Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Choice

The path of the Ming Dynasty is thus determined, without compromise or concession. The corresponding result was also very certain, Huang Taiji led his troops, broke into the pass again, and began to loot. The lineup that entered the customs this time can be described as a luxurious lineup. The most capable fighters in the Qing Dynasty, including Azig, Dorgon, Duoduo, and Yuetuo, all came. It took only three days to fight to Miyun, and the capital was once again under martial law. . To deal with fierce people, you can only rely on fierce people. Chongzhen then transferred Zu Dashou to Beijing. At the same time, he also ordered Sun Chuanting from Shaanxi and Liu Zeqing from Shandong to go to Beijing to pull brothers. coming.

But the problem is that although people like Zu Dashou and Sun Chuanting are very capable, they have a problem - they are not very obedient.Especially Zu Dashou, since Yuan Chonghuan's death, he basically broke away from the organization. Whoever became the governor dared not control him, of course, he also refused to obey. Chongzhen was very angry at this unorganized and undisciplined behavior, and the consequences were not serious. After all, these were the only ones who could fight. You want to get rid of him and go into battle with a spear? But regardless of whether it will work after all, Chongzhen decided to find someone to be the current commander in chief of the enemy.

This person must have strong ability, many military achievements, high prestige, so powerful that Zu Dashou and other fierce people are convinced, and he must be near the capital, so he can use it if he says it. The only answer that meets the above conditions is Lu Xiangsheng. In the eleventh year of Chongzhen (1638), Lu Xiang was promoted to the capital to take up his post. When he rushed to the capital, he wanted to report to the emperor immediately, but after his colleagues looked at him, they asked: What do you want to do? The reason why I asked this question was because when this dear man came, his father had just passed away and was still in the funeral procession, so he was not wearing uniform, hemp and mourning, and straw sandals.If this outfit enters the palace and the emperor sits in the middle, he kneels down and kowtows, with a group of people standing beside him, it really looks like a mourning hall.

Changed his clothes and saw Chongzhen, Chongzhen asked, what should we do now? Lu Xiangsheng looked at the two people next to him, and said only one sentence: Main battle! The two people standing beside him are Yang Sichang and Gao Qiqian. The meaning of this move is that I know you guys are tricky, so just do it! It is said that Yang Sichang's face turned pale with anger. Chongzhen was very clever, and immediately came out to smooth things over, talking about peace talks, they were all rumors, it was a roadside society, nothing happened at all. Lu Xiangsheng said, well, I will go into battle immediately.

The next day, Lu Xiangsheng went to the front to take up his post. On this day, he received horses and weapons from Chongzhen. In fact, Chongzhen sent these things just to see him come from afar, for the sake of meaning. However, Lu Xiangsheng was moved. He said, serve the country with death! Just like nine years ago, there was no order, no one knew, he still led the army to defend the capital. He was always a simple man! A few days later, Lu Xiangsheng learned that the Qing army had approached Tongzhou and threatened the capital. At that time, there were only more than 30,000 men under him, which was roughly half of the Qing army, and all the main forces of the Qing army fought this time. If they were to really die, they would probably have to rest, so most of the Ming army generals who knew the current affairs They are all silent, and they don’t move as much as they can.

However, Lu Xiangsheng was ignorant of current affairs. After analyzing the situation, he was determined to fight. Although Lu Xiangsheng is simple, he is not stupid. He understands that if he wants to fight, he can't do it during the day. He can only go in the dark at night and attack at night. On that dark night, before the soldiers set off, he issued a military order that will go down in history: The knife must see blood!People will be hurt!The horse must be sweating!Offenders will be cut off! Taking advantage of the darkness, Lu Xiangsheng launched an attack towards the Qing army camp.

The attack was very smooth, but the Qing army did not take precautions and suffered heavy losses. Just when the battle was going on smoothly, Lu Xiangsheng suddenly discovered a serious problem. His rear is gone. According to the agreement, after the front army attacked, the rear army should follow up as soon as possible. However, he waited for a long time, but he did not see the rear army. Come here, it will be difficult to handle, in desperation, can only lead the former army to retreat. When Lu Xiangsheng decided to attack at night, Gao Qiqian was there. As a military eunuch, Gao Qiqian did not express strong objection, he just said that the journey is long and it is difficult to succeed, but Lu Xiangsheng insisted, so he did not say anything.

But this person is not only a shady person (eunuch), but also a shady character. He secretly transferred Lu Xiangsheng's troops away, making Governor Lu busy for a long time. Lu Xiangsheng, who had almost risked his life, was furious. Knowing that Gao Qiqian had caused trouble, he was extremely angry, and immediately went to find Yang Sichang. This action fully shows that although Governor Lu is simple, he has a good head. He knows that Gao Qiqian is the eunuch next to the emperor, and he is low-educated, so he can't reason. From Yang Sichang's point of view, Lu Xiangsheng was a dead-headed person who didn't understand, so when they met, he gave Lu Xiangsheng an ideological education class, telling him that negotiating peace is an expedient measure, great and glorious.

