Chapter 40 Li Zicheng goes to Zuo Liangyu, Zhang Xianzhong goes to Shen Shuren
Chongzhen issued an edict in the capital and finally made up his mind to move to Zuoliangyu.
Shen Shuren happened to return from the front line of Luyang and headed south. He was going to Suizhou and passed by Dengzhou. Therefore, he did not know Chongzhen's decision at the moment.
Fortunately, Shen Shuren met Yang Sichang on Dengzhou Road, who was going north to make a gesture. Of course, Yang Sichang knew what he had written in his memorial to Chongzhen. So the two sat down to chat, and Shen Shuren could also roughly know. Subsequent development.
Of these two groups, Yang Sichang arrived half a day earlier. After Shen Shuren's troops arrived, they heard that Mr. Ge was here, so of course they wanted to take a rest and pay a visit. So the two met at the Dengzhou County Yamen.
When meeting Yang Sichang, Shen Shuren was very surprised and sincerely gave him advice:
"Mr. Ge, why are you going north to supervise the army in person at this moment? If Luoyang has not yet been conquered ten days in the morning, you should be so worried. Now that Luoyang has been conquered, the battle against Li Zicheng requires a long-term plan, so why rush forward in a hurry?"
Yang Sichang already has white hair and deep wrinkles. Compared with when the two first met more than two years ago, he is a completely different person.
When Yang Sichang saw Shen Shuren becoming more mature and steady, and full of vigor, he was filled with envy, and he felt many feelings of right and wrong in his heart.
"I have been boasting to Your Majesty for the past two years, but in the end nothing has been achieved - if I have to say I have accomplished anything, it is that I have discovered that you, a great Ming Zhongliang with both political integrity and talent, both civil and military talents, I am really ashamed of myself."
Yang Sichang sighed with emotion and couldn't help but burst into tears, "I think back to that day, when you first came to Hefei to see me, you were still in Shi Kefa's yamen, and you came to the door with a letter of request for instructions from Wumei Village.
To be honest, at that time I really thought you were a flatterer who was good at maneuvering, but I was just about to appease Zheng Zhilong and coordinate the overall situation to appease the surrendered generals. I needed a clever person like you to help me, so I gave you a way.
Unexpectedly, I really misjudged you back then, and it’s thanks to me that I misjudged you. Your talent in civil and military affairs is a hundred times better than your talent in mediating and bringing people together!
In just two years, he was promoted from a prison student to an eighth-rank minor official, and became an official by doing miscellaneous work in water transportation. He accumulated merit and was promoted to the seventh rank. Two of the imperial examinations were ranked as Jinshi and he was transferred to the Imperial Academy to compile books. He also participated in the water transportation reform and made meritorious service. He was promoted to the same government official and eliminated Liu Xiyao. Be promoted to the magistrate, raise money and improve military equipment, destroy the two censors of Hejia and Qiandu...Does the future of the Ming Dynasty really depend on you?"
Chen Shuren was nearby, listening to Yang Sichang's ramble, and seemed to become particularly nostalgic, but that tone gave him a bad feeling.
After many people get old, if they have Alzheimer's disease, or have neurasthenia or hysteria, they like to miss the past very much and cannot get out of the past. It is also easy for people to say "good things even when they are dying".
Yang Sichang's various remarks and expressions made Shen Shuren more and more doubtful that he was determined to die. Could he really be as afraid of hunger strikes as he was in history?
He was thinking of words of persuasion, but Yang Sichang just drank some water, took a breath, and continued talking without giving him a chance to speak. At first glance, he showed the symptoms of a paranoid old man with neurasthenia.
"...Fortunately, I finally did a good deed this time. I tried to move Zuo Liangyu away from Wuchang and cut off his foundation. As for his wings, they can only be slowly used up. I hope that his conscience is still intact and he can bear the pain." Change your mind to fight Li Zicheng properly.
As for the question you just asked about why I went to Nanyang in person to supervise the division at this time, it is not because I hope that your majesty can take my attitude into account and postpone the punishment.
