It was Tang Fuguan who led his troops into the Donghua Gate. The army spread out along the north and south streets of the imperial city. At the end of the day, Tang Fuguan accompanied Huang Jinnian into the imperial city to find Gao Zongting, who had already carried Chen Xiyan's body down from the tower.
Huang Jinnian bowed to Gao Zongting and said: "Gao Dianshu has been tired these days..."
"Lord Huang, you are too polite. Zongting was not in danger in the imperial city. There is no harm to him," Gao Zongting returned the courtesy and asked Tang Fuguan, "What is the situation of the Zhejiang and Fujian troops escaping westward?"
"She Feihu led his troops out of the city in the early morning. Taking advantage of the cover of night and thick fog, he expelled the refugees and crowded many ferries in Yongzangpu. After sunset, a large number of rebels surrounded and threatened the refugees to escape from Nancheng, blocking the roads and overland.
The pursuit failed; General Cunxin and Zong Hai were stationed at the mouth of the river at this time, and for the time being only the Shuiying Division was pursuing from Prison Island along the west of the Yangtze River..." Tang Fuguan said.
Zhang Yubo, Zhao Shuhan and others did not recognize Tang Fuguan. Seeing that he was a general of the Huaidong Army, they hurriedly asked: "Is Duke Pengcheng outside the city?" They all thought that the main force of the Huaidong Army had arrived, which was why the Zhejiang and Fujian armies were hastily defeated.
of……
"These two are Lord Zhang Yubo and Lord Zhao Shuhan and Zhao; Fuguan originally served under Governor Yu..." Gao Zongting introduced on his behalf.
Tang Fuguan saluted Zhao Shuhan and Zhang Yubo and said, "My lords are still in Liyang, or are already on their way to Jiangning. I was ordered to go ahead and arrived in Jiangning yesterday. I was ordered to specially invite Mr. Huang and Mr. Gao to join Jiangning's left-behind officials to appease the current situation in Jiangning."
Chaos is the key..." Then he explained in detail the development and changes in the situation outside Jiangning in the past few days to Gao Zongting and others.
Zhang Yubo, Zhao Shuhan and others were trapped in the imperial city with no news. Who knew that in just a few days, the situation outside would be turned upside down. Jiangning changed hands, Jiangzhou also changed hands...
"Where is Prime Minister Chen now?" Huang Jinnian saw that only Zhang Yubo, Zhao Shuhan and others were around Gao Zongting, and Chen Xiyan and other left-behind officials could not be seen.
Gao Zongting sighed and said: "Just now, Prime Minister Chen was standing on the Qiao Tower, watching the chaos of the rebels and the Huaidong Army entering the city and closing their eyes..." Seeing Huang Jinnian standing there in a daze, Gao Zongting didn't react for a moment.
He continued, "Grandpa Zeng fell seriously ill after retreating to the imperial city, and passed away almost at the same time as Mr. Chen..."
Huang Jinnian's mouth seemed to be smiling but Gao Zongting certainly knew what he was hiding.
Emperor Yongxing abandoned the city and lost all his reputation, like a lost dog. It was not difficult for Huaidong to invite the Queen Mother to depose Emperor Yongxing and establish King Lu. But Chen Xiyan stayed in Jiangning alone, with the ambition of martyrdom for his country, and persisted until Jiangning was recovered.
, his reputation in the eyes of scholars and the people will only be higher - Chen Xiyan may be disappointed with Yuan Jianwu, and may agree with Huaidong's proposal to abolish Ning and establish Lu, but in his heart he is still loyal to the imperial family and suppresses Huaidong.
——A figure like Chen Xiyan is respected and feared by others, but for Huaidong, he is ultimately a trouble.
Duke Pengcheng was talented, but he was too lenient, and some low-level things should be done carefully and carefully by the people below. Chen Xiyan passed away when Jiangning was regained. Why didn't Huang Jinnian feel relieved? And Chen Xiyan died.
, the death of Mr. Zeng could add another immoral reputation for "abandoning loyal ministers" to Emperor Yongxing.
But Huang Jinnian could not laugh in front of Zhang Yubo, Zhao Shuhan and others. Even Gao Zongting felt Chen Xiyan's sincerity. Facing such a person, Gao Zongting would also feel constrained.
"It seems that we can only hope that Prime Minister Yue will intercept the rebels in Chizhou..." Yuan Jinqiu said with emotion. After Chen Xiyan became the prime minister, he pulled and beat Huaidong. If Chen Xiyan is still alive, he will give Huaidong a headache.
Therefore, there was no sadness on the faces of Huang Jinnian and other Huaidong officials. Yuan Jinqiu was not surprised. Zhang Yubo and Zhao Shuhan were sincere. Yuan Jinqiu recalled that when he first met Lin Fu, he was sincere.
