Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 87 I will do something for you too!

After sending someone to treat the wounds of Sanggarzhai, Cao Huachun issued another order, "Except for the generals, all the surrendered soldiers will not be spared!"

"Yes!" Generals Huang Degong, Sun Yingyuan and others took the order and rushed out.

During the Ming Dynasty, the reward for killing the head of a Manchu Tartar was very generous.

Each enemy has a different price tag.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Tatar heads were the most expensive, followed by Jurchen heads, and Japanese pirate heads were the cheapest, at a very low price!

Taking Tatar heads as an example, if a soldier obtained an enemy head, he could be promoted to the next level and receive 20 taels of silver. If he did not take any military merit, he could get a reward of 50 taels of silver.

After Nurhaci integrated the Jurchens, the price of Jurchen heads soared. After the Battle of Sarhu, the price of Jurchen heads was the same as that of Tatars.

Li Banghua could not help but advise: "General Cao, if you kill prisoners like this, aren't you afraid that someone in the court will impeach you?"

"I know what you are worried about, but your Majesty has already said before that, except for the generals, no one else needs to be offered as a captive." Cao Huachun looked at the other party and said coldly:

"Adding these 3,000 prisoners will not only make life difficult for the soldiers and horses, but will also slow down our march."

Li Banghua was stunned. His Majesty even told him this?
……

Outside, the generals of the Yongwei Camp, the Jing Camp, and the Baigan Soldiers ordered the captured Tatars to dig a pit. It took them two hours to complete the digging.

Then the Tatars threw in the bodies of the dead on the battlefield one by one.

Finally, with an order given, the Tatars fell into the pit one by one, screaming, amid the deafening sound of muskets.

Then the Ming army rushed forward, chopped off the enemy's heads, and began to push the bodies into the pit one by one, preparing to fill it with soil.

In the history of dynasties, there are two dynasties that measured military achievements by the number of beheadings: one is the Qin Dynasty and the other is the Ming Dynasty.

The number of beheadings in the Qin Dynasty was not only useful for promotions, it could also be used to redeem relatives, exonerate oneself, and have other uses. It was precisely because of the desire for military merit that the Qin army's combat effectiveness was quite strong.

After the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court adjusted its strategy, switching from offense to defense, and rarely launched large-scale overseas operations like it did in the early Ming Dynasty.

Gradually, the standards for measuring military merit were established based on military achievements and first merit, and the first merit refers to the number of beheadings.

Huang Degong's waist was full of skulls, but he was careful with words and said, "What was the name of the thing that the ancients built to kill bandits?"

Sun Yingyuan replied: "In ancient times, when people killed bandits and displayed their corpses after their victory, they would build a Jingguan as a place to hide the corpses."

"Yes, yes, that's what I meant."

Huang Degong jumped down with a smile, and then dragged out the bodies of the Tartars one by one. "How can we deter the enemy if we only kill the bandits?"

Then they piled up the bodies on the ground to make a foundation, and the others followed suit, dragging out some corpses and piling them up.

Someone kept adding soil and tamping it down to prevent the bodies from falling down... Finally, the bodies of the Manchu and Mongolian Tartars were piled up into a small hill.

Zhang Shize watched this scene and murmured, "In ancient times, wise kings punished disrespect by taking whales and salamanders and enfeoffing them as a great punishment. Hence, Jingguan was built to punish lewdness and evil."

Huang Degong looked at Zhang Shize with disdain, "What are you showing off for?"

Naturally, everything they did was seen by Cao Huachun, but he didn't say much.

If, as Your Majesty said, the Yongwei Camp, the Jing Camp, and the White Spear Soldiers are meant to intimidate and distract the enemy.

Although Jingguan looks barbaric and cruel, it is also a necessary deterrent.

"withdraw!"

With the order given, the Yongwei Battalion, the Jing Battalion, and the White Spear Soldiers temporarily retreated tactically.

