Chapter 34 Stereotypes die hard

"What, Mizhi is back?" Chen Zhenhui grabbed Yu Huai's arm and asked in surprise and joy, "Where is he now? When did he come back?" This was the morning of the third day after Fang Yizhi returned to Nanjing, Yu Huai went to the Yamen of the Ministry of War to report to Chen Zhenhui.Before entering the door, he couldn't wait to tell the news to his friends. When Chen Zhenhui heard it, she cried out in the street with forgetfulness. Since last night, the rainy season, which was supposed to last at least half a month, unexpectedly ended early.The cloudy sky seemed to come with an invisible broom, and it was cleaned up in a blink of an eye.The sun, which had been hidden for many days, reappeared.Now to meet the eyes of the people, the wet street, the various trees behind the high wall, and the owls and tile roofs on the roofs of the houses are shining happily together under the clear May sky. A partridge could be heard calling.

"Mizhi arrived on the fifth day of the lunar new year." Yu Huai replied, "For the time being, I'm staying in Li Shiniang's Hanxiu Zhai. After seeing him, I will come over and tell brother immediately. But brother, the threshold of this noble house is too high. I came here the day before yesterday and yesterday, but the master insisted that my brother was not there, and refused to tell me whether he was dead or alive, so my brother almost broke his legs because of this!" "Oh, this is really troublesome brother!" Chen Zhenhui hurriedly cupped her hands and apologized, "However, don't blame the doorman. In the past two days, my brother was indeed not in the yamen, and he followed Shigong all over the city all day long, and he was visiting guests again. , It’s time for a meeting at the Shangqing Assembly Hall again. Brother, do you know that the Jian Guo ordered the cabinet to draft a new policy as soon as possible! Shi Gong is also a very serious person, and he has to do everything by himself. So follow him, don’t expect to be at ease!” Chen Zhenhui said The appeal is painful, but it can be seen that he is quite satisfied and contented with the situation in front of him.

Yu Huai blinked, and said enviously: "This time, I didn't expect Shi Gong to be the chief assistant. Brother, this guest, can be regarded as really in front of me!" Chen Zhenhui shook her hands, and her expression became serious: "A guest like this can't get any benefits, but if he can fulfill his long-cherished wish of serving the country, he will be busy at last--hey, how did Fang Mizhi escape back? Yes, I haven't said anything yet! Is he alone, or did he bring his family back?" Yu Huai looked away, smiled wryly, and said, "He is single, and his family members are all left in Beijing! However, this matter is a long story, find a place first, and then sit down and talk."

"Oh, okay, then please...hey, forget it, why don't we visit Mizhi right now, talk while we walk, call Chaozong out, and go together!" Chen Zhenhui looked very excited and impatient. "What, Chaozong is here too? No wonder I have been looking for him for the past two days, but I can't find him upside down. Even the landlord doesn't know where he is, but it turns out—" "Aha! Brother, I didn't know it before. It's because the Vice President of the Metropolitan Procuratorate appointed a new Dazai. Chaozong has already joined the Ministry of Officials, and now he is also a staff member. He is clean, and he lives without even moving his luggage." Go in—no, it’s at the front door, wait a minute, wait for me to tell him to come out!”

After finishing speaking, Chen Zhenhui hurried a few steps and went to the door of the official department to negotiate.It seemed that he was quite familiar with the yamen in this area, and after a while, he brought Hou Fangyu back. "If that's the case, then I'll visit him now!" Probably Chen Zhenhui had already explained the situation, so Hou Fangyu first agreed with Yu Huai while saluting.Then he turned to Chen Zhenhui: "Actually, even if brother doesn't come, I will still go to see brother. I heard some movement recently, it's really unreasonable!" "Oh, what's the news?" Chen Zhenhui asked in surprise.

Hou Fangyu waved his hand: "It's not a big deal. Let's go, let's talk about it later, and now let's hear how Fang Mizhi escaped back. Don't say it, I'm afraid it's not easy——" ,Is it?" Yu Huai nodded.So the three friends turned, and walked south side by side along the long, quiet street lined with high gates and walls.Along the way, Yu Huai began to tell the two friends from beginning to end how he got the information from Fang Yizhi three days ago, how he rushed to Hanxiu Zhai in the rain, and how he talked with each other after meeting Fang Yizhi. Narrated it again.When it comes to the various insults imposed on the martyred Emperor Chongzhen and the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty by the "traitors" after they entered Beijing, especially the "atrocities" such as the prohibition of burials and torture and payment, the three friends They all couldn't help gnashing their teeth in anger; and when it came to Fang Yizhi abandoning his wife and children, going through hardships along the way, relying on begging for food, and finally returning to Nanjing by luck, everyone couldn't help sighing with surprise and infinite sympathy.In the end, when they learned that Fang Yizhi had met Mao Xiang, who was fleeing with his family in Baogang, Chen and Hou immediately asked about Mao Xiang's current situation and plans with concern, and talked about it helplessly: The mothers-in-law and mothers in Maoxiang have the most things, either entangled in their children's personal affairs, or troubled by household chores, and they are always unable to separate.He was the only one who could bear it, if it were someone else, I'm afraid no one would be able to bear it... In this way, the three friends walked and talked, and they had arrived at Dazhong Bridge before they knew it.

The Dazhong Bridge, located outside the southwest corner of the imperial city, is a major crossing connecting the east and west of the city. One can imagine the bustling scene.Perhaps it is because of the long rain and the early sunshine, although there is an endless stream of pedestrians and horses passing by the bridge, even the yachts, large and small, which had disappeared a few days ago, have been dispatched again to attract business along the coast, and there are many Young ladies and gentlemen who boarded the boat gladly.If you just look at their laughing and lingering intoxication, it is hard to believe that not long ago, they were still suffering from the extreme panic of ruining their country and family, and until now, the city is still in a state of crisis. Among the great and terrible threats from the north.

