The emperor gave an order, and thousands of people followed suit.
The cabinet members headed by Zhao Shu could only stay in Yangzhou and be responsible for logistics and other matters.
And just in case, the emperor left an imperial edict to support the emperor's eldest son on the throne if something unexpected happened.
Of course, this matter is extremely secretive, and only three people in the cabinet know about it.
After all, as long as the Yangtze River Navy existed, it would be extremely difficult for the Manchus and Qing dynasties to cross the river.
Amid the reluctance of the ministers, the emperor took an ordinary boat and slowly headed north.
Originally, I wanted to ride on a dragon boat, which would be comfortable, but the target was too big. I was afraid of another sneak attack, so I could only hide in an ordinary boat.
Of course, during the two months in Yangzhou, the two daughters Sun Damiang and Mu Haner also suffered a lot. Now that they are staying in Yangzhou, there will be news of pregnancy soon.
"Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal!"
Although it is a dry season, thanks to the rain in the south and the transfer by rivers and lakes, the canal has a good amount of water and can handle most of the canals.
However, as Zhu Yixi sat by the window, the scene along the canal was unforgettable.
In the past, all the docks were occupied by military ships, and only soldiers came and went, but no merchants or civilians were seen.
And relying on the canal, the once prosperous market town now has no trace of people. Without the blessing of popularity, each market is as desolate as a ghost market.
There are overgrown weeds and wild animals running around, giving people a sense of desolation.
"These are troubled times, troubled times!"
Although it is said that it was all due to his efforts to strengthen the walls and clear the country, he had to do it because the military disaster was too terrible.
Of course, what is more eye-catching are the bastions along the canal.
Every thirty or fifty miles, a rugged bastion will appear to monitor the canal.
By the time the emperor arrived at the fortress named Dahewei, it was already the third day of the first lunar month in the first year of Shaowu.
He spent this Spring Festival on the boat.
However, Zhu Yixi was used to it.
The moment the emperor arrived, the entire River Guard instantly boiled and the atmosphere was extremely lively.
What followed was a large amount of wine, meat, and charcoal, which was also the reason why the soldiers were happy.
The generals, all dressed in armor, came to the dock and waited for a long time.
"I will be waiting to see Your Majesty!"
The military generals headed by Li Jingwu lined up in several rows and knelt down one by one when they saw the handsome and energetic emperor in armor.
"Get up!"
Zhu Yixi felt a cold wind.
It's definitely colder than in the south.
"Your Majesty -" Li Jingwu raised his head and looked at the emperor's face, his eyes were red and he was crying.
"Let's go, let's go back first!"
After entering the fortress, Li Jingwu was not idle along the way and began to introduce:
"The name of this fort comes from Dahewei, which is the guardhouse of Huai'an Prefecture. It is now abandoned. The name was also chosen to protect the safety of the canal."
"Dahewei is only fifty miles away from Shanyang County. It is the first line of defense after the fall of Shanyang in the final plan, so the construction is extremely complete..."
"The Great River Guard is composed of three bastions, one large and two small, which are the horns of each other. The largest one is the main fort, which can garrison 5,000 troops. It can supply food, grass and weapons for seven days. The other two bastions can each have 3,000 troops..."
"Flange machine guns, gunpowder, bows and arrows, crossbows, and fire oil are all fully equipped. We will never fall easily..."
“Just be ready!”
The emperor nodded slightly and followed the crowd slowly to the castle.
In the conference room, the emperor sat in the main seat, and the generals stood in two rows, straightening their backs, revealing their strong backs and strong waists.
"How is morale now?"
Zhu Yixi turned to Li Jingwu and asked.
His letters and the news from the Military Justice Department showed that morale was low, which was the basis for the change of strategy.
One hundred thousand soldiers cannot be left behind easily.
"After hearing that His Majesty is here in person, the morale of the army is high and everyone is vying to be the first."
Li Jingwu showed a smile.
"That's good."
Zhu Yixi also breathed a sigh of relief after being able to improve.
In this monarchical society, the arrival of the emperor is indeed no less than a bloodbath.
"Your Majesty, the Manchu Qing Dynasty is now staying in Shanyang, with a large number of soldiers and horses hoarded, and the war is dangerous!"
Bai Wang couldn't wait to speak, his words full of concern.
The emperor was very impressed and nodded: "Of course I know, but it turns out that Yangzhou is not safe either. Do you want me to return to Nanjing?"
"But--"
"Nothing to worry about."
Zhu Yixi said decisively: "I am not a member of the Taiping Army. I also fought from the battle formation. I know the dangers of war."
"However, to defend the Jianghuai, you must defend the Huaihe. If the Jianghuai is lost, the death of Nanjing will be easy. If I am so aggrieved, I would rather die in battle."
Now, no one dared to persuade him.
But the generals were still quite excited.
The emperor is on the front line, and his every move is under his nose. If he makes great achievements, he can easily win the emperor's heart, and it is just easy to rise to the top.
After the generals dispersed, only Li Jingwu remained.
"Answer it honestly, how is morale?"
The emperor asked directly with a straight face.
"His Majesty's arrival, coupled with the food and wine, has revived the morale of the army a little."
Li Jingwu sighed and said: "Before, it was almost disorganized."
Immediately, he opened his mouth and used words such as fleeing, violating laws and disciplines, being powerless, and listless.
Combined with the exaggerated figures reported by the Department of Military Justice, which stated that over a thousand people were detained in the army in one day, the emperor already understood that there was only a thin line between this and collapse.
This is still a situation where the logistics supplies are constant, and they have enough food and clothing. Otherwise, when Shanyang County was broken, there would have been deserters all over the north of Yangzhou.
"If it were the Beijing camp, it would not be like this."
Seeing the emperor's ugly expression, Li Jingwu couldn't help but said: "It's just that most of these soldiers and horses come from the four towns in Jiangbei. Even if the old and weak are eliminated, the remaining ones are still not as good as us."
"One pass to ten, ten to a hundred, and everyone works together to suppress it, and then we can barely pass."
"After being defeated for hundreds of miles and losing more than ten cities in a row, the thoughts of these soldiers are understandable."
The emperor didn't mean what he said.
Therefore, the most important thing about his arrival is to boost morale and boost ambition, and other things come second.
From this point of view, there was obviously a mistake in the formulation of the strategy, and the Huanghuai soldiers were overestimated.
For a moment, Zhu Yixi felt a little depressed.
And just before and after, Hauge fled back to Shanyang County in depression.
"This defeat is not your fault."
Jierhalang was happy in his heart, but said with relief:
"After all, they are cavalry and they do not carry artillery. It is not easy to successfully attack Yangzhou City."
"At the end of the day, if you lose your troops and lose your generals, you are willing to be punished."
Hauge handed over his hand, feeling depressed.
"Get up quickly, Hauge, you also have credit. Because of the sneak attack, Emperor Ming no longer stayed in Yangzhou, but went north to prepare for a decisive battle with us."
Jirharan smiled.
"Really?" Hauge was stunned, and then showed an angry expression: "General, please use me as the vanguard. I will definitely avenge the shame and behead the false emperor."
Shameless——
Luckard was shaking with rage.
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