Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 191 Qin Liangyu

Fengjie County was not big. As it was the end of the dynasty, the city was very deserted and there were few people on the streets.

Lao Zhu's guards rushed forward, divided into left and right, and protected Lao Zhu and his men in the middle.

In addition to Zhu Yuanzhang, Tang He also came to Sichuan this time.

The rest of the people have their own arrangements.

Xu Da was stationed in Changsha, while young Zhu Di and Li Wenzhong went to Henan to hunt down Li Zicheng.

Fu Youde was in Wuchang, Hubei, and Feng Sheng was in Xiangyang.

Even Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He were not there. They had brought the stone tablet back to Changsha and took Sun Chuanting to the Hongwu Dynasty, and then stayed in Changsha to continue working as oxen and horses to deliver supplies.

It is late winter now, and it is already December according to the Gregorian calendar. It has snowed in Hubei recently, but it is not a heavy snow, just a light snow.

Although it has not snowed yet in the Three Gorges area of ​​Badong, the cold wind is still blowing, and it feels like a knife scratching your face and causing pain.

Old Zhu stood with his hands behind his back, looking around the desolate county town with a slightly serious expression. Sun Chuanting and Tang He followed closely behind him. Qin Liangyu also received the honor and was able to follow Old Zhu.

Ma Qian asked Sun Chuanting in a low voice, "Master Commander, the provincial government office is in the East Market. I wonder where His Majesty the Great Ancestor is going?"

Sun Chuanting also whispered, "Your Majesty likes to see the local customs and environment every time you go to a place. This was also the case when you went to Wuchang and Xiangyang before. Do you remember that Your Majesty once demoted King Zhou to Yunnan, and when King Zhou came back, did Your Majesty ask him what he asked?"

The Veritable Records of Ming Taizu was a book compiled during the Jianwen reign and was also revised many times during the Yongle reign.

The records of Zhu Yuanzhang are very detailed, including the fact that Zhu Yuanzhang demoted Zhu Su to Yunnan and asked him about the geographical environment and customs along the way when he came back.

These are enough to show that Lao Zhu attaches great importance to local conditions and environment.

In fact it is.

As a founding emperor whose military ability was praised by great men as second only to Li Shimin, Zhu Yuanzhang's habit of marching and fighting had long been ingrained in his bones.

Wherever you go, you can see at a glance where the terrain is suitable for ambush, where is suitable for defense, and where is suitable for attack.

Fengjie, as the gateway to Sichuan, is easy to defend but difficult to attack. There are many rivers and mountains around it, and Baidi City hangs on the Yangtze River. No wonder after the Battle of Yiling, even though Liu Bei was defeated and died, Sun Quan did not dare to continue the attack.

I'm afraid that if Sun Quan dares to come, Lu Xun will never come back.

Zhu looked around the city, then climbed up to the top of the city wall and looked out at Baidi City on the river in the distance. He exclaimed, "What a beautiful land."

No one else dared to respond, except Tang He, who was Zhu's childhood friend, and said with a smile: "This Ming Dynasty is, after all, your Majesty's Ming Dynasty. If we clean up the old mountains and rivers, they will still be a good place."

"Hahahahaha."

Old Zhu laughed and said, "Dingchen, over the years, you have always been able to make me happy."

"I only know that only by following your majesty's footsteps can the world be at peace."

Tang He smiled embarrassedly.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Old Zhu laughed again, then looked at Qin Liangyu next to him and said, "Qin Liangyu."

"Your Majesty."

Qin Liangyu lowered her head slightly in response.

"You are a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, and your whole family is full of loyal heroes."

Old Zhu looked at her admiringly and said, "Although she is a female general, she is a heroine and should be treated as a national hero."

"Your Majesty, I am overwhelmed with praise. I am terrified."

Qin Liangyu still kept her head down, the north wind blew past, and her gray hair fluttered.

Old Zhu said: "I know you have doubts in your heart, but it doesn't matter, just go to my Hongwu Dynasty and take a look."

Qin Liangyu asked curiously: "Since Your Majesty became an immortal after he passed away, why is there still the Hongwu Dynasty?"

"Since I can travel through time and space to the future, I can naturally go back to the past."

