Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty-seventh: Wu Yingxiong seeks refuge with Yang Qilong, the little boy scares Wang Zhenbang to death

The twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month is the new year. In the city of Beijing, every family is reunited, offering incense and toasting, and sending off the Stove Lord, hoping that he will go to heaven to say good things and return to the palace for good luck.However, in the Luhe Station on the outskirts of Beijing, a group of people gathered there. What they planned was not a good thing, but a rebellion; what they wanted to bring to the people of the capital was not auspiciousness, but disaster.This group of people is Yang Qilong and the stewards of Zhong Sanlang Xiangtang. Half a month ago, Yang Qilong suddenly shifted from Zhou Mansion on Gulou West Street in the city to Luhe Station. Once he arrived, he blocked the intersection, blocked the news, and strictly prohibited anyone from entering or leaving.Xiao Maozi, the chief eunuch of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and Wang Zhenbang, the eunuch in charge of the Wenhua Hall, were also brought along by him.After several days and nights of secret discussions, the plan for the uprising has been roughly finalized, and Xiao Maozi participated in these secret meetings.After grasping the whole situation, he rushed back to the palace to report the news, but he couldn't escape.Besides, what day was the incident?He wanted to find out the truth again, so he didn't act rashly.

The secret meeting that night was the key and the last big gathering before the incident.In the main hall of the No. 2 entrance courtyard of Luhe Station, candles were burning brightly, and the aroma of wine was overflowing.Yang Qilong sat in the middle, and the hall masters, counselors, generals and admirals of all provinces were all around.After drinking for three rounds, Yang Qilong blushed and stood up excitedly, "Everyone, let me tell you a piece of good news. Wu Sangui has already made a move! Geng Jingzhong also took Fujian governor Fan Chengmo into custody, and Shang Zhixin also detained his father Shang Kexi. The governors of Guangdong and Guangxi joined forces to discuss the Qing Dynasty. At this moment, the south of the Xiangjiang River is no longer the world of the Qing Dynasty!"

The people at the banquet immediately became a sensation, some whispered to each other, some talked and laughed happily, some held their wine glasses in thought, some just pursed their lips and laughed, the atmosphere was very lively and lively. "We have decided to start an incident," Yang Qilong declared solemnly, "There are a few things that we need to discuss with you all, please ask the military adviser, Mr. Li, to talk about it." Li Zhuyuan and Yang Qilong were sitting next to each other. At this time, he slowly got up and looked around at everyone; "Everyone, we are about to set up a flag and start a riot. The "national name" is still Daming, and the reign name is Guangde. On the first day of the first month of next year , which is the first year of Guangde in the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Cijiong, the third prince of Emperor Chongzhen and Zhaolie, is the main one."

There was a murmur among the crowd.The hall master who came from other provinces only knew that there was the third prince Zhu, but he had never met him. Li Zhu understood in his heart and pointed to Yang Qilong: "Everyone, please see that Yang Qilong who is sitting in the middle of the high seat is the third prince of the late emperor. During the Jiashen change, the robbers captured Beijing, and after the first emperor was martyred, the third prince changed his name to Yang Qilong. It has been more than 30 years since the third prince changed his name to Yang Qilong. .Now it’s finally time to start an incident, so from now on, the name should be rectified.”

The crowd rose up suddenly and paid homage to Yang Qilong, Yang Qilong sat upright and received the ceremony, complacent.He waved everyone back to their seats, and signaled Li Zhu to continue talking. "At the time of the incident, use the fire as a sign - from the inner court, the Great Buddha Temple, Miaoying Temple, Wen Daxiang Ci, Confucian Temple, Jingshan Mountain, Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Li Zhuowu's Tomb, Dazhong Temple, Reclining Buddha Temple, Lanmian Hutong and Zhengang There are thirteen places in the tower, and in the middle of the night, the cannons are fired, and the whole city is mobilized to attack the Forbidden City."

