The Red Mansions

Chapter 965 Li Zan: Looking at this head, you can drink two catties of wine!
In the hall of Beiping Fucheng, all the generals were sitting on pear-blossom wooden chairs, their faces full of anticipation.

Who wouldn't want to see Huang Taiji's head?

Not long after, Jia Fang went back and forth, holding a brocade box made of black and red mahogany in her hand, walking vigorously, her young and energetic face full of determination.

All the generals in the hall looked at the brocade box with good eyes, and for some reason, their hearts rose to their throats.

Jia Heng put down the teacup, looked at Jia Fang, and said, "Open the brocade box."

A royal guard in a flying fish suit stepped forward and helped Jia Fang open the brocade box. Immediately, a faint smell of blood radiated out. The generals in the hall were slightly startled, and immediately stretched their necks to see To that brocade box.

Li Zan was also a little excited at the moment, and his eyes were fixed on the opened brocade box.

Jia Heng said: "Show the heads of the slave chiefs to all the adults."

Jia Fang made a promise, and then approached with the brocade box in her hands, some of the civil servants of the Beiping Mansion showed a look of fear on their faces, while the generals' eyes were shining, staring at the head in the brocade box.

"It's Huang Taiji, the slave chieftain. When I was a general under Tang Zongbing in Jizhen, I met him once from a distance. It is indeed this person!" At this time, a general suddenly spoke excitedly.

The others were also talking in a hurry, with an excited and joyful tone.

The heads of slave chieftains, this Huang Taiji is not easy to speak, the size is the king of a country, but now his head has been tanned for everyone to watch, it is really a pleasure in life.

Li Zan looked at the head in the brocade box at this moment, with a smile on his face, looked around and said: "Although the slave chieftain has a bright head and a beard, he is not less heroic. Looking at this head, you can drink two catties!"

This sentence is quite level, and there is a bit of a heavy sense of history in the elegance.

It also made Jia Heng take another look.

And all the generals present were passing the brocade box, watching the head from a close distance, and were amazed in their mouths.

Waiting for all the generals to see Huang Taiji's head, Jia Heng asked Jia Fang to cover the brocade box, glanced at the generals not far away, and asked, "Which one is General Cao Bianjiao?"

As soon as these words came out, the complexions of the generals in the hall moved slightly, and they turned to look at the young general Cao Bianjiao beside him.

Cao Bianjiao got up suddenly, he was seven feet tall, tall and straight, with his head held high, he cupped his hands and said: "The last general Cao Bianjiao has seen Yongning Marquis."

Jia Heng looked at the young general with a smile on his face, and praised: "General Cao defeated Adali in the battle of Miyun. Seeing him today, he is really a hero."

Cao Bianjiao clasped his fists and said: "The Marquis of Yongning achieved great victory in Ping'an Prefecture, killed Huang Taiji, and his reputation spread throughout the country. He is the real hero."

All the generals present were stunned when they heard the words, while Kang Hong, the admiral of Hebei, looked at Cao Bianjiao with some concern.

Because this remark made a lot of sense in comparing himself with Jia Heng, all the veterans present sweated secretly when they heard this remark.

Officialdom is not about fighting and killing, it is about the world.

Jia Heng was stunned for a moment when he heard the words, but he didn't take it seriously, he laughed and said: "General Cao, you are very ambitious."

Seeing this, all the generals in the hall paused for a moment, then immediately laughed, and the atmosphere gradually became lighter.

Chen Xiaoxiu raised her eyebrows, looked at Cao Bianjiao, and thought to herself, he is also a good general.

At this time, the Fuwei came to report that the food and wine had been prepared, which was regarded as a clean-up for the Marquis of Yongning and the generals of the Beijing Camp.

Li Zan twirled his beard with his hands, and said invitingly, "The Marquis of Yongning has come from a long way, and the pommel horse is exhausted, let's have lunch first."

Jia Heng nodded, stretched out his hand to invite, and said, "Mr. Li Ge."

All the generals were talking, and they came to the hall where the food and wine were set up to have a banquet, pushing and changing glasses, and the atmosphere was noisy.

After lunch, it was late afternoon, all the generals returned to the barracks to rest, while Jia Heng and Li Zan came to the study to discuss matters.

