Chapter 7: Huguang Strategy (I)

"Huguang is familiar, and the world is full!" This saying means that as long as Huguang has a bumper harvest, the world will not worry about hunger. This sentence is a little exaggerated, but it reveals the truth, that is, this ancient Jingzhou land is indeed the granary of the Central Plains.

In the Ming Dynasty, Huguang belonged to only one province, but it was divided into Hunan and Hubei provinces in the Qing Dynasty. Such a large piece was a treasure land. Now, only north of the Yangtze River is under the control of the court. Although Zhu Xieyuan nominally also served as the governor of Huguang, he was too busy with the matter in Sichuan and Shu himself, let alone the matter outside Shu.

"Does the emperor intend to recover Huguang first?" Xiong Tingbi couldn't help but ask when he saw Zhu Yinglong staring at Huguang on the map for a long time.

Zhu Yinglong did not answer directly, but raised his head and smiled at Xiong Tingbi, saying, "Even if I intend to recover the entire Huguang, it is not your turn, as your father-in-law, to take action himself."

Xiong Tingbi had already understood that the emperor was going to mobilize troops in the south, and his purpose was Huguang. He said with concern: "Your Majesty, I have heard of the affairs of Fujian. Now that he has lost the pseudo-Ming of Governor Ye who restrained Nanjing in the south, unless the Northern Army is drawn to the south, the guards in the heart of the Central Plains may not have much combat power."

"Have you gone to see Li Niang?" Zhu Yinglong asked irresponsibly.

"Report to the emperor, I will come to see the emperor first when I enter the palace. I have never seen the imperial concubine yet." Xiong Tingbi replied restrainedly.

It can be seen that he is now a royal relative, so he should be named an earl. In this way, it would be natural for a person who is not clear about his identity to suddenly enter the military club as the second leader. Zhu Yinglong is also considering this matter. Title is essential under a monarchy. He is pursuing how to turn this title into a symbol of honor and no longer link it to the position. The court does not need to add burden to the title, because with the title, not only has privileges, but the court also has to give more salary every year. Zhu Yinglong has long since wanted to give it, so how can he not give it? It's a bit mysterious.

"So, I will go with you and quarrel with Li Niang. Today I am considered a blessing!" Zhu Yinglong stood up and rubbed his hands and said with a smile. People can't live in the shadow of sadness. When he realized that he is only eighteen years old now and still has a long way to go. It is not his personality to admit defeat so easily, so he quickly came out.

"I obey the order!" Xiong Tingbi bowed his head.

In the palace, Zhu Yinglong insisted on not sitting in a sedan chair, and sat for so long every day. If he didn't walk and move, he was afraid that the emperor would be a short-lived ghost in the end. Unless he had a particularly long journey, he would use the dragon chassis. Otherwise, the two eunuchs in the front would be in charge. Later, Xu Yingyuan and eight big guards followed him. The weather was hot, rainy and snowy. It was just a veil. Of course, this was in the palace. If you leave the palace, you still have to be pompous. There is no way. He didn't say it. What do all officials think and think? Just make a self-deprecating sentence, follow the local customs.

"The Emperor is here!"

Anyone in Jingren's palace who heard this sound immediately fell down.

"Everyone is flat!" Zhu Yinglong glared at Xu Yingyuan fiercely. Who told you to shout, originally wanted to surprise Xiong Hu. Now you have made you sour, Xu Yingyuan subconsciously touched his butt, his eyes shrank, and he lowered his head and continued to move forward.

This shout really alarmed Xiong Hu, who was doing prenatal education for the fetus. Needless to say, this was his emperor's idea, because only he knew about prenatal education in this time and space, so he taught it to Xiong Hu as the author. This made Xiong Hu, who was pregnant and idle every day, finally found something meaningful to do. Even if the sisters were not together, she would not feel bored and lonely.

Xiong Hu led the palace maid who was serving him and came out from inside. Seeing Zhu Yinglong hurriedly stepped forward and said, "I'm going to pay homage to the emperor!"

