Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Next,
The group returned to the General's Mansion at the Dagu Fortress.

Chen Jie used to live here for quite a while.

The Western Allied Forces nearly breached the Dagu Fortress, and Hunter's Allied Forces split into two routes, one of which bypassed the Tanggu Port and caused great damage to the suburban towns of Tianjin.

but,

After nearly two years of construction and restoration.

The villages surrounding the Dagu Fortress in Tianjin have been developed into very well-established communities.

Ximentang was built not far from the cement factory in Tianjin.

Therefore,
Walking into the villages and towns surrounding the fortress, you can see rows of reinforced concrete houses.

The street surface is made of precast cement bricks, laid neatly and evenly.

There are also irrigation canals on both sides of the road to prevent flooding caused by heavy rain.

Anyway,

Everything around was built very well, giving people a refreshing feeling.

have to say,

Ximentang wielded considerable influence within the Ministry of War during the Great Qian Dynasty.

During the two years that Li Fan was stationed at the Dagukou Fortress in Tianjin, much of the internal construction was actually handled by Ximentang, with the Canal Gang's forces assisting in the construction.

After entering the military camp, you can see a very large square.

The soldiers are in formation.

Clearly, everyone in the military camp had heard that the 'young master' had returned to the Dagu Fortress.

Everyone wanted to greet the 'young master' with their most standard military posture.

The news that Ximentang was going to re-establish his garrison at the Dagukou Fortress in Tianjin had already reached Tianjin City.

Therefore,
Many ordinary people also received the news.

The people who had once received great kindness from Ximentang lined the main road through the Dagukou Fortress, waving various flags to welcome his return.

Chen Jie was deeply moved after witnessing this scene.

Although he was stationed at the Dagu Fortress and repelled the Western Allied Forces, he did not actually build Tianjin City.

All of this construction was actually undertaken by the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty.

But now,

Almost everyone attributed the credit to Simon.

because,

Without Simon's victory at the Dagu Fortress, the entire Dagu Fortress and Tianjin City would have fallen and become colonies of Western powers.

call--!
Chen Jie exhaled, recalling the scenes from the past, and felt a deep sense of familiarity that was hard to describe.

The area of ​​the Dagu Fortress is actually not very large compared to other places.

In less than half an hour, they had already finished their journey.

When Chen Jie entered the General's Mansion, he found that it had been cleaned and tidied up in advance, and the place was very clean.

at this time,

It's lunchtime.

Jiang Changshun ordered people to start preparing a banquet to welcome Chen Jie and the other elite members of Ximen Hall.

Ximentang's 50,000-strong army quickly occupied the military camp at the Dagukou Fortress.

Chen Jie's 50,000-strong army included some mercenaries under Jack Bonaparte, and even a considerable number of Black men.

of course,

There were women in the French mercenaries.

It's not uncommon for female soldiers to be in mercenary groups.

Never underestimate these female soldiers, and never assume they are easy to bully.

On the contrary,

These female mercenaries are more ruthless than anyone else when it comes to killing enemies.

It's best not to mess with female soldiers in mercenaries, otherwise you'll lose your freedom.

Fortunately, Tianjin had many Western concessions at the time, and many Westerners lived there.

Therefore, Jiang Changshun was not surprised to see these foreign soldiers, thinking that they must have been captured and made cannon fodder under Ximentang's command.

That's right,

Many junior officers in the Simon Hall have always believed that Jack Bonaparte's mercenaries are cannon fodder recruited by the young master.

The reason is simple: in that battle on the island, Jack Bonaparte's army was used as cannon fodder.

The guardsmen privately explained to Jiang Changshun their identity as French mercenaries.

Jiang Changshun then realized that these people were indeed prisoners of war from the last attack on the Western Allied Forces.

Finally, this blond foreigner defected to Simon and became a henchman.

therefore.

Jiang Changshun held the young master in high esteem.

At the same time, he couldn't help but admire the young master's great strategy, which was to be able to bring even the foreigners' overseas legions under his command.

After lunch.

Without wasting any time, Chen Jie convened a meeting with all the elite personnel to prepare for the next deployment.

At the meeting,
Jiang Changshun was the first to report to Chen Jie on the overall situation of the Dagukou Fortress.

Even setting aside Chen Jie's 50,000-strong army, the supplies that the supply corps had moved to the Dagukou Fortress military camp and ammunition depot in advance were enough to fight two large-scale battles.

Whether it's artillery, shells, heavy machine guns, bullets, grenades, etc., the equipment is all very complete.

In particular, Ximentang is now directly using cargo ships on the high seas to transport supplies.

Many heavy cannons were sent to Tianjin Port and transported to the Dagu Fortress.

Therefore,
The defenses of the Dagu Fortress were very well prepared, including ammunition and supplies.

Shandong's arsenals, shipyards, and various industrial developments have all entered a fast track.

The reason is simple: Ximentang built a large power plant in Shandong, which uses coal to generate electricity.

Therefore,
With sufficient electricity, development accelerated rapidly.

