A national ceremony such as the presentation of prisoners at the Meridian Gate sounds grand and complicated, but in fact, it is just the preparations that are complicated. When it comes to the actual ceremony of presenting prisoners, it is not that complicated.

In fact, the more grand the ceremonial event, the less things the emperor himself had to do, and everything was arranged in advance.

When this occasion comes, whether the emperor or the minister of ceremonies, what should be said and what should be done, the less the better, the simpler the better.

Because the more grand a ceremonial event is, the less room there is for any mistakes or slip-ups, so it is impossible to make it too complicated.

For example, things like offering prisoners at the Meridian Gate are like this.

Usually at this time, after the ceremonial officer has finished explaining the ins and outs and general circumstances of the prisoner sacrifice, the emperor only needs to say take it, or pardon it according to the law, and that's it.

Moreover, whether it is taking it or pardoning it, it is a matter that has been decided in advance. It is impossible to think about it or discuss it until you arrive at the scene.

Therefore, although the battle array was huge, the whole event was actually just a formality according to the established arrangement, and was for all civil and military officials and the people of the world to see.

Of course, such a thing is destined to be recorded in the annals of history, and will become a glorious achievement of the then emperor that will go down in history.

Emperor Chongzhen had already held a prisoner sacrifice ceremony at the Meridian Gate a few years ago, but that time it was Sun Chuanting who captured the bandit leader Chuang Wang Gao Yingxiang and sent him to the capital for a prisoner sacrifice ceremony.

At that time, Emperor Chongzhen said the same thing as his grandfather Emperor Wanli at the prisoner presentation ceremony after the victory in the War to Resist Japan and Aid Korea, with only two words, "take it."

Taking it means taking it to kill, which means pushing it out of the Meridian Gate and beheading it.

At that prisoner presentation ceremony, Gao Yingxiang was ordered to be taken away and sent to the Xuanwu Gate to be executed in public.

Will it be any different this time?

Yang Zhen knelt under the Meridian Gate and waited, listening attentively, but he did not hear anything Emperor Chongzhen said. He only heard Zhang Ruolin, who was kneeling beside him, whisper:

"Captain Yang, the minister of ceremony for the prisoner presentation this time is none other than Chen Benbing. After the ceremony is over, if the emperor does not summon him immediately, please ask Governor Yang to listen to the arrangements of the ceremony officer first. Once the matters here are over, Chen Benbing will find him.

You, Chen Benbing, have something to say and want to talk to the governor."

When Yang Zhen heard this, he looked sideways and saw Zhang Ruolin, a doctor in the Ministry of War, looking straight ahead, not moving at all.

If he hadn't mentioned himself in what he said softly, Yang Zhen would have even suspected that Zhang Ruolin just now was mumbling to himself.

When Yang Zhenzheng was confused, he saw the Luan Jia on the Meridian Gate Tower moving. Then, several more shouts of "Send it under the Meridian Gate" came from the Meridian Gate Tower, and then Yang Zhen saw the Luan Jia on the Meridian Gate Tower going inside again.

When this unusual situation occurred, there was a restlessness inside and outside the Meridian Gate Tower. Many officials who gathered under the Meridian Gate to watch the ceremony and wait to hear the emperor's will began to whisper and discuss.

Taking this opportunity, Yang Zhen whispered to Zhang Ruolin: "Sir Zhang, at the prisoner presentation ceremony, why are you doing this?"

When Zhang Ruolin heard this, he looked confused at first, then thoughtfully, and finally shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "Captain Yang, you don't know something! Your Majesty heard about the victory in Liaodong in the palace that day, especially when he heard that Commander-in-Chief you led your troops to recover

After arriving at Lushunkou, in front of the ministers, I shouted to the sky and danced with joy. I was so happy!

"Now you have really brought thousands of Donglu heads, captured the brother of the Donglu slave chief, and brought the living Donglu prince Gushan, and presented them to the Meridian Gate as a prisoner. The excitement in the heart of the Holy Master must have been at the Meridian Gate.

I can't sit still anymore, I want to come and see this Donglu Prince and these Donglu Mannu in person!"

At this point, Zhang Ruolin looked back at Yang Zhen, returned to the original topic again, and said, "What I told the governor just now is that Chen Benbing hopes to have an interview with you. Don't forget it!"

Yang Zhen heard Zhang Ruolin's preface and felt that it made sense. He listened to his last words and then nodded, which was considered a reply.

Chen Xinjia came to him, and he had no way of knowing what he wanted to talk to him about, but from Zhang Ruolin's words, Yang Zhen got an extremely important message.

That is, Emperor Chongzhen was very satisfied with Yang Zhen's great victory, especially with his recovery of Lushunkou and other places.

After receiving this news, Yang Zhen suddenly felt that things like being knighted were really very close to him. Maybe he could really gain a lot from this trip to the capital this time.

He calculated and calculated the asking price along the way, and maybe he could raise the price a bit.

At the same time that Yang Zhen was thinking about how to make an offer to Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, or even directly to Emperor Chongzhen, Emperor Chongzhen, surrounded by a group of ministers and eunuchs, appeared majestically in the doorway below the Meridian Gate, and walked all the way

Walking towards the direction of Yang Zhen and others.

