Done! Your Majesty is going to prostitute me for free!

Two hundred warriors of the Brave Guard Battalion were all wearing heavy double-layer armor, which shone coldly in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a mobile steel fortress, indestructible. At the command, they rushed forward like tigers descending from the mountains, with great momentum, and every step they took was a determination to die.

At this time, the Shun army in the city was rampaging, with only greed and tyranny in their eyes, and they were about to attack the crucial artillery position. Suddenly, a group of Ming soldiers in shining armor and aggressive momentum rushed over, like divine soldiers from heaven, with unyielding flames burning in their eyes, as if they wanted to burn all evil to ashes.

The two sides didn't even have time to say a word, let alone curse, they just started fighting with swords and sabers, and the battle was so fierce that the sky was dark. The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood and the harsh sound of metal colliding, as if the whole world was swallowed up by this violent force.

A Shun soldier, holding a long knife in his hand, fiercely chopped at the head of the Ming army, and the knife flashed as fast as lightning. But the Ming soldier did not dodge, but rushed forward faster, with a firm look in his eyes as if telling the world that he was fearless. Before the Shun soldier could react, he was knocked upside down, and the knife in his hand flew out, with astonishment and unwillingness written all over his face. The two men wrestled on the ground, neither of them willing to let go, as if they were interpreting the cruelty of the battle with their lives.

On the other side, there was a Shun army archer, firing arrows in a row, the arrows were dense like rain, covering the sky and the sun. But the Ming army soldiers seemed to have trained themselves to be indestructible. They blocked their faces with their left hands and swung their swords with their right hands. When the arrows hit them, it was like hitting cotton, and they couldn't hurt them at all. In the blink of an eye, the Ming army soldier swung his sword, and blood spurted out of the Shun army archer's neck, and he died. In his eyes, there was still a desire for life and fear of death.

Hundreds of Shun soldiers rushed forward, but the soldiers of the Yongwei Camp cut them down one after another like cutting wheat. In the flash of swords and shadows, their figures were like ghosts, and they quickly cleared the battlefield. Just as everyone took a breath, another wave of Shun soldiers rushed up the slope, with only madness and bloodlust in their eyes.

At this critical moment, Guo Tianyang commanded the No. 4 artillery, and with a loud bang, hundreds of "nail households" suddenly appeared on the slope, and the Shun army soldiers were blown to pieces, with blood and flesh flying everywhere. The shouts and screams from outside the city became louder and louder, as if it was the call of hell. It turned out that Li Zicheng's elite troops had arrived, and their eyes were burning with the desire for victory.

Speaking of which, among these Shun army soldiers, many were originally Ming army border guards. They were once the pillars of the country, but because of the corruption of the court, all the money was spent on Liaodong, and their military pay was seriously insufficient. As the saying goes, money makes the devil work, but who will work for you without money? So when Li Zicheng came, they surrendered one after another and turned against their old boss. The armor they wore was mostly cotton armor, and a few were dark armor. These armors and shields were once their patron saints, but now they have become witnesses of their betrayal. With these armors and shields protecting them, the artillery fire of the defenders on the city was not so scary for them, but their hearts were full of fear and confusion.

Lieutenant General Li was furious when he saw this. He picked up kerosene and poured it on the gap in the city wall, then threw down a burning quilt. Suddenly, flames shot up into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the soldiers of the Shun army screamed in agony. Their figures struggled in the sea of ​​fire, as if they were making a final struggle against death. But they were not vague, and quickly used soil to put out the fire. With strength in numbers, the fire was quickly brought under control. Seeing this, the elite troops of the Shun army launched another fierce attack, with only the determination to win in their eyes.

"Damn it, quickly replace the cannons with solid bullets!" Lieutenant General Li was so angry that he cursed. Those Shun troops attacking the city were like locusts, and they could not be killed. They were still thinking of climbing up the mound to attack the city. It was really unreasonable! His voice was full of anger and unwillingness, as if he wanted to pour out all his dissatisfaction.