Old Zhu smiled and said, "I am worried about the Crown Prince and the Queen. After all, I am just a mortal with seven emotions and six desires. Even if I can become an immortal and live forever, it is not as important as having my family by my side."

As he spoke, he raised his head and looked into the distance with a smile on his face.

Perhaps he was also thinking of Empress Ma and Crown Prince Zhu Biao who were waiting for him at home. A wife, children and a warm bed are the ultimate ideals in life.

At that moment, Qin Liangyu even thought that the other person was Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and could not help but say, "Your Majesty is a man of sentiment. He does not want to live forever, but only wants to come down to earth to reunite with his family."

"hehe."

Old Zhu shook his head and said, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's talk about the current situation in the world. What do you think?"

Qin Liangyu looked embarrassed, but still said: "The emperor is working hard to govern the country and is determined to eliminate the ills of the world. Although there are minor problems, the country will definitely be worry-free."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face suddenly fell, and he said angrily, "I have been to the future and know what the future will be like. The Ming Dynasty will fall next year, and one of the reasons is that Chongzhen has been messing around so many times. If this guy didn't surrender or run away after the city was broken, but hanged himself on Coal Hill, which was considered a bit of backbone, I would have gone to Beijing to slap him in the face, instead of helping him stabilize the situation in the south like I am doing now."

Qin Liangyu was speechless and dared not say a word. The other officials who followed her also lowered their heads and pretended not to hear.

joke.

Old Zhu can comment on the emperor at will, but they dare not.

After a while, Qin Liangyu spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty said that the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed next year?"

Old Zhu glanced at Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting had no choice but to explain to Qin Liangyu and others: "On the sixth day of last month, Li Zicheng attacked Tongguan. According to history, I should have died. In fact, this is true. At that time, the Tongguan garrison was only more than 10,000 people, and it was impossible to stop Li Zicheng's army of hundreds of thousands. If Taizong had not come to rescue me, I would have died in the battle."

"Is His Majesty Taizong really here? I wonder where he is now. I have admired His Majesty Taizu's elegance. If I could see His Majesty Taizong's face, I would die without regrets."

Qin Liangyu was deeply moved.

"Yes, His Majesty Taizong is here too."

Sun Chuanting added: "After I was rescued by Emperor Taizong, I heard from him that Taizu had exhausted all his magical powers and traveled through time and space to the afterlife. After learning of my death, Li Zicheng entered Shaanxi, then captured Shanxi and besieged Beijing. On the day the city was broken, His Majesty committed suicide on Coal Hill, and the Ming Dynasty fell. Fortunately, the situation has changed now. His Majesty Taizong has led his troops to Henan to pursue Li Zicheng. The rebellion of Li Zicheng and Zhang Zicheng will soon be quelled."

"Ah, is this really possible? The Ming Dynasty was destroyed by the thief Li."

"Could it be the descendant of Li the Thief?"

"Commander, how is this possible?"

Many officials looked at each other in disbelief, some even thinking that Li Zicheng would take over the world in the future.

Sun Chuanting shook his head and said, "You should know that this is very likely. The Ming Dynasty has been in ruins everywhere. There are no soldiers to send, no food and wages to pay, and the border troops have also been defeated by the Tartars. The troops in my hands are the last elite division of the Ming Dynasty, but because of heavy rain and lack of food and grass, Li Zicheng cut off the food supply, and the defeat was in vain. Taizu said that Chuanting's death would mean the end of the Ming Dynasty. This is God's will. But fortunately, there is His Majesty Taizu..."

As he spoke, he looked at Old Zhu with admiration, raised his hands high, and said excitedly and fanatically: "The Great Ancestor is here, and the Ming Dynasty is saved."

"If this is true, then Your Majesty Taizu is the will of heaven!"

Someone shouted. Judge Sun Chuan exhaled and said, "There were many things that happened afterwards. Li Zicheng attacked Beijing. Zhang Xianzhong was blocked by Lu Daqi and Zuo Liangyu in Huguang and decided to attack Sichuan. In the first month of the 17th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong captured Kuizhou and conquered cities along the way. Finally, he broke through Chengdu in August and suffered a lot of murders."

