I have a cornucopia

Chapter 273: Leading a million troops to the West Lake and immediately reaching the top of Wushan Mountain

"I originally wanted to welcome His Majesty back to the capital as soon as possible, but I didn't expect that I would never have the chance again. I really feel ashamed of His Majesty!"

Prince Yang stood up beside the Emperor's coffin with a sad face, and like Fan Fucui, he touched the coffin lid, as if he was also trying to see if it could be opened from the inside.

As for Prince Yang's explanation for his disappearance these days, it was of course the one he had prepared long ago, that he fell into the water and passed out, and was washed away by the river, then rushed into the sea, and then woke up on the sea and drifted with the waves, until half a month ago, when he was found and rescued by this whaling ship.

It's that simple.

Simple and reasonable.

After learning the truth, everyone said that Prince Yang was indeed a lucky man, as he did not grow any hair after soaking in water for several months.

"Don't blame yourself, Your Majesty. You have also narrowly escaped death. It was all because of the traitors' cruelty. Now Her Majesty is still being held hostage by treacherous officials. In addition, Li Zicheng usurped the throne in Huangzhou and the Jianlu occupied Fengyang. The Ming Dynasty is in danger and it depends on Your Majesty to preside over the overall situation. In my opinion, Your Majesty should raise the banner of peace and establish a shogunate to call on the loyalty of the world to fight against the traitors and rescue the Empress. Then, you can wipe out the scoundrels and restore the Ming Dynasty to a bright and clear world to repay the late emperor for his kindness."

Fan Fucui said.

"My king, please give the order!"

"Fight the rebellion and eliminate the traitors, obey the will of heaven and put an end to the crisis!"

……

There were excited shouts all around.

You can see that they are all very excited.

If the Jingnan Campaign was just a gamble before, it is now a sure win.

The King of the East Sea has returned, and the sky of the Ming Dynasty will be clear. The King of the East Sea has returned, and the people of the Ming Dynasty will be saved!
however……

"There is no rush for this matter. After all, it is a matter of great importance. Let's wait and see. Since the Queen has ascended the throne, we, as ministers, still need an imperial edict. Since the Queen's secret order says that he is under house arrest in the palace, let's send someone to the capital to meet him. If we can see the Queen, we will naturally understand the truth. As for the murder of your Majesty, since it was the people of Nanjing who stopped your Majesty before, it is also public opinion. Although it is wrong, public opinion must be considered after all. Even Li Zicheng knew to follow public opinion, so we naturally cannot be worse than Li Zicheng.

Therefore, we have to be cautious. It would be bad if we provoke an uprising in Jiangnan.

The situation is complicated now. If the Jianlu or the rebels take advantage of the situation, the late emperor will be in trouble."

Yang Feng spoke as if he was possessed by Pu Gou all of a sudden.

Everyone was stunned for a moment?
what do you mean?
Don't you think that getting the empress is enough, but isn't the wealth of Jiangnan attractive?
We are all waiting to get rich, but you don't want to do it anymore?
"Feng Sheng, why should we be so cautious? His Majesty was killed by their bombardment, and the Queen was also under house arrest. They even besieged the palace, and the blood flowed like a river. If the Queen hadn't personally stepped in to stop them, almost everyone in the palace would have been slaughtered. Such traitors should be executed along with their entire clans. Why should we be so cautious?"

Li Zhifang, who came with Qiu Zude, said excitedly.

He couldn't say it was an exaggeration. After all, when the militia besieged the palace, there was indeed a river of blood, and there were more than a thousand dead bodies cleared out of the palace.

"Yes, Fengsheng, no need to hesitate any longer, just do it!"

Wang Zuntan said with equal excitement.

He was so excited that he looked like Zhang Hongfan who followed the Yuan Dynasty south.

……

At this moment, all the Confucian knights who came to welcome the emperor were anxious. Even Su Dunsheng was a little anxious. Only Du Li was still hesitant. After all, his eldest brother-in-law should be considered a rebel. Among the main generals of the militia that besieged Xijiangkou, his eldest brother-in-law was included.

"Stop talking. Since Feng Sheng said to be cautious, let's just wait and see. After all, Feng Sheng's concerns are not unreasonable."

Duke Yansheng said as if he were the leader of a group.

"What Lord Yansheng said is absolutely right. After all, the rebel army is still upstream, and the Jianlu are also lurking nearby. We cannot give them a chance."

Fan Fucui shouted.

Of course, the Confucian and Mencian knights were still very unwilling.

Besides, they have no authority at all. The leader, Duke Yansheng, is just a decoration, and Fan Fucui is not very respected because he has always obstructed the radical policies of the younger generation in recent years.

"Everyone, the King of the East Sea has just returned. No matter how we deal with it, we have to take a rest."

Qiu Zude said quickly.

Everyone then shut up.

In this case, we should not dwell on it for the time being. Besides, Yang Feng did not explicitly say that he would not join the rebellion, and he did need to rest as he had just returned.

