After the first siege failed, General Zhang Chun sent an envoy overnight to seek peace from the Protector. The envoy arrived at Yongding Gate and explained his intention to the defenders.
At this time, the Lord Protector was inspecting the city defense at other city gates. Yang Hao ordered the envoys to be hoisted in a hanging basket and sent to invite the Lord Protector to come back to discuss matters.
When Liu Zhaosun saw Zhang Chun's envoy, it was already the beginning of the unitary hour that night. It was the winter moon and the weather was freezing. The envoy stood on the tower of Wengcheng with his head hunched, and he had to salute when he saw the Lord Protector.
"Duke Protector, I am Wu Qunfang, a staff member of General Zhang. My master asked me to give the Duke a message. As the saying goes, when two tigers fight, one of them will be injured. General Zhang always admires and admires Duke Protector. The hero did not want to be an enemy of the Kaiyuan Army, but was instigated by King Gui and instigated by other military gates in Beizhili to end up like this."
Liu Zhaosun had just returned from patrolling the city at Guangqumen. He was now fully clothed in armor and holding a sharp wild goose feather knife. Lin Yu, Zhang Dong and others accompanying him also looked at the uninvited guest coldly.
Zhang Mazi came up to him and whispered a few words to the Protector. Liu Zhaosun looked Wu Qunfang up and down, nodded and smiled at Zhang Dong:
"It turns out they are relatives of Wu Xiang. They were not killed by the Wu family last time because I was too kind."
Wu Qunfang didn't hear what Liu Zhaosun said, and thought Liu Zhaosun was discussing peace terms with his confidants, so he continued:
"Although Commander-in-Chief Zhang is the commander of various people, he can't actually make the decision or control others. So my master's idea is very simple. Tomorrow our army will vacate Deshengmen, and the Protector of the Country can lead the original army to evacuate the capital and return to the capital. In Liaodong, the army will never follow and pursue. My master also said that no matter who becomes the emperor in the Forbidden City in the future, he will not be an enemy of the Kaiyuan Army. The two families will be safe. In return, General Zhang is willing to capture property around the capital. Give half of it to the Protector."
After Wu Qunfang finished speaking, she looked up at the Protector and the people around him expectantly, waiting for a reply.
The surrounding suddenly became quiet. Yang Hao, Qiao Yiqi, and Xu Guangqi all had gloomy faces. Zhang Dong coughed twice and looked a little embarrassed. Lin Yu clenched the long knife tightly, waiting for an order to go up and kill people.
Liu Zhaosun waved to Jin Yuji to help him take off the chainmail he was wearing.
After Jin Yuji finished her work and put a big cloak on her husband, the Protector took the hot tea from the guard, took a sip, sat upright, stroking his beard and thinking for a long time, suddenly waved his hand and said:
"Push it down and chop it off."
"Lord Protector, please spare your life. The two armies are fighting. I won't kill the envoy!"
Wu Qunfang quickly knelt down and begged for mercy. Yang Hao and Qiao Yiqi also stepped forward to persuade him. Liu Zhaosun waited for them to finish speaking before he waved his hand in a fake way.
"The crime of death is exempted. Push him out and beat him with twenty army sticks. Go back and tell Zhang Chun that if he really regrets it, he will surrender quickly. When Kaiyuan's army surrounds him, he will die."
Lin Yu waved his hand, and two guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Wu Qunfang out, but the Protector asked them to stop temporarily.
"I heard that you are Wu Xiang's cousin?"
Wu Qunfang nodded and immediately shook it like a rattle.
"Last time the Wu family was destroyed, only Wu Xiang's two brothers were killed, and the rest were not killed. You should be grateful for sparing you, and go back to persuade Wu Xiang to stay well in the south, and don't worry about anything. Those Donglin rebels got together. I heard that they also established some kind of "Hongguang Emperor"? When I kill Zhang Chun, I will lead my troops to pacify Jiangnan. If he surrenders earlier, he can still spare your Wu family. Immortal."
Wu Qunfang nodded repeatedly, her whole body trembling as she was dragged down by the guards to hit the floor.
Wu Qunfang's screams soon came from outside the tent.
Liu Zhaosun looked around, sighed, and said to his confidants:
"King Gui Zhu Changhuan has proclaimed himself emperor in Hengyang, King Qin Zhu Cunji has proclaimed himself emperor in Xi'an, Lu Fan and Fu Fan will also proclaim themselves emperor."
Joey comforted him: "Don't worry, Lord Protector, he's just a clown. He just took the opportunity to catch these rebellious officials and traitors, so that the world can be more stable in the future!"
Yang Hao stroked his beard and sighed: "What Qiao Jianjun said is very true. Emperor Gao punished the Song Dynasty, and the inner domain was weakened and the frontiers were not powerful, so he made many disciples and extended them to the frontiers. (See Note 1). After Yongle's surrender, The imperial court gradually weakened the military power of the vassal princes and prevented them from engaging in agriculture, industry, and commerce. The vassal princes only lived on the annual salary allocated by the court. These vassal princes and clan members did not practice immortality and alchemy well, so they insisted on taking a trip into this muddy water. It is really foolish."
