Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 877
The Qing envoy was assassinated, which is a big event.

Although Fan Wencheng did not die, he still shocked the ruling and opposition parties.

This means that some people want to interfere in Jin's internal affairs and stir up troubles, which is intolerable to the whole country of Jin, and all signs indicate that the Nanming court planned the assassination.

On this day, after knowing the direction of public opinion and feeling Jin Guo's attitude, Fan Wencheng ran to Jin Guo's Rites Department with injuries and asked Jin Guo to give him an explanation.

For Fan Wencheng's shamelessness, for the Qing court's cheap and good-looking face, Hauge was very unhappy, and Aobai was even more angry. While sending people to the post station to appease him, he closed the city gates tightly and copied a Manchu in the city. information points.

Fan Wencheng understood that Hauge was very clear in his heart, knowing that he had performed the play and had already angered Hauge, and that Jin Guo's copying of his information was a warning, so he calmed down and stayed in the post to recuperate.

However, Fan Wencheng's fuss gave Hauge an excuse to expand the situation and ordered a strict investigation of the case, searching the whole city to find the murderer.

Soni, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, sat in the town in person, and in just one day, he found out the case, and all kinds of evidence pointed to Nanming.

It was just rumors from the ruling and opposition parties before, but now that the government has given ironclad evidence, the ruling and opposition parties are deeply dissatisfied with Nanming's intention to provoke a war between Dajin and the Qing Dynasty and intervene in Jin's affairs.

Of course, there are also sober voices among them. Fan Wencheng's instigation of Jin Guo to attack Shu has been rejected by Han Zhaoxuan and other Han officials. Nanming's assassination at this time is completely useless. Many people expressed doubts about the case and thought that It's Jierhalang, Obai, Sony and others who are playing tricks.

But those who are sober are always a minority, and there is no real evidence, so it is difficult to question, but at this time, Hauge took the opportunity to order a search and arrest in the city. Teams of soldiers searched the whole city, wiped out the dens of the Tiandihui, and took the opportunity to investigate. More than a dozen Han officials who had correspondence with Nanming temporarily put Jin Bao, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty, under house arrest.

Haoge grasped the scale very well, did not touch those Hanchen officials, but only arrested a few officials who were in charge, waiting for fourth and fifth ranks, but it made no one in the court dare to speak for Nanming.

Seeing this, Hauge was very satisfied. His rights seemed to have been strengthened by a point, but he was too impatient, which also aroused the vigilance of the Han officials.

One month after the assassination, a group of about 6 Jin soldiers were marching rapidly among the high mountains. They set off from Chang'an, passed through Dasan Pass, entered Hanzhong, and then entered Kuizhou, Sichuan via the Lychee Road.

This golden army consisted of [-] cavalry and [-] infantry, and was led by the emperor of the Kingdom of Jin, Hauge himself.

Hauge left Jierhalang to sit in Xi'an, and he drove himself to conquer. After meeting with Pingxi King Wu Sangui in Hanzhong, he decided to quickly go south to capture the land of Sichuan.

The 2000 cavalry, except for the more than [-] Manchu banners guarding Haug, the rest are Mongols and Hui tribes, led by Oboi, and the [-] infantry are mainly [-] Han Eight Banners and [-] Green Battalion soldiers , the main generals are Wu Sangui and Meng Qiaofang.

In addition to the army, there were nearly 2 civilian husbands, driving more than [-] goats and other livestock, and carrying some food, and marched together.

It has to be said that compared with the Ming Dynasty, Haoge's gold has a huge advantage. At least the army can obtain a large number of livestock, which makes the soldiers strong.

This point is basically incomparable to the Ming Dynasty, and neither can the Manchu Qing Dynasty, because in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Mongolia was the object to be wooed, and the Manchu Qing Dynasty often distributed some benefits to Mongolia, while in Dajin, Mongolia and the Hui tribe were the ones to be wooed. The target of oppression, gold can exchange a large number of livestock from the controlled tribes at a low price to supplement military supplies.

There are three roads to enter Shu, the longest one is naturally the Jinniu Road, but this time Hauge did not choose this road, but took the more difficult Litchi Road. The army found traces.

The Jin soldiers meandered among the high mountains, marched hard for ten days, and finally arrived at Xuanhan in the northwest of Kuizhou, and captured this small county with almost no troops for defense by surprise.

The goal of the Jin army this time is to seize the whole of Shu, but it must avoid seeing-saw with the Ming army, and the Qing army cannot be cheapened in vain. Therefore, Hauge's purpose is very clear, which is to first cut off the Sichuan Ming army and Huguang and Guizhou. Contact, and then guard the key points to prevent the Ming army from supporting, so as not to repeat the mistakes of the last defeat in Shu.

