A protracted separatist war has left the people of the Central Plains unable to support themselves. After Zhu Youzhen ascended the throne and became emperor, he recruited civilian husbands, built palaces, and carried out large-scale conquests, etc., which were all based on the people's fat and the people's anointing.
This year, in order to resist Li Jing's military attack, he paid a large tribute to Jin.
The people of the Central Plains were finally drained of their last drop of blood.
There is no human habitation for thousands of miles, and the bones are hidden in the wild.
The prosperous scene that Zhu Wen had managed to maintain during his reign suddenly collapsed.
The appearance of Bianzhou that Li Jing left two years ago is already a thing of the past. Large areas of forest on the outskirts of the city have been cut down. The villages they passed were also filled with deserted fields and dilapidated villages and towns. It was expected that most of the houses in the villages would be empty.
Successive wars all ended with the Liang Dynasty being defeated. The Liang Dynasty also suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Luzhou last year. The standing army was completely defeated, so it was natural for the young men to join the army.
Therefore, throughout the Central Plains, there are more women and children than young adults. The people's sentiments were completely at odds, and the states and counties to which they belonged gradually began to act in both positive and negative ways.
Therefore, whoever takes over Bianzhou first will be the new owner of the hinterland of the Central Plains.
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After more than 20 years of development, and the two generations of Liang Dynasty monarchs were extremely extravagant figures, Bianzhou is now a giant city that stretches from north to south.
Until the second day and night after the funeral announcement was sent out, the entire city of Bianzhou was covered with white flags, fire paper was piled up in the street corners and alleys, and the sounds of whimpering and crying were endless.
The people of Bianzhou did not mourn for Zhu Youzhen who should have died long ago. Perhaps their father, husband, son, etc. all died here in just nine months. After this change, it is not a pity. endless...
There are still some lanterns hanging between the white flags on both sides of the street, reflecting some dim light, extending all the way from the imperial city to the city gate.
Bianzhou has not been peaceful these past two days. Many officials have never come out since they were invited to the imperial city. There were constant riots in the city, and almost all matters, large and small, were taken over by the imperial army. During this period, it was impossible to find out how many people took advantage of the chaos and robbed the people.
The soldiers and horses assigned to guard the city gate were a little uncomfortable.
In the past, although the territory of the Liang Dynasty was almost devastated by disasters, there was always money and water to be fished at the city gate, and you could have a good time if you were on duty for two days.
Nowadays, the city gate of Bianzhou is wide open, but not even a ghost has come in. Seeing that winter is approaching, it is bitingly cold at night, and the soldiers of the imperial army are holding their swords and shrinking their hands and necks, as if they are breathing a layer of hoarfrost.
The city gate commander crouched in front of the fire, spreading his hands and trying his best to absorb the heat brought by the open flame. The sword he used was thrown aside casually, and his face turned into the shape of a bitter melon.
This job is not comfortable, and it is far less comfortable than lying at home and warming each other with your beautiful wife.
"Is it appropriate to open the city gates at this time... The Tang army has already reached Zhengzhou..."
"You know what the heck! This is the order given by Empress Shi Yao, how dare we disobey it?"
Two beeping sounds came from the side. The commander frowned, picked up the sword and hung it on his waist, strode over and shouted loudly.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Keeping the city gates open is your order! Now that the late emperor is leaving, the war is going on. What if the city gates are closed and the military report is missed?
If the Tang army was powerful, wouldn't they just be stuck outside Zhengzhou and eat dirt? Zhengzhou's defenses are impregnable, and the Tang army has no wings. I don't believe they can fly to Bianzhou! "
Perhaps it was because of the cold night and having nothing to do that the commander had the time to explain to the two of them.
The Tang army may be powerful, but the Bianzhou Forbidden Army has never been seen before. They were frightening when they came out of Guanzhong and played several cities in a row. Now they have been playing in Zhengzhou for nearly a month and have not been able to make even half a step forward.
The Jin army is still powerful...
After hearing the commander's words, the two men just looked at each other, but did not dare to say anything, and pretended to stand still holding their spears.
But now that the conversation is open, it's better than squatting there in the cold. The commander glanced sideways at the dozen or so subordinates around him, and his tone became a little lower.
"Do you know who the late emperor appointed as his crown prince..."
"Fu...Fu Wang, right? You can't make his two daughters emperors..."
"Could it be Empress Shi Yao?"
"How can a woman be the emperor..."
The commander looked proud. He slung his sword at his waist and took two steps back and forth. Only after seeing that everyone's eyes were on him did he speak in a mysterious and extremely shocking tone.
"It's all wrong... Empress Shi Yao will definitely surrender to the Jin army...
Now that the Tang army is coming with great force, no one knows what the emperor of Luoyang wants to do to us. But the crown prince of Jin is a capable fighter. Who else but him can stop the Tang army? "
After the commander finished speaking, he squinted at the group of people who had gathered around him, feeling very proud of himself. He put his hands on his hips and continued to talk about some rumors he had heard elsewhere, when a panicked voice sounded behind him.
"I...I seem to hear the sound of horse hooves outside the city!"
This exclamation made everyone jump. The leader was stunned. Then he listened for a moment and then turned back and glared dissatisfied.
"You got pig hair stuck in your throat? What are you calling?"
The soldier who spoke out looked a little uneasy, but seeing everyone staring at him, he couldn't help but wonder if he had just heard a hallucination.
The conversation was suddenly interrupted. The commander smacked his lips. Just when he was about to think about what he had just read, someone shouted at the top of the city wall.
"There's fire! Someone is coming from outside the city!"
Everyone felt a shock behind them and hurriedly turned around. Looking through the wide open city gate, I could see the sound of iron hoofs striking the earth beginning to come from the black darkness covered by thick fog.
The commander finally came to his senses at this moment. He no longer bothered to look at the person he had just reminded. He was obviously feeling bitingly cold just now, but now his whole body was covered in cold sweat.
"Close the city gate first! Close the city gate first!"
He shouted piercingly, and without caring about the identity of the people outside the city, he immediately drew out his long sword and waved it forward.
But not everyone can react like him.
Bianzhou has been at peace for a long time. There has been no war for more than 20 years. The capable soldiers are either taken to fight the Tang army, or they stay in the camp outside the city under Shi Yao's order.
The Bianzhou Forbidden Army were all just sons of good families. They could still defend the imperial city, but they had not fought many wars.
At this moment, seeing countless torches rushing out of the thick fog with extremely fierce postures, the people gathered at the city gate were stunned and stood there stupidly.
At the top of the city, countless torches were set off at this moment. Some of the smart ones started to draw their bows and arrows, but most of them looked disorderly, which made the generals on the top of the city so anxious that cold sweat broke out on their faces. He waved his sword vigorously and shouted.
"Attach the arrow! Attach the arrow! Stop the people outside the city!"
Before he could finish his words, the soldiers on the top of the city saw a large spear suddenly flying from the bottom of the city, accurately passing through the general's chest, and then the body followed the inertia and flew down from the top of the city.
As for the Imperial Guard soldiers at the city gate, just when they reacted and closed the city gate, the sound of horse hooves was already heard continuously, as if it was tapping on their chests.
Just as the first few Imperial Guard soldiers were knocked away by a knight, a cold light flashed immediately, and several large heads suddenly rose into the sky.
Countless cavalrymen and horses, all wearing heavy armor, swarmed in from the city gate. The Liang soldiers they encountered were harvested to death like weeds, and the rumble of horse hooves rushed straight into the imperial city.
"The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty has arrived!
Those who surrender will be spared death! "
