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Chapter 24 Internal Worries (Part 1)

In June of the 16th year of Yongli, Wanxian.

"I have been waiting for almost a year, and the food and grass that Chengdu promised to give us has never been there." He Zhen complained to Liu Tichun.

According to the agreement between western Sichuan and Kuidong, the attack on Jiangnan should be completed by western Sichuan alone, while Kuidong is responsible for suppressing the Qing army in Chongqing. The suppression of Chongqing was not very difficult. With Wanxian navy, it was almost enough to complete it. For this reason, in addition, western Sichuan itself had to send troops, so there were not many materials promised to give Wanxian - enough to ensure that the navy fight, but the army gathered and dispatched materials.

"The last battle in Chongqing was in August last year." He Zhen was extremely dissatisfied with the arrangements of western Sichuan. Jiangnan, which was full of gold, could not go to the south, but wanted to chew Chongqing without oil. He Zhen felt that this was almost a humiliation. Although western Sichuan agreed to subsidize Kuidong and agreed to let Kuidong share their gains from Jiangnan, where could he move things from others? It's just that He Zhen's ships were not large enough, his strength was not strong enough, and he had no friendship with the governors of the southeastern provinces. He heard that the western Sichuan troops were progressing well in Zhejiang, He Zhen said sourly: "It seems that we can only share some leftovers from the left governor from the left."

After waiting for a few more days, a group of ships from western Sichuan passed by upstream, and there were some cargo taken to Kuidong on the ship.

"What is this, is it ivory? So much?" He Zhen shouted in surprise after seeing the gifts sent by the Chengdu officer.

"That's right, this is just transported back from Yunnan by Duke Bao." The Chengdu officer said to the princes of the committee with a smile. The two whole bundles of ivory were gifts designated by Deng Ming to immediately send to members of the committee.

The ships carrying the cargo were also loaded with a lot of cargo from the Indochina Peninsula, all of which were expensive gems and ivory. Some were seized by the Ming army, some were taxes drawn from the consigned soldiers. The other was the property consigned by the soldiers participating in the war. When the soldiers handed it to the army, they agreed to let the Chengdu Trading Company sell it on their behalf.

At He Zhen's strong request, the escorted officer had to take the princes of the committee to the cargo ship for a walk. The shop's friends were unwilling to offend these generals, so they were allowed to visit on the ship. A few quick-talking guys also told Liu Tichun and others that this was just the first batch of spoils transported back to Chengdu, and it was said that there were countless behind.

"How is the war between Baoguo Duke?" Liu Tichun asked about the situation in Myanmar.

"I heard that peace has been negotiated, and this is also the news that the Kuaima has just been sent to Xuzhou." The general in front of him is not only Deng Ming's ally and the father-in-chief of the prefect of Chengdu, so the officers in western Sichuan will naturally not hide the good news: "This news was sent by Kuaima, and it will take about a few months for the left governor to lead his troops back."

After the officers in western Sichuan left, the princes of the committee looked at the big bundle of gifts, and He Zhen was the first to speak: "When I went to fight Myanmar, the left governor said that there was no good or bad in this battle."

This sentence is actually accusing Deng Ming. Deng Ming never said this to the committee. However, Chengdu people generally believe that Myanmar is a wild land, and most people have never heard of the existence of the rich Lijiang Valley. This impression was also spread to Wanxian through Chengdu people, giving He Zhen and the others a similar impression.

"The left governor would not let us fight Jiangnan, nor would we take us to Myanmar." He Zhen stroked the gifts sent by Deng Ming. If he had received such a few good ivory in the past, he would have been very happy, but now he looked frustrated: "It would be fine to transport such a good ivory to Huguang to exchange for ten gold."

"It's because we are camping. If we don't say it, we always don't want us to grow stronger." Dang Shousu and Deng Ming had no friendship, and he was very unhappy if he couldn't go to Jiangnan this time.

"What are you talking nonsense?" Liu Tichun scolded: "Left Governor is with us, how can you have such a confused idea?"

Dang Shousu slapped the table heavily: "You saw it just now. The cabin is full of good things, and what we give us is just a fraction. If we have such a ship of treasures, how many men can we arm us? Deng Ming gave you a Yiling, which will make you so beautiful. Do you know that this is a coolie who is watching the gate?"

"Nonsense!" Liu Tichun was furious: "You don't know what happened! We didn't follow Myanmar this time. The left governor had not come back yet. The first batch of spoils were thinking about giving us some treasures. The left governor was thinking about it so much, but you kindly turned your heart into a donkey's liver and lungs!"

"Aren't you just saying what I said? Isn't it what Lao He said just now? Deng Ming didn't take us any good places, and asked us to chew Chongqing, but he didn't send food and grass, so that we just rot in Wanxian." Dang Shousu said the more he said, "Chongqing is empty now, it's easy to fight, but western Sichuan doesn't send food, obviously he doesn't want to give us Chongqing!"

