In the second year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, in June of the 17th year of Yongli in the Ming Dynasty, the Ming army in Jiangnan and the Qing army in Shandong formed a strange confrontation. Because they were worried that the Ming army would attack key areas such as Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Suzhou, the Qing army in Shandong was actively preparing for the southern expedition. The large amount of supplies that should have been transported to the Jiaodong front line were not sent, but were transported to Huai'an by boats and vehicles. The Jiaodong front line only ensured the necessary food and grass; and the Ming army also noticed the movements of the Qing army. Deng Ming moved the camp to Zhenjiang, and set up camp on the opposite bank of the canal just as during the second Eastern expedition.

In late June, after learning that the Ming army showed a closed canal, the Qing army's offensive in Shandong became even more weak, and the support from Beijing continued to enter Shandong. However, the thousands of Qing soldiers did not look at Jiaodong and advanced straight south along the canal; even the troops that were originally surrounded by Qi were ordered to return to the canal.

Lin Qilong, the Governor of the Canal Transport, has reported to Beijing that Deng Ming's total force may exceed 100,000 invasions this time, and more than 40,000 armored troops. Although the total number is not as good as the joint invasion of the Yangtze River by Zheng Chenggong and Zhang Huangyan, the number of soldiers of the Jia is basically the same. It shows that the scale of the military mobilization is so large that a large camp was still set up in Zhenjiang. Beijing even more suspected that Deng Ming had plans to isolate the north and south and find an opportunity to gain a foothold in Jiangnan.

However, in Jiang Guozhu's report, Nanjing has not been attacked yet, so the Qing court did not order the troops to advance at full speed to reinforce Nanjing. Deng Ming showed amazing combat effectiveness in previous battles, and Beijing had no intention of letting troops die one by one, and now the Ming army still has the strength to control the Yangtze River. Therefore, Beijing is extremely persistent, slowly concentrating field troops in southern Shandong and Huaibei, while maintaining communication with Nanjing and Yangzhou. If Deng Ming has all his strength to siege Nanjing, then reinforcements will cross the river in one fell swoop when Deng Ming has no time to distract himself.

At about the same time, Liu Tichun and Wang Guangxing led their troops across the Yangtze River and set up camps not far from the entrance of the canal. After learning that the Qing army slowed down its offensive in Shandong, the Ming army judged that the possibility of the Qing army moving south was getting greater and greater, so the Ming army further strengthened its control over the canal. Once the news of the main force of the Qing army's southern expedition was received, the Ming army would all go north to fight. The canal was the fastest marching and transportation of supplies for the main force of the Qing army, and the same was true for the Ming army.

Now the Ming army has not controlled the entrance of the canal, just to avoid cutting off the upcoming canal transportation. Deng Ming felt that the Eastern Expedition had basically achieved its goal. Compared with the Qing army's heavy army group in Shandong, he was more interested in attacking Zhejiang. It was a last resort to directing war to both sides of the Yangtze River, and the military strategy said, "Before you want to win, think about defeat first." Although the Southeast Governor is now neutral, if the Ming army is unfortunately defeated, Deng Ming would not dare to guarantee that he would not encounter the scene of the wall being pushed by everyone.

"Our attack on Zhejiang can reduce the pressure from Zhoushan and Chongming. If we can mobilize the troops of Li Rutai and Geng Jimao, it will also help the Fujian army, and we can also use the excuse of Zhejiang breaking the contract and forcing them to pay another redemption fee." Deng Ming and his allies discussed the strategy and once again emphasized that it seems that it is not a good time to fight with the Shandong Qing army heavy army group at this time: "Even if we defeat the Shandong Qing army, we will not be able to occupy Shandong. If it is a tragic victory, our army's deterrence to the southeast will be affected. Instead, the benefit is Jiang Guozhu, Zhang Changgeng and others who are watching the tiger fight."

However, the situation in front of us is that Beijing seems eager to try. Deng Ming already has the capital to fight head-on with the main force of the Qing court, so he is unwilling to take the risk of losing control of the situation.

"The deployment of the Qing army is a bit strange, so there is also a possibility, that is, they did not want to fight south, but they were still thinking about solving Yu Qi first. But the heavy troops of the Qing court in Shandong were attracted by our heavy troops in Jiangnan, just like we were attracted by them. So I don't plan to cut off the canal transport. The canal transport this year will begin soon. If the Qing court saw that we didn't even have the power to cut off the canal transport, it would probably determine that our strength was just right." Deng Ming speculated that the Qing army had attracted each other in the Qing army. If his judgment was correct, when the canal transport began as usual, the Qing court would underestimate the strength of the Ming army in Jiangnan, and the tighter strings might begin to relax. At that time, Deng Ming would consider withdrawing his troops or going south to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to carry out more important work.

...

A few days after Liu Tichun and Wang Guangxing crossed the river and prepared for the main force of the Ming army to enter the canal to fight, the Qing army in Shandong also learned about this situation from the expedited report.

