Chapter 3: Belief (I)

Emperor Chongzhen commanded: "Take the bell to the side hall for changing clothes and resting, and wait for me to issue a decree for consultation." Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng'en hesitated a bit and advised: "Your Majesty, he is an outsider, this imperial palace..."

Wang Cheng'en had arranged everything early and summoned new palace maids and guards to attend by his side. Seeing that Emperor Chongzhen seemed to have completely forgotten the time, he couldn't help but feel a bit worried. He said to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, it is getting late; it is time for the meal."

Although the weather is quite hot now, being drenched all over is certainly not a pleasant experience. Upon hearing what Emperor Chongzhen said, I prepared to leave with Wang Cheng'en. Just as I turned around, I remembered something and turned back to Emperor Chongzhen, saying: "Your Majesty, what about these items?"

Ah, Your Majesty, please send someone quickly to rescue Mao Wenlong. Historically, Yuan Chonghuan executed Mao Wenlong without authorization, acting first and reporting later. Such a significant event cannot be misleading in history. " Zhong Jinwei said anxiously.

Wang Cheng'en returned after settling Zhong Jinwei and saw Emperor Chongzhen sitting motionless in the pavilion from a distance, with the palace maids and guards standing far away.

Zhu Guozhong quickly reminded, "It is the eunuch who was previously by Your Majesty's side, Wang Cheng'en, Master Wang!"

Emperor Chongzhen slowly turned his head, bearing a hint of fatigue and a trace of disappointment, as he looked at Wang Cheng'en

Zhong Jinwei thought for a moment, then stood up and said solemnly to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, the era I come from is four hundred years apart from yours, and many customs and habits have changed. Therefore, some of my ways of speaking and behaving may seem strange or even disrespectful to you. I hope you can understand."

His experiences are quite extraordinary, with significant emotional ups and downs, so he completely forgot what he had been told before; in any case, he only remembers that it was during the Chongzhen era

Emperor Chongzhen could no longer bear to listen, fearing that Zhong Jinwei would say something else to disappoint him. His emotions were in turmoil, and his heart truly could not withstand it. He hurriedly said, "Alright, I believe you."

Zhong Jinwei, upon hearing this, said: "Hmph, that wwwhetushu.com is just him boasting and fooling you. Have you ever asked him how he plans to pacify Liaodong in five years? Historical records indicate that someone did ask him, and he merely replied that it was just a matter of chatting and comforting. " The Emperor Chongzhen was taken aback, realizing that he indeed had not asked, and had simply taken it for granted to trust him, given Yuan Chonghuan's previous remarkable achievements, including defeating the slave chieftain.

Zhong Jinwei suddenly felt that he had not done enough: there were some things he always thought about doing but never actually did; he wanted to express love but never spoke it; regardless of how many plans he had, they were all indefinitely postponed

Emperor Chongzhen said with an unmistakable tone: "First, keep it with me."

A famous saying suddenly appeared in Zhong Jinwei's mind: Live each day as if it were your last, so that life will have no regrets

For the present self, the work, life, family, and friends of the past life can no longer be possessed.

Ah, so he is Wang Cheng'en! Upon hearing this, Zhong Jinwei immediately felt as if he had missed a celebrity, for he greatly admired Wang Cheng'en. Among all the civil and military officials, as well as numerous eunuchs and palace maids, it was only Wang Cheng'en who accompanied Emperor Chongzhen in his hanging.

However, today's events are indeed rather bizarre. At the beginning, under the long-standing oppression of imperial authority, coupled with the urgency of the situation, I did not think too much and stepped forward to grab him. Now, I feel a sense of unease, a kind of reverence for an incomprehensible natural phenomenon, secretly speculating based on my own understanding whether this person is a human, a ghost, a deity, or a demon. Suddenly, I heard Zhong Jinwei speaking to me, and Zhu Guozhong was taken aback, responding, "Yes!" and then turned to leave. Now, I feel a sense of unease, a kind of reverence for an incomprehensible natural phenomenon, secretly speculating based on my own understanding whether this person is a human, a ghost, a deity, or a demon. Suddenly, I heard Zhong Jinwei speaking to me, and Zhu Guozhong was taken aback, responding, "Yes!" and then turned to leave.

Good! Emperor Chongzhen readily agreed, hoping that something good would happen

Thus, he got up to open the door and saw two guards with swords standing at the entrance, familiar faces indeed, the very two who had seized him after he emerged from the water. When one is under a roof, one must bow one's head

Emperor Chongzhen was taken aback and thought, "Why would I kill my trusted ministers? That would be utterly unreasonable." As he pondered this, his expression turned cold. He said, "Why would I kill him?"