Whether the decision was made by the Senate or the Imperial Parliament, the generals of Kuidong believed that this must be Deng Ming's instruction. Even if Liu Jinge, Yuan Xiang and He Daoning wrote a letter to explain that their elders were skeptical, and others even believed that the Chengdu Academy was just carrying out Deng Ming's instructions. For them, it would be unimaginable that their subordinates would make such a big decision without nodding themselves.

Regarding the last major defeat in Wanxian, Li Guoying did not tell the truth to Beijing. After he got better, he tried his best to cover up the losses. The eight banners of the Manchus and Han dynasties and Zhang Yong and others helped to speak together. Although the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Chongqing was not exposed, it still caused another shock to the Qing court's officialdom. When rumors were everywhere, the Qing court was not convenient to try to dig out the truth, so it could only make Chongqing's failure smaller. Due to the threat from the northwest, Zhao Liangdong's troops who had lost the opportunity could not stay in Chongqing for a long time. After seeing that the Ming army had no intention of attack, they returned to the northwest - this large-scale mobilization was futile.

The Qing court in Beijing still refused to give up Chongqing. After hearing that more than 100,000 troops had lost nearly half of the losses, the government and the opposition were already talking. Giving up Chongqing at this time would be equivalent to acknowledging the great victory of the Ming army and the complete deterioration of the situation in Sichuan.

After learning that the transferred Ganzhou-Shaanxi Green Camp had left, the Ming army in Wanxian had always wanted to launch an attack, but Chengdu said that the grain was tight - not only to supply the Eastern Expedition, to repay Jianchang's advance payment, but also to ensure reserves, so it had to wait until the first season of wheat was ripe before it could be provided, but it was delayed until now.

"Deng Ming must have wanted to wait for him to come back, and then send troops to conquer Chongqing. At least he would give us two money to beg for food. He could not trust us who had been in the camp. He would rather take the people from Xiying than make us rich." Dang Shousu hummed and threw down these words and walked out of the tent with great strides.

The people who stayed behind looked at each other in a flash, Liu Tichun sighed a few times, but kept shaking his head.

A moment later, there were thudding footsteps outside the tent. Dang Shousu walked back with big strides. After entering the door, he asked his guard to pick up the ivory he gave him: "I forgot to take my stuff."

After the guard left with white ivory, Dang Shousu left another sentence before leaving: "I agreed to start the committee, but he would not implement the first resolution. So what's the use of this committee?"

Everyone felt very bored and silently divided the ivory and then returned to their camps.

Liu Tichun sat in his tent and thought for a while, then stood up and went straight to Yuan Zongdi's yamen. After seeing his old comrade-in-arms, he said straight to the point: "What do you think about Dang Shousu and He Zhen just now?"

"Dang Shousu and Admiral Deng are not familiar with him, and He Zhen is even more cautious." Yuan Zongdi comforted Liu Tichun and said, "You and I don't know what the admiral is like? Besides, Chengdu is also very clear. Now it's Liu Yao and his group of people who are taking their own initiative."

"Not the instruction of Admiral Deng?... Forget it, I won't compete with you for this. But people will change. Old brother, if the third prince ascends the throne in the future, he will treat us kindly, right?"

...

On June 10, Yuan Zongdi called Liu Tichun and handed him a letter with a smile on his face: "Your son wrote it. He said that the Chengdu hospital has already counted the inventory and agreed to allocate the food and grass to us, and is loading the ship."

"This is good news." Liu Tichun read the letter carefully and nodded slightly.

"The little tiger is here too. It is said that it will arrive in a while and his army has passed through Kuimen." Yuan Zongdi told Liu Tichun the second news, and Li Laiheng brought thousands of armored soldiers and a large number of auxiliary soldiers to participate in the offensive against Chongqing.

"The little tiger is here too? Who is the guardian in Jingzhou?" Liu Tichun was startled. After western Sichuan proposed that they went to Jiangnan alone, the committee reached a new agreement. The Han River Basin was under the responsibility of Hao Yaoqi, and the Jingzhou front line was under the responsibility of Li Laiheng. If Zhang Changgeng went crazy, the Ming army would not be caught off guard by the Huguang Green Camp.

"I heard that the Sichuan Army won a great victory in Zhejiang, and defeated the Zhejiang Green Camp and the Fujian Green Camp that went to reinforce the army. Now Zhang Changgeng must not dare to turn against each other. It would be enough to leave a Hao Yaoqi."

"When did the news come? Why don't I know."

"I just received it." Yuan Zongdi explained that when the Sichuan Army's envoy arrived at Jingmen, Li Laiheng set out and arrived at Fengjie with the victories. Then he quickly sent the news to Wanxian through Yunyang. Li Laiheng also got off the boat and rode on horseback, just behind the messenger.

"So that's it," Liu Tichun was stunned after saying that, and shook his head: "This is not the right time."

It is said that after the messenger who reported the victory arrived in Jingmen, even if Li Laiheng immediately made up his mind to reinforce, he would need some time to prepare. How could he set off immediately? This only means that Li Laiheng had already arranged everything and was waiting for this good news. He had even planned to set off without this good news.

Yuan Zongdi was silent for a moment, and he had thought about this question just now: "Anyway, the little tiger is here, you can ask him later."
Chapter completed!
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