My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 116: Those Years, the Story That Dayuer and Dorgon Have to Tell
When everyone heard this, they were completely shocked by Zhu Cilang’s plan!
Because even they couldn't think of such a plan!
The key is that this plan is too grand, and it requires the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of troops and countless food supplies!

Who among ordinary people would dare to do this?
But the prince in front of him dared to do this!

To put it bluntly, this plan is actually the Ming Dynasty version of "Besiege Wei to Save Zhao".

By opening up sea transportation and attacking the Jiannu's rear, the Jiannu were forced to retreat and seek support, thus lifting the siege of Jinzhou.

After all, the Jiannu were not fools. The Guanning Iron Cavalry were already stealing the home, so how could they still be so foolish as to surround Jinzhou City?
If we are not careful, the Guanning Cavalry will directly attack Shengjing (Shenyang), and then everything will be over!

Hong Chengchou's mentality at this moment was no longer just shocked.

Because he had already seen that the prince in front of him was really not simple!

After all, even an old guy like him couldn't come up with such a plan!

And if he guessed correctly, all the previous events included the establishment of the Daming Daily, the actions against the nobles, the actions against the Donglin Party, and the confiscation of property of merchants and officials who collaborated with the enemy.

Without exception, all these things were done by Zhu Cilang!
Chongzhen was just a shield, the real mastermind behind the scenes was the prince in front of him!

Although I don't know why Chongzhen gave power to the prince, the prince in front of me is definitely a terrifying existence.
He was almost certain that Li Banghua and Xue Guoguan beside him also knew about it, but they just couldn't say it openly.
In fact, he guessed right!
Li Banghua and Xue Guoguan knew that everything was controlled by Zhu Cilang. After all, they were also veterans who had been in the officialdom for decades. How could they not see this?
But this kind of thing must not be brought up!

In addition, the Ming Dynasty now has great hope of revival under the leadership of Zhu Cilang. As ministers of the Ming Dynasty, they naturally want to see this scene.

The next second, whether it was out of genuine emotion or to please Zhu Cilang, Hong Chengchou could not help but clapped his hands and said:
"This is a brilliant plan! Your Highness, I think it's feasible!"

The others also reacted at this time and echoed and agreed with Zhu Cilang's plan.

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded, then continued:
"Besides that, I learned something else when I went to Xuanfu before."

"That means Borjigin Erkong Golo Ezhe, the son of the former Mongol Khan Ligdan Khan, has died under the city of Jinzhou!"

"And Ezhe has no son, so now the only one with the Golden Family bloodline is Ligdan Khan's other son, Borjigin Abunai!"

"Coincidentally, I found him in Xuanfu and reached a cooperation with him. He is willing to submit to the Ming Dynasty and fight against the Jiannu together with the Ming Dynasty!"

"For this reason, my father has appointed him as the new Great Khan of Mongolia. I'm sure word of this will reach the border soon!"

When people heard this, they didn't react much, because this matter had already been reported in the Daming Daily.

But no matter what, this matter is absolutely fatal to the Jiannu!

Because those Mongols who submitted to them were not really submitting to them. As long as the current Mongol Khan, Borjigin Abunai, raised the banner of national restoration, many of these people would definitely rebel.

This is perfect for the Ming Dynasty!

The next moment, Hong Chengchou suddenly bowed and said:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise! With Your Highness the Crown Prince here, the Ming Dynasty will surely be revived!"

Seeing this, the other people also bowed and kowtowed, filled with deep fear and admiration for the future king in front of them.

Zhu Cilang smiled and waved his hand:
"Everyone, please stand up. You are all my most trusted subjects. There is no need to be so polite!"

As he said this, he glanced at Cao Bianjiao again:

"General Cao, your mission this time is extremely difficult, because I want you to lead these 10,000 Guanning Iron Cavalry directly to the rear of the Jiannu army and deal them a fatal blow."

"I want to let the Jiannu know that not only can they come to plunder the Ming Dynasty, but the Ming Dynasty can also plunder them."

