Do you know: I have a different surname: Wang, uncle Minglan.

Chapter 304 A real man should die on horseback!

The shouts of fighting and killing from both sides of the enemy's army resounded throughout the entire city of Bianjing.

In the past, people in certain areas of the capital could only vaguely hear some sounds of fighting and killing.

But at this moment, that voice seemed to echo in my ears.

Many people hid at home and couldn't help but talk about it.

"Did the Liao army break in?"

"Boss, our Bianjing City is so high, how can the enemy army break in?"

"Why is the sound of fighting getting closer?"

Not only the common people, but even many officials and their families, had the same idea that the enemy army had already attacked the city of Bianliang.

For example, in the British Mansion at this time.

Zhang Fu, who had just finished drinking the medicine and closed his eyes to rest, suddenly heard some sounds of fighting. He opened his eyes abruptly and stood up.

Zhang Guifen and her mother, Madam Zhang, were both shocked when they saw this and said:
"Dad, what's wrong with you?"

"master"

"."

Zhang Fu looked at the two of them, frowned slightly, and listened carefully to the weak voice from the outside world. Suddenly he spoke:

"Did you guys hear anything?"

what?
Zhang Guifen was extremely confused, "Dad, where is that sound coming from?"

Zhang Fu frowned even more tightly, and even subconsciously stood up barefoot and coughed violently twice.

Seeing this, Zhang Guifen hurried forward to support him, "Dad, what happened?"

Zhang Fu did not say anything, but listened carefully to the faint but extremely familiar voice entering his ears.

Gradually, he seemed to have lost his mind and walked out of the house woodenly. With the help of Zhang Guifen, he barely stood in the yard.

The sound coming from far away appeared more and more clearly in his ears.

"listen--"

Zhang Fu said.

Zhang Guifen, who came to the yard, also vaguely heard something at this moment.

And she had only heard that kind of sound in the military camp.

"father"

Zhang Guifen hasn't finished speaking yet.

Zhang Fu's expression became serious, and he said in a deep voice: "Gui Fen, take Mu Ge'er, Jing Jie'er, and your father's badge, and go to the palace with your mother immediately."

"Where is my father?" Zhang Guifen asked back.

At this moment, Zhang Fu, who was originally frail, suddenly gained strength from nowhere, as if he had become a different person. He became vigorous and energetic, with a solemn expression.
"A real man should die on the battlefield, wrapped in his horsehide!"

Zhang Guifen was stunned. "Father."

Zhang Fu took a deep breath, patted Zhang Guifen on the shoulder, and said with a smile:
"Yelü Ren will enter the city first and will find my father at all costs."

"My father has fought with him for most of his life. He will not feel at ease until my father is dead."

"Father, wait for him here."

Not long after.

Zhang Guifen took Zhuang Ge'er and Jing Jie, as well as Madam Zhang, Minglan and others, to seek refuge in the imperial city.

Minglan is not at the Duke of England's mansion today. Zhang Guifen sent someone to invite her over.

Originally, I wanted to call Wei Shuyi to go along, but I found out that the Sheng family had already gone to the imperial city.

Minglan came to Zhang's house to see if there was anything else they could help with.

When Zhang Guifen and her daughter left Zhang's house, Zhang Fu personally ordered someone to close the door.

Before the door to the mansion was completely closed, Zhang Guifen was already in tears, "Dad"

Zhang Fu said: "My dear daughter, if the enemy army breaks through the city, follow the emperor and the prince out of Bianjing, see Yuan'er, and tell him to avenge your father."

At this time, he was still seriously ill, but he was already holding a sword, waiting for Yelu Renxian's arrival.

The whole street was in chaos.

The families of officials rushed to the imperial city.

Some brave people had already opened their doors and tried to leave through other city gates.

Unlike the children of officials, they could leave Bianliang at any time.

But the children of officials had to leave with the emperor and the regent.

At this time, in the Xuanzheng Hall.

Zhao Xi had already learned that the enemy had broken through the outer city and there was chaos in the city, and his eyes were a little dazed.

Now that the outer city has been breached, it’s only a matter of time before the inner city is breached.

Bianjing is beyond saving.

"Prince, let's go!"

"If you don't leave, it will be too late!"

"The Imperial City and the Palace City are not as strong as the Outer City. If the enemy attacks, we will have no chance of winning!"

"."

Fan Chunren and other ministers, including Wang Anshi, all urged Zhao Xi to leave.

At this time, Zhao Xi sat in the chair woodenly, thinking a lot in his mind.

He can leave, but what about his father?
"My father can't stand the fatigue of traveling."

Before Zhao Xi finished speaking, Wang Anshi's voice came to his ears.
"You are the crown prince, the hope of the country!"

