Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 130 Do you believe it or not?
Zhu Cilang's meeting with Empress Dowager Zou was really unremarkable.

In the eyes of others, the rebel king was skinned alive and Ma Shiying's influence was not as strong as before. The old lady now had no strong support from outside and no one to rely on inside.

Yingtian didn't even need to issue a special decree. Just pretending that she didn't exist would be enough for her to pass away within a year or so for some reason.

But both parties involved are very clear that how to treat this powerless old lady actually represents to a large extent how Zhu Cilang views the Hongguang Dynasty.

By extension, this incident also shows how His Royal Highness the Crown Prince views the ministers who were rewarded by Hongguang.

Therefore, this was not the case that the Prince Regent went to visit the Queen Mother upon his first arrival in Hangzhou, but rather the Prince Regent used this incident to reassure the various provincial governors.

In this situation, as long as the action of "visiting" is taken, what happens afterwards is actually unimportant.

"Is Your Highness married?"

After completing the whole process, Zhu Cilang was about to say goodbye and leave, but before he could say anything, he heard Empress Dowager Zou ask a question that made no sense.

"My father and mother seemed to have seen several girls at the time, but I am not sure about the specific results."

After he finished speaking, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but cheer for himself in his heart.

How did he know whether Chongzhen had found a wife for his son?

However, these days, even ordinary families’ marriages have to be arranged by parents and matchmakers, so I think the royal family must be even more particular about it.

So no matter whether he knows or not, has it or not, the most appropriate thing for him to do is to act like he knows nothing.

Sure enough, after he finished speaking, Empress Dowager Zou did not show any surprise, as if that was how things were.

just
"If Your Highness does not mind me being too nosy, then leave your marriage to me."

! ! ? ?
Are you trying to take advantage of the situation?
But how dare she?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang immediately became alert and even showed his surprise on his face without any concealment.

This is to select a queen for the Ming Dynasty, not an ordinary family marrying a wife.

This matter not only concerns Zhu Cilang's second half of life, but will also have a far-reaching impact on the situation.

How could an old lady like her, with no one to rely on, have the courage to help with such an urgent matter?
"Your Highness is busy with state affairs all day long, so I don't think he has the opportunity to come into contact with girls. I, an old woman, can help to check first, which can save Your Highness a lot of effort."

When Empress Dowager Zou saw Zhu Cilang's expression, she knew that he was being overly suspicious, but when she explained it vaguely, she saw that the Crown Prince still had the same expression.

In this case, she had no choice but to make things clear.

"I have something to do as an old woman, and I can save myself from the gossip of those who have ulterior motives."

The so-called "something to do" means that she can maintain contact with the outside world without any obstacles, and the "gossip" is probably to question the legitimacy of Zhu Cilang's actions by using the treatment of Empress Dowager Zou.

Similar things have actually happened several times during the Hongguang Dynasty. Whether it was the "Dabei Case", the "Tong Fei Case" or the "Fake Prince Case", no matter what the matter was, there were always many people who used this as an excuse to weaken the legitimacy of Hongguang's succession.

Take the "Fake Prince Case" with Zhu Cilang as the protagonist. Zuo Liangyu used this as an excuse to send troops to purge the court, and many local governors and governors directly wrote to ask Hongguang to treat the bloodline of the previous emperor well.

So the question is, how many people here really care about the life and death of the "fake prince"? And how many people just want to weaken the authority of the court and make their own voice in the local area stronger?

This kind of thing is too idealistic, but it is difficult to make a conclusion.

But Zhu Cilang knew very well that the ministers of the Ming Dynasty would never give up any opportunity to weaken the imperial power. Even if this opportunity might further split the Ming Dynasty, which was already in disarray due to the sudden martyrdom of Chongzhen, they would not hesitate at all.

"Then I'll have to trouble the Queen Mother."

After understanding what Empress Dowager Zou meant, Zhu Cilang naturally no longer had any resistance to this matter.

Although the legal basis for his regent status has nothing to do with this old lady, it is always a good thing to have less trouble now that we are facing a powerful enemy.

As for whether the girl found by Queen Mother Zou could please his heart,
Oh my god, that damn thing called love is ultimately just the result of hormone secretion.

It may take as short as three months or as long as a year, and it will always disappear due to the body's metabolism.

By then, what will maintain the harmonious life of the couple is still tolerance, understanding and habit.

After the matter was finalized, the atmosphere became harmonious again. The old and the young talked for a few more words. Empress Dowager Zou said "I'm tired", and Zhu Cilang tactfully stood up and said goodbye.

Queen Mother Zou's behavior can be considered as a gesture of goodwill and also as self-protection, but it is undeniable that the Queen Mother's approval can indeed add a considerable degree of legitimacy to this makeshift team.

