Starting from the next day, King Li Zicheng ordered Zhang Nai's artillery battalion to attack the south gate, almost destroying the south gate tower and smashing many battlements. Even a corner of the barbican was bombarded by it.
The gap came, but unfortunately it was high up on the wall of Weng City.
The fierce tiger also commanded the defenders to fight back with artillery, and even sent several small groups of officers and soldiers down to the city at night to constantly harass the rebels.
The two sides have been fighting fiercely inside and outside Nanyang City for three days, with each other suffering casualties. However, the defense of Nanyang City is still very strong, and there is no danger of being breached by the bandits.
On this day, news suddenly came that a large group of officers and soldiers led by Inspector Ding Qirui had set off from Suizhou and were rushing to rescue Nanyang City. They had already reached the north of Tang River, and the forbidden brigade from Beijing led by the eunuch Liu Yuanbin
Come as well.
The king of Chuang Li Zicheng actually had the same idea as the slave chief Huang Taiji, which was to "encircle the point and call for reinforcements"!
He wanted to surround and eat the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty Governor Ding Qirui first, so after receiving the news, he immediately ordered that only the infantry thieves should be left to continue the siege of Nanyang, while the main force of the cavalry would be withdrawn from Nanyang City and rushed to the southeast of Tang County
An ambush was set up with the intention of catching the big fish Ding Qirui.
But he never thought that Ding Qirui had no intention of rescuing Nanyang. He just couldn't bear the pressure from the court and was afraid that he would be blamed for losing the feudal vassal. So he took Zuo Liangyu's troops and stationed in Suizhou. In fact, it was just a show of force.
It’s just a look.
Sure enough, after Ding Qirui led his troops to Hehedian at the foot of Tongbai Mountain, they only stayed here for one day before turning west and heading towards Zaoyang via Lutoudian.
It was precisely because of Ding Qirui's blind avoidance of fighting that he did not march to Tangxian at all. As a result, the main force of Li Zicheng's cavalry fell into the air and stayed in Tangxian for three days before returning to the army to encircle Nanyang again.
It was already the beginning of November. Although Nanyang was under heavy artillery fire and both the rebels and the government troops were having a very difficult time, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was a lively and festive scene.
…………
It has been two days since Zhang Cheng, Yongning Bo of the Ming Dynasty, returned to the capital. Apart from meeting the officials, gentry and merchants from all walks of life who came to congratulate him, he stayed at home and enjoyed the refreshing love brought to him by the palace concubine Tang Chunru.
Although it was already a cold winter moon, the touch of spring in the gentle countryside made him reluctant to leave. In sharp contrast to the cold wind howling outside, it was Tang Chunru's singing.
Tang Chunru only resembles Zhang Cheng's first love in appearance, but in her heart she is indeed a true classical beauty. She entered the palace at a young age and was taught ethics and dignity. Although she is not passionate enough, she also gives
Zhang Cheng brought another experience.
This is a very special experience. It is different from the dusty feeling that Yingying Yanyan had before, it is also different from Ji Xuanzhu's ladylike dignity, and it is even different from Yang Liying's heroic appearance.
The most special point is that Ji Xuanzhu and others cannot match it, that is Tang Chunru's identity. She is a woman who has the potential to become the emperor's wife!
What an exciting experience it is to have the opportunity to possess and conquer the emperor's woman?
The perfect combination of sensory stimulation and psychological desire for conquest made Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng completely intoxicated. Later, even the officials and gentry who came to visit and congratulate him were too lazy to come out to meet him.
However, "everything has exceptions." Emperor Chongzhen would send a different eunuch every day to "Yongningbo Mansion" to convey the Holy Emperor's oral instructions, or to reward the palace with fine wines, delicacies, and other items from the imperial dining room. .
Even the mattresses, incense burners, heaters, charcoal and other trivial items used in Uncle Yongning's house were given by the emperor. Of course, the emperor could not give ordinary charcoal.
Silver frost charcoal, also known as silver bone charcoal, is a high-quality charcoal.
Xu Ke recorded this in "Qingyang Notes·Items·Silver Bone Charcoal": "Silver bone charcoal comes from the Xishan kiln near Beijing. The charcoal is white and frosty, smokeless, difficult to burn, and difficult to extinguish. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for supplying it." For royal use. Select a particularly good one and fill the storage basin with it. Cover the cracks with ashes and cover it with copper wire to burn it for a whole day and night. When you enter this room, it will be as warm as spring."
Although in the eyes of outsiders, Yong Ningbo's favor is getting more and more prosperous. There are constant visits from the inner prison every day and endless rewards. Even Tang Chunru, the concubine in the earl's palace, will be summoned to the palace by the empress every other day. .
