I'm sure of the prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong!

Chapter 123: Slowly Proclaiming Emperor

After taking Suzhou City, Yang Gong did not engage in any nationwide braid-cutting. He only cut the braids of a few officials in charge and arranged for them to continue doing what they were supposed to do. At the same time, he repaired the city walls and left a town army stationed in the city.

Then he simply gave up and led the armies of the remaining three towns to march westward towards the canal.

The troops were very fast, and Yang Gong knew that his troops were limited, so he had no intention of controlling the entire Suzhou Prefecture before the follow-up reinforcements arrived, but he wanted to decide the canal.

While the First Army marched westward to seize the canal, several fast horses also set off from Suzhou City with reports and headed south along the canal.

There they would board Tang Tongjiang's warship and go to Hangzhou to deliver a message for Yang Gong.

It was not only a military report informing the First Army that Suzhou City had been captured, but also a request for reinforcements from Zhu Jianguo and the imperial court.

There was no way, Yang Gong had no plan to rush into Jiangnan this time, but the supervisor wanted him to give him a tentative fight.

Well, this is no longer a test. Even Suzhou was captured by the First Army. All the prominent officials in the Jiangnan officialdom except Wu Cunli were killed in one sweep. Susong Town was also wiped out in one battle.

Even so, there are really not many troops that Yang Gong can use. Once the First Army is dispersed, there will be nothing left. This is why Yang Gong does not sweep the entire Suzhou Prefecture and attack Songjiang Prefecture.

One town in Wujiang, one town in Suzhou, and then spread to other counties. The attack will definitely be defeated, but this way the troops will be too scattered.Jiangnan was an important town of the Qing Dynasty, with various armies gathered there, and there were also imperial envoys and governors appointed by the Qing Dynasty. Although Yang Gong liked to take risks with troops, he was not a fool.

As for recruiting troops on the spot, Yang Gong wanted to, but he didn't have the power. He was just a general commanding troops abroad. According to the imperial court (Zhu Yijiong), he had no right to get involved in recruiting troops, even if it was just to supplement the losses.

Not only the recruitment of troops, but also the supplies of grain, grass and baggage, although they had the power to raise their own during wartime, they still had to write a report and send it back to the court and the Privy Council for filing.

It can be said that although Zhu Yijiong started his career by relying on the army, and even the operation of the entire Ming Dynasty and the maintenance of imperial power relied on the army, he also placed strict restrictions on the army.

The Privy Council was used to divide the power of military commanders, and the Song Dynasty was followed by civilian officials serving as privy envoys. However, the civil and military administrations were divided. The Privy Council was separated and ruled by him as a supervisory state. It can be considered that he took great pains.

……

"This Yang Gong!"

Zhu Yijiong looked at the letter in his hand and was quite speechless.

He just casually mentioned that he asked Yang Gong to go north to attack Jiaxing, and while taking the Hangjia Canal, he could tentatively attack the Qing army in the south of the Yangtze River.

Unexpectedly, this guy's courage and appetite were so great that more than 2 people dared to march into Jiangnan, and even the capital of Suzhou was captured by him unexpectedly.

However, it is easy to win Suzhou, but how to deal with the aftermath will be troublesome...

Looking at the canal blockage mentioned in the letter, this also confirms that the Qing government did intend to abandon Zhejiang.

Otherwise, not to mention water transportation, the canal can also be used to transport the counter-rebellion army and the Qing navy, how could it be blocked like this.

Zhu Yijiong held the letter in her hand and thought for a second, then made a decision: "Draw up the decree!"

Cui Li, the army secretary, quickly sat down on a small table and started writing.

Zhu Yijiong said: "Order the third, fourth and fifth towns of the Second Army of Huzhou Prefecture to immediately go north to Suzhou Prefecture to reinforce the First Army."

Although Zhu Yijiong had no intention of attacking Jiangnan so soon, after all, the current Ming army did not even fully control Zhejiang. Zhejiang had only initially established an administrative structure. The main senior officials of the Ming Dynasty and other administrative teams were actually still in Fujian.

If the Ming army launches a large-scale attack on Jiangnan at this time, not to mention anything else, only the logistical supplies and the replenishment of troops will make the Ming Dynasty stretched.For example, right now, Yang Gong is in charge of Zhu Yijiong's request for people, but where can Zhu Yijiong get people for him? At most, he can only transfer them from the nearby Second Army.

After all, since Suzhou has swallowed everything, it is absolutely impossible for Ming to spit it out.

However, Zhu Yijiong also did not follow Yang Gong's wishes. The number of troops to coordinate and support was only half an army. If Yang Gong insisted on holding Suzhou, these troops would definitely be enough.But there are still some risks in trying to get out of Suzhou.

