Hong Chengchou led tens of thousands of soldiers and horses from Beijing to arrive in Zhangde, which greatly boosted the morale of the Qing army. Not to mention the arrival of a large number of new forces on the www.biquge.info side, especially among them, there are 10,000 firearms soldiers from Cao Zhenyan and Cao Jueluo!

Such good news was enough to cheer up Dórd. In particular, the second brother sent him Hong Chengchou, who was resourceful and familiar with the internal military affairs of the Ming Kingdom, as an assistant to serve as a strategic envoy, which made him work hard to walk steadily to the gate to welcome Hong Chengchou's arrival.

"Slave Hong Chengchou see Prince Yu! See Lord An! ”

Although Hong Chengchou is the assistant of Duoduo and Yue Le in his position, he does not dare to have the slightest omission in etiquette. When he saw Dordor meeting him on the steps of the gate with his cane in his hand, he immediately jumped off his horse, and ran to the two princes in small steps, first striking and then kowtowing to say goodbye.

"Mr. Hong, it's hard to come from afar!" Duoduo's body was not very convenient, and Yue Le on the side stepped forward and helped Mr. Hong up instead of the fifteenth uncle.

"Sir, this time, Henan's military and political affairs still rely on Mr. for advice. to defeat the thief Liu Zongmin's department. ”

After the three of them sat down, a clothed house slave brought tea to the princes and lords present. Naturally, Duoduo, Yue Le and those Mongolian princes drank milk tea, but Hong Jingluo drank the best pre-Ming tea.

Drinking tea and eating snacks, there is a harmonious atmosphere in the living room. The haze that had shrouded the Qing army since the defeat of the Zhanghe River gradually dissipated. Everyone introduced the military situation of Dashun on the other side to Hong Chengchou one by one. Yue Le focused on explaining the movements of Li Huayu's troops and horses on the eastern road and Shandong side to Hong Jingluo.

When the small flags of different colors were hired by the Zhangqi and the Bull to clearly mark the positions, troops, and postures of the Qing army, the Shun army, the Nanyue army, and the Ming army in Henan, Shandong, Gyeonggi, Shanxi, and other places on a huge map, the entire battlefield situation within a radius of thousands of miles was clear in Hong Jingluo's eyes.

He stared at the junction of Henan and Shandong, where hundreds of thousands of troops had been invested by the three sides, and countless civilians were involved. When several Mongolian princes saw that he did not speak, they just stared at a certain location on the map, but they were a little contemptuous, thinking that he was playing tricks there. was about to say a few sarcastic words, but when he saw the stern eyes of Yue Le, Cao Zhenyan and others, he was so frightened that he didn't dare to make a mistake, so he had to stand there obediently drinking milk tea and eating snacks.

"General, the minion has a slight opinion. Say it and ask the prince for advice. It took a long time for Hong Chengchou to stretch his tightly locked brows and show a scheming smile.

Hearing Hong Chengchou say that he had an idea, he couldn't help but make Duoduo suddenly smile. "Mr. Hong, your method must be good. Please! ”

"Although all the thieves have been thieves for many years, and they are eyebrow-raising with Li Gongzi of Shandong, they jointly resist the heavenly soldiers. However, there is a fatal hole in the arming of these two companies. Hong Chengchou ordered someone to take a slender wooden pole, "Lord Wang, please take a look." Whether it is Liu Zongmin's Dashun army or Li Gongzi's Ming army, they are all on the front line of confrontation with our army with their elite main forces. However, behind them, the second-line army is all former Ming soldiers. The places in Henan occupied by Liu Zongmin are full of bandits. Although Li Zicheng, Wu Xing and others have carried out large-scale raids in Henan in recent years, after all, there are too many local bandits and official gentry who have formed villages to protect themselves. There is no choice, as long as these people pay the money and lose their sincerity, accept Li Chuang's military orders, implement the law of the thieves, and pay money, food, mules and horses in peace, Li Chuang will also let them claim the king and hegemony in their respective villages. ”

"That day, the bandits were like hedgehog hair. On the south bank of the Yellow River, up and down thousands of miles, there are no less than 100 camps. They rise up and perish, or they are captured and beheaded, or they are annexed by their disciples. Such as Shangqiu Huanglao Mountain, Xuzhou Landa, Lan Er, Shangshui Nezha, Erzi Wang, etc., are not there. And the one that is particularly large and long-lasting, there are Li Jiyu, Shen Jingbang, Ren Chen, Zhang Ding in the west, Liu Hongqi, Zhou Jiali, Li Hao, Zhang Yang in the south, Guo Huangmian, Zhang Changjiao, Wang Yanbin, Ning Zhen, Wang Wenhuan in the Liang and Song Dynasty, and Li Zhenhai, Fang Wenyu, Xu Xianhuan, Cheng Xiaoyu, Qi Nianwu and so on in the east. They all support the people, rely on the fence to form a village, and attack and kill each other. The county engagement rate is its eyes and ears, and some divisions dare not pass and criticize. Or the anti-send room, support the heart, rely on the fox and the mouse, and listen to its nose, and the person who survives is everywhere. Although Li Jiyu, Liu Hongqi and others were either exterminated by Li Chuang, Cao Cao and others because the territory they were based on was in the heart of Li Chuang, or because the soldiers and horses were too strong. However, there are still quite a few local gentry in various places. This is the hidden danger behind Liu Zongmin. ”

