Chapter 43 Check out secret letter

The news that King Lu's army crossed the river across the board once again plunged the people of Haining into panic and confusion.However, the flames of war did not spread there in the end.The real situation is: during the eight days from the eighth day to the fifteenth day of October, the fighting was always confined to the riverside area on the south and east wings of Hangzhou.Moreover, due to the lack of troops on the eastern front, most of the Ming army on the eastern front adopted the method of surprise guerrilla raids. Although the soldiers fought bravely and gained quite a lot, they still failed to expand the results of the battle.On the contrary, the scale of the battle on the southern front is relatively large.In particular, the main force of the Ming army under Fang Guoan, the commander-in-chief of Zhendong, advanced along the river from Fuyang County. The Qing soldiers could not resist and retreated steadily.The Ming army has been advancing to a place ten miles outside Hangzhou.Zhang Cunren, governor of Zhejiang in the Qing Dynasty, heard the news and went out of the city to fight in person, but was defeated again.Taking advantage of the momentum, Fang Guoan swung his troops to cover up the attack, and chased him all the way to the Caoqiao Gate in the southeast corner of Hangzhou City.If it hadn't been for a sudden storm, maybe it would have attacked the city.Even so, such an unprecedented victory is enough to make the officials and people in eastern Zhejiang spread the word and get extremely excited.Therefore, when the plan of "Ten Days of Lien Zhan" was over, the King of Lu issued an edict: On November 1st, there will be a military parade in Xiaoshan County, which is across the river from Hangzhou, to boost morale and show military might.At that time, as usual, a large number of officers and men will be rewarded for meritorious service, and promoted to rank; and as the climax of this military parade, a grand altar worship ceremony will be held, and the well-received Fang Guoan will be appointed as the general. The army and horses were unified and handed over to him to command.

Today, it was October 30th, and the various armies that had withdrawn their troops and returned to their original station followed orders to set off again and assembled at the foot of Guanshan, the place of the military parade.Of course, not all the troops came, but only some well-trained and elite troops were sent.Even so, on the main roads leading to Guanshan, people were neighing and dust was flying all day long.The team made up of uniforms, swords and guns, and various flags squirmed in an endless stream.Obviously because of the victory, these teams all seemed to be in high spirits and high morale. As they walked, they opened their throats and sang a song in a rough voice:

They yelled contentedly, and yelled one after another, regardless of whether the tune was right or not.Just as the roaring in the front stopped, it was picked up again in the back, roaring to the point of being nasty and provocative, and bursts of laughter broke out. Of course, not all teams are like this.For example, the rebels from Shaoxing, Yuyao, Cixi, Ningbo and other prefectures and counties stationed on the line north of Guanshan were far less enthusiastic.Although they were also hurrying forward, they were obviously much more silent and their numbers were much smaller.It is indeed frustrating to say that since the imperial court decided to implement "dividing land and paying wages", as a temporary recruited militia, they have been squeezed into a situation where they can only rely on "self-financing" to maintain themselves. The supply deteriorated severely, and the morale of the army quickly fell into chaos and disintegration.On the eve of the battle across the river, the entire battalion of soldiers threw down their weapons and asked to leave, but they couldn't stay.Up to now, the six Ming armies that originally had tens of thousands of troops and four or five thousand troops, except for one or two that are in better condition, have less than 2,000 troops or even less.If we say that during the "ten days of continuous battle", the eastern front failed to achieve greater victories, this is a very important reason.Since their situation and encounters are like this, it is naturally difficult to be excited about the military parade in front of them, and it is also difficult to become active.

