.After the army rested in Huai'an for several days, the generals of the Yulin Guard, Huang Degong, Li Chengdong, Li Benshen and others came to ask Wang Fu for battle. At present, the elite troops from the Qing Dynasty went south were almost wiped out. Only Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming and others were defeated in Shandong. They were already afraid of Huang Degong's army. If the news of the annihilation of Duoduo's troops reached Shandong, I'm afraid Kong Youde and others would be scared and fled immediately.

Even the most cautious people also think that the court can easily take Shandong. Some optimistic people even plan to regain Beijing. However, as the emperor, Wang Fu knew that the situation was not so optimistic. In the battle of Matouzhuang, the Ming army undoubtedly gained a huge reward and achieved unprecedented victories with only a small loss. However, this war could not be replicated. Moreover, although the Yulin Guard had little casualties, the gunpowder consumed nearly two-thirds. Without gunpowder, the Yulin Guard's combat power would be reduced by most.

Of course, without the Yulin Guard, Shandong would not be able to take it. With the current military force of Manchus, Huang Degong's troops were sent to Shandong alone. I believe that Shandong could be taken down. However, Shandong's terrain was flat and suitable for cavalry combat. This is why Jinan lost all the entire Shandong in just one month. It is of course good to retake Shandong. However, if you can attack and cannot defend it, it will not only consume food and salary, but also cause a large number of casualties among the people. It would be better not to attack.

Just when Wang Fu was in a daze, several messages from behind immediately made Wang Fuxia make up his mind. He issued several decrees in succession: First, order Huang Degong, Li Chengdong, Liu Zhaoji and others to defend Xuzhou, Pizhou and Huai'an, and not enter Shandong for the time being; second, he issued an order to allow Jin Shengheng, who was still on the road to fight in Matouzhuang, and third, he led the Yulin Guard to return to Beijing immediately.

Huang Degong and others were very surprised by the emperor's sudden decision, but they did not stop it. The emperor needed to lead the army in person. Even if it was not a shame, it would be unpleasant for the generals. After all, the safety of the emperor is more important than the victory of a war. With the emperor, the war will inevitably be reluctant. However, everyone felt regretful about not being able to attack Shandong, especially Huang Degong, after all, Shandong was thrown away in his hands.

The Yulin Guards were full of morale, but they were a little unhappy about the emperor's sudden return to the court. Before the war, many Yulin Guards were still very afraid of the Tartars. They had never won the Tartars for decades. After the Battle of Matouzhuang, many people immediately changed their views. They believed that the Tartars were just like this. With their current military strength, it was not impossible to drive the Tartars out of the pass. Now the emperor wants to withdraw their troops. They really couldn't understand it.

However, the second consecutive victory of the imperial army in person against the enemy made the emperor's prestige rise unprecedentedly among the Yulin Guards. Especially this victory, the emperor has been standing on the mountain to attract people to attack. It can be said that it played a decisive role in the war. At most, it was just a secret discussion in the army, and no one publicly questioned the emperor's troops.

Wang Fu did not explain much about the sudden division. After he explained it in a hurry, he set off the next day. Tens of thousands of Yulin Guards and thousands of surrendered Qing troops rushed south along the canal. The news that the emperor personally defeated the Tatars had long been spread to the rear, along the way. Local officials from all over the country welcomed the emperor, wishing the emperor victory, and many people spontaneously went to the road of the army to marches, eating pots of juice to welcome the king's army.

This greatly slowed down the speed of the army's advance. Although Wang Fu was anxious and wanted to rush back to the capital as soon as possible, he had to be impatient and try his best to meet the officials and people along the way. However, seeing that the people along the way supported him so much, Wang Fu's heart gradually relaxed.

Back more than ten days ago, just after the Lantern Festival, the entire sky above Nanjing was shrouded with a gloomy cloud. The news of the emperor's army suddenly broke off in front of him. Some people said that the emperor's army was surrounded by a mountain outside Huai'an. Some people even said that the emperor had been defeated and the mankind would attack Nanjing immediately.

These rumors are both noses and eyes. Gu Xichou, the Minister of Justice of the Ministry of Justice, Cai Zhong, the Governor of the Central Army, and Feng Kezong, the commander of the Jinyiwei, strictly prohibited such rumors, but the more they banned, the more they spread, the more they spread. The three of them were anxious. The only thing they could calm the rumors was to contact the emperor again. Even Shi Kefa could not get news from the emperor. The scouts sent fought with the Qing army many times, but they returned in a big defeat, which undoubtedly made the rumors more credible.

Just when everyone was worried about the emperor, news came from Gao Mengji's house, Shaoqing of Honglu Temple. The crown prince actually fled to Nanjing and now lives in Gao Mengji's house.

This news shocked the civil and military officials in the left-behind areas. At that time, Emperor Chongzhen was in trouble. Although the emperor asked the crown prince and two princes to escape, the three of them still fell into Li Zicheng's hands one after another. After Li Zicheng escaped from Beijing, the three fell into the hands of the Qing Dynasty. The three were obviously the descendants of the late emperor. Dorgon forced to turn black and white and accused the three of them of being fake and killing the three of them.

It was confirmed that the crown prince and the two princes were both dead. The civil and military officials in Nanjing quarreled with each other over whom to support who to be the emperor. In the end, King Fu ascended the throne of the emperor with the power of the four towns. Now the throne has been determined for more than half a year. Where did the crown prince come from?

