Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 379 The complicated situation in central Sichuan

It has to be said that Wang Zhaoling's plan is feasible to a certain extent.

Offering the most expensive price with the most humble attitude, and using the Khoshut tribe as a threat to some extent, the combination of the two factors makes it possible for anyone to fully feel the sincerity of Dashi in wanting to recruit.

With such a foundation, the rest will be easy.

As long as he showed some signs of being willing to negotiate in certain aspects, he was confident that he could delay the Ming army for a month or so even if he only relied on bargaining.

But what he didn't expect was that in Zhu Cilang's eyes, the uncontrolled internal forces were even more dangerous than the powerful enemies outside.

He was able to seize the military power of hundreds of generals overnight, so it is impossible for him to allow the Ming Dynasty to have any nearly independent troops now.

Under such circumstances, Zhu Cilang would naturally not say anything more to him, and his plan to delay the Ming army came to nothing.

"When two countries are at war, they don't kill envoys! When two countries are at war, they don't kill envoys!"

Just when Wang Zhaoling was preparing to go back to report with a heavy heart, a group of soldiers as ferocious as wolves and tigers surrounded him.

Seeing this, Wang Zhaoling naturally thought that the capricious Emperor Ming wanted to take his life, but when the howling had only been heard a few times, he saw a burly general walking towards him quickly.

"Shut up! You've disturbed His Majesty. How many heads do you have left to chop off?!"

Since following Zhang Xianzhong, the status of human life in Wang Zhaoling's heart has declined again and again, and now it is probably not much different from grass.

But those were other people's lives, which didn't mean he didn't care about his own life or death.

So when the general came towards him aggressively, all the arguments in his heart were blocked in his throat.

"Your Majesty has ordered that there is chaos and turmoil outside, so Wang Zhaoling should wait a few days before leaving."
After hearing these words, all emotions immediately dissipated, and then a sense of enlightenment arose in my heart.

The Ming army is probably about to take action.

From the young emperor's point of view, the bandits had just fought with the Tartar general, so he naturally did not expect that the bandits were in collusion with him. And now the bandits came to Chongqing with such conditions. There was no possibility of success for the negotiations from the beginning.

Under such circumstances, instead of wasting time, the Ming court might as well take action directly, and the "wait a few days before leaving" was probably just a surprise attack.

After figuring this out, Wang Zhaoling naturally felt that he had done something far more counterproductive, but when he glanced at the soldiers who were eyeing him eagerly, he could not think of a way to inform Guangyuan.

I'm afraid there's no escape this time.

Thinking of this, a look of despair appeared on his face, but the general didn't care what these rebels were thinking. Seeing that they didn't react for a long time, he began to scold them harshly.

"What are you standing there for? Why don't you thank me?"

The less you take other people's lives seriously, the more you will regard your own life and death as more important than anything else.

Even though Wang Zhaoling knew what his emperor was doing and what the consequences would be if the Ming army moved north, he still knelt down on the ground tremblingly after hearing the scolding.

"I am a student. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Wang Zhaoling's eyes were still too shallow.

In his opinion, the most fundamental reason why the Emperor Ming directly cut off the possibility of negotiations was that he felt that his army had spent so much time fighting the Tartars that the morale of the army must have been low to a certain extent. As long as he sent troops to attack at this time, he would surely win a complete victory in one battle.

It is undeniable that this is indeed one of the reasons, but fundamentally, what really made Zhu Cilang decide to go north was that he figured out certain things.

Originally, he only wanted to regain the talents in the Dashi Army, which was why he was hesitant and cautious.

But by now, he had thought it through very clearly. As long as Zhang Xianzhong was alive, the Dashi Army would be an unstable factor and would never become the second group of remnants of the rebel army.

Under such circumstances, if he behaved like before, the final result would either be to plant a time bomb or to plunge Huguang, Sichuan and Guizhou into war again.

Seeing the changes in their Majesty, senior officials like Fan Yiheng were naturally delighted. Then, the various troops entering Sichuan, which had been preparing for a while, set out one after another. It was obvious that a major war was imminent.

just
"You've been here for such a long time, how come you still haven't figured out where Liu Jinzhong is going?"

In the temporary camp of the Ming army in the north of Qu County, Yang Zhancai began to question Zeng Ying as soon as he saw him.

In terms of official positions, they were both just lieutenant generals, with no difference in rank. But in terms of seniority, Yang Zhan had been appointed as a guerrilla commander in the tenth year of Chongzhen because he passed the military imperial examination, while Zeng Ying was still just "Mr. Zeng" in Chengdu at that time.

