The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 31: General Liu, have you ever married?
More than 5,000 Korean soldiers, carrying their wages and food, as well as endless gratitude to General Liu Qian of the Qing Dynasty, crossed the Yalu River in high spirits, and then dispersed and fled towards Seoul.

Jin Yinghe and the Ming generals were left staring at each other, and the scene was very awkward for a while.

Half an hour ago, Liu Zhaosun summoned the Korean generals who had returned home separately, gave each of them silver, and said something mysterious that no one else could hear, making it seem like Infernal Affairs.

In order to send the Korean soldiers money for their journey home, Liu Zhaosun spent all his money and borrowed several thousand taels from Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi.

The two unlucky civil servants and military supervisors placed all their hopes on General Liu Qian. Not only did they lose the money, but they also lost the reputation of the civil servants.

The money lent was a sunk cost, and there was no expectation that Liu Zhaosun would be able to pay it back in the future.

Everyone knows that Lü Buwei was able to make the most of rare goods.

At present, General Liu Qian is a rare commodity, and the increasing number of Liaodong refugees following him are even more rare commodities.

As military supervisors, the army under his supervision "defeated the slave bandits and recovered the Liao people." Such memorials reported to the court brought the two of them much more benefits than several thousand taels of silver.

Jin Yinghe did not cross the Yalu River with the soldiers, but chose to stay and follow the Qing army with two generals and more than 800 archers.

Jin Yinghe is a typical example of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism in this era, although he is very dissatisfied with the current situation of the Qing Dynasty where civil officials are greedy for money and military generals are afraid of death.

However, the Liu Qianzong in front of him is neither a corrupt official nor a parasite, but a true hero.

After leaving Kuandian, the army marched northwestward, and refugees from Liaodong continued to join them along the way.

Nurhaci was sharpening his sword in the north. The Liao people were not fools. The news of Dusong and Malin's disastrous defeat had already spread throughout Liaozhong. Many people did not want to be bannermen, so they fled to the south.

Liu Zhaosun welcomed all the Liao people. Since they were all fleeing, they might as well join forces.

General Liu Qian had very low requirements for traveling with him. He just wanted them to bring their own food and supplies and not be a burden to the army.

Although the time traveler was kind, he was not born in Notre Dame after all. He took everyone to Liaoyang, and collapsed before Nurhaci attacked.

During this period, Liaodong had not yet been completely in chaos, and Nurhaci, the "greatest emperor of all time", had not yet revealed his true face as a murderer.

Most Liao people could get enough food and clothing and would not starve to death, so those who came to join Liu Zhaosun basically brought some food with them.

"Liu Qianzong, when you return to Shenyang, you should work together with the governor and not act on impulse. General Liu has already died for his country, so let's put aside the grudges between him and the governor. With this great achievement, the emperor will definitely not blame Lord Yang, and perhaps let him continue to stay in Liaodong. We still rely on him in many ways..."

When they were still two hundred miles away from Shenyang, Kang Yinggan began to chatter incessantly, repeatedly explaining the interests involved to Liu Zhaosun.

Liu Zhaosun was not very clear about the grievances of his ancestors. He only heard that when he was in Korea, Yang Hao was jealous of his adoptive father's military achievements and made trouble behind the scenes. Later, he used the excuse that Liu Jing was corrupt in Guizhou to impeach him, which led to Liu Jing being stripped of his rewards and depressed for a long time.

"Don't worry, Lord Kang. I know what to do. I don't know how Lord Jinglüe handles his troops, but when he was the coastal defense governor in Dengzhou, he was quite knowledgeable about food and logistics, and he always satisfied his superiors. We've brought so many people this time, and only he can properly settle the refugees."

Kang Yingqian nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but sigh that Liu Zhaosun knew Shangguan's resume so clearly, even more than he knew.

The team led by Liu Zhaosun has expanded to 40,000 to 50,000 people, with more refugees joining in.

The team was marching on the mountain road, with the length from the front to the back of the team exceeding ten miles, and it was as mighty as a giant dragon.

This battle was even more impressive than when Liu Jing led the Eastern Army to fight against the Later Jin more than half a month ago.

Liu Zhaosun has made history. He became the commander with the most troops in the history of the Ming Dynasty, without a doubt.

The head of the household servants, Pei Dahu, and the small flag of the quasi-pacification office, Shen Lian, led the household servants to verify the identities of the refugees in a timely manner and beheaded all the Jiannu spies who were among the refugees. They beheaded more than a hundred people, severely intimidating those veteran soldiers.

Nurhaci was good at using spies, but this trick didn't work on Liu Zhaosun.

