The army marched day and night, and traveled for two days, and arrived in Zhongmu County, only one day's journey from Kaifeng, Li Zicheng gave Lei Wanjun three hundred soldiers and replaced them with the banner of the Ming army, "Wanjun, the brothers of these three hundred households will be handed over to you, after you, at most two hours, I will rush to the city!" ”

"Don't worry," Lei Wanjun sat on horseback, put down the spear in his hand, and saluted Li Zicheng with both hands in fists, "The subordinates will act with cameras!" ”

Thirty or forty thousand Heavenly Mandate troops rushed to Kaifeng, and there was no way to keep it secret, and the rangers sent by Kaifeng City had already detected the information, but Chen Yongfu had already stayed away from Kaifeng, and was blocked by the Heavenly Mandate Army in the middle, and the information could not be conveyed to Chen Yongfu for a while.

There were not many defenders in the city, and the officials had to protect themselves.

According to Gao Mingheng, the patrol selected the most fierce and warlike Hui people in the city, set up a halal battalion, and temporarily assigned officers; Shoudao Su Zhuang learned from Gao Mingheng, and also set up a Daobiao battalion in the city, which can be regarded as his pro-army.

Wang Xie, the magistrate of Xiangfu County, who retreated to Kaifeng City, exerted his ingenuity and ingenuity, and he founded a militia organization, called "Shebing", the source of the social soldiers, was the rich merchant gentry in the city, according to the property of each family to calculate, if the total value of the family property is 1,000 taels to 2,000 taels, it is necessary to produce a social soldier, and the family property is more than 10,000 taels, and two to three social soldiers, and if the property is relatively small, the two families can produce a social soldier.

At such a dangerous moment, the rich merchant gentry would not let their children become soldiers, and the social soldiers they sent were generally domestic servants and domestic servants, and some people paid to hire people to replace them, Wang Xie didn't care, as long as there were enough social soldiers.

These soldiers were organized into a society of every 50 people, and a total of 84 societies were divided, and then selected from the city to be wealthy and decent Xiucai and Tong Sheng to serve as the president and vice president.

According to the direction, these 84 societies are divided into five headquarters, namely the headquarters of the North Gate Back Office, the South Gate Front Office of the Society, the West Gate Right Office of the Society, the East Gate Central Office of the Society, and the Cao Gate Left Office of the Society, each of which has a head office, and the head office is responsible for repairing equipment, training the soldiers, and formulating discipline to supervise.

There were 4,200 soldiers in the five headquarters who did not need food, and the masters of each family provided them with food, and they practiced tactics on weekdays, and when war came, they went to the city to fight.

Kaifeng City has five city gates: the south gate is called the South Xun Gate, commonly known as the South Gate; The west gate is called the girder gate, commonly known as the west gate; The north gate is called Anyuan Gate, commonly known as the North Gate; The east gate is called Lijing Gate or Little East Gate, commonly known as Song Gate; To the north of the east gate, there is also a city gate, called Renhe Gate, commonly known as Cao Gate.

Gao Mingheng was the highest civil official in the city, and he was the most active in the defense of the city, he took the initiative to assume the heavy responsibility of the city defense, and after full consultation with the officials and gentry in the city, he assigned the task of defending the city in time.

Liang Bing, the political envoy of the left, Cai Maode, the political envoy of the right, guarded the Cao Gate, Wu Shijiao, the prefect of Kaifeng, guarded the south gate, and Guan He and Tongzhi Sang Kaidi guarded the north gate.

Since the Mandate of Heaven army came from the west, the defense of the west city will be the focus of the entire city defense, the patrol according to the high name Heng personally guarded the west gate, the assistant defense of the road Su Zhuang, Kaifeng Mansion push official Huang Peng, Xiangfu Zhi County Wang Xie also led the government to the west city to assist in the defense.

The wind is getting tighter and tighter, and the people outside the city began to pour into the city, Gao Mingheng inspected the four gates, and still felt uneasy, in addition to the four thousand two hundred soldiers, the regular army in the city was only 10,000, and the Heavenly Mandate Army was said to have 40,000 or 50,000!

