(Hurry up and finally finished another chapter. Today I want to go to the elders of the three families to pay New Year's greetings. I guess I have to drink. Once I drink too much, it is impossible to write it. If I am lucky enough to escape the risk of drinking from several brothers of my generation, I can still write another chapter after I come back.)

Cao Yunduan sat in front of the window, looking at the Ming army airships flying by in the distance from time to time, and bursts of violent explosions came from his ears. The smoke rolled in the entire palace and the fires soared into the sky. Teams of soldiers and eunuchs and palace maids were either carrying buckets, basins, or sandbags, trying hard to extinguish the fire in the palace. From time to time, a bomb would fall into the running crowd, and a large group of people would immediately roll over.

Once the crowd was frightened and hesitant and wanted to hide in all directions, the eunuchs and military heads in charge would curse and drive them out, and continued to risk their lives to pour pots of water into the sky-sky fire. They could only watch the pots of water turn into streams of green smoke rising into the sky.

Cao Yun sat quietly, and there was no sign of sadness and joy on his face. I don’t know how long it took, but the outside finally became quiet. The explosion stopped and the roar in the sky was no longer heard. Gradually, the palace also became quiet. The fire was extinguished, and only the green smoke remained.

The door sounded softly, and footsteps came from far away and stood behind Cao Yun.

"Your Majesty, you're settled for the time being."

"Well, can the army be stable?" Cao Yun asked in a deep voice.

"Stable." The crown prince Cao Zhu bowed his head. "Everything was in order. Now the two camps in the north and south have retreated into the city, and the city is defending, as solid as a rock."

"As solid as a sacrificial?" Cao Yun burst out laughing and pointed to the air, "How to defend?"

Cao Zhu couldn't help but blushed and couldn't make a sound for a moment.

"Where does it come from security? The Ming army bombed the North and South Camp and the Imperial Palace. The North and South Camp was forced to retreat into the city, but the stationed locations in the city were also bombed from time to time. Do you think if there were no inner ghosts, how could the Ming army know so clearly where they are?" Cao Yun said coldly.

"It's Cao Hui's business to remove the traitor. I'll go down to talk to him." Cao Zhu said angrily.

"The times are like this, what's the use of finding him? The Ming army is already a hundred miles away. At this time, I don't know how many people are looking for a way out for themselves, and I don't know how many people are rushing to be spies and spies for the Ming army, so as to pave a way for their future. Such spies and spies are afraid that they will be everywhere. How to investigate? How to kill? Can they be found all, can they be killed?" Cao Yun said coldly.

Cao Zhu clenched his fists and his face turned red. He looked up at Cao Yun, and then lowered his head.

Cao Yun stared at him for a while and said lightly: "Zhuo'er, are you thinking that if it weren't for the fight between me and your father back then, which greatly damaged Qi's vitality, wouldn't Da Qi have fallen to this level now?"

Cao Zhu's body trembled, was shocked, and knelt down with a loud shout, "I must never think like this."

Cao Yun smiled.

Cao Zhu became even more nervous and said tremblingly: "It was because my father had made mistakes first. My father was forced to go step by step. You just did it under the urgency of your own…"

"If the king wants his minister to die, he has to die." Cao Yun sighed: "Ye'er, there are only you and me here, and you don't need to be so scared. No matter what the grudge between me and your father, we are always the same lineage, and the same blood flows in our blood vessels. Now, I'm afraid anyone can surrender, but our surname Cao cannot surrender. Now, we are grasshoppers on the same line. We can't jump you or escape me."

Cao swallowed and knelt on the ground, not daring to answer. He knew very well that Cao Yun must be in a very bad mood at this moment. Once he answered wrong, a disaster might come. Even though both of them had surnames Cao, how could the Cao person have been lenient?

"At that time, our Cao family destroyed the Li family, and for hundreds of years, we have been trying to eradicate the descendants of the Li family. If our Cao family was defeated, the Ming people would definitely do this. So I don't care what you think in your heart, or whether you have any resentment towards me, it is actually not important at all. What is important is that we need to work together to overcome difficulties together."

"I understand!"

Cao Yun waved his hand, "Go to find Qian Weizhong and tell him that we need more artillery and more gunpowder now. If he can't create it, he, the Minister of Works, will not only not save his life, but his family will definitely die before the breaking of Chang'an City."

"Yes, after I go down, I will catch his family first." Cao Jie said with a murderous aura.

Cao Yun seemed a little tired, "The garrison troops in the capital you led should do their best to maintain stability in the capital, especially in granaries, arsenals and other places. There must be no problems. Leave the troops of the two camps in the north and south to Guo Xiancheng to lead them."

Cao Zhi never thought that Cao Yun, who had just talked to Yan Yuese about the Cao family's need to unite with sincerity, deprived him of most of his military power in a blink of an eye and suddenly became a deadlock.

"Guo Xiancheng is just a defeated general. He has been deeply favored by the country but has lost his troops and humiliated the country. How can he still use him so much? The two camps in the north and south are already our last elite reserve troops." Cao Zhan said in anti-verbal voice.

