Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 204: Only three months of hard work can solve a situation that has remained unsolved for ten years!

"I understand. Now I understand everything."

At this time, Cao Bianjiao finally understood why Prince Xin rose so quickly, while His Majesty, with five battalions of troops in his hands, remained indifferent.

"Hey, that's not right. Why is Zuo Liangyu..."

Cao Bianjiao was confused again, but Sun Chuanting patted him on the shoulder and said, "You don't understand this, right? The reason why Zuo Liangyu was sent to encircle and suppress the rebellion is because he... is not a direct descendant of your majesty!"

"what do you mean?"

Sun Chuanting smiled and said nothing more, "Go ahead. You and I know this matter. If it spreads among the army, I won't take the blame."

The corners of Cao Bianjiao's mouth twitched, and he wished he could slap himself hard in the face. Why was he so impatient? The other generals didn't ask, but he was the only one who dug deep into the matter and now he knew the secret.

If I tell anyone about it, His Majesty will definitely hold a grudge against me. Not to mention the credit I'll get, it's another matter whether I can keep my head.

"Don't worry, Governor. I won't drink a drop of alcohol in the next few months."

Sun Chuanting waved his hand, "Okay, get out!"

Turning his head, he looked at the map on the table and said in the direction of the capital: "The encirclement has been formed. It is worth a thousand gold coins. We must not waste it."

He took out a memorial, dipped it in ink, and wrote: "I estimate that when the border troops are all gathered, the time to kill the bandits will be July, August, and September. In addition to Feng, Si, and Chengtian's ancestral tombs, which should be defended, Henan and Huguang are definitely the places to kill the bandits. Now the bandits such as Chuang and Guo in Shaanxi have been driven to Henan and Huguang. Now I petition Your Majesty to go and wipe them out..."

Sun Chuanting was writing a memorial to the emperor. In addition to reporting the results of the battle, he also requested cooperation from all localities.

The governor of Henan Province, Zuo Liangyu, Chen Yongfu and other troops joined forces to suppress the rebellion in the Central Plains with an endless momentum.

If the big bandits like Chuang and Guo sneak out of Guandong, then the troops of Qin Duti Zuo Guangxian), Cao Bianjiao, Zu Dabi and other generals will go out with them.

In short, it’s just one sentence:

"The next three months of hard work will solve a situation that has not been solved for ten years."

……

As September approaches, the weather in the north of the Ming Dynasty becomes colder.

When Sun Chuanting's memorial arrived in Beijing, Zhu Changgan was discussing the logistics needed to attack Korea with people from the Grand Council.

The biggest expense in war is logistics, that is, the cost of transporting food.

Sun Tzu's Art of War states, "When an army of 100,000 is raised and marched a thousand miles away, the expenses of the people and the salaries of the public treasury amount to a thousand pieces of gold a day, and the number of families who are in turmoil both at home and abroad, idle on the roads, and unable to do their work, is 700,000."

This means that if one sends out 100,000 soldiers to fight a thousand miles away, 700,000 households will have to stop working and focus on providing food for these soldiers.

There were 700,000 people transporting the grain, but they also needed food, clothing and other daily necessities. In addition, the horses, livestock and rations consumed on the return journey were extremely high.

Someone has done the math and found that it takes 35 people to transport food to supply one soldier. In order to feed these 35 people, many more people are needed to provide them with food this year and next year.

So when we fight a war, we are fighting the economy.

From ancient times to the present, water transportation has always been the first method of consideration, because ships do not need to eat food or fodder, and can carry a lot. One ship can transport at least one hundred cattle, and it is fast.

The loss is low, and as long as there is no war, it can be transported for many years.

Now that the three Manila galleons have been repaired, the only problem is how to transport food and troops to North Korea before the ice freezes.

"Your Majesty, in previous years, the freezing period would last ten days."

"Go and call the director of the Imperial Observatory over here."

quickly,

"Your Majesty, I, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, You Daozhou, am here to pay my respects to you." An official with a mustache stood at the door and saluted Zhu Changgan.

"How long until the freezing period?"

"Your Majesty, the frost season is seven days later than in previous years in the Ming Dynasty, and the temperature is also higher than in previous years... I think this year's freezing period will be delayed by seven to ten days compared to previous years."

"7 days!"

Zhu Changgan took a deep breath. It seemed that the Ming Dynasty's national fortune had turned from loss to positive, and it was working. The trend of natural disasters and the cooling caused by the Little Ice Age had stopped, and would gradually warm up.

These 7 days cannot be underestimated. For the Earth, a planet that is almost made of water, a delay of 7 days.

The meaning behind this is not just the small change on the surface. People in later generations all know the specific heat capacity of water. It takes a huge amount of energy to raise the temperature of water by one degree.

For the entire earth, the energy required to rise by one degree is astronomical.

It may not be too obvious in the south and coastal areas, but for the grasslands and plateaus in the north, without huge bodies of water to regulate the temperature, the temperature changes caused by the Little Ice Age will be extremely drastic, that is, the terrifying cold of hell.

