Chapter 102: Great Battle in the Capital (Part 2)
PS: The explanation for why there are so many generals and servants in the noble mansion in Beijing that can't stop the rogue bandits from looting: Even though these people are better at fighting, they are only bodyguards after all, and they only guard the mansions of each family. Not only are the troops scattered , and it cannot be nailed down. The rogue bandits can concentrate their forces at any time, and usually spread out to plunder everywhere. When they encounter a tough target (a mansion with many bodyguards), they will call people everywhere to kill people, or even pull up a cannon to blast the door.
Moreover, even if the defense of a certain mansion is strong and cannot be attacked for a long time, so that the rogue bandits give up and turn to other easy-to-attack prey, the soldiers guarding the mansion will not come out to attack, but will only continue Huddle inside, just care about the snow in front of your own door, and don't care about the frost on other people's tiles.
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North Zhili, Shuntian Prefecture, Wuqing County, the imperial camp of Emperor Taiji of the Later Jin Dynasty
The grassy fields were dotted with tents, and countless bright flags fluttered in the wind like colorful clouds.
Hundreds of horn horns blew a long and rough sound. Along with the large group of mules and horses that carried the baggage, Huang Taiji led two yellow flag elite soldiers in triumph from Baoding Prefecture, preparing to attack the biggest goal of the southern expedition to the pass - —Beijing, personally directing the final blow.
In the past, because of the ruthless military and frequent wars, even the Great Khan's chariot was not very impressive. But now that the victory was decided, under the advice of a group of Han officials, Huang Taiji also began to pay attention to pomp and circumstance - when traveling, he must fire cannons, with drums and ceremonial guards in front to clear the way, followed by the important minister Baylor, and Huang Taiji himself wore a bright yellow dragon He is wearing a robe, riding on a black dragon horse, with a yellow umbrella cover in front of him, and the silver saddle and golden stirrups under his body are shining. He was seen holding an apricot-yellow silk rein in his left hand on the horse, and using his riding whip in his right hand to point out the mountains and rivers to the generals, talking about how easy it was to break through the barriers and defeat the Ming Dynasty, with a smile on his face.
——Since the defeat of Lu Xiangsheng’s Tianxiong Army and the annihilation of Hong Chengchou’s Qin Army, the entire North Zhili Plain has become a racecourse for the Jurchen Eight Banners to run wild, and local officials and garrison troops have watched the wind. By the end of October, except for a few suburban counties within thirty miles of the capital, most of the prefectures and counties in the capital had been captured by the Houjin Eight Banners. At this time, Huang Taiji personally supervised the battle and captured the fortified city of Baoding. The last small mobile force of the Ming Dynasty in North Zhili, the nine thousand Sichuan Army that fled south from Shanhaiguan to Baoding, was also pursued. The Jurchen Eight Banners and Guan Ning Cavalry were completely wiped out. At this point, from the capital to Jinan, the Ming Dynasty had no soldiers available, and its collapse was irreversible.
As the dust of the Beizhili War settled, taking control of Beijing was just around the corner, Huang Taiji also began to restrain his troops and stabilize his rule over the occupied areas. Therefore, unlike the previous robberies, this time after the Eight Banners soldiers won a complete victory, they did not loot everywhere as viciously as before. Instead, they made arrangements to calm the people, and did not kill and loot indiscriminately. Therefore, although people in Beizhili are panicking, the market in various prefectures, prefectures and counties is still relatively stable.
Then, Huang Taiji recruited Ming Dynasty officials with extremely magnificence and courage. Because the Liaoxi generals related to the Ning Army were connected through them, and the Ming Dynasty in Beizhili was already destined to collapse and fall, the effect was pretty good. Hundreds of low-level officials successively surrendered and set up official arrogance in the newly occupied areas. However, there were still many officials hiding or hiding, continuing to wait and see the situation and unwilling to easily come out to serve as Jurchen officials.
