On June 19 of the sixteenth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng conquered Taiyuan, and Zhu Xianxuan, the king of Jin, was captured and killed along with more than 1,000 Ming Dynasty clansmen. Immediately afterwards, Datong fell, and Li Zicheng took Han Wenquan as the envoy of the Taiyuan Festival, and Chen Yongfu as the general army stationed in Taiyuan, respectively in charge of the military and political affairs of Shanxi. He led the army to continue the attack to the east. For a time, Zhending and Baoding prefectures and cities were in a hurry.

For another month, the sky was clear and the weather was hot and dry. At noon, the eldest princess Zhu Yujiao returned to the Pingyang Hall of Shouning Palace out of breath, and without saying anything, she drove out all the palace ladies and female officials who served with her, pulled Xing Yuan, and the two of them hid behind the curtain of the dormitory, whispering.

Zhu Yujiao's face was happy, although she was now fifteen years old, and she was about to get married, but her expression and personality were like that of a child.

Zhu Yu's mysterious and mysterious sue to Xing Yuan, Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Zhou had just summoned her privately, and told her that in a few days, the crown prince Zhu Cihong would go south, and she and King Yong and King Ding would also go south together. It is said that he will take a sea boat, first to Shandong, and then to Nanjing.

When Zhu Yujiao learned the news, she was like a bird about to get out of trouble, chattering non-stop. Speaking of Mu Yuling, who is far away in Dengzhou, and her infant son, there are more various delicacies by the sea, as well as Cao Wuxian's "teppanyaki". She was overjoyed, but she didn't think of the deep meaning behind the prince's southern tour.

Xing Yuan is different, he fell to the ground a few years older than Zhu Yujiao, and has experienced a lot of ups and downs, plus all kinds of news that have been heard in the palace these days. Xing Yuan has already tasted the different flavors.

"Your Highness, what about the emperor and the queen, why don't they go south with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and you?" Seeing Zhu Yuanjiao's excited and joyful expression, Xing Yuan didn't want to pierce the strangeness, but after thinking about it, he felt that he should still let Zhu Yuanjiao guide the things behind this, after all, it is difficult to say whether Zhu Yuanjiao and her parents can see each other again.

"The queen mother said, the imperial brother is going south to prison the country, and now the thieves are very powerful, just in case, the imperial brother will first inspect the south of the Yangtze River, once the thieves are pressing on the Beijing division, they will also rush to Nanjing to make peace with us, and also tell me to quietly pack up the things I use with me, and don't ...... with others!" Zhu Yujiao was originally elated, but as she spoke, she noticed the difference.

For more than 200 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, except for the repeated patrols of Emperor Zhengde, there has been no precedent for the emperor to leave Beijing for refuge when the soldiers are in the city. Chongzhen and Empress Zhou felt sorry for their children, so they made a plan for the prince to take them to Jiangnan. But they themselves were destined to face the surging hundreds of thousands of thieves in the Jingshi.

"Sister Yuan, do you mean that the father and mother will not go to Nanjing?" Thinking of this, a smile suddenly froze on Zhu Yujiao's face.

Although Xing Yuan couldn't bear it in his heart, he still nodded. "Your Royal Highness, the servant has long heard that when the court of the court was discussed, the courtiers did not agree to His Majesty going south, even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince supervised the country Nanjing has encountered great resistance, and the court ordered soldiers and horses from all over the country to enter the king of Beijing, more than a month has passed, and I have not seen a single soldier and horse rushing to ......!"

"But Zhu Ping'an will definitely come, he is deeply trusted by his father and the emperor, and he is in charge of a heavy army, even if he refuses, Sister Mu will definitely persuade him to send troops!"

