Hearing that Zhu Youdong allowed himself to call gunpowder, Zhang Huangyan also had a bottom in his heart. But when he thought of the high mountains and cliffs on the way from Sichuan to Yunnan, Zhang Huangyan still said: "If you use gunpowder to open the mountain, you can do it, but how much gunpowder is needed." What's more, there is not enough saltpeter, and the gunpowder we are in now is not enough even for the army. ”

Zhu Youdong said: "I think these must not be difficult for Zhang Shangshu, medicine can set up a medical officer, and your Ministry of Industry can also set up a tool research and development department." The gunpowder was not powerful enough, so they tried to find the most powerful one. If you don't have enough materials, it's not difficult to find the same or better materials. There is no way to build a bridge, and we can still find other ways to solve it. ”

Zhang Huang said: "Okay, I'll go and let the craftsmen think of a way." Zhu Youdong said to Li Dingguo: "King Jin, the military department can also send some craftsmen to study together, maybe there will be some better weapons." Before Zhang Shangshu, he had been leading people to make muskets, and now several samples have been produced. And it's much more powerful than before. ”

Not long after Li Dingguo arrived in Chongqing, he didn't know that Zhang Huangyan was making muskets with a craftsman. Now when he heard Zhu Youdong say this, he immediately said that he would send someone to study it together, and it happened that Li Dingguo's army also gathered some craftsmen.

Zhu Youdong also made people have some convergence in Yungui. Some craftsmen of the Yongli Imperial Court fled into the mountains to hide when the Qing army came. Now the Restoration Army has gathered craftsmen everywhere, and after hearing the news, these people have all gone out of the mountains to the Restoration Army, and now there is no shortage of craftsmen under them.

At this time, the only one who is idle should be Yuan Kuoyu, the secretary of the Criminal Department. But he can't help it, who made his identity doomed to be a very embarrassing person. If he hadn't been a literati, it is estimated that Zhu Youdong would not have used him.

In the following days, Zhu Youdong made detailed arrangements for various departments. After ten days of busyness, I finally divided all the things in my hand. The household department is responsible for local taxation, the establishment of patent departments, and the affairs in the hands of Wang Jincai. The Ministry of Industry had to engrave samples of treasure banknotes, and it was also necessary to have people explore the official roads in various places and prepare for their repair and widening.

The military department should coordinate the rations and salaries of the troops in various localities and be responsible for the verification of the troops stationed in various localities. After preparing for Zhu Youdong's supervision of the country, the officials of various places were appointed. The Ministry of Rites is the busiest, preparing for Zhu Youdong's prison ceremony.

Originally, Zhu Youdong was against such a big deal, but when Zhu Youdong expressed his intentions, everyone disagreed. Because in the past two years, the military of the Ming Dynasty has been defeated more than victorious. Everyone wants to take this opportunity to boost the morale of Daming. With this reason, Zhu Youdong did not object.

However, Zhu Youdong still proposed to put his and Li Xiao's wedding together in the prison country, which could also save some money. Since Zhu Youdong proposed it himself, Li Xiao and Li Laiheng have no opinion on this matter, and others have no objections.

However, there was no opposition at that time, but Li Xiao was not the only one who married Zhu Youdong. Tan Shuanghua was agreed by Li Xiao, since there are still people who accompany him, he can't be one person, and he has to be one queen and two concubines. At the instigation of Bai Wenxuan and others, Li Dingguo's daughter Li Haiyue also became another concubine of Zhu Youdong.

Li Dingguo originally didn't agree, but he had been misunderstood twice in Kunming before, and both said that he Li Dingguo wanted to marry Zhu Youdong. In Li Dingguo's heart, he was very disgusted. But he couldn't stand the agitation of his generals, not to mention that Li Sixing was still making trouble on the side, and in the end Li Dingguo had no choice but to agree.

Zhu Youdong has no objection to suddenly having another wife, in this evil feudal society, who cares about the number of women? Coupled with Li Dingguo's current identity, and in order to appease, many generals who came to Chongqing with Li Dingguo, Zhu Youdong had no chance to object.

