The death of the fourth prince Yongxun and the destruction of more than 20,000 troops by Guiziliu made Qianlong, who had been emperor for forty-two years, realize that his chips on the gambling table had bottomed out.
If he continues, he may not even be able to afford a ferry ticket back to Hong Kong.
Guiziliu's ascension to the throne and proclaimed himself emperor made his last efforts for peace look like a joke.
Yes, compared to the temptation of the emperor's throne, the regent is really not worth mentioning.
How did the Qing Dynasty become what it is today, and how did I end up like this step by step?
Qianlong couldn't figure it out and couldn't understand it.
We asked ourselves, he really didn't do anything wrong.
There was no strategic or tactical mistake, but he was about to lose all his wealth without realizing it.
Yongxun's death made him angry, sad, and sad, but it couldn't make him escape reality.
Now, in front of this old man who has been emperor for forty-two years, it seems that there are only two ways.
One is to go down to the countryside and work as an apartment in Tianjin as Jaizi Liu wished.
Obviously, Qianlong would rather imitate Chongzhen and go to Meishan to hang himself than make the world laugh him for the rest of his life.
He is the emperor, and the emperor has the dignity of the emperor.
Sacred and inviolable! (Doubtful here)
The second is to guard the capital like Jin Aizong Wanyan Shouxu, waiting for the arrival of the soldiers and horses of the Eight Banners outside the Pass and King Qin of the provinces who are still loyal to the emperor.
At present, dozens of urgent telegrams have been sent out, such as the "Clothes and Belts Edict", "Blood Belts Edict", "Qin Wang is as urgent as the law and order" written by Qianlong himself.
If the recipient can receive the telegram and swear to be loyal to the king, it is possible that he will stand firm and wait for help in order to make a big change.
After all, the capital city wall is so tall that it has never been truly breached in history.
Whether it was Li Zicheng or Dorgon, they all stepped into this majestic capital city effortlessly.
In several previous court meetings, Qianlong also mentioned the loyal minister Yu Qian of the Ming Dynasty to his ministers several times.
Everyone knows the emperor's thoughts, but who can lead everyone in a desperate battle to defend the capital as Yu Qian.
Looking at the court and the Eight Banners, there is not a single veteran general who is good at conquering and fighting, and there is not a single budding star.
The generals of the Qing Dynasty are as dim as the dark night.
In desperation, Qianlong appointed his son-in-law, Prince Chaoyong Lawang, whom he had treated coldly for more than two years.
Because this is the only person he can recommend and trust.
Qianlong also had a glimmer of hope for the outside world.
Not all the governors, generals, and governors of the world were bewitched by Jaap Liu. There were still many of them who were loyal to him, the old emperor.
Even if the tens of thousands of Eight Banners soldiers outside the customs can enter the customs quickly, the situation is very likely to change.
However, a more complex situation has emerged.
Ursi Balan, the second son of Prince An, actually passed through Henan and returned to the capital safely from Zhili with more than 30,000 Banner Han officers and soldiers.
Needless to say, it was the Japanese who released them back to Beijing.
The arrival of more than 30,000 security troops suddenly broke the delicate balance of the capital.
Although the old thief of Sehentu did not take any action, Qianlong knew that there was not much time left for him, and there was not much time left for the Qing Dynasty.
Helpless, he would even pawn his underwear if he continued to gamble, so he could only place his hope on the boxer who made him grit his teeth.
Qianlong was fully aware of Fulehun's political stance, and he was sure that the rich thief and Guiziliu were not on the same side, and that their paths were completely opposite.
Therefore, releasing Fulhun can not only improve and ease the increasingly tense relationship between Prince Tong'an and Prince Tong'an, but also use his prestige to calm people's hearts and support this crumbling building.
"Go and deliver the message quickly and let the rich thief come to see me right away... Don't worry, the rich thief will come, because Guiziliu's proclaiming himself emperor means that he and the rich thief have nothing in common."
Qianlong believed that Fulehun would not refuse his appointment because they had a common enemy.
"emperor,"
However, He Shen hesitated and refused to go to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment to convey the order, because he felt that releasing Fulhun would probably put the emperor in trouble again.
