Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 307 The Hearts of the Remnants

The debate went on until almost dawn without a resolution.

In fact, even if there is a result, it's useless.

Because the Ming army's offensive was too fast and too fierce.

Even if they choose to retreat to the area outside the pass, they won't be able to take much gold, silver, jewelry, or property with them.

How could ancient warfare be fought like this?

Although Li Zicheng attacked Beijing just as quickly.

Starting from the first day of the third month of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen's reign, they captured Ningwu Pass and marched 500 kilometers, reaching Beijing in less than 20 days, on the eighteenth day of the third month.

But Li Zicheng offered no resistance after Ningwu Pass, and all the surrenders came without resistance. He almost conquered the enemy all the way through the pass.

On the other hand, the Qing army dispatched tens of thousands of troops to intercept them in Hebei, but the result was no different from the entire army surrendering.

According to the Qing court's plan, even if Yue Le was no match for them, they could still hold out for two or three months without any problem.

This period also provided an opportunity for them to intensify the training of their soldiers and strengthen the defenses of Beijing.

The autumn grain from the year before last and the summer grain from last year stored up in the city should have been distributed as salaries for officials and provisions for the army.

As a result, the Ming army launched a massive offensive, capturing large areas and annihilating more than 400,000 Manchu soldiers. These salaries and military provisions were naturally stored in the capital and used to defend the city.

Who knew that Yue Le's entire army would be wiped out in just a few days, and the Ming army arrived at the city gates the day after they received the news.

Did the Ming army encounter no obstacles at all?
At this point, the Qing court no longer held the contempt it once had for the Ming army; only fear and dread remained.

In the latter half of the night, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang had no choice but to order the immediate mobilization of all troops in the city, with the regent Ebilun as the chief general, to make emergency strategic deployments and fight the Ming army to the death in Beijing.

As dawn broke, the people inside and outside Beijing got up early, just like before, either to go to work in the city or to run errands outside, and waited at the city gate.

However, just as crowds of people with raven-tail hairstyles and wearing short jackets and long gowns filled the city gates of Beijing, they noticed something was amiss.

The city gates did not open early as usual.

It is important to know that the Qing Dynasty had very strict gate control, and the opening and closing times of the inner nine gates and the outer seven gates were extremely precise.

The closing time is around 7 p.m. every night when the shift starts.

The gates open at dawn, slightly earlier in the summer at 3 a.m., and slightly later in the winter at around 5 a.m.

Unlike later times, in ancient society, nightlife typically began around 7 or 8 pm.

In that society, whether they were farmers, merchants, or officials, they all followed the lifestyle of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

I usually go to bed around 7 or 8 pm and get up around 3 or 4 am. Around 5 or 6 am is equivalent to 8 or 9 am in later times when it's time to go to work.

It's February, springtime. Although Beijing is located in the Northern Hemisphere, where sunrise is a little later than in the Southern Hemisphere, by 4 a.m., the sky is already slightly bright, which means it's time to open for business.

But now, not only are all the inner and outer city gates closed, but barricades have also been set up at the city gates, and a large number of Qing soldiers are climbing the city walls on the surrounding stairs. Soldiers are everywhere in the city.

Upon witnessing this scene, many people dared not look or ask, and obediently squatted on the street corner, burying their heads in the sand like ostriches.

The previously relaxed atmosphere seemed to turn extremely tense overnight, with Tartar soldiers barging into the streets and surging towards the city gates.

Early-rising vendors packed up and went home, while some who hadn't had time to pack up were looted by Tartar soldiers who stole the food they were supposed to sell at the morning market. The vendors who had worked hard all night to prepare were left heartbroken.

Around 5 or 6 a.m., the sky had fully brightened, and the once bustling and lively city of Beijing suddenly became much quieter.

Pedestrians who went out shopping hurried home, while shops that should have been open for business kept their doors closed.

Vendors carried their wares out to set up their stalls and carried them back home in the same way. Even peddlers who traveled the streets and alleys dared not risk their lives at this time.

The only sounds on the street were the clattering of soldiers walking on the rammed earth and bluestone slabs.

Fazang Temple in Nancheng.

At dawn, Yan Ermei, who was in exile in Beijing, was sleeping in his meditation room.

Yan Ermei was wanted by the Qing army for his repeated anti-Qing activities. His home was even confiscated by the Qing government, and he was forced to wander around in a sorry state.

During her eighteen-year exile, Yan Ermei traveled to Jiangnan, Guangdong, and Guanzhong. At the beginning of last year, she went to Beijing.

As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place.

