It was only later that Zhu Cihong learned that the Dashun army that arrived outside Beijing on the 16th was not the one led by Li Zicheng, but the more than 10,000 cavalry under Liu Zongmin's command who made a detour from the direction of Zhending.

Liu Zongmin and Liu Fangliang's two armies were both used by Li Zicheng as partial divisions, and they successively crossed Taixing. Among them, Liu Fangliang was in Pingyang and Li Zi to form troops, while Liu Zongmin was in Taiyuan and Li Zi to form troops. Among the two divisions, Liu Zongmin's troops moved relatively quickly and arrived in the west of Beijing on the afternoon of 16 July.

The Diaoyutai and Yuyuantan area, which are about five miles away from Fucheng Gate, have long been selected by Li Zicheng's founding army division Song Xiance as the garrison palace for Li Zicheng's command of Beijing's siege operations. Therefore, after Liu Zongmin arrived in the west of Beijing, he first sent people to occupy Diaoyutai, and then set fire to some houses near Diaoyutai, on the one hand, to deter the defenders in Beijing; On the one hand, it was to send a signal to Li Zicheng's main force from the north to the south.

After occupying Diaoyutai, Liu Zongmin led his troops north to the Shahe River to meet Li Zicheng, bypassing the walls of Beijing. Somehow, there was still a Ming army stationed on this side of Shahe, with a total of only 3,000 people, and the commander of the army was another Jingying commander, Li Guozhen, the commander of Xiangcheng (after he left the city, Zhu Chunchen acted as his agent).

Where did these Beijing soldiers dare to fight Liu Zongmin's cavalry? simply came to the wind and collapsed. However, Li Guozhen, who commanded them, was a clumsy loyal servant, who neither surrendered nor ran to Tongzhou or Tianjin, but ran to Beijing with a small number of family members.

Ran to the Desheng Gate only to find that the city gate was blocked, had to go around the city, in the early morning of March 17, Chongzhen 17 years, only to enter the Chaoyang Gate on the east side of the inner city of Beijing in a panic.

In the urn city of Chaoyangmen, Li Guozhen, who was already desperate for the Ming Dynasty and couldn't understand why he wanted to enter the city, saw an unbelievable scene.

There is actually a real army in Chaoyangmen Urn City!

And it's cavalry!

There are not many people, but there are also more than 300 sturdy men - some are old men, but at first glance they have been in the killing battle! Put on a battle jacket and iron armor, and the murderous aura can't be hidden.

In addition to these soldiers in helmets and armor, a large number of carriages and horses were gathered in Weng City, all kinds of carriages were full of luggage, and the coachmen were guarding their respective carriages, and there were many pure troops patrolling around, guarding the carriages and luggage.

Seeing this, even Li Guozhen, who is not very active, understands that the brainless emperor has finally opened his mind and is ready to abandon the city and escape......

"But Uncle Xiangcheng?"

It was when Li Guozhen pondered that he would hurry home to clean up, and then escort him out, when a military general in his twenties, who looked quite powerful and spoke a Liao accent, suddenly strode up to him and bowed.

"Ah, Benjue is Uncle Xiangcheng, you are ......" Li Guozhen didn't remember that there were such heroes in his Beijing camp.

Although Li Guozhen himself doesn't know how to fight, he still has a vision, and he can see the murderous aura on this guy at a glance.

"Wu Sanfu, deputy general of the Xiaguan Victory Battalion! According to the order of the Governor of the Fujun Army, the Crown Prince of Zhili Military Affairs, he wants to requisition the family of Zongrong, please leave the family of Zongrong, and then go to Fuchengmen Weng City to see the crown prince! ”

It turned out that it was Wu Sanfu who stopped Li Guozhen, and after announcing the requisition of Li Guozhen's family, he handed over a prince's decree.

"What? The Governor of the Fujun Army, the Crown Prince of Military Affairs, ...... "Li Guozhen, who looks dignified and has particularly big eyes, listened to Wu Sanfu's words, and his eyes were almost as big as copper bells.

The prince is only sixteen years old, and he has always been honest, I haven't heard how fierce and cunning it is, how can he be the governor of the army and directly subordinate to military affairs?

Could it be...... The saint has already run away first, leaving the Jingshi to the crown prince?

Thinking of this, Li Guozhen couldn't help but complain about Chongzhen in his heart...... If you want to run, you'll have to take Count Ben with you! The ancestor of this earl is a double hero of the founding of the country! Be faithful!

Wu Sanfu saw that he was stunned, and hurriedly reminded: "Zong Rong, go to Fuchengmen to see it...... Military affairs are urgent, so don't delay. ”

"Oh......" Li Guozhen reacted at this time, just wanted to greet his family, and remembered that Wu Sanfu said that he would requisition his family...... That's not appropriate, is it?

