"Your Majesty, take the order."
Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren bowed in response.
"Your Majesty, you!" Queen Zhou looked at Chongzhen in surprise.
Chongzhen grabbed Queen Zhou's hand, patted the back of her hand gently, and said: "The Queen is right, I can't leave the capital. Even if I die, I will die in the palace built by Chengzu." .”
As he spoke, he looked around with nostalgia.
"Your Majesty, I am confident that I will escort you to Nandu. I also ask your Majesty to accompany you to the south." Zhou Yanru bowed and said.
"Your Majesty, please go south together with the Queen." Wen Tiren beside him also said.
Chongzhen let go of Queen Zhou's hand and said: "Two dear friends, protect the crown prince. If the capital falls, the crown prince will inherit the great cause after arriving in Nandu."
"Your Majesty!" Zhou Yanru knelt down with a look of grief on his face.
Wen Tiren on the side saw it and hurriedly knelt down.
"Draw up the decree!" Chongzhen said.
Zhou Yanru, the first assistant, and Wen Tiren, the second assistant, were both in the Qianqing Palace. They did not need to go back to the cabinet. They started drafting the imperial edict directly in the Qianqing Palace, and then handed it over to Chongzhen for signing.
Because the inner city had been captured by the Tiger-Character Banner, there was no time for the imperial edict to be handed over to the Six Ministries for approval and signatures from the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Wang Chengen directly stamped it with a seal and handed it over to Zhou Yanru.
Zhou Yanru carefully put away the imperial edict.
Although the imperial edict process is not standardized, it is likely to be the last imperial edict of Chongzhen. The position of Crown Prince Zhu Cihong has long been determined. When he arrives in Nandu, with this imperial edict, Zhu Cihong can ascend the throne in Nandu.
At this moment, Zhou Yanru's heart was burning.
It would be more beneficial for Zhu Cixiang to go to the southern capital than to follow Chongzhen. If a young ruler ascends the throne, as Chongzhen's personal minister, he may not be able to become the next Zhang Taiyue.
After finishing the imperial edict, Chongzhen looked at Wang Cheng'en beside him and said: "My companion, the crown prince is young, you can go to Nandu with us!"
"Your Majesty, this slave is not leaving. This slave is willing to stay with you, Your Majesty. I also ask Your Majesty not to force this slave to leave." Wang Chengen knelt beside Chongzhen.
Chongzhen looked at Wang Chengen who was kneeling at his feet, hesitated for a moment, and finally sighed and said: "Since you want to stay with me, please stay with me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Wang Chengen got up from the ground.
Chongzhen looked away from Wang Chengen, looked at Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren again, and said: "Two beloved ministers, please take the crown prince away. You must protect the crown prince."
"My lord, please retire."
Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren bowed, turned and walked out of the hall.
Crown Prince Zhu Cixiang had a little eunuch serving him. This little eunuch took Zhu Cixiang's hand and followed him out of the palace.
"I won't leave, I won't leave, I want to stay with my father and queen." Zhu Cixi shook off the little eunuch's hand and ran towards Chongzhen and Queen Zhou on his calves.
Seeing this, Queen Zhou stretched out her arms to hug her, but she put her arms down halfway.
"Take the crown prince and leave immediately with the two pavilion elders." Chongzhen said sternly to the young eunuch.
The little eunuch grabbed the crown prince Zhu Cihong in a few steps, picked him up, and walked quickly out of the palace.
"Let me go, let me go, I want my father, my father, and my mother!" Huang Taiji Zhu Cixiang kept struggling in the arms of the little eunuch, calling Chongzhen and Queen Zhou in his mouth.
Chongzhen watched expressionlessly as Crown Prince Zhu Cihong was carried out of Qianqing Palace by the young eunuch, while Queen Zhou's eyes were already filled with tears.
"His Majesty!"
When the crown prince Zhu Cixi disappeared in Qianqing Palace, Queen Zhou finally couldn't help it and cried bitterly in Chongzhen's arms.
Chongzhen raised his right hand and patted Queen Zhou's back gently, and said comfortingly: "Xun'er has a way to survive only if he leaves. Moreover, he has Zhou Aiqing and Wen Aiqing by his side, and there are people around him to help him when he goes to Nandu. If he stays, The palace will only fall into the hands of tiger thieves, and your life will not be saved."
"I understand, but I feel really sad when I think about Xun'er having to suffer all the way at such a young age." Queen Zhou's tears fell down as if they were for free.
Chongzhen patted Queen Zhou's back with his hand and said, "Isn't Jiong'er still there? Go and bring Jiong'er over! I haven't seen him for a long time."
After hearing this, Queen Zhou struggled out of Chongzhen's arms, wiped the tears on her face, and said: "I will send someone to send Jiong'er here, but Jiong'er has already made arrangements, what should I do with Jiong'er? Otherwise, let Jiong'er go to Nandu with Mr. Zhou Ge and the others!"
Although the mother was reluctant to let go of her child, she did not want to see her son fall into the hands of Tiger Flag. Being able to go to Nandu meant that he would have a way out.
"Jiong'er, I have my own arrangements, so I won't be with Zhou Aiqing and the others." Chongzhen said.
Queen Zhou asked curiously: "How does Your Majesty want to arrange Jiong'er?"
The eldest son already had arrangements, and she wanted to know how Chongzhen planned to arrange their other son.
"The tiger thieves have broken through the inner city and will soon attack the palace, so Jiong'er cannot stay in the palace. I am going to send him to Jiadingbo. With Jiadingbo taking care of him, Jiong'er should be fine," Chongzhen said. Make your own arrangements.
Empress Zhou thought for a while and said: "This arrangement is good. I think that with my father taking care of me, Jiong'er will be taken care of. It's just that I pity Jiong'er because he is so young and has to live with his own." The father and the backstage are separated.”
As she spoke, she took out her handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Daban, go and bring Jiong'er and his wet nurse!" Chongzhen told Wang Chengen beside him.
"yes."
Wang Chengen resigned and left to pick up Zhu Cijiong.
Chongzhen and Queen Zhou were leaning on each other, looking in the direction outside the door, and talking quietly.
Since Chongzhen ascended the throne, the two of them spent a lot of time together. Especially since the Tiger Character Banner attacked Henan, Queen Zhou could hardly see Chongzhen, let alone be together.
Now that the city outside and inside the capital has been breached, both of them know in their hearts that there is not much time left for them, so they cherish every minute and every second they can be together.
Then, not long after the time passed, Wang Chengen ran in from outside with an anxious look on his face, and there was a young eunuch with him.
"Did you bring Jiong'er?" Seeing Wang Chengen's return, Chongzhen looked behind him, wanting to find Zhu Cijiong.
Plop!
Wang Chengen knelt in front of Chongzhen and said with a tearful voice: "I am incompetent and was unable to see the little prince."
As he spoke, he hit his forehead hard on the ground.
"What's going on? Why is Jiong'er missing?" Chongzhen's face changed and he asked Wang Chengen in a gloomy tone.
Wang Chengen lowered his head and said, "Halfway along the way, I met the man serving the little prince. It was he who told me that both the little prince and the wet nurse were missing."
(End of chapter)
