In the mountains of North and South Lakes, a young woman stood in the courtyard in the early morning, watching the gardenia petals blown by the rain and wind last night falling all over the ground, and the row of jasmine flowers in the corner also blown away, and she couldn't help but feel distressed.
Thinking of the flowers that were still full and blooming yesterday, but today they are fragrant and dusty, I couldn't help but think of myself. I entered the world at the age of fourteen, with sad tears accompanying me every day and night, but I still have to be in front of others.
She forced herself to smile until she later met Maoxiang, one of the Four Great Talents. She was completely fascinated by his talent and took the initiative to express her feelings, but was ruthlessly rejected.
Maoxiang only fell in love with Chen Yuanyuan.
This period of torment lasted five full years. Fortunately, although Chen Yuanyuan and Mao Xiang were engaged to be married, when Maoxiang still failed the sixth provincial examination in Nanjing and returned to Suzhou, Chen Yuanyuan was already gone.
, Maoxiang failed in the examination and was frustrated in love, feeling extremely depressed, and then fell ill. During that time, she took care of him day and night.
Later, good sister Liu Rushi came forward and asked Qian Qianyi to redeem her life, and then sent her to Mao's family. That experience finally made Mao Xiang accept her.
When she arrived at Maoxiang's house, she washed away her beauty and devoted herself to serving Maoxiang, and even taught Maoxiang's children to read.
Unfortunately, the country was ruined and the family was in trouble. The Qing army went south. The Mao family left their hometown of Rugao and fled to Nanjing. Ruan Dacheng recruited Mao Xiang, but Mao Xiang was a talented scholar who restored society. At that time, he also participated in staying in the capital to prevent riots, and worked with the eunuchs.
How could his mortal enemy be willing to obey, but Ruan Dacheng arrested him and sent him to prison. Huang Zongxi, Feng Jingdi and other scholars were also arrested and imprisoned at that time.
It wasn't until Hongguang abandoned Nanjing and fled that Maoxiang was able to escape from prison and move south with his family. As a result, he was encountered by rebels in Wuhu. More than 20 servants at home were killed and all their belongings were taken away. Finally, he barely escaped from the tiger's mouth and came to a friend in Haiyan.
Settled down. Later, due to the turmoil in Haiyan City, the family took refuge in the mountains and lakes in the north and south.
With no property or servants, she took care of her family, taught her husband's children, and even took care of the fields and gardens.
In my free time, I read books and cultivate flowers. Although the mountains are remote, I finally have some quiet days.
But her husband couldn't stay idle and kept running outside. There was chaos and chaos outside. She was very worried. When she saw the falling flowers this morning, she thought of her husband for no reason and always had a bad premonition.
Full of grief, she squatted down and picked up the fallen flowers piece by piece, then dug a hole under the peach tree to bury them.
"Xiaowan, what are you doing?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind, and she turned around happily. Sure enough, her husband had come back from Xiangxiang and Bijiang, "Husband, are you back?"
"Well, I just came back from Susong."
"I'll pour tea for your husband."
When Maoxiang came back this time, his face was full of excitement. Compared with the previous embarrassment and despair, it was exciting.
"Did something good happen to my husband?"
"Well, the situation is changing and getting better. This time I went to Shaoxing first and then to Songjiang and Suzhou. I visited many old friends in Fushe. The situation is getting better, Xiaowan."
Dong Xiaowan handed her husband tea and looked at him tenderly, "Drink the tea first and speak slowly."
After Maoxiang drank the tea, he started talking excitedly.
"Supervisors Zhang Guowei and Liu Zongzhou have already established a foothold in the south of the Qiantang River. The defense line of the Qiantang River has been stabilized. However, Lu Jianguo actually personally led the Northern Expedition. He has won consecutive battles and has established a firm foothold in the north of the Yangtze River. There are also Suzhou and Songjiang.
, Jiaxing, and all over Huzhou, people with lofty ideals are now running to contact each other to raise troops for restoration."
