Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 349 Is there a conspiracy?
Zhu Cilang knew that the Zhu royal family was unlike other families, and its members truly treated each other as family members.

But he still didn't know whether he was real or fake. If he had to face that poor girl, he would always feel a little...
"Mr. Qian, do you think I should change?"

Zhu Cilang asked Qian Qianyi with a troubled look on his face, and then he became a little absent-minded.

According to the current situation, whether it is true or false, it can no longer shake his foundation.

The reason he did this was because the deal was not really worth it.

In the final analysis, whether it was Kunxing or the royal family, their value was far less than that of the Qing generals captured in Ji'an, but if he refused them outright, it would damage his reputation.

To put it bluntly, if the emperor doesn't care about his own sister, how many civil and military officials in the court would be willing to serve him wholeheartedly?

Fortunately.
"Your Majesty, I will die!" Facing Zhu Cilang's question, Qian Qianyi did not answer directly. Instead, he bowed to the ground first, and then apologized as if he had committed a serious mistake: "Although Princess Kunxing is your biological sister, and the princes are your blood relatives, those Tartar generals were captured by the soldiers at the cost of their lives. If we just exchange them like this, it will inevitably chill the hearts of the soldiers."

"Is this what you mean, or what the Cabinet means?"

"Before receiving your Majesty's order, I dare not discuss this matter with the other ministers."

When Zhu Cilang heard these words, his expression suddenly turned cold, and even though Qian Qianyi was confident in his heart, he couldn't help but shudder.

His words can be understood as taking credit, or as leaving room for maneuver.

If he makes a final statement, and Your Majesty really wants to use a group of battle-hardened generals to exchange for the princess and the prince, then it would be tantamount to accusing Your Majesty of putting personal interests above public interest.

By then, not only will it not be able to relieve the emperor's worries, but it will also cause Your Majesty to fall from one passive position to another. You will not be able to move forward and backward freely like you do now.

"My dear, what you said is not unreasonable, but it is just a bit pretentious."

"Your Majesty, urgent news from Guizhou!"

Just when Qian Qianyi's full attention was focused on what Zhu Cilang said, a voice sounded from behind him.

In this situation, he instinctively looked back, but as he turned his head, a figure hurried to Zhu Cilang's side.

"What's the matter?"

"The Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Fan Yiheng, reported that the Qing court recently appointed Haoge as the General of Jingyuan and led a Manchu and Han army of nearly 200,000 into Sichuan. The two armies have now met in Guangyuan."

As the soldier finished speaking, Zhu Cilang's heart couldn't help but make a sound. After reading the letter carefully, he walked straight to the map.

Guangyuan is located at the junction of Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan provinces. It is the only way to enter Sichuan from the north and is a place that military strategists must fight for.

According to common sense, there should be a solid and complete defense system in this place. If the Tatars want to break through it when Zhang Xianzhong is prepared, they will have to pay a heavy price.

But at the same time, Zhu Cilang also knew that Hauge's path was fundamentally different from Duoduo and Ajige.

Judging from the situation when they entered the Pass, Hauge had the assistance of Wu Sangui, and his military strength was no less than that of the other two routes.

But as time went by, the two routes to the south quickly became corrupt, but Hauge's place maintained the customs when he entered the Pass because the north had already been in ruins.

In this way, it is not difficult to foresee how the battle in Guangyuan will eventually turn out.

"Send a message to Fan Yiheng, all members of our Ming army must not take advantage of the war between the bandits and the Tartars to rob."

"Order!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the soldier was ready to go and pass on the order, but who would have thought that just as he stood up, the emperor's voice came again.

"Have Fan Yiheng send a letter to Zhang Xianzhong, telling him to focus on fighting the enemy and not to worry about the rest."

This time, the soldier learned his lesson. He did not leave immediately after Zhu Cilang finished speaking, but retreated only after seeing His Majesty wave his hand.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly, but these bandits surrendered and rebelled again, rebelled and surrendered again, and they really cannot be trusted."

If it were only the first part, Qian Qianyi might still think that his Majesty was just watching the snipe and the clam fight each other, but after hearing the second part, he couldn't help but think of the hundreds of thousands of rebel troops.

To be honest, although Mr. Qian had no good feelings towards these peasants, they had been extremely well-behaved since they returned to the Ming Dynasty. They would go south to support when His Majesty ordered them to do so, and they would settle down where His Majesty ordered them to do so. Even Mr. Qian had to admit that the performance of the Chuang Army was quite good.

