There are three nominal persons in charge of the military affairs of Nanjing City, one is Shi Kefa, the secretary of the Nanjing Military Department, the second is Zhao Zhilong, the commander of the Nanjing garrison Xincheng, and the third is Han Zanzhou, the eunuch of the Nanjing town guard. In addition to Shi Kefa, Zhao Zhilong and Han Zanzhou were both old people in Beijing who were appointed by Emperor Chongzhen to temporarily rush to Nanjing to arrange military forces in advance on the eve of Beijing's city break.

Now Beijing has long been lost, Emperor Chongzhen also drove the crane to the west, and the real power of Nanjing City cannot be ceded to Zhao and Han, so there are two main armies of soldiers and horses defending Nanjing City and its surroundings, one is the Nanjing University School Battalion, Nanjing Small School Battalion, and Nanjing Shenji Battalion under the command of Liu Zhaoji, a total of 15,000 people; A total of nearly 20,000 people were in charge of the Xinjiangkou Battalion, Chihe Battalion, and Zhenwu Battalion, which led the Caojiang River and patrolled the Yangtze River Defense under the command of Liu Kongzhi, the commander of the Right Prefecture of Nanjing.

Liu Zhao was basically a general of the Liaodong department, who fought in the Central Plains and Liaodong for more than ten years, and was very old. Shi Kefa was ordered to serve the king, and the troops dispatched were Liu Zhaoji's army. However, Liu Zhaoji is currently leading troops to be stationed in Pukou on the other side of Nanjing, first, to defend Jiangbei nearby, and second, to wait for an opportunity to support Fengyang, Huaiyang and other places in the north, so he can't move for the time being.

After Liu Kongzhi was a minister and sincerely Bo Liu Ji, Chongzhen came to Nanjing in the eleventh year after he went through the path of Wen Tiren, the then first assistant, and he can be regarded as an old minister of Nanjing. This person is cold and cruel, and his father was originally a concubine, but he was able to inherit the title only because he was older. He attacked the lord, afraid of his uncle's old accounts and new calculations, so he first killed his uncle and grandmother Hu to prevent future troubles.

Shi Ke's governor Liu Zhaoji sent troops to cross the river, and in order to prevent Nanjing from being empty, Liu Kongzhi was specially left to defend the city. Therefore, at present, only Liu Kongzhi's three battalions can be mobilized in Nanjing.

Liu Kongzhi heard Zhang Shenyan say that "there is also a Wu Sangui in Nanjing", and saw that the ministers nodded one after another, not to be left behind, and said casually: "Yes, Zhang Tianlu, the deputy general who assisted in guarding Guazhou, is not far away, so he can be stationed in Nanjing." ”

Zhang Tianlu and his younger brother Zhang Tianfu are both from Shaanxi, and have accompanied the successive Shaanxi Fu Yamen and Lintao general Cao Bianjiao to fight against the Kou, and have been awarded the deputy general to garrison Guazhou, just near Nanjing. The Zhang brothers have thousands of soldiers and horses, many veterans from the north, and their combat power is not bad, and it is not surprising that Liu Kongzhi thinks of him.

However, Shi Kefa twisted his beard and smiled: "The brothers of the Zhang family that Uncle Cheng said do need to be called, but the person in Zhang Gong's mouth is not Zhang Tianlu, there are other people. ”

"Who?" Liu Kongzhi's face flushed.

"Zheng Zhilong, Fujian Town." Shi Kefa said.

Zhang Shenyan said to Liu Kongzhi at this time: "I have heard that I have a good relationship with Zheng Hongkui, through Zheng Hongkui, can I win over Zheng Zhilong?" ”

Although Zheng Hongkui is a member of the Zheng family, he took the path of martial arts, basically stayed in Nanjing, and had frequent contacts with Liu Kongzhi and others, Shi Kefa and others had secretly instructed Liu Kongzhi to listen to Zheng Hongkui's tone.

