King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 482 The three armies cannot be without commanders

On the sixth day of August, the Duolun tribe waited all day and night, but finally did not see Ning Huanxiang.

Then they realized that something might have happened to Governor Ning on the road.

But they didn't worry too much. After all, the wind and sand were so strong yesterday that it was normal to get lost accidentally.

So Duolun Department sent a large number of manpower to search, and at the same time sent people to Namu Department to inquire about the situation.

It only took their people half an hour to reach Namube and brought the news that Ning Huanxiang was "lost".

Everyone was surprised. Su He made the same decision as the Duolun Department and sent a large number of manpower to participate in the search.

At the same time, at Sun Shaozu's suggestion, they also sent people to other ministries. On the one hand, they asked them to search, and at the same time, they were strictly prepared for the incoming Junggar army.

In fact, before the news of the search for Ning Huanxiang spread on the northern front, the Duolun Department discovered the scene of the battle, where vultures were eating corpses.

The news quickly spread to Namubu League, and Su He led his team to rush there in person. Sun Shaozu naturally followed the team.

Looking at the corpses on the scene, Sun Shaozu felt somewhat guilty. All the dead Pao Ze died because of him.

But his guilty conscience only lasted for a moment, and soon his heart was surrounded by joy, because he was sure that Ning Huanxiang was dead just because his armor was found at the scene.

That's right, Ning Huanxiang's armor was shot with more than a dozen arrows and slashed with several knives, so it was basically worthless for recycling.

In order to take his body back easily, the Junggar people took off his armor.

"This...what can we do!"

After it was confirmed that Ning Huanxiang was dead, Su and the people in Duolun's department were very panicked because the incident happened in their defense area.

This was the governor who presided over the war in the northwest. If the emperor held him accountable and punished him after his death, Su He and the leaders of the Duolun tribe would almost certainly die.

"First send the news back to the Governor's Office and prepare defensive strategies first!" Sun Shaozu suggested promptly.

"Forget it, I'll go back and deliver the message myself!"

"Commander Sun, please tell Dao Dao, the censor of the army, that this matter has nothing to do with us..." Su He looked confused, and his meaning was very clear.

"This is an accident and has nothing to do with you. Sun knows what to say!" Sun Shaozu replied, of course he is willing to do it as a favor.

"Farewell!"

Ning Huanxiang was killed on the fifth day of the lunar month, and the news of his murder was confirmed on the sixth day of the lunar month. It reached the governor's office early on the seventh day of the lunar month.

After learning the news, Liang Qian, the censor of the imperial army, was shocked. Even his beloved tea pet that he carried with him fell to the ground and turned into porcelain slag on the ground.

"Quick...quickly invite Eunuch Huang to come over!"

From an institutional point of view, the Governor's Office has three spokespersons. In addition to Ning Huanxiang, they are Liang Qian and Huang Qing.

Now that Ning Huanxiang is gone, Liang Qian naturally wants to discuss with Huang Qing.

As for Zhu Jinghong, he is still inspecting the North Fourth Guards at the moment and has been away from the office for several days.

At this time, Huang Qing was listening to a play. This man came to the front line with the actors, the eunuchs who usually took care of his daily life.

As the royal eunuch, Huang Qing is one of the most eminent eunuchs in the palace, so this little enjoyment is nothing to him.

Upon learning that Ning Huanxiang had been killed, Huang Qing jumped up from his chair, grabbed the messenger and asked, "Do you mean what you said?"

"How dare I deceive my father-in-law? This is the news sent by Mr. Liang. Please come to the main tent to discuss the matter quickly!"

Huang Qing did not dare to delay, and immediately hurried towards the main tent. At this time, Liang Qian was already pacing back and forth inside, accompanied by Sun Shaozu, who had returned to deliver a message.

"What happened? How could the good Ning Huanxiang be killed?" Huang Qing asked angrily.

Liang Qian glanced at Sun Shaozu, and the latter started to tell the situation.

After listening, Huang Qing said coldly: "The wind and sand have risen. We know that traveling is dangerous, so why don't the people from Mube send someone to escort us!"

"These vassals are idiots and have always been lax in their work. They have caused such a big disaster this time. If they are not severely punished, how can they warn the three armies?"

