Late July.
In the past few days, the Intelligence Department has continuously sent news from the capital to Jinan Fucheng, and finally presented it in front of Liu Yan.
"Sure enough it's still the case!"
Liu Yan was so worried that he did not expect that the wheel of history, under the joint action of all parties, was still heading towards its original trajectory, but he had no way to change it.
"The current bandit army is no longer what it used to be. Even if Sun Chuanting has the help of Cao Bianjiao, he still cannot escape the fate of defeat!"
At this time, according to the information sent by the Intelligence Department, Liu Yan already knew about Emperor Chongzhen's refusal to mobilize the Shandong New Army. Although he did not know the details, the result was the same.
Liu Yan thought about it again and again, and finally decided that no matter what Emperor Chongzhen thought or how the matter developed, he would do his part, whether it was to save Sun Chuanting, a hero, or to save Cao Bianjiao, a former comrade-in-arms, Liu Yan It is impossible for Yan to do nothing.
So Liu Yan immediately wrote a memorial calling for war: "...I heard that the war in Tongguan is urgent, bandits are raging, and the people are in trouble..."
This memorial was quickly delivered to Beijing. After Chen Xinjia received it, he took it directly to the palace to meet the emperor. When Chen Xinjia handed Liu Yan's memorial to the emperor, Emperor Chongzhen's face became very ugly.
"Chen Aiqing, what do you mean by Liu Yan? What does he want to do!"
Chen Xinjia was dumbfounded, what did Liu Yan want to do? If you want to lead troops to quell the chaos, you are working for the court. What can you do!
Chen Xinjia calmed down his mood for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, Liu Yan cares about the court and wants to share your Majesty's worries, so he took the initiative to petition for a fight. His loyalty..."
Emperor Chongzhen interrupted directly and said
Said: "I know Liu Yan's loyalty well. But, where is your Chen Xinjia's loyalty?"
Chen Xinjia hurriedly knelt down and said, "My loyalty to Your Majesty can be seen from the sun and the moon!"
"In this case, then this memorial should be kept in the Ministry of War and should not be taken out again."
Chen Xinjia had no choice but to give up, took the memorial with sweat on his face, held it in his arms and prepared to retire.
But I heard Emperor Chongzhen say: "Has the edict to Sun Chuanting been sent out?"
Chen Xinjia said hurriedly: "We sent it out a few days ago. We sent fast horses from the Ministry of War. We also sent elite troops from the Beijing camp to accompany them. There will be no mistakes."
Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "That's good, step back."
Chen Xinjia came out of the palace, still very uneasy in his heart. Emperor Chongzhen was determined to hide Liu Yan in the snow. What would happen in the future war? As the Minister of War, he had to be prepared for a rainy day. Once Sun Chuanting and Cao Bianjiao were defeated, he would have to Find a way to clean up the mess!
So, Chen Xinjia rushed towards the Ministry of War Yamen with a heavy heart and a gloomy look.
Two days later, the fast horses sent by the Ministry of War entered Shaanxi territory. More than 20 miles away from Tongguan, they were suddenly surrounded by a large group of rogue knights.
Although the Kuai Ma of the Ministry of War were escorted by dozens of Beijing cavalry, these so-called elites were only better equipped. None of them had ever been on the battlefield. They just ate food and paid in Beijing every day. They had never seen the posture in front of them, and they were immediately attracted by it. They were so frightened that their bodies were shaking, and their faces were all sallow.
The bandit leader who led the army was a captain from the middle camp. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of knights roared forward. Those cavalry from the Beijing camp immediately dispersed and were chased by a large group of knights.
Killed, most of them were killed or injured, and the remaining dozen people, together with the Kuai Ma of the Ministry of War, were captured by the bandit Xiaoqi and brought back to the camp of the bandit army east of Tongguan.
In the big tent, Li Zicheng looked at Li Yan who was concentrating on dismantling the edict. Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Li Dingguo, Ai Nengqi and others around him were holding their breath for fear of disturbing Li Yan.
This edict was placed in a specially treated bamboo tube, and then sealed with fire paint. After ordinary people opened it, the seals of the fire paint would no longer match.
However, Li Yan was very knowledgeable and knew a lot about this kind of thing, so he took the fire and corresponding objects and took out the edict with his own hands.
Li Zicheng received the order and couldn't wait to open it and read it. After reading it, he couldn't stop laughing: "Haha! Chongzhen's son is really anxious. He wants to order Sun Chuanting and Cao Bianjiao to lead their troops out of Tongguan within one month to fight our rebel army. !”
"Okay! Look at how arrogant Sun Chuanting is!"
Liu Zongmin shouted loudly. During this period, in order to consume Sun Chuanting's troops, the soldiers and horses of the middle camp organized a dozen troops every day. In total, there were many casualties and dead soldiers. Although some were added one after another, it was enough to make Liu Zongmin hate him. Go to Sun Chuanting.
Li Dingguo said: "Then Sun Chuanting is not a kind person, I'm afraid he will not accept the military orders of a general outside!"
Li Yan said with a smile: "General Li, don't worry. The reason why the Ming Emperor urged Sun Chuanting to send troops is simply because the supply of money and food is insufficient. Sun Chuanting will also consider it. Once the money and food are cut off, his situation will be even more difficult."
Li Dingguo nodded, and then said: "It's better to go to the king's opinion and let the officers and soldiers go."
