Upon hearing that the military campaign was scheduled for August, Li Zicheng, Song Xiance, Niu Jinxing, and the generals present all frowned. It was currently mid-June; August was still a month and a half away. With the Ming Army closing in, they could not afford to wait that long.
"Why August?" Song Xiance asked.
"This is the year of the imperial examinations. During the Autumn Provincial Examination in August, the Ming court will divert its forces to garrison the examination sites. This will leave other areas thinly defended, and we can seize the opportunity to strike," the reply came.
Chapter 459