More than 100,000 troops marched in batches and assembled in Huai'an Province, and Huai'an also became the base camp of the Northern Expeditionary Army.

Wu Mengming, the governor of Caoyun, Zhenbeihou, also led his soldiers to Huai'an, and the entire Huai'an Mansion army gathered, and the situation was very tense.

On November 13, Chen Yue arrived in Huai'an Province and immediately convened a pre-war meeting to plan for the offensive.

The goal of this operation is very clear, to attack Shandong, rescue Wu Ping's army, and annihilate the 100,000 green battalion soldiers under the command of Hong Chengchou entrenched in Shandong.

After the failure of the last southern invasion, the soldiers were lost, and the green battalions of the Ming army who had surrendered to them were scattered, and there was no longer another situation where hundreds of thousands of millions of surrendered green battalions helped them fight the world. Now the green battalion under the command of Hong Chengchou is one of the few troops that surrendered to the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and most of these green battalion soldiers are the nine-sided army of the Ming Dynasty, and there are also Shun troops who surrendered.

If this traitor army can be eliminated, it will cut off the Manchu army, and its strength will be greatly reduced.

"According to the report of Tanma, now the big traitor Hong Chengchou is commanding the green battalion soldiers to storm Dengzhou, the prefectures and counties west of Qingzhou have fallen, even Jiaozhou is also occupied by Qing soldiers, and now 80,000 Ming troops are trapped in Dengzhou City, desperately attacking in front of hundreds of thousands of Qing troops." Gu Junen pointed to the map and introduced the situation in Shandong to the generals.

"Didn't you say that there are only 100,000 green battalion soldiers in Shandong, how can you say that there are hundreds of thousands of Qing troops?" Yu Feng asked.

Gu Junen explained: "Qingzhou was lost, Zhao Yingyuan was killed, hundreds of thousands of righteous troops were defeated, many people surrendered, and the Qing army forcibly recruited people into the army, it is not surprising that there are so many people. And the 100,000 Qing troops we are talking about are the 100,000 green battalion soldiers brought into Shandong by Hong Chengchou. ”

Yu Feng nodded and didn't ask any more. Everyone also understands that the generals of the Qing army will naturally not let their subordinates do such things as siege of the city, and it is a matter of course to recruit some soldiers to be cannon fodder, but if they really want to fight, the real combat effectiveness is still the original 100,000 green battalion soldiers.

"However, our army's Northern Expedition is so big that it is impossible for the commander of the Qing army not to know that the threat to Dengzhou can be greatly reduced." Gu Junen continued.

"Lord, what should you do, just tell me!" After listening to Gu Junen's introduction to the situation in Shandong, the generals expressed their positions one after another.

Chen Yue's gaze moved inside the big tent, looking at the faces one by one. Jin Xin, Li Yi, Yu Feng, Chen Yan, Ma Chuang, Wang Meng, Li Yulin, these are all old men who have been following him since he was in the north, and they are also his most confidants and trusted subordinates. If these generals are in charge, they may not be as good as Yan Yingyuan, Du Yinxi, etc., but in terms of tactical literacy and strong execution, they are far above others. Because these generals have always followed Chen Yue, they are all from the Pingnan Army, and no one knows more about the army system under Chen Yue than them, so it is also the main reason why Chen Yue took them.

And these generals have repeatedly made meritorious achievements in previous wars, such as Jin Xin, Li Yi, Yu Feng, and Lu Tai, all of whom have been awarded the title of earl, and Ma Chuang, Wang Meng, and Li Yulin also have the official position of chief soldier. The only "outsider" present was Wu Mengming, the Marquis of Zhenbei, but because of the relationship between going south from Beijing together, Wu Mengming and the generals were no strangers.

"You are all old brothers who have followed this king for many years, and there is no need to say anything superfluous. Wu Ping has been in Dengzhou for nearly a year, and now the situation in Dengzhou is precarious. Now our first task is to rescue Wu Ping, and then annihilate the Green Battalion, so that Shandong can return to the rule of the Ming Dynasty! Chen Yue's eyes swept over the generals and said in a deep voice.

"The king decided that the army would be divided into three routes, the first was the commander of the navy, Lu Tai, who led 20,000 sailors to Jiaozhou Bay by sea by warship to attack Jimo, Jiaozhou." Chen Yue said.

Admiral Lu Tai was not in Huai'an, and he had long followed Chen Yue's order to lead the naval army to attack Shandong by sea. Although it is winter and the northwest monsoon is blowing, the ship can barely travel offshore, but the speed will be slower. However, all the way to Haizhou was under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, and the fleet could enter the port at any time to avoid the storm and get timely supplies, which was not a big problem. Lu Tai had already set off as early as the beginning of October, and according to calculations, he should be in Haizhou soon.

"The second route is led by Li Yi of Donglaibo, under the banner of this king, leading the main force of 100,000 to the north along the Yellow River, passing through Suqian Xuzhou, attacking Dongchang Mansion in Yanzhou, and then attacking Jinan in the east." Chen Yue continued.

