Chapter 59 Chapter two

Wu Sangui escaped from the dead and was lucky enough to preserve his own strength. He knew that his escape with Wang Pu brought about the tragic defeat of all the elite soldiers in the six towns, which would be intolerable by the court and state law.It is well known that Emperor Chongzhen was less than murderous, mean and ungrateful. Therefore, as long as you think about the unimaginable punishment, you will feel guilty and afraid involuntarily.However, the result several months later was far beyond expectations: the imperial court only sentenced Wang Pu to death, and Wu Sangui was only punished with a three-level punishment, and he was still ordered to guard Ningyuan.

The same crime was punished differently, and Wu Sangui couldn't help feeling ashamed and hated for the court's extra favor, and was very grateful.But the greater luck was yet to come. Not long after, a piece of edict seemed to fall from the sky, and suddenly appeared in front of him: the Ming court appointed Wu Sangui as the admiral of Liaodong, and the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, guest officers and soldiers. Why is a deserter general favored by fate again and again?Could it be that Emperor Chongzhen couldn't treat Wu Sangui and Wang Pu as equals in a fit of anger? The key point is that among the generals in the north, only Wu Sangui's strength, bravery, and use of troops can compete with the elite cavalry of the Qing army.What Emperor Chongzhen faced was a choice that had no choice.

It was the chaotic and turbulent complex situation that "completed" Wu Sangui. At that time, the Ming Dynasty was already in the midst of internal and external difficulties.The peasant uprising was magnificent and intensified; the Qing court became stronger and stronger, and gradually went south to encroach on the territory of the Ming Dynasty.In order to achieve a once-and-for-all effect, Emperor Chongzhen mobilized the main force in the north to fight the Qing court decisively, betting on the battle of Songjin.The disastrous battle situation not only caused the Ming Dynasty to lose a group of brave and strategic generals such as Hong Chengchou, Zu Dashou, and Cao Bianjiao, but also made the two peasant uprising armies led by Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong take the opportunity to conquer Luoyang, Xiangyang and other places, and then sent their troops northward to attack The capital directly threatened the rule of the Ming Dynasty.In order to deal with the imminent peasant uprising army, Chongzhen no longer had time to take care of Liaodong.Among the ancestral family soldiers who have always guarded Liaodong, Wu Sangui is the only general who can rely heavily on them.Therefore, in the face of Wu Sangui's murderous crime of running away in battle, Emperor Chongzhen not only did not severely punish him, but also had to adopt the method of suppressing first and then promoting-after symbolically demoting Wu Sangui to three ranks, he was soon promoted to Liaodong. The admiral, and issued a special edict for this: "If you want to monopolize the power of Wu Sangui as the admiral, you don't want to hold him back. Even the leader of the army will let Sangui choose someone who is handy." The imperial court entrusted the important task of defending Liaodong to the For Wu Sangui, in order to achieve the effect of employing people without suspicion and buying people's hearts, he was also allowed to make an exception to enjoy the right to cultivate confidants and cronies.

Don't underestimate Emperor Chongzhen's promotion of Wu Sangui and his strategic position at that time.Less than a year after the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Songjin, the Ningjin defense line that the Ming Dynasty worked so hard for was completely broken by the Qing army.As a result, Ningyuan, guarded by Wu Sangui, suddenly became prominent and became an outpost for the Ming army to attack the Qing court for the Central Plains.If Wu Sangui surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, the gates of the West Liao Corridor would be completely opened, and the Eight Banners cavalry would cross the Guancheng unobstructed and go straight to Yanjing; while Wu Sangui was in the Ming Dynasty, even though the Ming court lost its important town, the border gates could still be defended.

A mere military general who committed the crime of murder was slowly pushed to the fore by the vicissitudes of history and became a crucial figure in the battle between Ming and Qing Dynasties. How will the Ming and Qing war situations develop in the future?Apart from relying on Wu Sangui - relying on his Guanning iron cavalry, relying on his tenacious blocking, relying on his loyalty, Emperor Chongzhen could no longer control it.He has long been devastated by the corrupt situation, and all his eyes and energy are on dealing with the peasant uprising that is sweeping in like a tide. The Qing court also naturally attached great importance to Wu Sangui's current important strategic position. After capturing Jinzhou City, they began to plan strategies to capture Ningyuan and surrender Wu Sangui.

