Late at night, a bonfire burned on the wall of the Fucai Gate (South Gate), and several figures sat around the bonfire to keep warm, and large knives, clubs, and spears lay sideways around them. These people were the officials and people who guarded the city, and one of them was a sergeant of the general's palace. After the recovery of Shunyi County, the city guard affairs were still in charge of the county yamen, and Yang Ming was inconvenient to act on his behalf, but Ding Yousan arranged for the sergeant to participate in the defense of the city, as a liaison between the official force of the county government and Yang Ming's private army.

The sergeant sat curled up by the fire, his triangular eyes pulled together, as if he was dozing, and occasionally his eyelids were open, revealing a dull and empty look, a look of despair.

In the darkness outside the city gate, seven or eight carts dragged by mules and horses creaked to the city gate, and the first person rode a horse and shouted to the city wall: "The official above, the little Liu Si, is the convoy of the second master of the king...... " He shouted while throwing the things in his hand leisurely onto the city wall.

A small bag of things fell around the campfire with a heavy sound, the characteristic grinding and clashing sound of broken silver.

A servant stepped forward to pick up the broken silver bag, checked it, estimated that there were seven or eight coins of silver, and immediately smiled, poked his head out of the city wall, and shouted: "Liu Zhang's team, it's late today......

That Liu Si raised his head below and replied with a smile: "Go into the city and drag the goods and leave, don't stay overnight, please ask the official to make it convenient." ”

Several officials were about to open the city gate, but the sergeant who was sitting by the fire stood up, moved to the officer, and asked, "What is the situation?" ”

"Wu Ye, it's Wang Erye's convoy, and the people of Jin Shang ......," the official replied as he stuffed a small piece of silver into Wu Lao's second-hand hand.

Wu Lao Er took the silver and said no more, and returned to the fire and sat down, his yellow face changing uncertainly in the firelight, as if he was pondering what to hesitate.

The origin of the Jin merchants was first in the early Ming Dynasty. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, millions of troops were deployed on the northern border, and in order to solve the material needs of the army, the imperial court rewarded merchants with salt and encouraged merchants to transport grain and forage to the border plug, which was the "open middle system" of the Ming Dynasty. The so-called "salt introduction" is to obtain a license certificate for the purchase and sale of salt under the government's exclusive control policy on the salt industry.

Shanxi merchants keenly grasped this business opportunity, and they transported grain from Henan, Shandong, and Jiangnan to the northern border towns in exchange for "salt introduction", and then turned around and traveled to Lianghuai, Hedong, Sichuan, and other places where salt was produced, and used it to buy salt with "salt introduction", and finally sold it to other parts of the country for a profit.

Through this difficult and dangerous business process, Shanxi merchants earned a lot of wealth and became a prosperous business gang - Jin merchants. The Jin merchants, represented by Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Fan Yongdou, Wang Dayu, Liang Guest, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, and Huang Yunfa, were among the most powerful business gangs in the country.

In the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the imperial court imposed an economic blockade on Mongolia and the Later Jin, and doing business with the Later Jin was at the risk of his life. After Nurhachi unified the Later Jin, he used and supported the Jin merchants economically, and he borrowed money from the Shanxi merchants who came and went between the Central Plains and the Later Jin, and promised usurious profits. In order to show the credibility of the repayment, Nurhachi issued a loan ticket stamped with a dragon seal to the Shanxi merchant who lent the loan as a certificate, which is the legendary "dragon ticket".

Later, Huang Taiji was even more eloquent, he continued to strengthen ties with Shanxi merchants, and promised to return the borrowed money plus interest after entering the Central Plains in the future. At the same time, he adopted various preferential policies to attract Shanxi merchants to do business, provided them with great convenience, used them to reserve military strategic materials, and also developed some of them as spies, using them to spy on the military and economic intelligence of the Ming Dynasty, and to understand and master every move of the Ming Dynasty.

In this way, the Jin merchants relied on their huge business network to collude with the Houjin to sell the Central Plains' iron weapons, munitions, military supplies, grain and grass, and even military and economic intelligence to the Houjin, which strongly supported the development and growth of the Houjin's economic and military strength, and finally seized the Central Plains.

In the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City, the candles on the imperial case were almost burned out, and the emperor of Chongzhen, who was haggard and had dark eyes, was holding a document in his hand, his brows twisted, and he seemed to be unable to suppress the anger in his heart.

With a "snap", Chongzhen threw the paperwork in his hand to the ground, stood up from the dragon chair, walked back and forth anxiously in front of the imperial case with his hands behind his back, and said angrily in his mouth:

"These ministers regard me as the Lord of the Dark? ……”

Wang Chengen, the eunuch of Si Li Bingbi, who was standing on the side, lowered his head and did not dare to speak, he knew that since the Houjin army invaded for nearly two months, Chongzhen was anxious every day, often staying up all night to deal with military and political affairs, and his temper was becoming more and more difficult to control. Wang Chengen secretly glanced at the document on the ground, but it was a good news submitted by Zhao Mou, the magistrate of Shunyi County, to the Ministry of War, and he could vaguely see that the text read, "The captives are very sharp, and the ministers are the people of a county, so they have to obey it." There is a strong man named Yang Ming, who is good at the five thunder methods, and is felt by the ministers, and is willing to serve the dead. It is to recruit more than 1,000 people, and use a huge cannon to raise the sky and make a thunder method, and suddenly hit it, and the thunder is released and the soldiers are captured. The county seat is restored, and more than 800 levels have been captured, this sincerity is my emperor's divine literature and holy martial arts, and the blessing of diligence and love for the people is also ......"

