Chapter 33 The thirty-third round

Cuigu's father, Wu Tingxun, was originally a Jinshi in the third year of Chonghua in the previous Ming Dynasty.The chief examiner of Yinhou on the day of his examination was Hong Chengchou, a bachelor.Hong Chengchou was popular and graceful, and was highly respected by ordinary scholars at that time.Wu Tingxun's ability to attach himself to the gate wall is a very decent thing, and he is often proud of it.Hong Chengchou also looked at this high-achieving disciple differently.After Chuang Wang Gao Yingxiang's incident, Hong Chengchou led the Ministry of War and supervised the military affairs of Henan, Sichuan and Shaanxi.Wu Tingxun entered the shogunate with him, and served as a counselor for important military affairs.The two teachers and students forged a deeper friendship in the midst of hardships. They often rode together in their spare time, raised their whips and wrote poems, which became a good story in the army.

Gao Yingxiang was defeated, and Li Zicheng led the remnants to the Shangluo Mountains.Seeing that the war in the Central Plains gradually subsided, unexpectedly at this time, another imperial edict came from Kyoto, ordering Hong Chengchou to guard the Xingye people, and Wu Tingxun followed his teacher to fight against the Qing soldiers in Songshan. Soon, news of the defeat came from the front: Hong Chengchou was missing, and the general Yu Guozhu was killed by an arrow.After Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen and Qiu Minyang were captured, they were brave and unyielding, scolded the thief and died.

As soon as the news spread among the common people in Beijing, the whole city panicked.Cuigu's mother was holding her daughter who had just turned one year old, and she was so anxious that she almost went crazy, asking almost everyone, "Is Hong Jinglue dead or alive?" She was convinced that her husband's fate was tied to Hong Chengchou.If Hong Chengchou is dead, her husband will definitely not be alive, so as long as you find out about Hong Chengchou, you will probably know her husband's whereabouts. But who can say clearly about such a thing?Soon, the imperial court sent a decree and three hundred taels of compensation silver, saying that his husband had died together with Hong Jinglue in the king's affairs.The woman took her daughter to the wilderness in the northeast of the city, and burned a lot of fine gold leaf paper money, including Hong Chengchou's two copies.Like the Shuxian women praised by the tradition, she felt a lot more relieved after the pain, because her husband followed Hong Jinglue's loyalty and sacrifice to the country, and his death was worth it!

Emperor Chongzhen originally wanted to take advantage of Hong Chengchou's death to hold a funeral, and use it to inspire the fighting spirit and loyalty and patriotism of the kings and generals from all walks of life. post.Cuigu's mother added gratitude to her relief. Now that Hong Jinglue has become a god, her husband will definitely follow him to receive the incense of the people.She was even a little proud: Who doesn't know that my master is Hong Jinglue's best friend?She hugged her daughter and smiled, "Boy, your father is loyal to the country. You are his flesh and blood, no matter how hard it is, I will drag you into an adult!" With a smile, as she spoke, big tears fell silently from her cheeks. trickle down.

But the fact is so cruel, Hong Chengchou, who should die for the country, is still living in the world with the cheek!Although the imperial court did not inform the world about the marsh, it saw that the altar built with yellow slabs was taken down, the foundation of the ancestral hall was also dug up, and the imperial sacrificial texts posted disappeared overnight. I can figure out what's going on in my head. On a snowy night, Wu Tingxun came back.His body was covered in icy scum, and his face was barely recognizable from the grime and unkempt beard.Miss Cui was so frightened that she dropped her daughter in her arms to the ground.

Wu Tingxun looked at the spirit tablet set up for him with a wry smile, then sat down slumped and remained silent.Aunt Cui stared blankly at him, and suddenly burst into a heart-rending cry: "The imperial court sent a letter to you...how did you come back alive...ah,...you are talking!" Wu Tingxun didn't answer, just let his wife cry with a blank face.His terrible silence and composure soon made his wife stop crying, and she was a little stunned and bewildered.Wu Tingxun stroked her shoulder and said calmly: "You don't have to do this, Hong Jinglue is not dead, how can I die? A person can't be deceived all his life, I have to be worthy of him!"

