Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 202 How could Prince Xin have connections with the imperial court?

Outside the Qianqing Palace,

The civil officials knelt in a row, holding up their memorials. "Your Majesty, we must find a solution quickly. Otherwise, if these minerals fall into the hands of the rebels, they will probably make more weapons, which will be detrimental to our Ming Dynasty."

"Your Majesty, please send troops to wipe out these bandits."

"Your Majesty, please send troops..."

Zhu Changgan put down the memorial in his hand, "How much minerals can they use? Before this, I wanted to collect mineral taxes, but you all said that this was not good, and the mineral taxes were all embezzled by eunuchs."

"Right now, the bandits are killing a lot. Wouldn't it be just what you want to kill a bunch of the wealthy businessmen who colluded with the eunuchs in the past?"

"I remember that not long ago, you submitted a memorial to me, using the teachings of a sage to refute my sending troops to the southeast without reason, which was a violation of the ancestral system. Most of the civil officials in the court submitted a memorial to me. Why are you suddenly asking me to send troops again?"

"My lord, wait..."

The civil officials were suddenly speechless.

Before this, Chongzhen wanted to levy mining taxes, but the Donglin Party strongly opposed it.

However, there is no mention of the fact that farmers were unable to pay taxes due to natural disasters and man-made tragedies, nor of the unclear relationship between the Donglin Party and the mining tycoons. In the end, the people suffered more, the country became poorer, and the miners became richer.

When Chongzhen wanted to reform and eliminate malpractices, the Donglin Party jumped out and said that this was against the ancestral system. They then stood at the commanding heights of public opinion and incited scholars to launch a fierce attack on the court's policies, causing many reforms to fail in the womb.

The most infuriating thing is that they use the teachings of saints to deny the imperial court, but they cannot come up with a plan to save the country.

"Your Majesty, this is a different time now. The rebels are now strong. If we don't take any action, I'm afraid it will bring disaster to the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Changgan said calmly: "I know what you said. A few days ago, the Manchus and Korea invaded our Ming Dynasty. I have already dispatched troops to attack Korea. I really don't have other troops to send more troops to the south."

Now these civil officials are requesting the court to find a solution and send troops to suppress the bandits?

late!

Now I am not in a hurry anymore.

"Your Majesty, this..."

All the ministers had grim looks on their faces, but they could not find any other troops. The only five camps that could fight were all in the hands of the emperor.

Sun Chuanting was not from Jiangsu or Zhejiang, nor was he a member of any of their parties.

It is obviously impossible to expect him to eliminate this gang of bandits in a short period of time. The only person we can hope for is Zuo Liangyu.

……

However, before Zuo Liangyu and his troops entered the territory of Wuchang Prefecture, they were reported to Sun Kewang by the people.

"Twenty thousand people?"

Sun Kewang was not afraid when he heard this. Instead, his eyes flashed with ferocity. "When I followed the Eighth King, he chased me and beat me. Now that I follow Prince Xin, he chases me and beats me again."

"Then Prince Xin is the leader of the rebellion for nothing, right?"

The Sun Kewang today is no longer the same as when he followed Zhang Xianzhong. The number of soldiers and horses under his command alone exceeds 50,000. Looking up, flags are flying, cavalry stretches to the horizon, and the mountains and plains are full of turbaned rebels.

On each of the big flags, there was a big word "信" flying.

There was actually another reason why Sun Kewang wanted to fight this battle. He always felt that he had not been integrated into the core of Prince Xin, just like he had no part in the meeting convened by Prince Xin this time.

There are only three people: the old blind man, Old Han and Prince Xin's father. Last time he joined the camp and pledged his allegiance. Now he needs another big victory to improve his inherent impression in the gentleman's mind.

At this time, a cavalryman wearing a short helmet and armor came galloping over, dismounted, and said, "Report to General Sun, Zuo Liangyu's troops are still thirty miles away from us."

"Are there any artillery?"

"Yes, but not many artillery pieces."

"Explore again!"

"Yes!" The scout climbed over and rode away again.

