Chongzhen was only in the mood to survive at the moment, and he was unwilling to continue to talk about this issue. Because Li Banghua mentioned that he would flee south from Haidao, he suddenly had a glimmer of illusion, and asked in a low voice: "Sir, Feng Yuanbiao suggested that I go south from Haidao, what do you think of this?"

"It's going to work. ”

"How do you say it's going to work?"

"In the Yuan Dynasty, Jiangnan Caoyun, from Yangzhou along the canal to the north, to Huai'an Fu Shunhuai River to the east, more than 200 miles to the sea, and then Cao Yun by sea to the north, from Zhigu into the Haihe River, to Dajin, connected to the Hui River, to Tongzhou Zhangjiawan. From Huai'an Mansion to Zhangjiawan, the sea journey is 3,390 miles. ”

"In the early years of Hongwu to Yongle, the canal was not opened, and the transportation was all by sea, so there were successively meritorious people who were awarded the title of Zhenhai Marquis, Navigation Marquis, and Marquis of Jiajia. Ten years after Yongle, the Huitong River was opened, and the north-south canal was connected, and the canal was mainly used for transportation, but the shipping was not completely wasted. In the twelfth year of Chongzhen, Shen Tingyang, a native of Chongming, was the secretary of the cabinet, reinstated the convenience of shipping, and edited the five volumes of the "Maritime Book". ”

Chongzhen seemed to remember such a thing, nodded slightly, and listened to Li Banghua continue.

Li Banghua continued: "At that time, His Majesty ordered Ting Yang to build a sea ship to try, and Ting Yang built two sea ships, carrying millions of meters, set off from Huai'an on the first day of June in the thirteenth year, and arrived in Tianjin, stopping for five days on the way to wait for a tailwind, sharing ten days, sailing on the sea, flying for more than 3,000 miles. His Majesty was very happy when he heard this, and he was crowned with the title of Tingyang Hubu Langzhong. His Majesty could have led the Six Palaces to Nanjing, and Feng Yuanbiao had already prepared 200 sea ships, which were enough for the imperial tour to the south. Huai'an is an important town in the north of the Yangtze River and has heavy troops. As long as the saint arrives in Huai'an, why should the rebels be rampant?"

Chongzhen paused and said, "It's too late to regret it now, hateful! hateful!"

Suddenly, Wang Chengen didn't care that the emperor was talking to the minister, and he opened the curtain in a hurry and knelt in front of the emperor: "Emperor!

Chongzhen's face suddenly turned pale, and his heart jumped: "What's the matter?

Li Banghua quickly got up and kowtowed: "The old minister bowed and left the palace, waited for the news at the Wen Cheng Ancestral Hall, and did his best for the king." ”

Chongzhen watched Li Banghua come out of the warm pavilion, then suddenly stood up from the throne, trembling all over, and asked Wang Chengen in a panic: "Say it quickly! Is there a change in the city?"

This morning, Li Zicheng ordered his soldiers to set up a huge yellow felt tent facing the Changyi Gate, sat in front of the felt tent, and ordered the two kings of Qin and Jin to sit on the ground on the left and right, and then told the soldiers and civilians guarding the city to open the city gate and surrender quickly. Such a big event, no one reported it to Chongzhen.

After listening to Wang Chengen's performance, Chongzhen was shocked, his face turned pale, his hands trembled, his heart was pounding, and he couldn't say a word at first glance. In order to calm himself a little, he took a cup of warm tea from the imperial table and took a sip. Due to the trembling of his hand, when he put down the teacup, the bottom of the cup touched the imperial table, and the warm tea was spilled.

He asked angrily, "How far is the thief's felt tent from the Changyi Gate?"

"I've heard that it's only a little more than a mile away, less than two miles. ”

"Why don't you magnify the cannon on the city?"

"The slave and maid are not in Changyimen, I don't know the details. When the slave heard this unexpected news, she hurried into the palace to pay tribute to the emperor. ”

"You go to Changyi Gate quickly, spread my strict order, and all the cannons will shoot at the rebels together!

"I heard that there are no cannons in the city, because I am afraid of hurting the two kings of Qin and Jin. ”

"Nonsense! Since the two kings of Qin and Jin can't die Sheji, and the rebel thief is lowered, he should also die! You go quickly, and personally command, you will make all the cannons on the head of the Changyi Gate City fire together, and beat the rebel thief and his chief civil and military thief gang into meat sauce!"

Wang Chengen said in a trembling voice: "Emperor, it's too late!"

Chongzhen asked sharply, "Why is it too late?"

Wang Chengen said: "The thieves did not stay long outside the Changyi Gate. When the slave maid got the news, the thief had already returned to Diaoyutai. ”

Chongzhen sighed hatefully, and said with a pause: "I can't imagine that the ministers and soldiers and civilians guarding the city are so unwilling to serve the country and let go of the thieves in vain!"

Wang Chengen said: "Emperor, the hearts of the people in the city have changed, the general trend is very bad, and it is useless for the emperor to be angry now." As the saying goes, under heavy reward, there must be brave men. If you want to inspire the people who defend the city, I am afraid that you must immediately reward them with silver. ”

"Alas, the treasury is washed, where will the money be raised?"

