Before hanging himself, Chongzhen lifted the table

Chapter 127
There are indeed a lot of people outside the city, and judging from the movement, there are still many people rushing here from a distance.

Moreover, there were shouts everywhere outside the city, with strong accents. When Emperor Chongzhen heard it, it seemed that they were really shouting "help".And from the sounds of it, it seemed that they were men, women, old and young.

Liu Jiuqing, the commander-in-chief who was standing behind him, saw that the emperor was listening attentively, so he reminded him again: "The bandits are cunning. It is possible that they took advantage of the night to defraud the city. When Xiangyang was conquered by the bandits, it was the bandits who pretended to be officers and soldiers to deceive the city." It’s caused by opening the city gate.”

Emperor Chongzhen remembered this.It was Zhang Xianzhong's fault that he falsely opened the city gate, captured Xiangyang, and killed the vassal king, causing Yang Sichang to commit suicide.

However, he just asked Zhang Tianlin that the bandits in Jin had already fled the famine-hit Taiyuan and other places southward. Where did the bandits come from at this time?
What's more, there should be famine victims outside the city. They may have heard the news that the dispatchers in front of them were not collecting food all night, and knew that there was food here, so they came all night!

Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen turned around and looked at a group of general soldiers behind him and said: "Our army is stationed here, why are we afraid of bandits and deceiving the city? Liu Qing!"

After hearing this, Liu Jiuqing immediately clasped his fists in anticipation and said, "The general is here!"

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him and immediately ordered: "Please lead a thousand infantry troops, hold torches and go out of the city to find out the situation!"

"General, I will obey the order!" After hearing this, Liu Jiuqing did not dare to be negligent. He quickly agreed and left in a hurry.

Not long after, the city gate opened, and a group of fire dragons immediately left the city.

On the top of the city, Emperor Chongzhen and others watched and saw Liu Jiuqing's soldiers holding torches in their hands and walking on alert.

Wherever the fire illuminates, you can see people one after another, groups after groups, kneeling in the middle of the road, or on the side of the road. Some are stretching out their hands, holding a bowl in their hands, and some are kowtowing. I don’t know where they are. say what.

There are men, women, old and young, but most of them are young men and women. There are fewer old people and children, and there are more men than women.

When Fang Zhenghua saw it, he said to Emperor Chongzhen: "Long live the Holy Ming. Sure enough, they are all victims of the disaster. They came here overnight to ask for food."

This is in the Taihang Mountains. Although there is an official road, these are troubled times. During the day, they are probably going to go to the mountainous area in groups.But these people didn't care about thieves, wild animals, or the rugged mountain roads, and they came all night long in the dark!

Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately understood that the people in Jinzhong were probably going to be severely hungry.

So, he immediately issued an order: "Quick, make porridge and get ready to give it out!"

In the year of famine, when we provide disaster relief, we just give out porridge, which is not to say that we are stingy and don't do it.But most of the hungry people have been hungry for a long time, and eating dry food all at once can lead to accidents.

When the emperor orders it, someone will naturally do it.

Emperor Chongzhen himself continued to observe the situation on the top of the city.

When they saw Liu Jiuqing's thousand soldiers, they lined up and went very far away. No trace of thieves was found. Some were just victims of the disaster who were still coming here.

Fang Zhenghua looked outside the city, then took a peek at Emperor Chongzhen, and then said: "The slaves are here to look after the disaster relief, so that they can all eat hot porridge, long live the Lord, go and rest, it is already getting late. !”

Emperor Chongzhen looked outside the city, then turned to look at Fang Zhenghua. Before he said anything, Zhou Yuji and other generals also followed suit, so he nodded and said, "Then I will leave it to you."

In the dark night, if he wanted to go out of the city to see the situation, he was afraid that these people would collectively oppose him.

No matter what, I have gained a lot of reputation today, and by the way, I am riding down the Gu Pass alone, and I am a little tired.

Another thing is, there is not much difference between letting them provide disaster relief and doing disaster relief yourself.

Emperor Chongzhen thought so, so he went back to the Yamen to handle some official duties, and then fell asleep.

At dawn the next day, after Emperor Chongzhen got up, he was thinking about the victims outside the city, so he said to Fang Zhenghua, who was serving him: "Let's go and see those victims!"

