Di Ming

Chapter 441 The bright banner startled the demonic aura, indicating the arrival of the royal army.

She Chongming officially launched his rebellion in early August and reached Chengdu by September 8th. It only took him thirty-six days.

In order to quickly capture Chengdu, She Chongming did not carry much food and supplies. As he marched north along the Tuo River, he plundered Han people's grain, people, and livestock along the way.

The killings were devastating, and the crimes were numerous.

From Yongning Xuanfu Division, She Chongming's old stronghold, to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, the distance was only nine hundred li, but there were many passes, beacon towers, and military forts along the way.

It was not as unobstructed as it seemed, with no soldiers guarding it. Many places were easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there were also artillery forts and river defenses.

If the defending troops are capable, they can hold off She Chongming for several months by relying on the pass.

However, in just over a month, She Chongming crossed the Yangtze River, captured Luzhou and Neijiang, and marched north along the Tuo River, successively taking Xueshan Pass, Pushi Pass, Matang Pass, Lingxiao Pass, Jiangmen Gorge Pass, and Longquanyi. He broke through passes and reached the outskirts of Chengdu, sweeping across southern Sichuan with the might of a tiger!
The Lingxiao Pass, which held out the longest, only lasted for a mere five days.

The Ming troops in Yongningwei, Chishuiwei, Jianwusuo and other garrisons were all defeated.

The Ming army in Sichuan was mostly weak, how could they possibly withstand She Chongming's 40,000 to 50,000 fierce and powerful troops? After a series of defeats, they fled north all the way to Chengdu.

Fortunately, the resistance of these Ming troops was not entirely ineffective. Although they suffered over 10,000 casualties and over 10,000 were routed, they slowed down the rebels' advance and bought Chengdu more than half a month to prepare.

Otherwise, She Chongming wouldn't have needed a month; he could have brought his army to the city gates in just over ten days.

When the Black Yi army arrived at the city gates with great momentum, Chengdu finally fortified its city walls, deepened its moats, gathered 20,000 to 30,000 remnants of the Chengdu Three Guards and the Sichuan General, and conscripted 30,000 able-bodied men from the city to assist in the defense.

Logically speaking, Chengdu is a major city and important town in the southwest, with high walls and deep moats. It has a population of 200,000, an army of 20,000 to 30,000, and another 30,000 able-bodied men to assist in the defense. It should not have been afraid of tens of thousands of Guoluo troops.

However, that's not the case at all.

Because everyone in Shu knew how fierce the She family's Guoluo soldiers were.

Legend has it that the Gulu soldiers wear rattan armor and rattan shoes, and carry poisoned weapons and rattan shields. They can traverse mountains and climb cliffs as easily as monkeys, and they are fearless of pain and death. They are also known to be capricious, extremely irritable, and love to eat human flesh.

The rumors are obviously exaggerated. But one thing is certain: the Gulu soldiers are very strong and fierce.

The government troops can't win!
At this moment, the rising sun appeared, and forty to fifty thousand Black Yi soldiers, with chilling shouts, slowly approached the city like a tide, their fierce and wild aura spreading with billowing dust.

In addition to tens of thousands of captured Han Chinese men and a large number of mules and horses, they came in all over the mountains and plains, overwhelming everything.

The slender, sickle-like blades unique to the Gulu soldiers gleamed with a sinister, cold light amidst the dust and smoke under the sunlight.

The thunderous hoofbeats of the eight thousand Guoluo cavalry, mixed with the neighing of their horses, shook the heavens and the earth.

The She clan's Guoluo cavalry was the most powerful cavalry force among the southwestern tribes. This was because the Yongning Pacification Commission had its own grasslands and pastures with fertile grass, producing horses that surpassed the smaller Yunnan horses in strength.

What terrified the defenders most were the three hundred war elephants in front of the enemy's formation. Each elephant raised its terrifying trunk, roared to the sky, and its voice shook the heavens.