The Qing army was searching for him everywhere, and Jiangnan was a hiding place for many loyalists. The Qing government was arresting loyalists on a large scale, and it was still too dangerous in the Jiangnan region.

Therefore, Yan Ermei shaved his head and became a monk a few years ago, continuing his anti-Qing activities under the Dharma names of Daodong Monk and Baida Monk.

He believed that the Manchus would never suspect him in Beijing, so he temporarily went into seclusion there. Historically, he also met with Gu Yanwu in Beijing during this period to discuss resistance against the Qing.

Last night, he and Xu Yebing, a mutual friend of Gu Yanwu, talked late into the night by candlelight, discussing the affairs of the Ming Taizu (Emperor Hongwu) until dawn before finally going to sleep.

Just then, the door to the meditation room was knocked loudly, and Xu Ye's voice came from outside.

"Brother Gu Gu, Brother Gu Gu!"

Yan Ermei instantly became alert. After years of wandering, he was already wary of any disturbance.

Hearing that it was Xu Ye's voice, Yan Ermei felt a little relieved. She got out of bed, put on her coat, and went to the door to ask, "What happened, Brother Ji'an?"

The door opened, revealing Xu Ye with a look of surprise and delight. He grabbed Yan Ermei's arm and said, "Something terrible has happened, Brother Gu Gu, the Tartars..."

Before he could even finish saying "Tartar," Xu Ye cautiously looked around again. Seeing that there was no one outside the meditation room, he whispered in his ear, "The Tartars have mobilized the entire city as if facing a formidable enemy. The Great Ancestor's army has arrived."

"really?"

Yan Ermei was overjoyed and asked, "Have we reached the outskirts of the city yet?"

"It's not clear yet."

Xu Ye said, "Last month, Brother Ningren sent a message through someone. He is already in Emperor Taizong's army. He said that Emperor Taizong is chasing Wu Sangui all over the place and will soon conquer Shanxi and reach Beijing. When the news of Emperor Taizu's capture of Jiangnan came, I thought that we should not fight so fast. Who knew that the city would be in chaos."

As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up and said, "Brother Gu Gu is insightful. He knew that the founding emperor would not stay in Jiangnan for long and would definitely head north immediately. Otherwise, even if he left Beijing safely, he would probably miss the founding emperor."

By the first year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, there were hardly any Ming Dynasty loyalists in Beijing.

However, apart from Yan Ermei, who lived in seclusion in a Beijing temple under the guise of a monk, anti-Qing patriots such as Gu Yanwu and Xu Ye often stopped briefly in Beijing when traveling to other places.

Xu Ye's trip to Beijing was actually to inform Yan Ermei that he should follow him south to join Zhu Yuanzhang.

But Yan Ermei said that the founding emperor would definitely not stay in Jiangnan for long and would soon head north. If they went now, they might miss the founding emperor, so it would be better to wait in Beijing.

Unlike those Ming dynasty loyalists who went into seclusion and refused to serve the Manchu Qing dynasty.

These Ming Dynasty loyalists have already given up.

He was indifferent to worldly affairs, caring only about his own little corner of the world, and no longer devoted himself to overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming.

Meanwhile, the loyalist faction led by Gu Yanwu and Fu Shan still retained their ideas of resisting the Qing dynasty and took action to achieve this.

Besides contacting anti-Qing patriots in various places, their most important method was to travel to famous mountains and rivers and important passes throughout the country.

While it was called a travelogue, it was actually an observation of the terrain of various places, including mountains, rivers, passes, and the like, which was then marked in a book for future use in overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming dynasty.

Yan Ermei has been in Beijing for two years and has frequently observed the city's terrain. He knows the locations of the city gates and military facilities inside the city like the back of his hand and has drawn up a topographic map.

Upon hearing Xu Ye's words, Yan Ermei immediately crawled into the room, searched under the bed for a while, and carefully pulled out a few blueprints, saying, "These blueprints must be given to the Taizu."

Xu Ye said with distress, "The Great Ancestor came too fast. The streets outside are full of Tartars, and all the city gates are closed. It's almost impossible to get out now."

Yan Ermei thought for a moment, then took out a piece of parchment paper from his suitcase, wrapped the drawing up tightly, and only after confirming that it was sealed securely did he ask, "Can you swim?"

"what?"

Xu Ye asked in surprise, "What do you want to do?"

"Swim out!"

Yan Ermei put on her monk's robes. Although she was already fifty-seven years old, she was decisive and resolutely headed out of the temple.

Xu Ye hurriedly followed.

Fazang Temple is located in a very remote area, in the vicinity of Longtan Lake in later generations.

Although Longtan Lake is already a very famous tourist attraction in the 21st century, with picturesque scenery and towering buildings everywhere.

