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The eighth day of August in the sixteenth year of Chongzhen.

Zhu Cihong received an edict summoned by the emperor in the outer residence of the East Palace, packed up his things, and asked Yao Tao to bring all kinds of reports that might need to be submitted to the imperial court, and set up a guard of honor and went to the Forbidden City.

Chongzhen likes to summon ministers of civil and military affairs on the platform to discuss state affairs.

This is not a system, but the Wanli Emperor did not like the court, so he summoned the minister at the Yuntai Gate behind the Jianji Palace. After Chongzhen succeeded to the throne, he inherited this tradition, but the PTZ did not know how to evolve into a platform and recorded it in the main book.

In fact, Zhu Cihong likes the form of listening to the government at the imperial gate, although it is a little cold in winter, but there is no need for a group of people to be aggrieved in the building, the air circulation is comfortable, and people are much clearer.

On the way to the platform, Zhu Cihong met another civil official attending the meeting, Zhang Fengxiang, a squire of the military department. He didn't know much about foreign ministers, especially like Shangshu and Shilang of the Ministry of War, who often had to be dismissed and imprisoned because of a defeat, and those who were lucky enough to save a life, and those who were unlucky were directly beheaded and took responsibility for defeat.

From the first year of Chongzhen to the present, in less than seventeen years, the military department has changed thirteen people [Note 1]. Among them, the one who has done the longest is Zhang Fengyi, the secretary of the military department who has been in Chongzhen for five to nine years, and has been a soldier for five years.

With this kind of high-consumption and high-mobility position, Zhu Cihong is really not interested in associating with them.

Zhang Fengxiang originally wanted to avoid the prince's guard of honor, but thinking that it was rumored in Beijing that the prince was young and virtuous, old and dignified, and could do great things, he couldn't help but feel a fluke.

This kind of behavior that transcends etiquette naturally made Zhu Cihong a little puzzled, and he couldn't just leave without knowing it, and asked at the moment: "Is there anything wrong with the center?" "Ming Cheng Song system. Although there was no Privy Council to govern the military, the Ministry of War was still referred to as the Central. Zhu Cihong did not call his surname and official position, but only asked the "center" in general, which meant that if it was not a ministry, he would not waste time.

Therefore, etiquette is like a dictionary of Jianghu and black dialects, who can know the soldiers, the center, the cardinal, and the book of the common people...... What is the meaning of the various titles?

Zhang Fengxiang understood it as soon as he heard it, but at this time, he couldn't retreat. I could only step forward and say, "Your Highness, today must be to discuss the matter of Governor Qin's exit." ”

Zhu Cihong didn't expect that this waiter didn't come up to pat him, he was a little surprised, but his face was much better: "Does Zhang Shilang have a high opinion?" ”

"How dare you!" Zhang Fengxiang shrank slightly, and said: "I'm afraid Your Highness doesn't know yet, the imperial court sent four or five angels to Shaanxi to supervise the Qin Governor out of the customs. ”

Zhu Cihong nodded, indicating that he knew. Even if this matter is not reported in the Di newspaper, it will appear in the Tang newspaper. Now he has so many people under his command to help him gather news. There is also a pretentious madman Xu Dian who helped him integrate these scattered information, how could he not know such a big move by the imperial court.

"Your Highness, Governor Qin can't go out!" Zhang Fengxiang suppressed his vocal cords and trembled slightly. He didn't know if his explanation could make the prince understand, so he searched for words and said sincerely: "Your Highness, Qin Bing is the only remaining elite general in the world, and the emperor only has this belongings." How can you move lightly? ”

Zhu Cihong nodded: "Governor Qin sits in Xi'an and governs Shaanxi. As long as the troops are trained, they will be able to fight the thieves in time. Even if it is just a stubborn hold, once the thieves go east, the back road will be unstable, and they can still contain the army of thieves and prevent the north and south capitals from receiving troops. ”

At that time, Li Zicheng was in Hunan. Single-mindedly trying to occupy the land of the granary of Huguang. Zhang Xianzhong ran one step faster, occupied Wuchang first, and included Huguang in his bag. From this, Li Zicheng seems to have won Henan and occupied the land of the Central Plains. But also put himself in the land of the four wars.

