Wang Chengen and Empress Zhou are two key figures in whether Zhu Cixiang can safely leave the dangerous city of Beijing.
These two people have been fooled by Zhu Cihong for the time being. In fact, they don't need to be fooled for too long. Tonight, news of the fall of Juyongguan will arrive. Tomorrow Li Zicheng's army will arrive in Changping, and the vanguard may arrive outside Beijing...
When the time comes, no matter how stupid Emperor Chongzhen is, he will not stop the prince and Wang Chengen from planning a breakout and escape. In the original history, didn't he run away in a panic in the end? In fact, running away was a "desire". I thought in my heart and didn't say it with my mouth. As a confidant, I should have noticed it. It's just that there is no eunuch like Wei Zhongxian around him, only an honest eunuch like Wang Chengen, who is unaware that no escape route has been arranged for him. So I can only go to Meishan and end it myself!
However, it is not enough to have the cooperation of two honest people, Wang Chengen and Queen Zhou, at least they must be protected by Wu Xiang, an old and cunning warlord.
If you can't win him over, then you have no choice but to run away quietly... You can get out by running, but you will be too passive after you run out.
Just when he was thinking about how to make Wu Xiang, the old warlord leader, suffocate for his dream, Zhu Cixiang had already returned to his palace.
Before he entered the door, he saw Wang Chengen quickly coming out from the door, saluted him, and then lowered his voice and said nervously: "Master Qiansui, Wu Xiang has already arrived at the inner school grounds. You can go at any time." meet him."
"Okay!" Zhu Cixiang nodded and said to Zhu Chunjie, the foreman guard behind him, "Go to the inner school grounds, go now."
The Inner Campus is not in the Forbidden City, but in the northeast corner of the Imperial City, on the north side of Taiye Pond, next to the north wall of the Imperial City. It was the place where the Imperial City's garrison and the eunuchs composed of the Pure Army trained and reviewed. If Zhu Cixiang wanted to practice archery and horse training, he had to go to the inner school field.
Wang Chengen is now in charge of the internal and external military camps, and is in charge of the nine gates. The garrisons and pure troops in the inner campus and the imperial city are naturally under his command. Wu Xiang was assigned to oversee the capital camp and had to be under his jurisdiction... At least for now, Wu Xiang did not dare to disobey Wang Chengen's orders.
So early this morning, Wang Chengen suddenly visited Wu Xiang's residence and asked him to immediately follow him to the inner school field to participate in the defense of the city. It was still early morning on the 15th, and no one in Beijing knew that Juyongguan had been lost, so the prestige of the imperial court still existed. Wu Xiang naturally entered the imperial city with his third son Wu Sanfu without saying a word.
After arriving at the inner school grounds, Wang Chengen arranged for Wu and his son to wait in a hall, and then went to the East Palace (Duanben Palace) to find Zhu Cixiang.
"Is Wu Sanfu also in the capital?" Zhu Cixiang heard that Wu Sangui's younger brother was also there, so he asked Wang Chengen while walking, "Who else in the Wu family is in the capital?"
"Back to Qian Suiye, except for the two brothers Wu Sangui and Wu Sanfeng, most of the rest of the Wu family are here, with more than thirty people! The old slave also inquired about the number of guarding servants, and there are more than eighty people. In addition, Zu Dashou's A son also lives with them, so there are more than a dozen guardians of the Zu family."
After all, Wang Chengen was the governor of Dongchang, and he had some ability to inquire about information, and he knew it very clearly. Wu Xiang had three sons. Among them, the eldest son Wu Sanfeng followed Zu Dashou during the Songjin War and has now been surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. The second son is Wu Sangui, and the third son is Wu Sanfu. Now he comes to Beijing with his father.
"There are more than thirty people?" Zhu Cixiang was stunned, "Who are they?"
"In addition to Wu Xiang and Wu Sanfu, there is also Wu Xiang's daughter who has not left the court, several grandsons and granddaughters of Wu Xiang, and the wives and concubines of Wu Xiang and Wu Sanfu. Oh, there is also a concubine of Wu Sangui, Her name is Chen Yuanyuan, one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai..."
"Oh." Zhu Cixiang nodded and said to himself: Except for Wu Sanfu and Chen Yuanyuan, none of them have longevity. Without him, Li Zicheng would have killed them in more than a month!
Because all the big family members were trapped in Beijing, I guess Wu Sangui either didn't expect that Beijing would disappear so quickly, or he really didn't have any tricks to make his 30,000 to 40,000 old soldiers work for free...
