Cutting over the end of the Ming Dynasty: a dog-leg knife at the beginning

Chapter 78 Begins and Ends
"The leader of Wuyang Guard?"

After tossing and tossing for several days and giving away thousands of taels of silver, the military registration was finally obtained, which made Yang Menglong very tired.More than once, he scolded these bureaucrats in his heart for being too fucked up, moving too slowly, and not doing anything with money. They are incomparable to military personnel in the 21st century!He didn't know that this kind of efficiency can be called the speed of light for the military officials in the late Ming Dynasty. If the boss of Chongzhen hadn't ordered it personally, how could it be done in a few days?It doesn't take half a year to finish!However, the hard work paid off, and there were still unexpected surprises. Looking at the title on the military registration, Yang Menglong's eyes suddenly bulged. This is different from what was promised!He was obviously a member of Wuyang Thousand Households, how did he become the commander of Wuyang Guard?
The official who issued the military status smiled and looked at this very sensible little guy. Yang Menglong stuffed 300 taels of silver into his hand, no matter how he looked at it, it was pleasing to the eye.He stroked his beard and said, "Little Shuai Yang, he was suddenly promoted to the command of the first guard in the body of a commoner before he was a weak crown. This is a rare miracle since the founding of the country. I am here to congratulate Xiao Shuai Yang."

Yang Menglong asked cautiously: "Is this Wuyang Guard... just formed?"

The official said: "To be precise, it has not yet been established. It will not be formed until Xiao Yang Shuai takes office."

Yang Menglong was dumbfounded: "Then am I going to start from scratch?"

The official nodded confidently: "It looks like this."

Yang Menglong cursed in his heart: "My day!" Then he asked: "What about the public security situation in Biyang and Tongbai counties?"

The official is an honest person, and he told the truth when he took other people's money: "Biyang is better, but Tongbai County is not. Tongbai Mountain runs through the whole county, with high mountains, poor people, and bandits gather in the mountains and forests. From time to time, they went down the mountain to loot, so that the county magistrate of Tongbai County did not dare to leave the county."

Yang Menglong was dumbfounded again: "This...isn't this throwing me into the bandit den!?"

The old official put on a straight face: "Xiao Shuai Yang, how can you say that? This is the court's trust in you. You should be grateful and swear to repay the grace!"

In Yang Menglong's heart, ten thousand mud horses roared past at six times the speed of sound.Thank you Dade, thank you Dade, my sister, I will throw you into the bandit den to see if you will be grateful to me, Dade?But then again, bandits have always been a well-known specialty in Henan, Huguang and other places. In every dynasty, there are a large number of civilians who cannot survive or those who are not satisfied with the status quo. .Tongbai Mountain has high mountains and dense forests, and the terrain is dangerous. It is the first choice for the grass to become bandits. I don’t know how many bandits hide in the mountains and forests, mingle with the local gentry, and visit the county from time to time. , engage in pro-people activities such as raiding houses and looting houses, and once the bandits running around in Henan are caught in a hurry, they will flee to Tongbai Mountain in all likelihood, or occupy the mountain as king, or cross Tongbai Mountain and enter Hubei. Of course, the officers and soldiers will be poor. It is said that bandits pass like a comb, and soldiers pass like a grate. After being looted by officers, soldiers and bandits, it is impossible for Tongbai County to become a scorched earth!Yang Menglong actually wanted to go to that ghostly place to defend, wouldn't that kill him?

Gritting his teeth, Yang Menglong took the official seal.Although there are many problems in Tongbai County, one advantage is that it is very rich in mineral deposits. There are phosphate rocks with the largest reserves in Henan, as well as open-pit gold mines, silver mines, copper mines, and iron mines. There is a treasure mountain on the ground, if these resources can be mined, it will definitely make a lot of money.Especially the phosphate rock, Yang Menglong is determined to get it, if you want to do a good job in agriculture, you must have enough fertilizer, and the phosphate rock just happens to be made into phosphate fertilizer, which greatly increases the yield per mu, yes, it's you!For the minerals on Tongbai Mountain, he is going all out, isn't he just a bunch of bandits, even if the Heavenly King Lao Tzu blocks his way of making money, he dares to go up and give you a knife!

As soon as he left the military department, Lu Xiangsheng greeted him and asked, "How is it? Is it done?"

Yang Menglong raised the appointment document in Yang's hand: "It's done, those elders seem to think that it's too inappropriate for me to be a thousand households in a thousand households, so they decided to open a new guard, named Wuyang Guard, under the jurisdiction of Zhanbing Er Thousands of 700 people, in charge of the three counties of Wuyang, Biyang, and Tongbai!" After finishing speaking, a dirty word came out of his mouth: "I hate grandma's thigh!"

