Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace.

A faint cigarette smoke wafted from the incense burner of the gilded beast's head, filling the room with a sweet aroma. Emperor Chongzhen was lying on the bed, his breathing was slightly chaotic, and his face full of bookish breath was full of sorrow and hardship.

In the past few days, the bad news has continued, the thieves attacked from along the Shanxi, all the way to the north, it seems that there is a sweeping of the nine sides, threatening the capital, and the Ming army is not the enemy, the nine sides and the inner three passes are all warning signs.

These made Chongzhen highly nervous, even in his sleep, he was worried about the situation of the court, and he kept muttering from time to time.

The voice was louder for a while, and Wang Chengen, who was guarding the side, hurriedly lifted the curtain to look, and found that his master had just turned over, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and continued to stand there with the dust in his arms.

Immediately, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside, and the door was opened, and a little eunuch appeared at the door, hooking his hand at Wang Chengen.

"You little thing, you really don't know how to die!" Wang Chengen walked over lightly, pointed to the little eunuch's head and scolded in a low voice: "The emperor rested for half an hour last night, and finally fell asleep now, you shocked the emperor, you are going to be beaten!" ”

The little eunuch hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, "Old man, the slave and maid don't want to, but ...... News came from the cabinet that Datong City was broken. ”

"Where?"

"Datong!" The eunuch's voice raised a lot, but it really shocked Chongzhen, who was taking a lunch break inside.

Chongzhen's nervous voice sounded: "Datong, what's wrong with Datong........" ”

"Back to the emperor's words, news came from the cabinet that Datong City was broken ......." Wang Chengen said.

Chongzhen's forehead suddenly burst out, he closed his eyes, and the sad pictures that came to his mind were one after another: smoke rose from the nine sides, the thieves broke through the town, the kings who were killed and scattered, the people who were plundered, and the border generals and ministers who trembled under the coercion of the thieves, and finally, the iron streams, people and horses, overwhelmingly flocked to the capital ........

"Bastard thing, bastard thing!" Chongzhen scolded angrily, no one knew who he was scolding.

The surrounding eunuchs all have their own answers in their hearts, whether they are those restless thieves, or the cabinet ministers who talk about the country, or the cowardly and incompetent generals in the army.

Chongzhen has no answer in his heart, it seems that everyone is hateful, and it seems that everyone can be killed.

He looked at the bed around him, and the beautiful incense burner, and a ridiculous thought flashed through his head: "Is it just because I carried an hour today that I was punished like this?" ”

Jiang Dejing, the first assistant of the cabinet, lowered his head and stepped on the steps in a little panic, he knew very well why he was summoned by the emperor, it was because of the loss of Datong, he had been an official for many years, Jiang Dejing was very clear about Emperor Chongzhen's moodiness, but he didn't know how to deal with it today, he had only been the first assistant of the cabinet for three days, should he be responsible for this defeat?

After thinking about it, one stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but was supported by a hand, and when he looked up, it was Wang Chengen, Jiang Dejing packed up his clothes, and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you, thank you, thank you." ”

"When the emperor heard that Datong had fallen, his heart was not very happy, so Lord Jiang should be vigilant." Wang Chengen took his hand and did not thank him, but whispered a word.

Jiang Dejing entered the Qianqing Palace, and after a while, the roar of Emperor Chongzhen came from inside, Wang Chengen leaned on the pillar of the Qianqing Palace, shook his head slightly, he pinched his fingers, and counted: "This is the eighteenth minister, no, if you count the adult who was the prime minister twice, this is the nineteenth."

I don't know if there will be the twentieth today. ”

He was muttering to himself, but he saw a personal eunuch coming out of the Qianqing Palace, and Wang Chengen said, "Little cub, what are you going to do?" ”

"Back to my husband's ancestor, the emperor asked the slave to summon the secretary of the military department to ........" The eunuch said.

Wang Chengen nodded slightly: "Go, go, go." ”

Since he called someone to be scolded again, Wang Chengen felt that Lord Jiang's official hat could still be kept.

