Wang Jin and Ruan Xi took three thousand Tiance guards to protect the prince, queen and others. They stayed in Chonghua Palace and stopped moving.
This made Cao Xuan very embarrassed. Originally, Cao Xuan led 2,000 men to defend Dong'an Gate, but now he took out 1,000 men to rescue the prince and queen.
It is impossible for a thousand people to defeat three thousand Tiance Guards in a hurry. In addition, the prince and queen were still in the hands of Tiance Guards, so Cao Xuan did not dare to attack with all his strength.
Cao Xuan was in a dilemma. It didn't make much sense to surround but not attack. Surrounding 3,000 people with a thousand people was simply a joke. But it doesn't make sense to just leave the prince, the queen and all the concubines alone.
There was no other way, so Cao Xuan had to send his cronies to ask for instructions from the emperor, the newly restored orthodox emperor.
The mentality of the rebel army was different from that of the counter-rebellion army. Although Cao Xuan had been on the battlefield for a long time, he was also very panicked. Especially now that the situation is becoming clearer and clearer, it is obvious that the emperor is well prepared.
Moreover, the Cao family themselves did not hate Emperor Jingtai. They rebelled just to gain the overwhelming wealth. Now it's better, the Yi clan can't escape even though they didn't get the wealth from the sky.
Soon, Zhu Qizhen sent Cao Qin to Nangong, but Cao Qin had no good solution. He had to look at each other with his younger brother Cao Xuan, big eyes and small eyes.
Besides, now that things have developed to this point, Cao Qin has already begun to rebel.
In the Chonghua Palace, the emperor's personal guards were much more calm. From the commander to the ordinary soldiers, they had been informed that the 10,000 Shenji Battalion army had entered the city. In another hour, the 30,000 Xiaoqi Battalion army would arrive. Enter the city to end the mutiny.
Everyone only needs to stay on guard for two hours to survive. The most important thing is that after the mutiny subsides, everyone will receive an additional year's salary as a reward. For every rebel head chopped off, there were an additional twenty taels of silver.
Therefore, the more the Tiance Guard officers looked at them, the more they felt that the rebels on the opposite side were handsome and elegant. It was difficult to find such a kind-hearted boy giving money even with a lantern.
Zhu Qiyu was always very generous when giving money to his personal guards. The best quality of the Ming Dynasty's army is that everyone really does things for the money they get.
As long as enough money is given, the Ming army never disappoints.
But women never forget internal fighting.
In the side hall of Chonghua Palace, more than twenty concubines have died. There were seven or eight concubines sitting paralyzed on the ground, being watched closely by dozens of palace people.
Xia Shi, the eunuch in charge of Queen Zhou, directed the young eunuchs to put white silk around the necks of the remaining concubines, preparing to hang the last group of concubines.
The reason given by Queen Zhou was very high-sounding: How could the emperor's woman be humiliated at the hands of the rebels? Rather than lose your virginity, it is better to 'hang yourself' to keep your innocence.
Queen Qian and Concubine Wan Chen slumped powerlessly on their chairs. The two of them searched their hearts and minds, but could not find a reason to refute Queen Zhou.
Moreover, Empress Zhou said that all the emperor's women would hang themselves, not just the low-level concubines, but including Empress Qian and Concubine Wan Chen. After everyone else has passed, Queen Zhou will be the last to hang herself.
There is no problem with this statement in terms of etiquette, and Xia Shi and others are close confidants of Empress Zhou. If Empress Qian and Concubine Wan Chen are unwilling to show their dignity, the palace officials will force them to do so.
Xia Shi was not only the eunuch in charge of Queen Zhou, but also promoted by the emperor to eunuch Bingbi, the eunuch of the ceremony, and also in charge of the imperial seal of Shangbao. The power and ability are obviously greater than those of Queen Qian and Concubine Wan Chen.
Queen Qian's original manager, Ruan Rang, had begged for leave from the emperor and fled the land of trouble and wrong early. Ruan Rang had vacated the positions for Xia Shi's Li Jian Bing Bi and Shang Bao Jian's palm prints. Isn’t this a scam?