Lu Xiangsheng asked to take a look at the document. It was true that from an unknown soldier to the commander of the First Guard, such a speed of promotion was really scary. It could be called a rocket. He smiled and said: "Congratulations, others It would take me who knows how many years to get to this position, so you just..."

Yang Menglong said angrily: "Congratulations! Those bureaucratic lords just appointed me such an official. I have to figure out everything from soldiers to equipment. To put it bluntly, let me be self-reliant and self-reliant! It's disgusting , just give me three messy counties, and don’t give me anything, isn’t this just letting the horses run, but not letting the horses eat grass!”

Lu Xiangsheng frowned: "They won't give you food and equipment for soldiers?"

Yang Menglong said: "I didn't say no, I just said that the military department and the household department are very difficult now. I really can't spare so much food and equipment. Let me put it first and make it up for me when the situation improves... Damn, Then when do I have to wait? I guess I won't see this day!"

Lu Xiangsheng frowned and sighed: "The imperial court is really in trouble now. The money, food and soldiers needed to open the guard are quite amazing. It is normal that they can't get it out for a while. However, it is indeed necessary to open a new guard in Nanyang. Nanyang is located in an important place. , is a battleground for military strategists, but the combat effectiveness of the Nanyang Guard is rotten. It is difficult to take on the heavy responsibility of defending Nanyang without a new guard... But it is a bit difficult for you to run to the Xinkai Guard in Wuyang with your bare hands. How about this, my Tianxiong Army has received a lot of supplements recently, and the food and pay for the soldiers are relatively sufficient. I will go back and find a way to squeeze out a batch of food and weapons for you to deal with first. The food and payment should also arrive."

Yang Menglong shook his head: "Forget it, Mr. Lu, you don't have a lot of money, how can I reach out to you? I have a little money, but I don't dare to say a lot. It must be enough to recruit 2000 people. People... can you put The more than 1000 people you stayed in Dingxing will lend me a period of time first? You also know that the Wuyang Thousand Households Office has basically been disabled. If I take those disabled soldiers to Wuyang to open the defense, I will definitely make people laugh. !” After finishing speaking, he looked at Lu Xiangsheng anxiously, his face full of hope.

It was only then that Lu Xiangsheng remembered that the more than 1000 warriors he had left in Dingxing had not yet joined the army. Originally, when he returned to Daming Mansion, he reorganized these 1000 people into the Tianxiong Army. Yang Menglong seems to need this team more.The situation in Nanyang is really too bad, Yang Menglong is still young, but he has to shoulder the burden of opening the guard, and he has to deal with the grass bandits and green-eyed refugees who gather in the mountains and forests, just like Wuyang Qianhu. Sagittarius, how can you handle it!Having figured this out, he agreed without hesitation: "Okay, I'll make up the armor and equipment of that team later, and transfer them to you to take back. Let's set up the shelf first."

Yang Menglong was very grateful: "Thank you so much, Master Lu, you are really my savior!"

Seeing his exaggerated appearance, Lu Xiangsheng wanted to laugh inexplicably: "From now on, we are all colleagues, and it is also necessary to support each other. Are you worthy of such an exaggerated appearance?"

Yang Menglong chuckled: "I'm so excited!"

Lu Xiangsheng shook his head straight: "You, other people at this age have married and married, but you are still like a child! After arriving in Nanyang, you have to change your temper, you can no longer say what you think, some words are You don’t have to and you can’t say it! Also, you have to change your bad temper. Nanyang is the fiefdom of Tang Wang, and there are many nobles. Some of them have bad deeds. I can't even keep you!" After all, he has been a magistrate for several years, and he is very aware of how dark the officialdom is, so he is really worried about Yang Menglong, so he repeatedly told him, telling him some taboos in the officialdom.Subconsciously, he seems to regard Yang Menglong as his younger brother, and his concern for him is sincere, without any utilitarian purpose.

Yang Menglong nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, but said in his heart: "Yes, she is more verbose than my mother!" But he was quite moved in his heart.

