Zhu Youzhen just paid tribute to Zhang Lun and the people of Tongzhou in Bazhou City.

As a result, the government and the people were united, and their loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor reached their climax.

But unexpectedly, at this time, there was a news that Li Jiantai, a dignified cabinet scholar, knew that the emperor was coming and was going to surrender to the thief.

Therefore, after the ministers found out, they all strongly recommended that this traitor be killed!

Even Ni Yuanlu, the head of the household department who was good friends with Li Jiantai in Suri, immediately cut his robe and said that he had severed relations with Li Jiantai.

Zhou Yuji even knelt in front of Zhu Youzhen and asked to lead troops to capture Baoding City immediately and kill Li Jiantai!

"Your Majesty, although it is imperative to retreat south, it is not enough for the people to be angry if Li Jiantai does not get rid of this traitor!"

Li Banghua, the secretary of the military department, also admonished from the side.

Zhu Youzhen was very relieved that these ministers were really so excited because of themselves for the first time.

As the emperor, he was also very satisfied, and the current southward retreat team finally had the same hatred and hatred.

But in fact, Zhu Youzhen did not react as fiercely to Li Jiantai's blatant defection to the enemy as the ministers.

Perhaps, for them, Li Jiantai, as a cabinet scholar, is the highest-ranking official to surrender to Li Zicheng so far (Han Yan is a senior member of the Zhishi Pavilion).

Therefore, it is very stimulating to the officials, both emotionally and rationally, they feel that this person can't be eliminated.

But Zhu Youzhen, as a person of later generations, already had the psychological preparation that Li Jiantai would defect to the enemy, so he did not react so strongly.

However, Zhu Youzhen also believes that Li Jiantai can't be eliminated, and Baoding City must also be controlled in his own hands.

At least in the next half month, it must be controlled in his own hands, so that he will have enough energy to deal with Liu Zeqing's troops when he goes south.

"What Zhong Aiqing said is very true, Li Jiantai wants to get rid of it!

Baoding City cannot be handed over to traitors!

But Baoding City is stronger than Tongzhou City, we only have 70,000 soldiers and horses, but also as the foundation for the southward revitalization of the Ming Dynasty, so the capture of Baoding City can only outwit the inability;

Now that Li Jiantai has surrendered to the enemy, and the thief Liu Fangliang has also entered the territory of Zhending Mansion, we might as well pretend to be a thief to surrender Baoding Li Jiantai's department, if Li Jiantai believes it, we can easily seize Baoding City, and we can kill the traitor without spending a single soldier! ”

After Zhu Youzhen finished speaking, he asked, "What do you think of Zhu Aiqing?" ”

The ministers suddenly realized and hurriedly praised His Majesty's wisdom.

Zhu Youzhen smiled slightly, he knew that although the courtiers he brought were all loyal and commendable, there were relatively few capable ministers who were really capable of turning the tide.

Therefore, he could not expect these officials to come up with a better plan for him.

Fortunately, Li Banghua, the secretary of the Ministry of War, is not a completely useless minister, and after Zhu Youzhen said, he hurriedly added a suggestion:

"Li Jiantai has always been cunning and suspicious, not easy to be deceived, I have heard that most of the thieves are Qin people, the first guard army brought by Ning Wubo is the original Shanxi bravery, I don't know how many Qin people can be under Ning Wubo's command, you might as well use them to pretend to be thieves, first deceive Li Jiantai to open the city, and then our army will rush into the city."

"Please rest assured, most of my subordinates are from Qindi, and it is naturally easy to pretend to be a thief!"

Zhou Yuji said.

Zhu Youzhen asked Zhou Yuji to immediately take 1,000 cavalry and 1,000 infantry to Baoding City in the appearance of thieves.

Then, in addition to Li Banghua, the secretary of the military department, Wang Chengen, the governor of Dongchang, and Mrs. Liu, the governor of the right capital, stayed in Bazhou with the imperial family and hundreds of officials;

Emperor Zhu Youzhen personally led the 40,000 Beijing battalions of the Imperial Horse Supervisor He Xinsuo to follow behind Zhou Yuji's department, ready to break into Baoding City at any time!

