Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 218 The Emperor Visits Yangzhou (Eighth)

Although Chunri sleeps well and the beauty is in his arms, Zhu Youjian immediately convened a group of ministers to discuss matters early the next morning and inquired about the preparations for the Qing army's southward march.

On that day, the prince was sent to Hangzhou by Zhu Youjian on the grounds of inspecting the seawall in the south. In fact, he was preparing for the worst possible situation when the Qing army went south, that is, Nanjing might fall.

And Zhu Youjian himself can't leave this time, this time he wants to stay in Nanjing as an emperor.

Not only did he stay in Nanjing, Zhu Youjian also went to Yangzhou, the front line of the war. He wanted to tell the entire Jiangnan gentry that he was confident of repelling the Tartars, and therefore he wanted to enhance the confidence of Jiangnan officials and people in defeating the Tartars.

Unlike the eve of Li Zicheng's invasion of Beijing last year, at this moment when the Qing army went south, the enthusiasm of the scholars and people in the south of the Yangtze River has obviously increased a lot. consciousness.

In addition, once Jiangnan is lost, there is no place to retreat, and most of the officials in the court and the generals in the army are almost from the south. That is to say, Jiangnan is their homeland. Need to stick to it.

This time, there was no embarrassment for the official censor, and they all focused on the Qing army going south.

At the court that day, Zhu Youjian only said a few words to encourage the officials to continue to maintain the stability of the capital, act as before, and after coordinating the overall situation, they boarded the ship and went to Zhenjiang.

However, as soon as he arrived in Dantu, Zhenjiang, Zhu Youjian saw that the Linjiang Building where he met Li Xiangjun in the past was still lit, so Zhu Youjian ordered someone to inquire. At the same time, he could not help but get out of the cabin and looked at the river The night boats are all illuminated, like shooting stars, floating on the black water waves, rippling with the spring moon.

These night boats on the river are all warships going north with Zhu Youjian's Yuzhou. There are hard-sailed blessing boats as big as a moving castle, and soft-sailed Western warships as light as small islands in Pinghu Lake. There are hundreds of mighty ships. Crowded the waters of the Yangtze River to the brim.

This is very different from when Zhu Youjian moved south last year. When the Qing army really broke through Yangzhou City and went south to the Yangtze River, the artillery on these hundreds of warships alone would be enough for him to drink a pot.

"Wei Chen joined His Majesty", Jin Yiwei who went to visit came back and reported that Linjiang Tower was Li Xiangjun and several editors of Guangming Daily, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but had an idea, thinking that he could also use this to let Li Xiangjun and others do a close-up of himself, And make a close-up of the upcoming Yangzhou decisive battle, in order to enhance the confidence of the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River, and the prestige of the emperor himself is even more noble, so he ordered them to be called ashore.

At this time, Li Xiangjun has been appointed as an official in the imperial court, so he can naturally be called a minister, and now he is also wearing a brocade robe with arrow sleeves, a crown and hairpin, but he is more heroic than when Zhu Youjian first met her.

Behind Li Xiangjun are two women and one man. The man is Chen Hongshou, who is enshrined in the inner court and is also serving in Guangming Daily.

The two women were Zhu Youjian who had never known each other in his life, one of them was even full of anger towards Zhu Youjian, his eyebrows and eyes were like Daisy, his face was as bright as the moon, but he was as cold as frost; while the other had shy eyes and a blush like a peach , Bow your head and play the skirt.But they are all dressed in moon-white robes, dressed as men.

"Who are these two pedants?" Zhu Youjian couldn't help asking these two people.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, these two are the editors of Guanghua Daily Xinzhao, her name is Liu Rushi, and her name is Bian Yujing."

When Li Xiangjun said this, Zhu Youjian just nodded his head slightly, and he couldn't help but suddenly realized.

Zhu Youjian understood why this Liu Rushi was angry with him. Thinking about how he executed her husband who thought the water was too cold, and even ransacked his family, Liu Rushi was the only one who was fine because of Zhu Youjian. It is understandable for a woman to spare her life and let her find a way out by herself because she does not want her husband to let her beau.

As an emperor, Zhu Youjian naturally didn't have to be so wretched to get close to two former Qinhuai famous prostitutes. He still asked Li Xiangjun why he came to Zhenjiang.

Li Xiangjun is now suspended from the court and is one of the leaders of Guangming Daily. He often fights with a group of literati and bureaucrats in the newspapers. It is to understand the war in Jiangbei on the ground.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian suggested that they go directly to Yangzhou with him, and said that there will be pictures they want to see under the city of Yangzhou. I informed Li Xiangjun and others of my opinions on public opinion guidance and news reports.

After crossing Zhenjiang, Zhu Youjian soon arrived in Yangzhou City. At this time, Yangzhou City was still calm, and a regiment of the Second Army of the Guards had already entered Yangzhou Prefecture and camped in Wanshou Town.

But on the fifth day of May, when the weather gradually began to heat up, Zhu Youjian had received the news that the Second Corps of the First Guards Army had successfully wiped out the Zhunta Department, and had crossed the river to the south.

At the same time, sentry cavalry from the Second Army of the Guards came to report that Jiannu scouts had been found near Shangguan Bridge in Yangzhou Prefecture.

Duoduo is not Zhunta after all. Although he can be regarded as deep into the hinterland of Daming, he came with the purpose of destroying Daming. However, a large number of scouts were still sent to find out the enemy's situation.

What's more, the most desired result of Duoduo's rush to Yangzhou now is to break through Yangzhou City before the main force of the Guards arrives in Yangzhou, and then go south to attack the Second Guards Army, and then move westward to annihilate the Third Guards Army , Then go north to annihilate the First Guards Army, and implement the tactics of defeating each.

Therefore, Duoduo needs to ascertain the situation around Yangzhou today.

……

"Since Shangguanqiao has issued Jianshou scouts, it means that the main force of Duoduo has arrived in Yangzhou Prefecture!"

Zhu Youjian couldn't help thinking deeply. Although Yangzhou Mansion is a strong city, guarding the gate of Nanjing, and has always been rich and accumulated a lot of wealth. The city is thick and the river is deep, but no matter how strong it is, it can't resist hundreds of red cannons. s attack.

Zhu Youjian now has to start worrying that if the Third Army and the First Army of the Guards fail to arrive in Yangzhou on time, it may cause the city of Yangzhou to be lost first, so that the three armies of the Guards will not be able to get under the city of Yangzhou Only the nearly [-] cavalry who lived in the Duoduo Department of the Qing Army lived.

"Your Majesty! The First Corps of the First Guards Army has arrived in Shaobo Town!"

"Your Majesty! The Second Corps of the First Guards Army has arrived at Baimatang!"

"Your Majesty, the First Corps of the Third Guards Army has arrived in Yeshan!"

"Your Majesty, the Second Corps of the Third Army of the Guards has arrived at the Great Copper Mountain!"

However, just when Zhu Youjian was worried, a series of eight-hundred-mile urgent military reports were delivered to Yangzhou one after another.

Zhu Youjian didn't hear any news, so he quickly circled the map with Ma Shiying, Lu Zhenfei and others who had also arrived in Yangzhou.

After the latest progress of the Fourth Army of the Ming Dynasty Guards was confirmed, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief:

"All the three armies have arrived near Yangzhou City, and happened to encircle the Duoduo Department of Shangguan Bridge under Yangzhou City, but the Duoduo Department should have discovered signs of my army gathering at this time!"

(End of this chapter)