Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 418 Prelude to the Northern Expedition
Chongzhen 19th year, New Year's Eve.

In Nanjing this year, the fireworks on New Year's Eve are even brighter 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 is setting off fireworks to their heart's content.

Zheng Sen even took the fireworks to the sky.

This kid is not afraid that the fireworks will catch fire and set 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 Cihong said excitedly, "Da Ming's national power has also become more prosperous. If there is no accident, the Northern Expedition will be ready in the next year."

"Northern Expedition?" Zhu Cijiong looked expectant.

Zhu Cizhao didn't care much about these topics, and only cared about letting the ground mice go.

After igniting a ground mouse, he jumped and cheered at the ground mice scurrying all over the ground. The happiness of a bear child is as simple as that. What does state affairs have to do with me?
Kang Xi stood far away under the eaves holding Zhu Hexun, who was tightly wrapped.

Ran Sanniang whispered beside Kang Xi, and from time to time looked enviously at the infant emperor's eldest grandson.

Counting it, the Holy Majesty has cultivated her land no less than fifty times. Her land is not infertile, but there is no seed sprouting, so I don't know what's going on?

Outside the palace gate, Gao Qi sneaked and trotted over.

"Long live, long live..." He started to shout from a long distance away.

"What are you shouting for, what are you shouting for?" Chongzhen said angrily, "It's not time yet, and you're in a hurry to ask for a red envelope?"

"Long Live Lord, Lord Xu and Lord Yan have arrived in Nanjing!" Gao Qiqian said excitedly, "The two lords have already brought [-] new troops ashore from Yanziji Wharf."

"Have Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan returned to Nanjing?"

Chongzhen was overjoyed when he heard the words: "Let's go, go back to Guozijian!"

Chongzhen left as soon as he finished speaking, and he didn't care about keeping the New Year's Eve in the Forbidden City.

Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong followed without hesitation.

Only Zhu Cizhao asked in astonishment: "Father, why are you leaving?"

"Xiao'er, you will be 12 years old in the next year, and you have grown up too. Tonight, you will watch the new year instead of your father." Chongzhen walked out without looking back, "Don't forget to set off more firecrackers to drive away the New Year's Eve." beast."

"Father, you can leave at ease, I will leave this matter to my son."

Zhu Cizhao resolutely took on the great mission of driving away the Nian Beast for the old Zhu family.

When the Chongzhen father and son walked outside the gate of Xianji, they saw that the entire Imperial College was quiet, and it was no longer the hustle and bustle of the past, because more than 6000 scholars had gone home for vacation.

But there is still Yi Ding who is on duty at the Imperial College.

There is also a battalion of cavalry stationed in the small school yard on the right side of the Imperial College.

Not long after the father and son returned to the Yilun Hall and sat down, Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan rushed over. Both of them looked dusty, and there was even a thin layer of snow on the cotton armor.

"Why, it's snowing outside again." Chongzhen said in surprise.

Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan bowed to Chongzhen and said, "The ministers are waiting for you to bow to the Holy Spirit."

"Excuse me." Chongzhen raised his hand slightly, and asked again, "How is the situation in Yunnan?"

Xu Yingwei said: "My lord, the Longchuan Xuanfu Division, the Cheli Xuanwei Division, and the Mengmen Xuanfu Division who rebelled successively have been put down. The land reform in Yunnan has basically been completed."

Chongzhen said again: "Where is Guangxi? How is Guangxi?"

Yan Yingyuan said: "Guangxi has not yet settled down, and Huaxia is still fighting hard."

Zhu Cijiong said: "It seems that the wolf soldiers from Guangxi are indeed better at fighting than the local soldiers from Yunnan."

Chongzhen asked again: "Where are the families of the [-] Guangxi wolf soldiers? Have they been sent to the Kunming Mansion?"

Xu Yingwei said: "The family members of the wolf soldiers from Guangxi have been sent to Kunming, and they don't make trouble anymore. Everyone is grateful for your kindness, Majesty, and said that life is much better now than when they were in Guangxi."

"That's good." Chongzhen nodded happily, and said, "Xu Yingwei, Yan Yingyuan, you come here."

After speaking, he got up, Chongzhen took Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan to the map on the north wall, and the two brothers Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong also stood in front of the map.

"Right now, [-] new troops are equipped with flintlock muskets."

"With this strength alone, it is far from enough to fight Jiannu decisively."

"But if you don't do anything, I think it's too conservative."

"After all, when we were accumulating military strength, Jiannu was not idle."

After a while, he continued: "So I want to find a suitable point to consume Jianu."

When Xu Yingwei and Yan Yingyuan heard the words, their spirits lifted immediately, and they couldn't wait to ask: "Is the Holy Majesty planning a northern expedition?"

"It can't be regarded as the real Northern Expedition, at most it can only be regarded as the preliminary preparations for the Northern Expedition." Chongzhen paused here, and then said, "You two may wish to guess, which direction I will choose to use the army?"

After speaking, he said to Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong: "You can also guess, Honger and Jionger."

Speaking of the Northern Expedition, everyone knew that the Northern Expedition was definitely going to happen, but Chongzhen never mentioned it in front of others, let alone mentioned the overall plan of the Northern Expedition to anyone.