There is still a short distance from the Dazhong Bridge to the back gate of the old courtyard on Chaoku Street.The three community members wanted to rush there as soon as possible, so they temporarily hired a small boat at the ferry, and told the boatman to work harder and move to the downstream as soon as possible. "Chaozong, it's your turn to talk now. What happened in the society that is unreasonable?" After everyone sat down in the cabin, Chen Zhenhui changed the subject and asked.Given his current situation and status in the society, he is obviously more sensitive and concerned about the "movement" mentioned by Hou Fangyu than Yu Huai.

Hou Fangyu nodded: "Brother Ming guessed it, it's from the club—that old man is playing tricks again!" "Oh?" "However, he didn't go out in person, but sent Gu Zifang to go out and talk about it. He just insisted that the "Liudu Anti-Riot Public Exposure" was written by him. He also said that this matter has long been known, and my brother has no objection. Now he suddenly made a new theory. , in order to confuse the public, take credit for false accusations, and tarnish his reputation in the society in order to replace him. Therefore, he will never back down, and will fight to the end with his brother, and ask his friends to uphold justice for him, and so on I heard that in the past two days, Gu Zifang has searched Langsan, Ergong, Kuntong, and Shuoren all over, but has he ever looked for Danxin?"

Yu Huai was rolling his eyes there, he smiled obediently, and said, "Probably he knows that my younger brother has always been out of business, so he didn't come." Although he said so, he was obviously disturbed by the development of the situation, so he immediately She turned her face away, watching Chen Zhenhui's reaction. Chen Zhenhui was not particularly surprised or excited.It was probably because Hou Fangyu had already told him something similar in Changhaoju Restaurant on the first day of May.He snorted and said, "This dude is too guilty and cowardly! Even if there is a saying in the society, it is I who drafted the publicity instead of him, so he will lose his footing and I can replace him? Wouldn't it be too immeasurable to go to war with me for this matter, enough to reveal that he has a ghost in his heart."

"He has a ghost in his heart!" Hou Fangyu said contemptuously, "But now he has dispatched troops to fight at the door, brother, how do you plan to respond?" "Why should I do it? Leave him alone!" Chen Zhenhui waved her hand resolutely, "There is no time to wait for the survival of the country! There are so many important events that require our all-out efforts, so how can we spare time to entangle him with that!" "I don't care about him? This is not acceptable. Unless I immediately resign from Shi Gong, move out of the military department, and let my brother stop being a staff member, maybe I can be forgiven, otherwise I will never live in peace in the future!" Chen Zhenhui was slightly taken aback: "Not being a guest? What does this have to do with him?" "Why not? He has a lot of contacts in the officialdom. In the past, there were things to do in the club, and most of them couldn't do without him. Now, my brother has let the club members enter the scene one after another, and wants to take charge of the affairs. Isn't it obvious that he wants to knock off the family's household stuff? ? How can he let it go with you!" Probably didn't think of this level beforehand, Chen Zhenhui was stunned all of a sudden.Gradually, an expression mixed with grievance, impatience and anger appeared more and more clearly on his broad face.Suddenly, he slammed the small table in the cabin, and said loudly angrily: "What is the point now, and he is still thinking about it! Does he have a heart, is he a gentleman!" Hou Fangyu remained calm throughout.He smiled lightly and said: "Brother, why bother to get angry? Could it be that old man Zhou can cover the sky with one hand in the society? If he wants to make a big move, he can do it! I want to see who can fight whom? Hmph, he If you still dare to insist that the public exposure was drafted by him, then let him summon all the members of the society to confront him publicly, and then as soon as Wu Ciwei comes forward to testify, he will be punished immediately to make a fool of himself on the spot!" A few days ago, Chen Zhenhui revealed to Hou Fangyu privately that after he drafted the public announcement, he gave it to Wu Yingji for review, and the two discussed and revised it together.Therefore, Hou Fangyu probably felt confident. Chen Zhenhui shook her head, and said resentfully: "Don't expect Ciwei to come forward to testify! He is a man of unrestrained power and unconstrained style, and has never cared about such 'common things'! Besides, he and Zhou Zhongyu have always been in the same breath, and they are called irreversible. If he testifies, it’s not good to make a fuss, and he’ll tell you ‘I don’t know’ on the spot, and you won’t be able to step down!” Hearing what he said, Hou Fangyu lost his mind.For a while, the cabin was silent, only the sound of the "crows" oars at the rear stern, which could be heard clearly one after another as the ship swayed.And the gurgling water beside the side of the ship, illuminated by the dazzling sunlight, draws countless flickering illusory waves on the gray cloth roof, which adds to the confusion in people's hearts... Finally, Chen Zhenhui raised her head.It seems that he has controlled his emotions. "If that's the case, then forget it! Isn't he just afraid that he won't get the credit for the "Liudu Anti-Riot Public Exposure"? Now I'll let him!" Seeing Hou Fangyu's mouth moving, he looked anxious , he shook his hand to stop the other party, then gathered his five fingers together, squeezed into a fist, slammed the table hard, and said firmly: "But, none of the members who entered the curtain can withdraw! This matter is not only about the social situation, And it's about the fate of the country, there is absolutely no room for concession!" Hou Fangyu blinked and argued, "But..." "Brother, don't say any more!" Chen Zhenhui interrupted him impatiently, "Brother has made up his mind, in a few days, I will invite all the community members to meet Zhong Yu, and declare on the spot that the public disclosure was drafted by him, so he can rest assured from now on! " After finishing speaking, as if thinking of something, he turned to Yu Huai again, and solemnly said: "This matter is of great importance, Brother Shangqi should keep it a secret!"