"The writing level of the second son of the Li family is not low!"

Dressed in civilian clothes, he was draped in tung oil cloth poncho, and several house slaves behind him held oil-paper umbrellas to shield the spring rain for the Qing Dynasty's Hong scholar and Hong Da's envoy.

As Duoduo's deputy, nominally the highest civil governor in Jiangnan, Hong Chengchou had to conduct a survey before Duoduo entered the city of Nanjing, to see if there were any omissions in the vigilance work, and to see if the treasury was closed and intact. He knew too well the conduct of these officials in the Ming court. Because, he is also the best among them.

Looking at the couplet on the city wall with white marble masonry on the city head, Hong Chengchou, a scholar of Hong University, couldn't help but sneer at the corner of his mouth. There are traitors in rebellion, and there are enemy troops pressing the border, this second son Li still has the leisure to write couplets on the city to satirize himself. It seems that he is very sure!

The couplet took the form of hiding the head and revealing the tail, and the upper couplet was said to be Shi Kefa, although he did not eliminate the slaves and thieves and hold Yangzhou, but the last bottom line was still kept. Like his classmates and fellow party members in Donglin in the same year, the Qing army never arrived, so they shaved their hair and surrendered like a tide. The next link is the scolded Hong Chengchou. said that he failed the Ming Emperor, especially the Chongzhen Emperor's great imperial kindness to him, and did not want to repay the country, but took revenge and became the leader of the Qing army.

"Adults don't have to be angry about this. Think about that Li Er, a gentleman, what do you know? It is said that he had fled to Songjiang Mansion and other places with his men and horses in a hurry. Come to think of it, either flee overseas in defeat, or give the head of the riverside, these two endings are indispensable. ”

"Red Leopard, you're a bookseller!" Hong Chengchou glanced at Shi Kecheng. As Shi Kefa's younger brother, Hong Chengchou took Shi Kecheng with him, to a large extent, to achieve the effect of buying bones with a thousand dollars. He knew very well that he was a Maxima bone in the eyes of Dolgon and other Manchurian elites, but this bone could serve as a powerful call to attract the real Maxima. Of course, it may be the flies that come more. Flies that smell the smell of big feces and the smell of putrefaction.

Now, Shi Kecheng is a rotten bone in Hong Chengchou's hand to attract flies, of course, there is a lot of stinky meat on this bone. For the officials in Jiangnan, Inspector Hong can have different opinions. "What, you're a member of Shun? It doesn't matter, you see, this Master Shi is too! He is the one who became Li Zicheng's official with you in Beijing! It's okay, as long as you are sincerely obedient and loyal to the Qing Dynasty, everything is not to blame! "What? Are you a Donglin Party?! Ah! My own people! You see, your fellow Donglin Party has long recognized the general trend of the world and submitted to my Qing Dynasty early? If you want to talk about the grace and rain of the previous Ming, his family has not received more than yours? Didn't you submit to the Qing Dynasty? There is no need to have any ideological baggage, whoever has milk is a mother! ”

Shi Kecheng was quite unimpressed. However, because Hong Chengchou controlled the life and death of him and his historian's family, he had to make a look of enlightenment to Hong Chengchou's words. Because, although Shi Kefa is dead, the entire Shi family has become an official of the Qing Dynasty.

Historically, Shi Kefa miscommanded the Qing army when it first arrived in the city. Liu Zhaoji, the commander-in-chief, suggested taking advantage of the fact that the enemy had not yet arrived, and his foothold was not stable, and he went out of the city to fight. Shi Kefa said: "Don't try your sharpness, and raise a full front to wait for it to be killed." "In terms of city guarding," the terrain of the west gate of the old city is low, and the high fu outside the city overlooks the city, which is like a building, and it is the ancestral tower of Li Eun in Xinghua, the trees are shady, from the outside to the inside, there is no barrier, the branches return to each other, and the potential is less. The generals have repeatedly said this. The public is in the shade of the Li family, and he can't bear to cut it down. In other words, you will take this place as a danger, and I will defend it." On the night of the 24th, the Qing army bombarded the city wall with red-coated cannons, and "the city was boiling and the momentum was overwhelming." On the 25th, Yangzhou fell, Liu Zhaoji was killed in battle, Yangzhou prefect Ren Minyu, He Gang and others died heroically, and Shi Kefa was killed after being captured.

