Chongzhen Sunset Song

?one

"The emperor is really planning to move south?"

In Wenyuan Pavilion, cabinet minister Wei Zaode read Li Mingrui's notes, frowned, and quickly showed them to Chief Assistant Chen Yan. "This Li Mingrui must have been ordered by the emperor, otherwise, how could he be so righteous in his words for such a disgraceful thing!"

Chen Yan took the excerpt and read it hastily. He stared at him and blew his beard. He couldn't believe it. "It was rumored a while ago that the emperor intends to move south. I thought it was just a rumor, so it seems that this is true?"

"It's probably true." Wei Zaode nodded and said, "Your Majesty is really confused. Both the Jian captives and the Li thieves are entrenched in the north. After moving to the south, wouldn't they hand over a large area of ​​land in the north of the Yangtze River? This is absolutely impossible."

"What Master Wei said is true. In order to preserve the Ming Dynasty, we must not let the signs of southward migration grow!" Chen Yan said with a look of anger, and sat down with a pen and ink. , to prevent southward migration."

"Hey, my lord, don't be in a hurry, don't be in a hurry." Wei Zaode hurriedly followed, and pressed down Chen Yan's hand holding the pen, "Your official and your lord are in the same mood, but your lord is an important minister of the court and the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty. It's really the emperor's intention, so how can your lord directly contradict it? I know that there is one person who is also strongly opposed to moving south, so I can teach him to explain the matter to the emperor."

"Oh? Who is Master Wei talking about?" Chen Yan raised his eyebrows and asked.

"The Ministry of War is in charge, Guang Shiheng." Wei Zaode said, seeing the enlightened expression on the face of the chief assistant, the corner of his mouth slightly twitched.

two

As expected by Chen Yan, Guang Shiheng was very indignant when he learned of the content of Li Mingrui's submission, and wrote a long memorial overnight, and sent it to the cabinet early the next morning.I saw the black and white characters in the memorandum, eloquent, from the founding of the country to the century of the ancestral temple, from the humiliation of the Southern Song Dynasty to the disaster of Fengyang, every sentence was on the line, and the proposal of moving south was condemned as a heresy against heaven and human relations. , Even threatening not to kill Li Mingrui, is not enough to stabilize the country and reassure people's hearts.As a result, all the vacillating courtiers turned to the opposition, and those who opposed the southward migration clamored even louder, while those who wanted to support the southward migration were afraid of being labeled as heretics, and they all kept silent and dared not speak.

"I knew it was not easy to move south, but I didn't expect that a memorial would attract so much opposition." Chongzhen threw Guang Shiheng's note on the case and sighed.

"If you let Guang Shiheng spread like this, no one will dare to support Nanqian anymore." Li Mingrui bowed and bowed with a determined face, "I know the official situation, but the matter has come to an end, so I have to boldly ask the emperor to make an exception. Xu Chen goes to the court, even if the minister is single and weak, he will fight for the emperor!"

"Well, then I will trouble you." Chongzhen responded lightly, but his complexion gradually turned gray.

In the early morning of the next day, the doomed debate finally broke out.

"Lord Li's discussion is about where to put the ancestral temple mausoleum! Fengyang's troubles have already damaged the dragon's veins. If the imperial mausoleum in the capital is also destroyed, is it necessary to put the emperor in a state of eternal doom! It is such a heaven-defying thing to talk about , Mr. Li isn’t afraid that God’s will will overwhelm me!” Guang Shiheng’s voice was high and mighty, almost topple the roof, Chen Yan, Wei Zaode and other important cabinet ministers also nodded frequently and echoed.

"Master Guangda's words are wrong! Moving south may not be good for the emperor's mausoleum, but now the capital is in dire straits, Li Zicheng's bandit will invade the capital in a short time, if he insists on guarding this place, God will, Daming is already on the verge of dying! If the Ming Dynasty is overthrown, how can we keep the imperial tomb, and what's the point of protecting the imperial tomb!" Facing the aggressive Guang Shiheng and others, Li Mingrui showed no fear at all, and he was even better than that side in one word. And louder.In the main hall, accompanied by ethereal echoes, the words of the two lingered endlessly between the carved beams and painted pillars, while most of the courtiers kept their heads down and remained silent, or some words shocked the eardrums and pierced the atrium, and occasionally made people feel uncomfortable. Their shoulders trembled slightly.Guang Shiheng was stunned for a moment when he heard the words Zijueshenglu, and then he put on that dignified look again. "Master Li said that sitting in the capital is the only way to survive, but according to my official opinion, moving south may not be the gate of life! One careless, a mistake, when the time comes, both the community and the reputation will be lost. This eternal notoriety Li Your Excellency can afford it! What's more, General Li Jiantai is currently leading an army to fight against the bandits, and the victory is not yet decided, so what is the intention of Master Li to make such ominous words!"

