Episode 23 Xiang's choice vs Qiu's choice

Zhu Yourong paced lightly, looking very happy, and this person was still the head of the hundred officials of the Ming Dynasty. She stopped, looked at everyone with a smile, and said:

"Do you know why I didn't leave?"

Everyone cursed in their hearts, and said in their hearts that it was not the evil wind blown by Shen Rongxuan. But what Shen Rongxuan is trying to do is unknown. He is the first minister, and if His Majesty does not leave, he will not be the first to go. Is he sure that the defense line of Nanjing will not be broken?

Zhu Yourong glanced at Shen Rongxuan and said with satisfaction:

"Quite simply, the Yangtze River defense line is an iron chain, and Nanjing is the most critical and sturdy link on it. It can't and shouldn't be disconnected from here. In other words, Nanjing is the keystone of the entire defense line, that is, the capstone. ”

Everyone looked at each other.

Xiang Xiaoqiang secretly slandered to himself: It's not "The Da Vinci Code", why did even the capstone come out!

He knew what a capstone was. In the past, there was no reinforced concrete in the Middle Ages, and when the stone arch of the cathedral was built, it was made of stones to form an arc, and the top was stuck with a stone with a special shape, which was the capstone. The capstone is the most critical, as it withstands the full lateral pressure of the entire stone arch. Once the stone is removed, the entire stone arch collapses.

Zhu Yourong continued:

"Even if I want to withdraw from Nanjing, it can't be now. If I withdraw now, it will naturally be taken for granted in the eyes of the Aiqing, and there is probably nothing to say from the soldiers who are guarding the line. However, now the whole line of defense is in flux, and as long as I leave Nanjing, I will immediately be understood by the soldiers as a signal that I am ready to abandon Nanjing. How can we expect all the soldiers to use their lives? Can any of you guarantee me that after I leave, Nanjing will hold out for three days? ”

The crowd was dumbfounded. No one can guarantee it. Needless to say, three days are difficult to say. The atmosphere of panic on the defensive line at that time can be imagined now.

"Nanjing is the strongest defense line of the Yangtze River, and the weaker defense section is staring here. For them, Nanjing was a symbol of the insurmountability of the entire defensive line. In their opinion, even if they were breached there, Nanjing should not be breached. If Nanking is breached and falls because of my departure, what impact will it have on the confidence of the entire defensive line, you say? ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at Zhu Yourong's happy and resolute expression, and then looked at Shen Rongxuan, who was sitting on the side with his eyes closed, knowing that it was useless to say anything. I am going to live and die with Nanjing.

However, Qiu Yu was still packing up at her father-in-law's place, waiting for herself to join her, and then the whole family retreated south together. Now it's time to separate from her. …… Probably forever.

If you were the inexperienced self in your previous life, you would definitely ask now: You, Lord Shen, are afraid that Your Majesty will leave and deal a big blow to the morale of the defense line, aren't you afraid that once Nanjing is suddenly lost, Your Majesty will fall into the hands of the Manchus, and the morale of the whole country will be dealt a greater blow?

The Manchu Emperor Guangwu said that he wanted to spend Chinese New Year's Eve in the Nanjing Imperial Palace! Everyone knows that this is definitely not for fun! Now it is the 20th, and the 23rd is the Chinese New Year's Eve, that is, the Qing emperor is confident that he will take Nanjing in three days!

But Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at Shen Rongxuan, who was sitting in the shadows, and these words rushed to his chest several times, and finally swallowed them.

Zhu Yourong smiled:

"But you love me and worry about my safety, and I know that I understand your intentions. Therefore, I plan to move into the Purple Mountain Fortress with the Ming government from now on. The Purple Mountain Fortress is impregnable and difficult to overcome, and it is the hub of the eastern section of the Yangtze River defense line, and the passage under the belly of the mountain connects the entire eastern defense line, from where it can lead to Anqing, Tongling, Ma'anshan, Zhenjiang, Jiangyin, and Shanghai, and the supply delivery is not a problem at all. When I can't even hold the Purple Mountain Fortress, I promise you that I will withdraw from the underground passages.

