Chapter 8 The situation is deeply worrying

Xiong Mingyu squinted his eyes and smiled, also looking at Maoxiang.Although the young scholar didn't visit many times, he made a good impression on him.Xiong Mingyu was satisfied with Maoxiang's handsomeness, gentleness, humility and elegance, as well as the shyness and anxiety he showed when he asked for help from others, and Xiong Mingyu looked at him differently.Although Xiong Mingyu had contact with the scholars of Fushe from time to time, and outsiders even said that he was one of the backstage of Fushe, the old man was very impressed with the hard-edged, fierce and well-known behavior of this group of young people. The attitude of dealing with things is quite disapproving.In particular, they unscrupulously discussed government affairs and ridiculed people, offending more and more people.Xiong Mingyu was worried that if the trouble continued like this, disaster would inevitably happen one day.He knew that he couldn't persuade them, so in the past one or two years, he had adopted a gradually alienating attitude.He felt that Mao Xiang was different from his fellow members in this regard. This young man was dignified, calm, and obedient, which suited his mood at this moment.

Xiong Mingyu is sixty-six years old this year.Ten years ago, when he fell from the peak of his career as an official, he already understood that the good luck in this life had come to an end.He had long seen that the young emperor was a dogmatic, suspicious, mean and unkind man.Such an amiable personality like myself, who wants to be a good person in everything, will never win the emperor's favor.In the fifth year of Chongzhen, he was ordered to "dismiss his post and wait for investigation" just because he said a few wrong words and offended the emperor, and finally he was dismissed and returned home.After many years, and now being reappointed, Xiong Mingyu knew in his heart that it was simply because the imperial court couldn't find a more suitable candidate for the time being, so he was asked to replace him, not to mention that it was impossible to return to his former position. It is hard to say how long this cold bench of the Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing can sit.Fortunately, he knew his destiny with optimism, and set the goal of being a monk to beat the clock every day, so his life was quite comfortable.However, he has not lost his instinct to protect himself. Like most old bureaucrats who are sliding down the slope of status and power, he often has a sense of isolation and guard against his colleagues in the officialdom, just like a bird. The old cat, who moves slowly but is still conscious, is always on guard against grimaces and calculations of the same kind.Although sometimes he is very busy with entertainment, but he is lonely and lonely in his heart.Under such circumstances, he likes to socialize with some young scholars who have not set foot in the officialdom, talk to them, listen to their views on the current situation, and accept their respect for his obedience, which often enables him to gain a kind of happy and content.However, then again, he didn't want to cause trouble and lose his family and life.He remembers the lesson of a decade ago: there is no harm in being more prudent.Therefore, recently, he has become more selective in his reception of Fushe members, and he has become more careful in his words.The young leaders of Fushe, such as Chen Zhenhui and Hou Fangyu, realized this and gradually stopped coming.

Just now, when Mao Xiang stepped into the room, Xiong Mingyu was thinking hard about a problem.This question suddenly became clear and sharp in his mind on the way to Niushou Mountain for a spring outing a few days ago.Once the thought was revealed, it became so violent, terrible, and relentless that he could hardly calm down any more.He really wanted to find someone to discuss it with, but the nature of the problem was unusual and he had to be very cautious.He intends to find someone who is well-educated, politically minded, reliable, and has no conflict of interest with him.Mao Xiang's sudden visit was exactly what he wanted, which was why he was very happy to receive Mao Xiang.

"Well, my nephew has traveled all over the world. Recently, what news have you heard?" Xiong Mingyu changed the subject and asked. "This... is no special news. The old man also knows that the disaster situation in various places is getting worse. Needless to say, Shandong and Henan have become a world of ghosts and monsters, and human flesh is used as food everywhere. It is said that even close relatives and friends do not Dare to enter other people's houses lightly. Keep one's own house, young and old, men and women, give in to each other and eat; The prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River, known as the rich and prosperous Suzhou and Hangzhou, have starved to death countless residents since last year. There are people who are buried in the suburbs every day. Liu Gong, the prefect of Hangzhou, is from Bianliang, so there are good people, Changing an ancient poem into satire..."

