Yu Qian quietly picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and leaned back on his chair. Many ministers next to him sighed when they saw this. The first assistant is the first assistant. This kind of mental endurance is really beyond the limit!
The emperor was captured?
If it were another emperor, Yu Qian might have asked why he didn't commit suicide, but if it were Zhu Qizhen, it would be very logical. I don't know why, but it's not surprising at all. It seems that after hearing that he was going to conquer personally,
There is a kind of psychological construction for this worst outcome.
"Have the envoys been sent out?" Yu Qian asked.
If you lose, you have to admit it, and you have to bear the consequences. What else can you do? Send envoys to negotiate, exchange people back, use compensation, use materials, use everything that can be negotiated, even people, what else can you do?
However, when these words came out of Yu Qian's mouth, a glimmer of hope suddenly flashed through his heart. The Qing Dynasty was very ambitious. It would be great if they continued to fight, so that he could...
He might not say this out loud. The ministers who came to discuss urgent countermeasures had already begun to argue, not about the price of arguing, but about who should be the envoy.
Yu Qian suddenly had another thought in his mind. If a city gate guard was sent as an envoy, would Dorgon feel that they were not sincere and directly give Zhu Qizhen to him... Hiss, really, why are you thinking so fast recently?
Take off.
Yu Qian shook his head and said, "Let the Queen Mother appoint the candidate."
This statement is meaningless as soon as it is said. Whose family's evil son will feel sorry for them. No matter who they send, they are afraid that they will be criticized by people with intentions. At this time, only the Queen Mother can avoid suspicion. Whether it is from political or family considerations, only the Queen Mother
Talents are the purest and have only one purpose, which is to save Zhu Qizhen.
"The prince is back! The prince is back!"
There are many people shouting outside, and all the ministers are looking at each other. There are many royal princes in the Ming Dynasty, but there are only a few direct ones. It may be for various reasons. It is easy for the collateral line to spread its branches, but the descendants of the direct line wither. I understand.
Everybody understands.
However, there is probably only one prince who can make outsiders so excited at this time, the brave god Hou Zhu Yili!
The title 'Tiedan Shenhou' is very awesome at first sight. Who in the world can't feel excited after hearing it? But... he is Zhu Qizhen's uncle, and he is of the royal blood of Zhengba Jing'er, and the other direct descendants have already
Although he was granted the title of king, he was still a "hou", and apart from some fertile land rewarded for his meritorious service, he did not even have his own fiefdom.
Do you say this is a gift?
Anyway, the courtiers didn't think so, but Zhu Wuli's contributions to the royal family and the Ming Dynasty were real, so over time, everyone began to call him "Prince" without knowing when.
Zhu Jingli didn't say anything, neither acknowledged nor rejected, and Zhu Qizhen didn't say anything either. It was very strange, like a small tacit understanding between the monarch and his ministers.
News came from the front line that Zhu Wuli was under house arrest. Everyone was still thinking whether Zhu Wuli had lost his holy favor? But it was not until this moment that everyone finally remembered one thing. This 'Prince' is brave
Shenhou' is still a strong person on the Earth Ranking!
It’s no wonder they were there. After all, this man was usually too humble. Coupled with what happened to Zhao Zheng before, these courtiers had more or less the illusion that the masters of the Earth Ranking were also afraid of the imperial power, but that was all.
It wasn't until the emperor was captured by others, and Zhu Wuwu came back intact, that they realized that even the army couldn't surround him!
Zhu Mingli didn't do any washing, and hurriedly met the ministers. The broken sleeves and wounds looked quite dazzling.
"Your Majesty, is there any news from the front line?"
The various questions were all about wanting to know the news about Zhu Qizhen. Zhu ignored the fact that he had nothing to hide at this time. The news about Zhu Qizhen's arrest was not a secret, but he had to remind everyone that "Qing Qizhen" The military ambitions are so great that they will not be satisfied with just capturing His Majesty or receiving any number of cities or compensation."
Everyone immediately fell silent, "What is the prince referring to?"
In fact, everyone knows what Zhu Wuwu means, but you can't wake up those who pretend to be asleep unless you urinate on their faces.