"This thief Zhang is really hateful."

Ma Qian was furious.

Zhang Xianzhong attacked Sichuan in those days and plundered Xinning, Dazhou, Taiping and other places in eastern Sichuan for more than half a year, causing great suffering to the officials in eastern Sichuan.

The most hateful thing is that he ran away and was active in the border area of ​​Shaanxi, Sichuan and Hubei. The Ming army surrounded them, but he still escaped from the encirclement and ran to Hubei, conquering Xiangyang, which made them lose face. Many officials in eastern Sichuan lost their jobs because of this.

At that time, Ma Qian was transferred to Kuizhou by Shao Jiechun, the then Sichuan Governor. He defended Fengjie for 30 days and prevented it from falling. He was promoted for this, but Fengjie also suffered heavy losses.

So when it comes to Zhang Xianzhong, officials in eastern Sichuan are very angry.

Sun Chuanting added: "Although Zhang the thief is hateful, the most hateful ones are Li Zicheng, Wu Sangui and the Tartars outside the Great Wall."

"Tartars outside the Great Wall?"

Someone asked in surprise: "What does this have to do with the Tartars?"

"Because the Tartars will rule the world in the future."

Sun Chuanting said with anger on his face: "Li Zicheng conquered Beijing, founded the Dashun Dynasty, and ordered Wu Sangui to surrender. Wu Sangui was also a traitor who betrayed the country. He actually surrendered to the foreign race and let the foreign race enter the country. The Tartars attacked swiftly and Li Zicheng could not resist. Soon Beijing was conquered. After that, the Tartars went south and plundered, slaughtering people in Yangzhou, Jiading, Nanchang, and Sichuan. Millions of people died. Every household in every place was hung with white silk, and many cities were emptied of people."

"what?"

"The Tartars outside the Great Wall are worse than beasts."

"The barbarians who eat raw meat and drink blood are simply beasts. I really want to kill these beasts with my own hands."

Everyone's emotions were immediately aroused, and they were filled with indignation and anger.

It was Old Zhu who turned around and said, "Okay, everyone, be quiet. Now that I am here, I will naturally prevent these things from happening. You just need to follow my orders."

"Your Highness obeys your command."

Many officials, led by Ma Qian, hurriedly bowed and saluted.

Zhu looked at Qin Liangyu again and said, "Qin Liangyu, I will confer upon you the title of Hereditary Loyal Marquis, and grant you the title of General of the Western Expedition, commanding the Sichuan troops. All the guards in the southwest will be under your control. After a while, when I return to Huguang from Sichuan, I should go back to the Hongwu Dynasty. You should go with me. The Queen knows your deeds and I think she will like you very much."

Qin Liangyu is 69 years old this year. Historically, she would have died in five years. However, it is now the 57th year of Hongwu in the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang. He is only 12 years old and his actual age is years younger than Qin Liangyu.

But he had no age disadvantage against Qin Liangyu.

After all, if we really calculate by age, Zhu is 246 years older than Qin Liangyu, so even though Qin Liangyu looks older than him, he still calls her by her name.

Qin Liangyu was shocked when she heard what Zhu Yuanzhang said, and then hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it is my duty to fight to the death for my country. I think my contribution is so insignificant that I am not worthy of being made a marquis, not to mention that I am a woman. Please withdraw your order."

"Hahahahaha."

Old Zhu laughed and said, "Your family is full of loyal heroes. Your husband, brother, and son all died for the country. Now you only have two grandchildren left. You deserve the hereditary marquisate."

After saying that, Lao Zhu looked at Tang He again and said with a smile: "Besides, what's the problem with a woman? You are more powerful than thousands of men in the Ming Dynasty."

Tang He also immediately agreed, "That's right, who says women are inferior to men? Empress Ma is the best woman in the Ming Dynasty. In terms of virtue, no one in the court is as good as her. Only Your Majesty can match her."

"Hahahahahaha."

Old Zhu was overjoyed.

Tang He was able to stand firm in the Hongwu Dynasty, an era with strange rules, and was promoted to the position of Duke by Zhu Yuanzhang due to his greatest contribution as an earl. Naturally, he was quite capable.

