In the nineteenth year of Chongzhen, it was New Year's Eve.
In Nanjing this year, the fireworks on New Year's Eve are even more brilliant than last year.
Because last year only the Forbidden City and a few wealthy families set off fireworks, but this year's New Year's Eve, almost every household set off fireworks to their heart's content.
Zheng Sen even brought fireworks to the sky.
This guy is not afraid of fireworks catching fire and setting his flying car on fire.
Looking at the gorgeous fireworks patterns blooming in the night sky, Chongzhen sighed: "It's another year."
"Yes, another year has passed." Zhu Cixiang said with excitement, "The Ming Dynasty has also become more prosperous. If nothing unexpected happens, we can start the Northern Expedition in another year."
Zhu Cizheng didn't care about these topics, he only cared about letting loose rats.
After setting a fire to a ground mouse, I jumped and cheered at the ground rats running around. The joy of a naughty child is that simple. What does state affairs have to do with me?
Kang Xi held Zhu Heqin, who was wrapped tightly in his arms, standing under the eaves from a distance.
Ran Sanniang stayed beside Kang Xi and whispered, looking at the infant emperor's grandson with envy from time to time.
All in all, the Holy Spirit has cultivated her land no less than fifty times. Her land is not unfertile, but there are no seeds sprouting. I don’t know what’s going on?
Outside the palace gate, someone came running up and down.
"Long live Lord, long live Lord..." He started shouting from a distance.
"What are you shouting for, what are you shouting for?" Chongzhen said angrily, "It's not even midnight yet, and you're so anxious for a red envelope?"
"Long live my lord, Master Xu and Master Yan have arrived in Nanjing!" Gao Qiqian said excitedly, "The two adults have disembarked from Yanziji Pier with 15,000 new troops."
"Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan returned to Nanjing?"
Chongzhen was overjoyed when he heard this: "Let's go back to the Imperial College!"
After saying this, Chongzhen left without even bothering to stay up late in the Forbidden City.
Zhu Cixiang and Zhu Cijiong followed without hesitation.
Only Zhu Cizheng asked in astonishment: "Father, why did you leave?"
"Zhen'er, you will be twelve years old in another year, and you have grown up. Tonight, you will watch the New Year's Eve instead of my father." Chongzhen walked out without looking back, "Don't forget to set off more firecrackers to drive away the new year."
Zodiac."
"Father, please feel free to leave. I will leave this matter to my son."
Zhu Cizheng decisively took up the great mission of driving away the Nian beast for the old Zhu family.
When Chongzhen and his son walked outside the gate of Xianji, they saw that the entire Imperial College was quiet, and there was no longer the hustle and bustle of the past, because more than 6,000 scholars had gone home for the holidays.
However, there are still Yiding on duty at the Imperial College.
There is also a battalion of cavalry stationed in the small school field to the right of the Imperial College.
Not long after the father and son returned to Yilun Hall and sat down, Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan hurried over. Both of them had dusty faces, and there was even a thin layer of snow on their cotton armor.
"Why, it's snowing outside again." Chongzhen said in surprise.
Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan bowed their heads to Chongzhen and said: "I will bow to the Holy Spirit, Jin An."
"Without courtesy." Chongzhen waved his hands slightly and asked, "What's the situation in Yunnan?"
Xu Yingwei said: "Back to the Holy Land, the Longchuan Xuanfu Division, Che Xuanwei Division and Mengmian Xuanfu Division that rebelled successively have been put down. Yunnan's land reform has been basically completed."
Chongzhen asked again: "Where is Guangxi? How is Guangxi?"
Yan Yingyuan said: "Guangxi has not yet been pacified, and China is still fighting hard."
Zhu Cijiong said: "It seems that the Guangxi wolf soldiers are indeed more capable than the Yunnan native soldiers."
Chongzhen asked again: "Where are the family members of the 100,000 Guangxi wolf soldiers? Have they been sent to Kunming Mansion?"
Xu Yingwei said: "The family members of the Guangxi Wolf Soldiers have been sent to Kunming, and they have stopped making trouble. Everyone is grateful for your kindness, Your Majesty, saying that their lives are much better now than when they were in Guangxi."
"That's good." Chongzhen nodded happily and said, "Xu Yingwei, Yan Yingyuan, you come."
After standing up, Chongzhen led Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan to the map on the north wall. The two brothers Zhu Cixiang and Zhu Cijiong also followed and stood in front of the map.
"There are already 20,000 new troops equipped with flintlock muskets."
"This amount of troops alone is far from enough to fight a decisive battle against Jiannu."
"But if I don't do anything, I feel it would be too conservative."
"After all, while we were building up our military strength, the slave builders were not idle either."
After saying this, he continued: "So I want to find a suitable point to consume the slaves."
When Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan heard this, they immediately became energetic and couldn't wait to ask: "Is Your Majesty going to do the Northern Expedition?"
"It can't be considered the real Northern Expedition, at most it can only be considered the preliminary preparations for the Northern Expedition." Chongzhen paused after saying this, and then said, "You two might as well guess which direction I will choose to use my troops?"
After that, he said to Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong: "Xun'er, Jiong'er, you guys can also guess."
Speaking of the Northern Expedition, everyone knew that the Northern Expedition was definitely going to happen, but Chongzhen never mentioned this matter in front of others, let alone the overall plan of the Northern Expedition to anyone.
The four of them were now deep in thought looking at the map.