The artillerymen loaded the shells quickly, and Lieutenant General Li personally directed the guns to raise the gun barrels and aim the muzzles at the gaps in the city wall. After two loud noises, the solid projectiles blasted two long gullies on the earth slope, and blood and flesh flew everywhere, making the scene horrible. The projectiles were so powerful that they destroyed all the people, armor, shields, and weapons they hit, and finally shot into the moat, causing layers of water splashes.

The Ming army originally wanted to use the hundred-bullet bullets to cause greater casualties, but when they were fighting the Shun army's artillery, they switched to large solid bullets. When the two solid bullets exploded, both sides were stunned, and an indescribable sense of oppression filled the air. The Shun army soldiers looked at Lieutenant General Li and the artillery team behind him in horror, and when they saw them pushing two new artillery pieces, they were immediately frightened and turned around and ran, with only fear of death in their eyes.

When the warlord saw this, he quickly swung his sword and killed several fleeing Shun soldiers, shouting: "If you can capture Beijing, you will be promoted three levels and rewarded with a thousand taels of gold! Anyone who dares to escape will be killed without mercy!" His voice was full of majesty and cruelty, as if he wanted to keep all the soldiers firmly in his hands. Although the Shun soldiers were afraid, they also knew that they might still have a chance to survive if they rushed forward, but they would definitely die if they retreated. So they all gathered their courage and charged towards the top of the city again, their eyes burning with the desire to live.

At this time, news of the arrival of reinforcements came from the city gate, and the pressure on the city wall was relieved a lot. But no one dared to relax their vigilance, and the battle continued, as if it was an endless nightmare. After nightfall, the battles outside Xizhimen, Fuchengmen, Xibianmen, and Guang'anmen became more intense. The sound of spears piercing the enemy's body and the scene of blood splattering were shocking, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of blood and the breath of death. The shouts and screams of countless people were mixed in; and behind these sounds were the frowns of the generals and the cold and ruthless orders. They seemed to be interpreting the cruelty and ruthlessness of war with their lives.

The soldiers attacking the city no longer had the excitement they had at the beginning. Instead, they were filled with fear and a collapse of faith. They found that the city was not only extremely strong, but also the defenders were even more determined. Those seemingly listless soldiers defending the city were actually warriors who would rather die than retreat. In their eyes, there was only the persistence of victory and loyalty to the country. Some people even jumped down to die with the enemy in order to stop the enemy; others used their flesh and blood to protect the safety of the artillerymen. Their figures looked so tall and majestic in the smoke.

The soldiers of Shun army had not experienced such a fierce battle for a long time. They suffered heavy losses in the last battle of Ningwu Pass. Now facing such a tough battle, they stopped and looked at Li Zicheng's central army tent, hoping to get some instructions or encouragement. But they did not want to charge, and they did not want to make unnecessary sacrifices. Their eyes were full of confusion and helplessness.

"Charge! Charge!" The warlord wielded his sword and killed several soldiers who had stopped, trying to encourage them to keep going. But a soldier next to him angrily killed the warlord, hugged his brother and cried bitterly, his eyes filled with fear of death and mourning for his comrades.

"Charge! Enter Beijing, and you will be promoted three levels and get a reward of 1,000 taels!" Another warlord shouted loudly, trying to boost morale. But this time no one listened to him. The soldiers only had fear of death and cherishment of life in their eyes. Although some people continued to charge, their pace had obviously slowed down. More people stood there at a loss, not knowing what to do, their eyes were full of confusion and helplessness.

The surrendered Ming soldiers were filled with regret. They had never thought that Li Zicheng would despise human life, and they had never thought that they would fall into such a desperate situation. They had followed Li Zicheng just to survive, but now they had to fight for their lives. Seeing this, some surrendered Ming generals immediately reorganized their troops and fled into the darkness with their own men. In their eyes, there was only the desire to survive and confusion about the future. This battle was destined to become an eternal pain in their hearts.

Although some rebels tried to escape during the chaos, the army under Li Zicheng's command was besieging the capital more and more fiercely. In the night, the firelight illuminated their figures, which looked both ferocious and resolute. Li Zicheng stood on a high slope, his eyes like torches, staring at every movement on the city wall. One thousand people, and then another thousand! As more and more soldiers climbed the city wall, his heart was as anxious as fire. These soldiers were different from ordinary people. They were the sharp swords in his hands and his support for conquering cities and plundering land. Although he would feel heartbroken about the deaths and injuries of the people, it was nothing compared to losing these elite troops. Because each of these soldiers was cultivated by him with his hard work. If one died, there would be one less, and it would be difficult to replenish them.

