Chapter 111: When will the Jinling singing and dancing end? (2)
Seeing that the host, Zhang Pu, had finally arrived, everyone who had been waiting for a long time in the boat stood up quickly. Before they could say anything, Zhang Pu came directly up to the guests, cupped his fists and bowed: "... Thank you for waiting for so long. I'm sorry. It's just that there are so many scholars coming to the meeting today, far more than expected. I have to go around to say hello to you, so I wasted some time and neglected you all. Please forgive me! ”
——This time the restoration society held a meeting on the Qinhuai River. There were hundreds of members of the restoration society alone. Together with other scholars and officials who came here in admiration, the total number was no less than a thousand. Not to mention that these scholars generally don't go out alone, and they have to bring their servants and maids, as well as bearers and carriage drivers... thus forming a huge flow of people that is comparable to a celebrity concert in later generations, which makes the organizers a little embarrassed. Unexpected.
However, although there has been a tradition of gatherings of literati on the Qinhuai River since ancient times, due to the construction conditions and business scale in ancient times, there was no such large auditorium that could accommodate thousands of people for banquets; and no brothel could send out enough girls. Entertaining so many customers at once...
Therefore, the Jiangnan scholars gathering and having a banquet on the Qinhuai River this time were actually grouped together according to their distance and distance, and were scattered among more than 20 river houses and boats. As the host of this conference, However, Zhang Pu, Zhang Dai and other backbone members of the society had to go everywhere. At every place, you have to say hello, say a few words, show your closeness, and maybe drink a few glasses of wine to make the visitors look good... In addition, the ancients' concept of time is not as good as that of modern people, and the result is... After walking down the circle and returning to the boat where Fang Yizhi was being entertained, it was already very late.
Fortunately, Fang Yizhi is also a free and easy person, so he doesn't take it seriously, "...Brother Zhang, why should I be so polite? I am already very happy to be entertained by my friends who have returned to society at their expense when I come back from this desolate situation, so why not?" Accountant compares this Waiting for a section? Alas, this trip to the south is really touching... The Qiongzhou government was indeed stolen by the Kun thieves and was almost reduced to a barbarian state, and the areas of Lingnan and Guangxi are also full of dangers..."< br>
While being so polite, he also boasted about what he had experienced during his trip south to Qiongzhou. Zhang Pu just smiled and nodded, listening while gesturing to serve the food. All of a sudden, the maids and waiters were coming and going with wine and food, and the kitchen chef was using his special skills. Winter melon cups, Buddha jumping over the wall, meat-skin wontons, crab meat lion head, carp stew, roasted tenderloin... all were cooked like running water. The ground is brought up. When most of the dishes were served, Fang Yizhi felt a little dry from talking, so Zhang Pu and Zhang Dai raised their glasses to wish Fang Yizhi and his party a safe return. Everyone then drank and dined separately.
After five dishes of food and three rounds of wine, the singing girls on the boat finally finished dressing up, and came in like colorful butterflies, blessing the guests, and then began to play, play, and sing, and show off their talents - some bomb There were pipa players, a bamboo flute player, a long harp player, and two pretty little lolita dancers. Surrounded by them was a young man in plain clothes holding a peach blossom fan. He softly opened his red lips and sang in Kunshan accent. minor tune. Although her Kunshan accent was incomprehensible to all the travelers, and they had no idea what she was singing, the sound alone was already very nice, like pearls falling on a plate... As a result, there was singing and dancing inside the boat, and a gentle breeze outside the boat. On a sunny day, everyone was chatting and looking at the river scenery on both sides of the river. They were really enjoying themselves.
However, although all the time-travelers in disguise feel this is quite new. But for Jiangnan scholars and veterans of the romantic field, such scenes have long been commonplace. In addition, there are no famous prostitutes appearing today, so they still focus on conversation.
"...Hey, time flies so fast! Before I knew it, more than a year had passed."
Holding a glass of warm rice wine and looking at the plum blossoms in the boat vase, Fang Yizhi couldn't help but sigh, "...I think back to the autumn of the fourth year of Chongzhen, when we and other passionate warriors responded to Mr. Mu Zhai's call and went south to investigate the traitor Kun. love The scene at that time seems to be still vivid in my mind. I don’t want to see this Jiangnan scenery again, it is already the first month of the sixth year of Chongzhen, and the current situation of my Ming Dynasty has been turned upside down..."
"...My dear brother, you are wrong. All the gentlemen in the capital have now supported the new emperor to ascend the throne and promulgated the new year's title. Therefore, this year is the first year of Yonghe. Don't make a mistake!" It seemed like this! There is something wrong, Zhang Pu, who is "very politically aware", quickly corrected him.
"...Exactly, it seems that we haven't had time to congratulate Tian Rugong for once again becoming an official and offering wine to the Imperial Academy!"