After he finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and could not get up.

These words are extremely treasonous.

Zhao Xi sighed.

He had no intention of blaming Wang Anshi.

I can only sigh that the situation has become so critical!
"Your Highness, the officials and their families have arrived at the Imperial City. Should we open the city gates?"

Fan Chunren spoke again.

Zhao Xi looked around at everyone, hesitated for a while, and finally made a decision.
"Open the city gates, let them in, and let them leave through Fengqiu Gate."

"I'm not leaving."

Fengqiu Gate is the back gate of the palace.

Backed by several mountains.

There was a mountain road that allowed them to leave Bian Jing, but it was extremely difficult to travel on.

But, at least, there is hope of survival.

But, everyone is leaving, but you are not leaving?

"Your Highness, everyone else can stay, but you can't stay!"

Fan Chunren spoke in a firm tone.

How old is Zhao Xi? But he already has the aura of a great leader. As long as he is alive, the inheritance of the Great Zhou will not be broken.

A powerful ruler can bring great changes to the entire court.

Moreover, it’s time for the Great Zhou to have a Martial Emperor!

Zhao Xi said sternly: "This is the order of the Regent. If you disobey, you will be killed without mercy!"

At this point, the young Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty spoke in an extremely overbearing tone:

"A true emperor would never run away! Although I am not yet an emperor, I am also the crown prince of the Great Zhou."

"Besides, I will never abandon my father and ignore him."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm waiting for Yelu Renxian right here in the Xuanzheng Palace!"

Having said that, he put one hand into his sleeve, firmly grasped the sharp blade hidden in his sleeve, and his eyes became sharper.

A true emperor would not bother to escape, nor would he fall into the hands of his enemies.

Zhao Xi is more resolute than any other crown prince or emperor.

"nice!"

Wang Anshi looked at Zhao Xi and made a decision in an instant.

"I am willing to live and die together with Your Highness, and advance and retreat together!" After these words came out, Fan Chunren and others looked at each other and made a decision in an instant.
"We, your Highness, are willing to stand together with you, and live and die together!"

At this time.

A voice coming from outside the hall suddenly attracted everyone's attention.
"His Majesty is here!"

His Majesty?

Your Majesty is here?

Your Majesty's health. How can you get out of bed?
Without time to wonder, everyone walked out of the hall.

He saw Zhao Zhen sitting on the dragon chariot, almost dying.

Now, the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty was wearing a dragon robe and looking at everyone with a sharp gaze.

It was not until he looked at Zhao Xi that Zhao Zhen smiled, a rare gesture, and said:
"I have heard what my son just said."

"You're right. A true emperor would not bother to run for his life."

A group of guards slowly put down the dragon chariot.

Zhao Zhen looked at Yan Da, the commander of the Imperial City Division, who came with him, and asked:

"Wei Qing, where are you?"

Yan Da bowed and said, "It will take at most another two hours to reach Bianjing."

Two hours.
Zhao Zhen looked at Zhao Xi again, "My son, at this time, you should be in the imperial city, comforting the officials' families and letting them see the demeanor of the future emperor of the Great Zhou."

The guard is coming?
When Zhao Xi heard the news, a flash of excitement flashed across his brows, and he bowed and said, "I understand."

At this time, Fan Chunren asked Yan Da: "I wonder how many soldiers and horses did the Marquis of Wei bring this time?"

Yan Da said truthfully: "Twenty thousand elite cavalrymen are coming day and night, and there are 80,000 infantrymen following closely behind."

After hearing this news, everyone's eyes, which were originally full of hope, dimmed again.

"In other words, the Marquis of Wei only brought 20,000 cavalrymen?"

"What good can 20,000 cavalrymen do?"

"Your Majesty, it would be best for you and the Crown Prince to leave Bianjing for the time being and wait until the situation stabilizes."

"."

Zhao Zhen laughed and said, "I am not going anywhere. I am waiting for my Marquis Wei."

Zhao Xi looked at Zhao Zhen, and the father and son looked at each other. Zhao Xi smiled and said, "Since father is not leaving, I will not leave either. I trust Master Wei."

Believe?

This is a gamble with the future of the Great Zhou!
However, the emperor and the prince have already said so much, who would dare to object?
Afterwards, Zhao Xi went to the imperial city to appease the families of all officials.

Before leaving, Zhao Zhen, who was still sitting on the dragon chariot, spoke again:

"My son, you should be like Yao and Shun."

Zhao Xi was stunned for a moment, turned around slowly, bowed deeply to Zhao Zhen again, said nothing, then turned around and strode away.

