There is a space for passenger planes in the late Ming Dynasty

After five days of marching, one day ahead of schedule, Sun Chuanting's counter-rebellion army arrived in Yan'an Fucheng.

Over the past year, the Qin army led by him has been chasing Li Zicheng's troops in the minority areas of northwest Shaanxi. The troops were exposed to wind and rain every day, marching and fighting, and they were indeed exhausted.

Therefore, Sun Chuanting decided to rest for three days near Yan'an Fucheng. He also wanted to study his new opponent, Lin Feng's Zhenming Army.

In the more than two years since Sun Chuanting was appointed governor of Shaanxi, he has made many contributions to the Zhu Ming Dynasty and was regarded as a rare and capable talent among the feudal officials at that time.

His talent is not only reflected in commanding operations, but also has outstanding performance in rectifying the long-standing abuses of farming and providing sufficient military pay.

It turns out that more than 200 years ago, military camps were established around Xi'an. I don't know when, most of the farmland was occupied by the powerful, resulting in the guards having no pay and no troops.

Sun Chuanting carried out rectification vigorously and resolutely, and achieved good results in just a few months. He had more than 9,000 soldiers, more than 140,000 taels of pay and silver, and more than 20,000 shi of rice and wheat.

It was precisely because of the soldiers, money and food gained from this reorganization that he spent a few months training into a strong army that dared to fight and captured Gao Yingxiang, the original king of Chuang, in September of the ninth year of Chongzhen. The Qin army he led became famous all over the world.

But in the past year, he has continuously led troops to fight against rogue bandits such as Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and Luo Rucai. The officials and gentry in Xi'an who originally occupied the farmland have taken various measures to obstruct it. The effect of his policy of clearing the villages has become less and less, and military expenditures have decreased. Expenses were increasing, and the Qin army was fighting less and less, which made him feel a deep sense of fatigue.

Fortunately, the suppression of bandits has been very successful this year. Several large bandits have been wiped out and surrendered. It seems that we have seen the hope of annihilating the rogue bandits. Unexpectedly, a county magistrate suddenly appeared in northern Shaanxi to rebel. The key to this county magistrate is still He personally recommended the promotion, which made him very angry.

Outside the city of Yan'an, the Qin army's commander's tent was held.

Although Sun Chuanting was born as a literary scholar, because he was born outside Yanmen Pass, a martial and aggressive place, he practiced martial arts since he was a child, and liked to talk about military affairs. In addition, he led the army for several years and fought in wars. He no longer had many Ming Dynasty scholar habits, but he was very used to it. Military life.

Therefore, he did not accept the warm invitation of Song Shilun, the prefect of Yan'an, to enter Yan'an City, but held a military meeting in the military camp outside the city.

Sun Chuanting was sitting in the center of the commander's tent, leaning on a low desk and reading the military newspapers about Lin Feng and the Zhenming Army.

On both sides of his handsome case, standing on one side were Ma Ke, He Renlong, Zuo Guangxian and other deputy generals who came with him, as well as Chinese Army Staff General Liu Renda and others.

On the other side stood Yan'an magistrate Song Shilun, fellow magistrate Cui Zhixiao, Yan'an guard commander Yuan Qin and others.

After Yuan Qin was defeated by the Zhenming Army on the north side of Quyechuan River last time, he did not follow Peng Qing to Yulin City. Instead, he responded to Yan'an Prefecture's defense needs and returned to Yan'an Prefecture nearby.

Sun Chuanting was different from the last time Peng Qing took orders. He was the dignified governor of Shaanxi, with a strong grasp of military and political affairs. He also had the Shang Fang sword given by the emperor, so he could kill people at any time. In addition, in the past two years, he has been encircling and suppressing the rogue bandits with consecutive victories, and his prestige is growing day by day.

As long as he didn't speak, the people below would not dare to express any dissatisfaction even if they stood numb.

Not long after, Sun Chuanting read several Tang newspapers, looked up at the crowd, and said: "Since the Lin bandits started in early March this year, they have swept through northern Shaanxi and northern Shanxi, occupying Jiazhou, Suide, and Baoding. In many prefectures and cities such as Germany, the Shaanxi Dusi's siege has ended in disastrous defeat, and even the Peng Qing Dusi was defeated and killed. Do you, the Yan'an Prefecture, know the details of how many Lin thieves led the Zhenming Army?"

Yuan Qin, the commander of the Yan'an Guards, stood up and replied: "Reporting to Mr. Futai, I once followed Peng Qing Dusi to fight against the Lin bandits. Most of his troops were organized into combat brigades. It is now known that there are Yulin Combat Brigade and Fugu Combat Brigade. Brigade, as well as the mobile combat brigade in Jiazhou, etc. Each brigade has about 1,500 to 2,000 troops. It is currently estimated that the total strength should be about 10,000.

The Lin thief's troops and weapons are very sophisticated, far superior to those of our guards. In particular, the firecrackers are equipped with a large number and good quality, and the rate of fire is much higher than the matchlock guns we are equipped with.

