Chapter 47 in vain

Huang Zongxi's doubts and fears at this moment did not hinder the smooth holding of the military parade.On the contrary, in the next two hours or so, the spectacular scene and brave momentum displayed by the tens of thousands of elite troops showing off their might and galloping back and forth at the foot of the official mountain not only fascinated the King of Lu and his ministers, but also greatly excited them. , Even the officers and soldiers of the Qing army on the other side of the Qiantang River couldn't help shaking their heads in amazement and admiringly because they saw this scene from the top of Wuyun Mountain.Of course, they inevitably compiled this military information into a pond report as usual, and sent people to Nanjing to report to Hong Chengchou.

Now, this Tang newspaper has been quietly lying on the official case of the governor's Xingyuan lottery office.An ebony paperweight weighed down one corner of it, while Hong Chengchou himself, with his hands behind his back, stood in front of an open window to the east.The winter sun slanted down from the eaves, through the bare branches of the plane trees, and fell on the window sills, and drew several gray shadows on his shaved forehead and his pensive face. After quelling the resistance in Huizhou, according to Hong Chengchou's plan, he would have to concentrate all his efforts to defeat the regime of King Lu who ruled eastern Zhejiang.However, shortly after he rushed back to Nanjing from Huizhou, he received an urgent order from the imperial court to dispatch Pingnan General Le Kedehun and Du Tong Yechen who came with him to the south, and immediately led the Eight Banners soldiers under his command to set off with all their strength. He rushed to help Huguang to deal with the joint counterattack of the peasant army and the remnants of the Ming army there.Speaking of it, although the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, it attacked the city and occupied the land all the way, but in fact it only relied on the Eight Banners army of a mere 100,000.Although some remnants of the surrendered Ming army have been recruited one after another for more than a year, it is still far from enough to deal with the huge Chinese battlefield.Therefore, even in such an important area as Jiangnan, the troops deployed at the beginning were actually quite limited.Now that there is such a division of troops, the strength is even more insufficient.What's more, after Le and Ye left, the whole burden of Jiangnan fell on Hong Chengchou's shoulders immediately, which also made him feel a little overwhelmed and unable to do what he wanted.It was this weak position that forced Hong Chengchou to be cautious, and instead concentrated on consolidating his existing territory, instead of taking large-scale military operations.

Undoubtedly, he has also estimated that the result of changing from offense to defense will inevitably trigger the anti-Qing forces to take advantage of the opportunity.But he is also sure: as long as Nanjing, the base camp, and Hangzhou, an important town controlling the Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi regions, are guaranteed, the situation in Jiangnan will not be greatly shaken.However, in the past month, the momentum of the King Lu regime's counterattack on the front line of the Qiantang River should not be underestimated. Not only did the Qing soldiers suffer unprecedented setbacks, but they also attacked the Caoqiao Gate outside Hangzhou!Then, will they launch a more violent offensive, and even try to drive the Qing army out of Hangzhou in one fell swoop?Judging from the recent movements of the other party's military parade and general obeisance, this is entirely possible. "Well, in order to avoid accidents, it is naturally best to send troops to reinforce Hangzhou as soon as possible. But right now, even Nanjing itself has only a mere 4,000 defenders. In order to maintain the situation, it has been painstaking these days, and it is still stretched everywhere. Can you get the soldiers out?" Hong Chengchou couldn't help becoming irritable, so he turned and left the window, stepped over the threshold, and walked out of the courtyard.

