Chapter 89 soldiers approaching the city

Yangzhou, an important town guarding the gate of Jiangbei, was finally captured by the Qing army marching southward.It was an offensive and defensive battle with huge disparity in strength, but extremely brutal.In the desperate situation where Shi Kefa appealed to the imperial court for help with a blood letter but his generals defected one after another, he still supervised and led the remaining 4,000 soldiers to guard the isolated city, causing the enemy to suffer serious losses.In the end, the Qing army was able to climb to the top of the city by trampling on the corpses piled up under the city.Seeing that the situation was over, Shi Kefa, who had long been determined to die, drew his sword and killed himself. After being rescued by his subordinates, he soon fell into the hands of the Qing army.He was unyielding in the face of the enemy, refused to persuade him to surrender, and died a heroic martyrdom.Then, the Qing army began a crazy massacre of the people in the whole city. From April 25th to May 5th, for ten days in a row, blood flowed into rivers in Yangzhou City, corpses were strewn all over the ground, and there were loud noises everywhere. The bloody laughter of the conquerors and the mournful wailing of the common people.In the end, hundreds of thousands of creatures were wiped out.Yangzhou, a famous historical city known for its prosperity and extravagance as well as its many disasters, turned into ruins in an instant.

When Yangzhou fell into a heavy siege and was in danger, the Nanjing court was still intoxicated in the relaxed atmosphere of being relieved by Zuo Liangyu's defeat.Ma Shiying, Ruan Dacheng and their accomplices were even more busy announcing Zuo Liangyu's crimes and denouncing them publicly; on the contrary, they were ignorant of the imminent catastrophe of national subjugation.On the second day after the fall of the city, the scouts from the Longtan Station in Zhenjiang reported to the imperial court that a raft of the Qing army had appeared on the river and bombarded the four walls of Zhenjiang City. Ma Shiying still refused to believe it. , He even ordered the messenger to be tied up and severely beaten as punishment for those who lied about military intelligence.

However, this self-made semblance of peace cannot withstand the successive alarms.On the sixth day of May, the main force of the Qing army, whose morale was greatly boosted by the joy of being massacred, finally advanced to Guazhou Ferry, lined up along the north bank of the Yangtze River, and started a tentative attack on the south bank with a large number of camouflaged lightboats.At this time, the Hongguang court woke up from the peaceful dream, and fell into unprecedented panic and chaos.Even Ma Shiying couldn't pretend to be calm.He hurriedly transferred three thousand soldiers from Guizhou who were loyal to him into the city, and let them be stationed in Jiming Mountain in case of accidents; at the same time, he also specially transferred two hundred soldiers to guard the mansion day and night for him.He didn't send out leaflets until he felt that his safety was guaranteed, calling all the officials to gather in the Qingyi Hall for a meeting on the next day, the seventh day of May, to discuss contingency strategies.

Now, the appointed date has come, and the ministers who received the leaflets have also arrived one after another, a total of sixteen.In addition to Ma Shiying, Wang Duo, Cai Yichen, Minister of War Ruan Dacheng, Minister of Rites Qian Qianyi, Li Zhan, Zuodu Yushi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and other important officials, Xin Chengbo Zhao Zhilong, who is currently in charge of Nanjing's defense, was also arrested. Please come and join us.These people, according to their respective status, sat in a circle of chairs arranged in a concave shape. After listening to Ma Shiying's simple opening remarks, and Ruan Dacheng and Zhao Zhilong's introductions on the Qing army's movements and the deployment of Nanjing, respectively, For a while, the Qingyi Hall became silent, no one spoke, only the sound of the rain outside the window was pouring in from outside the hall door and between the windows, with cool wind blowing in, making people's breathless. A little bit of chill was added to the body and heart.

Faced with this situation, Qian Qianyi, who was sitting on the third chair from the left, felt more and more impatient.In fact, despite decades of ups and downs in the officialdom and countless risks and setbacks, the situation he is facing now is something he has never encountered in his life.Undoubtedly, the upheaval of Beijing's fall had occurred a year ago, but that was thousands of miles away.In addition to being shocked, he couldn't help but feel lucky or even fantasized in private.However, this time it was different. The development of the situation pushed him to the critical moment of life and death, and forced him to make a choice.Because the turning point of the situation came too fast and too suddenly, he had no time to think deeply.But with decades of experience in politics, he clearly realized that any wrong decision would not only bring devastating consequences to the Jiangnan court, but also ruin his own life.It was this feeling that made Qian Qianyi's mood messy.He really wanted to express some thoughts, but after moving his mouth a few times, he realized that he couldn't come up with any thoughts.Therefore, he had no choice but to try his best to conceal the anxiety and panic in his heart, keeping his eyes on the face of one participant for a while, and then shifting to the face of another participant for a while.