The people on the dock dispersed.

Su Dunsheng quietly approached Yang Feng and looked at him with inquiring eyes.

"What is our goal? Can we be faster than Li Zicheng?"

Yang Feng said in a low voice.

Su Dunsheng suddenly realized.

Indeed, what is their goal?
It is the wealth of the gentry in Jiangnan, not the empress of Nanjing.

What they want is not in Nanjing. If they declare an uprising now, it will take at least ten days to prepare. After all, the Confucian knights from all over the country will have to rush there with their entourage.

Even ten days may not be enough.

At this time, the Jiangnan Group's military force was not weak. Even with the strength of the Shandong Group alone, they might not win. Moreover, Shandong had to be on guard against the Jianlu, and the garrisons in various fortresses had to be ensured. If they really wanted to pacify the rebellion, they would have to temporarily expand the army, which also took time. It just didn't take too much time, because the farmers in Lunan controlled by Yang Feng could complete militarization in a short time, but in any case, a month of preparation was the minimum.

There must be spies from Nanjing and Li Zicheng here. This is inevitable. Not to mention Andongwei, there are plenty of spies from the Jianlu.

The merchants who came here from Northern Zhili and Shanxi might all be spies of the Jianlu.

As long as these pre-war preparations are underway, Li Zicheng, Dorgon and Nanjing will all know that Yang Feng has raised an army.

Moreover, the canal was not navigable at this time of year, so they could only go south by land. Although Gao Jie controlled Huaiyang, the only ones who could stop them were Zhu Dadian's 20,000 Zhejiang New Army. They could indeed reach Nanjing quickly, but it would take time. Once they knew that they had raised an army to quell the rebellion, the defense of the militia upstream would immediately collapse. After all, for such a coalition army, if something really happened in the rear, their first principle would be to go back to protect their own nest.

Therefore, the Susong militia would quickly withdraw from the front line and then return to defense as quickly as possible. The Zhejiang militia would also give up protecting the upstream and return to defense.

They would rush back to defend Jiangnan before Yang Feng went south and rely on the speed of Yangtze River water transportation.

In the end, the Jiujiang defense line collapsed completely.

Even Jiangxi would surrender immediately, after all, they were not the primary target.

Then Li Zicheng's army will go down the river. It will only take a few days for them to get from Jiujiang to Nanjing. At that time, all the fortresses along the way will give up resistance. After all, everyone knows that the eight prefectures of Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Shaoxing and Ningxia in Zhejiang are Li Zicheng's real targets. Of course, they are also Yang Feng's real targets. The wealth is there, so there is no need to resist Li Zicheng. It is right to let him go and compete with Yang Feng for this piece of fat meat. Therefore, Li Zicheng will even rush to Nanjing before Yang Feng.

That's what it's like to go downstream.

However, Yang Feng had to fight a decisive battle with the Jiangnan Group in the Zhenjiang area, and then watch Li Zicheng enter Nanjing.

Even Dorgon would take the opportunity to attack, after all, a large part of his troops were also used to confront the militia. "What should we do then?"

Su Dunsheng said in a low voice.

"Just go grab these places first."

Yang Feng said with a smile.

As he spoke, he gestured towards the densely packed warships and fishing boats on the sea.

Su Dunsheng also laughed.

The news of Prince Yang's return spread quickly, and at the same time, the news that he refused to raise an army to quell the rebellion also spread...

Can understand.

After all, he just wanted the empress, and now that the empress has ascended the throne, it can be said that his goal has been achieved, and there is really no need to make trouble anymore. He is not a truly loyal minister, and everyone knows what kind of person he is. He is the culprit who has caused the Ming Dynasty to fall into this state of neither the emperor nor the ministers. He is the first traitor, and the others have only learned from him. Now that the emperor has passed away, he is the one who should be happy, not to mention that Li Zicheng has already usurped the throne. If he raises an army to attack Nanjing, Li Zicheng will be even happier.

What's more, the strength of Jiangnan Group is not something he can control at will.

The latter, at least on the surface, can be described as powerful, with a huge militia group, modern fortresses, countless cannons, and silver bullets. Although his offense is insufficient, it is enough for self-defense, so he may not gain any benefit if a real fight breaks out.

Even if they could win, the cost would likely be huge, and they might end up becoming someone else's pawn and a stepping stone for Li Zicheng.

Why bother?
Isn’t it good like this now?
If he wants silver, I can give him silver. If he wants food, I can give him food. Power is not worth mentioning...

Could he get more by conquering the country?

At least that's what the dignitaries in Nanjing think.

After all, Yang Feng's previous performance paralyzed them. Over the years, Yang Feng always knew when to stop. Although he blackmailed them from time to time, he was not the kind of person who was determined to turn against them. He just wanted to get benefits, but as long as the benefits were obtained, he would cooperate with the Jiangnan gentry instead.