"For the sake of easy identification, we made 20,000 red hats. The eunuch Zhongxiangtang has fifty-six leaders in the congregation, and they have been distributed in advance. With their internal support, we will definitely break into the palace in one fell swoop and seize the center that governs the universe. Now What needs to be discussed is when is the right time to act. Please let the hall masters and generals express their opinions freely for the third prince to make a decision." A Shandong Xiangtang hall master with a mustache stood up and shouted loudly: "Hey, what's there to discuss, just do it, do it now!"

Xiao Maozi was terrified when he heard it, and the news could not be delivered. If the gangsters attacked immediately, wouldn't Da Nei suffer again?No, you have to hold them back.He pondered for a while, then stood up, first bowed to Yang Qilong, then made a big bow in a round circle, stood in the middle and said: "Third Prince, military advisor and all hall masters, listen to me, Let’s talk about the time of the incident. Today is the best day, how auspicious it is for the new year!” Yang Qilong smiled and interjected: "It's good, I'm afraid it's too late." "That's right, but if you miss today, you have to choose another auspicious day. The third prince has been waiting for more than 30 years, so you can't be in a hurry. If you miss the date, it will be bad." He said , counting with his fingers: "Tomorrow twenty-four, sweeping the house on the twenty-fourth - the smog is not good. Well, twenty-five, grinding tofu, turning around in circles, not getting out, is not good. Twenty-five Sixth, go to cut the meat, bloody, no. Twenty-six, kill the stove chicken, which is good at first, but the golden rooster is called Ming, and it just corresponds to the word Ming. If you kill it, you can’t call it. Twenty-eight, send your face, hey, Look at the big one, pinch a dead pimple, that's fine. Twenty-nine, pour rice wine, hey--this is a good day, wine helps heroes courage, let go of your hands and feet. Prince, I think twenty-nine is fine. "

When Yang Qilong heard that he pushed the days back further and further, he felt a little suspicious and his face turned ugly.Li Zhucheng's mansion is very deep, and he also suspected the little boy, but he didn't show his face. He thought to himself, it seems that it is not appropriate to discuss the time of the incident publicly. In advance, isn't it a sentence?Thinking of this, he stepped forward, patted Xiao Maozi on the shoulder and said, "Good boy, you have a clear mind, one thing is right, and one thing is right. I don't think it's vague. Since it's delayed, we might as well postpone it for two days. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, when the imperial palace in the capital is celebrating, let’s take a surprise action, cook dumplings in clear water, and ask him to eat his fill!”

The crowd roared with laughter, everyone applauded, and Xiao Maozi returned to his seat in a high spirited manner, picked up his glass and drank it down, waiting for the next sentence.Li Zhu cleared his throat and was about to speak when he suddenly saw a guard running in: "To the Third Prince, Wu Yingxiong is here!" Yang Qilong was startled, um—— Why did Wu Yingxiong come here?It turned out that ever since the imperial court issued an edict, he had a premonition that the end was imminent.Once the father makes a move in Yunnan, the emperor will immediately take him down.How can we escape this sudden disaster and return to Yunnan smoothly?At the beginning, he pinned his hopes on Xiao Maozi, and wanted to use this double agent to break through Yang Qilong's joints and let Zhong Sanlang Xiangtang help him escape.But later, Huang Jing from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came to tell him that Xiao Maozi was a spy who used bitter tricks to beat him in, but Yang Qilong didn't find out yet, so he took him outside the city to participate in the preparations for the uprising.Although Wu Yingxiong was surprised when he heard this, he didn't take it too seriously.It might be good for him to let Xiao Maozi harm Yang Qilong.However, when Huang Jing told him that according to reliable information from the inner palace, Huangfu Baozhu had secretly surrendered to Kangxi, Wu Yingxiong was stunned.Huangfu Baozhu is the most loyal bodyguard in front of his father, holding countless secrets in his hands.In addition, he is brave and resourceful, and has high martial arts skills.If he really rebelled, not only would he not be able to escape, but he would also be a great threat to his father.He really couldn't believe this was the truth, but after thinking about it, he still felt that he would rather kill this person by mistake than keep him, so he made up his mind and ended Huangfu Baozhu's life with a cup of poisoned wine.In this way, there is no one around him who can protect him.In desperation, he had no choice but to brazenly ask Yang Qilong for help.However, when he came today, first, he had Wu Sangui's letter to Yang Qilong in his hand, and second, he had Xiao Maozi's bottom.When necessary, this card can be thrown out to gain Yang Qilong's trust.Therefore, even though he fled in a panic, he still pretended to be calm and composed. As soon as he entered the door, he laughed loudly and said, "Hey! It's so lively! Uninvited guests once again broke into the third prince's incense hall, how offending."

