Paper Maker: This is the end of the Ming Dynasty in Liaozhai

Chapter 167 The Tragic Chongzhen

The next day, two groups of armies left Jinan Mansion, headed north all the way to Zouping, and all the way south to Feicheng.

...

Naturally, such a big movement in Jinan Prefecture cannot be concealed from others. Three days later, the information of Jinan Prefecture was placed on the case of Wang Congyi and Yang Guodong.

"It's still here."

Holding the information, Wang Congyi sighed. Although he had expected it, but things really developed in the direction he least wanted to see, Wang Congyi was still a little disappointed. In this way, he might be questioned by the court for the fall of other counties.

After a moment of silence, Wang Congyi asked: "Mr. Yang, can you send some troops to prevent the rebels from taking other counties?"

He still didn't want to just sit around and wait for death. If possible, it would be a good idea to allocate some troops to stop him.

"Disaster!"

Yang Guodong shook his head and said: "The soldiers and horses have not moved, and the food and grass go first. If you want to stop the opponent, you need at least twice as many troops. The winter food has been confiscated by the rebels. The counties only have a small amount of food for the guards. If we want to send people there, we must transport food, and we can only support Feicheng and Tai'an Prefecture, Wuding Prefecture is too risky."

Support is not impossible, but it can only be supported in Feicheng and Tai'an Prefecture. These two places are close to Yanzhou Prefecture. You can go to Yanzhou Prefecture, and the other side has to pass through the sphere of influence of Jinan Prefecture. The risk is too great.

Of course, more importantly, they don't have much food, and they can't bear the consumption. Now their food and grass are transported from the capital to Linqing Prefecture by canal waterway. If they want to transport it to Wuding Prefecture, then They have to go by land, and a large number of peasants and livestock will be used to go by land, which will make their little food worse.

"Then keep Tai'an Prefecture and Feicheng."

After thinking for a while, Wang Congyi gritted his teeth and said, "Especially in Tai'an Prefecture, where Mount Tai is located. If Su Hao and those traitorous officials and thieves are allowed to hold a Zen ceremony at Mount Tai, we will all be unable to bear it."

Although since Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty conferred Zen, the reputation of the Taishan Conferring Ceremony has been as bad as shit, and no emperor is willing to mobilize people to hold the Conferring Ceremony, but the power of this Conferring Ceremony belongs to the emperor after all, and it is his business that the emperor does not want to hold it , but does not allow others to get involved.

If Su Hao were to stay in Mount Tai for the entire ceremony, his and Yang Guodong's heads would probably have to be moved!
"I'll make arrangements right now."

Hearing this, Yang Guodong nodded his head. Although Su Hao is a bit difficult to control now, to Da Ming, it's just scabies. As soon as this year's summer grain arrives, the canal will be opened again, and the current shortage of grain will be alleviated. The imperial court can recruit soldiers wantonly, and the combat power of the recruited soldiers is much stronger than that of the guards. At that time, Su Hao will be a grasshopper after autumn, and he won't be able to jump for a long time.

If Tai'an Prefecture falls into Su Hao's hands, who knows if Su Hao will go crazy when he is in a desperate situation, come to Taishan to enshrine Zen, and have a taste of the emperor's addiction. At that time, he and Wang Congyi will definitely be questioned.

.........

On the other side, Feicheng County.

At this time, flags were flying outside the county seat, and tens of thousands of troops were displayed outside the county seat. On the city wall, Shang Qianxiangyong looked at the army below the city with envy in his eyes. They don't have to do corvée, and they still have a monthly salary of more than one tael, and I heard that these people eat meat at home, and they can still eat it two or three times a month.

As for the same soldiers, their monthly salary is less than one tael of silver, and the last time they ate meat, they can't remember it was a few years ago.

At the Central Army Department, Jiang Shizhong looked at the city wall, and said to the general beside him, "Wang Fei, I asked you to send the letter to those rich and powerful families in the city, but have you delivered it?"

Wang Fei hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Back to Baihu, it has been delivered."

"That's good."

Jiang Shizhong nodded, the best strategy is to attack the heart, and the worst strategy is to attack the city. If you want to attack the city, a brutal attack is the most stupid. It doesn't matter if the soldiers suffer heavy casualties. It's difficult.

"Have someone shout under the city wall."

After thinking for a while, Jiang Shizhong continued.

"Yes!"

Wang Fei clapped his hands in agreement, and then went down to make arrangements.

Soon, hundreds of strong men approached the city wall under the cover of shields, and finally stopped more than ten feet away from the city wall.

On the top of the city tower, Zeng Chun, the magistrate, looked at the army below the city with a solemn expression. Now there are only a thousand soldiers in the city. It may not be easy to defend the city.

