Qianqing Palace

This time it was Chongzhen who personally issued an edict to convene hundreds of civil and military officials to discuss matters, how could Chongzhen's prestige be comparable to Zhu Cihong? Hong Chengchou, Zhou Yuji, Zheng Sen, Wu Sangui and others, who had previously claimed to be sick, were all cured of their illnesses one by one, and they rushed to see Chongzhen in the starry night.

Hong Chengchou, who surrendered to the Manchus and ran back, was the first to bow down to Chongzhen, with tears in his eyes, "The old minister Songjin was guilty of defeat, causing His Majesty to lose face in front of the world, which is a crime on top of a crime." Please punish Your Majesty! ”

Although Chongzhen also hated Hong Chengchou, but now was not the time for infighting, he said coldly, "Elder Hong Ge, you were my arm before, and the defeat of Songjin is your fault, and I can't escape the blame, so don't mention it." You will abandon the darkness and turn to the light, and I will allow you to make meritorious contributions in the future and continue to protect the Ming Dynasty. ”

Hong Chengchou listened to it and kowtowed again and again to thank him.

Chongzhen's eyes fell on Zheng Sen, the new Governor of the Navy, and said with a smile, "Governor Zheng, Ling Zun is the great loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, guarding the Ming Sea Frontier, and making great contributions. It's really a tiger father without a dog, and the blue is better than the blue! ”

"I heard that Aiqing's wife committed suicide and is still unmarried. I have a daughter, Princess Zhaoren, eleven years old, although she has not yet reached the age of marriage, but she can recruit Aiqing as her son-in-law first, and wait for the princess to reach the age of marriage, and then complete the marriage, what does Aiqing think? ! ”

According to the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty, the princess of the Ming Dynasty cannot marry high-ranking officials and ministers, but now is an extraordinary period of life and death, and Chongzhen can only use this method to win over important ministers. What's more, Zheng Sen is younger than Fang Yuan, and he is a dignified hero, so he is not wronged by his daughter.

Zheng Sen was a general who fled from the south, but he was able to get a wedding given by Chongzhen, and enjoyed the same treatment as Fang Yuan, so moved that he also knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Chongzhen three times, "Thank you, Your Majesty, the minister must bow and do his best, and then die." ”

Chongzhen smiled and flattened him, and then said to Zhou Yuji and Wu Sangui, "Zhou Aiqing, Wu Aiqing, you two are the pillars of the Ming Dynasty, and in this national crisis, I hope that the two Aiqing will serve the country wholeheartedly." ”

Zhou Yuji and Wu Sangui respectfully thanked them.

Chongzhen's eyes patrolled around the cabinet, and said in a deep voice, "I am deeply saddened by the death of Zhang Guowei, the first assistant of the cabinet, because this is the perverse act of the prince of the prison country and persecution of Zhongliang. I have already sceptered the crown prince in the back court, and after this battle is over, I will discuss the deposition of the prince. ”

"Inspector Sun died in battle, he was a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, and after this battle, I will personally pay tribute to the heroic soul of Inspector Sun."

The cabinet scholars led by Hong Chengchou rushed out to uphold justice, and Chongzhen thanked him.

As soon as Emperor Chongzhen came out, he immediately divided and pacified the cabinet, the six ministries, and the five armies of the governor's mansion, and Empress Zhou, who was eavesdropping behind the palace, glared at Zhu Cihong fiercely, "If you had the ability of your father, you would not have fallen to today." ”

Zhu Cihong heard that he would have to settle his mistakes after the war, and said worriedly, "Queen Mother, will my father depose my crown prince?" ”

Empress Zhou said, "You are Your Majesty's only son, Your Majesty deposed you, who else can you appoint?!" I hope you will change your life in the future, and don't die again. ”

When the two of them eavesdropped behind the hall, Chongzhen in the main hall asked loudly, "Fang Yuan's Xuanjia army is approaching Gyeonggi, how should I retreat from the enemy?!" Elder Hong Ge, can you tell me? ”

Hong Chengchou, who was named, came out and said, "Your Majesty, Inspector Sun died in battle, and the Ming army was 200,000. Now our army only has 80,000 Ming troops in Gyeonggi, 70,000 Jin troops, 50,000 Guanning troops, and 30,000 sailors, with a total of 230,000 soldiers and horses. Although these forces could barely fight Fang Yuan, they were still defeated. ”

Chongzhen nodded again and again when he heard this, Sun Chuanting's department had 70,000 new-style Ming troops and 20,000 train battalions, and they were defeated by Fang Yuan.

Therefore, Hong Chengchou's estimate of defeat is greater, but he said it from the bottom of his heart, and Chongzhen also agreed, "Elder Hong Ge, what do you think?!" ”

Hong Chengchou coughed, and secretly glanced at Wu Sangui, making him speak.