Zuo Liangyutun soldiers Hanshang, Sun Chuanting sat in Xi'an, and Qinwang soldiers from Shandong and other places will also converge to Henan. It seems that Li Zicheng can fight Nanjing in the south and Beijing in the north, but in fact, he can't go anywhere. Once the army moves, there is a danger that the old camp will be taken away and the grain route will be cut off.

And in this game of chess, the most important is Shaanxi!

Shaanxi is a fierce people, has always been the Ming Dynasty to resist the Mongol Tatars of the frontier position, the fortress level is dense, easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as Sun Chuanting has a foot in Shaanxi, he can attack Henan when he goes out of Tongguan in the east, and he can enter Bashu when he retreats to Hanzhong in the west. It is a good place that can be attacked and defended.

Such an important chess piece, but now facing the heavy pressure of the imperial court, is forced to fight in the customs under the condition that the army and food are not secure. If he wins, he can certainly destroy the thief Li Zicheng. If he loses, Daming will not even have a chance to turn around.

"This is ......" Zhu Cihong shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's too late." ”

"Late?" Zhang Fengxiang was puzzled: "If the imperial court is willing to delay its life and recover the angel, it will only be a fast horse for two days......"

"On the first day of the eighth month, Qin Du has already sworn out of the customs." Zhu Cihong asked rhetorically: "The squire is in the center, don't you know?" ”

Zhang Fengxiang's face suddenly flushed, and he said cowardly: "How can this be good?" How is it good? ”

Zhu Cihong smiled reluctantly: "You can let them stop in Luoyang, don't be aggressive, and wait for the imperial court to send reinforcements, and they will be able to complete the battle." ”

"Where are the soldiers in the imperial court?" Zhang Fengxiang's face was full of distress, suddenly bloomed, looked at the prince and said, "What does Your Highness mean...... Just say there are reinforcements? ”

"No, there are reinforcements." Zhu Cihong was amused by him and said with a smile: "I mean, you can drive in person." ”

Zhang Fengxiang was silent.

The Ming Dynasty's royal conquest has become a joke since it was completed and announced.

Emperor Yingzong drove the expedition in person, and there was a change in the civil fort. The Warats besieged the city of Beijing and demanded the signing of an alliance under the city. It was the ministers of the Ming Dynasty who would rather set up a new emperor than sign a covenant that humiliated the country, which made the Warat people return in vain.

Later, Emperor Wuzong personally rebelled against King Ning, but he didn't even see the rebels, and Wang Shouren, the governor of southern Gansu, had already tied up Zhu Chenhao, the king of Ning, to offer prisoners.

Since Wuzong, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty has not seen the battle array for six generations.

Moreover, at that time, the Beijing camp was still gathered by elite soldiers from all over the world, and there was no problem in protecting the emperor's safety. In today's Beijing camp, it is a problem to get together a few thousand young people. Who would dare to let the emperor personally conquer? Even if the emperor himself proposed to be recruited in person, the ministers had to immediately show their loyalty and implore the Son of Heaven to put the country first and let the courtiers act on his behalf.

Zhu Cihong pointed out the way to break the game at this moment, obviously hinting at Zhang Fengxiang. Donggong has the heart to go on the expedition.

Liu Ruoyu followed Zhu Cihong's side, and his face was blank when he heard the words. He has long known that the prince's heart is not in one city and one palace, but in the whole world. If the crown prince is really released, with the foundation of the guard camp of the East Palace, it will not take a year and a half for the prince to have a team of tens of thousands of people. and even hundreds of thousands of strong soldiers.

Zhang Fengxiang didn't dare to answer after all, and silently bowed and stepped aside. In his capacity, it is too Meng Lang to speak on the issue of pro-conscription. Although the discussion of the Son of Heaven in person is also suggested among the six Taiyuan, it is not the mainstream, they are all young and radical new officials, who can't make any big waves, and they can't affect the situation by standing in the past, so they work hard in vain.

If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had raised it, I am afraid that this question would have been different.