Liu Zhaosun had a sinister look in his eyes. He had no good impression of the clan of the Ming vassal kings. As far as he knew, the activities of the vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty were divided into two periods. The middle period was roughly divided by Zhu Di's Jingnan campaign. In the early period, that is, Hongwu and Yongle. During this period, the feudal king was comparable to the military nobles in terms of social status and importance. In the later period, that is, starting from the late Yongle period, the vassal kings and clans gradually lost their military power and became decadent and parasitic. Liu Zhaosun believed that the Ming Dynasty's decision to marginalize the vassal kings was a fundamental mistake, and the vassal vassal was not used even in critical moments. (see note 2)
It is not a big problem to suppress a few vassal princes and clansmen. After being caught, they are all thrown into Fengyang Royal Prison, so that the descendants of the old Zhu family can reflect and reflect.
However, those who support the vassal king to proclaim himself emperor, openly or covertly, are the main enemies that the Kaiyuan Army needs to deal with next.
"The enemies have come for revenge. You all should go back and have a good rest. There will be a fierce battle tomorrow. Once Zhang Chun is eliminated, I will have to deal with these ghosts and monsters."
~~~~
The Wu family in western Liaoning is not the only one who wants revenge.
A violent explosion broke the tranquility of Sakhalin's night, fire engulfed the oak forest, and the camp was filled with the stench of burnt leather.
"The barbarians are coming for a sneak attack!"
Vasily Boyarkov woke up from his sleep. There was a fire outside the cabin and several Cossack corpses were lying on the ground. The remaining Cossacks pointed in the direction where the horses rushed and cursed loudly. They cursed very quickly. Overwhelmed by the blast of firecrackers.
The Cossack musketeer who came from behind raised his heavy matchlock gun and fired randomly into the dark night sky around him without aiming.
"Demov! Demov!"
Boyarkov kicked the Sauron woman to the bottom of the bed. He didn't have time to put on his moccasin boots and a wolf-skin blanket. He came to the door and looked out through the crack in the door.
"Demov! Demov!"
The expedition leader shouted to the messy camp for a while, but there was no response. He suspected that the leader of the Cossacks, Demov, had died in the battle.
Boyarkov and his team members had encountered such sudden attacks countless times, but this time their opponents were obviously not the Siberian natives who only knew how to throw stones and shoot arrows.
"Your Excellency Vasily, our goods were burned! Captain Demov was killed by a mine."
A Cossack stumbled to the cabin, his eyes wide open. There was a long wound on his forehead. It was unknown whether it was caused by an enemy attack or by his own fall.
"What? How much is left?"
Compared with Captain Demov's life and death, Vasily was obviously more concerned about the goods he stored in the camp. This batch of furs was worth 30,000 rubles. Half of it was about to be distributed to the tsar, and another part to the team members. The remaining part was also a huge sum of money. , enough for him to spend the rest of his life going to the Seine in Paris, drinking vodka every day and looking for French women.
"They sneaked into the gunpowder warehouse and moved all our gunpowder to the fur warehouse, along with three thousand mink skins and pearls, and a fire..."
Boyarkov grabbed the wine bottle on the table and slammed it on the ground, making the Sauron woman on the bed scream.
"I heard that the sound of their firecrackers was not dense. There won't be too many enemies. Go, gather all the people and catch these despicable attackers. Holy Mother, forgive me. I want them to catch them, cook them and eat them."
~~~~~
In the east of Sanyuan County, Xi'an Prefecture, there is the Chenghuang Temple.
Wu Xiao led the four guards quickly past the screen wall decorated with dragons and phoenixes and brick reliefs behind the gate of the City God's Temple, and then walked for more than ten steps along the stone pavement. He looked up and saw the inscription of Yue Fei's handwritten "Departure from the Master" embedded in the inner wall. He thought of Jingzhong. Yue Wumu, a knight-errant who had been away from home for five years, could not help but recite:
"The late emperor was not halfway through his business, but the middle road collapsed. Today, Yizhou is suffering from fatigue. This is the autumn of our sincerity's survival. However, the ministers of the bodyguard are unremitting in the internal affairs, and the loyal people forget themselves outside. This is the difference in pursuing the late emperor. I want to retaliate to His Majesty."
The storm is about to come and the wind is everywhere, and thieves are plundering the mountains and Shaanxi. Sanyuan, which is only a hundred miles away from Xi'an Fucheng, has also begun to feel uneasy recently.
After leaving the capital, Wu Xiao and the Western Expeditionary Army divided into two groups. Unlike the Western Expeditionary Army that entered Shaanxi from Shanxi, Wu Xiao and the others intercepted Henan. Since they were not many in number and they were moving in batches, they had to wait for a long time. Without any obstruction, he passed Tongguan smoothly and arrived at Xi'an Prefecture.
