Emperor Chongzhen sat down in a hurry, looking at a room full of boxes and packages, frowning: "Is the Queen going out?"
"I'm just making some preparations in advance," Zhou Hou said, "so as not to leave in a hurry and leave anything valuable behind."
"Go? Where to go?" Chongzhen asked knowingly.
Zhou Hou glanced at her husband angrily, "I'm going to Nanzhong's house! My ancestors all entrusted their dreams to Cixi. Your Majesty won't even listen to the words of your ancestors, right?"
It was just a dream from our ancestors... Emperor Chongzhen looked at Empress Zhou and became very angry! You have never seen how women can be so easy to deceive?
"Did Cixing tell you?" Emperor Chongzhen said coldly, "You just believe it?"
Empress Zhou nodded: "There is nothing better than a mother who knows a son. I have watched Cixi grow up. How can I not know what kind of temper he has? But when Cixi entered the palace to see me the day before yesterday, his whole person was completely different. ... His face changes faster than turning the pages of a book, and his words are clear and coherent, as if he has gained dozens of years of experience overnight. Who else has such great magic power except our ancestors?"
As she spoke, Queen Zhou clasped her hands in front of her chest and muttered: "Ancestors bless you, ancestors bless you!"
After Zhou Hou said this, Chongzhen also felt that something was wrong with Zhu Cixiang. He snorted: "He has changed his personality and become a lot more cunning! I don't know what he said to Wu Xiang, but he actually coaxed Wu Xiang to offer his daughter to the palace and write a personal letter to Wu Sangui to bring in reinforcements!"
"Really?" Zhou Hou's originally solemn face suddenly burst into laughter, "Wu Xiang wants to present his daughter to Cixi? That's a good thing. Cixi is sixteen this year, so it's time for him to accept a concubine... The prince We need to make a big deal out to Na Zhengfei, and there are no young maids in the palace, so why not let Wu Xiang’s daughter enter the palace to serve her immediately.”
Speaking of this, Zhu Cixi really has no luck with women! Apparently there was a beautiful wife named Ning assigned by the country, but because Li Zicheng made too much noise and could not be polite, and his father Chongzhen was not lecherous, he had not chosen a palace maid in I don't know how many years.
Therefore, most of the women in the palace are elderly, and they can be his mothers if they are younger. Moreover, Chongzhen was afraid that Zhu Cixiang would find him an elderly wife, so he sent all the palace ladies under the age of fifty out of Duanben Palace, making Duanben Palace full of old ladies!
"How can you be so casual?" Emperor Chongzhen glared at his wife, "Why is Wu Xiang's daughter also a talented person... The prince still has to go through the process of selecting his concubine. After tomorrow morning, I will issue an order to the cabinet to select Wu Xiang's daughter. Talented people for the prince.”
"It's best this way. I'm afraid those civil servants will use ancestral control to suppress people again and won't allow Ci Xun to accept talented people." Zhou Hou frowned a little.
"Isn't that right?" Chongzhen said, "Now the fate of the capital depends on Wu Sangui!"
"Then we can leave when Wu Sangui's army arrives?" Zhou Hou looked at Emperor Chongzhen eagerly, "I have already asked people to pack up all the valuable things in the harem. Cijiong, Cizhao, and Cihuan The brothers and two girls were also put away by reliable people. In addition, many people's clothes were prepared, both for adults and children. Cars and horses were also prepared, and the carriages were not from the palace. , all bought from the private sector, strong and durable..."
Even the clothes of the common people and the carriages used by the people were prepared... He was planning to escape in disguise!
Emperor Chongzhen broke out in cold sweat on his forehead. It turns out that it’s not just the prince who is a bad example, but the queen, who has always been a virtuous and virtuous person, is also a bad example, and even puts on makeup and absconds!
wrong! The queen is so honest, how could she think of this? There must be someone behind it!
"Queen, did you think of all these things?"
Hou Zhou shook her head: "How is that possible? I have been in a mess for a long time. It was Cixi who made a list and had someone send her to Kunning Palace."
It's the prince again... Chongzhen thought about it, but he didn't dare to be surprised. This kid Ci Xing is becoming more and more cunning! If he ascends the throne in the future, he will definitely be an emperor who is even more treacherous than his treacherous ministers. That group of ministers who have subjugated their country should know how powerful they are!
Seeing Chongzhen deep in thought, Zhou Hou thought that he was dissatisfied with his son's treachery, so he quickly said for his son: "Your Majesty, Cixi is also very filial... If he hadn't been there these two days, you and I wouldn't even be able to escape with our lives. Why are you talking about reviving the Ming Dynasty?"
