Chapter 21 Chapter Ten (1-2)

Thanks to Fen Mian Hu's extra efforts, he collected nine thousand of the 10,000 shi of rice, and another one thousand shi of foreign rice. Since Sun Wu's Dayounian rice store had a freight dispute with Jardine Matheson, which transported the rice, it was also in With the efforts of Sun Ziqing and Xiao Jiaji, the problem was solved satisfactorily.This one thousand shi rice only earns commissions, only a few hundred silver, and the freight owed to Jardine, converted into silver in pounds, is nearly two thousand taels; the difference of more than one thousand silver is made by Sun Ziqing and Dafeng. Guaranteed, it will be cleared within half a year, and Jardine will start to issue a sample order, so that Dayou Nian can pick up the goods and hand them over to Zhu Daqi, so as to make up the whole amount.As for the Beijing rice that should be paid, Zhu Daqi begged hard and softly. In order to plead for the people of Hangzhou, he almost knelt down to several committee members at a banquet, but in the end he didn't care about his face and agreed to transfer it.

All the work of transporting goods and loading ships was done by powerful men sent by Dafeng and Dayounian. Under the joint leadership of Songjiang Boss and Sun Xiangtai, they rushed to do it day and night, but within three days, everything was ready.Avalokitesvara's birthday was chosen on February 19, which is an auspicious day for departure.Mrs. Zhu believed in Buddhism very piously, and must eat "Guanyin Su" every year. Zhu Daqi was a dutiful son, and also fasted with his mother. Therefore, on the night of February 18, Sun Ziqing and his wife had a farewell party for Zhu Daqi, and they used a vegetarian banquet.

The host and guest were Zhu Daqi, followed by Sun Xiangtai, Songjiang Boss, Xiao Zhang, and Liu Bucai, all of whom were scheduled to go to Hangzhou with Zhu Daqi.Liu Bucai and Sister Shun are fighting fiercely, Zhu Daqi persuades him to stay in Shanghai, but Liu Bucai believes that friendship is a close relative, and we should share weal and woe, so he insists on walking together.With such loyalty, Sun Ziqing felt that he had to show it, but he couldn't do it alone, so it was still Xiao Jiaji who volunteered to help Zhu Daqi on behalf of his teacher, and he generously asked for it. All the other guests were present, but he was the only one missing.The host had to start the banquet first, but Zhu Daqi insisted on waiting.I didn't see him arrive until nine o'clock, bringing the good news that Jiaxing recovered that afternoon, but also the sad news that Cheng Xueqi was seriously injured when he attacked the city, and his life might not be saved. .

Hearing these news, those who waited with hunger, didn't bother to attend the table, wanting to know the details.According to what Xiao Jiaji learned from Cheng's family, the continuous rain ceased for ten days, and Cheng Xueqi took advantage of this to repair his war preparations. After a month and a half, the sky was clear, and the people besieging the city began to attack fiercely. From the dawn of February 16th, For two days and two nights, the ring attack continued.Cheng Xueqi offered a huge reward to recruit "chosen strikers" to climb the city four times, resulting in hundreds of casualties, but failed.

On the 18th, that is, in the afternoon of this day, Cheng Xueqi, who was mainly attacking the north gate, charged in person, led his own soldiers, shouted forward like crazy, intending to grab the gap in the city wall, climbed up and shouted, motivating the friendly troops on all sides, and working together to break through. city. There are thousands of long hairs blocking the gap in the city wall. Although the ammunition is not available, how many shots can be fired at a critical moment.Unexpectedly, a shot hit Cheng Xueqi's temple, and he immediately fainted. This fall, on the contrary, made Cheng Xueqi's army become "sorrows", desperately charged forward, invincible, and finally climbed to the top of Jiaxing City.

Hearing this, Zhu Daqi asked: "Then, has Jiaxing recovered, or is it fighting in the streets?" "Recovery." Xiao Jiaji replied, "Street fighting is unavoidable, but it doesn't affect the overall situation." "According to this, the recovery of Hangzhou will soon be over." Zhu Daqi said excitedly, "Hangzhou's long hairs all depend on Jiaxing's support. Once Jiaxing is recovered, the food source has been cut off. Hangzhou's long hairs, the army's morale has been shaken first. We Hurry up! Mi will be here before Hangzhou is restored."

"I don't think there is any need to be in such a hurry, right?" Aunt Zhu cared about everyone's safety and advocated prudence. "Now that the fight is going on, beware of 'eating in the middle'!" "Eat the stall" means being accidentally injured, Zhu Daqi smiled and shook his head: "Seventh sister, don't worry! We are not going by land, the boat is in the heart of the river, and the guns on the shore cannot hit it." "Don't long hairs also have sailors?" "It's just a few small gunboats, don't be afraid!"

