Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 153 He fought like a god of war.

Regarding Sun Chengzong's various actions in Baoding Prefecture.

Zhu Youjian, who is currently far away in the capital, is still completely unaware of this.

At this moment, he was closely monitoring the cavalry reinforcements sent by the aristocratic families to the vicinity of the capital.

According to reconnaissance and intelligence relayed from Lu Xiang-sheng's side,

The cavalry force of over ten thousand men has entered the territory of Shuntian Prefecture and is now only a hundred miles away from the capital.

Zhu Youjian ordered all the city gates of the capital to be closed, so that no word of the mobilization of soldiers inside the city could be leaked.

At the same time, Zhu Youjian also sent someone to inform Xiao Hongzi.

Make sure that the 5,000 elite cavalrymen led by Xiao Hongzi are ready to launch a surprise attack on the enemy at any time.

but.

Although at present, no information can be leaked out of the capital city of the Ming Dynasty, and no rumors can get in.

However, the entire Forbidden City still presented an atmosphere of restlessness and unease.

The main reason is that the news of the alliance between powerful families across the country was already widely known.

This situation arose because of the ongoing war preparations in the capital.

In this regard.

Ordinary people are slightly better off.

They were terrified of the prospect of war.

But no matter who wins and becomes emperor in the capital, these people will not be punished as a result of collective punishment.

Therefore, after the initial panic, the people gradually calmed down again.

But nevertheless.

The desire of the people in and around the capital to join the army and defend the city has diminished considerably compared to the beginning.

The number of troops in the Beijing garrison has stagnated since the various powerful families joined forces.

And that's still considered good.

The officials and military officers in the capital, whose loyalty was far lower than that of the imperial faction, had a completely different mindset from that of the common people.

For this group of people.

The capital city desperately needs a victory to calm their minds, otherwise, major chaos is bound to ensue.

After all, everyone knows that the Ming Dynasty's current enemy is the powerful clans that have completely united and have a certain backbone.

How powerful is this enemy? Others may not know, but how could they not know?
you could put it that way.

If it weren't for His Majesty's ability to always pull off some unbelievable miracles...

That was the moment they heard the aristocratic families had united.

Even if they didn't immediately turn against them, they would have packed their bags and run away long ago.

Zhu Youjian was naturally well aware of the various ulterior motives of these people in the capital.

There's no need to observe anything.

The fact that the execution speed of various orders issued in the past few days has become much slower clearly shows that people's hearts are changing.

As for these things.

Zhu Youjian did not take any obvious steps to intervene.

One reason is lack of time.

Another point is that in the current situation, no matter what means are used, they are all in vain; only victory can be the most powerful unifying agent for people's hearts and minds.

And if we can build on this foundation...

If we were to further expand our territory outwards from the capital in a short period of time...

Then he could more easily turn the entire capital into a monolithic entity.

Thus.

Even if everyone knew that they would be fighting against the entire aristocratic group with the power of a single capital, people would not feel afraid.

Zhu Youjian knew better than anyone how powerful the human heart truly was.

So one victory is nothing special.

The most important thing Zhu Youjian needed to do at the moment was to expand the territory of the capital as soon as possible and bring greater confidence to the people and officials in the capital.

At this moment.

Zhu Youjian was looking at Baoding Prefecture on a map of Hebei.

This is the first piece of land he will conquer for the capital.

However, Baoding Prefecture alone is still somewhat insufficient to address the current situation.

The land surrounding the capital included Baoding Prefecture, Shuntian Prefecture, and Yongping Prefecture.

Baoding Prefecture is in the west, Shuntian Prefecture is in the south, and Yongping Prefecture is in the east.

These three major prefectures surrounding the capital completely enclosed the capital city.

Only when two of the three are present can one truly feel a sense of security.

Zhu Youjian then turned his attention to Shuntian Prefecture.

The original plan was to take Baoding Prefecture and then use the combined forces of Baoding Prefecture and the capital to attack Shuntian Prefecture.

However, Zhu Youjian was not entirely confident that he could take over Shuntian Prefecture in one fell swoop.

Because of the resistance they would encounter in Baoding Prefecture and whether the battle would proceed smoothly.

Will the Shijia Group immediately launch a counterattack?

How will the Shuntian Prefecture respond...?

They knew nothing about these things.

We can only take it one step at a time and see how things go, and then deal with the situation as it unfolds.

As for Yongping Prefecture in Hebei, which is further away from the capital and located northeast of the capital.

This is no longer within Zhu Youjian's strategic considerations.

There is a continuous mountain range between Yongping Prefecture and the capital, which serves as a natural barrier, so there is no need to worry too much about the forces there threatening the capital for the time being.

And most importantly.

Yongping Prefecture is a place that connects to Liaodong.

The situation in Liaodong is so complex that we cannot act rashly.

Unless they can capture Baoding and Shuntian Prefectures effortlessly and recruit a large number of men from those prefectures.

Only then would Zhu Youjian consider bringing Yongping Prefecture under his control.