"I didn't expect that I went to Su Song. This Haiyan has been transformed. You have been at home during this time, have you seen the soldiers and horses that supervise the country?"
"I heard that a troop of soldiers came here. They were soldiers of Jiangnan Admiral Zhu Wu. The military discipline was very good. They did not collect food or arrest people. They did not harm the people when they came. Instead, they suppressed many local ruffians and bandits who harmed the people.
, I have never seen these soldiers, but I heard from the housekeeper that they do not harass the people. Now every township and village is organizing Baojia, setting up township regiments, and practicing self-government."
Although the outside world heard that these soldiers were good, Dong Xiaowan was a weak woman and did not dare to go out. She always stayed in this mountain residence and stayed true to her duties.
Maoxiang smiled and said, "Actually, this Jiangnan Admiral Zhu Wu is the current His Highness Lu Jianguo."
"ah?"
"I can't believe it. There are so many things that I didn't expect. Huang Zongxi recommended me to the Supervisor of Lu, who has already sent me a recruitment order. After I come back and see you this time, I will go to see the Supervisor."
"Husband, do you really want to apply?"
Maoxiang nodded, "The country is like this, how can we hide in the mountains and not come out?"
When Dong Xiaowan saw this, she did not try to persuade her. She knew that her husband was a man of his own opinions. Although he had failed the six provincial examinations and was still only a scholar, he was a great talent who had written articles in all directions at the age of two. Even Dong Qichang, the boss of Wenyuan,
At that time, people called him Wang Bo of the Ming Dynasty, saying that he would embellish the poetry and prose of the prosperous Ming Dynasty.
In fact, although Maoxiang had always failed in the imperial examination, he was famous for his poems and essays and had many writings. Not to mention participating in the Fushe society and caring about state affairs, he was one of the four great princes praised by people at the time.
He was born into a family of officials and nobles, but he was the most upright person among the four princes. In the late Ming Dynasty, floods and droughts continued, and famines broke out. He risked his life to support his friends and provided relief to the victims for more than ten years, until all his wealth was gone.
Even now, he is still traveling all the time.
Even Zhu Yihai had heard of his name, so when Huang Zongxi recommended this good friend, Zhu Yihai immediately issued a recruitment order. Even great men once commented that among the so-called four young masters in the late Ming Dynasty, the one who truly possessed national integrity was
Maopijiang, Maopijiang, is more practical. After the Qing soldiers entered the pass, they lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, did not engage in the Qing Dynasty, and ended the war.
Compared with the three Hou Fangyu, he is much stronger.
"I have contacted some local scholars in Haiyan and Kanpu and those who have taken refuge here. Among these people are Tang Fen, the former director of the Staff Department of the Ministry of War, Yi Cheng, the former sea salt general, and Han Wanxiang, a thousand households in Kanpu.
Therefore, Wu Panchang, the son of the Minister of Punishment, Wang Youqian, the former deputy commander-in-chief of Susong, Peng Sunyi, a famous scholar from Haiyan, Chen Zeliang, Zhang Weichi and others, we are ready to welcome His Highness the Supervisor."
In the past, these officials and gentry often fled to country manors to avoid war and war. Many of them were unwilling to serve in the Qing Dynasty and surrender to the captives, so they lived in seclusion in the countryside. Now I heard that the Jiangnan Admiral was the Supervisor of Lu, and this Supervisor recently visited Haiyan
After a series of victories, especially the annihilation of five or six thousand Tatar troops, they became more and more excited.
After the supervisor went north, he reorganized his troops and cleaned up the countryside. His subordinates did not harm the people and had good military discipline. This also made these people feel that there was hope for the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, and at this time they were willing to stand up to support the great cause of revival.
The officials, gentry and landlords who were not afraid of the powerful Qing army before now began to change their attitude.
In Xiashi Town, Zhujiazhuang was brutally massacred by the Qing army. Wherever they passed, both officials and gentry and common people suffered. In contrast, the officers and soldiers of the Supervisory Army in the Northern Expedition were just like the legendary Yue Family Army.
