The Baozhou City Lord's Mansion covers a vast area and was built after Zhang Rou served as the Marshal of Baozhou Road Capital to rebuild Baozhou City. After resigning, he passed the title to his sixth son Zhang Hongluo and became the head of the Zhang family.

Zhang Hong was very good at strategy, was well-versed in classics and history, and was good at riding and shooting. He once moved to Bo from Rou to Zhenqi. In the year of Yimao, he entered the court of Xianzong and was granted a golden talisman and was given a ten thousand households in Shuntian. He conquered Shunshi, and was given a brocade garment when he was young, and ordered him to return to Zhen. After Rou retired, he was appointed as a golden tiger talisman and was in charge of the people. He also served as a member of the Great Capital with his father and was later transferred to the Xuanwei envoy of Jiangxi Province and was appointed as the governor of the Henan Province. After resigning, he entered the guards with his son and returned to his hometown to support his old age.

At this time, the lights were swaying in the study of Chengfu Hall, and the charcoal fire in the brazier was light and dark. Zhang Honglei and Zhang Gui sat opposite each other on the couch. Seeing his nephew's face frown, he said, "Public, is it really not going well?"

"The six uncles, Dong and Shi clans both disagreed with giving up Zhending and according to the policy of defending Baozhou, they said they wanted to write a letter to impeach!" Zhang Gui said. Among the clans, Zhang Hong was briefly practicing six, and his father was his uncle.

"The Dong family and the Shi family are both founding heroes, and their fiefs are all in Zhending. They have been operating for several generations to become the foundation, so how can they be easily abandoned!" Zhang Hong said briefly, "And the two families are not inferior to us in the court, so how can they be willing to obey us? And you are trying to protect Baozhou, although you are considering the war, you are still under the control of others."

"The Southern Dynasties are invading the territory, and the enemy is currently on the rise. They are still abandoning state affairs for their own interests, which is heartbreaking!" Zhang Gui said.

He also knew that his clan originated from Shi Bingzhi. During the reign of Emperor Taizu of Yuan Dynasty, he led troops all the way to quell the rebellion and was granted the title of Tiger Talisman. However, due to the struggle between officials, he resigned from office and returned home when he was old. However, it was still very glorious, and his descendants inherited his mantle, especially Shi Tianze.

Shi Tianze was good at riding and shooting. He was extremely brave. In the eighth year of Taizu of Yuan Dynasty, he followed his father Shi Bingzhi to surrender to Mu Huali. In the twenty years of Taizu of Yuan Dynasty, he replaced his brother Shi Tiannidu's position as Marshal Shi Tiannidu, led his army to defeat the Jin general Wu Xian, and captured and killed Peng Yibin, the general of the Red Coat Army of the Mongolian. He was appointed as the envoy of the five routes of Wanhu, Henan and other routes, the right prime minister of the Secretariat, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, and the left prime minister of the Secretariat, and died on the way to the Song Dynasty.

Shi Tianze "had been in and out of generals for fifty years, without any doubts from the superiors but without any complaints from the subordinates", and was even compared to Guo Ziyi and Cao Bin. He was cautious throughout his life, was good at making decisions, expected the enemy to use troops, advocated attacking the heart as the best, and tried to avoid killing and looting. Shi Tianze and his family made contributions to consolidating and developing the rule of the Mongolian nobles in the Central Plains. He was one of the main ministers of Kublai Khan's implementation of Han law, and his descendants were also prominent.

Dong family originated from Dong Jun. He farmed when he was young and browsed books and history when he became an adult. He was good at riding and shooting. In the Mongolian Jin Dynasty, there was a great chaos in Hebei. Gaocheng ordered a target to recruit soldiers. Dong Jun pulled the powerful bow and shot and was recruited to lead troops. Mu Huali led his troops south, and he led his army to surrender, and then became a famous marquis.