The court was stable, but the local
"Duke, how do you think the governors and governors-general of various places will react?"

"this."

After leaving Empress Dowager Zou's residence, Zhu Guobi planned to lead Zhu Cilang to the courtyard where the princes were waiting. However, before he could open his mouth, he heard His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ask an extremely sensitive question.

To be honest, he hopes to be reused.

Because possessing power and influence can ensure the continuation of one's own inheritance to the greatest extent possible in these troubled times.

But Zhu Cilang's attitude towards him changed too quickly, so quickly that the almost sixty-year-old man was unable to wrap his head around it for a while.

"Just tell me what you have to say. Since I use you, I will trust you."

As the saying goes, don't use people who are suspicious, and don't use people who are suspicious.

Everyone focuses on the second half of the sentence, but they don’t know that the first half is the real core point.

At first, no one thought that Yingtian could be preserved from the Tartar army, and no one even believed that the Ming Dynasty could hold on to this half of the country.

Therefore, the nobles who were loyal to the Ming Dynasty were prepared to surrender to the Qing Dynasty while they still had some value, hoping to preserve their own family property through this action.

But now the situation has changed dramatically. Although the enemy is still strong and we are weak in the Jiangnan area, any discerning person can see that under a series of operations by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the powerful Qing army has fallen into a strategic passive position.

Under such circumstances, Zhu Guobi would naturally not give up his position as a super-ranking duke in the Ming Dynasty and run to the Qing Dynasty to be a humble and docile wife who could be stepped on by anyone.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang could certainly trust him in certain matters.

As for how to explain the troops sent to Hangzhou, they were all under the control of Chang Guanlin and Zhang Pengyi.
The Duke of Baoguo of the Ming Dynasty, an old man in his sixties, let alone the fact that he had to concentrate on stabilizing the situation in Hangzhou, even if he really had nothing to do, how could he condescend to command those three thousand troops and dozens of broken ships?

You can't be so disrespectful.

"Your Highness, I believe that the local governors are loyal to the emperor and the country, but it is inevitable that some people will think that you are a little hasty in your role as regent."

"Oh? You won't make a fuss about my identity and the fact that I skinned the Rebel King?"

"Emperor Hongguang's actions were unpopular, and most governors and governors-general had written to him asking him to treat you well, so."

Having said that, Zhu Guobi secretly glanced at the profile of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and when he saw that he did not show much reaction to this, he did not finish his words, but went straight to the next point.

"As for the King of Ni, he certainly won't do that. Thousands of soldiers witnessed him openly aiding the enemy during a battle. If anyone really wants to appeal for him, I'm afraid his soldiers will not agree first."

Although the words of Zhu Laoguogong were cryptic, the general meaning was laid out in front of Zhu Cilang without any concealment. In general, he did not think that the governors would make trouble for the prince's status, nor did he think that they would complain about the rebellious king.

Here, the King of Rebellion has made his reasons clear and understandable, but he was a little hesitant when it comes to the issue of identity.

Zhu Cilang had thought about these things several times, and asking about them now was probably meant to confirm each other.

Therefore, he did not need to think too much about Zhu Guobi's brief comment and he understood the unfinished meaning behind it.

On the one hand, having written a letter asking for kind treatment, to voice doubts now would be more than just contradicting oneself.

If political opponents use this as an attack, they will at least be charged with ulterior motives.

On the other hand, if one really questioned Zhu Cilang's identity, it would mean completely breaking off relations with Yingtian. Without the intention of completely rebelling against the Ming Dynasty or having absolute certainty, who would risk their life and property to do such a low-return, high-risk thing?

"How do we respond?"

"It's not difficult to deal with it. The Queen Mother and all the ministers and nobles are here. We can just make up for your duty as regent and that's it. What we're afraid of is that there are people with ill intentions who pretend to obey us but actually disobey us. We are a little out of reach."

"I'm not afraid of him pretending to obey but actually disobeying. As long as he is determined to resist the Qing, I can tolerate him."

"Your Highness is kind and magnanimous. I will do my best to help you accomplish your great cause of rejuvenation."

The last two sentences seem to be irrelevant, but the governors and governors are not here, so who can Zhu Cilang tell his words to?

Thinking in this way, it is understandable why Zhu Guobi suddenly expressed his loyalty.

Hangzhou City is not big, but this house is not small either. The two walked and talked for a while before they arrived at the courtyard where the princes were waiting.

At this time, several princes of the Ming Dynasty, including Zhu Youjian, had been waiting in the courtyard for a while. When they saw Zhu Guobi entering the courtyard with a young man, the princes naturally knew that it was the murderous god who came to claim their lives.

