Gu Yanwu was a sixth-rank official and according to convention was not qualified to meet Chongzhen.
But he was meeting the emperor on imperial orders.
So he was soon taken to the Qianqing Palace by the eunuchs.
He stared at Chongzhen for a long time but couldn't find any flaws.
Chongzhen was amused by his behavior: "Gu Yanwu, do you think I am someone else pretending to be me?"
Gu Yanwu bowed quickly and said, "I dare not."
Chongzhen said calmly: "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Gu Yanwu still had some doubts, so he asked, "Your Majesty, there is one thing I don't understand."
"Ask."
"I want to know why Your Majesty did not attend the court. Not attending the court would have been fine, but you also handed over the power of the country to Xie Sanbin and Wang Chengen. This move forced the crown prince to raise an army to defend the king, and the common people once again suffered from the war."
Chongzhen snorted coldly: "Are you questioning me?"
"I dare not. I just speak my mind."
"I'm tired, can't I take a rest?"
"But..."
Chongzhen raised his voice: "My move is of no benefit to the country, but it is good for the world. You once said that those who protect the country are the rulers and ministers who eat meat; those who protect the world are the humblest people who have the responsibility. As for what is the country and what is the world, do you need me to explain it?"
Gu Yanwu was stunned at first, and then his back began to feel cold.
Although there was someone next to him when he said this, his voice was very low.
Unexpectedly, even so, it still reached Chongzhen's ears.
This shows how terrifying the Jinyiwei in the capital are.
The country mentioned in Gu Yanwu’s words is not a country in the modern sense.
It means dynasty or regime.
The world is a country in the modern sense.
What he meant was that defending the dynasty was the responsibility of the emperor and those who earned his living.
It is the responsibility of ordinary people to protect the entire world.
In other words.
No common man is responsible for the rise and fall of a dynasty.
In the feudal dynasty, such remarks by Gu Yanwu were considered treasonous.
If the emperor finds out, the person will be imprisoned at the very least, beheaded or even have his entire family exterminated at the worst.
Thinking of this, Gu Yanwu hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, that was just a casual remark from my humble servant. I have no other intention. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
"Don't blame yourself. You are right." Chongzhen encouraged him, "Ordinary people have worked hard all their lives, and every year they not only have to pay taxes and grain to the court, but also have to bear endless corvee labor. They have never asked for anything from the court, nor have they participated in the governance of the country."
"The court took their money and squandered it, but in the end told them that they were responsible for the fate of the country."
"This is very unreasonable! So I think what you said is fine."
Looking at Chongzhen's serious expression, Gu Yanwu suddenly wanted to cry.
He was not afraid, but excited.
The Ming Emperor in front of him said what he wanted to say but did not dare to say.
At this moment.
Chongzhen was not only the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but also Gu Yanwu's confidant.
"Your Majesty, your subject...your subject..." Gu Yanwu was so excited that he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Chongzhen waved his hand, and after Gu Yanwu calmed down, he slowly said: "Gu Yanwu, you are a capable minister with ideas. You will become a great man in the future. But before that, you must do something. This rebellion is an opportunity, you must seize it."
Gu Yanwu bowed deeply and said, "Yes, I will remember your Majesty's teachings."
Chongzhen waved his hands solemnly and said, "If that's the case, then hurry back to Dengzhou and make preparations. Now that the war has started, the most urgent task is to put an end to it as soon as possible so that the people can live and work in peace."
Gu Yanwu raised his head and glanced at Chongzhen again, then bowed his head and said, "I obey your order. I will take my leave."
That afternoon, Gu Yanwu set out on the journey back to Dengzhou.
On the morning of August 8th, a patrol boat suddenly appeared on the sea of Dengzhou.
The Ming national flag was hoisted on the ship, and the soldiers on board kept waving the flag to convey messages to people on the shore.
The soldiers on the shore immediately became alert and cleared the harbor for the patrol boat to dock.
When they were still some distance away from the port, the soldiers on board shouted loudly: "Hurry up and report to the deputy general that three merchant ships of the Zheng fleet appeared on the sea."
Zheng Chenggong was stunned for a moment after receiving the news, then stood up suddenly: "Send the order, send troops!"
The trumpets roared and the drums beat.
Three thousand elite Fujian navy troops were quickly assembled.
They sailed towards the sea under the guidance of the patrol boat.
It is not easy to find active ships on the sea.
You can only search in a certain direction.
The fleet dispersed, and after a search, they finally found three merchant ships.
At Zheng Chenggong's order, the Fujian Navy surrounded the three merchant ships.
On a merchant ship.
Sony and Bumbutai looked at each other with desperate expressions.
More than ten days ago, they encountered the North Korean navy on the sea and were warned not to approach the North Korean coast.
To survive.
They planned to go south and settle in the Nanyang area along the coast of Ming Dynasty.
The Bohai Sea in August has strong winds and rough waves, with unpredictable weather.
Not long after setting out, they encountered a storm and drifted for several days.
Not only did they lose their way, but the food on board was also soaked in sea water and became moldy and inedible.
In order to find out my position as quickly as possible and replenish supplies.
They had to sail westward, trying to find a place to land.
Unexpectedly, the storm blew it to Dengzhou, Shandong.
What they didn't expect was that they actually encountered the Ming Dynasty Navy.
Looking at the dark muzzles of the Ming army's warships, Sony closed his eyes and said, "It's over! The Ming army will definitely board the ship for inspection. Once they find out our true identities, we will be dead for sure."
Bumbutai pretended to be calm and asked, "How much silver is left on the ship?"
Sony thought for a moment and replied, "In addition to several hundred taels of loose silver, there are also some gold and silver jewelry."
"Take everything out and send a trustworthy person to deliver it to the Ming army. Tell them we are a lost caravan and ask them to let us pass."
Sony looked around but couldn't find a suitable candidate.
Although they had already changed into Han Chinese clothing for the purpose of disguise.
But the braids on the head cannot be disguised.
Even wearing a hat will reveal flaws.
They had no choice but to look for surrendered soldiers who had not yet shaved their heads.
After some instructions, the surrendered soldiers came to Zheng Chenggong's ship with gold, silver and jewelry.
As soon as he boarded the ship, he knelt down and kowtowed to Zheng Chenggong: "Sir, those three ships are not merchant ships, and they are not loaded with goods, but the families of the Jian slaves!"
Zheng Chenggong was stunned: "Family? Who are they?"
"There are Bumbutai, Soni, Dodo's son Doni, and Dorgon's women..."
Zheng Chenggong recovered and laughed: "There is an unexpected gain! Come on, take out the grappling hooks and prepare to board the ship and capture them alive!"
After receiving the order, the naval officers and soldiers adjusted the sails and approached the merchant ship.
When the distance is about right, take out the rope with a hook and throw it hard towards the merchant ship.
The hook caught the side of the boat and the soldiers pulled hard.
The two ships slowly approached each other.
The women who heard the noise came from the cabin to the deck to check the situation.
Looking at the woman who suddenly appeared on the deck, the Ming army on the warship immediately became excited.
They brandished their weapons and shouted loudly.
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