Episode 23 Xiang’s choice vs Qiu’s choice

Zhu Yourong walked gently, looking very happy, because finally someone supported her to stick to Nanjing. And this person was also the head of the Ming Dynasty's officials. She stopped, looked at everyone with a smile, and said:

"My dear friends, do you know why I don't leave?"

Everyone was cursing in their hearts, thinking that it was not the evil wind blown by Shen Rongxuan. But what Shen Rongxuan was planning was unknown. He is the chief minister, and if His Majesty does not leave, he will be the first to leave. Could it be that he Are you sure you can keep Nanjing's defense line intact?

Zhu Yourong glanced at Shen Rongxuan and said with satisfaction:

"It's very simple. The Yangtze River Defense Line is an iron chain, and Nanjing is the most critical and strongest link on it. It cannot and should not be disconnected from here. In other words, Nanjing is the keystone of the entire defense line, the keystone."

Everyone looked at each other.

Xiang Xiaoqiang secretly cursed: It's not "The Da Vinci Code", how come the keystone is even out!

He does know what a keystone is. In the Middle Ages, when there was no reinforced concrete, the stone arches of cathedrals were built by using stones to form an arc, and a special-shaped stone was stuck at the top, which was the keystone. The keystone is the keystone, which bears all the lateral pressure of the entire stone arch. Once this stone is removed, the entire stone arch will collapse.

Zhu Yourong continued:

"Even if I want to withdraw from Nanjing, it cannot be now. If I withdraw now, it will be natural in the eyes of my dear friends, and probably nothing will be said to the soldiers guarding the defense line. But now the whole situation People on all lines of defense are in a state of flux. As long as I leave Nanjing, it will immediately be interpreted by the soldiers as a signal that they are ready to abandon Nanjing. How can we expect all the soldiers to use their lives? Can any of you guarantee to me that Nanjing can hold on for three days after I leave? "

Everyone was speechless. No one could guarantee it. Needless to say three days, it was hard to tell in one day. The panic atmosphere on the defense line at that time can be imagined now.

"Nanjing is the strongest place on the Yangtze River defense line, and defense sections that are weaker than here are all staring here. To them, Nanjing is a sign that the entire defense line is unconquerable. In their view, even if they are breached, Nanjing will Nor should it be breached. If Nanjing is breached and falls because of my departure, what impact will that have on the confidence of the entire defense line?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at Zhu Yourong's cheerful and determined expression, and then looked at Shen Rongxuan who was sitting with his eyes closed and concentrating, and knew that it was useless to say anything else. He was going to live and die with Nanjing.

However, Qiu Qiu was still packing her things at her father-in-law's place, waiting for him to join her, and then the whole family would retreat south together. Now he would be separated from her... probably forever.

If the inexperienced version of myself in the previous life would have asked now: Lord Shen, you are afraid that His Majesty is gone and it will have a big impact on the morale of the defense line. Are you not afraid that if Nanjing suddenly falls, His Majesty will fall into the hands of the Manchus, which will have a huge impact on the morale of the whole country? Is it bigger?

Emperor Guangwu of the Qing Dynasty said that he would spend New Year's Eve in the Nanjing Palace! Everyone knows that this is definitely not a joke! It is the 20th now, and the 23rd is the New Year's Eve. In other words, the Qing emperor is confident Capture Nanjing in three days!

But when Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at Shen Rongxuan sitting in the shadows, these words rushed to his chest several times and he finally swallowed them.

Zhu Yourong smiled and said:

"But you all cherish me and are worried about my safety. I also know that, and I understand your thoughts. Therefore, I plan to work with the Ming government to move into the Purple Mountain Fortress from now on. The Purple Mountain Fortress is impregnable and difficult to conquer, and It is the hub of the eastern section of the Yangtze River Defense Line. The passage under the mountain connects the entire eastern defense line. From there, you can reach Anqing, Tongling, Ma'anshan, Zhenjiang, Jiangyin, and Shanghai. Supply transportation is not a problem at all. Even the Purple Mountain Fortress is really there. When we can no longer hold on, I promise you that I will withdraw from the underground passage.

