The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Liu Lai was waiting impatiently in Wenhua Hall.

Self-recommendation is not as good as recommendation from the cabinet and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, he has not heard of any official self-recommending for promotion.

What's more, my father is blocking it.

"I hope Master Yan can transfer me to the Metropolitan Procuratorate."

This is the only chance to leave Zhongshushe.

At this time, Xiao Jing walked into the Wenhua Hall and looked at Liu Lai: "Your Majesty has spoken, and Liu Lai will receive the order!"

Just canonize officials from the seventh rank, so there is no need to waste imperial edicts and oral edicts.

Liu Lai was confused. He had just met Master Yan this morning. Master Yan's kind words were so effective.

"Hurry up and take the order, we have to go back to Fengtian Palace to serve His Majesty." Xiao Jing urged.

"Your Majesty Liu is here to receive the order."

"Liu Lai, a member of Zhongshushe, is talented and intelligent, and has the courage to dare to offend Yan Jin and admonish him. He is better than Wei Zheng in the Tang Dynasty..."

Liu Lai had written imperial edicts and was very familiar with the text of the imperial edict. He knew immediately upon hearing it that it was Xiao Jing's secret edict and only conveyed the general intention of His Majesty.

Even so, his body was shaking with excitement.

Entering the Zhongshushe was almost the opposite of his official career and went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Although the chance of promotion was small, there was a glimmer of hope.

For people like him who failed to pass the imperial examination, it is really a shame that their ancestors have been smoking for eighteen generations.

"Your Majesty, Liu is here to thank you for your kindness."

Xiao Jing sighed, you are about to be persecuted by Yan Chengjin, why are you still so happy?

"His Majesty also said that Mr. Liu is injured and can rest for three days. After three days, he will return to the Metropolitan Procuratorate for duty. Mr. Liu should go back."

The officials in the middle school looked at him with envy.

Even if he was transferred to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, he would still be promoted.

With tears in his eyes, Liu Lai left the Middle School and went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to check in: "I would like to see Mr. Yan."

Jiang Wen hurriedly stood up and bowed: "Master Yan took a leave of absence after hearing that His Majesty appointed a Zhongshushe as censor. He will not be on duty until three days later."

…

On Zeng Island, the sea breeze is gentle.

In the camp, piles of white smoke rose, and there were thousands of soldiers with their hands and feet wrapped in coarse cloth. Five large ships were moored at the port not far away.

Dong Min's face was clouded, and he had won the battle without any joy of victory.

"Sir Wang, there are 3,700 dead soldiers, more than 2,200 people who are too injured to fight, and only 2,500 people who can follow you to the Satsuma Peninsula."

They brought ten thousand people with them, but when the ship was set on fire, more than a thousand of them were lost.

In this battle with Okubo, although Okubo's 8,000-man army was annihilated, more than 5,000 men were also lost.

Among the more than 2,000 wounded, many were seriously injured without medical treatment, and people died every day.

He won the battle, but Dong Wen felt extremely regretful.

After capturing three Zeng Islands and occupying half of the Satsuma Kingdom, they were only one step away from the royal castle.

"How can we attack the Satsuma King's Castle with 2,500 people?" Lieutenant General Liu Jin was worried.

The defenders have always had an advantage. Only when the ratio of troops is two to one can they be absolutely sure of attacking the city.

There are probably ten thousand guards in Satsuma Royal Castle.

Although Mr. Wang has alienated the Satsuma Kingdom and the Japanese pirates, there is still an island country!

Satsuma and the island country's daimyo allied, and they had to face two powerful armies. Let alone two to one troops, not even half of them.

Wang Shouren thought for a moment and said, "Recruit troops from the three Zeng Islands."

Dong Min and Liu Jin choked. This is the land of Satsuma.

Do you want to conquer the people of Satsuma and attack their royal city?

Only someone with a broken brain can come up with such an idea, right?

But Mr. Wang is not a man with a bad mind. Dong Min looked embarrassed: "Sir Wang, these are the people of Satsuma Kingdom. This move is tantamount to rebellion. Who dares?"

Liu Jin nodded heavily. After these two battles, he had already regarded Wang Shouren as a Ryukyu native: "That's what Mr. Dong said."

Wang Shouren's eyes were firm: "I distributed military rations just for today. I will bring Okubo's body here, and I will march with him for three days."

