Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Early the next morning.

Thanks to the "good fortune" of Zhu Qizhen and Liang Gui, almost all soldiers and civilians from the border to the capital knew that the Ming Dynasty's elite army had been wiped out, and what was even more alarming was that the emperor had been captured.

The last time an emperor was captured was during the Jingkang Incident in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is unimaginable that such an absurd thing would happen in the prosperous Ming Dynasty.

The people no longer had the heart to study why the Ming army had been defeated; they were only worried that the Oirat cavalry might march south and slaughter like the Jin army had done in the past.

At first, the people were skeptical when they heard about this, but now some soldiers who had survived by chance had fled south and exaggerated their defeat, which confirmed the truth of the matter.

Even with hundreds of thousands of elite troops, the Ming Dynasty could not defeat the Oirat Mongols. The people had basically given up hope of saving the capital, and the people around the capital decisively chose to flee south.

Wealthy people with a little bit of wealth would leave a few servants to look after their homes, then set off with their families to Tongzhou, and then take a boat south along the canal to avoid being caught in the war and dying a violent death.

Only some poor people chose to stay, not because they had any noble character, but because they simply didn't have the money to escape.

Without a carriage or guards, relying solely on one's own two feet to escape, even if one carries food and money, it is likely that all will be robbed halfway through the journey, and one will most likely die on the way.

Staying behind actually reduces the chances of death. Unless you encounter those inhumane and tyrannical people who massacre the entire city, under normal circumstances, even if the people lose some property, they still have a chance to survive.

Another possibility is the hope that the Ming Dynasty can rally and defeat the powerful enemy.

Among officials in the capital, there are quite a few who advocate moving the capital south.

In their view, as long as the Ming Dynasty did not fall, they could still keep their official positions even if they fled to Nanjing, and the Southern Song Dynasty could still last for more than 150 years.

Even if the Ming Dynasty occupied half of the country, it could still have continued its rule for more than a hundred years. At least these officials could not live for another hundred years. As for what happened afterward, that was for later generations to worry about. What did it have to do with them?

Even if the Ming Dynasty falls and a new dynasty and emperor emerge, the country will still be governed by the same people, and their descendants will still be able to hold official positions, only they will be serving a different emperor.

These people's bones can be deformed at will, always taking on any shape that the emperor likes, kneeling quite thoroughly.

Among the many officials, Xu Cheng, a Hanlin Academy lecturer, was the most unconventional and the one who received the most calls for being transferred to the south.

This person is quite an oddball.

When the nation is in peril, instead of thinking about serving the country and defending against the enemy, he vigorously promotes the idea of ​​moving south. This is not because he is afraid of death, but because he previously observed the celestial phenomena at night and concluded that the fate of the Ming Dynasty is in danger and that it is necessary to move south to avoid disaster in order to prolong the dynasty's life.

The Civil Engineering Corps suffered a defeat, which proved his prediction correct. This time, he was determined to prove himself!

As for whether Xu Cheng guessed correctly, it's hard to say.

Although this person is fond of fame and officialdom, he is also well-versed in astronomy, geography, military strategy, water conservancy, yin and yang and the five elements. Although his personality is not likable, he is indeed a polymath.

In the seventh year of the Zhengtong reign, Xu Cheng saw that the border defenses were lax and the court was using too many troops in the southwest. He petitioned Zhu Qizhen to start military and political reforms, but no one took it seriously. Zhu Qizhen gave him some encouragement, but the memorial was ignored.

After more than a decade of hard work in officialdom, he was promoted to lecturer in the Hanlin Academy. For most people, reaching such a position would be quite an achievement.

But for Xu Cheng, this was a manifestation of being frustrated and not meeting a wise ruler. What people fear most is comparison. For example, Chen Xun, who entered the cabinet, only took nine years to become a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy and is now the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue and a grand secretary.