The grain team went in and out of Tongguan, consuming the Ming court's money and grain. Otherwise, why would the Ming court emperor be so impatient? "
Li Zicheng said with a smile: "Everything has pros and cons. Although this move will accelerate the consumption of the Ming court's money and food, it will also make Sun Chuanting have more and more food and grass in his hands. It depends on whether he will obey the edict of Chongzhen's son!"
Then Li Zicheng handed the edict to Li Yan and said, "Mr. Fanlao, please don't seal it again, so Sun Chuanting and Cao Bianjiao don't see it."
"Don't worry, King Chuang, you will never make a mistake."
"Then how will this edict be delivered to Sun Chuanting?"
Li Yan said: "King Chuang, Chen Yongfu was ordered to serve in the camp yesterday. He can help with this matter."
That night, outside the camp where the Ministry of War's fast horses and a dozen Beijing camp cavalry were imprisoned, Chen Yongfu walked with two guards. With a warrant from Li Zicheng, he transferred the surrounding guards and patrolling troops and horses, and then entered the camp. Inside.
"Don't make a sound!"
In the frightened eyes of all the prisoners, Chen Yongfu asked the two guards to untie the ropes of all the prisoners, and then when the two guards were unprepared, he drew his sword and hacked them to death.
This scene frightened the prisoners so much that they all retreated back.
"Don't be afraid!"
Chen Yongfu then took out his original deputy general's seal and said: "I was originally a deputy general in Henan. I had no choice but to be defeated by the bandits, but my loyalty to the court can still be learned. You go quickly, I have tried to mobilize the bandits outside. open!"
After saying that, Chen Yongfu took off the bamboo tube containing the edict from his waist, handed it to the Ministry of War's horse, and said: "Take the edict and leave quickly!"
"What will you do, General?"
Chen Yongfu was upright and said: "I was forced to surrender to the thieves.
, Now that you have the opportunity to serve the imperial court, how can you hesitate? The only option is to die! "
Everyone was infected by Chen Yongfu's arrogance and urged Chen Yongfu to leave together, but he was stopped by Chen Yongfu: "Who will cover you when I leave? The traitor is treacherous. I must stay to cut off the queen for you!"
"Stop talking and leave!"
Everyone burst into tears of gratitude. After leaving the camp, they took advantage of the darkness to find the bandit camp. Sure enough, as Chen Yongfu said, all the bandit soldiers and horses nearby disappeared.
At the edge of the bandit camp, Chen Yongfu found a gap, then pointed in a direction and said: "That's the direction of Tongguan. I don't have time to find horses for you. You can rush over on foot. It depends on whether you can escape." Your creation!"
"General Gao Yi, we will report it to Governor Sun and report it to the Ming court when we get back!"
"Okay, let's go!"
Soon, the dozen or so people disappeared into the night, but the expression on Chen Yongfu's face was very complicated, including regret, worry, and excitement.
At dawn the next day, more than a dozen people finally escaped to the gate of Tongguan Pass. After identifying themselves to the garrison at the top of the city, they were put into the Wengcheng. Then the generals from the Supervisory Biao Battalion came over to identify everyone one by one.
Half an hour later, the edict was delivered to Sun Chuanting. The dozen or so people who sent the letter were also interrogated separately, and specific confessions were also sent.
Immediately, Sun Chuanting and Cao Bianjiao opened it to watch, and the two of them also checked the confession.
"well!"
After reading it, the two of them sighed at the same time. What they were most worried about happened.
Cao Bianjiao thought for a while and said, "Master Governor, I think this is very strange. Chen Yong
Fu surrendered to the bandits. If he was so determined, why did he surrender to the enemy in Kaifeng City? Wouldn't it be better to die in battle and martyr his country? "
Sun Chuanting said: "I also have this doubt. It's just that this edict is true. No matter whether it is a seal, silk, etc., thieves cannot imitate it."
"So the only possibility now is that the bandits intercepted the imperial edict urging our army to go to war, opened it and read it, then repackaged it and sent us the design."
After hearing Sun Chuanting's analysis, Cao Bianjiao looked very ugly and said: "If Li Chuang really does this, it means that the army of bandits has been mobilized and is just waiting for us to fall into the trap!"
"Master Governor, what should we do?"
Sun Chuanting felt very sad. He could no longer see the hope of victory, or even the hope of survival. He and the entire army had entered a desperate situation!
"The imperial court has no money and food, and your majesty is urging you so much, which means that you will not recruit new Shandong troops to help. You and I will either be trapped in the isolated city and die fighting, or we will lead our troops to fight to the death and survive!"
Cao Bianjiao nodded heavily and said: "In this case, I am willing to advance and retreat together with the governor, and live and die together!"
Sun Chuanting took a deep breath, and then said: "Send the order: In half a month, the army will leave the customs!"
Jinan Fucheng.
The news that Emperor Chongzhen had issued an edict, ordering Sun Chuanting and Cao Bianjiao to lead their troops out to fight, had already spread in the capital, and the Intelligence Department also quickly reported the news to Liu Yan.
At present, Sun Chuanting's troops only have tens of thousands of exhausted soldiers. No matter how high their combat power is, they are no match for Li Zicheng's million-strong army. This is a battle without any suspense. To leave the seclusion at this time is to let the army generals.
The soldiers went to die!
But Emperor Chongzhen wanted to take a gamble, hoping that a miracle would happen, and Liu Yan did the same, but his reason told Liu Yan that in this situation, even if the Soldier Immortal was reincarnated, no miracle would happen.
At this time, Liu Yan could only cry out helplessly, lamenting that he had the intention to kill the thief but was unable to save his life!
