Before hanging himself, Chongzhen lifted the table

Chapter 158
Soon, cheers erupted in the prisoner camp.

Every team began to gather, and it was almost visible to the naked eye. The prisoners went from sitting there downcast to becoming energetic again, as if they were a new army.

Zhou Yuji and others were stunned by such a big change.It felt like the emperor had magical powers and turned all of them into human beings!
The problem of this prisoner was solved, and a lot of combat power was increased out of thin air.But along with it, there was another trouble.

That is the problem of food and grass!
There was some captured food and grass, but the [-] Dashun Army had about five or six days of food and grass left.Now there are almost twice as many mouths to eat, and the captured grain can be eaten in three days.Not to mention, this is a war, and your stomach must be full.

Moreover, in the hot summer, food is not suitable for preservation. The only way to transport flour and grain is to cook it freshly.

The distance is four to five hundred miles. If we march normally, it will only be about fifty miles in one day; it will take about ten days to travel.The current food and grass are absolutely not enough.

Therefore, while Emperor Chongzhen sent Ye Bushou to the entire eastern region to detect the enemy's situation, he also sent troops to the capital to escort grain and grass for the army.

........................

Everyone in the capital, from the Queen of Zhou to the most ordinary traders and lackeys, are worried about the battle in Changping.

You know, there are 12 enemies, including an elite army of captives.

If it hadn't been for the fact that the emperor had led the army to defeat the Jianlu army twice before, then everyone in the capital would never have had the slightest confidence that the emperor could win.

Now that they are outnumbered, they only have a little confidence in the emperor.

Once the emperor is defeated, the situation may become very bad again!Not only may the emperor not come back alive, but also because the elite troops in the capital have been evacuated by the emperor!Without reinforcements, it would be a matter of time before the capital fell.

Several temples in the capital city, such as Daci'en Temple, Renshou Temple, Wanming Temple, Tianqing Temple, etc., are all crowded with Buddhist believers who come here to offer incense.The wish of most people is to ask the Buddha to bless and help the emperor survive this disaster.

Even Queen Zhou took the main concubines and all the princes and princesses in the palace to the Ancestral Temple to worship and pray for the blessings of their ancestors, especially if Emperor Taizu showed up again.The emperor is fighting to protect your mausoleum, so nothing will happen to you!
The entire capital can almost be described as lifeless.Even though he usually likes to talk, he is always too busy talking.

In troubled times, everyone knows one thing: when the nest is overturned, the eggs will never be intact!
Once the emperor is defeated and the capital city falls, everyone will suffer!

The capital city gate closest to the Changping area is Deshengmen in the northwest. The person sitting here is naturally the most experienced official, that is, Fan Jingwen, the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty.The guards on this section of the city wall were not ordinary civilians, but servants drawn from each government, and were led by Wu Xiang, the former commander-in-chief.

At this time, he was accompanying Lord Chief Assistant, looking in the direction of Changping in the arrow tower. Both of them were worried.From time to time, both of them would look at the sky or ask their subordinates what time it was!

No, Fan Jingwen, who was sitting on a chair and reading a book, looked at the book and asked the servant next to him: "What time is it now?"

"Master, you just asked, and it's only been less than a quarter of an hour!"

When Fan Jingwen heard this, he simply closed the book and stopped reading. He stood up and walked to the window to look north.

However, it was too far away to see anything at all.

Feeling Wu Xiang approaching, Fan Jingwen looked outside and asked: "Counting the time, should the fight begin now?"

"The general thinks so!" Wu Xiang immediately agreed after hearing this.

He could see the side face of Master Shouzhu, and saw that one side of his brow was wrinkled, and he probably was also wrinkled on the other side.

Fan Jingwen asked again: "What do you think of this battle?"

In fact, this question was already asked when the two parties first met.However, Wu Xiang did not dare to say that I had already answered, but replied again: "The general is worried that the bandits and Jianlu will cooperate sincerely for this battle and fight His Majesty's army together, it will be too difficult!"

He spoke a lot more tactfully, otherwise based on what he was thinking, he would definitely lose!

