From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 650

It was still snowing in Shenjing.

The snow in the middle of the night was accompanied by a strong wind, which spread the coldness in the darkness and made it difficult to fall asleep.

Empress Zhaojing sat on the edge of the bed, her face very pale.

Recalling that she had devoted countless efforts to maintain the country for so many years, but in return for this result, she was really unwilling and painful.

Seeing her ugly face, Xiaozhuang couldn't help but comfort her: "Your Majesty, calm down, the Jinmen Army is gone, Shanhaiguan is lost, but Shenjing City cannot be lost."

"Mongol is completely destroyed, as long as Zhou Yuan comes back, everything will be solved."

Empress Zhaojing sighed.

She lowered her head, not knowing what to think.

After an unknown amount of silence, she said softly, "Don't go to the Duke of Wei's Mansion."

Xiao Zhuang whispered, "Your Majesty, do you have other arrangements?"

Empress Zhao Jing shook her head and said, "No, alas... I don't know how to arrange it, but... Xiao Zhuang, do you think that Junior Brother's actions count as self-reliance?"

Xiao Zhuang said, "If he deliberately didn't return to Shenjing to support, then that's right. But if he couldn't get to Shenjing because of the war, then it doesn't count."

Empress Zhao Jing said, "He took away 60,000 Northwest Army troops, 60,000 from the Fifth Army Camp, and 70,000 from the Xuanfu Army. This is a total of 190,000 troops. Even if there are some losses, there should be more than 100,000."

"This is the most elite force of our Great Jin, and it's all in his hands."

"If he doesn't return, but raises his army to rebel, do you think the Great Jin Dynasty can survive?"

Xiao Zhuang said quickly, "Your Majesty, Zhou Yuan has always been very loyal."

Empress Zhao Jing said : "Being loyal to the country may not necessarily be loyal to the king. I was wrong about that incident last year."

"I can plan everything, but I can't plan for human nature. If you make a wrong move, it's hard to recover."

Xiaozhuang said, "Zhou Yuan is not such a stingy person. After that incident, he also made many great contributions."

Empress Zhaojing said, "That's why I turned a blind eye to what he did."

"How else can I treat him? I even sent Zhang Bailong back to the Central Plains and let him teach."

"I have taken care of all the emotions and details of my junior brother, but what about him? He is more resentful of me."

Xiaozhuang whispered, "Your Majesty, maybe we think too much. After Zhou Yuan wiped out Mobei, he must have rushed back at full speed, but the journey was too long and he was unable to do it."

Empress Zhaojing did not respond, but her eyes were red and she choked a little.

She said in a trembling voice: "In any case, don't go to the Duke of Wei's mansion tomorrow."

"The witch of the Wusheng Sect lives there, and even ordinary masters can't get in, so there's no need to worry about safety."

"Just... let them live their lives well. In this chaotic world, men are fighting outside, and it's probably very hard for everyone at home."

Xiaozhuang let out a long sigh and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Empress Zhaojing said, "Wise? Ha! I just... I just don't want to go that far with my junior brother."

"Last year's backstabbing made him hate me."

"Now I promised to protect his family, but I'm holding them hostage again... I'm afraid he will never forgive me again."

At this point, Empress Zhaojing said bitterly: "Xiaozhuang, as an emperor, I don't think what I did was wrong, and I should even... Bring my junior brother's family to the palace..."

"But... I don't dare."

"I don't dare to take this step."

"Thinking back to the past two or three years, I really don't want to become... enemies with my junior brother."

"The king treats his subjects as grass, and the subjects treat the king as an enemy."

She looked to the north and murmured, "I believe in my vision. I want to... bet that my junior brother will not rebel! I bet he is not that kind of person!"

Xiao Zhuang said, "What if he really rebels?"

Empress Zhao Jing's body trembled slightly, and then she smiled bitterly, "Then I will bear the title of the king of the fallen country on my head. It is much better for him to win the world than for a foreign race to win the world."

...

Shanhaiguan fell, the Jinmen army was destroyed, and Qu Shaogeng committed suicide. The news spread all over the world in an instant, and the world was shocked.

Empress Zhao Jing announced that day that the four gates of Shenjing would be closed, the city would be closed, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. The entire Dajin entered a state of war preparedness.

