The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 71 Entering Beijing
Eunuch Wei led a group of eunuchs through Zhengyang Gate and continued walking north, and the imperial city was right in front of them.

He reined in his horse, pulled Shen Lian aside, and said in a friendly manner:
"Brother Shen, I heard that Lieutenant General Liu will come to the capital in the next few days to announce his victory and present the captives to the emperor. I just got the news from the Imperial Household Department and haven't told anyone else, so I came here to tell you first."

Shen Lian, who had a sorrowful face, immediately smiled happily after hearing this. He no longer worried about entering the palace to become a eunuch and grinned:
"Eunuch Wei scared me to death... The Eastern Route Army fought hard in Liaodong for six months, and countless brave men died. Lieutenant General Liu was bullied by the Liaozhen, especially a man named Ding Bi. This time we won a great victory, and we can finally hold our heads high."

When Wei Zhongxian heard the name Ding Bi, a cold light flashed in his eyes.

"I've heard of this man. He's quite powerful in Liaodong and has complex ties with the Li family. He's a tough nut to crack. Oh, and I heard Ding Bi was involved in the Qi Family Army incident in Jizhou..."

Shen Lian was furious and said, "No matter how tough he is, he has the blood of the Qi family army on his hands. I will kill him sooner or later."

~~~~
During the Battle of Kaiyuan, Shen Lian was gathering information everywhere in the capital, hoping to learn more about the situation of the southern troops.

After the Battle of Sarhu, the court suddenly became concerned about Kaiyuan. Most people were pessimistic, thinking that this city would be quickly captured by the Later Jin like Fushun and Qinghe.

The war in Liaodong always affected the prices in the capital. Before the Battle of Sarhu, the prices of rice and coal in the capital began to fluctuate.

When the news of the Ming army's disastrous defeat reached the capital, rice prices skyrocketed and the people complained bitterly.

When their own interests were damaged, everyone began to pay attention to Liu Zhaosun, who suddenly emerged.

This man led a lone army to defend Kaiyuan and resist the Later Jin army. The people regarded him as Gao Chong, the pulley carrier, and were full of awe for him. He was brave, but he was doomed to die.

When the news of the tragic victory in Kaiyuan reached the capital, the people cheered and were glad that everything could finally return to normal.

Shen Lian once thought that the court might reward Lieutenant General Liu and the soldiers of the Eastern Army this time.

However, he has now left the Eastern Army and is serving as a Jinyiwei in the capital. All he can do now is to provide intelligence to Brigadier General Liu.

Wei Zhongxian was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "Let's not get involved in the Liaozhen affair for now. I brought you into the palace today, not to make you a eunuch. The Emperor has been unwell lately, and we must not disturb him. This time, Lieutenant General Liu is coming to the capital, and we must present the captives within the inner city. The situation outside is chaotic, so we need to find some reliable personnel. Eunuch Lu specifically requested you to come."

"Go back to the Pacification Division now and find two reliable brothers."

"Eunuch Wei, there are still five city soldiers and horses in the city. Why don't you ask them for protection?"

Wei Zhongxian pulled Shen Lian closer and whispered:
"On the day of the victory, there will be a reward of silver and money. Such a good thing should be given to our brothers. Those people from the Five Cities Military Division's Jingying are not familiar with our family. They are also busy driving out the eunuchs outside the city and can't get away. Besides, if they are seen in that state by Lieutenant General Liu, it will only bring shame to the royal family. Okay, you go."

Shen Lian turned and left, but just after taking a few steps, Wei Zhongxian called out to him, "Brother Shen, be careful!"

Shen Lian nodded and rode his horse towards the Pacification Office.

~~~~~~~~~
On May 12, a letter from the Ministry of War arrived in Kaiyuan, ordering Lieutenant General Liu to come to the capital as soon as possible to present the prisoners and meet the emperor.

The Tangbao reported that Xiong Tingbi, the governor of Liaodong, had departed from Shenyang on May 8 and returned to Beijing early.

Liu Zhaosun held the Tangbao in his hand and guessed that Xiong Tingbi had returned to the capital by now and was currently in the Forbidden City, being summoned by the old Emperor Wanli.

Even if there were censors speaking for Kaiyuan, Zhu Yijun would probably be skeptical about the Kaiyuan war.