Hearing this, Fang Zhenghua unexpectedly said to him: "Long live Lord, go ahead after eating. We have to leave today. I don't know when we will eat again."

Emperor Chongzhen thought so, so he ate his meal first and then left the city.He doesn't need to worry about the departure of the army, the general soldiers will take care of it themselves.

Along the way, soldiers lined up three steps to one post and five steps to one post, all the way to a very far distance.

When Emperor Chongzhen was inspecting, he saw disaster victims on both sides of the road, either resting or eating.Everyone's mental state is that of fatigue after relaxation.

Emperor Chongzhen did not disturb them, but just walked forward and watched.

Suddenly, he discovered that the disaster situation in Jinzhong seemed to be better than he imagined. At least the victims in front of him were not like the kind that were so hungry that they were skinny and skinny. As long as they had food, they would be able to do things after they recovered. .

I didn't pay back the money the night before, saying that all the green on the mountain had been eaten!

When he thought of this, he looked up and looked into the distance. Suddenly, he was stunned again.

Because he saw that the mountains in the distance seemed to lack green.They are all in the Taihang Mountains. It makes no sense that there is green here, but there are no plants in the distance!

With this in mind, Emperor Chongzhen urged his horse to go faster and continued to patrol.

Suddenly, he found many soldiers on a small road that deviated from the official road.So, he pointed with his riding crop and said, "What's going on over there?"

After hearing this, Fang Zhenghua hesitated for a moment, and then replied: "Go back to Long Live Lord, they are burying dead people over there!"

At this point, when he saw Emperor Chongzhen frowning, he hurriedly explained: "From last night to this morning, many victims couldn't bear to die when they rushed over. These people were most afraid of the plague, so they were buried quickly! "

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen finally understood that the victims he saw were all relatively strong or lucky, so they survived.But some people are not so lucky.The disaster in Jinzhong is still serious.

With this in mind, he stopped talking and immediately drove his horse over to see the situation.

I saw that the soldiers were busy on the hillside and there were already several large graves on the flat ground. There were also many corpses piled up there, waiting for new big pits to be dug and buried.

As expected, most of these corpses were old and weak.

Emperor Chongzhen even heard that during disaster years, there were even people who ate dirt to stave off hunger, but they couldn't pull it out and eventually died.

At this time, he saw two corpses, which fit this characteristic.

Perhaps the famine here in Jinzhong did not last long, so there were not many skinny people.But there are still people who eat dirt and die, which shows that the famine is actually very serious.

It's no wonder that when these victims heard that there was food, they rushed all night regardless of the dangers on the road.But for some people, this stretch of road becomes the last stretch of their lives.

If they maintain their strength and wait where they are, they might be able to save it.

With this thought in mind, Emperor Chongzhen turned his head and issued an edict: "Pass the edict and order Uncle Zhongyong to immediately set off with provisions and grass. In the towns along the way, soldiers will be left to provide disaster relief."

After hearing this, a military captain in Jinyi immediately agreed, turned his horse's head, and rode back to the pass to deliver the emperor's oral instructions.

One of the good things about the military is that there is no delay in executing orders and prohibitions.

As Emperor Chongzhen's order was issued, Zhou Yuji was the first to lead the army and escort the grain and grass on the road.

Emperor Chongzhen was not slow on his side and asked Liu Jiuqing to stay at the pass and arrange for the victims to return home. Then he led the army and set off with food and grass.

Along the way, Emperor Chongzhen often saw hungry people lying on the roadside, or they had been chewed into bones by wild beasts, or they were rotten and smelly.Dead people who are extremely rare to see in later generations can be seen from time to time here.

After witnessing the prosperity of later generations, and comparing it with the present, Emperor Chongzhen felt that his responsibilities were very heavy, very heavy!
………… Tianchang Ancient Town is the first town after passing the Guguan Pass. When Emperor Chongzhen led the army to arrive here, Zhou Yuji’s soldiers had already occupied the place and were giving porridge to the victims.

Of course, Zhou Yuji is not here, and has already led the army to move towards Taiyuan.

Emperor Chongzhen did not dismount and watched the army stationed here, preparing to spend the night.The victims here are obviously weaker than those seen under Guguan City.However, at this time, there was a little more joy on their faces.It’s time to know that they don’t have to worry about going hungry!
He was thinking about it when he suddenly heard something moving and turned around to look.

On the mountain outside the town, there seemed to be a woman rolling down the mountain.