……

at the same time,

Zhu Changgan has appeared in the Qianqing Palace again. He was surprised when he heard Chongzhen's scolding of the officials last night.

"I didn't expect that he actually has such a sultry side?"

Have you been holding it in for too long?
He actually managed to install it.

Wang Chengen watched the emperor talking to himself, wondering if his majesty was ill again. Suddenly he realized that the emperor was looking at him, and quickly looked away.

At this time, the eunuch outside came in, "Your Majesty, the Governor of Xuanda, Lu Xiangsheng wants to see you!"

Zhu Changgan's eyes suddenly brightened, "Oh, quickly call him in!"

He gave orders to Lu Xiangsheng, Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, Wu Aheng and others, asking them to keep their troops in place.

The only thing he gave Lu Xiangsheng was an extra sentence, asking him to receive the imperial edict and go to Beijing immediately.

Steady footsteps were heard, and a dark-skinned, brown-bearded man walked in from outside. "Your Majesty, I, Lu Xiangsheng, pay my respects to you."

"Quick, please get up!"

Zhu Changgan looked at the man in front of him. He had a square face, a full forehead, and bright eyes.

Lu Xiangsheng also came from a civil service background, but ended up becoming a military general.

He created a rare military achievement in the history of the Ming Dynasty, and defeated 20 peasant soldiers with a few hundred standard bearers.

"I heard that you were called 'Lu Yanwang' by the rebels?"

"I dare not!"

In fact, Lu Xiangsheng has only become famous in the past two years.

In the seventh year of Chongzhen, Lu Xiangsheng was appointed as the governor of Yunyang. The peasant army in Shaanxi was forced to move to Shanxi under the pursuit of Hong Chengchou. When they arrived in Shanxi, Cao Wenzhao and others continued to pursue the peasant army. The peasant army took advantage of the ice on the Yellow River and went south to the Huguang area.

Yunyang Prefecture is mostly mountainous, making it convenient for the peasant army to defend and hide. It is also located at the junction of several provinces, making it easy to move, so it became a hard-hit area for the peasant army's attacks. The former Yunyang governor, Jiang Yunyi, was unable to suppress the rebellion, and the six counties under his jurisdiction were all occupied by the peasant army.

As a result, Lu Xiangsheng went to steal the camp with only a few hundred soldiers. In addition, he fought bravely. Although he was hit by a sword on the forehead, he still fought bravely. Such a desperate fighting style directly defeated the enemy.

It was for this reason that Chongzhen appointed him as the Prime Minister of Five Provinces, in charge of the military forces of the five provinces.

During the Chongzhen period, there were two main officials in charge of suppressing the rebels. One was the Governor-General of the Three Borders of Shaanxi, and the other was the Premier of the Five Provinces.

The former is Hong Chengchou and the latter is Lu Xiangsheng.

Last year, that is, the ninth year of Chongzhen, the Qing army invaded the Great Wall for the fourth time to plunder and threaten the capital, which was known as the Bingzi Rebellion.

Lu Xiangsheng rushed to the capital to defend it, and Chongzhen appointed him as the governor-general of Xuanda.

"My dear Minister Lu, I haven't had breakfast yet. It's a good opportunity for us to have breakfast together." Zhu Changgan pulled Lu Xiangsheng and stretched out his hand to signal Wang Chengen to quickly serve the imperial meal.

"Governor Lu, I summoned you to Beijing this time because I want to discuss with you how to deal with the enemy..." Zhu Changgan looked at the man with tanned skin and cracked calluses on his hands, which were enough to show that he had suffered a lot outside over the years.

As he spoke, he handed the Jinyiwei report directly to Lu Xiangsheng, "This is the military report of the past few days. I want to hear your opinion."

Lu Xiangsheng went all the way to Beijing. When he heard that General Wu Guojun had fled first and Miyun Governor Wu Aheng had retreated and given up Qiangziling in the battle, he could not help but curse that the battle was fought in a cowardly manner.

