"Father, you..."
Zhu Linyuan felt very aggrieved, covering her swollen cheek with one hand, wanting to say something but not daring to say it.
In this huge palace of the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Yujian could be said to have monopoly power, covering the sky with one hand.
From the princess to the Dahuang, there is no one who is not afraid of him.
Only in front of his good daughter Zhu Xiuyun can he show his kind side.
For Zhu Linyuan, the eldest son and Zhu Yujian's only son, he was only indifferent and strict, with no good looks at all, and the use of sticks was commonplace.
"Sir, how did you say these words? Fortunately, you are still the legitimate son of my king and a clan member of the royal family!"
"Is it easy for Grandfather Taizu to conquer such a huge country? In my Ming Dynasty, the emperor guarded the country, the king died in the country, and he did not make peace, cede land, or pay compensation. Have you forgotten all these?"
"You have no backbone, what do I want from you?"
It could be heard that Zhu Yujian was really angry.
And he is a very angry kind. If the brat in front of him were not his own flesh and blood, he would definitely be a dog feeder.
Although the Ming Dynasty is now full of chaos, its decline seems irreversible.
If you say something treasonous and unethical, the building will collapse and the country will be ruined.
He, Prince Tang, was not a fool, nor was he someone who worked behind closed doors and ignored what was going on outside the window.
He also heard the comments among the people.
The court is decaying, officials are colluding, the treasury is empty, natural and man-made disasters are constant, and some weak-minded people even collude with the Northeast to build slaves, trying to subvert the orthodoxy of the Han people.
But others say these words are okay. As a member of the Zhu family, how can you, Zhu Linyuan, say it out loud?
If the Ming Dynasty is really over, the first one to be destroyed will be Lao Zhu's family.
"Father, the child is wrong."
Zhu Linyuan lowered his head, but he didn't feel much shame in his heart. He was just afraid of his old father's power.
You are so hard-boned, you don’t want to be a runaway prince, you want to live and die with Nanyang Mansion, but what about others, the one in the capital?
Does he resonate with you? Will he appreciate everything you have done for Ming Dynasty now? Does he admit that you have royal blood flowing in your body?
"What? Aren't you convinced? My father told me today that if Lin County is lost, the Tang Palace will die first!"
Zhu Yujian dropped his harsh words and walked away with his sleeves rolled up.
His son's performance today really disappointed him. Is this what the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty are thinking about now? If this is really the case, Ming Dynasty may be really in danger.
well……
Back in the main hall, Zhu Yujian sat on the Taishi chair, his eyes changing from anger to calmness, and finally to helplessness.
Just now, he was a little impulsive.
The words were decisive, but now that I have calmed down, I feel a little regretful.
Can Lin County really hold on?
I'm afraid there is only a chance, and this chance comes from Li Zicheng.
Only if 200,000 rebels collectively start a plague, or if the granaries catch fire and cause chaos, will they give up this excellent opportunity to take over the Central Plains.
But such an opportunity comes only once in a century.
"What should we do? Lin County is really difficult to defend."
Zhu Yujian said to himself.
But the words have already been spoken. After all, he is also the king of the Ming Dynasty. Even though he knows that the chance is slim, he must do something.
Lin County cannot be defended solely by Sun Chuanting and his 20,000 garrison troops.
Although Li Zicheng's 200,000-strong army has a lot of moisture, including many refugees, there are only about 100,000 soldiers capable of fighting.
Moreover, the weapons are uneven, and there are even fewer siege weapons like artillery.
But if the enemy's army, which is five times our own, concentrates on attacking the city, sooner or later the city will be breached.
Not to mention that Lin County is a small county and has a serious shortage of food reserves.
After several years of experience, Li Zicheng has become a mature leader.
If he chooses to besiege rather than attack, all the soldiers and civilians in Lin County will be trapped to death within a few days.
Now, the only way to save Lin County is for Nanyang Mansion to send troops for reinforcements.
However, it is very difficult.
First of all, there are only more than 30,000 Nanyang Mansion defenders, and they must not leave Nanyang Mansion.
Because if Li Zicheng got the news and Nanyang Prefecture sent troops to assist Lin County, he would probably divide his troops and take a roundabout way to take Nanyang directly.
By then, Nanyang has fallen, and the entire Central Plains may have fallen.
Losing Lin County might still have a glimmer of hope, but losing Nanyang Mansion would mean losing everything.
Henan is now the heart of the Ming Dynasty. It has abundant grain production and is a transit point for communication between the north and the south. It has high strategic significance.
To sum up, none of Nanyang Mansion's soldiers can move.
Then the only way left is to recruit troops on the spot!
The Tang Palace could indeed afford military expenses, but the vassal king did not have the power to command the army, let alone recruit private soldiers.
If this matter reaches the capital, within two days, Emperor Chongzhen's imperial edict will be delivered to the Tang Palace.
Then, Jin Yiwei escorted him to the capital and raised an army to investigate the crime.
"well……"
After thinking for a long time, this would not work, and that would be difficult to implement. Zhu Yujian couldn't help but sigh again.
Today's world is really too difficult, even for a vassal king, let alone ordinary people.
"Report!"
"The east gate of Lin County has been breached, and tens of thousands of enemy troops have poured into the city!"
Another soldier with a small flag behind his back knelt down in front of the hall and reported hurriedly.
Hearing this, Zhu Yujian, who had always been calm, suddenly lost his composure.
Taking three steps at a time and two steps at a time, he rushed outside the main hall, pulled the sallow and skinny soldier of sixteen or seventeen years old from the ground, and asked loudly: "What? What did you say? Has Lin County fallen? Yes, it has fallen. ?"
Zhu Yujian was so excited that he almost fainted the frustrated soldier.
Fortunately, there is one last breath of immortality left.
"Your Majesty, the East City Gate was indeed breached. However, Magistrate Sun led the city defenders to resist desperately and beat the rebels out. However, the East City Gate was severely damaged and it will be a matter of time before it is breached."
"Prefect Sun asked me to inform the prince to keep the green hills and not worry about running out of firewood. There are not many princes like you in the Ming Dynasty. You must not act impulsively."
After the soldier said this, he rolled his eyes and fainted.
"Liu Zhongyi, what are you looking for? Take him down quickly and take care of him, and give him the best food. If he has any shortcomings, I will ask you!"
Zhu Yujian said loudly.
Liu Zhongyu quickly led two eunuchs to help the soldier down.
At this time, Zhu Yujian calmed down, and the meaning of Sun Chuanting's message couldn't be more obvious.
Before the enemy reaches Nanyang Mansion, they must flee quickly and preserve their strength. They may make a comeback and regain the lost ground.
Now, the gap between the enemy and ourselves is too great. Unless a divine weapon descends from heaven, there will be no way to make a comeback.
"Bai Gu, I appreciate your kindness."
"But now, Henan is the top priority. If I retreat, Henan will definitely fall. The rebels will march straight in. It will be easy to break through Longxing. That is the root of our old Zhu family, and I must protect it!"
Zhu Yujian said to himself.