No, that woman was rolling down the mountain while still shouting something.

Behind her, there were two men chasing her. When one man saw such a big commotion, he nocked an arrow from his bow and seemed to want to shoot the woman.

It's just that the woman was rolling down the mountain, falling, getting up, and rolling again, so it was difficult to follow her movements. The man shot two arrows, but they missed.

When the imperial officers and soldiers on the periphery saw this scene, a group of soldiers immediately came over to greet them.

Seeing this, the two men ran away quickly.

Soon, General Jin Zhensun, who was directly under the command of Biaoying in front of the emperor, led his people to Emperor Chongzhen and reported to him: "Your Majesty, this woman escaped from the bandits' den after hearing about the passage between the officers and soldiers..."

Before he could finish his words, the woman who was being looked at by two soldiers from behind suddenly shouted and shouted towards Emperor Chongzhen: "Sir, save my son, sir, sir, please do well." , save my son, save my son..."

His hair was disheveled, and his face seemed to still have blood stains from the time he went down the mountain. He was full of anxiety. He shouted in a crying voice and wanted to rush to Emperor Chongzhen, but was held down by two soldiers, so he struggled and cried. call.

When Emperor Chongzhen saw it, he said loudly: "Whatever matter, please tell me carefully, I will make the decision for you!"

After hearing this, the woman kowtowed quickly and said hurriedly: "My son is still on the mountain. He is only five years old. They are going to eat him. Please, sir, please hurry up and save my son. Sir, please help..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was immediately shocked. Although the woman had an accent, he still understood that the thieves on the mountain wanted to eat people!
In such famine years, there are indeed records in the history books of people changing children to eat.Bandits can eat people, so there must be some.

Emperor Chongzhen definitely couldn't ignore this kind of thing, so he immediately ordered Jin Zhensun: "Go and inquire about the situation, lead the troops to destroy the thieves, and then come see me again!"

"General, I obey!" After hearing this, Jin Zhensun immediately agreed, took the woman with him, ordered a group of men and left.

About an hour later, Jin Zhensun came to Emperor Chongzhen with sweat on his face and reported: "Your Majesty, there were 32 bandits. Sixteen of them were killed on the spot and the rest were captured alive. There were 78 women and children in the village, all... …They were all treated as two-legged sheep…”

As soon as he heard this, Emperor Chongzhen stood up immediately: "Two-legged sheep, just three words, but it means eating people for food, and having no conscience!"
Seeing the emperor's actions, Jin Zhensun paused for a moment. Without seeing the emperor speak, he continued to report: "That woman's child has been killed by thieves. In addition, on the cliff of the mountain stronghold, it is clearly visible that there are many human bones underneath."

Emperor Chongzhen's eyes were cold and he shouted sternly: "Hang those thieves by the roadside and show them to the public. It is decreed that anyone who dares to eat human beings will not be punished and will be killed without mercy!"

"The general obeys the order!" Upon hearing this, Jin Zhensun immediately responded loudly, and then strode out.

When Fang Zhenghua saw Emperor Chongzhen's very angry look, he comforted him and said, "Long live my Lord, take care of your dragon body, don't let your anger break your body. Whenever there is a major disaster, there must be a human disaster, and this kind of thing is inevitable."

After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen looked at him and shouted: "Send an order to Wei Shizhen, ordering him to lead the cavalry to sweep along the way. If he encounters bandits who take advantage of the situation, he will be killed without mercy!"

You have the power in your hands. Since someone is in trouble, let those who do whatever they want during the disaster pay the price!
After hearing this, Fang Zhenghua said nothing and hurriedly went to deliver the order.

Soon, the rumble of horse hooves sounded, and it was time for Wei Shizhen to lead the army and set off.

When the Chinese army set out again, Liu Lanyu came over to report to Emperor Chongzhen that some women wanted to join the Lanling Camp.

In this regard, Emperor Chongzhen said nothing and let Liu Lanyu make his own decision.

Another day later, when he was on the march, he saw Wei Shizhen returning in a hurry. This made him a little strange. He didn't know what made him come back to see him.

Seeing Wei Shizhen approaching, he dismounted and said to him: "Your Majesty, I will eventually discover that a village is plotting against victims fleeing from other places. They all kill people for food. How should we deal with these villages?"

