A.D. 1654, the tenth year of Longwu, the eleventh year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty.Just a year after the Ming and Qing dynasties negotiated peace between the north and the south, a large-scale political upheaval occurred within the Ming Dynasty, and it evolved towards military confrontation.Beijing, in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice.Hong Chengchou is wearing a prison uniform and has been on death row for more than three years.At this moment, the dark cell was suddenly opened, and several jailers brought in a large food box, took out plates of dishes from it, and put them on the table.Hong Chengchou, who was meditating with his eyes closed, opened his eyes, looked at the food and wine on the table, and said calmly: "What about the time of the official?"
”The jailer did not reply, and when he was done, he left the cell.An official from the Criminal Department walked in, it was Lu Changyin, the waiter.Lü Changyin's name is Lü Gong, and he is a native of Jiangnan, but he is the first literary champion to open a branch after the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs.The Manchu Qing Dynasty negotiated peace with the Ming Dynasty, and Lu Gong followed Feng Quan to the south as a deputy envoy, and fought with the Ming Dynasty ministers twice, the first time, on the order of Dolgon, successfully delayed the time, and the second time, did not disgrace the mission, and successfully signed a peace agreement with the Ming Dynasty at the moment of crisis in the internal chaos of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and made great contributions.In the negotiation of peace, Lu Gong gave the Manchurian ruler a very good image, and with Feng Quan's support, in six years, he became a servant of the Criminal Department and became a deputy minister.Lu Gong entered the cell, followed by several small officials, each carrying a tray with new black official robes, black official boots, red official hats, morning beads and other things."
Lord Hong, congratulations on your release from prison."
Lu Gong smiled and said: "Long live the lord said, now that the seats of the scholars are full, and there is no shortage of people in the six books, you are wronged to be a soldier first!"
”Hong Chengchou was stunned when he heard this, his body trembled slightly, but his face was calm, and he was not shocked.Lu Gong admired Hong Chengchou very much, and said: "At the beginning, Lord Hong, the strategies offered to the Queen Mother have now come true one by one!"
”More than two years ago, there was a coup d'état within the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the regent Dolgon was killed, the internal political situation of the Manchu Qing Dynasty was turbulent, and the Ming army launched the Northern Expedition externally, taking over Huguang, Jiangxi, and Jiangnan, and the Qing army on the front line was continuously defeated, and the situation was worrying.Under this crisis situation of internal and external troubles, the Empress Dowager Bumu Butai, who had just mastered the situation of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, remembered Hong Chengchou and asked Hong Chengchou.At that time, Hong Chengchou gave the strategy of "negotiating peace between the north and the south, taking retreat as advance, waiting for the Southern Dynasty to be in chaos, and then raising troops to the south", which made Bumu Butai suddenly enlightened, and instructed Fu Lin to govern according to the policy.Now, just over two years later, the situation predicted by Hong Chengchou has really happened.After the peace between the north and the south, the Qing army regained a firm foothold on the front line in Xuzhou, and gradually quelled the rebellions in various parts of the north, strengthened its control over the northern provinces, and strengthened the strength of the Manchu court.On the side of the Ming Dynasty, as expected by Hong Chengchou, after the Ming and Qing dynasties negotiated peace, the external pressure of the Ming Dynasty was reduced, and the internal contradictions immediately became acute.Now that the contradiction between Emperor Longwu and the prince Zhu Yihai has been made public, and the army representing the emperor and the army supporting the prince are about to go to war on the side of the Southern Dynasty, everything is as Hong Chengchou expected.This made the Manchu high-level realize that the opportunity of the Great Qing Kingdom was coming again, and the British prince Azigemo on the front line of Xuzhou was eager to try, and within the Manchu court, Emperor Fulin also wanted to do something big to prove himself, and decided to seize this opportunity.Now in the Manchu court, there are Azig, Jierharang, Man Dahai, Yue Le, Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi, Geng Zhongming, Ao Bai, He Luohui, Feng Quan, Fan Wencheng, Chen Mingxia, and Meng Qiaofang are full of talents.However, there are many people who can fight wars and govern one side, but they lack a strategic talent who can consider the overall situation.In order to seize this opportunity, Bumu Butai saw the little emperor Fulin and insisted on preparing for the southern expedition, so he recommended Hong Chengchou, who had been imprisoned on death row for more than three years, to Fulin.Fu Lin actually didn't have any feelings for Hong Chengchou, and he didn't think this person was anything powerful.As far as he knows, this Hong Chengchou and Nanming fought several times, all of which ended in fiasco, not only consuming a lot of money, but also losing more than 100,000 elite soldiers of the Qing Dynasty, and losing Shengjing City, resulting in the mausoleum of Taizu and Taizong being destroyed by Zhao Zamao.In Fulin's view, the Manchu Qing lost in Huguang and Jiangnan, and it would take a lot of money to set up a naval division with Hong Chengchou and train the new army, which emptied the Manchu treasury, so that the Qing army on the front line did not have enough supplies, as well as military supplies, which would lead to the defeat of the front.And Hong Chengchou spent a huge amount of money to form a naval division and a new army, but they were all annihilated by Zhao Zamao.This Hong Chengchou is almost a mediocre minion, and he has already pushed it to the entrance of the vegetable market to be cut, but the Queen Mother Bumu Butai admires Hong Chengchou very much, and insists on letting Fulin use Hong Chengchou.Now the little emperor Fulin, nominally pro-government, but in fact Bumu Butai listened to the government, Shunzhi had to accept Bumu Butai's suggestion and ordered the restoration of Hong Chengchou, but he did not restore his position as a scholar, but was demoted to a military squire.At the beginning of November, just as Zhao Ming led the army to Zhenjiang, Hong Chengchou appeared outside Xuzhou.The Qing army formed a company camp near Xuzhou, and the endless banners fluttered, covering the sky and the sun, and the voices of people and horses were endless.Hong Chengchou, who had just been released from prison, entered the Qing army camp in Xuzhou, accompanied by Lu Gong.Seeing such a large battle of the Qing army, many Qing soldiers and soldiers were holding flintlock muskets, Hong Chengchou couldn't help but be a little frightened.Lu Gong said: "Lord Hong, although the Beiyang Naval Division and the new army of the Two Blue Banners were annihilated by Zhao Zamao, they were preserved in the Artillery Casting Bureau in Beijing and Tianjin.Although later, the imperial court did not form a new army, but after the banners fought with Zhao Zamao, they also knew the power of the new firearms, so the artillery casting bureau was preserved, and they continued to cast ordnance. ”Hong Chengchou bowed slightly, and said in a deep voice: "For more than three years, with the output of the Artillery Casting Bureau, it should not be able to equip so many troops!"