Xing Yuan shook his head gloomily, "Lord Zhu is loyal and righteous, so naturally he will definitely rush to Beijing, but even if he pours troops from Shandong to come, it will be useless in terms of the overall situation!" The servant boldly said that the emperor's intention is to take the opportunity of Lord Zhu to lead his troops into Beijing to escort the prince and you, as well as His Royal Highnesses King Yong and King Ding, to Nanjing! ”

Listening to Xing Yuan's explanation, the blood on Zhu Yujiao's face suddenly retreated, and her hands and feet couldn't help but tremble, and it seemed that she was about to cry in the blink of an eye.

Xing Yuan hurriedly hugged her crumbling body, "Your Highness, this matter is confidential, don't make a noise, there are palace ladies and female officials outside, don't leak the news!" ”

When Zhu Yujiao heard this, she could only cover her mouth tightly with her hands, but her body trembled more violently, and tears slid down the back of her hands, "I, I am really unfilial, I didn't realize the painstaking intentions of my father and queen mother, and I thought that by patrolling Jiangnan this time, my family could escape the disaster of swords and soldiers, and I would have no worries from now on...... ”

Xing Yuan sighed secretly and hugged Zhu Yujiao tightly into his arms. Although the girl in her arms is a noble family, but like herself, she still has to face the moment of life and death, which will chaos the world, will no one be spared?

The two delicate and thin figures revealed by the curtain were helplessly leaning on each other, waiting for them in an unpredictable future.

……

In the evening, Emperor Chongzhen returned to Tian Guifei's bedroom to rest. Tian Guifei's body has not been very good recently, and she has been bedridden recently, which has made Emperor Chongzhen's mood worse.

Wang Chengen came out of the Qianqing Palace early, without any entourage, but just sent someone to pass Huaide to come over, and he returned to the duty room alone.

Before he had finished drinking a cup of tea, Wilder had already rushed back.

After closing the door and lighting the lights in the house, the temperature in the room quickly rose, and there was a fine layer of sweat behind the backs of both of them, but neither of them had any intention of opening the window to breathe.

Wang Chengen stood up and took out the spirit card he treasured from behind the Buddhist shrine, this time, he didn't cover it anymore, but put it straight on the table.

Huaide looked curiously at the spirit card that Wang Chengen regarded as a treasure, and it was just a simple person's name written on it, as if it was still a woman's name - "Shen Qinghe".

Wang Chengen opened the dark room against the wall again and dragged out a wooden box, Huaide wanted to help, but Wang Chengen signaled that he didn't need it.

After doing this, Wang Chengen's forehead was already full of sweat, and he took a cotton towel and wiped it hastily, Wang Chengen let out a sigh of relief and sat back.

Wang Chengen pointed to his heart, "Originally, there was still a spirit card, but I burned it many years ago, and now, it is in my heart!" ”

Huaide helped Wang Chengen fill a cup of tea, Wang Chengen took a sip, cleared his throat, and then continued: "The most important thing for people is to know their origins, my Wang Chengen entered the palace at the age of twelve, if it weren't for the care of my father-in-law and the care of many parties, there may not be today's Yiqiē." “

Huaide is extremely curious, Huaide is only sixteen years old this year, Chongzhen was sold into the palace as a slave when he was five years old, and since then he has been following Wang Chengen's side, but he has never heard him talk about his origins.

"You also make a note, in the future, leave the Jingshi, for me to help my father-in-law build a spirit card, so many years, I remember my father-in-law's teachings, I have never burned incense to worship, I owe him a lot of old people, you have to remember to pay it back for me one by one!"

Wilder burst into tears. "Please also ask your father-in-law to give your grandfather's name, Huaide must follow his father-in-law's instructions, burn incense and worship every day, and dare not make mistakes!"

Wang Chengen smiled and nodded, "In this way, I will be relieved." Remember, your grandfather is the Heavenly Apocalypse Celebrant Seal Wang An! ”

As soon as he said this name, Wang Chengen couldn't help but choke up a little. Suddenly, the already vague impression became clear.