Five months ago, my stomach was already up, and Zhu Yinglong couldn't bear to let her kneel down. He immediately walked up and knelt down and helped Xiong Hu on his knees and said, "Li Niang, did I tell you? You are pregnant, don't treat me like this!"

"Emperor, I'm..."

Before Xiong Hu could speak further, she was blindfolded by Zhu Yinglong and said, "Li Niang, I brought someone to see you today. Guess who he is?"

Xiong Tingbi was ordered by Zhu Yinglong to stand behind him and not allow Xiong Hu to see his face. Xiong Tingbi also wanted to surprise his daughter, so he naturally agreed reluctantly.

"Isn't it just that my father is back? Li Niang has known it a long time ago." Xiong Hu said with a smile.

Zhu Yinglong took off the hand that was covered by Xiong Hu's eyes and said in surprise: "Li Niang, how did you know the land? The prince-in-law came to see me first as soon as he entered Beijing!"

Xiong Hu leaned into Zhu Yinglong's ear and whispered: "You men all have a smell. After dad has traveled so far, he must have not taken a shower. The smell on his body is even stronger. I will know it as soon as I smell it."

Zhu Yinglong was very surprised. He didn't expect that Xiong Hu had the real person who recognized people, and his nose was better than a dog. Bah, Bah, how could Li Niang compare with a dog? Therefore, she cultivated military dogs on a large scale, and used police dogs to track and capture enemies and criminals. Because of such a small episode, she was born in the emperor's mind with such an inspiration.

"Then what does it smell on me?" Zhu Yinglong asked in detail.

"Of course it smells bad!" Xiong Hu smiled in Zhu Yinglong's ear and said angrily.

Xiong Tingbi looked at the emperor and his daughter inexplicably. Seeing them biting their ears, their faces were full of smiles and very loving appearances, the stone in his heart fell a little.

"I'm here, please go down and take a shower and change your clothes!" Zhu Yinglong suddenly said with an order.

Xiong Tingbi was taken down by the eunuch in a daze to take a bath, but he was not stupid either. As he washed, he understood. When he changed into a comfortable dress, he turned to Zhu Yinglong and his biological daughter and turned red with embarrassment.

The banquet had already been set up, and the three of them sat around the table, Xiong Hu snuggled up to Zhu Yinglong, looking extremely loving.

"Mr. Li Niang has entered the palace to become my concubine. I and Li Niang have been keeping this cup of wedding wine for you, just waiting for you to drink today!" Zhu Yinglong raised his glass and said.

Xiong Hu also raised his glass to his father and said, "Dad, please forgive my daughter for being unfilial. At that time, my daughter was pregnant and had to enter the palace without telling you."

Xiong Tingbi had no choice but to raise his glass and said, "The emperor has treated my Xiong family with great kindness. How can I not drink this glass of wine!" So he raised his neck and drank the first glass of wine.

Zhu Yinglong also drank it, and Xiong Hu wanted to bring the wine glass to his mouth, but Zhu Yinglong stopped him and said, "Li Niang, you are not good at drinking and are pregnant. I will drink this glass of wine for you."

Xiong Hu thought for a while, let go of his hand, put the wine glass on the table, Zhu Yinglong picked it up and drank it all, and then instructed Xu Yingyuan, who was accompanying him to pour wine. Xiong Hu could not drink, so he used tea instead of wine.

After the wine was filled again, Zhu Yinglong waved his hand to let all the eunuchs and palace maids in the room go out, and ordered Xu Yingyuan not to shout, and no one was allowed to come in and disturb him.

"I want to take Huguang first, want to hear your opinions?" Zhu Yinglong said straight to the point.

Xiong Tingbi seemed to have guessed that the emperor sent out all the eunuchs and palace maids, not because he was afraid that people would disturb the family banquet. He carefully considered it and asked, "Why don't the emperor summon several military ministers to discuss it together?"

