Chapter 994
: Wang Ziteng is uneasy
Chapter 994: Wang Ziteng is uneasy
"My Lord, are you really not hurt?"
Ning Bian asked again with some concern, his eyes kept checking her out. Zhang Jinyu smiled and waved his hand.
"Don't worry, the left protector didn't use up all his strength at the end. After the sword broke through the armor, he had no more strength left. If he fought to the death, it would be hard to say. Come, take a look at this sword. Does it look familiar?"
Zhang Jinyu picked up the knife and handed it to the two of them to look at. The so-called familiarity did not mean that they had seen it before, but that the whole knife was integrated. The knife was more than a foot long, inlaid with seven treasures, and extremely sharp. No matter how you look at it, it looks like the description of the "Seven Star Treasure Sword" of the Han Dynasty. It can't be such a coincidence,
Ning Bian observed it for a while, but could not find any clues, so he handed the knife to Ji Qianhu. Ji Yunhui took it carefully, held it in his hand and kept observing it. After thinking carefully, he realized that there was something wrong with the knife.
"My Lord, I have seen this sword for a long time, but the blade is very sharp. It is obviously a masterpiece handed down from a famous family. If my guess is correct, it should be the Seven Star Sword used to assassinate Dong Zhuo during the Han Dynasty. The sword is more than a foot long and decorated with seven treasures. It is a Seven Star Sword. I didn't expect it to be in the hands of a thief. This shows that this person is not a simple person."
Ji Yunhui's guess was not just this. Anyone who could hold this sword would be remembered in history. Being in the hands of a guardian of the Taiping Sect, it was clear that this person had a high status.
Zhang Jinyu touched his chin, took the knife back and rubbed it carefully. It was really this knife. Since the Han Dynasty, after the assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo failed, Cao Cao presented this knife to Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo studied it day and night and kept it by his side. Later, he was framed by Wang Yun and killed by Lu Bu. The whereabouts of this knife was unknown. I never thought that it would see the light of day again today. It was really a coincidence.
Thinking about the so-called Left Protector, he actually admired this man for being able to stay alone to defend the city and watch the fighting and shouting under the city for a long time, so he asked;
"How is the battle going under the city?"
"My Lord, after the city gates were opened, the army entered the city to assist General Yang in gradually clearing out the West City. However, there are many houses in the West City and the enemy troops are cunning, so it was difficult to make any progress for a while."
Ning Bian's face was not good either. Logically, after the city was breached, the enemy troops should have taken advantage of the situation to break out, but who knew that they were still ambushing in the houses in the city? Obviously, he had never encountered such a fighting method before.
Zhang Jinyu was not surprised. It was just a street fight.
"What about the North Gate and the South Gate?"
Since we can't get through the lower gate, we will continue to capture the other two city gates. After we have surrounded and killed all the people, we will not be able to hold out for long from three or four sides.
"My Lord, along the city wall, General Yue has led his troops to the South Gate, and General Ling has led his army to the North Gate. I think the enemy army can't hold on any longer."
It was almost like an attack from three sides. Zhang Jinyu looked to the north and saw that the enemy troops on the city wall, under the inner city, and outside the city, had been surrounded by the troops of General Yin. They could definitely break into the city today.
really,
There were faint cheers coming from between them.
At the north gate of Linshan County,
When He An, the leader of the Taiping Sect, saw the soldiers pouring in from the west city, he knew that the situation was hopeless.
"Master Zhou, gather your troops and set up a battle array in the inner city. Master Chi, immediately organize your troops to prepare for retreat. If you cannot stop them, then enter the inner city to defend. Be quick."
"Yes, Captain."
Almost as soon as they gathered their troops, the imperial army arrived. The two sides immediately fought to the death. On one side were the new recruits from the imperial court, and on the other side were the exhausted soldiers defending the city. They could not hold out for half an hour. The troops gathered by the Taiping Sect were scattered. When the city gates were opened, the soldiers outside the city also poured in. The Taiping Sect's bandit army could no longer hold out.
The same was true for the South Gate. Gradually, the imperial army gained the upper hand. By the time Hu Shoucheng at the East Gate led his army into the city, the Taiping Rebellion had been compressed into the area around the Inner City County Governor's Mansion. Unfortunately, it was already late at night and they could no longer fight.
Zhang Jinyu glanced at the afterglow of the setting sun in the west. Although the battle had shown the power of the imperial court, it was unknown how many casualties the army had suffered.
"Report, Lord, the four gates of Linshan County City have been captured. The enemy troops are surrounded around the County Governor's Mansion in the inner city. They can't escape even if they have wings."
