Sun Xiang, the right deputy of the capital guarding the Bauhinia Pass, and Zuo Neng, the commander of the capital, stood on the city wall, staring blankly at the Ming army that suddenly appeared.

The strange army did not come near the city walls, but set up camp two miles from the city gates.

Not long after, thousands of follow-up people, carrying heavy grain and grass, drove cattle and sheep, into the newly built camp.

Sun Xiang and Zuo Neng looked at each other and were speechless.

There is a problem here in Bauhinia Pass, Sun Xiang's right deputy capital Yushi is a civil official of the third grade, and the commander of the left can is a military attache of the third grade.

At this time, the status of civil officials has not yet surpassed that of military generals, and both of them are positive three grades, who should command whom?

So the two had to discuss it, Sun Xiang hoped to be able to concentrate on dealing with the Warat army in front, and the Ming army behind it would do whatever it liked, as long as it didn't make trouble.

And Zuo Neng is pro-emperor, so he can't wait to open the city gate and let the Wara army in. As for the Ming army outside the city, it would be best to drive them away.

In the end, the two of them adopted a compromise strategy, and first sent a few capable sentinels to ask questions outside the city.

Half an hour later, the sentry returned. Zuo Neng hurriedly asked, "Which Ming army is under the city?" ”

The sentry led by the sentry looked back: "General Hui, it is the vanguard of Yingzhou." ”

Zuo Neng heard this, and hurriedly scolded: "Nonsense, the former guard of Yingzhou, whose station is Xianghe County in the west of Tongzhou, how could he come here inexplicably?" ”

The sentry retorted innocently: "General, the one under the city is not the Yingzhou Qiantun guard stationed in Xianghe, but the Yingzhou Qianwei reorganized by the Daning Dusi. The leader of this army was the commander of the Daning Division, Tongzhi Gu Cong. ”

When Zuo Neng and Sun Xiang heard this, they glanced at each other and were even more surprised. The commander of the same command is a second-rank military general, who is higher than the two of them, how could he run to Bauhinia Pass inexplicably.

Sun Xiang asked several times to confirm that the sentry was not mistaken. Then he said to Zuo Neng: "Please General Zuo strictly guard the pass, and I will go down and see it myself." ”

Zuo Neng couldn't ask for it, and immediately nodded again and again. It just so happened that after Sun Xiang got out of the customs, he could connect with his henchmen and discuss how to let the emperor enter the customs.

However, it was said that Sun Xiang took a few entourages, sat in a hanging basket, went down to the outside of the city, and came to the station of Yingzhou Wei.

Gu Cong greeted him with a smile and enthusiastically put Sun Xiang into the big tent of the Chinese army.

Sun Xiang sat down in the big tent, and then asked eagerly, "Dare to ask why General Gu led the army here?" ”

Gu Cong explained with a smile: "I came here for three things on the secret order of His Majesty. ”

After that, Gu Cong took out a document from the case and handed it to Sun Xiang: "Sun Yushi, please see, this is an order from the Ministry of War, and I am legally leading the army to be stationed under the Bauhinia Pass." ”

After Sun Xiang confirmed that the order was correct, Gu Cong continued: "I have three purposes here, one is to send some cattle, sheep, wine and food to the Warat army, so that they can save the trouble of plundering the people and quickly reach the city of Beijing.

Second, I brought a group of well-educated people from the Hanlin Academy and Guozijian, as well as first-class painters in the capital. They will go to the city to watch the battle.

Third, I was ordered by the emperor to come to rescue Sun Yushi and the loyal and brave soldiers in the city. His Majesty knew that the Bauhinia Pass could not be guarded, and he had no intention of guarding the Bauhinia Pass.

However, His Majesty did not want the loyal soldiers to die in vain, so he entrusted me to bring His Majesty's secret decree and the order of the military department, and you can follow me to Baoding Mansion after two days of symbolic resistance. ”

After that, Gu Cong took out the secret decree and the documents of the military department from his pocket and handed them to Sun Xiang.

After Sun Xiang saw it, he still refused to give up easily: "General Gu, the Bauhinia Pass is so dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, why did Your Majesty abandon the pass so easily?" ”

Gu Cong said with a smile: "Sun Yushi wants to defend it, but the soldiers in the city don't want to defend it, most of the people are focused on the emperor, and if they can't defend it for a few days, these people will take the initiative to abandon it." At that time, the Wara army will inevitably break through, and Sun Yushi's life will inevitably be lost.

