Chen Shuren knew that it would take time for the bandits to assemble their rear troops and prepare weapons for attacking the enemy.
But he would not waste time carelessly. In order to get help as quickly as possible and learn more about the overall military situation, he would run almost non-stop, running as fast as he could, and strive to return immediately after completing the matter.
Xiao felt that Jiangling was four to five hundred miles away. If the whole journey was taken by boat upstream, it would normally take four days.
But Chen Shuren made some calculations and finally chose to bring dozens of horses with the fleet. In this way, the fleet only needs to use both sails and oars, sail against the Han River for a day, turn into the Xia River and then sail dozens of miles, leaving the remaining Within a short distance, you can land on horseback and rush straight to Jiangling.
In the first hundred miles from Xiaogan, he did not dare to take the land route. This was because the war zones between the enemy and ours were intertwined, and there was a possibility of being intercepted and threatened by the bandits on land. However, the Shen Shuren's warships and naval forces were invincible, and there were also soldiers on board. The Hongyi cannon and the bandit's ship will never threaten him.
After entering the Xia River Basin between Jiang and Han, it was already the defense area of Huguang Governor Fang Kongzhen, and it is still in the hands of the government and the army. This fertile land sandwiched between the south of the Han River and the north of the Yangtze River is still It's a peaceful paradise.
Traveling like this day and night, and even changing horses at the government's inn along the way, Shen Shuren only spent two days and one night from Xiaogan to Jiangling, completing the four hundred miles.
At the same time, He Jin and He Yilong on the Xiaogan front line were not even ready to attack the camp - of course, Shen Shuren could not know this.
"Hurry up and open the city gate! I am the magistrate of Huangzhou, and I am from Shenshu, Hubei Province! King Zuo Jin, He Jin, and Ge Liyan, He Yilong, sent 50,000 troops to attack Xiaogan, Suizhou. I came to Governor Fang to ask for reinforcements!"
When we arrived outside the east gate of Jiangling City, it was already the evening of April 19, and the city gate was closed. Shen Shuren was afraid of a long night and many dreams, so of course he couldn't wait for dawn outside the city, so he immediately asked everyone to help call the door.
However, the people on guard at the top of the city obviously did not intend to show favoritism, and soon an officer came forward and shouted:
"Governor Fang's military order! Don't open the door after nightfall! Beware of thieves trying to deceive the city! Zhang Xianzhong has always been cunning, so he can defraud and seize the city gate with detailed tricks. The huge military information will have to be reported tomorrow!"
Chen Shuren was helpless, and when he thought about it, this indeed made sense——
Historically, it was in the 14th year of Chongzhen that Zhang Xianzhong deceived the gates of Xiangyang City and killed King Xiang Zhu Yiming and King Zhu Changfa, which caused Yang Sichang to fear that he was seriously ill. Later, it was heard that King Fu was also killed by Li Zicheng in Luoyang, and Yang Sichang was completely Die of despair.
Now, none of this has happened yet, and I don’t know how many months it will take for it to happen, or whether it was avoided because of the butterfly effect.
Maybe it was because of his appearance that the overall situation of the war against bandits in Hubei and Henan provinces improved, so these troublesome things were postponed.
Chen Shuren thought for a moment, and then shouted a suggestion: "If you don't open the door, can you put down the hanging basket? I am really a Shen Shuren who is serving the Hubei Army. I am the same age as the eldest son of Governor Fang, and I have a close brother." Governor Fang’s home letter is here!”
Shen Shuren had previously taken over the job of helping Fang Yizhi deliver letters home, but he kept putting it off - this was not because he was shameless, but because he was more capable and wanted to take advantage of the right opportunity to get more benefits out of it. and support.
When the city guard heard this, he didn't dare to make any mistakes. He ordered the hanging basket to be put down and the Shen Shuren to be hoisted up first.
If the follow-up followers also want to go to the city, they will have to hang them one by one. Anyway, they will never use multiple hanging baskets at the same time to avoid multiple accidents.
As soon as Chen Shuren entered the city, he used the light of a torch to let the gatekeeper inspect his seal and other items, and also read the lacquer cover of Fang Yizhi's family letter. The gatekeeper immediately ordered a few horses to be prepared and asked Mr. Qian to lead the way. , Escort Chen Shuren to the governor's Yamen.
Chen Shuren turned on his horse, his posture was vigorous and vigorous, which made the eyes of the general guarding the gate and the leader Qian Zong shine.
