Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Zijing Pass, also known as Wuruan Pass.

Since ancient times, this place has been a vital passage to the capital city, known as one of the three inner passes.

In the beginning, this place was known as the fourth of the nine strategic passes under heaven, and it was one of the most important passes of the Great Wall.

One man can hold the pass against ten thousand!

This refers to Zijing Pass.

It is one of the main routes from the Taihang Mountains into the capital, with a strategic location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

For thousands of years,

These are all strategic locations that military strategists would fight over.

During the years of the Daqian Dynasty's rule, in order to resist attacks from northern nomadic tribes, the construction and defense of Zijing Pass were strengthened, and many sturdy defensive fortresses were built.

The Zijingguan Fortress was equipped here and was under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Guard.

but,

When Chen Jie led his 30,000-strong army, making a detour from Cangzhou in Hebei, and marched all the way to Zijing Pass, he did not encounter any resistance.

Three kilometers away.

Chen Jie observed Zijing Pass through binoculars and found it very deserted.

After Ximen Tang's army entered Zijing Pass, they did not encounter any rebel troops. Only a few scattered imperial guards from the capital were stationed inside Zijing Pass.

have to say,

All of this surprised Chen Jie greatly; the entire Zijing Pass was completely undefended, as if it were a mere formality.

obviously,
The troops stationed at Zijing Pass had no intention of resisting the rebels.

Factional struggles within the capital city have even managed to exploit the city's defenses.

Sucks!

Chen Jie was deeply moved. No wonder Prince Ning Li Mu's Northwest Army was able to advance so far and even reach the capital.

The imperial guards offered almost no resistance.

Even after Hong Yanchuan's army in Hebei and Henan was wiped out, the entire northern part of the capital was almost undefended.

It has always maintained a garrison near Shanhaiguan and Dagukou fortresses, with the aim of blocking the Japanese army.

This can be seen.

The major families in the capital had a well-thought-out plan.

They appear to have already established a partnership with Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the Northwest.

Chen Jie thought to himself, if only the Ximentang hadn't seized the opportunity to rise up and stop the Seymour Alliance when they attacked the Dagu Fortress.

Then,

By then, the capital city would likely have already fallen.

Given the fighting strength of the Seymour Alliance at the time, and Ferike's formidable fighting prowess, they would have been defeated.

The Western Allied Forces will advance all the way from Tianjin to Beijing, making rapid incursions.

After Ximentang's army entered Zijing Pass, Chen Jie immediately led his two regiments straight to the fortifications of Zijing Pass.

in fact,

The imperial guards stationed inside Zijing Pass had long since spotted the arrival of Ximentang's army.

but,

They had long been ordered that no matter what kind of army entered Zijing Pass, they should adhere to one principle: no resistance.

Therefore,
Upon seeing Ximentang's army, all the Imperial Guard soldiers remained huddled inside their fortifications and refused to come out.

When they saw Chen Jie leading his army directly into the fortifications of Zijing Pass, the Imperial Guards hid in the inner fortress of Zijing Pass.

No matter who calls, they stay inside and pretend they can't hear.

Just ignore them and open the gates of Zijing Pass to let the troops in.

The Imperial Guards stationed at Zijing Pass completely ignored everything else.

Chen Jie frowned slightly upon seeing this scene.

He sent someone to summon the commander of the Imperial Guard stationed there to speak with him, but the commander refused to even show his face.

then,

Chen Jie grew impatient and ordered his men to bombard the inner fortress of Zijing Pass.

Some people only obey when they are beaten.

Less than ten shots later, the inner fortress of Zijing Pass was opened.

Wow——!
next moment,
Ximentang's army quickly occupied Zijing Pass and took control of the situation there.

When Chen Jie led his army into Zijing Pass, he discovered that the entire defensive fortification of Zijing Pass was extremely magnificent and spectacular.

If this place is heavily guarded

It wouldn't be so easy for Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the Northwest, to enter the capital.
only,
The place was filthy and chaotic at the time, with severe damage everywhere, including many of the Weiyuan cannons.

A very unpleasant smell permeated the surroundings.

It's really hard to believe that this is actually the second of the three passes of the capital, Zijing Pass!

How could the Imperial Guards, stationed here, have made such a mess of this place?

This is the gateway to the capital!

Honestly, at this moment, Chen Jie had an urge to directly behead the commander of the Zijing Pass garrison.

Perhaps it was because Ximentang's arrival was so aggressive and had such a strong deterrent effect.

Many of the Imperial Guards inside the Zijing Pass were terrified by the cannon fire that Ximentang had just unleashed.

When Ximentang's army entered the inner fortress of Zijing Pass, many of the garrison troops who were originally stationed there fled in panic.

At last,
The soldiers of Ximen Hall had no choice but to arrest these people.

They captured more than two hundred Imperial Guard soldiers; the rest escaped.

After being captured by Simon, they trembled with fear, repeatedly saying, "It's not my fault, I didn't do anything!"

It is clear,
They believed that Ximentang's army was a rebel army led by Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the Northwest.

quickly,

When they heard that the army that had come was Ximentang's army, they stopped panicking.

