The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 392 National Player
After the defeat in Fengyang, the Ming army retreated all the way until they reached Shangqiu, Guide Prefecture, Henan, where they stopped.

Originally, Sun Chuanting wanted to retreat to Mengcheng, northwest of Fengyang Prefecture.

However, the army lacked food and clothing, and had no pay, and suffered a disastrous defeat.

The army has no will to fight, the generals have no heart to fight, and the atmosphere is gloomy and gloomy.

Except for the Hanzhong army, whose flags and drums were relatively orderly and morale was still acceptable, the troops in other towns were all complaining.

So Sun Chuanting had no choice but to lead his troops to continue retreating northward until they reached Shangqiu.

Only after receiving supplies in Shangqiu were the soldiers able to regain some of their morale.

The only good news was that everyone had thought that the emperor would be furious and many people would lose their official positions.

However, the document from the Ministry of War did not contain much harsh criticism.

However, including Sun Chuanting, a group of battalion officers and generals were demoted by one level, fined for half a year, and continued to handle the affairs of suppressing bandits while serving their sentence.

The military salaries that had been delayed for a long time were finally paid in part, although not in full.

The pensions were also distributed, but as usual, only half of the prescribed amount.

The remaining half will be distributed later, but that is mostly empty talk.

The issue of wage arrears has existed for a long time, and everyone has long been accustomed to it.

If the imperial court really paid all the unpaid wages one day, the soldiers in various towns would probably panic.

Because this means that a bloody battle is probably just around the corner.

such as.

Liaodong now.

Thirteen thousand troops from eight towns went out of the pass to rush to Jinzhou for support.

The imperial court compensated them for the wages they had been owed.

Outside Shangqiu city.

The Ming army's camps were distributed along the river, stretching for several miles.

Sun Chuanting did not lead his troops into Shangqiu City.

A group of hungry remnants of defeated soldiers, who had been suppressed for a long time, were brought into the city like this, and the consequences were difficult to control.

"On the 22nd, Wuhe and Dingyuan had already fallen."

"The bandit army attacked from two sides, one heading southeast and the other heading northeast."

"The Southeast Bandits had only one route, with 100,000 soldiers and horses. On the 23rd, they broke through Qingliu Pass and entered Chuzhou. The leader was Li Jiyu, a general under Li Yan."

"Report on the 24th: A small group of cavalrymen from the Wan Bandit Army invaded the north of Nanjing, causing a stir in the south of the Yangtze River."

"The reinforcements from the three provinces were stationed around Nanjing, temporarily protecting it. However, the Wanthief Army won a great victory in Fengyang, and their momentum was overwhelming. The morale of the towns in Nanjing was low, and they dared not engage in battle with them."

Inside the central military tent, Fang Guoan stood in front of the sand table and told Sun Chuanting about the changes that had taken place in the southeast.

"The Northeastern bandit army has three routes, each with tens of thousands of soldiers and horses."

"The first route left Xuzhou, attacked Suining, crossed the Yellow River, passed Suqian, and intended to join forces with Wang Jun of Shandong. The leader of the troops was Yuan Shichu."

"The second route will go out from Suzhou and Lingbi and attack Hong County. The leaders are Waguanzi and Yidougu."

"The third route will be from Fengyang and Linhuai to attack Xuyi. The leaders will be He Jin, the Prince of Zuojin, and He Yilong, the Geliyan."

Sun Chuanting stood at the top, overlooking the sand table in front of him.

"Wang Jun of Shandong also led his army southward. Judging from his marching route, he probably wanted to join forces with the Wanze Army in Nanzhili."

The defeat at Fengyang changed Sun Chuanting a lot.

The most significant change is that Sun Chuanting's eyes no longer show the sharpness as before, but have become much more restrained.

"Xuzhou is still guarded by Luo Tai and Liu Jianyi, while Suzhou is guarded by Liu Xiyao, the King of Change, and Lin Yangcheng, the King of Chaos. Li Yan will lead the army to guard Fengyang."

"According to our spies, the bandit army has occupied the prefectures and counties, opened the warehouses to release grain, bought people's hearts, distributed land, and recruited soldiers to expand the army and recruited military craftsmen to make weapons."

Fang Guoan paused and looked at the letter in his hand, wondering whether he should continue reading.

Sun Chuanting waved his hand and stopped Fang Guoan from reading any further.

He knew what was going to happen next in the letter.

Opening the granaries and releasing grain would attract hungry people.

The distribution of land can make any ordinary farmer crazy.

Land annexation in Southern Zhili was more serious than that in Shaanxi.

In Shaanxi, many people still have their own farmland.

But in Nanzhili, the rich truly had fields stretching for miles, while the poor had no place to stand.

The land either belongs to princes and nobles or to merchants and local tycoons.

For ordinary people, it is rare to have a few acres of land.