On one of the war elephants was a large banner embroidered with a black tiger, and on it was a line of unrecognizable Yi script characters.

If this line of large Yi characters were translated, it would actually mean: "Black Yi Da Mo Shi (High Priest), King Liang, Lord of the Black Tiger, She".

Beneath the great banner was a tall chariot, pulled forward by an elephant. Seated atop the chariot was a burly man with an aquiline nose, dressed in a black robe with nine tigers on the left and a pheasant feather-embroidered buffalo horn crown. He was about thirty-four or thirty-five years old, with a dark complexion and sharp eyes.

This man was none other than She Chongming, who was renowned throughout the tribes and known as the "Tiger of the Southwest."

As She Chongming led his Black Yi army toward Chengdu, a contemptuous sneer appeared in his eyes as he looked at the Ming army banners on the city walls.

Heading north, they captured five cities and thirteen passes in just thirty-six days, their advance was unstoppable, as if aided by divine intervention.

Although it was because the Liang warriors were skilled in battle, it was also because the Ming army was cowardly and incompetent, and could not withstand a single blow!
She Chongming raised the Black Tiger Command Flag with an indifferent expression and gave the order to halt the advance and drive the Han prisoners to carry soil to fill the trenches.

Over the past month, the Guoluo army has committed numerous atrocities, not only seizing nearly 100,000 shi of grain but also capturing tens of thousands of Han men to be used as laborers to transport the grain.

Now that they have reached the outskirts of Chengdu, they are driving tens of thousands of Han men to dig and fill the moat to aid in the siege.

The intention was extremely malicious and insidious.

"Woo woo woo—" At a command, the officers and commanders of the Guoluo army immediately ordered the prisoners to dig soil on both sides of the army in the rough Yi language, and then drove them to carry soil to fill the ditches.

Without filling in the trenches, it will be very difficult to attack the city.

Outside the entire southern city, the area was packed with people, a chaotic scene. Those in the know understood it was preparation for an attack, but those who didn't might have thought it was some kind of construction project.

The magnificent city of Chengdu appeared somewhat small against the backdrop of the overwhelming army outside the city.

The Sichuan officials on the city walls, seeing the imposing force of the Guoluo army, felt their scalps tingle and broke out in a cold sweat, losing even more confidence in the defense of Chengdu.

This included Wang Jiguang, Governor of Sichuan; Li Shihua, Imperial Censor; Zhou Sijing, Left Provincial Administration Commissioner; Zhang Wenyao, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner; Gao Zhezhi, Commander-in-Chief; and Liu Chengsi, General of Sichuan.

To be fair, none of them were incompetent. Yet they still lacked confidence in holding Chengdu. This was not only because She Chongming's army was strong and well-equipped, while their own forces were too few elite troops, but also because they lacked funds and supplies.

They did not have enough money and food to reward and motivate their soldiers. In fact, the more than 20,000 remaining soldiers had been owed pay for four months.

The defending troops were already weak and dared not engage in open battle. Now, without pay, their morale was even more precarious.

Previously, in order to suppress Zhu Shuaixin, the imperial court trained a new army in Guanzhong. Due to insufficient funds and food, the funds were drawn from the Sichuan provincial treasury. In addition, Qiu Chengyun levied exorbitant taxes, and the province has not yet made up for the deficit in the provincial treasury.

The rebellion of She Chongming was too sudden, and the province simply did not have enough time to levy enough money and grain to fund the army.

With insufficient funds and provisions, and weak soldiers, how long can they resist?

Upon receiving news of She Chongming's rebellion and usurpation of the throne, Governor Wang Jiguang and Inspector Li Shihua immediately sent a urgent message to Beijing via express courier, while simultaneously requesting reinforcements from Shaanxi, where a large army was stationed, and asking the Qin army to march south to provide support.