Wu Sangui pretended to be stunned and walked out, and arched his hand, "Your Majesty, the Manchu Emperor Dolgon sent an envoy to the capital, brought Dolgon's handwritten letter, and asked Your Majesty to take a look." ”

Wu Sangui handed over the handwritten letter to the eunuch Fang Zhenghua, and then submitted it to Chongzhen Yulan.

Chongzhen spread out the handwriting, reviewed them one by one, his expression became more and more solemn, he watched for a long time, and finally put the handwriting on the dragon case, looked up and inspected the ministers for a week, and said lightly, "If there is no more initiation, retreat from the court!" ”

The ministers came out one by one, only Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui deliberately lagged behind, and when the ministers all came out of the Qianqing Palace, Chongzhen slapped the dragon case heavily, and said sharply, "Elder Hong Ge, Wu Dudu, have you read the content of this letter?!" ”

Chen Xinjia learned from the past, where did Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui dare to get involved in this kind of whirlpool, Qi Qi shook his head and denied it repeatedly.

Chongzhen asked again, "Where is the Manchu envoy?" Declare to the temple! ”

In less than two quarters of an hour, a small eunuch entered the main hall with the Manchu envoy. This envoy was about sixty years old, with a pale beard, and respectfully bowed, "Your Majesty, I am the envoy of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Fan Yongdou." ”

Fan Yongdou was a great Jin merchant who was uprooted by Fang Yuan's Fan family and fled to the Manchu Dynasty for refuge because of his treason.

Chongzhen scolded coldly, "Fan Yongdou, you still dare to go back to Daming, really I don't dare to cut you immediately?!" ”

Fan Yongdou pretended to be respectful and said, "Of course, Your Majesty can cut the villain with one sword, but Your Majesty will not, because the Manchu Emperor, Your Majesty, and the villain all have a common enemy, that is, Fang Yuan!" The Manchu Emperor ordered the villain to come and bring a message, willing to lead troops into the customs, resist Fang Yuan with His Majesty, and even recapture Shandong for His Majesty. ”

Led the Manchu Qing into the customs, this is enough to laugh at the shame of a thousand years, Chongzhen, who is strong by nature, scolded sharply, "Bold! The battle between me and Fang Yuan is a civil war between my Ming Dynasty, what does it have to do with the Manchu Qing Dynasty?! ”

Fan Yongdou smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Manchu Emperor just wants to live in peace with Your Majesty, and Fang Yuan wants Your Majesty's life. ”

Hong Chengchou said, "Your Majesty, Fang Yuan is already in the city, we should listen to the conditions of the Manchu Qing Dynasty first, and then it is not too late to talk." ”

Chongzhen groaned, "Okay, it's not profitable, it's not early, what are the conditions for the Manchu Qing to send troops, let's say it!" ”

Fan Yongdou said slowly, "We joined forces with Your Majesty to attack Shandong, and after the matter is completed, the land of Shandong will belong to Your Majesty, and the people of Shandong will be plundered by us." Anyway, Shandong is no longer owned by His Majesty, and this condition is not damaged by His Majesty at all. In order to quell the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty had a precedent of using the people of Luoyang to sacrifice the Uighurs! ”

He set the conditions for the Manchus to send troops, that is, to plunder the population of Shandong and return to enrich the national strength of the Manchus. Of course, the main goal of the Manchu Qing army's dispatch this time was to protect the capital court as a barrier for the Manchus. Otherwise, once the imperial court in the capital falls, Fang Yuan will definitely go out to crusade against Liaodong next. Anyway, there was a decisive battle with Fang Yuan, and instead of fighting in Liaoxi and Liaodong, it was better to start a war in Guannei.

In the eyes of Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui, what Fan Yongdou said is not unreasonable. The people of Shandong are now the people of Fangyuan, and the gift to the Manchu Qing is just to be generous to others, borrowing flowers to offer Buddha. In exchange for the Manchu Qing to send troops to relieve the siege and even recapture Shandong, this deal is actually quite cost-effective.

Both of them were silent, waiting for Chongzhen's choice.

A sneer rose at the corner of Chongzhen's mouth, tore the letter to shreds, and threw it far away, "Ridiculous! The people of Shandong are also the people of me, how could the ancient Ming Emperor feed the enemy with the people?! Fang Yuan, Nai I'm my son-in-law, this is my family's business, I want to clean up the portal wheel to get outsiders? Get lost! Get out of the capital immediately! ”

He rejected the Manchu peace agreement on the spot, and Fan Yongdou was as dead as a face and retreated in shame. And Hong Chengchou and the two looked at each other even more, just drove away the Manchu envoys, how should they deal with Fang Yuan's aggressive offensive next?!

Hong Chengchou asked tentatively, "Your Majesty does not use the forces of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, what is the strategy for retreating?!" ”

Chongzhen said in a deep voice, "I immediately went south to Hejian Mansion, joined the Jin army of the Zhou Dudu, drove the expedition in person, and asked Fang Yuan for an explanation. I'm going to see Fang Yuan in person to see if he really became a rebel and a thief! ”