At this time, in the South Palace, the Emperor Zhu Qizhen was lying on the couch, and the whole person was in a trance, living a life of drunkenness and dreaming of death.

In the history books handed down from the Ming Dynasty, in order to criticize Jingtai Emperor Zhu Qiyu for being "cruel and unkind", usurping the throne and treating the emperor's brother harshly, emphasizing the legitimacy of Zhu Qizhen of Ming Yingzong to regain the position of unification.

The period of time he lived in the South Palace was described as all kinds of abuse, hunger and cold, and even Queen Qian was needed to sell embroidery as a female celebrity to maintain basic living conditions.

In fact, after a little rational thinking, I understand that this statement is very untenable, imprisoned Nangong for seven years and gave birth to six children, plus the concubine Wei, Concubine Wan, Concubine Yang, Concubine Hui, Wang, etc., the total number of people is at least ten or twenty.

And during the imprisonment of Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen in Nangong, he also had the leisure to give birth to a daughter to a palace maid who was more than ten years older than him, and was later named Concubine Wei Fan. With so many mouths, unless the embroidery speed of Queen Qian's female red can reach the level of the loom of later generations, it is impossible to raise a large family.

It is a fact that Empress Qian's fate is tragic, but the sin is not that Emperor Jingtai Zhu Qiyu imprisoned her brother, but more that Zhu Qizhen of Ming Yingzong himself did not have the responsibility of being a king and a husband!

Ruan Lang entered the South Palace from the small door with a lunch box, and just happened to meet Queen Qian who was walking towards him, and hurriedly greeted him and saluted.

Empress Qian was originally in Zhu Qizhen during the hunting period, and her eyesight was seriously damaged by washing her face with tears all day long, but now even if the Emperor Taishang returns from Mobei, the two brothers and the two emperors are fighting, and they still do not get rid of the threat of death.

The old and decrepit Queen Qian couldn't talk to Zhu Qizhen too closely, the only thing she could do was to ask the gods and Buddhas, and pray that the gods of heaven would bless her husband from no more crises.

As a result, after a long time of kneeling and crying, Queen Qian was completely blind in one eye, and one leg was also limpant. If it weren't for the phoenix robe on her body showing her identity, others might not realize that this was the Empress Taishang of the Ming Dynasty at the first glance, and the vicissitudes of life and haggard were not as good as ordinary palace maids.

"Father-in-law Ruan needs to be polite, I've worked hard for you this time."

A smile appeared on Queen Qian's face, she was originally a virtuous and virtuous character, and she had always been gentle to the people in the palace, not to mention Ruan Lang, who was still loyal to her service when she was down.

"This is a matter for the slave maid, the queen is polite."

Queen Qian smiled, didn't continue to say more in etiquette, her eyes moved to the thing Ruan Lang was carrying, and she could vaguely recognize that it was a lunch box.

"The emperor had a hangover last night, and Gonggong Ruan and the others met and hoped to admonish one or two, and it hurt to drink like this."

Now Zhu Qizhen has almost nothing to say to Queen Qian, after all, the bitterness in his heart is about the struggle for imperial power, and a woman who says that no matter how much he says, it will be in vain. In comparison, Ruan Lang, who always delivers news outside the palace for him, has more common language.

"Yes, the slave will remind the emperor to pay attention to his body."

"Grandpa Ruan, let's go in."

Empress Qian felt Ruan Lang's tone, and she was more eager than before, so she turned sideways and signaled that he could meet the emperor first.

"Then the slave and maid will go in first."

Ruan Lang bowed again, and then walked quickly into the Nangong hall and saw Zhu Qizhen lying on the couch.

Ruan Lang can see from this surname that he is not a native of the Ming Dynasty, but the young child brought back by Zhu Di, the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, who crusaded against Annan and became a eunuch in the palace.

As an old eunuch in the palace, Ruan Lang watched Zhu Qizhen grow up, and the great tomorrow who was once full of youthful vitality and ambition has become this decadent and languishing appearance, which really makes him a little sad.

But there was no time to sigh today, Ruan Lang leaned over to Zhu Qizhen and whispered to him: "Emperor, the slave has something important to say." ”

Zhu Qizhen, who was originally empty-eyed, heard Ruan Lang say that he had something important to say, and a mocking smile appeared on his face and replied: "What important things can I deal with in this situation, could it be said that Wu Qing Hou Shi Heng has a change of heart and is willing to abandon the secret to Mingfu Zuo Zhen to regain the great treasure?" ”

The reason why Zhu Qizhen became so decadent and depressed was that he went to woo Wu Qing and Hou Shi Heng in the last half of the year, and the other party was always reluctant to give a clear answer. Neither choosing allegiance nor decisively refusing, keeps him in a state of anxiety mixed with expectations and disappointments.

