The night was deep, the autumn wind was blowing, and the imperial city was silent.

In the apse, the two monarchs and ministers sat around the same table, and a military general dared to sleep with the king, this scene could only appear when a generation of virtuous monarchs was in power.

Zhu Yousong faced Wang Lanping, and he couldn't mention the demeanor of a gentleman at all, on the contrary, he was a little restrained, and a burst of embarrassing smiles appeared on his face from time to time.

A eunuch came in with a tray and gently lifted the curtain, bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, this is the freshly boiled white fungus lotus seed porridge in the imperial dining room."

Zhu Yousong nodded, pointing to the small table between the two, "Let's put it here" and then he hurriedly said to Wang Lanping, "Dingnanhou, you have been working hard for state affairs for days, you have to pay more attention to rest, the weather is dry in autumn, accompany me into a bowl of porridge" His tone seemed to have a hint of discussion.

Wang Lanping was preoccupied, he hadn't figured out how to open his mouth to Zhu Yousong, he arched his hands perfunctorily and said softly, "Emperor Xie"

The eunuch then retreated, and there were only two of them left in the room, and the lotus seed porridge on the table was green and fragrant, but no one had the heart to take a sip.

After a long time, Wang Lan got off the bed slowly, and said gently, "Your Majesty, is the minister a traitor?" ”

Zhu Yousong was shocked in his heart, he didn't understand why he could suddenly ask such a fatal question, and was speechless for a while, "Dingnanhou, he, why did you say this?" ”

Wang Lanping's expression was solemn, and he retried it again, "The emperor saw what the minister did, and the emperor said that the minister was a traitor?" Do you really want those governors to come to the 'Qingjun side'? ”

Zhu Yousong was stunned for a long time, it seems that this question must be answered, according to the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty, it should be replaced by any emperor in the court before, like everything Wang Lanping did in the court, then he would have died eight hundred times, and the military generals who interfered in politics in any dynasty are the sin of raiding the family and destroying the clan, who calls this time different from the past, what should be endured still has to endure, and the emperor only has one life.

Zhu Yousong repeatedly pondered in his heart about the young general in front of him, if he put aside the unscrupulous actions of the monarch and ministers, Zhu Yousong admitted that he was very optimistic about Wang Lanping's ability, otherwise he would not have given a small general the title of marquis directly.

Moreover, although Zhu Yousong is deep in the palace, he can come back from some eunuchs who went out of the palace to procure the legend, although this Dingnan Marquis is a very human minister, but he is still alone, what was the original mansion given to him, what is it now, he rarely goes back, most of the time is outside to lead troops or in the garrison yamen to deal with official business, not close to women, never greedy for fame, and never make friends with ministers and nobles in the court, in addition to the official uniform, the daily service is the heavy armor, there seems to be no third clothes.

As for the three meals a day, he rarely pays attention to it, and most of the time he still deals with his subordinates casually in the yamen.

In Zhu Yousong's understanding, such a light and secular person is a generation of capable officials and officials, and he can no longer be clear, but this person has done one after another major events that shocked the government and the opposition, and he dared to be the first in the world in everything.

Zhu Yousong also often listened to the palace maids and eunuchs discussing in private, saying that there were rumors in the market, and Dingnanhou often said to his subordinates: Born in troubled times, don't complain about the sky, those who become great things, be low-key, act openly, dare to be the first in the world, and live up to the young man.

Zhu Yousong likes this sentence in his heart, but it's a pity that he is not confused, but as an emperor, he has no plan to prosper the country and also settle the people's policies, compared with Wang Lanping's pride and ambition to be the first in the world, he suddenly blushed.

Look at the fact that since Wang Lanping led the troops into Nanjing, in addition to corrupt officials, kill strong ministers, and boldly use new people, and these new officials can be said to have nothing to do with him, which shows that he is not cultivating his own power, for more than a month, it can be seen from the faces of the palace maids and eunuchs, they don't seem to be afraid of Wang Lanping at all, judging from the excerpts from the newspapers of various ministries, the government is also much clearer, and there is no longer the happy event that Ma Shiying was a table every day when he was in the past, and the world is chaotic like this, how can there be so many happy events.

