Volume 2 Southern Part Chapter 61 Hot Blood (4)

  Half an hour ago, Zhu Ciyan had already arrived at the first relay point thirty miles away. From a distance, he saw the Crown Prince's carriage and the Donggong cavalry rushing over, and everyone at the relay point was excited.

  Feng Kai-chang also led more than 100 officers and men of the Tianjin Patrol Brigade, after the two sides merged, there were new sedan chairs and large carts gathering, the convoy became even more magnificent, everyone was greatly encouraged.

  "Please get on the carriage and sit down, Your Highness. Riding horses continuously is too exhausting!"

  Feng Kui Zhang today resumed his usual attire, wearing a square scarf and a loose shirt, with a sword hanging from his waist, looking very elegant. Seeing Zhu Ci Yun's face filled with worry, anger, and fatigue, he rode up to him and advised: "To reach Tianjin, this procession will take at least two days, Your Highness hasn't slept all night, why not rest for a bit now?"

  "Uh, I couldn't sleep."

  After leaving the city, Zhu Ciwen was in a depressed mood. At this time, he was also in such a state. Feng Kai Zhang made a gesture and looked around, but didn't see Wang Jia Yan and Li Bang Hua anywhere. His heart suddenly sank, and he thought of Wei Yue not coming either. So, he understood why Zhu Ciwen was like that.

  He bears a heavy responsibility, and the important officials who have arrived in Tianjin with his uncle are almost daily exchanging several messages. The whereabouts of the Emperor and the Crown Prince are making those old ministers anxious to the point of jumping up and down. Fortunately, yesterday the Crown Prince decided not to wait for the Emperor's decision and set out first. Now that he has safely left the city, he can head south without any further ado.

  "Please, Your Highness, consider the state affairs as important!"

  "No!" Zhu Ciwen shook his head suddenly, as if he had come to a realization. He resolutely said to Feng Kechang: "For the sake of national affairs, I cannot leave now!"

  Feng Kechang was greatly alarmed and cried out: "Your Highness!"

  "If the Great Ming had an undisputed heir, whether it was the Emperor of Zhengtong going to Nanjing or me, the Crown Prince, going to Nanjing, the effect would be the same. If you want to win over the hearts of the officials and make the world feel that the Great Ming still has a national destiny and the strength for one more battle, then Father Emperor must also go to Nanjing!"

  Just now, Zhu Ci Yun had always had a layer of thought in his heart, but it was vague and unclear. Until this moment, he finally understood why he had been feeling uneasy all along!

  Chongzhen did not flee, and it cannot be said that this national destiny is irreversible, but it is undoubtedly extremely difficult.

  Others don't know, but he knows that the current Ming dynasty is rotten to the core. There's a person who everyone looks up to, and it's wonderful because this time if he takes charge of things himself, Chongzhen will give him free rein in many matters, and with him holding down those minor devils, giving himself some autonomy... perhaps turning around the country's fate can still yield a few more percentage points!

  "Your Highness!" Feng Kai Zhang shouted in his ear again.

  "Hey!" Zhu Ciwen had already turned his horse's head, looking at this golden horse jade hall noble son so hastily, only smiled and said: "Some things are stupid, but still have to be done."

  "Your Highness, how unwise!"

  "It's really unwise..." Zhu Ciyan smiled and said: "However, that's my dad... throwing him away and leaving, isn't that too impolite?"

  "It... " At this point, Feng Kai Zhang was speechless and didn't know what to say. It was also at this moment that he felt the Crown Prince, whom he had never understood before, actually had some substance to him, something tangible and visible.

  As for Zhu Ciwen himself, after making this decision, he was also extremely relieved. Only at this time did he truly merge with the original Zhu Ciwen and integrate with this turbulent era that would shake the world and bring together all the heroes!

  At this critical moment, even if it's a matter of life and death, he doesn't dare to take the risk, not even for his own father; how can he be expected to rally all the heroes in the world, and turn around the fate of the country on the brink of collapse?

  "What a thrill!" Not far away, Wang Yuan, who was riding on a tall horse and looked even more sturdy, grinned from ear to ear: "Following me, I think it's very smart, extremely smart."

  "Shut up!" Although Li Gong scolded him, he himself couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  At such a time and in such a position, how can one not inspire people's spirit and make them rally around with enthusiasm!

  ……

  ……

  Zhu Ciyan returned to Chaoyang Gate, not only beyond the enemy's expectation, but also beyond everyone's expectation on the scene. At first glance, Wei Yue and others were naturally shocked and grateful, and many inner riding soldiers had tears streaming down their faces, deeply moved.

  Since Wei Xun has already returned first, the news that the vanguard will send elite cavalry to Beijing will definitely be delivered.

  In this case, the prince will definitely go first, and Wei Yue and others are also very clear about it.

  They fought against the enemy cavalry with a desperate determination to die, and now that they saw the crown prince coming to their aid, how could they not be overjoyed?

  It turned out that after the joy, Wei Yue danced with a knife and fought fiercely, thinking: "The little master is kind, but it seems that he doesn't have the emperor's determination? In this situation, I'm afraid the emperor won't come back?"

  Those who think like him are also a group of Chaoyangmen.

  "Alas, alas!" Wang Jiayan shook his head and said: "The Crown Prince's actions are quite unwise."

  "It's all gone, let's just head south with one heart, why bother with such a futile effort?" Li Banghua was extremely dissatisfied in his words, but his face was already streaked with old tears, and he was choked with sobs.

