Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 84 Urgent Report
In the Governor's Palace, the court officials lined up on both sides. The whips in the hall rang, and today's court meeting was about to begin.

Zhu Lang sat on the throne, his face still pale, but before he could say anything, Ding Kuichu suddenly stepped out from below.

"I have a report to make. I just received military intelligence from Jiangxi Province this morning. The Qing army's vanguard is spying on Meiguan. I am afraid they intend to invade Guangdong in a large scale." Ding Kuichu's face was solemn.

The ministers below were shocked when they heard this, and some of them even showed panic on their faces.

We just received news of the fall of Ganzhou yesterday, and today we received intelligence that the Qing army is approaching Meiguan. If this continues, the Qing army will be at Zhaoqing City tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

"How is it possible? Where did the news come from? Have you verified it?"

The Regent above was also shocked. He stood up suddenly and asked repeatedly

"The Ministry of War received a report this morning from two people who claimed to be defeated soldiers from Gan Province. The staff of the Ministry of War have already questioned them. Both of them have Gan Province accents, and the information they know is the same as the court. They both claimed that Ganzhou fell on October 8th."

"The two men claimed to be soldiers from Ganzhou. After the Qing army entered the city, they took advantage of the chaos and fled to the Meiguan area. They stayed in Meiguan for seven or eight days, and then met the Qing court's vanguard cavalry again outside Meiguan."

"So the two men were terrified and continued to flee south, all the way to Zhaoqing. When they found that the imperial court had been established, they went to the court to report the news."

After hearing Ding Kuichu's words, everyone believed them even more. Although they had just received the news of Ganzhou's fall yesterday, Ganzhou was not lost yesterday. Ganzhou had already fallen on October 8th. Now it was the 26th, and almost 20 days had passed.
If the Qing army had really sent out the vanguard seven or eight days after capturing Ganzhou, it would be hard to say whether Meiguan would still be in the hands of the court.

When His Majesty the Regent heard Ding Kuichu's report, he stood on the jade steps in a daze, as if frightened, and his face became increasingly pale.
In the dark, Zhu Lang's eyes were filled with shock and anger. This time he was really shocked by the sudden news.
He clearly remembered that in his previous life, after the fall of Ganzhou, the imperial court first fled to Guangxi Province, and then Shaowu proclaimed himself emperor. The imperial court then urgently returned to Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, to compete with Emperor Shaowu for the orthodox position.

This took nearly a month or two!
Now, he had just received intelligence from Gan Province yesterday, and just one day later, he received news that the Qing army's vanguard had entered Meiguan. How could it be so fast?
His plans were all based on a one-month buffer period after he ascended the throne, but now he was told that the Qing army had already entered Guangdong Province and might even reach Zhaoqing in a few days. How could he not be angry?

This is not because Zhu Lang believed in the information from his previous life, but even according to common sense, the Qing army could not have entered Guangdong Province so quickly.
The Qing army besieged Zhaoqing for half a year, and only entered Ganzhou on the eighth day of the first lunar month. This means that the Qing army only rested for seven or eight days before continuing to advance. But how could this be possible?
Even during the three great battles in the past, such a powerful army took a rest for half a month after conquering Liaoshen before entering the pass. The captain even estimated that the enemy would need to rest for at least two or three months before they would have the strength to continue the attack.

But that is a modern army. With the support of a modern logistics system, it can recover its combat effectiveness so quickly.

Zhu Lang was shocked and angry. Ganzhou was not the main battlefield, and most of the troops besieging Ganzhou were surrendered soldiers from the Ming Dynasty.

Could it be that after surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, these Ming Dynasty surrendered soldiers suddenly became immortal soldiers and generals? Don't they need to rest?

Zhu Lang's eyes flashed with gloom. There were only two possible situations. Either the Qing army captured Ganzhou and then launched a surprise attack on Guangdong Province.
Either Ding Kuichu lied about military intelligence, which was very likely. Ding Kuichu had a motive, and he wanted to force himself to move west as soon as possible!
The court has not received any intelligence about any unusual movements on the front line recently. The Ministry of War is not the only source of intelligence for him.

He had long ago ordered the Southern Pacification Division under Li Chengzhi to spread out to the border of Guangdong Province. If the Qing army invaded on a large scale, how could the Southern Pacification Division not receive any intelligence?

But he did not dare to conclude that Ding Kuichu's information was false, because if the Qing army launched a surprise attack, they would certainly intercept the messenger to prevent the news from leaking.
What made him even more afraid to ignore was that he knew that Guangzhou was lost in a surprise attack in his previous life. In this case, he was even more unsure whether Ding Kuichu's report was true or false.

Zhu Lang's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, but his heart suddenly became anxious. Regardless of whether it was true or false, Ding Kuichu must not be allowed to stay!
He originally wanted to make the fight between the two sides more intense, and then take down Ding Kuichu to reduce the turmoil in the court, but now he has no patience.

Zhu Lang's eyes flashed with murderous intent. Even if the Qing army was going to reach Zhaoqing City tomorrow, he had to get rid of Ding Kuichu today.