Fan Jingwen obviously knew this, but as the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, he had to show confidence. No, he pointed to the outside of the city and said: "The war should be relatively smooth, otherwise the bandits or the rebels may The captives will divide their forces to cut off Your Majesty's retreat, and we can finally see some movement on our side. But look, there are not even a stray bandit or a spy horse from the built captives!"

After hearing this, Wu Xiang replied in his heart: "It may be that the emperor had no chance to escape and was surrounded by bandits and Jianlu!"

However, this guess was absolutely impossible to say out loud, so I could only echo: "His Majesty the First Assistant!"

Fan Jingwen's voice suddenly became louder and said: "In my opinion, if there is no news at this time, it means that the war is going well. In this battle, the imperial court will win, and your majesty will win!"

When the surrounding servants heard this, they all showed a hint of surprise.

The Lord Chief Assistant knows how to fight. If he asserts this, he must be right, right?
However, Wu Xiang found that the chief assistant seemed to be forcing a smile, otherwise he would not talk so much!
Is it a morale booster?
He doesn't think this is a good thing!

Once the emperor is defeated and the army of Jianlu and bandits approaches the city, the soldiers defending the city will be even more panicked because of disappointment!

Alas, in the final analysis, the emperor was too reckless.Knowing that the army of Jianlu and bandits was far more powerful than the army led by the emperor, they still went to war!

Yes, the emperor is indeed very powerful, but this is a war, with more than [-] horses and horses fighting, and personal bravery is really insignificant!
Could it be that the emperor thought that the bandits or Jianlu would challenge him in a one-on-one fight and recreate the battle of Xuanfu?
This is impossible!

Wu Xiang was thinking about it. Suddenly, he heard Fan Jingwen say with a little excitement: "Quick, look, there are some fast horses coming. Are they the imperial officers and soldiers or their scout horses?"

Wu Xiang heard the sound and immediately looked up.He is also the same age as Fan Jingwen, a bit older and can't see clearly.

However, the servants on the side saw it clearly, and they all shouted with joy.

"It's Jin Yiwei, it's Jin Yiwei's fast horse!"

"Are you here to report victory? You must have won, right?"

"That's right, he should have won, so Jin Yiwei will come back quickly to report the news!"

"..."

While everyone was pleasantly surprised, some were pessimistic.

"You're here to ask for help, right?"

"It's impossible to defeat 10,000+ enemy troops so quickly, right?"

"..."

Wu Xiang couldn't see clearly from a distance, but he could see clearly. He saw the two hands of the chief minister tightly grasping the window frame, and the veins on the back of his hands were faintly visible.However, the chief assistant's eyes were fixed on the outside of the city, and it seemed that he did not notice the exertion of his hands at all.

He knew that Mr. Shofu was very nervous!
Thinking about it, Jin Yiwei's quick return may actually be good news, or it may be bad news. Whether it is good or bad, the impact is really too great!

It can even be said that this battle is actually about the fate of the country.

Regardless of victory, if we lose, the Ming Dynasty will probably be gone!

So, Wu Xiang also looked at the Jin Yiwei's fast horse outside the city, and felt that time was passing very slowly. Why was it that he was still so far away after running for a long time?
Finally, after who knows how much time had passed, the sharp-eyed man on the top of the city shouted.

"I saw it, I saw it, I am happy, they are happy!"

"Yes, I saw it too, Jin Yiwei is happy!"

"We won, we won, we definitely won!"

"..."

When Fan Jingwen heard their shouting, he quickly turned around and asked the person next to him: "Did you really see it clearly?"

"Master, you can see clearly. Those who are happy are happy!"

At this time, the Jinyiwei horses were getting closer. When they saw the guards of the capital who were leaning on the battlements to watch them, they stopped galloping and straightened up. They waved to the top of the city and shouted: "A great victory, a great victory for our army..."

In the arrow tower, Fan Jingwen stretched out his hand and pointed at the Jin Yiwei's fast horse, which was getting closer and closer. His fingers were trembling a little, and he said to Wu Xiang: "Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Great victory, great victory..."

Wu Xiang was also very happy. It turned out to be a great victory. It was really great!
But at the same time, he was also a little puzzled. How did the emperor manage to defeat the coalition of Jianlu and rogue thieves with less? Wouldn't such strength be able to sweep the world?