The world of Ming Dynasty was unstable, and Wu Tingxun clearly saw this.Li Zicheng raised troops from Shangluo, captured Luoyang, attacked Kaifeng, and marched northward.The Manchurian green camp soldiers who succeeded in Songshan gathered in Shanhaiguan, Gubeikou, and Xifengkou to look at the Central Plains.The subjugation of the country was only a short period of time. Wu Tingxun moved out of the capital with his wife and daughter, crossed Wuhu from Jinan and Tai'an in Shandong, and lived in seclusion in Nanjing.Fortunately, he is not very poor, and he can still live a prosperous life with the accumulation of his past official pockets. During the day, he roams around Stone City and Qingliang Mountain, and at night, he teaches his babbling daughter to read and read poems. Do not visit old friends.Those five birthday poems were written on the broken wall of Linggu Temple, and some good literati copied them and inscribed them in Beijing's Fengshi Garden. After many years, how could Mingzhu Yang Cuigu know the twists and turns?

Sleepless all night, Cui Gu turned over and took out from under her pillow a shiny paper-pressing knife, which her father had given her one dark night in the tenth year of Shunzhi.She was twelve years old that year, and everything was as real as yesterday.With trembling hands, the father handed the paper-press knife to his beloved daughter, and said with tears in his eyes: "The father of the child suffered a great humiliation eleven years ago. He can be killed, but he cannot be humiliated. This revenge must be avenged! Tomorrow the enemy will come to Nanjing. I want to see him! Dad has nothing else for you, let this be a souvenir!"

Aunt Cui has long been weeping: "His father, Hong Chengchou is a man full of brats now, and his arrogance is even fiercer than before. Now that the world is settled, if you don't want to help them, I will live in seclusion in the mountains with you for the rest of my life. You can be regarded as worthy of the previous master, why do you..." Wu Tingxun smiled indifferently: "I've said everything I need to say. Before you hoped for me to die, your face would be radiant; now you hope for me to live and live a peaceful life. You really want sugarcane to be sweet at both ends!" My aunt burst into tears, and Cui Gu also cried "wow" and ran up and hugged my father's neck: "Dad! Mom just gave birth to a little brother. Don't go, I don't want you to go!"

Wu Tingxun burst into tears, sighed and said: "Since we keep talking like this, I... just bear with it! He shook his head and asked?" Hong Chengchou will have a big banquet tomorrow to commemorate the Qing soldiers who died in the Southern Expedition. I wanted to go to join in the fun... Alas! " The matter was left as it was, but unexpectedly another major event happened, and Wu Tingxun had to go to see Hong Chengchou.On the morning of the third day, after Wu Tingxun had used his breakfast, the person at the door came in and said, "Master Jin's son, Jin Liangcai, is here to pay respects!"

