Chapter 851: The good news is here, but unfortunately it is not what I want

(0851)

Without the help of the palace maid, Concubine Tian stepped on the horse machine, and lightly rode her horse on her body, and galloped towards Xihuamen. While running, she whipped Taiping Shield's butt, causing Taiping Shield to fly into the air and ran. The wind whipped in her ears, and she secretly complained to her father in her heart, "Oh! You only know that you are a royal relative and do whatever you want in the capital. How do you know that I am living under the tip of a knife in the palace!"

After passing Xihuamen, the horse's hooves gradually slowed down. She gently pulled the yellow silk rein on the left, raised the tip of the whip in her right hand, and immediately turned back and ran steadily. Back at the bottom of Tuancheng, she helped the palace maid dismount, climbed onto Tuancheng, bowed to Chongzhen and Empress Zhou and said, "I have not come to Xiyuan for two years to ride a horse, and I am begging the emperor and Your Majesty to forgive me for your crime."

Chongzhen said in admiration: "You are learning to ride a horse in the back of the palace. You are so skillful, even though you are not as good as a veteran! You should give me a reward!"

Queen Zhou continued: "Today, the emperor is riding Kirarahashi. It is rare that you choose Taiping to lose. It is very auspicious. It seems that you will really get a good news. Emperor, right?"

Chongzhen nodded, as if something was being teased in his heart, and said with hope: "Maybe there will be a Shaanxi Jie Zuo to Beijing today."

Because he had some good omens in front of him, he just wanted to see the good news as soon as possible. You Xing suddenly became very strong. Before Tian Fei sat down to rest, he said to the eunuchs on both sides: "Go to Yingtai!"

Four dragon and phoenix chariots and large groups of eunuchs, the palace maids passed Xihua Gate, then turned west, walking two or three hundred steps, crossed a red railing bridge, walked not far and crossed another bridge, and then climbed to Yingtai. Here are three lakes, and there are some Liaozhu Lu Ports. The lotus leaves have begun to wither and fight in the west wind, and the sycamore trees on the island also inevitably have dried leaves falling to the ground and the water.

This kind of desolate autumn feeling is hard to see in the distance. Chongzhen and his concubines went to Hanyuan Hall to have tea and rest, and then ordered the palace maids to place the chessboard on the Chengyuan Pavilion in front of the Showa Hall to play chess with Concubine Tian.

Although Empress Zhou didn't like him to be too fond of Concubine Tian, ​​it was rare to see him come out to play and relax, for fear that he would be depressed and unable to take care of the country that caught fire. Today, she hoped that he would have fun with Concubine Tian alone. She told Chongzhen that she was going to Dagaoxuan Palace to surrender, so she pulled Concubine Yuan and left.

Empress Zhou and Concubine Yuan took a few personal palace maids and small promises, and walked in front of the phoenix-headed phoenix-tailed boat with yellow satin tents, while the rest of the palace maids and eunuchs sat on the two boats behind. Four little eunuchs on the boat were rowing on both sides of the bow of the boat, and one older one was at the helm behind the boat. They were all well-trained and specialized in serving the pleasure of the Taiye Pond in Xiyuan.

For more than two years, Chongzhen had never come because of the failure of state affairs, so the queen and several concubines naturally did not come. The little eunuch who was driving the boat had nothing to do every day and found other eunuchs to gamble together; the eunuch at the helm had a "vegetarian" in a palace in Xiyuan, and he ate and played with his "vegetarian" except gambling every day.

They were very idle on weekdays. Now, seeing the emperor and the queen bring Tian, ​​the two Empress Yuan came to Xiyuan, it seemed that they had encountered a huge happy event. They served with their hearts and rowed the imperial boat quickly and steadily. A maid from Kunning Palace was depressed when she saw Empress Zhou, and knelt on the bow of the boat and said, "It is rare that His Majesty and Empress Yuan traveled to the lake on the boat. It was bright and clear, and the osmanthus was fragrant. There were many colorful instruments on the back boat. Do you want to kill them to play music to cheer up?"

Empress Zhou was thinking about the poems signed, so she had no time to listen to the palace maids playing music? But for the sake of auspiciousness, she nodded gently. The female official immediately walked to the stern of the boat and looked at a boat behind her and loudly passed the order. After the female official Si Le knelt down to receive the order, she immediately ordered the female official to play music.

