The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 357 Sichuan
In the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, on the seventh day of June, it rained heavily.

The mountain wind is howling and cold as water, and the trees and pines are humming in the heavy rain.

The raindrops falling from the sky almost formed a line, and the rain poured down from the sky overwhelmingly like the sky had collapsed.

In Kuizhou Prefecture, Sichuan, on the outskirts of Dazhou, there is the Ming Army camp.

Although the Ming army's camp was vast, it was nothing compared to the mighty power of heaven and earth.

In the swaying wind and rain, the Ming army's camp was as small as a small boat in the sky.

Yang Sichang stood in front of the tent, staring at the pouring rain in front of him.

His face was pale and sickly, and there was worry between his eyebrows.

He is no longer as high-spirited and confident as he used to be in the capital.

From north to south, from south to Sichuan, fighting all the way, Yang Sichang had already been exhausted.

Yang Sichang turned his head and looked to his side. The person who came was Wan Yuanji, who was his staff.

Luo Rucai surrendered in early April.

A cloak covered Yang Sichang's body.

Yang Sichang felt even more pressured by Chongzhen's high expectations and trust.

Although Zhang Xianzhong is still on the run, his troops are few.

"The cabinet department is definitely not a fruitless battle. Luo Rucai has surrendered and accepted reorganization. Now only Zhang Xianzhong is still on the run."

This is why Zhang Xianzhong was able to frequently jump out of the encirclement net, but to this day there is no way to capture him.

"Gebu, please take a rest."

Yang Sichang slowly shook his head and rejected Wan Yuanji's proposal.

The rain was falling continuously, the wind was blowing and the air was cold, and Yang Sichang looked heavy.

Even though he frequently failed in his campaigns, Chongzhen still chose to believe in him. Even if there were fierce discussions in the court, he still fought against all opinions.

Luo Rucai, who surrendered this time, no longer had the same great autonomy in Fang County as before, but accepted reorganization like Liu Guoneng who surrendered before.

Yang Sichang was exhausted, and the situation in the South was far more difficult than he expected.

His expression was gloomy, his eyes were helpless, and he sighed.

It is difficult to repay such kindness even if I am devastated.

Officials in local prefectures and prefectures often shirk orders, and the troops in various towns and camps are a mixed bag of good and bad.

"I bear the great trust of the emperor. It has been eight months since I left the capital, but the long battle has been fruitless. The five battalions of Zhang Xianzhong, Li Zicheng, and Gezuo still exist. Not long ago, another incident occurred in Henan, Luoyang fell, and Prince Fu suffered..."

The situation in Kawauchi today is undoubtedly much better than before.

However, the situation in the southern country is getting worse now.

It is always difficult for plans to keep up with changes. There are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom, and there are many generals and officials at the bottom who work hard but do not contribute.

The dramatic changes in Henan, the death of King Fu, and the criticism from all over the court made Yang Sichang mentally tortured.

Moreover, the possibility of Luo Rucai's rebellion and surrender is extremely small.

Luo Rucai and Zhang Xianzhong had turned against each other because of the previous encirclement and suppression.

Zhang Xianzhong abandoned Luo Rucai, betrayed his trust, used Luo Rucai as a bait to lure the main force of officers and soldiers into the suppression, and fled into Sichuan alone.

This matter has been confirmed.

During these days, Luo Rucai also joined the battle to pursue Zhang Xianzhong's troops.

When Luo Rucai led the troops in pursuit, he actually had several fights with Zhang Xianzhong. You must know that in today's towns, except for the native soldiers of Shizhu and the men who are as fierce as tigers, the rest of the camps and towns are mostly inactive and cannot be controlled at all.

The most arrogant among them is Zuo Liangyu, who always refuses to listen to orders.

"Although Li Zicheng and Ge Zuo's Fifth Battalion still exist, they are no longer a threat."

Wan Yuanji looked slightly solemn and said in a deep voice.

