mtl008 Chapter 668 In the Golden Palace
Chapter 668 In the Golden Palace
In the Golden Palace, almost all the civil and military officials were gathered, and an atmosphere of fear and despair permeated the hall.
If it weren't for the sudden event of the army entering the city, this would be the time for the morning court session. But now, no one cares about the morning court session anymore; everyone is whispering about this explosive news.
"Gentlemen, do you know why Qionghai Town brazenly entered the city and committed such a heinous act? Moreover, Shanxi Town and Xuanfu Town have always been law-abiding citizens, so how could they have been misled?"
"Alas, I heard it was all caused by Yang Wenruo. Liu Ye defeated the Jurchen chieftains Abatai and Ajige, and the Battle of Yongding Gate made the Ming Dynasty proud. However, not only was he not rewarded by the Ministry of War according to regulations, but he was also subjected to all sorts of difficulties. Last night, they even mobilized a large army to bombard the military camp, trying to kill him in the camp. Unexpectedly, he escaped, but instead killed several thousand soldiers of the Beijing Garrison. Now they have come for revenge. It can be said that he lost both his wife and his army, and tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead... As for the Shanxi Garrison and Xuanfu Garrison, they have come to claim credit. They also deserve credit for repelling the Tartars."
"Stop discussing this. Let's think about what to do when the army invades. I've heard that Qionghai Town is exceptionally strong. They've marched in as if it were empty land, and the Beijing garrison is no match for them. We're all sitting ducks now. If this guy gets really angry, he could wipe us all out, and none of us will escape!"
"Really? The grievances should be directed at the perpetrators, the debts at the debtors. If you have a problem, go find Yang Wenruo. What does this have to do with us?"
"No one can be sure what a soldier might do when he gets angry. How can you say it's safe to stay in the capital? Bullets don't have eyes when they fly over!"
"They're going to fire again? Good heavens, we haven't done anything wrong! What did we do to deserve this disaster just for attending the morning court session..."
"Who says otherwise? I was supposed to submit my resignation at the beginning of the year, and I just wanted to get through this year peacefully, but I didn't expect this to happen..."
……
Emperor Chongzhen watched his ministers whispering amongst themselves, feeling irritated. Normally, he would have stopped them long ago, but today, preoccupied with the battle situation outside the city, he had no time to attend to them. Tens of thousands of border troops had brazenly entered the city; this was clearly the greatest crisis the imperial power had faced since the Jingnan Rebellion. A mishandling of the situation would make him a sinner for the Ming Dynasty for all time.
Yang Sichang stood in the civil official's seat that originally belonged to Zhang Fengyi, his eyes downcast, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding discussions, like an old monk in deep meditation. At this moment, he couldn't say anything. He had botched his mission last night, leading to even more serious consequences. The army had already entered the city, and things were out of control. Anything he said now would be wrong, so it was better to remain silent and observe the situation.
Amidst a murmur of quiet discussion, a guard at the main hall entrance announced, "Gao Qiqian, the eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, requests an audience."
Emperor Chongzhen sat up straight nervously and said, "Summon them!" The Imperial Guards under the command of the Imperial Horse Administration were the last armed force in the capital, so his request for an audience must be related to the mutinous soldiers.
Wang Chengen loudly relayed Chongzhen's words: "Summon Gao Qiqian to an audience!"
The order was relayed down from outside the door: "Summon Gao Qiqian to an audience!"
A moment later, Gao Qiqian appeared at the door, scurried into the hall, knelt in the center, and loudly reported, "Your Majesty, this servant led troops to block Liu Ye outside Chengtian Gate. Through a combination of coaxing and intimidation, we managed to temporarily dissuade him from entering the capital. However, this is only a temporary measure; we cannot force him to retreat. This fellow also asked me to convey a message to Your Majesty..."
Emperor Chongzhen quickly pressed, "What message did you convey?"
Gao Qiqian hesitated, glancing at the civil and military officials, then at Yang Sichang, before stopping himself from speaking.
Emperor Chongzhen knew that Gao Qiqian must have some things that were inconvenient to say in public, but given the current situation, people were already in a state of panic, and it was impossible to have a private conversation that would arouse suspicion among the civil and military officials. He could only bite the bullet and say, "These are all my trusted ministers, there is nothing that cannot be said. Please speak freely."
Gao Qiqian had no choice but to answer truthfully: "Liu Ye said that he just wanted to seek justice, to have Minister Yang confess his crimes, and then to have him beheaded at the Meridian Gate, and even have His Majesty..."
Yang Sichang's face turned pale. Liu Ye was truly vicious, pointing the finger at him alone and creating the impression that he was solely responsible for the army's entry into the city, making him the target of everyone's ire. Regardless of whether the emperor would sacrifice a pawn to save the king, he was not going to have an easy time from now on.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced at Yang Sichang and pressed, "What should I do?"
Gao Qiqian lowered his head, his voice weakening: "Have His Majesty issue an edict of self-reproach..."
"Insolent!" Emperor Chongzhen roared in fury, slamming his fist on the dragon throne. "He is merely one of my ministers. What right does he have to point fingers and demand that I issue an edict of self-reproach? What did I do wrong?" He believed that everything he had done was for the sake of the country and that he had a clear conscience. As for whether it was wrong to harm the meritorious officials who had driven out the Tartars, he selectively ignored that question.
Wen Tiren stepped forward at the opportune moment, cleared his throat, and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's not too late to find out the situation before making any plans." He turned to Gao Qiqian and asked, "Eunuch Gao, what is the situation outside now?"
"This is very bad. The three towns of Qionghai, Shanxi, and Xuanfu have respectively surrounded Chengtian Gate, Dong'an Gate, and Xi'an Gate, making it impossible to enter or leave the imperial city. The Beijing garrison has also been defeated, and apart from the Tengxiang Four Guards of the Imperial Horse Administration, there is no force left in the city capable of resisting... Moreover, Liu Ye has already set up dozens of heavy cannons weighing over a thousand kilograms outside Chengtian Gate, threatening to bombard the city gates and storm the Golden Palace if he does not receive a reply by noon..."
After these words were spoken, the hall fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.
Cannons were positioned outside Chengtian Gate—something unprecedented since Beijing became the capital. If these soldiers were to storm the Imperial Palace, anything could happen; from the emperor to the civil and military officials, no one could be safe, and a coup d'état was not out of the question.
Emperor Chongzhen was both shocked and furious, feeling as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
After regaining his composure, he scanned the crowd and asked, "The military men are causing chaos, and the capital is in grave danger. This is a critical moment of life and death. Is there anyone who can share my burden and drive out these scoundrels?"
The civil and military officials all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. Those who stood here weren't fools; he carried cannons! How could they possibly drive him away? Would a military commander with such a large army reason with them? They might even lose their lives. If they wanted a good reputation, they could simply remonstrate with the emperor and receive a few strokes of the cane—only physical pain, no danger to their lives.
Emperor Chongzhen was deeply disappointed. When he saw Wen Tiren standing in the middle, he tentatively asked, "Could you go to Chengtian Gate to resolve this matter for me?"
Wen Tiren was secretly pleased; he was truly the only one capable of resolving this matter. He coughed twice and asked, "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens. However, what are Your Majesty's plans regarding the conditions Liu Ye has proposed? Could you please give me a hint so that I may have a better understanding when discussing them with Liu Ye?"