"It's a very good young ......" As soon as Deng Ming was mentioned, Zhang Huangyan showed a smile on his face, and told Zhu Yihai, the king of Lu, about the experience he had with Deng Ming in Nanjing. After talking endlessly for half an hour, Zhang Huangyan suddenly came to his senses and smiled at Zhu Yihai: "Weichen said a little too much. ”

"No, that's good, the widow likes to hear it." When Zhang Huangyan talked about the transaction between Deng Ming and Lang Tingzuo and others just now, Zhu Yihai laughed at first, and then laughed: "It is indeed a very interesting offspring." Ah, it's good to be a teenager, it's really a golden age. ”

Seeing that Zhu Yihai listened with relish, Zhang Huangyan told some interesting stories about Deng Ming, and he told Zhu Yihai, a young man, who was generous and funny, coupled with his bravery, he was simply a perfect courtier.

"Listen to your account of this afterlife, and remind the widow of what you were like when you were young." Zhu Yihai was full of emotion.

More than ten years ago, King Lu and Zhang Huangyan switched to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the battle situation became more and more critical day by day. In such a situation, the soldiers were pessimistic and desperate about the prospects, and there were endless incidents of desertion or surrender to the Qing army, that is, Zhu Yihai wanted to commit suicide by throwing himself into the water several times, but Zhang Juren never lost heart. When the shape was the most dangerous, Zhang Huangyan was the only one left by Zhu Yihai's side, and Zhang Juren personally acted as a boatman and drove a small boat to protect Zhu Yihai's escape. The two drifted on the sea for several days and nights before finding an opportunity to land and dock in search of water. The Ming army in eastern Zhejiang was defeated again and again, and Zhang Huangyan reorganized the volunteer army again and again.

After Zhu Yihai heard Zhang Huangyan's description of Deng Ming's optimistic jīng god, he couldn't help but admire: "Wen Anzhi can be described as a knowing person. ”

After hearing Zhu Yihai's comment, Zhang Huangyan lost his mind slightly, remembering Zheng Chenggong's strange actions under Nanjing. Zheng Chenggong didn't need to be respectful to one of Wen Anzhi's subordinates, Zhang Huangyan was convinced that Deng Ming's origin was not small, but he couldn't guess Deng Ming's true identity, and finally told himself that this was because Zheng Chenggong was unwilling to be rude to the clan. Although Zhang Huangyan had seen Zheng Chenggong's attitude towards the children of the clan before, he definitely couldn't be called in awe, but after all, it was many years ago, and Zhang Huangyan thought that it might also be Zheng Chenggong to reflect on the previous inappropriateness and improve his words and deeds.

However, depending on Zheng Chenggong's attitude towards King Lu this time, Zhang Huangyan really can't believe that Zheng Chenggong has changed his life.

"Why is Yanping so respectful and polite to Deng Ming, a mouthful of a last general? And that map, Deng Ming just drew it casually, and Yanping made a look of sincere fear, must Deng Ming 'give' him? After confirming that Zheng Chenggong was still the same as before, Zhang Huangyan was suspicious again: "Yanping looks unruly to Prince Lu, will he be polite and polite to a Yuanzhi clan?" ”

"I heard that Deng's name is a clan, and this name is just a fake name he gave himself?" Zhu Yihai didn't notice that Zhang Huangyan was wandering, and there were also rumors about Deng Ming in Xiamen, Zhu Yihai, as the prince's honor, of course would not believe the rumors casually, but he noticed that the government of Jin and Xiamen let this kind of rumors go unchecked, and even acquiesced.

Zhu Yihai was inconvenient to ask Zheng Chenggong, so he asked Zhang Huangyan: "Is there any basis for this matter?" ”

"Wechen has also heard this kind of rumor." Zhang Huangyan nodded slightly.

