Zhao Hu personally led two battalions of elite soldiers to take an oar-sail clipper, followed Gao Zongting and Sun Wenbing, secretly rushed to Jiangning, and landed on Prison Island in the early morning of the 25th.

Gao Zongting's premonition was not wrong, as soon as he landed on Prison Island, Lin Xulu, who stayed on Prison Island, told Jiangning City about the first developments: "As soon as Lin Xiang and Lord Huang left Jiangning on the front foot, rumors spread on the back foot, saying that Lin Xiang and Lord Huang abandoned Jiangning first, and Huaidong wanted to sit and watch Jiangning City fall...... Yesterday alone, rumors spread in Jiangning City. ”

"Before the luxury flying tiger, Du Rong had been operating in Jiangning for the luxury family for many years, and it was not so easy to dig it up...... "Gao Zongting was not surprised, he was Li Zhuo's staff in his early years, and he spent a long time in Jiangning, and he was quite clear about the various situations in Jiangning City, behind the rise of rumors and the persuasion of Emperor Yongxing to go out of Jiangning to patrol Huaixi, there must be the shadow of the hidden pile of the luxury family making waves in it, but Emperor Yongxing and Chen Xiyan and others are guarding against Huaidong, even Lin Xuwen and Huang Jinnian's power is also greatly restricted, Huaidong works hard, It is impossible to eradicate the dark stakes of the luxury family for Jiang Ning. At this time, Sun Wenbing, Lin Xulu and others were restricted from entering and leaving Jiangning, let alone using the power of Huaidong to stop the spread of rumors in Jiangning City.

Gao Zongting said helplessly: "...... Rumors spread everywhere, which will shake the morale of the imperial army and the people in the city, it depends on whether the imperial court has the means to stop it in time, otherwise the situation is not optimistic. However, even if there is an adverse impact on Huaidong, it is easy to eliminate. ”

Sun Wenbing thinks about it, Huaidong's goal this time is ambitious, many things can't block the mouth of the world, if you scruple about this, you can't do anything.

Although there are some rumors that are unfavorable to Huaidong now, if Jiang Ning really can't keep it, the responsibility can't be pushed to Huaidong's head. Instead of worrying about Huaidong's reputation being affected, it is better to worry about whether Jiangning has the means to curb the rumors in time.

If the rumors continue to spread wildly, how much morale will the already vulnerable imperial camp army have left to defend the city?

If only Sun Wenbing was there, Lin Xulu would still be able to rely on the identity of the Lin family and rush to get ideas in many things. At this time, Gao Zongting and Zhao Hu came in person, and Lin Xulu also knew how to advance and retreat, and asked: "What should we do now, or do we wait and watch from the prison island?" ”

Gao Zongting told Lin Xulu the speculation that Emperor Yongxing might abandon Jiangning and escape, and asked, "Have you contacted Zhao Shuhan and Zhang Yubo?" ”

"Someone has been sent to the door," Lin Xulu said, "Zhao Shuhan and Zhang Yubo are unwilling to go out of the city, and Zeng Lao Guogong is also unwilling to go out of the city, so it is useless to persuade him." What's the matter, did the old seventeen specifically order? Do you want to send some people into the city for safety? ”

"Well," Gao Zongting nodded, and when he was leaving, Lin Lian had mentioned the safety of Zhao Shuhan, Zhang Yubo, Mu Guogong and others, but they were unwilling to go out of the city, and they couldn't be forcibly tied out, and said, "If the emperor really wants to go out of the city, they may also follow out of the city; Even if they can't come out, the luxury family can't kill indiscriminately...... "It's a pity that there are only a few officials and nobles who are willing to live and die with Jiangning City."

Sun Wenbing couldn't say anything, Jiangning was really about to fall, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses of the luxury family went in, and the most important thing for them was to defend the prison island, even if they sent three or five hundred people into Jiangning, they would not be able to rescue Zhao Shuhan and Zhang Yubo under the nose of the luxury family. Nowadays, the luxury family is massacring troops in Xuanzhou, Mingjiang, and Lishui, mainly targeting civilians, and the prestigious gentry and noble relatives dare not kill them arbitrarily.

Zhao Shuhan, Zhang Yubo, and Zeng Laoguo are very prestigious in their own right, and if the luxury family catches them, they will be imprisoned, and the possibility of direct killing is not high.

