Chapter 600 Chongzhen’s Ambition

After Mo Yu came back to the people from the Ministry of Rites, he came back to sleep with his head covering and ignored everything. With the support of Hu Ben Army and Zhang Zhun, Mo Yu really did not take the garbage from the court seriously. When the Hu Ben Army entered the capital in the future, all these officials of all sizes had to be sorted out again. There were too many officials who were indifferent.

On the other side, Liu Huade was also depressed and did not want to get angry, so he had to go back to the Ministry of Rites and report to the Minister of Rites Han Rizhan. At that time, the capital was already in chaos, and the Minister of Rites had no soldiers or power, so he stood aside completely, and in the end there was no following.

As a result, Mo Yu slept until the evening. After he woke up, he felt quite bored, so he simply walked to the alley and listened quietly to the movements around Beijing. The Tartars came again, and I wonder how the people in the capital lived?

The city was very quiet, and there was a lantern not far away. Legend has it that the Tartars had conquered Miyun and Huairou and were coming down from the north, so the direction of Deshengmen, Andingmen and Ditan was particularly tight, and the lanterns on the city were also relatively dense. In a vague way, you could also see many soldiers patrolling back and forth. There were also many torches gathering behind the city wall.

In a trance, you can find that there are many fires outside the city, and the sky is reflected in purple. From the far north, rumbling cannons are heard from time to time, rolling in the sky like the muffled thunder in summer. Mo Yu inferred that it was probably the Ming army who was setting off firecrackers by themselves. The vanguards of the Tartars were all cavalry, and there should be no cannons. However, the ordinary residents in the city could not get the real situation of the war, and they didn't know whether this was the officers and soldiers or the cannons fired by the Tartars, so they seemed particularly nervous.

Of course, this is just about ordinary residents, not including powerful families. Since Chongzhen ascended the top of the world, the Tartars have been blocked twice in the eight years, and have been directly under the city of Beijing twice. Each time it seems very dangerous, but in the end it is lucky to pass. The third time should be no exception. So despite the rumbling cannons outside the north city, the fire is soaring into the sky, and there are soldiers and horses patrolling in the city, and nightmares are prohibited, the deep mansion still lives a life of devotion and devotion.

In those palaces close to the imperial city, in order to avoid being heard in the palace, they do not use gongs and drums or even silk and bamboo when singing and dancing. They only let the singing girls lightly light their eyes with red sandalwood or ivory clapping boards and sing softly. Sometimes the singing sounds as thin as a trace of hair, as if there were, and constantly lingering, hovering on the exquisitely painted roof beams, and then flew towards the mysterious space.

The host and the guests stopped the cup in their hands, lit their toes on the ground, listening attentively, and almost stopped breathing. As soon as the singing stopped, they nodded frequently and praised the wine and gave them food, and happily urged them to make a fist. Few people paid attention to the sound of cannons and fire outside the city, and no one thought about what strategy they should offer to the court and quickly defeat the Tartars. It seemed that all this had nothing to do with them.

However, the cranes that lived on the ancient cypress trees and on the pine trees in the backyard of Taimiao were frightened by the sound of cannons. They flew up from time to time, hovering over the Forbidden City and the East City, making desolate screams. The cranes were originally very peaceful, but now they sounded like night owls.

There were already many victims and beggars in Beijing. In the past two days, there were more than 100,000 people fled from Tongzhou and the eastern suburbs, and there was no place to shelter them. Many people slept under the eaves on both sides of the street, squeezing into a pile of them for fear of freezing to death. They were trembling in the biting cold wind, moaning, complaining, and sighing. The women whispered to the old man and wept. The children shrank in their mother's arms, crying and shouting coldly and hungry, tearing the hearts of the adults apart. But when the patrol soldiers sent by the Five City Military and Maps approached, they temporarily endured and dared not say anything.

Compared with the cold streets outside, the Xihun Pavilion in the Forbidden City is very warm. I feel that this winter may be particularly cold. Wang Chengen added charcoal fire to it early in the morning to lay out the Xihun Pavilion warmly. Well, because the charcoal is very strong, it smells a bit hot. Everyone in the Xihun Pavilion had a red face, as if they were drunk. Among them, Chongzhen, who was in the middle of the charcoal basin, had the most rosy face.