After all, a mere lieutenant general commanding a mob of 30,000 people to stop the Later Jin army without any external aid sounds like a story told in a teahouse in the capital.

In any case, Liu Zhaosun had to go to Beijing to try to obtain more political resources.

As the date of going to Beijing draws closer, everyone in Kaiyuan is extremely busy.

Kang Yingqian repeatedly urged them to set off as soon as possible. Old Kang now ran to the barracks every day and repeatedly consulted Liu Zhaosun on the details of going to Beijing. He looked so concerned, as if he was going to Beijing to take the imperial examination.

Brigadier General Liu was not in a hurry and did not leave.

The serious concern has not yet been eliminated.

Keeping Ding Bi would ultimately be a nuisance. Furthermore, the two sides were already at odds, and now each wanted to kill the other.

Strike first to gain the upper hand.

On May 14, on the eve of entering Beijing, Liu Zhaosun summoned Peng Yong and gave him a detailed introduction to the assassination target Ding Bi.

"This thief is a former servant, very skilled, and has been entrenched in Tieling for many years. There are hundreds of servants in the mansion, and when he goes out, the servants stay with him. You must protect yourself first. If there is no good opportunity, hide in the city and act as an insider."

"My Lord, are you going to capture Tieling?"

Liu Zhaosun nodded without comment.

Peng Yong clasped his hands together, his eyes gleaming with brilliance. He gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, sir. This bastard killed the White Spear Soldiers in Shenyang. Even without your orders, I will not spare him! I will definitely bring him back with my head!"

"Good! You are indeed a good man of Shizhu!"

During the Kaiyuan battle, Liu Zhaosun witnessed Peng Yong kill three white-armored soldiers in close combat. He was quite confident in his fighting ability, but in the end he still warned:

"I'll give you two more helpers, one from Guizhou and one from Xuanda. They're outside the tent. They're both veterans who have served with my adoptive father for many years. Horses and firearms are also ready for you..."

The white-pole soldiers took the order and left.

Liu Zhaosun watched them disappear into the night.

Just as Peng Yong left, Kang Jianjun came in from behind and said anxiously:

"What's this?"

Liu Zhaosun said calmly:

"Assassinate Ding Bi." Kang Yingqian slammed the table and angrily shouted, "Stupid! Do you know that Ding Bi has extensive connections? Countless officials in Beijing accept bribes from him every year. Even the Li family has to give him some leeway. He's about to enter the capital. Millions of people are watching our Eastern Route Army, waiting for something to happen to you. Yet you're stirring up trouble now. Besides, can the few people you sent kill him?"

Liu Zhaosun disagreed and said:

"If this thief is not eliminated, it will cause great disaster!"

"Liaodong can only have him, not me. It can only have me, not him! If Peng Yong can't be killed, I will do it myself! General Kang, there is no need to say more. It's time to go to the capital, go to the capital, and it's time to kill, kill! Don't delay either!"

"It seems that if you act so recklessly, how can you achieve anything great?"

