On July 20, Ping'an led the vanguard army to approach the city of Datong and set up camp five miles away. Three days later, Zhu Gaoxu led the main cavalry to arrive, and more than 30,000 horsemen marched to the city of Datong!

The autumn wind is bleak, and the dust in the air is mixed with fallen leaves; Outside the city of Datong, the soldiers and horses were raging, and there was a solemn atmosphere. The horse armies of all divisions have sent troops to move on all sides, and there are running horses everywhere. The neighing of horses and the hoofs of horses in the air brought the smell of war.

Zhu Gaoxu patted his horse and came to the east gate of the city, and looked at the banner ordnance on the city tower for a while. He turned to Hou Hai and said, "Shoot the letter of surrender to the city, and ask the acting king to send someone out to talk." ”

Before Hou Hai could answer, he suddenly stared at the city gate in the distance. Zhu Gaoxu looked back and saw that the city gate was slowly opening!

After watching for a while, Zhu Gaoxu changed his words and said, "No need to shoot arrows anymore." Order, tell Ping'an to transfer troops into the city and control the city gates! ”

After a while, the sound of horses' hooves roared, and a team of horses rushed into the city gate shouting. The cheers of the soldiers also rang out, one after another in all directions.

The prefect and other civil and military officials in the city have come to both sides of the city gate. Zhu Gaoxu then approached the horse, and heard those kneeling on the ground shouting: "Ministers greeting the Holy ......"

"They were originally appointed officials of the imperial court, not a surrender." Zhu Gaoxu looked back left and right and smiled.

Everyone laughed together and echoed noisily.

Ping An sent out to report that there was nothing wrong in the city. Zhu Gaoxu led the crowd to the city gate, and he saw a red-robed official kneeling on the side of the road. The man said loudly: "The ministers heard that the saint led the army, and fortunately the Datong Mansion." I have prepared enough food for the army of 30,000 for ten days, and I ask the Holy Lord to send someone to inspect it. ”

"Very good." Zhu Gaoxu nodded.

Then Zhu Gaoxu looked at the scene in the urn city again, and saw many soldiers standing inside, throwing their weapons on the ground.

The red-robed official explained: "Your Excellency, those disarmed sergeants are the guards of the royal palace. The acting king said that he wanted to defend in autumn, so he sent the guards to the city gate earlier, and said that he would assist the government in guarding against foreign invaders. ”

Zhu Gaoxu was noncommittal and rode into the city gate. A large number of horse troops marched straight to the palace of the king along the road in the city, and did not encounter the slightest resistance on the way.

In Datong City, the people were not afraid of the stubborn officials and soldiers, and countless people poured into the streets. On both sides of the road, the people brought drinks, eggs, and other things to the officers and soldiers, and there was a great bustle in all directions.

Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but be stunned when he saw this situation. Such a warm scene of soldiers and civilians, he seems to have only seen it in television before.

At this time, Qi Tai leaned up and said, "Holy Lord, the people of Datong Mansion have been suffering for a long time. The ministers of the court and the central government have repeatedly impeached the king for wrongdoing, but now it seems that it should not be groundless. ”

Zhu Gaoxu nodded, and said in a deep voice: "Back then, Emperor Taizu asked him (the acting king) to sit in such an important place, but he failed to live up to Emperor Taizu's trust, and it really didn't play a role. ”

…… The noise in the city was so loud that it could be faintly heard even inside the palace.

Zhu Gui, the acting king in his thirties, was sitting on the throne of the Carrier Palace. He had just heard the news that a group of civil and military officers from the Datong Mansion had opened the city gate, and he couldn't help but raise his head and sigh at this time.

The following military general hugged his fists and said: "The last general asks for his life, and the prince can first send a document to denounce the puppet emperor for usurping the throne to encourage the army!" Then the quasi-general, lead the army to guard the gates of the palace, and fight to the death with the official army! ”

Zhu Gui waved his hand and said weakly: "Forget it, it's useless." ”

"Huh!" He suddenly pulled a sword out of his belt! The civil and military eunuchs in the main hall were busy kneeling on the ground, and the military generals who spoke just now cried: "Lord Wang! The prince can't help it. ”

Shi Ye, the acting head of the palace, hurriedly stepped forward and persuaded: "Slow down, prince! The lower officials heard that before the tenth day, King Zhao asked to remove the guards, but the saint did not approve it, and still asked King Zhao to guard Beiping. Therefore, the lower officials thought that perhaps the saint was looking at the affection of the clan relatives, and there was room for detour in this matter! Why didn't the prince ask the saint for a favor? ”

"Then King Zhao's henchman Huang Yan, isn't he also ......" Zhu Gui said in surprise, "Your news is true?" ”

Changshi said: "It's true! This news comes from a classmate and friend of the lower officials, and it should be true. The Holy One may have forgiveness for the kings! ”

Zhu Gui was stunned for a while, suddenly slapped his thigh, gritted his teeth and said, "Yang Pu misunderstood!" ”

Changshi bowed and said: "If the prince is willing to repair the book and confess his sins, the lower official is willing to be a messenger and go out of the palace to meet the saint." ”

The military general next to him frowned and said: "It's so demoralizing, the officials and soldiers are going to rush into the palace to arrest people, can you still talk?" ”

Changshi said: "Xiaguan went out of the palace in a hanging basket and went quietly. ”

Zhu Gui sighed, and finally nodded, "Try it." ”

…… Under the banner of Zhu Gaoxu's Chinese army, Shi sent a document on behalf of the governor of the palace, explaining his intentions. Unexpectedly, suddenly there was a lot of laughter around, and some generals almost fell off their horses without laughing!