Behind me, I heard the messenger's exciting voice.
County Magistrate's Mansion, Zhang Jinyu muttered to himself, and looked towards a small hill in the city. That should be the County Magistrate's Mansion, but this County Magistrate's Mansion was a bit too big. Not to mention that there were densely populated residential areas and market areas outside the mansion, there was a military camp built under the enclosed hill, and the surrounding walls were like a small city. Although it did not pose a threat, it would certainly not be possible to attack it in a hurry.
Forget it, let's talk about it tomorrow.
"Order, all units to station and guard here, set up a defense line to prevent the enemy army from counterattacking and breaking through. The rest of the soldiers, clean up the battlefield, eat and rest."
"Yes, my Lord, I will pass the order right away."
The messenger behind him clasped his fists and left, leaving only the lingering sounds of fighting in the city. Looking down at the corpses below the city, they were piled up layer upon layer, alas!
"My Lord, you'd better go back and take off your armor and check it."
Seeing that the battlefield gradually quieted down, Ning Bian was still worried and reminded the Marquis to go back and check the broken part of the armor. The Seven Star Sword was extremely sharp, so it was better to be careful. Zhang Jinyu nodded. That was fine. He also wanted to see how powerful the Seven Star Sword was and where the pain came from. However, the armor he was wearing was very thick, so it was really difficult to check.
He got up and went down the tower.
At the city gate, he met General Dingdong Song Yutian who had just entered the city. General Song hurriedly came to pay his respects.
"My Lord, may the enemy troops besiege the county governor's mansion. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. I have discussed with General Li that tomorrow we will use the Thunderbolt Chariot to clear the way and concentrate our forces to attack."
"Well, General Song, you can do whatever you want. You must be more alert at night. The enemy army is fighting like trapped beasts. Don't fall into their trap. I will go back to see how His Highness is doing."
Without waiting for General Song to reply, a group of people surrounded Luo Yunhou and hurried away. This scene was strange. After a while, a captain on the city wall came down to report.
"General Song, the Marquis was injured when he fought with the enemy's commander."
"What, is it serious or not!"
Over the capital,
The weather was originally gloomy, but after noon, it turned from gloomy to sunny. Wang Ziteng and his group, with the remaining soldiers and defeated generals, came to the Meridian Gate.
Wang Ziteng was the only one holding the merit book, holding it above his head with both hands, and then he walked to the center seat in front of the Meridian Gate, knelt heavily, and shouted;
"I, the guilty minister, Wang Ziteng, kowtow to Your Majesty,"
When the generals behind him saw this, no one dared to stand up, and they all knelt down in accordance with their ranks. Even the soldiers did the same. There were more than 10,000 people kneeling here, causing the rumor to spread more and more. The onlookers came out from the market one after another, making a loud noise.
Baoning Hou led 5,000 soldiers and horses to follow behind him. Seeing this, he ordered the soldiers behind him to separate the place. Knowing Wang Ziteng's intention, he did not disturb him. Instead, he stood there quietly with his soldiers. Even the deputy general Yao Datong could not help but ask,
"Commander-in-chief, it would be inconvenient for you to stay here with me. I will wait here for you."
But the Marquis of Baoning shook his head and said;
"No need. We are all leading troops. I don't mind it, but we should also give an explanation for the affairs of the brothers after their death."
As a general, you cannot ignore the achievements of your subordinates because of a defeat. Otherwise, how can you lead your troops in the future? Such a tragic defeat is unheard of.
Yao Datong opened his mouth and looked at the miserable soldiers, but he couldn't speak. If it were him, he would have the courage to kneel here, but he didn't know how to say it in the palace.
Inside the palace,
In the imperial study room,
The whole hall was in complete silence. Emperor Wu stood in front of the imperial desk, holding a pen and trying to write the word "defeat". However, he was halfway through writing, and the strokes on the other side were still not put into place. Seeing this, Dai Quan, who was standing beside him, had his eyelids twitching.
suddenly,
The door of the house opened, and when I looked up, I saw Xiao Yunzi with sweat on his forehead. He walked hurriedly and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, at 3:00 pm, Marquis Baoning led his troops to hand over the prisoners of the Taiping Sect at the South City Gate. Unexpectedly, the rebels were rampant, chanting the words of treason of the Taiping Sect. Nearly 20,000 prisoners of the rebel army were killed by Marquis Baoning's imperial guards, Prince Teng's army, and the soldiers of the Beijing camp. The blood flowed like a river, and Marquis Baoning ordered the imperial guards to build a Jingguan outside the South City with the corpses of the rebels."