"In addition, there is a huge fort on the commanding heights of the mountain, which can overlook Nanjing City and the surrounding area for dozens of miles. Therefore, as long as the Purple Mountain Fortress is not lost, even if the Qing rebels attack the city, they will be unable to move forward and will be driven down the river by our army. Everyone. Dear Sir, as long as I am still in Nanjing, my army will definitely drive the Qing prisoners down the river!"

Everyone looked at each other and couldn't say anything. All the reasons they could give were refuted.

Several people looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang. Xiang Xiaoqiang was more trusted than Shen Rongxuan. Everyone expected this young man to come forward and expose Shen Rongxuan. Maybe there was hope for His Majesty to change his mind.

But Xiang Xiaoqiang just lowered his head, listened to his ears and nose, and his nose to his heart, as if he was trying to understand His Majesty's words.

...Sigh, this young man is young, but not stupid. Several old men thought this in their hearts, their eyes met each other, and they all said they had no idea.

…

"My lords, you can leave now."

Zhu Yourong said with satisfaction.

Shen Rongxuan, who had been silent until now, said:

"My lord, you can keep it for a while."

Zhu Yourong differed slightly and said with a smile:

"Since Shen Ge always has something to say, let Xiang Qing stay for now."

Several ministers looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Shen Rongxuan in surprise. They couldn't figure out what they were doing, so they all left.

Xiang Xiaoqiang himself was very surprised. He was in a state of confusion and uneasiness. He didn't know why the chief minister had left him behind.

I always thought that I was the commander of the People's Guard, and now that I was teaching His Majesty, I could rely on His Majesty's trust as a backing to challenge Shen Rongxuan. But now it seems that Shen Rongxuan's influence on the Queen is much greater than mine. Go up. He waved his sleeves gently, and he flew to the side like a feather.

…

Xiang Xiaoqiang followed Shen Rongxuan out of the Qianqing Palace and came to the stone railing in front of the palace. Surrounding the palace were several centuries-old trees, each of which was surrounded by iron chains and marked with the name of the tree on a small bronze plate. Era.

Shen Rongxuan put his hands on the white marble railing and looked down at these ancient trees. The fog was heavy, and the stone railing was very wet and cool, but he didn't seem to notice, holding on to it with both arms indifferently.

There was the rumble of artillery in the distance. Xiang Xiaoqiang was wrapped in a military coat, his head shrunk, and he stood behind him, anxiously waiting for him to speak.

"Xiao Xiang."

When Xiang Xiaoqiang heard that Shen Rongxuan had resumed calling him "Xiao Xiang", he felt relaxed for some reason. Now that there were only two of them, Shen Rongxuan would still call him "Master Xiang" with a smile. It's an ominous sign.

Shen Rongxuan asked:

"Do you still remember what you said when you first met me?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang was startled, recalling the time when he first came to Ming Dynasty, when he went to Dongchang to attend a meeting, and took the opportunity to pour tea before the meeting to express his loyalty to Shen Rongxuan.

Shen Rongxuan continued:

"I still remember every word of what you said at that time. When you recited the poem "Yangtze River" by Wen Tianxiang to me, to be honest, I was moved...I originally thought that among these people today, , If there is anyone who supports Your Majesty to stay in Nanjing, it should be you."

Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly blushed, a strong sense of shame surged up in his heart, and he lowered his head, not knowing how to respond.

"Xiao Xiang, since you came to our Ming Dynasty, your performance has been very good. I always tell myself that I didn't see the wrong person at the beginning. Although we don't know where he comes from, we can't listen to what he says when looking at a person. Let’s see what he actually does. Your actual performance has won our trust and the trust of His Majesty. It’s a good thing for young people to be ambitious. It doesn’t even matter if they want to step on their seniors and climb up. Young people, I was like that when I was young. .......But now that the Ming Dynasty is in trouble, we can't think too much about our career and future, the gains and losses of honor and disgrace, and even our wealth and life...Since you like Wen Tianxiang's poems, you should know that he is the most famous poet. The famous poem is not "Yangtze River", but another one."