However, all of this is seen by the outside world, and the internal details are unknown to outsiders. Just like Zhang Cheng's mood at this time, it is also as mysterious as the girl's mind.
After Zhang Cheng returned to Beijing after his victory, except for kneeling outside the Meridian Gate to receive Emperor Chongzhen's imperial edict to praise his achievements and various gifts given by the emperor, he was never summoned by Emperor Chongzhen again.
Although the original "General Zhaoyong's Mansion" has now become the "Yongning Bo Mansion", all the servants and maids in this huge mansion were arranged by Wang Cheng'en, the eunuch beside Emperor Chongzhen.
According to Zhang Cheng's understanding of him, the Ming Dynasty was the best at this. In the name of granting residences or taking care of the officials in the capital, spies from Jinyiwei and Dongchang were placed beside the officials.
If we look at it from the surface, these people will not show any flaws at all, because they have been trained to do these things since they were young. They just secretly inform Jin Yiwei and Dongchang of all the information they know about the family head. .
Since the time he traveled through time, Zhang Cheng had taken risks many times on military expeditions, but that was because he had no choice but to seek wealth and wealth in danger.
If you don't believe it, you can see that when he first left the town of Xuanbei, the first thing he did when he arrived at Dushi Castle was to replace everyone in the mansion and arrange for the old men of Xuanfu to serve in the house, leaving no outsiders alone.
But now the situation is different. Although the maids and servants in the Earl's Mansion were arranged by Wang Chengen, they represent the will of Emperor Chongzhen hidden behind him.
Although Zhang Cheng looked at the people in his Earl's Mansion and found very few people who could truly reassure him, he was helpless. That's why he stayed at home for several days and only had sex with his new love, Tang Chunru. Drunken life and dreaming of death.
His actions were naturally reported to the palace as he wished. After all, the little eunuch who came to deliver edicts or deliver gifts and gifts every day did not come for nothing!
What Zhang Cheng did in Yongning Bo's house was reported to the palace without reservation, and became the talk of the Ming Dynasty's current emperor after dinner.
The famous Ming general Yong Ningbo and Zhang Cheng, who was good at running the army and good at fighting, turned out to be a greedy and lustful bastard?
In the eyes of Emperor Chongzhen, this was indeed the case. This was his true opinion based on the rumors in the market and Zhang Cheng's consistent performance after returning from victory.
Only then did he truly feel at ease with Zhang Cheng, and finally issued an order to summon Zhang Cheng to the palace at noon tomorrow.
…………
The 28th day of the winter lunar month in the 14th year of Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty was the winter solstice.
The winter solstice was regarded as an auspicious day in ancient my country. For example, it was said in the "Book of Han": "The yang energy rises during the winter solstice, and the ruler is blessed, so he congratulates you." There is also a folk saying that "the winter solstice is as big as the new year."
In addition, the winter solstice is an important node among the 24 solar terms in our country. It is also the day with the shortest day and the longest night.
After the winter solstice, the climate in various parts of our country will enter the coldest stage, which is often called "Jinjiu" and "Nine-Nine Cold Days".
The so-called "counting nine" means counting from the winter solstice, counting one "nine" every nine days, and so on; counting nine until the "nine-nine" 81 days, "nine peach blossoms bloom", this is
The coldness is gone.
As for "counting nine", there is a folk song like this: "One nine, two nine don't take action, three nine, four nine walk on the ice, five nine, six nine watch the willows along the river, seven nine the river opens, eight nine swallows
Come, ninety-nine plus one-nine plowing oxen will roam the land."
Counting from "one nine" to "nine nine", the winter cold is over and spring is coming, and the flowers are blooming!
The sun had already risen this morning and was hanging in the distant eastern sky. Although it was not so dazzling, it still made people dare not look directly at it.
When it was almost time, Zhang Cheng woke up sleepily under Tang Chunru's gentle urging. He had a simple breakfast and then washed and dressed while being served by a group of maids and women.
On the other hand, Tang Chunru had packed up early and was waiting quietly for Zhang Cheng to change clothes. He had received the order from the current queen and would enter the palace with Zhang Cheng.
However, Zhang Cheng went to meet the current emperor, while Tang Chunru went to meet the current queen. The reason for this was, firstly, to show that the court and the emperor valued Zhang Cheng, and secondly, to elevate Tang Chunru in Yongningbo Mansion.
status.
After all, Tang Chunru was still loyal to Emperor Chongzhen at this moment. To be precise, Tang Chunru was a beauty given by the emperor in order to win over Zhang Cheng.
But if we look at it from another angle, Tang Chunru is also very likely to be a little spy placed by the emperor next to Zhang Cheng.
Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng and his concubine Tang Chunru entered the palace to have an audience at noon, but did not come out from the Meridian Gate until the end of the afternoon. This made Zhang Chengfang and Zhang Mingyuan who were accompanying them extremely anxious.
Every time they see the Meridian Gate open, they look forward to it, but they never see their adoptive father. How can they not be anxious?
In their hearts, these adopted sons have long regarded Zhang Cheng as their biological father, and they regard him as the only true god who can end the troubled times.
Children like Zhang Chengfang have lived a hard life since they were young, but they have long been accustomed to it. If the slaves and thieves during the 11th year of Chongzhen had not invaded, they would have been digging in the soil for their entire lives.
However, after experiencing the death of their parents and being kidnapped by slaves and thieves, Zhang Cheng rescued them like a god coming from heaven. From then on, their hearts changed in many ways.
Because on the way to escape from Xuanfu, they were influenced by the grateful words of adults, and after arriving in Xuanfu Town, they became more literate, so each of them also developed the ambition to start a career.
Just like Zhang Cheng, leading thousands of troops and thousands of horses, galloping on the battlefield, killing all the slaves, thieves and bandits, and restoring peace to the world. Let me, the thieves and bandits, no longer suffer in this world. May parents in the world never suffer tragic deaths again.
There are no more orphans in the world.
Of course, the nine sons of the dragon are different, and these children are also different. There are many people who are envious of Zhang Cheng's scolding Fang Qiu, and even envy Zhang Cheng's extravagant life of eating, drinking, eating and drinking.
However, at least in the minds of Zhang Chengfang and Zhang Mingyuan, they did not have such thoughts. Now they only thought that their adoptive father could return safely and continue to lead them to kill all the slaves and thieves and defeat the bandits.
Now that the Meridian Gate is opening, a man and a woman in gorgeous clothes walk out from the crack of the door. Who else could it be if he is not his adoptive father?
But this is no ordinary place. Although they could not hide their excitement, the two of them still held back their steps and just waited for Zhang Cheng's arrival.
"Quickly, help me!" Zhang Cheng stood still four or five steps away from Zhang Chengfang, his lips trembled slightly, and he said these words hastily.
Zhang Chengfang was the first to react. He walked up quickly and held Zhang Cheng up, thus preventing Zhang Cheng from being embarrassed in front of the eunuchs on the Meridian Gate Tower.
At this time, Zhang Mingyuan also ran up quickly, and Zhang Chengfang and Zhang Chengfang supported Zhang Cheng on the left and right as they walked quickly outside. They all wanted to leave here as soon as possible.
Suddenly, Zhang Cheng struggled hard and said to the two of them: "Stop...stop."
Both of them were stunned. Although they didn't know what was going on, they stopped as Zhang Cheng said.
Zhang Cheng gently pushed them to both sides, then suddenly turned towards the Meridian Gate and knelt down. After a moment, Zhang Cheng knelt on the ground and sang loudly: "... I thank you, the Emperor, for your kindness."
...I wish my emperor long live, long live, long live..."
After thanking him, he still knelt on the ground and did not stand up directly. He also lowered his head so low that his face was almost touching the ground. That posture looked extremely weird.
If Zhang Cheng could see himself like this at this moment, he would probably laugh his head off!
After a long time, Zhang Cheng struggled tremblingly to get up, but failed several times in succession. Finally, Zhang Chengfang and Zhang Mingyuan stepped forward and helped him up.
The once majestic Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng of the Ming Dynasty, with the support of his two adopted sons, exited the palace with his concubine Tang Chunru. He did not go anywhere else, but went straight back to his Yongning Bo Mansion.
Despite Zhang Cheng's unbearable behavior in front of the Meridian Gate, as soon as he returned to his Earl's Mansion, he immediately returned to his original tiger and wolf nature, picked up his concubine Tang Chunru by his waist, and went straight to the bedroom...
…………
Emperor Chongzhen stood with his hands behind his hands outside the Nuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace. His head was slightly raised towards the west, letting the slanting sunlight shine on his face, savoring that rare ray of warmth.
But he asked Wang Chengen seemingly casually: "Wang Banban, do you think this person is loyal to me?"
Wang Chengen did not dare to answer this question easily. He was also afraid that if he did something wrong, his own life would be involved. After thinking for a moment, he said: "Your Majesty, Uncle Yong Ning's appearance in front of the Meridian Gate does not look good.
It seems to be fake."
He did not continue when he said this, but squinted at Emperor Chongzhen's expression, and saw that he was also slightly nodding in agreement, and then continued: "I saw in Liaodong that Yongning Bo is indeed the king of Zhongqin.
, fought a bloody battle with the slave before the battle, and was injured several times, but he still had no fear of the slave, which shows that he is still loyal to the emperor."