was almost completely wiped out. He broke out of the encirclement and was still in the Liaodong Army, always wanting to make a difference. Unexpectedly, after a few more years, the situation did not improve, and he returned to the customs in anger. From then on, he was very discouraged about the affairs of Liaodong, and whenever he talked about them with people in Beijing, he could not help but weep generously. He repeatedly wrote to the imperial court, stating the strategy of saving Liao, but the imperial court did not adopt it. The battle for the gateway to the court was so fierce that he had seen through it and could not do anything, so he later lived in seclusion in a Buddhist temple in Xishan, where he heard that it was the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, where he explained the art of war. Before our Governor left Beijing, he happened to go to the Reclining Buddha Temple, and met this old man Liu, who had heard his name on weekdays, and after talking about it, he was quite fond of it. After that, he asked him to stay in a mansion in Beijing several times for deep talks, and each time he talked about it late at night. The Governor invited Master Liu to come to the army several times to praise military affairs. This old man Liu insisted on refusing, saying that he was over the age of sixteen and had become discouraged about national affairs. Recently, because our adults were about to go out of the customs to relieve the siege of Jinzhou, I specially wrote a very earnest letter and sent someone to send it to Master Liu, inviting him to come to Shanhaiguan to meet and discuss the future combat strategy. Only then did Master Liu agree to come. A few days ago, I had already gotten up from Beijing, and I hurried here every day, and the day before yesterday I arrived in Yongping, and I heard that we adults were going to leave Shanhaiguan tomorrow, so we had to hurry day and night. ”

"Oh! It turned out to be so important, no wonder the Governor got up today without knowing the sky, and asked again and again if he had sent someone to greet him. We said that Master Li had already gone. I was sent again at once, and I wished I could see him right away. ”

As he spoke, there was another sound of horses' hooves outside. They stopped talking, and listened intently. Li Song said to the servant:

"Take a look! Is it a guest arriving? ”

A month ago, Hong Chengchou came to Shanhaiguan from Yongping, and his line was set up in Ninghai City, which was outside Shanhaiguan City by the sea. This is the end of the Great Wall, and Ninghai City is right next to the eastern end of the Great Wall. It is close to the sea on one side and the Great Wall on the other, and is a military fortress built to defend the Great Wall and Shanhaiguan. Hong Chengchou was crowded with people in Shanhaiguan City, so he moved his line out and set it up in Ninghai City. Now the private houses in Ninghai City have been occupied, and the official houses have also been occupied, which is still not enough to live, and many military tents have been erected inside and outside the city. His standard-making battalion consisted of 2,500 cavalry and infantry, most of which were stationed in and around Ninghai City, and some of them were stationed in the southern wing of Shanhaiguan. He himself has not lived in his platform recently, but he lives in Chenghai Building. This Chenghai building is built on the reef of the beach, when there is no tide, there is also water downstairs, when the tide rises, there is both east wind or south wind, it is turbulent, slapping the stone base, splashing silver flowers. However, the sound of waves is not as noisy as the neighing of horses in the city, and it is not very often, so he likes that this place is more or less quiet, and it is empty, and it is also cool at noon. It is about less than half a mile away from Chenghailou to Ninghai City, and there is a bridge leading to the coast. The bridgehead is very vigilant, five steps and a post, and ten steps and a sentry. On the east, south, and west sides of Chenghai Tower, less than fifty zhang away, there were some ships with guns and crossbows guarding this forbidden area. Farther away, there are about one or two miles of road, and there are many ships guarding the three aspects of Chenghai Building to the sea.

In the past half a month, there has been no change in Hong Chengchou's appearance, he is still very diligent in managing things, bowing to his own books, getting up at dawn every day, and going to bed in the middle of the night, but his heart is buried with worries and depression. The reason why he left Xingyuan and lived in Chenghai Building may also be related to his inner depression. But he himself refused to reveal a little thought, it was just that some people in the staff guessed so.

