Chapter 9 Awards

  Zhu Ciyan finished speaking and fell silent, while the entire grand hall was quiet except for the sound of Chongzhen pacing back and forth.

  Chongzhen's nature is such that all the people in the inner court absolutely cannot exceed their authority and interfere with state affairs!

  In the 11th year of Chongzhen, there was an imperial guard who dared to discuss external court affairs. Chongzhen was furious and questioned him at the Gate of Divine Purity. After verifying the facts, he personally beheaded the guard with a dragon spring sword left over from the Yongle era.

  There was such a thing, and Nei Jian was indeed extremely honest. Throughout the inner court, there was no one else who dared to ask about or discuss external affairs.

  It was none other than Empress Tian, who was deeply favored and yet never dared to speak excessively about court affairs.

  Because the emperor was also suspicious and often doubted people, anyone who was slightly careless would be suspected, and once suspected, it was difficult to have a good outcome.

  At this time, Empress Zhou's eyes were brimming with tears, fearing that Chongzhen would fly into a rage and severely punish her beloved son, but she didn't dare utter a single word.

  "...your words..." After a pause, Chongzhen finally spoke up again. He seemed to have thought deeply and far ahead, but now his voice was hoarse as he looked at Zhu Ciyan and said: "If you had told me earlier, I might have listened to one or two of your sentences... But now the army has already been deployed, consuming a huge amount of silver, grain, cloth, and fodder. Just to support the army, we need more than 100,000 civilians. Every piece of armor, every weapon, arrow, iron, cowhide, and raw lacquer used by the military was carefully gathered by me and the officials from the Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, and other departments. If we don't attack these bandits, they will roam around, attacking prefectures and harming innocent people. When they capture a prefecture, all they know is to open up the granary to buy people's hearts with grain, but they only give out without collecting taxes, and do not care about production. They don't realize that this approach will make local officials struggle for years... I am really in a difficult position..."

  Chongzhen spoke slowly, his voice also filled with exhaustion, but everyone present was stunned.

  When did you ever hear an emperor speak in such a tone?

  "Originally, Father Emperor's difficulties were such, I understand now." But in Zhu Cizhao's heart, he was full of disappointment. No matter what, could the original course of history be changed? However, Chongzhen wasn't entirely making excuses either. The harm caused by war was probably unimaginable to someone like him, a modern person, and a crown prince living deep within the palace. And once the army moved, all supplies would go up; with the current power of the Great Ming dynasty, it's likely that they wouldn't be able to make up their minds to withdraw.

  But can an army of 100,000 be so easily squandered?

  Chongzhen seems to have fallen into a strange circle. The more he wants to solve the trouble and restore national power as soon as possible, the more he squanders limited resources lightly.

  The Songshan War was like this, Zhuxian Town was like this, and now the great war is also like this.

  The tragic national strength and reality created a tragic character, it is not known whether Chongzhen yielded to reality and became the present impatient and anxious temperament, or his temperament made the national affairs more and more chaotic.

  "The son wishes to request that the Emperor issue a decree, if Sun Chuanting has not yet engaged in a decisive battle with the bandits, it would be better to protect the grain route and advance slowly, rather than engaging in reckless and wasteful battles."

  "This is alright, now that you mention it today, I also think that the grain path is not very secure."

  Chongzhen hesitated for a moment, and then nodded in agreement. After all, he had been the ruler of the country for over ten years, Sun Chuanting's grain route was thousands of miles long, and there were no heavy troops to protect it, which was indeed very dangerous.

  No one mentioned it, but Zhu Ciyan just said that Chongzhen also felt that the grain path was a bit isolated and indeed dangerous.

  At this time, the father and son were like a monarch and his subject in an audience, Chongzhen was also like discussing state affairs with his ministers, sitting upright and solemnly, his expression also becoming serious.

  "My son has indeed made progress..."

  After finishing this, Chongzhen had already walked to the front of Zhu Ciyan who was kneeling on the ground, stretched out his hand and gently stroked Zhu's head and neck, and the coldness and suspicion in his eyes had disappeared.