"Oh, which one is it?" Zhu Yihai's interest increased greatly. When he was in the Eastern Zhejiang Volunteer Army, Zhu Yihai rarely took the lead, but handed over all the power to Zhang Huangyan and other civil and military subordinates. After taking refuge overseas, Zhu Yihai asked himself several times, if he was as brave as Emperor Longwu, would he be able to boost morale and help the army turn defeat into victory? Of course, there is no answer to this question, there are not many old subordinates who have followed Zhu Yihai for more than ten years, and Zhu Yihai often feels ashamed when he thinks of those subordinates who fought with their own banners and finally sacrificed their lives for the country. Deng Ming's appearance excites him—if he is really a clan; However, Zhu Yihai felt even more sad - he doubted that if he had been braver, he would have avoided some defeats.

"This Weichen doesn't know," Zhang Huangyan replied honestly: "Weichen once guessed that he should be a small sect from a distant branch, otherwise there is no need to hide his identity." ”

"I see." Zhu Yihai showed some disappointment. If it is just a town general of the distant branch, then the encouraging effect on the people of the world is certainly not as good as that of the prince's near branch.

"I heard that the thieves also went to Nanjing?" After a while, Zhu Yihai asked again.

"Yes." Zhang Huangyan nodded again: "Weichen met the Duke of Linguo under the southern capital. ”

"Lin Guogong?" Zhu Yihai's face showed a little dazed, and after a while, he still didn't remember: "Who is Lin Guogong?" ”

"The adopted son of a tiger - Li Laiheng."

"It turned out to be a descendant of the culprit." Zhu Yihai suddenly realized, and his eyes erupted with anger: "Isn't a tiger Li Chuang's nephew Li Guo?" He also changed his name to Li Jin at one time, wanting to follow his uncle's example and call himself emperor. ”

"It's this person. However, Li Laiheng is not the son and son of a tiger, but was taken captive by a tiger when he was young and taken to the army......" Zhang Huangyan relayed to Zhu Yihai what Deng Ming said to him, saying that Li Laiheng sometimes felt sad about his life experience.

"Confess the thief as a father." Zhu Yihai disagreed, and commented: "Even if you don't know your parents, you can't continue to use the surname Li." Since Li Laiheng refused to change his surname, no matter what he said, it was a cover-up, and he still couldn't forget the nurturing grace of a tiger in his heart. ”

"The king is takami." Zhang Huangyan also felt that Zhu Yihai was reasonable. Li Zicheng forced Chongzhen to death, the hatred of the monarch's father was not shared, Li Laiheng did not draw a clear line with Li Zicheng and Li Guo, but let the incense of the Li family continue, and he could not be called a loyal and filial courtier in any case.

"Wen Anzhi's hardships, few people know it well, but these rogues are human-faced beasts after all, just like Sun Kewang, how can they have any good intentions? That Li Dingguo has been a thief since he was ten years old, and although he has not shown any traces in the past two years, he has just covered it up well. The widow dares to say that whoever harms the emperor in the future will be a thief. ”

"What the king said is very true."

Zhang Huangyan is also extremely distrustful of Chuang Camp and Xiying. Zhang Juren and Zheng Jiansheng were both scholars of the Ming Dynasty, and in their opinion, if it weren't for Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong's rebellion, the world would not have been in chaos to this point.

When Hou Xun, the boss of Donglin, suppressed the camp in Henan, he once angrily asked the captured soldiers who broke into the camp: "Why don't you honestly starve to death at home, but come out to make trouble for the court?" Do you think that if you rebel, you will not die? ”

Yang Sichang, who was in charge of suppressing Zhang Xianzhong, said the same thing, he once wrote a poem to ridicule the officers and soldiers of the Xiying, saying that they "do not starve to death, but especially to fight the praying mantis." This poem was also well received among the scholars of the Ming court, and they felt that it was right, if the peasants starved to death quietly at home, the scholars would sympathize with them, and now they refused to tie their hands to death, and even resisted grain, resisted taxes, and even rebelled to add chaos to the court.

"At the beginning, Li Dingguo once proposed to Yanping and wanted to marry Yanping as his sons and daughters." Zhang Huangyan talked about the old things a few years ago.