Most of the prefectures and counties near Gaocheng changed their flags. Dong Jun "has a dangerous barbarian" and stood alone. Later, he supported Shi Tianze as the head coach to conquer Zhending, helping Shi Tianze stabilize the situation in Hebei. Later, he participated in the battle to siege Bianjing. Emperor Jin fled to Guide, and he pursued the besiege and died in the battle of Guide.

When Dong Jun died, he had made great contributions to Mongolia. When fighting in the battle, he always led the way and was brave enough to intimidate the masses. He was also very good at fighting but did not kill him. When he went south to attack Jin, those who were reborn as slaves were all released for the people. As a Han marquis, he was not a powerful person, but he was known for his loyalty and filial piety. There were nine sons, Wen Bing, Wen Yong and Wen Zhong, and their merits were also obvious, and they were all valued by the court.

The Zhang family, Dong family and Shi family both made their fortunes in Hebei. The relationship between the three families was complicated. They had both competition and cooperation. They had fought each other in the court and joined forces to fight against the Mongols and Yuan dynasties. Overall, everyone was still in harmony on the surface and did not break up, but this time it involved the struggle for the fundamental interests of the family, so they were not so polite.

"Public, don't worry, there will always be a solution!" Zhang Hongluo stroked his white beard and said calmly.

"The six uncles, the Shi family and the Dong family all started their own military careers, and there are many people who know about the army. Now Zhending City has been disrepair for a long time and the city defense is lacking, so it is difficult to resist the artillery fire of the Southern Army. Only by moving troops to join forces in Baozhou can you have the power to fight!" Zhang Gui was not so calm and said unanimously.

"Public, the South Arms are really as sharp as the rumors. I can't resist the firearms?" Zhang Hongluo asked with a frown.

"I didn't believe it in the past. I thought that our army's defeat was a decay of generals and their lack of military intentions led to a series of defeats. For the sake of face, the failure was attributed to the sharp weapon of the Southern Army. But this time my personal confrontation with the Southern Army realized that everything I thought in the past was wrong." Zhang Gui sighed, "The Southern Army cannons can reach a distance of thousands of steps, and the surrounding three feet of people and horses were killed, and the city oars collapsed; the muskets were also very sharp, and heavy armor could be penetrated by a hundred steps away. The bows and arrows were often not as good as the Southern Army, and they rushed to the ground under their volley."

"The firearms developed by our dynasty have bulky artillery and difficult marching, which often drag down the army. Moreover, they are not easy to load, and the shooting range is not as accurate as the Southern Army. They are often destroyed by the Southern Army if they are not as accurate as the Southern Army. The muskets are even more difficult to compare with the Southern Army. Not to mention the range is short, the filling is slow. If our army fires a shot, the Southern Army can fire several times, and there are already all casualties before they can be used to the front line."

"In addition, the Southern Army is good at training, advancing and retreating like arm envoys. Even if you hear the drums and swords and guns, you will not take a step back, and the war horses will not dodge. The marching and camping camps are built, with tight defenses. The night patrol teams are in constant contact, and the defense is not airtight. We have been defeated several attempts to attack at night. What's more, the Southern Army can often arrange more than a hundred large and small cannons in the battle, and fire together to shock the earth. People who have not yet received the battle are scared."

"It's even more powerful than Xiangyang cannon?" Zhang Hongluo frowned after hearing this.

"Compared with this, the Xiangyang cannon is too slow and has difficulty moving. It is simply a target butt, and it is destroyed before it is launched. And its power is far less powerful than the Weiyuan cannon of the Southern Army. The two-foot-thick city wall was also broken with one blow." Zhang Gui sighed.

"So you chose Baozhou, which has stronger city defenses, to block the enemy, and give up the disrepaired Zhending City!" Zhang Hong said briefly.

"That is, the Southern Army invaded many prefectures and counties in the north and were all settled in one battle, and the fortress was even more ruinous and could not stop the power of the Southern Army's artillery. They refused to withdraw from Zhending City and were just wasting their troops and were consuming money and food, but I was kind enough to persuade him but still remained unmoved." Zhang Gui said helplessly.