"Always be careful." Aunt Zhu said, "I've been thinking that even if Hangzhou recovers soon, the city will be in a mess, and it's still impossible to start paying off accounts or buying goods. Once you have a clue, it won’t be too late to transport the rice.” "When everything has a clue, our rice will be worthless when it is shipped." Zhu Daqi's words were relatively reserved, and Aunt Zhu couldn't understand the deep meaning in it. Sun Ziqing often communicated with the officialdom, but he could understand the meaning deeply.Before Hangzhou was restored, the rice was transported to arrive, and we went to help together. In the future, Zuo Zongtang will give a memorial award, and he can honor his military achievements. After the order is restored, he will transport the rice again, just like a businessman doing business. Facilitated by local officials.For the imperial court, what merit can be said?

Therefore, Sun Ziqing saw that his wife was still waiting to say something, so he stopped him first: "Little uncle has his reasons, not bad!" "Yes, that's good! Seventh, you don't need to persuade me any more." The boss of Songjiang said this, and then turned to look at Zhu Daqi and said, "But I remembered that old seven mentioned the long-haired sailor just now. Don’t be afraid of the small gunboats with long hairs, but be afraid of harassment by our own navy.” "That's right!" Sun Xiangtai also said, "This must be guarded against."

"That's easy." Zhu Daqi said, "I used to have an official business given to me by Wang Xuegong, so I took this official business and asked the governor's office in Jiangsu to give me an approval to make sure that the land and water soldiers along the way will be brave and protect the whole body. In addition, I will do a few more things. The big cloth sign, which says 'I am ordered to buy official rice', is hung on the bow of the ship as a shield." "That's good!" Sun Ziqing said, "little uncle, you find out the former Wang Futai's official business, I will handle this matter, and it will be done in one day tomorrow."

Zhu Daqi thought for a while and said: "Old Sun, can you think of a way to finish it tomorrow morning, and we will leave in the second half of the day. Or we will leave first, and you will get a fast boat to send it when you finish it? Actually, the government, army and navy harassed , it doesn’t matter, if you need some rice at worst, just give him a few shi.” "That's a last resort, and it's best to avoid it if it can be avoided. If the little uncle must finish it tomorrow morning, I will ask someone tonight." Sun Ziqing immediately got up and said to her wife: "You can be the master alone! Let's go for a walk now, it's too late, I'm afraid that people have already gone to bed, and there will be a lot of inconvenience." "Master!" Xiao Jiaji asked, "Do you want me to follow?" Xiao Jiaji had a lot of acquaintances and was familiar with everyone. It was quite powerful to have him together. Sun Ziqing readily agreed, and the master and apprentice left in a hurry.Zhu Daqi was really moved by those brave actions and his enthusiasm for running for his friends. ＊＊＊ After running and preparing all night, before noon the next day, the official business and the white cloth flag were completed together.So in the afternoon, I left Wusongkou and headed south into Hainan. The first day was smooth, with a northerly wind and a steady sail southward. The next day, it approached Xiaoji Mountain and turned westward. The wind direction changed, and the westerly wind blew up. As a result, the sandboat slowed down. It took two days to arrive in Haiyan, where the boat was moored for a short rest. Liu Bucai and Xiao Zhang went ashore to inquire about the news. They got some very bad news. Li Hongzhang approached him to surrender.Li Hongzhang dispatched Xue Shiyu to send Chen Dagui to Zuo Zongtang's camp for disposal. When there was no result, Chen Bingwen's side changed. He searched and arrested in the city of Hangzhou, and executed all those who thought they might become the officers and soldiers.Among them was Zhang Xiucai, Xiao Zhang's father. In the end, the nature of father and son, upon hearing these words, Xiao Zhang was suddenly confused, and the tears exchanged, and he couldn't ask more questions.Back on the boat, weeping bitterly, everyone was shocked, Zhu Daqi heard Liu Bucai's story, of course he was also sad for Xiao Zhang.But when there is chaos, there are often lessons learned from words, but in the end, it turns out to be false rumors.In order to comfort Xiao Zhang, he tried his best to deny that the news was true. "It must be a rumor." He said confidently, "It doesn't make sense. Since he was going to surrender, why did he fight against the government and the army? Besides, Chen Dagui is in the hands of the government and the army. Isn't he afraid of revenge?" "Chen Dagui let Zuo Zhitai go away." Xiao Zhang cried and said, "He is not afraid of revenge." "That's right," Liu Bucai added, "It is said that Zuo Zhitai told Chen Dagui that since Chen Bingwen wanted to surrender, he should dismiss his subordinates and dedicate the city. Chen Dagui was deliberately let go