Chapter 53 Assassin at the door

"Yes, it seems that when a gentleman lives in the world, he really can't lighten his thoughts of interests and interests!" Huang Zongxi walked back in a hurry while thinking silently, "I don't see Chen Dingsheng, who used to lead us to preside over the Qing Dynasty and suppress the eunuchs. How powerful it is; once you have a heart of profit and loss, you will lose your sharpness and vigor. Now that you don't even need the defense of a gentleman or a villain, you can only concentrate on helping Ma Yaocao. Fundamentally! Youdao is the friendship between gentlemen, and it is based on righteousness and righteousness. If he insists on going his own way, then he will have to part ways and sever communication!" Thinking this way in my heart, but the friendship of many years was so ruined However, Huang Zongxi couldn't help but feel a little frustrated, which is not a taste.In order to resist this weak and unreasonable emotion, he simply put aside everything just now, quickened his pace, and walked back to the monastery where Liu Zongzhou stayed.

When Huang Zongxi stepped into the main room, he found that the visiting guests Zuo Maodi and Qian Qianyi, who he had deliberately avoided just now, had already left and left. deep talk.Seeing Huang Zongxi walk in, Liu Zongzhou nodded, pointed at Huishen and said: "There is one thing, the monk said that he must let you know, so just sit down and listen to him!" "Hey, Huang Tanyue, it's such a thing—" the Zhike monk with a round face looked very nervous, and before Huang Zongxi sat down completely, he hurriedly said, "Just now, three people came to the temple. The men offering incense, one in their forties, and the other two in their early twenties, spoke with a Shandong accent, were very well dressed, and generous in their actions, but they were strong in stature and rough in speech, not like ordinary people. After burning the incense Later, the monk invited him to the abbot to serve tea as usual. Unexpectedly, during the chat, they actually inquired about Mr. Zongxian. The monk was a little strange, and asked him how he knew that the master lived in the temple? But he was vague. At that time, the monk saw that he spoke and behaved secretly Then he tried his best to explain to them the master's moral articles and fame and integrity; when they left the temple gate, another junior disciple followed him secretly to spy, and said that they were walking around outside the temple wall, It's like scouting the path, and it took half a day to leave. The little monk suspects that these three are villains and intends to do harm to Mr. Zong Xian, so he immediately came to inform. Huang Tan Yue, please be more careful, don't be careless, it is really a blessing for the small temple! "

When Huishen began to speak, Huang Zongxi was still a little absent-minded, but soon became focused.Before the Zhike monk could finish speaking, he had already involuntarily stood up again.Indeed, the matter seemed very strange.Although it is still difficult to determine whether it is as the Zhike monk said, but the current government is in chaos and the struggle between the two factions is becoming increasingly acute. Liu Zongzhou's appointment this time, as an important pawn played by the Donglin side, will inevitably arouse the hatred of political opponents.What's more, before that, Liu Zongzhou used the name of "reckless and lonely minister" to write letters one after another, criticizing the imperial court's administrative measures and corruption and chaos.As far as the edge is concerned, almost none of the leading figures in the "villain" side was spared.This is bound to arouse their gnashing of teeth and hatred.If it is said that in order to seek revenge and eliminate dissidents, it is by no means impossible for them to resort to the means of assassination halfway, especially those town generals who are extremely arrogant and domineering.

"Well, the one who speaks the Shandong accent, could it be Liu Zeqing's subordinates?" Because I remembered that not long ago, Liu Zongzhou condemned the remnants of the four towns in Jiangbei for their crimes and futility in defending the land, and asked the emperor to issue an imperial edict to abolish their titles , Huang Zongxi couldn't help blurting out. Liu Zongzhou's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't make a sound. "Teacher, how should we deal with this matter?" Huang Zongxi couldn't help asking.Because if the matter was true, the situation would become extremely critical, and maybe the assassin would come tonight, so he suddenly became nervous and flustered.

Liu Zongzhou still didn't answer, but nodded to the Zhigu monk, and said, "It is very kind of you to take care of the monk. This old man will handle this matter by himself. If the monk has other things to take care of, please do it yourself." After Huishen got up and said goodbye, he turned around and asked the students: "Well, in your opinion?" "The disciple intends to ask the teacher to change the residence immediately, order the servants to take strict precautions, and send someone to the county government to inform Dayin, and ask him to send troops to protect him. As for the disciple, from now on, he will not be far away from the teacher. If the assassin dares to attack , the disciple is willing to die for it!"

