However, Chongzhen didn't pay attention to this person, and after a change of words, he said to Ji Qingwen again: "You dog is only fast on your legs." I remember that I ordered Teacher Sun to transfer you to Beijing at the beginning of October, and today it is only October 28, and you rushed here? ”

Ji Qingwen replied: "If it weren't for the blockage of Caoyun, a few days late, the minister would have been able to arrive in the capital around October 20." I wonder if there is a delay in the holy event? ”

"Good! Very good! Chongzhen opened his mouth and praised, "The soldier is fast, which is exactly what I intended!" Oh, it's evening, you haven't eaten before you entered the palace, have you? ”

Chongzhen saw Ji Qingwen nodding slightly, so he ordered loudly: "Someone!" Make a white fungus lotus seed porridge for Lord Ji, and then move a stool to let Lord Ji eat and talk. ”

So under the gaze of a group of royal relatives and relatives, two Jinshi, and first-class officials who were standing solemnly, Ji Qingwen, a minor official of the five-grade miscellaneous way, sat down and ate this bowl of white fungus lotus seed porridge specially cooked for him by order of the imperial dining room.

After Ji Qingwen crossed over, although he was not contaminated with too many feudal bureaucratic habits, he also learned a lot of officialdom etiquette, so he knew that although this bowl of white fungus lotus seed porridge tasted good, it was not delicious at all, and after swallowing this bowl of porridge in a hurry, he returned the empty bowl to the eunuch and got up to thank Emperor Chongzhen.

Chongzhen said with a smile: "Have you eaten enough?" If you don't eat enough, you can eat another bowl, although the military affairs are urgent, but you are not in a hurry to eat this bowl of porridge. ”

As soon as he mentioned the "military affairs", Ji Qingwen remembered that he was down to business, and replied: "Your Majesty, it's not that the minister is not hungry, and it's not that this bowl of porridge is not delicious, it's just that the five hundred township brave regiments brought by the minister from Suzhou this time are still on the way to transport grain, grass and equipment from Dagukou, they didn't eat, and the minister's meal is not delicious!" ”

Chongzhen nodded and said, "Reasonable!" It is good to know how to love soldiers like children! It's not in vain for your teacher Sun's cultivation. In this way, I have made a decree that your soldiers may enter the Beijing Division to rest and recuperate. ”

Saying Chongzhen, he lifted a brush on the pen stand, licked the ink, and pulled a piece of yellow silk paper, just about to write, but heard a person play: "Your Majesty, the soldiers who enter the king of Beijing from all over the country are uneven, if you put it into the Beijing division, it is difficult to ensure that you will not cause trouble." ”

Chongzhen raised his head and saw that the person who spoke was Wang Qia, the secretary of the military department, but said, "Why should Lord Wang worry about the sky? Don't talk about the soldiers and horses brought by others, Ji Qingwen, a dog talent, was recruited and trained according to the military system of the Qi family army back then. The Qi family's army has always had strict military discipline, and there was no offense in the autumn, and the military discipline is better than the three major battalions of the forbidden army, so I am relieved......"

After that, Chongzhen had drawn up a holy decree and stretched out his hand to Ji Qingwen.

Ji Qingwen hurriedly got up, took the will with both hands, and thanked him again.

Chongzhen seemed to be in a good mood, so he asked Ji Qingwen what he had seen and heard along the way to Beijing.

Ji Qingwen answered truthfully, and said: "The minister is in Tongzhou, and he once met General Zhao Shujiao, the chief soldier of Shanhaiguan, and I heard that he was ordered to go to support the Zunhua front, I don't know how the battle is going?" ”

When Chongzhen heard this, his face was suddenly covered with a layer of clouds, and he turned his head and asked Wang Qiadao, the secretary of the military department who spoke just now: "Wang Aiqing, is there any battle report on Zhao Shujiao's side?" ”

Wang Qia looked frightened and replied: "When the minister entered the palace by order, there was no battle report from the front......"

Before he finished speaking, he heard someone outside the door shouting: "Chen Jinyiwei commands Luo Yangxing, and there are 100,000 urgent war reports to start the emperor!" ”

Chongzhen listened to his tone with a little anxiety, a little worry, and a little panic, as if something big had happened, and hurriedly passed the decree in person: "Quick, what is the battle report, hurry up and come in and talk!" ”

Luo Yangxing, who was outside the door, heard this, quickly got up and walked quickly, pushed open the door of the Qianqing Palace, bowed his head, and then handed a crumpled chicken feather letter to the emperor.

Emperor Chongzhen tore through the letter, tore the envelope and hurriedly read it, but halfway through the reading, his face suddenly turned red, raised his right hand and slapped it on the bookcase, and reprimanded angrily: "A good Zhao led the sect, lightly advanced the enemy, and damaged the 4,000 elite soldiers of the Shanhaiguan garrison!" ”

Seeing that the emperor was so angry, the civil and military officials all knelt on the ground and shouted in unison: "The emperor is angry, the emperor is angry!" ”

Ji Qingwen finally couldn't sit still, so he quickly got up and knelt on the ground, and said parrotingly: "The emperor is angry, the emperor is angry......"

