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In late April of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, a dramatic turning point occurred in the whole world. In the north, Li Zicheng was defeated miserably at Shanhaiguan. After returning to the capital, he hurriedly proclaimed himself emperor, and then abandoned the city and fled.
Before leaving the city, he set a fire, but it only burned some palaces such as Huangji Palace, Qianqing Palace, and Kunning Palace. The other palaces were not burned. The palaces behind were safe and sound, and the capital fell into the hands of the Manchus.
In the south, there are also dizzying variables.
While the Donglin Party was busy creating public opinion for the establishment of King Lu, on April 24, under the planning and auspices of Fengyang Governor Ma Shiying, King Fu Zhu Yousong took the water transport speedboat of the Water Transport Governor Lu Zhenfei and arrived at Liu Zeqing's Under the escort of four generals, Huang Degong, Liu Liangzuo and Gao Jie, they arrived at Yizhen, which is across the river from Nanjing.
At the same time, even Qin Mu, who was busy fighting a fierce battle with Dashun's army in Jingxiang, wrote to Nanjing to express his support for the establishment of a legitimate son and for King Fu's succession to the throne. This caused tremendous political and military pressure on the Nanjing ministers.
On April 26, Lu Daqi, Jiang Yueguang, Qian Qianyi, Huang Daozhou, Gao Hongtu, Zhang Shenyan, Xu Hongji, Liu Kongzhao and other civil and military ministers held an emergency court meeting to discuss the matter of supporting the emperor under the pressure of heavy troops. .
The meeting lasted from the morning until noon, but no results came out. The Donglin Party who supported King Lu had a fierce quarrel with other ministers who supported King Fu.
In the end, Liu Kongzhao and others, the main force of the "Pro-Fu Sect", threatened with death. Only then did the people in Donglin realize what it means to bring political power from the barrel of a gun.
They had no soldiers to use, and the idea of establishing a virtuous man was untenable in legal terms. In desperation, they were forced to agree to support Zhu Yousong, the king of blessing, to succeed him. And immediately drafted an announcement to welcome King Fu.
Subsequently, Nanjing notified Ma Shiying, Shi Kefa and others in Jiangbei of the decision. Ma Shiying was overjoyed when he saw that the matter had been accomplished. He was the one who had the title of Conglongshou Gong;
Shi Kefa was originally the leader of the generals. However, his preference was King Gui, and he could only choose to accept this outcome.
On April 27, officials from the Nanjing Ministry of Rites came to Yizhen to welcome King Feng Fu with the official announcement of hundreds of officials. They announced that all ministers in Nanjing supported him to inherit the Ming Dynasty and implored him to move to Nanjing to preside over the country's military affairs.
King Fu arrived at Pukou on the 28th and was warmly welcomed by officials headed by Wei Guogong Xu Hongji.
The next day, King Fu's boat crossed the Yangtze River and anchored at Yanziji, Nanjing at noon.
Thirty days. The ministers from Nanjing boarded a boat to pay homage to King Fu. King Fu wore a kerchief and a ge robe, and was dressed very simply. His expression was calm and reserved, and he appeared to be quite mature and steady. He was completely different from the image that the Donglin Party had created for him.
He said to the officials who came to persuade him to come in: "I fled south alone, and now I don't know where my mother and concubine are. I just want to find a secluded place in the south to escape the war, and I have never dared to think too much about the throne. "
Zhu Yousong's words are both sincere and untrue.
At first he really just wanted to avoid the war. But in order to save his life, it is true that he was separated from his mother, Zou, on the way to escape.
But after receiving the news of the fall of Beijing in Huai'an, he took the initiative to fight for the gun, but. This kind of struggle was initiated after the Donglin Party first denied the inheritance rights that should belong to him.
Therefore, his words were quite sincere. Facing the officials who came to visit him one after another, he felt that what was right and what is wrong now was different. Zhu Yousong was very moved and cried bitterly on the spot.