When encountering anything, it is the basic operation of those in high positions to find someone to take the blame first. Huang Qing's words made Liang Qianshen think so.

Normally, even if he had been warmly received by Su He, Sun Shaozu would not intercede for Su He at this time.

"The two...Su He's daughters are now serving the Thirteenth Master!" Sun Shaozu finally reminded him.

As a result, Huang and Qing were choked, and they did not mention this issue next.

After a brief silence, Liang Qian said: "The most urgent task is to report the situation to the Lord immediately!"

Huang Qingze added: "We still need to agree on the generals in charge of the front line, and then report them to the Ming court together!"

As long as the two of them reach an agreement, they can temporarily remove the coach and temporarily appoint a new coach to command the operation.

Of course, they must have a legitimate reason, otherwise if they are investigated later, it will be a capital crime to exercise power indiscriminately.

Now that Ning Huanxiang is dead, they no longer need to remove him and can directly decide on the head coach.

Looking at Sun Shaozu to one side, Liang Qian said: "You go out first!"

At this time, Sun Shaozu really shouldn't stay here, so he left consciously.

Of course he knew that it was impossible for the two to choose Zhu Jinghong. The person most likely to take over the command temporarily should be Yang Longshan, the commander of Qinghai Xingdu Division.

Even so, Sun Shaozu knew that Yang Longshan would probably not agree to this appointment.

After all, Ning Huanxiang, the dignified governor-general and the northwest governor personally appointed by the emperor, had to rely on Zhu Jinghong to persuade the generals and then make them obey the orders.

He, Yang Longshan, could not suppress the generals of the Beijing camp, and it was even harder to convince the arrogant generals of the Northern Four Guards. For him, the position of governor was like a mountain of swords and a sea of ​​fire.

If he had at least a little bit of brains, he would not accept this appointment. Otherwise, once the situation in the northwest collapsed, Yang Longshan would have to walk away with nothing to eat.

Sun Shaozu retreated. He didn't need to do anything else now, he just waited for Zhu Jinghong to come back.

As he expected, Huang and Qing really agreed that Yang Longshan would take over and sent people to the front to recall him.

In the afternoon, Zhu Jinghong also received the news that Ning Huanxiang had been killed in action. At this time, he was hundreds of miles away from the governor's office.

So Zhu Jinghong couldn't sit still and rushed to the administrative office with his guards.

The four northern generals who also learned the news were all excited in their hearts, thinking that the time had come to make contributions.

So after Zhu Jinghong left, they accelerated their pace and wanted to get to the administrative office as soon as possible.

The Northern Fourth Guards wanted to move forward quickly, but the cavalrymen fighting in the front knew that their morale would inevitably be shaken after Ning Huanxiang's death, so they unanimously made a strategic contraction.

Troops from all battlefields withdrew from the battle and moved closer to the headquarters, and then set up camp to defend themselves against the enemy.

At this time, all ministries maintained the highest level of vigilance to prepare for possible sneak attacks by the Junggars, or even a full-scale attack.

The three armies cannot be without commanders. Even if they are dissatisfied with Ning Huanxiang in their hearts, as long as he is in the position of governor, all armies will have a backbone.

But now, this backbone is gone, and everyone is in urgent need of a new one.

On the evening of the eighth day of August, Yang Longshan returned to the governor's office, and then he simply declined the appointment.

Even if Huang Qing tried to coerce him or induce him, this guy was too incapable to take on this important task.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Huang and Qing could not force him, so they had to jointly write a memorial asking the emperor to send a new governor.

However, before it got dark, the Administrative Office received dozens of military reports. It turned out that the Junggar army was moving, and a big battle was about to begin.

At this time, it is definitely impossible to retreat. No one dares to give this order.

But if it's a fight, there are no generals to lead the army now, and Huang Qing and Liang Qian are laymen, so they really don't know how to deal with it.

"The three armies cannot be without commanders..." Liang Qian sighed. At this time, he was in a dilemma.

Huang Qing was also feeling tormented at this moment, and like Liang Qian, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot.

"Now that Governor Ning has died for the country, I am afraid that it will destabilize the morale of the military. We are in urgent need of someone with high moral character and respect who can unite the morale of the military and take charge of the overall situation!"