This is a courtyard located in the second entrance. Due to the large size of the house, the courtyard is also quite large. The floor is paved with bluestone slabs of the same color, and there is a well built in the west corner.A tall whitebark pine stretches out its branches in all directions.It was already midwinter, and although the needle-shaped leaves were still green, they were much thinner and fell off.Startled by the sound of footsteps, a magpie perched on it flapped its black and white wings and flew up... "Yes," Hong Chengchou was pacing around the courtyard while thinking anxiously, "Judging from the recent Tang newspapers, not to mention Zhejiang and Fujian, the disturbances in Jiangxi and Huguang are obviously getting worse and worse. Big. After He Tengjiao and Du Yinxi took over the remnant soldiers led by the rogues Hao Yaoqi, Liu Tichun, Li Jin, and Gao Yigong, they claimed to have more than 400,000 soldiers, not to mention Jiangxi Xia Wanting, Ai Nanying and others. Wanji and Yang Tinglin are two groups of rebellious soldiers. No wonder the imperial court is in a hurry to mobilize soldiers from all over the country to attack. However, Zhang Xianzhong still occupies Sichuan, Yun, Gui and Guangdong have not yet surrendered, and it is said that Shandong and Shaanxi are also going all out Trouble. There is such a commotion from all directions, can we cope with the 100,000 elite soldiers from the Banners I brought from outside the pass, and the soldiers from the former Ming Dynasty who have been recruited one after another? Of course, there is no danger of a reversal right now. , but if it takes time and time to drag on for a long time, it's a bit hard to say what the situation will look like in the future..."

Because I thought that when the Qing soldiers first went to the south of the Yangtze River, all the prefectures and counties saw that their strength was exhausted, and they all looked forward to surrendering. If they could seize the opportunity with all their strength and make a quick decision, things would be much easier; After issuing such a hair-shaving order, Hong Chengchou couldn't help but smile wryly from his heart.In order to get rid of the trouble, he shook his head, simply stopped thinking, turned around and walked back to the signing office, sat down in front of the official case, and picked up the next official document.

This is a post to the imperial court drafted by the staff of the clerk's office. The content is about the details of the last battle to pacify Huizhou, and a request for instructions on how to deal with the captured "bandit leaders" such as Jin Sheng, Jiang Tianyi, and Wu Yingji.This matter was ordered by Hong Chengchou himself.Originally, since he brought Jin Sheng and others back to Nanjing, he hoped that the attitudes of the three people would soften and they would agree to surrender to avoid being killed.Unexpectedly, they lived in the posthouse next to the governor's residence for more than a month, and received all kinds of care and preferential treatment, but they were always stubborn and showed no sign of changing their minds; , also can't find out what happened.Seeing the deadline for reporting to the court, Hong Chengchou had no choice but to wait no longer.Now, he has read the draft twice, and feels that the text is clear, so he picks up the pen, adds and deletes a little, and intends to write the word "Cheng" on it. stand up.

"Well, maybe it's time for another trial? Although these people are very stubborn, they may not obey. But to appease Jiangnan, it is ultimately based on subduing people's hearts. What's more, how this battle will evolve in the future is still unpredictable. .Then it is even more necessary to keep more lives alive and less to kill. This is also a way to reserve space for the future..." Thinking of this, Hong Chengchou put down the post, took a piece of paper, wrote a few words, and then ordered The Chinese military officer who was waiting on the side: "You immediately send someone to the post next door to fetch these three people to see me!"

After the military officer took the paper and a command arrow, and promised to withdraw, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and thought about how to proceed with the trial.It wasn't until he had an idea that he went back to the case again, and personally drafted another confidential memorial, reporting to the imperial court the recent movements of the rebel army in eastern Zhejiang, and insisting that the troops in Nanjing and Hangzhou were too weak and the equipment was very dilapidated. If something happens, it will be in jeopardy, so I ask the court to send troops for reinforcements as soon as possible.After half an hour like this, I saw the middle officer hurried in, saluted and said:

