I really don't want to be a traitor

Chapter 559: Escape

"Zhang Juzheng deserves to be killed!"

The capital of the Ming Dynasty, the Golden Palace.

Wanli roared, and all the officials knelt down at the foot of the imperial steps, listening to his roar.

The first prime minister of the Wanli Dynasty, after taking office, was sent as an envoy to the enemy country, but actually defected to the enemy?
The three deputy envoys who had fled back in a panic with bruised faces and noses were all killed by Wanli to vent his anger!
"Say!"

"How to repel the enemy?"

Wanli roared repeatedly.

Unfortunately, all the officials remained silent and no one dared to respond or offer any suggestions.

It's not that I'm unfaithful, it's that I'm incapable.

The truly capable ministers of the Ming Dynasty either died or surrendered.

Hu Zongxian and Zhang Juzheng both returned to the Jin Dynasty.

Yan Song, Lu Bing and others died in the battle, while Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin did not even die on the battlefield.

Even though the Golden Throne Hall was filled with people kneeling, there wasn't even a single powerful Mahayana master.

Wanli also saw this.

"They're all trash!"

"roll!!!"

"Wait!"

Just when all the officials were about to flee, they were suddenly stopped by Wanli.

He finally remembered that there was another minister in the Ming Dynasty who was at the Mahayana realm.

Moreover, this person is trustworthy in terms of ability and loyalty.

"Recall Xu Jie and appoint him as the Prime Minister of the Cabinet!"

……

…………

Songjiang Mansion.

This place is not a place that has been frequently fought, so the city is low and has fallen into disrepair over the years.

The soldiers of Songjiang Prefecture were lax in training and their equipment was quite outdated.

The prefect of Songjiang was a fourth-rank official, but his cultivation level was only at the third level of the Nascent Soul Realm.

As for the civil and military bureaucrats under his command, there were a few lieutenant generals and guerrillas who were barely at the eighth or ninth level of the Golden Core Realm, while the rest were at the initial stage of the Golden Core Realm or even weak foundation builders, and were simply not capable of fighting.

But outside the city of Songjiang Prefecture, there was a Jin army with about a thousand people.

"Look, sir, what should we do?"

The prefect of Songjiang had finally managed to invite Xu Jie, but he himself was so frightened that his face turned pale.

In fact, if Xu Jie had not retired to enjoy his retirement and happened to be stationed in Songjiang, the prefect would probably have opened the city and surrendered.

But the prefect really couldn’t understand: had the Jin army already penetrated deep into the heartland of the Ming Dynasty?
Otherwise, how could the troops arrive at the gates of Songjiang?

"No need to panic."

Xu Jie stood on the top of the city wall and glanced at the thousands of Jin troops outside the city.

They are indeed elite, and the strength of each individual soldier is superior to that of the previous emperor's [Guaning Iron Cavalry].

However, there seems to be no strong ones among the thousands of riders?
"But...how could Emperor Jin make such a big mistake?"

"Based on the information from the Great Jin Supervisory Council, it is impossible that they don't know that I have returned to my hometown to retire."

"With only a thousand cavalrymen, does the Emperor of Jin think he can catch me?"

Xu Jie muttered to himself.

With his cultivation level at the Mahayana realm, he could kill all the Jin troops outside the city with just a little effort.

But the prefect of Songjiang, who was standing nearby, felt relieved and fortunate after hearing this.

"So there are no experts?"

"Lord Xu, there are still thousands of soldiers in Songjiang. Please lead our army and the generals to kill the enemy and serve the country!"

Xu Jie looked at the prefect of Songjiang in surprise.

How can someone so shallow be qualified to shoulder the important task of being a prefect?
I don't know whose connections he took.

"Don't talk about going to war rashly."

"Songjiang City has a defensive formation after all, which can help you defend the city."

"Besides, I only have a rough sense of the enemy's situation, and I don't know yet. Maybe there are ambushes."

Hearing the word "ambush", the prefect of Songjiang was so frightened that he shrank his neck and immediately became obedient.

"Ugh!"

Xu Jie sighed again.

He originally thought that when Crown Prince Wanli ascended the throne, he would reinstate him as soon as possible.

If he were to serve as the chief minister and his student Zhang Juzheng as the second chief minister, and they were to work together with Emperor Wanli, and the emperor and his ministers to support the crumbling Ming Dynasty, there should still be hope.

Unexpectedly, after Wanli ascended the throne, he seemed to have forgotten his existence.

He directly appointed Zhang Juzheng as the chief minister, without even intending to call him back to the cabinet.

"Why doesn't your majesty use me?"

"Why exactly?"

Perhaps Xu Jie was too worried, and his worries were all written on his face. Even the prefect of Songjiang could understand his mood.

"Uh, elder, don't worry."

