Chapter 54 end of song

The "scandal" of Qian Qianyi's family made Huang Shu very interested.However, this staff member of the Qing Governor Xingyuan did not know that at the banquet in Changyin Pavilion, he inadvertently talked about Hong Chengchou's current plight, which also aroused great attention from Yu Huai, Shen Shizhu and Liu Jingting. People's aspirations are often different in this way. Huang Shu has undoubtedly devoted himself to the Qing Dynasty, but as friends who used to be like-minded, Yu Huai and others are just the opposite.Faced with the deep pain of the country's destruction and the great humiliation of being forced to shave their hair and change their uniforms, although they accepted it on the surface, they gritted their teeth in private, desperate for life, and had a strong desire for the comeback of the Ming Dynasty.In fact, they are currently having secret connections with a latent anti-Qing force in the suburbs of Nanjing.This anti-Qing force was assembled by those who were unwilling to surrender in the Nanjing area, ranging from old officials of the gentry to traffickers and pawns.They held out a prince from the former Ming Dynasty as a call, and the number of people in the city and the four townships outside the city has grown to tens of thousands to 20,000.In view of the fact that Nanjing, as an important military city in the Qing Dynasty's control of the Jiangnan area, was very heavily guarded, they could only conduct activities in an extremely covert manner at the moment, but they had been actively planning, spying on the situation, and waiting for the opportunity to start an incident.Therefore, I suddenly learned from Huang Shu that due to the transfer of a large number of troops, the Qing Dynasty had only 4,000 soldiers and horses left in Nanjing with dilapidated equipment, and they were not as powerful as originally imagined. This naturally aroused Yu Huai and others of great concern.Although during the banquet, in order to avoid arousing Huang Shu's suspicion, they all pretended not to care, and they didn't even ask about it, but after the party was over and Huang Shu left, they immediately deliberated on the information. , and decided to report to the base camp located in a secret place outside the city as soon as possible.

Now, Shen Shizhu, who was in charge of delivering the information, had been away for five full days, and Yu Huai had already returned to his home in Xiaoyoufang Lane, not far from the Qinhuai River.As a scholarly family in Putian, Fujian, Yu Huai moved his family to Nanjing in the 15th year of Chongzhen.Half a year ago, when Emperor Hongguang fled, Zhao Zhilong, Wang Duo, Qian Qianyi and others decided to sacrifice the city and surrender. The resentment and despair in his heart cannot be described in words.Later, seeing that the Qing army strengthened its control step by step, and the environment became more and more harsh, he had to grit his teeth and endure in silence.In this way, more than a month ago, Shen Shizhu, who had lost contact with him for a long time, suddenly dressed as a monk, came to his home, and talked to him about many situations in the outside world, including the news that King Tang proclaimed himself emperor in Fujian, King Lu supervised the country in eastern Zhejiang, and so on. It was revealed that in the suburbs of Nanjing, there was also an anti-Qing force secretly operating. If he wanted to participate, Shen Shizhu could act as a matchmaker on his behalf.Surprised and delighted, Yu Huai expressed his willingness after some consideration.Then they learned that Liu Jingting was also a like-minded person, so the three of them used the cover of going to Changyin Pavilion to listen to books, and they often went back and forth to collect information for the rebel army...

It was already noon, and the smell of burning pickles came into the study through the gap in the door curtain.Originally, Yu Huai's family had a lot of property in the countryside of Fujian, and relying on the rent sent there every year, their life in Nanjing was not lacking.However, due to the continuous fighting in the south for the past six months, the roads were blocked, and seeing that it was already the end of the twelfth lunar month, people from my hometown still did not send money, and it was not clear whether they would even send money; , On weekdays, there are large and small businesses, and the family savings are also spent a lot.Therefore, in recent days, they have had to reduce their expenses as much as possible and prepare to spend less on food and clothing.However, right now, Yu Huai's mind is not on the nauseating smell of pickles, but on the fact that Shen Shizhu hasn't come back yet, and he feels more and more anxious.Because in recent days, probably due to the weak force in the city, the Qing army has also been quite nervous because of the fear of accidents. Fa-rectification on the spot without mercy.When Shen Shizhu left, he had said that he would be back in two days at the earliest, or three days later, but now it was already the fifth day, and he still disappeared. Could something happen on the way?In case of being captured by the Qing soldiers, would Shen Shizhu survive under torture and interrogation?If he can't stand it anymore, if he confesses his accomplices, will he also... It is this kind of suspense and worry that makes Yu Huai more and more restless and restless, but this kind of mood cannot be expressed to him. His family said, therefore, he could only hide in the study alone and worry...