Logically, the imperial court should have had a response by now, within a month.

however…

The military intelligence report, delivered by express courier, reached Beijing in nine days. The imperial edict from Beijing also arrived in Chengdu by express courier, but it contained a startling and dramatic message:

"...At that time, the Southern rebels were rampaging in the capital, the Western rebels were causing trouble in the Western Regions, and the Northern Tatars were causing disturbances along the nine borders... The nation was engaged in numerous military campaigns, neglecting one aspect for another, incurring countless expenses. Furthermore, the temporary loss of the financially vital Jiangnan region had depleted the national treasury and depleted the imperial granary. In the more than two hundred years since the founding of the dynasty, the Ming Dynasty had never faced such a dire situation... I myself rise early and retire late, working tirelessly day and night, while my officials have exhausted their efforts and worked with utmost dedication... Although the emperor and his ministers are of one mind and exert themselves wholeheartedly, we are still stretched thin and ultimately unable to overcome this crisis..."

"...However, the land of Shu is fertile for thousands of miles, with beautiful mountains and rivers, abundant resources and prosperous people, truly a land of plenty...Why don't you adapt to local conditions, mobilize the resources of Shu, gather the hearts of the people of Western Sichuan, unite as one, and with unwavering resolve, turn your sincerity into iron, enough to repel the treacherous bandits and exterminate the barbarians? Then, the head of that scoundrel will hang before the palace gates in no time. Once the task is accomplished, why should I be stingy with rewards of titles and honors..."

"...Wang Jiguang, the Governor of Sichuan, is hereby promoted to Governor-General of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces, and Minister of the Southwest Pacification Commission, granted full authority over tax collection, military recruitment, land reclamation and mining, suppression of barbarian spies, and the tea-horse trade, to act at his discretion..."

"...If the traitor She is willing to surrender, his crimes will be pardoned, he will be appointed as a Pacification Commissioner, granted the title of Dragon and Tiger General, and ordered to serve as the King's vanguard to suppress the rebellions of Xin and Yin..."

"...Immediately issue proclamations to the Yang clan of Bozhou, the Xi'an clan of Shuizhou, the Song clan of Shuidong, the Lizhou, and the Six Barbarian Expeditionary Command, ordering them to send troops to assist in the battle..."

Wang Jiguang, Li Shihua, and others waited anxiously for eighteen days, only to receive this edict in return!
Without reinforcements or money, they were given the official positions of Governor-General of Three Provinces and Minister of the Southwest, and ordered Sichuan officials to collect taxes and recruit soldiers locally to resist She Chongming's army on their own!
This official position sounds prestigious, but with a shortage of soldiers and funds, and a formidable enemy at hand, what can it possibly do?
How could Sichuan's meager army of tens of thousands possibly withstand She Chongming, known as the "Tiger of the Southwest"?
What Sichuan needs now is real reinforcements. Even if we don't send the elite troops from Guanzhong, we should at least dispatch the 20,000 troops from the Three Guards of Hanzhong and the Hanzhong Assistant Commander.
The fighting strength of the Hanzhong troops is far superior to that of the Shu troops. As long as these 20,000 Hanzhong troops come to our aid, we have a high chance of holding Chengdu and delaying the inevitable.

However, the imperial court did not even mobilize troops from Hanzhong!
They were instead ordered to send messages to the Yang clan of Bozhou, the Xi'an clan of Shuizhou, the Song clan of Shuidong, the Anfu Division of Lizhou, and the Liufan Commandery for assistance!

I've heard that the Yang family of Bozhou has already submitted to Nanjing, so why would they obey orders? The An family is also a Black Yi, and they might very well support She Chongming, making them even less reliable!

As for the Song family of Shuidong, it's hard to guarantee that they won't collude with the She family.

