Dianxia Qingcheng

The carriage galloped through the night, stumbled and disappeared at the end of sight.

"My lord! My lord one by one!"

There was a man riding a horse from the main entrance of the Prime Minister's Mansion, dressed in red and black armor, and yelled at the door, "The lowly post is Liu Yi, the commander of the imperial forest army in the imperial capital. I need to see my lord urgently! Please come and report as soon as possible!"

"What's the matter?"

A cold voice sounded behind him, and Liu Yi sat on the horse and looked back.

A figure stood against the red light all over the street, his face was hidden in the dark night and could not be seen clearly.

Liu Yi jumped off his horse and said, "My lord! I found an enemy vanguard approaching the imperial capital, and it was about to reach the gate of the city. Judging from this momentum, there must be tens of thousands of barbarian troops behind. The emperor asked you Immediately enter the palace to discuss countermeasures!"

Pei Zheng nodded slightly, walked to the side of the horse, turned over and jumped up, pulled the rein and said in a cold voice, "Send the order, evacuate the people on the street, reinforce the city gate, and wait for the order."

"Yes!" Liu Yi responded.

Then Pei Zheng galloped towards the palace.

All the people along the way voluntarily gave way when they heard the sound of horseshoes. Immediately after that, groups of soldiers who were neatly assembled and held torches patrolled the street and dispersed the people who were still celebrating.

The crowd saw that the city was full of heavily armed soldiers running around, coupled with the already panic-stricken people, the street was in chaos for a while, and crowds of people crowded around and fled.

"There's a war! There's a war! Quick! Come home!"

"The barbarians are coming in! Our Celestial Dynasty is about to perish!"

"Are you really going to fight? What should I do? I don't want to die yet. I haven't lived enough yet."

The palace was brightly lit, and all the people who had entered the palace to attend the celebration banquet had been sent out of the palace, and the other officials of the Manchu Dynasty all moved to the palace.

Pei Zheng jumped over the palace gate on horseback and didn't stop until he reached the steps of the palace.

When he stepped into the court hall, everyone's eyes were on him, including the new emperor Qi Changfeng who was sitting in the upper seat.

"Prime Minister Pei," Qi Changfeng frowned and his face was tense, "Do you know what's going on outside now?"

Pei Zheng kept walking, with a stern face and thin lips pursed. He passed through the crowd standing in the court hall, walked up the jade steps, and walked to the front of the dragon chair. Then he turned around and faced the court hall. officials.

"The Celestial Dynasty has been standing for a hundred years. It is a great country, and its iron cavalry has conquered thousands of miles of mountains and rivers. You and I have never seen its most prosperous and prosperous period, but it has witnessed its most dilapidated and depressed years. It should be a high light for all people to rely on , should be the belief of all soldiers and people. But today, the country is broken and the wind and rain are precarious. If the holy light will fall in our hands, then you and I"

Pei Zheng said every word, "They are all sinners."

"Since you are a sinner, you should be with the country. If the country is destroyed, people will perish."

The standing officials bowed their heads. How much they disliked Pei Zheng in the past, and how much they were touched by his words now.

There is no heart that is not sad. My own country, my own family, have come to such a miserable end, even if I apologize with death, I have no face to face the dead Lie Zong.

Pei Zheng looked out of the palace, not knowing what his gaze was falling on, nor what he was thinking.

There was silence in the court hall for a long time, the atmosphere of sorrow was thick and oppressive, and no one was willing to make a sound to break the silence.

After the meeting, Pei Zheng looked away, his eyes drooping slightly, and his emotions were hidden in the dark pool.

He walked up to Qi Changfeng and said something in a low voice, Qi Changfeng's eyes widened and he shook his head again and again.

"No! You can't go! At this moment, you have to stay in the palace, stay by my side and help me!"

"It doesn't matter if the emperor disagrees, I'm not asking for your opinion."

Pei Zheng raised his eyes slightly, and there was a turbulent undercurrent in his eyes that was desperately suppressed, "After all, I was only helping you to get to the top, and I didn't say that I would surrender to you."

He casually pointed to the courtiers who were standing neatly and bowed their heads, "Besides, there are so many people here to help the emperor, there are quite a few ministers, but there are few of them."

Pei Zheng picked up his steps and began to walk outside the palace gate. Qi Changfeng stood up, staring at his back with tearful eyes, his face was angry, and the tails of his eyes were reddish.

"Pei Zheng! You dare not listen to what I say, you are disrespectful, do you know that!"

"The minister knows, and the minister knowingly committed the crime. If the emperor is angry, he should remove his post as a minister. It won't be long before he can be appointed."

Standing by the door and looking back, Pei Zheng was dressed in a thick black robe that was about to melt into the night. His handsome face was illuminated inch by inch by the candlelight in the hall, and his hair fluttered behind him with the night wind. He was gorgeous and noble like a god. Only.

He raised his hands in a bow, and slightly nodded at the officials of the Manchu Dynasty.

"Goodbye, everyone."

Pei Zheng rode to the gate of the imperial capital, and there were only red lotus lanterns and miscellaneous objects thrown on the ground all over the street.

Pedestrians along the street have all been dispersed, and the people have all returned home to take refuge, with doors and windows closed.

The huge and towering iron gate of the imperial capital was tightly closed, and was firmly supported by several thick logs.

