Beijing City, which was sunny after the rain, was no longer as prosperous as before. The streets were full of chaos. From time to time, soldiers wearing tattered armor galloped past, and the sound of cannons outside the city walls in the distance became more and more harsh.

In a dark little house located in the northwest corner of Beijing City, the old scholar Liu Delong took the letter given to him by Liu Hongjian and looked at Liu Hongjian suspiciously.

"Son, what are you writing? Are you sure this letter can save me from the Ming Dynasty? I dare not do anything about the major affairs of the country!" Although Liu Delong had the courage to live and die with Beijing City, he knew in his heart what kind of virtue his son had. Although it seemed different from before after being struck by lightning, his son now asked him to find a way to hand the letter to the emperor, which made him feel unreliable.

"Dad, don't worry, I haven't lived enough yet, how could I joke about the wealth and life of our Liu family! Just send it to you, if the emperor ignores us, I can only blame the court for being blind!" Liu Hongjian beat him indifferently.

Although the Liu family had been away from the officialdom for a long time, they had several friends in life and death when their ancestors were glorious. Although they were backward in the family, they could still find someone to deliver letters. Meng Zhaoxiang, the current right assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, is a reliable candidate. The old scholar thought about it.

Two hours later, Comrade Meng Zhaoxiang, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, went to the court with the warm letters that Liu Laohan had carefully explained and repeatedly.

There seemed to be a dispute in the Huangji Hall, and the noisy was no longer as majestic as before. The quarrels were obviously divided into two factions. One sentence was like a rogue quarreling for small profits on the street. Chongzhen sat on the throne with anger and a little tired face.

The bandits siege the city for several days, and the Ming Dynasty was in danger for more than two hundred years. These civil officials used to look pampered and confident of victory. Now, not only do they have no strategy to retreat to the enemy, but they are quarreling because of a small matter. The civil and military are incompatible and the parties are fighting each other. Is our Ming Dynasty really going to perish?

"Enough! Stop it all, let me discuss this matter later!" Seeing that Wang Jiayan, the Right Assistant of the Ministry of War, and Li Jiantai, the Right Assistant of the Ministry of Personnel, pushing each other in the court, there was a momentum of escalation into a fight, Emperor Chongzhen shouted in anger.

The hall suddenly became quiet. Although everyone didn't like Chongzhen very much, they were the emperor after all, and they held the power of life and death. Even if all the ministers formed a clique, they would not dare to offend the power of heaven. The world was still named Zhu.

"Meng Aiqing is here, is there something to report?" Seeing that Old Man Meng was standing behind the ministers for a long time, he looked like he wanted to speak but stopped. In order to change the subject of the court, Chongzhen asked.

Meng Zhaoxiang, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, walked forward in small steps and knelt forward to bow and salute.

"I'll tell you about your Majesty, I... I have an old friend who suddenly visited me today and said that I had a good plan to retreat to the enemy. I would like to send a letter to you to your Majesty!"

Old Man Meng is timid and no longer capable as before. No wonder Liu Delong and a commoner can have any good plans to get rid of the enemy. He even took on this job in a daze. If it were anger, he might have to be implicated. If it weren't for his solemn appearance when he visited, alas!

"Oh? Come on!" Chongzhen's eyes were suspicious and slightly happy. In the current situation, those who can still put themselves in their shoes and think about good strategies for retreating the enemy without fear of causing trouble were all loyal ministers.

A small eunuch stepped down from the high platform, took Meng Zhaoxiang's letter, and served him with both hands to Emperor Chongzhen.

"You come and read it!" Chongzhen did not accept the letter and rubbed his temples with some fatigue.

The person who was in charge of the church was always the personal eunuch Wang Chengen, who had been with him since Chongzhen was the king of faith and was very trusted by Chongzhen. Now Wang Chengen is admiring Beijing and taking over the city defense, so he sent his confidant Wang Erxi to replace him.

The little eunuch Wang Erxi had never experienced this scene. He trembled and opened the letter, and was stunned when he saw the content.

"This...this...this...this...this is not dared to read!" Wang Erxi stuttered and showed an embarrassing look.

"Remember, I forgive you for not guilty!" Seeing the little eunuch's face strange, Chongzhen became interested in the content of the letter.

"No!" Wang Erxi wiped his forehead and coughed softly to boost his courage.

"Your Majesty, I am a small citizen in Beijing. I have received the emperor's kindness from the world. Now the bandits are besieging the city. I am grateful to you. I am willing to go to the enemy camp to retreat. This is a dangerous place. Because my family is poor and I still have an old father. In order to relieve my worries, I hope Your Majesty can... be...

Although the content of the letter is not much, it can be said to be concise and clear, and he uses money to eliminate disasters for others. However, Liu Hongjian is not very familiar with traditional Chinese characters, and although there are not many characters, there are seven or eight characters written in simplified Chinese characters, which leads Wang Erxi, who has not studied much, stutters while slandering Liu Hongjian who writes.

"Why don't you read it anymore? What can you do?" Seeing that the little eunuch stuttered for a long time and got stuck at the critical moment, Wang Jiayan, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of War, scolded him.

"Your Majesty, I dare not recite it!" Wang Erxi knelt in front of the hall, looking frightened.

"Nian, didn't I just say that you are innocent? I'm happy! Otherwise, I'll get the board by myself!" Chongzhen patted the dragon throne with some anger. As expected, Wang Chengen was still better at using it. Why is this little eunuch so indifferent?

