Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 20 The End of the Hero
The reason why the powerful Hu Zongxian ended up in this situation was because of the complaint. Not long ago, Nanjing Hu Ke impeached Lu Fengyi on ten crimes against him, including defecting to Yan Song, corruption, false reporting of military achievements and personal life style issues.
It must be said that at this time, Yan Song had fallen out of favor, was deprived of his official position by the emperor, and was ordered to return to his hometown. Yan Shifan was also relegated to the Leizhou Guard. I won't mention it here, and will talk about it later.
There has always been an endless stream of people suing Hu Zongxian. This is not surprising. Anyone sitting in his position would be sued to death. But in the past few years, no one has been able to do anything to him.
.
Because Hu Zongxian was not only smart and clever, but also blessed by the emperor and good at making connections, so he was always safe and passed through dangers.
But the so-called big tree attracts the wind. Day after day, year after year, he is always hung up as a target and attacked in turn. No matter how thick his skin is, he cannot withstand it. Gradually, the emperor no longer wants to see him. In addition, what Lu Fengyi said
Those things are not fictitious. This dear friend has indeed joined the traitor party. He is very happy with his achievements. He has many women around him and his life style is very problematic.
So as time went by, the last straw finally fell on the camel's back. The emperor completely lost trust in him. He was dismissed from his post, interrogated, and imprisoned. But this time, not to mention the white deer, even the white tiger and the white leopard came out together.
, there is no way to save the day.
Comrade Jiajing was quite kind. Considering that Hu Zongxian had indeed done a lot of work and had sent albino deer to him, he let him go home after being dismissed.
But in his eagerness to make meritorious deeds, this dear man had committed too many evil deeds. Two years later, he was exposed again, saying that he had forged an imperial edict. Even a god would not be able to escape such a crime.
Hu Zongxian returned to the prison where he had been away for two years and was waiting to be questioned. However, Comrade Jiajing was a really good man and still had no intention of killing him. He was just imprisoned pending trial.
However, Hu Zongxian, who had always been strong, could no longer bear it. He spent all his efforts and thoughts, even at the cost of joining the traitors, at the expense of being infamous, flattering, and sycophantic. He did everything he could to betray the covenant and kill
He killed Xu Hai, got rid of Wang Zhi, sent out the white deer, and repeatedly reported auspiciousness, just to realize his ambition, to save the people and quell the Japanese rebellion.
But now he has ended up in such an ending, with a rancid cell, tattered prison uniforms, and indefinite detention. The scenery of sitting in the southeast is gone forever. Even if he is released from prison in the future, what awaits him is only the contempt and contempt of everyone.
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The proud Hu Zongxian couldn't bear this. He would rather give up his life than sacrifice his dignity.
Late one night not long after, 54-year-old Hu Zongxian chose to commit suicide and ended his life in prison.
Before he died, he wrote about the anger and injustice in the last moments of his life: The sword buries injustice in prison, and the loyal soul surrounds the white clouds.
From Huizhou to Datong, and then from Datong to Zhejiang, from a small censor, to the governor of several southeastern provinces, and then to a prisoner, Hu Zongxian devoted his whole life to his ideals, but ended up like this
.I believe that at the moment before his death, he was desperate and unwilling.
So here, I honestly wrote everything about him, his greed and cunning, his conspiracy and ingenuity, his perseverance and fearlessness, his devotion to the country, and all his good and bad, right and wrong.
I believe that history will eventually give him a fair evaluation.
Hu Zongxian was finished, but his ambition did not give up halfway. Qi Jiguang successfully avoided all entanglements and continued his anti-Japanese war. Soon after, he and Yu Dayou, who had been reinstated, marched into Fujian and experienced the battles of Xinghua and Xianyou.
, and eliminated the Japanese pirates in Fujian. In the next five years, he pursued and fought fiercely. By the first year of Longqing (1567), the Japanese pirates that had plagued China for decades were finally quelled.
