Ming Empire

Chapter 14 Invading the Palace
People who were sleeping soundly at night were doomed to react very slowly. Jiannu, who was awakened by the startle, woke up and was in a hurry to prepare for the battle. The Ming army led by Cao Yue had already rushed to the vicinity of the camp.

After a volley of bows and arrows, several Jian slaves outside the barracks were shot to the ground, and the two troops led by Cao Yue and Cao Jie rushed into the Qing army camp on both sides of the palace almost at the same time.After rushing into the Qing army camp, the sergeants set fire everywhere with lit torches.

There are many forests in the Northeast, and a lot of wood is produced. Today's Shengjing City is basically built with wood, whether it is an imperial palace, residential buildings or military camps.This is true not only in Shengjing, but also in other places. The ancient dwellings seen in later generations are mostly wood except for the outer walls.In the middle of summer, the weather is very hot, and there has been no heavy rain for several months. The wood is very dry and burns at one point.

By the time Jianu, who was like a headless fly, rushed out with weapons in a panic, ready to fight, the two barracks had already become a sea of ​​flames, and they had no chance to resist. Finding a way to escape from the flames was the top priority.Some unlucky ones were buried in the sea of ​​flames, and the smell of burning human flesh immediately permeated the barracks.Those Jiannu who were lucky enough to rush out of the sea of ​​flames were quickly hacked to death by the swarming soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.

The soldiers of the Two Yellow Banners who stayed in Shengjing are basically children under the age of fourteen or fifteen, or some old and weak soldiers. Organize resistance on a scale.

This was a one-sided massacre, and soon most of the "boy scouts" were wiped out by the Ming army.

Seeing that the situation was completely under control and smoother than expected, Cao Yue immediately ordered to leave two hundred horsemen to continue near the barracks, kill all the fish that slipped through the net, and the rest of the troops followed him to attack the palace.The threat outside the palace has been cleared, occupying the palace is a top priority.

On the other side, Cao Jie saw that the Qing army barracks had been completely engulfed in flames, and there was no organized resistance at all. According to the original plan, Wu Xin and two hundred family members continued to stay in the barracks to control the situation, and at the same time blocked the west gate of the palace. , I brought the rest of the servants straight to Daqing Gate.When Cao Jie rushed to the Daqing Gate with more than [-] family members, the more than [-] family members led by Cao Yue also arrived near the palace gate.

Qing soldiers appeared on the city wall. Cao Yue calmly gave the order to fire muskets. More than a hundred soldiers raised their muskets and shot at the top of the city. The Qing soldiers on the city wall fell down. The soldiers were frightened and quickly hid under the female wall.

No arrows shot down the city wall, so Cao Yue ordered the sergeant to pile up several dozens of catties of explosives under the gate of the Qing Dynasty, preparing to blow open the city gate.

The servants quickly stacked several explosive packs under the city gate and lit the fuse.With an earth-shattering explosion sound, the wooden city gate was blown into countless fragments, and the palace guards hiding in the gate hole were blown down, wounded or killed.

This scene not only stunned the guards of the palace, but also surprised the sergeants of Cao Yue's servants, darling, the power of explosives is really great.There is no need to take a ladder to attack the city, just blow open the city gate and break the city, and the price that the attacking party needs to pay is much smaller.

The gate of the Qing Dynasty was blown open, and the imperial palace of the "Daqing" almost became an undefended city. Without any hesitation, Cao Yue led his family troops to rush into the palace quickly, and walked along Wendefang, Wugongfang, Fengxianglou, etc. , Chongzheng Hall all the way to burn and kill.

After rushing into the palace, Cao Yue also ordered the soldiers to set fire everywhere.The attack on Shengjing was not for the purpose of occupying Shengjing this time. What Cao Yue had to do was to kill and destroy. Kill everything that could be killed and burn everything that could be burned.

The Daming cities captured by the Manchu Qing army were basically completely destroyed, and the Daming people who originally lived in the land of Liaodong were all slaughtered.Of the more than 150 million Han people in Liaodong, at least [-] million were massacred by the Manchus.What Cao Yue has to do now is to repay him in the same way, so that the Manchus can also experience the pain of their homes being destroyed and their families being killed.

Soon, fires ignited everywhere in the palace, and in Shengjing City, there were raging fires everywhere, shining red for a long time.

When Cao Yue and Cao Jie led nearly a thousand troops to kill and set fire everywhere in the palace, Zhao Liang, the other thousand general, collected the remaining troops, and guarded the dilapidated Daqing Gate with the two hundred or so cavalry left by Cao Yue. To meet the attack of the Manchu Qing army stationed everywhere in the city and outside the city.

The Shengjing Imperial Palace was breached, and the Qing army inside and outside the Shengjing City, while sending fast horses to ask for help from Huang Taiji in Songshan, would definitely fight back with all their strength.The emperor's concubines lived in the imperial palace, as well as the princes. These soldiers and horses had no other choice but to fight with their lives.

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At this time, the Shengjing Imperial Palace was already in chaos.

In Qingning Palace, Zhezhe, the queen of Huang Taiji lived.In his deep sleep, Zhezhe was awakened by the sound of the explosion, and hurriedly got up and asked the maid serving beside him what happened.The maid naturally didn't know what was going on in the city, so she hurried out to ask someone.But the eunuchs and maids outside Qingning Palace didn't know what happened, so they could only send people outside to inquire.

But before the inquirer came back to report, the sound of shouting and killing had already spread to the palace, and the flames soaring into the sky reflected the entire sky red.As long as you are not stupid, you know what happened.It's just that no one wants to believe that there will be enemies attacking Shengjing and breaking through Shengjing City.