But now, seeing that the Yongwei Battalion, the Beijing Battalion, and the White Spear Soldiers had annihilated 13,000 enemies in one battle, he could not help but slap his thigh hard, his beard trembling with the shock, "Great, this is really a relief..."

Suddenly realizing that he was in front of the emperor, he quickly pleaded guilty, "Your Majesty, please punish me."

"What crime have I punished you for? I am so happy!"

“Good news!” “Good news!”

Just then, they heard a commotion behind them and they both stood up at the same time, looking outside.

Wang Chengen had already run out, took it from the messenger, quickly entered the Qianqing Palace, and handed it to the emperor.

Zhu Changgan opened it and read, "Victory report from Tongzhou, annihilation of Mongolian cavalry, 2,800 people..."

Seeing Lu Xiangsheng watching eagerly at the side, he handed the victory report over to him.

Lu Xiangsheng looked at the report, his chest heaving, his breathing rapid, he knelt down suddenly, his eyes reddened, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go to the front line to kill the enemy!"

Zhu Changgan said solemnly, "I asked you to come back to give you this opportunity. Lu Xiangsheng will accept the order."

"From now on, Lu Xiangsheng will be promoted to the Governor-General of Ji and Liao. He will lead the three generals of Xuan, Da and Shanxi, Yang Guozhu, Wang Pu and Hu Dawei, to block the retreat of the Qing Dynasty. I grant you the Imperial Sword for the third time."

Lu Xiangsheng swept his body and said, "Your Highness Lu Xiangsheng, I accept your order and thank you for your grace!"

"I won't keep you here any longer. You'll set off today!" After finishing the imperial meal, Zhu Changgan called Lu Xiangsheng with a smile.

"But before that, there is one more matter I want to hand over to you. General Wu Guojun has been captured by the Jinyiwei. I will also hand over the military supervisor eunuch Deng Xizhao to you for disposal."

To put it bluntly, it is to give you, the Governor of Ji and Liao, an opportunity to establish your authority.

When on duty, be the first to strike with the sword. First, kill a general and a military supervisor. This should be enough.

Lu Xiangsheng looked at the emperor, his eyes like the blazing sun, seeming to melt Zhu Changgan, "Thank you for your grace!"

……

Prince Xiang's Mansion,
Perhaps it was because he had vented all the depression he had accumulated over the years last night, so Chongzhen felt particularly refreshed when he came here today.

He was friendly to everyone in the palace, and the servants whispered to each other, "Is the prince ill again?"

"It doesn't look like it. It looks very festive today."

"The prince's article today is much more cheerful than in the past. Is there any good news?" Mr. Dugu couldn't help asking as he looked at Chongzhen's article.

"Great joy..." Chongzhen actually wanted to share the joy of the Ming Dynasty with Mr. Dugu, but thinking that Xiangyang Prefecture would not know about it at all, the light in his eyes dimmed for a moment, and he replied:

"The spring breeze is blowing, and the horses gallop. It is a joy to see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day. It is a joy to cook sheep and cattle, and it is also a joy to drink three hundred cups at a party. It is also a joy to try new tea with new fire, and to enjoy poetry and wine while one is young."

"Whether the days are bitter or happy, why not be happy?"

Mr. Dugu looked at Chongzhen and sighed for a long time, "The prince is very talented. Today, the prince wanted me to comfort the prince, but I didn't expect that the prince could see things more clearly than I did."

"......" Chongzhen's old face turned red when he was praised like this, "Sir, you are too kind."

"The world is difficult, and the essence of Confucianism is dead, but if you can gain truth from it, you will be detached. Your Highness, there is no need to be modest."

Soon, it was noon.

Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming saw Chongzhen coming out from outside. He looked good and was also happy. "Thank you for your guidance, Mr.

Mr. Dugu waved his hand and said, "The prince is smart, and it has nothing to do with me."

