The matter finally came to an end, and the courtiers stopped the noise and gradually dispersed. Emperor Chongzhen gently kneaded his temples that were a little sour, looked at the sunset that was projected through the gate of Qianqing Palace, listened to the discussions of the courtiers who were gradually moving away, and said to Wang Chengen in a cold voice: "Send someone to Dengzhou to sue Zhu Ping'an, don't provoke things anymore, I want him to guard Dengzhou, it is for the occasional need, not for him to provoke the wind and rain." Liu Zeqing's matter can't be put on the table, but it doesn't mean that I can't guess what the situation is, let him do it himself! ”

Wang Chengen's heart sank, and he nodded yes.

Chongzhen seemed to be talking to himself, "The Manchu Dynasty is like this in both civil and military affairs, so who can I trust!" ”

This sentence made Wang Chengen even more frightened, and he knelt on the ground straight, "Don't worry, the emperor has already prepared for the two preparations when Tianjin Wei and Dengzhou." Zhao Liangdong and Zhu Ping'an are both candidates selected by the slave maid, and they also have the manpower installed by the slave and maid around them, as long as they make any changes, they will definitely not be able to avoid the slave's eyeliner......! ”

Chongzhen waved his hand tiredly, "You misunderstood what I meant." The affairs of Tianjin and Dengzhou are in charge of you, what else do I have to worry about, Zhu Ping'an is young after all, and there are some things that you need to guide from the side. I just had a throbbing in my heart, Yang Wenqiao and Hong Hengjiu were inside and outside the pass, leading more than 200,000 elite divisions of my Ming Dynasty, and for such a long time, there was no progress, so how could I not be worried! ”

"Companion, do you know, from my heart. I really don't want to use the two chess pieces of Tianjin Wei and Dengzhou! ”

Wang Chengen was silent for a while.

Chongzhen's meaning is very clear to him, and now the safety of the Ming Dynasty has been pinned on Hong Chengchou and Yang Sichang, both of whom are shouldering the heavy responsibility of suppressing thieves and resisting the Manchu Qing respectively. The more than 200,000 elites in their hands are also the only remaining combatable divisions in the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chongzhen is using them to make a big gamble, once lost, the Ming will lose the last barrier. In terms of Chongzhen's personality, he is never willing to be a king of the country who has lost his teacher and humiliated the country, but will God really give him another chance?

"Alright", Chongzhen sighed. Pushing away the mountain of shoved music on the imperial case in front of him, "I went back to rest." It's not going to be a big deal. King Gui sent someone to send some rare melons and fruits to the Jingshi, you go and pick some and send them to the imperial sister-in-law of Cining Palace! ”

Wang Chengen's heart trembled violently, and he wanted to push back. For a while, he didn't know how to speak, so he had to watch Chongzhen walk out, and then the attendant official shouted, "The saint is driving Kunning Palace!" ”

Wang Chengen stood in the deserted Qianqing Palace hall for a long time, until Huaide walked in and called softly, which pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Father-in-law, the melons and fruits presented to Empress Yi'an have been selected!"

"Oh!" Wang Chengen agreed absentmindedly, and walked outside the main hall. In a trance, he almost tripped over the threshold, but fortunately Huaide reached out to help him.

Huaide looked at Wang Chengen in surprise. His lips moved twice, but he didn't dare to ask.

Empress Yi'an, the empress of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, that is, Chongzhen's sister-in-law, was born in the Xiangfu Zhang family. After the death of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, he first lived in Ciqing Palace. After that, Ciqing Palace was returned to the East Palace, and Empress Yi'an moved to Cining Palace to live.

Cining Palace is located on the west side of the Inner Court Wailong Sect. Wang Chengen walked over, it also took half an hour, although it was dusk, but the weather in early summer was already a little hot, the dry ground was blown up by the wind from time to time A burst of dust, Wang Chengen seemed a little worried.

Huaide took two little eunuchs and followed him step by step.