However, for Huang Zongxi, who was also one of them, he couldn't see everything in front of him.Because he was not in the team at all, but stayed in the camp of Dragon King Hall and did not come to participate in the military parade. The reason why he did this was because he had been in a very bad mood since he returned to Huangzhupu to collect wages half a month ago, and he had heard and witnessed various situations in the village.In addition, there was a serious loss of soldiers in the ensuing battalion, so that during the battle across the river, the Yuyao Ming Army led by them did almost nothing. Compared with the battle in August, it can be said that the two armies are completely different. .This made him frustrated and helpless, and he felt even more resentful.If he hadn't thought about the fact that the enemy was in front of him, he had no choice but to fight hard and find a way out, and he would probably have given up.Even so, when he learned that there was going to be a military parade and that Fang Guoan was going to be called a general, he felt that he couldn't swallow his bad breath no matter what. "Hmph, what is the surname Fang! He is the one who holds a heavy soldier in his hand, disregards the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, specifically rejects and oppresses our militia, and forces the court to 'divide land and pay'! In turn, I, Huang, rushed to cheer him up in a hurry, don't even think about it!" Therefore, when it came time to discuss who would go to the military parade, Huang Zongxi explained his feelings to Sun Jiaji and insisted on staying.

Now, Sun Jiaji has led the brigade to set off for a long time, Huang Zongxi readjusted and deployed the soldiers who stayed behind, and after dealing with some chores, he wanted to sit down and review his newly edited "The First Year of Lu Jianguo" for the last time. However, because of his agitation, he finally dropped his pen, took Huang An and other soldiers, left the residence, and walked slowly along the camp. It was already evening.On the thin and floating sky, the setting sun of winter shone weakly.The wind blowing from the north shore tugged people's clothes tightly and slowly, and shook the bare dead branches of the bushes near and far.Because there is a war in this area, most of the residents have fled, and now there is no one on the huge river beach.Only a few white gulls flew over from the Qiantang River sideways, and after turning around, they flapped their slender wings and disappeared into the vast distance, adding a little vitality to the desolate and lonely world. The sound... However, Huang Zongxi did not pay attention to these.He frowned, walked sullenly, and at the same time imagined that Sun Jiaji led the team, after half a day's trek, they would soon arrive at the designated assembly point and start preparing for the parade.However, Sun Jiaji, who is a dignified supervisor, only has a few weak soldiers left in his hands. Once he stands next to the regular army led by Fang Guoan and Wang Zhiren, he will definitely look more miserable, pitiful, and insignificant... "Hmph, Sun Shuofu and the others are really cowardly. This time the eastern Zhejiang uprising was obviously led by them, and Lu Jianguo was also determined by them to welcome him, but they didn't know how to act according to the situation, change the course, and still blindly follow the old habits. The intention of Jian Guoyi is to be obedient, and he treats himself like a slave. No matter how much he advises, he will not listen. As a result, Fang Guoan and Wang Zhiren's gang of generals easily controlled the power, and even the soldiers' pay was taken away by the other party. In the end, I didn’t even get a share, but in the end I became a bare-bones supervisor! What hope is there for seeking the country so much?” Thinking of this, Huang Zongxi couldn’t help but increase his resentment, and his footsteps on the sand became even more intense. heavy...

However, he finally turned away.Because he heard, from the river beach in front of the right, there was a sudden commotion among the row after row of shacks.The huts for the soldiers were temporarily built with bamboo and reeds. In the past, because of the large number of soldiers, the huge river beach was densely packed.Up to now, many of them have been knocked down and dismantled, and turned into firewood to keep out the cold, and the rest are left vacant in pieces.Most of these shacks are quite simple and low.The soldiers had to bend over to get in.As soon as the people left, it quickly became a paradise for wild dogs.They get into it to find food, flirt and fight, defecate, and even have children.As a result, the soldiers often have to attack and block back, like hunting, and rush out with all their might.Now, Huang Zongxi discovered that a group of soldiers were gathering there.With guns and sticks in their hands, they scattered in a siege formation, shouting and screaming there.From the looks of it, he must have discovered some uninvited guest...

"Hmph, this is called the present eye report. Once we are unlucky, even the wild dogs will come to bully us!" Huang Zongxi thought silently, looking at the soldiers in a hurry.Suddenly, he became excited, reached out and snatched a long gun held by the guard, turned around and ran towards the shack with big strides. "Scatter! Spread! Go over there, go to the back!" he yelled, gesturing to the soldiers. "Yes, I must catch those nasty things and beat them up!" he thought angrily. "Where is it? Is it here? Huh?" When he rushed to the place where the soldiers were standing, he asked with staring eyes.

