In the early morning of the second day of December, She Feihu, Yu Wenshan, Luo Wenhu and other generals led their troops out of Yijiangmen and retreated to the west. They left the city in the name of recapturing the Xifengbao on Jinling Mountain in the south of the city. When daylight came, the generals who stayed in the city
Only when he saw that none of the important generals showed up did he realize something was wrong.
At the beginning, a small group of generals could not maintain military discipline and went out to plunder the camp, and the fierce military discipline inspection team in the past was nowhere to be seen. By the end of the day, riots began to spread throughout the city; the last group of Zhejiang and Fujian troops remaining in Jiangning City
Hidden stakes were also set on fire everywhere.
The weather was dry, and the arson was deliberately deployed by the Zhejiang and Fujian troops for several days. Once a place was set on fire, it burned down the entire alley, forming a huge fire dragon in the blink of an eye.
The people were like frightened birds, watching the fire and fighting, scattering in panic...
The chaos in the outer city naturally quickly attracted the attention of those trapped in the imperial city.
The imperial city is divided into inner and outer cities. The outer city is where the six ministries' official offices are located, and the inner city is the palace city. Chen Xiyan, Gao Zongting and others retreated to the imperial city and were prepared to fight to the last soldier. From the outer imperial city to the palace city, everyone
Defenses were deployed at all levels. Officials left behind in Jiangning such as Gao Zongting and Chen Xiyan, as well as the families of officials and generals who came to seek refuge during the chaos, as well as civilians near Dongcheng, crowded into the palace on weekdays.
The patrol at night did not rest until early morning. In the early morning, Zhang Yubo was still sleeping soundly while leaning in the corner wrapped in a big cloak.
Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, Zhang Yubo opened his relaxed eyes and saw the retinue next to Zhao Hu. This man's face was covered with pockmarks. Zhang Yubo only knew that everyone called him Zhao Mazi. He was a brave general. Zhang Yubo saw it with his own eyes.
In the past few days, he had hacked down as many as six enemy soldiers at the top of the city.
Seeing Zhao Mazi coming over, Zhang Yubo trembled. Hearing the commotion of soldiers outside, it was the generals gathering. He thought something was going on outside, so he hurriedly got up from the ground and asked, "Are the thieves starting to attack again?"
"
"We didn't attack, but the city was in chaos and something big happened." Zhao Mazi fought bravely, but he was a clumsy talker.
Zhang Yubo was confused when he heard this, so he picked up his saber and walked out. As soon as he went out, he almost bumped into Yuan Jinqiu, who was supporting Chen Xiyan.
"Master Zhang, please slow down, Mr. Chen's body cannot withstand your collision..." Yuan Jinqiu said jokingly.
"You little glib, I'm not a fool," Chen Xiyan maintained himself as an elder and spoke rudely to Yuan Jinqiu, who succeeded Yongchang Marquis. He first scolded Yuan Jinqiu with a smile, and then explained to Zhang Yubo, "Gao Zongting said
The rebels have been causing chaos since early morning. It seems that the main force of the Huaidong army has arrived, and the rebels will flee first if they cannot withstand the Huaidong army's attack on the city..."
Chen Xiyan, who has white hair and a bright head, is as skinny as a dead tree, but he is still very energetic. In the past few days, Chen Xiyan has patrolled the city more frequently than Zhang Yubo, but there is no sign that his body cannot support him at all.
, but Duke Mu fell ill after retreating to the imperial city. He has been lying on the bed for the past few days and has not been able to get up...
Zhang Yubo watched Chen Enze organize the armored soldiers in the palace city to gather in the outer city. It seemed that he wanted to organize a counterattack from the imperial city. He watched Zhao Shuhan, Fan Jiliang and others crowd out, and asked hurriedly: "Mr. Mu
Where is the Duke? He has been longing for this moment, he must always see the scene of the traitors being expelled!"
"Can his body and bones still go to Qiaolou to be blown by the cold wind?" Chen Xiyan's voice was firm and resonant, and it made people feel refreshed...