At that time, in order to improve the relationship between Xiying and the Ming army of Fujian and Zhejiang, Li Dingguo repeatedly sent letters to Fujian, expressing his desire to marry his daughter to Zheng Chenggong's eldest son, so as to eliminate the hostility of the Ming army of Fujian and Zhejiang to Xiying.

"Few people have heard of this. At first, Li Dingguo wanted to marry the county lord of Yanping for his son, which was ridiculous. King Lu sneered: "Later, I wanted to give my daughter to Yanping's son." This is clearly to shake Yanping's loyalty to the imperial court, although Yanping is a little domineering, but the minister's section is extremely accurate. ”

Zheng Chenggong refused Li Dingguo's proposal without hesitation. When Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu and the Qing army fought fiercely on all fronts, Zheng Chenggong and Zhang Huangyan's southeastern Ming army did not move and refused to send reinforcements. Of course, this is suspicious of the Yongli court, but also distrust of the three kings Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, and Liu Wenxiu.

"That Li Laiheng must be a fierce and rude maniac, right?" Zhu Yihai asked confidently.

Shut down

"Not really, Li Laiheng knows how to be polite." Zhang Huangyan did not echo King Lu's words, but described Li Laiheng's expression in a matter-of-fact manner. As he spoke, a new cloud of doubt rose in Zhang Huangyan's heart: "Li Laiheng also has great respect for Deng Ming. When Zheng Chenggong was respectful to Deng Mingbiao, Li Laiheng was not surprised at all, and seemed to take it for granted. ”

"Loyal on the outside, deceitful on the inside, the same as Li Chuang and a tiger." Zhu Yihai became impatient and asserted: "Deng Ming is young, most of them don't know what these rogues are, and they are worried that he will be harmed by Li Laiheng." ”

Unconsciously, the topic turned back to Deng Ming, and Zhu Yihai and Zhang Huangyan shared the gossip he heard: "Although you just said that Deng Ming is a distant branch, the widow heard that Deng Ming may be the Fu King. ”

"It's absolutely impossible. King Fu surrendered to the Tartars and took his family to Běijīng, and if he dared to leave a young son in the south, the court would definitely think that he did not surrender sincerely. At that time, King Fu was afraid that the Tartars would not let him go, so how could he dare to leave a child outside? Zhang Huangyan had also heard similar remarks, but he denied it after a little thought: "Besides, King Fu surrendered with his concubines and palace people, and it is impossible to keep the secret even if he wants to hide it privately." ”

"Well, Cangshui is reasonable," Zhu Yihai was immediately persuaded by Zhang Huangyan's analysis, but he immediately came up with another statement: "It seems that some people say that Deng Ming is the queen of Shu." ”

"It's possible, otherwise why would he be in Sichuan? Weichen also saw that Deng Ming had many Sichuan army soldiers under him. However, it must be a distant branch, because the near branch of the King of Shu was killed by the western thieves. If he is really the king of Shu, why didn't Inspector Wen mention it for a long time? Wei Chen estimated that his identity must be difficult to verify, so Inspector Wen felt tricky and needed to spend time looking for witnesses. ”

"Maybe it's too amazing." Zhu Yihai said meaningfully: "The widow also heard that Deng Ming may be the orphan of Emperor Lie. ”

"Impossible!" Zhang Huangyan categorically retorted: "This rumor was spread by Li Guoying, the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, who was purely chiseled and chiseled, and wrote it in the newspaper as soon as he guessed it. ”

"Isn't it for nothing that there is no reason." Zhu Yihai seemed to be a little dissatisfied with Zhang Huangyan's rebuttal so unthinkingly, in his opinion, if Deng Ming was really an orphan of Emperor Lie, it would have great benefits for inspiring the confidence of people in the world.