The Lizhou Pacification Commissioner is usually obedient, but they are ultimately Mongols. Now that the Ming Dynasty is divided between the North and South, will Lizhou still obey? Or will it also rebel against the Ming?
The Tibetan soldiers of the Six Pacification Commands were usually very respectful. But at this critical juncture, they dared not believe it!
Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. After much thought, it seems that only the Han army is the most reliable right now, but if the court doesn't send reinforcements, where can we find Han troops to help?
Upon seeing the court's reply, knowing there were no reinforcements, everyone was filled with disappointment. But they could only follow the instructions with a glimmer of hope.

However, another ten days passed, and not a single soldier came to their aid. Even the nearest Six Expeditionary Commands did not send a single Tibetan reinforcement.

Instead of reinforcements, they were met with She Chongming's puppet Liang army!
As expected, She Chongming refused the offer of amnesty without hesitation. He also humiliated the Chengdu prefectural magistrate who had been sent to negotiate the peace, drawing a Yi script mark on his face and shaving his beard before letting him go.

This move shows that She Chongming had absolutely no hope of being appeased!

She Chongming not only resolutely refused to be pacified, but also demanded that Chengdu immediately surrender, otherwise he would not stop fighting for three days after the city fell!

At this moment, seeing the enemy's imposing presence, many officials and soldiers were trembling with fear, their faces ashen.

General Liu Chengsi of Sichuan said with a wry smile, "We only realize how weak we are when we need them. We have tens of thousands of soldiers, but we lack food and supplies, our weapons are substandard, our training is lax, and we are not good at battle. When it comes down to it, we are so useless!"

Looking at the enemy army below the city with its overwhelming momentum, and the Sichuan soldiers on the city wall who were pale, weak, tense, and armed with inferior weapons, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, a sense of guilt rising in his heart.

If... if everyone had been less stingy, less corrupt, and less bloodsucking, wouldn't things be much better?

But thinking about this, he felt a little lost. Even if he didn't embezzle, what then? The lion's share went to the civil officials. From high-ranking officials to local clerks, who didn't get a cut? Was this just his problem?
The imperial inspector Li Shihua was also deeply distressed, saying, "Corruption is rampant, and retribution is inevitable! If the country had a clean and honest government, would it be in such a precarious situation today?"

He knew very well that the truly elite troops in the city who could fight tough battles were mainly the personal guards of the generals and commanders, as well as the governor's battalion of the newly appointed governor of the three provinces, Wang Jiguang, which totaled only about three thousand men.

Besides that, there were the eight hundred guards of the Shu King's Palace, who were considered elite troops.

As for the remaining 20,000 troops, 90% of them were incapable of fighting tough battles. Although they were indeed regular, well-organized government troops, most of them lacked armor and their weapons were of poor quality.

Based on this calculation, the number of elite troops capable of fighting tough battles is at most six or seven thousand, no more than that. The others can only assist in defending the city.

The disparity in strength is enormous, and the situation is extremely dangerous!
Provincial Treasurer Zhou Sijing also looked bitter. “When I was the principal of the Ministry of Revenue, I opposed Zhang Juzheng’s reforms, especially his performance evaluation system. I thought it was a way to exclude dissidents under the guise of improving the administration and reorganizing the army. But now I think Zhang Juzheng was right.”

“A gentleman is in danger of being disgraced and nearly shamed, and it is fortunate to live in seclusion in the mountains and forests.” Wang Jiguang sighed. “But we, as ministers of the state, have the responsibility to protect the land and ensure the safety of the people. When we are entrusted with this mission in a time of crisis, it is too late even if we resign our posts and retire to the mountains and forests.”

"Alas, I now feel an overwhelming envy for those who have been dismissed from their posts and returned to their hometowns."

"Your Excellency!" General Liu Chengsi said, "Should we order an attack to stop the enemy from filling in the trenches?"

"If left unchecked, the trench will be filled in by the afternoon at the latest!"

"How can we manage them?" Wang Jiguang said helplessly. "They are all Han Chinese. Are we supposed to shoot arrows and cannons at them? Even if we disregard their lives and kill them all, we will use up at least half of our arrows and cannonballs. How many more days can we hold out?"

