Chongzhen Sunset Song

?one

"This Lu Xiangsheng led the army to fight, and he really has a way."

In Wenyuan Pavilion, the court lady placed a cup and a half of warm tea on the table, lowered her head, and left softly.Zhang Fengyi, Minister of the Ministry of War, picked up the teacup and raised his head to take a deep sip, pulled his sleeves to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and let out a long breath. "Thank God, I finally recommended the right person this time."

"Thank goodness?" Wen Tiren glanced at the chubby colleague next to him, and sneered, "You can still say thank goodness."

"Oh?" Zhang Fengyi stared at two soybean-sized eyes when he heard the words, "What does Mr. Wen say?"

"Master Zhang has been an official for many years, but he doesn't know the benefits here?" Wen Tiren pretended to be surprised.

Zhang Fengyi frowned, thought for a long time, but still didn't understand.

Wen Tiren sighed, seemed to lament his stupidity, but also seemed to be hesitating, lowered his eyes and stroked his sleeves, and said after a while: "I miss you as my colleague for many years, and we have a deep friendship, so I might as well show it to you." Wen Tiren said Beckoning to Zhang Fengyi, Zhang Fengyi moved his head closer in a daze according to Shoufu's intention, only to hear Wen Tiren suppress his voice and said word by word: "If Lu Xiang doesn't come, Jinlu will drive straight in. When Lu Xiang comes, we will The army won the battle, and the battle situation is so disparate, you, the Minister of the Ministry of War, want to hand over your hand to the virtuous?"

Zhang Fengyi was startled suddenly, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead again.

"Then Lu Xiangsheng is a capable and fierce general. Everyone in the court knows it. If you recommended him, what merit do you have? And whether Lu Xiangsheng wins against the enemy or not is all his, and what has it to do with you?" Wen Tirendun After a pause, he glanced at Zhang Fengyi's expression on the other side, and continued, "Let's not mention the official position for the time being. You have thought about it, Jinlu has been in the country for a long time, and he was recruited to King Qin at this time. Even if he won the battle, before Who should belong to the cities captured by the Jinlu, and who should belong to the money, food, cloth, people and livestock that they took away? It is your duty to dispatch troops to retreat the enemy, but now the battle is in full swing, and His Majesty has no time to take care of it Jin Lu retreats, Your Majesty will think of you, and you will not be cured of your crime of cowardice and dereliction of duty!"

Before Wen Tiren finished speaking, Zhang Fengyi's face was ashen-colored, eyes full of fear.He stood up abruptly, staggered a few steps, stepped in front of Wen Tiren, knelt down, and cried out in a crying voice:

"Master Wen, save me—!"

"Get up, Mr. Zhang, what are you doing?" Wen Tiren hurriedly pulled Zhang Fengyi up, and when he sat down again, he said calmly: "It's not that I don't want to help you, this matter is very important , I am also powerless. The matter has come to this point, the more Lu Xiangsheng has contributed and the more he is appreciated by His Majesty, the more you will have no place to stand, you, go back and think about it."

two

"How's the battle going on with Jinlu recently? Why don't you come to report?"

In the Hall of Martial Ying, Chongzhen stared at Zhang Fengyi's face and frowned slightly.The palace maid slowly shook the fan for Chongzhen, Xi Zhao felt the wind outside the window was very hot, so she closed the carved wooden window lightly.The wooden windows were closed tightly, keeping the heat and cicadas out, and the room immediately became much quieter.

"Uh..." Zhang Fengyi subconsciously looked at the sunset with the window closed, swallowed, and said, "Jinlu... Jinlu has withdrawn from Changping a few days ago, and Governor Lu is chasing him..."

"Okay!" Chongzhen raised his eyebrows and was very happy when he heard the words, "Such good news, why didn't we report it earlier."

"..." Zhang Fengyi originally intended to avoid mentioning the war, but now that he was suddenly asked about it by Chongzhen, he could not help but feel guilty, bowed his head and did not dare to say more.Chongzhen was delighted, he didn't notice Zhang Fengyi's strangeness, he just said to himself: "Lu Xiangsheng really didn't disappoint me, when he comes back from victory, he must be rewarded well."

"Yes..." Zhang Fengyi reluctantly responded. Thinking of the words of the chief assistant the day before, his two small eyes rolled and he opened his mouth again: "However, I heard recently that Governor Lu seems to be very defiant because of his meritorious service to the court. Strategy Tactics, I only discuss with the officials under my account, I never ask the opinions of the imperial court supervisors, and the leadership of the army is not in accordance with the rules, changing from time to time, and going my own way, there are many complaints in the army..."

The chirping of birds in the corridor eased Zhang Fengyi's words slightly, and the room was unnaturally silent.Chongzhen put away his joy, and gradually frowned again, his eyes were filled with bottomless blackness.

