Shortly after Cao Huachun left, he returned to Qianqing Palace.
"Your Majesty, the British prince said he would stay at Donghua Gate and not enter the palace." After saying that, he glanced at Chongzhen cautiously.
The British Duke's refusal was tantamount to violating the imperial edict.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Chongzhen's face darkened, and he said, "Didn't you convey the message clearly? I was the one who asked him to enter the palace."
"My servant made it clear, but the British Lord insisted on staying outside Donghua Gate." Cao Huachun took out his own.
Living in the palace, self-preservation has been integrated into the bones of these people.
Snapped!
"I gave him face." Chongzhen raised his hand and threw a tea cup out.
The British Duke's refusal was contrary to the holy will and the will of his emperor.
This made the British man who was praised just now turn into a person that he wanted to shoot to death, just because the British man did not follow his wishes.
However, he could scold him in the palace, but he also knew that he could not touch the British prince, especially when foreign enemies invaded, and the capital was still needed to defend the capital.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Perhaps the British Lord just wants to guard the Donghua Gate for your Majesty." Wang Chengen calmed Chongzhen's anger.
snort!
Chongzhen snorted coldly and said angrily: "Donghua Gate is guarded by guards. Do you need someone of his age to guard it? Or is there no one guarding my Donghua Gate anymore?"
Cao Huachun lowered his head and dared not speak.
The old people who came out of Prince Xin's Mansion all knew that when Chongzhen was angry, he could only go along with it. Anyone who went against him at this time would be punished regardless of whether he was right or wrong.
"That's all. If he wants to stay at Donghua Gate, let him stay there! He will go back when he gets tired of it." Chongzhen, who had vented his anger, calmed down a little.
An ordinary lord and an emperor can naturally take action, but when faced with a veteran of several dynasties like the British Duke, who also holds the military power of the Beijing camp, even if he is an emperor, it is difficult to do anything to him. He can only treat it as out of sight and out of mind. .
Several young eunuchs and maids in the Qianqing Palace were unlucky and became the tools for Chongzhen to vent his anger, and they were punished.
boom! boom! boom!
The siege of the Tiger Character Flag began again, and the sound of cannons was heard in the palace.
With yesterday's experience, Chongzhen's state is much calmer today, and his face is no longer full of worry because he was nervous because of hearing the sound of cannons.
The sound of cannons lasted for less than half an hour, and Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren rushed to Qianqing Palace.
"Your Majesty, something bad has happened. The outer city has been destroyed and the army of tiger thieves has entered the city." Seeing Chongzhen, Zhou Yanru hurriedly brought back the news of the fall of the outer city of the capital.
Hearing this, Chongzhen almost slipped off his seat and said with a pale face: "This is impossible. Didn't we already hold it yesterday? Why didn't we hold it today? My dear, you are not lying to me, are you? Why didn't Jingying do it?" Send someone!"
In his heart, he didn't want to believe the news brought by Zhou Yanru. The capital had been breached, and others might be able to survive, but he, the emperor, had no chance of survival.
"Your Majesty, this is true. I also heard that the British Duke, Dingyuan Marquis and others were blocked outside the Donghua Gate, and the news could not get in at all." Wen Tiren said from the side.
Hearing this, Chongzhen turned to look at Wang Chengen who was standing aside, and asked, "Have I ever made a decree to prevent the British Duke from entering the palace?"
"Your Majesty has never issued such a decree." Wang Chengen shook his head.
But I guessed a possibility in my heart. The reason why the British Duke and others could not enter the palace through Donghua Gate should have Cao Huachun's intention. In the final analysis, it was because the British Duke refused to enter the palace to meet the saint. Cao Huachun asked the guards at Donghua Gate to The British public wore small shoes to vent his anger on Chongzhen.
Zhou Yanru said: "It is no longer necessary to blame anyone at this time. Your Majesty, please issue an order to order the British Duke to lead the Beijing camp to guard the inner city and prevent the army of tiger thieves from invading the inner city."
"We also need to deploy more troops and horses in the imperial city. Once the inner city cannot be defended, there is still an imperial city to hold on to." Wen Tiren added from the side.
Chongzhen, who came back to his senses, said hurriedly: "Yes, yes, hurry up and ask the British Duke. No, I won't see the British Duke. I will directly ask the British Duke to lead the people to guard the inner city."
"Slave, go right away."
It would be natural to leave such an important matter to others to do it himself, so Wang Chengen accepted the holy order and rushed to Donghua Gate in person to see the British Duke.
At this time, Cao Huachun ran in from outside, panting.
"Your Majesty, something bad has happened." When he arrived at Qianqing Palace, he panted and said, "Your Majesty, the army of tiger thieves has invaded the outer city. It is said that someone from the Beijing camp colluded with the tiger thieves and released the tiger thieves. Enter the city."
"The tiger thief was let into the city? Who is so bold!" Chongzhen's face was ashen.
The capital city, which had gone through several wars, had never been captured by the enemy. Unexpectedly, the enemy was finally let into the city.
Cao Huachun said: "I heard that a Qianhu named Ma Biao suddenly opened the city gate while the tiger thieves were attacking the city and let the tiger thieves into the city."
"Your Majesty, the top priority is to defend the inner city." Zhou Yanru reminded from the side.
Chongzhen, who came back to his senses, said to Cao Huachun: "Assign all the people in your Dongchang to guard the inner city. If anyone is found to be colluding with the tiger bandits, you are allowed to kill them first and then report them."
"Your Majesty, take care, I will defend the inner city to the death and prevent any traitor from entering the inner city." Cao Huachun knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Chongzhen, stood up and strode away.
For him, this departure may be a farewell forever.
After Cao Huachun left, Chongzhen had the opportunity to say to Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren who came to report the message: "Fortunately, the two beloved ministers reported the message in time. Next, I hope that the two beloved ministers can appease other ministers. As long as the inner city is guarded, I believe that the British Lord We will definitely be able to repel the invading traitors."
"Your Majesty, I have a plan. As long as it succeeds, your Majesty may be safe even if the inner city falls." Zhou Yanru nervously said to Chongzhen.
The fall of the outer city had already made Chongzhen panic and helpless. When he heard that Zhou Yanru had a solution, he immediately grabbed a life-saving straw and asked hurriedly: "Ai Qing, if you have any good ideas, please tell me quickly. Don't do it at this time." I kept asking."
Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren looked at each other.
Seeing Wen Tiren nodding, Zhou Yanru said: "I hope that your majesty can abandon the capital and rush to Nanjing to plan for it."
"This is the inheritance of our ancestors!" Chongzhen looked hesitant.
I want to leave, but I don't want to leave, I feel conflicted.
If he had a chance to survive, he was still young and naturally didn't want to die, but he didn't want to be known as a runaway emperor.
"Your Majesty, you are leaving today just to return tomorrow. As long as your Majesty is still here, there may not be a day when you can regain the capital." Zhou Yanru advised.
Persuading Chongzhen to leave was also a temporary solution he and Wen Tiren came up with after learning that the outer city of the capital had fallen.