Yang Zhen and the officials under the Meridian Gate were already kneeling on the ground. Seeing the emperor leading the ministers gradually approaching, they bowed to the emperor again under the call of the ceremony officer under the Meridian Gate.

At this moment, Yang Zhen couldn't act any different from ordinary people. He could only imitate the behavior of Zhang Ruolin beside him. After kowtowing, he buried his head on the ground.

Just like that, after a while, Yang Zhen heard a burst of footsteps. Finally, the footsteps stopped next to him, and he actually stood still.

Yang Zhen was about to raise his head when he heard a hoarse, low but vaguely excited voice. It was the man standing in front of him who spoke:

"Yang Qing, Yang Qing, are you Yang Zhen and Yang Hanqing?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhen immediately understood that the man who led the ministers to stand in front of him and stood talking was none other than Emperor Chongzhen who came down from the Meridian Gate Tower.

As soon as he thought of this, Yang Zhen quickly kowtowed to the ground and replied loudly: "My lord, Yang Zhen, I kowtow to your majesty, long live my emperor!"

As soon as Yang Zhen finished speaking, before he raised his head, he heard the man standing in front of him say in a tone that was a little sad, a little excited, and a little hasty:

"Okay, okay, okay! I have long wanted to meet you and have a chat with you. However, I have been involved in state affairs all year round, and you are also busy with military affairs and military affairs, so that I, the monarch, and my ministers have been spared each other. Today

I feel so relieved to see you at the Meridian Gate, I feel so relieved!"

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen, who was wearing a grand crown and auspicious clothes, saw the figure kneeling on the ground shouting long live. It was Yang Zhen who had repeatedly brought him good news and good news. He was beaming with joy for a moment, and while talking,

He bent down, supported Yang Zhen, and then said to him:

"Yang Qing is safe, Yang Qing is safe, Yang Qing is safe quickly!"

Yang Zhen heard Emperor Chongzhen say this and saw that he had already come to her and reached out to support his arm. He quickly thanked him and stood up from the cold ground.

At the same time, he also took the opportunity to raise his head and quickly took a look at Emperor Chongzhen who was very close at hand.

Emperor Chongzhen wore a sky-high crown and a crimson gauze robe. He was neither tall nor short, but he looked very thin. His angular face showed a bit of heroism, but his thin cheeks looked pale and haggard.

It's clearly a bit morbid.

At this time, the crow's feet were clearly visible in the corners of his smiling eyes, and the gray on his temples was revealed under the crown of heaven he was wearing.

With only a quick glance, Yang Zhen reconciled the complex impression he had formed about Emperor Chongzhen in later life with the real and living Emperor Chongzhen in front of him.

For a moment, Yang Zhen had mixed feelings, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the man in front of him was indeed a miserable emperor.

In terms of age alone, Emperor Chongzhen was born on December 24, the thirty-eighth year of Wanli, and by November 14, the twelfth year of Chongzhen, he was still under thirty years old.

However, the emperor in front of him, who was less than thirty years old, looked like he was prematurely aging due to overwork and exhaustion of his efforts.

Yang Zhen was sighing secretly in his heart when he heard Emperor Chongzhen say: "Let's go, Han Qing, please identify to me which one is the so-called ten princes of Donglu, Duduo, and which one is the so-called auxiliary country of Donglu."

Gongtunqi!"

Emperor Chongzhen finished these words with excitement, pulled Yang Zhen's sleeves, asked Yang Zhen to pass with him, passed the civil and military officials watching the ceremony, and went straight towards the rows of Manta people kneeling in the open space not far behind.

The prisoner walked away.

The area full of Tatar prisoners, now kneeling on the ground, surrounded by a large number of Han generals in uniform, was already fish and meat on the chopping board.

Yang Zhen didn't think they were any threat, so he immediately changed from passive to active, took two quick steps, and personally opened the way for Emperor Chongzhen.

Downstairs of the Meridian Gate, the officials are in the front, the prisoners are in the back, and in the middle are the Han generals standing in uniform, but the distance between the front and back is not far.

Soon, Yang Zhen led Emperor Chongzhen and his entourage past the layers of protective guards and arrived in front of Duduo.

On the way to the capital from Songshan City, Duduo was already unconscious more often than awake.

When they arrived at Tongzhou City, it was unknown whether it was due to the bumpy long distance or the long-term lack of medical treatment. Duduo was even more dying. He had been unconscious for a long time and was about to die.

It wasn't until he entered the capital that he was beaten and scolded by the people in the capital during the process of entering the city, and he came to his senses again.

After that, Duduo had only one breath left. He held on and was brought to the Meridian Gate in a very rare state of consciousness.

At this time, Duduo had been kneeling on the ground for a long time, and his knees had lost all feeling. His consciousness, which was like a flash of light, gradually dissipated in the severe cold weather in the capital in mid-November of the twelfth year of Chongzhen.

At this time, Yang Zhen led Emperor Chongzhen and his party to come to him.

Duduo, who was kneeling on the ground unable to move, knew something was wrong. He raised his head with difficulty and looked up at the person coming, still showing a rebellious and indifferent look.

"Are you Duduo? The fifteenth son of Nuerhachi, the slave chief of Jianzhou, and the younger brother of Huang Taiji, the current slave chief?"
Chapter completed!