When the military department Shangshu arrived, the voice inside became more enthusiastic, Wang Chengen sighed helplessly, and said in his heart that he was afraid that life during this period of time would not be easy.

It was at this time that a eunuch came in a hurry, Wang Chengen squinted and looked, the eunuch's name was Wang Kun, who was sent to Nanjing that day, and arranged for Lu Jiude to canonize the king of Ryukyu and supervise the Guangdong military.

"Old man, good news." Wang Kun came to Wang Chengen and said with a smile.

Wang Chengen asked, "What good news?" ”

Wang Kun said: "Gonggong Lu has successfully canonized the king of the Ryukyus, and met with Lord Shen Yulong in Guangdong, and now the Cantonese army is on the way north, this is the Tang newspaper that Gonggong Lu gave you." ”

Wang Chengen saw it, hugged his doubts tightly, and said with emotion: "It's really a long drought and nectar, what the Ming Dynasty needs now is a strong army, and what the emperor needs is such good news." ”

The farce in the Qianqing Palace lasted all afternoon, first the military department Shangshu left in a gloomy manner, and Jiang Dejing came out in a huff.

"Lord Jiang, what's the situation, has the emperor been angry?" Wang Chengen asked with a smile.

Jiang Dejing waved his hand slightly: "Alas, it's all the incompetence of the subordinates, the incompetence of the subordinates, and they can't share the worries ........ the Son of Heaven." ”

"Don't take it to heart, adults, you're not the first, you'll get used to it in the future." Wang Chengen said.

"You...... You! Jiang Dejing thought that Wang Chengen was comforting himself, but he didn't think that he was mocking, he trembled his fingers a few times, shook his sleeves and left.

Wang Kun asked: "Old man, this Lord Jiang still understands the rules on weekdays." ”

Wang Chengen smiled and said, "He? What's the use of knowing the rules, you can't share the worries of the emperor, add to the emperor's work, provoke our family to tremble in front of the emperor, since he entered the cabinet, our family is a good day, and now he is the first assistant, our family is worried all day long.

In the past, for the sake of the face of the court, I didn't want to see him in general, but now it seems that I don't need to get used to him in the future. ”

"Why?" Wang Kun asked lightly.

Wang Chengen said: "When Lord Shen arrives, it will not be his turn to be the first assistant." ”

"Old man's ancestor, old man's ancestor, the emperor is looking for you." The personal eunuch hurried over and said hurriedly.

Wang Chengen threw away the dust, walked into the Qianqing Palace, and shouted in his mouth: "Emperor, good news, Emperor, great news." ”

"What are you yelling about, you don't serve in front of the palace, where have you gone!"

Wang Chengen hurriedly knelt on the ground and held up the Tang Bao sent by Wang Kun high: "Emperor, the slave maid got Lu Jiude's Tang Bao and went to ask the person who sent the letter, but it took some time. When I came back, I didn't dare to come in when I saw that you and the ministers were talking about important matters. But this is good news, and in the eyes of the emperor, there is no need to worry. ”

Chongzhen opened the Tang Newspaper and looked at it, and was immediately excited, and said: "Lu Jiude, a good minion, did not disappoint me, Wang Daban, the person you picked is excellent, and he is reliable." ”

He then said, "Why didn't you bring in when the two gentlemen were there?" ”

Wang Chengen immediately said: "The slave and maid can't see the emperor angry, if you get this pond report, see that you are angry, you have to report it at the time, so that the emperor can be relieved." Can....... But the slave maid felt that if the cabinet knew about this, it might be a big deal. ”

Chongzhen never doubted Wang Chengen's loyalty, he said: "How can the ministers know that bad things will happen?" ”

Wang Chengen said: "Emperor, take a closer look at this Tang newspaper, Lu Jiude and Shen Youlong are obviously acting without authorization, and they have not received your holy decree, so they let the Guangdong army go north, and also let the feudal soldiers enter. It is not unjust to say that they are overbearing.

