Wang Jie smiled: "If this is the case, I am confused, and I can't recognize talents." Xin Lin, do you know his name and residence, I have an opinion on him to see it. If he is really talented, I will help him take the exam, and it would be a pity if such a talent could not be admitted in the examination. ”

Qian Daxin also smiled: "Wang Zhongtang, I have indeed seen this person, but he thinks that if he sees Wang Zhongtang like this, he is afraid that if it spreads, some people will say that Wang Zhongtang is favoritism." Therefore, it is better for him to take the exam for another year, and if he wins the Jinshi, it will not be too late to meet Wang Zhongtang again. ”

Although in ancient times, there was a method of transcribing names in vague names, but if the examiner knew the candidate's writing in advance, and encountered similar words in the examination room, he would inevitably pay more attention to it. In the Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu was admitted to the Jinshi, and mistakenly regarded Su Shi's test paper as the answer of his disciple Zeng Gong, which is why. However, in the Qing Dynasty, it was difficult for examiners to show favoritism, because at least three examiners needed to discuss whether or not to be admitted, rather than the examiner's arbitrariness. It's just that some people don't know the rules of the imperial examination, and it is easy to be far-fetched, so that they misunderstand others. Therefore, some candidates are still cautious despite their reputation.

And Wang Jie is highly respected, and many people are speculating at this time that Wang Jie may still be the main examiner of the next year's examination, so Qian Daxin has this to say.

Wang Jie listened to what Qian Daxin said, and also knew the reason, and said with a smile: "That's fine, it's just that I don't know the name of this person, and I'm always a little itchy." Flipping through the pages of the book, looking at the frontispiece, he suddenly said: "The matter of the Yuan to test the work, the two or three gentlemen of today have announced it...... Could it be that there is a meta character in this person's name? ”

His voice was so quiet that no one else noticed.

Sun Xingyan thought about it, and felt that Chai Daji's matter had not yet come to a conclusion, so he asked: "Teacher, the matter of General Chai, the imperial court has made a decision recently?" "He has been promoted to the Jinshi, so he must be commensurate with Wang Jie's teachers and students.

Wang Jie said: "General Chai, I also told the emperor a few days ago. I am advocating that he is not guilty, but what about the emperor...... I didn't say that I was right or that I was wrong, but it made me embarrassed to say nothing. ”

Ji Yun also knew something about it, so he added: "Yuanru, don't look at what Wang Zhongtang said lightly, I just listen to his affairs, it's not so easy." In order to save General Chai's life, Wang Zhongtang took out the 11-month report of the Military Aircraft Department one by one to record General Chen Chai's military exploits, saying that even if General Chai occasionally made mistakes, could such a merit not be avoided from death? It was also the emperor who listened to Wang Zhongtang's words and let Chai Daji enter Beijing and let the Military Aircraft Department temporarily interrogate. ”

"When the Military Aircraft Department interrogated, Wang Zhongtang was naturally innocent of General Chen Chai, but Yuanru, among the six major military aircraft at the moment, one of them was Fu Chang'an, the younger brother of the Marquis of Jiayong. He colluded with his third brother and asked General Chai if he was guilty at the beginning, and General Chai naturally pleaded not guilty. He took the documents concocted by Na Decheng and Jiayong Marquis, and asked them sentence by sentence, General Chai did not admit it, he did not take other evidence, and even asked General Chai himself to prove that the so-called arson did not happen, this kind of thing has always been chasing after the wind, where did General Chai find evidence? I froze for a moment. Wang Zhongtang and Nafu Chang'an argued, but they couldn't convince him. At present, Ah Zhongtang has gone to Jingzhou to control the water, not in the capital, and the other three big military planes are silent, and Wang Zhongtang is also alone. In the last years of Qianlong, the term "Minister of Military Aircraft" in the Qing Dynasty was only a generic name that was not fixed, and the words were not uniform at this time, and "Great Military Aircraft" was a common alias for the Minister of Military Aircraft.

Sun Xingyan asked: "Uncle Zong, you are not in the military aircraft, how do you know so much?" ”

Ji Yun said: "There is a Zhang Jing in the Military Aircraft Department, who is a person from my Ministry of Rites, and he was present during the military interrogation, so I know something." I also know about He Shen, this time He Shen didn't go to Fu Chang'an, probably because he and Jiayong Hou also had some discord. Ke and Shen did not say a word from beginning to end. I think that Chai Daji is honest, and he doesn't want to be angry with him. ”

I heard again that after leaving the hall, Wang Zhongtang was still angry. Na He Shen also came over and said: "Wang Zhongtang, the emperor rewarded you with the Purple Light Pavilion, but he didn't let you compete with him. "Haha, that guy from He Shen even took the initiative to talk to Wang Zhongtang. But Yuanru, think about it, what he said ......"

