Chongzhen Sunset Song

?one

Hall of Martial Arts.

"Can Sun Chuanting set off for Baoding?"

The weather is getting warmer, and there is no longer a brazier in the Nuan Pavilion.Chongzhen was wearing a blue satin singlet, flipping through the memorial, and asked casually.

"Your Majesty, we haven't set off yet." Yang Sichang bowed before the case and answered truthfully.

"Haven't set off yet? What's the reason?" Chongzhen paused, raised his head and asked Yang Sichang, with a slight displeasure in his eyes.

"Master Sun reasoned that he was deaf and could not take office." Yang Sichang replied.

"Oh I got it."

Yang Sichang deliberately emphasized the word "Tui Shuo", but when Chongzhen heard the words, he only nodded lightly, as if he didn't realize the meaning behind the "Tui Shuo".Seeing that Chongzhen didn't blame Sun Chuanting, Yang Sichang quickly added: "But according to the officials who went to deliver the order, Mr. Sun heard and talked, and he was no different from ordinary people. He said that he was deaf, I'm afraid it was a pretext for illness, not a real illness. "

"Oh?" Chongzhen finally did as Yang Sichang wished, and frowned again, "Is he dissatisfied with this dispatch? Why did he excuse his illness?"

"The specific reason is also unknown to me." Yang Sichang lowered his head, pretending not to know.

"..." Chongzhen glanced at Yang Sichang, seemingly hesitant, and after pondering for a moment, he opened his mouth and said, "Decree, according to the imperial censor Yang Yijun, go to the military camp in the suburbs of Beijing to find out whether Sun Chuanting's ear disease is true or not." .”

Yang Yijun...Yang Sichang thought about it in his mind, and he was sure.Even though he knew that Sun Chuanting's ear disease was true, even though he knew the reason why Sun Chuanting was evading, even though he was carrying Sun Chuanting's request for an interview in his arms at this time.But the man in the crimson official uniform remained calm, and only slightly bowed his body in response to the order:

"Yes."

two

After Yang Sichang left, Chongzhen put down the booklet and stretched his sore shoulders.

"The emperor is tired, let Dexiu rub his shoulders." Xi Zhao said with concern.

"it is good."

Ever since the emperor forgave her deceit and accepted her identity, Xi Zhao devoted herself to serving the emperor twice as much.The official son with a vague memory, the chaotic street thief, and the frightened fake eunuch, all of these seem to have become dry and wrinkled skins with an old color, peeling off and shedding one by one with the passage of time. Today's sunset seems to be completely reborn Usually, what fills my heart is a real and solid sense of belonging that I have never had in the past 29 years of my life.It seems that the emperor is no longer the sage and benefactor who was out of reach in the past. This high-ranking man who is also a master and friend knows his secrets. In this huge palace, it is inappropriate to identify with and protect him. The existence of reason.That absurd dream can also become an upright reality and continue into the future. This life is so lucky, what can I ask for.

"Hey..." Xi Zhao was thinking to himself, when he suddenly let out a long sigh, interrupting his thoughts.I saw Chongzhen closing a memorial, and in the setting sun, I could vaguely see that the name of Yang Sichang was signed on the lower left corner of the memorial.

"Master Yang has done such things, why does the emperor still rely on him so much?" Xi Zhao asked while rubbing Chong Zhen's shoulders.

"That kind of thing, what kind of thing is it?" Chongzhen asked nonchalantly with his eyes closed.

"It's... Master Lu's business." Xi Zhao said, but was a little vague.After all, everything is intuition, what Yang Sichang did, he and the emperor have almost no clue.

"Now that the Qing army is retreating, it is time for his strategy of suppressing bandits to quell the civil strife, so let's not pursue those unfounded speculations." Chongzhen stretched his neck and said lightly, "Besides, don't rely on it. So what? Since the filial son is loyal, I will trust his loyalty for the time being."

"Yes..." Xizhao responded in a low voice.