She led the civil and military officials to the ancestral temple to offer sacrifices to the heaven and ancestors, and issued a manifesto to announce to the world that she would defend the capital, repel the Eastern Tartars, and annihilate the enemy to avenge her.

She ordered the Jizhou Jiedushi Pang Lixing and the Shandong Jiedushi Wu Dingzhong to lead the army to support the capital, and established a series of temporary military merit systems. In the war against the Eastern Tartars, those who made extraordinary merits were promoted three levels, those who made the first merits were promoted two levels, and those who made regular merits were promoted one level.

A large number of military merit reward mechanisms were promulgated, and at the same time, a series of punishment mechanisms were also issued to encourage the morale of the army to the greatest extent.

Song Shanao left the palace.

Wearing his own armor and with his personal guards, he came to the three thousandCamp and Shenji Camp, take over military affairs.

He personally called on the people of the city to cooperate with the court of the Great Jin Dynasty to defend the city of Shenjing.

The old Duke had a very high prestige and immediately won the support of the people of Shenjing. The civil and military officials of the whole court also responded, and all departments leaned towards this.

The soldiers of the Wucheng Bingma Division also gathered together and began to climb the city wall to train with the Sanqian Battalion.

The 60,000 troops of the Huguang Jiedushi rushed to Datong Town, but did nothing. Without the order of the court, they did not dare to take the soldiers back, so they could only stay in Datong.

The news of Shanhaiguan came like a huge wave, which stunned him and Min Tianrui.

"Shanhaiguan was lost? Mingyi died for his country?"

Min Tianrui's voice was trembling, his eyes were red for a while, and he could hardly speak.

He and Qu Shaogeng were comrades-in-arms for many years, and their friendship was more than brothers. Now that he heard the bad news, how could he hold it?

Ji Shan, the governor of Huguang, also had a stiff face and murmured, "Then, what about Shenjing? There are no soldiers there!"

"With 90,000 cavalrymen from the Eastern Tartars marching straight in, how can we defend it with only 3,000 troops?"

Min Tianrui choked up and said, "Let's lead the troops into Beijing! Defend Shenjing!"

"Stupid!"

Ji Shan hurriedly said, "General Min, the biggest taboo for our local generals is to lead troops into Beijing! This is a crime of treason! No matter what your reason is, you will be beheaded."

Min Tianrui shouted, "That's normal times! Shenjing is in danger now! If we don't go, who will go!"

Ji Shan said, "Wait for the imperial edict from His Majesty!"

Min Tianrui said, "If we wait for the imperial edict to arrive and then rush to Shenjing, it will be too late."

Ji Shan said in a deep voice, "No, without the imperial edict, leading troops into Beijing is a capital crime. Don't be stupid."

How could Min Tianrui not know that this was a taboo, but... But Mingyi died, so why can't I, Min Tianrui, die?

He was anxious, but suddenly remembered something.

He stood up quickly, turned around and ran to his room, and took out a brocade bag from the drawer.

He ran out, panting, and said, "Duke Wei left it to me before he left. He didn't say when to open it, but he said that I would know when to open it."

"Take a look!"

Ji Shan said hurriedly.

Min Tianrui opened the brocade bag and saw that it was written on it: "Mongolia has been pacified, there is no more war in the northwest, except for Gansu Town, all other soldiers can be deployed."

"If there is trouble in the northwest, Shenjing will rush to help, and if there is trouble in Shenjing, the world will rush to help."

"The brave man pledges his loyalty to the country, and will not look back. The great Jin will go to the national crisis together."

After reading the letter, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Min Tianrui gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "Duke Weiguo is indeed a military god. He has already anticipated everything. He said that Mongolia has been pacified. I believe him!"

"I will immediately organize the army and rush to Shenjing tomorrow. This is exactly, the great Jin Dynasty, we will face the national crisis together!"

Ji Shan stood up and said in a deep voice: "The great Jin Dynasty will face the national crisis together. My Huguang soldiers will not lag behind."

"Isn't it just a taboo! As long as Shenjing is defended! I will give my head to your majesty!"

Both of them saw the determination in each other's eyes.

As soldiers, they did not allow the Eastern Tartars to enter Shenjing.