In addition, there is a huge fort at the commanding height of the mountaintop, which can overlook the city of Nanjing and the surrounding dozens of miles. Therefore, as long as the Purple Mountain Fortress is not lost, even if the Qing captives attack the urban area, it will be difficult to move an inch, and they will be driven down the river by our army. Dear Aiqing, as long as I am still in Nanjing, my army will definitely drive the Qing prisoners down the river! ”

Everyone looked at each other and couldn't say anything. All the reasons they could give were refuted.

Several people looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang. Xiang Xiaoqiang is more trusted than Shen Rongxuan, and everyone expects this hairy young man to come forward to expose Shen Rongxuan's face, maybe His Majesty still hopes to change his mind.

But Xiang Xiaoqiang just lowered his head, looked at his nose with his ears, and looked at his heart, as if he was concentrating on comprehending His Majesty's words.

…… Alas, the lad is young, but not stupid. Several old men thought so in their hearts, and their eyes touched each other, and they all said that they were okay.

……

"Zhongqing can step down."

Zhu Yourong said with satisfaction.

Shen Rongxuan, who had not spoken, spoke at this time:

"You can stay for a while."

Zhu Yourong was slightly different, and said with a smile:

"Since Shen Ge has something to say, then Xiang Qing should stay first."

Several ministers looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang in surprise, and then looked at Shen Rongxuan, they couldn't figure out what they were doing, so they all withdrew.

Xiang Xiaoqiang himself was very surprised, his heart was up and down, and he was uneasy, and he didn't know what the Minister of First Auxiliary had left him to do.

I always thought that I was the commander of the People's Guard, and now I am teaching His Majesty a lesson, and I can rely on His Majesty's trust as a backing to challenge Shen Rongxuan a little. But now it seems that Shen Rongxuan's influence on the empress is much higher than himself. With a slight wave of his sleeve, he stepped aside like a feather.

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang followed Shen Rongxuan out of the Qianqing Palace and came to the stone fence in front of the palace. The palace is surrounded by several centuries-old trees, each of which is enclosed with iron chains, and the name and age of the tree are marked with small bronze plaques.

Shen Rongxuan leaned on the white marble railing with both hands, looking at these ancient trees condescendingly. The fog was heavy, and the stone fence was damp and cold, but as if he didn't notice, he leaned his arms on it without care.

In the distance, there was the rumbling sound of cannons, and Xiang Xiaoqiang was wrapped in a military coat, shrunk his head, standing behind him, waiting for him to speak.

"Xiao Xiang."

Xiang Xiaoqiang heard that Shen Rongxuan had resumed calling him "Xiao Xiang", and somehow suddenly became relaxed. Now there are only the two of them, and if Shen Rongxuan still calls himself "Lord Xiang" with a smile, it will be a bad omen.

Shen Rongxuan asked:

"Remember what you said when you first met me?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang was stunned, recalling that when he first came to Daming, he went to Dongchang to attend the meeting, and took the opportunity to pour tea before the meeting to show his loyalty to Shen Rongxuan.

Shen Rongxuan continued:

"I still remember every word of what you said then. You recited Wen Tianxiang's "Yangtze River" with me at that time, and to be honest, I was moved in my heart. …… I originally thought that among these people today, if there is one person who supports His Majesty to stay in Nanjing, it should be you. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang's face suddenly turned red, and a strong sense of shame welled up in his heart, and he lowered his head, not knowing what to do.

"Xiao Xiang, since you came to our Daming, your performance has been very good. I always say to myself that I didn't see the wrong person at the beginning. We don't know where he came from, but we don't listen to what a person says, but what he actually does. Your physical performance has earned us the trust and the trust of Your Majesty. It's a good thing for young people to be ambitious, and it doesn't matter if they even want to climb up the ladder by stepping on their seniors. Young people, I was like that when I was younger. …… But now that Daming is in trouble, we can't think too much. You can't think too much about your career prospects, gains and losses, and even your life. …… Since you like Wen Tianxiang's poems, you should know that his most famous poem is not "Yangtze River", but another. ”

The words of Xiang Xiaoqiang were sweaty, ashamed, nervous and even fearful, intersecting in his heart. There seemed to be something in Shen Rongxuan's words that made him feel like a thorn in his back, and he always felt inappropriate. But I couldn't think of exactly where.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's mind was blank, and he subconsciously said:

"What Shen Gong said is "Guo Lingdingyang".

