Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 328: Capturing Zhang Cunren Alive

Zhang Cunren was stationed in Zhaoqing and set up a grain station in Zhaoqing. After the Red Army captured Zhaoqing, they gained a lot. More than 100 Manchu soldiers, more than 1,000 Jingnan soldiers, and more than 3,000 Green Camp soldiers were killed, and nearly 10,000 prisoners were captured. The rest of the silver, money, weapons, food, and supplies were countless.

What is even more exciting is that Zhang Cunren himself was also captured.

On the evening of the 24th, the Intelligence Bureau Chief Feng Jiali came to the Central Army tent excitedly and said to Danchu: "Report to the Lord, we have captured Zhang Cunren."

"Oh? How did you catch it?"

"When the city was breached, Zhang Cunren was supervising the battle on the west gate wall, and the Manchus carried him back to the camp in a hurry. The brothers rushed into the city and ran into the Manchus head-on, killing them all and capturing Zhang Cunren."

"Can you find the Grand Seal?"

With the seal of the general, the Red Army will be able to do more good things.

"It was not found near Zhang Cunren." Feng Jiali said with a little regret, "I heard from the attendant that Zhang Cunren sent someone to deliver the imperial seal to Guangzhou in advance."

The fact that the imperial seal was not with him indicated that Zhang Cunren had already wanted to die. Danchu fell into deep thought, but then he heard Feng Jiali say again: "Zhang Cunren is very sick and has a dead look on his face."

"Interrogate him tonight and bring him to me tomorrow morning." Danchu added, "Send a medical officer to take good care of him. Don't kill him or let him commit suicide."

"Don't worry, my lord. I know the seriousness of this matter."

At noon the next day, several scouts took Zhang Cunren into the central army tent. His hair was disheveled and his pigtail had been cut off, but he looked calm. The scouts pushed him to the ground and made him kneel, but he was too weak and soon fell to one side.

"Lord, Zhang Cunren has arrived."

"Well," Danchu put down the brush and said, "Untie me and allow me to sit down."

Zhang Cunren was very surprised and took a closer look at Cen Danchu. As the rumors said, he was young, heroic, and had the aura of a leader.

"Uh..." Zhang Cunren moved his lips and wanted to say something thank you, but in the end he didn't say it.

"Zhang Cunren, this vassal wants to ask you a few questions, and you must confess honestly." Danchu said with a dignified look.

Zhang Cunren had accumulated merits and was promoted to the position of the governor of five provinces in the Qing Dynasty. He had seen many storms and had seen countless people. When he saw Cen Danchu today, he was intimidated and said honestly, "Okay."

"You are from Guangning, Liaodong. There are many rumors in the world. Some say you are a scholar, and some say you are from a family of military generals. Why is that?"

Zhang Cunren was a little surprised. He had already prepared to "die for his loyalty" and thought that Cen Danchu would torture him to extract a confession, but he didn't expect that he would just ask an insignificant question.

Perhaps this was Cen Danchu's strategy to win over the enemy. Zhang Cunren was in high spirits and said, "I was born in a Liaodong military household and passed the imperial examination."

Students were commonly known as scholars, including Zengsheng, Fusheng, Linsheng, Lisheng, etc. Some of them passed the exams, while others were bought in. The level of students in the Ming army garrisons was even lower, and Zhang Cunren was an exception, perhaps he really passed the exams.

"Since you are a student, why did you join the army?"

"The situation on the border is corrupt, so I decided to join the army..." Zhang Cunren gritted his teeth and squeezed out these words.

"Sun Wen Zhong Gong (Sun Chengzong) has been very kind to you. In your opinion, if Sun Wen Zhong Gong defends Liaodong from beginning to end, can Liaodong be recovered?"

"Uh..." Zhang Cunren pondered for a moment and said, "Lord Wen Zhong defended Liaodong, which is remarkable. If Lord Wen Zhong had focused on his power and the court did not hinder him, he could at least defend the Guanningjin defense line and secure the Liaoxi Corridor, not to mention recovering Liaodong."

Recalling his early years in the border town, Zhang Cunren was deeply moved and unconsciously called the Ming court the imperial court. He was originally a junior officer of the Liaodong Ming army, stationed at Xiaotuan Mountain and served as a military commander. Sun Chengzong asked to supervise the army outside Shanhaiguan and went out to patrol the border. When he met Zhang Cunren, he was amazed by his talent and wrote a letter to recommend him. Since then, Zhang Cunren has been highly valued and has become famous in the Liaodong Ming army.

"However," Zhang Cunren realized that he had lost his composure and said, "The factional struggles in the Ming court are getting more intense, and the generals in the border towns are overbearing. The empire is about to collapse, and the situation on the border is getting worse. Even if Wen Zhonggong is a genius, he can't turn the tide."