In other words, compared with Jiangyin, a small county town that held out for 83 days, Yangzhou Mansion, a large city that could also rank among the top 20 in the world at that time, fell after less than a day.

As for Shi Kefa's vow not to surrender, we should fully affirm his national integrity. For a long time, many scholars and literati were influenced by the views of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and had a special preference for Shi Kefa, which overplayed historical facts. Looking at Shi Kefa's life, there were not many commendable achievements in the entire Chongzhen period; His rapid rise in status and fame was during the Hongguang period. As a politician, he made a fatal mistake in setting up a new monarch, which led to the military generals stealing the "decision" and losing power; As a military strategist, he ran Jiangbei for nearly a year as a dignified superintendent and cabinet department, spending a lot of manpower, material and financial resources, but he was at a loss and did nothing. Until the main force of the Qing army went south, the vast majority of the generals he controlled turned against and surrendered, becoming the Qing Dynasty's strong force to conquer the Southern Ming Dynasty. Even in the case of the Battle of Yangzhou, Shi Kefa did not organize effective resistance. Some historical records say that he held Yangzhou for ten days and inflicted heavy casualties on the Qing army, which is also not true. In a suicide note written on April 21, Shi Kefa said that the Qing army entered the city on the 18th, and "has not yet attacked, but the people's hearts have gone and cannot be contained." See clearly, this is a suicide note written by himself, which is the most authentic historical information. Before Duoduo ordered the siege of the city, Shi Kefa had already "consciously been worried" and handed over military affairs to his staff. On the 24th, the Qing army began to attack the city, and Yangzhou was lost in less than a day. As the commander of the heavy army of the Jianghuai in the Southern Ming Dynasty, Shi Kefa's insight and talent are really ordinary. Compared with the history of Jiangyin County, Yan Yingyuan and Chen Mingyu led the people in the city to resist the Qing Dynasty for 83 days, and the difference is endless. Shunzhi ten years (1653) to talk about moving through Yangzhou, once made a special trip to Meihualing to find Shi Kefa's clothes, looking back on the past, sighed, wrote: "Jiangdu is more Lingfu, so the name is Guangling, the city is strong and wide, Siye Manyan, is riding in a good step, Xiongwen Jin and Tang Dynasties, now the West Gate is ruined, how can Shi not catch Li Tingzhiye? In his regret, he also reprimanded Shi Kefa's incompetence. In short, there are only two points in Shi Kefa's life that are worthy of recognition: one is that he is honest and diligent, and the other is that he would rather die at the last moment. As for his entire political career, it is not worth exaggerating. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were many people who died because of righteousness, and Shi Kefa was praised as a superstar, just because he was a big official; Who knows that the high officials have heavy responsibilities and the safety of the society, Shi Kefa made almost all the wrong decisions on the important affairs of the military state, and he has an unshirkable responsibility for the collapse of the Hongguang Imperial Court.

However, the fact that Scofa did not surrender does not mean that his family has not surrendered. Perhaps, his personal preference for death just gave him a few more bargaining chips for the family's surrender.

"Red Leopard, let me ask you, when the second son of the Li family withdrew with his headquarters, did these soldiers and horses left in the city add up with one arrow? Have you ever chased after a soldier? ”

"But there was none." Shi Kecheng lowered his head. Let the rain pour into the neckline of the robe. Are you kidding? In the city of Nanjing, the troops with a little combat effectiveness are the Yongwei Battalion led by Ma Shiying, who has escaped from Nanjing with his escort saint. The rest of the soldiers and horses are just some goods, in addition to being used to set up a team and put on a scene, it is also used for the same purpose as food and salary, and you let them pursue the Nanyue army, which has always had a reputation for being brave and tenacious? I'm afraid that they will mutini the whole army first.

"Look at these treasury warehouses that we have inspected, have there ever been a grain of rice and a grain of wheat left? Was there ever a grain of salt and a grain of gunpowder left? Even a few workshops of the First War Bureau of the Ministry of War were swept away by him with people and materials, and when he left, he set off a fire to burn down the houses! ”

Li Huabao's retreat was indeed very well organized, and the Qing army could be used for military purposes, and the materials that could be supplied to the military needs of the army were almost nothing. Even oil, salt, grain, and charcoal, Li Huabao only left less than a month's supply in Nanjing. So that the people in Nanjing will not worry about the lack of food and coal for a month. However, for the rest, our second son Li turned the bow of the ship and went to Songjiang, Shanghai, Chongming Island, and Wusongkou.

