On the eighth day of the second month, the sun was scorching at noon.

Under the cover of the navy, the Liaodong Army successfully landed ashore. Immediately, accompanied by the sound of drums, they formed a formation and opened fire on the southern soldiers on the shore.

The soldiers who did not have time to form a formation also looked for suitable cover, held their guns, and shot at the enemy one by one.

Yang Chengying stood on the deck of the command ship, holding a telescope, observing the battlefield.

He saw that after the cavalry regiment successfully crossed the river, it formed a cavalry charge formation.

It looks like the southern soldiers are going to retreat, he thought.

Sure enough, as soon as they saw that the cavalry was about to attack from the flank, the southern soldiers were so frightened that they ran away.

"Pass the order, don't stop after the army lands on the shore, until Zhenjiang is taken." Yang Cheng should adjust the offensive line in due course.

The flag bearer received the order, waved the flag, and issued the flag of pursuit.

The signal corps drove boats back and forth between the troops, conveying Yang Chengying's generals step by step.

Soon, the flagship docked, and anchored it. The plank was then lowered, and Yang Chengying stepped off the boat.

The guard brought the war horse, and he immediately mounted his horse and waved his big hand: "Go!"

In terms of combat effectiveness, the southern soldiers are far inferior to the rest of Gao Jie.

For only one hour, Yang Chengying was sitting in the government office in Zhenjiang.

"Our army's losses in this battle are negligible, killing 1,300 southern soldiers, and the southern soldiers have fled to Danyang."

Listening to Lang Tingzuo's report, Yang Chengying set his eyes on Danyang.

Looking at the geographical location, it is clear that the southern soldiers have left Nanjing behind, and they probably want to return to Zhejiang.

"The army rests in place and marches to Nanjing tomorrow."

After Yang Chengying finished speaking, he returned to his seat.

Zhenjiang is a key point in the north and south, and it has always been a battleground for soldiers.

The loss of Zhenjiang means that the Hongguang regime has lost its last barrier, and its demise is just around the corner.

"Honestly, if only I had clairvoyance."

Yang Chengying said this suddenly, causing the generals present to look at each other and not know what to do.

Then, listening to Yang Chengying continue, "I want to see what Zhu Yousong is doing?"

Everyone smiled.

Wu Sangui said: "The minister advises His Highness not to think about it."

"Why?" Yang Chengying asked.

"I heard that Zhu Yousong is very lustful, maybe he is holding which palace lady is doing something unseemly at this time. The princesses are not here, and Your Highness has seen it, and if we have any thoughts, will we not be charged with 'robbing the people's daughters.'"

Listening to Wu Sangui's words, everyone raised their heads and laughed.

Yang Chengying also laughed.

The next day, on the ninth day of the second lunar month, Emperor Hongguang and Ma Shiying received an urgent battle report from the front - the Liaodong Army had captured Zhenjiang and there were signs of marching into Nanjing.

Both the monarch and the minister were numb.

At this time, it was necessary to run away, because there were no reliable defenders in Nanjing.

Even if there is, in the face of the artillery of the Liaodong Army, it may not be able to resist.

And the closest and most reliable sailor Tu Xubu is still assembled in Wuhu, and when they arrive, the grave of Emperor Hongguang will have grass overgrown.

From Zhenjiang to Nanjing, the distance is only one hundred and thirty miles, two days away.

Run! Run!

You must also run quietly, so as not to be discovered by the hundred officials and stumble.

On February 10, Emperor Hongguang did not go to the early court, but only sent eunuchs to send a decree to release all the ladies who had been sacrificed by Ma Shiying, Qian Qianyi, and at the same time declared martial law in the whole city.

The whole city is under martial law, which is easy to understand.

Releasing the lady is a matter of virtue.

Then, something that made the hundred officials unbearable came.

The eunuch announced that Emperor Hongguang was in a good mood and decided to watch the play in the opera garden.

What? The enemy is coming, run to the theater to watch the play!

The officials were shocked, and they all said, how can this kind of thing be, gathering outside the end door to make noise.