Zhu Cihong saw that Zhang Fengxiang didn't speak. Just smiled, didn't mind, and still took up the honor guard and went to the platform.

……

Generalissimo's Mansion in Xiangyang.

Li Zicheng has a long thick black stiff beard and wears a blue homespun cloth. If you don't sit in a high position, you are no different from an ordinary soldier. The world has legends that he called himself the king of Xinshun, but in fact it was just a rumor, and even people like Zhu Cihong who came from later generations were deceived. In fact, he is not the king now, but he has only proclaimed himself the "Generalissimo of Fengtian Advocate Righteousness and Civil and Military Affairs".

In front of Li Zicheng sat three middle-aged scribes. It is the three major masterminds under Li Zicheng. Sitting on the left-hand side is Niu Jinxing, who has followed Li Zicheng for three years.

The name Niu Jinxing seems rude and unliterate, but it is a rare scholar in the camp. He is the seventh year of the Apocalypse. Chongzhen invested in Li Zicheng's account for thirteen years, and persuaded Li Zicheng to "kill less, help the hungry, and collect people's hearts", which was quite the style of Zhu Sheng when he saw Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, and he was very trusted by Li Zicheng.

The middle-aged strategist sitting on Li Zicheng's right hand is named Song Xiance. was originally a charlatan, because of his accurate fortune telling, he won Li Zicheng's trust, and he had to find him for divination before every war. This person is also quite a wise person, and often uses the will of heaven to persuade Li Zicheng to adopt his own proposals.

Compared with. The strategist sitting opposite Li Zicheng was a new face. This person has a long beard, his face is like a crown of jade, his body is clean and tidy, and the pulp is washed just right. He is a native of Jingxiang, and his surname is Junen. Although he has been following Li Zicheng for a short time, he is regarded by Li Zicheng as a figure like Zhuge Kongming.

Today, Li Zicheng convened the three major conspirators to discuss together, and naturally got a conclusive news: Qin Governor Sun Chuanting swore to the east!

"I have to listen to Mr. Gu's words, and I have successively transferred the army to Henan to resist the Qin soldiers, otherwise I will really be caught off guard by Sun Chuanting's old thief this time." Li Zicheng looked at Gu Junen and sighed.

Gu Junen said humbly: "It is the marshal who is blessed by heaven." The students did not expect that Sun Chuanting would not be able to hold back and hurriedly dispatch troops. ”

After Li Zicheng occupied Xiangyang, he originally had a wide ambition, but Zhang Xianzhong occupied Wuchang first. He had to first cut off Luo Rucai, the five battalions of Ge and Zuo, and unify his own government and military orders, and then consider how to develop.

At that time, Niu Jinxing suggested that he go straight to Beijing, seize the unification, and ascend to the pole and become the emperor. Song Xiance thought that he would first attack Nanjing, take the tax fields in the south of the Yangtze River, and then go north after cultivating and growing. Gu Junen believes that the north is too radical and the south is too conservative, and the root of the problem lies in Shaanxi. Only by taking the land of Sanqin in Guanzhong can we eliminate the worries of going north and south.

"On that day, Mr. Gu said that the court would definitely urge the old thief Sun to get out of Tongguan, but he still didn't believe it, but now he is convinced!" Li Zicheng stroked his beard and said: "Since he came out, let's beat him hard, completely subdue him, and take a detour when we see him in the future!" ”

Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance became supporting roles, reluctant to speak.

Gu Junen smiled slightly: "Marshal Rong Bing, the student has a strategy, which can cut off the life of Sun Chuanting's old thief." ”

"Oh! Say it quickly, sir! Li Zicheng looked forward to it.

Gu Junen shook his sleeves slightly, his eyes swept over the faces of Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance, but he was still silent. (To be continued......)

PS: Note 1: "History of the Ming Dynasty" says fourteen people, but Xiao Tang counted three or four times with the Qiqing chronology, and only counted thirteen people. Some of them still only have the title of Shangshu, not real soldiers. I don't know if Zhang Tingyu or Xiaotang's math teacher died early...... Also, ask for a ticket~