"Mr. Fan, please elaborate. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ”

Huang Taiji's eyes flashed, obviously interested in Fan Wencheng's suggestion.

"Your Majesty, according to the detailed report of the ministers placed in the Ming Kingdom, then Li Xiao once proposed to Emperor Chongzhen that he wanted to negotiate peace with me in the Qing Dynasty. Although the specific conditions for the peace negotiation are not yet known, this matter is said to have come from Wen Tiren, the head of the Ming State, and it should be credible. Fan Wencheng said in a low voice.

"Oh, yes, then Li Xiao has frustrated the spirit of our army, but he has not been carried away by a momentary victory, and he actually wants to negotiate peace with me in the Qing Dynasty for the long run. It can be seen that he is sober-minded and very able to judge the situation, and this person is really a rare general in the Ming Kingdom. Huang Taiji stroked the sparse beard on his fat face, sighed to himself, and then asked Fan Wencheng: "Then according to Fan Bachelor's opinion, will Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Kingdom adopt Li Xiaozhi's advice?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that Chongzhen will not be able to accept Li Xiao's strategy."

"Oh, why did Bachelor Fan say that?"

"Your Majesty, Chongzhen is a person, he is mediocre, narrow-minded, has a good face and loves fame, and he is especially afraid of taking responsibility. Li Xiao's suggestion will definitely attract fierce opposition from a group of people in the government and the opposition who are unruly and regard themselves as high-minded, and under the collective opposition of the main battle faction and a group of courtiers who only care about the name of the Qing Dynasty, the minister dares to conclude that Chongzhen, who is already weak and suspicious, definitely does not have the courage and determination to accept Li Xiao's suggestion. ”

After Fan Wencheng finished speaking, Huang Taiji on the dragon chair nodded again and again.

"What Master Fan said can be said to be thorough, and the same is true from my point of view. Thinking about that Chongzhen, even a small smuggler can't control it, and it is really difficult for him to assume the great responsibility of negotiating peace with me in the midst of all the scolding. ”

Huang Taiji paused, and then asked: "Then what does Bachelor Fan's plan to kill with a knife have to do with Li Xiaozhi's suggestion?" ”

"Your Majesty, do you still remember the emperor's plan to let that Chongzhen kill Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Jiliao?" Fan Wencheng's face flashed with a hint of hideousness.

"Do you mean, let me get rid of Yuan Chonghuan back then, and make a counterplot against Emperor Chongzhen, and kill Li Xiao with his hands?" Huang Taiji's eyes lit up.

"That's exactly what it means." Fan Wencheng hurriedly said: "I can wait for the order to make a detailed work, spreading rumors in the city of Beijing, saying that the reason why Li Xiao proposed to negotiate peace with me in the Qing Dynasty was secretly bribed and benefited by the emperor, and the emperor has promised this person, once he leads his troops to return, he will be crowned a prince, so Li Xiao has already rebelled, and his heart is in the Ming Dynasty." The reason why this person vigorously promoted the peace between the Ming State and the Qing Dynasty was that his original intention was to seek his own personal interests through the means of peace negotiation. Then, when the time is ripe, he will rebel against the Ming and return to the Qing Dynasty. ”

"Haha, Bachelor's strategy, it's interesting, you can keep talking." Huang Taiji nodded and smiled.

"Your Majesty, the ministers thought that after such a plan, Emperor Chongzhen was already suspicious and suspicious of his subordinates, and he would be very confused and uneasy about such rumors. And a group of courtiers who have long been unaccustomed to Li Xiaomu's show in the forest will definitely seize the opportunity to attack and impeach Li Xiao. Then next, the best result is that Chongzhen will put Li Xiao in prison and even execute him to prevent future troubles. As a general result, I am afraid that Li Xiao will also be transferred out of Shandong, idle, and then secretly restrained. And the worst result should be that Chongzhen and Li Xiao are suspicious of each other and have resentment against each other, and from then on, the monarch and the ministers will be separated and scattered. Therefore, in Yichen's view, no matter what the result is, it will be a heavy blow to Li Xiao. And I'm in the Qing Dynasty, just sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. ”

After Fan Wencheng finished saying this, he smiled and let out a long breath.

"Well, what a plan! Bachelor Fan thought of such a good strategy, and it turned out to be a rare think tank in my Qing Dynasty. Just go down to arrange it, I am here, and watch this good show of the Ming monarchs and ministers fighting each other! Huang Taiji grinned, a pair of squinted eyes, and the smile became two thin lines.

"However, if Li Xiao really comes to join me, the reward I give him will never be under Kong Youde Geng Zhongming. Chongzhen can't use such a good minister and tiger general, but I will use it! Huang Taiji stood up and paced a few steps slowly, with a look of anticipation on his face: "I lost Yanguli and Tan Tai, like losing two deers, but if I can really get Li Xiao, it is tantamount to getting a tiger." ”

A hint of jealousy flashed on Fan Wencheng's face, and he hurriedly said, "Weichen obeys the holy decree. ”

。。。。。。

At the end of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, it is the time when the hot autumn tiger is finally rampant.

