Liu Kongzhao wore the arrow suit often worn by naval officers, and he looked like a dusty man, but he still had a smile on his face, not like he had lost a battle.

Zhu Cihong felt bad when he saw him, and hurriedly asked, "But have you taken Wuchang and Hankou?" ”

"Back to Chitose Ye," Liu Kongzhao replied with a smile, "The minister has taken the city of Wuchang, but Hankou has not had time to take it." When the minister's warship arrived, the rogues had already arrived first, and there was no castle to defend in Hankou, and the thieves were about to fall. The gentry and merchants in Hankou Town rushed to flee for their lives, and they all crowded the wharf of the Yangtze River, crying for their fathers and mothers, and when the ministers saw that they were pitiful, they let the warships rush to transport them, and finally snatched most of the people out. ”

"Really? You saved people......" Zhu Cihong nodded, and said in his heart: Why are you so stupid as a sincere uncle? What are you doing to save those landlords and profiteers? They are not good people, they occupy so much fertile land, and they only give the court more than 2 million stone rice a year...... The lake is wide, and the world is more than that! What have become of these people? Wouldn't it be good to let Li Zicheng's soldiers kill a little more?

There aren't many official fields and military tuns in Wuchang Mansion that can be divided! If you don't kill a little more, how can you get enough points?

Thinking so in his heart, Prince Zhu had an approving expression on his face: "Okay, sincerity, well done...... You really deserve to be Liu Wencheng's descendant!

So how is it over there in Wuchang Mansion City now? Can the army of Hongu be stationed? ”

Liu Kongzhao replied: "Wuchang Mansion City is now controlled by the Caojiang Water Division, and the 6th Division of the Chitose Lord can walk over. However, the river near Wuchang Mansion City is narrow, as long as the Liukou can transport the Hongyi cannon up Hanyang Turtle Mountain, the river can be blocked, and Wuchang Mansion City can also be bombarded. Therefore, the water master of Chitose Ye cannot be stationed in Wuchang. The warships of the naval division of the minister have now also retreated to the river between the capital city of Huangzhou and the city of Xiaowuchang.

The minister suggested that Chitose Ye temporarily set up his line in Xiaowuchang City, as long as he built a fort in Fankou and blocked the river, he would be foolproof. ”

Xiao Wuchang was originally known as Ezhou, and was called Wuchang County in the Ming Dynasty, while Wuchang Fucheng was Jiangxia County.

Wuchang County and Huanggang County (County) of Huangzhou Prefecture face each other across the Yangtze River, and both places are the key points to control the Yangtze River. And not far west of Wuchang County, there is a famous dangerous point, called Fankou.

Fankou is very close to the Yangtze River, located in a tributary of the Yangtze River, surrounded by water, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If a fortress is built at Fankou and a large-caliber cannon is placed on the platform facing the Yangtze River, the Yangtze River can be blocked.

In addition, Wuchang County and Huanggang County are across the river. There are wharves outside the walls of the two cities near the Yangtze River, where water suppliers can moor. As long as you control the two cities of Fankou and Wuchang County and Huanggang County, and then build a pontoon bridge between the two cities to block them. Sailors coming from the downstream will be able to safely anchor on the Yangtze River.

According to the suggestion of Wu Sanfu and Liu Chongru, the commander of the Yangtze River Naval Division (Shen Tingyang's bow firearm Liu), Zhu Cihong's Chinese army camp should be placed in Wuchang County.

But now that Wuchang Mansion has not lost Jiangxia, then Prince Zhu can't squint in Wuchang County, which is too bold.

After listening to Liu Kongzhao's report, Zhu Cihong asked again: "Then have you seen Li Zicheng's army?" How are they better than your river man? ”

"I didn't see Li Zicheng's sailor." Liu Kongzhao replied, "But according to the gentry who escaped from Hankou, Li Cheng came from the water6 and then came, and his sailors came along the Han River, and there were hundreds of warships, the largest of which were several building ships, shaped like city walls. ”

"Got it," Zhu Cihong thought for a while and smiled, "Sincerity, this palace wants to go to Wuchang County by water, first occupy Huanggang and Xiaowuchang as the foundation of the water division, and at the same time build a fortress in Fankou and lay a twelve-pound Hongyi cannon."

The 6th Division landed in Wuchang County, except for two regiments guarding Wuchang County and Huanggang County, all of which were stationed in Wuchang Fucheng. What do you think? ”

Liu Kongzhao has been in charge of the river sailors for many years, and is very familiar with the situation along the Yangtze River, and has been stationed in Jiujiang for many days, and is also very familiar with the situation along the Yangtze River in the Wuchang Mansion and Huangzhou Prefecture sections.

Therefore, to fight along the Yangtze River in Wuchang Mansion and Huangzhou Prefecture, we have to listen to his opinion.