"Lu Xiangsheng has no one in his eyes, he insists on going his own way, and doesn't ask the opinion of the supervising army..." Chongzhen narrowed his eyes, and his voice gradually slowed down, but it seemed like a needle in the cotton, which made people shudder. Come to preside over the battle and win every victory, tell me, who should listen to whose opinion?"

Chongzhen spoke in a calm and unhurried manner, but Zhang Fengyi on the other side broke out in a sweat and hurriedly said yes.Chongzhen snorted coldly, and then said: "Besides, I gave him Shangfang's sword, which is to allow him to stick to his own opinion and fight back for me. You said that he didn't follow the rules, but since he participated in the battle, the news of victory was frequent, and the Jinlu also withdrew. Changping..." Chongzhen said, his eyes raised, and his gaze went straight to Zhang Fengyi, "You follow the rules, you are too timid to fight according to the rules! Before I have time to punish your crimes, you come to chew in front of me first The root of your tongue is coming, your life is forfeited!"

A few harsh words frightened Zhang Fengyi as if he was in the wind of March [-]th, his face was as white as paper, his hands and feet trembled, his knees went limp, and he collapsed into a puddle of mud and fell on the ground. The bottom is so-so, so much so that Chongzhen waved him off impatiently, but he never saw it.Seeing that Chongzhen's face was getting more and more irritable, Xizhao took a few steps forward, bent over and stood beside Zhang Fengyi, and said, "Master Zhang, please go back." Trembling, he left the Hall of Martial Arts.

three

In a blink of an eye, it's halfway through July.It is hot summer in the capital city, and the sky is clear for many days without rain or cloud, which makes people feel hot and unbearable.After lunch, Chongzhen approved the memorial for a while. He felt steamy, so he closed the notebook, thought for a while, got up, took Xizhao and a few entourages, and went to Taiye Pond in Xiyuan to enjoy the cool air.

After leaving Xihua Gate, not far away is Taiye Pond.It is closer to the Hall of Martial Arts than the Royal Garden.In midsummer, the vegetation is lush and the greenery is in full bloom. Chongzhen and the sunset walk slowly among the stone paths, and the shadows of the trees fall on the shoulders, and most of the heat is gone immediately.Passing through the gravel path, facing a large pool of sparkling lake water, the slight breeze carries the water vapor on the lake surface, brushing past the soft willow silk by the lake, it is really indescribably cool and comfortable.

"When I was King Xin in the past, I used to visit Xiyuan from time to time, but I haven't been here much during the years I have been emperor." Chongzhen looked at the familiar scenery of Taiye Pool and said with emotion, "Come again now, It just feels like a lifetime away..."

"Although the government affairs in the court are busy, the emperor should take good care of the dragon's body. Come out from time to time to relax and refresh your mind. Wouldn't it be better to deal with political affairs with a clearer mind?" Xi Zhao followed behind Chongzhen, He smiled and said, "What's more, this Xiyuan was originally built for the emperor. If the emperor doesn't come, the flowers, plants, trees, pavilions and pavilions will be lonely."

Chongzhen tilted his head and smiled at Xizhao, his eyes were as bright as black agate.

After walking for a while, Chongzhen looked ahead and pointed out: "Can you see the Hexagonal Pavilion over there?"

"But the one in the shade in front?" Xi Zhao looked forward and said.

"That's right." Chongzhen put his hands behind his back, his eyes gradually filled with nostalgia, "The name of the pavilion is Qiuyue Pavilion. I still remember that in the past, when the emperor was still alive, every Mid-Autumn Festival, I would drink wine with me at this Qiuyue Pavilion to enjoy the moon. From the pavilion Looking towards the center of the lake, the moonlight is like silver, and the autumn water is like a mirror, which is really a rare and beautiful scene.”

"The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, the emperor might as well come here to enjoy the beautiful scenery." Xi Zhao suggested with a smile on her lips.

"Hey, things are different and people are different. This Qiuyue Pavilion is still not dilapidated, but the old man is no longer there." As he spoke, Chongzhen walked slowly towards Qiuyue Pavilion. "It looks very cool there, let's go and sit."

A group of people had just stepped into Qiuyue Pavilion when they suddenly heard someone calling the emperor.Looking back and forth at sunset, I saw a person running towards the pavilion from a distance, waving his arms in the air, his posture was very clumsy.When the man ran close, he looked up again in the sunset. This big-eyed, flat-faced, slightly fat man was none other than Wang Cheng'en, Bingbi Supervisor.

"The emperor, the emperor... I found you...!" After finally running to the Qiuyue Pavilion, Wang Chengen was out of breath, holding a book in one hand, and unable to straighten up with the other hand.

"Why is it so urgent?" Seeing Wang Chengen's state, Chongzhen's brows tightened, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Wang Chengen panted for a long while, and then he calmed down his breath, and suddenly smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I am overjoyed!"

