On the mound in the southwest outside Kaifeng City, Zhang Cheng stared at the farther southwest and sighed, but he didn't know that great changes were also taking place there!
On December 27, the 13th year of Chongzhen reign in the Ming Dynasty, at dusk, a group of officers and soldiers with 28 cavalry were galloping on their horses. Their horses were already soaked with sweat from running. They were galloping straight to Xiangyang with whips and hoofs raised. South Gate.
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Xiangyang City is located on the south bank of the upper reaches of the Han River. Its north, east and south sides are surrounded by the mighty Han River, and its west side is close to the peaks of Yanghu Mountain and Fenghuang Mountain. It can be said that the situation is dangerous, and the city walls are strong and the city is high. It is deep, easy to defend but difficult to attack, and impregnable. It has been known as "Iron-Forged Xiangyang" and "The First City in China" since ancient times.
Xiangyang's city wall is built with city bricks on the outside and rammed earth on the inside. Its circumference is more than fifteen miles, the wall is nearly three feet high, the narrowest part of the city wall is nearly two feet, and the widest part is even more than five feet. The city walls are even more It has more than 4,000 battlements.
The widest part of the moat outside is about eighty feet wide, and even the average width is an astonishing sixty feet wide. The width of a moat is like a lake. Plus the city is guarded by bows, arrows and cannons. It's insurmountable.
Xiangyang City has six city gates. In the fourth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, Wan Zhensun, then the magistrate of Xiangyang, inscribed: the east gate is called "Yangchun", the south gate is called "Wenchang", the west gate is called "Xicheng", and the large north gate is called "Gong". "Chen", the small north gate is called "Linhan", and the east long gate is called "Zhenhua". Because the west gate is the only way to worship the Zhenwu Patriarch Temple, it is also called Xicheng Gate "Pilgrimage Gate".
The six city gates are all high-rise ordinary city towers, with square turrets standing firm. Wang Can Tower, Lion Tower, Kuixing Tower and other turrets embellish the ten-mile city wall. The golden tiles and glazed walls and high walls and cornices are really spectacular. The whole city is harmonious. Integrated into one, giving people a simple and elegant feeling.
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At this time, news of the fall of Luoyang was spreading in Xiangyang City. At the same time, news of the unfavorable war in Sichuan had also begun to spread wildly. Therefore, the gates of the six cities were strictly checked, unless they were holding urgent official documents and they had to be verified. Otherwise, no one is allowed to enter the city.
Twenty-eight officers and cavalry were standing outside the suspension bridge. The horses were snorting loudly due to the long distance, and their front hooves were constantly scratching the ground.
The young officer at the head of the army approached the city gate and handed over an official document from Yang Sichang, the governor of the cabinet department, and claimed that he came to Xiangyang on urgent business.
The commander in charge of guarding Wenchang Gate took the official document and read it carefully two or three times. He knew that the young officer in front of him was a junior officer in the Superintendent's Xingyuanbiao Camp. He had the same official position as him and was also a commander. His surname is Liu and his given name is Xingguo. He is now twenty-one years old.
But the guard guarding Wenchang Gate still felt a little uneasy. He raised his head and asked politely: "Are there any other official documents at the end of the stage?"
The young general named Liu Xingguo had a look of contempt on his face. He took out another urgent document sealed with lacquer from his briefcase and handed it to the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper just looked at the front and saw that what was written on it was to be delivered to Mr. Zhang Kejian of Xiangyang Bingbei Road. The word "urgent secret" was written on it, and the year and month of the document was also written on the middle seam on the back. On the same day, it was also built with a gate for the governor and assistant ministers.
He raised his head again and said to Liu Xingguo with a smile on his face: "I would like to ask Mr. Liu to wait for a moment. I will go and report to Mr. Mingli, even when I come back."
Liu Xingguo had the word "unhappy" written all over his face and said arrogantly: "What's the matter? Brother, do you suspect that the 'urgent and secret' official document of the Supervisor's Office in my hand is fake?" ?”
The doorkeeper still had a smile on his face and apologized hastily: "Haha. Don't be offended, brother, don't be offended. The official document is of course genuine, it is true. It's just that according to the rules, I still need to approve it to Mr. Li. This is the only place where we can open the door and let people go.”
Gu Fan Liu Xingguo saw that he really couldn't take the throne, so he no longer made it difficult for him. He just said: "Brother, this is an urgent official document. If we miss the official business, you and I can't afford to suffer!"
The doorkeeper always smiled and said flatteringly: "I won't miss anything, I won't miss anything. Mr. Li is sitting on the gate tower. I'll be right back."
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As early as when Yang Sichang was stationed in Xiangyang City, there was a serious commotion due to the rebellion of the Xian thieves and the Cao thieves. At that time, each of the six gates of Xiangyang City had a general with the rank of deputy general in charge of defense. During the day, they They all sit on the upper floor of the city gate or work in the courtyard near the city gate.
However, since Yang Sichang entered Sichuan to supervise the suppression campaign, due to the fact that the bandits were hiding in the Xiangyang area for hundreds of miles and the military situation had eased, all the city gates had been changed to be garrisoned by General Qian. Only the Wenchang Gate in the south was more important, so it was changed to be garrisoned by guerrilla generals. .
The name of the guerrilla general in charge of the defense of Wenchang Gate was Li Min'an. After the gatekeeper presented the official document brought by Liu Xingguo, he carefully read both sides, but could not see anything suspicious. But I still feel that I still can’t completely rest assured.
He went down to the city gate tower in person, stood upright in the city gate cave, and called General Liu Xingguo who came to submit official documents to him. After looking at him carefully, he asked in a deep voice: "Are you here specifically?" Did you send this official letter?"
Liu Xingguo was more respectful to him than the general just now, and replied slightly humbly: "Yes, general."
Li Min'an asked again: "In that case, please rest and wait in the restaurant in Nanguan for the time being. I will immediately send someone to deliver the official document to the Military and Military Yamen. As soon as there is a reply, I will hand it over to you. Return to the governor's camp."
Liu Xingguo seemed a little surprised, and he said with a little eagerness: "Back to the general, I came to Xiangyang City to urgently mobilize troops. I need to go to the Bingxian Yamen in person tonight to personally present the military talisman for the troops to the Bingxian Zhang. But we can’t wait outside the city.”
Limin An was a little hesitant and asked, "Do you still have military talismans?"
"Yes, yes." Liu Xingguo replied hurriedly, and took out half of the military talisman from his arms and presented it.
Li Min'an was a guerrilla general, and he often walked in the military governor's camp. He still knew the style of the military symbols used to mobilize troops. It was true that he had seen the military symbols, and the military symbols were all made of copper. Even if outsiders knew it, Style cannot be forged in a hurry.
The alertness in his heart eased, and the expression on his face relaxed slightly, and he said to Liu Xingguo: "Please wait for a while in the restaurant outside the suspension bridge, and let the brothers who come from afar have tea and rest.
I immediately personally sent the official documents and military symbols to the Bingxian Yamen and presented them in person. If the military symbols were correct, I would immediately ask my brother to take the brothers into the city to stay and rest.
These are all official procedures, so if it’s unavoidable, I’d like to ask you to include some details. "
Liu Xingguo also smiled and said: "In this case, I have no choice but to obey the order, but please ask General Li to quickly deliver the official documents and military symbols to Mr. Zhang."
