Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 83 Resurgence
In the lobby of Qu's residence, Qu Shisi and Chen Zizhuang sat on the left, while Lu Daqi and He Wuzuo sat on the right. Both of them took a sip of tea, then sat at their respective tables in silence.
The atmosphere in the field was dull. After a long while, Qu Shisi finally spoke first.

"Your Highness is a man of great talent and ambition. You can truly be the great ruler of the Ming Dynasty. However, when you first ascended the throne, you saw the fall of an important border town, which caused you to be panicked for a while."

"As ministers of the imperial court, we should assist His Highness at this time and calm the people's hearts. Guangdong Province must not be abandoned without a fight."

Qu Shisi spoke in a low voice, and as soon as he finished speaking, Chen Zizhuang also spoke

"Yes, Guangdong Province must not give up without a fight"

"I strongly advocate holding on, not because Guangdong Province is my hometown, but because the world is in turmoil right now. If we flee before the court starts a war, we will lose the support of the people. This is absolutely not feasible."

Chen Zizhuang looked determined as he looked at the two silent people opposite him.

He Wuzuo had no expression on his face when he heard what Qu Shisi said, but when he heard Chen Zizhuang's words about his hometown, he couldn't help but feel sympathetic.
He has been with the central government all the way, Nanjing, Fujian Province, and now even back to Guangdong Province. He has gone through countless hardships and has been displaced for several years. He has long been discouraged.
He is already at the age of knowing his destiny. He has already retreated all the way back to Guangdong Province. Does he have to continue to follow the court to flee to Guangxi Province and become a stray dog?
Thinking of this, He Wuzuo finally spoke in a deep voice

"Yes, Guangdong Province is the only remaining elite place in our Ming Dynasty. In recent years, the court has sent more troops to Guangdong Province several times. Although the people of Guangdong Province have suffered hardships, they still respond to the court and send countless money and food."

"Now that the Qing troops are approaching, it is time for the court to protect the people. How can the court abandon the people of Guangdong Province?"

"If the court abandons Guangdong, who in the Ming Dynasty will be willing to serve the court? No matter what, the court must fight with all its might and must not abandon Guangdong."

He Wuzuo looked solemn. Qu Shisi and Chen Zizhuang on the opposite side suddenly relaxed their expressions upon hearing this. The three people in the backcourt all looked towards Lv Daqi who was at the top on the right.
The three of them looked over. Lu Daqi glanced at He Wuzuo, who looked determined. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"That's right, Guangdong Province cannot be abandoned lightly. Whether for the hope of the world or for the people of Guangdong Province, the court must fight a battle."

Lu Daqi and He Wuzuo were the leaders of the Fujian Party. Although Lu Daqi was more famous, He Wuzuo was a famous official in Guangdong Province and had many disciples in Guangdong Province. At this time, the central government was located in Guangdong Province, so even he had to rely on him.
At this time, He Wuzuo had made up his mind. Unless Lu Daqi wanted to split the Fujian Party, he actually had no choice.
In fact, Lu Daqi's presence here today means that he has tacitly agreed to this matter, otherwise he would not have appeared here at all.

Lu Daqi had said nothing before, but now that he had made the decision, his expression showed no hesitation and he continued to speak.

"Although we want to hold our ground and fight the enemy, I have seen today's court meeting and I am afraid that His Highness has already decided to leave. If His Highness is determined to leave, how are you prepared to respond?"

When Qu Shisi and the others heard this, their faces were silent for a while. What Lu Daqi said was already to take the Regent's face into consideration.

Now His Highness the Regent was not just thinking about leaving. Today in the palace, he almost wrote the words "immediately move the capital" on his face. However, he did not dare to speak because of what he said before.

Qu Shixi was silent for a moment, then spoke directly

"Your Highness is a man of heroic character. He is temporarily thinking of leaving because he suddenly heard that Gan Province had fallen. This is why he was temporarily confused. As long as Your Highness sees the public opinion in the court, he will naturally change his mind."

Qu Shisi briefly mentioned His Royal Highness the Regent, and then said no more. Then a stern look flashed in his eyes, and he spoke in a deep voice:

"The ones we should be concerned about now are Ding Kuichu and Wang Kun. One of them is spreading rumors inside to shake your highness' mind, while the other one is making false claims outside to scare your highness, which is why your highness is considering moving the capital."

