Ma Mingyuan asked, "Who does the lord want to be the county commander?" ”

Zhu Hongsan pondered for a while and asked, "Is there a good candidate for sir?" Ma Mingyuan originally liked his brother Ma Jiyuan, but as soon as he heard Zhu Hongsan ask, he knew that Ma Jiyuan was useless. How can I recommend my own brother.

Thinking of this, Ma Mingyuan said: "There are only four of us who have been officials, the eldest brother, the second cousin, Xu Dali, and Gong Dacheng. The eldest brother is too upright, Xu Dali and Gong Dacheng can't be trusted yet. Only Feng's second brother is suitable. ”

What Ma Mingyuan said was exactly what Zhu Hongsan thought of, nodded and said, "Okay, then please ask the second brother to bother." ”

Two days later, Ma Mingyuan packed up, and Zhu Hongsan sent fifty people from his guard company to protect Ma Mingyuan, took gold and jewelry, and set off for Nanzhili.

After sending Ma Mingyuan away, Zhu Hongsan ordered the team to continue walking, and it would take 400 miles to Shaoguan in front.

The procession traveled through the Nanling Mountains, a place with rugged mountain roads that were blocked by mountains. On both sides of the road are bottomless deep streams, and if you are not careful, you will fall down.

So far, Zhu Hongsan has lost more than a dozen people and three cannons. They all accidentally fell into the mountain stream. Zhu Hongsan ordered everyone to be absolutely careful, first to save their lives, and to equip weapons without it.

After a month of arduous travel in the mountains, I finally came to Chenzhou through a hundred miles of mountain roads.

Chenzhou is the dividing line between the Yangtze River and the Pearl River. It is also the main road from the Central Plains to South China. If you don't go to Chenzhou and go to Guangdong, you have to detour to Nanchang and enter Guangdong through Fujian. It's even harder to walk than here.

The city of Chenzhou is not large, and it is the size of Wuchang County. probably knew the news of Zhang Xianzhong's southward journey, and the four doors were closed. The soldiers on the city wall walked outside, and the atmosphere was very tense.

Seeing Zhu Hongsan such a large number of people coming out of the mountains, the frightened city wall blew a horn.

When he came to the three miles in front of the city, Zhu Hongsan sent Qian Fatzi to call the city with Ma Jiyuan's letter.

After a while, the fat man came back and said, "The governor of Chenzhou said that he wanted to meet Brother Ma." ”

Ma Jiyuan was stunned for a moment and said, "You want to see me?" Do you recognize me? ”

Zhu Hongsan said: "Big brother, be careful. ”

Ma Jiyuan nodded and rode to the city. It took a while to come back. And his face was full of joy.

Ma Jiyuan came to Zhu Hongsan and said: "I didn't expect that Chenzhou Zhizhou was the same year as before, I thought he was an official in Nanzhili, but I didn't expect Chongzhen to be transferred to Chenzhou in the thirteenth year." ”

It turned out to be an old classmate, so that's easy to do. Zhu Hongsan ordered everyone to set up camp. Then he took Feng Ziyong and Zhu Hongyi to Chenzhou City.

When I came to the city, I saw that someone was already at the gate of the city to greet me, and there was a small middle-aged man standing at the door. is only 1.5 meters tall, and he is not good-looking.

Ma Jiyuan stepped forward and said, "Brother Shaohua, don't come to harm?" ”

That Zhizhou smiled: "There, since the palace tried to say goodbye to our brothers, I haven't seen each other for more than ten years, right?" ”

Ma Jiyuan said with a smile: "Yes, it has been sixteen years since the first year of Chongzhen. ”

The prefect said: "A few years ago, there was news that Xinyang was lost, and I thought that Brother Ziming was martyred, but I didn't expect to see it here." ”

Hearing his good friend say this, Ma Jiyuan blushed, and glared back at Zhu Hongsan. said: "Sorry, my father is alive. In addition, my family desperately rescued me before I escaped back to Huguang, which is really surviving. ”

Zhu Hongsan said on the side: "Two of you, let's go in and find a place to talk slowly." It's windy outside the city. ”

The prefect hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, let's go to my house." Let the cheap fry two dishes, and have a good chat with Brother Ziming. After speaking, he led a few people into the city.

Entering the city, Zhu Hongsan saw that the small Chenzhou City was well governed, and couldn't help but say: "It seems that this Zhizhou has two brushes. Why don't we take him with us when we leave? ”

Feng Ziyong on the side was startled, and hurriedly whispered: "The lord must not be like this, he is already a shame for his life if you bring your eldest brother back." You're kidnapping his friend, he's going to die in front of you. ”

Zhu Hongsan said in his heart: "These stinky old nines, is it a shame for the young master to save his whole family kindly?" I knew that this would have made him martyred. ”

Zhu Hongsan looked at the scenery while lewd, and came to the Zhizhou Yamen for a while. Everyone came to the back house and sat down, and they all saluted. After learning that Feng Ziyong was the same acquaintance of Hengzhou Mansion, he was very polite to Feng Ziyong.

Hearing that Zhu Hongsan and Zhu Hongyi were family members, he was not welcome, and directly prepared a small table outside for them to eat outside.

Zhu Hongsan scolded angrily, and went back to the camp to sleep after eating with Zhu Hongyi, angry that the prefect looked down on him and stole his two big bowls.

When I got up the next day, I didn't see Ma Jiyuan and Feng Ziyong come back, probably living in someone's house. Zhu Hongsan thought maliciously, then Zhizhou didn't know if he could let the concubine accompany Ma Jiyuan and Feng for his own use?

There was nothing to do during the day, and the gate of Chenzhou was opened. Zhu Hongsan and Tong Yangjia went to the city to buy daily necessities.