"Humph," Danchu sneered and asked, "According to you, this clan is also unable to turn the tide?"

"The feudal lord is a man of extraordinary talent, and he holds all the power. His future is uncertain."

"Haha," Danchu changed the subject and said, "During the Jisi Rebellion, you followed Yuan Chonghuan to the capital to help, and fought fiercely with the Tartars at Guangqu Gate. You were hit by eight arrows. If you had died in the battle, you would have been a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhang Cunren was dejected.

Feng Jiali said bitterly, "My Lord, this old traitor is guilty of crimes as notorious as Kong Youde and Wu Sangui. Why not just chop him into pieces? Why waste time talking to him?"

"You go first." Danchu's tone was gentle, with an unquestionable majesty. After Feng Jiali left the tent, Danchu turned to Zhang Cunren and said, "After Yuan Chonghuan's death, the court still treated you well and appointed you as the deputy general of Ningyuan Guard. You followed Zu Dashou to guard Dalinghe, and surrendered with Dashou, which was already a breach of loyalty.

"Dashou returned to Jinzhou to guard the border city for the Ming Dynasty. But you served the Tartars wholeheartedly and requested to station troops in Guangning to control the gates of Ningyuan and Jinzhou and the situation of the three cities of Chensongshan, Xingshan and Tashan.

"If Dashou surrenders again, you will write to Huang Taiji, saying that Dashou is 'treacherous and cunning' and advocates that he be executed. We are comrades in arms, why must you be so cruel?"

Zhang Cunren's face was pale. Why was he so vicious? Perhaps it was just to win the favor of Huang Taiji. Thinking about it now, he was too young at the time and always wanted to stand out. His methods were too vicious.

"Although Dashou was under house arrest, he remained loyal and righteous, and did not beg for mercy from the Tartars, nor did he offer any plan to seize his homeland. When Hongguang sent an envoy to negotiate peace, Dashou said, 'I will do my best to serve you whenever I have the chance.' On the contrary, you and Hong Chengchou were bent on surrendering to the Tartars, giving them advice and helping them massacre our compatriots. Aren't you ashamed?"

Danchu's calm face was already filled with murderous intent. He didn't want to kill Zhang Cunren yet, so he changed the subject and asked, "In the third year of the Yongli reign, Geng Zhongming escaped and hanged himself. It was rumored that you killed him. Is that true?"

"The Qing court has issued a secret decree, and I will follow it."

Since there was a secret decree, it must have been issued by Dorgon, not Zhang Cunren.

“Hahahaha,” Danchu laughed loudly, feeling a lot of contempt in his heart, and said, “Good servant, good servant. Zhang Cunren, I really overestimated you. From this perspective, you are not even as good as your brother.”

Zhang Cunyi, the younger brother of Zhang Cunren, had followed Zu Dashou for a long time. When Zu Dashou pretended to surrender for the first time, Zhang Cunyi parted ways with Zhang Cunren and returned to Jinzhou with Zu Dashou. He surrendered after the Battle of Songjin and later died in Jiang Ge's rebellion.

Zhang Cunren was so ashamed that his old face turned red. He usually talked about death but when death came, who would dare to die bravely? People looked down on him like this, and even if he wanted to live, he probably couldn't.

If he really surrendered, the Qing Dynasty would not spare him. Zhang Cunren's family was in the north, and his sister married Wang Shizhong, who was actually Kebaku of the Hada tribe of the Haixi Jurchens. Wang Shizhong once served as the general of the Ming Dynasty's Fuyi Army, helped the Ming Dynasty to pacify the Haixi Jurchens, and also became a relative of Zuo Liangyu. The eldest son, Zhang Zhaowu, died of illness when the Qing army conquered Henan. The second son, Zhang Chaowu, was still serving as a guard in the capital, and was actually a hostage.

"In the past, the Prince of Ningxia (Li Chengdong), the Prince of Yulin (Jin Shenghuan), and Jiang Ge (no posthumous title) achieved great success late in life, but they never lost their loyalty and integrity, and their names will be remembered for thousands of years. Are you willing to submit to this vassal?"

"I don't want to." Zhang Cunren said resolutely.

"You don't believe that this clan can restore China?" Danchu said straightforwardly, "This clan will not force you. You are very favored in the Qing court and are familiar with the inside story of the Qing court. If you can write a letter of repentance and point out the situation and make it clear, this clan can let you die happily and give you an intact body."

"I am seriously ill and I only wish to die quickly."

It's not that easy to die.

"Come here, cut off Zhang Cunren's scalp and hang it above the city gate." Danchu said lightly, and instructed Feng Jiali who came to obey his orders: "Take good care of him and don't let him die. If he doesn't write today, cut off his two feet tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)