"Ah" A heart-piercing scream came straight from the palace, breaking the silence before dawn. This sound also made the palace quickly know the news of Chongzhen's assassination.
However, in just a short moment, the important officials in the court learned of this shocking and bad news and hurried to the palace. Soon, the road leading to the palace was filled with all kinds of cars and sedans, and everyone's His face was full of tension and solemnity. Except for the two cabinet ministers who were on duty in the duty room, all the other ministers entered the palace an hour later. []
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Wen Tiren also had a look of sorrow on his face: "My lords, the sudden death of the Holy One an hour and a half ago is really a misfortune for our Ming Dynasty. It is just because of the suddenness of the incident. I hope you can take the court situation as the priority and settle the affairs of the Yamen first. After that, come back to the palace."
"But Mr. Wen, we heard that Your Majesty is" Someone opened his mouth to tell the truth, but was stopped by his colleagues around him. Only then did he realize that this matter should not be publicized, as it is related to the dignity of the imperial court. Something happened, so I stopped talking immediately. However, these words also aroused everyone's suspicion, and they wondered what Wen Tiren's plans would be.
Wen Tiren glanced at everyone's faces and said in a voice that could not be questioned: "This is a decision reached by many adults in the court after discussion. I hope you will put the overall situation first and don't get into any more entanglements. Everyone, please disperse first and wait until After the matter is found out, I will naturally give you an explanation."
Several other cabinet members and six ministers also agreed with Wen Tiren at this time and signaled their colleagues or subordinates to leave. Since these big guys meant so, the officials naturally stopped entangled and took the order to withdraw from the palace. It wasn't until there were only a dozen or so powerful ministers left here that everyone sighed and entered the palace filled with worries.
At this time, the palace was already brightly lit, and Yan Min and other eunuchs in front of the emperor were kneeling on the ground and were being questioned. Not far away, Chongzhen's already stiff corpse was still lying on the dragon bed, surrounded by his concubines and several children, crying and crying in people's hearts.
"Mr. Jiang, why did the Holy Emperor pass away?" After calming down his emotions, Wen Tiren asked in a trembling voice.
Doctor Jiang's face became even more ugly. After a long while, he hesitated and said: "Back to the pavilion, Your Majesty, he died after someone strangled his throat, and his Adam's apple was also crushed"
Hearing this, Wen Tiren and others became even more miserable. Who could have the ability to kill the Lord of the World in the palace? This question appeared in everyone's mind, and many people cast suspicious eyes on those eunuchs who still had no clue. Only these close servants of the emperor were the most likely to do such a crazy thing.
"Give these people to my custody. Don't let up until the matter is found out." Wen Tiren ordered loudly: "His Majesty was suddenly killed in the palace, and you, the bodyguards, must not be able to escape the relationship."
"Mr. Ge, we are wronged. Last night, Yan Min and Xiao Kezi served His Majesty. We went to the back to rest early" Immediately, someone called for Chongtian Qulai, but Wen Tiren, including None of the officials listened at all. There was originally a gap between the foreign ministers and the internal servants. What's more, now that such a big thing has happened, how can we let them go?
After taking all the eunuchs down, Wen Tiren said to the others: "My lords, what happened this time is really weird, but it is not difficult to find out the truth. This is the palace, so it must be There should be very few people who can come and go at will, let alone assassins. So in my opinion, this matter must be done by someone inside."
This view was obviously shared by everyone. Even Zhou Yanru, who liked to argue with him the most, did not refute. Then Wen Tiren added: "But this matter is related to the state of our Ming Dynasty. If the king of a country is really harmed by a few eunuchs, I'm afraid we will be laughed at in the history books. So in my opinion, this matter must not be spread." "
"What Mr. Wen said is that we need to investigate the truth of the matter, but we must not make a big deal about it. Fortunately, we can conclude that the murderer is inside the palace, and we are not afraid of alarming the outside world." Zhou Yanru also nodded in agreement.
The two most powerful people in the dynasty have reached an agreement, and it is hard for other officials to say even if they have different opinions. But then, another more critical question was placed in front of everyone.
"However, a country cannot live without a king for a day. The Holy Emperor passed away in the prime of his life, and there was no posthumous decree to designate a successor to the throne. What do you think?" Wen Tiren's question made the officials' hearts suddenly turn. Tightened up.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Actually this?The officials didn't take the emperor's sudden death too seriously, but this new king made them care. Once the person you suggest becomes the emperor, it will be a matter of following the dragon. However, many people also understand that judging from the current situation in the court, the selection of the new emperor should be under the control of Wen and Zhou. The newly enthroned emperor is still young. As cabinet ministers, they They will inevitably take over the power, so everyone's eyes are on the two of them.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yanru put forward a different view at this time: "The deceased emperor's body is still cold. What we have to do now is mourning, and then we will discuss the new emperor with the adults in the court. Otherwise, we may not be compatible with etiquette."
