Chapter 256 Hongmen Night Banquet: Assassination of the Admiral
The red cannon in Hangzhou City weighs 3,900 kilograms each, costing several thousand taels of silver to build, and is it sold for one thousand kilograms of rice?
But Xu An quickly came to his senses. Nowadays, in the rice black market in Hangzhou, the price is ten taels of silver per stone, and there is even a price but no market. This is not just silver, it is also the ration of survival.
"Nowadays, everyone is aware of many things, but they are tacitly aware of it. Who can be sure that Admiral Tian did not get a share of the rice obtained from selling the damaged cannon?"
Hangzhou is now under siege and the two sides are facing each other across the city.
During the day, they can exchange insults in the air, but at night, they secretly conduct smuggling transactions.
Not only damaged cannons can be exchanged for rice, but other damaged cotton armor, iron armor, and cloth face armor can also be exchanged for rice. As for intact artillery, swords, guns, and armors, they are even more valuable.
"I heard that the pacesetters in Zhenbiao basically sold some of their equipment."
Xu An was extremely shocked. He thought that the food they distributed to the people was mixed with sorghum, chaff, and even sand and mud, which was already bad enough. Who knew that this soldier who was guarding the city actually sold his job?
.
I understand that you sell some damaged cannons, but you also sell the good ones. What do you think?
Zhu Guofan looked around, then called Xu An closer.
"Sir Xu, it looks like Hangzhou is hopeless. We have to think of a way out in advance."
Xu Anru was mourning. He was just a student in Hangzhou, but he failed to pass the Ming Dynasty examination. The Qing army came and actively welcomed him. They donated food and silver. Finally, he was appreciated and awarded a minor official. I recommend him in advance.
After the official was killed by Bolo for corruption, he used money to get this position.
Although the rank of this official is not high, Xu An is already used to the feeling of being an official. The power he holds can be addictive, not to mention how much money he has made by taking advantage of his position.
"I went to see Admiral Tian today, and he was very drunk. He was beating several officials with a whip and scolded them for their inability to collect grain. How can there be food to collect in Hangzhou?"
Zhu Guofan took Xu An and talked slowly there, talking about the history of Tian Xiong, how he carried Emperor Hongguang and surrendered to the Qing camp after Huang Degong died in Wuhu.
"Admiral Tian will never dare to come to the Ming Dynasty again because of this matter, and the Ming Dynasty will never accept him, so now he is determined to defend Hangzhou and block bad news. He just wants to drag us to be buried with him."
Xu An was often scolded and scolded by Tian Xiong during this period, and he was also very dissatisfied with this arrogant military leader. Now when he heard that this guy actually wanted to drag everyone to death because he could not bring peace, he couldn't help but grit his teeth.
He cursed, "This guy with a rotten neck is really evil-hearted."
"Master Xu, we have to save ourselves!"
"Master Zhu, how can you save yourself?" Xu An asked quickly.
Zhu Guofan smiled slightly and said, "I was originally a fellow magistrate of Huzhou. I believe Mr. Xu knows this too, right?"
Xu An nodded quickly.
"I also had some official achievements in Huzhou. When the Qing army went south, the prefect abandoned the city and left, and the officers and soldiers could not defend it. For the sake of the people in the city, I had to take the lead in dedicating the city to surrender. Afterwards, the people of the city were saved...
···”
Xu An looked at Zhu Guofan's righteous look and felt a little disdainful in his heart. Who in Jiangnan's official circles doesn't know that Zhu Guofan is timid and cowardly? You have to surrender whom you have, you have repeated it four or five times in Huzhou.
But at this time, Xu Anke couldn't care about that.
"Your Majesty, do you think we should surrender?"
Zhu Guofan nodded, "At this point, no one can save us, we can only save ourselves. As for Tian Xiong's thousands of soldiers, they are almost sold out, and the trenches of the Ming army outside the city have been dug almost to the bottom of the city.
The moat has also filled in some roads, does Tian Xiong have any countermeasures?"
"Besides drinking and whipping people, what else did he do?"
"I estimate that the Ming army is almost ready to attack the city. The cannons may be brought up to bombard the city next. Once the city wall is blasted open, the Ming army will rush in with shields. We just have to
The remaining line of defense is the city wall, which is completely undefendable."
"Shall we wait until they attack and then surrender?" Xu An was afraid of death, and also worried that if he surrendered now, the Qing army would come back to liquidate him.
"When they come in, it will be too late for us to surrender. We will cut them off with a single blow, but we will not regret taking the medicine."
Xu An wanted to cry. He had been working hard for half his life and finally became a promotion official in Hangzhou. He had also made so much money, but he had not yet had time to enjoy it.
After a long while, he said in frustration, "But now the city defenses are guarded by Tian Xiong's soldiers. Even if we really want to surrender, we have no chance."
Zhu Guofan nodded, "The key lies in Tian Xiong. If Tian Xiong is gone, do you think anyone will still stop us?"
"Tian Xiong is still so young and strong, why did you say it before you said it?"
"Of course there are many ways." Zhu Guofan leaned closer and whispered.
For a long time, Xu An's eyes widened.
"Xu Gong, your death is imminent, why are you still hesitating?"
Xu An trembled, "But this is too risky. What if it doesn't work?"
"In today's situation, there is a way to survive if you succeed, but you will die if you don't succeed. If you shrink your head and stretch your head, then why are you hesitating?"
······
Night falls.
Zhu Guofan, the prefect of Hangzhou, hosted a banquet in the government office for Admiral Tian Xiong, who was also attended by a number of left-behind officials in Hangzhou.
The dishes are over five flavors, and the wine is over three rounds.
"Master Junmen, I heard that Huzhou and Jiaxing have been captured by the Ming army?"