Liu Kongzhi replied: "Zheng Hongkui I have been in contact with him, the last time I saw him was on the painting boat of the Qinhuai River, when he was drunk, but he said that as long as the court wants to use it, the Zheng family will definitely serve the country." Speaking of this, looking around at Shi Kefa, Zhang Shenyan and others, "Could it be that the princes want to recruit Zheng Zhilong to Nanjing?" ”

Shi Kefa said: "Zheng Zhilong is a sea coward, it is difficult to get into the hall of elegance, but on the occasion of employing people, everything should be based on the overall situation, and we must not be confined to the view of the door and turn friends into enemies." The Zheng family has been operating in the southeast for more than ten years, with sufficient money and food, and strong ships. If he helps, he can trace the river to the hinterland of Huguang, how can Zhao Dangshi resist it? ”

Liu Kongzhi pondered and said: "The Zheng clan is stronger than water warfare, and as soon as the boat comes out, the two sides of the vast lake and river are naturally invincible. But the huge lake is wide, and it is not only possible to win it by water warfare, and more soldiers and horses are needed to defeat Zhao Dangshi. ”

Shi Kefa nodded and said: "The words of the sincere uncle are quite true, it is indeed difficult for Zheng Zhilong's army to control Zhao Dangshi. In my humble opinion, there are two steps to attack Chu. Then he cleared his throat, "In the first step, the two armies of Nanjing Liu Zhaoji and Chengyi Bo, plus the two armies of Zhang Tianlu in Guazhou and Liu Liangzuo in Fengyang, worked together to repel Zuo Mengeng and Fang Guoan. Although there are many people on the left and side, roughly in the early 20,000s, and there are more than 50,000 people in our and other armies, how can there be no reason to be invincible by relying on the strength of Nanjing City? ”

Everyone said yes, and Shi Kefa continued: "During the confrontation with the left and the side, we had to send people to Fujian to ask Zheng Zhilong to send troops. Its people take the Zhongzuo Institute and the Kinmen Institute as the old stronghold, if the cable is untied and the ship is shipped, you can go to Nanjing by sea for half a month. At that time, we will send 10,000 people from Nanjing, 10,000 people from Fengyang, Liu Liangzuo, Zhang Tianlu and other troops, and 20,000 people from Zheng Zhilong's water division, a total of 50,000 troops, and enter Huguang, and the certainty of victory will be much greater, and this is the second step. ”

Lu Daqi interjected: "The Zheng family has been a coward for a long time, although he has been recruited, but his evil deeds have not changed. Is there a danger of luring a wolf into the house if he is brought in? ”

Shi Kefa shook his head and said: "The Zheng family is a thief, and so are foreign thieves." Zhao is a thief in the world, and a thief in the country. Foreign thieves attack national thieves, and fight poison with poison. If both sides lose, it will be a blessing for the country. If Zhao defeats Zheng Xing, it will be difficult for the Zheng family to be more powerful than Zhao Dang's world, if he really has a second heart, I will wait for the future to slowly maneuver, it will be much easier. ”

Liu Kongzhi thought for a while and said: "Zheng Zhilong led the army to Nanjing, it will take half a month at the earliest, if Zuo Mengeng and Fang Guoan are frustrated and return to Huguang to hold on, or Zhao Dangshi takes the opportunity to increase his troops and attack Nanjing again, what should I do?" ”

Shi Kefa shook his head and said: "This half a month seems to give Zhao Dangshi an opportunity to react and prepare, but for us and others, isn't it a good opportunity to observe the situation?" If Hu Guangzhen has no chance to take advantage of it, we can just postpone the march of the army, and there is no need to act in a hurry. Zheng Zhilong's soldiers and horses were stationed in Nanjing, which was more stable. Then he added, "And Li and Zhao are fighting, and the depth of both sides is thousands of miles, and it is not just one or two battles that can determine the outcome of the battle." Just give him half a year, and he may not know. In half a month, Zhao Dangshi moved the whole body on the whole front, and it was difficult to mobilize the strategic deployment of the whole line to reinforce Huguang in a short period of time, but we and others were able to reorganize the troops and horses, reserve grain and straw, and make all preparations. Therefore, the buffer of half a month is my advantage, and Zhao's disadvantage. ”