Wang Chengen couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart, wondering if this seven-grade sesame county order in Shunyi City was crazy. Since the last Shinfu incident, public opinion in the DPRK and China has been in an uproar. Although the officials did not dare to say that Chongzhen was confused by witchcraft and mistrusted people, Liu Zhilun and Jin Sheng, who recommended Shen Fu, were scolded by the government and the opposition. Chongzhen also knew that these officials were scolding Liu and Jin, in fact, they were accusing themselves, and his stubborn temper came up, and he didn't punish Liu and Jin in any way, and he didn't even say a word of reprimand, but Chongzhen was very angry about this matter in his heart, and he was very taboo for others to talk about it. The officials who were interested only dared to talk behind their backs, and they didn't dare to mention it in front of Chongzhen, but this Zhao Zhixian was good, and he actually wrote a good news in black and white, boasting about a thunder method and beheading more than 800 levels, this joke is too big.

Chongzhen hurriedly took a few steps, stomped his foot suddenly, and said hatefully: "Since there is such a great victory, why don't you make an urgent military report?" It's clearly ......"

Wang Chengen was taken aback, he knew that Chongzhen was hating those officials and pretending to be confused. Beheaded more than 800 levels, what a huge success?! In the past few so-called victories between the Ming army and the Houjin, the heads captured were in single digits, and Yuan Chonghuan blew the Ningjin victory to the sky, how many were beheaded? It's only one level! Shunyi County reported the beheading of more than 800 captives, and if those officials really believed it, it would definitely be reported as a major military headline. Obviously, they didn't believe it themselves, and they didn't dare to report it like this, but they didn't say it, so as not to get into trouble, so they mixed it with ordinary official documents to report to the emperor, so that this "good news" was shelved in the palace for several days, and now it is only seen by Chongzhen.

Wang Chengen lowered his head and didn't dare to come out, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, according to the slave maid, there must be something ......strange in this matter," Wang Chengen said in a low voice.

"Strange? This is clearly a ...... of bullying the young master," Chongzhen stomped his feet and became more and more resentful.

"Your Majesty, this Shunyi City is only forty miles away from Beijing, whether it is virtual or real, you can know it at a glance. Besides, Zhao Huizhong of Nazhi County surrendered to the Tartars more than a month ago, and there were many captives stationed in the city. Most of the people and materials captured by the captives everywhere, as well as the grain and silver looted from Zhangjiawan, were also transported to Shunyi for accumulation......"

Wang Chengen glanced at Chongzhen secretly, leaned down to pick up the paperwork on the ground, and said slowly: "Now that such a good news has been sent, doesn't Your Majesty feel that things are different?" ”

This Wang Chengen is a native of Xingtai, Hebei, and entered the palace as a eunuch at a young age, and was originally a small eunuch under the name of the great eunuch Cao Huachun. When Chongzhen was the king of Xin before he ascended the throne, he was sent to the palace of Xinwang as an errand boy, and he watched Chongzhen grow up since he was a child. Along the way, a deep family relationship has developed between him and Chongzhen. After Chongzhen became the emperor, Wang Chengen was loyal and stayed by Chongzhen's side to assist him and solve problems for him. With his many years of understanding of Chongzhen, he has figured out what Chongzhen has and what his temper is, and Chongzhen trusts him very much, and he also swears to protect Chongzhen to the death, and the two can be said to rely on each other.

In history, when the country changed in the year of Jiashen, Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself in the coal mountain, and the only person who accompanied him to die was Wang Chengen.

Chongzhen heard Wang Chengen's words, thought about it for a while, and felt that this thing was not quite right. Lei Fa or anything for the time being, this Zhao County Order dares to report like this, there must be a reason for it.

Thinking of this, Chongzhen's anger also disappeared a little, took the document in Wang Chengen's hand, and continued to read it.

I saw that it was written: "The heads have been collected, and Emperor Fuwei quickly sent a large number of officers to inspect them, so as to show the prestige of the imperial court's extermination......"

It seems that this county order is really crazy, and he is already joking with the heads of his whole family and even the nine clans. Chongzhen thought so, but deep down, there was a faint hope - hoping that it was true, although reason told him that it was impossible.

"Call Sun Chengzong." Chongzhen said majestically.

Sun Chengzong was in charge of the defense of Beijing at this time, and was on duty in the cabinet at night, and immediately rushed to the Qianqing Palace according to his order.

took the document handed over by Chongzhen and glanced at it, Sun Chengzong's face couldn't help but turn red, and a few wisps of gray beard were so angry that he curled up.

