Chapter 2, Breakthrough from the Front

"It is indeed a breakthrough." Wang Jiayan and others were not surprised by this.

Only Wang Jiayan and Jin Xuan reacted: "Does Your Majesty intend to break through from the front of Chaoyang Gate?"

Jin Xuan shook his head and said: "Although the three camps are weak and incapable of battle, they have a force of over one hundred thousand. Relying solely on our mere thousand-odd disorganized troops, it would be nothing short of a fool's dream to think we can defeat them."

Your Majesty, the bandits of this time are no longer the same as those of the first year of Chongzhen. The troops in the capital are also not the same as those of the Taizu, Chengzu, or the Renzong and Xuanzong eras. The household servants, local militia, and the Jinyiwei, oh, and the eunuchs, have never received any training, nor do they have any experience in battle formations. We cannot defeat them.

The Duke of the Imperial Son-in-law, Gong Yonggu, has arrived

"Get up," Chongzhen said with a dark expression, "Is this all the servants at the Duke's residence? Just these ten or so?"

How could one propose to migrate south on their own? Are they not afraid of being branded with the disgrace of abandoning land without reason?

The new Marquis of Le, Liu Wenbing, was as cautious as Gong Yonggu, bringing only a dozen or so servants, and also carrying clubs

Gong Yonggu was also dressed in a cotton armor, wearing a cap on his head.

"There is no need to fight against the bandits. " Chongzhen said, "We only need to defeat the three main camps."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of officials and nobles such as Wu Linzheng immediately brightened, as this plan seemed truly feasible

At that time, ministers will die for their sovereign, wives will die for their husbands, children will die for their fathers, and servants will die for their masters. Hundreds or even thousands of nobles or officials will perish together, and Beijing will be enveloped in a mournful and desolate atmosphere.

Chongzhen immediately donned his mountain armor and rushed towards the Imperial Horse Depot, where he could see from a distance that a group of people had already gathered at the grass enclosure on the south side of the depot.

"Can we defeat the three major camps?" Gong Yonggu, Meng Zhaoxiang, and other noble officials looked completely bewildered

However, it is fortunate that with fewer people, there are also advantages to having fewer people; at least these are loyal followers who are willing to support him in breaking through.

During the reign of the Ming Dynasty, neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Siam, Korea, and Ryukyu frequently sent envoys to pay tribute, presenting rare and exotic animals from their nations, with Myanmar and Siam contributing a significant number of elephants

In addition, there were over one hundred Jinyiwei led by Wang Guoxing, the Chief Commander of the Jinyiwei, and Li Ruolian, the Deputy Commander.

However, Chongzhen was also well aware that this was a disaster he had sown himself. Chongzhen was a person with a heavy sense of suspicion, and he was extremely vigilant regarding the royal relatives who maintained private guards and stockpiled weapons.

Wang Jiayan's expression changed as he asked, "Is it possible that the Guanning Army has arrived outside the city?"

Wang Jiayan, who was both knowledgeable about military affairs and straightforward in nature, directly stated: "Your Majesty, it is too late to think about breaking out now; relying solely on this group of disorganized individuals, it is utterly impossible to break through the encirclement of the enemy troops."

Chongzhen's gaze swept over the faces of Gong Yonggu, Liu Wenbing, and others, and he thought to himself that if it were not for his arrival, if history had followed its original course, the officials and nobles present would soon have to sacrifice themselves for their country.

The Deputy Minister of War, Jin Xuan, who is also knowledgeable about military affairs, said: "Indeed, it is too late"

Chongzhen, oh Chongzhen, how did you become emperor? Beware of fire, theft, and Chongzhen!

Wang Cheng'en was holding a set of mountain armor and a helmet in his hands

These are all the armed forces that Chongzhen was able to urgently assemble

Indeed," Chongzhen said in a deep voice, "the three main camps did not disperse and assimilate after surrendering to the bandits, but were instead stationed outside Chaoyang Gate. As long as we defeat the three main camps, the scattered disordered soldiers will overwhelm the bandit forces. Those few thousand bandits outside Chaoyang Gate cannot possibly hold back the tens of thousands of disordered troops from the capital!

