March of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Tianjin Port.

A fleet of sailors laden with cargo slowly sailed into the port, and one of the three-masted warships had a black "Sea Dragon" logo on its hull, which was Li Hongyu's ship, the Sea Dragon.

When the Hailong stopped at the dock, a man in his thirties, wearing a first-class official robe, walked down from the boat surrounded by everyone, it was Li Hongyu, the Taifu of the Ming Dynasty and a scholar of Zuochunfang University.

Since Chongzhen took Mo Jingkuan to meet Emperor Chongzhen in the eighth year, Li Hongyi left in the name of the Customs Department for eight years, during which he not only prospered the overseas trade of the Ming Dynasty, but also took the opportunity to operate the Nanyang region, surrendered to the Nanyang countries and became the out-and-out king of Nanyang.

The reason why Li Hongyu returned to Beijing this time was to send a batch of donated materials to Emperor Chongzhen, and secondly, to report the funeral to Emperor Chongzhen.

Zhao Xin, the prince of the Ming Dynasty and a scholar of Youchunfang University, unfortunately encountered a shipwreck when he went to sea to inspect Xiaoliuqiu last year, and even the body was not found, and there was no progress in the search and rescue for several days, so it is presumed that he is dead.

Of course, the so-called Zhao Xin's death is a smoke bomb released by Li Hongyu, and its purpose is naturally to avoid the leakage of Zhao Xin's daughter.

After all, Zhao Xin's current age is not careful, women are full of charm, and it is easy for the outside world to see the flaws in disguised as men, so Li Hongyu fabricated this death news to get him out.

Entering the capital, Li Hongyu entered the palace to meet Emperor Chongzhen as soon as possible, because he was gone for eight years, and Chongzhen rarely appeared in the capital during the period, so the pro-army soldiers in the Forbidden City have changed a generation, and naturally they don't know him.

"What for?"

Therefore, seeing that the man in his thirties in front of him was actually wearing the costume of a first-class civil official, the young soldiers on duty at the palace gate immediately blocked his way, and one of the leading military commanders asked in a deep voice.

"This is the Taifu of the Dynasty and a scholar of Zuo Chunfang." Finding that Li Hongyu was stopped, the captain of the escort who escorted him immediately stepped forward and explained.

"Taifu?"

Hearing this, the Wu Commander couldn't help but glance at Li Hongyu, then waved at the soldiers around him, and shouted coldly, "Come on, arrest these spies who want to sneak into the palace and plot against me, and pretend to be Mrs. Li, it's really blind to your dog's eyes." ”

Hearing that there was a spies, the nearby pro-army soldiers immediately rushed over with a loud noise, surrounding Li Hongyu and several escorts who were escorting him.

Seeing this, Li Hongyu suddenly cried and laughed, he never thought that he would also be regarded as a spy one day, and he couldn't help but have a depressed look on his face.

However, it's no wonder that the soldiers guarding the palace gate don't know him, who let him always work in the grandfather since the Chongzhen year, not to mention the soldiers, even the officials and chamberlains who are coming out of the palace gate now no one recognizes him.

"This brother, this lord is really Mrs. Li, if you don't believe it, call your peak to identify it." The captain of the guard knew that the captain who was blocking the road was doing his duty, so he said helplessly.

"Hmph, of course I'm going to call Shangfeng, maybe you still have the same party, but you have to be interrogated." The captain sneered when he heard this, looked at the captain of the guard vigilantly and said, and then asked people to quickly report to the boss on duty.

In fact, there is no need for the Wu Commander to report the news, his voice just now has already alarmed the hundred households on duty who are resting in the ear room on the inner side of the palace gate.

The middle-aged hundred-hundred-hundred-household hurriedly brought people to check, now that Daming and Houjin are fighting fiercely in Liaoxi, it is the top priority to prevent Houjin from entering the palace.

Li ...... Mrs. Li, you're back in Beijing! ”

After seeing the face of Li Hongyu who was surrounded by the soldiers, the middle-aged Baihu couldn't help but show a stunned look on his face, and hurriedly set aside the soldiers surrounding Li Hongyu, stepped forward and bowed and saluted, "See Taifu for your humble duties." ”

"Get up."

Li Hongyu smiled slightly when he heard this, and finally someone who knew him came, and then took out the token from his waist to enter and exit the palace gate and handed it to the middle-aged hundred-hundred-hundred, "This is the official's token, please check it." ”

Although it is said that entering and leaving the palace must be registered with tokens, for a high-ranking official like Li Hongyu, he only needs to brush his face, and no one will check their tokens.

Seeing this, the middle-aged hundred-hundred-man suddenly showed an embarrassed look, where did he dare to check Li Hongyu's token, Li Hongyu saw his worry, smiled slightly and stuffed the token into his hand.

After all, checking the token is the rule, and since he was stopped, as the prince of the dynasty, Li Hongyu naturally has to lead by example, otherwise how to ask others.

"Master Taifu, please!" The middle-aged hundred households did not dare to slack off, and after carefully looking at the token, he bowed down and gave it back to Li Hongyu, and turned sideways to get out of the way.

Li Hongyu smiled slightly, put away the token and strode into the palace gate.

The soldiers on duty in front of the palace gate stretched out their heads to look at this side when they learned that Li Hongyu was coming, all wanting to see the demeanor of the Ming Taifu, Li Hongyu has become a legendary figure in the Ming Dynasty over the years.

The news of the capital has always been well-informed, and Li Hongyu's appearance in front of the palace gate immediately spread throughout the city, and no one expected that Li Hongyu, who had not appeared for many years, suddenly returned to the city, but although this matter was unexpected, it was reasonable.

