Ruzhou is located in the central and western part of Henan Province, with the towering Song Mountain in the north, the vast barberry in the south, the ancient capital Luoyang in the west, and the Huanghuai Plain in the east, which is the intersection of Kaifeng, Luoyang, Nanyang and other important towns. Because Ruzhou is also the mouth of the Haode kiln, Ru porcelain was burned here at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, which was specially used by the Song Dynasty. In addition, Ruzhou is known as a hundred miles of coal sea, with a large number of merchants and convenient transportation, and it is really no less than Luoyang and Nanyang.

That is, because of Zhu Cihong's high status, if he is an ordinary traverser, where he is qualified to pick and choose, and it is a good thing to be able to get Ruzhou as a base.

Even in the year when Henan was severely affected, Ruzhou also relied on the rain of Funiu Mountain to harvest some grain, and it was one of the few grain producing areas in Henan that could be self-sufficient and even slightly exported. Sun Chuanting used this place as a place for the army to store food, which was indeed a natural choice.

On September 15, the sixteenth year of Chongzhen, from the morning, the officers and soldiers wearing big red and fat jackets appeared in the eyes of the people of Ruzhou. These officers and men were strictly disciplined, no one spoke during the march, no one made noise when they were stationed, and they did not forget to help with some chores even when they begged for water from the people's homes, which really subverted the understanding of the people of Ruzhou about the officers and soldiers.

Especially Sun Chuanting's Qin soldiers have just passed, and compared with the two, this official army is particularly surprising.

On the afternoon of the 15th, Xiao Mo had already deployed the division and bureau of the Right Army Department to carry out the defense of Ruzhou, and sent another bureau to Ruyang to ensure the smooth communication between the guard battalion and Luoyang, and at the same time rely on the mountain construction fortifications to block the thieves who may go north in the future.

Xiao Mo himself didn't think it was necessary, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince specially issued a defense order for Ruyang, so he couldn't do it. He drew a bureau from She'an's Fifth Division, and he was also a subordinate he was more familiar with, Zhen Feiyu, and led his troops to Ruyang to repair the city defense. Construction of field fortifications.

Xiao Mo himself must hurry up and inspect Ruzhou City, screen the Ruzhou officials, squires, and old people who are driving to protect the safety of His Royal Highness the Prince. This is also the fundamental duty of the East Palace Guard Battalion, considering that many of the officers are from the Jinyi Guard, they are more handy in terms of protection.

Zhu Cihong listened to Wu Fu's introduction to Ruzhou before he connected Ruzhou with the future Pingdingshan City. Today, of course, there is no such administrative division. But the title of the Central Plains coal bunker has been revealed. In terms of calorific value, coal is much higher than charcoal, and it is an indispensable means of production in the steel industry. Even in the electric age, the strategic importance of coal cannot be underestimated.

"There is grain and coal, if it weren't for the troubled times, it would be a good place to look at." Zhu Cihong looked back at Songshan Mountain, which had been left behind, where there were still huge tourism resources waiting to be developed. However, when he had come down from Shaomu Mountain before, Wu Fu mentioned a Fengxue Temple, which was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is said that at the peak of the Wanli period, there were more than 1,000 monks, more than 300 houses, and it is a thousand-year-old temple with the same name as the White Horse Temple and Xiangguo Temple.

Wu Fu knew that Zhu Cihong was close to the Taoist priest, so he just said this, and did not particularly recommend it. Zhu Cihong was a workaholic in his past and present lives, and he never paid attention to travel and leisure, and now the decisive battle is imminent. It will not be distracted to explore the ancient world.

"What Your Highness said is very true," Wu Fu echoed. "It's a pity that there is no barrier, but a place where the north and the south pass through."

"If you can go south to get Huguang and control the waterway of the Yangtze River, you can rest and recuperate here." Zhu Cihong sighed.

Wu Fu had no choice but to smile helplessly.

Everyone knows that Jingxiang is good, if you can get the land of two lakes, the world will be determined. Do you need to say anything else? can't beat Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, everything is empty talk, and you can only drool at Baodi.

In today's situation, Zhang Xianzhong has marched to Shuzhong, and Li Zicheng has dozens of generals. There are more than 100,000 soldiers, and at this moment it is not very powerful, once the battle of Ruzhou is won, it will be able to enter Tongguan and occupy Xi'an.

Zhu Cihong has a clear understanding of the strength of the enemy and the enemy, and knows that he can't stop Li Zicheng's army at this moment, so he only wants to delay Li Zicheng's footsteps this time, and at the same time temper his own team. Not only does the army need a baptism of war, but even the staff members of the chamber must also become officials who govern civil affairs, otherwise the new policy of the East Palace will not be able to be promoted, and it will have no meaning for the whole country.

"Your Highness, there is the state city ahead." Tian Cunshan saw the swaggering banner from a distance, and hurriedly went back to report it.

"Indeed." Zhu Cihong looked into the distance, and also saw the familiar stretch of the military flag, as well as the faintly visible "Xiao" flag.

The military flags of the Ming Dynasty are complex and cumbersome, from the general flags that represent the names of the generals to the battalion flags of each battalion, and even the five-color flags that represent the direction, there are always fifty-four kinds of forests. It was precisely because of this that Zhu Cihong felt that there was no need to change, and he did not put much effort into the banner. However, at this time, he reunited with Xiao Mo Xiaobie and changed his angle, but he felt that the flag was too personal and not conducive to the inheritance of the military soul.

"Your Highness, do you want to change into armor?" Tian Cunshan asked.

