"Thousands of people, all strong men, lined up on the North Wall Street of the Imperial City early in the morning, waiting to surrender to the army! With the blessing of our ancestors, the Ming Dynasty will be saved..."

The old eunuch was almost crying with joy. He was wiping his tears while announcing the good news to Zhu Cihong.

Zhu Cihong couldn't help but frown when he heard the old eunuch in front of him, who had gray hair and eyebrows and was at least 60 years old, talking about the blessings of his ancestors.

Is that the blessing of the ancestors? It’s obviously the ancestors who deceived people!

"Let's go to Bei'anmen!"

When Li Jizhou came, Zhu Cihong was having breakfast, so he picked up two steamed buns and planned to go out.

The internal officers and guards in Duanben Palace had all gotten used to it, and no one dared to dissuade them. They all packed up and prepared to follow. But the old eunuch Li Jizhou was shocked by Zhu Cixiang's behavior. Why go to Bei'anmen?

Although Bei'anmen is still within the scope of the Imperial City, it is right outside the Imperial City! Can the Crown Prince go anywhere at will?

Moreover, the prince has to go to court to study and attend lectures! Imperial Physician Zeng reported yesterday that the prince was unwell and needed to rest for a few days. However, Li Jizhou only approved it for one day. Whether he can ask for leave today can only be decided after he sees Zhu Cihong in person.

The prince will be an emperor in the future, so he cannot delay his homework... If he doesn't study hard now, how will he become an emperor in the future? What will happen to the world if he becomes a coward?

In addition, why is this prince holding a meat bun in one hand and chewing it while walking? How unbecoming is this? When did the Ming Dynasty have a king who walked and ate at the same time? If the outer court knew about it, they would not impeach the officials of the East Palace and the six officials of the East Palace.

Bureau?

"Master Qiansui, Master Qiansui, where are you going?" Li Jizhou wanted to stop Zhu Cixiang, but Zhu Cixiong moved faster and walked out of the gate of Duanjing Hall like the wind. He had no choice but to trot along and follow behind.

advise.

"Go to Bei'anmen!" Zhu Cixiang said, "Li Julang, you should also follow."

"Master Chitose, you have to go to court in the morning and listen to the officials' lectures in the afternoon. You asked for leave yesterday, and you have to go today..."

Because Zhu Cixiang was still young, he did not have to go to court every day. Emperor Chongzhen asked him to go to court once every three days. On the days when he was not going to court, he would practice martial arts in the morning and essays in the afternoon. Today was the time to go to court to listen to politics.

"No, no..." Zhu Cixiang shook his head, "I have important matters and I don't have time to go to court. Li Julang, didn't I take three days off yesterday? Don't you know?"

One day's leave lasted for three days...it was incomparable to Emperor Chongzhen's diligence!

The old eunuch sighed in his heart, what's wrong with the prince? Is he going to become a coward?

Zhu Cixiang ignored him and just walked quickly. He seemed to want to get rid of this old and confused eunuch, but although Li Jizhou was old, his legs and feet were very good, and he followed him all the way without falling behind.

"Master Chitose, looking at you like this, you are not sick anymore. I don't dare to hide it for you..."

Why are you not sick? That's because your medical skills are not good! Zhu Cihong said to himself: My soul has been changed, how can I not be sick? In future generations, if the organs are replaced, it will be a serious illness. How can the disease of soul replacement be minor?

But Zhu Cixiang didn't want this old eunuch to ruin his affairs. Even though Emperor Chongzhen would soon find out what he was doing. But after all, the palace was different from ordinary people, and it would take quite a while to walk around!

Moreover, the human relations were complicated, and matters involving the prince would affect the whole body, so it was difficult for Emperor Chongzhen to grasp the entire situation at the first time.

In addition, these are also extraordinary times. Maybe what Zhu Cihong did was the emperor's secret order? Anyone who doesn't know the situation and reports it may risk their own life.

Therefore, Zhu Cixiang estimated that it would take some time for Emperor Chongzhen to discover the conspiracy between himself and Wang Chengen... By then, Emperor Chongzhen would have nothing to do with him.

"Wang Qi, bring Li Julang up with us." Zhu Cihong heard that the old eunuch was going to expose him, and he quickly ordered Wang Qi, his East Palace guard, to control the old man.

Wang Qi is a burly man, just over six feet tall, that is, one meter eighty-six-seven meters tall. He is not slender, but has a wide body, and the front looks like a door panel.

He was a general of the Han Dynasty and was selected as the East Palace Guards because of his powerful appearance. Now that Zhu Chunjie was ordered to go out of the palace to handle affairs, Zhu Cixiang appointed him as the leader of the East Palace Guards.