Taking Tianjin as an example, the freezing period was 1653 days in 107, but only 1930 days in 56, which shows how low the winter temperature was in the late Ming Dynasty.

The reason why the Manchus and Mongols ran towards the Great Wall like crazy was because the Little Ice Age was too cold.

With the arrival of severe cold, the grass and trees withered and a large number of livestock froze to death.

Now the freezing period has been postponed by 7 days, which means that when spring comes, the time for the ice to melt will also be advanced, and it can reach two weeks.

Zhu Changgan calculated and said in a cold voice: "More than fifteen days, that's enough! Send an order to mobilize the elite troops from the five battalions to attack North Korea!"

……

There was also a small episode, Xiong Wencan went to Beijing.

When the Jinyiwei handed Xiong Wencan's memorial to the emperor, the emperor coldly rejected it, "I trust Xiong Wencan and let him go south to quell the rebellion. I will hand him over to the Anti-Corruption Department for a thorough investigation. If he is really corrupt and abuses the law, there is no need to ask for an imperial decree, just kill him directly."

Not long after, the Independent Commission Against Corruption reported it.

"The matter of Xiong Wencan accepting 80,000 taels of silver from Zhang Xianzhong, as well as two pieces of jade more than one foot in length and two large pearls has been investigated clearly." Xu Cifu knelt in the main hall and recounted Xiong Wencan's crimes one by one.

"What is even more unforgivable is that he actually ignored the fact that Zhang Xianzhong had gathered local gentry and elders to sign a guarantee for him and asked the Ming court to agree to recruit him."

"Then he agreed to Zhang Xianzhong's request that the 100,000 troops under his command remain under his command, and he was also given six months' salary. This was like using the Ming army's salary to feed a tiger, causing him to rebel again."

"Combining the amount and date of bribes Xiong Wencan solicited that the traitor Sun Kewang announced... I believe Xiong Wencan should be executed according to the law."

There was an uproar in the government and the country.

Officials at all levels all felt cold in their hearts, as if they had been frozen for thousands of years.

The emperor's methods were truly cruel and harsh. He completely disregarded the scholars and officials and did not care about his own reputation.

When an emperor no longer cares about his own reputation, the methods of these civil officials will completely fail.

This is the case with Emperor Wanli, who did not attend court for 28 years.

You can howl as much as you want, I am free and happy.

Zhu Changgan had no burden of on-site handling. What was the use of saying "the emperor is wise"? Strength is the most practical, and completing what you want to do is the kingly way.

I had already given Xiong Wencan a chance and transferred him to a new position, asking him to be responsible only for the surrender business and not to overreach. However, Xiong Wencan still neglected his duties and accepted huge bribes.

Then don't blame yourself for being ruthless. What's wrong with using harsh punishments in troubled times?

……

On the fifth day of September, 15,000 soldiers were drawn from the five major camps. All of them were wearing armor and holding sharp weapons, with cotton clothes underneath.

Rush to Tongzhou camp because they will board the ship from Tongzhou.

The artillery and ammunition from the Bingzhang Division had already been transported to Tongzhou by the troops from the five major camps long before this.

With the rumbling of carriages and the neighing of horses, officials and common people from various states and counties along the way were all shocked when they saw the murderous soldiers from the five camps.

"The Ming Dynasty will be victorious!"

"The Ming Dynasty will be victorious!"

"..."

The people's shouts shook the sky, mixed with the neighing of war horses, a strange emotion was being spread and transmitted.

Our Ming Dynasty has such skilled fighters, so why should we worry about defeating the enemy?
The one leading the troops this time was Li Banghua. Cao Huachun caught a cold, and the weather was getting colder, so after weighing the pros and cons, Zhu Changgan decided to let Li Banghua lead the troops.

"Meng An, I have only one request for this battle, and that is that blood debt must be repaid with blood." Zhu Changgan finally instructed.

More than 36,000 people in Dengzhou were slaughtered, and their heads piled up into a sea of ​​blood. It was impossible to distinguish people's faces. Such rampant killing made it difficult for Zhu Changgan to suppress the murderous intent in his heart.

"I will follow your majesty's order!" Li Banghua saluted solemnly.

The Eight Banners of the Manchus liked to massacre Han people on a large scale. Take Liaodong for example, there were almost no Han people left. It was for this reason that after Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he repeatedly entered from the Great Wall and went south to massacre and plunder the population.

The only crimes committed by the Qing Dynasty that can be verified are the following:
The Ten Days of Yangzhou, the Three Massacres of Jiading, the Eighty-one Days of Jiangyin, the Guangzhou Massacre, as well as other brutal massacres in Suzhou, Nanchang, Ganzhou, Changshu, Shazhen, Nanjing, Zhuoying, Wuxi, Kunshan, Jiaxing, Haining, Jinan, Jinhua, Xiamen, Chaozhou, Tongan, Yuanjiang, Zhoushan, Xiangtan, Nanxiong, Jingxian, Datong, Hunyuan, Fenzhou, Taigu, Mizhou, Zezhou, Shuozhou, Sichuan and other places.

