Tanggu, Hebei, Tanggu Fortress.

Chen Dexing stood in front of a huge world map with the latitude line at the equator at zero degrees and the longitude line at Luoyang at zero degrees, and the direction of the main ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean marked with arrows. He was whispering to Mo Yingniang beside him about the second Mingzhou expedition, and he didn't even pay attention to the footsteps of Liu Yang, the judge of the Intelligence Division, walking in. Liu Yang saw that Chen Dexing and Mo Yingniang were almost stuck together, and their hands were also tightly linked, as if they understood something, they were about to turn around and leave, so as not to disturb Chen Dexing and Mo Yingniang. He rushed from Yanjing in the dust, naturally there was something important, but he was not in a hurry at this time.

At this time, Chen Dexing had already noticed that someone had entered the study, he turned around, and found Liu Yang standing behind him, so he beckoned him to step forward.

"Liu Yang, why did you come to Tanggu?" Chen Dexing asked. He stayed in Tanggu for only two days to inspect Tanggu City and Haijin County. Then go straight to Yanjing, and you can return to Zhaoming Palace in five days at most. Liu Yang actually arrived from Yanjing on the afternoon of the second day after he arrived in Tanggu, obviously there was something important.

Liu Yang didn't speak, just glanced at Mo Yingniang.

"Ying Niang, if you explore the affairs of Mingzhou again, it will be decided first, and the Heavenly Dao Sect will be fully responsible." Chen Dexing finally explained, and nodded slightly at Mo Yingniang, signaling that she could leave.

It has been more than a year and almost two years since the first Mingzhou expedition, and the expedition team should have returned. But now there is no news, Chen Dexing can only temporarily think that they are all sacrificing for the cause of geographical discovery. Since the first expedition was carried out in a big way, it is natural that it cannot be declared a failure now, and the second expedition can only be carried out in a low-key manner. Out of the public eye, lest everyone remember the last expedition. Therefore, this matter can only be done in secret. The Heavenly Daoist Sect quietly organized men and ships.

After Mo Yingniang left, Chen Dexing sat behind the desk. Then he commanded, "Sit, sit down." ”

Liu Yang sat down opposite Chen Dexing, his expression was already very solemn, "King, Kublai Khan is ready to unite the Song State and the Tang State and start a war with us together!" Kublai Khan planned for the Mongols and the Song State to attack first, with the Mongols attacking the Daimyo and the Song attacking Quanzhou and Zhoushan, in order to attract our main force to the south. Then the Tang army raided Yanjing ......"

"Three to one?" Chen Dexing smiled. "Kublai Khan is Kublai Khan in the end, and he will not give up until the end."

Without this dedication, Kublai Khan would not be the co-ruler of the world who destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty in history!

Chen Dexing asked again: "Is it Liu Xiaoyuan's intelligence?" ”

Liu Yang nodded, "It's the information sent by Liu Xiaoyuan through secret channels...... The intelligence was sent a month and a half ago! ”

At present, there are no advanced means of communication such as the Internet, telegraph, and telephone, and the speed of transmitting information over long distances is very slow. Moreover, the areas bordering the Yuan and Ming dynasties are war zones, and it is very inconvenient to cross. Therefore, the information sent by Liu Xiaoyuan took a full month to transfer to Yanjing. Almost before and after, there was also the Yuan envoy Liu Xiaoyuan who arrived in Taiyuan. Intelligence summoned by Li Pu alone!

Although there is no way for outsiders to know what kind of secret agreement was reached during the conversation between the two sides at the time of the summons, Kublai Khan released the high-ranking captives of the Shi family, the Wang family, and the Zhang family. You can guess the outcome. Li Pu must have reached some tacit understanding with the Mongols! In front of Jiangshan Sheji, even the father and son will turn against each other, let alone Weng's son-in-law?

"Does the princess know?" Chen Dexing continued to ask.

"I already know." Liu Yang replied.

Now Yanjing is co-headed by Li Cuixian and Guo Fuer. With such important information, of course Liu Yang couldn't hide it from the two of them.

After getting a positive answer. Chen Dexing asked again, "What did she say?" ”

The princess didn't say anything. Nothing was done. Liu Yang paused, and then said, "It's as if nothing happened......"

Li Pu is Li Cuixian's father! Li Cuixian heard that her father and her husband might go to war, but she didn't react! Isn't that worrying?

"The princess also instructed her subordinates not to spread the word about this matter until the king returns." Liu Yang's voice became deeper and deeper.

Looking at Liu Yang's worried expression, Chen Dexing smiled faintly and said, "The princess has done a good job, but it's not good to spread this matter." The lone king is not in Yanjing, and the people's hearts are already unstable, and the news of the Triple Alliance will not help the situation after it comes out...... It's better to block the news. ”

Chen Dexing is actually not worried at all that the big demon girl Li will make some demon moths. Although this demon girl is smart and well-informed, and she is also a little ruthless, she has a great desire for power. seems to be a difficult woman to control, but it seems to be a good match for the founding emperor like Chen Dexing - Chen Dexing is aiming for the emperor's throne, and the demon girl is dedicated to the world.

In addition to Chen Dexing, is there a second man in the world who can fulfill her wish? Li Pu is definitely not good, Li Pu is his father, even if he wins the world, at most Li Cuixian will be crowned a powerless princess. This identity, she really doesn't care about it now.

