Chapter 136 Chang Yuchun's Thousand Cavalry Captures Bashu
Not only Song Yin, Zhu Tong and Liu Lian, but also the other first-term students of Yingtian Primary School on the ship have made some progress in civil and military affairs, but in terms of daily life, they are all first-class losers who can't even put on clothes without servants.
Although they live in the school dormitory, they have been attending school since they were young. The school is like a half-nursery, and there are always people to help them dress and comb their hair.
Chen Biao had no intention of teaching them how to live independently. He was just an ordinary enlightenment teacher, teaching these people knowledge and how to be a good person. Parents should teach them how to live.
These people will have servants to serve them in the future, so there is no need for me to do such futile work, which is thankless and useless. There is also no point in teaching them.
Chen Biao never expected that Zhu Yuanzhang would actually throw these people onto his boat, and their parents actually agreed.
What’s even more terrifying is that, except for the three “assistant teachers” Song Yin, Zhu Tong and Liu Lian, all the others followed him to Peking alone and in a very casual manner.
Chen Biao only learned about this after their ship had set sail. The students tried to give Chen Biao a surprise.
Chen Biao was not surprised, but extremely frightened: "Can't you bring a servant or book boy with you?"
The students all laughed.
Obviously, this group of people are very confident in their ability to live on their own. There are even a few students who are about the same age as Chen Chong, and they are all very confident.
What made Chen Biao even more desperate was that these naughty kids were so confident, and their parents had no idea what courage they had, but actually sent them here like this.
When this group of people first started school, the elders in their families often secretly wiped away their tears, stood on tiptoe outside the wall, and looked anxiously, feeling very worried.
Now I am going to Peking, to the northern battlefield. How can you feel at ease?
Even if you're confident the children are traveling with me, can you bring someone to take care of them?! Don't you have any idea of your children's ability to live on their own?!
There's no need to take exams to become a parent these days, and certainly not in ancient times. Clearly, the parents of these students have no clue what's going on.
Chang Mao , the youngest of the first group of students and the same age as his second brother Chen Xun, whispered, "Mr. Chen, my mother taught me how to take care of myself before I set out. Please don't worry."
The other students nodded as well.
Chen Biao gave a tired yet kind smile: "Oh, really? Have you learned to take care of yourself?"
The students nodded their heads vigorously, like chicks pecking at rice.
Chen Biao put away his smile and said expressionlessly, "Oh, I don't believe it."
Students: “…”
Chen Biao shook his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and said seriously, "Since you have decided to go to Peking, then you can add an extracurricular teaching session on the ship. If you pass the exam, you can stay in Peking. If you still fail the exam when the ship docks, you will return with the ship."
Chen Biao glanced at the students and said, "What do you think of Beiping? A city as prosperous as Yingtian? Perhaps it was so when it was still the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, but now it is the front line of the war between the Ming Dynasty and the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty. It is a battlefield! When you come to Beiping, you can either stay in the city and enjoy the good food and drink, or you can go to the battlefield!"
"I'm sure you've all heard from your parents about the cruelty and hardships of the battlefield. With your spoiled natures, can you really endure it?"
Chen Biao's eyes swept over the students who looked unconvinced again and sneered, "I don't believe you unless you prove it to me! Do you understand? Answer yes or no!"
The students shouted, “Yes!”
Chen Biao's lips curled up cruelly: "Good, you are very energetic. I will let you rest for another day today. From tomorrow on, I hope you will be as energetic as before."
The students answered enthusiastically, but they were nervous inside.
They have been Chen Biao's students for so many years, and they all know how unlucky they will be when Chen Biao shows this kind of smile.
But even if they understood, no one was willing to back down.
The students did not underestimate the difficulty of the new assessments added by Chen Biao. They just knew very well that if they quit this time, they would probably never be able to keep up with Mr. Chen's pace in the future.
Mr. Chen was only one year older than Chang Mao, the youngest among them. They did not expect to reach Mr. Chen's level, but as Mr. Chen's first batch of students, they had to keep up with him no matter how hard they tried, and stand where they could see his back.
Otherwise, how would they face their parents, classmates, and strangers?
Chen Biao glanced at Chen Chun and Chen Chun and said, "You guys go too."
Chen Chong and Chen Tan immediately said, "Yes!"
Then they ran into the line just like they were taking labor and military training classes at school.