The reason is very simple, now the war outside the gate is in full swing, this is the top priority of the Ming Dynasty, Li Hongyu, as a Taifu, naturally can't sit idly by, and Emperor Chongzhen also needs Li Hongyu to make ideas about the war.

At the beginning of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, Huang Taiji, who had established the Manchu Dynasty for five years, learned the lessons of the previous storming of Ningyuan and Jinzhou, changed the previous strategy of attacking and attacking, and formulated a battle plan for a long siege and a long siege to force him to surrender.

Therefore, Huang Taiji ordered Prince Zheng Jierharang and Dorobelle Duoduo and others to lead troops to capture Yizhou City, north of Jinzhou City, and stationed in Tuntian like the Ming army.

As a result, the city of Jinzhou was under the threat of the Qing army, and the outlying strongholds were attacked one after another.

A year later, the Jinzhou Dongguan guard was surrendered, which made the Qing army capture the outer city of Jinzhou, so far the Qing army completed the siege of Jinzhou City, filled in the trenches and destroyed the trenches, and cut off the solidarity.

In the face of the current crisis situation, Jinzhou Shou General Zu Dashou sent an urgent distress document to the imperial court, saying that "Jincheng rice is only available for more than a month and beans are less than a month.

For this reason, the Ming court decided to go all out to rescue Jinzhou after deliberation, and ordered Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, to lead Wu Sangui and other eight general troops to fight out of the pass, with a total strength of nearly 200,000, which can be described as the elite and the main force of the Ming army in the north.

According to the agreement, the troops of each department marched together behind Ningyuan City to relieve the siege of Jinzhou and fight a decisive battle with the Qing army under Jinzhou City.

At the same time, Emperor Chongzhen passed down a holy decree and summoned Li Hongyu, who was busy with overseas trade affairs, to return to Beijing to discuss matters.

Because Li Hongyu came down to Nanyang with the overseas trade fleet last year, he rushed back to Daming immediately after getting the news, and finally arrived in the capital today.

"Master Taifu!"

On the way to the Qianqing Palace, there were surprised female officials and eunuchs bowing to Li Hongyu from time to time along the way, Li Hongyu used to work in the palace, so the old people in the palace naturally knew him.

Li Hongyu smiled and bowed his head to sign, unlike other high-ranking officials and magnates in the Ming Dynasty, although Li Hongyu is a very popular minister, he usually treats people kindly, and usually responds to greetings from outsiders, which makes his image very good in people's hearts.

At this time, the Qianqing Palace was shrouded in a miserable cloud and mist, and Emperor Chongzhen, who had already grown a beard on his mouth, was convening the civil and military ministers of the court to discuss the war outside the Guan, and because the battle situation was unfavorable, everyone's mood seemed very low.

Emperor Chongzhen sat on the dragon chair with a serious expression, and now he is no longer the young son of heaven who first ascended to the throne, but the mighty Emperor Ming.

In the face of the war outside the pass, Emperor Chongzhen was both annoyed and anxious, this time in order to save Jinzhou City, he mobilized the most elite 200,000 troops in the north out of the pass, these troops are the main force of the Ming army that has been painstakingly trained for more than ten years.

Originally, Emperor Chongzhen thought that the Qing army would not be able to parry after the Ming army left the customs and retreated, but the ruthless reality gave him a slap in the face.

The Ming army that went out of the pass could not fail to defeat the Qing army, but was besieged in the Songjin area by the Qing army led by Huang Taiji, and was in a dilemma, which really annoyed Emperor Chongzhen, but he could not sit idly by and find a way to rescue.

But the main force of the Ming army has been taken away by Hong Chengchou, and now where can the imperial court send troops out of the customs to rescue for a while, and who can take on this heavy responsibility?

"Your Majesty, only today's ministers feel that only by mobilizing sailors to come can they relieve the siege outside the border." In the silence, an official wearing a first-class official robe took the lead in speaking and said to Emperor Chongzhen in a deep voice, this person is Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the military department.

"Sailor?" Emperor Chongzhen's eyes lit up when he heard this, although the sailor was not known to be low-key, but the battle of Shimen Mountain had already shown strong combat effectiveness, which could be described as the elite of the Ming elite.

"Your Majesty, it is difficult to save the fire from far water, and the sailor is now being transferred by Mrs. Li to Nanyang to conquer the local bandits, and I am afraid that it will not be able to withdraw for a while, and once the sailor is withdrawn, the affairs of Nanyang will be greatly affected."

At this time, Li Rixuan, the secretary of the ministry, bowed to Emperor Chongzhen and expressed different opinions with a frown.

"Your Majesty, there is a specialization in the art industry, although the sailor is powerful, but proficient in naval warfare, invincible at sea, less than half of the troops can land and fight, it is for this reason that Li Taifu did not rashly transfer the main force of the water division out of the customs to fight, so that he fought with Jiannu in Shimen Mountain."

Subsequently, Li Zhiwen, the secretary of the household department, also expressed his opinion, "Now that the construction of slaves is large, the strength of the sailor seems to be a drop in the bucket, and it is not appropriate to transfer rashly, otherwise the impact will be huge." ”

"Yes, it's better for the sailor not to move." The rest of the officials at the scene echoed the words and opposed the water utilizer.

It is no secret that the sailor can fight in the officialdom of the capital, but the sailor has a limited number of troops of only 30,000 or 40,000, and secondly, he is also responsible for maintaining the safety of overseas trade routes.

(End of chapter)