"Report to Master Zhongtang, the three criminals have been mentioned. How to deal with it, please show me." "Pass my words—just say: Mr. Wu Ciwei, please speak in the lobby, and the other two will serve tea in the flower hall!" After giving this order, Hong Chengchou still sat still.It wasn't until the military officer reported again that Wu Yingji had been taken to the lobby that he put down the brush, put away the draft, stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out slowly. Among the three people who decided to retrial, the reason why Hong Chengchou chose Wu Yingji first was not because of any old friendship with each other.On the contrary, he did not know Wu Yingji because of his early career as an official and his long-term official career in the north.However, since the other party became a prisoner, they have been in contact with each other several times.In Hong Chengchou's impression, this person is not only arrogant and extreme, but also has sharp words, and his behavior and thinking are a bit weird, often beyond the usual ways and rules.Based on Hong Chengchou's years of fighting here and there, and his experience in dealing with various people, he knows that this kind of people are often upright and sincere, and as long as they feel congenial, they will risk their lives for their friends go do it.As for ideas beyond the norm, it is often easier to fiddle with than that kind of stubborn fool, as long as you find a way to enter the other party's mind.Therefore, in the past interrogation, even though he encountered many setbacks and even made it impossible to step down, Hong Chengchou still decided to choose this person first...

Now, Hong Chengchou had come to the lobby, and at a glance he recognized the tall man standing proudly in the middle of the room, wearing a straight gown, wearing a bun, and watched by a jailer, as Wu Yingji.Although he hadn't dealt with him for a long time, the former head of Fushe didn't seem to have changed much. He still had a dark and thin face, and he still had a hedgehog-like unshaven beard.Moreover, compared to when he was caught in the mountain village of Huizhou, he seemed to be a little fatter.Obviously, more than a month of captivity, and the threat of death that may come anytime and anywhere, did not hinder his eating, drinking and sleeping.Even at this moment, standing in the majestic Governor's Hall, he did not show any embarrassment at all; on the contrary, he stood peacefully as if in his own home.If it weren't for the sleeves that folded under the stomach, revealing a thick black chain, no one would have been able to tell that he was actually a prisoner.On the other hand, the short and fat jailer standing next to him was obviously panicked by his presumptuous attitude. Seeing that Hong Chengchou had turned out from behind the screen, Wu Yingji raised his face arrogantly, anxiously shouting "No, Pulling by hand is not enough. In the end, I had no choice but to quickly roll off my sleeves, bend my knees, and bowed to my boss as a "thousand" salute.