Xiao Yunzi's face turned pale and he shivered. When he received the news, he didn't believe it at first, but after receiving secret letters again and again, he had to believe it. The news spread all over the capital.
Emperor Wu's eyes fixed, and the brush in his hand paused. A drop of fragrant ink dripped onto the rice paper, creating a unique artistic conception.
"It is rare for such a traitor to have such blood. What kind of treasonous words did he say?" "Your Majesty, I dare not say it."
Xiao Yunzi was so scared that he kept knocking his head on the ground, his face pale. Dai Quan quietly raised his head, his face full of worry.
"Your Majesty, this is nothing but the nonsense of a heretic. Such rampant behavior deserves death,"
It seems like helping Xiao Yunzi out of trouble, but it is also helping himself out of trouble. Emperor Wu sneered.
"You are just a dog slave, you only say nice things. Today, I really want to hear that all 20,000 captives died, and Wang Ziteng's defeat was not unjust."
At this point, Emperor Wu's calm heart was also a little surprised. If everyone in the cult was like this, it would be a major concern for the Great Wu Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, those rebels chanted a slogan, saying that the leader has great fortune and a long life, that the Taiping Sect is destined by heaven, and that the world will be blessed. I deserve to die, I deserve to die,"
After Xiao Yunzi finished his reply, he knelt there and kowtowed repeatedly. The atmosphere in the room became even more solemn.
"Haha, interesting. I have been thinking about the destiny and my life will be as long as the heaven. Now there are still people who are thinking about it. Get up, what else do you have?"
It was a light and calm sentence, neither hot nor cold, and one could not tell whether he was happy or angry. However, Dai Quan and the others were even more cautious. Xiao Yunzi kowtowed and thanked him, then stood up.
Then he continued;
"Reporting to your Majesty, the governor of the Beijing camp, Wang Ziteng, has led the remaining troops of the imperial army to apologize in front of the Meridian Gate, and he is holding a book in his hand. All of his companions are injured, especially the Hongnong Dianwei Hu Le and the Sizhou garrison commander He Yong. Both of them were seriously injured and their armor was broken. "
This was true. The imperial guards in front of the Meridian Gate and those who saw it were all surprised.
Emperor Wu sighed inwardly, and finally wrote the last stroke. The word "defeat" was written on the rice paper, and the drop of fragrant ink dripped on it also remained on it.
"Dai Quan, give this letter to him, and have Marquis Baoning pack up the camp and let them go back to rest first. Those who live in the capital should also return to visit. Also, have the doctors in the capital go there and save those who can be saved, and then take the booklet from him!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, this old slave accepts the order."
Dai Quan approached carefully, carefully put away the letter written by His Majesty, and then took it in his hand. After that, he winked at Xiao Yunzi, and the two of them left together. In the palace, only the Emperor Wu was left with a look of pity. After this battle, Wang Ziteng had to be temporarily unused. The Beijing camp still needed someone to take care of it. It seemed that only Xiangyang Hou Bai Guangju could give it a try for the time being, but the title of Jiedushi was not suitable. After thinking about it, it seemed like a civil servant, and the Supervisory Envoy.
The sun is shining,
The people were already exhausted from the journey, so how could they bear it any longer? Fortunately, not long after, the Meridian Gate opened, and Dai Quan led a group of eunuchs and servants and walked out quickly. He was wearing a bright red official robe with the seal of the Imperial Household Department, which was even more dazzling under the sunlight.
As he approached, he looked at the blood-stained clothes of the soldiers with a look of shock in his eyes, especially the generals, who were not covered in blood, but also had wounds. It seemed that the secret letter sent by the Imperial City Department was not false. He spoke quickly and blurted out,
"Marshal Wang, you have worked hard. Please get up quickly."
Wang Ziteng was kneeling until he felt dizzy. When he saw that it was the internal minister who came, he knew that His Majesty had issued an order, and he cried bitterly;
"I am a guilty minister, I have no shame,"
He bowed heavily again, knocking his head to the ground, his forehead instantly reddened. When he wanted to bow again, Dai Quan was quick to reach out and support him, repeatedly admonishing him;
"Don't worry, General. This is a small contribution. I will deliver it to you. His Majesty has ordered that you return to the palace to rest for the time being. These soldiers will follow Marquis Baoning back to the camp to heal their wounds. Don't be too anxious about some things."
After helping the man up, he patted the back of Wang Ziteng's hand, as if with deep meaning.
Wang Ziteng relaxed. With the words of the internal minister, perhaps His Majesty also had some painstaking intentions.
"Thank you, Nei Xiang,"
The people behind him also bowed their heads and stood up, without any resentment in their previous expressions. Seeing this, Dai Quan waved his hand.
