Just before Li Dingguo was preparing to launch an offensive against Manchukuo, Zhu Cijiong received a secret letter from Concubine Ren. When Zhu Cijiong saw this secret letter, he was really shocked, he didn't expect that Zhu Youxiao would really take the initiative to pass on the throne to Zhu Cijiong, and what he didn't expect was that there was another purpose for sending him to the Great Wilderness Dongzhou.

"Lord, is there something big going on in the palace?" Seeing Zhu Cijiong's face, Changshi Ai Yuchu asked anxiously.

"Mr. Ai, please take a look." Zhu Cijiong handed the secret letter to Ai Yuchu.

Ai Yuchu took the secret letter and read it carefully, and said, "I can't imagine that the Emperor Taishang really took the initiative to pass on the throne to His Majesty, Lord Wang, what are your plans next?" ”

"The king didn't know what to do for a while. What is Mr. Ai's opinion? Zhu Cijiong asked.

"Returning to Beijing is undoubtedly the next policy, since the Emperor Taishang acquiesced to the prince's south, the minister thinks that going south is the best choice." Ai Yuchu suggested.

"But this king has no soldiers in his hands, and going south is tantamount to killing himself."

"The prince has no soldiers in his hands, but there are more than 100,000 elite soldiers in the Great Wilderness Dongzhou, and there are no soldiers and horses needed to go south, 10,000 is enough, too much will make the emperor suspicious."

"Although this king is in charge of the affairs of the army, he has no right to transfer troops, where did these 10,000 soldiers and horses come from?"

"The Emperor Taishang decreed that the prince should lead 10,000 troops south into the Great Wilderness Dongzhou."

"Edict is a capital offense!"

"The crime of leading troops south without permission is complicity in rebellion, which is already a capital crime. But judging from the secret letter, even if the prince is overbearing, the emperor should not pursue it, otherwise, there is no possibility of success in this matter. Ai Yuchu persuaded him.

"Then do as Mr. Ai suggests." Zhu Cijiong hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement with Ai Yuchu's suggestion. Zhu Youxiao's choice for him is too tempting, and he would rather be a chicken head than a phoenix tail.

"There must also be a general to lead the troops this time to the south." Ai Yuchu suggested.

"Who does Mr. Ai think is the most suitable?"

"Admiral Li Dingguo Li is the most suitable, among the generals of the Great Wilderness Dongzhou, Admiral Li is brave and good at fighting, and he should be the first. And our army only has 10,000 soldiers and horses, and it is a labor division expedition to the Southern Wilderness Dongzhou, and the person who leads the troops must be like Admiral Li. ”

"Admiral Li is both wise and brave, and he is fiercely loyal to the empire, and it is not easy to deceive him. And if he is transferred, he will inevitably verify with the Governor's Office, and I am afraid that everything will be exposed at that time. Zhu Cijiong said worriedly.

"Admiral Li's adjutant Ma Jinzhong is also a good candidate, although this person's ability is not as good as Admiral Li, but he is a tiger general." Zhu Cijiong's worry was justified, Ai Yuchu thought for a while, and then suggested.

"Then Ding Ma Jinzhong."

"Lord Wang, don't alarm Ma Jinzhong in advance, just wait until everything is ready, and then pass on the emperor's edict, let Ma Jinzhong lead his troops south with us, and make it impossible for the military to verify it in a hurry."

"What about the ship?"

"The ships of the Royal Sea will come to the Great Wilderness Dongzhou in August every year, and the ships of the Royal Sea can be borrowed at that time."

……

Zhu Cijiong and Ai Yuchu were plotting to go south, while Li Dingguo was discussing another crusade against Manchukuo.

"The Dragon Court of Manchukuo is in the place where the locals call Ottawa, and in this crusade against Manchukuo, considering the problems of military rations, I am only ready to mobilize 20,000 troops, and the people who can fight in Manchukuo are only between 30,000 and 40,000. After the army left Winnipeg, the army was divided into two routes, one was led by 15,000 men led by Ma Jinzhong and advanced according to the original route, and the other was 5,000 dragoons led by me myself. After the defeat of Manchukuo, in order to avoid the edge of the Ming army, Manchukuo directly moved the Dragon Court to Ottawa, and the Ming army did not continue to oppress Manchukuo in consideration of supply and other issues.

"What do you mean by preparing to raid the Dragon Court?" Ma Jinzhong asked. Ma Jinzhong has followed Li Dingguo for many years and knows Li Dingguo's military habits very well.

"That's exactly what I mean. Manchukuo saw that our army sent troops, it is bound to send troops to intercept, at this time the Dragon Court must be empty, with 5,000 elite cavalry raid, there is a decisive effect, after breaking the Dragon Court of Manchukuo, the rest is only to clear the remnants of Manchukuo. ”

"But what if the Manchurian Army is not fooled?" Ma Jinzhong asked worriedly.

"In this crusade against Manchukuo, I will declare to the outside world that you are the commander-in-chief, and when you lead the army, you must make a big fanfare, although there are only 15,000 people, but the momentum must make the Manchurian army think that our army has more than 20,000 people. I have been at war with the Manchurian Army for many years, and I am sure that the Manchurian Army will definitely be fooled. Li Dingguo firmly believed.

"No."

"And this matter must be kept secret, and no one can leak half a point, otherwise, everything will be closed." Li Dingguo admonished. Li Dingguo's subordinates have been following Li Dingguo in the Great Wilderness Dongzhou for several years, and they definitely trust each other very much, but Li Dingguo still has to advise.

"No."

……

On 22 May, after Li Dingguo led an army of 20,000 to take the oath, the front army immediately set out. And Li Dingguo's 5,000 dragoons left in the end, and after leaving Winnipeg, this team disappeared without a trace, and even Ma Jinzhong didn't know which way Li Dingguo's team went.

It was more than 4,000 miles from Winnipeg to Ottawa, and Li Dingguo was cautious all the way in order to hide his whereabouts, and it was already 30 June when he arrived at the Dragon Court in Manchukuo.

On June 25, the army led by Ma Jinzhong was the first to encounter the 33,000 main force sent by Manchukuo to intercept the Ming army. The Ming army led by Ma Jinzhong did not advance fast in order to solve the problem of supply, but they still encountered the main force of the Manchurian army first.

Because it was a labor expedition, the Ming army could not carry heavy artillery, but could only carry light and medium-sized artillery, and mainly light artillery. Ma Jinzhong's task was to hold back the main force of the Manchurian Army, and he was not in a hurry to fight a decisive battle with the Manchurian Army, and the reason why the Manchurian Army waited until now to intercept the Ming Army was also to let the Ming Army stretch the supply line and make it difficult for the Ming Army to supply the Ming Army, so as to drag the Ming Army to death.

Neither army had the determination to fight a decisive battle, so the war between the two sides was small from the start. But after three days of stalemate between the two sides, the Manchurian army found that something was wrong, logically speaking, the Ming army was on an expedition with thousands of miles of supply lines, and the Ming army should have fought a quick battle, but the Ming army did not do so, but fought a stalemate with the Manchurian army.

On June 28, the Manchurian army sent a large number of scouts to spy on the reality of the Ming army. Although the Manchurian Army found nothing, it made the Manchurian Army even more suspicious of the Ming Army's conspiracy, but they did not know what the Ming Army's conspiracy was.

At 11 o'clock in the evening of June 30, Li Dingguo led 5,000 dragoons to attack the Dragon Court in Manchukuo.

(End of chapter)