The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 391 Chaos (5k)

The curtain of the Battle of Fengyang has just fallen.

The curtain of world strife has been raised again.

The distance from Fengyang to the capital is more than two thousand miles.

It took three days for the news of the defeat to reach the capital from the southern country.

I don't know how many post horses died along the way.

On the third day, when the gates of the capital were about to close, the messenger delivering the letter rushed into the city like a whirlwind.

The message was delivered from the messenger's hands all the way to the center.

Forbidden City.

Qianqing Palace.

In the west warm room, the candlelight was dim.

In the warm room, a group of cabinet ministers stood in a row, all with their heads bowed, standing quietly.

In the past, the chief minister Fan Fucui and the second minister Zhang Sizhi both had a seat and were able to sit down and make comments.

But today, no one brought chairs for them in the warm room.

The two men, like other cabinet ministers, were standing in the warm room.

It has been three days since the news of the defeat in Fengyang came.

Chongzhen was half bent over the desk.

His face was frighteningly pale, completely bloodless, and his lips were equally frighteningly white, as if they were white paper.

Illness comes like a mountain down, sickness goes like a thread.

Chongzhen's health was not good.

Last winter, I accidentally caught a cold again.

The medicinal materials needed to treat the disease and maintain health are expensive, and Chongzhen really couldn't bear to spend the money, so he kept dragging it on.

Although the cold had recovered, Chongzhen's health was still showing signs of weakness.

White hair has already grown on his temples, and there are already some wrinkles on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes.

It is hard to imagine that Chongzhen was not even thirty years old.

It is said that the emperor is rich and powerful. Logically, he should be well-dressed and well-fed, and live a life of luxury.

However, after Chongzhen ascended the throne, as the country's finances became increasingly strained and the situation in the world became increasingly difficult, he tried again and again to cut spending in every possible way.

Chongzhen's diet was not extravagant, and many of his clothes were even old clothes. He tried to save as much as possible on food, clothing and other expenses.

"How is Songjin's situation?"

Chongzhen's voice was hoarse, and long-term coughing caused a lot of changes in his voice.

Because of his weakness, his voice sounded weak, even in the warm room.

The eunuchs guarding the pavilion closed the doors and windows.

The howling sound of the wind outside has subsided a lot.

Prime Minister Fan Fucui raised his head. He first glanced at Chongzhen who was sitting in the first seat, and then looked at Zhang Sizhi beside him.

Zhang Sizhi still had his head down, apparently intending to stay out of it.

Fan Fucui sighed inwardly. The southeast was undergoing drastic changes, Liaodong was in crisis, and the north and the south were rising up at the same time.

The country was facing internal and external troubles, and a dark cloud hung over the capital.

It is not a good thing for the emperor to summon you to the warm room late at night.

If there is any mistake in the performance, it will be difficult to escape unscathed.

It is perfectly normal for Zhang Sizhi and others to protect themselves.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Hong Chengchou has led his troops to Ningyuan."

"Xuanfu General Yang Guozhu, Datong General Jiang Ge, Shanhaiguan General Ma Ke, and Miyun General Tang Tong have also been ordered to come to the rescue through Shanhaiguan."

"Now in Liaodong, there are eight garrisons of soldiers and horses, with 130,000 infantry and cavalry."

"Although the Jiannu occupied the outer city of Jinzhou and attacked the inner city many times, they were repelled every time. The inner city is still under the control of our army."

Fan Fucui thought of Hong Chengchou's memorial and sighed in his heart. He paused and hesitated for a long time before deciding.
"Hong Chengchou advised that the Jiannu had great momentum and strong military power, and they were well prepared to besiege Jinzhou this time."

"The Jiannu attack on the city was fake, but destroying the reinforcements was real."

"We should be cautious in this advance. It would be best if we could slowly approach Jinzhou, set up camps step by step, fight and defend at the same time, and don't fight rashly."

After the case, Chongzhen raised his head, his eyes tightly furrowed and full of suspicion.