  "Pass the order!" Wang Jiayan shouted loudly: "Quickly exit the city to assist the Crown Prince, and strike down the enemy in front of us! Also, order someone to immediately scout out the road conditions from Chaoyang Gate to Dong'an Gate. If there are any bandits on horseback, report back immediately with an alarm!"

  "Right, right!" Li Banghua wiped away his tears and continued: "The Crown Prince's return must be to assist the Emperor in escaping the city. Therefore, we should prepare first."

  ……

  At the same time, as the morning sun rises and all things come back to life, Chongzhen also calmly and peacefully embarked on his path to death.

  The determination had been made long ago, although Chongzhen was wavering between fleeing and sacrificing the country. At the last moment, he still fantasized that the Gengjing army would come to rescue him, or that the imperial relatives and eunuchs could escort him to escape during the Li Zicheng's siege of the city... But in any case, at the last moment, when he heard the news of the enemy entering the city, Chongzhen did not have a single hesitant attitude.

  The last glance at the magnificent imperial palace, on the platform of the Qianqing Palace, the three main halls stood majestically in front of him. Chongzhen sighed and said to himself: "I don't know when my son will be able to return here, burn incense for me, and tell me that the Ming dynasty has risen again. If it really can be so, I will not be ashamed when serving my ancestors in the underworld." With his usual self-righteous personality, he felt that everyone owed him, rather than acknowledging his own inadequacies. At this moment, he could only place his hopes on his son, because he himself had reached a dead end.

  Looking around, the eunuchs and palace staff in the surrounding area already showed signs of unrest. Looking again at the palace, the East One and West One Long Streets were chaotic, with people running around everywhere, wearing all sorts of clothing. In the nearby Jinshui River, there were already palace staff and eunuchs lining up to jump into the river and die for their country, only fewer eunuchs than palace staff.

  Chongzhen sighed and didn't bother with the matter anymore, waving his hand and turning to Wang Cheng'en: "Go, all the eunuchs of the Qianqing Palace are going to the Zhengyang Gate to assist in the battle or defend the Imperial City. Wang Cheng'en, just you follow me."

  "Yes!" Wang Chengen also took a deep breath. As a human being, he would naturally die miserably, but he had received too much kindness from the emperor and had already settled his family affairs and bid farewell to his relatives who were fleeing south. With no other concerns in mind, he was determined to defend the city to the death as the eunuch in charge of the entire city's defenses, upholding the last stronghold for Chongzhen.

  He was a eunuch who had been close to Chongzhen since the time of Xianwang, so he was extremely unwilling for the emperor to fall into the hands of the bandits, and bitterly pleaded with him, but in the end he may not have been able to avoid disaster.

  Look at the ending of Zhu Ming's relatives and you will know. Fu Wang was also a close relative, but he was chopped into minced meat by Li Zicheng and distributed to the soldiers as food. A few days ago, the entire family of Dai Wang was killed. It is better for him to take his own life than to suffer such humiliation. As a eunuch serving the emperor, he naturally followed the emperor's side and served him well in this last major event of his life.

  At this point, he listened to the order and responded with a faint voice. Then, he led the way in front of him from the east side of the Qianqing Palace, all the way to the Xuanwu Gate.

  To Mount Meishan, the highest place in Beijing, to observe the situation of the whole city, and finally take a last look at the entire imperial palace, Nancheng, Nangong, Xiyuan, and then die with the country, this is Chongzhen's last wish.

  At this time, the palace was in great chaos, and no one was in control. Except for a small number of people who resisted at the Imperial City and Zhengyang Gate, most of the eunuchs had already fled the city to surrender. Those left in the palace were mostly useless and timid individuals, who could not be controlled at this time. Throughout the entire palace, there were swarms of panicked palace servants and eunuchs running about like headless flies.

  Fortunately, Chongzhen and the others did not encounter any unexpected events as they walked along the street. The Xuanwu Gate was open, and the Wansui Mountain was littered with all sorts of debris and garbage everywhere. There were no longer any palace eunuchs or imperial guards, only empty halls and various drill grounds remained.

  Chongzhen trudged along, feeling sometimes oppressed and sometimes relaxed. When he finally reached the highest point, he looked down and felt his heart clear up. The past scenes flashed before his eyes like a painting, including the happy scene of climbing high with Empress Tian on Double Ninth Festival, which he had no time to think about due to national affairs. Now it was etched in his memory more deeply than ever, and a smile spread across his face without him realizing it.

  "Alright!" He thought with a relaxed face: "Tianfei has been underground for a long time, I have a good son, and I can rest assured to accompany her."

  "Your Majesty, the location has been chosen."

  Wang Chengen was very anxious and had already found a suitable place halfway up the mountain, where two trees were suitable for hanging. He tied the rope he brought with him into a knot and hung it on the tree, then came to urge Chongzhen again.

  "Hey, Wang Chengen, you're too rigid..." As he was about to leave, Chongzhen took off his hat and let down his hair, and jokingly said to this eunuch: "What's the hurry? This is not a matter of life and death, nor is it a meal. Look, the thieves are still outside Zhengyang Gate, they won't be able to sneak into the imperial city within one or two hours, even if they do get in, I'm afraid they won't be able to reach here within one or two days."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Chengen bowed his head and replied: "Your slaves will wait for Your Majesty to finish your business before following you."

  "Hmm, no hurry... Chongzhen just glanced down at his feet, under the morning sun, the sunlight had already spread evenly in all directions... This will be my last morning..."