Changshi turned his head to look at the people around him with an embarrassed expression, his face was blue and white for a while, and he couldn't say a word.

At this moment, Zhu Gaoxu said on horseback: "After all, the acting king is the king of the clan, and it is okay to talk." ”

The laughter faded away. Zhu Gaoxu immediately said decisively: "Order all the armies to choose a place to camp." You long history, go back and tell you that my army will not enter the palace of the king for the time being. Tell the acting king to come out to meet him in person, and what to say to the Chinese army. ”

Changshi hurriedly bowed and said: "The saint is benevolent, and the minister has the order!" ”

After Zhu Gaoxu finished speaking, he turned his horse's head and left the main gate of the Acting Palace. The Chinese military general requisitioned a mansion nearby, and Zhu Gaoxu and others stayed here temporarily.

In less than half an hour, a shout suddenly came from outside the middle hall: "The minister was raped, and he was confused for a while, and he committed a big crime." Now I am bound to the Holy One, and I ask the Holy One to surrender my sins! ”

Zhu Gaoxu stood up when he heard the sound. When he reached the door, he saw a man in the prime of life shirtless, with his arms tied behind his back, and a few branches stuck in his back. Zhu Gaoxu immediately understood that this was an allusion: bear the guilt of Jing and ask for it!

And this big man must be the acting king Zhu Gui undoubtedly.

However, Zhu Gaoxu and the acting king are not similar to Lian Polin, he is very unfamiliar with the acting king and has never met; And it is this thirteenth uncle who is plotting to want his life, and his intentions are very vicious!

If Zhu Gaoxu only cared about his own feelings, he would not give the acting king a chance to apologize at all, and he should directly order an attack on the palace and let him die in the chaos!

However, Zhu Gaoxu didn't do that, what he thought in his heart was: The acting king committed a mortal crime and was not executed, so what reason did the other vassal kings have to think that they would die?

What's more, the acting king's conspiracy performance, as well as the vulnerability and capture in the face of the army's crusade. Zhu Gaoxu really couldn't treat him as an opponent, and he couldn't even arouse much resentment in his heart, it seemed that he only had disgust!

The civil and military officials who came out of the middle hall, as well as the guards and soldiers in the courtyard, all looked at the acting king coldly.

Zhu Gaoxu walked in front of the acting king with an expressionless face. The acting king hurriedly kowtowed, and confessed his mistake again and again.

"Why are you so confused?!" Zhu Gaoxu pondered for a moment, and suddenly made a distressed expression.

He shook his head and sighed, stretched out his hand and pointed at the acting king, "Since I ascended the throne, every time I think of the family affection of the clan, I have forgiven and treated you vassal kings everywhere. But why don't you miss family affection? How will the acting king face Emperor Taizu and the ancestors in the future? ”

The acting king said with a pale face: "The minister was confused for a while, and he regretted it!" ”

Zhu Gaoxu raised his head and sighed, stretched out his hand and beat his chest a few times, his expression was painful, and he almost squeezed out tears. At this time, Zhu Gaoxu just made a move, without saying a word, she turned her back to the acting king, and then said in a sad tone, "The matter has come to this, I am really helpless!" Arrest all the family members of the royal palace, the officials of the official office, and the generals of more than 1,000 households in the escort army; The suspects were sent to Beiping City with the army, and the envoys of the division and the kings met to interrogate the crimes of the acting king and other cadres together! ”

Hou Hai hugged his fists and said: "The minister obeys the order." ”

"Holy ......," said the king's voice.

Zhu Gaoxu said without looking back: "After the charges are ascertained, the acting king will be sent to Zhongdu for custody...... Hello, you were born to guard the tomb of your ancestors and repent of your sins! ”

The voice of the acting king said: "Thank you for the grace of the saint not to kill!" ”

The acting king pleaded guilty and was taken down, and there was no need for the entire palace to resist. On the day the army entered the city, everything seemed to be settled.

More than 30,000 horsemen came to Datong Mansion, but they only took a detour and did not have a decent battle.

The officers and troops were stationed in the city for a few days, and after everything was done, the army turned around and marched to the northeast, at the pass pass (Zhangjiakou). The main force of more than 200,000 troops led by Qu Neng, Wang Bin and other generals is marching, and the two armies may be able to meet near the pass.

The cadres of the acting prince's mansion will be escorted to Beiping and handed over to the officials and soldiers who remain there for custody; Then Gao Sui presided over the interrogation.

Although there have been accidents recently, there seems to be no storm in various places, but it has been delayed for some time.

With a slight delay, the weather will be even colder when Zhu Gaoxu's army enters the territory of the Tatar tribes. Fortunately, before the Northern Expedition, the army had made good preparations to protect against the cold......

At the end of July, Zhu Gaoxu and others led the army to the south of the pass, and the army set up camp on the lakeside of the confluence of the Yang River and the Qingshui River. On all sides of this place, you can see the black shadows of heavy mountains, pressing down on the horizon like dark clouds; However, there is a flat and moist field here, which is really rare. The surrounding area is open to the eye, with fields of crops and smoke rising from the village.

Qu Neng sent people to the camp to report that the main force of the army had passed through Juyong Pass and marched north along the flat and wide river valley, and that Keri could meet the vanguard.

So Zhu Gaoxu ordered all departments to repair on the spot and wait for Qu Neng Wang Bin's main force to arrive.

Less than a month ago, when Zhu Gaoxu first arrived at the political envoy in Beiping, all he saw was green and lush. However, as if in the snap of a finger, the grass and trees on the ground seem to have begun to wither, and the leaves on the treetops have become sparse, and autumn envelops the heavens and the earth. Autumn soldiers on the battlefield, is this roughly the situation?