In the early morning of the seventh day of October, He Tengjiao went out of the city early from the Derui Gate in the west of the city and took a boat to Orange Island in the middle of the Xiangjiang River to fish. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

At this time, the sky was bright and a faint mist shrouded in the air. The cheerful sound of the waves going north of the Xiangjiang River, and the fragrance of the grass and trees on the continent with water vapor, all make people feel refreshed.

He Tengjiao, who was also the governor of Huguang with a scholar of Wuyingdian University, did not have the shelf of a first-class official at this time, and sat on a stone by the river casually, looking at the float on the surface of the water with a relaxed and attentive expression.

Suddenly, the float sank into the water. He Tengjiao's eyes were quick, and he immediately reeled in the line and lifted the rod. With a bang, a carp weighing four or five pounds was pulled out of the water and struggled in the air.

"Haha, hurry, come and collect the fish!" He Tengjiao's long beard was splashed with water droplets, but he was still happy to close his mouth and beckoned to the entourage next to him.

The attendant came with a wooden barrel and took the carp off the hook and put it in the bucket. He Tengjiao glanced at the fish in the bucket with great interest, then continued to sit back on the big stone, put the hook on the bait and threw it into the river.

His luck today was indeed good, but it was only half an hour younger, and it was already the fifth fish to be baited.

"Dong Weng has gained a lot today! Could it be that the fish in this river are attracted by the demeanor of Dong Weng and swim all here? Next to him, Lou Jingzhi, the chief staff member who came to fish with He Tengjiao, joked with a smile. The two are both superiors and old friends, so they talk to each other more casually.

"Hahaha......" He Tengjiao laughed, wiping his beard with a silk towel while pointing at Lou Jingzhi, "You old man, sometimes you are not serious." ”

After wiping off his beard and the water droplets on his face, He Tengjiao handed the fishing rod to an entourage and asked him to continue fishing, and said to Lou Jingzhi: "Let's go, let's go up there and take a turn, don't be surprised by the fish." ”

In the early winter of Orange Island, the grass and trees are withering, but the scenery of the sky and the river still has a unique flavor. He Tengjiao paced along the path by the woods and sighed: "The old man's mood has not been so comfortable for a long time. The temple is high, everyone yearns for it, and the rivers and lakes are far away, but there is also some fun. When the world is a little more peaceful in the future, the old man will say that he will return to his hometown with the saint, and live a comfortable life for a few days leisurely like this. What court disputes, what sinister people's hearts, don't care about it anymore! ”

"Of course, Shengdou Xiaomin can come by his own temperament, and he can bypass difficulties when he encounters them, and he can live as comfortable as he wants. But Dong Weng is an important minister of the country and shoulders a huge responsibility, how can he be so discouraged? Lou Jingzhi also said while walking, "Dong Weng is His Majesty's old Nanyang man, and he was entrusted with an important position, and it is inevitable that he will suffer some unwarranted jealousy and rumors on weekdays. The so-called clean ones are self-purifying, and those who are turbid are self-turbid, and Dong Weng must not be discouraged because of the reproaches and exclusions of some fanatics. Some fanatics, relying on some of their own soldiers and horses, and some military exploits, will be bold and reckless, but they do not know that the high merits will eventually shock the master, and there will always be a time when he will regret it in the future. ”

He Tengjiao looked helpless, and nodded at Lou Jingzhi again: "Weisi, Weisi, it's not me who said you, your temperament is inevitably too impulsive." Everyone is an official in the court, even if there are some contradictions, it is all due to the eagerness to do the king's affairs. Why did it come to your mouth, but you had to treat each other as enemies? This is not good, and it is not appropriate to talk about it in the future. ”

Weisi, the word Lou Jing, is taken from the "Song of Zhou" in the "Book of Songs": respect for respect, heaven only thinks.

Lou Jingzhi smiled understandingly, and didn't mention it again.

But Lou Jingzhi didn't mention it, but He Tengjiao couldn't calm down in his heart. Although he accused Lou Jingzhi on the surface just now, why didn't those words speak to his heart? What has made him upset and restless all the time is not the "madman"?

The "madman" relied on his own heavy troops, and indeed did not take him, a scholar and governor of Huguang, in his eyes. Although he was humble and polite on weekdays, his methods were actually extremely treacherous, and he almost quietly completed the exclusion and suppression of the governor's yamen.

Now that Huguang has fallen by nearly half, his position as governor of Huguang is already somewhat unworthy of the name. But that "madman" still didn't stretch his hand long enough, and kept pulling the political resources that originally belonged to the governor's yamen into his own bowl, and after doing all this, he was very good at covering up and whitewashing, and he actually gained a lot of good reputation.

Now that the "madman" has led the army to Jiangxi, it is said that the war is going quite smoothly, not long ago there was news back, saying that Ji'an has been recovered, is waving the army straight to Nanchang. After the victory of this "madman", his prestige will definitely rise again, and at that time, I am afraid that the sky of this lake will have to change again.

Just as He Tengjiao and Lou Jingzhi were walking and chatting on the continent, another boat leaned on the east bank of the continent, and a person jumped off the boat and hurriedly rushed to this side.

"Lord Governor! Lord Governor! A desperate shout came from afar.

He Tengjiao turned around, and the person who came gradually ran closer, and his face gradually became clear, it was actually his chief soldier Dong Ying. I saw Dong Ying's face full of eagerness and panic, as if he had encountered something big.

