Annam, Thanh Hoa.
Hu Jiya trembled, and Hu Hancang turned pale.
Duobang City consumed most of Annan's national power, mobilized hundreds of thousands of people, and over 300,000 elites, but the Ming army did not even arrive for a day!
Duobang City is gone, and so is Dongdu.
Hu Jishen did not waste time building the Eastern Capital, but focused on Duobang City. The reason was that because of the presence of Duobang City, the Eastern Capital would be safe. Duobang City is located in the upper reaches of the river. Any enemy who wants to cross Duobang City and attack Thang Long City directly will face a two-line attack from Thang Long City and reinforcements.
If you want to capture the Eastern Capital, you must first capture many states.
But now, all the hard work is gone!
Hu Jishen could not imagine how powerful the Ming army was. A general like Fan Yuangui could fail so completely. So what else could he do to stop the Ming army?
"Father, we can still fight!"
Unwilling to accept defeat, Hu Hancang gritted his teeth and shouted.
Hu Jiya looked at Hu Hancang and asked sadly: "How to fight?"
Hu Hancang gritted his teeth: "We still have 200,000 troops in our hands. As long as we hold Chang'an Prefecture, the Ming army will never even think about entering Qinghua!"
Hu Jiyou sighed.
The defenders in Duobang City were the main force and Hu Ji-sao's biggest support against the Ming army. How could they fight if the main force was gone?
Yes, there are currently 200,000 troops in Thanh Hoa, and even with other states and counties, 500,000 troops can be mobilized, but who is willing to confront the Ming army?
Some places did not wait for the Ming army to come, but had already surrendered to welcome the Ming army!
If the morale of the military is gone and the morale of the people is gone, how can we still fight the war?
But it was impossible not to fight. Hu Jishen knew very well that the Ming army mobilized a large number of troops and would not give up until he was captured or killed. For the sake of his own life, he could not admit defeat no matter what!
"Fight, mobilize all the troops and fight the Ming army in Chang'an Prefecture!"
Hu Jiyou ordered.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something bad has happened."
Minister Huang Huiqing hurried into the palace with a look of panic on his face.
Hu Jima frowned and scolded: "Why are you so worried?"
Huang Huiqing shouted uneasily: "Your Majesty, the Ming army has sent troops to Chang'an Prefecture. The Chen family's relatives Chen Jianding and Chen Jikou have led troops to raise troops. General Chen De has surrendered to the Ming army!"
"What?"
Hu Jiyou suddenly stood up, his vision suddenly went dark, and he lost consciousness.
"Father!"
Hu Hancang quickly stepped forward to help him and summoned the imperial doctor.
When Hu Jiyou woke up, he was already a little numb. He sighed and said, "Gather all the troops and fight in Qinghua."
Hu Hancang nodded repeatedly: "Father, don't worry, even if I go into battle in person, I will defend Qinghua."
Hu Jiya nodded happily, and then looked at Huang Huiqing: "You are responsible for stabilizing the people's hearts and publicizing the Ming army's killing of Jingguan. Tell them that when the Ming army comes, no one will survive. You can only resist the Ming army with us." The only way to survive is through the army!”
"According to the order."
Huang Huiqing knew this was a lie, but he had no choice. There was really no way out now.
"Biography of Li Huayuan, Hu Xuan, and Hu Li."
Hu Jishao waved his hand to Huang Huiqing, asking him to step aside, and then conveyed his will.
Huang Huiqing walked out of the palace, looked up at the gloomy sky, and felt panicked. The Ming army was too powerful, beyond imagination. Who could have imagined that more than 300,000 elite troops would be lost in one day?
At present, states and counties all over the country have heard the news and come to welcome the Ming army. They don't even have the intention to resist! The people responsible for attacking Thanh Hoa were the elites led by Han Guan. The distance between the Eastern Capital and the Western Capital was only 260 miles. The Ming army marched quickly. If there was no obstruction, they would reach the Western Capital Thanh Hoa in less than four days. !
The Kingdom of Dayu is gone...
Huang Huiqing knew that there was no hope, there was really no hope. Even if he mobilized a large army to block Han Guan, so what? The Ming army's powerful firearms and arrogant sergeants would still tear apart all lines of defense!