Lu Xiangsheng only said one word, and Yang Sichang shut up. This sentence also tells us that the pure Lu Xiangsheng sometimes seems not pure. "I hold Shangfang's sword in my hand, and I have a heavy responsibility. If a peace is negotiated, Yuan Chonghuan's fate will be my turn!" The biggest failure of Yuan Chonghuan in his life is that he doesn't talk about politics. In comparison, Lu Xiangsheng has made great progress. Nine years ago, he witnessed Yuan Chonghuan's end in Beijing.That scene left an indelible impression on his heart.He knew very well that if the peace was negotiated, and the gang of officials in Chaoli said a few words, the charges of traitor and traitor would definitely not go away.

It is better to die on the battlefield than to die on the execution ground, he made up his mind. Yang Sichang was also anxious, and immediately shouted: If you want to say that, kill me with Shang Fang's sword! Lu Xiangsheng did not show any weakness: If you want to kill, you will also kill me. What does it matter to you?Now, I just want to serve my country with all my might! Yang Sichang was silent, he understood that this was Lu Xiangsheng's last choice. Lu Xiangsheng wanted to serve the country, but what was more spoofed was that Chongzhen refused. In fact, Lu Xiangsheng's analysis of the situation was very accurate. Because the night attack failed, the officials in the court who were full and had nothing to do were preparing to impeach him, and rumors of traitors and internal traitors began to spread. , I guess he was pulled out a long time ago.

What's more troublesome is that Chongzhen is also angry, because since Lu Xiang was promoted to office, the Qing army is still arrogant, and many cities have been captured, and they plan to use them for personal use. At this time, a man named Liu Yuliang stepped forward and said, I will go. Liu Yuliang, the chief assistant of the cabinet at that time, and an important minister of the court, couldn't bear to see such a national crisis, and was extremely excited, so he stood up. Chongzhen was very happy, and praised Lord Liu greatly. When the emperor was happy, Lord Liu finally said the second half of the sentence: I will go to the military parade. Chongzhen felt very depressed, he finally stood up, and he was so excited that he was teasing me? In fact, it's not Liu Shoufu's fault. After all, he has never fought a war. He gets excited occasionally and serves the country with his own body. When the excitement is over, he goes home to sleep. It's just a misunderstanding. But Chongzhen was angry, and the result of his anger was that he decided to make Liu Shoufu excited to the end, and he must go to supervise the teacher. At the critical moment, Yang Sichang stepped forward. The reason why Yang Sichang came to the fore was not because he had any friendship with Liu Shoufu, but because Liu Shoufu was too poor and unqualified. Let this person lead the soldiers. It would be nothing if he died, but it is a pity that the soldiers were lost. So he suggested to the emperor that Liu Shoufu should let him go back.Currently in the capital, there is only one person who can be a supervisor. Chongzhen knew who this person was, but he didn't want to use it. Yang Sichang insisted that this was the only candidate. Chongzhen finally agreed. Three days later, Lu Xiangsheng took office again. At this time, the momentum of the Qing army had reached its apex, conquering cities one after another, and the situation was very critical. However, Lu Xiangsheng did not act, and he still stood still. Because at this moment, there were only 5,000 people under his command, Yang Sichang was reasonable, but Gao Qiqian didn't talk about it, and people were shady to the end, and most of the main force was transferred away, leaving only these people. Fighting, can only be a dead end, Lu Xiangsheng hesitated. At this moment, he got a piece of news—Gao Yang had fallen. Gaoyang, located in Zhili (now Hebei), is a small county with no soldiers and no money. However, the fall of this county shocked everyone. Because there is a retired cadre who lives in the county seat, and his name is Sun Chengzong. He trained Yuan Chonghuan, built the Guanning line of defense, blocked the Qing army for decades, and made Nurhachi (including Huang Taiji) die without being able to move.No matter how you look at it, it's interesting enough. Efforts, talents, strategies, talents, this unparalleled genius has dedicated everything, however, he will finally carry out the oath of serving the country to the last moment of his life. When the Qing army attacked, Sun Chengzong was seventy-six years old. There were no defenders, no generals, and no food and grass in the city. Obviously, the Qing army knew who lived here, so they did not attack. They sent envoys, patiently persuaded them to surrender, and did the ideological work of the other party. It can be said that they gave enough face to this super talented person. As for Sun Chengzong's attitude, on the day the Qing army arrived, he took his family of more than 20 people to the city wall and began to stand firm. Inspired