"The supply in Jinzhou City has been cut off. There is only about two months' worth of food left."

"Set up camps at every step. If we wait until Jinzhou runs out of food and the Jiannu capture Jinzhou, Liaodong will collapse in an instant."

The fact that Liaodong can maintain its current situation today is undoubtedly due to the existence of Zu Dashou.

Chongzhen had complicated feelings towards Zu Dashou.

The Liaodong Group became too powerful to be eliminated and became increasingly warlord-like under the control of Zu Dashou.

He had summoned Zu Dashou many times, but Zu Dashou rarely obeyed his orders.

But it was also Zu Dashou who had been holding on in Liaodong, preventing the Qing army from passing through the Liaodong Corridor, entering Shanhaiguan, and entering the Jingji area.

"Hong Chengchou is well versed in military affairs and has been on the battlefield for many years. During the campaign to support the emperor, he was never heard to be afraid of fighting and retreating."

Fan Fucui's heart sank, but he still spoke up.

"Warfare is a matter of national importance. Hong Chengchou is leading the elite troops from the nine frontiers to meet the enemy. If there is any failure, it will certainly shake the foundation of the country, so we naturally need to be cautious.

"Besides, the Jiannu army is at its peak..."

"Shake the country?"

Before Fan Fucui could finish his words, he was interrupted by Chongzhen in a cold voice.

"Fengyang fell, and the bandit army marched straight into Southern Zhili, occupying Xuzhou, Suzhou, Fengyang, Yinghuo, and approaching the city of Nanjing. Didn't this shake the foundation of the country?"

A sickly blush appeared on Chongzhen's face, and he was forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart.

"Sun Chuanting was defeated in Fengyang and suffered heavy casualties."

"An army of 50,000 soldiers, 50,000 soldiers, were surrounded and annihilated by the rebels!"

"The prime minister appointed by the imperial court was killed by the rebels."

Chongzhen had a cold look on his face, angry eyes, and shouted sternly.

There is chaos on the northeast, southeast and northwest, and it is difficult to stop.

"Li Zicheng in the northwest, plundering everywhere, no one can stop him."

"Zhang Xianzhong marched across Jiangxi, and tens of thousands of troops were helpless against him."

"Which of these things is not likely to shake the foundation of the country?!"

Chongzhen was furious. There was famine in the Central Plains, thousands of miles of barren land, bandits were rampant, and bones were exposed in the wild.

In such a vast country like China, only the southwestern corner is temporarily stable.

"It is my incompetence that has led to such a dire situation."

Fan Fucui knelt on the ground and sighed.

"Your Majesty has just recovered from a serious illness. Please calm down your anger and take care of your health so that we can benefit the country."

Fan Fucui, as the Prime Minister, actually knelt down, and the rest of the ministers and chancellors could no longer pretend to be clay sculptures or wooden carvings.

At that moment, everyone knelt down together and apologized to Chongzhen.

Chongzhen sat at the top, his expression slightly solemn, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say it, and finally he just sighed.

"It's over now. No matter what you say, it can't be undone."

Chongzhen raised his hand, looking very tired.

"Everyone, get up."

Chongzhen sighed.

He didn't understand why everything was getting better in twelve years.

The bandits in the south were pacified, and the northerners were defeated by the Jiannu, winning a great victory at Qingshan Pass.

Why did the situation change so suddenly in just a few years?

The bandits in the south rose up again like a hurricane, and the Qing army in the north gathered hundreds of thousands of people to attack.

The situation in the south worsened, Liaodong was in crisis, the northwest was in chaos, there was famine in the Central Plains, and there was a major epidemic in Hebei. The country was even on the brink of collapse.

"Now that the situation has come to this, how should we deal with it? My dear ministers, do you have any rules?"

The more he thought about it, the more headache Chongzhen felt, so he simply threw the question out directly.

However, the problem was raised, but no one proposed a solution.

After a while, Chongzhen raised his head and looked at the court officials who were bowing their heads in silence. His anger rose again and he spoke in a cold voice.

