Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 326 How can your shoes not get wet if you often walk by the river?
"Your Majesty, I am your servant Jin Shenghuan!
Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long, long live the emperor! "

Surprise?
A little bit.

But after hearing the other party introduce himself, Zhu Cilang became more alert.

In the original history, Jin Shenghuan did rebel, but fundamentally, his rebellion was due to his dissatisfaction with the Qing court's military and political arrangements for Jiangxi, not because he was truly loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, in Zhu Cilang's opinion, without sufficient temptation of benefits, General Jin would never make such a move.

So the question is, what can he gain by rebelling at this time?
On the surface, after the Battle of Ganzhou, not only did the Qing government no longer have the strength to compete with Jiangxi, but even the two Huai regions and Hubei behind it would be exposed to the military force of the Ming Dynasty.

Based on this, the offensive and defensive momentum between the Ming and Qing dynasties would be reversed. Even if the emperor of the Ming Dynasty was replaced by Zhao Gou, the situation of the Northern and Southern Dynasties could be maintained.

But what does this have to do with him, Jin Shenghuan?
The examples of Hu Maozhen and Li Chengdong are before us. In any case, all the generals were reused only after a thorough reorganization.

Even if Jin Shenghuan took Shang Kexi's head with him, his future would at most be that of Hu Maozhen.

An ambitious man like him would certainly not accept such an arrangement. It would be better for him to stay with the Manchus and see if he could turn the tide. Maybe he would even have a chance to get the title of prince.

With this in mind, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but become extremely alert.

While looking at Jin Shenghuan who was kneeling outside the tent, he said in a very cold tone: "I am the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and you are a minister of the Manchus. You can never be called my emperor."

Seeing their Majesty behave like this, all the generals present were stunned for a moment.

Although times have changed and the Ming Dynasty is no longer the same as it was last year, Jin Shenghuan still has tens of thousands of troops under his command, and his troops are located in a very critical position.

If we really capture it, not only will the war in Jiangxi end sooner, but it will also set an example for the Han troops in Jiangbei.

If you think in this way, accepting Jin Shenghuan is a sure win deal, but I don't know why Your Majesty would react like this.

"Your Majesty, please understand. At the beginning, the army spread rumors that you had been killed by Hongguang.
The guilty minister was so angry that he only wanted revenge, and this led to a big mistake.
Now that I know you are safe and sound, I should return to the right path. How can I continue to be a running dog of the Tartars? "

After saying this, Jin Shenghuan bowed deeply to the ground again, and then he prostrated himself on the ground for a long time, as if he was extremely sad.

Although this reason does not stand up to scrutiny, it is sufficient if we only regard it as a stepping stone.

After all, all kinds of news were flying around at that time, and if he said he was deceived by rumors, who could disprove it?

It’s just that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty did not intend to take this step, or he had not seen enough reasons.

So when General Jin displayed all his life's acting skills through his slightly trembling shoulders, Zhu Cilang added with a half-smile.

"So you are innocent?"

This is the privilege of the victor. If he is willing to take this opportunity, he can express his feelings accordingly.

But if one is unwilling, these words may be interpreted as "deceiving the king".

After all, Jin Shenghuan was neither like Li Chengdong and others who were desperate and could be manipulated by Zhu Cilang, nor like Hu Maozhen who had given a sufficient token of his allegiance.

If we accept his surrender, not only will we have to promote him to a higher rank and give him a higher title, but we will also have to use various means to slowly disintegrate his army.

Rather than inviting such unstable factors into the internal system, it would be more effective to fight a battle.

"How dare I! How dare I!"

As soon as Zhu Cilang finished speaking, Jin Shenghuan bowed deeply to the ground again. But when everyone thought that the show was about to end, he was so bold that he stood up and turned his tearful face towards the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

"I know that I have committed a grave sin, and I am ready to atone for it with my own death after I take over Nanchang!"

Nanchang!

The generals present were all extraordinary people. Even though Jin Shenghuan acted sincerely, they still accurately grasped the key points of his words.

Speaking of this city alone, it is actually nothing. After all, it is built on the bank of Ganjiang River. Even if Jin Shenghuan had not surrendered the city, the Ming army could have captured it within a month or two with the advantage of its navy.

But if you focus on the entire battlefield, its significance is more than just a fortified city.

This place not only cuts off the retreat route of the Qing army in Ji'an, but is also a pass on the road to the Yunmeng Plain. Once it falls into the hands of the Ming army, Zhu Cilang may be able to enter Hubei before the Tartars react.