When Zhu Youdong heard the news, he thought of Li Dingguo's rough appearance, and just begged Li Haiyue not to be too ugly. God is indeed not long-sighted, Li Haiyue does not have his father's rudeness, but has a feeling of weakness.

Seeing Li Haiyue's weak look, Zhu Youdong was also relieved. Regarding Li Haiyue's appearance, Zhu Youdong was very satisfied. But the only headache for Zhu Youdong is that Li Haiyue has followed his father Li Dingguo since he was a child and has lived in the military for a long time. So he looks weak on the outside, but he is a hot personality in his bones.

Hearing that Li Haiyue also wanted to become a heroine in the style of Wu Guiying, Zhu Youdong suddenly felt dizzy. wailed in his heart: "God, what's the matter, there was a Tan Shuanghua in front of me, a wild horse that broke free, and now there is another heroine." After I entered the palace, this harem will not have to jump every day. ”

No matter what Zhu Youdong thinks, these three women must be married, and no one can push Zhu Youdong off the current situation. Zhu Youdong also understood this situation, so he had to swallow his anger. Fortunately, although Li Xiao is lively, he himself has a big view of the overall situation, and Zhu Youdong only hopes that Li Xiao can help him.

All parties are preparing for Zhu Youdong's supervision of the country, but Zhu Youdong is not in a hurry at all. Seeing this, several scholars and monks came to Zhu Youdong to ask him why he didn't want to supervise the country now.

Zhu Youdong said: "We are not ready yet, and when we are ready, we can supervise the country." "Yuan Kuoyu is the most anxious one, he is an official of the Qing court. No matter how you say it now, he is a demoted officer, and he has no status in the Restoration Army. Only after Zhu Youdong was in charge of the country, and after he was reappointed by Zhu Youdong, could he really say that he was an official of the Ming Dynasty.

So Yuan Kuoyu hurriedly said: "What are you waiting for?" If we don't do it, you say it, and we can prepare. If there is anything unsatisfactory, we will change it immediately. ”

Zhu Youdong said with a smile: "Don't worry, what I said is not ready, it is the Qing army that is not ready." Wang Xi was also a little anxious at this time, and he didn't talk back to Zhu Youdong. asked: "I don't know what Hou Ye means when he says that the Qing army is not ready?" Could it be that the Qing army still wants to come to congratulate Hou Ye on his imprisonment? ”

Zhu Youdong said: "Yes, I am waiting for the Qing army to congratulate me on the prison of the country." When everyone heard this, they were all stunned. Li Laiheng also put on the appearance of an old man and said: "Pingyuhou, when has this happened, you still make this kind of joke." ”

Li Dingguo also said: "That's it, this is a national event, and it's not a child's play." Zhu Youdong said with a smile: "Of course this is not child's play, Lin Zhuang, you tell everyone." ”

Lin Zhuang behind Zhu Youdong walked out and said: "Everyone, the Military Intelligence Department recently received news that after the defeat of Wang Zheng Chenggong of Yanping County in Nanjing, he led his army back to Kinmen and Xiamen for defense. Dasu, the Manchu general of Annam in Fujian, saw Zheng Chenggong's defeat. He wanted to take the opportunity to attack Xiamen and Kinmen, and now he is deploying troops everywhere. ”

Zhang Huangyan had been in Zheng Chenggong's army before, but now that he heard that Zheng Chenggong was in trouble, he suddenly said in a hurry: "Then quickly inform King Yanping to pay attention to precautions." Wang Xi on the side said: "But what does this have to do with us?" ”

Lin Zhuang said: "Of course we won't forget such a thing. Our people had already informed Zheng Chenggong, but the generals of the Zheng army were very defensive against us, so we don't know what kind of role they could play. Then he said to Wang Xi: "Originally, this matter had nothing to do with us, but some of Dasu's reactions had something to do with us." ”

Zhang Huangyan sighed, he knew that Zheng Chenggong had always been conceited, and he had just experienced a fiasco, so he was afraid that he would not listen to it. Lin Zhuang continued: "After our people reminded Zheng Jun, they sent the news back along the way. As a result, the spies in Jiangxi also spread a message, that is, the Qing troops in Jiangxi and other places have signs of mobilization, and they should still move to Fujian. ”