"Oh?" Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming was startled, but after hearing what Mr. Dugu said, he was even happier, "I never thought my son would turn a disaster into a blessing. This is great."

"Come on, father has found you a chef from the capital, who claims to have cooked a dish for His Majesty before. You must try it."

“Ah?” Chongzhen’s face suddenly looked like he was constipated. Last month, an old imperial chef from the palace returned home. Could it be him?

"Father, I don't want to eat Beijing cuisine today. I want to try our local cuisine..."

At this moment, the butler of the palace suddenly ran in, "Prince...Prince, there is a group of people outside the door, saying that they are from the palace in the capital, and asked you to go out to receive the imperial edict."

"Receive the order?" Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming's head buzzed.

The first thought was that it was over... it was completely over this time.

The princes were not allowed to leave their fiefdoms without reason. They had to behave themselves and not cause trouble. Often, they would never receive an order from the emperor in their entire lives.

So once an imperial decree arrives, it is basically either a reprimand or a punishment.

If things go wrong, you might even lose your head.

Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming couldn't help but feel his calves twitching at this moment, as if they were being sieved through chaff and were weak and unresponsive.

But when the emperor's edict arrived, he did not dare to go to receive it. If he neglected it, the eunuch who delivered the edict would bear a grudge against him, and if he reported it to the emperor, he would probably be punished again.

Following the notification from the housekeeper, all the family members moved. Led by Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming, they came to the center of the yard and knelt down to receive the order.

Eunuch Chen said in a clear voice: "Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming received the order. I dreamed of Prince Xiangxian a few days ago. I was shocked to find that Prince Xiang's family had not come to the capital for a long time. I felt very lonely and wanted to see him..."

After he finished reading, he looked at the stunned Prince of Xiang, Zhu Yiming, and said, "Prince of Xiang, are you going to accept the decree?"

"Oh, yes... I accept your order and thank you!" King Xiang Zhu Yiming suddenly came to his senses and quickly took the order.

He looked around, took out a gold leaf, stuffed it into the other person's sleeve, and couldn't help asking the question in his mind, "Eunuch Chen, why did His Majesty suddenly summon me to the capital?"

Eunuch Chen pinched his lips and said, "Your Majesty not only invited Prince Xiang's Mansion, but also Prince Fu. He said that it has been a long time since he met the princes of various places. After a while, he will invite a few people to Beijing to have a talk..."

"I thank Eunuch Chen." Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, Eunuch Chen must have had a hard journey. I'll take him to have some tea."

The housekeeper immediately understood, "Eunuch Chen, please come this way!"

The person who came to convey the imperial edict was Wang Chengen's man, whose surname was Chen.

Wang Chengen had already told him before he came that when he saw King Xiang paying his respects, he quickly said that he dared not. But after all, he had come so far, so he was justified in accepting such a small favor.

……

In the middle of the yard, the family members stood up one after another.

Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming looked at the imperial edict and then looked at Chongzhen, "My Qilin son, you actually got it right. Your Majesty actually agreed."

"Approved?" The princess of King Xiang was a little confused and didn't understand.

Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming walked over quickly, grabbed Chongzhen and said, "Remember what I told you before, that I wanted to go to Beijing with you?"

"Your Majesty actually approved it? He allowed my father to come to the capital." Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming said excitedly: "According to the date in the imperial decree, I can come to the capital with you."

"This... is indeed unbelievable." Chongzhen looked surprised, but his neck turned a little red.

Chongzhen looked at Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming's excited red eyes, and his own eyes couldn't help but turn red as well.

How could he not know?
Because it was he who issued the decree. Prince Xiang and Chongzhen talked so much that night, expressing their reluctance and sadness.

After Chongzhen returned, he tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

So he got up and asked Wang Chengen to issue this secret order.

In his opinion, this decree does not involve military or political matters, and should have no impact on the Ming Dynasty or Zhu Changgan's plans.

"I can finally do something for you!" Chongzhen said in his heart.

　Thank you all for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)