Chapter 193: Bloody Battle at Daming Prefecture (V)
The military ministers were all smart people, with extraordinary knowledge and insight. They were even outstanding in the Qing system. With such people, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the end.
Zhang Tingyu rubbed his temples from time to time while reading the battle report. In the battle report, the Qing army ran on the battlefield like flying, fearless of death, attacking sharply and retreating decisively.
With such an outstanding performance, the Qing army should have won. The reason for the defeat was that Huo Chong was insidious and cunning, and equipped the bandit army with firearms and armor that were far more powerful than those of the official army.
No one knows which advisor wrote the battle report, but in the end, he used the words “strong armor and sharp guns” to summarize Huo Chong’s troops.
If the situation was really like this, Zhang Tingyu felt that Fu Erdan was hinting that the government troops would have to avoid Huo Chong's army in the future. Because Fu Erdan asked the court to select elite troops, prepare more artillery, and manufacture more muskets and armor to give Huo Chong a fatal blow.
After reading a passage, Ma Qi heaved a sigh of relief, which surprised the other ministers.
Old Thirteen sat next to Ma Qi and saw that passage through Ma Qi's eyes. Fuerdan saw "the Huo bandits were charging recklessly, so I ordered the Eight Banners Army to occupy the ferry and order all the troops to withdraw to the north of the Daqing River."
As a Manchu, Old Thirteen also breathed a sigh of relief. At least the casualties were all Green Camp troops, and many of the Green Camp commanders were Bannermen. However, there was still a huge gap between Bannermen and Manchus. At least Fuldan had the Manchus withdrawn first, and it was the Han people who were sent to die.
However, such a loss-cutting measure only made the Qing ruling class feel a little relieved, so Fuldan did not beg for his life. He said, "I should have committed suicide, but I have no face to see the fallen soldiers in the underworld. Please send a famous general to take over the army as soon as possible. And take me back to the capital and execute me and my wife together to uphold the law."
Old Thirteen could sense Fuldan's despair, but the so-called famous generals who followed Kangxi to pacify Sanfan in his early years had all died. Among those who showed their prowess in Kangxi's later years, Nian Gengyao was ordered to commit suicide, and Yue Zhongqi was imprisoned . Although Fuldan was defeated, it was not easy to find a general who could be recognized as a famous general.
The most important thing is that if someone is urgently found to replace Fuerdan, that person may not dare to fight. A general who avoids Huo Chong's troops cannot be called a famous general.
All the military ministers were worried about how to report to Yongzheng, who had already appeared at the door. The ministers knelt down to salute, but Yongzheng ignored them and just ordered the Thirteenth Master to bring the battle report.
Everyone watched anxiously as Yongzheng's face became increasingly ugly. They wanted to say something, but they couldn't say anything. Finally, the Thirteenth Elder spoke up, "Your Majesty, why don't you order me to take charge of the official army?"
"No." Yongzheng immediately rejected the Thirteenth Prince's request to fight.
The military ministers were relieved. At least Yongzheng did not scold Prince Yi. If Prince Yi was scolded, it would prove that Yongzheng was mad. How would a crazy Yongzheng treat his ministers? The ministers were terrified at the thought.
Just as he was thinking, he heard Yongzheng angrily say: "It was all Old Eight...Aqina who recommended Yue Zhongqi! Otherwise, how could there be such a great defeat! Fuerdan said that Huo Chong's subordinates were all wearing heavy armor. It must be that Yue Zhongqi threw away his armor when he was defeated, and Huo Chong picked it up!"
At this point, Yongzheng stood up and walked back and forth like a wounded wolf. After walking a few circles, Yongzheng shouted, "Is Aqinna still alive?"
If Huo Chong heard this, he would definitely agree. Huo Chong only occupied a few counties, and he could not get cotton for making cotton armor by relying on the production of these places.
There were many things beyond Huo Chong's reach, not just cotton. So, based on the principle that if we have nothing to eat and nothing to wear, the enemy will provide it for us. If we have no guns and no cannons, the enemy will make them for us, Huo Chong had already led his troops to the outskirts of Jinan before even cleaning up the battlefield. He released several prisoners again and ordered them to bring the news into the city. He asked Shandong Governor Saileng'e to recognize the situation and quickly hand over 200,000 kilograms of gunpowder.
