Cui Gu tossed and turned on the bed, and she didn't close her eyes until the fourth watch.

Her father, Wu Tingxun, was originally a jinshi of Chongzhen in the former Ming Dynasty for three years, and the chief examiner was Hong Chengchou, a university scholar. Hong Chengchou was popular and graceful, and was highly respected by ordinary scholars at that time. It is a very decent thing for Ngo Dinh Hun to be able to cling to the door wall, and he is often proud of it. Hong Chengchou also looked at this high-footed disciple differently. After King Chuang and Gao Yingxiang started the incident, Hong Chengchou led the military department and supervised the military affairs of Yuhu, Sichuan and Shaanxi. Wu Tingxun followed the shogunate and served as a counselor for military aircraft. In the midst of adversity, the two teachers and students formed a deeper friendship, often in their spare time, and walked around and wrote poems. This is admired in the army.

Gao Yingxiang was defeated, and Li Zicheng led the remnants to the Shangluo area. Seeing that the war in the Central Plains gradually subsided, unexpectedly, at this time, an edict came from Kyoto, ordering Hong Chengchou to enter the defense at night, and Wu Tingxun followed his teacher to fight with the Qing soldiers in Songshan.

Soon, news of the defeat came from the front: Hong Chengchou was missing, and the general soldier Yu Guozhu was killed by several arrows. After Cao Bianjiao, Wang Tingchen, and Qiu Minyang were captured, they were brave and unyielding, scolded the thief and died.

As soon as the news spread among the people of Beijing, the whole city was in a panic. Cuigu's mother hugged her daughter, who had just turned one year old, and was so anxious that she almost went crazy, and almost asked everyone: "Is Hong Jingluo dead or alive?" She is convinced that her husband's fate is linked to Hong Chengchou. Hong Chengchou is dead, and her husband will definitely not be alive, so as long as you inquire about Hong Chengchou's news, you will probably know her husband's whereabouts.

But who can say such a thing? Soon after, the imperial court sent an edict and three hundred taels of silver, saying that her husband had died in the royal affair along with Hong Jinglue. The woman carried her daughter to the northeastern suburbs of the city, burned paper people, paper horses, and paper houses, and wept bitterly in a pine forest next to Zuojiazhuang, and burned a lot of gold leaf paper money in excellent condition—two copies of even Hong Chengchou's. Like the virtuous woman praised by the tradition, after the pain, she felt a lot more relieved, because her husband followed Hong Jingluo to sacrifice his life for the country, and his death was worth it!

Emperor Chongzhen originally wanted to take advantage of Hong Chengchou's death to make a funeral, and used it to inspire the fighting spirit and patriotic heart of the soldiers of the Qinwang from all walks of life. Cuigu's mother added gratitude to her gratification - since Hong Jinglu has become a god, her husband will definitely follow him to receive the steaming fireworks of all people. She was even a little proud: Who doesn't know that my lord is Hong Jinglue's best friend? She hugged her daughter and smiled: "Child, your father is loyal to the country, you are his blood, no matter how difficult it is, I will pull you to adulthood!" Laughing and talking, tears the size of beans fell silently from his cheeks.

But the truth is so harsh, Hong Chengchou, who should sacrifice his life for the country, is still living in the world with a thick skin! Although the imperial court did not explicitly announce the world, it was possible to figure out what was going on with the head of papaya when the altar made of loess was stripped off by the captains, the foundation of the ancestral hall was dug up, and the imperial memorial texts posted had disappeared overnight.

On a snowy night, Wu Tingxun returned. He was covered in snow and ice, and his face was barely recognizable with dirt and a tousled beard. Aunt Cui was so frightened that she lost her daughter in her arms to the ground.

Wu Tingxun smiled bitterly and looked at the spirit card set up for him in the hall, and sat down silently. Aunt Cui stared at him blankly, and suddenly burst out into a heart-rending cry: "The court has expressed you...... How did you come back alive...... Yes? …… You're talking! ”

Wu Tingxun didn't answer, and kept his face and let his wife cry. His terrible silence and composure soon made his wife stop crying, and she was a little stunned and overwhelmed. Wu Tingxun stroked her shoulder and said calmly: "You don't have to be like this - Hong Jing is slightly immortal, how can I die?" A man cannot be deceived for life, I must always be worthy of him! ”

