It was the afternoon of the ninth day of the third month in the twenty-fifth year of Chongzhen.

Prince Ding Zhu Cijiong came to Wang Yongji's central military tent and chatted with him.

After chatting about other unimportant topics for a while, Zhu Cijiong suddenly said with a half-smile: "Governor Wang, why do you think it's so difficult for Wu Sangui to fight?"

Wang Yongji turned his head and asked: "Your Highness means... Wu Sangui is fighting passively?"

"I didn't say that."

"Your Highness's meaning is already very clear."

"Alas," Zhu Cijiong sighed, "Jiefan Village is indeed easy to defend but difficult to attack, but it is not possible that there is no progress after so many days of attack. There must be something fishy going on."

After saying this, Zhu Cijiong observed Wang Yongji's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

He wanted to use this to determine whether Wang Yongji and Wu Sangui were in the same group.

Wang Yongji also sighed and said, “Your Highness, there are some things you can say that I am not comfortable with.”

"I understand!" Zhu Cijiong understood immediately. He quickly took out the letter from Li Dingguo from his arms and said, "Governor Wang, please read it."

"What is this?" Wang Yongji asked, holding the letter.

"Huang Taiji's fifth son Shuo Sai became Li Dingguo's captive. This is his confession."

Wang Yongji was shocked and immediately looked down.

It would have been better if he hadn't watched it. After watching it, he felt half cold.

“This…this…”

"Governor Wang thinks there's something wrong with the confession?"

"No," Wang Yongji shook his head, "Why didn't Your Highness tell me earlier?"

"Because we are not sure about the authenticity of the confession. If it is false, telling you in advance will affect the internal unity of the Ping Liao army." Zhu Cijiong explained.

"What if it's true?" Wang Yongji asked.

Zhu Cixiong replied: "If it is true, the Jiannu will definitely launch an attack when Wu Sangui changes his defense. In this way, the evidence is solid."

"Then why are you telling me now?"

"This concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. I cannot hide it."

Wang Yongji was angry and annoyed, "Your Highness, do you suspect that I am in league with Wu Sangui?"

"Cough cough cough!" Zhu Cijiong coughed heavily a few times to hide the embarrassment in his heart.

"Your Highness is confused!" Wang Yongji felt increasingly cold. "If Wu Sangui and I were in the same group, the Ping Liao army would never have recaptured Shenyang, let alone come to Sarhu."

"Now that things have come to this, let's not talk about those things that have not happened. Governor Wang, please think of a solution as soon as possible." Zhu Cijiong changed the subject.

Wang Yongji frowned and thought quickly for a while, then said, "The change of defense cannot be changed, otherwise it will attract Wu Sangui's attention, causing the Jiannu to change their plan and lose evidence. We can't just sit back and do nothing, otherwise there is a risk of the entire army being wiped out."

"So what does Governor Wang plan to do?" Zhu Cijiong glanced outside the military tent inadvertently while speaking.

Wang Yongji gathered this information keenly, and asked with a dark face: "Your Highness Prince Ding, can I ask a question?"

"Excuse me, Governor Wang."

"Has the outside been surrounded by the Royal Guards?"

"They are all my followers. Governor Wang, don't think too much about it." Zhu Cijiong's eyes were evasive as he spoke.

After all, he was still too young and didn't have much experience in dealing with this kind of thing for the first time.

"Ah!" Wang Yongji sighed, "The Jinyiwei is not scary, what's scary is that my personal soldiers didn't tell me. Your Highness, can you tell me how I bribed them?"

"There is no bribery, just making friends in private. Governor Wang, you are overthinking it." Zhu Cijiong continued to laugh.

"Ah!" Wang Yongji shook his head helplessly: "We'll talk about this later, let's consider the present first!"

"Governor Wang is absolutely right." Zhu Cixiong echoed.

Wang Yongji came to the map, pointed at Jiefan Village and said, "If it's just Jiannu, our army can still handle it. But if Wu Sangui's Guanning Army also joins the battle, we will definitely be defeated by the two-sided attack."

"What does Governor Wang mean?"

"Make preparations for both scenarios! On the one hand, we need to deploy troops to deal with the Jiannu's sneak attack. On the other hand... we also need to be prepared for defeat."

Zhu Cijiong guessed, "Preparation for defeat? Does Governor Wang intend to burn all the food and baggage when the army is defeated?"

"right."

"No, hurry up and arrange it. It will be too late if you delay any later." Zhu Cijiong complained.

"But..." Wang Yongji looked embarrassed.

"Just what?"

"It's just a pity for those expensive and heavy artillery pieces. It's already difficult to transport them from the capital to Liaodong. It's a pity to blow them up directly."

"It's not a pity at all!" Zhu Cijiong assured: "The price of the cannons manufactured by the Ministry of Industry is shockingly low. It's better to blow them up than to leave them to the Jiannu."

"Indeed," Wang Yongji nodded and shouted outside, "Someone come!"

After waiting for a while, there was no movement outside.

Zhu Cijiong hurriedly walked out and signaled the Jinyiwei to make way, so that Wang Yongji's followers were able to enter the central military tent.

Wang Yongji pointed to a close follower and said, "Take my order and go to Shenyang immediately. Order Liu Zhaoji to lead his troops to Fushun to garrison overnight. If you encounter defeated soldiers, only allow them to camp outside the city and not enter the city to rest."

"I obey your command." The attendant ran out with the imperial edict.

"You," Wang Yongji pointed at the three trusted men and said, "Take this governor's handwritten order and give it to Huang Degong, Li Xianzhong, Gao Yigong, and Li Guo, and order them to act according to my order."

After the three trusted men left, Wang Yongji gave another order: "Order all troops to gather and prepare to cover the Guanning Army's rotation."

Before evening.

Huang Degong and Gao Yigong's troops assembled and prepared to set off for Sarhu.

Their mission was to replace Wu Sangui, garrison in Sarhu, and launch an attack on the Jiannu in Jiefanzhai the next day.

at the same time.

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