"I will pay my respects to His Highness the Crown Prince."

After the greetings, Zhu Cilang saw that everyone seemed a little nervous, and he couldn't help but feel a little confused.

He did skin the King of Rebellion alive, but that didn't mean that everyone was qualified to be skinned alive.

Just like the group of princes who stayed in Yingtian, even if they were given the chance, they would not do anything that would incur the wrath of God and the resentment of the people, so Zhu Cilang thought that their uneasiness was somewhat unreasonable.

"Please stand up quickly, please stand up quickly, we are all family, why should we be so bound by these conventional etiquette?"

After some polite exchanges, Zhu Cilang took the main seat, while the others sat on both sides of the hall and listened attentively.

"I came here this time, first, to meet you uncles and brothers, and second, to hear your opinions on the matter of the Rebellious King."

Send a proposition.

This was the only thought that came to the minds of the princes.

Should we say it was a good scrape or a bad scrape?
Zhu Cilang charged Prince Lu with two main crimes.

One is to collude with the Tartars and try to surrender to the Qing Dynasty; the other is to openly aid the enemy when the two armies were fighting.

But in the minds of the kings, the so-called collusion with the Tartars was just to make the image of Prince Lu as a traitor more complete.

Who didn't have contact with Chen Hongfan during that period? If we talk about colluding with the Tartars, I'm afraid that everyone in Hangzhou who is qualified can escape.

As for supporting the enemy.
What Prince Lu did was indeed a bit excessive, but even so, he would not skin someone alive in a busy street.

Therefore, in the eyes of these princes, Prince Lu's greatest crime was probably serving as regent.

How could those who were theoretically qualified to become regents not feel nervous?
"I am not someone who will be punished for my words, so you can speak freely."

After the words were spoken, the place remained silent.

At this point, Zhu Cilang certainly wanted someone to break the silence, but it was these princes who really didn't want this awkward situation to continue.

"Your Highness, I have something to say."

"Oh? Please speak, King Chu."

After briefly recalling Zhu Guobi's previous introduction, Zhu Cilang remembered the situation of the person speaking in front of him.

Several other princes either hid elsewhere like Zhu Youjian, or fled out of Hangzhou after realizing the Rebel King's intentions, waiting for changes in the situation.

But the King of Chu was exactly the opposite of them.

As an old prince in his seventies, he not only tried to dissuade the rebel king from surrendering after learning that he wanted to, but also stood up in anger, tore his crown and threw it to the ground when he found that he was stubborn and left.

"The rebel king is guilty and deserves death, but slicing him in a busy street is a bit too much."

Hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded slowly. When he saw that all the kings felt the same way, he understood his thoughts.

"I think you all agree with this," he said, and then he glanced at everyone, then turned around and walked back to the main seat and said with a smile: "We are all family, if you have any ideas, just speak out. You see, I haven't done anything to the old prince, right?"

Zhu Cilang's laughter echoed in the hall, and the atmosphere, which had already eased a little, became even more awkward.

"The crime of treason has been made public. I think you all know it. However, it is not these two obvious points that made me make up my mind."

After the words were spoken, the kings couldn't help but reveal curiosity on their faces, but in their hearts they all thought of the following four words: "As expected."

"To be honest, since the Tartars came south, all the ministers have been thinking of surrendering. If I hadn't defended Yingtian first and then rescued Hangzhou, the Tartars might have reached Fujian."

Although this statement may sound like self-boasting, anyone with a little common sense will know that it is not only not an exaggeration at all, but is even a little conservative.

But then again, even if Zhu Cilang had made great contributions, what did it have to do with skinning the Rebel King?
"But I alone cannot stop the Tartars. It just so happens that the rebel king is helping the enemy on the battlefield. Isn't this a perfect opportunity to win over the people and boost morale?"

Be honest.

After Hong Guoguo's explanation, these two words immediately appeared in the minds of the princes, and their knots in their hearts were largely untied.

Honestly speaking, if Zhu Cilang said a lot of high-sounding words, even if he finally used the example of Prince Yiyang who was almost made regent, it would be hard to make these people believe that he would not take action against him.

But people are so strange. When Zhu Cilang came up with such a reason that was difficult to make public, they believed it.

And he kept reminding himself in his heart: I must be careful about my actions and never let my life become a tool for His Highness to win people's hearts.

"Your Highness has devoted all his energy to the country. The rebel king has sacrificed his life to win the hearts of the people for our Ming Dynasty. This can be regarded as a small atonement for his crime."

"Exactly, exactly."

Zhu Youjian was the first to jump out, and all the kings immediately echoed him.

(End of this chapter)