On August 1627, Zhu Youqin, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, paced to the Fengtian Temple. This year, Zhu Youzhen was 18 years old and his year name was Chongzhen.
Zhu Youzhen stills
As soon as he entered the play, the young monarch pinched a few hot hands - Wei Zhongxian walking sideways in the Forbidden City, the mess of the Liaodong war, and the defense budget that could hardly be revealed.
In a word: poor money, poor discipline, live like a sick old man hanging on a cliff and letting the wind blow.
However, Zhu Youzhen did not believe in evil, adhering to the principle that the outside must first settle the inside, and made a big move, destroying the gelding party group headed by Wei Zhongxian in only 83 days.
This move was like a flame igniting the court, and everyone agreed that Zhu Jun had both iron and bloody skills and iron will, and had a domineering style, and there was great hope for the revival of the empire.
Wei Zhongxian stills
The first problem is satisfactorily solved, let's just ask for directions, but what about the rest?
A person entered Zhu Youzhen's field of vision, this person is Zuo Youdu Yushi - Yang He, who has never been to work much.
Yang He was chosen for two reasons: one was to stand out from the crowd, and the other was to offer a strategy to the imperial court—this strategy was to the point, and said Zhu Youjian's inner words, which roughly meant the following:
1: If we want to achieve the rule of the world, we must be light and thin, reduce wars, so as to cultivate vitality for the family and country;
2: In recent years, the vitality has been damaged, mainly due to the war and the apportionment from top to bottom, the income and expenditure are not proportional, the salary cannot be cashed, and the war-weariness of the feudal officials and soldiers is raging, so they have repeatedly lost battles;
3: There are too many people in the court who do not have a vegetarian meal, factional struggles are staged wildly, slap each other in the face, ignore the interests of the country, and only want to enrich their own pockets and make the country rich;
4: It is recommended to reshape the civil service team and use ideal and ambitious scholars, so that they can form a clear stream again and restore the original color of the civil service group.
Yang He's strategy was not new, but it impressed Zhu Youzhen. Or rather, this is Zhu Youzhen's ruling style in the Chongzhen dynasty.
Soon, Yang He took up a new post and served as the left deputy capital Yushi (zhengsanpin, deputy minister level).
Yang He film and television stills
In the first year of Chongzhen (1628), Zhu Youjian introduced a package of measures to streamline the administration of the army, including the abolition of post stations in the Shaanxi-Gansu area.
In this way, Li Zicheng, a postman in Mizhi County, lost his job, plus his mother-in-law hooked up outside, Li cut off her head in anger, and since then he has joined Gao Yingxiang's team, and soon the rebels will add another leader.
Portrait of Li Zicheng
In July, Zhu Youjian decided to remove the poisonous sore of the Shaanxi-Gansu peasant army. Therefore, Yang He was ordered to go and wipe it out. Before leaving, Yang He proposed the cross policy:
Be cautious and self-contained, and only compensate the soldiers.
As long as you are honest and honest, do not be greedy and do not occupy it, and take care of the soldiers.
Zhu Youzhen was noncommittal, and gave Yang He another official hat, the Right Attendant of the Military Department, to replace Wu Zhiwang, the governor of Shaanxi, and coordinate trilateral military affairs.
Yang He began his trip to Shaanxi and Gansu, but his thinking was slightly adjusted: mainly Zhao'an, supplemented by military suppression, because on the way to his post, Daliang, Dawang Wang Er and others had been eliminated.
In addition, Yang He has long defined Wang Zuogui, Shen Yiyuan, Shen Yikui and other rabble: not an army but a bandit.
Portrait of Li Zicheng
The army has a certain combat power, or it will endanger the regime, but the bandits are different, they just lack food and clothing, there is no livelihood, if they can give some porridge and give some silver tickets, they are still simple and good citizens who will not rebel.
In this way, Yang He basically achieved the recruitment of peace without many soldiers, and paid tribute to the holy decree at the head of the city every day, read the relevant documents over and over again, and issued death-free documents for the big and small leaders.