Chen Gou'er stood up straight and stared at his brother with his big round eyes.
Look at me, look at me, brother, look at me!
Chen Biao asked, "Do you want to go too?"
Chen Gou'er nodded vigorously.
Chen Maoer whispered, "I, I want to go too. The doctor said I'm well now."
Chen Biao clenched his hands behind his back, then said with a stern face, "Then go."
Chen Gou'er and Chen Mao'er also followed their brothers' example and ran into the students' queue, standing at the very end.
The students were not surprised, because when Chen Biao was a teacher at Yingtian Primary School, he was about the same age as Chen Gou'er and Chen Mao'er; when Chen Chong and Chang Mao entered school, they were a year younger than them.
It was only because Chen Gou'er and Chen Mao'er were twins and were weaker than ordinary children that they did not start school early.
But this is Mr. Chen's younger brother. Chen Chun and Chen Chun have already proven how good they are as Chen Biao's younger brothers, and they will not look down on Chen Biao's two younger brothers who have not yet enrolled in school.
Yes, that's right. Chen Chun and Chen Jin quarreled at home, saying they'd "fall asleep as soon as they started studying," acting like they were just poor students. In reality, they both topped the final exams in both literature and martial arts, consistently placing in the top five overall.
These two little guys are always chased after by Chen Biao at home and asked to study. Once they get to school, no, it should be said that once they get to a place where Chen Biao can't see them, they study hard.
Chen Biao knew this, but he let them play around and said with a stern face, following their thoughts, "Although you are very smart and can be among the best without much study, shouldn't you work harder? Hey, don't run!"
Chen Chong and Chen Chong also knew that they could not hide the fact that they were secretly studying, whether at home or at school, but they also tacitly maintained the chaotic daily life of the "naughty younger brother" and the "worrying older brother" with Chen Biao.
Zhu Yuanzhang racked his brains but couldn't figure out what kind of brotherly understanding this was.
Chen Gou'er and Chen Mao'er had planned to enroll in school next year. Chen Gou'er had already challenged his brothers to a higher ranking than his second and third brothers in any exam.
Chen Chong and Chen Tan just rolled their eyes at this.
We're not even in the same grade, so feel free to do as you please. If I give you one more look, I lose!
Chen Biao scolded them a few more times, told them some things to prepare, and then let them go and play for another day. The real "military training" hell would begin tomorrow.
Then, he quickly wrote a letter to Zhu Yuanzhang and his biological father. He complained about Zhu Yuanzhang, and in a childish tone accused Zhu Yuanzhang of his sinister intentions in asking him to take care of the child; he also complained about his biological father, asking why his biological father didn't stop the lord, and whether he really wanted to see his son being a nanny to someone else!
"Also! Dog and Cat have officially started school. Hurry up and give your brothers some official names! I don't care if you can think of a good name or not, just pick one first! They can't go to school and still be called Dog and Cat! Hurry!"
Zhu Yuanzhang unfolded the two letters and wondered, "Why does Biaoer look so angry? Isn't it a good thing that I sent so many people to him? I'm just worried that he'll get tired."
Chang Yuchun, who had finally returned to Yingtian, looked at his lord who was asking him for help with a puzzled look on his face, and opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer.
If it were Xu Da, he would have asked Zhu Yuanzhang in a sarcastic tone, "Boss, are you sure you are sending manpower and not trouble?"
Chang Yuchun respected Zhu Yuanzhang very much. Even though Zhu Yuanzhang always asked him to stay in the rear and did not take him with him on the Northern Expedition, he would not speak to him in such a disrespectful manner.
Chang Yuchun thought for a moment, trying to organize his words. He then said tactfully, "New recruits with no experience are difficult to lead. Besides, this is their first time traveling far away from home, so they might not be able to adapt to the local climate. It's normal for the prince to be worried."
Zhu Yuanzhang was even more puzzled: "Didn't you send these people voluntarily? Can you blame Biao'er if something goes wrong?"
Chang Yuchun was speechless. My Lord, do you really not understand, or are you just pretending not to understand? Even if I knew there was danger, even if I couldn't bear to let them go, the first batch of students from the Crown Prince were all going to Peking. Who would be willing to quit midway? If someone quit midway, would they still be able to hold their heads up high in the future?
