Chapter 58 Knocking on the Door
There was no result for two or three days. The officers and soldiers of Datong refused to leave the country and just argued every day. Yesen's patience had completely disappeared.
Emperor Zhu Qizhen was forgotten by civil officials, disowned by military commanders, and could not even be exchanged for some valuable gold or silver jewelry. He embodied the concept of uselessness in a single person.
Being an emperor to this extent is really disappointing.
Just as Yesen ordered his men to take Zhu Qizhen away and planned to retreat, there was suddenly movement on the city wall. However, this time it was not Shi Heng and the soldier who was responsible for delivering messages beside him who came. They did not have the red ribbons on their arms that the Ming army used to distinguish their identities, but red helmets and black armor.
Border officers had never been dressed like this before, so Yesen immediately realized that this was Zhu Qizhen's sister, the legendary Princess Shunde, who was also the current emperor.
Yesen immediately became interested and asked the soldiers who were about to drag Zhu Qizhen away by force to stop their actions, and he just watched from a distance.
Who knows what tricks the emperor is playing now? If you get too close when watching a show, you will inevitably get hurt. He is very clear about this.
Yuan Bin and Ha Ming, who were following Zhu Qizhen, looked at each other and had a vague sense of foreboding when they saw this.
The defenders had been avoiding him all along, but now a man suddenly appeared, dressed completely differently from the others. Even if his appearance could not be seen clearly, it was enough to prove that he was not a Datong defender, and it could also prove a saying, "When something is abnormal, there must be something wrong."
Zhu Qizhen seemed unaware of this and immediately shouted upwards, "It's me! I am the legitimate emperor! Open the gates and welcome me back!"
This sound was shouted with great force, and since everyone was waiting and watching, the sound immediately reached everyone's ears.
The Datong defenders on the city wall remained silent, as if they had not heard anything.
"Open the door! Open the door for me!"
After waiting for no response for a long time, Zhu Qizhen finally couldn't hold back any longer and pushed Yuan Bin and Ha Ming forward, urging them to go knock on the door.
If there were no Wala people guarding him, he would obviously have wanted to go up and knock on the door himself.
Even though Yuan Bin and Ha Ming were reluctant in their hearts, they had no choice but to go forward and knock on the door due to Zhu Qizhen's urging. However, they could always feel that when they went forward, the piercing gazes of the defenders on the city wall seemed to pierce through their bodies.
This time they felt unprecedented humiliation and embarrassment.
Now they were complete traitors to the Ming Dynasty. They lived in disgrace under the insults of the Oirat Mongols, and not only that, they brought the enemy troops to knock on their own door.
When the two of them came forward, the only people left in their field of vision were Zhu Qizhen and a team of Wala soldiers who were responsible for guarding Zhu Qizhen.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled faintly, took the bow and arrow from Shi Heng, and said quietly, "It has been over thirteen years since the Emperor passed away. For at least half of these thirteen years, I have been in the capital with my younger brother. How could I not know what kind of person my younger brother is?"
The harder she pulled, the harder she pulled the bow. The Yunnan guards following her swallowed unconsciously.
They had all seen how Princess Shunde usually bent her bow and shot arrows, so they naturally understood how His Majesty in front of them was mustering all his strength, and it was obvious that he was shooting arrows with the determination to kill.
The civil servants and female officials who were responsible for taking notes beside the emperor were silently taking notes.
Zhu Yuhuan's voice became louder and louder, saying:
"My younger brother, raised by Emperor Xuanzong Zhang and Empress Chengxiao, has studied the classics since childhood and is well-versed in the principles of being a ruler and a human being. He has the renowned 'Three Yangs' as his teachers, and is supported by the wealth of the people of the world—"
"In the north, he attacked the Alutai, Oirat, and Wuliangha. In the south, he conquered Luchuan and suppressed rebellions in Guizhou and Fujian. Internally, he could settle refugees and compile household registrations. Externally, he could unite with the Oirat and wipe out the remaining enemies. He carries the glory of my Zhu family and the dignity of the Ming Dynasty on his shoulders. How could he bring the enemy army to knock on his own door?"
"Since our great-grandfather, the people of our Zhu family can die in battle, can commit suicide, but never surrender! The people of the Ming Dynasty can betray the Ming Dynasty to save their lives, and the officials of the Ming Dynasty can betray the Ming Dynasty for profit, but the monarch of the Ming Dynasty can never betray the Ming Dynasty. This is the emperor's order!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the feather arrow in her hand flew out and headed straight for Zhu Qizhen under the city.
Zhu Qizhen was still shouting, but he saw that the people on the city wall had already drawn their bows and arrows. The desire to survive surpassed everything else, and he immediately fell to the ground. The feather arrow only nailed his clothes, forcing him to kneel on the ground and unable to move.
At that moment, Zhu Qizhen had completely understood who the man in the red helmet and black armor on the city wall was.
It’s Zhu Yuhuan.
After hearing what Zhu Yuhuan said, Shi Heng was stunned at first, but soon he understood the intention of Zhu Yuhuan's words, and immediately waved the archers on standby on the city wall to follow.
Once these words were spoken, both the soldiers and the officials had a reasonable explanation, and Zhu Qizhen had completely lost the right to explain all his actions. Regardless of whether he was true or false, cooperating with the Wala to knock on the door or enduring humiliation to save his life, Zhu Qizhen was destined to be nailed to the pillar of shame of the Ming Emperor.
Once this point came, there was no need for Zhu Qizhen to continue to remain on the throne.
Zhu Yuhuan could proceed to his next step, kick Zhu Qizhen directly out of the ranks of emperors, and then strengthen his legitimacy through his own abilities and political achievements.
Not to mention that Zhu Yuhuan had urged the Ministry of Rites to adopt the eldest prince under his own name as soon as possible.
If only Zhu Yuhuan was drawing the bow, it would not be obvious. The surrounding archers also bent their bows and drew arrows, which proved the attitude of the Ming Dynasty.
The Wala soldiers immediately pulled Zhu Qizhen back, but Zhu Qizhen's clothes were nailed to the ground, and he obviously had no intention of retreating. Instead, he went completely crazy and even pulled the Wala soldiers around him to block the arrows and shouted loudly.
"Zhu Yuhuan! You traitor! I am the emperor, I am the emperor!"
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