Liu Kongzhi listened to it and said: "What Shi Sima said is extremely true, but in the words, 'Nanjing has 10,000 people', where did these 10,000 people come from?" "There are only two main forces in Nanjing, he and Liu Zhaoji, and seeing that Shi Kefa has not transferred Liu Zhaoji's army back to Nanjing for half a month, it can be seen that nine times out of ten he wants Liu Zhaoji to continue to the north. According to this speculation, when it is really time to send troops to attack Chu, the 10,000 people in Nanjing are afraid that they will come out of themselves. The interests are related, and he can't help but be vigilant.

Shi Kefa said: "Under the command of Sincerity Uncle, is there one named Yuan Shizhong?" ”

Liu Kongzhi nodded and said: "Yes, the current deputy general of the Xinjiangkou Battalion, it was Shi Sima who nodded at the beginning, and he and the army under his command could be incorporated in." ”

Shi Kefa said: "How is this person? ”

Liu Kongzhi replied: "Yuan Shizhong's subordinates were originally bandits who wandered around Huaibei and eastern Henan, but they were quite well disciplined. What is even more rare is that all of them are proficient in conquest and combat effectiveness, far surpassing the soldiers and horses inherent in Nanjing, and they are worthy of great tasks. As he spoke, his waist was straight, and he looked proud.

At first, he was worried that the number of soldiers in the small Yuan camp reaching 10,000 people would be difficult to control, and he didn't really want to receive his command. And every time he exercises martial arts, compared to those Nanjing battalion soldiers who are soft and sick, they are judged to be like mud. Since he had Xiao Yuanying in his hands, Liu Kongzhi has become famous, and his confidence in Nanjing is much deeper, and he has become a powerful faction that no one dares to slack off among the ministers in Nanjing.

Shi Kefa smiled and said: "Qian Muzhai is honest and does not deceive me, Xiao Yuanying is indeed a pillar of the country." ”

At the beginning, Shi Kefa heard that 10,000 troops would be absorbed into the Nanjing battalion system, but he was strongly opposed, not to mention that the other party was still from a bandit. However, Ma Shiying, the governor of Fengyang, Qian Qianyi, a famous man, and others wrote to him one after another, explaining the benefits and disadvantages, and asking him to focus on the overall situation and not easily give up the ready-made elite generals.

Ma Shiying is a local powerful faction, and he is close to the army to protect Jiangbei. Although Qian Qianyi said that he was in the opposition, he was the leader of the Donglin Party, an important minister of the Six Ministries and Seven Qing Ministers in Nanjing, and more than sixty percent of them were members of the Donglin Party, so it was impossible for Shi Kefa to turn a blind eye to his suggestions. Both sides couldn't afford to offend, Shi Kefa thought about it, and finally agreed to put Xiao Yuanying into the Xinjiangkou Camp to supplement the shortage, but thought that if there were any bad signs, he could use the topic to expel Xiao Yuanying immediately, and speak with the facts, whether Ma Shiying or Qian Qianyi would have nothing to say. Who knew that Xiao Yuanying did not have any situation for a long time, and he was riddled with everything, so he gradually stopped paying attention. Unexpectedly, when he asked, Liu Kongzhi spoke highly of Xiao Yuanying, and he was quite surprised.

"Yuan Shizhong is good at fighting, and he has even defeated the Tartars before, which shows his bravery. To march into Huguang, the waterway has Zheng's sailor as the backbone, and someone has to pick up the girder on the land, Yuan Shizhong can fight, and he is the best candidate. Zhang Shenyan added. He is a member of the Donglin Party, when Qian Qianyi persuaded Shi Kefa, he and many Donglin ministers in the DPRK and China launched him to put pressure on Shi Kefa, and now Xiao Yuan Ying is used, which proves that they are the vision of the Donglin Party, and he has to support it to the end.

