On the evening of the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, the sky gradually darkened, and there was no trace of the excitement of the festivals of previous years in the state capitals of Nanzhili.

The last day of Chongzhen's thirteenth year did not end as perfectly as imagined, but like this dim sky, it made people feel heavy.

As soon as the prince's guard of honor who came back from inspection entered Zhengyang Gate, it immediately attracted the attention of many parties, and everyone was speculating about how the crown prince should respond.

Surprisingly, after the crown prince returned to the palace, there was no movement, and he was not seen summoning any ministers to discuss what to do.

After a simple dinner, Zhu Cihong stood in front of the gate of the Wenhua Palace, looked up at the slowly falling snowflakes, and said with a smile: "Ruixue is a good year, there will be a big harvest after today." ”

Wu Zhong took a thick robe and gently draped it on Zhu Cihong's body, secretly saying that the pot had been fried outside, and the young master still had the heart to talk and laugh.

He didn't have Zhu Cihong's calm mood, and said with some concern: "Master, the businessmen have a large-scale strike, and the top priority should be for the merchants to reopen the market, otherwise prices will skyrocket, and the reputation of the master among the people will be damaged, why don't you summon Li Yan and them to discuss countermeasures?" ”

Merchants strike the market, they can't afford to lose a lot, but the people can't afford it either, and as time goes by, the people's resentment will inevitably boil, and then the crown prince's series of policies to appease the people will be in vain.

Zhu Cihong waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, aren't those scholars from all over the country who oppose the new policy going to hold the Jinling Conference in Qixia Mountain tomorrow?" Let them gather and have a meeting first, and then talk about it, people have finally held this grand event, and the palace, as the master of Nanjing City, will naturally not neglect them. ”

Wu Zhong didn't understand the meaning of these words for a while, his thoughts turned, and suddenly a cold sweat broke out on his back.

......

The Mansion of the State of Wei is brightly lit.

In the main hall, Xu Hongji, the Duke of Wei, reclined on the Nanmu chair, and he leaned back to the back of the chair, as if he was stretching his muscles and bones very leisurely.

Glancing at the group of nobles sitting around the hall, Xu Hongji spoke: "Is there still no movement on the prince's side?" ”

Lingbi Marquis Tang Guozuo said with a smile: "So the whole Nanzhili is making such a big fuss, I'm afraid that the young prince is already stunned!" ”

Xincheng Bo Zhao Zhilong laughed and said: "Usually Wei Guogong asked us to wait, to be honest, I really can't figure it out, now it seems that Grandpa Guo is still wise, finally let us wait until this day, as long as Grandpa Guo raises his arms at this time, he can immediately overturn his boat!" ”

A noble also said in one person: "I heard that the saint is extremely dissatisfied with the crown prince, and it is even rumored that he said that the prince will be abolished when worshipping the ancestors. ”

"Without the banner of the crown prince, no matter how many soldiers and horses there are in the Tianwu army, as long as the imperial court promises a few titles, a few generals will not be obediently awarded?"

A group of nobles nodded again and again, their hearts were extremely comfortable, waiting for many days, and today they can finally fight back!

Xu Hongji smiled and said: "I originally meant to wait a while, but now it seems that there is no 100% chance of winning anything, and there is a seven or eight achievement to do!" Now is the time! ”

Huaining Hou Sun Weicheng shouted: "Although the grandfather of the country is arranged, we will take your horse and drive the prince out of Jiangnan together!" ”

Xu Hongji nodded, expressed his satisfaction, and said: "You should know that if there is no army, no matter how we toss, we will still be defeated in his hands in the end, so only the military advice can make the prince bow his head!" ”

Sincerity Bo Liu Kongzhao said: "How to admonish the soldiers? The combat effectiveness of the Tianwu Army is obvious to all, although they are scattered in the various provinces of Nanzhili, there are still nearly 20,000 horses stationed in the city! ”

Xu Hongyi smiled slightly, and said: "The prince's soldiers and horses in Nanjing are divided into three parts, the small teaching field in the inner city, the imperial city station, and the personal guard of the Forbidden City, I have received news that the Li Shaoyou department of the Tianwu Army stationed in the imperial city has been secretly transferred to Qixia Mountain, it should be that the prince is worried about the Jinling Conference of the scholars, and wants to control the development of the situation, what we have to do is to transfer the Tianwu army stationed in the inner city!" ”

Liu Zuochang, Marquis of Anyuan, was puzzled: "Then how are we going to transfer them?" The Nanjing garrison has no right to mobilize the Tianwu Army! ”

"Easy!" Xu Hongji said and gently pushed the candle flame on the table, and immediately a flame burst on the table.

