The four pavilion elders discussed it all night, but they couldn't come up with a reason.
In the end, it was decided to let Huang Shu, the censor of Huguang Patrol, return to Wuchang to see the situation before making a decision.
In addition, considering that the frontier troops in the four towns of Wuchang had not been paid enough last year, Lu Zhenfei also specifically asked Huang Shu to send 200,000 taels of silver from the Ministry of Household Affairs to Wuchang to repay the arrears.
By the way, the border troops in the four towns of Wuchang and those in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan are paid by the Ministry of Household Affairs.
So far, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has only paid for the frontier troops, navy and new army on the Huanghuai Defense Line.
Because they were concerned about the current situation in Wuchang, Lu Zhenfei and other four cabinet ministers did not dare to go out to visit relatives and friends during the first month of the year. Instead, they have been on duty at the cabinet since the first day of the new year.
Then on the second day of the first lunar month, the Wuchang newspaper was finally delivered.
After reading the newspaper, Lu Zhenfei's face suddenly showed a look of surprise.
Zhang Shenyan said: "Shou Kui, what did the Tang newspaper say? What happened in Wuchang?"
"Miaoshan, what you said is that the proud soldiers from the four towns of Wuchang are causing trouble." Lu Zhenfei said to Zhang Shenyan, "But the matter has been resolved and everything is fine."
Lu Zhenfei handed the Tang newspaper to Zhang Shenyan.
He also told Meng Zhaoxiang and Qian Qianyi: "On New Year's Eve, He Tengjiao held a banquet at the governor's office and hosted a banquet for Ma Jinzhong, Hui Dengxian, the commander-in-chief of the four towns, and Zhang Kuang and other subordinate officers. They went to the banquet and then executed them in public at the banquet.
By killing Ma Jinzhong and four others, He Yuncong didn't want Sun Chuanting to be more beautiful than before, haha."
Qian Qianyi immediately complimented: "He Yuncong's move was especially better than that of 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, we want to do something bad! Wuchang Town may mutiny!"
"Why did Miao Shan say this?" Lu Zhenfei frowned and asked, "Why did Wuchang Town mutiny?"
Zhang Shenyan sighed: "Sun Chuanting has great prestige in the hearts of the soldiers of the Qin army, so after killing He Renlong, he can easily conquer the tribe of He Renlong, but He Tengjiao has no prestige in the hearts of the soldiers of the Zuo army, and the Zuo army
Because Zuo Menggeng was forced to stay in Nanjing by the Holy Master, the soldiers were already unstable. This time He Tengjiao used thunderous means to kill Ma Jinzhong and other four generals, which would only make the soldiers of the Zuo Army even more frightened. Therefore, the servants expected that Wuchang Town would be inevitable.
There’s a mutiny!”
"This is 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, "If not, Wuchang and even Huguang will suffer another military disaster. I don't know how many families will be separated and their families will be destroyed."
However, Zhang Shenyan's words came true after all.
On the morning of the third day of the first lunar month, Wuchang's second newspaper arrived.
The second Tangbao was issued by Hubei Governor Zhang Kuang on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.
After reading the Tang newspaper, Lu Zhenfei sighed: "Miao Shan, you really hit the mark."
"It's really a mutiny." Lu Zhenfei sighed, "After He Tengjiao killed Ma Jinzhong and four others, he went to the military camp outside the city alone to collect the left army. As a result, instead of being able to conquer the left army, a mutiny was triggered. He Tengjiao was also mutinied.
The rebels were hacked to death, and now the rebels are looting Wuchang Mansion."
"Oh, how come it's like this?" Qian Qianyi said angrily, "He Tengjiao is the same. If you don't have this ability, don't follow Sun Chuanting. Now it's better. It's troublesome."
Meng Zhaoxiang asked anxiously: "Has Wuchang City been lost?"
"Wuchang City was not lost." Lu Zhenfei said, "Vice-General Lu Ding closed the city gate in time."
"Lu Ding's army alone may not be able to defend Wuchang City." Zhang Shenyan said anxiously, "After the rebels plundered the surrounding areas of Wuchang Mansion, they will definitely turn around and besiege Wuchang City, so we must quickly deploy troops to suppress it!"
"This matter needs to be decided by the Holy Spirit." Lu Zhenfei said, "Let's go to the Imperial College."
The four cabinet elders immediately left the cabinet duty room, got into sedan chairs and went straight to the Imperial College.
But after arriving at the Imperial College, I learned that Chongzhen went to medical school.
Now the four cabinet ministers rushed to the medical school without stopping.
When the four pavilion elders arrived, Chongzhen, his three sons and a group of scholars were lying on the guardrail of a pigsty, looking at a sow and a dozen piglets in the pigsty with interest.
I saw a dozen little piglets running back and forth happily in the pigpen.
The sow was slurping pig food in the trough, looking normal.
"Your Majesty, you see, the sow has fully recovered." Fu Shan said proudly, "It is no different from other sows."
"Well, it seems that this caesarean section was very successful." Chongzhen said happily, "Yes, if you find a suitable opportunity, you can try to perform caesarean section on pregnant women with dystocia."
Zhu Cixiang suddenly asked: "Director Fu, is this the first operation?"
"Uh, no." Fu Shan's face immediately fell, and he said with some embarrassment, "This is the ninth case."
"Then I dare to ask Director Fu, what are the results of the previous eight cases?" Zhu Cixiang's face was a little ugly, because the princess was likely to have a caesarean section, so he was particularly concerned about this.
