Chapter 8 rise up against

After occupying Nanjing without bloodshed, the decision makers of the Qing Dynasty were encouraged by the unexpected and rapid surrender of the counties in the south of the Yangtze River. They finally reversed their tolerance attitude at the beginning of entering the customs and decided to strictly implement hair shaving within the scope of their influence. The edict to change.However, just as Chen Mingxia and others predicted with anxiety, this outrageous and unreasonable order really became the fuse that triggered a large-scale resistance.In fact, it was precisely in the Jiangnan area where the Qing Dynasty planned to turn suppression into fuss. The people who were blindfolded and at a loss by the sudden collapse of the Hongguang regime had gradually sobered up from the initial heavy blow, and they were unwilling Under the secret planning of the succumbed former Ming gentry, an action of resistance is brewing.Just as the shaving storm was roaring southward, in Yuyao County, Zhejiang Province, an uprising that killed officials broke out suddenly...

Huang Zongxi was at his home in Huangzhupu, Tongde Township, when he learned that there was an uprising in the county seat.More than a month ago, he escaped from the prison in Nanjing together with Chen Zhenhui and Gu Gao. On the way, Gu and Chen broke up and left one after another. He, Huang Zonghui brothers, and the book boy Huang An were left to return to their hometown in embarrassment. .Seeing that he escaped death and returned safely, the family was naturally very happy; however, the news they brought back that the Qing soldiers were going south made the villagers feel frightened and uneasy.After several discussions, everyone felt that what the result would be. Although it was still unclear, at least they had to be prepared, just in case.So he immediately counted the young and strong men in the village, and selected 300 people from them. Huang Zongxi was the leader himself. Every morning and night, he practiced earnestly.

After more than half a month, the rumors outside became more and more serious. Suddenly it was said that King Lu had surrendered and Hangzhou had fallen; Terrified, I began to try to hide and escape.Although Huang Zongxi didn't move, the confusion and fear in his heart were indescribable. "Ah, it's over! It's finally over! This is destined, I've predicted it!" He clenched his fists again and again, thinking painfully and excitedly.Although in order to prevent thieves from taking the opportunity to make trouble, he still insisted on practicing Xiangyong, but the despair and coldness about the overall situation became more and more serious.

It went on like this until three days ago, when the person sent out to inquire about the news suddenly came back and reported that a major event had happened in the county—on the ninth day of the sixth month in the intercalary month, Sun Jiaji, who had served as the military commander of Jiujiang in the Ming Dynasty, and the official During the incident, Xiong Rulin had arrested and killed Wang Yuanru, the county magistrate appointed by the "Tarzi", and re-raised the banner of Ming Dynasty.Now they are recruiting soldiers, repairing the city, and preparing to do a big job.There were so many people from the four townships who went to join the army that the county town was crowded and it was very lively!Huang Zongxi was instinctively impulsive when he heard it at first, but then he felt gloomyly that the courage of Sun and Xiong was indeed commendable, but at this point in the matter, it can be said that the general trend is over, and it is difficult to do anything real.What's more, after experiencing all kinds of catastrophes and changes that he has witnessed and heard over the years, he feels more and more painfully: it is completely unreasonable and stupid to bury the lives of countless people for the sake of the self-interest of a family and a family. . "That's right, since these vassal kings surnamed Zhu are all emperors who can't be supported, why must they support them so hard and work hard for them!" He thought resentfully and resolutely.However, despite this, after a few days, he found that it was not so easy to ignore what happened in the county town at all; the result of forced self-repression made him more and more restless.Therefore, under the repeated urging of the elders in the village, and his mother Mrs. Yao Tai also suggested that he might as well go and have a look at the situation first, he finally took his third brother Huang Zonghui and the book boy Huang An to take a small boat and go to the county... …

