Chapter eight hundred and sixty-one southward migration and deployment of troops
However, no matter how high-sounding the move is on the surface, or what specific arrangements are made, it actually means giving up Beijing and the vast area in the north, and the next step will probably be to settle in a corner south of the Yangtze River.
Although that would not be regarded as the subjugation of the country, it would lead to a country that unified half of the world, but it would also be a bit like Emperor Hui of the Jin Dynasty and Huizong of the Song Dynasty in history, who would inevitably have to bear the reputation of a weak king.
Emperor Chongzhen, who considered himself a sage king and valued his face very much, had always been extremely cautious on this issue. He hoped that it would be best for a prestigious minister to come forward and advocate for the southward move, but he finally failed under the persuasion of his ministers.
Do it as a "last resort". At least you can save a little face.
On this issue, Emperor Chongzhen's mentality was somewhat similar to that on the issue of Qing Dynasty. He thought deeply in his heart, but did not want to show any signs of it. Therefore, he kept it extremely secret during the brewing period, but most likely there would be no results later.
.
The most unlucky people are often those who participated in the secret. Once the secret is leaked, they will be treated as victims of shame and anger. Chen Xinjia was killed for leaking the secret of the loan, which was the reason why Emperor Chongzhen wanted to cover it up.
Because of this mentality, at the beginning of the 16th year of Chongzhen, the discussion about moving to the south was also carried out in an extremely secretive manner. On the third day of the first lunar month, when everyone in the palace and city were still busy celebrating the New Year, Emperor Chongzhen quietly moved Zhan Shifu to the left center.
Li Mingrui was allowed to be summoned to the palace and secretly summoned in the Dezheng Palace.
Li Mingrui is just an inconspicuous literary attendant. He was specially summoned this time because he has always advocated "moving to the south to survive." He had raised this issue in a book a few years ago, but because he was indifferent, it did not arouse a strong response.
.
When Emperor Chongzhen summoned Li Mingrui, he completely dismissed everyone around him. After looking around again and again for no one, he asked him carefully about his plans for moving south. He also said to him: "I have long had the intention of moving south, but no one agrees."
Xiang, it has only been postponed until today. Your opinion is consistent with mine, and I have made up my mind. But all the ministers do not agree. What should I do? You have to keep it a secret now."
Emperor Chongzhen talked with Li Mingrui for a long time, during which they gave him a banquet and tea in Wenzhao Pavilion. After the tea and dinner, he was called in to talk again. They discussed in detail the specific route of moving south, the guards along the way, wages and money, and the stay, etc., until
It was dark before Li Mingrui was allowed to leave the palace.
It can be seen from this extremely unusual summons that Emperor Chongzhen had indeed decided to move southward at that time, but for the sake of reputation and face, he did not bring the issue to the table for a long time.
The ministers held discussions, and the situation that he hoped to have the cabinet ministers first propose to move south never happened, so he delayed it again and again.
The so-called plan to move south finally came to nothing. At this time, Emperor Chongzhen wanted to find another minister like Yang Sichang and Chen Xinjia who could speak his mind. Because other ministers knew that even if the move south was successful,
.I have achieved the "first decision", but Emperor Chongzhen will definitely settle accounts in the future and use his own head to save his face. So who dares to do something that will lead to death?
Of course, Emperor Chongzhen was not the only one prepared to move south. He found that it was difficult to abandon the city and escape, so he had to do his best to strengthen the defense of the capital.
The standing garrison of the capital is the so-called "Beijing Camp", which is an extremely corrupt force. It causes trouble in peacetime and is vulnerable in wartime. In the past few years, Qing soldiers have threatened the capital several times, and the real defense force has mainly been
It relies on the diligent troops from all walks of life.
However, this time the Dashun Army may be approaching the city soon, and of course arrangements should be made for the deployment of troops to defend the city in advance. However, the troops in the north outside the capital must resist the Dashun Army along the way, and they cannot retreat to the emperor's feet in advance.
