The four pavilion elders discussed for a night, but they didn't come up with a reason.

In the end, it was decided to let Huguang Patrol go back to Wuchang to see the situation according to Huang Shu, and then make a decision.

In addition, considering that the border army of the four towns of Wuchang had not yet paid enough money last year, Lu Zhenfei also specially told Huang Shu to pay 200,000 taels of silver from the household department to Wuchang to make up the arrears.

By the way, the border army of the four towns of Wuchang and the border army of Yunnan-Guichuan were paid by the household department.

So far, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has only paid for the salaries of the border troops of the Huanghuai Line, the naval divisions, and the New Army.

Because of the current situation in Wuchang, Lu Zhenfei and the other four cabinet elders did not dare to go out to visit relatives and friends in the first month, but have been on duty in the cabinet since the beginning of the new year.

Then on the second day of the first lunar month, Wuchang's Tang newspaper was finally delivered.

After reading the Tang Daily, Lu Zhenfei's face suddenly showed surprise.

Zhang Shenyan said: "Shou Kui, what does Tang Bao say? What happened in Wuchang? ”

"Despise the mountain, I really let you say it, it's really the arrogant soldiers of the four towns of Wuchang who are making trouble." Lu Zhenfei said to Zhang Shen, "But the matter has been resolved, and it's fine." ”

Lu Zhenfei handed the Tang newspaper to Zhang Shenyan.

He also said to Meng Zhaoxiang and Qian Qianyi: "He Tengjiao set up a banquet at the governor's office on Chinese New Year's Eve, invited Ma Jinzhong, Hui Dengxiang and other commanders of the four towns and Zhang Kuang and other subordinate officials to the banquet, and then killed Ma Jinzhong and the other four people on the banquet. ”

Qian Qianyi immediately complimented: "He Yuncong's move is especially better than Sun Baigu, because Sun Baigu only killed He Renlong at the banquet, but He Yuncong killed four people!" ”

Meng Zhaoxiang also said: "This time, the crisis in the four towns of Wuchang has been resolved. ”

Zhang Shenyan said: "Shou Kui, you want bad things!" Wuchang Town is afraid of mutiny! ”

"Why did you say that?" Lu Zhenfei frowned and said, "Why did Wuchang Town mutiny?" ”

Zhang Shenyan sighed: "Sun Chuanting has outstanding prestige in the hearts of the soldiers of the Qin army, so after killing He Renlong, he can easily subdue He Renlong's troops, but He Tengjiao has no prestige in the hearts of the soldiers of the left army, and the soldiers of the left army are already unstable because Zuo Mengeng was forcibly left in Nanjing by the saints, and this time He Tengjiao killed Ma Jinzhong and other four general soldiers by thunder, which will only make the soldiers of the left army even more panicked, so it is expected that Wuchang Town will inevitably mutiny!" ”

"It's just your speculation." Lu Zhenfei frowned and said, "This may not be the case. ”

"I also hope that there will be no mutiny in Wuchang." Zhang Shenyan sighed, "Otherwise, Wuchang and even Huguang will suffer another military disaster, and I don't know how many people's wives will be separated and their families will be destroyed." ”

However, Zhang Shenyan is a prophecy after all.

On the morning of the third day of the first lunar month, Wuchang's second Tang newspaper arrived.

The second Tang newspaper was sent by Zhang Kuang, the governor of Hubei, on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.

After reading the Tang newspaper, Lu Zhenfei sighed and said, "Despising Shan, I really let you say it." ”

"Huh?" Zhang Shenyan's face changed greatly, "So, Wuchang Town really mutinied?" ”

"It's really mutinied." Lu Zhenfei sighed, "After He Tengjiao killed Ma Jinzhong and other four people, he went to the military outside the city alone to take the left army, but instead of subduing the left army, it caused a mutiny, He Tengjiao was also hacked to death by the mutinous rebels, and now the rebels are plundering Wuchang Mansion. ”

"Well, how did it get like this?" Qian Qianyi said with annoyance, "He Tengjiao too, if you don't have this ability, don't learn from Sun Chuanting, it's okay now, it's troublesome." ”

Meng Zhaoxiang asked anxiously, "Is Wuchang City lost?" ”

"Wuchang City has not been lost." Lu Zhenfei said, "Deputy General Lu Ding closed the city gate in time. ”

"I'm afraid that Lu Ding's army alone won't be able to hold Wuchang City." Zhang Shenyan said hurriedly, "After the rebels plundered the surroundings of Wuchang Mansion, they will definitely turn around and besiege Wuchang City, so we have to quickly deploy troops to suppress it!" ”

"This matter needs to be judged by the Holy Lord." Lu Zhenfei said, "Let's go, go to Guozijian." ”

The four cabinet elders immediately left the cabinet duty room, got into a sedan chair and went straight to the Guozijian.

But after arriving at Guozijian, I learned that Chongzhen went to medical school.

At that moment, the four elders rushed to the medical school non-stop.

When the four elders arrived, Chongzhen, with his three sons and a group of scholars, was lying on the guardrail of a pigsty, looking at a sow and a dozen piglets in the pigsty with interest.

I saw more than a dozen little piglets running happily back and forth in the pigsty.

The sow is eating pig food in the feeding trough and looks unusual.

"Holy Lord, you see, the sow has fully recovered." Fu Shan said proudly, "It's no different from other sows." ”

"Well, it seems that this caesarean section was a success." Chongzhen said happily, "Yes, find a suitable opportunity, you can try to perform a caesarean section for a pregnant woman with dystocia." ”

Zhu Cihong suddenly asked, "Fu Zhangyuan, is this the first operation?" ”

"Well, no." Fu Shan's face immediately fell, and he said with some embarrassment, "This is the ninth case." ”

"Then dare to ask Fu Zhangyuan, what were the results of the previous eight cases?" Zhu Cihong's face was a little unsightly, because the crown princess was likely to have a caesarean section as well, so he was particularly concerned about this.