In front of Chongzhen, there were the chief assistant Wen Tiren, the Minister of War Zhang Fengyi, the Minister of War Liang Tingdong, the Minister of War Hou Xun, the Minister of Revenue Qiao Yunsheng, the Minister of Works Fu Zonglong, the Minister of Works Liu Zongzhou, the Minister of Works Cao Huachun, the governor of the Jingying, the governor of Fengyang and the governor of the grain transportation of the Ministry of Revenue Yang Yipeng and others. Wang Chengen seemed to be a shadow, standing behind Chongzhen. Except for Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangsheng, the core figures of the Ming Dynasty were basically here.

Chongzhen shouted impatiently: "Gao Qiqian! Where did Gao Qiqian die?"

Zhang Fengyi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down, Eunuch Gao will arrive soon."

Chongzhen was obviously angry, "Where is Yang Sichang and Wang Kun? Are you here?"

Liang Tingdong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, they should arrive soon..."

While speaking, Gao Qiqian's sharp voice came from outside: "I Gao Qiqian's visit to the emperor!"

Chongzhen raised his eyebrows and shouted loudly: "Get in!"

Gao Qiqian, sweating profusely, hurried in. He didn't care about looking at the others, so he knelt down heavily and bowed three times. If he was a general chief, he would not need such etiquette at the emperor's side all day long. But now he is not the eunuch who serves the emperor in the palace, but the Liaodong military commander appointed by the emperor, so he naturally has to be thoughtful.

It was very cold outside, and there was snow from time to time. When the body was rising, it was covered with sweat. The temperature inside the Xihun Pavilion was high, and his face was steamed like a cooked crab. It was indeed a little too warm inside the Xihun Pavilion. The air conditioning on his body turned into hot air, and the hot air turned into water, flowing down the spine, which was very uncomfortable. But no matter how uncomfortable it was, he had to hold it back.

Because Chongzhen's decree was very urgent, Gao Qiqian started from Jinzhou and rushed to the capital day and night. He was also an eunuch, unable to ride a horse, so he could only sit in a sedan chair. No matter how fast the sedan chair owner was, he was not as fast as the two legs. Moreover, even if he was sitting in a sedan chair, he was quite tired after such a long journey. This could be clearly seen from his face.

However, after Gao Qiqian arrived in the capital, he did not dare to make any pauses, so he hurried into the Forbidden City. Gao Qiqian knew very well that Chongzhen was a very impatient master. If he delayed a little, Chongzhen might have to use his head to perform surgery. Therefore, in front of Chongzhen, Gao Qiqian did not dare to show any uncomfortable behavior.

What's even more terrible is that Gao Qiqian once said that the Tartars would not make any major moves in the short term. As a result, the Tartars launched the third invasion. It can be imagined what kind of anger Chongzhen would have. The previous two invasions had already made Chongzhen lose his face. Now, the third slap is coming again, it would be strange if he can bear it...

"Look! Look!" Sure enough, Chongzhen didn't ask Gao Qi to sneak up, and waved his hand and threw the battle reports on his face. The battle reports were all paper, so of course they were not far away. As a result, they were all scattered in front of the Dragon Case.

As soon as Wang Chengen of Chongzhen yelled, Wang Chengen walked over, picked up the battle report on the ground, folded it carefully, then walked to Gao Qiqian, and threw it on his face. Gao Qiqian had a sad face, and did not dare to move, allowing the battle report to scatter around him.

Everyone around them was secretly heartbroken, Gao Qiqian was in trouble. The anger that Chongzhen had just accumulated was about to vent on Gao Qiqian. The sudden invasion of the Tartars did make Chongzhen very angry. The extermination of the Shaanxi chaos army had just improved a little, and the Tartars came to join in the fun again. It was like two people making fun of Chongzhen, and it would be strange if Chongzhen was not angry.

"The Tartars have arrived at the Great Wall, and you still say that the Tartars will not move, they will not move! Now, what do you want to say?" Chongzhen said coldly before he could wait for Gao Qiqian to read the battle report. His tone was not high, but every word was heartbroken. As long as Gao Qiqian was slightly unsatisfied, the situation would immediately fall into the ground.