Yang Qilong stood up and said with a cold smile: "My lord is not living peacefully in Shihu Hutong, but braves the wind and snow, packs lightly, and comes to this remote town, I don't know what to teach." Wu Yingxiong knew that he was mocking him, but now that his father had received the secret report of the incident, if he didn't escape, he would be imprisoned, so he had no choice but to escape in a hurry and seek refuge with Yang Qilong. Under the low eaves, he had to bow his head and said with a smile: "To tell you the truth, I came here to ask for help. I left Shihu Hutong last night, and this morning I got the news that Shexia has been stolen. This is an extraordinary time, please join us in helping us, Third Prince."

"Ah? Helping each other in the same boat, alright, don't worry about staying here, the Jade Emperor Temple Red Orchard, as long as you see how comfortable it is, just stay here, but this is just in the same boat..." "Of course, of course, here is a letter written by my father, please take a look at it." Lang Tingshu hurriedly opened the bag and took out Wu Sangui's letter.Yang Qilong opened it and saw that there was a copy of Wu Sangui's appeal to the Qing Dynasty inside, and the other was a letter to Yang Qilong.The letter stated that the soldiers from Yunnan were willing to gather under the command of the third prince and fight to the death in order to restore the Ming Dynasty.Yang Qilong didn't believe that Wu Sangui's words came from his own heart, but at this moment, the uprising is imminent, Wu Sangui's hundreds of thousands of horses are backing him, and Wu Sangui's words of supporting the third prince are very much needed by Yang Qilong. So, he hurriedly stood up, and excitedly said to everyone: "Everyone, Prince Wu has brought us good news again. Ping Xibo is willing to lead his subordinates to support me, the third prince Zhu, as the master, and work together to achieve a great cause." Everyone heard, There were thunderous cheers and applause.Yang Qilong came down and grabbed Wu Yingxiong: "My lord, now you are my distinguished guest, please sit up." "Slow! I have to pull out a small nail for the third prince." As he spoke, he suddenly turned around, looked at Xiao Maozi with lightning, and called out his real name: "Qian Xixin, come out!" Xiao Maozi came over in panic: "Senior, what's wrong with you, Xiao Maozi didn't offend you?" "Hmph, don't waste the time. Let me ask you, are you from me, Wu Yingxiong, or from the third prince, or from Kangxi? Tell me!" Xiao Maozi understood that he couldn't hide anything, so he gritted his teeth and said, "My lord is the emperor's man, so what's the matter with you?" As soon as this remark came out, everyone was shocked, and people couldn't believe their ears.How could this eunuch, who was highly used by Yang Qilong and Li Zhu, be a spy? Yang Qilong's face turned pale immediately, and Wu Yingxiong chased after him: "Good boy, you have kindness! Let me ask you, what are you doing here?" Xiao Maozi regained his composure, and picked up the topic again: "Hey—I forgot, didn't you send me into the Zhong Sanlang Club? Since you know that I am the Emperor's man, why didn't you reveal the truth earlier? , you still want to send me here to harm others?" Xiao Maozi's words caused another wave of discussion.Wu Yingxiong was tongue-tied and unable to answer correctly.However, Yang Qilong had already made up his mind, no matter whether Xiao Maozi belonged to Kangxi or Wu Yingxiong, they were all spies anyway, so he couldn't let him talk anymore, he shouted: "Wang Zhenbang!" "The servant is here to serve you!" "Drag the little boy out and bury him!" "tie!" Two guards stepped forward, set up Xiao Maozi and left.Wang Zhenbang also followed quickly.When he came to the gate of the backyard, Xiao Maozi pretended to lift his shoes, grabbed a handful of fine sand from the corner of the wall, put it into a cup, and said to Wang Zhenbang, "My lord, at least we both came from Da Nei. Before you died, you Can I have another sip of wine?" "Okay, okay, I'll follow you. Come on, let's stay in this hut, and I'll toast you to see you off. Hey, you