In particular, the most senior prisoner captured in this southern expedition, the governor of the three sides, Hong Chengchou, although he has been reduced to a prisoner, has still refused to submit to Hou Jin, which makes Huang Taiji very regretful - although at this time in Beijing, there were already Many ministers, ministers, academicians and relatives of the emperor secretly sent envoys to have illicit affairs with Huang Taiji. Presumably, they were already looking forward to changing their families and waiting to become Jurchen officials. However, although Huang Taiji appeared to be kind to this group of wallflowers and comforted them with gentle words, he actually knew that most of them were drunkards, rotten scholars and sour people... In short, they should never be reused.
In the current decaying Ming Dynasty, there are really only a few outstanding military and political talents like Hong Chengchou who are capable of running the army and bringing peace to the people. It is really impossible not to let Huang Taiji favor him and even prepare to entrust him with important tasks.
——Although there were many Han officials who surrendered to the Jurchens, the number of truly outstanding talents, especially those who could reach the level of "officials", was actually limited.
Moreover, Hong Chengchou, as the trilateral governor of Shaanxi who was fully responsible for the elimination of bandits within the customs, was a powerful and well-connected person. He had huge influence in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu. If Hong Chengchou could surrender to the Jurchens, then the Eight Banners would continue to move south. The journey to the Central Plains and Han Dynasty was equivalent to having a leader... In view of the above considerations, Huang Taiji naturally valued Hong Chengchou more and more.
But the problem is, the more talented you are, the more arrogant you are, and the harder it is to convince... When Huang Taiji walked alone outside the tent where Hong Chengchou was imprisoned, he heard that his confidant Han official Fan Wencheng was earnestly persuading Hong Chengchou to surrender. However, Hong Chengchou made repeated cynicism:
"...I wonder what Mr. Fan means by condescending to come here? Although we have no friendship before, I also know that Mr. Fan has a very high status here in Huangtaiji. Mr. Fan participates in the planning of political and military affairs. Let's see how Mr. Fan is doing. It’s quite nourishing! How about it? Is the Jurchen’s lackey doing well?”
Although someone was scolding him in the spine, Fan Wencheng was not annoyed at all. He still smiled gently and said: "...Don't be angry, Governor-General. I have always admired your reputation. When I heard that your Excellency is now in this situation, I begged you. The Great Khan came to visit you, so that you can talk with you about ancient and modern affairs..."
But Hong Chengchou didn't appreciate it, and immediately said back with a cold face: "...I don't know where to start with Mr. Fan's words? Now I am defeated and reduced to a prisoner, but Mr. Fan is very proud of himself. Under one person, thousands of people can't do it." You are above all human beings! I am afraid that you will lose your status by talking to such lowly people!”
"...Lord Hong's words are wrong," Fan Wencheng said with a smile: "...the Great Khan did not treat you as a prisoner. On the contrary, the Great Khan has always admired your talents and wanted to take you under his command and discuss the world together. Great plan. And I can also serve as a minister with you and listen to your teachings..."
Before Fan Wencheng could finish speaking, Hong Chengchou interrupted him: "...Dream! Although Hong is not talented, he will not betray the court and become a lackey of the vulgar barbarians! Even if a man cannot turn the tide, he can just die generously in repayment. Just a king!”
"...Haha! It's really rare that your Excellency is still wholeheartedly loyal to that boy Chongzhen!" Fan Wencheng kept shaking his head, "...but I, Dajin, have won the fortune of the world, pacified Mongolia, defeated Korea, and crossed the Great Wall. Entering the capital, all troops are invincible. The Eight Banners cavalry is about to sweep through the Central Plains. However, the Ming Dynasty is in chaos, traitors are in power, and there are no soldiers outside. There are no pillars of ministers, but what if there are a few righteous men who are loyal to the emperor and serve the country? The whole Ming Dynasty is already in ruins. Even if the governor has a genius, he can turn the tide, so why bother? Struggling hard, how can a mantis act like a chariot? My lord is a rare wise king in ancient times. He cherishes talents and cherishes them. If Lord Zeng Yunhong can come and join us, he will definitely reward him with the title of prince..."
