Without Zuo Menggeng's stimulation, Chongzhen's paranoia would have continued.
Just like in the original history, constant mistakes and blame-shifting eventually led to betrayal and separation.
All the huge kingdoms were lost.
But Zuo Mengeng suddenly appeared, and the blade pointed at him was already at his throat.
At the moment of life and death, the young emperor finally made a little progress after repeated setbacks.
Knowing that he couldn't do anything, he still wanted to shout and kill, and even tied up all the ministers and led him to fight in person.
Does he know the consequences of this?
Of course he knows.
And what he wanted was not to die together.
This move...
It’s called advancing to retreat.
As the most domineering and violent founding king in history, Zhu Yuanzhang firmly imprinted his character on this dynasty.
Zhu Di completely learned from his father, which once again strengthened Daming's character.
As a person who would rather break than bend and become stronger when strong, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that the people of Ming Dynasty cannot lack integrity.
Especially the civil and military officials, as the pillars of the country, once they lack integrity, the Ming Dynasty will not be able to stand up.
Therefore, he has been focusing on shaping this integrity.
So much so that in the next two hundred years, loyal ministers and martyrs of the Ming Dynasty emerged one after another. Even when the Ming Dynasty is dying, there are still countless people who choose to sacrifice their lives for righteousness.
But what Zhu Yuanzhang did not expect was that this approach would cause great trouble to future generations.
The dispute over the Great Ceremony certainly strengthened Jiajing's imperial power. But in the same way, the courtiers who would rather bend than bend began to alienate from the emperor.
Especially when dealing with state affairs, if anyone is a little weak to the outside world, he will be criticized immediately.
From reputation to body, complete destruction.
However, politics cannot always be rigid.
Politics is the art of compromise.
Whether internally or externally, means are the only way to safeguard national interests.
For example, at the beginning of Chongzhen's accession to the throne, if he could really lose face, he would adopt a policy of appeasement towards the late Jin Dynasty.
The saliva and the face are dried by oneself, lying on the firewood and tasting the courage.
If we first concentrate all our efforts on solving the civil unrest in the northwest and have no worries, then we can devote all our efforts to the whole country, I am afraid that a catastrophe will come soon.
However, Chongzhen, the emperor, had a good face, but the ministers of the Ming Dynasty were too hard-boned and did not allow him, the emperor, to show weakness.
As a result, Ming Dynasty was forced to be trapped in a cocoon, as if stuck in a quagmire deeper and deeper.
This time, the crisis brought about by Zuo Menggeng made Chongzhen truly feel the disaster of annihilation.
He had to think about how to escape from the current besieged city?
Through the intelligence of Gao Qiqian, Zuo Liangyu, Wang Zhilong and Jin Yiwei, Chongzhen knew very well that among these opponents, although Zuo Mengeng was a rising star, his strength was also the most terrifying.
Naturally, the strategy of doing the easy things first and then the hard ones is the optimal solution.
But he thought of the virtues of the officials of the Ming Dynasty, and knew that once he showed his intention to compromise, the crowd would definitely attack him and put him on the fire.
These officials are not good at work, but they are good at talking.
How to solve this situation, Chongzhen thought thoroughly during the moment when he pretended to faint.
The way he thought of was to lead his ministers to the fire together, in a posture of dying together.
He knew very well that these ministers were actually most greedy for life and afraid of death.
If he really wants these people to go out with him and go to the battlefield in person, I guarantee that many people will rack their brains to stop him.
In this way, the person who chose to make peace with Shandong changed from him, the emperor, to these ministers.
No matter what the outcome is in the future, no matter how much infamy he gets, he won't need to bear it.
Chongzhen's ability to move a thousand pounds with four or two hands was extremely beautiful, and all the officials were attracted. On the contrary, I was still lucky and felt that I had saved the crisis.
"Your Majesty, after deliberation, the candidates to go to Cangzhou are Zhang Sima, Zhang Duyuan and Fu Shilang."
Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren asked for an audience together and reported the above list.
They are Zhang Fengyi, the Minister of the Ministry of War, Zhang Yandeng, the censor of Zuodu of the Duchayuan, and Fu Shuxun, the minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Zhang Fengyi is the minister of the Ministry of Industry, so he is in charge.
Zhang Yandeng is the head of the public speaking officials of Kedao, and is called the second deputy. In fact, he is a supervisor. It is also used to block the long mouths of the speaking officials.
As for Fu Shuxun, the minister of household affairs, it was for the 700,000 taels of tax silver.