"We also need to let them know what a true divine soldier from heaven is!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Bianjiao knelt down with excitement on his face:

"Your Highness, your Highness, I, Cao Bianjiao, will certainly fulfill my mission. This time, I will make sure the Jiannu know the power of our Ming cavalry!"

Zhu Cilang reached out and helped Cao Bianjiao up, then looked at Hong Chengchou and said:
"According to my calculations, the Ming navy should be able to completely destroy the Jiannu navy within two to three months, and then we can implement our plan."

"But before that, the Jinning defense line must be held firmly. There must be no slackness. No matter how the Jiannu provoke us, we must not rashly leave the border."

"You must remember this!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou bowed respectfully and said:
"Your Highness, rest assured. I will do my utmost to ensure the safety of the Jinning defense line. I will also inform Zu Dashou of this matter. I believe he will be even more determined to defend Jinzhou City to the death."

Although Zhu Cilang's plan and Hong Chengchou's plan are somewhat different, it must be said that one thing is the same!

That is, they all believe that it is right to hold the Jining defense line!
Zhu Cilang nodded, as if he remembered something, then picked up a booklet from the table behind him and handed it to Hong Chengchou with a rather strange smile.

"By the way, in addition to the previous plans, I also plan to launch a psychological attack on the Jiannu. What do you think of this thing?"

Psychological attack?

Hong Chengchou was stunned when he heard this and was puzzled by this new statement, but he still took the booklet involuntarily and looked down at it.

However, after just one look, his eyes widened with disbelief.

Because the title on the booklet was written in large characters:

The story that Dayuer and Dorgon have to tell in those years!

Because he was in Liaodong, Hong Chengchou naturally knew some things about the Jiannu, including Dorgon.

As for Dayuer, he actually doesn't know much about her.
Hong Chengchou immediately opened the booklet and began to read it. For a moment, he felt even more unbelievable.

Because the content of this booklet is so explosive.

The story roughly tells that Dayuer was originally a beauty that Mongolia intended to present to Chongzhen, but was returned because Chongzhen thought she was ugly.

Then the Mongols gave Dayuer to the Jiannu, who was favored by Huang Taiji and married him.

However, Huang Taiji's younger brother Dorgon also fell in love with Dayuer, and the two even became husband and wife.

What's worse, it is claimed that Dorgon's son Fulin is actually the illegitimate son of Dayuer and Dorgon.

Whenever Huang Taiji was not in the palace, Dayu'er would meet with Dorgon in private, and the book even described in detail the scenes of their private meetings...

Hong Chengchou only read half of the booklet and closed it with a red face.

He really couldn't bear to read it anymore. This thing was just a book about the emperor's uncle!

Xue Guoguan and Li Banghua, who were standing by, were puzzled when they saw this. They didn't know what Hong Chengchou was looking at and why he suddenly had this expression.
Zhu Cilang smiled even more brightly.

"Since they are so curious, let them see it."

Hong Chengchou nodded with a red face, then handed the booklet to Xue Guoguan.

Xue Guo looked at it for a few seconds, his old face also turned red, and then he handed the booklet to Li Banghua.

Li Banghua was curious at first, but after flipping through a few pages, his face turned red with embarrassment, and he finally handed the booklet to Cao Bianjiao.

Soon, Cao Bianjiao's face turned as red as a monkey's butt, and he didn't know where to put the booklet.

Seeing the embarrassed faces of the people in front of him, Zhu Cilang explained with a smile:
"The content above is not completely fabricated. According to the secret report of the Jinyiwei in Liaodong, Dorgon and his sister-in-law do have some unknown stories."

"And whether true or not, the stories here hit home."

"Among the Jiannu, there are also some who are interested in the affairs of Dayu'er and Dorgon. If this information is passed on to the Jiannu army, it will definitely cause a commotion and shake their morale."

"This is my psychological attack plan. What do you think?"

After everyone heard this, they suddenly realized.

So this is a psychological attack!

I have to say that although this method is a bit absurd, if you think about it carefully, it is also an effective psychological tactic.

