Chongzhen looked forward to the officers and troops of Huguang and Shaanxi every day that they would cheer up under his strict orders and earnest duties, and that there would be a shortcut to Beijing in the near future. But until mid-August, it was only known that both places were "attacking", and the good news was still slim. He was anxious and sleepless at night, full of hope and fear. After reading two Tang newspapers, he closed his eyes and raised his head with a painful expression, "Convene the cabinet ministers, and discuss the platform~"

"Obey~!" Wang Chengen just looked at Chongzhen's expression and knew that it was not good news in the Tang newspaper

Chongzhen summoned the ministers on the platform, talked about the use of troops to send generals, and was disappointed in everything, and couldn't help but sigh deeply, and said with a sense of indignation: "I didn't expect that with the size of today's China, there are no first-class generals like Guan Yunchang and Yue Wumu!" ”

Without waiting for the cabinet minister to reply, he continued: "In fact, I have already seen that Xiong Wencan has done nothing, and there is no way to suppress it, and it is perfunctory, which has caused Zhang Xianzhong to entrench himself in Gucheng and be like a tiger. But because of the importance of the feudal territory, I am not willing to change people easily. In the change of Gucheng, I still refuse to cure his crimes, and still hope that he will 'lose the east corner and harvest the mulberry elm'. I didn't expect that so far, more than three months, and there has been no military turnaround, which really disappointed me! ”

Seeing Chongzhen's anger, the ministers were very frightened and didn't dare to raise their heads. Some people also muttered in their hearts: "Lu Xiangsheng and Sun Chengzong don't need Yue Fei and Guan Yu, but what will happen to them?" However, this can only be said in the mouth

Yang Sichang hurriedly knelt down and said: "Xiong Wencan has no way to suppress and appease, resulting in the change of Gucheng, delaying the closure of the territory, and living up to the depth of the saint's reliance. At that time, the minister was ignorant of people's wisdom, and rashly recommended it, and he was also jointly and severally liable, and the crime could not be punished. However, at present, the two armies in western Hubei and Shangzhou are gathering and are attacking, and there will be good news in the next few days. I beg your Majesty to wait with relief and not to be too worried. ”

Chongzhen was silent for a moment and did not answer immediately, in fact, at this moment he had already decided to punish Xiong Wencan, but who was sent to Xiangyang to preside over the "thief" military? Thinking about the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty, there is no suitable person. He knew that in terms of talent, Yang Sichang was many times higher than Xiong Wencan, but the center could not lack people like him. In the past two years, Chongzhen did not even let Shoufu know about some secret plans, especially on the issue of peace in Manchuria, and only secretly discussed and secretly discussed with Yang Sichang, and Yang Sichang also fully implemented his proposition and worked hard and complained. It is not easy to get a match between monarchs and ministers like this. If Yang Sichang is sent to Huguang, who will go to the center to replace him? Who is responsible for negotiating peace with Manchuria? If he is not sent, the "thief" military will not only be unable to achieve short-term results, but will even be out of control. Thinking left and right, no idea.

Later, he suddenly thought: "Why don't you draw lots in the Great Bright Palace to ask whether the military is going well or not, and then make a decision?" "With his mind decided, he announced that he would retire from his ministers, and if they were granted amnesty, they would retire quickly. Subsequently, Chongzhen walked slowly to Kunning Palace and gossiped with Zhou Hou for a while, and then told Zhou Hou: He wanted to take her Hetian and Yuan Erfei to the Great Guangming Hall tomorrow to burn incense and ask for a signature, and asked her to prepare.

After the week, I saw that he was depressed for state affairs every day, and he was restless in sleep and food, and the Mid-Autumn Festival the day before yesterday had been dismissed from hundreds of officials and women, and he was very worried that he would damage his body in the long run. Now when I heard that the emperor said that he was going to the Great Light Hall to burn incense and ask for a signature, Zhou Hou took the opportunity to say: "The Great Light Hall is the place where Emperor Jiajing cultivates, and the sign that wants to come there must be very spiritual." Tomorrow, Your Majesty will go to the incense, and you will definitely get a good sign. In the spring of this year, because His Majesty was not in a good mood, he did not go to Xiyuan to visit fortunately, and he failed to live up to the spring of the lake. At present, the autumn scenery in Xiyuan is picturesque, and the weather is also very clear. Tomorrow, why doesn't Your Majesty lead your concubines and concubines Tian and Yuan to visit a few places by the way after burning incense and drawing lots? ”

"Well, you can give them a message."

Zhou Hou was very happy, and immediately ordered the palace maids to go to Chengqian Palace and Yikun Palace to send a decree to Tian and Yuan Erfei, telling them to fast and bathe tonight, and prepare to go to the Great Guangming Hall tomorrow to burn incense and play in the West Garden for a day. She also ordered a chief to follow the eunuch to send an edict to the Shang Diet Supervisor, asking the imperial dining room to prepare early, and make a few of the emperor's favorite dishes tomorrow and send them to Yingtai, and at the same time to prepare sweets and pastries in the sweet room, especially instructing not to forget the emperor's favorite tiger eye nest silk candy. She also instructed the eunuchs in charge of Kunning Palace to send someone to ride a horse to Yuquan Mountain in the western suburbs early tomorrow morning to fetch fresh spring water, so that they could make tea for the emperor in Xiyuan. On the morning of the next day, Chongzhen led Zhou Hou Hetian and Yuan Erfei, surrounded by a large group of eunuchs and palace maids, to take the Xuanwu Gate and go west along the royal road on the north bank of the moat. Sitting on the chariot, he was still thinking about the military affairs of Huguang and Shaanxi, looking forward to getting good news today. When he walked to the side of the regimental city, he ordered a chief to rush back to the Forbidden City and pass on the edict to Wang Dehua, the eunuch of the master of ceremonies: If the good news from Huguang and Shaanxi arrives, he will immediately go to Yingtai to play to him, and there is no need to wait for him to return to the palace.