When Emperor Chongzhen heard "Reviving the Ming Dynasty", his heart was immediately twisted. He is such a wise emperor, why did the Ming Dynasty become worse and worse under his rule?
Just when Emperor Chongzhen couldn't figure it out, an old woman's voice came from outside the main hall of Kunning Palace: "The Queen, my servant Li Yuer, needs to report something again."
Li Yue'er was the female official of Duanben Palace and the eyes and ears assigned by the Empress Zhou to Zhu Cixiang.
Empress Zhou glanced at Emperor Chongzhen, saw the emperor nodded, and replied: "Come in and answer."
Then there was a creak, and the palace door was gently pushed open. An old lady wearing a palace maid's coat and skirt walked in quickly, saluted Chongzhen and the queen, and then hurriedly reported: "Just now, Lord Chitose sent the internal officials Went to the East Palace to pick up military uniforms, armor and swords. The servant asked and said they were sent to Xizhimen. Master Qiantose will fight against the rebel soldiers at Xizhimen tomorrow..."
Fight against the insurgent soldiers! Still at Xizhimen...Zhu Cixiang is going to the front line!
Emperor Chongzhen was once again stunned by his son's extraordinary behavior. When did the Ming Dynasty ever have a prince who faced the enemy in battle?
Empress Zhou was also stunned, and then she burst into tears. While she was crying, she complained against Chongzhen: "I blame your majesty for holding on in the capital even though he could have escaped... He wanted to hold on, but he had no soldiers, no generals, no pay. Brother Chun had to go into battle in person. What if something happens?" When Zhou Hou said this, he suddenly stopped his voice, then looked up at Chongzhen, with pleading eyes in his eyes, "Your Majesty , it’s better to call Brother Chun back, let’s run away together!”
What a great idea to run away as a family! This is the wise queen’s advice!
It's a pity that Emperor Chongzhen was not good at taking advice. What he was thinking about at this time was Zhu Chunchen, his most trusted nobleman. Chongzhen stood up suddenly: "What happened to Zhu Chunchen? How can you let a child like Brother Chun go into battle? Gao Banban!"
Gao Yushun, who was standing aside, quickly responded: "I'm here, old slave."
"Immediately send someone to pass on my oral instructions. The Crown Prince is not allowed to come to battle." Chongzhen said, "Send Zhu Chunchen to me again!"
If Zhu Chunchen, Duke of Chengguo, heard Chongzhen's oral edict, he would be moved to tears. Because he could finally avoid facing the army of rogue thieves.
It is a pity that Chongzhen's oral edict did not reach Zhu Cihong and Zhu Chunchen in time. Because the eunuch who delivered the oral instructions went to Xizhimen, while Zhu Cihong and Zhu Chunchen were at Fuchengmen to watch the army of King Chuang.
King Chuang's army was certainly large, but it was already dark now and he couldn't see clearly. He only knew that there were countless torches forming several long dragons, rolling in from the southwest. At the same time, on the open ground about five or six miles away from Fuchengmen, a large bonfire was lit, burning brightly, which was very spectacular.
"What a big bonfire. Is that... where the Diaoyutai is? What are these bonfires used for?" Zhu Cixiang, Wu Xiang, and Zhu Chunchen, who was shaking like chaff, were standing on the edge of Fuchengmen Wengcheng. On top of a city gate outside. He didn't show much fear, but he was just a little interested in the big bonfire in front of him.
"That was set up by the vanguard of the bandits to point out the direction for their rear troops." Wu Xiang frowned a little. In fact, he didn't quite understand why the bandits ordered such a big bonfire. "They are all marching at night, it seems. The morale is high!”
"Need to light such a big bonfire to guide the way?" Zhu Cixiang asked, "Are they afraid they won't be able to find Beijing?"
"Of course the old camp soldiers can find them," Wu Xiang continued to talk nonsense, "It's hard to say about the newly attached Wuhe... Qiantose Master should know that birds are blind, right? It's also called night blindness. You can't see at night and can easily get lost. With a big bonfire they can have some direction."
"Night blindness..." Zhu Cixiang knew about night blindness, "do our people have it too?"
"It's not as serious as them. Night blindness is related to eating." Wu Xiang said, "After all, the capital is under the emperor's feet. The more the people eat, the fewer people will suffer from night blindness. There are many poor people there, so naturally there are more people with night blindness. Yes. I estimate that there will need to be more fire piles later. Everywhere where the camp is stationed, there will be more fire piles."
"I see..." Zhu Cixiang nodded and said to himself: It seems that the breakout time should be arranged at night. As for the specific time, we will decide after the first battle tomorrow... If we can hold on in Beijing for one more day, Wu Sangui's army will be closer to Beijing, and Li Zicheng's determination to conquer Beijing may also be shaken.