Fang Yizhi's appointment document has also come down. The prefect of Nanyang has jurisdiction over Ye County, Wuyang County, Nanyang County, Nanzhao County, Zhenping County, Neixiang County, Xichuan County, Deng County, Xinye County, Tanghe County, and Tongbai County. There are thirteen counties, including Biyang County, Biyang County, and Fangcheng County, with an area of ​​more than 2 square kilometers, but the population is relatively small, only about 30.During the Jiajing period, Nanyang's population was close to 40. Since then, due to natural disasters and man-made disasters, a large number of people have fled, and the total population has gradually decreased, so that the population of a majestic Nanyang Prefecture is only equivalent to a large county.Of course, there are quite a few refugees, but instead of bringing wealth to Nanyang, these people are a hidden danger. It is too late to drive them away, so how dare they keep them!
They bought another drink for the relevant officials, and this trip to Beijing was finally complete. Yang Menglong and Fang Yizhi set off on their way home, and it was already mid-February.Lu Xiangsheng did not come back with them, because Sun Chengzong, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, had assembled the elite troops in the pass and launched an overwhelming counterattack against the four cities in the pass occupied by Houjin. At this time, he was 68 years old.This is the last time this veteran led troops into battle. This veteran built the indestructible Guanning line of defense, led out the Guanning army, and acted as a firefighter at the most critical moment, stabilizing the dangerous Beijing city defense. Old man, his era is about to pass, but before that, he has to teach those wild boars a lesson again to let them know how powerful Sun Chengzong is!He asked Lu Xiangsheng to go there, so he didn't have to go to battle, just follow him and watch how he fought. This old man wanted to use the little time he had left to pass on what he had learned in his life to Lu Xiangsheng, and then train a member of Daming who could take on the role. A heavy duty general.

It's no small thing for a veteran to come out, and Hou Jin quickly learned the power of this old man who had tortured them for decades and would continue to torture them.

On the first day, Sun Chengzong attacked Luanping, and one day, he was defeated.

The next day, Qian'an was attacked, and one day, it was defeated.

On the third day, Huang Taiji sent reinforcements, more than 5000 people ran to Zunhua, just in time for Sun Chengzong's attack, dozens of cannons lined up to attack Zunhua, almost made Amin pee, without saying a word , collectively turn back and turn towards Yongping.Zunhua was also defeated in one day.

After Amin withdrew to Yongping, Jin's last stronghold in the pass, he prepared to fight to the death with old man Sun. He couldn't go back without a fight.Old man Sun was not too polite, and the cannon blasted the Houjin army's formation to pieces, and then the cavalry rushed out and chopped them down.This time Lu Xiangsheng didn't follow old man Sun to watch the battle. He rushed into the enemy's line first, swung the big knife like a tornado, and died when he touched it, and killed more than two dozen Hongba Yala soldiers. , A bloody alley was created in the Houjin army, and it went straight to Amin's general flag.A Min can be regarded as a seasoned veteran, but seeing Lu Xiangsheng rushing towards him covered in blood, he was still terrified. He lost the courage to fight, and ran away on horseback. A slash came from behind, and the red tassel on his golden helmet was chopped off. This Baylor was so frightened that he died, and he didn't even have the courage to look back at this terrible enemy.Fortunately, two white-armored soldiers went up to fight with their lives and blocked the evil star. After Lu Xiangsheng chopped down the two white-armored soldiers, A Min also ran away.

Lu Xiangsheng cut off the flagpole with a single knife.

Sun Chengzong looked at the piece of diaper inlaid with gold and silver and fell into the dust with a sigh of relief, and said in a low voice: "What a general with all talents in civil and military affairs!"

Amin suffered a disastrous defeat, and Hou Jin spent a lot of effort to conquer all four cities in the pass. All four cities in the pass were lost within five days. The simplicity of the process was jaw-dropping. This battle once again proved that Sun Chengzong was the most outstanding strategy of the Ming Dynasty. Master, if you want to live a good life, you'd better not mess with him.Unfortunately, time is not forgiving. This late-blooming guardian of the empire is almost 70 years old. How long can he protect this precarious empire?
After Huang Taiji learned that all the four cities in the pass were lost, he was deeply regretful, but he did not clamor to lead his troops into the pass to fight old man Sun to the death.He is not in a hurry, he is much younger than Sun Chengzong, he can't beat you, and he can kill you.

His premonition was very accurate. Two years later, the Ming army suffered a disastrous defeat in the Battle of Dalinghe. Sun Chengzong took the blame and resigned.However, Huang Taiji should not laugh too early, the good news is followed by the bad news:

This old man spent the last two years cultivating two good students. These two good students will inherit his long-cherished wish and continue to torture Hou Jin!

Beginning in November of the second year of Chongzhen, Huang Taiji led his troops into the pass, threatening Beijing, burning, killing and looting along the way, massacring the cities where they passed, and leaving dead bodies everywhere.In this war, innocent people were killed, the economy was severely damaged, several soldiers including Man Gui were killed, Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned, and the vitality of the Ming Dynasty was seriously injured.This cataclysmic change ended with the Ming army recapturing the four cities in the pass. The change of Jisi was the last performance of famous generals such as Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan. .

(End of this chapter)