At that time, it was already dark, but there was another ring in the Forbidden City.

Except for some generals who defended the city, most of the other ministers had already washed and slept, and although the family members knocked on the door to remind the bell, few officials took it seriously.

Zhou Yanru, a scholar of the Middle Pole Temple, was comfortably lying on a little widow who had just been brought in, and after being woken up, he was very unhappy and said: "It's dark, what kind of court!" Is the Forbidden City ringing the death knell? ”

Zhou Yanru was very smart when he was young, quite talented and learned, and there were many ups and downs on the road to the official, and he was the first assistant of the cabinet for four months, and was turned over by his younger brother Wen Tiren and went home, after Wen Tiren's death, he slowly returned to the center, and was deeply trusted by Chongzhen.

Zhou Yanru's biggest hobby is to like widows, once when he was idle in his hometown in Jiangnan, he robbed widows and was blackmailed by Zhang Pu, the founder of the Fushe Society.

Zhou Yanru closed his eyes and rubbed the little widow next to him a few times, but he felt bored, so he turned over and fell asleep again.

Before he fell asleep, he only heard his subordinates talking outside the door again, and Yan Jinyiwei suddenly came to the door to convey the news that the emperor had convened a court meeting.

Hearing the three words Jin Yiwei, Zhou Yanru was completely sleepy, and immediately ordered someone to change his clothes and go to court.

Outside the noon gate, almost all the officials were confused, I don't know which door the emperor opened without sleeping after dark, can the meeting be solved now?

I only heard Zhang Jinyan, the squire of the military department, and others coming, and complained all the way: "I haven't slept yet, Your Majesty called Daqi to go to the court, what do you want to do?" ”

Someone sneered: "Who knows, even the outer city has been lost, it should be doing the last dying struggle." ”

Zhou Yanru said: "Elder Chen Ge, in your opinion, why did His Majesty hold a court meeting at night and let the Jinyi guard call the door?" ”

Chen Yanman, the first assistant of the cabinet, said indifferently: "I don't know, it is estimated that he has seen the situation clearly and feels that there are not many opportunities to be the emperor. ”

Hearing this, several officials around nodded with a smile, the emperor who was high in the past was about to fall from the altar, and he was not afraid at all.

The crisp bell rang, the heavy noon gate was slowly opened, the majestic Forbidden City was as bright as day, several rows of lanterns extended from the noon gate to the Imperial Palace, and on both sides of the royal road were the stubborn Yulin guards.

The guards of the Imperial Palace were all replaced by the previous brocade guards to the heavily armed Yulin guards, and when the ministers entered the main hall, the entire Forbidden City was tightly sealed.

Seeing this scene, Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the military department, was a little uneasy and said: "Old Chen Ge, how do I feel a little wrong!" ”

Chen Yan glanced around, smiled and said: "It's okay, the emperor is now a grasshopper after the autumn, and he can't make any big waves, he transferred troops into the palace, he should be afraid that the Dashun army will break the city and capture him." ”

Chen Xinjia sighed, he felt very reasonable, how many emperors were not afraid of death?

The ministers lined up into the Imperial Palace one after another.

At this time, Chongzhen was sitting on the throne wearing a suit of armor, and he was still holding a brand-new Shangfang sword in his hand, without sorrow or joy.

The ministers were confused again, what did the emperor want to do? Kill the enemy on the wall yourself? Awesome!

After the process-like salute, all the ministers stood there, waiting for the emperor's performance today, which should be said to be the last swan song of the Chongzhen Dynasty.

Although Chongzhen knew that he couldn't expect this group of civil officials to have any strategy to defend against the enemy, he still asked again with an attitude of trying it out: "The country is in difficulty, the rivers are declining, and the capital is in danger, what good strategies do you have for Aiqing?" ”

Look, the emperor is still scared and is asking for help!

None of the ministers in the palace went out to play right, and the entire imperial palace was silent, and even a few heavy breathing sounds could be faintly heard due to the acute attack of chronic bronchitis.

Chongzhen looked at him coldly, looked serious, and said, "What's the matter, are you all dumb?" Or are you all ready to surrender to the thief? ”

These civil officials looked at each other, either you look at me, or I look at you, and no one dared to come forward to answer Comrade Zhu Youzhen's question.

Chongzhen swept everyone around, and finally locked his eyes on Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the Ministry of War, and asked lukewarmly: "Chen Xinjia, you are the secretary of the Ministry of War, you can talk about it." ”

Chen Xinjia took the elephant wat out of the class and said: "Your Majesty, the minister is old and infected with an old disease, and I hereby submit my resignation, I hope Your Majesty will give the minister to return to his hometown!" ”

As he spoke, Chen Xinjia knelt down and waited for approval.