As soon as you arrive at the Jinao Jade Spider Bridge, the water of the large liquid pool on the left and right is rippling, and the reeds are swaying, a clear autumn scene. A cool breeze blew, and Chongzhen's mind suddenly refreshed. He looked at Qionghua Island, thinking that he didn't have time to climb Qionghua Island today, and after going to the Great Light Hall to drop incense, he might as well come to Tuancheng to rest for a while, take a panoramic view of the West Garden, and then go to Yingtai for dinner. So he whispered to a long-term attendant who was waiting: "After the incense is dropped, I will first come to the group city to eat tea and rest." You go and tell Wang Dehua: If there is a good news from Huguang, you can send it to Tuancheng. ”

After the Jade Spider Archway, the Great Light Hall is not far away. It is a magnificent and majestic building, located in the Xi'an Gate, on the west side of today's Fuyou Street. The Jiajing Emperor, who enjoyed the peace and prosperity of the world, wanted to live forever, ignored the government for decades, and practiced alchemy and immortality from Taoist Tao Zhenren here. I don't know how much money and food were spent, how much manpower was spent, and a large magnificent palace was built here, and the Great Light Hall stands in the middle of this complex, which houses the Seven Treasures Cloud Dragon tablet of the Jade Emperor. Since Jiajing, the emperors of all dynasties have come to burn incense on the ninth and twenty-fifth days of the first month of the first month of each year. But on other days, if there is a special reason, or because of the emperor's momentary pleasure, he will also come here to pray, or set up a Jiao altar to make a fuss for a few days.

Yesterday, I got the notice of the celebrant and the Taoist priests made all preparations overnight. From the west end of the Jinao Jade Spider Bridge through the front of the Yuxi Palace, continue to the west, until the Great Light Palace, all the way is particularly clean, and some slightly low-lying places are also paved with yellow sand. When the four-by-one dragon and phoenix chariot passed in front of the Yuxi Palace, more than 300 eunuchs of all sizes who studied official drama here knelt beside the royal road under the leadership of the deacon eunuchs to pick up the driver, and shouted "Long live". As soon as the four-by-one dragon and phoenix passed the south entrance of the wine and vinegar bureau alley, they saw the Taoist official and the abbot leading all hundreds of Taoist priests to kneel outside the mountain gate of the Great Light Hall to welcome the holy driver.

Chongzhen and the concubines got off the chariot, went in to rest for a while, and went to the Jade Emperor's tablet to make incense in turn. One o'clock and drums are ringing, and the jade chimes are ringing, which is both lively and solemn. But seeing the brilliant candles in front of the Qibao Yunlong tablet, the cigarette smoke is swirling, and the incinerated green words and yellow tables are rising, flying close to the colorful and gorgeous dust. Chongzhen first poured incense, reverently knelt on the yellow satin mat and kowtowed, prayed silently for a while, and then whispered: "Sign it!" The abbot who was kneeling on the side and waiting hurriedly picked up the cloisonné disc dragon stick holder with both hands from the god table, knelt down again, and shook the stick holder three times in front of the emperor. Chongzhen took out a stick from inside, handed it to the abbot, and then stood up. The white-bearded old abbot put the sign holder back in its place, took a sign printed on jute paper according to the signature number, knelt down, and held Chongzhen. Chongzhen received it in his hand with anxiety, and when he saw the line "Twenty-sixth Sign Zhongping", he was disappointed at first, and then felt a little relieved. At this time, as long as it is not an inferior sign, he will feel some satisfaction, not to mention that this is slightly better than "rushing down". When the queen and the second concubine were pouring incense respectively, he withdrew from the round hall, stood under a whitebark pine and looked at the divine lot, pondering the poems in the lot, and couldn't help but feel heavy again.

The queen and the two concubines burned incense, walked out of the hall, and saw Chongzhen holding a signed ticket in his hand, wandering under the pine tree, with thoughts on his brows. Zhou Hou was afraid that he would draw a bad lot, so he hurriedly walked up to him and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, what does the lottery say?" ”

Chongzhen didn't answer, put the ticket in his sleeve, and instructed the eunuchs: "Go to the regimental city and have a look!" ”

After a while, the four dragons and phoenixes crossed the Jinao Jade Spider Bridge and stopped next to the regimental city. Chongzhen and the concubines went to the regimental city from the cave gate on the left. There is only one round hall called Chengguang Hall in the late Ming Dynasty above the regimental city, which is to rebuild the Yitian Hall of the Yuan Dynasty. There were originally three large pine trees in front of the Chengguang Palace, which were planted by the Jin Dynasty and have been hundreds of years. In the early years of Chongzhen, the two dead roots were dug up and paved to the ground. Now the eunuchs have set up a table and the temporary throne of the emperor and empress under the remaining ancient pine, and there are chairs for Concubine Tian and Concubine Yuan next to it. Chongzhen originally wanted to see the panorama of Xiyuan in the regimental city, but because the poems signed were very unsatisfactory, his interest in appreciating the autumn colors of the lakes and mountains was gone. He sat down on the throne in a dejected manner, and asked Zhou Hou to sit down as well, staring at the clouds, thoughtful, and his face gloomy. Zhou Hou's heart went up and down, and he asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what did you say when you signed it?" ”