On this day of Jin Ye's visit, Zhu Yousong left a good impression on Nanjing officials. It is said that welcoming this prince is "a blessing to the clan".
On the first day of May, King Fu landed at Shuixi Gate in the southwest of Nanjing. Surrounded by his ministers, he rode in a sedan from outside the city of Nanjing to the gate of the Xiaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Gao, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty. He got off the sedan and rode inside.
Xiaoling Mausoleum has an east gate and a west gate. The east gate is the so-called imperial road, which is the road that only the emperor can walk. Zhu Yousong was very humble at this time. He avoided the east gate and entered Xiaoling Mausoleum through the west gate and came to Taizu. Pay a visit to Xiangdian.
In Xiaoling, Zhu Yousong also made a special trip to visit the tomb of Zhu Biao, Prince Yiwen of the Ming Dynasty. This move once again won the favor of many ministers. At this point, it marks that the pro-welfare faction has achieved a major stage victory.
On May 3rd, King Fu formally supervised the country in Nanjing and held mourning for Emperor Daxing.
On May 10th, King Fu Zhu Yousong proclaimed his throne to Heaven, Earth, Ancestral Temple, and Shejizhi at the Wuying Hall in Nanjing, and designated the next year as the first year of "Hongguang".
Regarding the matter of mourning, it is a bit strange. It seems that Qin Mu is the one who inherited the orthodoxy, because he mourned Chongzhen in Huguang and Jiangxi a month ago.
But at this moment, when everyone is fighting overtly and covertly to support the new king, it is getting into trouble. However, Qin Mu had already led his army to the Northern Expedition, fighting fiercely with the thieves and avenging his father.
One by one, everyone in the world saw Qin Mu's uniqueness, and won countless people's hearts. Especially people from Yangzhou moved to Huguang in droves.
Because everyone was very afraid of soldiers and bandits like Liu Zeqing and Gao Jie, these two armies went all the way south, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil wherever they went. Especially the rich people knew very well that Liu Zeqing and Gao Jie had achieved the great merit of Conglong, and I am afraid that they would be even more evil. No one can control it.
Huguang and Jiangxi have become the safest places in the world. The military strictly abides by the three major disciplines and eight points of attention, the officials are clean and efficient, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and industry and commerce are booming, just like a paradise. So many people chose to take refuge in Huguang, Jiangxi.
Many people with lofty ideals also joined Huguang, including Gu Jiang.
Gu Jiangzhi decided to defect to Qin Mu not because he knew that the same letter he and Zheng Sen received was from Qin Mu, but because he was extremely disappointed with everyone else except Qin Mu;
Liu Zeqing, Gao Jie, Huang Degong, and Zuo Liangyu, who was running eastward, each had 1 or 200,000 troops crowded in the Huainan area. They did not want to go north to regain the lost territory, but in order to seize the territory, they actually started a dog-eat-dog fight. Gao Jie attacked Huang Degong, and Zuo Liangyu Liangyu attacked Liu Zeqing, and Huainan became a mess.
Not only was Nanjing unable to stop it, Shi Kefa was also afraid that the four towns would be displeased, so he hurriedly granted him the title of comfort, naming Huang Degong as Jingnan Marquis, Gao Jie as Xingping Bo, Liu Zeqing as Dongping Bo, and Liu Liangzuo as Guangchang Bo. Later, Zuo Liangyu was granted the title of Marquis of Ningnan.
This situation has disappointed many knowledgeable people like Gu Jiang.
Looking around the world, warlords from all walks of life are busy fighting for territory, and dogs bite dogs. Only Qin Mu is still holding high the flag of righteousness to fight against thieves and attack Xiangyang. So many people chose to defect to Wuchang.
When Qin Mu heard that Gu Jiang came to join him, he personally welcomed him twenty miles outside the city and treated him with utmost courtesy. When the people on the street heard that Qin Mu came out of the city to welcome him, they all speculated about what kind of person he was who was treated so politely by Governor Qin.