"King Qi!" Wu Mengming, the Marquis of Zhenbei, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but interject, "It's not appropriate to do this, I think that you should personally lead this 100,000 army." ”

The Northern Expedition was very important, but Chen Yue entrusted the main army to the deputy general, which made Wu Mengming extremely puzzled.

Chen Yue nodded, "Zhenbei Hou, please listen to me, the reason why I want Li Yi to use the banner of this king is to contain the main force of the Qing army." From Xuzhou to the north, there are mostly wide plains, which are suitable for the deployment of large armies. When the Qing army heard that I personally led the army to the north, it was inevitable to send the main force to meet it, otherwise Luxi would be Pingchuan, and all the prefectures and counties would be easily conquered by our army.

Therefore, Li Yi, you are the first to be safe in this march, send a wide range of horses, step by step, do not seek merit but seek no fault, as long as you can contain the main force of the Qing army, it will be a great achievement!

Therefore, after you capture Liaocheng, the city of Dongchang, you don't have to rush to attack Jinan, you can garrison on the spot, assign troops to capture the cities of Yanzhou and Dongchang, arrange the defense line, and wait for me to lead the army to join the division.

Then I will personally lead the main force of 20,000 as the third road, and attack Junan Juxian along Shushui through Haizhou and attack Jiaozhou. Our army of hundreds of thousands of troops in the Northern Expedition, Hong Chengchou will inevitably withdraw from Dengzhou, but in order to prevent Dengzhou, our army can not fully retreat, I will lead troops to quickly capture Jiaozhou, and the naval army of Lutai will have as many as 40,000 people, and then send troops to the north to occupy Laizhou, and Wu Ping will attack all the Qing troops in Dengzhou on both sides.

After meeting Wuping, my total strength will be more than 100,000 men, and then I will go east from Laizhou, all the way to Qingzhou, and from the east to Jinan. And being attacked by our army from the east and west, the Qing army will inevitably lose its footing, and Hong Chengchou's defeat is just around the corner! ”

Chen Yue carefully explained his strategy for advancing the army, and the generals were very excited when they heard it, and even Wu Mengming's brows were soothed. But?

"King Qi, all the generals have their own tasks, what about me? What am I going to do? Wu Mengming asked anxiously. A big war is about to start, and he is also eager to lead his troops to fight.

"Zhenbei Hou, your task is equally arduous. Li Yi led an army of 100,000 deep into Shandong, the daily grain and grass required is a huge number, and your task is to lead the troops to move to Xuzhou and hold the grain road for the army! Chen Yue said in a harmonious voice.

"Okay," Wu Mengming said a little depressed. He himself knows his own strength, although he has an army of 30,000 people, but they are all the original local soldiers in Yangzhou, Huai'an, Jiangbei, and the combat effectiveness is uneven, the equipment is incomplete, and the morale is not high, so it cannot be compared with the elite soldiers under Chen Yue.

"King Qi, Ben Hou still has a question," Wu Mengming thought for a while, and then said, "King Qi, your tactics are basically impeccable, but there is one thing you haven't taken into account, the Qing court not only has more than 100,000 green battalion soldiers in Shandong, but also more than 100,000 soldiers of the Eight Banners in Beijing. Shandong is less than a thousand miles away from Beijing, and it will not take half a month if there are many cavalry of the Eight Banners and cavalry. What if the Eight Banners go south? ”

"Eight Banners?" Chen Yue smiled mysteriously, "I'm afraid that the Eight Banners are already too busy to take care of themselves, and they can't take care of Shandong at all." ”

......

Time back to a month ago, at the Longmen Ferry in Shanxi, the soldiers of the brigade were taking a ferry across the Yellow River to the opposite bank, and Hancheng on the other side was still occupied by the Qing army, and from Hancheng to the south through Heyang could attack Xi'an.

In May of this year, the Ming army in Xiangyang suddenly abandoned Xiangyang, allowing the remnants of the Shun army to pass through Xiangyang and enter the north. After discussion, the leaders of the Shun army did not choose to attack the Central Plains from Xiangyang to the north, but entered Guanzhong through Wuguan and Lantian.

At that time, the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the failure of the two Northern Expeditionary Army, and then the civil strife in the Manchu court, the Manchu Qing Xiaozhuang Empress Dowager and the regent Dolgon Auxiliary King Zilharang suppressed Haoge's rebellion, the vitality was greatly injured, coupled with the riots of the Han people in Shandong and Hebei, the two provinces were in flames, and the Mongolian tribes were in turmoil.

There are only hundreds of eight banners in Shaanxi, and more than 10,000 green battalions are guarded.

In the face of the Shun army that suddenly entered Shaanxi, the Qing soldiers in Shaanxi were not enough to resist at all. Meng Qiaofang, the governor of Shaanxi Province of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, sat in Xi'an and hurriedly sent people to Beijing to report and ask for reinforcements.

After the Shun army entered Guanzhong, they attacked the city and plundered the land all the way, occupying most of the cities in the Guanzhong Plain for two months, leaving only Meng Qiaofang with more than 10,000 green battalion soldiers cowering in Xi'an City, not daring to go out of the city to fight at all.

