Li Zicheng was busy preparing for the imperial expedition, summoning many ministers and generals in batches, and at the same time reviewing some particularly important military documents transferred from Chang'an. In the evening, he was very worried that the Manchurian soldiers would take advantage of his eastward expedition to cross the Great Wall, and summoned Song Xiance and Li Yan into the palace to ask them again about the contingency plan.

Song Xiance said: "Since entering Beijing, many civil and military ministers mistakenly think that the great success is done, and Jiangnan can be passed on and pacified, but the ministers and deputy military advisers are deeply worried, and they are often afraid that something extraordinary will happen when they come from Guanzhong alone. The worries of the ministers and others have long been an insight for His Majesty, and it is a great blessing that he has not deepened his responsibility. In the past few days, the ministers have not avoided the axe, and it is not a good plan to admonish the east. In the humble opinion of the ministers, after the fall of Chongzhen, the real enemy of our Dashun Dynasty was not Wu Sangui, but the emerging enemy of Manchuria, that is, the Qing soldiers who rose in Liaodong. ”

"Since the imperial court has decided to crusade against Wu Sangui, and the army has moved, a sudden change of plan will shake the morale of the army. At present, the only remedial strategy is to use the prince as a bait while the army is crusading eastward, and continue to recruit Wu Sangui to surrender, and strive to turn the war into a jade silk. In case it is necessary to fight, I hope that Your Majesty will not fall in love with war for three days. If there is no victory or defeat in three days, we should call off the troops under the pretext of an excuse, or retreat from the battalion step by step, or set up an ambush to frustrate the pursuers, in short, we must return to Beijing as soon as possible, and do not let the Manchurian soldiers cross the Great Wall and cut off our way back. ”

"You said before that you could send Luo Hu to lead 5,000 elite soldiers out of a piece of stone, go to the beach of Jiang Nu Temple, and burn Wu Sangui's grain ship. Now that Luo Hu is dead, is this plan still feasible?"

"If Wu Sangui's grain ship is still anchored on the beach of Jiang Nu Temple, this plan is certainly feasible. After Luo Hu's death, His Majesty still has young tiger generals with both wisdom and courage and prestige, such as Shuangxi and Zhang Nai, who are not inferior to Luo Hu. However, the military situation is uncertain, and it is impossible to use the glue pillar to drum up. Wu Sangui's grain ship anchored on the shore of the Jiang Nu Temple 10 miles away from Shanhaiguan, and whether it moved today and whether it moved 10 days later is a matter of unknown truth. Therefore, although the trick is good, it may not always be available. ”

Li Zicheng thought that Song Xiance's words were very reasonable, nodded, turned to Li Yan and asked: "Li Yan, I will start the Eastern Expedition tomorrow, leaving you and Ruyi and others to guard Beijing together, you are the main general, I am very relieved." Since the founding of the DPRK, we have not been able to stand on a firm footing, and we must not encounter setbacks. You're very knowledgeable and strategic, what advice do you have for tonight?"

Li Yan bowed respectfully and replied, "Your Majesty asked such a question, and the foolish minister was deeply frightened. I hope that Your Majesty will adopt the suggestions at any time, and you must always think in your heart that the Manchu Qing Dynasty is our strong enemy, and you must not be held back by Wu Sangui. If the Wu soldiers could not be eliminated in a battle, they must quickly leave the battlefield and rush back to Beijing, preparing to rely on the fortified city of Beijing to fight a decisive battle with the Qing soldiers in the suburbs. As long as the Qing troops were frustrated in the first battle in the suburbs of Beijing, the overall situation in the north would not be corroded, and although Wu Sangui was in the elbows, it would not be a disaster. ”

Li Zicheng still didn't believe that the Manchurian soldiers would come so quickly, so he groaned for a while and asked again: "In the past two or three days, I have received some reports of military intelligence, and I know that in Henan, Shandong, and other places, the people's situation is unstable and worrying everywhere. You are from Henan, what are the best ways to reassure the people?"

Li Yan said: "The minister is familiar with Gou Zi's "Discussion of Soldiers", and deeply feels that Gou Zi attaches great importance to the word "annexed people". The people are attached to the people, and the army and the people are united. At present, all parts of Henan and Shandong are suffering from the disappointment of the people and the centrifugal ...... of our dynasty."

"That's for the future, so let's not talk about it today. ”

Song Xiance and Li Yan kowtowed and withdrew, got on their horses at Donghua Gate, and galloped back to the military division's mansion. They all saw that the Eastern Crusade was bound to fail, and they also saw that if they were defeated in Beijing, the impact would be as far as they could reach, and the future would be unimaginable. But the momentum has come to this, and they can't do anything, and they sigh relative to each other unconsciously.