Li Zan looked at the boy in the python suit and said, "Marquis Yongning, the Jurchen soldiers and horses in Datong have already retreated."

Jia Heng said in a loud voice: "Since Huang Taiji's death, the remaining Jurchen main force helped the coffin back to the north, and this battle is almost over."

Li Zan nodded, and sighed, "The beacon fire in the north is only extinguished now."

Looking back on this battle, it was really not easy. Beiping was attacked and defended for more than ten days, Xuanfu also attacked and defended for more than half a month, and Datong confrontation lasted for nearly a month.

Jia Heng said: "Although this battle was won, there are still many mistakes and omissions exposed. The guards at Juyong Pass neglected their duties, causing the pass city to be broken by Jurchen, the army collapsed, and the enemy invaded Hebei to plunder, just like in the past. The lack of support has led to the failure to pursue the Jurchen invaders in time after Ping'an Prefecture, and to see the enemy escape, which is a pity. Therefore, the military deployment system from Ji Town to Xuanfu Town urgently needs to be sorted out."

Li Zan nodded and said, "Gu Yuanshao, the guard at Juyong Pass, has neglected his duties this time and caused a catastrophe. I did not know who he was. Shandong Admiral Lu Qi's negligence of military orders should also be punished."

This cabinet minister also took the initiative to take responsibility for the previous invaders.

Jia Heng said: "You don't have to blame yourself for the old man. The generals of Beiping Prefecture were formerly old frontier generals, and the old habits are hard to change. It is not easy for the old man to repay Beiping with one person alone. We can unearth some good generals who can be used."

Li Zan said: "I am intending to readjust the general's defense. If the Marquis of Yongning has a good opinion, can you discuss it?"

Jia Heng thought for a while, and said: "The border towns, guards, and provincial troops in the northern provinces all need to be rectified, not only to weed out the old and the weak, to save food and pay for the country, but also to select loyal and good generals. You can go to the Holy One together."

In fact, this is a problem left over from history. There was no chance to rectify it before, and I was worried that there would be too much resistance, but this big victory is a rare opportunity.

With the prestige of the great victory, a systematic and in-depth review of the guards and border towns in the four provinces of Shanhe, Gansu and even Shaanxi and Gansu was carried out, and the northern border defense system was rebuilt.

When Li Zan heard what Jia Heng meant, his eyes lit up, and he said: "I also have the same intention. Eliminate the old and the weak, and select elite soldiers. With brave generals who dare to fight, we can keep the enemy out of the country. But in the past, there were many obstacles. Now is really an opportunity.”

Chen Han's military system, from the northern and southern provinces to the Beijing camp, has millions of registered soldiers who have become a huge financial burden.

In the past one or two years, Jia Heng mainly rectified the Beijing camp, and he also rectified the Henan town army due to the chaos in the Central Plains.

But looking around, whether it is the northwest, the southwest, or the northern border towns, the general environment has not changed.

Even if Li Zan personally controlled Beiping, it was impossible to punish or dismiss people on a large scale due to the general environment of sluggish military affairs.

Now, the two military ministers took advantage of the victory in the northern war to rectify the four provinces (except Henan), as well as the frontier and provincial troops in Shaanxi and Gansu, which will undoubtedly greatly improve the defensive quality of the northern defense line.

As for the whole country, the amount of this project is relatively large, and it involves local military leaders, so the two tacitly did not mention it.

Jia Heng nodded and said: "Mr. Li Ge, let's just settle this matter. By the way, that Cao Bianjiao can be promoted exceptionally."

Referring to Cao Bianjiao, Li Zan smiled and said, "I have written a memorial to the imperial court to ask for merit, but the specific duties are still being determined, and it can be used for personnel transfers in the adjustment of the northern defense line."

Jia Heng said: "In my opinion, after this battle, it shouldn't be a big problem for Cao Bianjiao to be promoted to the deputy commander of any town. He can guard a pass."

Li Zan nodded, and said, "At the beginning, he was assigned the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Shanhaiguan."

The commander-in-chief of Ji Town has a relatively large number of troops, and even if a young general has just made great achievements, it is unrealistic to suddenly command an army of [-] troops.

Jia Heng asked calmly, "Who is the current general of Shanhaiguan?"