As soon as Sun Shaozu opened his mouth, everyone in the tent looked at him.

Normally, Sun Shaozu shouldn't have appeared in the meeting hall, so he followed Yang Longshan in.

Because Huang and Qing were so worried, they didn't bother to pay attention to Sun Shaozu, allowing him to be proudly within the military tent. Under everyone's scrutiny, Sun Shaozu bravely said: "Now on the front line, only the Thirteenth Master has a distinguished status, and everyone above and below obeys..."

"Why don't you let Mr. Thirteen take charge?" Sun Shaozu boldly suggested.

His words at this time were nothing short of earth-shattering at the scene.

Letting Zhu Jinghong take charge is a very bold proposal. Normal people would not dare to say this, including Zhu Jinghong himself.

The most critical point is that Zhu Jinghong is the emperor's legitimate son, and it is taboo to touch military power.

Of course, Zhu Jinghong's advantage is also obvious, that is, all the generals on the front line obey him, especially the assassins in the Beijing camp and the guards.

Just when everyone was hesitating, someone outside announced: "Eunuch... the Thirteenth Master is here!"

The next moment, Zhu Jinghong entered the military tent, causing everyone in the tent to salute quickly.

"How do you deal with the power on the front line? Do you two have a plan?" Zhu Jinghong asked preemptively.

Huang and Qing looked at each other, then looked helpless, with a bit of sadness in their expressions.

If the northwest situation collapses, they will be severely punished, so the pressure on them is extremely high at this time.

Seeing that this was a blockage, Zhu Jinghong asked again: "How could Governor Ning die in battle? What happened in the middle?"

"Yesterday morning, Governor Ning left Namubu for Duolun. At that time, there was a strong wind..."

Huang Qing narrated the situation, but Zhu Jinghong did not know many of the details. This was because Sun Shaozu did not say much when he passed on the message, fearing that he would be seen as strange because he knew too much.

After listening to this, Zhu Jinghong sighed with emotion: "There are unforeseen circumstances..."

At this time, Sun Shaozu interjected: "Thirteenth Master... Now that the morale of our army is unstable, and the Junggar army is moving together, what should we do?"

This is called creating opportunities when there are no opportunities. Directly asking Zhu Jinghong what to do is tantamount to allowing him to bypass the appointment and exercise power directly.

Zhu Jinghong realized this and was even more satisfied with Sun Shaozu.

He rushed back quickly, not just to seize power.

"The top priority is to shrink the defense line, stabilize the morale of the army, and defeat the Junggar army!"

"It's not too late, we should arrange it as soon as possible!"

After saying this, Zhu Jinghong scanned the scene. Huang Qing and Liang Qian remained silent, while Yang Longshan lowered his head.

At this time, Sun Shaozu said: "What Thirteenth Master said makes sense!"

With a solemn expression, Zhu Jinghong continued: "Everyone, there is no time to delay. The enemy is invading in large numbers. Our army's life and death are at stake!"

"His Royal Highness, King Xiang, now there is no commander and no one to direct the battle. It is so difficult..."

Before Liang Qian could finish his words, he was interrupted by Zhu Jinghong: "We can't fight without a coach? There are so many generals on the front line, why don't we discuss it together!"

Being officially appointed as the Governor of the Northwest Military, even though the situation had reached this critical stage, Zhu Jinghong knew that this was unlikely.

Therefore, he avoided the so-called head coach selection and used a roundabout way to achieve his goal, which he called "discussing."

As long as he participates in the discussion, he is confident that he can convince everyone and implement his will.

It would take almost eight or nine days for news from the front to be transmitted back to the capital. It would also take two or three days for the capital to discuss the selection of the governor quickly. It would take another ten or twenty days for the new governor to take office.

In short, as long as Huang and Qing did not interfere, he would have nearly a month to direct the battle.

"You two, you should decide on the candidate for the governor. If that doesn't work, you should immediately report to the court and ask the court to send the new governor as soon as possible!"

Yang Longshan didn't want to take over, so he immediately echoed: "What Thirteenth Master said makes sense!"

"Alright, let's continue our discussion. I'll go to the front line first and take a look!"