The female official with a musical gaze turned to the palace maids, picked up the drumsticks on the drum stand, tapped them three times, and immediately played a series of music. Empress Zhou smiled at Concubine Yuan and said meaningfully: "Isn't this 'I saw the singing and singing again painting the boat'?"

Concubine Yuan smiled and said, "I am thinking too, and I really agreed to the sign."

Queen Zhou sighed and said tactfully: "I hope Concubine Tian can guess it well, and the national fortune will turn around from now on, just like spring is back to the earth."

Concubine Yuan smiled and said, "In my opinion, Empress Tian's guess is not wrong. Please relax your mind and don't worry about state affairs."

Queen Zhou said helplessly: "Oh, I don't know what the riots are like outside over the years. I saw that the emperor was always anxious and restless, and my heart couldn't stretch for a day!"

The imperial boat docked near the Jinao Archway. The eunuchs placed two phoenix chariots of different sizes carried by an empty boat on the bow of the queen's imperial boat, and carried the queen and Concubine Yuan to the Dagaoxuan Hall. This temple was also a place where Emperor Jiajing often came to practice, and the building was also very magnificent.

Because it is between Meishan and Tuancheng, not far from Xuanwu Gate, Chongzhen often brought the queen and his concubines to pray. Last year, Empress Zhou issued a special decree, ordering the palace maids who were studying rituals in the Taoist scripture factory to hold rituals here to deal with disasters.

These dozens of palace maids wore crane cloaks and chanted Taoist scriptures with female Taoists for a long time. On the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, if the weather is smooth, the sky will be bright and the gap will not stop. The inside is quiet, and the sound of bells and burning cymbals will fly over the Forbidden City, and will be vaguely passed on to Kunning Palace.

In order to show her devotion, Empress Zhou ordered the phoenix chariot to stop outside the gate of the Dagaoxuan Palace. Here, facing the moat, there was a archway, and there was one in the east. She looked up and looked at the "Kong Suihuangzuo" written on the archway in the east and the "Hongxin Tianmin" written on the archway in the west. During the Jiajing period, the eight big words written by the treacherous minister Yan Song were painted and completely renovated. In the past, the Zhou emperor later gave incense, and only looked at these eight words in a general way, not paying much attention, but today she gave her some special feeling, as if this was really a good prophecy for the national destiny.

The female Taoist priests and palace maids wearing cranes knelt outside the gate to pick them up, shouting long live the mountain. Queen Zhou and Concubine Yuan walked slowly into the mountain gate, stood in the temple for a while, admiring the tall pine and cypress and two very exquisite glass pavilions, commonly known as the nine beams and eighteen pillars in the palace, and looked at the left and right bells and drum towers and the east and west side halls. After a long time in the Kunning Palace Gate, she felt fresh when she came to this temple courtyard.

After the female Taoist priests who were receiving the horse and the palace maids who studied Taoism returned to the main hall, she continued walking with Concubine Yuan, stepped on the white jade steps, entered the main hall, burned incense in front of the Sanqing statue in turn, praying for peace and prosperity in the country and the emperor's life for thousands of years. Behind the main hall is another courtyard, and in the middle are five Thunder Altar Halls, each with a side hall.

Further down there is another courtyard. The temple is two-story building, rounded above and below, symbolizing the "round and round sky" imagined by the ancients. A plaque is hung on the upper floor of the round hall with the inscription "Qianyuan Pavilion"; a plaque is hung on the lower floor of the square hall with the inscription "Kun Zhenyu". There is a round high platform in the round hall with the vermilion shrine on it, and a statue of the Jade Emperor is sitting in the middle, with long beards hanging down on its chest, solemn and solemn. This is where the emperor and the queen pray for rain.

Empress Zhou often heard that Henan, Shaanxi, Shandong and Jifu had severe droughts for years, but the disaster was so serious that she didn't know what was going on. She only knew that this was terrible. In ancient times, many dynasties had natural disasters and man-made disasters, and finally collapsed and was out of control. Now she came to this last courtyard with Concubine Yuan, and went to the courtyard with Concubine Yuan to worship the god of Houtu in the square hall and wanted to climb to the round hall.

Although the eunuchs and palace maids thought that the stairs were narrow and high, they advised her not to go up, but with sincerity to pray for the country, the queen must go up to worship the Jade Emperor. She climbed the round hall from behind the square hall, without a window, and the stairs were very dark.

