At this moment, the city wall suddenly raised countless torches to illuminate the night sky, and the city head also sounded one after another shouts and piercing gongs, accompanied by the sound of the rain of arrows, the Ming army that was rushing forward suddenly fell to the ground, the momentum of rushing forward was slowed down, and someone immediately got on his horse and ran when he saw that the attack was blocked. Seeing these Lu Zhijia's hearts sank, he shouted loudly while swinging his sword and arrows: "Everyone stand back for the time being, don't panic and don't run." The soldiers had no fighting spirit, and they barely obeyed orders when they said that the sneak attack was coming, and they were all frightened when they saw that the enemy was prepared, and they scrambled to turn around and run away to let the officers shout and curse. Lu Zhijia and Li Chengxian had no choice but to get on the horse and turn the horse's head to prepare to retreat to the river to go back, just ran not far before they heard the sound of hooves behind them, turned their heads to see how many cavalry chased over, in the dark night there were no people to see only countless knives flashing with cold light, and then there was a team with torches like a fire dragon winding around. Lu Zhijia's heart froze, and he raised the whip to speed up the horse, and the sound of knives and arrows entering the flesh and the screams of the soldiers before death kept coming from his ears, at this time he couldn't take care of it much, and there was only one word in his head that was fast! Fast! Fast! When he turned a corner, he saw that the general Li Chengxian was being chased by the enemy, Li Chengxian turned around and just cut off the arm of a short enemy with a knife, and another tall enemy swung his knife and cut Li Chengxian's head and flew out, flying high. The soldiers who ran to the river first crowded into the boat and drove to the opposite bank, and those who did not squeeze into the boat jumped into the water with their horses, and the routs threw themselves into the river like dumplings, and then wheezed and struggled to swim to the opposite bank. Lu Zhijia was hit by two arrows on his horse's buttocks, and he couldn't run slowly, and the shouts of the enemy were already heard in his ears, but fortunately, the Sancha River was in front of him. Suddenly, his horse knelt forward and never stood up again, and threw him on the bank of the river, he turned his head sideways and saw several enemy faces approaching with a cruel smile, the enemy's hand had stretched forward and was about to catch him, he hurriedly rolled into the river on the spot, because the iron armor was too heavy he could not float, fortunately the river on the bank was not too deep, he half floated up and ran into the river while taking off the iron armor with his hand, but an arrow hit him in the arm, after drinking two mouthfuls of cold river water, he wanted to use his other hand to take off the iron armor, But at this time, he had exhausted the last trace of strength, and the iron armor dragged him to the bottom of the river, and the blood of the Ming army stained the surface of the Sancha River red.

On the first day of September, Tianqi saw the battle report in the Military Affairs Yuan, which stated that 1,000 people of the army attacked Yaozhou under the leadership of Lu Zhijia, deputy commander-in-chief, and Li Chengxian, a staff general, and were defeated by the prepared enemy army and killed more than 400 people, Lu Zhijia and Li Chengxian were killed in battle, and hundreds of horses and armor were lost. The battle report also said that Yuan Chonghuan of Ningqian Dao did not know, and Ma Shilong, the chief soldier of Shanhaiguan, entered Beijing to explain in detail what happened and pleaded guilty.

Sun Chengzong looked at Tianqi's expressionless face and asked, "What is the emperor going to do with Ma Shilong?" ”

Apocalypse said, "Sir wants to protect him?" ”

Sun Chengzong said: "Shilong is a good general, but he is eager to make meritorious contributions. ”

Apocalypse said, "I know. ”

Five days later, in the Military Justice Department of the Military Affairs Yuan, Ma Shilong knelt on the ground and cried while talking about what had passed, he did not hide what he had taken all the blame, saying that all this was because he was in a hurry to make meritorious service and asked the emperor to surrender his guilt. After listening to this, Tianqi turned his head and asked Tian Ergeng, who was in charge of the Military Judge Advocate General's Office: "What should this person who ignores military orders and loses soldiers and generals?" ”

Tian Ergeng said: "According to the law, you should be beheaded!" ”

Tianqi thought for a while and said, "Mr. Sun once pleaded with me, so let's do it, don't behead him or hand him over to the internal guard to bury the whole body." With that, he left.

Listening to the words of the apocalypse, Ma Shilong closed his eyes, and tears flowed involuntarily.

