Upon hearing that Yue Zhenbang was a descendant of Yue Fei, Zhu Cijiong was immediately filled with respect.

He stared at Yue Zhenbang's face for a while, clasped his hands together and said, "As expected of a descendant of Yue Wumu, you look like a hero."

Yue Zhenbang knew that Zhu Cijiong was not respecting him, but his ancestors.

So he bowed again and said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. I am just an ordinary person."

"Hahaha!" Zhu Cijiong laughed loudly: "What position do you hold now?"

"I will serve as the garrison commander at Yongtai Fort."

Zhu Cijiong blinked his eyes and said, "A fifth-rank commander... the position is indeed not high. Are you interested in coming to my camp to take orders?"

The people around immediately cast envious glances at Yue Zhenbang.

After the Jingnan Campaign ended that year, many of Zhu Di's personal soldiers had grown into capable generals.

Finally, he was given an official title and a higher rank, bringing honor to his family.

If Zhu Cijiong could inherit the throne, the personal soldiers around him would definitely receive the same treatment.

Even if they did not inherit the throne, the imperial court and Ming Emperor Chongzhen would not treat them unfairly.

It's hard not to be envious.

Just when everyone thought Yue Zhenbang would readily agree, Yue Zhenbang bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I have not achieved any merit since entering the pass, and I am ashamed to stay by your side."

"Oh?" Zhu Cijiong looked at Yue Zhenbang with a new respect: "It seems that you want to make achievements with your own ability."

"I am a soldier and I should serve my country by killing the enemy on the battlefield."

Zhu Cijiong clapped his hands: "Okay, I'll wait for the good news of your meritorious service."

At this time, the group had arrived outside the city gate.

Local civil officials, military officers and surrendered soldiers knelt on both sides of the road to welcome them.

After a brief greeting, Zhu Cijiong led his troops into the city.

After meeting with the Jinyiwei in the city, he brought his men to the lobby of the county government.

He sat in the magistrate's seat and asked the magistrate in the hall, "How much money and grain is left in the city treasury?"

The magistrate of Gucheng lowered his head as if he had made a serious mistake and replied: "To answer... Your Highness, the treasury in the city has neither money nor food. It can be said to be empty."

Zhu Cijiong, who already knew the situation, pretended to be furious: "Nothing? Where are the money and grain? Could it be that you have embezzled all of it?"

The magistrate of Gucheng was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Your Highness, I am innocent. I did not embezzle any money from the treasury."

"Where did the money and food go? They couldn't have just run away, could they?"

The magistrate of Gucheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and answered in a deep voice: "In order to support the Ping Liao army to enter Korea to fight, the court has requisitioned money and grain from the Gucheng treasury several times. After several requisitions, there is very little money and grain left in the treasury."

"A few days ago, the rebels entered the city and looted all the money and grain in the treasury, which was already scarce. That's why I said the treasury was empty."

"Oh!" Zhu Cijiong deliberately put on an exaggerated expression: "So that's how it is."

"Indeed, Your Highness, please forgive me."

Zhu Cijiong quietly winked outside, and a personal soldier came in and said loudly: "Your Highness, we went south to suppress the rebellion in a hurry this time, and the army did not carry much food and grass. If we cannot replenish rations in Gucheng, our army can only return to Wuqiao temporarily."

Zhu Cijiong slammed the table and said, "Useless! A bunch of useless! They say they are the elite troops of the frontier army, but they don't even know the principle of sending food and grass before the troops move! If the court knew about this, where would I put my face?"

The guards at the door immediately knelt down and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I thought I could replenish food and grass in the old city."

Zhu Cijiong waved his hands angrily: "Shut up! Come, drag him out of the city and behead him in public."

Seeing this, the other soldiers pleaded for mercy.

The officials of the ancient city pleaded for mercy and communicated with each other by eye contact.

They knew Zhu Cixiong was acting.

The purpose is to make them take the initiative to provide food and fodder to the army.

But the treasury had no money or food. If they wanted to provide food and fodder for the army, they could only raise donations from the people in the city.

This is a thankless job.

But what if we don’t provide Zhu Cijiong with food and fodder.

The consequences of pushing Zhu Cijiong too far would be serious.

After some hesitation, the magistrate of Gucheng bowed and said, "Your Highness, I will call on the local people to donate money and food for the army."

Zhu Cijiong pretended to be embarrassed: "This is not good, right? His Majesty said that we must not disturb the people when we go south this time."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. This is all voluntary. I will not impose any charges on others."

"In that case, let's do it. It doesn't need to be too much, just prepare three days' rations for the army."

"Yes, I'll do it right away." The magistrate of Gucheng left happily.

The local officials are very efficient and the people are very cooperative.

Sufficient military rations were collected in less than a day.

Zhu Cixiong left the old city with food and went to Ling County to continue collecting food.

Over the next ten days, he used this method to raise a large amount of food and fodder in various counties.

besides.

His vanguard encountered and engaged Zhu Guobi's small cavalry unit in the north of Jinan.

After testing, it was concluded that Zhu Guobi's cavalry was vulnerable and the combat effectiveness of his infantry was unknown.

September 1st.

Zhu Cixiong, who was collecting food and fodder in Yucheng, received good news: Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong led hundreds of their personal soldiers and arrived twenty miles east of Yucheng, accompanied by the surrendered Jiannu generals Bolo and Suksaha.

Zhu Cijiong was very happy.

Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong can win battles.

Bolo and Suksaha can be blamed.

When they came at the same time, Zhu Cijiong’s worries were gone.

to this end.

Zhu Cijiong decided to go out of the city to welcome him personally.

Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong were very excited. When they were still some distance away from Zhu Cijiong, they dismounted and walked to him and saluted: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."

Zhu Cijiong also dismounted and helped the two men up: "Generals, please stand up quickly."

After a brief greeting, Li Dingguo took the lead in asking, "Your Highness, where is the main force of the rebels?"

"We are besieging Jinan Prefecture. It will take us a while to capture Jinan."

"How many soldiers and horses does the rebel army have?"

"About 70,000, including less than 10,000 cavalry and 60,000 infantry."

"How many soldiers does Your Highness have?"

"Three thousand Mongolian cavalry, five thousand Shaanxi border cavalry, a total of eight thousand!"

Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong looked at each other and said nothing.

They arrived in Shandong by ship from North Korea.

There were only less than a thousand personal soldiers accompanying him, and the rest of the troops returned to the capital by the same route, and then went south to quell the rebellion.

(War horses also get seasick, especially Mongolian horses. They need time to recover after landing, otherwise they cannot exert their due combat power. In addition, compared with long-distance travel on land, the risk of transporting troops by sea is very high. This is one of the reasons why sea ships were not used to transport cavalry for landing during the Wanli Anti-Japanese Aid Korea period.)

Nine thousand versus seventy thousand, the advantage is not on their side.

After a moment, Li Dingguo continued to ask: "Your Highness, how do you want to fight next? Do you want to take the initiative to attack and break the siege of Jinan Prefecture, or do you want to take a defensive stance and wait for the main force of the Ping Liao army to move south?"

Zhu Cijiong smiled bitterly: "Neither."

"What does your highness mean?"

"Let's settle the overdue military pay first!"