In the first year of the Apocalypse, Wang Chengen was only twenty years old, and he had only been in the Xinwang Qiandi for three years. In May, Wei Zhongxian ordered Huo Weihua to be impeached and slandered Wang An. At the instigation of the Hakka family, the Emperor of the Apocalypse deposed Wang An from his position as a eunuch with the palm seal, and demoted him to the Nanhaizi Palace as a pure army.

The so-called "pure army" is actually the lowest eunuch, who is responsible for cleaning up the feces in the palace.

Wang An has been in the post of celebrant since the Wanli period, and is known for his integrity, selflessness, and uprightness, and has won the trust and appreciation of the eunuchs Feng Bao and Chen Ju, and is also quite respected among the scholars and doctors in the court. But such a person, under the framing of Wei Zhongxian and the Hakka family, was actually assigned to Nanhaizi as a pure army, and this kind of humiliation and harm is not acceptable to ordinary people.

As soon as he got the news, Wang Chengen came to Nanhaizi as soon as possible to find the whereabouts of his father-in-law. Wang Chengen worshiped under Wang Anmen, and not many people knew about it. is also because Wang Chengen has entered the mansion of King Xin, so the idlers and others do not attach much importance to it.

When Wang An was found, Wang An was cleaning in the clean room of the side hall. The former Ming Dynasty was the prime minister, but now he was cleaning up the filth in the clean room in tattered clothes, and his white hair was fluttering in the wind, indescribably desolate and bleak.

Wang An turned his back to Wang Chengen and didn't notice his arrival, while Wang Chengen looked at the back blankly, and didn't dare to come forward to recognize him for a while.

Suddenly, Wang An bent down, as if he had picked up something from under the fence at the door of the clean room, and was overjoyed, wiped it twice with the corner of his clothes, and then stuffed it straight into his mouth.

Wang Chengen couldn't bear it anymore, called out "Father-in-law" in a low voice, rushed forward, grabbed Wang An's right hand, and two lines of tears flowed down uncontrollably.

When I got closer, I saw that my father-in-law had a piece of dried radish in his hand.

"Father-in-law, why do you bother to practice yourself like this!" Wang Chengen couldn't cry, snatched the dried radish, took out the wrapped roast duck from his arms and stuffed it into Wang An's hands, "Father-in-law, you eat!" ”

Wang An didn't expect Wang Chengen to find this place, and a relieved smile appeared on his face, but then his face changed, he looked at no one around, and hurriedly used all his strength to drag Wang Chengen to the side of the rockery.

"Stinky boy, you don't want to die, no one in the palace knows about the relationship between you and me, aren't you killing yourself when you find this place now?"

Wang Chengen hugged Wang An's legs, "There is no father-in-law, where did Cheng'en come from, Cheng'en will go to the king to beg for faith, and is willing to come to Nanhaizi to serve his father-in-law, Chengen is not afraid of life and death, just to be able to accompany his father-in-law!" ”

Wang An was stunned for a while, then he sighed and gently patted Wang Chengen's head with a cracked palm, "Silly boy, my father-in-law is already old, but is your life so worthless?" The old man was entrusted by Chen Ju Chen's father-in-law to serve the first emperor Taichangye, and now he has finally helped the prince to ascend the throne, which can be regarded as an explanation for his old man. Speaking of the old man, this is also to blame, Shen Xiao's old husband reminded me many times before leaving Beijing, that Wei Zhongxian's wolf ambition will not be tolerated by me, and he will take revenge. It's just that I didn't take his words to heart, and now I am to blame. ”

Wang An's words changed, "However, there will always be a day when he returns to Beijing, that old man is not at ease to be a rich man, with him, there is always a glimmer of hope in the world of the Ming Dynasty." Starting from Feng Bao Feng's father-in-law, there has been no big mess in this inner court, and one day in the future, after Shen Xiao returns to Beijing, if you have the opportunity, I hope you can take over the burden of the inner court, so that you can go to Sheji tomorrow! ”R1152