Mao Wenlong accompanied Hong Ziyan for a whole night that night before calming her down, and it is normal for women to be jealous. At the same time, this also shows that the second daughter actually cares about herself, otherwise she would not be jealous for him.

In the final analysis, Mao Wenlong is still quite proud, but this situation occasionally happens and can be used as a spice in life. If you are in the midst of jealousy every day, then it is not a blessing but a suffering.

The next morning, Mao Wenlong stretched his waist and got up, refreshed and no longer tired from yesterday. He was the only one in the house, and Hong Ziyan didn't know when he had left. Mao Wenlong opened the door, and the maids outside immediately bowed down to prepare things for Mao Wenlong.

Mao Wenlong waved his hand and refused, went to wash up by himself, and went to the kitchen by the way, asked the cook to open a small stove for himself, and made some rice porridge to fill his stomach. After eating and drinking, I came to the front hall, and saw Hong Chengchou, Chengzuo, and Liu Guangzuo chatting.

"Hahaha...... You're pretty early. Mao Wenlong walked into the hall and laughed.

"Commander!"

The three of them got up and saluted one after another.

After Mao Wenlong waved his hand and motioned for them to sit down, he picked up the steaming fragrant tea on the table and took a sip: "What are you talking about?" ”

Hong Chengchou said: "The situation in Xi'an has stabilized, and we have also settled the damaged people one by one. The wealthy merchants and merchants in the city have also been pacified, and the chaos has completely subsided, and everything is back to normal. ”

Mao Wenlong nodded indifferently, those bandits didn't set off any waves at all, at most, when they attacked the Dongjiang Army, they caused hundreds of deaths and injuries. Mao Wenlong knew this in his heart, and sooner or later he would have to settle accounts with Li Zicheng, but it was not this time.

"It's normal, what's the news from the court recently?" Mao Wenlong suddenly changed the subject.

"Chief soldier, the spies lurking at the border pass only sent news yesterday, saying that the situation of the imperial court is not good." Cheng Zuo got up and replied.

"Well, what's the wrong way?" Mao Wenlong was slightly surprised.

As far as he knew, this time the imperial court should be able to successfully resist Houjin's attack. However, there was news from the border pass that the situation in the imperial court was not good, which surprised him very much.

"General soldiers, Huang Taiji only left a part of the soldiers and horses in Jiayuguan to contain the soldiers and horses of the imperial court. And most of his soldiers and horses were scattered around the border passes, constantly waiting for opportunities to rob the people in the border fortress, leaving no grass everywhere he went. Now the imperial court is facing a dilemma, on the one hand, it needs to divide troops to prevent the seizure of Houjin, and on the other hand, it must always pay attention to Huang Taiji's inaction. Cheng Zuo told Mao Wenlong everything he knew.

Mao Wenlong fell into deep thought, if what Cheng Zuo said was true, the situation in the imperial court was indeed not good. At present, Chongzhen can only rely on the strength of the north to resist the Houjin, and the southern side has been cut off by him and Li Zicheng.

King Fu of Nanjing made it clear that he would not send troops to assist the imperial court, and even wished that Houjin's horseshoe would level the Jingshi, so that he could logically ascend to the coveted throne.

Without any backup, everything can only be supported by hardship, and the north has been plagued by natural and man-made disasters in recent years, and Chongzhen's situation at the moment can be imagined. Mao Wenlong frowned slightly, he hesitated to help the imperial court again?

Hong Chengchou seemed to see the hesitation in Mao Wenlong's heart, he hesitated for a moment, and suddenly spoke: "Is the chief soldier thinking about helping the imperial court again?" ”

Hearing this, Mao Wenlong looked up at Hong Chengchou, nodded lightly and said, "Indeed, that's exactly what I mean, what do you have to propose to the military advisor?" ”

Hong Chengchou paused for a moment and said firmly: "In my opinion, the general army does not need to send troops to help again. ”

Mao Wenlong's eyes lit up, and he asked with a smile, "Why?" ”

Hong Chengchou said confidently: "Today is not as strong as in the past, the strength of the Dongjiang Army is no longer comparable to a year ago, our accumulation has reached a state of saturation, and it is completely possible to expand outward again, and even face Houjin without any scruples." ”

Mao Wenlong looked at Hong Chengchou and said nothing, and only after a long time did he speak: "Where does this military self-confidence come from? ”

Hong Chengchou stroked his beard and said with a smile: "General Chengzuo, please report to the general army about the current situation in the army." ”

Cheng Zuo showed a smile and said: "At present, the army has sufficient funds, with 30,000 cavalry and 30,000 musket battalions, all equipped with arquebuses. A hundred hot air balloons, plenty of gunpowder. The total number of infantry is 200,000, and all of them have been trained in the third level of intensity, and there are 100,000 recruits at the reserve level. All the forces added up were just half the number of the people under our rule. ”

Mao Wenlong was stunned for a long time after hearing this, it has only been a year, and the army has developed to such a point. As a chief soldier, he didn't know anything about it, and Mao Wenlong suddenly felt that he was indeed not a competent commander.

Hong Chengchou seemed to have seen the slight embarrassment of Mao Wenlong, and then said with a smile: "These are changes in the army, in fact, General Chengzuo has said a little less." ”

"Oh, what other surprises, might as well say it to scare me!" Mao Wenlong chuckled.

"Anton Wei's navy, I wonder if the chief soldier can still remember?" Hong Chengchou sold Guanzi.

Mao Wenlong suddenly realized that if Hong Chengchou didn't mention it, he really forgot about it, and hurriedly asked: "What happened to the three brothers of the Lijia family with the navy?" ”

Hong Chengchou did not hesitate any longer, and said bluntly: "At present, Anton Wei's navy already has fifteen warships, with a total of more than 30,000 sailors and soldiers. ”

Speaking of these, Hong Chengchou is very proud. You must know that since the Ming Dynasty began to implement the sea ban, the sea is no longer the sea of the Ming Dynasty. There are pirates and pirates everywhere, it can be said that the people of the Ming Dynasty have been fishing at sea is dangerous and abnormal, and the coastal areas are often disturbed by the pirates, and many ports or bays with rich sea resources are either deserted or empty.

Anton Wei's achievements this time made Hong Chengchou deeply touched, and he also began to believe in Mao Wenlong's previous imagination. Perhaps it would be a good idea to carve out a different world at sea.

Mao Wenlong frowned, without any expression of joy or surprise, he said in a deep voice: "There are only twenty warships, and a year has passed, and the number of the navy is only thirty thousand. ”

Hong Chengchou and Chengzuo were stunned, looking at Mao Wenlong and not knowing what to say.

Hong Chengchou said in surprise: "Don't you think this is not enough to be proud of? ”

Mao Wenlong asked rhetorically: "What is there to be proud of, it is too far from my expectations." ”