"As long as one of them is eliminated, the remaining people will be alone and the evil atmosphere in the court will disappear."

Lu Daqi and the others nodded slightly after hearing this, and then fell into deep thought.

Although Wang Kun did not say much at the court meeting today, everyone in the court knew that Wang Kun and Ding Kuichu had long been united. It was possible that Wang Kun was the first to propose the idea of ​​moving the capital.

Qu Shisi looked at the people who were lost in thought, and thought of the information Zhang Tongchang had accidentally discovered in the past few days. He was about to speak, but He Wuzuo on the opposite side had already spoken.

"Since Wang Kun has deceived His Highness with his lies, we will get rid of him first," He Wuzuo said with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

Qu Shisi and the others were all a little stunned when they saw the murderous He Wuzuo.
But He Wuzuo didn't care about the reaction of the crowd at this time. He had made up his mind that the court must hold on to Guangdong Province.
He had fled all the way south, and he really didn't plan to flee again. If the court really planned to flee to Guangxi this time, he was ready to resign.
He is already this old, even if he dies, he wants to die in the countryside
Since he was ready to give up his position, what else did he have to fear? He just wanted to give it a try.

If it succeeds, he will raise an army to fight the enemy and defend his hometown. If it fails, then the affairs of the court have nothing to do with him.
"I am in charge of the Inspection Office. Recently, the censors in the Ministry have collected a lot of evidence of Wang Kun's crime of selling official positions and titles. Even if this did not happen, I will impeach Wang Kun in the near future."

A hint of sternness flashed across He Wuzuo's face, and he continued to speak.

"That Wang Kun controls the Imperial Household Department. As far as I know, there are more than a dozen promotion orders that were sent out from the Imperial Household Department in violation of regulations. How can such a treacherous person be allowed to continue to cause trouble in the court?"

When Lu Daqi heard this, he also spoke in a deep voice

"Yes, Wang Kun holds the power to approve documents in the Imperial Household Department, but he abuses his power and brings disaster to the court. He even caused Lord Li to return home unjustly. This traitor should be eliminated immediately."

Lu Daqi also had a cold expression. He and Wang Kun had a grudge against each other. Although Liu Xiangke, who was dismissed by Wang Kun, was Li Yongmao's man, he was also Lu Daqi's subordinate.

"Okay, let the Inspection Office take the lead in this matter, and we will follow closely and work together."

"I have also collected some evidence of Wang Kun's crimes of selling official positions and titles. I will hand them over to Lord He later. This time we must eliminate this treacherous Wang Kun!"

"When His Highness sees Wang Kun's true face and realizes his sinister intentions, he will definitely change his mind. Only in this way can we defend Guangdong Province," Qu Shisi said in a cold voice.

Everyone had decided on their plan, so they left and began to prepare.

Qu Shisi and others acted on their own, but Ding Kuichu and others were also together, discussing
In the lobby of Ding Mansion, Ding Kuichu sat in the first seat at the top. On the left was Wang Kun, who was wearing a red robe of an inner court official. On the right was Ma Jixiang, who was wearing a flying fish suit.
Below Wang Kun on the left is a burly middle-aged man wearing a Qilin martial arts uniform. He is Chen Bangfu, the Marquis of Si’en.
Chen Bangfu had previously failed to win over Jiao Lian, and his plan to use Gui to gain power was also unsuccessful, so after entering the court, he directly surrendered to Ding Kuichu.
Chen Bangfu and Ding Kuichu were old friends. When Jingjiang rebelled, he bribed Ding Kuichu to take the credit for suppressing the rebellion and was awarded the title of General Pingman of Guangxi Province, becoming the most powerful military leader in Guangxi Province.
With this friendship, Chen Bangfu also paved the way with money, so Ding Kuichu naturally accepted his offer.
They were all wearing court robes. Judging from their appearance, they probably gathered together right after the court was dismissed.

Ding Kuichu, who was at the head, took off the seven-beam crown belt on his head and said directly:
"It's such a pity today. We were just one step away from convincing His Royal Highness the Regent to move west to Guangxi Province, but that old bastard Qu Shisi intervened and made all our efforts go to waste. It's really hateful."

