The Red Mansions

Chapter 1422 Chen Xiao: After this battle, the Han Dynasty will surely be revived and prosperous!

Chapter 1422 Chen Xiao: After this battle, the Han Dynasty will be revived and prosper for a hundred years!

Shengjing City, Military Tent

Jia Fang led a group of cavalry back to the central army camp, walked a few steps quickly into the military tent, and said to Beijing Prince Shui Rong, "Why did the prince sound the horn just now?"

Prince Beijing Shui Rong's bright eyes showed admiration, and he said, "General Xiao Jia, the enemy has already fled to Shengjing City. It will be useless to pursue them any further."

Kang Hong's handsome, fair face also had a hint of smile on it, and he said, "I know that General Xiao Jia is brave, but you shouldn't fight too recklessly. Besides, General Xiao Jia's men should have killed thousands of people today."

After hearing this, Jia Fang didn't insist any further.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong also smiled and praised: "General Xiao Jia has already killed many defeated Jurchen troops. General Xiao Jia is very brave and intimidates the enemy. The Jurchens are terrified when they hear his words."

Jia Fang said: "It was all my soldiers who risked their lives for me. I dare not take credit for it."

Prince Beijing Shui Rong, Kang Hong and Wei Che smiled, and all of them felt emotional in their hearts.

The young man is still eager to achieve success, and he is holding back a lot of anger.

But aren't they the same? Once Shengjing City is conquered, all three of them will be recorded in history and promoted to higher positions.

……

……

In Jinzhou City, in the government office——

Jia Heng sat down behind a lacquered wooden table, flipping through a book in his hand.

Not far away was Chen Xiao, wearing a suit with an exquisite embroidered flying fish pattern, with his hands on his shoulders and an embroidered spring sword with an exquisite scabbard at his waist.

Jia Heng paused for a moment, turned his eyes to look at Chen Xiao, and said, "Xiaoxiao, how do you think we should deal with these Han officers?"

After Jinzhou City was captured, the imperial army captured many surrendered Han army officers and generals. Of course, some of them voluntarily surrendered to the Han army after the Han army captured the city.

Compared with the stubbornness of the Ding banner generals of the Eight Banners of the Jurchens, more of them chose to be loyal to the Qing Dynasty until death. The Han army officers, who were originally of the same bloodline as the Han Dynasty, were much more honest when faced with the proposition of surrender.

Chen Xiao looked at him intently and said, "What are you going to do?"

Jia Heng said: "What else can we do? We should pardon all his crimes and treat him as a guest of honor."

Chen Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Are you showing this to the officers of the Han Army in Shengjing City?"

Jia Heng smiled and praised: "The one who understands me is Xiaoxiao."

Chen Xiao's eyebrows were curved, her eyes were flowing, and she gave the young man a look of displeasure, and said, "The military report that Jinzhou City has been captured and Ajige has been beheaded has been sent to Shenjing City."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "It should be sent back."

In the past two months, Emperor Chongping has received good news one after another. I wonder if he is too excited amidst all this good news...

Sometimes, he didn't want to put himself in a moral dilemma.

Chen Xiao looked at the young man in the python robe with his clear eyes, as if condensed with dew, under his dark eyebrows that looked like a spring mountain. He said, "What if we had conquered the Jurchens before the New Year?"

Jia Heng looked at Chen Xiao and said softly, "Go with the flow, don't force it. Even if we destroy the Jurchens before the Lunar New Year, we can't return until after the Lunar New Year."

In fact, he was not worried about being benched after returning.

Just pretending to be a grandson for a period of time. Although it sounds a bit depressing, patience is a compulsory course for countless politicians who have experienced ups and downs.

I was afraid that Emperor Chongping would become angry and take him away before he died.

It's not impossible, son-in-law? In front of the Han Dynasty, even a biological son can't do it!

It is true that the only ones who know me and judge me are the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Chen Xiao frowned, his clear eyes twinkled, and he asked, "After Liaodong is pacified, how should we govern it? Have you thought about it?"

Jia Heng thought for a moment and said, "Establish an official system and at the same time, move people from the inland to the border areas. Since the implementation of the national policy of allocating taxes to each acre, the people's desire to have children has increased. It will take more than ten or twenty years for the world's population to double. By then, although the Kyushu has a vast territory, it will not have arable land. The arable land available in Liaodong Border Fortress is enough to solve the people's livelihood worries."

At that time, he would also come up with the Chen Han version of "Northeastern Wilderness" and change it to "Northern Granary", making the Northeast a grain production base for the Han Dynasty. In this way, even a hundred years later, the civil officials in the court would not choose to give up the vast Northeastern plain.

In addition, there are still many mineral resources in the Northeast that need to be excavated and discovered.

