Chongzhen was unwilling to sit still, he endured the panic in his heart and called Wang Chengen.

"Didn't the companion say that there were not enough troops on the city walls, and that the soldiers lacked food and clothing? Take a pen and paper, and I will issue an order to let the relatives and ministers donate silver and salary. With so many people in the city, as long as they give silver, it will not be difficult to mobilize 100,000 Ding Zhuang to defend the city. ”

Wang Chengen's mouth opened, and he stopped talking.

Chongzhen was immersed in his own train of thought, and did not see Wang Chengen's expression, and continued: "As long as the city gate is not lost, as long as it takes three or five days, Wu Sangui's reinforcements will definitely arrive." Even if the Qiong Navy arrives, it is better than breaking into the city! ”

Wang Chengen reluctantly replied: "Long live what Lord said is right. Although the Qiong Navy is dominant, it is always a member of the imperial court, as long as it is surrounded by official titles. Moreover, in the past few years, whether the Qiong Navy is fighting the Rogues or the Tartars, it is invincible and invincible, as long as the army arrives, the rebellion will definitely be wiped out......"

Chongzhen was in a better mood when he heard it. No matter how prejudiced he is against Xia Nan, there is no doubt about the combat effectiveness of the Qiong Navy, which can be called the strongest army of the Ming Dynasty. Now that Daming has reached a critical moment of survival, all kinds of grievances between him and Xia Nan can be put aside for the time being.

"The companion is right, hurry up and wait for me to write the decree."

Wang Chengen finally couldn't help it, knelt down with a plop, and said with a crying voice: "Long live Lord, the slave should not have blocked you, but there are some things that must be said." ”

Chongzhen was a little stunned, and stretched out his hand to raise his hand: "What is this doing?" Something to say got up and said. ”

Wang Chengen didn't stand up, knelt on the ground and said: "Long live the Lord is concerned about the country and the country, and he is frugal and frugal, but outside the palace is a different scene, the ministers of Xun Qi eat and wear extravagantly as usual, and if they want to ask for silver from them, I am afraid it will be empty and happy......"

"I lead by example, these people eat the king's fortune, but they obey the yin? Why do you all hide it from me on weekdays? Chongzhen's face fell, "I don't pursue them, now as a way to make up for it, donate some silver, it's not difficult, right?" ”

Wang Chengen knelt on the ground and didn't dare to answer.

Chongzhen Tie blushed: "I plan to let all the relatives and ministers donate silver according to their official ranks." The city is about to be broken, and there are no eggs under the nest! I don't believe they don't understand this......"

Groups of eunuchs went out of the palace gate with holy decrees in their hands, coming and going to the palaces of the emperor's relatives and court ministers. However, the call for donating silver and helping to help was not recognized by these people, and at the end of the day, they didn't even have enough 1,000 taels of silver. In order to show their poverty, some ministers took out their pots and pans to set up stalls on the street to sell, and some people posted notices outside their mansions to sell their mansions.

Chongzhen, who heard the eunuch's return, was very helpless, and he ordered someone to find the national abbot Jiading Bo Zhou Kui, hoping that the old man would take the lead and lead by example.

Zhou Mansion, facing the eunuch who passed the decree, Zhou Kui snorted and cried: "Please tell the emperor, where did the old minister get so much silver?" If you want to force it again, the old minister can only die to show the emperor. ”

The eunuch reluctantly persuaded: "Long live the Lord ordered, if Jiading Bo does not donate silver, he will break the legs of the slave and maid, and then replace him to come ......"

Zhou Kui secretly scolded in his heart, the dignified emperor, actually used this method to deal with his father-in-law. He sobbed and probed: "How much did the emperor say he wanted the old minister to donate?" ”

"Long live the Lord said, anyone who donates 30,000 taels is superior. If you want to set an example, it is best to donate 100,000 taels ......"

Zhou Kui suddenly exploded, jumped high, and shouted: "One hundred thousand? I can't take it if I kill it. I can make up to 10,000 taels at home, either take it or hang myself now! ”

Such a farce was staged in the mansions of officials everywhere, and after a few days, the wealthy Jiading Bo Zhou Kui finally donated 13,000 taels with the secret support of his daughter Empress Zhou. Cao Huachun of the Imperial Horse Prison donated 1,000 taels, Yang Sichang, the secretary of the Ministry of War, donated 2,000 taels, and the scholars of the cabinet donated silver ranging from 500 taels to 300 taels, but Wen Tiren performed well and donated 3,000 taels. In the end, the amount of money received from this donation was about 200,000 taels, which was really a drop in the bucket compared to the predetermined goal. Chongzhen's desire to recruit 100,000 Ding Zhuang to defend the city naturally failed.

On the 29th day of the ninth month of Chongzhen, the day before the 30th day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, it should have been a time to celebrate the New Year with joy, but Li Zicheng's army besieged the city, and from the officials to the people, they had no intention of celebrating the New Year. The army outside the city has long been dispersed, and the Beijing camp in the city is not the opponent of the Liukou, and the legendary reinforcements have not been seen for a long time - whether it is the Qiong Navy from Guangdong or the Guanning Army from Liaodong, they have disappeared until now - the people in the capital are panicking, and everyone is thinking about how to protect themselves in the next catastrophe. Some nimble people have already connected to the outside of the city, willing to respond internally, in exchange for personal safety and even glory and wealth after the city is broken.

From the morning, the Dashun army began to launch an offensive against Deshengmen, Andingmen, Xizhimen and Fuchengmen, the rumbling cannons and earth-shattering shouts of killing resounded in the sky, and the fragile city defense was crumbling under the huge offensive. In order to defend the city walls, many eunuchs were given swords to go to the head of the city, and together with the scattered soldiers of the Beijing camp and the people of Yong, they resisted the siege troops.

The seemingly impregnable walls of the capital could not stop the hundreds of thousands of Dashun troops, and the defenders' will to resist was quickly exhausted. In the evening, the eunuchs and the people guarding the Changyi Gate opened the city gate, and the Xibian Gate also opened, and thousands of Dashun troops entered the outer city as a whole, occupying all the intersections and important streets, and the other gates of the outer city were also opened. Just after the Shen period, the outer city of Beijing was completely lost, and the Dashun army controlled the entire outer city, and the inner city was already in the bag. Cao Huachun retreated to the imperial city with Teng Xiang's four guards, preparing to make a final resistance.

That night, the flames rose into the sky, and the Dashun army began to take over the capital. The resistance of force was sparse and not large-scale, and the soldiers of the Dashun army were more likely to take advantage of the chaos to rob and satisfy their personal desires. Although Li Zicheng also explained before entering the city that he must strictly abide by military discipline and not hurt the people, how can the soldiers from the loess of northern Shaanxi endure it when they enter the flowery world of the capital? Suddenly, the capital fell into a catastrophe, the mansions were burned, the money was plundered, the women were defiled, and in addition to the imperial city, the city of Sijiu became a purgatory on earth.

Li Zicheng was surrounded by the stars and the moon, and entered the city from Desheng Gate with great ambition. Seeing the fires everywhere and hearing the screams around him, Li Zicheng said with a smile: "We are people who want to do great things, don't ruin our future because of temporary greed." Send orders everywhere to stop the raids. As long as you take the country, you still care about what you want. ”