Commander Gao Zhezhi shook his head and said, "We cannot attack Han prisoners. This is She Chongming's treacherous plan, killing two birds with one stone. If we attack, we will only kill Han people, which will inevitably affect the morale of the army. It will also consume arrows, ammunition, and stamina. Moreover, the rebels can simply throw the bodies of those killed into the trenches to fill the gaps."

No one was stupid; they could easily see through She Chongming's open conspiracy. They could only watch helplessly as tens of thousands of Han prisoners were driven by the Guoluo soldiers, silently carrying soil to fill the ditches.

Meanwhile, the Gulu soldiers, clad in fine rattan armor, slapped their rattan shields with their swords, danced and laughed wildly, and whistled sharply, mocking the Ming army.

She Chongming was somewhat disappointed to see that the Ming army had not stopped them from filling in the moat.

I won't fall for it.

But so what? Once the moat is filled in at our leisure, we can still attack the city.

On the city wall, Wang Jiguang, his heart heavy, withdrew his gaze and said to the Provincial Governor Zhou Sijing, "Why hasn't His Majesty the Prince of Shu arrived yet? Where is the imperial edict from the Prince of Shu?" The Prince of Shu he referred to was, of course, the current Prince of Shu, Zhu Xuanqi. According to the customs of the Sichuan and Chongqing officialdom, one should not address the Prince of Shu directly, as that would be disrespectful; instead, one should respectfully address him as the Prince of Shu.

Everyone was also very puzzled as to why the rebel army was already at the city gates, yet the King of Shu had not arrived, nor had he responded by providing money and provisions to defend the city.

They still had high expectations for the King of Shu. This was because the current King of Shu was different from other vassal kings; he was a rare and wise ruler, a true "outlier" among them.

This King of Shu was frugal like a poor scholar and cared for his people like his own children. This year, when there was a famine in Shu (the 24th year of the Wanli reign), the King of Shu opened his granaries and donated tens of thousands of bushels of grain to relieve the disaster victims.

He also strictly restrained members of the imperial clan from harming the people and severely punished Zhu Chengsui, a member of the Shu clan who forcibly seized farmland.

They also voluntarily returned farmland to the people, giving away hundreds of thousands of acres of land in one go, reducing farmland by more than one-third.

In addition, the King of Shu rebuilt the Furong Academy in Chengdu, making it the foremost of the three major academies in Shu.

In addition, this Shu king also provided funds and grain to repair the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, build bridges and roads, and provide relief to the elderly and orphans.

Aside from the taboo against rewarding the troops, the current King of Shu is impeccable.

Logically speaking, the King of Shu should have arrived long ago, right?
Just as everyone was anxious, a procession of honor suddenly came from the north, followed by a cavalryman who rode up and shouted:
"The King has arrived! Officials, there is no need to greet him; simply guard the city walls!"

As they spoke, the clanging of armor resounded throughout the area, and three hundred cavalrymen appeared first, followed by five hundred guards infantrymen clad in gleaming armor.

Eight hundred guards escorted a nobleman who was nearly fifty years old and dressed in magnificent armor with a coiled dragon pattern. The nobleman was radiant, with a long sword with a jeweled hilt hanging from his waist, and rode up on horseback with a light touch on the reins.

He is Zhu Xuanqi, one of the few wise princes among the current vassal kings!

Following the eight hundred guards of the Shu King were several hundred servants escorting heavy horse-drawn carriages.

The King of Shu, clad in princely armor and escorted by his personal guards, ascended the city wall. He simply waved his hand to dismiss the officials from formalities and then looked out of the city.

His expression changed drastically at just one glance.

The rebels have quite a large force!
"Issue my decree!" the King of Shu roared, "For every day a soldier defends the city, he will be rewarded with at least two taels of silver! If he can defend for one hundred days, he will be rewarded with at least two hundred taels of silver!"

