In the vast northwest, the flat sand is boundless, there are no people, the grass is broken, and the wild geese are wailing, but here is the place where the ancient soldiers must fight.

On the vast field leading to Jiayuguan, a black train with a dragon flag is like a giant dragon traveling through the Hexi Railway.

On the fourth day of the first month of the twentieth year of Tianwu, the Ming Dynasty officially declared war on Tsarist Russia and the Kazakh Khanate!

Zhu Cihong ignored the advice of the ministers and personally conquered the Western Regions, and ordered the crown prince Zhu and His Majesty to supervise the country, and the first assistant of the cabinet, Yang Tinglin, the second assistant, Yang Shicong, and the chief military minister Cao Bianjiao.

In the luxury carriage of the "Tianwu" royal train, Zhu Cihong sat in front of the window in a black robe, watching the poplar trees on both sides of the railway sweeping backwards one by one, and his thoughts were flying.

This Hexi Railway, from Lintao Fulan County to Jiayuguan for a total of 1,500 miles, was repaired for a full ten years, and thousands of prisoners of war died in the harsh environment and exhausted!

This is only the first phase of the Hexi Railway, the second phase of the project is the section from Jiayuguan to Hami, the third phase is from Hami to Turpan, and the fourth phase is from Turpan to the Ili River Valley.

These four phases of the project totaled 5,000 miles and were expected to be completed within 40 years, completely penetrating the close connection between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, creating a fast lane for the Ming army to Central Asia, and achieving the greatest project in the world in the 17th century!

To accomplish all this, Daming not only needs more talents, but also a large number of workers, and most importantly, prisoners of war whose lives are worthless!

This time to conquer the Western Regions, Zhu Cihong set a small goal to capture 100,000 prisoners of war to repair the second phase of the Hexi Railway!

On the mountain in the distance, a faint white mist shrouded it.

Amid the deafening sound of machine friction, the locomotive of the Tenmu angrily spat out shiny sparks and smoke, roaring and rushing straight ahead against the gale.

In the splendid box, beside Zhu Cihong, there were Zhu Heqi, the king of the Han Dynasty, Wu Zhong, the governor of Dongchang, Lu Yiqian, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, Zhao Shixiang, the secretary of the Praise and Painting Department, Li Yu, the governor of the Chinese Army, Cao Minghao, the general of the Imperial Forest, and others, Xu Mingwu was also at the end.

When leaving Nanjing, Zhu Cihong received a report from Xu Qingshan, the commander of the expedition to Burma, that it was only a matter of time before the Burmese army camp had been broken through Jiangtou City, its main force had been defeated, and Donghu City had been taken.

Therefore, Zhu Cihong was relieved to embark on the road to the west.

Along the way, he was always concerned about the war in Burma, and instructed Wu Zhong that if there was a Burmese war report, even if it was time to rest? Be sure to wake him up, too.

By time? The fighting in Burma is almost over, and it's time to send back the war report.

See your father and think about things? Han King Zhu Heqi said softly: "Father doesn't have to worry? Erchen thinks that the Marquis of Pingyang has experienced a hundred battles? The march is steady, and our army will undoubtedly win the battle of Burma! ”

Xu Mingwu secretly agreed? Is he very concerned about the war in Burma? Whenever there is information sent back from the front, I will try to listen to it as much as possible.

After many war analyses, he found that his father had never fought uncertain battles, and he was steady? Even if Myanmar is the big brother in Indochina? In the hands of Daddy, it won't last long!

Zhu Cihong turned his gaze back to look at King Han and said with a smile: "King Han is right, I have always used people without suspicion, and I don't need to use suspicious people?" Pingyang Hou played well. ”

He looked at Zhao Shixiang, the secretary of the Zanhua Department, and asked, "Zhao Qing?" What is the situation on the North-Western Front? ”

Zhao Shixiang ordered people to unfold a military map, pointing to the two major rivers in Junggar? Said: "Back to Your Majesty, after the Russian-Kazakh coalition army in the Ili River Valley learned that my Northern Army had moved to the Altai Ulianghai?" Sure enough, before the river thawed, he sent troops north to Wuliang Sea! ”

Zhao Shixiang smiled? He said again: "As soon as Dingyuan Uncle Qi Guangyang got the news from Jinyiwei? led the western army from Turpan to the Ili River Valley, and it was expected that he had succeeded at this time! ”

Lu Yiqian, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, suddenly said: "Your Majesty, the Jinyi Guard spies lurking in Ili have sent the latest news, the Western Army has defeated the five thousand Russians and Kazakhstan stationed in the Ili River Valley with a thunderous force, and overhauled the fortress position defense in the Ili Nine Guards, and has now formed a situation of closing the door and fighting dogs!" ”

Han King Zhu Heqi was overjoyed and said: "Father, the situation is very good!" ”

Zhu Cihong nodded slightly, looked at the situation marked on the map, pondered for a moment, and said: "Our bureau has been arranged, but I don't know if Tsarist Russia and the Kazakh Khanate will send reinforcements again." ”

Now there are 100,000 Russian-Kazakh coalition troops, and tens of thousands of Dzungar troops who have betrayed, these are all open-faced, and the Ming army has no problem dealing with them, but I don't know how big the other side is going to fight.

