Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

Chapter 136 The Reaction in the Capital

The Forbidden City, Beijing, the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.

"Half a month has passed, and this is your reply to me?"

Emperor Xianfeng slammed the memorial in his hand to the ground, stood up, his nostrils flaring and his teeth clenched in anger.

"The situation is unclear. It was unclear two weeks ago, and it's still unclear two weeks later. Even a pig could carve out a path in two weeks! What about you?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"

Inside the West Warm Pavilion, several Grand Councilors knelt on the ground, their heads pressed against the cold gold bricks.

The leading Grand Councilor, Wen Qing, pressed his forehead to the ground, his heart filled with bitterness: "Your Majesty, it's not that we servants are not trying our best, it's just that the situation in Tianjin is too complicated right now."

"After Su Shun went missing, the servants sent several groups of people disguised as grain merchants, refugees, and even beggars in an attempt to sneak into the city."

But the city gates remained closed, soldiers patrolled the city walls day and night, and even iron chains were strung across the moat to stop boats, making it look like the city was being defended.

Seven or eight men have already been lost. All we have is the news that the city walls are still standing, with no fires or unusual activity visible in the distance. Nothing else.

Half a month ago, when the secret report of the assassination of Zhili Governor-General Guiliang was delivered to the Forbidden City by express courier at a speed of 600 li, Emperor Xianfeng was shocked but did not lose his composure.

After consulting with several Manchu and Han officials in the Grand Council, he immediately appointed Su Shun as Imperial Commissioner to investigate the matter in Tianjin. He was tasked with appeasing Gui Liang and simultaneously holding Da Nian, the General of Tianjin Garrison, accountable.

Who would have thought that Su Shun would never return, and that he and the thirty guards he took with him would also vanish without a trace.

Now even a pig would know that something must have happened in Tianjin.

Emperor Xianfeng immediately made a series of decisions.

He ordered Senggelinqin to lead his troops to Hexiwu, southeast of Tongzhou, to reinforce the first line of defense around the capital, in case of any unforeseen events.

He ordered the provinces of Fengtian, Shandong, and Henan to send troops to assist in the defense, and strictly prohibited anyone from providing aid to Tianjin by land or sea.

At the same time, orders were issued to send men to the Tianjin garrison's directly subordinate battalions, including the Hejian Battalion, Jinghai Battalion, Wuqing Battalion, Bazhou Battalion, Wangqingtuo Battalion, Yongqing Battalion, and Wen'an Battalion, to monitor their defenses and guerrilla operations. Their military command was temporarily revoked, and a final decision would be made after the situation in Tianjin was assessed. Anyone who disobeyed orders was to be apprehended on the spot.

However, it takes time for these military orders to be issued and carried out.

The various auxiliary camps were scattered over a range of hundreds of miles, and it would take three to five days for messengers to travel back and forth. Changing commanders of the garrison required even more caution to avoid provoking a mutiny.

With this back and forth, the matter has dragged on until now.

Emperor Xianfeng gritted his teeth and paced back and forth in the West Warm Pavilion.

Tianjin was a hub for the Grand Canal, controlling the daily supplies of the capital. Grain boats crisscrossed the canal year-round, transporting grain from the south to the north, passing through Tianjin before being transferred to the capital.

If the grain supply is cut off, the capital will descend into chaos due to soaring grain prices, without the enemy even needing to send a single soldier.

Half a month has already passed; we can't delay any longer.

Upon realizing this, he immediately said, "No matter what the situation is in Tianjin, I have lost my patience."

Tingji sent Senggelinqin to command his own troops, and also to conscript Green Standard Army soldiers from Zhili and Shandong, advancing by land and water to reach the walls of Tianjin.

"Those inside the city who are willing to open the gates and surrender may have their lives spared. Those who resist will be killed!"

"twitter!"

The Grand Councilors responded in unison, their foreheads thumping against the gold bricks.

Tianjin.

Inside the county government's prison.

The smells of mold, urine, and damp earth mingled together, lingering in this dark and gloomy dungeon for years. Only at midday could the light barely illuminate the place.

Su Shun has been detained here for ten days.

Ten days ago, he was a high-ranking imperial envoy, with ceremonial guards and servants attending to his every need.

Now he huddled in a pile of moldy straw in the corner, his dark blue python robe wrinkled like pickled vegetables, his beard stubble thick, his eyes sunken, and he had lost a lot of weight.

For the past ten days, he has only had a bowl of thin porridge to fill his stomach each day, and he has become quite thin from hunger.

"Tell Da to come see me before the New Year!"

Su Shun looked at the yamen runners who came to deliver the thin porridge, struggled to sit up from the straw, and weakly shouted, "I am an imperial envoy, does Da Nian know what he is doing?"