As a staunch supporter of His Majesty, he naturally hopes that there will be as many such teams as possible, but Zhang Xianzhong is still alive.

"It doesn't matter. I didn't expect to subdue them. It's just that the armies of Sichuan and Guizhou are very scattered. If Zhang Xianzhong is defeated like this, they may not be able to stop the Tartars."

Since Zhu Cilang had said so much, Qian Qianyi had nothing more to say.

It's just that after saying so much, he hasn't achieved the real purpose. At this time, His Majesty is looking at the map without saying a word. Mr. Qian standing next to him doesn't know whether he should continue the topic.

"Send the order!"

"His Majesty."

"Order Li Guo to lead the elite troops of his army from Lizhou to Guizhou, and Wang Yingxiong to stay in Hunan to continue to be in charge of the reclamation."

"Order Chang Guanlin's troops to return to their base and deploy defenses along the river in case the Tartars take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble."

"Order Fang Guoan to station in Wuchang and Hou Chengzu to station in Jiujiang. Both units are to be ready for action."

Just when Qian Qianyi was full of thoughts, Zhu Cilang suddenly called out, and then a guard came in, and then he issued a series of orders.

Although Lord Qian was not familiar with military affairs, he also knew that this was a preparation for a possible war.

If he considered the previous order not to attack Zhang Xianzhong, he would understand that His Majesty wanted the Dashi Army to hold on in the front for a while longer so as to buy some time for the Ming Dynasty.

But why not Xiang Rensheng and Meichun?

Thinking of this, Qian Qianyi no longer held out much hope. He sighed in his heart and waited for His Majesty's arrangements.

"Mr. Qian, I'm afraid it will take some time before I can respond to the heaven."

"We are incompetent and cannot help the king."

Having said that, Qian Qianyi knelt on the ground again, but just as he was about to lift the front of his official uniform, he was stopped by Zhu Cilang who had anticipated this.

"I know that all the ministers have tried their best, but the three southwestern provinces are very involved. If we are not careful, the current situation will change again. I am really worried."

Looking at Zhu Cilang, who was already weather-beaten at the age of seventeen or eighteen, Qian Qianyi wanted to say something but didn't know where to start. In the end, all he could say was a bow, but there was also a sense that silence was better than words at this moment.

"No need to do that. I am supported by the people, and this is my duty. However." Zhu Cilang seemed to hesitate at this point. After three or two breaths, he continued, "We can discuss peace, but releasing Mei Chu and all the clan members is a prerequisite. Only if they agree, we are qualified to talk about other things."

"Your Majesty, I accept your order." "Then there is the matter of the wedding and the coming-of-age ceremony. Since the coming-of-age ceremony cannot be delayed, then the wedding should be put off for now. You have to take care of this matter. Forget it. I will write a letter to Duke Wei to explain it myself. Please bring it with you, Mr. Qian, when you return."

"Old minister accepts the order."

At this point, Qian Qianyi had his own way of accepting it, but when he felt relieved, he heard His Majesty ask a question casually.

"You didn't come up with the idea of ​​calling me back under the pretext of a wedding or coming-of-age ceremony."

After hearing this, Qian Qianyi felt a little embarrassed.

However, in his opinion, everything has been settled now. This is just a small trick. Even if it is exposed by His Majesty, it can be regarded as a little joke between the monarch and his subjects.

Afterwards, he gave a brief account of the whole incident, and at the end he said with a smile, "Your Majesty has seen through all of my little tricks."

"Mr. Qian is also worried about me, so it can't be considered a trick."

By this time, the atmosphere of the meeting had become relaxed. The emperor and his minister exchanged a few more words, and Qian Qianyi took his leave and began to prepare for his return to Yingtian.

Of course, he failed to achieve his apparent goal on this trip, but at the same time he did not offend anyone.

Of course, he was extremely satisfied with this result, but what Mr. Qian could not have expected was that as soon as he left, Zhu Cilang's face instantly turned gloomy.

"Let Wang Fuping check the people that Qian Ge Lao mentioned. If there are any problems, remember them first. Don't alert the enemy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards went to deliver the order. Zhu Cilang thought for a while and finally let out a bitter smile.

At that time, he did not quite understand why the emperor was always on guard against his own son. Only now did he understand that the emperors were not on guard against their own sons, but were clearly on guard against certain forces hidden in the dark.