"Didn't the old man say that he would go back to the city before noon? Why are you still chasing here? He Tengjiao said with some dissatisfaction.

"Lord Governor, it's a big deal...... Big things are not good! Dong Junmen, who had been rushing all the way, had not been able to breathe for a while.

"What's the alarm? Speak slowly! ”

"Wuchang ...... The Wuchang Tartars have already sent troops south! ”

He Tengjiao's expression froze suddenly, and Lou Jingzhi on the side was also full of shock.

............

Half an hour later, the main hall of the general army of Huguang

He Tengjiao urgently summoned the main civil and military forces in the city to discuss the enemy's strategy, and there was an atmosphere in the hall as if he was facing the enemy.

He Tengjiao, who was sitting at the top, looked at the Tang newspaper in his hand with a solemn face, most of the civil and military officers in the hall looked nervous, and a few people were quietly talking to each other, not knowing what they were discussing.

It was written in black and white on the Tang newspaper that Kong Youde, the king of Qing Gongshun, and Geng Zhongming, the king of Huaishun, had each led their headquarters and some of the green battalions in Hubei to the south from Wuchang. According to the estimation of time, I am afraid that I have already arrived in Yuezhou at this time.

He Tengjiao put down the Tang newspaper and picked up another report on the enemy situation that was said to have been sent by the First Guard Battalion of Huguang Town, which was stationed in Yuezhou. This circular was written in more detail, and even indicated the number of Qing troops, that is, 10,000 each of Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, more than 5,000 Shen Yongzhong who took the title of Duke of Shun and the new governor of Huguang, and more than 3,000 Hao Xiaozhong, the new chief of Wuchang, with a total strength of nearly 30,000.

After reading it, He Tengjiao asked Dong Ying: "What is the movement of Li Chuang's rest of the department?" Why did you let the Wuchang Tatars go south so easily? ”

Li Chuang's remnants, that is, the loyalty battalion. He Tengjiao has always looked down on this army adapted from the rest of the Shun army, and whenever he mentions it, he doesn't even bother to say the battalion number, and calls it "Li Chuang's remaining troops".

"Wu Sangui's general Guo Yunlong led more than 10,000 soldiers and horses and part of the Shaanxi and Gansu green battalion also arrived in Hubei, the loyal battalion was pinned down in Jingzhou, it is said that several times out of the city to meet the battle failed to win, and then there was no time to look east to Wuchang." Dong Ying replied.

He Tengjiao snorted coldly, didn't say anything more, and then read out the general enemy situation in public, and asked everyone in the hall: "The Tartars have gone south, everyone tell me, how should we deal with it?" ”

Everyone in the hall looked at each other, or bowed their heads in thought, and no one answered for a while.

"At this critical juncture, we need to work together on how to deal with the enemy, but it doesn't hurt to say it, even if it's wrong." He Tengjiao continued to encourage.

Still no one spoke.

He Tengjiao finally couldn't help it, and shot the case fiercely: "Ridiculous! The food of the king is the worry of the king! Now that the Tartars are in prison, the situation is precarious, and as a courtier, is it just sitting still for the court and sharing the worries of His Majesty? ”

No wonder everyone was so nervous. Although the Qing army that went south this time did not have much advantage in terms of strength, and the soldiers and horses in Changsha City alone were not much less than it, everyone also knew that the general Ming army and the Qing army fought against each other, and the results were often not determined by the number of troops. What's more, the subordinates of Kong Youde were all the old foundations of Wuzhen Chaoha back then, equipped with Hongyi cannons, and the only one who could compete with Pang Yue's troops went on an expedition to Jiangxi. So the situation is really not optimistic.

After He Tengjiao took the case fiercely, Fu Shangrui, the superintendent of the army, finally took the lead in speaking: "The lower officials think that this time the Tartars come from the south, they will definitely go to the capital like last time." Therefore, I can't just consider the city defense of Changsha, but also take the safety of the holy car to heart! ”

"The last general is not talented, I am willing to lead the troops to Xingdu to escort him!" As soon as Fu Shangrui's words fell, Wang Jincai, the chief soldier of Changsha, did not hesitate, stood up and hugged his fists loudly.

"The last general is not talented, I am willing to escort!" Changsha adjutant general Wang Yuncheng followed.

"The Last General ......"

"The Last General ......"

......

A group of generals stood up in the hall, all with loud voices and resolute attitudes.

When Dong Yingzheng, the chief soldier of the standard, was hesitating to stand up, there was a loud "bang" in the hall, and He Tengjiao slapped the case again: "Enough!" If anyone comes out to fight so impassionedly, he will go to Yuezhou to assist Pang Yue's soldiers and horses to defend the city together! The old man will definitely satisfy his desire to fight! ”

A large number of generals who stood up like a forest instantly sat back in a daze. Looking at their figures, He Tengjiao's heart suddenly welled up with endless sorrow. After calming down his emotions a little, his gaze was as firm as a torch: "As long as Yuezhou and Changsha are not lost, how dare the Tartars risk the grain route being cut off and go south with all their might?" Moreover, the soldiers and horses near Hengzhou are not weaker than Changsha, and the soldiers and horses of Liangguang will quickly send an edict to the king of Qin in the north when they hear the news. We just need to do our best to guard Changsha! Changsha is here, and the situation in Huguang is still promising! If Changsha is lost, the situation in Huguang will definitely be out of control, and you and I here will also bear the infamy that thousands of people point to! ”