and asked him to deliver a letter. This is the first It happened in seven or eight days. At that time, Zuo Zhitai probably didn’t know that Chen Bingwen was overthrown, otherwise he wouldn’t let Chen Dagui go.” "It doesn't make much sense." Zhu Daqi said, "Zhang Xiucai may not necessarily be Xiao Zhang's old man. There are many rumors in troubled times, and sometimes it's better not to listen to them. Fortunately, Hangzhou is coming soon, and we are on our way in a serious manner." So Zhu Daqi spread the word that he would be able to arrive in Hangzhou within two days, and the sailors and pole workers would each be rewarded with five liang of silver.This is a great reward, but although there are brave men, it is difficult to compete with the sky, the westerly wind is getting stronger, the ship is heavily loaded, and the turbid waves are emptying it, the momentum is first of all frightening.Safety is the first priority in everything, and it doesn't matter how fast or slow it is. However, as soon as you enter the Qiantang River, you can immediately feel that the fierce battle has already begun, especially at night, when the boat is moored in the middle of the river, you can hear the faint sound of someone shouting and neighing amidst the tide. Of course, there were also gunshots and cannons; the cannons bombarded the city walls from west to east.Needless to say, it was the Chang Jie army of the foreign general Di Kebei who was assisting the official army in attacking the city. When he got to the front line, Zhu Daqi felt relieved.Of course, there is nothing to do right now, and the most important thing to be careful of is that the long hairs that are afraid of breaking apart will run wild through the waterways, so the rice boats are moored in the middle of the wide river.Boss Songjiang and Sun Xiang had been through the rivers and lakes for a long time, and their command was determined. When they set off, they brought dozens of long guns in the bilge, and they were all taken out at this time. They distributed sailors, assigned shifts, and kept watch day and night.The boss of Songjiang ordered that if you see a suspicious boat, you are not allowed to approach it. If you fire a warning shot and don't listen, you will be shot. Just watching the battle from a distance, close at hand, but the news is unknown, the shouts, gunshots, and cannon sounds are dense and sparse, and the battle seems to be in a stalemate.On the afternoon of February 23rd, supported by sailors, Zhu Daqi climbed up the mast and took a closer look with a binoculars. He saw that the mountains and highlands around the city of Hangzhou were full of official and army flags, while the long hair on the city was full of flags. Nothing happened.Seeing this strength and weakness, he knew that recovery was imminent. Sure enough, at the middle of the night, suddenly there was a loud killing sound from the north wind, Zhu Daqi hurriedly put on his clothes and got up, went to the deck with Songjiang Boss and Sun Xiangtai, and saw that the city was already on fire.Outside the city, torches were lit one by one, dotted in a large area. Amidst the sound of gunfire, those dots gradually rose. It was obvious that the officers and soldiers had already climbed up the city wall. Zhu Daqi was full of excitement, he was so excited, he unknowingly threw his fists and arms, and expressed his support from afar.Soon, I saw dots of torches disappearing into the darkness—not disappearing, but entering the city from outside the city. At Yinmao, the flames dissipated and the sound of killing gradually faded. Liu Bucai, who was more experienced, said with relief, "Chang Mao probably escaped. There is no resistance in the city." "Thank God, I hope so." Zhu Daqi said, "If there is another street fight, it will be even worse." "Take a break!" Song Jiang's boss advised Zhu Daqi, "We can do things after dawn." "I can sleep there at the moment. How to do it, we use this time to discuss and discuss." So I went into the cabin to drink tea and eat porridge, while resting, calm down my excited mood, and think about my future actions. "Now the first step is to find out where the Zuo Zhijun is?" Zhu Daqi said, "I'll talk about it after I see him." "He may not be here to supervise the battle." Liu Bucai looked at Xiao Zhang and said, "Looking back at the situation, the two of us went into the city to find out the news." "Yes! I think so too." "As soon as we enter the city, go to your house first. Maybe your old man has already prepared wine and is waiting for us?" "Thank you Chrysostom." Xiao Zhang replied, smiling for the first time since receiving the unfortunate news. "Look!" It was the sailor who was shouting, in a cheerful voice, certainly seeing something that would please him.Everyone rushed out to see that in the distant city of Hangzhou, there were densely packed flags of the government and army fluttering in the morning wind.Finally, it has been proved that this famous city in the southeast has been restored! At this moment, Zhu Daqi felt mixed feelings. Thinking of the two catastrophes of Gengshen and Xinyou, countless horrific scenes suddenly floated in front of