The guards responded and killed them like a wall, and the three Japanese hurriedly stepped forward to block it desperately, covering Yoshida Okiji and Yamada Yuji to hold Zheng Damu hostage. www.biquge.info Although the three of them are strong in martial arts and have armor on their bodies, the Zheng family's guards are not weak, and although they killed several people, they died under the knife after a while. However, their blocking also won a moment for Yoshida Okiji and them, and the two people they saw had already carried Zheng Damu up the river embankment, and the remaining guards were about to catch up, and suddenly shot a few feather arrows from the river embankment, and several people fell to the ground with arrows, and their footsteps couldn't help but hesitate.

"Xue Huaien, you help Yuji carry the big wood onto the boat! Wei Lan, Hun Apu, and also Tugan first, the three of you will release arrows to stop the pursuers first! At this time, Yoshida Okiji was also out of breath, and he shouted loudly. While running quickly to the shore and leading the pre-prepared boat to the shore, Xue Huaien quickly helped Yamada Yuji to move Zheng Damu onto the boat, Yoshida Okiji hurriedly took out the horn from his arms and blew it twice, and after a while, he saw Wei Lan, Hun Apu, and Yexian Tugan running down from the river embankment quickly, and when the three of them got on the boat, Yoshida Okiji pushed the boat to the shore, Hun Apu and Ye Xian Tugan were Mongols and couldn't operate the boat, so they stood at the stern of the boat and shot arrows at the pursuers, and the rest of the people rowed hard, and the boat was popular quickly along the water, By the time the Zheng family's guards ran to the shore, the boat had already gone far away, leaving only a little shadow of the boat.

"If you lose your son, you will be punished, what should I do?"

The remaining Zheng family guards on the shore looked at each other, and after about half a sound, a man who looked like a leader replied: "This is definitely not an ordinary bandit, so let's do it, you two hurry back to Fujian, tell your lordship about it, and we will go to the government to report it and pursue it strictly!" ”

"Yes!"

Beijing, Qianqing Palace.

Yang Sichang raised his legs and stepped on the steps, but accidentally stepped on the front of his official robe and almost stumbled, but fortunately, a hand reached out next to him and helped him.

"Mr. Yang, this step is a little higher, be careful!" Wang Chengen looked at the haggard middle-aged man in front of him sympathetically, since Yang Sichang became the first assistant, this middle-aged man who was originally well maintained has aged and haggard at a speed visible to the naked eye, the supreme power of the empire is like an insatiable devil, squeezing life from everyone who comes into contact with him, so as to fill his declining body, Chongzhen is like this, Yang Sichang is also like this, maybe the next person is still, but everyone is eager to take it into their own hands, It's a ridiculous thing.

"Thank you, Princess!" An embarrassed smile appeared on Yang Sichang's face: "Wen is thinking about things only now, so he is"

"It's okay!" Wang Chengen sighed and said in a low voice: "Mr. Yang, because of the matter in Zhongdu, the Holy Lord is not in a good mood now, you have to be prepared." ”

"I understand, thank you father-in-law!" Yang Sichang nodded gratefully to Wang Chengen. Chongzhen's reaction was completely unexpected in his expectations, Zhongdu fell, the imperial ancestral mausoleum was destroyed, and the military and political significance caused by it fell second, and the most important thing was the symbolic and psychological impact, although the mausoleum in Fengyang, the central capital, was only buried in the parents, brothers, and nephews of Emperor Taizu; But people in the world will not think so, for the ancient Chinese who attach great importance to ancestor worship and the doctrine of celestial induction, the temple can be said to be synonymous with the country, and the destruction of the ancestral mausoleum will only make people think that the great Ming Qi is about to be exhausted, and the genius of God will take this as a sign. This is even worse for the Ming Dynasty, which is already in internal and external difficulties. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the tension in his heart, and walked into the warm pavilion of Chongzhen's office.

"Mr. Yang!" Chongzhen did not give Yang Sichang a seat as usual, but asked the other party to kneel on the ground and answer: "What do you think should be done with Hong Chengchou?" ”

Chongzhen's first question made Yang Sichang's heart beat wildly, he subconsciously raised his head and looked at Wang Chengen, who was standing behind Chongzhen, only to see the tip of the other party's shoes cocked and swayed slightly. Yang Sichang's heart was sour, knowing that the Son of Heaven had made up his mind to remove Hong Chengchou from his position, although his relationship with Hong Chengchou was only average, but he knew that Hong Chengchou could not be blamed for the corruption of the situation in Guannei, and it was difficult to find a candidate who could replace him among the ministers of Xinjiang for a while. But Yang Sichang knows Chongzhen's personality very well and knows that he must not go against the wishes of the Son of Heaven, otherwise he may end up with the same fate.