Chang Yuchun could only say more tactfully, "Of course I don't blame you. But the prince is kind, so I'm afraid he'll blame himself."
Zhu Yuanzhang was convinced: "That's right. Really, Biao'er thinks too much. Why is he scolding me as his father? He has no respect for his elders and is unfilial!"
Chang Yuchun: "..." He finally understood why his colleagues who knew Biao'er's identity were becoming more and more respectful to him.
Biaoer has a really hard time having such a father.
Zhu Yuanzhang took advantage of his son's absence to mutter a lot of bad things about him, showing his authority as a father. Then he pulled his beard and said worriedly: "Biao'er seems really angry. What should I do?"
Chang Yuchun: "..." He really didn't want to stand here anymore. Why did he have to come to report at this time? Just in time for Biao'er's letter?
Chang Yuchun tried hard to maintain the expression of a stern-faced general and said, "The prince is just complaining. If a young son acts like a spoiled child to his father, the lord only needs to coax him and the prince will not be angry anymore."
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed. "I didn't expect that someone like you who is often away from home would have such an experience. You're right. How could Biao'er be angry with his own father? It was Prince Ming who caused him trouble, not me! I will scold Prince Ming with him, and he will surely calm down."
Chang Yuchun once again made a sound of “…” in his heart.
He didn't know whether he should complain, "My lord, you know that I was sent by you to run around every city in the rear area, and it was difficult for me to go home", or "My lord, you put all the blame on the 'Ming Wang'. Have you thought about how to face Biao'er after your identity is exposed?"
But he didn't dare to complain about anything.
This wasn't just because Chang Yuchun was very cautious in his treatment of Zhu Yuanzhang, unlike his colleagues who would start complaining about "Chen Guorui." Chang Yuchun was more worried that his lord would say something "shocking" that would cause him to slip into the trap of "disrespecting Chen Guorui."
Even Kang Maocai, an "outsider" who accidentally sneaked into the core circle, gradually showed a downward trend. The power of "Chen Guorui" was too terrifying.
Zhu Yuanzhang thought he had found a solution and asked another question: "Boren, how could you name your son right after he was born? Don't you ever run out of good names?"
Chang Yuchun said, "According to the generation, find an auspicious word, and then find a fortune teller to calculate whether it is suitable for your destiny. It's not difficult to choose."
Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard and sighed, "It's possible to do this for one person, but it's not easy to do it for many people."
Chang Yuchun was puzzled.
The lord currently has only three sons who haven't been named. Besides the two legitimate youngest sons nicknamed Gou'er and Mao'er, there's only one illegitimate son still in swaddling clothes. Not to mention that Biao'er only asked the lord to name his two younger brothers, even naming all three sons shouldn't be too difficult, right?
Zhu Yuanzhang began to explain why he had not thought of a name for several years.
After Zhu Yuanzhang finished explaining, Chang Yuchun tried to escape through the window.
He was worried that if he didn't find an excuse to leave quickly, he would inevitably give his colleagues the same look as his colleagues, saying, "My lord, shouldn't you see a doctor?"
Listen to what his master said. The master said that when he chose a name, he wanted to give all the generation names of his descendants at once, so he had been thinking for several years but couldn't come up with a good name.
Chang Yuchun didn't know how to answer.
Yes, it's normal to think for years without coming up with a good name. Because the lord wants to choose good names for his descendants.
What a fart! My Lord, do you have a brain...
Chang Yuchun suppressed the rebellious thoughts in his heart and said with a straight face, "It is indeed difficult. But what the prince said makes sense. It is indeed inappropriate for the lord's youngest son to enter school without a name. I have heard that some scholars first give their children a courtesy name during their initiation, and then give them a given name. If the lord really cannot think of a name, you can first give them a different courtesy name and then change it later."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. "As expected of Boren, he's really smart and makes sense! I'll let Biaoer pick out some random characters for his brother to use!"
Chang Yuchun: “?”
Chang Yuchun thought he hadn't explained clearly: "My Lord, the Crown Prince wants you to marry..."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I'm busy with all sorts of things every day, how can I have time to think about this?"
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was named as the deposed emperor, started to give in and put the blame on Chen Biao.
Not to mention that after Chen Biao received the reply letter from his father, he jumped onto a stool, held the letter high, and slammed the letter hard on the table.
Chang Yuchun quickly found an excuse to leave, no longer wanting to stay here and listen to his lord's nonsense.