But the situation is changing like smoke, making it difficult to figure out. Deep in his heart, Yuan Jinqiu still doesn't want Huaidong to be too powerful at this time, so he can only hope that Yue Lengqiu can fight better in Chizhou and be able to
Get a share of Huaidong's limelight...
Gao Zongting raised his eyes and looked into the distance, not paying attention to Yuan Jinqiu's emotion: Jiangzhou has fallen, Yue Lengqiu must send troops to intercept the Zhejiang and Fujian troops fleeing west in Chizhou, otherwise it will be difficult to explain to the superiors and subordinates. In Huaidong
Now he has lost the confidence to ask for the price, but will Yue Lengqiu spend all the last bit of capital in his hand?
Even if Yue Lengqiu fights off the last 40,000 soldiers and horses in his hands against the Zhejiang and Fujian armies, even if he captures and kills the rebel leader Shewenzhuang, what will he gain?
In the end, Shewenzhuang chose to preserve his strength and lead his troops to retreat westward instead of shrinking south. How could he not think carefully about Yue Lengqiu's mentality?
Jiangzhou fell and Huang Binghao surrendered. Among the 40,000 Jiangzhou soldiers led by Yue Lengqiu who marched eastward, 10,000 were Huang Binghao's old troops. When Jiangzhou was besieged, these 10,000 soldiers and horses wanted to return to rescue Jiangzhou and almost caused a riot.
There was trouble; in addition, Chizhou is far away from Jiangning and close to Jiangzhou. After She Feixiong fell into Jiangzhou, he started from Jiangzhou and reached the foot of Chizhou City three hundred miles away. The Dongting Lake bandit Yang Xiong had already attached himself to the She family. Unlike the boat against the current,
Sailing down the Yangtze River, a journey of three hundred miles, day and night - under such circumstances, would Yue Lengqiu dare to lead 40,000 troops out of Chizhou City to fight Shewenzhuang openly?
Counting the time, Huang Binghao surrendered just when the news of Emperor Yongxing's abandonment of Jiangning reached Jiangzhou. The fall of Jiangning should have made Huang Binghao despair that the situation was over, otherwise Huang Binghao would probably not surrender easily even if his relatives were captured...
…
On that day, when they were arguing about fleeing to the west in the Wenhua Hall, Chen Xiyan said that "the country may survive, but the emperor's family will perish", which was not alarmist. People's aspirations cannot be expressed clearly in a few sentences. Thinking of this, Gao Zongting thought again
:Maybe Huang Binghao can still fight for it...
*********************
On the second day of December, in Chongzhou in the early morning, frost covered the ground.
The chariots and horses rumbled out of the new city and headed north. The bright armor of the stirrups reflected the dazzling light of the morning sun. The people, who were familiar with the Huaidong officials and generals, could instantly see the extraordinary nature of this chariot and horse team. Regardless of who was riding in the chariot, they rode in front of the team.
Qin Chengzu, Lin Mengde, Sun Jingxuan, Wu Meijiu, Zhou Guangdong, Sun Fengyi, Li Shuyi and others are all important officials who stayed in Chongzhou in Huaidong. What are they doing when they leave the new city and head north together? What are the three people in the team?
Who is sitting in the carriage?
Could it be that the matter that has been circulated in the past few days, asking the Queen Mother to return the favor, will become a reality today?
Soldiers were sent to clear the streets at dawn in the Old City. Soldiers lined up from the south gate of the Old City to the Palace of Prince Hailing.
Miao Shuo, Zuo Guitang and others, who had long been trusted, were excited and confused at the gate of Prince Hailing's mansion: There is still a war in Jiangning. Is it too early for Huaidong to ask the Queen Mother to return the capital at this time?
More?
Those who stayed in Chongzhou did not know that the Zhejiang and Fujian troops in Jiangning city were in chaos early this morning.
When the chariot and horse team arrived in front of the Prince's Mansion in Hailing, Qin Chengzu and Lin Mengde led the officials left behind in Chongzhou to sing a promise: "Sheji is in danger. The emperor abandoned Jiangning and patrolled Huaixi. We, on the orders of Pengcheng County Duke, implore the Queen Mother to help Sheji."
Read it, and still preside over state affairs!" Kneel down three times and bow nine times in front of Prince Hailing's Mansion...
Miao Shuo and others opened the vermilion-lacquered front door and welcomed the general out, smiling and saying: "Masters Qin and Lin, what's going on? There's such a big commotion this early in the morning? It's freezing cold outside, or...
Come on in and warm yourself up!”
"Without the Queen Mother's will, we dare not go beyond it." Qin Chengzu replied.