Late at night, in a small courtyard outside Dong'an Gate. In the courtyard kneeling in the courtyard was Ma Shilong, the chief soldier of Shanhaiguan who had just taken off his hood and was tied with his hands behind his back, he looked at the people around him, and then looked at the deep pit of the black hole beside him, and finally looked at a slightly thin middle-aged eunuch in front of him, this middle-aged eunuch was Yang Gongchun, the head of the internal guard, Yang Gongchun asked Ma Shilong gently: "Do you want to drink?" Drunk and less painful. ”

Ma Shilong said: "No need, I have been confused for so long and want to go soberly." ”

Yang Gongchun asked, "Where are you confused?" ”

Ma Shilong said: "The emperor repeatedly reminded me to listen to the command of all actions, but I did not listen, so many brothers died in vain, it is a pity that I can no longer serve the country." ”

Yang Gongchun asked, "Do you have anything to say to your family?" ”

Ma Shilong said: "I already knew the result before I came, and I said everything that should be said." ”

Yang Gongchun nodded and said, "Bury it." ”

I saw that the four internal guards lifted Ma Shilong and put him in the pit, and then shoveled the soil into it one by one, and when the soil was buried in Ma Shilong's waist, Yang Gongchun waved his hand and then squatted down and asked Ma Shilong, who closed his eyes: "Ma Shilong, if you let you go back now, can you do the order and prohibit it in the future?" ”

Ma Shilong was startled, opened his eyes and said, "If you can go back, Shilong will definitely not dare to disobey the military order again." ”

Yang Gongchun said: "The emperor has a word, if Ma Shilong can change his past mistakes, he can go back to make meritorious contributions, analyze the reasons for the failure of this sneak attack after he goes back, and come up with a way to rectify it." ”

Finally, he leaned close to Ma Shilong's ear and whispered: "Remember, this defeat has nothing to do with you, it was Lu Zhijia who encountered an enemy ambush when they were patrolling. ”

Ma Shilong knew that he could survive because of Sun Chengzong, so he went to Sun Chengzong's house early the next day before leaving to ask for a meeting, but Sun Chengzong did not see him, and only told him to go back immediately to transport back all the supplies.

The day after Ma Shilong left Beijing, the Military Affairs Yuan held a plenary meeting, which was attended by the Military Aircraft Department, the Military Justice Department, the Military Intelligence Department, and the newly established Military Staff Office. When everyone sat down, Sun Chengzong first introduced the two newcomers who had just been selected to Tianqi, Chen Qiyu and Sun Chuanting, the head of the Ministry of Officials. Apocalypse asked, "Yang Lian didn't let Mr. choose someone among his two hundred?" ”

Sun Chengzong said: "That's not true, it's just that he said that the people who are interested in military affairs were all selected last time, that is, Lu Xiangsheng and their group, and the rest are more interested in government affairs, and if there are people in it who are more interested in military affairs than in government affairs in the future, he will notify the Military Affairs Yuan in time." The minister thinks that in the emperor's requirements, interest ranks first and talent ranks second, so forget it, but the two people selected outside are not bad at their interest and understanding of military affairs, how can they be cultivated slowly, and it is rare that both of them are still young and in their early thirties. ”

Tianqi nodded and said: "There is a famine in the northern provinces, and the Government Council wants to implement various new policies to make up for the loopholes, and it is indeed a shortage of people, and it is understandable that Yang Lian does not want to release people." I heard that King Xin was so anxious that he couldn't eat every day, and that my brother was not very old but very capable, and to be honest, he was more suitable to be the emperor than me. ”

As soon as Sun Chengzong heard the apocalypse say this, he immediately spoke and advised: "The emperor is cautious, the king will be uneasy when he hears it." ”

Tianqi said: "I have no other intention when I say this, now when it comes to military affairs, Sun Yunhe, you will give a brief briefing on the situation first." ”

Sun Yunhe took out a piece of information and said: "It has been ascertained that Lu Zhijia, the deputy commander-in-chief, and Li Chengxian, the staff general, led a 1,000-man sneak attack on Yaozhou, and the troop transport ships contacted did not arrive on time, and they used three small boats to cross the river for four days and nights, so they were discovered by the enemy. Yaozhou City is building the city wall, the enemy army inside is only one Niu Lu 300 people, the enemy is ambushed at the head of the city to shoot arrows, let the people inside raise fire and beat the gong, and wait for our army to retreat after the defeat and chase all the way, our army killed and missing more than 400 people Lu Zhijia and Li Chengxian are also among them. It is worth mentioning that these thousand people were the elite units of our army, which took less than two quarters of an hour from the launch of the attack to the rout. ”

A thousand elite troops attacked 300 people and killed more than 400 themselves, and they did it in less than two quarters of an hour, which made many people sitting there speechless for a long time, even if it was 400 pigs or 400 ducks, they didn't kill and pluck their feathers so quickly.