novelSusiti Chapter 32 Fuzhou Surrenders, Henan Begins
Chapter 32 Fuzhou Surrenders, Henan Begins
The First Division of the New Army, which had already left the Fengtai camp, was marching proudly along the official road heading south.
This newly formed army, which had undergone rigorous training for several months, was a formidable force. Its main force was well-organized, its advances and retreats were disciplined, and its marching exuded a chilling aura.
In terms of training methods, Emperor Chongzhen did not transcend the times and used so-called advanced modern training methods to hone the new army.
The new military drill manual he co-authored with Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji mostly used the methods for training new recruits in this era, but with the addition of more requirements for drill training and housekeeping.
This unit was able to integrate some of the original veterans and thousands of new militia members in just a few months, and has achieved its current strong military momentum.
In fact, it still relies on the knowledge and methods left by our ancestors:
Military law is strict, rewards and punishments are fair, soldiers are cared for, and they are well-fed every meal.
They were well-fed and warmly clothed, with meat twice a day. Their superiors did not deduct their pay, and officers cared about the soldiers' lives outside of training.
Who among the soldiers who had been drifting aimlessly in the Beijing garrison and the new recruits who had toiled all day before joining the new army and barely had a full meal a year would not want to live like this?
And because of their adequate nutrition, the new army, which drilled every day, quickly surpassed the existing Ming army in terms of morale and spirit within a few months, which was only natural.
You have to understand that in those days, the troops in various parts of the Ming Dynasty were so poorly fed that they were considered quite capable if they could conduct drills every five days.
Many garrison troops couldn't even get a proper drill once a month, and had completely degenerated into serfs of their superiors.
In this situation, the results of a month of rigorous training for the new army were equivalent to a year, or even longer, of training for local troops in the Ming Dynasty.
In Huang Degong's own words, if such excellent training conditions still couldn't produce strong soldiers, then he wouldn't lead troops anymore and might as well return to Beijing to take a sinecure and retire.
Under his and Zhou Yuji's even higher demands and stricter training, the Imperial Guards, now expanded to a brigade with over 4000 riders, appear even more elite and imposing.
Aside from the hundreds of scouts sent out to patrol and scout, the more than three thousand imperial guards were now lined up on both flanks of the main army and slowly following behind.
Nearly 8,000 warhorses were paired up, with one rider riding two horses. The riders were fully equipped with saddles and armor, and they traveled lightly wearing leather armor. The cotton armor they wore during the war was kept in the wagon camp that accompanied the army.
Even so, the fiery red cloaks worn by each person still exuded an imposing and awe-inspiring presence as they marched in formation.
Meanwhile, in the wagon camp at the rear of the column, a massive number of packhorses and mules stretched out in a continuous line. All 20,000 able-bodied men who had accompanied the army south were incorporated into the supply train and took turns on duty.
They were responsible for escorting rice, flour, millet, soybeans, fodder, dried meat, salted fish, salted eggs, and a full set of military equipment and supplies. Each member performed their duties, and the coordination was orderly. The entire army operated in a well-organized and disciplined manner, which was truly admirable.
The new army is still expanding and its numbers have long exceeded the limit, so Emperor Chongzhen once again promoted Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji, who led the troops south.
Huang Degong was promoted to the position of General Commander of Henan Garrison, concurrently serving as Commander of the First Division of the New Army, and was given the title of Vice Governor-General. He was in charge of the 10,000 New Army soldiers and 4,000 Iron Cavalry who were heading south this time. He was in charge of the Henan bandit suppression and defense, and had full authority over marching, deployment, reorganization, and on-the-spot command. He was equivalent to the commander-in-chief of the war zone.
Zhou Yuji will serve as Huang Degong's deputy general, assisting Huang Degong in managing military affairs. He will later take over the clearing of fields and military settlements in Henan.
As for the Imperial Guards, Emperor Chongzhen found them new generals.
That was "Little Cao," who was transferred from Hong Chengchou's command by Emperor Chongzhen, and was known as Cao Bianjiao, the number one charging general in the late Ming Dynasty.