Chen Xiao's crystal clear eyes flickered, and he said softly: "At that time, there were many people and little land. The rich had their own farmland, while the poor had no place to stand. If this continued, the people would be resentful and it would be easy to cause civil unrest."

Jia Heng's eyes were blank and he murmured, "Yes, the cycle of order and chaos begins from here."

Therefore, innovation is always on the way.

Chen Xiao's bright eyes, shining like rainbows, were thoughtful under his plucked eyebrows. He said softly, "Even if we settle in the border area, it will only solve the problem for this life, not for eternity."

Jia Heng said: "It would be great if it could be solved for one lifetime. How can there be a system that will never change, and how can there be a dynasty that will never fall?"

The so-called "Book of Changes" mainly reflects a change. Wise people can observe the patterns from it and then predict the future.

Chen Xiao smiled to himself and said, "That's true."

Jia Heng picked up a blue and white porcelain teacup and took a sip of the tea.

As Jia Heng spoke, he came out of the government office and prepared to inspect the city defense of Jinzhou before leaving Jinzhou for the last time.

Walking on the street, you can still smell the smell of blood.

In the battle between more than 100,000 soldiers and horses the day before yesterday, countless people fell in a pool of blood, causing heavy casualties.

Accompanied by the Jinyifu guards, Jia Heng inspected the corner towers, high platforms and other objects along the city defenses.

At this moment, a Jinyifu guard came over on a fast horse, dismounted, looked at the young man in the python robe, and said, "Commander-in-chief, His Royal Highness the King of Wei and His Royal Highness the King of Chu are here."

Previously, the two vassal kings of Wei and Chu had stored up food, fodder and military equipment in Ningyuan City. Now, when they heard that Jinzhou City had been conquered by the Han army, they could not help but feel extremely happy.

Hearing this, Jia Heng looked at the attendant beside him and said softly, "Come with me to take a look."

As they were talking, they arrived near the city gate and happened to see the Wei and Chu clans approaching with their personal guards.

"Zi Yu." King Wei Chen Ran took a few quick steps, looked at the young man in the python robe with a smile on his face, and said.

Jinzhou City was broken again, but Zi Yu was still so capable and good at fighting.

The King of Chu took a few quick steps, with an inexplicable look on his face, and said softly: "Zi Yu has conquered Jinzhou City, which is truly cause for celebration."

Jia Heng nodded, extended his hand and said gently, "My two princes, thank you for your hard work on the journey."

Wei Wang Chen Ran looked at Jia Heng with some eagerness, and said, "Zi Yu, now that Jinzhou City has been captured, when will the troops be dispatched to Shengjing?"

If troops were sent to Shengjing, he would definitely have to follow the army. Apart from anything else, there is a record in history books that he entered Shengjing with Jia Ziyu.

Jia Heng said, "My two lords, this is not the place to talk. Please go to the government office and have a chat."

King Chen Qin of Chu nodded, then followed Jia Heng into the yamen with King Chen Ran of Wei.

While the three of them were talking, the host and the guest took their seats.

Jia Heng said, "It will be in these two days. However, this time the army will attack Shengjing. Please prepare more food and weapons for the frontline soldiers. This battle is not the battle of Jinzhou. Shengjing is the capital of the Jurchen Eight Banners. The city is majestic and solid. The Jurchens in the city will certainly share the same hatred and be united in the face of the danger of national destruction."

King Chen Qin of Chu nodded and said, "Zi Yu is right. A trapped beast will still fight."

King Chen Ran of Wei said, "Please rest assured, Zi Yu. This time, the grain and fodder will be transported from Shanhaiguan. There are still one million dan to supply the war."

Jia Heng nodded and said in a gentle voice: "There was some food and fodder in the city. When the city was captured, the Jurchen Eight Banners soldiers had not yet burned it. Now the food and fodder supply is not short for the time being, but the confrontation with the Jurchens in Shengjing City will take more than one day."

King Wei Chen Ran asked: "Zi Yu, once Shengjing is destroyed, will the Jurchens be destroyed? Then can my army return to the capital?"

Jia Heng explained, "After the Jurchens usurped power, most of the Jurchens who had lived in the mountains and forests moved to Shengjing. After several rounds of conscription and transfer, the number of soldiers had been greatly reduced. After the fall of Shengjing, even if there were some Jurchens and Mongols entrenched in the mountains and forests, they were just minor problems and not a cause for concern."

King Wei Chen Ran nodded, his eyes flashing, and he echoed: "Zi Yu's words are very sharp, like clearing away the fog and revealing the mist."

The King of Chu also nodded, with an expression of approval on his face.

I thought to myself, this King of Wei is so flattering, it's really a disgrace to the royal family...

Jia Heng spoke again: "No matter what, Liaodong is a vast area with rich resources. If we cultivate it well, it can become a grain field for our Han Dynasty."