"Oh? What do you say?" "This——is nothing more than some frivolous and rootless words. It's just a quick tongue. An Zhi is not slandering her superiors." "But let's hear it." "Yes! It's a modified Southern Song Dynasty poem by Lin Sheng's "Green Mountains and Buildings Outside the Mountains". State!'" Xiong Mingyu listened and nodded his head without making a sound.In the past two years, it is a fact that the disasters in various prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River have been serious.However, he believes that the main reason is caused by the bad weather, besides, the yamen are trying to provide relief. However, this kind of ballad intended to incite people immediately appears, pointing the finger at the mansion, which shows that the people are worrying.Thinking of it this way, Xiong Mingyu's anxiety increased a bit.

"Also, I heard that Songshan has fallen." Seeing that Xiong Mingyu didn't express his attitude, Mao Xiang guessed that he was displeased with that poem, so he changed the subject. "Songshan has not yet fallen." Xiong Mingyu shook his head, speaking with certainty.His news is naturally accurate.However, even so, Xiong Mingyu didn't think Songshan could hold on.Rather, the terrible problem that has plagued him these days is somewhat related to the situation in Songshan.He looked at Maoxiang, and said as if to explain: "Hong Jinglue is still defending the isolated city, building captives and besieging the country for several months, but he has not succeeded so far. However," he frowned, "if the towns The reinforcements continue to linger, and Songshan will fall, I'm afraid it will be sooner or later."

Mao Xiang no longer has any doubts and fears about his master.Hearing that Songshan had not fallen, he couldn't help but cheer up.But what the master said next made him quite discouraged.For a moment, he really wanted to say: "For such people who are greedy for life and afraid of death, and harm the country and the people, the imperial court should severely punish them, so as to serve as an example to others!" But he retracted his words.Yes, a year ago he might have been able to speak out like that with a clear conscience.But now, he is begging for his father, asking to be transferred from Xiangyang, the front line of suppressing "thieves". In the eyes of others, is it not an act of coveting life and fearing death!

"In the past, the Jiankui invaded the capital several times and ravaged the capital, but finally they dared not stay long, relying entirely on Shanhaiguan to contain them. Songshan and Jinzhou are the barriers of Shanhaiguan. Once the two cities are not guarded, the cavalry can go straight to the front of the pass. Something unexpected happened, the capital is in danger!" Xiong Mingyu continued. "Could it be that among the towns rushing to aid, there is no one who is loyal and daring to die, who is willing to go forward and fight the front of the dog and sheep to relieve the danger of Songshan?" Mao Xiang finally couldn't help it, and asked worriedly. said a word.

Xiong Mingyu glanced at Mao Xiang, but remained silent.Because the current facts are like this, so that he can't explain it.In addition, he did not fully agree with Maoxiang's statement. It seemed that the fall of Songshan was irreversible, and the responsibility lay with rushing to the aid of Zhuzhen.Xiong Mingyu understood that the reasons and background for this fiasco were much more complicated.For example, if it hadn’t been for the emperor’s secret order to Hong Chengchou to fight quickly to break the siege of Jinzhou, and the Ministry of War did not urge the war again and again, but instead insisted on Hong Chengchou’s initial strategy of step by step and defense as war, the situation might have been very different.Now that the main force of the army has been wiped out, letting the towns rush to aid the towns with weak troops to attack the Jianlu and the victors is like driving a flock of sheep into the tiger's mouth. It is useless except to die in vain.However, since this already involved military secrets and directly touched the emperor's personal prestige, Xiong Mingyu felt it was inconvenient and dared not discuss it further with this young scholar.So, he just shook his head vaguely, and moved the topic away from the battle in Songshan.