The four of them were lost in thought at the map.

After a while, Zhu Cijiong took the lead and said: "My son thought that the emperor would use troops in Shandong."

"What's the reason?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, "How can it benefit Shandong from using troops?"

Zhu Cijiong said: "Because of using troops against Gunzhou and Dongchang Prefecture in Shandong, we can transport luggage through the canal, which can greatly reduce the loss of food and fodder."

"I've made progress, and I'm starting to think about logistics."

Chongzhen smiled and said: "However, the consideration is still not comprehensive enough. The use of troops this time is not a decisive battle. The number of troops used is at most 2 to [-]. Even if the food is not transported by water, the consumption will not be great."

At this time Zhu Cihong suddenly said: "Father, my son thinks that we should use troops against Shanxi at this time."

"Using troops against Shanxi?" Chongzhen didn't even think of this, and asked in surprise, "What's the reason? What are the benefits of using troops against Shanxi?"

"My son thinks there are at least three advantages."

Zhu Cilang said: "First, you can directly enter Huaiqing Mansion via Kaifeng Mansion, and then enter Shanxi from Huaiqing Mansion. The distance is not too far, and it is not difficult to transport food."

"Secondly, according to the information provided by the detailed work, there are very few Jiannu left behind in Shanxi, and most of them are newly formed green battalion soldiers. It can alienate the relationship between the green battalion soldiers and Jiannu, which will inevitably weaken the green battalion soldiers' will to resist."

"Third, it is possible to provoke a decisive battle between Pseudo-Shun and Jiannu through this route, and achieve the effect of four or two thousand catties, because once our army enters Shanxi, we don't even need to enter Shanxi, as long as we enter Huaiqing Mansion, Pseudo-Shun will be inevitable." They will send troops to Shanxi, because Pseudo-Shun cannot afford the consequences of returning Shanxi to Ming Dynasty."

"Not bad." Chongzhen nodded happily, and began to learn to consider issues from a strategic perspective.

After a pause, he continued: "However, you are still a bit too wishful thinking, Hong'er. Leaving aside the first point, the second and third points seriously miscalculate your opponent. Let's talk about the second point first. It may cause Jiannu to turn against the green camp, but it may also dig a big hole and bury ourselves."

Zhu Cihong groaned, and said again: "Father is worried that the Green Battalion soldiers in Shanxi will do their tricks, secretly inform Jiannu, and then plot against us?"

"People's hearts are like water, and anything can happen." Chongzhen said solemnly, "What's more, Jiang Yu and Wu Sangui are not trustworthy in the first place. If you pin your hopes on such villains, you will suffer big losses."

After a pause, he said again: "The third point, your judgment on pseudo-shun is only half right."

"Xiao Shun can't afford the consequences of returning Shanxi to Ming Dynasty. You are right about that."

"So if our army enters Shanxi via Huaiqing Mansion, the pseudo-shun will definitely follow, but the pseudo-shun's troops are not to join hands with us to fight Jiannu, but to join hands with Jiannu to fight us."

"Father, can't you?" Zhu Cihong said in astonishment, "Didn't Li Zicheng have a gentleman's agreement with you?"

"That's just a verbal agreement." Chongzhen waved his hands and said, "Don't have too high expectations for Li Zicheng, he is just a postman, and don't expect him to really agree with the differences between Hua and Yi."

Zhu Cilang was dumb for a moment, he was just about to refute this.

At this time, Yan Yingyuan said: "Your Majesty, I think that using troops against Shandong is too conservative, while using troops against Shanxi is very likely to be caught in the predicament of facing enemies from both sides, and may cause the relationship between Daming and Pseudo-Shun to break down, so the best choice It should be a surprise attack on Dagukou directly from the sea!"

"What, raid Dagukou?!"

Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong cried out in a low voice.

Obviously, the two younger brothers were shocked by Yan Yingyuan.

"Yes, 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, and our army has water With the artillery support from the division, we can definitely take Dagukou very easily."

"Secondly, Dagukou is a hundred miles away from Tianjin Wei, and it is more than 300 miles away from the capital. From the time Jiannu received the news, assembled an army, and then went to Dagukou, it took ten days at the fastest! These ten days are enough for our army to build immediate fortifications, plus we can get support from the navy, so there should be no problem in defending."

"Third, the Dagu Port is backed by the North Sea (Bohai Sea), and the warships of the navy and the grain ships of the caravan can go directly to the Dagu Port. You don't have to worry about being cut off by the Jiannu, so you can stay there for a long time."

Speaking of this meal, he said again: "Your Majesty, I only need [-] new troops to defend Dagukou."

"Very good." Chongzhen didn't say yes or no, but asked Xu Yingwei, "Xu Yingwei, what about you? Why don't you speak? Could it be that you don't approve of sending troops?"

"No." Xu Yingwei shook his head and said, "I'm just thinking about a problem."

"Really?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, "But I don't know what kind of question you are thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about how to destroy Jiannu in one battle." Xu Yingwei said solemnly, "Don't let him become the second Beiyuan."

(End of this chapter)