"My lord, the villains can't tell for sure." A short, stocky soldier replied. "Then you..." "The little people walked by here just now, and when they heard a clatter and a ping-pong, they came over to have a look, but there was no sign of it. It's probably because the animal was afraid of being chased away and hid." Huang Zongxi looked at the hut in front of him, and found that it was built in a long strip, with a door on the left and right, so he pointed at the soldiers with his spear: "You, you, and you, go over there! You and you , get to the back, and put them all in prison!" After finishing speaking, without waiting for an answer, he bent down and slipped in through the door on the right.

This is an abandoned shack.The roof of the shed is supported by bamboo, and the ground is also covered with bamboo. Soldiers sleep side by side on weekdays.Probably because of the cold weather, all the window openings were sealed, and the inside became dark, only a little light came in from the direction of the door.Huang Zongxi could vaguely see some hay and grass piled up in the shed, as well as various discarded rags.The ground was covered with various suspicious things here and there, and a strong smell of excrement and urine emanated from the feet and rushed straight into the nostrils.It was only at this moment that Huang Zongxi understood why those soldiers did not come in for a search.However, he was not reconciled to quitting at this point, so he turned his ears and listened, but he didn't feel any movement, so he stood on tiptoe, carefully looked for a place to stay, walked over, raised his spear, and shot at the grass I poked it, but there was no response, and I poked it twice again, but there was still no movement. "Well, the yelling outside just now, the beast must have gone away!" He thought, and then he stirred the barrel of the gun horizontally, intending to withdraw.Unexpectedly, at this last blow, the haystack suddenly screamed, and a black mass rolled out!

Huang Zongxi was startled instead, and hurriedly jumped back.But the thing was obviously even more frightened. It crawled on the ground, wriggling constantly, as if kowtowing its head, and at the same time uttered "Master, spare my life! Master, spare my life"-it turned out to be a person! Only then did Huang Zongxi regain his composure. "Who are you?" He forced the opponent with a spear and asked sharply. "Good people! A villain is a good people!" "Good people? Why did good people come here?" "Going astray! The villain is going astray!" The man continued to kowtow.

