Chapter 288: The Qing Army Knocks the Pass (Part 2)
~.-< >-~ Chapter 288 Qing soldiers knocking on the pass (Part 2)
After listening to Wang Pu's words, Ma Rulong sighed: "Okay, this can't be blamed on the emperor. It is really that what Pang Gang did was too taboo. The reason why the emperor tolerated him is not because he has a large army. If one day he has the military power to enter
, I’m just afraid...”
At this point, Ma Rulong stopped, but everyone could understand the meaning of his words.
Lu Xiangsheng's face was solemn, and he looked back at Ma Rulong and Wang Pu before saying: "Now is not the time to discuss this. Although Pang Gang is unruly, his troops are indeed strong. With his help, we are at least certain to defeat the Tatars."
There are two more points, and this is why I asked for an order to transfer him to the capital. It is true that the emperor has his own reasons for refusing to agree."
Lu Xiangsheng was indeed loyal to Chongzhen, and he is still excusing Chongzhen to this day.
While they were talking, everyone had arrived at the inner city. When they arrived at the gate of the inner city, the number of beggars and homeless people on both sides of the street increased in vain. There had been rain and war these days. Hundreds of thousands of people fled into the capital from Tongzhou and the eastern suburbs, but the capital had no place to take them in, so many people just
They could only sleep under the eaves on both sides of the street. For fear of freezing to death, people crowded into a pile. They shivered, groaned, complained, and sighed in the biting cold wind. The women whispered to the old man, mourning
Weeping. The children huddled in their mother's arms, crying and crying, crying and crying, tearing the hearts of the adults. But when the patrol soldiers sent by the Wucheng Soldiers and Horses Division approached, they temporarily endured
They dared not say a word. Since the martial law began on the 15th, hundreds of refugees have died every day, and the number has reached two to three hundred. Although porridge factories have been set up in the five cities to provide relief, the death rate is getting higher and higher, especially
It is the elderly and children who die the most. The northeast wind is blowing tonight and it is extremely cold. I wonder how many large and small corpses will be carried to the mass graves tomorrow morning?
Looking at the refugees shivering in the cold wind, Lu Xiangsheng and others showed unbearable expressions on their faces. However, they were helpless at this time and had no choice but to turn their heads away and stop watching.
At this time, in the Nuanxiang Pavilion in the Forbidden City, Chongzhen was immersed in reviewing memorials. This year, the situation in the Ming Dynasty has become increasingly difficult. Every day has become more chaotic. The various documents sent to the palace every day are like snowflakes. There are too many documents, and I am afraid.
He couldn't read the document enough and missed important things. He adopted the method used in the Song Dynasty and asked the General Secretary to write out the reasons on yellow paper when receiving the document and stick it on the front, which is called diversion. Then he used yellow paper to write a summary of the contents.
It is posted at the back, which is called pasting the yellow. In this way, he can read the introduction and pasting of the yellow first, and does not need to read the full text of the less important ones. However, urgent military intelligence reports and pond reports can still be sent to the palace as they arrive.
, as usual, he did not attract pornography, let alone label him pornographic. So even though he adopted this method, he still had endless paperwork to deal with every day. He often went to bed after the third watch, and sometimes stayed up all night. Today, Chongzhen has been working since the afternoon.
Never left the Long Case
Chongzhen put down his imperial brush, stretched out, picked up a jasper cup from the rosewood coffee table next to him, took a sip of hot tea, and sighed softly. Then he asked: "Gao Qiqian and Lu Xiangsheng are here."
No?"
At this time, Cao Huachun, who had been waiting by his side, whispered: "Long live Lord Qi, Gao Qiqian has arrived early, but Lu Xiangsheng has just arrived, and now he is waiting outside the Wenhua Hall."
Chongzhen drank a few more sips of tea with a frown on his face, put the cup back on the coffee table, and whispered irritably and majestically: "Let's drive!"
When Chongzhen rode the dragon chariot to the Wenhua Hall, Gao Qiqian and Lu Xiangsheng knelt and waited in front of the hall. Chongzhen ignored them, got off the chariot, walked through the front hall, and walked into the Wenhua back hall.
In the east room, I sat down on a dragon-carved armchair covered with yellow cushions.
At this time, Gao Qiqian and Lu Xiangsheng also came in and knelt down again to perform the usual salute of bowing and kowtowing to Chongzhen.
Chongzhen was silent for a long time before asking: "Get on your feet, Lu Aiqing, why did you come to the palace late at night?"
Lu Xiangsheng stood up and replied respectfully: "For your information, Your Majesty, we have no choice but to disturb the Emperor by entering the palace late at night. Not to mention the lack of food and grass in Weichen's camp, less than half of the troops mobilized have not yet arrived. Such troops
How can horses drive away the Tatars? Moreover, the Tatars are powerful, and the ministers also beg the emperor for permission to mobilize Pang Gang, the commander-in-chief of Shandong Town, to lead his troops to Beijing to serve the king. Pang Gang's troops are well-equipped and well-trained.
I will be more confident in driving out the Tatars."
Chongzhen looked a little ugly after hearing this. Gao Qiqian, who was on the side, saw that Chongzhen was not very happy, so he hurriedly came out and shouted: "Master Lu, can't I defeat the Tatars after leaving Pang Gang in the Ming Dynasty? Or do you have no confidence in yourself?
"
Lu Xiangsheng's sharp eyes glanced at Gao Qiqian, who was so frightened that Gao Qiqian couldn't help but take a step back. When Gao Qiqian noticed it, he couldn't help but feel angry and angry. He raised his sharp voice and shouted: "Lu Xiangsheng, if you feel that you
You can make it clear that you are not worthy of the emperor's trust, and there is no need to put on such a posture to scare others."
