Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Solitary Army

Zhu Chenhao, who sent Tang Bohu away, didn't feel any sadness at all. He was gathering his energy and preparing for his own rebellion. The ambiguous relationship between Wang Shouren and Sun Sui did not escape his eyes. He has always had a headache for these two people, so Sun Sui will not talk about it. opponent. There should be a way to deal with them. But now is the most critical stage of the rebellion. After all, there are two governors. If they secretly send someone to hack them, there may be troubles, but if they are left alone, it seems inappropriate. At this time, Liu Yangzheng raised a doubt, which interrupted Zhu Chenhao's thinking.

"What if they report the situation here to the court?" Zhu Chenhao looked at the worried Liu Yangzheng, and suddenly smiled: "You don't have to worry about this." While speaking, he suddenly came up with an idea: "Go find someone to tell Sun Sui and Wang Shouren that I want to meet them." Sun Sui and Wang Shouren were also discussing countermeasures. After careful analysis of the current situation, Wang Shouren came up with a scientific prediction of our prospects—a dead end. Sun Sui very much agrees with this point of view. The emperor can't be counted on, and brother Zhu Houzhao doesn't have the time to take care of these things. Those few favorites who can give the emperor a message, if they don't have money, they can't get along.According to the latest news, the eunuch guarding Jiangxi with military power has also been bought by Zhu Chenhao.

Now it is a complete "three nos" state, no soldiers, no generals, and no one to control.Surrounded by Zhu Chenhao's people, there is nowhere to hide. This situation has a specific name in the Art of War - "Jedi". "Then write directly to the imperial court and the cabinet." Wang Shouren made the only feasible suggestion. However, Sun Sui shook his head and asked back: "is that useful?" Ever since Zhu Chenhao recruited troops, from officials, censors to local officials at all levels, countless people have sued him, but no one can sue him. Why?

In addition to his favorite minister Qian Ning protecting him, the person in the cabinet also had an unclear relationship with him. Wang Shouren was no stranger to that person, and he understood what Sun Sui meant. The only way seemed to be blocked, and Wang Shouren fell into deep thinking again. Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he had an idea: "Let's write a letter and send it to the court." Sun Sui became a little impatient: "Didn't I tell you it was useless?" "You misunderstood, it was not for the cabinet, it was for another person." A sly smile appeared on Wang Shouren's face.

"I just want one thing." Zhu Chenhao's envoy arrived, and he informed the two that Zhu Chenhao invited them to dinner, and he must honor them. Wang Shouren and Sun Sui looked at each other and immediately agreed. The date of this banquet is roughly in April and May of the fourteenth year of Zhengde (1519), and the arrival of the final date is very close. The two sides will have the last confrontation before tearing their faces at this banquet. Unexpectedly, the banquet started in a harmonious atmosphere. Zhu Chenhao didn't seem to want to talk about other issues, but asked Wang Shouren with concern if he was used to the life here, whether he lacked daily necessities, etc. Wang Shouren gave a decent answer, but He didn't let down his vigilance, because he knew that this banquet would never be so simple.

Sure enough, not long after, Zhu Chenhao still got into trouble. He sighed sadly, and said: "The emperor always goes on tour, and doesn't care much about state affairs. How can it go on like this?" Wang Shouren was stunned, this was a very taboo sentence, Zhu Chenhao actually said it publicly, could it be that he wanted a showdown? But before he could react, a person next to him suddenly stood up and said sharply: "Is there no Tang Wu in the world?" This sentence was so terrible that Wang Shouren immediately turned around to look for the spokesperson, and then he found the retired servant Li Shishi who was full of anger.

Speaking of this, I have to fight back. Wang Shouren sat motionless, and calmly answered: "Tang Wu also needs Yilu when he is reborn." The behind-the-scenes figures finally appeared, and Zhu Chenhao continued to reply: "When Tang Wu is reborn, there must be Yilu!" Wang Shouren still had that calm expression: "With Yilu, are you afraid that there will be no Boyi Shuqi?" Hearing this sentence, Zhu Chenhao's neck became red and he was speechless for a long time. This is a dialogue that is not easy to understand. Let me explain. The Tang Wu and others they talked about are all famous figures in the Shang Dynasty, so I won’t introduce them one by one here.This passage is translated in my language, and it looks like this.

