Signed to Zhu Cihong, Prince of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 32 Chapter 32, the roar outside the palace city shook the sky, Zhu Cihong captured the hearts of the people
Fengtian Temple.

Chongzhen looked at the many impassioned ministers in front of him, and said in his heart that he would not waver, it was definitely a lie.

The saying "One's country is easy to change, but one's nature is hard to change" is not said casually. Although Chongzhen did have great trust in Zhu Cixiang in the past two days, when the officials gathered together to launch a counterattack against Zhu Cixiang, Chongzhen's inner nature broke out again and he was shaken again. up.

An eunuch stood in a corner of the palace, watching all this with cold eyes. He was Cao Huachun's ally Wang Huamin in the palace.

Wang Huamin looked at it for a while, then quietly walked out of the hall, and came to a secluded place in the palace not far away.

Here, Cao Huachun has been waiting for a long time.

"How's it going, Eunuch Wang?" Cao Huachun asked impatiently.

Wang Huamin smiled slightly and said to Cao Huachun: "It went very smoothly. Now there is a trend of condemnation of the prince in the palace, and your majesty is obviously shaken. After a while, your majesty should issue an order to interrogate the prince!" "

When Cao Huachun heard the words, he also showed a smug smile: "It is true. I knew that our majesty is soft-hearted, and he will believe what others say. He has experienced so many things, but he has not learned a lesson! "

Wang Huamin also smiled and said: "Eunuch Cao is not right. This person can be taught. If there is really a wise and powerful Majesty, life will really be easier for you and me? It's just an ear. A soft majesty is better, what do you think?"

The two smiled at each other.

Cao Huachun said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty is easy to control, but the crown prince...must be eliminated!"

Wang Huamin nodded vigorously and was about to say something when he suddenly heard a movement and turned his head suddenly.

A sharp voice suddenly sounded from the palace wall not far away. As an eunuch who had lived in the palace for many years, Wang Huamin, although he rarely heard this voice, knew that it was actually——

alarm.

Enemy alert?

This alarm also spread into Fengtian Temple.

When they first heard it, the Ming Dynasty monarchs and ministers present had not yet reacted. After all, this alarm had not sounded many times in so many years.

But soon someone came back to his senses and exclaimed: "Who raised the alarm? Did the enemy soldiers attack in?"

After saying these words, the hall was instantly quiet for a few seconds.

Then, coax a bit, a complete mess.

Some people wanted to leave the palace, some wanted to protect Chongzhen, and more people looked dazed but extremely anxious, worried about their lives and didn't know what to do.

Chongzhen is also pale, don't look at the majesty of his majesty the emperor, but at this time, Chongzhen is completely confused.

At this moment, a pro-army general rushed in and said with a pale face: "Your Majesty, the crown prince has led thousands of soldiers from the Beijing camp to the gate of the imperial city!"

When the news came out, Chongzhen was immediately dumbfounded: "Huh?"

The other ministers of the Ming Dynasty were also dumbfounded for a moment, thinking they were enemies, why is it Zhu Cihong?

and many more.

A censor suddenly jumped up and shouted: "What is His Highness the Crown Prince trying to do? Does he want to rebel?"

Another minister who also impeached Zhu Cihuang loudly just now came back to his senses and said, "Your Majesty, I have long said that the crown prince cannot be trusted. Look at the current situation, is it as I said?"

Chongzhen was so upset, his face was cloudy and uncertain, and he was completely speechless.

More ministers came to their senses and spoke one after another.

"Your Majesty, the prince's chaos has been exposed and must be calmed down!"

"Your Majesty, the prince is now a scourge to our Ming Dynasty. It seems it is time to get rid of this scourge!"

At this moment, a male duck's voice suddenly sounded.

"Who said His Highness the Crown Prince is a scourge? You people who only bark and bark in front of His Majesty are the real scourge of Daming!"

Everyone was stunned by these words, and when they looked around, they found that it was Zhu Cihong's confidant, the new Dongchang Admiral and Eunuch Fang Gongqian.

Fang Gongqian saluted Chongzhen respectfully, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness ordered Fang Gonggan to come here, and I would like to ask His Majesty to go to the palace wall and listen to the aspirations of the soldiers in the Beijing camp!"

After Fang Gongqian finished speaking, the other ministers immediately objected: "Your Majesty, you can't go!" "Your Majesty, this must be the prince's conspiracy!" "Your Majesty, if you go, you will be fooled!"

