Chapter 216 Escape from the Palace

The outer city has been broken, the national gate has been broken, the capital is boiling, and the land of Kinki is full of rebels. When the Qing Dynasty comes to this, it is also the time to subjugate the country.

I don't know how many white flags have been raised in the capital. The outer city of Guangxu in 30 years is no better than the outer city of Guangxu in the 26th year of Guangxu, let alone the outer city more than a hundred years ago. After the reign of Gengzi, the foreigners demarcated the embassy area, so that a large number of noble princes and ordinary flagmen moved to the outer city.

In the outer city, there are Han people who hang white flags, there are Manchu people who put white flags, and Han Manchu officials who are determined to die for the country. These people calmly sorted out the manuscripts before they die, then hanged up, jumped into the well, and then the whole family [***], just like the Jiashen disaster on March 19, the 17th year of Chongzhen 260 years ago. The general appearance.

Some elderly bachelors of Hanlin Academy were held on the footstool under the service of their sons and servants. Often after the son saw his father throw the ring with his own eyes, his son was also hanged. Sometimes he left a suicide note to his fellow officials or family members, saying, "Although they are Han people, they have not surrendered to the enemy."

Some families of some flag officers listened to the collapse of the outer city, especially those who were born in the eight nobles of Manchuria, and their surnames were often extremely strong. Hearing that the rebel army broke through the city and entered Beijing, he was afraid of humiliation, so he ordered his family to dig two deep pits in the backyard, and then gathered his family, separated men and women, and buried them alive.

In addition, there are several families who threw water, [***], took poison, and even cut their flesh and blood first like Ming Sizong, and then committed suicide. Compared with the inner and outer cities of Xingjia [***] and throwing into the water, there are not many Han people martyred. Only a few of them do not hesitate to bear the name of "Han anniper" for the sake of the righteousness of the whole monarchs and ministers, or hang themselves or take poison. I think they are ashamed of being an example of Shilin.

But what? Often when they hang themselves on one side and take poison on the other side, their bodies are often buried in the dug pit by their families. As for their whereths, there has long been a saying that they have returned to their hometown, in order not to defile the family's name. This act of martyrdom and loyalty has been "hidden" by their own family members. If the person is dead, the clan name still needs to be guaranteed.

On the street, the next team of prisoners in trumpet clothes and military uniforms were tied with their hands tied by a long string of ropes and put out of the city under the escort of soldiers. From time to time, some people held leaflets in their hands and shouted loudly.

The words "I would like to surrender, I would like to be Chinese subjects" walked out of the abandoned house or lane, and the weapons piled up into hills at the corner of the street were piled there. They were weapons thrown by the surrendered Qing army, and occasionally some bold citizens came out to take a look.

In the alley that was not destroyed by the fire of war, four soldiers with guns pointed to more than a dozen people in front of them. More than a dozen people in robes knelt down there, kowtowing from time to time and begging for words such as "Your Excellency's spare my life". They cried and begged, but the soldiers full of smoke and dust were unmoved. The four of them looked at each other. Both of them can see a trace of eagerness in each other's eyes.

With a muffled hum, the soldiers in the front row stabbed suddenly, "Oh!" A bayonet disappeared into one of the enemies' bodies in an instant, and the blood gushed out. The soldier took back the bayonet with a smile, but the person kneeling there knocked harder and begged for mercy. No one escaped. He just knelt down there and prayed that the four people could be kind.

"Your Excellency, there are old and young people in my family, please..."

Before he finished speaking, the soldier who took off the bayonet from the gun stroked his neck with a bayonet. After the aorta was cut, the blood sprayed into fog. He covered his neck and fell to the ground and twitched all over, and the blood fog splashed out of his fingers.

After a while, there were only a dozen bodies left in the alley. The four people carrying guns did not have any discomfort and tension. Instead, they laughed and laughed at the blood stains of their hands wiped in the ashes. They walked up the main street from the alley and then hid in the army.