Wang Jie interrupted: "Xiaolan, Hugh wants to talk about that again, I don't want to hear those two words." But speaking of this, he also has to admit that what He Shen said is indeed reasonable, Qianlong has always been conceited about such a big thing, and the so-called military aircraft department will be tried, in fact, it is just to give himself a face, and Chai Daji a face.

When the Confucian scholars heard this, they also sighed for a long time. Sun Xingyan said: "Teacher, the students are shallow, and they don't know what is going on in the court, and it's so difficult to understand. ”

Wang Jie said: "Yuanru, the teacher, I must go to the emperor again to ask for an explanation, if the teacher doesn't speak, I'm just afraid of ...... I'm just afraid of ......" In fact, he also knows that his words are of little use, and what he can do at this time is to do his best and obey the destiny of God.

The Confucians talked for a while, and then gradually dispersed. In July of this year, the imperial court finally announced: Chai Daji was convicted of the crime of arson and embezzlement, and he was beheaded on the same day.

Chai Daji's matter, the most fierce opposition, naturally is still Wang Jie, this time the holy decree of the pilgrimage was announced, Wang Jie immediately defended Chai Daji, thinking that the current evidence is not enough to convict, and asked Qianlong to suspend the execution.

But Qianlong only said: "Wang Jie has worked hard and worked hard, and he is tired these days, so go down and rest." Immediately dispersed, Wang Jie's words did not have any effect.

Wang Jie thought of this, he was both depressed and angry, what he was most puzzled about was not Qianlong's insistence on executing Chai Daji, but when he defended Chai Daji, Dong He, who was also the Minister of Military Aircraft, did not say a word.

Seeing that Chai Daji was about to be beheaded the next day, Wang Jie couldn't hold it back, so he went to the household department, and as soon as he arrived at the household department, he asked Dong Huan: "Cane Lin, General Chai's matter, you are also a big military machine, but why didn't you say a word from beginning to end?" ”

Dong He was quite polite, found a seat for Wang Jie to sit down, prepared tea himself, and said: "Brother Great Man, you and I are different after all, there are some things that I can't do like you." ”

"Is this the reason you didn't say a word?" Wang Jie listened, and became even more annoyed.

"I'm not silent." Dong He seemed to be very calm, and said: "Brother Great Man, the reason for this, can't Brother Great Man see it clearly?" According to the report of Najia Yonghou and Decheng, there are only some ignorant people, saying that General Chai abused the people by arson, and the so-called greed for ink is even more unfounded. When I waited for the trial, I saw these things clearly, and the day after the trial, when I met the emperor, I told the emperor what he said. ”

"I also know that most of the reason why the emperor wants to execute General Chai like this is because of Marquis Jiayong. Therefore, I also mentioned to the emperor that since Marquis Jiayong and General Chai are not in harmony, it is better to admit half of the charges for the time being, so that General Chai will not die, and he will probably just send Yili or Heilongjiang. After a year or two, the Marquis of Jiayong will be discouraged, or General Chai will be able to make some military exploits, and then the case will come out, and then he will only say that the evidence is insufficient, and Decheng will chase after the wind and shadows, and it will pass. always saved General Chai's life and appeased Marquis Jiayong. ”

"It's just that the emperor listened to my thoughts that day, and just like you, he didn't say whether my opinion was right or wrong, just nodded and let me retreat. In fact, I also thought that with the emperor's attitude, maybe General Chai would be saved...... It's just that I didn't expect it to have no effect later. ”

Wang Jie listened to Dong Huan explain the reason for the matter, and his anger disappeared a lot, he knew Dong Huan's style very well, and he always gave advice on weekdays, but he was always just a face-to-face presentation, no need to play a book, and he did not leave a manuscript at home. can think of Dong Huan like this, it is inevitable that he will be misunderstood, and said: "In this case, you and I speak together, I know your personality, but it's okay, others don't know, and they think that you are the mediocre minister of the corpse vegetarian meal." ”