Chongzhen had no idea and wept silently. Wang Chengen also knew that it was true that the treasury was washing, so he didn't dare to look up on his knees, and accompanied his master to cry silently. After a while, Chongzhen suddenly had a glimmer of hope: "Chengen, you go to pass the decree quickly, and the prince, Hou, and I am afraid will all go to the Chaoyang Gate Tower to discuss emergency measures, and make a strong contribution, and have money to contribute." If they can lead their families to defend the city, and then sacrifice tens of thousands of taels of silver to reward morale, it will not only protect the country, but also protect the family. Once the kingdom cannot be secured, their wealth will be finished. Go, pass the decree quickly, and don't make mistakes!"

Wang Chengen knew in his heart that asking the princes, marquis, and uncles to contribute money and efforts to the country was tantamount to delusion, but he couldn't do it without obeying the order, and there might be a glimmer of hope. So he kowtowed, stood up, and said, "Slave and maid, obey!"

Chongzhen sat next to the imperial case in a daze, knowing very well that the general situation had gone, and the ministers and soldiers guarding the city could open the city gate at any time to welcome the thieves into the city, and no one could save his country. He knew that the red-coated cannons in the city could hit ten miles away, one kind of cannonball could open a gap in the city wall, and the other was a flowering shell, which could make people and animals within an acre of land not die or be injured. As for the general cannon, it can also be fired three or four miles away.

He sighed sadly and secretly: "I have been deeply benevolent and benevolent in the three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, and these soldiers and civilians who defend the city and the ministers have all been nurtured by my Ming Dynasty, why don't you set off cannons at the Diaoyutai place? Why don't you fire cannons at the thieves sitting outside the Changyi Gate?"

He thought that he was about to die in the blink of an eye, the whole family died tragically, and his ancestors died in his hands, he didn't feel a cold sweat, and shouted three times in a row, "Sky!" suddenly punched on the imperial case, shaking the teacup and splashing the imperial case.

Then he stood up, walked wildly in the warm pavilion, and said again and again: "I should not be the king of the dead country!

Wei Qinghui and the two eunuchs stood outside the window, listening to the emperor's movements in the warm pavilion, feeling that the emperor was about to go crazy, but everyone was usually shocked by the majesty of Chongzhen, just looking at each other, and no one dared to enter the warm pavilion to persuade the emperor. Although Wei Qinghui was also panicked, she couldn't bear to let the emperor sigh in pain alone like this, so she walked into the warm pavilion quickly and arrived in front of the emperor desperately.

"Please be relieved, please be relieved. The slave and maid have already used money to divinate the hexagram, and there is no danger in the city of Beijing. Please let the emperor be relieved, cherish the royal body!"

Chongzhen didn't look at her, nor did he hear her words, he continued to walk around the room, choked up with extreme sadness and indignation, and said: "God, I have respected the heavens and the ancestors for seventeen years, been diligent in government and love the people, eaten and clothed, and diligently sought treatment, so I shouldn't fall into this fate." Heavens, why don't you answer me? I am not the Lord of the Absurd, nor the King of the Unconscious, nor the Old and Sick. ”

"I am in the prime of life, and if I appoint and win souls, be strict with myself, and change my ways, I can make the country governed, and the people can enjoy peace in peace. God, why don't you listen to my prayers, don't listen to my complaints, don't look down on my troubles, don't give me a little mercy?"

Wei Qinghui was frightened, thinking that the emperor was going crazy, and thinking that he was going to touch the pillar and die, she knelt at his feet, grabbed the corner of the dragon robe, and cried and pleaded: "Emperor, Emperor, don't be so sad! At this time, don't damage the dragon body! Emperor, Emperor!"

After hitting the pillar with his head, Chongzhen's frenzied mentality calmed down a little, and only then did he notice that the people of the Wei Palace were kneeling at his feet, and asked angrily: "Wei Qinghui, should I have today's disaster?" He avoided the word "ruined country".

"The emperor is sage, all the ministers are guilty of misleading the country!"

mentioned that the ministers misled the country, Chongzhen immediately became angry. He not only deeply hated that since Wanli, the ministers only talked about the door, attacked each other, regardless of the safety of the country, regardless of the people's suffering, plus no officials are not greedy, no officials are not inferior, he especially hates some people who not only obstruct his plan to move south, but also prevent him from transferring Wu Sangui to King Qin. The more he thought about it, the more angry he became, kicked the Wei palace people to the ground, quickly walked to the side of the imperial case, sat on the dragon chair, his eyes shot a fierce light, and said angrily: "I want to kill!

Wu Xiang, the deacon and eunuch of the Ganqing Palace, came in and was startled, but he had already come in, so he had to bow down to the emperor and say, "Emperor Qi, Wang Dehua has something important to do with Your Majesty." ”

Chongzhen didn't pay attention to Wu Xiang's words, and continued to train of thought just now, and said angrily: "I want to kill people, I want to kill people...... It's too late!