Song Xiance said quietly: "Li Yan, since entering Beijing, the emperor has always only considered the enthronement ceremony and the decision to settle Jiangnan without a fight, and then only considered how to recruit Wu Sangui; As the chief and deputy military divisions, you and I are ashamed that we can't do our best for the temple at this critical time of success or failure. You think, such a streak is like a desperate gamble, in case ......"

Li Yan sighed and said: "Sun Tzu said in the "Counting": The husband is the winner of the temple without a fight, and he has to count it as much. The temple is not victorious without a fight, and it is considered to be less. More wins, less wins, and nothing counts? Before sending troops to Xi'an, I was worried that there would be today. ”

Hearing the sound of footsteps coming in, Song Xiance shook his chin and stopped talking about this issue.

That night, Li Zicheng summoned Wu Ruyi and Li You into the palace again, and gave Wu Ruyi another instruction on how to defend the Forbidden City and the central government. On how to defend Beijing, he gave Li You instructions. In the past few days, after Song Xiance and Li Yan's repeated remarks, Li Zicheng could not but be worried about the possible southward invasion of the Manchurian soldiers.

In particular, Luo Hu's stabbing death dealt a great blow to his spirit, making him begin to understand that it is easy to seize Chongzhen's country, but it is difficult to clean up the hearts of the people in the world. Although he decided to go east in order to defeat Wu Sangui by luck and make Manchuria dare not invade the south, he did not say anything in his mouth, and in his heart he could not think that he might be frustrated under the Acropolis of Mountains and Seas, which would affect the overall situation of safety.

He especially said to Li You: "You are a rare general, with rich experience on the battlefield. I won't let you go to the Eastern Crusade and leave you in Beijing, because Beijing is extremely important, and there can't be a single mistake in defense. Although I appointed Li Yan as the chief general to defend Beijing, and you and Ruyi were his deputies, Li Yan had little experience on the battlefield after all, and although he was full of wealth, he could not charge into battle. In case something happens in Beijing, you have to go out of the city to kill the enemy. ”

Li You knelt on the ground and said, "The minister must obey the holy decree and dare not make mistakes!"

"Ruyi," Li Zicheng said to Wu Ruyi again: "You have always been careful, I don't need to ask more." There's one thing you remember to get right. Concubine Dou entered the palace at the age of seven and has not seen her parents for more than ten years. Yesterday, I promised her to take her parents to Beijing so that she could see them. After I set out on the expedition, Concubine Dou will write her father's name and the name of her hometown on a piece of paper, and order the palace maid to give it to you, you must do it. ”

"Yes!"

Li Zicheng spent another night in a state of uneasiness. On the night of that day, notices from Wu Sangui were posted everywhere outside Beijing, saying that he would soon lead the Guanning Iron Cavalry to Beijing to expel the thieves, restore Shenjing, and avenge the first emperor. Soon the news spread throughout the capital.

After breakfast, Li Zicheng was escorted by Li Qiang and Shuangxi and left Jingdong on the expedition. Dou Meiyi led the palace maids to send him outside Wuyingmen. Niu Jinxing led the civil and military officials who stayed in Beijing to wait outside the noon gate, sent him out of Chengtianmen, and crossed the Jinshui Bridge. Everyone knelt on the ground to see them off.

Wang Changshun also knelt on the ground, and when he saw the emperor casting a glance at him, he hurriedly said: "Please allow Your Majesty to accompany the ministers to the east!"

Li Zicheng said: "There will be a bitter battle in Shanhaiguan, so you can stay in Beijing." ”

Wang Changshun thought of Luo Hu's death, and suddenly burst into tears. Li Zicheng avoided his eyes and whispered, "Let's go!"

Three cannons rang out, and Li Zicheng set off. The crown prince, Yongwang, and Dingwang of the Ming Dynasty followed behind on horseback. The crown prince and the two kings swore an oath wrapped in black silk, wore dark green silk robes, and were carried by soldiers on horses.

After leaving the Qihua Gate, Li Zicheng waited near the Dongyue Temple because Song Xiance had not yet arrived, and sent someone to urge. Many scholars crowded the roadside to watch the crown prince and the second king, and many elderly people shed tears. The soldiers shouted loudly at the crowd and whipped them away. Li Zicheng ordered that the people could watch it, but they were not allowed to crowd around. When Song Xiance arrived with his entourage on horseback, Li Zicheng's imperial camp continued eastward.