Chapter 10 bad news

"...Unexpectedly, the current uprising in Yuyao was triggered by the teacher! Hey, if I had known this earlier, no matter what, I would have rushed to the county seat as soon as possible to have a look, and it wouldn't be delayed until today!" Huang Zongxi accelerated his pace towards the city. Walking outside, I was thinking distractedly, "It's just that after these days, I don't know what happened to the teacher? According to Sun Shuofu, he still refused to eat afterward. So, it is different from the last time I saw him. Compared with him, he must be weaker. However, now that Xiong Yuyin has revolted as promised, and I heard that Shaoxing has also raised troops to respond, then the teacher must change his mind and eat again? Undoubtedly, after half a month or so Tossing, although the vitality will inevitably be greatly damaged, but it is probably not in danger of life. Now, I am afraid that the teacher is old, in case... Hey, God bless, don't have any accidents!"

Thinking so much in his heart, when he arrived at the pier, he immediately decided: Huang Zonghui would be in charge of going back to the village to report the situation in the county to his mother and elders, while he himself took Huang An on board a black boat and set off immediately to Shaoxing. go. Although Yuyao is a county under Shaoxing Prefecture, it is still more than a hundred miles away from the capital city.Huang Zongxi was naturally very anxious.For a long time, he sat on the bow of the boat, kept his eyes wide open, kept looking towards the sunset, and repeatedly urged the boatman to row hard.Helplessly, it was getting late, and it was already the time of the first shift when the ship passed Shangyu County, so I had to park randomly nearby, and set off again the next morning.As a result, the Wupeng boat did not arrive outside Shaoxing Prefecture until the afternoon of the next day.

As the big city in eastern Zhejiang, Shaoxing City is located between two counties.Xicheng belongs to Shanyin County; Dongcheng belongs to Kuaiji County.Liu Zongzhou's mansion is at the foot of Mount Ji in the northeast of the city.However, ever since Shaoxing sent Zhang Su to the Qing army with Lu Wang in Hangzhou and was appointed magistrate, Liu Zongzhou paid his respects to his ancestors as early as half a month ago in order to express that he would never be an obedient citizen of "Tarzi". Temple, moved to Shuixin Nunnery in the eastern suburbs to live.Therefore, Huang Zongxi originally planned not to enter the city this time, but was reminded by Huang An temporarily: Now that Shaoxing has also risen, will the teacher move back to the city?So, when the boat arrived at the wharf outside the east gate, the master and servant decided to go to the city gate first to inquire.

The city gate of Shaoxing is naturally much higher than that of Yuyao.And because the uprising flag has been raised, the defense in front of the gate is quite strict.Like Yuyao, a military station was also set up beside the city gate.However, perhaps because the traffic artery is in the south of the city, the bustle here is far less than that of Yuyao.Facing the setting sun, Huang Zongxi and his servant came to the gate of the city, and after explaining their identities and purpose to the sergeant guarding the gate, a thin-faced man with the appearance of a guard came over, looked them up and down, and said:

"Mr. Liu, yes, he has moved back to the city." The two masters and servants looked at each other, but they didn't say anything, they were thinking in their hearts: Fortunately, this question is added, otherwise we will go down a lot of wrong roads!So he thanked the gatekeeper and planned to turn around and enter the city.Who knows but was stopped. "It seems that Mister hasn't heard about it yet," the prisoner frowned, his expression becoming very serious, "Mr. President—he died for the country on the eighth day of this month!" Maybe when he said this in a low tone, at first Huang Zongxi couldn't quite understand it.Then, his whole body was shaken violently, and he grabbed the other party's sleeve in a gaffe: "What did you say? Teacher, teacher..."

The warden pursed his lips and nodded wordlessly. Huang Zongxi let out an "ah", couldn't help but took two steps back, and was stunned as if hit by a bolt from the blue.However, after a while, he suddenly came back to his senses. "You nonsense! It's not true! It's not!" he said hoarsely, staring at the other person in fear; at the same time, he felt an invisible and terrible thing slowly expanding, crowding his brain It felt as if it was going to explode, I felt my eyes were darkened, and my temples were also booming. "No, it's not true! Tell it, tell it!" he demanded angrily and sharply, in order to get rid of that violent and terrible oppression.