Through the means of incentives, it is often possible to receive wonderful effects that are difficult to achieve with punishment.Wu Sangui was naturally grateful for Emperor Chongzhen's grace of not killing and his favor, and he tried his best to repay him.Therefore, Wu Sangui's surrender to the Qing army was quite firm at the beginning.The Qing court successively sent Wu Sangui's uncle Zu Dashou who had already surrendered, his former colleagues Zhang Cunren, Zu Kefa, relatives Pei Guozhen and others to persuade him to surrender, but Wu Sangui refused one by one.However, when he learned that Hong Chengchou was captured alive by the Qing army, not only did he not die in allegiance to the Ming Dynasty, but instead bowed down at the feet of the Qing people and became a surrender, he was shocked, and then a little hesitant.To drop, or not to drop?He really couldn't make up his mind.At this critical moment, his aunt's behavior strengthened his determination.After his uncle Zu Dashou came to the Qing Dynasty, he sent people to Ningyuan, where Wu Sangui guarded, to transfer his family members.However, the aunt showed rare loyalty as a woman. She would rather stay in Ningyuan alone than go to Qingying, which she regarded as "barbarians", to reunite with her family.His aunt's behavior shocked him, Wu Sangui weighed it again and again, and finally stayed in the Ming Dynasty.

At this time, the situation in the Ming Dynasty had become a mess and out of control. Since the Songjin War, there were only three troops that Emperor Chongzhen could rely on: one was Wu Sangui's Liaodong elite, which was engaged in a protracted tug-of-war with the Qing army in Ningyuan; General Guang is really domineering and difficult to use; another is the trilateral officers and soldiers led by Sun Chuanting, Governor of Shaanxi, which is also the only force that Emperor Chongzhen can deal with peasant uprisings.However, it was this powerful imperial army that had long been an enemy of the Dashun regime, but was completely annihilated by Li Zicheng's peasant army in Jia County.Then they rushed towards the capital in a mighty and powerful manner.

In order to defend the capital, the Ming court had no choice but to mobilize Wu Sangui's army.Wu Jun's entry into the pass means abandoning Ningyuan, and then all the land outside Shanhaiguan will fall into the hands of the Qing army.From Emperor Chongzhen to important officials of the imperial court, no one wants to bear the eternal infamy of abandoning the land.As a result, Wu Sangui's proposal to enter the customs was discussed again and again, and delayed again and again. It was put on hold for two months, and it was still undecided. In the days when the Ming court was indecisive, the Dashun peasant army quickly approached Gyeonggi with the autumn wind sweeping the fallen leaves.At this time, Emperor Chongzhen had no choice but to hastily issue an edict to "conquer the world's soldiers and diligent kings", and formally ordered Wu Sangui to abandon Ningyuan and enter the pass quickly, "to live in the suburbs and defend the capital".

Fate once again pushed Wu Sangui to the center of the whirlpool of history. At that time, Ningyuan had become an isolated city, and Wu Sangui had already asked the governor to withdraw from Ningyuan.After receiving the order, Wu Sangui did not "quickly enter the customs".He knew very well what it meant to give up Ningyuan. Once it was occupied by the Qing army, it might be difficult to return to the land of Liaodong where he was born.Therefore, after Wu Sangui took care of the relevant affairs in a leisurely manner, he led a mixed team of more than half a million soldiers and civilians on the road to the west.Where is this King Qinqin?It is completely an orderly strategic shift.

While Wu Sangui was still slowly marching on Qinwang Road, Li Zicheng's Dashun peasant army conquered Beijing in one fell swoop on March 19, the 17th year of Chongzhen (AD 1644). Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youjian hanged Meishan to death, and Ming Dynasty The dynasty officially came to an end in history. Two days later, Wu Sangui, who was stationed in Changli, Luanzhou and other places, learned the accurate news of the fall of the Ming Dynasty.Relying on the instinct and intuition of an excellent soldier, he ordered the withdrawal of troops without hesitation, hurried back to Junshan Pass, and placed himself between the Qing court and Dashun.