Chapter 50 The memory of Yu Ruizi, the person who witnessed it in the third section

In November of the 16th year of Chongzhen (AD 1643), Zhang Xianzhong occupied all of Hunan and a part of Jiangxi.This is the largest area he has occupied since the uprising, and it stands to reason that he should use this as his base to seek hegemony. However, at this time, Li Zicheng had swept across northern China, Beijing was just around the corner, and the general trend of unifying the empire had become apparent.Since Zhang Xianzhong was not willing to bow his head to Li Zicheng as a minister, he had no choice but to give up this place bordering Li Jun as soon as possible, and stay away from Li Zicheng's couch for the future.

There is no place in the world that is easier to defend but harder to attack than Shu.As far as the empire is concerned, Sichuan is a remote corner, with the Qinling Mountains in the north and the Three Gorges in the east, all of which are natural dangers.There are also abundant human and material resources in the middle of Shu, which is enough to establish a country. Zhang Xianzhong is a decisive person.In the spring of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen (AD 1644), he led his entire army up the river and entered Sichuan along the line of Badong, Wushan, and Fengjie. battle. After breaking the city, there are only a few simple and concise words in the history books about the actions of Zhang Xianzhong's department: "Chongqing fell, the (Ming clan Rui) king was arrested, his wife and son committed suicide behind closed doors." Below, 10,000 people died", "thieves broke the arms of soldiers and 37,000 people".

People in peaceful times may not be able to feel the fear and pain that Chongqing people encountered in the catastrophe at that time through these few twenty words.Throughout the ages, in the land of the East, some content in wars has been nothing but a dull repetition, such as fires, massacres, and the death of women.A few years ago, when Zhang Xianzhong broke through the city of Luzhou in Anhui (now Hefei, Anhui), a scholar named Yu Ruizi in the city recorded Zhang Bu's actions in an article.We can borrow these records from Yu Ruizi to understand what the word "city break" meant to the people in that era-in the eighth year of Chongzhen (1635 AD), Zhang Xianzhong's troops plundered Anhui.

On the sixth day of May, before dawn, suddenly there was a loud noise in the city of Luzhou, Anhui, and the people were in a commotion.It turned out that Zhang Xianzhong's troops had raided and breached Luzhou City while the citizens were sleeping, and Zhang Jun's cavalry kept passing by on the street.The Yu family was in a mess, discussing what to do.Yu Ruizi recalled: "My mother said: 'Run away, leave me alone!' My wife also shouted: 'Run away, don't hurt you! I only die!' So I ran away from home with my second brother." When disaster strikes, Chinese women who are used to sacrificing in life will continue to give up the chance to live to men, while Chinese men will do their part. Wang Xiuchu, a Qing Dynasty author, wrote "Ten Diaries of Yangzhou" There are also similar records - Yu Ruizi ran away with her younger brother. "When we arrived at Gulou South Street, the street was already full of people. If you go south, Zhang Xianzhong's soldiers are on the south side; if you run north, the north side is already guarded by Zhang Jun. People are running around like fish swimming in a cauldron. I was lost at this time. I saw a house on the street with an open door, so I got in and got under the bed in the bedroom. At this time, another person also ran into the yard in a panic. Followed by a Zhang Jun. That man was scared to death and trembling all over. Fortunately, the soldier said to him: "Don't be afraid, I won't kill you. Our master wants us to appease you."

Hearing this, Yu Ruizi thought that since they don't want to kill people, it's better to come out, or after a while the soldiers will search the things and set fire to the house, and they will have nowhere to escape.So, tremblingly climbed out. The soldier found two big donkeys in the yard and ordered them to lead them to Cross Street to carry things.Passing by a door on the road, there was an old man guarding the door.The soldier asked him: "Do you have any animals at home?" The old man replied: "No." The soldier swung a knife and chopped the old man's head to death.Searching in the courtyard, there were no animals, only a large pile of silk and satin clothes was found, which was carried on the donkey's back and put down outside the west gate.Yu Ruizi was escorted by soldiers back to the city to find wine.

Passing by Yu's house on the way, Yu Ruizi "looked from the fire alley, and saw the old grandmother standing and looking out, holding on to the back door frame, and I didn't dare to say hello to her. At this time, I didn't know that my mother had passed the holidays." She sank into the pond, and my wife also jumped into the pond. Fortunately, she didn't lose her neck, and her head was covered in duckweed, and she died. My sister-in-law, Mrs. Zhou, was a step too late, and was sent to the hospital as soon as she ran to the edge of the pond. Zhang Jun came and grabbed her, and Zhou struggled as hard as he could, but Zhang Jun slashed his neck and passed out. The knife cut was not deep, and the throat was not severed, so he did not die until June of the following year."

The mass death of women was a fixture of Eastern siege warfare.Their self-awareness is also repeatedly astonishing.They are heroic and cowardly, noble and simple. Yu Ruizi carried the wine jar and passed Huilongqiao Lane. "When I went to the stone platform of Zhaojiatang, I saw women all over the pond, some of them drowned and their bodies lay on the water, and many of them were not dead, half-floating and half-sinking in the pond. There were also an old woman and a young woman standing on the platform. , hesitated and dared not jump down. Seeing us coming, the young woman was about to run into the pond. The soldier who was escorting me stepped forward and pulled me away to take me away. The woman cried and struggled. The old woman tremblingly persuaded me Said: "Grandpa Qiansui told you to go, you go!" The woman cried even more and refused to go."

Yu Ruizi boldly stepped forward to persuade the soldier, saying: "Master, such a big city is missing such a woman? What do you want her to do?" people.