"If the canal is blocked by the thieves, then the Deng thieves will be able to attack Jiangning without worries." After seeing the report, Prince Kang slapped the table heavily. From the beginning, he insisted that the entire army give up Yu Qi to go south and fight to the death with Deng Mingjue. When he thought of his great achievements in defeating Deng Ming, Jieshu was so excited that his whole body was hot. Besides, as long as Deng Ming was defeated, it would not be difficult for him to destroy Yu Qi, who was able to return to the army to destroy Shandong.

"Other, don't be anxious." Although he also wants to make meritorious contributions, Ebilong must be much more cautious. Now Deng Ming has control over the Yangtze River. If he wants to cross the river safely, he must wait for Deng Ming to be entangled in other matters, so the best time is definitely not now, but wait for Deng Ming to start attacking Nanjing.

Currently, Jiang Guozhu wrote three letters a day to report safety to Beijing. Since Deng Ming’s main force is not around Nanjing, where will they be? Obviously, they are guarding Zhenjiang, intending to wait for reinforcements to cross the river to fight a half-crossing, and then calmly besiege Nanjing. The repeated defeats against Deng Ming over the past few years have greatly damaged the strength of the Qing court. After several major losses and losses in Xiamen and Wanxian, the Qing court’s strategic mobile forces have been very limited.

Although the Qing army in the south was a little relieved because of Zheng Chenggong's death, this heavy army group in Shandong was still very important. If it was ambushed by the cunning Deng Ming, it would not have the power to reinforce Jiangnan in the short term. In other words, the Qing court would temporarily lose control over the Southeast because it did not have more strategic reserves.

"The report of Zhou Peigong is here." When Jieshu and Ebilong were in stalemate, the Yangtze River Suppression of Deng Zongli Yamen also sent a new report. Under the instructions of Deng Ming and Jiang Guozhu, Zhou Peigong vigorously boasted about the strength of the Qing army along the Yangtze River, saying that he was confident that he would keep the water transportation smooth.

After the Battle of Gaoyou Lake, the Qing court did not expect Zhou Peigong to completely defeat Deng Ming, but still believed that Zhou Peigong could lead several provinces to follow Deng Ming, which prevented the Ming army from dispersing its troops and was unable to concentrate on attacking the city for a long time.

"Jiangning is on the south bank, Yangzhou is on the north bank, with Zhou Peigong here, Deng Ming left many troops to defeat Jiangning on the south bank, and if there were fewer troops to seal the canal." Li Guoying disagreed with fighting in Jiangnan from beginning to end.

Needless to say, Jieshu from Beijing, even Ebilong had no deep understanding of "the northerners relied on horses and the southerners relied on boats". When fighting against the Ming army, which had absolutely the advantage of the navy on the Yangtze River, Li Guoying felt that there was no possibility of completely annihilation of Deng Ming, and instead, if he was accidentally beaten and destroyed by the other side, he would be defeated by the entire army.

Moreover, this is not an unmanned land like Sichuan. If more than 100,000 troops on both sides fight in a melee, it will definitely turn the rich Jiangnan into a white land. Although Deng Ming has always been very restrained now, Li Guoying believes that he is really anxious and Deng Ming can do something to force the men.

"Jiangning is Nanjing in the former Ming Dynasty. Deng Ming also wanted to seize the capital one day. He not only wanted a good Jiangnan, but also cared about the people of Jiangnan, so we would be the best place to stay in Shandong." Li Guoying did not dare to mention the water surface advantage of the Ming army to Jieshu and Ebilong. Before, Li Guoying had just begun, and the two men said with disdain that when the Manchu soldiers went to Jiangnan, they did not see the Yangtze River chasm that Li Guoying mentioned had played any role.

Of course, Li Guoying understood that there was no resistance at that time. The four towns in Jiangbei and the Chu army where Li Guoying was located surrendered at that time, so naturally the Yangtze River was in a mess. But the Ming army is not the Hongguang army of the Southern Ming Dynasty without fighting spirit. Zhou Peigong and others only dare to follow from afar and defend the city and camp. The advantages of the navy are not fun--although Li Guoying knew that Zhou Peigong's military strength was far less powerful than he boasted in the report, but being able to follow Deng Ming's army and monitor nearby was amazing. Li Guoying felt that no one of his Chongqing subordinates could have such a skill. It turns out that since ancient times, heroes have emerged as young men, and talented people have emerged from generation to generation.

"Our army continues to stay in Shandong. Deng Ming is surrounded by Zhou Peigong. He cannot take down a strong city like Jiangning, and he refuses to completely destroy Jiangnan. He also knows that we may reinforce at any time, so he has to withdraw his troops. Our army can achieve full results without fighting. If we fight Deng Ming in a hurry, if it is unfavorable, it will be troublesome." Li Guoying carefully analyzed to Jieshu and Ebilong: "Now Deng Ming is entrenched in Yangzhou, it is likely because he is worried that we will attack him along the canal and affect his population. Therefore, he ignored the threats of Jiangning and Zhou Peigong and the entire army was stationed in Zhenjiang."