Yes. Gong Yonggu received the imperial decree and left.

Even if the Great Shun Army had rushed into the city before this, they would at most have only controlled the city gates

Wang Cheng'en said: "There are still quite a few imperial horses left, totaling more than 300."

However, there are few remaining of the three-eyed gun, the Rumi gun, and the bird gun

Chongzhen smiled faintly and said, "Who says we have only over one thousand people?"

Yesterday, Chongzhen summoned two individuals to the palace and instructed them to gather their household guards to protect him during his escape. The two responded that they strictly adhered to the regulations of the court and had not maintained a large number of household guards, thus they were truly powerless.

Hundreds of thousands of bandits have surrounded Beijing, making it impossible for water to flow through. Do they really think that with just over a thousand ragtag soldiers they can break through? It is simply a display of utter ignorance of their own limitations

The situation has escalated again today, and even with the fire at their heels, they are still wary of Chongzhen

I have gathered you all for one purpose: to break through

The old servant has visited the arsenal and found that there are still over 100 barrels of gunpowder

"Long live the Emperor." The sound of Wang Cheng'en's heavy breathing came from behind.

It is evident that they also believe the possibility of breaking through is extremely slim

Chongzhen beckoned to the noblemen and officials such as Gong Yonggu, Wang Jiayan, and Wang Guoxing to come closer

I shall not speak of any unnecessary words

In addition, there are more than 600 horses

Gong Yonggu, Liu Wenbing, and other nobles and officials also appeared dejected.

Your Majesty, your awakening has come far too late

"Yes, these are the only servants in my household," Gong Yonggu said, lowering his head. "Because according to the regulations of the court..."

Moreover, these servants are all dressed in casual clothes, without even a battle coat

Looking back, one could see Wang Cheng'en running over in a hurry

There were also several dozen to over a hundred individuals accompanying the officials such as Jin Xuan, the Assistant Minister of War, Liu Lishun, the Left Zhongyun, Ma Shiqi, the Left Yude, Wang Wei, the Reviewer of the Hanlin Academy, Chen Liangmo, the Censor, and Wu Ganlai, the Minister of the Household Department.

Wang Jiayan initially brought over 1,000 people

The outcome not only failed to earn Chongzhen's gratitude, but instead resulted in house arrest

Upon seeing this, Chongzhen's face instantly turned as dark as a pot bottom, this is too much!

Gong Yonggu and others also sighed, how can a rabble possibly defeat a seasoned army that has fought a hundred battles

Chongzhen could not help but furrow his brow, for this was not good news

Unfortunately, when it was heard that there was a need to protect Emperor Chongzhen's escape, more than half of the troops had already scattered along the way, and by the time they arrived at the Imperial Horse Monitor, only a little over three hundred miscellaneous soldiers remained

At this point, Wang Jiayan and others were somewhat surprised; the Emperor had actually changed his temperament

"What about the horses of the Imperial Horse Monitoring Bureau?" Chongzhen asked, "How many are left?"

The elephants contributed by countries such as Myanmar and Siam, along with those bred, have brought the total number of elephants in the elephant house to no less than twenty.

Chongzhen has already arrived near the Yuma Supervisory Office.

"The fierce wind reveals the strong grass, and the tumult of the world identifies the loyal minister." Chongzhen said solemnly, "At this time of great upheaval in the nation and the family, your willingness to abandon your homes and businesses to stand with me through thick and thin brings me great comfort"

By the time it was 8 o'clock, the gathering at the Yuma Supervisory Bureau included house servants, eunuchs, local militia, the Imperial Guards, and troops from the capital, totaling more than one thousand individuals

Immediately following, Lord Zhang Qingzhen of Huian and Lord Wei Shichun of Xuancheng also arrived one after another. Like Gong Yonggu and Liu Wenbing, both of them brought only a dozen or so attendants, all wielding clubs.

