Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 413: Failed to Fight
January 7

Yangping Guanxi Ming Army Camp
When Liu Wenxiu established this camp earlier, Zhu Cilang had already led the imperial guards to find another way. In the huge camp, apart from the densely packed flags, there were only 3,000 suspicious soldiers under his command.

At this time, although the camp was still the same camp, with the arrival of Mei Chun and Li Guo, it seemed a little crowded inside.

Liu Wenxiu could naturally say that she was happy to see such changes.

After all, it was quite risky to have 3,000 defeated soldiers wandering around in front of the Tatars.

Once the Tartars react, not only will his few troops be left here, but the entire Hanzhong arrangement will also be left in vain.

Having shouldered such a heavy responsibility, he could not relax.

Fortunately, the follow-up troops did not keep him waiting for long. After three or four days, Li Guo and Mei Chun arrived.

Afterwards, the Central Guard Army successfully captured Dingjun Mountain. Mei Chun went to support as ordered, and his mission was completely accomplished.

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"The hill behind the camp is almost flattened. Aren't you going to keep an eye on it?"

Looking at Li Guo who was focusing all his attention on the map, Liu Wenxiu hesitated for a while and finally asked tentatively.

He and Li Guo were old acquaintances, and they had fought against the government troops together in the past.

However, as the power of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng continued to grow, both sides viewed the other as the biggest obstacle to the unification of the peasant army. In recent years, there had even been some unpleasantness, so this meeting was more or less mixed with some awkwardness.

But having said that, the dead are gone and the living are like this.

At this time, both King Chuang and the Eight Kings were dead, and the Ming Emperor gave them a way out regardless of past grudges. Under such circumstances, Liu Wenxiu, who had just returned to the Ming Dynasty, naturally had to get closer to his predecessor Li Guo.

"No, it's just some hard labor anyway," Li Guo replied, and then he turned his attention back. After looking at Liu Wenxiu, he smiled and asked, "How come you have time to come here?"

"I'll come sit here when I'm free."

Faced with the seemingly casual inquiry, Liu Wenxiu did not state his purpose. He just gave a perfunctory response and adjusted the tea bowl that had just been filled.

Seeing this situation, Li Guo didn't care.

After all, he was not a young boy, so he naturally understood that the relationship between them was no longer the same as it was in the past. If he really wanted to say something, he would have to lay some groundwork, and he could not be as straightforward as before.

"Come over when you're free. We haven't seen each other in years."

Such an opening was harmonious for the two people who were almost at war with each other. Afterwards, you said something here and I responded there, and the gap between Liu and Li gradually dissipated in these meaningless conversations.

This is understandable.

In essence, both of them were born as rebels. Even if Zhu Cilang could let bygones be bygones, there would still be some estrangement between them and the other generals in the army.

Now that one has shown goodwill, the other will naturally be happy to see it happen.

As time went by, the atmosphere in the tent gradually became relaxed. After changing their identities, the two people were able to remain calm even when talking about the friction in the past, and they could be said to have forgotten their grudges with a smile.

At this point, Liu Wenxiu's reservedness had completely disappeared. After talking about a few old stories, he asked a question as if unintentionally.

"You seem to be frowning these past two days. Are you having some trouble?"

When Li Guo heard the words, his smile was immediately mixed with some sadness, but he knew very well that Liu Wenxiu could not help much, so he hesitated whether he should tell the truth.

Seeing this, Liu Wenxi couldn't help feeling a little depressed.

His trip was not simply to build relationships, but he also wanted to find out where Li Guochou's silk was.

As for why we need to find out about this matter
To be honest, Liu Wenxiu at this time no longer cared about official titles and wealth. Apart from repaying the Emperor Ming's kindness, the only thing he cared about was the remaining troops in Dashi.

It's just a personal opinion, as long as you have a clear conscience, but there are so many people in Daxi, and if you want to settle them properly, you can't do without understanding the inner workings of the Ming court.

Therefore, when Liu Wenxiu noticed that Li Guo seemed a little depressed, he became a little worried that the surrendered general might have been suppressed to a great extent in the Ming court.

For this reason, the actual purpose of today's trip is to find out the truth through reminiscing about the past.

"Of course I can't help you now, but I can still give you some advice. It's better for you to talk about your difficulties than to keep them in your heart."