Sun Yushi doesn't have to blame himself, just do what he is told. Even if something goes wrong, your majesty will take responsibility, and no one will blame you. ”

Sun Xiang saw that Gu Cong was going to talk about this, so he could only nod helplessly, and then asked: "The lower officials are still puzzled, what is Your Majesty going to do when he sends some literati and painters over?" ”

Gu Cong explained with a smile: "Your Majesty wants to paint the fierce war scenes for painters and literati to write articles, and then spread them all over the country, so that the people of the world know the hardships of the defense of Beijing." ”

Sun Xiang was speechless after hearing this, the emperor took the initiative to ask to abandon the pass, where did the fierce war scene come from, didn't he coax the child.

Gu Cong didn't care about Sun Xiang's slander, and enthusiastically sent Sun Xiang out of the camp.

When Sun Xiang came out, he only had a few retinues, but when he returned to the city, he gave dozens of literati and painters.

Among these literati and painters, the leader was none other than the emperor's Zhongshu Ren.

Under the Bauhinia Pass, the Son of Heaven called the door, which was one of the most important scenes in the defense of Beijing.

Although Zhu Qizhen also called the door under the city of Beijing, it was not broken and was not convincing enough.

The Bauhinia Pass is the only important city pass that has been broken in the entire civil engineering change and the defense of the capital.

Therefore, it must be written and widely publicized, so that everyone in the world knows about it.

When Sun Xiang returned to Guanzhong, Zuo Neng also discussed the abandonment of the city with his henchmen.

On this day, the Warat army was also encamped, resting and preparing for battle. So the whole battlefield was very calm.

Early the next morning, Sun Xiang was still asleep, so Zuo Neng didn't come and called Sun Xiang up.

Sun Xiang hurriedly asked, "Is Warat attacking?" ”

Zuo Neng shook his head: "No, no, it's another Ming mission from outside the city." ”

"The Ming Mission? The big war is about to begin, why is Your Majesty still sending an embassy? Did the envoy tell them what they were here for, and quickly hoist them up in hanging baskets? ”

Zuo Neng replied helplessly: "They said they came to send the emperor's honor guard to the emperor." And the city gate must be opened, so that the emperor's guard of honor can pass through the Bauhinia Pass and go to the Warat camp. ”

"Ridiculous, who came up with this idea? Okay, what kind of emperor honor guard to give! ”

"Sun Yushi, be cautious, be cautious, this is the will of His Majesty personally, I don't believe you take a look."

As he spoke, Zuo Neng handed the edict that had just been hung up from the city to Sun Xiang.

Sun Xiang read the edict, but had no choice but to open and close.

So when Zhu Qizhen had just woken up in the felt tent, Yang Shan's delegation rushed to the Wara camp with the emperor's guard of honor.

After resting, Zhu Qizhen's body has improved greatly. Because Zhu Qizhen and Yexian both thought that it would take at least three or four days to capture Bauhinia Pass, they got off the chariot and lived in the felt tent again, and at this time, Ma Liang's four concubines also began to sleep for Zhu Qizhen again.

When Yang Shan entered the felt tent, Zhu Qizhen was hugging the beauty and hiding in the brocade quilt for fun.

Yang Shan had to salute Zhu Qizhen through the curtain.

Zhu Qizhen asked: "Why did Aiqing come, and what does the imperial brother need to explain?" ”

Yang Shan replied: "The new monarch sent a full set of imperial honor guards for His Majesty, and sent ministers as envoys to welcome His Majesty back to Beijing. ”

When Zhu Qizhen heard this, he poked his head out of the curtain curiously, and asked in puzzlement, "Is my younger brother really welcoming me back to Beijing?" ”

Yang Shan shook his head: "Wechen is not sure. ”

"And what can you be sure of?"

"The minister can be sure that the new monarch definitely doesn't want to be in His Majesty."

Zhu Qizhen sighed and asked again, "What do you think of Xinjun's behavior?" ”

Although Yang Shan was loyal to Zhu Qizhen, he still replied fairly: "Weichen is bent on welcoming His Majesty to the throne, but he can also understand the hardships of the new monarch, if Your Majesty is reinstated, the new monarch's family will not be able to live no matter what."

Therefore, the new monarch is also difficult to ride a tiger now, and he can't be blamed for his greed for the throne. ”