Historically, although Zhu Cihuan avoided everywhere, as a descendant of the Ming Dynasty royal family, he finally failed to get rid of the consciousness of superiority. According to the royal tradition, he named all his sons with the character "and", and the last character was a strange character with the earth. These actions gradually attracted people's attention, and a monk Nianyi used his banner during the uprising in eastern Zhejiang, which finally caused the former Ming dragon species to be wiped out after decades.

Originally, it was still a story, but Yu Zhihe was not as good as Wang Jing in the end, and he knew the current situation of the Ming Court very well, and after thinking about it, his face became more and more solemn, and he felt very tricky.

If this "Third Prince Zhu" is fake, it naturally doesn't matter. But if it is really the queen of the martyrs, it is difficult to save it or not.

Let's talk about saving first, and regardless of whether the "Third Prince Zhu" is willing to Zhang Ming's identity, it will be an impact on the current imperial court. The reason why Yongli sent Zhu Yongxing to stay in the imperial court was not because he took a fancy to his talent, but because Zhu Yongxing was a distant clan and had little appeal. Zhu Yongxing's current achievements and climbing to such a position are entirely due to his personal hard work. King Lu, who was closer to his royal bloodline, had retreated, and Yongli was far away in Burma, so he could hold on to power.

At this time, there was a "third prince Zhu", a descendant of the deceased queen, in terms of blood relationship, Yongli can't compare, and Zhu Yongxing can't compare. Of course, Zhu Yongxing's current influence and status are difficult to shake, but some traditional forces are still strong, and the "King of Meritorious" is only supported by officials and generals who sincerely obey Zhu Yongxing. At the very least, it will cause controversy and confusion, which Yu Zhihe is sure of.

If you pretend not to know, let "Third Prince Zhu" mix like this, it is also a hidden danger. If captured by the Qing court. What kind of article will be made, and what kind of impact it will have on the Ming court, is definitely worth worrying.

Thinking about it further, this "Third Prince Zhu" can be rescued for others, but it is best not to get involved in the original Lu royal line. Otherwise, what would His Highness Min think? Will you suspect that this is King Lu. Or Zhang Huangyan's conspiracy. Throw this hot potato into his hand and see if he kills or stays? If you kill, you will damage your reputation, and if you don't kill, you will not be able to deal with it.

The more Yu Zhihe thought about it, the more he thought about it, the more ugly his face became, and he regretted why he asked so much, if he didn't know how good this matter should be, at least he didn't have to bother so much, and he still didn't have an idea.

Why don't you secretly send someone to kill - suddenly having this thought, Yu Zhihe's intuition felt a chill in his back. I broke out in a cold sweat.

No, no, Yu Zhihe shook his head violently, shaking off this rebellious idea.

Wang Jinghe and his subordinates didn't know why, seeing that Yu Zhihe's face changed several times, he gritted his teeth and shook his head, and he also realized that something was wrong. I was nervous, so I had to wait quietly.

That's it. That's it. Yu Zhihe sighed and said slowly: "And send someone to keep an eye on it, if you can safely save it to the cottage, then you will act." It's just that you have to be sure to be big and don't take risks. Well. I immediately wrote a secret letter and sent someone to Zhoushan urgently. ”

……………….

Regarding the matter of "Third Prince Zhu", Yu Zhihe did not dare to make his own decisions, so he simply reported it secretly and decided it from above. Or it is decided by Zhu Yongxing. In this way, the Zhoushan system in eastern Zhejiang will be disconnected, so as not to arouse Zhu Yongxing's suspicion.

In fact, the so-called King Lu faction has been fully digested by Zhu Yongxing, and he does not have any factional thoughts in his heart, but Yu Zhihe and others do not think so in their hearts.

The emergency is still at sea, and the war in Hunan is in full swing.

After the combined forces of the Yanshuo army and the Zhengshuo army conquered Chenzhou, they advanced northward and approached the important town of Hengyang; The Qing court urgently ordered Dutong Heye, Hulibu, Mu Zhan and others to divide their troops and rush to Changsha halfway to support the rapidly declining Hunan war situation.

However, the soldiers were very fast, and the Ming army's sudden attack on Hunan was unexpected by the Qing court, and the speed of the siege made their command on the map several beats slower.

After Li Sixing, the son of the Jin dynasty, led an army of 50,000 to take Chenzhou, he led more than 10,000 Qing troops from Jiangxi Province all the way to the north, and the army was huge. Qing officials in Zixing, Yongxing, Leiyang and other places will abandon the city and flee, and all of them will enter Hengyang to hold on. The Ming army advanced very quickly, occupying Hengnan County in only nine days, and the troops reached the city of Hengyang.

