At dawn on May 7, the first year of Chongzhen, thick smoke billowed over the Forbidden City and people and horses neighed on the streets of Chang'an.
Under two black dragon and tiger banners, the First and Second Guards Corps mobilized two thousand soldiers to form a neat square formation and quickly passed in front of Chang'an Street.
The soldiers all wore helmets and iron armor, stretched out their powerful bows, carried long arrows, carried muskets, wore round shields, carried long swords and short axes on their waists, and ran quickly with weapons in their hands.
Every fifth infantry team was assigned an artillery flag team, and the four-pounder field artillery followed behind the phalanx and rumbled through the streets, attracting the people of the capital to stop and watch.
The people in the capital, who were used to seeing the big world, looked at the army in front of them with cold eyes.
All the shop doors on both sides of Chaotianmen Street were open, and pedestrians were constantly coming and going. Most people were hiding on the side of the road. The whole street was silent, except for the sound of soldiers stepping in order and the neighing of war horses.
At the beginning of noon, we are getting closer and closer to the "auspicious time of the zodiac" mentioned by Kang Yingqian.
The commander-in-chief of the Kaiyuan Army, Pingliao Marquis Liu Zhaosun, wearing a bright helmet and a first-grade crane robe, riding a black horse, entered Desheng Gate surrounded by more than a hundred mounted guards.
Eunuch Wang Dehua led hundreds of remaining eunuchs in the Forbidden City to greet him. Under the guidance of the old eunuch, Marquis Pingliao led Kang Yingqian, Qiao Yiqi, Sun Chuanting, Ma Shiying and others into the imperial city from the West Chang'an Gate.
Seeing the flames soaring into the sky in the direction of Huangji Palace from a distance, Marquis Pingliao frowned and looked back at Kang Yingqian. Kang Yingqian had a look on his face and stepped forward to whisper:
"I just asked Marquis Ping Liao to enter the city later just to complete the trick. Now everything is ready. According to Marquis Ping Liao's instructions, he will be properly hidden and the one who will be burned to death is an eunuch. I will go to Huangji Hall later. Ping Liao Hou Ke needs to be a little sad..."
Liu Zhaosun stood on his horse, facing the fire in the sky, and patiently listened to Kang Yingqian's ramble.
At the last moment, he still couldn't bear to kill Zhu Youxiao.
Since Jin Yuji was in danger, he began to believe in karma.
Perhaps everything is destined by God.
Just like Zhao Kuangyin of the Northern Song Dynasty rebelled against Chen Qiao and bullied the orphans and widowers of the Chai family. In the end, Zhao Kuangyin's own son also met a tragic end.
All Ping Liaohou needed to do was to eliminate Zhu Youxiao's political life.
There are many ways to eliminate a person's political life, physical elimination is only one of them, and it is often not necessarily effective.
If everyone in the world knew that Chongzhen was dead, then rebelling in the name of Chongzhen would be a loss that outweighs the gain.
During the Battle of Jingnan, King Zhu Di of Yan burned his nephew to death, and then pretended to be a regicide and sent people to search everywhere. This was just to make people think that Emperor Jianwen was still alive, so as to silence Youyou and prevent him from being infamous for being a regicide. .
Liu Zhaosun is going to do the opposite today.
He wants Zhu Youxiao to live and die at the same time.
When everyone thought that Zhu Youxiao was dead, then, he was alive and dead;
When everyone thinks that Zhu Yunwen is alive, then he will live forever even if he dies.
However, Zhu Youxiao will not die, but others will.
"Have you caught Xu Xianchun?"
"Don't worry, Marquis Ping Liao. He has been caught a long time ago. The Nine Gates are all our people. Where can he escape? Now he is being held in front of the Huangji Palace together with the officials from the capital. He has been beaten half to death by the guards."
Liu Zhaosun reined in his horse and stood up, and said to Kang Yingqian:
"The emperor died for his country, and the factory owner should follow suit. Xu Xianchun is going to die, and he is going to die in a grand way."