Because of this difference, Yang Zhan was not so careful when talking to this junior, and his tone became more or less that of an elder.

If it were the other side, someone as young and energetic as Zeng Ying, who had military merits, would not indulge the other party.

But after such a long time, he really couldn't find out the movements of the Dazhou bandits.

In addition, the news that the army was about to march north had already arrived, and he didn't know how to refute it.

Don't underestimate this missing group of people.

If the army wants to march north to Guangyuan, the location of Dazhou is equivalent to the waist of the army. If the troops of Dazhou suddenly attack from the rear during the battle, it will undoubtedly be a huge threat to the main force.

Faced with such a situation, how could Yang Zhan and Zeng Ying not care?

"If I make any mistakes, the commander and His Majesty will hold me accountable. There is no need for Admiral Yang to worry about it."

The words were neither soft nor harsh. Although Zeng Ying was still confused and angry, he could only do so much. But who would have thought that Yang Zhan, who was always arrogant, was stunned for a moment after hearing this. He only continued speaking when Zeng Ying became alert.

"When I left, His Majesty told me to control my temper and not to offend my colleagues, but I didn't expect to displease General Zeng as soon as I arrived. It's really..."

Looking at Yang Zhan with a wry smile on his face, Zeng Ying felt like his punch had landed in vain. However, the other person had already said so much, if he continued to pursue the matter, wouldn't it seem a bit petty?
Then he clasped his fists and said loudly: "We have been unable to find the whereabouts of the Dazhou bandits in the past few days, and we are a little anxious."

With this little episode, the two people, who had heard of each other earlier, immediately became familiar with each other.

On the surface, these two people are magnanimous, and one can admit his mistakes and correct them, so they can be considered pillars of the country. But think about it from another perspective, what would happen if there was no "Your Majesty"?

This is the benefit of having a boss who can convince everyone.

In the original history, due to the existence of Fan Yiheng and Wang Yinlong, the rifts between the various Ming armies in Sichuan and Guizhou became increasingly larger.

By the time Zhang Xianzhong died and the Dashi Army marched south, the relationships between the various tribes had become so poor that they were strangers to each other, and it was impossible for them to cooperate in combat.

If you don't know the inside story, you would think that this is the reason why the Ming army lost Sichuan. But in fact, when Hauge's army was finished resting, the Ming army in Sichuan had already started to attack each other, and even Yang Zhan, a general who was better than Hauge, died in the internal strife.

At this time, due to the existence of Zhu Cilang, certain small incidents would not become the fuse of greater conflicts, and the relationship between the generals in Sichuan would naturally be much more harmonious than in original history.

A moment later, the two of them entered the tent together, and the whereabouts of the Dazhou bandits became the focus of their attention.

"I originally sent scouts who are good at tracking to follow the trail, but unfortunately, a heavy rain washed away all traces. Now we can't find the whereabouts of that person and horse. I dare not rashly go north again. I really failed your majesty's trust."

"Have you sent anyone to Dazhou City?"

"Yes, everyone in the city has no idea where the garrison is going."

After asking about the situation in detail, even Yang Zhan, who had been in the army for many years, was somewhat at a loss.

Normally, the locals would have some understanding of the whereabouts of the garrison. Even if they could not tell its real purpose, they could still find out some useful information.

Take Chongqing for example. The local officials at least knew that the garrison left Chongqing under the leadership of a number of high-ranking generals. It was completely different from Dazhou where no useful information could be obtained.

"Did any suspicious person enter or leave Liu Jinzhong's residence before or after the garrison left?"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Ying first looked at Yang Zhan in great surprise, and after thinking about it for a few rounds, he asked tentatively, "Suspicious person? You mean..."

"Not necessarily, but the garrison's departure was clearly kept secret from everyone. If it was really an order from Zhang Xianzhong, it would probably be more than that."

“Hiss~~~~.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zeng Ying couldn't help but gasp. He understood what Yang Zhan meant and felt that this was a very likely answer. Then he suddenly stood up and walked a few steps towards the map. When he saw the "Mi Cang Road" with many forks in the road, he looked towards Yang Zhan again.

Among the ancient roads leading into Sichuan, the Jinniu Road is the most convenient for the army to march. However, if the number of people is small or the purpose of a surprise attack is to be achieved, it is not completely impossible to take the Micang Road.

