"Your Majesty, Eunuch Cao is back." Wang Chengen quickly came to Chongzhen.
Chongzhen, who was sitting behind the imperial desk and reading the memorial, heard Wang Chengen's words and immediately put down the memorial in his hand and said: "Quickly, bring this person over."
Soon, Cao Huachun and Uncle Zhang were brought to Chongzhen.
"My slave, please pay your respects to your Majesty."
"I see your Majesty."
Cao Huachun and Uncle Zhang knelt down and kowtowed, while the other bowed to say hello.
"Quickly get back on your feet." Chongzhen raised his right hand and asked eagerly, "Cao Daban, please tell me, what was the result of your trip to Yuquan Mountain this time?"
The three-pronged army of the Tiger Character Banner is approaching North Zhili. The capital is already in danger. In addition, the water transportation is cut off. The price of food in the capital is getting higher and higher day by day. Even he, the emperor, can only eat two meals a day.
Not only that, the Guan Ning Army from Liaodong did not enter the capital, nor did the border troops from Jizhen enter the capital. The entire capital has become an isolated city with no one to rescue it. Compared with the previous siege of the capital, this time it is the most dangerous.
In order to gain a chance of survival, he followed the strategy of his chief assistant Zhou Yanru and used high-ranking officials and generous salaries to win over the generals of the Tiger Banner, and Cao Huachun was the person he sent to implement this plan.
Cao Huachun got up, noticed the pile of memorials on the imperial desk, and sighed softly in his heart.
The capital is already in danger of survival, but His Majesty is still so diligent in reviewing the memorials. I am afraid that except for Taizu, no other Ming emperor has been so diligent.
It is a pity that Your Majesty was born at the wrong time. Even if he ascended the throne as emperor twenty years in advance, Ming Dynasty would not be in the current situation.
"Why didn't Cao Daban say anything? Could it be that the prince couldn't win over those traitors?" Chongzhen looked worried when he saw that Cao Huachun was silent.
Cao Huachun lowered his hands in front of him, bowed and said, "This slave is incompetent and failed to complete the tasks assigned by your Majesty. Please punish me."
"Really, is it really not possible?" Chongzhen's eyes were blank, his body swayed, and his face turned gloomy.
Cao Huachun lowered his head.
As for Uncle Zhang who came to Qianqing Palace together, he said nothing from the beginning to the end. He regarded himself as a wooden stake and stood motionless.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? Doctor, call the doctor quickly."
Wang Chengen, who was standing by, saw that Chongzhen's expression was not right, so he hurriedly asked, and at the same time, he did not forget to ask someone to call the imperial doctor.
Chongzhen gently shook his hand towards Wang Chengen and said with a gloomy expression: "I'm fine. There's no need to call the imperial doctor. I'll accompany you to make me a cup of hot tea."
"My slave, we will make arrangements now." Wang Chengen took two steps back and called a palace maid to make tea.
Chongzhen looked at Cao Huachun again and said, "Cao Daban, you should also go back. You still need to keep an eye on the Beijing camp, so get down!"
He waved his hand weakly.
"Slave, please leave."
"I excuse myself."
Cao Huachun and Uncle Zhang resigned and retreated from Qianqing Palace.
The two of them were walking outside Qianqing Palace. Cao Huachun looked at Uncle Zhang next to him and said, "Will uncle go to the capital camp with our family, or return to the mansion first?"
"I have been out for so long. My family must be worried. It is better to go home and comfort my family first." Uncle Zhang refused to accompany Cao Huachun to the capital camp.
As a member of the nobility, he would not go to the capital camp with a eunuch.
Beijing camp has always been the private residence of their nobles. If you follow a great eunuch to Beijing camp, how can he live among the nobles if someone misunderstands him.
"Okay, we won't accompany Uncle Zhang anymore." Cao Huachun said hello and separated from Uncle Zhang.
The imperial palace was his base as a great eunuch. He would not go alone to the capital camp. He would need to bring some people with him from Dongchang.
Uncle Zhang left the palace under the leadership of the guards.
However, before he could get on his sedan, he saw a person approaching quickly and blocking the front of the sedan.
"My dear, please give my regards to Uncle Zhang."
Uncle Zhang, who was blocked in his way, wanted to get angry, but when he saw the appearance of the person coming and knew that he was from the British government, his tone immediately changed and he said, "Why did Butler Zhang block my sedan chair?"
"Uncle, my master has invited me!" the visitor said.
Uncle Zhang hesitated for a moment and then said: "Lead the way."
Butler Zhang turned around and gave up his seat, came to a two-person sedan in the distance and sat in it.
The bearers of the two-person sedan lifted up the sedan and walked in front. Uncle Zhang's sedan followed behind and left from the palace gate.
All the way to the door of the British Duke's house.
Butler Zhang, who was in the two sedans, got off the sedan first and quickly came to Uncle Zhang's sedan behind him and said, "Uncle Zhang, please get off the sedan and follow me into the house."
"Okay." Uncle Zhang agreed, let the bearer press the sedan, and walked out of the sedan.
Butler Zhang led Uncle Zhang to the steps of the mansion and said to a servant of the Zhang family behind the steps: "Go in and call the master, and tell him that Uncle An Xiang has arrived."
The servants of the Duke's mansion in front of the door turned around and ran into the mansion to report.
"Uncle Zhang, please, I'll show you the way." Butler Zhang made a gesture of invitation and put his legs across the high threshold.
Uncle Zhang lifted up the hem of his clothes, raised his legs to cross the threshold, and walked in.
Butler Zhang took Uncle Zhang all the way to the door of a guest room in the Duke's Mansion, and then stopped.
"Uncle Zhang, please come in!" Butler Zhang did not enter the room, but invited Uncle Zhang to come in by himself.
Although Uncle Zhang didn't come to the British government house many times, he came a few times. He stretched out his hand to open the door and walked in.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw several people on the seats at a glance.
The British Duke Zhang Weixian, Chengguo Duke Zhu Chunchen, Dingguo Duke Xu Yunzhen and Jingnan were all present.
In addition, there is Deng Wenming, Marquis of Dingyuan.
Uncle Zhang, who has the lowest rank, said hello to several people sitting in the room.
The British Duke Zhang Weixian was the oldest, and he said: "My nephew, you don't need to be polite, just find a place to sit down by yourself!"
Uncle Zhang walked to an empty seat opposite Dingyuan Marquis and sat down.
After all, among the people present in the room, he has the lowest title. Besides him, the other person is the Marquis of Dingyuan, who has the lowest title and naturally has the seat at the back.
"My good nephew just came back from the palace?" British Duke Zhang Weixian asked.
Uncle Zhang hurriedly stood up and replied respectfully: "My nephew has just returned from seeing His Majesty in the palace."
"I don't need to be so nervous, sit down, sit down." British Duke Zhang Weixian raised his hand and pressed down, indicating that he should sit down.
Uncle Zhang carefully sat back in his seat.
"This time you went to Yuquan Mountain with Eunuch Cao and met the Tiger Bandits?" asked the British Duke Zhang Weixian. Seeing that Uncle Zhang was about to stand up again, he said, "No need to get up, just sit down and talk."
Uncle Zhang sat halfway down with his butt next to the stool. He bowed first and then said, "My nephew did meet some of the tiger bandit's generals."