Perhaps Gao Zongting frowned, and he should consider how much impact the rumors that are spreading more and more crazy will have on the officials in Jiangning City.

The extravagant family's current massacre in Xuanzhou, Mingjiang, Lishui and other places can only cause two consequences: one is to make the Jiangning military and people more determined to defend the city, and the other is to make the Jiangning military and people more afraid and flee.

Because even if they surrender, they may not escape the bad luck of slaughter, perhaps more people want to escape from right and wrong, and few people can have the courage to be willing to live and die with Jiangning City.

The luxury family made it clear that they did not have the determination to occupy Jiangning for a long time, and when Huizhou received sufficient supplies, they also slaughtered the troops, which was fundamentally to destroy the foundation of Jiangning's periphery, so that the luxury family could get enough opportunities to recuperate after occupying Jiangxi - after the fall of Jiangning City, it would inevitably be a disaster for the millions of people in the city.

The extravagant family made a stand by slaughtering and plundering, how many of the Mancheng officials in Jiangning were willing to live and die with Jiangning City?

A few days ago, the officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate invited Emperor Yongxing to patrol Huaixi, which was just an introduction. Although Emperor Yongxing was reprimanded by the court and punished with a court staff, it is difficult to block the human heart, once the opening is dug up.

Lin Xuwen and Huang Jinnian, to put it nicely, are urging the superintendent to go out of the city, but it's not good, isn't it just the rumor that they fled from Jiangning, a place of right and wrong, and first protected their own safety?

If there were constantly officials who persuaded Emperor Yongxing to go out of the city to patrol Huaixi for the sake of their own safety, would Emperor Yongxing still insist? In fact, as long as this situation occurs, people's hearts are shaken and morale fluctuates, Jiang Ning will have no way to defend it anymore.

Perhaps the most important thing at the moment was to consider what they would do when Emperor Yongxing abandoned Jiangning and fled. Do you really want to send troops to intercept it?

Gao Zongting wanted to consider the possibility that Emperor Yongxing might abandon the city and flee to Huaixi, and Zhao Hu's immediate priority was to arrest the defense of Prison Island.

After Lin Jian left Jiangning, Lin Xulu bought all the land on Prison Island on behalf of the Lin family and the Dongyang Township Party. Prison Island is close to Jiangning City, so it is not possible to build a strong fortress directly on Prison Island, but there are parapet walls along the island.

The parapets are all made of boulders and plastered with mortar mixed with glutinous rice, and although the chest-high stone walls are not thick, they are unusually strong.

The stone wall is built on the water line in summer, when the river water is low, and there is a large river beach exposed outside the stone wall, but the beach that is easy to land on the periphery is temporarily laid with wooden pile walls, and the roundabout is also full of iron thorns and pits.

There were a lot of people who withdrew from the estuary. Even if they can evacuate to the north shore, unless they go back to their hometown in Dongyang, they can only eat and sleep on the north shore, and more people prefer to stay on Prison Island to wait and see the situation.

Fortunately, the previous prison room was very large, and later it was changed to a warehouse, and many warehouses were built, and before Zhao Hu and the others came, this side of Prison Island was not crowded.

After Zhao Hu saw it, he said resolutely: "Except for the small family of Xiang Yong, everyone else will withdraw from the north shore by boat. The luxury family does not have the ability to survive the swing, and the north shore is safe; On the contrary, after the fall of Jiangning, the luxury family will inevitably send troops to pull out the prison island as a nail......"

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The noon sun does not shine into the deep and wide Wenhua Palace, and the light in the hall is dim.

The sun finally came out, but the weather was getting colder and colder. As time went by, Yuan Jianwu gradually lost his patience, his temper became more and more irritable, and the palace maids and eunuchs were cautious, for fear of making a little mistake, so they would be punished with a cane and give half a life.