Zhu Yousong thought about it back and forth, and finally nodded lightly, and said very sincerely, "I know what you mean, you are the first courtier loyal to the court I have seen since I ascended the throne, the first person to do something, I regard you as Zhao Zilong of Shu Han, and you are a rare loyal and brave general of the Ming Dynasty" Zhu Yousong also took a whim, and slapped the sycophants like this, which is like what an emperor said to his courtiers.

Wang Lanping was also enthusiastic for a while, he didn't expect that in Zhu Yousong's heart, he had such a high status, and it was not in vain to pin his head to the waistband of his trousers these days to make trouble, he arched his hand and said, "Thank the emperor, the emperor can be so considerate of the minister, although the minister has no regrets in death, he is content."

Zhu Yousong motioned for Wang Lanping to sit down, "Dingnanhou, I know that you have a great Ming in your heart, but how the subjects of the world view you, I believe in you, you are not a traitor, you are so young, the world is so big, there is a long way to go, you and I are the monarch and the minister, why worry about not coming to the prosperous world, why not be able to leave a name in history, Dingnanhou must not mention the word 'death' again"

Everything is pretended to be too fake, Wang Lanping doesn't believe that these words are also his true words, but this at least means that in the emperor's heart, he is much stronger than Ma Shiying, no matter what it is.

Wang Lanping said, "Emperor Xie cares, the emperor, if one day, the minister is not by your side, please remember that none of the officials used by the minister can be changed, with them, the court can be safe, and the emperor can be high" A few years later, these new officials are afraid that they will also bend their waists for money and official addiction.

Of course, Zhu Yousong can't accept this kind of instruction in his heart, once the Son of Heaven did not have the right to appoint and dismiss the courtiers, is it still the Son of Heaven, but Wang Lanping said it so carefully, it naturally has his reason, it seems that Zhuge Liang also instructed the queen Liu Chan to keep his will unchanged before his death, and sure enough, Liu Chan was the Son of Heaven for several more decades.

"Dingnan Hou is thoughtful, I don't need to worry about it, you just let go of your hands and feet" Zhu Yousong was a little insincere, "However, you said you weren't there?" Do you want to leave Nanjing? ”

Wang Lanping said, "At present, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses are gathered outside Nanjing, and a disaster is about to befall the relatives and enemies, Your Majesty, do you know why these governors led troops to force the palace?" ”

Zhu Yousong said in his heart: I don't want to take your place yet.

"Didn't Zuodu Yushi say that he was bewitched by Ma Shiying?"

Wang Lanping shook his head, "Not all, Ma Shiying doesn't have such a big face, these governors and generals are actually here for their own selfishness, they want to fish in troubled waters, get more benefits from the emperor, and they want to go into the court to call for wind and rain and do whatever they want."

Zhu Yousong said, "Then what should you do?" ”

Wang Lanping got up and said, "This is exactly what the minister wants to say but I don't know where to say, the emperor, you know, the Nanjing garrison battalion is only 30,000, plus more than 10,000 newly trained recruits, and there are 120,000 soldiers and horses stationed in 50 miles outside the city, swords and guns are in a forest, artillery is in a row, Zuo Liangyu's 150,000 horses are coming day and night, today in the court, the emperor also heard, Liu Liangzuo is also here, can kill to Nanjing at any time, 30,000 against 300,000, the minister is not afraid of death, but afraid that if a battle is lost, Nanjing will be reduced to a scorched earth, full of thieves will take the opportunity to come, Daming is in danger"

Zhu Yousong was terrified when he heard this, and he said, "Then, then I will give each of them a will, let them all go back, and I will not ask about all my sins."

Wang Lanping smiled, "With all due respect, the holy decree no longer works for them."

The more Zhu Yousong listened, the more he felt his back weak, "Then, then you can only watch them rush into Nanjing?" ”

Wang Lan waved his hand and said, "Of course not, the minister is still the same sentence, no matter what happens, you are still the son of the Ming Dynasty, the world is still surnamed Zhu, you have to be determined, even if there are chaotic ministers and thieves persecuting the emperor, the emperor must persevere to the end, and none of the officials can be changed, otherwise the minister will no longer be able to help the emperor."