After entering Shaanxi, Wu Xiao originally planned to follow Deng Changxiong, Sun Chuanting and others to quell the northern Shaanxi bandits before returning home in glory. At that time, he was surrounded by a group of local Shaanxi officials. With these people accompanying him, when he returned home, his father would not punish him too much. After all, he was loyal and filial. It’s difficult to solve the problem. The country comes first. After all, the Protector is the Protector of the Ming Dynasty. If you work for him, your father can’t be harsh...
I don't want Kaiyuan's army to be besieged in the meander of the river and besieged by hundreds of thousands of bandits. Let alone crossing the river to enter Shaanxi and making achievements, I am afraid that even my own safety is difficult to protect now.
Wu Xiao divided his men into three groups and set out one by one. Finally, they agreed to meet in Xi'an City. The Chinese Guards stayed in Xi'an for three days. As a native of the province, Wu Xiao knew that there was good news around the Drum Tower, so he led people to inquire here every day. News, news from the capital has long been cut off, and the situation in all parts of Shaanxi is not optimistic. Some say that Li Xianzhong conquered Tongguan and conquered Henan. Some said that Zhang Zicheng entered Huguang from Wuguan. Some said that the imperial reinforcements had escaped on the road. A northerner named Zhang The commander-in-chief of the Zhili Army raised the banner of peace and wanted to rebel.
All kinds of news are mixed together, causing people to feel uneasy. Although the main force of the bandits is not in Xi'an, small groups of bandits still appear in Guanzhong from time to time, and the officers and soldiers cannot kill them.
Thinking that his elderly parents at home might be in danger at any time, Wu Xiao couldn't help but feel worried.
It should be noted that wherever the bandits go, they like to kill big families. Although the Wu family usually accumulates virtues and does good deeds, builds bridges and roads, and benefits the people in Guanzhong, it is quite famous in Guanzhong. Get up, but it doesn't matter whether you are black or white, I will kill you with one knife.
In Xi'an Fucheng, Wu Xiao saw that the city's defense was lax, and several chief officials were still arguing with each other. Wu Xiao was pure and filial by nature, and occasionally had an impatient temper. He was not as calm as Lin Yu, nor as ruthless as Shen Lian, so he had no energy to go there. After assassinating these corrupt officials and staying in Xi'an for five days, he led dozens of his men to Miyuan.
There was also a small episode in the middle. Wu Xiao met a boy who was beaten severely on Gulou Street. The boy had a younger sister. In order to prevent the younger sister from being sold to a brothel, the boy had a quarrel with several local merchants and was beaten by several strong men. Beaten to death. Wu Xiao couldn't stand it any longer, so he led his men to beat him back with punches and kicks. He only beat a few people on the other side with bruises and swollen faces. Then he dropped a few taels of silver and rescued the brother and sister.
Wu Xiao and others left Xi'an City and walked less than twenty miles along the official road when they met a group of thieves who were blocking the road and robbing. Wu Xiao could tell at a glance that these thieves were Xi'an's defeated troops. After a near-miss battle, the five thieves were easily killed by the Central Guards.
The more Wu Xiao thought about it, the more scared he became, so he rushed to Sanyuan City that day.
After hearing from the soldiers guarding the city that the bandits had not yet attacked this place, the Miyuan Ranger let out a long sigh.
After judging that his parents were safe and sound, he did not rush home. Instead, he came to the Chenghuang Temple in the east of the city. He passed through the second archway to the Lingxing Gate, passed through the theater building and entered the temple. The main hall is located on a high platform, with a single room and a double-slot plane. , single eaves rest on the top of the mountain. The overhanging eaves are covered with clouds, and the gilding reflects the colors. It is magnificent and solemn.
Wu Xiao burned incense and raised it above his head, knelt in front of the city god, and prayed devoutly for the people of Sanqin. More than a dozen guards were on guard with knives.
"Your Majesty, God above, bless the bandits to be pacified as soon as possible, and bless the people of the Three Qin Dynasties to have good weather. Today I present all kinds of magical instruments to contribute..."
The boy and his sister took over the paper money, incense sticks, ghost sticks, seals, tokens, magical water and other magical objects from the hands of the city god, and helped Wu Xiao light the incense burner.
Li Zicheng looked at the green smoke rising in front of the City God, and seemed to see the prosperous days in his hometown of Mizhi County in the past, and saw his parents who starved to death in his hometown.
Note:
1. He Qiaoyuan: "Famous Mountain Collection" Volume 36
2. It was not until the eighteenth year of Wanli (1590) that the Ming court approved a series of reform measures aimed only at making clan members self-sufficient, including relaxing the ban on untitled clan members engaging in various professions. In the twenty-third year of Wanli (1595), the imperial court finally allowed members of the sixth rank to participate in the imperial examination. Unfortunately, this relaxation of career restrictions came too late.
