On the first day of the first lunar month of the 18th year of Chongzhen reign in the Ming Dynasty, in Nanjing.
The flag bearer and guard team, holding bright and dazzling emperor's banners, filed out of Xipu Palace in a mighty manner. Now that the country is facing a crisis, everything needs to be kept simple, so after the Emperor's banner, there are the escorting warriors and Suwei officers and soldiers, guarding Emperor Chongzhen riding a white horse in front and behind.
After Emperor Chongzhen, there were also a large group of nobles riding in cars or riding horses. Most of the passengers on the bus were first-class concubines and princesses of Emperor Chongzhen. The number of people was much larger than when he was the Mingjun in Beijing! The one riding the horse is the prince of Ming Dynasty. The thirty-three kings in Beijing were all dressed in the uniforms of princes and princes, and followed behind the concubines and princesses.
Although everything was kept simple, and there were not many people following him - many people had already followed Zhu Cixiang to Xiaoling Mausoleum - there were five to six hundred eunuchs and maidens who accompanied Chongzhen, including the flagbearers, guard of honor, and ceremonial guards. There were dozens of noble relatives of the Tian family following behind, each with their own entourage to protect them. Seven or seven hundred and eighty-eight people gather together in one place, which is three to two thousand people!
This kind of procession filed out of Xipu and walked through the streets of Nanjing. It was a grand scene rarely seen in two hundred years!
Coming out of Xipu is the broad Dongpailou Baoyuan Street. Walk northeast along this bustling street, go up Taipingli, cross the Dazhong Bridge, cross Tongjimen Street, and enter the central yamen and government offices of the Ming Dynasty. The "core area" where the Imperial City is located - the Imperial City is currently under construction and renovation, but the various government offices south of the Imperial City have been renovated and put into use.
After entering the "core area" of Nanjing, there are West Chang'an Street, Chang'an Right Gate, Chang'an Left Gate, East Chang'an Street, East Huangcheng Gennan Street, and then Chaoyangmen Wengcheng. After leaving Chaoyangmen, you can go directly to Xiaoling along Chaoyangmenwai Street.
Now all the streets and city gates from Dongpailou Baoyuan Street to Xiaoling Xiamafang have been mobilized to guard the streets with soldiers from the new army to overcome difficulties. The soldiers of the New Army with high morale all put on brand-new red military uniforms, wore red hats on their heads, and carried bird guns with thorns on their shoulders. They stood along the street with a whistle every five steps. These are the elites of the four "All Fire Gun Associations" under the jurisdiction of the New Army to overcome difficulties. More than 4,000 people were dispatched to guard the streets where the emperor's car was going to pass.
By the way, among the new army to overcome difficulties, which has reached 150,000 in number, the truly elite ones, namely the fire riflemen of the Four Associations and the iron cavalry of the Two Associations, are now all concentrated in Nanjing.
The five foreign generals headed by the German foreign general Shi Ruien will soon be in place. Zhu Cixang will sign a Chinese and French version of the contract with all five teams. Each of the four foreign generals will be responsible for a "model regiment". Training - the so-called "Model Regiment" is equivalent to the "Association", but the organization is slightly different, adopting the formation organization method of the Dutch Morris Square. The most basic combat unit is a battalion of 500 people, and a "model regiment" has 4 battalions, excluding auxiliary forces, with a total of 2,000 people.
There is also a foreign general regiment composed of artillery officers. According to the contract, they will train Zhu Cixiang a standard field artillery regiment according to the composition of the Swedish artillery - consisting of eight artillery companies, an engineer company and a baggage company. Six of the artillery companies are equipped with a total of 24 copper-cast three-pound field cannons purchased from the Macau Bugalao Cannon Foundry, and the remaining two companies are equipped with 12-pound Hongyi cannons.
At present, the four "model regiments" and one "artillery regiment" have not yet formed an army, but the corresponding personnel have been gathered in the military camp in the Daxiaochang in the southern part of Nanjing. They are working overtime to train the formation, and they are properly "697" during the New Year. No rest.
Therefore, the only ones that can be pulled out to defend Emperor Chongzhen and Zhu Cixiang today are 4 Fire Gun Associations and 2 Cavalry Associations.
Of course, there were huge crowds of people on both sides of the street where the Fire Gun Association officers and soldiers were on guard.
The people of Nanjing have not seen such grand events as the emperor leaving the palace for many years! Moreover, the rumor that the emperor fell into the water just came out yesterday, and it still has a strong smell of conspiracy, as if there is a traitor who can't wait to plot to usurp the throne... The Southeastern scholars who gathered in Nanjing, waiting for Kaunke, also I no longer have the desire to read books about sages. Today I heard that the emperor was going to pay homage to the Xiaoling Mausoleum, so everyone went to the streets to see the emperor - even though the emperor only visited Sanshan Gate yesterday.
But it was getting late at that time, and the emperor was so high up that the people below him couldn’t see clearly. Of course, ordinary scholars and common people did not know Chongzhen, but there were still many idle and elected officials in Nanjing, and some of them had served as court officials. , all knew Chongzhen.
If they believe that the emperor is still well, then the scholars can naturally take the exam for the Ministry of Rites with peace of mind. Otherwise...you have to think carefully. Can a rebellious son who kills his father and usurps the throne really become the leader of the Ming Dynasty? ?
Now in the Ming Dynasty, where "filial sons and loyal ministers rule the world", killing the emperor and his father is the height of treason!
At this time, the sound of mountains shouting for long live began to sound on both sides of the street where Emperor Chongzhen drove through. There was also a loud-voiced chamberlain riding in front, shouting as he walked: "The Holy One has arrived, and the officials and the people will welcome him!"
People in the Ming Dynasty were required to kneel when greeting an emperor, but by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the rules were not strict. It was enough to kneel, not to prostrate on the ground, and you could look at the emperor happily. Some retired officials who were elected were already prepared. , now took out the monocular and started reconnaissance from a distance.
"It's the Emperor! He's still riding a horse and looks good..."
"Thank God, the Emperor is fine!"
"It's good that the emperor is still alive. Ming Dynasty can be saved..."
"It seems that someone still doesn't dare to risk the disdain of the world..."
"The Emperor is here, hurry up and greet him!"
"Welcome to you, Your Majesty, long live, long live, long live!"
Seeing Chongzhen's arrival, everyone subconsciously held their breath and concentrated, bowed deeply, and at the same time burst out shouts of long live the mountain.
The shouts shook the sky, shocking the heart of Emperor Chongzhen who was riding on horseback. It seems like people’s hearts are still there! Isn’t it said that if you win the hearts of the people, you can win the world? People's hearts are still there, does that mean he can still be the emperor?
...
At this moment, the Crown Prince Zhu Cixiang, his cabinet ministers, ministers, ministers, commander-in-chief and other nobles in Beijing had all arrived at the palace outside Xiamafang of Xiaoling in advance - there was already a memorial hall outside Xiamafang. The palace where the emperor and princes and ministers bathed and changed their clothes was in disrepair and was very dilapidated.
So after Zhu Cixiang arrived in Nanjing, he ordered people to expand and renovate the palace. He also wrote a plaque "Si Guo Palace" in his own handwriting and hung it at the gate of the palace... This "Si Guo Palace", as the name suggests, Just a good place to shut up and think about your past?
I don’t know who wants to think about it here?