"Master, master!" A familiar voice called out from outside the door, it was his personal attendant Ah Wei. "What's the matter?" Yu Huai stopped walking around the room and asked vigilantly. "Grandpa, this matter, this matter must be told by the little one." Yu Huai blinked, feeling that Ah Wei's voice was a little strange, and he obviously lowered it. "Could it be Shen Kuntong?" He thought, so he hurriedly stepped forward, opened the warm curtain on the door, and let in his relatives who were wrapped in a cloud of cold air. "What's the matter?" Seeing Ah Wei standing by the door, still not speaking, just lowering his head and putting his hands to his mouth, Yu Huai couldn't help asking sharply.

Ah Wei just wiped his nose, and said hesitantly, "Master Shi, Shi Niang has someone coming again, she said yes, said she would like to come over today no matter what, she has something important to do." To tell the uncle." Yu Huai was still in a daze at first, unable to recover for a while, but when he finally came to his senses, he frowned, glared at the other party angrily, and turned away from the door. "Hmph, you've been making trouble for a long time, just to tell me about this?" He said angrily. Ah Wei shrank his neck knowing he was guilty: "But, but Ten Niang..."

Yu Huai said nothing more.With his hands behind his back, he walked back and forth in the room for a while, and finally turned his head: "Okay, tell someone, I'll go right away." After Ah Wei agreed and walked away quickly with relief, he thought for a while, and then returned to the west wing room where he lived in daily life, changed his clothes again, because the weather was cold, he also put on a windbreaker and a hood, and then stepped into the room. He got on a donkey, followed by Ah Weixiang, left the house, and walked slowly along the long and narrow snow-covered streets towards the direction of the Qinhuai River.

The Shiniang that Awei mentioned was Li Shiniang, a famous prostitute in the old court who lived in Hanxiuzhai.Yu Huai had always had a good relationship with her in the past, especially Shi Niang's younger sister, Li Mei, who had a hot fight with Yu Huai for a while, and it was very good.But since the Qing soldiers entered the city, due to his bad mood, Yu Huai hadn't moved there for several months.The ten niang sisters are also very knowledgeable, after asking for a few times, seeing that Yu Huai did not respond, they stopped pestering him.Until the last few days, for some unknown reason, they suddenly changed their routine and sent people one after another to invite Yu Huai over, saying that they had something to discuss.But this time, because Yu Huai had to wait for Shen Shizhu's news, he couldn't get away, so he dragged on.It was only at this moment, seeing that there was no news from Shen Shizhu, and Li Shiniang was in a hurry, that he decided to put aside his worries for the time being and go to Hanxiu Zhai first.

