Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 326: Red Heart
Xiangyang City, after the New Year, a little snow began to fall in the city. Now the outside of Xiangyang City was a silvery white. In the falling snow, dozens of cavalrymen came on the snow and soon entered the city from the north gate.

The lobby of Xiangyang Prefecture was warm at this time. On the left side of the lobby was Du Yinxi, who was wearing a bright red official robe, and on the right was Gao Yigong, who had just returned to Xiangyang from Henan Province.

After Gao Yigong and Bai Gui led the troops to force Shang Kexi to retreat, they stayed in Changde. After Du Yinxi and others broke through Jingzhou City, Gao Yigong and others were ordered to continue to go north to reinforce and expand the victory of the Jingzhou battle.
After Gao Yigong and the others arrived in Jingzhou, Bai Gui stayed in Jingzhou, while Gao Yigong led the 3,000 loyal troops to continue northward, and finally joined forces with Du Yinxi and others in Xiangyang.
After the Ming army entered Xiangyang, they did not stop their advance. Li Guo led the main force of the Loyalty Camp to the east to recapture Zaoyang, entered De'an Prefecture and attacked Suizhou, while Gao Yigong led a small army to the north to recapture Xinye and then attacked Dengzhou, trying to push the front line into Henan Province.

Du Yinxi looked at Gao Yigong opposite him and said

"How is the war going in Henan Province?"

Gao Yigong immediately replied after hearing this.

"The detachment I led was small in number, and although we took Xinye by surprise, when I arrived at Dengzhou, the Qing invaders in the city were already on guard. Later, Zhang Yingxiang, the general of Henan Province, also came from Nanyang to support Dengzhou. Seeing that it was difficult to capture the city for the time being, I led my troops to withdraw to Xinye."

"After I returned to Xinye, Zhang Yingxiang and others also moved to Dengzhou. Now both sides are defending their own cities. The Qing troops in Dengzhou are also intent on staying in the city and have not attacked Xinye again."

Du Yinxi nodded and continued
"Xinye is the frontier for the imperial court to enter Henan Province. With this city in front, Xiangyang will be able to be more relaxed. The defense of Xinye can be arranged."

"I have ordered Helan to garrison the city. Helan is also a veteran in the camp and should be able to handle the situation properly."

Gao Yigong briefly explained the defense of Henan Province, and then said

"The imperial court has ordered the commanders of all the camps in Huguang to come to the court for an audience. I have received the order. Whenever the governor is ready to leave, I will be ready to leave at any time."

After taking Jingxiang, another half month passed. Now, all the cities that could be easily taken have been recaptured by the Ming army. The remaining cities are hard to chew.
As the Qing army in Huguang retreated, they had re-deployed heavy troops to garrison important places such as Suizhou and Jiayu. If they wanted to forcibly take these remaining important cities, they would probably have to besiege them with heavy troops and artillery like they did in Yuezhou.

The offensive in all directions has now begun to stagnate, so the court decided to summon the generals from Huguang to the court to discuss the next action plan.
Du Yinxi was silent when he heard what Gao Yigong said. Gao Yigong was also slightly stunned when he saw Du Yinxi's expression, and then he said

"If the Governor has any important matters to deal with, you can go ahead and do it. I have already handed over the defense of Henan Province and can cooperate with the Governor at any time."

Du Yinxi looked at Gao Yigong opposite him and said

"Has General Gao decided to obey the imperial edict and come to the court?"

"Your Highness has summoned the commanders of the various armies in Huguang to discuss matters. Since I have received the order, I will certainly go to the court. What does the Governor-General mean by this?"

Du Yinxi looked at the astonishment on Gao Yigong's face and said in a deep voice

"Some time ago, there was a rumor in Huguang that the court would send a missionary to the Loyalty Camp to supervise the army. I sent a letter to General Li a few days ago, asking him to arrange defense and accompany me to the court, but General Li has not replied yet."

Gao Yigong's expression changed when he heard this. He finally understood why Du Yinxi urgently called him back to Xiangyang.

Gao Yigong followed the court to conquer Sichuan Province this time. The court reorganized the Western Army, and Gao Yigong also witnessed it personally. Now in Sichuan Province, except for Sun Kewang's troops in Sichuan, the rest of the Ming troops such as Yang Zhan and San Tan have been supervised by the court.

He was sure that the rumors in the court were not just rumors. Du Yinxi came to him probably to ask him to persuade Li Guo to obey the reorganization of the court.

Li Guo did not reply to the letter for several days, which showed that he was unwilling to accept the reorganization of the imperial court. Gao Yigong's reaction to Li Guo was not surprising. Half a year ago, when the Loyalty Camp was hiding in the mountains of western Hubei, Li Guo was unwilling to accept the reorganization of the imperial court.

Now that the Loyalty Camp has conquered Jingxiang and fought all the way from Huguang to Henan Province, the situation seems to be very good. Naturally, Li Guo is even more unwilling to accept the reorganization.

