At the end of April, the soldiers and horses of the Xia State entered the Qi State Xinxiang, which was less than 50 miles, and the Jingshi Xinxiang was still in an atmosphere of panic, uneasiness, and anxiety.

The city gates were closed as early as the second day of the incident, and no one was allowed to leave the city, and the prices in the city changed three times a day, and the frightened people gathered at the four gates to beg the generals on the city tower to let them out.

“…… The general on the tower of the city, open the gates and let me and the people go out of the city. ”

"yes, we just want to live, what's wrong with us."

"You have lost the battle outside, why should we let our people suffer together!"

"Open the door!"

The soldiers guarding the gate below crossed their spears, put up their horses and fences, pushed the people back again, and kicked out a few curses from time to time.

The general on the tower of the city was also helpless, and he shouted downward: "I am under the will of Your Majesty, no one is allowed to leave the city, you good students go back to stay at home, don't run around and cause trouble!" Then go outside the city, it's not safe, today came the news, the cavalry of the Xia Kingdom has been cruising nearby, if you run into it, your life is not guaranteed, but you can forget about the slaughter of Pingwu City?! ”

"Only by working together with the imperial court and the soldiers defending the city to defeat the soldiers and horses of the Xia State can we get through the difficulties!"

The main force of the Xia State has not yet come, but it is an indisputable fact that there are already a large number of Xia cavalry wandering in the wilderness outside the city, and the people have not escaped from Xinxiang, and the government has to rumor that the people who went out of the city before, as well as the team of the gentry and the gentry have been attacked by the cavalry of the Xia State.

Rumors can indeed bring some people who want to leave the city back home, but they can also make some people more restless.

With the news of the peace talks being opened, although I don't know what conditions the commander of the Xia State opened, people still expect the imperial court to accept it and avoid the upcoming war, but the news of the peace talks spread for two days, and there was no movement on the court's side.

There was also an undercurrent surging in the court, and the news was almost pressed down by the civil and military cooperation, and it was not triggered.

On the last day of April, it was the same as the previous early dynasty, but the atmosphere was different from the past, the emperor Qi Ke'an was carried by the eunuchs and sat on the dragon chair, and the empress dowager Zhao Zhuangyi was also invited to come over and sit down on the side.

In the main hall, the ministers of civil and military affairs who were obedient in the past lowered their heads one by one at this time, or raised their eyes slightly, and looked towards the imperial steps, with a different look in their eyes than usual.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager!"

An old minister with a gray beard slowly walked out of the queue, "The main force of the Xia Kingdom is close at hand, and the cavalry of Xirong and the cavalry of the Northern Land have appeared around Gyeonggi, Your Majesty should make up your mind." ”

"Take ...... What's the idea? Didn't I tell you to make peace? It's just that kind of condition, how can I and the imperial grandmother accept it! ”

Since the sixteen-year-old emperor succeeded to the throne, he can be said to be walking on thin ice, waking up every day to inquire about where the soldiers and horses of the Xia State have been.

"You and the others are all my old ministers of Daqi, some generations of Daqi humerus, the enemy has been killed in Gyeonggi, you should work together, defend the city and retreat the enemy!"

"Your Majesty, what do we mean, it's better to agree to the terms of the Xia Kingdom's peace talks." A military general walked out, and he was one of the main generals of the army that was defeated that day.

"You! Licentious! Even though Zhao Zhuangyi is old, but after being the queen mother for so many years, Yu Wei is still there, she stood up with a crested golden scepter, "How can any courtier send the emperor to the enemy camp!" ”

"The Empress Dowager is wrong." The general's face did not change, but he arched his hand and lowered his face slightly, "Not only Your Majesty, but also the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager, the Emperor!" ”

The old woman's face flushed with this choked sentence, and before she could speak, the old minister, who was the first to stand up just now, picked up the words and spoke again.