"Shen Bingbei is really good at riding horses." They had never seen the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty riding horses so skillfully. Only then did they believe that Shen Shuren really rode all the way from Xia Shui to Jiangling by himself.
Chen Shuren was extremely tired and didn't bother to be polite to them. He just asked casually like a general: "Who are you? What are your official positions? You are very diligent. I met Futai. I will help you if I have the chance." A few kind words."
The gatekeeper and General Qian immediately performed a military salute with fists clasped, and said happily: "Thank you Shen Bingbei for your support! The last general of Jingmen Guards Jin Shenghuan/Jingmen Guards General Qian Wang Deren."
Chen Shuren rode away with Juechen, but frowned slightly. He had no impression of Mr. Qian's name, but he had some impression of "Jin Shenghuan"——
Generals such as Li Chengdong and Jin Shenghuan seemed to be famous for their capriciousness during the transition between Ming and Qing Dynasties. They first surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, but later became dissatisfied due to various reasons, and then used base areas such as Guangdong and Jiangxi to rebel against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty.
And the origins of these guys were originally outcast thieves. Some were directly related to Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, and some were related to Li Zicheng's general Gao Jie. They seemed to have been given peace by the imperial court. These were at least four family slaves.
This Jin Shenghuan is not as famous as Li Chengdong, and Shen Shuren doesn't remember exactly how many misdeeds he committed during the Qing Dynasty, so he can only wait and see whether he can be reformed.
As for Li Chengdong, he definitely cannot be reformed - in history, Li Chengdong organized the Jiading Three Massacres, and after Yan Yingyuan's Jiangyin City was breached, it was also Li Chengdong who massacred him. This guy was the main perpetrator of the series of massacres after the "Hair Shaving Order" Damn it, Shen Shuren will never use it.
(Note: Jin Shenghuan actually had massacres in history, but they were not as famous as the Jiangyin and Jiading Three Massacres, so Chen Shuren didn’t know about it. He massacred Ganzhou. Historically, he first surrendered to Fang Kongzhen, and later Fang Kongzhen was convicted and sentenced to death. Only after he was transferred away did he join Zuo Liangyu.
In the end, after Zuo Liangyu died, he followed Zuo Menggeng to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. He surrendered with his old master and had no independent opinion. Therefore, relatively speaking, the crime of traitor was not serious, and it was resolved anyway.)
Thinking about how to deal with these guys, Shen Shuren quickly arrived at the governor's office. He didn't even bother to tie the horse. He dismounted and threw the reins to Wang Deren. He directly took the official documents and family letters, and the tokens to be reported to others.
When the guard heard where he was coming, he didn't dare to neglect him. He took Fang Yizhi's home letter and ran in to inform him. At the same time, he led the two people into the courtyard and waited in the inner courtyard.
After a while, I heard the footsteps of the decent people rushing. A long-bearded old man in his late fifties trotted out to meet him. He took a careful look under the lantern's peripheral light for a few times, and then stretched out his hand:
"It's not easy for a good nephew to come from far away. He can be an official and a soldier at such a young age. His future is limitless! Quan Zi is the same age as his good nephew. He is lucky. Please come quickly! But Huang, Sui Erzhou encountered bandits and invaded in large numbers. ?How many troops are there? You want your nephew to come here in person to ask for help?"
Fang Kongzheng didn't say anything to him. He spoke very quickly and asked a series of questions in a hurry.
Shen Shuren was about to make a statement, but he couldn't make any sound. It turned out that he was rushing too fast and his throat was as dry as fire. He didn't feel it just now, but now that he had calmed down in one breath, it was tearing unbearably.
He quickly asked for a bowl of warm water, and was pulled by Fang Kongzheng to drink while walking. When he sat down in the house, he breathed well and said: "He Jin and He Yilong are teaming up to attack! When the officials came to ask for help, they had already gathered. Twenty to thirty thousand soldiers and horses——
This is not a bluff, there are actually 20,000 to 30,000 people who have fought against each other! Later, there will be reinforcements of bandits moving south along the Xinyang Road in Tongbai Mountain. I am afraid that it will not take a few days to gather an army of 50,000!
In Xiaogan, there are only 5,000 or 6,000 soldiers holding on. If the attack is too urgent, we can only retreat slowly and retreat into Xiaogan County to defend. We also ask Mr. Futai to allocate reinforcements to save Huang and accompany the soldiers and civilians of the two states!
