I am Da Song

Chapter 102 The end of an era
Zhao Huan was full of joy and complacency until the evening of the nineteenth day of the first lunar month.

It was dinner time, and Zhao Huan was in the Shangshi Bureau inspecting the diet of the soldiers. Nearly a thousand forbidden soldiers sat in front of the Shangshi Bureau eating with laughter.

The steaming hot food and soup boosted the morale of the soldiers.

Zhao Huan personally walked among the soldiers and looked at the food the soldiers had brought.The prosperity of Tokyo City provided the soldiers with complete catering tools. Each person had a fresh dish box, and the tray contained the dishes and soups brought by the soldiers. Two dishes and one soup, the soldiers were free to choose.The staple foods are pancakes, pancakes, millet rice, and pancakes.

Just for the logistics of the rich and hot lunch, Zhao Huan never suffered from these soldiers of the imperial army.

"Officials... Officials... It's not good, the Jin army has attacked the beam gate on the west wall." The hurried figure of Wang Zongmian with the imperial equipment broke into the middle of the forbidden army, and an anxious voice came one step ahead of him.

There was an uproar in the surroundings. Tomorrow was the day when the soldiers of the Forbidden Army were rewarded and disarmed and returned to the fields. Everyone thought that they would be safe and sound, but they didn't expect that on the eve of disarmament, something happened.

Zhao Huan frowned slightly, and asked, "Did the Daliang Gate fall?"

"Also... it can't be counted as a loss." Wang Zongmian explained: "The forbidden army on the city has been slack, and the city gate was captured by the Jin army. But the commander of the four walls is commanding the forbidden army to besiege the city gate and compete for the west wall."

When Zhao Huan heard this, his expression was calm, and he scolded: "Then why are you panicking. It is reasonable for the Jin army to besiege the city for many days, fill up the moat, and attack the city wall. Send an order to the Shenwu Youjun to help the imperial army retake the west wall."

From the moment he defended the city, Liu Fan had made a plan for the fall of the city wall.The reason for the imperial army to take turns to rest is to have a reserve team to launch a counterattack when the city gate is lost and take back the city gate.

At worst, it was nothing more than killing flesh and blood in front of the city gate and continuing street fighting.

So although Zhao Huan was restless, he didn't show a trace of panic. He still patrolled the Imperial Army in front of the Shangshi Bureau and encouraged the soldiers.

Seeing the calmness of the officials, Wang Zongmian had a backbone in his heart, and quickly said: "Yes, yes, yes, I will go to the Prime Minister."

The densely packed soldiers of the forbidden army blocked Wang Zongmian's way and surrounded Zhao Huan in the middle.

Zhao Huan frowned slightly, quietly looking at these forbidden soldiers who behaved abnormally.

Facing Zhao Huan's scrutinizing gaze, countless officers and men of the forbidden army threw down their bowls and chopsticks, stood up straight, and said generously: "Officials, I have been greatly favored by the country. If I don't want to serve the country today, I will be a minister in vain! Please go to war, Take back the Daliang Gate for the officials."

"Haha! Good! Good!" Zhao Huan laughed happily: "The country has been kind to you for many years, and I finally see the loyalty of the imperial army. Alright, I am waiting for you to take back the Daliang Gate."

The sky is snowing heavily, but the inner city of Tokyo is full of excitement.

Teams of Imperial Guards held high banners and flocked to the Daliang Gate from the streets in all directions, crowding the long street like a flood.

Dense torches illuminate the entire west wall like a long dragon.

Soldiers from both sides were fighting everywhere above and below the city, the sound of war drums rumbled like thunder, and the sound of explosions was deafening.The rough and heroic shouts of killing from the soldiers came from night to day.

A forbidden soldier who couldn't bear the brutal battle escaped without permission. Before the officer could make a move, the forbidden soldier standing behind him stabbed him to death, and then spat thick phlegm on the face of the deserter who had fallen to the ground and cursed angrily: "The officials are so kind to me, and you still run away, have your conscience been eaten by dogs?"

