Cheqi Pass is very close to Handan. According to legend, the famous Northern Song Dynasty general Yang Yanzhao once guarded here when he was the Cheqi General, so it was called Cheqi Pass. Of course, this is just a folk rumor after all. In fact, there was no Cheqi General in the Northern Song Dynasty, so the name Cheqi Pass was
The origin is simply that the road here leads directly to Handan County, from Zhangde and Daming areas to Hebei. People traveling by car and horse often take this route, hence the name.
Today, Cheqiguan is the northernmost point of the Dashun Army's defense line in Hebei. The three northern prefectures of Henan, Zhangde, Weihui, Huaiqing and the last northern Zhili prefecture occupied by Dashun, are all under the command of Liu Fangliang.
The army is responsible for garrisoning.
Liu Rukui was stationed in Cizhou, and the elite soldiers of the left army also traveled to the north of Cizhou, patrolling and guarding against the Qing army's southward movement.
Many years ago, when Liu Fangliang followed the late emperor Li Zicheng and led various peasant armies to fight in Shanxi, he became famous by capturing Cizhou and became one of the best generals in the Laochang camp.
After so many years, in circles, the Dianzuo Army returned to Cizhou again. Liu Rukui, the soap eagle, was also a Yuancong from northern Shaanxi who broke into the camp. He looked at the flags of the Shun Army planted on the city of Cizhou and thought of how he had followed Liu Fangliang many years ago.
When he took the risk to attack Cizhou, he raised his riding whip, and with the generals and officers around him, the local squire sighed:
"Look! The color of the rebuilt crenellations is different from the others. It was I, under Liu Shuai's command, who destroyed this crenellation with a small cannon and then climbed up to destroy the city."
Due to the prosperity of Cizhou kilns in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the local handicraft industry in Cizhou area flourished, and commerce also developed to a certain extent. Therefore, although the area is not large, there are many famous gentry in Hebei.
Since the Beiting stole the territory for the Eastern captives, although the Northern officials and gentry were frightened by the Dashun Army's policy of "recovering stolen goods and providing pay", as Dorgon issued an order to shave their heads, it became clear that the chariots and horses would seize the property of the Northern officials and gentry.
After making up for the lack of military resources of the Qing army, more and more gentry families fled to the Shunjun area.
Several decent-looking squires wearing green shirts and jade ornaments flattered Liu Rukui with their beards:
"The Marquis is indeed brave enough to be defeated by ten thousand men. He will definitely leave his name in the history of our dynasty in the future."
When Liu Rukui saw that these squires were trying so hard to praise themselves and even called Dashun "this dynasty" without any shame, he felt funny in his heart and felt despicable for the personalities of these people.
However, Liu Fangliang had told him many times before that the Dashun Army was about to engage in a decisive battle with the Qing Army on both sides of the Yellow River that would truly determine the fate of the Central Plains. At this critical moment, there was no need to offend the gentry too harshly.
If these people cannot learn to live law-abidingly in Dashun's new system in the future, King Jin's thunderous methods will naturally be used to suppress them.
Liu Rukui galloped past the Buddhist chanting hall. He saw the sacrificial tablet of the late emperor Li Zicheng placed in the Buddhist chanting hall. He suddenly felt interesting and got off his horse to take a look inside.
After looking at the results, Liu Rukui was even more surprised. It turned out that the local Buddhist chanting hall in Cizhou, in addition to the memorial tablets dedicated to the late Emperor Yongchang, also worshiped the deceased in the Huolu War and some generals who died in the Dashun Army.
Liu Rukui looked at the people around him and asked, "Whose family built this Buddhist chanting hall? What about the sacrificial tablets in the hall?"
Zhang Erqi was a gentry who fled from Jinan to Zhangde Prefecture to avoid the order to shave his hair. He was a Confucian scholar with some reputation, so he waved his fan and answered proactively:
"Master Marquis, the sacrificial tablets, daily incense and various offerings in the Buddhist chanting hall were all made by the local officials and gentry in Cizhou.
Country, how can we let the founding fathers not enjoy constant worship and sacrifice after their death?
This is also the sincere heart of the local gentry in respecting our dynasty."
Liu Rukui couldn't help laughing when he heard this. Of course he knew that when the Dashun Army was defeated in Huolu last year, it was these local gentry who immediately tore up the temporary surrender after hearing the news of Li Zicheng's sacrifice, and immediately raised the banner of restoring the Ming Dynasty to welcome
The flag of the Eastern Division was used to kill Shun officials, trap Shun soldiers, and intercept the defeated troops of the Dashun army in all directions to welcome the Eastern captives as they marched south.