If this booklet is translated into Chinese, Mongolian and Manchu and then thrown into the Jiannu army, it will inevitably cause internal strife among the Jiannu!
Apart from anything else, at least Huang Taiji's reputation was completely lost.
At this moment, Hong Chengchou seemed to recall something important and quickly added:
"Your Highness, before I set out to come here, I was worried that the Jiannu would take advantage of my absence to launch an attack, so I specially planned a surprise attack."

"This raid was a complete success, with over 800 Jiannu heads beheaded. All have now been handed over to the Ministry of War for disposal."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but show a look of surprise on his face. He laughed out loud and said:
"Well, well, well! Lord Hong truly deserves to be a loyal and capable general of the Ming Dynasty! I will remember this achievement for now, and will reward him after we achieve complete victory in this war!"

Then he added with concern:

"The Guanning Iron Cavalry have come all the way here, and it is truly not easy. Pass on my decree that each of them be rewarded with thirty taels of silver, and additionally be given wine, meat, and food as a token of appreciation."

"At the same time, have the Ministry of War find a suitable place for them to set up camp and rest."

Fang Zhenghua, who was standing by, heard this and immediately bowed and said:

"The slaves obey the order."

When Hong Chengchou and Cao Bianjiao heard such a generous reward, they were secretly happy.

Because such rewards are enough to prove that the court is now financially strong, which is a world of difference from the past Chongzhen period when it was difficult to raise even military pay.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang turned to look at Li Banghua and asked:

"Master Li, what brings you here this time?"

Before Li Banghua could speak, Hong Chengchou tactfully bowed and said:

"Your Highness, I will take my leave first."

Hong Chengchou saw that Li Banghua and the prince seemed to have important matters to discuss, so he consciously wanted to avoid suspicion.

However, Zhu Cilang shook his head.

"There's no need to do that. What we're discussing now are matters of national importance. You are also the pillars of the country, so there's no need to shy away."

Upon hearing this, Li Banghua no longer hesitated and said directly:
"Reporting to His Royal Highness, several ministers and cabinet ministers have been severely punished for their collusion with the Jiannu. However, these vacancies must be filled, otherwise the functioning of the state will be affected."

"Therefore, I boldly request that suitable talents be sent to fill these vacancies."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang laughed in his heart. He didn't expect that Li Banghua's purpose was the same as Xue Guoguan's before.

He then jokingly said:

"You two have discussed this, right? One after the other, come and persuade me."

Xue Guoguan, who was standing by, also looked embarrassed when he heard this.

Zhu Cilang then continued:
"But what you said makes sense. This matter is indeed important. What do you recommend for the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Rites?"

Immediately, Li Banghua and Xue Guoguan each recommended several people.

Zhu Cilang silently recited these names in his mind and quickly filtered out three people.

Fan Jingwen, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. Wang Jiayan, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Meng Zhaoxiang, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

In my impression, these three were civil officials who ultimately died for their country.

Among them, Fan Jingwen is even more rare. He was an upright person throughout his life and an honest official. As a civil official, he was also quite knowledgeable in military affairs. He should be considered a capable official.

Not only that, he also died for his country as a cabinet minister, and was the highest-ranking civil official who died for his country!
After much consideration, Zhu Cilang finally made a decision.

"Wang Jiayan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was promoted to Minister of Rites, and Meng Zhaoxiang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, was promoted to Minister of Punishment."

"Xue Guoguan has been promoted to the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and Fan Jingwen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, has joined the cabinet to participate in government affairs!"

After hearing this, Li Banghua thought for a moment and then bowed and said:
"I obey!"

Xue Guoguan felt very happy. After a round of twists and turns, he finally became the prime minister of the cabinet again.

But then he hurriedly asked:
"Your Highness, would you like to select one or two more ministers to join the cabinet?"

Zhu Cilang nodded and then said:

"Four cabinet ministers is indeed a bit too few, but I have my own arrangements for the next cabinet members."

Then, Zhu Cilang turned to Hong Chengchou and said:

"Master Hong, after the Liaodong War is over, I intend to transfer you back to the court to join the cabinet. What do you think?"

