When Emperor Chongzhen announced his personal expedition, he forgot one important thing... He did not mobilize the Pure Army to deploy defenses at the Meridian Gate!
The Huangji Gate where he is now is directly opposite the Meridian Gate, and it is the time of the Shang Dynasty, so the Meridian Gate is open. When there was a killing outside the Meridian Gate just now, the hearing officials at Huangji Gate could hear the exclamations of the onlookers outside the Meridian Gate.
In other words, Zhu Cixiang and his 1,000 fully armed soldiers were only one door away from Emperor Chongzhen.
Among the Han generals guarding Emperor Chongzhen outside the Huangji Gate, there were Zhu Cixiang’s eyes and ears—Zhu Cixun’s original East Palace guard foreman Zhu Chunjie had been in charge of the Han general camp! So after Zhu Cihong had money, he asked Zhu Chunjie to go to the Han Dynasty General's camp to spread the money.
So now a Han general quietly slipped out of the Meridian Gate and reported the news that Emperor Chongzhen was going to conquer personally to Zhu Cixiang who was about to leave.
"Your Highness, we cannot allow the Emperor to conquer it himself!"
The person who said this to Zhu Cixiang was Wu Xiang, who came from the Zhengyang Gate Tower. When Zhu Cihong entered Zhengyang Gate, he was commanding the deployment of red cannons on the top of the city. That's why I didn't go down to meet the Crown Prince. It was after I heard that Zhu Cihong was going to go on a killing spree outside the Meridian Gate that I hurried over to stop him.
It's a bit disrespectful to kill people like this in front of the emperor's house!
But he arrived too late, and he only saw dead bodies on the ground, a few baskets of severed heads, and officials trembling with fear.
Just when Wu Xiang didn't know what to say, a big Han general with a golden helmet rushed out of the Meridian Gate and reported to Zhu Cihong the news that Guang Shiheng incited Chongzhen to conquer personally and Chongzhen decided to conquer personally.
Of course Wu Xiang, Wang Qi, Wang Zhou and others also knew about it. The three of them looked at each other, and they all knew that something bad was going to happen!
How can the prince support the army when the emperor is marching in person?
Everyone has been killed so many people, how can the Crown Prince hand over the military power? Can you still live if you hand it over?
Besides, the capital cannot be defended! The people outside Zhengyang Gate were all lined up to welcome Li Zicheng's bandits! This shows that the people of the capital and a considerable number of officials have regarded Li Zicheng as their true destiny and are ready to abandon the Ming Dynasty...
The authority of the Ming Dynasty is rapidly disappearing... Authority exists in the people's hearts. Now that people's hearts have changed, the authority will disappear!
Once the authority is lost, the 20,000 people in the inner city of the capital will fall apart, and Wu Sangui's Guan Ning Army will also find another leader.
Chongzhen and his son have only one way to die!
"Old Taishan!" Zhu Cixiang gritted his teeth, "You take the fire gun to the right and occupy the Meridian Gate!
Wang Qi, take the guards from the East Palace and follow me into the Meridian Gate to face the Holy One! "
Is this a palace change?
Zhu Cixiang issued the order in public. Not only Wu Xiang, Wang Yong, Wang Qi, people from the Huozhu You Bureau and the East Palace Guard Camp heard it, but also many officials, scribes, and internal officials who were watching around.
Everyone's heart trembled... The prince is going to lead troops to Huangjimen! Is this to force the palace? Or regicide?
Li Zicheng attacked from the outside, and the crown prince changed from the inside! Can the Ming Dynasty still want it?
Zhu Cixiang's face was as dark as water, and he shouted at the top of his voice: "Gentlemen! The situation is urgent! The capital is about to lose its defense, my father is unwilling to be lucky, and the country of our ancestors is about to be in danger! I kindly ask you to come to the Meridian Gate to remonstrate with me." ...This is what a loyal minister and filial son did!"
It’s really not a palace coup, it’s just a military remonstrance!
Immediately someone echoed loudly: "What the Crown Prince said is extremely good. A loyal minister and a filial son cannot bear to see the king and father die and the country be destroyed!"
Zhu Cixiang immediately looked over and found that he was a green-robed civil servant. He was very young, had a white face and a short beard, and spoke a Wu accent.
Seeing Zhu Cixiang looking at him, this man immediately strode forward and bowed in obeisance: "I, Su Ziwen, editor of the Hanlin Academy, would like to enter the Meridian Gate with His Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Good!" Zhu Cixiang praised loudly, "You are indeed a loyal minister! From now on, you will be the official of this palace!"
With this compliment from him, the officials outside the Meridian Gate woke up from their dreams. This was an opportunity to get promoted and make a fortune!