"That's all!" Hong Chengchou waved his hand, then turned to Wu Yingji, intending to meet him with a salute.However, the sound of the chain on the other party caught his attention. "Well, didn't I clearly order Mr. Wu to 'invite' here to talk!" He frowned, and said to the jailer, "How did you invite me? Hurry up, give me Mr. Wu's hand right away." Take things away!" The jailer was stunned for a moment, and quickly agreed, then took out a bunch of keys from his body, and hurriedly removed the chain. Only now did Hong Chengchou smile again, and bowed his hands to Wu Yingji.Seeing that the other party stood motionless, he didn't intend to return the courtesy, so he didn't feel annoyed, just nodded, walked to his seat, and sat down. "Oh, sir, please sit down!" Seeing that Wu Yingji was still standing still, Hong Chengchou gestured kindly, and then turned back to order the prison guards and those attendants who came in to serve, "Well, you can step back! I want to have a quiet time with Mr. Wu. Speak quietly." "No need!" Wu Yingji, who had been standing proudly all this time, suddenly said coldly, "Being courteous to others, one must ask for something. I, Wu Moujie, a prisoner on death row, even my life is in the hands of Mr. Hong, so what is it worth?" Such a courteous treatment? I think the adults have spent so much time these days, and all they want is Wu’s reputation. If this is the case, I advise you to stop early and be obsessed! It’s because Wu’s life is more important than his life. Absolutely will not let the adults go!" These few words were sharp and decisive, and before the conversation could begin, the door was shut behind the door.However, this is not the first time Hong Chengchou has dealt with the other party, and he is no stranger to such embarrassing words.Therefore, he just shook his head with a smile, and still sent the entourage out, and then turned around and said calmly: "Sir, please don't misunderstand. The student invited you here today, not because you want to ask for any honor from him, but Mr. Jiumu has a profound knowledge and knowledge, and it is just for me to be free today, and I just want to drink tea and have a conversation with him, and learn from each other!" When Hong Chengchou said this, it was naturally considered in advance.Given that the opponent is still very stubborn, he reckons that if he continues to persuade him to surrender directly, it will be difficult to have any effect.If it is not done well, it will suddenly lead to a deadlock.Therefore, I decided to take a detour and use the method of "learning from each other" that scholars are interested in to dispel the hostility of the other party.As for the topic of "discussion", he has also thought about it, and feels that he has sufficient grounds in his hands, and he is completely confident to convince the opponent.Perhaps because of this, while waiting for Wu Yingji's response, Hong Chengchou even felt a rare sense of urgency. Who knows, Wu Yingji didn't say a word, as if he didn't hear his explanation at all. "Well, the students invited Mr. to come today because they want to learn from each other!" Hong Chengchou repeated, and raised his voice slightly. Wu Yingji still stood indifferently, without any reaction. Hong Chengchou blinked, feeling a little embarrassed.He pondered for a while, and decided to ignore the other party's arrogance, so he stretched out his hand, picked up the teacup from the side table, lifted the lid, brushed the foam stains on the rim of the cup, and said with a smile: "Well, what Hong wants to discuss with Mr. today is the most important topic. It is not only about knowledge, but also about the common people and the world. Mr. Wen De is the leader of Fushe, and he takes the world as his own responsibility all his life. Characters, broadcast live in the government and the public, must have insight, you can teach me!" After saying these few opening remarks, he lowered his eyes without looking at the other party, and then said: "It's ashamed to say that the students want to ask for advice, but it's in front of everyone's eyes. This is the three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty. The foundation industry, the grace was given to China, and the benevolence was spread in the universe. Why did it die? The Qing Dynasty started outside the customs, with only a million people and a small area of ​​land. How did it prosper? There must be a very profound and difficult reason. Thinking about it over and over again, it is always bright and dark, and you can't get to the bottom of it..." When raising such a question, Hong Chengchou naturally had his own considerations.Because the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Qing Dynasty were a huge change that involved the whole country, no matter who it was, they couldn't avoid it.And the other party, as a scholar who takes the world as his own responsibility, must have thought about the cause and effect of this, and he will think a lot and deeply.But no matter how you think about it, it cannot change the fact that the Ming Dynasty declined and the Qing Dynasty flourished.As long as there is strong evidence to show that this result is inevitable, irreversible and irresistible, then it goes without saying that being loyal to the Ming Dynasty is a foolish behavior with no reason and no future .Hong Chengchou feels that approaching the issue in this way can shake and destroy the other party's belief more than superficial threats and temptations based on life and death, honor and disgrace.As for his claim that he is still vague about this issue, it is nothing more than pretending to circle