And Li Gongzi also has a lot of hidden dangers behind him. Not to mention the large number of Ming army units he incorporated in Shandong, the battalions were uneven, and the combat strength was uneven. Just talking about Xu Dingguo and others at the junction of Shandong and Henan, the ownership is unknown. Is it under his command, or is it transferred by Yue Qijie, the governor of Henan? It is still unclear. ”

"In the humble opinion of the slaves, Liu Zongmin and Li Gongzi, like the slaves back then, are both guilty of valuing the former power and ignoring the back. If the gentry and heroes from all over Henan are persuaded to join him with his fame and righteousness, it will inevitably cause chaos in the back roads of Liu Zongmin's subordinates. At that time, the prince will attack him with a large army, why can't he stabilize the land of Henan? ”

After listening to Hong Chengchou's analysis, the problems that had plagued Duoduo for many days instantly became clear. However, a difficult problem came to his mind. "Sir, you just said that you have summoned officials and gentlemen from all over the world to join you with great merit and righteousness. In the eyes of this king, it is nothing more than fame, power, gold, silver, and profit, etc., and these people get no less from the thieves and under the command of Li Gongzi than the king can give them. How can we get them to join in? ”

Hong Chengchou only had a feeling of "you are really barbaric" at this time, but this satisfaction was instantly suppressed by him with reason.

He still smiled at Duoduo, Yue Le, and more than a dozen princes with a gentle and jade-like attitude, and took out a thing from the purse around his waist and handed it to everyone to see. "Lord Wang, please look, what is this?"

It was a string of Chongzhen Tongbao tied together with red silk threads, but it looked a little different when you looked closely. Compared with the Nanzhong Tongbao that can be seen everywhere on the market and has a huge number of circulation, this kind of Chongzhen Tongbao has a small path, thin meat, wears big, the money is dull, the casters are rough and not to mention, in addition to Chinese characters, there are several Manchu texts. This Chongzhen Tongbao back Manchu money is the official money minted by the Qing government at the beginning of the Qing army's entry into the customs. According to the "Qing Historical Manuscript? Food & Goods? A record in the Money Law: "At the beginning, the household department used the new coinage to use, the previous generation only Chongzhen money is still temporary, and the remaining scrap copper is lost, and the compensation is straight, and the private minting and small money, fake money, and the old money is banned." ”

This kind of Chongzhen Tongbao back Manchu money is temporarily cast after the Qing soldiers entered the customs in order to win the hearts of the Han people, only on the back of the money to add Manchu text to show the difference, Dolgon ordered the Baoquan Bureau of the Ministry of Households, the Baoyuan Bureau of the Ministry of Industry to cast.

"Mr. Hong, we are discussing how to break the enemy and how to recruit officials and gentry from all over the world to join us. How do you come up with such a string of broken money? If the gentleman lacks money to use, he only spends it in the army. This king decrees that as long as he sees your note, he will do it. Dodor was a little annoyed.

"Lord Wang, it's not that the minions lack money to use. Just ask the prince to think about it, in what name did I come when the Qing soldiers entered the customs? It is for the revenge of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, the furnace was opened to cast this kind of Chongzhen Tongbao. If the prince played the banner of 'abolishing the harsh government of thieves and restoring the old system of Wanli', why worry about the gentry officials in Henan and Shandong not wanting to follow the wind? ”

Although Dodor did not understand the theory of political economy that the economic base determines the superstructure. However, he understands the simple and straightforward truth of cutting off people's financial means such as killing their parents. Since Li Zicheng occupied Henan, he echoed Li Huayu in Shandong, implementing the so-called system of integrating the gentry and paying the grain as an errand and paying for the grain, and he also abandoned the preferential and exemption rules that had been implemented since the Wanli period, and threw them into the garbage heap like a pair of broken shoes. This undoubtedly harmed the self-interests of the gentry and big landlords in various places. This breath, in the case of the Dashun army and the Nanyue army occupying a strong position, can swallow their anger, if there is an external force that can be used, they will not hesitate to stab the Dashun army and the Nanyue army from behind.