And the defense of Thanh Hoa, the western capital, is not even as good as Thang Long City.
As long as you stand outside and take a look, you will know that this is a fence city. It is not a stone city or an earth city.
Then again, can Stone City be defended?
Fan Yuangui is dead, but he was Hu Jishen's number one general!
What Thanh Hoa cannot hold, cannot hold!
Huang Huiqing walked to the street and met Fan Zhixian, the Minister of Civil Affairs. He looked around and said bitterly: "Is Fan Shangshu waiting for me here on purpose?"
Fan Zhixian stared at Huang Huiqing, pointed to the restaurant nearby, and said, "I have a banquet and I would like to treat Mr. Huang to a drink. How about that?"
Huang Huiqing thought for a while and did not refuse.
This is a restaurant that Huang Huiqing is familiar with, but the wine here is rice wine, which is a bit turbid and far from the expensive wines of the Ming Dynasty, but it tastes good.
Huang Huiqing often came here when he went to court in the past. The boss was a widow in her forties, not very charming, but a strong woman. Huang Huiqing thought about it more than once, how could a widow still live with a smile after losing everything? I've lost everything, can I still do it?
The answer is: no.
Fan Zhixian poured wine for Huang Huiqing himself, but Huang Huiqing said he didn't dare.
"You are the Emperor's confidant, and you are in charge of the household department, so you deserve it." Fan Zhixian insisted. After drinking, he looked at the table full of food and wine and sighed: "I wonder if I will be able to eat such sumptuous meals in the future."
Huang Huiqing laughed and asked, "As long as we can establish ourselves in Qinghua, can we have such meals as we want?"
Fan Zhixian raised his brows slightly, and squeezed out deep wrinkles: "Master Huang, there is no need to speak like this. The people here don't know where the Ming army is. Don't you and I also know?"
Huang Huiqing remained silent.
Fan Zhixian sighed: "I can't figure it out. Duobang City is so strong and has elephant soldiers to help. Why did it fail to hold on for even a day and was completely destroyed by Zhang Fu! Alas, Duobang is gone, Shenglong City is gone, Chang'an is gone The town is about to be lost, how long can we hold Thanh Hoa?"
Huang Huiqing looked at Fan Zhixian and said, "We should keep guarding for as long as we can, right?"
Fan Zhixian stared at Huang Huiqing, paused for a few breaths, and then said: "Is that -?"
Huang Huiqing heard the implication of Fan Zhixian's words and couldn't help frowning: "Fan Shangshu seems to have other ideas?"
Fan Zhixian picked up the wine bowl, drank it all in one gulp, and then started eating by himself.
Huang Huiqing looked at Fan Zhixian who was silent and fell into deep thought.
Fan Zhixian put down his chopsticks, stared and said, "People always have to drink. The wine in this restaurant is incredible. Are you planning to try another restaurant?"
Huang Huiqing's eyes widened.
Fan Zhixian's words are not simply about drinking. Given his identity and the current situation, the hidden meaning of this sentence is to ask himself whether he intends to surrender to the Ming Dynasty and eat the food of the Ming Dynasty!
"What are you..."
Huang Huiqing was a little nervous.
Fan Zhixian said calmly: "There are no ears or eyes here, so let's just speak openly. If Qinghua City cannot be defended, where will we retreat to?"
Huang Huiqing pointed to the east and said seriously: "The sea."
Fan Zhixian laughed and said: "Is the sea our world? Have you forgotten about the Ming Dynasty's navy traveling across Southeast Asia?"
Huang Huiqing will naturally not forget that the Ming Dynasty opened up the Southeast Asia with its fleet and made many vassal states surrender. Annan was also deeply worried about this.
However, the Ming Dynasty's naval fleet is far away in the old port, and it is said that it has gone to the sea further west, and it is impossible to rush back. As long as we wait for the Ming army to withdraw, even the arrival of the Ming navy will be of no avail. They can't destroy a country with just a few ships.
"Lord Huang, you don't know yet, but the Ming Navy has already appeared in the Jiaochang Ocean!"