Starting from the 33rd year of Jiajing (1554), under the leadership of Hu Zongxian, through the unremitting efforts of Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou and others, and after twelve years of long-term fighting, the Japanese bandits were finally driven out of China.
This anti-Japanese war lasted a long time and had great influence. Although the process was extremely thrilling, it was not a large-scale battle. There was never a big scene in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. However, I still described it in detail.
The process was recorded.
Because during this catastrophe, the famous Hu Zongxian, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, as well as thousands of unknown people, all used their actions to send a loud voice to the invaders:
This is where we grew up, and we will guard here, never give in, never give in. Those who dare to invade this land will pay the heaviest price.
And the protagonists of this good show also have different endings.
After pacifying Fujian, Yu Dayou went to the Guangdong and Guangxi regions and took up the post of commander of the Guangxi Military Region. There he successfully suppressed the rebellion and obtained the highest position in his life - Right Commander (First Grade).
But he didn't expect that his life really had a beginning and an end. At this point, the inexplicable things were not over yet. He was obviously an upright official, but his family was extremely poor, but he was accused of corruption and had to return.
Recuperate at home. Not long after, he was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Fujian again. Unexpectedly, he was demoted a few years later due to mistakes by his subordinates, and was later promoted. He died in the eighth year of Wanli (1580) at the age of seventy-seven, and was posthumously granted the title of Governor of the Left.
Hero Yu, who has struggled all his life, finally no longer has to struggle. Although he has been inexplicable all his life, his great achievements will be passed down forever.
Qi Jiguang went to Jimen. Seventeen years later, the little officer who patrolled back then returned here, but his title had been changed to General Qi. Here, he would get the full support of his ally Zhang Juzheng and show his full potential.
The greatest energy, there is still a long story about him.
Now there is one last protagonist left, and his ending is the strangest and most tragic.
When Hu Zongxian was taken away, Xu Wei didn't say a word, because he knew that it was useless to say anything and there was no room for recovery. What he had to worry about now was himself.
He knew very well that when the nest was overturned, the eggs would not be intact. As Hu Zongxian's staff, he naturally could not escape the involvement, but what made him even more painful was the complete shattering of his dream.
Xu Wei has dreams. Although he is proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting, he does not want to be a writer or artist. He hopes to gain fame and achieve a career. This is his real ambition.
When he became Hu Zongxian's right-hand man, commanding decisively and strategizing, he once thought that his future would be extremely bright. However, in the blink of an eye, fate threw him into the abyss again.
Hopes had been lost, and there were rumors that he would be captured to be with Hu Zongxian. Xu Wei's spirit completely collapsed. He tried to commit suicide. The specific method is as follows:
Method 1, chop your own head with an axe.
Method 2, drive a nail into your own head.
Method 3: Beat yourself in the stomach with a hammer.
It's a strange person to say that he committed suicide with such a strange trick, but what's even more strange is that despite unremitting efforts, he still didn't die. Although his face was covered with blood, a long nail penetrated his brain, and his internal organs were bleeding, he still didn't die.
, created a miracle in the medical field.
Therefore, some people speculate that he just pretended to be crazy and self-harmed to avoid disaster. But if he pretended to be crazy, his capital seemed to be too high. But in short, he suffered a lot, but still went to jail, but he was not jailed.
Hu Zongxian was implicated because of murder.
Because he worked too hard in committing suicide (or pretending to be crazy), he accidentally killed his wife. Feeling remorseful, he was arrested and prosecuted by the local government. Because of his great reputation and the fact that it was manslaughter, he was not executed.
He was just put in a cell.
He was imprisoned for seven years. Later, his fellow villagers heard about this and tried to rescue him, finally letting him out of prison.
At this time, it was the Longqing period, and the world had undergone great changes. Things and people had changed. Xu Wei, who had gone through many vicissitudes in his fifties, seemed to be older than a seventy-year-old man. No one would have thought that this man with a miserable appearance would
, turned out to be the first military division in the Southeast that was full of ambition and high spirits.
