In November of the fourth year of Chongzhen, Tongzhou City.

At this time, the northern land of the Ming Dynasty was already howling with a cold wind, everything was withering, and even the earth had been blown as hard as steel by the extremely cold wind. In the wilderness outside Tongzhou City, there is no trace of life in sight, and even some remote villages are empty, and it seems that all the creatures on the earth have disappeared in this extremely harsh winter.

Liu Yunwei was wearing a thick cotton coat and a black coat on the outside, and walked down the street with more than a dozen guards on horseback. At this time, the streets of Tongzhou City were empty, the street shops on the street were all locked, the people near the left were closed, and the whole city was abnormally depressed.

"What the hell!"

Liu Yunwei cursed in a low voice and wrapped his collar tighter.

Since the beginning of winter this year, there has been rare snowfall in all parts of Daming, and it is dry and dry everywhere. As a result, next year is destined to be a year of great drought. What happens after a general drought? Locust plagues, famines, and plagues will follow one after another, and all parts of the Ming Dynasty will become full of crises and turmoil.

Liu Yunwei led his troops out of the city and circled around the farmland outside Tongzhou, where the ground was cracked by the cold winter and the trees that had long since died.

"Alas!"

Liu Yunwei seemed to have seen the scene of early people everywhere in the coming year, and couldn't help but sigh heavily.

"But fortunately, now that the imperial treasury is full, even if there is a catastrophe in the coming year, the imperial court will not be powerless, at least it can rely on the money and grain in the treasury to help the victims, as long as the imperial court supports it for a year, I can sweep away the Mongolian tribes and the Korean state, and then the Ming Dynasty can recuperate and restore the national strength!"

After that, Liu Yunwei led a team to brave the cold wind outside the city to go to the Jiangzuo Division in Zhangjiawan Village to inspect the construction of military equipment. Liu Yunwei, accompanied by Sun Yuanhua, the governor of the general's department, inspected the situation of each workshop, and saw a well-made firearm, a black cannon, a snow-bright war knife and spear, and a pair of fine armor that had been piled up.

As soon as Liu Yunwei returned to the Tongzhou General Military Mansion, he saw Lu Ying, the general military officer of Tongzhou, striding over, with more than a dozen letters in his hand.

"What is this?"

Lu Ying smiled and raised the dozen or so letters in his hand, and said, "Big brother, these are all letters of invitation sent by governors and commanders from all over the country. Now the only foreign enemies that the dynasty can foresee are the Mongol tribes and the Korean state, and everyone knows that the upcoming big war will be the last big war in the next period of time, and those governors and general soldiers can no longer sit still! ”

"Haha, now that the Manchu Qing Dynasty has fallen, and the imperial court is full of treasury and civil strife, at this time, the dynasty has a good chance of winning the Mongolian tribes and Korea, and it can even be said that it is a battle of nine out of ten! With such military exploits to be taken, of course those governors and commanders couldn't sit still, and they all wanted to lead their troops to the war to make a meritorious service. ”

Lu Ying handed the letter in his hand to Liu Yunwei, and said with a smile: "Big brother, then how do we reply to these governors and commanders?" ”

Liu Yunwei pondered for a while and said: "In this battle, it is impossible for the Hanwei Army and the general troops of the towns of the Dangkou Battalion to be mobilized, and it is necessary to leave a few towns and armies to guard the Liaodong Capital Division and the Nuer Gandu Division. In this way, the strength of the army will be somewhat insufficient, and the Mongolian steppe and the Korean country will be very vast, and it will be very troublesome if there are not enough soldiers and horses, and it is also feasible to recruit some soldiers and horses from those governors and general soldiers who ask for war! ”

"And what about the specific soldiers and horses to be recruited?"

Liu Yunwei frowned and muttered for a while, and said, "Requisition those soldiers and horses? I'm going to have to think about it, it's a big deal. You also know, look at the weather, next year will be a year of catastrophe in all parts of the Ming Dynasty, it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no civil uprisings in various places, so all parts of the Ming Dynasty must leave enough soldiers and horses, and they must be able to fight! ”

Lu Ying also thought about it when he heard this, and said: "That's going to be difficult, now all over the Ming Dynasty, except for our Hanwei Army and the soldiers and horses in the towns of the Dangkou Camp, there are only a few soldiers and horses that can be regarded as capable of fighting." ”

As he spoke, Lu Ying and Liu Yunwei counted their fingers together: "The department of Cao Wenzhao, the chief military officer of Lintao, is considered capable of fighting, and the guerrilla generals under his command, Zuo Guangxian, Cao Bianjiao, and Li Guoqi are all fierce generals, especially Cao Wenzhao's nephew Cao Bianjiao is even braver; In addition, Hong Chengchou's department, who has recently been transferred to the governorship of the three sides, is also capable of fighting, and he is also an old acquaintance with us; Moreover, it is Yang Guozhu, the chief soldier of Xuanfu, and the soldiers and horses under this person's command can be regarded as worthy of battle. ”

Liu Yunwei nodded, and then Lu Ying's words continued: "The new governor of Shaanxi, Sun Chuanting's department, is also a strong army, and his troops are all Jin, and most of them are brave; The general soldier Huang Degong's department is also capable of fighting, counting one; And then there is Lu Xiangsheng, the governor of Huguang who was jointly promoted by Shi Kefa a few adults a month ago, and he himself is said to be both civil and military, good at making big swords, and brave people, and the pacesetter battalion under his command can also be called a strong army, and it is said that there is a title? ”

Lu Ying nodded and said with a smile: "Indeed, it is said to be called the Tianxiong Army!" Moreover, the people we are talking about have also sent letters of invitation! ”

"Hmm!"