"Dongzhu is shining and embedded, and the daughter actually buys the king's head", "The husband Li Dingguo, Guilin, Hengzhou, the two famous kings, the world is shaken"......

Hengyang is the most glorious place for Li Dingguo, the king of Jin. Nikangui was the prince, and he led the elite of the Eight Banners of Manchuria to go on an expedition, but he was defeated and died in Hengyang City, which made the Qing court mourn and lament that "since the founding of the country, there has been no such frustration as today."

"Rush to break through Hengyang, rely on the city to fight the Eight Banners, and fight in Hunan in a battle. Wang'er Chao is the work of his father, and he has built brilliant achievements to serve the country. ”

Li Sixing, the son of the Jin dynasty, subconsciously pinched the private message of His Royal Highness Min in his pocket, raised the telescope again, and looked at Zhangjiashan, who was fighting fiercely.

Yes, this is the birthplace where my father wrote his brilliant military exploits, and he led the army here today, can he repeat the scene of "the whole army roaring with thunder"? Unconsciously, one of Li Sixing's hands was clenched into a fist, tight, and his knuckles were squeezed white because he was too hard.

The sound of cannons rumbled, and the guns rang out, shouting that the sky was shattered. The two armies of the Ming and Qing dynasties fought fiercely around the positions of the tiger's nest, Fengshushan, and Zhangjiashan in the southwest of Hengyang. Among them, the Zhangjiashan position is the key to the Qing army's defense line.

The Qing army had many artificial cliffs on the Zhangjiashan formation, shaped like a city wall, but could not be blasted and destroyed, and the Ming army's first attack failed, and was forced to retreat and regroup.

Having adjusted their tactics, the Ming army soon launched a second attack. The main force of this attack was a unit composed of surrendered troops armed with cold weapons, while the Ming army's musketeers provided fire cover, and the artillery advanced to within 200 meters, using sky-bombarding cannons and Tianwei cannons to bombard the Qing army's cliff position.

The sound of short and violent explosions was incessant, the cliff was full of fire, gunsmoke was everywhere, shredded flesh and clothes, and the broken weapons and armor were thrown up in the black smoke, and fell one after another, even to the bottom of the cliff.

The musketeers, covered by shield soldiers, spread out their wings and aimed their shots at the cliff to suppress the resistance of the Qing army. More than 1,000 newly surrendered soldiers let out a huge shout, carrying ladders, brandishing knives and guns, and rushed up.

"Kill!" A Qing soldier appeared on the cliff and slashed at the Gan soldier on the ladder with a knife, accompanied by screams and several gunshots. The Gan soldier fell from the ladder, and the Qing soldier was beaten by a buckshot and fell on his back.

"Kill!" A Gan soldier shrank his head smartly on the ladder, dodged a stabbing shot, stabbed a backhand as well, and then kicked twice. Turned over to the top of the cliff.

There were more and more Gan soldiers who climbed to the top of the cliff, pressing the Qing soldiers back and vacating an area in front of the cliff, and the Ming musketeers began to quickly climb the ladder, quickly line up the line in the open space, and then fire forward, fire forward.

Breakthrough! Li Sixing let out a long breath, and in the field of vision of the telescope, the Ming army continued to climb the cliff. There is no resistance, it is as easy as climbing the roof of one's own house. The gunfire intensified and drifted away.

Hengyang, hehe, Li Sixing put down the binoculars and sneered. The key to conquering Hengyang lies in the periphery, the tiger-shaped nest, Fengshu Mountain, and Zhangjiashan have been broken through as the first line of defensive positions, and the Qing army can only retreat to Xichan Temple and Zhang Feishan, the last line of defense. Rely on the weapons and equipment of the Ming army. It's not too difficult to capture them one by one. When they arrived at the city of Hengyang, the city wall was no longer too much of an obstacle in the eyes of the Ming army.

Let Hengyang become the place where you can make a name for yourself! In the name of the son. For Li Sixing, it is not something to be proud of, he hopes to rely on his own efforts and military exploits to make meritorious contributions step by step. After all, relying on his father's shadow is a very uncomfortable thing in his heart. He is eager to prove himself on the battlefield, to prove that he is capable and qualified. Become the heir of his father and serve as the commander of this army.

……………

On the surface, before entering the customs, the Qing Dynasty implemented the policy of "integration of Manchu and Han", and treated Manchu and Han ministers and military generals equally. Not really. All the expeditions, the Manchu nobles held military power, and the six heads of the government were all headed by Manchu officials. Han officials in an ordinary position, the Qing court can rest assured, but Han generals who are in a prominent position and control the army are different. It is necessary to use them, but also to give them the necessary monitoring and control, which reflects the duality of the Qing court's policy towards Han officials and Han generals. The method of keeping a son (or relative) in Jingshi is the best control for them.