Kang Yingqian turned away in anger.

~~~~~~
In the joint report sent to Liu Zhaosun by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War, the number of prisoners of war to be offered and the route to the capital were clearly stipulated. Brigadier General Liu could bring a maximum of 300 combat soldiers to the capital.

There are two routes to choose from: water and land.

Land route: From Sanwanwei to Guangningwei, then from Guangningwei to Yongpingfu, and finally from Yongpingfu to the capital.

Waterway: From Sanwanwei to Yingkou, board a ship from Yingkou to cross the sea, disembark at Tianjin Port, and then enter Beijing from Tianjin.

Hearing that the emperor would see the surrender of prisoners, everyone in Kaiyuan, from the captains to the fire soldiers, wanted to go to the capital with Brigadier General Liu.

Jin Yuji accompanied the army, and Yang Qing'er clamored to go too. Liu Zhaosun was worried that the two women would fight again on the road, so he coaxed Yang Qing'er and said that only soldiers could accompany them, and he would definitely take her with him next time he went to Beijing.

As for Liu Zhaosun himself, he was quite excited about presenting the captives to the imperial court. In addition to wanting to see the emperor's face and see what he looked like, he also wanted to take this opportunity to make good friends with the gentlemen in the capital and pave the way for his future career.

Of course, it would be best to bring back some talents in firearms, water conservancy and other fields for your own use.

However, Liu Zhaosun did not have much hope for this. After all, in this era, few normal people would abandon the prosperity of the capital and travel thousands of miles to the bitter and cold land of Liaodong to suffer the cold wind - of course, Yuan Dudu was an exception.

The three thousand headquarters each selected eighty combat soldiers, together with the sixty guards of Brigadier General Liu's central army, to form a three hundred-man prisoner surrender team.

The three hundred men were all strong and handsome men in the army. After all, presenting the captives to the capital was a matter of reputation and honor for the Kaiyuan defenders, and it was not something to be taken lightly.

Jin Yuji, Kang Yingqian, Pei Dahu and others all accompanied them, and the two captains Wang Erhu and Deng Changxiong each led 150 people to accompany them.

Kang Yingqian suggested that the Intelligence Department be brought along as well, and that Zhang Dong be sent to collect some intelligence about the capital.

Liu Zhaosun thought about it and rejected the proposal.

The Dongchang guards have very strong anti-reconnaissance capabilities, so don't cause trouble on their territory.

The person who stayed in Kaiyuan naturally became Qiao Yiqi. Qiao Yiqi was not interested in the scenery of the capital. He had been to the capital many times and there was nothing new to him.

Instead of wasting time, it is better to stay in Kaiyuan and Mao Yuanyi to study firearms.

Mao Yuanyi's Red Cannon mold was finally completed and he was just waiting to cast the cannon.

After experiencing the last battle at the North Gate, General Qiao had a deeper understanding of being as immovable as a mountain, so there was no problem for him to be in charge of Kaiyuan.

Liu Zhaosun was not worried about the attack from the Jiannu, but he was worried about Ding Bi in the direction of Tieling.

Peng Yong has been gone for two days and has not returned yet.

Liu Zhaosun was worried that the White Spear Soldiers' assassination attempt had failed...
At Deng Changxiong's suggestion, 400 Liao people who had just finished spring plowing were temporarily transferred to strengthen the defenses of various gates.

At the same time, soldiers will strengthen surveillance of suspicious merchants in the city.

After doing all this, Liu Zhaosun felt a little relieved.

After some discussion, Liu Zhaosun decided to sail to Beijing by sea.

The land route must pass through Shenyang, Liaoyang, and Guangning. There is no need to explain Liaoshen in detail. Guangning is also the stronghold of the stubborn forces of Liaozhen. After several large-scale armed conflicts, there is no room for peace between Kaiyuan and Liaozhen. The armed conflicts between farmers on both sides have never stopped, and people are beaten to death or injured every once in a while.

Liu Zhaosun was not afraid of these Liao soldiers, but he did not want to risk everyone's lives.

On May 16, 300 soldiers, carrying weapons and ten days' worth of rations, escorted more than 100 prisoners and more than 3,000 saltpetered heads by land to Yingkou, boarded five Fujian ships, and crossed the Liao Sea with the wind.

According to the planned schedule, after crossing the Liao Sea and landing at the Tianjin Port, the 300 soldiers will receive food supplies from the Tianjin Garrison.

There is no problem for the local jurisdiction to provide supplies for foreign soldiers passing through the border, especially since this is a team that is going to Beijing to surrender prisoners.

However, what actually happened was far from the smooth sailing Liu Zhaosun had anticipated. As soon as they boarded the ship, the northern-born soldiers began vomiting violently, causing the non-seasick southern soldiers around them to follow suit. In a matter of moments, the Fuzhou ship's cabin was a mess.

After drifting on the sea for three full days, we finally arrived at Tianjin Port and the ship slowly stopped at Zhangjiagang.

Groups of pale-faced soldiers walked down from the deck of the Fu ship.

Many people were vomiting beyond recognition, but the Zhejiang soldiers originally under Deng Qilong's command were not only not seasick, but also looked quite relaxed.

The spearmen who came onto the dock were talking and laughing, pointing and commenting at the fish piled up in the harbor.

After seeing this, Liu Zhaosun secretly made up his mind that when he formed a navy in the future, he must recruit more boatmen and sailors from the south.

The soldiers rested for one day at Tianjin Port, and on the third day, they set out for the capital.

In the capital, millions of people are waiting for them.

(End of this chapter)