Although only three to five days have passed, to the people trapped in the imperial city, it seems as long as the past three to five months.
When they were forced to abandon the outer city and stick to the imperial city, the situation in Jiangning had reached the most critical edge. Knowing that the main force of the Huaidong Army would come from Xiaoshan to the north for reinforcements, what choice would the She family make? Would they take Jiangning by force and then lure Yan
The captives invaded the south and completely destroyed the last Yuan clan in the Yue Dynasty. No one can say whether the main force of Huaidong soldiers and horses can successfully pass through the blockade between Taihu West Ridge and Maoshan and enter the outskirts of Jiangning...
As the saying goes, do your best to obey fate. Even Gao Zongting, who was good at planning, could not know for certain whether the main force of Huaidong's troops would encounter other variables on the way north. Even an unexpected heavy rain could hold back Huaidong's troops.
A few days changed the direction of the entire battle - after the Zhejiang and Fujian troops occupied the outer city, the walls of the outer city, especially the unsafe section of the Donghua Gate, were built particularly high, blocking the view from the Qiao Tower in the Imperial City.
From the perspective of vision, the people who retreated to the imperial city were completely unaware of the development of the outside situation in the past few days. The days naturally passed extremely slowly, making people feel like they were passing by like years...
How can you not be excited when you hear that the bandits in the outer city are showing signs of instability and fleeing? Counting on your fingers, this is only the fifth day since retreating to the imperial city. In these five days, although it seems that people
They were all frightened, but the days were not too difficult.
In the end, the officials who stayed in Jiangning and retreated to the imperial city were not only Chen Xiyan, Fan Jiliang, Zhang Yubo, Zhao Shuhan and others. Mu Guogong and Yongchang Hou Yuan Jinqiu all took their family members to escape into the imperial city, including Xie Chaozhong, Liu
Emperor Yongxing also forgot about the criminal officials who had been ordered to jail by Emperor Yongxing before abandoning the city, and kept them in prison in the imperial city.
After Gao Zongting decided to stick to the imperial city, he still had nearly half a day to evacuate before the Zhejiang and Fujian armies came to encircle him. He also tried his best to bring the family members of the officials and people near the east city into the imperial city for refuge, including the people who were as famous as Su Mei.
Chen Qingqing also followed Yongchang Hou Yuan Jinqiu into the imperial city and escaped into danger.
Zhang Yubo, Yuan Jinqiu and others surrounded Chen Xiyan and walked towards the outer city. Zhao Hu had already put on his armor and mounted his horse. It seemed that he was personally leading the armored soldiers to fight out of the imperial city. Zhang Yubo didn't bother to talk to Zhao Hu and boarded the southeast corner almost using his hands and feet.
In Qiao Tower, Gao Zongting, Zhao Shuhan and others have already been here...
There were fires everywhere in the city, and rioters were everywhere, just like the situation when Emperor Yongxing abandoned the city and fled westward.
The Zhejiang and Fujian armies did not control the chaos in the outer city, and even stopped restraining the troops. They allowed the generals to go out and plunder, which meant that the Zhejiang and Fujian armies in the outer city had begun to collapse, and even the Zhejiang and Fujian armies surrounding the imperial city had begun to collapse.
People kept fleeing to the west and south, and they no longer wanted to besiege the imperial city. Soldiers and weapons were scattered everywhere, and no generals from Zhejiang and Fujian were seen to supervise and suppress...
In this situation, it was not even necessary for Huaidong soldiers and horses from outside to invade. Just relying on the defenders in the imperial city, the Zhejiang and Fujian troops in the outer city, which had loose general discipline and was beginning to show signs of collapse, were defeated.
After removing the stuffing behind the main gate of the imperial city, Zhao Hu mounted a horse, brandished his lance and led his troops out. The last few hundred enemy troops in the barricade outside the main gate of the imperial city fled in almost the blink of an eye.
