There is a space for passenger planes in the late Ming Dynasty

Liaodong, Ningyuan City.

Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao in the Ming Dynasty, was checking military information documents in the custody room, reviewing handling opinions in a timely manner, and arranging various military affairs in Liaodong.

Since being appointed as the governor of Ji Liao and responsible for the military affairs of Liaodong, he deeply felt that the Ming army's field combat capabilities were insufficient and it was difficult to fight with the Qing army. Hong Chengchou organized and strengthened the strongholds in Liaodong while organizing military training in the field, preparing to defend Liaodong for a long time.

Based on his experience in suppressing peasant uprisings, he promoted Wu Sangui to the rank of regimental training commander, and transferred soldiers from each battalion for centralized training.

The training troops were placed in the front guard (seventy miles outside Shanhaiguan) and the middle and rear post (one hundred and twenty miles outside Shanhaiguan) to facilitate the nearby support of the Ming army in Jinzhou and Songshan.

During this period, Hong Chengchou sent the Ming Army's Eastern Association Commander-in-Chief Cao Bianjiao, Ningyuan Commander-in-Chief Wu Sangui, Liaodong Commander-in-Chief Liu Zhaoji and others to lead their troops to fight with the Qing army in Loess Terrace, Songshan, and Xingshan. Both sides killed each other. It was difficult for the Ming army to retreat from the enemy in field battles, and the Qing army was helpless. The Ming army could not defend its lines.

At this time, an army follower Zan Hua came in and reported: "Master Tai Tai, General Wu from Ningyuan is back and is asking for a meeting outside."

Hong Chengchou raised his head and said, "Then please invite him in."

Wu Sangui came in and knelt down on one knee to salute and said, "Master, join in making Taiwan!"

"Sangui is exempt from courtesy, why are you back from Songshan? What's the emergency?" Hong Chengchou asked.

"Huang Taiji of the Manchu Qing Dynasty summoned the secret peace envoys sent by the imperial court and proposed the idea of ​​agreeing to negotiate peace with the Ming Dynasty and jointly attack the Zhenming Army. After receiving the news, the lower official immediately came to report to the Taiwanese Master." Wu Sangui replied.

"Oh, Huang Taiji also wants to attack the Zhenming Army first? It seems that he puts the threat of the Zhenming Army above our Ming court." Hong Chengchou said to himself.

"Sir, all the elite soldiers of our Ming Dynasty are confronting the Qing army in Liaodong, causing the Zhenming army to rapidly grow in size within the pass. If we do not reach a peace agreement with the Qing Dynasty, I am afraid that even if we have repelled the Qing army, the domestic situation will be irreversible. "Wu Sangui suggested that he had completely offended the Zhenming Army when he attacked Datong, and he never expected the Zhenming Army to win the world in the future.

"There must be rules and regulations for negotiating peace. What is the attitude of the Manchus and Qing Dynasties?"

"Huang Taiji promised that as long as our army returns to the pass to attack the Zhenming Army, they will give up the siege of Jinzhou and can also send some troops to assist us." Wu Sangui replied.

"Then what do they want?" Hong Chengchou didn't believe that pie would fall from the sky.

"The Manchus only have one request, which is to open border markets and allow merchants to sell grain, iron and other military supplies to them. They promise to provide us with firearms at an equal price to use against the Zhenming Army." Wu Sangui continued.

"These conditions are not impossible to agree to, but they need to be reported to the emperor for a decision. The domestic situation is worrying now. The news just came from Tang Dynasty. Lin Feng's Zhenming Army has occupied all of Shanxi, Henan and most of Shaanxi, and is now marching towards Huguang. , one of the three-thirds of the world is already there. If we don't concentrate all our efforts to encircle and suppress the Zhenming Army, I'm afraid..." Hong Chicheng said worriedly that he did not dare to mention the consequences.

"Sir, we also fought against the Zhenming Army in Datong. Although their combat power is not bad, they are not invincible. As long as they can join forces with the Manchu and Qing cavalry, the general feels that they can still defeat them." Wu Sangui said confidently. .

"Forget it, Sangui, you go down and rest first, and I will write a note to the emperor." Hong Chengchou said.

Wu Sangui resigned after hearing this.

The Forbidden City and Qianqing Palace in the capital.

"Trash, trash, they are all a bunch of trash!" Emperor Chongzhen swept the documents on the imperial case to the ground, unable to suppress the anger in his heart and cursed.

After receiving a series of bad news about the loss of Xiangyang, the loss of Yunyang, and the death of Yang Sichang from illness in the army, Emperor Chongzhen finally lost his temper.

The accompanying eunuch quickly came over to clean up the documents that had fallen to the ground, and helped Chongzhen up after he had been kicked down.

"Your Majesty, please calm down and take care of your dragon body!" Chen Xinjia advised from the side.

"Take care of the dragon body, my Ming Dynasty is almost gone, what use is the body?" Chongzhen still felt depressed and unbearable.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Yang Ge was overworked and died of illness in the army. The foreign court criticized Mr. Ge a lot because of the loss of Xiangyang and other places. Please tell me how to make a conclusion." Chen Xinjia asked for instructions. Chongzhen was very sad about Yang Sichang's death, which marked the failure of the four-right and six-corner strategy he planned with Yang Sichang. While pacing around the pillars in the hall, he recalled the victory he had achieved in wiping out the bandits since he appointed Yang Sichang. He saw the hope of Ming ZTE, but now no one can give him this hope.