"Brothers on the city wall, my family's thousands of households have said that as long as they are willing to join the cataract, each person will be given two acres of land, five taels of silver, three people will be exempted from corvee, and ten acres of land tax will be exempted!"

At this time, hundreds of strong men under the city wall raised their voices and shouted at the same time, and the loud voice immediately resounded within a radius of hundreds of feet.

Hearing this loud voice, the eyes of the village warriors on the city wall showed emotion. For them, being a soldier is to eat food. Whoever eats food is not food. As for loyalty to the emperor, it is those high-ranking officials. The business of the gentlemen has nothing to do with these ants and small people.

"Fire arrows!"

"Fight the arrows!"

Seeing this scene, Zeng Chun shouted hastily, and at the same time reached out and snatched the bows and arrows from the soldiers beside him, bent the bow and put the arrows on and shot towards the city.

It's just that under the cover of the shield, the sharp arrow pierced the shield without any effect at all.

"Fight the arrows!"

Seeing that there was still no one shooting arrows, Zeng Chun roared again, and at the same time drew out his sword with a bang.

Seeing this, the soldiers around Zeng Chun could only shoot bows and arrows reluctantly, but the strength and accuracy cannot be said to be non-existent, but they can only be said to be better than nothing.

I saw twenty or thirty arrows shooting out crookedly, most of them fell to the ground when they couldn't reach the positions of the strong men, and some of them shot tens of feet away from the heads of the strong men. fly over.

Seeing this scene, Zeng Chun's heart was instantly chilled. In Xiangyong's situation, he still wanted to defend the city, what a fart!

"Chen Dianshi, take a few trustworthy people and guard the city gate. I'll go find those big households in the city and ask them to help appease Xiangyong."

After thinking for a while, Zeng Chun gritted his teeth and said, in this case, we can only go to those rich and powerful families in the city. They helped to recruit these Xiangyongs.

Hearing Zeng Chun's words, Chen Fu nodded quickly and said, "Don't worry, the county lord, I will lead people to guard the city gate."

The news that Su Hao likes to let rich and powerful families kill officials to hand over the certificates has long been spread. Almost all the big and small officials in Jinan and Dongchang were killed. Once Feicheng is destroyed, among other things, the first to die It's them.

After walking down the city wall, Zeng Chun hastily sent several confidantes to invite the heads of the rich and powerful families in the city.

Outside the city, Jiang Shizhong looked happy and said loudly: "Wang Fei, let people go to the other city walls to shout, and then prepare to attack the city!"

"Yes!"

Wang Fei nodded in response, and then went down to make arrangements.

...

After a while, the war drums rumbled, and a large number of soldiers approached the city wall under the cover of wooden chariots and shields with sacks filled with soil on their backs. At the same time, several ladders nearly two feet high followed closely behind. It is not a heavy city, the height of the city wall is only one foot and two.

"Fire the gun!"

Seeing that the enemy had approached a hundred feet away, the county magistrate Wang Zhen hurriedly yelled.

But at this time, Xiangyong on the city wall had no intention of fighting at all. No one would be so stupid to give up hundreds of taels of silver for a monthly salary of less than one tael.

On the other side, listening to the thunder of war drums outside the city, Zeng Chun looked anxiously at the street. Now the only ones who can make those village braves obedient to fight are those rich and powerful families in the city. These village warriors are either their tenant farmers or their clansmen.

At this time, a confidant sent by Zeng Chun rushed from the street and came to Zeng Chun's side. After taking a few breaths, he hurriedly said: "Master, I went to the Ding family, but the owner of the Ding family not at home."

not at home?
Hearing this, Zeng Chun's heart sank. Now that the rebel army is approaching the city, and the other party is not at home directing Jia Ding to protect the house, where else can they go?

Before Zeng Chun could figure it out, he saw that the other henchmen he had sent rushed back one after another.

Are not at home!

After hearing the reports from many confidants, Zeng Chun's heart suddenly turned cold. He is not a fool. If one of them is not at home, it can be said to be a coincidence. All of them are not at home. It can only be said that those people are avoiding him.

Thinking of this, Zeng Chun pulled out his sword with grief and indignation on his face. The next moment, the long sword passed by his neck, and blood flew!

On the city wall, the country warriors who had no fighting spirit gathered together, watching the soldiers who climbed up from the ladder occupy the city wall, and then rushed into the city along the ladder.

After the soldiers captured Feicheng without bloodshed, Jiang Shizhong set up a recruiting office in the city and began to recruit recruits. For the rich and powerful families in the city, Jiang Shizhong also kept his promise and did not do anything to them, but only ransacked the homes of a few officials.

...

On Zouping's side, Gan Yang's actions were also very fast. In just seven days, he went to Zouping and Zichuan counties.

