Xue Liangfu reacted immediately. After a slight hesitation, he looked at Hu Wanli and said, "Your Highness, I'm afraid this is inappropriate. Once Wei Guogong Xu Pengju learns of his wife's identity, he may also be able to guess His Highness's identity!" He mentioned Wei Guogong Xu Pengju, and Hu Wanli couldn't help but glance at the two of them, knowing that they would get it wrong. He was not trying to rely on the power of Wei Guogong Xu Pengju, but sooner or later he would take advantage of Wei Guogong, so he immediately made the mistake. Said: "Wei Guogong only dares to guess. Even if you give him the courage, he would not dare or know how to prove it and expose this matter! Besides, Dongxing Port has spent so much effort to help King Zhu Houye conquer the world. How can it be done? There must be a reason that is convincing to everyone. Zhu Houye has no heirs, so Lin'er is adopted by Zhu Houye! Otherwise, why would Dongxing Port work so hard?" Hearing this, Xue Liangfu couldn't help but be stunned. , This is indeed true. Even if the second son adopts Zhu Houye, he cannot inherit the throne, but at least the title of a prince will never be lost. Xiaoliuqiu fully supports King Yi Zhu Houye for the title of a prince. This statement, Wei Guogong Xu Pengju If he can accept it, everyone in the world can accept it. After a little hesitation, he said: "Even if the Duke of Wei can accept it, how can the Duke of Wei rebel for a nephew because he has been favored by the country?" "No!" Hu Wanli said solemnly: "Yes. Jingnan! How did the two masters of the Xu family come to be? Duke Dingguo got it because of Jingnan!" After a pause, he continued: "Jiajing fled to the west, and I took charge of the capital. Most of the officials from the provinces must have a wait-and-see attitude" Xue Liangfu said solemnly: "What your Highness said is true. There is an internal dispute in the Zhu family, and there is a precedent for Emperor Wen's Jingnan campaign. Many honorable ministers and officials must be waiting and watching, and Duke Wei may not dare to publicly support His Highness at this time." Hu Wanli smiled when he heard this, took a sip of tea, and said: "Of course Duke Wei will not express his position publicly now, but there are people who can play both sides. The Duke of Wei must be very happy with the opportunity. The reason why our family can survive in troubled times is because they have their own means of survival" After hearing this, Xue Liangfu suddenly realized that Zhu Di's battle of Jingnan. , the Xu family was divided into two camps, one supported Emperor Jianwen. One faction supports Zhu Di. God knows, is this a way for the Xu family to protect themselves? Now that Jiajing and King Yi are competing for the throne, all the ministers in the world are eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to have both sides. After being silent for a long time, he said: "Your Highness, I still feel that it is a bit risky. Your Highness's identity cannot be doubted at this time. Not even suspicion. Madam is not a direct relative of Wei Guogong, so we can't take too many risks!" "That's right." Hu Wanli nodded and said, "So, I don't plan to use Wei Guogong at this time." He glanced at the two of them. Said: "Have you forgotten that Admiral Cao Jiang who used his military salary to buy lottery tickets - Guang Ning Bo Liu Tai? Guang Ning Bo and his wife have a weak relationship. Most of the relief projects in Nanjing are taken care of by Guang Ning Bo. The Hangzhou Charity Branch's lottery, Uncle Guang Ning has a lot of connections. What you don¡¯t know is that Uncle Guang Ning also has a fleet of ships. He bluntly told his wife that he would be granted the title of Marquis. "In the Ming Dynasty, the only title for the opposite sex is the third rank of Duke, Marquis and Uncle. Without military merit, it is extremely difficult to be promoted." The opportunity, and the dukedom is extremely rare. Except for Zhu Yuanzhang who founded the country and Zhu Di who usurped the throne after Jingnan, other emperors rarely awarded the title of duke. A marquis is enough for Guang Ningbo to devote all his efforts to it! Xue Liangfu did not expect that Hu Wanli was actually referring to Uncle Guang Ning, so he couldn't help but smile and said: "Uncle Guang Ning has served as the admiral of Caojiang in Nanjing. He is indeed a suitable candidate. His Highness has many plans, which makes his subordinates ashamed." "There are some things. , you just don¡¯t know." Hu Wanli paused briefly before saying, "The king is going to Beijing with great fanfare. Ask Liu Siwu and Li Jian to prepare all the ceremonial guards for the prince and wait for him in Tongzhou. Later, we will Come to Beijing immediately!" Wu Zishun seemed a little distracted and didn't respond for a while. Not to mention Hu Wanli, even Xue Liangfu was a little strange. Just when he was about to remind him, Hu Wanli waved his hand at him, pointed at the teacup, and then sipped the tea. Yu, seeing this situation, Xue Liangfu also buried himself in drinking tea without disturbing Wu Zishun. The