Immediately, a second loyal minister appeared. He was a royal guard in Feiyu uniform. He was in his twenties and looked like a scholar. They probably came from the nearby Jinyiwei Yamen to watch the excitement.
"Ren Yizhou, one of the hundred households in Fusi, Bei Town, is willing to enter the Meridian Gate with His Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Okay!" Zhu Cixi nodded, "You are also a loyal minister! You are now a guard of this palace!"
It turns out that this is how loyal ministers become!
"Your Highness, I am willing to follow you!"
"Your Highness, I would like to be a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty..."
"I am also willing to follow you!"
Sure enough, the Ming Dynasty still had more loyal ministers! After a while, the officials and scribes watching the excitement outside the Meridian Gate were all loyal ministers.
Zhu Cixiang took a deep breath, and the air he breathed in smelled of blood! Different from his reaction when he killed Du Xun last time, Zhu Cixiang now not only does not feel nauseated when he smells the blood, but also feels an uncontrollable excitement...
"Everyone, follow me into the Meridian Gate!"
As he spoke, Zhu Cixi took long strides and headed towards the Meridian Gate in a swaggering manner. The guards of the East Palace, the gun soldiers of the Kenan camp, and the officials watching the excitement outside the Meridian Gate and seeing them as loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty all followed Zhu Cixiang. More than a thousand and almost two thousand people poured into the Meridian Gate in a mighty manner.
The main gate of the Meridian Gate is usually not open, but there is a door on the left and right sides of the Meridian Gate, called the left and right gates, which are the gates for hundreds of officials to enter the court.
The flag guards guarding the left and right gates were all just show-offs, and not many of them were on guard. Seeing so many fully armed soldiers and generals, and some carrying firecrackers, I was so frightened that I lost my soul. How could I dare to resist? ? On the other hand, the eunuch overseeing the Meridian Gate did his duty and ran towards the Huangji Gate as fast as he could, shouting as he ran: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you have rebelled, I have rebelled..."
Emperor Chongzhen had already seen it. A large group of people came in from the left and right gates. Those in front were all wearing iron armor, which was shining in the morning sun. Couldn't he be blind if he couldn't see?
Chongzhen was stunned for a moment when he saw his son rushing in with his soldiers and generals with murderous intent. Things progressed so suddenly! It has exceeded Emperor Chongzhen's imagination... He was the emperor for seventeen years! How old is the prince? Only sixteen years old! A few days ago, she was kept in a deep palace without anyone noticing, but in the blink of an eye, she brought troops to force her to invade the palace!
How can this be?
"Your Majesty, the matter is urgent. Please quickly follow the old slave into the Huangji Gate to take shelter..."
It was Wang Chengen, the eunuch and eunuch who was responsible for the ceremony, Bingbi, who reacted faster. After shouting, he went up to help Chongzhen, as if he wanted to take Chongzhen away.
Chongzhen was so confused that he didn't even think about how much authority he had left as the emperor in a dangerous city. And in front of so many people, he followed Wang Chengen, and the little authority he had left was instantly reduced to zero... At least in Beijing, no one would regard him as the emperor who sticks to his word.
Zhu Cixi also saw Emperor Chongzhen being pulled away by Wang Chengen, and now his hanging heart was temporarily relieved.
If Emperor Chongzhen did not run away, but ordered the Han general to escort him, he would confront Zhu Cixiang at Huangji Gate. Zhu Cixiang is really difficult to handle! Now the authority of the Ming court has been wiped out. This is not only the matter of Emperor Chongzhen, but also the matter of Zhu Cixiang. If Emperor Chongzhen refused to back down, Zhu Cixiang would not dare to use force. He would just "beg" someone to leave the city to appease the army - this was the last resort!
Because the prince who abandoned his father, emperor and mother and ran away with the court was an unfilial, unfaithful and unjust person no matter how you looked at it. It would be difficult for this person to establish authority outside of Beijing.
Moreover, Emperor Chongzhen was so upset by Zhu Cixiang that if he thought about it and ran away before Li Zicheng came in, it would be hard to say whether Zhu Cixiang, the crown prince, was still suitable!
Fortunately, Emperor Chongzhen was frightened by his murderous son and ran away from his throne at Huangjimen.
And this time he ran away... Zhu Cixiang had the final say in the inner city of Beijing!
Thinking of this, Zhu Cixiang shouted at the top of his lungs: "Father, don't run away, I am a filial son... I am a filial son!"
Hearing him shout this, all the civil and military officials present almost lost their breath... You, the prince, wearing a helmet and armor, carrying weapons, and more than a thousand warriors, rushed in from the Meridian Gate, and now you are chasing If the emperor runs away, can he still be a filial son?