"If Chengdu cannot be captured within a hundred days, She Chongming will surely be defeated!"

He pointed behind him, "There's plenty of gold and silver in the carriages! As long as you can defend the city, I'm willing to give it to you!"

"As long as the rebels are defeated, I will personally request credit from the Emperor afterwards!"

"Families of those who died in battle will receive preferential treatment and compensation!"

"The Prince's granaries are overflowing with grain! Eat to your heart's content! We have nothing to fear from the rebels besieging us and cutting off our supplies!"

Upon receiving the order, cheers erupted throughout the city walls, greatly boosting the morale of the Ming army.

Wang Jiguang and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't expected that the King of Shu would be so righteous in this critical moment.

He truly deserves to be called a wise king.

The King of Shu personally took up his bow and shot an arrow at the rebel army. Although it fell to the ground not far away, it still aroused cheers.

"Your Highness is a master archer!"

"The Shu Prefecture is mighty!"

When She Chongming, who was standing below the city, saw the arrival of the Shu King's royal carriage and the sudden surge in morale of the Ming army, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

I had long heard that Zhu Xuanqi, the King of Shu, was quite virtuous, and it seems I was right. Originally, I planned to burn him alive as a sacrifice to the gods after conquering Chengdu. Now it seems I'll have to put in a lot of effort.

By the afternoon, the rebels had filled the trenches, and the siege had officially begun.

The Prince of Shu and the newly appointed governor personally defended the city walls, directing the Ming army in their defense. Cannons, muskets, and rockets bombarded the elephants below, causing them to hesitate and retreat.

However, the rebels were indeed fierce, and their rattan shields and armor provided excellent protection, which greatly limited the Ming army's firearms in terms of lethality.

However, it was not easy for the rebels to capture the fortified city of Chengdu.

Over the next few days, the rebels attacked the city in shifts, even at night. The Ming army defended it fiercely and managed to save Chengdu.

The rebels suffered thousands of casualties, while the defending army also suffered thousands of casualties. It seemed about the same, but the Ming army was the defending side and could only exchange one for one with the rebels, which actually put them at a great disadvantage.

The gap in combat strength between the two sides became increasingly apparent after the fifth day.

The Guoluo soldiers are fierce and fearless, and extremely tenacious. When they attack a city, they are fierce and persistent, and they will fight to the death without orders.

The fighting is really intense.

In contrast, the Ming army was exhausted and finding it increasingly difficult to cope. Although the Prince of Shu was generous with rewards, there were still too few elite troops. Most of the Ming soldiers, even if they dared to fight, were too weak in combat. Many could not draw their bows properly, their arrows were weak, and they were also very clumsy and slow in operating firearms, only able to fire once every half day.

Sadly, these combat skills require long-term training; last-minute cramming is useless.

On the other hand, the rebels below the city fired arrows quickly and fiercely, and they were very skilled at operating their limited number of firearms.

Because the defending forces were weak, even the defenders suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the attackers. In the end, the defenders themselves suffered even greater losses.

After three more days of fierce fighting, as the defending army's elite troops were nearly exhausted, the morale of the Ming army finally began to collapse.

By this point, the Ming army had suffered over 12,000 casualties! The household guards and royal guards were almost entirely wiped out.

No matter how much the King of Shu, Wang Jiguang, and others urged and encouraged them, it was to no avail.

The weakened fighting force caused by rampant corruption could not be quickly restored by generous rewards. Even with hundreds of thousands of taels of silver bestowed by the King of Shu, it was still difficult to defend Chengdu.

The city will fall by tomorrow at the latest!

Unfortunately, no reinforcements arrived. In truth, even if they continued to hold out, what reinforcements would come? Sichuan had already been abandoned by the court, which was preoccupied with its own problems!
She Chongming, standing below the city, stared coldly at Chengdu, his face ashen.

Damn!