Well, this is not a prediction, but rather a record from historical texts, indicating that the Dashun army waited until the early hours of the si hour to launch a large-scale invasion of the city

"It is not the Guanning Army," Chongzhen shook his head and said, "I have prepared another special force."

Upon seeing Chongzhen, Gong Yonggu knelt and sang: "I, Gong Yonggu, have come late to protect Your Majesty, a capital offense!"

The Grand Scholar Fan Jingwen of Dongge University refused to comply with the imperial edict, indicating that the old statesman had likely lost all hope in Chongzhen.

The Deputy Minister of Justice, Meng Zhaoxiang, who was in charge of guarding Zhengyang Gate, brought more than 200 people

Zuo Du Yushi Li Banghua and Hu Bu Shangshu Ni Yuanlu were unable to find anyone

What the Right Minister of Justice has said is indeed correct. The Deputy Minister of Rites, Wu Linzheng, stated, "Although I have sent people to block the Xizhimen, at this moment, there are no soldiers guarding the Xizhimen. I fear that the enemy troops have already swarmed and climbed the city. The time left for His Majesty is likely to be very limited."

Gong Yonggu only brought a little over ten servants

These nobles are truly disappointing, and now we can only rely on those civil officials

"It is of no concern," Chongzhen said with great calmness, "I am certain that the enemy troops will not enter the city before the hour of Si."

Is it late?" Chongzhen replied calmly, "I do not think it is late at all.

How can the esteemed Duke's residence have only a dozen or so servants? They can't even produce a few firearms? I don't believe you at all

"The strange soldier?" said Meng Zhaoxiang, the Deputy Minister of Justice guarding Zhengyang Gate, with a hint of skepticism. "If that is the case, we must break through quickly; otherwise, if the enemy troops enter the city, it will be a grave situation."

Moreover, they are also holding sticks in their hands, but they are riding horses

In summary, the officials and nobles gathered here are just these more than ten individuals, along with over a thousand loyal soldiers.

Wang Jiayan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War overseeing the Deshengmen, brought with him more than three hundred individuals, including over fifty household servants, all of whom were robust and valiant men recruited from his hometown in Putian.

At that time, faced with the scattered retreat of over one hundred thousand disordered soldiers, the bandits did not know where to pursue.

The Taichang Shaoqing Wu Linzheng, who was in charge of guarding Xizhimen, also brought over more than 200 people

Chongzhen smiled again and said, "We still have at least half an hour."

Therefore, Gong Yonggu, Liu Wenbing, and other nobles were very cautious in front of Chongzhen

It was fewer than Chongzhen had anticipated; he originally thought he could gather two thousand people

Moreover, the scattered disordered troops can provide us with excellent cover

Thus, we will have enough time to leisurely head south, or to the east to rendezvous with the Guan Ning army

Chongzhen further stated: "The capital can no longer be defended, and the area north of the Huanghuai has already fallen into utter ruin. I am determined to break out and head to the temporary capital to regroup, and in the future, I shall launch another northern expedition to restore the ancestral heritage."

Looking at the well-cared-for elephants in the room, Chongzhen let out a quiet sigh of relief. Whether this time they could successfully break through depended crucially on these dozens of elephants

Before long, Liu Wenbing also arrived in a hurry

Emperor Tang, Zhu Yujian, with good intentions, led one thousand personal guards to support the throne

Even this made Chongzhen too lazy to criticize further

Although Chongzhen remembered the names of many officials, some were unable to respond to the summons as they resided in the outer city, while others could not be found to be notified. Of course, there were also those who refused to comply with the summons

The several civil officials who arrived afterward finally did not let Chongzhen down again

While the two were conversing, suddenly there came the sound of horses neighing and people bustling from the direction of the Imperial Horse Monitoring Office

Enough. " Chongzhen said impatiently, " Hurry and take your men to the armory to collect weapons, and you should also choose a set of armor to wear, so as not to be ridiculed.

Unfortunately, at this critical juncture, even if you are willing to bear the blame, it is already too late