But they are all for the court, for the emperor, how can they be guilty? But those cabinet ministers are very pedantic, how can they know this truth......... ”

Speaking of this, Wang Chengen slapped his four mouths fiercely and said: "Slaves and maids deserve to die, slaves and maids deserve to die, as slaves and maids, how can you talk about the ministers, you really deserve to die." ”

"You're right." Chongzhen stretched out his hand and motioned for Wang Chengen to get up, he got the news that the Cantonese army was thousands of miles north, and said, "You go on, keep talking." ”

Wang Chengen continued: "It is also said in this Tang newspaper that although the Cantonese army is elite, its strength is insufficient, and it must join forces with various towns in Liaodong to fight.

This is to give Lord Shen the power to supervise Liaozhen, Liaozhen is now the strongest army in the north, and non-Xinda ministers cannot be entrusted. Is the emperor allowed it? ”

"What can't be allowed, look at that Shen Yulong, in the Liangguang office, first pacified the Yao chaos, and then exterminated the thieves. Now without a penny of silver from the imperial court, he has organized nearly 10,000 elite Cantonese troops to go north, and even let Ryukyu send 5,000 troops to the imperial court with just one piece of paper.

What kind of power is this, what kind of loyalty is this? I only hate myself for not knowing people, I shouldn't have let him go to Liangguang in the first place, I should have stayed in the cabinet. Chongzhen said excitedly.

Wang Chengen said: "Speaking of which, as long as the ministers who are loyal to the court and capable, the emperor is really kind to them. The slave maid knew this, so he didn't dare to take out this report in front of the ministers, just imagine, Lord Shen led the Yue army and the vassal army to arrive in Beijing in a few days, and he could take charge of Liao Town.

With his ability, he exterminated the thief, and the slave didn't dare to talk about it, but he was still very sure of repelling the thief.

Emperor, at that time, the non-cabinet chief assistant will not be able to award Lord Shen's merits. Do you think, can those cabinet ministers, who form parties for personal gain on weekdays and exclude dissidents, support Lord Shen? They will definitely do everything they can to obstruct it in order to preserve their position. ”

Chongzhen nodded slightly: "What I said is that those people who are not successful enough to do things and have more than enough failures will make mistakes sooner or later." It's just that just now I have already issued an order to King Qin to let Shandong, Liaozhen, Miyun and others enter Beijing, and Shen Youlong is not mentioned. ”

Wang Chengen said: "Emperor, you are long live, you are the Son of Heaven, who dares to tell you to finish everything?"

The slave maid felt that it was most appropriate to let Shen Youlong supervise King Qin, so she said that when the thief usurped the emperor, you ordered Shen Youlong to go north. ”

"Is there any criticism from the cabinet? Although the ministers always talk empty and rely on Shen Youlong this time, he came from Guangdong to raise food and salary, and he still needs someone to assist him. Chongzhen asked.

Wang Chengen smiled and said, "So the emperor doesn't have to make his will too clear.

Just said that Shen Youlong should be the governor of the Wang Army, and the rest is needless to say. ”

Chongzhen asked, "What is the truth of this?" ”

Wang Chengen said: "Emperor, it is said in the Tang newspaper that the Guangdong army and the vassal army came from Guangdong and Ryukyu respectively, and they should meet in Huai'an, take a boat on Yuntai Mountain, and go north to join Liaozhen. Let's not talk about it, the cabinet also knows that the Cantonese army and the vassal army are going to Huai'an, and you order Governor Shen Youlong to be the governor of the king, and the cabinet will only think that you let the governor of Shen, the governor of the Guangdong army, the vassal army, and the Huaibei and Shandong departments attack the Central Plains from Huaibei and go all the way north to the king of Qin.

And when Lord Shen came north by sea, at that time, the cabinet had raised the food and salary, and Lord Shen had also arrived, and the cabinet wanted to make trouble, but he couldn't make a name for himself.

Besides, with the emperor here, who would dare to make trouble? ”

The more Chongzhen listened, the more excited he became, and nodded heavily: "That's right, that's it." ”

He returned to the throne and said, "Immediately issue an order, let Governor Shen Youlong be diligent in the king's affairs, and when Shen Youlong arrives, everything will be fine, yes, everything will be fine." ”

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