Chapter 47 The capital's knowledge

At the beginning of June, Huang Zongxi and Fang Yizhi finally arrived in Beijing and stayed in Fang Yizhi's residence outside Xuanwumen. On the night before arriving in Beijing, Huang Zongxi fell ill.He had a fever at first, and then began to shiver. It was the beginning of the weather, and he was still shivering under the three-layer quilt.Finally the chills stopped, but the body temperature rose sharply, it was terribly hot, his face was flushed, he kept complaining about his headache, and then he vomited again.As soon as Huang An saw the situation, he knew that the master had suffered from malaria again.It was already midnight at that time, it was not easy for Huang An to disturb Fang Yizhi, and it was probably useless to wake him up, so he could only serve him carefully.By dawn, Huang Zongxi's fever subsided and his head ached no more, but he felt extremely tired all over his body.At this time, Fang Yizhi also got up, and when he heard about this, he hurried over to visit him.He asked about his condition first, and then asked Huang Zongxi to roll up his sleeves to check his pulse.I don't know where he learned it. When taking the pulse, the three fingers are not resting on the patient's wrist, but on the crook of the elbow.He squinted his eyes and examined for a while, then said confidently: "It's not a problem, the disease will not recur until the next day, and I will be able to solve it when I arrive in Beijing tomorrow!" After entering the ground in Beizhili, they He had already changed to a big mule cart, seeing Huang Zongxi like this, Fang Yizhi ordered to hire another smaller one, put a mattress on it, let Huang Zongxi sleep in it, and drove all the way to Beijing.

Now, Huang Zongxi is lying in the guest room of Fang Yizhi's residence.It was almost noon, and the surroundings were very quiet.Fang Yizhi went out early in the morning because he had to go to the Imperial Academy to report for duty.Huang An was decocting medicine for him in the yard.The medicine was personally delivered by Fang Yizhilin when he was out of the house. It is said that the origin is quite unusual. It was given by a Maoshan warlock with profound magic power a few years ago.Fang Yizhi has been cherishing it all the time, and he is unwilling to show it to others easily. Because it is Huang Zongxi, he generously gave it away, and said that once he takes it, it will have a miraculous effect.Huang Zongxi was suffering from malaria and had to go to the doctor to diagnose and treat it for several years, but he couldn't get rid of the root cause. Seeing that Fang Yizhi said it solemnly, he liked it, and immediately ordered Huang Anna to decoct it.And because Fang Yizhi said that the longer the medicine is boiled, the more effective it will be, so Huang An is still busy in the yard until now.

Huang Zongxi is eager to cure the disease as soon as possible, and there is another reason at the moment.He came all the way to Beijing this time for the purpose of taking a look at the situation of the imperial court with his own eyes, assessing how far the situation in the country has developed, so that he can further enrich and revise his letter, and write it in due course. time to submit.So he hopes to go outside as soon as possible, take a look, visit some seniors and friends, and inquire about the latest news.But once the disease strikes, he can't expect to be able to go out for at least a day or two.How could this not teach Huang Zongxi to be anxious and angry at the same time!

It is true that on the way to Beijing, he has heard a lot of news from officials.For example, since Kaifeng in Henan was besieged again by Li Zicheng in April, the situation has become increasingly critical. The imperial court has released Hou Fangyu's father, Hou Xun, the former right servant of the Ministry of War, from prison, appointed him as a supervisor, and led Zuo Liangyu's army to rush to help; It is also said that Zhang Xianzhong's peasant army has conquered Luzhou, the magistrate Zheng Luxiang was killed, the direction of the soldiers is inaction, and the Lujiang River is in danger; moreover, Tian Guifei, the emperor's favorite concubine, is getting seriously ill and may pass away soon. Strictly prohibit the destruction of demon books that incite criminals to cause chaos, as well as the appointment and dismissal of some officials, etc.However, the news that shocked Huang Zongxi the most was that the court had found out that after the fall of Songshan, Hong Chengchou actually did not die in battle, nor did he die for his country. Enemy countries are treated with courtesy.The person who informed him of the news also mentioned that when it was widely rumored that Hong Chengchou was martyred a few days ago, the emperor was so shocked that he ordered a grand sacrifice and planned to build a temple and a monument for him.Qin Tianjian also decided that at 3:30 am on May 11, the emperor would visit the eastern suburbs to offer sacrifices in person, accompanied by all civil and military officials.Fortunately, the truth was found out in time, and everything was stopped.Although the emperor was kind-hearted and did not pursue the family members of the Hong family, none of the officials and civilians in Beijing hated Hong Chengchou to the bone and cursed... The news came so suddenly, it was like a blow to the head, and Huang Zongxi was shocked. Dazed, as if something precious in my heart was taken away at once, leaving only emptiness and loss.And when this feeling overlapped with the old trauma of being deceived by Qian Qianyi, Huang Zongxi's anger became irresistible because of disappointment and pain. "Ah, why are they all so hypocritical, cowardly, and shameless and changeable? These princes who have great expectations!" He shouted fiercely at Fang Yizhi, "Why do they lie? Once Lie again? Ah, why? Why!" Since then, for several days in a row, he seldom speaks, let alone smiles, and just sits in the car silently all day long, making Fang Yizhi Somehow, I asked several times, but couldn't find the reason, so I had to let him go.