Originally, if he were just facing He Jin's family, Xianguan would not be afraid of him. However, because He Yilong was stationed in Xinyang Mansion, and he actually crossed Tongbai Mountain to come to Suizhou to help in the battle, Xianguan found it difficult to resist.
Moreover, there is something unclear about Xianguan. Why didn’t the imperial officers and soldiers in Henan raid his lair? Isn’t He Yilong afraid that he would be surrounded by Wei to save Zhao and lose Xinyang?”
Fang Kongzheng listened very carefully, and the more he listened, the tighter his brows became, and finally he sighed: "I see... He Yilong turned out to be under your control too. This time, my nephew has taken on a lot of responsibility for the court." Less stress.
It's a pity that I don't have any reinforcements to send to you at the moment - to be honest, just two days ago, Mr. Yang Ge was in Xiangyang. He was very urgent and transferred more than half of my troops here!
I originally argued hard, saying that I wanted to block Zhang Xianzhong in Jingmen, Dangyang, Yiling and other places. If he were transferred, Zhang Xianzhong would definitely rush out of Jingshan and cause trouble again.
But Yang Ge Lao still refused. He sent Wan Jianjun to mobilize the troops in person, and also carried His Majesty's decree - in mid-March, Huang Taiji invaded again and had surrounded Jinzhou Zu Dashou. At the end of the month, the news came back to the capital. Your Majesty then transferred Hong Chengchou's entire army, as well as the eight generals of Jiliao and Xuanda, to western Liaoning for a decisive battle with the Tatars.
Ten days later, that is, eight days ago, His Majesty's decree was sent to Mr. Yangge, asking Mr. Yangge to mobilize troops from Jingchu and Henan to go north to fill the gap. It was impossible for Zuo Liangyu to be mobilized, so Mr. Yang had to send his troops to the north first. The men and horses were handed over, and more than 10,000 people were transferred from my place to set up defenses around Xiangyang to deal with Li Zicheng.
In addition, Yuan Jixian, who was originally in Yunyang, has now been transferred directly to the north, leaving none of his soldiers. Luo Rucai on the Yunyang side has to rely on the support of old Yang Ge.
I only have 8,000 men left at hand, and I still have to block Zhang Xianzhong in the Jingshan Mountains to the west. How can I go to Huangzhou to rescue you? If I have fewer men, I myself may be surrounded by Zhang Xianzhong at any time and destroy the city!
At your place, I guess Mr. Yang Ge originally wanted to inform you. Maybe it was because He Jin and He Yilong were going south and the roads downstream of the Han River were inconvenient. Mr. Yang Ge did not contact you directly, but sent them to me first. I will try to transfer it to you via the Yangtze River——
When Mr. Yang Ge gave the order, he probably didn't know about your embarrassment. I think He Jin and He Yilong dared to take action. They probably found out that the imperial troops had been transferred away and Henan was empty, so they dared to send Xinyang's troops south."
When Chen Shuren heard this, no matter how good his psychological quality was, his head was buzzing.
After sorting it out for a long time, he finally figured out the current situation: On the Huguang battlefield, most of Yang Sichang's direct troops had been transferred away because of Huang Taiji's pressure. All of Yuan Jixian's troops had been transferred away.
This meant that the Huguang War Zone had to rely on Fang Kongzheng's troops, plus Shen Shuren's own troops, and a few of Yang Sichang's soldiers to support the overall situation.
Chen Shuren couldn't help scratching his head: "How could His Majesty be so ill and seek medical treatment? We only have 20,000 troops left. How could we face the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo, Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai, and even part of Li Zicheng's partial army at the same time?"
Fang Kongzheng pushed the official document given to him by Yang Sichang and let Shen Shuren read it for himself while analyzing it with him:
"In your Majesty's eyes, Zuo Liangyu's so-called one hundred thousand men and horses are not considered 'official troops'. Your Majesty is keeping all the men and horses who can't be mobilized because of their own dignity, and who can be mobilized with loyalty. Transfer them all. As human subjects, what can we do?"
Chen Shu laughed angrily and sighed coldly: "Fang Futai, if there is something treasonous, it means that there are no outsiders now, so I dare to tell you. Your Majesty's arrangement... I'm afraid you are hiding your ears."
Zuo Liangyu always conserved his strength and pursued without attacking. Everyone in the world didn't know this! He would hide when Zhang Xianzhong came fiercely. Whenever Zhang Xianzhong retreated after grabbing something, he would make a noise and follow him to gain credit!