He was worried that if he continued to listen, he would either be chopped to pieces by his lord who wanted to cut off his black history, or be chopped to pieces by the prince who was angry after knowing the truth.
Being a confidant wasn't easy. Why had he wanted to be among them in the first place? Wouldn't it be better to be a marginal figure?
After Zhu Yuanzhang had dealt with the matter of perfunctorily appeasing his beloved son, he smiled and had the tea replaced. He stopped Chang Yuchun who was trying to leave and got back to business: "I said that when I went north to fight, you should go south to attack Sichuan when you had the chance. I didn't expect that you actually used such a small number of people to take over Bashu. You are worthy of being called Chang Shiwan."
Chang Yuchun immediately said modestly, "When Ming Yuzhen was seriously ill, he knew his son was too young to defend Bashu, so he offered to surrender."
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "I've dealt with Ming Yuzhen before. He's quite conceited. If you hadn't forced him into a desperate situation without leading a large army, he wouldn't have considered surrendering, even at the cost of his life. You've made great contributions, so there's no need to shirk responsibility. Besides, although his son offered to surrender, wasn't he held hostage by Wu Youren? You conquered Bashu."
Ming Yuzhen's son Mingsheng was the same age as Zhu Yuanzhang's son Chen Chong.
Although Chen Biao was able to shoulder important responsibilities at an early age, most people at his age were still children, not even able to recognize all the characters. Ming Sheng was also an ignorant child, and it was impossible for him to inherit Ming Yuzhen's political legacy.
Seeing that Chang Yuchun was able to gradually erode her territory without a large army, Ming Yuzhen finally came to her senses before her death and asked her son to surrender to Zhu Yuanzhang immediately after he ascended the throne.
In fact, if he had surrendered when he was seriously ill, his family would have received better treatment in the future. However, Ming Yuzhen was so broad-minded that he was lucky enough to surrender. He did not want to be the "king of a fallen country", so he pushed everything onto his son.
Ming Yuzhen's wife, Madam Peng, was a shrewd woman. She knew her son had a chance of survival if he surrendered to Zhu Yuanzhang, but if he continued to be the so-called "Emperor of Great Xia," he would probably die at the hands of the warlords vying for power in Great Xia. So, when the funeral was announced, she immediately sent someone to invite Chang Yuchun to "invite the heavenly troops into the pass."
Unfortunately, after Ming Yuzhen's death, the young Mingsheng was unable to control the people around him. Someone immediately informed Wu Youren, the most powerful warlord under Ming Yuzhen. Wu Youren then entered Chengdu to "support the king", took Mingsheng hostage, and ordered the army to go to war with Chang Yuchun.
Although the generals under Ming Yuzhen's command did not necessarily obey Ming Sheng, they would rather respect Ming Yuzhen's son as a puppet emperor than the warlords of the same level as themselves. After all, it was legitimate and convincing.
Zhu Yuanzhang had almost conquered the Central Plains, and he saw that as long as he could wipe out Zhang Shicheng, he could take action against them. They would either surrender to the Yuan Dynasty and ask for help, or surrender to the Ming Dynasty.
Compared with the Yuan Dynasty, Ming Yuzhen's subordinates, who originally belonged to the Red Turban Army, were of course more willing to surrender to Zhu Yuanzhang, as they would definitely be able to move to another place to live a good life in the future.
The Yuan Dynasty's capital was occupied by Zhu Yuanzhang, and the crown prince was fighting a desperate battle in Gansu. Even if they were stupid, they did not think that the Yuan Dynasty would help them resist Zhu Yuanzhang if they surrendered.
When Chang Yuchun received the secret letter of surrender, he immediately led more than a thousand bannermen and set off for Chengdu, hoping to meet the young emperor of Mingxia before the Mingxia generals entered Chengdu.
Unexpectedly, he was still a step late.
But being a step late was not a big problem. Wu Youren's obstruction was ineffective, and there were more people surrendering than those who tried to stop him.
But the most important thing is not the people who surrendered, but the common people of Bashu.
Chang Yuchun had already gained a good reputation for his benevolence in Bashu, and the people of Bashu were waiting for Chang Yuchun to come and save them from suffering.