After a lot of hard work, a big hole was finally blown open in the city wall on the Fuchengmen side. Li Zicheng looked at the gap, and a strong impulse surged in his heart. He knew that if he didn't take the opportunity to attack now, the city wall might be repaired by the Ming army tomorrow. So, he gritted his teeth and sent another 2,000 people up, and the number of people attacking the city suddenly reached tens of thousands! The drums of war were beating, the cannons were roaring, and his eyes were full of ferocity and determination. He knew in his heart that today, either he, Li Zicheng, would fall, or the opponent, Lin Xiaofeng, would be finished!

Just as he was thinking this, a scout came to report: "Your Majesty, Desheng Gate has been breached, and a team of more than a thousand people rushed out, half of them were cavalry and half were infantry."

Deshengmen? A team of more than a thousand people? Li Zicheng thought at first that someone had surrendered, but then he thought something was wrong. If they really wanted to surrender, why did they send troops out of the city? Wouldn't it be better to just open the gates to welcome them? He frowned, and a bad feeling surged in his heart. To be on the safe side, he still asked, "Are they the surrendering Ming troops?"

"Not likely. When I reported the news, they were lining up and heading towards Xizhimen." the scout replied.

Li Zicheng pondered for a while and understood the other party's intention. The defenders in the city must be under too much pressure, so they had to send such a team out of the city to harass them. Since the other party sent out cavalry, they couldn't just sit there. Thinking of this, he immediately ordered: "Zongmin, you take two thousand cavalry out and let these Ming troops see how powerful our Shun army is!"

Under the moonlight, Zongmin led two thousand cavalrymen, like a black torrent, rushing towards the Ming army. The sound of their horses' hooves was deafening, as if they were going to crush the earth. On the other side, at Fuchengmen, Lin Xiaofeng was also planning to send the Yongwei Battalion out of the city to fight.

When the Governor of the Beijing Camp, Cheng Qinghua, heard this, he became anxious and quickly dissuaded him, "Your Majesty, the Yongwei Camp is your personal army. They should stay in the city to protect the imperial city and your safety. Unless it is absolutely necessary, they must not be sent out to fight the rebels!" There was a bit of anxiety and helplessness in his voice, and he was obviously very worried about Lin Xiaofeng's decision.

Cheng Qinghua's worries were not without reason. Although it seemed that the Ming army could still rely on the city walls to block the rebels' attack, this was only temporary. Today, the city wall of Fuchengmen was blown up, and tomorrow the city wall of Xizhimen might also be damaged. The Yongwei Battalion was like a fire brigade. If the rebels really rushed into the city, they would have to rely on them to rescue them.

Lin Xiaofeng certainly knew Cheng Qinghua's concerns, but he also had his own ideas. He stood on the city wall, looking at the lights of the rebels in the distance, and an indescribable pride surged in his heart. The Ming army has been defending the city for so long. Although the city wall has been blown up, they still have to defend it. On the surface, it seems that they can win the battle every day, but in fact, it is a big blow to morale to keep defending like this. The rebels can blow up the city wall, which means that they have found a way to break the city. The morale of the defenders is gradually dissipating, and it may collapse completely tonight or tomorrow. At that time, all their efforts will be in vain.

Therefore, Lin Xiaofeng would rather sacrifice the elite soldiers of the Yongwei Camp and send them out of the city to fight. He knew that this was a gamble, but he was willing to bet it all for the morale of the Ming army and the safety of the capital. Not long after, the Yongwei Camp Lieutenant General Pang Zijin was ready to go. He was wearing armor, holding a spear, standing in front of the queue, waiting for Lin Xiaofeng's order.

"Your Majesty, the Brave Guard Battalion has been assembled. According to your order, we will all wear double armor when we go out of the city to fight. There are 500 infantrymen and 500 cavalrymen, a total of 1,000 people. Your Majesty, please give the order!" Pang Zijin reported loudly. His voice was firm and powerful, as if he was announcing their determination to the world.