"The top priority is that we can hold the position. As for rescuing His Majesty, His Majesty will only have value if the Ming Dynasty continues to exist."
"Then your next sentence is, 'A country cannot live without a king'?" A certain minister with a beard sneered, looking at Zhu Wuwang's expression of 'I can see through you'.
Zhu Wu ignored but didn't care, hum, there are many people who can see through me, who do you think you are?
"When His Majesty left, he said that all matters in the court, big and small, would be handled by the Chief Assistant. Now we naturally have to take the Chief Assistant as the main one." Zhu Mingwu did not stand up and say, 'I want to be the emperor,' but recommended him first. Yu Qian.
But Yu Qian just looked at him with an indifferent expression. Both of them were old foxes, and they both understood each other tacitly at this time.
It is not an unexpected move that Zhu Wuwu pushed him to the front. To put it bluntly, what should Zhu Wuwu be anxious about? Although there are many members in the entire Ming Dynasty royal family, in terms of connections, strength, and strategy, there is no one Can anyone compare with Zhu Wuwu?
No!
Even if those royal families have this ambition, they don't have the strength.
Of course, it is not ruled out that if someone has bad intentions, he will insist on making another prince the emperor, but if that happens, Zhu Mingli can guarantee that the new one will die young.
It is precisely because he has understood this that Yu Qian has no choice. When the situation comes to this, as long as you are still a smart person and have sense, then your choice can only be him.
"Your Majesty is right. The top priority is to protect the country. As for the envoys who go to negotiate, let the Queen Mother make the decision as mentioned before."
The ministers looked at each other and keenly realized that the situation was a bit delicate. Afterwards, the palace quickly sent out candidates.
The eunuch chosen by the Queen Mother was an eunuch named Wang Zhen. This man was once a down-and-out scholar. Later, he castrated himself and entered the palace and was lucky enough to serve the emperor. In the past, he seemed to be cautious and modest, but after receiving the favor, his true colors were revealed. Meaning, it's quite arrogant. However, in the harem, the Queen Mother has the final say, and Wang Zhen is restrained to a certain extent. In addition, when Zhu Qizhen falls in love with someone, he doesn't care whether you have done anything wrong, as long as he likes him. , Wang Zhen is the kind that suits him quite well.
In fact, the Queen Mother originally had no interest in Wang Zhen, but now that things have come out, if she wants to bring Zhu Qizhen back, she must send the person who wants His Majesty to come back the most, and there is no doubt that it is Wang Zhen.
He usually offends many people by relying on his divine favor. If Zhu Qizhen cannot come back, his end will be tragic.
Wang Zhen was also very nervous and anxious, so he left the capital before dawn the next day, took three cars with greeting gifts and headed towards the Qing army camp.
Also acting at the same time as Wang Zhen was Yu Qian, who had already begun to mobilize combat forces in the capital. At the same time, he issued a warrant to mobilize combat troops from surrounding Xuanfu to gather in Xuanfu for resistance.
Previously, Zhu Qizhen led the main force of the Ming Dynasty to pursue them very far, but he was able to create enough strategic depth for Yu Qian to deploy.
However, it is definitely unrealistic to rely on the temporarily gathered strength to block the Qing army's large-scale siege. Therefore, the strategy set by Yu Qian and Zhu Wuli is to block the attack in layers to slow down the Qing army's advance and ensure that they have effective strength.
And they sat in the capital and used the fastest speed to build this place into an iron barrel, so that the defenders and attackers could fight the Qing army in a protracted battle to determine the outcome.
This strategy is cowardly and clumsy, but it is the only method that Zhu Wuwu and Yu Qian can think of.
There is no way, the situation does not allow it, they also want several surrounding cities to stick to form a corner, and cover up plagiarism and so on. But the problem is that in the entire Ming Dynasty, the only master on the list available now is Zhu Wuyi. In addition to being in the capital,
Zhu Wuli had no other place to go.
Without the masters of the local rankings in charge, the persistence of other cities will become a joke.