by it, none of the thousands of people in the city fled and prepared to meet the enemy. Every time I see this place, I will think of Huang Daozhou, Lu Xiangsheng later, and these stubborn people, just like the line in the movie Assembly, after the hero sighed after learning the news of the death of his comrades in arms : Those who came out of the old eighth district's teaching team counted as one, and they were all fucking determined. Huang Daozhou and Sun Chengzong probably didn't come from the coaching team, but they were indeed stubborn. This kind of obsession, the special title in history, is called integrity. The disappointed Qing army launched an attack. After holding on for a few days, Gaoyang fell and Sun Chengzong was captured. The Qing army gave this prisoner a high courtesy, hoping that he would surrender. Of course, they also knew that this was basically impossible. So after being rejected, they were not surprised, they just started discussing how to deal with this person. According to the usual rules, it should be pushed out to kill, to fulfill the loyalty of the other party, such as Wen Tianxiang, etc., all do this. However, the Qing army seemed to worship this old opponent who had tortured them for decades to the extreme, so they decided to give him the right to commit suicide. Sun Chengzong accepted the respect of the enemy, he straightened his clothes, kowtowed to the north, and then committed suicide. This is the festival. The news spread quickly, and the whole country was in grief. On December 20, the eleventh year of Chongzhen (1638), Lu Xiangsheng, who heard about this, finally made up his mind. Before that, he had ordered many times, hoping that Gao Qiqian's troops would move closer to him and join forces to fight against the Qing army, but Gao Qiqian ignored it.And from Yang Sichang, he learned that he would no longer be able to receive any support.He was extremely short of food and grass, and his army was only five thousand, almost out of ammunition and food. The main force of the Qing army was just in front of his station, and its strength was ten times that of his, and it was sharp. After understanding the situation before him, Lu Xiangsheng walked out of the camp. Like Sun Chengzong, he kowtowed to the north. Then he summoned all his men and addressed them as follows: I have fought for many years, experienced dozens of battles, without a single defeat. Today I am out of ammunition and food, and the enemy is outnumbered, but I have made up my mind to go to war tomorrow. I hope that those who fight will follow, and those who are willing to leave will stay. I only want to serve the country with death. Survive! On December 21st, Lu Xiang promoted 5,000 people and marched forward. All his troops followed, and no one stayed behind. When he set off, Lu Xiangsheng was wearing filial piety, which meant that he did not intend to come back alive. When advancing to Julu, they encountered the main force of the Qing army, and the battle began. The number of Qing troops is still unclear. According to historical data, at least 30,000 people surrounded Lu Xiangsheng's troops. In the face of powerful enemies, Lu Xiangsheng has no fear.He lined up to meet the enemy and started a deadly battle with the Qing army. The two sides fought from morning to afternoon. When the day was approaching night, Lu Xiangsheng understood that the defeat was doomed. His artillery and arrows have all been exhausted, and there are not many troops left. But he still brandished his saber and continued to fight, for his final choice. Then, the historical materials compiled by the officials of the Qing Dynasty tell us that he was very tenacious, he was hit with four arrows and three knives, and he still fought hard.He was also very brave. He killed dozens of Qing soldiers by himself. But he died anyway, died of exhaustion, and died of serving his country faithfully. I believe that many people don't know that although Lu Xiangsheng was high and powerful, he was very young. He had just turned forty when he died. When he died, a soldier beside him fell on his body in order to keep his body, and died of twenty-four arrows in his body. All of the thousands of people under his command died in battle, except for a very small number. I repeat, this is integrity. Among the generals in the late Ming Dynasty, Lu Xiangsheng was a very special person. Although he led the army in troubled times, he did not disturb the people, did not corrupt, was honest and self-disciplined, adhered to principles, and never compromised. There is a cloud of the mean: A country with Tao will remain unchanged until death. No matter how chaotic the world is, stick to your beliefs. I admire such people. I remember not long ago, when I went to a CCTV dialogue program for an interview, the audience asked the audience to stand up and said, I have always liked reading your books, but recently I discovered a problem. what is the problem? I liked to read it before because the history you wrote is very humorous and optimistic, but recently I found that you are getting more and more wrong. How