Ten days ago, they successfully entered Tianjin. Da Nian led a group of people to pay their respects, speaking with utmost courtesy and repeatedly saying "You've had a hard time, sir." A welcoming banquet was laid out, with a table full of delicacies from land and sea.

But who would have thought that after a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, they would be drugged and pass out.

When he woke up again, he was already in a prison cell.

"That damn imperial envoy, he's a fucking prisoner now."

The constable who came to deliver the food sneered, "I think you're still being given too much food every day, which is why you still have the energy to talk."

Another constable said, "Go back and report to the boss that tomorrow we should just omit the rice from the porridge. These guys are all plump and strong, so they should be fine."

"Why wait until tomorrow? We're not even giving you porridge today. Let's just go hungry for another day."

The two constables exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. They turned around, picked up the porridge bucket, and returned the way they came, leaving the prison.

"Damn Nikan!"

Su Shun glared at the departing figures of the two men, gritting his teeth. "Once the Emperor realizes something is wrong here and sends troops to retake Tianjin, I will definitely skin those two bastards alive!"

A guard in the nearby cell whispered, "Master, you don't need to wait that long. Last night, while you were asleep, some constables sneaked over and said they could let us out."

A glint of light flashed in Su Shun's eyes, and he asked eagerly, "Really? When can we get out?"

The guard looked around before approaching the railing: "Master, don't worry. According to that constable, he will escort us out of the city at midnight tonight, along with some people who do not wish to rebel."

Su Shun then laughed: "Good, good, it seems there are still some sensible people in the city."

Meanwhile, inside the town magistrate's office.

Da Nian looked at Tang He and flattered him, "Your tactic of luring the snake out of its hole is truly brilliant; all the opposition forces in the city have been brought out."

Tang He sat in his chair and smiled slightly: "These people are hiding in the shadows. If we don't lure them out, they'll be a menace sooner or later. Fortunately, the imperial envoy arrived in time and was put in the county jail as bait. The fish came attracted by the smell."

Da Nian said, "It has been confirmed that there are six or seven salt merchants who will start an uprising tonight. They are all big shots in Tianjin."

Also present were Peng Zai'en, the magistrate of Tianjin, and some of the county yamen runners.

"They have already contacted the guards at the water gate, and they will launch a surprise attack at midnight, taking Su Shun out of the city."

Tang He asked, "Are the defenses at the water gate okay? We don't want them to break through; that would be a huge embarrassment."

Da Nian patted his chest and said confidently, "Don't worry, the main force is already hidden nearby. We'll catch them all once they reach the water gate."

It was night, a little over half an hour before midnight.

Outside the county jail, two bailiffs crept up to the cell gate in the dark. They moved nimbly, the iron locks clicking softly in their hands as they opened one after another.

Su Shun and dozens of guards had been waiting for a long time. When the iron locks were opened, they all stood up from the haystack.

As the lead constable untied the chains from their feet, he urged them in a low voice, "Sirs, hurry up, Master Peng is already waiting at the back door."

Su Shun kicked the constable and sneered, "How we act is none of your business, you Nikan!"

The constable rolled half a circle on the ground and quickly knelt down, saying, "It was my fault for being so talkative, sir, please calm down."

Su Shun stepped out of the prison gate, took a deep breath, and suddenly stumbled forward.

The guard behind him reacted quickly, grabbing his arm and asking anxiously, "Master! Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

Su Shun steadied himself and cursed, "Damn it, I'm so hungry my legs are weak."

Upon hearing this, the constable's eyes darted around, and he quickly pulled out an oil paper package from his pocket, presented it with both hands, and plastered a fawning smile on his face: "Sir, I have a sesame seed cake here, you can have it to tide you over."

A guard took it, opened the oil paper package, revealing a hard, flatbread inside. He broke off a small piece, put it in his mouth, chewed it, waited a moment, and after confirming that it was alright, handed it to Su Shun: "Master, there's no problem."

Su Shun took the sesame seed cake, wolfed down a few bites, and walked away while eating.

The group walked through the dimly lit passageway and soon emerged from the prison, arriving at the back gate of the county government office.

At the back gate, Peng Zai'en, the magistrate of Tianjin, dressed in old cloth clothes and carrying a bundle on his back, hurriedly bowed to Su Shun upon seeing him, his voice extremely low: "Your Excellency, the Imperial Envoy, you have suffered greatly."

Su Shun glanced at him, said nothing, but nodded slightly and continued walking.

The group continued forward, making their way towards the water gate in the southeast of the city.

Peng Zai'en and the county yamen runners walked at the front, feeling somewhat uneasy.

The process of contacting loyal and righteous people went surprisingly smoothly. The Green Standard Army soldiers in the city seemed completely unaware, and the operation was almost successful with minimal effort.

He felt something was off, but now that the die was cast, there was no turning back.

As they traveled along, more and more people joined them, mostly major salt merchants and their servants. Each of them looked tense and walked hurriedly.