When Hong Chengchou heard this, he was a little stunned for a moment.

Although he was the Governor-General of Ji and Liao and the Minister of War, these were not what he really wanted.

As a civil official, what he really wants is to join the cabinet!

Unexpectedly, this day would come so suddenly!

Excited, Hong Chengchou quickly knelt down to express his gratitude:
"Your Highness, Hong Chengchou, thanks His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! May His Royal Highness live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years!"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Cilang quickly helped him up and said:

"No need to be so polite. I've always remembered your contributions. Don't worry, I will never treat you unfairly."

Zhu Cilang had already made plans for Hong Chengchou's future.

He planned to place Hong Chengchou by his side, let him serve as a cabinet minister, and lock him in this position.

Because he knew very well that Hong Chengchou was a very capable civil official, and he had unique insights and strategies in dealing with both Li Zicheng and the Jiannu.

Placing him in the cabinet to take charge of state affairs will be of great benefit to the Ming Dynasty.

As for the bad things that Hong Chengchou did in history, it’s better not to mention them!
Anyway, with his arrival, the historical trajectory of the Ming Dynasty has changed.
boom!
Suddenly at this moment, a gunshot was heard outside, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Hong Chengchou and others' faces changed instantly. They knew that using firearms in the Eastern Palace was an absolute taboo, and they wondered who would dare to be so bold?
However, Zhu Cilang seemed unusually calm at this moment, because he knew that this should be the sound made by Bi Maokang when he was conducting the flintlock rifle modification experiment.

A few days ago, he had discussed the modification of the musket with Bi Maokang, Song Yingxing and Bi Wenxuan.

To put it simply, it is to transform gunpowder into granular gunpowder, and then make it into paper shell bullets to increase the power of flintlock rifles and the speed of loading bullets.

At this time, granular gunpowder had not yet appeared, and powdered gunpowder was used.

Flintlock rifles usually add gunpowder directly from the muzzle and then load the bullet. The operation is slow and the amount of gunpowder loaded each time is uncertain.

Therefore, the shooting distance and power are also unstable.

If you add too little gunpowder, the gun will not be powerful enough, and if you add too much gunpowder, it will explode.

In order to avoid this situation, Zhu Cilang proposed the idea of quantitative charging and then told them what he knew about paper cartridges.

To put it simply, it is actually to load the bullet and gunpowder into the paper cartridge together. Because they are both fixed in quantity, there will be no problem of too much or too little gunpowder, and the flintlock rifle can still maintain its maximum power.

This was not enough, Zhu Cilang also suggested installing a bayonet at the bottom of the flintlock and a scope at the top.

The flintlock rifle evolved into the Type 38 rifle similar to the daily rifle.

As for why they didn't develop rifles in one step, but had to develop flintlock rifles first, it was of course because the manufacturing requirements for rifles were too strict, and the current technology of the Ming Dynasty was simply not enough to develop rifles.

So I can only deal with the flintlock rifle first.

Wait until flintlock rifles become popular before starting to develop rifles!
Just when Zhu Cilang was thinking about it, a eunuch came running to report:

"My Lord, this is bad! Both Master Bi and Master Song have gone crazy!"

Hearing this, everyone present was stunned.

Zhu Cilang was also speechless.

What's going on here?
Three people going crazy together?
The next second, he ran outside without hesitation, and the others hurried to follow him.

Before he even got close to the shooting range, Zhu Cilang heard bursts of crazy laughter.

"Hahahaha! It's done! It's done! It's finally done!"

"Hahahahaha! With firearms like these in hand, our Ming Dynasty will be invincible!"

Hearing this excited shout, Zhu Cilang's pupils suddenly shrank. He realized that the idea he had proposed before seemed to have really come true?

He could no longer suppress his excitement and rushed forward.

Inside the shooting range, Bi Maokang, Song Yingxing and Bi Wenxuan were holding the newly developed flintlock rifles with excited smiles on their faces.

There was a sharp bayonet under the gun and a telescope on the top. There were also several paper bullet casings scattered on the table next to it.