He is a person who can be bribed. As long as you give him the benefits he wants, you can deal with him. Now he is still just waiting to be bribed.

So soon after, the imperial edict from Her Majesty the Queen to promote the King of Donghai to the King of Qi arrived in Shandong.

Of course, Her Majesty the Queen also appointed Zhang Xianzhong as the King of Qin. After all, Li Zicheng had already usurped the throne, so his title of King of Qin had to be abolished and transferred to Zhang Xianzhong. In addition, the King of Qin was appointed as the governor of military affairs in Qin, Shanxi, Henan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, and the King of Qin's shogunate was also established. In short, most of Li Zicheng's official titles were given to Zhang Xianzhong.

The Lich King can finally be happy.

Now that Li Zicheng has become a traitor, he has become a vassal king of the Ming Dynasty.

Loyal minister.

A great loyal minister.

Prince Yang...

His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi also received the order, but as there were many rumors among the people, some even said that the Empress was under house arrest, he sent his sister Yang Xiu to Beijing to meet the Empress.

The Nanjing court certainly understood what he meant, and also sent someone to explain it to him by announcing the imperial edict...

"So, what happened before was all done by the common people?"

Yang Feng looked at Liu Kongzhao in front of him.

The Marquis of Chengyi came to announce the imperial decree.

"That's right, Your Highness also knows that many people died of starvation due to the previous famine and war. The people don't know that much. They just think that Your Majesty is incompetent and that it is your tyranny that has caused chaos in the world. In recent years, the princess has been the regent of Nanjing, and has been benevolent and loving the people, and has been loved by the people. When Your Majesty suddenly arrived, the people thought that you were going to depose the princess and take charge of Nanjing, so they panicked. In addition, some spies spread rumors that Your Majesty was going to Nanjing to collect the three taxes again, and the people panicked and regarded Your Majesty as an enemy.

The officials in Nanjing requested Your Majesty to temporarily stay at Xijiangkou and have militia guard outside. In fact, this is to protect Your Majesty, as they are afraid that those unruly people will be rude to Your Majesty.

As for asking Your Majesty to abdicate to ensure the safety of the people, it is also for the sake of the Ming Dynasty.

I think Your Highness will understand this."

Liu Kongzhao said quickly.

“It’s really well-intentioned!”

Yang Feng said.

Liu Kongzhao quickly nodded in agreement.

"But regicide is a crime of treason after all. Moreover, what about the fact that Her Majesty had previously secretly ordered Zheng Chenggong to rescue Her Majesty? And what about the fact that Her Majesty was under house arrest?"

Yang Feng said.

"Well, Your Highness, you know that the public opinion has already regarded Your Majesty as an enemy. The officials in Nanjing can only do their best to maintain the situation. After all, even if it is a militia, it is still the people. Some things can only be pretended. The Queen was imprisoned just to prevent the people from impulsively attacking the palace. In the end, it was not maintained. The militia and the people still rushed into the palace, resulting in heavy casualties. The people are so impulsive, what can the officials in Jiangnan do? Those militias want to bombard Xijiangkou. Can they, the old ministers, stop them? With such public opinion, they can only watch.

In fact, it would have been a very good idea for Your Majesty to abdicate, so that the emperor could enjoy his remaining years in peace. It was just that Your Majesty was too stubborn, which led to this situation.

This is also God’s will!”

Liu Kongzhao said while wiping his tears.

"The will of the people, the will of the people cannot be violated!"

Prince Yang also felt the same way.

And right now.

Seventy miles north of them, at Shijiu Port, Zheng Chenggong was standing on the deck, looking at the trawlers waiting in front of him, except that these ships had now become troop transports. Soldiers carrying large bags, turtledove guns and even a small number of flintlock rifles were lining up to board these troop transports.

In Dongjiakou, dozens of miles to the north, Zhang Jiayu was also standing on the warship, watching the soldiers lining up on the shore to board the troop transport ship.

At Gongkou Port deep in Qizi Bay to his north, a larger number of troop transport ships were also assembled, waiting for the soldiers to board.

……

Along the southeastern coast of Shandong, from Xugouying to Jinkou Port in Jimo, almost all ports that can accommodate large trawlers are filled with paddle-sail fishing boats that have been converted into troop transports, with a total of 50,000 soldiers boarding under the protection of large warships including the Fujian Navy. Thanks to the rapid development of the trawling industry, Shandong now not only has nearly a thousand trawlers, but also has completed the construction of coastal ports in all places, allowing even small fishing ports to berth large trawlers.

After all, every ship can bring endless wealth.

"The king is really a man of few talents. I thought that was the end of it, but I didn't expect that the king had been prepared.

Raise millions of troops to the West Lake and immediately mount the first peak of Mount Wu!
Ha ha ha ha……"

Next to Zheng Chenggong, Li Zhifang, the Minister of War who had historically commanded the attack on Taiwan for Ma Ge, was smiling triumphantly.

(End of this chapter)