At the fifth watch of that day, the waves that surged from the sea slapped the stone foundation of Chenghai Building, surging endlessly. Hong Chengchou woke up and knew that it was the time of high tide, and it was windy. But the sleepiness was still there, and I didn't open my eyes. He suddenly thought about a few major military events, and his heart was troubled, so he couldn't sleep anymore. After getting dressed quickly, not wanting to alarm the servants, he opened the door and walked out, leaning against the railing, looking out into the sea. The moonlight on the sea is vast, the mist flows, the waves are one after another, it is really the back waves pushing the front waves, all surging towards the Chenghai Building, rushing to the reef, hitting the foundation of the building. There are many fishing boats on the beach, because the wind and waves have just risen, and they have not yet lifted anchor and gone out to sea. Several gunboats guarding Chenghailou went up and down with the lights on the sea in the distance. Outside these gunboats, you can see the fleet of ships transporting military rations to Liaodong, full of white sails, heading northeast. At this time, the horns sounded in Ninghai City and Yuguan City, and in the sound of the horns, there were chickens, dogs barking, and horses neighing. Gradually, the land became lively.

Hong Chengchou looked at the railing for a while, felt a chill, and retreated to the house, closed the door, sat under the lamp, and wrote a letter to his home living in the capital.

A good-looking, light-footed servant, only eighteen or nineteen years old, flashed like a shadow, appeared behind him and draped a garment over his back. He knew that this was Yu'er, so he didn't look up and continued to finish the letter.

Yu'er combed his hair, took care of him, washed his face, and rinsed his mouth. He went out of the house again and leaned against the railing to see the sea.

At this time, the sun had just come out, as big as a wheel, red as a discus about to melt, and began to flash, revealing a semicircle from the sea, and then quickly rising, and finally when it was about to leave the sea, it seemed to want to leave and seemed to refuse to leave completely, and the bright red side of the sun stuck to the waves, and several times seemed to drag on, but finally suddenly flashed, resolutely left the sea, and rose.

Hong Chengchou was enjoying the sunrise on the sea, when he suddenly heard a stinging sound a few feet away nearby, a flash of silver light, and a big fish jumped out of the sea and fell into the water, never showing a trace again. Hong Chengchou turned his gaze back to the newly rising red sun and the isolated reef in the distance, the Jiang Nu Tomb, and the faintly visible white sails that went around the Jiang Nu Tomb to the east.

Hong Chengchou looked at the sea view for a while, and then thought of the future military, and sighed with emotion. He knew that the military department was going to send a Zhang Ruoqi to his side as a supervisor, which made his heart even heavier. He thought about this time to command the troops to aid Jin, and he didn't know if he could go back to Shanhaiguan again, and whether he could look at the sunrise scenery outside Shanhaiguan from Chenghai Tower, and he couldn't help but feel sad.

He walked back into the house and told Yu'er to burn incense for him. Then he took the music prepared by his staff last night, held it in both hands and placed it behind the incense burner, knelt down and kowtowed. As soon as he got up, Chen Zhongcai, the deputy general of the Chinese army, came in, bowed to him and said:

"Your Excellency, before dawn, Li Zanhua had gone to the red tile shop to greet Mr. Liu. Did you send the question book this morning? ”

Hong Chengchou said: "The question has just been visited, and it will be issued immediately together with the message. ”

On the table were Hong Chengchou's inscription to the emperor and a message to the Ministry of War, all of which reported that he had made arrangements for the defense of Shanhaiguan and had chosen to leave the customs tomorrow and go to Ningyuan to relieve the siege of Jinzhou. The adjutant general of the Chinese army picked up the two official letters, and saw that they had been sealed, and the word "thistle" was noted, covering the guard of the governor's yamen. He picked up the letter that Hong Chengchou had already written, and was about to withdraw, Hong Chengchou said slowly:

"I'm going to go to the city after breakfast, meet with the local gentry, and then go out of the customs to inspect the defense deployment of several important places. You quickly send General Zhang to the red tile shop to greet Mr. Liu, ask Mr. Liu to rest in the red tile shop for a while, and after the sharpening, go to the city to meet me, no need to come to Chenghai Tower. ”

"Yes! He immediately sent General Zhang on horseback. ”

Hong Chengchou was heavy-hearted, with his hands on his back, and he looked at the inscription wall poems upstairs. Among the many celebrity inscription poems, his favorite poem "Man Jianghong" signed "The Rest of Rong Ma's Life", can't help but read in a low voice:

Looking north at the Liao River,

Gazing at it for a long time,

Strong.

battlefield quiet,

But hearing the sorrowful geese,

A few clear chirps.

Thirty years of conquest,

The tide comes and goes, and the water in front of the building.

Ask the martyrs of the wasteland who have not returned to their souls,

By whom?

heavy closure,

Like child's play.

At the court,

Strife is blazing.

Sigh that the golden ou is incomplete,

Loyalty is a no-brainer.