Eight days have passed, and the Black Yi warriors have suffered more than 7,000 casualties, yet they still have not captured Chengdu!
This loss of life fueled his murderous intent!
"By order of the King," She Chongming said coldly, "Chengdu must be captured by tomorrow morning! After the city falls, all men shall be executed!"

With the ruthless order given, the Gulu army launched an even fiercer offensive, climbing upwards with nimble movements using ladders.

The Han Chinese prisoners they captured were responsible for manufacturing siege ladders and siege engines, which were continuously sent to the city walls.

"Your Highness," Wang Jiguang said dejectedly, "please break out of the city. We can only perish with Chengdu."

The King of Shu sighed, "Chengdu is my home. Even if we break through, how can we escape? The only way now is to fight to the death, and at least then we can have a quick end."

The imperial inspector, Li Shihua, had already donned his armor and shouted sternly, "Scholars must serve their country today!"

At this moment, even the civil officials began to join the battle.

The poorly trained defenders could only launch a hasty and disorganized counterattack, with disappointingly poor results.

With their elite retainers and guards exhausted, no matter how many men they had, they could no longer defend Chengdu.

The King of Shu and Wang Jiguang, among others, looked at the defenders' futile, chaotic, and powerless counterattacks with utter despair in their eyes.

It’s over.

The King of Shu couldn't help but shed tears, saying, "We only held out for eight days. How did it come to this? If we had just ten thousand more elite troops, just ten thousand, the rebels wouldn't have been able to take Chengdu."

Wang Jiguang, Li Shihua, and others all looked grim and remained silent.

Yes.

But who's to blame? Whose fault is it really?

They all embezzled military pay; everyone got a share. But when they first entered officialdom, they were full of enthusiasm and sincerity, and never thought of profiting from the soldiers' blood or drawing salaries without working.

But the officialdom is like a giant dye vat; once you enter, you can only conform and go along with the corruption. Before long, you'll find yourself powerless and gradually get used to it.

The Ming Dynasty is sick, and it is very sick.

The Prince of Shu turned to look at his son and said in a hoarse voice, "It's time. There's no other way. We, the Zhu family, must have backbone. Go back and tell your mother, your sister, and all the women in the family to prepare to commit suicide. The Ming imperial family cannot fall into the hands of traitors."

"Father..." Zhu Fengquan's expression was ashen, "Your subject believes that we should surrender..."

"You scoundrel!" the Prince of Shu roared. "You surrendered, but do you think She Chongming will spare you? How can a member of the Ming imperial family surrender to a traitor!"

"Go back! Propagate this decree! All women in the household are to stand by. The moment the city falls, they are to commit suicide! You, personally escort your mother, your sister, the Crown Princess, and the others on their way!"

"Yes!" Zhu Fengquan knelt down and kowtowed, leaving with tears in his eyes.

Wang Jiguang shouted, "Your Highness is truly righteous! We swear to live and die with Your Highness!"

The King of Shu drew his sword and roared, "The greatest terror between life and death is nothing more than this! A true man should sacrifice his life for righteousness today!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a long horn blare from below the city, and then he saw the attacking Guru army retreating like a tide.

Why did the enemy suddenly retreat, as if facing a formidable enemy?
As everyone was still in shock, they saw a cloud of dust rise from the southeast, and a tall banner fluttered in the wind—it was none other than the Ming army's Red Sun and Crescent Moon Banner.

"It's the royal army!" the King of Shu exclaimed with delight. "The royal army has arrived!"

The crowd was immediately invigorated and filled with excitement. That huge banner was clearly that of the Ming Dynasty's royal army!

The reinforcements have really arrived!

Immediately, several fast horses galloped to the east gate, shouting loudly:
"Grand Regent and Grand Commander Yin of the Ming Dynasty has been ordered to suppress the rebels! The imperial banner has arrived!"

...

P.S.: Today's chapter is quite long, 7,000 words! Please vote with your monthly tickets, thank you! Goodnight.
(End of this chapter)