On January 25, the 22nd year of Chongzhen, five infantry towns and one cavalry town of the Ming Dynasty's new army arrived outside Chaoyang Gate. This also meant that the war between the Ming and Qing Dynasties entered the final stage.
By this time, neither the Ming Dynasty nor the slaves had any retreat.
For Jiannu, once Beijing is lost, the foundation of rule within the customs will be lost, and everything will be lost.
For the Ming Dynasty, if the Northern Expedition failed, then the five infantry towns and one cavalry town outside Beijing would most likely have been destroyed, Chongzhen would probably have been killed, and the national destiny might have been interrupted by the establishment of slaves.
Once Chongzhen dies and Zhu Cihong ascends the throne and proclaims himself emperor, it is hard to say what will happen to the Ming Dynasty.
On the surface, Ming Dynasty is now prosperous in all industries, and the industrial revolution has entered the fast lane.
But in fact, all this is just superficial prosperity, and the strength of the scholar camp is still not strong enough. In addition, after the failure of the Northern Expedition, the backbone of the scholar camp like Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan will inevitably lose a lot, so the remaining scholars may not be able to
It can withstand the counterattack of conservatives, but once it cannot withstand the pressure, the Industrial Revolution will come to an abrupt end.
Of course, this is only the worst case scenario, and the probability of it happening is extremely low.
At least Chongzhen was full of confidence in victory because he had too many trump cards.
Chongzhen's trump card was not only military, but also economic and even political.
"Chaoyang Gate." Looking at the outline of Chaoyang Gate on the horizon in the distance, Chongzhen said quietly, "It's been five years, and I'm finally back."
"Yes, we are finally back."
Shandong Governor Wang Jiayan was also inexplicably emotional.
Not long ago, Wang Jiayan personally escorted the first batch of supplies to catch up with Chongzhen's army.
Along with the supplies came the civilian laborers recruited by Wang Jiayan from Shandong. They were not only civilian laborers who transported grain, but also civilian laborers who were responsible for digging trenches and building gun platforms.
The battle for the capital is destined to be a protracted war.
To fight a protracted war, trenches must be dug and gun towers must be built.
Therefore, it is inevitable to recruit civilian workers from nearby Shandong.
Not only Shandong, Chongzhen even planned to recruit civilian men from Korea.
Moreover, the civilian husbands recruited from North Korea do not intend to be sent back.
Compared with other barbarian races, Koreans are most influenced by Confucian culture, so they are the easiest to assimilate. This can be seen from the reaction of Li Yucheng and other Korean soldiers.
The vast majority of Koreans have no objection at all to becoming Ming people.
This time it was only the first batch of civilian husbands who followed Wang Jiayan to Beijing.
Chongzhen asked again: "Wang Qing, do you still remember how embarrassed we were when we escaped from Beijing?"
"Why don't I remember?" Wang Jiayan exclaimed, "Because Zhang Jinyan and other rebellious ministers colluded with the traitors and opened the city gates. The capital was about to fall, and the ministers and others did not even have time to inform their wives and children. The situation at that time was really panic-stricken, like a lost dog, oh
, Your Majesty, please forgive me for my blunder. I was talking about myself..."
"Hey, Wang Qing, why do you have to save face for me?" Chongzhen smiled and said, "At that time, you and I, the monarch and our ministers, were just like losing dogs. Fortunately, our choice was not wrong. If we had not endured the humiliation and bear the burden, we would not have been able to bear the burden.
Today's Northern Expedition is underway, so Wang Qing need not worry about his original decision."
Wang Jiayan shook his head and said: "Even if I pledge my life to the country, how can I care about my family? Even if it happens again, I will still abandon my wife and children to follow the Holy Master to break out of the encirclement."
Wang Jiayan is showing his feelings.
The implication is that the Holy One can just be at ease and besiege the city.
Even if Jiannu took the wives and children of Chen and others as hostages and threatened them, I and others would never pay attention to them.
"Maybe things can still turn around." Chongzhen, in turn, began to comfort Wang Jiayan, "Dorgon still has some sense, and he probably won't take hostages as threats, because he knows that doing so is of no use at all."
…
"That's of no use." Dorgon decisively rejected Qi Chongge's proposal and shook his head and said, "Chongzhen Xiong guessed the evil bird of prey. Even the Duke of Wei, whose family had been passed down for nearly three hundred years and lived as long as the Ming Dynasty, could say that it was uprooted.
How could he care about civil servants such as Wang Jiayan and Wu Linzheng, as well as their wives, children, and children?"
Qi Chongge thought it made sense.
Besides, Wang Jiayan, Wu Linzheng and others also had limited influence on Chongzhen.
The Nine Qings who fled Beijing with Chongzhen were highly valued by Chongzhen at the beginning, but they lost Chongzhen's trust after the Shizi camp was formed.
As for Gong Yonggu, Liu Wenbing and other four nobles, they have no influence at all.
Therefore, even if Wang Jiayan, Gong Yonggu and others are used as small threats, it will be useless.
"What a pity." Qi Chongge sighed softly and added, "After Chongzhen's Concubine Yuan died of illness, Chongzhen's eldest daughter Princess Changping also died of illness not long ago. Otherwise, these two people could be used as blackmail.
Chongzhen, Chongzhen can ignore the lives of the wives and children of Jiuqing, Gong Yonggu and others who went to disaster, but he can't care about the lives of his concubines and eldest daughter, right?"
"It's all nonsense." Dorgon said angrily, "What's the use of talking about it now?"