Lin Xiaofeng looked at Pang Zijin and the thousand soldiers behind him. Although he felt a little reluctant, he also knew that this was something that could not be avoided in war. People died on the battlefield every moment, but dying on the way to charge was much more glorious than dying in a comfortable dream. He took a deep breath and then said slowly: "You go out from Deshengmen and come back from Xibianmen. I will personally beat the drum to cheer you on at Xibianmen and wait for your triumphant return!"

"I obey your orders!" Pang Zijin answered without hesitation. It takes a thousand days to raise an army, but only a moment to deploy it. As soldiers, their duty is to obey orders. Moreover, they are the personal soldiers of His Majesty. Even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, they will never retreat.

Pang Zijin climbed onto his horse, looked back at his brothers, waved and shouted, "Let's go!" A thousand soldiers rode their horses, quickly passed through the city gate, and galloped towards Deshengmen. Lin Xiaofeng climbed up to the top of the city wall at the West Gate and watched them leave. His heart was full of expectations and worries, but he knew that he had to believe in them and believe that they would return triumphantly.

Under the moonlight, the rebels' offensives became more and more fierce, but the defenders relied on the favorable terrain and moonlight to repel the rebels again and again. The rebels could only leave some traces on the city wall to prove that they had been there during the intervals between the Ming army's firearms shooting. However, this situation soon changed. Because a force rushed from the north, then split into two and began to charge around the battlefield.

Five hundred cavalrymen, wearing double-layer armor, holding sabers and lances, moved quickly on the battlefield. In front of them, those infantrymen without formations were like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others. The cavalry of the Ming army had four major characteristics: soft bows, long arrows, fast horses, and light swords! The first time the cavalry joined the battle was not to rush directly to the battlefield, but to leave the battlefield first, observe the position and formation of the opponent's infantry, and then choose a suitable angle to accelerate and rush into the battlefield in advance. In this way, the advantage of fast horses can be brought into play.

Pang Zijin had fought in Liaodong and had a deep understanding of this. After leading the cavalry and infantry out of the city, he immediately separated the cavalry from the infantry and led them back to the outside of Xizhimen. After the defenders in the city received the news, in order not to accidentally hurt friendly forces, they pointed their guns and cannons at the rebels under the city, and the rebels suffered heavy casualties. Pang Zijin led 500 cavalrymen to make a half-circle and then rushed into the battlefield again.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the sword used by the Ming army was called a waist sword. It was a long sword used with one hand, combining the characteristics of a Japanese sword, with a slender shape and a slightly curved handle. This waist sword was originally used by the Qi family army, so it was also called the Qi family sword. It is well-made and light in shape, and has the reputation of "bright as water and light as paper". Under the command of Pang Zijin, the cavalry in front waved the waist sword, and with the help of the speed of the horse, they easily cut the cotton armor on the rebels and caused injuries. Although some injuries were not fatal, the psychological damage caused far exceeded the physical damage. Before the injured rebels could recover, the cavalry behind them had already rushed up, cut their throats, or shot them with arrows close to their faces.

By the time the infantry reacted, the cavalry had already rushed far away. The five hundred cavalry were like a sickle harvesting lives, swinging left and right outside the city, constantly harvesting the lives of the rebels. They were agile and quick, and every charge was like a flash of lightning, cutting through the night sky, making the rebels terrified. Although the rebels were all elite troops, after a brief panic, they also discovered the weakness of the small number of cavalry. So under the command of their respective generals, they began to form a battle formation to fight. In a blink of an eye, the infantry all over the mountains and plains shrank into several square formations, carefully responding to the charge of the cavalry.

Seeing the rebels forming a battle array, Pang Zijin did not let the cavalry continue to charge, but took out bows and arrows and shouted loudly: "Everyone! Soft bows and long arrows! Fly kites!" His voice echoed in the night sky with an unquestionable majesty. Five hundred cavalrymen immediately responded to his order, took out bows and arrows, and began to shoot at the rebels' square formation. Their arrows fell like raindrops, making it impossible for the rebels to raise their heads. The cavalrymen were like kites, freely shuttling around the battlefield, constantly changing their positions and directions, making it impossible for the rebels to grasp their whereabouts.

