In Jiaxing City, there is a government office.
The marching speed of the new army is very fast, but compared with the postal station dedicated to delivering letters, it is still much slower.
After all, the latter has a dedicated inn, and changing horses does not change people.
Not to mention urgent military information, even ordinary urgent reports can be transmitted three hundred miles in a day.
Two days ago, Xu Dongjiang, the prefect of Jiaxing, received a secret letter sent to him by Huang Zicheng.
However, Xu Dongjiang always felt that Japanese pirates and rebels would not attack Jiaxing Prefecture.
The emperor's grandson may come to Jiaxing Mansion to gain a reputation as a frontline commander, but he doesn't have to face the Japanese pirates directly, which is the best of both worlds.
The task of exterminating the Japanese pirates was presided over by Lan Yu, Duke of Liang, who went to Suzhou Prefecture.
The grandson of the emperor comes to gain some merit, perform it in front of His Majesty, and spread the word, and he can also gain the reputation of leading troops to conquer Japanese pirates.
Therefore, he did not take Huang Zicheng's suggestion very seriously.
The emperor's grandson came, and if the Japanese pirates did not come, he, the prefect of Jiaxing Prefecture, would never be harmful to the emperor's grandson.
Even if he wanted to, he simply couldn't do it.
Not to mention that he didn’t dare to do it.
However, at sunset today, the military situation suddenly rose, and the Japanese pirates launched a massive attack and approached the city.
When Xu Dongjiang received the news, he was stunned.
In the past few days, urgent reports from the court came one after another, asking him to prepare for Japanese pirate attacks.
But Xu Dongjiang believes that if large-scale mobilization is carried out, Jiaxing City will definitely panic.
If the Japanese pirates did not come and all the work was in vain, the loss would be considerable.
It was the emperor's grandson who heard that the imperial court judged that Japanese pirates would come to Jiaxing City.
What ability does a seven-year-old have to dare to make such an assertion?
Duke Liang Lan Yu went to Suzhou to take charge instead of coming to Jiaxing.
The news they found was that Japanese pirates and rebels were preparing to attack Suzhou.
Therefore, Xu Dongjiang made no preparations except notifying the garrison troops stationed in Jiaxing to prepare for the attack.
At this time, he became anxious when he heard that the Japanese pirates had arrived at the city.
"Quick, quick, quick, close the surrounding city gates immediately, notify several thousand households, and lead the troops to the city wall immediately!"
He panicked, left the government office, and with the support of subordinate officials, climbed the city wall.
Looking around, he saw countless people and horses approaching not far ahead.
Japanese pirates and rebels are also infantry.
But they have prepared a lot of siege equipment in the past few days.
At the very front are dozens of ladders, being pushed forward slowly.
Xu Dongjiang's face turned pale.
He was a civil servant and had never experienced a battle. Just seeing thousands of people and horses rushing towards Jiaxing City in the midst of a massacre made him so scared that his legs and feet became weak and he lost his mind.
"Can Jiaxing City be defended?"
Xu Dongjiang asked a Qianhu next to him.
That Qianhu's performance was much calmer than him.
"Don't worry, Mr. Xu. Although the Japanese pirates and rebels are numerous and arrogant, there will still be no problem if Jiaxing City has high walls and thick walls, and can be defended for three to five days."
"What about three to five days later?" Xu Dongjiang asked.
"Well..."
Qianhu was stunned for a moment and said in a deep voice: "The imperial court will not let it go. My subordinates have received news that His Highness Taisun is leading his own troops to conquer Jiaxing City. He will definitely arrive within three to five days."
"Soldiers and horses from all walks of life will also come one after another. The Japanese pirates will show off their power and will not last long."
As a Qianhu, military reports from the imperial court would also be sent to him.
It is not a secret that His Highness Taisun led the troops to fight in person. The imperial court had already sent a post to deliver the news.
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a fast horse coming down from the city.
The man on horseback is dressed in rich clothes and looks majestic.
