In the darkness of the night, a fire dragon was still moving forward in the wilderness west of the Grand Canal, rolling forward in a mighty manner.
The terrain in the Wuqing area of Tianjin is somewhat similar to that of the south, with numerous rivers and streams and scattered water networks, which is not conducive to cavalry operations. The official road is not straight, but winds along rivers and streams, and has to cross bridges from time to time.
For Zhu Cixiang who was running away, this kind of terrain was very advantageous. As long as a wooden bridge was demolished, he could temporarily block the landlubber pursuers coming from the west. Of course, most of the streams in Tianjin are not deep. , can be crossed.
The Wangqingtuo area also has a very "southern" terrain. Twenty or thirty miles to the east is a canal called Luhe River, and seven or eight miles to the south is a large lake called Triangle Lake. More than ten miles to the west is the Lugou River, which is basically a terrain surrounded by water on three sides. The official road from Wang Qingtuo to Tianjin Acropolis has to pass through a long and narrow channel between Sanjiang Lake and Luhe (canal)... After passing through, it has to cross the Weihe River (which is not the Weihe River that leads to the sea, but It is the canal and river leading to the south), and finally reaches Tianjin Acropolis.
Therefore, from the perspective of military common sense, as long as the Chongzhen father and son who ran out of Beijing and the troops escorting them reached Wang Qingtuo, they were basically safe.
Therefore, Zhu Cixiang must bring the large group of fleeing troops into Wang Qingtuo's fortress tonight, even if he is so tired that he vomits blood.
Only when he arrived at Wangqingtuo did Zhu Cixiang dare to have a good sleep before heading to Tianjin Wei. When the brigade arrives in Tianjin and joins Shen Tingyang and Su Guansheng's sea boat, that will be the real dragon entering the East China Sea and the tiger returning to the Nanshan Mountains.
Under Zhu Cixiang's supervision, the fleeing brigade also summoned up its last energy and moved forward at a rapid march. Everyone was sweating profusely from walking, but their steps showed no intention of stopping.
Zhu Cixiang himself was also marching in on foot. He had taken off his armor and was holding a walking stick in his hand. His calves were also tied with circles of linen cloth, called "gaiters", a trick he learned during military training when he was a boy. It is said that it can reduce the possibility of leg injuries during marching, reduce leg fatigue, and enhance the ability to walk and march. Wu Sanmei also imitated Zhu Cixiang's example, and also wore leggings for herself, and followed Zhu Cixiang loyally. However, she didn't have a walking stick, and she still held the reins with one hand, leading two fully equipped war horses - this was prepared for herself and Zhu Cixiang. If anything happens, she will escape on horseback with Zhu Cixiang!
There were soldiers all around them, all officers and soldiers from the Dragon Cavalry Battalion, Tiger Guard Battalion and East Palace Guard Battalion who had taken off their armor. They all held torches and saw with their own eyes His Royal Highness the Prince of Fujun of the Ming Dynasty, measuring the official road to the south with their feet, foot by foot. Everyone admired this down-to-earth prince even more.
This prince really eats and walks with the big guys! Moreover, they also gave everyone a lot of money and "white strips" (an imperial edict to grant farmland for meritorious service). This was a true sharing of joys and sorrows!
If the prince is like this, who would complain about being miserable? What's your identity? Is he more noble than a prince?
But he knew no one. Zhu Cixiang was already so tired that he was complaining in his heart. However, in front of everyone, he still had to pretend to be high-spirited. When people looked at him, he had to wave and say in a fearless reactionary tone. A few inspiring words.
"Brothers, if you follow me, you will have land, and your wife will also have it!"
Although it was a very simple truth, it still boosted the spirits of the exhausted soldiers. From time to time in the team, shouts of response would be heard.
"Master Chitose treats us as brothers!"
"With Master Qiantose here, the Ming Dynasty will definitely be revived!"
"Master Chitose has shared the joys and sorrows with us. We risked our lives for Master Chitose to conquer the world!"
"Master Qiansui is a wise king, and Ming Dynasty can be saved..."