In this battle, the cavalry of the Yongwei Camp showed amazing combat effectiveness. With their superb riding and archery skills, they were like fish in water on the battlefield, making the rebels terrified. As Li Zicheng watched this scene, an indescribable anger surged in his heart. He knew that he had lost this battle. Because the cavalry of the Yongwei Camp had proved their strength with his elite troops. And if he wanted to capture the capital, it might not be so easy anymore.

At Pang Zijin's command, his resolute eyes flashed with the light of wisdom on the battlefield. The cavalrymen of the Yongwei Camp picked up bows and arrows and circled around the infantry phalanx of the Shun army, as flexible and maneuverable as flying a kite. This trick is simply invincible against infantry phalanxes without cannons! Think about it, the cavalry runs fast, and if they attack a single enemy, the arrows cannot be shot accurately; but facing the dense infantry phalanx, it will be a mess of arrows piercing the heart, and there is no place to hide. The larger the infantry phalanx, the slower it turns. The cavalry shoots arrows from the east, runs to the south to shoot again, and there is also a wave from the north. The infantry has no time to react. Not to mention that the Ming army also has new weapons such as bird guns and hand guns. With full firepower, it is simply deadly!
Pang Zijin personally led 500 cavalrymen to charge on the battlefield. His posture was upright, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, unstoppable. As soon as the second round of charge ended, he keenly discovered that a cavalry team of more than a thousand people had emerged from behind the Shun army. No need to guess, it must be the reinforcements sent by Li Zicheng. He rolled his eyes, sneered, and decided not to confront them head-on, but to lead the cavalry around to the back of the infantry of the Yongwei Camp. This was not because he was afraid, but because he saw that the infantry had already messed up the Shun army's formation, and it was a good time to reap the fruits of the battle.

Shan Huafeng, the captain of the Yongwei Battalion, was a burly man with a resolute look on his face. He led the heavy infantry like a moving iron mountain, charging straight at the Shun army infantry. The five hundred infantry cooperated very well. In front and on both sides were swordmen, who held shields in their left hands and swords in their right hands, and had double layers of armor to protect their bodies. Nothing could penetrate them except cannons. In the middle were spearmen, who could deal with all kinds of disobedience with a wave of their armor-piercing guns and spears. There were also firearms soldiers on the side, with bird guns, three-eyed guns, and crossbows all on the battlefield, with long-range firepower fully opened, like a feast of steel and fire.

As the two sides fought, the infantry phalanx of the Shun army collapsed instantly like paper. They watched their weapons hitting the Ming army like tickling, and they felt so desperate. The Ming army marched in neat steps, step by step, and every step seemed to step on the hearts of the Shun soldiers. The Shun soldiers finally dodged the rain of bullets, but were knocked down one by one by the spears. Those who were not stabbed to death were also stabbed by the swordsmen, and they were completely dead.

The elite soldiers of Shun army were also aroused, and they picked up cold weapons to fight the Ming army. But real combat is not a TV drama, and it is fake to kill one by one. Many times, it takes several rounds to decide the winner. At this time, physical strength, skills, experience and willpower must keep up, and equipment is even more critical. The heavy infantry of Ming army is simply a bug on the battlefield, and they can knock down the enemy without defense.

A Shun soldier took advantage of the Ming army's inattention and slashed the Ming soldier's shoulder with a knife. As a result, the Ming soldier just frowned slightly as if nothing had happened, and stabbed him in the armpit with a knife. The Shun soldier just wanted to draw his knife to fight back, but he was pierced by another Ming soldier's armor-piercing gun. As soon as the Ming army's armor-piercing gun came out, the Shun soldiers fell down like wheat being cut. Before they could cry out in pain, they were trampled into meat paste. Shan Huafeng's heavy infantry was like a sharp knife, cutting through the Shun army's defense line like cutting tofu. Every time they killed a dozen people, the Shun army's formation became a mess. Once in chaos, the soldiers lost their fighting spirit and fled. But it was useless to flee, because the Ming army's cavalry had been waiting for them. The Shun army infantry suffered heavy casualties under the impact of the cavalry. They were either hacked to death or trampled to death. It was so miserable.

