There is controversy in later generations as to whether Cao Huachun was in the capital in March of the 17th year of Chongzhen. Because Cao Huachun was exposed by a group of officials during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, saying that he was opening the door to welcome surrender. And he himself went to court to make false accusations, saying that he was not in the capital.
However, Zhu Cihong saw Cao Huachun's name on the "list of escorts and escorts" provided to him by Wang Chengen!
He is indeed in the capital! However, he did not hold any important position, nor did he come for official duties, because he retired and returned home six years ago. The purpose of his coming to the capital was to sell his property.
Cao Huachun’s family is rich! Because he was not the only one in his family to become prominent through hard work as a eunuch. Before he retired, he was the eunuch Bingbi, the eunuch of the ceremonial department, the admiral of the East Factory, and the chief admiral of the military affairs of the capital. His second brother Cao Huayu was also a high-ranking official. Before his death, he served as the Governor of the Left. He served as an official for forty years and made a lot of money!
Therefore, the Cao family is also a well-known family in Wuqing County, Tianjin Wei. They are the largest landowners in Tianjin Wei, and they also have many industries in Beijing.
Probably feeling that the capital was about to change hands and the Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, Cao Huachun hurried into Beijing after handling the funeral of his second brother Cao Huayu, hoping to sell off a lot of the Cao family's property in Beijing. .
However, the Cao family had too much property, and the real estate market in Beijing was not good. After months of struggling, the sale was not completed. In the end, Emperor Chongzhen, who was crazy about poverty, found out and had people find Eunuch Cao and force him to donate. Got fifty thousand taels of silver. But it made Eunuch Cao very distressed...
When he learned that Prince Zhu Cihong actually came with Fang Baojian, the central edict of "promoting the army and directing the governor to direct military affairs", Eunuch Cao subconsciously thought of the money!
So when Zhu Cixiang saw Eunuch Cao outside the door of Cao's Mansion with a sign that read "For Sale in Our House", he was an old beggar with white hair, patched clothes and wrinkles...
"Are you Cao Huachun?" Zhu Cixiang looked at the old beggar who was kowtowing to him, and felt a little dumbfounded.
Isn't it just money? As for this?
"The old slave is Cao Huachun, young master, the old slave is suffering, the old slave is poor..." Cao Huachun knelt there and cried loudly. It was really pitiful! But after crying a few times, he heard someone laughing in his ears!
Who?
The old eunuch looked up and was immediately stunned, because the one who laughed was actually the prince Zhu Cihong!
what 's wrong? The old eunuch said in his heart: He is so pitiful, a poor old man with no children and no daughter, crying loudly, but the prince is not sympathetic, but smiles so cheerfully, this is not the behavior of a benevolent king! Isn’t it said that the prince is kind-hearted? How did that happen?
Zhu Cihong was not happy when he saw the old man looking up at him, but patted him on the shoulder, "Don't pretend to be pitiful in front of me, I'm not here to ask for money!"
for free? Cao Huachun still felt something was wrong.
Zhu Cixiang pulled him and said, "Let's go inside and talk."
Cao Huachun is quite old, but because he has lived a very restrained life for a long time and has not been emptied by women, he is still quite strong. As soon as he was pulled by someone, he stood up immediately, quickly led the way, and invited Zhu Cixiang into a hall with only a few tattered pieces of wood furniture. He also said with an apologetic look: "Old slave, this place is really shabby..."
"Stop, stop, stop..." Zhu Cixiang waved his hand, interrupting Eunuch Cao, "Time is tight, and I don't have time to say this. Hurry up and have people prepare the carriages and horses, pack up the gold and silver treasures, and leave Chaoyang Gate before dark. Wuqing County, I have a mission for you!"
What's the meaning?
Cao Huachun was stunned.
Zhu Cixiang looked at the stunned Cao Huachun and said seriously: "Eunuch Cao, the mission I want to entrust to you is an important matter related to the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty... The reason why I let you do it is because I trust you the most."
Trust me the most? Cao Huachun didn't believe this! He was not familiar with Zhu Cixiang. Zhu Cixiang was only twelve years old when he retired and returned to his hometown.
"Master Qiansui, what do you want me to do?" Cao Huachun asked hesitantly.
"Go to Wuqing to gather your servants, prepare mules, horses and carts, and prepare dry food for ten thousand people for ten days... The more servants and mules, horses and carts the better, and prepare as many swords, guns, bows and crossbows as possible. As for the women and children of the clan , you can go to Dagokou first and wait."
"My master wants to..."