Zhu Lang's mind was full of thoughts, and he had thought of many things in a blink of an eye. However, in the eyes of the ministers, the young Regent looked pale and stood there for a long time, as if he had been frightened by the news.

However, everyone was too late to care about the situation of His Royal Highness the Regent, because when the Qing army arrived, it would not only be His Royal Highness who would die, but also the ministers who were still in the city.
Ding Kuichu's report really caught everyone off guard. Even Qu Shisi and others were shocked and did not react for a long time.

The faces of the ministers in the hall were either shocked or terrified, but at this moment, a red-robed general suddenly stepped out from the right side of the line, and everyone's eyes subconsciously focused on this person.

"I, Chen Bangfu, the Marquis of Si'en, have this report. The front line is in danger now. The Qing army will arrive at any time. Guangdong Province is already difficult to defend. I ask Your Highness to visit Guangxi Province as soon as possible and quickly deploy defenses on the Guangxi-Guangdong border to fight the Qing army."

"I have been stationed in Guangxi for a long time. Guangxi is a mountainous province. The Qing army can only rely on its sharp cavalry. Once they enter Guangxi, the Qing cavalry will lose its power and will no longer have the strength to charge."

"The imperial court has both geographical advantages and people's support in Guangxi Province. We have already won two chances of victory. As long as we deploy defenses step by step and fight against them step by step, we will surely be able to repel the Eastern Tartars," Chen Bangfu said in a serious voice.

When Zhu Lang heard what Chen Bangfu said, a light flashed in his eyes, and he became more and more convinced that this news must have been fabricated by Ding Kuichu.
Others didn't know, but after Chen Bangfu entered the court, he had already sent people to keep an eye on him, knowing that Chen Bangfu had already paid a visit to Ding Kuichu.
I'm afraid Chen Bangfu didn't expect that he, a military official from a remote province, would be so valued by His Majesty the Regent.
Zhu Lang was thinking about things, but when the civil officials in the court heard this, their eyes lit up. They felt that Chen Bangfu was indeed a famous general in the army, and his remarks were really insightful.
The ministers were already afraid, and now they heard the words of the general in the court. With this excuse, the idea of ​​moving the capital became more and more unstoppable.

Ding Kuichu saw the hesitation on the faces of the people in the court. His face was solemn, but a little joy rose in his heart.

Given the current situation in the court, as long as the idea of ​​moving the capital is proposed, except for Qu Shisi and his people who will try their best to oppose it, everyone else will probably go along with it, and the resistance to moving the capital will be greatly reduced.
The ministers had different expressions on their faces, but before they could react, a figure in front of them had already stepped out, with an angry look on his face, pointing at Chen Bangfu below, and suddenly spoke

"Nonsense"

"I have only heard of military commanders being happy when hearing about war, but I have never seen a national commander flee upon hearing the news. It is really ridiculous to advise the lord to abandon the country and leave."

Chen Zizhuang stared at Chen Bangfu below, and his cold shout resounded throughout the hall.
Chen Bangfu's face suddenly darkened. He looked at the old man in front of him, pointing at him with a frown and a hint of anger in his eyes.

He is in charge of western Guangxi, and he can get whatever he wants. Who dares to talk to him like that? Even the local governor has to be respectful to him.

Who does this old man think he is? He has an army of 10,000 men under his command. If he were in his place, he would definitely make this old villain wish he were dead.
Mr. Ge?
How many troops does the elder have?

But Chen Bangfu's face soon recovered. At this time, he was in Guangdong Province, and the army was not by his side, so he could not move.

Chen Bangfu stared at the angry old man in front of him, with a flash of murderous intent in his eyes. He waited until the imperial court entered Guangxi Province, and then he would see how Chen Zizhuang would die.

Chen Bangfu's expression was cold, but there was no fear on his face. Although the army was not by his side, he was now a marquis of the court. To be honest, he was not afraid of this cabinet minister. "Mr. Chen's words are really pedantic. The Qing cavalry is sharp. This is a consensus in the world. The army is a major event for the country. How can we act recklessly?"

"Knowing that the Qing cavalry was strong, he did not rely on the terrain to weaken the Eastern Tartar cavalry. Did he want our Ming soldiers to line up on the plains and allow the Qing cavalry to slaughter our Ming soldiers? This is what Chen Ge Lao said about the national war generals."

"Mr. Chen is a minister, you can sit in the hall and talk nonsense, but I have to lead the soldiers to fight for their lives on the front line. The lives of tens of thousands of soldiers depend on my thoughts. How dare I joke with the lives of the soldiers like Mr. Chen?"

"Since Mr. Chen has no military experience, please do not speak nonsense and bring harm to the country."

Chen Bangfu also stood up straight and looked coldly at Chen Zizhuang in front of him.
When the ministers in the court heard Chen Bangfu's cold shout, they were all a little stunned for a moment. Chen Zizhuang was a cabinet minister. The Ming Dynasty had always controlled the military with civil officials. When did a military official dare to speak out against a civil official like this?
When the officials of Fujian Province thought of this, their expressions suddenly froze. After all, they seemed to have seen this scene before.