Shen Rongxuan turned around and said with a smile:

"Would you like to recite it and let me hear it?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang took a deep breath and muttered:

"Hardship has come to an end,

There are few stars around.

Mountains and rivers are broken and the wind is fluttering,

The ups and downs of life and rain are beaten.

Panic beachhead said panic,

Zero Ding Yang sighed zero Ding.

All men are mortal

Keep Dan in mind. ”

……

Shen Rongxuan smiled:

"Well backed. Therefore, when this kind of enemy comes from the north, we must not only know that 'the party will not rest if it is not guided', but also know that 'no one has died since ancient times, and he will take care of his heart'. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang's face turned red again, and he bowed his head and said ashamedly:

"What Shen Gong said is very right, the student remembers."

Shen Rongxuan nodded, took out his pocket watch and looked at it:

"It's good to have that. …… It's not too early, I have to go to the high command. You also hold on, you also have a lot to do. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly realized that the person in front of him was the prime minister of a country, the kind of person who had a full schedule and a full schedule. For the first time after the "New Year's coup", he said so much to himself.

Shen Rongxuan patted him on the back before leaving, and said with a smile:

"Xiao Xiang, I heard that you are very good at military affairs. We are all Wenchen, we are inferior to you in this regard, if the Qing captives come over, it will be up to you to defend Nanjing. Be sure to play well. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart was hot, he looked at Shen Rongxuan's eyes, and said quite solemnly:

"Students must live up to the trust of Shen Gong."

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang watched Shen Rongxuan's back disappear into the white mist, and then leaned on the white marble bar a little weakly. I found that I was in a cold sweat on my back, and my face was hot, like a fire.

The little calculation that he wanted to save his life did not escape Shen Rongxuan's eyes at all. After some good persuasion, I actually made ** like a primary school student. Xiang Xiaoqiang suddenly felt unconvinced in his heart.

What kind of boss is it, it's amazing. If it wasn't for Lao Tzu's coup d'état, you could be the first assistant?

Alas, but ......

"This guy is really a hawk!"

Xiang Xiaoqiang said in his heart. Although he is a little sorry for his life, he thinks he is also a hawk. I hope I don't get flattened by Shen Laoying.

Suddenly, Shen Rongxuan's words echoed in his ears:

"Xiao Xiang, since you came to our Daming, your performance has been very good. I always say to myself that I didn't see the wrong person at the beginning. We don't know where he came from, but we don't listen to what a person says, but what he actually does. ”

...... "We don't know where he came from," ......

Xiang Xiaoqiang played with these words, and the cold sweat on his forehead kept staying.

Didn't Dongchang decide that he was a British intelligence officer? How do you say "I don't know where he came from"?

Maybe he deceived Jiang Meilu at that time, but he didn't deceive Shen Rongxuan at all. Or he was deceived at the time, but later an investigation, the British ** Intelligence Bureau did not have himself at all.

I originally thought that the files of the British ** Intelligence Bureau could not be checked by the Daming East Factory. But if you think about it carefully, are there no Dongchang spies in the British ** Intelligence Bureau?

Shen Rongxuan may have said something just now, but he may have intentionally nodded to himself.

He said, "You can't listen to what a person says, but what he actually does," which probably means that you lied to us in the past, and it doesn't matter anymore, as long as you behave well in the future, we won't care.

Xiang Xiaoqiang felt that his heart was beating hard. He originally greatly underestimated Shen Rongxuan.

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang returned to the imperial study to say goodbye to Zhu Yourong, and then when he was about to withdraw, Zhu Yourong suddenly said:

"Teacher Xiang!"

"Huh? Your Majesty. ”

"Oh, I want to make sure that Teacher Xiang is probably going to take a vacation, right?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang was stunned:

"What? What kind of fake is pinned? ”

Zhu Yourong blurted out:

"That's it...... Marriage leave. Now that the battle situation is tense, I'm afraid that Teacher Xiang won't be able to get married, right? ”

"Oh, that's what Your Majesty said," Xiang Xiaoqiang said with a gloomy layer in his heart, and said very dejectedly, "I'm afraid it won't be possible for the time being." ”

Zhu Yourong smiled and said:

"Well, that's fine, I know."

Xiang Xiaoqiang withdrew, and was a little dissatisfied with Zhu Yourong's attitude.