"It's true that Jianlu is something to worry about, but I'm afraid that the confidant of the dynasty is really a traitor." He said slowly, with a deep worry expression on his fat and round face.Like the views of quite a few bureaucrats and gentry at that time, in the bottom of Xiong Mingyu's heart, he actually felt that although the Qing soldiers outside the pass were terrible, at least they could obtain peace for a period of time by negotiating peace and losing money.However, they felt helpless in the face of the increasingly powerful peasant uprising army.Whether it is "suppressing" or "applying", it has become less and less effective.The Peasant Army is like a fierce, ruthless and erratic whirlwind, smashing everything and sweeping away everything. It is relentlessly destroying the foundation of the dynasty building on the bottom and the most fundamental foundation. They were bombarded and bombarded, so that these high-ranking gentlemen already clearly felt the violent vibration of the earth, and heard the terrible sound of the foundation of the palace collapsing and the breaking of beams and columns, so that their hearts were jumping and they could no longer rest their pillows.In fact, since last year, Kaifeng, an important town in Henan, has been under fierce attack by the peasant army headed by Li Zicheng, and almost fell.Although Li Zicheng has temporarily escaped from the siege, he may make a comeback anytime and anywhere.As for another peasant army headed by Zhang Xianzhong, it united with Ge Liyan, Zuo Jinwang and other ministries, and was rampaging in Fengyang Prefecture, destroying the prefecture and counties, and killing the guards.The most recent time, Xuyi, not far from Nanjing, was captured.Their plan is already very clear, that is, they are going to fight across the south of the Yangtze River.Although Xiong Mingyu is fully prepared on the one hand, but on the other hand, he doesn't know whether the world around him will still be like it is today when he wakes up tomorrow morning.It is this kind of anxiety that has made Xiong Mingyu shudder and distressed in recent days.He hesitated for a moment, and finally lowered his voice and asked:

"Nephew, in your opinion, is there still hope for the revival of the Ming Dynasty?" "Oh, old man means—" "En, um!" Xiong Mingyu hurriedly nodded without waiting for Mao Xiang to finish, and made a gesture, as if afraid of him saying that terrible word. Mao Xiang pondered for a moment, then said cautiously: "My nephew also thought about what the old man was worried about. It's just a superficial view, I'm afraid..." "Hey, nephew, just express what you see." "Yes!" Mao Xiang agreed.He lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, and then said: "My nephew is speaking nonsense, I ask the old man for advice. I'm afraid this matter is in doubt!" He paused, as if he wanted to increase his judgment "The great trouble during this period naturally lies in Jianlu and rogue bandits. Since the first year of Tianqi, Jianlu has used Shenyang as his nest, repaired the system internally, and invaded outside. In more than ten years, the Jianlu has become a vast area north of Liaodong. And the land of North Korea in the east, and Mongolia in the west, the momentum of the wings has been formed. He pretended to caress me at the court, but in fact he was looking at the eagle and the tiger, and he tried to go south every day. From the seventh year of the apocalypse to the present, it has been three times When the invaders invaded, Jingji and the lands of Yan, Zhao, Qi, and Lu were all ravaged and plundered. Now they have even raised a large army to specialize in pine and brocade, and their intention is to seize Shanhaiguan. Shanhaiguan is the gateway of the capital, with the heart of tigers and wolves , what they intend to do, it is already clear! As for the rogues, in the first year of Chongzhen, there were only tens of thousands of thieves. , the disturbance spread throughout Qin, Jin, Sichuan, and Chu, but the officers and soldiers were still able to control it. After years of fierce years, hungry people rose up, and the court’s strategy of suppressing appeasement was uncertain. It has turned into a situation that is difficult to control today. Moreover, the two thieves, Chuang and Xian, are particularly cunning and strong, and their ambition of rebellion was no less than that of the Jian captives. Sighing, "Since ancient times, there has never been a country that has been in chaos inside but has been able to drive away the barbarians and the barbarians outside. Today, the crisis of the country is really rare in all dynasties. If the imperial court does not rush to find a good strategy, the rejuvenation of the industry will only be feared." There is no hope!" Mao Xiang finished speaking.He bowed his head humbly, waiting for his master's instructions.But Xiong Mingyu just sat there blankly, not making a sound for a long time.It is true that he had thought about the content of these words in bits and pieces, but at this moment, the clear and sharp language from this young scholar's mouth still shocked his heart greatly.For a moment, there seemed to be a horrible picture of the country being destroyed and the family destroyed before his eyes: the gates of the capital had fallen one after another, the Forbidden City was on fire inside and outside the Forbidden City, and the imperial guards and internal servants scattered like birds and beasts.The emperor died for the country with a sword, and all the officials died or left or surrendered.And he, Xiong Mingyu, naturally had to die to repay the country's kindness, it seemed that he had no choice.But he still has a large group of wives, concubines and children. At that time, he may not have the heart to let them all die with him, then some people will survive, and the fate will be extremely tragic... Ah, what will happen to them?Killed, arrested, ravaged, humiliated, and finally reduced to the streets, becoming pariahs, prostitutes, and beggars!This terrible suspense overwhelmed Xiong Mingyu, he moved a bit, trying to get rid of this heavy pressure, but in the end he just shrank his body into a ball, stared at his frightened eyes, and murmured: " So, then, what is the best way for my nephew to save the time?" "Ah, I'm afraid it's not enough for the old man to listen to me!" Mao Xiang raised his head, looked at the master, and said humbly.He had been waiting for this question so that he could express his political views to this respected senior.After all, Mao Xiang is different from Xiong Mingyu, although he clearly sees the danger of the country, and keenly senses the imminence of the country's subjugation.But in his young and strong heart, he never didn't feel that this was also an opportunity to test his ability and strength, after all, he had never tried it before!What's more, for a long time, Mao Xiang believed that the reason why the country's affairs got into such a corrupt situation was mainly due to the fact that those who presided over the imperial court's plans were mostly cowardly.Therefore, although he felt that the master's expression was not right, when he began to answer the question, he still couldn't help using an almost excited and somewhat showy tone: "In the humble opinion of my nephew, in today's world, the customs are majestic, the shame and morality are mourned, and there are more evils than a cow's hair. If one of them is reformed, it will be a waste of time and it will be difficult to see the effect. It is not as good as the sky. The strong medicine of male and rhubarb treats the root. Once the root is clear, it is not difficult to correct the minor details. The so-called root is nothing more than correct customs and strict discipline. If the customs are correct, the accumulated disadvantages will disappear; If the king is trustworthy, the people will not be prone to chaos. Even if there are a few unsuccessful people, they will not be able to use their instigating skills. In this way, the country can be settled. If the country is settled, the imperial court can concentrate on going eastward. No need to worry about it! Although this theory is very common and easy to say, it is extremely difficult to actually implement it. Among them, the matter of employing people is actually the key to everything. If you can’t use the right person, even though you have good laws and good intentions, you will end up with too many irregularities. It is difficult to move an inch. Therefore, if the imperial court wants to rule and become strong, it must make up its mind to enter the gentleman and reprimand the villain. Those who know that they are villains will be reprimanded even though they are high in the temple; Living far away in the rivers and lakes, we must seek and advance. Make sure that the whole country is upright, and talents can be used. In this way, ZTE can wait just around the corner!" The more Mao Xiang talked, the more excited he became.His voice rose, his cheeks were flushed with excitement, and his eyes were shining brightly. Compared with when he came in just now, he seemed to be a different person. Xiong Mingyu was still curled up, sitting motionless, with a