"There are thousands of miles of fertile fields in the south of the Yangtze River, abundant food and grass, and General Zuo's hundreds of thousands of troops stationed there. Even if it is not safe, it is better than sitting in the capital and waiting to die!" Li Mingrui stared at him, and retorted, "Master Guang is deaf to the benefits of moving south, and turns a blind eye. Just blindly refute with vain words of propriety and righteousness, even if bandits enter the capital, they will try their best to prevent them from moving south, so people don’t know what their intentions are, could it be that Master Guang secretly communicates with bandits!"

"You! You are deliberately slandering!" Guang Shiheng was twitched by Li Mingrui's anger, and pointed at Li Mingrui tremblingly.

"Whether the lower officials deliberately slandered, only Everbright himself knows, and Everbright is pedantic, trying to prevent southward migration, anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is undoubtedly wronging the country and the king!" Li Mingrui straightened his back, but he did not hesitate give way.

"You little minister, how dare you tarnish the reputation of this official! You can tell everyone with your eyes, but why no one in this court supports your theory of moving south!"

"If it wasn't for Master Guangda's insistence on outdated principles, directly categorizing the southward relocation as traitorous, and forcibly blocking everyone's discussion, how could no one support this life-saving move!"

"You...you are bold! You are the one who deceives the public with your gossip, trying to trap the emperor and all the officials in unrighteousness...!"

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, they saw Chongzhen on the dragon chair suddenly get up, without saying a word, just walked straight to the door.The messenger eunuch was taken aback for a moment, hurriedly yelled to retreat, and quickly followed behind Chongzhen.Li Mingrui and Guang Shiheng saw that the emperor was gone, even if they felt unwilling, they had no choice but to keep silent, and saluted and sent them off with other courtiers.Just before the tense debate got out of control, it came to an abrupt end because of Chongzhen's inexplicable departure.

three

"Master Li, why bother to come here?" After the court, an official caught up with Li Mingrui a few steps, and his words seemed to be familiar with him.

"What does Lord Liu mean?" Li Mingrui slowed down and asked.

"Behind Guang Shiheng are the Cabinet Minister Wei and Chief Assistant Chen. They incited a group of officials to oppose the southward move. Li Darren fights with them alone. Isn't it like a mantis' arm?" The official surnamed Liu lowered his voice and tried to persuade him. road.

"Hey...Although I expected that there would be people who would not dare to speak out due to the power and influence, I never thought that among all the officials in the court, no one would dare to speak up. Everyone just dragged on like this, and they would only be willing to drag Daming down. What!" Li Mingrui clenched his fists with an angry look on his face.

"Your Majesty Li should also forgive me. Don't say that most of the people in the court are elm-headed and stubborn. Even if they want to support the southward migration, they are all burdened with a family with a bright future. If it doesn't work there, they can only protect themselves wisely, few people have the courage to overcome difficulties like Mr. Li." The official surnamed Liu shook his head and sighed.

"What about Mr. Liu himself?" Li Mingrui turned his head when he heard the words, and looked straight at the official surnamed Liu beside him. "I..." The official surnamed Liu only uttered one word, stuffed it in his throat, and only sighed after a while, turning his head away.Li Mingrui looked at the embarrassing expression on that side, his face gradually turned from green to gray, gray to as cold as iron. "If the skin is gone, the hair will not be attached. The Ming Dynasty is about to perish. What future is there to talk about?" After speaking, he turned around and walked away, ignoring the flushed face of the official surnamed Liu, the words in his mouth It seems to be proclaiming to someone, and it seems to be talking to himself, following his footsteps away, but it always echoes in his ears, lingering:

"The civil and military courts are full of mediocrity and mediocrity, and they are busy with dogs; they are ministers, full of selfishness, and do not behave in the way of ministers. How can such a Ming Dynasty still have a way to live?! Can there still be a way to survive?!..."

four

In the early morning of the next day, when the sun was three poles high, Chongzhen was long overdue.After yesterday's debate, the ministers who had identified the direction of the wind could no longer hold back, each with their own prepared rhetoric, just waiting to add their names to the record of achievements in preventing the heresy of moving south.But Chongzhen sat down on the dragon chair, and without waiting for the ministers to play, he opened his mouth, and there was an unexpected decision in his words:

"The ancestors have worked hard to fight all kinds of battles to determine the territory of the tripod. If a thief comes and goes away, it will be shameless to face the ancestors. The death of the king of the country is a matter of course and justice. If something happens in the future, that's all. I have made up my mind. Qian Yunyun, there is no need to mention it again."

After finishing the sentence, there was a dead silence in the hall, so quiet that one dared not even breathe presumptuously.Chongzhen's words were low and decisive, like a cold rain that suddenly extinguished the dark fire in the court. All the ministers who were just eager to try stood on the spot one by one, looking at each other, unable to answer for a while.

Even though he was outside the gate of the main hall, Xi Zhao could clearly hear Chong Zhen's heavy speech.The death of the monarch in Sheji - although this is just the emperor's decision and statement on the matter of moving south; despite the current situation, if it finally comes to such an ending, it seems that it should not be too much to be caught off guard, but this is real and sharp. The word "death" seemed to confirm the future that has not yet arrived at this moment. Shock, heartache, sadness, and sorrow swept over the upper body like a raging wave in an instant, making Xi Zhao dizzy for a while.No...no...how can the emperor die...the emperor is the emperor of Ming Dynasty, the king of a country, the real dragon emperor, how can the emperor die!Xi Zhao ruthlessly grabbed the door frame, her mind was so confused that she almost wanted to push the door open, but suddenly she saw Chongzhen walking towards the door, with a calm expression of neither sadness nor joy, she just said calmly, "Go back to the Hall of Martial Arts."

