The meeting broke up, and the only ones accompanying Zhu Yongxing were Prince Ma Bao of Ruyang, Chief of Staff Wu Sansheng, and Navy Commander Deng Yao. Everyone else went to prepare according to the newly formulated combat plan.
"Your Highness, are you ready to move to Guangzhou?" Chief of Staff Wu Sansheng knew that this question was very important and was directly related to the strategic direction of the Ming army and the defense requirements of Guangdong.
"It's easy to advance, hard to retreat, and I haven't made a final decision yet." Zhu Yongxing pondered for a moment and said: "Back then, whenever the emperor heard that the Qing army was approaching, he would leave in panic. You two are also aware of the adverse effects caused."
Yongli was famous for being timid and afraid of death, and running all the way was the most common way. When Nanxiong and Shaozhou had just fallen, Yongli from Zhaoqing was panicked and prepared to flee to Guangxi.
Du Yonghe, the governor of Guangdong and Guangdong who was guarding Guangzhou, asked not to move so easily, so as not to cause the collapse of people's hearts in all parts of Guangdong, so he wrote in tears: "I dare not stop your majesty from leaving. But when I went west, I abandoned Guangdong and returned it to the captives.
, all the loyal and righteous people who followed Chengdong and turned against them were also sent back to captivity and ordered to be killed. How miserable it is for those who drew up this plot for the emperor!"
Qu Shishu, a left-behind scholar in Guilin, learned that Yongli wanted to flee Zhaoqing, but he was also very disapproving. He said in the memorial: "Duanzhou (i.e. Zhaoqing) is the birthplace of the emperor. How can we bear to abandon it without caring about it? If we lose the east, we will be isolated in the west, and it is extremely unacceptable."
Are you someone who doesn’t take both things into account?”
Although the Qing army was still quite far away from Zhaoqing, and the powerful ministers in Guangdong and Guangxi opposed Zhu Youlang's relocation, it was to no avail. Zhu Youlang still boarded the boat and fled to Wuzhou. At that time, "all the officials rushed to the road in a hurry."
Everyone from eastern Guangdong rushed back..."
The emperor took the lead in fleeing, which cast a shadow on the psychology of the people of Guangdong. Although Zhu Youlang later ordered Guangxi's Qingguogong Chen Bangfu, Zhongzhenying Liu Guojun and other troops to come to the east for reinforcements. Although there were many troops, due to the lack of core command, each ministry not only
They waited and watched, restrained each other, and even killed each other, so that the Qing army entering Guangdong was able to successfully complete the deployment of attacking Guangzhou.
Zhu Yongxing's words were already bold. Although he was called the emperor, he was described as hasty. However, Ma Bao and the other three people had no expressions on their faces, which naturally gave Zhu Yongxing a higher opinion in his heart.
Of course, the meaning of Zhu Yongxing's words is also very clear. He does have the intention to move to Guangzhou, but if it is easier to move back if the situation is unfavorable, wouldn't it be the same as Yongli, disappointing the people. Therefore, whether he moves to Guangzhou or not, it is still up to him.
It depends on how the war situation in Guangdong develops and whether the Ming army can firmly occupy it.
Ma Bao did not dare to pat his chest and boast. This matter was not trivial. If something went wrong, it would be a serious crime. He could only analyze the situation based on the facts and let Zhu Yongxing make the final decision.
"The Qing army in Guangdong has been adjusted again and again, and there are not many garrison troops left in various places. First Xinhui, then Guangzhou, our army will wipe out its main force and then divide its troops to plunder. We may be able to take Guangdong lightly. The Qing army in Gan Province is small and weak. Our army is weak.
We can stop it by occupying one part of Shaozhou; the only ones we worry about are the rebellious Fujian people, who they seem to be able to defeat."
A little vague, but it can be heard that Ma Bao is still quite confident. Zhu Yongxing nodded with a smile and said: "King Ruyang analyzed it very clearly. It is not the Qing army in Jiangxi and Fujian that Gu is worried about, but the Eight Banners of Manchu and Mongolia.
And the Qing army from the north moved south."
"Any information?" Ma Bao was a little surprised.