"Okay, let's all go back for now and don't show off."
This could not be said explicitly, but fortunately everyone understood it clearly, and they all clasped their fists and followed the imperial guards back to the camp to rest. After everyone left, Dai Quan turned around and gave an order;
"Go, tell the Imperial City Division to keep an eye on the South City Gate to see if there is any information from Marquis Luo Yun."
"Yes, Minister,"
As the government soldiers withdrew, the people who had come to watch the excitement in the streets gradually dispersed. However, many people who had seen and heard things, such as idle people, were excited and talked about it, exaggerating and saying a lot of things, which aroused the envy of others, and even increased the rumors in the capital.
Arriving at the Imperial Army Camp,
The food had been prepared and there were many medical officers waiting here. Wang Ziteng had something else on his mind and had no time to think about these things. He looked at the generals behind him, who followed closely and turned back to give orders.
"Since we are here, we should make the best of it. Since the emperor has given the order, it would be inappropriate to stay any longer. Everyone, please take a rest. If you have a family in the capital, go back and rest, change clothes, and wait for the letter from the palace. As for the rest, don't say anything more."
This instruction was considered as a confession. How could the generals not know the importance of it? They all nodded. The matter could not be explained clearly.
"Yes, Commander, I will take my leave."
All the generals had families in the capital, so they clasped their fists in agreement and left one by one. They could only keep their inner thoughts to themselves. Only Wang Ren and Jia Lian had not left. Now that their uncle was left alone in the military camp, how could they dare to leave?
Perhaps seeing their worries, Wang Ziteng waved his hand at them and said;
"You should go back as well. You still need to deal with the affairs at home. Also, you don't need to care about the affairs in the military camp unless you hear about the transfer order. There are still some things to be discussed in the court."
Wang Ren and Jia Lian heard something in their uncle's words. They were afraid that the defeat in the south would not end so easily. Jia Lian hesitated and asked:
"Uncle, how about my brother and I take you back home first?"
Everyone has left, leaving only my uncle here, which is not appropriate, Wang Rensui nodded and said;
"Uncle, what Liandi said is right. How about the two of us accompany you back to your house first? If that doesn't work, I, your nephew, can accompany you back alone. How about that?"
Seeing the slightly worried faces of the two, Wang Ziteng felt relieved. His efforts were not in vain. Unfortunately, he ended up with the reputation of a defeated general.
"Don't worry about me, the two of you. Everyone can go back this time, except me. Wang Ren, go back and report that you are safe. Jia Lian, you go back and tell the old lady about the situation in the south. Also, if the court officials insist on holding on to the position of the governor of the Beijing camp, you should give it up for the time being. If not, everything will be normal. Of course, it depends on the palace's opinion."
Wang Ziteng thought about the people among the nobles in the capital. Marquis Luo Yun should not hold the military power for long, and the Beijing camp should still be controlled by the emperor. As for the civil officials, if they really want to impeach him, the only successor would be Marquis Xiangyang. Perhaps, the emperor's birthday is approaching, so he can put it on hold for the time being and just wait for news from Marquis Luo Yun. But it is impossible to think about it. The civil officials' family can be waiting for the opportunity. It's a pity that he is dedicated to the public, but does not have the strength of Marquis Luo Yun.
The two of them were moved, hoping for the best, but they didn't dare to ask any more questions. Only Jia Lian was anxious to return home. He glanced at his eldest brother Wang Ren, who nodded. The two of them bowed and said,
"Uncle, please take care of yourself for the time being. We will take our leave first."
"Well, let's go."
Wang Ziteng did not keep the two men for long. He said a few words as he also wanted to have a secret talk with Marquis Baoning. The two men left the barracks, looked at the scorching sun above their heads, and without saying much, they mounted their horses, left the imperial army camp with a few personal soldiers, and rushed back to the mansion.
This time,
The entire capital city seemed to be filled with ordinary people chatting, but who knows how many undercurrents were surging within.
Jia Lian was eager to return home. After bidding farewell to his elder brother Wang Ren, he took the remaining five personal soldiers, rode on his fine horses, and hurriedly rushed to Ningrong Street. As he galloped along the way, the onlookers were all amazed. The general who was now returning to the city was indeed a brave man. The blood-stained clothes and the murderous aura were something the people of the capital had never seen before.
Jia Lian, in particular, had a bad reputation outside, and now that he had become a general, everyone in Nancheng was talking about his deeds. When Jia Lian saw the real person, the gossip among the people seemed even more true.
When the group returned to Ningrong Street, someone went back to pass on the message.
"The Second Master is back, the Second Master is back"
(End of this chapter)