Another scholar who had also returned from Hainan Island came over with a wine glass in his hand and interrupted to compliment Zhang Pu, "...Now, Duke Yu Sheng (Zhou Yanru) serves as the chief minister of the cabinet, and Duke Mu Zhai (Qian Qianyi) He served as Minister of Rites and stayed in the capital. Above the hall are all the gentlemen of Donglin, which can be said to have recreated the grand occasion of 'all the people are prosperous' a few years ago. I think it will definitely refresh the political affairs, educate all the people, sweep away the evil atmosphere in China, and bring peace to the world..."
One by one, these were all about Zhang Pu's recent proudest things, which made the literary giant and leader of the society couldn't help but smile and narrow his eyes... But before Zhang Pu could happily listen to it, After a few words of flattery, Fang Yizhi, a stupid young man, spoke again without realizing it:
"...It is indeed gratifying that all the gentlemen of Donglin have returned to power and have regained the power of the imperial court. However, the current situation seems to be really worrying! Not to mention that there is still endless fighting in the north, but I am on this journey. listen According to the news, the southern provinces are also on the verge of war - Huang Shi, the warrior who colluded with the bandits and Japanese pirates in Fujian, has indeed launched an army to rebel, and the Qiongzhou bandits seem to be eyeing the Guangdong and Guangxi..."
Fang Yizhi sighed in despair, "... I wonder if the princes in Nanjing have any plans for these two thieves?"
Although Fang Yizhi said it very sincerely, for some reason, Zhang Pu's expression suddenly changed unpredictably, which was very strange... After a while, he managed to smile and said, "...The secret is the chaos in the land of Fujian and Guangdong. It is not that the imperial court in the capital is unaware of the matter, nor has it not considered countermeasures. However, as the saying goes, the manpower is limited, we gentlemen must do things with a clear conscience, and we must also make choices. . To put it simply, everything must be done in sequence. Nowadays, the rebel forces in Jiangbei are strong, and they are only across the river from Liudu. These demons from the Wenxiang Cult have been fighting for days, and the battle is at a stalemate... Before defeating the Huaiyang thieves, the court really has no time to worry about..."
"...That's right...after all, the safety of staying in the capital is more important. Those distant wars can only be dealt with later..."
Fang Yizhi, who had just arrived in Nanjing and had no idea about this ***, thought about it and nodded in agreement. But Yu Guozhen, who knew some details, was secretly laughing - the Nanjing police did not care about the war in Fujian and Guangdong, but they didn't know and couldn't care about it at all!
Because today, Huguang, Guangdong and Guangxi, Jiangxi and other places have not recognized Emperor Yonghe of Nanjing, and they have not even sent official memorials to Nanjing!
Then, the Nanjing Communist Party's only field troops were basically crucified in Yangzhou in the north of the Yangtze River, fighting endlessly with the hundreds of thousands of Wenxiang Sect rebels. Nowadays, Jinling City cannot even muster 10,000 capable soldiers. How can it be possible to launch an external conquest?
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It is ridiculous to say that although the Donglin Party currently thinks that it has succeeded in establishing a new emperor in Nanjing, everyone is boasting, celebrating, and happily, as if they have ruled the world again. But in fact, the actual territory and military strength of the Nanjing government are pitifully poor!
——Throughout the two capitals and the thirteen chief secretaries of the Great Tomorrow, there are currently only two provinces, Nanzhili and Zhejiang, which can be regarded as supporters of the Yonghe Emperor's regime in Nanjing. Among them, most of the southern Zhili in the north of the Yangtze River are still dominated by Wenxiang Cult demons and northwest bandits. Among the remaining provinces, except for Beizhili, which had fallen to the Tartars, and Shanxi and western Henan, which were controlled by Emperor Chongzhen, they were basically in a wait-and-see state - noncommittal and passive about the fight between the two Ming emperors. In response, I just hope that the winner can be determined as soon as possible.
As for the clan members of the Zhu Ming royal family in the world, they all unanimously opposed and booed Nanjing's "Emperor Yonghe" - there was no way, no matter from which perspective, Zhu Yihai, the second son of King Lu, who was recommended by the Nanjing emperor, was the new emperor. To put it bluntly, it is really unreasonable, and it is simply unfair to the point of being unfair! All the Zhu family clans in the world are full of complaints about this: Zhu Yihai, are you a bastard worthy of being the emperor? ! !
——Indeed, when the "Emperor lost his country", the clan, nobles and important ministers deposed him on charges of "immorality and incompetence", which was not unprecedented in ancient Chinese history. But the problem is that the next candidates for succession cannot be randomly selected. Instead, they must have great achievements or outstanding reputations, or they must have a heavy army and be able to overwhelm others, or they must follow the order of feudal etiquette. Row down...
Unfortunately, with the Ming Dynasty's practice of raising vassals like pigs to prevent rebellion, vassal kings everywhere will not have any achievements worthy of praise. In the same way, after the Ningwang Rebellion in the Zhengde Period, the Ming Dynasty vassals, who were increasingly on guard against the imperial court, could not control many soldiers and horses.
