Chapter 87

How could Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian not know the calculations of these civil and military officials in his heart?

After much deliberation, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian raised his head to glance at the corpses on Xingshan.

Then he drew a ceremonial sword from the warhorse behind him and thrust it into the soil of Xingshan himself.

With a solemn expression, he whispered in a low voice:

"The Ministry of Rites shall erect a Dismount Stele at this location."

"Effective immediately, whenever civil or military officials arrive here, civil officials must disembark from their sedans, and military generals must dismount from their horses; the Ningyuan Office shall offer sacrifices here throughout the four seasons."

"Your subjects receive your command!"

Hearing that Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian had finally relented and ordered the return of the army,

the civil and military officials of Great Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though they all knew this case would not end so hastily.

At the very least, if one were beheaded in the capital, there was still a mass grave for burial.

But to die here...

one would truly be left to feed the wolves!

Under Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's imperial decree,

the hundred officials, along with the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, finally embarked on the journey back to the capital.

However, once the Embroidered Uniform Guard returned to the capital, the common people throughout the city immediately sensed something unusual in the air.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard cavalry, which had vanished from sight since Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian ascended the throne in the year 513, reappeared on the streets.

The agents of the Eastern Depot also appeared in every alley and street.

The Duke of Ying's residence, once unapproachable and hailed by court officials as the foremost among the nobility, was directly raided and confiscated.

The plaque bearing the inscription "Imperially Commissioned Duke of Ying Residence"

was even publicly chopped into firewood at Caishikou.

And this time, the scope of the raids continued to expand incessantly.

Whether Grand Secretaries of the court or imperial relatives, they became prisoners overnight.

Especially the residence of the Marquis of Wuqing.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian hated them so much his teeth itched; he directly stripped the title from Li Wei, who had been dead for several decades.

These marquises and earls, who had achieved not an inch of merit and relied solely on their status as imperial in-laws for their titles, were all purged by Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian.

Just as Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian was busy executing people in the capital,

a scout from the northwest galloped swiftly into the city.

Chang'an has fallen!

This great defeat of the imperial clan nearly made the entire court forget that a colossal entity known as the roving bandits was lurking to the west of Great Ming.

As soon as the news reached the capital,

the entire court and countryside immediately panicked.

Not only that.

Wang Wang Wang Chengen also arrived before Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian with a secret memorial, his expression grave.

"Your Majesty, the number of letters sent from the capital to the northwest in recent days has increased significantly."

Wang Wang Wang Chengen's words were deliberately vague.

In reality, spies from both the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already submitted reports.

In recent days, the princes and high officials of the court had been sending people to the northwest.

If surrendering to captors makes one a Han traitor,

then surrendering to the bandits would do!

Surely this huge hat of 'Han traitor' would not land on their own heads this time!

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's expression remained grave; only after a long silence did he ask in a low voice:

"Are there any troops capable of fighting left within the passes?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Wang Wang Chengen cupped his hands and replied:

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Hong's forces have just withdrawn inside the passes to rest and reorganize."

"Even the troops of Zuo Zuo Liangyu in the Jiangnan region have begun to mobilize; there are simply no soldiers left in the northwest."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian stared intently at the memorial Wang Wang Wang Chengen had brought back.

Calculating by time,

it was roughly when the court distributed grain and fodder for disaster relief last time that Li Huang Zicheng had already begun to act.

However, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian had read the previous several reports.

Every county and prefecture had submitted memorials.

They stated that since the court's disaster relief efforts, the assaults by refugees in the northwest had clearly weakened considerably.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian had thought the civil unrest in the northwest was about to dissipate.

Who could have expected that after his return, Li Huang Zicheng's offensive would suddenly become so fierce.

"Wang Wang Chengen, have you investigated clearly what exactly is happening with the bandit Li?"

After hesitating for a long time, Wang Wang Wang Chengen drew a report from his sleeve and whispered in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, your subject has only heard some rumors so far; the specific details are still under investigation."

"And?"

"The Tartars outside the passes seem to be borrowing a route through the grasslands to send something to the northwest."

Upon hearing these words,

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's expression immediately turned grave.

Were these two mortal enemies of the Great Ming finally joining forces?!

Thinking of this, beads of cold sweat instantly seeped onto Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's forehead, and he hurriedly ordered:

"Go quickly and find out exactly what Huang Taiji is sending to that bandit Li, and the precise amount!"

Wang Wang Wang Chengen bowed with hands clasped and said:

"This slave receives the decree!"

After Wang Wang Wang Chengen left, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian opened the chat group with his brows tightly knitted.

The moment he opened the group chat,

he discovered that Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had already sent him a message.

Emperor Taizu Gao:

"Where did you run off to, kid? Why did you suddenly disappear?"

"How is the war in Liaoxi going?"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-Great-Grandfather, the situation is somewhat wrong."

"Li Huang Zicheng seems to be joining forces with Huang Taiji."

"Chang'an has already fallen, and now the civil and military officials in the court are restless and wavering."

"Could it be that the fate of the Great Ming has truly run out..."

Emperor Taizu Gao:

"Bullshit!"

"Even if you die, our Great Ming will not perish!"

"More than two hundred thousand lads have died on the battlefield, and now you tell me the Great Ming is finished?!"

"Damn it, give me another hundred thousand travel talismans; I'll lead the Huaixi Army over there and rip Huang Taiji's intestines out myself!"

"Just focus on your own affairs; don't worry about Li Huang Zicheng. Let me see if I can figure out a solution for you."

Although he spoke these words,

when Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang reviewed the remaining assets Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian had left,

he could not help but fall silent.

North of the Yangtze River, only a few empty shell guard posts remained.

How could this war be fought?

Surely we cannot just wait for Li Huang Zicheng to surrender on his own!

Inside the Hall of Heavenly Purity.