Yu Huai's home is not too far from Qinhuaihe River. When you leave Xiaoyoufang Lane, turn right and turn left again, and you will arrive soon.This area is where Yu Huai often travels.He naturally remembered very clearly, whether it was on both sides of the Gongyuan on this side of the river, or along the banks of the old courtyard on the other side of the river, just half a year ago, it was still such a lively and prosperous scene: row upon row of shops, row upon row of shops, competitive river houses, people The noisy tea house and the theater with drums and music attract businessmen and tourists from all over the world all day long.Needless to say, in summer and autumn, the bustling scene is like a temple fair every day; even at the end of the year, the streets will not be deserted.Because hanging lanterns, preparing new year's goods, paying the gods to bid farewell to the new year, and paying New Year's greetings are enough for every household to be busy until the beginning of the next spring.But now, this kind of prosperity, like a dream that was suddenly awakened, was completely fragmented.Although the Qing army did not burn, kill or loot after entering the city, and repeatedly told the residents not to panic, and the shops were open as usual, but the market still quickly cooled down.Of course, it doesn’t mean that people don’t have to worry about food and clothing anymore, nor does it mean that people deliberately neglect this well-known land of luxury and luxury. It’s just that the vigor of competing for luxury disappeared somehow.Up to now, if it is said that there are still a few shops and restaurants on the side of the Gongyuan that support their facades, and there are more pedestrians coming and going, then the area around the old courtyard across the river, apart from the silence of the music and the desolation of the lanes , and became littered with rubbish and overgrown with weeds, it was a palpitating dilapidation and desolation.Yu Huai hadn't been to the old courtyard for several months, so when he passed the Wuding Bridge and faced the scene in front of him, he was a little suspicious that he had gone to the wrong place. "Ah, how did it become like this? How did it become like this?" He opened his eyes and looked around, thinking in surprise.At the same time, he suddenly felt worried, so he slapped the donkey's butt with a whip, and rushed straight to Han Xiuzhai.

Probably already got the reward from the bustard in advance, and had sent people to watch all the time. Just as Yu Huai reined in in front of the gate of Hanxiu Zhai, Li Shiniang and her younger sister Mei Jie came out to welcome her.They didn't greet people with smiling faces as usual, but just yelled: "Young Master Yu!" They choked up, and immediately after, the circles of their eyes turned red. "You——what are you doing? What happened?" Yu Huai, who was startled, quickly turned over and got off the donkey, and went forward to ask. "No...it's nothing. It's because I haven't seen you for a long time, so..." Li Shiniang lowered her head slightly, pretending to say, and then turned sideways, making a gesture of concession, "Please...please come in and serve tea."

Yu Huai originally wanted to ask more questions, but after hesitating for a while, he closed his mouth, stepped forward, and walked straight in. Li Shiniang's Hanxiu Zhai has always been famous for being unique among the famous prostitutes' homes in the old courtyard.It doesn't have any luxurious decorations such as jewelry, gold and jade, but everything is spotlessly clean, exquisite and unusual, and there is not even a single bit of worldliness to pick out.Especially in front of the Changxuan in the second entrance, the old plum with a strange posture and a dozen stems of green bamboos that are crystal clear and jade-like make the whole environment quiet and unrestrained, peaceful and pleasant.In the past, when Fang Yizhi, Chen Zhenhui and a group of friends in the circle gathered, they always liked to choose this place to settle down.As a frequent visitor, Yu Huai is especially familiar with everything here.But right now, when he walked through the small main room and stepped into the courtyard of the second entrance as usual, he was startled.He found that everything had changed. Although the whole courtyard was still well cleaned, it looked bare and bright.The mid-day sun shines down unobstructed, and the rocky mountains, guardrails and futon grass that used to be beautifully hidden in the mottled green shadows are exposed to the cold and glare of the sky, completely losing the charm of the past ; and the place where an old plum tree once crouched like a yawning dragon, there is only half of the ax-scarred stump left; The dozen or so poles of emerald bamboos that had been washed also disappeared without a trace, leaving only a row of jagged bamboo roots.Not only that, looking in from the open door of the open room, the inside seems empty, all the antique and exquisite decorations in the past are gone, and even the tables, chairs and couch seem to be empty...