Liu Kongzhao also thought that he was as resourceful as his ancestor Liu Bowen, so he made a plan for Zhu Cihong: "Entering Jiangxia is the main attack, and retreating to Fankou is the main defense." Between advance and retreat, it depends on whether Chitose wants to attack or retreat. ”

Zhu Cihong nodded: "Well, this palace is going to attack!" Uncle Sincerity, are you going west with this palace? ”

"Why don't you dare?" Liu Kongzhao patted his chest, "There are 12,000 soldiers under the Caojiang Water Division, everyone is gearing up, and they want to follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to fight for thieves!" ”

"The sailor stops at Fankou," Zhu Cihong said, "You go and choose three thousand people who can fight 6 battles among the Jiang Shui Division, and follow the palace into Wuchang." When you arrive at Wuchang Mansion City, you should be ...... Be a Jiangdu stay-behind envoy! ”

"Jiangdu's left-behind envoy?" Liu Kongzhao was stunned, "Which Jiangdu?" ”

There is a Jiangdu County below Yangzhou Mansion, and Liu Kongzhao said: Prince Zhu won't let me be the county official of Jiangdu County, right? Although the oil and water are quite sufficient, it is too small.

Zhu Cihong said: "The palace is ready to merge Wuchang and Hanyang (Hankou belongs to Hanyang Mansion at this time) to set up Wuhan Mansion, which is the river capital of the Ming Dynasty, and Yingtian Mansion is the east and west capitals, and jointly controls the Yangtze River waterway. ”

Before he finished speaking, Liu Kongzhao hadn't spoken, and Yuan Jixian had already spoken, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to use Jinling and Wuchang as the two capitals, so what about Fengyang?" What about Beijing? Will it make people feel that the imperial court has no intention of going on a northern expedition, but wants to favor the south of the Yangtze River? ”

Zhu Cihong glanced at Yuan Jixian and smiled: "This palace looks at the history of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and now Jingzhou has always been an internal trouble in the Southern Dynasties. If you can't control Jingzhou, you can't stabilize the Southern Dynasty, you can't stabilize the Southern Dynasty, and the Northern Expedition won't succeed.

And now that the imperial court has set the capital of Jinling, there is no problem in controlling Jiangnan and Huaiyang, but Jingchu Huguang is finally out of reach. Therefore, the palace wants to set up the Jiangdu, and in the future, the imperial court can travel along the river, and the Jiangdu in a few months, and the southern capital in a few months, and both ends can be firmly controlled.

In addition, the northern capital Yanjing had already been changed to Beiping Mansion during the last Northern Expedition, and it would be the fief of the King of Beiping in the future. Even if the Northern Expedition succeeds, the imperial court will not return the capital.

As for Fengyang, the central capital, it has always been unworthy of its name, and Fengyang is only more than 300 miles away from Nanjing, so it is not difficult to control it at all. Therefore, the palace has already thought about it, and when the time is ripe, it will withdraw from the Central Capital Stay Division. ”

He looked at the three elders in the cabin and said with a smile: "Qiu Shibo (hereditary earl) and Fang Shibo are both natives of Huguang, they are familiar with the situation, and they are expected. It is not as if one person patrolled Hubei, and the other sentenced Wuhan. As for Yuan Xiangzan, you can be both civil and military, enough to be the governor of Huguang, Shaanxi, and Henan. I wonder if the three old gentlemen are willing to bear a hard work for the country? ”

Only then did Qiu Yu and Fang Gongyue understand that Zhu Cihong had already arranged it - that is, to let the two of them take Wuchang and Hanyang as the base and be optimistic about the large treasure land of Huguang for the imperial court.

And Yuan Jixian's errand is in the name of pulling hatred, similar to Shi Kefa's governor of the seven provinces, but I don't know where he will be sent to be a target?

......

"Emperor, it's up to me, it's three or four million taels! It's a pity that he couldn't take Wuchang, otherwise it would have doubled! ”

Li Chuangwang, who was standing on Turtle Mountain and looking at Wuchang City from afar, listened to Tian Jianxiu's report, and just smiled: "I didn't expect that Huguang's old wealth can also hide money, and if it comes to this, he can squeeze out three or four million taels!" ”

Huguang has been ravaged by Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and Zuo Liangyu over the years, and his vitality has been greatly damaged!

However, as long as Huguangmi continues to be transported to Jiangnan, the injured vitality can always be replenished. And the plan taken by Li Zicheng to dictate the field is a real disaster for the Huguang gentry.

"Caught a lot of gentry, right?" Li Zicheng asked Liu Zongmin with a smile.

Liu Zongmin said: "I caught more than 1,000 people wearing scarves and robes, as well as 10,000 profiteers who opened trades, all of whom were detained on Hanzheng Street. ”

"Good!" Li Zicheng said, "Let's send them all to Wuchang Mansion!" ”

"Send it to Wuchang?" Liu Zongmin was stunned, "These people can't deal with us!" It's not as good as ......."

He waved his hand and made a murderous gesture.

Li Zicheng smiled and waved his hand: "What are you killing them for?" Send them across the river and go to eat Zhu Cihong's idle meal! ”