"Not yet, but it is expected to come soon." Zhu Yongxing said solemnly: "Before, the Qing government was busy dealing with internal problems. It probably did not expect how fast our army's attack would be, and Shang Kexi would be defeated so quickly.
If Guangdong is lost, how can the Qing government sit still? From the fall of Guangzhou to the Qing army's large-scale deployment of troops southward, we should have two to three months to prepare. Should we follow the rules to fight, or should we use tricks first?
, to contain or undermine the Qing army’s intention to move south, or a two-pronged approach. It must be carefully studied and formulated according to the specific situation.”
"Your Highness, if our army conquers Guangzhou and directly marches into Fujian, and takes advantage of the opportunity for the northern troops to move south to eliminate or weaken Geng Ni, is it feasible?" Wu Sansheng thought for a while and put forward his own opinion.
"Continuous fighting not only exhausts the soldiers, but also consumes too much ammunition." Zhu Yongxing has his own difficulties. Why doesn't he want to plow through holes and defeat all enemies at once, but reality does not allow it. "Currently, there is almost no inventory, and the factory can build it at any time."
This is very unfavorable for the army. We must take into account the occurrence of some unexpected situations, slow down military operations, and first stock up on ammunition to deal with the situation."
Ma Bao and Wu Sansheng looked at each other and understood. It was not their fault. Zhu Yongxing was very well organized in terms of logistics. Who would have thought that behind the continuous victory, he was already struggling to support himself.
"One gram in Guangzhou shocked Xiao Xiao, and Fujian Geng Ni dared not challenge our army alone." Zhu Yongxing smiled bitterly and said: "And in the past two or three months, our army should not take any major military actions.
On the one hand, it is hoarding ammunition and supplies; on the one hand, it is recruiting troops and horses to expand the army; on the other hand, it is to contain the Qing army going south——"
As he spoke, Zhu Yongxing turned his attention to Deng Yao, who had been listening silently, "This task will fall on the navy."
Deng Yao perked up. He had been talking about the Army before, but now it was finally the Navy's turn. He quickly raised his hands and said, "Your Highness, please give me your instructions. The Navy will definitely complete its mission."
Zhu Yongxing smiled faintly and said in a deep voice: "To form the Yangtze River Navy, we must have no less than a hundred ships, and a few of no less than 5,000. Within two months at the latest, we must have the ability to directly enter the Yangtze River and join the thirteen armies in combat; expand
The Marine Corps, tentatively numbered at 10,000, will conduct an amphibious landing operation on the northern coast in two months, or enter the Yangtze River to attack Zhenjiang and threaten water transportation."
What a big deal, the Navy is finally going to play the leading role. Deng Yao's eyes sparkled, and he agreed generously, not finding it difficult. Although the Yangtze River Navy has diluted the strength of the Navy, it is impossible for the ships it uses to choose to draft too deep.
The large ships and captured enemy ships have been able to replenish the number; as for recruiting troops, there is no need to worry. Since the Eastern Expedition, most of the coastal areas have been captured, and there are not a few liberated fishermen and egg households. In areas with crisscrossed rivers and water nets, familiar
How many water-based people can there be?
Once this main skill is satisfied, musketry and array training can be completed within one or two months. The Marine Corps will be expanded to 10,000, which is not more, but less.
"Of course, within the next two months, it will not only be expansion and training, but also combat tasks, which is to assist the army in capturing Qiongzhou." Zhu Yongxing looked at Deng Yao's face with a half-smile, and pointed on the map with his finger.
Quite a bit.
This is not a big problem in the eyes of Deng Yao, Ma Bao and others.
Qiongzhou, which had lost the protection of the navy, was alone across the sea from the Leizhou Peninsula. The garrisoned Qing army was commanded by the General Soldier of Qiongzhou Town and was under the jurisdiction of the Waihai Division. It had jurisdiction over the two battalions on the left and right of the land route mark, Wanzhou Camp, Yazhou Associated Navy, and all the land routes.
The battalion is the Haikou Division Camp, with a total of seven battalions on land and water. They are divided into 12 floods, 16 forts, and 54 piers along the pond. The number of soldiers is about 8,000.