According to the captured Imperial Guards soldiers, there were originally 20,000 troops stationed inside the Zijing Pass.

Unfortunately, the battle at Shanhaiguan was too intense, and 18,000 men were transferred from Zijingguan.

and so.

Only two thousand men remained to guard the entire Zijing Pass.

The highest-ranking officer is a commander of a thousand men, but there are actually fewer than a thousand people stationed there.

Ever since the army of Prince Ning of the Northwest arrived at Juyong Pass, the garrison commander of Zijing Pass was terrified and fled overnight.

After listening to their stories, Chen Jie was deeply moved.

Look at these soldiers stationed at Zijing Pass; they are, in fact, the abandoned ones.

Within the entire Zijing Pass, there were not only no weapons or ammunition, but even the most basic military pay had not been issued.

These people are both despicable and pathetic!
but,

This is, after all, the Zijing Pass of the capital, and Ximentang cannot give up this place.

For a considerable period of time to come, Ximentang will need to station troops here.

but,

The camp inside Zijing Pass is temporarily unavailable for accommodation.

therefore,

Chen Jie ordered the army to set up camp inside Zijing Pass and repair the fortifications there.

In addition, the supply troops were instructed to gather all the necessary materials.

and,

Chen Jie ordered his men to send a message to the canal gang, instructing them to mobilize laborers to rebuild Zijing Pass in the coming days.

Accompanying Chen Jie to Zijing Pass this time were the elite of the Special Operations Regiment, Zhu Feng and Lin Bao, who had performed outstandingly in Songjiang Prefecture.

Both of them were promoted and are now commanders leading tens of thousands of troops.

That night,

Chen Jie quickly made arrangements, ordering Zeng Xuanhuai and Zhu Feng to go to the capital first.

Simultaneously,

He left three thousand men to garrison Zijing Pass.

In addition, five hundred mortars and ample firepower were left at Zijing Pass.

Taking advantage of the gap in the west where Ximentang's army was flanking Li Mu's army from behind, Zijing Pass needed to be defended with utmost care.

Furthermore, Zijing Pass should be thoroughly cleaned up, and permanent camps and fortifications should be built.

Simultaneously,

Chen Jie ordered 20,000 elite troops from the Ximentang Army, who had marched from the Dagukou Fortress in Tianjin, to garrison Daomaguan and block the Northwest Army's reinforcements.

-

Early the next morning, Chen Jie led his army out of Zijing Pass and headed towards the capital. They had traveled less than thirty li along the main road towards the capital when they reached the last gateway to the city.

but,

Chen Jie did not want to alert the Imperial Guard garrison at this time.

Therefore,
He ordered his army to bypass the city from the side, following the moat of the capital and turning towards the west gate of the city.

The western district of Beijing was Ximentang's territory. As the war intensified, all of his troops joined forces with the army at the Dagu Fortress.

At noon.

Chen Jie led his army and finally arrived outside the city walls of the capital.

call--!
He looked up at the capital and realized that the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty was probably nearing its end.

Wow——!
At the city gates of the capital, merchants, commoners, officials, and others were seen fleeing with their families in a hurry.

Judging from the expressions on their faces, a great change was taking place in the capital.

In particular, many officials and scions of prominent families moved out of the capital.

Moreover, the closer they got to the capital, the more and more refugees they saw.

Among the fleeing crowd were several horse-drawn carriages, which appeared to belong to wealthy families.

in addition,

Some Imperial Guard soldiers, having lost their armor and weapons, fled in terror.

They became a disorganized mob, and when they saw convoys with families and no protection, they even started robbing them.

The sound of weeping echoed through the western gates of Beijing, creating a feeling that was hard to describe.

This is the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty!

Chaos reigned everywhere, and no garrison troops were seen.

It is clear,
Just by looking at the situation around the capital, one can tell that the capital has reached its most critical moment and is on the verge of collapse.

The newly appointed captain of the Imperial Guard, Jiang Changshun, took a deep breath upon seeing the situation in the capital and said:
"Young master, it seems the capital has been breached by the rebels, and the palace has been occupied!"

Chen Jie shook his head and said calmly:
"It shouldn't be yet. If the capital falls, these noble families and ordinary people will have no chance to escape."

"If nothing unexpected happens, the rebels should be entering the capital from the north gate!"

"However, the capital city is so large, and the imperial palace has nine lines of defense. It will be extremely difficult for the Northwest Army to take the capital city in a short period of time!"

"They're not like our Ximen Hall, which has all sorts of cannonballs and can bombard the ground and destroy everything!"

"Let's go, I hope we can see the Emperor one last time."

After listening to Chen Jie's analysis, Jiang Changshun nodded slightly.

Judging from the current situation of the people, it seems that a fierce battle is taking place in the capital.

However, the imperial palace has certainly not been captured yet; otherwise, if the Northwest Army had taken the capital, they would have immediately sealed it off.

As a result,
These scions of noble families and ordinary people will not be able to leave at all; all their wealth will be looted.

Chen Jie took out his binoculars, glanced at the scene from a distance, and gave the order:
"There's no time to lose, we need to get into the city immediately!"

Entering the city gate from the western district of Beijing, walking along Ximen Street, and looking at the familiar streets.