The situation on the battlefield was reversed in an instant. The Shun army, which had just besieged the city, now turned around and fled. The rumbling sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer, and the Shun soldiers were scared out of their wits. They looked up and saw that the cavalry had white cloth tied on their right arms, and they were even more disappointed. "Our cavalry is coming!" "Fight the Ming army!" Although they shouted slogans, their bodies honestly gave way to the cavalry. A thousand cavalry rushed towards Shan Huafeng's heavy infantry like a tide, raising dust and with great momentum.

Facing the overwhelming cavalry and dust, Shan Huafeng remained calm, his eyes revealing a kind of determination and calmness. "Form a battle array!" He gave an order, his voice penetrating the hustle and bustle of the battlefield. The spearmen quickly inserted their spears into the soil as support points, with the spearheads forming an indestructible line of defense; the sword and shield soldiers raised their shields to protect the spearmen and the firearms soldiers and crossbowmen behind them. They were like a mobile fortress, waiting for the enemy's attack.

Both sides opened fire almost at the same time. The arrows of the Shun army hit the shields and armor of the Ming army, making "clang clang" sounds, but did not cause any damage at all. The Ming army's muskets and crossbows caused heavy losses to the Shun cavalry. Their bodies fell one after another under the tearing of firepower, and their horses neighed and fled in all directions.

The Shun cavalry leader saw the bad situation and turned pale. He knew that he could not withstand the firepower of the Ming army, so he immediately led his troops to retreat and imitated the Ming army's tactics to harass. However, their efforts did not work, and the Ming army's defense line remained as strong as before. In the end, the Shun cavalry had no choice but to evacuate the battlefield, leaving behind a mess and countless corpses of their compatriots.

Li Zicheng, who was watching this scene from a distance, was so angry that he slapped his thigh. His face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out. He gritted his teeth and said, "Where on earth did this Ming army come from? Why are they so difficult to deal with!" The counselor Li Yan used his clairvoyance to carefully observe the situation on the battlefield. His eyes revealed a kind of deep thought and worry. After a moment, he slowly said, "Your Majesty, this is the heavy infantry of the Liaodong Jiannu that I mentioned to you before!"

Li Zicheng's face became more solemn after hearing this. He realized that the power of this heavy infantry was extraordinary. The future battle with Jiannu would be a tough one, and he had to seriously consider how to deal with such a powerful enemy. He began to think about how to strengthen his army and improve the equipment and combat effectiveness of his soldiers to meet future challenges. He knew that this would be a long and difficult struggle, but he was ready.

Your Majesty, last night, an arrow was shot in from the East Gate, carrying a letter. The night was dark, the moonlight was dim, and the arrow pierced through the silence of the night, like an ominous sign, and suddenly landed inside the red wall of the Forbidden City. The letter tied to the arrow seemed like an urgent call from afar, carrying an unknown message.

I was just about to rest in the Qianqing Palace when the cabinet boss Li Banghua came in a hurry in a sedan chair. The sedan chair was bumpy all the way, making a hurried sound, which was particularly harsh in this quiet night. Li Banghua looked anxious, with an unconcealable worry between his brows.

"Your Majesty, please take a look at what this letter says?" I sat up immediately after hearing this, my curiosity and uneasiness intertwined. It must be a big deal for Li Banghua to send it so anxiously. I secretly wondered if something happened on the front line.
"Good news, Your Majesty! The Governor of Ji-Liao, Ji Zishen, has brought five thousand Guanning cavalrymen, saying they are here to rescue the king. They will be outside the capital at dawn. And Wu Sangui of Liaodong has led ten thousand Guanning troops to rescue you. They have already arrived in Yutian and will be able to reach the capital within three days!" There was some joy in Li Banghua's voice, as if a long drought had finally come to an end, bringing a glimmer of life to the dull palace.