Li Zan said, "Wu Xiang, that's the one with the red face at the dinner earlier."

Jia Heng pondered for a moment, then said: "This person is not suitable to be the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan, he can be transferred to Shandong Dusi as the commander-in-chief of the capital, and Cao Bianjiao will be the deputy commander-in-chief in charge of the commander-in-chief's seal, and cooperate with the commander-in-chief of Jizhen to guard the border affairs."

Li Zan said: "Ji Town's commander-in-chief acted slowly this time, and he didn't defend the Qiangzi Pass well. I plan to select another good general. Who is the Marquis of Yongning to succeed?"

Jia Heng pondered for a moment, then said: "Qi Jianhui is heavy and capable, he can go to Ji Town, and his grade is also suitable."

Li Zan asked in surprise, "A member of the Qi family of the Marquis of Xiangyang?"

Jia Heng nodded and said: "He is now the governor of the Beijing regiment, and he is currently guarding Ping'an Prefecture."

The official rank of the Chief Soldier of Ji Town is not small, it belongs to the Chief Soldier of the First Rank, and the Commander of the Regiment and Battalion is also the Second Rank, so it would be appropriate to go up one rank.

Li Zan thought for a while and said, "Then transfer this person to Ji Town for defense."

Li Zan pondered for a moment, then asked: "Xuanfu and Datong, how does the Marquis of Yongning plan to adjust the selection of generals?"

The two are both military planes, so there may not be no disputes over personnel rights, but Jia Heng's victory on the western front is just a time when his prestige is grand, and the right to speak in border affairs will faintly increase a lot.

Jia Heng thought for a while and said: "The candidate for the general of the Xuan Mansion, Wang Ziteng has been stationed in Dushikou of the Xuan Mansion for many days, but he is considered diligent. The old man can consider it."

After all, Wang Ziteng had served as the deputy envoy of the Beijing Camp Procuratorate, and as the chief soldier of the Xuan Mansion, there was no problem with his rank, and he was even considered a downgraded appointment.

Li Zan pondered for a moment, then said: "It is appropriate for Xuanhua to be in command of a mature and prudent general. Since Jiang Zining, the general of Datong, has been dismissed and retained, who does the Marquis of Yongning think is the most suitable person to take over Datong?"

Jia Heng said: "Datong is the gate of the Jin Dynasty. Jiang Zining guards Datong. Although there are some mistakes and omissions, he can probably guard one side, so he can continue to serve."

He didn't want his cronies, such as Cai Quan and Xie Zaiyi, to be placed in the border town, because it would affect his control over the capital.

For example, after Xie Zaiyi returns to Beijing, there is a high probability that he will be knighted, and he will be in charge of the first camp independently. As for Cai Quan, he can continue to control the Guoyong camp.

In this way, he has two battalions of direct lineages in the entire Beijing camp system, and any more will arouse the vigilance of the courtiers and the emperor, at least it is not appropriate now.

But if Jiang Zining is left to continue guarding Datong, it will still lead to the fact that the general's power will not be lost. There are advantages and disadvantages to this matter.

As for Ping'an Prefecture, the name of the Jiedu Envoy will be removed, and the general Xie Jingsheng will be awarded as the third-rank guard envoy, leading troops and horses to sit in the town.

The candidates for the commander-in-chief of Taiyuan Town still need to select good generals.

What kind of young general of the Jia family is still far behind, not enough to hold up the leader.

Li Zan thought for a while, and said: "In this way, the main generals of the Northern Frontier Town have been settled, and the rest is to approve the military quota and refine the soldiers. .”

In a few words, the two military ministers selected the generals and schools guarding the entire northern border. As for the king of Nan'an County, he did not participate in the northern war, so he naturally had no right to speak.

Jia Heng said: "That's what it means, but because of Chahar Mongols' annexation of Xuanda Erdi, it should be Pingfan, and the focus of defense in the future will still be Jizhen and Beiping Dusi."

Li Zan nodded and said, "The defensive pressure on Xuanda and Dacheng will be lighter in the future."

This time left a deep impression on him. No Jurchen entered the country from Xuanda and Dazhou. On the eastern front, Juyongguan and Qiangziguan, which he was in charge of, were breached one after another, and the Jurchen soldiers approached the city.

