Wang Changshun kowtowed, stood up, and was about to withdraw cautiously, when he suddenly heard the emperor say, "Wang Changshun and go slowly!" He immediately turned around, lowered his hands and stood solemnly, waiting for the emperor's question.

He didn't know if the emperor wanted to reprimand him for breaking into the palace and talking nonsense boldly in front of the palace. Li Zicheng paused for a moment, looked at the old horseman and asked, "Changshun, have you seen with your own eyes how Xiaohuzi practiced?"

Wang Changshun replied: "Your Majesty, the minister was left in Tongzhou by Luo Hu for two days and watched his infantry drills. It was really a serious exercise, and one of the leaders violated military discipline during the exercise, and he severely punished him without mercy, so that the officers and men of the whole battalion in the training ground were so frightened that their faces were as pale as dirt, and they did not dare to exhale their atmosphere. I saw him training cavalry, not only the old method of our army training cavalry in Shangluo Mountain and Funiu Mountain, but also new tricks, which made me see that he was a famous general. ”

"What's his new trick?"

"The place where he trained his cavalry was on the north bank of the canal, about two miles from the river, and after Luo Hu practiced the formation and archery skills of the five hundred cavalry in the teaching field, suddenly he waved the red flag three times, and the five hundred cavalry became a column of five horsemen in parallel with the sound of war drums, very neat, trotting forward, straight to the river. When the cavalry approached the river, the drums did not stop, and the cavalry continued to advance. When it was less than ten zhang away from the river, suddenly the column turned into a horizontal column and continued to advance. I was shocked in my heart, and quickly said: "The earthquake mountain will ......"

"What do you call him?"

"The minister called him General Zhenshan. ”

Li Zicheng asked with a smile: "Huh?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, the minister calls him General Zhenshan. Although His Majesty's favorite general Luo Hu grew up under the eyes of the minister, who always called him Xiaohuzi, or called him Xiao Luohu, but he is now the commander of a battalion in our Dashun army, and his prestige among the officers and soldiers of his battalion is extremely high, so the minister should call his cousin Zhenshan, plus the word general. ”

"Ah, I sound weirdly fresh...... You continue what you just said. ”

Wang Changshun continued: "The minister said: General Zhenshan, please hurry up and sing gold! He ignored me and ordered the flag drummer to beat the drum vigorously and wave the red flag violently. He jumped out of the stands and went into the water with twenty other soldiers. That section of the canal was about twenty zhang wide, and the center of the river was very deep. At this time, the drummer led the drummer to leap into the water, followed by Luo Hu, the drum did not stop, the horn sounded again, and the drum and the horn sound were mixed together, urging the cavalry to swim forward. ”

Suddenly, a trumpet sounded in the woods on the opposite bank, followed by the sound of drums, and two hundred infantry rushed out and fired firearms on the riverbank. For a moment, the sound of cannons and drums on the other side of the river was deafening, the fire flashed, the smoke of gunpowder was all over the ground, and there was a shout of killing. The cavalry who crossed the river led their horses with their left hands and waved their swords with their right hands, shouting: "Kill, kill!" and rushed into the smoke of gunpowder, and after a few moments, the infantry resisting on the opposite bank were defeated. ”

"The drums stopped, the gongs sounded, and the smoke began to disperse. Luo Hu led the cavalry to form a team and swam back. The cavalry returned to the parade platform, and everyone's lower body was wet. Although Luo Hu is the main general, he is no exception. He said a few words to encourage everyone to continue their hard training tomorrow, and then ordered everyone to go back to the camp to bake clothes and pants. Your Majesty, this is one of your Qi family troops! Luo Hu's 3,000-step cavalry is an elite soldier that Your Majesty can use!"

Li Zicheng was satisfied with what he heard, and couldn't help but nod and say: "Okay, good, Xiaohuzi is really promising! You can retreat, and you can enter the palace to play important words in the future!"

After Wang Changshun withdrew, Li Zicheng looked at the expressions of the two military advisors, and understood in his heart that they must have obtained a military intelligence report that was very unfavorable to Dashun, and asked, "What new news does Wu Sangui have?"

Song Xiance hurriedly replied: "Since the capture of Beijing, the minister immediately ordered Liu Tichun to be stationed in Tongzhou, and sent fine work to the Shanhaiguan area and beyond the Great Wall at any expense to inquire about Wu Sangui and the Liaodong military situation. Today's fifth watch, Liu Tichun sent someone to the military division mansion to report an extremely important military situation to the ministers and Li Yanyu, and the things that the ministers and others were worried about really came to the fore. ”

Li Zicheng's heart was shocked: "What is extremely important? Is it that Wu Sangui dares to openly make an enemy of my Dashun?"

Song Xiance said: "This is the most worrying thing that the minister and the deputy army division have been most worried about since they went out to the east, and now they have found out the accurate news." After conquering Taiyuan, Li Yan happened to meet a strange person in the Jin Temple......"

"This strange man is what you told me when you were in Taiyuan, that Hong Chengchou's right-hand man?"