"The Ming Dynasty is in a time of trouble. Your Majesty is in need of people. Perhaps the grace of God will come soon?"

"I heard that Prime Minister Zhang Ge Lao was ordered to negotiate with the Jin Emperor to stop the war, but Zhang Ge Lao actually took the opportunity to betray Ming and join the Jin Emperor's army." "Now, I don't know what rank he has been given."

Judging from the tone of the Songjiang prefect, he was actually very envious of Zhang Juzheng.

Xu Jie's face changed drastically!
"Zhang Taiyue surrendered to Fan Li?"

"Is this news true?"

He used his hands like pliers to pinch the shoulders of the Songjiang prefect, causing the latter to scream in pain.

"Your subordinate...Your subordinate doesn't know either!"

"I just occasionally chatted with the Jinyiwei of Songjiang Prefecture and listened to their gossip."

"Master Xu, let go, it hurts!"

Only then did Xu Jie realize that he had lost his composure and withdrew his hands.

But his expression was solemn, and he was already analyzing the truthfulness of the Jinyiwei intelligence in his mind.

This is war time.

The Jinyiwei intelligence comes from the front line, and it is indeed difficult to distinguish between true and false.

Among them, there is the possibility that the Jin Emperor detained Zhang Juzheng and lied to the outside world that he had committed treason.

"The rank of Songjiang Prefecture's Jinyiwei is too low."

"Only the top brass of the Imperial Guard in Beijing can obtain accurate information."

"Will Zhang Taiyue really surrender to Fan Li?"

Xu Jie was unwilling to believe this speculation.

However, with Hu Zongxian's treason in the past, who can guarantee that Fan Li will not be able to take down Zhang Juzheng?
"There is only one way to verify this rumor." Xu Jie murmured, "If Zhang Taiyue had committed treason, His Majesty would have reappointed me as the Prime Minister. The imperial edict to reinstate me should arrive in the next two or three days."

So, just wait?

Xu Jie didn't want to be so passive, but he had no choice.

There were a thousand Jin troops outside the city, lurking covetously. It was impossible for him to send his servants to the capital to verify the intelligence.

"Well, I will just wait for three days."

Xu Jie once again looked outside the city.

What on earth are these 1,000 Jin troops here for?

One day...

Two days...

Three days...

Until the fourth day, Xu Jie still hadn't received the imperial edict.

He couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, but also felt it was a pity.

It seems that Zhang Juzheng did not surrender to the Jin Emperor.

However, his idea of ​​returning to the cabinet also fell through.

"what?"

Xu Jie suddenly realized something was wrong.

The number of Jin troops outside the city seems to be less than a thousand?

It’s a full two or three hundred less!
This is a considerable fighting force!

Xu Jie secretly cursed himself for being careless and not noticing the enemy's actions right under his nose.

"If all else fails, I will rush out of the city. I will pretend to kill the enemy, and once the ambush is revealed, I will immediately return to the city. Let's see what tricks they have."

Just as Xu Jie was thinking about it, he saw the two or three hundred Jin soldiers who had disappeared actually returning from the north.

north?

That is the direction of the Ming Dynasty capital.

It is certainly impossible to attack the capital with only two or three hundred people.

Xu Jie's hair suddenly stood on end and he broke out in a cold sweat!
"not good!"

"If your majesty had sent someone to convey the imperial edict to me, I'm afraid they would have been intercepted and killed!"

"Your Majesty may have misunderstood if he fails to see me return to the capital upon my order..."

Xu Jie couldn't bear it anymore!
He flew up, leaving Songjiang Prefecture behind, and flew straight to the north!

The prefect of Songjiang was stunned and thought that Xu Jie had escaped.

How to do?
Escape yourself?
Or, surrender to the Jin army outside the city?
Before the prefect of Songjiang could make up his mind, he saw the thousand Jin troops outside the city actually withdraw?

"what?"

"Hahaha!"

"Have I secured Songjiang Prefecture?"

The prefect was only happy for half a day before he saw a team delivering imperial decrees, heading towards Songjiang Prefecture in a majestic manner.

Leading the group was a white-faced, beardless man, clearly a eunuch from the inner court.

"Your Majesty has a decree!"

"Xu Jie, the former cabinet chief minister, is old and virtuous, loyal and talented, and a pillar of the country."

"Now, I hereby grant you the special decree to reinstate Xu Jie and let him continue to serve as the chief minister of the cabinet."

"Where is Lord Xu? Ask him to come quickly to receive the decree, and let us return to the capital to take up the post, shall we?"

After hearing the imperial edict, the prefect of Songjiang stood there in a daze.

It was not until the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict repeatedly urged him that he stammered, "My Lord, the Jin army has been attacking the city these days, and Lord Xu was afraid of the enemy and has already abandoned the city and fled..."

Wait till I grit my teeth and write another chapter...