Although he was not guessing the reason why Deng Ming was guarding against the Qing army in Shandong, Li Guoying's speculation was basically accurate: "I think Deng Ming is probably watching now. If we go south to fight him, then he will face the challenge; if we continue to deal with Yu Qi, then he will hurry up and transport the population back to Sichuan, or loot Zhejiang."

"Then we went straight to Sichuan and beat him into a dog that was a broken family?" Jieshu's eyes flashed and immediately asked again: "How dare you say you guessed right?"

"The canal transportation will begin soon." Li Guoying replied.

"Yes," Ebilong nodded and said, "If Deng Ming could not cut off the canal transportation, if Zhou Peigong could really ensure the canal transportation as he said, Deng Ming would not have taken down Jiangning's troops."

"If his troops are insufficient, we will go to reinforce us. Wouldn't we be able to capture Deng Ming alive?" Jieshu still did not turn around.

"When we go south, the imperial court's troops are naturally stronger; but we can't change the boat. Deng Ming ran upward when the east wind was blowing, and he went down the river when the east wind was not in the east wind. We don't have a navy to stop him. The two sides of the Yangtze River are densely populated. As long as Deng Ming is willing to go out, he can always grab enough food and fodder. He doesn't have to worry about supplies before he robs all the prefectures along the river." Li Guoying sighed. This is the trouble of no navy. The Qing army was on the shore.

If you run apart, don't want to catch up with Deng Ming, and you have to run along the two sides of the straits. You must be wary of Deng Ming taking advantage of the Qing army's exhaustion to chase him: "If Deng Ming can be eliminated, then let alone the Yangtze River, even if the entire south is destroyed, the court will not care. But who dares to say that Deng Ming can't wait to go to Jiangxi and Huguang to the best of his luck? Besides, he can still escape into the sea, go to Zhoushan or even Fujian - if Deng Ming cannot be caught and Jiangnan is destroyed, will the court agree?"

Jieshu remained silent, and Ebilong shook his head. This situation must be something the court could not agree with.

"So I often say that Huguang and Liangjiang should not build so many riverside fortresses, and they still need to build naval troops. But, alas, far water cannot quench near thirst." Li Guoying said: "Deng Ming did not force the court to an urgent need, and the court would not let the destruction of Jiangnan. Deng Ming was the same. He must have thought that if Jiangnan was defeated like Sichuan, he would not be able to use Jiangning as the capital in the future. So if Deng Ming could not cut off the grain transportation, it might not be because of Zhou Peigong's threat, but because he intended to let us see him clearly, or because he sent another signal to find another battlefield to decide the outcome."

Jieshu and Ebilong both stared at Li Guoying, who smiled bitterly: "The slave and Deng Ming have been fighting each other for several years. Although they are enemies, they have a little tacit understanding."

"What if Deng Ming cuts off the canal transportation?" Ebilong asked back.

"In addition to indicating that Deng Ming is strong and is not afraid of Zhou Peigong at all, it also means that Deng Ming does not want to send a signal of 'final battle', that is, he doesn't care whether Jiangnan has become a battlefield." Li Guoying said with confidence.

"That's to say?" Jieshu also asked closely.

"The severance of the canal transportation means that Deng Ming was determined to fight a fierce battle with us in Jiangnan. He really had the idea of ​​taking down Jiangning." Li Guoying pondered for a moment: "I think that although Deng Ming fought bravely, he was always cautious when expanding his territory. While we and Zhou Peigong were behind him, he would not seem to be his style to attack a strong city like Jiangning."

Jieshu and Ebilong looked at each other: "Then wait for the news of the canal transportation. If Deng Ming asked us to fight outside Jiangnan, we could agree to this agreement. Governor Li, have you been urging us to stay away from the Yangtze River?"

...

Zhenjiang.

"Shangshu Zhang actually came in person?" Deng Ming walked to the camp gate to welcome the Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty who came from Zhoushan.

After Zhang Huangyan saw Deng Ming, he asked Deng Ming’s next strategy in a hurry: “What are your plans to station troops in Zhenjiang?”

"Shangshu Zhang actually asked this?" Deng Ming asked in surprise.

"Yes." Zhang Huangyan was a little confused when he heard it: "How can you not ask about such an important thing?"

"I thought Zhang Shangshu would ask me about going to Myanmar to serve the king first, and how safe the emperor is now." Deng Ming said quickly.

Zhang Huangyan glanced at Deng Ming deeply, and a hint of anger appeared on his face, but immediately calmed down and snorted coldly: "I can't defeat the battle, and the invincible Duke of the country can't rescue the emperor, right?"

"No."

"I guessed it, so I don't want to ask at all! It's not that I don't care, but that I want to give the Duke a face!" Zhang Huangyan snorted again: "Okay, Duke Guo stationed troops in Zhenjiang, what are the plans for?"—
Chapter completed!