Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 304 Realizing it Too Late, the Army Enters the City
On a mountaintop outside the capital city.

Gazing at the boundless Cangyun and the Tian Ce army, as well as the powerful figures within the army whose auras they could sense, the leaders fell silent.

"Your Majesty, shall we make a move?"

"Why don't you try?" Tianjun suppressed the urge to slap the person who spoke to death and sneered, "Did you see the eight soldiers accompanying Zhu Jinzhen's carriage? One terrestrial celestial being and seven terrestrial immortals."

"Have you seen the Imperial Guard battalion guarding the center on the outer perimeter?"

"Five hundred Grandmasters of Celestial Phenomena!"

The Heavenly Emperor didn't even mention the Cangyun and Tiance armies that were visible to the naked eye.

An army of tens of thousands of Vajra Realm experts would make even a being like him, standing at the pinnacle of the terrestrial celestial realm, give way.

Based on the situation of Zhu Jinzhen's bodyguards.

Just try it and it will pass away!
The Demon Lord, standing to the side, was also stunned into silence for a long time by the terrifying army of the Prince of Su's mansion.

"Yesterday was a good time, why didn't you make your move?" the Demon Lord asked.

They arrived long before Zhu Jinzhen and the Jingnan army. According to their original plan, they were to ambush Zhu Jinzhen before he arrived in the capital, and rely on the experts that Tianzhihen had gathered over the years to create chaos by attacking the army.

They then led Zhu Jinzhen to the ambush they had set up.

They tried to force Zhu Jinzhen to unleash his full power so that he could shatter the void and leave.

But ultimately, the plan was abruptly halted.

Seeing the lineup of Zhu Jinzhen's Jingnan army, the Demon Lord became increasingly resentful and puzzled.

"Qianqiu divined a divination, and the result is an extremely ominous sign." A bitter smile appeared on the half of the face beneath the Heavenly Lord's mask. He also wanted to take action, but whether it was his own divination or Qianqiu's, the result was the same: an extremely ominous sign.

Move or die!
Having witnessed firsthand the sheer number of guards surrounding Zhu Jinzhen, the Heavenly Emperor had no choice but to temporarily abandon his original plan.

Before the Demon Lord could speak, the Heavenly Lord countered, "With the guards around Zhu Jinzhen, do you really think those scoundrels can create chaos and force Zhu Jinzhen to change the battlefield and fall into our trap?"

Demon Lord: "."

Lies are not sharp blades; the truth is the swift knife.

Although the development of Heaven's Scar was extremely rapid and terrifying, it had gathered many experts from all over the world, including no fewer than two palms' worth of terrestrial immortals, and hundreds of families of Grandmasters of Celestial Phenomena and Grandmasters of the Finger Profound Realm.

But with the limited resources of Tianzhihen, let alone creating chaos in the Tiance or Cangyun armies to lure out Zhu Jinzhen.

I'm afraid that as soon as they get close, they'll be instantly killed by Cangyun or Tiance.

This includes him and the Heavenly Emperor.

"Your Majesty, are the news about the Heavenly Sword and the First Emperor's Mausoleum that Zhu Jinzhen spread really false?"

As a chess piece placed on earth from heaven.

The Heavenly Emperor and the Demon Emperor scoffed at the news about the Heavenly Sword and the First Emperor's Mausoleum.

I think Zhu Jinzhen is just making things complicated.

But when they saw with their own eyes the countless experts around Zhu Jinzhen, who could see dozens or even hundreds of terrestrial immortals at a glance, the Demon Lord and the Heavenly Lord's past convictions were shaken.

The Demon Lord couldn't help but wonder, if Zhu Jinzhen hadn't truly obtained the Heavenly Sword and stolen the power of the Heavenly Star within the First Emperor's Mausoleum, how could he have cultivated such a large and terrifying army?

Even the Heavenly Emperor had serious doubts about whether the First Emperor's mausoleum truly held a world-shaking secret.

But it seems we realized it too late.

Now, there's nothing they can do but watch helplessly.

……

"Now that His Highness Prince Su's army has arrived, I, as the garrison commander, order you to open the city gates now! Welcoming the army into the city!" the Zhengyang Gate garrison commander shouted loudly.

what?
Open the city gate?

