I, Emperor Chongzhen, have extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by five hundred years.

boom!

boom!

The battle at Badaling Fortress was extremely fierce.

The Shun army relied on artillery to launch a continuous and fierce bombardment of the city walls.

Although it wasn't a high-explosive shell, its power when it hit the city wall was still considerable.

In an instant, smoke filled the air, and brick fragments and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Finally, the ancient city walls collapsed with a deafening roar, and the Ming soldiers defending the city suffered countless casualties.

"kill!"

In the Shun army formation, the large banner bearing the character "Liu" fluttered in the wind.

Liu Zongmin personally led a large army to launch a general offensive against the Ming army's positions!

The Ming army had no choice but to retreat, all the way back to Juyong Pass.

"Eunuch Du, the front lines can't hold out any longer!"

In the central army camp, Tang Tong and Du Zhizhi were arguing incessantly.

The two men were completely at odds, one advocating for offense and the other for defense.

"General Tang, please calm down. Look at the rebel army; they are coming with overwhelming force and high morale. If we launch an attack now, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock!"

"However, as the art of war says, speed and surprise are of the essence in war. If our army simply huddles within the pass, morale will surely decline, and the rebel army will have time to make its preparations. It will be even more difficult to launch a counterattack then."

"Juyong Pass is strategically important, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is a blessed place, enough to hold off the rebel army for a while. Let's wait for the imperial decree."

"Your Majesty is currently fighting Liu Fangliang on the southern front and is likely preoccupied with other matters. I suggest that we take advantage of the fact that the rebel army has not yet fully established a foothold and send elite troops to launch a night raid on the enemy camp to disrupt their plans. Only then will we have a chance of survival!"

"But...but what if we fail? Our army will be severely weakened, and Juyong Pass may very well fall!"

Seeing Du Zhizhi repeatedly make excuses, Tang Tong realized that this guy was just being cowardly!

Sure enough, you can't send eunuchs to war; they just cause delays!

Tang Tong snorted coldly, his eyes resolute: "In a battle between two armies, is there any foolproof plan? If we don't take the risk and try, are we really just going to sit and wait to die? As generals of the Ming Dynasty, we have a duty to defend our territory. How can we retreat out of fear of defeat?"

Just as the two were arguing, hurried footsteps came from outside the tent.

A scout, drenched in sweat, rushed into the tent and bowed, reporting: "Report! Liu Zongmin has led his army close to Juyong Pass, and his vanguard is less than ten li from here!"

The news caused the already tense atmosphere to freeze instantly.

Tang Tong and Du Zhizhi looked at each other at the same time, their eyes filled with both anxiety and helplessness.

"At this point, there's no point in arguing anymore."

Tang Tong took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil, and then said, "I propose that you take charge of coordinating from the center and strengthening the defenses of Juyong Pass, while I will personally lead the elite troops to launch an offensive to probe their strengths and weaknesses, while buying time for the defensive fortifications in the rear."

Upon hearing this, Du Zhizhi could only nod in agreement: "Alright, General Tang, please be careful. I will do my utmost to defend Juyong Pass and await your news."

At that moment, Tang Tong quickly prepared his troops and went out of the city to meet Liu Zongmin.

From Badaling to Juyongguan, there is a narrow ravine called Guankou.

The terrain here is narrow, making it impossible to deploy a battle formation. No matter how many troops there are, it will be of no use.

When they arrived at Guankou, only a few dozen people were at the front; there wasn't enough room for any more.

Tang Tong led his troops in fierce fighting, resisting desperately until nightfall. The rebel army was unable to advance any further and had to retreat to their camp to rest.

That night, a figure quietly arrived at Du Zhizhi's barracks.

"Who?"

"Godfather, it's me!"

Du Zhizhi looked in the candlelight and was greatly surprised.

"Chang Ning? Weren't you...were...were you in Datong..."

Chang Ning knelt before Du Zhizhi, tears streaming down her face.

"What my godfather said is true. I was ordered to go to Datong to supervise the army, but before the Shun army even started attacking the city, General Jiang Xiang of Datong surrendered, and I surrendered without even knowing why."

Du Zhizhi keenly noticed a problem.

Changning just mentioned the Shun army, not the Chuang army, and certainly not the Chuang bandits!

A single word can mean a lot.

For example, what is his purpose in coming here tonight?

"How did you escape?"

Du Zhizhi already knew the truth, but he remained calm and probed with his words.

Chang Ning wiped away her tears and took out a letter from her bosom.

"My godfather, you are wise. My surrender is due to both necessity and a clear understanding of the prevailing trends. The Ming Dynasty's fate is sealed; the Shun Dynasty is the rightful heir!"

Du Zhizhi feigned anger and said, "Chang Ning, do you know that these words are of utmost importance? One wrong step and you will be doomed forever."

Chang Ning, being observant and perceptive, could easily discern Du Zhizhi's thoughts, and thus handed over the letter.

