Chapter 197: The Death of Emperor Chongzhen (Part 2)
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"What do you mean? Is it that traitor surnamed Tang..." Queen Zhou was stunned for a moment, trying to understand the meaning of the words. Suddenly, a trace of anger appeared on her face, and she did not continue speaking. It was inevitable that Queen Zhou would misunderstand what that person said. You must know that no winner would continue to make the queen of another dynasty the queen for no reason. There must be some shameful thoughts in this. Even the most gentlemanly person would inevitably have bad thoughts. Even the person who delivered the message had such speculations in his heart.
Who could have imagined that Tang Tong was a soul from later generations, and he had great respect for Emperor Chongzhen, Empress Zhou, and Empress Zhang. As a descendant of the Han people, he absolutely acknowledged the status of women like Empress Zhou and Empress Zhang among the Han people. How could Empress Zhou and others imagine that Tang Tong not only did not want to kill them, but was also willing to support them with the status of Han empresses? Although Tang Tong was very open and aboveboard about this matter, when he looked at Empress Zhou and others, who were in their thirties but still looked like young ladies, he would naturally wonder whether Prince Tang had taken a fancy to this empress.
The person who answered Empress Zhou also thought that his Prince Tang might have a crush on Empress Zhou, but he would never admit such a statement, which was detrimental to his moral character. He shook his head and said, "Please don't misunderstand, Empress. My prince has never thought of rebelling against the Ming Dynasty. It's just that there are too many treacherous ministers in this court. They not only bring disaster to the Ming court, but also to the Han people. My prince simply wants to eliminate those treacherous ministers. In his heart, Empress, you are still the Empress of the Ming Dynasty and the Han people. I would never dare to neglect your wishes in the slightest."
The man was talking about the grand official position, but Empress Zhou was no ordinary woman without experience. Since ancient times, there have been countless cases of treason under the guise of clearing the court of corrupt officials. She didn't care about Tang Tong's case anymore. She snorted and said, "Hmph, I have to thank your Prince Tang for that. However, my life is in my hands, and I can't let your Prince dictate anything. His evil ambitions are so obvious, how can he deceive the eyes of the world?"
After Empress Zhou finished speaking, she ignored the two guards, nor did she shout for the other guards outside to come in and protect her. At this moment, these men could stand so brazenly in the harem. They must have a considerable number of their followers within the imperial city, and they probably controlled it. So, Empress Zhou didn't shout or scream like other women, but instead walked towards her chambers, preparing to swallow the poison she had prepared. The two men didn't stop her, but followed her step by step. The other palace maids and eunuchs also realized the fate of the Ming Dynasty and fled in panic. At such a time, anyone who could stand up was either a fool or a true hero.
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen was just getting up. He drew his sword and stabbed his little daughter. Seeing the fear in her eyes, Emperor Chongzhen was filled with grief and anger. He shouted loudly, "In your next life, don't be born into an imperial family. In your next life, I will definitely treat you two sisters well..."
Just as Emperor Chongzhen's sword was about to pierce his little daughter's heart, a figure suddenly rushed over, standing between them. The figure's sword struck the figure, who cried out in agony. Emperor Chongzhen looked over and saw it was one of his eunuchs. The emperor was furious, and several more people came over to try to snatch the sword from Emperor Chongzhen's hand. A sharp voice from behind shouted, "You, you are so bold! How dare you be so presumptuous in front of the emperor?"
Emperor Chongzhen looked up and saw a dozen guards rushing in, followed by Wang Chengen, who looked furious. Emperor Chongzhen was about to ask how these guards could be so bold as to run into the harem where the empress and concubines lived, but Wang Chengen, who was behind them, shouted, "Your Majesty, they are the rebels."
When Emperor Chongzhen heard Wang Chengen's words, he was startled and subconsciously took a few steps back. Those who rushed towards him did not move closer. One of them hugged the already frightened young princess and said to him, "Your Majesty, why are you doing this? The two princesses are so young. How could you have the heart to kill them?"
The person who spoke was Wang Dahui. He glanced at the scene and saw that both leaders were safe and sound, which made him feel relieved. If either leader was killed, he would not only lose all credit, but might even be guilty. Emperor Chongzhen snorted coldly and said, "They are the leaders of the Ming Dynasty and the representatives of the people of the Ming Dynasty. If I don't kill them, will you rebels capture the younger generation and rape them? My Ming Dynasty is not the incompetent Song Dynasty..."
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