"Oh?" Chongzhen's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "But Lu Xiangsheng came back victorious?"

"It's not Mr. Lu, it's Shaanxi. On the other side of Shaanxi, Sun Chuanting and Mr. Sun have captured Gao Yingxiang, the leader of the rebels, and are escorting him to the capital!" Wang Chengen bowed and presented the documents in his hand respectfully. To Chongzhen.

Chongzhen was overjoyed at the moment, took the document immediately, and read it carefully up and down as if he had found a treasure. His face was flushed, and he kept saying: "Good! Very good!" After reading it several times, he turned to Wang Chengen and said: " Gao Yingxiang has been dealing with the court for so many years and has always been cunning, how did Sun Chuanting capture him?"

"Return to the emperor," Wang Chengen replied respectfully, wiping the sweat dripping from his temples, "According to the report's account, Mr. Sun planned Gao Yingxiang's actions and set up an ambush at Heishuiyu, the only way he must pass. When Gao Yingxiang's troops passed by, they surrounded the bandits and fought fiercely for four full days, but the bandits were exhausted and someone turned against them, so Gao Yingxiang was captured alive."

"Okay! Sun Chuanting has made such a great contribution, I will definitely reward you with great rewards!" Chongzhen couldn't help nodding, clasping the document with both hands, and said, "When are they expected to arrive in Beijing?"

"I left Shaanxi a few days ago, and I will arrive in Beijing in about seven days..."

Before Wang Chengen finished speaking, he saw another person trotting towards Qiuyue Pavilion in the distance.The figure of the person who came was somewhat familiar, Xizhao took a closer look, who is this person Zhou Xi?

"Kowtow to the emperor." After all, Zhou Xi was young, and when he ran to Qiuyue Pavilion, his breath was only slightly heavy, and he was far less embarrassed than Wang Chengen.He saluted Chongzhen, bowed to Wang Chengen, and took out a document from his pocket.

"Your Majesty, I just received the battle report. The Qing army had withdrawn from Datong the day before yesterday. Governor Lu is leading his army back and will arrive in the capital in a few days."

"Really?!" Chongzhen was overjoyed again, took the battle report from Zhou Xi, unfolded it hastily, and read it.

"When did we get this battle report? Why doesn't our family know?" Wang Chengen asked Zhou Xi while Chongzhen was reading the battle report.

"My father-in-law had just left, and the battle report was delivered." Zhou Xi said with a humble face, "At that time, everyone in the supervisor was busy, so I thought it would be better to send it by myself, so as to save my father-in-law a trip."

"En." Wang Chengen nodded with a twitch of his mouth, didn't say much, just glanced at Xizhao quickly, and looked away before anyone noticed.

"What day is it today, so many happy events come one after another." Chongzhen was very happy after reading the battle report, and his thin face was full of unstoppable smiles.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, more joy than joy!" Seeing that the Emperor was happy, Wang Chengen hurriedly bowed down to congratulate him. Zhou Xi followed Wang Chengen obediently and bowed down to the ground, lowering his head.

"Excuse me." After the two of them got up, Chongzhen sized up Zhou Xi, "What's your name? You seem a bit unfamiliar."

"The villain's name is Zhou Xi, and he works in the Rites Supervisor on weekdays." Zhou Xi's eyes flashed, and he quickly replied respectfully.

"Zhou Xi, good." Chongzhen was in a good mood, and said to the two of them, "It's so hard for you two to come all the way to report the news in such a hot day. Go to the treasury to get 50 taels of silver each to cool off."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wang Chengen and Zhou Xi thanked each other, then they took a few steps back and left Qiuyue Pavilion together.

"Your Majesty has a double happiness coming to the door today. It's really gratifying!" Seeing that the two of them had left, Xi Zhao walked around to Chongzhen and bowed in a respectful manner.

"Hey, no courtesy, no courtesy." Chongzhen grabbed Xizhao's arm, trying to pull Xizhao up, "They'll just let it go, what are you doing with such nonsense."

Hearing this, Xizhao's heart moved, she stood up following the strength in Chongzhen's hand, and secretly glanced at the emperor, but saw that Chongzhen didn't seem to care much about what she said, just immersed in this sudden and grand joy middle. "However, today's event needs to be celebrated. Pass on my will and teach the imperial dining room to prepare more dishes and good wine tonight. Such a happy event, I should share it with the princes and concubines."

"Yes."

Since returning from Fengyang, the emperor has sometimes been depressed, sometimes irritable, and has never been as energetic as he is at this moment.Xizhao looked at Chongzhen's face full of spring breeze, and couldn't help but feel extremely happy, as if today was the day for her bridal chamber, or the day of being named on the gold list.And when Xizhao and Chongzhen were talking and laughing, they didn't realize that Zhou Xi, who hadn't gone far, turned his head and looked at this side silently. Unclear, unidentifiable, it only makes people feel extremely cold. ?