On November 10, the twelfth year of Chongzhen, after a few days of repair, more than 100,000 men and horses of the Tianwu Army and the Xuanda Army set off to Beijing again.

After more than a month of climbing mountains and wading through rivers, the army finally arrived at the wall ridge outside Miyun, and successfully entered the customs and returned to the territory of Shuntianfu.

On December 25, outside the Desheng Gate of Beijing City.

The north wind was howling, and the sky was filled with dense goose feather snow, enveloping the entire city of Beijing.

In the wind and snow, the flying dragon flags hunted in the wind, and an army of heavy iron armor loomed under the banners in the sky.

Outside the Desheng Gate, there were already officials from the six cabinets who came to greet them, and many people from Beijing spontaneously came to greet them.

Zhu Cihong walked out of the ceremonial car, raised his eyes, looked at the heavy snow, and sighed: "The border has been decided, but the weather in this Beijing division is becoming more and more abnormal. ”

The army marched mightily, slowly marching into Deshengmen in the expectation of everyone, and the people of the black pressure surrounded both sides of the official road, looking at these soldiers who fought for the country, the people of Beijing moved and began to cheer to their heart's content.

Yang Sichang, the first assistant of the cabinet, Fan Fucui, Zhang Sizhi, Yao Minggong, Wei Zhaocheng, the new cabinet ministers, Xie Sheng, the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, Li Zhiqing, the secretary of the Ministry of Households, Feng Ying, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and Liu Zunxian, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, were among them.

Under the guidance of the officials of the Ministry of Rites, Zhu Cijiong, the third son of the emperor who was only nine years old, greeted him in a dragon brocade robe, and beckoned excitedly: "Brother Huang! Brother Huang! ”

Listening to the shouting, Zhu Cihong stepped down from the guard of honor and said with a smile: "San'er, why are you here?" ”

Zhu Cijiong smiled and said, "It was my father who asked me to greet the imperial brother on his behalf!" ”

Zhu Cihong nodded, and after a few polite words with Yang Sichang and others, he pulled Zhu Cijiong on the guard of honor and entered Beijing from Deshengmen under the escort of the Yongwei Battalion.

Under the arrangement of Honglu Temple and the officials of the Ministry of Rites, the generals and part of the Tianwu Army were stationed in the camp in the city, and the rest were stationed outside the city in accordance with the regulations.

Fang Zhenghua and other armies that returned to the dynasty had resisted the Beijing division as early as ten days ago, and they were also stationed outside the city, waiting for the reward and then returning to each place to garrison.

According to the Ming Dynasty ritual system, the imperial court has built a shrine outside the capital to worship, commend and sacrifice those soldiers who sacrificed for the country, and Emperor Chongzhen also came to pay tribute to the martyrs in person, and there are officials who are responsible for the sacrifice every year thereafter.

Zhu Cihong's guard of honor slowly drove through Deshengmen Street, and the places he passed were crowded with people, and the earth-shattering cheers came one after another, and some of the wounded soldiers of the Tianwu Army who followed Fang Zhenghua to return to Beijing early on the flat road were also caught in the crowd, waving their hands and cheering excitedly.

On the morning of the second day, a grand reward ceremony was held in the Imperial Palace, and hundreds of civil and military officials gathered together.

Zhu Cihong stood in the northeast of the main hall, and Sun Yingyuan, Zhou Yuji, Hu Dawei, Wu Sangui, Gao Bang and other enshrined generals stood under the Danqi in an orderly manner, waiting for the reward one by one.

I heard that this time it is really going to be knighted, and there is more than one person who is knighted, how can everyone not be excited? Hu Dawei's sturdy body even shook back and forth excitedly, causing the official to frown.

Taking advantage of the fact that the emperor had not yet arrived and the ceremony had not yet begun, Gao Bang took half a step forward and whispered to Sun Yingyuan, who was standing in front: "I said that Shishuai, you will definitely not be able to run away from this title." ”

Gao Bang was originally a loud voice, even if he spoke in a low voice, he still made a lot of noise in this serious and quiet hall, and even Zhu Cihong, who was the head of the house, heard it.

Sun Yingyuan turned his head and smiled at him, didn't say anything, and his eyes signaled him to pay attention to the occasion and be honest, and not to make a sound.

A ceremonial officer of the Ministry of Rites came over with a straight face, and a Imperial History of the Imperial Court of the Imperial Court also came with a small notebook, wanting to find trouble with Gao Bang, but saw that the crown prince was also coming with his hands behind his back, and he glanced at them with his eyes like lightning.

The two correctors were suddenly startled, and as soon as they retracted their steps, they turned around and walked away, as if they hadn't heard.

