The ore in Chengxiang has always been transported to Chaozhou Fucheng via the Hanjiang waterway. With sufficient sources of ore and metal, it has the reputation of "like Gusu, Chaoyang craftsmen, and Jieyang's tin is superior".

Chengxiang was occupied by Hao Shangjiu, and the trade route for ore to be transported to Chaozhou was cut off. For the Ming army, this meant that it lacked a large source of military raw materials and trade sources. The military and economy were bound to suffer, but there was sea trade.

The support, especially the gradual restoration of Zhongzuo Institute's position as a sea trade center, is nothing more than a failure in the west and a bright future in the east, but it is a fatal blow to the mine owners in Chengxiang.

Without a buyer, the mined ore can only be piled on the ground. To open up trade routes in other directions, you have to face the surrounding mountains. Going west to the boundary of Huizhou Prefecture, you have to go upstream, and freight

The speed and scale are limited. Secondly, there are minerals in Xingning and Changle in Huizhou Prefecture, and there is little need for ores and smelted metals here to make up for the shortfall.

This situation has existed for a long time, causing mine owners to close their mines, dismiss miners, and even change their jobs to make a living. There are also gentry and wealthy businessmen among them who have suffered losses under such conditions, causing complaints on the ground in Chengxiang.

Hao Shangjiu lacked local support, and taxation was also affected due to the sharp decline in trade volume, which further reduced the potential military energy.

The severance of trade is an unpleasant thing both inside and outside. However, ores and metals are basically related to military supplies. Whether it is the senses of the Qing court or Hao Shangjiu's own worries, he never dares to let go of this gap.

But today is different from the past. The Ming army defeated the Jingnan vassal troops on the southern front and basically annihilated the green camps in the two towns of Huizhou and Dongguan. The green camps in these two towns were the old troops of Li Chengdong, who was just like him.

Being defeated like this forced him to re-evaluate his positioning.

………………

Hao Shangjiu was not the only one who needed to assess the positioning problem. The army was defeated, passed through Haifeng County without entering, and directly escaped through the Lianhua Mountains over the mountains and ridges. Geng Jimao knew that he ran away, but finally there was a group of people following him.

His father had been with him for many years, and his loyal senior generals followed him. Under the protection of the guards, they escaped in one breath to a dock on the bank of the Xijiang River, a dock that their army passed by when they came.

At this point, the horse can no longer run and is eating some fodder listlessly. Even just looking at it will make you feel the same feeling of weakness.

It is impossible not to rest for a while. It is just a good time to wait for the two commanders Xu Degong and Lien Decheng. The Jingnan clan fought with all their strength and ended up with a disastrous defeat. At this moment, they are still following

Geng Jimao only had a mere two thousand soldiers and horses around him, and the rest of the troops could only count on these two commanders to slowly restrain themselves.

The battle line cannot be maintained based on his own strength alone. Geng Jimao has too little experience, and his mental state is not very good after running all the way. At this moment, he is so tired that he has fallen asleep, but several generals still sent people specially to return.

Guangzhou asked Shang Kexi to come to Huizhou Fucheng to assist, so as to prevent the Ming army from gaining power and not sparing others.

The people in the dock and the small village here have been basically killed by the feudal soldiers who vented their anger. The few screams of women occasionally heard in the night are all those feudal soldiers trying to vent their inner feelings by raping and torturing the weak.

Deep fear. This is perfectly normal. After all, the feudal soldiers will also be afraid and need to reduce stress. As long as the open and hidden sentries are arranged to ensure the safety of the army, the officers will ignore it.

There are even more people involved.

In the best house on the pier, the captain of the guard came out of the inner room where Geng Jimao was resting. All the generals raised their heads and looked up, and they still shook their heads when they got the answer.

Geng Jimao is still sleeping, or he is not willing to wake up and face such a cruel fact. With such a psychological quality, he is really not a person suitable for leading troops in combat. But the problem is that it is a long-standing tradition for soldiers to be generals, and this is not

It is not only that they are subordinate to the Geng family, but also that their generals and soldiers have the possibility of being subordinate to their private property only with the support of such traditions and theories.

This chain of loyalty is from the bottom up, from the soldiers, to the grassroots officers, to the mid-level officers, to these senior officers, and even to Geng Jimao and the Qing emperor whom Geng Jimao was loyal to. Such feudal morality does not only exist

In China, there is also the divine right of kings and the corresponding allegiance system in Europe.

At this moment, Geng Jimao's condition is not good, and all the generals can only hope that the successor of this veteran general can stand up again, at least not to be broken. However, the generals are very secretive about that battle, and it is obvious to everyone.

I don't plan to say anything more, even if it's just to shirk responsibility.

I don't know how much time passed, but all the generals looked at each other without saying anything. They were also a little tired. Seeing that Geng Jimao hadn't gotten up yet, they prepared to retreat and rest for a while, so as to have a better spirit in the future.

After a while, the first example appeared, and soon all the generals followed suit and retreated. They returned to their respective tents or rooms, and did not bother to wash up or anything. They just lay on the bed and shut up.

He kept his eyes open, but he could not help but toss and turn over the situation he was about to face next, whether it was the inevitable anger from the Qing court or the deterioration of the strategic situation in Guangdong due to the Qing army, and he was unable to sleep.

This situation lasted for a long time, and at some point, there was a loud noise of people neighing and horses coming from outside. These experienced generals stood up one after another, and immediately took their weapons in their hands, waiting carefully until

They went out, but what they got was the news that Lian Decheng had followed him with some remaining soldiers.

"Thank God, with Commander Lian here, we have a backbone."

Compared with the pampered young prince, a commander like Lian Decheng was obviously more trustworthy. But when they hurried to the house where Geng Jimao was staying one after another, what they saw was this Jingnan Fan

The right-wing commander squatted on the ground and howled loudly. This movement even woke up Prince Jingnan who had been awake since arriving here.

"Lian, Lian Shuai, why is this so?"

Geng Jimao's voice was trembling so much that it was almost staccato, which made the generals' hearts skip a beat.

"Lian Shuai, what is happening?"

Lian Decheng didn't answer the previous question, and was still squatting there crying. Seeing this, Geng Jimao hurriedly stepped forward and asked Lian Decheng in a louder voice, but the answer he got was really shocking.

He was shocked.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Brother Xu, and General Xu were captured alive by the pirates. They are dead, they are dead!"

They are dead, or Xu Degong is dead. Lian Decheng did not explain in detail. After saying this, Lian Decheng still held his head and cried, as if this was all he could do.

The last thing he did for his late master Geng Zhongming, his master Geng Jimao and Xu Degong who had fought side by side for many years.

In this way, it is inevitable. Like Lian Decheng, Xu Degong is also a general under the Jingnan vassal, and his status is even faintly above Lian Decheng. It is one thing for such a general to die, but unexpectedly

He was captured by the Ming army. It had been so many years since he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. How could such a thing have happened? Even if he didn't mention it, what he meant next was enough to make everyone feel terrified.

However, the generals were immediately shocked when they heard this, but before they could recover from the shock, with Lian Decheng's howling as an accompaniment, Geng Jimao's blood had completely faded, and his face was as golden as paper.

Usually, he just collapsed and fell to the ground unconscious.
Chapter completed!