Indeed, it has been a while, and the matter has spread. If the funeral is not officially announced, some people will start to have wild thoughts. Therefore, Wen Tiren did not object and nodded: "Ask the people from the Zhonggu Division to prepare"
"Dong dong" The sound of bells and drums resounded throughout Beijing. All the people who were not aware of the sudden change in the palace looked in the direction of the palace in astonishment. Listening to the continuous sound of bells and drums, everyone felt anxious in their hearts. Knowing what happened, everyone was stunned. Chongzhen, who had just ascended the throne for less than ten years, was gone like this. He was only thirty
Along with the sound of bells and drums, all the people from the Five Cities Military and Horse Division and Shuntian Prefecture were dispatched, occupying all the roads in the capital, driving the people back home, all shops stopped operating, and the entire city of Beijing was Silence fell.
But before that, two fast horses from Duke Anguo's mansion had already rushed out of the capital, and at this time they had arrived at the location where the three major battalions were stationed. Guan, Liu, Zhang and all the officers and soldiers also heard the sound of bells and drums coming from the city. They were also surprised by Chongzhen's death. The soldiers walked outside the camp one after another and looked in the direction of the Forbidden Palace. Silent. At this time, Tang Feng and Huo Yue arrived quickly.
After killing the emperor, Xie Yu did not stay and immediately returned to Anguo Gongfu. Once he learned that it was done, Tang Feng did not hesitate anymore, mounted his horse and rushed towards the location of the third camp together with Xie Yu. There is only one chance. Once the city gate is closed, it will be difficult for him to go out and recruit troops. Then all the hard work will be in vain and he will never get ahead.
"Everyone, our opportunity has come. Now there is chaos in the city of Beijing. It is a good opportunity for us to seize power!" Tang Feng said as soon as he arrived in front of the three of them, without even getting off his horse.
Zhang and Liu were both stunned, but Guan Zhengjie had a thought in his mind: "How could he come in such time? He just talked to us before, and such a good opportunity appeared a few days later. , is this a coincidence?" But he couldn't express this thought.
"Why, don't you want to change your status? The future of Ming Dynasty depends on us!" Tang Feng saw that the three of them were still silent, and felt a little anxious, and said again.
"What the Duke said is, come, beat the drums and call the troops!" Zhang Wencong's reaction was the fastest. He had already made a decision, turned around and said to the guards around him. Then Liu Meng also issued the same order. After taking a deep look at Tang Feng, Guan Zhengjie also chose the same approach. Now, no matter whether things are what you want, this is the decision that is best for you. Although this may be a bit risky, once successful, the status of these generals will be greatly improved. Guan Zhengjie has no doubt about this.
Within two moments, the tens of thousands of troops were completely organized. Tang Feng nodded with satisfaction and pointed the riding whip in his hand at the Beijing City Road: "Brothers, it's time for us to establish immortal merits!"
Hearing this, all the soldiers felt proud. After shouting loudly, they all headed towards Beijing.
The city gate had been closed shortly after Tang Feng left the city, but the gate guards did not dare to stop the soldiers of the three major battalions from entering. In addition to the fact that they don't know whether the three major battalions have been ordered to come, what's more important is that they only have a hundred or so people. If the opponent attacks with this small number of people, they can't defend it at all. So these gatekeepers were very wise and put tens of thousands of elite soldiers into the city.
On the way to Beijing City, Tang Feng had already made a statement that when entering the city this time, he would not do anything to disturb the people, and he had also stated the arrangements for the troops after entering the city. Except for the three thousand people who followed him into the palace, the others dispersed and surrounded the residences of all the officials in the capital. He wanted to control all the officials in the government.
As soon as they entered the city, the army separated. Tang Feng was careful and led his troops straight into the palace.
"Who dares to break into the palace" As soon as they approached the palace gate, the imperial army stepped forward to stop them. Although there were only about fifty people, their momentum was not small. This made some of the soldiers from the three major battalions who came with them beat in their hearts. Although they were also soldiers from Beijing, they were far inferior to these emperor's forbidden troops.
Tang Feng was not afraid at all, he had alreadyHe had made up his mind to seize the power of the Ming Dynasty. Even Chongzhen, who was the emperor, was killed by his own people. Do he still need to be afraid of these forbidden troops? So he urged his horse forward and snorted coldly: "I am Tang Feng, Duke of Anguo. I suddenly heard that the Holy Lord Bintian came to the palace"
"Dong An" The general of the imperial army glanced at him with disdain. He didn't care about this once legendary figure and now the marginal Duke. Besides, there were several elders who had told him to be tight. He was guarding the door, so he refused and said: "Please come back, Duke. The cabinet has issued an order to stay until tomorrow"
"Presumptuous!" Before he could finish his words, the whip in Tang Feng's hand had already hit him hard: "My prince wants to enter the palace, how can you, a little lieutenant, stop him? What kind of cabinet, they Aren't you plotting to seize the throne?" As he spoke, he had already urged his horse forward, knocking away several imperial soldiers who wanted to stop him.