"It's the rainy season in the south of the Yangtze River, and our hundreds of thousands of troops, hedgehogs are gathered in Nanjing, don't talk about the consumption of people eating and chewing, just talk about this." Hong Chengchou coldly pointed to Shi Kecheng the tung oil cloth poncho on his body, and the rain gear such as oil-paper umbrellas and hats in the hands of the house slaves behind him, "There are not many in Nanjing City." Not to mention that the water network in the south is dense, the ports are vertical and horizontal, and most of our army are soldiers from the north. ”

Shi Kecheng didn't dare to speak up to the number two person in the Qing army, even if it was the nominal number two person. What's more, these military matters, don't say it's him, even his brother Shi Kefa is a primary school student in front of Hong Chengchou.

"In any case, after the general entered the city and surrendered, the officials everywhere had divisions, and they had to be arranged to solve them. Including Brother Ling's funeral, you also have to take care of it raw. Hong Chengchou is half a higher-level official who plays an official tone and makes a gesture, and half of it is out of sincerity to comfort Shi Kecheng. He also needs to have such a bone in his hand, so that he can show it to Jiangnan Shilin and the official gentry.

As the younger brother of Shi Kefa, a scholar of Jianji Hall and a scholar of the Ministry of War, he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, and we are still reused by high-ranking officials. In various history books, there are different opinions on how Shi Kefa died, and the language is unknown. There were even many Jiangnan anti-Qing rebels who called for it in the name of Shi Kefa. In the second half of the first month of 1648 (the fifth year of Shunzhi), there was also an incident in Chaoxian and Wuwei Prefecture that raised troops to resist the Qing Dynasty in the name of Shi Kefa. Zhu Guocai, a native of Xuancheng, once served as the Shi Kefa Record Office, and after the Qing army went south, he hid in the house surnamed Zhou in Chao County. Today, there are tens of thousands of dating soldiers, gathering every day, and big things can be planned. But the machine is expensive and secret, and it should not be leaked. Li Yu, who had failed in the Yancheng uprising, took refuge in Chao County, formed an alliance with Zhu Guocai, and called on the people in the name of Shi Kefa, and gathered more than 1,000 people to attack Chao County by night on the 25th of the first month, and conquered Wuwei Prefecture on the 29th. A few days later, the Qing reinforcements arrived, "captured the thieves Zhu Guocai and Li Yu, annihilated all the thieves, and still killed countless good people by mistake." When Zhu Guocai pretended to be Shi Kefa to call for the anti-Qing Dynasty and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, more than ten people, including Zu Qianpei, a student of Chaoxian County, and Shen Shijian, a student of Wuwei Prefecture, went to meet with him in "turbans and blue shirts" to seek righteousness, and were later ruthlessly suppressed by the Qing government.

However, there are quite a few people in the Shi Kefa family who are officials in the Qing army. Then, there is a possibility that the unkind author deduced that Shi Kefa exchanged his own death for the surrender of the entire family to the Qing Dynasty. In this way, it not only maintained the reputation of the Shi family, but also got a lot of benefits from glory and wealth. Sure enough, it's a good means, a good calculation!

Shi Kecheng was naturally grateful for Scholar Hong's attitude, and he didn't know whether it was rain or tears on his face, all in all, water droplets crisscrossed his face. "Brother Student, I don't know the destiny of heaven and resist the heavenly soldiers, but the lord and the general don't think about their sins, but treat each other as high-ranking officials. How can we prevent the whole family from following the example of dogs and horses to repay the kindness? ”

Speaking of this, ignoring the muddy water on the ground, Shi Kecheng knelt on the ground with a puff and kowtowed to Hong Chengchou to thank him. The hat on his head fell to the ground, revealing the newly shaved money rattail on his head, and the empty scalp made people look a little dazzling.