"It is this person, named Liu Zizheng, when Hong Chengchou's army defeated Songshan, he was angry and cut his hair and became a monk. Li Yan met him at the Jin Temple by chance, and listened to him talk about the general trend of the world, understand the current affairs, and be impassioned. The next day, the minister and Li Yan went to Jin Ci to visit him, and had the intention of keeping him for His Majesty's use, but he had already left the Jin Temple with two servants before dawn. ”

"He expected that Wu Sangui would resist and not surrender?"

"Wu Sangui is just a disease of ringworm and scabies. ”

"So ......"

Li Zicheng suddenly groaned silently. He didn't wait for detailed questioning to realize the seriousness of the situation in front of him, and his mind thought of the new big war like lightning, and thought of a few generals and a few troops that he could rely on, especially Luo Hu, and from Luo Hu to Fei Zhen'e. Since Dou Meiyi came to his side, she has won his favor. According to the court etiquette system in the feudal era, he could have chosen Fei Zhen'e by his side at the same time, but he didn't want to make the Dou family and the Fei family unhappy, so he delayed making a decision.

Now that I thought about it, I suddenly blurted out a word: "Just do it, I've already decided!"

Song Xiance and Li Yan were secretly shocked, not understanding what Li Zicheng meant by this sentence and what he decided. They were waiting for the emperor's explanation, but Li Zicheng was anxious to know the news about Wu Sangui, and without mentioning what he had suddenly decided in his heart, he hurriedly asked: "What news have you got? Did Liu Tichun come from Tongzhou today to report important military information to you?"

Song Xiance said, "Yes, Your Majesty." Because this news is very important and confidential, Liu Tichun personally came to the Military Division's Mansion to report to the ministers and others in person. ”

Li Zicheng was shocked in his heart: "Hurry up and explain in detail! What did Liu Tichun say?"

Liu Tichun's spy and spy work has gradually shown its importance over the past year or so, forming a highly professional military organization in the Dashun Army, which has no clear number or name so far, and is only called Xiao Liu Ying, but after arriving in Xi'an, Li Zicheng did not have the time to directly command the intelligence work of the Dashun Army, and the Military Division's Office has been formally established, and Liu Tichun's intelligence agency has become an important department in the Military Division's Office, which is still called Xiao Liu Ying, which is different from Liu Zongmin and Liu Fangliang's military camp. In the past, Liu Tichun got an important report and reported it directly to Li Zicheng, and since then he has changed to report to the military advisor.

In the three or four months before the march into Beijing, that is, from the autumn of the 16th year of Chongzhen's reign, Liu Tichun's various spies, some disguised themselves as Shangjing Juzi from Huguang, Henan, and Shaanxi, some disguised themselves as high-status personnel who bribed civil and military officials, and some disguised themselves as small merchants and hawkers, charlatans, jugglers, refugees and beggars, monks, Taoist priests, nuns, and all kinds of people of the three religions and nine streams, and infiltrated the city of Beijing, spying on the reality of the defenders, court news, and social dynamics, and spreading rumors at any time, disturbing people's hearts, and exaggerating the benevolence and military might of the King of Dashun.

As soon as the Dashun army broke through Beijing, Liu Tichun followed the orders of the main and deputy military divisions to enter Tongzhou, and spared no money to buy fine works to spy on the military movements of Manchuria and Wu Sangui. From March 19 to the beginning of April, the civil servants of the Dashun Dynasty paid the most attention to the persuasion and preparation of the enthronement ceremony, while the generals such as Liu Zongmin and Li You paid the most attention to the torture and recovery of the stolen goods of the imperial relatives and high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty.

Fortunately, the military division government led by Song Xiance and Li Yan kept a clear head, and did not forget the grim situation in front of the Dashun army after entering Beijing, and was especially worried that the Dashun army would not have a firm foothold in Beijing, Wu Sangui would not surrender according to the Shanhai Pass, and the Manchurians would take the opportunity to march to Beijing. And now what they feared came true.

After listening to the emperor's inquiry, Song Xiance quickly stood up and said: "Your Majesty, as soon as the sky is bright today, Liu Tichun called the Chaoyang Gate, came to the Military Division's Mansion, and personally reported a major military situation to the ministers. According to a detailed report, the Manchurians are recruiting the Manchurian, Mongolian, and Han Eight Banners, and they are about to invade the south in the near future. The ministers thought that since Wanli, the Manchurian army had become stronger and stronger, and the Ming court had miscalculated every step, so that the Qing army had become a major problem for China, and they were still a fierce opponent of our dynasty. ”

"You sit down and talk, are you a fierce rival?"

"Please forgive your Majesty, Manchuria is indeed our rival, and we must not take it lightly. ”

Li Zicheng lowered his head and groaned, and said in his heart: "I didn't expect that in a corner of Liaodong, Dongyi Yuchong, would be so arrogant and dare to call a soldier a prisoner at this time!"