Ding Kuichu had a gloomy expression on his face. How could he not be angry when he was scolded by Qu Shisi in front of all the ministers today?

Ding Kuichu looked angry, but Wang Kun looked calm, as if he didn't notice Ding Kuichu's expression, and spoke directly

"Master Ding, why should you be angry? His Highness has already begun to feel reluctant to leave. Qu Shisi may be able to stop him for a while, but can he stop him forever?"

Wang Kun glanced at Ding Kuichu, who still looked resentful, and spoke again.

"Let me tell you one more thing. When I entered the palace last night, as soon as I entered His Highness's study, I saw a map of Guangdong and Guangxi."

"Before I could say anything, His Royal Highness the Regent had already drawn a red circle on the cities of Wuzhou and Guilin."

"What does this mean? I don't think we need to say more. Your Highness is determined to leave, and Qu Shisi cannot stop him."

Chen Bangfu's eyes lit up when he heard what Wang Kun said. Hearing what Wang Kun said, the regent was very determined. I'm afraid the court will retreat to Guangxi sooner or later.
Once the imperial court secretly moved into Guangxi Province, he would have 10,000 troops under his command, and his status in the court would surely rise. At that time, it would not be difficult for him to be conferred the title of Duke.

Wang Kun didn't care about the thoughts of the people in the field and continued to speak.

"Your Highness did not mention moving the capital today, but it was because Qu Shisi and his men threatened them with the greater good, and Your Highness could not respond for the sake of face."

"Once the Qing army really enters Guangdong, I'm afraid it will be useless for Qu Shisi to say anything." As soon as Wang Kun finished speaking, Ding Kuichu suddenly interrupted.

"How can we wait until the Qing army enters Guangdong? The Qing army is powerful and the capture of the late emperor is not far away. If the Qing army really enters Guangdong, how can we evacuate in time?"

Evacuation is not just riding a horse to Guangxi Province. Ding Kuichu has worked hard for several years to build up this huge family business. How could he just abandon it?
If they waited until the Qing army entered Guangdong, they might be able to evacuate quickly, but he would probably lose most of his wealth accumulated over the years in an instant. How could he deal with this?

The reason why he wanted to quickly decide on the move of the capital was to have enough time to move all his family property to Guangxi Province.

Wang Kun, Ma Jixiang and others obviously thought of this and nodded slightly.

Ding Kuichu was worth hundreds of millions, so they naturally couldn't compare to him, but they were also wealthy. How could they evacuate all the property in the mansion in such a hurry?

"That Qu Shisi is really hateful. If he wants to die, he can die. Why does he have to drag the court to be buried with him? He is really not a human being."

"The imperial court must set off as soon as possible. We must not wait until the Qing army enters Guangdong before hastily moving the capital," Ding Kuichu said firmly.

"This matter concerns our lives and property, what can you do?"

Ding Kuichu looked at the people below

Wang Kun's eyes turned, and after a brief thought, he spoke softly.

"In fact, if Lord Ding wants to move the capital immediately, there is a way," Wang Kun said with a smile on his face.

Ding Kuichu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he immediately spoke

"Please tell me what brilliant plan you have, Eunuch Wang."

"That depends on Commander Ma."

Wang Kun smiled and looked at Ma Jixiang opposite him
"I?"

Ma Jixiang, who had been silent the whole time, looked slightly surprised, but before he could reply, Wang Kun continued to speak.

"Your Highness is already panicking. If we put more pressure on him, he will naturally take the initiative to propose moving the capital for his own safety."

"Commander Ma has many talented people under his command. Why not find a few Tiqi with a Gan accent, and then pretend to be a Qing army vanguard spying on the military situation in Meiguan, and have someone report it back to the court."

"As long as His Highness finds out that the Qing army has entered Guangdong Province, he will naturally move the capital away."

A hint of pride flashed across Wang Kun's face.

"Great, great!"

"The Qing army is not coming, so why don't we just let them come directly?"

"Once the capital is moved, it cannot be stopped. When the court moves to Guangxi Province, it will not matter whether it is true or not."

Ding Kuichu's expression brightened, and he immediately praised loudly, and then looked at Ma Jixiang below.
"Commander Ma, you may find someone with a Gan accent."