Hong Chengchou naturally wanted to support Shi Kecheng with both hands, and the two of them wanted to give a good performance. While he was talking, from outside the gate of the urn city, a beautiful peach blossom horse galloped angrily, and the four horses' hooves splashed countless splashes on the ash-burning road full of muddy water, which made Hong Chengchou's guards a little annoyed, "Which bastard?!" Dare to be so presumptuous in front of adults?! Can't die if you want to!? ”

Just as he was about to step forward and drag the rider down on his horse, he first feasted himself with his old fist, and then slashed it with a sword, and the head was hung on the head of the city to show the public. Hong Chengchou recognized this person from the rain and mist, "The person over there is a hero of my Great Qing Dynasty, don't make a mistake, please come over and speak." ”

In the Tibetan soldier cave under the city wall, Shi Kecheng settled Hong Chengchou, then got up to confess and leave, passed by the comers, and when they saluted each other, they scolded with jealousy in their hearts: "Little white face, what are you arrogant?!" The hat you wear on your head is only a little greener than Wu Dalang's! It's just like Mogan Mountain and Prairie! ”

The person who came was none other than Hou Fangyu, one of the four sons of the Restoration Society.

As Mr. Qian Zhongshu said, "The monkey's buttocks are originally red, and it is not easy for people to see when they usually squat on the ground, but when they climb to a high place, the red buttocks are exposed." It stands to reason that status makes people more dignified and can enhance people's morals, but the opposite is true. In the words of the common people, "As big a face as you show, you will have as big an eye." ”

Hou Fangyu, as a famous genius of the restoration society, and a noble son with a prominent family, and a love affair with Li Xiangjun, a beautiful woman on the Qinhuai River, is naturally a good story. However, Li Xiangjun, who is known as the "incense fan pendant", and her mother Li Zhenli are the outer rooms of Li Shouhan, the Duke of Liang Guogong, in Nanjing. At one time, Meixianglou was used as a hotel, where he worked and dealt with military affairs. Some people in Nanjing who are good at drilling camps and are keen on power rarely get Meixianglou to dig up doors.

However, our Liang Guogong's hobbies, conduct, and the characteristics of not being picky eaters in terms of women, like the combat effectiveness of the Nanyue Army, have long been known by the Jiangnan gentry. What sister flowers, mother-daughter files, have never considered human ethics. In the room, there are groups of concubines, what Tianzhu orchids, Tianfang dancers, Mongolian women, Franco, Spanish, French, all kinds of barbarians, what white and black, all eat in one bite.

Li Xiangjun is such a small and lovely piece of fat, in front of Li Shouhan, the hungry ghost in the eyes of everyone, there is not even a little bone residue left to be swallowed by him. Together with her adoptive mother Li Zhenli, she waited in the inner room for our Liang Guogong to gallop together. It was when Li Shouhan was in Nanjing that there were several versions of the fragrant story of her and his adoptive mother Li Zhenli sleeping with the marshal, and there were already several versions circulating in various mansions.

Therefore, when people saw Hou Fangyu, they couldn't help but look at the mutton fat white jade inlaid on his turban, and guessed in their hearts, "It should be jadeite." ”

At this time, Hou Fangyu was no longer the standard dress of the traditional scholars of the Ming Dynasty with a round neck and square scarf, nor was he the usual dress of a noble son of the turbid world, but he was the first to shave his hair and change his Manchurian costumes.

Because he has the merit of running back and forth between Nanjing and Jiujiang Zuo Liangyu's army, if he didn't thread the needle and pass the military salary to Zuo Liangyu's army, it would not be so easy for the Donglin gentlemen to lead Zuo Liangyu's army eastward. Without the left army moving eastward, how could there be a follow-up chain reaction? How could the Qing army enter this Nanjing city? In terms of merit, Hou Fangyu, the eldest prince of Hou, can indeed be regarded as a great contribution.

If there was no him, how could the left army go east, how could the left army not go east, how could Li Shouhan send a large army against the current to intercept it, and how could this Nanjing city become an empty city? What's more, he still has the aura of a high-ranking official of the former dynasty, and the aura of a famous person in the Fushe Society, if nothing else, he will properly occupy a prominent position in the official system of the Qing court. Because of his merits, at the suggestion of Hong Chengchou, Duoduo summoned him in the camp of the Temple of Heaven and comforted him with kind words. Therefore, at the moment, he is also a hot figure in Nanjing.

"Brother Chaozong, why are you in such a hurry?" Seeing the hurried footsteps, the splash of water fell on the hem of his robe, Hong Chengchou, who had always paid attention to his appearance, was a little displeased. He and Hou Fangyu's Hou Sui were the same year as the Jinshi of the Bingchen Branch in the forty-fourth year of Wanli, so they were naturally Hou Fangyu's father. With this qualification and identity, teach the noble son in front of him a few words.