Zhu Youzhen stood there in a daze for a long time, before turning around, his body stumbled a few times, and he almost tripped himself, Zhu Youzhen couldn't eat for days, couldn't sleep at night, what the Spring Festival, for him, there was no joy at all, at this moment Zhu Youzhen's eyes were deep, his face was gray, and he was dizzy, so his body was difficult to support, but the death of the country was in front of him, and he could only hold on.

Wang Chengen stepped forward, stretched out his hand flat, and did not support the emperor, the emperor does not need to help, the emperor just wants a slave to help, he is willing to be this minion.

"Seventeen years ago, I was still a teenager, but the imperial brother died suddenly, I became the Ming Emperor in a daze, at that time there were Wei Zhongxian and the Hakka people inside and outside the court, I was alone, but I only took three months to dispose of Wei Zhongxian and the Hakka family, and stabilized the situation in the government and the opposition, but I don't understand, why the Ming Dynasty will be eroded so far in this short period of ten years, is it because I have not done enough, I have eaten and clothed all night, I only sleep for two or three hours a day, and I am not close to women's music...... Wang Chengen, why do you say it? ”

Wang Chengen hurriedly fell to the ground and didn't dare to answer the emperor, he knew some things, but he didn't dare to say it, and at this time, it was useless to say it! can only kowtow and ask for guilt, the emperor's fault, how dare a slave discuss.

Zhu Youzhen shook his head bitterly, sighed helplessly, ordered Wang Chengen to stand up, and asked, "Has the situation of guarding the palace around Jingshi been reported?" ”

"There are 50,000 soldiers in Datong, 70,000 soldiers in Xuanfu, 100,000 soldiers in Juyong, plus 270,000 soldiers and horses in the three major battalions of the Beijing Division, a total of nearly 500,000 soldiers and horses, and it should be safe to defend the Beijing Division!"

When Wang Chengen said these words, he actually sighed in his heart, the report was 500,000, in fact, how many there really were, he could guess it, half of it was already very rare, it was not a secret for generals to eat empty salaries in various places, everyone knew it, only the emperor didn't know, but Wang Chengen couldn't say it, there were too many people involved, and it must be related to the six cabinets, once he said it, he would immediately be drowned in saliva, and bitten to death by those ministers who were involved in interests. And there is no place to bury the dead.

After pondering for a long time, Wang Chengen said cautiously: "Your Majesty, the slave has a sentence that I don't know if to say or not?" ”

"You have followed me for decades, say it, no matter what it is, I will not punish you!" Zhu Youzhen smiled bitterly, at this moment, it is already rare that someone can tell him the truth.

"Your Majesty, in fact, there is still one person available at the moment, have you forgotten, Cao Bianjiao has been winning consecutive battles since the suppression of bandits, the reason why he disobeyed the order before, presumably it was also a last resort, and the facts have proved that he is right, the courtiers are shouting every day to let Sun Chuanting get out of the customs, but after Sun Chuanting came out of the customs, it was a big defeat and returned, now the court is at the time of employing people, why not reuse Cao Bianjiao again, to suppress the bandits, if you can recover Huguang, you will be able to contain Li Zicheng in Shaanxi, and the Beijing division will have more time to prepare and deal with it!"

"Say no more!" Zhu Youzhen's face suddenly changed, interrupted Wang Chengen's words, and said: "Cao Bianjiao lived up to my emperor's favor and disobeyed my will, if I forgave him, it would inevitably make him more arrogant, will he listen to my will in the future, I don't believe it, without him Cao Bianjiao, will my Ming Dynasty be ruined?" ”

"The minion has lost his word!" Wang Chengen sighed in his heart, at this time, the emperor is still like this, so he is also powerless, the ministers in the court, he really can't see who can still have the talent to resist the enemy and suppress the bandits.