The palace maids were playing the lanterns of the sheep horns, and Empress Zhou and Concubine Yuan supported the red painted handrails that had been wiped clean in advance. The palace maids helped them back and forth. After a while, they turned around and walked up to Qianyuan Pavilion with a slight panting. They burned their watches in the sound of the clock, knelt down and kowtowed to the King, praying for the rain. After the ceremony, they walked out of the round hall, stood silently on the railing for a moment, not knowing whether their sincerity could move God.

When they returned to Yingtai on the imperial boat again, Chongzhen and Concubine Tian had just finished a game of chess. When the Queen Zhou saw that he looked happy, she asked in a low voice: "Did the emperor win?" Chongzhen smiled and said: "I am in charge of state affairs and have become unfamiliar with chess skills. I have finally won the chess of Concubine Tian."

Concubine Tian quickly said modestly and complimentedly: "The emperor is rich in strategy, has far-reaching plans, and has a method every step, so I can't see you."

Queen Zhou smiled knowingly at Concubine Tian and said gently: "Although your chess skills are outstanding among the palace servants, how can you be as good as the emperor?"

Because of his emperor status, Chongzhen never had the ability to play chess with the masters in the city of ***. Even if there were a few ministers who could play chess, because the boundaries between the monarch and the ministers were very strict, he could not summon anyone to the palace to play chess. In this case, he never had a thought. Occasionally, the only ones who were called to play chess with him were the queen, the concubines, and one or two eunuchs like Wang Chengen.

When the eunuch played chess with him, he could only kneel down. From the queen to the eunuch, everyone wanted to make him happy. Who dared to make him lose? Chongzhen was a very subjective and confident person. He never thought that others lost chess in front of him on purpose. Instead, he thought that he was born smart and although he didn't play chess often, his chess skills were extraordinary.

He often compared chess to military use, thinking that he had strategies, so he was invincible in chess skills. Sometimes he also sighed in his heart: If the generals were as obedient as chess pieces and "suppressing the thieves" according to his strategy, Zhang Xianzhong, Li Zicheng and others should have swept them all long ago.

At this time, his chess was not over, so he ordered Concubine Yuan to play chess with him. The palace maids immediately removed the Go board and replaced it with a gold-lined agarwood chessboard and a pair of ivory pieces. He didn't forget the military against Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng when playing chess with Concubine Tian. Now he asked the eunuch to light a piece of incense and said that he would defeat Concubine Yuan before the chess. Before raising the chess piece, he secretly wished the gods: If he could win Concubine Yuan's chess before the chess is over, good news would come to Shaanxi and Huguang.

Concubine Yuan knelt down and thanked her, and then asked Chongzhen to take the first step first. Whether in Go or chess, she was far inferior to Concubine Tian, ​​but she was still a little smarter than Chongzhen who didn't often have time to play chess. At first, she deliberately asked Chongzhen to eat a cannon, and then played chess seriously, without giving in. In a short while, Chongzhen forced him to change from offensive to defensive and gradually could not support him.

Queen Zhou was a little anxious and blamed Concubine Yuan for being too honest. She frequently gave Concubine Yuan a wink, but Concubine Yuan ignored it. The palace maids on both sides were also worried, fearing that the emperor's loss would affect today's happy game.

If the queen played chess with Concubine Yuan, when Concubine Tian saw that the queen could not resist, she would often make a few tricks on behalf of the queen, turning danger into safety and defeat into victory. But Chongzhen was just like he handled military and national affairs, he was arbitrary and stubborn, and was most afraid of others giving clever opinions different from him. Therefore, Concubine Tian stood aside and was anxious and did not dare to make a sound. They didn't know that Chongzhen's silent words were in his heart before he started playing chess. If they knew, they would be frightened.

Short incense was only two fingers left. Chongzhen's chess style still did not improve. He himself was very anxious, frowned, and looked ugly. Not only could he not allow others to win his chess, but he was also afraid that he would not get any good news from Huguang and Shaanxi once he lost. Empress Zhou was angry with Concubine Yuan and was afraid that she would cause a big disaster, but she could not think of a way to make Concubine Yuan smart.

A kitten happened to come, and she quickly winked at Concubine Tian. Concubine Tian understood and quickly carried the kitten to her knees, preparing to release the kitten when the emperor was about to lose and kick the chessboard. But she and Empress Zhou were worried that doing so might make the emperor even more angry.

They were having no choice but to imagine that Concubine Yuan was negligent and gave the emperor the most effective rib cart. The whole game of chess suddenly changed drastically, which was very unfavorable to Concubine Yuan. After a while, Concubine Yuan neglected and threw away a sinking cannon. Then, a crossing river was also eaten. Concubine Yuan barely supported her for a while and finally lost to Chongzhen.

