Li Zicheng nodded slowly, thought for a while, and said with a smile: "Let's discuss the military strategy first, civil affairs, and then I will discuss with the military advisor and the prime minister." ”

"This month, we can't be idle. The firearms of the passes and city defenses must be brought in, and those that are suitable for use among them must be selected. The soldiers of the battalions who were good at using firearms were also to assemble and arm them with the firearms of the Ming army.

But the key was to buy firearms, especially heavy artillery, from the Oriental Trading Company.

I saw a Tang newspaper from Henglai say that outside Shengjing City, Li Zhaoji had arranged an eighteen-pounder cannon, oh, a kind of heavy artillery. The artillery team under the command of Yihou used a four-pounder cannon, and the pound was two catties of foreigners, that is, the shells of the heavy artillery were more than four field guns.

This kind of heavy artillery bombarded the wall of Shengjing City for seven or eight days, and it collapsed the city wall twenty or thirty zhang long, which was much more powerful than the Hongyi cannon. Moreover, this is not the strongest cannon of the Eastern Society, it is said that there are twenty-four pounds.

Lee Siu-ki means that as long as the money is enough, it can be given. Let's fight Jizhou, Yongping, and Shanhaiguan, which are all fortified cities that the Ming Dynasty has been operating for hundreds of years. Li Guo said to Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng nodded slightly: "The more this heavy artillery, the better, Yihou, Shang Kexi is still honest, how is his ability?" ”

After Shang Kexi surrendered, he persuaded part of the army under the domain to defect to Dashun, and this group of troops who were good at firearms were handed over to Zhang Nai's command.

Zhang Nai immediately said: "The emperor's words are stumped by Weichen. ”

"What's so difficult about this, if he has the ability, he will say that he has the ability, and if he has no ability, he has no ability." Liu Zongmin quipped.

Zhang Nai said: "Shang Kexi is capable, the artillery in our Shun army, as small as the bowl mouth gun, as large as the Hongyi cannon, there is no Shang Kexi and his subordinates can't play." It is much stronger than the one who was temporarily captured from Zhu Ming's army.

Compared to Suarez's group, it is a little worse. The artillery company composed of the four-pounder field artillery was something he couldn't play, and Weichen tried to let him command, and after a while, he found that he still used the field artillery as a Furlong machine.

The lightness of the field artillery, he could not play it at all. And Weichen heard that Suarez is also a second knife, although he has also done artillery before, but it is not as professional as the artillery of the Oriental Society, and judging from the Qinghe Battle depicted in Li Laihengtang Daily, the performance of the artillery of the Eastern Brigade is indeed so. ”

"In this case, it's not enough to just buy guns, it's better to get more good gunners." A great Shun Xungui said one after another.

Li Zicheng laughed and said, "This Li Zhaoji is really an interesting person. This is a temptation for us, he took thousands of them as hostages, although he asked for the money, but the relationship between the two sides was also broken, and those observers, didn't they leave quietly.

He knew what we lacked, and deliberately said that he would sell it to us, just to reconcile the relationship between the two families. So, you don't have to worry, you want heavy artillery, you want gunners, Li Zhaoji will definitely provide it. ”

"The hostage incident, but you don't have to take it to heart, this guy just asked for money, but he didn't openly publicize it, and the emperor's holy name was not damaged. Besides, Li Zhaoji is quite powerful and capable, and even if such a person can't surrender his heart and use it for my Dashun, don't offend him.

Your Majesty, did you say that? Tian Jianxiu said.

Li Zicheng nodded: "That's the truth." Originally, we withheld the reward that others deserved, and they ambushed us, and it was also said in the past.

Marquis Bo, what is the situation in southern Liaoning? ”

Li Guo hurriedly said: "As soon as the main force of the Qing army came out of Shanhaiguan, Li Zhaoji led the army to retreat, all the way to the Jinzhou area. Except for some minor friction with the Ming army, our people have no other problems. Now it's all settled.

The Ming army was arranged in the Lushun area, and our people were stationed in Jinzhou.