The Imperial Guard Cavalry has been able to expand to 4000 riders thanks in large part to the 800 elite cavalrymen that Cao Bianjiao personally brought from Shaanxi.
It was precisely with these eight hundred elite cavalrymen that Xiao Cao relentlessly pursued Li Zicheng's remnants for twenty-seven days without removing their armor, ultimately defeating Li Zicheng so badly that only eighteen riders escaped into the Shangluo Mountains.
Now transferred to the "Emperor's Personal Army," Cao Bianjiao is in high spirits and overjoyed to personally command what is arguably the best-equipped, best-treated, and most rigorously trained cavalry force in the entire Ming Dynasty.
Of course, his personal abilities were sufficient to command this cavalry force. After all, in terms of battlefield charge and cavalry command, he was superior to Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji.
However, he did not become arrogant because of the emperor's favor. On the contrary, he was conscientious and respectful to the chief and deputy generals Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji who were leading the expedition south.
The three commanders directed the army to march swiftly, adhering to the regulations for forced marching drills, traveling day and night in an orderly manner, and maintaining their formation at all times.
During the march, not a single soldier deserted the ranks or disturbed the countryside. The 20,000 able-bodied men carrying supplies also strictly adhered to military discipline, and the wagons and horses escorting the grain and fodder followed steadily.
Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians entered Henan from Beizhizhi. The prefectures and counties along the way remained peaceful and stable, demonstrating the strict discipline of the imperial army.
After the army entered Henan, Huang Degong, following the imperial court's strategy to besiege the enemy, combined with the terrain of Henan and the movements of the enemy army, immediately deployed troops to build a complete blocking and defense line.
At present, in the Xinyang and Luoshan area of southern Henan, Zuo Liangyu is stationed in the area as the commander-in-chief of the relief and suppression campaign, with more than 10,000 troops, occupying the eastern gateway of Henan.
The imperial court issued an edict ordering Zuo Liangyu's troops to hold their ground in place, strictly guard the Xinyang defense line, and block the escape routes of the bandits to the north and east. They were not allowed to move their camps without authorization, nor were they allowed to avoid battle and preserve their strength.
Emperor Chongzhen, who already held considerable military power, would not value Zuo Liangyu too much, but he would not abandon him either.
We will temporarily use their troops as a shield on the eastern front to suppress the bandits, and observe their subsequent effects.
If Zuo Liangyu can work hard to suppress the rebels after seeing the strength the court is now displaying, he will also benefit from the subsequent reorganization.
If he still can't grasp the bigger picture and can't see the situation clearly, then Emperor Chongzhen's retribution won't be far off.
The defense of the western front was taken over entirely by the New Army. Huang Degong personally led a detachment of New Army infantry and 20,000 able-bodied men to Luoyang, where he took control of the core hub of western Henan and oversaw the overall defense of this important city in the Central Plains.
Cao Bianjiao then personally led all his imperial guards and cavalry south to Ruzhou.
Ruzhou faces Nanyang directly and will become a vital passage for future bandits to invade Luoyang from the north and advance into the Central Plains from the east.
The Imperial Guards' cavalry possessed unparalleled mobility, capable of patrolling the Nanyang border day and night to detect enemy movements at any time. They could immediately launch a surprise attack to intercept any unusual activity, forming a north-south pincer movement with the main force in Luoyang, and coordinating with each other from near and far.
Zhou Yuji then led the remaining detachment of the new army south to garrison Ruyang, guarding the mountain passes in southeastern Henan, blocking the side routes for the bandits to escape, and preventing the enemy from using the dangerous mountain terrain to break out of the encirclement.
With defenses deployed along the entire front, Luoyang as the core and Ruzhou and Ruyang as the flanks, and with Zuo Liangyu also blocking the eastern front, this heartland of Henan has become a dead end where the bandits will find it impossible to escape in the future.
Previously, Emperor Chongzhen had already dispatched small cavalry units to escort military supplies into the warehouses of Ruzhou and Ruyang in batches, so the New Army troops defending the two cities had no problem with food shortages.
As for the provisions and pay needed for Huang Degong's troops, that would have to rely on the Prince of Fu's mansion to contribute to the country.