Yuyao, which belongs to Shaoxing Prefecture, is a county with a long history, and its name can even be traced back to ancient times.In recent times, due to population multiplication and increasing goods production, the old county town located on the north bank of the Yaojiang River could no longer accommodate it, and a half-walled city was built on the south bank.Over time, the number of residents in the south city is more than double that of the north city.However, the county government and most of the government offices are still concentrated in Beicheng.Right now, the news of the uprising in the approximate county has spread, and there are quite a few people who rushed from the four townships to join the army and watch the excitement.Some of them carried small bundles, some held knives, guns and sticks in their hands, some were led by leaders, and some came empty-handed just as temporary partners.Looking at the boats passing by in the river and the endless stream of pedestrians on the embankment, Huang Zongxi was somewhat surprised and moved. "Well, it seems that the people's spirit can still be used. Besides, I heard that Ningbo, Shaoxing, Jinhua, and Taizhou have also responded to the incident, so maybe they can still compete with the Tartars?" He pondered.But just for a while, he denied this hope again: "Hmph, to fight against the Tartars, it is not just about people and soldiers. In the final analysis, there must be a new government structure! Otherwise, it will be inevitable. I will repeat the mistakes of Chongzhen and Hongguang! But right now, can this be done? Can it be done?” Feeling deeply that everything is too late, and any efforts to restore the overall situation can only be futile struggles, Huang Zongxi’s The mood became even more gloomy and hopeless.If he hadn't been entrusted with the burden of clarifying the situation, and he had already walked halfway, he might have ordered the boat to be transferred back.

Near noon, they finally arrived at the county seat and disembarked near the Tongji Bridge that spans between the north and south cities.This area is the hub of water and land transportation, there are many people coming and going in and out on weekdays, but now it is even more crowded and bustling.On the tops of Qizhengmen and Beigumen, which are facing each other across the bridge, there are all kinds of banners, big and small, and the beautiful and ink-written "Ming" characters are dazzlingly unfurling in the wind.On the battlements of Qi Zhengmen, there is still a cumbersome thing hanging, which are several bloody human heads.The hair of the human heads was tied together, some of them were grinning, some were frowning, and they still kept the expressions they had when they were cut off.However, perhaps these people deserved what they deserved, and their heads did not affect the warm atmosphere under the city walls on both sides of the strait at all.There were not only adults but also children in that dark and noisy crowd; not only men, but also women, some of whom were wearing new clothes, combed with oiled horns, and their faces were painted red and white, ostentatiously passing through the market.At the crossings on both sides of the embankment, several platforms were built with tables and stools, and a group of well-tied men beat gongs on each of them "嘡-嘡", shouting at the throat:

"Bao Daming - come join the army - kill the Tartars -" Amidst the shouts, those selling snacks and groceries came out one after another, trying to solicit business from people.There are even a group of Jianghu players who sell herbs with guns and sticks, taking the opportunity to set up a stage, somersaulting there, dancing steel forks, and attracting applause from the onlookers... Due to the growing disillusionment with the current situation, everything in front of him did not make Huang Zongxi excited.For some time he stood on the edge of the pier, looking around with indifference, even disgust.On the other hand, Huang Zonghui, who was standing next to him, was obviously infected by the warm atmosphere around him, his eyes were wide open, his pale and sensitive face showed a look of surprise and joy, and he kept muttering: "Hey, okay, It must be that people from the four towns have come! Hey, there are so many, I can't imagine that there will be so many..." He didn't panic until he found that his brother had moved and walked towards a military station next to the city gate. , hastily followed.

It was an open-air military depot with a rather simple layout, just a few square tables arranged side by side temporarily, with some pens, ink, books and the like placed on them.However, several deacons worked very hard, and received the soldiers in harmony with each other.When they knew that the Huang Zongxi brothers were standing in front of them, those people immediately showed a respectful expression, saluted and gave up their seats.Huang Zongxi didn't care to play around, just waved his hand, took a ladle of water, and asked casually, "How long have you been standing here? How many people have joined the army?"

"My good teacher learned that Xiao Ke has been standing here for three days!" A little old man who looked like a boss raised his wrinkled face and replied with a smile, "there are quite a few people who joined the army. , almost never broke!" Huang Zongxi wiped the drops of water from his beard and put down the tea bowl: "How many people have you accepted in total?" "Hey, quite a lot!" The old man flipped through the book, pointing and said, "Well, so far, there are 2,198 people in the book!" Huang Zongxi made a calculation in his mind, and couldn't help shaking his head, feeling that the number of soldiers recruited for three days was only this amount, which was really too little.However, before he had time to speak, a person who looked like a merchant next to him interjected in surprise:

"Why? You're only such a small man! How can you beat the Tartars?" After a pause, seeing that no one spoke, he stretched his arms and gestured: "Smell, I can smell that the Tartars are all about two feet tall and waist-high. Thick ten circumferences, flying sand and rolling stones when marching and walking, alas, it is very powerful!" "What nonsense are you talking about!" A cold voice came from the crowd, it was a short and strong young Confucian scholar, "he is two feet tall, and his waist is ten girth thick, who has seen such a person before? Could it be that you have seen it? Hmm? If you haven’t seen it before, don’t come here and fart!” After choking the vendor, he turned to the crowd, squinting his eyes: “Actually, that tartar just looks weird, Everything else is pretty normal!"