Dong He said: "Brother Great Man, you are a good official, a scholar, and a scholar, and you are all proficient, and you are now in the position of the prime minister, and you don't need to form a party." Therefore, in the court, everyone respects you and respects you, and you speak and play, and there is no such gossip. But after all, I am different from you, before I entered the Sixth Ministry, I only had the experience of Hanlin, and it was not enough to stand on my own in this court, if I was in the same breath as the great brother, I was afraid that the other courtiers would not only not support General Chai, but would say that you and my party were the same and different. ”

"Since the death of the former Ming Dynasty, the scholars of this dynasty have seen the death of the Ming Dynasty, and they have learned from it. But the reason for the death of the world is that one is to form a party, and the other is to take the name of the above words. If I advance and retreat with you everywhere during the court meeting, I am afraid that I will not be able to hide from the name of forming a party. If I speak up in court as you do when I need advice, others will not only not say that I am upright, but will say that I am a fool of fame. The great brother is a great man, so there is no need to taboo these, but I am different. ”

Wang Jie said: "Cane forest, if you have any scruples, then why don't you find more people to talk about it together?" Maybe the emperor will understand when he sees that justice is at ease and we are waiting? ”

"Brother Great Man still doesn't know the emperor? The emperor has never been a person who does not listen to advice, but what the emperor dislikes the most is not to speak out, but to control public opinion by his subordinates. In that way, even if the emperor changes his mind, others will not think that the emperor is sage, but will only feel that the emperor is succumbing to the public opinion of his courtiers and has to do it, which is what the emperor does not want to see. Moreover, this matter of selling fame and reputation is actually ...... emperor"

In fact, what Dong Huan wanted to say was that from Qianlong's point of view, he wished that officials would have such an idea, and if officials thought like this, there would be no large-scale forces, and no one would take advantage of the large number of people to create public opinion pressure. As early as the Kangxi period, the idea of actively promoting ministers as selling fame and reputation has already been hinted at among scholars. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty have also been conniving at this kind of ideological development, so at this time, only a person with profound qualifications like Wang Jie in the imperial court dared to openly speak to Qianlong.

Wang Jie listened, and also knew that it was not easy for Dong He to be an official, and said: "Cane Lin, then you say, this Chai general, can he really not be saved today?" ”

Dong He sighed: "You said what should be said, and I said it." But after all, we can only say that the person who can decide the life and death of General Chai is only the emperor from the beginning. ”

Wang Jie muttered: "Shi Jun went to Zhejiang last year to study politics, and he dared to speak when he saw the DPRK...... Alas. Soon after Zhu Jue returned to Beijing, he went out of Beijing again, and the ministers who could speak in front of Qianlong were Wang Jie and Dong He.

Chai Daji's question about the beheading soon spread to the Lianghuai General Commercial Pavilion. Ruan Yuan had a lot of dealings with Qian Daxin, and often heard him mention Chai Daji, and at this time he also knew that he was innocent and unjustly killed, and he couldn't help but sigh for a few days.

There was nothing to do this day and night, Ruan Yuan also found a place to sit in the courtyard of the backyard of the hotel, and while looking at the moon in the sky, he couldn't help but think of his future.

Suddenly, a voice behind him said, "Bo Yuan, didn't you say that the three law divisions are the most just?" Why do you say that General Chai has a grievance, and they can't rehabilitate General Chai? When I looked back, it was Yang Ji who arrived.

Ruan Yuan sighed: "Don't you know, General Chai was awarded the earl before, and he is also the admiral, and his affairs are not something that the three law divisions can decide." I heard Mr. Qian say that it was the Military Aircraft Department that had first tried the case, and the emperor personally asked about the case before he was convicted. The three law divisions are among them, but they are actually not of much use. ”

"Then why does the imperial court have to get a three-law division? Is it a trick to play with the people? Boyuan, I think you really have to think about it, do the officials of this court do it or not? What will be tested, will it be tested or not? It used to be Ruan Engong, and now it's General Chai, you say, what are you doing as an official, watching a good person be wronged and die? ”

Ruan Yuan's face was solemn and silent. When Yang Ji saw him, he thought he didn't know about his grandfather, and said, "What's the matter?" You don't know about your grandfather or what? ”

"I know, because I know, that I've been looking uncertain for the past few days. Although General Chai is a high officer, he is much worse than his grandfather. Grandpa always had a chance to be an official again. ”

When Yang Ji heard Ruan Yuan say this, he didn't ask anymore, and said, "Then what your father told you, what happened to Engong back then?" Seeing that you don't say a word on weekdays, I thought you didn't know. ”

Ruan Yuan thought about it and told Yang Ji about this, it was nothing. Then he said: "Grandpa, my father naturally talked to me a lot. But there are some things, I came to Beijing and saw some new files, but I don't know how to tell you. It's better to say it easily, if you sit still today. ”

Yang Ji looked at Ruan Yuan, maybe Ruan Yuan did know more things. Of course, there are some things that only he knows, but neither Ruan Yuan nor Ruan Chengxin know.