Wu Xiang quickly knelt down: "Please calm the emperor's anger, Wang Dehua has served the emperor for many years in the ceremonial supervisor, and there is no major crime." ”

Chongzhen didn't hear Wu Xiang's words clearly, looked at Wu Xiang who was lying on the ground, and saw Wei Qinghui also kneeling in front of him from the place where he was kicked down, kneeling behind Wu Xiang. He asked, "What is the matter?"

Wu Xiang said: "Back to the emperor, the situation in the city is not known. Wang Dehua has something to do to play the emperor. ”

"Wang Dehua?" Chongzhen felt strange and asked again: "Do you say it's Wang Dehua? He is the eunuch who holds the seal of the master of ceremonies, and he has something to do, so he doesn't need others to report it, why don't you come in yourself?"

Wu Xiang replied: "After Wang Dehua ascended the Danqi, he heard that the emperor was angry and did not dare to come in rashly, so he called the slave maid to enlighten the emperor. ”

Chongzhen asked again: "He is guarding the city, is there any good news?"

Wu Xiang had already asked Wang Dehua, but he didn't dare to tell the truth, and said in a hurry: "Wang Dehua wants to play the emperor in person, he... He... He was waiting for the decree on the altar. ”

"Call him in!"

Wu Xiang got up and withdrew, and Wei Qinghui also hurriedly withdrew. When Wang Dehua walked into the Ganqing Palace, his legs couldn't help but tremble. He knew the emperor's temper very well, and he thought that eighty percent of Du Xun would be killed immediately, and he would also be killed for the crime of being brought into the prison. In Xuanwumen, he was foolish for a while, believed Du Xun's rhetoric, and agreed to bring Du Xun to meet the emperor, but now it is too late to regret it.

It turned out that when Li Zicheng was sitting outside the Changyi Gate, Wang Dehua was on the Fucheng Gate. At this time, Cao Hua Chunguo heard that Fuchengmen and Xizhimen were facing Li Zicheng's Diaoyutai camp, and the situation was the most tense, so he also came to Fuchengmen to inspect and discuss with him. They were supposed to instruct the eunuchs and soldiers guarding the Changyi Gate and the Xibian Gate to open fire on Li Zicheng's felt tent, but because they saw that the general trend of the Ming Dynasty had gone and were considering how to surrender and save their lives and family property, they only came to the corner of the inner city not far from the Xibian Gate to watch, but did not give the order to fire outside the city.

Later, after they saw Li Zicheng and a group of civil and military dignitaries leaving, a person went up to the city from the Changyi Gate, and legend has it that Du Xun, the eunuch of the Xuanfu Prison Army, entered the city. They were greatly surprised, and immediately went down to the city, leading a group of retinues to ride to the Xuanwu Gate to wait.

Because the outer city has not been lost, the three south gates of the inner city, namely Zhengyang, Chongwen, and Xuanwu, are still not completely closed, and can be entered and exited alone. As soon as Du Xun arrived at the city of Changyi Gate, he was immediately surrounded by the eunuchs guarding the city and asked him about the news outside the city. He was anxious to enter the palace to see the emperor, and did not have time to stay in the city, only saying that King Li was strong and invincible, and now Prince Li led 200,000 elite soldiers to surround Beijing, and Beijing was difficult to hold.

He also said that King Li was benevolent and righteous, which is rare in ancient and modern times, so wherever the volunteers went, the army and the people opened the door to welcome the surrender. He did not hide his demagogic words at the head of the city, and whispered to the chief eunuch who asked him who was guarding the Zhangyi Gate: "Don't worry, no matter who sits in the world, there will be no need for ministers!" He gave the eunuch leader a horse and rushed to the Xuanwu Gate.

Du Xun saw Wang Dehua and Cao Huachun in the Xuanwu Gate, and quickly knelt down and kowtowed to say goodbye. Wang Dehua was overjoyed and surprised, and bent over to pull him up: "Du Xun, I'm very happy to see that you are safe and sound." How bold are you, why did you come into the city and seek your own death?"

Without waiting for Du Xun to answer, Cao Huachun also said: "A few days ago, it was rumored that you were in Xuanhua. The emperor specially descended to heaven, posthumously named you as the eunuch of the ceremonial supervisor Bingbi, and the magistrate of Xuanfu built a loyal martyr's shrine for you, sacrificed in the spring and autumn, and sealed your nephew as a hereditary brocade thousand households. The emperor is wise, how dare you enter the city? Let the emperor know, not only will you not survive, but your family will not survive, and even many people who let you into the city will be affected, and it is really ridiculous for you to give up your life with you. ”

Du Xun also felt frightened, his face was pale, but since he said big things in front of Emperor Dashun, and he had already entered the inner city, he had to bite the bullet and risk death to enter the palace to see the emperor. Before he entered the city, he had thought that he would expect Wang Dehua or Cao Huachun to take him to meet the emperor, but now he was a thief's minister, and without their help, not only would he not be able to enter the Forbidden City and the inner palace, but he would even be arrested if he walked in front of the Chengtian Gate.

He shuddered and gave Wang Dehua and Cao Huachun a deep look, and begged: "What the two masters said is very true, please step back and let me know what I have to say in private." ”