Once they arrive in Shenyang, Liu Zhaosun will strictly investigate spies in the city. This time, there will never be a situation where the bandits join forces inside and outside to attack Shenyang.

Qin Jianxun led the Sichuan troops to follow. When he heard that the Jiannu might attack Shenyang, he asked Liu Zhaosun every day about the details of the battle between the Eastern Route Army and the Bordered Blue Banner, which made Liu Zhaosun very annoyed.

Liu Zhaosun really wanted to tell the young man that Nurhaci’s next targets were Kaiyuan, Tieling, Yehe, and finally Shenyang.

However, he was worried that military secrets would be leaked, causing the Later Jin to change its action plan, which would put the Ming army in a more disadvantageous position.

Kaiyuan City, as an important town in Liaodong, is a garrison city in the northern part of Liaodong region. In terms of military significance, it is second only to Shenyang and Guangning.

Kaiyuan blocked Mongolia in the west, controlled Haixi in the north, pressed Jianzhou in the east, and protected Shenliao in the south. It was like a sharp sword shining with cold light, inserted into the land of northern Liaoning, intimidating Mongolia, Yehe and Jianzhou.

After the Battle of Sarhu, Kaiyuan became a barrier for the Later Jin Dynasty, dividing Jianzhou and Yehe. In order to truly unify the Jurchens, it was imperative to capture Kaiyuan.

In the original historical dimension, Nurhaci sent people to appease Korea while preparing to attack Kaiyuan. The specific time of attacking Kaiyuan was mid-June of the 47th year of Wanli.

Thanks to Liu Zhaosun's efforts, Nurhaci no longer had to consider the strategy of appeasing Korea.

If the Jiannu really wanted to appease them, Liu Zhaosun also had a backup plan in Korea, which would definitely give the self-satisfied Nurhaci a big surprise.

As for Kaiyuan, Liu Zhaosun must reorganize his troops within three months, assist in the protection of Kaiyuan, and try his best to delay the fall of Liaodong.

"Where are the Guangxi Wolf Soldiers who came with you to provide assistance?"

Liu Zhaosun looked up at Qin Jianxun and asked about the whereabouts of the Guangxi Wolf Soldiers.

This group of Tusi soldiers from Guangxi were not welcomed in Liaodong. Since they were transferred to Shenyang, they had been in constant conflict with Liaozhen. The generals of Liaozhen wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.

"Wolf soldiers? Never seen one."

Qin Jianxun looked confused. Five days ago, the Sichuan soldiers and the Wolf soldiers separated in Kuandian and no trace of this group of people was seen since then.

"The wolf soldiers are brave, perhaps they are going to rob the Jiannu."

Liu Zhaosun's words were just a joke. Just as his adoptive father said, the chieftains' wolf soldiers were powerful and would not hesitate to disturb the people. If they went crazy, they would probably not even let the Jiannu go.

If the Wolf Soldiers crossed Kuandian and continued to head north, they would most likely engage in a battle with the Jiannu. In the end, just like the Eastern Route Army in history, they would rob some small Jiannu strongholds along the way to replenish supplies, and were finally surrounded and annihilated by the Later Jin Army.

But now Liu Zhaosun tried to stay as far away from the wolf soldiers as possible, avoiding them as much as possible.

The tens of thousands of troops under his command have finally gained some military discipline after all these days of training. If they are influenced by the wolf soldiers, they will probably become a mess again.

Liu Zhaosun secretly made up his mind that once the situation stabilized, he would first conduct a screening to eliminate the veteran soldiers, the old, weak and sick soldiers, and then start to train strictly according to General Qi's training methods, enforce discipline and enforce strict discipline, and forge a truly strong army.

They passed a number of garrisons along the way. The Ming troops stationed in the forts had received the news in advance. When they saw so many troops coming, especially when they saw the carriages filled with the heads of the Zhenyi people, they consciously offered food and supplies, fearing that these foreign soldiers would rob them.

Not only the Ming army garrisons, but also the wealthy families and Taoist sects along the way from Kuandian to Shenyang, under the threat of Liu Zhaosun's troops, voluntarily handed over food and fodder to prevent these foreign soldiers from going crazy and looting.

As the commander-in-chief of the army, Liu Zhaosun was very dissatisfied with this forced begging behavior, but he was powerless to stop it, otherwise these tens of thousands of people would immediately collapse.

In this era, except for a few elite troops such as the Qi Family Army, the Ming troops in various places basically did this. When marching and fighting, they would steal and do whatever they wanted in the counties and prefectures along the way.