two call a few people, go dig a hole first, and I'll send the little boy to you later. past." After Xiao Maozi saw the two guards retreat, Wang Zhenbang brought a jug of wine and some side dishes.Put it on the table, and politely said to Wang Zhenbang: "Grandpa Wang, I thank you for shooting you. The little boy has enjoyed the blessings and sins in this life. There is nothing to lose. Besides, my mother has also received the emperor's favor." , what am I looking forward to? It’s over if you close your eyes, it’s rare for you and my brother to have a drink, and I can’t just let me drink this wine, how about we drink two glasses?” "No, no, you know, I have a heartache, and I fall ill when I drink. You drink, I will sit here with you." "Hey - on normal days, if you don't drink, brother, I won't force it. Today is life and death. Although we each have our own masters, we are still brothers after all. Don't you want to give me some face? Come on, brother, I Fill it up for you, please." After drinking two cups in a row, Xiao Maozi's chatterbox opened up, and he chatted nonsense, how he first used poison to stun Ge Chuha, and then beat him to death with a teapot; how did he hide in the teapot in Huangsi Village? Double poison, boasting miraculously: "Hey, the emperor and Master Su are standing on the steps, and there are Xiao Weizi and a few big guards beside him. So many people have their eyes wide open, and they didn't see me put the poison into the pot." .” "Yo! Little boy, can you do tricks?" "I am the patriarch of jugglers. To tell you the truth, I carry poison on me at all times? Or, dare to break into this Zhong Sanlang Xiangtang? Just now, if you guys didn't pull fast, as long as I am in San Walk around the prince's table, maybe he will die before me. Hey, Wang Gonggong, what do you plan to do for my brother today." "According to the old rules of Xiangtang, buried alive!" "Brother Wang, tell them to dig a bigger hole, it's too small to fit in." "Fuck you, a skinny dry monkey, why do you need such a big hole?" "Hmph, I'm sorry, brother understands the principle of being non-toxic and not a husband. Can you send me away, but don't send me somewhere!" He said, grabbed fine sand from his bosom, waved it with his hand, and dropped it on the wine Li and Caili: "Did you see that? In the wine you drank just now, brother, I have put this poison. Brother Wang, please bear with me, I have no choice but to do it!" Xiao Maozi said it very easily, but when Wang Zhenbang heard it, it seemed like a thunderbolt hit the sky.He was so shocked that he was dumbfounded and his face turned pale.Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest, which became more and more severe.He knew that his heartache was sick, and maybe the poison that Xiao Maozi had given had also begun to take effect.The more I thought about it, the more painful it became, and beads of sweat kept falling from my head. Seeing that this trick really worked, Xiao Maozi was even more proud, so he wanted to add a few more words to force him to let him escape: "My lord, don't be uncle. Otherwise, when they come to drag me to bury me alive, you Take the antidote on me. Hey, where is the antidote? Oh! It’s not here, it’s on my bedside. Go, you lead me there quickly, or it will be too late.” , Wang Zhenbang's face was black and blue, his mouth and nose were crooked, and he fell to the ground with a thump, and he died. When Wang Zhenbang died, Xiao Maozi was surprised and delighted.He never imagined that his heartache would be so severe.Three cups of old wine, a lot of fear, can be fatal.Thinking to herself, if I don't leave at this time, I will wait for a while, so I bypassed Wang Zhenbang's body and left the room.From a distance, a few guards were still digging holes.In the front yard, the lights are bright, and the sounds of boxing and playing orders are rising and falling.Not daring to be negligent, he sneaked into the stable and stole a horse, whipped and galloped, and headed straight for the capital.When the guards couldn't stop the report from entering the central hall, Xiao Maozi had already disappeared into the night.