After escaping from three streets, Wei Changhui was caught by Zhang Chunhou and others, and when the frightened Wei Changhui still wanted to escape, Zhang Chunhou hurriedly said: "Your Highness, the people from the West Hall did not chase after you." ”

Wei Changhui was a little unconvinced, if he was to let go of such a good opportunity to chase and kill? If there was no Wei Changhui in the north hall, the trees would have fallen and scattered long ago. Wei Changhui didn't understand why the Xidian soldiers stopped pursuing.

After returning to the Beiwang Mansion, the losses were also counted, and more than 3,000 people only came back more than 1,800 heads, and in a short period of time, more than 1,200 people folded in the West Wangfu. More than 1,000 guards in Xiwangfu actually accompanied sharp muskets, and these guards were all brave, and the guns and guns bit the flesh, which still made Wei Changhui feel afraid, and at the same time, Wei Changhui was even more unconfident whether he could hold Tianjing.

In fact, Wei Changhui didn't know that the guards in the West Hall were all elites in a hundred battles, and they all went to the Lecture Martial Arts Academy in batches to learn the use of new foreign guns, and equipped with new breech-loading rifled muskets, and there were dozens of Bai Zetang's assassins among them, these assassins were even better at killing, and they caught Wei Changhui off guard last night, so it was very easy to win.

Wei Changhui's trembling hands drank two cups of Dingjing tea, and then gradually stopped shaking, but his face was still very ugly. After Zhang Chunhou said the loss in a trembling voice, he continued: "Your Highness, what should we do next?" ”

Wei Changhui suddenly ran out of ideas, Tianjing couldn't hold it, especially after seeing the combat power of the West Hall soldiers tonight, Wei Changhui didn't dare to fight the West Hall head-on. But now that the Xiwang Mansion can't be defeated, there are more than 3,000 people in the Tianwang Mansion, and it's not easy to fight. Both sides can't be defeated, what can Wei Changhui use to threaten Qin Wangjun to negotiate?

For a moment, Wei Changhui thought of the middle strategy that the strategist Liu Naixin said, that is, to leave Tianjing and return to Luzhou, although he may be attacked by King Qin's army when he returns to Luzhou. But it's always its own territory, and it may be able to maneuver around.

Wei Changhui said hesitantly: "Why don't we go back to Luzhou overnight tonight?" ”

Before Zhang Chunhou could answer, Liu Naixin, a strategist under the ranks, hurriedly said, "No, Your Highness." ”

Wei Changhui said curiously: "Why not? ”

"Another army of soldiers and horses in the West Hall is about to go to Yanziji, and it is expected that this army of soldiers and horses must be the Zhenjiang soldiers of the West Temple, and the Zhenjiang soldiers of the West Palace have always been equipped with sailors, since they can go to Yanziji, the sailors must have already blocked the river, how can we cross the river?" Liu Naixin sighed lightly and continued: "If Your Highness wants to leave, you should leave early, now I'm afraid it's too late." ”

Wei Changhui shouted angrily: "Lao Tzu let you come up with ideas. It's not for you to say that Lao Tzu is not! ”

Liu Naixin was taken aback, and after a pause, he hurriedly said: "Since Your Highness's strategy and middle strategy are not feasible, we still have a good strategy to go." ”

Wei Changhui said angrily: "Isn't the best policy to let Lao Tzu take refuge in Xiao Chaogui, I told you that Xiao Chaogui will take Lao Tzu's life!" ”

Liu Naixin said with a sad face: "Your Highness is angry. Your Highness thinks about why the West Temple didn't hunt us down tonight in a good situation. By doing this, the King of the West left a living mouth. ”

The anger on Wei Changhui's face gradually dissipated. Bowing his head and groaning, Zhang Chunhou also said: "Yes, Your Highness, although the King of the West raised troops under the banner of Zhaoxue for the East Sin this time, but the East Sin and the West Hall were also very incompatible with each other, and I guessed that maybe the King of the West would not kill us all for the sake of the East Sin Spirit." ”

Wei Changhui asked with some hesitation, "Why not?" If he doesn't kill me, how can I explain to Shi Dakai and Yang Fuqing, who responded to the uprising? ”

Liu Naixin smiled predictively: "Our West King has a lot of ambitions, maybe he doesn't want our heads." Do you want the whole kingdom of heaven? ”

Before the words fell, a staff member outside the palace came in to report that a brigade commander who had been lost in the Xiwang Mansion tonight had returned, and had brought back a letter. Wei Changhui hurriedly ordered someone to bring the letter to view, but after reading it, it was a mixed blessing.