Ruan Yuan said: "You said that you came from Daqing Village, this place was told to me by my father." When Grandpa arrived at Daqing Village, he remembered that it was the fifth year of Qianlong. You said that your father later followed his grandfather, that was about ten years of work, and his grandfather later served as a general in the Jiuxi Battalion, until the thirteenth year of Qianlong, when the Ministry of War sponsored his grandfather and transferred to the Weihui Battalion as a general. Although the grade is average, the Weihui battalion is in the Central Plains, and its authority is heavier than that of the Jiuxi battalion. So it's half a level up. ”

"But grandpa didn't expect that the transfer of Wei Huiying to the north not only did not let him continue to be promoted to the rank of knight, but on the contrary, it ...... Instead, he lost his position. When grandpa was in Jiuxi Camp, he practiced and deployed every day, and he was on time and on time, and he never slacked off for a day. If there is a rusty weapon in the barracks, or a shotgun is damp and cannot be used, it must be reported on time, so the Jiuxi Battalion has always been well-equipped, and the soldiers are good at fighting, and they have never lost face to the imperial court. ”

"So after grandpa arrived at the Weihui camp, he counted the armaments on the first day, but it was just a matter of not counting, but this count, but found that the situation of the Weihui camp was too different from the Jiuxi camp. Most of the swords in the camp are rusty, and only about half of the bows that can be drawn are broken, and some arrows will break at the slightest touch. According to the military department, although the Weihui battalion is from the mainland, there should be 30 percent of the soldiers who have prepared shotguns. But my grandfather counted the powder magazine, but found that the gunpowder was all ...... It's all damp after the rain. Shotguns are only expected to be thirty percent, or even ...... Half of the guns were also minted, and from the time of casting, there was no crosshair. I don't know who let such defective products into the barracks. That is, it is peaceful on weekdays, so no one notices. If there is a case, just such a weapon, even if it is a brave and good soldier, how can he use those weapons to kill the enemy? ”

Seeing that there was no other way, my grandfather had no choice but to report the decay of the barracks equipment to the imperial court one by one. However, weapons belong to weapons, and the daily drills of soldiers must always be carried out on time. My grandfather immediately ordered that we gather for exercises in two days. But on the day of the exercise, the soldiers who came to assemble were not even forty percent. ”

"Grandfather is naturally angry, but seeing that this Weihui camp, all kinds of shortcomings can't be solved in a day or two, so he can't press it for the time being. But what about these soldiers? After a little practice, it will be bitter. According to my father, my grandfather just let them line up in a phalanx and walk for miles according to the usual marching method. But even in this ordinary phalanx, they didn't know where they should stand, and their grandfather shouted for a long time before they came out in a formation. However, after that, it was only a mile away, and the array dispersed. Originally...... It turned out that these soldiers did not even know how to march in formation. ”

Speaking of this, his face was slightly hesitant. Yang Ji looked at Ruan Yuan's expression, knew what he meant, and said: "Yes, my father served in front of the Engong Army that day, and when he looked at Wei Huiying, it was a group of wine bags and rice bags. He told me that with that kind of soldier, thirty of us from the stockade would be able to serve the big battalion in one pot. ”

Ruan Yuan said: "Then you should also know what happened later." Later, when my grandfather saw that these soldiers were depraved and incompetent, he finally made up his mind and prepared to punish them. When the sun came out, the soldiers did not arrive, and my grandfather went to the barracks and pulled them out one by one. He scolded them, and then told them to go to the camp and stand for three hours before they were allowed to stop. ”