All kinds of "armies" flocked to feast, received silver tickets, and except for a few who were dismissed, most of them were assigned to military camps or places, carrying iron rice bowls and gold-lettered signboards, which were more convenient for doing the business of stealing chickens and dogs, and raping women.
After a long time, fraud and rebellion were commonplace, anyway, Yang He had central funds - the rebels were happy, and the low-level officials were also counting on some oil and water - and a scene of "warmth" was staged in Shaanxi and Gansu.
Picture of the rebel army
But one day, Yang He suddenly turned around and found that some of the rebels were still besieging the town and grabbing the territory, and he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
In order to make up for this, Yang He chose to hide and not report - the peasant army was spoiled, but Yang He never imagined that in the next ten years, these "bandits" would become "armies" to cross the Yellow River and kill all the way to Beijing.
On the surface, this was Yang He's sin, but in fact it was Zhu Youzhen's mistake - not knowing, not knowing the soldiers, misdetermined the strategy, misjudged the situation, but he made timely adjustments and vowed to completely sweep away the rebels with Operation Hurricane.
At the same time, Zhu Youzhen's Emperor Fan officially appeared, and he became deeper, more domineering, and extremely majestic.
Zhu Youzhen stills
Faced with the complicated situation, Zhu Youjian made a decisive decision - to change generals.
In the fourth year of Chongzhen (1631), Yang He, who had fattened (not pejoratively) Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, Li Zicheng and others, was dismissed by a divine decree and went to the capital in a prison car.
A year ago, Hong Chengzhuo, who was still the governor of Yansui, took over as the governor of the three sides.
After the baptism of war, Hong Chengzhuo can personally wear a battle robe and fight the enemy army, and he is not consistent with Yang He in the strategy of how to suppress the rebellion.
Hong Chengzhuo advocated: go all out to clear and suppress, to suppress and appease, first suppress and then caress, the most powerful move is to kill and surrender - dozens or hundreds of people return and their heads brush and land together - on this point, Yang He also forced Hong Chengzhuo to write a lot of small print.
Compare the two: Yang He spent a lot of money on suppressing bandits, the thieves were getting more and more, and the big and small leaders almost regarded the official office as their own cash machine, turning rebellion into a kind of livelihood.
Peasant uprising at the end of the Ming Dynasty
What about Hong Seung-cho?
With the talent of the world, let the rebels from all walks of life talk about the change of color, and the all-round tactics and killing and surrendering skills forced Zhang Xianzhong to flee to Sichuan, and the troops of Wang Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng had nothing to remember, and could only shrink in the poor countryside to fight guerrilla.
Soon, the opportunity came, and Hong Chengzhuo ordered his subordinate Cao Chengjiao to set up an ambush at Tongguan, and Li Zicheng led his troops to pass through and enter the ambush circle.
This time, Heaven helped Zhu Youzhen, and the Ming army broke out with amazing combat power, and Li Zicheng's 30,000 troops were completely muted, and in the end, only 18 horses were left for Li Zicheng, and he had to die in Shang Luoshan.
After this battle, Shaanxi and Gansu no longer formed a rebel army, and Hong Chengzhu submitted a satisfactory answer to Zhu Youjian. This shows how important the strategy and vision at the top is, and the executor may be the cold light on the sword.
However, no one could have predicted that the next year, the land of Shaanxi and Gansu suddenly sang a folk song: welcome the king, do not accept grain. It's just that at this time, the king of Chuang is no longer Gao Yingxiang, but has become Li Zicheng. Together with Zhang Xianzhong, he will light the Northern Shaanxi Peak Smoke again.
Hong Seung-cho stills
At the same time, the Houjin army in the northeast had entered the pass three times, penetrating the Guanning defense line, testing Zhu Youjian's determination again and again.
There was a divergence of opinions among the monarchs, and Hong Chengzhuo suggested that he temporarily negotiate peace with Later Jin Jun and clean up Emperor Taiji after Shaanxi and Gansu were calmed.