After the most painful nine-sided pass,

The hero shed tears of sadness.

The poetry is generously endowed with the army,

Retire!

Every time he recites this poem, he feels very sympathetic, and a few of the lines happen to write his heart. It is a pity that since he was stationed in the Chenghai Building, he had asked several well-informed staff and guests, as well as the local gentry, but he did not know who this "Rong Ma Yu Sheng" was.

He was savoring the meaning of the poem when the servant came and invited him downstairs for breakfast. Every time Hong Chengchou eats, he always opens three tables downstairs. Dining with him were his important staff members and Qing guests, who came to ask him to write an eight-line book to recommend some idle relatives and new knowledge as an official. Although some of the guests have been afraid of leaving the customs and looking for excuses to leave, others have come from Beijing in the hope of gaining military merits and being promoted more easily. Hong Chengchou talked and laughed during the meal, and no one could see that he was so preoccupied. As soon as breakfast was over, he commanded his horses to be prepared and entered into the city.

Hong Chengchou had not yet reached the south gate of Shanhaiguan, when suddenly a flying horse chased after him and asked him to return to Xingyuan to receive the order. Hong Chengchou was shocked in his heart, and he was afraid that the emperor would be angry that he could not get out of the customs as soon as possible. He decided to send a staff member and a careful general to inspect the defensive deployment near Shanhaiguan on his behalf, and ordered people to go to the city to inform the local officials and gentry to wait for an audience in Xingyuan, and then rode back to Chenghai Tower.

Although Hong Chengchou was the governor of Jiliao, and the title of the imperial history of the military department and the right capital of the Imperial Inspectorate was clearly relied on by Emperor Chongzhen, every time he heard that he was asked to accept the order, he couldn't help but be suspicious, and sometimes cold sweat broke out on his back. He could not predict when the emperor would be suspicious, dissatisfied, and angry with him, nor could he have predicted when the emperor would listen to the attack of a speaker on him or the secret music of the brocade guard, so that he would suddenly be convicted and sent to prison. Now he hurried back to Chenghai Tower with apprehension, tried his best to pretend to be calm, knelt down to accept the order, and then kowtowed and stood up, and ordered the staff to set up a banquet to entertain the eunuchs who sent the order. He himself walked into the private room with the secret decree in his hand. When he opened the seal, his fingers chattered slightly. This is the emperor's edict, very short. He hurriedly looked at it, began to relax, and then looked at it carefully. The encyclical reads:

Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao: Your soldiers are sufficient, and you should gallop to Ningyuan at night to encourage the soldiers and relieve the siege of Jinzhou. Don't linger and close the door, and have high hopes. He has simply sent Zhang Ruoqi, the director of the Ministry of War, to aid Jin's division, and quickly went to the Liaodong Army to help you. 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 the edict twice, put it on the table, and sat down silently. After a while, several of his cronies came in, all with suspicious expressions on their faces, and asked what the edict was saying.

Hong Chengchou let everyone read the edict and analyze it together. Because the emperor did not condemn him, everyone was relieved.

The discussion about Zhang Ruoqi began a few days ago. But at that time, it was only rumored that Zhang Ruoqi would be in the future, and it had not yet been confirmed. Seeing the Lord's edict today, it has become a fact, and it will soon arrive, and everyone's discussion will involve some practical issues. Some people know that Zhang Ruoqi is young, impetuous, and likes to talk about soldiers, and he has won the trust of Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the Ministry of War. But such people have always had more bad things than enough success. But today, since he has come to supervise the army, he cannot be treated lightly. Some people have already predicted that after Zhang Ruoqi comes, he will definitely be constrained in everything, so that Hong Chengchou will not be able to make his own decisions, and he can't help but shake his head for the future of Aiding Jin.

When everyone was talking, Hong Chengchou didn't say a word, neither stopped everyone from talking, nor showed his disgust for Zhang Ruoqi. The experience he has gained over the years is that even if he talks with his cronies and staff, some words should not come from his own mouth as much as possible, so as not to be known by the detectives of Dongchang or Jinyiwei and reported to the palace. Then he slowly walked out of the house, leaning on the railing, facing the sea, and thought for a while. Suddenly he turned back into the house and told his staff and cronies and generals:

"None of you, talk about it. The emperor is very anxious about the military of Liaodong, and I am the minister, and the governor should be considerate of the holy heart and work hard to fulfill his duties; Success or failure is blunt, and it is the destiny of heaven. I have decided not to wait for tomorrow and to set off on the second watch tonight. He turned to the adjutant general of the Chinese army and said: "You give the order to go, get ready, stand in line as soon as you wait for the horn to sound, and you will all leave the customs at the second watch." He also asked a staff member to immediately draft the draft for him, and dictated to the effect: "Weichen knelt down to recite the edict, deeply feeling the emperor's hope, and was excited." Originally chosen to leave the customs tomorrow, there has been a secret book. Now it is decided to leave the customs in advance of the second watch tonight and gallop to Ningyuan. ”

When everyone heard this, they were all amazed: why change the schedule of the trip just one night in advance?

