Ming Dynasty: Summoning game players at the beginning

Chapter 315: The King Wants His Subject to Die, But the Subject Will Not Die
The hero who recovered Liaodong actually went to Korea to do evil?

When Zhu Youjian heard the urgent news, he thought he had misheard.

The Beiwei Army was a great hero who shouted "Long live the emperor", "If loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyalty", destroyed the destiny of the Qing Dynasty at Xiongyueyi, and recovered hundreds of miles of Liaodong. How could they degenerate into evil bandits who burned, killed, and looted?

When he first received the intelligence that the Beiwei Army had entered North Korea, he simply thought that the Beiwei Army was "addicted to killing pigs" and wanted to explode wild boar skins.

At that time, many civil officials impeached the Beiwei Army for "moving without orders", but this was not something that could be brushed off by saying "a general is not bound by orders from his king when he is away from home."

You led the Beiwei Army to recapture Liaodong, which is already a great achievement that surpasses your master. How can you still want to achieve greater achievements?

Do you want to become the second "Manchu Qing Dynasty" occupying Liaodong?
Zhu Youjian was not worried about the loyalty of the Beiwei Army.

He always gave 100% trust to important officials who he had high hopes for, especially loyal officials who were capable of fighting.

He used to trust Yuan Chonghuan, then he trusted Yang Sichang, and now he trusts Hong Chengchou, Li Mu, and Zhang Xianzhong. Sun Chuanting and Lu Xiangsheng, who he disliked, have been thrown into prison...

He did not easily believe the so-called "slander" of the Korean yangban. What if they were sent by some treacherous ministers to turn him into Zhao Gou, the one who unjustly killed Yue Fei?

So he sent the Ti cavalry to Tianjin, and brought a group of "informed people" with him at full speed.

As soon as the Yangban nobles saw the high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty, they burst into tears and loudly accused the atrocities of the Beiwei Army.

The yangban claimed that although the Beiwei Army expelled the Tartars, they soon became "Tartars" themselves.

The Beiwei Army committed atrocities in Korea and ordered Korea to collect one million dan of grain as a "thank you gift".

They also demanded that a thousand beautiful girls be offered every month for them to torture and enjoy day and night, and less than one in ten girls would come back alive each time.

If anyone was slow in delivering food, money and women, the Beiwei Army would draw their swords and kill people. They would even slaughter the entire family and kick the person's head like a cuju.

In just a few months, no less than 100,000 innocent people were killed by these "soldiers and bandits".

The Beiwei Army also assisted the Korean tyrant to come to power, and thus joined forces to exploit Korea's money, food and wealth.

Various exorbitant taxes and levies emerged one after another, such as the shit tax, the firewood tax, the laziness tax, the slave tax, and so on.

The nobles could not bear to see the people suffer, so they advised the Beiwei Army to restrain themselves and return to their homeland in Liaodong.

But who could have known that the Beiwei army would become so brutal, swinging their hammers and killing people in all directions. That day, no less than a hundred "Qingliu" were killed.

Later, the righteous men could no longer endure the cruelty of the tyrant and the greed of the Beiwei Army, so they chose to rise up in rebellion, and the people in the eight provinces across the country were outraged.

Who knew that the Beiwei Army had no morale at all. They declared that if one person rebelled, the whole village would be massacred. If a village rebelled, eleven people in the township would be beaten to death. If a township rebelled, eleven people in the county would be beaten to death.

They even used civilians as vanguards during sieges or as human shields during field battles, which made it difficult for the nobles to shoot arrows or guns to harm the civilians, leading to the aristocratic army's repeated failure in battle.

In a short period of time, the righteous aristocratic army was completely defeated. They had no choice but to flee to Tianjin to seek refuge and beg the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to act on their behalf!

The Korean nobles cried and spoke vividly in the court, and some even fainted from crying when thinking about the "tragic details".

Every tragedy seemed to be replayed before their eyes, causing the Ming officials to be filled with righteous indignation and curse the Beiwei Army for causing such a huge disaster!
The Korean nobles brought their families to the Ming Dynasty to file a complaint, and the notoriety of the Beiwei Army was known to everyone from Korea to the capital!

