Although Liu Jun himself never established a Chu party, Zhang Guowei, Yuan Jixian, Li Shuchu and others did not say that he was the Chu party, but because they maintained a neutral attitude in the current struggle between Wu and Zhou Yanru and were closer to Liu Jun, they were designated as the same party by Wu and Zhou Yanru. Because Liu Jun is from Hubei, this party is naturally called the Chu party. △￠,

The Chu Party was strong, controlling the southeastern half of the country, including Nanzhili, Lianghu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Taiwan, and Hainan. Although these people only occupy the upper positions of governors and governors, and the gentry below did not even work together with them, this is enough for Zhou Yanru to treat them carefully.

"These Chu parties have implemented tax reform, built the Maritime Bureau, Taxation Bureau, Customs, collected tariffs, and commercial taxes. The people are in aroused public grievances in Jiangnan, and people are facing great people like my family. I heard that many Jiangbei party members were also affected by the family, and they are also dissatisfied with the Chu party. The salt factory established by Liu Jiye in Hubei now produces a large amount of salt every year, and Yangzhou salt merchants are greatly affected. These Yangzhou salt merchants have a close relationship with the Jiangbei party members." Wu Changshi said to Zhou Yanru, "Sir, since these Chu parties don't drink toast, then punish them for wine. Let's just join forces with the Jiangbei party members and defeat these Chu parties first."

"This is very risky." Zhou Yanru and Taoism, "If the Jiangbei Party members and the Chu Party join forces, will we not be in danger?"

"The Chu Party always wants to maintain a neutral attitude. They will not join forces with the Jiangbei Party members. What's more, as long as the Chu Party is captured, the number of important positions that the Chu Party now occupies will be vacant. How could Wu Yan and others not be moved?" Wu Changshi smiled sinisterly and offered advice to Zhou Yanru, "Liu Jiye has many profitable industries. We will join forces at that time. Let the emperor issue an order to take over Hubei Yingcheng Salt Field, Hutoubao Firearm, Huangzhou Casting Factory, Qizhou Iron Smelting Plant, Wuchang Shipyard, Sihai Bank, etc. into the court, and then we divide the two sides. How can they not be moved?"

Zhou Yanru was already moved.

"As long as we announce the abolition of the Maritime Department, the Taxation Bureau and the Customs, and the Commercial Taxation will not be supported by the people of the world?"

Zhou Yanru was moved, but he also knew that the Chu party was not so easy to move. These Southeast Governors and Governors had not been in power for a long time. However, they had already brought a lot of money and profits to the court, so how could the emperor not know?

"As long as Liu Jun is defeated, the Chu Party will be invincible and will naturally be easy to deal with." Wu Changshi said coldly.

"Liu Jiye is deeply trusted by His Majesty, he is good at fighting and can manage finances."

Wu Changshi smiled and said, "It is because of this that it is easy to defeat it. Lord, the emperor used Liu Jun. That was because the court was internal and external troubles, but the situation is very different now. The internal enemy had been pacified for a long time and the Central Plains were stable. Outside, the Tartars are no longer the opponent of the court to spare. Look, the past year, the official army has entered an uninhabited territory in Liaodong, and in western Liaoning, the Tartars have also withdrawn the siege of Jinzhou. They have been defeated repeatedly. Now the imperial army has won consecutive battles in western Liaoning. It is about to recover Ningyuan and fight back to the border of the Liaohe River."

"Sir, the situation is very different, one moment, another moment."

Wu Changshi analyzed to him, "The Central Plains are now stable. The imperial army is winning streaks in western Liaoning again. It is only a time to see the demise of Jianlu. At this time, can you really rest assured that Liu Jiye has more than 100,000 troops?"

"The soldiers in Liu Jiye's hands are different from other soldiers in the court. Those soldiers were recruited by Liu Jiye himself, and most of them were soldiers from his hometown. Those officers were also chosen by Liu Jiye himself. They were all his confidants. There is even the most important point. The army under Liu Jiye has never relied on the court to provide food and salary, and they are all self-sufficient."

"Sir, you say that such an army is also an army with extremely strong combat power. He does not rely on the court to provide food and wages, and is also all Liu Jun's soldiers. The officers are also his confidants. Can such an army still be called the military and horses of the court? I am afraid that this army only knows that there is Liu Jun but not the court, right?"

Zhou Yanru listened carefully while stroking his long beard and did not interrupt.

Wu Changshi smiled and said, "The Ming Dynasty ancestor system has always used civil servants to control military affairs, and there are internal officials to supervise the military. Originally, the military generals had a low status, and had civil officials to govern, censors, and internal officials to supervise the military, so they could naturally ensure control of the army. But look at the Chu army, Liu Jun was in Liaodong and the Chu army, and Liu Jun was incomparable. Even if he was a governor like Fu Zonglong, a governor like Fan Zhiwan, he could not control him in Liu Jun's army. Fan Zhiwan also reported to him that Liu Jun convened a military discussion and even excluded several senior officials of the governor, the military supervisor. Do you think, is this court really restrained him?"

"Sir, now, Liu Jun clearly has extremely strong combat power, but he has surrounded Gaizhou for half a month and the cannons have blasted the Gaizhou wall countless times. But he just didn't go to seize the city, but instead dug trenches to build walls. It is said that he has already built six trenches around the city. What is Liu Jun doing? It's obvious that this is to raise the thief to be respectful."