Fu Shan's face became more and more embarrassed: "The piglets in the previous eight cases all survived, but the sows did not survive. They all died due to accidents of one kind or another. However, we have found the reason for the failure of the operation, so after many improvements,
, the ninth caesarean section was finally successful.”
Zhu Cixiang said: "We still need to try more. Human life is at stake. Before we are sure enough, we should not rashly use pregnant women for experiments."
"Listen to the prince." Chongzhen said with a smile, "Just use the sow to practice more."
"I would like to accept the crown prince's decree." Fu Shan bowed to Zhu Cihong.
At this moment, Lu Zhenfei and four other pavilion elders hurried over.
Smelling the smell of the pigsty, Qian Qianyi subconsciously covered his nose.
However, after seeing Chongzhen, Qian Qianyi quickly put down his hand, showing a contented expression on his face.
"Why are the four pavilion elders here too?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, "Are you also here to see the results of the caesarean section?"
"I will bow before Your Majesty." Lu Zhenfei bowed his head and stood up again and said, "Your Majesty, there is a mutiny in Wuchang Town!"
"Is there really a mutiny?" Chongzhen was not surprised at all, and asked, "Where is He Tengjiao?"
"Dead." Lu Zhenfei shook his head and said, "He was chopped into pieces by the rebels."
"This is the price of overestimating one's capabilities." Chongzhen said with a snort, "I really think of myself as Sun Chuanting."
Lu Zhenfei said: "Your Majesty, Wuchang must not be in chaos. Once Wuchang is in chaos, Huguang will be wide open. Even if hypocrisy hinders the covenant and will not send troops, Zhang Xianzhong of Sichuan will probably fight back to Huguang."
Seeing that Lu Zhenfei never got to the point, Zhang Shenyan became anxious and said: "These are not the most worrying things. The most worrying thing is the summer grain in Huguang! Huguang is the largest granary in the Ming Dynasty, and it will be the spring plowing season soon.
, once the rebels cannot be exterminated in a short period of time, causing the rebels to spread in all directions and cause trouble to the entire Huguang, then not only this year's summer grain, but also the autumn grain will be seriously short of harvest, and a famine is likely to break out in Huguang."
"Oh yes, this is indeed a big deal." Lu Zhenfei also reacted, "Since September last year, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has continued to invest in various handicraft workshops in eight prefectures and one prefecture in Jiangnan, resulting in a wave of vigorous development in the handicraft industry.
, so the people in eight prefectures and states in the south of the Yangtze River also changed rice to mulberry, cotton fields, ramie, camellia oleifera and even Danbagu. Therefore, the grain output of Nanzhi this year will definitely be greatly reduced. Without the big granary of Huguang, Nanzhi will
There will always be a famine."
Zhang Shenyan continued: "The shortage at that time was not just a few million stones, but tens of millions of stones! With such a big gap, it would probably not be enough to just rely on Western merchants to transport rice from Champa and other places.
of."
After a pause, Zhang Shenyan said solemnly: "So Huguang must not be in chaos!"
"Don't worry, Huguang will not be in chaos." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "On New Year's Eve, I have already sent flying cavalry to Xuzhou and Guide to move troops south. If nothing happens, I will block Yinxi's meeting.
We should have already started gathering troops."
"Ah?" Lu Zhenfei, Zhang Shenyan, and Meng Zhaoxiang were all stunned when they heard this. The Holy Spirit had already expected this?
Qian Qianyi lost no time in complimenting him and said: "The Holy Spirit informed the enemy first, and the ministers and others were so impressed that I fell into admiration. Even if Marquis Wu is reincarnated, I am afraid it will only be like this."
After sitting on the bench for many years, Qian Qianyi seemed like a new person.
No trace of the clean spirit of the past is left, and he has almost turned into a sycophant.
"Mr. Qian Ge, you are so complimentary that I feel embarrassed." Chongzhen glanced at Qian Qianyi with a half-smile, and then said, "I will also send troops tomorrow to cooperate with Yinxi's army to stop the north-south attack, and do my best.
By controlling the military chaos in Wuchang, at least it cannot spread to Hunan and Jiangxi, let alone allow the military chaos to ruin this year's summer and autumn crops."
Having said this, Chongzhen sighed again. It is a pity that the Xuzhou War last year delayed the farming season in Xuzhou and Guide. Otherwise, the sweet potatoes, corn and potatoes harvested in the second season could be used to feed Jiangnan in large quantities.
There will be no problem even if half of the farmland in eight prefectures and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River is converted to cash crops.
But fortunately, Xuzhou, Guide Prefecture and Kaifeng Prefecture will definitely be able to plant a large amount of sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn this year, so there is no need to worry about military rations this autumn.
If the deployment of troops to the southwest goes smoothly in June and July, the northern expedition can be launched by the end of the year.
However, Chongzhen was not greedy. He never thought of advancing to Beijing in one go and directly driving the Jiannu out of Shanhaiguan.
The strategy of the Northern Expedition had actually been determined a long time ago, and it was exactly what Zeng Shao had said: "Strengthen the stronghold and fight the war stupidly."
In other words, even the Northern Expedition did not push hundreds of thousands of troops all the way, but pushed northward little by little along the canal, building a stronghold every time they advanced, and then waiting for the slaves to counterattack.
If Jiannu does not counterattack, he will continue to advance.