No one answered, however, except for a gloomy silence. As if being ruthlessly strangled by the neck, Huang Zongxi froze again. "Ah, how, how could it be like this? How could it be!" He thought blankly and dully.Now, he only felt that a big hole had been blasted in his mind, and it became chaotic and blank again.Although he vaguely felt that some people began to gather around and talk in a hurry, but he didn't understand what they were talking about at all. "Ah, no! I have to go to the teacher right away, yes, to him!" Thinking of this, he hurriedly turned around, forgetting that he could continue to go by boat, and took big steps towards the teacher. In the direction of Liu Zongzhou's mansion, he stumbled and ran.

Shaoxing Prefecture is located in a water town, with many rivers and bridges in the city.Huang Zongxi walked along the river east and sometimes along the river west in despair.He walked in such a hurry and flustered that he bumped into oncoming passers-by more than once, but he didn't notice it at all.He didn't wake up until he walked a long way, the street in front of him became more and more familiar, and his clothes were soaked in sweat. Huang Zongxi no longer doubted the authenticity of the sad news in front of him.Moreover, after going through these days, he now has a deeper understanding of his teacher's resolute hunger strike and his intention to die.Yes, the teacher is not only a high-ranking official who has been paid by the Ming Dynasty for a long time, and has the responsibility to be loyal and loyal, but also a great Confucian of the generation, who has always regarded it as his bounden duty to uphold and maintain the "Tao" handed down by the saints, and make it flourish. He poured his whole life into it.It can be said that in the eyes of the teacher, this is his life and his greatest purpose in living in this world!However, the southward march of the Qing soldiers completely shattered all of this.These barbarians from outside the pass have lived in the wilderness for generations. They have no fixed place to do farming. They only know how to herd sheep and horses. They have always admired bravery, fighting, killing and attacking. .Once they become masters, it is indeed conceivable what kind of barbaric world China will become.Instead of watching the things that he regards as more precious than life being destroyed, it is indeed better to close his eyes to escape the unbearable pain!In fact, not to mention the teacher, but myself, if that day really comes, I will die as a martyr. "But then again, there has finally been an uprising now! Moreover, because the Tartars force people to shave their hair, it is bound to arouse even greater resistance. As long as we Chinese people work together, everyone takes up swords and guns to fight the Tartars, Maybe you can't fight your way out! Why can't the teacher wait for so many days? Why did he have to go so soon?" Huang Zongxi was shocked and asked repeatedly in his heart, puzzled, the more he asked, the more he asked. Feel wronged and miserable.

Now, he has passed through the familiar alley and came to a yard facing the river.When he walked towards Liu Zongzhou's mansion habitually, he stopped suddenly.He found that the slightly old mansion that caught his eyes, which he had been to countless times, had become so strange and unfamiliar at this moment—a pair of blue lanterns announcing the funeral, hanging under the gate; The black lacquered beast-faced ring gate was pasted with white paper, with two big hollow characters "Limen" written on it.The day of condolences was probably over, and the stone steps reflected by the setting sun were deserted, and there was no one to be seen, only a spirit streamer swaying back and forth in the evening wind.

Huang Zongxi opened his eyes wide and watched, his heart tightened again. "Ah, teacher! Teacher!" He uttered a stinging and mournful call from the bottom of his heart, and at the same time felt the blood rushing straight to his forehead.Suddenly, as if receiving an invisible thrust, he jumped up and ran forward desperately.He ran so hastily and hastily that he was clearly greeted by someone, and he stumbled and almost fell, but he ignored it all.He didn't stop suddenly until he crossed the foyer, the sedan chair hall, passed through the courtyard, and came to Liu Zongzhou's mourning hall.

