On March 19, the third year of Chongzhen, which was the second day after the 3,000 battalions were formed, Wang Qia, the former Minister of War, was so furious before the trial that he died of illness in prison. After another trial by the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple, Yuan Chonghuan was sentenced to death.
He was sentenced to death and his head was sent to nine sides.
The penalty that was different from the original history was attributed to Zhong Jinwei, who captured Aixinjueluo Amin alive in the capital, which made everyone in the capital vent their anger and lost so much energy.
When Zhong Jinwei returned to the capital after a period of time and heard the news of Yuan Chonghuan's death, he curiously asked the Dongchang officer whether Yuan Chonghuan had recited poems before he died. Because he remembered that Yuan Chonghuan's last words before his execution were:
My career is all in vain, half my life's fame is in my dreams. I will not worry about my bravery after death, my loyal soul will still protect Liaodong.
This poem is full of passion for serving the country and devoted to the cause of fighting against the Japanese in Liaodong. It moved Zhong Jinwei for a long time.
It was only later that some of Yuan Chonghuan's actions aroused controversy on the Internet and caused many doubts. Zhong Jinwei had doubts about this poem, so he asked this question.
The answer of the Dongchang fan servant really surprised Zhong Jinwei, saying that Yuan Chonghuan was a person hated by the people of the capital. There were many people who watched his show before his execution and scolded him. In this case, there would be that prisoner and others
He recited poems when he was in a mood. Even if he recited poems, others wouldn't be able to hear him clearly.
When Zhong Jinwei heard this, he thought it made sense. In another history, the people at that time hated him even more than they do now, even hating him to the point of eating meat. Who would still remember Yuan Chonghuan's possible poems and spread them around
Go down?
Zhong Jinwei didn't believe it even after thinking about it. It was very likely that it was attached to it by the Manchu historians later in order to praise Yuan Yiming.
But that history no longer exists, and no one knows what the truth is. Zhong Jinwei didn’t worry about it anymore and forgot about it.[
On the same day that Yuan Chonghuan was executed, Zhou Yanru, an assistant minister of the cabinet, left the capital and went to Nanjing to preside over the provincial examination.
He didn't expect this opportunity and left happily.
With Wen Tiren suppressing him in the cabinet, he didn't have many opportunities to do whatever he wanted. After arriving in Nanjing, he had the final say. It was time for him to explain some things to his family.
The next day, which was the third day after the establishment of the Mongolian Expeditionary Force, Sun Chengzong came to their camp again.
Several generals accompanied Sun Chengzong to inspect the army's preparations without hesitation. To be honest, three days was too short, and many of the soldiers did not know each other. Formations and the like were all nonsense. They were just getting to know each other these days.
.
Fortunately, these were all elites in the army and had all the combat skills. After getting familiar with the generals leading the troops, they could still fight.
In the afternoon, more than 5,300 people lined up to have the clerk brought by Sun Chengzong write a suicide note, just in case.
If this kind of battle is not composed of desperate men who either run away halfway or retreat as soon as they leave the border, it will be impossible to achieve the strategic goal.
In this battle, it is still very difficult to demonstrate the military might of the Ming Dynasty, the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty, and at the same time hurt them so that they dare not enter the pass again.
Sun Chengzong had a secret talk with Cao Wenzhao for a long time in his military tent before leaving.
Early the next morning, the sun did not rise as usual, the clouds were thick, and the spring rain was about to fall, but it caused the temperature to drop even lower.
Even so, all the troops in King Qin's camp, whether they were cavalry or infantry, followed the sound of the horn "woo woo woo" and began to leave the camp as a whole and lined up at the entrance of the expeditionary army camp.
The city gates of the capital were also opened early on this day, and countless people poured out of the city and walked along the official road to the starting point of the expeditionary force to see off the expeditionary force.
In order to keep it secret, all the soldiers in King Qin's camp were released from the camp today. Similarly, in the capital, the formation of the expeditionary force was not passed down from level to level by the imperial court until yesterday evening, and was finally conveyed to various families through Li Zheng.
household.
After a strong man left the capital, he hurried on his way, hoping to grab a spot on the roadside so he could see the vengeful army up close.[
Suddenly, he found a familiar figure in front of him and shouted happily: "Second brother, second brother."
The man looked back and saw that it was his third sworn brother. He stopped and waited for the strong man to catch up. As he hurried on, he asked, "Why are you here?"
"Let me see what this army of revenge looks like. What about you?" The strong man smiled and answered his second brother, but he saw that the short man's face was not very good, and he did not joke with him as before.
"My mother-in-law's family was slaughtered by the Tatars. I'm here to see off the army. I want to do my part and hope they can kill more Tatars." The short man answered the strong man as he walked away.
In fact, the strong man had already thought of the reason when the short man opened his mouth. Now after hearing what the second brother said, he stopped talking and they all went on their way.
At the camp of the expeditionary force, all the soldiers were ready, carrying a few days' worth of dry food on their backs, carrying various types of ordnance, armor, and leading their own horses, forming four large square formations, quietly waiting for the final order to set off.
The chilly spring breeze blew by, causing all kinds of flags to make "wow" sounds from time to time. The war horses occasionally sneezed white, adding a little bit of movement to the phalanx.
In front of the square formation, Cao Bianjiao, Huang Degong, and Zuo Liangyu stood behind Cao Wenzhao, motionless, holding the handle of the sword.
In front of Cao Wenzhao was Sun Chengzong, a cabinet minister and minister of the Ministry of War. His crimson robe stood out among the armor.