"I didn't expect that this punishment station would cause a big disaster for my grandfather. Those soldiers who were punished were not serious green battalion soldiers in the first place. They are all local ruffians, and when they saw that the green battalion was short of soldiers, they came to make up for it and make some money for the military salary. Therefore, before that, they had never practiced, and they didn't know what to do. This one was punished, not only did he not want to make progress, but he also ran to the downtown in groups, shouting that he wanted to boycott the training, and a few people who were particularly capable of making trouble said...... said that his grandfather abused the soldiers, and he was a cool official who only knew how to ask for merit and rewards, and did not care whether the soldiers lived or died. ”

In fact, what the soldiers said that day was much worse than Ruan Yuan's "cool official", but Ruan Yuan was always elegant and unwilling to imitate others and speak ill of others. When Yang Ji heard this, he also said angrily: "Yes, my father told me that how Engong trains in the Jiuxi Camp is what he does in the Weihui Camp." Engong's method of military training, my father also does it every day in the Jiuxi Camp, what can't he stick to? The soldiers of the Jiuxi Battalion all regard Engong as their reincarnated parents. Who knew that his Wei Hui camp was not only a rice bucket, but also said that Engong whipped them. When they were scolded by Engong, my father was also there, and Engong scolded a little more ugly, where did he beat them? Besides, do they deserve to be scolded? I think even if I was beaten, I deserved it! Who knew that when they arrived at the market, there were a few soldiers who let the onlookers see the whip marks on their bodies, saying that they were on duty. That kind of whip marks, they can get it out if they collude with themselves, what does it have to do with Engong, I can go to his grandmother's! ”

Ruan Yuan said: "I don't believe that my grandfather will beat them, I heard my father say that when my grandfather was in the Jiuxi camp, he went on an expedition, and there were two brothers and his mother were still there, so my grandfather asked them to leave one behind." But at that time, the two brothers were vying to go to war, and neither wanted to stay. Finally, the elder mother of the two brothers listened and begged his grandfather to let him both go with the army, and he himself went to the camp to do his work. How could his grandfather be so sympathetic to a soldier, but innocently angry? ”

"But you and I know about my grandfather, but the court doesn't know. This matter was brought to the bazaar, and those thousands of pairs of eyes saw it, how could the court turn a blind eye? Soon the governor of Henan received a letter to investigate the matter thoroughly. But...... At that time, the governor of Henan actually believed the words of the whipped soldier and thought that his grandfather was at fault first. As a result, the results were reported to the imperial court as they said. ”

"When the imperial court learned about my grandfather, he also asked the Metropolitan Procuratorate to investigate it thoroughly. Of course, my grandfather defended himself for nothing, but my grandfather did not know anyone among the high-ranking officials of the imperial court, and he thought that if he was upright, the imperial court would be able to enforce the law impartially. But in the court, no one complained for his grandfather. The Metropolitan Procuratorate listened to his grandfather's self-defense, but he only regarded it as an isolated evidence and ignored it. The soldiers also went to the market all day long to make trouble. said that if the court did not give a result, they would commit suicide...... Gradually, many people also believed in them and helped them denounce their grandfather, after all, his grandfather was an outsider. Afterward...... Later, when the court looked at all the testimony and evidence, it was the grandfather who was at fault, and the grandfather's self-defense was only regarded as an ordinary justification. Then, my grandfather was dismissed. ”

"I heard my father say that after that, your father went back to Daqing Village, and you may not know what happened later. In the sixteenth year of Qianlong, the emperor made his first southern tour and summoned his grandfather to make him the capital again. Later, my grandfather did the guerrilla in the Qinzhou battalion, and in the twenty-fourth year of Qianlong, my grandfather passed away in Qinzhou. Afterwards...... After that, it was about the same as when you first came to Ruan's house. ”

After listening to this, Yang Ji knew who was in charge of Ruan Yutang's case that year, and said angrily: "It's not that this matter is not bad, in the final analysis, it is the governor of Henan and the Metropolitan Procuratorate who have no eyes, and they have long been blinded by lard!" Bo Yuan, what happened to those two bastards? ”

Ruan Yuan hesitated for a moment, and Fang said, "Yang Ji, those two people are not ordinary people?" ”

"And who are they?"

Ruan Yuan also seemed to be a little unbearable, and said: "At that time, the governor of Henan, his name was Erong'an, his surname was Xilin Jueluo, and his father was the first auxiliary minister when today's son ascended the throne, and his name was Ertai. ”

"What male, female? What is full and hungry? Relying on his father to be the first assistant, he casually wronged a good person? ”

"It has nothing to do with his father, his father has been dead for four years."