Li Yan's move will undoubtedly drive many people in Nanzhili crazy.

The current Wanmin Army is stronger than before the Battle of Fengyang.

More than 30,000 officers and soldiers surrendered, all of whom were trained regular troops.

After many days of siege, only veterans who had experienced bloody battles remained.

After capturing Fengyang, the Wanmin Army gained a greater benefit and obtained a large number of much-needed military equipment, which resolved the urgent problem of insufficient military equipment.

The strength of the Wanmin Army is now unprecedentedly strong.

Sun Chuanting stared at the sand table in front of him with a serious expression.

"wrong……"

Sun Chuanting's voice was very soft, but everyone in the central military tent still heard it.

Chen Wang stood beside Sun Chuanting, his eyes moving slightly as he looked at the sand table.

Fang Guoan pondered for a moment and said hesitantly.

"This information has been confirmed by many parties, so it shouldn't be..."

"I'm not saying the news is wrong."

Sun Chuanting shook his head and raised his hand to stop Fang Guoan from speaking any further.

"All of you should withdraw. The atmosphere in the army is a bit low right now. Go back to your camps and appease the soldiers first."

Fang Guoan stopped talking and turned to look at Hu Dawei beside him.

Hu Dawei stood up silently, clasped his fists and bowed to Sun Chuanting, then turned and left.

The same goes for Xiao Shending and Zheng Jiadong. Their pace is even faster than Hu Dawei.

Fang Guoan's eyes turned and finally fell on Chen Wang.

Chen Wang also said nothing, but just looked at the sand table a few more times, then turned around and left.

Fang Guoan put down the letter in his hand and also clasped his hands and left.

"Chen Wang, you stay."

When Sun Chuanting shouted, Chen Wang and Hu Dawei had already walked to the tent door.

Since Sun Chuanting had given the order, Chen Wang naturally had to obey. He bowed to the few people and stopped.

"Prime Minister."

Chen Wang returned to the sand table.

Chen Wang knew that Sun Chuanting had dismissed everyone and kept him alone, so he must have something to say to him.

Sun Chuanting stared at the sand table in front of him, his brows furrowed, and asked in a serious tone.

"What do you think is the purpose of the 10,000 bandit troops' actions?"

Following Sun Chuanting's vision, Chen Wang also set his eyes on the sand table.

The movements of the Wanmin Army were no secret, and large-scale military mobilizations could not be concealed at all.

Chen Wang also had some guesses about Li Yan's purpose.

But the question is, to what extent should we talk about it?

Chen Wang frowned slightly and thought quickly.

He didn't have much time, and if he thought about it for too long, it might arouse unnecessary suspicion from Sun Chuanting.

From observing Sun Chuanting during this period, Sun Chuanting might have already realized what he had done.

This is not good news. Whether to hide one's weakness is the key point Chen Wang is considering now.

"There is no food stored in Fengyang. It will be difficult for the bandit army to get supplies after capturing Fengyang. It will be difficult to feed the army with only the food and grass around Suzhou and Xuzhou."

"When the grain supply route was cut off, the Wanmin Army obtained a batch of grain from our army, but that grain was still not enough to feed the army..."

Chen Wang watched the changes in Sun Chuanting's expression with his peripheral vision, and slowly spoke, analyzing the current situation first.

"go on."

Sun Chuanting's expression did not change, and he continued to stare at the sand table.

"The bandit army divided its troops into four groups and launched a massive attack. One of their purposes should be to seize food and supplies to the army..."

Chen Wangqian moved closer to the sand table.

The still sand table flows slowly in his eyes.

The directions of attack and possible actions of the four-way Wanmin Army were constantly changing before Chen Wang's eyes.

After quick thinking, Chen Wang's originally blurry vision gradually became clear, and he understood the purpose of Sun Chuanting's test.

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Chen Wang stopped talking, took the command whip placed on a plate, and pointed it at the sand table.

"Li Yan has a clear mind, is thoughtful, has a stable personality, and always makes plans before taking action."

"After conquering Luoyang, even though they had hundreds of thousands of troops, they still made a decisive decision to abandon their position."

Luoyang is a major city in the Central Plains and the ancient capital of nine dynasties.

When Luoyang was captured, the Wanmin Army was at its peak.

However, Li Yan did not take advantage of the situation to establish his own regime. Instead, he immediately turned eastward after capturing Luoyang.

"Whether it was the capture of Luoyang or Fengyang, Li Yan did not stay in the palace, but stayed in the military camp."

"Li Yan is cautious in his use of troops. This time, the bandit army marched all the way to the southeast and headed straight for Nanjing, which is extremely unusual."

"So, the whole journey to Nanjing was to confuse the enemy."

Chen Wang pointed in the direction of Nanjing City and said affirmatively.

"Although the Wanzejun army is the most powerful in the southeast, and its leader is their trusted general Li Jiyu, it is just a trick to divert attention."