his eyes, and then thinking of Wang Youling sitting in a lonely city, appealing to no one, it was really a painstaking effort. Unprecedented suffering and finally committing suicide with hatred, and now the lake and mountains are still the same, and the voice and appearance have disappeared. Thinking of the words "death will not rest in peace" in Wang Youling's autograph, his blood was racing, his heart was sore and hot, and he couldn't help bowing down to the bow of the boat and crying loudly . The people around him, including Sun Xiangtai, all understood his mood, so no one offered general comfort. When he cried hoarsely, the sadness in his chest must have been vented, the boss of Songjiang said : "Little uncle, don't be sad anymore, it's time to do it." "Yes." Zhu Daqi wiped away his tears and asked, "Isn't it too early to go ashore and enter the city?" "It's not early, it's not early! It's time to go." Xiao Zhang was concerned about his father's safety and wished to fly into the city, so he said this. "Let's go." Liu Bucai comforted him and said, "However, it's useless to be impatient! You need to get a small boat before you can get by. " "Where are we going to look for the boat at this time? I'll go there alone. You guys get the boat and come later." As he said that, he went straight into the cabin, not knowing what to do? Everyone found his words incomprehensible.The river is vast, and since he doesn't have the tools to help him cross, could it be that he really has the magic power of Bodhidharma to cross the river with a reed?When I was confused, I saw Xiao Zhang going back and forth, holding a lifebuoy used on a ship in his hand. I don't know when he took it on board. "So you went there like this!" Xiao Jiaji asked: "Xiao Zhang, the life buoy is used as a last resort. Let me ask you first, can you swim?" "meeting!" "Have you ever been in water in this weather?" "No." Xiao Zhang replied, "But it doesn't matter. As a fisherman, I can still go into the water in heavy snow, and my body can handle it." "As long as you are sure. However, you must have some wine, preferably for nothing." There is no Baigan, but there is "tiger bone papaya burnt" that Sun Xiangtai carries with him to treat rheumatism. This kind of hot liquor can resist the invasion of cold air in the water. Cup, while drinking, while listening to Zhu Daqi's instructions. "Xiao Zhang, you have to be careful all the way. Go home and take a look when you enter the city. Your old man is auspicious, so he must be there carefully. In case something goes wrong, don't be too sad. People and things, this kind of place is a critical moment. You have to be able to lift it up and let it go.” "Yes!" Xiao Zhang gritted his teeth and said, "In case of misfortune, I will not delay the important matter, please give orders to Mr. Zhu." "The first thing you need to do is to meet Jiang Yifeng and find out where the Zuo Zhijun is? How do you go? He will definitely ask you, who wants to see Zuo Zhijun?You just mentioned my name and said that the edict sent to Beijing must be submitted to the Zuo Zhijun in person.Of course he will send someone to lead me there.Do you understand? " Of course Xiao Zhang understood the mystery, and nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand! If nothing else, I will leave now, and I will definitely come back today." After finishing speaking, he drank the rest of the wine in one gulp, put on the lifebuoy, and jumped into the river with a "gudong". "The spring breeze in February is like scissors", and the river water is cold to the bone in February.But Xiao Zhang has a hot thought in his chest. The first is to imagine that his father will be fine when he enters the house, and he will settle down with a heart that has been hanging over the past few days; the second is to be able to see Jiang Yifeng and see him for Zhu Daqi Zuo Zongtang's matter was properly arranged, and it was an act of becoming famous and showing his face. Considering people's premise, he could boast about it.With the support of this enthusiasm, the farther you swim, the closer you get, the braver you get. After about an hour, you landed at the "Second Fort" in the east of Hangzhou City. I didn't feel cold in the water, but when I went ashore and let the strong east wind blow, I couldn't help shivering a few times.A little scared in my heart, I thought that the first thing to do was to find a set of dry clothes and replace the wet clothes that were already sticking to the flesh. Before I could finish thinking about it, I saw a small group of men and horses galloping past; those who hacked in the grass, those who fired guns.Then a dozen long-haired men dressed in yellow silk appeared, begging on their knees.But there were also those who wanted to escape, but their feet could not reach the four hooves. The officer on horseback caught up, leaned over and swung the knife, blood gushed out, and half of his head flew up. Xiao Zhang hadn't seen a murder for a long time, so he naturally felt terrible, and when he bowed his head down, he realized that he couldn't show his face easily. When it's red, where can we tell the truth? As a result, he forgot