around to induce the other party to speak. However, as if he had seen through this trick, Wu Yingji remained as silent as a stone.If there is any change, it is that there is a mocking sneer on the dark face. Hong Chengchou couldn't help but frowned, feeling that this person was really odiously arrogant.However, he was a little unwilling to interrupt the "discussion" and throw the other party out.After hesitating for a while, he finally decided to bite the bullet and speak first.However, because he couldn't figure out the reality of the other party, and the unpredictable sneer made him feel uncomfortable, so the tone of his speech inevitably became a little hesitant, and he lost his previous self-confidence. "As far as the students know," he tentatively looked at the other party, choosing words, "although there are many people who think about this topic, but they often talk about the facts, and there is no end to it. It is even said that the death of the Ming Dynasty is due to the rogues and The fact that my Qing Dynasty is one inside and one outside, and it is attacked from two sides; it is also said that my entry into the customs by the Qing Dynasty is a treachery, taking advantage of the dangers of others, and so on, is especially absurd! In fact, the decline of the Ming Dynasty and the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty are like the ebb and flow of the four seasons of day and night, which has its own inevitability What is the reason..." After setting out the topic in this way, he then listed various facts based on his own experience of dividing the two dynasties and gaining insight into the inside information, explaining how extremely dark and corrupt the Ming Dynasty regime was, and its demise was inevitable.Even if the Qing Dynasty does not intervene, this world will no longer be the world of the Ming Dynasty, but will definitely fall into the hands of "rogue bandits".In this way, the families of the noble gentry will inevitably be looted and retaliated by lawlessness, just like the scene that happened in countless areas and finally happened in Beijing.All in all, it was ruined, and there was no place to die!So instead of this, it is better to let the Qing Dynasty rule China.Because the Qing Dynasty finally defeated the evil "rogue bandits" and avenged the subjects of the Ming Dynasty.Moreover, the ruler of the Qing Dynasty was very talented and broad-minded, the monarchs and ministers were united as one, and the soldiers of the Eight Banners were brave and good at fighting, and they were invincible.Entering China can be said to be the destiny of heaven.In fact, the Qing Dynasty did not have any other excessive requirements. As long as they were willing to shave their hair and return to obedience, they would not only be able to maintain their former status and property, but also take advantage of the times to show their ambitions.Just like many old Ming officials, including Hong Chengchou himself, are doing... Hong Chengchou narrated with the attitude of a seasoned elder. If at the beginning, he hesitated a bit and carefully chose his words, then he gradually became fluent later on.Because I feel that what I said are irrefutable facts, no matter who is willing to think about it, they will find how incisive, reasonable, broad and pure, and kind to others.His phrases grew even more eloquent, his manners more earnest, and had a preacher-like sublime quality. . . . "Hahahaha!" A burst of laughter suddenly sounded, which startled Hong Chengchou, who was immersed in the excitement of the narration, and looked at it reflexively, only to realize that Wu Yingji had been silent for a long time, and at some point he had sat down for a while. chair, and let out that burst of sudden laughter. "Then," Wu Yingji suddenly withdrew his smile, "According to Mr. Hong, he has probably determined that the so-called death of the Ming Dynasty and the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty are justified and irresistible? But from Wu's point of view, it is not necessarily!" Hong Chengchou glanced at the other party, but didn't speak immediately.The few people who brought Xingyuan to talk with today are all diehards, and they will never give in easily, he is clear about this.But after spending a long time talking, he only got back such a sneer and a rebuttal from the other party, which made him somewhat discouraged.Of course, the other party never said a word until he finally spoke, explaining that what he had said had an effect after all... After weighing it this way, he put his attitude on more modestly, smiled slightly, and asked politely: "Oh? Appreciate further details." At this moment, Wu Yingji's eyes had moved to the roof beams.I saw a thoughtful look on his face, and he said to himself: "The Great Ming Dynasty is over. Although there are revivalists, it may be difficult; but the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty is like building a tower of sand and a house of ice. It's all in vain!" "Oh—how do you say that?" "What do you mean?" Wu Yingji turned his eyes back to Hong Chengchou's face, and said sarcastically, "You must know that China's confrontation with barbarians is like a man's struggle with tigers and wolves. Tigers and wolves may eat people for a while, but they cannot win people for a long time." This is an eternal truth! Otherwise, today Wu would not be in this magnificent house with Mr. Hong, drinking tea and burning incense, 'comparing knowledge', but could only lie down among the thorns, hazels, and grass, like a fox and a rabbit. Howling!" Describing the Qing people who rose outside the customs as ferocious