Four hundred and fortieth chapters tear open the big hole
On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the seventh year of Chongzhen, I returned to the county government office of Ningling County, Defu.
Yao Liang was still confused when he walked out of the county government office. Yao Liang was the leader of the militia group arranged by the Runing Army in Ningling County. Early this morning, the county magistrate Yu Zilian summoned Yao Liang to the county government office and ordered him to return with emergency reinforcements from the militia group.
Defu City.
The Ningling County Militia Group was the first militia group established by Wu Shigong at that time, but it was also the most special militia group. The other militia groups were fully controlled and commanded by the Runing Army, but the Ningling County Militia Group was a little different.
When Wu Shigong established this militia, he co-founded it with Yao Yuanwai, a gentry from Ningling County. The members were basically locals from Ningling County, and the officers of the militia were even the sons of those gentry. Even the militia’s military pay and supplies were
They were all funded by public land and gentry. Yao Liang was also a cousin of Yuan Yao.
Originally, this militia had some instructors sent by the Runing Army, but with the rapid expansion of the Runing Army, those instructors basically went to serve as officers in other units of the Runing Army. Therefore, the Runing Army had no control over this militia.
It's even weaker.
However, because this militia was established the earliest, and Wu Shigong had a close relationship with the gentry such as Yao Yuanwai, Wu Shigong and others never noticed this hidden danger. Because according to the legal principles of the Ming Dynasty, this militia should obey Yu Zilian, the magistrate of Ningling County.
of command and command.
However, the Runing Army originally arranged for this militia to guard Ningling County, and Yu Zilian was the magistrate of Ningling County, and the gentry wanted these local soldiers to guard the local county, so no one ever regarded this issue as a problem.
But now a special situation has arisen. The prefect Qian of Guide Prefecture wrote to Yu Zilian, asking him to organize local people to rush to the capital to help defend the city. Yu Zilian wanted to lead the militia to rescue him personally.
Yu Zilian has been working as a local county magistrate for almost six years. It is time for transfer or promotion, and the most critical one is the comment of his immediate boss, Magistrate Qian.
To be honest, Yu Zilian, the county magistrate, was not happy at all. The key was that Wu Shigong had too much influence in Ningling County. Although Wu Shigong basically ignored Yu Zilian after he took office, but regarding the two
Rumors about people's conflicts also spread throughout Ningling County through people around Wu Shigong. It is also conceivable that Yu Zilian was isolated.
However, it is also because of Wu Shigong's reputation that 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 best, so Yu Zilian's evaluation in the Ministry of Personnel has been good in recent years.
.So this time he had the idea of rising up.
After receiving the letter from Magistrate Qian, Yu Zilian immediately discovered this opportunity. Moreover, due to Yu Zilian's isolation, he actually did not know that the peasant rebel army on the east road had entered Kaifeng Prefecture, because there was no one in the Runing army.
People would inform him of the latest intelligence. So he believed that the biggest threat to Guide Mansion was only the peasant rebel army on the North Road.
But after all, Yu Zilian was the magistrate of Ningling County. When he ordered Yao Liang to lead the militia to the prefectural city for rescue, and showed Yao Liang the rescue letter from Magistrate Qian, Yao Liang was forced to be in awe of civilian officials for many years.
Agreed.
This is also caused by the embarrassing position of the militia group Yao Liang. If this militia group is controlled by the Runing Army, of course Yao Liang will not be jealous of Yu Zilian. If this militia group is established entirely by local gentry, then they will
Yu Zilian's orders were obeyed and violated, because who would give away the army he supported instead of defending his hometown?
But after all, Yao Liang had stayed in the Runing Army system for a relatively long time, and his idea of obeying orders from his superiors was deeply ingrained. Although he also raised the threat of the East Road Peasant Rebel Army to Yu Zilian, when Yu Zilian beat his chest and demanded
After personally leading the troops and patting his chest to ensure the safety of Ningling County, Yao Liang backed down because Yu Zilian promised to keep his family in Ningling County.
But misfortunes never come singly. Qian Qi, who was concerned about the movements of the peasant rebels on the East Road, happened to come forward to conduct reconnaissance. Yao Liang couldn't find anyone even if he wanted to ask for instructions, and Yu Zilian pressed hard. So at noon on the tenth day of the lunar month, Yu Zilian
He led this militia group and left Ningling County.
The leader of the militia group stationed in the Qianhusuo fortress was shocked when he heard the news. He immediately drove his horse to persuade Yao Liang. However, because he and Yao Liang were on the same level, the county magistrate Yu Zilian scolded him, so in the end
The persuasion was fruitless. The leader of the militia group could only send a fast horse to look for Qian Qi.
It wasn't until the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month that Qian Qi also learned of this shocking news. Although he treated a dead horse as a living horse, Qian Qi still sent a messenger with his own warrant to ask Yao Liang, a militia group, to rush as soon as possible.
Return to Ningling County; on the other hand, he personally led five companies of the Guide Army and 300 people from the regiment to retreat to Ningling County.
There are only five companies of Guided Army soldiers left outside now. The number is too small, and there is no point in mobile rescue of each fortress, so Qian Qi simply arranged the remaining five companies into Qianhusuo Fortress.
.
Objectively speaking, regardless of whether Yu Zilian's behavior was motivated by selfishness or not, at least he was brave enough to do his job and not afraid of war. This was also commendable in the dark officialdom of the late Ming Dynasty.
However, Yu Zilian's reckless move, coupled with Yao Liang's confused obedience, immediately tore a big hole in the defensive circle Wu Shigong carefully set up 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 quickly marched towards Guide Mansion. And
After learning this information, a thousand new troops sent by Xue Yongli immediately entered Evil Tiger Village to strengthen defense, preparing to block the peasant rebel army on the east road from invading Runing Mansion southward.
On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, the exploratory cavalry of the East Road Peasant Rebel Army appeared on the outskirts of Ningling County. The entire Ningling County was in chaos, and people outside the city evacuated into the city one after another. At noon, Ningling County closed its gates, except for
Except for the city gate facing the fortress of Qianhusuo, the other three gates were blocked with bricks and stones.
At the same time, Qian Qi and the chief Bo who stayed behind in Ningling County took over the defense of Ningling County. They emptied the prison as usual, which meant killing all the prisoners in the prison. They recruited more than 1,300 young men in the city to assist the defenders.
city.
At dusk, Qianhusuo Fortress took the risk and sent 23 carts to deliver ammunition into Ningling County, relieving Qian Qi's suffering from lack of ammunition. At night, the vanguard of the peasant rebel army appeared in Ningling County. Late that night, Gao Yingxiang,
Luo Rucai led the main force to arrive. At this time, there were more than 8,700 soldiers and civilians in Ningling County. (To be continued.)