So what if you don't rely on it.It seems that when the emperor also said such words.Although it still feels inappropriate to some extent, it seems that at a certain moment, Xi Zhao suddenly found that she began to understand the meaning of this sentence.Nine years beside this dragon chair, I have heard and seen a lot.Zhou Yanru, Wen Tiren, Yang Sichang.People are different every year, but flowers are similar every year.Even if Yang Sichang is dealt with this time, so what?When you use it and use it, if you don't rub the sand in your eyes, it's probably just one more cycle of the same thing.

But the problem is, where should be used, where should not be used, and how can we distinguish clearly...

three

Three days later, Yang Yijun came to Wuying Hall and returned to Chongzhen.

"Your Majesty, according to my observations and inquiries, Sun Chuanting and Master Sun can speak freely, and there is no sign of deafness. The so-called deafness is indeed deceiving the emperor with illness." This Yang Yijun looked about forty, with a medium build, and his appearance was ordinary and unremarkable.He went forward to salute, greeted him, did not gossip, and stated the results of the investigation directly and definitely.

"Is that true?" Chongzhen put down the memorial, his face gradually clouded, "Do you know why he resigned because of illness?"

"Return to Your Majesty." Yang Yijun bowed slightly, "I chatted with Mr. Sun for a while, and Mr. Sun seemed to be very dissatisfied with the transfer of the Shaanxi Army to the east. He said that there must be no shortage of soldiers in Shaanxi, and that His Majesty made a mistake in his decision. , listening to and believing, ignoring the truth... and... there are some things... it's really hard for me to repeat..." Yang Yijun raised his eyes and looked at Chongzhen cautiously at the end, as if hesitating to speak, But he didn't know that these few words were enough to be unbearable for the emperor.Chongzhen slapped the armrest of the dragon chair, anger welled up in his eyebrows, and his voice became three points higher.

"It's in vain that I value him so much, but he is so ignorant of the heights of the heavens and the earth!"

"Your Majesty, calm down, don't be so angry." The emperor was angry, but Yang Yijun's expression did not change, and he said calmly, "This Sun Chuanting bullies the emperor and speaks disrespectful words. It is true that he is so arrogant. I have failed His Majesty's high expectations. I believe that His Majesty must punish this person severely, so as to correct the situation." As Yang Yijun spoke, he also slightly raised his voice, a few words were high-sounding, but they were prefaces saying that His Majesty would appease his anger. The latter words add fuel to the fire.Chongzhen heard his words, although his anger did not retreat, but after thinking about it in his heart, he calmed down a little.

"How do you think I should punish him?" Chongzhen cast his eyes on Yang Yijun, and his tone was suppressed.

"It should be a capital offense to bully the emperor." Yang Yijun answered without hesitation.

Chongzhen looked at Yang Yijun in front of him, put away his anger, paused for a moment, and said lightly:

"It should be a capital offense to deceive the emperor. Don't forget this sentence."

Yang Yijun shook his shoulders when he heard the words, lowered his head, and his voice trembled slightly: "I... always remember it in my heart, and I will never forget it."

"Okay." Chongzhen looked away, stopped looking at him, and said sharply: "Order Jin Yiwei to arrest Sun Chuanting and return him to Beijing for careful interrogation!"

Did Sun Chuanting really deceive the emperor, or did Yang Yijun intentionally distort the facts; did Yang Sichang really expose a courtier's deceit and infidelity, or did he play another trick to fulfill his own selfishness... Even the emperor can only A pair of eyes, a pair of ears.Where it should be used and where it should not be used, after all, it is impossible to pick and choose one by one.Looking at Yang Yijun's leaving back, Xizhao thought silently.

In the midst of being unclear, Jin Yiwei has taken Sun Chuanting back to the capital vigorously.Conclusive evidence of crimes was presented to the Hall of Martial Heroes one after another, and Sun Chuanting was sent to prison in such a muddle-headed manner. This imprisonment lasted for two years.

four

April.The spring is deep and the sun is warm, and catkins are flying every now and then.Ever since Li Zicheng was defeated at Tongguan and Zhang Xianzhong returned to Gucheng, the chaos of the bandits has gradually calmed down. Not only Shaanxi, but the long-lasting turmoil in various places have calmed down in this gentle peace. This peace makes people feel that Ming Dynasty Maybe it will continue like this forever, but Sun Chuanting's worry about the resurgence of the gangster's momentum seems to never come true...

da da da da...