"Strange-looking? What kind of strange method?" Someone asked curiously. "Hmph, he has a donkey's tail!" "Donkey tail?" "There are two pig's hooves!" "Ah, pig's trotter?" "Of course, it's not really a donkey's tail. It's because of the good hair. He wanted to chop it off in a circle like this, but a long braid came out behind it. It looks like a donkey's tail!" "This... so, so what's the matter with the pig's trotters?" "His two sleeves are long and narrow, and he has to cut them obliquely on the cuffs. Think about it, what does this look like?" Hearing his description, people couldn't help opening their mouths wide in a daze, obviously imagining what such a "tartar" would look like. "Mother Xipi! Such a dress!" Someone scolded. "A donkey's tail and two pig's hooves, wouldn't it be a beast!" "It's thanks to them for thinking of such an outfit!" "Hey, hey," said a loud voice, "what's so strange about that, that Tartar is not human!" Undoubtedly, these words can quite satisfy the sense of superiority of the subjects of the Celestial Dynasty. Everyone was startled for a moment, and then burst into laughter—— "Haha, yes, they are not human! They are beasts, beasts! Haha!" However, this pleasure only lasted for a while.Because then someone asked anxiously: "I heard, I heard that the Tatars have posted a notice in Hangzhou recently, ordering all the people to shave their heads and change their hair. I wonder if it is true or not?" "Well, there is such a saying." The short and sturdy Confucian scholar replied. "Mother Xipi! We are not Tartars, who would dare to bully him?" A rough and loud voice made people's eardrums buzz.It was a burly man.He stood close to the table with a look of contempt on his face. "Then chop off your head! It sounds like a lot of people have been killed in Hangcheng because of this. The tartars still wrote in the notice: 'Leave your head but not your hair, keep your hair but not your head'!" "What? Keep...what?" Some people didn't hear clearly. "'Leave your hair but not your hair, let your hair not your head!' means if you want a head, you have to shave it off; if you don't want to shave your hair off, your head has to move!" "Ah!" The news was so ferocious and frightening that after the people cried out, they fell silent again for a moment, and all the faces turned pale. While they were answering, Huang Zongxi kept drinking water and didn't participate.But when these words entered his ears, his heart was shocked, and he couldn't help but raised his head, looking at it with mixed suspicion. "Hey, my brother," Huang Zonghui interrupted anxiously from the side, "is this true? If you don't shave your head, you will be beheaded—what's the reason for this? We are not Tartars, how can we be the same?" They dress up in the same way! Hey, what's the point of this!" "That's right," the man who looked like a peddler echoed, "Didn't you hear that Baylor from the Tartars posted a notice in Hangzhou not to allow us Han people to shave their hair?" The short and sturdy Confucian scholar sneered: "You are not allowed to shave your hair? When did that happen! Yes, he said that hypocritically when he first entered the city, but now he doesn't admit it at all! To tell you the truth, I, Wang Just passing by the east gate of Hangcheng the other day, I saw the Tartars dispatching countless burdens to shave their heads, each of which was accompanied by soldiers, arresting people in and around the city to have their heads shaved. Anyone who resisted was immediately taken down and beheaded. That head was still dripping with blood, so he hung it on the bamboo pole of the burden to show the public! The shaved head I met had only two hanging on it! If I hadn’t been quick on my feet, I would have run away immediately , I’m afraid I won’t be able to live today!” This news is undoubtedly more creepy.Everyone can't help but look at me and I look at you.A depressive, uneasy whisper began to hum and echo in the crowd, becoming more and more urgent and noisier.The scene of laughing and jubilant a little while ago has changed unconsciously.Some people even started to move quietly, planning to quit.Registration in front of the military station also stopped... Seeing people like this, Huang Zongxi couldn't help getting angry.Because things are very clear, what the conquerors did was to make the people of the Han family stamp their Qing Dynasty marks one by one like mules and horses, completely forget their ancestors, give up their customs, and live forever as obedient citizens. "Ah, this is something that even the Mongol Yuan Dynasty didn't dare to do! They are so courageous and arrogant, these hateful Tartars! And these people in front of them are so weak. It’s as if he’s lost his soul! With this appearance, what kind of righteousness is there, what kind of battle is there!” Thinking of this, Huang Zongxi’s chest couldn’t stop heaving violently, and