Hearing such a response, Zhu Cixiang's fatigue, as well as the pain in his buttocks, inner thighs, and feet with blisters, all suddenly eased a lot. He thought to himself: The distance from Beijing to Dagukou, Tianjin is only over 300 miles, which is nothing compared to the 25,000-mile Long March! Why can't I walk?
The carriage shared by Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou was not far behind Zhu Cixiang. Cao Huachun, who came from Wangqingtuo with Zhu Cixiang to greet the carriage, restrained the horse and walked beside the carriage - now except for Chongzhen, Empress Zhou and Zhang The Queen Mother, Li Xuanshi, and other elderly officials who could not walk, their families, or wounded soldiers injured in small-scale cavalry battles were carried forward by carriages. Everyone else, like Zhu Cixiang, moved forward on foot.
The reason for this is not entirely to share joys and sorrows, but to allow the horses to rest.
This journey, a rapid march of hundreds or dozens of miles, was not only a test of manpower, but also a huge drain on horse power. Now it's almost time to go to Wang Qingtuo to rest, so I use it as sparingly as possible.
Of course... Zhu Cixiang also has some elements of showmanship!
Now that Zhu Cixiang's authority as the crown prince has been compromised, he has to rely on showing off to boost his popularity. The highest level of performance for a great man these days is to undress and feed oneself, to share joys and sorrows. In Zhu Cixiang's previous life, he was a small person who climbed up from the bottom. How could he not let go of his airs?
But what he did was very unusual in the eyes of Chongzhen on the carriage and Cao Huachun who was waiting beside the carriage.
Did this prince really grow up in a deep palace? How come the heroic tactics of winning over people's hearts are so effective? Which lecturer taught him this?
"Your Majesty, let me tell you something that I shouldn't say. This kid Cixi is really a bit like Taizu and Chengzu!"
In the eyes of Empress Zhou, her son Zhu Cixiang is of course the best son in the world! Without this son, her life would have been lost now! The husband may be able to escape alone, or he may have sacrificed his life to his ancestors. How can it be like now, where you can live peacefully and peacefully in your home in Jiangnan?
In her opinion, after arriving in Jiangnan, her husband should stop meddling and leave everything to his son...
Chongzhen snorted and asked nonchalantly: "Is the old emperor still crying bitterly?"
The old royal relative he was talking about was Zhou Kui, the patriarch of the country. Old man Zhou had stolen all his money from his grandson, yet he still dared to be angry and dare not speak out, so he was left crying. Crying all the way, it was heartbreaking! But no one sympathized with him, not even his daughter Zhou Hou sympathized with him as an old man. Emperor Chongzhen was even more gloating about his misfortune. When the emperor fell into this situation, in the final analysis, wasn't it because royal relatives like Zhou Kui were unwilling to spend some money to save the country when the country was facing a national crisis?
This country does not belong to Emperor Chongzhen's family. They, the royal relatives and a group of vassal princes and clans also have a share. Why should they let this wise emperor take the blame when they all have nothing to lose? Have you let the prince trick you now? Deserve it!
When Zhou Hou was asked by Chongzhen, he also sighed quietly: "Cixun is indeed a bit cruel. He should leave some money for his grandfather..."
"It would be good if you keep your life!" Emperor Chongzhen deliberately raised his voice so that Eunuch Cao, who was walking with the carriage, could hear him. "They say Cixi acted like Taizu and Chengzu, but who is Taizu Chengzu? His eyes can be soft. Sand? Can it accommodate those nobles, royal family members, officials and... chamberlains who have been greedy for countless amounts of money?"
Cao Huachun trembled when he heard Chongzhen mention "internal servant". He now knows about Zhu Cihong's "gongguan usurpation" and the killing of Zhang Jinyan, Xiang Yu, Liang Zhaoyang, Zhou Zhong, Wei Xuelian, Qian Weikun and dozens of others outside the Meridian Gate, and also personally killed Shao Zhan Shiyu Oh...he is so cruel when he is only sixteen years old, how can he still do it when he grows up?
Just when Eunuch Cao was frightened by the cruelty of the Crown Prince, Zhu Cixiang's slightly hoarse voice suddenly came from the front: "Father, Queen, Wang Qingtuo is here! We are finally out of the tiger's mouth!"
