Dragon Soul in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 17

While the capital was busy fighting among themselves, Zhu Qian had already approached the Bali Bridge with the red-clothed army, which was less than eight miles away from Tongzhou City. During the journey, he hadn't encountered a single soldier from the Ming Dynasty.

Bali Bridge, the cars on the bridge are rolling, the horses are rustling, the canal wharf is heading for the capital, the boats are rolling under the bridge, people are noisy, the rice barges of the imperial capital are sailing to Tongzhou, the bustling scene is the first in Beijing, and it is the throat of Jingtong , is one of the four major bridges defending the capital.

At this time, when everyone arrived at such a place, they were a bit uncomfortable as country bumpkins entering the city. Zhu Ganxiong walked ahead in high spirits, watching the bustling and bustling scene, turned around and smiled at the people behind him: "How is it, isn't it?" I'm dumbfounded, today we only have 2000 people, but if we win here, the canal wharf, and even Tongzhou, we will grow rapidly..."

"Could it be fraudulent!" Yu Song interjected abruptly.

Looking at the wide Bali Bridge not far away, it is very lively, but there is no Ming Dynasty soldier in sight, not even a patrolman.You must know that there are many government offices in the city of Tongzhou, including the Governor's Yamen of Cangchang, the Yamen of the State Administration, the Yamen of Tongyongdao, and the Department of Households and the Department of Grain... There are many yamen, large and small, but now there is not a single soldier in this place, which is enough. strange.

Gao Qiang laughed, and jokingly said, "I guess we were frightened!"

Sitting on the donkey, Zhu Gan looked at the carts and barges going up and down the bridge. He was very excited. Any ambitious man who saw these prosperous things would want to take them for himself. It is power, and power comes from soldiers, and now that he has soldiers, these things will be his.

"It's not surprising!" Zhu Qian lightly squeezed the donkey's belly, and headed towards the Bali Bridge first, while saying: "Now the elite soldiers available to Ming Dynasty have already been transferred to various places, and the capital has long been empty except for the three major battalions, and these places The soldiers in the households have also become tenants for senior generals to farm. As for the soldiers in these government offices, it is okay to bully some small merchants and ordinary people. The combat power is not a little bit, and the dog is quite powerful."

"Take down the Bali Bridge, and I want to be able to watch the sunset on the bridge before dinner." Zhu Gan swung the Qiushui Yanling Saber from his waist, and swung it vigorously in the air. The blade tore through the air and hissed quite a bit. Prestige.

Yu Song has already put on a war horse, and the weapons for the entire Zhuozhou City are given priority to the red-clothed army, but there is no complete formation of two thousand cavalry, and everyone is afraid to avoid those easy-to-explode firearms in the treasury. It's not enough, let alone equipped, it is because Zhu Qian gave the death order that he equipped a lot.

And the more than 2000 soldiers behind Yu Song also showed their weapons one after another. Now there are so many people holding weapons and wearing red clothes suddenly. fast.

Sitting on the horse, Yu Song's tall figure looked even stronger, no different from a real general, he rushed towards the Bali Bridge while drinking and beating his horse.

There was a sudden jump on the bridge, and the small officials and soldiers who set up checkpoints here to collect taxes saw that the situation was not right, and there was hardly any resistance. Hexagram, rushed to escape, Yu Song's eyes were already red at this time, almost at the moment when the horse was on the bridge, he kept waving the lancet in his hand, at this time, he couldn't care about who was innocent or not.

On the 16-meter-wide Bali Bridge, it was still crowded and lively a moment ago. After the red-clothed soldiers came up, it was completely quiet, leaving behind a few blood-stained corpses and some discarded materials.

"I thought it was going to be a tough fight!" Gao Qiang's red clothes became more and more red, and he didn't know how many people's blood was stained, so he tore it off and threw it aside, and walked to Zhu Gan's side with a smile.

Zhu Gan rode a donkey slowly up the Bali Bridge, and there was no change in his face when he saw the broken limbs and arms on the Bali Bridge. Seeing the uncomfortable appearance of many soldiers under his command, he smiled and said, "I thought I could only go up the bridge." Looking at the sunset on the bridge, I never thought I could come to have dinner on the bridge. The scholar soldiers will not really become great scholars! Look at you, all of you look uncomfortable. It’s not yet the time for the official battle. What are the casualties and captures? .”

Yu Song on the side couldn't help smiling and said: "No one died, but a few chased these businessmen and fell off their donkeys, and one fell into the river and was almost drowned. On the contrary, there are a few big merchants who are very tenacious in the nursing home. Fortunately, I found out in time, and I didn't let them form a car formation. "

Gao Qiang took over the conversation, and said with admiration: "Looking at those deep-drought boats along the way, as well as the carts with heavy wheels that creaked, I don't know how much money was transferred in them. I'm so jealous! It's still the lord! It is wise to strictly order us not to touch these businessmen, but I did not expect that once we got here, we would earn back even the principal and interest.”

