The palace had been prepared for a long time, and it was not in Dagukou City, but in a large manor on a small island at the mouth of the Wei River.

The manor, which belonged to a hereditary military attache family in Sanwei in Tianjin, had been purchased a few years earlier by Shen Tingyang, who was in charge of Liaodong's salary and grain shipping, and repaired it, and set up a wharf, warehouse, and fang market on the island, apparently to be operated as a commercial town.

It's a pity that the world is not good, and this real estate investment is obviously a loss.

But it's not for nothing. The topography of the island, surrounded by water, was an excellent refuge for the exiled Ming court. Because the thieves and the Dongyu did not have a sailor, it was difficult for them to land on the island when the Wei River was not frozen.

Therefore, after Su Guansheng learned that Chongzhen and Zhu Cihong had fled Beijing and were about to arrive at Dagukou, he immediately ordered someone to blockade this small island called Haisha Island, and also made the Shen family manor on the island ready to take over.

Since there is also a wharf on Haisha Island, which can dock large sand boats, Chongzhen and his son boarded the ship again and went to Haisha Island. Officials at the Dagukou Marine Terminal walked to the ferry, where they took a ferry to the island.

Su Guansheng and Wang Zhixin were also called by Zhu Cihong to the sand boat that he and Chongzhen were riding on - it was not the big dragon head, but another sand boat of similar size, which was originally taken by Chongzhen, Zhou Hou, and Empress Zhang. Zhu Cihong only changed ships when the fleet was about to arrive at Dagukou, so that he could look more like a dutiful son.

On the way to Haisha Island, Zhu Cihong sent Wang Zhixin to report the situation at Dagukou to Chongzhen, and he pulled Su Guansheng and Shen Tingyang to stand on the bow deck together, looking at the terrain while discussing the matter of the imperial court's stay in Dagukou.

"Your Highness, doesn't the imperial court want Nan to stay in the capital?" Su Guansheng was a little surprised by Zhu Cihong's proposal that the imperial court should stay in Dagukou, "Although there is no northwest wind now, there is still a southwest wind, as long as the southwest wind rises, the fleet can reach Penglai or Dengzhou in one day." ”

"Your Highness," Shen Tingyang also said, "the boat in the Bohai Sea is actually going east-west, as long as there is a southeast wind and a southwest wind. Therefore, it is very convenient for sand boats to travel between Dagukou and Penglai and Dengzhou. ”

Zhu Cihong smiled, "Since it's convenient, what's there to worry about?" Let's stay in Dagukou for a month...... By the way, is there enough food to eat? There were nearly 20,000 soldiers and horses who came with the palace, as well as officials and people who accompanied them, and the total number was no less than 30,000. There are still many people here in Dagukou, right? You can't do it without food! ”

"It's enough to eat," Su Guansheng said, "It's not enough to eat, it's not enough to eat at all!" Because of the war disaster in the north, now the Cao transport only goes to Huai'an, and then it goes north by sea. The grain collected last year was only transported by the southeast wind this spring, and it only arrived at Dagukou in two months, and it was not yet time to be transferred. At present, there are no less than 500,000 stones of grain piled up at the mouth of Dagu! ”

"500,000 stones?" When Zhu Cihong heard this number, he couldn't hide the smile on his face, "Are they all well preserved?" ”

"It's all well preserved!" Su Guansheng said, "There are many shipping warehouses here in Dagukou, which can store grain for a long time...... In addition, there is also a shipping warehouse in Dengzhou City, where there are still two or three hundred thousand stone grain and more than one million taels of silver. ”

"And more than a million taels of silver?" The smile on Zhu Cihong's face was even brighter.

These days, he spends money like water, and the more than four million taels on hand can't last long.

"That's right, that's to release the tax silver and additional silver to the household department," Su Guansheng said, "If it weren't for the military disaster in Jingshi, it should have been transported by now." ”

It turned out that Emperor Chongzhen's empty pocket was because it was just in time for a shortage of green and yellow. The silver and grain collected from the southeast in the autumn of Chongzhen's sixteenth year were not transported to Beijing before Li Zicheng's army arrived!

"Good, good!" Zhu Cihong nodded again and again, thinking: It seems that a trustworthy person has to be sent to be the governor of Denglai. Dengzhou is still a fortified city built by the sea. If it is managed properly, it can become a big stronghold in the north to resist the Qing Dynasty.

However, he and Emperor Chongzhen can't go to Dengzhou for the time being, because the reform of the imperial court hasn't started yet!

There is no court that can do things, and Zhu Cihong, the crown prince, has great skills and can't show it!

Besides, how did he, the prince of the Fujun army, come to be the generalissimo of the world? It was snatched after carrying a sword to scare Chongzhen into disdain! This thing was done in front of the Manchu Dynasty civil and military at the Huangji Gate......