"There should be no problem with this matter, it will be done in a moment."

Ma Jixiang was excited when he heard what Ding Kuichu said, and he immediately replied:
Everyone looked at Wang Kun with admiration on their faces. Wang Kun was able to take advantage of the chaos and take over as the Chief of the Imperial Household Department. He was really capable.
Everyone looked delighted, but Ding Kuichu thought for a moment and looked at Chen Bangfu below.

"This matter is of great importance. If we are going to do it, we must make sure it goes without any mistakes."

"General Chen, you are a military hero of Guangxi Province and a marquis of the country. Tomorrow you will also submit a petition, urging His Highness to visit Guangxi Province on the grounds that the terrain of Guangxi Province is conducive to defense and can contain the Qing army."

"Gui Jianguo has always been fond of military affairs. Now that you, a military official, have given an excuse and the Qing army's vanguard has arrived at Meiguan, Gui Jianguo will certainly not hesitate any longer."

"This matter concerns our safety and wealth, do you understand?"

Ding Kuichu looked at Chen Bangfu below and spoke in a deep voice

Wang Kun and Ma Jixiang were also staring at Chen Bangfu, who was attending the core meeting for the first time.

Ding Kuichu's move was not only to ensure that the relocation of the capital was foolproof, but also to let Chen Bangfu make a pledge of allegiance.
Although Ding Kuichu had received money from Chen Bangfu, he knew that Chen Bangfu was not a good person.

This kind of military leader has a fierce and stubborn temperament. If he had not been going to move to Guangxi Province and rely on him in the future, he would never have allowed such a person to join his core.
The military intelligence of Guangdong Province is false and will certainly be exposed in the future. If Chen Bangfu also submits a petition to move westward at this time, he will be attacked by the court as the only military hero who proposed the move westward.
At that time, Chen Bangfu had no choice but to become a member of their ship.

Chen Bangfu's eyes flickered, and he immediately realized Ding Kuichu's intention.

He actually didn't want Ding Kuichu to have any leverage over him, but his plan to win over Jiao Lian failed, so he could only rely on Ding Kuichu to continue to expand his power legitimately.

Chen Bangfu sneered in his heart. Ding Kuichu thought he had caught him and felt that he could only rely on him to speak out and save him when the court attacked him in the future.
But the entire western Guangxi was his territory. As long as the imperial court withdrew to Guangxi, he would control half of the province and had an army of 10,000. What was there to fear?

Censors and impeachment, what do these things mean to him?

As soon as his troops moved, the imperial court would probably kill those censors to appease him.

Ding Kuichu is indeed a civil official. He has a strong army and is independent. Why should he fight with them?

If I recognize you, you are the imperial court. If I don't recognize you, you are the fake Ming!
Do you really think he can't contact the Qing court?
Chen Bangfu's mind turned quickly. At this time, he had a response in mind. The court's move to Guangxi Province would indeed benefit him, so he no longer hesitated and responded.

"Mr. Ding has made all the necessary arrangements. Tomorrow I will submit a petition to Your Highness, urging him to move west to Guangxi Province to ensure the safety of the imperial court."

"Very good, then our plan will surely be accomplished."

Ding Kuichu was relieved when he saw Chen Bangfu's respectful response and said

"Then it is settled. Commander Ma will send someone to convey military intelligence tomorrow. General Chen will write a memorial stating the benefits of moving to Guangxi Province. I will then propose moving the capital to Guangxi Province."

"Tomorrow I will give up another 6,000 soldiers of my Guangdong Army to see if I can get His Highness to order that old villain Qu Shisi to defend Guangdong Province."

"He wants to defend Guangdong Province to win the hearts of the people, right? Then let him defend it to his heart's content, and we can get rid of this old villain at the same time," Ding Kuichu said with a cold expression.

In the Ding Mansion, everyone had made up their minds and dispersed to prepare for their own
The two factions in the court had just fought a round today, but under the pressure of the Qing army entering Guangdong, the two sides took action again and were about to start the next round of more intense fighting.
Both sides have no way out at this point, and after this round of collision, I'm afraid it will be a matter of life and death. The winner will take everything, while the loser will have no way out.
(End of this chapter)