The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 335 Kaifeng

Henan, Kaifeng.

Many places in Henan are in chaos and desolate.

Even in Kaifeng, the provincial capital, the scene is the same.

The wilderness outside the houses on the outskirts of the city is covered with dilapidated shacks, which are dirty, dilapidated and messy.

A large number of refugees gathered outside Kaifeng City to escape.

Last year, when there was a severe disaster in Henan, many people left their homes and begged for work. They thought that as long as they waited until the spring of the following year, everything would get better.

But I never expected that the disaster in the second year would be even more severe than in the first year, and the government would even increase taxes and assessments.

Therefore, many people were forced to linger around the outskirts of Kaifeng City begging for work, or to flee further afield.

The scene inside Kaifeng City is undoubtedly much better than outside the city.

The inside and outside of the city are separated into two worlds by a high wall.

There are mansions and mansions everywhere in the city, and tall archways are lined up in rows, including those belonging to royal palaces and those belonging to gentry.

Among the mansions and pavilions, the silk and bamboo are melodious, and there is a peaceful scene of singing and dancing. The orioles and swallows are singing and laughing, and the servants and slaves are in groups.

But outside the city, there is a desolate and miserable scene. Most of the victims outside the city are poor, working hard every day and not even getting a full meal.

It's only separated by a wall, but it's like a natural chasm.

Inside the city is heaven, and outside the city is hell.
But even so, a relatively stable situation is still barely maintained.

As long as life can be lived, even if it is more difficult, it can be endured...

However, this stable situation will soon cease to exist...

On March 26, an urgent message from Zhengzhou flew into the city. Like a huge stone falling into a pool, it instantly stirred up a lot of waves in the relatively calm city of Kaifeng.

The officers and soldiers suffered a huge defeat in Zhengzhou, and the army of thousands of people has come to kill the generals!

Li Xianfeng, the governor of Henan, was defeated and killed. Tens of thousands of officers and soldiers were defeated overnight, and the losses were unknown.

As soon as he received the news, Henan Inspector Gao Mingheng made a prompt decision and issued an order to impose martial law throughout the city.

All the remaining soldiers and horses in Kaifeng City were summoned, and all the city gates were blocked. Gao Mingheng sent troops to take over important intersections in the streets and alleys, and ordered that no one was allowed to enter Kaifeng City, and no one was allowed to step out of Kaifeng. Half a step into the city.

Gao Mingheng only suppressed the news of the defeat of the officers and soldiers in Zhengzhou at the beginning.

After the whole city is under martial law and the entire city defense of Kaifeng City is under control, the news will flow naturally.

The reason why Gao Mingheng did not conceal the news was simple.

Because this matter cannot be concealed at all.

It won't be long before the defeated troops who escaped from the battlefield in Zhengzhou will arrive at Kaifeng City.

By telling the news in advance, everyone can still have some buffering time.

If the news is suppressed, and when we see the defeated troops coming, or the tens of thousands of people's army pressing down on the border, I am afraid that there will be a great panic inside and outside the city, and it will only get worse by then.

March 28 was the second day after the news of Zhengzhou’s defeat came.

The first broken army to escape from the Zhengzhou battlefield came to Kaifeng City.

Although they had been informed in advance, the arrival of this defeated army still caused great panic inside and outside Kaifeng City.

The leader was Henan guerrilla Gao Qian, who had met Gao Qian before as Henan patrol commander Gao Mingheng.

But even after identifying Gao Qian, Gao Mingheng still did not let Gao Qian lead his troops into the city. Instead, he asked him to turn south and go to Xiangfu County, not far south of Kaifeng City.

The situation on the battlefield in Zhengzhou is unknown, and the news that comes can only be summarized as a "big defeat".

Gao Mingheng was worried that Gao Qian had surrendered long ago and came to gain the city deliberately, so he was not allowed to enter Kaifeng City.

In fact, it cannot be said that Gao Mingheng made such a mistake.

However, Gao Mingheng's move made all the defeated soldiers, including Gao Qian, very angry and even more depressed.

The subsequent defeated troops were all transferred to the surrounding areas of Xiangfu County by Gao Mingheng like Gao Qian, and no one was allowed to enter Kaifeng City.

"Including the newly formed militia, there are only about 6,300 soldiers and horses in the city. They are divided into four cities. Each gate is not even assigned a thousand men. It is really too reluctant."

Liang Bing, the chief envoy from the left, looked solemn as he sat in the hall with his head tilted. The current situation was really not good for them.