Among the Han officials, there are none other than Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi, Geng Zhongming, Kong Youde and others. When they drove south, Wu Sangui sent his eldest son Wu Yingxiong and Shang Kexi to send his third son Shang Zhilong and Geng Jimao to Beijing and serve Shunzhi. The Qing court gave these children who served in the Ming Dynasty a favorable status, and they were all recruited as foreheads, which showed the meaning of envelopment; In fact, they secretly took them hostage. The sons of Wu Sangui and others were in the hands of the imperial court, and they did not dare to be rebellious, so they could only be cautious and loyal to the Qing Dynasty.

It is self-evident that the Qing court and the three feudatories have their own concerns. Since their son stayed in Jingshi, they just took advantage of this condition to keep an eye on the movements of the imperial court. Wu Sangui had this in mind, so he arranged one of his relatives, Hu Xinshui, to be next to Ying Xiong and instructed him: "My son is young and ignorant, so I bother you to take care of a qiē thing on your behalf." Hu Xinshui comprehended and took care of the daily affairs of Ying Xiong's house. He "spends money like dirt, up and down, left and right." Everything about Wu Sangui relied on the courtiers who bought it to speak for him.

Wu Yingxiong is not all waste, he pays attention to the actions of the court, "gathers more traitors, scatters money, and travels in all directions", and he "flies to report the news" in all big and small things. Although Wu Sangui is thousands of miles away, he knows everything in the court.

It's just that this time he trusted Fang Guangchen, and Hu Xinshui and others also made great efforts to rescue Wu Yingxiong's family, but in the end, they were taken advantage of by the intelligence bureau of the Ming Dynasty. Hu Xinshui and others returned to Guizhou by land to report to him about the affairs of the Qing court, and they could not avoid the gnashing of teeth and scolding of the other party's betrayal.

"The finances and soldiers of the imperial court are already so difficult!" Wu Sangui vented a few words, leaning back in the chair a little weakly, "The banner slave family has also been transferred south to fight, if it fails, what soldiers are available?" Eight Banners of Forbidden Travel? I'm afraid it's hard to leave Jingshi, right? ”

"The Ming army has a strong naval division, and the imperial court has concerns and intends to strengthen the defense of Tianjin." Hu Xinshui said: "It's just that the money and food are not abundant, and it costs a lot to build forts, build town guards, or form a water division." If the war in the south continues, the imperial court will not be able to raise such funds. ”

"Is the war in the south a matter of day?" Wu Sangui scoffed, "The Ming army is dying in several provinces, and Xiyi supplies guns, so it is barely possible to hold the current place, how can it be over?" ”

"The officials of the imperial court also have the intention of talking about peace." Hu Xinshui glanced at Wu Sangui and said cautiously: "Divide the seven southwestern provinces to stop the war." Recuperate and save first, and then try to make a big move. ”

"Seven provinces in the southwest, hehe, Ming Ting will not agree." Wu Sangui gritted his teeth, isn't this to send Guizhou to the Ming Court, who cares about his life. "According to the character of Min Fan, can you spit it out when you eat it? Fujian Province, half of Jiangxi Province, Jingxiang, and this small half of Hunan Province, Chongming Island. Choking the throat of the Yangtze River, can he give up easily? With the appeal of a distant clan today, it is all a result of victory, and he will not give up the battle lightly before he wears a yellow robe. ”

"When the little one passed through Baoqing (now Shaoyang), he saw that the Qing army was quite numerous, and he was still strengthening the city defense, as if he was guarding against the prince." Hu Xinshui said worriedly: "I heard that the army is attacking Hengyang, I don't know if it can be captured?" ”

Wu Sangui sighed. More sorrowful. According to the Ming army's ability to attack fortifications, he felt that Hengyang could not be defended, and most of the Qing troops who were rushing to Changsha for reinforcements could not be saved. If the Ming army went to Hengyang, the Qing army in Shaoyang was originally to monitor and guard against Guizhou, but it became a belly and back to the enemy, and it is estimated that they will abandon the city and go north and move closer to Changsha.

Once the Ming army captured Shaoyang, it formed a three-bread sandwich with the friendly forces of Qujing and Guilin against Guizhou. Kurebe's shape shì deteriorated even more. There is no need to fight, and the victory or defeat can basically be determined.

Just like the order of the withdrawal of the feudal domain in history. Wu Sangui weighed the pros and cons, and couldn't think of a perfect solution, Wu Sangui was still in a dilemma at this time, hesitating and hesitating. His relatives and generals all had the intention of returning to justice anyway, and his wife was also noisy and asked him to find a way to save his son. At least you can't annoy the Ming Court and let his Wu family cut off their children and grandchildren, right?