When I heard this, the big stone in my heart finally fell to the ground. Fortunately, although Wu Sangui and his men came late, they finally came. The capital has been besieged for five days, and this is the second batch of troops to rescue us. I secretly rejoiced in my heart, as if I saw the dawn of hope.

"Okay, I got it. Let them go directly into the city when the time comes! As for how to check their identities, leave this matter to the Ministry of War." I gave the order, thinking about how to place this reinforcement force.

But Li Banghua hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly, as if he was weighing something. Then he said, "Your Majesty, according to the rules of our court, the troops that come to defend the king cannot enter the city. What I mean is that we should let them camp outside the city and fight the bandits directly."

As you know, there was a rule in the Ming Dynasty that the army that came to defend the king could not enter the city. This rule was probably related to Zhu Di's rebellion, so no matter who came to defend the king, they were not allowed to enter the city. This rule was also one of the reasons why the Ming army suffered a great loss during the Ji Si Rebellion.

"Rules?" I smiled bitterly and shook my head, thinking that the country was about to be destroyed, why should we still abide by those broken rules? Rules are dead, but people are alive. In this situation, if we still stick to the old rules, wouldn't that be courting death?
"I have already allowed Tang Shengyu's troops to enter the city as an exception. What's the big deal if they break in again? They have come here from thousands of miles away without bringing anything. If you let them camp outside the city, won't that discourage the soldiers?" I was a little displeased, and my voice revealed unquestionable majesty.

Li Banghua listened, frowned and thought for a while, and finally nodded in agreement. Rules are to restrain people, not the emperor. The only one who can restrain the emperor is the emperor himself. I thought to myself that this rule also depends on the time and cannot be generalized.

"Lord Li, do you think the bandits will retreat once the Guanning Army arrives?" I asked, already having some guesses in my mind.

Li Banghua shook his head, his expression looked like he didn't know, but it was a bit difficult to say. "Go ahead, the emperor is listening." I was a little unhappy. Li Banghua was usually very smart, why was he hesitant at this time?

Li Banghua was a very sharp person when he was talking to others, but when he was chatting with the emperor, he was very careful about what he said, for fear that he would say something wrong and make me unhappy. "I think the bandits may retreat to Xuanfu." He analyzed, with some uncertainty in his voice.

"Why?" I asked, but I already understood a little bit.

"Xuanfu, that's one of the nine important border towns of our court. We can threaten the capital if we advance, and defend Datong if we retreat. It's a good place to attack or defend. Although Juyongguan is easy to defend but difficult to attack, it's too close to the capital, and the bandits won't stay there for long." Li Banghua explained, his tone revealing a bit of professionalism and confidence.

"So I think that if the bandits retreat, they will definitely choose Xuanfu." He concluded, with a gleam of wisdom in his eyes.

I nodded, and I understood in my heart that this was basically the situation. But I also had to be on guard against the possibility that Li Zicheng would retreat to Datong, after all, that was a place that was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

"Lord Li, do you know what I want to ask?" I asked, with a hint of cunning in my eyes.

"I know. What Your Majesty wants to ask is how we should arrange the defense line of our capital after the bandits retreat, right?" Li Banghua replied, his tone revealing some understanding.

That's right! I patted my thigh happily, secretly admiring Li Banghua's cleverness. What I am most worried about now is how to arrange the defense line of Beijing after the bandits leave. Back then, Huang Taiji was always able to sneak into the interior to cause trouble. It was not only his cavalry and artillery that he relied on, but more importantly, he had intelligence on the Mongols.

In the first year of the Ming Dynasty, Huang Taiji personally led elite troops to attack the Dorlot tribe in Aomulun and captured more than 10,000 people. In September, he led the Manchu-Mongolian coalition to conquer Chahar and chased them all the way to Xing'an Mountains before returning with a great victory. After this battle, Huang Taiji learned several ways to enter the pass from the Chahar Mongols. In fact, these ways are simple to say, just dig a hole in some places of the Great Wall and then get in.

Li Banghua had expected this, so he took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to me. I was too lazy to read it, so I asked him directly: "Mr. Li, just tell me, I'm not in the mood to read this now."