At this time, the defenses of Luoyang were in a state of disarray. The Henan Garrison of the Ming Dynasty had been corrupt for generations, and most of the city's soldiers were old, weak, disabled, or exhausted. Their weapons were rotten, their armor was incomplete, and they had not been trained for many years, making their combat effectiveness virtually nonexistent.
The only usable fighting force in the city was the three thousand-strong Fubiao Battalion under the command of the Henan Governor. Although they were regular troops, they had been living in comfort for too long, were unfamiliar with battle formations, and had lax discipline. They could only guard the city and had no ability to fight in the field.
Without the imperial court sending troops to help them, they would collapse and disintegrate in an instant if they were to rely solely on the army to resist the main force of the rebels.
After Huang Degong led his troops into the city, the first thing he did was to forcibly take over the city's defenses.
The main force of the new army immediately took over the four gates of Luoyang, the city towers and fortresses, the armories and garrison camps inside the city.
All the soldiers from the original city garrison were driven out of the defense zone and assembled on the spot to await reorganization.
The three thousand-strong Fubiao Battalion was placed in a separate camp, stripped of its authority over city defense. All defense deployments, troop movements, and city garrison duties were placed under the complete control of the New Army, and the old army officers were not allowed to interfere in the slightest.
Over the next three days, Huang Degong personally led his officers to inspect the Luoyang city walls, checking for omissions and repairing damaged battlements, adding firearms and rolling logs and stones for defense, and redividing the defense zones of each battalion, establishing strict military discipline for the city's defense.
In just a few days, Luoyang's dilapidated and lax city defenses were completely transformed, becoming heavily fortified and shedding its former decadent and disorganized appearance.
With the city's defenses in place, the new army's main camp stood firmly outside Luoyang, with armored soldiers arrayed in formation and hundreds of scout cavalry patrolling the city. The entire city of Luoyang appeared impregnable.
After gaining complete control of Luoyang, Huang Degong, armed with a secret edict personally transmitted by Emperor Chongzhen and irrefutable evidence, led twenty imperial guards, fully armored and swords in hand, straight to the Prince of Fu's residence in Luoyang.
For decades, Fu Fan was stationed in Luoyang, possessing the most fertile land and property in the land. He frequently interacted with merchants from the southern and northern borders, engaging in commerce and lending, and accumulating wealth comparable to that of a nation.
Relying on the favor of Emperor Shenzong in the past, Prince Fu indulged in extravagance and debauchery, exploited the local people, and oppressed the gentry and common folk, doing whatever he pleased.
Since the early years of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Prince Fu, relying on his status as a prince, disregarded the laws of the court, privately colluded with merchants, smuggled goods to the area outside the Great Wall to make huge profits, and acted with unbridled arrogance.
Previously, the imperial court investigated and confiscated the property of eight major Shanxi merchants, and found a large amount of irrefutable evidence of collusion between the inland princes, officials and gentry and the Shanxi merchants in the millions of account books and correspondence.
Over the course of more than a decade, the Prince of Fu's mansion sold large quantities of grain, ironware, and cloth to Shanxi merchants in the border regions. Although it did not directly collude with the Jurchens, this action was tantamount to colluding with the enemy and aiding the enemy in betraying the country!
The evidence against him was conclusive. If Emperor Chongzhen dared to send Huang Degong directly with the Embroidered Uniform Guard to confront him, then he was not afraid that the Prince of Fu would not comply.
The Prince Fu's Mansion was magnificent, with high walls and wide courtyards, covering a vast area. The mansion was filled with servants and was extremely luxurious. Even though the world was engulfed in war and the people were displaced, the Prince Fu's Mansion continued to feast and revel every day and night, completely disregarding the suffering of the people.
When the guards at the gate saw a large number of Ming soldiers surrounding the front of the mansion, and Huang Degong standing below the steps in full military uniform with a menacing aura, with the Imperial Guards standing solemnly on both sides, they were immediately filled with fear and dared not stop him. They hurriedly went inside to report.
A moment later, the obese and bloated Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, slowly emerged from the palace to greet the guests, his face languid, his eyes carrying the arrogance and disdain inherent in princes.