Unfortunately, Zhu Youzhen did not listen to the opinion, and decided to send Hong Chengzhu to Liaodong, and repeatedly handed over the Great Seal of Shaanxi and Gansu to the future Yang Sichang (Yang He's son), Cao Wenzhao, Lu Xiangsheng, Xiong Wencan, and others.
This trip is equivalent to pushing Hong Chengzhuo into the arms of Houjin.
Portrait of Emperor Taiji
Let's talk about Yang Sichang! Although his father is a pustule on the issue of counterinsurgency, he is a palace-level figure.
Yang put forward a new concept of suppressing bandits: four squares and six corners, ten sides and open nets.
In short, regardless of the cost and at all costs, from west to east, from south to north, build a network of heaven and earth, do not recruit peace, only kill people, and completely eliminate the living force of the rebel army.
Yang Sichang was followed by a large number of practitioners, such as Cao Wenzhao, who walked eight hundred at night, Lu Xiangsheng, who stood with thirty arrows, and so on, and they used the heaven and earth net to give Li Zicheng a taste of life is better than death countless times.
It can be said that Yang Sichang and Hong Chengzhuo both have a fist heart, and both believe that the outside world needs to settle down first, in other words, Yang also agrees to negotiate peace with the Later Jin Army first.
Map of Shaanxi and Gansu during the Ming Dynasty
Here, the author firmly believes that Yang and Hong must have flicked Zhu Youzhen's dragon scales, and in Zhu Youzhen's view, how can Luyang China be committed to Xiaoxiao? What qualifications does the land of projectiles have to negotiate terms with the superpower?
Zhu Youjian vetoed it with one vote. Insist on dispatching the elite of Shaanxi and Gansu to Liaodong.
As a result, there was a tragic scene in the northwest battlefield, and the generals were like horses - some of the generals died in battle, some were beheaded by the imperial court, and some were terrified, because once they failed, they would not be able to see the sun tomorrow.
Zhu Youzhen longed for light, but his feet ran wildly on that dark road.
Portrait of Yang Sichang
At this point in the story, it's time to go to Liaodong.
In the first year of Chongzhen (1627), although the situation in Liaodong was in shambles, it was far from as bad as imagined.
At least, there was a Ningjin defense line behind the Guanning defense line, and the defenders of Juehua Island on the east side of Ningjin were like a dagger that could be coldly inserted into Houjin's heart.
However, all this still kept Zhu Youzhen awake at night, and if one day Ningjin and Guanning defense lines were pierced, the Jurchen fast horse could eat the grass under Beijing in a day or two.
How to solve this problem? On the Forbidden Hall, Zhu Youzhen thought of two people - Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan.
Restoration of the Fengtian Temple
General Sun is old, and after retirement, he has been raising flowers in Gaoyang's hometown, and the key is a violent temper, and he does not even sell the accounts of the emperor's brother.
Then Yuan Chonghuan! Yuan Chonghuan had been crushed by the castration party and was not attached to Donglin, or because he was in the wilderness of eastern Liaoning that he was able to breathe heavily.
Zhu Youjian received Yuan Chonghuan at a high standard on the platform. Yuan Chonghuan was not shocked, and he guessed that there would be such a scene when he drank tea by the lake in his early years.
Zhu Youzhen asked him the first question: How to calm Liao?
Yuan Chonghuan replied:
The specific strategy has been explained in the recital, especially thanks to His Majesty's love, if you can grant the minister the right to make a decision on the spot, at most five years, you can return a complete Liaodong of Daming.
Zhu Youzhen was ecstatic, believing that Ning Qiandao (Yuan Chonghuan's position) could die alongside Ning Yuan, a man who dared to fight head-on with the Houjin army, and dared to bombard Nur Hachi's army with Portuguese cannons.
Portrait of Nurhachi
History leaves a suspense here, whether Zhu Youzhen trusted Yuan Chonghuan so much or did he blindly follow or appreciate his talent?