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang drove to Qiu Qiu's house, jumped out of the car and ran backwards in a hurry. Now we have to hurry to get the father and daughter on the train, and then rush back to the headquarters to hold a military meeting to urgently formulate a plan to defend the city of Nanjing.

Qiu Laohu's brothers all paid for the journey, and arranged for them to temporarily go to the southern halls to take refuge, and then come back when the situation improved. It is the Qiu Mansion that is very deserted now, and only a few henchmen of the old brothers are still there, and they are going to follow the Qiu Laohu father and daughter to Hangzhou to divide the rudder.

Qiu Yun rushed out of the back hall, hugged Xiang Xiaoqiang tightly, buried his face in his chest, and only raised his face and said happily for a long time:

"You've kept me waiting! …… It's all packed here, it's waiting for you, let's go! ”

Qiu Laohu also came out of the back of the hall, and was relieved when he saw his uncle, and hurriedly beckoned him to go with him.

Xiang Xiaoqiang hugged Qiu Qiu's back tightly and whispered for a long time:

"Let's go, I'll take you to the station."

Qiu Yun and Qiu Lao Hu were stunned, Qiu Yu stared into his eyes, and a sense of foreboding grabbed her. She shuddered and said:

"Dropped us off at the station...... What the? You...... Don't you go? ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang nodded painfully.

As if he had been stabbed, tears welled up in his eyes, and he shouted:

"Why?!"

"Because His Majesty has decided not to go."

……

explained to Xiaoqiang what had happened, and Qiu Yun understood that the matter was irreparable. He is going to be separated from Xiang Xiaoqiang, and Xiang Xiaoqiang is likely to live and die with Nanjing City. She hugged Xiang Xiaoqiang and cried, crying so much that her heart and lungs were broken.

Qiu Laohu's face was black, more ugly than the bottom of the pot, he sighed and persuaded his daughter on the side, and said to Xiang Xiaoqiang:

"Virtuous son-in-law, you are so familiar with Your Majesty, do you want to stop talking about it?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang patted Qiu Qiu's back, felt that his tears were about to fall, and forcibly said:

"Hurry up, I'll take you to the station."

The station was crowded with people, a train lying on the tracks, the front of the train panting, and the milky white steam was rising straight up. Every window of the carriage was crammed with people, and people were constantly trying to climb up from the windows. There were even quite a few people climbing on the roof of the car. They lay on their stomachs in the luggage pile on the roof of the car, reaching out to pull their relatives and help them climb to the roof of the car.

The whole station was full of noise, crying, and radio horns constantly announcing the train schedule, so that everyone should not be in a hurry. From time to time, a missing person notice is also broadcast......

When Qiu Laohu saw this, his heart immediately cooled by half. Let's not talk about whether you can buy a ticket or not, even if you have a ticket, can you get on the bus?

"***," Qiu Laohu patted his big bald head and said hatefully, "Girl, let's not take the train anymore, there is still a car at home, let's take the car to Hangzhou!" ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang says:

"Father-in-law, don't need it, your car doesn't have much gas, and it can't run Hangzhou." Now that you are fighting a war and you can't buy gasoline, what should you do if you stop halfway! ”

Autumn Tiger roared:

"Then what do you say!"

Xiang Xiaoqiang searched around, suddenly raised his arm, and immediately ran over a junior officer, saluted first, and then said with a smile:

"Oh, Lord Xiang, you're here, come on, come quickly, the people are almost here, and you will drive in another hour."

After speaking, he looked at Qiu Yu and Qiu Laohu, nodded and smiled:

"Madam, Mr. Qiu."

If it is usual, this "madam" will definitely make Qiu Qian happy for a long time. But now this simple title suddenly strengthened the pain of her parting, and the tears were almost coming down again.

The officer led them off the platform, across the rails, around the train, and across several more rails, leaving behind the tragic scene of the Spring Festival on the platform.

Across the line was a quiet train with curtains drawn in every window. The officer led them past a few carriages by the side of the railroad track, and came to the door of the carriage where the two soldiers were standing guard.

"To your family."

The officer said as he took out his ID and took out his ID to Xiao Qiang. The guards inspected them and let them in.