However, Emperor Chongzhen's anger did not subside at all, and he continued to reprimand angrily: "This Zhao Shujiao, who is also a person who knows soldiers, how could he ignore the fatigue and hunger of the soldiers, not stick to Zunhua City, and prefer to fight with the Jurchens in the field...... It's okay if he's dead, but it's a pity for these 4,000 elite soldiers......"

Ji Qingwen heard the strangeness, and plucked up the courage to say: "Your Majesty, this is not right......"

Emperor Chongzhen's face had long since lost the pleasant look of Fang Cai, and he glanced at Ji Qingwen who was lying on the ground, and asked, "What's wrong?" Could it be that this Zhao Shujiao shouldn't be damned? ”

Ji Qingwen hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty." Chen once met General Zhao on the way. At that time, Chen Wenzhao, a general under the command of the minister, saw that Zhao was exhausted from the long-distance attack of the soldiers, and also advised him that after arriving in Zunhua, he should defend first and then attack......"

"Yes, that's right!" Emperor Chongzhen couldn't wait to interrupt Ji Qingwen's words, "I also have this idea. ”

Ji Qingwen said again: "I remember that at that time, although General Zhao was worried that Zunhua City was too small to hold on, he also tended to send a small group of soldiers to harass and test it first, and the main force entered the city to recuperate. But now the battle report says that General Zhao is rash against the enemy, which seems to be a little unbelievable......"

Hearing Ji Qingwen say such a long paragraph, Chongzhen, the young emperor, finally calmed down, read the battle report again, gasped, and said, "Could it be that this battle report is fake?" ”

The commander of the Jinyi Guard, who was kneeling on the side, made Luo Yangxing busy and said: "Your Majesty, the battle report is true. But there is some truth in what this adult said. It is rumored that Zhu Guoyan, the general of Zunhua, refused to allow Zhao Shujiao to enter the city on the grounds that Zunhua City had little food, so that Zhao Shujiao had to ......"

"Bastard!" Chongzhen interrupted Luo Yangxing's words again and scolded, "What a Zhu Guoyan, he dares to delay the military plane like this." Luo Yangxing, you will pass on my will, correct the law on the spot, pass it on to Gyeonggi, and reassure the army's heart! ”

Luo Yangxing didn't know what to say in his mouth, but he didn't dare to agree.

Chongzhen became angry when he arrived, pointed at Luo Yangxing's head and scolded: "What? Luo Yangxing, could it be that you have a personal relationship with this Zhu Guoyan, so you don't want to obey the edict? ”

Luo Yangxing hurriedly kowtowed twice and replied: "Holy Lord, the minister and Zhu Guoyan are just nodding friends, and they don't have any personal relationship. The reason why the ministers didn't dare to control - the emperor knew after reading the battle report - "

After that, Luo Yangxing kowtowed again, and the usually formidable Jinyi Guard Commander Envoy prostrated himself in front of the emperor in fear, not daring to raise his head.

Chongzhen picked up the battle report again, but saw that the second half was clearly written - after the Manchurian Great Khan Emperor Taiji sent Belle Azig to set up an ambush to annihilate Zhao Shujiao, the whole army stormed Zunhua City, and broke into the city in two hours, Zhu Guoyan committed suicide and martyrdom, and now Huang Taiji is looting the city to supply military supplies.

Unexpectedly, after Chongzhen read the battle report, he became more and more angry, and scolded again: "What a Zhu Guoyan, he refused to let Zhao Shujiao go to the city to rest, and the grain and grass accumulated after the city was broken were eaten by the Jurchens!" Hum! He's dead, is he's okay when he's dead? The men of the whole family were in the army, and the women were punished as lowly statuses, and they went to serve Zhao Shu's parents! ”

When Ji Qingwen heard the word "lowly status", he suddenly remembered that he wanted to intercede with the emperor on behalf of Liu Ru and exempt his entire family from lowly status - but now that Chongzhen was in anger, it was not a good time to intercede for a prostitute.

But I heard Chongzhen say again: "Passing on my will, Zhao led the sect to be loyal to the state and sacrificed heroically, which can be an example for the whole army, and he gave the prince and the prince a special gift, and built a shrine to worship." ”

As soon as the emperor's words fell, he saw a civil official standing at the forefront come out and play: "Although Zhao Shujiao fought and died in battle, he was the general of the defeated army, so he was extremely glorified, which seemed to damage the morale of the army and did not conform to the convention......

Before the man could finish speaking, several more officials chimed in.

Ji Qingwen originally had a good impression of Zhao Shujiao, but after listening to this adult's words, he felt a little resentful in his heart, and he didn't have time to think about it, so he opened his mouth and said: "The emperor's praise of General Zhao will never slack off the morale of the army, but it will be an encouragement to the majority of soldiers." This lord is obviously not familiar with military affairs when he talks like this, and I don't agree with your proposition. ”