"The Empress Dowager, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, just set an example for the Son of Heaven, defeat and surrender do not let the people in the city die in vain, and do not let the soldiers die in vain, this is what a benevolent and righteous king should do."

"The ministers seconded it!"

At this time, the civil and military forces in half of the hall walked out and stood behind the two people in front of him and bowed down.

The soldiers and horses of the Qi State were defeated again and again, the two states were gone, and now they are even more soldiers under the capital division, and the family behind the civil and military affairs, and if they continue to consume with such an emperor, there is no hope at all.

At this time, everyone rushed up, the wall fell down, and everyone pushed it, selling the emperor, which is also rare in the world.

In their eyes, the Son of Heaven of Qi is a self-despised son and gives up the emperor's throne, which has made all the civil and military officers feel cold.

Hundreds of thousands of troops failed to elect a qualified commander, and they did not have the courage to be the emperor, so they had to think about themselves and the family behind them, and find another way to retreat.

At the moment, everyone has not completely forced the palace, and the words are quite gentle, leaving room for maneuver.

If you put it a few months ago, the country of Qi that has been established for more than 200 years is still as peaceful as ever, even if the trade is blocked and the people are miserable, but everyone is still safe, the king is still the king, the minister is still the minister, but now in the blink of an eye, the army is under the city, hundreds of thousands of troops have been disabled, and the emperor is so nested, in such a situation, how can they not find another way to protect themselves?

At this time, in the court, the ministers of the original main battle faction did not dare to speak.

The rest of the civil and military forces stood on the side of the Lord and the Lord, and many people also opened their mouths to comfort Qi Ke'an and Zhao Zhuangyi at this moment.

“…… Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager actually saw clearly in their hearts, although there were soldiers and generals in the Qi State, they were basically useless, and the moss at the root of the wall in the capital of the Qi State was thick......"

"Lord Li said very much, I also want to persuade Your Majesty to go to the Xia State military camp, even if it is a loss of face, but in the end it is to save your life, and the people in the city will not suffer from the sword soldiers." An old minister also followed closely to answer and persuade him.

Qi Ke'an on the imperial stairs blushed and couldn't speak, and Zhao Zhuangyi on the side was furious: "All the ministers are old ministers of Great Qi for many years, and the Qi State is not thin on you, as well as the large and small clansmen behind you, and at the end of the day, you actually want to sell your old body and Your Majesty to the Xia Kingdom!" ”

Qi Ke'an also tried to save the hearts of the civil and military forces: "Yes, don't forget, Zhuqing, there are still 50,000 border troops on the way, and they also fight with the Liang State from time to time, which can be regarded as an army that has fought ......"

"Is Your Majesty simply pinning his hopes on 50,000 border troops? That's really a bit risky, do you know that the weapons and armor of the border army are old, and they have been replaced over the years? And...... If Xin Xiang really breaks through the Xia Kingdom, won't His Majesty and I want to retreat? ”

More civil and military openings.

"Hundreds of thousands of troops have been defeated, and only 50,000 border troops can compete with the army of Xia Kingdom's hundred battles?"

"Your Majesty does not understand military affairs, and thinks that when a soldier takes a weapon, he can fight the enemy. In the past few decades, there have been occasional small frictions in the six countries, and there has never been a major war, and the soldiers have forgotten the ability to fight for their lives on the battlefield. ”

“…… You can't be single-minded, how to turn things around! ”

A group of civil and military officials, you say a word, I say a word, and the ancestors and grandchildren on the royal ladder are speechless.

Qi Ke'an was dressed in imperial clothes, and his face was full of trembling looks: "The state of affairs of the ministers has not yet reached the point of no return, and the soldiers of the Xia State are strong, but if we and other monarchs and ministers are united, and the army and the people are united, let them attack the city with one go, and their morale will inevitably fail, and as time goes by, it will be a turning point." ”

He racked his brains and looked at the figures of the people below, his voice choked.

