Zhu Cixiang in the palace had no appetite at all when he looked at the food in front of him. He was irritated and even wanted to knock over the food. But he also knew that once this behavior reached the ears of Emperor Chongzhen, he would be reprimanded. If the ministers knew about it, they would also
All kinds of preaching.
"Your Highness, hurry up and eat. You have to study later." A young man came in and looked at the food on the table and sighed. This man is Qiu Zhizhong, the student in the East Palace. He is also a daughter of a famous family. He was appointed by Emperor Chongzhen for the crown prince.
playmate.
Zhu Cixiang glared at him impatiently: "If you want to read it, you can read it."
Qiu Zhizhong panicked and looked around: "Your Highness can't say that. If word spreads..."
"It's just you and me and two old ladies in this palace. Even Linglong has been driven away. If you don't say it, who else will say it..." Zhu Cixiang said angrily, and Qiu Zhizhong hurriedly patted his chest: "I will never say anything.
of".
Reading with him is like having a child. Qiu Zhizhong is Zhu Cixiang's closest friend besides Chang Yu. Seeing his sincerity, Zhu Cixiang snorted and stopped talking, but the anger in his eyebrows did not diminish.
Qiu Zhizhong knew that he was unhappy again today, so after thinking about it, he moved forward to coax him: "Since Your Highness doesn't want to read, let's not read it today. How about we tell a story?"
Zhu Cixiang snorted and curled his lips: "You are only thinking about what stories you can tell from the Four Books and Five Classics."
"I don't have much stories to tell, but Your Highness does. Didn't His Highness follow Eunuch Chang on a trip to the palace before? Tell me more, and it will also open your eyes."
Zhu Cixiang's eyes really brightened up. He traveled out of the palace twice in total, once with the governor to inspect the people's situation in the disaster area, and once with Chang Yu on a tour of the nine sides. Especially the time with Chang Yu was unforgettable. After returning to Beijing, he had a ruthless aftertaste. All the experiences in it gave him
Emperor Chongzhen told Empress Zhou and his two younger brothers, and of course he also sent novels about this, and he took the trouble to tell it many times.
"I've told you countless times, what else is there to say?" The light in Zhu Cixiang's eyes disappeared for just a flash. Seeing this, Qiu Zhizhong said deliberately: "It's okay not to say anything. Then your highness, please clarify my doubts."
Zhu Cixi finally regained his energy and said with a smile: "What are you confused about?"
"A few days ago, I heard my father chatting with some of his colleagues, saying that the imperial soldiers and horses faced the Manchu and Qing Tatar troops who were known as the invincible cavalry. Although they were defeated in many cases, they were all head-to-head. They even stabilized their power at one time. Why?
Why are those mud-legged rabble-rousers retreating steadily against the intruders? Are those rabble-rousers more powerful than the Tatar cavalry?"
Well, Zhu Cixiang corrected himself: "I have also been confused and have never understood it. Although I asked teachers and cabinet ministers, nothing they said was enough. It was not until I heard what Chang Yu said that I suddenly realized it."
"Oh, what did Eunuch Chang say?" Qiu Zhizhong became curious.
"He said that fighting a civil war is actually fighting a war of consciousness." Zhu Cixiang glanced at Qiu Zhizhong as he spoke. Knowing that he did not understand what a war of consciousness meant, he explained: "Simply speaking, the rebels are actually ordinary people, and the soldiers of the imperial court are actually also
Common people, but the hierarchy in the imperial army is very strict, but the generals and soldiers of the bandit army are brothers and even wear the same clothes and eat the same food as ordinary soldiers..."
"But what is the relationship between the two?" Qiu Zhizhong looked confused.
Zhu Cixiang smiled bitterly and shook his head: "For example, after a big battle between the two sides, each had a prisoner. They chatted with each other and said that they were fellow villagers. Then the rebel army said that our hometown was attacking local tyrants to divide the land. In addition, the rebel army's various publicity propaganda spread the word to ten people.
It is said that the imperial army is demoralized. Those soldiers in the imperial court who are not well fed, oppressed and lack of food and pay have no fighting spirit. They only want to follow the rebel army to conquer the gentry and divide the land. To put it bluntly, they are the traitor's cake painting..."