What should be done then? ... The Qing Dynasty, peasant uprisings, the Little Ice Age, the Donglin Party, Yuan Chonghuan, Mao Wenlong, Lu Xiangsheng, Sun Chengzong, Xu Guangqi, ... ; the more he thought, the more chaotic it became, and in the end, Zhong Jinwei's mind was in a muddle.

Whether Nurhaci was indeed killed by Yuan Chonghuan remains unknown to anyone; this is simply stated in the reports. Emperor Chongzhen firmly believed that it was Yuan Chonghuan who had killed Nurhaci

Emperor Chongzhen paused for a moment and added: "Assign the guards present today to watch over Zhong Jinwei, and have the palace maids go to serve him, ensuring that no one else has contact. What happened today must not be spoken of by anyone."

Emperor Chongzhen exclaimed, "How is this possible? Supervisor Yuan assured me that the pacification of Liaodong would be achieved in five years. It has not yet been four years; how can the Jurchen bandits run rampant right under my nose?"

Upon seeing this situation, Zhong Jinwei felt a sense of unease. What if history had deceived him? Therefore, he said, "History is recorded in this way. Let me tell you, regardless of whether it is true or false, major events cannot be misleading. After Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong, Hong Taiji, having no more worries behind him, bypassed the Ningjin defense line, took a route through Mongolia, and advanced into the city, reaching the outskirts of Beijing. Consequently, Yuan Chonghuan was also executed. These are all major events that cannot be misleading." After Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong, Hong Taiji, having no more worries behind him, bypassed the Ningjin defense line, took a route through Mongolia, and advanced into the city, reaching the outskirts of Beijing. Consequently, Yuan Chonghuan was also executed. These are all major events that cannot be misleading.

Zhong Jinwei forced a smile on his face and said to a friendlier person on his left, "Brother, could you please help me by bringing some paper and a pen? Thank you."

"Very well, I remember." Emperor Chongzhen gave an affirmative response

Having a technical background, he is straightforward and immediately enters his new working state. Zhong Jinwei said, "Alright, Your Majesty, let us first see how to proceed with the first step. I would like to ask, what year is it now?"

Emperor Chongzhen said, "Alright, I understand." Then, he turned and waved his hand towards the distant crowd. Wang Cheng'en, seeing Emperor Chongzhen wave from afar, immediately rushed back to the pavilion. He then bowed and said, "Your Majesty."

He felt a tightening in his heart and hurried over to respond: "Your Majesty, I have already arranged for Zhong Jinwei to be placed in the side hall"

He had just taken two steps when he suddenly realized and walked back, saying: "No, no, this won't do; I cannot leave my post without permission." Beside him, Li Li quickly added: "Yes, yes, you need the Four Treasures of the Study, right? When Sister Cui comes back, let her inform Lord Wang, and she will bring them to you."

As Zhong Jinwei tidied up in the side hall and lay down on the bed, his excited heart gradually began to calm down

The one on the left is named Zhu Guozhong, and the one on the right is named Li Li. They are two imperial guards witnessing the miraculous appearance of Zhong Jinwei, descendants of nobility.

At this moment, Chongzhen realized that it was almost dark. He then said, "Alright." After saying this, he stood up and instructed Wang Cheng'en, "These items must be delivered to my study, and there must be no mistakes." Wang Cheng'en bowed and replied, "Yes!"

He recalled his sudden disappearance; as an ordinary person without any background, he might have been like a small stone thrown into a lake, creating a few ripples before returning to calmness.

He has a criminal record; he previously killed someone who held a higher position than him without authorization. Sun Chengzong knows about it but simply did not inform you. " Upon seeing that Emperor Chongzhen did not believe him, Zhong Jinwei immediately explained.

Zhong Jinwei asked: "Have you killed Yuan Chonghuan yet?"

Emperor Chongzhen was very accommodating, not minding the inappropriate behavior of Zhong Jinwei, who was already seated and speaking to him face to face. He said: "June 15, the second year of Chongzhen."

Emperor Chongzhen turned to look at the items belonging to Zhong Jinwei on the table, gazing intently, completely oblivious to the fact that the sky had begun to darken gradually

Emperor Chongzhen sat silently for a while, then said: "I understand, do you have any other requests to make?"