He took out a token from his hand, shook it in his hand, and said: "I am Jiang Yu, the commander of the Jinyi Guards. I have led the troops to Jiaxing with His Highness Taisun. I quickly opened the city gate to welcome His Highness Taisun into the city."
Although Zhu Yunxuan ordered to camp outside the city, Jiang Yu was ordered by His Majesty to come to protect His Highness Taisun.
Everyone else does not have to go into the city, but His Highness Taisun must go into the city.
The war is fierce and chaotic. If His Highness Taisun makes a mistake, even if he has a hundred heads, Jiang Gu will not be enough to chop off His Majesty the Emperor.
Therefore, when he saw the Japanese pirates appearing, Jiang Wei immediately came to call for the city gate to be opened.
His Highness Taisun has arrived?
Xu Dongjiang was shocked.
Qianhu said hurriedly: "An army has just arrived, with about six hundred people, most of whom are dressed strangely. However, they did not come to the city and ask to enter the city, but camped outside the city. The official is preparing Send someone to investigate the situation, and a large group of Japanese pirates and rebels will arrive."
"Unexpectedly, His Highness Taisun led his troops to come in person. Open the city gate quickly to welcome His Highness Taisun into the city."
He could clearly see the token in Jiang Yu's hand, and there was no doubt that it was Jin Yiwei.
Xu Dongjiang stood there blankly and said nothing.
He had a secret letter from Huang Zicheng in his hand, talking about Taisun's affairs. The purpose of the letter was to give His Highness Taisun a severe defeat in Jiaxing.
He even received news that when His Majesty the Grand Sun led the troops to go on an expedition, Cao Guogong Li Jinglong blocked the road and asked for a drill with the new army. However, the Grand Sun refused and beheaded him in public.
This incident has caused an uproar in the DPRK.
If Zhu Yunxuan went on an expedition this time and failed to make military exploits and quell the Japanese pirate rebellion, but instead suffered a defeat, then even if he was the crown prince, he might not be able to return to the DPRK for business.
On the other hand, the Japanese pirates and rebels are right in front of us. If we open the city gate now and let His Highness Taisun in, if the Japanese pirates follow and the city gate is too late to close, then everything will be over.
But if you don't open the city gate, if something unexpected happens to His Highness Taisun...
Huang Zicheng only said that he would be defeated, but he did not say that he would be killed!
wrong!
It’s not me who wants to kill him, it’s the Japanese pirates!
It's not my business?
There are many people in the court who want him to fall.
They just didn't dare to assassinate him themselves, but if Zhu Yunxuan was killed by Japanese pirates, it would play into the hands of many people.
Although His Majesty is bound to be furious, if he really wants to be held accountable, I may not be held accountable.
I'm just doing my duty to defend the city.
Xu Dongjiang's mind turned around and he gradually made up his mind.
"That's nonsense!"
He shouted angrily: "I have just received an urgent report from the imperial court. His Highness Taisun set out from Jinling City in four days. Even if he is ordered to travel a hundred miles a day, it will take another two days to reach Jiaxing City."
"What's more, His Highness Taisun is leading an infantry army, which can only travel thirty to fifty miles in one day. How can we reach Jiaxing so quickly?"
"Who are you? How dare you pretend to be the commander of the Imperial Guard? Do you want to trick me into opening the city gate? Do you think I will be fooled by you?"
Qianhu next to him was shocked and said hurriedly: "Master Xu, what he is holding is indeed the token of Jin Yiwei!"
Xu Dongjiang glanced at him and said: "It's impossible to investigate in detail at such a distance. How do you know it's not a forgery?"
"The Japanese pirates are not far away. If you open the city gate now, what should you do if it's too late to close it?"
"Most of these 600 men and horses are dressed in weird and unprecedented clothes. How could you know that they are not Japanese pirates and rebels in disguise?"
"If there is deceit and deceit, and Jiaxing City falls into the hands of the enemy and the lives are massacred, then even if we are shattered into pieces, we will not be able to wash away the sins on our bodies."