"This time they all fell, the imperial tomb was frightened, and Lord Hong naturally had the responsibility to rule. It's just that "Yang Sichang is preparing to say two good words for Hong Chengchou, and strive to only let him be dismissed from his post and go home to recuperate, so as to retain a talent for the country." was interrupted by Chongzhen: "What else is just?" Mr. Yang, this is not the first time that Hong Chengchou has been ineffective in suppressing thieves, when Nanyang fell, he was not punished, I remembered that he had not been without merit in Shaanxi and Shanxi, so I temporarily spared him that time and let him make meritorious contributions. However, since the autumn of this year, thieves have been rampant between the Jianghuai River, and the soldiers have reached the canal, and even Zhongdu has been captured by the thieves, and the imperial tomb has been frightened. You still want to say good things for him, don't you have a party with him? ”

"Sinners deserve to die, sinners deserve to die! But Weichen really has no party with Hong Chengchou! Hearing Chongzhen say that he had friends with Hong Chengchou, Yang Sichang was suddenly frightened, and he kowtowed again and again.

Seeing that Yang Sichang's forehead was already red, and even blood was flowing out, Chongzhen's face looked a little better, he motioned to Wang Chengen to bandage Yang Sichang, and asked, "If you don't have a party, why do you still speak for him?" ”

"Tell the Holy One!" Yang Sichang was shocked, and his voice trembled a little: "Right now, the country is in an eventful time, and talents are needed.

"Talent!" Chongzhen sneered: "I don't know that Hong Chengchou is a talent, but is talent alone enough?" Last winter, he wrote to the court again and again, saying that the thieves had been forced into the mountains, and it was a matter of time before they were exterminated; But within two months, the group of thieves broke through Luyang Pass and captured Nanyang; Two months ago, he said that the thief had fled into the Yunyang Mountains, and had lost his heart, and that the thief and Cao Cao had fled to Sichuan and southern Shaanxi, so he went west with the main force to conquer the thief and Cao Cao. The result? He's guilty of deceit! And it's a couple of times! If I don't punish him severely, how can I face the ministers? Facing the people of the world? ”

Hearing Chongzhen say this, Yang Sichang couldn't help but be speechless, theoretically Chongzhen was right. But the problem is that since ancient times, as long as it is a human organization, it is common for subordinates to deceive their superiors and report good news but not bad news. If Hong Chengchou honestly told Chongzhen, how many thieves and hungry people are in these provinces, and how serious the situation is; Chongzhen will be furious and ask him to quell the thieves within a few months, otherwise he will be removed from office and punished. But the problem is that Hong Chengchou doesn't have so many troops and money on hand to do this, and he also knows that Chongzhen can't give him so many troops and money and food. In the face of such a contradiction, Hong Chengchou's most rational choice is to hide the truth from Chongzhen while trying to maintain the situation, this kind of behavior is indeed to deceive Chongzhen, but it is indeed a bit too much to punish Hong Chengchou for the crime of bullying the king.

Yang Sichang gritted his teeth and replied: "Based on what Weichen saw, he sent an envoy to arrest Hong Chengchou into Beijing, and the three divisions will try and convict him!" Having said this, Yang Sichang couldn't help but feel a little sad, because since the three divisions will be convicted, if there is basically no accident, Hong Chengchou's political life will be reimbursed. He knew in his heart that there were not many capable talents like Hong Chengchou who could write and martial arts in Daming, and the next various things were endless, and who would deal with them?

"The three divisions will review and convict?" Chongzhen sneered: "Forget it, Spring and Autumn Dayiyun: 'Punishment is not as good as a doctor, and etiquette is not as good as a concubine', Hong Chengchou is a minister of the court, so don't be humiliated by the prison officials!" He waved his hand to stop Yang Sichang's defense: "Mr. Yang doesn't need to say more about this matter." Thieves are rampant in the pass, I plan to transfer the elite soldiers of the nine sides into the customs to collect, Mr. go back and draw up a charter first! ”

"Transferring the border army to the customs for requisition?" A thin layer of sweat immediately oozed from Yang Sichang's forehead: "That Dongyu"

"What's wrong with Dongyu? Didn't Liu Cheng just break the Tartars in Daning City? More than 6,000 beheadings, tens of thousands of births, and hundreds of thousands of livestock, is my only great victory in the Ming Dynasty in a hundred years? When Chongzhen said this, his eyebrows were already flying: "Let him lead the border army into the customs to conquer, and he will definitely be able to wipe out the thieves!" I should have transferred him to the customs a long time ago! ”

"Your Majesty, please think twice!" Yang Sichang remembered what Liu Cheng said to himself that night: "Although Liu Cheng has just won a big victory, he can fight the northern captives, not the eastern captives. Moreover, this person has great prestige among the Hu people, and the Chahar and Tumut tribes regard him as the ruler, if he is transferred to the customs, who will lead them? ”

"What does the gentleman think it should be?"