When the Guangfu army that hit the outer city searched for the remnants of enemies in the city door by door, there was also chaos in the inner city. Looking at the inner city from the air, dozens of buildings and nearly a thousand houses were burned at night. This was the flame of the loyal ministers at the time of the death of the country.

Listening to the sparse sound of gunfire in the outer city, the Empress Dowager Cixi's heart was tight. Finally, when the gunfire was intense again, the Empress Dowager Cixi, who felt the situation was in crisis, immediately ordered.

"Call the military aircraft and the former minister."

As a result, only three military ministers came: Wang Wenshao, Lu Chuanlin and Qu Hongyu. The three of them were able to be summoned late at night because they had been living in the military plane.

"It's just the four of you! You see, everyone else has left our mother and son alone!"

At this point, a gust of night wind entered the house, and the candlelight on the imperial case swayed, reflecting the haggard face of the Empress Dowager Cixi and the bleak face of the emperor. In the palace, many times of clothes, graceful and solemn atmosphere, in the hearts of the kings and ministers, I feel the bleakness that has never been seen in this world, and all of them burst into tears!

"I don't see any more!"

Empress Dowager Cixi blew her nose and said again.

"Now we have to go! The three of you must go with our mother and son. Wang Wenshao is so old that he has to suffer this hard trip. I really can't bear it, but this is also a matter of no way. Fortunately, this road is not far away... Tieliang, the way to the embassy is to you!"

"Yes!"

Tie Liang hurriedly replied, "I will sacrifice my life!"

"Good!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi turned her face and asked.

"What else does the emperor have to explain?"

"Wang Wenshao!"

The emperor said in a rare loud voice.

"You must come."

Wang Wenshao didn't hear clearly. He kowtowed, but didn't stop talking.

Tie Liang, wearing a new military uniform and two short guns at his waist, asked again:

"Please ask the Empress Dowager and the emperor's decree, when are you going to leave?"

"I can't say it now."

The Empress Dowager Cixi was inconvenient to be strict at this time, so she could only say it in a consultative tone.

"There must be a few cars to move."

Many babies in this palace have not been transported away! Thinking that the gold and silver treasures she left in the year of Gengzi were plundered by foreigners, Cixi felt heartache, not to mention that this time was not worse than last time. Last time, there were loyal ministers and righteous people who gave them two flowers. This time... Hey... "Yes!"

Tie Liang quickly kowtowed and replied.

"I tried my best to prepare."

"Yes! Try your best, as soon as possible. When you are ready, we will leave immediately.

After saying that, the Empress Dowager Cixi returned to the bedroom and silently calculated for a while. She began to go to bed, but after less than an hour of sleep, she woke up. It turned out that the gunfire revived, but if it was intermittent, it seemed that there were still some soldiers in the outer city attacking and harassing the thief.

So Cixi got up and washed. When she was combing her hair, she only heard a series of strange noises and passed through the air. "Meow, meow" was like a cat.

"So there are so many cats?"

Before she finished her words, the Empress Dowager Cixi found that something was jumping around on the brick floor, making a very solid sound. When it stopped, a maid of honor picked it up and took a look. She happened to know the goods and couldn't help shouting.

"It's a bullet!"

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, and she was all panicked. The Empress Dowager Cixi was about to inquire about the origin, and she heard a trembling voice outside the curtain.

"The thief is about to enter the city! Why don't you leave, Old Buddha?"

When staring at it, it was Tie Liang who knelt outside the curtain. The eunuchs and maids who were walking for a moment stopped, and their eyes coincidentally focused on the face of the Empress Dowager Cixi.

"It came so fast!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi walked to the curtain and asked.

"Where is the rebel army?"

"I'm attacking Donghua Gate!"

No wonder bullets are flying! The Empress Dowager Cixi was really afraid at this time, because when the Donghua Gate was broken, it was Ningshou Palace to the north. The enemy has not only broken the city, but also penetrated deep into the city. It's really incredible!

However, her thinking was sharper and she shouted, "Tie Liang!"

"I'm there!"

"Have you found the car?"

"Twenty-five big cars!"

"Good! I'm leaving right away." The Empress Dowager Cixi then ordered, "Come to the emperor quickly!"