Although Gao Yigong understood Du Yinxi's intention, he remained silent at this time.
The main body of the Loyalty Camp is the rear camp among the five camps. Li Guo is the real commander of the rear camp. This matter involves the military power of the camp. Gao Yigong also dare not speak out easily.
Seeing Gao Yigong remained silent, Du Yinxi spoke again

"Since Jiashen, the court has suffered defeat after defeat, and the country is on the verge of collapse. Your Highness has been in the army since he ascended the throne, not shying away from the front. In the past two years, he has fought in the east and the west, working day and night, and only then has the state affairs been slightly revived. General Gao followed Your Highness into Sichuan to quell the rebellion. It was a difficult and arduous journey, and General Gao should know it better than anyone else."

"But even though the court has won several battles in a row, it can only temporarily keep the south stable. At this time, the Qing invaders still occupy the north, and the Qing invaders still have great power in the world."

"As Your Highness said, this is not a dynasty change, a change of surnames and names, but a war between Chinese and foreigners. If we lose, the people of the Central Plains will have to let their hair down and wear left-side lapels from now on, and become slaves. At this time, the court should be united. If we are still confined to our own factions..."

Gao Yigong's face became serious when he heard this, and he suddenly said

"Your Excellency the Governor, there is no need to say more. I will go to Zaoyang later and will do my best to persuade General Li to return to the court."

"But I cannot guarantee that I can persuade General Li to return, but no matter what, I will return to the court with the Governor-General to meet him."

Du Yinxi looked at Gao Yigong who was serious, and saw that his expression was not fake, so he took out an envelope from his sleeve.

"This is the court's preliminary arrangement for the Loyalty Camp. After reading it, General Gao will have a better idea of ​​what to do. After all, some things are more appropriate for people like you in the camp to discuss."

Du Yinxi handed the envelope to Gao Yigong and said in a deep voice
"If there is any chance, we should try our best to persuade General Li to return to the court. The court is short of money right now, and Xiangyang is an important frontline location that cannot be lost."

"If the Loyalty Camp is determined to stay away from the imperial court, the imperial court will never be able to support the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Loyalty Camp. It would be a pity if the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Loyalty Camp were to be scattered in the rear."

Gao Yigong read the letter from the court and felt a sinking feeling in his heart, knowing that the court had probably made up its mind.

Although the court had only let out the rumor at this time, it had actually already prepared for the Loyalty Camp to refuse to accept the reorganization. If Li Guo insisted on not letting the military supervisor enter the camp, the court was ready to transfer the Sichuan Provincial Governor Zheng Wenxiong's troops to Xiangyang.

This is exactly what Du Yinxi wanted Gao Yigong to tell Li Guo. The Zhongzheng Battalion can refuse the reorganization, but if it refuses to accept the reorganization, it must withdraw from Xiangyang. There is no room for negotiation on this matter.

It may seem easy for the imperial court to take back Xiangyang, but anyone can see the importance of Xiangyang to the Ming and Qing dynasties at that time.

When Xiangyang was in the hands of the Qing court, it was just an important place in Huguang. But after the Ming court seized Xiangyang, Xiangyang had become a place that could influence the situation in the world.
The imperial court will certainly station heavy troops in Xiangyang in the future, and all materials from Huguang in the court will also be transported to Xiangyang continuously.

If Li Guo insisted on not reorganizing, the court would never allow the Loyalty Camp to stay in Xiangyang and enjoy the huge amount of supplies transferred to Xiangyang by the court. If the Loyalty Camp was simply transferred away from Xiangyang, it would not be a big deal. However, if the court really arranged the Loyalty Camp, within three to five years, the Loyalty Camp would probably be completely abandoned.

Gao Yigong was silent for a while, and then he became completely determined in his heart. He said in a deep voice

"I heard that Yuan Zongdi's troops in Xiangxi have also been recruited by the Governor-General. I would like to ask if Yuan Zongdi will come to the court to pay homage this time."

"Yuan Zongdi has agreed to the missionary's joining the army for reorganization. Yuan Zongdi and others have been ordered to rush from Xiangxi to Xiangyang, and will later accompany me to the court to pay homage."

Gao Yigong inquired about the current movements of the various units of the Loyalty Camp, but found that Ma Chongxi, who was originally stationed in Jingzhou, was also transferred to Xiangyang by Li Guo and was now stationed in the city.
Gao Yigong thought for a moment and then said

"I need to meet Yuan Zongdi and Ma Chongxi first. If the discussion goes well, I will go to Zaoyang with them later."

"These two are in the city. General Gao can go find them. General Ta is in charge of the defense of Xiangyang City. General Ma is in Xiangyang City now, but he actually has no duties. If General Ma is willing, General Gao can lead him away."

"This time, I will do my best to persuade the Loyal Camp to join the DPRK."

Gao Yigong saw that Du Yinxi had agreed, so he said no more, bowed to Du Yinxi above him, and hurriedly left the hall.

In the lobby of Zaoyang City Government Office, all the generals of Shunying gathered together

In the upper part of the hall is Li Guo, the general of the rear camp. In the lower left are Gao Yigong, Ma Chongxi, Zhang Neng and other generals of the rear camp. On the right is Yuan Zongdi, the general of the right camp, Dang Shousu, the general of the Wuwei camp of the middle camp and others.