"Where is there any money here? The most important thing is food. It will be of great use to find out if there is any gunpowder." Zhu Gan opened a sack with a dagger, and the white rice was scattered all over the ground, which looked greedy. He couldn't help but sighed: "Although there is a severe drought every year in this world, there has never been a shortage of rice and grain from the south of the Yangtze River to Beijing, but there will be a shortage of grain soon. If the Ming Dynasty can find corn and sweet potatoes in advance and spread them all over the world , may be able to survive this little ice age!"

Although the two thousand red-clothed troops at this time were more like thieves, after this small battle, the spoils they got far exceeded their expectations. Regarding the decision to leave Zhuozhou City, Zhu Gan had no regrets. A little bit of dissatisfaction, but there is some expectation in my heart. At least this guy dared to run under the city of Beijing with them. It required not only monstrous courage, but also the self-confidence to control everything.

Yu Song followed Zhu Gan all the time, did not check the captured spoils, and asked softly, "Master, what should we do next?"

Zhu Qian turned around and glanced at him. This guy not only talked less and less, but also behaved more and more strangely. He didn't blame him for asking such confidential and important matters because he hadn't established an absolute right now. To gain prestige, we need to let our subordinates know our brilliance and martial arts: "The next step we will guard here, unfurl the banner of Fu Wang Feng Tian Jing Nan, let the imperial court come to us for a decisive battle, and then let them know how powerful we are."

"Who is the guard here!" Yu Song looked at Zhu Gan with burning eyes.

Looking at Yu Song's burning eyes, Zhu Gan wondered in his heart whether this guy had some deep hatred with the government, so he patted Yu Song on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, you will be the guard of Baliqiao this time, you are just like me." Wing Virtue."

"The final general vows to defend the Bali Bridge to the death and live up to my lord's high expectations." Yu Song knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said gratefully.

"Okay! Okay! Bali Bridge is up to you, success or failure is a matter of one action." Zhu Gan patted Yu Song's shoulder vigorously, with a grateful face, and said: "I will give you eight hundred elites You are the only two tiger squatting cannons, remember to collect ships for me, the more the better, I will be of great use then."

Zhu Gan still did not see the sunset on the Bali Bridge. After dinner, he took a large group of people, including all the horses, and left for Tongzhou City, which was less than Bali. Zhu Gan didn't send anyone to pick them up, but just let them fall on the road.

Looking at the food and supplies scattered on the ground, Gao Qiang felt unbearable: "Master, don't we have extra gunpowder? Why don't we blow up that stone bridge, then we will have enough time to attack Tongzhou City."

Zhu Gan glanced at him, and said coldly: "You want to pick up the silver taels scattered along the way!"

Gao Qiang didn't expect that Zhu Qian would speak coldly to him when he asked casually, and immediately said in panic: "The last general knows his mistakes, but I also think about other generals! After all, they are all from poor families. I thought I could get fame. But there is really no way to survive, seeing that there are grains and silver taels along the way, if you don’t pick them up for nothing, I’m also afraid that they will feel resentful in their hearts!”

"Hmph! It's better to have resentment than to be angry, and better than to die because you are greedy for money?" Zhu Gan said coldly, and then ignored Gao Qiang, and clamped the donkey's belly hard, and the donkey speeded up and ran forward after suffering the pain. .

Regarding Zhu Gan's words, Gao Qiang thought carefully, but still couldn't figure out what he meant, so he had no choice but to shut his mouth.

At this time, Tongzhou City, which was more prosperous than Tianjin Wei, was already in mourning because of the news from traders and pawns. As it was getting dark, many people began to pack their bags and prepare to flee.

Although there are so many government offices in Tongzhou City, it can't stop the rumors flying in the city, and even many officials have begun to pack up their things and prepare to flee. Obviously, the White Lotus Sect, which claims to have an army of 20, did not scare them. The red-clothed thieves frightened them. Although they had high walls and heavy artillery, they couldn't resist the fear in their hearts.

In Tongzhou City, the biggest official at this time is the eunuch Wang Chengen, the supervisor of ceremonies and the eunuch Bingbi. I don't know why he suddenly appeared here, but this old man who is confident that he came from the palace, whether it is prestige or a scapegoat, is high enough. So officials, big and small, who couldn't escape, went to the Xingyuan of the Gongyuan to visit and ask for advice.

At this time, it is impossible to control whether he is an eunuch despised by the scholar-bureaucrats, and under the threat of death, let alone a eunuch without roots, even a woman, they will confess him, provided that they can save them fate.

Then there was a strange scene. After Wang Chengen ordered to close the city gate, the chaos in the city calmed down a little, and then countless people who could not leave jumped out again, and began to speak righteously and utter nonsense, scolding Wang Chengen, who was previously regarded as a benefactor. His body was bruised, and he felt like he was just cutting off people's wealth and killing his father and enemies.