Back then, the Chinese army was very powerful in attacking Japan, but how come the millions of Chinese soldiers were suddenly defeated and even surrendered without resisting...
That's right, Mao Zedong copied Lao Li's routines.
Zhu Cixiang said a lot, but Qiu Zhizhong seemed to understand but not understand: "Then why was it possible to win battles one after another after changing the military governor of Eunuch Chang?"
"It's hard for him, too. Don't you see that after he took office, he wielded a knife and candy? While killing the thieves without mercy to shock people's hearts, he also strictly enforced military discipline and paid enough to win over the troops. He is also top-notch in terms of painting..."
It was late at night, and the lights in the imperial city were dimly lit. In Duanben Palace, Zhu Cihong and Qiu Zhizhong held a candlelight conversation at night, in Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chongzhen was reviewing memorials, and in Kunning Palace, Princess Kunxing was accompanying Empress Zhou to perform a rouge, her face showing for a long time. Uncommon joy.
Some people are happy, some are sad. Zhou Yuji and others are happy that their mansion is completed and they are about to move in. The prince is grounded and forced to get married, and his face is full of sorrow. But they don’t know that in a mansion outside the imperial city, someone is drinking to relieve their sorrow. No matter how the beauty around him persuades him, he still has a drink. After taking a glass, he suddenly threw the wine glass in his hand and said: "It's really hateful for a gelding to trick me again and again."
The beauties around me were shocked when they heard this and repeatedly advised: "Walls have ears, sir, be careful what you say."
The furious old man was Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan, and the beauty was naturally Chen Yuanyuan.
A year ago, Wu Sangui was still very prosperous. He guarded the isolated city of Ningyuan outside the customs. He was promoted to the admiral of Liaodong and had soldiers and power. Unexpectedly, just a year ago, Wu Sangui was deceived by Chang Yu into entering the customs. He was offered a big cake to make him willing. He led three thousand cavalry and traveled thousands of miles south and north to fight, but so far he has gained nothing. The so-called Ningyuan Commander-in-Chief only has three thousand soldiers and horses under his command. The city of Ningyuan was also occupied by his uncle Zu Dashou, because Guan Zu Dashou was reinstated as the Commander-in-Chief of the Liaodong Army and the Commander-in-Chief of the Left Army, so that his Liaodong Admiral was also fired.
I spent more than half of the Ming Dynasty in one year, working hard and diligently, but what did I miss?
Chang Yu said that if you have good food, don’t be afraid of waiting. Okay, then I will wait.
He was ordered to return to the capital from the Yellow River, thinking that he would get some reward. However, after returning to the capital, he asked his troops to rest in Changping, and nothing happened after he returned home.
He also thought that it might be because the eunuch had not returned to the capital, and it would take time to recite his merits. Good news would always come to him while he was resting at home. But while he was resting, he felt that something was wrong. First, the emperor had a fight with the courtiers, and summoned Zhou Yuji and others to the capital. , but he was stunned that he was not called into the palace right under his nose, and he completely ignored it!
Later, Li Yan and other subordinates were rewarded for their meritorious service in defending the Yellow River, but they had nothing to do with themselves. This made him very angry. From going south to attack Baiwang to westward to attack the Yellow River, he had not been able to fight for more than a year. Credit also comes with hard work, and if you don’t even have a greeting, it’s nothing!
The last straw that broke the camel's back and ignited Wu Sangui's anger was Ma Ke's departure from Beijing.
Just a while ago, Ma Ke, who was in Changping, suddenly received an order to lead his troops to Ningyuan!
No reason was given, no reason was given, and no one knew what happened in Ningyuan. Ma Ke was asked to leave immediately and provide food and grass along the way.
Something happened to Ningyuan, or something big was going to happen soon in Ningyuan. Otherwise, with the strength of Zu Dashou and Guan Ning's cavalry, Ma Ke would still need to rush to the rescue? The keen Wu Sangui immediately grasped the key point.
But Ningyuan is my base, and Zu Dashou is my uncle. If something happens, you won’t let me go, but let Ma Ke go?
He didn't even give me such a good opportunity to gain merit, and he kept saying that he couldn't bear with me...
No one will be angry or hate anyone who is spared!