Hong Chengchou thought a lot and had deep intentions, but he was inconvenient to say. When everyone had dispersed, he whispered to two or three of his closest aides:

"You don't know, the emperor's secret decree has not yet been condemned to me, if you don't go out again, the next time the secret decree comes, the students may have a big disaster. The existing holy decree urging the exit from the customs should not be slightly violated. As governors-in-chief, students must act in accordance with orders and set an example for the generals. Although it was only one night in advance, it was still the way it should be for the minister to be loyal to the king. ”

A staff member said: "Zhang Ruoqi will arrive tomorrow at the latest, wouldn't it be good to wait for him to arrive and get out of the customs together?" ”

Hong Chengchou smiled and shook his head gently, reluctant to speak.

Another aide said, "That's true. Wait a minute, Zhang Jianjun, lest he say that the adults deliberately neglected him. I think this is a good idea, and I hope that you will adopt it. ”

Hong Chengchou looked left and right, knowing that there was no one else in the room, so he said: "Zhang Ruoqi is young and proud, impetuous in temperament, and he is also a confidant of this soldier. Emperor Qin sent him to supervise the army, and of course he could play secretly at any time. The emperor was originally suspicious, so his secret performance was very terrifying. If I had waited for him to come and then get up and go out, he would probably have said that I had to go out at his urging. In case of his hand, I should have gotten up before him, so that he would have nothing to say. We must not have the heart to harm others, and we must have the heart to guard against others. After saying that, he smiled lightly, quite distressed.

Several cronies didn't realize that they were suddenly in their hearts, admiring Hong Chengchou's thoughtfulness. Some people sighed softly, saying that the affairs of the court are bad at the gates of each tree, and they are tilting against each other, and they do not pay attention to the overall situation.

One of his aides said, "How can it be like this for many years, but today?" ”

Another aide said: "It is probably the same since ancient times, and it is a martyr today." ”

Hong Chengchou laughed lightly again and said, "The imperial court sent Zhang Ruoqi to supervise the army, and the students already feel very lucky, and they have nothing else to say. ”

One of the staff members asked, "Why do you talk like that?" One more person to supervise the army, one more person to restrain you! ”

Hong Chengchou said: "You don't know, Zhang Ruoqi is not a eunuch after all. What if a eunuch was sent to supervise the army? Zhang Ruoqi is much better than a eunuch. If it weren't for the Gao Qi Hidden Prison Army, Lu Jiutai would not have died on the side of the Artemisia Bridge. ”

When everyone heard this, they nodded their heads, and they all felt that the eunuchs sent by this dynasty to supervise the army were indeed very evil. Zhang Ruoqi is not a eunuch after all, so he may still be able to work together.

As he was talking, the Chinese army came in to report: The eunuch who delivered the decree planned to go to Shanhaiguan in the morning, and got up in the afternoon to return to Beijing, unwilling to stay here for a long time. Hong Chengchou ordered him to be given five hundred taels of silver as Cheng Yi. A staff member said that such a little eunuch, if he goes on a business trip and sends a holy decree, he may not be able to see the emperor in his life, and it is almost enough to give him two hundred taels of silver.

Hong Chengchou smiled, shook his head and said, "You don't see things deeply. Eunuchs, no matter how big or small, have a mouth that speaks to the palace. Don't just look at his status, you must know that the terrible thing is that he has a mouth. ”

At this time, Guerrilla General Zhang returned from the red tile shop Pegasus and reported that Mr. Liu was about to arrive. Hong Chengchou nodded, paused for a moment, then stood up and led his staff downstairs to meet the shore.