The world of the Ming Dynasty is unstable, and Wu Tingxun clearly sees this. Li Zicheng raised troops from Shangluo, trapped Luoyang, attacked Kaifeng, and waved his army north. The Manchurian Green Battalion soldiers who succeeded in Songshan gathered in the areas of Shanhaiguan, Gubeikou and Xifengkou, and looked at the Central Plains. Wu Tingxun moved out of the capital with his wife and daughter, crossed Wuhu from Jinan and Tai'an in Shandong, and lived in seclusion in Nanjing. Fortunately, he is not very poor, and he can still live a rich life with the savings of his past eunuchs. During the day, he traveled leisurely in Stone Town and Qingliang Mountain, and at night he taught his babbling daughter to read and read poetry, and did not make friends or visit the old ones. Those five poems were written on the broken wall of Linggu Temple, and I don't know which good thing literati copied them and inscribed them in Beijing's Fengshi Garden - where can Mingzhu and Cuigu know the twists and turns?

Cuigu turned over and took out a shiny paper-pressing knife from under the pillow—this was given to her by her father one dark night in the tenth year of Shunzhi. She was twelve years old, and everything was as real as yesterday. The father handed the paper knife to his beloved daughter with trembling hands, and said with tears in his eyes: "Child, my father suffered a great humiliation eleven years ago, and he can be killed, but not humiliated, and this revenge cannot be avenged!" Tomorrow the enemy comes to Nanjing, and I will go to see him! Daddy doesn't have anything else for you, so let's make this a souvenir! ”

Aunt Cui was already crying: "He is now a man full of tartars, and his arrogance is even more fierce than before." If you don't want to contribute to them, I will live in seclusion in the mountains and forests with you for a lifetime, and I can be regarded as worthy of the master in front of me, why should you ......"

"I have said everything that should be said," Wu Tingxun smiled indifferently, "You hoped that I would die before, and your face was radiant; Now you want me to live again, and you want to live a peaceful life again, you really want the sweetness of sugar cane! Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Cui cried loudly, and Aunt Cui also cried "wow" and ran up and hugged her father's neck: "Dad! Mom just gave birth to a younger brother, you don't want to go, I don't want you to go! ”

Wu Tingxun's tears flowed for a long time, and he sighed and said, "Since this is the case, I ...... Just bear with it! He shook his head and said, "Hong Chengchou is going to feast the guests tomorrow to commemorate the Qing soldiers who died in the Southern Expedition, and I originally wanted to go and join in the fun...... Alas! ”

The matter was settled like this, but unexpectedly, another big incident happened, and Wu Tingxun couldn't help but meet Hong Chengchou. On the morning of the third day, Wu Tingxun used to be too early, and the person on the door came in and replied: "Jin Liangcai, the son of Master Jin, is here to worship!" ”

"Which old man Kim?" Wu Tingxun has always lived in a secluded place in Nanjing, rarely interacting with outsiders, and when he heard someone visiting, he was a little confused for a while.

"Master Kim Jong-hee!"

"Oh? Please come in! Wu Tingxun thought about it all of a sudden.

Kim Jong-hee is his brother who changed posts, and he once worked under the curtain of Hong Seungchou, and his temper has always been very stubborn. In the first battle of Songshan, Ngo Tingxun crawled out of the pile of dead people and begged to return to Beijing, he had heard that Kim Jong-hee had died in battle, and now he heard that his son had arrived, he was really surprised and delighted, so he ordered to call his wife and snatched the door himself. Fang came out of the study, and saw a young man in his twenties stumbling in, bowed his head, and cried bitterly: "Uncle Wu——"

Seeing that his nephew was crying miserably, Wu Tingxun hurriedly stretched out his hand and said, "Virtuous nephew, don't be like this, get up quickly!" ”

"If the uncle doesn't save the father, the nephew won't get up!"

"Your father!" Wu Tingxun was taken aback, "He's still alive!" Where is it now? ”

"Now the original Dali Temple is in charge, tomorrow-"

"How?"

"Hong Chengchou will pay tribute to the Qing soldiers who died in the southern suburbs tomorrow, and he will kill his father to sacrifice the flag!"

Hearing this news, like a scorching thunder in the air, Wu Tingxun's hair suddenly rose all over his body, his face was as white as paper, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Hong Hengjiu?" He is also your father's brother-in-law, how can he be so vicious? ”

It turned out that Kim Jong-hee also escaped in the Battle of Songsan. Because he was a military officer, the imperial court dealt with the defeated and fleeing soldiers with extremely strict orders, did not dare to return to Beijing, changed his name and fled to Jinling, the southern capital, and hid in a relative's house. The city of Nanjing was broken, and he was captured by Xia Chengde, the deputy general who surrendered to Songshan, and thrown into prison.

