The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

Emperor Chongzhen felt that it was already outrageous enough that a concubine and a captured enemy commander got together, but what followed was even more outrageous.

How outrageous could it get? Emperor Chongzhen simply couldn't imagine.

However, Chongzhen's curiosity had been completely piqued. If Zhu Ziming didn't finish telling the story today, Chongzhen probably wouldn't be able to sleep when he got back.

Fortunately, Zhu Ziming didn't intend to keep him in suspense.

"It is said that after Consort Zhuang and Hong Chengchou had a one-night stand, Consort Zhuang developed feelings for the tough guy Hong Chengchou. The two became close friends and often practiced martial arts under Huang Taiji's nose. Huang Taiji didn't care about them. In short, what he wanted was the world. A woman was nothing to him."

"However, no matter how ambitious you are, you can't fight against time. In the sixteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, Huang Taiji died. He died a year earlier than Chongzhen."

Upon hearing this, Chongzhen felt somewhat relieved, but also a little strange.

This doesn't seem like something to be proud of.

Zhu Ziming said: "Huang Taiji died suddenly, so he did not designate an heir. According to the feudal dynasty, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can it be without an heir for a day. If a dynasty does not have an heir, it will inevitably lead to a struggle for the throne. In the Qing court, this struggle took place between Huang Taiji's eldest son, Prince Su, Hauge, and Huang Taiji's fourteenth brother, Prince Shurui, Dorgon."

"The two engaged in a fierce struggle for the throne. Influenced by the Han Chinese traditional concept of 'primogeniture,' it was reasonable and logical for Hauge to inherit the throne. Moreover, Hauge had been on the battlefield for many years and had made numerous military achievements. However, Dorgon was no pushover either. Due to his great merits, he had many supporters and his power was also enormous. The two sides were evenly matched and the two sides were locked in a stalemate."

"At this time, the entire Qing court was desperately seeking a way out, fearing that unrest would occur and harm the fate of the nation."

"What no one expected was that, at the critical juncture when the two sides were locked in a fierce struggle and neither side would give way, Dorgon made a surprising suggestion: to enthrone Fulin, the sixth son of Huang Taiji, who was only six years old, as emperor, with Dorgon and another prince acting as regents. What no one expected was that this proposal was actually passed."

"Thus, Fulin, the sixth son of Huang Taiji, who was only six years old, was enthroned as emperor with the support of Dorgon, and the reign title was changed to Shunzhi."

Emperor Chongzhen was not too surprised by this.

Because things in the royal family are sometimes really hard to predict. Take him, for example. From the beginning, he never had any ambition for the throne. He just wanted to be a carefree prince, but in the end, he still became the emperor.

Reality is sometimes more absurd and bizarre than novels and fiction.

However, Zhu Ziming's next words surprised Chongzhen.

"And who was the birth mother of Emperor Shunzhi, who ascended the throne at the age of six? It was none other than Consort Zhuang, who became a close friend of Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya with Hong Chengchou."

At this point, the whole unofficial historical story began to make sense, and Emperor Chongzhen began to smell a hint of melodrama.

Zhu Ziming said, "Why did Dorgon support Fulin, the ninth son of Huang Taiji, who was only six years old? What does a six-year-old child know? So all of this is of course related to his birth mother, Consort Zhuang. It can be seen that Consort Zhuang is a woman with shrewdness and feminine charm. In modern terms, she is a woman with a strong female lead personality."

"In order to ensure her son's ascension to the throne, Consort Zhuang naturally formed a close friendship with her brother-in-law Dorgon, thus creating an alliance, which led to the story of Fulin ascending the throne at the age of six."

"On the other hand, Consort Zhuang and Hong Chengchou did not break off their relationship. Later, they had a son, who was secretly raised outside the palace."

"At this time, Hong Chengchou had already surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and was branded a traitor. Even his mother came out to criticize him, cursing him to his face as an unfaithful and unfilial beast. So, at this time, Hong Chengchou was under tremendous pressure. He had no goals, no hope, and was living in a daze, thinking only of ending his life."

"But at that moment, the gears of fate began to turn."

Sure enough, there was a turning point.

A good story has a beginning, development, climax, and conclusion.

Emperor Chongzhen listened with great interest, his eyes glued to the screen; he had completely absorbed the information.

Zhu Ziming continued, "Returning to the story of Shunzhi, in the second year after Emperor Shunzhi ascended the throne, Wu Sangui, the general guarding Shanhaiguan, led the Qing army into the pass, and eventually, the Qing army occupied the capital. At the urging of Dorgon and other princes, as well as Manchu and Han officials, Shunzhi once again ascended the throne at Huangji Gate, marking the formal entry of the Qing Dynasty into the Central Plains."

"Later, one of Shunzhi's sons, Xuan Ye, was born. Because Xuan Ye's birth mother was only a concubine who was not favored in the palace, Xuan Ye did not receive Shunzhi's care. Shortly after his birth, Xuan Ye was infected with smallpox. So, Emperor Shunzhi asked the wet nurse to take Xuan Ye outside the palace to be nursed."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but ask, "Why would a newborn prince, who has contracted smallpox, be taken out of the palace by a wet nurse to be raised?"

"Yes, that's the problem."

Zhu Ziming nodded: "At that time, smallpox was incurable. Adults who contracted smallpox had almost no chance of survival, let alone a newborn baby. Moreover, instead of receiving treatment from the imperial physicians in the palace, a wet nurse was sent out of the palace. What does that mean?"

Without hesitation, Chongzhen replied, "That means the child is gone."

Having also come from the imperial palace, he naturally knew the ins and outs of the matter. The imperial harem had always been a place of intrigue and conflict. To save face, the imperial family would usually dispose of any unborn children in secret, especially those infected with smallpox. Not only did it dishonor the imperial family, but it also posed a strong risk of infection. Therefore, it was perfectly normal for them to be secretly sent out of the palace for disposal.

Zhu Ziming nodded and said, "But the strange thing is that Xuan Ye miraculously survived."

"You survived?"

Even Emperor Chongzhen found it somewhat unbelievable.

A prince who had just been born contracted smallpox and was sent out of the palace, but he survived.

Either he truly is the chosen one, or...

Zhu Ziming understood Chongzhen's meaning and nodded, saying, "According to unofficial historical accounts, the Xuan Ye who survived was actually switched at birth."

Emperor Chongzhen was not too surprised by this, because he had probably already guessed it.

Zhu Ziming continued, "But who is this switched child?"

Emperor Chongzhen, puzzled, pressed for an answer: "Who?"

Zhu Ziming said, "Do you remember what we talked about before? Hong Chengchou and Consort Zhuang, who were close friends, also had a child, and this child happened to be fostered outside the palace."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was suddenly dumbfounded.

???

Soon, he showed a puzzled expression.

If Emperor Chongzhen were a time traveler, he would definitely exclaim, "Holy crap!"

This is outrageous!

Do not!

It must be that outrageous mother opened the door for outrageous people; outrageous to the extreme!