It's warm in the carriage, and although it's not a box, the rows of soft seats seem comfortable. There were already many old and young women and children sitting on the seats, all dressed luxuriously, fur and satin, and jewelry. These are all the families of high-ranking officers in Nanjing.

The car was full of people staring at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Qiu Qiu. Among these people, Qiu Yun, who was only wearing a simple naval uniform, looked very shabby. But her beautiful face, coupled with the fact that she is crying so much now, is very dazzling in the carriage. Many people looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang with some jealousy, speculating about who this young officer was.

Xiang Xiaoqiang settled Qiuyu's father and daughter to their seats, and then greeted the people around him, reported his name, said that this was his wife and father-in-law, and asked them to take care of each other on the way.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's name was still very loud, and everyone in the carriage turned to look at him. There was also a fourteen or fifteen-year-old little Lori who was eager to ask him for an autograph, but her mother stopped her from drinking like an old hen.

Qiu Yu sat quietly in the seat, her legs together, her hands on her thighs, trying to look very ladylike and worthy of the identity of "Mrs. Xiang". It's just that his face is pale, and his eyes are red and swollen.

Xiang Xiaoqiang originally thought that at this time, Qiu Yu would cry miserably, but now it seems that it is not so serious, and his heart is half relieved.

The car is full of people's eyes, and it's not good to hug and kiss or something. Xiang Xiaoqiang stood next to him for a while, a hundred of them were reluctant to leave, but they kept reminding themselves in their hearts that the military meeting in the city could not wait any longer, and the battle situation was changing rapidly.

He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it. Qiu Yu looked up and said:

"Xiaoqiang, you don't have to be here, don't worry, we're all fine...... Go back quickly, you are needed to defend Nanjing. ”

When she said the last sentence, her face was full of pride, and she glanced around slightly.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was moved in his heart, regardless of anything else, he hugged Qiu Yu and kissed him deeply, Qiu Lao was stunned when he saw it, and the whole car was envious.

After the kiss, he said "goodbye" to Xiaoqiang, hugged Qiu Laohu again, and rushed off the train without looking back.

Qiu Yu was still sitting in the seat honestly, but it was Qiu Laohu, who chased to the door of the carriage, looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang's back and shouted:

"Virtuous son-in-law, take care—"

……

An hour later, the train slowly left the station and headed east.

A female orderly appeared at the head of the carriage and said very respectfully:

"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, you are out of the station now, if you want to use the bathroom, you can do it now."

Before the words fell, Qiu Yu stood up and said:

"I'm going."

The voice was loud, and the whole car stared at her. Rao is a big old man like Qiu Laohu, and he was also embarrassed, and glared at his daughter a few times.

Qiu Yun's face was red for a while and white for a while, but his expression was full of indifference, biting his lip, he glanced at his father with tears, and strode with the female orderly to the bathroom, constantly wiping her tears with her hands, her back trembled, and it seemed that she was crying forcibly.

……

Because of the fog, the train can't go too fast. The generals and their families in the car were silent, and the atmosphere was sad. Most of their husbands, fathers, and sons have stayed in Nanjing, coexisting with the capital.

At this moment, the mood of the whole car is the same as Qiuqiu.

The train has been running for more than half an hour, and the generals' families have been chatting quietly, during which several wives and ladies got up to go to the bathroom, and each time they "returned in vain". They all knew that the bathroom was occupied by the "Mrs. Xiang" just now, but this kind of thing was not easy to say, and one by one dissatisfied eyes stabbed at Qiu Laohu.

At this time, the passenger car carriages were not connected together as in later generations, and each car was separated, and it was not possible to go to the toilet in other carriages. After more than an hour like this, an old lady finally couldn't help it anymore and protested to Qiu Laohu and asked him to take care of his daughter.

Qiu Laohu also felt that the time was too long, so he went over to knock on the door, but he couldn't knock on it.

Qiu Laohu panicked, afraid that his daughter would be sad and look for a short time, so he raised his leg and kicked the door open.

The bathroom was empty, the windows were wide open, and the curtains were blown up and down by the wind.

Qiu Laohu was suddenly shocked into a cold sweat, and his hands and feet were cold.

Looking again, there was a line written on the mirror with lipstick:

I went to him, Dad forgave me, I couldn't live without him.

Your unfilial daughter: 湫