"Is there no one in the world who dares to rebel?!" "Those who rebel also need a capable helper." - This means that you, Li Shishi, have no ability. "If someone dares to rebel, there will be a powerful helper!" "Even if you have capable helpers, the country will definitely have loyal ministers!" The general translation is completed, and today, people who speak like this should be pulled out and repaired. The atmosphere of the banquet suddenly became tense, neither side said a word, confronting each other with silence. At this time, Sun Sui stood up suddenly and thanked Zhu Chenhao for his hospitality.

Everyone was relieved, Wang Shouren took the opportunity to say goodbye, and this tense banquet came to an end. Zhu Chenhao originally wanted to take advantage of this banquet to find out Wang Shouren's background, but he basically achieved his goal. But Wang Shouren and Sun Sui felt a strong killing intent at the banquet. They already felt that the blade of rebellion was approaching them. Afterwards, the environment became even worse. People of unknown origin began to appear in groups on the streets, swaggering through the city with swords, and local officials turned a blind eye and ignored them.Wang Shouren and Sun Sui became key targets of protection, and their residences were closely monitored by Zhu Chenhao's people all day long.

In this increasingly terrifying environment, Wang Shouren finally got what he wanted. The recipient of the mysterious letter not long ago was not the cabinet, but Wang Qiong, Shangshu of the Ministry of War. In the letter, Wang Shouren asked his old superior for one thing-a flag. The flag board is a kind of institutional regulation in the Ming Dynasty, so I won’t go into details here, let’s just introduce its function—to mobilize troops. Wang Shouren once took the flag card when he was conquering the bandits before, and then returned it back. It can be regarded as a loan and repayment, but this is not because of Wang Shouren's good moral character. In fact, his brother didn't want to return it, but he had to return it.