Saileng'e's face turned pale. The situation had come to this point, and he was ready to die. So Saileng'e had already written a memorial fiercely criticizing Yue Zhongqi and Fu Erdan and sent it to the capital. Even if he died, he would not let these two guys have a good ending.
The other officials also looked gloomy. If they defended the city, they would be killed. If they escaped, they would also be killed. Faced with such a certain death, they were all at a loss.
The meeting started and ended in silence. After the meeting, Jiang Song left and then secretly returned. At other times, there would be many people who wanted to see Saileng'e or to entertain the Shandong governor. Jiang Song had no chance to get a number. At this time, he was summoned just to ask for an audience.
The next day, Saileng'e called the garrison Ding Miao and told him his plan. Since Jinan City could not be defended, they had to think of a way out. The best way was for the garrison to attack and lure Huo Chong away. The people in the city took the opportunity to transport important supplies out of the city. Ding Miao was given such an important responsibility.
"The Huo bandits are already so ferocious. If we let them seize the gunpowder, wouldn't it be even more difficult to control them? These gunpowder must be taken out of the city by Ding Shoubei Yun!" Saileng'e pointed out the important responsibilities that Ding Miao would have to undertake.
After hearing this order, Ding Miao was surprised and delighted. He was surprised that a garrison commander who was not valued could take on such an important task, and he was delighted that he could take the opportunity to escape from the city.
However, Ding Miao still didn't dare to believe it completely, and hurriedly asked: "Sir, why don't you rush out of the city with me? I will definitely protect you!"
Saileng'e looked bleak, "Captain Ding, the court has strict laws and regulations. Abandoning the duty of defending the territory is a capital crime! Even if I leave the city, I will only be impeached. The same goes for others. But I am unwilling to accept this! I am unwilling to let Huo Chong succeed like this! Even if I die, I can't let the gunpowder fall into Huo Chong's hands!"
Ding Miao was deeply moved by Saileng'e's decisive words. He simply knelt on one knee and saluted, "Please rest assured, sir. I will definitely escort them well and will not let the thief Huo get even a pound of gunpowder."
Seeing Ding Miao so determined, Sai Leng'e showed some emotion on his face. After thinking for a moment, he called two servants, "Shoubei Ding, these two are my confidants. They are not officials, and they did not leave Jinan City without permission. Please take them with you, and send them back to the capital after they escape, so that they can bring my news to their families."
Ding Miao quickly responded, "I will certainly live up to your trust."
The carts had been secretly prepared, and hundreds of thousands of pounds of gunpowder as well as some lead, copper, gold and silver in the city were loaded onto the carts.
Two days later, with the sound of a cannon, the defenders bravely rushed out of the city. Hearing the deafening shouts of killing, Ding Miao quietly left from the other side of the city gate. At this time, the city had long banned the people from going out, and the roads were empty, not to mention the shadows of people, not even the shadows of ghosts.
The convoy sped along the road towards the Daqing River. As they got farther and farther away from Jinan City, the shouts and cries of killing gradually faded. Ding Miao's heart was in his throat, but after walking for more than ten miles, he really didn't see Huo Chong's troops. Ding Miao was relieved and urged the convoy to speed up.
After walking a few miles further, they passed a mountain pass. As soon as the convoy entered, they heard the sound of horns, and then ambushes rose up in the dark, and surrounded the convoy amid shouts of killing.
The coachmen and soldiers escorting the transport were so frightened by the fact that they were surrounded that they fell to their knees, refusing to even try to resist.
Before leaving the city, Ding Miao had thought about being surrounded near Jinan City and had a strategy to deal with it. However, this place was far away from Jinan City, and he couldn't escape back, nor could he rush forward.
For a moment, Ding Miao felt hopeless. Then he heard two trusted servants beside him anxiously urging him, "Master Ding, let's surrender!"
Ding Miao had no intention of fighting, but the words of these two people greatly stimulated his sense of shame. A nameless anger rushed to his head, and Ding Miao suddenly became angry. If these filthy people fought back, Ding Miao would have a chance to escape and return to Jinan City.
However, before his commander surrendered, these filthy men surrendered instead. All along, the officers who fell into Huo Chong's hands were never found alive or dead, so how could he be good if he was caught!