According to feudal etiquette, if the son of Emperor Chongzhen is not considered, then the closest blood relationship is Prince Fu of Luoyang - Prince Fu is the son of Emperor Wanli, the uncle of Emperor Chongzhen and Emperor Tianqi. Emperor Wanli had intended to depose the emperor. The prince (Emperor Taichang), let this youngest son inherit the throne... seems to be a good candidate to be established as the new emperor.
But the problem is that in the battle for the throne in the past, the Donglin Party in its early days stood clearly on the opposite side of King Fu. In order to thwart King Fu's attempt to inherit the throne, the early Donglin gentlemen really did everything they could. The cases of moving the palace and the assault cases were all products of that era. They spent almost all their efforts. , and finally drove King Fu to Luoyang. The Donglin Party was very proud of this, and even promoted this matter as a great achievement that will last forever... Therefore, if the current Donglin Party wants to depose Emperor Chongzhen who has recently separated from them, they will ignore the old grievances and try to destroy the emperor. If Prince Fu invites him back, wouldn't that be a slap in the face? Where to put your face?
Besides, even if the Donglin Party is willing to lose face and turn enemies into friends, His Highness Prince Fu may still remember the deep hatred of the past and refuse to let go!
Moreover, Prince Fu was a man who almost became emperor, and his influence and power were not comparable to those of ordinary vassal kings. If the Donglin Party really ignored him and promoted him to the throne, who knows if he will immediately turn against the Donglin Party and settle a black account against the Donglin Party after he has established a firm foothold?
In addition to King Fu, there were several vassal kings who were relatively close to Emperor Chongzhen, but they were all scattered across the country. Due to the traffic conditions in the late Ming Dynasty, there was no time to contact them. There was only one Zhu Yihai, the second son of King Lu. Because the palace was captured by the Wenxiang Rebellion and his father and brother died in the war, he fled to the south on a sea ship and took refuge. He happened to be living in Nanjing... so he was attacked by some Donglin Party radicals. As if he had found a treasure, after some deception, intrigue and conspiracy, His Highness Zhu Yihai was placed on the throne of Danchi in the Forbidden City in Nanjing...
Although His Highness Zhu Yihai's status is a bit low, and his blood relationship with Emperor Chongzhen is too far away, it is really unfair for him to be the emperor... But in the eyes of the Donglin Party members who are full of self-confidence, this There is nothing wrong with the new king's status being a little unstable, as it will be easier to control in the future.
As a result... because of his unjustified name, Zhu Yihai, the "Emperor Yonghe", was really easy to manipulate. After being fooled by the gentlemen of Donglin into ascending to the throne, he basically became a puppet with no real power. I don't dare to have any opinions of my own. But the problem is that, also because of his unfair reputation, the local people do not agree with the new emperor, and the royal family members are even more uproar, feeling that he is really not qualified to be emperor - first of all, his status is too high Low, and too far away from the direct bloodline of the royal family. This guy and Emperor Chongzhen have already been out of ten servers...
——The orthodox emperor is still alive, the royal family members are all dissatisfied, the provincial officials are at both ends, there are not many elite soldiers and generals who can hold the line, and there is not enough reputation to win the hearts of the people... If such a nameless throne can still be It's weird to sit still!
In fact, even the local officials in Southern Zhili felt very guilty about such a treasonous thing as deposing the emperor. According to Yu Guozhen's opinion, if Emperor Chongzhen could make a prompt decision after receiving the news and quickly lead a small number of elite troops to attack Nanjing, then the officials in prefectures and counties along the way would not dare to raise their swords and guns against the emperor. They would just surrender and surrender. Even in the presence of the emperor, the city of Nanjing is likely to open up the city without blood, change flags, and surrender. Those nobles who led the troops in Nanjing may not all recognize the "Emperor Yonghe" Zhu Yihai.
Unfortunately, it seems that due to information asymmetry, or perhaps due to the Donglin Party's former great reputation, Emperor Chongzhen, who was exiled in the northwest, seemed to have seriously overestimated the strength of the Nanjing Communist Party and did not choose a quick knife. Instead of cutting off the mess, they were busy recruiting troops and horses, stabilizing the rear, and preparing for the plan slowly... As a result, the Nanjing army with an unstable foundation was given a buffer time, and the world faced a situation of confrontation between the two emperors.
However, in such a crisis-ridden and crumbling situation, the Donglin Party, which had taken control of the Nanjing court, seemed to feel very good about itself. They wrote poems and partyed all day long, feasted, sang and danced, as if they were not in troubled times. Beacon fire, but it seems that the world is at peace...
——The feasting, feasting, singing and dancing on the Qinhuai River in these ten miles will probably last until the troops arrive at the city, can we rest for now? !
Looking at Zhang Pu, Zhang Dai, Fang Yizhi and other Jiangnan celebrities who were talking loudly and empty words in the painting boat, as well as the scholars and scholars who were changing cups and drinking wine, Yu Guozhen lowered his head again and sighed, drinking a small cup of rice wine. Pour it down your throat. ——No matter what, the future fate of this group of professional traders has nothing to do with him as a time traveler...