However, in ancient times, this place was the most remote suburb of the city. Not only were there almost no residential areas nearby, but sewage flowed everywhere, all of which was dirty water discharged from nearby brick kilns.

But precisely because of this, the place is sparsely populated, overgrown with wild grasses and wormwood taller than a person's waist, and dense with aquatic plants that block out the sun, creating a desolate landscape.

The only place that might have some foot traffic is Zuoanmen in the southeast corner.

This area is the brick-producing region of the entire capital. Every day, a large amount of goods enter and leave through Zuo'an Gate to supply the brick kilns with brick production.

As a result, there were many horse-drawn carriages coming and going.

At this moment, the city gates are tightly closed, and brick kilns inside and outside the city are not allowed to enter or leave the city. A large number of soldiers are currently controlling the city gates and the surrounding city walls, and no one is allowed to enter or leave the city.

After Yan Ermei and Xu Ye came out of the temple, they were greeted by a desolate wilderness. To their right, to the west, about two or three miles away from Fazang Temple, they could see a number of brick kilns located there.

The road leading to Zuo'anmen was over there. Facing them, which was also due south, were densely packed, pitted, and sewage-filled lakes, surrounded by wild grass, and a stench of mud was wafting towards them.

Brother Gu Gu

Xu Ye looked at the polluted lake in front of him, pinched his nose, and asked with a troubled expression, "Do we really have to go into the water?"

He now understood why Yan Ermei had asked him if he could swim.

At that time, the polluted lake, which was not yet called Longtan Lake, naturally had many water gates connected to the moat outside the city, and even goods had to pass through these water gates.

Although the water gate was closed, it was estimated that Yan Ermei must know some underwater secret passages that ordinary people did not know, which could lead to the outside of the city.

But the stench of the lake water was so nauseating that Xu Ye, a scholar, didn't want to go down into it.

Yan Ermei led him two miles southeast, near the southeast city wall, and then found a small boat in a reed bed. She pulled him onto the boat and said, "The great cause of restoring the Ming Dynasty is right in front of us. How can we back down now? Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, we must go."

"Okay."

Xu Ye had no choice but to agree, and reluctantly followed Yan Ermei onto the small boat, then slowly rowed towards the foot of the city wall to the east on the polluted lake.

After rowing for about fifteen minutes, covering a distance of about one kilometer, we finally reached the southeast corner.

The location is roughly near the ticket office of the East Gate Scenic Area of ​​Longtan Lake in later generations.

In later generations, roads, tree-lined paths, and lakeside sports fields were built here, and various villas on lake islands were built, creating a picturesque landscape, but this was not the case in ancient times.

The lake was dotted with islands covered in weeds, and the water was grayish-black and smelled of gorillas.

However, Yan Ermei lived near the base of the city wall, and the lower part of the wall had been submerged in water for many years, causing it to become somewhat loose. Some people involved in the black market used these underground passages to enter and exit the city to avoid taxes. Yan Ermei, posing as a monk, mingled in Beijing's streets and gradually learned about some of these secret passages.

At this moment, he approached and, upon reaching the water, jumped off the boat without hesitation. As he floated on the surface, he said to Xu Ye, "Brother Ji An, for the great cause of restoring the Ming Dynasty, we are willing to risk our lives. What is there to fear from mere sewage? Come with me."

After saying that, he went diving down.

Xu Ye looked troubled. Seeing that Yan Ermei had already disappeared into the water, he gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and jumped off the boat. He almost vomited when he opened his eyes in the water, and in the end, he could only swim forward helplessly.

Fortunately, it didn't take long; they quickly passed the city wall and swam onto the moat.

The city walls of Beijing are really too long.

Although the Qing army deployed more than 200,000 troops inside the city and more than 100,000 troops outside the city, how difficult it would be to fill the 40-kilometer-long section of the city wall, which is the combined length of the inner and outer city walls.

Moreover, there are many lakes and wilderness areas inside and outside Zuo'anmen. Even if the Ming army attacked, it would be impossible for them to quickly capture the city with so many lakes, swamps and vast grasslands.

Therefore, for the time being, there are only a few thousand Qing troops near Zuo'anmen. This area is more than 600 meters away from Zuo'anmen. Although the Qing army sent a few people over, they were all watching the outside of the city and did not notice the direction of the moat.

The two swam with difficulty from the moat to the slope on the other side. Yan Ermei looked back at the towering city wall, then touched the leather paper she was holding to her chest, and said, "Let's go quickly."

They were covered in mud, smelled terrible, and looked utterly wretched.