The production efficiency of artillery shells is several times higher than before.

for the rest of the time,

Chen Jie explained the current situation of the Great Qian Dynasty to everyone present.

Prince Ning, Li Mu's, northwestern army had captured Xuanhua Prefecture half a month ago.

An army of 500,000 men marched from three directions straight toward the Great Wall at Badaling and Juyongguan!

too fast!
With lightning speed, Prince Ning, Li Mu, seemed confident of taking the capital.

Eighty thousand Japanese troops, working from the flank, joined forces with three hundred thousand Japanese troops at Shanhaiguan to hold off Guan Qilin's five hundred thousand-strong army.

therefore,

Chen Jie didn't waste any words and bluntly explained the current situation in Daqian.

Given the current war situation, the capital city will inevitably fall.

Even if the Great Qian royal family wanted to stabilize the situation, they could only prolong their existence.

There are too many factions within the capital, making it a disorganized mess.

When facing external enemies, they might be more united.

Just like when facing the Western Allied Forces, the major families and several princes put aside their conflicts of interest and began to unite against the common enemy.

but,

The biggest threat now is not external enemies, but the collusion between external and internal enemies.

Prince Ning Li Mu's 500,000-strong army clearly had the support of several major factions in the capital, which enabled it to advance so rapidly, directly from Shuozhou to Juyong Pass.

The enemy's advance is imminent, and danger is imminent!

Even if Ximentang could hold off the Dagukou Fortress, it would be difficult for him to divert his troops to protect the north of the capital.

Therefore,
In the upcoming war, the capital will inevitably be captured by Prince Ning, Li Mu.

Zeng Xuanhuai and other elderly people who followed Chen Jie naturally understood Chen Jie's analysis and judgment.

Through Princess Lingyue, many of Ximen Hall's elite members learned about the internal factions within the capital.

Moreover, Chen Jie often analyzes the current situation of the Great Qian Dynasty with everyone.

in fact,

Ximentang was transferred to the Dagukou Fortress, where he encountered great obstacles.

If it weren't for Li Lingyue's repeated requests, Emperor Li Zheng would not have dared to issue this order.

Although Chen Jie has already become the emperor's son-in-law.

but,

Emperor Li Zheng, however, remained wary of Ximen Tang.

If Ximentang were farther away from the capital, he might be able to get a good night's sleep.

But how could Emperor Li Zheng feel at ease letting Ximen Tang's army stationed near the capital?
All of this was due to Li Lingyue's request, which finally led Emperor Li Zheng to make the decision, but he only allowed Ximen Tang's 50,000-strong army to come to the capital.

Therefore,
After Chen Jie led 50,000 troops to Tianjin, he had already analyzed this problem with others.

He had even told Li Lingyue repeatedly that Ximentang's 50,000-strong army was incapable of resolving the crisis in the capital.

Unless an army of more than 200,000 is mobilized, the safety of the capital can be guaranteed.

but,

This suggestion was ultimately rejected by Emperor Li Zheng of the Great Qian Dynasty and the Sixth Prince Li Lie.

Just kidding. Ximentang has 200,000 troops stationed near the capital. If they have any disloyal intentions, the capital will be completely doomed.

Even in the most dangerous moments,
Emperor Li Zheng was still thinking about how to balance the various forces.

He mobilized 50,000 troops from Ximen Hall under Chen Jie's command, not to protect the capital, but to use Ximen Hall's power to balance the current situation of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Unfortunately, he probably didn't expect that Prince Ning Li Mu's Northwest Army would suddenly reach Juyong Pass.

and so.

Among all the elite core members around Chen Jie, there was basically a consensus.

The Great Qian Dynasty may very well collapse this time!
Even though Li Lingyue had already understood everything, there was nothing she could do to change the situation.

She was only the emperor's daughter, not his son, and therefore could not inherit the great cause of the Daqian Dynasty.

Therefore,
The moment she was married off, Emperor Li Zheng naturally became wary of her.

From the moment her suggestion to her father, Emperor Li Zheng, to increase Ximentang's military strength was rejected.

Li Lingyue already knew that her status in the royal family had declined.

Her son, whom she later had, would have the surname Chen, not Li!

Jiang Changshun and the others were shocked to hear the news that the capital was about to fall.

No one doubted the young master's assessment of the current situation.

not to mention,
Based on the various information currently provided by Ximentang's undercover agents, as well as the open and covert struggles between the major factions in the capital.

The fall of the capital was already difficult to reverse.

Unless Emperor Li Zheng puts aside all prejudices and allows Ximen Tang to mobilize more than 200,000 troops and continuously increase them to control the entire capital, it is impossible to save the capital.

But now it seems too late.

Even if Ximentang starts to transfer troops from Shandong, Nanjing, Songjiang Prefecture, and eastern Zhejiang to support the capital, it will be too late.

this moment,
Everyone was thinking about a practical problem.

Once the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty falls, what will become of Ximentang?
Should we compromise with Prince Ning, Li Mu?
No, absolutely impossible!
Ximen Tang may not rebel, but he will never allow himself to be trampled on.

