After the important officials retreated, Chongzhen still had no idea and was hesitant.

He never expected that when Song Jin was defeated, Liaodong would achieve an unexpected victory. Huang Taiji was killed in the formation, Liaoyang was recovered, and the Liaodong army was even at the foot of Chenyang City. These series of victories could even be regarded as an unprecedented victory since the Apocalypse.

However, due to Song Jin's great defeat, Chongzhen became worried about gains and losses. On the one hand, he was happy with the victory in the Liaohe River, and on the other hand, he was worried that after the arrival of winter, the Liaodong Army, which became an isolated army, would have a mistake in the city of Chenyang.

He was very worried that Zhu Ciye would undergo bad changes when he went deeper into Shenyang. He was worried that Zhu Ciye's Liaodong army would not be able to survive this cold winter. He was even more worried that the recurrence of bandits in the northwest would become bigger and bigger, and might rush to the Central Plains and the Southeast. He was also worried that the tax resistance in the southeast would become more and more serious, exacerbating the financial crisis of the court.

Moreover, he was very worried about Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou in Ningyuan. He didn't know if they could stabilize their position in Ningyuan. He was also worried that they would surrender the enemy. Several brothers and even sons of Zu Dashou's "No" and "Wrong" had been surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and still held important positions in the Qing army. No one could tell when Zu Dashou would suddenly surrender to the Qing Dynasty like Xia Chengde in Jinzhou City.

These days, Chongzhen would go to the Danbao of the Ganqing Palace to burn incense and worship the heavens during the fifth day every day, and always pray to heaven for these worries.

He never dreamed that under the bad situation of Songjin's defeat, such good news would be heard from Liaodong. He felt that God had not abandoned him yet, and God still favored the Ming Dynasty.

After the important officials retreated, Chongzhen began to burn incense and pray on the Danban. He secretly prayed, hoping that Zhu Ciye would send another good news. He hoped that he would receive good news from Liaodong a few days later, saying that he had already captured Chenyang.

At noon, Chongzhen wore a court robe, drank a bowl of rock sugar bird's nest soup in the hall and ate a piece of pastry. Even for lunch, the eunuchs put a Pepsi box on his imperial desk, containing persimmon cakes, millet, winter dates, etc., but he just looked at it and found that there was no food at all.

"Have Li Lie Wu arrived?" Chongzhen asked.

"Go back to your Majesty, Mr. Wu has seen him outside the palace."

"Prince."

Soon, Wu Xiang, the assistant manager of the Beijing Police Camp, entered the hall and kowtowed and bowed.

Emperor Chongzhen raised his arm and asked him to be ungrateful. The assistant police officer Wu Xiang was the father of the Liaoxi Admiral Wu Sangui, who was once the general of Liaodong. He was dismissed for defeat and fleeing in Dalinghe. However, due to the important influence of the Wu family in the Liao army, Chongzhen removed Wu Xiang's position as general and had to be appointed Wu Sangui as a guerrilla general. Only a year later, Wu Xiang was restored to his position as general.

When Wu Sangui was promoted to the Admiral of Liaoxi, Chongzhen also added the position of the General Office of Wu Xiang. Now Wu Sangui was defeated in western Liaoxi and was not demoted. After the establishment of five major military regions, Wu Sangui, the former admiral of Liaoxi and Ningjin Military Region, became the general of the general of Ningyuan.

However, Wu Sangui's father did not surrender but rose instead. He was promoted from the Governor's Office of the Five Army, which had no real power, to be the assistant minister of the civil servants of the Beijing Camp. He led the security camp together with another noble Duke and an admiral of the Neighbors. The three towns of Changping, Tongzhou and Miyun, which were in control of the security camp.

Chongzhen knew very well that after the defeat in western Liaoning, the court lost more than 100,000 troops, and only Ningyuan was left outside the pass. Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou should have been punished according to crimes. However, only Ningyuan was left in western Liaoning. Ningyuan was also slightly better preserved by the strength of the troops and horses of the two towns of Ningjin, Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou, no matter what, the court could not punish them at this time.

