Chapter 8, missed the mark
According to the original historical trajectory, after the martyrdom of Emperor Chongzhen, Jin Xuan would also have jumped into the Jinshui River to sacrifice himself. However, the Jinshui River was too shallow to drown him, so he submerged his head in the mud, thus achieving his noble death.
Do you not find it unusual
no matter how difficult the journey ahead may be
Although Li Nian and Li Mou are young, they are as skilled in archery and horsemanship as Li Yan, and they can shoot arrows exceptionally well
The civil official who turned the tide was Jin Xuan, the Deputy Director of the Military Selection Department of the Ministry of War
However, the prerequisite is that you must be able to endure this hardship
Sharing the same food and sleeping in the same tents as the soldiers easily earns their recognition; this is a simple yet effective means of winning their hearts
After Wang Guoxing finished speaking, he kicked his legs and breathed his last. Chongzhen let out a soft sigh and said to Wang Cheng'en, "Wang Daban, please record this for me: posthumously confer the title of Duke of Loyalty upon Wang Guoxing, and grant a position in the Jinyiwei as a thousand households to one of his sons"
To be able to suffocate oneself, this is undoubtedly a ruthless person
Changping Prefecture
It was not until Li Yan had walked several dozen steps that Li Nian and Li Mou finally came to their senses as if awakening from a dream
Upon going out, I happened to encounter Wang Cheng'en and asked, "Wang Daban, has Lord Zhongcheng been buried?"
Jin Xuan felt somewhat embarrassed under the gaze of Chongzhen, and he held his bow and performed a respectful gesture, saying: "I have caused Your Majesty to laugh."
Now the Ming army has more horses than men, allowing for an average of one warhorse per person
Li Yan pointed to the grass and trees on both sides of the road and said: "Do you see any floating dust on these grass and trees?"
... ...
"Do not move, my dear minister," Chongzhen commanded, "You will be fine. The journey ahead spans thousands of miles, and I still rely on your protection and guidance.
Chongzhen simply did not anticipate that Jin Xuan's equestrian archery was also so remarkable
"Let it be, it is all the same anyway." Liu Zongmin was preoccupied with the thought of pursuing stolen goods and extorting money, and then said, "Brother, we must agree that we will only act once Chongzhen is brought back."
But at least they saw hope
Officials such as Wu Linzheng and Meng Zhaoxiang held a high regard for Chongzhen
Li Yan led two thousand light cavalry and pursued throughout the entire night
"Could it be that our search area has become smaller?" Li Nian said, "Or perhaps the Imperial Guards of Chongzhen have cleaned up all the horse manure?"
They truly did not expect that the Son of Heaven would not have a separate meal prepared for him, but instead would eat the same coarse rice porridge mixed with chaff that the cook made, alongside them.
Liu Wenbing, Wei Shichun, and Zhang Qingzhen immediately led dozens of their servants, charging into the prefectural office like tigers and wolves, and launched a fierce attack on the bandits who had just risen from their slumber and had not yet donned their armor.
"In response to the Emperor's words, he has already been buried," Wang Cheng'en said, "but we have not yet had the opportunity to engrave the tombstone and the epitaph"
Li Yan said: "We have sent out so many teams of scouts, yet not a single team has discovered any fresh horse manure along the way"
He who wins the hearts of the people gains the world, but winning the hearts of the people also comes at a cost
A night passed in silence, and soon it was the following morning.
The severely injured commander of the Jinyiwei, Wang Guoxing, was also brought before Chongzhen.
The more than two thousand riders following behind also began to slow down and come to a stop.
Horse manure can be swept away, but the dust cannot be completely eliminated
Jin Xuan, upon hearing this, suddenly changed color, dismounted his horse, and bowed deeply to the ground, saying: "I am merely a low-ranking official of the sixth grade in the Military Selection Department of the Ministry of War, and I have not made any contributions to the country. How dare I receive such a misjudgment from Your Majesty, and how can I be compared to the late Grand Tutor, Lord Lu?"
Chongzhen, however, pulled the reins and turned the horse, heading towards the civil official who had just shot the arrow
By the Yuan and Ming dynasties, due to severe soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, the wind and sand in the Beijing area had already become significant. Furthermore, this period was marked by prolonged drought, resulting in an immense amount of dust
What is reinforced is the concept of being united with the soldiers.
Hmm?
Li Yan, however, had already turned the horse's head and was heading straight north
Indeed, those with the single character "铉" in their names are formidable individuals, such as Tie Xuan
Go to Gubeikou
This has already passed through Sanhe County, and is almost at Jizhou City
In my earlier years, I was misled by enticing words, which resulted in the death of Grand Tutor Lu on the battlefield
Because there is already light in the eyes of the soldiers, unlike the emptiness of last night
Upon seeing this, the faces of the surrounding Ming soldiers all displayed a fervent expression
The slaughter within the state office quickly came to an end
To put it plainly, the few literati of this era may have grand ideals of establishing virtue, articulating thoughts, and achieving merit to attain sainthood, but the majority of literati and all martial figures hold a simple aspiration, which is to bring glory to their ancestors and then secure a prosperous future for their wives and children. If the court can satisfy them, what harm is there in selling their lives to the court?
... ...
Perhaps this has already been captured
There were even more than 100 mules and horses, which could be specifically used for transporting grain and fodder
Li Yan, serving as the right military advisor and general of the Dashun army, spent most of his time alongside Li Zicheng. Therefore, the troops he brought from his hometown were usually commanded by his younger brother Li Nian and his cousin Li Mou.