Liu Kongzhao stroked his palms and smiled, and said, "Wonderful! In this way, the Nanjing Jingying that we have mastered can also be stationed in Nanjing City in the name of firefighting! ”

Xu Hongji's eldest son, Xu Ziyin, said worriedly: "Father, the Yongwei battalion stationed in the Forbidden City cannot be underestimated, if we are soldiers, how can we deal with them?" ”

Xu Hongji took a sip of tea and said slowly: "The people and horses in the Forbidden City have been arranged for my father, so there is no need to worry!" ”

Zhu Guobi, the Marquis of Funing, arched his hand and said: "The old man of Wei has become a country, I admire it!" ”

"Admire! Admire! ”

......

On the first day of the first month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, at one hour (about five o'clock in the morning), several shops selling fireworks in Nanjing "accidentally" walked into the water, and a series of explosions occurred, and then a large number of fires were lit up, causing a panic among the surrounding residents.

When the officials of Ying Tianfu got up from the bed and rushed to put out the fire, they saw that several boxes in the city had fallen into a sea of smoke and fire, and not only how many houses were submerged in them.

Standing at the mouth of the alley, feeling the scorching heat wave, Ying Tianfu Mansion Yin's heart was cold, if the fire was really uncontrollable, then he would be the end of his own official.

Ying Tianfu Mansion Yin said anxiously: "There are not enough manpower, go and report to the Military Aircraft Department and Wei Guogong, and ask them to send the Tianwu Army and the officers and soldiers of the Beijing Battalion to fight the fire!" ”

After two quarters of an hour, another official came to report that there was a fire in the Muscle Lane outside the imperial city, and the fire could not be controlled, and there was a tendency to burn more and more......

A fire in Muscle Lane? Fu Yin's heart suddenly cooled, it was close to the Forbidden City, once the fire spread to the Imperial City and the Forbidden City, then his head would have to move!

"There must be arson!" After thinking for a while, Ying Tianfu Mansion Yin decided to enter the palace to report the situation.

When he arrived outside the Tendon Alley, but saw that the fire wave had obviously overflowed with thick smoke, spreading outward like a poisonous snake spitting out a letter, Fu Yin was extremely frightened, knowing that the fire had been completed, and it was delusional to extinguish it.

Gao Bang, who stayed behind in the military aircraft department, had already brought people and horses to fight the fire, and he scolded Fu Yin fiercely: "What do your people do to eat? In such a situation, why not demolish the house and dig out a fire belt? ”

Ying Tianfu Yin shouted that he was wronged, he had already explained to his subordinates that the officials had built the isolation zone, who would have thought that these rabbit cubs would dare to disobey the order......

Seeing that Lord Yin looked at him fiercely, several officials immediately knelt on the ground and cried, saying that Fujian is full of rich gentry and magnates, and how can a soap subordinate have such responsibility and courage to demolish their house, and he was knocked out by the door after just a few knocks.

After the two entered the palace to explain the situation, Zhu Cihong did not delve into the cause of the fire, and immediately sent a brave guard battalion to fight the fire, leaving only hundreds of people in the palace.

Zhu Cihong had already looked at the fire rising in the distance, and knew that the fire was not small, and if it was not put out in time, it was not without precedent for the entire city to be burned down, even if he knew that it might be a conspiracy, he had to send someone to put out the fire.

With the addition of thousands of Tianwu army, the work of demolishing houses and houses was carried out very smoothly, if there were those who dared to disobey, Gao Bang did not respond to the concerns of the officials of Tianfu, and could not help but say that the soldiers set up people and left, and then began to forcibly demolish the houses planned by the separation zone.

When the fire in Nanjing was extinguished, the sky was already bright, and the first day of the new year was held as scheduled.

(End of chapter)