In his eyes, whether they were local generals or military commanders leading foreign troops, they were all court officials and royal servants. Even if they held military power, they still had to show him, a prince of the imperial family, a certain degree of respect.
Zhu Changxun sat upright in the hall, disregarding the formalities of hospitality, and spoke in a tone that was utterly arrogant: "General Huang led his troops to Luoyang to suppress the bandits and defend the territory, which is his duty. Why then has he surrounded my palace with such a large force?"
Huang Degong stood in the hall, neither bowing nor scraping, his posture upright, his aura of coldness undisguised, and he spoke loudly to the crowd.
"Your subject, Huang Degong, has come to Luoyang by imperial decree to oversee the suppression of bandits and the defense of the city. My visit today is not a private audience with Your Highness, but rather to convey an imperial edict and investigate the crimes committed by the prince's household!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand in a gesture.
The Imperial Guards behind him immediately stepped forward and laid out a neatly bound stack of account books, transaction tokens, and smuggling lists bearing the private seals of Shanxi merchants and the secret marks of the provincial government, arranging them on the table in the hall.
Huang Degong stared coldly at Prince Fu and stepped forward on behalf of Emperor Chongzhen to question him.
"Does Prince Fu know his crime?!"
Between the early years of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign and the eleventh year of his reign, the Prince of Fu's mansion secretly colluded with Shanxi merchants, using their clandestine trade routes to transport ironware, grain, and various military supplies to the area beyond the Great Wall year after year, engaging in trade with the Jurchens and making exorbitant profits!
Now that the accounts are clear, the evidence is complete, and the witnesses are all there, does Prince Fu know that, as a member of the imperial family, he dared to secretly collude with foreign enemies, aiding them and betraying the country? This is a heinous crime of deceiving the emperor and causing the extermination of his clan!
When Zhu Changxun first saw the account book, his face turned pale, and he panicked instantly, feeling a chill run down his spine.
He believed that these shady dealings were conducted discreetly and were kept secret from everyone.
Even though those damned Shanxi merchants had been investigated and confiscated by the court, he assumed that the Shanxi merchants had destroyed all their account books and evidence before their downfall because the emperor had not taken any action.
It now appears that the emperor has already obtained evidence of their large-scale trade collusion with Shanxi merchants; his previous silence was simply a matter of waiting for the right opportunity…
However, Zhu Changxun still tried to suppress his inner panic by relying on the ancestral system of preferential treatment for princes in the Ming Dynasty for two hundred years, and argued sternly with the air of a prince.
"Nonsense! This is slander against our own princes!"
As a descendant of Emperor Taizu and a close relative of the royal family, how could I possibly collude with the enemy and aid the invaders?
This must be a villain forging account books to frame me!
Huang Degong, you are but a lowly military officer stationed in a remote region. How dare you rely on your military power to bully the local lords and frame members of the imperial clan? Aren't you afraid of being held accountable by the court and suffering disgrace?
Faced with Prince Fu's stern but cowardly rebuke, Huang Degong remained unmoved, his eyes filled with only cold indifference.
"Your Highness need not make excuses."
Huang Degong's voice was deep and cold as he reminded him.
"All the evidence here was copied from the private treasuries of the eight major Shanxi merchants. It has been verified by the Imperial Court, the Ministry of Justice, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It is true and undeniable."
"His Majesty, out of consideration for the imperial bloodline, is unwilling to abolish the fiefdom and exterminate the clan at will, which is why he sent me here to grant the prince a way to atone for his sins."
He then read the imperial edict aloud in front of everyone.
His Majesty's Oral Edict:
The Prince of Fu was accused of colluding with foreign enemies, and the evidence against him was obvious. According to the law, all his property should be confiscated, his title should be revoked, and his direct descendants should be punished.
Now, we are showing leniency and allowing Xu Fufan to atone for his sins by paying a fine. He must immediately hand over 500,000 shi of grain, 100,000 mu of fertile riverside land around Luoyang, and 1 million taels of silver, all of which will be used as military funds for suppressing bandits in Henan and for the expenses of the new army's land reclamation.