Zhu Cihong is very accustomed to wearing a cut fat jacket these days, but as for the iron armor, he wears it from time to time when he doesn't have to. If it really comes to the time when he has to keep his armor on his body, I'm afraid it will be a few days before he is completely destroyed. However, in order to boost the morale of the military and civilians, it is also necessary to pretend at this moment.

Zhu Cihong motioned to Tian Cunshan and the others to put on his armor, and said to Wu Fu: "Sun Chuanting would rather risk being beheaded than come back, is it really time to leave in front of you?" ”

"Although Sun Chuanting didn't come back, he didn't continue to march into the army, so he should still have some scruples about His Highness's orders." Wu Fu said while watching the prince pierce the armor from the side.

Zhu Cihong quickly put on the iron armor, put on a placket cotton armor on the outside, changed into a lightning rod-like helmet, and hung a small pennant on it. He thought about it for a while, and felt that the pennant on the helmet was really ugly, so he simply took it off again and threw it to Tian Cunshan: "Only the red tassel is left, and I will remove this small flag." ”

Tian Cunshan naturally won't contradict the prince, as long as the prince doesn't let people replace the golden dragon with a loach, he feels that everything is acceptable.

Zhu Cihong quickly got the haode helmet and walked out of the car, the iron armor in the cotton armor made a rustling sound, adding a bit of might.

The black horse decorated with long horns stopped quietly in the middle of the road, just waiting for Zhu Cihong to ride up. This is the upper haode war horse, obedient and tame, with distinct muscles on the body, smooth and beautiful when walking, and quiet and silent when standing. It's a pity that there are only a few war horses of this level, which can only be used as mounts, and cannot be used to train cavalry.

Huangming Dragon Flag, Flying Leopard Flag, White Crane Flag, Quartet Divine Beast Flag...... passed neatly past Zhu Cihong, only Shuai Qi Daxu followed behind. The Son of Heaven's honor guard was full of shock to the people in these places, and they only felt that the flag covered the sky and they couldn't finish walking.

This is still the honor guard that Zhu Cihong has deleted and changed several times, if it is according to the rules insisted by the courtiers, I am afraid that it is only half the way now.

Zhu Cihong rode the selected horse and stopped without taking a few steps, and it was a full three or five miles from the city gate to the place where he stopped. Now it was time for the local officials to lead the squires to come to pay their respects, and Zhu Cihong accepted their kneeling, and then shouted "Xing" to let them get up.

This process has been rehearsed many times in the state capitals along the way, and Zhu Cihong is familiar with it, but he doesn't feel troublesome. What's more, now there are some small officials in Ruzhou, and the real local military and political officials are all in the Sun Chuanting shogunate at the moment, and they haven't had time to come back yet.

No one knew that the crown prince would march so fast! It only took more than 20 days to rush here from Beijing.

The Zhu family did not have a clan in Ruzhou, which is why many local officials thought that Zhu Cihong would go to Luoyang first. At least in Luoyang, there are still ruins of King Fu's Mansion to stay, but Ruzhou doesn't even have a residence worthy of the prince's identity.

The Manchu emperor could live in the house of the local squire without any pressure, and the world thought that he was close to the people, but in the Ming Dynasty, he would be said to be a bully and disturbing the people by the imperial historians. This is because all the people of the Qing Dynasty are the servants of the emperor's family, and the whole of China is the private property of the Aixin Jueluo family, but the Ming Kingdom is the world shared by the Son of Heaven and the scholars.

As for the official office, it is a symbol of power, even if the emperor himself comes, he cannot be deprived at will.

If the close relatives of the heavenly family want to go out of Beijing, they can only stay in the vassal king, the county king's mansion, or the temporary palace along the way, although I don't know which generation of emperors set the rules, but the civil officials are so sure that they refuse to turn back. Zhu Cihong raised the army this time, and there are indispensable people in the DPRK who want to see jokes, and the first joke is: Look where your baby lives!

"Isn't there a clan in Ruzhou?" Zhu Cihong asked curiously.

From Taizu to the present, the Ming Dynasty has nearly 200,000 people. During the Jiajing period alone, Henan Province had five feudal kings, 80 county kings, and 1,890 generals, lieutenants, county lords, county lords, and county monarchs, which were the best in the world. How can Ruzhou be such a haode place?

Ruzhou Mansion trembled and stepped forward and said: "Your Highness, there were originally generals and lieutenants in Ruzhou, but it was just, just that the city fell before, and the clan was slaughtered by thieves!" As he spoke, the prefect began to cry, and the people behind him cried together, like mourning.

Zhu Cihong was quite surprised, the clan was nominally not allowed to intervene in local military and political affairs, which was also a tradition formed after the Fengtian Jing Disaster. Why is the clan of Ruzhou Mansion so loved by the people?

"Folk customs are like this, Your Highness doesn't have to take it seriously." Wu Fu changed into court clothes, and Feihe was still wearing it on his chest, and the whole person had momentum. Seeing that the prince seemed to hesitate, he walked behind Zhu Cihong and reminded in a low voice.

Only then did Zhu Cihong go down in one breath, and he was already displeased: "Ruzhou Mansion, since there is an original clan in the city, choose its former residence to stay." ”

"The ministers have swept out the former Zhenguo General's mansion for His Royal Highness......"

"Yes." Zhu Cihong couldn't stand the prefect's crying face, waved his hand to interrupt, and went to the city with a shake of the reins.

Tian Cunshan followed the crown prince as a seal official, and when he saw this, he hurriedly shouted: "His Royal Highness the crown prince is driving!" Everyone, avoid! (To be continued......)