Once again, the bells on the city walls of the Meridian Gate echoed.

In the past, civil and military officials would rush to the palace one after another when they heard the bell. But today, Chongzhen was disappointed. Among the panicked ministers, not many people paid attention to the bell, and even a few ministers such as Li Banghua chose to

Martyred for his country.

Chongzhen didn't know all this. He had already made a decision. He was going to announce an imperial edict to the ministers. After leaving the Fengxian Palace, Chongzhen sat in front of the imperial cabinet and drafted the edict amidst the sound of the bells. On his side

While drafting the imperial edict, I sobbed and cried, tearing it up, tearing it up, and repeating this process over and over again.

Although he has written countless edicts in the past seventeen years, the wording of today's edict is very difficult.

Throughout the ages, has any emperor ever issued such an imperial edict?

Apart from him, Zhu Youjian, there is no one else.

The country is subjugated!

Our ancestors’ empire can no longer be preserved!

what to do?

Escape in a hurry, life or death is uncertain.

Apart from this, are there any other options?

Yes, we must protect our ancestors' empire and their ancestral temples.

As my ancestor said in his dream, his empire was not left to him alone.

In addition to him as the emperor, the Ming Dynasty also had so many clansmen. Among those clansmen there were people who could turn the tide.

That's why he wrote this edict, but he had to write it in a high-sounding way so as not to damage his status as emperor. After all, this edict was passed down to later generations, so it couldn't become a fault for his reputation.

He did not let future generations see how powerful he was as an emperor.

Yes, it is an imperial edict that must be passed down! Well, people all over the world will watch it from generation to generation! So he revised the draft several times, but he always felt unsatisfied. Every word was carefully considered. At the end of the day,

The sound stopped for a long time before Chongzhen finished drafting the imperial edict. Finally, he read it several times before nodding with satisfaction.

Chongzhen had just put down his ink brush, and Wang Chengen came in. He was now the only confidant around the emperor. Now he heard the curtain move and saw him coming in, Chongzhen immediately asked:

"Wang Chengen, the bandits have entered the outer city, did you know?"

Wang Chengen hurriedly replied:

"Your Majesty, I heard that the bandits had entered the outer city, so I quickly left Qihua Gate, first to Zhengyang Gate, then to Xuanwu Gate..."

Surprisingly, Chongzhen just responded lightly and then said to Wang Chengen.

"Wang Chengen, look at the edict I just drafted!"

Taking the imperial edict from the emperor, Wang Chengen saw the emperor writing with a red pen:

"With my humble bow, I inherit the legacy of my ancestors. There are hundreds of millions of signs in all directions, and seven out of ten years are here. If the government is not improved, disasters will come. How can I suppress the sage in the lower position? As for the anger of the sky and the resentment of the people?

A child turns into a thief? The fertile fields turn into wild grass; the tombs are shocked, and the princes are slaughtered. What harm to the country? There is no greater disaster than this. Now besiege the capital? Break into the outer city..."

When Wang Chengen read the edict, at first he thought it was an edict to sin against himself, but he soon discovered that he was wrong. Then he was stunned by the contents of the edict. At this time, Chongzhen

The man suddenly stood up and walked around the Nuan Pavilion. After a while, he asked Wang Chengen:

"Have you finished reading? Is this edict feasible?"

Facing His Majesty's inquiry, Wang Chengen said in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty is the eternal lord? This edict is a plan for the great Ming Dynasty!"

This sentence comes from his heart, even in his opinion? If His Majesty had been as generous as he is now, Ming Dynasty would not have fallen to this stage. Even the emperor himself would not have been like this.

It's too late to say anything now. That's all it can do. I hope it's not too late.

After hearing what he said, Chongzhen nodded and then said.

"I have sent someone to invite Uncle Pingliao to celebrate his birthday. I originally heard that he has hundreds of servants, and that he is the father-in-law of General Pinglu..."

After a pause, Chongzhen said.

"So I want to give him a huge contribution, but he must do something!"

Chongzhen, who had already decided to die for his country, looked at life and death. He looked outside again and said.

"Let's go, come with me to see Zu Dashou!"

At this time, Chongzhen was only followed by Wang Chengen, and a eunuch led the horse. In the seventeen years of his emperor's career, he had never walked through the night like this. Thinking that he had worked hard to run the world for seventeen years, worked hard day and night, and never neglected political affairs. Jingran has reached today's end: the ancestral temple cannot be saved, and the country has been lost!