Therefore, if possible, Zhu Cihong has to stay in Dagukou with the imperial court, and stay in Dagukou, so that everyone can feel a little nervous, and there will be less resistance to reform.

"Su Bingbei," Zhu Cihong thought of this, and asked Su Guansheng with a smile, "I heard that this palace has the nickname of the three don't want masters, claiming that you don't want officials, money, and life, but is there such a thing?" ”

Su Guansheng was a little embarrassed, his face turned slightly red, "Your Highness, that's a joke among colleagues." ”

"Hehe," Zhu Cihong said with a smile, "but your official is indeed doing a good job, and he can do things, and he is not afraid of offending people...... This blockade of Dagukou and not letting a boat float away from the sea is very good! This palace admires an official like you the most! ”

Is the prince going to promote me? Su Guansheng is not a brainless person, he immediately understood what Zhu Cihong meant, and looked at his good friend Shen Tingyang again. Shen Tingyang nodded at him and gave another thumbs up.

Su Guansheng retracted his gaze and immediately bowed to Zhu Cihong, "I am willing to die for Da Ming!" ”

Zhu Cihong stretched out his hand to help Su Guansheng up, and said with a smile: "You don't have to die!" The loyal ministers and good generals of the Ming Dynasty must live well, live a long life, and let the Liukou Tartars die early! ”

He paused: "This palace will not use a loyal minister like Su Qing to die...... Su Bingbei, do you think Dengzhou is a place of death? ”

"This ......" Su Guansheng thought for a moment, "I think that as long as the sea route is in hand, and there are three or two thousand elite soldiers with turtledove's foot firecrackers and red-clothed cannons, Dengzhou will be a fortified city that will not fall!" ”

"Good!" Zhu Cihong raised his thumb and said approvingly, "If you know the soldiers!" Su Qing, you and the palace tell the truth, can you be the governor of Denglai? ”

Is this going to be a governor? Su Guansheng's heart was pumping...... Can this crown prince really make himself governor?

Zhu Cihong saw that he was silent, and then said: "The palace has received reliable news, and the Dongyu is about to enter the palace in a big way." And with the strength of the Liukou and all kinds of perverse actions after his attack on the Beijing Division, it can be imagined that he will be defeated.

And if the thieves are defeated, it will be difficult for the imperial court to cheer up for a while, and the Dongyu will inevitably entrench in Jingshi and Beizhili...... Shandong will be the frontier of resistance and the barrier of the southeast. And Dengzhou is a big stronghold of Shandong's resistance to capture, which can not only support Shandong, but also cross the sea to deter Liaodong, North Korea and North Zhili Haikou! As long as Dengzhou is in me, Dongyu can't go all out to the south!

Su Bingbei, can you run Dengzhou for the palace, for the Ming Dynasty, and for the world? ”

After listening to Zhu Cihong's words, Su Guansheng also admired the strategic vision of this crown prince.

Because he was in charge of the Tianjin Weishui Division, he was very familiar with the battle situation in Liaodong, and he also knew that the combat effectiveness of the Eight Banners of the Donglu was strong, far above the Guanning army, and the Liukou would definitely not be able to defeat them.

And it is impossible for Dongyu to give up the current opportunity to take advantage of the chaos to become the master of Yanyun! Therefore, there will be a decisive battle between the Donglu and the Liukou, and the Liukou will definitely lose.

After the defeat of the Liukou, Shandong will be the forefront of the Ming Dynasty's resistance to the Eastern Captives...... And Dengzhou is undoubtedly the most important stronghold in Shandong!

With Dengzhou in hand, Dongyu had to deploy the Eight Banners in Liaodong, Beizhili and other places in Shandong. The number of Eight Banner soldiers is limited, one more in Liaodong, Beizhili and Shandong, and one less Eight Banner soldiers can be used to attack Jiangnan!

Zhu Cihong took a fancy to Dengzhou at a glance, which shows that the prince's knowledge of soldiers far exceeds that of his father, Emperor Chongzhen.

Thinking of this, Su Guansheng made up his mind, "His Royal Highness the Prince, the minister is willing to run Dengzhou for Daming!" However, there is no Lu Shi in the hands of the ministers, so I am afraid that I will not be able to appease Denglai......"

Zhu Cihong patted Su Guansheng on the shoulder and said with a smile: "You hand over the water master to Shen Tingyang, and the Lu master will send it to you...... Give you 7,000 soldiers, all of them are the new army under the Generalissimo of the Fu Army, and they have all fought in Tianjin Wei!

In addition, the grain in Dengzhou will be used for you, and 300,000 taels of silver will be allocated to you, and you will be allowed to recruit new troops and purchase guns and gunpowder on your own. ”