The Lin thieves are also very cunning in fighting. During these few battles with Shaanxi Dusi's soldiers and horses, they never engaged in direct and open battles. They had many tricks including sneak attacks, burning grain, and attacking the city together, so be careful to be careful. "

After hearing this, Sun Chuanting snorted indifferently. Such a simple strategy could fall into the trap, and the guardsmen were indeed unable to fight. The continuous victories made him feel somewhat complacent, and he felt that the Shaanxi bandits were "the only one better than me!"

"Ma Ke, how is the situation with your sentinel horse's inquiries?" Sun Chuanting asked.

"Sir, a few days ago I sent sentries to investigate near Suide City. Lin's Zhenming Army is indeed elite and has a strong shield on the battlefield. We lost a dozen of them all night before we were able to basically find out the situation.

Currently stationed in Suide City is the 1st Mobile Combat Brigade of Lin Thieves, led by a man named Song Jilie. The city defense is very tight, and people entering the city are strictly interrogated. The city gate guards do not accept bribes and are not allowed to carry weapons. Enter the city. "Commander Ma Ke reported on the reconnaissance situation of the sentry horse.

Sun Chuanting stroked his beard and pondered for a moment and asked: "Do you still know the situation of the Lin thieves? Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle. We cannot fight blindly."

"Sir, this bandit Lin is not only good at commanding wars, he is also very good at managing civil affairs. When he was the magistrate of Fugu County, he was the only county in Jiazhou that could collect taxes in full.

In the several prefectures and counties he currently occupies, the people's livelihood is in order, and he is also supported by some people who don't know the truth. Even our Yan'an Prefecture has many people moving to Jiazhou with their families.

I heard that the bandits in the forest also did not refuse the migrating people. They all arranged fields. If they were drafted, they would also give them resettlement allowance. Each recruit was given two taels of silver and one stone of food. This was very attractive to poor people, so they had enough soldiers. The military expansion was rapid. Song Shilun, the prefect of Yan'an, followed.

"When I recommended this person to be the county magistrate of Fugu, I knew he was an official. Unexpectedly, he became the first magistrate to openly rebel in the Ming Dynasty. Do you know the reason for Lin Feng's rebellion?" Sun Chuanting then asked.

"I know a little bit about it. It seems that Chen Jiace, the magistrate of Jiazhou, wanted to overturn a case in Fugu, so he sent his fellow magistrate Yao Lu to investigate the case. Later, Yao Lu was killed by the Mongols, and Shaanxi Inspector Ren Shu went on to investigate. , this Lin Feng is the opposite." Song Shilun continued.

"Jingzhu Bo, do you know?" Jing Xiaoyan improperly recommended Lin Feng, which caused Sun Chuanting to be sternly reprimanded by the court and fined him half a year's salary. He was once embarrassed by Sun Chuanting, but after getting angry, he realized that he was also deceived. , and handled the documents quite properly, and understood Lin Feng's situation, so I brought him here this time to see if he could be of some use.

"Master Futai, I only know that Jiazhou wants to overturn the case of the Liu family, a big family in Fugu. When I secretly visited Fugu on this case, the public trial I heard with my own ears was absolutely ironclad. This Lin Feng is not afraid of power, and he also collects taxes." I recommended him because he had some skills.

He named the rebels Zhenming Army, which should have the meaning of revitalizing the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, after Lin Feng's troops captured the prefectures and counties, they did not burn, kill or loot, and they all acted in accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Is it acceptable to recruit people under the humble suggestion? To save the cost of conquest. "Jing Xiaoyan still wanted to win the hope of a peaceful solution. "This is what's so scary about Bandit Lin. He doesn't burn, kill, loot, or coerce the refugees. He occupies a land and assigns officials to buy people's hearts. This is what truly shakes the people. The foundation of the imperial court. Song Shilun, the prefect of Yan'an, interjected.

"Whether Lin Thief should be appeased or not must be subject to the imperial court's decree, but he must be conquered first, otherwise he will not be truly appeased. Scenery Master Bo should also talk about Lin Thief's military characteristics." Sun Chuanting said.

"Lin Feng is a brave and careful person. When he was the county magistrate, he dared to lead less than a hundred people to annihilate the bandit Guo Feng who had been entrenched on Gaoliang Mountain in the north of Fugu City for many years.

Lin Feng brought two guards and a team into the village in the name of appeasement. He broke out of the village prison at night and killed the bandit leader Guofeng. He also arranged for his people to climb over the cliff and sneak into the village from the back mountain to cooperate with the frontal attack. Li Ying Wai cooperated to capture the Gaoliang village.

From this, we can also see how Lin Feng used his troops. One was very courageous, the other was thoughtful and either bold or reckless. The other was that his officers and soldiers were very convinced of him and heard that he had some magical abilities.

For example, that night in the cottage prison, Ji Zhi was caught by a gust of wind and imprisoned inside. The bandits had obviously tied the cell door with iron chains. He escaped from the prison with two of his henchmen in the middle of the night, while the bandits were sleeping. In fact, the tactic of beheading was implemented. "Jing Xiaoyan gave an overview of what he knew.