The civil and military officials guarding the city urgently consulted, and felt that the richest household in the city was the king of Zhou, and now the officials, gentry, and merchants in the city have taken action, and the palace of the king of Zhou should also take action.

Gao Mingheng is not only old and prestigious, but also the highest civil official in the city, and everyone unanimously recommended him to meet the king of Zhou, expecting the king of Zhou to do his best to defend Kaifeng City.

According to the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty, the vassal king could not have any contact with the local civil and military officials, not even to meet, but now is a very moment, Gao Mingheng can't take care of it, he is entrusted by the civil and military officials in Kaifeng City, in order to defend the city, it is really a business trip, not a private affair!

Gao Mingheng asked to see Zhu Gongfang, the king of Zhou, and Zhu Gongfang summoned Gao Mingheng in his study.

After Gao Mingheng paid his respects, he said directly: "The prince knows that in Kaifeng City recently, the wind has become tighter, and the Liukou is about to hit Kaifeng City. ”

Zhu Gongyu frowned slightly and said, "What about Li Xianfeng?" Pass on the king's order, let him return to the division quickly, and first relieve the siege of Kaifeng! ”

"Lord Wang, Lord Li personally led the main force to Hebei to level the thieves, and I am afraid that I will not be able to return to the division for a while," Gao Mingheng said: "Forgive the minister, outside Kaifeng City, there are rogues everywhere, and it is difficult for the prince's order to be conveyed to the governor!" ”

"Aren't you patrolling the imperial history, now in Luoyang City, you are the highest civil official, right?" Zhu Gongyu looked impatient, "Defending the city should be your business, right?" ”

"Lord Wang Mingjian, defending the city is indeed a matter of ministers, and the ministers have already assigned manpower at the city gates," Gao Mingheng arched his hand and said: "Lord Li and Vice General Chen went to Hebei and Luoyang, and took away the main generals, there are only more than 10,000 weak soldiers in the city, and the ministers have recruited nearly 10,000 soldiers in the city, but the thieves are very powerful, and they are not afraid of death, and the ministers are afraid that these soldiers will be difficult to hold Kaifeng City!" ”

Zhu Gongyu waved his hand and said, "Don't talk nonsense, what is the purpose of you coming to this king?" ”

"Lord Wang Shengming," Gao Mingheng said: "The minister also wants to recruit a group of soldiers, but the money and food in the house are insufficient, and the minister is brave, hoping that the prince can help!" ”

"The thieves have not yet come to Kaifeng City, will you be worried about the money and food of the palace?" Zhu Gongyu snorted coldly and said, "Haven't you already recruited a lot of young people?" I heard that there are other social soldiers, are these people all waste that only consumes food? ”

Gao Mingheng's heart was half cold, he thought for a moment, and said hard: "How dare your subordinates worry about the money and food of the palace?" It's really out of helplessness," paused, and said: "Does the prince know the fate of King Chong of Ruzhou and King Fu of Luoyang......"

"Bold!" Zhu Gongqi stretched out his hand and pointed at Gao Mingheng's nose, and shouted angrily: "Gao Mingheng, you are so bold, this king is kind enough to summon you, but you curse this king in secret?" Are you guilty? ”

"The sin of the minister deserves death!" Gao Mingheng hurriedly knelt down and knocked on the ground with his head, "Lord, the minister is really invisibly offended, but the rogues seem to be particularly jealous of the palace......"

Zhu Gongyu was shocked in his heart, although Gao Mingheng was rude, his words were good, Ruzhou City was broken, King Chong's family was executed, Luoyang City was broken, King Fu was killed, and the life and death of the whole family were unknown......

Thinking of this, I didn't feel a cold war in my heart, could it be that the Liukou was specifically against the clan? Aren't they afraid of punishing the Nine Clans?

But Zhu Gongyu immediately thought that the Liukou was a thief, and since he was committing trouble everywhere, he seemed not afraid of the imperial court to exterminate the Nine Clans......

What to do?

Do you want the palace to pay for food? This is the money and food accumulated by the ancestors for several lifetimes, once it is taken out, what will happen to the future children and grandchildren? Do you want to see them poor?

No, absolutely not!