Li Yu was a little slow about this matter. Liu Wenxiu asked him again, but he didn't think much about it. After sighing, he started talking directly.

"When the King of Rebellion died, hundreds of thousands of troops were torn apart. If it weren't for your Majesty taking us in, we would have been hunted down and killed by the Tartars."

Having said this, Li Guo paused for a moment, and it was unclear whether he was reminiscing about the past or lamenting the changing times.

Liu Wenxiu could understand his feelings.

Seeing the other party's response, he just waited quietly, but did not feel the slightest bit impatient because of this irrelevant answer.

Sure enough, within just four or five breaths, Li Guo's eyes had regained focus. When he cast his gaze on Liu Wenxiu's face, he continued, "Your Majesty is kind and generous. He did not pursue the matter of the past. After we returned to the Ming Dynasty, he not only allocated money and military supplies, but also distributed land and farming tools. This is how the people in my old camp have a way to survive."

Li Guo's words became more and more fluent, but Liu Wenxiu became more and more confused the more she listened.

He had heard a little about Your Majesty's settlement of the remaining troops of the rebel army in Hunan, and he also knew that the military reclamation program had been fully launched in Hunan.

According to common sense, this is a great thing, and no matter how you think about it, you should thank the emperor for his grace. But now Li Guo brought up this topic. Obviously, this is the source of his worries, which made Liu Wenxiu a little confused about the internal connection.

"I have also heard about this matter. It seems that the old and weak in your army have been assigned to the reclamation group. Are you..."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Faced with Liu Wenxiu's speculation, Li Guo interrupted him without waiting for him to finish speaking. Then, seeing that the other party was a little embarrassed, he began to explain again.

"We started the rebellion because we couldn't survive. Although we all wanted to fight for wealth and fame later, after what we've gone through, our desires have faded. So what does it matter how many soldiers we have?"

After saying this, Li Guo cast his eyes on Liu Wenxiu's face. When he saw the other party nod in approval, he continued, "Your Majesty has allocated a lot of land to each household according to the number of people. My army alone has occupied the territory of several counties."

"This is a good thing. The people can survive if they have land. Why do you..." "Of course it is a good thing, but have you ever thought about it? What if the real owner comes back?"

As soon as the words came out, Liu Wenxiu was stunned for a moment, but when he was about to say something, he understood Li Guo's worries.

They did cause great harm to Huguang back then, but no matter what, those who could not escape were just ordinary poor people, while the respectable and powerful families had fled without a trace before the enemy arrived at the city.

At this time, His Majesty allocated all the farmland of several counties to Li Guo in one go. If the troops of Hao Yaoqi and others were included, it might not even be enough for the territory of an entire prefecture. If those people really came back to ask for it back, it would be really troublesome.

But how can he worry about these in this section?

Did you get some news?
Thinking of this, Liu Wenxiu's eyes were filled with doubts again, and after seeing this look, Li Guo's next words were filled with disappointment.

"Why don't you understand? Your Majesty is fighting so smoothly in this battle, so we warriors cannot get any credit. If we don't have military merits, even if Your Majesty wants to speak for us, he won't have the confidence!"

Li Guo has already said so much, how could Liu Wenxiu still not understand his logic.

If the Ming army was fighting against the Tatars who had just moved south, the battle would have been extremely fierce, and it would not have been difficult for Li Guo to achieve the military merit that he had been dreaming of.

But now the Tartars had not only lost most of their troops, but their combat effectiveness had also been greatly reduced after being worn down in Guangyuan. They were killed and the Ming army in the rear were chased to Hanzhong like cattle.

If we take into account His Majesty's arrangements, it would be difficult to even defend Yangping Pass for two days. Naturally, Li Guo's desire to gain more military merits would be in vain.

After thinking about this, Liu Wenxiu couldn't help feeling a little strange, but what Li Guo said sounded very reasonable. After a moment's silence, he finally changed the subject.

"After we blow up the wall of Yangping Pass, we will have to attack from here. If you don't go up and keep an eye on it."

"Don't worry, I'm not being passive, I just want to see if there is any way to make meritorious deeds," Li Guo said, taking the map from the table. After spreading it out, he continued, "Don't think about making great merits this time. Our emperor has already mastered the means to weaken the enemy. Even the time when he killed Ajige in the battle was not a big deal."