Mongolia has surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, and North Korea has been beaten very submissively. The Ming army was besieged in Songshan and Jinzhou. The Ming court couldn't even send rescue troops. It was impossible for them to send troops to attack Shengjing.Who will attack Shengjing?Zhe Zhe couldn't figure it out.

Just when Zhezhe sent people to inquire about the situation outside the palace, and invited Daishan, who stayed behind in Shengjing, to come to the palace to discuss countermeasures, other concubines in the palace, including Bumbutai of Yongfu Palace, the famous filial piety in history, Empress Zhuang, Concubine Na Muzhong of Linzhi Palace, Concubine Shu of Yanqing Palace Batma and more than a dozen concubines of Huang Taiji all came to Qingning Palace. Except for Bumbutai, the other women were all terrified.

Because it was summer, these women were wearing little clothes, they got up from sleep in a panic, and there was no time to get dressed, everyone was disheveled, Na Muzhong didn't even change his pajamas, and ran over without shoes up.Empress Zhezhe was a little bit better. She felt that she was the mother of the world. Even though she was panicked and scared, she tried her best to keep calm. When she got up to meet other women, she was still neatly dressed.It's just that there is no man by his side, no matter how calm Zhezhe pretends to be, the panic in his heart still shows on his face.

Among all the women, Bumbutai behaved fairly calmly. Instead of crying and asking Zhezhe, he asked the maids and eunuchs what happened in a low voice, and then comforted the sisters not to panic, Prince Yu Daishan was in the city , everything will be fine.

"Auntie, there may...really be chaos in the city. We must find a way to prevent the disturbance from being involved in the palace. Presumably Prince Li is already trying to control the situation," Bumbutai walked to the seat at the top. In front of Empress Zhezhe, she whispered: "Prince You Li presides over the situation, so there should be nothing wrong. It may be that the villains in the city took advantage of the army's southern expedition to rob houses."

Zhezhe is Bumbutai's aunt. Bumbutai, together with her older sister Hai Lanzhu, has become Huang Taiji's concubine, serving a man with her aunt.Originally, she was a woman whose status in the palace was second only to her aunt Zhezhe, but after her sisters Hai Lanzhu, Na Muzhong, and Zharut Borzigit married into the palace, her status declined. The good relationship with Zhe Zhe was not neglected by Huang Taiji.

Because she is very assertive and can please Zhezhe, Zhezhe relies on her very much and always discusses important matters with her.

At this very moment, other women are in a mess, but she is the only one who remains calm.Zhezhe, who was also panicked, immediately felt dependent, and pulled Bumbutai to ask Bumbutai to help her with ideas.

At this moment, a eunuch ran in in a panic, knelt on the ground with a plop, and cried loudly: "Master, the master is not good, the Ming army... the Ming army attacked in, the Ming army... rushed into the palace Already!"

"What?" Everyone gasped. It turned out that the Ming army attacked the city, broke through the gate of the palace, and entered.Bumbutai was also taken aback, but she still pretended to be calm, stepped forward and kicked the eunuch who reported the letter to the ground, and said angrily: "Slave, you are talking nonsense, the Ming army is besieged by the emperor." Songshan and Jinzhou, they lost a lot of battles, how could they come to Shengjing?"

"Master, this slave is not talking nonsense. The Ming army...the Ming army has really entered the palace. Master, run away!" the eunuch said, crying on the ground, not knowing whether it was because of fear, or because he was sent to the palace just now. Mubutai hurt from kicking, and his body was convulsing continuously.

"Concubine Zhuang, what can I do, what can I do?" The other women looked at Bumbutai, who was pretending to be calm, like a savior.

"Yu'er, what are we going to do?" Queen Zhezhe couldn't maintain her composure anymore, she stood up and took Bumbutai's hand, and asked repeatedly: "What are we going to do? Why isn't Prince Li here? Yu'er, we what to do?"

Bumbutai's body was also trembling constantly, but she still tried her best to maintain her composure. After taking a few breaths, she said firmly, "Aunt, Queen, sisters, the Ming army came in from the Great Qing Gate. , now that the guards in the palace are desperately resisting, we will escape through the back door. As long as we reach the barracks outside the city, we will be safe. Let someone send an order to the prince, and ask him to lead people to resist the attack of the Ming army and cover the queen and everyone Brother leave."

At this moment, the sound of chaotic footsteps came, and then a group of people rushed in. It was Shengjing's left-behind minister, Prince Li Daishan.Because of the urgency of the situation, the disheveled Daishan rushed in with a group of guards, then rushed forward and knelt down on the ground, pleading repeatedly: "Queen, ladies and gentlemen, the Ming army has broken through the palace and is coming here , you go, the slaves lead people to cover in the rear. You go!"

Hearing what Daishan said, the women suddenly felt as if a pot had exploded, crying and shouting together, and several women ran out desperately, preparing to pack their things and escape from the palace.

Daishan stopped them and told them not to care about their things, and didn't listen to the urgent need to escape.

No one has ever encountered such a situation, and they never dreamed that such a tragedy would happen.The Ming army actually attacked the imperial palace, and these women, who were the imperial concubines of the Qing Dynasty, wanted to run for their lives.Under the panic, there was no reason to speak of, and everything was in a mess.

Daishan was very anxious, but he had no choice but to persuade Zhezhe to let Zhezhe not care about anything, and flee for his life with other concubines, elder brothers and princesses in the palace.

(End of this chapter)