Entering Cining Palace, there was already an internal official on duty to greet him, and received the items sent by Huaide and others, Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment, after all, he still did not enter the palace, but just told the internal officials who came to greet him, Emperor Chongzhen instructed, these days are busy with state affairs, and when there is free time, he will come to greet Empress Yi'an.

Just turned around to leave, but a female official ran out of the palace, who looked like the female official Fengyi who was serving with Empress Yi'an, and she was also the person who had been serving Empress Yi'an.

The female official hurriedly saluted Wang Chengen, "Princess, go slowly, Niangniang knows that you are coming, and specially ordered you to go to the Buddha Hall!" ”

Wang Chengen's face was a little blank, nodded silently, and ordered Huaide and the others to go back first.

Along the corridor on the west side all the way to the north, through the right gate of Huiyin, you will arrive at the big Buddha hall of Cining Palace.

There was silence around, and the sprinkling was exceptionally clean, and the few internal officials and palace maids on duty saw that the female officials and Wang Chengen were also bent down, but they did not speak.

The female official led Wang Chengen to the front of the Buddhist hall, pushed open the door, and invited Wang Chengen to enter, but she closed the gate tightly and drove out all the people in front of the Buddhist hall.

The door closed behind him, but Wang Chengen's heart sighed softly, the inexplicable pressure along the way suddenly disappeared when he arrived here.

There are two permanent lamps lit in the Buddha hall, and although the doors and windows are closed, the light is still sufficient. Through several layers of tulle, a figure can be vaguely seen kneeling in front of the Buddhist shrine, with his hands folded and his eyes closed to chant sutras.

Wang Chengen knelt straight to the ground, "Old slave Wang Chengen greets Niangniang!" ”

There was a faint sigh in the room, and the figure behind the tulle slowly stood up, walked to the front hall, looked at Wang Chengen who was kneeling on the ground, and said slowly: "I haven't seen you for two years, Wang Chengen, your hair is a lot grayer!" ”

Wang Chengen raised his head tremblingly, and there was a woman in a pale yellow placket standing in front of him, with bright eyes and bright teeth, and her hair full of green silk, although she did not wear too many jewelry, but she had a graceful bearing.

"In the past two years, the old slave is getting older and older, but the mother is still the same as before, and she is as beautiful as before!" Tears suddenly appeared in the corners of Wang Chengen's eyes.

The woman in front of her is Zhang Yan, the empress of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, and she is only in her early thirties, and she is indeed as beautiful and luxurious as she was back then.

Zhang Yan smiled bitterly, and a few fine wrinkles piled up at the corners of her eyes. After letting Wang Chengen get up, he immediately gave a seat. But Wang Chengen insisted on standing and replying.

Zhang Yan was not reluctant, sat opposite Wang Chengen, and looked carefully for a moment. "Fortunately, the spirit is not bad, I have been serving by the emperor's side all these years, and it is really difficult for you!"

"The emperor is indeed a diligent king, and the first emperor is indeed inferior to this!" Zhang Yan said faintly, the wry smile on her face was even stronger.

The Emperor of the Apocalypse died after seven years of reign. Zhang Yan was widowed at a young age, and changed from the queen to the current Queen Yi'an. Although the identity is precious, it is not as glorious as in the past, and anyone will feel the sour meaning when they say it.

But Wang Chengen knew the deep meaning of this Queen Yi'an's words. Immediately he knelt down again. "Why do you have to say this, if it weren't for the first emperor's deathbed strategy, it is still unknown what the Ming Dynasty looks like today! The first emperor was a genius, but he was deceived by traitors for a while, and then he saw the sun, didn't he turn the tide again, so that there was a way for the Ming Dynasty to respond? ”

The expression on Zhang Yan's face finally relaxed, and she smiled and nodded, "The last time." If it weren't for the advice and assistance of Shen Shi, Qinghe, you, Mu Yilun and others, I'm afraid the first emperor might not have been able to realize the reality that the Ming Dynasty was already on the edge of the cliff. Speaking of which, you are the heroes of the Ming Dynasty! ”

That being said. But Wang Chengen understood the thoughts of this Empress Yi'an. On the one hand, he was the younger brother of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, and on the other hand, Zhu Youzhen was indeed famous. But after so much blood and separation, now Daming is still irreversibly collapsing, in the face of this situation, Wang Chengen can deeply understand the bitterness and loss in Zhang Yan's heart.