Chongzhen looked at Fang Gonggan, speechless for a long time.

Suddenly, another voice sounded: "Your Majesty, please go ahead, I am willing to vouch for the prince!"

Chongzhen looked up and found that it was the British Duke Zhang Shize.

Prince Ying and Fang Gongqian arrived, perhaps because he was in such a hurry, his face was still flushed, he watched Chongzhen and said earnestly: "Think about what the prince has done these two days, Your Majesty, if the prince If he could betray Da Ming, then Da Ming would have died a long time ago!"

This sentence made Chongzhen's body visibly shake.

After a few seconds, Chongzhen stood up.

"My dear friends, follow me to the palace wall!"

……

Outside the palace wall, Zhu Cixiang squinted his eyes and stared at the closed palace door in front of him.

Fang Gongqian can enter, the British public can enter, and of course Zhu Cihong can enter, but if he wants to enter, he can only enter alone.

Zhu Cihong didn't want to go in alone.

These civil servants of the Ming Dynasty can't do anything, and they are the No. 1 mouthpiece.

If it was in normal times, Zhu Cihong would not mind arguing with these civil servants, and educated them with a pistol.

But when is it now?
The Ming Dynasty was at stake, Li Zicheng's army was approaching the city, and the hearts of the people in the city were floating. It can be said that it was in danger.

Under such circumstances, these courtiers of the Ming Dynasty actually wanted to make irresponsible remarks to Zhu Cihong, dragging Zhu Cihong back?
Zhu Cixiang was not their father, so how could he pamper them?

Suddenly, a dense crowd appeared on the palace wall.

The distance between the two sides was not far, only tens of meters, and Zhu Cihong could even clearly see Chongzhen's face.

Without any words, Zhu Cixiang raised his hand.

Afterwards, beside Zhu Cihong, countless soldiers of the Beijing camp shouted in unison.

"Long live the Ming Dynasty, long live the prince!"

"Your Majesty is wise and punishes traitors!"

Faced with the shouts of thousands of soldiers from the Beijing camp, the expressions of Chongzhen and many officials of the Ming Dynasty behind him changed drastically.

One of the censors couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, this is a military remonstrance! The prince wants to rebel!"

The British Duke couldn't bear it anymore, rushed forward, and knocked the censor over with one punch.

"Idiot, if the crown prince really wants to remonstrate, you are already dead!"

Facing the words of the Duke of England, the ministers of the Ming Dynasty present had nothing to say.

As long as the eyes are not blind, it can be seen that the thousands of soldiers of the Beijing camp in Zhu Cihong's hands are the most powerful military force in Beijing today.

If you really want to rebel, judging by the skills Zhu Cihong has shown in the past two days, it will not be too simple.

Zhu Cixiang raised his hand again, and the numerous soldiers of the Ming Dynasty's capital camp behind him suddenly fell silent.

This kind of quietness, on the contrary, caused even greater psychological pressure on the emperor and ministers of the Ming Dynasty above the city wall.

Zhu Cihong rode a horse, slowly came under the palace wall, and then spoke.

"Father, these people behind my son and minister are the main force of Daming's Beijing camp, and they are also the only force in Daming that can resist Li Zicheng.

Today, I went to Beijing Camp and saw that many people here are living in extreme hardship because they have been in arrears with their military pay for too long. Not only do they not have enough food and clothing, but some people even have to sell their wives and daughters to brothels!
The ministers didn't do anything else, just paid them the military salary they deserved, and they vowed to fight to the death for Daming! "

Speaking of this, Zhu Cihong suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the officials of the Ming Dynasty behind Chongzhen: "But what did these ministers do? They frantically searched for the people's fat and anointment, leaving the bottom officials and the soldiers of the Beijing camp without any source of income. Let the people of Ming Dynasty become extremely poor.

Now, the son-in-law just wanted them to pay some money to guard Daming, so that Daming could survive, but they actually attacked the son-in-law, wanting to impeach the son-in-law, and to drive a wedge between the son-in-law and the father!
Today, this matter must be understood.Otherwise, how could these Ming soldiers in the Beijing camp believe in the government's promise, and how could they fight bloody battles for Daming to the end? "

After listening to Zhu Cixiang's words, countless soldiers from the Beijing camp began to clamor loudly again.

"The prince is wise, Your Majesty is wise!"

"Punish corrupt officials, the Qing emperor's side!"