This Mr. Liu, a native of Henan, is in his early sixties. His long beard was gray, but he was still in good spirits, and seemed inappropriate for his age. Years of life on the horse carved deep wrinkles into his face with high cheekbones and bright eyes, making him look a man of great distress and strong will. Seeing Hong Chengchou standing on the shore with a group of staff members and cronies, he hurriedly dismounted, stepped forward, and bowed down. Hong Chengchou hurriedly returned the favor, then grabbed the guest's hand and said, "But I'm waiting for you!" He laughed.

"I was reluctant to leave Beijing because of the occasional cold, but I knew that my lord would soon go out to kill the enemy, so I reluctantly came here. I didn't stay here much, and after talking, even if I returned to Beijing, I still lived in the monk's dormitory, closed my door to books, and didn't ask about the world. ”

"I'll talk about these words later, please go to Chenghai upstairs to rest first."

Hong Chengchou pulled the guests into Chenghai Building surrounded by his generals and staff. But there was no rush to go upstairs. There was originally a reception hall below, where Liu Zizheng and everyone were introduced one by one, exchanged greetings, and sat down to talk. After a while, Hong Chengchou invited Liu upstairs alone.

At this time, the recital prepared by the staff had been cleared and sent, and Hong Chengchou immediately sent a second urgent recital, and then waved off the servant and talked with Liu.

They seem to have a lot to say, but time is so tight that they can't go into detail for a while. Hong told Liu that the emperor had come to a secret decree this morning, urging him to leave the customs, and if there was any further delay, he would probably be punished. Liu asked:

"My lord's exit this time, what is the strategy for defeating the enemy?"

Hong Chengchou smiled indifferently and said, "You and I are very clear about today's situation. The arrogance of the soldiers and the ineffective command have become a malpractice for many years. As a governor, the student relied on the emperor's spirit and Shang Fang's sword in his hand, so it was difficult for everyone to fight hard. From the end of Wanli to today, none of the governors and ministers who have gone out of the customs have had a good end. The students were ordered to go out this time, and they could only talk about the king's affairs, and they did not dare to have the idea of victory. Unless they can gain a firm foothold in the Liaodong Ningyuan area and slowly restore their morale, there is some hope for the victorious side. This time to send troops to aid Jin, is the key to the student's life or failure, even if he died on the battlefield, there is no complaint, and the person who is haunted by the imperial court is the safety of the imperial court. What is the future of this exit, the stakes are extremely heavy. It is not a pity that the student will fail in his life, if the major events of the court are destroyed, the student will have no face to see the father of the country, and no face to see the emperor again, so my heart is very heavy, and I specially invite Mr. to see the teacher. ”

Liu Zizheng said: "What adults see is extremely true. Let's not talk about the situation outside the border for the time being, but first look at the overall situation of the country. Now the imperial court is fighting on both sides, internal and external difficulties, and the situation is extremely dangerous. Not only is the overall survival of the country a matter of success or failure, but also the situation inside the country. In my humble opinion, I am afraid that within three or five years, I will see the difference. Now more than 100,000 soldiers and horses in the pass are collected, and all of them are headed for Liaodong, and the pass is very empty. In case of a successful cavalry, not only will Liaodong have no troops to defend it, but even the Guannai will be in danger. It's a pity that the imperial court can't see this, so it only knows how to urge the customs and make a desperate bet, without taking into account how Beijing will defend the fundamental ground! ”

Hong Chengchou sighed and said: "The emperor has always had good intentions, but he is anxious about everything, and he can't take care of the front and back, the more difficult it is, the more helpless he feels, and the more anxious he is." He didn't know the situation on the battlefield, and he only relied on some Tang newspapers, some songs, and some spies of Jinyiwei, and he thought that he knew the battlefield well, and he was remote thousands of miles away. As a supervisor, it is easy to take the blame, and it is difficult to be caught off guard. Recently, I heard that Fu Zonglong had been released from prison and appointed as the governor of Shaanxi and the three sides, and devoted himself to suppressing it. This messenger is not easy to handle, so his life will not be much better than that of the students. ”

Liu Zizheng smiled bitterly with emotion and said, "Master Fu left Beijing in a hurry, I think he probably won't have the day to return to Beijing." This is the last time he will lead troops in his life, and he will definitely be defeated. ”

"After he arrives in Xi'an, if he really trains an elite army, there may still be something to be done."