After a cursory look, there are at least fifty or sixty thousand people, equipped with new ordnance!"
Lu Gong said with a smile: "This is because in the first battle of Jiangbei, Prince Ying almost completely annihilated Zhao Zamao's main force, and most of the equipment and military supplies of tens of thousands of horses in Donghai Town were captured by Prince Ying. ”Hong Chengchou couldn't help but sigh, "I see!
”At this time, a Qing general in white armor galloped over, restrained his horse in front of Hong Chengchou and others, and said loudly: "Is it Qincha?
”Lu Gong hurriedly said: "Yes, this is Lord Hong!"
”General Bai Jiaqing turned over and dismounted, and saluted respectfully, "The prince is waiting in the camp, please come with me." ”~~~~~ outside Zhenjiang City, inside the camp of Wu Yuejun.Zhao Ming and Li Chengdong, Zhang Mingzhen and others entered the big tent, Zhao Ming was the prince of the country before, and now he was named the king of Wuyue by the imperial court, and the level has been greatly improved.Although Zhao Ming is now doing anti-imperial deeds, Zhao Ming regards himself as the king of Wuyue who was sealed by the imperial court.Everyone entered the account, and Zhao Ming sat in the middle hall as a matter of course, directly assuming himself as the leader of the alliance.At this time, Zhao Ming said in a deep voice: "The current situation, there is no need for King Gu to say more, you know it well." ”After Li Chengdong sat down, he heard Zhao Ming say that he was lonely, and glanced at Zhao Ming, but he didn't say anything, Zhang Mingzhen also accepted Zhao Ming as the leader of the alliance.Who let it, now Zhu Yihai is controlled, and the two of them are not opponents of the imperial court, so they must rely on Zhao Ming.Li Chengdong couldn't accept Zhao Ming calling him lonely in front of him for a while, Zhang Mingzhen frowned when he saw Zhao Ming calling him lonely, and asked, "Dare to ask Your Highness how to deal with it?"
”Since he planned to return to the division and seize Hangzhou, Zhao Ming already has a draft for the current situation.Zhao Ming sat on the handsome seat, put his hands on the armrests, and said solemnly: "The emperor is the co-lord of the world, which has been recognized by the gentry and the people and soldiers of the world, but He Tengjiao's generation gets power, frames Zhongliang, and the world regards it as Qin Hui and the like. ”Zhang Mingzhen saw that Zhao Ming was lonely and accepted the title of Longwu Dynasty, so he knew that Zhao Ming did not intend to oppose the emperor.When Li Chengdong heard this, he said: "Now that the knives of the imperial court are all on their necks, and they still want to recognize Zhu Yujian as the emperor, I think it is better to directly enter Nanjing, pull Zhu Yujian off the horse, and support the prince to ascend the throne. ”Zhao Ming said: "The Manchu Qing in the north is eyeing us, just waiting for our civil strife."
Directly opposing the banner of the emperor, between us and the imperial court, there is no room for maneuver, play the side of the Qing monarch, remove the banner of traitors, and make demands, in case the Qing army goes south, we still have to talk with the imperial court.Besides, now play the banner of the Qing monarch's side, let's send troops to Nanjing, the war is not going well, we have our own way to make a living, the war is deadlocked, we can negotiate with the imperial court, if the war goes well, we really enter Nanjing, and then do the abolition, it is not too late!
”Since the day Zhao Ming decided to start the army, he has imagined the three outcomes of this infighting.If the war is defeated, then he will go overseas, if there is a stalemate, he will make certain concessions, in order to reach a reconciliation with the Longwu court, if the war goes well, then abolish Zhu Yujian, support Zhu Yihai, and take the opportunity to seize power.Li Chengdong pondered, but Zhang Mingzhen clasped his fists and saluted, "If the lower officials agree, it will be according to His Highness's wishes!"
”Zhao Ming looked at Li Chengdong, Li Chengdong could only get up and clench his fists, "A certain is also in favor!"
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