When did our Celestial Empire become so poor that it had to plunder its vassal states? Where is the dignity of the Celestial Empire?
In an instant, the sense of responsibility of a feudal patriarch arose spontaneously.

The ministers all submitted memorials, requesting His Majesty to severely punish the Beiwei Army.

They mobilized troops without authorization, persecuted vassal states, plundered the people's wealth, raped and plundered, and massacred the people...

Any one of these crimes is enough to be sentenced to death by public execution, let alone the fact that these crimes were committed by an entire army.

No matter how great the contributions of the coach are, he must be severely punished.

Some people suggested that Zhang Xianzhong be summoned to Beijing to defend himself.

When two enemies confront each other in front of their ministers, one of them will always reveal the truth.

If Zhang Xianzhong was a loyal minister, he would be appointed to reorganize the military affairs of Xuanfu and Datong, and separate him from the fierce soldiers of the Beiwei Army.

By then, the Beiwei Army, without its commander, would be torn apart like the Dongjiang Town without Mao Wenlong, making it easier for the Ming Dynasty to "defeat them one by one" and thus control Liaodong.

If Zhang Xianzhong was a traitor, he would be arrested on the spot and handed over to the three judicial departments for trial.

Considering that he had made many military achievements for the country, he was spared the death penalty and exiled to the malaria-ridden area of ​​Yunnan. This was to appease the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians who had "died unjustly" in Korea, and the dignity of the Ming Dynasty was preserved.

Of course, some people also objected, "What if General Zhang pretends to be ill and refuses to come to the capital?"

Warlords who controlled their own armies cared most about their own safety, such as Zuo Liangyu before his death, Zu Dashou in western Liaoning, the Shandong government troops during the Tartar invasion, and various military leaders who backstabbed their allies...

"If General Zhang refuses to enter the capital, it means he has harbored evil intentions. Your Majesty, please make plans early..."

In this case, Zhu Youjian would have a headache.

He secretly cursed these insects, if they had just fought for a little, why would he rely so heavily on those three or four tough soldiers, allowing their power to grow even more?

He also wanted to have someone available, but his civil and military officials were addicted to losing battles, and he had no choice but to use those generals.

The most painful issue for the imperial court was the issue of reducing the power of the feudal lords.

This issue cannot be easily addressed. Once it becomes necessary to address it, it will be like walking on a tightrope, a dangerous situation.

The Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms in the Western Han Dynasty and the fighting among the feudal lords in the late Tang Dynasty all started with the feudal lords and ended with the feudal lords.

Zhu Youjian reviewed the cards in his hand and thought to himself that if he really wanted to reduce the power of the vassal states, how would he suppress the fierce soldiers of the Beiwei Army?

You have to know that the number of Ming Dynasty troops capable of fighting at that time can be counted on two hands.

Xuanda, Jizhen border troops, Ming Dynasty capital camp?

They were repeatedly transferred by the Ming court. Sometimes they were sent here to suppress bandits, and sometimes they were marched north to fight against the Tartars. After several years of frequent wars, they were in urgent need of soldiers and horses.

Not to mention the emperor's micromanagement, which resulted in the death of tens of thousands of elite troops at Dujiatun at one time, severely damaging the "loyal faction".

Right now, all the generals are trying to recruit new soldiers. Some are trying to recapture the many garrisons in the Liaoxi Corridor, while others are being transferred to Henan to fight beggars and bandits.

Northwest Frontier Army?

They were encircling and suppressing the rebels, and the two sides were fighting back and forth in the Guanzhong area. It was an extraordinary performance that they were able to maintain stability around Xi'an.

The nomadic tribes in the north invade and plunder every year, and now there are also remnants of the Qing Dynasty, which puts even greater pressure on the border troops. There is no additional mobile force at all.

Southern government troops?

They were making every effort to encircle and suppress the Changsheng bandits and the Western bandits, and reports requesting additional funding kept coming in.

Zhu Youjian's ears kept echoing: increase salary, train troops, replenish food and ammunition, recruit soldiers...

Even though he personally participated in the Liaodong decisive battle at the front line, he still couldn't understand why the enemy army could lose eight or ten times and make a quick comeback every time they were defeated.

But his Ming Dynasty official army can't afford to lose even once. If they lose a battle, they will have to spend several times the cost to rebuild?