"As the prefect of Jiaxing, I am an official appointed by the imperial court and have the responsibility to protect the land. At this time, the city gate must not be opened."
Qianhu was speechless after hearing what he said so confidently.
"this……"
Below, Jiang Wei vaguely heard Xu Dongjiang's words, and saw that the city gate had not been opened, and that the Japanese pirates and the rebel army at the rear were getting closer and closer, and he couldn't help but become anxious.
It wasn't that he was worried about his life or death.
With his skill and riding a horse, most of the Japanese pirates and rebels were infantry with few horses, so they could not catch up with him.
But His Highness Taisun is here, how can Jiang Yu dare to escape?
"You are so bold that you dare to use clever excuses to refuse to open the city gate. I know that if His Highness Taisun makes a mistake, you will be guilty of annihilating the nine clans."
Qianhu was frightened when he heard this, and hurriedly begged Xu Dongjiang again, saying: "Master Xu, I will tell you the truth. When I went to the capital on official business, I was fortunate enough to witness the Jin Yiwei Zhi Hui and Jiang Gu from a distance. I remember it very clearly. , that’s right, it’s the people under the city.”
"And I can guarantee that the token in his hand is definitely not a forgery."
"The Japanese pirates are coming. If something unexpected happens to His Highness the Grand Sun, even if Mr. Xu can defend Jiaxing City, he will not be able to escape the crime of confiscating his family and exterminating his clan!"
"It's better to open the city gate quickly."
Qianhu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated as he looked at the Japanese pirates approaching step by step.
Not to mention His Highness Taisun, even the commander of the Jinyi Guards, Jiang Gu, would not be able to save his Qianhu head if he was killed by Japanese pirates under Jiaxing City.
What kind of existence is Jin Yiwei?
If the commander dies because of this, His Majesty does not need to condemn him. However, the new commander who takes over will definitely try to kill him in order to maintain the majesty of the Jin Yiwei.
And with the power of Jinyiwei, as long as the other party wants to, they can really do it.
Although many officials in the imperial court couldn't stand the Jin Yiwei, they wished they could kill the Silver Yiwei.
But on the other hand, they were afraid of Jin Yiwei and tried every means to get closer to Jin Yiwei.
But if the commander of the Jinyiwei asks them to help with something, and therefore can make friends with the commander of the Jinyiwei, then there will definitely be countless officials who would like to do so.
With all these officials working together, how could a small household of a thousand people withstand it?
As for His Highness Taisun...
Qianhu felt a chill in his heart.
I would rather lose Jiaxing City than let His Highness Taisun lose a hair on his body!
Losing Jiaxing City could be a capital offense.
But maybe I can still defend myself. The bandits are powerful, and I have tried my best. I am not derelict in my duty, so that the court can give me a lighter sentence.
If His Highness the Grand Sun dies because the city gate is not opened.
Then there is no need to say anything. With the nature of His Majesty the current Emperor, not only his whole family, but also all the nine tribes should wash their necks and wait for death.
"No!" Xu Dongjiang flatly refused.
"I am the magistrate of Jiaxing Prefecture and know the affairs of the prefecture. When the military situation is urgent, I have the responsibility to defend the city and will not tolerate your mischief. If you dare to speak out and shake the morale of the army, I can now You cut it off."
The Qianhu was stunned for a moment.
In the Ming Dynasty system, Qianhu was a military attaché of the fifth rank.
However, the rank of the military attache of the Ming Dynasty was falsely high, and the rank and authority were not equal.
Compared with the fourth-grade prefect who is in charge of a government, Qianhu is only one-grade in status, but the status is actually very different.
Of course, in theory, Qianhu belongs to the military attache system and is not a subordinate of the prefect.
His immediate superior was the Zhejiang Dusi, not the Jiaxing prefect.
But the civil and military affairs of the Ming Dynasty were not completely separated.