"I'm going to ask for the Queen Mother's orders!" Miao Shuo said. Huaidong did things strictly, and he didn't dare to be careless. He got up and ran back to the East Garden of the Palace...
*****************
In Dongyuan, Hailing Prince Yuan Jianhai couldn't help his excitement and kept pacing in the wing, listening to the noise outside, but he couldn't hear clearly, and his heart was burning.
Although Huaidong is asking the Queen Mother to return to the court this time, he, the King of Hailing, will at most follow him back to Jiangning. The important event has nothing to do with him for the time being, but after all, he is leaving the backwaters of Chongzhou and taking a big step closer to Longting.
How could he not be excited?
Instead, Empress Dowager Liang sat in a chair covered with thick mattresses like a piece of dead wood. There was no movement for most of the day. Her body was thin, but her energy was strong. Her ears and eyes were much better than before. She listened as if she was on tiptoe.
He heard footsteps and asked, "Is it Miao Shuo?"
"My ancestor's ears are really pointy, and my slave is walking on tiptoes..." Miao Shuo walked in and said.
"Besides you, who else walks on tiptoe in this mansion?" Queen Mother Liang asked, "What's the scene like outside?"
"The leading figures in Huaidong who stayed in Chongzhou, Qin Chengzu and Lin Mengde, gathered the officials and gentry in Chongzhou and knelt outside to ask the Queen Mother to return the capital. In addition to returning the capital, they also asked the Queen Mother to preside over state affairs," Miao Shuo replied
, "There are still two figures in the carriage who have not shown their faces, they should be the Duke Gu..." Miao Shuo added worriedly, "There is still a battle to be fought in Jiangning, and Pengcheng County Duke seems to be too confident.
Some!"
"Alas," Queen Mother Liang sighed softly and said, "Prince Ning will never be able to get on the stage after all!" She then said to Miao Shuo, "Even if Jiang Ning is destroyed, it has nothing to do with Huaidong.
After all, it is the foundation of the Yuan family. You all go and clean it up. Huaidong is afraid that he will push the Ai family into the crater without waiting. The Ai family is a womanly family. How can it be so easy to preside over state affairs?
"
"Even the crater is a hundred times better than this cold prison. Our ancestors can't complain at this time!" Yuan Jianhai said.
The Queen Mother frowned after hearing this, but he was excited after hearing it: It is one thing to ask the Queen Mother to return to the court, but it is another thing to ask the Queen Mother to return to the court to preside over state affairs - indicating that even if Huaidong does not depose Prince Ning this time,
It will not be limited to using the Queen Mother to contain King Ning, but it will be obvious that the Queen Mother will be invited to suppress King Ning. The next step is to abolish the emperor and establish a new one...
If Prince Ning is not abolished, what relationship does Jiangshan Sheji have to Yuan Jianhai?
Empress Dowager Liang smiled bitterly in her heart, knowing that Prince Hailing had suffered enough over the years. He was too concerned about personal gains and losses, and inevitably could not take into account the overall situation of the imperial family. She said: "Jian Hai, you also stepped forward to make things happen. At this time, you are not taking advantage of the prince."
At that time, the Ai family is afraid of making trouble, and the old woman is also afraid of seeing people, so the others stay outside to respond, and let Gu Junjun come in!"
Miao Shuo quickly ran to the gate of the palace to deliver the order, summoning the Gu family to meet in the Dongyuan where the Queen Mother lived. The others went to the main hall of the palace to be greeted by King Hailing.
Qin Chengzu and Lin Mengde looked at each other and thought: This old woman of the Liang family is old and has a weak heart. She knows that her wife is a weakling. Even if they are worried that her wife is not a match for the Queen Mother, there is no way. They are just Huaidong's subordinates.
Sir, it is quite polite for King Hailing to come forward to accept the invitation. We cannot force him to come forward. Let them go to see the Queen Mother on behalf of my wife to negotiate various conditions...
Gu Junxun got out of the car after listening to the voice at this time. Princess Yuan Yan of Yangxin was often at the Pengcheng County Duke's mansion these days, and she came back temporarily to accompany Gu Junxun: Miao Shuo came over and saluted: "Princess Yan is back too,
The Queen Mother is still thinking of you..."
At this time, someone pulled down the curtain of the carriage at the back. Miao Shuo raised his eyes and saw an extremely beautiful woman standing there with such an imposing manner that she could push Gu down. She was not the Lin Shi she had seen before.
Gu Yingxiu asked in surprise: "Who is this lady?"
"I am the Song family of the Huaidong Army Department, and I have been ordered by Pengcheng County Duke to return the throne to the Queen Mother..." Song Jia said.