The 14th year of Yuanheng, the 19th day of June in the year of Wuyin, is an unforgettable day.

June 19 is the day of Avalokiteshvara's enlightenment.

In the people, this is a relatively important day, the temple is crowded with people, and the incense is prosperous.

However, in the court, it was gloomy.

Many of the ministers who participated in the early pilgrimage that day no longer remember how they came out of the Forbidden City.

For many years, Yuan Heng Tianzi, who rarely got angry in the court, was furious and scolded almost all the ministers.

The princes and ministers, all of them were silent, for fear that the emperor's knife-like gaze would fall on them.

There are different accounts of how the dynasty was dispersed later.

Some said that the emperor was tired of scolding and walked away by himself. 、

Some say that it was the great eunuch Dai Quan who forcibly pulled the emperor away.

Others say that it was King Beijing and Scholar Ji who persuaded the emperor to leave.

Regarding the news that Xiao Daozhong, Li Yuan and others asked Jia Min to be punished, it has also become a topic of discussion.

However, at this time, the style of painting suddenly took a big turn. Jia Min, who was resolutely opposed to war, once again returned to the center of public opinion.

Naturally, the matter of punishing him is not settled.

It is said that Xiao Daozhong stayed at home for three days after that, and did not go to the yamen under the pretext of illness.

Wanxintang, the head of the household department, every day when he arrived at the yamen, he locked himself in the office room and saw no one.

Scholar Luo also said that he was not sick and did not see anyone for several days.

Since Li Yuan fainted in the court that day, he has been drinking medicine at home to recuperate.

Entrusted by Li Yuan, the military department is currently headed by Cheng Shilang.

said that he was the acting director, but in fact, there is no major matter now. North Ventura was defeated on all fronts, and there is no connection with the military department at present.

Han Tiankui, the deputy marshal of the expedition to the north, came to the court, saying that he should retreat to Ningguta and was building a defensive line to prevent the Tatars from attacking Ningguta and Shengjing. Prepare for a battle to the death against the Tatars in Ningguta.

It is said that after the emperor saw this fold, he tore it to pieces on the spot.

Those who know a little more know that Ningguta is more than 2,000 miles away from North Wendula, and the Tatars defeated the imperial army, and you, as the deputy commander, ran to the rear more than 2,000 miles away to build a defensive line. Everyone understands the meaning.

There was no news from the front, but there was some news coming from the prefectures and counties along the line from Bukui to Ningguta.

It is said that the soldiers who were defeated from North Windula constantly harassed the state and county along the way, plundered the people, raped women, killed people and set fires. There was even a group of routs who captured a county government and killed the magistrate.

A defeat turned into a military disaster.

The military disaster is easy to handle, after all, there are not many people, they are all guerrillas, and it won't be long before the local governments will be pacified.

The greatest fear was the southward movement of the Tatars.

100,000 grassland iron horsemen, there will be no one to do. All the way south, burning, killing and looting, gold and silver are fine, livestock, cattle and horses, women and children, all of which are the objects of their robbery.

Another huge hidden danger is the rogue people in Bukui.

If Bukyu had been captured by the Tatars and had been released, he would have caused another disaster after the war disaster.

Although the news of the Tatars going south and the rebellion of the Wanderers had not yet come out, it was only a matter of time. It's just a day earlier and a day later.

Wang Ziteng, the envoy of the Jingying Festival, had already set out with 15,000 men and went to Shengjing, where he was ready to intercept the Tatars.

Although the imperial court strictly sealed the news, the news of the defeat of North Wendula still spread throughout the imperial capital.

It's just that people are worried about the eyes and ears of the government and the Jinyi Army, so they don't dare to talk about it publicly.

I don't dare to talk about it in public, but I can't stop people from talking about it at home.

Participating in the war this time, almost all the soldiers of the major families in the imperial capital went, and the leaders were all the children of each family, and they were very concerned about who they were placed in.

Although there is no definite news yet, the disastrous defeat of the 150,000-strong army has made people dare not have much hope.

At this time, people's greatest hope is that a miracle will happen and their own family will be spared.

At the very least, let the bad news come later and let the hope be longer.

Because Jia Min was a person who resolutely opposed this war, people thought that the Jia family was the luckiest person in this disaster. While envious, I can't help but feel a little jealous.

Later, I got the news that four disciples of the Jia family also participated in the war, which made people feel that they didn't seem to be the most unfortunate one.

After learning the news that the crown prince and the princess of Chang'an had also disappeared, people thought even more that they were not the most unlucky.

Even the prince and princess are like this, what else can they say? As a result, the resentment against the emperor's decision to go to war disappeared.

Then people sympathized with the royal family.

The crown prince and princess, said to be missing. I'm afraid it's just comforting words.

If the soldiers are in chaos, they are either killed in battle or captured, and what other results can there be?

If he was still alive, he would have sent the message back a long time ago.

At the end of the day, the ministers gathered in front of the Forbidden City as usual.

