Ming Empire

Chapter 30 Cao Yue's Viewpoint

The so-called Qinhuai Bayan in history refers to the eight famous ladies in the south of the Yangtze River in the late Qing Dynasty: Liu Rushi, Chen Yuanyuan, Gu Hengbo, Dong Xiaowan, Bian Yujing, Li Xiangjun, Kou Baimen, Zheng Ruying. Both color and art.

At the end of Ming Dynasty, Qinhuai Bayan was already famous far and wide.In later generations, their stories were still talked about. Although Cao Yue didn't fully know who the eight beauties of the Qinhuai River were, he still knew some of them, such as Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Rushi, and Dong Xiaowan.

Chen Yuanyuan, who turned Wu Sangui into a confidant in anger, and Liu Rushi, who had a strong personality, integrity, intelligence, and courage, and Dong Xiaowan, who was later mixed up as the concubine of the Shunzhi Emperor of the Manchu Dynasty, and who had many legendary stories with Maobijiang. The man Cao Yue has heard of it in later generations.

He believed that, apart from the few he knew, the other women included in the Eight Beauties of the Qinhuai River were all beauties with outstanding talents and beauty.

Men are naturally interested in beautiful women, not to mention women who combine beauty and wisdom. Cao Yue's interest was completely aroused by Chang Yanling's eloquent talk about Qinhuai's eight beauties. In Nanjing, there is no way to see their demeanor now, otherwise Cao Yue really wants to meet them now, appreciate their talents and learn, and see their beauty.

"Brother Yue," after getting acquainted with each other, Chang Yanling and others have already called Cao Yue "Brother Yue" to show their intimacy with Cao Yue. With a curious look, the youngest and handsome Guo Peimin whispered to Cao Yue: "Brother Chang will go to Nanjing in a few days to serve as the governor of Nanjing Jinyiwei Town. If you go to Nanjing in the future and want to find Qinhuai Bayan, go to find him."

"Oh, Brother Chang is going to work in Nanjing?" Cao Yue was a little surprised.

"The appointment has been made a long time ago, but it has been delayed," Chang Yanling said with a wry smile: "Nanjing Jinyiwei Town Fushi is not as good as a thousand households in Beijing. Alas, no one wants to go!"

"Brother Chang is wrong!" Cao Yue drank his wine, shook his head and denied Chang Yanling's point of view, "I don't think so. I think it would be best if you can go to Nanjing now, this is an ordinary person It is hard to get a good opportunity that allows you to live a stable life for more than ten years."

"Why did Brother Yue say that?" Chang Yanling was puzzled, and his other two friends were also surprised.

"This..." Cao Yue looked at the women leaning beside everyone, Chang Yanling understood, and immediately signaled them to go down first.

After a group of Yingying and Yanyan went out, Cao Yue said in a low voice: "Brother Chang, you don't know, Beijing is not a safe place now, and Jiannu attacked the city several times, you stay here, there is no fear Do you feel it?"

"It used to be, but since Brother Yue broke through Shengjing, I haven't felt this way anymore!" Chang Yanling sipped his wine and said meaningfully: "After this battle, it is impossible for Jiannu to attack aggressively in a short time. , my Guanning defense line will be strengthened again. It will not be so easy for Jiannu to attack the city of Beijing. Brother Yue, you should know more about military affairs than I do, don't you...don't you think so?"

After Chang Yanling's words changed slightly, Guo Peimin and Zhang Shize also put down their wine glasses and looked at Cao Yue.

Seeing that the three of them were all staring at him, Cao Yue sighed slightly: "Brothers, to be honest, I feel that if the Ming army does not change, it will not be able to withstand Jiannu's attack. This time we are just lucky Successfully, if Jiannu hadn't gone all out to attack Songshan and Jinzhou, or left more troops in Shengjing when attacking Songshan and Jinzhou, Songshan and Jinzhou would still be surrounded by them, and eventually Songshan and Jinzhou would be under the long-term siege of Jiannu All the elites of Ming Dynasty will no longer exist.”

Hearing what Cao Yue said, Chang Yanling, Zhang Shize, and Guo Peimin all changed their expressions, and even forgot to drink the wine.

Seeing that his words were touched, Cao Yue continued: "To be honest, although my younger brother led the army to break through Shengjing and wiped out more than ten thousand Jiannu, the strength of Jiannu did not suffer a big loss. When the troops were withdrawn and led the counterattack, only the Eight Banners of the Han Dynasty who built slaves were wiped out, that is, the men and horses under the command of Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, etc. who were the former ministers of the Ming Dynasty, and a part of the Mongols. The Jurchen Eight Banners basically did not suffer losses. Jurchen The Eight Banners only lost a little more when the younger brother and Cao Zongbing led the army to counterattack, but this loss of troops did not have a big impact on their combat power."