"That must be a gentleman's son, who doesn't learn and has no skills. Shoufu's son, is it more expensive than ordinary people? ”

"Didn't you check it when I did?" Ruan Yuandao: "In this general business hall, there are records of gentlemen from previous years, and I can see at a glance when I find out about that year. The matter of Erong'an, I won't hide it from you, I also asked Brother Yuanru, the court has a good reputation, and when he was the governor of Henan, he also had quite a good reputation, how many can he be considered a capable minister, right? ”

"Nengchen? Bo Yuan, when Mr. Qian came to our hall that day, I can hear it clearly, what is a capable minister? Isn't it just a jackal beast that looks like a beast for the emperor? ”

"Not really." Ruan Yuan was very calm: "The National History Museum has a file on Erong'an, which says that the people also suffered a lot of benefits when he was the governor of Henan. And...... Just six years after that......"

"Bo Yuan, can you finish the words all at once? I was tired and panicked when I heard it. ”

Six years later, the twentieth year of Qianlong, when the army pacified Dzungaria, Amur Sana first surrendered and then rebelled, and suddenly attacked the imperial army in Ili. Erongan was in Ili at that time, and the imperial garrison at that time was only a few hundred people, and it was powerless to resist. At last...... He committed suicide and martyrdom. ”

Only then did Yang Ji understand that since Erongan had been martyred, according to convention, he was a loyal martyr of the country. What you did before, even if there is something wrong, you have to be blamed for the past. What's more, after Ruan Yutang was dismissed, he was also reinstated. Compared with martyrdom for the country, the dismissal of Ruan Yutang is even less worth mentioning. What's more, Erongan originally just misheard the rumors, rather than deliberately framing him.

In other words, Ruan Yutang's matter, it is estimated that the court will not be able to overturn the case.

After pondering for a long time, Yang Ji asked again: "Then who was in charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate that day?" ”

"The imperial history of the left capital of the day?" Ruan Yuan seemed to be even more reluctant to say this name, but after pondering for a while, he still said it: "It is Liu Zhongtang's father, Liu Wenzhenggong, and his name is the superior and the lower lord." ”

Only then did Yang Ji understand why Liu Yong had such a reaction when he heard the name of Grandpa Ruan Yuan on the Kangshan Thatched Cottage that day.

"Then ......" Yang Ji was a little puzzled and asked, "You mean, Liu Zhongtang's father is a dumb official?" ”

"No, Liu Wenzheng is one of the best prime ministers in this dynasty, and when he was the prime minister, he put forward a lot of useful suggestions. also strictly investigated many corrupt officials and corrupt officials, even our ordinary people in Yangzhou, and they are all praised when they mention him. "In the Qing Dynasty, scholars were the first of the scholars, and in the Qianlong era, the Military Aircraft Department has become the highest decision-making body, but if he is also a cabinet scholar and a minister of military aircraft, he can still be called a real prime minister. Moreover, this kind of minister, the real power is definitely not small, Liu Tongxun has been a scholar and a minister of military aircraft for 12 years, and it is not an exaggeration to call him a prime minister.

"In other words, that old Lord Liu also neglected for a while?"

"It's almost, in fact, the resumes of the two of them, I have also checked a lot over the past year, in terms of character, I believe in Wen Zhenggong and Lord E. It's just that even if you are a clean official and a good official, you will inevitably make mistakes? Could it be that in this world, there are still people who never make mistakes? It's just that my Ruan family was unlucky, and because of the two of them, my grandfather lost his official position. ”

Yang Ji listened, and was silent for a while, although he didn't understand the officialdom, but he also knew that if a person's reputation was never bad, even if there were one or two wrong things, others would only think that the other party was wrong. Ruan Yutang's matter may only be swallowed in the Ruan family's own stomach.

After pondering for a while, Yang Ji suddenly said, "Boyuan, you have to remember that Engong is ...... He is a first-class and upright person...... When my father was willing to follow Engong for ten years, it was because of Engong's heroism. ”

"Your father thinks that your grandfather saved the lives of thousands of people in Daqing Village, so he followed his grandfather with all his heart?" Ruan Yuan listened to what Yang Ji said on weekdays, it was true, but he was also a little puzzled on weekdays, if it was just so simple, why was Father Yang the only one in Daqing Village who was willing to serve his grandfather?

"That's not all the reason." Sure enough, Yang Ji said.

"And your father, what happened that day?"

