Chen Zilong said worriedly: "According to Hong Chengchou, the Qing court had mobilized 80,000 elite troops to move south from Shuntian Prefecture, and had arrived in Xuzhou at this time."

Wu Zheng was shocked and asked Chen Zilong to send someone to get the map. Half saw it, he suddenly burst into laughter.

Chen Zilong was stunned and asked, "Why is Zhenguo laughing?"

"Have the Chief Supervisor confirmed that there were 80,000 Qing troops stationed in Xuzhou?"

"It has been confirmed that there are indeed a brigade of Qing troops stationed in Xuzhou."

Wu Zheng nodded and said, "That should be true."

Chen Zilong was even more puzzled, "Why did the Duke of Zhenguo laugh?"

Looking at this famous great scholar, this literati soared into the sky and became the chief assistant of the dynasty. However, his experience was insufficient, and his talent was lacking enough experience and was merciless by Hong Chengchou.

Wu Zheng could only explain: "There is a maximum of three days of march from Xuzhou to the Yangtze River. If you march quickly, you will arrive in two days. And there are no less than three passages. Why did the Qing army not go south but sent a delegation to negotiate a ceasefire with our dynasty?"

Chen Zilong frowned and said, "It is not difficult to understand. The Qing court's three battlefields started war at the same time. No matter how strong the troops were, they were still short of their strength. Instead of stalemate on three sides, it is better to put one side first and concentrate on pacifying Fujian, Guangdong and Northwest."

"No," Wu Zheng nodded, "But if I had changed my place, if it were me, the 80,000 Qing troops had already arrived in Xuzhou, why not attack Yingtian Prefecture directly? The war has reached this point, and our military strength has been exhausted. I think it is not a secret to the Qing court, right?"

Chen Zilong seemed to have some understanding, but he still shook his head and said, "This may not be the case. The prime minister had already recruited 30,000 new troops in Yingtian Prefecture. Yingtian Prefecture's troops were even stronger than before. Although the Duke of Zhenguo also suffered losses in order to recover Zhenjiang, the main force in Hangzhou still exists. It is probably not easy for the Qing army to go south with 80,000 reinforcements, right?"

Wu Zheng smiled bitterly, walking across the mountain is like walking across the mountain, this is truly true.

If war is really more than the strength of the troops, it would be simple.

Wu Zheng could only explain: "I am in Hangzhou and the main force of Shaoxing prefectures is still there, which is indeed true, but that is necessary to deal with the sudden retaliation of the Qing army in Fujian. Moreover, the Qing army in Jiangxi and Anhui are eyeing eastern Zhejiang and have to be careful. At most, it is only 10,000 people who can be drawn. The Chief Auxiliary conscripts the new army, and it is still acceptable to defend the city, and fight in the field... To be honest, fighting with the elite Qing army who have experienced many battles is a waste of life."

Chen Zilong looked unwilling, but he held it over. In his opinion, after all, Wu Zheng ascended the throne to the emperor in the future, he had to save him some face.

Wu Zheng ignored it and said, "The reason why the Qing army stopped in Xuzhou was not because of kindness, but because they could not fight and had no strength to fight."

Chen Zilong shook his head and said, "No matter how thin camels are bigger than horses, no matter how much the Qing court is, they are more powerful than our dynasty."

Wu Zheng was really a little shocked. While these literati were passionately vowed to the Northern Expedition, they regarded the Qing court as a giant that could not be defeated. These two completely opposite thoughts and emotions were combined into one, making Wu Zheng speechless.

Wu Zheng really doesn't understand that this contradictory psychology is actually very normal.

Wu Zheng no longer persuaded him, no longer circled around, and said his intentions straightforwardly, "I want to exchange Yizhen Mingjun back."

Chen Zilong slowly calmed down his emotions on his face and looked at Wu Zheng silently.

Wu Zheng also stared at him.

After a while, Chen Zilong spoke, "Do you know that if you exchange it for hundreds of survivors of Yizhen, you have to exchange the results of tens of thousands of Ming soldiers for their lives? Hong Chengchou is waiting for me to speak!"

"I know." Wu Zheng said calmly, "It is precisely because of this that I came to discuss this with the Chief Supervisor."

Chen Zilong suddenly broke out, and he said excitedly: "What's the use of discussing with me? You should discuss it with Hong Chengchou."

Wu Zheng was still calm, "Hong Chengchou and I can't discuss it. You are the chief minister of the Qingtai Dynasty and will preside over this negotiation. If I don't look for you, who should I look for?"

Chen Zilong said angrily: "Do you know what Hong Chengchou wants?"

"Please give me advice."

"He gave two paths, one is to continue to maintain the armistice agreement and restore the original state before the war."

Wu Zheng sneered: "Where is the second one?"

"Submit..."

Wu Zheng was stunned. There is such shameless person in the world. Do you know what self-knowledge is?

Things that I couldn't get on the battlefield actually wanted to get from the negotiating table.

What was even more surprised that characters like Chen Zilong were even more confused about Hong Chengchou's unreasonable request.

"The Prime Minister has never thought that these are simply impossible?"

"How could I not know that even if Yingtianfu fought with only Chen, I would not agree to such unreasonable request."

Wu Zheng was even more surprised, "Since the prime minister has such determination, it would be better to directly reject Hong Chengchou, why bother?"

Chen Zilong looked at Wu Zheng in a daze and smiled bitterly: "You...you are confused."

Wu Zheng is really confused. What is he confused?

Chen Zilong said: "From the fall of Shaoxing Prefecture, the court moved to Pinggang Mountain and returned to Yingtian Prefecture. The civil and military officials in the court have not received their salary for more than half a year. However, the people of Yingtian Prefecture have regained their southern crowns and need to be comforted. Before, Chen was conquered 30,000 new troops, but Chen was shy and turned to the wealthy businessmen in the city, and the giants raised money... Duke Zhenguo, don't fight again, fight again... Don't fight the Qing army, the court will be in chaos."

Wu Zheng was silent for a while and suddenly said, "Wu Zheng had thought about what the Chief Auxiliary was concerned about, but in the face of national crisis, our officials should work together to overcome the difficulties together. Explain the truth clearly with them, and think no one will feel resentful."

Chen Zilong sighed, "I thought so before, and thought that everyone in the world was like Chen, who was determined to restore the ancestral temple and regain the mountains and rivers. But after I really sat in this position, I realized... Oh, how difficult it is to move forward."

Wu Zhengde said with a eyebrows: "Is the court so embarrassed?"

Chen Zilong smiled bitterly and said, "Ma Shiying is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. He is a member of Duke Zhenguo. Duke Zhenguo might as well ask."

Wu Zheng believed it and thought for a while and said, "Since that's the case, why don't the Prime Minister follow Wu Zheng's move in Hangzhou and Suzhou to raise funds from the rich people in the city? The Qing court occupied Yingtian Mansion for two years, and there will be no fewer wealthy people who want to join the Qing court."

Chen Zilong opened his mouth in shock, as if he had seen a ghost, "Isn't this robbing the people?"

"Can they be considered common people?... But that's true. After all, they are in the capital. The food should not be too ugly. In this way, they will issue evidence in the name of the Ministry of Revenue to temporarily borrow silver from wealthy businessmen and giants, and return it to them when the treasury has a balance."

Chen Zilong's mouth was so open that he was afraid that his saliva was almost dripping. He suddenly realized that the boy in front of him might not be suitable for ascending the throne as emperor.
Chapter completed!