Zhang Rong's problem is very tricky.

Zhu Cijiong thought for a while but couldn't come up with a compromise solution.

Just when he was feeling distressed, he noticed that Zhang Huangyan seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Zhu Cijiong instantly realized that Zhang Huangyan was not there to raise questions, but to help him solve them.

He coughed lightly and asked, "How does Magistrate Zhang think we should handle this matter?"

Zhang Huangyan clasped his hands together and said, "I think that no matter whether Zhang Rong is guilty or not, we must not stop raising money and grain, otherwise the morale of the army will be unstable."

"Yeah," Zhu Cijiong nodded, very satisfied with Zhang Huangyan's words.

These troops are his confidence.

You can't mistreat anyone but them.

The fact that Zhang Huangyan can take this into consideration shows that he is a person who takes the overall situation into consideration.

"However," Zhang Huangyan changed the subject, "I think we should not allow Zhang Rong to continue to raise money and grain using the previous method. Although that would raise enough money and grain, it would be a disaster for the local people."

Zhu Cijiong did not express his opinion and asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhang Huangyan saluted again: "Only implement national policies, not punish the people."

He was afraid that Zhu Cijiong didn't understand, so he explained in a low voice: "What I mean is that we will only confiscate the silver that the people have hidden, and will not investigate their crimes of donating money to the rebels. This way, we can raise money and food without giving the people below too much room for manipulation."

Zhu Cijiong asked: "Will confiscating the privately stored silver not cause a popular uprising?"

Zhang Huangyan analyzed seriously: "I don't think so! Currency reform is a national policy. It has been several years from trial to implementation and then to compulsory implementation. All the people who are loyal to the court have already exchanged their silver for Ming Yuanbao."

"Of course there are people who hide silver, but not many. The people don't care about the life or death of those people, so it's hard for them to stir up trouble on their own."

Zhu Cijiong thought about it for a while and felt that this method was indeed feasible.

However, he did not dare to make a decision on his own and planned to report to Chongzhen before making a decision.

In order to minimize the impact during this period.

Zhu Cijiong ordered Zhang Rong to temporarily stop raising money and grain and wait for the latest order from the court.

He himself led his troops to continue southward.

On the fourth day of November, Zhu Cijiong captured Baoying without bloodshed.

On the sixth day of November, Gaoyou was recovered.

On the evening of the sixth day, the news reached Yangzhou.

Zhu Guobi and Liu Kongzhao felt like the sky was falling.

But they were unable to change the current situation and could only sigh with gritted teeth.

"Good news, good news!" Xu Wenjue's voice came from outside the door.

Zhu Guobi stood up excitedly and asked, "What good news?"

Xu Wenjue opened the door and walked in, saying, "Reinforcements are coming."

"Reinforcements?" Zhu Guobi was stunned: "Where are the reinforcements? I don't remember us having any reinforcements!"

Xu Wenjue grinned and said, "It's the reinforcements from Sichuan! Nanjing just received a report from Laitang saying that Qin Yiming and Ma Wannian have left Sichuan and entered Chu, and will arrive in Nanjing in a month at the latest."

Upon hearing that the reinforcements were from the Sichuan Army, Liu Kongzhao's expression changed quickly.

Zhu Guobi also put away the smile he had just revealed, and the corners of his mouth kept twitching.

Xu Wenjue asked in confusion: "Why? Why are you not happy that reinforcements have arrived?"

Liu Kongzhao said angrily: "Bullshit reinforcements! They are not here to support us, but to capture us! If they are really here to support us, why did they delay until now?"

"The reason they sent out the troops was to rush to the front line to grab a piece of the spoils before the enemy army captured Nanjing!"

After listening to Liu Kongzhao's analysis, the smile on Xu Wenjue's face gradually froze and disappeared.

Instead, there was anger: "How despicable! These people are so despicable. One day, I will definitely kill them..."

Before Xu Wenjue could finish his words, the herald ran in in a panic: "My Lords, Fengyang is in danger."

Xu Wenjue at the door grabbed the man by the collar and asked, "What's going on?"

"Liu Zhaoji led his troops to besiege Fengyang. Ma Shiying went out of the city three times to fight and was defeated three times. As all his cavalry were annihilated, Ma Shiying could not escape and could only return to the city to hold on and wait for help."

Xu Wenjue's legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees.

Zhu Guobi was also shocked and panicked.

Although Liu Kongzhao's reaction was not big, he thought the most.

The moment he learned the news, he had even thought of a way out for himself.

Zhu Guobi was the first to speak: "Ma Shiying is a man who is not good at doing things, but is always bad at doing things. He knew that the two sides had a huge disparity in strength, but he still went out of the city to fight. Now, if Fengyang is lost, we can only give up Yangzhou and return to Nanjing to rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to defend against the enemy."

Liu Kongzhao added: "The premise is that the Yangtze River is not frozen."

Zhu Guobi was so frightened that he immediately asked the messenger, "Is the Yangtze River frozen?"

"To answer your question, there are occasional floating ice on the river."

Zhu Guobi breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good. As long as the Yangtze River doesn't freeze, this natural barrier can still be used."

The three of them gathered together to discuss for a long time, and finally decided to abandon Yangzhou and retreat to the south of the Yangtze River.

As for Ma Shiying's life or death, they had no time to care.

In order to defend the Yangtze River.

While withdrawing his troops, Zhu Guobi sent a message to Zheng Zhilong, asking him to come to the south bank of the Yangtze River to assist in the defense.

......

November 7th.

Zhu Cixiong continued to march towards Yangzhou.

He advanced very slowly, firstly to avoid underestimating the enemy and being ambushed.

The second is to wait for Chongzhen’s order.

The closer he got to Nanjing, the more complicated his feelings became.

If he really attacked Nanjing, he didn't know how to face his elder brother Zhu Cilang.

After all, he grew up under Zhu Cilang's care.

When they left Nanjing, they called each other brothers.

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