"Your Majesty, I am wrong, I am wrong. It's not that I am incompetent, but that the Tartars are too cunning! I have been with the emperor before, and all I have learned is the emperor's kind heart and forgiveness. I never thought that the Tartars were so cunning and so sinister! Your Majesty, I am embarrassing you, kill me. I made a big mistake and didn't want to live anymore."

Gao Qiqian was snot and tears, lying on the ground, choking and saying. If it were outsiders, they would definitely think that he was really repenting. But everyone around them knew that Gao Qiqian was playing a trick of crying, making a fuss and hanging. Chongzhen couldn't hold on for a while and was about to become soft. What you mean in Gao Qiqian's words was mysterious.

Zhang Fengyi next to him is the Prince Taibao, the Minister of War, the Governor of Baoding, Jizhen, and Liaodong Military Affairs. If Gao Qiqian is caught, he will not be able to escape. He and Gao Qiqian are originally in the same territory, so of course they cannot let Gao Qiqian be caught. Seeing that Gao Qiqian is very good at acting, Zhang Fengyi immediately continued tactfully: "Emperor Gao has been by the emperor for a long time and has indeed neglected the cunning of the Tartars. My ministers and others believe that if you want to blame, you can only blame the Tartars for being vulgar and ruthless."

This is a disguised flattery for Chongzhen. Emperor, you are an honest man, kind-hearted, innocent, and the slave chiefs of the Tartars are all cunning. It’s not that we are too incompetent, but that we are not bad enough and not cruel enough. Your Majesty, you are surrounded by all directions and loving the world, and you are much more powerful than the slave chiefs of the ruthlessness.

Sure enough, after listening to Zhang Fengyi's explanation, Chongzhen's face improved a little. He is a man who loves face and likes good reputation. He likes others to praise him for his loyalty, kindness, and friendship. This characteristic was understood by his ministers in the morning. Zhang Fengyi praised him for his kindness and kindness, which was indeed very useful. Huang Taiji was just a villain. He had to be so smart that he could not learn Huang Taiji.

Since he is kind-hearted, he should let Gao Qiqian go. If he kills Gao Qiqian, it is equivalent to saying that he will become as cruel as Huang Taiji. However, Gao Qiqian is different from other officials. He is just his own slave and a eunuch. Chongzhen used to hate eunuchs the most, but later he slowly changed. Chongzhen wanted to show his majesty, so he said coldly: "You kneel down and don't get up! Is military affairs a joke?"

Gao Qiqian suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had barely passed the test. It seemed that Chongzhen's personality had not changed much, and the previous style was quite useful. Of course, his cooperation with Zhang Fengyi was also good. The two sang and flattered Chongzhen hard, and Chongzhen was relieved immediately.

Chongzhen turned his eyes to Zhang Fengyi and said slowly: "You are my army. The Tartars have arrived in Changping. Changping is the mausoleum of our ancestors. You must be careful. If the Tartars destroy the mausoleum of our ancestors, we will die without a place to bury us."

Zhang Fengyi immediately said: "Emperor, I have arranged enough troops to guard Changping, so there will be no danger."

Chongzhen said slowly: "Who did you arrange to guard Changping?"

Zhang Fengyi said confidently: "Wang Pu, the General of Datong."

Chongzhen had never heard of Wang Pu's name and had no impression of him, so he reminded him: "Be careful."

Zhang Fengyi naturally agreed.

Chongzhen pondered for a moment, and suddenly said, "Why are Yang Sichang and Wang Kun not there yet?"

Liang Tingdong hurriedly said, "Master, they should arrive soon."

The official positions of the Ming Dynasty could overlap. In the same position, there were often several people, even the six ministers. For example, there were several ministers of the Ministry of War. Zhang Fengyi was the minister of the Ministry of War, Liang Tingdong was also the minister of the Ministry of War, and Hong Chengchou also had the title of Minister of War. In fact, the biggest function of these titles was to get an extra salary, and there was no big change in substantive power. Everything depends on the actual position in the future.