At that time, we will have the cooperation of He Tengjiao from Hunan
Realizing this, not to mention how the generals in the tent reacted, even Zhu Cilang became a little excited.

You know, taking over Hubei is equivalent to setting up another barrier in front of the Yangtze River, and this barrier only needs to defend Xiangyang to ensure that the rear is worry-free.

You should know that the Southern Song Dynasty was able to hold off the powerful enemies in the north for decades with just this city, and it was precisely because of this city that the weak Southern Song army had a strategic advantage in this area.

just
"Get up first."

Zhu Cilang's tone was still indifferent, and he seemed not to understand the importance of Nanchang. This behavior was not only beyond Jin Shenghuan's expectations, but even the generals in the tent secretly cast surprised glances at him.

Obviously, accepting Jin Shenghuan would be of great benefit, but at the same time it would bring Zhu Cilang two unavoidable problems.

One is a change in strategy.

According to his original idea, the ultimate goal of the battle in Jiangxi was just to drive the Tartars back to Jiangbei, and then he would turn his attention to the entanglement with the red-haired people.

But if Hubei is also included in the target of this war due to changes in the situation, not to mention whether there will be any changes in the Red Hairs due to the delay in time, just the fact that whether the food and grass stored in Jiangxi are sufficient to support this war is enough to make him think again and again.

As for another point, we have to mention Zhu Cilang’s attitude towards military power.

Hu Maozhen offered Nikan's head and there was no possibility of betrayal anymore. Li Chengdong was desperate and could only allow himself to be reorganized and no longer had the ability to betray.

When Zuo and Yuan were transferred from the army, Fang and Hou proved their loyalty by fighting to the death.

Up to now, the real military commander of the Ming Dynasty is either a die-hard fan of Zhu Cilang or unlikely to betray him. That is why he dared to leave the center for a long time without worrying about any trouble.

But this Jin Shenghuan is not like that.

Obviously these people have problems of one kind or another, but few can match their sensitivity to danger.

Now that the Ming Dynasty was just beginning to gain momentum, this clever guy decisively abandoned the Tartars when he had enough bargaining chips in his hands.

If Zhu Cilang really accepted this surrender and seized Hubei as a result, then Jin Shenghuan would surely be promoted and establish his own system.

Not to mention whether this unstable factor would cause him to have second thoughts, its mere existence would keep Zhu Cilang awake at night.

Under such circumstances, it would obviously do more harm than good to persuade him to surrender. How could he be greedy for small profits and take the risk of disrupting the strategy and laying hidden mines?

not to mention.
"No matter why you surrendered to the Qing Dynasty before, I don't intend to pursue it, but I am also deeply gratified that you have a heart to serve your country."

At this point, everyone in the tent breathed a sigh of relief. But when Jin Shenghuan was about to act out another scene, he heard the indifferent voice continue, "How about this, you stay by my side, so that we can get to know each other better."

After hearing this, Jin Shenghuan was startled for a moment, and then he fell to the ground again with a thud.

"The emperor's grace is so great that I cannot repay it even if I die. However, the armies under your command do not know my intentions yet. If General Chang were to take over, trouble would inevitably arise."

"That's fine. You can just write a letter. If there are any disobedient people, we will kill them on the spot. It will also be a good opportunity to see how many of your subordinates have ulterior motives."

How could this be? !
How could this be?? ! !
Doesn't he want Xiangyang or Hubei? !
When these murderous words reached his ears, even Jin Shenghuan, who had experienced many storms, couldn't help but react.

If you want to take over Hubei at this opportunity, you cannot spend too much time in Nanchang.

If they waited for the Qing reinforcements to arrive, they would have to take down each city one by one. Even if the Ming army could still capture it by then, it would cost a lot.

In his opinion, even a three-year-old child could do the math, let alone the Ming Emperor who defeated Duoduo and Ajige?
Hence, he appeared here in a swaggering manner.

But now, listening to what the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty said, it is obvious that he does not intend to let him go back.

This made Jin Shenghuan, who had already planned everything, confused.

Could it be that the Emperor Ming was not good at adapting to changing circumstances and did not figure out the key points?

As soon as the thought came to his mind, Jin Shenghuan immediately made up his mind. He then arranged his words, and after adjusting his mood, he knelt on the ground again.

