Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 57: There is still something to be done
Yan Qiheng took the opportunity to bring up Qu Shisi and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Qu has petitioned to return to Guilin, saying, 'Within a year, seven or eight people have been relocated, and all the soldiers and civilians are in panic. If Your Majesty stays in Guangdong, Guangdong will survive. If You go to Guangdong, Guangdong will also leave. If Your Majesty stays in Guangxi, Guangxi will survive. If You go to Guangxi, Guangxi will also leave.'

"I think what Lord Qu said is absolutely right. Guilin is the capital of Guangxi Province and an important town in Lingnan. It cannot be compared with Liuzhou. Your Majesty is under the watchful eyes of the people. Instead of going deep into the barbarian territory, why not return to Guilin?"

Cen Danchu was not a high-ranking official, so he had no right to speak. But he had five hundred elite soldiers under his command, and he was also Qu Shisi's envoy, so his words carried weight.

He went over the line to make a report, his expression firm, and said: "Your Majesty, Lord Qu sent me to welcome you back to Guilin. I have a few words of advice that I cannot help but express."

Pang Tianshou held a grudge and immediately retorted: "The minister is speaking, and I just need to listen respectfully."

Liu Xiangke was fearless and immediately retorted, "Eunuch Pang is wrong. Taizu had a system in place that common people could submit memorials to the emperor to point out political issues. Cen Danchu has the merit of protecting the emperor, has a strong army, and is also the envoy of Lord Qu. Why don't you let him speak?"

This big hat made Pang Tianshou speechless.

Emperor Yongli looked calm, but his heart was in turmoil. He knew that the Empress Dowager had a good impression of Cen Danchu, so he said, "The Celestial Empire never suppresses speech. If you have any opinions, please feel free to speak up."

Danchu remained calm and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Lao Qu believes that Liuzhou has a mixed population of Yao and Dong people, Qingyuan borders Yunnan and Guizhou, and Nanning is close to the barbarians, so we cannot stay away from them.

"The generals and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty looked up at the clouds and the sun, and regarded Guilin as the pivot; the officials on the roads, exhausted and tired, regarded Guilin as the meeting point; the people of Jiangxi, Chu, Guangdong and Fujian regarded Guilin as the support for their salvation.

"General He, the Earl of Nan'an (Hao Yongzhong), the Governor Du, the Marquis of Xingguo (Li Chixin), the Earl of Xinxing, the Governor of Zuo (Lu Ding), and the Earl of Xinxing (Jiao Lian) took charge of the flood control. Guilin was as safe as a rock, and there was hope for the recovery of Jiang and Chu.

"In today's situation, if we advance, the enemy will also advance; if we retreat faster, the enemy will come faster. The Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, and only a small corner of western Guangdong remains. The safety of western Guangdong depends on the safety of Guilin.

"The country is getting weaker and weaker, the military is getting weaker, and the people are getting more anxious. When I was in Guilin, the scholars, merchants, officials, soldiers, and servants were all looking forward to the emperor. If he visits Liuzhou now, the whole world will be disappointed!"

These words were so powerful that all the ministers were moved.

Liu Xiangke was so encouraged that he even urged Emperor Yongli to lead the army in person: "I have heard that wise emperors in ancient times often led the army in person, braved arrows and stones, and encouraged the army, so they were able to shock the four directions and enhance the prestige of the country. Your Majesty is wise and brave, diligent and generous. If you can lead the army in person, the majesty of heaven will be within reach, and the soldiers will be encouraged. What can't be done?
"The people of the world have suffered from the Tartars for a long time, and all of them long to return home. I hope that Your Majesty will take the people of the world into consideration, take the country and the mountains and rivers into consideration, lead the royal army in person, wipe out the bandits, restore the national prestige, and revive the government. We, the ministers, are willing to follow Your Majesty, and go through fire and water without hesitation."

After these words were spoken, all the ministers stopped talking and stared at Emperor Yongli, hoping that he would cheer up.

On such occasions, even if Emperor Yongli did not dare to lead the army in person, he should have said something encouraging.

Who would have thought that after hesitating for a long time, he actually said: "You just want me to die for the country!"

The ministers were greatly disappointed and no one spoke any more.

A huge sadness surged into Cen Danchu's heart: Zhu Youlang, oh Zhu Youlang, you are the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, admired by the soldiers and civilians of the world, but you are as cowardly as a mouse. The Ming Dynasty does not cede territory, does not marry, the emperor guards the country, and the king dies for the country, how could a coward like you appear!
He could hardly restrain himself and said with emotion: "Your Majesty, do not be discouraged! Western Guangdong is located in the upper reaches of the mountains and rivers, and the enemy cannot attack us head-on. Nanning and Taiping are outside Yunnan, Liuzhou and Qingyuan are connected to Guizhou, and the 45 villages on the left and right sides of the Yangtze River are brave and have received the grace of the country for three hundred years. They are enough for internal preparations.