Why do the bandits have endless money and food, and even have enough to distribute food and deceive the evil people?
He didn't understand. Liaodong had been recovered, so why were there more and more bandits roaming around?

Black Flag Army?
To the northwest of the Black Flag Army were the Qihuo Bandits and the Wild Wolf Bandits. To the southwest were the Changsheng Bandits. To the south were the Western Bandits and the Left Five Battalions.

The Nanzhili government troops in the east were also unfit for use. These officers would claim that they had fallen off their horses and needed to rest, or that the newly recruited soldiers were unfit for use. Then they would say that the enemy army was too powerful and they could only defend the city with all their might. Otherwise, if Nanjing was lost, half of the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue would be lost to the enemy.

The poor Black Flag Army was surrounded by bandits and insects.

The dual intelligence reports from below also indicated that the veteran Black Flag soldiers had suffered heavy losses, and their combat effectiveness was less than a third of what it had been six months ago. Li Mu, eager to repay his loyalty to the court, planned to dispatch troops to defeat the rebels, nearly having a trusted adviser executed on the spot.

Zhu Youjian couldn't help but admire that Li Qing was the only one in the world who was always loyal!

Even if the other party is surrounded by bandits, they will not forget to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty and to him, the monarch.

But Zhu Youjian was too young, and his eldest daughter was only ten years old.

If his daughter were a few years older, he would definitely take Li Qing as his son-in-law.

Even though there was an ancestral rule that the son-in-law could not be entrusted with important military and political positions, he could still let Li Qing train a strong army for him to protect the Ming Dynasty forever.

Unfortunately, his daughter is still too young...

Recalling the tense situation across the country, Zhu Youjian suddenly realized——

The government troops across the country were like chess pieces on a chessboard, all locked in place and unable to move an inch, and wars were breaking out everywhere.

No matter which part of the government troops he wanted to withdraw, it would free up the bandits to attack cities and seize territories.

The only mobile force was the Beiwei Army in Liaodong, but the latter secretly went to Korea and caused a lot of trouble, becoming a "thorn" that was difficult to mobilize.

Zhu Youjian raised his eyes and looked straight ahead. The ministers were arguing endlessly about the "Beiwei Army".

The official troops currently stationed in Liaodong are all guest troops transferred from all over the Ming Dynasty, as well as some former Liao soldiers who have returned to their hometowns.

They "checked" the Beiwei Army and prevented it from becoming the only powerful force. However, once the reduction of vassal states began, the situation in Liaodong was bound to deteriorate...

Zhu Youjian asked himself, could General Zhang, who risked his life to aid Liaodong and achieved amazing military exploits, be a traitor?
Zhu Youjian hoped that Zhang Xianzhong was simply unable to control his arrogant and powerful generals, and that the Korean yangban were exaggerating.

Once the imperial court's order is reached, the other party will voluntarily enter the capital and obey Your Majesty's orders, and no civil war will occur...

The Ming Dynasty is still the same Ming Dynasty, the bandits will be wiped out by the powerful army, and he, Zhu Youjian, is the "wise ruler" who will revive the Ming Dynasty!
It is impossible to directly kidnap Zhang Xianzhong. The previous example is still before our eyes.

Yuan Chonghuan brought some personal soldiers with him and landed directly at the Dongjiang Town base camp. He took Mao Wenlong away effortlessly and went to the surrounding areas to explore the terrain.

The two sides got along very harmoniously for a while, just like the harmonious atmosphere when a superior came to inspect and exchange strategic deployments.

But then, Yuan Chonghuan suddenly ordered his men to control Mao Wenlong, and then announced that he had committed various crimes and chopped off his head.

Afterwards, Dongjiang Town was simply and roughly divided into four parts, which later fell into a situation of "disobedience and killing each other".

The combat effectiveness of Dongjiang Town declined sharply as a result, and it never recovered much territory until it was defeated by the Qing Dynasty.

Zhu Youjian did not want the Beiwei Army to be completely destroyed, he only wanted to separate the soldiers and generals to reduce the violent temperament of the Beiwei Army.

After integrating a lot of information, Zhu Youjian decided to let the officials going to Liao convey the transfer order.

As long as Zhang Xianzhong was willing to go to Beijing, he would be conferred the title of Earl and sent to Xuanda to lead troops in the future.

