From the direction of the elephant house, a group of soldiers with torches held high appeared, and the sound of steel clashing indicated that they were in armor. Liu Li's face sank like water, and he shouted sharply: "Form a circle formation, protect Your Majesty!" Without hesitation, the army drew their blades and stood in a circle back to back, their weapons on guard outward, surrounding Emperor Chongwen in the center.

The group of men and horses ran 3 zhang away, and the first one came out and knelt in the dust, shouting loudly: "Long live Grandpa, where is it?

Liu Li was not a dead soldier arranged by Emperor Gao for Emperor Chongwen, he was just a subordinate of Wu Liang. Wu Liang's official residence was the Imperial Horse Supervisor and the Eunuch, who was in charge of the command of the pro-army and was his direct superior. They risked their lives to rescue Emperor Chongwen just following Wu Liang's orders, and he didn't know the escape plan arranged by Emperor Gao, let alone whether this Luo Hong was part of Emperor Gao's escape plan.

Wu Liang, who knew Emperor Gao's plan, was dead, and even if he didn't die, he might not know the whole plan.

Liu Li looked back at Emperor Chongwen, he quietly lay on Wang Hui's back and said nothing, it seemed that this young emperor was frightened and couldn't expect him to make up his mind.

He whispered to his subordinates: "All be on guard, death to those who trespass!"

"Whew!" replied the sergeant in a low and firm voice.

He straightened his belt, strode in front of Luo Hong, and asked sharply, "Who sent you here?"

Luo Hong straightened up, looked at Liu Li and replied: "I am Luo Hong, the first emperor of the Qinfeng elephant taming guard, Luo Hong, who was ordered by the first emperor, once the imperial city is in trouble, I will be here to rescue the king of Qin, who are you?"

Liu Li looked into his eyes and said, "I am Liu Li, the commander of Long Xiangwei, you said that you have the last order of the first emperor, what is the basis?" Luo Tong said: "The last order of the first emperor is an oracle. He pulled out a sharp sword from the sheath behind his back, held it to Liu Li with both hands, and said, "Can this thing be used as evidence?"

Liu Li took the sword, the shark skin scabbard, the brass swallowed, and pulled out a foot, like a pool of autumn water in the moonlight. This is the sword of Emperor Gao when he was the king of Wu, and this person is holding a royal thing, which is credible.

He returned the sword to Luo Hong, helped him up and said, "The holy driver is frightened and needs to rest urgently, you immediately prepare wine and food." I will also prepare 10 days of food and water, and 17 sets of people's robes, and I will not be able to stay here for a long time, and I will leave the city after one hour. ”

Luo Hong looked at Liu Li and said, "I want to see the driver, I only obey today's orders." ”

Liu Li said impatiently: "No, the holy driver can't look at things now, everything here is up to me." ”

Luo Hong said firmly: "Forgive me. ”

Liu Li pondered for a moment and said, "Okay, you can only see the car alone." ”

Luo Hong nodded, strode forward, Liu Li stretched out his hand to stop him, Luo Hong understood, untied the sword at his waist and handed it to Liu Li, Liu Li then let go of his arms, took Luo Hong to the small circle formation, and waved his hand, the sergeant put down his blade and let go of the front.

Luo Hong walked in front of Emperor Chongwen, bowed again, and sang: "Long live the minister Luo Hong, long live, long live, long live." ”

Emperor Chongwen didn't speak, but waved his hand weakly. Liu Li helped Luo Hong up, pulled him aside in the darkness and whispered: "See, Your Majesty is delirious, you must listen to my orders, otherwise we will all die here, and Your Majesty will not escape the snare of King Yan." ”

Luo Hong said simply: "Okay, according to you, what else do you command?"

Liu Li looked up at the dark night, the moon was in the middle of the sky, and it was about 3 o'clock now, the time was very tight, and they had to stay away from Nanjing City as much as possible after dawn. There is also this Luo Hong, it is difficult to say whether he is reliable or unreliable, although he is a person trusted by Emperor Gao, but how many years have passed, it is difficult to say whether his mind has changed.

He stared at Luo Hong's eyes and said, "The situation is critical, and no one knows if the Northern Army has troops in Nanguo." After you arrange for us to rest, immediately take your people to control the upper bridge on the Qinhuai River, as well as the upper gate. We will rest here for a while, and in one hour we will meet at the upper gate, and from there we will go out of the city.

Once a northern army wants to enter the city from the upper gate, you have to resist desperately, let me know with the cannon fire, and I will immediately set off to the upper gate with long live to meet you and rush out of Nanjing together. ”

Luo Hong didn't blink his eyes, and immediately clenched his fists and responded: "Oh! ”

Luo Hong took Liu Li and his entourage to the Elephant Warrior Wei Zuo Qianhu Office and arranged for wine, food and clothing. Luo Hong kept his promise, obeyed Liu Li's orders, and took his cronies out of the elephant guard to occupy the upper gate, and Liu Li and his party had a short rest in the second hall of the thousand households.

In the hall, the internal supervisor Wang Hui waited for Emperor Chongwen to change clothes and eat, Liu Li, Liu Guan and Qi Lutong discussed in a low voice on the side, and the soldiers and men ate and drank enough in the hall, changed the people's clothes, and closed their eyes back to back to recuperate. The court was dim, the shadows of the trees were swaying, and all the soldiers were silently thinking about their thoughts, and no one could sleep.

Qi Lutong munched on dry food and asked in a low voice, "Gong Liu, where are we going next?"

Liu Li said briefly: "Moling Pass." ”

"And then?"