According to Huang Zongxi's thinking, the best way to prepare for it was to pack up his bags immediately, take a boat overnight, and head to Nanjing.Because firstly, it is an important place in the imperial city after all, and the security is strict. Even if Liu Zeqing and his like are rampant and lawless, they have to worry about the assassin being caught and the mastermind behind the scenes will be tried. They cannot bear the crime of assassinating important officials of the court; Once at the office, there are many servants in the yamen, and the guards are easier to handle.However, Huang Zongxi also knew that up to now, Liu Zongzhou had been hesitant about whether he would really enter Beijing to take office.This time, he couldn't stop Huang Zongxi's repeated begging and reluctantly set off to the north. In fact, he always believed that the political situation of the imperial court had reached this point, and there would be no good future. The lofty prestige of oneself is used to influence the public opinion of the ruling and opposition parties, and to restrain the actions of Ma Shiying and others.Therefore, after arriving in Danyang five days ago, he decided to stop, and sent someone to send the letter criticizing Ma Shiying drafted by Zhou Bi and revised by him to Nanjing first, intending to see how the court reacted before making a final decision. advance and stop.Now, if he was asked to rush to Beijing to avoid assassins, I'm afraid he would not agree.But whether staying in Danyang can ensure the safety of the teacher, Huang Zongxi is actually not sure at all.

"Well, if it is really the assassin sent by Liu Zeqing, who do you think it is?" Liu Zongzhou stood up, stroked his white beard, walked back and forth for a few steps, and then turned his head to ask. "This—naturally they are some brave, treacherous and cunning desperadoes." "Then, do you think they won't be able to find out if I change my residence? Do you think those government officials in the county will be their opponents? Do you think that as long as you stay by my side, they won't be able to find out?" Harm me? Huh?" Although Liu Zongzhou uttered these words sentence by sentence, to Huang Zongxi's ears, this series of questions sounded like stones hitting his heart one after another, adding to his tension.

"This, this - if the teacher has a more appropriate strategy, it will be better, I just don't know..." Liu Zongzhou shook his head and said, "Since it is impossible to guard against it, in my opinion, it is better not to guard against it!" Huang Zongxi couldn't help being startled: "No defense? But that, that..." Liu Zongzhou waved his hand to signal him not to worry, then walked to the chair, sat down again, and then said calmly: "What Huishen said just now is just a conjecture, even if it is true, the villain of that generation is just afraid of me. After the court, I will insist on righteousness, and I will definitely not allow him to do whatever he wants. This is a fool's trick, thinking that by doing this, I can eliminate a powerful enemy. I don't know that if I am really assassinated and die, even if the court ignores it, everyone in the world will know it. Who did it? At that time, public outrage will be aroused, and there will be more people who stand up for the right opinions. In this way, Ma and Ruan will establish tens of thousands of powerful enemies instead of one strong enemy. If you can stop this raging tide with one death, it is your deepest wish for the rest of your life! Therefore, according to the meaning of the foolish teacher, the best policy is not to go, not to avoid, not to guard against!"

When Liu Zongzhou said these words, he always maintained a calm and calm attitude.But Huang Zongxi's eyes opened wider and wider because of his impatience. Finally, he was startled suddenly and shouted: "Ah, ah, how can it work? No, it won't work!" Seeing that Liu Zongzhou didn't answer, but just looked at him kindly and deeply, he staggered forward again and shouted in a weeping voice: "If you must die, I would rather die on behalf of the teacher! The imperial court cannot live without a teacher, and the world will live forever." We cannot live without a teacher, and neither can the Jishan School..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the second-rank men's suit embroidered with a golden pheasant pattern in front of him suddenly shook and disappeared.He fixed his eyes and found that Liu Zongzhou had stood up and walked into the study on the left. After a while, Liu Zongzhou came out again, with a thick envelope in his hand. He walked up to the student and said with a serious expression: "The situation is urgent, so there is no need to discuss it. I have something to entrust to the teacher: Zhou Zhongyu The memorial that I asked you to send has already been sent to the imperial court. Here is another copy that was drafted for the teacher. If the teacher is really assassinated and dies, you should go to Liudu immediately and try to present it to the emperor as a foolish teacher. Admonishment on the deathbed!"

Huang Zongxi trembled, raised his head, and wanted to argue.But seeing the teacher's face tense, his snow-white eyebrows standing still on his scorching eyes, and his expression extremely severe, he knew that the teacher's will was determined, and it would not work, so he stretched out his hand slowly, and took the letter. Memorials.However, the pain and resentment in his heart made him unable to control his emotions anymore, and finally he fell down at Liu Zongzhou's feet with a "wow", and burst into tears like a child.