"I have thought. The ministers in the military machinery hall, except for the father-in-law, you and the old president of the old president, are all peace-minded. They will not easily agree to the war with Nanjing at this time. You must know that our Yangtze River defense land is insufficient. The national treasury seems to be plump, but in fact it is tight. When the war begins, where do the soldiers, money and food come from?" Zhu Yinglong said worriedly.

"Does the emperor want to fight tacitly?" Or the person next to him knew his thoughts best, Zhu Yinglong cast a glimmer of praise at Xiong Hu.

"Huguang is indeed a weak area controlled by the pseudo-governor of Nanjing. If the court had not been insufficient in strength and the Governor Zhu Xieyuan was in Sichuan, otherwise the Huguang land south of the Yangtze River would have fallen into the hands of Wei Zhongxian. The court was very passive!" Xiong Tingbi was unwilling to say.

"I have thought carefully that although the imperial court has weak military strength in Jiangbei, Wei Zhongxian did not dare to act rashly. Although Zheng Zhilong from Fujian is not a good thing, he still has military command capabilities. This person has ambitions. I don't know how great his ambitions are. But it may not be easy for Wei Zhongxian to subdue this big pirate. I am only a little bit connected now. Zheng Zhilong in Fujian may have a greater effect on his involvement in Fujian than Ye Xianggao in Fujian, otherwise why did Wei Zhongxian delay his army to the north without any worries?" Zhu Yinglong analyzed.

"The emperor's analysis makes sense. But what if Wei Zhongxian was cruel and exchanged huge interests for Zheng Zhilong's cooperation and attacked from the sea? With the current naval force of the court, if the naval power is not a match for Zheng Zhilong, his fleet can directly penetrate Tianjin Wei!" Xiong Tingbi said.

"Don't forget, there is another Pi Island." Xiong Hu inserted it, and both men nodded again.

"You guys say, what will Wei Zhongxian use to tempt Zheng Zhilong to cooperate with him?" Zhu Yinglong asked with his head raised.

"Guangzhou or Guangdong and Guangxi." Xiong Tingbi thought carefully. Zheng Zhilong had no choice but to refuse this condition because his temptation was too great, almost half of the southeast. The question is, is Wei Zhongxian willing?

"If I don't take Huguang, the court will face the pressure of cutting off food. Huguang is too important to me." Zhu Yinglong said with a cold face. In his heart, Huguang is the lifeline of the court. If he doesn't take it down, without the sea food route, the court must open up a new source of food, and the emperor should fight guerrillas.

"Bit!" Xiong Tingbi was silent for a long time, and a word suddenly burst out from his mouth.

"Who will go?"

"Go!" Xiong Tingbi said firmly.

"But you are not familiar with water war. If you want to fight, you have to face the Dongting Lake Naval Master. Although there are only five thousand, you are under regular training after all!" Zhu Yinglong did not refuse directly. If he saw what the Dongting Lake Naval Master looked like, he would not even hesitate and would start the war directly.

"There are still ships. I have to take Wuchang. I have estimated that at least two hundred large ships will be needed. Even if the surprise attack successfully occupied Wuchang, I still have to defeat the Dongting Lake Navy to gain a foothold. Unless the Dongting Lake Navy collectively revolt, I have no confidence in this battle!" Zhu Yinglong shook his head and said, the table of dishes in front of the three of them had not moved a single chopstick, and it had already become cold.

"If you fight, you still have to fight. If you don't fight, you will know that you will lose steadily. The Red Army marched 25,000 miles away, and they all came to chase and block the enemy from all sides. I still have most of the country in my hand. How could I be so timid?" Zhu Yinglong slapped the table and said loudly.

"What the Red Army, what the 25,000-mile Long March?" Xiong Hu looked at Zhu Yinglong in surprise and said.

"Oh no, I'm talking quickly for a while, and I missed it!" I immediately turned my mind and refused to admit it, "What the Red Army, have I said it?" My face was not red, I didn't breathe, and I looked calm, as if he had never said it.
Chapter completed!