Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

"What are you talking about? Eunuch Wang, don't talk nonsense." Zhang Shikang said with his eyes wide open.

Didn't he just kill Gao Qiquan? This guy deserved to die. If he was to be punished, it wouldn't be too much to say that he should be tortured to death by slicing.

Wang Chengen remained silent. Zhang Shikang thought about it and then put away his angry expression.

"Don't worry, I will never kill Yang Sichang."

He probably guessed what Brother Chongzhen was thinking. He was worried that if he got angry, he would even kill Yang Gebu.

To be honest, Brother Chongzhen thought too highly of him. Although Yang Sichang was not a big shot, he was very cautious. Every time he met him, he was surrounded by many personal guards.

Even with Zhang Shikang's assurance, Wang Chengen still felt uneasy, but there was nothing else he could do.

Lu Xiangsheng was very efficient. By around eight or nine o'clock in the evening, all the garlic in the city had been collected and brought to the military camp.

Medical officer Chen Qinghe directed his apprentices and dozens of soldiers assigned to him by Lu Xiangsheng to crush garlic and distill it all night long, and they did not stop until late at night.

By the next day, most of the hundreds of unconscious people had woken up.

One should never forget the person who dug the well when drinking water. Chen Qinghe then told them that it was the magic medicine of Lord Zhang, the commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp, that saved their lives.

If they were not injured, they would all clamor to kowtow to Zhang Shikang to express their gratitude.

After breakfast, Zhang Shikang ordered the soldiers in the Beijing camp to pack up, and Lu Xiangsheng naturally went to Zhending with Zhang Shikang.

After Yuetuo's troops were defeated, their remnants, under the cover of heavy cavalry, have joined forces with Dorgon's troops, and are now confronting Yang Sichang outside Zhending City.

After the last war, the Beijing camp now has only about 17,000 soldiers able to go to war.

As the remaining nearly 3,000 soldiers had not yet recovered from their injuries, Zhang Shikang temporarily left them in Zhao County to recuperate.

In addition to the wounded soldiers in the Beijing camp, almost all of the 1,400 people who survived the battle of Jiazhuang by Lu Xiangsheng were injured and stayed behind.

After Gao Qiquan's death, the more than 8,000 border troops under his command naturally came under the command of Lu Xiangsheng.

Lu Xiangsheng gave Yang Guozhu 4,000 troops and asked him to garrison Zhao County to protect the people and wounded soldiers in the city. He took the remaining 4,000 troops and followed Zhang Shikang to Zhending.

Along the way, Zhang Shikang saw many refugees, who were probably forced to leave their homes and seek survival because of the invasion of the Jiannu.

Most of these civilians were skinny and bony, carrying only a tattered package on their backs, which was all their belongings. Their faces were sallow, and they looked at the soldiers from the Beijing camp with fear.

Zhang Shikang always felt unhappy, but if the court did not make good arrangements, another Li Zicheng might pop up.

This is what all living beings are like. They are neither good nor bad, they just want to survive.

Zhao County was not far from Zhending Prefecture, and the army reached Zhending City in less than two days.

After settling the army, Zhang Shikang took Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Chengen and went straight to the residence of Yang Sichang.

Yang Sichang did not live in the military camp. Although he was also a Confucian general, Yang Sichang was completely different from Lu Xiangsheng.

Lu Xiangsheng always ate and lived with the soldiers, so he was tall but thin and capable. Yang Sichang was obese. Apart from fighting, he liked to study food, and among the many foods, he had a special liking for chicken tongue.

Yang Sichang lived in the mansion of the Zhending prefect. When Zhang Shikang and his party arrived, it was dinner time. Yang Sichang was having dinner with two other people.

Both of them looked to be in their forties. One of them had a well-proportioned body, but his cheeks were long and thin, and his eyes were narrow. The other had a typical square face, which was even a little square.

The food on the table was exceptionally rich, with more than a dozen dishes and two delicious soups. Yang Sichang loved delicious food, so these dishes were naturally cooked with great care, with good color, aroma and taste.

"Oh, what a coincidence! Long time no see, Mr. Yang." Zhang Shikang was not at all shy and stepped forward to greet him enthusiastically.

There was no expression on Yang Sichang's face. He just stood up and bowed in return with the other two people. When he looked at Wang Chengen, he finally smiled.

"Eunuch Wang, you must have come a long way to make it."