Even if it was finally confirmed that the Beiwei Army had indeed committed many atrocities in Korea, Zhang Xianzhong would only be charged with the crime of "negligence" and given a light reprimand.

After all, Zhu Youjian still had to rely on capable ministers to help him eliminate the bandits.

……

Spring, the 1640th year of Chongzhen's reign. in the Western calendar.

The civil and military teams that had been stationed in Ningyuan for a long time set out for the Liaohe Plain, preparing to take over all the territory.

Along the way, they saw a large number of people heading to Liaodong, like long dragons slowly moving forward on the Liaoxi Corridor.

Some people carried packages of various sizes, some pushed carts, and some people gathered in groups of three or five, dragging carts, carrying all their simple belongings.

These people were Liao people who were forced to leave their hometown more than ten years ago and were initially settled in western Liaoning, Zhili and other places.

Originally, some officials proposed a plan to "rectify military farms" and recruit refugees from Liaodong to open up wasteland and cultivate the land, which was quite effective.

But if this official performs well, wouldn't it make other officials appear mediocre and incompetent?
Besides, where would the military farms for hundreds of thousands of Liao people come from? It is impossible to ask the nobles to spit out the military farms they have taken, right?

Therefore, under the massive impeachment, running the military farms became a bad thing with "ulterior motives" that was intended to cause chaos in the world.

There are always evil villains who want to disrupt the existing order. Your Majesty cannot tolerate them. The official was therefore demoted to a remote prefecture in the south.

The Liao people who fled into the interior of the country could not be described as having a stable and happy life in the past ten years, but could only be described as having lived in poverty and destitution.

Many refugees died in the harsh winter or during the repeated invasions by the Tartars.

If you don't live well, you naturally won't be able to gain a foothold in the local area, and there will be no idea of ​​re-development.

Now that their hometown has been recovered and spring is in full bloom, they are eager to return home as soon as possible, even if they die on the way, so that they can be closer to their hometown.

After all, my ancestral graves are all in Liaodong, and my roots are there. Where else can I go if not go back?

Civil officials and military generals would not travel with the common people; they would send soldiers to drive the common people away.

Fang Yizao, who was about to go to Liaodong to take up his post, became a hot figure.

The generals in western Liaoning handed over "gifts" one after another, hoping to take the "convenient express train" to Liao. Even Zu Dashou instructed his sons and nephews to quickly send money to the governor.

Zu Dashou's brother-in-law Wu Xiang was dismissed from office a long time ago, and now he doesn't even have the qualifications to queue up to "grab meat".

A junior among juniors like Wu Sangui had even less chance.

You should know that there are no less than 6 to 7 million mu of cultivated land in Liaodong. Without the Manchu Tartars, there is a power vacuum.

The barren western Liaoning will eventually fail to catch up with the fertile Liaohe Plain.

It is better to be a garrison commander in Liaodong than to be a deputy general in Liaoxi.

As long as you go to Liaodong, you will have a large number of military households to supply you with output, and you will also have considerable autonomy.

You should know that Liaodong has been under "military control" for a long time, and there are basically no middle and lower-level civil servants.

Before the middle and lower-level civil servants were fully staffed, the newly recovered Liaodong was a small paradise for these warriors.

Nowadays, as long as you give the newly appointed governor a little "gift money", you may be able to get a piece of lucrative land.

As for the Beiwei Army, even though they were the great heroes in the recovery of Liaodong and could eat the biggest piece of "fat meat", there was still a lot of broth left for others to eat.

The happiest person is Fang Yizao.

Originally, he was a "nominal" governor with no real power, and no one took him seriously. Now that he is about to become a governor with real power, people come to him to give gifts in an endless stream.

However, he does not accept everyone who comes to him. You have to be attracted to him before you can have a detailed discussion with him - the subtext is that the highest bidder wins, and not everyone can "ride his coat".

As a result, Fang Yizao had already received a lot of money before he even crossed Jinzhou.

Looking towards the east, he couldn't help but sigh that Liaodong was truly his blessed land.

Once he truly controls Liaodong, who knows how many times more money he can make!

Looking forward to it, looking forward to it, really looking forward to it.

(End of this chapter)