He. How could it not be?

Think about the beginning, the beginning of the Emperor of the Apocalypse. He sent Wang Chengen to infiltrate the palace of King Xin, and this time it was seven years. Speaking of which, he was still afraid of the threat of King Xin. After the death of Emperor Wanli, the crown prince Zhu Changluo succeeded to the throne, but he only served as the Son of Heaven for a month before he rode the throne. As a result, the Emperor of the Apocalypse hurriedly ascended to the throne.

During this period of time, the Emperor of the Apocalypse experienced various battles in the harem, including the cause of his biological mother's death, and a series of open and secret battles between the two East and West who chose to serve for the throne. The Emperor of the Apocalypse, who was lucky enough to ascend to the throne, also became deeply suspicious of everyone around him who might threaten his throne.

It was under this circumstance that Wang Chengen was sent to the Xinwang Mansion for the purpose of monitoring the Xinwang Zhu Youzhen's every move.

"Wei Eunuch and Ke clan control the harem and the government, the palace and the harem concubines are under the control of the eunuch party, and the first emperor has no queen because of this. Seeing that the building is about to fall, if it weren't for Mr. Shen and Qinghe, I'm afraid even King Xin would ......! Speaking of these things, Zhang Yan became a little excited for a while, but she still closed her mouth in moderation and swallowed the following words into her stomach.

"If Qinghe is a man, he must be the talent of my Ming Dynasty!" Wang Chengen knows Zhang Yan's suffering, she has lived in the deep palace for a long time, and she needs someone to listen to her. But there are some things that can't be said, such as the purpose of his Wang Chengen's infiltration into the Xin Palace, etc., etc., including the role played by the Shen family in the chaos in the seventh year of the Apocalypse, and their relationship with the Emperor of the Apocalypse.

It is precisely because of this that Wang Chengen deliberately reduced Zhang Yan's meeting. After all, the current Great Tomorrow is Emperor Chongzhen, and the Apocalypse Dynasty has long been a matter of fact.

Speaking of Shen Qinghe, Zhang Yan's face finally showed a knowing smile, "The Xiangfu Zhang family and the Yixing Shen family were good friends in the era, and this palace and Qinghe were also friends. Speaking of which, Qinghe does have the style of a man, otherwise the first emperor would not have been in love with her and obeyed her words. Do you know? If you want to talk about the competition for favor and love in the harem, Bengong, as a woman, can't stay out of it, but it's Qinghe, but Bengong can't afford to have a trace of jealousy. She is such a person, she can bring happiness to everyone who knows her, as long as the people around her can be happy, she will not hesitate to give her life! ”

Zhang Yan's self-talk made Wang Chengen's heart twist like a knife at this time, kneeling on the ground, his fingers actually scratched shallow marks on the ground, and a drop of tears fell on the stone slab in front of him, showing a clear outline.

"Master Shen entered Beijing and brought Qinghe to Beijing, giving hope to the palace, the first emperor, and the Ming Dynasty. But I didn't expect that night, Yao Shaoqin entered the palace and saved the palace, you fought desperately in the Xinwang Mansion and saved the current emperor, but Shen Shi and Qinghe ......! ”

Zhang Yan choked up for a while.

Wang Chengen's soul drifted out with Zhang Yan's weeping words, and the scenery in front of him seemed to return to the spring morning of the fifth year of the Apocalypse in an instant.

A face with a plain eyebrow dye, a straight nose and crystal eyes revealing a vigorous and heroic spirit, the green silk floats smoothly with the spring breeze, and the surprised expression when you see yourself, that moment will always be in your heart.

"Big gourd, it's actually you! What about wood? Did he also come to Jingshi? It's great that the three of us are finally together again! (To be continued)