Under the congratulatory gunfire from the south of the city, Zhao Ji held the coronation ceremony desperately the next day. Because the preparations were very hasty, the whole ceremony had a strong sense of make-do.
The original plan was to renovate the palace, but in the end the entire work was just about repairing the collapsed walls.
Places like the main hall that collapsed when Zhao Kai was injured were just left there without any care, and no one even bothered to ask.
Zhao Ji was really scared. What he was afraid of was nothing more than the fact that he would be driven out of here and lose the throne before he could ascend the throne in the imperial capital.
For him, even if he only sits on that throne for one day, it is a very happy thing, and it is also something that can make him happy for a lifetime!
So he held the ceremony without hesitation, and walked into the position that belonged to him amidst the sound of blessings and the sound of distant gunfire.
Due to the advancement of technology, the camera recorded the entire process in detail: citizens lined up to receive some moldy flour cakes and reward money, and then they gathered outside the palace as required and shouted long live the mountains in the direction of Zhao Ji.
Then these people dispersed amidst the gunfire in the south of the city and disappeared in the streets and alleys. Only some rags hanging high and unable to be snatched were left floating in the wind.
Zhao Ji exercised his power as an emperor: he ennobled many imperial concubines. Although most of these women were previous maids during his father's reign, he kept them for himself without any scruples.
Immediately afterwards, he ordered the body of the late emperor Zhao Kai to be transported out of the city and sent to the imperial mausoleum for burial. As the ceremony continued, news came that embarrassed everyone: Fengjiang troops crossed to the north.
The railway has actually encircled two-thirds of the imperial capital with Zhao Jie's army in the south of the city.
Everyone was frightened by the news. Only Li Mingshun knew that this was definitely going to happen: the defense line he deployed along the railway was too hasty and there was no way to resist the attack of Fengjiang troops.
You must know that these troops are elites who have been fighting fiercely in Fengjiang City for more than half a year. They may have more experience in offensive and defensive battles than the troops of the Tang Empire. The defense line that can stop them must be strong and thick, but in fact, the northern defense line only has a few trenches
That's all.
Luo Xiao, who was ready, did not delay at all. He directly dispatched his armored troops, broke through Li Mingshun's northern defense line, and then began to attack the north gate.
The Fengjiang Army with heavy artillery in place quickly destroyed a section of the city wall. Although the imperial capital's defense forces also had heavy artillery, the two sides launched a fierce artillery battle. But in the middle of Zhao Ji's enthronement ceremony, the Fengjiang Army's tanks
Entered the imperial capital city.
Street fighting broke out, and the people in the city were completely in chaos. Countless people rushed out of the city. People crowded at the east gate and west gate completely blocked the road.
Li Mingshun, who had to quickly return to his headquarters to organize a counterattack, left Zhao Ji's enthronement ceremony, which made the entire ceremony a complete joke.
Zhao Ji did not allow the ceremony to be canceled. He gritted his teeth and ordered the ceremony to continue. Then he led his harem and a group of waiters and guards to pretend to continue the game.
The sound of artillery outside the city was clearly visible. Although Toyoe's troops were restricted to the northern area of the city, in fact the entire imperial capital's defense line had completely collapsed.
The defense line Li Mingshun built based on the urban area was shaky. He originally planned to defend the outer defense line for a month, but it only blocked Fengjiang's army for less than an hour.
Amidst the chaos, another slap in the face happened. Someone found a body in a well in the imperial city...
Due to the popularity of the tap water system used in the Tang Empire, the imperial palace of the Great China Empire has not used the water wells that were often used in the past for many years.
Therefore, no one has cared about what happened in these wells for a long time. This time, someone also discovered something in the well for no apparent reason, and they called the guards and discovered the body.
Soon, the identity of the corpse was confirmed: he was Shen Chuan, the Minister of War of the Great China Empire who had been missing since the melee in the imperial capital...
Although the person has lost his shape due to soaking, the clothes and accessories on his body are easily identifiable.
This middle-aged man who had been the Minister of War of the Great China Empire died in his own way: he committed suicide. If he had not committed suicide, he would not have died in the palace of the Great China Empire. His death was unclear.
He was unwilling to surrender to the Tang Empire like Chu Muzhou, and also lost all hope for the future of the Great China Empire. So when Zhao Jie's troops appeared near the imperial capital, Shen Chuan, who already knew that the situation was over, was killed by Zhao Kai. During the chaos, I jumped into the well.
This incident cast a shadow over the Zhao Ji's coronation ceremony that had become a joke: Zhao Ji insisted on carrying on with the ceremony, while the new ministers below had already begun to whisper and discuss how to escape from the city.
In fact, these people thought clearly: if they leave the imperial capital with their official status, they can go to the local areas and cheat, but if they stay here, they can only be buried with Zhao Ji's dynasty.
On the other side, Li Mingshun, who was fretting about dispatching troops in the headquarters, also learned that Shen Chuan committed suicide and died for his country.
He sighed, and then sat there in silence for a long time: now he felt that the pressure on his shoulders had made him breathless, and he even understood Shen Chuan's thoughts.
At this moment, his troops were retreating, and they had to give up block after block, trading space for time.
After all, the main force in Li Mingshun's hands is the Imperial Guard stationed in the imperial capital. They don't have that much main battle equipment: Isn't it unhealthy for a city defense army to be equipped with tanks and anti-tank guns?
But now, the Fengjiang troops have tanks participating in the battle, which suddenly highlights the shortcomings of the Imperial Capital garrison of the Great China Empire: they do not have so many heavy weapons, and the number of large-caliber artillery they have is not enough.
That night, another shocking news came: Zhao Jie ran away overnight!
Just when Li Mingshun wanted to take the opportunity to regain the lost ground in the south of the city, he was informed that Fengjiang troops outside the city had occupied most of the south of the city, and the east gate was also lost that night!
Early the next morning, when Zhao Ji got up among the white and tender bodies of several women, he learned that his palace was only two or three kilometers away from the front line...
This news almost scared the new emperor to death: "General Li...then, now, what should we do now?"
Li Mingshun could only bite the bullet and replied: "Retreat, Your Majesty... while we are not surrounded yet, retreat to Wangdu before making plans."
"How can that be done?" Zhao Ji subconsciously retorted: "I only ascended the throne yesterday, and today I lost the imperial capital. Wouldn't this make me the laughing stock of others?"
Li Mingshun glanced at Zhao Ji and thought to himself, do you still know that you have become a laughing stock? But he thought so in his heart, but he could not say it with his mouth. He could only lower his head and persuaded: "Your Majesty! Don't worry about leaving the green hills without firewood, hold on to the end.
Here... your safety is at stake..."
"I don't care what method you use! Stay here for a month! You can't retreat! No!" Zhao Ji ordered fiercely.