Hong Chengchou interrupted him again, "...Mr. Fan, although the imperial court has some immoralities, what about establishing slaves? It's not just a hypocritical and violent thief who gathered together a small country. It is our court." Watchdog, you don't want to be greedy for profit, trying to swallow the elephant with a snake!
At that time, Nurhachi rebelled and expressed his seven great hatreds. The most important one was that Li Chengliang killed his father. However, even though Li Chengliang had done something wrong, he was instigated by Nikan Wailan. The court later found out the truth and was extremely saddened. Executed to death by Nurhaci. If we talk about hatred, let’s stop here! But Nurhachi was so ambitious that he used these old accounts of old sesame seeds and rotten millet as an excuse to plot evil, and he was bent on seizing the country of Ming Dynasty and Liaodong. After Huang Taiji came to the throne, he repeatedly invaded the Koubei Zhili, killing my people, raping my children, destroying my farms, and destroying my cities! As a Chinese citizen, how could Hong watch the tragedy of Hu Yuan's rebellion in China happen again in China? Mr. Fan, you are a Han Chinese, but you acted as an aide for foreigners and harmed your own compatriots. Now you come to persuade me to abandon my ancestors and become such an unfaithful and unfilial person. snort! Different ways don’t work together! ”
"...The Governor cares about the world, and I admire you very much. However, now that Beijing has become an isolated city, and the Ming Dynasty is about to fall, how can your Excellency alone control the general trend of the world? My Lord has always loved the people like a son, and I, the Great King, Moreover, he has a clear name both inside and outside, his country is booming day by day, and it is not too early to rule the world. It’s too late! Your Excellency, you care about the people of the world, but you are determined to be the enemy of the Great Khan. Wouldn’t this delay the war and make the people suffer more from the war? Live and work in peace and contentment, and your name will go down in history!" Fan Wencheng shook his head and sighed.
"...Don't you think that people who are not of my race will have different thoughts! The sins of Hu Yuan's rebellion against China are still vivid in my mind! But Mr. Fan has illusions in his heart, oh! Childish!"
"...Your Majesty, what you said is wrong! Hu Yuan is unethical. This is what our emperor is deeply warned... Even though the Eight Banners cavalry entered the pass and killed a lot of evildoers, did Brother Hong ever think that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty would listen to the slander and punish him?" Loyal ministers have completely lost the support of the people and made the people resentful. Even if there were no Jurchen Eight Banners to punish the people, the Shaanxi bandits and Aren’t the Wenxiang Cult demon men in Shandong and the rebel generals in Fujian in the south also Han? The rebel general Huang Shi was once the favorite general of Emperor Tianqi, and he was a victorious warrior in the Ming Dynasty. Now he is still raising flags to attack the imperial court? It’s because Ming Dynasty has run out of energy and heroes from all walks of life are following God’s will!”
"...Hmph! That's nonsense and irrational!" Even so, Hong Chengchou frowned and fell into deep thought for a moment.
Seeing that these words seemed to have an effect, Fan Wencheng took advantage of the victory and pursued the attack: "...Confucius said that benevolence is achieved, and Mencius said that taking justice is the only way to fulfill justice, so benevolence is the best. What do the scholars of our generation learn from reading the books of sages? Is it not to assist the wise king? To stabilize the world? But you? Think about it, what has Emperor Chongzhen done for the people of the world since he came to the throne? It’s just exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes! Master Hong should understand that good birds choose trees to live in..."
In short, Fan Wencheng had nothing but good things to say about Hong Chengchou, but he tried to be submissive and petty in every possible way. But Hong Chengchou still had a cold eyebrow and a thorny tone in his words, seemingly showing no intention of softening. Even Huang Taiji, who was standing outside the tent, felt a little discouraged.