The troops were far away and could not quench their thirst. The only thing Emperor Chongzhen could think of was Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan, outside Shanhaiguan (at that time, the imperial court also counted Langxiao Town, led by Yu Ji, among Wu Sangui's Guanning Iron Cavalry).
Wu Sangui was born as a general. His father Wu Xiang and uncle Zu Dashou were both famous generals outside the Pass. He joined the army as the son of a general. He was known as a shrewd, profound, brave and daring man. He was appointed as a commander-in-chief when he was less than thirty years old. The troops he led
The performance of the 40,000 elite soldiers in the previous battles against the Qing outside the pass was also relatively outstanding. Although they had a disgraceful history of escaping in the Battle of Songjin, they were still unanimously regarded as the most effective force in the pass.
When the capital is in crisis, transferring Wu Sangui's troops to the defense may not really be able to stop Dashun's hundreds of thousands of troops, but it can give the weak court a little more confidence. The problem is that if Wu Sangui's troops are transferred to the capital, they must abandon Ningyuan City, the only remaining fruit outside the pass.
and Zhenyuan City. Moreover, the defense of Shanhaiguan would be greatly empty. Once the Qing army took advantage of the situation, the consequences would be equally disastrous. This method of demolishing the east wall to make up for the west wall also put Emperor Chongzhen and his courtiers in a dilemma.
In order to relieve the immediate emergency, Emperor Chongzhen first raised the issue of transferring Wu Sangui's army to enter the pass during a summons in March. But this time, as before, he still did not want to take the responsibility of abandoning the land outside the pass and causing the emptiness of the pass.
, so he only proposed that Wu Sangui lead five thousand elite troops to Shanxi to assist in the suppression, saying that there were still many troops outside the pass, which would not cause damage to the mountain and sea border defenses. At the same time, he also said to the cabinet ministers: "Should such a major military aircraft be used?"
"It is the responsibility of the gentlemen to preside over the matter, and there is no excuse for delaying or delaying the matter." The ministers still have to bear the responsibility.
However, the ministers have long known from historical experience that once they take the initiative to undertake the plan of transferring border troops into the pass, the emperor will probably be looking for a scapegoat in the future if he is held accountable for the abandonment of the land outside the pass and the destruction of Shanhaiguan.
Misfortune. Therefore, everyone insisted that they did not agree and allowed the emperor to make his own decision.
Chen Yan, a bachelor, said on behalf of the ministers: The emperor wants to transfer Wu Sangui's elite troops to the pass, which is indeed a good strategy to destroy the invaders. However, Shanhaiguan and Ningyuan are close to the capital, and the stakes are very important. Because of the Wu army, the Qing soldiers cannot march straight in. Once they are transferred, other forces will be destroyed.
The place may not be able to sustain it. If something goes wrong, even if I die, I will not be able to shoulder the responsibility. This matter is closely related to the safety of the country, and I have been discussing it for a long time. I dare not easily try to seal the border and seek the emperor's decree.
Zhang Yanjin, Minister of War, pointed out more clearly that whether to transfer Wu Sangui was actually a question of whether to abandon Ningyuan.
Emperor Chongzhen could not shirk responsibility from his courtiers, so he had to explain to them repeatedly: "Although it was a bad policy to abandon Ningyuan and retreat to Shanhaiguan, it was really a last resort."
However, in order to be prudent, Chen Yan and other ministers actually wanted to completely shirk responsibility. They still proposed that the matter was serious and should be discussed by the Jiuqing Science and Road Conference. Later, they also proposed to consult the governors of various places. Even if they gave up Ningyuan, they would still
It is necessary to properly arrange the defense of Shanhaiguan and the resettlement of soldiers and civilians outside the pass after Ningyuan withdraws troops. Therefore, the matter of mobilizing Wu Sangui's troops has also been delayed again and again, and it has not been officially decided until now.