about the coldness on his body; all he thought about was how to enter the city safely? It's not difficult to calm down and think carefully.He waited for the team of officers to go far away, bent his body to find a hiding place, and snaked forward; after walking not far, he found the bodies of two officers and soldiers, one had a knife wound on his chest, blood was dripping on his clothes, and the other was dead. It was miserable, my head was blown out, but there was not much blood on the livery. "Master," Xiao Zhang knelt down and prayed devoutly: "I have some important business to go to the city to see Mr. Jiang. I'm afraid there will be obstacles on the way. I want to borrow a corner of your old man's livery. Your old man was killed in battle. It is really a crime to ask you to be naked. It is urgent and helpless, please forgive me. I don’t know your name. There is a spirit in the sky. Give me a dream. I will ask the old monk to release a flame to save you from the blissful rebirth. !" After finishing speaking, he began to peel off his military uniform. The officer who died in battle, like many long-haired soldiers, wore a uniform of a single brand on the outside, and a padded jacket he got from somewhere; jacket.Xiao Zhang thought, maybe there is a fragrance of powder on it?But as soon as you think about it, be vigilant, this is blaspheming the dead!Quickly and sincerely, strip off the clothes.First take off your cotton-padded jacket to cover the corpse, then hold the dry clothes and find a leeward place to change. This time, my body warmed up immediately, and I still had a pair of wet shoes under my feet. I simply took them off and walked with only socks on. Then I picked up a knife and held it upside down in my hand. I pretended to be a straggler eager to return to the army, and headed west to Hangzhou. city. 11 The city of Hangzhou is divided into three parts, commonly known as the upper city, the middle city, and the lower city.Xiao Zhang's house is in the lower city, so he took the Qingchun Gate, the second gate in the northeast. But the north is where the long hair retreated, the situation was chaotic and dangerous, the closer they got, the more people and horses, chasing north, killing loudly.Although Xiao Zhang is wearing a livery, there is no need to get involved in the whirlpool, if once he joins the brigade, he can't help but follow him to kill Chang Mao, wouldn't he miss a big deal? Therefore, I made a decisive decision and would rather walk more than avoid it. After making up my mind, I turned south and entered Timon, which is due east.Sure enough, it was relatively quiet here, the long hairs had been cleared away, and the guarding soldiers were fighting against horses.There are many refugees waiting and watching in the city gate. I don't know if they want to escape from the city, or have they just fled into the city from outside the city and are temporarily detained there waiting to be released?Xiao Zhang didn't have time to think about it, he just rushed in with a knife. "Stop!" An officer shouted to stop, "Why are you alone? Which battalion are you from?" If you pretend to be a soldier, you are afraid of interrogation; it is really called "if you want to refute, you will sacrifice your life".Xiao Zhang thought to himself, the officers and soldiers are their own people, so they won't speak unreasonably, it's better to tell the truth. So, he threw the knife away, and replied neither arrogant nor humble: "I'm here to see Mr. Jiang." "Which Master Jiang?" "Who else is there? Naturally, our vassal in Zhejiang, and your Lord Jiang in Hunan." Just because the words "you Hunan" are good, and Xiao Zhang speaks authentic Hangzhou dialect, the officer believed that he would not be an unknown spy, so his tone was different. "You want to see Master Jiang, do you have official business? Who's sending you?" "At Zhu Daotai, Hangzhou, we are sent by Zhu Daqi to see Mr. Jiang has an urgent business to report." Xiao Zhang simply said a few bluffing words, "Mr. Jiang is very good with me and calls me 'brother'. Why? Mr. Jiang has made great contributions. Master, if you don’t believe me, you will find out after taking me to see Mr. Jiang.” Hearing his words, the officer was half-believing, but although this person was quite reasonable in the army, he expected that he would appear at this time, he must have a background, what he said would rather be believed than nothing. So he became more polite, "What's your name?" He asked, "Why are you wearing this suit?" "My surname is Zhang." Xiao Zhang raised his foot and pointed to the wet sock, "I was with Zhu Daotai on the boat in the middle of the river. I came here from swimming. I had to change my wet clothes. As a last resort, I stripped off a set of livery from the brother who died in battle. .” "So that's how it is! Please warm up inside, and I'll find a way to report for you." The officer said, "It's a mess right now, and I really don't know where Mr. Jiang is. I'm afraid it will take a lot of work to inquire. " "This is troublesome." Xiao Zhang pondered for a while, "Master, can I go home and take a look first. I live in—" He said the address