Marven said proudly: "Of course, otherwise I would have chased him all night, and I wouldn't have run away in vain." It's exhausting. As he spoke, he saw a cup of tea on the table in the lobby, and no matter who had drunk it, he just picked it up and drank it all.

Zhou Chang still couldn't believe that the prefect who had been in Jingzhou for two years had his head cut off now. Walked over and opened the two packages, sure enough, it was the head of Han Changgu, and Zhou Chang opened another package, and it was indeed the head of Mu Shenghui who was guarding the green camp.

Jiang Tongjian saw that he had indeed killed the prefect and the garrison, and immediately said, "Since you have killed these two people, let's kill them." Now that we have captured Gangneung City, we must reorganize the people in the city into the army as soon as possible, and recruit soldiers. Especially the fishermen, our naval army has only 3,000 people, and it is useless to start a war. ”

Jiang Tong looked at Marven and the others, and said: "Now that we have controlled the situation in Jiangling City, we will each bring five hundred people to attack several county towns under the rule of Jingzhou Mansion, and they will not resist in the future, and then we will find people to enlist in each county." ”

Jiang Tong saw that some generals didn't understand, so he explained: "Only by transferring these people and heroes into Jiangling City and letting them become one with our Restoration Army, will they return to us." We also have to immediately notify the sailors behind us, so that they dare to come and join us as soon as possible to strengthen Jingzhou's defenses. ”

Ma Wen said: "Also, I want to send a letter to His Highness and tell them that we will take Jiangling City and make them happy." Jiang Tongdao: "Of course, let Zhou Chang write it." Zhou Chang was stunned, and Marven said: "Yes, there is no need to look for any master at this time, there are ready-made ones here." ”

Only then did Zhou Chang understand that the two of them were also illiterate military men. After understanding, Zhou Chang immediately took the pen and began to write official documents. In a short time, a thousand-word official document was written. Then, after Zhou Chang interpreted it for Jiang Tong again, Jiang Tong saw that there was nothing wrong with it.

He immediately called someone and sent him to Zhu Youdong's camp in Jingmen. Jiang Tong sent out the official letter on 20 April, and on the morning of 22 April, Zhu Youdong received Jiang Tong's official letter.

Zhu Youdong opened the official document and looked at it, and said to Gou Xingwang and others, who were studying the military situation: "How is the military situation on our side?" ”

Gou Xingwang said: "The current military situation is a little unclear, the Qing army seems to be deliberately avoiding the war, and the scouts we went out couldn't find the Qing army's army." ”

Zhou Dazhu on the side said: "Yes, Your Highness." Even the people are much less. Since we left Sichuan, after capturing Jingmen on the 10th day of the fourth month, the troops sent out to various places have said that there is no Qing army, and some of the cities we have obtained are only old and weak, and there is no grain in the government treasury. ”

Jiang Chao next to him said: "These are because, we have been here for too long, if we go east directly on the same day, it is estimated that we have already arrived in De'an at this time, and it will not be far from Wuhan." ”

Gou Xingwang wanted to refute, Zhu Youdong said: "This is what Jiang Chao said right, we lost the fighter, and we are very passive now." ”

Zhou Dazhu said: "Your Highness, is something wrong?" Zhu Youdong handed over the official document in his hand to Zhou Dazhu. Then he said to Lin Zhuang: "Your intelligence is very poor this time." ”

Lin Zhuang didn't know what was going on, and it was hard to say. I went with Zhou Dazhu to read the official document that Zhu Youdong had just given, and after reading it, Lin Zhuang said: "Your Highness forgives me, this time the Qing court suddenly withdrew all the young people, which really hurt our intelligence a lot." It is estimated that the only spies who can escape are those who are close to our side. ”

Zhou Dazhu said: "Yes, not to mention that the people in these places are also very late to receive the news. This is also very detrimental to our intelligence transmission. Now that we've received the news, we're going to discuss what to do as soon as possible. ”