"Kill these dog officials, we support His Majesty and the Crown Prince!"

Amidst the tsunami-like roar, many ministers behind Chongzhen began to turn pale, and even backed away quietly.

These people, without exception, were the loudest people who had just impeached Zhu Cixiang.

Chongzhen's face changed obviously, he looked at Zhu Cihong, and didn't speak for a long time.

The shouts of the Beijing camp continued, and the atmosphere became more and more tense.

Suddenly, another team appeared outside the palace walls.

This is a team of thousands of people. They don't look like much, but their clothes are quite eye-catching.

Why do you say that?Because it can be seen from the clothes alone that this is a team composed of officials.

bottom officials.

At the forefront of these officials are three important ministers of the Ming Dynasty, Fan Jingwen, Shangshu of the Household Department, Li Banghua, the censor of Zuodu, and Shi Bangyao, the deputy censor of Zuodu.

The low-level officials quickly came behind Zhu Cihong, and Fan Jingwen, the Minister of the Household Department, stood beside Zhu Cihong with two censors, and spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty, the old minister has obeyed His Majesty's order to pay these officials in the capital the salaries that are in arrears."

Hearing this, Chongzhen's cheeks visibly twitched.

Daming owed money, and it was true that it owed money everywhere, especially the money owed to his ministers was the most serious.

Fan Jingwen continued to speak: "Now, these officials are very grateful to His Majesty, but they also have something to say to the Crown Prince."

After Fan Jingwen finished speaking, many low-level officials saluted Zhu Cihong.

"Thank you, Prince, for raising your salary and giving me a way out!"

The words of these low-level officials also came from the heart.

Chongzhen's salary arrears directly owed the salaries of all officials in Beijing.

But the problem is, among the powerful ministers standing behind Chongzhen, which family does not have a large amount of profitable properties, and who takes this salary seriously?

What is really miserable are these low-level officials who have no power and power and can only rely on these salaries for a living.

In order to earn some money to eat, some of these low-level officials wrote couplets during their off-duty hours, some went to teach, and some went to work as accountants... all kinds of things that would be impossible in peaceful times. , has been happening in Beijing in the past few months.

What can be done?In order to survive, I can only throw my dignity under my feet.

Now, Daming has finally sent the money.

Everyone knows that the prince Zhu Cihong managed to get the money. Without the prince, everyone would still be poor.

Therefore, when Fan Jingwen and others who were responsible for distributing salaries heard the news and wanted to return to the palace to intercede with the prince, these lowest-level officials immediately followed.

They came here not for the emperor, not for Daming, but for someone who gave them hope.

Thousands of low-level officials knelt down to Emperor Chongzhen on the palace wall and played loudly.

"The prince is dedicated to the country, and I ask your Majesty to punish the treacherous ministers!"

Thousands of people, the number is not many, but everyone is a cry from the heart.

Chongzhen was finally moved.

He looked at the excited soldiers in the capital camp, and at the lower-level officials of the Ming Dynasty who shouted loudly, and his heart was filled with shock.

Chongzhen was not a fool, he knew very well, if it wasn't for Zhu Cihong, these people would really kneel in front of him, would they continue to have hope in Daming?
What is the aspiration of the people?
This is what people want!

Chongzhen took a deep breath and turned around slowly.

"Open the palace gate immediately, gentlemen, and go out of the palace with me to meet the crown prince, and have a good talk with my people!"

Seeing the palace door in front of them being opened, seeing Emperor Chongzhen slowly walking out accompanied by the British Duke, Fang Gongqian and others, and holding Zhu Cixiang's hand cordially, countless cheers suddenly broke out inside and outside the palace walls.

"Long live your majesty, long live the prince!"

……

Seeing this scene, many ministers of the Ming Dynasty who impeached Zhu Cihong trembled, almost unable to walk!

In a corner not far away, Cao Huachun and Wang Huamin were also dumbfounded.

After a long time, Wang Huamin couldn't help but shouted: "The prince is obviously forcing the palace, can't His Majesty see it?"

Cao Huachun was silent for a moment and slowly shook his head.

"It's not that your majesty can't see it, and the prince is not on a whim. It's just that this capital... From now on, it's hard to say whether it will be your majesty's capital or the prince's capital!"

When Cao Huachun spoke, his heart was full of frustration.

This is really... a scholar meets a soldier!
　This chapter is almost [-] words. I originally wanted to split it into two chapters, but it felt too incoherent, so I just posted it together.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)