However, when Fan Wencheng left the camp and reported to Huang Taiji on the task of persuading him to surrender, he said confidently: "... Great Khan, in my opinion, Hong Chengchou's mind has been shaken, and he will not be willing to die - If he really wanted to die, then when he was captured He could kill himself with a sword when he was captured, and he could also go on a hunger strike to commit suicide after being captured, but Hong Chengchou did not do this... On the contrary, he has eaten and drank as usual since he was captured. It can be seen that he has no desire to die. Ask for life. If you want to live now, how can you not surrender? ”
"...But he clearly has no intention of surrendering or surrendering?" Huang Taiji asked in confusion.
"...Well, Your Majesty, the more talented you are, the more troublesome it will be to persuade you to surrender. How can you get the country's soldiers to surrender if you don't put in enough effort?"
Fan Wencheng explained, "...Hong Chengchou was a very arrogant man. As a scholar, he led the army to sweep away the northwest bandits. He was wise and courageous and had an outstanding reputation. It was not that he was defeated in a head-on confrontation with the Holy Emperor, but because of an accidental mutiny. It was broken by me, so it is inevitable to be a little unwilling, but it is also reasonable. What's more, the decline of the Ming Dynasty is common to the world. How can this wise man? Can he turn a blind eye? The main reason why Hong Chengchou is not surrendering at this moment is not because of Huayi's opinion, but because he is not convinced, and secondly, he has some illusions, thinking that the city of Beijing may not fall if he can summon him out of the ordinary. Seeing Tianyan and trying to persuade him with warm words will surely sway his heart. Once Beijing is defeated, he will be more confident in persuading him to surrender..."
Therefore, Huang Taiji ordered a large banquet to reward the entire army and prepare to swear an oath to conquer Beijing. By the way, Hong Chengchou also went to the banquet and drank wine.
——Previously, the army of the Hou Jin Dynasty divided its troops into many directions, swept out in all directions, and reported good results one after another. Now it has basically wiped out Jifu, crushed the last resistance of the small remaining Ming army, and captured a large amount of property and strong men. Now they are gathering troops again at the Wuqing County camp to prepare for a general attack on Beijing.
At this time, Huang Taiji's imperial camp was filled with high-ranking officials and famous generals. Jurchen brave generals such as Mang Gurtai, Daishan, Jierhalang, Dorgon, Haoge, and Abatai, Wu Xiang, Zu Dashou and other Guan Ning surrendered generals, as well as Ming Dynasty civil and military officials who surrendered since entering the Pass, this At that time, everyone was ordered to gather together and drink Shanxi Fen Liquor, Kweichow Moutai and other world-famous wines, and even a few bottles of "Guo Shi Unparalleled" wine made by "Australians" in Lingnan... As a prisoner of war, Hong Chengchou was also given a separate meal with food and drinks, accompanied by Fan Wencheng. Feast with everyone.
At the banquet, Huang Taiji first praised the generals for their achievements and encouraged them to continue fighting. Then he asked people to bring out two documents and read them out in public. One of the documents shows Huang Taiji's attitude towards recruiting officials from the Ming Dynasty. It reads: "...when officials from the Ming Dynasty surrender, their descendants will inherit their father's position unchanged; when they kill an official and return, they will be granted an official position; when a person surrenders, the country will support him; Lead the crowd to surrender and confer duties according to merit."
Another announcement was an ultimatum sent to the imperial court in Beijing: "...I saw that the people of Li were in trouble, and I always thought of harmony. I wrote to the envoys no less than several times. I don't know whether it was the subordinates below who deceived the Ming court, or whether it was because of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty clearly knew that the people were in ruins and the people were dying, but he didn't care. He didn't want peace? Causing trouble! Therefore, the suffering and death of your people are not my fault, but the fault of your kings and ministers. From now on, wherever my army comes, anyone who dares to resist me will be killed; anyone who escapes from the mountains and forests will be killed. If they stay still and surrender, Qiu will not commit any crimes. This time, we must capture all of Hebei, and we will never withdraw our troops as easily as before!"