Zhao Zhen looked at his back as he left, his thoughts gradually becoming confused, as if he had crossed the long river of time and saw his younger self.

Like Zhao Xi, full of energy.

At that time, Zhao Zhen vowed to become an emperor who would still be praised by people thousands of years later.

In his later years, he did do some foolish and even wrong things.

But this cannot in any way conceal the fact that the forty years of his rule over the Great Zhou were truly a prosperous era.

Forty years of prosperity, this was the achievement of Zhao Zhen.

at this time.

In the imperial city.

The officials' families were terrified.
"If the Liao army attacks us, will we still have a chance to survive?"

"Yes, how could the enemy break through the city gate with 100,000 defenders?"

"I don't know if the imperial city can defend itself against the Liao army."

"It should be possible. After all, the ones guarding the Imperial City are the Danglu Army, which is the elite among the elite of our Great Zhou."

"."

When Xie Wu led his troops to Handan, he took a part of the Danglu Army with him.

Now, there are only 40,000 soldiers of the Suppressing Enemy Army guarding the imperial city.

Although the Danglu Army was an elite force painstakingly built up by Wei Yuan, their spirit and energy were clearly different from those of the city-defending troops.

But the number of people is too small after all.

If the Danglu Army had 100,000 soldiers, Zhao Xi would dare to lead the Danglu Army's soldiers to fight against the Liao Army.

Instead of defending an imperial city that is almost indefensible.

Soon, Zhao Xi arrived at the imperial city.

At that moment, when the officials' families saw him coming, they all stood up and bowed one after another, saying:
"Meet His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Bye."

"."

The prince did not rush to respond. He walked through the crowd and came to the top of the imperial city. He stood up and looked at the thousands and tens of thousands of officials and their families below the city. He said loudly in a rather childish and sharp voice:
"If you want to leave, you can leave now. If you don't want to leave, wait until the Liao army attacks and fight the enemy together with me!"

The voice just fell.

The officials' families were all in a panic.

What do you mean?
The prince won’t escape?
this.
The Liao army is about to attack!
Do we really want to fight the Liao army?

More than half of the officials’ families are women. How can they fight against the enemy?

Zhao Xi looked at the officials and their families discussing again, but he was not anxious. Instead, he spoke slowly:

"I know that you are afraid of the Liao army as you are afraid of tigers and wolves, but do you think that even if you leave the capital, those tigers and wolves will let you go?"

"I still say the same thing. If you want to leave, you can leave now. I will send an army to escort you."

"If you don't want to leave, follow me to kill the enemy! I am just a young son, and I am not afraid. Are you afraid?"

Some brave men gritted their teeth and spoke one after another:

"Since Your Highness won't leave, I won't leave either. I swear to live and die with the Great Zhou!"

"Swear to live and die with the Great Zhou!"

"."

Zhao Xi looked at those people with great satisfaction.

Some female members of the family did not express their opinions, but from the way they bowed, it could be seen that they had already made plans.

Zhao Xi spoke again: "Let me be frank. If the imperial city is breached, I will die first, and then you will die. As for the women of the Great Zhou, they must not fall into the hands of the enemy. They must commit suicide on the spot to preserve their reputation!"

Wang Anshi, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but twitch his mouth.

The emperor asked the prince to comfort the families of all officials.

As a result, the prince planned to drag everyone to death together.
Is this what a heroic leader should be like?
After a pause, Zhao Xi asked a soldier of the Danglu Army who was guarding the Imperial City, "The Liao army is about to attack us, are you afraid?"

The soldier held the weapon in his hand and said firmly: "Your Highness, I am not afraid!"

Zhao Xi got this expected answer and asked with a smile: "Why aren't you afraid?"

At this time, all the officials, including their families, heard it very clearly.

The soldier responded with a serious expression: "General Wei said that as a real man, you should die on horseback, on the battlefield, not like a woman, dying on the bed!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many people burst into laughter.

The soldier's words were disrespectful to women.

However, none of the women were upset.

Instead, I felt that the soldier was a real man, a real hero.

"The words may be a little rough, but the logic is valid." Wang Anshi said in a low voice.

Zhao Xi patted the soldier on the shoulder and laughed, "General Wei is right. A real man should die on the battlefield!"

"only."

Having said this, he looked at the women in the crowd and accidentally noticed where Zhang Guifen was standing. He nodded slightly towards her, and then bowed deeply to the crowd.

"The rise and fall of a country is what men should do. If the city is breached today, I will let all the ladies, madams, and girls die with us men. I cannot bear it."

"But, since you were born in the Great Zhou and live on this land, you cannot be humiliated by foreign enemies!"

"I apologize to you all!"

(End of this chapter)