"Yes!" Li Banghua cleared his throat and said, "The key to defending the capital lies in Jizhou Town!" There was some firmness in his words, as if he had already seen the future victory.

"Jizhou Town is three hundred miles away from the capital. It can support Shanhaiguan in the east, guard Xifengkou in the north, support the capital and Juyongguan in the west, and even affect Xuanfu!" He continued to explain, revealing a bit of pride and confidence in his tone.

"Back then, it was because Jizhou Town's military preparations were lax and its troops were insufficient that the Jiannu army, under the guidance of the Mongols, broke into the Central Plains!" There was a hint of grief and regret in his words, as if that period of history was right before his eyes.

"Therefore, I think we should station heavy troops in Jizhou Town. This will not only deter the Jiannu, but also defend the capital!" he concluded, his eyes flashing with wisdom and determination.

"But..." Li Banghua stopped here, seeming a little hesitant and hesitant.

I asked him with a smile: "Lord Li, do you not trust me or do you not trust the Ming Dynasty? Just say it directly!" There was a bit of ridicule and jokes in my words, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

"It's just that the Guanning Army has too few troops. If they want to defend Shanhaiguan, they won't be able to defend Jizhou Town." Li Banghua expressed his concerns, with a bit of helplessness and worry in his tone.

I understand what he means. He wants to transfer the Guanning Army to Jizhou Town to defend it, but he is afraid that if this happens, there will be no one to defend Shanhaiguan. This is indeed a thorny issue. The importance of Shanhaiguan is self-evident. Once it is lost, the consequences will be disastrous.

"Lord Li, you are worrying too much. I plan to use the Guanning Army to guard Shanhaiguan, but I don't need them to guard Jizhou Town." I explained, with confidence and composure in my tone.

"Your Majesty, don't you trust them?" Li Banghua asked me in surprise, seeming puzzled by my decision.

I didn't answer him directly, but just nodded. Some things can only be understood but not expressed in words. I have made it very clear in the cabinet before, but there are many gossips in the palace, so it's better not to say such things. In fact, it's not that I don't trust the Guanning Army, but I don't trust that guy Wu Sangui. This kind of political speculator only considers his own interests, and is loyal to himself instead of the Ming Dynasty. However, the Ming Dynasty and I don't have many people we can use now. We can use the Guanning Army, but we can't use it too much. We can let them guard Shanhaiguan, but we can't let them guard the capital. In history, Wu Sangui allowed the Jiannu to enter Shanhaiguan, and by the same token, he could also let people enter the gates of Beijing.

"Then who are you going to send to guard Jizhou Town?" Li Banghua asked doubtfully, as if he was confused by my decision. The Ming Dynasty is now using troops everywhere, and the military strength is already very tight. If we don't use Wu Sangui and the Guanning Army, who else can we use?

I thought about it and then asked him back: "Lord Li, if I send you to train the troops, how long will it take for the newly recruited soldiers to be able to go to the battlefield?" I tried to find some clues and inspiration from his answer.

Li Banghua closed his eyes and thought for a while, then replied: "Your Majesty, I need at least half a year to train the soldiers before they can go to the battlefield." There was some firmness and confidence in his voice, as if he had already seen the future victory.

"Okay!" I stood up and said, "That's settled! You draft an edict immediately and send it out after the bandits retreat. Let Gao Di, the general of Shanhaiguan, take his 10,000 soldiers to garrison in Jizhou Town. At the same time, let the Ministry of War recruit 30,000 new soldiers and send them to Jizhou Town, so that they can intensify their training and prepare for battle." I gave the order, with a tone of resolution and decisiveness.

"It doesn't matter if we don't have enough war horses. Didn't I tell you yesterday about the heavy infantry of the Jiannu? You can equip the soldiers with double armor according to that standard, and then build some chariots." I continued, with a complete plan in mind. What the Jiannu have, we must also have; what the Jiannu don't have, we must have even more!
"I am not afraid that the Jiannu will not come, I am afraid that they will not come! As long as they dare to come to the Central Plains, this will be their burial place!" I said proudly, with determination and confidence in my eyes. I believe that as long as we work together, we will be able to protect this land and let the flag of the Ming Dynasty fly forever! (End of this chapter)