More and more people were fleeing, and the surrounding area became increasingly chaotic.

Even along the streets, one could see the corpses of many ordinary people.

Seeing this, Chen Jie was filled with rage.

Ximen Street was the headquarters of Ximen Hall, the place where Ximen Hall was founded.

I never imagined it would turn out like this.

Ximentang was a military camp in the western district, about ten miles outside the city.

I never expected that after joining forces with the army at Dagu Fortress and heading to Daomaguan, Ximen Street would be in such a state.

Ximentang acquired a large number of properties on Ximen Street and countless real estates throughout the capital.

In fact, when Chen Jie purchased the property, he had already planned to leave himself an excuse for future military operations.

too messy!
The remaining soldiers and civilians in the surrounding area continued to flee towards the western district of the capital.

Fortunately, Chen Jie's army was well-equipped and numerous.

Therefore,
The fleeing soldiers and civilians, upon seeing Ximentang's army from afar, dared not provoke him and immediately hid away.

This saved Ximentang a lot of time and trouble in advancing into the city.

Wow——!
quickly,

Ximentang's army entered the city from the western city wall and fought their way to Guang'an Gate.

at this time,

The Guang'an Gate of the Imperial City has been breached and is no longer guarded.

Chen Jie's gaze turned cold, and he quickly ordered troops to be stationed at Guang'anmen, while simultaneously adjusting troop strength and preparing artillery and heavy machine guns.

this moment,
All the soldiers of Ximen Hall stood at attention, checking their ammunition and ready to fight at any moment.

Fortunately, the elite troops of Ximentang were equipped with imitation AK47 assault rifles and had ample ammunition.

And everyone was wearing bulletproof vests, helmets, and had grenades hanging from their waists.

After leaving two hundred men to guard Guang'anmen, the troops were assembled.

Chen Jie led his army past Guang'an Gate and headed directly toward the Imperial City.

Upon entering the inner city of the capital, they found the city even more chaotic, with people running everywhere and cries filling the air.

Among them were many defeated and broken soldiers, and many buildings were set ablaze.

It's unclear whether it was damaged by artillery fire or deliberately set on fire.

at this time,

Gunfire could be clearly heard coming from inside the imperial city.

In the alleys of the streets, or in deserted places, one could see many people burning, killing, and looting.

Some civilians even tore off their tattered clothes and fought with the soldiers and officials in the capital.

These people were likely soldiers disguised as officers under Li Mu, the Prince of Ning, in the Northwest Army.

Judging from the surrounding scene, it was clear that a significant number of elite troops under Prince Ning, Li Mu, had infiltrated the city.

With coordinated attacks from both inside and outside, they caught the inner city of the capital completely off guard.

As the sounds of heavy machine guns, muskets, and cannons continued to rang out, cries and screams could be heard everywhere in the streets.

"Run! The rebel army from the Northwest has stormed the capital!"

"Escape to the west gate of the city, quick—!"

The pitiful howls and cries mingled together.

On the streets of the inner city, one could see the corpses of many civilians, as well as the corpses of Imperial Guard soldiers.

This shows that

The northwestern rebels stormed into the inner city of the capital, where fierce fighting ensued.

Chen Jie disregarded everything else and led his army directly into the imperial city.

At this time,

The sky was dark, and the surroundings seemed to be shrouded in smog.

The entire capital was in complete chaos, with fires raging everywhere and explosions echoing continuously.

When Chen Jie arrived at Chongwen Gate of the Imperial City, he saw that the palace was engulfed in flames and cannon fire was heard continuously.

The two sides are still engaged in fierce fighting near Chongwenmen.

"Thank goodness! We arrived just in time; Chongwen Gate hasn't been breached!"

Chen Jie let out a long breath.

Seeing the scene before him, he knew that Prince Ning, Li Mu's, Northwest Army was launching an attack on Chongwen Gate.

In other words, the imperial city has not yet been captured.

Jiang Changshun and the others couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Since Prince Ning Li Mu's Northwest Army is still attacking Chongwen Gate, it means that the palace has not been breached.

but,

If Ximentang wants to enter the imperial city, he must eliminate the attacking Northwest Army; otherwise, he will also be blocked outside the palace and unable to enter Chongwen Gate.

Without hesitation, Chen Jie immediately ordered the attack to begin.

Quick victory!

In the shortest possible time, wipe out the entire elite force of the Northwest Army that was attacking Chongwen Gate.

Wow——!
The soldiers of Ximentang quickly set up artillery arrays on the streets of the capital!
Heavy machine guns, artillery, rifles!
The three forces work together to create crossfire.

Cough—cough—cough—!
For a while,
Ximentang unleashed his full firepower, unleashing a devastating barrage of firepower against Prince Ning's Northwest Army with overwhelming force.

at the same time,

The scouts and snipers from Ximentang quickly climbed to the nearby high ground, lay in ambush, and aimed to snipe the commander of this Northwest Army!

Prince Ning, Li Mu's, elite Northwest Army troops clashed with Ximentang's army in the capital.

this moment,
They finally witnessed the true meaning of the word 'despair'! (End of Chapter)