Being Zhu's childhood friend is one factor, but knowing the times, not posing a threat to Zhu's empire, and being a yes-man is another factor.

Qin Liangyu also smiled embarrassedly.

The ministers also responded.

After laughing, Old Zhu pondered for a moment and said, "Whether it is the Qin family or the Ma family, under your influence, many loyal and brave people have sacrificed their lives for the country. This family should have two titles. Although your nephew Qin Yiming is not a good person, he later defected to the Tartars. But the other nephew Qin Gongming is still a good person. Even after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he followed the descendants of my son Wenying, the Mu family, to resist the invasion of the Tartars in the southwest. Later, the local chieftain rebelled and he died in the suppression. He is really a loyal and brave man. He can be granted the title of earl and be named the hereditary Weiyuan Earl. When I pacify the world, the Qin and Ma families should be relatives of the country."

Qin Liangyu's weathered face was full of surprise, and she was so excited that she couldn't speak.

After a long while, Sun Chuanting saw that she had no reaction, so he said with a little envy: "Lord Zhonglie, I should thank you for your grace."

"Your Majesty, I, Qin Liangyu, thank you for your grace."

Qin Liangyu hurried to kneel down.

Old Zhu waved his hand, and Tang He quickly went over to pull her up.

"From now on, you don't need to kneel to anyone, including the emperor. This is an honor bestowed upon you by me, and it is also a compliment to your entire family for their loyalty and bravery."

"Thank you again, Your Majesty."

Qin Liangyu then changed to bowing and saluting.

Qin Liangyu was a chieftain of a minority ethnic group, and her official position was the chieftain envoy who inherited her husband Ma Qiancheng's title.

During the Tianqi period, he served as the deputy governor and the deputy governor-general, but his main job was still the chieftain's pacification envoy. It was not until the Southern Ming Dynasty that he was appointed as the general of Sichuan. He never entered the official and noble system of the Ming Dynasty.

And now that he has been granted the hereditary title of marquis by Zhu Yuanzhang, he has truly become a noble of the Ming Dynasty and has been accepted by the Ming Dynasty's officialdom. Moreover, he is a double hereditary noble, with a prominent family background.

no way.

For such a loyal family, more than a dozen members of the family sacrificed their lives for the country, and even a female general herself had to lead troops into battle many times, it is disheartening that such people are not treated well.

After Zhu Yuanzhang rewarded Qin Liangyu, he squinted at the officials and said, "I have clear rewards and punishments. I know which officials in the Ming Dynasty surrendered to Li Zicheng or the Tartars, and which ones were loyal and sacrificed their lives for the country. I will not be stingy with rewards for those who have made great contributions to the country, and I will not be soft-hearted with those who harm the country. The Ming Dynasty will get better in the future. This time when I enter Sichuan, in addition to making the southwest submit, I will also let the people live and work in peace, investigate corrupt officials, local tyrants, and distribute land to the people. You all do your best to make eastern Sichuan peaceful, and I will support you. It doesn't matter how many people I kill, but if I know that you are covering for them, don't blame me for the sharpness of the knife in my hand. Do you understand?"

Everyone's heart trembled, thinking of the deeds of the old man Taizu when he founded the country. They were frightened for a moment and hurriedly bowed and said, "Yes, we obey your order."

"Ah."

Zhu nodded and said, "You all should follow me to Chongqing first and order all Sichuan officials to come to Chongqing to meet me."

"Yes."

Many officials responded again.

Then in the afternoon, the team set off again.

But this time, in addition to Zhu's guards, there were also officials from eastern Sichuan and several hundred Shizhu soldiers brought by Qin Liangyu.

In fact, there is no difference in speed between entering Sichuan by water and by land.

Because of the headwind and upstream in winter, the boat speed is very slow, and it is good to travel four or five kilometers per hour.

The fastest waterway on the Yangtze River is actually sailing out of Sichuan in winter. With favorable winds and waters, you can reach Jiangling from Baidi City in one day, which is very fast.

So even though we were traveling by land, the speed was not slow.

The team covered more than 300 kilometers, walking 40 to 50 kilometers every day. On the eighth day, they arrived in Chongqing.

(End of this chapter)