As soon as these two proclamations came out, the Eight Banners chiefs only half-understood them, but that was fine. However, the eyes of the newly surrendered Han officials and generals brightened and they smiled happily. Immediately, he thanked and congratulated Huang Taiji again and again, and there was a flood of flattery, and he was flattered by all kinds of people as if they were free of money.
Fan Wencheng, who was tasked with persuading surrender, also took the opportunity to raise a glass to Hong Chengchou and said, "...Have you seen it, Lord Hong? Our country of Jin wholeheartedly admires Chinese culture, accommodates hundreds of rivers, and stands proudly in Liaodong. Nowadays, good news is spreading frequently, and the country's prestige is strong. The people and barbarians all respect me! If there is anyone in this world who can bring peace to the people, who else but my Lord should waste all his talents for the sake of this little boy from the Zhu family?"
"...Haha, our Ming Dynasty has inherited the destiny, and the Holy Emperor rules the world. It has been nearly three hundred years since the Ding Dynasty was established. It is the motherland of all nations. How can it be destroyed by just a few minor setbacks?" Hong Chengchou snorted. , there was a hint of anger in his eyes, but he looked slightly stern.
"...The Holy Emperor? Hehe." Fan Wencheng chuckled, "...Does Mr. Hong know that the Holy Emperor you are talking about has abandoned the capital palace and ancestral mausoleums, and rushed west in a hurry? He even defended the capital and fought with our army. If you don’t have the guts to fight, how can you be the master of this world?”
"...How is this possible?! The emperor is definitely not of such a temper! Don't deceive me with lies!" Hong Chengchou was suddenly startled, with an incredible look on his face - based on Hong Chengchou's knowledge of Emperor Chongzhen, this man wanted to save face. His Majesty would never imitate Tang Xuanzong and leave the capital and flee easily. And none of the ministers in the DPRK who always only sing high-pitched words are willing to take the lead and put forward such a shameful suggestion.
If this is the case, then why did the emperor abandon the capital and flee? Aren't you afraid of eternal infamy and the ridicule of the world?
"...Master Hong, now that we have arrived, do I still need to deceive you? This is absolutely true!" Fan Wencheng said with a smile, and at the same time took out a thick stack of letter paper and spread it out in front of Hong Chengchou , "...these are all from Beijing High School The secret letters written by officials and relatives to our lord in recent days clearly explained the emperor's flight. Even the arrangements for how to present the city to our army have been discussed... Your Excellency thought that there would be no success in this battle. Something happened? ”
——These letters indicating the secret collusion and cooperation between the dignitaries in the capital and the Jurchen Eight Banners were obtained by Fan Wencheng from Huang Taiji and used as props in the work of persuading surrender. At this time, some things no longer need to be kept secret, and Hong Chengchou can’t do it anyway. He is a prisoner, and even if he knows the news, he cannot spread it. Besides, the elite troops of the Eight Banners are about to attack Beijing. So what if these secrets are leaked? Could it be that there are still people in Beijing who can purge traitors?
As a result, Hong Chengchou was so stunned by the beauty that he could no longer utter any harsh words about being loyal to the emperor and serving the country, and would rather die than surrender.
Especially when Hong Chengchou saw the signatures of Jiading Bo Zhou Kui (father of Empress Zhou) and guerrilla general Tian Hongyu (father of Concubine Tian) on these secret letters of liaison with the slaves, as well as their flattering words for Huang Taiji. …That’s Emperor Chongzhen’s head of state!
——Even his own father-in-law had an affair, became a slave, and rebelled. This shows how failed Zhu Youjian was as an emperor... I just don’t know if his bedfellows (Empress Zhou and Concubine Tian) were also in cahoots with foreign invaders? If it is true, then Emperor Chongzhen's life can be called a tragedy!
In short, the emperor has already retreated, abandoned the capital and fled. So many ministers, ministers, cabinet ministers, and relatives of the emperor in the capital were all vying to praise the enemy chief Huang Taiji. Why is he, a mere criminal who was defeated and captured, still stubborn here?