But now only half a year has passed, because after Dorgon issued an order to shave off their hair and exposed their fangs to the property of these officials and gentry, which was much more terrifying than Dashun's "pursuing stolen goods and providing payment", they "
"As soon as the offensive turned around," he actually began to worship and sacrifice the fallen soldiers of the Shun Army in the Huolu War at his own expense.
The more Liu Rukui thought about it, the more funny and incredible he found it, but he had to admit that these gentry's vision was indeed quite good. Their way of "knowing current affairs" really made Liu Rukui unable to say a word - in fact, he
You still have to praise it.
Liu Rukui suppressed a smile, stroked his beard and praised: "The princes have done an excellent job. After I pacify the Eastern captives, I will definitely report this matter to Bianliang, so that the King of Jin will know that the princes of Cizhou have done their best to serve the country."
heart of."
Zhang Erqi's father, Zhang Xingsu, loved Confucianism and was originally a famous gentry in Jiyang, Shandong. The Qing army crossed the Yellow River into Shandong and conquered Jiyang in late winter. Zhang Xingsu organized volunteers in the countryside to fight against the Qing soldiers. Unfortunately, he was captured and killed the following year.
At that time, Zhang Erqi's third brother Erzheng also died, and his fourth brother Erchong died and resurrected. Various blows came one after another. Zhang Erqi couldn't bear the pressure and grief. He wanted to commit suicide several times by drowning and destroyed all the books. He also thought about giving up as a Taoist priest.
The family went to the mountains, but when they saw that their old mother had no one to take care of her, she endured the grief and lived a peaceful life.
He was an honest and humble man, but in fact he was not as flattering as Liu Rukui thought.
When the Beiting had just been seized by the Donglu, Zhang Erqi did participate in the activities of killing Shun officials and welcoming the Dongshi because he could not distinguish the situation for the time being.
However, after the Huolu War, the Donglu wanted to puppet the Ming court and their ambition to take over the Central Plains was completely exposed. Zhang Erqi went from Shandong to Bian. He originally wanted to join Dashun, but because of the long journey, he stayed in Zhangde Prefecture.
, together with old friends in Cizhou, they transformed the local Buddhist chanting hall into a place of worship for Shunjun soldiers.
This situation is not limited to a corner of Cizhou.
In fact, in all areas under the jurisdiction of the Dashun Army, the attitudes and positions of the gentry under the rule of the Shun Army are undergoing subtle changes.
Because regardless of whether the Donglu can succeed in moving south, at least it seems now that within one or two years or even several years, the squires in Henan, Shandong, Huguang and many other areas will definitely accept the jurisdiction of the Shunjun regime for a long time.
and rule.
They want to live as luxurious a life as they used to, but due to the crackdowns and restrictions of the camp system, it is almost impossible.
But precisely because of this, the gentry class within the Dashun regime must find a new way out for themselves.
Welcoming the Donglu and overthrowing the Dashun regime has become a worse option because of the promulgation of the hair-cutting order;
How about welcoming the army of the Western Ming Dynasty and overthrowing the rule of Dashun? This pledge of loyalty is not as good as that of Li Zicheng!
As for welcoming the Nanming army, this is certainly a good choice, but the Nanming regime is obviously hopeless.
It is no longer a good choice to overthrow the Dashun rule by cooperating inside and outside. Then the gentry class, they were not loyal ministers and righteous men who swore allegiance to the Ming Dynasty. Now, of course, in order to preserve their own interests, they began to take the initiative to challenge the Dashun regime in various ways.
Get closer.
The stupid people among the gentry class thought that the Dashun regime was similar to the Ming Dynasty in the past. Some people either went to participate in the new imperial examinations, while others tried to mobilize their nostalgia and connections in the same year to seek officials;
But there are also some smart people who have seen Dashun’s strong support for industry and commerce from Dashun’s farming system and public-private partnership system. For example, some of Zhang Erqi’s old friends in Cizhou have already exchanged their land interests under the farming system for
He became a share capital and started a business to raise military supplies for the Dianzuo Army.
Although the laws and regulations of the Dashun Army are strict, and the slightest act of corruption or cunning may endanger your head, but with the stable market of the Shun Army and the frivolous business tax, you can still make a lot of money even if you do business legally and compliantly.
Of course, there are some smarter people. They have already seen the clues from various detailed changes in Dashun's new imperial examination reform. Since Dashun neglects eight-part essays and emphasizes policy theory, neglects classic meanings but emphasizes historical theory, and neglects poems and songs.
Emphasis on practical application.
So of course the scholars who were preparing to take the exam immediately threw away the Five Classics that they had read for many years, and instead picked up "Lun on Salt and Iron", "Records of Fang Yu's Reading of History" and even Fang Yi, a bachelor of Hongwen Yuan (i.e. the Hanlin Academy of the Ming Dynasty)
"Tongya" and "Little Knowledge of Physics" written by Zhi Zhi.