"How can the emperor feel at ease like Liu Jun? It turned out that the situation was difficult and he needed to be used, so he repeatedly indulged him and even promoted him to the title. But now, Liu Jun's wings have been established and he will be too big if he is not controlled. I believe the emperor must have this concern. If there is a cabinet supporting the impeachment of Liu Jun, I believe that the emperor will be happy to see the reduction of Liu Jun's authority at this time, and we can even transfer Liu Jun back to the capital and seize his actual command of the Chu army."

The birds are hidden, and the rabbits are dead and the dogs are cooked. Although it is not yet that time, the situation is indeed no longer as good as before. With the Liaoxi army winning step by step, the Liaodong army is no longer as important as before, at least, it is no longer necessary for Liu Jun.

"The strength of Jianlu is still there, and the emperor still has to rely on Liu Jun." Zhou Yanru looked at Wu Changshi and said.

"There are many ways to rely on the heavy responsibility. For example, the abolition of the Jingying camp, which requires a capable minister like Liu Jun to rectify and train. The cabinet can request the emperor to transfer Liu Jun to Beijing as the governor of the Jingying Rongzheng, and command the newly formed nine towns of the three camps of the Jingying. From the admiral of the Liaodong three towns to the governor of the Jingying Jiuzhen, this is a great improvement." Wu Changshi said.

It turned out that there were three major camps in the Jingying camp, with more than 300,000 troops, many of which came from the army of various places. In the early Ming Dynasty, the Jingying camp was the main force of the Ming army. However, after the Tumu Fort Incident, the main force was gone. Although he was cheered up later, he has been abandoned until now.

During the reorganization of the new army in the court, the three major camps of the Jingying camp organized nine new army towns, with 270,000 people. Each town was commanded by a marquis, and each camp was commanded by a eunuch and a noble admiral. Now Wu Changshi proposed to transfer Liu Jun back to Beijing to serve as the governor of the three major camps and nine towns, which naturally had a higher position than the Liaodong admiral and commanded more troops.

But in fact, Liu Jun was transferred from Liaodong and from the Chu army. This was a move to rise openly and descend secretly. No matter how strong Liu Jun was, he left the army and arrived in the capital, and he could only be trapped in the shallows. At that time, Liu Jun would not be their opponent? He could just take whatever he wanted.

For the emperor, this mobilization is acceptable. It can be prepared early, and Liu Jun will not control the Chu army for too long, and it will be difficult to lose the tail. Moreover, the transfer back to the capital is a high-level promotion, at least on the surface, and it will not offend Liu Jun too much. Moreover, the new army of the three camps and nine towns in the capital does need training, and Liu Jun is the right candidate. Furthermore, if the situation in Liaodong is repeated, the court can still send Liu Jun out at any time.

"As long as Liu Jun is transferred back, he will slowly change the generals and school of the four towns of the Chu army. It won't take long to control the more than 100,000 soldiers and horses. Liu Jun has no direct troops and horses, but he is just a nobleman. As for him as the governor of the Beijing camp, there is no need to worry. Hundreds of thousands of troops can be trained immediately if they want to practice, and there are not enough confidant generals and schoolmen. If Liu Jun has great skills, he will not be able to control the soldiers and horses of the nine towns."

"First take Liu Jun's military power, then cut his wings, and then replace his governors and party members in the southeast. At that time, Liu Jun will have to let us control it."

Zhou Yanru snorted, "This Liu Jun will lead a few soldiers. It's really God that he is the second brother. I kindly invite him to join forces, but he ignores him. After all, he is just a young man in his early twenties and can fight. He is still too young to survive in the official career."

Chongzhen also frowned when he looked at the Dongchang report about Liaodong.

Liu Jun's performance really disappointed him. He had repeatedly opposed the decisive battle with the Qing army before. This time he had specially ordered Liu Jun to explain the situation clearly. The court had launched a counterattack in western Liaoning and asked Liu Jun to cooperate in sending troops to counterattack Shenyang. Liu Jun agreed very happily and sent troops very quickly.

But in the city of Gaizhou, it took half a month to stop. What are you waiting for?

If generals such as Kong Youde resisted tenaciously and could not capture it for a long time, it would be fine. But Liu Jun had sharp artillery and repeatedly blasted the Gaizhou city walls, but Liu Jun gave up the great opportunity again and again, just bombarded the trenches and then dug trenches to build the walls. Is this a matter of doing my best?

What is Liu Jun thinking?

In Chongzhen's view, Liu Jun was passively avoiding the war and stubbornly disobeying the enemy. On the surface, he obeyed the orders to send troops, but in fact he refused to take care of it. After half a month of besieging the city, the Liaodong Army had not yet broken any troops.

Is this a war?

Liu Jun controlled 70,000 to 80,000 troops in the three towns of Liaodong, but only 30,000 people were dispatched to surround Gaizhou City for half a month, and no soldiers were broken. This was obviously a passive avoidance of war.

He also found a problem from the report from the East Factory. Liu Jun had many cannons, all of which were new types of cannons. His cannons were very sharp when attacking the city and could easily break through the city walls. However, when Liu Jun was in Beijing, he actually concealed these from himself. The court asked him for cannons, and he only drew some old small cannons.

In private, Liu Jun gave Qin Liangyu and Wu Sangui a large number of cannons. It is said that Qin Liangyu's cannons were given for free, while Wu Sangui's cannons were replaced with horses.

The court would not give it to others and privately use it for a transaction. Liu Jun's behavior had already made Chongzhen very dissatisfied.

Now, I avoid the war like this again.

In the western part of Liao, the troops and horses of Ningjin towns were advancing step by step, and the news spread frequently. More than a dozen castles were recovered, the siege of Jinzhou was lifted, and the Qing army was besieged in Yizhou. (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!