Thinking about these things, Zhu Youjian frowned, carefully considering the various possibilities that might arise next, and devising solutions for each one.

And at the same time.

Within the Shijia Group's ranks.

Lu Xiang-sheng had already received the undercover mission assignment from the capital.

When he first heard that His Majesty was willing to deliberately create opportunities for him so that he could stand out among the enemy, Lu Xiang-sheng was extremely moved.

For a moment, I almost lost control of my emotions, and thankfully I didn't burst into tears of gratitude on the spot.

Because he knew very well that such an opportunity was earned at the cost of lives, and it also reflected His Majesty's extreme trust in him.

Since His Majesty has done this, I have nothing more to say.

If a ruler treats his ministers as national treasures, then his ministers will surely repay the ruler as national treasures.

Even if it costs him his life, he will succeed in gaining the trust of Huang Ze and the others!

So after receiving the arrangements from Beijing.

Lu Xiang-sheng immediately explained the matter to several close confidants, instructing them to follow him into battle.

Simultaneously.

He also went to great lengths to send another important message back to the capital.

That is, the aristocratic army will temporarily station itself outside the city of Shuntian Prefecture tonight, and plans to launch a surprise attack on Xiao Hongzi's cavalry unit tomorrow.

Not long after.

Zhu Youjian, who was still deep in thought in the capital, received the intelligence from Lu Xiangshan.

After roughly comparing the intelligence with that of his own scouts to confirm its authenticity, Zhu Youjian directly ordered the troops in the capital to go out of the city to meet the enemy.

The guards, who had made ample preparations, poured out of the capital with extremely high morale.

This is the first battle after the capital was besieged, and they must win.

Moreover, everyone had already received advance notice that this expedition was very easy; all they had to do was charge the enemy's army and then immediately retreat.

For these imperial guards, who had already fought many tough battles and were highly efficient, this was an extremely simple task.

That night.

On a dark and windy night.

The army that poured out of the capital arrived near the encampment of that aristocratic army.

The commotion caused by the march of more than 10,000 people could not be concealed in the vast plains.

Therefore, before the imperial guards had even gotten close, the scouts patrolling outside the noble families' army had already spotted them.

Such special circumstances of being attacked in the middle of the night best demonstrate the quality of an army.

While the aristocratic army's response was not commendable, it was ultimately managed to remain calm and orderly amidst the chaos.

After the scouts there sent back intelligence.

The aristocratic army immediately sounded the alarm. Soldiers scrambled to their feet from their tents to prepare for battle.

And this time.

Huang Ze, who was resting inside the city, and three other elders from prominent families also hurriedly climbed to the top of the city wall, keeping a close watch on any movement outside.

"Should we open the city gates and let the army in to defend the city?"

“With the false emperor’s meager force of less than 20,000 men, it is absolutely impossible for him to pose any effective threat to the prefectural city,” Sun Bin, the head of the Sun family, asked Huang Ze.

Huang Ze, with his hands behind his back, gently shook his head.

Although his expression was solemn, he showed no sign of tension.

From the very beginning, he did not choose to allow the army to enter the city and station itself.

Firstly, the prefectural city itself is not very large, and entering the city would inevitably cause many unnecessary troubles.

Secondly, he also wanted to take this opportunity to let the army gain more experience in actual combat.

Anyway, the enemy forces can't take Shuntian Prefecture City in a short time, so their lives are safe.

Huang Ze said, "The false emperor's army always marches extremely fast. If the city gates are opened here and the false emperor's army arrives there, then there will be a huge mess."

The other three did not refute this, but they couldn't help but worry: "Can the army you brought hold off the false emperor's offensive?"

Huang Ze was fairly aware of the capabilities of the group he had brought.

Although these men could be considered elite soldiers, they were still far inferior to the emperor's army.

He couldn't deny it even if he wanted to.

"The casualty ratio is definitely much higher than that of the pseudo-emperor's side, but with the current numbers being roughly the same, at least there won't be a large-scale rout."

The other three elders didn't say anything more after hearing this.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to take this opportunity to weaken the false emperor's strength.

Anyway, people always die in wars, and they have already made preparations for it, as long as it's not themselves or their direct descendants who die.

After a pause.

Zhang Guozhu, the head of the Zhang family, said, "There are still five thousand soldiers guarding the city. If the battle becomes too intense later, we will send these five thousand soldiers out of the city to provide support."

The other three neither confirmed nor denied this.

The fighting hasn't even started yet, so nobody knows how the battle will turn out.

The only thing they can be sure of right now is that the false emperor's offensive poses no threat to the city.

Even if the enemy wipes out all their troops outside the city, the remaining soldiers won't pose much of a threat to them.

This is why they still have the mind to chat idly even when facing a formidable enemy.

at this time.

Hearing the sounds of battle growing ever closer in the distance, Huang Ze on the city wall suddenly narrowed his eyes:
"I always felt that the false emperor's sneak attack this time was a bit strange."