As Xu Dongjiang said, it is wartime now, and the prefect, as the highest local official, has the responsibility to defend the city.
Although Qianhu is a military attaché, he must obey his orders.
The prefect temporarily acts as an agent for military affairs and also has the power to act on an emergency basis and make temporary arrangements.
You can really kill a thousand households like him.
"Master Xu, don't make a big mistake with just one thought!"
He tried his best to persuade.
Xu Dongjiang turned his head and stared at him.
This man knew Jiang Yu, and with such an attitude, it seemed that he was not allowed to stay.
Otherwise, it will be a disaster.
"Somebody come!"
Xu Dongjiang shouted an order: "Pull him down and behead him in public. Send an order to the whole city. Anyone who confuses the public with evil words or is good at opening city gates will be beheaded regardless of the reason."
After hearing the order, several soldiers rushed over, grabbed the Qianhu, and pulled him down.
Then the executioner came forward, raised his knife and chopped off his head.
Jiang Wei was under the city wall and knew that the Jiaxing city gate would not be opened when he heard the last shout of the Qianhu man.
His heart sank a little bit.
He never expected that he would not be able to enter the city after arriving at the gate of Jiaxing City.
"Jiaxing Magistrate Xu Dongjiang, you refused to open the city gate and put His Highness Taisun in a desperate situation, just waiting to kill the nine tribes."
Jiang Yu could only turn around after saying harsh words.
Unable to enter the city now, the only way is to escape on horseback with His Highness the Grand Sun.
The new army can be killed, and all the Jin Yiwei can be killed in battle, but His Highness Taisun must not make any mistakes.
When he rushed back to the camp, he saw that the new army was lined up and ready for battle.
This army is truly extraordinary.
The number of Japanese pirates and rebels on the opposite side was more than ten times theirs!
At such a critical moment, when the rear city was unable to enter and escape, there was no sign of any instability in the military morale.
Everything is in order.
There is no better elite in the world than this.
The performance of the Jin Yiwei next to them was much worse than them.
Although no one escaped, one could see the nervousness and fear in their hearts just by looking at their expressions.
Jiang Wei stepped forward and said: "Your Highness Taisun, Xu Dongjiang, the prefect of Jiaxing, disobeyed the king's order and refused to open the city gate. The Japanese pirates are powerful. It is better for you to take your Highness Taisun from your humble position and escape as soon as possible."
After he finished speaking, he shouted loudly to the soldiers around him: "You must fight to the death to delay the Japanese pirates and buy time for His Highness Taisun to leave. The court will not forget you."
There was silence.
Zhu Yunxuan was furious.
"Jiang Wei, when did I say that I wanted to escape? In the face of a powerful enemy, if you dare to confuse the army with your monstrous words, I will kill you in front of the battle if you are isolated."
Jiang Wei was stunned.
Aren't you still running away?
Tens of thousands of Japanese pirates and rebels are about to be killed!
Before he set off, His Majesty also specifically stated that he could suffer defeat and lose the city and territory, but he must not allow the Emperor Taisun to make any mistakes.
At this time, we can no longer take risks.
Zhu Yunzhen ignored him.
The weak body climbed onto the carriage and stood on the front room.
"The New Army was founded with great pains, and the imperial court had no idea how many voices of opposition there were, but they were all rejected alone."
"You are both Gu's soldiers and Gu's students. I will fight with you today and live and die together."
"Today is the first battle after the formation of the new army. You must show the majesty of the new army and impress everyone."
"From now on, anyone who dares to retreat will be put to death immediately."
"The gates of Jiaxing City are closed, and you have no way to retreat. You can only fight to the death."
"I am here, fighting to the death with you, and will never take a step back."
call!
A strong wind blew.
The three armies were silent.
next moment.
"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!"
The soldiers of the three armies roared with thunderous shouts, and their fighting spirit surged straight into Yunxiao.
"Listen to my orders and prepare to meet the enemy!"
(End of chapter)