"It's been almost 50 years since this happened, and it's okay for me to say what I should say. In fact, when my father wanted to follow Eungong, he originally wanted to ...... Kill him. ”

Although Ruan Yuan felt that Yang Ji must have something unspeakable, he didn't expect that his grandfather almost lost his life at the hands of Yang's father, and he was not stunned.

After a while, Ruan Yuancai slowly asked: "What you said is so strange, since your grandfather saved the lives of your villagers, why does he want to take revenge?" ”

"We don't know who saved us that day." Yang Ji said: "My father told me about the events of that day, and the imperial army came to my Daqing village and attacked the village for several days. Our stockade was originally small, and seeing that we could not hold on, we were ready to surrender to the imperial court. ”

"We also thought about it that day, if the imperial court directly allowed us to surrender, we naturally had nothing to say, if not, then there was only one way to fight to the death, and we would admit it. But what about the imperial court? The next day, an officer came from the imperial court and shouted to us, not first saying whether he would surrender or not, but saying that he would bombard our village three times in a row, and if after three shots, our village would no longer resist, and we would be allowed to surrender. ”

"Sure enough, my father and they heard the sound of cannons, and sure enough, no more, no less, that is, three times. After three times, we knew that we could not fight again, so we did not resist, and the court accepted the submission of our stockade. Can...... But those three cannons killed fifteen of our stockades...... Later, my father learned that the person who suggested firing the cannon was your grandfather. Therefore with hatred, and pretending to approach thy grandfather, he was ready to take thy grandfather's life and avenge the fifteen men in an unguarded night. ”

"That's what you don't know." Ruan Yuandao: "Actually, my grandfather was only a general under the governor that day, and the governor of that day was called Zhang Guangsi. Originally, according to his intentions, he just wanted to kill your stockade, everyone, men, women, and children, so that he could go back and ask for merit. It is also said that the Miao people have no faith, which is really ridiculous. ”

When my grandfather heard what he said, he came to him and begged him to spare the innocent people in your stockade. Where is that Lord Zhang, who is willing to follow, only to take advantage of the cool on the side, and does not speak. The grandfather begged him several times, but it was useless, and the last time, even ...... even knelt under his feet, crying and saying to the lord Zhang, saying that your stockade had no objection before, but it was because of the coercion of the next village, and you had to resist the court as a last resort. If your village really surrenders and rebels, then you are willing to make a military order, and all the consequences will be borne by yourself, if one person is not enough, then the whole Ruan family will sit together, and it will always have nothing to do with Lord Zhang. Although my grandfather's words were a bit ruthless, they ...... But there was no other way for him to do it......"

"Speaking of this, Zhang Dacai finally relented and asked his grandfather: 'You said that they had no objection, but they have been resisting our imperial army for several days, and our army is not without casualties? Why is it that you are only concerned with recruiting them, and do not think about your own brothers? After he said that, my grandfather also realized that even if Master Zhang relented, he was still reluctant, so he ...... Therefore, in order to prove that your village is sincere in asking for surrender, my grandfather made this decision, and asked the adults to fire the cannon three times first, and if you are sincere, you will come to surrender again. It's just that this makes you think that your grandfather has cheated you. ”

Yang Ji said: "Actually, the inside story was only known on the day my father did it, listening to what your grandfather said." Bo Yuan, if it was someone else who died, maybe my father wouldn't think about revenge like that, but among the fifteen people who were killed by the three cannons, there was one person who was my uncle. My father and uncle have been good since childhood, how can they watch my uncle die like that? ”

Hearing this, Ruan Yuan became interested and asked, "You mean, your father used to do it to his grandfather that night?" ”

"Exactly!" Yang Ji made no secret of it. But then the tone changed to respect: "But it was that night, my father, not only knew the inside story, but also knew that your grandfather was a person worth following for a lifetime." ”

Seeing that Ruan Yuan was a little puzzled, Yang Ji said: "Actually, that night, what your grandfather said was no different from what you just said. Ke Boyuan, my father entered your grandfather's tent with full of anger. Although your grandfather has defended himself, how could his father be so easily moved at that time? Therefore, his father still refused to spare Engong, and told Engong to ask him to kowtow to the fifteen people who died after being shot. ”

