Chapter 94

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

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

He then drew a sword from the warhorse behind him and stuck it into the soil of Xingshan himself.

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

"The Ministry of Rites shall erect a 'Dismounting Stele' here."

"From this day forward, whenever civil or military officials arrive at this place, civil officials must alight from their carriages, and military officers must dismount. The Ningyuan government office shall offer sacrifices here in all four seasons."

"We, your subjects, receive the order!"

Hearing that Zhu Youjian had finally agreed to Songkou and recalled the troops.

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 was beheaded in the capital, there was a mass grave where one could be buried.

To die here.

Then one would truly be waiting to feed the wolves!

Under Zhu Youjian's imperial decree.

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

However, after the Embroidered Uniform Guard returned to the capital, all the common people of the capital immediately sensed something unusual in the air.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's mounted patrols, who had vanished into thin air after Zhu Youjian ascended the throne in 513, reappeared on the streets.

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

The Duke Prefecture, once so high and unattainable and hailed by court officials as the head of the noble families, was directly raided and confiscated.

That plaque reading "Imperially Built Duke Prefecture."

Was directly chopped into firewood in public at Caishikou.

And the scope of this raid continued to expand ceaselessly.

Whether Grand Secretaries of the current court or imperial relatives and nobles, they all became prisoners overnight.

Especially the Wu Qinghou Prefecture.

Zhu Youjian was so furious his teeth ached that he directly stripped the title from Li Wei, who had been dead for decades.

These marquises and counts, who had established no merit whatsoever and relied on their status as imperial in-laws to receive titles, all fell victim to Zhu Youjian's reckoning.

Just as Zhu Youjian was busy beheading people in the capital.

A scout from the northwest rode a fast horse into the capital at full speed.

Chang'an has fallen!

This great defeat of the imperial clan had almost made the entire court forget that a huge beast called the bandits lay to the west of Great Ming.

As soon as the news spread into the capital.

The entire court and the country immediately lost their composure.

Not only that.

Wang Chengen also came before Zhu Youjian with a solemn expression, carrying a secret memorial.

"Your Majesty, in recent days, the letters sent from the capital to the northwest have clearly increased significantly."

Wang Chengen's words were clearly somewhat vague.

In fact, the spies of the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already submitted reports.

In recent days, the princes and ministers in court have all been sending people to the northwest.

Surrendering to captors makes one a traitor.

Then just surrender to the bandits!

Now the big hat of 'traitor' surely won't be pinned on my head!

Zhu Youjian's expression was solemn; after a long while, he asked in a low voice:

"Are there any troops capable of fighting still inside the pass?"

Hearing this, Wang Chengen clasped his hands and said:

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Hong's troops have just withdrawn inside the pass for rest and repair."

"Even in the Jiangnan region, Zuo Zuo Liangyu's troops have begun to mobilize; there are truly no troops left in the northwest."

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

Calculating from the time.

It was about the time when the grain and fodder for the court's previous disaster relief were distributed; Li Zicheng had already begun to act.

But Zhu Youjian had also seen the previous reports.

Every county and prefecture had submitted memorials.

Since the court's disaster relief, the offensive of the refugees in the northwest had clearly weakened significantly.

Zhu Youjian had thought the civil unrest in the northwest was about to be extinguished like this.

Who would have thought that since returning, Li Zicheng's offensive had suddenly become fierce.

"Chengen, what exactly is happening on the side of the bandit Li? Have you investigated it clearly?"

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

"Your Majesty, I have only received some rumors at present; the specific situation is still under investigation."

"How?"

"The Tatars outside the pass seem to be borrowing a path through the grasslands to send something to the northwest."

Hearing this sentence.

Zhu Youjian's expression immediately became solemn.

These two mortal enemies of the Great Ming are finally joining hands?!

Thinking of this, fine beads of sweat instantly welled up on Zhu Youjian's forehead, and he hurriedly ordered,

"Go quickly and investigate clearly: exactly what is Huang Taiji sending to the Li bandit, and what is the specific amount!"

Wang Chengen immediately clasped his hands and said,

"This servant receives the imperial decree!"

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

As soon as the group chat opened,

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

Taizu Gao Emperor:

"Where did you young rascal run off to? Why did you suddenly disappear?"

"How is the battle in Liaoxi going?"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

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

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

"Chang'an has already been lost; right now, the civil and military officials in the court are restless."

"Could the fate of the Great Ming truly be coming to an end..."

Taizu Gao Emperor:

"Nonsense!"

"Even if you die, the Great Ming will not be finished!"

"Over two hundred thousand children have died on the battlefield; now you come to me saying the Great Ming is about to end?!"

"Damn it, give us another hundred thousand Crossing Talismans, and we will lead the Huaixi Army over there and rip Huang Taiji's intestines out!"

"Focus on handling your own affairs; do not worry about Li Zicheng's side. Let us see if we can think of a way to help you."

Although he said this with his mouth,

when Zhu Yuanzhang reviewed the remaining assets Zhu Youjian currently possessed,

he could not help but fall silent.

North of the Yangtze River, only a few hollowed-out guard posts remained.

How can this war be fought?

We cannot simply wait for Li Zicheng to surrender on his own!

Inside the Qianqing Palace.