Now, Qian Qianyi set his sights on Ma Shiying who was sitting in the main seat.From the moment the chief minister of the cabinet appeared in the lobby, Qian Qianyi has watched the thin face with a goatee countless times, and the pair of eye-catching eyes that are often hidden under the lowered eyelids. Unpredictable eyes.In fact, Ma Shiying's expressions and actions have become more and more arrogant and unpredictable since he became the chief assistant.This is naturally due to being fully aware of one's position and the power one holds.However, at the current stage of the situation, although Ma Shiying remained calm on the surface as before, Qian Qianyi guessed that what the other party was thinking at the moment was nothing more than three options: resistance war, surrender, or escape.This is actually the choice Qian Qianyi faced himself.However, no matter which option is selected, the prospects do not seem to be good.This is also the reason why Qian Qianyi hesitated to speak just now.So, what kind of countermeasures is Ma Shiying going to take?This is what Qian Qianyi is eager to know.But to his disappointment, although his eyes explored the other person's face for as long as a cup of tea, the two stubborn creases beside Ma Shiying's nose remained motionless, and he didn't even lift his eyelids.Therefore, Qian Qianyi had no choice but to shift his gaze to the face of Ruan Dacheng who was sitting next to him.

A while ago, after the news of Zuo Liangyu's army "on the side of the Qing emperor" came, for a few days, Ruan Dacheng became fierce and barbaric, like a wild animal forced to a dead end, often talking in the public Then, he widened his eyes and roared inexplicably. His expression seemed to be eating people, which made his colleagues avoid him when they saw him.Next, Ruan Dacheng simply volunteered and led troops westward with Liu Kongzhao to participate in the battle against Zuo Liangyu. It was not until the Zuo soldiers were defeated that he triumphantly returned to the court and won the victory, but his fierce arrogance did not subside because of it.Just a few days ago, he went to Emperor Hongguang, strongly advocating that those ministries and courts, including the Ministry of Rites, who did not follow the order and issued a statement to condemn Zuo Liangyu, made Qian Qianyi really worried. for a few days.Therefore, until now, even though Qian Qianyi secretly glanced at the other party, he was still timid.However, Ruan Dacheng in front of him seemed a little depressed.He raised his head slightly, his broom eyebrows drooped, and his black eyeballs lost their usual expression, becoming a little dull and dazed.It seems that even this beard full of ghost ideas feels that the end is coming and he is helpless.Or, perhaps, he was simply frustrated that the day had come too soon for him to fully complete his plan of vengeance.The latter guess made Qian Qianyi shudder, and he couldn't help but look away as if to escape.

Then, a long and well-defined face came into Qian Qianyi's eyes—white skin with bluish tinge, a bony nose and two thin lips, making this face look ruthless.Most striking, however, were the eyes, with their extraordinarily large sockets and so much white compared to the pupils that they seemed strangely haughty almost at all times.This is Xin Chengbo Zhao Zhilong, who is currently in charge of the defense of Nanjing City.If it is said that the other fifteen ministers present here are clearly preoccupied at the moment and a little distracted, then only he appears to be the most calm and calm.In fact, Zhao Zhilong was a little impatient.He kept looking at this and that, looking eager to speak.

"Ah, what is the old man's insight?" Qian Qianyi blurted out when the eyes of the two met.This sentence came so suddenly, even after he said it, even he himself was surprised and regretted his rashness a bit. However, the silence that had lasted for a long time in the lobby was broken after all.Although Zhao Zhilong was waiting for this question, the other ministers present were all attracted and turned to them one after another. Zhao Zhilong didn't speak immediately, out of etiquette, he first cast his eyes on Ma Shiying, obviously waiting for the latter's permission.However, even at this moment, Ma Shiying still sat motionless, neither changing his posture nor expressing his approval.This kind of air made Zhao Zhilong a little confused and a little uneasy.But the desire to express his opinion seems to have finally prevailed, so after a moment of silence, he turned to Qian Qianyi, nodded, and replied:

"Since the old gentleman is asking, students, I might as well express my contemptuous views. Today, the northern soldiers are pouring their troops southward, and it is already unstoppable. If the Jiang defense can be defended, Liudu still has a chance of survival. If it is not defended... ..." "Ah, what should I do?" Seeing Zhao Zhilong pretending to pause, several voices asked nervously. Zhao Zhilong frowned tightly, and squeezed out a sentence through the gap between his teeth: "The only way is to find a way to get the money!" "Payment" generally refers to negotiation and summation.But under the current situation, everyone understands that this is just a euphemism, and it really means surrender!So when Qian Qianyi heard this, his heart was shocked.Undoubtedly, this is also a choice he has already envisioned.But in the situation where the Qing soldiers had only reached Jiangbei, it seemed too early to rashly propose surrender.Because after all, this is the most shameful and shameful, and therefore the most compelling choice.What's more, Zhao Zhilong is currently shouldering the important task of defending Nanjing City, it is extremely ominous that these words come from him first.Qian Qianyi was impulsive instinctively, intending to object and criticize.However, when the words came to his lips, he stopped again.Because he suddenly discovered that after Zhao Zhilong made this proposition, the hall became silent again. Of course, no one expressed any objection, not even angrily. It seemed that everyone was seriously considering this proposition, and some people even seemed to express acquiescence. "Hey, if in the end they all voted for the 'pass money', wouldn't it be a big disadvantage for me to express my dissent first and spread the word in the future?" Qian Qianyi shuddered, cursing himself for being confused; The unanimous look of most people.