How could he? He is like an arrow, placed on the string, and the hand that pulls the bowstring is with the emperor. The arrow is already on the string, the bow is full, and it will be released. I am afraid that his troops will rush east to Tongguan before they have been reorganized. With an untrained teacher, how can you be undefeated against elite thieves? ”

Hong Chengchou shook his head, sighed unconsciously, and asked: "You said that I went out of the customs today, nominally with 130,000 troops, excluding some vacancies, the old and weak, probably less than 100,000 people, can I fight with the captives?" ”

Liu Zizheng said: "Although I have been away from Liaodong for many years, I have heard about the general situation. Today, the captives are gaining momentum, and in terms of troops, there are not many of them, but the soldiers are using their lives and working together, which is very different from the situation on our side. Although the lord brought eight chief officers, they were all of one mind. The four princes of the captive chieftains often went to the front line, commanded the battle, and knew the situation of the two armies well. However, from the emperor to the soldiers, the situation of our side is like seeing flowers through the clouds and mist, and it is very hazy. Military affairs are changing rapidly, and the four princes of the captive chieftains can make decisions on the spot, retreat or advance, and command flexibly. And our temple is determined thousands of miles away, and the person who does the superintendent is called the superintendent, who is controlled by the emperor's remote control, constrained by the military department, and subject to the supervision of the army. This command is not as good as the captive, it is very obvious. Besides, although there is little land in the captivity, there are no hidden worries, and the people are all subordinate to the Eight Banners, like a large barracks, with nothing to do, and to fight when there is something, unlike our Ming Dynasty, rebellion everywhere, war everywhere, displacement everywhere, and people's hearts are scattered, who is willing to contribute to the court? The court can't take care of it, it's really eight times on fire and seven times on smoke. This is the country's strength is inferior to the captive side. In the end, although we have gathered the strength of the whole country to deliver grain outside the border, we have heard that we can barely support it for a year, but what will we do after a year? If you can't win within a year, the next step is difficult. What's more, the sea route to transport grain is a long distance, the wind and waves are treacherous, and the losses are very heavy. If the enemy cuts off the grain route, won't he collapse on his own? The captives fought in his territory, and there was no danger of cutting off the grain routes. Not only could he supply grain himself, but he also blackmailed and forced North Korea to transport grain for him from the seaway. In terms of food and wages alone, we are far inferior to the captives. ”

Hong Chengchou nodded lightly and said, "What Mr. said is extremely true. I am also deeply troubled by these things. In addition to what Mr. said, there are also our soldiers today, whether in terms of training or command, they are inferior to the captives; Horses are not as good as captives, and firearms are no longer my specialty. ”

"Yes! Originally, firearms were the sharp weapons of our Ming Dynasty, but since Wanli to the Apocalypse, many of our firearms have been captured. Especially in the Battle of Liaoyang and the Battle of Dalinghe, Dongyu obtained a lot of firearms from our army. Moreover, from the first month of the fourth year of Chongzhen, the captives also learned to make red-clothed cannons. Today, there are so many firearms that we can match with our Ming Dynasty, and our strengths are no longer strengths. As for the cavalry, the captives were originally nomadic for a living, and with the submission of the Mongol tribes, they were obviously superior to ours. Besides, the fourth prince, although he is the chief of Yidi Chou, is also the founding hero of the other state, open-minded and generous, good at employing people, and good at using soldiers. Today, he can inherit Nurhachi's achievements, unify the Jurchen and Mongol tribes, conquer Korea in the east, invade our country in the south, and meet the source left and right. ”

Just as he was talking about this, suddenly Zu Dashou sent someone to send a secret letter to Hong Chengchou. Hong Chengchou stopped talking, opened the secret book and looked at it, nodded again and again, and then ordered his own general to let the people sent by Zu Dashou rest for a few days, and then return to Ningyuan, without rushing back to Jinzhou, for fear that if he was caught by the Qing soldiers and leaked secrets. Liu Zizheng also read Zu Dashou's secret book, thought about it, and said:

"Although Zu Dashou is not very reliable, this opinion is worthy of the attention of adults."

Hong Chengchou said: "I think that although Zu Dashou has surrendered to the fourth prince in the past, since he returned to Jinzhou, he has been quite loyal, and I can't say that he wants to surrender now because of that Dalinghe surrender." He suggested that after I arrived in Ningyuan, I should take every step of the way, not rush forward, and be heavy-minded. This is a very good idea, do you think so? ”

"When I come this time, all I can suggest to adults is these four words: Hold on to your weight. Don't put the 100,000 people of the country on the line,......"