"What I want is a minister who can handle problems, not a clay sculpture or wooden sculpture!"

Chongzhen's gaze slowly swept across the ministers and finally stopped on the Minister of War Chen Xinjia.

"Chen Xinjia, you go ahead."

Chongzhen called him by his name, obviously angry.

When Chen Xinjia heard his name being called, he sighed inwardly.

He took a step forward, walked out of the queue, and then knelt on the ground.

As a Shangshu, you don't have to kneel down when presenting memorials to the emperor.

But the reason why Chen Xinjia knelt down was to apologize.

"As a subject, I should share your worries, but I am really ashamed, so I dare not reply."

"I am also responsible for the defeat at Fengyang. Your Majesty, please punish me."

Sun Chuanting was recommended by Chen Xinjia. At the beginning, Chen Xinjia vowed that the current situation in the South could only be solved by Sun Chuanting.

He then managed to ensure that Sun Chuanting, who was in prison, would be appointed prime minister.

However, Sun Chuanting suffered a defeat in Fengyang, which led to the fall of Fengyang and further deterioration of the situation in the southeast.

Chen Xinjia naturally has the responsibility of recommendation.

Seeing Chen Xinjia apologizing, Chongzhen's expression eased a little, and he looked at Chen Xinjia with more appreciation in his eyes.

"We will discuss the punishment later. Do you have any suggestions for the current situation?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."

Chen Xinjia bowed again, looking grateful, and then answered.

"Although the situation in the southeast is bad now, it is far from being out of control." Chen Xinjia knelt on the ground, looked to both sides, and said.

"What I have said requires the guidance of maps. Your Majesty, can you order the palace maids to display the maps in the pavilion?"

There was no way Chongzhen would refuse Chen Xinjia's request.

Maps of various places were kept in the palace. Chongzhen himself also checked the maps many times when he was in the palace to check the conditions of various places and understand the basic trends.

Chongzhen's order was passed down, and soon several maps were displayed in the warm room.

There are general maps covering all provinces, as well as maps of each province and place, such as Liaodong, Nanzhili, and Shaanxi.

"Your Majesty, please look here."

Chen Xinjia walked to the map of Nanzhili and pointed to the location of Fengyang.

"On the 21st day of the first lunar month, the bandit army captured Fengyang, and then they marched out in all directions, capturing cities and territories. The most powerful of them, with more than 100,000 men, marched southeast to attack Chuzhou, heading straight for the capital, Nanjing, which was in danger."

What Chen Xinjia said was the latest news from the south, and everyone in the warm room was also aware of these things.

Nanjing frequently sent out calls for emergency help, and the Wanmin Army was at its peak at this time, making people afraid to look at it.

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Once Nanjing fell, the consequences would be truly disastrous.

"The biggest reason for the defeat in Fengyang was the lack of troops to suppress the enemy."

"Earlier, in order to relieve the siege of Fengyang, Your Majesty ordered three provinces to dispatch 50,000 troops to aid Southern Zhili, but the troops from the three provinces were delayed in arriving, so that in the Battle of Fengyang, Sun Chuanting had no choice but to fight against 400,000 bandits with only 30,000 troops."

"But now the troops from the three provinces have entered Nanzhili and arrived in Nanjing."

"Nanjing originally had 20,000 soldiers and horses guarding the city, and now there are 50,000 more troops, and there is also the Yangtze River for defense. The bandit army has no navy and it is difficult to cross the Yangtze River. Therefore, there is no possibility that Nanjing will fall into the hands of the bandits."

Chongzhen looked serious and nodded.

Although Chen Xinjia's words seemed to be an excuse for Sun Chuanting, the defeat in Fengyang could not be blamed entirely on Sun Chuanting.

Chongzhen actually knew Sun Chuanting's difficulties.

A good cook cannot cook without rice. Although Sun Chuanting had many shortcomings, it cannot be said that he was ignorant of military affairs.