Sun Kewang called several core members of his old camp over and said, "You all know the situation. Prince Xin is getting better and better. It won't be a problem for him to be crowned king or prime minister in the future. However, Prince Xin has so many soldiers and generals under his command. Who can he appoint? It still depends on military merit."

"Now that Zuo Liangyu has come to give us credit, what do you think... can we be cowardly?"

"That's right, this bastard thought we were in the Eighth King era, and he wasn't afraid of breaking his teeth."

"Wait till I chop off Zuo Liangyu's head and use it as a urinal!"

"Fuck him!"

All the generals laughed wildly upon hearing this, feeling quite heroic.

Seeing this, Sun Kewang couldn't help but grin and said, "Okay, then let's kill a general to boost the morale of our old camp."

Tens of thousands of peasant soldiers rushed forward like a flood.

……

In the evening, when Zuo Liangyu's army had just approached Wuchang Prefecture, they heard the report from the scouts.

"Marshal, bandits have been spotted ahead."

Zuo Liangyu frowned, "How many people?"

The spy reported, "Not many, they seem to be observing us as well."

Zuo Liangyu held the telescope and looked forward. The last time he came back from the capital, the emperor gave each general a set of gifts, including this monocular telescope.

From then on, he hardly ever let it go. The view through the telescope was much clearer than the previous one, and it could be adjusted manually.

In his sight, he indeed only saw a few scattered bandits on horseback, looking in this direction, "Ignore them and continue to move forward."

Since the emperor ordered him to fight a battle, he naturally had to lead the main force. How could he be held back by a few bandits?
But as he walked forward, Zuo Liangyu suddenly felt something was wrong.

In front of them were undulating hills and lakes, with many bushes and jungles, which made it impossible for much of the baggage to pass quickly.

Especially for artillery, it is even more difficult to pass through wet and muddy roads.

He took out the telescope again and looked across. Only then did he discover that there were several huge ditches across the road ahead.

"No, retreat!"

"Marshal, this..." Zuo Liangyu's leaders were stunned for a moment and realized the danger in front of them at this moment.

The next moment, there was a sudden cry of killing that shook the sky.

"kill!"

"Kill~"

Suddenly, countless bandits jumped out from all over the mountains and plains, so densely packed that it was impossible to tell how many there were.

Under the leadership of Sun Kewang, they launched an attack.

"Meet the enemy!" exclaimed the generals under Zuo Liangyu.

"The rattan armor soldiers are coming forward!"

"Swordsmen, move forward!"

With the generals' shouts and the waving of flags, the government troops instantly entered a combat state.

"Why are there so many people?" The lieutenant general beside Zuo Liangyu swallowed hard and said.

Zuo Liangyu's eyelids couldn't help but twitch as he looked at this scene. There were too many people.

……

Sun Kewang, holding a broadsword and riding a large horse, led the troops and shouted, "Charge! The men in the old camp will lead the charge. Anyone who does not advance will be killed!"

"cut!"

The soldiers of the old camp were wearing armor and drew out their swords that flashed with cold light. They pushed the men and horses forward step by step. As long as they were caught up by the soldiers of the old camp, they would be killed with a single sword, so that the men and horses would rush towards the government army like a stream of water.

Due to the terrain and equipment, the government army's artillery was completely silenced after just one round.

Boom~
The troops of both sides soon collided with each other. After this fight, Zuo Liangyu and several generals immediately realized that something was wrong.

Before, when they fought Zhang Xianzhong's troops, it was like cutting tofu with a knife, which broke into pieces at the first touch. Even though the other side had more people, their fighting power was extremely weak.

But the bandits before us are completely different from before.

They actually dared to confront the government troops head-on.

Although most of them were still hungry people living like ants and miscellaneous infantry, there were simply too many people. Even ants could kill an elephant, let alone humans.

In addition, these days, these hungry people have been given silver and food, so they can fill their stomachs and feel more energetic.

Even if he was only holding a simple shield, a knife and fork... his fighting power was much greater than when Zuo Liangyu fought Zhang Xianzhong before.

The densely packed troops instantly overwhelmed the government troops.

The government troops' artillery and muskets had already lost their advantage after the close combat, and they could only draw their swords and engage in hand-to-hand combat.