Liu Zizheng was about to continue, when the deputy general of the Chinese army walked in, saying that the eunuch wanted to buy a war horse and go back to give it to the proprietor Cao Huachun, and he also wanted ten tribute satin and ten brocades, all of which he wanted to buy at Shanhaiguan. The adjutant said:

"It's obviously a gift for us. Shanhaiguan is not in the south of the Yangtze River, where is there tribute? Where is the tapestry? ”

Everyone looked at each other and smiled, and sighed together.

Hong Chengchou said: "No matter what he wants, you give it to him, anyway, it's the country's money and the country's things." These people can't be offended! Fortunately, he is a little eunuch, and his tone is not too big. Go ahead! ”

After the deputy general left, Hong Chengchou asked Zhang Ruoqi again, and said, "Mr. Liu, you see that Zhang Ruoqi is here, how should you deal with it?" ”

"This character, if you ask me an adult, you might as well ask yourself. My lord has been an official in the imperial court for many years, and he has been in the military for a long time, and he has seen all kinds of officialdom, and he has much more experience than me. There's only one thing I'm worried about. ”

"What?"

"Do you remember what happened to Fang Xuan?"

Hong Chengchou was not taken aback and said, "Why did Mr. Liu mention this? Do you think I will also have Chen Taoxian's defeat? ”

Liu Zizheng smiled bitterly and replied: "I don't want to mention the word victory or defeat. But Fang Xuan had a great prestige at that time, and he also won the trust of Tang Suzong. Chen Taoxian's defeat was not inevitable. It was only because of the eagerness to win that he failed to hold on to his weight, resulting in a big defeat. If no matter who promotes the war, adults can resist a resistance and delay it, they might as well resist it and drag it out. ”

"For other emperors, sometimes you can use the words 'will be outside, and the king's order will not be affected'. But we are different. We are even more different today. The aspect is handsome, and he should be different; Who would dare to disobey the holy decree? ”

The two smiled bitterly at each other, shook their heads and sighed.

Hong Chengchou said again: "Mr. Liu, the student is really in difficulty, and now he has the king's life, and he can't stay for a long time, and he can't talk freely with Mr. Now there is only one way that can save me from the defeat of Chen Taoxian, and that is to always get the help of my husband. When I can't make a decision, a gentleman will open my mouth when he says something. At this time, I must stay in the army, praise the military affairs, and please do not shirk. After speaking, he immediately got up and took a deep look.

Liu Zizheng hurriedly got up and waved back, and said: "Insulting Lord Meng treats each other with sincerity, and it is too much to praise, which makes Zizheng feel ashamed." Since the defeat of Liaoyang, Zizheng has been fortunate to die nine times and fight his way out of the siege, and the idea of recovering Liao is unforgettable. Helplessly, it backfired, and after running in vain for several years, Liaodong became more and more unable to do anything, so he had to return to Guannai. Zizheng has long been reluctant to care about state affairs, let alone ask more about opportunities. For many years, I knew that I was not in tune with the times, and I had passed this life, and I sent it to the Beijing monk's house, and carefully noted the 'art of war' for future generations. Although Zizheng has some blood left today, he is already a gray-haired old man, his strength has failed, and he can no longer be a Feng woman. When the Lord was insulted, he really didn't dare to obey his fate. ”

Hong Chengchou took a deep look and said, "Sir should not think about students, but also for the sake of national affairs. The safety of the country depends on this war, how can Mr. be indifferent? ”

When Liu Zizheng heard this, he pondered for a moment, tears flowed down his face, and said, "My lord! People are not plants and trees, who can be ruthless. The rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of the husband. If Zizheng has no loyalty to the monarch and patriotism, and lacks enthusiasm, he will never join the army as a teenager, turn to fight outside the country, and be born and died, and is scarred. Shenyang fell, and his wife and daughter were all gone. The reason why Zizheng doesn't want to be a Feng woman anymore is that he has already seen through the government and has long been discouraged about Liao affairs, and he is afraid that even if Zizheng has to serve the lord, he will not hesitate to serve his life, and he may not be able to make up for the actual situation! ”

Where is Hong Chengchou willing to follow, and he tried hard to persuade him to stay, and finally Liu Zizheng can no longer insist on stubbornness. He finally said in a heavy tone:

"I was determined to go back to Beijing. Today, I heard the adult's persuasion so hard, but I can only stay for the time being, and be willing to risk the arrow and follow the adult's left and right. If you have a bad opinion, you will never hide it, and you will wholeheartedly speak for the adults. ”