The New Year has not yet passed, the Dashun army in Li Zicheng shouted "from the Ming Dynasty, the number of gas has been exhausted" after the eight-character oath of the heroic, in the first month of the sixth day of the army, more than 300,000 soldiers and horses, are Li Zicheng's selection of elite people, his goal is very clear, the capital of the Ming Dynasty Beijing City, Shanxi since the fall of Pingyang, Hejin, Jishan, Xinghe have also fallen, other prefectures and counties to send money to surrender. In February, Zicheng crossed the Yellow River, broke through Fenzhou, inspected the meanders of the river and Jingle, attacked Taiyuan, captured Zhu Qiugui, the king of Jin, and the governor Cai Maode died. In fact, after Li Zicheng arrived in Xi'an, the people from all over Shanxi coaxed Li Zicheng to be benevolent and righteous, and how strict the discipline of people and horses was, and they all waited for Li Zicheng's army to surrender as soon as he arrived. Sure enough, after the Dashun army crossed the river, the local people in various places not only saw with their own eyes that Li Zicheng's discipline was indeed very good, so there was a situation of surrendering everywhere.

The Dashun army did not leave troops to garrison in the surrendered places, but only appointed local officials, and the newly appointed local officials, in accordance with Li Zicheng's strict orders, searched for the Ming Dynasty's clans and the township eunuchs and rich people of various prefectures, prefectures, and counties, as well as the relatives of the township eunuchs. As long as it is a place of fish and meat on weekdays, those who accumulate the anger of the people will be arrested, severely tortured, and forced to give gold and silver as military pay; The confiscation of their stockpiles of food, partly as military salaries, and partly for distribution to the hungry, was not only to eliminate harm for the country and the people, but also to solve the army's supplies and court expenses. All the prefectures, prefectures, and counties that had surrendered were quickly appointed officials of the Great Shun Dynasty, and soon Li Zicheng's army gained a firm foothold in Shanxi, which was only two months before and after, too fast, and Li Zicheng was also unbelievable, making him believe in the true meaning of the eight words of his oath.

In the first month, Li Zicheng's army approached Shanxi, the Ming court meeting, almost everyone was silent for an early dynasty, not to say a word, someone had already begun to go to the west to the Dashun army wagging their tail and begging to surrender, ready to welcome the new master, many people sighed in their hearts, the Ming Dynasty should have died a long time ago, why wait until now, let them wait a little anxious.

In order to deal with the unfavorable situation of the two-front battle, Wu Linzheng proposed that he should take the initiative to abandon the two cities of Ningyuan and Qiantun outside Shanhaiguan, and Wu Sangui should lead the army to garrison the suburbs of Beijing to defend the Beijing division. Because after years of competition, outside the Shanhaiguan Pass at that time, the Ming army's power had been exhausted, leaving only a few fortresses in Ningyuan, Qiantun and Houtun. These fortresses are far away from the base camp of the Ming army, and the supply line is very easy to be cut off by the cavalry of the Qing army, so that they fall into the situation of being enemies on all sides, so it is better to take the initiative to abandon the defense, shrink the troops, and arrange them on the line from Shanhaiguan to Beijing, forming a trend of blocking; On the one hand, it delayed the offensive of the Qing army, and on the other hand, it responded to the attack of the "thieves" at any time.

Wu Linzheng's strategy to save the crisis was ultimately "the courtiers all abandoned the land and did not dare to discuss it". Zhu Youzhen also seemed to be reluctant to take the initiative to show weakness, but he finally opened his mouth and did not punish him.

In the lamentation of the Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youzhen, there was a person who stood up, Li Jiantai, the right attendant of the Ministry and a scholar of the East Pavilion University, asked to go to the superintendent to reject the enemy, and claimed that there was no need for a soldier and a salary in the imperial court, and he paid for the recruitment of soldiers.

However, Li Jiantai's division was not conducive to marching to Zhuozhou, and more than 3,000 people escaped. Soon "the soldiers were short of food, and they carried only 500 men." At that time, Li Jiantai was shocked to learn that his hometown Quwo had fallen, the family's assets were scattered, and the expected food and salary were lost. He fell ill in a hurry, and his movements slowed down suddenly, and he walked only thirty miles a day, and his soldiers fled one after another. When he walked to Guangzong, he guarded the city and did not allow Li Jiantai to enter the city for three consecutive days. Li Jiantai was ashamed and angry, and ordered the officers and soldiers to attack the city. After the city was breached, he killed the squire and whipped the county. Li Jiantai, who was a dignified minister and supervisor, actually attacked his own county town in his first battle in Beijing, which is extremely ridiculous.