As the outpost of Zhuanghe Fort on Jinhai East Road, Gushan Fort is an important route between Zhenjiang Fort and Zhuanghe Fort. Nowadays, there are people stationed here to guard Jinhai East Road.

Since there is Dalu Island outside Yanghekou, and there are immigrant settlements and military garrison on Jinhai East Road on the island, the Gushan Fort in Yanghekou is not in much danger now.

Therefore, there are not many troops stationed there, and they serve more as a post station for people traveling from north to south.

Yang Zhen and his party stopped at Gushan Fort for a night's rest. The next morning, they brought dry food and headed for Zhuanghe Fort.

In the afternoon of the same day, the group arrived at Zhuanghe Castle.

Yang Zhen did not see Zu Keyong, the general of the Jinhai East Road Assistant Guards here, but he saw Yu Liangtai, Shen Qizhou and others.

That night, Yang Zhen and his party stayed overnight in Zhuanghe Fort City, and took the opportunity to summon Zhang Chen, Shen Qicheng, Lin Qingye, Yu Liangtai, Shen Qizhou and others to discuss matters.

Not only did they once again explain the arrangements for the troops of the Loyalty and Gui Ming Army to go ashore and camp temporarily in the city of West Goryeo, but they also formally clarified the direction of the reorganization and training of the Shen Qi Cheng troops of the Loyalty and Gui Ming Army.

After this military meeting, Yu Liangtai, Shen Qizhou and others also learned about the establishment of the Anton Regiment Camp in Zhenjiang Fort, and also learned that Yang Zhen had become the son-in-law of the Shen family.

Therefore, not only did Shen Qizhou have no objections to Yang Zhen's various arrangements for the troops led by Shen Qicheng and others, but even Yu Liangtai did not raise any objections.

Correspondingly, after this military meeting, Shen Qizhou himself, who was also promoted to Yang Zhen's elder, was also appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Zhongyi Gui Ming Army.

Although he is an assistant official, it is still a pretty good position. It is much better than working as an aide beside his younger brother Shen Qicheng without any name or distinction.

Therefore, Shen Qizhou was generally very satisfied with Yang Zhen's arrangements.

The leaders of the Dingzhou Volunteers, Anzhou Volunteers and Pingsu Volunteers who were brought out by the Shen brothers from Pingyi Fucheng, that is, the military and horse captains appointed by Shen Qicheng, were naturally appointed as loyal soldiers. The commander or captain of each battalion of the Ming army.

Apart from asking Yang Zhen to allocate more grain to help the impoverished returning people, and to allow the returning people from across the sea to open up wasteland to save themselves after the beginning of spring, they did not make any other requests.

Yang Zhen naturally agreed to the request of the Shen brothers and their captains, and told Yu Liangtai on the spot to discuss the matter with Zu Keyong and finalize it as soon as possible.

Since most of the troops loyal to the Ming Dynasty were temporarily assigned to Jinhai East Road, Jinhai East Road would be the first to take care of them.

As for direct relief, work-for-relief, selling grain at low prices, or paid loans, it is of course more appropriate for Zu Keyong or Yu Liangtai to take charge of these matters.

For Yang Zhen, it is okay to help them in the short term, but it is absolutely impossible to support them and such a large number of idle people in the long term.

But Yang Zhen was somewhat unable to say these words.

As one of the sons-in-law of the Shen family who had just negotiated the terms of marriage with the Shen family, Yang Zhen really didn't feel comfortable negotiating in person and discussing these issues with the Shen brothers, so he simply left it to Zu Keyong, Yu Liangtai and the others to handle it.

Early in the morning on the 26th, Yang Zhen once again led the main force of the musketeer regiment battalion of the advance army to the east and set off southward. In the evening of the same day, he arrived at Hongzui Fort and spent the night.

We set off again early in the morning on the 27th and arrived at the Longwangmiao Shipyard in the northwest of Jinzhou City in the evening of that day.

Before Yang Zhen's large team arrived at the Longwangmiao Shipyard, Zhang Chen had already sent Li Shouzhong to lead the team as a forerunner. They had already arrived and notified Xiangping Bo Shen Zhixiang, the Shipping Supervisor at the Longwangmiao Shipyard.

