Ming Taizi's Total War

Chapter 266
After recovering Huaiqing Mansion, Zhu Cixiang did not stay here for long, but ordered his troops to clean the city, count the loot, and make some repairs. Three days later, he led his troops to march along the Yellow River to Jinan Mansion in Shandong Province.

In fact, Huaiqing Mansion is not far from Beijing and Tianjin, only seven or eight hundred miles. However, due to the dilapidated north of the Yellow River, Zhu Cihong was unable to provide supplies for the army, so Zhu Cihong had to continue marching along the Yellow River.

After all, when marching and fighting, food and grass are the most important. An army can have no armor, or even no swords and guns, but the only thing that cannot be without food, otherwise it will collapse in an instant.

With the help of a large number of horses looted from the Qing army, Zhu Cihong had enough horses to form a scout force, and a large number of livestock to help transport grain and grass.

Coupled with the thousands of miles of ships on the Yellow River to help transport the luggage, Zhu Cihong let go of the army's marching speed.

In a day's work, the fastest can travel seventy or eighty miles a day.

After all, the terrain on both sides of the Yellow River is flat, neither muddy nor gravel, which is the most suitable terrain for marching.

After about ten days, Zhu Cihong finally came to Jinan Mansion, along with Zhang Yong, Gao Jie, Liu Zeqing, the rest of Xu Dingguo, Jin Wuwei, Xiaoqiwei, Kong Youde and other surrendered generals.

There were more than [-] soldiers, and countless auxiliary soldiers and civilian husbands. There were so many people along the way, I didn't know that I thought it was a black ocean on the land.

These more than [-] people were almost all the troops that Zhu Cihong's Daming could use to fight, although most of them didn't even have enough armor.

Either only the helmet, or only the armor of the torso.

But compared to Li Zicheng's peasant army, this is already very good.

Just before Zhu Cihong led the imperial guards to Jinan City, Zhou Yuantong had already led the governors of the Shandong resident prefectures, the chief ministers, the chief ministers, and the chief inspectors, as well as some famous and status squires in Jinan.

Of course, the highest and most special Yan Shenggong is indispensable.

The name of this generation Yanshenggong is Kong Yanzhi, and it has been passed down to his generation for the fourth generation.

He was born in the 20th year of Wanli and is over 50 years old today. However, in order to welcome Zhu Cihong, the emperor of the Han family, he still worked tirelessly to stand on both sides of the road with a group of local officials and squires.

"Master Kong, it's all up to you later." A few squires with mischievous eyebrows stood beside Kong Yanzhi and whispered.

"Don't worry, the old man, as Duke Yansheng, receives the state's favor and the people's support, how can he see traitors messing up our Shandong." Kong Yanzhi said to the gentry beside him with great arrogance.

"When I meet Your Majesty later, I will definitely tell you all the evil deeds Zhou Yuantong has done and see how His Majesty punishes him."

"Thank you, Lord Yansheng, for saving the people from fire and water."

"My fortune and life all depend on Master Kong."

Those country gentry flattered Kong Yanzhi one after another.

As Yan Shenggong, he possesses the supreme status, and even the emperor has to respect him three points. As for these squires, they only have the idea of ​​flattering in their hearts.

Kong Yanzhi and a group of squires wanted to sue Zhou Yuantong, so he thought of informing Zhou Yuantong of his crimes face-to-face when welcoming Zhu Cihong into Jinan City.

In fact, not only these squires, but also the officials of various yamen in Shandong were also dissatisfied with Zhou Yuan and wanted to pull him down.

Because Zhou Yuantong has always been unwilling to join forces with them, and he always put on a bad face, looking down on officials like them who are eating vegetarian food.

That's why the Shandong gentry teamed up this time and asked Yan Shenggong to be the representative and Gao Zhouyuan to serve as the imperial concubine.

However, their wishful thinking is doomed to fail, and Zhu Cihong will not punish Zhou Yuantong just because they sue or because they are dissatisfied.

Although Yan Shenggong's status is lofty, in Zhu Cihong's view, that's all. It's not that he thinks Yan Shenggong is unimportant.

I just feel that he is just a descendant of the Kong family, compared with the world of the Han family and the country of the Ming Dynasty, it is really insignificant.

If Confucius came back to life, maybe Zhu Cihong would sell his face and change Zhou Yuantong to be the governor of another place.

Just as Yanshenggong Kong Yanzhi and others were whispering, discussing how to divide the profits after Zhou Yuantong left, the musicians and drummers on both sides suddenly started playing hard.

On both sides of the road outside Jinan City, the sound of rumbling drums shook the sky, and musicians with various instruments began to play and sing.

This is to welcome the arrival of their emperor Zhu Cihong.

Soon, the Ming army appeared in the line of sight of the welcomes on both sides of the road. The first was a part of the imperial guards and the Ma Jun, and soon after, Zhu Cihong, surrounded by 500 horse infantry, appeared in front of Zhou Yuantong, Kong Yanzhi and others.

"See Your Majesty." Zhou Yuantong, Kong Yanzhi and more than a dozen people with the highest status in Shandong came to Zhu Cihong to bow down.

"Your Majesty, long time no see. Unexpectedly, Your Majesty has already won countless battles, and he is almost certain of the world." Zhou Yuantong stepped forward and said upon seeing Zhu Cihong.

"How are you in Shandong? Are there any local dangers or risks of rebellion? If there is, you must nip it in the bud and nip it in the bud."

Just when Zhou Yuantong was about to answer, Kong Yanzhi, Lord Yansheng, suddenly stepped forward and spoke first.

"Your Majesty, if one of my ministers wants to play, the matter is of great importance, and His Majesty must hear about it."

In order to prevent Zhu Cihong from making excuses that it was not an important matter, let's put it aside for a later time, Kong Yanzhi first put on a hat that is of great importance.

As Yan Shenggong, as long as he said it was important, even the emperor should pay attention to it, even the emperor of Manchuria or the emperor of Dashun.

After all, he is a descendant of Confucius, the teacher of all ages, an object of admiration by scholars all over the world, and even a spiritual leader. The importance of his status is not just for fun.

Otherwise, the monarchs of the past dynasties would not pay so much attention to it, and would even reward and confer titles without money, which would be more generous than treating their own clan relatives.

"Oh, tell me." Sure enough, Zhu Cihong gave up the conversation with Zhou Yuantong and turned to look at Kong Yanzhi.

In fact, from the bottom of his heart, Zhang Peilun hated Kong Yanzhi and the Yanshenggong Mansion behind him, although these guys played a certain role in stabilizing the rule of the court.

But it is really hard to say whether the positive effect is greater or the negative effect is greater.

The key is that Zhu Cixiang did not read the Four Books and Five Classics, and he actually did not have many special feelings for Yan Shenggong and Confucius.

On the contrary, Zhu Cihong knew that Yanshenggong's mansion had done a lot of evil things in the past, and knew that they were simply wolves in sheep's clothing, so Zhu Cihong was full of disgust towards him.

It's just that in order to maintain the harmony on the surface and not make people feel that the Ming emperor and his subjects are at odds, Zhu Cihong forced a smile on the surface.

(End of this chapter)