Zhu Cixiang looked at Cao Huachun and said in a low voice: "My father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and I are about to go south and take the sea route from Tianjin... I ordered my father-in-law and his family members to meet them in Wuqing and escort them all the way. When they arrived in Nanjing, my father-in-law and the Cao family Everyone from top to bottom is the hero of our Ming Dynasty in overcoming difficulties! And your Cao family is the whole family escorting Nanxing, and you will be reused when you get to Jiangnan. You are undoubtedly a first-class famous family!"
Cao Huachun's hometown, Wuqing, is located just between Beijing and Dagu, 150 miles away from Beijing, so it is very suitable to serve as a transit point for escape.
The distance of one hundred and fifty miles can be completed in one day at the earliest if we travel day and night. But it is also very dangerous to be exhausted and without a safe place to rest. Maybe if you encounter a small group of enemies sneak attack, the camp will be blown up!
Therefore, Eunuch Cao, the number one figure in Wuqing County, is very important!
As long as the Wuqing Cao family can be mobilized, they can give the panicked troops a safe place to stay.
Moreover, the two brothers Cao Huachun and Cao Huayu have always been in charge of the military. There must be many children in the clan who practice martial arts and join the army, and there must be a group of servants (referring to the strong men who look after the family and the courtyard) who can drive them. It is possible to draw out one or two thousand people.
This move of the whole family to the south is also a rare opportunity for the Wuqing Cao family!
The Cao family can not only leave the increasingly dangerous Beizhili region, but also become the largest family protecting Nanxing! After arriving in Jiangnan, are you still worried that you won't be reused?
Of course Cao Huachun wanted to leave, but the gates of the capital were closed on the 12th, and no one could get out without an order. However, he was still a little suspicious of the news about Emperor Nan Xing.
"My lord, is it true that the emperor is leaving? Has the cabinet agreed? Has a guard been arranged?"
Zhu Cixiang said: "I will accept Wu Xiang's youngest daughter as my concubine! Wu Xiang has already written a personal letter to Wu Sangui, and Guan Ning's army is coming to the capital day and night. As for the cabinet, there will be votes drawn up by then."
"Wu Sangui is here? Thank God..."
"Eunuch Cao, it's not too late!" Seeing that Cao Huachun was still fussing, Zhu Cixiang urged, "The thieves are coming. If it's too late, it will be too late to clean them up! Why don't you ask your family to pack their things first? I will tell you the specific strategy." I’ll tell you the details.”
Cao Huachun knew that this matter was extremely important, and if it fell on him, there would be no reason to refuse, otherwise he would be disloyal to the Ming Dynasty... The big bodyguard (Wang Qi) next to the prince seemed to be holding a sword of Shang Fang!
So I no longer hesitated and immediately accepted the assignment. Moreover, he is sensible enough and does not want the silver stored in his home. After receiving Zhu Cixiang's order, he immediately took his nephew and servant, accompanied by Li Shichun, Zhu Cixiang's lecturer, and rode out of Chaoyang Gate together on Pegasus toward Wuqing, Tianjin. The time to leave the city was half an hour earlier than Wang Zhixin.
And Zhu Cixiang got 50,000 taels of silver from Cao Huachun's house! What a fruitful harvest!
It seems that the story about Cao Huachun opening the door to welcome the surrender in the history books is also a slander. Eunuch Cao, like Wang Zhixin, is a good and trustworthy eunuch!
Just when he was about to go to the house of Bingbi Wang Yongzuo, who was ranked third in the ceremonial department, to ask for money, Zhu Chunjie, who had been sent to find Zhu Chunchen before, flew over and brought a piece of news that made Zhu Cixiang want to "swear his father."
Zhu Chunchen, Duke of Chengguo, was summoned to the palace by Chongzhen!
Why is Chongzhen so unreliable in his work? Zhu Chunchen's family is rich, and they can dig out three hundred thousand taels... But now this rich man has been summoned to the palace, and he is probably still planning some dirty tricks against him! It’s really hard to be a filial son!
"Let's go back to the inner campus!" Zhu Cixi said to the left and right, "Send people to the various city gates to deliver the order and tell them that I have been ordered to leave the palace to appease the army. The Governor-General directs military affairs and asks the guards of all gates to come to the inner campus to see them. , and receive military pay...5,000 taels of silver for each city gate!"
"That much?" Zhu Chunjie was shocked when he heard the amount. Isn't the prince's style too great?
Zhu Cixiang breathed out: "I have to give it! Tomorrow is probably the first battle, and the first battle must be successful! If you don't need a heavy reward, what else can you use?
Also, how is the process of sending people to check and seal the six gates of the inner city going? Report it right away. "
"Here!"