Alas, according to this, there are no other reinforcements that can be counted on in the Huguang battlefield? Or is it that His Majesty bullies the weak and fears the strong, and he will not adjust to those who rebel or support his own troops? "
When Fang Kongzheng first heard Shen Shuren's angry words, he frowned a little, fearing that the other party would be too disrespectful to the court. But then he saw that everything Chen Shuren said was reasonable, and he didn't bother to care about it.
Everyone is going through the same thing, so why bother looking out for others.
After thoroughly listening to Shen Shuren's analysis, Fang Kongzhen was inspired and reminded: "What my nephew said just now reminded me that on the battlefield in Hubei and Henan, there is still an army that is nominally an official. The troops of the army have not been transferred away by His Majesty or Yang Gelao so far.
That is Liu Guoneng, who is in the northwest of Xinyang, located at the junction of Xinyang, Nanyang, and Kaifeng in Ye County and Yancheng area. Liu Guoneng was originally a bandit who followed Li Zicheng to join the army. Later, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai surrendered to the imperial court.
After Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai rebelled, he did not follow him again, but the court had always been a little wary of him. This time, it was probably because they were afraid that letting him move the defense would irritate him, so they held firm and did not move him.
If the nephew cannot ask Zuo Liangyu for reinforcements, the only one he can count on now is Liu Guoneng. Moreover, Liu Guoneng is located in the northwest of Xinyang Prefecture. If he is willing to send troops, he can attack He Yilong's Xinyang lair.
It's a pity that in the past three years, no court official has been able to mobilize Liu Guoneng's troops. He has always stuck to his territory and done his job well, making it difficult for people to guess his sincerity."
Fang Kongzheng felt a little regretful as he spoke, but Chen Shuren's eyes became brighter and brighter.
Others doubted Liu Guoneng's loyalty, but Shen Shuren knew that Liu Guoneng was loyal. Historically, he finally fought against Li Zicheng. After the defeat, his father and son were killed together without surrendering.
Moreover, after Shen Shuren's imperial examination last year, when Chongzhen called them to ask questions, Shen Shuren used Liu Guoneng as an example, hoping that Chongzhen's daughter could stabilize the other generals, and also said a lot of good things to help Chongzhen later. The time when the decree was issued "Whoever kills Zhang Xianzhong will be made a duke".
I just don’t know if Liu Guoneng himself knows that all this is done by Shen Shuren to put in good words for him.
To be on the safe side, Shen Shuren had to find a way to remind him.
Of course, the roads to Nanyang, Xinyang and other places are too dangerous, and there are no waterways to go there. The person asking for help, Shen Shu, definitely cannot go there in person.
At most, a somewhat brave general could be sent with some elite cavalry to deliver the letter. The content of the letter, as well as the related secrets and conditions of goodwill, could have been written by Shen Shuren himself.
Thinking of this, Chen Shuren thought of the two guards who had strictly guarded the door, Mr. Qian, and suggested: "Fang Futai, I am somewhat confident that I can ask Liu Guoneng for help. However, the road there is difficult and dangerous, and I cannot personally deliver the message." .
I will leave at most a few close warriors, and then ask Futai to allocate dozens of elite cavalry soldiers to help me send them to Ye County early tomorrow morning. I can't ask for reinforcements, so I will return tomorrow. I will share the same hatred with the soldiers under my command first. If I stay longer, The officer was also afraid that the morale of his subordinates would be shaken.
In addition, when I came here this time, I saw that Futai defended the city with strict laws, which really impressed him. He also wanted to ask Futai to remind Mr. Yang Ge, especially to remind the general of Xiangyang:
Since Zhang Xianzhong is at risk of escaping from Jingmen, he may not necessarily go straight to Jiangling, but may also take a detour and go straight to Xiangyang. Zhang Xianzhong's cavalry vanguard comes and goes like the wind, and it is possible to travel three hundred miles a day - Cao Cao was here back then To chase Liu Bei, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry traveled three hundred miles a day and a night, from Xiangyang to the Dangyang Longboard outside Jingmen.
Therefore, the cities within three hundred miles from Jingmen should be treated as frontline cities for defense, and we must not be careless just because there are friendly city barriers in front."
——
PS: It’s already 4,500 words, so it’s hard to cut it off, so let’s just leave it at that. It’s just a bunch of nonsense.