Just when he thought of this, he suddenly thought of something else. He might have defeated the enemy, but maybe the imperial officers and soldiers also suffered heavy losses, right?It is too early to say that it will sweep the world!
At this time, the Jin Yiwei's fast horse had arrived at the city. He raised his head and shouted loudly: "More than 5 bandits were captured. Our army had almost no casualties. A great victory!"

Another Jin Yiwei quickly followed and shouted: "The Jianlu soldiers heard the wind and fled, the bandit army heard the wind and surrendered. Our army won the battle of Changping!"

"Open the door, open the door!"

"..."

Hearing their shouts, the cheering people on the city suddenly fell silent.

All of them looked in disbelief, and many even showed doubtful expressions.

The Jianlu soldiers heard the wind and fled, and the bandits surrendered after hearing the wind?

That's not how this deception works, right?
If that were the case, why did the Jianlu and the bandit army go to such great lengths to cut off the capital's food and fodder, and dig up the imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
For a moment, the defenders on the city either suspected that the Jin Yiwei Kuaima below were lying about the military situation, or they simply doubted whether they were really Jin Yiwei captains, let alone the thieves pretending to be them, right?

If you say that the emperor led the army to a tragic victory over the rebels and Jianlu, then they can still believe it. If the Jianlu fled upon hearing the wind, and the thieves surrendered after hearing the wind, even a fool would not believe it!

Fortunately, Fan Jingwen recognized one of the Jinyi guards, Kuai Ma, who often accompanied the emperor.

He felt that the tower was too high, so he hurriedly got off the tower and came to the battlements on the outside. With a little anxiety, he asked loudly: "How could such a great victory happen?"

The fast horse of the Jin Yiwei also recognized the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, and replied excitedly: "I don't know, I don't know. Anyway, when we rushed to the battlefield, Jianlu had already run away. Then His Majesty took the lead and charged at Li's army. The cavalry of the bandit army fled first, and all the infantry surrendered!"

These words were consistent with Jianlu fleeing upon hearing the news and the bandits surrendering upon hearing the news, but they also made Fan Jingwen understand that there might be some hidden secret in this!
But it no longer matters whether the secret is hidden or not.The important thing is that the emperor has achieved a great victory!

that's enough!
So Fan Jingwen quickly ordered the city gates to be opened, and at the same time he ordered Wu Xiang: "Send a group of people with loud voices to follow behind the fast horses of the Jin Yiwei to shout to the whole city and spread the word!"

The atmosphere in the capital was really heavy. When the good news of the victory arrived, the whole city naturally rejoiced.

"The general obeys the order!" Wu Xiang heard this, immediately agreed, and hurriedly went to make arrangements!

As a result, in the streets and alleys of the capital, there were soon shouts one after another.

"Victory at Changping!"

"Jianlu fled after hearing the news!"

"The thieves heard the news and descended!"

"..."

Even before the Jin Yiwei quickly arrived at the palace, the movement had already alarmed the Forbidden City.

When Prince Zhu Cixiang, who was sitting and praying in the Ancestral Temple with his mother, heard the commotion, he jumped up first and said to Queen Zhou in surprise: "Empress, did you hear this? A great victory, a great victory!"

In fact, at this time, it was no longer clear what was being shouted outside.

However, the excitement and joy in the noise can be heard with ears.Not to mention, faintly, a few words can be heard, all related to the great victory.

Moreover, at this time, if the entire capital can be so excited, it goes without saying that there is only one possibility, and that is for the emperor to lead the army to a great victory!
After hearing this, Queen Zhou showed a happy smile on her face, breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a smile: "That's good, that's good!"

Suddenly, she remembered something again and quickly knelt down to the statue of Emperor Taizu.

Others also quickly knelt down and worshiped. With the blessing of their ancestors, Ming Dynasty has survived this disaster!

Finally, the news of the victory reached the Forbidden City, and officials, both civil and military, rushed there to share the joy of victory.Many people suggested that people should be dispatched immediately to treat the wounded and so on.

However, some people immediately reminded: "This time, there are no casualties. With Lanling Camp here, there will be nothing wrong with the capital!"

