After passing through the urn city, enter the city. Xinyang's first impression of Zhu Hongsan was not bad. It was not as devastated as imagined by war. The houses in the city have been cleared against the wall, leaving a twenty-meter-wide horse road, which is to move troops quickly in the event of an enemy attack. It also prevents the enemy from using fire.

A large pit was dug every hundred paces on the horse road, and large vats were buried in the pits, which was to prevent the enemy from digging tunnels. Behind the city walls, there are caves, weapons depots, warehouses and other facilities.

Zhu Hongsan saw that the defense facilities were perfect, and he couldn't help but become interested in the generals defending the city. asked Ma Rufeng beside him and said: "Like the wind, who is the general of Xinyang guarding the city?" I see that all the facilities are well arranged, this general is not simple. ”

Ma Rufeng nodded and said: "Now Xinyang Shou will be the governor of the same as Jin Shenghuan, General Jin is not ordinary, he is from Liaodong." After Liaoyang was attacked by the Manchus, his whole family was captured, and he was the only one who escaped. Later, he entered the customs and voted for Zuo Liangyu and Zuo Dashuai, and was promoted to the governor of Tongzhi. ”

Hearing this, Zhu Hongsan remembered, isn't Jin Shenghuan the big traitor who is with Li Chengdong anyway? However, Jin Shenghuan is much stronger than Li Chengdong, a slave with the fourth surname.

I only heard Ma Rufeng continue: "Now the Eight Kings Zhang Xianzhong is attacking Nanyang, and Zuo Dashuai is also fighting Zhang Xianzhong in Nanyang. Our Xinyang is too close to Nanyang, and in case of emergency, Zuo Dashuai sent General Jin to Xinyang to assist in the defense. Everything that my uncle saw was arranged by General Kim. It was under his leadership that we were able to repel the three sieges of the Liukou. ”

After hearing this, Zhu Hongsan nodded and thought: "You should contact this Jin Shenghuan in the future, traitors are not necessarily waste." This Tong Yangjia next to him is like a monkey, and he can go up the tree by sticking his hair. ”

Xinyang City is not big, and the population can be 50,000 or 60,000 people, which is the scale of Wuchang County. But this is a good big city in the war-torn Zhongzhou. Zhu Hongsan saw that most of the shops on both sides of the street were closed, and a third were open. Some grain stores and restaurants are closed.

Ma Rufeng said: "My father ordered that during the war, it is strictly forbidden to buy and sell grain, salt and other materials, in case someone sits on the ground and raises the price, harming the interests of the people. ”

Zhu Hongsan didn't expect Ma Jiyuan to have these two moments. also knows about wartime economic control, and I used to hear Ma Xiaofang say that his eldest brother was an old pedant nerd. It seems that there is no bias in listening and believing. Zhu Hongsan became interested in this eldest brother and father-in-law for the first time.

Ma Ruyan introduced the customs of Xinyang while walking. After a while, he came to the Yamen of Xinyang Prefecture. Zhu Hongsan had never been far away before, and this time he saw the official mansion except for the Wuchang County Government for the first time. However, Zhu Hongsan was deeply disappointed, is it not that the entire Ming government is virtuous, and it is not dilapidated. It's that the two stone carvings at the door are different from those in Wuchang County, and the others are completely different. The same yamen, the same steps, and the same land temple at the door.

Zhu Hongsan maliciously thought about whether Zhu Yuanzhang was bullied by the magistrate when he was asking for food, or how to bully the magistrate so much after taking power. If it weren't for the fact that there were two pillars on the side of this yamen gate, it would have fallen.

Ma Rufeng saw the disappointment on Zhu Hongsan's face and hurriedly said: "Uncle, all the officials in the world are like this. Officials do not repair the government, this is the ancestral system. ”

Zhu Hongsan said: "It's a rule that officials don't repair the government, but it can't be like this, you see that the gate is about to fall, the tiles in the lobby are half broken, and there is a puddle of dog shit at the door." Can't you just sweep it? The old can't be helped, but it's not clean, and you're not disgusting yourself? ”

Ma Rufeng made Zhu Hongsan's face red, and said: "Originally, there were officials to clean it, isn't this a rogue attacking the city." They all transferred their father to the city to defend the city. ”

Ma Rufeng didn't want to explain much on this topic, and then said: "Uncle, please follow me into the inner hall, my father and two brothers are waiting for you." I'll arrange for your men to be taken to the playground for a while. ”

Zhu Hongsan nodded, turned around and instructed Tong Yangjia and Zhao Guodong to go to camp. He led Zhu Hongyi to follow Ma Rufeng into the second hall.

The second hall is the second hall of the county government, and Ma Jiyuan's family is in the back house, and Zhu Hongsan is not allowed to enter the inner house. Zhu Hongsan knew that this was because he was a clan. The Ming Dynasty had a rule that officials and clans could not meet privately in secret rooms. But Zhu Hongsan walked Feng Ziyong's inner house like a city gate, and he didn't see Feng Ziyong unhappy. Ma Jiyuan is still playing this, and Zhu Hongsan is a little unhappy. I traveled thousands of miles from Huguang to pick up their family, and I couldn't even see each other. What a big-tailed wolf.

After entering the second hall, I saw a forty-five or sixteen-year-old handsome man sitting on the Taishi chair in the middle, and the children of the Ma family were all handsome guys. Needless to say, Ma Mingyuan and Ma Xiaofang, this Ma Jiyuan is a bit like the famous actor who played Zhuge Liang in later generations. It may be that he has been an official for a long time, and he feels very angry and self-assured. There were two young men standing on the side, both in their mid-twenties. Zhu Hongsan heard Ma Ruyan say that these should be his two elder brothers.