  Zhu Ciyan's insights are so brilliant and precise... Chongzhen can be certain that the lecturers in the Eastern Palace cannot say anything.

  Even if it's a high-ranking official in the court of Zhou, there is no longer any talent that can be used. Even Chen Xinjia, who was beheaded, is now considered a rare talent when looking back.

  So there is no doubt that the eldest son in front of him, who has not yet reached adulthood, has indeed undergone a qualitative transformation!

  "Reporting to the Emperor," Zhu Cizhao was now physically and mentally exhausted, wanting only to leave. However, his temperament was resolute; having practiced martial arts before, he had trained to the point where even if his intestines were stuck together, he wouldn't have cried out in pain. Now, although he was in a difficult situation, he still had to struggle to survive, and so he said to Chongzhen: "Today, I went to inspect the inner imperial guard and saw that there were still several military officers who could be trained; I plan to select some to instruct me in martial arts."

  "Very well, I understand. If anything is needed, you can call Wu Xiang to report to me."

  Wu Xiang was the head eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, and in terms of relationship with Chongzhen, he was closer than Wang Dehua and Wang Chengen. With such an order, it is clear that Chongzhen highly appreciated Zhu Ciyan's performance tonight, which is why he gave such an order.

  "The son thanks Your Majesty!" Zhu Ciyan was also very delighted and knelt down to thank him.

  "One day you will have to pay more attention to government and military affairs, the great Ming dynasty will be yours sooner or later." Chongzhen was in a very good mood, turning to Zhu Ciyu: "I only hope that I can bring peace to the world, so that you won't really have to take up arms in the future."

  "Yes, Father Emperor will surely bring peace and stability to the world."

  "All right, withdraw. Chongzhen looked at Zhu Ciyan deeply again, then turned around and smiled at Zhou Hou and others: "A family banquet, but it's such a situation, I also feel unexpected."

  "This is the emperor's great virtue, and I also know how to share worries for the wise monarch."

  Zhou Hou did not say anything, but instead Yuan Fei came forward, smiling and praising him, it was clear that the relationship between this emperor and empress was still not bad.

  "Hmm, hmm."

  The words of Yuan Fei were very heavy, and Chongzhen sat behind the imperial desk with a smile on his face, nodding frequently.

  Such a scene is rarely seen in the inner court, and just now Chongzhen's thunderous anger also scared everyone. At this time, the atmosphere was relaxed, and Princess Changping and Princess Zhaoren were laughing first. Several princes also went to Zhu Ciyan's side, they were all 12 or 13 years old, just now Zhu Ciyan was not afraid of Chongzhen at all, speaking boldly, the two kings Ding and Yong were scared white, now that nothing is wrong, the princes still have a boyish heart, they are all talking to Zhu Ciyan, extremely admiring him.

  At the second drumbeat, Chongzhen still wanted to review the memorials, so everyone else had already left.

  Out of the Qianqing Palace main hall gate, Zhou Hou immediately grabbed Zhu Ciyan, four hands clasped together, up and down, sizing each other up for a good while.

  "I really didn't expect that the child I gave birth to would have such great accomplishments."

  "Mom!"

  Zhu Cihong is almost fifteen and really shouldn't be doing this kind of intimate action.

  "Alright, I'll let you off this time." Zhou Hou released his hand, but then took a good look at him for a while before he couldn't help but smile and said: "Little guy, really can't tell, suddenly becoming so mature."

  "Your Majesty, the national situation is unfavorable, as your son, I can no longer indulge in pleasure and leisure."

  "Alas, we women don't understand foreign affairs either. However, your performance today has also earned your father's approval. In the future, you must be more careful and able to help your father share some of the burden... do you remember?"

  "Yes, I remember."