Li Xianfeng took away most of the soldiers and horses in Kaifeng Mansion. The remaining soldiers in the city were almost all old and weak soldiers, with no more than a few thousand weak brigades capable of being used.

The nearest new force is Chen Yongfu, deputy commander-in-chief, with about 3,000 people.

However, Chen Yongfu is currently fighting the rebellion in Yangwu and other places north of the Yellow River, and there is no way to rush back.

"The army of thousands of thieves captured Luoyang at the moment when the momentum was like a rainbow. The army gathered more than 200,000 people... With only more than 6,000 people, I'm afraid..."

The right chief minister Cai Maode on the side had a miserable face, and his wrinkled face was full of fear.

Gao Mingheng was sitting at the front seat, and his face didn't look good either.

When he received the news of Zhengzhou's defeat and the tens of thousands of troops heading towards Kaifeng City, he immediately ordered martial law throughout the city and then went to see the King of Zhou.

Kaifeng City's treasury was very poor, not even much grain and rice, and even less gold and silver, which was not enough to fight this defensive war.

Fortunately, the King of Zhou generously donated his money, and actually had 500,000 taels of silver in the treasury, which was used specifically to reward the army, and also dispatched some of the guards of the King of Zhou's palace.

But now there are only 6,300 defenders in the city. Counting the 800 guards in Zhou Wang's palace, there are only 7,000 guards in total.

Seven thousand versus two hundred thousand, the difference is extremely huge.

Anyone can tell how big the gap is.

Gao Mingheng felt sad in his heart. If Kaifeng fell in his hands this time, he couldn't imagine how he would be described in the history books.

Although he was panicking in his heart, Gao Mingheng still pretended to be calm on his face.

Gao Mingheng has been in the officialdom for a long time. If he can sit in the position of inspector, he will naturally not be a mediocre person.

No matter what, the situation must be stabilized first.

The words of Cai Maode, the right envoy, made all the officials and generals in the hall feel fear. Gao Mingheng also heard a lot of whispers.

"The army of thousands of thieves is indeed powerful now, but most of the so-called hundreds of thousands are just a mob, with only a few elites."

"The city of Kaifeng is solid and easy to defend but difficult to attack. How can it be easily broken?"

"Furthermore, although there are currently only 7,000 taels of troops in the city, His Royal Highness the King of Zhou has issued a treasury of 500,000 taels to reward the army, and many people in the city have volunteered to help with the defense."

"If ten thousand people are of one mind, it's still not enough, what if there are hundreds of thousands of people!?"

Gao Mingheng's eyebrows were raised, but he seemed impassioned. His words also suppressed the anxiety in everyone's hearts.

But the next moment, a soldier rushed into the hall, bringing a piece of news from outside the city into the hall.

Just in the direction of Nancheng, I found a large group of enemy soldiers and horses. From a distance, there were thousands of horses! ! !
This sudden incident caused everyone in the hall to panic for a moment.

"Why are you panicking? Can the traitor's cavalry cross a city wall several feet high?"

Gao Mingheng was equally frightened, and even his hands were shaking uncontrollably because of fear.

But at this time, he still pretended to be calm and stood up, shouting to stop the ugly people. The unbearable people in the hall made Gao Mingheng even more disappointed.

Gao Mingheng said in a deep voice, hating that iron could not become steel.

"Now that the thieves have arrived, according to the original arrangement, everyone will guard the city gate, command the troops, and resist the rogues from attacking the city."

Gao Mingheng's eyes swept across the crowd, and finally stopped on a young general, with a little praise in his eyes.

All the high-ranking officials and generals in the hall were in panic, but the young military general was still standing there, showing no fear at all.

Gao Mingheng walked up to the young military attaché and said in a much slower tone.

"Chen Shoubei, follow me to the tower to observe the enemy's situation."

The young military attache's name was Chen De, and he was the son of Chen Yongfu, the deputy commander in chief who was fighting the rebellion in Yangwu.

Chen De is a garrison officer with more than 1,500 soldiers under his command. He is also the strongest force in the city today.

He is not some extravagant and lewd second-generation general.

Chen De was brave and good at fighting, skilled in bowing and horseback, and could shoot left and right on the horse.

His garrison title came from his fighting with sword and gun on the battlefield.

"Follow the order."

Chen Desu responded to the order and followed Gao Mingheng neatly out of the hall.

As Gao Mingheng stepped out of the central hall, a group of officials and generals also filed out of it.

The entire city of Kaifeng also surged.

War drums were beating on the city wall, and low horn sounds were echoing in all directions.

A large number of soldiers and young men who assisted in the defense quickly passed through the streets and began to reinforce the city wall.