This is the main hall used to receive guests on weekdays.Right now, it has completely changed: although all the furnishings such as tables and armchairs have been temporarily removed, and the entire lobby is surrounded by a piece of plain white——white filial curtains, white spirit banners, The white candles, together with the white clothes and trousers worn by the filial piety guards, and the white cloth wrapped around their heads, give the whole hall and even the mansion a solemn and sad atmosphere.Due to the hot weather, Liu Zongzhou "choosed the order" to be encoffined on the third day after his death.Today, the nanmu coffin containing the remains is parked in front of the Eight Immortals Table in the middle; there are several colors of "food offerings" on the table, and on the long table behind is a tablet with the words "Xian Kao" written in regular script. The words "Liu Gong, the censor of the left capital of the Daming Metropolitan Procuratorate, taboo Zong Zhou".A "bright lamp", glowing faintly under the coffin... Huang Zongxi stared at it intently, tears welled up in his eyes involuntarily, but it took great patience to keep them from shedding. "My family..." A concerned call sounded from behind. Huang Zongxi looked back and found that at some point, the teacher's eldest son, Liu Bi, had come behind him, followed by Huang An and some other people who followed from outside. "Hey, sir, I haven't prepared a white cloth yet, do you want to..." Huang An asked anxiously, probably afraid that the master would be rude if he saluted like this. Huang Zongxi didn't respond.After a while, he suppressed his grief and asked in a hoarse voice: "The teacher passed away—why didn't you tell me, brother?" "Oh, my lord passed away on the eighth day of the eighth day of the lunar new year, and people have already sent out to report the funeral. I think the in-laws are on the road these few days and have not been able to meet them." Liu Bian replied with a mournful face. Naturally, this explanation makes sense.However, as far as Huang Zongxi was concerned, the only teacher he loved and respected from the bottom of his heart, who secretly regarded him as a loving father, died of such a hunger strike, which shocked him and regretted it. These sons-in-law and disciples did not fulfill their responsibilities of persuasion and retention. "Otherwise, why would it be here!" he thought sadly and bitterly. "Then," he asked resentfully, "how did the teacher get to this point?" "So far? Bro, you mean—" Maybe his eyes fell on the thin face of the eldest son-in-law Wang Yuzhi, so the latter blinked and asked hesitantly. "I mean, let him starve to death, and no one cares!" Wang Yuzhi was slightly taken aback, clearly surprised by this tone.But only for a moment, his face calmed down, and he explained: "Since King Lu refused to listen to the remonstrance and surrendered to Jianlu, the teacher decided to die for the country. He has not eaten a grain of rice since 20 days before his death. After seven days, he did not even drink a drop of water. On the way back from Hangzhou, he sank in Xiyang Port, but was rescued by the boatman. When he was dying, although his body was very weak, his expression was very calm, and he said that he had finally returned to his place. , it can be seen that the late emperor is not ashamed in the underground!" The second son-in-law, Chen Gang, who was standing next to him, probably saw Huang Zongxi bowed his head in silence, sighed, and interjected, "Originally, if the teacher didn't die, there might not be nothing to do if he stayed. It wasn't that there was no room for redemption back then. It’s just that before Wang Xuanzhi sank at the Willow Bridge in Hangcheng, he wrote a letter asking the teacher to commit suicide, and said, “Nothing has been hanged by Wang Yanwu”, the teacher’s intention is irreversible.” Wang Xuanzhi is Wang Yuzhi's younger brother Wang Yuyao.Although this man also worshiped Liu Zongzhou as his teacher along with his elder brother, he was dissolute and unrestrained on weekdays, and had always been looked at and criticized by his classmates; Huang Zongxi had also heard about the fact that he went to death calmly first, and he was deeply impressed by the accident. Feel sorry.However, this only aroused his dissatisfaction with the other students who could neither die like Wang Yuyao, but also let the teacher go on hunger strike to die. "So what about Wang Xuan's toe!" He suddenly raised his head and said angrily, "No matter how big Wang Xuan's toe is, he is only one person, but there are so many other people than him? Could it be that there is really no way to convince the teacher? ? Not as good as an Emperor Xuantoe!" This kind of questioning is too harsh, and it has the meaning of putting the responsibility on the other party.So Liu Bian and Chen Gang were stunned; as for Wang Yuzhi, they had raised their stubby eyebrows. "Too strong!" he said angrily, "the teacher belongs to everyone, not you alone! Don't think that you are the only one who understands pain, and no one else hurts! What did we do in front of the teacher these 20 days? It happened, do you know? How many ways we have thought of, and how we begged so hard, do you know?" He paused, as if waiting for an answer, but perhaps just to suppress his inner anger.Finally, he waved his hand and said with a sneer: "If you don't know, brother, then you should find out first, and then it's not too late to criticize." During the time when the other party retorted, Huang Zongxi kept his head down, frowning and not speaking, but his little face was getting more and more red from suffocation.Suddenly, he raised his head, wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes, and said loudly like arguing: "I don't know! I don't even know! All I know is that the teacher is gone! That's it, that's it..." He was He wanted to continue, but for some reason, his voice began to tremble.He wanted to stand firm, but his legs suddenly became limp, and he had no strength at all.Finally, he knelt down in front of the spirit tablet, and burst into tears...