After a while, Zhu Cijiong took the lead and said: "I thought my father would use troops in Shandong."
"What's the reason?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, "What are the benefits of using troops in Shandong?"
Zhu Cijiong said: "Because we use troops against Gunzhou and Dongchang Prefecture in Shandong, we can transport baggage through the canal, which can greatly reduce the loss of grain and fodder."
"I'm making progress, I'm starting to think about logistics."
Chongzhen smiled and said: "However, the consideration is still not comprehensive enough. This use of troops is not a decisive battle. The number of troops used is only ten or twenty thousand at most. Even if food is not transported by water, the consumption will not be very large."
At this time, Zhu Cixiang suddenly said: "Father, I think we should use troops against Shanxi at this time."
"Use troops against Shanxi?" This was something Chongzhen had never thought of. He asked in surprise, "What's the reason? What are the benefits of using troops against Shanxi?"
"I think there are at least three major benefits."
Zhu Cihong said: "First, we can go directly to Huaiqing Mansion through Kaifeng Mansion, and then go to Shanxi from Huaiqing Mansion. The distance is not too far, and it is not difficult to transport food."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Secondly, according to the information provided by Xiaozuo, there are very few Jian slaves left in Shanxi, and most of them are newly formed Green Camp soldiers. Most of these Green Camp soldiers are our Ming Dynasty border troops.
The father can send people to instigate rebellion, and even if it fails, he can also alienate the relationship between the Green Camp soldiers and the Jiannu, which will inevitably weaken the Green Camp soldiers' will to resist."
"Third, we can use this route to provoke a decisive battle between the hypocrite and the Jiannu, and achieve the effect of turning a thousand pounds. Because once our army enters Shanxi, we don't even need to enter Shanxi. As long as we enter Huaiqing Mansion, the hypocrite will inevitably
We will follow suit and send troops to Shanxi, because hypocrisy cannot bear the consequences of Shanxi returning to the Ming Dynasty."
"Not bad." Chongzhen nodded happily and began to learn to consider issues from a strategic level.
After a pause, he then said: "However, Xinger, you are still a bit too wishful thinking. Not to mention the first point, the second and third points have seriously misjudged your opponent. Let me talk about the second point first to alienate the green camp.
It may lead to rebellion between Jiannu and the Green Camp, but it may also dig a big hole and bury ourselves."
Zhu Cixiang remained silent, and then said: "Father, are you worried that the Green Camp soldiers in Shanxi will take advantage of the situation, secretly inform Jiannu, and then turn against us?"
"People's hearts are like water, and anything can happen." Chongzhen said solemnly, "What's more, Jiang Xiang, Wu Sangui and others are not trustworthy in the first place. If you place your hopes on such villains, you will definitely suffer big losses."
After a pause, he added: "The third point is that your judgment on hypocrisy is only half correct."
"You are right that hypocrisy cannot bear the consequences of Shanxi returning to the Ming Dynasty."
"So if our army enters Shanxi via Huaiqing Prefecture, the Puppet-Shun will definitely follow us. However, the Puppet-Shun will not join forces with us to fight against the slaves, but will only join forces with the slaves to fight against us."
"Father, you can't, right?" Zhu Cixiang said in astonishment, "Didn't Li Zicheng have a gentleman's agreement with you?"
"That's just a verbal agreement." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "Don't have too high expectations for Li Zicheng. This person is just a postman, and don't expect him to really recognize the difference between Hua and Yi."
Zhu Cixiang was speechless immediately. He was just about to refute this.
At this time, Yan Yingyuan said: "Your Majesty, I think that the use of troops against Shandong is too conservative, and the use of troops against Shanxi is very likely to fall into the dilemma of being attacked from both sides, and may also lead to the breakdown of the relationship between Ming Dynasty and Pseudo-Shun, so the best choice is
It should be a direct attack on Dagukou by sea!"
"What, a raid on Dagukou?!"
Zhu Cihong, Zhu Cijiong screamed in a low voice.
Obviously, both brothers were shocked by Yan Yingyuan.
"Yes, we will raid Dagukou." Yan Yingyuan took a picture of the location of Dagukou on the map and continued, "First of all, Jiannu never thought that we would raid Dagukou by sea. In addition, our army has water.
With the division's artillery support, we will definitely be able to capture Dagukou very easily."
"Secondly, Dagukou is a hundred miles away from Tianjin Guards, and more than three hundred miles away from the capital. After receiving the news, Jiang Nucong gathered the army and then fought to Dagukou, which would take ten days at the fastest!
With these ten days, it is enough for our army to build defensive fortifications, and with the support of the navy, there will be no problem in holding on."
"Thirdly, Dagukou is backed by the North Sea (Bohai Sea). Navy warships and caravans' grain ships can reach Dagukou directly without worrying about being cut off by the Jiannu slaves, so they can defend it for a long time."
Speaking of this meal, he said again: "Your Majesty, I only need five thousand new troops to defend Dagukou."
"Very good." Chongzhen didn't say yes or no, but instead asked Xu Yingwei, "Xu Yingwei, what about you? Why don't you speak? Could it be that you don't agree with sending troops?"
"No." Xu Yingwei shook his head and said, "I am just thinking about a problem."
"Really?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, "But I don't know what kind of problem you are thinking about?"
"I am considering how to defeat the Jiannu in one battle." Xu Yingwei said solemnly, "We will not let him become the second Northern Yuan Dynasty."