By the time Gao Mingheng panted and climbed onto the tower of Nanxunmen in the south city, on the endless plain in the distance, black soldiers and horses swept in like a tide.

The faint roar he heard just now while walking on the horse path turned out to be the vibration of the hoofs of war horses hitting the ground.

When he was on the horse track, Gao Mingheng didn't feel anything special.

But when standing on the city tower, facing the large group of cavalry coming from the distance like a tide.

The chilling air that hit his face made Gao Mingheng feel like a drowning man, almost breathless.

The courage that was finally lifted up in my heart gradually began to melt like the ice and snow in early spring.

A strong sound like a sea wave swept in one wave after another, washing in the ears of the Kaifeng City soldiers and civilians on the city.

The aura of panic spread rapidly above the city. The soldiers and civilians defending the city were frightened by the large group of cavalry that swept in. Many people's faces turned pale and they did not even dare to look directly.

Even Chen De, who had experienced many battles, was also affected by this momentum.

only……

Such momentum.

Is it really possible for a new peasant army like the Ten Thousand People’s Army to exist?
If that's the case.

Then Li Yan, the commander of the Ten Thousand People's Army, may really be called a hero.

Chen De narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the large group of cavalry coming from the distance.

He asked himself that the soldiers in the camp under his command could be regarded as the leaders of Henan soldiers and horses.

But in terms of momentum alone, it was still far behind the troops outside the city.

Soon, Chen De's questions were answered.

Because there was already a small group of cavalry from the south, arriving near Nanxun Gate first.

"Hanzhong Army!"

"Chen Wang?!"

"Hahahahahaha."

Chen De stood on the tower and saw the changes in Gao Mingheng's expression clearly.

It only took a few breaths for Gao Mingheng to go from being frightened at the beginning, to astonishment and surprise, to relief and finally to ecstasy.

It was hard for Chen De to imagine that a person's expression could change so quickly.

"Check clearly, check clearly, must check clearly."

Although Gao Mingheng had been giving orders to the officials below to carefully check the seals, etc., he had actually believed most of them.

Because as the cavalry in the distance continued to approach, the flags and armor became increasingly clear.

Red flags were fluttering, pieces of red armor were shining, and a large number of cavalry were galloping across the wilderness.

And most importantly, this cavalry came from the south.

Gao Mingheng remembered clearly that the Hanzhong Army was in Ruzhou Prefecture.

In the wilderness, the cavalry from afar was getting closer and closer, and the official responsible for checking the seal had already checked it clearly.

"The seal survey is correct. The certificates are all here. The Inspector can inspect them personally."

Gao Mingheng took the seal from the official below and looked at the seal in his hand.

But he still had a lot of doubts in his heart, which made him afraid to believe too much.

"I remember that the army that joined Hanzhong was said to have only more than 20,000 people. The cavalry should only have three or four thousand, so how could there be as many as 10,000 cavalry?"

"This cavalry does appear to have a size of ten thousand cavalry from a distance, but in fact it should only have three or four thousand, and many of the horses are just auxiliary."

Chen De stood aside. He heard Gao Mingheng's doubts and immediately answered.

The Hanzhong Army cavalry in front of them only numbered about 3,000 people, but because most of them consisted of one person, two horses, or three horses, the scout cavalry who initially checked reported that there were tens of thousands of cavalry.

There weren't many mistakes or omissions in this, but when I got closer, I could see more things, and I could tell something was wrong.

The doubts were answered, and Gao Mingheng felt more relaxed.

"Wait until the Hanzhong army reaches the city gate, then open the city gate and let them enter the Wengcheng first."

However, Gao Mingheng still did not get carried away by the excitement at this time. With his usual cautious character, he still did not order the city gate to be opened first, and even ordered the general guarding the Wengcheng to check whether the gate of the Wengcheng was closed.

The generals on the city received the order, and it was not until the cavalry of the Hanzhong Army arrived near Nanxun Gate that they finally opened the city gate.

Gao Mingheng stood on the city tower, looking down at the soldiers of the Hanzhong Army who were entering the Wengcheng through the city gate corridor.

Whether it was the previous seals, the glorious pieces of armor, the tall horses, or the dazzling banners, it was impossible for the soldiers under Li Yan to possess them.

Gao Mingheng's last doubts and wariness were completely eliminated, and the big stone in his heart fell to the ground.

In the urn city, Chen Wang rode on a war horse and looked at the officials who were hurriedly running down from the tower.

For some reason, Chen Wang felt that this time he might get more from his choice than he initially expected.