Several salt merchants seized the opportunity and wanted to come over and pay their respects to Su Shun.

After all, he was a favorite of the emperor, extremely popular and sought after, someone you couldn't even curry favor with normally. Now that they were in the same boat, it was the perfect time to build a relationship.

But Su Shun had no time to pay attention to them; he was only thinking about escaping Tianjin as soon as possible and returning to the capital to report back.

Soon, the water gate arrived.

Beneath the arched gate made of bluestone, the iron gate fell, separating the river inside the city from the moat outside.

A man dressed in pro-DPP clothing was squatting by the gate. Seeing the lanterns of Peng Zai'en's group, he stood up and waved.

Peng Zai'en quickened his pace and stepped forward, whispering, "Commander Chen, open the floodgates quickly."

General Chen didn't move. He looked at the group behind Peng Zai'en and asked with a smile, "Is everyone here?"

"Who cares if they're all there? Just open the floodgates and let us out!" someone said impatiently.

Peng Zai'en urged, "The situation is urgent. It's alright if some people haven't returned yet. Let us and the Imperial Envoy leave first!"

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps rang out from all directions.

Torches lit up one after another in the darkness, and in the blink of an eye, the small open space in front of the water gate was as bright as day.

Hundreds of Green Standard Army soldiers rushed out from the city walls, alleys, and courtyards, swift and decisive. They raised their guns, all pointing them at the group in front of the water gate, and surrounded them.

Peng Zai'en's lips trembled as he finally understood where that strange feeling came from. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, a young voice came from behind the torch.

"Lord Peng, thank you very much. With so many people, if we were to search through them one by one, I don't know when it would take us forever."

Tang He emerged from the torchlight, his hand on the hilt of his knife, his smile particularly glaring in the firelight.

Peng Zai'en swayed and almost collapsed to the ground.

Su Shun's face was ashen in the firelight. He stared intently at Tang He and uttered a few words through gritted teeth: "Traitors, the Emperor will not let you go."

"Then you won't have the chance to see it."

Tang picked at his ear and whispered, "Start the fire!"

A barrage of gunfire erupted, riddling the more than one hundred figures beside the water gate with bullets.

Hexiwu.

The headquarters of the Mongol prince Senggelinqin was located here.

This small town is located in the southeast of Tongzhou, on the west bank of the North Canal, guarding the official road from Tianjin to Beijing. The town is small, but its location is crucial, and it has always been the key to the defense of the capital region.

Since relocating to this place, Senggelinqin has turned the flat land around the town into a temporary training ground. Tents are set up on both sides of the official road, and squads of Mongol cavalry are training on the training ground, raising clouds of dust.

Inside the central command tent, a topographical map of the area surrounding Tianjin was laid out in front of Senggelinqin, marking the detailed locations of Tianjin city, Beicang, Dagukou, the Haihe River, and various official roads and waterways in the surrounding area.

He bent down to study, his gaze shifting back and forth between Tianjin City and Beicang, twenty miles north of the city.

The sound of hurried boots echoed outside the tent, and a Goshha lifted the curtain and entered, kneeling on one knee: "Your Highness, this is a message from the capital."

Senggelinqin took the document, opened it, read it, remained silent for a moment, then placed it on the table and looked down at the map again.

"Is there any news from within Tianjin?"

Nagoshha shook his head and said, "There is still no news from inside the city, but there are unusual movements outside the city."

"speak!"

"The Henan famine victims have arrived at the gates of Tianjin. People from the city have been sent out to distribute porridge and provide relief, while also leading people towards Dagukou, saying that they are being sent to the area outside the Great Wall."

"To the area outside the Great Wall?"

Senggelinqin was truly surprised this time.

It should be noted that at this time, the imperial court strictly prohibited Han Chinese from entering the Northeast, and even built the Willow Palisade for this purpose. Han Chinese who were caught would be arrested and repatriated at best, and imprisoned at worst.

Gui Liang and Da Nian, being Manchus, should have been well aware of this.

"Gui Liang, Da Nian, what exactly do you want to do?"

He murmured, his finger tracing a line south from Hexiwu, stopping at the mark on Beicang.

"Since Tianjin is distributing porridge and grain, it must be transporting grain from the Beicang granary, otherwise it won't last long."

The order was given: Choktu was to lead 1,500 cavalrymen south along the official road, heading straight for Beicang. Upon reaching Beicang, the garrison was to be wiped out, and the road between Beicang and Tianjin city cut off, ensuring that not a single grain from Beicang could be transported into Tianjin.

"Yes!" Goshha bowed his head and accepted the order.

An hour later, 1,500 Mongol cavalrymen had formed ranks. Choktu raised his saber to the air, and the cavalrymen gave a unified shout, their hooves thundering as they rode south.