Chongzhen slowly walked down the throne with his sword in his hand, and sneered: "Jingshi has been surrounded by thieves and turned into iron buckets, how can you return to your hometown?" ”

Chen Xinjia said: "The minister will resign first, and then return to his hometown when the siege of Jingshi is lifted." ”

Hearing this, the chill in Chongzhen's heart became more and more intense, this Chen Xinjia was either ready to surrender to the enemy, or he was ready to go south, and then he would be called back as an official after Li Zicheng defeated the Beijing Division.

"I remember that you are a long-lived person in Chóng Qìng Mansion, and the prince has already blocked the Yangtze River, how can you return to your hometown?"

Chen Xinjia said: "Your Majesty's knowledge is limited, I don't know, the Yangtze River runs through Chóng Qìng Mansion, and the minister's hometown is in Jiangbei ....."

Chongzhen was immediately furious and shouted, "You are very knowledgeable! As the secretary of the Ministry of War, he has no plan to resist the enemy, and he is still bent on avoiding disaster when the country is in trouble, what is the use of me leaving you! ”

After speaking, Chongzhen swung out a fierce sword and slashed at Chen Xinjia who was kneeling on the ground, and blood splattered immediately.

Chen Xinjia's head rolled down on the gold bricks, blood spurted straight out, and the head that stopped rolling seemed to have an incredible expression.

The emperor killed people in court!

The ministers were so frightened that they froze in place on the spot, and it took a long time to recover.

Zhou Yanru trembled and accused: "Your Majesty, since ancient times, those who have killed ministers without permission have all been faint kings, how can you mistake yourself?" Aren't you afraid of a stroke in the history books of Danqing? ”

This sword went down, as if it vented Chongzhen's resentment in his heart for many years, at this time he was very happy, and he also felt very excited!

Hearing that Zhou Yanru was reasoning again, he sneered and said, "Faint Jun? Over the years, have I heard less of your teachings? I'd rather be a faint ruler now, and I want to cure you misguided moths! ”

After speaking, Emperor Chongzhen, who was both civil and military, stabbed Zhou Yanru to death on the spot with a sword, and scolded: "Misleading the country and traitorous ministers, it is not a pity to die!" ”

Chen Yan, the first assistant of the cabinet, was full of horror, and the other ministers were also full of horror, and they all moved back.

The Emperor is crazy! Who fed him the pill and ate something wrong?

Before Chen Yan, the first assistant of the cabinet, had time to ask him what he shouldn't have eaten recently, he saw Chongzhen walking towards him with a sword, and asked in a cold voice: "Chen Aiqing, you are the first assistant of the cabinet, what are your best strategies to defend against the enemy?" ”

Chen Yan shrunk his neck and stood tremblingly, not daring to look up at Chongzhen at all.

Although he didn't know why the emperor was crazy today, he knew very well that if he also wanted to return to his hometown, he was afraid that this madman would directly hack himself to death, after all, he was the first assistant of the cabinet.

The most important thing is that Chen Yan, the first assistant of the cabinet who has just been in office for less than a month, is not willing to be laid off like this, in his opinion, with his own status and talent, he should still be the first assistant of the cabinet if he surrenders Dashun, and things are scarce and expensive, and there is no university scholar in Dashun.

Chen Yan quickly thought about a good way to deal with it in his heart, and his alertness at this time was no less than the state of the palace examination that year, and finally he reluctantly smiled and said: "Your Majesty, the minister is stupid, and there is no good plan to offer, but the minister is willing to donate five hundred taels to reward the army defending the city, so as to relieve the siege of the capital and protect my Ming Dynasty!" ”

Retreat as advance, good fellow!

Chongzhen laughed angrily, but his heart was even more disgusted with it, he glanced at the ministers and said: "Now that the treasury is empty, there is no half a penny or silver, all of you Aiqing are my Ming courtiers, can you donate your furniture to make up a million military salaries to reward the soldiers who defend the city?" ”

"Millions?"

Hearing this, the officials couldn't help but bury their heads, they didn't expect the emperor's appetite to be so big now!

One million taels of silver, and the per capita is eighteen thousand, which is a small amount of money for everyone present!

But they feel that now there is no hope for the Jingshi to be defended, and the capture of the Jingshi by the Dashun army is a foregone conclusion, and the emperor in front of them may be cold in a few days, and there is really no need to waste the money he has worked hard for many years as an official.

Once again, the officials remained silent in a tacit manner, as did a few loyal ministers who wanted to donate, and they did not dare to oppose the entire civil bureaucracy.

Chongzhen's anger is getting older and bigger, and the inner line of defense has been broken through again and again, and the group of officials in front of him no longer have a big understanding in their hearts, and they are all planning for their future!

