Southern Ming, my destiny is too abstract

Chapter 4: Just Regent, Child Emperor

As Zhu Cixuan expected about his own fighting strength, the bullet missed the target by half a foot, passed by Zhu Youlang's left side, and hit the wooden wall of the thatched house in the palace.

Zhu Youlang, still in a daze, looked back at the bullet hole on the wall and was horrified: "Xuan'er, what are you going to do!"

The attendant Li Guoyong hurriedly stood in front of the emperor.

Mu Tianbo, Deng Kai and others who were already smiling were also stunned.

What is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doing?!

Didn’t we agree to kill the treacherous officials, gather the loyal and good people, abandon the emperor, and break out?
Why did you kill His Majesty?
Seeing this, the civil and military officials who were kneeling on the ground also stood up and stepped forward to protect the emperor.

The fully armed Hongsha soldiers formed a battle array in time to block the crazy Ming officials.

On the contrary, the Ming Dynasty guards on the outermost side were dozens of steps away and had no idea what was happening inside.

Zhu Cixuan did not provoke the ministers any further. He put away his gun and held his sword, looking calmly at the shocked and confused Emperor Yongli.

He is really handsome, with a thin face, a thin chin and bright eyes.

As Wang Qilong said, the Dashi Army, who came from humble backgrounds, had always rumored that the appearance of a true dragon emperor should be like that of Emperor Yongli.

In Anlong, Guizhou in the past, Bai Wenxuan, now the Prince of Gongchang, obeyed Sun Kewang's secret decree and wanted to kidnap Emperor Yongli Zhu Youlang to Guiyang to abdicate.

However, after seeing Yongli in person, his legs trembled, sweat broke out on his back, and he turned against Sun Kewang and stabbed him on the spot.

But just as Hana Shou Mai, who gave birth to a child by caesarean section, could not play the role of a mother, Yongli, who looked like a real dragon, was not suitable to be an emperor.

Zhu Cixuan looked at the face that looked 70% like his, and said with his sword on the ground: "I want to control all the troops in the world."

Seeing that the prince did not move, Zhu Youlang, like everyone else, breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he heard the prince's words, he was suddenly confused for a moment.

Control all the troops in the world? Will there be any army that listens to me?
Then he realized: "You want to kill your father and seize the throne?"

Zhu Cixuan was silent for a moment: "My father should have died long ago, just like Ma Jixiang should have died in Anlong and Kunming."

Zhu Cixuan's eyes were as bright as torches as he stared directly at Zhu Youlang, who was both frightened and furious.

Such outrageous and rebellious words made the usually good-tempered Zhu Youlang unable to hold back his anger, and he ordered his men to arrest the prince.

Zhu Youlang caught a glimpse of the shining long sword in the hands of Hongsha soldiers, and his lips moved, but he did not give any orders in the end.

Mu Tianbo, Ren Guoxi and other ministers were in a trance for a moment. They all knew that the prince had been infected with malaria a few months ago and was on the verge of death several times. After recovering from the malaria, he lost his soul again. He did not recognize his parents and had no common sense. His words and deeds were arrogant and rebellious. If he had not recovered slowly later, the already destroyed Ming Dynasty would have almost appointed a new prince.

The ministers thought that the prince was ill again, but it would be fine as long as he did not raise an army, so they just watched and waited.

Zhu Cixuan didn't care what the ministers were thinking and continued to speak, trying to make his voice spread throughout the palace.

"My uncle, Emperor Chongzhen, hanged himself in the capital against Li Ni's rebellion. My uncle, Emperor Hongguang, was brought to the capital and beheaded after the fall of the Southern Capital. Emperor Longwu, Emperor Xiang, died fighting the Qing in Fujian Province. Emperor Shaowu, Prince of Tang, hanged himself in Guangzhou City and died for his country."

When Zhu Youlang heard the prince talking about the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty, even mentioning Zhu Youlang who had ascended the throne with him to compete for the throne, he made some guesses and his face became increasingly ugly.

Zhu Cixuan did not care about Yongli's face, which had already been humiliated by Hong Shaguo and Ma Jixiang.

"Father, you ascended the throne in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, and fled to Huguang, Guangxi, and Guangdong. Later, in Wuzhou, Guangxi, Duke Qu Shisi of Guangdong died for his country. When Father heard of any movement from the Eastern Tartars, he fled, leaving Wuzhou deserted for three months. Later, in Kunming, Wu Sangui had not yet arrived, leaving Kunming deserted for another half a month."

He also left enough food and fodder in Kunming for Wu Sangui, who was short of food and fodder, only because Emperor Yongli was indecisive and feared that the Eastern Tartars would plunder and harm the people due to lack of food.

He is so indecisive.

Emperor Yongli Zhu Youlang successively handed over the troops of the three provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan to the Eastern Tartars, and was known as the kind-hearted version of the Southern Ming transport captain.