"Your Majesty, Liu Cheng's expedition to the east and the west is nothing more than Hu Qi's fierceness and his ability to shoot at gallops. Why not with its thick coins, draw the elite people among them, let them enter the customs and level the thieves, and he himself is still guarding Xuanda and being the barrier of the Beijing Division, isn't it the best of both worlds? ”

Chongzhen heard Yang Sichang say this, thought for a moment and smiled: "What Mr. said is, then this matter will be handed over to Mr. to deal with." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Yang Sichang kowtowed again, and cautiously retreated, only to feel that his back was already cold, and it was all cold sweat. He thought of what happened to Hong Chengchou, and couldn't help but sigh: "Hong Hengjiu, Hong Hengjiu, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's really beyond my power!" ”

Datong.

If you want to say that in the winter of the seventh year of Chongzhen, who is the happiest person in the Ming Dynasty, Lu Boqi, the squire of the military department, the governor Xuan, the great, and the military affairs of Shanxi, and the manager of food and salary, must be one of the most powerful candidates. Liu Cheng's expedition to the east, breaking through the Mongolian left wing departments, beheading more than 6,000 levels, obtaining 50,000 troops, hundreds of thousands of large and small livestock, and clearing the outside of the fortress, although he made a great achievement, but Liu Cheng is a military general, according to the system of the Ming Dynasty, all his actions and exploits are won under the strategic and wise leadership of Lord Lu Boqi. The more Liu Cheng gained, the greater the strategic merit of Lord Lu Boqi and Lu. Liu Cheng drove thousands of miles, led tens of thousands of troops to climb the ice and snow, and the white blade was relatively earned, and Lu Boqi sat by the brazier in the governor's palace and ate hot pot to earn it, and he may earn a little more. Because according to the Ming Dynasty's law of "using literature to control martial arts", the bigger Liu Chengguan should be, the higher the title, as Liu Cheng's top boss, Lu Boqi can only rise faster, otherwise he will not be able to "lead the superior to the superior". Rao is Lu Boqi has been a little numb since he met Liu Cheng, and after learning the news of Liu Cheng's big break of the left-wing departments, he also felt that happiness came too suddenly.

Therefore, at the end of November, after Liu Cheng returned to Datong from Guihua City after arranging everything, Lu Boqi immediately went to the other party's mansion to pay a visit, but was told that the chief soldier did not live in the mansion in the city, but in a private residence outside the city. Lu Boqi had no choice but to go out of the city under the guidance of his attendants, and walked six or seven miles to the west, only to see a jujube forest, the jujube trees in winter had already lost their leaves, leaving only sparse branches, through which you could see a faint mansion behind the forest. The attendant pointed to the mansion and said, "Lord Lu, the private residence of Lord General is behind the forest. ”

Lu Boqi crossed the forest path and saw a small river outside the house, which had long since dried up in winter, leaving only a thin layer of ice, and a wooden bridge over the ditch, with iron chains on the deck, which could obviously be put away if necessary. On the other side of the bridge, several sergeants with white cloth and heads can be seen standing on the top of the wall, holding bird guns and spears. The attendant shouted loudly: "Quickly inform Lord Commander, it is Lord Lu who has come to pay a visit!" ”

Soon the gate opened, and Lu Boqi saw that the sergeants with white cloth and heads were all curly-haired and green-eyed, tall, and all of them were Hu people. The squire grinned and asked his leader, "Singh, where is your lordship?" ”

"It's in the backyard, you go see him!" The Hu man who was the leader was burly, and with the white cloth on his head, he was three heads taller than Lu Boqi, and his brown eyes were like eagle falcons, which made Lu Boqi a little hairy. When he entered the first courtyard, he asked in a low voice: "Where is this person, a pair of eyes look very penetrating!" ”

"I heard that it is a noble person of Tianzhu!" The attendant smiled and said, "This crusade is meritorious, so I will serve by the side of the adults." Come, adults are in the backyard, I won't go in, please come in! ”

Lu Boqi entered the door and walked through the two verandahs, only to know why the attendant said that he did not enter. It turned out that there was a hot spring in the backyard, and a pool was built with stones, and a pavilion was built on it. In the pavilion, there are several and hu beds, on which are placed dates and walnuts, wine jugs, and various kinds of snacks. Liu Cheng turned his back to him, half lying in the pool, his upper body was draped in a velvet robe, and a brown-haired and blue-eyed orchid sat beside him. Holding the huqin and singing. Hao Shaoqi sat cross-legged outside the pavilion, with the big knife lying horizontally on his lap, and when he saw Lu Boqi coming in, he stood up, bowed and said, "See Lord Lu!" (To be continued.) )