"The Dong family and the Shi family regard Zhen as the fundamental place, especially in this troublesome autumn, how can they give up easily? And when they moved to Baozhou, they didn't want to see our faces, and it was difficult for them to let go of the face of the aristocratic family." Zhang Hongluo nodded and said, "But don't worry, don't persuade them anymore. They will understand after suffering losses."

"I don't want to see them disappear in the same palace. Have you ever heard that before the breakup of Jinan City, all the Yan family members were slaughtered. Although some people said that it was done by the defeated soldiers, the Yan family had family soldiers, which was not something that the defeated soldiers could do. I guess it was done by the Southern Dynasty secretly!" Zhang Gui said quietly.

"I have also heard that some powerful families in Henan and Hebei were slaughtered. Although they are both Han clans, the southerners regard us, the northerners who conquered the world for the Yuan Dynasty as enemies, hate us, especially the Mongols, and it is not surprising that they will destroy the family." Zhang Hongluo said, "Your father was ordered to destroy the Song Dynasty, pursue and suppress the remnant Song Dynasty court, and killed the ministers of the Southern Dynasty and forced Emperor Jingyan to death. He can be said to be a feud to destroy the country and destroy the family. He will never let us go, for fear that he will even give him the chance to surrender."

"The Southern Dynasty had an irreconcilable hatred with me to kill my father. It was a long time since I was over. I had no choice but to fight to the death!" Zhang Gui said angrily.

"Ah..." Zhang Hongluo sighed softly, "There is news in the court. The Khan is very angry at your defeat in Daming. He originally wanted to recall you to the capital to ask for punishment. It is only when the enemy is in front of you, and the ministers are expelled for you, so that they can make meritorious service. If this battle is unfavorable, there is no room for maneuver!"

"The Khan has high hopes for me, but I failed to let the Khan's high hopes. Not only did I fail to save Daming, but I also lost many soldiers and generals and should have been punished. Now I have to die to repay you, which is considered as a loyal and martyr in my Zhang family!" Zhang Gui said.

"You have the heart to be loyal to the country. I feel very relieved. I think your father has a spirit in heaven and will smile with a smile." Zhang Hongfan nodded and said, "But your father only gave birth to you, one of his only sons, and he cannot break the veins. I asked Zhang Jie to secretly send Jingwu and Jinglu out of the capital and place it in a proper place, but if there is an accident, it will be possible to continue the bloodline!"

"Thank you, Uncle Six!" Zhang Gui was stunned and thanked him, and said in confusion, "I, Zhang, fought for the Great Yuan Dynasty in the south and north, sprinkled blood on the battlefield, and made countless contributions. Will the Great Khan be so ruthless?"

"Just in case, I will also order each meridian to choose a legitimate son to leave Baozhou. If there is any accident, I will be guaranteed that I will not be extinct!" Zhang Hongluo did not explain much and said calmly.

"The sixth uncle does not have to be pessimistic. Now the royal army in various places is constantly rushing to the capital. The Khan will definitely mobilize a large army to reinforce Baozhou!" Zhang Gui knew that the sixth uncle was in his teens and followed his grandfather to fight and entered the court as an official. His officialdom has been ups and downs for decades. He would not say these words that seemed to be explaining the funeral for no reason, but at this time he could only give some comfort.

"Well, this is the best. But you still have to be prepared to be isolated and helpless. Be prepared to stick to it for a long time. I will support you with all my strength. Let it go!" Zhang Hongluo nodded, without explaining it, but just expressed his attitude.

"Sixth Uncle..." Zhang Gui looked at the old man who had already entered the twilight years in front of him and choked up for a moment. Although he did not explain much, he knew his intention and did not put his treasure on the court. He had to rely on himself. He would also support the whole clan, and it could also be said that he had put the lives and future of the Manchus on him.
Chapter completed!