and added: "If you don't believe me, send a brother Follow me to see." "No, no! You can go home and have a look before you come back, but you have to be careful along the way." Xiao Zhang passed the test easily.However, this is just the beginning of thorns and thorns. Along the way, people shouted, some rushed to and fro, some knocked on doors and beat houses, some cut off the road, and some looked around blankly. They were very tired and eager to find a place. A place to rest.Xiao Zhang was also frightened and tired, thirsty and hungry, and his mind was full of thrilling scenes, so that he couldn't think calmly. As soon as he reached the Plum Blossom Monument, he was approaching the Governor's Yamen, Xiao Zhang suddenly became alert and went the wrong way.From east to west, you should turn north, pass through the official alley in the center of the city, and pass the Zhong'an Bridge where Shi Quan assassinated Qin Hui in the Southern Song Dynasty before you can get home. Now when you reach the Plum Blossom Stele, you are going south. So Xiao Zhang turned around immediately, and after walking not far, he saw a signboard with three words: "Fan Tiebi", and changed his mind again.This Fan Tiebi, Xiao Zhang called him "Old Fan", he can be said to be the only family in Hangzhou that has not been robbed since the fall of Xinyou.Because Chang Mao had to engrave a lot of seals when he entered the city, Lao Fan was arrested as an errand, and his engraving was fast and good, which was greatly appreciated by Chang Mao.Wanting to give him an official job, he didn't want it, and he said that he only wanted to be full, so Chang Mao allocated ten rations for him, and received it on a monthly basis, so that the whole family would not be hungry.Xiao Zhang thought to himself that Lao Fan was well informed, so he might as well ask him first. Thinking about it in my heart, my hand had already patted on the door. After patting for a long time, I saw a small door on the row of doors opened, and it was Lao Fan inside the door. "Xiao Zhang, it's you!" Lao Fan asked, "I haven't seen you for a few months, have you been 'eating'?" "No, no!" Xiao Zhang said, "Quickly open the door and let me go in." The door opened slightly, and Xiao Zhang squeezed in. Lao Fan led him to the small courtyard at the back, and stood still: "You came to see me specially? What can you say?" "No, I'm passing by. Lao Fan, let me ask you, do you know how my family is doing?" "I don't know. I think it's safe to come here!" Lao Fan replied, "I met your old man half a month ago. He didn't look very good, but he was still in good spirits." "I just asked about our 'old'. I heard that not long ago, Chen Bingwen arrested a group of people, including our 'old'. Is that true?" "There is such a thing as arresting people, and your old man is not among them." Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhang felt the joy he had never felt before, but the news was not definite enough, so he asked everything again: "Didn't you say that there is a 'Zhang Xiucai'?" "In the city of Hangzhou, your old lady is not the only one with the surname Zhang." Lao Fan shook his head and said, "That Zhang scholar must be Zhang Kunfu, not your old lady." Now I can really rest assured.Xiao Zhang was in high spirits on happy occasions, and immediately asked: "Do you know, has Jiang Fantai entered the city? Where is the mansion?" "I don't know." Lao Fan paused and said, "If Jiang Fantai enters the city, the mansion will be located in Xiaoying Lane or Sanyuanfang. According to my opinion, nine out of ten will be located in Sanyuan Fang." This is inexplicable at first, but after thinking about it, I understand it, but I only understand half of it. The Xiaoying Lane mentioned by Lao Fan refers to the mansion of "Ting Wang" Chen Bingwen, and Sanyuanfang refers to "Bi Wang". Qian Guiren's mansion.Jiang Yifeng led the troops into the city and occupied these two "Prince Mansions", which is a matter of course, especially Chen Bingwen's "Ting Wang Mansion", which covers a huge area, a huge scale, and rich reserves. Jiang Yifeng will not let it go easily .But why did Lao Fan think that Jiang Yifeng's mansion might be located in "Bi Wang's Mansion"? "Chen Bingwen escaped - leaving the Wulin Gate in the middle of the night, he must have fled all the way to Huzhou. Of course the gold, silver and jewels he collected were taken away with him." Lao Fan answered his question and said, "Where is Qian Guiren? It has been a long time ago." He was at odds with Chen Bingwen, and he wanted to surrender the city for a long time. As you said, Chen Bingwen arrested a group of people who were in contact with Qian Guiren. Early this morning, the army broke the city, Qian Guiren led his men to surrender, if Jiang Fantai had already entered the city, of course he would curry favor and ask Jiang Fantai to live in his mansion. " "It makes sense." Xiao Zhang said happily, "Sanyuanfang is not far from here, so I'm going to see him right now." "Which one are you looking at? Jiang Fantai? Are you working for him?" "I didn't work for him, I helped him." Xiao Zhang said complacently, "Now I have to do him a big