Although he had taken a dim view of life and death, tears still rolled out of Chongzhen's eyes again, and he cried out sadly in his heart:

"Oh my God! My God!"

Full of sadness, Chongzhen came to the steps in front of the palace, looked around, and couldn't help but shed tears again.

The country of our ancestors...

The unworthy descendants must keep this country!

After waiting for a while, an internal minister came in personally to report: Xinlehou Liu Wenbing and Prince Consort Gong Yongtuan had entered the palace by imperial edict and were waiting to be summoned.

Hearing this, Chongzhen said softly;

"Let them come in!"

At this moment when the disaster of national subjugation was approaching, Chongzhen originally hoped that after the bells on the Meridian Gate rang, the civil and military ministers and unions who lived nearby would come to the palace quickly, but he did not expect that not even one person came. He usually hated "the ministers who harmed the country" in his heart, but now he saw that he had been running the world conscientiously for seventeen years without any misconduct, but in the end he was so lonely and helpless.

"Now these are the only two reliable people around me!"

With a sigh in his heart, he heard that after they came in, Chongzhen, who looked sad, ordered them to sit down without courtesy, and then said:

"You are here just in time. You will bear witness in a moment. I have a decree to make."

Xin Lehou Liu Wenbing and Prince Consort Gong Yongtuan, who were summoned to the palace, all looked at the emperor in surprise. What kind of testimony did the emperor want them to bear?

At this moment, I only heard reports from internal officials.

"Uncle Ping Liao meets the marquis outside the Dashou Palace."

Finally, Zu's birthday arrived. After seeing him, Chongzhen first excused himself from the ceremony, then gave him a seat, and then spoke.

"Zu Qing's family, I asked you to come here because there is something I want you to do."

"Your Majesty, please give me your orders and I will do my best to complete the job."

When looking at Zu Dashou, Chongzhen suddenly thought of another thing. Since he knew that Zu Dashou was a famous general in the army, why didn't he let him guard the capital in the first place?

Hey, it seems that I am really not a qualified emperor. That's all, that's all, I hope that guy can turn the tide.

"Zu Qing's family, you are a brave general in the army. Now the capital city is besieged, and the outer city has been destroyed, and the inner city is also in danger. I have a decree that needs someone to deliver it. I want you to send this edict out of the capital and send it to To General Pinglu!"

General Pinglu!

The emperor's words made Zu Dashou's heart tremble, and he thought in his mind.

What does the emperor mean by this? What is he going to give away?

"Wang Cheng'en, give the edict to Zu Dashou."

Before Zu Dashou could refuse, Chongzhen said.

"The Zuqing family can read the edict first and then make a decision!"

Unfolding the edict and looking at the beginning of the edict, just like Wang Chengen, Zu Dashou also thought that this was an edict of condemnation, but when he looked back, he almost threw the edict to the ground.

"... Until the foundation established by Emperor Taizu was destroyed by my hands, the ancestral country is not owned by me alone. Each vassal and each sect should protect the ancestral country. If you can be vigilant to protect it after my death, I will happily pass away. De Fan The Crown Prince, Zhu Ciying, has a noble character, can defend the enemy externally, and can calm the people internally. He will be able to inherit the great power and preserve the country of his ancestors. The Crown Prince of Defan, Zhu Ciying, ascends the throne after me, and is the emperor..."

This, this is clearly... Just when Zu Dashou was frightened when he read the edict, the emperor's words came to him again.

"My lords, the ancestral country is not the work of Zhu Youjian, but the country that was destroyed by my ancestors with swords and guns. I cannot protect the ancestral country and the ancestral temple for my own selfish purposes. Each vassal and each sect should share the same To protect our ancestors, I have decided to pass on the emperor's throne to Zhu Ciying, the Crown Prince of Defan, so that he can survive and protect our ancestors..."

When the words came out of Chongzhen's mouth, Xin Yuehou Liu Wenbing and Prince Consort Gong Yongtuan were all shocked. Although they were stunned and stunned, looking at the emperor, they also knew that this might be the last choice.

The emperor could no longer keep the Ming Dynasty. Maybe the general could still keep the Ming Dynasty. Thinking of this, they suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

yes.

The general has so many elite soldiers and generals that even the powerful Donglu are no match for him, let alone the rogue bandits.

Alas, what a pity. If the emperor had figured out all this earlier, why would he have fallen to this stage?

Thinking like this, everyone's heart is filled with bitterness.

After all, they didn't have to die originally. But now...

Ignoring everyone's surprise, Chongzhen continued.