Moreover,

When Ximen Tang was in Hanzhong, he fought several battles with the King of Han, and the two sides were already enemies.

With Prince Li Ben of Han joining Prince Li Mu of Ning, it was naturally impossible for Ximen Tang to submit to Prince Li Mu of Ning's command.

Therefore,
From any perspective, it was impossible for Ximentang to pledge allegiance to Prince Ning, Li Mu.

Could it be—that he should declare himself king?!
Ximentang occupied the most prosperous area on the southeastern coast of the Great Qian Dynasty and had enough power to declare itself king.

But everyone knew in their hearts that from the moment Chen Jie became the prince consort, the possibility of him establishing himself as king was very low.

Moreover,

This topic is relatively too sensitive, especially given the connection between Princess Li Lingyue and the royal family.

therefore,

Upon hearing that the capital was about to fall, everyone at the meeting remained silent, not daring to discuss this sensitive topic further.

Chen Jie was also well aware that now was not the time to declare himself king.

It's not that Ximentang lacked strength, but rather that the timing was wrong.

With external enemies still at large, Ximentang absolutely cannot afford to get bogged down in internal strife.

Since Ximentang currently lacks a strong moral foundation, it would be easy for him to lose the support of the people if he were to declare himself king.

Some problems cannot be solved by force.

He thought for a while and said:
"Gentlemen, once the capital falls, the situation will spiral out of control."

"First of all, after Prince Ning, Li Mu, seizes the capital, he will inevitably become emperor, and the royal family of the Great Qian Dynasty will have no choice but to move south to Jinling to maintain the rule of the imperial power."

"Another possibility is that Prince Ning, Li Mu, will exterminate the royal family in the capital and seize control of the Great Qian Dynasty by the most drastic means."

"But the regional vassal kings will certainly not accept this, and the entire Daqian Dynasty will be torn apart and will soon split into many small countries."

"Once the Great Qian Dynasty falls apart, the Eastern army will advance unimpeded and sweep across the Great Qian."

"Their appetite is huge, not just for Northeast China, but for the entire Daqian region, and even the whole of Asia."

"Actually, for us at Ximentang, the real threat is not Prince Ning Li Mu's Northwest Army, but the Allied Forces of the East!"

Chen Jie's words shocked everyone.

However, upon closer reflection, this is indeed the case.

Once the Great Qian Dynasty is defeated, the possibility of its disintegration is too great.

All of a sudden.

The atmosphere in the conference hall became heavy.

Zeng Xuanhuai looked up and asked, "Young Master, what should we do next at Ximen Hall?"

Chen Jie said calmly:

"Whether it's the Japanese, or the princes like Prince Ning (Li Mu) and Prince Shu (Li Chuang), they are all unreliable."

"Since the Emperor has ordered Ximentang to garrison troops at the Dagu Fortress, even if we cannot protect the capital, we must at least ensure their safety for the time being."

“If the royal family wants to move south to Jinling, it would be beneficial to our Ximen Hall in a sense, since Jinling is now our territory.”

"In this chaotic situation, the only thing we need to do is preserve our strength, make sufficient preparations, and deal with all the changes that are to come."

"Everyone must remember, the only things we can rely on are our cannons and muskets; everything else is meaningless!"

"As long as the royal family is still alive, the cause of the world belongs to our Ximen Hall, and we have sufficient reason to send troops to quell the rebellion."

"Even if Prince Ning, Li Mu, occupies the capital, so what? They cannot seize the righteous cause; they will always be rebels, and we can wipe them out at any time."

The meaning is already obvious.

Ximentang is not subject to any power.

As long as the imperial power is preserved, Ximen Tang will have the absolute initiative.

Regardless of whether the imperial power was a 'puppet' or not, and regardless of how much say the imperial power still had in Nanjing.

Anyway,

As long as the royal family leaves the capital and goes to Jinling.

Then everything is under Ximentang's control. No matter how chaotic the world becomes, Ximentang will be the stabilizing force.

Everyone around breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that Chen Jie did not intend to declare himself king.

It's not that everyone opposes the prince becoming emperor.

The problem is that the timing is not good. Ximentang has only been rising in power for a short time and has not yet won enough popular support.

If the prince were to declare himself emperor now, he would be branded as 'treacherous and disloyal'.

At that time, the Great Qian Dynasty will still fall apart, and even the Western Regions, Tibet, and the Great Grasslands will rightfully break free from the rule of the Great Qian Dynasty.

If Ximentang wants to send troops at that time, he will not be able to occupy the moral high ground.

He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world!
Everyone present understood this principle.

Therefore,
When they heard that Chen Jie had no intention of becoming emperor, everyone felt much relieved.

Zeng Xuanhuai thought for a moment and continued, "Young Master, given the combat strength of our Ximen Hall army, the Dagu Fortress doesn't need 50,000 troops at all. At most, 20,000 troops would be enough to ensure its safety. What should we do with the remaining 30,000 troops?" (End of Chapter)