It's important to know that the moat during the Ming and Qing dynasties was far from clean. It contained domestic water and various excrements, making it hardly any better than the stinking ditch at the village entrance.

This shows how great their sacrifices were.

However, Yan Ermei didn't care at all. She took firm steps southward and ran away, showing no signs of being a woman nearing sixty.

at the same time.

The Ming army's vanguard finally arrived in the south of Beijing, about ten kilometers away from the city.

The vast army, densely packed and seemingly endless, slowly advanced towards Beijing.

The southern suburbs of Beijing are surrounded by wilderness, overgrown with weeds and shaded by trees.

Countless Ming cavalrymen galloped across the open fields, searching for any potential enemies ahead, with thousands of troops following closely behind.

Around nine o'clock in the morning, Yan Ermei and Xu Ye walked for more than an hour and collapsed on the roadside from exhaustion.

Just then, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance. The two quickly helped each other up and looked south.

The large group of knights galloped forward and soon arrived.

Yan Ermei hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Stop!"

The vanguard was under Li Dingguo's command. This team was a forward scout. The officer in charge reined in his horse, looked the two dirty-looking men up and down, and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Yan Ermei, and I was once an advisor to Grand Secretary Shi. Which generals are you in command? I have a map of Beijing to present to you!"

Yan Ermei was very famous, but only within literary circles and anti-Qing circles. Zheng Chenggong, Li Dingguo, and Bai Wenxuan knew him, but Xiaoqi did not.

However, upon hearing that there was a map of Beijing, Xiao Qi knew the seriousness of the matter and immediately sent someone to report it.

Li Dingguo quickly learned the news. Upon hearing that it was Yan Ermei, he hurriedly rode over himself. When he saw Yan Ermei dismount, he wanted to help her up, but found that she was covered in dirt and smelled bad, so he had to hold back and said, "It's actually Mr. Gu Gu! What are you doing in Beijing, sir?"

Yan Ermei didn't care and immediately said, "Prince Jin, after being wanted by the Tartars, I went into hiding everywhere. Because I was worried that the Tartars would go to Jiangnan to hunt me down, I disguised myself as a monk and hid in a temple in Beijing. I usually observe the terrain of Beijing in order to wait for the day when I could overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming. Now that I heard that the Taizu has come, I specially present this map."

"."

Li Dingguo remained silent.

He saw the sincerity and hope in Yan Ermei's eyes, so he didn't want to tell her the cruel reality.

That means Old Zhu doesn't actually need this kind of map anymore.

After all, Li Dingguo had seen the drones and tablets with his own eyes.

Under such a system, not only would the condition of all facilities in the city be clear, but even the deployment of the Manchu Tartar troops would be perfectly clear.

But if you tell the other person directly, wouldn't that be telling them that all your efforts over the past few years have been in vain?
Therefore, after a moment of silence, Li Dingguo said, "The Emperor Taizu is right behind us, but wouldn't it be impolite for you to meet him dressed like this?"

"I finally managed to swim out of the city's secret passage, but there's nowhere around here to bathe and change."

Yan Ermei scratched his bald head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I wonder if the Prince of Jin has any ideas?"

"Do not call me the Prince of Jin. His Majesty has changed my title to Duke of Jin."

"Um, Duke of Jin, then I..."

"so."

Li Dingguo thought for a moment and said, "I will send someone to deliver the blueprints to the Emperor first. You can go and wash yourself in the nearby river first. I will find you a new set of soldiers' clothes to wear. After you are clean, you can go, okay?"

"No, no, no."

Yan Ermei tightly wrapped the leather paper around her chest and said, "The blueprints are precious, and I want to personally deliver them to His Majesty the Great Ancestor."

"Then you should take a bath before meeting His Majesty, so as not to be impolite. It is not inappropriate for you to personally deliver it to His Majesty, sir. I will inform the Emperor first, and you may go and wash up first, sir?"

"Good good."

Yan Ermei said happily, "We will do as the Duke of Jin says."

As he spoke, he gestured excitedly and said to Xu Ye, "Brother Ji'an, did you hear that? The Great Ancestor is right behind us! The blueprints I've been working on for the past few years have finally come in handy and can help the Great Ancestor defeat the Tartars!"

Li Dingguo had several guards escort the two to take a bath. Watching them leave, he shook his head slightly.

Old Zhu was not actually in Beijing.

It is quite normal for an army of hundreds of thousands to march for dozens of miles.

When Li Dingguo arrived in the southern suburbs of Beijing, he was still about ten kilometers away from Beijing, roughly in the area of ​​Houtaihu Town.

Upon hearing about Yan Ermei and Xu Ye's deeds, Old Zhu did not want to discourage them. After the two had finished washing, he sent someone to escort them over.