Except for Liu Tichun's right camp in Hanzhong, and Hao Yongzhong and Wang Jincai's left camp in Hunan Province, almost all the remaining troops of Shun Army were here.

In the hall, each general took his seat. In front of each general was a table filled with various kinds of food and drinks.
Li Guo sat at the top, looking at the generals gathered below, but his face did not show much joy.
Li Guo glanced at Gao Yigong below, with a warning in his eyes, but Gao Yigong just sat at the table with a calm expression.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Li Guo smiled, raised his glass, and said

"Today, General Gao returned to the camp, and Marquis Mian, General Wuwei and other brothers also entered the camp at the same time. We, the generals of Shunying, haven't been so well-organized for a long time."

"We, the brothers of Shunying, have reunited after a long separation. Today we will only talk about old friendship and not other things. We will not leave until we are drunk."

Gao Yigong and Yuan Zongdi looked at each other, their hearts sank, but Gao Yigong remained expressionless, and raised his glass to drink with Li Guo.
Everyone was toasting and talking about the past. Gao Yigong looked at the people drinking and chatting happily, and for a moment he seemed to have returned to the time when the late emperor was in power in Xi'an.

When the late emperor proclaimed himself king in Xi'an, he also held a banquet for all the generals in the camp, just like today. At that time, they attacked Luoyang, broke through Tongguan, occupied Guanzhong, established a dynasty, and everyone in the camp was full of enthusiasm, thinking that they would follow the late emperor to create an immortal foundation.
But four years had passed in a flash. During this time, the army was defeated and fled. The previous emperor passed away. The army generals of each camp were scattered. Everything had changed.
Gao Yigong looked at Li Guo sitting on the main seat and suddenly came to his senses.

Gao Yigong picked up the wine glass, raised his head and drank the wine in the glass. Gao Yigong knew that there was no Dashun now. There would never be Dashun in this world again.

After three rounds of drinking, the generals in the camp had already talked about their recent situation. Gao Yigong looked up at Li Guo, whose face was slightly red, and said:

"Today, all the brothers from the camps are gathered together. It is really a happy event. We have been displaced for many years. Fortunately, with the grace of Your Highness and the protection of the court, the various units of Shunying have finally found a place to settle down. In the future, we will have more opportunities to gather together."

"Before I left, the Governor asked me to bring a message to you. The court is now summoning the generals from Huguang to Changsha for a meeting. This matter concerns the war situation in Huguang and cannot be delayed. When is the general going to lead us to the court to meet His Highness?"

Hearing this, Li Guo's expression darkened and he looked down at Gao Yigong, while Gao Yigong looked calm and also looked at Li Guo.

The generals in the hall were originally talking to each other, but when they heard what Gao Yigong said, the conversations in the field disappeared instantly. Everyone looked at Li Guo and Gao Yigong above.

Li Guo was silent for a moment, his eyes flickered, and he said

"The Qing invaders recently raised troops from Wuchang to help us. Now the Qing invaders are stationed in Suizhou, eyeing Zaoyang and other places covetously. They may invade again at any time."

"The situation on the front line is complicated now and still needs a general to guard it. It is not appropriate to suddenly enter the DPRK at this time."

Gao Yigong looked at Li Guo above him, was silent for a moment, and then continued to speak

"The front line of Xiangyang is not just our Loyalty Camp. The Governor-General, the Governor's Battalion, and Wang Guangtai are all at the front line of Xiangyang. How can we conceal the war on the front line from the court?"

"Although the Qing governor Luo Xiujin led his troops to Suizhou, the Qing army suffered a series of defeats in Hunan and Hubei, and was surrounded on all sides. They couldn't even protect themselves, so how could they dare to send troops to invade?"

"If the general has any doubts, he can discuss it directly with Governor Du. If the general uses such excuses to evade the court, it will probably backfire."

Seeing Gao Yigong directly reveal the matter, Li Guo's face turned ugly. Li Guo put down the wine glass in his hand, stared at Gao Yigong below, and said in a deep voice
"General Gao, what do you want to say today?"

When Li Guo first learned that Gao Yigong was coming, he was also happy. However, when Li Guo found that Yuan Zongde's party Shousu, who had been separated from them, and Ma Chongxi, who was previously stationed in Xiangyang, also rushed to the city, Li Guo immediately realized that Gao Yigong might have bad intentions this time.

Li Guo's face was cold. Anyone could see Li Guo's dissatisfaction at this moment, but Gao Yigong seemed unaware of it and spoke again.

"Half a year ago, I led my army to Yuanzhou to meet His Highness. When His Highness first met me, he asked me a question."

"Now I would like to ask the general the same question as your Highness."

"Is the general now Li Guo or Li Chixin?"

Li Guo's face suddenly changed when he heard this. Yuan Zongdi, Ma Chongxi and others all looked up at Li Guo. The place suddenly became silent.

(End of this chapter)