King Wei Chen Ran nodded.

In Mr. Deng's words, no matter what happens now, he only agrees with Jia Ziyu's governance strategy, and the rest can be discussed later.

Moreover, after pacifying Liaodong, Jia Ziyu must have been worried about the situation where the bow would be put away after all the birds were killed. So since he agreed with the man's governance strategy, it was only natural for him to use him in the future.

This is called calming the heart.

Jia Heng added: "If Liaodong does not settle the border and change the natives to Han people, and just implement the policy of control, foreign races like the Jurchens will rise again in the future, and there will be no peace on the border forever."

The King of Chu smiled and continued, "From the Xiongnu in the Western Han Dynasty to the Five Barbarians, the Turks, the Mongols, and even the Jurchens today, they are all like this. Wildfires cannot be extinguished, but spring breezes will bring them back to life."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "So this time we must solve this major problem once and for all for our descendants."

The King of Chu looked at the young man in the python robe with a burning gaze and said, "Zi Yu is right."

At this moment, the King of Chu also listened to the advice of Liao Xian, the Chief Clerk of the Royal Palace, to some extent, that is, to maintain a high degree of consistency with the Duke of Weiguo on major policies.

At this moment, a Jinyifu guard entered the yamen and said with a bow, "Commander-in-chief, the banquet is ready."

Jia Heng raised his eyes to look at the Wei and Chu clans, and said softly, "My Lords, let's have dinner first."

As they were talking, Jia Heng and the two kings of Wei and Chu went to the side hall for a welcoming banquet.

Time flies by like water, and before you know it, three days have passed.

During these three days, the Beijing camp rested and trained its troops, and replenished its weapons and ammunition.

The Han army of the 12th Regiment of the Beijing Camp, after a short rest in Jinzhou City, left 20,000 soldiers to guard the prisoners and defend Jinzhou City, and the remaining 100,000 troops quickly set out towards Shengjing City.

"Dong dong..."

The sound of the cowhide drum was as dense as raindrops, deafening. At this moment, the birds in the field were startled and flew away.

An army of 150,000 troops marched out of the Jinzhou city gate and advanced towards Shengjing city.

Under a large banner of the central army with the word "General" emblazoned on black satin with red flames, Jia Heng wore a beautifully embroidered dragon robe and a wingless mountain-shaped crown on his head. His face was as calm as the dark water.

On the saddle not far away, Chen Xiao was holding a scabbard-embroidered spring sword at his waist. His eyes were like gleaming dew under his willow-leaf brows, and he said, "Marquis Xie has already gone to Shengjing City."

Cao Bianjiao's 7,000 cavalrymen have served as the vanguard, galloping non-stop on the front line and heading to Shengjing City first.

Jia Heng said with emotion: "The army gathered in Shengjing City and captured the important city in one fell swoop. From then on, the ownership of Liaodong was determined."

Chen Xiao's clear eyes looked far away from her beautiful eyebrows, and she said with emotion: "After this battle, the Han Dynasty will be revived for a hundred years!"

As the two were talking, the army marched towards Shengjing City in a mighty manner. The flags behind them fluttered and the ranks of soldiers snaked like snakes, moving towards Shengjing City.

……

……

Shengjing City, Palace Garden——

After taking a bath, Dorgon changed into a brand new prince's python robe and lay on the bed behind a bamboo and stone screen, taking a nap with his eyes closed.

This desperate journey really made Dorgon mentally exhausted.

At this moment, the maid who was waiting outside bowed and called out, "Greetings, Her Majesty the Queen Mother."

Upon hearing this, Dorgon slowly opened his old and dull eyes, got up from the bamboo couch, and looked up at the beautiful woman who exuded a fragrant scent.

Concubine Zhuang was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with her long black hair tied up in a bun, looking dignified and majestic. When she spoke, her voice was soft and tender, and she asked, "Fourteenth brother, are you resting now?"

Dorgon said, "I can't sleep now, why are you here?"

In the past year, Dorgon often stayed in the palace under the pretext of handling government affairs, and almost lived a married life with Concubine Zhuang.

Therefore, the conversation between the two at this moment was as normal as that between a husband and wife.

Under Concubine Zhuang's beautiful eyebrows, her clear eyes were as bright as water, her face was full of worry, her voice was full of sadness and grief, and she said softly: "Fourteenth brother, now the army is approaching, where will our Qing Dynasty go?"

Under Dorgon's thick eyebrows, his bright eyes were dull and absent-minded. Then he said loudly, "It's just a matter of fighting against enemies with soldiers and covering water with earth."

Concubine Zhuang's clear eyes were filled with worry under her willow-like eyebrows. She said worriedly, "Fourteenth brother, if Shengjing is destroyed, what will we do?"

