The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 21 There’s a lot to be done
On the seventh day of the third month of the forty-seventh year of the Wanli reign, in Shenyang City.

There was no need for the Jiannu spies in the city to take further action, as Shenyang was already a mess.

Originally in history, after the great victory, Nurhaci followed Li Yongfang's advice and did not continue to attack Shenyang, but first conquered the Yehe tribe, completely cutting off the arm of the Ming Dynasty.

If the Later Jin army attacks at this time, it is hard to say whether the city can be defended.

After the Inspector and the Governor fell out, Chen Yuting discovered many illegal activities in Liaozhen. The contradictions between the imperial court in Beijing and the Liaodong Group gradually surfaced, and the atmosphere in Shenyang, the political center of Liaodong, became increasingly tense.

The superiors were not focused on defending the city, but were busy blaming each other.

The soldiers became bolder and some began to harass civilians, and some even robbed civilians in broad daylight.

The memorials sent from Liaodong to the capital came one after another like snowflakes, and the content was surprisingly consistent, all asking for money from the old emperor.

The reasons why Liaodong officials asked for money were varied. Some said the army's firearms were out of order and they urgently needed 300,000 taels to replace them; some said they needed 500,000 taels to recruit Korean soldiers; and some said they needed 1 million taels to equip the Yehe tribe...

The most bizarre one was the censor Yangzhou He, who directly brought up the topic of Gao Huai, the former governor of Liao, and started with a asking price of 10 million.

He suggested that the emperor immediately return all the money that Gao Huai had plundered from the people to the Liao people in the form of imperial treasury.

"Thousands and millions of gold will be distributed to the Liao people, and their flesh and blood will be used to help them out of their predicament." Otherwise, the Liao situation will collapse and the consequences will be unpredictable.

I don't know if the Liao people that Yangzhou He was talking about include himself.

All the civil servants who had worked under Zhu Yijun knew that the old emperor liked to keep memorials in his possession without sending them out.

So this time, no one cared whether the emperor had read the message or not, and insisted on sending the Tangbao to the capital one after another, as if the Ming Dynasty's Tangma and Xuan paper were free.

In the city of Shenyang, several governors and generals were extremely anxious. Apart from writing letters to Zhu Yijun to express their feelings, they also burned incense and prayed to Buddha to avoid becoming an example of a defeated army and finally being killed at Caishikou.

On the contrary, Li Rubai, who escaped from Yaque Pass, seemed to have become indifferent to everything and had a rather detached attitude.

This Liaozhen general stayed indoors all day, refusing to see anyone. It was said that he was preparing to become a Taoist monk in a Taoist temple near Shenyang, with the name Xukong. It was just unknown whether the emperor would give this Liaozhen general a chance to become a Taoist monk.

On the fifth day of March, the imperial censor Chen Yuting, who had remained silent, finally took action and submitted a memorial to the emperor.

He first briefly recounted the news of the army's defeat, and then put the blame on the general Yang Hao, reporting to the emperor that Yang Hao was hesitant and indecisive, repeatedly obstructing the army's advance on the pretext of insufficient food and grass, and forcibly delayed the army's dispatch date from February 15 to February 26.

As for the defeat of Du Song and Ma Lin, the Censor downplayed it, saying that it was due to lack of support or the delay of the southern troops (Liu Jing).

As for Li Rubai, the memorial did not even mention him, only saying that his whereabouts were unknown and he should still be fighting a bloody battle with the Jiannu.

Chen Yuting is still in Liaozhen. Of course, there are some things he cannot say carelessly and some things he cannot do too drastically.

Back then, Gao Huai was almost killed by the Liao soldiers just because he collected some mining taxes in Liaodong. Fortunately, he ran away quickly.

The lesson from the Yin Dynasty is not far away. Chen Yuting is confident that he is not as infatuated with the emperor as Gao Huai. He is still full of desire to survive.

The inspector dared to show his displeasure to the governor, but he dared not speak ill of Liao Zhen. However, he could not appear to be overly partial to Liao Zhen, otherwise he would arouse the emperor's suspicion. So he used Yang Hao as a scapegoat, and finally hinted in his memorial that Du Song's defeat was related to Yang Hao's urging.

On the second day after Chen Yuting submitted his memorial, a memorial from Governor Yang Hao regarding the battle of Sarhu was also sent from Shenyang to the capital.