tigers and wolves, not human beings, this is a common view of Chinese scholars who insist on anti-Qing stance, and it is also a rather effective means for them to appeal to the people.Undoubtedly, it is true that those conquerors from wild lands were uneducated by the Central Plains, not good at farming and weaving, had a simple livelihood, blindly advocated force, and did not know the way of civil rule; From what I have seen and heard, regardless of the middle and low-level officials and people, when it comes to the upper-level princes and nobles, including Emperor Shunzhi and Regent Dorgon, they are actually very admiring of China's civilization and education, and they have been working hard to learn.Hong Chengchou privately felt that as long as they were willing to do so, they would not only be able to secure the world like many rulers in the past, but also preserve the traditional Chinese civilization and education.And to achieve this, it is necessary to have a large number of Han officials to participate in and jointly try to promote and facilitate... Of course, such an idea must be implemented with extreme caution, and it must never be stated clearly.Therefore, how to convey this meaning to Wu Yingji made Hong Chengchou feel quite hesitant. "Sir, what you said is wrong!" After a long while, he said slowly, "After my dynasty came to rule China, the rules and regulations will be the same as those of the previous Ming Dynasty. If you submit to the Han officials, all can be used, and the four books and five classics are still used to open courses and select scholars. .How can tigers and wolves see it!" "How can tigers and wolves see it?" Wu Yingji's eyes suddenly opened wide.He stood up abruptly, gritted his teeth and said: "The Jian barbarians occupied my land, plundered my property, burned my house, killed my people, raped my women, and forced me to shave my hair. In Jiangnan alone, there are ten days in Yangzhou, The Three Massacres in Jiading and the massacre in Jiangyin, millions of souls were exterminated, even though tigers and wolves cannibalized people, it would not be so tragic! You want me to treat you as a human being, thanks for being able to say it! Also, you Hong Hengjiu was born Han descendants, who inherited a famous education from a young age, received the grace of the country, did not think of repaying it with death, but dragged their lives away, recognized captives as their fathers, and lured wolves into their houses. It can be said that they do not know that there is shame in the world! They are still here today, pretending to be hypocritical, and want to learn from me, Wu What knowledge. May I ask if you deserve it? Huh?" This swearing can be described as bloody, but it is also true, making it impossible for Hong Chengchou to refute.And at the moment of life and death, out of nostalgia for his life, he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. Although he has not regretted it so far, he felt a little guilty and short of breath in his heart, and he couldn't straighten his waist.However, in the face of the other party's aggressive accusations, it would be impossible not to answer at all, so he could only reluctantly say: "During the period of the Ding Revolution, wars and chaos continued, and the lives of the people were devastated. There will be no generation or generation. This is also a last resort. What's more, the Ming Dynasty's government was chaotic and chaotic. The reason why the military disaster has never ended is because some gentry, Li and common people in the south of the Yangtze River are engaged in meaningless disputes over the matter of shaving their hair and changing their clothes. In fact, the survival of enlightenment lies in the rules and regulations, the scriptures, the rules and rituals, and the rest are all side matters. .As for the great masters, I have always followed the good ones in the past, and I have kept the old ones without changing them. This also shows the insightful mind of the new master! Whoever has a conscience, how can he not change his mind?" Wu Yingji stood with steadfast eyes, which made Hong Chengchou feel that the other party was thinking about his words.However, in just a split second, his expectation was once again broken by a sudden burst of laughter. "Hahahaha! Then after they all learn how to be human, Master Hong will come and tell Wu! However, I am afraid that tigers and wolves will be tigers and wolves after all, and they will not become humans until they die; Turned into a beast! Hahahaha!" While laughing and cursing like this, Wu Yingji turned around and walked out swaggeringly. Hong Chengchou didn't move.For a moment, he looked at the tall and thin back of the other party in disappointment, and those stone-like words rolled in his heart. "It seems that I am worrying in vain. It is useless! This kind of person is too extreme. He only wants to show his talent and try to be quick for a while. Even if he surrenders, I am afraid that it will be more than a success and more than a failure. Then, let his name be honored." The festival is over!" He thought with a wry smile, and then gestured to the jailer standing outside the hall.After the latter hurriedly walked in, he ordered with a straight face: "Well, lock him up and send him to death row!" The jailer responded with a "cha", and then asked for instructions: "Then the other two..." Hong Chengchou hesitated for a while, and then swallowed hard: "Forget it, we will all be sent to prison. The governor will report to the court!" After speaking, he stood up, flicked his sleeves, and turned to the back hall without looking back. go.