"Your Highness the Crown Prince! We are already in Gong'an County ahead. The sentries of our battalion in front have seen the flags of the armies on the south bank of the Yangtze River setting up camp. We are here!"
Several fast horses rushed back from the front. Although the weather was the hottest, the knights on horseback still wore helmets and armor, carrying slender carbines, quivers and Kaiyuan bows. Don't dare to relax even a little bit. The large group of people who were marching with Zhu Cihong were resting on the ground. The men did not take off their armor, and the horses did not unsaddle. They were all sitting quietly and neatly, eating their marching rations silently. Everyone looked tired, having traveled a long distance of 700 miles, and they were also on high alert for possible ambush by the Dashun Army crossing from the north bank of the Yangtze River. However, in order for Zhu Cixiang to rush to Gong'an County on the south bank of the Yangtze River as soon as possible to clean up the Jingnan garrison, this risk still had to be taken.
The troops currently concentrated in the Jiangnan area of Jingzhou Prefecture include an elite division led by Wu Guoyong who is a direct descendant of Zhu Cixiang, and there are as many as 70,000 to 80,000 miscellaneous troops. Although he is a miscellaneous brand, he is the key to the winner of this Huguang battle.
Without them, the three direct divisions brought by Zhu Cixiang to Huguang, with an army of just over 40,000, would not be enough in any case.
Now the Huguang battlefield has been divided into four stalls, one in Hanyang and Wuchang, one in Xiangyang and Nanyang, one along the Yangtze River in Yue, and one in Jingzhou Prefecture. It was a bit forced for the Lu division, which relied on more than 40,000 yuan, to divide it into four, each taking charge of its own share.
So Zhu Cixi had no choice but to grit his teeth and, under the retinue of about 3,000 knights (including 2,000 regular soldiers, 1,000 auxiliary soldiers, and about 5,000 war horses and pack horses), he traveled day and night, running wildly, and also had to carefully calculate what to do. Those military leaders who deceived the Jingnan armies - it's really helpless to think about it, who are those people? Zuo Mengmei, who is playing brother-sister killing, clamoring all day long to deal with her good brother Zhu Cizhao, He Tengjiao, an expert in internal fighting, Jin Shenghuan, a traitor who has been a traitor in history, and a hardcore traitor of the Qing Dynasty in history, the Four Generals of Hexi Among them, Zhang Yong...only one Du Yinxi was slightly better, but he was a big landowner in Wuxi and the successor of Donglin! To put it harshly, he is Prince Zhu’s class enemy!
Why aren't there any good people? They're all traitors, traitors, and traitors?
It is said that people of the same species flock together. I am the most filial son in the world and I have done so many good things for the country and the people. Why do I have a large group of loyal ministers and pillars around me to use?
Could it be that all the more capable Zhongliangs in the Ming Dynasty were tricked into becoming loyal martyrs by Chongzhen, so he had no good people to use?
Fortunately, Zhu Cixiang is good at packaging loyal ministers - he can package treacherous ministers and rebellious ministers into loyal ministers! Although those people gathered in Jingnan now are not good people, they are lucky to have met Prince Zhu. They will definitely leave their names in history in the future, and they will all be good ministers of the Ming Dynasty.
In order to leave a good impression on the future good ministers of ZTE, after approaching Gong'an County, Zhu Cixi ordered the exhausted team to stop for a rest after approaching Gong'an County for more than 600 miles. Get a feel for the situation. If something is wrong, don’t rush into it...
When the sentry reported back, Prince Zhu was sitting cross-legged on the ground, struggling with a piece of baked hard naan bread. He choked after a few bites, and quickly asked Wu Sanmei for water - Wu Sanmei didn't seem to be a well-off person. Life, how long did it take after giving birth? So he once again accompanied Prince Zhu on the march and fought.
Originally, she did not have to accompany Jing Nan on this trip, but in order to facilitate dealing with Zuo Mengmei, Zhu Cixiang decided to take her with him.
Just as Zhu Cihong was drinking water, his head guard Yan Yingyuan had already asked: "Whose banner is the camp you see playing under?"
Several cavalrymen had dismounted one after another, and the first one reported loudly: "They are a pair of flags with yellow characters on a red background. I don't know who they belong to."
The voice of Bi Jiucheng sounded next to Yan Yingyuan again: "This is the prince's flag, the camp of King Chu!"
Zhu Cixiang traveled along the Yangtze River, entering Jingzhou Prefecture from Huarong County in Yuezhou Prefecture, then bypassed Shishou County and entered Gong'an County. Gong'an County was one of the core areas of the Chu Palace's territory. After losing Jiangling County, Zhu Cizhao and Zuo Mengmei naturally moved to Gong'an County.