"Have Huaidong's soldiers and horses been pulled out of Xiaoshan, and why is there any news from Chizhou?" Yuan Jianwu paced back and forth in the hall, and asked sharply without words, "Lin Jian is a slippery head, does Yue Lengqiu have to live up to my trust?" ”

Zhang Yan was speechless, and he couldn't pick the emperor's heart at this time, even if he guessed that Yue Lengqiu might be to preserve his strength, he could only help him say a few good words first: "Jiangzhou is under the enemy, and the generals are clamoring to go back to relieve the siege of Jiangzhou first, Yue Xiang finally pressed it down, but Chizhou is short of food, and it is not easy for the army to go." Counting the time, Lin Xiang should be able to get to Chizhou today. As long as the Jiangzhou army moves, it will be fast, from Qingyang to Nanling, as long as the Jiangzhou army enters the Yijiang River, it can make the right flank of the rebels unable to stretch, and then just wait for the Huaidong army to come......"

"What about Huaidong," Yuan Jianwu asked impatiently, "The snow has stopped, the sun has come out, and the Huaidong soldiers and horses should also go north from Xiaoshan, why can't they see any movement?" ”

"The snow melts and the road is wet/slippery, the weather in Jiangning is cold, the wind blows overnight, and the wet soil can freeze solid; The climate in Hangzhou and Huzhou is warmer than in Jiangning, and the roads are more difficult to walk after the snow. Zhang Yan said.

"This is difficult, that is difficult," Yuan Jianwu said sharply, "It's not going to wait for Jiang Ning to take down the luxury family, and everything will become easy, right?" ”

"The emperor is angry...... Zhang Yan said.

The eunuch of the Yellow Gate trotted in and announced: "Wang Xueshan, the head of the household, asks to see ...... outside the palace."

"What is he here for?" Yuan Jianwu snorted coldly, the defeat of Yuling Pass, although he arrested Xie Chaozhong and Liu Zhi and took them to prison, he still had some resentment against Wang Xueshan in his heart, and said secretly: If Wang Xueshan hadn't stood up and inserted a lever, Xie Chaozhong's dispatch of troops might have been stopped by Chen Xiyan, and there would have been no next series of things.

"It's said there's a secret story." The eunuch of the Yellow Gate replied.

"Let him in!" Yuan Jianwu said impatiently.

"Wechen will retire first." Zhang Yan said.

"If Wang Xueshan has any secrets, you can stay and listen." Yuan Jianwu said.

After a while, Wang Xueshan came in with the eunuch of the Yellow Gate, saw Zhang Yan in the palace, and said after knocking: "The minister has an urgent secret to play......

"If there is something to say, Zhang Yan doesn't need to avoid it." Yuan Jianwu said.

Wang Xueshan's eyes turned twice, Zhang Yan poured out his surprise here, worried that he would see the flaws, but after leaving the Wenhua Palace, he could only stubbornly continue, and said: "The minister has a secret report, the king of Hailing and the queen mother have secretly taken into the military camp of the Huaidong Army in Chongzhou three days ago......"

"What, Huaidong is so bold!" Yuan Jianwu stood up suddenly, glaring at Wang Xueshan angrily, as if Wang Xueshan had taken King Lu over.

Zhang Yan knew that this matter was not trivial, and regardless of the loss of etiquette, he asked Wang Xueshan sharply: "What is the basis for Lord Wang to say this?" ”

"What basis do you want, the soldiers and horses in Huaidong have not moved for a long time, isn't it the idea of fighting!" Yuan Jianwu lost his mind and asked Zhang Yan sharply, "Until now, do you still have to defend Huaidong?" ”

Zhang Yan confessed repeatedly, and Wang Xueshan wiped sweat on his heart. Although he prepared a witness, he was also afraid that the old and spicy Zhang Yan, Chen Xiyan and others would see the flaws, but he didn't expect the emperor to be the first to be convinced.

Despite saying this, Wang Xueshan still said cautiously: "The minister and the county prince of Pengcheng have never been on good terms, and everyone in Jiangning City knows it. The prince of Pengcheng County rose to Jiangning, and he was good at using ruthless methods, and the ministers had to be on guard. Therefore, the minister sent an informant to work in the Pengcheng County Mansion, thinking that he was spying. King Hailing's entry into the Huaidong military camp was secretly passed down from the Pengcheng County Mansion to the minister's informant, and the minister's informant learned that this matter was not trivial, so he immediately sneaked out of Chongzhou and returned to Jiangning to report to the minister; In addition, both inside and outside the Hailing Palace, there are also soldiers of the Huaidong Army, and it is difficult for outsiders to approach ......"