The emperor has not been to the court for five consecutive days, and I don't know if he will go to court today.

Although I don't know if they will go to court, they still come every day.

Not only come, but also come earlier and more than before. Even those who were sick and couldn't go to court in the past also came with their sick bodies.

Now is the time when the emperor is angry, and no one wants to let someone seize the handle at this time and become the unlucky person of the emperor's anger.

At the end of the Yin period, the great eunuch Dai Quan finally came out.

"Everyone, the emperor is not safe today, so let's disperse."

The ministers were helpless, so they dispersed one after another. Only Beijing King Shui Rong and Ji Daxue were left, and they fell last.

Walking in front of a small tree, Shui Rong stopped.

"This is the place where Huaiyuan knelt down to plead that day, right?"

"Yes, it seems like it was just yesterday, and these days, I think of this scene from time to time, and I remember it vividly. Alas, if you had listened to Huaiyuan's words that day, how could it be so. hated a bunch of villains, Huaiyuan had already lost his official position and abandoned his post, and he was not willing to let him go. Why did you shut up this time? Traitors mislead the country. ”

Every time he thought of this, Scholar Ji was indignant.

"Well, don't be too angry. Don't talk about others, it's me, I was also skeptical of Huaiyuan's words at the beginning. It's just that the situation is critical now, and we still have to think of some solutions. ”

"For today's plan, even the emperor is helpless, what can we do?"

"Where is Huaiyuan now?"

"According to my former scholar, he was in Zhili. Because several of his brothers in his house were also going to North Vandula to salvage for military exploits, he objected and had a very unpleasant quarrel with the elders in the family, so he went to his hometown. Now at one of his buddies. ”

"It's okay left and right, how about you and I go to Zhili?"

"I wanted to go a long time ago, but I couldn't keep Huaiyuan that day, and I was ashamed to see him, so why am I embarrassed to go now? I understand what you mean, it's useless. ”

"Why do you say that?"

"In the first month, Huaiyuan once talked to me that he couldn't beat the Tatars now. If he wants to defeat the Tatars, he will need to prepare for at least more than a year before he can fight, and he is not sure to win. ”

"I don't expect him to defeat the Tatars, but now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Princess are missing, there must be a result."

"In the past, Huaiyuan was able to pacify Southern Wendula and gain a firm foothold in Bukui, relying on his government corps. Now that Huaiyuan has no soldiers, Bu Kui is also in danger, even if he finds Huaiyuan, what can he do? ”

"I know it's tough, but how can I know if I don't try? Huaiyuan was familiar with Wendura's situation, even if it was just to listen to his opinion, it would be good. ”

"It's just that when I go to find Huaiyuan at this time, how can you and I speak?"

"The emperor can't say it, and we have nothing to say. At this time, we are needed to be courtiers to share the emperor's worries and sorrows. And why bother with face? ”

"That's it, I'll let go of my old face and go with you."

"It is said that Liu Changfeng and Xiu Tonggui are also good friends with Huaiyuan, do you call them too?"

"It's okay, just call them to go to Zhili together tomorrow."

"Then it's a deal."

"It's a deal."

The defeat in the battle of North Windura has put the current situation in an awkward and delicate state.

The hard-line main battle faction, led by the military department and the household department, disappeared, but this did not make the situation develop in a good direction.

The anti-war faction originally had a weak voice, only Wang Ziteng and Jia Min; Two people.

After Wang Ziteng was reprimanded by the emperor, he never spoke out. After a strong opposition, Jia Min was stripped of his fame, cut to the people, and disappeared from the imperial capital.

Therefore, whether it is the main war faction or the anti-war faction, the current voice has disappeared.

However, the problems caused by the fiasco in North Ventura have not disappeared, but have become more and more serious.

The most serious problem was the southward movement of the Tatars.

The Tatars have already occupied the steppe of South Windura, and as long as they take Bukui again, they can go all the way south, and on the way forward, there are endless great plains, and there is no natural danger to defend at all.

This kind of plain terrain is precisely the most suitable for giving full play to the strengths of the steppe cavalry.

In the entire Northeast, there is no decent army at the moment. The elite of Goryeo, which had previously stationed heavy troops, was also completely lost in the battle of North Ventura.

If the Tatars wished, they could even go further south, all the way to the sea. When the time comes, even the vassal state of Goryeo will be threatened.

Once the Tatars occupied Shengjing, they pointed to the west, and the goal was the imperial capital.

The problem is also that there are currently no decent armies left in the entire North, except for the Northwest.

Of course, on the roster of the Ministry of War, the number of troops is still huge.

However, this is basically some guard and local group training. Although the number of posts is huge, the vacancies are huge, and there are not many people at all.

There are already people who, due to years of lax armament, lack of training, and backward equipment, have little combat effectiveness.

Moreover, these armies are basically infantry, and when they fight against the well-equipped and powerful 100,000 Tatar iron cavalry, they can only be used as targets.

Such a war is no longer a war, it is just a one-sided game of slaughter.