"Wu Xiang also has a daughter?" Zhu Cixiang suddenly asked, "What's her name? How old is she?"
"My name is Wu Sanmei. She is twenty-eight years old this year," Wang Chengen said with a smile. "She is Wu Xiang's youngest daughter. It is said that she is very favored."
"Is he married?" Zhu Cixiang is already thinking about his yellow-flowered daughter... It's not because he is lustful, he is a gentleman and does not like women.
But in order to win over Wu Xiang and his son, it is still possible to sacrifice their appearance and marry their daughter.
In addition, it seems good to let Wu Sangui be his second brother-in-law... Even if he continues to be a traitor, Dorgon will probably have to defend him with five points. Using five points will not be effective.
If he could continue his relationship with Wu Sanmei and use some counter-intuitive tactics to let Wu Sangui and the Eight Banners soldiers fight each other, he would have no objection no matter who killed whom.
"Master Qiansui, isn't this appropriate?" Wang Chengen seemed to have guessed Zhu Cixiang's thoughts, and reminded him in a low voice, "It's not in line with the ancestral family law... Wu Xiang is a general, and his daughter cannot enter the palace."
Zhu Cixiang smiled: "My ancestors all entrusted me with dreams... Now that I have the responsibility to save the world, I can naturally abdicate."
"This..." Wang Chengen still shook his head, "I'm afraid that civil servants talk too much."
"Don't be afraid, they will have nothing to say in two days!" Zhu Cixiang was very sure, "Wang Banban, when I meet Wu Xiang later, you act according to my eyes and provide me with a great matchmaker!"
Seeing that Wang Chengen was still hesitant, Zhu Cixiang hurriedly lowered his voice, "Wu Sangui has 30,000 to 40,000 Guan Ning elites! We don't have one million, so let's give it to the princess! In fact, we should have given it a long time ago... I might have given it. Wu Sangui's troops are here! Even if they can get 3,000 elites, Beijing City has a chance to be defended. Zhou Yuji only has 3,000 people at Ningwuguan, among which there are only 1,000 elites from the Yongwei Battalion. Didn't they defend for more than ten days?"
When Wang Chengen heard this, he actually felt it made sense. No money, but the handsome prince is ready! For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the people of the world, what's wrong with the prince sacrificing his appearance?
Zhu Cixiang and Wang Chengen discussed it all the way, and when they arrived at the inner school field, they finally reached an agreement...the marriage was agreed in advance, and then they figured out how to do the work of Chongzhen and Zhou Hou.
In order to survive, Empress Zhou would definitely help Zhu Cihong, and it shouldn't be difficult to convince even Chongzhen, who has such a wooden head. After all, Wu Sangui has a life-saving army in his hands!
Unless Chongzhen no longer wants the city of Beijing, the inheritance of his ancestors, and even his own life, what's the big deal in sacrificing his son's beauty?
In addition to the beauty plot, Zhu Cixiang also discussed a set of lies with Wang Chengen.
At the moment, just a princess is not enough to make Wu Xiang work with all his heart. If it takes ten and a half months in the morning, it might be okay, but now the city of Beijing cannot be defended, and Guan Ning's entire army must have a good place to go. If they are allowed to stay on the desperate ground northeast of Beijing, sandwiched between Qingshun and Qingshun, the final result will definitely be to choose the master.
…
"My admiral, Wu Xiang (Wu Sanfu) of the capital camp, pays homage to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
In the lobby of the inner campus, Wu Xiang and Wu Sanfu were bowing to the crown prince Zhu Cixang who suddenly arrived.
Both father and son were a little surprised. They originally thought they were helping Wang Chengen arrange the defense of the city, but they never expected to see His Highness Guoben, the crown prince of the Ming Empire.
Zhu Cixiang raised his hand to indicate that the two of them were level. Before the formal conversation, it is better to go to the chariot first. Except for Wu Xiang, Wu Sanfu, and Wang Chengen, everyone else was coaxed outside.
Wu Xiang and Wu Sanfu were also a little confused. The father and son looked at each other, but they didn't know what happened.
Zhu Cixiang was looking at the two of them. They were both well-born, tall and burly, with sharp features and a big beard. They looked like powerful warriors. It's just that Wu Xiang's face is a little more shrewd and his eyes are flickering. Wu Sanfu, who is in his twenties, appears to be more down-to-earth.
But compared to the profiteers in the financial circle, venture capital circle and listed companies that Zhu Cixi saw in later generations, these two should not be particularly cunning, right?
