Crazy at the end of the Ming Dynasty

On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the seventh year of Chongzhen, the county government of Ningling County, Guide Prefecture.

Yao Liang was still in a daze when he walked out of the county office.Yao Liang is the head of the militia organized by the Runing Army in Ningling County.Early this morning, Yu Zilian, the magistrate of the county, summoned Yao Liang to the county government and ordered him to lead the militia to rush back to Defu City.

The Ningling County militia was the first militia established by Wu Shigong at that time, but it was also the most special militia.The other militias are completely controlled and commanded by the Runing Army, but the Ningling County militia is somewhat different.

When Wu Shigong established the militia, he co-founded it with Yao Yuanwai, a gentry from Ningling County, and the members were basically locals from Ningling County, and the officers of the militia were the children of those gentry.Even the military salaries of this militia are funded by public land and gentry.And Yao Liang is also a cousin of Yao Yuanwai.

Originally, there were some instructors sent by the Runing Army in this militia, but with the large expansion of the Runing Army, those instructors basically went to serve as officers in other units of the Runing Army. Therefore, the Runing Army's control over this militia It's even weaker.

But because this militia was established the first time, and Wu Shigong had a close relationship with the gentry like Yao Yuanwai, Wu Shigong and the others never noticed this hidden danger.Because from the jurisprudence of the Ming Dynasty, this militia group should have obeyed the orders and command of Yu Zilian, the magistrate of Ningling County.

However, the Runing Army originally arranged for this militia to guard Ningling County, and Yu Zilian was the county magistrate of Ningling County, and the gentry wanted these local soldiers to guard the local county, so this issue has never been regarded as a problem.

But now a special situation arises.Qian Zhifu of Guide Mansion wrote to Yu Zilian, asking him to organize local people to rush to Fucheng to help defend the city, and Yu Zilian wanted to lead this militia group to rescue in person.

Yu Zilian has been the local magistrate for almost six years.It's time for transfer or promotion, and the most important thing is the comments from the immediate boss Qian Zhifu.

To be honest, Yu Zilian, the county magistrate, was not comfortable at all. The key was that Wu Shigong had too much influence in Ningling County.Although after Yu Zilian took office.Wu Shigong simply ignored him, but rumors about the conflict between the two spread throughout Ningling County through Wu Shigong's people.It is conceivable that Yu Zilian was isolated.

But also because of Wu Shigong's reputation, Ningling County has always been calm.In addition, this is the earliest base of the Runing Army, so the disaster relief work is also carried out the best, so Yu Zilian's evaluation in the Ministry of Officials has been good in successive years, so this time he also saved a promotion. idea.

After receiving the letter from Qian Zhifu, Yu Zilian immediately saw this opportunity.Because of Yu Zilian's isolation, he actually didn't know that the peasant rebel army on the East Road had entered Kaifeng Mansion, because no one in the Runing Army would inform him of the latest information.Therefore, he believed that the biggest threat to Guide Mansion was the peasant rebel army on the North Road.

But Yu Zilian is the magistrate of Ningling County after all.When he ordered Yao Liang to take the militia to Fucheng for rescue.After showing Yao Liang the prefect Qian's rescue letter, Yao Liang agreed in a muddle because of his years of awe of civil officials.

This is also caused by Yao Liang's embarrassing position in the militia.If this militia group is controlled by the Runing Army, of course Yao Liangniao would not be able to take advantage of Yu Zilian.If this militia group had been established entirely by local gentry, they would have obeyed Yu Zilian's orders in a way that was indiscriminate.For who would give away the army he supports instead of defending his homeland?

But after all, Yao Liang had been in the system of the Runing Army for a long time, and the idea of ​​obeying the orders of his superiors was also deeply ingrained.Although he also threatened Yu Zilian with the peasant rebel army on the East Road.But when Yu Zilian patted his chest to lead the troops himself, and patted his chest to ensure the safety of Ningling County, Yao Liang backed down, because Yu Zilian promised to keep his family in Ningling County.

It's not just that misfortunes never come singly.Qian Qi, who was concerned about the movements of the peasant rebel army on the East Road, happened to go forward to investigate. Yao Liang couldn't find anyone even if he wanted to ask for instructions, and Yu Zilian urged him hard.So at noon on the tenth day of the lunar new year, Yu Zilian led the militia group and left Ningling County.

The head of the militia stationed in the fortress of Qianhusuo was shocked when he heard the news, and he immediately drove his horse to persuade him, but because he was equal to Yao Liang.Yu Zilian, the county magistrate, scolded him again, so the persuasion was fruitless in the end.The head of the militia could only send a fast horse to find Qian Qi.

Until the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Qian Qi also learned the shocking news.Although it is also a dead horse as a living horse doctor, Qian Qi still sent a messenger with his own warrant on the one hand to let Yao Liang, the militia group, rush back to Ningling County as soon as possible; 300 people from the regiment headquarters retreated to Ningling County.

And now there are only five companies of the Guided Army soldiers left outside, the number is too small, and there is no point in maneuvering to rescue the various fortresses, so Qian Qi simply arranged the remaining five companies into the Qianhusuo Fortress .

Objectively speaking, regardless of whether Yu Zilian's behavior was motivated by selfishness or not, at least he was brave enough to handle affairs and defied the fire.This is also commendable in the dark officialdom of the late Ming Dynasty.

But it was Yu Zilian's reckless move, coupled with Yao Liang's obedient obedience, that immediately tore a big hole in the defensive circle carefully set up by Wu Shigong in Guide Mansion.

As if to sprinkle a handful of salt on the wounds of the Runing Army, the peasant rebel army on the East Road ended their carnival in Kaifeng Mansion, and under the leadership of Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai, they rushed towards Guide Mansion.Upon learning of this information, Xue Yongli sent a thousand new troops to the nearby Ehuzhai to strengthen the defense, preparing to stop the peasant rebel army on the east road from invading the Runing Mansion in the south.

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, Tanqi from the East Road Peasant Rebel Army appeared on the outskirts of Ningling County. The entire Ningling County was in chaos, and the people outside the city retreated into the city one after another.At noon, the gates of Ningling County were closed, and except for the gate facing Qianhusuo Fortress, the other three gates were blocked with bricks and stones.

At the same time, Qian Qi and Zhu Bo, who stayed behind in Ningling County, took over the defense of Ningling County.According to the usual practice, the prison is emptied, that is, all the prisoners in the prison are killed.More than 300 young and strong men from the city were recruited to assist in defending the city.

At dusk, Qianhusuo Fortress ventured to send 23 carts to deliver ammunition into Ningling County, which relieved Qian Qi's suffering of lack of ammunition.At night, the vanguard of the peasant rebel army appeared in Ningling County.Late that night, Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai arrived with the main force.At this time, there were more than 700 soldiers and civilians in Ningling County. (To be continued..)