Hong Chengchou made another gesture and said: "Thank you Mr. for staying, the student will immediately play the Ming court and grant Mr. the official position of praise painting military affairs." ”

Liu shook his head and said: "Don't give me any official position, I am willing to serve in white clothes and engage in planning." As soon as the battle was over, he immediately left the army, returned to the Xishan Buddhist Temple, and continued to annotate the military book. ”

Hong Chengchou knew that this Liu Zizheng was stubborn and not reluctant, so he said: "Okay, it is also a way to ask Mr. to praise military affairs in white." But if Mr. has the title of the imperial court, he is a royal minister, and it is more convenient to speak and do things in the army. Let's not talk about this matter now, wait until Ning Yuan considers it. Also, if he succeeds in the future, the court will reward Mr. heavily. ”

"This is a matter of national safety, why should I ask the court for a reward."

At noon, Hong Chengchou set up a banquet in Chenghai Building to wash Liu Zizheng's dust. Due to the fatigue of the journey for several days, he drank a few more glasses of wine, and after the banquet, Liu slept upstairs for a while. Hong Chengchou slept for a while, and then went to Ninghai City to deal with important matters. When he returned to Chenghai Tower, it was almost dusk.

Before Hong Chengchou returned, Liu Zizheng had woken up and was accompanied by a staff member to eat tea upstairs. He read many inscriptions on the wall, including Sun Chengzong's, Xiong Tingbi's, Yang Sichang's, and Zhang Chun's, all of which reminded him of many past events. He stood silently in front of the song "Man Jianghong" for a long time, his thoughts surging, but he didn't say that this was the word he inscribed. The staff member who accompanied him naturally didn't know. While talking about the poems inscribed on the wall, Hong Chengchou returned with a few staff members. Hong asked Liu to inscribe a poem on the wall. Liu said that he had not done poetry for a long time, only one of the seven uniques of the old days, which was still meaningful, and then picked up the pen and wrote the seven uniques on the wall as follows:

Twenty years of the prancing horse's bow,

Liaoyang's heart is cold.

Monk's window midnight rain,

The book "Combat".

Everyone praised this poem, saying that it was generous and sad, if it weren't for the battle of Liaoyang, there would not be such a deep emotion. Hong Chengchou said: "I feel very emotional, but it's too desolate. He felt that he was about to go out of the customs at present, and Liu Zizheng inscribed this poem, which was a little unlucky, but he did not say it.

That night, during the second watch, Hong Chengchou led the civil and military officials, retinues and soldiers and horses of the standard-making battalion out of the customs. He thought that Liu Zizheng was tired from the journey for several days and was old, so he asked Liu to rest in Chenghai Tower for a few days, and then go to Ningyuan to meet. Liu was indeed tired and suffered from slight dizziness, so he agreed to stay in Chenghai Building for the time being. Hong Chengchou left some soldiers and servants to take care of them in Chenghai Building.

Liu Zizheng has been sending Hong Chengchou out of Dongluo City in Shanhaiguan and to Huanxi Ridge. They immediately looked at the swarthy men and horses in the boundless night, pulled up in a long line, and headed north, Hong Chengchou said:

"I hope that Mr. Liu will take a break in Chenghai Building, and then go to Ningyuan to discuss the opportunity together. When parting tonight, what else does the gentleman have to say? ”

Liu Zizheng said: "I think Zhang Ruoqi will come tomorrow, and he will definitely chase to Ningyuan in the starry night. ”

Hong Chengchou said worriedly: "If Zhang Ruoqi brings the emperor's edict again and urges him to go to war immediately, what can I do? ”

"The imperial court is thousands of miles away, as long as the lord and the prison army negotiate sincerely, no matter what, keep in mind that the importance is the best. If you can hold on to Jianyu for a few months, the strength of his army is exhausted, and it will be easy to win. ”

"I'm afraid the emperor won't wait."

"Alas! I'm worried about adults, too! But I think in a few months, we can wait. ”

"If the situation is unfavorable, the students will have to die!"

When Liu Zizheng heard this, he couldn't help but burst into tears. Hong Chengchou was also sad and sighed deeply. Liu Zizheng no longer sent it away, and immediately rejoiced on the ridge, watching the lanterns and torches of the army winding in the distance, gradually moving away, and the sound of the horses' hooves in the rear team gradually weakened, and finally the wilderness was silent, the night was dark, and occasionally a few dogs barking in the deserted village could be heard.