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful. Even veterans like Duoduo and Ajige can't stop the heavenly soldiers for a moment. However, the news of the battle in Ganzhou has spread. The Qing court must have mobilized troops. If we delay in Nanchang for too long, Hubei will have to go through more trouble. By then."

"Who said I want to take the Hubei ones?"

As soon as the words fell, not only Jin Shenghuan looked surprised, but even the generals in the tent looked directly at their own emperor without any regard for etiquette.

If it were Zhu Cilang's previous men, someone might have stood up to advise him at this time, but he had defeated powerful enemies along the way and had already left an indelible image of wisdom in the hearts of the generals.

Therefore, even though the people in the tent were extremely confused, they just opened their mouths slightly and waited quietly for the explanation from their Majesty.

"Although the waterways in Hubei and Huaibei are not as navigable as those in the south of the Yangtze River, they are far more suitable for warships than those in the north. With such geographical advantages, we must let the Tartars have another taste of the power of the navy. How can I let them retreat so easily?"

Snapped!
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sound of hard objects colliding from somewhere. It was obvious that someone was so frightened by Zhu Cilang's words that he lost his composure in front of the king.

They thought about what reason their Majesty would give, but no one could have imagined it would be this one.

Your Majesty wants to consume the Tartars to death in Hubei and Huaibei.

With this in mind, Hu Maozhen inadvertently glanced at Jin Shenghuan who was lying on the ground, and then he couldn't help feeling relieved.

"Jin Qing, are you feeling unwell?"

"Your Majesty, I have done nothing wrong. I am just..."

It's over, it's over.

After half a lifetime of management and half a lifetime of accumulation, I never thought that it would be ruined so easily.

Although Jin Shenghuan responded to Zhu Cilang's questions out of instinct, his mind was already in a mess.

Although he had been very humble before, his words and actions were always full of confidence.

Although his appearance has not changed much now, anyone who sees him can detect the dejection emanating from him.

What can be done about this?
If you want to gain benefits, you have to take risks.

He surrendered to Zuo Liangyu and thus became the general of the Ming Dynasty.

He rebelled against Zuo Menggeng, and thus avoided defeat and death.

Afterwards, whether it was his active request to attack Jiangxi or his collusion with Ajige, he was promoted again and again.

But if you walk by the river often, how can you not get your feet wet?
After this betrayal and transaction, he finally made a mistake.

It is easy to imagine that after this, he will hardly have the opportunity to lead troops again, and may even gradually disappear in this chaotic world until no one remembers his name.

This is naturally nothing for ordinary people, but for a hero who has the ability to stir up trouble in troubled times, it is more painful than death.

This was not something Zhu Cilang deliberately targeted him. The key was that he looked at Zhu Cilang with a normal eye.

As a result, the judgment he made was naturally extremely wrong, and the final result was naturally not what he wanted.

"Okay, I'm glad you're fine," Zhu Cilang said lightly, and then he looked away: "Someone, take General Jin down to rest first."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards helped the already limp Jin Shenghuan out of the tent.

As soon as the man's figure disappeared, several generals stood up.

"Your Majesty is wise. This plan really plays to one's strengths and avoids one's weaknesses!"

"Your Majesty's plan really hits the Tartars' weak spot. It's wrong for him to defend Hubei and Huaibei, and it's wrong for him not to defend either. I really want to see how that villain chief Dorgon reacts after he figures it out."

These words were naturally suspected of flattery, but it was undeniable that Zhu Cilang was able to grasp the key points and was not bothered by small profits, which made them extremely admired.

But everyone had different thoughts. When the others were flattering him, Fang Guoan reacted first.

"Your Majesty, I will fight you!"

Normally, when requesting a fight, one would always specify where the fight would take place, but after he said this he was just waiting for His Majesty to make the arrangements, without any intention of explaining in detail.

"Where are you going to fight?"

"It's whatever your majesty arranges."

Fang Guoan's answer was flawless and must be what he really thought.

But for Zhu Cilang, the incident with Jin Shenghuan required some adjustments to the original plan. How could he assign any task to Fang Guoan in such a short period of time?
What to do next?

With this in mind, Zhu Cilang turned his gaze to the map beside him, but after scanning it over and over again, he felt that no matter which option he chose there would be some subtle problems.

Under this circumstance, he planned to let the generals retreat first, but when he turned around and saw a black spot on the map, he suddenly had some ideas in his mind.

No better than.
A little late,,,, I had written half of the chapter, but when I was writing it, I felt that there were some problems, so I pushed it back and started over.
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(End of this chapter)