However, gradually there was noise in the lobby again, the voice was not high, and it was a bit vague and not very clear.That's when some people started whispering.Qian Qianyi naturally wanted to capture some of the content of the conversation, but suffered from poor hearing. Even though he tilted his head repeatedly, there was still only a buzzing in his ears, which was not clear.This made him very anxious.Ruan Dacheng, who was sitting on the right side, and Li Zhan, who was sitting on the left side, both sat upright and kept silent, making him helpless.Fortunately, this situation did not last long.Finally, someone formally asked the question.That was Yang Weiyuan, the censor of the left deputy capital. "Excuse me, old man, how many soldiers are there in the Beijing camp?" "There are still about 200,000 people." Zhao Zhilong replied. "Oh, the 200,000 troops in the Beijing camp are all strong and elite soldiers. Borrowing one from the city is still worthy of a battle. Besides, the northern soldiers are exhausted from afar, and our soldiers are waiting for work at leisure. In addition, staying in the capital city is solid, and it is by no means inferior to Beijing. It may not be convenient. You can't stick to it. You just need to take a little time off and wait for the soldiers from all directions to arrive. Even if you can't destroy the enemy with a single blow, you should be able to drive them away, so why rush to make money?" Zhao Zhilong's eyes flickered coldly, and he said expressionlessly: "If it is said that the Jingying is a strong army of elite soldiers, then how can the four towns in Jiangbei be weak and weak? Moreover, the number is more than twice that of the Jingying, and Huaiyang cannot be retained. Now, it is not delusional to want to use only 200,000 people to take advantage of the victory of the Northern Army!" Probably Zhao Zhilong's tone was a bit impolite, and the flat face of the obese Yang Weiyuan turned red, and his voice became louder: "Liudu is the place where the Taizu Emperor set a tripod, and the hearts of the people in the south of the Yangtze River depend on it. My generation of ministers has received the great kindness of the Ming Dynasty. If we surrender without a fight, how will we face the Emperor Taizu's spirit in heaven!" This Yang Weiyuan, like Ruan Dacheng, had been attached to Wei Zhongxian during the Tianqi period, and was listed in the case of rebellion.After being reappointed this time, he followed Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng wholeheartedly, dedicated to impeaching and rejecting Donglin people, and did many bad things, which were hated by Donglin and Fushe.Therefore, Qian Qianyi was very surprised that he opposed the surrender so impassionedly this time; at the same time, he guessed: Could this be what Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng meant?He couldn't help turning his face away, and looked at the expressions of those two people again.However, what puzzled him was that both Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng were still the same, and there was no sign of approval or denial at all. At this time, Tang Jishi, the censor of Zuodu, Li Qiao, the right servant of the Ministry of War, Chen Yuding, Zhan Shifu, and others joined in one after another, and you began to persuade Yang Weiyuan one after another: "Mr. Zhao doesn't have to be like this. Mr. Zhao is just making this discussion. Whether to pay or not, we can still discuss it in the long run!" "Liudu is where the Emperor Taizu's mausoleum is located. Once a war breaks out, Zi Palace will definitely be shocked, so don't worry about it!" "Hundreds of thousands of living beings in Liudu are tied to our generation's thoughts. Only by judging the situation and proceeding cautiously can we avoid being burned!" Seeing that Yang Weiyuan's face was getting redder and redder, and he was about to have another attack, the censor Zhang Sunzhen who had a good relationship with him came forward to resolve it: "Hey, the situation is pressing, and it's useless to fight. Let's wait and see how the boss handles it!" Hearing what he said, everyone stopped arguing and focused their eyes on Ma Shiying's face, waiting for his decision. Ma Shiying still sat motionless, seemed to hear Zhang Sun Zhen's words, but also seemed not to hear them.It wasn't until everyone waited anxiously and was about to ask questions, that he finally raised his eyelids and said slowly: "Well, the matter is of great importance. Let's wait for the students to play the Emperor Ming, and then make a decision!" After uttering such a short sentence, he stood up holding the armrest of the chair, bowed his hands to everyone, and walked out of the lobby door without looking back.