He held back his anger, looked at Chen Yan, and said, "You are the first assistant of the cabinet, and you only have five hundred or two assets?" ”

Chen Yan said seriously: "There are only 20 acres of thin fields in the minister's family, two old servants, and the assets accumulated by the officials over the years are only 550 taels, and I wanted to rely on these silver taels to spend my old age in peace, since the country is in trouble, Your Majesty Qi Jinkou asks for help, and the minister is willing to take out all the family assets of 550 taels to fill the military salary!" ”

After speaking, Chen Yan showed resoluteness on his face, looking righteous and awe-inspiring, just waiting for the emperor to say: Strong!

"You fart!" Chongzhen kicked him to the ground, holding his sword and scolding: "Traitor, don't you know? You have 50,000 acres of fertile land under your name, and the money and grain praised by the government treasury are no less than 200,000 taels, and you dare to cry poor in front of me! Do you still want face? I'm blind to promote such an ungrateful thing as you! ”

Seeing that the emperor wanted to kill himself, he hurriedly got up and hugged Chongzhen's thigh, and kept kowtowing: "The minister deserves death, please forgive your majesty!" ”

Chongzhen kicked him away again, and said angrily: "You are innocent of death!" ”

As soon as Chen Yan got up and was about to hug his thighs again, he was slashed seven or eight times by the furious Chongzhen and died in a pool of blood.

There was an exclamation in the Imperial Palace, and all the ministers couldn't help but move outside the hall, but a group of heavily armed Yulin guards had already been surrounded outside the hall, and without the emperor's order, no one would be able to leave this hall today.

Zhang Jinyan, the squire of the military department, knelt on the ground with a bang, and his hand holding the elephant wat was shaking, as if he was about to be killed in a moment.

He said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, the minister is willing to donate all the family assets of 100,000 taels to return to his hometown!" ”

Zhang Jinyan knelt on the ground, his legs and feet were still shaking, Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the military department, hung up, according to the system, he, the squire of the military department, must be on top, and this joint presides over the defense of the Beijing division? If the Dashun army enters the city, won't they kill themselves alive?

No one knew what Zhang Jinyan thought, but Chongzhen could see that this person was obviously scared, really scared!

"Minister, Chen Biqian, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, please return to his hometown when he is sick!"

"Minister, Dongge University scholar Wei Zaode please return home!"

"Minister, Zhang Xin, the secretary of the Criminal Department, please return to his hometown when he is sick!"

……

Looking at the rows of important ministers kneeling in front of him, the chill in Chongzhen's eyes became deeper and deeper, and he said angrily: "What the ministers say on weekdays, if the country is like this today, there is no loyal minister and righteous man to share the worries of the court, I see that you are really terminally ill and incurable!" ”

Chongzhen's eyes gradually turned red, and the hot blood splashed on his face by Chen Yan, the first assistant to the cabinet, made him look very hideous, his real madness, the real explosion!

"In that case, let me take you!"

He rushed into the crowd with his sword and slashed, shouting as he slashed: "All the ministers can be killed if they make a mistake!" ”

The ministers immediately blew up the pot, got up and hid behind the pillar, and a few wanted to break through and escape from the Imperial Palace, but were kicked back by the Yulin Guard in the palace.

In fact, not only the ministers were frightened, but even Yu Linwei, who was sweeping the formation, was all stunned.

There are Yulin guards silently praised: "My emperor is mighty......"

Blood was sprinkled in the Imperial Palace, the ministers cried wolf, and more than 20 people were hacked to death and wounded, which was unbearable.

A man who liked to write and impeached the Spray Man Yushi had his right arm cut off, and a bachelor who was good at preaching was cut and disfigured.

Chongzhen, who was dismantled in a cloak, chased and slashed around the Imperial Palace for more than 20 laps, and finally lost his physical strength, gasping for breath to stop the pursuit, and he walked towards Zhang Jinyan, the squire of the military department, with heavy steps.

At this time, Zhang Jinyan was frightened to pee, collapsed to the ground, and kowtowed vigorously to forgive: "Your Majesty spare your life, Your Majesty spare your life!" ”

Chongzhen's anger was almost poured out, and when he saw the blood on his head, he felt that he was really afraid of Tianwei, so he said: "I will keep your dog's life first, and immediately serve me as the secretary of the military department, and organize the soldiers and civilians in the city to defend the city, if it is not good to defend the city, I will destroy your nine clans!" ”

Where did Zhang Jinyan dare to refuse, kowtowing like pounding garlic at the moment, he responded happily, and shouted long live my emperor.

The other ministers didn't run away, they hid far away, and hurriedly followed and echoed, saying that our emperor was wise and martial......