Qianqing Palace

East Warm Pavilion

Chongzhen was reviewing the twists and turns from Jiangnan, and Queen Zhou and the crown prince had entered.

Chongzhen looked at the two and said, "What happened to the queen and the crown prince?" ”

Zhu Cihong respectfully handed over a piece of paper, "Father, I also have a secret report from Suzhou Mansion here, telling the secret horse to chant anti-poems in Jiangnan, and openly wearing dragon robes. ”

Chongzhen was stunned, and didn't go to pick up the fold, but just looked at Zhu Cihong and said, "Prince, you even sent someone to monitor the horse?" ”

Before Zhu Cihong could speak, Empress Zhou had already said, "Where is this surveillance?" I love my daughter, and the prince loves my sister, so I arranged for people to take care of Kunxing. ”

Chongzhen took the prince's recital, swept it roughly, and put it heavily on the dragon case, "Okay, I already know about the horse chanting anti-poems and wearing the dragon robe, and I will send someone to hold the horse accountable." ”

Empress Zhou saw that Chongzhen was being treated lightly, and asked in amazement, "Your Majesty still doesn't pursue Fang Yuan this time?" ”

Chongzhen asked lightly, "How do you want me to investigate?" ”

Empress Zhou asked, "Fang Yuan recited anti-poems and wore dragon robes, shouldn't he be escorted back to the capital for trial?" ”

Chongzhen ordered Wang Chengen to hand over the fold in his hand to the crown prince Zhu Cihong, and said, "Kun Xing's efforts to make Chen Juma innocent in the fold are a misunderstanding, and I believe in his daughter's judgment." ”

Empress Zhou said angrily, "Your Majesty, you are simply confused! Kun Xing has been sent into the clutches of Fang Yuan by Your Majesty, life is better than death, she is afraid of Fang Yuan's obscenity, she can't help but play like this! All of this was instructed by Fang Yuan behind his back! ”

The anger on Chongzhen's face flashed, and he scolded sharply, "Queen, it's just that I didn't hold you and the prince at fault, but you still blame me?" I ask you, on the night of the first arrival in Yangzhou, was it someone sent by the queen who poisoned the horse? ”

Empress Zhou responded to Chongzhen without giving up her gaze, and responded coldly, "Yes, Fang Yuan, a person who is not subordinate, early poisoning is in addition to a big harm, but unfortunately he still escaped." It's true that good people don't live long, and disasters live for thousands of years. ”

"Bang!"

Chongzhen got up angrily and swept all the twists and turns on the dragon case to the ground, "The political situation of the Ming Dynasty has just improved a little, and you provoke infighting and cut off your arms, are you going to be angry?!" ”

Empress Zhou said coldly, "When the overall situation of the world has been decided, no one will be able to suppress Fang Yuan. ”

Zhu Cihong knelt on the ground and cried, "Father, Fang Yuan can't stay, it will be a disaster for a long time!" Let's recall the imperial sister first and execute Fang Yuan! ”

Chongzhen was furious and paced back and forth in front of the dragon case, muttering in his mouth, "I don't live up to the horse, and the horse doesn't live up to me, you are bold!" Daring! ”

Zhu Cihong still knelt forward, grabbed Chongzhen's dragon robe, and cried and begged, "Please order my father to execute Fang Yuan!" ”

Chongzhen kicked him away, and said angrily, "Prince, I will give you one last chance, and immediately go back to the East Palace to think about it behind closed doors." ”

Zhu Cihong resolutely shook his head and didn't leave, "If the father doesn't give an edict, the son won't leave!" ”

Chongzhen nodded hatefully and said, "Okay, okay, you're forcing me!" Wang Chengen, proposed to abolish the position of Prince Zhu Cihong and hand it over to the Zongren Mansion to take care of. ”

Wang Chengen was so frightened that he knelt down and said, "The abolished prince is shaking the country's foundation, Your Majesty think twice!" ”

Zhu Cihong, who bore the brunt of the attack, was so frightened that his face was bloodless, and he took a few steps back, and said hesitantly, "Father, father!" ”

Queen Zhou's protector was heartbroken, stepped forward angrily, helped the prince up, pointed at Chongzhen and shouted, "Your Majesty wants to abolish the prince, even me, the queen, will be abolished!" ”

The two mothers and sons stood in a line against Chongzhen, Chongzhen was furious, and a huge roar had resounded through the Qianqing Palace, "Okay, I will abolish the queen and abolish the prince together, Wang Chengen, plan the edict!" ”

Wang Chengen got up tremblingly and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, the abolished queen and the abolished prince must convene the cabinet and ministers to discuss!" ”

Chongzhen gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, notify the cabinet and the ministers, and the Emperor's Palace will discuss the matter in three days!" ”

He is angry, where does Wang Chengen dare to persuade again.

Queen Zhou finally glanced at Chongzhen coldly, didn't even say hello, and helped the prince to leave the Qianqing Palace together, and the husband and wife were strangers.