Yang Hao could not attack Chen Yuting directly because Chen Xun'an was the emperor's man, even if only on the surface.

So he had to put the blame on Du Song, saying that he "exited the Hunhe outpost ahead of time" and was ambushed and defeated.

In the memorial, Yang Jinglue analyzed the current situation in Liaodong in detail. There were about 100,000 slave and bandit soldiers and horses. If the court wanted to defeat them, it would have to recruit at least 120,000 soldiers and horses.

He suggested recruiting 10,000 elite soldiers from Gansu Town, and having Wang Guozhu, Man Gui, Chai Guodong, Zhu Wanliang and other generals join the troops from Ji Town, and go out of the pass at night to resist the bandits.

Finally, Yang Hao admitted that he had made a serious mistake and should listen to the punishment. He was not qualified to be the governor, so he suggested that the governor Zhou Yuchun replace him.

In the official residence of the Liaodong Governor, the living room of the East Pavilion is as warm as spring.

After Yang Jinglie finished writing the memorial, he closed his eyes and half-reclined on the armchair. Yang Hao, who was already old, had his beard turned completely white in the past few days, and he had become an old man in his twilight years.

"Shi Min, polish this memorial and send it to the capital by express horseback."

The aide's name was Mao Yuanyi, an old acquaintance of Yang Hao, and their relationship was more like that of a close friend regardless of age.

Mao Yuanyi, also known by his nickname Shimin, loved reading about military affairs and agriculture since he was young. When he grew up, he was familiar with military strategies and the nine frontier checkpoints. He later wrote a book on weapons, "Wubeizhi".

Now seeing that the governor was in trouble, Mao Yuanyi sighed and turned to leave. At this moment, the door of the living room suddenly creaked and a servant came running in in a panic.

"Master is still discussing military matters, how can you be so ignorant of the rules!"

Mao Yuanyi was about to scold the servant when he heard the servant say, "Master, someone is coming from Kuandian."

Yang Hao, who was sitting on the armchair, heard this and opened his eyes slightly:
"What? Liu Dadao was also ambushed by the Tartars!"

The servant shook his head and said breathlessly:

"Master, I don't know if they were ambushed. The man said he came to ask for help."

"Ask for help?"

Yang Hao sat up suddenly and looked up at the servants. Mao Yuanyi's expression also changed.

"Where are General Liu's men now?"

When the servant heard the governor change his address to General Liu, he was stunned for a moment before replying:
"Master, the man is outside, he is injured, and one of his companions was killed by the Tartars on the way."

"Oh, bring him in."

Just as the servant was about to leave, Mao Yuanyi said again:

"Take the governor's badge and go find a reliable doctor in the city. The city is in chaos. Come back quickly and prepare some food. Go!"

The servant took the badge and hurried away. Yang Hao paced back and forth in the hall with a frown on his face.

"Liu Dadao is still alive! How strange! If this is true, the Eastern Route Army has a glimmer of hope. There is great potential for Liao affairs. There is great potential for success."

Yang Hao and Liu Jing did not get along with each other, and the grudge between them had accumulated when Wanli came to aid Korea.

Yang Jinglue's fate is closely related to Liu Jing and the Eastern Army.

For Yang Hao, if he could save his troops and return to the capital to talk to the censors, the emperor might not sentence him to death.

At present, Chen Yuting and his men are aggressive and want to defeat Yang Hao on the front line and put him to death. If Liu Jing can preserve or even repel the Jiannu, he will be able to remain invincible in Liaodong.

Yang Hao nodded slightly, thinking that if Liu Jing could really hold on, he might be able to reconcile with this warrior and use him as external aid to advance and retreat together.

While he was thinking about his plan, he suddenly heard the laughter of the women in the inner court.

Yang Hao frowned, thinking that his family members were implicated this time and would most likely be exiled, and his daughter would probably be sent to the Music Bureau. He couldn't help feeling sad.

"Dad! Did you get a letter from inside the pass?"

“It’s not inside the pass, it’s to the east.

A young girl came out from the inner court. She was about thirteen or fourteen years old, with dark eyes and rosy cheeks. She was wearing a long white brocade dress that reached her chest. The hem of the skirt extended to her waist, and a wide belt tightened her slender waist, showing off her slim figure.