Because the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty never allowed localities to have military power, all armies must obey the central command of the country. But in the current environment, it is only a matter of time before King Ning rebels. Once the incident happens, without preparation, everyone can only die together. So Wang Qiong made an exception and gave Wang Shouren the right to use the flag. King Ning is really terrible. There are people in his favorite ministers, and there are people in the cabinet.But Wang Shouren and Sun Sui had nothing. This is the only help I can offer, the rest is up to you. Wang Shouren, who got the permission and took the flag, was very happy, and he ran to find Sun Sui excitedly. But when he came to the governor's yamen and told Sun Sui the news, his fellow countryman not only did not feel the slightest joy, but straightened his official uniform, and said something that Wang Shouren could never have imagined in his dreams: "You'd better get out of here." Wang Shouren was stunned. He was about to say something, but Sun Sui waved his hand and told the reason why he had to leave. "That thing (flag) is not working now." Wang Shouren suddenly realized. They are just two small governors, and the other party is a vassal king. They can't do it themselves first, so this thing can't be used now. If you can't use it now, when will you be able to use it? It's very simple, it can be used when King Ning rebels. Rebellion is not a stage show. At that time, Sun Sui, who refused to give in, must be the first victim. Wang Shouren fully understood that what Sun Sui meant was that he would stay here until King Ning killed him. And on the day of his death, when the flag can be used, the escaped Wang Shouren will pick up this tool, raise troops to resist, and put down the rebellion. With the belief that he must die, Sun Sui left the hope of life to Wang Shouren, because he believed that Wang Shouren would be able to complete the important task of suppressing the rebellion. All he had to do was die calmly. "Then you come with me." This seemed like the best of both worlds. "I am the governor of Jiangxi Province appointed by the state. This is where my duty lies. If I die, I will die here!" Wang Shouren didn't say much, he understood and respected Sun Sui's choice. He adjusted his clothes, solemnly bowed to Sun Sui, and then strode away. Facing Wang Shouren's fading figure, Sun Sui said loudly his last wish in this life: "Bo'an (Wang Shouren's word is Bo'an), take care!" When Wang Shouren heard this, he didn't look back, because he knew that he still had a lot to do to repay this brave and fearless man. Sun Sui's judgment was correct, because at almost the same moment, something happened in the court, and this incident finally brought Zhu Chenhao's conspiracy to light. Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao was very confident at one time, because he had bought Qian Ning, Yang Tinghe and other high-ranking people in the court, and thought that the background was strong enough, but he did not expect that his actions would offend a more powerful person . This person is Jiang Bin. Jiang Bin was born as a general. He accompanied Zhu Houzhao on a tour of the north and took part in many battles. He has an extra skill, not only can he flatter, but he can also fight with the emperor. Once they come and go, the two become enemies, looking for each other's flaws.Jiang Bin acted first, and decided to make a fuss about King Ning. The news didn't go away. After being reported by the roadside agency, it spread more and more widely. Many people who were dissatisfied with Chen Ning were also planning to take this opportunity to use a strong dose of medicine. Just at this time, Yang Tinghe, who has always been good at adapting to changes, also felt that something was wrong.According to this method, if there is a big problem with King Ning, he will not be able to escape.He decided to solve the puzzle. So with the joint efforts of everyone, Zhu Houzhao decided to send someone to warn King Ning and tell him to be more honest. Facts have proved that it is very interesting for Mr. Yang Tinghe to receive money from others and relieve disasters for others. He specifically explained to the envoy that he only needs to convey the meaning, and there is no need to make matters worse. In order to solve this matter, Yang Tinghe tried his best, exhausted his brains, and circled around. He thought he could achieve the perfection of merit and virtue seamlessly, but unfortunately, he still neglected a fatal point: Mr. Zhu Chenhao's psychological quality is not good enough. When the news of the emperor's envoy's arrival reached Nanchang, Zhu Chenhao was holding his birthday banquet. He was very surprised when he heard this. He immediately stopped the banquet and called Liu Yangzheng to discuss countermeasures. Facing Zhu Chenhao's expectant eyes, Liu Yangzheng was very calm, and made an objective and scientific analysis of this matter: the relationship between the imperial court has been opened, and no one has reported this matter, but now they suddenly sent There must have been a big change when the envoy came.Immediate action must be taken, otherwise life may be lost. "It's urgent, there's no need to delay, it's time to do it!" Liu Yangzheng