"What are you saying, Yang Gebu? You are the ones who have the hardest time leading troops outside. What's happening to us is nothing.

Lord, let me introduce you to this, this is the Governor-General of the Three Borders of Shaanxi, Hong Chengchou."

While Wang Chengen was exchanging pleasantries with Yang Sichang, he pointed at the man with narrow eyes and introduced him.

Zhang Shikang had been looking at the two strangers, especially the square-faced man with great interest. He looked at the square-faced man, and the square-faced man looked back at him without showing any weakness.

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou bowed and greeted Zhang Shikang, and Zhang Shikang then withdrew his gaze.

He knew that Hong Chengchou was the second to last person who had caused Chongzhen to break down. A few years later, during the Battle of Dalinghhe, Chongzhen thought that this guy had died in battle and held a state funeral for him with great fanfare.

As a result, this guy suddenly transformed himself from a Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty to a Grand Secretary of the Qing Dynasty. He led the Eight Banners leaders to fight in the south and the north and destroyed the Ming Dynasty.

"I have long heard of your great name, which is well-known to my ears." Zhang Shikang smiled and bowed to Hong Chengchou, but the tone of his voice was a little strange. It could not be said to be joking, but it was definitely not serious.

Hong Chengchou was unaware of the truth. He had already learned from Yang Sichang that the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp was a playboy, so he did not take it too seriously.

Hong Chengchou definitely has the ability, and is even no worse than Yang Sichang.

Although the Jiannu were not good at other things, they were quite capable in fighting when they were first founded. The fact that they were valued by Huang Taiji showed that Hong Chengchou was definitely capable of warfare.

In fact, there were a lot of civil and military officials in the Ming Dynasty who surrendered to the Jianlu. If it weren't for Zhang Shikang's intervention, the number would have increased in the next few years.

But Hong Chengchou had not become a traitor after all, so Zhang Shikang didn't say much.

"This is Sun Chuanting, the governor of Shaanxi, and this is Zhang Shikang, the admiral of the Jingying Camp newly appointed by His Majesty." Wang Chengen continued to introduce.

Although Zhang Shikang had never met Sun Chuanting, he knew that Chongzhen had already mobilized Shaanxi troops to cooperate with Yang Sichang to resist the Jiannu, and the two main generals were Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting.

He had long guessed that the square-headed, square-faced man was Sun Chuanting. The reason he looked at him twice more was because he was curious about seeing the legendary tough guy. He also looked at Lu Xiangsheng twice more when he saw him for the first time.

"I've long heard of your great name, it's well-known to my ears!" Zhang Shikang still said the same words as before, but this time he said it with extra sonorous and serious tone.

However, the flower has intention but the water flows without feeling. Sun Chuanting just bowed coldly. Zhang Shikang could even see the disdain for him on his face.

Sure enough, no matter whether it is Lu Xiangsheng or Sun Chuanting, they are a bit fierce, but... none of them has a likable personality.

Although Lu Xiangsheng is a good fighter, he is too rigid and does not know how to keep in harmony with others. And this Sun Chuanting... he looks to be in his forties, so why is he still so arrogant?

"We are having a meal now, so please add a few pairs of chopsticks. Please don't mind, my three adults." Yang Sichang instructed his servants.

Wang Chengen and Lu Xiangsheng were about to be polite when Zhang Shikang sat down next to Sun Chuanting.

“How could Benbo dislike such a sumptuous meal?

Hey - is this chicken tongue? I've heard that chicken tongue is delicious, this time it's really thanks to Yang Gebu."

Zhang Shikang didn't hesitate to pick up a piece of chicken tongue with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

"Hmm~ It's really delicious. When I return to the capital, I will tell His Majesty about this delicacy. I guess he hasn't tasted it yet!

"It's just that... the chicken tongue is only this small. How many chickens do you have to kill to make such a plate, Mr. Yang?"

Yang Sichang's face suddenly turned ugly. He felt that he and Zhang Shikang were incompatible, and he wanted to get angry when he saw this guy.

"My Lord, we need about a hundred chickens!" The servant who was serving on the side saw that Yang Sichang was silent and could not bear to ignore the distinguished guest, so he replied with a smile.

Zhang Shikang pretended to be surprised.

"Do you have to kill so many chickens for one dish? That's a disaster. Your Majesty must be reluctant to do that!"

……