…
Two days later, in the Qing army camp, Zuo Zhou and Li Yuzhu were chewing dry food and drinking broth. It was obvious that the supplies of the Qing army were more powerful than those of the Ming army.
In the past few days, the two of them had watched Zhu Qizhen turn from a cautious person to a domineering one, which made them both quite surprised for a while.
How to say it?
Dorgon's intention was to extract the luck from Zhu Qizhen, so he had no intention of abusing Zhu Qizhen at all. On the contrary, he treated Zhu Qizhen quite favorably. In the entire Qing army, Dorgon always ate at the same time as the soldiers, only Zhu Qizhen
Qizhen usually has melons, fruits and cakes to go around, except that there are no beautiful women to serve at any time, it can be said to be quite comfortable.
However, Zhu Qizhen obviously misunderstood something. He may have thought that the Qing army just wanted to take the opportunity to extort some cities or money, so he would not do anything to him. He also became more and more wanton in his behavior, often leading two Qing soldiers around.
I looked down on them here and looked down on them there. I just felt that the Qing army camp was full of shortcomings. From time to time, I lamented that I would lose to such a team? I must have been deceived by the false information from Hulong Villa.
Several times, Zhu Qizhen passed by Zuo Zhou and Li Yuzhu, and saw that there were question marks on their heads.
At nightfall, Zuo Zhou entered the camp. This tent was a small tent where nearly fifty people slept. However, these fifty people were all exiles, and they were all Li Yuzhu's people.
This was the confidence for the two of them to sneak into the Qing army camp. It was easy to do things with so many people covering them.
"Are you saying that the army has reduced its strength and prepared for the defense of the capital?"
"Yes, all the young men in the entire Ming Dynasty have been summoned, but not many responded. The previous battle seemed to have had too great an impact."
A Qing soldier reported to Li Yuzhu in a low voice. The latter nodded after hearing the words, and after thinking for a moment, he commented: "There are many people in the capital. The imperial guards in the palace and the yamen servants, plus the local young men, it is not feasible to gather a hundred thousand troops."
It’s too difficult. Coupled with the terrain advantage of defending the city, we should be able to hold it for a while. However, it would be naive to try to defeat the Qing army by defending the city. There should be other arrangements."
Just as he was talking, a message arrow suddenly flew in from outside the tent. Zuo Zhou easily caught it with his wave, "Don't be nervous, it's my people who have the news."
He opened the letter, took a look at it, and rubbed it into ashes, "You are right, Yu Qian secretly sent a message to the Yuan Kingdom, hoping that they could influence the supply of the Qing army in the rear."
Li Yuzhu was not surprised, "If the Qing army really destroyed the Ming Dynasty, then the Yuan Kingdom would definitely be next, so it's not surprising that they would agree. Huh? Your news is only from the Yuan Kingdom? You actually have information from the Yuan Kingdom as well.
people!"
Zuo Zhou smiled deeply and said, "To travel in the world, you rely on having many brothers and loyalty. What's so surprising about the Yuan Kingdom having so many people?"
Li Yuzhu was happy and said: "I guess Yu Qian has not only contacted Yuan Guo, but I am afraid there are also people in Da Qin to communicate."
Although Zuo Zhou did not get any information from Da Qin, he was right to think about it. "I will definitely ask for help. No matter how stupid Hu Hai is, he will not remain indifferent."
"Yes, it is impossible for the Qin Dynasty to watch the Qing Dynasty annex the Ming Dynasty so easily."
Zuo Zhou shook his head in denial, "That's not the case. The situation in this world is different from that of the earth next door in ancient times. The Qing Dynasty is not a nomadic people. They also have their own territory. If the battle line is stretched too long, they will definitely suffer.
Even if the Qin Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty did not hold back, the Tang Dynasty could not continue to watch. Therefore, if Zhu Qi did not take the initiative to kill people, they should stop their conquest after the Qing army captured several key cities.
Footsteps."
Li Yuzhu nodded when he heard this, "But today's war model seems to have changed. Winning is not just about defeating the army or occupying the city. The key is to compete for luck!"