"It's not often said that prosperity and decline, decline can also turn prosperous, if after this battle, I will defeat the Xia Kingdom, and in the future, there will be no signs of rejuvenation, and all Aiqing don't want to be the ministers of the country, right?!"

In the main hall, there was silence, and some people sighed.

"What Your Majesty said is, who wants to be a minister of the dead country, but the soldiers of the Xia State have been destroyed all the way, if the Liang State can still rely on foreign aid, our courtiers are also willing to sacrifice their families to fight with them!"

"But Liang Guo is also too busy to take care of himself now, and my Daqi is under the city again, and survival is only in the moment, where is there a chance to turn the tide of the war!"

Everyone was talking, and some ministers accompanied the emperor to sobb softly, and finally put the words down.

"Your Majesty, the ministers will give Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager another night to think about it."

After speaking, the ministers bowed their hands for the last time, and without waiting for the dynasty to disperse, they retreated one after another, and then turned around and walked out.

Leaving only the old Zhao Zhuangyi, as well as the emperor Qi Ke'an, the two generations of ancestors and grandchildren were in tears, supporting each other to go back to the harem, Qi Wangge, who was already the emperor, hurriedly stepped forward with his wife to greet him, and asked if there were generals in the court who volunteered to lead the army to fight to the death with the Xia State to relieve the danger of Xinxiang.

Seeing Zik'an's wet red eyes, he shook his head with tears.

Qi Wangge's original look of expectation faded from his face in an instant, and he sat on the threshold of the hall door in despair, and there was another person in the room who was Qi Qingbao, who laughed and pointed to Zhao Zhuangyi and a few people outside.

"Well deserved! Deserve! Originally, I surrendered to the emperor of the Xia Kingdom, and after the abdication, you will not lose your wealth and wealth, and the people and soldiers will not suffer from this misfortune. ”

He was released before, and when he heard that hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses were defeated overnight, he wept bitterly, and at this moment his grief turned into anger and banter, and he took a bite at his old wife, son, and grandson outside.

"My Qi family temple is all destroyed in the hands of you people who can't help themselves!"

Zhao Zhuangyi's embarrassed old face was flushed, and he was about to go in to beat Qi Qingbao with a cane, but he was stopped by Qi Wangge, and he yelled at his mother with red eyes: "It's all you!" If you hadn't bewitched me, seized the throne of my father's emperor, and killed the envoys of the Xia Kingdom, where would there be today! ”

Zik'an rushed in with a limp, and when he raised his hand, he punched his roaring father in the face.

"You're no better!"

"Son, you are going to rebel against the sky, come to someone!"

"You're going to scream?! Come on, the Emperor Taishang beats me! ”

Qi Qingbao in the hall patted his thighs, watching the relatives outside fight into a ball and laughed a little maniacally, laughing and laughing, he slid from the chair to the ground, and cried out.

The man's crying is not good, especially the crying of the old man is even more ugly, but in this ugly howling cry, it is the deep affection for this Qi country, and the grief for the family affection that has come to naught.

……

Just outside the undercurrent surging and frightened Xinxiang City, the main force of the Xia Kingdom from the north was already stationed in the wilderness twenty miles away from the Beijing Division.

Under the command of the soldiers, the recruited young men were erecting fences connecting several miles, tents were also being erected, and the craftsmen in the back camp were preparing siege equipment with all their might, or repairing the armor and blades that the soldiers had replaced.

Among the commanders of the Chinese army who were the first to set up, Li Jingduan, as the commander of the Eastern Route Army, sat on the handsome position, his face was not angry but mighty, and he was looking through the letter in his hand, which was sent by the civil and military people in Xinxiang City.

He then handed the letter to the lower part for the general to circulate and keep the information open to avoid any discordant schemes.

