The child fell into the hands of Xia Guo. Zhu Youjian and Queen Zhou had no way to control the fate of the child.
For now, it seems that the children are safe, and they feel a little more at ease.
They also have to deal with their own affairs.
When the incident came to an end, Queen Zhou's mood became much more intense, and she no longer had to act like a queen.
She picked up Chongzhen's hand and put it on her face, tears streaming down her face.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. As the Empress of the Ming Dynasty, I will never dare to disgrace the honorable name of my ancestors. I will go one step ahead and continue to serve Your Majesty even in the underworld."
Chongzhen cried loudly and could only watch Empress Zhou walk out of Qianqing Palace.
She returned all the way to her Kunning Palace, looked at the miserable palace maids and eunuchs around her, and gave her last order.
"Everyone, run for your lives and take away whatever valuables you have. Be careful to hide yourself so that no one will find you."
The eunuchs and maids knelt on the ground, crying and howling. They bid farewell to Queen Zhou one by one and left Kunning Palace.
Empress Zhou looked at the place where she had lived for seventeen years and wiped away the last bit of nostalgia. She took out the white silk and tied it to the beam.
Chongzhen is still in his final madness.
"Go and declare the throne forever. Liu Wenbing will come to escort you."
A eunuch ran away and came back soon, his words full of tears.
"Your Majesty, Consort Gong said that according to the ancestral system, we never have any servants. I'm sorry for your kindness."
Chongzhen was swaying, his face full of sadness.
When the country fell, even his relatives abandoned him.
Still unwilling to give up, he ran back and forth in the Qianqing Palace and found a three-eyed fire gun.
"My ministers cannot be trusted and my relatives cannot be trusted. Am I unable to save myself? Come with me and we will fight our way out."
Chongzhen completely lost his mind and led several eunuchs to run around like headless flies.
First he ran to Qihua Gate and then to Anding Gate.
But without exception, he was frightened by the endless troops outside the city and had no choice but to retreat.
At this point, Chongzhen finally understood that all his struggles were meaningless.
In the process of running around, the eunuchs also ran away secretly. Only Wang Chengen still followed him wholeheartedly and never thought of escaping.
Chongzhen gave up completely.
He took Wang Chengen all the way up Meishan Mountain and looked at the whole city from here.
As far as the eye can see, there is a blazing fire outside the city, and not even a bird can fly out.
"My companion, let's stop here. I'm... tired."
Wang Chengen burst into tears and slowly fell to his knees.
"Slave...serve the long live master...on your way."
Chongzhen laughed wildly, as if he was crazy. He bit his own finger, took off his robe, and started writing on it.
[My cool virtue and contempt for my merits, and the fault of heaven, caused the rebels to attack the capital, and all the ministers mistook me. When I die, I will not be able to see my ancestors. I will take off my crown and cover my face with my hair. Let the thieves divide me, and no one of the people will be harmed. 】
It is said that when a person is about to die, his words are also good.
If these last words were seen by Zuo Menggen, he would definitely ridicule Chongzhen.
With this awareness, why did you go there so early?
Isn’t it time to “suffer our people for another year”?
However, before his death, Chongzhen was full of self-movement.
After writing the edict, with the help of Wang Chengen, he tied the cloth strip to the crooked neck tree, then kicked off his legs and ended his life.
Wang Chengen stayed by the side until it was confirmed that Chongzhen had completely died, and he hung himself on the rope.
During Chongzhen's seventeenth year in power, he committed various acts of mischief, killed countless ministers, and trusted eunuchs immensely. But in the end, only Wang Cheng'en accompanied him to death.
He truly turned himself into a loner.
Lu Ping and Han Chuan protected the prince, and the princess rushed out of Qianqing Palace. Instead of leaving the palace, she turned around and went to Renshou Palace.
Here, like everywhere else, the eunuchs and maids have long since dispersed, and the silence is terrifying.
Lu Ping and Han Chuan rushed into the main hall and saw a gorgeous woman in brocade clothes sitting silently, holding a three-foot white silk in her hand, wondering what she was thinking.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, the woman raised her head and saw that it was the eunuch and the royal guard, and she couldn't help but feel a little angry.
"The country has been destroyed. The Ai family knows very well what to do. You can go back and report to the emperor. There is no need to press."
Lu Ping saluted.
"Queen Yi'an misunderstood, we did not come under Chongzhen's order."
The woman was startled when she heard him address Chongzhen by his name.
"You...what are you going to do?"
Lu Ping introduced his identity.
"Queen Yi'an has a reputation as a virtuous woman, and is praised even by the people. You are just a poor woman, and there is no need to die for the sake of the Ming Dynasty. My King Xia has said that he is willing to ensure the safety of the queen, so that you can spend the rest of your life safely."
This Queen Yi'an is the widow of Emperor Tianqi, Zhang Yan.
After Chongzhen ascended the throne, she was revered as Queen Yi'an. She originally lived in Ciqing Palace, but later moved to Renshou Palace.
Although the palace is nice, as a woman of the late emperor, apart from her noble title, Zhang Yan's life has not been easy for more than ten years.
Don’t talk about having no power, but also be careful about rumors from the outside world.
Just because she is so beautiful, there are even rumors outside that she and Chongzhen are not having an affair.
Zhang Yan suffered greatly, but could not explain it. She could only lock herself in Renshou Palace and never see Chongzhen.
She is definitely a poor woman.
When Tianqi died, she was only twenty-one years old, which was the best time for a woman. However, she could only live in a deep palace and remained a widow for seventeen years.
Zuo Mengeng gave instructions on how to deal with the Zhu Ming royal family.
Zuo Menggeng didn't care about life or death for Chongzhen and his concubines. As for Queen Yi'an Zhang Yan, try to save her as much as possible.
"The Ai family is the Empress of the Ming Dynasty. How could she possibly fall into the hands of the enemy?"
Zhang Yan was extremely nervous, not knowing what these Xia people wanted to do.
She is very aware of her beauty.
When she was trapped in the palace, some eunuchs plotted against her. She complained to Chongzhen, and the situation calmed down.
Even the eunuch who had lost his roots was attracted to her. Could it be that Zuo Mengeng...
Lu Ping didn't know her random thoughts, so he waved to Zhu Cixiang and Zhu Ayao to come forward.
"The emperor and the empress have entrusted their children to the Xia Kingdom. From now on, they will live a normal life. But you also know that there are many ambitious people in the world. There are no adults around these children to take care of them, and they may be taken advantage of. If it leads to a tragedy in the future, it will ruin the good intentions of our country, Xia. The queen is the elder, and these children will be raised by you in the future, so that there is a possibility of peace and quiet."
Zhang Yan finally felt relieved when she saw Zhu Cihong and Zhu Yuluo. She hugged the two children over and the three of them cried together.
Zhu Cixiang and Zhu Yuluo already knew that their parents were probably no longer alive.
At a time of great changes in life, Zhang Yan cannot help but be regarded as the backbone of her life.
Looking at the pitiful children, Zhang Yan's desire to die also faded away.
"Okay, I'll go with you."
Lu Ping finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Without further delay, I'm afraid Shunjun will enter the city soon. We have to leave quickly."
Zhang Yan was able to compete with Wei Zhongxian and the Hakka family back then, and she was also decisive. She immediately protected several children and set off with Lu Ping and Han Chuan.