"Let's go, follow me to Huangji Palace."
~~~~~~
"Marquis Ping Liao! Is this the time to cry bitterly and become a loyal minister? We must immediately support the new king and stabilize the people's hearts to prevent Xiao Xiao from being a traitor!"
"Let go of me, don't stop me. I want to go in and save the emperor! Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I am too late to come. I deserve death! Your Majesty!"
In the Huangji Palace of Qianqing Palace, fire burned the sky.
The officials who were "invited" from their respective homes all stared at the scene in front of them with their necks hunched in fear. The Kaiyuan warriors standing behind them were all holding sharp blades and filled with murderous intent.
Xu Xianchun, the official of the Dongjishi Factory, was covered in blood and tied up. His shoulders were held down by two guards, and he was kneeling in front of the blazing fire like a pile of rotten meat.
Kang Yingqian, with gray beard and hair, was panting and pulled Marquis Pingliao out from the burning hall porch several times, while Liu Zhaosun struggled to run back. Finally, Qiao Yiqi, Ma Shiying and others swarmed up and worked together to drag Marquis Pingliao to a safe position like an eagle catching a chicken.
Black smoke billowed from the eaves of Huangji Hall, the beams and horns crackled in the fire, and the air was filled with the stench of burning human flesh.
The scorching hot air waves made people's whole body feel hot, and they felt as if they were going to follow Emperor Chongzhen to die for his country in the next moment.
Liu Zhaosun was distraught, his red eyes reflected the gradually crumbling palace in front of him.
Daming is finally over.
Several eunuchs in charge came with buckets of water to put out the fire.
Liu Zhaosun looked back at Kang Yingqian and was surprised to find that at some point, Lao Kang had been covered with a piece of linen cloth.
Looking at his expression again, he was even sadder than his own father's death.
"emperor!"
Suddenly, Kang Yingqian let out a wailing sound, his nasal sound was too long, and he could not catch his breath, almost suffocating him.
"Who are the traitors who set fire to murder the emperor? The Skynet is in full swing, and the Criminal Association of the Ministers and the Department of Justice will definitely investigate thoroughly! The murderer will be brought to justice!"
Liu Zhaosun had not slept all night. He had just cried bitterly and was exhausted. When he was in a daze, he was awakened by Kang Yingqian's cry. He took a piece of linen and put it on himself.
"Kang Jianjun is right, we need to investigate! Find out the culprit! Avenge the emperor!"
Ma Shiying jumped out, pointed at Xu Xianchun who was kneeling on the ground and said:
"Marquis Ping Liao, start with this dog eunuch!"
The guards brought up several palace maids.
Kang Yingqian brought the palace maids to the officials and loudly said to them:
"I heard that you all saw the person who set the fire. Now you can see clearly, who set the fire in Qianqing Palace? Point it out to me!"
All the Beijing officials present were pale and trembling. They all knew that Liu Zhaosun would not let them go when he came to Beijing this time.
A month ago, it was these officials from the capital who instigated the imperial court's envoy Ling Chi to start a war with the Marquis of Ping Liao.
A director of the military department who was kneeling in front of Kang Yingqian was so frightened that he peed his pants.
Liu Zhaosun glanced at everyone with a cold expression, and finally looked at Xu Xianchun who was kneeling on the ground.
He staggered and walked step by step in front of his enemy:
"Why are you so cruel? You won't even let go of children under the age of one month!"
Xu Xianchun trembled and raised his face slightly. His left eye was beaten by the guards until only the bloody eye socket was left. His right eye was filled with fear. As his eyes moved, his body trembled regularly.
Liu Zhaosun was so angry that the Yanling sword on his body made a clanking sound, as if he was about to break free from the scabbard and jump out to kill someone in the next moment.