This year's winter seems to be particularly cold. The first month is coming to an end, but the trees are still gray and bald. There are scattered snowflakes in the sky, and there is no sign of spring.The chariot walked slowly towards the Hall of Martial Arts, the cold wind hit his face, making his skin ache slightly, Jiao Xizhao somehow calmed down a bit.The court debate yesterday has not yet reached a conclusion, why did such a decision be made unexpectedly today?Is it really because of Guang Shiheng's few words that he gave up so easily?No, this is not the style of the emperor.After returning to the Hall of Martial Arts, it was so easy to wait until the followers retreated, Xi Zhao hurriedly walked to the dragon case, bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, just now when you are going up..."

"It's not a joke." Chongzhen seemed to understand Xizhao's meaning before saying a word, nodded lightly and said, "There is no need to discuss the southward move."

"But Li Zicheng is about to approach the city, if he doesn't leave now, wouldn't the emperor be in danger!" Xi Zhao looked anxious, holding his robe tightly with both hands.

"I have already said that it is only natural and righteous for the monarch to die in the country. Besides, if the southward migration is not possible, I am afraid that this is the only way to go." Chongzhen said lightly.

"How can the emperor assert that the southward relocation is not possible? The courtiers object, but they can be persuaded slowly. Even if they cannot be persuaded, how dare the ministers refuse to obey the emperor's order? Arbitrary may not be appropriate, but now it is about the survival of the Ming Dynasty and the safety of the emperor. How can I be tripped by those stubborn and corrupt officials at this critical moment!" Xi Zhao was in a hurry, and his words were less measured, and after a few sentences, he came back to his senses, and hurriedly asked the emperor to forgive his sin.But Chongzhen was not upset, and slightly raised the corner of his mouth towards Xizhao, which seemed to be a smile, but it was so light that it was almost hard to believe. "From north to south, thousands of miles away, internal officials and foreign ministers, thousands of people, moving south is not a child's play, the future is unpredictable, and how can it be achieved by an imperial decree in the court." Chongzhen Anan looked at the sunset. , there was no sadness in his eyes, but there was no gleam of brilliance, "Guang Shiheng said a good thing. Moving to the south may not be the door of life. The whole dynasty is like this. Even if I insist on doing it, who can do it?" Baonan moved successfully."

Xi Zhao was stunned for a moment, moved her lips, but finally her complexion darkened and she lost her words.The courtiers are in various states, and they have seen all the sunsets in the past ten years.Instead of failing to move to the south, it is better to sit in the capital and use the whole royal name. Chongzhen's words, Xizhao is not unreasonable.But compared to Chongzhen or the helpless open-mindedness, although Xizhao knew it well, deep down in his heart, he couldn't accept the ending of the king's death in Sheji no matter what.Just when he was hesitating how to speak to Chongzhen again, Chongzhen got up, walked to the side of the room, took out something from the box on the bookshelf, and handed it to Xizhao.Xizhao looked down, and there was a bumpy word "Ling Ling" impressively engraved on the thick square wooden board in Chongzhen's hand.

"Your Majesty, this is...!" Xi Zhao suddenly raised her head, and immediately understood Chong Zhen's intentions.

"If something unexpected happens in the future, you can go." Chongzhen looked directly at the sunset with a serious and determined expression.

"No...no! How can Dexiu leave the emperor, even if something happens, Dexiu must live and die with the emperor!" After the words came out, Xi Zhao realized that she had said this dead word rashly again, and felt a burst of emotion Sorry, another burst of pain.

"I understand what you mean, but when a person dies, everything is over. I was born as a royal family and I can't help myself, but you have a way forward to choose, so why bother to be buried with me for nothing." Chongzhen saw that Xizhao did not accept the token, He pulled Xi Zhao's hand forcefully, and stuffed the token into his hand, and when he finished speaking, his voice trembled slightly.

"No, Your Majesty, this is far more than Dexiu's intention." Xizhao held the token warmly held by Chongzhen in his hand, but did not put it away, but looked back into Chongzhen's eyes, "Dexiu is here One person in the world, so-called everything, is tied to the emperor. If the emperor is not around, even if Dexiu lives, it is no different from everything. Dexiu has already entrusted his life to the emperor. If the emperor chases Dexiu away again, it will be If you despise Dexiu's life, then Dexiu doesn't want to live anymore!"

After finishing speaking, Xi Zhao respectfully put the token back on the dragon table, and turned around, her gaze was as firm as steel.Seeing Xizhao's resolute appearance, Chongzhen was three-pointed relieved and seven-pointed bitter, so he could only sigh quietly, walked slowly back to the dragon case and sat down, lowered his eyes silently, refused to answer, but could no longer persuade him.