“…… The royal family of Qi is really eye-opening, I always thought that the emperor was still the son of Qi Qingbao who seized the throne, but I didn't expect this guy to abdicate and give up the emperor's throne to his son Qi Ke'an when we fought Shengzhou, this kind of thing was heard for the first time, and it was incredible. ”

"But these ministers of Qi who sold the emperor still want to bargain with us? I really don't know whether I live or die, and I don't know my situation......"

The generals in the tent sat on the pole in turn, this kind of foldable low stool is also found in this world, and it is very popular, it is easy to carry on the march after folding, and it is square after being stretched, and there is a coarse cloth support point in the middle, which can completely make people sit upright.

Lu Bu, Xiang Yu, Youyan Army Coach Zhao Yun, Deputy Commander Zhang Yi; The commanders of the Xiliang Army, Dong Zhuo, Li Dao, Li Ru, Tieya, Su Dingfang and others also read the letter afterwards, and they were really amused by the practice of passing the imperial throne from the royal family of Qi State.

Lu Bu took the letter back, got up and slapped it on the desk in the middle: "Shame and conspicuous!" If they risk their lives to defend the city walls, a certain family will still be able to look up to them! ”

The main generals in the tent laughed one after another, and even Xiang Yu smiled with him, and said casually: "The Qi country here is really similar to the Qi country at that time, a group of clowns who jumped off the beam, there are hundreds of thousands of troops, and none of them can fight!" ”

"That's Xiang Wang's ability to fight!" Su Dingfang raised his white head, followed with a smile and said a word, and then a trace of fierceness flashed in his eyes, and he looked at Li Jing behind the long case.

"Master, they have the heart to surrender, but they are still bargaining with us in the letter, a bit of a bargain for the price, you might as well attack the city and beat it."

Li Jing nodded, looking at Dong Zhuo of the Xiliang Army, Dong Zhuo, who couldn't wait for a long time, stood up before Li Jing could speak: "Needless to say, fight the capital, the Xiliang Army is familiar!" The Imperial City is also wrapped up in one go. ”

"Haha, Taishi misunderstood, what Jing meant, anyway, the battle of Qi is almost over, you might as well 'send' the rest of the earth-shattering thunder to Qi State in one go, and give them a boost!"

The surrounding generals suddenly outlined a hideous smile on the corner of their mouths.

Xin Xiang.

The night was slowly falling, and the letters sent outside the city did not return.

Waiting for the response of the coach of the Xia Kingdom outside the city, the civil and military stayed in their respective homes and looked extremely anxious.

At this time, many people in the city gathered in the streets, sitting under the eaves of the street in a sad and unoptimistic tone, discussing what to do next.

The streets of the city are extremely quiet, and the soldiers who are still holding on to the city walls are looking at the dark outside of the city with some nervousness, and occasionally Xia Guo scouts with torches running over the field, which can make them nervous.

Tonight, however, it felt a little dull and faint, and some noise could be heard coming from the distant night.

After a short time, a large number of torches were suddenly lit in the dark night, forming a sea of fire, which frightened the soldiers on the city wall into panic, thinking that the Xia army was going to attack the city at night.

Between the shouts and the rush to the drum tower to beat the drums of war, there was a thud that rang out over the outer field through the city walls, and then a black thing with a fire flew high in the night sky.

He crossed the corner of the tower, smashed a few tiles, and fell against the inner wall.

In the next second, there was a loud bang, and the sound of fire and thunder rose into the sky.

The soldiers only felt the city wall shake under their feet. 、

"Demon ...... Sorcery? ”

"What just happened?!"

"Turn back! And ......" a Qi soldier turned around and said, "Ah! The frightened shouted out.

On the city wall, densely packed with soldiers, the people in the city walked on the streets, or pushed open the wooden windows, and the countless black dots that came into view flew towards the city tower and the city without any purpose.

Boom Boom Boom ......

The sound of the explosion rose to the highest level in an instant, and the terrifying sound flooded the city, and the flames that rose to the sky were like brilliant flowers, and the crazy sections of the city walls bloomed everywhere.

(End of chapter)