Within three days, all the money, grain, and land were handed over, the debts were wiped clean, and the titles and lives of the Fu Prince's royal family members were preserved.
Anyone who fails to pay on time, pays insufficient amounts, or dares to shirk responsibility or delay will have their title of Prince of Fu revoked immediately. The Imperial Guard will be ordered to thoroughly investigate the Prince's residence, exile his direct descendants, and confiscate all his property!
The imperial edict fell silent.
Zhu Changxun was terribly shaken; his obese body trembled slightly, his eyes widened, and his face was filled with disbelief.
Five hundred thousand shi of grain, one hundred thousand mu of fertile land, and one million taels of silver!
Although these valuables were not enough to empty the coffers of Prince Fu's mansion, for him, who was greedy and stingy, it was tantamount to tearing flesh from his heart!
Overwhelmed by immense heartache and anger, he lost all self-control and could no longer maintain the demeanor of a prince. He lost his composure on the spot and angrily cursed loudly.
Harsh! Cruel! Absurd!
I am a member of the royal family, and I possess ancestral property. What wrong have I done?
Why should a few minor trade dealings be considered a serious crime of treason?!
Five hundred thousand bushels of grain, one million taels of silver, and one hundred thousand acres of fertile land—this is going to drain the entire foundation of my royal estate!
The current emperor is cruel and ungrateful, and treats his relatives poorly!
Disregarding the shared bloodline of the Zhu family and the past merits of the princes in guarding their regions, they harshly punished the princes and oppressed the imperial clan based solely on a few partial account books!
How unfair! How heartless!!!
His angry shouts echoed throughout the hall, revealing his impotent rage and resentment.
Despite the fierce insults, Zhu Changxun's heart was completely enveloped by extreme fear.
He knew perfectly well that this was not a so-called "one-sided framing" at all; all the accusations were facts and irrefutable.
Colluding with Shanxi merchants and secretly supplying goods to the Jurchens is an absolute capital offense that touches the very foundation of the state!
Now, Emperor Chongzhen has irrefutable evidence, money and troops at his disposal, and his authority in the court is at its peak. In addition, he has the moral high ground to stand up for him. It would only take an imperial edict to depose him, the Prince of Fu.
Huang Degong, who stood before him in the hall, held military power over the new army. Behind him were more than 10,000 armored soldiers and 4,000 cavalry, as well as the Imperial Guards who were on imperial orders to investigate the case. They were not afraid of him, a prince awaiting execution.
If he dares to disobey the imperial decree, the next moment will be when the army surrounds the mansion, confiscates his property, and abolishes the fiefdom. His Fu fiefdom's foundation will be reduced to nothing in an instant, which is an ending he absolutely cannot accept!
Zhu Changxun was panting heavily, his face alternating between pale and flushed, his heart filled with a mixture of anger, resentment, heartache, and fear.
He could vent his anger with curses, but he would never dare to actually disobey the imperial decree.
After struggling for a long time, looking at Huang Degong and the Imperial Guards standing silently in the hall with cold eyes, all of Zhu Changxun's resentment and unwillingness were finally crushed by fear.
He slumped back into his chair, all his strength drained away, his eyes filled with humiliation and resentment, his voice hoarse and trembling, devoid of any arrogance.
"...I...obey your order."
Huang Degong's expression remained cold and stern, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.
"Since Your Highness has obeyed the imperial decree, you shall immediately compile a register to count the grain fields and silver, and deliver them to the new army's Luoyang granary and garrison office within three days."
Anyone who dares to conceal even a single grain of rice or an acre of fertile land will be severely punished by His Majesty!
After saying this, he said no more, turned around and waved his hand, ordering two Jinyiwei centurions to stay at the Prince's Mansion to supervise the entire handover process and prevent any delays, concealment, or substitution of the goods.
He then strode out of the mansion, followed by armored soldiers, his entourage clanging as he sped away.
Inside the main hall of the Prince of Fu's mansion, only Zhu Changxun sat alone, looking dejected, while all the servants in the mansion remained silent as if they were cicadas in winter.