Li Jiantai, a scholar of Dongge University and the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, was able to leave the capital on the grounds that he had been allowed by Zhu Youzhen to leave Beijing to recruit soldiers on the grounds that he had asked for recruitment, and allocated him 5,000 officers and soldiers of the Beijing battalion.

Li Jiantai originally wanted to go back to his hometown Shanxi to recruit troops with his own money and grain, but after hearing that Shanxi was occupied by Li Zicheng, he retreated and did not dare to go to Shanxi again, but retreated to Baoding City.

Now, when he saw that Li Zicheng was powerful, he had the idea of taking refuge in Li Zicheng.

Li Jiantai is not afraid of Zhu Youzhen, who is about to become the king of the country.

In his opinion, Zhu Youzhen is now a lost dog, and the Ming Dynasty can be made like this by him, and there is obviously no chance of re-rising, so he resolutely decided to surrender to the new dynasty.

But he didn't dare to take it lightly, he was afraid that Zhu Youzhen would be angry and directly attack Baoding City and kill him.

Therefore, Li Jiantai is now only looking forward to the thief Liu Fangliang's troops arriving in Baoding City as soon as possible, so that he can surrender directly, so that he will not worry that Zhu Youzhen will come to attack Baoding City.

Just when Li Jiantai was looking forward to the thieves, Du Zhi, the eunuch of the army, hurriedly informed Li Jiantai of the news that there was an army of thieves outside the city.

Li Jiantai couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard this, but it was true that as Li Banghua said, he didn't dare to take it lightly, and rashly let Liu Fangliang's army of thieves enter Baoding City.

And when he thought that he was also a dignified scholar, it was really embarrassing to run directly to surrender, so he deliberately pretended to be sick and asked Du Zhi to go out of the city to ask for a meeting with the thief and ask for surrender.

In this way, it can also be said in the history books that he Li Jiantai was forced to surrender due to illness.

"Dugong Du, you must be careful after seeing General Liu, ask them how to deal with us and others, everything needs to be dealt with first, in addition, listen to their voices more, it's best not to be mistaken, now that the army is in chaos, who knows who is the real thief."

Li Jiantai asked.

"Don't worry!" The eunuch Du Zhi said and left Baoding City.

Not long after, Du Zhi came back to tell Li Jiantai that he was a thief, and he spoke in Qindi's mouth, and also told Li Jiantai about the thief's promise to send him, the elder of the pavilion, and other military officials to Beijing to face the saint.

Li Jiantai couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard this, so he ordered the army to open the city gate to welcome the thief Liu Fangliang.

The thief pretended by Zhou Yuji successfully came to the outside of Baoding City.

And Li Jiantai also took off his black gauze hat, and appeared in front of Zhou Yuji with a cadre of civil and military officials and knelt down on one knee: "Li Jiantai, a former scholar of Dongge University in the Ming Dynasty, and others begged to be attached to the Holy Dynasty, hoping that the general would take them in!" ”

"Hmph, get out of the way!"

Zhou Yuji deliberately scolded rudely in a Qindi accent like a thief general, and then led the army into the city.

And Li Jiantai and Du Zhi still followed in with flattering smiles.

"The general has been driving all the way, and the small one has prepared wine and food in the government office, and I hope that the general will appreciate the light, and also prepare one or two pretty maids for the general, which can also relieve boredom, I don't know if the general can move?"

Li Jiantai just finished speaking.

Here, Zhou Yuji suddenly shouted: "Come on, take down these two traitorous thieves immediately!" ”

Li Jiantai couldn't help but feel surprised, and hurriedly asked Xiang Du Zhi what was going on.

Du Zhi didn't understand either.

At this time, Zhou Yuji had already ordered the cannon to inform His Majesty that Zhu Youzhen had taken Baoding City, and officially erected a bright flag at the head of the city.

Seeing this, Li Jiantai suddenly realized, and shouted: "It's a trick!" ”