Not only could he not punish Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou, he even had to add their official positions and give him kind words to express condolences.

Today, Chongzhen summoned Wu Xiang to meet with him to discuss matters about western Liaoning.

Chongzhen asked Wu Xiang about the situation in western Liaoning.

"Your Majesty, the land of our ancestors cannot be abandoned." The military man, who was born in a businessman, was later admitted to the Wu Jinshi, and was recruited by the King of Liaodong Li Chengliang, and finally married the Liaoxi general Zu family and replied.

Hearing this answer, Chongzhen refused to comment.

"Do you think your son can fight again?"

Wu Xiang suddenly understood that the emperor wanted to take advantage of the great victory in Liaodong to let Ningyuan fight against Liaoxi. He was very clear about Ningyuan's current situation. His son Wu Sangui had already told him the real situation of Ningyuan through letters. Ningjin towns suffered heavy losses, and the imperial court established five new military regions, separated Shanhaiguan from the Liaoxi Admiral and included them in the Jingying Garrison Camp.

Although Wu Sangui still holds the position of admiral in western Liaoning, in fact, there is only Ningyuan left in the entire western Liaoning and the three towns of Ningjin. Wu Sangui, the general of the Liaoxi admiral, was stationed in Guangning, and it is still occupied by the Qing army. Zu Dashou, the general of Jinzhou, was also controlled by the Qing army.

Wu Sangui gathered defeated soldiers in Ningyuan and reorganized all the defeated soldiers from other towns into his own army. Now, the three towns in Ningjin, western Liaoning, barely had another 90,000 troops, but in fact there was only 80,000, with a vacancy of 10,000. Most of these 80,000 were defeated soldiers, lacking armor and equipment, and the morale of the army was unrestrained.

These people can barely defend Ningyuan, but they will definitely not be able to counterattack western Liaoning.

Wu Xiang rested on the ground and said cautiously, "The Liaoxi was defeated and the governor was captured. Now the army is in a low morale and has low morale. Moreover, the army was originally stationed in Bijia Mountain and Tashan, but now they are all lost. Although Ningyuanming has three towns of troops, there are only 80,000, and there are still generals and equipment, and less than one-third of them can be defeated."

"Besides, the troops in each town have not paid any wages for a long time, and there is no food or grass. If you want to send troops, you must raise food and grass, supply equipment, and then you can fight."

After all, it still costs money.

Chongzhen frowned.

"I have received the report that the main force of the Tartars has returned to Shenyang. Now the Songjin in western Liaoning is led by Prince Zheng, the leader of the Qing Lu Xianglan Banner, and there are 30,000 Manchu and Mongolian soldiers. If the equipment is sufficient, will Ningyuan soldiers and horses go to war?"

Chongzhen discussed with the ministers today. After thinking about it, he felt that the Qing army could not allow the Qing army to return to the army to fight the Liaodong army. He thought that if Ningyuan army could launch a counterattack at this time, it would be the best if it could take the opportunity to recover Songjin. If it doesn't work, I hope to restrain Songjin's Qing army to relieve some pressure from Liaodong.

"As long as food, salary and equipment are sufficient, the troops in western Liaoning can launch a counterattack."

"How much food and salary are needed to send troops to western Liaoning?" Chongzhen asked.

Wu Xiang knelt on the ground and reported a number, "At least three million silver dollars are required. After the silver coins are received, the equipment will be replenished. You can send troops in one month."

Chongzhen heard this number and sucked the air conditioner, "Three million silver dollars?"

Wu Xiang replied slowly, "When Liaoxi was defeated, most of the equipment was lost, and equipment and horses must be replenished. In addition, newly reorganized troops also need to be given food and wages. To send troops, they must also be given to the garrison and bank grain, because they have just been defeated. Therefore, the money must be increased so that the troops can fight. In addition, civil servants must be recruited to transport food, grass and equipment to the front line, and civil servants also need to be recruited to carriages and horses, all of which require silver."

In short, Wu Xiang gave Chongzhen a detailed expense table, and to allow Ningyuan's troops to fight, the expenses of three million silver dollars were only a lot.

