Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 73
After Luoyang was conquered by Li Zicheng, Hongguang Emperor Zhu Yousong, the son of Fufan, once wandered around and suffered from the warmth and coldness of human beings.

After the Jiashen Incident, according to the order of blood and ethics, the miserable forces in the south should have helped him ascend the throne, but in fact it was the Donglin people who supported Lu.

At that time, Hongguang was living in Huai'an, relying on other people's help for a living, and his life was very miserable. Naturally, he wanted to become emperor and improve his situation.

It happened that in the last years of Wanli, Lu Jiude, the eunuch who had served the old Fu Wang Zhu Changxun, met him in Huai'an to supervise the army.

The son of Fufan was already a rare commodity to live in. With this relationship, Lu Jiude naturally hoped that Hongguang could ascend the throne, so as to gain support and grasp more rights.

When Ma Shiying and Shi Kefa hesitated, Lu Jiude's support was undoubtedly a timely help for Hongguang. He took the initiative to advise Hongguang and contacted Gao Jie, Huang Degong, and Liu Liangzuo to decide the overall situation in one fell swoop.

Hong Guang's ability to change from a poor son who needs others to help him in his life to become a wealthy emperor of the Ming Dynasty is due to the contribution of Lu Jiude, so Hong Guang trusts Lu Jiude very much.

At this time, Hong Guang was already moved by Lu Jiude's words, so he quickly asked the eunuch to call back Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng who had just left the hall, and discussed the escape strategy.

Zhenjiang is only a hundred miles away from Nanjing, and the cavalry of the Qing army can rush to the city in a day, Hong Guang is not a hero, he does not have the courage to put himself in danger, Ruan Dacheng has been beaten by the Qing army, and he has no courage to hold on Confidence in Nanjing, without any remonstrance, obeyed the emperor's words to flee.

In order to prevent the people of Nanjing from preventing the emperor from fleeing, after discussing with Lu Jiude and a few ministers of the Ma Ruan Party, Hongguang secretly left Nanjing City on the night of July [-]th without telling the Donglin Party and other officials of the court, and went to Yuhang City. flee.

Hongguang and his party ran south overnight, with the intention of retreating to Hangzhou to take advantage of the Qing army, but they didn't want to pass through Lishui County, and they happened to meet the defeated soldiers who had retreated from the front line of Zhenjiang.

As the old saying goes, when a defeated soldier wins a bandit, Hong Guang and other people were thrown into chaos. Ma Shiying's son Ma Luan followed Hongguang Emperor to Taiping Mansion with his brave guard battalion, but the guards of Taiping Mansion didn't know what happened. Unable to accept the matter behind closed doors, Emperor Hongguang had no choice but to change his way and enter Wuhu to vote for the Yellow Emperor.

Ma Shiying was separated from Hongguang in the rebellion and could not be found. According to the original plan, he took thousands of soldiers to protect the Empress Dowager Zou and went to Hangzhou.

On the eastern front, with the surrender of Zuo Menggeng's troops to Azig, Huang Degong's pressure increased greatly. However, it will take time for Azig to rectify the newly acquired 15 left troops, so there is nothing to do.

Huang Degong has been stationed on the front line of Chizhou and Wuhu since he defeated Zuo Menggeng, who committed the crime in the east. He knew nothing about the Zhenjiang battle that happened a few days ago. Hongguang's sudden arrival surprised him.

Huang Degong hurried out of the camp to greet him. He greeted the emperor, and after asking the reason, he couldn't help but sighed helplessly: "Your Majesty guards the capital to the death, summons ministers with a piece of paper, and ministers can still lead soldiers to block the enemy with the city. How can you listen to the words of traitors?" , Abandoning the country! Now there is no basis for advancing and retreating, and the camp is weak, how can I deal with Your Majesty?"

Hearing Huang Degong's words, Hongguang also realized his absurdity, and said with shame on his face: "It's already here, it's too late to regret!"

Huang Degong could only let out a long sigh, and welcomed the panic-stricken king into his camp.

In the city of Nanjing, soon after Hong Guang and his party fled overnight, the news was leaked. The officials, gentry, soldiers and civilians in the city heard that the emperor and Ma Fu had escaped, and immediately became a mess.

Before dawn, some people rushed into the prison and invited Wang Zhiming, who claimed to be the "Prince of Chongzhen" in the false prince case, to help him ascend the throne. .

However, after Hongguang's escape, Nanjing's garrison minister Xin Chengbo Zhao Zhilong and others decided to surrender to the Qing Dynasty and sent people to the Qing camp to negotiate.