It was already noon, and the vanguard of the Ming army had slowly arrived outside the city and begun to set up camp.

The area behind where Lao Zhu was located was still seven or eight kilometers away from the city.

After washing themselves clean, the two arrived at the carriage. Old Zhu lifted the curtain, and Yan Ermei and Xu Ye were very excited to see him. After calming down, they stepped forward and respectfully handed over the clean drawings they had taken out of the kraft paper, saying, "This humble subject greets His Majesty the Great Ancestor. Long live the Great Ancestor!"

"Ah."

Old Zhu had already reviewed his records and knew that he and Xu Ye were righteous men who resisted the Qing Dynasty. He nodded slightly and said to him affirmingly, "You are a loyal subject of the Ming Dynasty. It is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty and for all Han people in the world to have righteous men like you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am but a lowly person, unable to serve the country or kill the barbarians. I am constantly on the move, hiding from the Tartars. All I can do is draw maps and wait for the future."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Yan Ermei burst into tears, saying, "Fortunately, this humble subject has finally waited for this day. I hope this map can help Your Majesty recapture Beijing."

He raised his head, his eyes, which were bloodshot from opening them in the filthy moat, now filled with hope.

Zhu Yunfeng carefully took the blueprints and handed them back to Lao Zhu.

Old Zhu looked at the map carefully for a long time before saying to Yan Ermei, "Well done, it is very detailed and will greatly help me in conquering Beijing. Yan Ermei, listen to my decree."

"This humble subject obeys the decree."

Both of them wiped away their tears of emotion and bowed with their hands clasped in greeting.

"Yan Ermei has worked diligently for many years to resist the Tartars and has also made contributions by drawing up blueprints. He was appointed as the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yan Ermei's voice was slightly hoarse, but her excitement was still evident.

"Xu Ye also traveled around to resist the Tartars and was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xu Ye was overjoyed.

He didn't actually do anything.

Historically, he only participated in anti-Qing gatherings organized by Gu Yanwu and Yan Ermei on several occasions, but he did not directly raise troops to resist the Qing. His achievements were naturally far inferior to those of Gu Yanwu and Yan Ermei. However, he was now able to obtain a sixth-rank official position for free, so he was naturally very happy.

"You must be exhausted after coming from Beijing. Go and rest first. I want to summon the generals at the front and work with them to devise a strategy to take Beijing based on these blueprints."

Old Zhu laughed and said, "Perhaps you can go to the rear and take a nap, and when you wake up, I will have already conquered Beijing."

"Then we two will take our leave."

Yan Ermei and Xu Ye were still very excited, but they maintained their manners, bowed, and then left under the guidance of Old Zhu's guards.

However, after they left, Zhu Yunfeng leaned out of the car window and saw that the two were more than ten meters away from the car. He couldn't contain his excitement and started jumping and waving his arms, clearly very excited.

Seeing this, Zhu Yunfeng couldn't help but turn back to Old Zhu and say, "Ancestor, you tell me, after years of struggle, how desperate must they have been, watching the Tartars' power grow stronger and stronger, while their hope and strength to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming dwindled?"

"Yes."

Old Zhu gently stroked the blueprints. They were drawn in great detail, with every military facility clearly marked. He sighed, "That's why I don't want to disappoint them."

"But even if Yan Ermei knew the truth, she probably wouldn't be disappointed. On the contrary, she would be very happy that we have drones."

"It's alright, it's good for him to be happy now."

"That's true."

Zhu Yunfeng looked out the car window at the two people who were still in high spirits as they drove away, and said softly, "The more desperate they were before, the more joyful they are now. The hearts of the remnants of the Ming Dynasty are not only those of the Ming Dynasty, but also those of the Han people."

The arrival of the Manchus was not only about massacring and enslaving large numbers of Han Chinese people, but also about destroying Chinese clothing and culture.

The various Manchu rituals and clothing impacted traditional Han customs, attempting to destroy the soul of the Han people.

As a result, so many Ming loyalists cried out and raised the slogan of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming.

However, the anti-Qing forces were continuously defeated.

Anti-Qing patriots were constantly being slaughtered.

Once upon a time, after the complete demise of the Southern Ming Dynasty, countless loyalists shed tears, and countless people committed suicide in despair.

This was an era that filled the sons of Han people with despair, an era brimming with pessimism and regret.

But now.

Old Zhu's appearance gave them hope.

It allowed those Ming loyalists who had reached the depths of despair in history to feel the joy of "the day when the royal army pacifies the Central Plains."

That was a joy that Lu You had never seen before!
(End of this chapter)