Also, can the 50,000 expeditionary troops in the Ili River Valley hold out for a month and wait until the Guannai army rushes to Ili?

Everyone was also lost in thought, and there was silence in the carriage, and only the sound of the train could be heard......

Lu Yizai broke the silence and said: "Central Asia is vast and sparsely populated, and the Jinyi Guard is a little weak over there, and there is no information yet, Your Majesty...... Or do you want to urge them again and let them find out the movements of the Kazakhs and Russians as soon as possible? ”

Zhu Cihong waved his hand and said: "The intelligence work is not in a hurry, they will naturally pass on the news, if you urge it, it is not beautiful, and if you don't get it, you will leak Jinyiwei's intelligence network!" ”

"Yes!"

After hearing this, Lu Yiqian felt a little relieved in his heart.

Cao Minghao, the general of the Imperial Forest, said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that you have set up the imperial camp in the Ili River Valley, which is too close to the front line and too dangerous...... The minister thinks that it is better to put the imperial camp in Turpan......"

Zhu Cihong smiled, pointed at Cao Minghao and said: "When I was the emperor in the imperial expedition to defeat the pseudo-Shun and the battle against the Manchu Qing Dynasty, you were still riding a small wooden horse. The location of the imperial camp remains unchanged, and it is set in Ili! ”

Cao Minghao smiled, but was still worried: "But Your Majesty...... Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain once said......"

As he spoke, Cao Minghao saw the curious expressions of the people around him, and suddenly realized that he was talking too much, and immediately kept silent.

Xu Mingwu on the side was thoughtful, according to his understanding, since the Tang Dynasty, all dynasties and places will give them a product seal, and grant an heir to teach the great true person to take charge of the world's Taoist affairs, which can be regarded as a national teacher of the dynasty, similar to the hereditary system of Yan Shenggong, and only the direct descendants of the Zhang family.

The current Zhang Tianshi Chongzhen took the throne in nine years, and Chongzhen entered the Hajj for the first time in the thirteenth year, which coincided with the illness of the four princes (Yongwang), and Zhang Tianshi prayed for the four princes and cured them.

At that time, there was a great drought in various places for many years, and Zhili had not rained for several months, and Chongzhen, who was worried about the country and the people, saw this, and suddenly became energetic and asked Zhang Tianshi to pray for rain to relieve the drought.

Speaking of the rule of law, Zhang Tianshi has his own ancestral methods, but if it rains from God, it is a bit embarrassing for others.

In the end, Zhang Tianshi chose the day hard, recited mantras and prayed, and I don't know if he knew the weather or was lucky, it really rained heavily that day, and he showed his face on the ground.

Chongzhen felt that he was really awesome, so he rewarded him greatly, and gave the first ancestor Zhang Daoling as the "Liuhe Infinite Wisdom God", the Great Sage Demon Protector Tianzun......

Xu Mingwu had met Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain at the Chinese New Year's Eve Night Banquet, and he guessed at that time that Emperor Tianwu invited Zhang Tianshi to come, either to catch demons, or to tell fortunes, or to calculate the good fortune of the Western Expedition......

The ancients, especially the emperor, loved to believe in this thing, and he could understand it.

To Xu Mingwu's surprise, Zhang Tianshi, who seemed to be mysterious and calm, let out a sound of surprise when he saw him, and looked around him for a long time, just like seeing a ghost, he almost took out the peach wood sword method.

Xu Mingwu thought that this guy was so awesome at that time, and he actually saw at a glance that he was not a local, but a traverser.

Before leaving, Zhang Tianshi said something to him mysteriously, as if he was pointing, anyway, Xu Wenming didn't understand, probably only understood one sentence: Don't get too close to the emperor! You two rush each other!

General Xu Mingwu was suspicious, and since then he didn't dare to show his face in front of Emperor Tianwu to be smart, and he kept a lot of low profile.

Now listening to the Imperial Forest General Cao Minghao mentioning Zhang Tianshi, Xu Mingwu suddenly realized that it must be the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, and Zhang Tianshi told the emperor's fortune!

Look at this meaning, the hexagram is not good, is it a fierce hexagram?

Shouldn't he, he dares to come out and wave?

Xu Mingwu didn't make a sound, just quietly stared at Emperor Tianwu.

Zhu Cihong glanced at Cao Minghao, did not hide it, and smiled at everyone: "Zhang Tianshi once said that my life will experience nine major calamities and seventy-two minor calamities, and each calamity will extend the emperor's throne for many years. ”

Saying that, even Zhu Cihong himself doesn't believe it!

In the past 30 years, although he has suffered dozens of assassinations and experienced many difficulties, he has never believed in Zhang Tianshi's set, how can there be anyone in this world who has been an emperor for 80 years? !

Looking at the top ten longest-lived emperors in the history of the world, Kangxi who reigned for 60 years ranked tenth, and the longest-reigning was the current French Emperor Louis XIV, who only reigned for 72 years, which is still calculated according to when he succeeded to the throne at the age of five!

I succeeded to the throne at the age of seventeen, and can I still be the emperor for eighty-one years? Aren't you tired to death?

What kind of calamity is even more nonsense, Zhu Cihong has always believed that strength is king!

This time I went to the Western Regions, and I sent a total of 200,000 troops, which is enough to sweep through Central Asia! Who can stop it? What a catastrophe can I speak of!