In recent days, there have been inexplicable violent deaths of ministers who have criticized the crown prince in public and in private, which makes people feel that this young prince's temper does not seem to be as good as before.......

On the sixth day of the first month of the tenth year of Chongzhen (1637), taking advantage of the holidays of the officials to celebrate the New Year at home, the old thieves went straight to the north of the Yangtze River, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai attacked Xiangyang for a long time, and began to attack Anqing instead, Nanjing was greatly shaken, and reported to the imperial court urgently.

Six days later, the news reached the capital, and Emperor Chongzhen convened an emergency court meeting to discuss how to respond.

Anqing is five hundred miles away from Nanjing, since ancient times it is the gateway of Nanjing, it is the place where soldiers must fight, when King Ning rebelled, it was the first to fight Anqing, in the late Qing Dynasty, Anqing was taken by the Qing army, and soon broke through the capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Tianjing (Nanjing).

Once Anqing is lost, the Liukou can drive straight into Nanjing, Nanjing, as the capital of the Ming Dynasty, has a very high political status, and once it is captured, it will cause a fatal blow to the imperial court.

Zhu Cihong took the opportunity to ask for his life, led the Yongwei battalion to the south to quell the rebellion, and completely quelled the bandits in the Central Plains, but Chongzhen did not allow it.

On the thirteenth day of the first month, Zhu Cihong asked for war again, and there were many people who seconded the proposal, but Chongzhen still did not allow it.

On the fourteenth day of the first month, Zhu Cihong led his ministers to ask for battle three times outside the Wenhua Palace, and the Yongwei Battalion also showed signs of mobilization.

After Wen Tiren's death, few people dared to obstruct Zhu Cihong, coupled with the support of the new chief assistant Xue Guoguan, Zhu Cihong asked for war three times, and all the officials seconded it, and the civil officials really hoped that the crown prince would lead the troops south, so that the court would still be their hall.

Chongzhen was a little panicked, he knew very well that if he let this rebel go south, he was afraid that it would be difficult to control it in the future, since Wen Tiren's death, this rebel has become more and more powerful now, and there are already signs that it is difficult to contain.

But if he is forcibly left in Beijing, I am afraid that there will really be a change in Xuanwumen, and his best ending is to stay in the harem and live.......

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival.

Every year during the Lantern Festival, the Ming Dynasty will set up a giant lantern fireworks landscape mountain lantern festival in the palace city, because its shape resembles an Ao, so it is called "Aoshan Lantern Festival".

Since the Lantern Festival in the seventh year of Yongle, this grand lantern festival has begun to open in a high-profile manner - "listen to the subjects go to the noon gate to watch Ao Mountain for three days", the significance of the monarch and the ministers to enjoy together is very significant, and it can be called the Ming Dynasty version of the "Spring Festival Gala".

The lantern festival generally begins to prepare from the lunar month of the previous year, and all kinds of "strange flowers" and "artillery" with unique designs are stacked on top of each other, usually piling up thirteen layers and several zhang high.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, the colorful lights of various shapes on the huge "Ao Mountain" flickered, the gorgeous fireworks kept burning, accompanied by the beautiful music of the bell and drum division, the palace ladies danced, it was a wonderful audio-visual enjoyment.

Tonight, Emperor Chongzhen and Zhu Cihong had no interest in appreciating the Lantern Festival, and Chongzhen summoned Zhu Cihong in the Wanchun Pavilion of the palace back garden.

Zhu Cihong walked slowly, and behind him were more than a dozen Donggong guards led by Xu Sheng, all of whom were excellent in martial arts, extremely fast in response, and equipped with a revolver and a miniature grenade.

Seeing Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Cihong saluted as usual, but the battle behind him made people feel like they were going to force the palace.

Seeing him so cautious, Chongzhen frowned slightly, and snorted coldly: "Are you still afraid that I will harm you?" ”

Zhu Cihong said with a smile: "Erchen is not afraid! ”

He is really not afraid, not to mention that more than half of the Jinyi guards in the palace are Li Tingbiao's people, his five hundred East Palace guards are stationed in the Shouhuang Pavilion school field outside the Xuanwu Gate at the north gate of the Forbidden City, all loaded with guns and ammunition, fully equipped, if someone wants to do something to him in the palace, it is tantamount to digging his own grave.

Zhu Cihong is now fully capable of overthrowing Chongzhen and letting himself be in charge of the country, but he feels that it is not necessary.

In history, the reason why Chongzhen was able to kill this minister, behead that general, and replace dozens of ministers without any effort is because he has real power and a strong force in his hands.

Historically, the Yongwei Battalion was transferred by Chongzhen to the south to quell the rebellion, and was responsible for guarding the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum and the Nanjing Imperial Mausoleum, which were dispersed into several parts.