Xiangyang City, Governor's Mansion.A burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, startling Xiong Wencan who was dealing with military affairs in the room.This Xiong Wencan looked to be in his sixties, with gray beard and hair, but he was in good spirits. A few months ago, this Governor Huguang Military Affairs, the right deputy commander of the Ministry of War, recruited Zhang Xianzhong who lived in Gucheng.I saw a soldier outside the door quickly stepping into the door, and said loudly:

"My lord, there is news in Gucheng that Zhang Xianzhong secretly met with Li Zicheng the day before yesterday. He presented Li Zicheng with weapons and horses, and sent him out of the city. The two seem to be very close."

"There is such a thing!" Xiong Wencan was shocked at first, but then slowly covered his eyes, rested his hand holding on to the brush on the table, and remained silent.The soldier who reported the letter was about to resign when he saw a red-faced man rushing into the courtyard, and before he entered the door, he shouted harshly: "Taiwan Supervisor! Taiwan Supervisor! Zhang Xianzhong really wants to rebel!"

Hearing the sound, Xiong Wencan raised his head, and saw that the person who came was as tall as a mountain, as strong as a bull, with a red and purple complexion, it was his fierce general Zuo Liangyu.Before the words were finished, the red-faced man had already entered the room, fixed his eyes on himself, and said briefly about Zhang Xianzhong's secret meeting with Li Zicheng. "Director, this dedication is really going to be reversed!" After finishing speaking, Zuo Liangyu seemed afraid that the sixty-year-old man in front of him would not be able to hear what he said, and repeated the sentence loudly, which made Xiong Wencan feel piercing.

Xiong Wencan twitched his brows slightly, put the pen in his hand on the inkstone, calmed down, and said calmly: "I just discussed this matter yesterday, is General Zuo coming to argue with me again today?"

Zuo Liangyu looked at the reporting soldiers who had not yet retreated, ignored them, and said loudly: "Why doesn't the governor believe it? After this incident, not only the dismissed officials, but everyone also said that Thief Zhang's intention of rebellion is so obvious. It's over!" Zuo Liangyu was not polite, and after finishing speaking, he found a chair and sat down without any respect for superior officials.Xiong Wencan didn't care, he raised the corner of his mouth and smiled, but didn't answer, as if he was thinking about his rebuttal.I only heard Zuo Liangyu continue to say: "The lower officials have always said that Zhang Xianzhong will rebel, and advised the Dutai to make plans early, but the Dutai refused to listen. A few days ago, he recruited troops and bought horses to build weapons. The Dutai said that he was to defend the city. Now he What is the reason for giving the weapon to the bandit? It is not too late, if the bandit is not eliminated, it will be a great disaster in the future!"

Zuo Liangyu's words were very sincere, but Xiong Wencan remained unhurried. After thinking for a while, he said slowly, "What General Zuo said is not unreasonable. Zhang Xianzhong may have second thoughts, but he did not start the war first." However, if our army attacks rashly, it will surely chill the hearts of the other descendants. At that time, the hearts of the major descendants will be shaken, and they will all follow him. What should we do? If we can’t win again, the gains outweigh the losses. becomes yes.”

When Zuo Liangyu heard the words, his eyes widened, and his voice raised an octave: "Why does the governor think like this? When he really rebelled, it would be too late! These rebels started in the field, don't they?" If he is good at defending the city, he will be trapped in the city at this time. His food and salary will be cut off, and his retreat will be cut off. The heart has already been revealed, and the war is only in the morning and evening, how can the governor still hesitate! Once this opportunity is missed, it will be too late to regret!"

"This..." Xiong Wencan was speechless for a while, and had to remain silent again.He had to admit that what Zuo Liangyu said was indeed reasonable, but he really didn't want his act of surrendering to become a joke.After pondering for a long time, Governor Xiong, who was in a dilemma, finally found a compromise, cleared his throat again, and said to the expectant Zuo Liangyu: "This appeasement was ordered by the imperial court. Do you want to encircle and suppress now?" Zhang Xianzhong, it's not up to you and me to decide, I'll report this matter to the Holy Majesty Ming, and then we can discuss it."