Laihengtang newspaper said that Li Zhaoji had built a fortress in Jinzhou and Lushun, prepared ammunition, artillery, and grain and grass, and asked us if we wanted to defend Jinzhou, and if not, we could retreat to Shandong, and they were going to defend the Lushun fortress. ”

As he spoke, Li Guo ordered people to unfold a more detailed map of Liaodong, and everyone saw that Jinzhou was located in a very narrow part of the peninsula, and Lushun was located at the end of the Liaodong Peninsula.

Obviously, Jinzhou was to hold the only way for the Qing army to go south, and to keep a piece of land in and out of Liaodong, while Lushun was purely to protect the harbor.

"Golden State Fortress, what's going on?" Liu Zongmin asked.

Li Guo nodded: "Li Zhaoji is very sincere, although the fortress was a little strange by him, but the deployment is good...... I'll just make two points.

First, the fortress Li Zhaoji arranged 26 artillery pieces with sufficient ammunition.

Second, what Li Zhaoji meant was that if we were willing to defend it, he would send two infantry battalions, or 1,200 men, to assist in the defense, but we would have to bear the cost of military pay and ammunition. ”

"In this way, this matter can really be thought about. But if it is to defend the Jinzhou fortress, it is not enough to rely on Guo Sheng's 5,000 people and the 1,000 people of the Dongfang Society, and they will have to send troops again. ”

"But it doesn't take too much, it's useless to garrison the fortress if there are too many people."

Li Zicheng listened to everyone's opinions, thought for a while, and asked, "What is the opinion of Guo Sheng and Lai Heng?" ”

Li Guo smiled and said, "Guo Sheng, you know, honest man, whatever holy decree you make, he will carry it out."

As for Lai Heng, he supported the defense of Jinzhou, but he wanted to adjust his troops, and with his understanding of the Jinzhou fortress, he thought that 6,000 people plus the 1,000 or so people of the Oriental Trading Company would be enough, but there was no need for cavalry, all infantry.

This guy who came to Heng seems to have the meaning of borrowing chickens to lay eggs. ”

"What do you mean by borrowing chickens to lay eggs?" Li Zicheng asked.

Li Guo said: "If we hold on to Jinzhou, Li Zhaoji will leave three infantry battalions, one of which is the Marine Corps, oh, the troops in the naval division who fight on land. Specializing in guarding the Lushun Fortress, it is not involved with us, and the other two assist in the defense of the Golden State Fortress.

Li Zhaoji had six standing battalions, and he was originally going to leave two to assist in the defense. But Laiheng asked him to leave two new barracks. ”

"What is this guy doing, what is leaving a group of recruits for, of course, it is to keep troops that can fight." Liu Zongmin had a violent temper and said immediately.

Tian Jianxiu was old and serious, and smart enough, he understood, and said: "Lai Heng is really a little guy with some brains.

Ruhou, you don't understand this. Li Zhaoji left two new barracks, is it difficult to do nothing? No, he has to take care of it, and he has to train these two new battalions well.

The army of the Oriental Society, the three battalions of horses, infantry, and artillery cooperate with each other, and the cavalry can find us to follow the army, but the artillery has to leave a part and train together.

He trains, and we also train and learn. Learning Li Zhaoji's infantry and artillery skills is no less significant than holding the Golden State Fortress. ”

Li Guo nodded: "Actually, when Guo Shengbu was detained on Changxing Island, his 2,000 infantry were trained together with the new battalion of the Eastern Brigade.

I read the report to Tang, they have practiced the coordination of infantry and artillery, and the formation has changed.

It's just that there is no suitable equipment, especially the appropriate bird guns, so I can't follow the cat and the tiger.

Not only that, this guy Lai Heng also asked Li Zhaoji for the equipment of an artillery company, which is said to be similar to Suarez's six guns, or even lighter and more durable. ”

Tian Jianxiu said: "Haha, it's really a smart little guy."

Your Majesty, in this way, don't the suitable bird guns that we have selected be given priority to the supply of southern Liaoning? Perhaps, he and Li Zhaoji have a good relationship, let's spend money to buy some high-quality muskets from the Oriental Trading Company. ”

"Yes, that's what I thought.