"To the west, out of the lake Guangyungui, to the Burma Bago country. ”

"What if we meet the Northern Army?"

Liu Li said lightly: "Only a desperate battle, can't you tie your hands?"

Qi Lutong stopped talking, silently gnawed on dry food for a while, and suddenly said: "I thought that now that there is more luck in going out of the city, we should wait for reinforcements here." ”

Liu Guan, who was thin and strong, said in surprise: "Reinforcements, where did the reinforcements come from?"

Qi Lutong leaned forward and said in a low voice: "I heard that Wang Zengtai, the squire of the military department, is recruiting troops in Lishui, which is only a hundred miles away from us, and the news of the fall of Nanjing will soon reach Lishui." He will surely go north to King Qin, and then we will join him again, and your majesty will only be safe among the hosts. ”

Liu Guan chuckled and said: "Wang Zengtai is a useless corrupt Confucian, and he is the one who instigated His Majesty to cut down the feudal domain, and let him take a group of rabble Qin Wang? You don't have to think about it to know that once the news of the fall of Nanjing spreads, his soldiers will immediately be terrified and scattered. Even if he arrives in the city of Nanjing, how can he be the opponent of His Royal Highness King Yan, and waiting here is really a dead end. ”

Qi Lutong spit out the dry food in his mouth to the ground, raised his voice and said, "But our parents and family are still in Nanjing, and we are dying, what should they do?"

Liu Li said coldly: "What do you say?"

Qi Lutong glanced at Emperor Chongwen, did not speak, the candle flame flickered, and the hall suddenly fell into a deathly silence, and the air was filled with a strong smell of killing. Emperor Chongwen was still silent, without looking at these people, the majestic eunuch Wang Hui slowly stood up, blocked Emperor Chongwen with his body, and held a candlestick tightly in his big hand.

After being silent for a long time, Liu Li opened his mouth and said: "My father, it is Liu Bingqi, the late Black Tartar Cao Yun Wanhu, when the Black Tartar was tyrannical, my father was the first to raise the banner of righteousness against the Tartars, cut Wentai, and called the eastern Zhejiang, and then the heroes rose together, and then drove the Tartars. During his lifetime, his father repeatedly failed Emperor Gao, and Emperor Gao was lenient and benevolent, did not kill my Liu family, and was named the Duke of Quguo, and his descendants were knighted and enjoyed wealth and prosperity.

When my father was dying, he said to my brother that I, Liu, must not forget the kindness of the Son of Shenwu, and my children and grandchildren must swear to die to repay it. Now that King Yan is in turmoil and the Son of Heaven is covered with dust, it is the time for my Liu family to repay with death. You asked me to bind the present long live to the traitors, not only disloyal, but also unfilial, disloyal and unfilial, how can I be a human being? Liu Li pressed the handle of the knife, stared at Qi Lutong, and said word by word: "I, no, answer, answer." ”

Qi Lutong stood up and said equally firmly: "It's a matter of life and death for everyone, and you two brothers can't do it." Then he turned and strode out of the hall, stood on the stone steps, and said in a loud voice, "Brothers, listen to me. ”

The sergeants who were pretending to be asleep stood up one after another, looking at Qi Lutong, not knowing what he was going to do.

Qi Lu Tong said loudly: "The heavenly family is not harmonious, the Son of Heaven wants to cut down the domain, the King of Yan wants to be appeased, the world has been boiling for three years, who among us and the people knows what is right and which is wrong? What kind of grudge do we have with His Royal Highness the King of Yan and with the soldiers of the Northern Army? In this case, we are fighting with them for the life, and we are killed and injured all over the field, what are we trying to do?"

All the soldiers were in an uproar, but no one spoke, Qi Lutong's words were really disrespectful.

Qi Lutong continued: "We have fought with our lives to rescue the Son of Heaven from the fire, and we have fulfilled our duty to the Heavenly Family, but what about our families? To our parents and children? You see, the south is outside the city, go over there, and since then we have been hiding in Tibet, being hunted down by the world, and our relatives have died with swords and axes, and we have to bear the name of rebellion. To the north, it is the city of Nanjing, where relatives can be preserved, and fame and wealth can be expected. The choice is yours. ”

There was an uproar in the hall, what Qi Lutong said, everyone thought about it, but no one had an answer. Now that Qi Lutong has spoken out these doubts in public, of course it will shake everyone's hearts, and the stupid military man is also a human being, and he also has feelings.

A stout man slowly walked out of the second hall and stood outside the gate, he was so majestic that he covered most of the lights in the hall. It was Liu Li, and he shouted in a deep voice: "Those who are willing to be loyal ministers of Dakang stand on my left." ”

Liu Guan, the eunuch of the Divine Palace, strode out of the hall and stood on the left and right of Liu Li. The hall was silent for a long time, and after a long time, two Longxiang guards stepped forward and stood beside them, and several big men blocked Emperor Chongwen in the second hall.

Liu Li looked at Lin Yanghao coldly, Lin Yanghao avoided Liu Li's gaze, and finally raised his head to look directly at Liu Li, and said: "My widowed mother is seventy years old, and I am the only son in the family... ”

Qi Lutong has already won the game, he now has 13 people, and the other party only has 5. He turned around and said to Liu Li: "Duke Liu, you have to be loyal ministers, I won't stop you." We are comrades in life and death, I don't embarrass you, you go, leave the present. ”

Liu Li said lightly: "Absolutely not!"

Qi Lutong said sincerely: "If we go to see His Royal Highness King Yan empty-handed, it will be impossible to escape death, will you just watch our family die?"

Liu Li said: "Then follow me out of Nanjing City." ”