After discussing with Li Zan, Jia Heng and Li Zan did not stay any longer, but returned to the official office for entertainment.

This was the former residence of a merchant in Beiping, which was temporarily rebuilt as the place where Jia Heng, the general of Pinglu, was stationed.

Jia Heng entered the hall, looked at the girl in the brocade and flying fish costume, and asked, "Xiaoxiao."

Chen Xiaoning looked at it, her clear eyes shone brightly, and asked, "Did we talk?"

Jia Heng nodded, and said: "For the border affairs, the general school layout has roughly been finalized, and the rest is to rectify and weed out the Beiping capital and Jizhen soldiers and horses."

Chen Ling thought for a while, then said softly, "It's not a day's work."

Jia Heng said: "After a few days, maybe the division will go back to Beijing first, and after bringing the soldiers back, we will rectify the nine frontier affairs and the provincial and provincial troops."

It is estimated that the emperor can't wait to see the head of the slave chief Huang Taiji.

A thoughtful look appeared in Chen Xiaoqing's eyes, and he asked, "Didn't you want to use the navy to attack Jurchen's country before, but did you want to replace the Shandong admiral and reorganize the Denglai navy and Shandong soldiers?"

Jia Heng nodded, and said: "But Lu Qi is the admiral of a province after all, if he is removed, he needs to find a reason. This time, the ineffective rescue and the delay of the war opportunity were originally a crime."

"Lu Qi has a lot of grounds in Shandong. There are people backing him in the court, and the local foundation is not shallow." Chen Xiao explained.

Jia Heng turned to look at Chen Xiao, and asked, "Could it be related to the White Lotus Sect?"

Chen Xiao shook his head, and said, "Lu Qi is behind Qi Dang, and he is also related by marriage to Sheng Shenggong in Qufu, Shandong."

Jia Heng frowned, with a cold expression on his face, he said: "Yan Shenggong? It is said that the Kong family has a vast area of ​​fertile land, and they bully men and women in the local fish and meat town."

The Confucian family in Qufu, who bears the descendants of Confucius, can be said to be like a parasite of the dynasty. Since the dynasty, it has also been named a duke for no merit.

And according to the history of parallel time and space, when the Qing army entered the customs, the Kong family took the lead in shaving their hair and changing clothes. It goes without saying that among the eight Shanxi merchants, the Kong family also led the way.

The parasites of such a country, if given the chance, will be wiped out in one go.

Chen Xiao's delicate brows were slightly frowned, and her voice was as clear and cold as melting ice and snow, and she said: "They also recruited bandits for their own purposes. Even if the local government knew about it, they would not dare to arrest them."

As a saint in the White Lotus Sect, she has been in Shandong for many years, so she naturally knows a lot about the activities of the Kong family.

Jia Heng's eyes flashed coldly, and he said: "The Kong family doesn't care about production, and they are honored in vain as knights, but they don't want to serve the country, and they do harm to the village. It's really a cancer of my big man."

Chen Xiao reminded in a low voice: "The Confucian family is admired by scholars all over the world, and it is almost sacred, so it is not appropriate to act rashly."

Jia Heng said: "It's not yet time to deal with the Kong family, let's look for an opportunity and make further calculations."

Chen Xiaodao: "Just now Feige sent a letter to report that Qu Lang has ordered the investigation of the eight Shanxi merchants gathered in Taiyuan Fucheng, and he is about to ask how to deal with it."

Originally, not all the eight major Shanxi merchants gathered in Taiyuan Mansion. Because the imperial court purchased logistics and military supplies, several family owners gradually gathered in Taiyuan Mansion.

Just after Jia Heng was in Beiping to consolidate the frontier affairs, the vast grassland south of Songzhou, hundreds of miles away from Beiping Prefecture, was full of wind and grass, and the greenery was eye-catching.

And a large number of soldiers with banners arrived near Songzhou, and camped on the grass in the evening, and military tents were set up one after another, scattered like a star.

Dai Shan, Yue Tuo and his son, and Hauge who led the Zhenglan Banner, temporarily camped in a larger camp. While sending envoys to report to Dorgon in Datong, they waited for the army soldiers Adali and Tong Tu The arrival of Lai, Ming An and others.