sad and dull expression on his face, and the optimistic expression on his face before was no longer visible.He silently listened to Mao Xiang's passionate speech, and he talked eloquently, but he couldn't get rid of the heavy pressure in his heart.It is true that this young scholar's opinion is not unreasonable, but the situation of the country has reached this stage, and it is simply impossible to implement it.Take the matter of employing people as an example, the habits inherited and inherited for a long time, and all kinds of intricate relationships, just like a century-old tree, with intertwined roots, have already formed an extremely stubborn pattern.How easy it is to change it!If it is not done well, the reformers will bring about the same disaster.If it is changed by force, it will only accelerate the toppling and death of this old tree.For the current plan, the only way is not to touch it as much as possible, at most it is to cut off some branches that cannot be kept, and to maintain and tolerate the rest as much as possible, so as to be able to help each other in the storm.In this way, he may still be able to survive... However, recently, Xiong Mingyu has increasingly felt that he is a person who is passing away, and his thoughts, energy and memory are declining day by day.Nor was he confident in his own opinion. "Maybe, I'm really old and incompetent. These young people are full of talents. Maybe they really have a way to save the country from a dead end? See, they all have a way and are full of confidence..." Thinking of this, he seemed to have a feeling Seeing a glimmer of hope, he cheered up and turned his ears intently, expecting Mao Xiang to come up with a more specific and practical solution. However, Mao Xiang has already finished talking. "Well, that's all?" "Yes, my nephew is taking the liberty to speak nonsense, please give me your advice!" "Oh... what my nephew said is quite reasonable. But—" Xiong Mingyu pondered for a while, "I still want to ask for more advice. For example, the hungry people are overwhelmed, the army's salary is not enough, the rich are hoarding, and the treacherous people Taking the opportunity to incite, these are enough to cause chaos, and the unknown plan will come out?" These points are the outstanding problems in the Jiangnan area at present, and they are also problems that bother Xiong Mingyu day and night and give him a big headache.Therefore, he deliberately pointed it out, staring at Mao Xiang expectantly, waiting for his answer. "This... is not impossible." This time Mao Xiang was obviously unprepared, he became a little hesitant, and his face began to flush slightly.However, he regained his self-confidence in just a moment, and still said in a firm tone: "However, there are more than a few evils accumulated today! In my humble opinion, my nephew still thinks that it is better to treat the root cause than to seek treatment for each branch. After the original source is cleared, the silt and filth of the side branches and streams can be washed away together. Otherwise, it will be difficult to eliminate it today and revive it tomorrow, and it will not be effective in the end!" Xiong Mingyu fell silent.He lowered his eyes, feeling disappointed, "After all, he's just a scholar, empty talk!" he thought.The room was silent for a while, Xiong Mingyu finally gave a wry smile, and said: "What my nephew said is not unreasonable, but it is easier to know than to do. This is the case in ancient and modern times, and my nephew also knows it well. I am old and useless. The foundation of 270 years rests on the shoulders of your generation. I hope you and other young men are handsome, show their talents, and work together to help the community, accomplish the great cause of ZTE, report the kindness of the king and father, and go down to the people of Anli hope. If so, the world will be blessed, and this old man will be blessed!" Mao Xiang quickly stood up, cupped his hands on his chest, and said respectfully: "The old man taught me, my nephew will never forget it!" "Well, sit, sit." Xiong Mingyu made a casual gesture.After Mao Xiang sat down again, Xiong Mingyu was silent for a moment, and then said again: "There is one thing that I almost forgot to tell my nephew—a few days ago, a letter came from Zhou Ge in Beijing, saying that my nephew submitted a letter. He already knows the imperial court’s ten-thousand-word letter to save his father. The matter of your father’s transfer from Xiangyang is no longer an obstacle, and the report to the residence will be released soon.” Mao Xiang's eyes widened suddenly.The news came so suddenly, completely out of his expectation, that for a split second, he suspected that he had heard it wrong.His breathing became rapid, and he stammered and asked: "The old man said, he said..." "I congratulate my nephew! Your father's transfer from Xiangyang is only a matter of days." Mao Xiang stood up with a cry of "ah", took two steps forward excitedly, and suddenly stopped as if consciously losing his composure.He smiled ashamedly, and looked at Xiong Mingyu gratefully, with an expression of excitement and ecstasy on his face.Suddenly, he fell to his knees and kowtowed to his master. "Hey, nephew, it doesn't have to be like this, it doesn't have to be like this." But Mao Xiang still kowtowed one head and another, until he thought he had kowtowed enough, then he bowed and stood up. Xiong Mingyu shook his head helplessly, and when Mao Xiang got up, he also stood up. "If you have news, nephew should go home and report a letter early, so as not to make Tang Yilu look forward to it." He reminded him casually, yawned twice in succession, and his expression suddenly became sluggish.Although Mao Xiang kept saying words of gratitude, Xiong Mingyu seemed to hear them, but also seemed not to hear them.He agreed with "um, um", trying to open his eyes wide.Until Mao Xiang finally said goodbye and went out, walked along the corridor shaded by flowers and trees, and walked out of sight, Xiong Mingyu was still standing in front of the steps in a daze. "... Well, I should tell him not to publicize this conversation, otherwise I'm afraid it will be inconvenient for both of us..." He thought vaguely. Suddenly, Xiong Mingyu woke up.He collected himself, and for a while, he couldn't make up his mind: Should he send someone to chase Mao Xiang back?But then dropped the idea.Because the feeling that oppressed his heart before reappeared.In the face of this increasingly huge and heavy pressure, the rest of the concerns seem trivial, irrelevant, or even meaningless. "Oh, how good, how good?" He murmured to himself, raised his face in despair, and stared for a long time at the not-too-distant roof ridge, which protruded in the setting sun and turned as bright as blood.After a while, the sun went down, and the bird's kiss returned to its original gray color.Xiong Mingyu drooped his thinning white-haired head, walked down the steps slowly, and began to wander aimlessly around the courtyard.