"Oh, that's right, there were no casualties this time! It's true, I was just confused, I always thought this was a fierce battle!"

"..."

Amid the celebrations, some people also had doubts, why did Jianlu suddenly run away?
Wu Xiang must have known about Wu Sangui's expedition.He almost guessed why Jianlu suddenly ran away.Immediately, he became a little worried.He was afraid that his son would not be able to escape in time and would be trapped in Liaodong by the Jianlu, which would be dangerous.

In the afternoon, another Jin Yiwei rushed back to the capital and asked the capital to prepare grain and grass immediately. Later, Liu Jiuqing's troops came to escort the grain and grass.

In this way, the capital also knew that the emperor was going to lead the army to fight the remaining Jianlu, and now they became even more excited.

"It's been so many years. In the past, every time the captives entered the pass, they burned, killed, and looted. Every time they came back with a lot of loot, but we couldn't do anything."

"No, Jianlu even wrote a sign saying that all armies will be exempted from the gift. You think it's irritating or not!"

"Don't you know, the slave chief who wrote that the armies were exempted from being sent away has been captured alive by His Majesty and sacrificed with blood to the loyal martyrs of the Zhonglie Hall! These times have changed!"

"No, now that Your Majesty is going to lead the army to send them off, he will probably be scared to death. I beg Your Majesty not to send them off, haha!"

"That's how it should be. If you dare to enter the prison once, your legs will be broken, so that Jianlu will not dare to enter the prison again!"

"Breaking the legs? That's giving them an advantage. It's better to make them never come back!"

"It's not good to come back without coming back. At some point, Your Majesty will lead the army to wipe out all the captives and recover all Liaodong!"

"..."

That is to say, the capital has grain control, let alone using grain to make wine. Otherwise, even if it gets dark, the capital will probably be very lively!

However, compared to the capital, Li Zicheng's army far away in Jinghai was different.

After nightfall, everything inside and outside the city became quiet.

This hot weather not only made Jianlu uncomfortable, but also made Li Zicheng's army uncomfortable, especially those soldiers who were camped in the fields.

However, no matter how uncomfortable it is, it cannot be tolerated by upper-class figures like Li Zicheng.

In the lobby of Jinghai County Government Office, Li Zicheng, Niu Jinxing and others were drinking.

Niu Jinxing raised his glass to Li Zicheng and said, "I would like to congratulate Your Highness first. According to the military advisor's predictions, the Emperor of the Ming Kingdom is likely to personally lead the army into battle. He may be able to capture the Emperor of the Ming Kingdom in one battle. The change of dynasty is about to begin!" "

When Li Zicheng heard this, he immediately laughed, raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.He must drink this toast.

Regardless of the maid pouring him wine, Li Zicheng looked at Song Xiance and said: "You said that there is a [-]% chance that the emperor will personally lead the army to fight, but he doesn't know that the general will inevitably die on the battlefield. Look at me, there have been too many battles. This I also paid the price of one eye. The emperor of Ming Dynasty has great self-restraint and will always be taught a lesson. I will just watch and see if he can succeed this time!"

After Song Xiance heard this, he immediately replied: "I think that after the Ming Dynasty Taizu became the King of Wu, he rarely led troops to conquer personally. Your Highness will have to lead fewer troops to conquer personally in the future!"

When Li Zicheng heard this, he thought that he should be equivalent to the Ming Dynasty Taizu after he became the King of Wu. He smiled and nodded and said: "I know!"

If nothing unexpected happens, in a few years at most, he will be able to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor!

However, if nothing unexpected happens, something will usually happen.

A few of them were enjoying themselves, when suddenly there were rapid footsteps outside, and it was Tan Ma who came to report: "Your Highness, there seems to be movement over there at Jianlu, but I can't see clearly under the cover of night. Can you come closer to inquire about the news?"

Li Zicheng also knew about the discord between Tan Ma and the Qing Dynasty. For this reason, it was strictly forbidden to conflict with Tan Ma in the Qing Dynasty.

Hearing the news at this time, he was a little surprised and looked at his two advisers.

After hearing this, Niu Jinxing said with a smile: "They are probably celebrating too, don't worry about it, we will find out the situation tomorrow morning!"

(End of this chapter)