"Qing'er, the guests are still here! Why are you dressed like this!" The girl smiled coquettishly, bowed to Mao Yuanyi, and went to drink tea with a giggle.

At this time, the head servant came in with his men.

A Ming army soldier with a dusty face appeared in front of them. He staggered, his hair was disheveled, and his face was pale. It was obvious that he was injured.

Yang Hao saw bloodstains on Yuanyang's jacket. Before he could speak, the soldier knelt on the ground and struggled to pull out a note from his sleeve:
"I am Wang Bin, a servant under General Liu. My master asked..."

Wang Bin said a few words and then fainted.

Seeing this, Mao Yuanyi hurriedly waved to the servants and asked them to take the man away.

"I just found a few of Liu Jing's former subordinates and confirmed that they are indeed his servants."

Yang Hao nodded slightly, tremblingly opened the blood-stained note, and read it carefully twice.

He looked extremely serious, just like when he was taking the palace examination in the capital and unfolding the big paper (the paper for the palace examination was wider than that for the provincial examination, so it was called the "big paper").

After looking over and over for a long time, Yang Hao's expression changed slightly. Finally, he stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.

"Yang Jinglie, what's written on the paper? Is it Liu Jing's handwriting?"

"See for yourself!"

Just as Mao Yuanyi was about to take it, the girl suddenly snatched it away. Yang Hao said angrily:

"Qing'er, you are disrespectful. Military and national affairs are no joke! Bring it here! I'll break your legs!"

Yang Qing'er naturally ignored her father's threats, snatched the newspaper, took two steps back, and said with a smile:

"I was wondering who it was, it turned out to be Liu Jing! This barbarian once harmed my father in Korea, and he slandered my father before the expedition this time. Now that we've been defeated, he only remembers asking for help. We can't save him!"

Yang Hao looked around for a stick.

"Let me see how Liu Dadao begs his father first."

Yang Qing'er stepped back and said softly:

"... General Liu Jing of Liaoyang bows his head and bows again. I, the general, led the Eastern Route Army through Kuandian on February 26th and reached Hunjiang on March 3rd, aiming to meet Dusong and Malin at Hetuala to clear the holes and plunder the court, repaying the emperor's grace. The soldiers held their tongues, their horses wrapped in cloth, and traveled day and night. On the morning of the third day, we were only eighty miles from Hetuala. Fortunately, my adopted son, Qianzong Liu Zhaosun, captured several spies from the Liao bandits and learned that Generals Dusong and Malin had been defeated by the Nu chieftain, and the fate of the Liao soldiers was unknown. The Nu chieftain Amin set an ambush, and our Southern troops were isolated and advanced three hundred miles deep, facing a dilemma. If we advance, we may not be able to defeat the enemy, but if we retreat, our morale will be shaken and we will be exploited by the bandits. At this moment, we can only wait for the combined forces of Korea and the support of Yehe! I humbly hope that the general will devise a complete plan to rescue us from this precarious situation, preserve the Liao affairs, and relieve the Holy Emperor of his worries! The officers and soldiers of the Eastern Route Army bow their heads and bow their heads with tears in their eyes!"

"Dad, this rumor is probably fake. The Eastern Army only has enough food and fodder for half a month. How could they have lasted until now..."

Yang Hao couldn't find a stick for a long time, so he picked up the teacup and smashed it at Yang Qing'er's feet.

Yang Qing'er moved as fast as a rabbit and dodged past lightly.

Mao Yuanyi knew the temperament of this unruly young lady and was no longer surprised. He just drank tea leisurely.

"Get out! Get out! Go back to your room and memorize your lessons!"

Yang Hao's face turned pale and he pretended to throw the teapot again.

Yang Qing'er curled her lips, threw down the newspaper, and went back to the hall with a smile.

When Yang Qing'er's bell-like laughter faded from his ears, Yang Hao gave Mao Yuanyi an awkward smile.

"Her mother passed away early. Over the years, I have been busy with military affairs and neglected to discipline her. Everyone in the mansion has spoiled her, and she has become more and more unruly, willful and willful."

Yang Hao suddenly remembered something, and his eyes turned red:

"When I left the capital last year, I heard from Eunuch Lu that the emperor was in poor health. If Liu Dadao is defeated, and all four armies are defeated, I'm afraid I'll be in great danger... I just hope she can marry a strong husband! I'll discipline him well!"