"Today, the situation is on the side of Chu. The Chu army is no less than 300,000, with more than 40 camps under the command of General He and General Du. They have different orders and are suspicious of each other. If we advance, we will achieve nothing, and if we retreat, we will face a hundred dangers. Without the emperor's suppression, we will not be able to reconcile the generals and comfort the army and the people.

"Your Majesty, it would be better for you to return to Guilin and make plans to get out of Chu. To the north, we should attack Yue and E, to the east, we should support Gan and Ji, to the west, we should take Jing and Li, and to the south, we should stabilize the eastern part of Guangdong. If the three armies are encouraged and the soldiers obey orders, then the affairs of the world can still be achieved!"

There is still room for improvement in the world!
In Hunan, He Tengjiao and Du Yinxi still have hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses under their command. Although they have been defeated many times, they are scattered in the mountains of southwestern Hunan, and their troops are several times that of the Qing army. In Jiangxi, Cao Dahao and Fu Dingquan's rebel armies have risen one after another; in Guangdong, rebel armies are blooming everywhere; in Fujian, there is Zheng Chenggong; in Zhejiang, there is Lu Jianguo; the rebellion in Sha Dingzhou, Yunnan has been quelled...

The ministers were outraged and spoke out one after another, echoing the opinions of Yan Qiheng, Liu Xiangke, Cen Danchu and others, and opposed going south to Liuzhou.

Emperor Yongli's face became increasingly ugly, and he coughed several times in anger.

Upon seeing this, Pang Tianshou took the opportunity to announce that the emperor was not feeling well and ended the court meeting.

Danchu's sharp words attracted the attention of the court officials. After the meeting, Liu Xiangke and others kept him to ask about the situation in Guilin. This was a good opportunity to spread the news. If the officials could be persuaded, the Emperor Yongli would be more certain to return to Guilin. Otherwise, if he went to Liuzhou, Hou Xing and his ilk would gain power; if he went to Nanning, Chen Bangfu and Liu Chengyin would be the same and would take the opportunity to hold the court hostage.

Danchu deliberately exaggerated, saying: "Qu Ge Lao's stay behind has made great contributions, and Guilin is as safe as a rock. In March, the Qing general Tu Lie'ao attacked, but was defeated and later died in He County. In May, the rebel king Kong Youde joined forces with the three feudal lords to besiege Guilin, but was also defeated.

"Since then, the soldiers have been inspired and the people have returned. Guilin's production has been restored, merchants and travelers have flocked to it, society has been stable, and tax revenues have increased. There has been a certain degree of peace. If you return to Guilin at this time, wouldn't it be much better than living in the Tusi stronghold now?"

The ministers had been on the run for a long time, and after hearing Danchu's words, they were eager to return:

"Is this true?"

"Why didn't you say it in front of the emperor just now?"

……

If I had said it just now, wouldn't it be a crime of deceiving the emperor? Dan Chu reacted quickly and said, "Eunuch Pang didn't let me speak just now, how could I dare to say more?"

Just at this time, the eunuch came to convey an oral order, saying that the Queen Mother summoned Danchu.

Cijuan Zhenglong, amid everyone's speculation, Danchu came before the Queen Mother.

There were two empress dowagers during the Yongli reign. Ma was Zhu Youlang's biological mother, a Catholic whose Christian name was Maria. Wang was Zhu Youlang's stepmother, also a Catholic.

The queen mother who summoned Cen Danchu was none other than Queen Mother Ma. She was just fifty years old, but she was well maintained and looked like she was in her early forties.

Danchu thought that the Queen Mother summoned him to marry her adopted daughter off.

As expected, after a brief greeting, Empress Ma asked, "Danchu, I heard that you are engaged, but is it the daughter of Lord Qu?"

Danchu said calmly, "Replying to the Queen Mother, Danchu has been engaged to the young lady of the Qu family. The wedding was originally scheduled for September 20th."

"Oh." Queen Mother Ma paused and said, "You have delayed your own marriage by protecting the emperor this time."

"Being loyal to the country, marriage is nothing."

"Good! Good!" The Queen Mother Ma's crown and clothes were already dirty, but they still couldn't conceal her luxurious aura.

She was very pleased and quickly made up her mind, saying, "I have an adopted daughter who is a princess of the Gui clan. If you don't want to abandon her, marry her. As for whether she's your wife or concubine, you can decide for yourself."

If she was a county lady, her father would be a general who defended the country. In the Ming Dynasty, royal family members were not given titles, and there were many generals who defended the country, so the status of a county lady was even more ordinary.

Danchu replied, "Your Majesty, I have an engagement with the Qu family. A gentleman cannot stand without trust, and Danchu dare not break the engagement. Thanks to the Majesty's love, Danchu is willing to marry the county lady, but I dare not take her as my principal wife."

"Well," Empress Ma pondered for a moment and said, "You are a loyal man. I didn't misjudge you. I can marry you as a concubine, but I hope you will treat the princess well and remain loyal to the Ming Dynasty."

The Ming Dynasty was about to collapse, and the royal family was no longer valuable. It was not uncommon for the princess of a prince's family to marry as a concubine, let alone a princess?

Danchu felt a little relieved and said habitually, "Yes."

(End of this chapter)