I will take revenge on the Tartars after new year.

Now, under the instigation of the Manchu Tartars, Korea is willing to be the Qing's vanguard and come to massacre the subjects of our Ming Dynasty. They will be killed without mercy.

Resolve the worries before the decisive battle between Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty.

……

Korea, capital city Seoul.

King Yi Jong of Joseon sat on the throne, listening to the fierce debate among the court officials below, and felt a splitting headache.

"Your Majesty, if we attack the Ming court in this way and the Ming court sends troops, can we, Korea, withstand the Ming court's military force?" Cui Peidong, the Minister of Rites, knelt on the ground and cried to the King of Korea many times.

"Can we resist the Qing cavalry?" Jin Yunshi, the Minister of Personnel, asked loudly.

Jin Liu Song Dezhi, the Prime Minister and Metropolitan Inspector, pointed at Cui Peidong, the Minister of Rites, and cursed, "Cui Peidong, don't forget that we are now loyal to the Qing Dynasty, not the Ming Dynasty."

He turned his head and said to the high and mighty King Yi Jong of Korea: "Last year, the Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty was as fierce and fierce as wolves and tigers. In just forty-seven days, they reached the foot of Seoul and were unstoppable."

Prime Minister Kim Hyun Joong took a step forward and knelt on the ground, "To set the record straight, please order the execution of Choi Bae Dong!"

"Your Majesty, please kill Cui Peidong!"

All the other ministers stood up and threatened Li Jongdao.

Cui Peidong, the Minister of Rites, angrily rebuked: "It has only been a few years, and look at what you have become. You have become slaves of the Qing Dynasty."

Cui Peidong regarded the Ming Dynasty as his emperor and father, which was actually deeply rooted in his bones. Even though he had surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, he still believed so.

Before this, this was the case for both civilians and officials. Unfortunately... since the Bingzi War last year, all the civil and military officials in the court have been replaced by the pro-Qing faction.

They have all forgotten their ancestors and betrayed the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, to be precise, those ministers who were loyal to the dynasty had already been massacred by the Manchus.

Cui Peidong was trembling with grief, somewhat disheartened and determined to die, but he still stood up straight and said, "The Ming Dynasty defeated the Qing Dynasty twice. Doesn't this prove the point?"

"I am willing to die, but..."

He proposed that the King of Korea send his head to the Ming Dynasty so that the Ming Dynasty would not bear a grudge. "We are a small country and should not be caught in the game between two big countries. If we are not careful, we will be destroyed."

"Your Majesty, do you want to experience the Byeongja Rebellion again, the kind of fear that made the entire Joseon tremble?"

King Li Jong of Joseon suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with endless anger, and drew his sword to chop Cui Peidong's neck. "I have said that no one is allowed to mention this matter again. You are a person who has no king and no father..."

The cold light cut open Cui Peidong's trachea, and blood spurted out violently. It was sucked into his lungs, and soon choked out again, spraying everywhere. The court suddenly fell silent.

King Yi Jong of Joseon looked at a person in a corner of the court. He had to do this because that person was the Manchu official planted in Joseon by the Qing Dynasty.

Then he looked at Cui Peidong's body again, and said with a bleeding heart: "I just don't want to face the cavalry of the Eight Banners again, so I have to kill you!"

Last year, Huang Taiji of the Qing Dynasty ascended the throne, but Korea refused to recognize it, so Huang Taiji led his troops to personally invade Korea. The Korean King Yi Jong was so scared that he had to abandon the city and flee, hiding in the dense forests of the South Korean mountain city.

North Korea was subsequently defeated.

He led all the civil and military officials in the court to perform the ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows to Huang Taiji. He no longer wanted to experience that humiliating scene!
That was not just a personal honor and disgrace, but a blow to the backbone of North Korea as a whole.

At this point, Korea sent 500,000 subjects to the Qing Dynasty as slaves. In addition, it paid a large amount of compensation and erected a monument at Mita Dock to thank Huang Taiji for not killing them.

That scene at that time was a lifelong shame for the King of Korea!

After that battle, the Manchus could not only sit in the court openly, but were also allowed to bring swords into the palace.

They claimed to be officials in the court, but in fact they were monitoring the Korean government.

In addition, there were many Manchus active in Korea, acting tyrannically and capturing able-bodied Korean men at any time and driving them like cattle and horses.

"I feel unwell, so I will leave the court first." The Manchu official bowed to the King of Korea with disdain.

"Master Suo, please do as you please!"

However, before he could walk out of the hall, a minor official suddenly ran into the hall and bumped into him.

"The ministers are discussing matters, why did you come in? Are you looking for death?" The Manchu official looked at his wrinkled clothes, became furious, and suddenly drew out his sword.

The clerk hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the Ming...Ming court is attacking us."

"what?"

"how is this possible?"

Everyone was shocked.

……

ps: I found a typo in the title after posting it, but I can’t change it

(End of this chapter)