The big bandit in the Red Mansion robbed Lin Daiyu at the beginning

Chapter 552

"And judging by their stance, it's clear they're not your average bandits who only know how to wreak havoc. So, please share your thoughts."

Song Liangxin, the Jinling prefect, nodded solemnly, looked at the crowd and spoke first.

"Yes, just as the situation in Yangzhou is now critical."

"Judging from the past and recent behavior of this group of thieves from Qingfeng Village, their ambitions are quite significant!"

"If they truly and thoroughly consolidate Yangzhou, they might march south to Nanjing next."

As he spoke, he scanned everyone's expressions before continuing,

"Based on my previous conversations with Yangzhou Prefect Li Kui, I have no idea how much these rebels in Qingfeng Village have deceived the people. Since they started the rebellion in Yangzhou, they have gathered tens of thousands of people in just three days."

"Within half a month, we have assembled an army of no less than 100,000!"

Then he bowed to Wang Ziteng and said,

"General Wang, I believe that at this moment, our Jinling Imperial Guards must not act rashly. Otherwise, if Jinling is lost, the entire Jiangnan region will be in complete chaos!"

Many officials nodded slightly in agreement upon hearing this.

Wang Ziteng remained noncommittal upon hearing this and turned to look at the Jinling generals.

"You guys can talk too."

A commander from the Wang family immediately stood up and bowed to Wang Ziteng.

"Sir General, I believe, as the prefect has said, that the enemy army is powerful, and we don't know their true strength."

"Plus, their power of persuasion is extremely strong. No one knows how many troops that group of rebels has now."

"Therefore, I believe that until we in Nanjing know the true strength of the rebels in Yangzhou, we should refrain from resorting to war. We should immediately report to the court and request reinforcements to encircle and suppress the rebels. Only then can we achieve success in one fell swoop."

Wang Ziteng nodded slightly when he heard this, and it was obvious that this statement resonated with him.

The court's dispatch of troops from Huguang, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to encircle and suppress the bandits was a top secret, and only Wang Ziteng knew about it in the entire Nanjing.

Originally, Wang Ziteng was still a little confused about the order from the current emperor and the emperor emeritus.

However, after arriving in Nanjing, they saw that the Nanjing guards were in a state of disrepair, so their army never launched an attack.

However, unexpectedly, the rebels in Qingfeng Village suddenly raised an army of 100,000 and captured Yangzhou overnight.

At that time, Wang Ziteng was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

This shows that the rebels in Qingfeng Village always had the ability to rebel, but they didn't.

What is the purpose? It's self-evident.

He was just waiting for his Jinling Imperial Guards to take the initiative to attack!

The other party showed strong appeal and conquered the entire Yangzhou within three days, which made Wang Ziteng break out in a cold sweat.

If he had failed to keep his composure at that time and suddenly launched an army, it is unknown whether Nanjing would still be in Daqian's hands now.

Wang Ziteng couldn't help but admire the foresight of His Majesty and the Supreme Emperor, who anticipated the enemy's moves.

However, at this moment, a commander sneered, stood up and glanced at the Wang family commander who had spoken earlier.

"Commander Wang, if you are afraid of fighting, I, Zuo Xiangwei, am willing to serve as the vanguard!"

Then he clasped his fists towards Wang Ziteng and said,

"General Wang, I believe that no matter how many rebels there are, they are just a mob."

"Even if there are 100,000 or 200,000 rebels, they are still a mob. Facing a mob, my Jinling Imperial Guards have 100,000 elite soldiers. They are well-trained and well-fed, unlike before. What do we have to fear?"

"At this moment, I believe that we should take advantage of the fact that the rebels have just taken over Yangzhou and their foothold is unstable, and take the initiative to attack them in time. This way, we can curb the arrogance of the rebels and save countless people from suffering!"

As soon as this was said, many generals came out to express their support.

"Yes! That's right, we should go and fight."

"Aren't they just a bunch of rebels from Yangzhou? We have a full army, why should we be afraid of them?"

"Yes, we should take the initiative. We have been holding it in for almost two months. If someone didn't know, they would think we were all eggless!"