Chapter 70 251 Xia Wanchun Angrily Rebukes Hong Chengchou

After the collapse of the Hongguang regime, the anti-Qing forces along the southeast coast continued to fight. In June 1645, Ming Dynasty officials Huang Daozhou and Zheng Zilong established a separate Ming Dynasty clan in Fuzhou, and Tang Wang Zhu Yujian (yu sound yu) ascended the throne, known as Emperor Longwu in history.Another group of officials, Zhang Guowei and Zhang Huangyan, supported Lu Wang Zhu Yihai to supervise the country in Shaoxing.In this way, two Nanming regimes emerged at the same time. In order to deal with the anti-Qing forces, the Qing court sent the military governor Hong Chengchou who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty in the Battle of Songshan to appease Jiangnan.

At this time, a group of scholars in Songjiang (in present-day Shanghai) were also planning to fight against the Qing Dynasty, led by Xia Yunyi (sound yi) and Chen Zilong.Xia Yunyi has a fifteen-year-old son named Xia Wanchun (sound chun), who is also Chen Zilong's student.Xia Wanchun has read a lot of books since he was a child, and he is good at poetry and prose. Under the influence of his father and teacher, he also participated in the anti-Qing struggle. It is not enough to rely on a few scholars to organize a rebel army.Xia Yunyi had a student, Wu Zhikui, who was the commander-in-chief of Wu Song, and he still had some troops under him.They persuaded Wu Zhikui to fight against the Qing Dynasty together.Wu Zhikui agreed, and sent a team as the vanguard to attack Suzhou.The fight went smoothly at first, and the vanguard attacked Suzhou City, but Wu Zhikui hesitated before the battle and did not reinforce in time. As a result, Jincheng's rebel army was besieged and sacrificed, and Wu Zhikui's main force was also defeated outside the city.

Soon, the Qing army besieged Songjiang. Xia Yunyi, his son, and Chen Zilong rushed out of the Qing army's encirclement and hid in the countryside.The Qing soldiers searched everywhere, trying to lure Xia Yunyi to surrender.Xia Yunyi didn't want to fall into the hands of the Qing soldiers, so she threw herself into the river pond to commit suicide.He left a will, asking Xia Wanchun to inherit his anti-Qing legacy. His father's sacrifice caused Xia Wanchun's great grief, and also aroused his hatred of the Qing Dynasty.He and Chen Zilong returned to Songjiang secretly, preparing to organize an uprising army again.At this time, they found out that there was an anti-Qing rebel army led by Wu Yi in Changbaidang, Taihu Lake, and they were regrouping.Xia Wanchun sold all his family property, donated it to the rebel army as military pay, and became a staff officer under Wu Yi.He also wrote a memorial and sent someone to Shaoxing to send it to the King of Lu, asking the King of Lu to persist in resisting the Qing Dynasty.King Lu heard that it was a young man who submitted the letter, and he appreciated it very much, and bestowed Xia Wanchun with the official title of Zhongshu Sheren.

Wu Yi's navy haunted the Taihu Lake, beating the Qing army dizzily.But later, due to the betrayal of the traitors, the rebel army failed, and Wu Yi also died. A year later, Chen Zilong secretly instigated Wu Shengzhao, the admiral of Songjiang in the Qing Dynasty, to rebel against the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, the mutiny failed again. Wu Shengzhao was killed and Chen Zilong was also arrested by the Qing army.Unwilling to be humiliated, Chen Zilong broke free from the rope and committed suicide by jumping into the river while being escorted to Nanjing. Ha Wan-soon is mourning the loss of his teacher, having been arrested himself because of a traitor who informed him.The Qing army sent heavy troops to escort him to Nanjing.

Xia Wanchun was held in prison for 80 days.He wrote many evocative poems and letters to his relatives and friends.The threat of death did not frighten him. What he felt sad was that his ambition of defending the nation and restoring the Central Plains had not been realized. The interrogation of Xia Wanchun began, and it was Hong Chengchou, who recruited Jiangnan, who presided over the interrogation.Hong Chengchou knew that Xia Wanchun was a well-known "child prodigy" in the south of the Yangtze River, and wanted to use softening methods to make Xia Wanchun succumb.He asked Xia Wanchun, "I heard that you wrote a memorial to King Lu. Is there such a thing?"

Xia Wanchun raised his head and replied, "It's my handwriting." Hong Chengchou pretended to be gentle and said: "I don't think you will rebel at such a young age. You must have been instigated by others. As long as you are willing to return to the Qing Dynasty, I will do it for you." Xia Wanchun pretended not to know that Hong Chengchou was sitting on it, and said sharply: "I heard that there was a Mr. Hong Hengjiu (Hong Chengchou's character) in my dynasty. Zhonglie. Although I am young, I will sacrifice myself to serve the country, how can I fall behind him."

These words made Hong Chengchou laugh and cry, sweating profusely.The soldier next to him thought that Xia Wanchun really didn't know Hong Chengchou, so he reminded him: "Don't talk nonsense, Master Hong is sitting up there." Xia Wanchun let out a "bah" and said: "Mr. Hong sacrificed for the country, everyone in the world does not know. Emperor Chongzhen once set up a sacrifice in person, and the officials of the Manchu Dynasty mourned for him. How dare you traitors pretend to be martyrs and insult loyal souls!" After finishing speaking, he pointed at Hong Chengchou and kept cursing.Hong Chengchou was so scolded that his face was ashamed, and he didn't dare to continue the interrogation. He slapped the gavel and ordered the soldiers to pull Xia Wanchun out.

In September of 1647 AD, this young hero who was only seventeen years old was killed in Nanjing West Market.His friends transported his body back to Songjiang and buried it next to his father's tomb.Up to now, in the west of Songjiang City, Xia Yunyi is still there.The joint tomb of Xia Wanchun's father and son.