Chongzhen Undergraduates

"The 7 of us have regained our mounts. If the notice goes on, report the good news to Beijing City as soon as possible, and the troops will rest on the spot and wait for further combat orders." Li Dingguo was full of joy and admired Zhu Cihong.

Chapter 7 and Nine: Seven Emotions and Six Desires

Yang Xin's brigade is a very strange brigade. The brigade leader (that is, the battalion level) is a taciturn person, but his temper is very violent, and the relationship with his superiors and subordinates is also very ordinary. However, the treatment of this brigade is relatively low. The other teams are better.

Yang Xin doesn't like this captain. He spends a lot of money, but he is very suspicious; he keeps small favors to his subordinates, but he never trusts him; he can desperately ask his superiors for materials and various good conditions, but he never likes to implement normal Combat missions; he can embarrass everyone, and his airs are so big that the superiors and subordinates are afraid of him.

He only likes the people he likes, and if anyone doesn't catch his eye, he can't wait to make them disappear the next day.Half of the people in this battalion have been replaced because they didn't get along with him.But this captain, relying on small favors, has attracted a large number of diehards to surround him. This squadron is like his own independent kingdom.

Yang Xin felt that the captain's qualifications were mediocre, and he couldn't even lead a small team, but he was the captain, and his official position went smoothly.

Since the captain took office, this battalion has never been in actual combat, and this is the first time it has been in actual combat.It seemed to be going smoothly, and he also got a task to protect the prince. Yang Xin felt that it must be God's help.Yang Xin is just an ordinary person. He thinks it is only right and proper to eat the imperial rations and military pay, and he never thought that one day he would have a relationship with the prince.

But the one in front of him is indeed the prince, and he is also the eldest prince, the former prince.A prince is a prince, and he feels very approachable and approachable, without any airs.

When Yang Xin's captain accompanied the eldest prince Zhu Cihong out of the big tent, Yang Xin deliberately compared the prince with his own captain. He thought that one was in the sky and the other was underground.

"Third brother, if I had known that you were also in the army, I would have handed over all my guards to you." The eldest prince's words almost shocked Yang Xin's jaw, the captain he disliked the most. , was actually affectionately called "Third Brother" by the First Prince.Then the identity of the captain is self-evident.

"Brother, I can't ask for more." Zhu Cihuan hurriedly agreed with a smile on his face.

Emotion is part of human nature, there are very few people without emotions, even animals.

For example, in the current Beijing city, the people still have feelings for Emperor Chongzhen, especially when these people are not here, the people miss him even more.

And when Zhu Youjian accompanied Wang Chengen to inspect the capital, the two were even more emotional.Today's Beijing city, with its wide streets and beautiful streetscapes, is just like the prosperity of later generations.Zhu Youjian didn't dare to claim this credit, it was Yu Jackie's.

"Yu Aiqing, is Wu Sangui's mansion still there?" Zhu Youjian asked Yu Chenglong who accompanied him on inspection.

"After several twists and turns, it has now become the property of a businessman named Zhou." Yu Chenglong replied.

"Oh? What kind of businessman has such financial resources? It seems that the business is quite big." Zhu Youjian's words are really not jealous. The area of ​​Wu Mansion is not small. In the past, only high-ranking officials or literati could buy such a site. Even if the businessman buys it, he still has to name the official.The morals of the world were reversed, and even the lowly businessmen of the Ming Dynasty dared to disclose their identities and publicized them with great fanfare.

"It's a strange thing to say. This family doesn't run any big goods, but only sells briquettes and coal stoves. It is said that a small briquette is only a few cents, but when all the briquettes in Beijing are sold by It’s hard not to make a fortune because of his supply. I heard that his briquette has a secret recipe, which burns through and doesn’t disperse, so it’s very easy to use.” Yu Chenglong’s eyes were full of praise, and it didn’t look like it was fake.

"What kind of secret formula is nothing more than adding a certain proportion of clay. By the way, what is the last name of the briquette maker?" Zhu Youjian suddenly remembered something.