This time, Hong Chengchou sat in Jinling as the Qing Dynasty's "Recruiting the Southern Governor and Military Affairs University Scholar", and when he heard that Kim Jong-hee was detained here, he went to talk about it with Xia Chengde, which was quite a settlement. Unexpectedly, as soon as Kim Jong-hee heard the word "Hong Chengchou", he covered his ears, closed his eyes and said: "Cheng Dejun, you used to talk nonsense, and you haven't grown a little bit in more than ten years?" Can Heng Jiu be as shameless as you and recognize a thief as his father? ”

Xia Chengde couldn't cry or laugh, so he had to tell Kim Jong-hee the truth of the return of heaven and man one by one.

Helplessly, Kim Jong-hee just shook his head: "I don't believe what you said about the dead and alive!" Hong Hengjiu was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli, and he was an official for more than ten years, so he could only participate in politics as a political envoy in Shaanxi. Lord Chongzhen ascended the throne, and within a few years he built a mansion, and was promoted to the secretary of the military department, the prince Taibao, and the governor of Jiliao, a very popular minister! Since the Ming Dynasty, how can anyone be as deeply favored as Heng Jiu - how can anyone who has been so deeply favored that he will rebel against the king? The Hong Chengchou you are talking about, don't be pretended by others, right? ”

When I heard that Xia Chengde relayed Kim Jong-hee's words to Hong Chengchou, Hong Chengchou seemed to have been stung by a scorpion, his brows frowned suddenly, and he immediately smiled: "This old fire has not been removed, and I can't see it!" Soon there was news that Kim Jong-hee was going to be killed to pay tribute to the dead of the Qing soldiers.

Listening to Jin Gongzi's words, Wu Tingxun was ashamed and hateful. Compared to Kim Jong-hee, he felt unworthy to be his brother. Since I was taught, I have understood that the Lord is worried about the humiliation of the ministers, and the Lord is humiliated by the death of the ministers. Now the master has been hanged to death in the coal mountain for many years, and he has always promised himself loyalty, but he is still in the world! Think about Hong Hengjiu, who he admired, loved, and was like a teacher, and had such a disgusting face! His breathing grew rapid, but he felt the heat rushing in the limbs, and his whole body was hot and dry.

He picked up Jin Liangcai, held his hand and said, "Virtuous nephew, uncle just go!" Then he entered the study, where Madame and Aunt Cui were already waiting.

He took out the paper knife again and silently handed it to Cuigu, who looked up at her father's face. Wu Tingxun turned his face away and said to his wife: "Go back to your hometown in Hejian Mansion and rely on those twenty acres of thin fields to live...... If you can't save Masahi, don't wait for me; If you can save it, you can live for a few more years with a cheeky face......" After speaking, he got up and straightened his clothes, and went without looking back......

Thinking of this, Cui Gu was already full of tears. She looked at the paper press knife, thought of her brother and mother who had been separated for fifteen years, and thought of the bright light of being brutally killed in the black shop, and sparks burst out in her eyes. Xuan thought of Mingzhu again, his heart was tight, he turned over, changed into a man's clothes, and walked out of Jiaxing Building, to Lion Hutong to find his righteous brother Hu Gongshan, she wanted to ask Hu Gongshan to go out to save Mingzhu in person.

Due to the tight defense of the Ao Mansion, Xiao Qi only sent out the information of "Baiyun Temple lost wind" at the fifth watch. Wei Dongting jumped up, panicked, and rode a flying horse to Xihua Gate, intending to enter the palace nearby. Helplessly, he shouldn't be on duty this day, there was no sign in his waist, and the sergeant guarding the door changed his guard again, saying that he would not let him in, but just smiled and said, "Master, please stop for a while!" We know your name, but the leader has changed here, and you don't have a brand, so it's too big to let you in. The chief is sleeping, and when he wakes up, the villain will ...... later" Wei Dongting had no intention of listening to his rap, and suddenly remembered that Kangxi had said that he would go to Shangu Zhai today, and suddenly sweated, raised his eyebrows and glared at the forbidden soldier and slapped the forbidden soldier, and scolded: "Wild slave, when the young master comes out to settle accounts with you!" ”

