"Bring Liu Zongmin here immediately. The presence of this person will definitely frighten the intruders and make them rush to surrender."
The news of the capture of Liu Zongmin made Azig very happy.
He planned to use Liu Zongmin to force more Shun troops to surrender and speed up the war.
But as soon as his order was uttered, someone came to report it.
"Your Majesty, Batulu refused to listen to dissuasion and has beheaded Liu Zongmin."
"Obai, this bastard!"
Azig and Duduo both cursed and became furious.
All good plans were ruined by Obai.
But things have already happened, and even if they get angry again, it will not help.
Moreover, they could not convict Oboi.
Just because everyone knows that brothers Obai and Dorgon are not the same group.
This man was a die-hard loyalist of Emperor Shunzhi, and neither Azig nor Dodo had the right to deal with him.
If we do this, there will be chaos within the Qing army, which will affect the war situation.
So Azig and Duduo could only suffer the loss of being dumb.
Fortunately, the battle went smoothly.
With the destruction of Liu Zongmin and Song Xiance, the encirclement of Shun's army further narrowed.
At noon the next day, Guifeng Mountain guarded by Liu Fangliang was breached by the Qing army.
More than 20,000 Shun troops died in the battle and 15,000 were captured. Liu Xiyao died on the spot and Liu Fangliang disappeared.
The forward of the Qing army could already see Elong Town.
"Can you find out the situation in Elong Town? Is Li Zicheng dead or alive?"
Facing Wang Siyi's question, Liang Fa and Lu Ping both scratched their heads.
"The Qing army and the Shun army surrounded the battlefield so tightly that our people couldn't get in, and those inside couldn't pass the news back. Li Zicheng's condition is really difficult to identify."
At the imperial military meeting, the most concerning issue was Li Zicheng's condition.
Because this will determine the timing of the empire's actions.
However, the intelligence department was unable to do anything, leaving all the senior officials to do nothing.
Only Zuo Mengeng was very indifferent.
"Why do you care about Li Zicheng's condition? Does it matter whether he is dead or alive?"
Huang Zongxi didn't understand.
"Didn't we agree that we should decide whether to send troops or not based on Li Zicheng's situation? How could it not be important?"
Zuo Mengeng laughed and asked: "According to the current situation, whether Li Zicheng is dead or alive, will there be any changes? Can Dashun turn defeat into victory?"
Everyone thought about it carefully and suddenly realized that what he said couldn't be more correct.
At this point in the war, Dashun's demise was no longer a surprise.
Even if Li Zicheng was lucky enough to escape from the encirclement of the Qing army, what could he do if he was alone?
No one would think that Li Zicheng still has a chance to make a comeback.
In other words, the future struggle for the world has nothing to do with Li Zicheng.
Liu Yiyuan was very excited.
"Does that mean we can start?"
Just this sentence made everyone's hearts surge.
From Li Zicheng's eastward expedition to the capital to today, the empire has been preparing for more than a year to unify the world.
Now that things are coming, everyone is eager to try and really don't want to delay for a moment.
Facing everyone's gaze, Zuo Mengeng nodded slowly.
"Instruct the Central Strategic Cluster, the Central Plains Strategic Cluster (formerly the Lianghuai Military Region), the Liaodong Strategic Cluster (formerly the North Korean Military Region), and the Northern Strategic Cluster (formerly the Northern Military Region) to advance in an all-round manner according to the established plan from the time they receive the order."
Wow…
Thousands of civil and military officials stood up together and accepted this most important order.
Because the territory is vast and the distance is long. Other strategic clusters will definitely receive orders first and later.
However, the central strategic cluster is in Shandong, so it is naturally the fastest to receive orders.
When Zuo Menggen attended the Central Strategic Cluster Operation Meeting, Wang Siyi asked: "What excuse do we have to take action?"
If you want to send troops, you must have a good reputation. Otherwise, it is an unjust war.
Especially since the Empire and the Manchu Qing Dynasty had previously signed a non-aggression treaty, if they went to war without a solid reason, it would seriously affect the justice of sending troops.
Sun Yunliang muttered: "The treaty was signed by the Xia Kingdom. What does it have to do with our empire?"
Before he finished speaking, there was laughter in the venue.
Zuo Mengeng smiled and waved his hands repeatedly.
"For such a big thing, you can't play word games. There must be a solid reason."
But the end was really coming, and everyone thought about it, but they couldn't find a way to start.
Seeing the deadlock, Wang Siyi was very angry.
"The worst case scenario is to announce to the outside world that a soldier got lost during our exercise and issued an ultimatum to the Qing army that we need to search across the border. The Qing army will definitely not agree, and then we will have a reason to go to war."
Zuo Mengeng's head was covered with black lines.
"another!"
Wang Siyi also became quiet.
Seeing this, Liu Yiyuan suggested: "Can the Intelligence Department cause some trouble in Cangzhou? No matter how big or small, there are all reasons. Besides, the Liaodong Strategic Cluster also needs enough time to reach the scheduled location, and we also need to Cooperate well."
After he said this, everyone remembered that the most important thing in the overall action was actually the Liaodong strategic cluster.
The actions of the Liaodong strategic cluster will completely cut off the foundation of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
As long as this step is done, the rest will fall into place.
Zuo Mengeng looked at Liang Fa and Lu Ping.
"I leave this matter to you."
Not hearing about Li Zicheng's situation made both Liang Hua and Lu Ping feel that their work was not done properly. For the new task, both of them regarded it as a test.
At the same time, the distant Jeju Island has become a busy mess.
The North Sea Fleet gathered all its ships and docked on the shore.
In the port, the fully loaded Fourth Division was boarding the ship in an orderly manner.
The North Sea Fleet and the Fourth Division are about to complete one of the most important tasks.
As long as it is done, it is equivalent to breaking the backbone of the Manchu Dynasty.
"After the Fourth Division lands, the follow-up troops must quickly follow up. The headquarters has handed over this battle to us, so there can be no mistakes. Everyone, whether you can be famous throughout the ages depends on today."
Bai Xiaoqi felt so proud when he saw the strong soldiers and horses under his command.
It's a pity that that brilliant plan can no longer be directed by him personally.
As the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong strategic cluster, Bai Xiaoqi must stay on the peninsula and be responsible for the offensive on land.
Therefore, the troops and horses along this route can only be handed over to Lou Fu and Le Xinfeng.
"Lao Lou, Lao Le, after you pass, you will be alone for a long time. Except for the navy that can provide certain fire support, it is all on your own."
Lou Fu and Le Xinfeng were not nervous at all.
"The Fourth Division has nearly 50,000 troops, which is enough to deal with the Qing Dynasty's 100,000 troops. Besides, where can Dorgon get 100,000 troops?"
Bai Xiaoqi looked at Zhang Keda.
"Commander Zhang, I have left all my brothers to you. Once the battle is over, I'll treat you to a drink."
Zhang Keda's eyes only looked at the countless sailboats in the port.
"Don't worry, I will gather at least twenty warships for fire support. I don't believe that the Qing army can cross this fire blockade."