Queen Zhou's heart suddenly briskly and secretly shouted, "Concubine Yuan is smart enough!" She wiped away the sweat beads that were anxious from the tip of her nose and exchanged a smile with Concubine Tian. Concubine Tian let go of the kitten on her knee, and the kitten jumped to the ground and ran away gently.

After a hard battle, the turn of defeat into victory made Chongzhen very happy, not to mention that he would soon receive the war's success! This double happiness made Chongzhen, who was often depressed, suddenly burst into laughter. Looking at Empress Zhou and Tian, ​​Yuan Erfei said: "Concubine Yuan's chess skills have improved greatly, but it is not possible under my hands!"

Concubine Tian smiled and said, "Your Majesty is the saint of Zhongxing. She is rare and born with heroic spirit. It is not difficult to restore the national fortune. Besides, this chess and tricks are so worth mentioning!"

Chongzhen was even happier and ordered the meal to be delivered immediately. The eunuchs of Shangshenjian had already prepared the banquet. With a call, the eunuchs and palace maids were placed on Chengyuan Pavilion. The natural scenery here was artificially designed: there were bamboo fences, thatched cottages, and several paddy fields nearby; orange crocks stood on the shore of the lake and fish nets were hung. It happened that a pair of mandarin ducks were lying beside the water, and a white crane stood quietly with one leg in the shallow water, motionless.

Since Chongzhen was born to the present, he has only been to the Changping Imperial Mausoleum in the distance, and has never seen the scenery of the southern countryside. The empress and his concubines have never left the Forbidden City since entering the palace. They all felt very fresh and interesting. In order not to disturb the water birds and not to disturb the tranquility of the "pastoral", he did not play music as usual before meals.

After lunch, after a while, Chongzhen took his concubines away from Jinhai and took a chariot to Yuxi Palace to watch operas. His favorite performance was to watch Jin Opera. Each of these operas was short, with about a hundred plays, and they were both elegant and vulgar. The elegant ones came from the courtyard and did not talk about them. The vulgar dramas were based on urban life, playing the role of scammers to cheat, ridicule the clumsy women, demented husbands, or playing cunning businessmen, rude thugs, folk lawsuits and bribers, and various jugglings. Compared with the elegant and vulgar, there are more vulgar dramas and are more interesting.

There are three original intentions for playing this kind of vulgar play: the first is to let the emperor and the princes learn some folk customs and so-called "folk sufferings" after watching the play, the second is to bring satirical advice to entertainment, and the third is to make the emperor and concubines smile happily. Because of these three purposes, the eunuchs of the Bell and Drum Office and the artists of the Jiaofang sometimes compile some themes or themes related to reality into short dramas.

On this day, the artists performed two more elegant school books, and then performed "Double Scam", which made Chongzhen and Empress Zhou smile continuously. Then they performed a new small drama, which was to fabricate the great victory of the Huguang official army out of thin air, captured Zhang Xianzhong, and eliminated all the peasant army. The drama was arranged overnight, hoping to win Chongzhen's happiness. Chongzhen was indeed very happy after watching it and immediately ordered a reward of ten taels of silver. Although one emperor said that such rewards were too few, all the artists still knelt down and kowtowed to thank him, and shouted long live together.

Coincidences often occur in the world, and inevitable events are manifested in accidental forms. Half a year ago, when Chongzhen brought the queen, Hotan and Concubine Yuan were surrendering in the Nangong, Zhang Xianzhong's Gucheng Uprising and Li Zicheng's re-treatment into the palace.

Today, when he had just won the game of chess with Yuan Fei in Xiyuan, more than a dozen urgent military information was reported to the duty room set up by Sili Supervisor in the Yangxin Hall. What shocked Wang Cheng'en and Wang Cheng'en and several eunuchs on duty were the most shocked by Xiong Wencan and the governor of Yunyang. The official army suffered a defeat in Luohou Mountain west of Fang County, with 10,000 or 20,000 people killed or 20,000 soldiers, and many military supplies were abandoned. Luo Dai, a famous general of the Henan Army, was captured, and Zuo Liangyu retreated in a hurry. Another important military information was that Zheng Chongjian and Ding Qirui reported the failure to attack Shangluo Mountain.

