Qianqing Palace, East Pavilion. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

Chongzhen reclined on the brocade couch, covered with a yellow satin embroidered phoenix quilt, napping, Wang Chengen stood quietly behind him, holding a whisk in his hand, these days due to the urgency of the war, Chongzhen simply put a brocade couch in the east pavilion of the official documents on weekdays, and rested for a while when sleepy, here is only a wall away from the military aircraft, and it is also very convenient to pass the military aircraft. The wind and rain outside are like a note, and the iron horse that hits the eaves makes a crackling sound, which is transmitted into the hall, and people can't help but feel a chill when they hear it.

Maybe it was the iron horse's voice that was too loud, Chongzhen woke up, he rubbed his dry eyes, sat up, and asked Wang Chengen, "Wang Daban, what time is it?" ”

Wang Chengen looked at the water leak on the side, and said in a low voice: "Emperor Qiqi, it was just past Yin (around three o'clock in the morning), it was still very early, you can sleep again!" ”

"That's it!" Chongzhen took the wet towel from the palace maid on the side and wiped his face: "I can't sleep anymore, you send someone to the military aircraft department to see if there is any new military information, don't delay!" ”

"Slaves obey!" Wang Chengen sighed and said a few words to a little eunuch next to him, and the little eunuch went out, and when he came back a moment later, there was one more person, it was Chen Xinjia. Chongzhen saw that his face was not very good-looking, his heart chuckled, and he asked calmly, "Mr. Chen, is there any news?" ”

"Enlighten the Holy Lord!" Chen Xinjia knelt down and kowtowed, and said in a deep voice: "Liu Thief is fighting with Wang Shi in Guo Yuanli in the southeast of Yizhou. Speaking of this, Chen Xinjia paused slightly, as if there was something unspeakable: "Master Wang is defeated, Master Lu doesn't know whether he is alive or dead!" ”

Chongzhen's body shook as if it was about to fall, Wang Chengen reached out to help, but he held on. Chen Xinjia knelt on the ground, not daring to look up at the face of the Son of Heaven, and only heard Chongzhen's voice after a few minutes: "Is that the news about Ning Jun Xiong Wencan?" ”

"Not yet!" Chen Xinjia said in a low voice: "The army of Liu thieves is going west, and the east must be empty. ”

"Mr. Chen, you should step back first, and if there is any military situation, report it immediately!"

Chen Xinjia didn't dare to say more, so he hurriedly answered, kowtowed and bowed down. Chongzhen sat in front of several cases, and the whole person seemed to lose his vitality all of a sudden. Wang Chengen stood behind him, and he didn't know what to say for a while, and only after a while did he hear Chongzhen sigh: "Wang Daban, when the ancestor was a god, there were few things in the sea, how reassuring it is to be the emperor!" When it came to me, there were many calamities, many hardships, and there was no way. These days, day and night, I have read the papers, and I have never closed my eyes. I feel bored and often can't eat. But the state affairs are getting worse and worse, is it really exhaustive? ”

When Wang Chengen heard this, he had nothing to comfort and sighed, he couldn't help crying, Chongzhen couldn't help crying, and the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the house also wept. After a long time, Chongzhen suddenly raised his feet to the sky and sighed: "Cangtian, shouldn't you give birth to Dongyu and give birth to another Liu Cheng?" ”

Zuo'anmen is a city gate in the southwest of the capital built in the Jiajing period, and the South Road Shochu from Zhuozhou enters the city from here, and then taxes are paid on the Chongwen Gate to enter the city for distribution. Outside Zuo'anmen is an open field, which has been opened up as farmland and vegetable gardens by hard-working farmers. But the ensuing war also affected the place, and the crops in the fields had already been trampled to a mess, leaving only patches of wild valleys, without cooking smoke, like ghosts.

Responsible for guarding Zuo'anmen is a battalion officer of the Shenji Battalion, surnamed Hu Mingxian, at this time the Beijing army has long been disarmed, and the combat strength is weak, so after Liu Cheng broke the border, although there are still 100,000 troops in Beijing, but in fact only to defend the city, pinning his hopes on the return of the two armies of Xuanda and Guanning, watching the enemy army pass around Beijing, but dare not go out of the city to fight. This battalion officer has been in the Beijing division for several generations, although his ancestors have also killed the enemy in the border army and made meritorious contributions, and now he has long been no different from the people of Taiping, even if the cold wind blows on the tower of Zuo'an City, he feels miserable, so he can only hide in the urn city and pray every day, hoping that the two armies of Xuanda and Guanning have already killed the enemy and lived a peaceful life again.