And
"This Micang Road can lead directly to Guangyuan."

"Ah."

After all, Yang Zhan is a veteran who has been in Sichuan for a long time. Even if he did not follow Zeng Ying to the map, he once served as the garrison commander of Guangyuan, so how could he not be familiar with the local routes?

Generally speaking, there should be no connection between the several ancient roads leading into Sichuan, but this Migang Road will split into several branches after entering the Daba Mountains, some of which not only lead to Guangyuan, but also go directly around the back.

"Then I'll wait"

"It's hard to jump to conclusions about this matter. It's possible that the Dazhou garrison was taken away by the general along with the other garrisons. We should investigate further and report to Your Majesty after we are sure of the situation."

"I'll send someone to Mi Cang Road to check."

After saying this, Zeng Ying hurried out of the tent, while Yang Zhan, who stayed in the tent, frowned and kept thinking.

Although he said he was not sure, he was inclined to believe that the disappearance of the Dazhou garrison was unusual.

But he was not a young boy like Zeng Ying, so he was extra cautious in this situation.

What's more, even if the bandits in Dazhou surrendered to the Tatars, what could they do?

They would either go through Migang Road to Hanzhong to surrender to the enemy, or help the Tartars enter Sichuan through Migang Road. No matter which one happened, the first to bear the brunt would be Zhang Xianzhong who was still in Guangyuan.

Returning to their roots, the two of them were still nearly a thousand miles away from the northern battlefield. The Ming army could advance steadily and make plans depending on how the situation in Guangyuan changed.

A moment later, Zeng Ying returned to the tent again. He had made arrangements for his scouts. Then the two of them discussed the current situation, but they still could not come to a conclusion because they did not know the whereabouts of the Dazhou garrison.

No wonder.

The war in central Sichuan not only involved the Ming, Qing and Western parties, but also involved a vast area of ​​land.

What's more, the three parties have their own calculations at the top and preparations at the bottom. Even the commander-in-chief may not be clear about the various moves of his troops next.

Just like Hanzhong today.

No matter Zhu Cilang, Zhang Xianzhong or Hauge who theoretically controlled this place, in their eyes this city was located behind the battlefield and naturally they would not invest too much energy here.

But contrary to their expectations, Hanzhong at this time was just like Sichuan, and had already fallen into a fierce game between the Ming, Qing and Western parties.

"Don't worry, the Tartars have forced us into a corner. If you were to cause trouble for them, we would be happy. How could we stab you in the back?"

Looking at Li Dingguo who was twenty or thirty steps away, He Zhen shouted at the top of his voice.

Earlier, they had received an order from His Majesty, asking him to station his troops in Xing'an and wait for changes.

Originally, they did not think that there would be any real changes in this position, but because of the emperor's order, they temporarily gave up the plan of joining forces with the Hunan Ming army to attack Xiangyang.

But who would have thought that a few days ago a team of Dashi troops came out from Micang Road and then headed straight for Hanzhong. After receiving the news, the two of them were shocked at His Majesty's ability to anticipate the enemy, and on the other hand, they began to plan how to respond.

In their position, they certainly had no idea how far the war in central Sichuan had progressed, but since the Dashi Army had raided Hanzhong, the gains and losses here might very well determine the outcome of the war.

Therefore, after they got in touch with the group of people who had come over the mountains and across the rivers, they immediately allocated some of their limited food and fodder.

But who would have thought that such good intentions not only did not arouse the other party's gratitude, but this group of people actually stopped attacking Hanzhong.

It is obvious that the gains and losses of Hanzhong are crucial to the Dashi Army, but for He Zhen and Sun Shoufa who are unaware of the situation in central Sichuan, Li Dingguo's reaction seems a bit ungrateful.

However, as He Zhen said, he was naturally happy to see someone causing trouble for the Tartars. Afterwards, he discussed it in detail with Sun Shoufa and finally felt that he should meet with the leader of the army to dispel his concerns and attack Hanzhong with all his strength.

This is how we met today.

"This matter of Hanzhong is of great importance, so I must be on high alert. Moreover, your emperor is just trying to take advantage of the situation. If you attack us when both the Tartars and I are suffering, wouldn't our army be in vain?"

He Zhen and Sun Shoufa had no idea why the matter was linked to His Majesty, but facing Li Dingguo's words, they had no choice but to compromise.

"There are two broken cities on either side. If you want to take them, you can. Our army will retreat a hundred miles!"

(End of this chapter)