Seeing that Liu Naixin and Zhang Chunhou had long enough necks, they wanted to see the letter. Wei Changhui handed the letter to the two of them to watch, and said with a puzzled expression: "The envoy of the West Temple, King Yoben, will meet at the tower of Dabao'en Temple tomorrow, and say that there is something to tell the King of the West, I wonder if it will be a trap?" ”

Liu Naixin read it first, and said happily: "Your Highness, the King of the West wants to negotiate with His Highness, and things still have a turnaround." With the strength of the king of the west, he will not do anything to ambush the three indiscriminately, and the fact that there is no tail chase in the west hall tonight is the best proof. ”

Zhang Chunhou also said: "Yes, Your Highness, it seems that since the King of the West wants to talk, then let's talk about it, and we won't suffer any losses." ”

After Wei Changhui pondered for a moment, he nodded heavily and said, "Okay, this king will personally go to meet this envoy of the West Temple tomorrow to see what the West King has to talk about." ”

The next day, bad news came one after another, Dashengguan, Yanziji, Xiaolingwei and other places were occupied by the Qinwang army one after another, and Tianjing City was surrounded on three sides. Last night, Wei Changhui still didn't give up and sent a team of men and horses to sneak across the river, but he was frightened back by the West Hall sailors who were constantly flying back and forth on the river, and sure enough, the West Hall sailors of Zhenjiang blocked the river north of Tianjing.

In the face of a succession of bad news, Wei Changhui was furious, and what made him feel even more worried was that the North Temple Army was obviously demoralized, although yesterday he ordered the peripheral soldiers and horses to withdraw to the city, but there were still a small number of soldiers and horses who did not have time to withdraw, originally thought that these soldiers and horses might fight, but after boarding the Chaoyang Gate to watch, Wei Changhui was disheartened, and the hundreds of soldiers and horses who were stranded outside the city did not resist at all.

Wei Changhui was frightened for a while, for fear that the West Hall soldiers would take advantage of the situation to attack Chaoyang Gate, but he didn't believe that the unstable North Hall soldiers on Chaoyang Gate could block the offensive of the West Hall soldiers. Fortunately, the West Hall did not take advantage of the situation to attack, but chose to camp in Xiaolingwei, which made Wei Changhui breathe a sigh of relief, and at the same time made Wei Changhui understand that the King of the West still gave him a chance to negotiate.

Soon the sun was in the west, and at the beginning of the unitary time, Wei Changhui took Zhang Chunhou, Liu Naixin and others and more than 100 North Hall attendants to the Dabao'en Temple Tower.

Jinling Dabao'en Temple Tower is located in Tianjing City South Ancient Changganli, Ming Dynasty Yongle ten years, Zhu Di Ministry of Engineering in the original site reconstruction: "according to the big inner Tuwu, build nine-level five-color glazed tower, said the first tower, the temple said Dabao'en Temple", before building this tower.

The construction of the tower of Da Bao En Temple, by Zheng He and others as supervisors, because the Da Bao En Temple was built in the Yongle and Xuande years. At that time, Zheng Hezheng led a fleet of Western ships to go overseas many times, so it was difficult to fully supervise the project. For this reason, in the third year of Xuande, Zhu Zhanjite of Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty issued an imperial edict to Zheng He, who had returned to China to serve as the garrison of Nanjing, to "administer with heart" and complete it within a time limit.

It took 19 years to build the pagoda of Dabao'en Temple, which cost more than 2.48 million taels of silver, and mobilized 100,000 prisoners, craftsmen and soldiers. After the completion of the project, Zheng He also specially brought back exotic flowers and trees such as "grain trees" and "Borneo trees" from overseas and planted them in the temple. Da Bao'en Temple Tower is the most prestigious landmark building in Nanjing City from the early Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, and the Yongle Emperor gave the tower the title of 'first tower'. The tower is one of the forty-eight views of Jinling.