Fu Shan's face became more and more embarrassed: "The previous eight cases of piglets survived, but the sows did not survive, and they all died because of such and such accidents, but we have found the reason for the failure of the operation, so after many improvements, the caesarean section of the ninth case was finally successful." ”

Zhu Cihong said: "You still need to try more, human life is at stake, and before you are sure enough, you should not rashly test the mother." ”

"Listen to the prince." Chongzhen smiled and said, "Just practice more with sows." ”

"The minister respectfully receives the prince's decree." Fu Shan waved towards Zhu Cihong.

At this moment, Lu Zhenfei and the other four pavilion elders hurriedly walked over.

Smelling the smell in the pigsty, Qian Qianyi subconsciously covered his nose.

However, after seeing Chongzhen, Qian Qianyi quickly put down his hand, revealing a complacent expression.

"Why did the four pavilion elders come over too?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, "Are you also here to see the results of the caesarean section?" ”

"The ministers knock before the saint." Lu Zhenfei got up again with a long flick and said, "Holy Lord, Wuchang Town has mutinied!" ”

"Did you really mutiny?" Chongzhen was not surprised at all, and said, "What about He Tengjiao?" ”

"Dead." Lu Zhenfei shook his head and said, "I was cut into pulp by the rebels." ”

"That's the price of self-infliction." Chongzhen snorted and said, "I really think of myself as Sun Chuanting." ”

Lu Zhenfei said: "Saint, Wuchang can not be chaotic, Wuchang is in chaos, Huguang will open the door, even if the pseudo-Shun will not send troops because of the alliance, but Zhang Xianzhong of Sichuan is likely to kill back to Huguang." ”

Seeing that Lu Zhenfei couldn't get to the point, Zhang Shenyan was anxious and said: "These are not the most worrying, the most worrying thing is Huguang's summer grain!" Huguang is the largest granary of my Ming Dynasty, and it will soon be the spring ploughing season, once the rebels cannot be eliminated in a short period of time, resulting in the spread of the rebels in all directions and the disaster of the entire Huguang, then not only this year's summer grain, but also the autumn grain may also be seriously underharvested, so Huguang is very likely to break out of famine. ”

"Oh yes, that's not a small deal." Lu Zhenfei also reacted, "Since September last year, the industrial and commercial industry silver has continued to invest in various handicraft workshops in eight provinces and one state in the south of the Yangtze River, resulting in a wave of vigorous development of the handicraft industry, so the people of the eight provinces and one state in the south of the Yangtze River have also changed rice to mulberry, cotton fields, ramie, camellia and even Tubagu, so this year's grain output in Nanzhi will definitely be greatly reduced, if there is no Huguang this big granary, Nanzhi will also break out famine." ”

Zhang Shenyan continued: "What was lacking at that time was not a few million stones, but tens of millions of stones!" With such a large shortage, relying on the rice transported by Xiyi foreign merchants from Champa and other places is probably far from enough to eat. ”

After a pause, Zhang Shenyan said solemnly: "So Huguang can't be messed up!" ”

"A few pavilion elders rest assured, Huguang will not be chaotic." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "On Chinese New Year's Eve, Shu has already sent flying horses to Xuzhou and Guide to transfer troops south, if nothing else, Plug Yin Xi should have already begun to gather troops." ”

"Huh?" Lu Zhenfei, Zhang Shenyan, and Meng Zhaoxiang were all stunned when they heard this, and the saint had already expected it?

Qian Qianyi lost no time in complimenting: "The saint expects the enemy to be the first, and the ministers are really impressed with the five bodies, even if it is the reincarnation of the Marquis of Wu, I am afraid that it will only be so." ”

After sitting on the cold bench for many years, Qian Qianyi is like a different person.

There was nothing left of the clear stream of the wind back then, and they were all about to become sycophants.

"Elder Qian Ge, you're embarrassed to praise me." Chongzhen glanced at Qian Qianyi with a smile, and said, "I will also send troops tomorrow to coordinate with the Yinxi army to attack from the north and south, and do my best to control the rebellion in Wuchang, at least not to affect Hunan and Jiangxi, and not to let the rebels ruin this year's summer and autumn grain." ”

Speaking of this, Chongzhen's heart sighed again, but it is a pity that last year's Xuzhou War delayed the agricultural time of Xuzhou and Guide, otherwise, the sweet potatoes, baogu and potatoes harvested in the second season can feed back a large number of eight prefectures and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River, even if half of the farmland in the eight prefectures and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River is replanted with cash crops, there is no problem.

But fortunately, Xuzhou, Guide Mansion and Kaifeng Mansion will definitely be able to plant a large number of sweet potatoes and potatoes this year, so there is no need to worry about military rations this autumn.

If the use of troops to the southwest in June and July goes well, the northern expedition will be possible by the end of the year.

However, Chongzhen was not greedy, he didn't think of advancing to Beijing in one go, and directly drove Jiannu out of Shanhaiguan.

In fact, the strategy of the Northern Expedition has been determined a long time ago, which is the six words of "hardening the village and fighting a dumb battle" that once shaved his head.

In other words, even the Northern Expedition was not a flat push of hundreds of thousands of troops, but a little bit north along the canal, and a village was built every time it was advanced, and then waited for Jiannu to counterattack.

If Jiannu does not fight back, he will continue to advance.