When Shen Zhixiang heard that Yang Zhen had returned triumphantly and was about to arrive at the shipyard, he naturally sent someone to Jinzhou City not far to the south to inform the General Manager of the Assistant Camp Office of Jinhai General Town Office and the Assistant Guard of Jinhai South Road who had been stationed in Jinzhou City.

Commander-in-Chief Zhang Degui and Commander-in-Chief Xu Tianchong assisting in the defense of Jinhai Middle Road.

So when Yang Zhen, Zhang Chen and others led more than 2,000 soldiers from the Musket Regiment to arrive near the Longwangmiao Shipyard, in the evening sun, people waiting to welcome Yang Zhen's triumphant victory crowded both sides of the road.

When Yang Zhen rode out from among the large number of retinues and soldiers, gongs and drums were beating loudly outside the mountain gate of Longwang Temple near the shipyard, flags were fluttering, and cheers to welcome the governor's triumphant victory could not be heard.

"Zhang Degui, a humble official, welcomes the triumphant return of the Governor!"

"Shen Zhixiang congratulates the Governor on his return in victory!"

"Xu Tianchong, a humble official, respectfully welcomes the Governor on his triumphant return!"

"The humble Liu Wanzhong welcomes the triumphal return of the Governor!"

"..."

Amidst the warm and festive sounds of gongs and drums, Zhang Degui, Shen Zhixiang, Xu Tianchong, Liu Wanzhong and other generals stationed near Jinzhou City knelt at the front of the waiting team and said various words of congratulations to Yang Zhen.

All in all, nearly five months have passed since Yang Zhen set out north in early September last year to capture the Zhenjiang Fort City.

In the past nearly five months, although the situation in Jinhai Town's rear has generally remained stable, there have been several times where the situation suddenly fell into panic.

Especially in late October, when the news spread that Yang Zhen was besieged in Zhenjiang Fort by a hundred thousand troops led by the Qing puppet emperor Huang Taiji, everyone in the entire rear area of ​​Jinhai Town felt as if the sky had fallen.

It's all a gloomy and sad atmosphere.

Although Yang Zhen strictly ordered other troops not to send troops to the direction of Zhenjiang Fort, the troops in the rear, especially the south route and the middle route, those generals and troops who did not directly put pressure on the enemy, knew that Yang Zhen was besieged, and no one could watch the rear.

Sit back and wait.

It was at that time that Zhang Degui was urged by Mrs. Jin Haibo to lead the troops north.

Of course, it was actually late October when Zhang Degui sent troops northward from Lushunkou.

In early November, when he arrived at Jinzhou City with the soldiers and horses recruited from Jinhai South Road and the various forts and prison camps under the main town government, he learned that Jinhai North Road was also facing the pressure of the Qing Dynasty army, and he felt a little confused for a while.

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After several discussions with Shen Zhixiang, the Bo of Xiangping, and Xu Tianchong, the commander-in-chief of Jinhai Middle Road, it was decided to abide by Yang Zhen's strict order and temporarily station troops in Jinzhou in order to better deal with possible changes in the North and Middle Roads.

As a close confidant among Yang Zhen's subordinates, Zhang Degui certainly wanted to spread his wings and fly to Zhenjiang Fort.

But as a close confidant among Yang Zhen's subordinates, he also knew Yang Zhen's temper.

Since Yang Zhen issued a strict order not to allow all troops to go to the rescue, although he didn't quite understand it, he still chose to implement it resolutely.

It's just that when he was at Lushunkou, Mrs. Jin Haibo asked him every day to send troops quickly, but he really couldn't bear the pressure.

After arriving in Jinzhou City, after some discussions with Shen Zhixiang and Xu Tianchong, who were accustomed to fighting, they all believed that Yang Zhen's decision to strictly prohibit all people from going to Zhenjiang Fort for rescue was by no means a random act based on impulse, but a correct decision.

Once all the armies from behind Jinhai Town go to the rescue, they will definitely repeat the mistake of tens of thousands of troops from Liaodong who went to rescue Dalinghe City. Otherwise, the entire army will be wiped out.