Seeing Jinglüe's expression, Mao Yuanyi consoled him:

"Don't worry, General Liu. He's been through a lot of battles. When he was a teenager, he followed his father, Liu Xian, to fight against the Nine Silk Barbarians. He marched south to Burma and east to Korea. His achievements, earned through the sacrifices of countless corpses, are nothing like the empty promises made by Li Rubai..."

Yang Hao smiled but said nothing.

Mao Yuanyi bent down to pick up the newspaper, glanced through it, frowned, and fell into deep thought.

The journey from Kuandian to Liaoyang is over 600 miles, mostly on rugged mountain roads, and it would take at least three days on a fast horse. Judging from the time, it seems unlikely that the servant was lying.

Yang Hao was a grain officer by birth, and he had a good method in dispatching grain and grass for the army and moving troops.

He knew at a glance that the letter was genuine. What he was worried about now was whether to rescue Liu Jing or not, and if so, who to send.

"Shi Min, do you think this letter is true or false?"

Mao Yuanyi pondered for a while and said, "If the slave bandits wanted to trick me, they would have ambushed me at Jiefan and Yaqueguan. Kuandian is a long way away, and the closest to Hetuala is probably... But I heard that the slave chief studied the art of war, and in previous years, when he went to the capital to pay tribute, he would buy "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" to read. War is the art of deception..."

Yang Hao interrupted with a wave of his hand, and said thoughtfully:

"Liu Jing and I have had a lot of grudges. I've been in Liaodong for a long time, so how could I not know this? I would never use Liu Jing to win me over. This alone is true. Liu Jing is usually very arrogant. If the situation wasn't critical, he wouldn't ask me for mercy! However."

Yang Hao paused for a moment and stared blankly out the window.

"However, he said that he wanted to preserve Liao and relieve the worries of the Holy Emperor. It can be seen that there is still much to be done in the war!"

"Is there much to be done?"

Mao Yuanyi was skeptical.

Yang Hao suddenly turned around and asked, "How many southern soldiers are there in the city?"

Mao Yuanyi was familiar with military tactics and was well aware of the deployment of troops in Shenyang. Without hesitation, he said:
"Jizhou has 10,000 soldiers, but they're still on the way. They've been gone for months! We do have 1,000 newly arrived White-Pole Soldiers from Sichuan, and there are also 1,000 from Guangxi. The Tusi Wolf Soldiers have been harassing the people for just one day, and I heard they were even fighting with Liao soldiers. The governor was furious and had them stationed outside the city."

Yang Hao has been busy fighting with Chen Yuting and arguing with a group of Liaodong officials these two days. All he can think about is the knife fight at Caishikou, and he has no energy to care about these foreign soldiers.

"Oh, the Guangxi Wolf Soldiers?"

The corners of Yang Hao's mouth twitched, and his eyes focused again, as if he was thinking of some unpleasant past events.

"Alas, these Guangxi wolf soldiers are the most inappropriate to mobilize. They disturb the Central Plains even more than the barbarians. This time the wolf soldiers came to Liaodong, I wonder how many local officials have been troubled."

Mao Yuanyi took over the conversation and echoed:
"What the governor said was that during the Jiajing period, Japanese pirates were rampant in the southeast. The court mobilized the Wa clan's wolf soldiers, who harassed countless people along the way, causing the most harm to the people in the southeast! It even led to the impeachment of the governor of Guangxi."

Yang Hao waved his hand, too lazy to talk about these old things.

Mao Yuanyi knew that Yang Jinglie was about to make a decision, so he stopped talking and took two steps back.

Before the imperial edict arrived, Yang Hao still had the final say in Shenyang City, and everyone was eager for someone to take the blame.

Yang Hao closed his eyes. He no longer had confidence in the Liao soldiers and had no soldiers to send. He thought that it would be a fight at Caishikou anyway, so he might as well completely disrupt Liao Town before he died.

"Forget it! These foreign soldiers have finally arrived and have disturbed the people. Let them go to Kuandian and fight the Jiannu!"

Mao Yuanyi suddenly stood up, clasped his fists, and praised: "The governor does not let personal grudges interfere with public affairs. Liaodong is in such a difficult situation, yet he still strives to rescue Liu Jing. He is truly a wise and prudent man who plans for the country. I admire him very much!"

(End of this chapter)