After learning that Wang Chengen was about to come to the army, Liu Yunwei ordered the whole army to temporarily garrison in place and continue to besiege the main force of the Qing army in Shimen Pass.

At this time, it is very likely that there will be an accident on the part of the imperial court, once there is a problem with the supply of the army, or the imperial court strictly orders the army to end the war as soon as possible, then Liu Yunwei must prepare in advance, in case Huang Taiji temporarily reverses the situation with the help of the changes in the imperial court!

At the same time, Liu Yunwei also gave orders to Zu Dashou, Man Gui, and Zhao Shujiao, who were stationed in the rear, ordering them to ensure the supply of the army, and to do everything possible to raise grain, grass and baggage in various ways in case of emergency.

Two days later, Wang Chengen rushed to the Hanwei army camp with dozens of Jinyi guards and Dongchang banners.

This time, Wang Chengen did not arrange any accompanying honor guards, nor did he put on any majestic stands, but just rushed over on horseback and led people in person. Wang Chengen's behavior really surprised Liu Yunwei, who was welcoming him from afar, and became even more worried about the attitude of the imperial court.

Liu Yunwei led Yuan Mingxuan, Zhou Tianyi, Hu Kun and other shogunate governors, as well as Lu Ying, Wu Xing, Zhao Kaishan, Li Tianhao, Wang Dangdang, Huang Fuming, Wen Poyu, Gao Hongguang, Li Dingguo, Li Laiheng, Ai Nengqi and other generals out of the camp to greet each other.

Under Liu Yunwei's introduction, Wang Chengen greeted everyone one by one, and then said to Liu Yunwei: "Hehe, there is a labor inspector to greet you in person, and the miscellaneous family is flattered." ”

"The father-in-law is serious, the father-in-law has come thousands of miles away, how can the governor be lazy? Come! Let's go into the camp and talk about it. ”

Liu Yunwei invited Wang Chengen into the camp, but he didn't think that Wang Chengen waved his hand and said: "Supervisor, don't enter the camp first, Your Majesty sent the miscellaneous family this time to learn more about the situation of the Liaodong War." The miscellaneous family thought that if it was convenient for the superintendent, it would be better to take the miscellaneous family to the front line to have a look and tell the miscellaneous family about the specific situation of the war. ”

Liu Yunwei couldn't help frowning when he heard this, but in a blink of an eye, he laughed and said, "Haha, Your Majesty cares about the war, and your father-in-law has the responsibility on his shoulders, so it should be so!" ”

Therefore, Liu Yunwei led Lu Ying, Wu Xing and other generals to accompany Wang Chengen to the front line besieging Shimen Pass, and Guo Yi led a thousand dragon and iron cavalry to escort him.

An hour later, Liu Yunwei and Wang Chengen came to a Hanwei army garrison five miles south of Shimen Pass. This garrison was the defense area of the Hanwei Army's Tiger Battalion, where 2,000 Tiger Battalion soldiers were stationed, and a trench, horse retaining wall, and a simple military camp were built here. Not far from here, there are more than a dozen similar stations, which can support each other and act as horns for each other. Liu Yunwei relied on this tactic to deploy hundreds of thousands of troops and besiege Shimen Pass!

After everyone arrived, Liu Yunwei led Wang Chengen to look around the station, and explained the current situation in detail.

"At present, our army has completely occupied the advantage, the main force of the Qing army is disheartened, and there is no logistical supply, and it is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of our national army here, which can be described as difficult to fly! As long as our army waits for the opportunity and slowly annihilates the main force of the Qing army under Huang Taiji, our army can move north and recover the lost territory in Liaoyang, Shenyang and other northeastern Liaoning in one fell swoop! When the time comes, the Manchu Dynasty will be destroyed and Liaodong will be restored, and my emperor will once again be powerful in all directions and from all over the world! ”

Wang Chengen listened to Liu Yunwei's words, with a faint smile on his face, and he didn't seem to be moved by Liu Yunwei's impassioned words. This made Yuan Mingxuan, Lu Ying, Wu Xing and other people who followed next to him very worried about the intentions of the imperial court.

Liu Yunwei also frowned slightly, and then said: "Father-in-law, for the current battle situation, I don't know if my father-in-law can give advice?" ”

"Haha, for this conquest, the miscellaneous family is a layman, since you don't understand, you can't talk nonsense, especially in such a military event!"

When Liu Yunwei heard this, he glanced at Wang Chengen in front of him again, and said, "My father-in-law is too humble. It's not too early for the governor to see the time, let's go back to the camp to rest first, and the governor can lead the generals in the army to pick up the wind and wash the dust for the father-in-law. ”

Everyone thought that today was the end of the day, but Wang Chengen said: "Don't be in a hurry, Inspector, the miscellaneous family still wants to see the grain and grass in our army again, I don't know if it's convenient?" ”

As soon as he heard Wang Chengen mention the weight of grain and grass, Liu Yunwei was stunned for some reason, and hurriedly smiled faintly and said, "Of course you can, father-in-law, please!" ”

So, after everyone left the station, they rode their horses to the grain and grass camp located ten miles south of the Hanwei army camp. This grain and grass camp is located in a mountain col, and there are 20,000 soldiers of the Hanwei Army guarding it layer by layer, which can be described as an impregnable wall.