  After such a solemn entrustment, it was not until half a watch later that Empress Dowager Cixi finally turned around the east wall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity under the escort of all the palace maids and headed in the direction of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

  Yuan Fei also smiled and said a few words, today Zhu Ciyan was quite considerate of her feelings, and he also responded with courtesy. After sending Yuan Fei off, the princes took their leave and returned to the South Three Halls where they resided. Princess Zhao Ren lived in the Zhao Ren Hall, and there were also many nursemaids and palace maids serving her. It was already so late that the little girl's eyes were drooping with sleep as she was carried away.

  Changping Princess lived in Shouning Palace, and the whole family was just together in one hall. After this farewell, even Zhao Ren, that little kid, had his own world of grandeur. It's really quite amusing to think about it.

  The sedan chair was already waiting at the bottom, and the cold autumn night in Beijing was biting. He walked while looking back, and saw that the main hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity was still brightly lit, obviously, Chongzhen had already started working.

  As soon as he thought of the fate of his loved ones in the near future, his face turned ugly.

  Chongzhen doesn't need to be said, hanged himself on Coal Mountain, a monarch died for the country, and it's still considered a worthy death.

  Empress Zhu and Empress Zhang of Tianqi Emperor, as well as Consort Yuan, all died by hanging themselves.

  After the death of Chongzhen, Empress Zhou complained that for twenty years he had not listened to a single word from her, which led to the downfall of their entire family. By then, Chongzhen could only remain silent. Because at the time of emergency, the transportation between north and south was still smooth, Empress Zhou advised Chongzhen to migrate south as early as possible, in order to make future plans. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she was shut down by Chongzhen who had a mind full of ancestral rules, believing that empresses absolutely could not interfere with politics.

  When the whole family is in a mess, it's too late for regrets.

  The original crown prince Zhu Cizhao, Yong Wang, Ding Wang and other princes first knelt down at the palace gate to welcome Li Zicheng. After the fall of the country, it's not necessary to mention how miserable and dispirited they were. The aftertaste is probably only known by these princes themselves.

  But Li Zicheng had a bit of magnanimity and breadth of vision, and did not make things difficult for the three children. He enfeoffed the crown prince as Prince Song and kept him by his side.

  However, Li Zicheng was later defeated by the hands of Jian Nu, and the Crown Prince and the two kings of Yongding also fell into the hands of the Qing army.

  The Qing rulers showed no mercy at all, falsely claiming that the Crown Prince and the two kings of Yongding were all fake, and beheaded them. The fifth son of the emperor, Zhu Ciyan, was the most miserable one, who luckily escaped in the war chaos, but later the people repeatedly rebelled in his name as Zhu San Taizi.

  In fact, Zhu Cihuan had always been in hiding and making a living by teaching, how could he have ever had the idea of rebelling?

  Hiding like this until the 47th year of Kangxi, Zhu Ci Huan was already a 75-year-old old man, with six children and one grandson, as well as a wife and a concubine, and the whole family was very harmonious.

  Unfortunately, his whereabouts were exposed. The Kangxi Emperor had Zhu Ciyan executed by slow slicing on the grounds that "although there was no actual rebellion, it is not certain that there was no intention to rebel". His wives and concubines hanged themselves, while six of his children and one grandson were beheaded.

  It's already the 47th year of Kangxi, and Jian Nu still can't let go of a declining, useless old teacher. His narrow-mindedness, stinginess, and ruthlessness are simply inhuman.

  Such an emperor, and yet there are still people singing his praises with "Long live for five hundred years", I don't even know where to begin!

  As for Princess Changping, she also staged a tragic drama known to all at the time of the fall of the country.

  When Chongzhen swung his sword and cut off her arm, he cruelly shouted: "Why were you born in the imperial family!" At that time, it was unknown which one hurt more for this fifteen-year-old girl, the pain in her heart or the wound on her shoulder.

  Unfortunately born in an imperial family...

  Starting point. Welcome, book lovers! The latest, fastest and hottest serialized works are all on the starting point of original works!

  Starting point. Welcome, book lovers! The latest, fastest and hottest serialized works are all on the starting point of original works!