After saying this, Zhu Jinghong turned around and left the military tent, and Sun Shaozu followed him out.

From this moment on, the so-called governor's office has been reduced to an empty frame, and Zhu Jinghong will have the real power to command operations.

Of course, on the surface it was a so-called "collective decision", and he, Zhu Jinghong, had never had military power.

This battle must be fought well, not to mention a big victory but at least not a defeat. This can save the building from collapse. Even if the merits and demerits are equal, the old man can't say anything... Zhu Jinghong thought this way.

Then he looked at Sun Shaozu behind him and ordered: "Go to the north and tell Zhou Quanhui... to ask his Mu tribe, Duolun tribe and Jurchen tribe to come over to the south, and my army will gather together to prepare for the battle!"

"Yes!"

Sun Shaozu felt there was nothing wrong with shrinking the defense line to deal with strong enemies, so he rode away after receiving the order.

Zhu Jinghong, on the other hand, led the guards and headed west to Zhenwei Central Guard. The next step was when he showed off his talents.

"Immediately send someone to the North Fourth Guards and the Hejing Camp Infantry to escort the grain, grass and weapons to the Governor's Office for defense as soon as possible and wait for the king's next instructions!" Zhu Jinghong ordered the guards.

"Yes!"

If it were just cavalry, the Ming Dynasty would be weaker than the Junggars, and it would be too difficult to withstand the full pressure.

Therefore, the infantry must come to assist in the battle and use the favorable terrain between the ravines to block and attack the Junggar army.

Of course, it will take two days for the infantry to reach the vicinity of the governor's office, and the frontline cavalry must survive these two days.

This time the imperial court is on the front line. The most critical cavalry force is Zhenwei Zhongwei, followed by the cavalry from Qinghai Xingdu Division.

As for the armies such as the Namu and Duolun tribes, as well as the Jurchen Tibetan chieftains, their combat effectiveness is relatively low.

To survive this time, the key depends on Zhenwei Zhongwei and Qinghai Xingdusi, so Zhu Jinghong went to them.

Just the death of Ning Huanxiang reversed the situation, which shows how important military morale is in wars in this era.

Working hard, Zhu Jinghong arrived at the front line in the middle of the night, while the Zhenwei central defenders were repairing.

"See Thirteenth Master!"

The leader of the team who came out to meet Zhu Jinghong was Fan Changchun, the commander of Zhenwei Central Guard. Behind him were several colleagues and officials.

Jumping off the horse, Zhu Jinghong said casually: "Get up!"

"Thank you Thirteenth Master!"

"What's the situation now? Are the soldiers still willing to fight?" Zhu Jinghong asked in a deep voice.

While talking, Zhu Jinghong walked deeper into the camp, and along the way he could see soldiers sleeping in their clothes.

The so-called camp is actually a temporary sleeping place. It is a small mountain col with north wind, but the terrain is still high enough for diving.

It can also be seen from this that the military literacy of the generals in the Beijing camp is very high, and many things have been engraved in their bones.

"Thirteenth Master, our army's morale has not wavered. This is because the Qinghai Xingdu Division's departments have shrunk, causing our army to break out of the defense line, so we were forced to retreat..."

In fact, what Fan Changchun said was not entirely true. The reason why Qinghai Xingdusi retreated was because the chieftains on its flanks in Tibet retreated.

Of course, these arguments are complicated, and Zhu Jinghong has no intention of delving into them.

"Have all the scouts gone? Is there any news about the enemy?"

Only at the front line can one hear the latest and truest situation. Zhu Jinghong is very eager to understand clearly.

"Now all the tribes in the north, south, and middle of Junggar are gathering together to advance towards our army. I think this time... we are going to really start a war!"

Although the scale of the previous battles has increased, it is still not a full-scale war. The two sides are still in the final testing stage.

But now, with the death of Ning Huanxiang, the Junggar people have seized the opportunity and judged that it is now time for a decisive battle.

Stopping, Zhu Jinghong asked: "Now the actual commander of Junggar is the son of the Great Khan, No. 0, right?"

"exactly!"

After answering, Fan Changchun suddenly felt a little stunned when he thought of Zhu Jinghong's identity.

(End of this chapter)