Zhou Xian thought about it and found that what Chen Mingxia said did make some sense, but he didn't say the last thing. What is Zhou Xian trying to capture the people's hearts and expand his territory?

Zhou Xian knew in his heart that Emperor Chongzhen was dissatisfied with him. Before fighting with Li Dingguo, Emperor Chongzhen issued an order to divide his troops to go north to defend the capital. However, due to the situation at that time, Zhou Xian did not agree. But later, when he lifted the siege of Linyi and was able to withdraw troops, Emperor Chongzhen strictly ordered the soldiers from Shandong not to go north. Luo Yangxing led his troops to station in Tianjin, which was indeed to guard against him.

Chen Mingxia went from the capital to Shandong. Because he saw too much, he felt that the Ming Dynasty was hopeless. He said so much to Zhou Xian, but he was just optimistic about Zhou Xian. He was telling Zhou Xian openly and secretly to try his best to expand his strength and wait for the changes in the times, and this change was the fall of the Ming Dynasty. Judging from his experience, Chen Mingxia was a talented man, but he did not have much concept of loyalty to the emperor, and all he talked about was profit. His even more crazy idea did not dare to tell Zhou Xian, to seize the capital with a surprise weapon, to move the ministers and the emperor to Shandong, and to command the princes.

At this time, Chen Feng and Xia Wanchun walked out of the tent one after another and looked around. Seeing Zhou Xian, Chen Feng immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over.

Zhou Xian smiled faintly and said, "It's really time for you two to wake up, and it's ready to bake. Chen Feng, come over that little salt and get some wine by the way."

Chen Feng responded, turned around and walked back to the tent. After a while, he came back with a cloth bag in his left hand, containing some salt and chili powder, and a sheepskin bag of wine in his right hand.

Xia Wanchun sat next to Zhou Xian, staring at the pieces of meat with bright eyes. During this period, Zhou Xian intended to take him with him no matter where he went. Perhaps because of his young age, he was not always a little restrained in front of Zhou Xian like others, but instead brought some lively atmosphere.

Zhou Xian added some salt and chili to the meat piece, distributed the meat piece to the two of them, and inserted it into his mouth with a dagger, "This venison is still delicious, not as fat as wild boar, nor has it smell like mutton."

Xia Wanchun ate a piece and stuck out his tongue, "It's too spicy." As he said that, he was about to get the wine bag on the ground, but Zhou Xian opened it.

"What kind of wine should you drink in every family of children? There is clear water in the wooden barrel over there, so I will beat it myself."

Xia Wanchun looked at Zhou Xian reluctantly, "Just one mouthful."

Zhou Xian said: "Not even a mouthful, go away..."

The four of them sat around the fire and soon ate the lamb leg clean. Chen Feng went to get some meat and roasted it there with Xia Wanchun.

Xia Wanchun kept shouting, "Add salt, add salt, turn quickly, turn quickly..." Chen Feng was very upset.

Zhou Xian took a sip of wine and said to Chen Mingxia: "Hundred Shi, have you ever thought about it? If I send troops to Tianjin, will I have the ability to swallow the three guards of Tianjin? How much benefit will it be for my current situation?"

Chen Mingxia was a little puzzled, "Supervisor, what do you mean?"

Zhou Xian said: "Seven or eight out of ten are my own land. The five east and west governments, nearly 100 cities, totaling six million people, and new people are constantly fleeing from the north and west. With such a vast area and many people, as long as they manage well, no matter how the situation changes in the future, I will have a foothold. At this time, why should I seize a place where many refugees are but in fact I cannot manage it? Besides, with the temperament of the emperor, who dares to say that he will not recruit Sun's troops from the Ministry of War to go north? If Henan is defeated, wouldn't I be a sinner for the ages?"

Chen Mingxia was silent and did not respond immediately.

But Xia Wanchun pricked up his ears and listened carefully to the conversation between the two.

Zhou Xian continued, "Tell you something more. The emperor has been kind to me to know and meet me. I will not betray him easily unless I have to. However, I will not be foolish and loyal to him, and even the entire Ming Dynasty behind him. From the founding of the country to now, the Ming Dynasty has been full of holes. Perhaps its destruction and demise are better for my Chinese people. But before that, I will not be its grave digger. As for the newspaper I have done and welcomed the Saint Meng into the Confucius Temple, I just think that this is the right thing to do. And I will continue with deeper reforms in Shandong, and this may make the world even more dissatisfied."

Zhou Xian was unclear, but Chen Mingxia vaguely understood. Zhou Xian was unwilling to abandon Ming easily, but he was not the one who could let mermaid meat, but he was not that far.

Xia Wanchun blinked, he was a little confused.

Early the next morning, Zhou Xian called Chen Mingxia, "Baishi, you are a talented person, and I have told you my thoughts. Are you willing to stay and serve me, or go back to your hometown in the south? You need to give me a correct word."

Chen Mingxia did not hesitate for a moment and hurriedly said, "I am willing to serve the governor."

Zhou Xian nodded, "I'm going to rush back to Jinan today, please follow me!"

Zhou Xian stepped on the horse and said to Qi Guoyong: "Mr. Qi Qian, I will give you the people here for the time being. Try to hunt more prey. It is still the previous rule. If you don't fight the weak, you won't hunt the pregnant ones."

Qi Guoyong bowed and said, "I understand."

Zhou Xian nodded gently and said, "When you do this, hurry to Jinan immediately and enter the Jinan martial arts lecture hall as a college."

Shortly afterwards, Zhou Xian wrote a notice in an internal military newspaper, directly recounting the difficulties the entire army is currently facing. Generals above the Thousand Generals must write their own cracking methods within one month and hand over them, while others can also write voluntarily. The rebel army in western Shandong, the Longwu army in Xuzhou, and even the Qing army in Liaodong and North Korea can all be chosen.

Bai Hu handed over the military power of Jining and led his troops back to Dezhou. Zhou Xian promised to satisfy his first battalion's baggage and military pay, so that he could recruit new soldiers in Dezhou independently, but the premise was that he nominally belonged to Zhou Xian's first army.

Jining built a city wall and added a lot of artillery. The defenders in Jining retreated one after another, only retaining the Ren-character camp led by Tan Shimai, but Zhou Xian sent Yan Yingyuan to Jining as his deputy. The other troops were divided into two parts, one stationed in Rencheng, Yanzhou as a supporter, and the other stationed in Zaozhuang to intimidate Xuzhou.

On the north side, from Yucheng to Pingyuan, and from Pingyuan to Dezhou, Zhou Xian conscripted 50,000 people and built nearly a hundred forts of various sizes. These forts are connected to the corresponding cities, facing each other like beacon towers on the Great Wall. They are built with terrain and occupying the right territories. Some are used as warnings, some are used for defense, and some are used to protect the city.
Chapter completed!