However, if Huang Zongxi's silence for the first two days was due to anger and pain, then when his emotions gradually calmed down, he fell into deep thinking about the matter.He thought a lot, very complicated.He tried his best to figure out why people with high hopes such as Qian Qianyi and Hong Chengchou would disregard the honor, disgrace and reputation in history and do such brazen things in the end?Is it just because one is obsessed with Wu Sha and the other is greedy for life and afraid of death?Huang Zongxi felt that if a person had a strong belief in the career he was engaged in, wealth, wealth, wealth and life were often not the most important things, especially when it came to people of the age, experience and status of Qian Hong, they could consider More, it should be the reputation and historical evaluation behind him.Unless, they have completely lost confidence in the career they are engaged in and maintain! "Ah, in their opinion, Donglin's career and Daming's country have become so hopeless that they are not worth nostalgia and cherish?" This thought flashed in Huang Zongxi's mind, as if for a long time, The heavy, gigantic, invisible burden he was carrying with great difficulty and firmness hit the blade and split open. It turned out that what was inside was not some rare treasure, but a pile of worthless things that no one wanted. tattered!Huang Zongxi was stunned by this unexpected discovery.

"Ah, no, that's not the case! This is absurd, shameful, and it shouldn't be like this. Everything will be clear when we get to Beijing!" He said to himself, and his desire to get to Beijing as soon as possible became even more urgent.Now, it has come, but... A sweet, spicy or not spicy smell came in through the window and got into the nostrils. "Well, what's that? Pickled vegetables? Boiled beans? Oh, yes, it's medicine, Huang An is decocting it!" Huang Zongxi suddenly woke up.He raised himself up a little, summoned up his energy, and called out to the yard:

"Huang An!" Huang An agreed and rushed in. "Quick, I want to take medicine!" "Master Fang, it's not ready yet, Mr. Fang ordered..." "Stop talking, bring it quickly!" Huang Zongxi waved his hand impatiently, and lay down again due to fatigue. Huang An looked at the master, and replied hesitantly: "Yes!" After walking out, after a while, he brought in a bowl of medicine, and muttered, "Master Fang said, this medicine needs to be fried for three hours. It's been an hour, and now it's only been fried for two hours, I'm afraid it won't work..."

Huang Zongxi ignored him, stood up again, took the medicine and tasted it.The medicine is not bitter, but it is very hot, so I have to put it down for now.He was about to lie down again, when suddenly there was a sound of chaotic footsteps in the yard, and then a voice called: "Tai Chong, Tai Chong, are you here?" Huang Zongxi was startled, but before he could tell who it was, the curtain was lifted and three Confucian scholars walked in.The one in the head is of medium height, with a fair and long round face, black eyebrows and beard, and sparkling eyes.This is Huang Zongxi's good friend Lu Fu.Followed by Huang Chongjian, with a dark round face and thick beard, he does not look like a scholar, but his calm demeanor and kind slender eyes are enough to change his initial impression.The third is a handsome and frail young Confucian named Feng Daoji.

"Ah, so it's you!" Overjoyed Huang Zongxi yelled and struggled to get out of bed to meet them, but Lu Fu took the first step and held him down. "Tai Chong, you are not in good health, don't get up, don't get up!" He said. "Then you, how do you know I'm here?" Huang Zongxi asked stammeringly, clasping his hands on the bed, while looking eagerly at these uninvited guests. "Of course it's Fang Mizhi! I met him just now at Mr. Wu Jun's house in Weijia Hutong, and said you were here, and we'll be here soon." Lu Fu saluted and said happily, "Why, your illness—it's okay. Bar?"

Huang Zongxi shook his head: "It's okay, I'm sick—hey, sit down!" When the guests sat down, he couldn't wait to ask, "What's the situation in Beijing right now? What's the news from the court? Tell me quickly." Listen!" Lu Fu exchanged a smiling look with the other two, as if to say: "Look, I'm not mistaken, Tai Chong is just so impatient!" At this moment, Huang An had already served tea, Lu Fu took it, He lifted the lid, brushed the froth in the cup lightly on the rim, thought for a while, and said, "How should I say it? It seems to be quite calm now. Since the fall of Songshan and Jinzhou, the Eastern Prisoners have taken only Songshan, Tashan, and Xingshan. Other than the destruction of the three cities in Shanshan, no other movement has been heard. As for the Liu thieves, according to Tang Bao, the 200,000 troops of our army Ding Qirui, Yang Wenyue, and Zuo Liangyu who rushed to help Kaifeng have arrived in Zhuxian Town and are ready to join forces Li Zicheng; Hou Situ has also left Beijing and headed south to the supervisor..."