We respectfully welcome the Jingnan army into the city.

All the soldiers guarding the city on the city wall subconsciously showed expressions of shock.

But the shock lasted only a few seconds before they all showed expressions of relief.

The Imperial Guards and the Thirteenth Battalion had long since changed hands.

This was no secret among them; it was common knowledge. The newly appointed commander and deputy commander of the capital's defenses were also candidates recommended by Prince Su's court. With Prince Su's army arriving at the city walls, everything naturally fell into place.

"What, are my orders not obeyed?"

The garrison commander narrowed his eyes slightly, his right hand already resting on the sword slung at his waist.

"Are you deaf? The officials tell you to open the city gates, so open the city gates!"

The deputy commander of the capital's garrison was very perceptive. The moment he sensed the danger, he coldly rebuked, "Or do you have the ambition to serve your country and sacrifice your lives? Do you intend to resist to the bitter end?"

The surrounding soldiers were immediately terrified, their faces turning pale, and they shook their heads repeatedly.

What a joke.

The Jingying garrison had not fought in a long time, and its actual combat strength was extremely weak. Not to mention the Cangyun and Tiance armies outside, even ordinary Mongol or Liao armies could easily defeat them one against three or five.

To generously serve one's country and sacrifice one's life for it?
Some of them were not afraid of death; dying for their country was an honor for them.

But the problem is that the Jingnan Rebellion was a power struggle within the Zhu family. What would these people gain by fighting to the death? Like the old ministers of the Jianwen Emperor after Emperor Taizong's successful Jingnan Rebellion, they were purged one by one, some exiled, some beheaded, and they were not released until Emperor Renzong ascended the throne.

What is the picture?

"General Ji, Deputy General Wu."

At this moment, another deputy general stepped forward, frowned, and said, "Although His Highness Prince Su is acting on the orders of Heaven to quell the rebellion and is rumored to have received an imperial edict from His Majesty, is it inappropriate for us to not resist and instead open the city gates to welcome the army into the city?"

Swish!
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Li drew his sword and pressed it against his neck.

"What's wrong?"

"Gulu!"

The lieutenant swallowed hard, wanting to swallow back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. But he knew that if he didn't explain, even if he escaped this time, he would still be held accountable in the future. So he mustered his courage and said, "What I mean is, should we pretend to resist to avoid... being criticized?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than another lieutenant stabbed him through the body with a knife.

The splatter of blood startled everyone around.

"you……"

The lieutenant looked at the blade tip protruding from the body, then turned around and stared at the other person in disbelief.

Another lieutenant gripped his knife and said coldly, "Prince Su is benevolent and tolerant. Since the Jingnan Rebellion, the people of all places have loved and respected him. Our opening of the city gates is in accordance with the will of Heaven. People will only praise us. General Ji has already given the order. Your attempt to obstruct us with such an excuse is malicious."

"right?"

"The Azure Dragon Society, the Left-Winged Envoy?"

The lieutenant's pupils widened, "I *****"

It's just a person dying; Ji Li doesn't even blink.

Whether this deputy general was a member of the Azure Dragon Society or not is another matter. In Ji Li's view, there was nothing wrong with him making excuses and offering his blood as a sacrifice to the flag.

Not to mention, the private identity of the lieutenant who made the move...

It's the Xuanjia Secret Guard!
It's impossible for the other party to fabricate accusations without any evidence in public.

"Open the city gates!" Ji Li's majestic voice rang out again like thunder in everyone's ears.

"Yes!"

The garrison in the capital dared not object anymore.

"Open the city gate!"

"Open the city gate!"

The message was relayed, and although the soldiers didn't understand why, they dared not disobey.

Zhengyangmen is the main gate, with auxiliary gates on both sides. Behind them is the Forbidden City, commonly known as the Imperial City.

This door is tall and wide, with a solid wood interior and an iron sheet exterior, making it exceptionally sturdy.

Because the Oirat army launched a surprise attack and besieged the city, the nine gates of the capital were reinforced to a certain extent to make them easier to defend. There are still huge wooden beams supporting the city gates, but they all need to be removed now.

The soldiers worked together to move the huge log blocking the door, with people on both sides exerting force at the same time.

(End of this chapter)