Hearing this, Li Laiheng, Li Dingguo, and other people who are proficient in military affairs all lit up. Li Laiheng said: "The Qing army in Jiangxi was transferred to Fujian by Dasu? Didn't come to Huguang? ”

Lin Zhuang said: "Yes, the Qing army in Jiangxi is indeed moving to Fujian, and there are about 30,000 Qing troops. Several state capitals close to Huguang have been transferred to Huguang by Jieshu before, so the troops of these state capitals have been transferred to Huguang. Moreover, the Qing army in Huguang was also concentrated in Changsha, Baoqing, and Changde. As long as we break through this line of defense of the Qing army, there will be no Qing army in the whole of Huguang and Jiangxi. ”

As soon as I heard the news, everyone sitting here became excited, and this was a great opportunity. Not only Li Dingguo and Li Laiheng, but also Yuan Kuoyu and Zhang Huangyan also wanted to cheer happily. Zhang Huangyan said to Zhu Youdong: "Master Hou, is this a congratulatory gift from the Qing army?" We should march as soon as possible, break through the defense line of the Qing army in one sentence, and then go down the river, and then divide the troops into three routes, and take Huguang and Jiangxi directly. ”

Yuan Kuoyu also said: "Yes, Master Hou, such a good opportunity, you should send troops immediately." If successful, we can restore half of the Ming Dynasty. If he can capture the southern capital in one fell swoop, Hou Ye can successfully ascend the throne. ”

Zhu Youdong smiled and said: "Don't worry, even if we defeat the Qing army now, now Huguang and Jiangxi have been swept away by the Qing army, so what do we use to feed the army, what do we use to appease the people of Huguang and Jiangxi who are waiting to be fed?" ”

Wang Xi had always thought about indoctrination, and in the past few months of the Restoration Army, he had already been angry at some of the Manchu practices. At this time, he heard that Zhu Youdong still had to wait, so he said: "Master Hou, since you know that the people of the two places are waiting to be fed, why don't you send a large army as soon as possible, recover Huguang and Jiangxi, and save the people of the two places?" ”

Zhu Youdong said: "What do we take to save? Now that the food of the Restoration Army is still insufficient, how can it feed the millions of people in Huguang and Jiangxi? What's more, now that the Qing army has just been mobilized, it has not left Jiangxi at all, and if we send troops at this time, the Qing army in Jiangxi will stop and defend us. Then we will be in a tug-of-war, and it will be a lot of pressure on our logistics. ”

Wang Xi naturally didn't know how to feed so many people, and when he heard Zhu Youdong say that the Qing army hadn't left yet, he suddenly had nothing to say. Li Laiheng said: "Pingyuhou, we can't wait forever, in this case, when the Qing army defeats the king of Yanping, how can we fight against the Qing army alone." ”

Zhu Youdong said: "Of course we won't wait forever, at most two months later, the summer grain will start to be harvested, and then we will send troops." In one fell swoop, the Qing army's defense line was broken, and the various armies then drove straight down the Yangtze River. In one fell swoop, let capture Huguang and Jiangxi, and then join forces to capture Nanjing. ”

Originally, he thought that Zhu Youdong was too conservative and did not dare to send troops. Now that they heard that Zhu Youdong was going to capture Nanjing in one fell swoop, several people began to be anxious again. Li Dingguo said: "Pingyu Hou, don't be impatient." Being able to capture Huguang and Jiangxi is already a great feat. The city of Nanjing is high and strong, and there are Manchurian Eight Banners garrisoned, if you force to attack Nanjing, the army will not be able to capture the city of Nanjing for a while, and the army will be frustrated. Huguang and Jiangxi, which are in hand, may not be guaranteed. ”

Li Laiheng also said: "What the King of Jin said is right, the Marquis of Pingyu must not be in a hurry, when the time comes, the slightest mistake will cause too much loss, and the gains outweigh the losses." Yuan Kuoyu and Zhang Huangyan on the side also persuaded him.