Sometimes there were two people against one government soldier, and sometimes there were three people against one government soldier. They were hit by swords, guns, sticks and clubs, and soon they vomited blood and their flesh was torn apart.

The government army's camp was soon torn apart by the bandits, and a bloody battle instantly broke out.

The government troops were professional soldiers, but the bandits had been rebelling for ten years, and even the hungry civilians had the strength to fight. In just an instant, it was like two giant swords tearing each other apart, and the scene of flesh and blood became three-dimensional.

Blood, sword flashes, smashing, tearing...turbid waves are surging!
The horses neighed, and Sun Kewang held the long sword in both hands and swung it with all his strength. After a sound like cloth tearing, an officer was cut in half, and thick blood spurted out in all directions.

Then they continued to charge forward. One of the government soldiers wanted to stop him, but the huge impact force smashed him to pieces, breaking bones and tendons.

Like an iron plow dam, it disrupted the formation of the government troops.

The commander drew his sword and mounted his horse, and the morale of the peasant army was immediately greatly boosted.

Seeing this, Zuo Liangyu urged his horse to charge towards Sun Kewang, and the two generals fought each other.

On the battlefield, blood was flying, screams were heard, and the sounds of metal clashing were heard one after another. Spots of scarlet on the ground continued to spread across the land... flowing into patches, pits, and rivers, and then slowly mixed into the muddy land and flowed into the nearby swamps.

Zuo Liangyu rose up to resist, but there were too many bandits. They were like ants desperate to kill, and they kept rushing forward.

At this time, Sun Kewang's old camp soldiers no longer commanded the army, but rushed into the battlefield.

They were able to fight the Ming Dynasty's official army one-on-one without losing, but with their joining, the balance began to shift.

……

August 30th,

A piece of news spread that shocked the Ming court and all peasant uprising forces.

"Zuo Liangyu was defeated, with more than 10,000 casualties. Apart from a few commanders, only 5,000 people escaped..."

Sun Kewang's reputation was completely established in this battle.

Everyone under "Prince Xin" looked at him with admiration.

Sun Kewang was supported by others and returned to the camp. The moment he saw Chongzhen, he pushed away the people on both sides, bowed fiercely and said, "Sir, I have fulfilled my mission!"

"Please get up quickly. Are you seriously injured?"

Sun Kewang grimaced, but still gritted his teeth and insisted, "It's not serious. I didn't expect Zuo Liangyu's martial arts skills to be so strong."

Chongzhen looked at Sun Kewang, feeling a little confused. His own troops actually defeated the Ming Dynasty's official army, the famous Zuo Liangyu?

This made Chongzhen feel extremely uncomfortable and his mood was extremely complicated.

What makes people sad is that the Ming Dynasty’s official army suffered heavy casualties, and what makes people shocked is that there is such a fierce general among the peasant uprising army?
I've been with him for so long, yet I don't know anything?
Of course, besides being shocked, there was also a hint of relief. This person was now under his command. It seemed that he had to win him over and must not let him leave.

"Quick, let the old blind man come over, give Kewang a good medical treatment, and carry him to my tent, it's clean there." Chongzhen asked a few personal soldiers to bring the money over, and personally carried him to find the old blind man.

Sun Kewang wanted to refuse, but Chongzhen held him down, "Don't move, your injury is serious."

Sun Kewang felt the teacher's care for him and his eyes became red.

Worth it!

I won the sir's heart in one battle, and it was worth it even if I suffered a great injury.

I think after this battle, I can enter the sir's inner circle.

……

Why did Zhu Changgan ask the Jinyiwei to be on guard against Sun Kewang?

It's because this person is really smart and capable.

Sun Kewang's most outstanding contribution in history was the counterattacks in Huguang and Sichuan that he presided over and launched in the sixth year of the Yongli reign (1651 AD, the eighth year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty).

In his previous life, he had watched a documentary that took the hard indicators of the deaths of Qing army officers in the past two years as the basis, and the results that could be counted only from the data, showed that out of the 467 Qing army officers who were documented to have died in the Shunzhi period, 100 Qing army officers were killed in this Northern Expedition, including 32 from the Eight Banners of Manchu and Mongolia.