And maybe, when Yang Zhen saw that they were being rescued and were surrounded, he would risk going out of the city to rescue them.

By that time, the foundation of Jinhai Town would be completely destroyed.

Therefore, although Zhang Degui was extremely tangled in his heart, after several struggles, he finally decided to obey Yang Zhen's military order.

Of course, all the turmoil in Jinhai Town's rear area are not over here.

Because, shortly after the news of Yang Zhen's siege reached the rear of Jinhai Town and Zhang Degui sent troops north to Jinzhou to take control, there was news that Yang Zhen had negotiated peace with the Qing Dynasty puppet emperor Huang Taiji. Huang Taiji, Yang Zhen was honored by the Qing Dynasty puppet emperor.

The news that King Shun was about to marry Princess Qinglu spread to Jinzhou City from the direction of Fuzhou.

Zhang Degui himself did not believe this at first.

He thought he knew Yang Zhen very well, and knew that Yang Zhen would not choose to surrender to the Qing captives for the sake of a prince or a princess given by a Qing captive, so that he would become a minister of a foreign race.

However, he can convince himself, but he cannot convince others. He can control his own mouth, but he cannot control the mouths of others.

Somehow, a very secret rumor that originally came from Fuzhou City and was then restricted to a small area spread out within a few days.

Suddenly, people in Fuzhou City, Jinzhou City, and places south of Jinzhou, as well as Lushunkou, became even more panicked.

Zhang Degui, Shen Zhixiang, Xu Tianchong and Fang Guangchen, who stayed behind at Lushunkou, killed dozens of police officers and villagers who spread rumors and spread rumors in a few days to suppress the rumors.

Fortunately, not long after, that is, in early November, the Qing army's attack on the city was thwarted. The news that Huang Taiji led the main force of the Qing army to send troops to the Li Dynasty reached Jinzhou City through the Third Department of the Yan Province of the Zhonglu Navy Ying.

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At this point, the rumors that Yang Zhen surrendered to the Qing captives in order to break the soil and become king gradually dissipated and no one mentioned it again.

However, Zhang Degui and others still did not dare to take it lightly. They were worried about Dorgon going south, worrying about the troops in Fuzhou City on the north road defecting to the enemy, and then worrying about the Qing captives heading south on the east road. They were worried about Zu Keyong's rebellion, and they were still in panic all day long.

In this way, from mid-November to the first month, Zhang Degui and others, in addition to sending out a large number of sentinel teams from time to time to go north to East Road and North Road to inquire about news, they worked intensively every day to build construction projects along the narrow area of ​​​​Jinzhou.

The fortifications are prepared for all kinds of worst-case scenarios.

Fortunately, during this period, everything north of the Jinzhou Defense Line, whether it was the North Road towards Fuzhou City or the East Road towards Zhuanghe Fort, had been very calm, and the worst thing they worried about did not happen.

Then, on the night of the sixth day of the first lunar month, Lu Pinqi sent people from Fuzhou City south to Zhang Degui and others who were stationed in Jinzhou City to deliver the long-awaited good news——

Over in western Liaoning, Zu Dashou sent troops and already captured Guangning City!

This news was naturally brought to Fuzhou City by Qiu Biyong from western Liaoning.

After Qiu Biyong arrived at Fuzhou City, he was eager to rush to Zhuanghebao to report the news, so he did not choose to go south to Jinzhou City.

Instead, under the guidance of the guide sent by Lu Pinqi, they went directly east from Fuzhou City, over the mountains and ridges to Zhuanghe Fort.

However, the news about the Guangning Incident that he brought from western Liaoning still gave great encouragement to those stationed in Jinzhou City.

It was also from the day they learned the news about Liaoxi that they finally no longer worried that the situation north of Jinzhou would collapse at any time.

At the same time, the hinterland of Jinhai Town south of the Jinzhou Defense Line finally stabilized.

Then, this afternoon, Li Shouzhong led his team to bring them the news that "Yang Zhen has returned south and is about to arrive in Jinzhou."
Chapter completed!