Fan Zhixian dropped a big news.
"What?"
Huang Huiqing exclaimed.
Fan Zhixian frowned: "According to the news from Haidong Road and Jianning Mansion, at least three fortune ships have been found cruising in the outer sea. As for whether the treasure ships will come, and how many Ming troops have come, it is not yet known."
"The navy of the Ming Army is not..."
"The Ming army is powerful. Who says that the navy in Nanyang is all that the navy has?"
"this……"
Huang Huiqing fell into despair.
If the main force of the Ming Dynasty navy has gone to the West, and a part of the navy can still be mobilized to encircle and suppress the sea outside Annan, then Hu Jima and his son will have no way out!
Hu Jisao's final strategy was to withdraw from the land and avoid the Ming army on the sea to delay the war, wait for domestic civil unrest and the arrival of the rainy season, and then counterattack. But now it seems that Mingting intends to kill Hu Jiya and his son completely, and has no intention of letting them escape.
"Master Huang, there is no hope for this restaurant."
Fan Zhixian said softly.
There was struggle in Huang Huiqing's eyes: "After all, we eat and drink here. If we change places, can we still eat and drink the same way?"
Fan Zhixian knew that Huang Huiqing was moved, so he poured a glass of wine: "I still dare not talk about eating and drinking, but at least I can still eat and drink."
Huang Huiqing understood.
If you surrender now, you can at least survive. If you wait until the Ming Dynasty soldiers enter Qinghua in a few days, you may not even be able to save your life.
"Who else?"
Huang Huiqing was silent for a long time and whispered.
Fan Zhixian shook his head slightly: "This matter cannot be discussed. If you are willing, then come to the west gate during patrol tomorrow evening and someone will take us out of the city."
Huang Huiqing drank a large bowl of wine, took out a piece of broken silver, threw it on the table, stood up and said, "You can invite me to the restaurant someday."
Fan Zhixian smiled.
The situation is irreversible. The destruction of Duobang City heralds the end of everything. There is no need to stay in an unsafe place. As for Hu Ji Yao, it depends on his own fate. If he does not counterattack, he is already being extremely loyal to him.
The person responsible for attacking Qinghua was Han Guan, and the vanguard was still Yuan Yue, the Nanning Guard and the Pingxiang Guard. This army moved quickly and unstoppably. It only took two days to capture the entire Chang'an Prefecture, a distance of Thanh Hoa is less than a hundred miles away.
Yuan Yue stopped at the junction of Thanh Hoa Prefecture and Chang'an Prefecture to discuss how to capture Thanh Hoa. At this time, the army of Jianning Prefecture got in touch with the navy, and Xu Liang from a thousand households came ashore and asked to see Yuan Yue.
"The naval fleet has arrived?"
When Yuan Yue saw Xu Liang, he exchanged a few words and asked immediately.
Xu Liang shook his head and said: "The main force of the naval fleet has not arrived yet. It will take three to five days. Your speed is really too fast, much faster than expected."
Yuan Yue laughed loudly: "Indeed, no one expected to capture Duobang in just one day. Now that the war situation has changed, we can't stay in the north forever. As long as Qinghua is captured, the Hu family and his son will have no way to go." .”
Xu Liang thought for a moment and said: "Should we wait for the main force of the navy to arrive before attacking Qinghua? Once we let it escape overseas..."
Yuan Yue looked at the map and analyzed: "No need, our march to Qinghua will happen in two days. Even if the Hu family and his son want to escape, they will not escape overseas all at once. They will definitely fight according to the river and wait for the delay." In three to five days, the Navy will be able to completely block the entrance to the sea, leaving him with absolutely no way out!"
Xu Liang calculated the date and estimated that it would be enough, so he took people back to the Dafu ship and led three Dafu ships on patrol. Once the Annan navy was discovered to be out to sea, they would be sunk.
The three big fortune ships cannot control the long coastline, but it is enough to guard an area at the seaport.
At this time, Li Jian and Li Xingzheng led the naval fleet with full sail, approaching the Cochin Ocean. The strategic encirclement gradually formed, and there was not much time left for Annan Hu and his son...