"It's really not," Zhang Huangyan smiled bitterly: "This matter Weichen dares to use xìng life as a guarantee." ”

"Don't jump to conclusions. The widow knows that the whereabouts of the five princes of the Lie Emperor are unknown. Zhu Yihai is still holding on to hope: "I heard that the age is about the same." ”

Zhang Huangyan was stunned for a while, and finally made up his mind, and asked for sin: "The king forgives the sin, Weichen actually knows the whereabouts of the five princes of the Lie Emperor, so he can conclude that Deng Ming is definitely not his person." ”

"What?" Zhu Yihai was surprised and delighted, and his voice trembled: "You know the whereabouts of the five princes, haha, why should such a big happy event be hidden from the widow?" Where are the five princes now, but in Zhoushan? Why not spread the word to the world and inspire the faith of the faithful? ”

Zhang Huangyan let out another wry smile. When the people of the world mentioned the martyrdom of the emperor, they all lamented, and even the Manchu Qing claimed to have come to avenge Chongzhen. After defeating Běijīng to mourn Chongzhen, the Manchus promoted themselves as the benefactors of the Central Plains scholars and avenged their father's revenge.

When he learned of Zhu Cihuan's whereabouts, Zhang Huangyan always thought about escorting the third prince to the Ming army's control area. As long as Zhu Cihuan appears safely, people all over the world will regard this as a miracle and a sign, proving that God still favors Daming and that the mandate of heaven has not shifted. Even if it is a pawn of a peddler, he may rise up to contribute to the Ming Dynasty because of Zhu Cihuan's call. Just like Zhu Yihai and Zhang Huangyan, although their interests and Zhu Cihuan are not completely identical, they will still be excited by this news.

In Deng Ming's previous life, although Zhu Cihuan just wanted to exchange his identity for some convenience in life, wherever he lived, countless people abandoned their families and children, and were willing to follow him and fight to the death with the behemoth Qing court.

Zhu Cihuan, alias Wang Shiyuan, has been living incognito in the Qing army-occupied area, and Zhang Huangyan has always kept this secret, and even his allies Zheng Chenggong and King Lu have not told him. And after seeing Wang Shiyuan in Yuyao, Zhang Huangyan's enthusiasm was extinguished, and he knew that this person was definitely not the hope of the Ming army who was still insisting on resisting the Qing Dynasty.

After listening to Zhang Huangyan's detailed description, Zhu Yihai was so angry that he scolded the case: "You are looking for the wrong person!" This is by no means the prince of the Liehuang, and the son of the Liehuang will not be like this no matter how bad he is. The five princes of the Lie Emperor must be no longer alive, if the five princes are still alive, he must be a person like Deng Ming! That's right, the Fifth Prince has the blood of the Fierce Emperor in his body, and he will definitely be a brave clan. ”

After Zhu Yihai made a fire, he sat weakly on the chair. He once very much hoped that Deng Ming would be the orphan of the legendary Emperor Lie, and with his prominent status and reputation for bravery and fearlessness, it is not difficult to imagine what kind of shock it will bring to the people of the world. But now, Zhu Yihai has decided to keep this secret like Zhang Huangyan, if people know the true character of the third prince, it will be a fatal blow to all people with lofty ideals with great wisdom.

Zhang Huangyan thought of all kinds of mysteries about Deng Ming: "When Guangzhou fell, the whereabouts of Shao Wu's son were unknown, and Zheng Chenggong had been looking for him all these years. How old was that prince at the time? Is it four or five, seven or eight, or is it more than ten years old? Zheng Chenggong never mentioned it, I always felt that he was turning the idea of impostor, and I had to find out how to find out when I went back. ”

"Are you sure Deng Ming is the clan of the Yuanzhi?" After losing all hope, King Lu asked again.

Zhang Huangyan hesitated for a moment, and finally insisted on his original opinion: "Yes, it should be the clan, otherwise Inspector Wen would not be so relieved to hand over the power to a young man who doesn't know why." Inspector Wen must have known it in his heart, but it was difficult to prove it, and it would not be difficult to find witnesses if it was a close branch. ”

"Well, it's hard to rally people's hearts from afar." Zhu Yihai was silent for a moment, as if he was making up his mind, and then he asked, "Listen to you, Yanping has a good impression of Deng Ming?" ”

Observing the attitude of the Jin and Xiamen official mansions, Zhu Yihai felt that Zheng Chenggong had a good impression of Deng Ming. Gan Hui and Yu Xin, who are known as Zheng Chenggong's right-hand men, were both rescued by Deng Ming, and several of Zheng Chenggong's henchmen also received Deng Ming's life-saving grace; These people never hid their gratitude to Deng Ming, which also showed Zheng Chenggong's inclination - it is hard to imagine that his subordinates would have no scruples in expressing respect for Deng Ming if it were not for Zheng Chenggong's acquiescence.