"Master, the slave sees that Mr. Hong's strategy is feasible! Not only can you play the banner of abolishing the harsh government and restoring the old system, but you can also declare to the Quartet that you respect the scholars and respect Confucianism! Cao Zhenyan was also a little excited to supplement Hong Chengchou's strategy, and his opinion was immediately nodded and approved by Hong Chengchou.

"Lord Wang, in this way, there will inevitably be a large number of people and horses like carp crossing the river to join the prince. When Yuan Taizu went west, there were only 100,000 soldiers and horses when he set off, but as he went deeper step by step, the soldiers and horses swelled to hundreds of thousands. The reason is that along the way, heroic officials from all over the country are accommodated for their own use. ”

Hong Chengchou knows very well what kind of support he will get on the ground in Shandong once he plays the banner of respecting Kong Shangru. I am afraid that no matter how strong the soldiers and horses of Grand Prince Li are, they will take care of one thing and the other, and they will be tired of dealing with the rebellion and rebellion in various places. Moreover, there are a few anti-water in several places that he must be afraid of no matter how strong his soldiers and horses are. This is the location of the Confucian family in Qufu, the Meng family in Zou County and other saints and Yasheng mansions.

After the defeat of Li Zicheng's rebel army, the Qing army captured Shandong, and Kong Yinzhi immediately went to the "First Entry Table" to show his loyalty to the Qing court. In the text, the Qing Emperor was praised for "the mountains and rivers and the sun and the moon are shining", and the country has been for a long time, saying that "the ministers are Que Li Confucian, Zhang Jian is at the end of the end, and he inherits the grace of the Liedai, and now celebrates the prosperity of the new dynasty, and the Chonglong of Zhan Xue, and tends to be far behind". Almost at the same time as Kong Yinzhi on the "First Entry Table", Fang Dayou, the governor of Shandong Province in the Qing Dynasty, wrote to Chen Pingding the twelve policies of Shandong, of which the seventh article is "Chongsheng Xue", Cewen said: "The first saint Confucius is the sect of the Taoist system of all generations, at the beginning of the founding of this dynasty, a generation of Gangchang is often cultivated here, and the courtesy should be worshiped by the imperial officials, and the title of the Holy Father and the Doctor of the Four Clans is restored...... In addition, the court respects the teacher, and the reception of courtiers is different, the lord of the ancient fortune, all have the text of worship, the etiquette should be given first, and the inscription can be examined. I would like to list in detail the examples of the past dynasties, in case His Highness can follow suit. (Confucian Archives, 6308-1)

"Lord Wang, if you let Li Gongzi's back be chaotic, and a large number of Ming troops will return to my Qing Dynasty anyway, how sure are you that you will be able to break his direct troops?" After thinking about it for a while, Hong Chengchou asked Duoduo directly.

"Sir, if you are sure to let Li Huayu's back mess up and distract his forces and attention, with his command methods, this king does not dare to say that he can capture him alive, at least, there is still a certainty that he will be defeated and return to Jinan! But how do you mess up behind his back? Duoduo looked down on the children of the Li family from the bottom of his heart, and always thought that they fought completely by relying on the powerful and perverted artillery fire, and threw shells and rockets at the enemy's positions as if they didn't want money. Other than that, it's lackluster.

If Hong Chengchou is sure that Li Huayu's forces will be dispersed, then he will have nothing to fear. With the ferocity of his iron cavalry with white flags, a small number of artillery and firearms were not a problem at all.

"Then, the prince will forgive the slave for the crime of trespassing." Hong Chengchou politely said a few words to Duoduo and expressed his humility. "Sir is cautious. You are the elder brother of this king, and I am the regent of the Qing Dynasty appointed to appease the envoy of the strategy, and this is where your authority lies in appeasing the officials and generals everywhere and stabilizing the affairs of the place. How is transgression? If you have any ideas, just come up with them. ”

Hong Chengchou summoned several literati who accompanied him and ordered them to draft a list of texts in the name of the Pingnan general Duoduo, the rebellious general Yue Le, and him, the envoy of the strategy and appeasement, and posted them everywhere. The general content is to tell the local gentry and scholars in Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi that our Qing soldiers entered the customs to defend the righteous path of Confucianism. The purpose is to rescue the people everywhere from the thieves who do not respect the holy religion, do not respect Confucianism, humiliate the dignity of scholars, and extort tyrannical and harsh government, and restore the good system in the Wanli period. All officials, generals, and gentry in various places, no matter what position they hold in the midst of thieves, as long as they can resolutely and resolutely defect to the past, we will not blame the past and remain in office, and ensure the safety of the lives and property of the righteous men who have thrown themselves into the embrace of justice.

This is a publicly released text, and in addition to that, there are private means.