"How many people do King Chu have? Who controls them all?" Zhu Cihong asked.
Bi Jiucheng replied: "The King of Chu's headquarters is the palace guard. It was adapted from the regiment training of Qiu Lei, the commander-in-chief of Jingzhou Prefecture, and Du Yinxi, the prefect of Jingzhou. It is not fair to say. However, He Tengjiao's secret book said that the Princess of Chu and Zhang Yong has sworn sworn brothers and sisters with different surnames, Zhang Yong’s 8,000 Shaanxi troops are very capable of fighting!"
Although Bi Jiucheng's official position is a Hanlin bachelor, he has followed Zhu Cixiang since Beijing. He has been responsible for military affairs-related reports and orders, so he is very familiar with the situation of the armies and can be regarded as half the chief of staff.
Zhu Cixiang looked at the head guard Yan Yingyuan again. Yan Yingyuan is a Jinshi with military qualifications, a fellow villager of Zhu Cixiang (from Tongzhou Sanwei), a first-term martial arts lecturer, and one of the few "good historical figures" around Prince Zhu. Of course, he is a key training target!
So Prince Zhu now wants to hear his opinion.
"Master Qiansui, we have three thousand cavalry!" Yan Yingyuan said, "They are all elites who have killed the Tatars... Zhang Yong's eight thousand men are no match. Your Highness might as well follow Emperor Guangwu's strategy of caressing the bronze horse and start with Approach him with iron cavalry, then enter Gong'an County to pacify him. In this way, the entire Chu army will be convinced by His Highness and will be willing to take the lead!"
"Okay!" Zhu Cixiang nodded and glanced at Bi Jiucheng, "I'll take note of it. This will be written down in history from now on!"
"Here!" Bi Jiucheng immediately took out a small notebook and a writing brush, licked the dry tip of the pen with his tongue, and then wrote down in the small notebook.
Then Zhu Cixiang said to Yan Yingyuan: "Liheng, remember, people's hearts are not meant to be tested! When there is no chance for corruption, civil servants are all good and honest officials. Until the moment of life and death, military generals are also loyal. Loyal ministers who are loyal and courageous. If there is no chance to go further, all the brothers in this palace will be unspeakably loyal and wise kings.
Therefore, on the Jingzhou front line, there will only be good officials, loyal ministers and wise kings, nothing else! "
Zhu Cixiang is such a person, always trying to figure out people's hearts with full of malice.
"I know what to do!" Yan Yingyuan said, "I immediately sent someone to bypass the police and contact the right division commander Wu Guoyong."
Zhu Cixiang nodded, "Send more cavalry out and patrol the surrounding areas. Don't let Zuo Mengmei and Zhang Yong know our true and false situation!"
"Here!"
...
"Why haven't you come back yet?"
Qiu Lei was stomping in the lobby of the Wangfu Courtyard in Gong'an County, his steps were heavy and fast, and he was full of impatience.
Since the internal strife in Jiangling, the Ming army that retreated to the south bank of the Yangtze River has been divided into two parts intentionally or unintentionally. Qiu Lei (Prince's Guard), Zhang Yong, and Jin Shenghuan, who were separated from Zuo's Army, were stationed in a group near Gong'an County.
The three armies of He Tengjiao, Chang Yanling, and Wu Guoyong were stationed at Hudukou on the south bank of the Yangtze River, Xiabailizhou, an island in the Yangtze River channel between Jiangling City and Hudukou, and the bridgehead camp on the north bank of the Yangtze River. group.
This method of dividing the troops into two places made it clear that He Tengjiao, Chang Yanling, and Wu Guoyong still did not trust the old Zuo Army troops, so they were kept far away to make it easier to be on guard.
And now Prince Zhu led his troops to gallop more than 700 miles to Jingzhou Mansion. Not only did they bypass the Gong'an County where the King of Chu's camp was located, but he also sent a large number of cavalry to patrol around the army to prevent the scouts sent by the King of Chu's Mansion from approaching. snoop.
After discussing with Zuo Mengmei, Qiu Lei simply withdrew the sentry horse and allowed Prince Zhu to pass through the defense area. At the same time, he asked Du Yinxi, the prefect of Jingzhou Prefecture who had connections on both sides, to come forward to greet Zhu Cixiang. He also cleaned up a luxurious villa outside Gong'an County that originally belonged to Prince Hui's Mansion and used it to entertain Zhu Cixi.
But Du Yinxi had been gone for two days without even a reply. Of course, Zhu Cixiang didn't stay in the palace villa outside Gong'an County... What on earth did Prince Zhu want to do?