“Report~~~~!”

It was obvious that Li Guo was about to say something else to Liu Wenxiu, but he had only said half of his words when he heard a loud shout from outside the tent, and then a soldier bowed down in the tent.

"My Lords, I have received word from His Majesty that Yangping Pass will not hold out until tomorrow. Are we ready?"

"The earthwork and timber are all ready, just reply. Wait," Li Guo said, but swallowed his words. He paced in the tent for a few steps before suddenly saying, "I can't just give His Majesty a reply. I will go there in person."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Guo left Liu Wenxiu and walked straight out of the tent. By the time Liu Wenxiu reacted, he had already walked a long way away.

With the previous words as a foundation, Liu Wenxiu could figure out what Li Guo was thinking. However, in his opinion, all arrangements had been made by His Majesty, and it was not certain that anything would be arranged for him.

The Hewan Camp was not far from Yangping Pass. In addition, Li Guo had only a few riders and did not choose the right path. It only took him a moment or two to reach the camp on the south bank of the Han River along the river.

Zhu Cilang was quite surprised by Li Guo's arrival.

He had originally wanted to ask Li Guo about the progress because he had seen brick and stone debris falling from the city wall on the opposite bank, but he did not expect that this question would lead to the summoning of the commander of tens of thousands of troops.

"Well, you did a good job. I will definitely count your contribution from now on."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After the report, Zhu Cilang praised him as if it was a routine matter, but Li Guo stood there awkwardly after thanking him, as if he had something else to say.

"My dear, do you have anything else to say?"

"Your Majesty, I think the central and rear armies have fought several battles, and the soldiers need to rest. Why don't we take the lead this time?"

He said this calmly, but Xiang Rensheng and Mei Chun couldn't help but open their eyes wide.

This is indeed the truth. The central and rear armies fought a battle in Guangyuan and another battle in front of Qipan Pass. When they arrived at Yangping Pass, the central army was ready to attack thousands of miles away. It seems that they should have a short rest.

But as a serious party involved, Xiang Rensheng knew very well how good these battles were.

There is no need to talk about the current state of the Qing army. In Guangyuan, the central army was only protecting the rear army and advancing continuously. In front of Qipan Pass, it was just an ambush to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out.

This night attack seemed quite difficult, but in reality it was just a matter of defeating the unsuspecting enemy, and the number of casualties among the central guards could be counted on one hand.

Under such circumstances, not to mention the rear army, even the central army did not need to rest.

"Your Majesty, the central army is not needed."

General Xiang Rensheng was about to make an impassioned speech when he saw his Majesty gently wave his hand. He then swallowed all his words unwillingly and waited for his Majesty to make a decision.

"My dear, you are here to challenge me to a fight."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I have not achieved any success since I came to Sichuan. How can I repay Your Majesty's kindness in taking me in?"

According to common sense, Li Guo had already made his intentions clear, so Zhu Cilang should have given a definite answer whether to agree to his request or not.

But contrary to the expectations of the generals present, after hearing these words, Zhu Cilang did not respond immediately. Instead, he remained silent as if he was thinking about something.

Faced with His Majesty's reaction, even Mei Chun, who was not worried about being replaced in the mission, felt a little nervous. Fortunately, Zhu Cilang's silence did not last too long, otherwise, who knows to what extent the pressure would increase.

"I am glad that you have volunteered to fight, but Yangping Pass is not the end of this battle. Once we enter Hanzhong, your cavalry will still have to deal with the Tartars. You should rest and recuperate first."

Li Guo was somewhat unwilling to accept his Majesty's polite refusal.

Apart from the less than 6,000 cavalry under his command, the remaining 14,000 men were all infantry.

Even if the people who have been digging the soil and cutting trees these days are removed, there are still more than 10,000 people who can serve as vanguards and participate in the battle of Yangping Pass.

But then again, Zhu Cilang did leave some room for him and did not completely stop him from thinking about it.

After understanding the meaning of "recharge your energy first", he planned to thank the emperor and leave, going back to prepare various matters. However, at this moment, cheers came from the riverside. When they turned around, they saw that a small piece of the wall of Yangping Pass was missing.

(End of this chapter)