favor." When Lao Fan heard this, he opened his eyes and stared intently, as if he couldn't stop being shocked, and then said very vigorously: "Xiao Zhang, I'll go with you!" ＊＊＊ The "Sanyuan" in Sanyuanfang refers to the "Sanyuan in Lianzhong", which is known all over the world.There was a "Wu Sanyuan" in Hangzhou. His name was Wang Yuxi. In the last years of Kangxi, in a peaceful and prosperous age, he lived for another thirty years before his end. However, "Sanyuanfang" has nothing to do with Wang Yuxi; "Wu Sanyuan" is not as valuable as "Wen Sanyuan".There was only one Wen Sanyuan in the Ming Dynasty, and that was Shang Ren. He was from Chun'an, Zhejiang.The selected location was Taiping Lane where Shanglu Township Examination lived. When the archway was completed, it was naturally renamed Sanyuanfang Lane, or Sanyuanfang for short. Accompanied by Xiao Zhang, Lao Fan walked through the winding path to Sanyuanfang. Before he entered the street, he found that there were cigarettes everywhere. When he got closer, he found that there were thousands of long-haired people kneeling there holding incense on both sides of the street. There are so many people. "What's going on?" Xiao Zhang stood still in surprise. "Naturally to welcome the high officials." Lao Fan said, "I don't know if it's Jiang Fantai? Let's wait and see. " So, the two hid under the curtains of other people's houses to watch the fun.It took about one meal to hear the noise of people, the hooves of the horses, and the long-haired man kneeling on the ground looked very nervous.Xiao Zhang stood on tiptoe and looked at it, pleased with himself, "Here we come!" He said, "That's right, it's Jiang Fantai." Jiang Yifeng was wearing a yellow mandarin jacket bestowed by the emperor, and was surrounded by a group of soldiers with knives and guns. contrast. Among them was a burly man, kneeling in front of him, looking even more dazzling. Xiao Zhang recognized him as Qian Guiren. At this time, he was dressed in a green coat and a hat, and he was dressed like a criminal, and his face was particularly ugly, neither gray nor blue. Qing, with a pair of dead fish eyes, is really like the words of the market scumbag: "One more breath than the dead." Xiao Zhang despised him from the bottom of his heart.It is a good thing to know how to turn back when you are lost, and to rise up and surrender early. Otherwise, you will become a king if you succeed, and you will become a bandit if you lose. ! Thinking like this, he refused to even look at Qian Guiren, his eyes only lingered around Jiang Yifeng.He is also a fat man, but compared to the fat man kneeling on the ground, his demeanor is vastly different, looking left and right, very proud, he is also like Xiao Zhang, he does not look straight at Qian Guiren, but sees Xiao Zhang, and is slightly taken aback , and then greeted the guards beside him with a horsewhip gesture, and said a few words, only to see his left hand pointing towards Xiao Zhang. At this moment, even Lao Fan noticed, "Xiao Zhang, here we come!" He said calmly and satisfied, "You are not bragging, you recognize Jiang Fantai." "Jiang Fantai recognizes me!" "That's not bad." Old Fan said in a low voice, "I'm here to talk to you, don't get rid of me." Of course Xiao Zhang understood his intentions, because he had done important work for Changmao and asked for asylum.He nodded and said, "Don't worry, I have everything!" Just as he was talking, the guard sent by Jiang Yifeng had already walked over, and the people who were watching the bustle automatically moved out of the way, and all backed away, but Xiao Zhang squeezed forward instead.This saved the guard a lot of trouble, looked at Xiao Zhang and asked very politely: "Is your surname Zhang?" "Yes. Your adults told you, do you have something to tell me?" "Yes! My lord, please tell me the location of the mansion, Master Zhang. Our lord will invite Master Zhang to meet later, and we have important matters to discuss." "I'm about to meet your lords too. Since we both have important matters to discuss, I'll go with you. It doesn't matter if you wait a while!" The guard hesitated for a moment, nodded and said, "In this case, Mr. Zhang, please follow me." "Okay!" Xiao Zhang asked, "What's your surname?" "Don't dare! Climb to Master Zhang's noble surname. I'm Mr. Qian." "It turns out that the surname is also Zhang, great! We are a family, so I will tell the truth." Xiao Zhang pointed to Old Fan and said, "This old brother Fan is a remarkable person. Your adults must also want to see him." "Yes! Yes! Then please come here together!" During this period of guarding, the situation changed, Qian Guiren's "Biwang Mansion" had been taken over by the officers and soldiers, a small group of people spread out around the gate, circled the ground with a radius of five or six feet, lined up It is a restricted area, not only idlers are not allowed to approach, even Bi Wang Qian Guiren was thrown under the screen wall, trembling while waiting for punishment. Under the watchful eyes of all eyes, Xiao Zhang strided forward, and Lao Fan staggered, but the "clothes" were not amazing. It seemed that these two people