Shi Kefa said: "If we enter Huguang and get the plan, what we will do is to bless thousands of generations and continue the great cause of the Ming Dynasty." Although Xiao Yuanying was once a coward, he used this monstrous feat to wash away, and he was no longer filthy. ”

How can Liu Kongzhi not hear the sound outside the strings, Xiao Yuanying has made meritorious contributions, how can he Liu Kongzhi be sidelined. Especially when I heard the sentence "Blessing for thousands of generations, continuing the great cause of the Ming Dynasty", I instantly remembered the tablet of the old ancestor enshrined in the temple, and my heart fluttered.

Shi Kefa talked with Zhang Shenyan, Lu Daqi and others for a few more words, and then clapped his hands and said, "Then today's matter is decided." Zuo Mengeng and Fang Guoan's army will arrive in the near future, first mobilize Liu Zhaoji and Chengyi Bo two troops and horses along the river to fortify, and send people to Liu Liangzuo, Zhang Tianlu and other places to ask for troops. At Zheng Zhilong's office in Fujian, there is Lao Chengchengbo who will go to Zheng Hongkui to negotiate the matter, and wait for Zheng's sailors to arrive in Nanjing, and then discuss the matter of entering Chu. ”

Lu Daqi said: "The left and the side marched, Tian shamelessly pressed us on the grounds of 'cleaning up and dredging the capital road for the new monarch', in what name should we resist?" The righteousness is unclear, this battle cannot be fought, and Nanjing cannot be defended. "Although most of the ministers in Nanjing did not recognize Emperor Hongguang, the common people and soldiers may not be like this. Once the crime of "committing crimes against the king with ministers" is implemented, the people's hearts will disperse.

Shi Kefa pondered for a moment and said: "Let's just say that the prince is not dead, and the prince has been driven by the prince in the remaining capital, and he is not allowed to enter and leave the foreign sect at will, and he will survive this catastrophe first." He Tengjiao and Guiwang Zhu Changying suddenly had no news, and he had doubts and speculations in his heart. The matter of protecting Nanjing is very important, and he would rather pin his name on the prince, who has little hope of getting out, than trust King Gui, who is controlled by He Tengjiao. Moreover, compared with King Gui, it is undoubtedly more advantageous to use the title of the crown prince to fight against Emperor Hongguang.

"This righteous name and the document against the puppet dynasty will be left to me to draft." Lu Daqi took the initiative to ask.

Shi Kefa said well, turned his voice to mention, and Gu Zhonglang said: "Princess, I can't be embezzled by thieves, nor can I gain power for traitors, and I am here to survive." As long as we work together, Jin Cheng will be able to sweep away the atmosphere of thieves and revive the mountains and rivers! ”

"Extinguish the atmosphere of the thief and revive the mountains and rivers......"

In the south of Nanjing, in a quiet harbor in Jiangning Town, the water is shining. Zuo Mengeng looked at the text in his hand, and sneered and threw it into the river.

"Master Hou, what is written on it?" Jin Shenghuan walked over and asked.

"It's nothing, it's all over the paper and the word 'fart'."

"Rest today, and arrive in Nanjing City before noon tomorrow." Jin Shenghuan didn't ask much, pointing to the far end, swinging along the continuous reeds to the horizon.

"Okay, let Fang Guoan not rush to leave, stay here with me first." After a few days of rushing forward, Zuo Mengeng's temperament slowed down, "The bag given by my father-in-law asked me to find two people before going to Nanjing, with these two people, Nanjing can be determined." ”

"Yes." Jin Shenghuan agreed.

No matter how unreliable Zuo Mengeng is in Jin Shenghuan's eyes, but whenever Zuo Mengeng mentions Zhao Dangshi, the confidence in his eyes is involuntarily infected even by Jin Shenghuan and other generals, and then chooses to believe. For them, they have been preparing for two or three months, and whether they want to enter Nanjing or not, they can only make a final decision in these two days.