The other three looked at each other.

Everyone here is a seasoned shrewd person, and they immediately understood the meaning behind Huang Ze's words.

"You mean, there's a spy in our army?"

Huang Ze nodded: "The false emperor seems to know quite a bit about our situation, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen to launch a sneak attack at this time."

As soon as he said that...

The other three simultaneously cast gloomy glances at the army outside the city, seemingly wanting to find the damned traitor with their eyes and then tear him to pieces.

The four of them scanned the room, mentally questioning all the officers.

But they didn't get any results.

Most of the generals were from their own families.

While it's possible that these people might betray us, the probability is extremely low.

Could it be a lowly soldier? Or perhaps a spy sent by the false emperor who infiltrated the ranks of soldiers?

For a moment, everyone was still confused.

Zhang Guozhu suddenly remembered something and asked, "Is there a problem with the masterpiece Lu Xiangshan that you brought from Daming Prefecture?"

Huang Ze hesitated for a moment before shaking his head: "Probably not. That kid is only after wealth and status; he has no reason to do such a disloyal thing."

Even so.

However, Huang Ze and the other three had already begun to have doubts about Lu Xiang Sheng.

The other generals were all his family members.

In this way, Lu Xiang-sheng, an outsider, naturally became the prime suspect.

Just as the four were about to say something more...

It's too late to say.

The personal guards sent by Zhu Youjian and Xiao Hongzi's group of men had already arrived.

The four men on the city wall couldn't help but shrink their pupils as they looked at the imposing army outside the city.

The enemy troops charged into our own lines at an extremely fast speed.

It was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep.

In just a short time, their own army had suffered hundreds of casualties.

The four of them felt a pang of heartache upon witnessing this scene.

Those who died weren't just people; they were elite soldiers they had painstakingly trained at great cost, and those were all hard-earned cash!
Huang Ze shouted from the city wall, "Quick! Stop them for me!"

Perhaps it was Huang Ze's cries that had an effect.

The four men saw that their own army had not been scattered in one charge, which meant they had withstood the enemy's first wave of attack.

But only a few breaths later.

The four then saw the enemy troops, like sharp knives, relentlessly stabbing into their own army with an extremely fierce momentum.

It wasn't even the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The battlefield outside the city, where shouts of battle filled the air, was littered with thousands of corpses.

And these corpses were undoubtedly mostly from our side.

The four old men, who were usually aloof and arrogant, no longer cared about their image and were all jumping up and down on the city wall, cursing loudly.

"Useless trash! Hold the line! Those who retreat will be executed!"

"A hundred taels of silver will be awarded for killing a bandit! Whoever can capture the enemy commander will be appointed as the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture!"

"."

No matter how the four shouted, their own army continued to suffer an irreversible defeat.

And what's most infuriating is...

After the other party stormed in, brazenly killed people, and then seemed ready to leave in a blatant manner.

They considered the disparity between their own army and the army of the false emperor.

But once the fight actually started, we realized just how big the gap was!

The four of them were so angry that they wanted to just walk away.

Damn it! All that money was wasted!

They were still hoping to send the city's garrison out to launch an attack and decide the outcome of the battle when the fighting was at its most intense!
It seems that our side is completely wiped out, while the enemy's casualties are probably less than a third.

However, just as the four were unwilling to look any further and were preparing to arrange for men to ensure the safety of the city,

However, they noticed that a burly general suddenly rushed out from their own army, leading a group of men straight towards the enemy.

As this group charged forward...

The retreating army seemed to have regained some morale and finally mustered the strength to launch a reasonably decent counterattack.

This scene instantly drew the attention of all four people.

"Whose subordinate is this?!"

Looking at the familiar figure, Huang Ze couldn't help but be surprised: "That's Lu Xiang-sheng."

Before the four could say anything more...

Then they saw Lu Xiang-sheng charge into the enemy ranks and fight with them.

The enemy troops, who were originally preparing to retreat, seemed to have been caught off guard by Lu Xiang-sheng's appearance.

An orderly departure turned into a disheveled escape.

Despite this, Lu Xiang-sheng did not stop his pursuit.

He still held his steel knife and charged ahead, relentlessly pursuing the enemy.

Even after being hit by several stray arrows, it did not slow down his charge in the slightest.

The already defeated army was surprised to find that they had such a fierce general.

Their morale soared, and they charged forward in following Lu Xiang-sheng's footsteps.

Lu Xiang-sheng's bravery and fearlessness in leading the charge greatly impressed the four men on the city wall.

Just as Lu Xiang-sheng's figure was about to disappear from sight, Huang Ze seemed to remember something and hurriedly shouted to his subordinates:
"Quickly! Sound the retreat! We must be prepared for a trap! We can't let anything happen to that kid!"

A thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find.

What the Shijia Group lacks most right now is a capable general like Lu Xiang-sheng.

Huang Ze couldn't bear to see anything happen to such a talented person at this time.

He still has a great use for Lu Xiang-sheng.

(End of this chapter)