With evil thoughts rising, Ding Miao suddenly took out his flint and started to make a fire. He was carrying gunpowder, which would explode if ignited. Even if he died, he would have to take someone with him.
"Master Ding, what are you doing?" A cry of surprise came from the servant of Saileng'e behind him.
While trying hard to light the fire, Ding Miao gritted his teeth and said, "If we're going to die, we're going to die together!"
The sparks from the flint finally ignited the fire, and at that moment, Ding Miao felt a sharp pain in his back. He looked at his chest again and saw a knife protruding from it.
In the excruciating pain, Saileng'e's trusted servants squatted down and pretended nothing had happened, allowing Huo Chong's men to come up and capture them.
Ding Miao had never expected that Saileng'e's servant was actually a traitor. It was no wonder that the government troops were defeated repeatedly when such a traitor lurked in the army. Ding Miao wanted to curse, but when he opened his mouth, blood spurted out of his mouth. With resentment and hatred, Ding Miao died soon.
A day later, Huo Chong's army lifted the siege on Jinan City. The troops left the capital of Shandong Province in an orderly manner, escorting a large amount of captured materials and heading towards Xiaoqing River.
Saileng'e listened to the reports of the two trusted servants, especially Huo Chong's statement that Ding Miao's men were all captured, and Governor Saileng'e breathed a sigh of relief. He was a little surprised in his heart, because Emperor Yongzheng had already given Huo Chong an evaluation that he could tell the truth and make lies the same.
This proved the emperor's insight. When Saileng'e listened to Jiang Song's advice and sent someone to contact Huo Chong, he didn't dare to really trust Huo Chong. He didn't expect Huo Chong to keep his promise, which was really unexpected.
Huo Chong not only withdrew his troops, but also did not kill or injure the Jinan defenders even when Seleng'e sent his troops to "go out of the city to fight". He also abided by the agreement and took Ding Miao's troops and his body away.
Although it was not foolproof, Seleng'e at least temporarily solved the crisis of being captured. As long as the city of Jinan was not lost, Seleng'e could survive. Only by surviving could there be a future.
However, Saileng'e still did not dare to be careless and continued to ask: "Did you do it cleanly?"
The servant quickly replied, "Master, before we came back, we had already picked out all the people who might have seen us taking action, and had Huo Chong's men kill them. It was done cleanly, and no one would see us."
Upon hearing this, Sai Leng'e, the governor of Shandong who was a Jinshi graduate, asked his servants to go down and write a memorial himself, describing how the defenders of Jinan fought bloody battles, repeatedly repelled the siege of Huo Chong, and held on to Daming Prefecture.
Such a whitewashing memorial would be easily seen through, but this is precisely the best way to protect oneself. Yes, since Saileng'e had made such a great military achievement, if he kept silent, it would arouse suspicion. And if he did not brag about himself in the memorial, it would make those who are interested suspicious.
And if Yongzheng really thought that Saileng'e was bragging, he would probably transfer Saileng'e back to the capital. That would be great! Now any reward would not be more substantial than removing Saileng'e from his post as governor of Shandong.
If Yongzheng was unwilling to expose Saileng'e's lies, he would have to admit it. Then no matter how others attacked Saileng'e, they would not be recognized. The secret fulfillment of Huo Chong's demands would naturally be covered up.
As for whether Jinan City really lacked 200,000 kilograms of gunpowder, it was the least important. Just find a reason, such as the continuous firing of cannons on the city walls, to explain where the gunpowder went. If a minister was not convinced, then he should be asked to defend the city himself. Based on Seleng'e's understanding of the Qing ministers, these people would not seek their own death.
When Saileng'e's memorial was sent to the capital, Yongzheng did not even expect that a private transaction with Huo Chong had actually taken place in the city of Jinan.
After confirming that Jinan City had not been lost and Huo Chong had withdrawn his troops, Yongzheng was quite confused. Why did Huo Chong let Jinan City go every time? What did Huo Chong want to do?
The ministers in the court gave many explanations, but the reasons were all strange and there was no way to explain it. Finally, during a private discussion, Yongzheng's 13th brother, Prince Yi, Yunxiang, remembered something and ordered someone to fetch the notice that Huo Chong had posted outside Jinan City. Yongzheng read it carefully several times and felt that this was the only explanation.