can it be getting worse and worse? Yes, to be honest, I didn’t expect this to happen. I should change it. For example, Chongzhen did not kill Yuan Chonghuan. When Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne, he died of a heart attack. In a few days, he was killed by Xiaozhuang, and then the orphans and widows lived a stable life in Liaodong.After Li Zicheng entered the mountain forest, within a few days, due to the unacceptable water and soil, he also passed away. Then, the great Ming Dynasty finally lasted forever, and Chongzhen and his descendants lived happily ever after. Yes, now what I want to tell you is, the truth of history. History has never been humorous or optimistic, and as far as is known, there is no happy ending. The so-called history is what happened in the past. Its cruelty lies in that it cannot be changed no matter how you cry, mourn, suffer, cry, feel lonely or repent. It is not an opinion, nor is it an issue, it is a fact, a fait accompli, a fact that cannot be rescued even in the hospital. I feel that I am still a relatively honest person, so before the end is coming, I think I should tell you the truth. Objectively speaking, no matter what dynasty's history books, including the Ming Dynasty, will not make you feel Light-hearted, all along, it's not history that's humorous, it's just me. Although the ending may not be happy, the narration of history will continue, just like history itself, but in the spirit of serving the people, I will continue my expertise and continue with humor. I don’t guarantee that you will not feel uncomfortable, at least be happy. Just like in the past, the Qing army had no plans to garrison for a long time, and ran away after robbing things. I don’t know how to divide them when they go back, but the Ming Dynasty, which was robbed, would be miserable. First of all, the generals, Lu Xiangsheng died in battle, and Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou all went to Liaodong to defend the Qing army. As I said, this is tearing down the east wall to make up for the west wall. There is no way, the house will collapse if it is not demolished. The second is the strength of the soldiers. The soldiers who can fight, whether it is Hong Bing or Qin Bing, have been transferred to Liaodong. So the final result is that the east wall was repaired and the west wall collapsed. Speaking of the word Huyou, it has become very popular in recent years. Once when I was chatting with someone, when I mentioned this word, I suddenly thought that if one day, this word rushed out of the northeast and went to the world, how to explain it in English, and then someone spoke, it should be Is a cheat (deception). I thought about it for a while and thought it was right, but it should not be so simple. After all, such a vivid word should have a vivid translation. After thinking hard, I found a more appropriate translation: here and there. Looking back on the past ten years, since I started learning English, I have translated no less than two English articles. Although the number of words is relatively small (about 300 words), looking back on my short translation life, I think this word is the most appropriate. The inspiration for this word mainly comes from Mr. Xiong Wencan.As a senior official with no military force and no experience, his main weapon is to look here first, and then look there, which is pure deception. But it is commendable that his deception is very effective. When he was in Fujian, he only had a few soldiers under him, and there was a group of pirates on the opposite side. Without further ado, he first found Zheng Zhilong, and he went to him every now and then. So later some officials impeached him, saying that he was begging for a thief), invited guests and gave gifts, repeatedly recruited him, and finally recruited Zheng Zhilong. Although it later proved that Mr. Zheng was unreliable, at the time, it was definitely enough. Later, with the help of Mr. Zheng, he killed the pirate Liu Xiang who refused to surrender, and calmed down the sea chaos. This kind of karate business, Mr. Xiong is probably addicted to it, so when Zhong Yuan took office, he also played the same trick, first here recruited Liu Guoneng, and then used Liu Guoneng, there recruited Zhang Xianzhong, here and there, no money Business, very smart. But there is a problem with this kind of business, because Mr. Xiong himself does not have any strength, as long as here is not good, or there is not good, he will not be good. Zhang Xianzhong is a bad person. According to his habit, when he surrendered, he had to think for a long time before rebelling. So at the beginning, he refused to disarm. Of course, there is a saying that the reason why he refused to disarm is because he He thinks that he has committed a lot of crimes, so he wants to keep these guns and serve the court. Xiong Wencan was very happy, and praised him several times. Later, he was really short of soldiers, so he went to Zhang Xianzhong to ask for thousands of people to help him. The place where Zhang Xianzhong lives is in the Gucheng area of ​​Xiangfan today. His