When he first took office as governor, he captured and killed Gao Yingxiang. He went north to support the emperor and defeated the Jiannu. When he took office as commander-in-chief in the south, he suppressed the rebellion in Hebei.

Even in the defeat at Fengyang, the enemy had already done their best and killed and wounded many of them.

"The Wanzejun army now occupies Fengyang, Suzhou, and Xuzhou, and has joined forces with the five camps of the Gezuo in Yingshan and Huoshan districts, with a total of 400,000 soldiers. It seems to be very powerful, but in fact it is still a rootless duckweed."

"Chen Aiqing, what do you mean by that?"

Chongzhen was a little confused. The situation in the southeast was obviously extremely bad, but from Chen Xinjia's words, it was still under control.

"The bandit army was able to march across southern Zhili, firstly because of their large numbers, and secondly because of the dry winter."

"Southern Zhili is densely populated with waterways. When the spring flood season arrives, the river water will rise and the waterways will be unobstructed."

"Our navy can reach all places directly and easily cut off the connection between Xuzhou, Suzhou and Fengyang."

Chongzhen's expression relaxed slightly. Hearing that the southeast could be saved and there was a way to defeat the Wanmin Army, he was no longer worried.

Chen Xinjia naturally noticed the change in Chongzhen's expression, and immediately said with full confidence.

"The army of ten thousand bandits has more than 400,000 soldiers, including the old, weak, women and children, totaling 240,000 people."

The military statistics came from the reconnaissance of the advancing troops, while the number of the elderly, the weak, women and children was based on the statistics when they were captured.

"There are more than 600,000 people, and the daily consumption of food for people and horses is huge. In addition, the number of people in the occupied areas is as high as one million."

"The reason why the thirty-six battalions of bandits roamed around in the past was, firstly, to avoid the imperial court's troops and horses, and secondly, to search for food and supplies to fill their stomachs."

One thing that makes the Wanmin Army different from the original 36 camps of bandits is that the bandits were mostly cavalry, while the Wanmin Army was mostly infantry, so they had a different mobility.

The second is that the Wanmin Army attempted to establish a separatist regime, while the bandits only wanted to survive.

“Therefore, after the beginning of spring, the bandit army will be in trouble for food and fodder.”

"In order to obtain food and fodder, we must take the initiative to attack and plunder food."

"Our army can use defense as offense. We only need to limit the expansion of the Ten Thousand Bandits Army. In less than a few months, the Ten Thousand Bandits Army will create chaos and collapse without a fight."

Chongzhen's brows relaxed, as if a huge stone had fallen from his heart, but he still had doubts.

"The bandit army is now at its peak. It will not be easy to resist them."

Chongzhen paused, frowned again, and said.

"Also, I have heard that the rebels have occupied the Ying and Huo Mountains and often harassed the surrounding areas, looting food and property. If the rebel army came out from Ying and Huo..."

Chen Xinjia shook his head and replied.

"Your Majesty, please be at ease. It is not easy for the Wan Bandit Army to escape from Yingshan and Huoshan areas now."

Chongzhen's eyes moved slightly and he asked in confusion.

"Why do you say that, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Xinjia moved aside a little, pointed at the Yinghuo Mountain area and answered.

"Three days ago, on the 22nd, Henan General Chen Yongfu sent a message of victory."

"The elite troops of the Wan Bandits were all concentrated in the Fengyang area. Chen Yongfu led his troops to attack and recovered many important passes in the western part of Yingshan and Huoshan districts, and broke through many camps of the former Left Fifth Battalion."

"Therefore, it is no longer an easy road for the Wanze Army to go south to Ying and Huo to capture the local areas."

"What a great Chen Yongfu!"

Chongzhen looked slightly relieved.

He had been hearing bad news all along, and finally he heard some good news, which naturally made him feel a lot better.

"I remember that in the previous battle of Kaifeng, Chen Yongfu and Chen Wang worked together from inside and outside to defeat the bandit army."