The Xunchen who controlled the army in Nanjing decided to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, but the people were helpless. The soldiers and civilians who supported the false prince were also dispersed by Zhao Zhilong's troops.

In order to welcome the arrival of the Qing army, Zhao Zhilong ordered people to close the gates of the palace and the treasury, waiting for the Qing army to take over.

As for the most important treasury of the household department, he went to seal it in person. However, Liu Chengzhi, a Langzhong, was unwilling to surrender and hated Zhao Zhilong's surrender to the Qing, so he hid it in the treasury, waiting for Zhao Zhilong to enter the treasury, and attacked him angrily. escape free.

The Qing army was about to approach the city, and the Donglin party members who had advertised their loyalty and patriotism suddenly lost their voices.

There is a strange woman named Liu Rushi who persuaded her husband. Qian Qianyi, the leader of the Donglin Party, said: "The family and the country are in danger, and the country is overthrown. As a scholar-bureaucrat, he should die for the country to preserve his reputation. I am willing to die with my husband and die for the country!"

Hearing this, Qian Qianyi was thoughtful and speechless, and finally went down to the pool to try the water, saying: "The water is too cold to go in." Liu Rushi "struggled to sink into the pool", but Qian Qianyi held him tightly.

On the afternoon of July [-]th, the forwards of the Qing army arrived in Nanjing with nearly a thousand riders. Outside the Hongwu Gate, Zhao Zhilong, uncle of Xincheng, and Zhu Guobi, Duke of Baoguo, immediately wrote the surrender form and went to the Qing camp to discuss surrender matters in person.

On July [-]th, Duoduo led the main force of the Qing army, marched by land and water, and came to the outside of Nanjing. Hou Tang Guozuo, Anyuan Hou Liu Zuochang, Yongchang Hou Xu Hongjue, Dingyuan Hou Deng Wenyu, Xiang Chengbo Chang Yingjun, Daxing Bo Zou Cunyi, Ningjin Bo Liu Yunji, Nanhe Bofang Yiyuan, Dongning Bo Jiao Mengxiong, Ancheng Bo Zhang Guocai Luo Zhongbo Huang Jiuding, Cheng Anbo Guo Zuoyong, son-in-law Qi Zanyuan, academician Wang Duo, minister Qian Qianyi, servant Zhu Zhichen, Liang Yungou, Li Chuo and more than [-] high-ranking officials opened the city gate and came out to welcome them in the suburbs.

On July [-], after the Qing soldiers entered the city to search and guard, Duoduo rode into Nanjing, with Qian Qianyi, Zhao Zhilong and other ministers kneeling on both sides.

Suddenly, there was a heavy rain, and Qian Qianyi and others were immediately soaked by the rain. It seemed that the heavens were not reconciled to this humiliating moment.

In the rainstorm, Duoduo looked at the many surrenders with drenched clothes on both sides and bowed their heads in prostration. He couldn't help smiling contemptuously on his face. Then, in the posture of a victor, he proudly urged his horses and walked slowly into the city, but suddenly at the city gate A figure rushed out and stood in front of him.

"Huang Duanbo, the head of my Great Ming Rites Department, will not surrender!"

When Duoduo entered the city, Nanming Duke, Uncle, and Shangshu descended countless times, which made him full of disdain for Hongguang's courtiers, but suddenly a skinny old man who was over half a year old rushed out in front of him, blocking him from entering the city, saying that he would not surrender, Duoduo couldn't help being angry Ji Fan smiled and said, "What kind of person do you think Hong Guang is? Do you want to die for a faint king?"

"Your Majesty is naturally holy!" Huang Duanbo's official robe was already soaked in the rain, he couldn't help opening his eyes angrily when he heard Duoduo's contemptuous words, he cupped his fists and bowed slightly to the sky, and then said loudly: "That's exactly what I mean!"

Is Hong Guang also considered a saint?Duoduo couldn't help but sneer: "What about Ma Shiying?"

"Ma Fu is also a loyal minister!" Huang Duanbo said.

Duoduo couldn't help being angry and ridiculous when he heard the words: "Ma Shiying is a treacherous person, how loyal is he?"

"If Ma Fu doesn't surrender, he will support His Majesty and Empress Dowager out of the city. Of course he is a loyal minister!" Huang Duanbo pointed to Chen Zhilong, Qian Qianyi and others who were bowing to the ground on both sides of the city gate, and said: "These people are the ones who are disloyal and unfilial."

(Thanks to the book friends who supported the author at the starting point, of course, the creation of the world should also be thanked, thank you for giving the author motivation.)
(End of this chapter)