"My lord, there's someone in the inner city!" A personal soldier pointed in the direction of the inner city, Hu Xian stood up, and sure enough, he saw that several points of light in the direction of the inner city were moving towards this side, it was late at night, and there was already a curfew in the city, and it must be the official family who could go to the street at this time. He hurriedly stood up and shouted: "Hurry up and put on armor for Lord Ben, and let those rabbit cubs be energetic, and people will patrol the city!" ”

When Hu Xian finished preparing, the pedestrian had already arrived at the city, he hurriedly went down to the city to greet him, and when he saw that the lantern was from the Beizhen Fusi and the Imperial Horse Supervisor, he couldn't help but chuckle in his heart. In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, there were ministers in charge of supervising the army in the three major battalions, and the commander of the civil and military generals was appointed when the war was imminent, which means that the top boss of the three battalions on weekdays was none other than the Imperial Horse Supervisor. Hu Xian hurriedly quickened his pace, and after seven or eight steps, he crossed his hands and saluted: "I don't know which adult came to inspect, the last general Hu Xian missed the distance, please forgive me!" ”

"Excuse me!" A feminine voice came from the opposite side, Hu Xian raised his head, and saw that the person who spoke was wearing a big hat and a python robe, it was Hu Kejian, the eunuch of the imperial horse supervisor's palm print, who was wearing a big red python suit, a flying fish suit, a black gauze hat, and an embroidered spring knife half a step back, but it was Wu Mengming, the commander of the brocade guard. When Hu Xian saw these two, he was startled, and hurriedly lowered his head and said, "The last general will not dare!" ”

"That's it!" Hu Kejian asked in a deep voice: "Officer Hu Ying, our family asks you, how many soldiers and horses are guarding this Zuo'anmen?" ”

"Back to my father-in-law!" Hu Xian hurriedly replied: "There are two thousand soldiers guarding it!" ”

"How many firearms are there? Is there enough medicine? ”

Hu Xian was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly reported the numbers one by one, which he had just counted two days ago, and he remembered the numbers quite solidly. Hearing Hu Kejian's fluent answer, Hu Kejian's face looked better, and he said in a deep voice: "Hu Yingguan, Zuo'anmen is the gateway to Guo Southwest outside the Beijing Division, and the main force of Liu Thief is now in Yizhou, if you return to the division, you will bear the brunt." Be vigilant and don't be negligent! ”

"Yes, yes, the last general must be cautious, but he will not give Liu Thief a chance!" Hu Xian hurriedly responded. If it was according to the usual rules, Hu Kejian would have taught him a few more words and went back, but today the Shangguan did not leave after the reprimand, but went straight to the city and said that he would personally check whether the firearms soldiers were in good condition. Hu Xian's face couldn't help but change dramatically when he saw it, the three major battalions of the Beijing Division had already had countless vacancies, and the actual amount of his 2,000 people was not even one-third, and the shortcomings were all temporarily recruited from the citizens at a high price of 500 yuan a day. He complained bitterly as he followed.

Hu Xian complained bitterly in his heart, Hu Kejian and Wu Mengming were also uneasy in their hearts, it turned out that after Hu Kejian learned that Liu Cheng had broken the Xuan army in Guo Yuanli that day, he made up his mind to take refuge in Liu Cheng to keep his wealth. After making up his mind, he first wrote a reply letter and agreed to be in Zuo'anmen County three days later. Then he found Wu Mengming, explained the situation in front of him, and the two agreed to act together. At this time, the fifty internal exercises and thirty brocade guards they brought were all henchmen, and they saw that life and death were at this moment.

When the group went to the city, Hu Kejian pretended to look at it seriously, and randomly picked more than ten soldiers at the battlement, and asked them to demonstrate the operation of firearms in front of him. Hu Xian couldn't help but sweat like rain when he watched it on the side, knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "The last will die, the last will die!" ”

"What's going on with these people?" Hu Kejian was secretly happy in his heart, but his face was still cold: "Have you never practiced on weekdays?" ”

"Nonsense, the drills of the three major battalions of the Beijing Division are like child's play, everyone knows it, but you are fake and serious at this time!" Hu Xian scolded secretly in his heart, but pleaded on his lips: "On weekdays, firearms are all in the warehouse, and if you want to take them out, you have to pay bribes to internal officials, because you have never practiced!" ”

"Humph!" Hu Kejian sneered, called up the two soldiers and asked, "You two are honest, are you the soldiers of the three major battalions?" ”

The two soldiers glanced at each other, and when they were hesitating, Hu Kejian saw it clearly, and sneered: "You two just tell the truth, our family is not guilty!" ”

The two soldiers were just small people in the market, and they had already been frightened, and when they heard Hu Kejian say that they had been exempted from their crimes, they hurriedly responded: "We are ordinary people, and we were temporarily recruited by the battalion officials at a high price of 500 wen a day, and I ask my father-in-law to forgive me!" "Say it and kowtow like pounding garlic!

When Hu Xian heard this, he was already dissipated, and before he could say anything to plead, Hu Kejian sneered: "At this time, you dare to eat empty salary? Today, our family is going to behead such criminals for the Son of Heaven! As soon as the words fell, the two fans stepped forward and pressed Hu Xian to the ground, and cut off his head with a knife in their hands.