The soldiers around looked terrified, turning a blind eye to this scene. It would not be a pity to die for such a wolf-hearted thing.

For those who escaped from the battle, the rear team beat the front team, without expressing it, it was already the belief in the hearts of the imperial army.

Zhao Huan stood on the palace wall and looked at the blood on the west wall, and said with emotion: "If the imperial army had been so loyal and generous, why would the country be in danger and the society be in danger?"

As the opponent of the Imperial Army, the Jurchen also risked their lives and fought to the death.

After finally taking the Daliang Gate, if they can't break into the inner city today, then the Jin army will no longer have the confidence to take the inner city.

The war is cruel and unresolved day after day.From dusk to dusk, the two sides fought until the night was like ink. Under the dense torches, the corpses were piled up in the open space in front of the beam gate, and the pile of corpses was several feet thick.

Ice and snow froze the corpses of the dead, and the soldiers of both sides continued to fight fiercely in this mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood.

Perhaps the heavens could not look down on this cold and cruel world. At dawn, the heavy snow that had lasted for nearly a month finally stopped, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the thick dark clouds in the sky, bringing a little warmth to this cold world.

But the heavens are beautiful, but the world has no will to stop the brutal fighting.

The city wall was covered with corpses, and every time the two sides attacked, a large number of corpses would wash and roll down the city.

In the bloody battle overnight, thousands of people were killed and injured on both sides.

Zhao Huan stood in front of the Suzaku gate on the south wall and waited until noon, but none of the imperial guards came to claim the gold and silver mountains.Before that, they were all looking forward to this day, taking away a lot of wealth, and from then on, they will be well-clothed and well-fed.But when it came to the [-]th day of the first lunar month, all the forbidden troops were defending the city, fighting bloody battles.

Zhao Huan ordered to Zhang Shuye who was beside him: "Let the Shenwu Youjun go to replace the Imperial Army. The Imperial Army has fulfilled its promise and defended the city wall for ten days in the cold, wind and snow. I will fulfill the reward."

Zhang Shuye immediately took the order and sent officials from the Privy Council to convey the transfer order.But soon the officials of the Privy Council returned with Hu Hongxiu, the commander of the middle army of the Shenwu Right Army, and reported: "Officials, the Imperial Army refuses to retreat. They threatened that if the Shenwu You Army dared to move forward, don't blame the sword for being blind."

Zhang Shuye scolded: "You bastard, what about Sibi Commander? He just watched the imperial army commit crimes?"

Hu Hongxiu replied with a wry smile: "The most excited one is Commander Sibi. He rushed to the front, saying that the city gate was lost by the imperial army and should be taken back by the imperial army. He believes that the imperial army will eventually live up to the country's grace."

Zhao Huan was silent, the commander of the four walls should have the deepest affection for the imperial army in the whole city.

Perhaps the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty and millions of soldiers and civilians looked down upon the Forbidden Army, but only the Commander of the Four Walls has been taking care of the Forbidden Army as if he was taking care of his children, silently boosting morale and comforting the soldiers.This is the tenacity of the imperial army to hold on to the city wall for ten days in the ice and snow.

Now that the imperial army is about to be disbanded, he will never allow his sons and daughters to leave with stains and shame.

"I'm going to the front line now, and personally supervise the imperial army to receive military orders." Zhang Shuye said angrily.

Zhao Huan waved his hand and said, "It's just as Liu Qing wanted. I'm here waiting for the imperial army to return."

This is dusk and sunset.

Under the blood-colored sunset, a blood-stained army with broken guns and armor, holding a broken red flag, slowly marched along the imperial street.

An atmosphere of silence, solemnity, and sorrow shrouded the entire army.

In the end, the bloody army stood in front of Suzaku's gate. With unspeakable grief, an officer knelt down on one knee to Zhao Huan, choked up and said, "The forbidden army has not failed the country's grace. It has been a bloody battle for more than a day and a night. It has been regained." West Wall!"

Zhao Huan stared blankly at the city, and the sadness instantly spread from his heart to every corner of his body.

(End of this chapter)