Zhong Jinwei helplessly said: "Well, Your Majesty, those two maps are truly priceless treasures for this era, so please be sure to keep them safe!"

Zhong Jinwei lowered his head and thought for a moment; it seemed that there were indeed a few major matters, but he couldn't recall them all at once. In a hurry, he realized that if he had crossed over, he should have memorized them thoroughly. Now, there was no other way but to ask slowly: "Your Majesty, I don't remember some specific details very clearly, so I would like to sort them out gradually and ask you a few questions."

Zhong Jinwei let out a sound of "Oh," and then added, "Which Lord Wang?"

Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Chongzhen interrupted Wang Cheng'en, saying, "Just do as I say." "Yes," Wang Cheng'en had no choice but to comply.

Emperor Chongzhen secretly looked down on Zhong Jinwei and patiently replied: "It has been more than a year."

After a moment of sadness, Zhong Jinwei immediately began to operate, pondering how to live in this world without regrets

In a moment of urgency, Zhong Jinwei resorted to his old profession. When faced with unclear matters, drawing a flowchart made everything clear. Programmers understand this well

Emperor Chongzhen, after listening, became even more displeased. Both of them are my right and left arms in dealing with the Jurchen Tartars. Even if Yuan Chonghuan wanted to kill them, I would not allow him to do so. After pondering for a moment, he said: "No."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen stood up with a start and said, "Is this statement true?"

Emperor Chongzhen did not heed Wang Cheng'en's response. After a moment of silence, he said: "You are to attend to two matters for me. First, hasten to Gaoyang to find Sun Chengzong, Master Sun. Ask him whether Yuan Chonghuan has ever privately harmed anyone of a higher rank than himself; second, investigate whether anyone inquired of Yuan Chonghuan about how he managed to pacify Liaodong over the past five years before he left the capital after last year's platform edict. The sooner these matters are resolved, the better. If either yields results, report back to me immediately."

Zhong Jinwei, upon hearing this, did not notice the change in Emperor Chongzhen's expression and continued according to his own line of thought: "Did Yuan Chonghuan kill Mao Wenlong?"

Emperor Chongzhen expressed disbelief, saying: "How is that possible? Mao Wenlong is my Left Deputy Commander, holding the general's seal and leading the Imperial Sword. Not to mention him, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, even commoners must go through me before they can be executed."

How long did Yuan Chonghuan serve as the highest official in Northeast China? Zhong Jinwei only remembers that Yuan Chonghuan held the position of the highest official (actually the Minister of War, overseeing the military in Jilin and Liaoning) for just over a year, and then went to kill Mao Wenlong. About two months later, the Manchus took a detour to enter the pass, which also led to Yuan Chonghuan being imprisoned and executed.

Just as Wang Cheng'en was feeling uneasy under the gaze, Emperor Chongzhen said, "Wang Daban, you are very good!" Wang Cheng'en was taken aback by the unexpected praise, feeling a moment of joy, but then quickly became alarmed, fearing it might be sarcasm. He immediately replied, "This servant does not dare."

Since heaven has arranged for me to traverse time and come to the side of Emperor Chongzhen, I must change this outcome. Even if I am ruthlessly crushed by the wheels of history, I must at least make them deviate from their original course. This is, at the very least, a duty that a descendant of Huaxia should fulfill

"Yes." Wang Cheng'en was about to bow and accept the order when he suddenly stopped, turned, and advised Emperor Chongzhen, saying: "Your Majesty, this person is truly peculiar; his words should not be taken at face value!"

This era, even in the previous life, is the era I often sighed about. It is filled with regrets, as the fate of Huaxia civilization has been led to a low point by countless coincidences.

Especially in a television series, Wang Cheng'en cried out with a choked voice: "Farewell to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty on his journey!" This helpless and tragic scene has been etched in his mind.

Suddenly, he slapped his forehead vigorously. Well, if I can't figure it out, I might as well draw a flowchart.

At this time, I should have been off duty, either heading home or out with friends. Now, I have been ordered to continue my night shift, rotating with two other companions for twelve hours, which leaves me feeling somewhat dissatisfied

Ah, only when we lose something do we realize its value. The past life is gone; in this life, I must live without regrets. Zhong Jinwei silently sighed while making a firm resolution in his heart

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "I am aware of the situation; you may proceed with your tasks." Wang Cheng'en did not hear what the person said to His Majesty, but seeing that Emperor Chongzhen did not fully trust that mysterious individual, he felt somewhat reassured and turned to carry out his orders.