Laiheng sent a lot of samples, and Yihou and I sent someone to try it, although the musket of the Oriental Society is similar to the bird's gun, but the power and style are much worse.

It is said that there is a part of the army under Li Zhaoji's command, and it uses the fine bird guns of the Ming army, but the power is far behind, and it is used according to the military strategy of the Eastern Brigade, which is uncomfortable in every way. Li Guo didn't hide the thoughts of his righteous son, and he told it.

Li Zicheng nodded with satisfaction: "What else is there to do in Laiheng?" ”

Li Guo thought for a while and said: "The rest of the news is nothing worth saying, but Weichen thinks that Laiheng is still young and can't afford the errand in southern Liaoning." As for Guo Sheng, although he is loyal and honest, he will not be long after he belongs to my Dashun, maybe the emperor should send a suitable general to take over. ”

Li Zicheng waved his hand: "I don't think there's anything wrong with it, Lai Heng is smart enough, and Guo Sheng is also trustworthy." Golden State is guarded, and it is appropriate to entrust the two of them. ”

Tian Jianxiu said: "Even if you want to change the commander, you have to wait until the war in the customs is over." ”

Li Zicheng said: "Yes, let's do it first."

The military division drafted an edict ordering the Shandong side to send infantry to exchange defenses with the defenders of Jinzhou. In addition, the bird guns obtained in the Denglai area, select some suitable ones, and send them to Jinzhou first, and we must not let our soldiers practice with burning sticks.

Let Lai Heng also talk to Li Zhaoji to see if the purchase of firearms can be done, and send the firearms sent by Lai Heng to the Soldier Staff Bureau, they are all birds, and our craftsmen in Dashun should be able to imitate them, although they will not be able to get the finished product for a while, but sooner or later they will have to make their own. ”

The military discussion ended here, and after Tian Jianxiu and others retreated, only Song Xiance and Niu Jinxing remained.

Li Zicheng's face was no longer the breezy just now, but a lot darker, and said: "There is only one-third of the grain left in Tongzhou Warehouse, and the Central Plains is full of refugees.

I was born as a thief, and I don't want to be the emperor to suppress my own people, if the people of Dashun become thieves, it means that I have not done a good job as an emperor.

The people of the Central Plains opened the door to welcome the king, and the king couldn't let the people starve to death. ”

"Your Majesty, Zuo Liangyu of Huguang has retreated to the south of the Yangtze River without being beaten, and he can also transport some grain to the north, but land transportation is extremely inconvenient.

And those feudal towns in Lianghuai, Weichen sent people to ask, and they are all pouring grain to the north, but the canal is not passable.

Although we have the heart and they have the intention, but when the canal is opened, this matter will be made public. Therefore, the grain turnover in the south of the Yangtze River to the Central Plains is still by sea.

As long as you go to sea, you can't do without Li Zhaoji's Oriental Society, he has a lot of gunboats, and if he doesn't allow it, the north and the south will inevitably be blocked. Niu Jinxing said carefully.

Li Zicheng nodded slightly: "Military advisor, you are responsible for liaising with the Oriental Society, what does Li Zhaoji mean." ”

Speaking of which, this person is indeed a little worried about the country and the people, and some time ago he took the initiative to ask if there is a food shortage in the Central Plains, and now that the Central Plains is in short supply, Li Zhaoji is also willing to help. It's just that he's a businessman after all, and he seems to want to make a fortune from this. Song Xiance said.

Li Zicheng asked, "What do you mean?" ”

Song Xiance said: "Your Majesty, the price of grain in Jiangnan is not cheap. However, Li Zhaoji was able to get grain from the DPRK, Xianhe Wa, and even Nanyang, and even this attack on the Manchu nest, he swept southern Liaoning, and also accumulated a lot of grain in his hands, not only food, but also some better goods. ”

"What?"

Song Xiance said: "It is the military rations of the Oriental Brigade, it is inconvenient to display it here, if the emperor is willing, please come with Weichen and go out of the palace to see." ”

Li Zicheng nodded slightly, relaxed his body, ordered someone to prepare a regular suit, and said, "Yes, I may not have been out of the palace for a long time." ”

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