When Zhu Yousong conferred officials and titles on Huang Degong and others, Qin Mu was naturally indispensable. Qin Mu was given the title of Minister of the Ministry of War and became the governor of Huguang and Jiangxi provinces, so some people called him Governor Qin.
As the dignified governor of two provinces, Qin Mu condescended to go out of the city to greet a commoner, which caused a sensation in the whole city. Many meddlesome people even followed him out of the city to see who was worthy of such a grand welcome from Governor Qin.
And this is exactly what Qin Mu wants to achieve. Gu Jiang's integrity and knowledge were certainly worthy of his respect, but Qin Mu also wanted to use this move to express to the world that he was eager for talents and his demeanor of being courteous and virtuous.
Gu Jiang was also quite moved when they met and didn't even dare to say anything.
Qin Mu said enthusiastically: "I have heard that Zhongqing's literary skills and military skills were outstanding for a long time. I am really lucky that Zhongqing can come to Wuchang today."
"Your Excellency, the Governor-General, is ridiculously complimentary. The students are disdainful of him. He has not done any good for the country. What your Excellency has said truly makes the bachelor's degree ashamed."
"Where there is a will, there is a way. Zhongqing doesn't have to be so self-conscious. By the way, Zhongqing, you are good at everything else, but the name is very awkward. Now that the Manchu and Qing lords have stolen the capital, it is obvious that they are looking into China's heart. Li Zicheng can't do anything about it. A first-rate Kouer will never be able to achieve success. You must know that the Manchus are the biggest enemy of our dynasty."
It was okay that Qin Mu didn't mention it, but when he mentioned it, Gu Jiang felt that it was really inappropriate to call her Zhongqing, and immediately said: "If you don't give up, I hope you can give me a name."
Qin Mu blurted out: "Then change it to Yanwu, with the courtesy name Ningren."
Gu Jiang heard this and said happily: "Thank you, sir, for the name."
The two of them were driving back in the same car. It had started to clear up after a new rain. The rice fields on both sides of the road were full of green. Clouds passed by for a while, and occasionally a string of farmers' joyful songs came from the fields, full of joy in anticipation of a good harvest.
Looking around, the quiet and peaceful pastoral scenery seems like a paradise.
All this made Gu Yanwu very emotional. On his way here, even near Nanjing, refugees were carrying each other and crying all over the road. However, as soon as he entered Jiangxi, he found that the prefectures and counties along the way were setting up porridge shops to relieve refugees, and at the same time organized A large number of ships transferred refugees without food and clothing to Huguang.
When he arrived in Huguang, Gu Yanwu personally visited the site to see where the transferred refugees were being resettled. He found that batches of thatched houses had been built in advance in many places here, and the refugees could move in as soon as they arrived.
Local officials then organized households and distributed relief grains. Although they were mainly coarse grains such as dried sweet potatoes, it was enough to prevent the people from starving to death.
After the armors were compiled according to households, the government distributed grains, farm tools, and fields to the refugees. They also selected young and strong men to form armors and took turns patrolling for security. They also conducted some military training in their spare time.
In short, the stable environment, prosperous scene, and good mental outlook of the people here are like two different worlds compared with other places.
Gu Yanwu sincerely sighed: "The people of Huguang, Jiangxi are blessed if you manage well."
Qin Mu glanced at the pastoral scenery outside the window and slowly chanted: "The fields are full of water, the rice leaves are in full bloom, the sun shines through the trees and the mist is low. The orioles also love the freshness and coolness, flying over the green mountains and singing in the shadows."
After he finished, he paused for a moment before continuing: "This peaceful and peaceful pastoral scenery is the most beautiful poetry and painting, and my greatest wish is to let this kind of poetry and painting continue in our land of China. Anyone who wants to destroy it will be my fault." enemy."
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.(To be continued...)
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