Seeing that the emperor was also a little angry, Wang Erxi gritted his teeth and continued to recite.

"To relieve your worries, I hope Your Majesty can reward you with 10,000 taels of silver. The younger ones will do their best to share the worries of the Ming Dynasty! It was Liu Hongjian." After reading the poem, Wang Erxi immediately knelt in the court with fear and fear, and dared not get up.

Before Chongzhen could make a statement, the court was in an instant.

"It's outrageous! Lord Meng, who is this person? How dare you blackmail His Majesty? Could it be that you're crazy about money?" Wei Zaode, the chief assistant of the cabinet, asked sternly.

Wei Zaode was the chief assistant of the cabinet, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, and was once the Minister of War. Although he had no achievements and only knew how to advocate donations from all officials, he was able to be entrusted with important tasks by Chongzhen. It has to be said that the two brushes in his hand played a crucial role. Wei Zaode was the top scholar in Chongzhen's 13th year. He was not old but was deeply sluggish in the officialdom. He also knew Chongzhen's temper and weaknesses very well. He could always blame others at critical moments.

Another trick has to be said of the Donglin Party. Wei Zaode knew the power of the Donglin Party members. Although he was not from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, he often said good things about the Donglin Party members when Chongzhen was happy, which was deeply loved by the Donglin Party members. In addition, he was good at ease, so although he had no political achievements, he was able to be the best minister.

"Yes, Lord Meng, this is above the court. If a small citizen can come to blackmail the emperor, wouldn't it be laughed at by the people of the world? Lord Meng should send someone to arrest this thief who steals the country. As the Right Minister of the Ministry of Justice, I believe you must know what to do!" Zhang Qi, the Left Minister of the Ministry of Rites, said sarcastically.

In the court, you and I became noisy again.

"Mr. Wei, Lord Zhang, now that the bandits are at the city, this warrior dares to lead the way and relieve our troubles. This is a good time to inspire the morale of the people of the whole city. It proves that all the people of the Ming Dynasty are good men who are unwilling to be slaves of the country. Why do you need some silver for the sake of the Ming Dynasty?" Meng Zhaoxiang was the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, and he had no connection with Wei Zaode and others, and he was not polite to speak.

"Quote! I have been in the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years. I have never been under any city alliance. A mere street green skin dares to put my ideas on the emperor. If I don't capture this person immediately, what is the law of my Ming Dynasty? Where is the majesty of the emperor?" Wei Zaode always talks about the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, because he knows that Chongzhen is an emperor with good face.

Seeing Meng Zhaoxiang pondering silently, the censors from Wei Zaode and others began to show their power.

"I agree that Your Majesty should place the prestige of the Ming Dynasty first and must not encourage this unhealthy trend!"

"Meng Zhaoxiang must have accepted that slutty bribe, otherwise why would he help a person in the market!"

“…”

Meng Zhaoxiang was drowned by the condemnation of a group of people at this time. Although he was secretly devastated and shouldn't have taken care of Liu Delong's entrustment, he was not ashamed to refuse as a family friend. After all, although the Liu family has declined, he rarely asks him for anything. Secondly, he himself is well aware of the current situation.

Although it was inexplicably rained recently, which alleviated the drought in the north, Beijing City is still at a critical moment, not as solid as the ministers said. Moreover, the plague epidemic is so serious that more than half of the soldiers guarding the city have been killed or injured, and the rest are not very effective. He felt a little lucky in his heart. What if a miracle happens?

"Your Majesty, this man's ancestors followed Emperor Chengzu Yongle's northern expedition and was a loyal minister. I would like to use Xiang's head to guarantee that this man must have the heart to serve the country. I hope Your Majesty will think twice, otherwise he will be cold and the hearts of the warriors who want to be loyal to the country!" After saying that, Old Man Meng knelt on the ground and stopped talking.

Seeing that everyone was still waiting to continue to argue about this matter, Emperor Chongzhen, who had been silent for a while, waved his hand.

"Whether he is a hero or a villain, Meng Aiqing will reply to him. If he can really solve the siege of the Ming Dynasty, what's wrong with 10,000 taels of silver, but if the enemy has not retreated in three days and he is still alive, I will send someone to capture him. Please don't discuss some trivial matters again. I'll think more about how to share my troubles with my Ming Dynasty. My Ming Dynasty... has been more than two hundred years... I hope you will do your best..."

Emperor Chongzhen has not closed his eyes for two days. Every time he lies on the bed and closes his eyes, his heart is filled with the Ming Dynasty and the foundation of his ancestors. Now he is full of devastation and storms. If the Ming Dynasty is really destroyed in his hands, what is his face to meet his ancestors? Whenever he thinks of this, he will cry and cannot sleep all night.

Seeing that the court began to argue again about whether to retreat or merger. Although Meng Zhaoxiang was a pro-war faction, as the minister in charge of the Ministry of Justice, he did not interfere much in military affairs, so he bowed and quietly retreated.

On the evening of the 17th, Liu Hongjian complained that Emperor Chongzhen wrote a blank check for him, and borrowed a set of peasant army clothing from the Ministry of War through Meng Zhaoxiang to prepare to leave the city. Since most of the inner city of Beijing had been besieged by peasant army, Liu Hongjian had to touch the Andingmen slightly farther and quietly walked into the night...
Chapter completed!