Regarding this question, Xu Yuqing may give us the answer.
After adjourning the meeting halfway, Yuan Chonghuan had just left the hall, and Xu Yuqing asked him: Five years of Pingliao can really be realized, what is the specific plan?
Yuan Chonghuan smiled and said: Your Majesty!
Xu Yuqing chased after him relentlessly, and especially reminded Yuan Chonghuan:
This emperor is not the other emperor, so you must not fool you! What if you can't deliver on your promises after five years?
Yuan Chonghuan sweated coldly, knowing that the wild words he said were overwhelmed, and after returning to the hall, he simply held on to the end, and opened his mouth again, asking Zhu You for three things.
The right to make decisions at the right time, adequate food and salary, and unconditional support from all ministries and departments.
Yuan Chonghuan underestimated this young man, and Zhu Youzhen urgently summoned the cabinet, ordered all ministries and departments to meet Yuan Chonghuan's requirements one by one, and before leaving, he also attached a gift - Shang Fang Sword.
In this move, Zhu Youzhen gave the lifeblood of Liaodong to Yuan Chonghuan, which was unprecedented in the history of the Ming Dynasty in terms of trust.
Portrait of Yuan Chonghuan
However, Yuan Chonghuan slipped into the abyss step by step.
He aspires to make Liaodong an impregnable castle and has absolute authority to carry out his plans.
Therefore, in Ningjin City, he could take the first rank without blinking a human in dealing with mutinous soldiers;
On Juehua Island, in the face of the unruly Mao Wenlong, he raised the Shang Fang sword and cut off his head, and Mao's military rank was one level higher than his own;
During the Spring Festival of the Han people, he arranged for the special envoy to visit Houjin and celebrate with him, just to reach a consensus - five years of peace.
For three years, Yuan Chonghuan guarded against Houjin, stared at Mongolia, and looked at North Korea, carefully managing various defensive lines, and forged a majestic army, 100,000 Guanning Iron Horsemen.
Guan Ning Iron Ride
Objectively speaking, Yuan Chonghuan tried his best, and he left his courage and boldness on the land of Guanning, just as he couldn't breathe after leaving the battlefield.
However, what Zhu Youzhen wants is the result.
No one would have thought that Nurhachi would not attack Guanning head-on, but would detour through Mongolia, loot all the way and then storm Beijing. This time, the Jin army set his sights on the southern Qianli Woye, as well as the majestic hall in the Forbidden City.
Looking back, any remedy Yuan Chonghuan had been pale, even if he led Guan Ningtie to ride back to help, even if he protected him with his life in front of Guang'anmen, even if he took out that white heart, the only thing waiting for him in the end was - Ling Chi.
Only because Huang Taiji trampled on this land of rivers and mountains, only because the courtyards of the people on the outskirts of the city jumped with chickens and dogs, and more importantly, he hit Zhu Youzhen in the face.
Guanning Line
If Zhu Youzhen did not appear in the Ming Dynasty, there might be another king; Conversely, if there is no Yuan Chonghuan, there may be Jiang Chonghuan.
The fact is that Zhu Youzhen and Yuan Chonghuan met in the Chongzhen Dynasty, just as Mars hit the earth and let the spark go to the sky.
At that time, Liaodong was already full of holes, and no high-strength soil could block the cave of the years. Whether Hong Chengzhuo, Yang Sichang, or Wu Xiang's father and son were also powerless.
The saddest thing is that behind them stands a moody, jealous, chilling commander.
Zhu Youzhen stills
In February 1644, Li Zicheng led his troops to attack Beijing, and Zhu Youzhen and Wang Chengen hanged Coal Mountain together.
Ironically, Zhu Youzhen condemned himself in his suicide note: Shameless to see the ancestors and the emperors one by one can be killed; He also specially instructed Li Zicheng to treat his people well.
Here, the author would like to weakly ask, what if in the last 17 years, you do not riot?
References: "History of Ming", biographies of various characters
Image: From the Headline Gallery