According to Zhu Yijiong's thinking, a full-scale attack on Jiangnan must at least wait until the capital move is completed.

But speaking of it, Yang Gong marched into the army boldly as always, but he also inadvertently helped Zhu Yijiong.

A few months ago, when Zhu Yijiong was still in Quanzhou, he suddenly heard that Yang Gong had defeated the 20 Qing army in Zhejiang. He was so excited that he couldn't hold back his temper, and he acquiesced to the persuasion of Wang Li and other civil servants to advance.

When he calmed down after the incident, he realized something was wrong and discussed it with Wu Sidao.

At the moment, the Ming Dynasty seems to be at the height of its power and its power is growing, but in reality it only has two provinces. Even if the army invades the south of the Yangtze River in the future, to put it bluntly, it will be divided into three southeastern provinces, not even half of the country.

However, Jiangnan itself is not only an important town of wealth, but also the city of Nanjing, with the tiger perched on the dragon's plate, is the foundation of the emperor and the ancient capital of six dynasties. Even the former Taizu Emperor Gao had his capital here, which is of extraordinary political significance.

Therefore, as long as Zhu Yijiong captures Nanjing, even if he only has three provinces, he will be able to advance to the [-]th Five-Year Plan. Not only will people in the world not laugh at him, but it will further enhance the cohesion of the Ming Dynasty, show Zhu Yijiong's determination to fight against the Qing Dynasty, and attract more people. Many Yingjies (ambitious people) came and went to seek refuge.

But if he were to become emperor in Hangzhou, the meaning would be completely different.

Although Zhu Yijiong is the only Ming Dynasty in the pseudo-Qing world, and the emperor is not better than the emperor, if he does not go through the process of proclaiming emperor in Nanjing and directly ascends the throne in Hangzhou, it is actually no different from ascending the throne in Taiwan, Fuzhou or even Quanzhou.

Regardless of whether it spreads to the world or within their group, people will feel like they are muddle along and are proud and complacent.

Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui have learned from the past: It would be great to be emperor even for a day!

Of course, there is another point. The only time in history that Hangzhou served as the capital of a dynasty was in the Southern Song Dynasty. However, the Southern Song Dynasty only emerged in the Northern Song Dynasty after the Jurchens of the Jin Kingdom were crushed to pieces.

The Southern Song Dynasty was also a vassal of the Jin Kingdom. The current pseudo-Qing Dynasty was originally founded by the Later Jin Dynasty. It claimed to be the successor of the Jurchen Kingdom of the Jin Kingdom and also defeated the Ming Dynasty and crushed the Southern Ming Dynasty.

With so many hidden connections, what would it be like if Zhu Yijiong was in a hurry to ascend the throne in Hangzhou?

Do you also want to be a minister of the Qing Dynasty?

After Wu Sidao's suggestion, Zhu Yijiong, who originally felt that something was wrong, suddenly realized.

Indeed, even if you don't care about it, looking at the world, this righteousness and reputation are still very important.

Just like Lin Jun, although there were actual reasons for his inferiority, it was also because of a lack of righteousness that he had to make concessions, so that Zhu Yijiong captured Tingzhou Prefecture without spending a single soldier.

Now, Yang Gong's march to occupy Suzhou was just an excuse for him, so that he could delay his declaration of emperor and prevent his subordinates from misunderstanding that he was giving in in fear.

Just when Zhu Yijiong was upset about Suzhou and the matter of proclaiming himself emperor, Nanjing's Longkodo was still arguing with Shi Shilun.

Naturally, this is about the issue of water transportation. As the governor of water transportation, Shi Shilun and Chen Pengnian, the river governor, complement each other in their duties, and they are both governors of canal water affairs.

To put it bluntly, without them, at least half of the entire Manchu Qing Center would be paralyzed.

Now, Longkodo, the governor of Jiangnan, actually unilaterally cut off the waterway south of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal just for the so-called strategic arrangement.

Although the section of the canal sealed in Longkodo is actually no longer under the control of the Qing government, the process must still be followed, and if Longkodo can seal one section today, it can seal the other tomorrow.

If Long Keduo does this, doesn't it make it difficult for Shi Shilun to do it?
What's even more outrageous is that Longkodo not only blocked the transportation of water, but also took advantage of his troops in Cao Town.

　The Governor of Water Transport not only held the post of governor, but his duties greatly overlapped with those of the Governor of Jiangsu. He was also in charge of water transport and had soldiers and horses by his side. Therefore, the Governor of Water Transport was also called the Commander-in-Chief of Water Transport.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)