Under the Donghua Gate, the sound of gunfire and gunfire were endless. The artillerymen in the first town of Beiyang, who took back the cannon, first bombarded nearly 2,000 shells at the arrow tower of Donghuamen, and then under the cover of the cannon, they carried the siege ladder to attack the city. The most bloody siege battle staged here was that the ladder was not long enough. Suo, the soldiers who attacked the city fell from half of the wall into the moat like dumplings. The river was stained red with blood. When they attacked the city, the gunners who approached the bridge kept bombarding the gate with wild cannons, regardless of the bullets flying overhead.

The sound of shouting and screaming seems to have become the only sound between heaven and earth. The Beiyang officers and soldiers in the first town were ordered to die. They either beat down the Donghua Gate before the sky was released, or they went up to the commander to the soldiers and beheaded.

"The dog's light recovery army!"

He Zonglian, who was riding on the horse, scolded hatefully. He cursed the Guangfu army in his heart in his mouth. When they attacked the city, the cannons they pulled from Tianjin attacked Donghuamen across the outer city, the inner city and the Forbidden City, but the accuracy was not as neat as when they hit the outer city. On the contrary, more than a dozen shells fell one after another. Hundreds of people were killed and injured beside the siege troops.

"Master,"

Zhao Guoxian, who was riding on the horse next to him, said.

Although Nanjing still did not give the Beiyang Army, they might as well change it to the military system of "the first division of the Guangfu Army, the second division of the Guangfu Army" was also changed to the Guangfu army system of the division brigade battalion company. However, their reform has not been confirmed by the staff department of the Nanjing Guangfu Army, but it is not denied.

"This night is not as good as Bai, and the cannonballs can't catch up with the day!"

"Damn it!"

He Zonglian scolded.

"I understand what you said. Big... The vice chairman urged his life. By dawn, we must take the inner city. Now the full vice chairman can all point out..."

He didn't continue the next sentence. The vice chairman said it clearly, and he criticized the credit of recovering the inner city to protect himself. Nanjing's attitude towards the vice chairman was very ambiguous. On the one hand, he urged the vice chairman to go south to perform his duties, and on the other hand, he did not give the Beiyang Army.

Oh!

Thinking about it, He Zonglian sighed helplessly, and then turned her eyes to the collapsed Donghua Gate Arrow Tower.

"Fight for this life and fight for the vice chairman!"

As he said this, he listened to the sharp roar in the air and frowned. The cannon hit... At this moment, he only listened to a violent explosion. Suddenly, there was an earthquake on the wall, and the explosion inside the wall killed thousands of bricks and rammed earth pieces.

"Good! Good call, call them, that's how it's called!"

This shot only made He Zonglian, who was originally dissatisfied, suddenly cheer for it, and the previous dissatisfaction could be seen on her extremely excited face.

"The order goes down. After breaking the city, those who enter the Forbidden City and Dongjiao People's Lane will be killed without mercy!"

Although he is excited, he hasn't forgotten Yuan Shikai's advice. At this time, he must not make any trouble for the vice chairman. Although the gold and silver treasures of the Forbidden City are tempting, he has to use his head.

After shaking the mountain for a while, the choking smoke and dust rushed to his face with the screams of the soldiers. Rongqing, who was holding a waist knife in his hand, had been stained with a lot of blood on the yellow horse coat. Although he was a literati, he had just cut down more than a dozen deserters.

"Loyalty to the country!"

At this time, there are only these four words left in his mind. No matter what the imperial court is, no matter what the empress dowager is, it is time for him to celebrate his loyalty and serve the country.

"Sir, the wall on the left has collapsed in half. I'm afraid it's just a shot!"

Leha, with a knife in one hand and a foreign gun in the other, came out of the smoke and shouted. After dealing with the things at home, he lit the fire of the burning house and carried the knife to the wall.

"Le ha, today's master is going to be a loyal minister!"

Staring at Leha, Rongqing's face showed some pain. His wife did not fail him. The family's funeral was burned, and even the house was bored. The rest was to wait for the last moment to break the city.