After thinking for a long time, Chongzhen finally spoke: "The edict was sent to the foreign ministers, and the assistant minister Yang Sichang was ordered to supervise the suppression. He was not responsible for specifically defending a city. He issued a proclamation and repeatedly warned to prevent the enemy from deceiving the city to attack the city at night, but the local government ignored it.

It is unfair to blame only one person, the governor and his assistant, when he disobeyed orders and fell into the city. Moreover, the assistant minister went deep into the front line for a year, won many victories, dedicated himself to death, and died. His lifetime of hard work is difficult to erase.

Now that the assistant minister is dead, the outer court should not discuss his crimes unreasonably, but should consider his merits, discuss his honorific title, and give him a generous burial! "

"The emperor is very tolerant. If Mr. Yang Ge knew this, he would definitely shed tears of gratitude." Chen Xinjia inherited Yang Sichang's mantle, and naturally he was unwilling to liquidate Yang, otherwise it would easily involve himself.

At this time, the eunuch Wang Chengen came in with a memorial and said: "Your Majesty, this is an urgent memorial from Governor Hong of Liaodong."

Chongzhen felt nervous again. Could something happen in Liaodong? However, he could only pretend to be calm and said: "Send it to us for a look."

Wang Chengen presented the memorial.

Emperor Chongzhen took it and read it, with a gloomy expression on his face. He said nothing, but handed the memorial to Chen Xinjia and said, "Take a look at it too and see what your opinion is."

Chen Xinjia took the memorial, read it quickly and said: "Your Majesty, when Mr. Yang Ge was still in the court, he advocated temporarily negotiating peace with the northern captives and concentrating his efforts on dealing with the domestic bandits and rebels.

Due to the opposition from foreign countries, it has been unable to reach a peace agreement with the Manchu Qing Dynasty. As a result, it was impossible to exterminate the bandits such as Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, and it gave Lin Feng's Zhenming Army room for development. Now it has reached a point where it is difficult to compete with it without using the strength of the whole country. situation.

The minister suggested that we should follow Hong Zhitai's instructions and immediately reach a peace agreement with the Manchu Qing Dynasty to jointly deal with the Zhenming Army and solve this major problem first. "

"How to quell the discussion and opposition in the outer court?" Chongzhen was still concerned about his reputation.

"Your Majesty, this Zhenming Army has occupied one-third of the Ming Dynasty's territory, and has also wiped out Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, who Yang Ge Lao had been trying to defeat for two years, which shows how powerful it is.

The latest news that the imperial court received was from a few days ago. Maybe now they have swept through most of Hu Guangda, and there is no elite army in the pass to compete with them.

The Lin thief's idea was to attack the wealthy gentry and the gentry to pay taxes together. He also allowed merchants, farmers, scribes and servants, and even traders and foot soldiers to directly serve as officials. This was to cut off the roots of the literati. The lower officials felt that the foreign court should be able to sort things out. priorities.

If there are still people who come out to oppose the peace negotiation with the Manchus at this time, they are Lin Feng's accomplices, and must use thunderous means to resolve it. "Chen Xinjia said forcefully.

"Chen Butang's words make sense. I am determined to join forces with the Qing Dynasty to resist the Zhenming Army. Your Ministry of War will discuss the specific terms of peace. You must let Governor Hong lead Liaodong elites to enter the pass to attack the Zhenming Army as soon as possible. It is best to invite the Qing Army Cooperate with the attack." Chongzhen clarified the general principle.

"I obey the order!" Chen Xinjia accepted the order.

After Chen Xinjia sent a special envoy again to discuss, the Ming and Qing Dynasties finally reached a truce in Liaodong and reached an agreement on jointly dealing with the Zhenming Army.

Under the persuasion of Chen Xinjia Canlianhua and mainly the coercion of the Zhenming Army, the foreign court for the first time did not object to negotiating peace with the Manchus again.

Therefore, Hong Chengchou gathered the Ming army in Liaodong. In addition to leaving Zu Dashou to continue to guard Jinzhou and Liaodong Commander Liu Zhaoji to guard the area from Songshan to Ningyuan, he personally led Ningyuan Commander Wu Shangui, ASEAN Commander Cao Bianjiao and 50,000 troops to start Entering the pass and preparing to attack the Zhenming Army.

Huang Taiji also showed a strong overall view at this time. After the Ming Dynasty agreed to open border markets outside Jinzhou, he withdrew from the siege of Jinzhou.

Prince Rui Dorgon and Prince Duduo of Henan, who had experience fighting against the Zhenming Army, were ordered to lead 20,000 Manchu and Qing cavalry and 30,000 Han troops from the obedient King Kong Youde and King Zhishun Shang Kexi, a total of 50,000 people, by way of Shanhaiguan. Assisted the Ming Dynasty in attacking Zhenming Army's Datong, Shanxi and other places.

After closely monitoring the Qing army, Hong Chengchou agreed to their request for a passage, and the two Manchu and Qing armies joined forces to deal with the Zhenming army. (End of chapter)