Everyone was skeptical and went to Gao Mengji's house to check it out. However, even if the officials in the south had met the prince, it was at least a few years ago. And they only saw one or two sides from afar. It was easy to see it. In addition to the few eunuchs who escaped from Beijing, the local people were once the secretary of the prince's mansion. Now the Grand Secretary Wang Duo undoubtedly has the right to speak.

That night, Ma Shiying, Qian Qianyi and Wang Duo rushed to Gao Mengji's house to check the authenticity of the matter. Wang Duo glanced at the landlord who claimed to be the prince and asked several questions. The man was irritated and could not answer. Wang Duo immediately concluded that the prince was a fake. Maybe it was a conspiracy of the Ming Dynasty. He was about to call him to lock him up. But strangely, two eunuchs who had served in the Eastern Palace, Li Jizhou, and Yang Jinchao hugged the man's legs and cried bitterly. He shouted that the prince was suffering.

At this moment, Wang Duo immediately became the target of criticism from some ministers. He believed that Wang Duo was deliberately wrong. Wang Duo could not argue with a hundred words. Ma Shiying and Qian Qianzuo were not sure of their decision. He had to instruct the prince to be temporarily placed under house arrest and strictly prohibit the rest of the people from discussing. Wait for the emperor to come back before dealing with it.

Ma Shiying and Qian Qianyi's doing this was undoubtedly a safe plan. However, the next day when the prince arrived in Nanjing was rumored throughout the city. The Donglin Party members added fuel to the fire everywhere. Huang Zongxi, Wang Fuzhi and others promoted Ma Shiying, Qian Qianyi and others to imprison the prince, and they had already confirmed that the prince was true.

Ma Shiying and others have a headache about this kind of propaganda. If the emperor is in Nanjing, it will be easy. The emperor has ascended the throne for more than half a year and has no morals. It is the fact that the prince is true. The emperor can only give him a title of Xiaoyao Prince, but the emperor went out of the war and lost contact with the rear. Many people have already made the idea of ​​supporting the prince ascending the throne and dreamed of being a hero of the dragon. Some people still naively think that the emperor has no descendants anyway. Even if he cannot immediately support the prince as the king, he can also support the prince as the crown prince, so as to exercise the power of the state.

During the fiercest days of Wang Fu's war with Manchus, it was the most fierce days of Nanjing's quarrel. The Donglin Party members exerted their greatest energy and pulled many nobles and some unstable generals in the Beijing camp to force the palace to Ma Shiying and others, asking Ma Shiying and others to recognize the identity of the prince and hand over the power of the state to the prince. In fact, it was handed over to the Donglin Party members.

Relying on the joint suppression of Gu Xichou, Cai Zhong and Feng Kezong, and the stationing of 10,000 Yulin Guards in the city, Ma Shiying and others withstood the pressure of the Donglin Party members and some nobles, insisting on putting the prince under house arrest. The Donglin Party's jumping up and down failed.

When the news of the emperor defeating the Tartars came, the Donglin Party members who were jumping up and down suddenly stopped the voice. They were able to force Ma Shiying and others to hand over power under the name of the prince. They thought that the emperor's personal expedition was in danger. Even if he escaped, his reputation would plummet and his throne was shaking. However, the emperor not only did not lose, but achieved an unprecedented victory. In the face of such a miracle, unless Chongzhen came back to life, the emperor would not be able to shake the emperor's throne with a prince who could not be distinguished by the truth or falsehood.

Sure enough, on the first day of the news, Nanjing City, which had been turbulent, calmed down. Everyone smiled happily when they met. The content of the emperor's wise mind was often on the lips of many people. Although many people were concerned about the prince, most of them had a gossip mentality.

Wang Fu suddenly made a move, not only for the sudden appearance of the real and fake prince in Nanjing, but also received news that Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong had already decided to win. After a big battle between the two sides, Li Zicheng won and regained Hanzhong, and Zhang Xianzhong returned to Sichuan in shame.

I don’t know if the two reached any agreement. After recapturing Hanzhong, Li Zicheng did not counterattack against Sichuan, but was moving to the south of Shaanxi, and it was very likely to come to Henan again. If Li Zicheng arrived in Henan, no one knew whether he would go south to Huguang. If Huguang was lost due to Shandong, it would be really not worth the loss. All Wang Fu immediately ordered Jin Shengheng, Sun Chengyin and others to return to Huguang.

After Zhang Xianzhong's road to the north was blocked, he probably wouldn't stay in Sichuan without moving. He was likely to have an idea of ​​the direction of Yunnan and Guizhou, and Wang Fu had to be careful.

If Shandong is taken, the Qing Dynasty will either admit defeat and withdraw from the Central Plains, or organize a large army to fight with the Ming army again. The risk is too great, and this is definitely not what Wang Fu wants now. He will endure the temptation to get Shandong back and go back to the court to rest.

Through this battle, Wang Fu not only had a sharp rise in prestige, but also broke the so-called invincible lie that the Tartars boasted about, greatly increasing the morale of the Southern Ming military and civilians. The Qing Dynasty had lost the opportunity to win quickly. As time went by, the Ming Dynasty became stronger. It was important to stabilize the internal situation at present. Wang Fu believed that in a few years, he could personally lead a 100,000 army northward. Not only could he take back the capital, but he also rushed to the northeast nest.
Chapter completed!