"Sir, when the time comes, Leha will take a step first and lead the way for the master!"

Le Hajing, who was injured, said, and now there was another roar in the air. Listening to the roar, Leha knew that the city was going to be broken!

Several violent explosions in succession only made the Forbidden City shake with the earth.

The explosion only made Li Lianying's heart tighten.

"Does the old Buddha change his clothes first or comb his hair first?"

"Comb your hair?"

When the Empress Dowager Cixi touched her head, she suddenly felt that the last time she fled to the west, she also dressed up as a Han. The style of the hair combed by the flag woman is different from that of the bun with Chinese makeup. It is divided into two strands, called "swallow tail", commonly known as "handle head". If you only change clothes and don't change the bun, it is still difficult to hide the truth.

"Change your clothes first!"

Turning into the back of the bedroom, when she took out a set of cloth skirt wrapped in yellow clothes, Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help but be stunned! She wants to unload the clothes of the empress dowager, which is equivalent to removing the status of the empress dowager. Since then, the order may not work, or no one will pay attention to it. In case of crisis, if she can't deal with it well and forget to put on the style of the empress dowager, there may be an unexpected disaster.

"No!"

She stared at the cloth skirt and said in her heart.

"You can't be so casual! To humiliate yourself is to humiliate the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty! What's more, let the foreigners see it!"

This idea was just when it first came out, when I was making up my mind, I heard a "meow" and a bullet flew in from the window. Now, she stopped thinking about it. She let the maid of honor serve her, changed her clothes and shoes, and swayed to the front, feeling that she was very uncomfortable all over.

Walking to the mirror, the Empress Dowager Cixi looked at herself and said with a mocking smile.

"I didn't think that after four years, I dressed up as a grandma again?"

"It's good to be like it!"

Li Lianying held her arm and said, "I serve the old Buddha to comb his hair."

Li Lianying hasn't combed her hair for many years, but she is still very skillful. She untied the "swallow tail", combed it slightly, twisted it into a pendant bun with Han makeup.

"When Geng Zi Nian made a scene in the Boxer Rebellion, he would think that there would be another day in his life?"

The Empress Dowager Cixi pretended to be open-minded.

"What's more, I, a flag man, seem to have to dress up as a Hanren again, so that I can live my life!"

Li Lianying didn't answer, so she paused for a moment and asked.

"Old Buddha's decree, except for the emperor and the queen, who else will be sent with you?"

This makes the Empress Dowager Cixi hesitate. There are so many family in the palace. It seems unfair to bring this without that. If it is full, it is a burden. After thinking for a while, he resolutely said, "No one will bring it!"

At this time, the emperor who was saling in the Shouhuang Hall had arrived. The Empress Dowager Cixi didn't wait for him to kneel down and say, "What about your clothes? Change it, change it!"

So the maids took off their red hats and robes for the emperor. Li Lianying found a thin cotton robe with half an old black color and put it on for the emperor. The emperor was thin and weak, and the cotton robe had wide sleeves and no straps. He looked too unsimilarate, but he had to do it.

At that time, all the concubines of the palace had been notified, and they gathered in Ningshou Palace to be on standby. The Empress Dowager Cixi took care of this outfit and was a little ashamed to see people, but since she was the lord of a palace, before she ran away, she could not be without an explanation.

"The thief has invaded Beijing!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi spoke slowly and her voice was not high.

"I can't help but go with the emperor for the future of the Qing Dynasty. You don't have to go with me for the time being! Don't be afraid. Be patient for a few days. I went to the embassy with the emperor and ordered it to see the situation.

At this point, there has been a sobbing sound. The Empress Dowager Cixi also felt embarrassed. She wiped her tears with her sleeves, and had to say a few words to comfort everyone and express her confession.

"In fact, I don't want to part with you, but I can't teach you!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi had an idea and told a lie.

"I have already told King Qing! He will negotiate with the minister of various countries. He thought that the minister of various countries did not leave you difficult last time. At this time, he will definitely protect you well and go back separately!"