"This is a letter written in the handwriting of His Majesty the Emperor of Da Shun. His Majesty has appointed you as the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial of Da Shun. As long as you open the city gates, it will be a meritorious service for the emperor."

Du Zhizhi did not reply, and the room was unusually quiet.

Chang Ning knelt there, holding the letter in both hands, quietly awaiting the result.

Tick!

Sweat dripped slowly from his forehead, falling to the ground with a soft sound.

After an unknown amount of time, finally...

Du Zhizhi took the letter, his fingers gently stroking the paper, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Chang Ning slowly exhaled, thinking to himself, "It's done!"

He knew Du Zhizhi's character very well. This man was power-hungry and narrow-minded. Although he was the head of the Imperial Horse Administration and the third-in-command among the eunuchs in the Forbidden City, he was far from satisfied!

With Wang Chengen, a trusted minister of Emperor Chongzhen, in front of him, and Wang Dehua, the ruthless and cunning director of the Eastern Depot, behind him, it was almost impossible for him to advance any further.

He can't beat either of those two.

Therefore, this letter was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

Simply open the city gates, and you will become the top eunuch of the Great Shun Dynasty.

Whether it's Wang Chengen or Wang Dehua, they will all be buried with the Ming Dynasty.

Even if they surrender, they'll still have to wait their turn.

Du Zhizhi read the contents of the letter carefully, but still remained silent.

Seeing this, Chang Ning was overjoyed. He quickly crawled a few steps on his knees and whispered, "Father, how could I dare to deceive you? The Ming Dynasty has lost the hearts of the people and is like a candle in the wind, which may be extinguished at any time. Although Juyong Pass is dangerous, how long can it be held? It is better to follow the will of Heaven and seek a future for ourselves."

Du Zhizhi remained silent for a moment, seemingly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

He frowned at times, sighed at others, and finally, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "As a subject of the Ming Dynasty, I am paid by the emperor and should be loyal to him. How can I turn against him on the battlefield? No, absolutely not!"

Chang Ning observed the other party's expression and knew that the other party already had a plan in mind.

However, this kind of thing is not very honorable, so you can't just give in after being persuaded; you always have to make some excuses.

He quickly added fuel to the fire: "Godfather, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Think about it, if Wang Chengen and Wang Dehua were still alive, you would always be third. But by joining the Great Shun, you will become the Grand Eunuch, second only to the emperor—a once-in-a-lifetime chance!"

"Our family has always been upright and honest in our conduct; how could we betray our ancestral legacy for our own selfish desires?"

"My godfather is loyal to the Ming Dynasty, but how has the Ming Dynasty treated him? Over the years, my godfather has worked diligently and conscientiously; even if he hasn't achieved great things, he has certainly put in a lot of hard work. Yet, Emperor Chongzhen left my godfather on the front lines, where he could die at any moment. Why did you do this?"

While Chang Ning was trying to persuade him, he was also secretly observing Du Zhizhi's expression.

Seeing that the time was right, he continued, "Even if Godfather doesn't think of himself, he should think of the people of the world! Once the war starts on the front lines, countless lives are lost, and the dead and wounded are numerous. If the city is opened, thousands of soldiers and civilians can be saved from this disaster. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda; this is a great act of kindness!"

"Ugh!"

Finally, Du Zhizhi shook his head and sighed, feigning helplessness.

"What you say makes sense, kid. Fine, fine, for the sake of all living beings, do we have any other choice?"

Upon hearing this, Chang Ning's face lit up with joy, and he quickly said, "With such a magnanimous heart, Godfather, how can you not become the second Ninth Prince!"

Du Zhizhi helped Chang Ning up and said, "Let's not talk about these things now. Let's discuss the matter at hand. What did the Emperor of Da Shun say?"

"Just say the sooner the better, we can't give the Ming army time to prepare!"

"If that's the case, then let's do it tomorrow!"

"Excellent, excellent!"

Chang Ning nodded repeatedly and asked, "Godfather, what kind of person is Tang Tong? Can he be persuaded to surrender? His Majesty the Emperor said that he is a fierce general, and if he can be persuaded to surrender, it will be like adding wings to a tiger!"

Du Zhizhi shook his head and said, "Tang Tong is a reckless man; directly persuading him to surrender will definitely not work."

Chang Ning hesitated and asked, "Then... what does Godfather mean?"

A sly glint flashed in Du Zhizhi's eyes as he said, "It's simple. Go back and tell Li Zicheng... no, His Majesty the Emperor, to have the Shun army enter from the valleys on both sides and ambush the city, while the main force attacks from the front!"

"Tang Tong is a reckless man and will inevitably leave the city to fight. At that time, I will order the city gates to be opened and the Shun army to enter. He will then be attacked from both sides, and will either die in battle or surrender; he will have no other choice!"

Chang Ning exclaimed excitedly, "Godfather's strategic planning is truly admirable!"