were mysterious and mysterious, and their origins were extraordinary. When General Zhang Qian entered the gate, the situation was different. Outside the gate, the knife was unsheathed and the gun was loaded. He dared to walk around, but he had to go everywhere to search.One is to prevent ambushes and bear the responsibility of protecting "Master Jiang", and the other is to fight hard and bloody, so why come?Isn't it just for the jade silk girl after breaking the city? Now that I have arrived at a "Prince's Mansion", it is like entering a treasure mountain, how can I return empty-handed? Just because they have to search, but they don't know how to search, so they form groups and gather lawsuits.Mr. Zhang Qian was also like them, his eyes were dark and he didn't know anything. Naturally, he had to stop and inquire first. "How is it?" He asked one of them. "How about what?" the man asked back, "What are you asking? Look, everyone wants to find a good one, but they are afraid of not knowing the truth, so they are confused and die. In fact, in the world, there is nothing that can be done right? Let's go!" He grabbed President Zhang Qian and said, "Old Zhang, let's go together. Let's go!" "Slow down! Where are you going?"'"Be bold and be the king! Let's go straight to the upper room. Qian Guiren has eight wives. Let's talk about it first." "No!" Mr. Zhang Qian replied apologetically, "I have a business to do. When I asked how it was, I mean, did you hold all the front and back of this place? Where is Mr. Jiang?" "I don't know where Mr. Jiang is." The man paused and made up his mind, "Break! 'Death under the peony flower, even being a ghost is romantic!'" Mr. Zhang Qian smiled wryly, then turned his head and left; "Master Zhang, please stand here for a while." He said, "I'll go and find our lord first." After finishing speaking, Mr. Zhang Qian rushed inside in a hurry.Xiao Zhang and Lao Fan stood under the eaves of the hall to watch the excitement. What they saw in their eyes were groups of soldiers, carrying knives and guns, laughing and entering. Women screaming in panic, men scolding and cursing harshly. "Troubled times!" Lao Fan frowned and said, "I'd rather be a dog of peace than a man in troubled times." Xiao Zhang was silent, his heart was very heavy.When I was in Shanghai, I kept hearing how some people, some places were conquered, and the officers and soldiers were messing around. It was just that the people who said it were deliberately sensational and exaggerated.Now that I have seen with my own eyes that the discipline of the officers and soldiers is so bad, I can't help but ask myself; is this what the common people are looking forward to day and night? Turning to this thought, I suddenly felt my blood boil, I stomped my feet and said, "Old Fan, let's go! Don't wait for him." "You said, don't wait for Mr. Zhang Qian? What, you don't see Mr. Jiang?" "Why don't you see me? I'll see you soon! I can't do this, I have to tell him." "What are you talking about?" Lao Fan said solemnly, "Xiao Zhang, don't mess around!" Of course, Xiao Zhang knew that he was an old and prudent advice, and the discipline of the officers and soldiers was not good. There is a sharp spirit, rushing back and forth, never letting go.Eager to see Jiang Yifeng face to face, he vented his indignation. Driven by this desire, he had nothing but a wordless apology to Lao Fan, moved his feet, walked straight to the second hall, turned around the screen door, and was stopped by the guarding soldiers.It happened that Mr. Zhang Qian appeared so that he could meet Jiang Yifeng smoothly. 当然，老范是候在廊下，只有小张进屋。蒋益沣倒很亲热，打着沣重的湖南腔问道：“到底也有这一天！你高兴不高兴？” “我是杭州人，当然高兴，不过也有高兴不起来的地方。” 小张紧接着说：“杭州百姓，九死一生，好不容易盼望得官军来了，蒋大人，你请听。” 蒋益沣愕然，左右亦都莫名其妙，一齐侧耳静听，只有妇女啼哭的声音。 “你是说这些贼婆娘在哭？” 一听“贼婆娘”三个字，小张觉得不能不辩，“大人，哪家妇女，不重名节？她们是给长毛掳来的！”他提高了声音说，“决不是甘心从贼！” 蒋益沣一楞。他带兵打仗到现在，还没有见过像小张这种老百姓，敢跟他当面顶撞，倒觉得有些下不了台。但怒气正往上冲，却忽然自己泄了气，因为他很喜欢小张，自觉这样子翻脸，没有意思。 “好了，好了！”他向左右说道，“你们去看看，不准大家胡闹。看看哪些婆娘是本地掳来的？放她们回去。” 他身边有个马弁，生得獐头鼠目，一脸的奸刁，口中答应，眼却斜睨着小张，“回大人的话，”他说，“本地的婆娘，放出去也只怕无家可归。倒不如就让这位领了去，比较可以放心。” “这话不错。”蒋益沣对小张说，“这桩好事你去做！那些婆娘家里的人，一定感激你。” 小张明知那马弁是有意作难，但却不能也不愿推辞，好在有个老范做帮手，还难不倒人。 他的心思极快，一转念之间，便有了处置的办法，随即跪了下来说：“大人做这件阴功积德的事，公侯万代。”他磕着头说：“不过，要请大人始终成全，好事做到底。” “请起来，请起来。”蒋益沣一把拖住他，“怎么样的'做到底'？你说来看！” “第一、拨一处地方让她们住，还要派兵保护、出告示禁止骚扰；第二、请大人暂拨几天的口粮——” “这个免谈！”蒋益沣摇着手打断他的话，“出告示、派兵都行，就是口粮没有。弟兄们的军粮都还不知道在什么地方？ 我那里还有口粮好拨给你？ " “那！”小张毅然作了一个决定，“我有办法替大人弄几百石米来。不过，我有三个要求。” “啊！”蒋益沣的双眼睁得好大，“你有办法弄几百石米来？ 本事好大！说，说，什么要求？ " “第一、拨几条船，派得力的弟兄跟我去运粮。” “那不是要求。”蒋益沣问道：“米在哪里？” “这请大人先不必问。总归包在我身上，有几个时辰，就可以拿米运到。”说到这里，小张突然警觉，如果是派那个獐头鼠目的家伙，随同自己去办事，可能处处制肘，诸多不便，倒不如自己“荐贤”为妙，因而向张千总一指，“就请大人派这位总爷跟我一起去运米好了。” “行！你说第二个要求。” “这几百石米运来，一半作军粮，一半要放赈，煮粥施舍给老百姓。”小张又说，“大人现在是一城之主，上马管军，下马管民，不能只顾弟兄，不顾老百姓。” “上马管军，下马管民”是督抚的职司，蒋益沣觉得小张这两句话是个好口采，顿时笑容满面地连连点头：“依你，依你！” “第三个其实也不是要求。”小张从容说道：“有位朱观察，要见制台大人，有极紧要的公事回禀。请大人派个妥当的人领了他去。” “那个朱观察？是不是叫朱大器的那个人？” "yes!" “好啊！我们大帅正要找他！” 听得这话，小张倒有些嘀咕，因为他那一声“好啊”，大有“好啊！这下你可让我逮住了”的意味，心里在想，莫非朱大器有什么案子犯在左宗棠手里，正要传他归案？ “你快说，他人在那里？快说，快说！”明明是要逮捕朱大器的神气。小张真不知道该怎么办了？ 小张也是玲珑剔透的一颗心察颜辨色，心想，不知谁在左宗棠那里告朱大器状，当即开口向蒋益沣说道：“有件事要跟大人回禀，就是朱观察运来的米。数目远不止这些。” “喔，有多少？”蒋益沣异常关切地说。 “总有上万石。” 蒋益沣大出意外。军兴以来，特别是浙江，饿死了，不足为奇，如今忽有一万石米出现，真如从天而降，怎不令人惊喜交集。 “朱大器这一万石米，岂止是雪中送炭？简直是大旱甘霖！”蒋益沣喃喃说道。