At this time, when the clouds in the military tent were gloomy, a leader entered the tent, cupped his fists and said, "Prince Li, the generals under Prince Adali have been defeated and returned."

Hearing the words, Dai Shan's complexion changed suddenly, and he immediately looked at Yue Tuo who was beside him, his old eyes were full of surprise.

With the bravery of Adali and the cowardice of the Han army, it should not have been defeated.

Hauge snorted coldly, and said, "The Han army really dare to go out of the city to pursue them?"

Yue Tuo stared sharply at the messenger who reported the message, and asked, "Lead the person here."

Not long after, the deputy capital commander who died along with Adali entered the military tent with one leader, three assistant leaders, a total of five generals, looked at Daishan, saluted and said: "I have seen Prince Li, Prince Su .”

Yue Tuo frowned, and asked, "Where is Adali?"

Adali is the son of Sahalin, that is, the nephew of Yue Tuo, who inherits the title of Sahalin.

With a sad face and a low voice, the deputy said, "Return to the king, a young general of the Han army in Beiping City led the attack. The prince fought with him, and he was killed by his martial arts. The incident happened in a hurry. The last general waited to save him." It was too late, and later in the bloody battle with the Han army until evening, the last general and others led the troops to leave the battlefield."

Hearing this, Hauge's eyes were full of hostility, and his face was as dark as iron. He shouted coldly: "The master general has been beheaded, do you still have the face to come back? Come on, push these defeated generals out and cut them down!"

The Dutong's face was pale, but he didn't dare to ask for mercy, and neither did the four generals behind him.

Just as the guards with the inlaid blue flag came out and were about to hold the Dutong's arm, they heard an old voice saying: "Slow down!"

The guard who was pressing the generals couldn't help being stunned, and looked at the person who made the sound, it was Daishan.

Hauge frowned, cupped his hands and said, "Uncle, nephew Adali was killed in the rebellious army. It's all these idiots who are greedy for life and afraid of death. I don't want such people who are greedy for life and afraid of death."

Sadness appeared on Daishan's old face, his voice was low, and he suppressed the sadness in his heart, and said: "I know Adali's temperament. It is also because he is not good at martial arts, although these generals have committed crimes, but they can bring back the soldiers and horses, the crimes can be forgiven."

Now the Qing Dynasty has lost many generals, from Duduo, who was good at fighting, to his son Shuotuo, one died and one was imprisoned, and now Adali also died in the army. There is no such reason for suicide.

Hauge's eyes flashed, and a look of reverence appeared on his proud face. He cupped his hands and said, "Uncle is magnanimous, and my nephew admires it."

At this time, Yue Tuo looked coldly at the captain, and said in a deep voice: "You can be spared the death penalty, but you can't escape the death penalty. Come here, give them thirty lashes, and leave them in front of the army."

Hearing the words, the officer kowtowed and bowed again, saying: "Thank you, my lord, thank you, the king, even if we are smashed to pieces, it will be difficult for me to repay the merciful grace of my lord and the king."

And the other generals behind him also expressed their gratitude and kowtowed endlessly.

When all the generals left, Daishan saw grief and anger on his face, tears glistened in his old eyes, and said angrily: "In this battle, I have lost soldiers and generals, which is a shame for the country!"

What is it if it is not a national humiliation?Even the emperor of the Qing Dynasty was buried in Ping'an Prefecture, and his body was in a different place. It can be said that the whole Qing Dynasty is like a mourning concubine, and the clouds are bleak.

Hauge's eyes flickered, and he pulled Daishan's arm to comfort him: "Uncle, we still need to look forward."

When we got back to Shengjing, there was still competition for that chair, but my uncle and brothers Yue Tuo were leading two red flags, plus his Zhenglan flag, which would have the upper hand against Dorgon's two white flags.

Yue Tuo comforted him and said, "Father, after we regroup and enter the Central Plains, we will sacrifice the head of Marquis Yongning of that Han Dynasty to the emperor."

Dai Shan sighed heavily, tears rolled in his old eyes, and his heart was extremely melancholy.

At this moment, an assistant leader strode into the military tent, clasped his fists and said, "My lord, Prince Rui's envoy has arrived."

After many days of rapid marching, Dorgon collected Huang Taiji's body and led his troops to Songzhou.

(End of this chapter)