two of them drank half a cup of tea before Wu Zishun came back to his senses and said: "Your Highness, Jiajing led the elite of the capital camp and the capital officials of the fourth grade and above to patrol the west of Taiyuan. The subordinates always felt that this matter was quite strange " "This king also feels strange." Hu Wanli encouraged with a smile: "There are no outsiders here. If you think of anything, say it boldly." "Yes" Wu Zishun said, "The Ming Dynasty is an important city. Jizhou and Xuanfu towns are not far from the capital, and both have heavy troops stationed there. However, Jiajing did not recruit the border troops from the two towns to return to the capital, nor did they flee to the two towns nearby, but instead went to Taiyuan, leaving the capital behind. In an empty city, Liu Siwu and Li Jian led their troops to the capital. It has been nearly ten days, and there is no sign of Jizhou or Xuanfu.There is some movement. Is Jiajing trying to trick you into putting him in a urn? Maybe, what we are waiting for is for His Highness to enter the capital, and then surround him on all sides, and complete his victory in one battle. If this is the case, the soldiers left in the imperial city will not be old, weak, sick or disabled, but elites! " "The capital is just a bait? "Xue Liangfu said in surprise: "Isn't this too big a joke? Isn't Jiajing afraid that the capital will be destroyed by the war? " "Jiajing is willing to destroy the main force of Dongxing Port in one fell swoop, let alone two capitals! Hu Wanli said in a deep voice. "Jiajing wanted to complete his achievements in one battle, and I also want to complete his achievements in one battle!" Hu Wanli said in a deep voice: "A battle in the capital is enough to decide the outcome!" Such a rare opportunity, even though I know it is a trap, I must jump! "After a slight pause, he continued: "The defenders of the Imperial City will not be elite! Jiajing should know very well that even 60,000 or 80,000 elites cannot defend the imperial city. He will not give us a chance to defeat each one! He is even more afraid that we will see through his plan! " Early on the morning of the third day, Hu Wanli didn't mind the heat. He was in full royal robes, opened his books, and set off from Tongzhou to the capital under the command of 10,000 Dongxinggang Guards. He swaggered all the way, far and near. Everyone knew that the forty-mile journey took a long time. King Yi's arrival immediately caused a sensation in the capital. Everyone realized that Dongxing Port was about to launch an attack on the imperial city, and the inner city was completely destroyed. There are two completely different reactions. The defenders in the imperial city are panicked and full of fear of the upcoming war, but the people in the inner city are full of expectations. For them, as long as there is no change of dynasty, who will be the descendants of the Zhu family. Being the emperor has nothing to do with them, but King Yi is united with Dongxing Port and promised various benefits in his appeal. They are naturally more inclined to King Yi. After all, being the emperor will bring them tangible benefits. . The sun was setting in the west, the sky was full of colorful clouds, and the Bei'anmen Gate Tower, Prince Consort Jingshan Hou Cui Yuan stared blankly at the north. It was already ten days ago, and he didn't know why there was no movement in Xuanfu and Jizhou Town. It seems that it is no longer possible to defend the capital. Since King Yi has arrived in the capital, Dongxing Port will definitely launch an attack tomorrow. There is no possibility of defending the imperial city and the palace city. Dongxing Port has been actively doing so in the past few days. Preparations for the siege, the residents outside Dong'an Gate and Daming Gate have long been relocated, and dozens of nest cars slightly higher than the city wall have been erected outside the two gates. He carefully checked the Dongxing Port's attack on Guangzhou and Fuzhou City. According to the battle report, I know that this kind of nest car is not used to observe the situation in the city, but is used by Dongxing Port musketeers to clear the defenders on the city wall. The range of the opponent's muskets is far greater than their bows and muskets, and the advantage of artillery is even greater. This There is no way to fight the battle. Once the opponent launches an attack, it is estimated that they will be able to break into the imperial city within an hour. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh. Guo Xun, who was standing beside him, glanced at him and his Adam's apple moved. Dongxing Port did not blockade the imperial city. He fled into the capital and observed it for two days before entering the imperial city through Bei'anmen. Although he wanted to surpass Cui Yuanji in terms of commanding troops for war. But now that he is a defeated general and a fugitive general, it is difficult to speak nonsense. Seeing that he hesitated to speak, Cui Yuan said calmly: "After tomorrow, we will all be defeated generals. Wu Dinghou has something to say. But it doesn¡¯t matter. " Hearing the sincerity of what he said, Guo Xun pondered for a moment before saying: "The three guards of Tianjin did not abandon the city and flee, but deliberately abandoned the city and returned to aid the capital in consideration of the lack of troops in the capital. However, the Dongxing Port rebel army was advancing very fast. They caught up the next day and pursued them one after another. They chased and fought fiercely all the way, and scattered more than 10,000 soldiers of Tianjin's three guards. Dongxing Port's combat power is so strong that I have only seen it in my life. Not to mention the veteran soldiers from the Beijing camp, even the border troops will be difficult to compete with. There is no possibility of defending the imperial city and the palace city. " As he spoke, he paused for a moment, then continued: "Do you have any other instructions before your Majesty goes on a tour to the west? Waiting for help? Burning the city to coerce? Or retreat after being defeated? Cui Yuan glanced at him and said, "Why does Marquis Wu Ding ask questions when he knows clearly?" " Hearing these words, Guo Xun couldn't help but sigh, and then said: "The Sacred Heart is unpredictable, and I hope Jingshan Hou will tell the truth. " "Stand, but there is no need to defend to the death. If something happens, withdraw. " "Imperial city, palace city, where are the concubines? " "Not a word was mentioned. " This Jiajing cannot be judged by common sense. Guo Xun couldn't help but secretly cursed. The most ruthless emperor's family. When it comes to ruthlessness, Jiajing can be regarded as ruthless. He can even ignore the concubines in the harem. After a little thought, he said quietly He said: "Defending is just a gesture. If you flee without fighting and lose the capital, you will not only be ridiculed by the world, but also lose the hearts of the people. If you don't defend, it should be because you are afraid that the imperial city and the palace city will suffer too much damage in the battle." " As he spoke, he sighed and said, "The emperor should be hereIt's a big game. Tomorrow's battle will focus on Dong'anmen and Damingmen. Just kill ten thousand or eight thousand people. Don't spread the war everywhere. Then evacuate from Bei'anmen and go to Xuanhua Town. . " Cui Yuan also vaguely realized that Jiajing's arrangement must have deep meaning, and immediately asked: "Can we evacuate safely? " "able! "Guo Xun said firmly: "Dongxing Port does not want the imperial city to be damaged. They will not care about the tens of thousands of old, weak, sick and disabled. However, they must strictly order the soldiers not to set fire. Once they set fire, they will be asking for death. road. " "Why are you going to Xuanhua Town? " "Going west is definitely not possible. Most prefectures and counties cannot supply food and grass for tens of thousands of troops. " Hesitating slightly, Cui Yuancai said: "Xuanhua is only three hundred miles away from the capital. Can the concubines, eunuchs and maids of the palace be taken away with us? " "Dongxing Port should not block it. Guo Xun said dryly: "However, there are more than ten thousand eunuchs and maids, which are all a burden" " Early the next morning, Dong'an Gate was just exposed on the horizon. Groups of heavily armed Dongxing Port soldiers arrived outside Daming Gate. Various artillery pieces were also placed in prepared positions under the drag of horses. On the artillery position, looking at this scene, all the defenders on the city wall turned pale. They looked at the French cannons installed on their city walls, and then looked at the various artillery in Dongxing Port. It was not on the same level at all. The sound of alarm gongs soon resounded throughout the Imperial City, and the officers and soldiers stationed in the Imperial City rushed out of the camp and quickly gathered at Dong'an Gate and Daming Gate, while several groups of troops headed north. They rushed to Anmen and Xi'an Gate. They not only had to guard against Dongxing Port's attack from these two city gates, but also had the task of exploring the way, especially Bei'an Gate. Several tall wooden poles were erected away from Daming Gate. The wooden pole was not only far higher than the city wall, but also had a watch at the top. The lookouts climbed up like monkeys, raised their binoculars to observe the position of the artillery on the city wall, and focused on whether there was an artillery position behind the city wall. , Dongxing Port sent a lot of field artillery to the imperial court. If these field artillery continued to fight, they would have been scrapped long ago. However, no one knows whether Jiajing will use these artillery to defend the city, so naturally they cannot be careless. Soon, the lookout post on Wangdou waved colorful flags to report the situation on the city wall and inside the city. Liu Siwu couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that no artillery positions were found in the city, and immediately ordered, "Clear the