No one in the palace cares about the prince's reading anymore.

When the defeat of Songjin came to the news, Chongzhen hurriedly sent the ministers to discuss the matter.

Chongzhen hurriedly took the panicked Chen Xinjia to the Qianqing Palace, and in the panic, no one noticed that Zhu Cihong was also at the end of the team and went to the palace silently.

The cabinet scholars, the six ministries, the four temples and other cadres, the scholars, the squire, the Zhengqing, the Shaoqing and other officials above the fourth rank were summoned to the palace for questioning.

Chongzhen panicked.

Observing quietly in an inconspicuous corner, Zhu Cihong was more calm than everyone else.

"Zhuqing, Zhuqing. What is the situation in Liaodong now? Chongzhen looked around at the ministers, his eyes eager.

The Imperial Palace's left capital Yushi Wang said straightly: "Your Majesty." Songshan was defeated, and the general soldiers Wang Pu and Wu Sangui fled from the battle. So much so that the morale of the army was in turmoil, and it was defeated. If you want to stabilize the frontier, you must first clean up the hearts of the people. The ministers invited Wang Pu and Wu Sangui. Check the center, Liaodong, those who obstruct border affairs. ”

Chen Xinjia's face was slightly pale, and he had a lot of urging in this Songjin battle, which made Hong Chengchou rush to the battle and complained.

Li Rixuan, the secretary of the ministry on the side, immediately echoed: "The elite of the nine sides will be overturned overnight." If we do not thoroughly investigate the traitors and mediocre officials who mislead the country, there is no way to save people's hearts. ”

"The minister seconded the proposal!"

……

For a time, the ministers were enthusiastic, and the sound of righteousness and high-spirited was endless in the hall.

Zhu Cihong's smile was cold, who wouldn't say high-sounding and beautiful words, and when the deliberations were decided, they disappeared one by one, and the attack was energetic at this time.

Chongzhen was upset and irritable by the noise, and said: "Sun Shi (Sun Chengzong) has been operating in Liaodong for more than ten years, and now it is overturned. What are you still struggling with here? The top priority at the moment is how to deal with the military affairs of Liaodong? As for the rest, let's put it back to the rest! Yixing, you are the first assistant, what do you think? ”

The hall was quiet for a while, and Shoufu Zhou Yanru stiffened his head and stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty." Liaodong's military affairs may not be without room for maneuvering. Jinzhou was besieged and not broken, although Wu Sangui retreated from the battle, but the main force was still there. First appease the front-line soldiers, and slowly allocate troops and horses in the rear to raise food and wages. There should be hope for recovery. ”

Zhou Yanru's words were ambiguous and extremely ambiguous. But compared to a group of others who were flooded with selfishness and dragged their feet, Chongzhen cheered up after hearing it.

Zhou Yanru said it well, Jinzhou has not been breached, and Hong Chengchou sent troops to relieve the siege of Jinzhou. Liaodong defense line, as long as Jinzhou Ningyuan is still there, the affairs of Liaodong will not be eroded to the point of being out of control.

"Cleaning up the military affairs of Liaodong, how is the Ministry of War discussing?" Chongzhen looked at Chen Xinjia.

Chen Xinjia's face was full of sorrow, and he said: "The military department has asked Your Majesty to show grace to the Shandong Liu Zeqing Department and the Huguang Zuo Liangyu Department. The soldiers and horses of Xuanfu Datong were dispatched, and the elite of the Beijing camp was selected to go to Liaodong for rescue. ”

Chongzhen shook his head: "Liu Zeqing and Zuo Liangyu need to encircle and suppress the inner cowards, and they are not allowed." Xuanda is broken, and there are no available soldiers. ”

"In this way, please choose a seasoned and capable minister to go to Shanhaiguan as soon as possible to stabilize the morale of the army and clean up military affairs." Chen Xinjia said: "Or choose the Guangxi Tusi wolf soldiers, the Shizhu Tusi soldiers to enter Liaodong, or choose the Beijing camp warriors." ”

"The stone pillar soldiers are thieves in front of them, and it is really difficult to transfer them." Chongzhen is not the same: "The local soldiers in Guangxi are good, and there is also the Beijing camp." The military department will discuss and stabilize Liaodong. ”

Chen Xinjia breathed a sigh of relief.