At this time, the previous ban was no longer in place in Jinan. There was nothing that could be done about it. The city gates had been closed for so long that even if there was food in the city, the people had no firewood to burn. We couldn't let the people drink spring water, chew raw rice, and swallow flour.
With the flow, merchants in Jinan also gathered. Because Feng Yukuan was invited, everyone let Feng Yukuan sit in the first seat.
Hearing the merchants express their doubts about Huo Chong's failure to take over Jinan City, Feng Yukuan smiled and said, "Everyone, Master Huo is a wise man. The government in the city is not well-received. If we lose the government, I'm afraid we will be even more miserable. Think about it, isn't it?"
Merchants are the most sensitive to crises, and they immediately understood what was going on. If the government was still there, at least peace should be maintained. Huo Chong had already issued a notice that although he could capture Jinan now, he could not defend it. In this case, there was no need to let the people in Jinan suffer from displacement. No matter how bad the order under the Qing government was, it was much better than letting Jinan become the target of the Qing government's wanton plunder.
"Mr. Feng, according to what you said, Mr. Huo is truly kind and righteous!" A businessman with a more straightforward personality sighed.
Even the most sinister businessman could not help but nod his head. From the perspective of a sophisticated egoist, he could understand Huo Chong's idea better. Since Jinan would be Huo Chong's possession sooner or later, there was no need to destroy the city of Jinan. If the city of Jinan was destroyed in the tug-of-war between Huo Chong and the imperial court, what good would it be for Huo Chong to get it?
Even the most calculating merchants acted like this, so the less shady merchants praised Huo Chong again. One of them said, "Master Feng, the city has been closed for so long, and all the goods have been sold out. I wonder if Master Huo can sell some goods to us, even if you raise the price a little."
Feng Yukuan immediately replied: "There are so many people who have done business with Master Huo, what do you mean by asking me?"
The merchants quickly apologized and expressed their regret for their careless behavior. Feng Yukuan then said, "Mr. Huo is a generous man. Everyone really used real money to buy things. Would Mr. Huo raise the price?"
Huo Chong did not expect Feng Yukuan to say this to the merchants in Jinan City, so shortly after returning from Jinan, Huo Chong, who was busy with the autumn harvest, learned that many merchants in Jinan had secretly sent people to buy goods. He was really puzzled.
At first, Huo Chong thought that the merchants were deliberately showing goodwill, so he ordered Wan Qian to send someone to investigate and ask what the merchants were trying to do. Then he forgot about it.
When Wan Qian came running over excitedly and submitted a report, Huo Chong was amused as he watched.
Huo Chong's products were good, so there was nothing strange about that. However, there was no shortage of money in Jinan recently. The defeated soldiers were killed, but the defenders of Jinan made a small fortune. Huo Chong threatened Jinan several times, and the defenders even gave up on themselves and started spending money recklessly.
Huo Chong originally thought that war and chaos would only lead to destruction, but he did not expect that despair would stimulate people's desire to consume. In addition, there was indeed a shortage of goods in Jinan City, and the merchants really wanted to curry favor with Huo Chong. Several reasons combined together, which made Huo Chong make a fortune.
Making money is not bad. Huo Chong immediately ordered the transportation of goods to trade with merchants, and also told the person in charge not to increase the price during the transaction. Many times, mutual trust is accumulated in this way.
But Huo Chong didn't care much about this little money. This was the second time he had taken charge of the autumn harvest, and Huo Chong was particularly concerned about it. Even without Huo Chong's initiation, many battalion commanders had already submitted requests from soldiers in their troops. Most of them wanted Huo Chong to help them vent their anger and take revenge.
Summoning the battalion commander, Huo Chong issued an order, "First pick out the cases of robbing men and bullying women, and solve them first."
Li Gengnian, the commander of the 40th Battalion, asked, "Sir, what did you do?"
Huo Chong responded: "Those who owe blood debts must make those landlords and bullies pay with their lives!"
The battalion commanders were all very happy, but Hu Yue still didn't quite believe it. "Sir, didn't you forbid us to attack the gentry who didn't rebel?"
Huo Chong didn't expect that Hu Yue had a good memory, so he laughed and said, "Haha, nonsense, you remember what you said at that time very clearly."
Hearing Huo Chong's joke about Hu Yue, all the battalion commanders laughed. Hu Yue was not angry, but continued to ask: "Sir, do you really want to deal with those gentry?"