Wu Tingxun had always lived reclusively in Nanjing and seldom interacted with outsiders. When he heard someone visiting, he was a little puzzled for a moment: "Which Master Jin?" "Master Kim Jong Hee!" Wu Tingxun suddenly remembered: "Oh, please come in!" Kim Jong Hee is his older brother who worked together under Hong Chengchou's curtain. He has always had a stubborn temper.During the Battle of Songshan, Wu Tingxun crawled out from the dead to beg and return to Beijing.He had heard that Kim Jong Hee had died, and now he heard that his son had arrived. He was really surprised and happy, so he ordered to call his wife, and rushed out the door by himself.As soon as he left the study room, he saw a young man in his twenties staggering in. He bowed his head and cried bitterly: "Uncle Wu——" Seeing him crying miserably, Wu Tingxun hurriedly stretched out his arms and said, "Nephew, don't do this, get up quickly!" "If my uncle doesn't save my father, my nephew won't get up!" "Your father!" Wu Tingxun was taken aback. "He's still alive! Where is he now?" "Now the original Dali Temple Prison will be—" "how?" "Hong Chengchou will pay homage to the Qing soldiers who died in battle at the school ground in the southern suburbs tomorrow, and will kill his father to sacrifice the flag!" Hearing this news, it was as if Jiao Lei had been shot out of nowhere. Wu Tingxun's hairs all over his body, his face was as white as paper, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Hong Hengjiu? He is also your father's brother-in-law. How could he do such a murderous thing?" It turned out that Kim Jong Hee also escaped during the Battle of Songshan.Because he was a military general, the imperial court dealt with the defeated soldiers very strictly. He dared not return to Beijing, so he changed his name and surname and fled to Jinling, the southern capital, where he hid in a relative's house.The city of Nanjing was broken, and Xia Chengde, the deputy general who surrendered in Songshan, was captured and thrown into prison. This time Hong Chengchou was sitting in Jinling as the Qing Dynasty "recruiting the Southern Governor of the Military Affairs University". Hearing that Kim Jong-hee was detained here, he went to persuade Xia Chengde to persuade him to surrender.Unexpectedly, as soon as Jin Zhengxi heard the word "Hong Chengchou", he covered his ears, closed his eyes and said, "Sung Deok-jun, you used to be a liar, and you haven't improved a bit after more than ten years? Heng Jiu can be as shameless as you, Acknowledge a thief as your father?" Xia Chengde didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he had to tell Jin Zhengxi the truth about the return of heaven and man. Reluctantly, Kim Jong-hee just shook his head, "I don't believe you can kill people! Hong Hengjiu was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli, and he was an official for more than ten years. In a few years, he established his teeth and opened a mansion, and was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War, Prince Taibao, and Governor of Jiliao. He is an extremely human minister! The Ming Dynasty is in trouble—how can someone who has received such deep favors betray the emperor? What did you say? This Hong Chengchou, don’t someone else impersonate him?” I heard that when Xia Chengde relayed Kim Jong Hee's words to Hong Chengchou, Hong Chengchou frowned as if stung by a scorpion, and then smiled and said: "This old man's nature has not been cured, so I can't see it!" Soon there was news, To kill Kim Jong Hee to pay homage to the souls of the Qing soldiers. After listening to Mr. Jin's words, Wu Tingxun was both ashamed and hated.Compared to Kim Jong Hee, he feels unworthy to be his brother.Ever since I was educated, I have understood the principle of superiority and humiliation, and the principle of humiliation and death.Now the master has been hanged to Meishan for many years, and he has always promised himself to be loyal, but he is still in the world!Then think about Hong Hengjiu, who I admired, loved, and acted like a teacher back then, to have such a disgusting face!His breathing gradually became rapid, but he felt his blood was boiling, and his whole body was unbearably hot. He helped Jin Liangcai, held hands and said, "Nephew, just go!" After speaking, he entered the study, where his wife and Aunt Cui were already waiting. He took out the paper press knife and handed it to Cui Gu silently, and Cui Gu looked up at his father's face.Wu Tingxun turned his face away, and said to his wife: "Go back to your hometown in Hejian Mansion, and live on the twenty acres of Susukida... If you can't save Zhengxi, don't wait for me; if you can, you can... Live for a few more years with the audacity..." After speaking, he stood up and straightened his clothes, and went away without looking back... Thinking of this, Cui Gu's face was full of tears.Looking at the paper press knife, she thought of her younger brother and mother who had been separated for fifteen years, and the murderous beauty in the black shop, sparks burst out in her eyes.But when she thought of Mingzhu again, her heart tightened, she turned over, changed into a man's attire, and walked out of Jiaxing Building, went to Shizi Alley to find her sworn brother Hu Guanshan, and she wanted Hu Guanshan to go out to rescue Mingzhu himself.