During this period, there was no resistance from any wealthy family. On the one hand, it was because for these wealthy families, they didn’t care about changing dynasties. No matter who became the emperor, their wealth would not be interrupted. Even if Su Hao takes over the world, he still has to rely on them to rule the world.

On the other hand, it is because the risk of resistance is too great. There are only a thousand brave men in the village, but there are [-] enemies, and the city wall is only one foot and two. It is not enough to rely on. The city is almost inevitable. Once the city is broken, the house must be ransacked and destroyed.

Besides, even if the city was defended, the credit goes to the county magistrates, and they are not officials.

.........

Beijing.

In the Qianqing Palace, the clanging and smashing sound resounded throughout the palace.

Listening to this voice, all the maids and eunuchs held their breaths and concentrated on doing their own things carefully, not daring to slack off in the slightest. They are already used to this situation. Since half a year ago, they have heard this voice from time to time. sound.

"Are Wang Congyi and Yang Guodong trash?"

After calming down his anger a bit, Zhu Youjian said in a cold voice: "I dispatched 10,000+ troops to them and asked them to counter the rebellion. What happened?"

"Just two months! Two months! All 4 counties in the 26 prefectures of Jinan Prefecture fell into the hands of the rebels!"

"Now that the soldiers of the rebel army have approached Qingzhou and Yanzhou, Uncle Heng from Qingzhou and Uncle Lu from Yanzhou have sent me a plea for help every three days. How can I do this!"

(PS: Last time I checked the information, I missed a Lu Wang in Yanzhou Prefecture. I will add it here. I am really sorry!!)

In front of Zhu Youjian, Han Yu, Qian Longxi, Li Biao, Zhou Daodeng and other cabinet ministers bowed their heads and accepted Zhu Youjian's ambergris baptism.

After a full quarter of an hour, Zhu Youjian's dragon saliva baptism stopped: "Wang Congyi and Yang Guodong assured me that the canal will be opened during the summer harvest and the water transportation will be restored. Now that summer harvest has begun in various places, can the water transportation resume? "

Han Yu hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, according to Wang Congyi's report, most of the filled river channels have been dredged now, and the river channels can be restored in half a month at most."

After hesitating for a while, Han Yu continued: "However, in Wang Congyi's memorial, he also asked the imperial court to allocate food. The food in the army is not enough for one month. If there is no food, there may be changes in the army."

"I want food! I want food! I want food!"

Hearing this, Zhu Youjian fried the pot again, swept all the pens, inks, papers and inkstones on the table to the ground with a wave of his hand, and roared: "Everyone will only ask me for food! I am a god who can conjure food out of thin air!" No!"

In the past six months, due to food shortages in the capital, food prices soared, there were three civil uprisings, Liaodong soldiers had six mutinies because of food shortages, Shanxi five Once, even the border officers and soldiers in Beizhili had four mutinies due to lack of food, and twice almost endangered the capital.

In the past six months, the first memorial he saw every day when he opened his eyes was asking for food, the second was mutiny, and the third was rebellion.

"Let the Yanzhou government convert all the tax revenue this year into grain, collect it and transfer it to Wang Congyi for military supplies."

After taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down, Zhu Youjian said coldly: "In addition, Wang Congyi was ordered to ensure the safety of the water transportation, otherwise I will never forgive him lightly!"

"The minister obeys the order."

Hearing Zhu Youjian's words, Han Yu bowed his hands and said, although it was against the rules to do so, but the situation is tense now, so everything can only be kept simple.

"Your Majesty, the governor of Shaanxi has said that the drought in Shaanxi has become more serious this year. Last year, when he broke through the county seat, Wang Er, the leader of the bandit who killed officials and seized food, brought a large number of victims to join him with another leader of the bandit, Jiayin, and gathered [-] to [-] victims. The governor of Shaanxi requested the imperial court to send a large army to suppress Kill him, otherwise, over time, it will become a catastrophe."

At this moment, Li Biao saluted suddenly.

"Then send troops to suppress it."

Hearing this, Zhu Youjian said calmly: "I don't know who is competent for this matter?"

Although it was not a trivial matter for Wang Er and Wang Jiayin to gather [-] to [-] disaster victims, compared to Su Hao, this matter was insignificant. The disaster victims were just disaster victims after all. Once the natural disaster passed, these disaster victims would disperse separately.

But now Su Hao is the real confidant. Over the past half a year, Su Hao has 10,000+ soldiers and horses, and has occupied half of Shandong. The soldiers have reached the North Zhili. If they are not wiped out, they will definitely endanger Daming. Jiangshan.

"I think Yang He can handle this matter."

Hearing Zhu Youjian's words, Qian Longxi bowed and said.

"Then come up with a list, and the court will push it tomorrow morning."

Zhu Youjian rubbed the center of his brows, waved his hands and said, "I'm tired, step back."

(End of this chapter)