But the incident that really broke Zhu Qizhen's psychological defense line was his mother, the Empress Dowager, who revealed the emotion of helping her son recover, without the firmness she had before, as if she had accepted her fate.

Zhu Qizhen's original plan was to rely on the Shenji Battalion controlled by his descendant Anyuan Hou Liupu under the condition that he could not win over Wuqing Hou Shiheng, the Southern Expeditionary Army commanded by Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji, and the Beijing Camp under the command of Zhang Xuan, the right capital governor, and the Tengxiang Siwei Battalion controlled by Guo Jing, the Imperial Horse Supervisor.

Taking advantage of the unpreparedness of the servant king Zhu Qiyu, he directly launched a coup d'état, and then the Empress Dowager Sun issued a royal decree to abolish the other party's emperor title and re-ascended to the position of the Ninth Five-Year Supreme.

It is believed that in just one year after Zhu Qiyu, the king of servants, ascended the throne for just one year, he could not cultivate a solid foundation and henchmen, and this kind of change of power within the royal family could not make too many waves in the court, and soon the entire Ming Dynasty would be restored to its original state, and it would still be the country of the orthodox dynasty.

As a result, without the approval of the Empress Dowager Sun, Zhu Qizhen of Ming Yingzong not only lost the rationality of the legal system, but also lacked the prestige to make people sacrifice their lives for restoration. No matter how good the "Northern Hunting" is, the history of being a captive cannot be erased in the hearts of everyone, and the humiliation of the country by losing his teacher has greatly dealt a blow to the majesty of his former emperor.

"Emperor, this matter is related to Uncle Jing Yuan."

"Wang Ji, what's wrong with him?"

As soon as he heard the words of Jing Yuanbo, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen's eyes instantly became much clearer.

You must know that in addition to the competition for forces in Beijing, his biggest reliance comes from the Southern Expeditionary Army commanded by Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji, anyone and any matter can have accidents, but Wang Ji can't!

"Your Majesty has a eunuch on duty who is the righteous son of a slave, and he has sent news that Jing Yuanbo may lead the Southern Expeditionary Army to conquer Luchuan again."

Ruan Lang said this sentence with a face full of embarrassment, he knew what a big blow this news was to the depressed Zhu Qizhen. But the problem is that if we don't talk about it now, when the Southern Expeditionary Army really leaves Beijing, then it will be too late.

What?

Sure enough, just as Ruan Lang expected, Zhu Qizhen opened his mouth wide when he heard the news, and his face was full of incredulity.

He can be said to be as kind to Wang Ji as a mountain, breaking the law set by Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, that civil officials cannot be knighted as ancestors, and he insisted on finding a loophole to use civil officials to take charge of military affairs, so that Wang Ji created a precedent in the Ming Dynasty and was named Jingyuanbo.

This kind of grace and glory is unparalleled in the world, and Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji left Beijing during the critical period of the struggle between the two emperors, which is undoubtedly a betrayal!

The degree of betrayal also exceeded that of the original hand-picked Sanyuan and Shen Yichen!

Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen couldn't understand why they chose to betray their masters one after another to seek glory because they were obviously generous to their subordinates, what was wrong?

"What conditions did King Yu promise Wang Ji, how could he choose to leave Beijing at such a moment, and where did the Ming treasury get the money to support the conquest of Luchuan?"

Zhu Qizhen asked several key questions in a row towards Ruan Lang, with his imperial favor to Wang Ji, even if Zhu Qiyu, the king of servants, wanted to buy the other party, the price offered would definitely become sky-high.

At present, the highest bargaining chip he can think of is nothing more than to make Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji the title of Jingguo Gong. But even if that's the case, it still feels a little bit less meaningful to want to say that Wang Ji is moving, and it is impossible to set a precedent for being crowned king, right?

If King Yu can give Wang Ji the title of king, then what kind of price will he have to come up with to win over other ministers in the court, the court official system will fall into a big chaos, this kind of cholera period is beyond the standard Unless it is the end of the dynasty, Zhu Qiyu will definitely not be absurd to this extent.

There are also the previous battles of Luchuan, all of which were requisitioned under the toughness of Zhu Qizhen, and no one knows better than him how much rice, grain, and silver taels need to be consumed, and the entire Ming treasury has been exhausted, triggering frequent rebellions and rebellions in various places.

It can even be said that if it were not for the use of too many resources on the southern expedition to Luchuan, it might have been a different situation for the Mongolian expedition.

Now that the northern Tatars are becoming more and more powerful, and at this time, taking the risk to start a war in the southwest, does the king want to be the king of the fallen country?

Thinking about it, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen always felt that the logic did not make sense, but Ruan Lang was an old man who had served him in the palace for decades, and his eunuch status was destined not to have too many ambitions, so it was impossible to let it go.

