A century-old family that runs through the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 373 Retreat

Chen Qiyu's official robe was taken off and then he was taken to prison.

The jailer opened the door.

Unexpectedly, the cell was not as dark and damp as he imagined, and the conditions were still very good.

In the blink of an eye, he stayed here for dozens of days.

There is a fixed one-hour break time every afternoon, and other times you can only stay in the cell.

Here, he also met two other generals who were captured like him.

Lu Xiangsheng, who was seriously injured and was rescued, and Cao Wenzhao, who was knocked unconscious and captured after fighting hard.

The Jiangsu and Zhejiang military governments are quite good to a few of them.

At least other prisoners have to do some hard work, but they don't have to. Even the place where they can relax is much better than other prisoners, and there are even books and periodicals for reading.

Other prisoners don't have it at all, so being able to escape is already a gift.

I don’t know if I will become like him if I stay here for three years.

Lu Xiangsheng smiled and shook his head, did not answer his words, and turned to talk about other things:

Chen Qiyu looked at his old boss and said:

"You've really changed a lot in three years."

he muttered.

Cao Wenzhao glanced at the two men and silently did a few pull-ups with the iron rings mounted on the wall.

"I have been thinking about who I am fighting for. I obviously want to save the common people in this dawn, but what I get in the end is still refugees everywhere, and the rats are getting fatter and fatter. Here, I found the answer."

"Brother Yuxuan, I discovered a lot of new things here."

There were also some old bandits among the rogue bandits who were used to burning, killing and looting. It was said that they had been sentenced to death by firing squad by the Ministry of Punishment, but this time they captured too many people. There, the chief minister ordered them to build the railway.

"I don't know when I will be able to escape. The military government in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is locking us up like this, and I don't know what it means."

Uncultured, can't even join in the conversation.

"Now I just want to learn more."

……

That’s it for Lu Xiangsheng and Chen Qiyu. Cao Wenzhao also needs to take an additional class in literacy.

Chen Qiyu sighed:

"Northern King Nan Yan... Hey, how can the succumbing thieves be as difficult to deal with as these guys? I look at this world, I'm just afraid..."

Also because these people had a good reputation and were capable, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang military governments gave them some preferential treatment.

These people didn't even have a chance to escape, and went straight to death. Dozens of them have fallen in the past few days.

The only thing that makes a few people a little unbearable is that they have to go to class every night to talk about ideological reform.

"The rule of man and the rule of law, the common people and the gentry, land and the economy, class contradictions, the ultimate science... We have so much to learn."

"I should have listened better during class."

The military government of Jiangsu and Zhejiang sent troops and captured the two provinces in a very short period of time. This news was not so eye-catching in the context of the battle between the Ming and Shun armies in the Gyeonggi region, but it was enough for the southern provinces. Deafening.

The governors and general soldiers of other provinces were frightened. Although the Jiangsu and Zhejiang military governments had clearly stopped moving, they still returned their troops and deployed heavy defenses at the border with them.

In fact, they were not willing to go north to support. After all, the canal has been cut off. It is too far to go north. The battle will probably be over by then. Moreover, they themselves do not want to fight against Dashun. Now it happens that the Jiangsu and Zhejiang military governments are The threat was used as an excuse to stop advancing. Now is the first year of Hongguang, and the central government's growing alienation from local control has gradually become apparent.

In contrast, the military government's control over various places is becoming increasingly firm.

Prepared officials quickly entered the two provinces and began to form a new administrative system.

Many of the local gentry who had done evil and had the courage to go against the government had either escaped or resisted and been killed before the Jiangsu and Zhejiang troops arrived. Now the remaining ones have a fair reputation and can Accept the new policies of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang military governments.

After the iron-blooded purge, the implementation of a series of policies became extremely smooth.

With the promulgation of various policies, the people also truly realized that the military government was different from the previous regimes.

Even the landlords are no longer the arrogant and domineering people they once were. Of course, they also know that this is not the conscience of the gentry, but the government's management that prevents them from having bad thoughts.

Although Yan Quan is still young, his reputation is already very high in the province, and as the chief assistant, Yan Ling, the name of "Lin Yan" the chief assistant has spread all over the country.

After Wang Chongzu resumed taxation, he was no longer respected in his territory. On the contrary, the various measures of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang military governments spread, and he already had a very good reputation among the people, with a faint halo. , and now it is even more popular among the people.

In the south, it is already highly anticipated and the people are looking forward to it.

……

North Zhili.

Shunjun's sentinels could already see the towering city walls of the Ming Dynasty's capital.

It's really close, very close.

But this step is already a chasm.

Wang Chongzu's subordinate army was firmly blocked from the capital and could not advance even an inch.

He desperately found that as time went by, more and more Ming troops gathered, and later, the number had reached 300,000. And because he needed to divide his troops to garrison the cities he conquered, in terms of military strength, Instead, he fell behind.

However, the Ming army has reached its limit. Excluding the necessary troops to defend various cities, this is already the largest army that the North can gather.

"Uncle, the Ming army's deployment is like a big bag, it is already opening up to us. Once the battle continues, our army will not only be unable to win, but will also be in danger of being surrounded and annihilated."

His nephew, Wang Yijing, the right prime minister of the Dashun regime, said anxiously:

"Our army in Henan is almost unable to hold up. Sun Chuanting has already reached Luoyang. The Queen, Prince, and Prime Minister Zuo... are all inside!"

Wang Chongzu's expression suddenly changed, and his inner ambition and endless unwillingness finally turned into a long sigh:

"Withdraw troops!"

The Shun army retreated.

The news spread like a gust of wind across the country.

In the capital, everyone is excited.

Hongguang Emperor Zhu Yousong was sitting on a chair, with a smile on his face and a flush that never faded. Some of his ministers saw it and couldn't help but sigh.

Your Majesty is otherwise good, but he is a bit of a drinker. During the previous crisis in the capital, there was still restraint. Now when I heard that the Shun army had retreated, I was overjoyed and probably drank a lot.

Just as he was thinking about it, Zhu Yousong already said:

"I have drafted a decree to reward Hong Chengchou with a thousand pieces of gold and order him to return to the capital to resume his duties. I will personally meet him at the Meridian Gate!"

(End of this chapter)