Emperor Hongguang ignored it completely, convened the troupe step by step, and watched the play with Lu Jiude and several other eunuchs.

was so angry that the livers of the officials hurt, and in the end they had no choice but to accept the reality.

However, what they didn't know was that at the moment when Emperor Hongguang was watching the play, Ma Shiying had secretly taken the queen mother and the emperor's concubine out of the palace.

Even Qian Qianyi, who was staring at Ma Shiying, didn't notice it at all.

Emperor Hongguang watched the play with a graceful look. Humming a few words from time to time, immersed in the drama.

No one noticed the anomaly, including Emperor Hongguang Izugong.

But! Hongguang did not go to the latrine, but left from the backyard, jumped into the carriage, and joined Ma Shiying and his party under the protection of the guards.

It turned out that they had agreed on a time, and when they heard the sound of the second drum, they looked for an opportunity to leave.

The second drum, that is, the second watch, is probably between 21-23 o'clock now.

Escorted by the soldiers of the Yongwei Battalion and Ma Shiying's soldiers, he directly left the civil and military officials and other people in the city and ran away overnight!

This Guizhou soldier came from Guizhou, and the military discipline was extremely poor.

How bad is it?

They were sent to Qimen County, but because they forcibly occupied private houses and forcibly humiliated women, they were mistaken for thieves by local officials and led the crowd to intercept them.

There is a man named Xu Wenyu, who is entangled in the six counties and township Yong to intercept him in Donghong Village. After the fierce battle, the Qian soldiers were defeated by Xiang Yong and fled to the Wang clan ancestral hall in the south of Qimen County, where Xiang Yong burned the ancestral hall and burned nearly 200 Qian soldiers.

Later, it was Ma Shiying who sent someone to rescue them after inquiry, so that they were saved from destruction.

When the 3,000 soldiers entered the city of Nanjing, more than half of them ran away, and less than 1,000 remained.

Relying on this kind of person to protect is a bit unreliable.

But for now, it can only be relied on them.

The funny thing is that Lu Jiude and others were still watching the play, and they didn't notice that the emperor had run away at all.

Until the inner prisoner who stayed in the Forbidden City came and asked, "Where is Your Majesty?"

"Out of the ...... Izuku!" There is a slight change in Lu Jiude.

"What's wrong, eighty percent of them ran away." The inner eunuch was in a hurry, "We have all been deceived by the emperor, and the queen mother and several imperial concubines are not in the inner palace."

"Oh my God!" Lu Jiude sat down in his chair, trembling all over.

It is said that the emperor is the sky on the heads of the eunuchs, but this piece of heaven does not say goodbye, and the sky really falls.

After a brief panic, Lu Jiude regained his composure: "Quick! Send someone to inform the hundred officials, and the emperor has run away."

The emperor ran away!

This used to be a more euphemistic statement, what a southern hunt, what a parade.

When you get to Hongguang, it becomes running.

It can be seen that the officials have been very disappointed in this emperor.

Hundreds of officials gathered in the Nanjing Wenhua Palace, noisy and shouting, but there were no good ideas.

"Uncle Zhao, you are the commander of the Jingying, and you are the most prestigious person among us. It's better for you to come out and preside over the overall situation, and whether to fight or make peace with His Royal Highness King Zhou is all up to the uncle."

One person started up, and the others chimed in.

Zhao Zhilong: ???

I was a fool, as a minister of the Hongguang Dynasty, but he shouted "Your Highness" to the enemy.

It is up to me to decide whether to fight or to make peace.

Fight the fart!

It's just that I don't want to bear the infamy of "betraying the Lord and surrendering", and take me as the big culprit.

Thinking of this, Zhao Zhilong had an idea: "At the moment of the great enemy, King Fu actually fled, and he is not worthy of being our emperor. It has long been rumored that Wang Zhiming, who is imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, is the crown prince and our real monarch.

Why don't you come with me to the prison and release the crown prince, support the crown prince to ascend the throne and succeed to the throne, and lead us to defend against a strong enemy."

The words were impassioned, and most of the officials were old fritters, and when they heard these words, they couldn't help but smile.

High, really high.