He had already read this "good news", according to his meaning, this document should not be reported to Chongzhen at all, as for the Zhao County Order, he will slowly settle accounts with him in the future. Of course, he couldn't afford to block the charge of the Holy Hearing, and Sun Chengzong couldn't explicitly instruct the officials below to withhold this "good news", he could only imply to express his opinion. Who knew that these officials were more slippery than the other, and no one was willing to take on this burden, so in the end, they mixed this document with ordinary official documents to report the matter.

"Your Majesty, don't you hear about Guo Jing's affairs back then?" Sun Chengzong was angry, and his tone was heavy.

Chongzhen has been familiar with history books since he was a child, and he knows the story of Guo Jing in the Song Dynasty.

In the first year of Jingkang in the Northern Song Dynasty (1126 AD), the Jin State moved south to attack the Song Dynasty with the strength of the whole country. This Guo Jing was originally a small soldier in Bianjing City, good at juggling, claiming that he would be a "six-armor divine soldier", the so-called "method with 7,777 people" lined up in a large formation, known as invincible, but the capture of Jin will retreat from the enemy. It is said that normal people will not believe this kind of nonsense, but Sun Fu, the newly appointed Privy Councillor, believed it, thinking that he had found a way to save the Great Song Dynasty, and recommended Guo Jing to Song Qinzong. Song Qinzong was originally skeptical, but his superstitious Taoist skills, his father Song Huizong, who proclaimed himself the "Emperor of Daojun", was convinced of this.

As a result, Song Qinzong appointed Guo Jing as the commander-in-chief of the defense and rewarded tens of thousands of gold silks. Guo Jing selected a group of scoundrels to enlist in the army according to the eight characters of his birthday. So, one day in the winter moon of the first year of Jingkang, the Jin soldiers outside Bianjing City saw something strange that they had never seen before: the city gate was wide open, and thousands of soldiers who looked like Taoist priests and refugees rushed towards them. After the initial shock, the Jin soldiers immediately launched a merciless slaughter of these "divine soldiers". Then there was the fall of Bianjing, Song Huizong, Song Qinzong father and son, together with the clan, concubines and ministers, were raped and killed by the Jin soldiers, which was the shame of Jingkang, and the Northern Song Dynasty perished.

And what about this Guo Jing, when the Jin soldiers broke through the city and entered, Guo Jing, who was sitting in the city tower to supervise the battle, found an opportunity to slip away under the pretext of going out to go out and go into battle in person. This person later continued to swagger and deceived Xiangyang, and was slashed by Xiangyang guard Zhang Sizheng.

As soon as Sun Chengzong said this, Chongzhen's face couldn't help but change greatly.

Previously, he listened to the recommendation of Liu Zhilun and Jin Sheng, and appointed Shen Fu, a homeless man who claimed to have obtained the secret ancient chariot soldier book of Songshan Taoist priest and had secret skills, as the deputy chief soldier of the Beijing camp, and allocated 170,000 taels of silver to Shen Fu to recruit troops and horses and make chariots.

When Chongzhen read history, when he read Guo Jing's section, he also laughed at the Northern Song Dynasty Qin and Hui Erzong for being ignorant and confused, and they were confused by the demons' inferior deception, so that they lost the lives of the entire country and themselves and their families. But when things fall on your head, how smart can you be? Sun Chengzong has always been old-fashioned, but now this is to make it clear, so that Chongzhen must not believe in this so-called "good news", so that he misunderstands himself and the country.

Wang Chengen saw Chongzhen's face red and white, and he knew that it was not good, so he dared to come out to play a round.

"Elder Sun Ge, this spell is certainly not credible, but the more than 800 heads are still waiting for the imperial court to send someone to test it."

"What head? Ridiculous! Sun Chengzong was still angry, "Send someone to test, what you said lightly ......"

At present, the army of the Ming Dynasty is huddled in the city, and outside the city is the world of the Houjin army. The history books contain: "The horses and horses fled, the feather book was cut off, and the detectives of the military department did not dare to approach the curtain, and the rumors were reported." "The scouts sent out by the capital did not dare to go far, and often went out of the city to wander around the neighborhood, and when they heard some news, they returned to Beijing to report. Nowadays, the communication between various places in Gyeonggi is to reward the dead with heavy money, and when they touch the city at night, the people in the city put down the rope and come up to hand over the documents. Some of those who were sent out to deliver letters and documents were intercepted and killed by the Houjin soldiers on the way, not only losing their lives, but also leaking the secrets of the documents. Just based on the absurd "good news" of Shunyi Zhixian County, he sent a member of the imperial court to inspect the head? This meaningless risk Sun Chengzong will not take it.

The scene was embarrassing for a while, and there was silence in the Qianqing Palace. Suddenly, a eunuch stumbled in and fell to his knees inside the palace gate.

"Your Majesty, Tartar...... The captives are here again......"