No one in the palace dares to argue with the Empress Dowager Cixi, and in this way, it is impossible to escape with the two palaces. Last time I didn't take them away, how could I take them with me this time?

Thinking of this way, no one made a request to obey, saying that everyone knelt down.

"The Empress Dowager, the emperor's lucky star all the way, said early... back to Luan!"

Then he arranged in front of the door, waiting to kneel down and send the two palaces. When the last two words were said, everyone cried out. Everyone knew that there was no possibility of returning to Luan for fear that the emperor and the empress dowager would leave like this.

This Qing Dynasty is about to die... In the Empress Dowager Cixi, of course, she can't take care of any rituals at this point! He stepped forward to the west, followed by the emperor, the queen and the eldest brother, in addition to a large group of eunuchs and maids of honor.

In front of Dexihua Gate, I saw three women in Han costumes kneeling to pick up. When they approached Fang Shi, they saw that it was the two daughters of Concubine Jin and King Qing, three grids and four grids. Concubine Jin didn't wait for the Empress Dowager Cixi to speak, and said first.

"I followed him to serve the Buddha."

"Okay! You follow."

The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded and asked the two daughters of King Qing.

"Why are you two sisters here?"

"Ama of the slave, ask the two of the slaves to serve the old Buddha!"

Although at this time of leaving the temple in a hurry, the Empress Dowager Cixi was still intelligent and understanding King Qing's move, so Mingxin said that she would never collude with foreigners now or in the future, betray the empress dowager, and send these two women to accompany her, which really meant to be kept as hostages, so she happily agreed.

"Good! OK! You guys come with me, too."

And asked again, "Where are you, Ama?"

"Wait outside [***]." The three grids pointed to the door of the palace and said.

[***] There are not only the king of Qing, but also a group of princes Baile, as well as Tie Liang, the right-wing general of the government office, the servant of the Ministry of War and the commander of the infantry.

A crowd of people saluteed hastily, the Empress Dowager Cixi said.

"Get up and talk."

"Yes!"

King Qing agreed. First of all, stand up.

"These are the only cars?"

King Qing No, the rest of the princes naturally couldn't speak, so Tie Liang stood up and said.

"The empress dowager and the emperor can take this car." The Empress Dowager Cixi nodded and didn't say anything. It was not far from Dongjiaomin Lane. Even if she walked, she could get there, but she still had to get in the car. Who knew how long Rongqing could stay? In case he surrendered... Thinking about this, Cixi hated herself for a moment, so she hurriedly said. One sentence.

"Don't talk so loudly! It's a handlebar thing to catch the car later. You are not allowed to interfere!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi said again.

"Everyone got into the car and put down the curtain. Don't let people see it."

After saying that, she got on the car with the two daughters of King Qing. Li Lianying walked to King Qing and whispered.

"Old Buddha's meaning is to get out of the Forbidden City from [***], which is considered magnificent. Your Highness, do you think it's appropriate to go like this?

"It's nothing. It's the Japanese soldier guarding the north entrance of Dongjiaomin Lane. I've sent someone to deal with it first."

King Qing didn't say that his family, old and young, had entered the Japanese embassy, but they just lived in the courtyard.

"That... Grandpa Li, when you arrive at Dongjiaomin Lane, Tieliang's guns will have to be handed over. You have to talk to the Empress Dowager!"

"Hmm! It's still King Qing, hey! Let's not talk about the old slave. The safety of the Empress Dowager and the emperor is all to you.

Just as the handlebars raised the whip and the wheels began to move, Empress Dowager Cixi pulled the curtain and looked at the Daqing Gate in front of her. However, she saw that a white flag had been raised on the head of the city, and her face changed. She didn't expect it to be so fast. The guard of Daqing Gate actually However... it actually fell.

Tieliang also saw this scene. For a long time, he was preparing how to escort the empress dowager and the emperor to Dongjiaomin Lane, but he ignored the city defense. This white flag... "A thousand knives...!"

Before he finished scolding, a gunshot suddenly sounded from nearby.

(to be continued)