Zhu Cihong walked past Gao Bang and said in a low voice: "Be serious, don't lose your dignity." ”

Gao Bang had never seen such a big scene, he knew that he was out of shape, nodded at Zhu Cihong again and again, and stood there honestly.

When the civil and military officials saw this, they all didn't see it, and continued to wait for the emperor to come.

Not long after, with the sound of the drum music of the teaching workshop, the emperor's luan finally came, and Chongzhen dragged his crown robe and slowly ascended to the throne.

The salute officer dragged a long voice and shouted, "Bye! ”

The civil and military generals all bowed down and bowed.

"Xing!"

The ministers stood up, and then bowed again, and so on several times, and then completed the great gift.

Chongzhen swept to the rewarded generals and said, "Reward!" ”

In the sound of the recital of the Jiaofang Division, the salute officer held the holy decree in his hand, slowly unfolded it, and said loudly: "Fengtian carries the emperor, and the edict says: Capture the general Sun Yingyuan, the instrument is deep, the wisdom is heroic, the flag is beheaded, the east is cleared, and the country is meritorious, and it is appropriate to add a knightly reward, and now canonize the Earl of Jingwu, hereditary replacement, reward the crown and ......"

Hereditary titles? The ministers in the palace were shocked, all jealous, since the Zhengde Dynasty, in addition to the emperor's relatives and nobles who were knighted, only Wang Shouren, who rebelled against King Ning, was knighted for merit, he is still a civil official, and it seems that he has not been born as an ordinary military general.

Sun Yingyuan hurriedly followed the procedure to humbly prevaricate, and said some frightened words, Chongzhen said You deserve this knight, Sun Yingyuan pushed again, Chongzhen gave it again, and so on three times, Sun Yingyuan pretended to be afraid to accept.

Zhu Cihong shook his head and sighed secretly, the style of officialdom is deceitful, the whole world knows these polite and hypocritical, but he has always regarded this as a tradition, which is obviously a good thing to make people happy, and it has to be the same as the art school interview performance.

Several little eunuchs presented rewards such as canonization and earl crowns to Sun Yingyuan, and Sun Yingyuan kowtowed again to thank him, which made the surrounding generals extremely nervous, and they didn't know what they could seal.

Wu Sangui was even more nervous, he had already learned through Fang Zhenghua that he would also be knighted, how could he not be excited.

The salute officer then said in a loud voice: "Wu Sangui, the chief soldier of Ningyuan, listens to the seal!" ”

Wu Sangui trembled, his face was full of excitement, and he immediately knelt on the ground, his ears erected, lest he miss a word.

“...... Today, Wu Sangui is canonized as Ping Xibo, and the reward is ......."

"I'm a bonus, I'm a bonus!" Wu Sangui's heart was so excited that he almost jumped up and cheered the whole world, but thinking about it, it seemed that he, the earl, was a liujue, not hereditary like Sun Yingyuan.......

But it doesn't matter, he was knighted before he was thirty years old, and the days to come will be long, unlike Sun Yingyuan, who is more than thirty years old.

Thinking of this, Wu Sangui happily accepted the order, and said loudly: "Minister Wu Sangui thanked my emperor for his grace, and is willing to guard the border forever for the Ming Dynasty!" ”

After shouting for a long time, Wu Sangui suddenly found that no one replied to him, and no one brought the reward and crown clothes, what does this mean?

He leaned on the ground and listened, only to feel that there was a mosquito-like discussion in the hall, Wu Sangui peeked at his side under curiosity, and saw that the civil officials looked at him in unison, pointing at him, and showing disdain.

Well? What does that mean? What am I doing wrong? Wu Sangui was very puzzled.

There was a light cough from a little eunuch in his ears, and Wu Sangui reacted for a long time, and he didn't seem to be polite to accept it after a few times, this .......

Zhu Cihong had to admire that Wu Sangui at this time was a man, ignoring this set of false etiquette, and was a straightforward person......

It's really embarrassing, Wu Sangui's intestines at this time are repentant, and he can't wait to slap himself a few times, so he has to bite the bullet and say in embarrassment: "The minister is afraid, he is only shallow in learning, and he is afraid that he will lose the grace .......of the saint."

Chongzhen glanced at Wu Sangui meaningfully, and said with a slight smile: "It's okay, General Wu is so meritorious at a young age, which shows that he is an indomitable general, you don't have to shirk it, just accept the title!" ”

As he spoke, Chongzhen asked people to send rewards such as edicts and crown robes, while Wu Sangui looked at the emperor on the throne gratefully and kowtowed a few times again......