Li Rubai, the local tyrant in Liaozhen, was so frightened before even coming into contact with the Later Jin army that he even robbed a few Liaodong locals on his way out. As for the Wuqiao Mutiny during the Chongzhen reign, the trigger was also a soldier under Kong Youde's command who stole a chicken in Wuqiao.

Compared with these scum, Liu Zhaosun and his men did not actively rob, and can be considered a benevolent and righteous army.

He would definitely accept the supplies that were delivered to his door, but he would only accept a symbolic amount. He didn't want to offend the local tyrants in Liaodong because of this little bit of food.

The army moved forward and stopped, and on March 19th, Shenyang was in sight, only 30 miles away. More than 40,000 people took a short rest. Liu Zhaosun sent his servants into the city first to report to the general that the Eastern Army had returned triumphantly.

Liu Zhaosun, accompanied by several trusted generals, went to the nearby Taiqing Palace to burn incense.

You cannot believe in everything about ghosts and gods, but you cannot not believe in them either.

After traveling through time, Liu Zhaosun killed countless people in order to survive. Under his intervention, the Eastern Army barely defeated the Bordered Blue Banner. The battle turned into a river of blood. It can be said that one general's success was built on the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers.

At present, he has tens of thousands of troops under his command, the soldiers are already there, and the Liao military pay is on the way.

He is about to enter Shenyang, which may be the starting point of his career or the end point.

Faced with such pressure, it is impossible to say that there is no thought in my mind.

Everyone burned incense and worshipped the Great Emperor Zhenwu. Then they took a walk in the Taoist temple. Pei Dahu approached Liu Zhaosun and said:

"Thirteenth Master, Taoist Zhang from Xuanyuan Temple sent us fifty stone of grain yesterday, which is enough for us to eat for a few days!"

"Oh, so much! I will definitely reward you handsomely in the future and make a golden statue for this Taoist priest."

Liu Zhaosun smiled slightly: "The Taoist priest is really rich!"

After the Yongle and Xuande reigns, the imperial court gradually deprived the princes of their military command and administrative power.

Some princes who were not content with the task of creating human beings devoted their spare time to art and religion.

In this context, Taoist activities almost became standard for the princes. They sponsored Taoist activities, sheltered wandering Taoists, compiled Taoist classics, and of course, they also practiced alchemy and laid the foundation. In short, they made outstanding contributions to the prosperity of Taoist culture.

From this point of view, it is no coincidence that Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houzhao, also known as the Jiajing Emperor who was almost strangled to death by a palace maid, was obsessed with Taoism. He had already become interested in Taoism when he was a vassal king in Anlu Xingwang Mansion before he ascended the throne.

During the Yongle period, Zhu Di moved the King of Liao, the King of Han, and the King of Ning to Guanzhong. From then on, there were no more vassal kings in Liaodong, and the spread of Taoism could not compare to that in the mainland.

"General, Master hasn't been at the Taoist temple these past few days. He went to Kuandian. He said he was there to pray for the souls of the deceased."

The little Taoist boy with bright eyes and white teeth said to Liu Zhaosun with some regret.

Liu Zhaosun, wearing a casual suit with wide sleeves and a white edge and a white soft towel hanging from its belt, stood under an ancient pine tree, with a bit of the charm of the founder Zhang Sanfeng.

"What a shame! It seems your master is not only compassionate, but also knows some physical salvation. He killed slaves to serve his country. He is truly an infinite god. Great!"

Wandering in the Taoist temple, you can see ancient trees standing tall, incense burning brightly, and a gentle breeze that is refreshing to the heart, making people vaguely feel like they are in solitude and seclusion from the world.

In the main hall of Taiqing Palace, in front of the more than ten feet tall statue of Zhenwu Emperor, kneels the murderous Liu Bazong.

The Great Emperor Zhenwu sits barefoot and with his hair loose, on the top of the hall, flanked by statues of his two generals, a tortoise and a snake. The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl both appear kindhearted.

Liu Zhaosun prayed silently in his heart:
"Mysterious Heavenly God, True Lord of Protection, the Three Pure Ones, all the Supreme Beings in the heavens, all the great gods, have mercy on me and accept my prayers. May you bestow blessings upon us and protect us all. May you bestow your grace upon us and save us from danger and suffering. Help me drive out the Tartar invaders and save the people of the world! I will rebuild your golden body for you!"

The servants had already reported the news of the return of the Eastern Army to the governor. Yang Hao was overjoyed and personally led a group of Liaodong officials and foreign soldiers to go three miles out of the city to welcome them.

South of Shenyang City, Liu Zhaosun stood on his horse, wearing a white cloth on his head and white mourning clothes over his chain mail.