old man is here, and he is basically the county magistrate. He can do whatever he wants. He has to go around the county town every day. It is an inspection, and his soldiers have not stopped. , Practice hard every day. At the same time, County Magistrate Zhang also began to realize that his previous behavior was wrong. For example, every time he fought, he used brute force and seldom used his brains. The culture of the troops was too low and he had never read the art of war.In order to strengthen theoretical education and ensure a solid theoretical foundation for rebellion in the future, he recruited a scholar named Pan Duao to serve as his military adviser. Who is this Pan Duao? , Under the unified leadership of County Magistrate Zhang, the big and small leaders ran to attend classes. There were several courses, such as Sun Tzu's Art of War and so on.After the study, County Magistrate Zhang asked everyone to write down their learning experience, analyze and discuss it based on reality (such as how to fight after another rebellion), and the learning atmosphere was very strong. But the craziest thing he has ever done is the following thing. One day at the beginning of the twelfth year of Chongzhen (1639), Ruan Zhitian, the county magistrate of Gucheng, received a report that someone had come to Gucheng and was meeting with Zhang Xianzhong. Ruan County Magistrate's job was to monitor Zhang Xianzhong, and since he was quite conscientious, he sent someone to find out who came and what they talked about. Not long after, the man came back. He said what he talked about, but he didn't know much about it, but he recognized the man who came. who? Li Zicheng. Ruan Zhixian almost fainted. According to common sense, since he was defeated a year ago, Li Zicheng should have been hiding in the ravine and working hard, how could he come out?Still so swaggering to see Zhang Xianzhong. It was hard to imagine that this visitor was indeed Li Zicheng, and he came to Zhang Xianzhong for help. What is even more unexpected is that Li Zicheng stayed in Gucheng for a few days, and no one took care of him, and then walked away swaggeringly. In fact, it's not that no one cares, it's that there is no way to manage it. The reason why Zhang Xianzhong is arrogant is because he still has tens of thousands of people under his command. As I said, Mr. Xiong, his main ability is to fool here and there. What's more troublesome is that he also took Zhang Xianzhong's money. Among the many leaders of the peasant uprising at the end of Ming Dynasty, Zhang Touling was an anomaly in that he was not like a hero in the forest, but rather like a bureaucrat. For example, after he surrendered, he immediately began to give gifts without stopping. Starting from Xiong Wencan, he went to pay his respects several times a month, and he also likes to visit and connect with each other. Even the adults in the capital, he has not forgotten. He often sends people to give some filial piety, so every time there is something, he knows it earlier. In addition, County Magistrate Zhang is also very polite. According to some historical materials, when he went to meet the superior officials, he knelt down and was very thoughtful. With such a talent, he chose the wrong line to do this. There is an old saying that Sima Zhao's heart is well known to all passers-by, and County Magistrate Zhang's heart seems to be almost the same. From top to bottom, everyone knows that he will rebel, but it will be sooner or later. For example, Zuo Liangyu has written many times. Asked to deal with Zhang Xianzhong, as well as the magistrate of Ruan County, talked to Xiong Wencan several times, Mr. Xiong ignored him, and finally Mr. Ruan was so angry that he went home and committed suicide. In short, no matter who said Zhang Xianzhong wanted to rebel, Xiong Wencan said that it was impossible and Zhang Xianzhong would never rebel. In this regard, many historical materials have written vigorously, saying that Mr. Xiong is an idiot because of his IQ problem. I think saying this is a typical personal attack. Mr. Xiong can even fool around, so he is definitely not an idiot.The reason why he still didn't believe that Zhang Xianzhong would rebel was because he couldn't believe it. I believe that at this moment, Xiong Wencan's mind often had such a conversation. The time of the conversation was two years ago, when Mr. Xiong had just received the transfer order, before he was ready to take up the post with the consciousness of looking for death. The place of the dialogue is Mount Lu.The person who spoke was a monk named Kongyin. Xiong Wencan found Kongyin and seemed to be trying to tell a fortune, but before he could speak, the monk Kongyin said first: "You are wrong (public error)!" What is wrong? "You estimate, do you have soldiers who can deal with the bandits (the soldiers are enough to control the bandits to death)?" "cannot." "Is there any general who can command the overall situation and be in charge alone (is there any general who can be a major event, be in charge of one side, and not bother to command)?" "No." Depending on