Although Hu Xian also had a few personal soldiers, where did he dare to make a mistake in front of the eunuchs and Jinyi guards who commanded the eunuchs and Jinyi guards, they all fell to the ground and did not dare to beg for mercy. Hu Kejian got up and said kindly: "Everyone, it's all to blame our family for not being strict with the inspectors on weekdays, and they actually let such things happen." So then, if it is the people, let it go home, and the soldiers will stay behind to defend the city. ”

Everyone was overjoyed to hear Hu Kejian say this, they had long heard that the army under Liu Cheng was fierce, and if it weren't for the military law, they were afraid that they would have fled long ago. Now that the battalion officials have been killed, and there are big officials such as the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Supervisor and the Seal of the Imperial Horse Eunuch to let them go home, they immediately scattered, and the ten stops went to the nine stops. Hu Kejian saw that the guards were all scattered, and the city was already full of his own and Wu Mengming's henchmen, so he breathed a sigh of relief and said in a deep voice: "Quick, send a signal!" ”

A little eunuch answered, took a torch and jumped on the women's wall, drew three circles, and fired another trumpet. About half a cup of tea had passed, and a point of light rose in the wilderness outside the city, drawing three circles, and then there were several more clanging sounds. Hu Kejian's heart hanging in the air at this time fell back into his stomach, and he hurriedly ordered: "Quick, open the city gate!" ”

About two or three quarters of an hour later, Hu Kejian heard and saw a firelight winding towards him, and knew that Liu Cheng's striker had arrived, so he hurriedly went down to the city with Wu Mengming to greet him. The knight at the head jumped off his horse and uncovered his cheeks, but he was a black-faced man like an iron tower, Hu Kejian recognized it as Hao Shaoqi, Liu Cheng's personal guard, and hurriedly asked: "How many soldiers and horses do you have?" Where is Yue Guogong? ”

Hao Shaoqi owed Hu Kejian a debt, and said in a deep voice: "Back to Gonggong Hu, the infantry of the army is still on the way, and we will lead the cavalry to rush back first, with a total of 30,000 horsemen." Adults will be in a minute, and we will be there later! ”

"Good, good!" Hearing that Liu Cheng had an army of 30,000 was about to arrive, Hu Kejian was overjoyed in his heart, and hurriedly said: "Then our family will enter the palace first to protect the Son of Heaven, this is Lord Wu Mengming Wu of Zuo Zhenfu Division, and the next thing here will be handed over to him!" ”

"Wait!" Hao Shaoqi stopped Hu Kejian: "Grandpa Hu, before I came over, the lord told me to let you wait for him for a while, and he will enter the palace with you to face the saint!" ”

Hu Kejian was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "It's okay, but it's best to enter the city before dawn, otherwise it will be troublesome!" ”

Hu Kejian didn't wait long, but after another quarter of an hour, Liu Cheng entered the city with the second group of people, and he smiled at Hu Kejian: "Brother, don't come to harm?" You've been frightened these days, so stay with me for a moment, and then we'll go into the palace together! He immediately assigned soldiers and horses to control the various city gates, and asked the three hundred cowardly Xue soldiers to change the clothes and armor of the eunuchs and Jinyi guards in the internal exercises, and then entered the palace with Hu Kejian under their escort.

Chongzhen cried, exhausted, so he lay on the brocade couch and fell asleep, and only woke up at about five o'clock. He was preparing to burn incense and worship in front of the spiritual throne of his ancestors according to his usual custom, in order to seek the protection of God. But he had just finished freshening up, and before he could get dressed, he heard a commotion in the distance. He was originally a mean and unkind character, and at this time, he had a depression in his heart, and he couldn't help but get angry, and shouted: "Wang Daban, go and see what kind of thing has no rules, and deal with it well!" ”

"Slaves obey!" Wang Chengen hurriedly answered, went out of the palace, and after a while, he came in again, looking frightened: "Emperor, it's not good, the thief army has entered the palace!" ”

"What?" Chongzhen almost couldn't believe his ears: "Didn't you just get the news last night that Liu Thief was still in Yizhou, why did he enter the palace in a few hours, could he not shrink the land?" ”

"Emperor, now is not the time to think about this, thirty-six plans, go for the best plan!" Wang Chengen grabbed Chongzhen's sleeve and pulled him out, shouting loudly: "Quick, take the public opinion quickly, and wait for the Son of Heaven to move!" ”

Chongzhen was dragged out of the Qianqing Palace by Wang Chengen, and went to the coal mountain, seeing that the palace maids and eunuchs fleeing everywhere along the way, and the ground was full of abandoned precious utensils, seeing this scene of the sky falling apart, Chongzhen couldn't help but close his eyes tightly, and shed two lines of tears: "The child is not filial, and the country left by the ancestors has been corrupted!" ”