When Chang Yuchun came to take over Mingxia's territory with Mingsheng's surrender edict, the last trace of worry about Mingxia's revenge disappeared in the hearts of the people of Bashu, and they immediately welcomed the Ming army.
Wu Youren believed that Bashu had natural defenses and could be defended for a long time.
But he didn't expect that as soon as he cut the iron chain and wooden bridge, his soldiers notified the nearby people and secretly led Chang Yuchun to bypass the chasm through the mountain path.
Seeing this opportunity, Chang Yuchun made up his mind and led more than a thousand cavalrymen to march straight into Chengdu. He took the risk and relied on the guidance of his fellow villagers from Bashu to lead a surprise force directly into Chengdu.
When Chang Yuchun arrived in Chengdu unimpeded, Wu Youren stationed his troops at various natural passes, waiting for a head-on battle with Chang Yuchun.
Wu Youren looked tough, but Chang Yuchun suddenly appeared in Chengdu City - the gates of Chengdu were also opened by the people and soldiers guarding the city. Chang Yuchun did not encounter any resistance and was directly led to the palace by the people in the city. His knees immediately went weak and he surrendered immediately.
Wu Youren, the most determined general who fought against the Ming and surrendered to the Yuan, had surrendered. Chang Yuchun had already accepted Ming Sheng's surrender in public in Chengdu. The other Bashu generals were defeated and surrendered quickly, fearing that if they surrendered a step later, they would lose less "merit and benefits" of surrendering than others.
Chang Yuchun could only say that this was the easiest battle he had ever fought, and the hardship was only in the journey. He was embarrassed to boast about his great military achievements.
Chang Yuchun said: "The credit does not belong to me, nor to the surrendered generals, but to the people of Bashu."
After hearing Chang Yuchun's description, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily. After that, he sighed and said, "It's on the people."
Chang Yuchun nodded: "Well, the people who made the greatest contribution this time are the ordinary people of Bashu."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "After the founding of the country next year, I will first exempt the people of Bashu from taxes for three years."
Chang Yuchun immediately stood up and knelt: "Thank you, my lord!"
Zhu Yuanzhang helped Chang Yuchun up and said, "Why thank you? They deserve rewards for their contributions. This is what they deserve. Boren, do you still blame me for leaving you behind?"
After this battle, Chang Boren should understand my painstaking efforts, Zhu Yuanzhang thought with a sigh.
Chang Yuchun said frankly, "If the Lord hadn't sent me to the rear, I might have been like the other generals in this Northern Expedition. While on my way, I was stunned to hear that the Crown Prince led tens of thousands of men and easily captured Dadu in a day or two, leaving me with nothing to catch up with. So this time, it's better to stay in the rear. Fortunately, I didn't go."
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment, then laughed so hard he couldn't straighten his back. "You, that's exactly what happened. You didn't get to go to the Northern Expedition, but you made a great contribution. Those generals who went to the Northern Expedition got nothing, and they all blamed me for letting Biaoer lead the vanguard."
Chang Yuchun said sternly, "My Lord, when you plan to send the Crown Prince on an expedition, either let me lead the vanguard or assign me to another position. The Crown Prince has great luck and talent. If I go with the Crown Prince, but not on his side, I'm afraid I'll have little chance of achieving any merit."
Zhu Yuanzhang was grinning from ear to ear. He patted Chang Yuchun on the shoulder and said, "Not really, not really. Just don't let Biaoer be the vanguard next time. This is Xu Da's fault. Who knows what was going on in his head to let Biaoer be the vanguard? I've already scolded him."
Chang Yuchun didn't respond.
He appears to be rough and upright, but in fact he has a smooth temperament. He would not follow his lord's words and say bad things about Xu Da, thus making enemies with him.
Zhu Yuanzhang knew Chang Yuchun's character and did not continue to complain about Xu Da.
He continued, "I'm not talking about this Northern Expedition. I'm saying, 'Are you really not resentful that I placed you in the rear and didn't let you lead the troops in battle?'"
Chang Yuchun was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "I definitely don't blame you. My current reputation and achievements are probably greater than fighting on the front lines."
Zhu Yuanzhang said with relief: "I'm glad you understand."
Chang Yuchun's face darkened. "But I still want to be a pioneer! Lord! Let me return to the front lines! I don't want to farm anymore, and I don't want to be a civil servant anymore!"
Zhu Yuanzhang: “…” He was a little speechless.