The once majestic Nine Thousand Years Old man is now lying on the ground, begging softly:
"Mr. Liu, please forgive me. It is true that our family knows nothing about General Anyuan and her child. It was all Zeng Qixiao who did it without authorization. In June last year, our family only asked him to go to Liaodong to inquire. News, I didn’t expect it.”
"I didn't expect that he would do so many things later. He killed the original people, took away Song Yingsheng, and killed Mrs. Ping Liaohou. Our family, our family now wants to kill this thief with a thousand knives. Mr. Liu, I It’s unjust!”
Marquis Ping Liao remained silent.
"Marquis Ping Liao."
Xu Xianchun continued tentatively.
"Our family has some connections in Nanzhili. If Marquis Pingliao is interested, our family can arrange for some top-notch Yangzhou thin horses, no less impressive than General Anyuan..."
"Our family..."
Liu Zhaosun suddenly became short of breath, wheezing, and soon turned into a low moan.
Kang Yingqian saw this and quickly stepped forward to pat him on the back. Qiao Yiqi took the coconut scoop and handed him some water.
Liu Zhaosun knelt on the ground, facing the fire in front of him, his eyes were empty, as if he had lost his soul.
His own child had just been born, and he passed away in a hurry without even having time to see his father.
When his woman needed protection the most, he was not by her side.
For several months, I kept myself busy every day, falling asleep and continuing to be busy when I woke up, not daring to be idle.
Today, the capital is under his control, and his enemy is kneeling in front of him, carefully looking at him.
When I heard the words "Yangzhou Shou Ma", a kind of regret and anger that I had never felt before suddenly came to my heart.
The sadness that had accumulated for half a year gradually overflowed the embankment, and finally exploded completely at this moment.
The scene of meeting Jin Yuji for the first time in Hunjiang came to mind again.
Jiang Hongli regarded her as a plaything, and Jiang Hongli died.
In their eyes, the woman they love deeply is just a plaything and can be replaced at will.
If that's the case, then let's turn you into playthings!
"Marquis Ping Liao, spare your life! When Marquis Ping Liao succeeds to the throne, our family will make cows and horses for you, and serve you carefully."
Before Xu Xianchun could finish speaking, Liu Zhaosun let out a wild beast's howl. He used all his strength to lift the factory man up, ignoring Xu Xianchun's struggle, and threw his enemy into the fire.
Xu Xianchun howled in pain and was immediately swallowed up by the fire, turning into a running fireball.
In the fire that filled the sky, Xu Xianchun's flesh burst into crackling sounds, and the stench of burning human flesh spread around.
Liu Zhaosun watched the fireball stop struggling and gradually merge into the surrounding sea of fire.
At this time, the two palace maids finally raised their hands tremblingly and slowly pointed at Xu Xianchun, who had been burnt to coke.
"Yes, it was the factory owner who set the fire."
"Who else is there? Don't be afraid, tell them one by one!"
Thousands of soldiers and civilians opened their mouths wide when they witnessed this horrific scene.
Kang Yingqian turned around and whispered a few words to Senti, who was still in a daze next to him.
Dongguan Zai brought a dozen training officers with him and said loudly:
"Marquis Ping Liao's love for your emperor and father can be measured by the sun and the moon. Hearing that the emperor was killed, he was heartbroken. We also want to avenge the emperor! Kill the traitor!"
Two thousand soldiers shouted in unison like puppets, and the sound shook the palace.
"Kill the traitor and take revenge!"
"Kill the traitor! Take revenge!"
Kang Yingqian looked back at the trembling civil and military officials kneeling on the ground and said with a smile:
"Everyone has seen that Xu Xianchun has been executed. So, are there any other culprits? I think there are. The Marquis of Pingliao worked so hard on this campaign that he almost died for his country just now! Are you traitors or loyal? Who are you? Who is Xu Xianchun's accomplice? You need to test to find out. Please donate according to your rank to support the Jingnan army! Those who donate more will be treated as the Marquis of Ping Liao and are loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty!"
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