"" Chapter 149 Questions and Answers in the Palace
The generals followed Lu Xiangsheng and Cao Huachun into the back of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. They looked around at the Han generals who were wearing bright armor and holding weapons that shone with cold light. They stood proudly and rows of Han generals wearing vermilion official robes with solemn expressions.
All the civil and military officials, a royal majesty suddenly hit their faces. Even the generals and officers were all men who had come down from the battlefield of life and death. They couldn't help but become cautious and didn't even dare to take a breath.
On the other hand, Lu Xiangsheng and Cao Huachun's expressions remained as calm as usual. They were obviously used to such scenes.
Cao Huachun brought everyone to the main hall and said a few words to the little eunuch standing aside. The little eunuch nodded, and then shouted in a high-pitched and thin voice, "The right minister of the Ministry of War and the governor-general of Xuan"
Lu Xiangsheng was ordered to bring all the generals to seek an audience."
This sharp voice seemed to have an inexplicable penetrating power, reaching from the end of the hall to the center of the hall. This also made Pang Gang, who was standing in the team of generals, amazed, thinking that this little eunuch's voice could be so
It has penetrating power and is as good as the sharp whistles used in the army. Could this be the reason why emperors have liked to use eunuchs to convey orders on their behalf since ancient times?
After the little eunuch's voice was put on, not long after two Han generals in full body armor came out, came to the crowd and said expressionlessly to everyone: "The emperor has a decree, and Lu Xiangsheng is ordered to bring all the generals into the palace to see him.
!”
Lu Xiangsheng nodded, turned around and said to the generals: "You must follow closely behind me. If the emperor asks you something later, you must answer truthfully, but remember not to talk nonsense to avoid disaster."
All the generals said yes. After Lu Xiangsheng finished speaking, he took the lead to step forward. Behind him was a long list of generals, generals and other generals. Beside them were pairs of civil and military ministers.
Solemn eyes.
Pang Gang followed the crowd and found that a general walking in front of him was so nervous that his steps were stiff, and his exposed hands were trembling slightly. While Pang Gang was amused, he also secretly marveled at this era.
The power of the imperial power. This was the late Ming Dynasty when the imperial power was weak. The emperor's aura was still so strong. It would be even more incredible if he met the two emperors from the Hongwu and Yongle years who had more aura. I'm afraid those generals
I can't even walk anymore.
After walking for a while, Pang Gang heard Lu Xiangsheng report in a loud voice: "Lu Xiangsheng, the right minister of the Ministry of War and the governor of Xuanda, came to the emperor with the general Qin Wang. Long live my emperor." After saying this, Lu Xiangsheng took the lead.
Kneeling down, all the generals watched Lu Xiangsheng kneel down and then they also knelt down with a roar.
After kneeling for a while, Pang just faintly heard a voice coming from him, "All the ministers, please bow down without courtesy."
"Long live thanks!"
After the generals stood up, they all stood behind Lu Xiangsheng with lowered eyebrows. Although they were all military generals, none of them were stupid. They also knew that in such situations, too many words would lead to mistakes. Anyway, what happened to their boss, Lu Xiangsheng?
Naturally, he would help them solve the problem, so they all made up their minds. As long as the emperor didn't ask questions, he would just treat himself as a mute.
Pang Gang, who was standing at the back, glanced forward curiously and saw a high platform twenty steps ahead. There was a man on the high platform wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, with a delicate appearance but a slightly pale face.
A middle-aged man was sitting on the dragon throne, looking intently down.
"This must be Zhu Youjian, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty." Pang Gang thought silently in his heart.
At this time, I only heard Lu Xiangsheng's report: "Long live Qi Zou, I wonder if Long Live Xuan Wei and all the generals will come to see the Holy Spirit today to express his decree."
Chongzhen smiled and said: "It's nothing serious. Yesterday I saw Lu Aiqing and all the soldiers at the city gate risking their lives and fighting the Tatars on the battlefield. I was very moved. Today I summoned all the ministers to give them a good compliment.
Yours."
"Long live my thanks!" Lu Xiangsheng lowered his head and bowed to express his gratitude and then said: "Hong live my thanks. I just found out that the Tatars had withdrawn their troops last night. I was about to send troops to chase them. Unexpectedly, long live sent Eunuch Cao to announce that I was not a minister.
When he and his generals came to the palace for an audience, I was very puzzled. What could be more important than chasing the Tatars at this time? Long live my answer!"
"This..." Chongzhen couldn't help but was speechless for a moment. He couldn't say that it was your boss Yang Sichang and chief assistant Wen Tiren who came to me this morning to tell me that they were afraid that you would be cleared after you left.
The soldiers came back and surrounded the capital again, so I found an excuse to let you stay.
Seeing that Chongzhen was silent, Lu Xiangsheng recalled what Cao Huachun had just said and couldn't help but feel a surge of grief and indignation in his heart and said loudly: "Your Majesty, on the occasion of the new defeat of the Tatars, it was our army who bravely pursued and recaptured the captives of the Tatars.
It’s a good time to leave the people and property, so how can we huddle the army in the capital and watch the Tatars retreat calmly? This is extremely unwise!”