But who knows, at that time, Engong didn't blame his father for revenge. Instead, he found the direction of Daqingzhai, knelt down, and said: "Daqingzhai, brothers who died unjustly, I know, because of my suggestion to fire three cannons, you are unfortunately gone. Can...... But I was really stupid at that time, and I couldn't think of any more way, if these three cannons were missing, I was afraid that the Governor would immediately order them to be killed. It's my incompetence, I can't save all of you's lives, it's what I owe to you! If Brother Yang insists on refusing to forgive me today, he will let him take this life. With my life, I will comfort you and more than ten other people in the heavenly spirits. I, Ruan Yutang, have no regrets even if I die! ’”

As he spoke, Engong took out a vial and handed it to his father, saying, 'What is contained here is a poison that seals the throat with blood, and I am not afraid of death when I march and fight on weekdays, but I am afraid that if I am captured by life, I am afraid that the pain of humiliation is far greater than life and death. I have prepared poison for the sake of it, and if I am defeated on the battlefield, I will take it and kill myself to avoid the humiliation of being captured. Today you insist on taking my life, I don't want to resist, if you don't want to spare me, give it to me, if you think that my sin will not lead to death, it doesn't hurt you to take this medicine, I will write a suicide note first, just say that I accidentally ingested poison and died, so that my family will not seek revenge on you. As he gave the bottle to his father, he took the pen and ink on the table and began to write. “

"As he wrote, my father suddenly saw that there were a few more tears on the piece of paper on Engong's desk, and I only heard Engong say: 'Accept the letter...... Dad can't see you getting married, you ...... in the future Take good care of yourself in the future...... 'Dad saw it at the time, and his heart was also sour, in order to save our village, Engong put the lives of his family into it, and he didn't want to come to the uncle's death, and it was not Engong's intention. If you really say that there is an enemy, it should be that Zhang Guangsi, not Engong? ”

"If Engong really relied on that Zhang Guangsi that day, I was afraid that ...... I'm afraid that the whole village of Daqing Village has gone to Jiuquan now. My grandfather was still alive at that time, and my father had a younger brother, and the lives of these people were all saved by Engong...... Thinking about it this way, Eun Gong saved three people in his family, if he still wants to do it, then it is ......"

Thinking of this, Daddy, his hand suddenly ...... Suddenly, it loosened, and the knife and bottle fell to the ground, and Daddy couldn't support it anymore, crying and kneeling, and said, "Lord Ruan...... Ruan Engong, it's me who is bad, it's me who will take revenge, I'm ungrateful, and I'm not as good as a beast! If it weren't for kindness and righteousness, ...... today There is no Yang family today, I ...... I even thought about committing murder to Eun Gong, I ...... Where do I have the face to live in this world again?! ’”

So saying, Daddy picked up the knife again, thinking of killing himself. When Engong saw this, he rushed to his father, pressed his arm, and said, 'Why do you do this?' I saved your life, did I want to see you kill yourself? You are so short-sighted, what should you think of your father and brother in your family? They've already lost a son, and you're going to let them lose another one? If you really figure it out, you can live well in the future, and let the world see that your Yang family is a loyal and righteous person, and a husband who lives up to the sky! When Daddy heard this, he couldn't hold the knife in his hand, but kept kneeling on the ground and weeping...... In fact, Dad later said that if he did it at that time, Engong would have no reason to survive, but Engong, Engong still believed in Daddy so much......"

Ruan Yuan suddenly said: "Actually, I listened to what you said, when your father committed suicide, he was immediately held down by his grandfather. In this way, your grandfather's martial arts are not bad, even if your father wants to do it, I'm afraid he won't be able to please him. ”

Yang Ji said: "Daddy also thought about this section, but he knew that when Engong wrote a letter, he would only shed so many tears if he sincerely begged for death, which could not deceive people." Even if Engong was a master of martial arts, he must have given his life to his father at that time. At least...... At least there was a quarter of an hour, right? In that quarter of an hour, my father could already see clearly that Eun Gong was a person worth following. Sure enough, later, my father and Engong went from Jiuxi Camp to Weihui Camp, and they got to know Engong more and more, knowing that he was loyal and upright, and he was by no means a deceitful person, so they had no second thoughts about Engong. Engong dismissed the official, saying that the family only used his own family, and no one in the army was allowed to return home with him, so my father returned to the village and became the owner of the village, and after a few years, I had me. ”

When the two of them said this, it gradually became clear that if it weren't for Father Yang's love and righteousness, and if it weren't for Ruan Yutang's sincerity, there would be no acquaintance between the two today. They were all silent for a while, as if they were cherishing this hard-won friendship.