Sitting on the dragon throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Li Zicheng felt a bit of heat on his backside
Turn around, turn around and head north to Gubeikou! The order was swiftly communicated, and two thousand light cavalry made a circular formation in the wilderness, cutting diagonally towards the northwest.
The young Emperor Chongzhen has not yet been captured; at this moment, pursuing the recovery of stolen goods and demanding tribute seems somewhat hasty.
From the soldiers' reactions, the effect can be considered quite good
"Halt!" Li Yan, who was urging his warhorse to gallop forward, suddenly called a stop to the steed.
When Li Zicheng captured Xi'an and lavishly rewarded his former subordinates, Li Yan was appointed as the General of the Central Authority's Elite Troops, while Li Nian and Li Mou were granted the title of Brave General.
Especially the civil officials Wang Jiayan, Wu Linzheng, and Meng Zhaoxiang, when they arrived at the Imperial Horse Monitoring Office with their troops last night, all appeared lifeless; however, today they have clearly come back to life
Chongzhen scooped out the last bit of porridge from the helmet with his finger, ate it, then placed the slightly warm helmet back on his head and stood up to walk outside
Still, let's wait a little longer. However, Li Zicheng was still somewhat hesitant
What are we waiting for? Let's just take action directly," Liu Zongmin said somewhat dismissively. "The young Emperor Chongzhen won't escape; it's just a matter of a few hours earlier or later.
After the bandits invaded the capital, the Emperor seemed to have an epiphany overnight. Suddenly, he became knowledgeable about military affairs and no longer treated his ministers with the same harshness and suspicion as before. Moreover, he faced situations with calmness and composure, commanding with confidence in the heat of battle, and even dared to personally face arrows and stones. All these aspects gave people the impression that he was a reincarnation of the great founding emperors.
"Your Majesty," Wang Guoxing struggled to sit up, "I fear that this old minister can no longer serve before you..."
These big-headed soldiers do not realize that this is also a form of motivational speech
Chongzhen insisted on outfitting his warhorse with armor
Li You is escorting Chongzhen back to Beijing
The gains from last night's battle were quite substantial; not only did we seize several thousand stones of provisions, but we also captured over one hundred superior warhorses and more than three hundred mules and horses
"Your Excellency, please rise." Chongzhen dismounted and helped Jin Xuan to his feet, saying solemnly, "Although you are merely a sixth-rank official today, I have no doubt that in the future, your achievements will be no less than those of Lord Lu."
Li Zicheng also deeply understood the necessity of winning people's hearts
At this critical moment of life and death, Chongzhen seized every opportunity to inspire his subordinates with motivational speeches
Li Nian frowned and said, "So, does this mean that the old man Chongzhen has gone south?"
"Let the tombstone and epitaph be engraved later." As Chongzhen spoke, he lifted the saddle and placed it on his warhorse. Wang Cheng'en hurriedly stepped forward to assist, but was stopped by Chongzhen.
Jin Xuan is already so excited that he can hardly contain himself
Li Yan gazed ahead and spoke softly
"That may not be the case." Li Yan closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment, then suddenly opened them and said, "Send my orders, the entire army will turn around and head north, follow me to Gubeikou!"
"The old minister is no longer capable." Wang Guoxing shook his head, but his eyes suddenly brightened; this was a moment of fleeting brilliance.
Li Zicheng finally nodded
The Ming Dynasty thus suffered the loss of its pillars, and whenever I think of this matter, I often find myself unable to sleep at night
Liu Zongmin reiterated, "In my opinion, we should still follow the old rules. We have already inquired thoroughly; those noble officials and eunuchs in Beijing are all extremely wealthy!"
However, today, I can sleep peacefully, for our great Ming has once again acquired new pillars of the nation
Li Nian and Li Mou exchanged glances at each other
However, maintaining officials and soldiers requires financial resources; where do these resources come from
Li Zicheng waved his hand and said: "Perhaps it is with the right military advisor."
"Abnormal?" Li Mu scratched his head and asked, "Which aspect does my elder brother refer to?"
If a large number of horsemen pass by, it is impossible for there to be no dust.
The Ming army, having awakened, is preparing their belongings
Goodness, Wang Guoxing is actually a veteran official who has served through four reigns, having already been the Deputy Commander of the Jinyiwei during the Wanli period
This is an attitude, and also a form of motivational inspiration
"Elder brother, why are you not pursuing?" Li Nian urged as he stepped forward to ask.
"Go about your business, I have my own hands."
He laughed again and said, "However, it is worth it for this old minister to witness the majesty of the Emperor before his death. Even in the afterlife, when I meet the spirits of the Emperor Shenzong, Emperor Guangzong, and Emperor Xizong, I can tell them, 'The revival of our Ming Dynasty is hopeful!"
As the momentum of the bandits waned, several nobles immediately regained their spirits
Chongzhen went to see Li Ruolian and the surrounding Jinyiwei again, and his expression was indeed very different
Li Mu's expression immediately turned to one of disappointment: "Then did we not make this trip in vain?"
I am grateful that you have not yet had the time, how can we speak of laughter?" Chongzhen patted Jin Xuan's shoulder and continued, "Your equestrian and archery skills are likely not inferior to those of Grand Master Lu.
... ...
Regardless of how effective these motivational quotes are, it is better to consume them than not at all. What if Jin Xuan truly becomes the second Lu Xiangsheng? In any case, this transaction can be considered a win.
Before the Eastern Expedition, the Dashun army raised the banner of three years of tax exemption, which meant that for the next three years, there would be no grain tax on the territory just conquered by the Dashun army
It is merely a noble title, not worth much, but it can win people's hearts