the context, the next sentence should be: Then what a fart you are! But Kongyin is a civilized person after all, so he used a more euphemistic way of saying it (it doesn’t seem to be too euphemistic): "You have neither, and the higher-ups (referring to the emperor) value you so much. Once you can't handle it, you will be beheaded!" Xiong Wencan was quite dizzy, and after waiting for a long time, he came up with a sentence: "Can you caress?" However, he answered blankly: "I'm sure you'll try to comfort me, but please remember, pirates are different from rogues, so you must be careful!" Although this conversation is rather mysterious, it comes from orthodox historical materials, not random notes, so the credibility is quite high. The so-called pirates mentioned by Kongyin refer to Zheng Zhilong, and there is no need to say more about the pirates. His meaning is very clear, Mr. Xiong, you can recruit those who are at sea, but you may not be able to recruit those who are on the ground. But the problem is, Mr. Xiong can only fool around, even if the sea, land and air come together, he can only recruit.In addition, he also took Zhang Xianzhong's money, no matter what, he had to stick to it. The result of holding on to death is holding on to death. The reason why Zhang Xianzhong surrendered was to avoid the limelight. Now that the limelight has passed, just in time for the Qing army to invade, the two giants, Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou, have both arrived in Liaodong. So, in May of the twelfth year of Chongzhen (1639), when Brother Chongzhen was cleaning up the mess of the Qing army's invasion, Zhang Xianzhong rebelled again and captured Gucheng. Ruan Zhitian, the county magistrate of Gucheng, is really good. Although he committed suicide by taking poison before, and he was rescued again, but when things came to an end, he was a bit of a scholar-bureaucrat. Zhang Xianzhong's army invaded the county, and everyone ran away. Don't run, not only don't run, just sit at home and wait, let him surrender, if he doesn't surrender, he will die. Obviously, Zhang Xianzhong was fully prepared for his army, because his first target was not the surrounding counties, but Cao Cao. Taking Cao Operation as his nickname is more appropriate for Luo Rucai. As one of the three leaders in the late Ming Dynasty, he is quite capable, extremely cunning in combat, and has elite subordinates. Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong must first recruit him before raising troops. Luo Rucai was very efficient, and he rebelled against Zhang Xianzhong as soon as he rebelled. He joined forces with Zhang Xianzhong and prepared to continue to struggle in a new job. By the way, the last thing Comrade Zhang Xianzhong did before leaving Gucheng was to post a notice. The content of the notice was a list, including the bribes he had given out over the past few years, the amount, and the names of the bribe recipients. Everything is clear and declared to the world. What should not be collected will eventually be paid back. I haven't seen that notice, so I guess Comrade Xiong Wencan's name should be among the best.But at this moment, bribery is a small problem, and malfeasance is a big problem. Xiong Wencan was quick to respond, and he was very lucky, because at that time, there were no more than five people in the world who could rival Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, and there was only one under his command. Among the many leaders, Zuo Liangyu hates and likes Zhang Xianzhong the most. He hates Zhang Xianzhong because he is too noisy. He likes Zhang Xianzhong because although he is noisy, he is easy to fight. He can become the chief soldier basically by beating Zhang Xianzhong. , as long as you meet him, you will definitely lose. So Zongbing Zuo resolutely decided that although Mr. Xiong is stupid, for Zhang Xianzhong's sake, he still wants to fight. A few days later, Zuo Liangyu led the army and encountered Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai near Xiangyang. The two sides fought fiercely and suffered a disastrous defeat—Zuo Liangyu. The so-called fiasco means that Zuo Liangyu took many people there, but only brought a few people back. The reason why he failed was because he was too arrogant and looked down on Zhang Xianzhong, so he was ambushed by someone. This failure also had two consequences: 1. Because Zuo Liangyu ran too embarrassingly, he lost his official seal, which was lost back then, and there was no way to reissue it, so Zuo Zongbing, who can't engrave official seals, was very depressed. Second, Xiong Wencan lost his official position, wandered across the sea for decades, and finally ignored himself. One month later, Chongzhen ordered Xiong Wencan to be removed from his post, and someone was found to replace him. He was arrested and imprisoned. One year later, he was beheaded. The person who replaced Xiong Wencan was Yang Sichang, and the person who arrested Xiong Wencan was Yang Sichang. If you remember, the person who recommended Xiong Wencan was Yang Sichang. From the beginning to the end, turn