In the whole city of Beijing, there is not a trace of breeze, only the cicadas on the trees, hissing one after another, which makes the entire palace under the scorching sun add a lot of anxiety and stuffiness.

Jin Yiwei commanded Luo Yangxing, holding a secret letter in his hand, and ran towards the direction of Qianqing Palace against the hot and poisonous sun that was noon.

He ran profusely, and the spring and summer official uniforms of the Zhengsanpin Command made of thin silk were soaked with sweat, but Luo Yangxing did not dare to stop running for a while.

Not long after, he ran to the gate of the Qianqing Palace, and before he could breathe, he was announced by Emperor Chongzhen to the audience.

Emperor Chongzhen stood on the dragon chair, looking at the secret music sent by Luo Yangxing under the command of Jinyiwei with a gloomy face, and after reading it quickly, he gritted his teeth, crumpled the secret music into a crumpled ball, and threw it on the imperial steps.

Luo Yangxing knelt on the ground, and he didn't dare to come out.

"Hmph, as the commander of the Jinyi Guard, you haven't obtained any major information about the Liukou and the Tartars, it's really useless! Now such rumors on the streets and alleys make you so anxious, and you rush to report. You say, what is the use of this recital, which is all speculation! ”

Chongzhen's words full of annoyance and boredom floated down coldly from the dragon chair.

"Your Majesty, you are incompetent, ineffective, and have failed to investigate the Tartars and the Liukou, please punish the emperor. It's just that I'm also worried that if this rumor is true, then Li Xiao really has a heart of disobedience, and if the court lets it go, I'm afraid it will be too late to regret it. He is the commander of the Jinyi Guard, and if he does not report according to the truth, he is also suspected of dereliction of duty. Luo Yangxing lay on the ground and replied in a low voice.

On the dragon chair, there was no word for a long time.

"Luo Yangxing, your secret music is all the truth?" After a while, Chongzhen's words came over coldly and lifelessly.

"Your Majesty, Weichen has sent people to explore all parts of Beijing, and it is true that such rumors are circulating, and they are all eloquent. I didn't dare to delay, so I came to report to the emperor urgently. ”

There was another silence above.

"Alright, stand down." Chongzhen waved his hand irritably.

"Yes!"

Luo Yangxing breathed a sigh of relief in his heart and retreated in a hurry.

After he stepped back, Chongzhen, who sat silently, recalled the contents of this secret recital, and his heart was inexplicably irritable.

The content of this secret letter is: Now among the Beijing divisions, the streets and alleys are rumoring that Li Xiao, the governor of Shandong Chifengwei, secretly colluded with the Qing court and accepted a large amount of bribes from the Qing Dynasty, so that when his subordinates had already won, he deliberately asked the court to negotiate peace with the Qing Dynasty, so as to eat both places for himself and seek personal gain.

In this letter, what is even more sensational is that Li Xiao is treacherous and loyal, insatiable, and resentful when he sees that the court does not accept it. And the Tartar even promised Li Xiao the position of prince, and when he led the crowd to vote, he immediately rewarded him. That Li Xiao has made up his mind to rebel, and when the conditions are ripe, he will rebel against the Ming Dynasty, lead the entire population of Chifeng Guards, and go to the Qing Dynasty.

To tell the truth, Emperor Chongzhen's first impression after reading this letter was that it was purely some boring villain, meaningless nonsense, so he was so angry and angry with Luo Yangxing, the commander of the Jinyi Guard.

It's just that now that he has calmed down, he has now begun to doubt this matter inexplicably, and there may be something that must be true.

What makes Chongzhen suspicious. The main points are as follows:

1, the general army of the Ming Dynasty, there are many people from the south to the north, why is Li Xiao going to rebel instead of others?

2, Li Xiao dealt a heavy blow to the Qing army that entered the customs some time ago, and won a lot, it is said that he can sing a high profile and show his merits in order to invite the emperor's favor. But why did he persuade me to negotiate peace with the Tartar when he was bound to be scolded by the main battle faction and a group of clear streams, could it be that among them, it was not as high-sounding as Li Xiao said, but there were indeed many ulteriors?

3, it is rumored that the Tartars will allow him to take the position of prince, so compared to the false titles of Zuodu Governor and Prince Shaobao that he gave him, the attraction is really greater, so will Li Xiao really remain loyal?

Thinking of this, Chongzhen felt more and more upset, and it was mixed with wisps of loss.

Chongzhen found that he seemed to have started to rely more and more on this little Chifeng Governor Li Xiao. Over the years, the Ming Dynasty has won one of the few victories against the rebels against the Tartars. There is even Li Xiao involved in everything, although Li Xiao does not always appear as the protagonist, but who knows the real truth, and what it is?

Will such a national cadre city, which is deeply relied on by itself, really rebel?

The young emperor could not find the answer in his heart.

He thought for a long time, turned his head, and shouted impatiently to the serving eunuch on the side: "Go, go and call Changqing over." I have something to ask him. ”

"Yes, slave and maid obey."

Half an hour later, Wen Tiren came in a hurry.

When he listened to Emperor Chongzhen's brief description and read Luo Yangxing's secret note again, his heart suddenly overflowed with inexplicable joy.