Looking at this handsome man who was extremely loyal to him, Qianlong felt a little sad and sighed slightly: "Even so, I am willing."
After saying that, he shook his head and said, "Yong Cun is my flesh and blood after all. It is better to pass the throne to him than to let that traitor Liu De go!"
He Shen remained silent, knowing that this was indeed the best ending.
"I have been your lord for forty-two years, and I have been illustrious in both civil and military affairs. I know that I have never committed any great evil, and I will die without hatred. Those whom I hate have been passed down from my ancestors for hundreds of years. If I were to exterminate them, my country would be destroyed along with the debauched and violent kings from ancient times.
Your Majesty, I am really unwilling to accept this!"
Qianlong's eyes still flickered with the small flames of battle.
...........
When He Shen arrived at the Penal Department Prison, the rich thief and the Kui thief were playing chess across the fence.
"Three cars flat three."
"The car in front goes in second."
"Horse two into three."
"..."
The two thieves, Fu and Kui, played very seriously. There were no chess pieces in their hands, and there was no chess map even drawn on the ground. However, the two of them were like two Nascent Soul masters fighting with each other, concentrating and mastering the game, which made people confused.
"Fuzhong Hall, a guest is here."
Queenie noticed He Shen coming in first, and couldn't help but wonder why this old man's favorite male minister was here.
The old man whose train of thought was interrupted looked at He Shen unhappily: "Have the soldiers of Guiziliu come over?"
Heshen was startled by this question, and then stepped forward to open the imperial edict and preached: "Important! Fulhun will still serve as the foreman of the military and aircraft ministers. He will be rewarded with a pair of flower feathers and a yellow mandarin jacket, and will preside over all matters of the court."
"ah?"
Queenie was greatly surprised by the content of the imperial edict: Can Fulhun, a salted fish, stand up again?! What kind of Mongolian-Chinese medicine did the Fourth Japs take?
The old rich man did not show any surprise at being released from prison. He just asked He Shen: "Tell me, how bad the situation is."
He Shen calmed down and said frankly: "In Fu Zhongtang, the traitor Jia Dongge has overran and proclaimed himself emperor in Xiangyang..."
"Huh? This traitor is really getting mad."
The old man sneered, raised his hand to interrupt He Shen who was about to introduce the situation, and said directly to him: "When the country is in trouble, we miss our good generals, and when we are poor, we miss our good wives. When there is something to do, there is no beauty, but when there is nothing, it is the spring. It's rare for old Chen to return."
You know the usefulness of my old bones, so I can just make some contribution to the Qing Dynasty with my old bones."
At this point, the conversation changed and he asked Heshen to tell Qianlong that if he wanted Fulhun to come out of prison, Qianlong would have to go to the prison in person to invite him.
"It's grand, it's grand, Master Zhongtang!"
Queenie gave the old rich man a thumbs up through the fence, and did not forget to remind him: "Master, the dog, rich and noble, don't forget each other!"
He Shen didn't say anything, turned around and walked out silently.
Not long after, Qianlong came.
He Shen wanted to get a stool for the emperor, but Qianlong signaled him and the guards to go out first, and take out the Kui thief who was imprisoned next door.
Later, he asked the jailer to open the cell door and let the rich thief out.
"emperor,"
He Shen was worried that the emperor would be in danger if this happened.
"Do as I say."
Qianlong's tone left no room for doubt.
"嗻!"
He Shen did not dare to disobey the order, so he and his guards quickly escorted Kui and retreated to the duty room in the distance.
In the prison, only Qianlong, who was obviously haggard, and Lao Fu, who was a little put on weight, were left.
"emperor!"
The moment the old man stepped out of the cell door, the dust on the ground instantly rose like a tornado, and a powerful wave of true energy rushed towards Qianlong's face.
There are only a few square meters of space that seem to be affected by mysterious forces. They are constantly distorting and seem to be broken at any time.
"call!"
After Luck forcibly resisted the mental attack, Qianlong took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Fu Qing, let's stick to the old rules and stop at this."