Cao Yun stared at him, "It's true that what I said to you just now was in vain? Do you think I don't believe in you and deprive you of military power? Think about it carefully, whether it's the qualifications to lead troops or the ability to command troops, which one of you is comparable to Guo Xiancheng? Luzhou is a great crime, not a war, if I go, the same ends. Guo Xiancheng can bring the main force back to arrange a second line of defense. It is already an amazing achievement to punish him earlier because the courts were talking hard and had to do it. Generals like Guo Xiancheng are not afraid of their reputation, nor are they afraid of the punishment of the court, and they also have to maintain the last vitality for the court. How many loyal ministers can there be in the world? You must understand that it is easy to die alone, but living with a slander is the most difficult thing."

Cao bowed his head and said nothing.

"You go, do your business well, and think about what I said just now. By the way, call Guo Xiancheng in for me." Cao Yun turned his head and looked at the Qingyan outside the window again, which was still standing straight up.

I don’t know how many times have passed, but Guo Xiancheng’s voice sounded outside.

"The criminal Guo Xiancheng asked to see Your Majesty."

"Come in, show it!" Cao Yun stood up, twisted his neck, and moved his neck, which was a little stiff due to sitting for a long time.

The door was pushed open with a creaking sound. Guo Xiancheng, dressed in ordinary people's clothes, stepped into the house. After he was sent to Chang'an by a chariot, he was deprived of all his positions and titles. Now he is really a civilian.

"Sinner Guo Xiancheng, please come to Your Majesty, Your Majesty Jin An." Guo Xiancheng's voice was a little choked. It would be impossible to say that he was not wronged, but this was a choice he made himself. No matter how bitter he was, he could only swallow it himself.

"I haven't seen you for a few months, you're much older. Get up, you don't have to do this between you and me." Cao Yun sighed lightly, moved a brocade stool, placed it opposite him, and then reached out to help Guo Xiancheng up.

Guo Xiancheng stood up with sobs and looked at Cao Yun: "Your Majesty, you are much older."

"Time has not destroyed us, but the times have forced us to grow old all night!" Cao Yun sighed, "You have been wronged these days."

"I lost my army and humiliated the country, and could not defend the country. This is the punishment I deserve!" Hearing Cao Yun's comforting words, Guo Xiancheng burst into tears. "I feel really guilty compared to Yi Hongyuan and Xu Junsheng and others."

"They died for the country, of course they were heroes, but you saved the last vitality for Da Qi, and you made no mistakes." Cao Yun said affirmatively: "You made a quick decision and continued this last breath for Da Qi! Sit, sit, let us monarch and ministers discuss the current situation."

"Yes!" Guo Xiancheng wiped his tears and sat on the brocade stool.

"Although you are at home these days, you don't think you will do anything. You should be very clear about external affairs. I won't say much, just tell me your opinion." Cao Yun said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Guo Xiancheng said: "I have carefully studied the situation between the enemy and us. Whether from the outside or from the inside, the Ming Kingdom now has an absolute advantage. The troops are stronger than ours now, not to mention the equipment. They have an overwhelming advantage. If they move their troops straight forward, even if His Highness the Prince can defend the Daling River defense line at all costs, we can't stop Chen Zhihua's troops."

"You are right. Chen Zhihua's cavalry along the way have penetrated into the suburbs of Chang'an. Although there are not many soldiers, it has also shocked Chang'an three times a day." Cao Yun nodded.

"This is what I can't understand." Guo Xiancheng shook his head and said, "Why didn't the Ming army go straight in such an advantageous situation? Chang'an is now trapped into an isolated city. Even if the other county governments are not occupied by the Ming army, they are now shrugging. Some are determined to protect themselves, while others are afraid that they have already secretly communicated with the Ming people. After a series of great defeats, I am afraid that even the people are not on our side. The time, the place, and the people are in harmony. Why don't they fight?"

"Yes, why don't you call me?" Cao Yun smiled slightly.

"If it were someone else to command the army, or the Ming people and the three armies were their own, I could understand it, but Qin Feng was in charge of the army in person. He had experienced many battles and had been fighting for more than 20 years since he joined the army at the age of 16. He had been fighting for more than 20 years and commanded the army to fight. His ability was not inferior to His Majesty. What was he thinking about? The daily consumption of hundreds of thousands of troops was astronomical. Even though the Ming country was rich, such consumption was still very terrifying." Guo Xiancheng looked at Cao Yun incomprehensible, looked at the faint smile on Cao Yun's mouth, and suddenly realized something in his heart: "Does Your Majesty already have the answer?"

Cao Yun stood up, picked up a small box from his desk, and handed it to Guo Xiancheng, "This is the archive that Cao had sealed for more than a hundred years. If you really want to trace these things back to the Tang Dynasty. When our Cao family overthrew the Li family, the first thing he did was to get this thing and confirm it, then he launched the final action."

Guo Xiancheng was stunned, his hands shook, and almost dropped the box to the ground.

"Your Majesty, I am not sure about such a thing?"
Chapter completed!