Behind him, a large number of Liaodong refugees looked towards the governor.

Some people cursed in a low voice, saying that it was Yang Hao who caused their families to be destroyed.

Liu Zhaosun ordered his soldiers to stop the refugees and stepped forward quickly. He was a senior civil servant with a white beard, surrounded by a group of civil servants and military generals.

Liu Zhaosun came to the civil servant and guessed that he was the governor Yang Hao, so he knelt on one knee.

"I, Liu Zhaosun, the commander of the Eastern Army, pay my respects to the General. I am unable to wear armor, so I will only greet you with military salute. I hope the General will forgive me!"

Yang Hao rushed forward and helped Liu Zhaosun up. He looked him up and down, then looked at the coffin on the carriage behind him and said with emotion:
"General Liu fought his entire life on the battlefield, over a hundred battles, both large and small, without ever being defeated. I never expected to die in Liaodong. Well, it's a blessing to die on the battlefield!"

The old enemy lay quietly in the coffin, unable to express his opinion. Yang Hao sighed that the world was like smoke and fate was full of ups and downs. If the Eastern Army had not returned, his memorial of apology would have been sent to the capital.

Amidst the jealous gazes of the generals behind him, Yang Jinglue grabbed Liu Zhaosun's hand and said earnestly, as if an elder were advising a younger one:
"Liu Qian, I've heard Shengwu mention you long ago. He said you were something special. Seeing you in person today, I can see you're truly a heroic young man, with extraordinary looks and exceptional courage. I knew about your last night raid on the enemy camp! I've already reported it to the Ministry of War and am requesting your commendation!"

Liu Zhaosun laughed in his heart. If his adoptive father and Yang Hao were so close, it would be like the sun rising from the west.

"Ah, you've killed more than a thousand Tartars, and there are still so many bannermen. This is rare. Think about the Chenghua Li court, it was no more than this! Don't worry, my dear nephew, I will report to the emperor again and ask for credit for you and the soldiers! At the very least, I will make you a lieutenant general... Right now, Liaodong needs people, but it's a pity that General Liu is gone..."

Yang Hao directly called Liu Zhaosun his nephew, as if Liu Jing had really entrusted his adopted son to him. Before he finished speaking, tears came out.

Seeing this, all the soldiers of the Eastern Army were moved by Yang Jinglue and started to cry as if the previous arrears of food and wages had never happened...

Liu Zhaosun didn't care about all this. He was overjoyed. He originally thought that since he was a captain, even though he had made merit this time, he would only be promoted to a captain at most. He didn't expect that Yang Hao would promote him to a lieutenant general and guerrilla, as if it was easy for military generals in the Ming Dynasty to be promoted.

He quickly knelt down again and said loudly:
"This battle is all thanks to the planning of the General. I have long heard of your genius in employing men. When I was in Korea, I often listened to your teachings and followed your example, inspiring the soldiers with loyalty and righteousness to repay the emperor's grace! The military supervisors, Lord Kang and Lord Qiao, also encouraged me. Food and supplies are all in sufficient supply. The Korean soldiers are brave and good at fighting, and the Liao army assisted us vigorously... I was lucky enough to repel the enemy and gain this victory. How dare I take credit for it!"

Yang Hao smiled slightly, and his beard trembled with joy.

Liu Zhaosun was at most twenty years old. Isn't it nonsense to say that he listened to his teachings in Korea twenty years ago?

But everyone is an actor with great acting skills, and they are just polite remarks, so there is no need to delve into it too much.

Yang Hao looked at Liu Zhaosun again and found that Liu Zhaosun had a dragon-like appearance and a phoenix-like figure, and was as majestic as a forest of jade trees.

When he saw him, Yang Hao thought of Ji Kang, Pan An and Zhang Taiyue of his own dynasty.

"What a handsome man!"

This boy is quite popular among the southern soldiers at a young age. Yang Hao has been a soldier for half his life, so he certainly knows that a general like this who fights with every sword and spear is not comparable to a fool like Li Ruzhen.

Having made such a great contribution this time, he will surely be favored by the emperor in the future.

Seeing that Liu Zhaosun was so humble to Shangguan, and had a burly figure and extraordinary appearance, he was nothing like Liu Dadao, who not only had a hot temper, but also had a hard-to-describe appearance.

Yang Hao couldn't help but sigh, they were both military commanders, why was there such a big gap between them...

Thinking of this, Yang Hao stepped forward to help Liu Zhaosun up, leaned close to Liu Zhaosun's ear, and asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"General Liu Qian, have you ever married?"

(End of this chapter)