Seeing Tang Feng's behavior, the soldiers behind him were stunned for a moment, and then they no longer had any scruples and followed him into the palace. The Imperial Guards were left looking at their retreating figures in shock and anger, speechless for a while.
When Tang Feng was stopped, someone had already gone in to report, so they couldn't take more than two steps before more forbidden troops rushed out. But now there are thousands of soldiers from the three battalions following Tang Feng. How dare those forbidden troops take action? A thought suddenly flashed through their minds: Could it be that Duke An is about to rebel?
"My lords something big something bad is going to happen!" One person rushed into the court room hurriedly and shouted to several officials who were still discussing which son of Chongzhen should be made emperor.
"What is it that makes you so worried?" Zhou Yanru asked slightly sullenly. He was in a bad mood. In the current discussion about his successor, the second son Zhu Cixuan he proposed was obviously not as good as the Zhu Cixuan proposed by Wen Tiren. . The other party's reasons are very good, because Zhu Cixiang is the eldest son, so naturally more people support him. In fact, the more direct reason lies in Wen Tiren's status. As the chief assistant, he is obviously more authoritative than himself.
While they were still entangled, someone came to report the matter, which made Zhou Yanru feel a little relieved. But the man's words made everyone's hearts arouse: "Sir, Lord An Guo suddenly came, and he brought many people with him."
"What?" All the officials' expressions changed in shock, and some even stood up. Bringing troops into the palace, what does this mean, is it forcing the palace? Zhou and Wen were still calm. After looking at each other, they walked out together: "Let's go see him."
When a group of officials surrounded the two people and walked out of the court room, they saw a dark group of people approaching them. The first one was Tang Feng, who was dressed in white. Seeing their posture, everyone felt even more nervous. Even Wen Tiren's face turned pale. Although they had nothing to do with Tang Feng, they obviously had no friendship with him. If he wanted to do something, he would not have the mercy to wait. It¡¯s time to talk.
Tang Feng saw that several important officials in the court were there, and a smile appeared on his face: "My lords, there is such a big thing in the palace, but you don't let people enter the palace, what are you thinking?"
"We were just afraid that the matter would become a rumor, so we closed the palace gate. Duke, you led troops into the palace because you had other thoughts." Without giving in at all, Zhou Yanru ridiculed.
Tang Feng shook his head: "I am here for Your Majesty. Your Majesty was actually assassinated in the palace. This matter must be investigated to the bottom of the matter. But I wonder if you, sir, have been able to find any clues after being in the palace for so long?"
"How dare you say that His Majesty was stabbed by someone? His Majesty was just busy with state affairs and suddenly fell ill" Before Wen Tiren could finish his words, Tang Feng interrupted him with a wave of the riding crop in his hand: "Really? Then take me to see His Majesty first. If it is not as you said, I am afraid I will suspect what selfish motives you are hiding."
"You you are an idle prince, what qualifications do you have to see your majesty"
"Humph, come here, tie up these suspected criminals. After I see His Majesty, I will argue with them." Tang Feng would not lose them in a verbal fight, but today he had soldiers in his hands. Why argue with them. A great man said it well, political power comes from the barrel of a gun. Now that the capital is under control, are we still afraid of a few scholars?
The soldiers immediately stepped forward and took down more than a dozen top leaders of the court without any hesitation. Those adults wanted to struggle, but how could they break free from the iron hands of these astonishingly powerful soldiers. Soon they were all tied up tightly. Now the adults stopped talking. They knew that they were in a difficult situation. In what kind of environment.
Tang Feng led the people and continued forward, and soon came to the place where the emperor's body was buried. Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar face, Tang Feng didn't know what to feel. I once thought about how to assist him and make him a wise king.The ministers should work together to destroy the eunuchs internally and resist powerful enemies externally. But now, he has to end up like this, which makes him a little sad.
Soon, Tang Feng adjusted his mood, knelt down in front of Chongzhen, let out a loud lamentation, cried and kowtowed, and said: "Your Majesty, why did you go? You have just reached your prime, why did you leave him behind?" My Ming Dynasty and tens of millions of people have left? Your Majesty, did you really suffer the murder of someone, so that you left in your prime?" As he said this, he had already begun to "check" seriously. Chongzhen's body.
Soon, he found the fatal wound, and the corner of his mouth raised an arc that was difficult to detect. Tang Feng raised his head and said loudly: "Your Majesty was indeed harmed by someone. Who harmed your Majesty? I Tang Feng must find the murderer!"
The officials outside who were tied up and unable to move were all nervous when they heard this. Now they were a little confused. Just when they were regretting it, Tang Feng had already strode out, looked at these people and said: "His Majesty still has finger marks on his neck, but you said that he died of a sudden illness. It's really deplorable!"
"Mr. Guo, that's not what we said. In fact, we don't know. Wen Tiren told us this." Someone finally couldn't bear such a big burden and suddenly said.
After Tang Feng glanced at him, his gaze fell on Wen Tiren: "Mr. Wen Ge, what do you say?" As he spoke, there was a cold smile on his face