Take 10,000 steps back and say, Chen Dexing is dead now, and Li Cuixian will definitely sit on the throne of the Queen Mother, and then, like the Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao State, personally take the Shijue soldiers and the Eight Banners soldiers to fight against Kublai Khan and Li Pu to the end.

For a king like Chen Dexing, marrying a wife is actually not afraid of marrying a smart woman, but afraid of marrying a woman who pretends to be smart, but fortunately, Li Younu's cleverness is not pretending.

Moreover, Chen Dexing is a king with a godhead and a pioneering king, and he also implemented a small aristocratic feudal military system, so that the backbone of the Ming army became a small nobleman directly attached to himself. Therefore, the power base is relatively solid, and there is little need to worry about the rebellion below.

Therefore, Chen Dexing will rest assured that he will hand over Yanjing City and the regency to Li Cuixian, and lead his troops south to fight Quanzhou and enter the south.

Seeing that Chen Dexing was undoubted, Liu Yang did not say more, but continued to report the latest developments in all aspects.

"My lord, the Mongols are also expanding their artillery fleet now, and they have been building a lot of lifting and camel guns lately. The iron-smelting and copper casting workshops in Jingzhao Mansion have been working day and night these days, and the monthly output is as high as 300 doors! At present, the number of lifting and camel guns that the Mongols already possess is probably more than 3,000! ”

As he spoke, Liu Yang handed over two sample drawings, both of which were obtained after the craftsmen who were arranged in Jingzhao Mansion were paid off.

The so-called Lifter is a large musket gun, which does not have a trigger and arquebus, and is super inconvenient to use. The camel gun is a small cannon that can be placed on the camel's back.

Something like this has already been invented by someone on Chen Dexing's side. However, Chen Dexing has always regarded bronze cannons and smoothbore guns that can be used by individual soldiers as the main development direction of H weapons. There is no interest in carrying guns and ultralight artillery - that's the benefit of the Prophet of the Future!

"300 doors per month...... That's a lot! Chen Dexing put down the sample drawing, muttered in a low voice, and asked, "How are we doing here?" Is there any progress on smoothbore guns? ”

The research and development of the smoothbore gun has already begun, and Chen Dexing personally drew a sample drawing, which was received by the metallurgy of Tiandao Academy and Nanfen Iron Company, and developed at the same time.

"I haven't heard of it." Liu Yang shook his head.

Chen Dexing gives a sample drawing, which resembles the flintlock pistols of Europeans in the 18th and 19th centuries in another time and space. For a 13th-century craft, it was not easy to make. What can be solved now is the barrel material, the wooden body. However, the handling of the inner wall of the barrel and the firing mechanism are not good for the time being.

If it is reluctantly put into use, it is not impossible, but the power and accuracy of the smoothbore gun will be greatly reduced, and I am afraid that it is not as good as the bow and arrow. After all, the enemy Chen Dexing is facing now does not have an indestructible steel armor. Most of the Mongols had only leather armor for protection, and they relied on bows and crossbows and armor-piercing arrows to deal with them.

As for the regimental training of the Song State, it was a small amount of armor (foot armor) plus a large amount of paper armor, and the paper armor was difficult to resist the direct fire of the bow and crossbow within 100 steps, and it would definitely be shot into a hedgehog within 50 steps. The defense of the armor is enough, but it is too heavy, and fighting in the armor is a super strenuous thing, not the kind of elite who have been trained for a long time, and it is often difficult to cope with the long and bitter battle. In the face of the Northern Ming soldiers in steel armor, the elite of the Song State's regimental training had no advantage at all.

Therefore, the Northern Ming Army currently has no demand for smoothbore guns.

Chen Dexing nodded, thinking about it and said to Liu Yang: "Liu Qing, Liu Xiaoyuan is a trump card in our hands!" Kublai Khan had great trust in him, and he had to make good use of ......"

"Please make it clear to the king."

"The deployment of the Mongol forces...... not only in the Central Plains, but also in the grasslands, in the Western Regions, and on the Us-Tibet Plateau; The whole map of the Great Mongols, the most accurate version in the hands of the Mongols, must have not only the map of the Central Ulus, but also the map of the Western States; Kublai Khan's draft of the operation, including the general route of attack and retreat, the composition and strength of each 10,000-strong army under his jurisdiction, and the supply of grain and grass; The inside of the Central Ulus, including the relationship between the various factions, and whether there was a Mongol king who could be co-opted and bought. Other than that...... King Gu also wanted to use him to contact the Han Hou, who was still serving on the side of the Mongols. ”

It seems that Chen Dexing is planning to use Liu Xiaoyuan's trump card this time.

Liu Yang stood up and saluted respectfully, "The minister understands, the minister will go to Kaifeng in person...... Does the king have anything to say to Liu Xiaoyuan? ”

Chen Dexing knew that Liu Yang wanted to draw a super-large cake for Liu Xiaoyuan by himself, so he smiled, picked up a brush and a letter raft, and began to write a handwritten letter to Liu Xiaoyuan. While writing a letter, he said: "If the lone king wins this battle, he will be called the emperor and the founding of the country, and the heroes will also be promoted to the knighthood, and he will be indispensable when the time comes!" As for Liu Bingzhong, King Gu looked at his face and didn't ask him if he was abusive. (To be continued......)