The [-] gold soldiers and [-] civilian husbands rested in Xuanhan for a day. After the army was stationed, Hauge summoned Wu Sangui, Obai, Meng Qiaofang and others in the hall of the county government office to discuss the battle plan.

Hauge and the others gathered in front of the map, and Meng Qiaofang pointed to the marching route, "Your Majesty, if you want to prevent the Ming army from entering Sichuan for support, the key is to control Kuizhou Prefecture and Chongqing. If you take these two prefectures, you will It can prevent the Ming army from advancing from Huguang or Guizhou to Sichuan, and cut off the connection between Nanming and Sichuan."

These were all discussed in advance, so it was meaningless for everyone to wait for Meng Qiaofang to continue to say, "Ming's army in Sichuan is mainly Yuan Zongdi's Zhongyi Town, and the rest are the rebuilt white-armed soldiers. As well as some volunteers and native soldiers, there are more than 6 people in total, but they are defending various places, scattered in eastern Sichuan, southern Sichuan and other places. Those native soldiers and volunteers are mostly useless and can be recruited. The key for us is to defeat Yuan Zong The No. [-] army, he is the backbone of the Ming army in Sichuan, as long as he is defeated, Sichuan will be able to spread the war."

Hauge agreed with Meng Qiaofang's point of view. The Ming Dynasty had been in chaos for so many years, and the common people were struggling to live. They might not support the Ming Dynasty much.

It was only because of the excessive ethnic policies and massacres of the Qing Dynasty that aroused the resistance of the people, which led to the surge of rebels, and he chose to rely on the Han gentry. After the abolition of shaving and easy clothing, Sichuan and Shaanxi under his rule quickly stabilized, so He believes that as long as he defeats the main force of the Ming army and adopts a fairly moderate policy, he will be able to appease Quanchuan quickly.

Sometimes, Hauge is also very entangled in his heart. Sinicization reduces the resistance for his conquest, but it also means that the Manchus will gradually lose their own characteristics. Over time, the Manchus in the Kingdom of Jin will inevitably be assimilated by the Han people, just like the Northern Wei Dynasty. Like Xianbei, it was integrated into the Han nationality and disappeared in the long river of history.

This kind of mood made Hauge suspicious of his Sinicization path, but if he did not insist on Sinicization, his Jin regime would collapse immediately.

"The Ming army built many cottages in the mountains in eastern Sichuan. If we went to fight one by one, it would take a lot of time. Therefore, after discussing with King Pingxi, I suggested that the troops should be divided into two groups. Qujiang went south to take Hezhou, and attracted Yuan Zongdi from Chongqing to Hezhou. The other route was King Pingxi, who led a partial army of 5, crossed the mountains in eastern Sichuan, raided Wanxian, and then went up the river to outflank Hezhou. The land can be determined by a battle."

The strategy of the Jin army is to lead Yuan Zongdi to Hezhou with the main force, and then outflank the rear, annihilate the main force of the Sichuan Ming army in Hezhou, and then carry the momentum of great victory to sweep all over Sichuan.

This plan is complete, but Hauge still has some doubts. He looked at Wu Sangui and said, "Can Aiqing really cross the mountains in eastern Sichuan and raid Wan County?"

No wonder Hauge asked this question. Whether he can successfully detour is related to whether the Jin army can conquer the whole Sichuan in one battle. If it is delayed for a long time, and the reinforcements of the Ming army enter Sichuan, it will really be like Han Zhaoxuan said. strong clear.

Wu Sangui bowed to Hauge, with a trace of hatred on his face, he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, your majesty, I once crossed the mountains in eastern Sichuan and brought back more than 3000 people. This time, I chose people who are good at moving in the mountains and forests." Elite soldiers will surely fulfill their mission.”

With the incidents in Chang'an City and the change of Dajin's national policy, Hauge believed that Nanming's spies had already reported to Nanjing and Sichuan. If he wanted to win quickly, he would have to be surprised.

Hauge was very clear about Wu Sangui's defeat in Wan County and his escape over the mountains. Since Wu Sangui was sure, he nodded, "Well, the army will act according to this plan."

In the early morning of the next day, the Jin army divided into two groups, one led by Haoge, Aobai and Meng Qiaofang, went down the Qujiang River and went straight to Hezhou, and the other led by Wu Sangui, drilled into the mountains in eastern Sichuan.

(End of this chapter)