However, just when Hong Chengchou was deeply shaken and distracted by the incident of "the emperor abandoning his country", the generals in the tent were exchanging cups with each other, and their ears were full of wine. The Jurchen scouts sent by Huang Taiji to conduct reconnaissance in the direction of Beijing City reported an unexpected incident.
"...What? The Shaanxi bandits broke into the capital of the Ming Dynasty first, plundered the troops, and took advantage of us?"
This unexpected news made the generals of Houjin, who were already half drunk in the tent, quite stunned for a moment and didn't know what to say. After a while, someone began to yell and curse, it was just those Shaanxi thieves who had robbed Dai Jin of his meat. Only Fan Wencheng, after pondering for a moment, quietly got up and left the seat, leaned into Huang Taiji's ear and whispered: "...Sweat, I'm so happy! I'm so happy!"
"...Oh? This sounds really strange. Why should I be happy about such an unlucky thing?" Huang Taiji, who was also slightly drunk, asked with a frown.
"...Report to the Great Khan that if our army invades the capital this time and massacres are carried out, public resentment will inevitably boil, which will not be conducive to future governance; if no money is taken, the soldiers will be disappointed. Now we have the Shaanxi bandits as the king's vanguard, doing dirty work for us It would be much easier to deal with it and take the blame..."
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On October 27, the fifth year of Chongzhen, after learning of the changes in the capital, Huang Taiji personally led the Eight Banners cavalry to attack the capital, and various Han armies followed suit.
At this time, the city of Beijing was still in chaos. The Shaanxi bandits were focused on plundering the shops and houses in the city. They were completely defenseless against foreign enemies and did not even close the city gates. The Eight Banners elite soldiers easily entered the city. Subsequently, soldiers from all walks of life also swarmed in. On Jingshi Street After a day of melee in the alley, the Shaanxi bandits were defeated.
The leader of the bandits, Chuang Wang Gao Yingxiang, was staying in the Forbidden City, drinking and having fun with the bandits. After hearing the sound, he immediately put on his armor and led his troops to fight and move away. However, his troops were scattered throughout the city and could not be summoned. In the end, he was unable to support himself and was given the honor outside the Meridian Gate. Most of the other Shaanxi bandit leaders were captured and killed in the city, or disappeared in the chaos, and their fate is unknown. Only the general Li Zicheng restrained his subordinates in advance and camped outside the city. He was not dispersed by Houjin's cavalry, but he was unable to reverse the situation of the battle. Seeing that there was nothing he could do, Li Zicheng took in the defeated troops while leaving camp and heading west. After hearing the news, the Jin soldiers were unable to pursue them, so they had to sit back and watch the whole army go away.
After this war and catastrophe, half of the houses in the capital were destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people were devastated, and many parts of the imperial palace and the Forbidden City were burned down. Many royal relatives and rich families were "supposedly" slaughtered by rogue bandits. The gold, silver, grain and rice they hoarded at home, after passing through the hands of Shaanxi rogue bandits, naturally became the spoils of the Jurchen Eight Banners. Only now The amount of silver alone was as high as 50 million taels, which made the dignitaries of the Eight Banners smile from ear to ear.
Because the palace had been turned into a battlefield and had not yet been cleaned up, Huang Taiji initially stayed at Ziguang Pavilion in Zhongnanhai, where he summoned the Ming Dynasty's demoted officials, gave him gentle words of comfort, and hired them according to their talents. A Hanlin concubine knelt down three times and kowtowed nine times, and offered his advice to Huang Taiji, asking him to proclaim himself emperor in Beijing. Huang Taiji smiled and declined. Another official of the Ministry of Science and Technology asked Huang Taiji for instructions, asking whether the surrendered Han officials should shave their hair and keep braids. Huang Taiji said that these details can be done as he pleases... In short, as time went by, the situation in the capital began to stabilize. After coming down, the people numbly accepted the rule of the Jurchens, but the problem of food shortage still troubled the new owners of Beijing... So, at the suggestion of several Ming Dynasty generals, Huang Taiji set his sights on the east coast of Tianjin... …