In the seventh year of the Great Apocalypse, 1627 A.D., on the 22nd day of the eighth month.

It is the lazy time in the afternoon, most of the people in Beijing lie high at home, and there are few pedestrians on the street, which is unusually quiet.

.......A dull bell rang suddenly, breaking the silence of the afternoon, and most of the sleeping people were awakened to greet the maternal relatives of the bell ringer, and then continued their spring and autumn dreams. However, some people seem to have been waiting for this bell to ring, and after the bell rang, many places in the capital began to act.

............

In the West Huanyi Bureau of Desheng Gate, a group of eunuchs, about twenty or thirty people, lined up in two rows, standing quietly in the courtyard of the lobby, these eunuchs are different from those skinny and weak eunuchs in the palace, they have muscle tattoos, tall and strong, and they are specially trained Wu eunuchs at a glance.

In front of them was a large cart covered with tarpaulins, and in front of the cart stood two middle-aged eunuchs in their forties.

Although one of them has a white face, he is magnificent, quite a general, if someone familiar sees it, I am afraid that he will be shocked, this is the proud protégé of the former master of ceremonies and eunuch Wang An, the great eunuch Cao Huachun! Wasn't he already framed by Wei Zhongxian and sent to Nanzhili to be punished, how could he suddenly appear in Jingshi?

The other person is not simple, it is Wang Yumin, the eunuch of the Huanyi Bureau, who is also a subordinate of Wang An, he seems to have a foot disease, and he stands there crookedly, as if he is quite struggling.

As soon as the bell rang, Wang Yumin immediately knelt on the ground and muttered, "The emperor has died." ”

Cao Huachun didn't kneel down when he heard this, he arched his hand at Wang Yumin and said: "Yumin, time is pressing, you wait here for me to send off the emperor, we will go." ”

After that, he lifted the tarpaulin on the cart next to him, picked up a stack of vegetarian and walked straight out, and the eunuchs in two rows also stepped forward in turn, one of them picked up a stack of vegetarian and silently followed him.

Wang Yumin fell to the ground and said sadly: "Big brother, it's a pity that my leg was broken by that traitor, and I can't go to the country with you. ”

Cao Huachun looked back at him deeply, nodded slightly, and left.

............

Outside the Guangqu Gate, a thousand households in Jinyiwei, a thousand households in their fifties sat on the main seat of the lobby, and the ten hundred households below sat in a precarious position, and the whole lobby was silent.

As soon as the bell rang, the thousand households began to count, and with each ring, he counted: "One, two, three......"

When the count reached nineteen, he suddenly stood up from his seat and said in a lamenting voice, "The emperor has died." “

Then he turned around and knelt down in the direction of the palace, and the ten hundred households on the left and right stood up at the same time when they heard the words, and knelt neatly facing the direction of the palace.

The thousand households mourned again: "Congratulations to the emperor." “

Then he took the lead in kowtowing, and ten hundred households followed neatly and kowtowed nine times.

After the ceremony, the thousand households stood up and strictly ordered: "Lord Xiao Luo has an order, half an hour later, gather on West Chang'an Street outside Chengtianmen, and quickly gather the people of the headquarters and rush to West Chang'an Street, but if there are latecomers, cut off!" “

Ten hundred households responded in unison: "Obey." “

Then, they got up and hurried out.

............

The low bell of "Yan ......." was endless, as if knocking on Zhu Cijiong's heart, and he felt that his heart was about to jump to his throat with the bell.

It's been a quarter of an hour, and Cao Huachun still hasn't heard from him, so he won't really be able to get in!

At this moment, a report came from outside: "Report, the Huanyi Bureau sent Susu." ”

When Sun Chengzong heard the report, he breathed a sigh of relief and said loudly: "Let them in." ”

Soon, a middle-aged eunuch with a lofty spirit led two tall eunuchs to walk in with Susu in their arms and knelt down in front of everyone.