"The surname is Zhou." Yu Chenglong replied.

"Let's go, take a look." Zhu Youjian immediately understood that this was his former husband's family.Wang Chengen followed closely behind.

"Wu's Mansion" has been changed to "Zhou's Mansion", but the two stone lions at the gate are still the same, and there are no guards at the gate anymore.

The current Daming no longer favors servants, but servants instead.The court ordered that the contract of selling one's body be prohibited, and only the employment relationship was allowed.This is a kind of progress in the social system, and it is also a kind of liberation for people.Don't look at them all as servants for wealthy families, but there is an essential difference between sold slaves and hired workers.

After signing a contract of sale or taking refuge in slavery to a wealthy family, it is very difficult to get ahead for a lifetime, and honor and disgrace follow the master's family.The employment relationship is a free relationship, and honor or disgrace has nothing to do with them.To put it simply, there is no freedom in slavery, and there is no counter-attack; but employment has freedom, and there is freedom to counter-attack.This is to break the traditional concept of "dragons beget dragons and phoenixes, and the sons of mice can make holes".

Besides, when Zhu Youjian and Wang Chengen came to Zhou's house, the housekeeper had already come in to report.Just from the clothes, it can be judged that the person is a nobleman.

"You are?" It was not Zhou Kui who greeted the guest, but Zhou Kui's youngest son. Zhu Youjian didn't recognize him for a while when he was still young.

"The emperor?!" But this cheap brother-in-law still recognized Zhu Youjian at a glance.

"How is uncle Guo?" Wang Chengen greeted with a smile.It could be seen that Wang Chengen had seen this young master of the Zhou family quite often in the past.

"Eunuch Wang!" Zhou Xuping was surprised that after so many years, the emperor could still think of them.

Zhu Youjian went to the cheap brother-in-law's house, and when he returned to the palace, he remembered a few children.Of course, the four children of Chongzhen can recall their past misfortunes only in this palace.

"Wang Chengen, do you think I'm too cruel?" Zhu Youjian asked.

"What's the meaning of Long Live?" Wang Chengen asked with narrowed eyes.

"After so many years, the four children have been separated, and it is rare to have a reunion dinner. I am ashamed!" Zhu Youjian said.

"Long Live Lord, do you want the children to go back to Zhou's house?" Wang Chengen, who knows how to spy on people's hearts, saw through Zhu Youjian's thoughts at once.

Regardless of whether Zhu Youjian is the child's biological father or not, people have feelings after all, which is understandable.

"You order, let the second prince and the eldest princess come to Beijing as soon as possible. When the war is over, the children will go to visit their uncles together. Whether it is the Zhou family or the Tian family, they are all relatives of the children." Zhu Youjian said .

Wang Chengen was taken aback for a moment, this incident touched his heart, perhaps it is easier to be sad when old, this time he was especially moved.He had accompanied Zhu Youjian to the difficult journey back then, and he also knew that Zhu Youjian had used Liu Zongmin's order to punish Zhou Kui severely.Judging from today's performance, Zhu Youjian was completely relieved. Telling the child to see his uncle was just giving Chongzhen a face in the past.

"After all, he is a good man!" Wang Chengen nodded, affirming Zhu Youjian's actions.

Chapter 7 Ten: The End of an Era ([-])

Seeing the empty Hetao, Zeng was so angry that he could only scold his mother.

In this early spring, the wheat seedlings on the field are only an inch long, and other crops are even more green and yellow.Not to mention cattle and sheep, there is not even a single extra grain of grain, and the jars and jars in the common people's homes are as clean as if they had been added.

It is said that the Yellow River is full of harm, but the only way to be rich is to be so "rich"?

"Khan! This is the full set of the Ming people." Galdan watched the people go to the Hetao where the houses were empty, and judged that the Ming army must have obtained the information that they were coming.