This Ma Rufeng is Ma Ruyan's younger brother. Ma Ruyan also has a younger sister, who was only eight years old when Ma Ruyan got married. I didn't see it today, though.

Zhu Hongsan didn't care what Ma Jiyuan thought. didn't wait for others to give up their seats, and sat down on Ma Jiyuan. Zhu Hongyi stood behind him.

Ma Jiyuan frowned and said, "My brother-in-law has worked hard all the way, and I have read the letter that my second brother gave me. As for how to arrange for you to wait first, I will reply to you after I have thought about it. ”

Zhu Hongsan heard Ma Jiyuan say this and asked himself to wait, can he wait? This place is so chaotic, I don't know when Zhang Xianzhong will come over to attack Xinyang. His own 1,800 people are not enough for Zhang Xianzhong to stuff his teeth.

Zhu Hongsan thought of something to say, opened his mouth and said: "Big brother, it's better to give me a letter now, I'll be here for a day, and I will rush back to Huguang the day after tomorrow." The land of the four wars in Xinyang cannot be stayed for a long time. ”

The young man behind Ma Jiyuan just opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped by Ma Jiyuan. Ma Jiyuan said: "Now Xinyang is in danger, and I have the responsibility to guard the land as a local official. It's not going to go. It just so happened that my brother-in-law brought a thousand people and joined in the defense of the city. After repelling the liukou, he will let his brother-in-law return to Huguang. ”

Zhu Hongsan said angrily in his heart when he heard this: "Damn, you want to send Lao Tzu to death and pull Lao Tzu?" But without saying anything, Zhu Hongsan suppressed the fire and said: "Big brother doesn't know, the people I brought are all my family, and they don't seem to have the obligation to help you defend the city." ”

The young man behind Ma Jiyuan couldn't hold it back, and stood up and said, "As a clan, can't my uncle do his part for the imperial court?" ”

Zhu Hongsan pouted and said, "You are that little bastard, do you have the right to intervene when the elders speak?" Is that how your dad taught you? ”

Although that young man was a few years older than Zhu Hongsan, Zhu Hongsan was his uncle. His aunt is a wife, and this is all among the three tribes. If Zhu Hongsan rebelled, the Yi San clan would have this young man, but it would be that Ma Rufeng who didn't have much responsibility because he was a concubine.

Zhu Hongsan's words are very serious, Ma Jiyuan, as an orthodox Confucian intellectual, values etiquette more than his life. slapped the table and shouted: "Ma Shaoguang, don't kneel down to apologize to your uncle." ”

The young man, Ma Shaoguang, immediately knelt down and said, "Shaoguang is young and ignorant (Damn, five years older than Zhu Hongsan, is it called young?) Please punish my uncle. ”

Zhu Hongsan waved his hand, and said in a weird manner: "Get up, I can't afford to be a gift from your Ma family." Besides, if a dog bites me, can I still bite a dog? ”

When Zhu Hongsan said this, Ma Jiyuan's face turned green. Ma Jiyuan waved his son up. said to Zhu Hongsan: "Zhu Hongsan, I don't care about you if you haven't studied, but you can't leave here as a member of the Ming Sect, let's defend the city first." Like the wind, lead your uncle to the station. After speaking, he ignored Zhu Hongsan, and led his two sons back to the inner house with a wave of his sleeves.

Zhu Hongsan was also angry when he saw Ma Jiyuan leaving. But there is no way, in order not to make Ma Ruyan sad, he must take Ma Jiyuan's family away.

Zhu Hongsan suppressed the fire and looked at Ma Rufeng who was standing in front of him, and said, "Is your father having dry stools, why is he so angry?" ”

Ma Ruyan didn't dare to answer, smiled wryly, and said, "My father is actually a very good person. It's just a bit serious. ”

Zhu Hongsan scolded: "Damn, I'm just looking at Ruyan's face, or I'll take care of your family's shit, and it's my business to die or not." ”

Ma Rufeng heard Zhu Hongsan mention Ma Ruyan, looked at no one around, and asked in a low voice, "Uncle, how is my sister?" The body is good. ”

mentioned Ma Ruyan, Zhu Hongsan's anger came to naught. If it was still a physical relationship with Ma Ruyan before, Zhu Hongsan was really ashamed of Ma Ruyan after seeing Ma Ruyan's son die. After all, she killed her husband's whole family, plus she didn't keep her son.

Zhu Hongsan sighed and said: "Ruyan's son has been in poor health since he died, and my body was only stronger when I left, I don't know what happened now." ”

Ma Rufeng's eyes turned red and said: "My sister treats me best when she is at home, I really want to go and see my sister." ”

Zhu Hongsan patted Ma Rufeng's shoulder and said, "Boy, call me brother-in-law when no one is around." ”

Ma Rufeng nodded and called his brother-in-law.

Zhu Hongsan was also very satisfied, and said: "Otherwise, you pick up your mother and your sister, and we don't care about your father's old immortality." How about I take you back to Huguang? ”

Ma Rufeng was so frightened that he was sweating profusely, and hurriedly said: "Don't dare, don't dare, this lets people know that I gave up my father to run for my life, how will I live in the future." ”

Zhu Hongsan scolded: "Damn, as far as you read a lot, when is it, your father and mother will marry and take care of everyone." ”

Ma Rufeng hurriedly said: "Don't dare, don't dare." ”

Seeing Ma Rufeng's bear-like Zhu Hongsan, he didn't force him, he stopped and took a look first, and then he said, if he really can't do it, he will throw a rake - don't serve the monkey. The concubine is important, but it is not as important as her own life. Only the old life to save the concubine is not yet.

After thinking about it, Zhu Hongsan said: "Okay, take me to the station, I want to see how I live first." ”

Ma Rufeng nodded and led Zhu Hongsan and Zhu Hongyi to the temporary station.