Tian Xiong was in a depressed mood and was already half drunk. When he heard this, he just snorted, "Where did you hear this from the gossip?"
Another official asked, "Sir, I heard that Governor Zhang, Governor Xiao and others went to Jiangning to move reinforcements, but were ambushed in Huzhou and their entire army was wiped out?"
"Impossible!"
"Tian Junmen, I heard that the Ming army outside the city issued an ultimatum, giving three days to open the city and surrender, otherwise the city wall of Hangzhou will be blasted with artillery, and then the city will be invaded, and all civil and military officers and generals of high rank will be killed. But this is not possible
thing?"
"Nothing."
All the officials asked me one question after another.
Tian Xiong threw the cup on the ground and slammed the table with his palm, "You are having a banquet today. Are you inviting me to drink, or are you here to interrogate me?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Zhu Guofan stood up and said, "Junmen, in fact, everyone has known that the pacesetters who raised the bid smuggled with the Ming army outside the city every night, and also knew the current situation outside. Hujia was lost, Hangzhou
At the critical moment, Governor Zhang abandoned the city and fled, but was ambushed to death on the way. Su Song now had no time to take care of himself. Even the Hong University scholar was reprimanded by the court and was urgently transferred to Huguang. I heard that Leke Dehun, the king of Shuncheng County in Jiangning,
, has already taken the Eight Banners stationed in the south of the Yangtze River to the upper reaches to rescue Jingzhou and Wuchang. The court now doesn't even care about us in Hangzhou,"
"Junmen, in the current situation, Hangzhou is already isolated and helpless. There is no food in the city and no help outside the city. How can we hold on?"
"It's better to surrender!"
Tian Xiong was furious, "Well, you guys who are cheating, it turns out you want to surrender."
"Junmen, the Ming army is about to attack the city. This is a dead end for us."
However, Tian Xiong pushed Zhu Guofan away and said, "Get away!"
"Junmen, think twice."
Tian Xiong's eyes were red, "Whoever dares to stop me will die!"
Zhu Guofan winked at Xu An and several other officials, and everyone gritted their teeth and gathered around.
Tian Xiong was extremely angry and was about to punch when he suddenly felt pain in his waist.
Zhu Guofan, Xu An and other officials who gathered around took out a short knife from their sleeves and stabbed Tian Xiong into the waist.
Tian Xiong gasped for air, and blood kept pouring out of his mouth, making him unable to speak a word. His eyes gradually became blurred, and finally he fell into Zhu Guofan's arms.
There was silence in the house.
Half an hour later, officers from all the battalions in Hangzhou rushed to the government office. Looking at Tian Xiong, who was lying in a pool of blood and had long since lost his voice, their expressions changed greatly.
"The admiral committed suicide by committing suicide for his country?"
All the generals looked in disbelief.
Zhu Guofan came forward and explained carefully that it was a dinner party tonight and talked about the current situation. The governor and governor broke out to move reinforcements and were ambushed and destroyed in Huzhou. Jiaxing, Huzhou fell immediately, and Hangzhou was completely isolated and became an isolated city.
Su Song was now harassed and attacked by the Ming army and had no time to take care of himself. Even the Eight Banners stationed in Jiangning, led by Pingnan General Suncheng County Prince Leke Dehun, rushed to the upper reaches of Wuchang for rescue. No one paid attention to Hangzhou. Even
Hong Chengchou has also been transferred to Huguang.
Hangzhou has become an isolated city, but the Ming army outside the city has made preparations to attack the city and will launch an attack soon. Hangzhou's current situation cannot be defended at all.
"The military gate said that Hangzhou could no longer be defended. He said that everyone could open the city to surrender to the Ming Dynasty. However, he had betrayed Hong Guang and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, so he could not look back. He also did not want to fall into the hands of the Ming army and be cut to pieces with a thousand swords. He was disheartened.
Then he drew his sword and killed himself, but we didn't have to wait to stop him."
Everyone looked at each other in shock at Zhu Guofan's words.
Tian Xiong just lay on the ground, his eyes still wide open.
The bidding generals Xu Xin, Fu Changchun, and guerrilla generals Liu Deng were so shocked that their scalps went numb.
Zhu Guofan added, "I also know that the generals have been with Tian Junmen for many years and are brothers and sisters. It is an accident that something like this happened. The dead are gone, but the living still have to carry their grief and move forward. There is no solution to the current crisis in Hangzhou, and Tian
Once the military gate is gone, what will happen to us?"
Xu Xin's eyes swept over Zhu Guofan and others, full of doubts, but he was not in a hurry to express his position.
"Before Junmen committed suicide, he left a last word asking us to open the city and surrender. It also gave a way of life to the hundreds of thousands of people in the city, and also a way of life for you brothers who have fought alongside him for many years. He once carried Emperor Hongguang into the Qing camp.
, the Ming army cannot spare him, but now that he is dead, this account has been written off and you will no longer be implicated."
Fu Changchun looked at Tian Xiong on the ground, thoughtfully.
"Now that Kaicheng surrenders, can Lu Jianguo accept us?"
"If the general has this intention, I am willing to go out of the city to see Lu Jianguo to negotiate peace and ask for surrender." Zhu Guofan said.
This night in Hangzhou was particularly long.
Dawn.
A white flag was raised on the south gate of Hangzhou. Then the city gate opened and a group of people came out of the city holding the white flag.
The city gate then closed.
"I am Zhu Guofan, the prefect of Hangzhou. On behalf of the 500,000 soldiers and civilians of Hangzhou, I am here to pay homage to Lu Jianguo. Please surrender!"
A group of Jinwu cavalry came and surrounded them. Zhu Shengli heard Zhu Guofan's words and laughed, "Follow me!"