Seeing Lu Xiangsheng with a look of sorrow and anger on his face, Chongzhen was speechless for a moment. At this time, an official jumped out from the side and shouted loudly: "Lu Xiangsheng, you are so brave, you dare to question the emperor, you
Where have all the words of the saints gone?”
Lu Xiangsheng turned around and sneered: "It turns out to be Minister Chen. Don't think that since I'm not in the capital, I don't know about the good things you have done. It seems that you are one of the people who persuaded the emperor to let the Tatars leave peacefully."
?I didn’t expect you to forcefully leave 80,000 elite members of the imperial court in the capital to waste money and food because you were afraid of death. How stupid are you!"
"You are brave!"
The official who jumped out was Chen Xinjia, the left minister of the Ministry of War. After Lu Xiangsheng told him what was on his mind, Chen Xinjia jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He pointed at Lu Xiangsheng with a red face and shouted: "It is true that the Tatars should retreat.
, but can you guarantee that they will not come back again? If the Tatars give us a counterattack and surround the capital, can you, Lu Xiangsheng, be able to shoulder this responsibility? "
"How can the Tatars have the courage to come to the capital again if they are still repelled by our army? This is clearly your cowardly excuse." Not to be outdone, Lu Xiangsheng retorted.
"It's so absurd that the Art of War has it..."
Pang Gang saw the two people quarreling on the spot in the main hall, but none of the surrounding ministers came out to stop the fight. Emperor Chongzhen seemed to be unfazed, and he couldn't help but wonder, could Taiwan-style democracy in later generations be advanced in advance?
Will it be staged tomorrow?
In fact, this is something that Pang Gang rarely sees. It was not uncommon for officials of the Ming Dynasty to quarrel in the main hall. Let alone quarrels, it was not uncommon for them to perform martial arts in the main hall. This fact runs through the entire
The Ming Dynasty has a history of more than two hundred years.
Lu Xiangsheng and Chen Xinjia were arguing more and more fiercely. One said that the other was greedy for life and afraid of death, and the other said that the other did not care about the emperor's safety and was about to take action. At this time, Chongzhen became angry and said, "That's enough.
, have you had enough trouble? This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, not a street market. If you want to quarrel after the court is over, if you continue to quarrel enough, please shut up now!"
Seeing their boss getting angry, Lu Xiangsheng and Chen Xinjia shut up angrily.
Chongzhen took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and said calmly: "Lu Aiqing, it is my decision to ask you not to pursue the Tatars. Don't blame Chen Shilang anymore."
When Lu Xiangsheng heard what Chongzhen said, he had no choice but to cup his hands and say: "I obey the decree!"
After Chongzhen finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the generals who had been standing behind Lu Xiangsheng and stared dumbfounded, and said in a deep voice: "Who among you is Pang Gang, the Qianhu of Lingshan Guard from Qingzhou?"
When everyone heard this, they all turned their heads to Pang Gang, who had been standing there in the back. The latter was in a daze for a while, until someone next to him gave him a push, and Pang Gang finally woke up and hurriedly walked out to him.
Chongzhen knelt down and said respectfully: "Pang Gang, the humble minister of Qingzhou Lingshan Guard Qianhu, comes to see the emperor!"
Chongzhen looked at Pang Gang, who was kneeling down below, and his tense expression relaxed. Finally, he smiled and said, "Pang Aiqing, please get back on your feet!"
"Long live thanks!"
When Pang Gang stood up, Chongzhen said with a smile: "I saw Aiqing on the city tower yesterday as she charged into the Tatars as if she was in a deserted place. She is truly the bravest of the three armies!"
As soon as Chongzhen said this, all the generals looked at Pang Gang with envy. It seems that this small Qianhu was really remembered by the emperor. It is estimated that it will not be able to survive if it is not developed this time.
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. Weichen just fulfilled his duty as a minister." Pang Gang thanked him with neither humility nor condescension, and then continued: "Since Weichen has eaten this bowl of rice, naturally he has to
I fight on the battlefield for the emperor and the court, and I dare not bother the emperor with praise."
"Haha..." Seeing Pang Gang speak so straightforwardly, and seeing Pang Gang's majestic appearance and tall figure, Chongzhen couldn't help but appreciate it more and more, and asked with a smile: "How old is Aiqing this year?
Are you married?"
"Long live my thoughts, I am twenty-four years old this year (in ancient times, it was considered a false age), and I have already married Pang Kong, the daughter of a Yangzhou merchant!" Although Pang Gang didn't know what Chongzhen meant by asking this, he still took it as his wife.
Answer truthfully.
"Well!" Chongzhen nodded slightly and suddenly asked: "Pang Aiqing, I received a memorial from all the wealthy gentry in Qingzhou a few days ago, saying that you threatened the gentry in Qingzhou with their wealth and life.
Donating grain and materials, that's not all, you also killed a grain merchant and opened a warehouse to stockpile grain. Is this true?" At this point, Chongzhen's tone has become stern.
Chongzhen's words were like a bolt from the blue that hit the main hall. Almost everyone, including Lu Xiangsheng, looked over in surprise. None of them expected that the little Qianhu in front of them would be so bold.
It is a serious crime to kill a grain merchant without authorization and open his granary to release grain!