When he saw this scene, all the doubts in Zhu Cilang's heart disappeared.

"Did you make it?"

Zhu Cilang asked impatiently.

Seeing Zhu Cilang coming, Bi Maokang rushed forward excitedly, still holding the flintlock rifle tightly in his hand, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"It's done! It's done! Your Highness, we really did it!"

Seeing this, Cao Bianjiao was confused and instinctively stood in front of Zhu Cilang with a vigilant look on his face.

Zhu Cilang patted his shoulder gently, indicating that it was okay.

At this moment, Bi Maokang gradually calmed down, slowed down his pace, and hurriedly bowed to Zhu Cilang and apologized:

"Your Highness, please forgive me for being so excited."

He rushed towards the prince with a flintlock rifle, which looked like an attempt to assassinate him.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!"

Zhu Cilang laughed, strode forward, took the flintlock rifle from Bi Maokang, and then looked at it carefully.

At the same time, Song Yingxing and Bi Wenxuan also came over and began to explain their results in detail.

"Your Highness, I followed your instructions and finally transformed powdered gunpowder into granular gunpowder, increasing the power and range of the flintlock rifle several times!"

"And because of the use of paper shells, the time for loading bullets and gunpowder was greatly shortened, and the shooting speed was increased."

"In addition, a bayonet was added to the bottom of the gun body, allowing the flintlock rifle to be used as a cold weapon in close combat."

"And the telescope above greatly improves the accuracy of shooting."

"In short, the flintlock rifle is now perfect! With this firearm, our Ming Dynasty will surely dominate the world!"

As the three of them spoke, their faces were full of excitement.

Li Banghua and Xue Guoguan didn't know much about firearms, so they didn't react much. They just knew that this new type of firearm should be much more powerful than the previous ones.

Hong Chengchou and Cao Bianjiao were completely different. They knew very well the importance of firearms in war. At this moment, looking at the flintlock rifle in Zhu Cilang's hand, their eyes flashed with unconcealable shock and joy.

Zhu Cilang saw what they were thinking and suggested:

"Would you all like to witness the power of this flintlock rifle?"

As he said this, he handed the flintlock rifle to Li Hu.

Li Hu had come into contact with flintlock rifles before, so he was naturally adept at using them.

He quickly familiarized himself with the new function, and then loaded the paper shell ammunition under Bi Maokang's guidance.

boom!
With a crisp gunshot, the bullet was fired instantly and hit the bull's eye accurately.

"Keep going, don't stop!"

Zhu Cilang spoke again, and then silently calculated the time.

The result was shocking, because in one minute, the flintlock could fire four bullets! And the power was significantly improved.

You have to know that no matter whether it is a matchlock gun or a musket, it can only fire one or two bullets in a minute at most, while a flintlock gun can fire four bullets in a minute. The speed alone is enough to kill the matchlock gun and the musket in seconds!

And its range is as high as three hundred meters!
Hong Chengchou and Cao Bianjiao were shocked when they saw this scene.

You should know that the use of firearms was already very common on the Liaodong battlefield, but the muskets and matchlock guns they used were far inferior to this flintlock rifle in terms of convenience and power.

They really couldn't wait to see this new firearm!
So when Li Hu finished shooting, Hong Chengchou and Cao Bianjiao rushed forward impatiently, and then examined the new firearm with great interest, which made Li Hu a little at a loss.

A moment later, Hong Chengchou walked up to Zhu Cilang with excitement on his face and said respectfully:

"Your Highness, this is a divine weapon! With this kind of firearm, the extermination of the Jiannu in Liaodong is just around the corner."

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded, then looked at Bi Maokang and asked:
"After adding these things, how many flintlock rifles can be produced every day?"

Bi Maokang thought for a moment and replied:

"Based on the current number of craftsmen and their level of craftsmanship, we can produce about 100 swords a day."

One hundred?
Zhu Cilang frowned, thinking that the number was still a little small.

It would be nice if there were more.

Otherwise, how long will it take to equip hundreds of thousands of troops?

(End of this chapter)