If it were a bandit who was the king of the mountain, he would wipe it out without any hesitation.But now that he found this situation in a village, he was a little unsure.

Fang Zhenghua took a peek at Emperor Chongzhen's face. Before Emperor Chongzhen could speak, he scolded him with a cold face: "Do you still need to come back to report this matter? Those who cannibalize are all thieves. How can there be any kind villagers?"

When Wei Shizhen heard this, she didn't dare to be negligent. She quickly clasped her fists in salute and left in a hurry.

Fang Zhenghua sighed and said to Emperor Chongzhen: "Now the thieves not only occupy the stronghold, but also occupy the village and do whatever they want. This world is too chaotic!"

Under a catastrophe, order breaks down and humanity sinks. It really is like any kind of situation!
Emperor Chongzhen sighed in his heart and told Fang Zhenghua: "Draw up a decree and send a message to Wei Jingyuan, the governor of Datong, to come to Taiyuan for an audience."

Wei Jingyuan is a good official who can make decisions for the people. It would be best to let him serve as governor in Taiyuan and restore local order as soon as possible.

After hearing this, Fang Zhenghua quickly agreed and quickly dispatched his horse.

On the army side, as Wei Shizhen led the cavalry to sweep away, and Zhou Yuji came to provide disaster relief along the way, Emperor Chongzhen who was walking behind arrived in Taiyuan without hearing any more bad things.

Today's emperor leads his elite troops into Taiyuan with grain and grass, provides disaster relief and punishes thieves along the way, and the news spreads like the wind. The entire Taiyuan Prefecture, including Fenzhou and Liaozhou adjacent to Taiyuan Prefecture, is just like when Li Zicheng led Just like when the soldiers first entered Jin, the soldiers of the Dashun Army left behind by Li Zicheng either fled after hearing the wind, or surrendered in the face of the wind.

It can almost be said that wherever the imperial officers and soldiers went, they were recovered one by one, and there was no need to fight at all.

If Emperor Chongzhen hadn't deliberately suppressed the speed of regaining the lost territory, it wouldn't have taken much time to regain the entire Jin Dynasty.

The disapproval of people's hearts is vividly demonstrated in Jin.

The reason why Emperor Chongzhen deliberately suppressed the speed of recovering lost territory was because he lacked the necessary troops and officials to govern the local area.

The Beijing camp army he led was his direct force to conquer the world. If he had to divide his troops to garrison every place he occupied, the few troops he had in hand would soon be dispersed.

There are also local officials. Wherever the Dashun Army passed, they were all looking for stolen goods to support them. The local squires and wealthy people either fled or were killed. The few who surrendered survived. Emperor Chongzhen surrendered to civilian officials. That was not the case. If you are soft-handed, you will still be killed.

In fact, the places controlled by Li Zicheng were basically under military control, which meant that local generals were the top military and political leaders.

Therefore, after Emperor Chongzhen regained a place, he lacked civil servants who could govern the place.To do this, he needed to transfer local officials from northern Shanxi. If the territory recovered was too large, there would not be enough officials from northern Shanxi.

As for other places, Zhang Luojun and others from Baoding, who were relatively close, had already rushed to the rescue.However, no matter how far away it is, it is difficult for the distant water to extinguish the nearby fire.

When local order is restored, the recruitment of local armies is also in progress.

The disabled soldiers in the Beijing camp will stay in central Shanxi to serve as officers at all levels, and some more officers will be transferred from northern Shanxi.

Perhaps because of the famine years, or perhaps because the reputation of the imperial officers and soldiers was established, the recruitment of the army was very smooth, and even the Lanling Camp expanded to nearly a thousand female soldiers.

Among the female soldiers this time, some were probably ladies of the family. Their families were destroyed due to famine. They were rescued by the imperial army and joined the Lanling Camp. They were able to read and write.It was impossible to recruit such women before, but this time there were more than 50.

Emperor Chongzhen was very busy, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief after Wei Jingyuan arrived with a group of civil servants.During this period of time, there were always urgent memorials from Shandong, but they were ignored by Emperor Chongzhen.

But soon, the memorial sent by Wang Chengen to be delivered quickly arrived. Together with Wu Sangui's letter, it was submitted to the imperial court, which immediately attracted the attention of Emperor Chongzhen.

Others didn't know it, but he remembered some information from history, and his head suddenly got big.

(End of this chapter)