In the end, Sun Yingyuan was outnumbered and killed in Luoshan, Zhou Yuji fought Li Zicheng's hundreds of thousands of troops in Ningwu Pass, and finally broke the pass.

Historical experience tells Zhu Cihong that he can only wait for death at home, and even if the Yongwei Battalion is left in Beijing, the situation outside is still more difficult to contain, and in the end it is still a situation of waiting for death.

Chongzhen said lukewarmly: "Everyone stand down, I have something to say to the prince alone." ”

Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment, then led the eunuchs and palace maids who accompanied him to retreat ten meters away, but none of the guards in the East Palace dared to move, and they were still nailed there like nails.

Seeing this, Chongzhen's brows furrowed, and there was a faint anger in his eyes.

Seeing this, Zhu Cihong waved his hand at Xu Sheng and said, "Go down!" ”

"Yes!" Xu Sheng hugged his fists and took more than a dozen guards to retreat more than ten meters away, and several Donggong guards were scattered around, vigilantly scouting the surrounding environment.

"I've really taught a good son!" Chongzhen stared at Zhu Cihong and sneered.

Zhu Cihong said casually: "My father's words are serious, and my sons have no dissenting intentions. ”

Chongzhen stared at him tightly and said, "You don't want to be the emperor?" ”

"Yes!" Zhu Cihong is very direct.

Well, this rebel is finally telling the truth! What a fear! Chongzhen's eyes spewed flames, as if he was about to explode on the spot.

I only heard Zhu Cihong say again: "Erchen wants to be the emperor, but not now." ”

Seeing that Chongzhen's face was not good, Zhu Cihong continued: "The concubine once said that the emperor has not yet rebelled against the prince, and the sons and daughters will not break this rule. ”

After hearing this, Chongzhen snorted coldly, his expression relaxed slightly, and said, "Why do you want to go south?" ”

Zhu Cihong said solemnly: "Daming can't stand the toss now, and Erchen wants to save it." ”

Chongzhen sneered: "You have such a big breath!" ”

Seeing that he was silent, after a while, Chongzhen suddenly calmed down: "If you become an emperor, how will you do it?" ”

Zhu Cihong didn't expect him to ask such a question, and after thinking for a while, he said calmly: "Let the treasury have enough money and the people live and work in peace and contentment, this is the bottom line of the minister!" ”

Chongzhen sneered: "Hmph! You say lightweight, how can you do it? ”

"For example, Daming is a piece of cake....."

"What cake?" Chongzhen was curious.

"Ahem...... For example, Daming's financial resources are a piece of pastry. Zhu Cihong walked to the middle of the pavilion, picked up a piece of pastry, and said: "Eighty percent of this pastry is owned by gentry, officials, nobles, merchants, etc. ”

"And they pay taxes, but that's the only thing they give to the court." As he spoke, Zhu Cihong stuffed the pastry into his mouth and gently bit a small piece.

"On the contrary, the common people of the Ming Dynasty account for the majority, but the financial resources are only a pitiful small part, and the annual tax revenue of the imperial court is squeezed out of this pitiful small part, so for a long time, the officials forced the people to rebel, coupled with the continuous natural disasters, Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong and others will only increase!"

After all, Chongzhen has been engaged in politics for so many years, and he understands it as soon as he hears it, he frowned and said, "So, you want to move this pastry idea when you go south?" Want to make a move on this group? ”

Zhu Cihong swallowed the rest of the pastry in one bite and chewed it a few times before saying, "That's right!" If you want to eat enough, you have to eat a lot! ”

Chongzhen smiled coldly: "Hmph! You're not afraid of choking to death! ”

Zhu Cihong said confidently: "As long as your teeth are sharp and your appetite is strong, you are not afraid of any food that reaches your mouth!" ”

"Governing the country is not as simple as you think." Chongzhen shook his head, he felt that this rebel wanted to play with fire.

Zhu Cihong said proudly: "If you are afraid that the food is poisonous and you don't even dare to eat it, you will starve to death sooner or later, and your son does not want to be the one who starves to death!" ”

He looked at Chongzhen and said: "If the son fails, the father can make the third brother the crown prince, and just abandon the son, the Ming Dynasty is still like that." ”

"You!" Chongzhen pointed at him, wanting to scold, but looking at Zhu Cihong's resolute appearance, he was stunned, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

Zhu Cihong sighed and said leisurely: "My father is the emperor, everything is good, but my heart is too soft......"

Chongzhen's face is full of black lines, and his heart is too soft? If I don't have a soft heart, can you kid jump so much in front of me?

Chongzhen thought for a long time, and then said, "What do you need to go south this time?" ”

Zhu Cihong said with a smile: "Erchen only needs a Shang Fang sword that can't be broken!" ”

Chongzhen: "......."