Zhu Yousong was very strange, he really didn't understand what this meant, "Uh, Dingnanhou, what do you want to do?" ”

Wang Lanping got up and arched his hand, "In the future, the emperor will know that the minister will retire, remember to remember the minister's words."

Zhu Yousong looked at Wang Lanping's departing back from the window in confusion, and a eunuch walked in to clean up the lotus seed porridge that had been cold, and the dishes and chopsticks collided, making a slight noise.

"What are you doing, do you want to scare me too? Wang Lanping, I have endured you for a long time, you say you don't change, if I have the opportunity, not only will I change, but I will also kill, kill no one left" Zhu Yousong judged the two of them before and after, it seems that everything just now was pretended.

Wang Lanping was relieved and hoped that the emperor would listen to it.

As soon as he walked out of the palace gate, Wang Lanping, who was about to get on the horse, heard the sound of hurried horses' hooves along the palace wall, and he raised his eyes, but it was his subordinates Guoan and Chen Wanliang who led several soldiers to rush the horses eagerly.

The three of them came to the corner of the palace wall, and Fang Guoan said, "Master Hou, the last general has heard clearly, there are 120,000 soldiers and horses outside the city, and there are seven leaders, including the general of Hangzhou, the general army of Songjiang, the governor of southern Gansu, the general system of Jiangxi, and ......."

Wang Lanping stretched out his hand, "I know everything"

Chen Wanliang said, "Master Hou, with so many years of battlefield experience in the last general, although these people are menacing, but their morale is low, according to the spies, there are many non-commissioned soldiers and some lower-level generals in their army are dissatisfied with the siege of Nanjing, and we are not completely without a chance to win."

Wang Lanping turned his face and asked Fang Guoan, "Do you think so too?" ”

Fang Guoan patted his chest, "The soldiers will block, the water will cover the earth, as long as you give an order, our Guoan will be your vanguard"

Wang Lanping nodded with satisfaction, "Okay, if you can still maintain such composure, you will be a good general in the future."

Fang Guoan pressed the sword in his waist, "Then Master Hou, you have to calculate which camp to hit first, these 120,000 people are divided into seven large camps, each camp is only ten miles apart, depending on the general, it is better to hit the camp of the Songjiang general army first, where the troops are the weakest, and I have also explored the terrain clearly, I can take it in three hours, and it will definitely play the role of knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger."

Wang Lanping looked all over the head and said, "Yes, you killed 8,000 Ming troops in three hours, and you will be proud of this?" ”

Chen Wanliang and Fang Guoan were stunned, "Master Hou, you, why did you say this?" ”

Wang Lanping patted the shoulders of the two, "In my eyes, a few governors and commanders are just a group of rabble, if you want to fight, we will fight the strongest."

"Liu Liangzuo?" The two exclaimed in unison, Liu Liangzuo's 30,000 soldiers and horses were one of the four towns in Jiangbei that the imperial court was proud of, and in terms of strength, they should be the most effective among all the troops in the siege of Nanjing, because they had been stationed in Jiangbei for a long time and confronted the thieves and Tatars.

Wang Lanping shook his head with a smile, "If you have a false name, you are not an opponent to me."

The two of them searched their stomachs, and wanted to come alone, "Master Hou doesn't want to wait for Zuo Liangyu to come and fight with him, right?" ”

Wang Lanping shook his head again, "Bluffers, 150,000 people, I expect him to have less than 30,000 soldiers to fight, so don't be afraid."

"That's?" The two of them really couldn't figure out who Hou Ye wanted to attack first.

Wang Lanping looked up at the north and said word by word, "Duoduo and his 250,000 Eight Banner Iron Horsemen"

The two glanced at each other and exclaimed, "You want to relieve the siege of Yangzhou?" ”

"Yes, dare?"

The two excitedly squeezed their hands, "willing to go"