Empress Zhou and Prince Zhu Cihong returned to the East Palace, Prince Zhu Cihong had never experienced such a major change, his face was like ashes, his whole body trembled, and he said, "Queen Mother, Queen Mother, my father wants to abolish the prince, what should I do?" ”

Empress Zhou sat on the main hall of the East Palace and said lukewarmly, "Since your father and emperor have exterminated humanity and become mad, we must also find a way out." ”

Zhu Cihong was already in a mess, crying and saying, "Queen Mother, the king wants the minister to die, the minister has to die, the holy order is difficult to disobey!" ”

Before Empress Zhou could speak, a cold voice had already sounded on the side of the hall, "The difference between what the prince said, Confucianism has clouds, the king is a saint, the king is supplemented, and the king is a tyrant and replaced." ”

Zhu Cihong was startled, looking at the person who came out of the side of the hall and walked out slowly, about fifty years old, although his face was white, he had a wisp of beautiful hair, and he was not a eunuch in the East Palace.

This person Zhu Cihong looked a little familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it, and scolded him sharply, "Who are you?" Dare to speak out at the mouth of the East Palace? ”

The person who came smiled faintly and said, "The criminal minister Hong Chengchou came to ask the prince for his guilt." ”

When Zhu Cihong heard that it was Hong Chengchou who had surrendered to the Manchu Dynasty, he drew his sword angrily, pointed at Hong Chengchou and shouted, "What are you doing?" Come! Catch this traitor who defected to the enemy! ”

The eunuchs of the East Palace were about to come forward to arrest people, but they were stopped by Queen Zhou, "Slow! The prince should always listen to what Mr. Hong has to say, why rush to kill or behead? ”

Zhu Cihong looked at Queen Zhou in amazement, and listened to her take a bite of Mr. Hong, and then came back to his senses, Hong Chengchou was able to enter the harem, obviously because of the arrangement of the queen mother, and the hand holding the sword gradually softened, and ordered the eunuchs of the East Palace to retreat first.

Hong Chengchou knelt down to him and cried, "Prince, the criminal minister had to surrender to the Manchu Qing Dynasty in order to save his useful body, but he was in Cao Ying's heart in Han, and he always wanted to return to the Ming Dynasty and serve the prince!" ”

Zhu Cihong was extremely disdainful of this traitor, and said coldly, "Mr. Hong's return to the Ming Dynasty is like Qin Hui's return to the Song Dynasty!" ”

Hong Chengchou Zhengrong said, "Qin Hui was sent back to the Song Dynasty by the Jin State, not secretly fled back, does Song Gaozong Zhao Gou know?" Why did Song Gaozong reuse Qin Hui? ”

Zhu Cihong sneered and said, "Because Zhao Gou is afraid of gold like a tiger, and only wants to be in the south of the Yangtze River, Qin Hui can help Zhao Gou betray the country!" ”

Hong Chengchou sighed and said, "The country is all Zhao Gou's, Zhao Gou didn't sell himself if he betrayed the country?" What the prince learns is all knowledge from books, but he only knows one and doesn't know the other! Where politics is black and white, loyalty and treachery are clear. If loyal ministers and traitors are all engraved on the door of their heads, and they can govern the country by changing to a yellow-mouthed child, where are there so many faint kings in history? ”

Zhu Cihong listened to Hong Chengchou's money and talked about it, and he was fascinated.

Hong Chengchou said again, "Qin Hui is going south on behalf of the Lord and faction of the Jin State, and only Qin Hui can contact the Lord and faction of the Jin State." If Zhao Gou wants to negotiate peace, he will use Qin Hui; If you want to fight, use Yue Wumu. If the main peace faction is strong, it will use the main battle faction to suppress the main peace faction; Once the main battle faction is too big to lose, they will use the main peace faction to suppress the main battle faction. Whether it is the main battle or the main peace, it is the imperial technique of Zhao Gou to control the courtiers! Who said that Qin Hui must be traitorous, and Yue Wumu must be loyal? Loyalty and treachery cannot be pinned on personal morality, but on the change of interests and checks and balances! ”

Therefore, the criminal minister's return to the south this time was also approved by Dorgon. If the Ming Dynasty wanted to start a war with the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Sun Chuanting and Zhou Yuji would be reused; If you want to negotiate peace with the Manchus, the criminal is the only one! ”

Zhu Cihong only felt that Hong Chengchou's words opened up another world for him to govern the country, which could not be learned in Confucius and Mencius books, and the teachers did not understand and would not teach, so he nodded again and again and said, "Mr. Hong, not to mention peace talks with the Manchu Qing Dynasty, now that the palace is in danger, the emperor will abolish my crown prince in three days, how can I escape the catastrophe?" ”

Hong Chengchou asked, "Does Your Majesty want to abolish the crown prince because of Fang Yuan?" ”

Zhu Cihong nodded again and again with tears in his eyes, and hurriedly helped Hong Chengchou up.

Hong Chengchou sighed and said, "Your Majesty is confused! Now that Fang Yuan has long been in Jiangnan, if there is no check and balance, it will be difficult for Yue Wumu to guarantee that he has no objection, let alone a Fang Yuan? ”

Zhu Cihong hurriedly asked, "Mr. Hong, do you have a way to deal with Fang Yuan?" ”

Hong Chengchou smiled slightly and said, "What is the original way? At the beginning, Fang Yuan was in Liaodong, and the minister offered a plan of four positives, six corners and ten nets. If it weren't for the Manchu Emperor Taiji and Dolgon's internal strife, as well as the Korean Guoyang Fengyin, Fang Yuan would have been trapped and killed in Liaodong. ”

Empress Zhou said to Zhu Cihong, "Prince, why don't you worship Mr. Hong as a teacher?" ”

Zhu Cihong hurriedly knelt on the ground at Hong Chengchou and kowtowed deeply, "Zhu Cihong visited the teacher and asked the teacher to teach me!" ”