On the one hand, the Shun army surrounded Xi'an, on the one hand, sent troops to capture Huayin Tongguan in the east, and on the other hand, sent troops to the north to capture Puzhou, and had the intention of returning to his hometown in northern Shaanxi.

However, Li Guo, the commander of the Shun army, knows very well that there seem to be a lot of troops under him, but most of them are old and weak family members, and the real elite is only forty or fifty thousand people, and he can't occupy too much territory at all. The most fertile place in Shaanxi Province is the Guanzhong Plain, where the land is fertile and the population is large, and the hometown of northern Shaanxi is too barren compared with Guanzhong, and there is no point in returning to the hometown.

But if you want to occupy Guanzhong, you must capture Xi'an City. Therefore, while besieging the city, Li Guo and other generals of the Shun army divided their troops and plundered in all directions, recruited people into the army, and desperately expanded their strength. And the Qing army did not dare to go out of the city at all, so they could only let the Shun army wanton.

In a few months, the strength of the Shun army expanded to more than 200,000, most of which were really strong, faintly having the appearance of Li Zicheng when he swept the Central Plains.

After several months of siege, the city of Xi'an was finally lost, and the generals of the Green Battalion, Ma Ke and Niu Chenghu, rebelled, killed the governor of Shaanxi, Meng Qiaofang, and surrendered to the Shun army.

Li Guo supported Li Zijing as Emperor Shun, himself as the King of Qin, and Feng Tian Jianxiu, Yuan Zongdi, Gao Yigong and others as princes, and began to rebuild the Dashun regime. After a series of battles, Li Guo's prestige among the generals of the Shun army became higher and higher, and he was already the de facto head of the Shun army.

The Qing court because of internal and external troubles, especially in the Manchu court, there were many clan generals who were dissatisfied with the regent Dolgon, lost two younger brothers, Azig and Duoduo, and the two white flags under his command suffered heavy losses. Since you can't control the land of the Han people, then retreat to the outside of the border, which is the inner voice of many Manchu people.

In the face of this situation, Dolgon insisted on occupying Beijing to seize the Han people's rivers and mountains until after the fall of Xi'an, and then hurriedly sent Bellebolo to lead 5,000 Eight Banner soldiers to cooperate with Wu Sangui, the king of Pingxi, and Jiang Xuan, the newly sealed king of Xining, to lead the army into Shaanxi to quell the rebellion.

Wu Sangui and Jiang Huang were on the battlefield of the Shandong rebellion at that time, and led the army to the west in a hurry, and the troops were divided into two routes, Wu Sangui led all the way from Henan Fu to attack Shaanxi through Tongguan, and Jiang Hao led his headquarters to attack Shaanxi through Shanxi.

Because Li sent troops to occupy Tongguan prematurely, Boluo and Wu Sangui held Tongguan, and Puzhou on the back of Tongguan was also occupied by the Shun army, so that Jiang Hao could not enter Guanzhong from Pujindu, and could only choose Longmendu, which was farther away, because Hancheng opposite Longmendu was still under the occupation of the Qing army.

His troops were crossing the Yellow River one after another, looking at the surging river, but Jiang Xuan, the king of Xining, who was full of fresh seals, frowned, and did not feel happy at all for the newly obtained prince. Because he knew that the Manchu court was now suffering from internal and external troubles, which was also an important reason why he was crowned king, because the Manchus needed to use their own troops to help them quell the rebellion and help them expand their territory.

But Manren, who has just experienced a big defeat, can he still stand still? Even Jiang Hao was skeptical.

"Big brother, someone from the south is here!" His younger brother Jiang Xuan, the deputy general, came to his side and said quietly, Jiang Xuan was stunned.

The person who came looked like a traveler's despair, but before Jiang Hao summoned him, he insisted on freshening up. So half an hour later, what appeared in front of Jiang Hao was the appearance of Yu Xuanang wearing a flying fish suit.

"Jiang Xuan, the chief soldier of Datong, received the order," Xu Qingtian, a thousand households of Jinyi Wei, opened the edict in his hand and said loudly.

Jiang Hao's throat squirmed, but he didn't kneel or make a sound.

Xu Qingtian also ignored him, and read the holy decree by himself, of course, the holy decree was written in the name of Chongzhen, angrily reprimanding Jiang Hao for betraying the Ming Dynasty and surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, asking him to repent and raise troops anyway, and cooperate with the army of Chen Yue, the king of Qi, to attack the Manchus, and then promised that when the Manchu Qing were expelled from the Guanwai, Jiang Jiu would not be blamed for his past sins, and he would be named a marquis!

"King Qi?" After listening to the holy decree, Jiang Hao was puzzled.

"The king of Qi is the Marquis of Pingnan, the court with its immortal merits, named it the king, hereditary replacement, now the king of Qi led an army of 300,000 troops to the Northern Expedition, the peak of the army pointed directly to Shandong, the fall of the Manchu court is just around the corner.

Jiang Zongbing, now is the time for you to repent, if you wait until the King of Qi captures Shandong and eliminates Hong Chengchou, it will be too late to repent. Xu Qingtian said solemnly.