Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

"Guards, take Liang Gui away and detain him pending trial!"

Empress Dowager Sun was as discerning as a mother; no one knows a son better than his mother, and how could she not recognize Zhu Qizhen's handwriting?

It wasn't that she didn't want to help Zhu Qizhen cover up these absurd actions and confirm Liang Gui's crime of colluding with the Oirats to slander Zhu Qizhen.

But if Liang Gui is killed, and no one goes to deliver the message, and his son dies in the Oirat, then the sky will truly fall.

She couldn't kill Liang Gui, as she was hoping to redeem her son and also wanted to learn about Zhu Qizhen's current situation from him. Killing Liang Gui would leave her completely clueless about the situation in the north.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiyu dared not offer any further advice. Too much of a good thing could be bad, and if he continued to persuade him, people might suspect that he did not want Zhu Qizhen to return and had ulterior motives.

At this moment, Zhu Qiyu already knew Empress Dowager Sun's plan: keeping Liang Gui alive was a genuine attempt to test the waters with money, a move clearly intended to humiliate Esen by offering him money. If the money was paid, Esen would release Zhu Qizhen, unless Esen developed hysteria.

However, Zhu Qiyu would not oppose this move, and would even support it more. He hoped that Empress Dowager Sun would be clever enough to send the supplies in batches, and even after sending them, she should indicate that she had more and wanted to talk more with Esen.

This would slow down Esen's southward advance, giving the Ming Dynasty time to gather reinforcements.

For the Ming Dynasty at present, the slower Esen's southward advance, the safer the Ming Dynasty will be. Although the elite of the three major camps have been lost, it is still a dynasty at its peak, and its foundation is still intact. There are still troops in the south that can fight.

Upon hearing Empress Dowager Sun's words, the ministers felt a sense of disappointment. They supported Zhu Qiyu's actions and did not approve of the matter. Otherwise, if word got out, the dignity of the imperial family would be completely destroyed, and it would cause unrest among the people.

The ministers' fears came true. They overestimated Zhu Qizhen's courage and moral bottom line. This action was no different from treason.

Perhaps in Zhu Qizhen's view, this was his empire, and it wouldn't hurt to sell some of it.

Empress Dowager Sun's decision not to punish Liang Gui implies that she has tacitly approved of Zhu Qizhen's actions. Such infamy must be borne by the entire court, and how could the officials not be indignant?

Originally, everyone was supposed to become capable ministers who brought peace to the country and thus be remembered in history. But now, they've almost become ministers who brought about the downfall of the nation, leaving behind a legacy of infamy.

Wang Zhi, still unwilling to give up, said, "Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Cheng's words are not without reason. This letter is easy to forge. Perhaps we should send another envoy to the Oirat to verify the matter before making a decision. This involves a great deal of money and contraband. If we allow these traitors to deceive us and make a fool of ourselves, our Great Ming will lose face, and His Majesty's return date will be uncertain. I believe we should take another approach to negotiations. I hope Your Majesty will consider this carefully!"

"We hope Your Majesty will think this over carefully!" Yu Qian and the others echoed.

These officials still had backbone. Even though they knew that Empress Dowager Sun's move might delay Esen's southward march, they were unwilling to take it. It was too humiliating, so they thought it better to send someone to negotiate and take the opportunity to delay.

When Empress Dowager Sun heard Wang Zhi's words, her anger flared up instantly, but she couldn't vent it.

Wang Zhi's words were quite clear: the court would not participate in such a shameful act of ransom, and the officials would not do it. This meant that the national treasury would not provide the funds, and the money would have to come from the royal treasury.

In Empress Dowager Sun's view, this was an act of disrespect and lack of loyalty to the emperor. Her son had only made a minor mistake, yet he was being treated so rudely and disrespectfully as a subject!

"If this is true, are you all so disregardful of His Majesty's safety? Is this the duty of your subjects?"

Faced with Empress Dowager Sun's questioning, the ministers were filled with mixed feelings. The emperor had completely disgraced the Ming Dynasty, and such an emperor was no longer worthy of their loyalty.

If he could pass away, perhaps he would be of greater benefit to the country. Of course, these thoughts can only be kept to myself.

