Beijing City, Ming Dynasty Palace.

After learning that Zhang Xianzhong won a great victory, Zuo Liangyu retreated to Jiujiang and was very likely to covet Jiangnan, Emperor Chongzhen immediately summoned a cabinet to discuss matters.

"You all tell me what should I do now?" After Wang Chengen introduced the situation, Chongzhen could hardly wait to speak.

There is no way. Now that Li Zicheng poisoned the Central Plains and Shaanxi, Zhang Xianzhong was entrenched in Huguang and tigers, Jiangnan was too important to the Ming Dynasty!

After listening to the situation introduction, the other ministers present also looked shocked.

In the minds of these ministers, Zhang Xianzhong was just a second-rate bandit after all, and Zuo Liangyu was also a second-rate general. After two second-rate fights, they will not be able to decide the winner in the spring of next year, or even within a year or two.

Who knew that it was only two months since the fight started, and before winter came, Zhang Xianzhong fucked Zuo Liangyu.

Who can I ask for reason?

The British Duke smiled bitterly and said, "In fact, it would be the best if Zhang Xianzhong and Zuo Liangyu could continue to stalemate. The current situation has made the Ming Dynasty a little passive."

In the original British Duke's expectation, the Ming Dynasty's court should have taken advantage of the opportunity when Zhang Xianzhong and Zuo Liangyu were in a group and Jiangnan had no threat to directly destroy Li Zicheng.

Next, no matter who wins and who loses, whether it is Zhang Xianzhong or Zuo Liangyu, regaining Henan and Shaanxi, and the Ming Dynasty, which has opened up connections with Sichuan, can deal with it calmly.

But now Jiangnan has been targeted by this guy Zuo Liangyu, and the situation is completely different.

Whether in Jiangnan or the capital, the Ming Dynasty must not be discarded.

Li Guozhen couldn't help but say, "Zuo Liangyu has just defeated the battle. Why should he attack Jiangnan? Maybe he was worried."

The British Duke shook his head and said, "Don't you know that Xiangcheng Bo is in Jiangxi? The grain output and population there are not enough to support a large army. If Zuo Liangyu can't defeat Jiangnan, he is likely to not even be able to pass the winter!"

As soon as the British Duke finished speaking, a new 800-mile-emergency military message was delivered.

"Your Majesty, the news I just received is that Zuo Liangyu's troops have already flowed downstream from Jiujiang and started an attack on Nanzhili!"

After hearing this news, Chongzhen's face changed drastically again.

"Jiangnan" is actually a relatively general statement. In a narrow sense, it refers to the later regions of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, with Hangzhou and Suzhou as the core.

The territory under the Ming Dynasty's Southern Zhili includes the later provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu and Shanghai, including two of the three provincial administrative regions of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai in the later generations. Therefore, when news of the attack on Southern Zhili came, everyone knew that Zuo Liangyu's attack on Jiangnan had officially begun!

Zhu Cixuan coughed and said, "Father, there is nothing to worry about now, right? Let me lead my troops south and pacify this Zuo Liangyu!"

Zhu Ciyang's request for battle immediately made Chongzhen feel energetic and said hurriedly: "Okay, just do it!"

After many battles, Chongzhen's score for Zhu Cilang's commander value was very high, at least three or four floors taller than Chongzhen himself.

Of course, considering that Chongzhen's self-rating may be of several underground floors, there may be seven or eight floors higher than that...

The British Duke hesitated for a moment and considered whether he would volunteer.

Zhu Cilang obviously thought of this and turned his eyes to the British Duke and said seriously: "Duke of Britain, I will leave the safety of the capital here to you."

Duke of England: "...The old minister knows."

Chongzhen had no objection to this arrangement. Beijing City was indeed at a disadvantage in terms of its current strategic situation. Just at the doorstep of the Qing Dynasty, there must be a general like the British Duke to guard it.

Chongzhen looked at Zhu Ciyang and asked, "Yan'er, how many soldiers are you going to take south?"

This is indeed a problem. You should know that although the Ming Dynasty has more than 100,000 troops, these more than 100,000 are actually distributed in the four provinces of northern Shanxi, the capital, the northern Zhili, and Jinan, and are stretching for thousands of kilometers.

It would be fine if you just defend the country. At the same time, these tens of thousands of people were also responsible for attacking Li Zicheng to restore the Central Plains. In addition, Zuo Liangyu is now fighting on the third line.

If you say hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses are fighting on the third line, it’s fine, but more than tens of thousands of soldiers and horses are fighting on the third line...

Four words are so tight.

As for why the Ming Dynasty did not expand its military, the answer is also very simple - the treasury has no money.

You should know that even the grain and military resources transported from Jiangnan were borrowed by the Ministry of Revenue in various ways, and only then did the money collected by racking his brains. It was only after he could only maintain the supply of more than 100,000 troops and the livelihood of the four provinces.

Still expanding the army? I really thought too much.

In order to save military expenses, Emperor Chongzhen still had two dishes and one soup with Empress Zhou every day. Think about it, an emperor could only have two dishes and one soup. What would the national treasury look like? The mouse basically couldn't survive in it.

As for the celebration banquet where the British Duke returned from triumphantly, it is said that the Minister of Revenue sat there without moving a single chopstick. Looking at the expression on his face of those good wine and dishes, he felt so distressed that he was as if he was dead... They were all the money from the Ming Dynasty!

Zhu Cixuan naturally knew about this, so he said without hesitation: "I don't want other soldiers, I just need my three thousand princes' personal army, plus two helpers of civil and military."

Chongzhen was shocked: "Yan'er, are you kidding? That Zuo Liangyu is known as a 100,000 troops!"

Zhu Cixuan disagreed: "100,000? He and Zhang Xianzhong should have had 100,000 before the war started. Now at best, there is a maximum of 30,000 or 40,000 yuan."

Chongzhen: "...Thirty or forty thousand is not something you can afford to be a 3,000-40,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,000-30,

Zhu Ciyang laughed and asked Chongzhen a question: "Does the father look like an idiot who likes to seek death?"

Chongzhen immediately paused.

Of course he understood what Zhu Cilang meant. Since Zhu Cilang was not seeking death, it means that Zhu Cilang is indeed confident that he can win.

After a long time, Chongzhen said helplessly: "Which two people do you want?"

Zhu Cilang said seriously: "If you say a civil servant, of course you need Shi Kefa. He has worked in Jiangnan for a few years before and is very familiar with the situation there. As for the general..."

When Li Guozhen heard this, he subconsciously thrust his chest and showed expectation.

Zhu Cixuan continued, "...you should be noble. This person was born in the Guanning Army and should have a good understanding of Zuo Liangyu. With the help of this literature and military, my son thought it would be no problem to pacify Zuo Liangyu."

Li Guozhen lowered his head in extreme dismay as if he was struck by lightning. There was only one thought in his mind: "Your Highness the Crown Prince doesn't want me..."

Chongzhen was still worried: "That's enough people? Well, even if you can defeat Zuo Liangyu, what about Zhang Xianzhong?"

Zhu Cilang smiled and said, "Zhang Xianzhong? He won't go south, don't worry, father."

Zhu Ciyang is not a fool. Just a little analysis will tell. Zhang Xianzhong had just defeated Zuo Liangyu, so why did Zuo Liangyu dare to rush straight to Jiangnan instead of resisting Zhang Xianzhong's subsequent offensive?
Chapter completed!