"Your Majesty remembers it well."

Chen Xinjia lowered his head and said.

"good very good."

Chongzhen's face finally showed some relaxation, and his originally stern voice softened a lot.

"In front of us was Chen Wang, and in the back was Chen Yongfu, both were loyal ministers and good generals of our Ming Dynasty."

"Chen Yongfu has made great contributions in recovering lost territory and defeating the bandits, so he should be rewarded as a token of appreciation to the three armies."

Chongzhen naturally remembered Chen Wang.

"General Chen Wang, the bandit-suppressing general, has always been loyal to the country. Although he suffered a defeat in Fengyang this time, he should not be blamed too much."

The report sent to Fengyang also described the course of the battle.

Finally, Sun Chuanting's troops were trapped in Shiniushan Mountain, and it was Chen Wangbing who took a risky move and rescued Sun Chuanting.

Afterwards, Chen Wang led the troops to the rear and repelled the Wanmin Army that tried to pursue them, thus avoiding a complete defeat.

Chongzhen still remembered the time when he summoned all the generals on the platform.

Chen Wang stood in the crowd, standing upright like a sword, with a dignified appearance, majestic demeanor, and respectful words, which gave him a very good impression.

Most importantly, Chongzhen saw a temperament in Chen Wang and the soldiers he led that was different from others - vitality.

Compared with the gloomy dejection of others, Chen Wang seemed so energetic.

However, young people in their twenties are indeed at an age full of vigor and vitality.

Chongzhen's mood calmed down a little, but soon, an unspeakable sadness surged into his heart.

Yes.

Young people in their twenties are at an age full of vigor and vitality.

but why.

Why is he also in his twenties?

But it is full of decadence and lacks the vitality.

Chongzhen closed his eyes.

He recalled what he saw in the mirror when he woke up early this morning.

What he saw was not the face of a young man.

But it was a face with premature graying hair and a tired look.

When he ascended the throne in the past, he was clearly so vigorous and heroic.

Want to sweep away the decadence and revive the country.

only……

nowadays……

Chongzhen opened his eyes.

The Zhongji Palace before him was no longer the magnificent one that it had been when he ascended the throne.

Instead, it was the dimly lit and deserted West Warm Pavilion.

"His Majesty……"

Chen Xinjia called out cautiously, pulling Chongzhen's somewhat confused thoughts back to reality.

Chongzhen looked at Chen Xinjia who was not far in front of him. He saw that Chen Xinjia's face was also tired, and he also saw that Chen Xinjia's official uniform was a little worn.

Even though he was used to seeing all kinds of political affairs, he couldn't help but be moved.

The position of Minister of War is not a good job nowadays, and many people even avoid it like the plague.

Chen Xinjia did not refuse at all, and it can even be said that he took the initiative to assume this responsibility.

The current situation is even more difficult, and most of the ministers in the court are just standing by and watching, trying to protect themselves.

However, Chen Xinjia is still willing to take responsibility and share the country's worries.

This also made Chongzhen, who had always felt lonely since the death of Yang Sichang, feel a little warm.

Although Chen Xinjia is far less capable than Yang Sichang.

But now in the court, the only people he can trust and who are willing to serve the country are Chen Xinjia and a few others.

"The country is in trouble and the situation is difficult. Thank you for your hard work these days."

Chongzhen sighed softly, his voice became much softer, and he spoke with concern.

Chen Xinjia paused, he could feel the concern in Chongzhen's words.

Even though he has been in the officialdom for many years, he has already experienced a lot of human nature and worldly affairs.

But when I suddenly heard a voice of concern, I still couldn't help but feel shaken.

Looking at the thin Emperor Chongzhen sitting behind his desk.

Chen Xinjia couldn't help but burst into tears.

At this moment, he no longer thought about his own gains and losses, nor did he think about his own career.

What we do have is a sincere heart to serve our country.

"Your Majesty has shown such great kindness and trust in me. I will do my best to repay you, even at the cost of my life!"