Since the first batch of concubines began to hang themselves, the screams could not be heard. Wang Jin and Ruan Xi stood outside the Chonghua Hall, looking at each other helplessly.
The two of them had no choice: if they rushed in with the Tiance Guards, wouldn't that be in line with Empress Zhou's saying of "not willing to be humiliated by the rebel army".
At that time, the emperor just wanted to give an explanation to the world, and he had to 'rectify' the soldiers who rushed in.
Since Wang Jin and Ruan Xi are eunuchs, can they rush in and stop them? No way!
The most important thing is that Wang Jin and Ruan Xi only have four confidant eunuchs with them. Wang Jin and Ruan Xi were not stupid. There were dozens of palace people in the palace. Two of them and four young eunuchs rushed in and were hanged to death.
As long as Empress Zhou charged Wang Jin and Ruan Xi with murdering the prince with the intention of regicide, their deaths would be in vain.
Then the most embarrassing scene appeared: Cao Qin and Cao Xuan were like ants on a hot pot, scurrying around outside Chonghua Palace. Wang Jin and Ruan Xi were also like ants on a hot pot, scurrying around anxiously in Chonghua Palace.
One inside and one outside are in perfect sync.
Wang Jin's eyes were almost red with anxiety. His little prince had countless plans and plans, but he didn't expect that Queen Zhou would be so crazy.
For other things, the emperor has given detailed arrangements, and everyone just needs to follow them. Only the emperor didn't think about the scene in front of him, and naturally he didn't tell everyone what to do.
In the end, it was Ruan Xifu who reached his heart and pulled Wang Jin to give him advice: "Godfather, please don't turn around now. Why don't we go talk to Cao Qin? He probably doesn't want to see the queen and concubines hanged." Die.
This is close to the Imperial Prison. Let Cao Qin open a passage and we will transfer the young eunuch from the Imperial Prison.
Wang Jin heard the words, touched his palms and sighed: "Yes, even though I am getting older, you are still smart as a young man. I have been the eunuch of the imperial eunuch for so many years, and then you took over the position of the eunuch of the imperial eunuch. The young eunuch who is transferred to the imperial eunuch. You can definitely live here if you come here."
Then an even more embarrassing scene occurred. Ruan Xi and Cao Qin shouted to each other and started wartime negotiations. In the end, the two finally reached an agreement. Ruan Xi quickly wrote a handwritten letter, stamped it, and ordered his confidant, the young eunuch, to appoint a supervisor.
Cao Qin didn't want all the emperor's concubines to "hang themselves", otherwise if the emperor won, his whole family would go on the road; if the emperor Gongrang won, his whole family would still go on the road, which would be meaningless.
Nangong and the imperial prison are very close to each other, separated by the Ancestral Temple and Sheji Altar.
The little eunuchs of the imperial palace naturally did not dare to neglect the orders given by their own chief eunuchs, and forty or fifty people came cheering.
Without saying a word, Cao Qin quickly ordered his men to clear a way and let all the young eunuchs in.
As soon as the young eunuchs from the Imperial Palace arrived, Wang Jin and Ruan Xi quickly led them into the Chonghua Palace.
Ruan Xi thought of this method when Queen Zhou hanged more than a dozen concubines. By the time Wang Jin and Ruan Xi called in reinforcements and rushed into the side hall of Chonghua Palace, the last seven concubines had been strangled and lost the ability to struggle, and they were about to pass.
Wang Jin and Ruan Xi quickly directed the young eunuchs to go to the rescue.
After a lot of hard work, these seven concubines were finally saved. Together with Queen Qian, Queen Zhou, and Concubine Wan Chen, Zhu Qizhen only had ten women left in total.
Queen Zhou glared at Wang Jin and Ruan Xi angrily. It was a pity that with just a little more time, Qian, Wan and the other concubines could all be eliminated.
Wang Jin and Ruan Xi were also helpless. How long had it been before the emperor's woman still wanted to fight among herself, and it was still a life-and-death method that left no room for chance.
Later, when Zhu Qiyu heard Ruan Xi's story, he was so frightened that he swore to God on the spot that he would never accept any other woman except his fifteenth favorite concubine.
It is really terrible for women to fight among themselves.