But what about the outlaws outside the city? Do you want them to break the city? Thinking of the matter of Chongwang and Fuwang, Zhu Gongyu's heart has a strong uneasiness, in case the city is opened, with the murderous temperament of the rogue, the palace will not be able to keep it, what is the use of all this silver?

Zhu Gongfang was very anxious, but he knew that if he didn't bleed, it would be difficult for the officers and soldiers guarding the city to do their best, so after thinking for a while, he suddenly had an idea, and said: "Gao Mingheng, if this king takes out money and grain, how sure are you that you will hold Kaifeng City?" ”

Gao Mingheng saw that Zhu Gongyu's words were loose, and he was secretly happy in his heart, and hurriedly arched his hand and said: "Don't worry, as long as the prince takes out the department's money and grain, the minister will recruit some young and strong people to defend the city, and the minister is ninety percent sure that he will hold Kaifeng City, until the governor leads his troops back to the city, if he can't hold Kaifeng City, the minister is willing to apologize!" ”

Once the city is broken, do you still have a way to survive except for self-slaughter? Zhu Gongyu felt a burst of contempt in his heart, but now he still needs Gao Mingheng to defend the city, his face did not show disgust, pondered for a moment, and said: "This king is willing to take out all the silver deposits for the sake of Kaifeng Mansion!" ”

"All the deposits?" Gao Mingheng was happy in his heart, but he said, "Lord Wang, this ...... Don't need it, right? The palace has a large population, and it still needs to live......"

Zhu Gongyu waved his hand and interrupted Gao Mingheng's words, "This king has 520,000 taels of silver, and now take it all out!" ”

"Thank you, Lord Wang!" Gao Mingheng was overjoyed, he couldn't wait to hug Zhu Gongyu's head, kiss a few bites, 520,000 vehicles, and almost recruited all the young people in the city!

"However, of these taels of this king's silver, 20,000 taels are used as silver to serve as food for the recruited young people," Zhu Gongyu said coldly: "But this king's silver cannot be given to waste who can't fight!" ”

"What does the prince mean......" Gao Mingheng was confused for a while, could it be that the prince repented so quickly? Rejoice in your own emptiness!

"Pass on the king's order," Zhu Gongyu said, "go out of the city and kill one thief, and reward fifty taels of silver; Kill a thief in the city, and reward thirty taels of silver; Whoever shoots or injures one person or is wounded by masonry and stone, a reward of ten taels will be rewarded! 500,000 silver, is it enough? ”

"Ah......" Gao Mingheng was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth for a long time, looking at the meaning of the prince, this time he was bankrupt and gave birth to blood, he arched his body and said: "Enough, enough, the prince is so determined, he will ensure that the city is not lost, even if the silver is not enough, the minister will also raise money from the rich merchants and gentry in the city," and waved to Zhu Gongyu, and said: "The minister is grateful to the prince!" ”

"Don't be grateful, the ugly words are ahead, the silver of the palace is also hard-earned money," Zhu Gongyu said: "Don't let people be deceived, kill the thief, if you want to see the corpse when you die, at least bring the thief's head!" ”

Gao Mingheng was secretly shocked in his heart, where to find this head? The thieves are all under the city, do they have to go to the city to cut off their heads after killing the thieves? At that time, there will be no less than tens of thousands of thieves under the city, and if you go to the city to cut the heads of the thieves, let alone reward silver, there is a chance that your little life will be gone.

This prince, is everything fake?

Knowing that the silver promised by Zhu Gongyu was likely to be a scam, but Gao Mingheng couldn't tell it, the prince's bearing would definitely attract some young people to go to the city desperately, as long as the scam could not be exposed!

He pretended to be obedient and said, "The minister must inform the young people in the city of the prince's good intentions, and encourage them to go to the city to kill the enemy!" ”

Zhu Gongyu nodded and said: "I heard that the rich families in the city, according to the amount of wealth, must send corresponding social soldiers, and this king cannot lag behind, the prince's official Cao Kun and Zuo Changshi Li Yingchun will lead the eight hundred warriors of the palace to the head of the city to participate in the battle." ”

"Thank you, Lord Wang!" Gao Ming Hengxin said, the guards of the palace will always be better than ordinary young and strong, these people are really supportive, "Lord, these people will be placed in the Xicheng guarded by the ministers!" ”