"Could it be that the Ming Dynasty is really endless, and at this moment when the building has collapsed, the third prince descended from heaven to continue the great cause of restoring the Ming Dynasty?" Jiang Shangying was excited.

Putting down the tea bowl and hiding his shaking hands, Jiang Shangying glanced at the old eunuch and secretly made a decision.

"No, I have to go see it with my own eyes before I can confirm whether it is true or false. Moreover, if he is really the third prince and surrounded by thieves and bandits, his character will definitely change over time. He needs a teacher who can always remind him and alert him."<

/p>

Duke Guangxing of Jing Kingdom did not know what Jiang Shangying was thinking. He took the letter and read it again, feeling very strange in his heart.

After Pan Yinglong finished his story, Prince Guangxing of Jing Kingdom tentatively asked: "Eunuch Pan, Duke Wan of Anhui sent you here just to inform you about this matter?"

Pan Yinglong nodded and said: "King Dong'an, Duke Wan and others all thought that Duke Jing was alone in Shizhou Guard, far away from the battlefield, and it would be very difficult for him to send troops to help. But we are both in the same lineage of the Ming army, so we must inform him about such a major event.

”

Wang Guangxing breathed a sigh of relief. He thought Liu Tichun and others were going to use the Third Prince's secret envoy to mobilize his troops!

"The Duke of Anhui and the Duke of Lin joined forces to achieve a great victory in Yiling, which boosted the morale of the army. It is gratifying and congratulatory." Wang Guangxing said with great regret: "Unfortunately, our army is located in a remote location and it is difficult to send troops to assist in the battle. It is really shameful."

Pan Yinglong waved his hand and said: "The Duke's words are wrong. Not counting King Yanping who is far away overseas, only the Kuidong families continue to resist the Qing Dynasty. Being able to persevere in such a situation is already commendable."

Wang Guangxing cupped his hands and said with emotion: "With these words from my father-in-law, I and my subordinates will have no regrets."

After a brief chat, Wang Guangxing sent Pan Yinglong to rest. He left Jiang Shangying behind and summoned Mao Shoudeng, the governor-general's minister, to start discussions.

"Is there such a thing?" Mao Shoudeng was not very interested in the Yiling victory, but expressed doubts about Huang Li's identity. "Is it a conspiracy by the Duke of Anhui and others, or a way to boost the morale of the army?"
p>

Mao Shoudeng was the son of Mao Yujian, a famous minister in the late Ming Dynasty. He served as the right minister of the Ministry of War and the censor of Qiandu in the Southern Ming Dynasty in Yongli. Now he is the supervisor of Wang Guangxing's army.

As an official of the Yongli court, Mao Shoudeng was different from Hong Yuao in that he had always held prejudice against the Ming army who came from the Shun army.

Jiang Shangying pondered and said: "The Duke of Anhui did not use this to unify power. In my opinion, he was still trying to boost the morale of the army."

Wang Guangxing smiled and said: "Of course they won't be so impatient. Do you really think I am easy to deceive?"

Mao Shoudeng also felt that it was necessary to be on guard. Perhaps Liu Tichun and others were just playing a long game to catch the big fish.

"Moving out the third prince will give you the upper hand in the name of justice. I guess there will be more means in the future, and it won't be just that."

Jiang Shangying frowned unnoticeably and said, "It's better for me to investigate and find out whether it's true or false. I can almost reach a conclusion."

Wang Guangxing blinked and thought for a while, then said: "Then I'll trouble Mr. Jiang. Although we can't judge the authenticity now, the gift cannot be discarded. Mr. Jiang brought some gifts and checked them out."

"This is very safe." Mao Shoudeng agreed with this and said: "It is very appropriate for Mr. Jiang to go."

Mao Shoudeng was a member of the Governor-General's Department, and he believed that he came from a family of officials and served in the Southern Ming Dynasty. He was promoted along the way.

Hong Yu'ao was the right-hand minister of the Governor-General's Ministry of War. He was just a scholar, but he always spoke for the Xishan families, which made Mao Shoudeng unhappy.

Wang Guangxing patted the letter on the table and said: "The families in Xishan were defeated by Wushan, but they also achieved a great victory in Yiling, which shows that their strength is still there. In this way, I, Shizhou Guard, will have no worries for the time being."

A man-headed iron-topped vat can naturally contain the Qing army and will not attack Shizhou Guard for the time being, so Wang Guangxing can breathe a sigh of relief.

Jiang Shangying agreed with a smile, but he despised it in his heart. It was precisely because Wang Guangxing was so unwilling to make progress and ignored the overall situation that he wanted to leave.

……………

Wuchang.

Yiling fell, and less than six or seven days later, news of the fall of Dangyang came again, causing another tense chaos.

Judging from the direction of the Ming army's attack, the next target is Jingmen or entering the Han River to take Xiangyang.

Huguang's mobile troops were all lost in Yiling, and the garrison troops transferred from various places not only had low combat effectiveness, but also might not have enough time to rescue Jingmen.

Not only that, the news about the Third Prince of Chongzhen also spread through the released wounded soldiers. The reason why it happened so quickly was that the Huguang Navy rescued him along the coast and rushed him to Wuchang.

"Third Prince? How ridiculous." When Zhang Changgeng first heard the news, he didn't take it seriously at all. "The thieves were defeated in Wushan. They must have low morale. They just used this name to deceive people."

"Your Excellency is wise." Mu Liao stroked his goatee, first flattering him, and then admonishing him: "Nonetheless, your Excellency, it would be better to inquire in detail before deciding how to deal with it."

Zhang Changgeng was thoughtful, and after a while he understood what his staff meant. He gently nodded and said, "That's right."

It doesn't matter whether it's true or false, but if it involves the former Ming Dynasty clan and such a heavyweight, it will definitely be reported to the Qing court.

This is a matter of attitude and principle, and we don’t dare to be careless. If the commotion becomes bigger in the future, Zhang Changgeng cannot afford to be charged with not reporting the incident.

Of course, the Governor does not need to do this work himself.

Zhang Changgeng handed over the writing of the memorial to his staff, and then he was busy mobilizing troops and generals to block the bandits' offensive and save Huguang from losing a few towns.

For losing the city or falling into Shangguan, the Qing court's punishments were usually beheading, confiscation of homes, death in battle or martyrdom, but it could still leave a glimmer of hope for the family.

As the governor of Huguang, he lost important towns one after another. He would not be beheaded, but punishment from the Qing court was still inevitable.

"The thieves are rampant, how can they be so powerful in attacking the city?" Zhang Changgeng has always found it difficult to understand the rapid fall of Yiling and Dangyang.

The more unclear the truth is, the more unsure and random he becomes of suspicion. Zhang Changgeng also has less confidence in Jingmen and other cities.

Zhang Changgeng walked around in front of the map like a donkey, thinking over and over again, and kept sighing, "People and horses from all over the country have been mobilized, and some have rushed to Wuchang and Jingzhou, but it is still not enough!"

At this moment, the staff came in to report and submitted several confessions.

"The false prince has returned from traveling overseas and is now among the bandit army. He is tall and powerful, and is very powerful..."

"It was the secret envoy sent by the false prince to infiltrate the bandit army. The false prince is contacting the Zheng family in Taiwan and wants to launch another Yangtze River battle..."

"The false prince is hiding in the capital and is secretly contacting the rebels, preparing to invade the palace and assassinate the king..."
Chapter completed!