What he said made Xiang Xiaoqiang sweat profusely, and he was filled with shame, nervousness and even fear. There seemed to be something in Shen Rongxuan's words that made him feel like a thorn in his back. He always felt that something was wrong. But where it was, he couldn't think of it for a moment.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's mind went blank and he subconsciously said:

"What Mr. Shen said was "Crossing the Lingding Ocean"."

Shen Rongxuan turned around and smiled:

"Would you like to recite it to me and listen to it?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang took a deep breath and muttered:

"Once hard times have passed,

There are only a few stars scattered all around.

The mountains and rivers are broken and the wind flutters,

Life experience is full of ups and downs.

Afraid of the beach, said panic,

Ling Ding sighs in the ocean.

Since ancient times, no one has died.

Keep your loyalty and remember it for history."

…

Shen Rongxuan smiled and said:

"It's a good memorization. So, when this kind of enemy comes from the north, we can't just know 'will not rest until we point the direction', but also know 'no one has ever died in life since ancient times, and his loyalty will be remembered in history'."

Xiang Xiaoqiang's face turned red again, he lowered his head and said ashamedly:

"Mr. Shen is right, students will remember it."

Shen Rongxuan nodded, took out his pocket watch and looked at it:

"It's good to have this... It's getting late, I have to go to the headquarters. You should hurry up, you have a lot to do."

Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly realized that the person in front of him was the Prime Minister of a country, the kind of person who has many things to do and a full schedule. After the "New Year's Coup", this was the first time he had said so many words to himself.

Before leaving, Shen Rongxuan patted his back and said with a smile:

"Xiao Xiang, I heard that you are very good at military affairs. We are all civil servants, so we are not as good as you in this regard. If the Qing rebels come over, it will be up to you to defend Nanjing. You must make good use of it."

Xiang Xiaoqiang felt hot in his heart, looked into Shen Rongxuan's eyes, and said quite solemnly:

"Students must live up to Duke Shen's trust."

…

Xiang Xiaoqiang watched as Shen Rongxuan's back disappeared into the white mist, and then he leaned weakly on the white marble railing. He found that his back was covered in cold sweat and his face was as hot as fire.

Shen Rongxuan's calculations to save his life never escaped Shen Rongxuan's eyes. After some persuasion, he was actually made to feel like a primary school student. Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly felt unconvinced in his heart.

Why are you pretending to be the boss? It’s amazing. If I hadn’t staged the coup, how could you be the chief assistant?

Alas, but...

"This guy is indeed a hawk!"

Xiang Xiaoqiang said in his heart. Although he cherished his life a little, he considered himself a hawk. He hoped not to be looked down upon by Shen Yingying.

Suddenly, Shen Rongxuan's words echoed in his ears:

"Xiao Xiang, since you came to our Ming Dynasty, your performance has been very good. I always tell myself that I didn't see the wrong person at the beginning. Although we don't know where he comes from, we can't listen to what he says when looking at a person. See what he actually does."

..."Although we don't know where he came from"...

Xiang Xiaoqiang pondered these words, with cold sweat on his forehead.

Didn't Dongchang identify himself as a British intelligence officer at the beginning? Why did he say "I don't know where he came from"?

Maybe he deceived Jiang Meilu at that time, but never deceived Shen Rongxuan. Or maybe he deceived him at the time, but after investigation later, he found that there was no such person as him at all in the British Military Intelligence Agency.

I originally thought that the files of the British Military Intelligence Agency could not be checked by the Ming Dynasty Dongchang. But if I think about it carefully, are there no Dongchang spies in the British Military Intelligence Agency?

Shen Rongxuan might have been distracted by what he said just now, or more likely, he meant to give himself a nod.

He said, "You can't judge a person by what he says, but by what he actually does." He probably meant that it doesn't matter if you lied to us in the first place. As long as you perform well in the future, we won't care.

Xiang Xiaoqiang felt his heart beating very hard. He had greatly underestimated Shen Rongxuan.

…
To be continued...