Facing Zhu Qizhen's questioning, Ruan Lang could only shake his head blankly and said: "The emperor forgives the sin, Your Majesty just mentioned it when he was discussing with Da Situ, and the reason for this is really unknown to the slave maid." ”

"But what is certain is that Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji's expedition to Luchuan has been put on the agenda, and it depends on when he will announce it to the world and lead the army to march."

After hearing this, Zhu Qizhen, who was still emotional, collapsed on the couch again like a deflated ball.

The queen mother's hesitation, Wu Qing waited for Shi Heng's price to sell, plus Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji's estrangement. The sense of crisis that was embattled in Tumubao once again swept through the whole body of Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen, and he didn't know how to break the situation.

It is impossible to rely on a palm print eunuch to complete the coup restoration, right?

"The Emperor...... The Emperor? ”

Looking at Zhu Qiyu's blank eyes, Ruan Lang hurriedly shouted in a panic, in case the emperor appeared with something long, he would not be able to bear the responsibility as a eunuch.

Listening to Ruan Lang's eager shout, Zhu Qizhen came to his senses, he suddenly got up from the couch at this moment, changed his previous depressed and depressed state, and his eyes were full of a resolute and firm saying: "No, if it continues like this, my henchmen will be disintegrated little by little by King Yu, and we must do it as soon as possible!" ”

After that, Zhu Qizhen looked around in the South Palace, and his eyes finally fell on a golden knife in the knife holder.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhu Qizhen walked over and picked up such a golden knife, turned to Ruan Lang and said: "This golden knife is my royal thing, you take it out and hand it to Wuqing Hou Shiheng, just say that if the restoration is completed and he regains the position of Dabao in the future, he will be ranked as the Duke of the Ming Dynasty and be named the Duke of Zhongguo!" ”

At this point, what Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen can do is to buy people's hearts like his younger brother Zhu Qiyu, which is nothing more than to see who has the higher price.

In just one year, Shi Heng was promoted from a criminal in prison to the governor of Zhengyipin in the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, and then knighted Wu Qingbo, and then promoted to Wu Qinghou.

Now even the position of the Duke of the Kingdom has been taken out, if it can really be realized, the speed of officialdom promotion will be unparalleled, and in a sense, it has also created a history of the Ming Dynasty.

"Emperor, do you really want to do this?"

Ruan Lang trembled slightly and took this royal golden knife from Zhu Qizhen's hand, he understood that no matter what he thought in his heart, the current saint could not find an excuse to attack his imperial brother.

But once it is put into action, then there is no turning back, and the second emperor will die!

"Do you want me to be imprisoned in this cage for the rest of my life?"

Zhu Qizhen's face was hideous at the moment, trapped in the South Palace, and how different it was from the original Beijia in the Wara camp, it was nothing more than another kind of prisoner.

Seeing the appearance of the Emperor Taishang, Ruan Lang's heart was full of terror, and the experience of living in the palace for decades told him that if Zhu Qizhen did not resist, he might not even have a chance to die in the end.

The emperor is a little merciful, and he can still grow old in this southern palace, if the emperor wants to leave no trouble, maybe after Jingyuan Bo Wang Ji leaves Beijing, it will be the countdown to the life of the emperor!

Ruan Lang is a nostalgic person, and he is also a loyal eunuch, after realizing all this, he gritted his teeth, nodded heavily towards Zhu Qizhen and said: "Even if the slave and maid give up this life, they will definitely complete the emperor's entrustment and deliver the golden sword to Wu Qinghou!" ”

Looking at Ruan Lang with a resolute face in front of him, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen instantly sighed in his heart, and the courtiers who had high hopes chose to betray one after another, on the contrary, a group of eunuchs who were scolded and despised by the world stuck to the end by their side.

It used to be Wang Zhen, and now it's Ruan Lang.

But now is not the time to sigh, Wu Qinghou Shiheng's swing made Zhu Qizhen understand that the other party is not a reliable person, he can't completely pin his hopes on him, and he has to rely on his henchmen to complete the coup.

"Ruan Lang, after the golden knife is handed over to Shi Heng, you will visit Dingyuan Marquis Liupu and go to Zhang Xuan, the right capital governor, so that they can prepare for the time to start an incident."

"In addition, I will ask the queen to beg the queen mother again, no matter what the situation outside the palace is, we must ensure that the Forbidden City is under our control, and if necessary, we must strike first!"

Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen means to strike first, not to launch a coup d'état, but to kill Jingtai Emperor Zhu Qiyu in advance.

The biggest difference between the two emperors and their ministers is that no matter who becomes the ultimate victor, the Manchu civil and military can basically accept it, after all, no one wants to be loyal to a dead man.

This kind of thing has been discarded by Zhu Qizhen in Mobei a long time ago, knocking on the door and calling the door is done, what is the value of fratricide, his family and moral guilt are far lower than Zhu Qiyu.

The struggle for imperial power is either you die or I die, rather than me, it is better for you to die!