"You, what's wrong with you?" Because the changes in front of him were too frightening, Yu Huai couldn't help turning around abruptly, and asked with wide eyes, "Could it be that something happened?" Perhaps it had been expected that the guests would have such a reaction, but Li Shiniang seemed very calm. "It's nothing, it's all chopped off, it was done by my servant," she said. "But why cut it off?" "Because there is no fire, and the weather is too cold, it is impossible for the whole family to freeze to death." "If you don't burn them, go buy them! How can you cut them down?" Because she regretted that those beautiful trees were destroyed, and because she didn't expect that they would be used for such a purpose, Yu Huai couldn't help being both surprised and angry. "My family also went to buy it at the beginning, but then seeing that the money was almost gone, I had to talk about it first. You may not know it, but the rice in the city is really too expensive right now!" When Li Shiniang said this, although her voice was low and she didn't raise her eyes, Yu Huai froze as if she had been hit by a blow unexpectedly.That's right, when Sister Shi Niang sent someone to urge her several times, he also speculated about the other party's intentions, but he always guessed that it was just because he hadn't come to the door for a long time, and Sister Mei missed her so much, but he never thought that it was only a few months away Well, these two famous prostitutes who were extremely popular for a while are already so poor that they can't even get rid of the blame!Then the reason why they hurriedly urged themselves to come here seems to be out of necessity; on the contrary, they seem to be too cold and ruthless when they keep procrastinating... "So that's how it is!" He raised his head and looked at the other party apologetically, "I really don't know at all. But you should have made it clear earlier, no matter what, I won't just stand by and let it go, and neither will you It's such a mess!" After a pause, seeing Li Shiniang bowed her head and made no sound, he waved his hand and said bluntly, "Well, I'll let Ah Wei go back immediately, and send over ten taels of silver first; as for the rest, we can discuss it later!" "Thank you, sir, for your kindness," Li Shiniang said, leaning sideways, folded her sleeves on her waist, and saluted, "It's just that my family doesn't need money anymore!" "Huh? No need—why?" "Because, because the slave family has decided to marry a good man!" When Li Shiniang said this, her voice was still low.But Yu Huai couldn't help shaking in his heart, and was stunned again.Yes, so far, although he and the other party have a good relationship, they have always been limited to literary and wine acquaintances, and there is no deeper connection. Therefore, what kind of destination the other party chooses in the end is not a real pain for him at all. .However, even so, Yu Huai still couldn't help feeling agitated when thinking of those women who added infinite charm and value to the Qinhuai River with their beauty and talent, and finally left one by one. Feeling lost. "It's -- it's good to marry a good person. I just wonder who is the husband-in-law who can enjoy this unparalleled beauty?" After a long while, he forced a smile and asked. Li Shiniang shook her head: "At this level, you don't need to ask me! In short, he is not like you, and he is not like your friends." "Oh, then it must be a croaking old man! But..." "My lord!" Li Shiniang raised her head suddenly, her long pale round face flushed with anger, "Please don't ask any more questions! Please, will you?" After saying so sharply, she seemed to know that she was losing her composure, turned around with a wry smile, looked at the stumped root of the old plum tree that had been cut down, and said in a low voice: "Please forgive me, my lord. Offended! In fact, the country is ruined and the family is ruined, and the army is in turmoil. What kind of home can people like Nujia expect to have?" She still didn't say who was going to marry her, but Yu Huai already understood that this must be an extremely helpless and unsuitable marriage.So he didn't ask any more, but deep in his heart, he clearly felt a sharp sting, a sting that saw the beautiful things he cherished perish, but was unable to protect and save them.Perhaps because of this, he suddenly thought of Fang Yizhi, so he let out a long breath and said: "If only I could find Fang Mizhi! If he knew that you had fallen into this kind of land, he would definitely marry you. It's a pity that he left in a hurry that day, and he heard that he was going south all the time. Eastern Guangdong. I don’t know if it’s true or not, alas!” Li Shiniang raised her head, her still pretty lips moved, and gave a sad smile, saying, "Master, you don't need to comfort the slave family. The slave family has already thought about it. Yes. I, I know...my life is just, just this kind of suffering..." As she spoke, her slender body trembled pitifully like a willow in the wind.Even though she tried her best to cover her mouth with a handkerchief, she couldn't control herself. In the end, she suddenly fell down on the stone pier beside her, crying heartbreakingly...