Seeing Tong Yangjia's clerk Gong Dacheng bargaining with his buddies to calculate the cost, Zhu Hongsan felt that this guy should not be a county magistrate, but should go into business.

In the evening, Ma Feng and the others came back, and Zhu Hongsan grabbed Feng Ziyong and asked, "Second cousin, didn't Zhizhou entertain you with his concubine?" ”

Feng Ziyong was stunned for a moment and asked, "How do you know?" ”

Zhu Hongsan said with a smile: "I'll just say it, you scholars are the most sanctimonious." On the surface, people look like dogs, but they are actually, and you can do it if you change your wife. ”

Feng Ziyong scolded: "What nonsense." How can a wife be exchanged? The concubine is just a house slave, and they can't be bought and sold, so why can't they be exchanged? ”

Zhu Hongsan was speechless. Also, in this era, women have no status. But I can't let my own woman sleep with others anymore. Sleeping with someone else's woman to can be considered.

Originally, everyone was scheduled to leave the next day, but they didn't expect Ma Guoxiang to fall ill when he arrived in Chenzhou. Also, Ma Guoxiang is sixty-five years old, and this era pays attention to sixty years of rarity. It's good to live to be sixty-five.

I thought he was just tired on the road and would rest for a few days, but I didn't expect it to get worse and worse. It's almost dead in three days. The doctor from the city said let's prepare for the future.

Ma Guoxiang's descendants immediately burst into tears. Ma Jiyuan cried and fainted twice.

On the fourth day, Ma Guoxiang began to return to the light and arrange the aftermath. Unexpectedly, Ma Guoxiang wanted to see Zhu Hongsan. This surprised Zhu Hongsan.

When I entered the tent, I saw Ma Guoxiang with a red face, and his mental state was very good. Zhu Hongsan knew that this was the last time. Ma Guoxiang asked Zhu Hongsan to walk over and said, "Virtuous son-in-law, I hated you very much when you were young, I didn't agree with Xiaofang marrying you back then, you don't blame me, right?" ”

Zhu Hongsan said: "Father-in-law, I was stubborn when I was young, and I wouldn't look for such a daughter if I had a daughter." ”

Ma Guoxiang continued: "I have only looked at one person in my life, and that is you." I look at what you've done over the years, you're a person who wants to do great things. I have a request, and you must grant it to me. ”

Zhu Hongsan said: "Father-in-law, please speak." ”

"If you can really restore the Ming Dynasty in the future, you must leave a root for my Ma family. Jiyuan is too upright, Mingyuan is too keen on fame and fortune, Jingyuan shouldn't join your army. You will not let them go in the future for the sake of stability. I don't blame you for this, they chose the road by themselves, but I beg you to leave someone for my Ma family. ”

Zhu Hongsan was shocked when he heard Ma Guoxiang say this, but he didn't expect that no one would understand it as an outsider. Ma Mingyuan only saw the scenery of the Ma family by clinging to himself. Ma Guoxiang saw the ruthlessness behind the scenery.

Ma Guoxiang shook Zhu Hongsan's hand and said, "Virtuous son-in-law, you must promise me for the sake of Xiaofang giving birth to a son-in-law for you." ”

Seeing Ma Guoxiang's face quickly turn pale, Zhu Hongsan knew that Ma Guoxiang was dying. Thinking of this, I still let him go to that world with peace of mind.

Zhu Hongsan leaned into Ma Guoxiang's ear and said, "Father-in-law, I promise you that when you can't do anything, you will leave a root for your Ma family." ”

Hearing Zhu Hongsan say this, Ma Guoxiang relieved his heart, exhaled in one breath, and passed away.

Zhu Hongsan sighed and came out to inform Ma Jiyuan, but the Ma family went in and cried without mentioning it.

Zhu Hongsan stood outside and looked at the starry sky, thinking that the Ma family could attach themselves to him, but where was his way out.

Since such a big incident has happened, everyone can't leave. I had to hold a funeral in the local area. Chenzhou Yu Zhizhou also came to condole. Twenty-one days after the spirit stopped, Ma Guoxiang was buried under a feng shui treasure in Chenzhou.

After all these things, it is already June, and the rainy season has entered in the south. But there is no way, so you have to go. After Ma Jiyuan said goodbye to his friend, he and Zhu Hongsan set off on the same time, and the next destination was Yizhang, the south gate of Huguang. When I arrived in Yizhang, I went out of the mountains, and the front was all hilly.

But to get to Yizhang, you have to enter the Huangling Mountain in the South Ridge, that is, one of the five ridges, Qitianling. However, in the Ming Dynasty, it was called Huangling Mountain.

The highest peak of Huangling Mountain is more than 1,600 meters, which is more difficult to walk than the mountains north of Chenzhou.

In the end, Zhu Hongsan, who was angry, couldn't lead the artillery to break the three stockades, and all the men, women, old and weak inside were killed. And put his head on a spear and stand on both sides of the road, so as to frighten the various bandits along the road.

After a long journey, I finally came to Yizhang on the second day of the seventh month.

Yizhang County is very small, there is nothing to see. Tong Yangjia took Yu Zhizhou's letter and went to the city to purchase major events. The county magistrate didn't even fart after seeing the letter from his boss.

Set off again after a two-day stay in Yizhang. This time, the road gradually improved, and the mountain became gentle, and finally on July 20, I came out of the mountain and came to Lechang County, Guangdong.

Everyone was in a very good mood when they went out of the mountainous area, and Zhu Hongsan also stayed in Lechang for a few more days. Let everyone relax. Then go to the first capital city in Guangdong, Shaozhou Mansion.