, Zhang Yubo was so excited that his hands began to tremble: The Zhejiang and Fujian rebels have collapsed, and the recapture of Jiangning City is just around the corner...
At this time, there were also shouts of killing from the direction of Donghua Gate. Soon I saw a ladder being put up on the city wall over there, and soldiers climbing up from the crenellations of the wall. It should be the soldiers and horses of the Huaidong Army outside the city who noticed the outer city.
Chaos, decisively began to attack the city.
Zhang Yubo and others opened their eyes on the Qiao Tower of the Imperial City and watched as the enemy troops on the Donghua Gate Tower were defeated with little resistance and fled.
Seeing the red war flag of Huaidong planted on the Donghua Gate tower, Zhang Yubo was full of emotions. The king's flag was changed at the top of the city. Who would have thought that Jiangning City would change its owner in such a short period of time?
There are rioters everywhere in the city, and there are more than a dozen fires. Don't look at the chaos in Jiangning City. The chaos is all in a hurry. As long as Huaidong soldiers and horses can enter the city in time, send troops to suppress, control the riots, and extinguish them.
The fire head will not hurt the root...
Chen Enze then sent soldiers out of the imperial city to expel and suppress the rebels. However, the city was full of fire, chaotic people and rebels mixed in. Rather than suppressing the rebels, it was more important to stop them.
The fire spread everywhere. Zhang Yubo and others could not help at this time, so they could only stand excitedly and anxiously on the Qiao Tower watching all this.
"Master Chen, Master Chen!"
Listening to Yuan Jinqiu's panic shouting, Zhang Yubo turned around and saw that Chen Xiyan's body was so stiff that he was about to fall backward in Yuan Jinqiu's arms - Chen Xiyan's face was full of tears, but his expression and eyes were dull.
Staying there, Zhang Yubo was shocked. He and Fan Jiliang moved quickly and helped Yuan Jinqiu support Chen Xiyan's body. Chen Xiyan's body was already stiff.
Just as everyone was looking excitedly and anxiously at the outside of the imperial city and downstairs, Chen Xiyan stood among everyone, watching the grand scene of Huaidong generals retaking Jiangning and quietly passed away. When he passed away, his eyes were not closed and tears were streaming down his face. Who
I don’t know what he was thinking at the moment of his death...
Emperor Yongxing insisted on abandoning Jiangning and fleeing to the west. Chen Xiyan made a last-ditch struggle. Although he was allowed to stay in the end, he was abandoned by Emperor Yongxing in Jiangning City. At that moment, Chen Xiyan had almost exhausted his last energy.
The little will that can support him to return to his glory and sustain his life in the last few days may be to see the Huaidong reinforcements enter the city to relieve Jiangning's crisis...
Fan Jiliang and Chen Xiyan's second son, Chen Yu, could not help but cry out in sorrow. At this time, Zeng Shou, an old family member next to Zeng Mingxin, climbed up the stairs and said sadly: "The old Mr. Guo has passed away! The old Mr. Guo has passed away.
!”
Zhang Yubo stood there in a daze, unable to hold back the tears. Gao Zongting also stood there in silence for a while: Fan Jiliang sobbed: "The emperor abandoned the city and left. Duke Mu invited Chen Xiang to accompany him on the street. Unexpectedly,
What a prophecy!”
At this time, Donghua Gate had been opened, and a group of Huaidong soldiers came in from the direction of Donghua Gate. There were almost no interceptions along the way.
Donghua Gate was originally the main camp for the Zhejiang and Fujian Army garrison, but the East City was mainly the residences of officials and various government offices, and it was adjacent to the Imperial City. At this time, there was nothing to grab in the East City, so the Huaidong Army attacked from Donghua Gate.
Coming in, the imperial city defenders took the initiative to attack again. The defenders near Donghua Gate ran as fast as they could. At this time, all those who could run were exhausted, and the remaining ones were injured and unable to escape, so they simply accepted their fate and surrendered...