Haha, Li Xiao, Li Xiao, look at your rampant back then, you still dare to take the rich people in the south of the Yangtze River, and you want to use the old man's family wealth to invite the emperor to favor, today, the old man is going to take this opportunity to punish you well!

"Your Majesty, Weichen thinks that the secret performance of Luo's command should be credible." Wen Tiren said in a low voice.

"Oh, why does Changqing think so?"

"Your Majesty, on the day of Li Xiao's great victory over the Qing army, he did not ask for merit and reward for himself, but urged His Majesty to negotiate peace with the Qing Dynasty, and this matter is very suspicious. The minister had doubts that day, but after all, there was no real evidence, but it was not easy to accuse out of thin air. Now it seems that this Li Xiao, lured by the heavy money and official position of the Tartars, has sought his own personal interests and has a rebellious heart, but it is not all groundless. ”

Wen Tiren's face was calm, and he finished saying these words word by word.

In the hot weather, Chongzhen's face was instantly covered with a layer of frost.

"Then, in Qing's opinion, it is appropriate for me to deal with Li Xiao?" Chongzhen stiffened his face and said this softly.

Wen Tiren saw Chongzhen entering, his heart was secretly happy, a trace of cruelty flashed in his eyes, and he raised his voice and said: "Your Majesty, in the opinion of the minister, now that rumors are spreading, there must be a reason for it, and such matters related to the safety of the country cannot be ignored." Although Li Xiao cannot be convicted based on rumors alone, it is completely possible to summon Li Xiao to Beijing first and interrogate him strictly in brocade clothes. If it is found that Li Xiaoguo has colluded with the Qing Dynasty, Li Xiao must be immediately sent to prison and severely punished. If no evidence of Li Xiao's collaboration with the enemy can be found, His Majesty cannot easily release this person, but can transfer him to other places and take up idle posts to prevent future troubles. In this way, it should be prevented from being resentful because of His Majesty's interrogation, so he led the military and civilian troops to rebel against the Qing court in the north, so that my Ming Dynasty suffered heavy losses. ”

After Wen Tiren finished speaking, his eyes sparkled and looked at Chongzhen expectantly.

Chongzhen, who was on the dragon chair, frowned and remained silent.

Seeing that the emperor was silent, Wen Tiren continued: "Your Majesty, is it because of Li Xiao's high achievements in the past? It's just that the minister thinks that disasters often accumulate in the slightest, so Li Xiao has won the heart of His Majesty and has contributed to the country, but he really has the heart to throw into the Tartar, but he must not be guarded against. ”

Chongzhen said with a tense face: "Changqing, this matter is still a rumor, and there is no solid evidence, I can let Li Xiao enter Beijing for trial just based on rumors, so wouldn't it chill the hearts of the soldiers in the world?" ”

"Your Majesty, this matter is still in the rumor stage. Only then can we prevent problems before they happen. If you really wait until Li Xiao leads the crowd to surrender to the Tartars, what law can the imperial court recuperate! Wen Tiren said eagerly, and immediately coughed a few times, and then said hurriedly: "It is normal for Your Majesty to summon the army to enter Beijing, so even if Li Xiao is meritorious, he is also my Ming courtier, can't he even be ordered to enter Beijing to interrogate the truth?" If so, where does Your Majesty's heavenly prestige exist, and where is the face of the imperial court? ”

After listening to Wen Tiren's aggressive words, Chongzhen, who sat like a puppet on the dragon chair, had a gloomy face and did not say a word.

Chongzhen suddenly remembered that when Zhang Fengyi, the secretary of the Ministry of War, attacked Li Xiao, Wen Tiren also came forward to intercede for Li Xiao, and persuaded himself to reward Li Xiao with Huangxian and Zhaoyuan.

It's just that now, this first assistant Wen Tiren, who used to have a good eye for Li Xiao, has attacked Li Xiao so mercilessly, intending to deal a heavy blow to Li Xiao. The hearts of people in this world are really changeable.

Chongzhen is not a fool, and he also knows in his heart that the reason why Wen Tiren has seized the opportunity now is to attack Li Xiao. It must be because Li Xiao proposed that day that he should collect heavy taxes on the wealthy households in the south of the Yangtze River, and this family has a lot of money, and Wen Tiren, who can be regarded as the richest man in Wucheng, Zhejiang, hated it very much in his heart, so he made a big killer to set an example.

This is the so-called no permanent friends, only eternal interests.

It's just that can you really follow Wen Tiren's advice?

The young emperor was in turmoil.

"Your Majesty, when it is decided, it will be decided, so as not to cause chaos." Seeing that the emperor was hesitant, Wen Tiren hurriedly added.

Chongzhen pondered for a while, but still didn't immediately reply to Wen Tiren, but said lightly: "Changqing, let's step back first, I still need to think about this matter." ”

Wen Tiren's mouth opened, and he looked unwilling, so he had no choice but to respond and retreat.

After Wen Tiren left, Chongzhen, with a solemn face, ordered the eunuch on the side again: "Go, go and call the new secretary of the military department, Yang Wenqiao, I have something to ask him." ”

"The slave obeys." (To be continued.) )