After Shang and Geng Ni sent out a large army to occupy Qiongzhou, Geng Ni went to Fujian to control Fujian. Shang Ni led his troops to station in Guangzhou, a prosperous place, leaving only a few close friends in Qiongzhou. Qiongzhou not only had few Qing troops stationed there.
And quite a few of them are the old troops of Du Yonghe, the former governor of Guangdong and Guangxi in the Ming Dynasty. The rest are the green battalion soldiers and horses, whose fighting ability is not strong and their fighting will is not determined.
If Guangzhou is defeated, it is still possible to be intimidated. Qiongzhou is likely to send a message. Even if troops are sent to attack, it will not be very difficult to recover them all.
The major matters were almost discussed, and Zhu Yongxing called for Zhou Yu, Li Rong, and the surrendered general Xu Erxian. Obviously, Zhu Yongxing wanted to praise these people in order to set an example.
Needless to say, Zhou Yu and Li Rong are representatives of the common people who resisted tyranny. They can be elected as leaders by the people, which shows that they still have a certain reputation among the people. Since Zhu Yongxing wants to recruit soldiers from these volunteers, he
It is also appropriate to show kindness to these two people.
As for Xu Erxian, he defended Zhaoqing and blocked Jin Wang Li Dingguo's eastward advance. He was somewhat famous among the Qing generals. Although his letter failed to persuade the Qing army in Zhaoqing to surrender, he still stood still. His intention was to wait and see.
Obviously, in this national war, recruitment of surrenders and traitors is unavoidable. Zhu Yongxing despises these people in his heart, but he also does not want to push these two-pronged guys to the side of the Qing Dynasty and add resistance to himself.
It was difficult to distinguish between prisoners and war criminals in the wars of that era. Although Zhu Yongxing tried his best, he could not fully uphold justice and justice. After all, speeding up the process of the war would restore peace to the land of China as soon as possible.
Peace is the most important thing.
When Zhou Yu and Li Rong were summoned outside the tent, they had no idea what was going on, nor did they know that the person sitting inside the tent was Zhu Yongxing, the royal family prince and the highest-ranking prince at present.
But when they were at the entrance of the tent, the two of them realized that the situation was different. Several Ming soldiers with bright armor asked them to hand over their weapons and searched them. This was something that had never happened before, even in person.
When Prince Ma Bao of Ruyang was born, he was not so strict.
Walking into the big tent, Zhou Yu and Li Rong glanced around and saw Zhu Yongxing sitting in the middle. His clothes were not conspicuous, but Ma Bao and Wu Sansheng were sitting on both sides. What did this mean? The two of them were suddenly confused.
measures.
"The imperial court is staying behind, and Prince Min of the clan is here. Why don't you come and greet me quickly?" Wu Sansheng stood up and said.
Zhou Yu and Li Rong were shocked and stunned on the spot. Then they fell to their knees on the ground, kowtowed heavily, and murmured not knowing what to say.
"Two righteous men, I will sit down without any ceremony." Zhu Yongxing smiled slightly, very satisfied with their reaction. His reputation and noble status really made him feel good.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you for your thousand years." Zhou Yu and Li Rong kowtowed several times before they dared to stand up. They only dared to sit down on the stools brought by the guards.
"Haha, the two righteous men led the crowd to resist the violence. They are not even afraid of the butcher's knife. Why are they so afraid of the lonely king?" Zhu Yongxing said half-jokingly.
"You two don't have to be formal. Your Highness is kind-hearted and the most approachable." Prince Ma Bao of Ruyang said jokingly: "As soon as I arrived here, after a long journey, I summoned you, which shows how much I appreciate you."
"Stand up your chest and answer correctly. If you receive His Highness's grace, this life will be enough for you." Wu Sansheng also smiled and nodded to the two of them.
"The grace here is only given to those who have meritorious service, but you deserve it." Zhu Yongxing's face became solemn and he said with emotion: "I have a policy early in the morning to divide the people into obedient people and righteous people without imposing any additional crimes.
However, there are indeed too few righteous people like you who dare to resist violence and sacrifice their lives. How can you not add a reward to chill the hearts of the righteous people?"