"General Wu," Li Guozhen said with a frown, "Benjue's family members have followed him for many years...... If the prince wants to use it, I'm afraid it won't be easy, right? ”

"It's okay!" Wu Sanfu waved his hand, "Xiangcheng Bo go to Fuchengmen, your old family will be appeased." ”

As he spoke, he took another order from the entourage beside him, and shouted loudly to the entourage behind Li Guozhen: "The order of the Governor of the Fujun Army, the crown prince of the military affairs, who is brave and brave in Beijing, is willing to serve in the army, and who is skilled in martial arts, good at riding and archery, or skilled in manipulating firearms, will be awarded the title of meritorious hero of overcoming difficulties, and will be assigned to the camp of the East Palace pro-army to overcome difficulties, and will be given 50 acres of Jiangnan Grange, 20 taels of silver and 10 taels first, and then 10 taels after arriving in Tianjin, and those who have official bodies will be immediately added to the official position by two levels......

Add officials to the knight and give the field a reward of silver...... The benefits that should be given are all at once! The boxes of silver were lifted out one by one, and when the lid was opened, the silver light was dazzling!

Seeing the silver, Li Guozhen was even more dumbfounded. Where did the money come from? If you are brave, you will give ten taels first...... The more than 200 people I brought with me immediately went out more than 2,000 taels! Where did the prince get the money?

"Uncle Xiangcheng!" Wu Sanfu roared again, "Quickly give orders to your people!" Are you going to disobey the Prince's decree? The saint can give Shang Fang the sword, the prince below, first cut and then play! ”

The following ...... of the prince Li Guozhen gasped, and was even more convinced that there is only the crown prince in Beijing now, and there is no saint!

Since the crown prince was the biggest, he didn't dare to resist the decree, so he hurriedly handed over his family to Wu Sanfu, and then only took a few followers and flew to Fuchengmen. When passing by Huangqiang North Street and Fuchengmen Street, Li Guozhen saw a large number of brave Beijing teachers queuing up to be recruited as soldiers.

What's going on?

Someone actually enlisted as a soldier!

Could it be that the people of Beijing suddenly remembered the grace of the Ming Dynasty for more than 200 years?

With a stomach full of questions, Li Guozhen and Earl Li quickly rushed to Fuchengmen, but he didn't see Zhu Cihong immediately, but saw Zhu Chunchen, who was wearing a helmet and armor, and he was panting when he walked - Zhu Chunchen was now wearing a pair of iron armor left by his ancestor Zhu Neng, but it was heavy! The weight of dozens of catties is so heavy that he can't even walk!

But if you can't walk, you have to walk! Because Zhu Cihong gave an order, let him take his family members, put on armor, take weapons, and patrol back and forth on the west wall of Beijing's inner city!

While inspecting, he also loudly announced the good news that the crown prince Zhu Cihong was in battle to raise the army and issue heavy rewards!

If you dare not execute, take Shang Fang's sword and cut him!

After a few hours, my legs and stomach cramped. Now seeing Li Guozhen coming, Zhu Chunchen cried.

"Uncle Xiangcheng, it's good that you're here! Also wearing armor...... Great, let's patrol the city for the little brother! The little brother is almost exhausted...... You are also the general Rong, you can patrol the city for the younger brother. ”

As he spoke, Zhu Chunchen sat on the ground with his buttocks, panting heavily.

"This, this, this...... What's going on? Li Guozhen looked at Zhu Chunchen in surprise, "Cheng Guogong is going to go to the city to kill the thief?" ”

"What kind of thief did you kill?" Zhu Chunchen wiped his tears, "It's all because the little brother has a hard life, and he was sent by the saint to assist the prince...... The crown prince is on the top of the city tower, what else can the younger brother do? Can you only sacrifice your life to accompany you? He was also sent on an errand to patrol the city and give rewards. I've been busy since last night, and I'm almost exhausted......"

Of course he was tired! Zhu Cihong is still waiting for him to donate two or three hundred thousand taels generously! But this duke is an iron rooster who doesn't pull out a hair, and it's no wonder if he doesn't tire him to death!

"Wait, you said reward...... How much will you get? Li Guozhen hurriedly asked, "When I entered the city just now, I saw that the north wall of the imperial city and the street of Fuchengmen were all lined up to apply, right...... The family I brought back was also detained by a Chaoyang Gate general with the prince's decree, what happened? ”

"Well, what else could be the matter?" Zhu Chunchen cried and said with a sad face, "There is a rabble under the heavy reward!" Those who can fight will be given a reward of 20 taels of silver, and what meritorious number will be given, Jiangnan Grange, and they will be incorporated into the Kenan camp as the prince's army. In addition, if you can fight or not, from today onwards, you will be given one or two pieces of silver a day when you go into battle, and the beheading will be counted separately...... With such a heavy reward, of course you can recruit some people who don't want to die! ”