Hong Chengchou inspected the generals of the armies under Duoduo and the former Ming troops who accompanied him south, and selected more than a dozen generals, deputy generals, and general soldiers. "This official knows that you and others have a lot of relatives and friends in Henan, Shandong, and Nanzhili. You may wish to write to them as relatives and friends and persuade them to submit to the Qing Dynasty. Make it clear to them the benefits of the Qing Dynasty, and don't be the official of the thief under Li Chuang. Don't follow Li Huayu, a guy who wantonly disrespects the Holy Sect, they are not the right path, and there will be no good results in the long run. ”

With the secret promotion of well-intentioned people, Hong Jingluo's general policy of appeasement for the Qing army began to spread rapidly to all directions. Under the cover of night, fast horses and night ships sent copies of the Fu Bang Wen and old secret letters written by the Qing army generals to their relatives and friends. And with the speed of the spread of the virus, it spread in the areas controlled by the Dashun Army and Shandong, forming an undercurrent between the Huanghuai and the Yellow River to converge and connect in tandem in private.

Soon, several sieges in the area between Li Huayu's Shandong soldiers and horses and Liu Zongmin's Dashun army surrendered to Duoduo, and expressed their willingness to provide grain and grass and guides to the Qing army as a vanguard to capture Henan Guide and other places. Directly take the governor of Henan Yue Qijie, participate in politics and Liang Dao military preparation Yuan Shu and others to the Prince of Yu and the general of Dingnan.

With the beginning of these several enclosures, a chain reaction was formed in Henan. Those who did not dare to make a mistake under the pressure of the Dashun army, the polders and stockades of the official gentry who formed villages to protect themselves, and the old departments of the Ming army that originally surrendered in various places, were ready to move. A messenger was sent to Zhangde Mansion to meet Hong Chengchou quietly and sent a letter of allegiance, saying that as long as the general gave the customs defense documents, the whole army would immediately shave their hair and attack the thieves. There are not a few who take the Son as a hostage to show their loyalty and their true obedience.

Among them, Xu Dingguo, the chief soldier of Henan, attracted the attention of Hong Chengchou.

Xu Dingguo is a native of Taikang, Henan. Nearly seventy years old, with extraordinary strength, he can hold a thousand catties of bells, and is known as "Xu Qianjin". In the early years of the Apocalypse, he was ordered by Yuan Keli, a native of Suizhou, the governor of Denglai, and was promoted to the Chinese army, participating in the suppression of the White Lotus uprising organized by Xu Hongru. During the Chongzhen period, he was promoted to the chief soldier of Shanxi for his meritorious service in suppressing the "Liukou", and was arrested and imprisoned. Later, due to the lack of generals at that time, **** was released from prison as the chief soldier of Henan. When Xu Dingguo was pardoned, he destroyed his family, supported troops and harassed the people, and divided one side, becoming a military force that could not be underestimated in the Central Plains in the late Ming Dynasty.

Because of the chaos in Henan, the local officials and gentry everywhere fell to the Qing army, and the Henan officials stationed in Jiegui Germany complained to the Yangzhou Shi Kefa Shi Ge Department. Shi Ke ordered Xingping Bo Gaojie to bring troops and horses to come and enter Guide. One is to strengthen the defense of this area, and the other is to rely on Li Huayu's flank, which can also make some contributions. Don't let the Li family father and son snatch all the benefits in one go.

Gao Jie received the order and did not dare to slack off, so he braved the snow and led his troops from Yangzhou and other places to come in the direction of Guide.

Gao Jie is here, and some people are going to be afraid.

It was no one else who was afraid, it was Xu Dingguo, the Henan general soldier mentioned above.

When Xu Dingguo, the Henan general soldier of Suizhou, heard the news, he exclaimed: "Gao Jie came to the north and took his life to rest." ”

How can there be such a deep contradiction between two people? The reason is actually quite simple. Xu Dingguo thinks that he is old, innocent, and has military exploits large and small, of course, he does not take Gao Jie, who was born a thief in Shaanxi, in his eyes. scolded Gao Jie as a thief in the official document to the imperial court, which clearly pointed to the monk and scolded the bald donkey. Gao Jie gritted his teeth with hatred when he heard the news, and often said to humanitarians: "When Lao Tzu sees the old horseman, he will slash it." ”

The two of them have such a deep contradiction, Xu Dingguo's soldiers and horses are not as strong as Gao Jie's subordinates, and the number of people is not as large as him. In this way, you have to worry about the six yang skulls on your neck.

It was at this time that an old acquaintance in Denglai, who was now in the Qing army, wrote a letter to persuade him to abandon the darkness and turn to the light early. So, Xu Dingguo wrote a letter of allegiance and sent his son to come in person. (To be continued.) )