"I won't say too much. Today, by His Majesty's decree, I will send you something." After Sun Chengzong finished speaking, he waved his hand back. The guards behind him immediately stepped forward, holding a box in both hands.
Go to Sun Chengzong's side.
"Your Majesty gave this to you, you should open it." Sun Chengzong said solemnly to Cao Wenzhao with a solemn expression.
Cao Wenzhao was a little curious about what was in this box, gold and silver treasures? It didn't look like it; a magic weapon? The box was not big, and it didn't look like it.
Cao Wenzhao stepped forward and lifted the lid of the box in the hands of Sun Chengzong's personal guard. He was stunned for a moment, then stretched out his hands to take out the contents.
Cao, Huang, and the three generals from the left were right behind Cao Wenzhao, so when they heard Sun Chengzong's words, they were as curious as their coach, and they all stared at the coach to see what he took out.
Soon they discovered that what Cao Wenzhao took out from the box was a piece of folded brocade. They thought it was a jersey for Cao Wenzhao at first, and were a little disappointed. However, they soon discovered that this idea was wrong. Looking at the size and format, it could never be.
Battle robe.
Sun Chengzong saw that Cao Wenzhao had already got it in his hand, so he said to him: "Open it and take a look."
Cao Wenzhao already knew that this was a banner. After listening to Sun Chengzong's words, he pinched the two corners of the banner, then shook it violently, raised his hands high, and unfolded the banner in his hand.
This flag is made of red brocade with gold edging, and a large black word "Death" in the middle, which almost fills up the flag.
When Sun Chengzong saw Cao Wenzhao showing a trace of doubt, he explained to him: "Your Majesty has decided to change the Three Thousand Battalions, one of the three major camps in Beijing, into a death camp. Only those who have the will to fight to the death can enter this death camp. Camp.
Wherever you go, leave no trace behind. This death flag is your camp flag, and your death camp is already the cavalry camp among the three major camps in Beijing."
When the three generals behind Cao Wenzhao heard Sun Chengzong's words, they suddenly became excited. Originally, they thought that the court was just treating them as death-defying troops, sending them out to fight the Tatars and not caring whether they lived or died.
Unexpectedly, the emperor valued them so much that he even changed the name of the Three Thousand Battalion for them. A makeshift army named after them had its own name - the Death Battalion. In this way, even if they could not come back this time,
History will also remember them.
Cao Wenzhao turned around and summoned his guards and asked them to raise the camp flag. Then he turned around, knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists towards Sun Chengzong and said: "We are going to fight to the death, and we will not return until we win!"
Cao turned into a dragon, Huang gained the strength, and Zuo Liangyu also knelt down on one knee: "We are going to fight to the death. If we don't win, we won't return!"
The officers at all levels behind them also knelt down: "We will fight to the death, and we will not return until we win!"
Then there was a loud roar from the large phalanx: "Fight to the death, we won't return if we don't win!"
The momentum was so great that the soldiers of King Qin outside the camp turned their heads to look at the camp of the expeditionary force. No, it should be the camp of the death camp now.
Sun Chengzong nodded, stepped forward to help Cao Wenzhao, and whispered: "Don't let the camp flag get lost in the grassland." The underlying meaning is that you must come back alive.
After Cao Wenzhao stood up, he nodded vigorously, then turned to the square formation, suddenly stretched out his right hand, raised his arm and shouted: "Wan Sheng!"
"Wan Sheng!" This was the voice of the three generals.
"Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories!" The phalanx also let out a huge roar, and the sound waves went straight into the sky, as if they were about to tear apart the dark clouds that blocked the sun.
Many war horses seemed to feel the murderous atmosphere on the battlefield, and became agitated, shouting "咴儿咴儿" one after another.
At this time, one of Sun Chengzong's personal guards stepped forward and reported: "The auspicious time has arrived."
When Cao Wenzhao saw Sun Chengzong gently nodding, he clasped his fists again, then quickly turned around and walked to the mount held by the bodyguard beside him. He got on the horse, took the reins, and faced the phalanx and ordered: "Mount the horse and start driving."
"Dong dong dong" followed by the sound of drums, and more than 5,300 people in the death camp mounted their horses together.
The gate of the death camp was then opened, with the camp flag with the word "death" and the general flag with the word "cao" at the front, like the two eyes of a dragon, leading the way. The soldiers of the death camp were lined up with five horses in a row, slowly following.
go ahead.
"Salute." Under the command of the officer, all the soldiers of King Qin's army saluted the soldiers of the marching death camp. Regardless of whether they are greedy for life or afraid of death, soldiers will always respect the brave. This salute is worthy of recognition.
solid.
Under this situation, the soldiers of the death camp straightened their backs and kept moving forward in formation, a sense of pride welling up in their hearts.
When the death camp reached the end of the queue of King Qin's army, Cao Wenzhao found that the official road ahead was densely packed with civilians on both sides.
At the same time, some people among the people also noticed that an army was coming. The taller and stronger men shouted first: "It's coming, it's coming. Everyone, look."
When the short man heard this, he began to stare at the army closely, mentally evaluating whether he could help him get revenge.
As they got closer, Cao Wenzhao looked at the clothes of these people. There were low-class people wearing coarse linen and linen clothes, as well as wealthy people wearing brocade clothes and mink fur. From their outfits, it was estimated that they were from all walks of life.
After Cao Wenzhao approached, the crowd began to commotion. Suddenly, a short man rushed out of the crowd and stood in the middle of the official road, blocking the way to the death camp.