"Zu Dashou, are you willing to send this edict and jade seal to General Pinglu on my behalf?"

The emperor's words set off waves in Zu Dashou's heart. What is this edict?

It is the glory of our ancestors from generation to generation!

As long as this edict is sent out, after the general succeeds to the throne, the ancestors will really make great contributions to the Ming Dynasty!

Why did the emperor let himself send this edict? It was not because of the relationship between the ancestors and the general.

With this edict, why is it necessary...

Once again, Zu Dashou remembered the plan he had made with Liu Zhenqi before. Is that plan still needed now?

Never need it again!

With this edict, the general will be able to ascend the throne as emperor openly and honestly in the future.

The master who escorted this edict and the jade seal out of the capital was the number one hero of the new dynasty.

"My lord, my lord..."

Faced with this huge achievement, Zu Dashou didn't even know how to speak for a while. It was the first time for the emperor to do this, and it was certainly the first time for Zu Dashou.

What should I say now?

Do you want to thank me?

Of course you can't say that, even if it's a huge contribution, you can't thank him. Because when you accept this edict, it means you have to watch the emperor die.

Our ancestor Dashou was a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty. How could he say such a thing?

Just when Zu Dashou was in a dilemma and didn't know what to say, he just listened to the emperor continue to speak.

"Zu Qing's family, in addition to this, I have one more thing to ask for, which is to ask the Qing family to send a few princes out of the capital. I have already decreed that the crown prince's position as the foundation of the country will be abolished. Today, only the Pinglu general can protect our ancestors.

, as for them... I hope they can be happy princes in the future after protecting the country..."

Seeing the emperor with tears in his eyes, Zu Dashou immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, even if I am shattered to pieces, I will definitely save several princes and send the edict to the general..."

[]

Well, there is no need to be embarrassed now. After all, in addition to the edict and the jade seal, there is another task to send the princes out.

Well, we formed a big tree and left the emperor here without any care, but because we still have a more important mission.

That’s right!

We are loyal ministers and did not leave the emperor here. I am acting according to orders!

Yes, by decree!

Looking at Zu Dashou kneeling on the ground, Chongzhen nodded slightly.

"In this way, I can leave with peace of mind..."

Now Chongzhen has made up his mind. Just like Li Banghua said, even if Mengchen escapes now, what will happen to Shandong?

What if there is civil strife and the intruders take the opportunity to take over the world?

The empire of our ancestors does not belong to one person!

That’s it!

Let's pass it on to Prince De. With this edict, I think he will definitely lead his elite troops and fight tooth and nail to exterminate the intruders. The family of our ancestors will be preserved, and I won't be shameless in facing our ancestors in the future.

The only thing that worried Chongzhen was how to get his three sons to escape from the palace. Only Zu Dashou could take them out. Of course, the prince must be deposed. He only hoped that they could live as ordinary royal relatives.

Going down, of course, depends on General Pinglu's wishes.

Even Emperor Chengzu left behind a commoner, and besides, he still abdicated the throne to Zhu Ciying directly. In order to show his legitimacy, Zhu Ciying would leave the lives of the three princes no matter what, and even make them princes, no matter what.

If so, how can we win the trust of the world?

As for Zu Dashou, he would definitely not dare to take action against the three princes. He could clearly distinguish the importance of the three princes.

As for Chongzhen himself, he no longer had any illusions about escaping, nor was he afraid of committing suicide. He could think more calmly. He had already regarded death as home and could arrange everything calmly.

"The succession to Zhu Ciying seems to be inconsistent with the ancestral system and the family law. But what is the ancestral system? What is the family law?"

After saying that, Chongzhen said regretfully with tears on his face.

"Ancestral system! Family law! I didn't expect that my seventeenth year of worshiping Heavenly Patriarch would lead to the disaster of the country's subjugation today! This ancestral system and family law also need to be flexible and expedient, so that we can protect the Ming Dynasty forever..."

Once again, Chongzhen couldn't help but sob again. The two royal relatives and Zu Dashou fell on the ground and cried in silence.

"I am determined!"

After a moment, Chongzhen suddenly said:

"I decided to commit suicide in the palace and die for the country. I hope Zhu Ciying can save the country of her ancestors..."

Liu Wenbing, who was lying on the ground, choked and said:

"The emperor will die for the country, and I will sacrifice my whole family for the emperor. I will never live an ignoble existence."

Zu Dashou, on the other hand, kowtowed to the ground.
Chapter completed!