However, because the official army did not lose generals in Shangluo Mountain, Li Zicheng's rebel army was unable to break through for the time being, so the actual situation of defeat was greatly concealed. Other military information reports were about Ge Liyan. The activities of King Zuo Jin and Lao Huihui in western Anhui, eastern Hubei and southern Henan, as well as the "terrifying bandits rise" in eastern Henan, northern Anhui and Huguang, and attacked cities and villages everywhere.

Wang Chengen did not dare to go to Xiyuan to report immediately. Until he found out that the emperor and his concubines had finished lunch, he only brought Xiong Wencan's urgent comments to Yuxi Palace, and ordered Wang Chengen to place the rest of the emergency memorials and the pond newspapers on the imperial case of the Qianqing Palace.

Chongzhen was happy. When he turned around, he saw Wang Chengen standing behind his back with an uneasy expression. He immediately subconsciously felt that it was not a good thing. He couldn't help but be surprised. He hurriedly calmed down and asked slowly: "What urgent military information is there?"

Wang Chengen walked to him, bowed his body, and presented Zufeng's hands. Chongzhen looked at it slightly, his face turned pale and he stood up and walked in. Queen Zhou was shocked and hurriedly left the seat with Concubine Tian and Concubine Yuan and followed in. Of course they felt that something bad was coming. But what terrible news made Chongzhen so angry?

The play stopped. Everyone looked at each other. Yuzhao's palace became silent like death. After a while, Chongzhen's decree came from the inner hall of Yuxi Palace: Get up and return to the palace immediately. Later, news came out that the good news was indeed coming, but it was not from the front line of the Central Plains, but from Liaodong. The Hu Ben Army recovered the Yizhou Guard, and Zhang Zhun sent a good news to Chongzhen.

In fact, Zhang Zhun was purely kind-hearted and felt that such a good news should make Chongzhen happy. However, it was this good news that destroyed all Chongzhen's mood. Yes, his prayers did play a role, and the good news was indeed here. However, this good news was definitely not what Chongzhen wanted.

The Ming army spent more than ten years and spent a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources, but could not recover the Yizhou Guard. Now, the Hu Ben Army arrived in Liaodong, and in less than three months, it sent a good news to recover the Yizhou Guard. How could this be called Chongzhen's feelings? The hundreds of thousands of troops in Liaodong were all wastes? Millions of money and grain were eaten by pigs every year?

"Zhang Zhun!"

"Why don't you die?"

Chongzhen screamed viciously in his heart.

"Bang!"

"Crazy!"

Chongzhen stretched out his hand and swept all the pen, ink, paper and inkstone on the table to the ground.

The eunuchs and palace maids around were silent and knelt on the ground. No one dared to move, and even dared to make a fortune. At this time, anyone who made a little noise would probably die. But at this moment, someone suddenly farted with a slap.

If it is normal, this fart is indeed not very loud, and most people will not notice it. However, at this time, it is indeed too quiet, so quiet that the sound of the heart beating can be heard, let alone a fart.

Chongzhen's expression suddenly changed. He was angry, and someone farted in front of the emperor, so disrespectful. Just as he was about to find who was farting, he scolded him fiercely, suddenly, another puff sound came from the crowd, followed by a foul smell.

The eunuchs and palace maids around him were finished. Obviously, it was the eunuch or palace maid who farted, who might have been too nervous, but he accidentally farted and became even more afraid and nervous. As a result, he was big ******* and everything came out.

"well!"

"you……"

Chongzhen's anger suddenly disappeared.

"The Emperor..."

Wang Chengen hurried in.

"I scared them, let them all go down!"

"Don't make things difficult for those who are scared."

Chongzhen said slowly.

"Sister obeys the order."

Wang Chengen's heart was already in his throat, waiting for Chongzhen to deal with the unlucky eunuch or palace maid. Unexpectedly, Chongzhen actually let these people go in anger. The eunuch or palace maid who caused trouble was so lucky.

In fact, after all, Chongzhen was indeed not bad to the eunuchs and palace maids around him. He was very mean to those ministers... To be serious, there were actually not many ministers who were good birds. Wang Chengen knew all the things they had memorized, so he was naturally qualified to despise them.

"Let's go!"

Wang Chengen waved to the eunuchs and palace maids.

The eunuchs and palace maids hurriedly rolled and crawled away.

"Great companion, send an order!"

Chongzhen said angrily.

"I'm here!"

Wang Chengen said hurriedly.

"After Gao Qiqian, Wu Aheng is arrested and imprisoned! A bunch of waste!"

Chongzhen shouted coldly with a blue face.
Chapter completed!