Text/Kingdom Building
When Zhang Xianzhong killed Zhu Yiming, he said triumphantly: "I want to cut off the head of Yang Sichang, and Sichang is in Shu, and now I should borrow the king's head to make Sichang trap the domain and ambush the law." "】
In the first month of 1641, Zhang Xianzhong attacked the military town of Xiangyang with a surprise army, captured zhu Yiming, the king of Xiang, and committed suicide and martyrdom of the defender Ma Xianglin (the son of the female general Qin Liangyu at the end of the Ming Dynasty). After Yang Sichang, a cabinet university scholar and soldier who had more than 100,000 troops in hand to encircle and suppress Zhang Xianzhong, heard the news, he was ashamed and embarrassed, and he hated himself. So, in the Battle of Xiangyang, how many troops did Zhang Xianzhong put in? Many people may not believe it, there are 2,000 people in total, of which only 28 rides play a key role.
In 1639, Zhang Xianzhong, who had just been recruited by the imperial court for a year, raised an army in Hubei to rebel and allied with Li Zicheng, the king of Shaanxi, posing a great threat to the rule of the Ming Dynasty. The surrender of Zhang Xianzhong was presided over by Xiong Wencan, and the person who recommended Xiong Wencan to recruit Zhang Xianzhong was Yang Sichang, then a cabinet university scholar and a shangshu of the Military Department. When the news came, there was an uproar in the government and the public, and the voices accusing Yang and Xiong were endless. In order to appease the anger of the people, the Chongzhen Emperor captured Xiong Wencan, and at the same time ordered Yang Sichang to make meritorious deeds and eliminate Zhang Xianzhong.
In September 1639, Yang Sichang, carrying the Shangfang sword and military salary given by the Chongzhen Emperor, left the capital with great ambition to take up his post in Huguang. This time, in order to suppress the rebellion, the Chongzhen Emperor gave Yang Sichang a one-time army of 130,000 and sufficient grain, grass, weapons and ammunition, hoping to complete his contribution to the battle. The Chongzhen Emperor's idea was good, but the ideal was too happy, and the reality was too bone. After Yang Sichang took office, he was surrounded and suppressed by wind and fire for more than a year, and although he also fought many victorious battles, because he could not properly handle the relationship between superiors and subordinates, his generals Zuo Liangyu and He Renlong did not listen to commands and deliberately connived at Zhang Xianzhong to flee to Sichuan. Inspector Shao Jiechun of Sichuan was mediocre and unable to oppose Zhang Xianzhong, so Inspector Yang had to work hard to move the crowd to Sichuan to suppress the rebellion.
In December 1640, Yang Sichang led a large army to Chongqing, and in order to deter Zhang Xianzhong, he posted a reward notice, saying: "Those who capture Zhang Xianzhong will be rewarded with silver and silver." There is nothing wrong with this bounty, the old saying is good, and there will be brave men under the heavy reward. However, what made Yang Sichang angry and bitter was that the next morning, at the door of the Governor's Palace, Zhang Xianzhong's reward notice was actually posted, saying: "Those who have beheaded the cabinet will be rewarded with three silver coins." The Tangtang Ming Dynasty Cabinet Scholar, the Prime Minister of the Eight Classics of Zheng'er, was only worth three pieces of silver? And what is even more frightening is that at the door of his own headquarters, there are actually Zhang Xianzhong's people active, and his personal safety is still guaranteed? In order to prevent the infiltration of traitors, Yang Sichang temporarily replaced the guards of the Governor's Palace, and the generals under his opponents were not a small doubt, and the relationship between the generals and commanders was almost reduced to a freezing point.
More than 100,000 troops on Yang Sichang's side pursued and fought fiercely against Zhang Xianzhong's troops, and Zhang Xianzhong, who only had more than 30,000 regular troops, did not passively avoid fighting, but sent multiple scouts to spy on military intelligence and wait for the opportunity to break the enemy. The kung fu paid off, and Zhang Xianzhong's intelligence work was done very well, and naturally there were rich returns. Originally, Yang Sichang stored the grain and grass and most of the weapons and ammunition of the encirclement and suppression army in xiangyang city, a major military town in Hubei, and because Zhang Xianzhong fled to Sichuan, he transferred the heavy troops who had originally defended Xiangyang to the front line, leaving only a small number of old and weak soldiers to defend the city. Zhang Xianzhong was overjoyed to hear the news, and ordered his generals to defend the city of Xichuan and personally lead 2,000 elite surprise attacks on Xiangyang.
In the first month of 1641, 2,000 elite soldiers led by Zhang Xianzhong had sneaked up on Xiangyang, and the Ming army guarding it did not know anything. What's more, Zhang Xianzhong intercepted Yang Sichang's messengers and obtained Yang Sichang's token. With this treasure, Zhang Xianzhong selected 28 soldiers with high martial arts skills to disguise themselves as officers and soldiers, and mixed them into Xiangyang City with a big swing. That night, the 28 soldiers set fire to Xiangyang's grain and grass factory and powder depot, causing a riot in the Ming army, and Zhang Xianzhong took advantage of the situation to lead his army into Xiangyang City and take Yang Sichang's logistics supply base. Due to the suddenness of the incident, the guards Ma Xianglin and others were defenseless, defeated, and committed suicide in shame and anger. Zhu Yiming, the King of Xiang, and his family were captured by Zhang Xianzhong, so as not to be beheaded. When Zhang Xianzhong killed Zhu Yiming, he said triumphantly: "I want to cut off yang Sichang's head, Sichang is in Shu, and now I should borrow the king's head to make Sichang trap the domain and ambush the law." What does this sentence mean? That is to say, I was going to kill Yang Sichang, because old Yang could not kill in Sichuan, so I borrowed the head of the great king to let Yang Sichang be punished by the imperial court for losing the king of the domain. Because according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, those who lost the king of the domain were beheaded.
On the Sichuan front, Yang Sichang first received reports from Li Zicheng that he had attacked Luoyang and beheaded Zhu Changxun, the Prince of Fu, and then that Zhang Xianzhong had attacked the city of Xiangyang and killed Zhu Yiming, the King of Xiang. He was so worried that he knew that he would not be able to escape the blame, so he had to commit suicide by taking poison. The Chongzhen Emperor heard the news, pitied Yang Sichang's loyalty, personally wrote a tribute to him, and posthumously presented it to the crown prince Taifu.
Throughout Zhang Xianzhong's surprise attack on Xiangyang. With 28 horses, he won full merit, captured Zhu Yiming, the king of Xiang, and forced the governor Yang Sichang to die, showing his superb art in military command.