"Father, you should have died long ago. You should have fought a decisive battle with the Eastern Tartars at Tongbi Pass and Tiebi Pass before entering Hongsha, and died on Ming soil, rather than being subjected to inferiority and surrendering to foreign countries. You should have died in Kunming, the last province of the Ming Dynasty. In Guizhou, you should have died on the front lines of the offensive against the Thirteen Clans of Kuidong. You should have died in Wuzhou in western Guangxi, living up to the soldiers of Guangdong and Guangxi. You should have died in Zhaoqing in eastern Guangdong, dying alongside King Shaowu Tang."

The hardest thing in the world is death, and the easiest thing is also death.

"In our Ming Dynasty, the emperor guards the country's gates, and the king dies for the country. There is no emperor who escapes sixteen times!"

"Father, abdicate!"

When the ministers and their relatives heard this, they were all dumbfounded.

Those present had accompanied Emperor Yongli on at least three transfers from Kunming to Tengyue and then to Hongsha. There were also many of the emperor's relatives, such as Empress Dowager Ma and Queen Wang, who had followed Zhu Youlang from Zhaoqing in eastern Guangdong.

Everyone who heard this was deeply moved and fell silent for a moment, thinking of the hardships they had endured along the way. The women also had tears in their eyes and sobbed softly.

In the thatched hut of the palace several feet away, the white-haired Empress Dowager Ma held the prince's biological mother, Queen Wang, who was about to come forward, and shook her head slightly.

Zhu Youlang's face turned pale and he no longer called Zhu Cixuan by his nickname.

"Prince, you are so presumptuous. It is unbecoming of a son and a subject to criticize the emperor and father."

"You've secretly formed a group of assassins and allied with foreign nations. Do you know that this is a capital crime of treason and betrayal?"

Zhu Cixuan looked at him disdainfully and said in a low voice.

“When a nation is lost, there is no nation left; when the emperor abandons his country, there is no ruler left.”

"I have made up my mind. Today, there is only one person who has the final say in the Ming Dynasty."

After saying that, he raised his hand to signal Adayun beside him.

As the minister in charge of liaison with the Ming court of Hongsha Kingdom, Adayun naturally knew Chinese and understood what he was supposed to do.

He and Mangbai asked Zhu Cixuan to help them kill the King of Toungoo, and now it was his turn to help the Crown Prince of Ming seize power.

The reloaded flintlock rifle was raised and pointed at Yongli, causing another round of shock.

Zhu Youlang's face turned ashen as he looked at the prince who was looking straight at him, trying his best not to look at the terrifying muskets.

Frightened by the power of the musket, he swallowed the words he wanted to refute and scold.

The emperor said nothing, the prince was silent, and the ministers who were waiting for their orders did not dare to move under the swords and guns of the Hongsha soldiers. The palace fell into a strange silence.

The sun was hanging low over the Jinsha River, and the breeze blowing from the river surface did not bring any coolness.

The temple bells rang low in the evening, breaking the brief silence of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youlang glanced around: the silent civil and military officials, the impatient Minister Hongsha, and the Crown Prince, who remained calm from beginning to end. With a long sigh, his whole body went limp, as if he was being forced by the Crown Prince, but also as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

Zhu Youlang gritted his teeth, snatched the golden seal from the hand of his attendant Li Guo, and threw it hard at the prince who was standing by the pillar with a knife.

"If you want to make trouble, then go ahead and make trouble!"

After saying this, he didn't care about what happened next and limped into the thatched hut with the support of Li Guoyong.

Zhu Cixuan reached out and picked up the golden seal that was thrown to him, without having time to take a closer look.

Then a young man in white rushed out and knelt down, congratulating and shouting:
"The country is in turmoil, and the world is in great trouble. I respectfully wish that His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, born with wisdom and sagacity, and endowed with wisdom and wisdom, will carry on the legacy of our ancestors and, in this difficult time, inherit the throne in the Southern Wilds."

"At a time when the four thieves Ma and Li are usurping power and isolating the outside world, and the Eastern Tartars are gaining strength and threatening to overthrow China, Your Highness has risen to the occasion to punish the traitors and restore order."

"Although the country faces many difficulties, I am also glad to meet a wise ruler. I am willing to devote all my strength and serve as a loyal servant to assist Your Highness in governing the country, rebuilding the world, restoring the Central Plains, and bringing glory to the world."

The young man in white chattered a lot, and Zhu Cixuan only then looked down to see his face clearly.

Pan Huang, the younger brother of Pan Qi, the Minister of Rites, who had died for his country before entering Hongsha, had been following the emperor.

He was young and intelligent, and learned Hongsha language by himself in just one year.

At that time, Ma Jixiang was in charge of the imperial court. Seeing his potential and talent, he granted him admission to the Imperial College.

Because he could speak Hongsha language, he pretended to gather information from the Hongsha people outside and reported it to Emperor Yongli.

Of course, it is impossible for him to get real information when he is in the same group with Ma Jixiang.

It’s all fake news.

Today it was reported that Li Dingguo had killed 100,000 Hongsha soldiers, and tomorrow it was reported that Bai Wenxuan had fought to within 20 miles and would be coming to greet him soon.