Song Xiance saw that the emperor had a contemptuous attitude towards Manchuria, and after sitting down, he bowed down and said: "Your Majesty, in the Chongzhen Dynasty, the Manchurian soldiers invaded the south four times, only one of them attacked from near Datong, and the remaining three times entered the Great Wall from the land of the Three Associations, threatening Beijing, going deep into southern Hebei, plundering Shandong, and then exiting from ASEAN or the Central Association. ”

"Every time the Qing soldiers entered the fortress, Chongzhen was unable to deal with it, and almost shook the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. Now that our country has been created and the foundation is not solid, tens of thousands of people have come to Beijing and seized the Ming Dynasty, which is indeed an unprecedented victory. The emperor's voice is mighty, and it will surely shine through the ages. However, our army was small in number, far away from Guanzhong, and after breaking through Beijing, Wu Sangui was in the mountains and seas of the city, and he did not surrender, and the strong enemy in Manchuria had already mobilized troops and horses, and was ready to move. The subordinates are military advisors, and they really dare not sit back and relax. ”

Li Zicheng lowered his head and was silent for a moment, and then asked Li Yan, "What is Li Yan's opinion?" Sit down and talk, you don't need to stand up. ”

Li Yan bowed and said: "Since Wanli, the Qing chief Nurhachi has risen in Liaodong, raised troops to rebel, and called himself Houjin. In the year of the Apocalypse, Nurhachi died of illness, and his son Huang Taiji ascended the throne, and his power was stronger, and the name of the country was changed to Qing in the ninth year of Chongzhen. During his lifetime, Nurhachi had laid the foundation for the Qing army to invade Sene. After Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne, he won many victories with his troops, and in recent years he has unified Liaodong, swept the Mongolian tribes, and surrendered to Korea. Therefore, Weichen is ignorant, and every time he discusses with the advice, he is worried that the Qing soldiers will take the opportunity to go south. Now that you know that the Qing soldiers are already mobilizing troops and horses, please take precautions for your majesty. ”

Li Zicheng thought for a while, but still couldn't believe that the Manchurians would attack the Dashun Dynasty at this time, and said to the two military advisors: "When I was in Xi'an, I heard that in August last year, the Great Khan of Manchuria died of a sudden illness. Later, there was a nine kings named Dolgon, who was also the son of Nurhachi, who had a heavy army in his hands, and did not let the eldest son of the Great Khan, Hauge, inherit the throne, but insisted on supporting the six-year-old son Fulin of Huang Taiji to succeed him, so that he could take the throne as a regent. I think it's all true, is it a rumor?"

Li Yan said: "The news that our dynasty received in Xi'an was originally from Beijing, and it is very reliable. ”

Li Zicheng said: "In my opinion, since there is a new national mourning in Manchuria, and the establishment of the king does not take the lead in the heirs, it will cause the kings to Neijiang and the situation in turmoil, at this time, Dolgon will probably not leave Shenyang and start the war lightly. ”

Li Yan said: "Your Majesty, since Chongzhen ten years ago, due to external troubles, he often pays attention to the situation in Liaodong, and knows a little about it. Since the Manchurians betrayed the Ming Dynasty, it has been 38 years, although Huang Taiji is determined to learn from China, he does not get rid of the old habits of Yidi, does not understand the system of building a reserve in China, and does not have a hereditary gift of inheritance. ”

"Since Dolgon has embraced a six-year-old boy as king, and the name has been determined, and anyone who does not obey orders is a rebel, so there has been no civil strife or turmoil in Shenyang. Of course, Dolgon appointed himself as regent and gathered great power, and the princes and ministers of the Qing court may not be convinced, and probably many people are unconvinced and dare not speak. Dolgon planned for himself, he wanted to take advantage of the fact that our Dashun army had just arrived in Beijing, and his foothold was not stable, and the people's hearts were not convinced, so he personally commanded the troops to come, so that the Eight Banners would be under his control from now on. ”

"If he can get away with it, he will inherit the will of the Great Khan and establish a special honor for Manchuria, not only his regency and power make no one in Manchuria can compete with him, but also if he is not satisfied with the regency status in the future, it will be easy for him to take the country into the hands of orphans and widows. Please don't think that the Qing chief Dolgon will not dare to attack, you should expect that he will definitely attack the south, and take precautions for it. ”

Li Zicheng was shocked in his heart, but he remained silent on the surface, smiled and nodded, indicating that he agreed with Li Yan's analysis, turned to look at Song Xiance and asked, "What does the military advisor think about this matter?"

Song Xiance replied: "Since arriving in Beijing, the person who Chen and Li Yan are most worried about is not Wu Sangui, but the Qing soldiers who take the opportunity to invade. If the Qing soldiers do not move, Wu Sangui is in the land of Shanhaiwei projectiles, and he will surrender sooner or later. Even if you disobey orders and do not surrender, it is easy to send troops to suppress them, and it is not enough to win the battle. At present, my Dashun's henchmen are in Dolgon, not in Wu Sangui. ”

Li Zicheng suddenly understood in his heart that he had never taken the Manchurian invasion to heart, and he really shouldn't have taken it to heart. All the ministers regarded the preparation of the enthronement ceremony and the surrender of Wu Sangui as the greatest priority, after all, Song Xiance and Li Yan were more far-sighted and reminded him to attach importance to Manchuria.

He was originally an outstanding hero with great talent and strategy, and his 16 years of war life made him develop the habit of using war to solve difficulties. In an instant, his mind turned to the question of how to fight.