When everyone thought about Zheng Zhilong's behavior in Fujian Province, the officials of Fujian Province felt that they were making a fuss.
Who told others to have soldiers?

The two sides argued, but His Royal Highness the Regent seemed to hear nothing and stood there with a pale face, as if he had not yet reacted.
Zhu Lang secretly glanced at the situation on the field and found that the two sides were arguing so fiercely, but Qu Shisi was still silent.
Looking at Qu Shisi's expression again, he seemed to be hesitant at this moment.

Zhu Lang's heart sank. He had already decided to get rid of Ding Kuichu, and he couldn't let Qu Shisi fail at this time.
A fierce look flashed in Zhu Lang's eyes. Since Qu Shisi didn't make a decision, he would help Qu Shisi make the decision.

"you……"

Chen Zizhuang was shaking all over, pointing at Chen Bangfu below and was about to start scolding him, but before he could open his mouth, an angry shout came from above.
"That's enough. You keep quarreling every day. Aren't you satisfied yet? Do you have to quarrel until the Qing army arrives in Zhaoqing before you are satisfied?"

"I dare not"

The people below looked at the pale and angry Regent and bowed down to apologize.

But he couldn't help but shake his head in his heart. His Highness was only strong on the outside but weak on the inside. He was already terrified and uneasy.

"Your Highness, there are many doubts about the Qing army's vanguard entering Guangdong. I would like to ask..."

Chen Zizhuang ignored His Highness's expression and stood up and spoke hastily.

Zhu Lang glanced down and found that Qu Shisi was still silent, with a hint of sternness in his eyes.

The young Regent sat back on the throne, leaning against it, with a tired look on his face. Before Chen Zizhuang could finish, he waved his hand to interrupt.

"Okay, Mr. Chen, there is no need to say more. The military situation has changed. It is not appropriate to discuss the war and defense in the court today."

"Do you have anything else to do today? If not, we will adjourn today."

"Also, please ask Lord Ding to come to the study in the back hall after the court is dismissed. I want to discuss the military situation of Guangdong Province with Lord Ding."

The young Regent's voice was weak, his face was getting paler, and he said weakly
Qu Shisi looked at the dejected Regent above him, and his face suddenly darkened. The Regent had just said that he would only invite Ding Kuichu to see him, and did not even mention him. It was obvious that he had already given up.

If the court were to be adjourned today, and Ding Kuichu were to enter the palace to make a report, I'm afraid the court would have already decided to move the capital and abandon Guangdong, and no one would be able to dissuade him.

A hint of determination flashed in Qu Shisi's eyes. The Qing army's vanguard entering Guangdong was all said by Ding Kuichu alone, which might not be true. He could not just abandon Guangdong like this.
Qu Shisi glanced at Chen Zizhuang, who was about to speak with a look of shock and anger, and tried to appease him with his eyes. Then he was about to step out and speak.

But he didn't realize that after His Highness the Regent said that he would summon Ding Kuichu alone, He Wuzuo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly became gloomy.

Their original plan for today's incident was to let Qu Shisi take the lead in impeachment, and then the Supervisory Office would follow up.

Impeaching Wang Kun is not an easy task. Not to mention Wang Kun's own power, Ding Kuichu is standing behind him. Only Qu Shisi, the deputy assistant, can withstand the fierce counterattack from the other side.
Qu Shisi had agreed to it, but now that the court was about to be dismissed, Qu Shisi did not take any action.

Qu Shisi was a foreigner, so he could just leave. But He Wuzuo's relatives and old friends were all in Guangdong Province. Was he going to watch his family and friends fall into the hands of the Qing army?

He Wuzuo glanced coldly at Qu Shisi above him. He knew that these outsiders were unreliable.

Fortunately, he had prepared a backup plan and did not put all his hopes on Qu Shisi, a foreigner.

A trace of determination flashed across He Wuzuo's eyes, and he quickly made a gesture to the people below.

Qu Shisi was about to speak, but a figure appeared below.

"I, Liu Xiangke, the Imperial Censor of the Supervisory Office, impeach the Imperial Censor Wang Kun for selling official positions and titles, manipulating power, and causing chaos in the government."

"I ask Your Highness to execute this traitor to the country, so as to enlighten the people and rectify the laws and disciplines of the country."

Liu Xiangke had a serious expression on his face. He stood straight, looking straight at His Royal Highness the Regent above him.

He gave up his position in the Imperial Academy and returned to the Supervisory Office to serve as an imperial censor, just for this moment.

He had been rehearsing for this moment for who knows how long.
Today is the day when Liu Xiangke becomes famous all over the world!
When the ministers heard what Liu Xiangke said, their faces froze for a moment, and then they all looked down in shock. The man in the official robes of the Xiezhi looked determined.

There was silence in the hall. All the ministers looked stunned. Only Liu Xiangke's cold shout echoed in the hall.
(End of this chapter)