She was pretty, spoke sweetly, and was very good at making Emperor Yongli happy.

Now that he saw the power shifting to someone else, he immediately assessed the situation and expressed his loyalty.

Pan Huang acted quickly, and the other ministers were no slow either.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who has seized the throne, is murderous today. He said that he will not pursue the crime of their dependence on Ma Jixiang. Who knows if he will take revenge later.

Suining Marquis Pu Ying and eunuch Yang Guoming, who had opened a casino in Zhucheng for the entertainment of their ministers, knelt down immediately to congratulate the emperor.

Zhu Cixuan's uncle, Huating Marquis Wang Weigong, also acted quickly.

The prince's nephew almost killed his father, and Wang Weigong didn't think that his sister Queen Wang's face could save him.

After all, ever since hunting in Hongsha, he and Ma Jixiang and Li Guotai have been arm in arm, and the three of them are almost inseparable.

As for the Ma-Li faction, he relied on his status as the emperor's brother-in-law to win over the harem and let the empress dowager put pressure on Emperor Yongli. His power was even greater than that of Ma Jixiang's brother and son-in-law.

In terms of guilt, he ranked first among the remaining ministers.

Zhu Cixuan looked down at the majority of ministers on the ground who were shouting "Long Live the Regent" and felt a little sarcastic.

He caught a glimpse of a few people including the censor Ren Guoxi and Mu Tianbo hesitating. Some of them still had a lot of resentment in their eyes, glaring at him, the new pseudo-regent who was disloyal and unfilial.

Zhu Cixuan sneered a few times and issued his first decree as regent.

"For the meritorious service of Li Chonggui, the eunuch in charge of the seals of the Eastern Palace, and other officials, Li Chonggui has been promoted to the eunuch in charge of the seals of the Imperial Household. Mu Tianbo, Duke of Qian, has been promoted to the Minister of War. Deng Kai, the general of the imperial guards, has been appointed commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. General Wang Qilong has been appointed general of the Imperial Guard. General Wang Sheng and Wei Bao have been appointed deputy governor-general of the Central Government."

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the first step of Sima Yi's rebellion was to take control of the Secretariat and the army that issued the orders.

Naturally, he also had to take control of the Imperial Household Department, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Imperial Guard as soon as possible.

Zhu Cixuan looked at Pan Huang’s character attributes on the system interface.

[Name: Pan Huang (Second-rate Civil Official)
Age: 16
Official Position: Imperial College Academic Recorder
Command: 23, Military: 29, Intelligence: 70, Politics: 61]

"Scholar Pan Huang was a man of both talent and virtue. His brother, Minister of Rites Pan Qi, died a patriotic hero and was appointed Deputy Minister of Rites. He was promoted to Minister of Rites after he presented the imperial seal to the emperor and reported the threat posed by the two thieves Ma and Li."

Pan Huang, who had just jumped off the boat, never expected that not only was he innocent, but he was also immediately promoted from the ninth rank of Xuelu to the fifth rank of Yuanwailang. He was immediately ecstatic.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will serve you faithfully, wielding all my wisdom and loyalty, until my death."

Ren Guoxi, a close minister of Emperor Yongli, was bewildered for a moment. Seeing his old friend walking away with a look of disdain on his face, he cried out in his heart that he was wronged.

He was just using the example of treacherous officials at the end of the Song Dynasty to implicitly criticize Ma Jixiang and others when he was lecturing the prince.

To sow discord is the prince's plan.

Deng Kai, Wang Qilong and others looked at each other, not knowing whether to thank or refuse.

The agreement they agreed to with the prince was to purge the court, not to usurp the throne.

It seems that they are colluding with the prince to force the emperor to abdicate, but in fact the prince is acting alone!

In an instant they turned from loyal ministers into traitors, a level higher than treacherous ministers.

What if Prince Jin Li Dingguo outside finds out?
Zhu Cixuan turned to look at Mu Tianbo and the others who were somewhat dazed. "Old Duke, the situation is chaotic. The most urgent thing is to appease the ministers and their families first, and then we can discuss it in detail later."

He appointed Mu Tianbo and others to take over the official positions of Ma Jixiang and others in order to restrain and suppress the old members of Ma's party.

Mu Tianbo's face changed several times, and finally he sighed, bowed to Zhu Cixuan, and walked out with his servants and ten Hongsha soldiers.

Zhu Youlang, who was hiding in the thatched hut and peeking, saw that the ministers were gradually dispersing and that the prince's usurpation of the throne seemed to be becoming a reality, so he angrily cursed.

His biological mother, Empress Dowager Ma, was from Sichuan and temporarily abandoned the etiquette of an emperor.

"You are overstepping your bounds, brat. Now you are trapped in Hongsha City. I want to see what you, as a son, can do!"

……

"Being a son? I've already inherited the throne and become regent, who the hell wants to be someone else's son?"

[Child Emperor (Shi Jingtang, Emperor Gaozu of the Later Jin Dynasty)]

(End of this chapter)