"This Lin Feng is indeed a formidable enemy. I don't think he is any weaker than Li Chuang. Generals must pay high attention to him and not underestimate him." After hearing this, Sun Chuanting also put away his initial contempt.

"We understand!" Ma Ke and other generals replied.

"Now that the situation of Lin Thief is basically clear, do you have any plans on how to attack?" Sun Chuanting continued to ask.

"Sir, there are only two strategies to attack the Lin bandits. One is to attack city by city and eliminate them step by step. This strategy is safer because our army's food supply is safer, but it takes longer.

Another strategy is to leave a small number of troops to contain the enemy forces in Suide City at the southernmost point, and then drive straight in to attack Jiazhou. As long as Jiazhou can be captured, preferably Lin Feng, the rebellion will naturally be put down. This strategy is less time-consuming, but the risk of the army penetrating into enemy territory is also high. "Chinese Army Staff General Liu Renda first reported his thoughts.

"Maybe Jiazhou can find a spy to help break the city?"

"After the Lin bandits captured a city, they screened and cleaned the surrendered troops. Most of the officers were killed, so it was difficult to find important internal agents." Yan'an Guard Commander Yuan Qin responded.

"What about your opinions?" Sun Chuanting continued to ask.

"Sir, if there is no internal support, it is still too risky to attack a fortified city alone. I suggest that it is better to attack city by city." Commander-in-Chief He Renlong suggested.

"Sir, Lin Thief's troops are limited. He has occupied quite a few cities now, so we have to force him to divide his forces to guard them, thus diluting Lin Thief's strength.

We don't necessarily have to attack some cities. We can send small groups of troops with strong mobility to press them, mobilize the defense of the forest thieves, and try to eat their main force in field battles outside the city. ” Marco continued.

"General Ma's strategy is good. We must find ways to mobilize the enemy instead of passively attacking the enemy." Sun Chuanting agreed.

"Sir, our army has been fighting continuously this year, and the troops and horses are quite tired. We are also in arrears with two months of pay. I suggest that the local government provide military expenses before the war and issue two months of pay to boost morale." He Renlong fought fiercely and was known as " "He's crazy", he's also very bold in asking for money.

"Sir, our officers and soldiers have not been paid for a long time. The soldiers have strong opinions. If we want them to work hard, we really need to pay part of the salary." Ma Ke, Zuo Guangxian and other military leaders agreed.

After Sun Chuanting pondered for a while, he also felt that some pay should be given to boost morale before the war, so he said: "Prefect Song, if you want the soldiers to use their lives, you must pay enough. This time I brought 10,000 regular soldiers, you Yan'an The government must first raise 20,000 taels of silver and send me a monthly salary."

"Master Futai, it's not yet time to collect the summer tax, so it's really difficult to provide wages." Song Shilun immediately complained.

"I don't care what difficulties you have. The tax collection time has not yet come. You can first borrow money from the big households in the city and keep the money without supplying the imperial army. Do you still want to fund the enemy after the city is broken?" Sun Chuanting always meant what he said, so how could he tolerate it? Have to bargain with subordinates.

The big hat of being an enemy was turned off. Song Shilun's face was full of worry. After thinking for a moment, he stamped his feet and made up his mind: "Master Futai has issued a military order. No matter how difficult it is, the official will definitely complete it. We will definitely raise 20,000 yuan in two days." Two military expenses.”

"Okay, then I will wait for your Yan'an Prefecture's money. After the generals return, organize their troops to rest and reorganize, but they must strictly observe military discipline and not harass the local area, otherwise I will not spare you the Shangfang Sword." Sun Chuanting ordered. road.

"We don't dare!" the generals ordered.

"Liu Renda, based on the military discussion just now, you can come up with a plan to wipe out the forest bandit army. You must insist on combining the odd and the right, mobilize enemy troops, and seek opportunities to annihilate the enemy in the wild." Sun Chuanting continued to explain.

"Understood!" Bizhi immediately led someone to draft a battle plan.

"Okay, that's it for today's military discussion. General Ma, you guys will continue to send out more sentry horses to further find out about the Lin bandits." Sun Chuanting is also good at ambushing enemy troops and has always paid more attention to intelligence investigation.

"Yes!" Marco said.

The first military meeting after Governor Sun arrived at Yan'an Mansion was over. This time it was mainly to analyze the dynamics of the enemy's situation and put forward a general plan for conquest and suppression. It was impossible to discuss it in detail.

The only clear thing was that the Yan'an Mansion was given the task of providing 20,000 taels of military expenses, which also caused the Yan'an Mansion to be in a panic.

In addition, government agencies at all levels have increased their spending, and some officials have taken advantage of the opportunity to line their own pockets. The military expenditure of 20,000 taels has been passed on to the people until it has to be doubled. Some people cannot bear the burden and can only rise up to resist, setting off a new war. The people are in chaos.

(End of this chapter)