Zuo Zhou trend waved his hand and said: "No, in fact it is still the original model, because the so-called luck will be tilted when you lose the army and the city. There will not be many things like the Qing Dynasty that used tricks to condense luck.
.”
Li Yuzhu smiled and said: "That's true. After all, not all wars can capture the opponent's emperor."
"It's just that Yu Qian and other countries don't know the Qing's plan now."
"Then should we remind them?"
"Of course, we not only need to remind the capital of the Ming Dynasty, but also other countries."
"Okay, I guess the anti-thief alliance within the original Song Kingdom is also ready to make a move. You are in charge of that side, and I will inform the Qin side." Zuo Zhou said and started to take out a pen and paper from one side.
Li Yuzhu frowned again, "Then... what about the Tang State? They seem to have not taken large-scale operations for a long time. I can't understand it."
Zuo Zhou paused slightly and continued to write, while replying: "The Tang State is now facing a special reform. It will either become a template for ordinary countries or become a kingdom of God."
"The Kingdom of God?" Li Yuzhu opened his eyes in shock, "The Kingdom of God... what kind of Kingdom of God is it? Relying on religious beliefs to control the people?"
Zuo Zhou put down his pen and finished what he should write. "It is still somewhat different from the Kingdom of God you think of. They will recreate a special mythological system, similar to the mythological system of Heaven or Mount Olympus."
Li Yuzhu understood when he said this, "You mean, this god will include all kinds of gods, no matter what they believe in, and they will perform their own duties and be responsible for various aspects? This is not the same as an ordinary country, except that the person in power
All the officials have been replaced by gods."
"That's what it means. If that's the case, who will be the 'Emperor of Heaven'?"
Zuo Zhou smiled playfully, "That's not necessarily the case. It's impossible to say it will still be the Li family. How can I say? Take the current emperor Li Zhi of the Tang Dynasty as an example. As far as I know, he doesn't mind what is in his country.
Religion serves as a defining belief.”
Li Yuzhu understood immediately when he heard it, "Well, there has never been a shortage of emperors in history who used religious beliefs to control people's thoughts, but they didn't end well in the end. I'm not optimistic about Li Zhi."
"It doesn't matter whether you think it's good or not, the key is what Li Zhi thinks. Nowadays, a group of people in Tang State are fighting against these gods. As for whether they can win or not, we'll just have to wait and see."
Zuo Zhou wisely ended the topic. I am a ‘Buddha’, so why should I tell you?
…
After another two days, Tang Ruowang seemed to be almost ready. At this time, Wang Zhen finally arrived outside the Qing army camp. The three boxes of meeting gifts made Dorgon's expression much kinder.
Zuo Zhou and Li Yuzhu watched as Wang Zhen followed Dorgon into the tent with a smile on his face. It didn't take long for Zhu Qizhen to enter the tent under the protection of two Qing soldiers.
Then they heard a cry, "Do you think this old eunuch is acting or is he really sad?"
"I can't tell... I can only say that this old eunuch is really good at acting."
The two people's careless chat clearly attracted the attention of the Qing soldiers next to them, who also laughed and said, "I think it must be fake."
Zuo Zhou became interested and asked, "What should I say?"
"Look at the greeting gifts that were sent to me. Usually these gifts are a mixture of rare items and silver coins, but now they are all about pearls, agates and silver coins. There are no rare items. They are probably tricked by this old eunuch.
Come down."
Li Yuzhu looked surprised, "Brother Men Qing, how did you know?"
The soldier said proudly: "This is how the Yuan Kingdom paid protection fees in the past. These are all unwritten rules. When the Yuan Kingdom came to power, they not only paid protection fees and rare treasures, but also hosted banquets for the envoys.
I've been with a mission before, and they even sent a woman to warm the bed at night, hahaha!"
Zuo Zhou immediately made an envious expression, "Okay, brother, well, I heard that Zhu Qizhen's harem beauties are very beautiful. I wonder if we will have a chance to taste them when we break through the capital."
Sometimes men are so simple. Zuo Zhou quickly became involved with several women.
But Zhu Qizhen in the tent was angry, "Why are you here alone? Where is Yu Qian? I asked him to supervise the country, what is he doing?"