Liu Yunwei nodded and said: "These strong armies can be divided into two parts, one part stays in the Ming Dynasty, and the other part goes north with our army!" ”

Lu Ying asked, "Then how should it be deployed?" ”

Liu Yunwei said with a smile: "The troops of Cao Wenzhao, the chief soldier of Lintao, and the department of Yang Guozhu, the chief soldier of Xuanfu, can accompany the soldiers of the towns of the Dangkou camp to the Korean State, and the troops and horses of Hong Chengchou, the governor of the three sides, will guard the northwestern provinces. The new governor of Shaanxi, Sun Chuanting, and the governor of Huguang, Lu Xiangsheng, led their troops to accompany me to the Mongolian provinces, appointed Huang Degong as the commander-in-chief of Jiangning, led the troops and horses of the troops to defend Nanjing, and together with Zheng Zhilong, the commander-in-chief of Guangdong, to deter the southern provinces. ”

After hearing this, Lu Ying groaned, and then said with a smile: "Haha, big brother is so strategic!" Cao Wenzhao, the chief soldier of Lintao, and Yang Guozhu, the chief soldier of Xuanfu, are both general ranks, and all the general soldiers of the Dangkou Battalion are all earls, so it is logical for Cao Wenzhao and Yang Guozhu to lead the troops to listen to the tune under the command of any of the general soldiers of the Dangkou Battalion. And Sun Chuanting, the governor of Shaanxi, and Lu Xiangsheng, the governor of Huguang, listened to the announcement under the account of the eldest brother, which is understandable! ”

Liu Yunwei smiled and said: "In this case, then reply to everyone, let everyone prepare to mobilize troops and horses, prepare to move, and the rest of the governors and general soldiers who were not selected also reply one by one, and let everyone guard their own doors." ”

"Big brother, do you wait until you report to Your Majesty first, and then reply to everyone?"

"No need to wait."

Liu Yunwei said: "If my guess is correct, Your Majesty will soon announce my entry into the palace." When the time comes, His Majesty will basically agree with the strategy I put forward. ”

Two days later, Emperor Chongzhen sent Wang Chengen to Tongzhou City, and summoned Liu Yunwei, the prince of Zhenguo, to rush to Beijing and enter the palace to face the saint.

After Liu Yunwei received the holy decree, he set up a banquet to invite Wang Chengen, Lu Ying, the chief military officer of Tongzhou Town, and Yuan Mingxuan, the governor of the Investigation Division, to accompany him.

During the banquet, Liu Yunwei and Wang Chengen kept pushing the glasses and changing the lamps, and Lu Ying and Yuan Mingxuan also frequently persuaded them to drink, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

After three rounds of drinking, Wang Chengen said with a smile: "Zhenguo Gong, this time the imperial army went north to attack, and the soldiers were divided into two ways to conquer the Mongolian tribes and Korea, which can be said to be the biggest battle after the destruction of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, I don't know if Zhenguo Gong has a specific strategy?" ”

Liu Yunwei smiled and said, "Dare to ask your father-in-law, Your Majesty has recruited this father-in-law into the palace to face the saint, but are you ready to ask for advice?" ”

"Hehe, exactly."

"Father-in-law can rest assured that my father-in-law already has a comprehensive strategy. This battle, whether it is against the Mongolian tribes or the Korean country, is a victory in hand, and there will be no accidents! ”

Wang Chengen laughed when he heard this, picked up the wine glass and said, "This is very good! Come! A cup of miscellaneous family respect the town of Guogong! ”

In the afternoon, after Wang Chengen was full of wine and food, he said goodbye to Liu Yunwei and returned to the capital.

After Liu Yunwei sent Wang Chengen away, he simply cleaned up, and early the next morning, he took twenty personal guards and soldiers to the capital escorted by Guo Yi to the capital, ready to enter the palace to face the saint.

After a day of turbulence, Liu Yunwei and Guo Yi led 20 guards to the capital, and after everyone entered the city from Chaoyangmen, they rushed to the pavilion in the city to rest, preparing to enter the palace early the next morning.

The next day, Emperor Chongzhen summoned Liu Yunwei, the prince of Zhenguo, on the platform, Chen Xinjia, the new head of the cabinet, and Sun Chengzong, who was recruited by Emperor Chongzhen to serve as the secretary of the military department, was also present at the scene, Wang Chengen served on the side, and there was no one else on the huge platform.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Liu Yunwei, the prince of Zhenguo, with a smile on his face, and was very satisfied, if it weren't for Liu Yunwei's more than ten years of fighting in the south and the north, Emperor Chongzhen didn't even dare to imagine what the Ming Dynasty would be like, and how rampant the Manchu Tartars would be!

After everyone accompanied Emperor Chongzhen and talked for a while, Emperor Chongzhen was ready to enter the topic.

"Zhen Guogong!"

Liu Yunwei saw that Emperor Chongzhen was calling himself, so he hurriedly got up and saluted: "Weichen is here!" ”

Emperor Chongzhen smiled and motioned for Liu Yunwei to sit down, no need to be formal, and then said: "In this battle, the imperial army will face the Mongolian tribes and the Korean state at the same time, although these two thieves are not as difficult to deal with as the Manchu Tartars, but they are not good at it, this is a national war after all!" I don't know, what are the plans of Zhen Guogong? Chen Ge Lao and Sun Shangshu are also here today, so let's just discuss it. ”

Liu Yunwei said: "Your Majesty! In this battle, Weichen already has a comprehensive plan, and he wants to report to His Majesty, and he happens to discuss it with Chen Ge Lao and Sun Shangshu! ”

"Good!"

"Your Majesty! In this battle, Weichen is ready to send troops to march at the same time, recruit the Hanwei army, the soldiers and horses of the Dangkou battalion, as well as the governors and the total number of troops, and wave the army north in the spring of next year! ”