Chongzhen shook his head secretly, let alone three million silver dollars. Now he can't even take out one million silver dollars.

At this time, Chongzhen stood up and sighed, "The court cannot afford three million silver dollars." He repeated again. Then he said helplessly, "Wu Qing, please retreat."

Later, Chongzhen summoned Chen Xinjia, Minister of War and Ni Yuanlu to meet him.

"The tenth town in Hubei is also a new army trained by the Duke of Chu. Can they be transferred to western Liaoning for battle?"

"Your Majesty. I think I can't transfer the Tenth Town into Liao at this time." Ni Yuanlu said, "Recently, Shaanxi and Sichuan frequently reported that Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai and others are in a comeback. Now, because the Qin army and Sichuan army enter Liao, they are getting bigger and bigger, and local governments are unable to curb them. Now, the Tenth Town is guarding Jingxiang, which makes the bandits unable to leave Sichuan and Shaanxi. If the Tenth Town is transferred from Hubei, I am afraid that the bandits will leave Sichuan and Shaanxi, causing disaster to the Central Plains, wandering to the southeast, and repeating the previous rebellion."

"Then we will transfer the navy troops in the four towns to help Liao." Chongzhen picked up a cup of tea and drank it dry in a few sips.

Ni Yuanlu still objected.

"Your Majesty, the navy is not familiar with land warfare, and it is not as good as the severe cold in the north. It is good at fighting on water ships. If they are transferred to Liao and fight against the Qing cavalry, it will be extremely undesirable to attack the enemy's strengths with their own shortcomings. Moreover, the Beiyang Navy is now in Liaodong, and there are three towns of naval troops left. The Yangtze River Navy must cooperate in defense of the Yangtze River coast, the East and South China Sea, and also cooperate in defense of the southeast coast."

Now Chongzhen really didn't know how to speak, so he could only drink tea silently.

After a long time, Chongzhen sat on the imperial seat and sighed, "You are right about the situation outside the pass. If Yizhou and Songjin were not defeated, if Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting were still there, the court had them commanding the troops in western Liaoning, and now he was willing to take the opportunity to launch an attack. But now all the elite troops in western Liaoning were lost and the army was in a low spirit, Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou had no intention of fighting again." Speaking of this, Chongzhen clenched his hands into fists, "It's a pity that when he needed them the most, he could not count on them at all."

"Fortunately, we still have the Duke of Chu and the Liaodong Army." Chen Xinjia said.

Chongzhen looked at him and said, "But Duke of Chu is now far away from Liaodong and is deeply behind enemy lines. If the troops in western Liaoning can cooperate with a counterattack, at least they can restrain the Qing army. However, the troops in western Liaoning cannot be counted on at all, and the Liaodong army can only fight alone. I have only the strong brigade of the Liaodong army."

"I have been thinking about it for a long time and can't take risks with the Liaodong Army."

"It's always okay to be safer at this time." Chen Xinjia said.

"All the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet believe that the Liaodong army should be transferred back immediately and abandoned the Lushun and Zhenjiang in Liaodong." Chongzhen gritted his teeth and ganged, "If Guanning is in a mistake, it will be useless to defend Liaodong. But I don't want to give up Liaodong like this. Chen Qing, I hope you can immediately send someone to meet with the Qing people and discuss peace with them. The Ming Dynasty is willing to use the Jin, Fu, Gai, Hai, and Liaozhou in Liaodong to exchange for Song, Jin, Yi, Guangning and other places occupied by the Qing people. The two families use the Liaohe River as the boundary, and the Liaoxi return to the Daming, and Liaodong return to the Later Jin, and the two sides will quit the war."

"Where are the two places of Zhenjiang and Lushun?" Chen Xinjia asked.

Chongzhen frowned and said, "We always have to fight. If possible, the court still hopes to retain the two places of Zhenjiang and Lushun. With these two places in hand, it can greatly restrain the Later Jin and protect the security of western Liaoning from the side. Especially Zhenjiang, maintaining and controlling Zhenjiang can prevent the Later Jin from invading Korea again." (To be continued.)

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: Holding troops and respecting oneself:
Chapter completed!