"That's not right! Even if people in the Ming Dynasty found out that we were gathering troops in Ejina, there is no reason to know that we came to Hetao. You think, our coming to Hetao was a temporary decision, and it was a long-distance raid. How could they be so accurate?" Zeng Ge I absolutely don't believe that the Ming army is so powerful, and they can be sure that they will grab the Hetao area.

"But I always feel that there is something wrong with it." Galdan still couldn't find a reason to object, but he just felt something was wrong in his heart.

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's because the Ming army confiscated all the food and grass here before the expedition. The common people ran away when they couldn't survive." This is Zeng's understanding of the phenomenon here in Hetao.

"Then let's fight back home!" Gerdan didn't want to stay here for a moment.

"Go back? Do you know how far it is to go back? It takes more than 3000 miles to go back from here, and the horses alone are exhausted. The Ming Kingdom is right under my nose, and you let me run empty-handed like this. Once, you can think of such a loss-making business." Zenger was angry.

Even nomadic cavalry must pay attention to the cost of fighting, and they must have spoils of war if they feed on the enemy, otherwise it will be pure consumption.Along the way, from the gathering to the long-distance raid to Hetao, it didn't take much time to consume cattle, sheep and fodder.Where can I make up for it now?The herdsmen on the prairie were all driven to the north by the Ming army, and the south is the strong city of the Ming army. Where is the chance?

"Xiangdong, let's go to Chahar." Of course Zenger didn't want to do a loss-making business, and he couldn't sleep at night if he didn't grab it. This is the sequelae of being a thief.

"No. Chahar is too close to Beijing, we will be very passive if the news is leaked." Galdan strongly objected.

What a joke, go to Chahar, although it is the only place that can be robbed for hundreds of miles around, but where is the heavily fortified zone of the Ming Dynasty, it is not easy to chew!

"What are you afraid of? We are cavalry, and the cavalry of the Ming army have all gone to the north. How can those infantrymen with broken legs in the Ming Dynasty stand against me? Can they outrun the horses under my crotch?" Zenger said.

"It's [-] miles from here to Chahar, and it takes five or six days to walk. After arriving, you need to rest for a day before you can recover your horsepower and start fighting. Just let the Ming army in Khalkha know the news and come back within seven days. , we're done." Galdan thought it was too risky.

"Absolutely impossible. It takes two thousand miles in seven days, unless they fly back. Even if they can fly, they will be stared at. Watch their every move. We have insiders in Ulaanbaatar, and my eyes are like eagles." Keep an eye on him, they won't be able to escape my gaze." Zeng Ge didn't do it either, and if he really didn't have two brushes, he wouldn't dare to run thousands of miles away.

No one thought that Zeng would use eagles to convey information. This method is really not something that ordinary people can play, at least Daming can't guess it.Just like Zenger couldn't guess that there would be a radio station at Zhunge'er.When Zeng was about to attack Chahar, Li Dingguo was attacking Ulan Bator.

But there can't be too many eagles that can transmit information, they are only a few of the few, and no one knows how to train them.When Zenger received the information that the army was still attacking Khalkha, he had already put his mind to it.For an army that is in a state of war, he believes that it is impossible for the opponent to end the battle within five days and quickly return to aid two thousand miles, unless it is a myth.

For an overconfident person, the facts will slap him hard in the face.The day when Zeng Ge was preparing to leave in Hetao was exactly the day when Zhu Cihong had finished negotiating with Khalkha.Less than half an hour after Zeng set off from Hetao to the east, Li Dingguo had already received accurate information.As for Ulaanbaatar, there are no god sculptures that can send information.

The road from the Hetao to the east is a method of warfare that has been used by the grassland people for thousands of years. From the Huns to the Japanese, countless cavalry teams have walked this route.There are also countless successful battles, including Genghis Khan's capture of the capital of the Kingdom of Jin.The self-confidence of the prairie people is still in the glory of the past, and they don't realize that the war has changed its form.

The speed at which the Ming army assembled shocked the Mongols.