Lu Xiangsheng snorted coldly: "Eunuch Gao, only the emperor can decide whether Mr. Lu is qualified for the position of governor, so I don't need to worry about it. Moreover, Mr. Lu also asked Eunuch Gao not to forget that the Tatars are now harming our Ming Dynasty.
People, plunder my money from the Ming Dynasty. Besides, fighting is always a matter for military commanders, so I’d better leave it alone, father-in-law."
"you........"
Gao Qiqian was always known in the inner court for his knowledge of soldiers. When Lu Xiangsheng said this, he was immediately choked and speechless.
"Lu Xiangsheng, we must make you look good in the future!" Gao Qiqian, who was flushed, felt that his face had been wiped away by Lu Xiangsheng, and an unknown fire suddenly surged from his heart.
"That's enough. I didn't come to see you today to see you quarreling." Chongzhen waved his hand and said seriously: "Lu Xiangsheng, I'm here to ask you, if I agree with you to mobilize Pang Gang's troops to help, are you sure?
Defeat the Qing army?"
When Lu Xiangsheng heard this, he suddenly smiled bitterly in his heart. There is no way to be 100% sure about this war. I am afraid that even Sun Wu would not dare to say this when he was born again, but he knew that if he did not agree to come down, the emperor would probably not mobilize Pang Gang.
The people under his command came to serve the king. Therefore, Lu Xiangsheng bravely raised his head and answered: "I am confident in answering the emperor's words!"
"Okay!" Chongzhen looked a little better and finally nodded: "Then I allow you to mobilize Pang Gang's troops to obey your orders, but there is one thing you have to pay attention to. You can mobilize Pang Gang's troops, but the number of troops cannot be
More than five thousand, otherwise I won’t be able to spare you!”
"this......."
Lu Xiangsheng was stunned. People always mobilize more troops, the better. Our emperor is good at mobilizing troops and only loses 5,000 men. Is he so jealous of Pang Gang?
Lu Xiangsheng guessed correctly. Chongzhen was so taboo on Pang Gang. Although Pang Gang escorted two million taels of silver to Beijing twice, relieving Chongzhen's urgent need, Chongzhen's taboo against Pang Gang became deeper and deeper, so that
It got to the point where talk was getting serious, but due to the pressure from Lu Xiangsheng and the Qing soldiers, Chongzhen had to agree to Lu Xiangsheng's request, but he also came up with this method to restrict Pang Gang from sending troops. This shows Chongzhen's inner struggle at this time.
Seeing Lu Xiangsheng stunned on the spot, Chongzhen felt a little guilty for him, and said to Lu Xiangsheng: "Lu Aiqing, I also know that it is difficult for you, but no matter how difficult it is, you have to leave. In order to reduce your pressure, I specially sent Gao Qiqian to
What do you think of being the supervisor?"
"What, let Gao...Gao Eunuch serve as a supervisor for the ministers?" Hearing this, Lu Xiangsheng couldn't help but turned pale with shock.
"Huh? Why don't you want to?" A cold light flashed in Chongzhen's eyes.
"Your Majesty, forgive me, this... I am naturally welcome." Lu Xiangsheng quickly agreed, joking, it is the tradition of the old Zhu family to send eunuchs into the army, do you dare to disagree? I'm afraid if you dare to show off,
No words, Yuan Chonghuan is a lesson learned from his mistakes!
"That's good, you can go out!" Seeing Lu Xiangsheng agree, Chongzhen waved his hand and sent him out.
Chongzhen took a cup of tea from a palace maid. The faint fragrance of tea was refreshing. He smacked it gently with his lips and looked thoughtfully at the azure Xuanyao dark dragon cup, admiring the exquisite
Precious art. After a long time, Chongzhen waved his hand. A palace maid immediately took a step forward knowingly, took the tea cup with a lacquered gold plate in both hands, and walked out carefully. The other palace maids and eunuchs were counting seconds.
Zhenei tiptoed out.
At this time, only Chongzhen and Gao Qiqian were left in the hall. Chongzhen stood up, walked back and forth in the hall for a while, and then whispered in a heavy tone: "Gao Qiqian, you have often gone out to supervise the army in the past few years, and you have also
I have some experience. This time I ask you to be in charge of the troops of King Qin in the world. This is a heavy responsibility. You must handle things carefully, expel the Tartars, defend the capital, and never let me down."
Gao Qiqian understood very well that the emperor only wanted him to "act with caution" and did not want him to fight bravely. Moreover, he himself was indeed afraid of Qing troops, but he replied in a generous tone:
"This slave is willing to go through fire and water and die in battle, and will never let down the kindness that the emperor has given me over the years."
"Well, get up!" Chongzhen raised his hands, Gao Qiqian took advantage of the situation and stood up, with his hands hanging aside, not daring to say anything.
Chongzhen was a very suspicious man. He often suspected that the courtiers were working together to deceive him, so he sent eunuchs to monitor his courtiers. However, he still could not completely trust the eunuchs around him, so he worked hard and personally. But there were some
He couldn't do the work for him, so he felt very anxious, so he gave Gao Qiqian many instructions.
"If you want to pacify the Tatars, you must pacify them!" Chongzhen said in a firm tone. He deliberately used the word "pacify" to cover up the reality of seeking peace with Manchuria and not lose his supreme and noble status as the great emperor.
"Yes, I understand!"
"Be sure to take strict precautions against Pang Gang!"
"Slave, I will definitely do it!"
"besides......."
Following Chongzhen's instructions, Gao Qi subconsciously began to murder Pang Gang, whom he had never met before.