"Hong Hengjiu—really surrendered the Eastern captives?" Huang Zongxi frowned and interrupted the other party's words. "Oh, there is no doubt about this matter. According to the detailed report, he not only surrendered, but also shaved his hair and changed his clothes, openly dealing with the captive chieftain's banquet!" Huang Zongxi's eyes widened, and he felt a wave of disgust and anger gushing out of his heart, rushing and attacking everywhere in his body, but he couldn't find a way to vent it.Finally, he slammed his palm on the bed and shouted: "Shameless!" After a pause, he asked again in a deep voice: "So, can Hong Ni's family members in Beijing be dealt with?" "Well, the emperor is lenient, but he didn't pursue his family members." "If you don't punish, how can you set an example to others!" "I heard," said the young Confucian scholar named Feng Daoji, who was sitting next to him and hadn't spoken for a long time, interrupted, "the reason why the emperor didn't manage the family members of the Hong family was because of deep intentions. Thank you Dai, learn from the example of the former King Meng of Qin, so that the Eastern Prisoners will not be enemies with us." "Hmph, who is Hong Hengjiu? Can he be compared with Wang Meng?" Huang Zongxi said angrily, "It's delusional to expect him to stop the captives from going south!" These words are obviously too sharp and fierce, and they are suspected of directly denouncing the emperor.The guests on the seat looked at me and I looked at you, but they didn't make a sound.After a while, Lu Fu stood up, lifted the curtain and looked outside for a while, then came back, approached Huang Zongxi and said in a low voice: "The capital is no better than other places, and the eyes and ears are very close. Brother, you must speak carefully. If you are detected by the factory guards, , what an inconvenience." Seeing Lu Fu's solemn expression, Huang Zongxi knew he was not joking.He naturally understands how powerful the factory guard is, but at this moment the troubled thing that has been smoldering in his heart for a long time is throbbing so violently that he feels unable to control himself.If Huang An hadn't stepped in to interrupt at this moment, maybe he would have said more violent words. "Master, the medicine is cold." Huang An said. Huang Zongxi glanced at the servant, then at the bowl of stale medicine on the kang table, and swallowed the words welling up in his throat.Then, as if he was afraid that it would come up again, he picked up the bowl of medicine with a quick movement, tilted his neck, and drank it down in a "gurgling" manner, then put down the bowl slumpedly, and took a heavy breath . "Tai Chong, what medicine are you taking?" Lu Fu, who had been watching Huang Zongxi's actions, asked, obviously trying to divert the topic away. Huang Zongxi shook his head: "It was sent by Fang Mizhi, I don't know what kind of medicine it is." "Master Fang said that this medicine is very effective, and it can cut off the roots in one dose! It was given by a Maoshan fairy." Huang An added excitedly. Lu Fu seemed taken aback.He hurriedly asked: "What, did you take Fang Mizhi's medicine?" Seeing that Huang Zongxi's master and servant nodded affirmatively, he stood up suddenly with a "squeak" and said: "Oops, you have been fooled! " This time, it was the turn of the others to be surprised.Everyone stared at him blankly, not understanding what he meant. Lu Fuchang sighed, and said: "Fang Mizhi is a talented person, needless to say, there is only one bad thing, that is, he is too curious. The more bizarre things, the more fascinated he is. He collects them on weekdays. There are a lot of messy folk prescriptions and strange medicines, and I don’t know if they work, so I quietly tried them on people. Last year I had low back pain, and he came to see me when he knew about it, and brought me a handful of old grass roots , also said that it was obtained from some eminent monk in Kongtong Mountain, and it healed after taking it. At that time, I believed it was true, and thanked him very much. Who knew that after taking it, I felt dizzy and tinnitus. Later, Wu Jungong invited Dr. Shen to recuperate It took a whole month for it to heal. The Maoshan secret medicine he gave you this time is probably the same thing!" After hearing this, Huang Zongxi couldn't help becoming nervous.He shook his head lightly, but he couldn't feel dizziness or tinnitus, so he said hesitantly: "Well, maybe this time it won't be..." Before he finished speaking, he felt his stomach suddenly roll All of a sudden, my throat seemed to be blocked by something, and my hair was stuffy, so I quickly stopped talking. "There's no reason for that!" Huang Chongjian looked disapproving, "Why don't you settle accounts with Fang Mizhi?" Lu Fu smiled wryly and spread his hands: "What do you mean! Afterwards, he found out what was wrong, and came to me again. He kept bowing and begging to apologize, and said he couldn't let me try in vain, so he must give me compensation. He also I was so willing to take off the ancestral sword inlaid with seven pearls on my waist immediately, and gave it to me..." Everyone couldn't help but "ah", apparently quite surprised by the ending, couldn't help but smile. Huang Zongxi couldn't laugh at all, because now his stomach was churning more and more violently, although he tried his best to suppress it, it didn't help.He had no choice but to cover his mouth with one hand and wave to Huang An with the other.Huang An was taken aback, and hurried to the spittoon.At this moment, Fang Yizhi's excited voice sounded outside the door: "Tai Chong, have you taken your medicine? Is it better?" But Huang Zongxi couldn't answer anymore.He flung himself on the edge of the bed, leaned over his spittoon, and began to vomit loudly and violently...