I have lost my wife, my future, and even my hope.
So the lonely Xu Wei began to wander. He traveled across the country, including Fujian, Zhili, Shanxi, and then Jizhou, where he met Qi Jiguang again.
Xu Wei was arrogant throughout his life, conceited about his talents, and often looked down upon others. However, he was the only one who treated Qi Jiguang with courtesy, because in his opinion, this man was extremely fierce and his talents were no less than his own, so he regarded him as a close friend.
Qi Jiguang was very excited to see this long-lost comrade. He arranged a banquet to entertain his old friends. At the banquet table, the two of them drank and talked happily. When talking about Xu Wei's future whereabouts, Qi Jiguang expressed the hope that he could stay.
effectiveness in the military.
Xu Wei just smiled and didn't answer. Qi Jiguang was a smart man, so he didn't mention it again. Xu Wei had not changed. Although he was down and out, although he was wandering, he was still the arrogant Xu Wei.
So the topic returned to the war against Japan. Xu Wei, who studied the art of war, began to talk about famous generals in the world. In his opinion, there are only three outstanding military generals since Jiajing: Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, and Tan Lun (then Ji
Governor of the Liao Dynasty), the rest are all ordinary people and not worth mentioning.
Let me mention Tan Lun here. Although this man was not as famous as Qi Jiguang later, he was Qi Jiguang's superior at the time. He was a civilian and liked military affairs. He had been in the army for more than 30 years. He was very strategic and fought bravely against the enemy. Every time he fought, he had to personally fight.
When he went into battle, according to statistics, he killed hundreds of enemies with his own hands. It can be said that he killed many people, and he truly deserved his reputation as a famous general.
Qi Jiguang agreed with Xu Wei's statement, but also said this:
"You are right, but in my opinion, there is another one."
The next day, Xu Wei bid farewell to Qi Jiguang and set out for Liaodong with curiosity. He wanted to see with his own eyes the fourth person who even Qi Jiguang admired highly - Li Chengliang.
In Liaodong, Xu Wei heard the news that the Liang family, then deputy commander-in-chief of Liaodong, wanted to hire a husband, so he went to apply for the job without hesitation.
When he saw the desolate old man in front of him, Li Chengliang was almost ready to have someone serve him some food and let him leave quickly. Out of politeness, he patiently asked this man what his expertise was and what he could teach him.
.
"art of war."
When this answer reached everyone's ears, everyone present laughed almost at the same time, and Li Chengliang couldn't help laughing. He is a military general himself, and he wants you, a bad old man, to teach the art of war?
However, in the audience
This man was not confused at all, he just looked at those who laughed at him quietly.
Li Chengliang stopped laughing, because he suddenly remembered something. Not long ago, Qi Jiguang, the commander-in-chief of Jizhou, sent someone to report a similar person.
He changed his attitude and asked cautiously:
"Did your Excellency come from Meng Zhu (Qi Jiguang's name is Meng Zhu)?"
Xu Wei nodded slightly.
So Li Chengliang sternly scolded those rude subordinates and asked the second question:
"Your surname is Xu?"
After being reaffirmed, he immediately came down to the hall and saluted the old gentleman respectfully. The people next to him were extremely surprised and their eyes widened, but Li Chengliang knew clearly that when he was still a down-and-out scholar,
This man has already planned a plan in the southeast and is famous all over the world.
He called his eldest son Li Rusong and second son Li Rubai to his side, handed them over to Xu Wei in person, and told them to study hard and ask for advice humbly.
Xu Wei did not live up to Li Chengliang's expectations. In the days that followed, he taught the two young men all his literary talents, talents, and knowledge, as well as everything he had learned during the anti-Japanese years.