Gou Xingwang also said angrily: "The Qing court of the dog day actually used such a vicious scheme. They took away all the people and food, and we didn't have any seizures. ”

Zhou Dazhu has been coordinating at Boryeong, so his current analytical ability is better than that of several others. I saw Zhou Dazhu also say: "Yes, this is not the most terrifying." Seeing the attitude of the Qing court towards us, it almost wanted to trap us directly in Sichuan. Then they must know that something has gone wrong with the Qing army in Yunnan. ”

Jiang Chao said: "What if they know? The big deal is to get a fight. Zhou Dazhu said: "It's not that simple, if the Qing court is determined to blockade us in Sichuan, then they will also cut off the news of the entire outside world, plus His Royal Highness is in charge of the country, this time we sent troops directly using the name of His Highness." I'm afraid the Qing court has now understood that something has happened to the first emperor of Yongli. ”

Zhou Dazhu looked at the crowd and continued: "If that is the case, the Qing court will directly announce that the Yongli court has been destroyed, so that we will lose the support of the people." It can also eliminate other small anti-Qing forces as soon as possible. ”

Jiang Chao said: "Even if you eliminate those, it doesn't matter." We didn't want to rely on them in the first place. Zhu Youdong said to Jiang Chao: "Use your brain well, think about it, let the people lose hope, and for us, there will be no cover." Can the spies we sent out still be able to find out information for us? We're not blind. ”

Zhou Dazhu said: "Your Highness is right, and the Qing army can calmly mobilize a large army to besiege us." Gou Xingwang said: "Then how are we going to break this game?" You can't just wait here forever. ”

Jiang Chao said: "That is, ten days ago, I said that I would send troops, but you just don't agree." Only now do I remember to regret it, it's too late. Zhu Youdong reprimanded: "Let you think with your head, if you just don't listen, don't say it if you don't understand, you bastard." ”

Zhou Dazhu explained: "Commander Jiang, we didn't move at that time, we had to wait for the King of Jin to take Xiangyang with his army, otherwise as soon as our army left, the Qing army in Xiangyang would go south, wouldn't it cut off our back road?" ”

Jiang Chao said: "I know this, I can beat me as much as you say." Gou Xingwang said: "Yes, I want to do this too, I have to keep thinking about it in this war, I'm tired to death." ”

Zhu Youdong looked at these two muddy people, and immediately scolded angrily: "You two bastards." Let you think about it, even if you are lazy, why do you still say such bastard words? ”

Jiang Chao and Gou Xingwang saw that Zhu Youdong was angry, and they immediately looked down at Yutu and didn't dare to speak again. At this time, the other generals outside also came in. Zhu Youdong didn't want to scold these two people anymore, and suddenly said: "Come and see, lead the troops to fight, if you don't analyze the military situation, you will only be a general for the rest of your life, and you will never be a general, and you will never be a general, and you will never be the commander of an army." ”

At this time, Zhou Dazhu said: "Your Highness, now that the Qing court has withdrawn all the people and troops to Wuchang, we are afraid that we will not be able to reach it." ”

Zhu Youdong said to Deng Kai, who was in charge of grain and grass: "How much grain and grass do I have in my army now. "Since Deng Kai's feet were crippled and he couldn't lead the army, Zhu Youdong asked him to be in charge of grain and grass. Deng Kai said: "Your Highness, I'm afraid that the food and grass in the army are only enough for fifteen days." The follow-up grain and grass, the last general has already urged the grain and grass, but there is no food coming. ”

At this moment, a messenger from Li Dingguo arrived, and the messenger said: "Your Highness, the King of Jin has captured Xiangyang with a large army, and is now stationed in Xiangyang, and I want to ask Your Highness how to march next." ”

Zhu Youdong said: "Is the King of Jin really just asking about the actions of the army? The messenger immediately hesitated, "This... That's what King Jin explained. ”