Huang Zongxi was dubious, and in order to find out, he waved his spear and ordered: "Go, go outside! Hurry up!" When the man timidly moved his body, he said loudly through the shed wall: "Outside! Listen! There's a man caught here, and you're all caught!" The soldiers outside naturally heard the conversation in the shed, so they agreed in unison.Sure enough, as soon as the man showed his head, they rushed forward, held him down, and sent him to Huang Zongxi who followed him. It was only at this time that Huang Zongxi could clearly see the appearance of the captive.It turned out to be a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion, a bald and bright forehead, wearing black clothes, and his legs were bound.Obviously because of tossing around in the shack for a long time, his thin face was covered with smudges, his hair and beard were unkempt, and a lot of grass was still stained.Now his small eyes peered timidly from under his brows, as if trying to make sense of his situation. "Well, who are you?" After looking at the other party, Huang Zongxi asked again coldly. The man hurriedly knelt down on his knees and stammered: "The villains Chen, Chen Jiu, Xixing family, good people for generations, today, I wanted to go to Changshan to visit relatives, but because I went astray, I sent... So I broke into the camp by mistake, and I hope the elder will forgive me!" "Nonsense! You are not a good citizen, but a secret agent of the Tartars!" "Master, calm down, calm down, the villain is not, it is not meticulous work, he is really a good citizen!" "Since you are a good citizen, why don't you just ask the way, but hide in the shack?" "The villain has seen and seen many soldiers, and he is hurt and afraid, so..." From the moment he was caught until this moment, Chen Jiu had always shrunk into a ball, looking pitiful.Huang Zongxi thought to himself: "Look at him being honest, he doesn't seem like a villain, maybe he really entered the camp by mistake?" So he asked some other questions, and seeing that the other party could answer well, he finally calmed down and said: "This is a military camp. There is a war going on right now. If you break in here, you will be beheaded! Do you understand? I think you are a first-time offender, so I will let you off this time. If you are caught again next time, you will be severely punished—" — Do you understand? Well, let's go!" Chen Jiu was still a little dazed at first, but when she finally understood, she fell on the ground with an "ah" and kowtowed repeatedly: "Thank you for your kindness! Thank you for your life, sir..." As he spoke, he got up, flustered Turn around and leave. "Hmph, I should have searched him!" Huang An muttered to the side. This reminded Huang Zongxi, and he quickly said, "Oh, that's right! Stop him quickly and go up and search!" Several soldiers agreed, and immediately rushed over, stopped Chen Jiu again, surrounded him and searched up and down.Unexpectedly, this search, just like in the shack just now, actually yielded results - soon, a letter was handed over to Huang Zongxi. "Why, do you really have a letter with you? Well, it's not surprising, since you're going out, of course..." So puzzled, Huang Zongxi took the letter and looked at the envelope.At first, he didn't pay much attention to it, but when his eyes became a little more focused, he almost didn't jump up as if he had been stung by a poisonous insect.Because there is such a line written on the envelope: And the following inscription is: The criminal Ma Shiying paid his respects "What? Ma Yaocao! It's actually Ma Yaocao!" He widened his eyes in astonishment.As early as when the Qing soldiers crossed the Yangtze River south and approached Nanjing, Ma Shiying, the chief assistant of the cabinet, fled without fighting, causing the Ming Dynasty's defense line in the south of the Yangtze River to collapse instantly.It was later heard that he fled to Hangzhou.But after Lu Wangxian, who lived in Hangzhou, surrendered, there was no news of Ma Shiying.Some people say that he died, while others say that he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.Huang Zongxi didn't have the time to inquire about it because of the embarrassment of the army for several months, so he could only hide his bad breath in his heart.Never expected that this heinous leader of treacherous ministers would reappear again! "Okay, so you sent a letter to Ma Yaocao!" He stared at Chen Jiu who was escorted back again, and asked sharply.Thinking that he was almost deceived just now, he was so angry that he was so angry. At the moment when his identity was revealed, although Chen Jiu seemed flustered, he calmed down afterwards.He no longer knelt down, no longer stuttered when speaking, but raised his face, looked straight at Huang Zongxi, and replied blankly: "Yes, student Chen Jiuru is an old acquaintance of Mr. Ma Ge. Today he entrusted me to Hand over a letter to Mr. Sun with your own hands. Unexpectedly, it was one step too late, and Mr. Sun has already gone to Guanshan for a military parade..." "Fart!" Huang Zongxi was furious, "What old Ma Ge? It's old thief Ma! Let me ask you, since you want to send books to Mr. Sun, why are you so sneaky? What did old thief Ma say in the book? what!" "This——" Chen Jiuru smiled faintly, "the students don't know the details. The students only know that Mr. Ma Ge—and Mr. Ruan Yuanhai Ruan are now in the camp of Zhendonghou. Zhendonghou is opposite Ma, Ruan and Erlao are very polite, and they will invite Lu to supervise the country in a few days, and the decree will be used!" Zhendong Hou is the official Guoan who is now heavily relied on by the King of Lu and who is going to worship as a general.Hearing that Ma Shiying hid in Fang Guoan's camp, and there was Ruan Dacheng, Huang Zongxi's head swelled up suddenly, and the blood all over his body boiled.A feeling of recurring nightmare gripped him.He looked at the letter in his hand and wished he could tear it open immediately to see what was said inside.But the letter was for Sun Jiaji, so he couldn't take it apart without permission. After gritting his teeth a few times, he waved his hand violently and ordered the soldiers: "You detain this dog thief for me. I have no order, and no one is allowed to release it without authorization! Violators of military law will do so!" After finishing speaking, he turned around and hurriedly walked to his residence in a panic. A moment later, he and Huang An had already mounted fast horses, whipped and galloped on the way to Guanshan.