The number of high-ranking Qing officials killed in this battle was unprecedented. Among them, 36 senior officers above the rank of Light Cavalry Captain were killed, including 13 from the Eight Banners of Manchu and Mongolia.

Among them were two princes of high rank, one governor-general (subordinate to Wu Sangui), one commander of the imperial guards, two deputy governors-general, one acting commander of the imperial guards, two acting deputy governors-general, two Green Camp generals, and four Green Camp deputy generals.

This battle should be regarded as one of the only two strategic offensive actions of the Ming army with great results since the Battle of Sarhu in the Ming Dynasty. The other one was the Battle of Four Cities presided over by Sun Chengzong.

As the commander-in-chief of the entire army, Sun Kewang's command ability is evident from this.

……

The news reached Ma Shouying, who had just returned to Yinghuo Mountain, and he couldn't help but feel excited, "I said that joining forces with Prince Xin would definitely be a hundred benefits and no harm."

"Sun Kewang defeated Zuo Liangyu by himself. How many troops did he have? At most 50,000. You have to know that Prince Xin has 150,000 soldiers under his command."

"Good! Great kindness..."

He Yilong, who had the eyes of a geliyan, also took a deep breath. "It is widely rumored in the martial arts world that Prince Xin has connections with the imperial court. Otherwise, why didn't the government troops attack him but only us? Now that this battle has been fought, the rumors have been dispelled."

"How could Prince Xin have any connection with the imperial court?" Prince Gai Shi laughed and said, "I'm afraid someone is jealous of Prince Xin's success!"

"Who's jealous?"

"What do you think?" King Gai Shi looked towards the west in the direction of Shangluo Mountain.

Everyone was silent, only Ma Shouying shook his head, "Based on my understanding of King Chuang, he would never do such a thing."

"That's hard to say." He Yilong snorted and said, "When Gao Chuangwang was captured by the imperial court, it wasn't long before Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong had a falling out in Fengyang."

Ma Shouying fell silent.

After Gao Yingxiang was captured, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong fought for power. The reason for the disagreement was the capture of Fengyang. Li Zicheng asked Zhang Xianzhong for the young eunuch who was good at propaganda in the Ming Emperor's Mausoleum, but Zhang Xianzhong refused to give it to him, so the two men fell out.

But everyone who was familiar with him knew that it was impossible that the matter was caused by a little eunuch who was instigating the incident. Li Zicheng almost killed Zhang Xianzhong. There were also some things that they didn't know about.

Ma Shouying stood up and shouted loudly: "No matter what, this battle is unprecedented since the capture of Fengyang and the destruction of the imperial mausoleum last year."

This was indeed a military action that swept away all the previous haze, boosted the morale of the peasant army, and gave a shot in the arm to the various rebels trapped in the peasant army.

"Reorganize the troops and rush to Wuchang Prefecture as soon as possible. Since we have decided to join forces, it is better to do it sooner rather than later. The sooner we do it, the sooner we can gain a foothold under Prince Xin's banner."

The remaining three nodded, stood up and went back to their own barracks to hold meetings with their old camps, trying to get there as soon as possible.

……

At Shangluo Mountain, Li Zicheng's troops fell silent upon receiving the news.

Especially Niu Jinxing, his analysis of Prince Xin was too strange. He was able to win over hundreds of thousands of soldiers in a short period of time, but the court did not send troops to suppress him.

It was also he who spread the word, intending to use Prince Xin to attract the attention of the government troops and thus reduce the pressure on the government troops in Henan.

But the current situation is that Zuo Liangyu went to encircle and suppress the rebellion, but was defeated.

Not only did it shatter his conjecture, but it also further elevated the status of "Prince Xin" among the anti-kings.

"It seems that the Wuchang Conference has to be held." Li Zicheng sighed, "It won't be long before the Wuchang Conference. Prepare the horses for me."

"Father, please take me with you this time." Li Shuangxi volunteered, "I am already familiar with the route and know the deployment of the government troops."

(End of this chapter)