If the Wanmin Army attacks Nanjing, Nanjing will inevitably be in a state of emergency, and the Ming court will inevitably come to the rescue, which will inevitably require a lot of energy.

And this is exactly the effect that the Ten Thousand People's Army wants.

The political significance of attacking Nanjing far outweighs its military significance.

The appearance of most of the Wanmin Army on the north bank of Nanjing will make the nobles and ministers of Southern Zhili even more frightened and further suppress the morale of the reinforcements.

Nanjing, as the secondary capital, would undoubtedly cause a huge response if one day a rebellious army approached the city.

This was confirmed when a small group of cavalry from the Wanmin Army arrived at the north of Nanjing.

"The real purpose of the Wanze Army is in the east."

Chen Wang shifted his gaze and headed east.

It finally landed on the sand table, on a large river running from south to north - the Grand Canal!

"Li Yan's goal is the canal, the canal transportation, and the millions of canal workers on both sides of the canal!"

Chen Wang put down the whip in his hand. Li Yan seemed to be conquering cities and expanding his territory normally, but in fact he was plotting to build the Grand Canal.

food.

There is no shortage of that in the South.

There is little food in the north, and often supplies are needed from the south.

Every year, a large number of grain ships travel northward through the canal directly to the capital.

I have to say that Li Yan's plan is truly shocking.

All of Li Yan's actions reveal his foresight.

It is not good news that the rebel leader is farsighted.

Chen Wang stopped talking and turned to look at Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting was seen with his brows furrowed and his expression solemn.

Chen Wang knew that Sun Chuanting had indeed seen this as well.

And his answer was also the answer Sun Chuanting wanted to hear.

"Li Yan, Li Yan..."

Sun Chuanting sighed softly.

"The southern country is densely networked with waterways, and Li Yan has no navy. He knows that when the water level rises in the spring, our army can use boats to march."

"This time, the three armies marched all the way to the canal, attacking instead of defending. They are truly masters of their craft."

The people's army marched in and brought the battlefield to the canal.

In order to ensure the smooth flow of water transport and the safety of the canal.

The navy of Southern Zhili and other provinces had to be concentrated on the main arteries of the canal.

Northern Zhili is now facing disasters again, with epidemics rampant and harvests completely destroyed in many places. Without grain transported from the south, collapse is imminent.

The Battle of Songjin was about to break out. The 130,000 soldiers in the eight towns all needed food and fodder supplies, which would be impossible to supply only by relying on the nine borders.

Therefore, the safety of water transport must be ensured no matter what.

In this way, the place currently occupied by the Ten Thousand Nations Army is actually safe.

"Natural disasters continue, and it's hard to find a livelihood. Millions of canal workers on both sides of the canal are poor people trying to make a living. If the bandit army approaches the canal, I'm afraid..."

Chen Wang narrowed his eyes and said in a cold voice.

Li Yan's move revitalized the entire Wanmin Army.

The life of the canal workers was miserable, and the bandit army was now on the rise. They opened the granaries to release grain, distributed land, and if they raised their arms and called for help, I'm afraid countless people would follow them.

The canal workers are hardworking, organized and disciplined, making them the best soldiers.

If Li Yan really gets close to both sides of the canal and recruits millions of canal workers, I am afraid he will be able to build up a momentum that will sweep the world.

"so."

Sun Chuanting looked serious, raised his head, and slapped the sand table heavily, concluding the conversation.

"We must not let the bandit army get close to the canal!"

Sun Chuanting's eyes flickered, and after thinking for a long time, he finally spoke.

"Chen Wang."

Chen Wang stood next to Sun Chuanting.

Chen Wang saw every move of Sun Chuanting.

"The end will be here."

Chen Wang slowly clasped his fists and replied.

Chen Wang had already anticipated what Sun Chuanting was going to say next.

It is precisely because of this that Chen Wang now finds it difficult to control himself.

Chen Wang could even feel his own heart beating.

"Now the strategic focus of the Wanze Army is in the east, I must go to Shandong to take charge."

"But Li Yan is still in Fengyang, and the Wanze army may suddenly turn to attack the west."

Sun Chuanting turned around, looked at Chen Wang and said solemnly.

"I will leave all the troops in Henan to you to manage."

"Your mission is to defend Yingzhou and Haozhou and cut off the bandit army's route to the west."

"If it is allowed, it would be best to send troops to harass Suzhou and Fengyang to contain the strength of the Wanze Army."

Chen Wang forced himself to suppress the excitement in his heart.

Things turned out just as he expected.

The Wanmin Army's plan to move eastward toward the canal forced Sun Chuanting to turn to Shandong.

This means that his autonomy will be further expanded.

Sun Chuanting's last words meant that he no longer needed to find excuses to mobilize troops from Henan.

From now on, it will be legitimate to mobilize troops!
(End of this chapter)