artillery on the city wall at designated points." " After giving the order, "Boom, boom, boom", the field guns began to test fire one after another. The height of the city wall had been carefully measured. Each gunner was already familiar with shooting Zhu Yuan. After two rounds of test firing, Three artillery pieces were knocked out on the city wall. Seeing this, the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp were all pale-faced. The imperial city wall was not wide, and the heavy artillery was not only long, but also had great recoil. It could not be placed on the imperial city wall. The firing range of some French cannons can be imagined. They were completely beaten and unable to fight back. The continuous sound of gunfire broke the peace of the capital. Countless people went out to find out, but they saw everywhere in the streets and alleys. The Dongxing Port soldiers who were training with live ammunition understood that this was martial law, so they retreated and waited at home. Because they were extremely well prepared, Dongxing Port's artillery fired several rounds of artillery and cleared all the artillery on the city wall. Immediately, a mortar with a large diameter and short barrel quickly moved forward and entered the designated artillery position. One after another, the explosive shells exploded on the city wall, destroying the city wall within 200 steps near the city gate. The section was cleared, and a nest car moved forward quickly at this time. Teams of musketeers climbed up the top rack neatly and aimed at the city wall. Everything went smoothly. Liu Siwu couldn't help but have the illusion of a live ammunition exercise. Everything was ready, he waved his hand and said: "Siege the city! " Teams of soldiers then quickly rushed to the city wall with ladders and hook ropes, and began to climb the city quickly! The communications officer turned around and reported: "Report - Thousands of archers and musketeers gathered five hundred steps behind the city wall. Request shelling. Liu Siwu said without hesitation: "No, open the city gate and defeat them head-on." " Not long after, the communications officer reported: "Report¡ª¡ª, the city gate hole was completely blocked by a stone. " "Order the siege troops to go around the city wall! Liu Siwu said and then ordered: "Order the lookout to pay attention to whether there is a fire alarm in the city." "The siege of the city went smoothly beyond his imagination. What he is most worried about now is that the defenders in the city set fire to it. If the palace is really hit by a fire, it will be great fun. Liu Siwu couldn't help but feel a little excited after taking down the city wall smoothly. However, intensive gunfire rang out in the city, and the communications officer quickly reported: "Report¡ª¡ª, the defenders relied on Qianbu Corridor and resisted strongly, requesting artillery support. " "No bombardment of the imperial city is allowed! Liu Siwu shouted: "Artillery support, artillery support, without the artillery, they won't be able to fight!" With that, he rode forward, rushed to the bottom of the city wall, got off his horse and climbed up the ladder to the tower of Daming Gate. Climbing up the tower, you can clearly see the Chengtian Gate directly opposite. There is a straight line, followed by the Duanmen, and then the Meridian Gate of the palace city! However, between Chengtianmen and Damingmen, there is a straight street - Yujie Qianbu Corridor. There are more than a hundred corridors with eaves and ridges on both sides. Archers and musketeers rely on these corridors. To resist. After pondering for a while, he ordered in a deep voice, "There is no need to attack hard from Qianbu Corridor. The troops should be divided into two groups. Skirmishers should advance, bypass the city wall, and attack Chengtianmen directly!" Li Jian's troops were not going well at Dong'anmen either. The defenders also relied on the houses on both sides of the street to resist desperately. Li Jian, who stood on the tower of Dong'anmen and watched this scene, was not in a hurry. As long as the other party did not set fire, he was not anxious at all. He immediately ordered, "Send people as soon as possible." Clean the stones in the city gate, open the gate, and advance the troops along the street. Do not spare the houses. Those who resist will not be left alive. " Opposite the Dong'an Gate is the Donghua Gate of the palace city. This section of the street is not long. He knows. Hu Wanli will enter the city soon to persuade him to surrender, but he cannot let Hu Wanli be in danger. With this order, all the soldiers no longer have any scruples. The sound of gunfire and the explosion of grenades are immediately intertwined, and the intensive firepower hits the opponent. They couldn't raise their heads at all. The soldiers of the Beijing camp had never seen such a formation before. They couldn't hold on for a while before they collapsed. They were defeated like a mountain. After this collapse, the soldiers of Dongxing Port attacked Donghua Gate with overwhelming force. outside!