After all, Xu Wei's theory was completely different from that taught by his previous husband. In particular, the anti-Japanese military tactics he taught did not seem to be suitable for dealing with the Mongolian cavalry that usually galloped across the plains. Li Rusong had questions:
"Is it useful to learn this?"
Xu Wei looked at the child in front of him and nodded very seriously.
So night after night, Li Rusong concentrated on studying and studied everything Mr. Xu taught him. He believed that one day it would come in handy.
Soon after, Xu Wei submitted his resignation. Although Li Chengliang tried every means to persuade him to stay, he still left here. Perhaps in his mind, his mission had been completed.
More than twenty years later, North Korea, Pyongyang.
The North Korean King Li Huo, who was chased with only half his life left, finally returned to his palace. Not long before this, it had been the headquarters of Konishi Yukinaga and Kato Kiyomasa, the Japanese generals who invaded Korea. But now, he will be there.
A grand banquet was held here to welcome the man who drove away the Japanese army and brought him back to the palace.
Li Rusong, the admiral of Jiliao, came as promised. As the commander of the aid force to Korea, he led his army to win consecutive battles since entering Korea. He defeated the Japanese army Konishi Yukinachabu many times, annihilated tens of thousands of enemy troops, and successively recaptured Pyongyang and Kaesong.
Pingan, Jiangyuan and other places single-handedly saved the Korean battlefield from crisis.
Li Huo admired Li Rusong very much and admired his military skills. After all, if it weren't for this dear friend, he probably wouldn't be squatting in a ravine. But in his heart, he also had an unsolved question, so he borrowed the opportunity to
Taking this opportunity, he asked Li Rusong:
"Your army is so good at fighting, so why did General Zu Chengxun fail before?"
The Zu Chengxun mentioned by Li Huan was a Ming army general who entered the dynasty early, but his battle was unfavorable and he was defeated and returned to the country soon after, forming a strong contrast with Li Rusong later.
Li Rusong smiled and ordered his subordinates to take out a book and display it in front of Li He:
"The strategies for controlling Japanese enemies are all in this book."
The name of this book is "New Book of Ji Xiao", written by Qi Jiguang.
Li Hao was overjoyed. After reading the cover, he was about to take the book from Li Rusong's hand and continue reading the content. However, Li Rusong kept a smile on his face, but held the book tightly in his hand and slowly took it back.
This is a very clear statement - this book cannot be shown to you.
Li Huo did not force it, but firmly remembered the name of the book. Later, he ordered people to go to China to buy a large amount of it, and "Jixiao New Book" was introduced to North Korea and Japan.
Although Li Rusong took out hard currency, Li Huo still had doubts. He then asked Li Rusong, could he win the war just by relying on this book?
Li Rusong stopped smiling and told the king solemnly that this book was written by the famous general Qi Jiguang. The book summarized his experience in fighting Japanese pirates for more than ten years and specialized in defeating the Japanese army. Although it seems inconspicuous, it is extremely difficult to understand.
, must be used properly and should not be used without long-term practice.
However, the fact that he was familiar with the art of war was not a gift from this book, because he had already understood its secrets before the book was published.
So Li Huo curiously asked the last question: How could you be familiar with the art of war in this book before it was written?
"A long time ago, my teacher taught me."
Li Rusong raised his head towards the south. He knew very well that more than forty years ago, as his ancestor, his teacher had fought with Qi Jiguang there to drive out Japanese pirates and protect his family and country.
This is the first month of the twenty-first year of Wanli (1593).
But what Li Rusong didn't know was that at almost the same time, the old man who had taught him was lying in a dilapidated house. He had sold out all his calligraphy and paintings, was poor and sick, and was ignored. Soon.
Afterwards, he quietly passed away, full of grief and indignation, at the age of seventy-three.
Xu Wei's legendary life has come to an end. In the face of a cruel fate, he has persevered tenaciously for too long. Everything about him will be recorded in history because of his extremely talented, intelligent and immortal achievements.