Wang Chengen looked around in the camp and found that the grain and grass in the camp were sufficient, which could supply more than half a month for 450,000 Ming army soldiers, so he couldn't help but nodded, and said to Liu Yunwei with a smile: "The superintendent is a good method, the grain and grass supplied by the imperial court is not abundant, but the superintendent can make the army's grain and grass supply in a steady stream under the situation of repeated wars, it must have taken a lot of effort, right?" ”

Liu Yunwei also smiled bitterly and said: "My father-in-law must know that the reason why the previous major wars of the national dynasty was defeated had a lot to do with the lack of grain and grass. ”

"What if, oh! Miscellaneous is saying if! Wang Chengen paused, smiled and said: "If the supply of grain and grass in the imperial court is cut off, with the ability of the superintendent, how long can the grain and grass of the Liao army be supported?" ”

As soon as these words came out, Liu Yunwei was stunned for a moment, and he was speechless for a while. And the surrounding Yuan Mingxuan, Lu Ying and others were also shocked, while Zhao Kaishan, Wang Gandang and others were already faintly angry, if it weren't for Liu Yunwei, they would have been furious.

Liu Yunwei stabilized his mind and asked in a deep voice, "How can my father-in-law say this?" ”

Wang Chengen said with a smile: "Don't panic first, don't panic, let's listen to the miscellaneous family talk about the situation in the imperial court first." You don't know, now the imperial court is very difficult, the money and grain of the military department have been spent, and the household department is about to run out, and His Majesty has twice transferred money and grain from the internal treasury to support the national treasury. If the Liaodong War is not resolved, the imperial court will completely cut off the supply of money and food to the army within a month. ”

When Liu Yunwei heard this, he couldn't help but feel sad and indignant, the soldiers of the Han Wei Army and the Ming Army under Li Dingguo fought bloody battles repeatedly, sacrificing the lives of nearly 200,000 soldiers in exchange for today's battle situation, as long as they hold on a little longer, they can completely destroy the Manchu Tartars, but the imperial court has no money at this time!

"Father-in-law, to say a big disrespectful word, when the first emperor was here, although there was Wei Zhongxian and the chaos of the dynasty, but the income of the imperial treasury in those years was the most lucrative, and I and the border army almost never worried about money and food in those years! Father-in-law knows that almost all of the money and food raised by my Hanwei Army today are the family funds accumulated in those years! But why, after His Majesty ascended the throne, he made great efforts to govern and eradicate Wei Zhongxian's party, but the imperial court is getting worse and worse, and now the treasury is empty and the war is unsustainable! Here's why! ”

After listening to Liu Yunwei's words, Wang Chengen was silent, but he couldn't stop sighing.

Liu Yunwei became more and more excited, almost roaring, and said: "Since the fall of Wei Zhongxian and the assumption of power by the Donglin Party, the post station was first abolished, and as a result, there was a rebellion between Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong; After that, the Donglin Party exempted all the commercial taxes and mining taxes in the south of the Yangtze River, resulting in a plummeting income of the imperial court and making ends meet. ”

"Inspector, be careful!"

Yuan Mingxuan and others advised Liu Yunwei not to complain in front of Wang Chengen.

Wang Chengen smiled faintly and said: "It's okay, the superintendent is also worried about state affairs, after today's words, the superintendent will forget it in an instant!" ”

After speaking, Wang Chengen sighed and said: "Supervisor, at present, the Donglin Party has basically controlled the government, and His Majesty is too idealistic, thinking that Donglin Dong is a virtuous minister who governs the world, and those Donglin Party people are few people who are silent and pragmatic!" ”

Liu Yunwei was silent for a while, and said, "Father-in-law, if you say this, does our army only have a month?" ”

"A month at most!"

"Haha, since this is the case, then after Gonggong Lao returns to Beijing, he will report to His Majesty, and the 450,000 soldiers of my Liao army will not withdraw to the death, even if the grain and grass are cut off, the soldiers of my whole army will continue to fight. Either our army defeated the Manchus and returned victorious, or the officers and men of our whole army inflicted heavy losses on the Manchus and died in martyrdom! ”

Wang Chengen was shocked when he heard this, and looked at Yuan Mingxuan, Lu Ying and others next to him, only to see that everyone's faces were extremely firm, everyone regarded death as home, and their hearts were as strong as iron!

Early the next morning, Wang Chengen bid farewell to Liu Yunwei, led Jinyiwei and Dongchang banners to leave the Hanwei army camp and marched all the way towards Shanhaiguan.

When Wang Chengen arrived in Guangning City, he instructed a Dongchang beside him: "The miscellaneous family rests in Guangning City for a day, you continue to hurry, and after rushing back to the capital, you will present this secret fold of the miscellaneous family to Your Majesty without delay!" ”

When the head of Dongchang heard this, he didn't dare to slack off, and took more than a dozen of his subordinates to gallop wildly, and hurried day and night, and rushed back to the capital in only six days.

In the middle of the night, Emperor Chongzhen looked at Wang Chengen's secret folds over and over again, sighed heavily, and muttered: "Such loyal and brave soldiers, I am really ashamed of them!" ”

At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen saw a letter next to him, which read: The army of Liao has consumed the treasury and fought for a long time without success, and the petition is for immediate withdrawal!

The inscription of this letter reads: Zhou Yanru!

And next to this letter, there is also a letter from Chen Xinjia, the new secretary of the Ministry of War, with the cover of the letter written: The treasury is empty, the army's food and salary are insufficient, and the petition for the immediate withdrawal of the army is sparse!