Zhu Youdong said: "Xiangyang was really led by the King of Jin?" What about the defenders in the city? The messenger said: "Back to Your Highness, Xiangyang was indeed defeated by the King of Jin, but there don't seem to be many Qing troops in the city." We captured Xiangyang in one day. ”

Zhu Youdong instantly understood, and said, "Okay, even if it is beaten down by King Jin." Is there enough grain and grass in the Jin Wang's army now? The messenger said: "Since there are not many seizures in the city, the king of Jin also asked His Royal Highness to allocate some grain and grass to Xiangyang." ”

Zhou Dazhu on the side said: "Hey, the King of Jin still can't pull it down, I think Xiangyang was also directly abandoned by the Qing army, so there is no food in the city." Zhu Youdong nodded and said: "That's probably the case, but after all, the King of Jin occupied Xiangyang, and it can be regarded as defeating Xiangyang." ”

Then Zhu Youdong looked at everyone again: "Then let's discuss now, how can we break the current predicament and prevent us from returning in vain this time." Zhou Dazhu, you will tell me more about the military situation. ”

After Zhou Dazhu said about the military situation, he said: "This is the situation, what we are facing now is that if we march and attack, we will run out of food and grass, and there will be no supply of soldiers." If we retreat, we will be trapped in Sichuan and wait for the Qing army to besiege us. ”

Seeing this, Zhou Dazhu said: "But we also have good news, that is, the Fourth Army of the Party has captured Hanzhong, and Hanzhong has always had a heavy production area. King Jin also captured the important town of Xiangyang, and we no longer have to worry about the back road being cut off. Unexpectedly, our troops who remained in Yidu captured Gangneung City. As for the Fifth Army and the Second and Seventeenth Armies of Yuanzhou, which set out from Shizhouwei, they were in Yuezhou, Changde, and Baoqing, respectively, and the specific location is not known due to the long road. ”

Ma Weixing said: "This is good news, I don't think it's good, so we will return to Chongqing to preserve our strength." Looking for another opportunity to come out, now that the Qing court has withdrawn all the young and strong, their harvest in Huguang this year will be complete, and the losses of the Qing army are much greater than ours. ”

Wang Xing, Li Rubi and Yang Mingyu, who followed the army together, also agreed to return to Chongqing. These people are all people who were seized of military power by Zhu Youdong in the party struggle before. The expedition had little impact on them, and there would be no military merit without the army, so it was safer to return to Chongqing.

Hu Yiqing, who was on the side, objected, and said: "If we retreat like this, the army will go out and return in vain, which is not good for His Highness's reputation." I think we will first hold the cities we have occupied, and then send troops to seize the entire territory of Chengtianfu. When the time came, the army marched south and seized the state capital west of Dongting Lake with Song Gaoju. In this way, we can also consolidate the state capital that we have occupied, and we can also use these places to settle the fields for grain, and when the summer grain is put into storage, we can solve the current dilemma. ”

These suggestions are not in line with Zhu Youdong's intentions, but as soon as Hu Yiqing's plan came out, many people immediately agreed, and even Gou Xingwang and Zhou Dazhu felt reasonable.

Zhu Youdong found Xia Guoxiang sitting on the side, looking disdainful and not speaking. Zhu Youdong said: "Xia Guoxiang, you don't seem to agree with this plan." ”

Xia Guoxiang didn't think that Zhu Youdong would name him, since the last party dispute, Zhu Youdong has not looked for Xia Guoxiang again, and Xia Guoxiang has also kept a lot of low profile. originally thought that Zhu Youdong would not reuse himself, after all, the Guan Ning Army in his hands had been broken up by Zhu Youdong, and he had no use value.

What's more, he was involved in the party struggle at that time, which made Zhu Youdong even more disgusted. Since following the army on the expedition, Xia Guoxiang has not said a word. All the meetings and military information, Xia Guoxiang has always only carried his ears, and it is none of his business to go to war anyway.