If it really comes to the point where nothing can be done, I will not be humiliated. In the future, it will be up to you, Fu Zonglong, Fang Kong Xun, 5 Mai Xiangsui to encircle and suppress the bandits."
In Yang Sichang's words, there was no trace of the arrogance of someone who had been in power for a long time. Although his official position was several levels lower than that of Shen Shuren, he spoke as if he was an equal. This is a typical example of grief that is greater than heartbreak.
Only then did Shen Shuren seize the opportunity to speak, and he quickly advised: "Mr. Ge, there are things I shouldn't say, but you hurriedly went north to supervise the division in person this time, even if it was just to show His Majesty your determination to pursue Li Zicheng. ,
There are indeed some risks, and it is easy to suffer real disaster for the sake of false reputation.
Although Zhang Xianzhong has not caused trouble these days, he is entrenched in the mountainous area of East Sichuan in western Hubei, and the imperial officers and soldiers have been unable to do anything to him. Most of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River is still in Zhang Xianzhong's hands. As long as he wants, he can still do it at any time. It escaped at any cost.
The lower official heard that Mr. Ge had posted a notice at the Xiangyang station: Anyone who could capture and kill Zhang Xianzhong would be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver and made a duke. However, a few days later, a letter was found near the station and distributed by thieves. 'Anyone who kills the Ge tribe will be rewarded with three coins of silver'.
You are also stunned by this, and you are becoming more and more suspicious... Don't blame me for mentioning this matter, I just want to say that it is inappropriate for you to rush north this time, and that is why."
As Shen Shuren was talking, he saw that Yang Sichang's face was pale and he was clenching his teeth, so he had to interrupt the main topic he wanted to elaborate on and change his words to comfort Yang Sichang.
It turned out that Yang Sichang offered a reward for Zhang Xianzhong's head, and was ridiculed by Zhang Xianzhong's meticulous work and distributed a list of bills. These things all happened in history, and they were at the end of last year.
It's just that in this life, due to Shen Shuren's butterfly effect, the reward was increased, and a sentence was directly added: "Zhang Xianzhong's subordinates killed him and became a marquis, and the court's civil and military forces killed Zhang Xianzhong and made him a duke." This was also what Chongzhen meant.
However, the content of Zhang Xianzhong's leaflet that satirized Yang Sichang remained unchanged and was exactly the same as in history. This incident was a great shame and humiliation for Yang Sichang. People around him usually did not dare to mention it. He also deliberately avoided this painful memory, so he had almost forgotten it. .
But Shen Shuren couldn't afford to miss important events just to take care of Yang Sichang's emotions. There were some things he had to say:
"Mr. Ge! The fact that Zhang Xianzhong was able to accomplish this last year shows that he has a lot of loyal followers! Even around Mr. Ge, at least among the garrison in Xiangyang City, there are his eyes and ears!
Now, Mr. Ge, you have hurriedly set off northward because Li Zicheng killed King Fu. You did not make complete preparations in advance. You just wanted to show your loyalty to His Majesty and show off. This is likely to make Zhang Xianzhong notice the flaw immediately, and it may be left behind after you go northward. The void takes advantage of the opportunity to do harm!”
Shen Shuren was thinking about this matter, of course because he was worried about the inertia of history - this is what Zhang Xianzhong did in history. In order to prevent this situation, Shen Shuren actually reminded Yang Sichang a few months ago.
However, there are only those who can commit a thief for a thousand days, but there is no one who can guard against a thief for a thousand days.
Zhang Xianzhong was hiding in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and Jingshan Mountain. The governor of Huguang, Fang Kongsun, and the governor of Sichuan, Shao Jiechun, could only passively encircle and defend the dangerous points, but they were unable to go deep into the mountains to pursue and eliminate them. This gave rise to This gave Zhang Xianzhong the initiative to choose the battlefield and the time to fight. He could wait for the opportunity and wait until Yang Sichang showed his flaws.
In April, when Yang Sichang had just received the reminder from Shen Shuren, he had been on tight guard for a while, but there had been no incident for three months, and sooner or later there would be a day when he would relax.
