Chapter 424

While the war in Jiangnan was raging, Emperor Chongzhen was far from idle. He was preparing for a series of major initiatives. The first was the mobilization of troops. He divided his newly recruited soldiers into two groups, sending one to Jizhou and the other to Juyong Pass. This allowed him to relieve Tang Tong, who was stationed at Juyong Pass, and reassign him to Xuanfu. As this was the primary front against Li Zicheng and the Mongols, having such a seasoned commander in charge would significantly alleviate the pressure on Yan Yingyuan. As for Gao Di, who had been at Jizhou, Emperor Chongzhen transferred him to the Jizhou Garrison. It is important to note that the Jizhou Garrison is not the same place as Jizhou; in the Ming Dynasty, Jizhou referred to modern-day Jixian, while the Jizhou Garrison was located at what is now Santunying Town in Qian'an. Wang Yongji was then assigned to Jizhou.