is a guy who can make people laugh and cry. He has no experience in studying and failed in the Jinshi exam, but he is supercilious all day long. Mr. Yang Tinghe was born as a child prodigy with excellent exam results. He has been in the officialdom for 20 or 30 years. She turned into a small child, but this man got in the way and insisted on piercing the sky. From this point of view, the imperial examination is really a good system. Zhu Chenhao became nervous, he believed what Liu Yangzheng said, it was normal, and with his aptitude, he could be mixed with people like Liu Yangzheng. He was determined to rebel. But before that, Sun Sui, a troublesome character, must be solved first. So he specially selected the date of the rebellion—tomorrow. Tomorrow is June 14th in the 14th year of Zhengde (1519). On this day, Sun Sui and officials from the governor's office will go to the palace to congratulate him on his birthday.And then, it will be the best time to do it. the next day. Sun Sui brought his governor's team to Prince Ning's Mansion, but when he entered the mansion, he was taken aback. Because at the birthday celebration venue, apart from the guests, there was another group of people who shouldn't be there—hundreds of soldiers in shining armor and holding sharp knives. The murderous look on his face made Sun Sui shudder, and he realized that something might happen today. Soon, King Ning, the protagonist of the banquet, appeared. There was no joy of birthday on his face, but there seemed to be endless sorrow. With a sad face, he began to tell the people present the reason for his pain: "Tell everyone, Emperor Xiaozong (Zhu Youtang) embraced the wrong son!" Everyone is stupid, how do you know this kind of gossip? Seeing that everyone was stunned, Brother Ning became more proud: "Fortunately, the queen mother found out, and now she has issued an edict, asking me to raise troops to attack Zhu Houzhao, that's what's going on, as long as everyone knows." Fudge, you can continue to flick. Sun Sui was the first to react. Now that things were up to now, he didn't talk about etiquette anymore. He ran to King Ning in two steps and stretched out his hand: "Where's the Queen Mother's edict?!" Zhu Chenhao rolled his eyes and lost his demeanor: "Stop talking nonsense! I'm going to Nanjing now, if you are sensible, come with me!" Sun Sui finally lost his temper: "You think life is too long! You still want me to rebel with you?! Daydreaming!" Governor Sun reacted quickly, and immediately ran to the door after speaking, but was stopped by the guards again. Zhu Chenhao was irritated by Sun Sui, but in a moment he regained his composure, walked slowly in front of Sun Sui, and expressed his anger with a sneer: "Okay, I'll fulfill you." At this moment, in the face of all this, the reaction of the accompanying officials was really unbelievable. Except for Xu Kui, the deputy envoy of the procuratorate, who stepped forward and scolded Zhu Chenhao, the rest of the people maintained a surprisingly consistent attitude - silence. Zhu Chenhao waved his hand disapprovingly, and issued an order: "Take the two of them outside the city gate and behead them for public display!" Then he looked contemptuously at the remaining officials, and asked kindly: "Who else?" There was still a deathly silence waiting for him. In the face of threats of violence and death, the silent majority will always be. Sun Sui and Xu Kui were dragged out in this way, but Sun Sui was really a tough guy, even though he was tied up with a rope, he still kept cursing, and the cruel rebels broke his left hand, but he didn't make him give in. They were then taken outside Huimin Gate, where the execution took place. Sun Sui didn't panic at all, but calmly said to Xu Kui: "The matter has come to this, and it really hurts you." Xu Kui replied solemnly: "It is my duty to be loyal to the country, why do you say that?" Sun Sui smiled gratifiedly. Facing the direction where the figure disappeared a few days ago, he lowered his head and said the last words: "It's all up to you." After killing Sun Sui and Xu Kui, Zhu Chenhao began to deal with the aftermath. His subordinates immediately took the opportunity to occupy the governor's office and took over all the defenses in Nanchang City, and everything was proceeding in an orderly manner. Then he fully promoted the spirit of democracy, sent people to the officials of the governor's office to register one by one, and conducted opinion polls. There was only one content: whether to rebel with me. Those who answered yes were rewarded immediately, and those who answered no were sent to jail. The end result was four or six, and most people refused to follow him. Of course, it was not because they were so patriotic, but because they felt that there was no future for rebelling with this man. The matter was roughly settled, and Liu Yangzheng was going to find Zhu Chenhao and report to him about the recruitment of personnel. Zhu Chenhao frowned after reading the personnel list. Just as Liu Yang was about to ask for instructions on the next action plan, Zhu Chenhao waved his hand to stop him: "One person is missing." "He shouldn't have gone far. Send someone to chase him right now. After he catches up, shoot him to death!" Indeed, Wang Shouren hadn't gone far. He and his two