While he was talking, Cao Eryu hurriedly walked in and knelt down to report: "Master, the Ming army has arrived!"
"The Ming army has arrived?" Dorgon didn't realize it for a moment and frowned, "Where have the Ming army arrived?"
Cao Eryu took a deep breath and reported in a deep voice: "Tangma reported that the Ming army has passed the Bali Bridge!"
"What? The Ming army has already crossed the Bali Bridge?!" Dorgon's expression suddenly changed. This was too fast.
Even though Dorgon had been mentally prepared for this, he was still unavoidably surprised when he suddenly heard the bad news, because the psychological shock was really too great.
The Ming army reached Bali Bridge and was about to approach the city.
This also means that the decisive battle between the Qing Dynasty and the Nanming Dynasty is about to truly begin.
Once this battle begins, either you die or I die, there is no third possibility.
Even if Dorgon was like this, Qi Chongge, Zhan Dai, Mu Zilun and other Manchu ministers were even more frightened.
"Master, please call Hong Chengchou's army back to Beijing quickly!" Qi Chongge hurriedly knelt down and admonished, "Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to defend Beijing with just the two white flags and hundreds of thousands of warriors left behind in Beijing."
Zhan Dai, Mu Zilun and other Manchu ministers knelt down.
"Master, please quickly summon Hong Chengchou's army back to defend the capital!"
"Shut up to me, everyone. I have my own ideas on how to fight and defend."
Dorgon did not hesitate to reject the advice of Qi Chongge and others.
Because as early as three days ago, Dorgon received Hong Chengchou's memorial.
Hong Chengchou explained his strategy to Dorgon in detail in the memorial.
Hong Chengchou's strategy can be summed up in one sentence: Dorgon defended Beijing to hold back the main force of the Ming army, while Hong Chengchou led the main force of the Qing army to stay in the periphery and attack the Ming army's logistics supply lines.
As long as the Ming army's food route is cut off, the Ming army will inevitably collapse.
Dorgon agreed with Hong Chengchou's strategy from the bottom of his heart.
But there is a premise for this, that is, Hong Chengchou cannot have two minds.
If Hong Chengchou also becomes Mao Wenlong after Tieshan, that won't work.
Fortunately, Hou Fangyu's secret message allowed Dorgon to dispel this worry.
Hou Fangyu repeatedly assured Dorgon in his letter that at least up to now, Hong Chengchou was still serving the Qing Dynasty wholeheartedly and had absolutely no second thoughts.
In view of this, Dorgon decisively rejected the advice of Qi Chongge and other Manchu ministers.
Seeing that Dorgon refused to accept his advice, Qi Chongge and others could only retreat in despair.
…
Almost at the same time, the news that the Ming army was approaching the city had spread throughout Beijing.
Nobles from the Eight Banners such as Luck Dehun, Duduo, Boluo and Luo Luohun still didn't believe it.
These Eight Banners nobles who were immersed in the glory of their fathers and grandfathers could not believe that in just a few years, the Ming army, which was originally suppressed by the Qing soldiers, could turn from defense to offense and launch the Northern Expedition against the Qing Dynasty.
So all these Eight Banners nobles came to Chaoyang Gate in unison.
Ever since Dorgon reformed the Eight Banners system and abolished the Eight Banners' political discussions, these Eight Banners aristocrats have been idle. Apart from walking their hawks and dogs every day, they are also working hard to create people in the mansion, and rarely gather together anymore.
But today, all the princes, princes, kings, Beile and Beizi are here.
Then, these Eight Banners nobles saw the sun and moon flag outside Chaoyang Gate.
Because they were quite far apart, the Ming army's military formation could not be seen clearly, but the large banner fluttering in the wind, especially the sun and moon patterns embroidered on the flag, were clearly visible.
"The thief is really a smart dog, isn't he?"
"What a surprise, Ming Gou actually dares to make the Northern Expedition?"
“These smart dogs really don’t know how to write the word death.”
"What on earth is the Fourteenth doing? It's the abolition of the Eight Banners' political agenda, and it's the equality of Manchus and Han people. After two years of busy work, Mingguo was beaten outside Chaoyang City?"
"We cannot sit idly by and watch this happen."
"That's right. The empire that the old Khan and the late emperor worked so hard to build cannot be ruined!"
The nobles of the Eight Banners who were present became more and more angry as they talked, and they were all filled with righteous indignation. They wished they could depose Dorgon on the spot and seize the supreme power of the Qing Dynasty.
Especially Dodo.
Duduo has always believed that his military exploits and prestige are superior to Dorgon's. According to the rules, he should be the regent of the emperor's father. The reason why Dorgon can become the regent of the emperor's father is entirely because of him.
support, so it was Dorgon who snatched the title of regent that should have belonged to his imperial father.
Duduo had made noises before, but no one paid any attention to him.
Duduo even had the idea of assassinating Dorgon, but in the end he did not dare to take action.
So as time passed, Duduo slowly accepted this reality.
But now that we see so many county princes Beile Beizi opposing Dorgon, Duduo sees an opportunity.
At that moment, Duduo shouted loudly: "Wen Jianbeizi is right. This is the country that the old Khan and the late emperor worked hard to build, and it must not be ruined in our hands. The old fourteen is acting rebelliously and cannot listen to our advice, so we can't find him."
It’s useless, let’s go into the palace, go find the emperor and the queen mother, and ask the emperor and the queen mother to come out and preside over important events!”
"Yes, look for the emperor, look for the queen mother!" Gurma Hui immediately echoed loudly.
The other princes Beile and Beizi also agreed and headed towards the Forbidden City.