his breathing became more and more rapid.Suddenly, he put the teacup on the table next to him with a "bang" and scolded in a stern voice: "Bastards! What's going on with you? Ah! Isn't it that the Tartars have knives in their hands and want to force us to shave our heads! Is it worth being afraid of this! You must know that this is Yuyao, not Hangcheng! The Tartars want to shave our heads , shall we shave him obediently? Now that we have a knife in our hand, why don’t we shave off their dog’s head first? Ah!” "Well said!" The burly man swung his fist the size of a vinegar bowl vigorously, and roared, "If the bastard dares to ask me to shave his hair, I will shave his head off first!" "Hmph, and his pair of pig's hoofs, we have to cut them off and feed them to the dogs!" Huang An, who had been silent all this time, also jumped up, and sympathized viciously. People were still in a daze at first, but after hearing them yelling and cursing, they moved their bodies one after another, came back to their senses, and obviously realized that since the terrible disaster was approaching, if they wanted to avoid it, the only way to do so was to hold their hands. The swords and guns, and the conquerors desperately.And the uprising in front of him is the most ready-made opportunity.Then, their expressions began to change.A resurgence of hatred and anger, like an invisible wave, quickly spread and surged throughout the audience. "Mother Xipi, this bastard is occupying my place, killing my people doesn't count, and forcing us to shave some kind of bird's head, I must fight him to the end!" Someone yelled with his neck straight. "Once this head is shaved, what will we look like?" "Two pig's trotters and a donkey's tail, wouldn't they be just like them, and become beasts!" "Yes, yes! This head must not be shaved, even if you die!" People talked loudly with each sentence, and kept yelling.Suddenly, the burly man yelled: "Get out of the way, all of you!" As he said, he pulled out the steel knife from his waist with a "swish", and when the astonished people retreated to the sides, he exerted all his strength and went straight to the ground. Cut it down, and with a "click", the corner of the table next to him was chopped off on the spot. "Oh, you, you are..." The old man at the military depot was taken aback and said distressedly. But the man ignored it, turned around, raised the steel knife, looked around, and shouted viciously: "Listen up, everyone, I, Mao Han, have something to say first, our hair and clothes are not the same as those of our ancestors. What has been passed down must never be changed! If it is changed, it will be treason and extermination of the ancestors, and we will be punished by heaven and earth! Now the Tartars want to force us to betray our ancestors, we have to fight with him! A soft-boned, slug, who dares to betray his ancestors and follow the example of a dog tartar, then don't blame me, Mao Han, for being ruthless, the table in front of him is his example!" "Brother Mao said it well!" The short and sturdy Confucian student waved his fist and responded first, "Although I, Wang Han, am not talented, I know that the word loyalty and filial piety is the number one thing in the world! I, Wang Born as a member of the Ming Dynasty, you will also die as a ghost of the Ming Dynasty. Never bow your head to the Tartars, and never do anything that humiliates your ancestors!" "Yes, never do anything that insults our ancestors! Never do anything that insults our ancestors! Never do anything that insults our ancestors!" The furious people let go of their throats and roared with all their strength.This high-pitched cry spread far along the river, rolling and agitating back and forth between the towering city walls on both sides. For a long time, it sounded like a long-lasting wave raging waves... "Hmph, shave and refit! How dare you ask us to shave and refit!" When he led his younger brother and Huang An out of the crowd, Huang Zongxi thought with lingering hatred while listening to the noise coming from behind him. , "It's a shame they figured it out! You know, no matter what, we are also subjects of the Shang Kingdom, not their tigers, wolves and beasts! They want us to become like them, huh, it's really abhorrent! Now that we have reached this point, we are indeed only dead. Fighting...but, then again, if there is no new pattern in the future government, can it beat the Tartars? Can it win?" Thinking to himself like this, Huang Zongxi couldn't help pondering, and felt a kind of hesitation again, a kind of embarrassment in choosing.At this time, the two men—Wang Han and Mao Han came up from behind and said a lot of words of admiration, but Huang Zongxi had no intention of playing around, and only asked where the other party lived, and agreed to go to visit, then led his younger brother and Huang Zongxi. Ann, keep walking to the city.