As soon as Zhu Youzhen, the king of letters, saw the middle-aged eunuch, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Gonggong Cao! “

Cao Huachun did not reply to Wang Zhu Youzhen's words, but knelt there and respectfully sang: "Slave Cao Huachun see His Royal Highness the Prince, His Royal Highness King Xin, Queen Mother, Concubine Niangniang, and Lord Sun." ”

After seeing it, he said to Zhu Youzhen, the king of letters: "His Royal Highness the king of letters, I haven't seen you for a long time, and the slave misses it very much." “

When Zhu Youzhen heard this, he stepped forward to help Cao Huachun up, and said with tears in his eyes: "It's good if you're back, it's good if you're back." “

Cao Huachun used to be the companion of Zhu Youzhen, the king of letters, and has been accompanying Zhu Youzhen since he was four years old, taking care of him, and can be said to be Zhu Youzhen's closest person.

In history, Zhu Youzhen didn't believe in anyone, everyone doubted it, but he had always been good to Cao Huachun, which shows that their relationship is extraordinary.

Cao Huachun didn't have time to catch up with Zhu Youzhen at this time, so he ordered the two eunuchs accompanying him to send Su Su down, and then began to serve Zhu Cijiong in linen and filial piety.

When Zhu Cijiong saw Cao Huachun like this, he knew that he must be extraordinary, but Wei Zhongxian has been operating in the government and the opposition for so many years, can he fight with such a person?

Empress Zhang was also a little worried, after all, Wei Zhongxian's forces were there, and Cao Huachun alone could get by, it was a joke. While sorting out the vegetarian food, she asked, "Gonggong Cao, how many people did you bring from Nanzhili this time?" ”

Cao Huachun replied respectfully: "Empress Qiyu, the servants brought twenty-four eunuchs, and now they are distributing vegetarian in various parts of the palace, and when the distribution is finished, they will go to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Empress to guard outside the palace." ”

Empress Zhang was taken aback when she heard this, and asked anxiously: "This palace heard that Wei Zhongxian has more than 10,000 eunuchs and eunuchs, how can you fight him?" ”

Cao Huachun replied respectfully: "Queen Mother, please rest assured, more than half of the eunuchs under Wei Zhongxian are in Dongchang, and it is good that he can mobilize 5,000 people in this palace, and the remaining tens of thousands of eunuchs are all carried by the old people in the palace, all of whom are loyal to the emperor and the prince, and he can't be moved." “

Five thousand to twenty-four, it is still reassuring, even the letter king Zhu Youzhen is not calm, he asked in horror: "Five thousand!" Can you resist with more than 20 people? “

When Cao Huachun heard this, he hurriedly comforted: "His Royal Highness King Xin doesn't have to worry, I have already contacted the palm seal eunuchs of the various eunuchs in the palace, if Wei Zhongxian dares to mess around, they will not sit idly by." “

When Zhu Youzhen, the king of letters, heard this, he put his mind at ease, nodded and said, "That's good, that's good." “

Speaking of this, Cao Huachun said worriedly: "There is nothing in the palace, I am afraid that he will start from outside the palace, and the Jinyi guard is also in his hands, that is fifty or sixty thousand elite soldiers!" “

Zhu Cijiong had already put his heart back in his stomach, but as soon as he heard Cao Huachun's words, his little heart immediately jumped into his throat again, 50,000 or 60,000 elite soldiers against 10,000 eunuchs, it's not the same as chopping melons and vegetables!

Fortunately, Sun Chengzong immediately gave him a reassuring pill, and he said lightly: "This Gonggong Cao doesn't have to worry, the emperor has issued a secret decree to enable Luo Yangxing, serve as the Jinyi Guard, and be responsible for the guards of the palace, presumably he has already confronted Wei Zhongxian at this time." “

When Cao Huachun heard this, he let out a sigh of relief and said happily: "That's fine, once the two of them fight, Wei Zhongxian won't have time to take care of the affairs in the palace." “

Zhu Cijiong was inexplicable, fighting? What the hell is Luo Yangxing, why are they fighting? In addition to the Donglin Party, there are still people in the government and the opposition who dare to go against Wei Zhongxian? How fat does this Luo Yang have to be!

He is in the stage of pretending to be stupid and cute, and it is difficult to ask, but fortunately, Zhu Youzhen, the king of letters, is not clear, and asks directly: "Fight?" Why are they fighting. “

Cao Huachun replied respectfully: "Reply to His Royal Highness, because the former commander of the Jinyi Guard, that is, Luo Yangxing's father, Luo Sigong, was killed by Wei Zhongxian. “

It turned out to be the revenge of killing his father, and it would be strange if he didn't fight.