left, turn left, turn left, turn left, and the result is a circle. He knows that at this point, he has only one choice left. In September of the twelfth year of Chongzhen (1639), Yang Sichang set off for an expedition. In the history of the Ming Dynasty, among all the generals who went to war, he was probably the most powerful general. At that time, his position was a scholar of Dongge University. The emperor himself saw him off, and he had several drinks with him before sending him off. He hit the road. Chongzhen is a very excitable person, so excited that in more than ten years, he can change dozens of cabinet bachelors. In addition, he is very suspicious and it is difficult to trust others. And the only person he believed in, and always believed in, was Yang Sichang.In his opinion, this person is credible and reliable. A credible person may not be reliable. Yang Sichang was very moved by Chongzhen's love. According to historical data, he cried at that time, and cried very sadly, very moved, and expressed that he would definitely complete the task and live up to the expectations of the leaders. Of course, crying alone was not enough. After crying, he also asked Chongzhen for two things, one for himself: Shangfang's sword, and the other for Zuo Liangyu: the seal of General Pingzei. Then, Yang Sichang left the capital and out of Chongzhen's sight. Once he left, it was a farewell forever. In October of the twelfth year of Chongzhen (1639), when Yang Sichang arrived in Xiangyang, the first thing he did was hold a meeting.Attendees included the Governor General as well as all senior generals.Yang Sichang also repeatedly explained that everyone wanted to come and hold a rally of unity. Everyone came, and the meeting started. Yang Sichang's first sentence was to arrest Xiong Wencan, escort him back to Beijing, and execute him immediately. Then, he took out Shang Fang's sword. clear?This is a critique meeting. The governor dealt with it, and then the officers at all levels, as long as they didn't fight well and ran halfway, they were pulled out one by one to practice alone, and they were either beheaded or dismissed, or at least they were punished, except for one person—Zuo Liangyu. Zuo Liangyu was very flustered, because his crime was great and his defeat was too miserable. According to Mr. Yang's standards, he might have been pulled out immediately. But Yang Sichang never fixed him. He didn't call Zuo Liangyu's name until all the people were dealt with, and said, there is something for you. Zuo Liangyu was very excited, because what Yang Sichang promised to give him was the seal of General Pingzei. In the Ming Dynasty, the title of general was neither a position nor a rank. It was roughly equivalent to an honorary title. It should be said that it was the highest honor. In the Ming Dynasty, no more than fifty generals could be called generals. For Zuo Liangyu, the meaning is even more significant, because he lost the seal of the general army before. This kind of loss of the official seal is quite embarrassing and troublesome. There is no way to transfer troops with official documents. It is really interesting to send hot pot in the snow. Yang Sichang was extremely smart, according to Zuo Liangyu's record, even if he was cut off, it would be normal, but he knew very well that this man is the only one under his command who can fight, so he must win over.Hit someone with a big stick first, and then feed him with carrots, both kindness and majesty, naturally convinced. The effect was really good, Zuo Liangyu immediately expressed that he was willing to follow Mr. Yang, go through the water, go through the fire, go to the end. For Yang Sichang's arrival, Zhang Xianzhong was quite nervous, so nervous that he ran away as soon as Lord Yang arrived. Because he knew that Xiong Wencan was only fooling around, but Yang Sichang was serious and his career had just started, so he couldn't afford it. Zhang Xianzhong had enough judgment on the situation and enough understanding of his strength, but unfortunately, he couldn't run fast enough. Although he ran desperately, he couldn't run past Zuo Liangyu. The agitated Master Zuo ran wildly with enthusiasm, and finally stopped Zhang Xianzhong in Sichuan. The results of the battle showed that Zhang Xianzhong would not be able to fight face to face. In just one day, Zhang Xianzhong was defeated. The defeat was a complete mess. Nearly 10,000 people were killed and injured. His wife, children, and even the military adviser named Pan Duao were all arrested. Due to the terrible defeat and running too fast, Zhang Xianzhong even lost his personal weapon (big knife). Zuo Liangyu packed all these things away and gave them to Yang Sichang. When the news came, all the people rejoiced, and Yang Sichang was extremely happy. He immediately ordered Zuo Liangyu to follow and chase Zhang Xianzhong completely. Zuo Liangyu was still active, and immediately led his army to follow and attack Zhang Xianzhong. The situation is very good. More than ten days later, Mr. Zuo reported that he could not catch up and Zhang Xianzhong ran away. Yang