After hearing Zhu Cixiang's instructions, Wang Qi was stunned for a moment. What is this situation? What is the Crown Prince going to do?

"Wang Qi! What are you doing standing still?" Seeing the hesitation of the big man, Zhu Cixiang immediately shouted.

Only then did Wang Qi wake up, he responded quickly, walked up a few steps, said "offended", stretched out his big hand and grabbed the old eunuch's wrist.

Li Jizhou was at a loss as his wrists were tied. What was going on? What was the prince trying to do? Just to skip class. Is this the case?

Zhu Cixiang didn't waste any time talking to Li Jizhou, and strode out of Duanben Palace, then walked north, exiting Xuanwu Gate, passing Longevity Mountain, and finally arrived at Bei'anmen, the north gate of the imperial city.

Wang Chengen and Wu Xiang had already arrived and were discussing something at the half-opened Bei'anmen gate. There were also a large group of Wu family servants, Dongchang Tiqi and Nanhai Zijingjun around. Seeing Zhu Cixiang's arrival, the two people quickly stopped.

Talk, go up and bow down.

"Wang Banban, how are you? Has Juyong Pass been lost?"

Li Jizhou, who had been dragged all the way over by Wang Qi, heard Zhu Cixiang's words and his mouth opened wide in surprise.

Wang Chengen replied: "Taizu's dream turned out to be efficacious. According to the report I received yesterday afternoon, the thief Tang Tong indeed sacrificed himself to Guancheng and took refuge in the rebellion."

Li Jizhou was even more surprised now and looked at Zhu Cihong with wide eyes.

Zhu Cixiang ignored him and just continued to ask: "How many people are coming outside? Have you counted them? Are you strong?"

Wu Xiang replied: "Reporting to His Majesty the Crown Prince, I have sent people to do a rough count. There are four to five thousand people gathered outside, and there are still people coming over. They may not be strong, but they are still useful."

"It's quite a lot." Zhu Cixi nodded.

This number was within his expectation. The population of Beijing in this era was considered to be very large. It exceeded 1.2 million during the Tianqi period. However, in the 16th year of Chongzhen, a large-scale plague occurred and many people died. And

In addition, the surrounding situation is not good, and the price of food in the city is high. Many people have left, and now there are about five to six million residents. Because plague and famine are more likely to eliminate the old and weak, the proportion of able-bodied people in the city should be higher.

It will not be less than 100,000.

Moreover, there are no ways to make money in Beijing now. At least no one will pay a penny a day to hire strong workers. Therefore, the "sky-high wages" offered by Zhu Cixiang, the "taken man", will definitely deceive many people today.

.

"More than four to five thousand..." Zhu Cixiang smiled, "Admiral Wu, Wang Banban, how much do you two think we can use? And how do you plan to use it?"

If there is enough time, of course it would be better to have more troops. But now that time is limited, there is no time for training, and there are not many officers available. Naturally, we cannot ask for more troops, but must recruit troops within a controllable range.

"Reporting to His Majesty the Crown Prince," Wu Xiang replied, "I have discussed it with Duke Wang and feel that it is appropriate to recruit three military camps with more than 1,000 people. Any more will not be easy to lead. The minister's servants plus the ancestral family

There are only more than a hundred servants in the army. According to Qi Wuyi's military system, he can serve as the commander-in-chief of the banner. The total number is only a few hundred. Plus the internal officials and Tiqi who were transferred from the Jingjun and Dongchang, they can only manage the army at most.

One battalion of soldiers and horses. The Chen family, Zu family, Jingjun and Dongchang can provide several hundred people, and it will be enough to recruit another 2,500 people."

The organization used by Qi Jiguang's governor Ji Liao was roughly twelve men per team, three teams and one flag, three flags and one division, three divisions and one bureau, and three bureaus and one battalion. They were commanded by the captain, one hundred commanders, general commanders, and one thousand commanders.

.

Not counting the officers and accompanying soldiers, there are 972 people. Counting the officers and accompanying soldiers, the number is just over 1,000. 3,000 people are almost the third battalion. However, in the eyes of Wu Xiang and Wu Sanfu, these 3,000 people may not be able to do anything.

Therefore, the real combat power was concentrated in the central military camp. It included a fire gun bureau, a fighting and supervising gun bureau, and a cavalry bureau, which only had a thousand people. Once the situation was critical, rely on this battalion.

Protecting Chongzhen, Zhu Cixiang broke the siege and ran away!
Chapter completed!