It was this very encounter that made Xu Cheng madly obsessed with Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, determined to find a bright path for himself. As a result, he often used others as practice subjects, and his calculations were sometimes accurate and sometimes not, leading many of his colleagues to be skeptical of Xu Cheng's Yin-Yang and Five Elements techniques.

Xu Cheng's prediction of the impending calamity for the Ming Dynasty was remarkably accurate. To prove his foresight, he even sent his family south to avoid disaster well in advance.

If this action is taken afterward, it will be hindsight; if it is prepared in advance, it will be called brilliant planning!

It was this action that led to Xu Cheng's deification.

Many officials decisively chose to believe Xu Cheng's conclusions, and with the country on the verge of collapse, they hurriedly sent their families to the south.

With Xu Cheng's divine prophecy as a theoretical basis, voices supporting the southward migration gradually grew louder.

On that day, the Tongzhou section of the canal was packed with boats, making it impassable. Many people even drowned due to collisions, as they had originally intended to seek refuge in the south but ended up dying on the canal.

The situation was extremely tragic; the river was filled with cries of agony and the wailing of parents could not be stopped.

There weren't enough boats, so many people were crammed onto a single vessel, which was in danger of capsizing at any moment.

Some powerful people directly beat the extra people into the river with sticks, forcing the boatman to open the boat and leave, leaving the canal red with blood and countless dead souls.

Some people, seeing that the waterway was impassable, switched to the land route. Although it was slower, they could escape sooner and save their lives sooner.

However, on land, some thieves took advantage of the current chaos and the government's inability to control local security to carry out large-scale looting.

What a scene of national ruin!

In the capital, Yu Qian did not sleep all night.

Early this morning, he hurriedly inspected the capital. Seeing the chaos in the city, the nobles and wealthy families rode in their carriages straight to the city gates. Some common people were unaware of what was happening, and were terrified when they heard that there was going to be a war in the capital.

The imperial son-in-law, Jiao Jing, was also having a hard time. With dark circles under his eyes, he complained bitterly when Yu Qian came to visit.

"Minister Yu, this cannot continue. The current martial law is only a temporary measure. It cannot stop these people from fleeing; it can only slow down the speed of their escape. In just a few days, the people of the capital will be gone."

Yu Qian frowned and said, "If you can't control those officials' families, as long as you keep these officials from fleeing, the people won't risk fleeing."

Jiao Jing was also at a loss, saying, "Minister Yu, you make it sound so easy. Some of these people followed Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong in conquering the country. Can I stop them? They say they are going south to visit relatives. Can you stop them? In my opinion, we should simply close the nine gates and cut off their hopes. Let them stay and work together to win this battle. Otherwise, everything will be over."

The martial law in the capital can only frighten some ordinary people, but it can't frighten these nobles. If they really cause trouble, Jiao Jing will be in deep trouble.

Yu Qian quickly shook his head; Jiao Jing was giving a completely bad idea.

"No, closing the nine gates rashly will surely throw the capital into chaos. The people might even attack the gates themselves. With the capital's limited military strength, how could we possibly withstand that? Besides, these are the people of our Great Ming. Are we to raise our swords and let the soldiers and civilians kill each other?"

"This..." Jiao Jing's expression changed slightly, he was also at a loss.

The capital city is left with only a few elderly, weak, sick and disabled people. If a riot really breaks out in the capital, it is very likely that it will not be able to withstand the onslaught of the people. Even if it can withstand it, the people cannot be killed. If they are all killed, wouldn't the capital be an empty city?

If things really come to that, Yexian will lead the Oirat army south and then move into the capital.

Jiao Jing hadn't slept all night and was completely confused, so he could only turn to Yu Qian for help again: "Minister Yu, please give me some advice!"

"You continue martial law. The most urgent task is to unite the court. Whether to fight or move south, as long as this matter is settled, officials will not flee, nobles will not flee, and wealthy households will not flee, then the people can settle down."

Yu Qian had no better idea. After saying this, he bid farewell to Jiao Jing and rushed back. He didn't know whether the two imperial edicts had been issued or not, which was the most important thing.