A trace of tragic and heroic meaning gradually appeared on Dorgon's handsome and fair face, and he spoke fiercely and passionately: "As a descendant of the Aisin-Gioro clan, it is the mission of our Aisin-Gioro clan to perish with the city."

When Concubine Zhuang heard this, her rosy face turned as pale as paper and she remained silent for a moment.

This was obviously not what Concubine Zhuang wanted to hear. She wanted to hold her son Fulin and be buried with the Qing Dynasty.

Is the sky of the Qing Dynasty really about to collapse?

Dorgon nodded and said in a clear voice: "If the emergency comes to an end, I will have someone escort you and Fulin out of Shengjing City and live in hiding on the Mongolian grasslands, where you can live out your life in peace."

Under Concubine Zhuang's willow-shaped eyebrows, her clear eyes were as bright as water, and she said with a choked voice, "Fourteenth brother."

At this moment, Dorgon, with his thick eyebrows, stared at Concubine Zhuang and said softly, "Don't act like a child. This is fate. What can we do?"

The current Shengjing City, with all its accumulated assets, has only a little over 100,000 soldiers and horses, while outside the city are the Han court's hundreds of thousands of troops that are besieging the city one after another.

Even with Dorgon's intelligence and confidence, he could not claim to have found a way out of the desperate situation.

After all, not everyone is Liu Xiu who can summon meteorites.

Concubine Zhuang thought for a moment and said, "Didn't my fourteenth brother say before that Man Dahai is still leading the troops outside? If the city holds out until winter, the Han army will be cut off from food supplies, and the soldiers in the city and the soldiers outside the city will work together."

The pampered Concubine Zhuang obviously did not want to take Fulin with her to wander on the grassland.

Dorgon looked worried under his thick eyebrows, and said dejectedly: "This is only a tiny possibility. The heavy Han troops outside the city will not give the Qing Dynasty a chance."

How could the young man Jia Heng from the Han army be easy to deal with? When reinforcements arrive from Jinzhou, it is unknown whether Shengjing City can be defended by heavy troops.

It can be said that in the continuous military failures, Dorgon was completely troubled by the shadow of defeatism.

Concubine Zhuang's face was as pale as paper. She bit her lips with her pearly teeth and said softly, "Fourteenth brother, what should our Qing Dynasty do?"

Dorgon sighed and said, "We can only take it one step at a time, do our best and leave the rest to fate."

Concubine Zhuang remained silent for a while.

Obviously, it is difficult to describe Dorgon's "bad" mentality.

When Concubine Zhuang raised her eyes, she caught sight of Dorgon's tired face and said softly, "Fourteenth brother, you have been on horseback for a long time. You should rest more. I will go back first."

At this moment, Dorgon nodded, lay down on the bed to rest, closed his eyes to rest, but was thinking about how to defeat the enemy.

It is now mid-to-late August. Once Jia Heng arrives, he will hold out until November. The weather will be cold by then, and the boy's troops' combat effectiveness will certainly be greatly reduced. Perhaps that will be the only chance for a comeback.

……

……

At this moment, outside Shengjing City, in the evening, the sky was filled with sunset glow, and the clouds in the western sky looked like a fire cloud, as bright as fire and as brilliant as brocade.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong and Hebei Governor Kang Hong had already received the military intelligence delivered by the scouts sent by Xie Zaiyi.

"Marquis Xie will be here soon. This way, our army will have enough manpower and we won't have to worry about the Jurchen troops coming out to raid our camp." Beijing King Shui Rong said, looking at Kang Hong standing aside.

Because the only forces besieging Shengjing City were the Jiangnan Navy and 30,000 Hebei border troops, Prince Beijing Shui Rong was often worried that the Jurchens would leave the city to raid the camp or seize the grain supply route. Therefore, the two sides were in a state of confrontation during this period.

Hebei Admiral Kang Hong said, "Marquis Xie has about 20,000 cavalrymen under his command, but I don't know when Duke Wei will lead the army here."

Wei Che looked thoughtful and continued, "According to the distance, Duke Weiguo should be here in the next three to five days."

Just as the three were discussing, a guard's voice suddenly came from outside, saying loudly: "My Lord, Admiral Kang, the army of Marquis Xie has arrived thirty miles away from the camp."

At this moment, Xie Zaiyi led 20,000 cavalry and came forward in a mighty force.

When Dorgon fled earlier, Xie Zaiyi led a large number of elite cavalry to rob and harass the food supply routes of the Jurchen troops near Jinzhou City, and did not pay attention to the changes in the defense of Jinzhou City.

Besides, Dorgon fled overnight and there was not enough time.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong said: "General Kang, General Wei, follow me to welcome the Marquis Zhongqin."

As they were talking, they left the military tent and headed outside.

(End of this chapter)