Just like now, when he first heard about the wedding, he did not think it was inappropriate, but at a certain moment when talking to Qian Qianyi, he thought of a possibility.

If he got married this year, gave birth to a prince next year, and then unfortunately died while leading troops in battle, would the Ming Dynasty still be the Ming Dynasty it is today? Would these civil officials and military generals still be as loyal as they are now?

The answer is obvious, 70% to 80% impossible.

The local forces that have been suppressed by him will naturally regain the right to speak through their representatives in the court, and the group of generals with heavy troops will certainly take the opportunity to collude with the forces that hold political power.

To put it bluntly, when a person dies, it is like a light going out.

When Zhu Cilang was alive, he brought benefits and fear to all parties.

Whether they were willing or forced, all forces had to at least be loyal to the Ming Dynasty on the surface, and treat both thunder and rain as grace from the emperor.

But if you die, you will completely turn into dry bones within three to five years. By then, even if there are still people who remember your goodness, they can only take care of the present first and then think about other things. How can you really face death as if it were life?
just
If there is something fishy about this matter, can the people behind the plot be sure that they will seize power?

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but feel that he might be a little too sensitive.

After all, according to the current situation in the court, all parties are evenly matched.

Under such circumstances, the forces in the court are all staring at each other. Which one can find an opportunity to plan such a big event?

Unless someone is so crazy that he is willing to let all his plans become a wedding dress for others.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang was not too worried.

After all, this is a matter of assassinating the emperor, not killing a chicken from a cage.

Without the coordination of multiple forces, let alone success, I'm afraid I would be surrounded and attacked as soon as I go out.

"Where did Zhang An and the others go?"

After turning his mind around for several times, Zhu Cilang finally pulled his mind away from this matter. Then he looked at the map for a while and asked another question outside.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the two generals have entered Guangxi and are marching towards Liuzhou."

"Where are Shen Tingyang and the others?"

"Your Majesty, there is still no news from Shen Bu Tang."

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang felt somewhat helpless.

On land, messages can be transmitted by fast horses, but on the sea, one can only wait for time.

There was nothing he could do about it. On the one hand, he needed to know how things were going in Manila. On the other hand, he also wanted to bring Mei Chun and his men with him when he went to Yunnan.

Knowing the situation in Manila, it was natural for him to guess the Dutch reaction through this incident. This was understandable, but it seemed a bit unreasonable to bring Mei Chun with him.

On the surface, there are neutral chieftains in Yunnan, as well as those who are loyal to the Ming Dynasty. With the support of Zhang An and Zhao Yinxuan, the rebellion in Sha Dingzhou can be easily quelled.

But since the great Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has already entered central Yunnan, how could he be easily satisfied with just this?
Therefore, it became necessary to show strong military force to the local chieftains.

But he could still afford to wait this long.

After all, the current Zhang Xianzhong was not attacked from all sides as in history, and because He Zhen and others had voluntarily withdrawn from Hanzhong, he learned about the Qing army's large-scale attack much earlier, and did not wait until Hauge occupied Guangyuan before reacting.

Under such circumstances, as long as Zhang Xianzhong did not die accidentally, he could rely on his adopted sons and veteran soldiers to hold on until Zhu Cilang finished dealing with the affairs of Yunnan.

"It's time to return."

After muttering something, Zhu Cilang waved to the guards, then turned his gaze to the map again, but it was unclear whether he was thinking about Sichuan and Yunnan, or Yingtian and the sea.

There was probably nothing wrong with his calculations. After all, Manila was only a few days' boat ride away from the Ming Dynasty. Even if Shen Tingyang failed to cause trouble as he had arranged, he would only stay there for a day or two before returning.

But completely different from what he thought was that the fleet led by Shen Tingyang not only had not left Manila, but even planned to stay for a few more days.

"Minister, His Majesty is still waiting for our reply."

After hearing Mei Chun's slightly anxious urging, Shen Tingyang didn't know what to say.

Because of what was said in His Majesty's letter that day, the Governor of Manila not only dealt with some of the local indigenous leaders, but also sent out two Spanish officers to take the blame.

He was quite satisfied with this, but who would have thought that after rescuing the civilians who came with Liu Linsheng, they asked the fleet to take them away.

Faced with such a request, Shen Tingyang originally planned to refuse it directly, but those people claimed that it would only take three or two days to gather all the remaining people, so he finally agreed after some hesitation.

But who would have thought
"Wait one more day. If they don't come, we'll leave."

(End of this chapter)