When Zhang Huangyan was recounting what he had seen and heard in Nanjing just now, Zhu Yihai felt Zheng Chenggong's kindness to Deng Ming. For the king of Yanping, this situation is quite rare. In Zhu Yihai's impression, except for the Tang King who gave Zheng Jiansheng the grace of giving his name, it was rare to see Zheng Chenggong have such a tame attitude towards the clan.

"It's really good." Zhang Huangyan replied, he said in his heart: "Isn't it good? But I don't need to tell the king about this, when I have a number in my heart, it's not too late to mention it later. ”

"Well, I don't know what his rank is, if he happens to be a generation shorter than the widow......" Zhu Yihai said softly: "The widow has no heirs, and he asks for an outstanding descendant of the clan to inherit this domain." ”

King Lu originally had four sons, all of whom were martyred in the war, and now he has no heirs.

Zhang Huangyan was shocked when he heard this: "Chitose chūn autumn is prosperous, why do you say this?" ”

Seeing King Lu's princes dying one after another, Zhang Huangyan's heart was also very sad. He had secretly vowed to assist King Lu to return to the throne of the prison state. For the sacrifice made by King Lu, Zhang Huangyan felt that the position of a prisoner was not too much.

"How is the widow's body, the widow knows it," King Lu smiled slightly: "I'm afraid it's not much time." Even if there is another concubine who is pregnant, she may not be able to support her growth. This domain is the pro-domain of Taizu, and when the country is in trouble, there is nothing to say about the death of the widow's son. If the Ming Dynasty really does not exist, the widow will not be alone. When he said this, King Lu showed a resolute look on his face.

In Deng Ming's previous life, after the death of King Lu, a posthumous son was born and inherited his position as a vassal king.

When Shi Lang attacked Taiwan, Zheng Chenggong's descendant, the twelve-year-old Zheng Kexuan, was held hostage by the ministers and surrendered to the Manchu Qing because he was young, and other Ming clans who fled to Taiwan also surrendered. The last king of Lu generously stated that he would never die alone, and he would die. Except for Wang Shiyuan, who was later searched out by the Qing court, the last King Lu was the last Ming clan to be martyred - perhaps the last, because Wang Shiyuan did not admit that he was a Ming clan at all, and he did not want to be martyred. However, the Qing court still executed Wang Shiyuan on the charge of impersonating the clan.

"After all, it is Taizu's pro-domain, if there is a glimmer of hope, the widow does not want this domain to be cut off in the hands of the widow." Zhu Yihai resolutely said to Zhang Huangyan: "Help the widow to check Deng Ming's life experience, if he is really my Ming clan, let him inherit the throne of the widow's prince." It would be of great benefit to him, and he would not fail to agree. ”

"It's just ......," Zhang Huangyan argued.

"Don't say more, having such a prince of Shenwu is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty and the world. When a national disaster is imminent, how can a widow be reluctant to give up the throne of his own domain? If the greed of the widow causes danger to the community, the widow will not be able to see the ancestors and ancestors. If you sue him, that is, in the future, if the widow has a son, you must also recognize him as the eldest brother, and never compete with him for the throne of the domain. If he is the same as the widow, then the widow recognizes him as a brother before the throne of the first king, and at the same time swears to his ancestors and fathers to pass on to him. Zhu Yihai solemnly said to Zhang Huangyan: "There is Lao Aiqing." ”

Since King Lu gave up his position as a prisoner, he had never used these two words to address Zhang Huangyan. The latter stopped arguing, stood up and saluted solemnly: "Weichen dares not to do his best? ”