Like all historical buildings, the pagoda has experienced several natural disasters and man-made damage, but fortunately, it has been continuously repaired during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Originally, after the Taiping army occupied Tianjing, the Qing army built the Jiangnan camp, especially in 1854. After the Qing army conquered Yuhuatai, the Taiping army threatened the city in order to prevent the Qing army from occupying the Dabaoen Temple. Then "bombarded it with gunpowder." The base under the tower was hollowed out again, and the tower fell down in a few days, and the temple was burned down". But now because the Western King's Expedition has changed history, the Qing army did not establish the Jiangnan camp, although Hong Xiuquan himself hates this pagoda, but after all, it is also one of the famous scenery of Tianjing. The pagoda of Daeboun Temple has been preserved.

Coming to the Great Bao'en Temple, the North Hall Guards looked around, and there was no trace of ambush, Wei Changhui walked into the Great Bao'en Temple Tower with peace of mind. After going up to the top floor, he saw a middle-aged man dressed as an ordinary person, and brought two attendants to wait for him here.

Wei Changhui looked at this man suspiciously, there were still some acquaintances in the West Palace, but Wei Changhui had no impression of the person in front of him. The man smiled slightly and saluted slightly: "In the lower west hall, Tong Qiangsheng, the deputy prime minister of the Xia Guan, has seen His Royal Highness the Northern King. ”

Tong Qiangsheng's official position is actually very high, and according to the official rank of Su Fu's new policy, it is already at the level of a major general, but he still uses the official rank that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is used to reporting to his family, so that Wei Changhui can understand.

Wei Changhui sighed, the deputy prime minister of Xia in the West Palace, the official position is not small, he coughed at the moment, picked up the shelf of the North King and asked, "What do you have to say when Xiao Chaogui sent you here?" ”

Tong Qiangsheng secretly sneered in his stomach, this Northern King is really wonderful, he is still pretending to be dying at the end of his life, and he said coldly at the moment: "It depends on whether His Royal Highness the Northern King is going to take the road of death or live." ”

Wei Changhui was furious, he was used to being angry in Tianjing, when was he spoken in this tone? Seeing that there were only three people on the other side, he was furious and said, "What a big breath, you don't want to die?!" ”

Before the words fell, several guards of the North Hall behind Wei Changhui showed fierce eyes and drew their swords at each other, as if they were ready to step forward to kill at any time.

The three of them, Tong Qiangsheng, suddenly took out short guns from behind their waists, two short guns each, and aimed at Wei Changhui with a brush, although there were only three people and six guns, but the murderous aura on the three of them was undisguised.

Facing the muzzle of the black hole, Wei Changhui's face changed, the distance between the two sides was too close, if he made a difficulty, it was difficult to guarantee that he would not be hit by the musket, and he didn't know if the other party had any other moves.

Tong Qiangsheng said lightly: "I have heard the name of the king of the north for a long time, and I still have to be ready to see you, I dare to come to see you without fear of dying, either you listen to me, or we will die here together!" ”

Wei Changhui looked at Tong Qiangsheng, although he said it lightly, but the killing intent exuded by him and the two people behind him was so strong, Wei Changhui couldn't help but shudder, he knew that Tong Qiangsheng This kind of person must do what he says, not intimidate, even if there are many people on this tower, he may not be able to protect himself.

At that moment, Wei Changhui put on a smiling face, first ordered his subordinates to put away their swords and retreat, and then said with a smile: "What is there to say, I also admire the sister-in-law of King Xi very much, Prime Minister Tong can continue, what is the way to die, what is the way to live?" ”

Tong Qiangsheng and the three of them slowly put down the short gun, and said lightly without nonsense: "Those who follow me prosper and those who disobey me die, the dead way is to be the enemy of my West Temple, and the way to live is to cooperate with my West Temple!" ”

Wei Changhui took a breath and asked, "Is I, Wei Changhui, still useful in the eyes of the King of the West?" ”

Tong Qiangsheng nodded and said, "You can also help us do one thing." ”

Wei Changhui said curiously: "It turns out that this king is still useful, but I don't know what the king of the west wants this king to do?" ”

Tong Qiangsheng's eyes crossed the Qinhuai River next to the tower of Bao'en Temple, looked at the direction of the Tianwang Mansion in the afterglow of the sunset, and said lightly: "Continue to kill!" (To be continued......)