I, Emperor Chongzhen, have extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by five hundred years.

As dawn broke and the first light of day appeared in the east, the sky began to lighten.

As Zhu Youjian rode on his horse, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It turned out to be a false alarm; Chen Yan did not surrender.

Perhaps he had already received the news that his family and property were in his hands.

In any case, as long as we don't surrender, everything else is negotiable...

"Your Majesty's divine might is awe-inspiring. It is my great fortune to have the opportunity to meet you today. The people and soldiers of Baoding are of one mind and are willing to follow Your Majesty's lead and work together to achieve great things."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian frowned slightly, as if sensing that something was amiss.

The last sentence is fine, but the first sentence, "To meet you today is an honor beyond measure," is quite something...

This isn't the first time we've met. What do you mean by saying something like this all of a sudden?

Chen Yan lay on the ground, secretly lamenting his fate as the other party did not respond for a long time.

The worst fears have come true; it seems the preparations were too rushed and the other party was not satisfied.

However, to be fair, Liu Fangliang really went too far.

You didn't tell me beforehand that I was going to become emperor. Now that I'm leading people to kneel and welcome you at the city gate, you still think the etiquette is not enough?

In a corner behind him, Sun Wei whispered, "Father, is this the Chongzhen Emperor?"

Sun Laiwang lowered his voice and replied, "Are you stupid? Emperor Chongzhen is in Beijing, why would he suddenly come to Baoding?"

Sun Wei, puzzled, asked again, "Why can't I come?"

"Hundreds of thousands of rebel troops have gathered in Zhen Ding Prefecture. Has he gone mad and come here to die?"

"If it's not Emperor Chongzhen, then it must be Li Zicheng?"

In Sun Wei's mind, there seemed to be only these two possibilities.

It couldn't possibly be Zhang Xianzhong, who was far away in Sichuan, could it?

It couldn't possibly be Shunzhi from outside the Great Wall!

Sun Laiwang pondered for a moment and said, "It seems that what I feared has come to pass. This person must be Liu Fangliang, the Marquis of Cizhou of the Great Shun Dynasty!"

"So Liu Fangliang really is going to declare himself emperor..."

"Shh, keep your voice down!"

Sun Laiwang broke out in a cold sweat. He rolled his eyes, and only when he realized that no one was paying attention to him did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"If Liu Fangliang's hundreds of thousands of troops capture Baoding, they can then march straight to the capital!"

"Li Zicheng's troops are blocked outside Juyong Pass, and it's still uncertain who will capture the capital first!"

"At that point, why couldn't Liu Fangliang compete with Li Zicheng?"

"Besides, there are precedents for this. Back then, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, entered Xianyang first, and finally defeated Xiang Yu to establish the Han Dynasty. Liu Fangliang also shares the surname Liu, and might even be a descendant of Liu Bang. Why can't he follow in his ancestor's footsteps and establish another Han Dynasty?"

Sun Wei was secretly amazed and whispered, "I've learned a lot!"

At this moment, Chen Yan sensed that something was wrong, thought for a moment, and then spoke again.

"Your Majesty, you are wise enough to know that the Ming Dynasty's fate has run its course. Emperor Chongzhen was incompetent and tyrannical, causing widespread suffering and chaos. Your Majesty, in accordance with Heaven's will, has raised the banner of righteousness to rescue the people from their misery. We, your subjects, have long admired your actions. Today, we surrender the city for the sake of all the people. Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

Throughout the entire process, everyone kept their heads down and dared not raise their heads without permission.

Chen Yan's knees were a little sore, and his back was also aching slightly, but he still endured it and waited for a reply.

The city gate was quiet, and Zhu Youjian's face was slowly turning ashen.

So it turns out that the Grand Secretary came to greet the Emperor, but not him!

He turned to look at Li Ruolian, waved his hand gently, and pointed at Chen Yan.

Li Ruolian gripped the hilt of her knife, ready to unleash a bloodbath!

Seeing Emperor Chongzhen give him a meaningful look, he spurred his horse forward and shouted, "Chen Yan, you are the Grand Secretary, and you command a large army. You have power, influence, and supplies. Why would you betray the Ming Dynasty?"

Chen Yan immediately tensed up. Who was this person speaking?

During this period, he only met Ma Chongxi, and it was obvious that his voice was off.

Could this be Liu Fangliang himself?

Even if she isn't, being able to stay by Liu Fangliang's side means she won't have a bad status!

He quickly realized that the other party was testing his loyalty by asking this question.

"Emperor Chongzhen was a ruler who brought about the downfall of his country. He had ambitions but lacked ability, was stubborn and self-willed, and listened to treacherous officials, causing loyal and virtuous people to either die or flee, and the pillars of the nation to be lost!"

"Since Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, seventeen years have passed, yet he has disregarded the lives of the people, only knowing how to impose taxes and corvée labor, causing widespread resentment and making life unbearable for the people. Such a foolish ruler, why not eliminate him? Your Majesty has risen up in rebellion, conquering all sides, winning the hearts of the people, and will surely establish a dynasty that lasts for ten thousand generations!"

Li Ruolian grew angrier and angrier as she listened, wishing she could chop him up with a knife!

Despite suppressing his anger, he looked at Zhu Youjian and awaited instructions.

Zhu Youjian was so angry that he laughed instead. Looking at Chen Yan's face, he thought he was utterly shameless!

The civil officials of the Ming Dynasty were principled and never blindly obedient.

Even in front of the emperor, one must stand tall and argue one's case based on reason!

So, the integrity of scholars is only directed at me, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty?

When faced with bandits, they immediately became submissive and respectful.

They've completely lost all sense of shame!

Seeing that the other party did not react, Chen Yan gritted his teeth and shouted, "I request that Chongzhen be executed, to restore justice to the people and to give them a bright and clear world!"

"Haha, hahaha..."

Zhu Youjian could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

However, there was a hint of desolation and a chilling killing intent in his laughter.

Chen Yan had a sudden thought; this voice must be Liu Fangliang himself.

He doesn't sound very old, probably only in his early thirties.

Even more bizarrely, the voice sounded somewhat similar to that of Emperor Chongzhen.

"You are truly a pillar of my state!"

Chen Yan was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I dare not accept such praise. It is truly my great fortune to be able to assist Your Majesty..."

People often react very quickly when they are under extreme stress.

When it's almost time to do something or say something, you can do it without thinking.

Chen Yan was almost finished speaking when he realized something was wrong.

Why does this voice and tone sound more and more like Emperor Chongzhen?

Could it be...? Impossible, absolutely impossible!

How could Emperor Chongzhen, who was far away in the capital, suddenly come to Baoding?

"With your assistance, I am truly blessed!"

boom!

Chen Yan seemed to be struck by lightning, and his whole body froze.

Not only are their tones very similar, but their voices are also almost identical...

He mustered his courage and slowly raised his head.

It was just getting light, and things were blurry and indistinct.

But even though I couldn't see clearly, I could immediately recognize the person in front of me...

If it wasn't Emperor Chongzhen, then who else could it be?

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I...I deserve to die ten thousand times!"

Chen Yan kowtowed repeatedly, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his whole body, inside and out, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

Zhang Wenyuan knelt to the side, and was greatly puzzled by what he saw.

Liu Fangliang isn't some kind of ferocious monster, is it really necessary to be so scared?

Since you're useless, don't blame me for stealing the spotlight!

Having made up his mind, he took a deep breath and then shouted:

"This humble general, Zhang Wenyuan, is willing to be the vanguard, to storm the capital, and to kill that tyrannical and incompetent emperor, Chongzhen!"