followers had just arrived at Fengcheng along the waterway, when they learned a shocking news: King Ning rebelled. The followers were very flustered, but Wang Shouren was not surprised. He had known that this day would definitely come. But when that day really comes, it still looks so cruel. Sun Sui, you must have died for your country. Wang Shouren looked up at the sky, knowing that he would never see this friend from his hometown again. But before he could vent his grief, he realized a more serious problem. "Stop the boat and dock immediately." Wang Shouren gave the order. The attendants thought he was going to do something, so they followed him ashore. But they followed this man around several turns, and they didn't see him go to the Yamen, but they went back to the river, found another boat, and continued to advance by water. Which play is this from? "King Ning will not let me go. He must have sent someone to chase me down the river. The land route is too dangerous to go. We went ashore just now, and the news that we will go by land soon will spread, enough to attract attention. Let’s chase troops, and our ship is an official ship, the target is too big, so it’s much safer to switch to a smaller ship.” The attendants looked at the calm Wang Shouren dumbfounded. What an old fox! Wang Shouren, who played a trick to divert the tiger away from the mountain, was not happy for long, because what he was facing was a real desperate situation. King Ning rebelled, Sun Sui and others should have been killed, Nanchang has also fallen into the hands of the rebels, and it has not been a day or two since the prince wanted to rebel. The whole of Jiangxi has placed his forces, and many places have rebelled with him. The situation has completely gotten out of control. Although he has the title of governor and the flag in his hand, in the current situation, he is wandering around in the river in a small boat, without even a foothold, and the law and order outside are chaotic. It would be better to stay in Nanchang and suffer a knife, which can be regarded as "heroic sacrifice", and at any rate, he can be posthumously recognized with a title such as "loyalty". Who else can you count on? Ministry of War?Wang Qiong is an old superior, so he should come, but when the local government reports to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of War reports to the cabinet, and the cabinet reports to the emperor (hope he can be found), it is estimated that by the time the troops are dispatched, King Ning has already ascended the throne in Nanjing. The cabinet can't be counted on, not to mention how the person who has trouble with King Ning will react. Anyway, I have been in the government for so many years. According to their efficiency, they can collect a corpse for themselves when they come. Zhu Houzhao? Stop it, stop it, this joke is too big, forget it. No hope, no reinforcements, no hope. Full of grief and indignation, Wang Shouren finally realized that he had nothing but the broken boat under his feet. As night fell, the entire river surface was slowly and completely enveloped in darkness. Except for the little light on the boat, the surrounding area was already pitch black. Wang Shouren was still standing at the bow of the boat, staring straight at the eerie darkness. For the first time, he found himself so weak and powerless, Sun Sui was dead, and King Ning had turned against him, so what?So what! No matter how advanced the mind is, no matter how proficient in strategy, I can't do anything without soldiers and weapons. Is this the way it is, find a place to hide and wait for the limelight to pass? What about Sun Sui, did he just die in vain? Wang Shouren didn't like Zhu Houzhao, and he didn't like that group of rigid civil servants, but he didn't like King Ning who rebelled in the name of this. He hates the violence that tramples on human life, because in his philosophical system, human nature is the most fundamental thing and the origin of this world, and this King Ning, who was under the banner of justice, rebelled and sacrificed countless lives. The people were displaced because of his ambition, for the high throne. King Ning, who overthrew those in power, will be another one in power.The only victims are those innocent people.Because no matter when, where, or whoever is in power, they will always be the victims. Well, it's decided. "Go get paper and ink." Wang Shouren said loudly. The attendants took out pens and inks from their luggage and handed them to him. That night, Wang Shouren didn't sleep, he fell in front of the desk, writing hard all night, he wanted to write all his grief and anger. Early the next morning, the followers found papers scattered all over the floor. To their surprise, there were only four bold characters written on all the papers: Sworn to serve the country. Wang Shouren, who hadn't slept all night, was still standing at the bow of the ship, and gave the final order to his entourage: "When the ship touches the shore, you should leave separately, just find a place to hide first." The followers looked at each other: "What about you, Mr. Wang?" "I'm going to Linjiang Mansion." Linjiang Mansion is located in the lower reaches of Hongdu, built along the river, only 200 miles away from Hongdu, and may be captured by King Ning at any