Sichang was furious, he had hit this point, and even made people run away, what are they doing for food, what's going on? Zuo Liangyu replied: I am sick. According to Mr. Zuo, it was because he was not acclimatized to the environment after entering Sichuan, and as a result he contracted an illness and was unable to catch up, causing Zhang Xianzhong to run away. But according to some gossip, the thing is like this. During the pursuit, Zhang Xianzhong sent someone to find Zuo Liangyu, telling him to stop chasing me and let me run. As a result, Zuo Liangyu was persuaded and let him run away up. In Yang Sichang's view, the possibility of this statement is basically zero. After all, Zuo Liangyu and Zhang Xianzhong are old enemies, and Mr. Zuo has just been named a general, and he is on the verge of prosperity.Anyway, don't do it. Yet that is the truth. Zuo Liangyu was very proud, Zhang Xianzhong was down and out, Zuo Liangyu was rich, Zhang Xianzhong was poor, but Zhang Xianzhong did buy Zuo Liangyu without spending any money. He just asked someone to say a word to Zuo Liangyu. The general meaning of this sentence is that the reason why you are reused is because of me. Without me, would you still be so proud? The so-called raising bandits to protect oneself has been a well-known saying since ancient times. Once the enemy is wiped out, one must deal with one's own people. Although Zuo Liangyu is illiterate, she still understands this truth. However, it is absolutely impossible to convince Zuo Liangyu based on these words. After all, after so many years in the society, it is pure nonsense to try to get away with just one sentence. Zuo Liangyu let Zhang Xianzhong go because he had something to do. Because Zuo Liangyu has always had a problem - the problem of clean government.The problem of civil officials' integrity is generally corruption and bribery, while his problem of integrity is robbery. According to historical data, Zuo Liangyu's army discipline is relatively poor, and it is said that it is worse than some leaders. what a difference. For his above-mentioned actions, officials have impeached him many times. The court knows it well, Yang Sichang knows it, including himself. Now it is chaos. If there is peace and legal responsibility, he will be the first to squat. Therefore, he let Zhang Xianzhong go. This time Yang Sichang was miserable, he finally found an opportunity, but it was gone. In desperation, he had no choice but to lead his own troops into Sichuan to encircle and suppress Zhang Xianzhong. Ever since the pursuit of Zhang Xianzhong, Yang Sichang has never been at ease. You know, Zhang Xianzhong, an old man, was originally a guerrilla fighter, and he had been in Sichuan, and he was very familiar with the land. Sichuan has a complicated terrain. There is a mountain here, and a cave there. Master Yang could only sit down and look at the map, sweating profusely. After chasing him for more than half a year, there was no result. According to Zhang Xianzhong himself, Yang Sichang ran with him. When he was closest to him, it was three days away. 这是一首诗，一首打油诗，一首至今尚在的打油诗（估计很多人都听过），打油诗都能流传千古，可见其不凡功力，其文如下： 文采是说不上了，意义比较深刻，所谓邵巡抚，是指四川巡抚邵捷春，廖参军，是指监军廖大亨。据张献忠同志观察，这二位一个是经常来转转，一个是经常跟着他走，只有杨嗣昌死追，可是没追上。 这首诗告诉我们，杨嗣昌很孤独。 所有的人，都在应付差事，出工不出力，在黑暗中坚持前行的人，只有他而已。 在史书上，杨嗣昌是很嚣张的，闹腾这么多年，骂他的口水，如滔滔江水，延绵不绝，然而无论怎么弹劾，就是不倒。就算他明明干错了事，崇祯却依然支持他，哪怕打了败仗，别人都受处分，他还能升官。 当年我曾很不理解，现在我很理解。 他只是信任这个人，彻底地相信他，相信他能力挽狂澜，即使事实告诉他，这或许只能是个梦想。 毕竟在这个冷酷的世界上，能够彻底地相信一个人，是幸运的。 崇祯并没有看错人，杨嗣昌终将回报他的信任，用他的忠诚、努力，和生命。 崇祯十三年（1640）十二月，跟着张献忠转圈的杨嗣昌得到了一个令他惊讶消息：张献忠失踪。 对张献忠的失踪，杨嗣昌非常关心，多方查找，其实如张头领永远失踪，那也倒好，但考虑到他突遭意外（比如被外星人绑走）的几率不大，为防止他在某地突然出现，必须尽快找到这人，妥善处理。 张献忠去向哪里，杨嗣昌是没有把握，四川、河南、陕西、湖广，反正中国大，能藏人的地方多，钻到山沟里就没影，鬼才知道。 但张献忠不会去哪里，他还有把握，比如京城、比如襄阳。 京城就不必说了，路远坑深，要找死，也不会这么个死法。而襄阳，是杨嗣昌的大本营，重兵集结，无论如何，绝不可能。 下次再有人跟你说，某某事情绝无可能，建议你给他两下，把他打醒。 张献忠正在去襄阳的路上。 对张献忠而言，去襄阳是比较靠谱的，首先，杨嗣昌总跟着他跑，兵力比较空虚，其次，他的老婆孩子都关在襄阳，更重要的是，在襄阳，有一个人，可以置杨嗣昌于死地。 为了达到这个目的，他创造了跑路的新纪律，据说一晚上跑了三百多里，先锋部队就到了，但人数不多——十二个。 虽然襄阳的兵力很少，但十二个人估计还是打不下来的，张献忠虽然没文凭，但有常识，这种事情他是不会做的。 所以这十二个人的身份，并不是他的部下，而是杨嗣昌的传令兵。 他们穿着官军的衣服，趁夜混入了城，以后的故事，跟特洛伊木马计差不多，趁着夜半无人，出来放火（打是打不过的），城里就此一片浆糊，闹腾到天明，张献忠到了。 他攻下了襄阳，找到了自己的老婆孩子，就开始找那个能让杨嗣昌死的人。 找半天，找到了，这个人叫朱翊铭。 朱翊铭，襄王，万历皇帝的名字，是朱翊钧，光看名字就知道，他跟万历兄是同辈的，换句话说，他算是崇祯皇帝的爷爷。 但这位仁兄实在没有骨气，明明是皇帝的爷爷，见到了张献忠，竟然大喊：千岁爷爷饶命。 很诡异的是，张献忠同志非常和气，他礼貌地把襄王同志扶起来，让他坐好。 襄王很惊慌，他说，我的财宝都在这里，任你搬用，别客气。 张献忠笑了，他说，你有办法让我不搬吗？ 襄王想想也是，于是他又说，那你想要什么？ 张献忠又笑了：我要向你借一样东西。 what? 脑袋。 在杀死襄王的时，张献忠说：如果没有你的脑袋，杨嗣昌是死不了的。 此时的杨嗣昌，刚得知张献忠进入湖广，正心急火燎地往回赶，赶到半路，消息出来，出事了，襄阳被攻陷，襄王被杀。 此后的事情，按很多史料的说法，杨嗣昌非常惶恐，觉得崇祯不会饶他，害怕被追究领导责任，畏罪自杀。 我个人认为，这种说法很无聊。 如果是畏罪，按照杨嗣昌同志这些年的工作状况，败仗次数，阵亡人数，估计砍几个来回，都够了，他无需畏惧，只需要歉疚。 真实的状况是，很久以前，杨嗣昌就身患重病，据说连路都走不了，吃不下饭，睡不着觉，按照今天的标准，估计早就住进高干病房吊瓶了。 然而他依然坚持，不能行走，就骑马，吃不下，就少吃或不吃，矢志不移地追击张献忠。我重复一遍，这并非畏惧，而是责任。 许多年来，无论时局如何动荡，无论事态如何发展，无论旁人如何谩骂，弹劾，始终支持，保护，相信，相信我能挽回一切。 山崩地裂，不可动摇，人言可畏，不能移志，此即知己。 A scholar dies for his confidant. 所以当他得知襄王被杀时，他非常愧疚，愧疚于自己没有能够尽到责任，没有能够报答一个知己的信任。 一个身患重病的人，是经不起歉疚的，所以几天之后，他就死了，病重而亡。 他终究没能完成自己的承诺。 他做得或许不够好，却已足够多。 对于杨嗣昌的死，大致有两种态度，一种是当时的，一种是后来的，这两种态度，都可以用一个字来形容——活该。 当时的人认为，这样的一个人长期被皇帝信任，实在很不爽，应该死。 后来的人认为，他是刽子手，罪大恶极，应该死。 无论是当时的，还是后来的，我都不管，我只知道，我所看到的。 我所看到的，是一个人，在绝境之中，真诚，无条件信任另一个人，而那个人终究没有辜负他的信任。