Zhang Fengyi's substantive position is military affairs of the governor Baoding, Jizhen, and Liaodong, and its main responsibility is the Liaodong direction. Liang Tingdong, the governor Shanxi, Datong, and Xuanfu, its main responsibility is the northwest direction. Zhang Fengyi wants to help Gao Qiqian speak, and Liang Tingdong of course wants to help Wang Kun and Yang Sichang speak.

"My minister Yang Sichang asked for a meeting."

"I asked for a visit to Wang Kun."

While speaking, a sound came from outside.

Chongzhen raised his eyebrows and shouted in a deep voice: "Come in!"

Wang Kun and Yang Sichang hurried in. They also had sweat beads on their foreheads. They rushed to the capital, and then arrived at the Xihun Pavilion without stopping to wait for the instructions. There were also snowflakes on Yang Sichang's shoulders, which were melting quickly. Wang Kun was a eunuch, and he could sit in a sedan chair while on the road. Yang Sichang was riding a horse. However, his riding skills were not good and his speed was not fast, so he happened to be with Wang Kun. After being fumed by the heat in the Xihun Pavilion, the two felt very uncomfortable and had difficulty breathing. But they could never show it in front of the emperor.

Wang Kun hadn't seen Chongzhen for more than a year. After coming in, he couldn't help but look at Chongzhen quietly. Chongzhen's current appearance was obviously a little angry, and his face was a little rosy. This made Wang Kun very alert, thinking that he had to respond carefully. Yang Sichang, who had come to the West Warehouse for the first time, obviously noticed this. He also reminded himself that he would agree and be satisfied with Chongzhen.

Yang Sichang is in his forties and is in his prime. He is of medium shape, his temples and beard are still black, and his eyes are bright, giving people the impression that he is smart and powerful. Yang Sichang's old man is the former governor of the Three-sided Governor Yang He. Yang He was sentenced to death, but Yang Sichang made his debut. Now Yang Sichang is the right assistant minister of the Ministry of War and the right assistant censor of the Censor of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi Military Affairs. Wang Kun is the military supervisor, he is the governor, and cooperation is pretty good.

Chongzhen waved his hand, letting the two of them not have to salute, and then said, "You are coming from the west, what's the latest news? Are there any new actions for the Tartars?"

Wang Kun is the military supervisor of Shanxi of Xuanda. It is logical that he should have answered, but Wang Kun didn't know what he was thinking, maybe he was speaking to avoid wrong answers. There was a Gao Qiqian kneeling on the ground, so he had to be careful. As a result, Yang Sichang took the lead. Yang Sichang bowed properly and said, "Your Majesty, I will be fine when I come to the west."

Chongzhen said in disbelief: "Is there nothing wrong with it?"

Yang Sichang said affirmatively: "Prince, please rest assured. Although the Tartars are approaching Changping, the Yanqing Guard is still in our hands."

Chongzhen then breathed a sigh of relief.

Yanqing Guard is Juyongguan. Near it is the Badaling Great Wall. The Ming army stationed heavily here to maintain the flank security of the capital. If the Tatars simply went south from Miyun and Huairou, the Yanqing Guard would seriously threaten the flank security of the Tatars. If the Tatars try to come in from the Xuanfu direction, this is the last line of defense. At the same time, the Ming army of Yanqing Guard can also echo the Ming army stationed in Changping to ensure the safety of the imperial tomb.

Liang Tingdong, the Minister of War, looked at Yang Sichang with some doubts, but was quietly shrilled by Yang Sichang. Liang Tingdong understood it and stopped talking. Obviously, Yang Sichang did not understand the situation of Yanqingwei, and his words were purely to comfort Chongzhen. What Chongzhen needs most now is good news. What they provide to Chongzhen is good news, even good news that is made out of nothing.

Sure enough, Chongzhen's expression was much more relaxed. The thing he was most worried about was that Changping's ancestral tomb was destroyed. If that was true, he would go to the Taimiao to accuse him again. This was a very sad and embarrassing thing. Fortunately, Changping was safe and sound. He smiled rare and said slowly: "Everyone is here, see if there are any good suggestions. The Tartars came twice, but we were not caught. This time, we have to catch them hard."
Chapter completed!