moment. It is an extremely dangerous place. "Master Wang, Linjiang is very dangerous, you should go with us." Wang Shouren smiled: "No, let's go, I have one more thing to do." The followers are not idiots, they all know that what Wang Shouren is going to do is called counter-insurgency. And so they issued their final advice: "Master Wang, you are only yourself!" Wang Shouren put away his smile and looked at them seriously: "I am enough alone." The boat soon arrived at Linjiang, and Wang Shouren got off the boat immediately and rushed to the prefect's yamen in Linjiang. Although he had been mentally prepared, the scene on the road still surprised him. Countless people heard that the war was about to start, and they took their families with them and prepared to flee. The crying and wailing were intertwined, making it chaotic. Wang Shouren's eyes were quick and his hands were quick, and he pulled out a servant in official uniform from among the fleeing people: "Where is Dai Deru?" Dai Deru, the magistrate of Linjiang, was about to pack his parcels. He had already heard the news of King Ning's rebellion. Although he didn't want to just leave, he was still reluctant to die. After thinking about it, he decided to be a hero first. ——A hero does not suffer from immediate losses. As soon as he left, everyone in the yamen was ready to run away, and the courtroom was in chaos. At a critical moment, someone came in to announce that Wang Shouren, the governor of southern Jiangxi, had arrived. In terms of rank, Wang Shouren was his boss, and usually he would hold a ceremony and hold a banquet to receive him grandly, but when he was dying, what was he doing here? Soon, Wang Shouren answered his question with a loud voice: "Don't leave, stay here and fight the rebellion with me!" To say that Dai Deru is really not a coward, he was very excited when he heard this, and immediately expressed: "Since Lord Wang is in charge, we are willing to work together for the court to put down the rebellion." Of course, practical questions still have to be asked. "I don't know how many troops Mr. Wang has brought?" Then he learned that the governor had just escaped, without a single soldier, and he was a complete bare rod. But it was this naked governor who dared to put down the rebellion all by himself! With the enemy at hand, Dai Deru couldn't care less about official etiquette. He looked at Wang Shouren, and sarcastically asked what everyone wanted to ask: "My lord, it's just us now, why do you think you can put down the rebellion?" Yes, without the support of the court, and the opponent is a vassal, what reason do you have to be so confident that you can put down the rebellion. Everyone stopped what they were doing, waiting for this crucial answer.The scene became silent, because they will decide whether to stay or not based on this answer. "Because I'm here." Wang Shouren looked around and repeated loudly in a deafening voice: "Because I'm here!" Lone army, but also to fight to the end! Some people left, but most of them, including Dai Deru, stayed because they felt a certain strength from this man's confident answer. Since everyone was sitting in the same boat, there was no distinction between each other. Dai Deru immediately ordered to summon a small number of troops to prepare to deploy defenses in the city. "King Ning dares to come, let's fight him to the end!" However, Wang Shouren patted him on the shoulder, praised his courage, and issued an unexpected order to those present: "There is no need to deploy defenses. Send an order to go down. The whole army is assembled and ready to retreat!" What?Don't you have to resist to the end?What are you doing now? Facing Dai Deru's surprised face, Wang Shouren smiled nonchalantly: "Prefect Dai, our troops are not strong enough, and this is not a place to counter the rebellion. We must evacuate immediately." So where is the place to counter the rebellion? "Jian." "There we will have the strength to defeat the rebels." Sima Qian once said in the Historical Records that the parachutist Li Guang looked like an ordinary farmer. Coincidentally, when many people saw Wang Shouren for the first time, they would think that he was an idiot, like a fool. He looked stupid, but Beneath his confused appearance, there is endless wisdom. Wang Shouren is a very unique person. He always puts forward strange opinions and does strange things in strange places, but in the end they all prove to be correct. His terrifying wisdom comes from his philosophy, because Mr. Wang Shouren is different from all philosophers throughout the ages. His philosophy is very special, just like chopsticks for eating and hoes for digging, they can be used at any time, and they can be used at any time. usefulness. He hated King Ning who killed Sun Sui and started the war, but he was never overwhelmed by anger. He knew very well that with his current strength, he would never be able to defeat his opponent. Right now, he could only accumulate strength and wait for the time to come. With the ambition to suppress the rebellion, one must also have a practical counter-rebellion strategy. This is the "unity of knowledge and action", which is Wang Shouren's invincible philosophy and wisdom. It is a pity that Shi Kefa, more than a hundred years later, does not seem to understand this.