At this moment, he was awakened by Chen Shuren again, and he realized that he had indeed made an omission and was distracted by Li Zicheng's killing of King Fu.
After Yang Sichang calmed down, he thought carefully and admitted sincerely: "There is indeed a hidden danger... I am responsible for it. That's all. Now that I have gone north, it will take me several days to march back to Xiangyang.
Since my nephew is going south to return to the army, Xiangyang will entrust my nephew to take care of him and help with the defense. You have been promoted from Hubei Bingbei Qianshi to Huguang Bingbeiqianshi, and you have also been added as the censor of Qiandu.
I see that in the last appointment made by the imperial court, all the prefectures in Huguang north of the Han River, as well as Xinyang in Henan and other places, were all assigned to you for inspection. I simply gave you the soldiers who stayed in Xiangyang to defend the territory.
If Your Majesty really issues an edict to Zuo Liangyu to move the town, the defense of Wuchang and Hanyang will also depend on you - but don't lose your sense of caution when you are young. Your title of censor of Qiandu does not include Wuchang. , Hanyang.
Therefore, for these two governments, you can only exercise the power of military preparation and inspection of local defense, but you cannot interfere in the civil affairs! In order to avoid being impeached, you will be suspected of separatist rule!"
Yang Sichang made it clear about the distribution of authority among Shenshu people after he went north.
In other words, if everything goes well, in the future Shen Shuren can exercise great power over military and civil affairs in Xiangyang, Suizhou, and Huangzhou, the three prefectures of Hanbei in Huguang, plus Xinyang in Henan.
In addition, they can also exercise military assistance power in Hanyang Prefecture and Wuchang Prefecture south of the Han River, but they do not have civil power.
Added together, this is the military power of six prefectures and the civil and financial power of four prefectures.
Around the Dabie Mountains, the Shen Shu people were the local emperors. In later generations, near Wuhan, the Shen Shu people had to be restrained.
After fighting for the Ming Dynasty for more than two years, his prototype as a warlord finally appeared, and his name was so justified that he could not change his name. From the beginning to the end, he did not do anything disobedient.uuReading www.uukanshu.com
However, these are not the most important things at the moment. The most important thing is that the transfer of power can be handled smoothly.
Don't be too happy if you haven't eaten anything in your mouth.
Chen Shuren was always worried about Zhang Xianzhong. He didn't have time to talk to Yang Sichang in detail that day and ask for instructions. He just took the instructions from Mr. Yang Ge and asked him to write down the order in writing. Then Chen Shuren set off from Dengzhou overnight. , continue south.
Originally, the march from Xiangyang to Dengzhou took three days. However, Chen Shuren traveled both days and completed the journey in two days.
Finally, on the night of July 12th, we arrived at Xiangyang City.
What he didn't expect was that on the same evening, more than an hour before Chen Shuren's troops arrived in Xiangyang, a group of bandit soldiers disguised as common people who had been expelled by bandits came to the gate of Xiangyang City to deceive people.
I really can’t blame Shen Shuren for this, because he hasn’t taken office yet and hasn’t taken over the defense of Xiangyang Mansion. I can’t blame him for what happened on his way back to take office. If the lawsuit goes to Chongzhen, he can’t be blamed. It's Shen Shuren's fault.
However, although they did not stop the traitors from deceiving the city, Shen Shuren was lucky enough to block the traitors in the city - if Shen Shuren had arrived two hours earlier, maybe the group sent by Zhang Xianzhong would have The thief saw that Xiangyang was well-defended, so he didn't take the risk.
Seeing that the second boot of history finally landed, Chen Shuren actually felt a sense of relief.
He had no intention of thinking about the fate of the powerful and wealthy vassal kings in the city. He immediately ordered his troops to divide and surround Xiangyang, trying to ensure that every city gate was blocked and absolutely not allowing the thieves who infiltrated the city to escape. In addition, he had to be on guard at all times. The possible appearance of Zhang Xianzhong's rear army.