Nowadays, the court is in a dilemma, the world is huge, and the biggest thing is money.
Without this money, the entire court would be shut down, and without Zuo Mengeng calling, it would probably be disbanded immediately.
However, this meaningful list is actually dispensable in Chongzhen's eyes.
He has left the problem to the officials. In fact, it is no longer important to him who to send to Cangzhou.
"allow."
Zhang Fengyi, Zhang Yandeng and Fu Shuxun, carrying the civil and military hopes of the Manchu Dynasty, left the capital with the wind and water and rushed south to Cangzhou.
They didn't know what was waiting for them in Cangzhou, so they even wrote a suicide note.
It's not that they are not afraid of death, but that in many cases, death is already the easiest.
When they die, they can still leave a name behind them, and their families can be preserved.
Otherwise, it will really be reduced to ashes and remain in disgrace for eternity.
The situation suddenly became strange.
It was clear that there was a rebellion that was threatening the capital, but on the surface the court was calm and never mentioned the crusade.
It was as if the rebellion was nothing.
Only the core figures in the DPRK knew that Chongzhen had sent a secret decree to Hong Chengchou, the governor of the three sides, and issued the sternest order.
Flood limiting Chengchou must wipe out the northwest bandits in Shanxi within this year.
Jiangnan, Suzhou.
On a tree-lined path full of peach blossoms, a scribe ran very fast and finally rushed into a cottage.
"Mr. Ximing, urgent report from the north."
Inside the cottage, Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai were sharpening their articles.
From the fourth year of Chongzhen to today, the debate between Fushe and Liu Zongzhou, Huang Zongxi and others, represented by them, has become more and more intense, and the rhetoric of both sides has become increasingly explosive.
Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai enjoyed this kind of debate.
Because this made them both more and more famous, what they wanted most now was to win the battle and then advance to the World Wen Sect.
Seeing Ji Yingzhong running in, the two of them couldn't help but stop writing. No inquiry, just waiting.
Ji Yingzhong was out of breath from running and calmed down for a while before explaining the whole story with a green face.
"Shandong Zuomengeng expelled local officials for no reason, appointed additional officials, and treated Shandong as private property. Now that the news has spread, the world is in an uproar."
Zhang Pu was startled, his face turning a strange mellow red color due to excitement.
His health has never been good. Especially in winter, he would cough continuously and almost couldn't survive several times.
It will only get better in spring.
But at this time, his body was still very weak, and he was still shocked when he suddenly heard such a big event.
Seeing that he was unstable, Zhang Cai quickly supported him and spoke for him.
"How is this kind of behavior different from treason? I wonder if the court can make a judgment and whether it has already sent troops?"
Ji Yingzhong shook his head in despair.
"No troops were sent."
Zhang Pu had already recovered. Hearing this, he said anxiously: "Why didn't the imperial court send troops? What's the point of sitting back and watching the rebellion cause trouble in Shandong?"
Ji Yingzhong was speechless and unable to answer.
He was just an ordinary scholar, and he was far away in the south of the Yangtze River. He heard a lot about the situation in the imperial court and didn't know the details.
On the contrary, Zhang Cai knows more because he interacts with high-ranking officials on a daily basis.
"The imperial court's troops are now either in Liaodong or Shanxi. There are really no troops to send."
When Zhang Pu thought about the location of Shandong, his veins popped out and he was frightened.
"In that case, if Zuo Mengeng sends his army north, wouldn't it mean that your Majesty and the imperial court are in great danger?"
Zhang Cai and Ji Yingzhong were as silent as stone, obviously having thought of this situation.
Zhang Pu couldn't sit still, and at the same time he felt that this was a golden opportunity.
"We, the scholars, have been taught by saints and honored by the emperor. Since the day we studied, loyalty and righteousness have been our flesh and blood. Now that the Ming Dynasty is in danger, how can we not shed our heads and blood? What can we do? Cherish this body?"
After an impassioned speech, he shouted: "Come here, prepare your car. I will go to Nanjing to talk to you adults."
Zhang Cai quickly grabbed him and asked, "Do you have any clever ideas?"
Zhang Puyi said righteously: "Since the imperial court is short of major generals, we in the south of the Yangtze River must shoulder the important task of protecting the country. We should mobilize all the troops from the south of the Yangtze River and go north to fight Zuo Mengeng to protect the imperial court."
Zhang Cai's heart beat wildly after hearing this.
Just rely on those weak troops in the south of the Yangtze River...
Is it really possible to fight?