The city wall is full of crossbowmen, ready to go, and the soldiers coming and going are preparing their crossbows and rockets. Everyone has entered the state of preparation, and everything is half panic and half methodical. .

Pei Zheng got off his horse, grabbed a little soldier who was running past in a hurry, and asked, "Who is your commander in chief?"

The little soldier pointed to the city wall, "That's the one standing in the pavilion, Liu Yi, commander of the Royal Forest Army."

Pei Zheng recognized Liu Yi and turned around to go to the city wall.

The little soldier hurriedly grabbed him, "Hey, you can't go up! The enemy army is about to reach the gate of the city, and there is going to be a war here, so go home quickly!"

"Don't know me?"

The little soldier shook his head, "I don't know."

Seeing that he seemed young, Pei Zheng asked, "How old are you?"

The little soldier scratched his hair, "Ten."

Also ten years old.

The coldness in Pei Zheng's eyes faded a little, and he glanced at the bow and arrow in the little soldier's hand, "Bowman?"

"Yeah!" The little soldier waved his bow and arrow proudly, "My archery skills are very good, and the arrows are flawless! None of the enemy soldiers I aimed at on the battlefield can escape!"

It happened that there were soldiers gathering not far away, and the little soldier hurried away with his bow and arrows in his hand. While running, he turned his head and told Pei Zheng, "Don't stay here anymore, it's dangerous here, you'd better go home quickly !"

After speaking, he disappeared among many soldiers.

Pei Zheng glanced in his direction.

Come back home?

He still has no home.

Pei Zheng turned around and stepped up the city wall. Liu Yi was surprised to see Pei Zheng here.

"My lord, why are you here?"

The wind on the city wall was a bit strong, causing Pei Zheng's eyes to narrow slightly.

Looking far away, one can see that the line of fire is still approaching here, gradually turning into a fierce and terrifying fire dragon.

But looking back at the imperial capital, it was eerily quiet.

"Why can't I come here."

Liu Yi quickly explained, "I didn't mean that, I didn't mean you can't come, it's just that the front line is dangerous, you might as well stay in the mansion or hide in the palace."

"Avoid? Where can I escape?"

Pei Zheng rested his fingers on the cold and hard stone wall, his white knuckles were slightly raised, "It's the end of the road, it's better to die."

"The barbarians sent heavy troops to the imperial capital tonight. First, let the vanguard kill us by surprise, and then the barbarian iron cavalry broke through our city gate. My lord, we are indeed in danger tonight."

Pei Zheng's thin lips were lightly parted, and his tone was light, "I know, the emperor also knows, and the people in the city, they all know."

"Knowing and never retreating, although the loss may be tragic, it is extremely tragic."

"Report—!"

A soldier beside him suddenly shouted, "Report to the commander, an enemy spy has just been captured outside the city gate, and now he has not entered the city at the city gate, I want to ask the commander how to deal with it?"

Liu Yi said angrily, "At this time, the barbarians still come to inquire about our army's intelligence. They should know the current situation in the imperial capital, right? Is there any need to inquire about it?"

Pei Zheng said, "Bring me up."

The soldier glanced at Liu Yi, Liu Yi agreed, and he hurried down again.

Liu Yi was puzzled, and couldn't help but asked aloud, "My lord, it's troublesome to open and close the city gate once, why don't you just kill him, anyway, the vanguard of the barbarians will arrive soon, and the battle will definitely start immediately." .”

"This person is not a spy," Pei Zheng narrowed his eyes, "Amuli really knows the situation in the imperial capital better than us, so he won't send any more spies to gather information."

"Then this man is here"

Pei Zheng looked down at the opened gate of the imperial capital below, "To persuade you to surrender."

A few soldiers came up with the barbarian, and Pei Zheng saw that he looked familiar, and he must have seen Amul before.

The barbarian was forced to kneel on the ground, with an expression of resentment and dissatisfaction, he twisted his head and refused to bow down.

"Let him go." Pei Zheng said.

The soldiers let go of them, and the barbarian was a little surprised. He looked up at Pei Zheng, but he didn't stand up.

"You go down first."

"Yes!"

Those soldiers retreated, leaving only three people around.

The barbarian smiled at Pei Zheng, stood up calmly, and took two steps forward.

Liu Yi immediately stood in front of Pei Zheng, the sword in his hand was out of its sheath.

Pei Zheng held down his sword and passed in front of him.

"Master Pei, long time no see."

The barbarian said humanely, "You are so forgetful, you must not remember me anymore. We met in the barbarian. At that time, you were an envoy of my barbarian. Together with the great general of your celestial dynasty, you escorted the prince to marry me. We barbarians come to make peace."

However, Pei Zheng ignored his conversation, the indifference and impatience in his eyes were obvious.

"If you don't speak directly, you will die to say other things."

"Hahahaha, Mr. Pei, don't be angry, I really have other missions to come here." The barbarian smiled happily.

"Our noble leader of the barbarians likes the capital of your Celestial Dynasty very much, so he doesn't want to use violent and bloody methods to seize it anymore, but hopes that your dynasty will be more understanding and consciously hand over the imperial capital."

Pei Zheng also smiled suddenly, his long and narrow eyes raised, and the cold smile didn't reach his eyes.

"It just so happens that our Celestial Dynasty also likes the barbarians very much. I wonder if Chief Amul is willing to give in?"