Wang Zhi and the others exchanged glances. Hu Ying, the Minister of Rites, could only explain, "Your Majesty, if it is true, Esen has already sent people back to the capital, so he will not easily make things difficult for His Majesty. The more anxious we are, the more we put His Majesty in danger. The news of the defeat had just entered the capital when the news of His Majesty's capture in the north followed. Clearly, Esen has ulterior motives, and we must be on guard."

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Sun knew that what Hu Ying said was true. After all, the news came so quickly, which was clearly taking advantage of the situation. But even if it was true, her son's life was of paramount importance.

In Empress Dowager Sun's view, she could not remain so calm. This was not the time for rational analysis; nothing was more important than her son's life.

While Wang Zhi and others appeared to be discussing the matter objectively, they were actually trying to shirk responsibility.

This made Empress Dowager Sun both angry and helpless. She could only hate her son for being so disappointing. At one point, she really wished that her son would die, for doing something so shameful to face their ancestors.

However, this thought quickly dissipated. After all, the honor of her family and herself was tied to Zhu Qizhen. They were bound together by fate, and Empress Dowager Sun had no choice.

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, she's willing to take the gamble.

Empress Qian and Zhu Qizhen had genuine feelings for each other. Upon hearing that the court officials were unwilling to rescue her husband, she was so anxious that tears streamed down her face. She was almost about to rush out from behind the curtain and question the officials about their actions. However, Empress Dowager Sun stopped her with a look.

After calming down a bit, Empress Dowager Sun could only try to find a solution herself. However, since Zhu Qizhen needed these officials to ensure his safe return, she had to soften her stance slightly.

"Gentlemen, now that the Emperor has been taken captive to the north, the court must have a plan to deal with it."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qian was about to step forward and make a petition, since he was now in charge of the Ministry of War and naturally had the right to speak on matters of war.

Wang Zhi gestured to Yu Qian not to move, and instead looked at Zhu Qiyu.

Yu Qian suddenly realized that the court needed someone in charge, a prince to oversee the country, and that the empress dowager should not interfere in politics, as this was an ancestral instruction from the founding emperor.

Currently, there are only two suitable candidates: Prince Xiang, Zhu Zhanshan, who has an exceptionally rich experience in overseeing the country, and Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, who is currently residing in the capital.

In the eyes of Wang Zhi and others, Zhu Qiyu was naturally the first choice. The key was that they could not allow Empress Dowager Sun to interfere in politics again, as evidenced by today's events.

Empress Dowager Sun completely lacked any sense of the bigger picture. If there were no truly capable person in the court, the fall of the capital would not be an exaggeration.

"Your Majesty, when His Majesty left the capital, he ordered Prince Cheng to remain in the capital. We would like to hear Prince Cheng's thoughts before we discuss and decide on a course of action."

Zhu Qiyu took in all the subtle exchanges between his ministers, only to find that they had targeted him first. He couldn't help but think that this method of shifting blame was truly invincible. Could this be considered an undeserved disaster?

Normally, he couldn't participate in important court affairs and politics; he was just a puppet on a string. But now he's remembered his role as a mascot.

Since the question had been asked, Zhu Qiyu had no intention of hiding it, which was exactly what he wanted!

The most urgent task is to prevent Esen from advancing south, to protect the capital, the Ming Dynasty, and my own life; everything else is just empty talk.

To protect the capital, Empress Dowager Sun should not be allowed to interfere too much in court affairs. Although she may be a champion of palace intrigue, she is by no means as capable as Empress Xu of Emperor Taizong or Empress Zhang of Emperor Renzong in stabilizing the court and leading the officials to win the battle to defend the capital.

Upon hearing Wang Zhi's words, Empress Dowager Sun immediately became vigilant.

Now that the imperial grandson is young, the country relies on an older ruler. Given the precedents of the Song Dynasty, Empress Dowager Sun has to be extra cautious. If her son is unable to return for an extended period, the throne cannot remain vacant for long.

The ministers understood, Empress Dowager Sun understood, and she believed that Zhu Qiyu understood as well.

Whenever Zhu Qiyu dared to show any disloyalty, she would act swiftly, even going so far as to summon the Prince of Xiang back to the capital.

Empress Dowager Sun, her gaze slightly cold, stared intently at Zhu Qiyu through the curtain and asked, "Prince Cheng, what are your thoughts?"