Wang Zhen replied in panic: "Your Majesty... the Chief Assistant is stepping up the construction of fortifications." As he spoke, he glanced at Dorgon, who was sitting upright and silent.
"Huh, what plan can they make without me?" Zhu Qizhen's mood eased a little. He is not stupid. After being redeemed this time, the enemy may still fight. Yu Qian can think of consolidating the defense.
useless.
Then he thought of something again, and Zhu Qizhen's face turned ugly again, "What is Zhu Mongli doing?"
"Uh, I'm assisting Mr. Chief Assistant."
"Hmph, this traitor actually left me alone on the battlefield. His heart is to be punished! Also, the guards who were guarding him escaped before the battle. He deserves to be punished. You go back and tell Yu Qian to ignore Zhu... and put those fearful people away.
All the imperial guards who retreated from the battle were imprisoned and executed by Ling Chi." He originally wanted to place Zhu Wuli under house arrest, but suddenly he thought that he was a Dibang, and if I were not around, no one would be able to suppress him.
Wang Zhen had a drop of sweat on his forehead and agreed with a smile. Then Zhu Qizhen looked at Dorgon and said, "We can negotiate terms."
Upon seeing this, Dorgon resisted the urge to laugh and said seriously: "Actually, I am not good at negotiations. I was originally going to wait for the imperial court to send an envoy. But these days, I, the general, are getting along well with His Majesty, and I deeply admire him. His majesty has the courage to drive and conquer personally, so I won’t wait any longer. Let’s make an offer first and see how much your majesty is worth in your hearts.”
Wang Zhen has been playing tricks in the palace for many years, but he doesn't know what the other person means. This is so insincere!
"The general is joking. A villain is also a nobody, so how can he be qualified to negotiate? He is just a messenger. It is better for the general to tell the truth and report the truth to the court."
"If you ask me to say it, just say it. Even if you don't have the qualifications, I still do. Yu Qian should have had a bottom line. Speaking of which, I also want to know how much I am worth in the hearts of you loyal ministers?"
Wang Zhen was a little confused, Your Majesty, why are you joining in the fun?
Could it be that he was told that the chief assistant had no bottom line at all?
In fact, Wang Zhenlai had thought about the worst outcome before, that is, the enemy did not intend to let him redeem His Majesty.
Before setting off, Yu Qian didn't give him any instructions, which actually made Wang Zhen's heart tremble. Now when he saw Dorgon's attitude, he became even more pessimistic.
"Well, the Chief Assistant didn't say any bottom line. Your Majesty is priceless! So I'd better listen to the general's terms."
Wang Zhen's answer obviously did not satisfy him, but he was still able to hold back his anger and look at Dorgon.
Dorgon thought for a while and said: "His Majesty and I hit it off. If you ask for too much, it will be unloyal. So, you stay here first, and I will discuss it with the soldiers and give you an answer tomorrow morning."
Zhu Qizhen seemed to be very satisfied with Dorgon's solemnity. After chatting casually for a few words, he took Wang Zhen back to the tent.
As they passed by, Zuo Zhou stared at them strangely, and whispered to Li Yuzhu next to him: "Dorgon kept this Wang Zhenya here, probably out of hatred, he killed this guy together. It seems that they are the ones tonight. Time for action!”
"Let's get ready too."
"There's no rush. Let's first see how Tang Ruowang gathers his luck. I don't think we can gain more."
…
At night, Mingjian Villa
More than a dozen war horses came closer. Huang Shang looked up at Di Renjie, who was wearing a hooded cloak, and asked a little strangely, "Why are you here?"
Di Renjie took a long breath and seemed a little nervous, "I received information from Yuan Fang before, saying that the Qing Dynasty captured Zhu Qizhen and wanted to forcibly extract his luck, but His Majesty is still hesitant. So I plan to temporarily transfer him. The troops stationed here rushed to the border to destroy the Qing army's conspiracy."
Huang Shang looked at him meaningfully, nodded without saying anything, and quickly began to assemble the troops and then set off.
And less than half an hour after they left, a group of men in black came back to the ruins of Mingjian Villa.