If the people do not commit any crime, not only will no grain be collected or paid, but past arrears will also be exempted and this year's arrears will be exempted.
Even if a new leasing bureau is established, it will still be much better than the previous random apportionment or even extortion and extortion.
The landowners and gentry of Haiyan once again stood up to support the Ming Dynasty. This was not only a nostalgia for the Ming Dynasty, but also related to their vital interests. The Tatars, who seemed to be invincible at first, were now defeated miserably in front of the supervising country, which made them see that the Ming Dynasty was still
It can survive and even have the possibility of resurgence.
"Husband, why don't you reply to Sister Liu?"
When Maoxiang heard this, he was silent for a moment.
He was imprisoned by Ruan Dacheng before, but he was able to escape from Nanjing in the end because Qian Qianyi, who decided to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, helped to release him. At that time, Qian Qianyi also wanted him to stay in Nanjing and surrender to the Qing army.
However, Maoxiang sternly refused, and he vowed never to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. Before leaving, he had a private conversation with Qian Qianyi. Qian said that the situation was like this, and he also wanted to save some vitality for the world for the future.
But Maoxiang didn't agree with this approach at all and finally left.
Since then, he has still received letters from Qian Qianyi, even money, and a recruitment letter from the commander-in-chief, but he has not replied.
Liu Rushi and Dong Xiaowan are good sisters. It was Qian Qianyi who redeemed her body back then, and it was Liu Rushi who helped reconcile her and Mao Bijiang. Now that she heard that Ming Zhongxing was promising, she wanted to ask her husband to write to Qian Qianyi.
Yi Liuru is with them and wants to see if he can persuade them to go south.
"I will write this letter, but to be honest, I don't think Mr. Qian will go south."
"Do you think Mr. Qian has really surrendered?"
"Perhaps there is still Da Ming in his heart, but he does not have the determination to resist to the end. The so-called fake surrender and preservation of vitality are just lies to himself and others. He is concerned about his reputation and is greedy for life and fear of death. After all, he is still cowardly."
Mao Bijiang sighed, "But we can also use the last bit of conscience in his heart. Even if he doesn't come back, we can still use him to get information about the Tatars, and we can still contribute to the great cause of restoration."
This somewhat harsh comment can be said to have smashed the face of the leader of Donglin, but Dong Xiaowan did not refute it. He felt that although Qian Qianyi was the leader of Donglin, he was indeed not as strong as her husband in the fight against the Qing Dynasty.
.
"It would be great if Sister Liu could come."
"Mr. Qian probably won't take Liu Rushi to Beijing. He may send him back to his hometown in Changshu, Suzhou. When the prison country leads the northern expedition and recovers Suzhou, you can reunite as sisters."
"Then I really hope that day comes soon!"
Maoxiang sat there for a while and then hurriedly left. He went to Taibaiju, the suburban villa of his friend Zhang Weichi, where he met with his friends Peng Sunyi and Chen Zeliang who had returned to society.
"We also said that Pijiang, if you go back to see Miss Dong, you will definitely not be able to come back today."
"It's important." Maoxiang said with a smile.
"We were just talking about setting up a battalion, and we have decided on a camp name. We will call it Shiyong Camp, which will correspond to Huang Taichong's Shizhong Camp and face each other across the sea." Chen Zeliang was very excited when he said this.
This matter has been supported by everyone, and everyone has raised more than 10,000 taels of silver.
After hearing this, Maoxiang said excitedly, "This is a good thing, and I fully support it. We have our own troops, and when the time comes, we can not only support the Northern Expedition of the Supervisory King, but also maintain the peace of the local area!"
"When are we going to see the Supervisor?"
Maoxiang said, "The supervisor asked us to meet in Haiyan County."
"Okay, when will we leave?"
"We can't go to the prison country empty-handed. We have to prepare some money and food to help pay for the army." Maoxiang suggested raising a batch of money and food to take to Haiyan County to reward the army.