"Li Zicheng is now trapped in the western part of Shaanxi by Governor Zheng, and the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo is also trapped in the Yinghuo Mountain Area by Lu Jianjun, unable to move. He has already had the idea of ​​​​Zhao'an. It won't be long before the problems of these two units can be resolved. solve."

"That side of Henan..."

Wan Yuanji paused and then said.

"Li Xianfeng's incompetence caused the civil unrest in Henan to become more serious, and it was not the fault of the cabinet. Luoyang fell and Prince Fu was in trouble. All of this happened too fast and was unpredictable."

"The army of ten thousand thieves is fierce and completely different from the rogue bandits. The Henan Civil Revolution and the Shaanxi Civil War want to go far."

"But now the Henan Civil War has been suppressed. The rebel army was defeated by Chen Wang outside Kaifeng City and suffered heavy losses. Now they have fled into Guide Mansion, surrounded on all sides, and have no way out."

"According to Chen Wang's ability, I think it won't take long to wipe out the army of thieves and resolve the turmoil in Henan."

When Wan Yuanji mentioned Chen Wang, Yang Sichang's frown finally relaxed a little.

When he first heard the news that Luoyang had fallen and King Fu was in trouble, he felt as if the world was falling apart.

The civil unrest intensified and he lost his vassal. Each of them was a crime that could cause him to lose his official position, and each of them was a fault that could lead to criticism.

Thinking of this, Yang Sichang's heart became even heavier.

Because Yang Sichang in Sichuan did not wait for Chongzhen's reprimanding edict, but instead waited for Chongzhen's secret edict to comfort him.

During the court meeting, Chongzhen rejected the impeachment of all courtiers, and all the edicts of criticism were not issued by Chongzhen.

All this made Yang Sichang feel even more guilty. He felt that he had failed Chongzhen's trust.

If Chen Wang had not returned to Kaifeng in time to rescue him, I am afraid that Kaifeng City would also have fallen, and the King of Qin might also have suffered.

What's even more serious is that once Kaifeng City is the seat of the Chief Secretary of Henan, once it falls, the entire world will be shaken.

You must know that since the Shaanxi Civil War began, no matter how ferocious and violent the riots were, the important city where the Chief Secretary was located has not fallen.

If Kaifeng falls, the King of Qin will also be in trouble, and even Chongzhen will no longer be able to deal with the fierce court discussions.

Fortunately, Chen Wang then rushed thousands of miles to help Kaifeng. He not only won the battle of Kaifeng, but also severely damaged the army of thousands of thieves, and regained the lost land of Luoyang Mansion.

The army of ten thousand thieves is now trapped in Guide Mansion and cannot cause much trouble for the time being.

"If it weren't for the serious casualties of Henan's troops and horses, relying on Chen Wang's ability, the army of ten thousand thieves would have been destroyed long ago."

Yang Sichang's eyes were cold, and his resentment towards Li Xianfeng deepened in his heart.

Recalling the previous arrangements, Yang Sichang actually felt a little lucky now.

While still in Huguang, he discovered that something was wrong with the situation in Henan. After careful consideration, he gave up the idea of ​​letting Chen Wang pursue Luo Rucai into Sichuan and sent Chen Wang north to assist Henan.

This move was indeed played in the right place. Chen Wang fought beautifully in several battles in Henan.

Even if it weren't for the shortage of food and grass among state and county officials, Luoyang might not have fallen.

Yang Sichang let out a long sigh, and the slightest mistake made him miss a thousand miles.

Local corruption is almost inevitable.

Just like he mobilized his troops to surround Zhang Xianzhong, Zhang Xianzhong was always able to find weak points and successfully escape.

Yang Sichang raised his head and looked at the outside world where it was raining heavily.

According to the news from Fierce Tiger yesterday, he led his troops to pursue Zhang Xianzhong all the way. Counting the time now, he should have almost joined the battle...