The soldiers tied Okubo's body to the stone frame, Wang Shouren rode a horse, and the carriage moved slowly.

So the people on the island will apply? Dong Wen didn't believe it.

Immediately afterwards, news came out that Ryukyu had defeated Satsuma, and those who enlisted could keep their land and property intact.

There was an uproar on Shangzeng Island. When they heard that Wang Shouren was distributing military rations, the people were ready to take action.

At night, people from various villages approached the military camp in the dark.

On the observation deck, the soldiers sounded the alarm, the military camp was full of fire, and the sharp and bright silver light surrounded the people.

"Don't shoot, we are here to apply!"

"Master Wang said, you can come late at night with your face covered."

Dong Wen suddenly realized that it was no wonder that after Lord Wang landed on the island, he treated the islanders as his own citizens.

They were not allowed to plunder, and military rations were distributed.

Okubo was the military god of Satsuma country, and his corpse was paraded. The people of Zengjima believed that Satsuma country was coming to an end and sought new asylum.

In just seven days, people kept coming to apply for the camp.

Wang Shouren returned to the camp and ordered people to count the number of people.

Dong Wen shook his head and said with a bitter look on his face: "Sir, there are only a thousand people, which is far from enough."

Zeng Island is not suitable for farming, and there are very few islanders living here. Recruiting a thousand people is equivalent to transferring most of the strong men on the island, which is already a lot.

Ryukyu even has no troops to call upon.

If we retreat at this time, we can still save more than 2,000 troops. If the entire army is wiped out on the Satsuma Peninsula, Ryukyu will also be destroyed.

Dong Wen was very confused. He didn't know whether to advance or retreat.

Wang Shouren thought for a while, and it was time to open Brother Gao's letter.

"Please wait for me for a moment."

Dong Min and Liu Jin's eyes lit up, and Wang Shouren took out the mysterious letterhead again.

But Wang Shouren deliberately avoided them and walked to the tent before opening the letter.

I saw that inside the big letter, there were two small letters:

The first letter reads: Capture the Satsuma King's Castle, please open this letter.

The second piece of paper said: It is a matter of life and death, please open this letter.

Brother Gao is still more skilled, and he has considered both situations carefully.

Wang Shouren opened the second letter:

Li

A cloud-piercing arrow

"There are only six words, what do you mean, Brother Gao?"

Wang Shouren frowned, not understanding what it meant.

An hour later, before Wang Shouren came out, Dong Min and Liu Jin walked into the tent and found Wang Shouren biting half of his thumb in his mouth, with an extremely serious look on his face, as if he was deep in thought.

"Lord Wang?"

"Don't pay attention to me."

This is what he does when faced with an unsolvable problem.

Dong Min and Liu Jin looked similar. Whose letter could make it difficult for Mr. Wang to do this?

But they didn't dare to disturb and quietly retreated.

Night fell over the military camp, and there was deathly silence all around.

Wang Shouren fell into deeper thinking.

If Brother Gao gives me the word, he is sure that I can guess it, Li? Only the Li people of Hainan Island are related to the word "Li", but what is a cloud-piercing arrow?

This seems to be a five-character poem. Brother Gao likes to use poems... as code words.

This is a code word!

Brother Lao Gao often used code words to identify his correspondence with Xu Qianhu. He only learned this when he was leading troops in Hainan.

Wang Shouren pushed aside the clouds and mist, and the hut suddenly opened!

"Brother Gao wants me to transfer Hainan Li people, and this secret message is the transfer order for Xu Jinzhong!"

The mobilization of the garrison troops required Emperor Hongzhi's approval, but the mobilization of Li people did not.

"Brother Gao, you are really good at predicting things."

"Someone come quickly!"

Dong Min and Liu Jin were waiting outside the tent. It was a matter of life and death for Ryukyu, and they did not dare to leave.

Hearing a cry from the tent, he rushed in quickly.

Wang Shouren burned the note and said to Liu Jin: "General Liu, immediately take people to Hainan. See Xu Jinzhong, a thousand households in Hainan's land, and requisition 50,000 Li people! The secret message is..."

He came close to Liu Jin's ear and whispered.

Dong Wen wanted to know what was said, but heard nothing.

Liu Jin hurried out of the camp.

Wang Shouren looked at the first letter, put it back in his arms, and waited until the Satsuma King City was captured before opening it.