But this is all for later, but at the moment, Cao Qin has blocked the news and does not report the matter to Zhu Qizhen.
More than half an hour later, Zhu Qizhen sent Cao Jixiang to investigate in person.
However, Cao Qin pulled Cao Jixiang aside and lamented with a sad face: "Dad, we are finished. Just now Ruan Xi shouted to me, saying that in less than half an hour, the 30,000 troops of Xiaoqi Camp will enter the city.
This is all a chess game arranged by the emperor, and we have been calculated. "
Cao Jixiang had already been mentally prepared. He just sighed and fell silent.
Cao Qin continued: "The Queen Zhou inside took the opportunity to eradicate the dissenters, and the only women who respected the emperor were Queen Qian, Queen Zhou, the imperial concubine, and seven concubines. The rest could not be humiliated at the hands of the rebel army. They were all hanged to death for the sake of their name.
The prince was frightened. Although his life was not in danger, the situation was probably not good. "
"Sigh, I didn't expect that we all made a mistake. In the past, King Xi was kind, weak, and had nothing to worry about. How come he has become so shrewd now?"
Cao Qin advised: "Father, why don't we rebel before the emperor's main army enters the city?"
Cao Jixiang shook his head: "It's useless, betraying us will lead to death. If the emperor really mobilizes an army of 30,000 knights, then if we don't betray him, we will be insignificant. We are not even the icing on the cake. How can the emperor be so lenient?" Woolen cloth."
"Then what should we do? We can't just wait to die, right?"
Cao Jixiang asked: "In the past month, I have asked you brothers to work hard on your respective concubines. Have you done what I told you?"
Cao Qin and Cao Xuan both nodded sheepishly. Cao Qin smiled bitterly and said, "Why didn't I do as you said? It's more tiring than fighting. I don't know what happened to the brothers, but my waist is almost broken from exhaustion."
Cao Jixiang nodded with satisfaction: "That's good, the men of our Cao family will definitely have no way to survive, and your head wife will not be able to escape either.
But if we have made great contributions to the emperor, judging from the emperor's behavior in the past three years, we should give your concubine a way out.
I ask you to do your best to pamper your concubine, just to prevent that if the mutiny fails, you can still leave a posthumous son and continue the Cao family's bloodline. "
Cao Qin asked curiously: "When it comes time to kill the whole family, the Criminal Department and the Jin Yiwei are not fools. They will definitely check and there is no way they will leave a posthumous child."
"It doesn't matter what they say. As long as the emperor is willing, the posthumous child can naturally be kept."
Cao Qin became even more curious after hearing this: "Father, you are making me more and more confused. I said you would rebel, but you wouldn't let me. But you also said you would make great contributions to the emperor. Isn't this an obvious inconsistency?"
Cao Jixiang shook his head and smiled bitterly: "You don't know that many of these people trapped in the imperial city are a thorn in the emperor's side and a thorn in his flesh.
The emperor's plan this time was obviously coming towards them, but there was no way to rush up and kill them directly.
Simply put, the emperor needs people to do his dirty work for him, but these people cannot act in the name of the emperor.
Therefore, we cannot openly rebel, but we must find excuses to kill a group of vassal kings, nobles, and ministers.
The emperor is so smart, he will definitely understand our painstaking efforts. Although he will not say it explicitly when the time comes, he will definitely leave a way for your concubine to survive secretly. "
Hearing this, Cao Qin suddenly realized: "My father is still smarter, so who should I kill?"
Cao Jixiang smiled bitterly and said: "Don't kill those who are wise and have a good reputation. Kill those who have a bad reputation and have done all kinds of bad things."
For example, the kings of Liao and Qing committed extremely heinous crimes and suffered heavy blood debts. If you kill them, countless people will applaud you, so you will show no mercy.
Don’t touch virtuous kings like King Zhou and King Shen. In short, my father has been in the palace for so many years, and I know exactly who deserves to die and who doesn’t.
After a while, you brothers will gather together and all listen to me. You will kill whomever I tell you to kill. "
After saying that, Cao Jixiang snorted again and continued to add: "Besides, those inside are all openly rebellious and have rebelled. Anyone who doesn't deserve to die should be killed without any worries."
(End of chapter)