Chongzhen has calmed down now, and he is extremely sad when Matsuyama is defeated. When I heard the news at first glance, I was already panicked and almost got into the psychology of a gambler. In vain, he tried to gather his spare strength and fight again to save the situation.

But the reality is brutal.

Hong Chengchou has already collected all the border soldiers who can fight, and what he can do now is only to hope that the Qing people will not have enough appetite and no longer have the strength to attack after swallowing Hong Chengchou's department, so that the Ningjin defense line can be maintained.

Collecting soldiers and horses to gather in Liaodong again is obviously this plan.

Zhu Cihong stands at the height of history, and his grasp of the current situation can be said to be as good as the Zaifu of the current dynasty, and he has more foresight than the people in the bureau.

It's just that......

Chongzhen's even such a little expectation can only be delusional.

Zhu Cihong looked around at the ministers of the court, and there was not even a person who could take on a big responsibility.

Zhou Yanru is too obedient and cares too much about himself, Chen Xinjia is loyal and courageous but lacks talent. As for the rest of the people in the DPRK and China, they are not even as good as these two people.

The Qingliu faction only knows how to make a name for itself, and most of the other ministers are too selfish to do anything. When the news of the defeat came, he first attacked others and cleared himself up, just for personal gain.

And most importantly......

The head of the household, Li Shi, asked out of the ranks, and said slowly: "Your Majesty." If the troops of the nine sides are transferred, the native soldiers of Guangxi will be reorganized, and then the Beijing camp will be rectified. The treasury has run out of money and food. ”

Chongzhen looked at Li Shi in a daze and asked, "Now that the state affairs are so urgent, there will be no money and grain in the treasury?" ”

Li Shiwen stood alone, his face seemed to be several years old, and said: "The first battle of Songshan has lasted for two years, and the household department has been struggling to supply the army. The treasury is empty, and all the ways that can be found have been thought of, and all the ways that can be appropriated have been used. It's really ...... No more money could be raised. ”

Chongzhen's forced calm expression finally collapsed.

Li Shi asked if he knew the end, and with a trembling voice, he took off the black veil on his head, prostrate on the ground, and said calmly: "Your Majesty." The old minister is incompetent and delays state affairs. Please ask Your Majesty to beg the bones and return to the hometown. ”

Chongzhen was furious: "When the state affairs are at the head, are you so loyal?" Someone came, dismissed this guy as the head of the household department, and went to prison! ”

Seeing that Chongzhen was so angry that he almost lost his mind, and dismissed a minister who was not guilty of being punished and sent to prison, the ministers were all panicked.

The first assistant Zhou Yanru, the left capital of the imperial history Wang Daozhi, the military department of the secretary Chen Xinjia, the capital envoy Liu Zongzhou and others persuaded Chongzhen to withdraw his fate.

"Your Majesty, Li Shangshu is diligent and diligent, and it is not easy to maintain state affairs for two years. It is rare to be able to supply the army safely without seeing mistakes. Please be lenient with your Majesty and take back your order. ”

"Shengshang, now to clean up the military affairs of Liaodong, it is really a time to employ people. Please suspend your Majesty's order and do not touch the household department. In the future, the deployment of troops and horses and the raising of grain and grass will depend on the power of the households. ”

"Your Majesty......"

……

Chongzhen was angry and dismissed Li Shiwen, but when he calmed down, he also understood that the Ming Dynasty used troops inside and outside, and the treasury had long been empty. At this time, letting Li Shiwen step down can only make the household department chaotic for a while, and it will not be beneficial to clean up the mess in Liaodong.

"That's it. Now in the treasury, how much food is left, and how many soldiers and horses can be used to rescue Liaodong? Chongzhen regained his composure.

Li Shi asked bitterly and said, "There are still 60,000 stones of grain in the treasury, and the available silver is less than 20,000 taels. Returning to Your Majesty, this money and grain can only be used for 3,000 soldiers and horses for three months. ”

"Liaodong, Jinzhou...... Ning Yuan ...... "Chongzhen was lying on the dragon chair, his mouth kept thinking, and the look on his face became more and more desperate.

There was silence in His Palace, and the ministers were speechless.

After a long time, Chongzhen looked at the courtiers again and said, "Who can solve the current situation?" ”

The ministers were silent, at this time, no one dared to talk nonsense.

There was a dead silence in the temple.

Chongzhen's face became more and more embarrassed because of this, and he was so indifferent that he was cold.

Until a young figure slowly walked up to the main hall from outside the screen.