"Jiannu will not let go of this failure. After they stabilize their rear, they will definitely lead their troops to invade Liaodong and even enter the pass. Although Huang Taiji is dead, Dorgon, who presided over Jiannu's domestic affairs, Brothers Duduo and Jierharang are not good stumps, especially Dorgon, whose talents are not inferior to Huang Taiji. I believe that within a year or two at most, Jiannu will recover and have the ability to go south again. "

Seeing Cao Yue's wry smile, Zhang Shize couldn't help but interjected: "Brother Yue, do you think our Daming army can't stop Jiannu's attack? Even with you, there is still a strong general like Cao Zongbing? "

"Brothers have never been in the army, so I don't know the situation in the army. To be honest, the fighting power of the Ming army is so low that no one can believe it. The military discipline is corrupt, officers deduct military pay, and corruption is common. What most people think It's all about preserving strength, collecting money, and doing everything for their own self-interest. No one is willing to chew on the hard bones. Hehe, just like this war, after the Bijia Mountain Food Road was destroyed, Master Hong made up his mind to fight with Jiannu It was a desperate battle, but Wang Pu, Wu Sangui, Tang Tong and others led their troops to escape without saying hello, and the Songjin line of defense collapsed. If it weren't for our ASEAN army fighting desperately, today's Songshan and Jinzhou may have fallen into the hands of Jiannu. "

While speaking, Cao Yue showed an expression of indignation, "I believe that the brothers all know that our Ming army has few victories in the battles against Jiannu and rebellion over the years. Although the Ming army is said to be in the millions, no one has the real strength. I know how many there are, and there are only a handful of people with fighting power. If we continue like this and don’t make changes, I am Ming, and I am in danger!"

Chang Yanling and the others all changed their faces when Cao Yue, who had just won the battle and went straight to build slaves, uttered such alarming words. However, they still didn't quite believe what Cao Yue said, but they didn't know how to refute it. .

After Cao Yue drank a glass of wine, he put the cup heavily, and said in a rough voice: "Brother Chang, during the banquet in the palace yesterday, my younger brother was attacked by courtiers several times, and many people wanted His Majesty to punish my younger brother. I see. People like my younger brother who have just returned from a big victory are attacked by groups because of trivial things. You said that the officials in the court are keen on infighting. They are afraid that others will affect their future, and they don’t want to see talented people. The people who have come out, like this, who else will fight to the death and serve the country?"

Chang Yanling listened and kept silent. He knew that Cao Yue was impeached by some speech officials during court meetings and banquets. Can't help feeling sad.He also drank a glass of wine and sighed heavily: "Brother Yue means that now that the country is in decline, why don't you leave the capital and go to Nanjing to live happily for a few years? Is that what you mean?"

Cao Yue shook his head, "Not necessarily, but in Beijing, you always have to worry about it, and it is easy to be affected by the battles in the court, and you might be unlucky one day. Why don't you go to Nanjing and live a stable life for a few years? If you have the opportunity, you can make a living and prepare in Nanjing. Maybe it will be of great use at that time. If, huh, brothers, I just said that if, if there is a far-sighted minister who goes to Nanjing to preside over military and political affairs, and uses the southern Fortune does something, maybe I, Da Ming, will be rejuvenated!"

Cao Yue actually wanted to work in Nanjing.He has a little understanding of the situation in the late Ming Dynasty. He knows that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Jiangnan was still very prosperous. Half of the Ming Dynasty’s taxes came from there, and Nanjing has a natural danger along the Yangtze River. The wealth of the south, training an elite army, and raising money for the court may turn things around.

It turns out that in history, Li Zicheng broke into Beijing, Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself, and after Wu Sangui turned against the water and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, didn't the small court of the Southern Ming Dynasty exist in Nanjing for several years?If we take precautions and make preparations in the south, or give up Beijing, move the capital to Nanjing, and take advantage of the advantages in the south, then Ming Dynasty may be able to come back to life.

When Cao Yue plans to meet Emperor Chongzhen alone one day, he will talk about his thoughts and let Chongzhen do some back-up preparations.

Although Cao Yue didn't know when Li Zicheng entered Beijing in the original history, he knew that Chongzhen was 14 years old and it had not been a few years since Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself on Meishan.If we don't arrange the way back, maybe there will be no way.

Maybe Emperor Chongzhen was not a Ming emperor, but now, the only one who can change the general situation of the world is the emperor of Ming Dynasty.

What Cao Yue said shocked Chang Yanling, Zhang Shize, and Guo Peimin.

Cao Yue, who had just returned from a victorious battle, naturally surprised them by being so pessimistic about the war between Daming and Jiannu, and what surprised them even more was that after Cao Yue thought of using the wealth in the south to plot, no wonder he suggested going to the south for development , Don't stay in Beijing anymore.

Chang Yanling is also a smart person. After thinking about it, he probably understood what Cao Yue meant, and finally smiled, raised his glass to Cao Yue and said: "Brother Yue, listening to your words is better than reading ten years of books. What you said today Let me be educated, and I will seriously consider whether I want to go to Nanjing to work. Come on, let’s not talk about these spoilers today, continue to drink, let the girls come back to accompany, don’t get drunk and don’t go home!”

"If brother Chang goes to Nanjing, maybe we will work together in Nanjing at that time," Cao Yue raised his glass in return.

"Heh, it turns out that Brother Yue also has the same intention, haha, then you should think about it better as a brother!" Chang Yanling laughed.

The other two people, Zhang Shize and Guo Peimin, also showed a meaningful look after hearing this, as if they were seriously thinking about it.

But Cao Yue didn't say anything else, Chang Yanling had already called the brothel girls who had just left to come back to accompany her, Yingying Yanyan burst into the room, the woman's laughter immediately eliminated the dullness just now, and several people began to chat and laugh loudly, Drinking a big cup, hugging the woman around him left and right.

Although Cao Yue is not used to having fun with prostitutes, he is no longer as repulsive as he was when he first came in.

(End of this chapter)