"Losing the opportunity step by step, it can be said that it is both Shengyu and He Shengliang!" Wu Sangui lamented.

If you want to talk about talent and martial arts, Wu Sangui thinks highly of himself. Most of the generals of the Qing Dynasty have died. There are very few people alive, and none of them can match him. And Kangxi is still a little doll that has not dried up, and he is not enough to take on big things. It's just that against Zhu Yongxing, he has felt constrained since Yunnan Province. The proverb came true, and the stricter zhòng hit his self-confidence, regarded Yunnan Province as a place of death, and was even more jealous of Zhu Yongxing, and did not dare to speak of war.

The Ming army also did not seem to regard Wu Sangui as a great enemy of life and death, smuggling to do business, and sending liaison officials to each other in case the guns went off and caused conflicts. But in the plain and peaceful on the surface, the Ming army became stronger and stronger, and the momentum became more and more vigorous, and finally completely overwhelmed the Wu army in strength.

Now that his son and grandson are in the hands of others, and the military strength is not an opponent, it seems that there is no need for Ming Tingyan to say, but there is only one way left for Wu Sangui, that is, to surrender anyway. But Wu Sangui was unwilling, and he suffered day after day in this sorrow, and he also meant that the more it dragged on, the more difficult it became, but he couldn't make up his mind.

"Lord Wang-" A subordinate ran in to report, "Mr. Fang is back, just waiting outside the mansion for the prince to summon him." ”

"Mr. Fang?" Wu Sangui didn't turn a corner for a while, and then he was furious and shot the case, "He still dares to come back, does he still have the face to see Gu?" Whoever comes, go and cut off his head, and present his head. ”

The guards took the order out, and after a while, they were pulled back by Xia Guoxiang, Guo Shitu and others.

"Father's anger is at ease." Xia Guoxiang stepped forward and persuaded him: "Fang Guangchen is hateful, but the son and grandson are still in the hands of the Ming Court, if you kill him, I am afraid that it will be involved." ”

"yes!" Guo Shitu also accompanied him and echoed carefully: "Let's call him in, listen to how he argues, and then make a decision." ”

Wu Sangui had a gloomy face and said angrily: "What else can this bastard do besides being a lobbyist?" ”

"It's a lobbyist, and it doesn't hurt to listen." Xia Guoxiang smiled and said, "If my father is annoyed and doesn't want to see him, let my son-in-law ask about it, and then report to my father?" ”

Wu Sangui groaned and did not answer, a wave of anger surged up just now, and now that he calmed down a little, he also felt that this Fang Guangchen could not be killed.

"Who dares to kill Mr. Fang, who is so bold, isn't this going to kill my son and my grandson?" There was a burst of crying, and it was Hu Guozhu who came with Mrs. Zhang.

Wu Sangui rolled his eyes angrily and glared at Hu Guozhu fiercely. Hu Guozhu bowed his head and said nothing, pursing the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a sly smile.

"No one wants to kill Mr. Fang, it's the guards who have listened to the errand, misinformation, misinformation." Xia Guoxiang hurriedly moved a chair and asked Mrs. Zhang to sit down.

"Mr. Fang, please, please come in." Mrs. Zhang also ignored Wu Sangui and hurriedly ordered, "He came from afar, there must be news of my son, maybe he still has a letter, hurry, please." ”

Wu Sangui's face was blue and silent. He didn't want to know about his son's situation, but he couldn't pull his face.

It didn't take much effort, Fang Guangchen walked in with an entourage. took a step forward and gave a deep salute, "Fang Guangchen has seen the prince and the lady." How are the prince and his wife? ”

"I'm not yet." Wu Sangui said coldly: "You are so bold—"

"Mr. Fang, please take a seat." Mrs. Zhang interrupted Wu Sangui unceremoniously, and said with a forced smile: "Can you bring the news of my son Yingxiong?" Is he good in Guangzhou? ”

"Mrs. Hui, the Shizi family is very good in Guangzhou." Fang Guangchen gave another salute, took out the letter and presented it, "This is the letter of the prince, please read it." ”

Mrs. Zhang hurriedly took it, opened it to read, and burst into tears when she looked at it.

"Someone is watched, and there are a few truths in the letters." Wu Sangui also wanted to see it in his heart, but he still pretended to be annoyed, and said coldly: "Let's talk about the conditions of the Min Domain, so I am willing to let my family go." ”

Fang Guangchen said unhurriedly: "His Royal Highness Min has said that Wu Yingxiong is already a Ming official, and his wife has been ordained, and there is no great evil, and there is no reason for the father to repay the debts of the son. No matter what happens in the future, His Royal Highness Min can ensure the peace and prosperity of the prince's family, please rest assured that the prince will be reassured. (To be continued......)