While scolding, he walked towards the palace, but saw a big man flashing out of the side room, standing like an iron tower to block the way, and said coldly: "Lord Wei, Meng Lang, right?" Wei Dongting raised his head when he heard this, and couldn't help but gasp: it turned out that the new leader was actually Liu Jinbiao, an old rival. Liu Jinbiao was wearing a new five-grade guard uniform, his hands were crossed on his chest, and he squinted at one eye vividly: "Although you are a guard of the Qianqing Palace, you have not entered here, and there is no brand, so this is not for you!" Then he turned around and shouted, "Come!" He pointed at Wei Dongting and said, "Please Lord Wei go to the wing room over there to rest, and then deal with it when the hall official comes!" ”

"Presumptuous!" Wei Dongting raised his eyebrows and said, "I am under the special order of the Lord, no matter which door you can go straight out and in!" ”

"I don't know." Liu Jinbiao was extremely happy in his heart, and said, "You trespassed on the palace gate today, let you go, I will be guilty first." Come on, get him in! ”

Wei Dongting saw that the situation was not good, and when he reached out to draw the knife, he touched the void! It turned out that he was in too much of a hurry, and he didn't even have time to hang up the saber, and saw two Goshha pounce up, in a hurry, one "pushed the window to see the moon" with two palms, and the two Goshha just took over, so they felt like a void, and when they hurriedly closed the momentum, they were sent by Wei Dongting easily, and the two of them fell more than a foot away with a "ah". Wei Dongting sneered: "What, do you still want to use force?" ”

"If you don't move, you can't be kind to you!" Liu Jinbiao waved his hand, and more than 30 lieutenants who were on duty at Xihuamen pulled out their knives and approached Wei Dongting in a fan-shaped shape.

Wei Dongting was anxious to get out and didn't dare to fight, so he hurriedly jumped back a few steps and turned around to lead the horse, but saw Nemo standing in front of him with a few people. Fang was stunned for a moment, and then he shouted: "Don't take it yet." Three or four people approached like hungry tigers, grabbed his arm tightly, and twisted it backwards, and at this time, no matter how much he had the ability to pass the sky, he couldn't use it. Nemo smiled and said: "You are a holy celebrity, and I don't embarrass you, this is just acting in public service." You just said, who told you to trespass on the Forbidden Palace at this time? ”

Wei Dongting was pressed by several people, couldn't stand up straight, raised his face and shouted: "I'm ordered to see the driver!" ”

"Ordered?" Nemo laughed, "You say that Aozhongtang is pretending to pass on the holy decree every day, so you will also come to this set!" I'll talk to you again when I go back and find out! He lowered his voice: "The emperor is parading the Baiyun Temple in micro-clothes today." Giggle! Where did the will come from for you? Tell you, Ao Zhongtang may also send someone to accompany him! After saying that, with a wave of his hand, several people surrounded Wei Dongting, pushed and shoved him into a small house for the guards to rest, tied him firmly to the pillar, and stuffed him with a mess of clothes in his mouth. Nemo ordered: "Take care of him first, and then go back to the officials of the Internal Affairs Office and then deal with it!" With that, he walked away. By this time it was already getting dark.

In fact, Wei Dongting only arrived a few steps early, and if he was one step late, he could intercept Kangxi's car, because Kangxi was traveling from Xihuamen on this day. However, Su Malagu's eyes were sharp, and she found that the person guarding Xihuamen seemed to have changed an unfamiliar face. When the car jingled by, she looked through the glass, and it was just a flash of thought. How did he know that Wei Dongting was going crazy through the window lattice at this time?

Kangxi sat in the car silently with a heavy heart, looking at the scenery outside the car attentively. The closer you get to the suburbs, the less populated the streets are. It is early winter in season, and the willows on the side of the road are dark green, and the maple persimmons are red, which is another feeling. The northwest wind blows, and crimson leaves dance everywhere. Seeing the scenery outside the window, Su Malagu sighed and said, "Don't pay attention, it's the middle of winter." The mountains and rivers are cold - I mean it's too early for us to go out, long live the lord, is it cold? ”

"It's not cold, I want to go around outside more, and then go to Shangu Zhai." Kangxi, who was pondering, replied.

The two were talking, and suddenly the car slammed into a moment, and they leaned forward before they sat down, and then they heard Zhang Wanqiang shouting at the top of his voice: "What's wrong with you, you don't want to live anymore?" When Su Malagu looked out through the crack in the curtain, she saw a person dressed as a servant and said with a smile: "I am tired of walking a long way, and I want to take advantage of your car to take a ride." ”

Aunt Su Mala lifted the curtain and showed her face, and shouted: "You are so rare! We can't sit in the car, not to mention that you are a man......" said and instructed Zhang Wanqiang, "What are you waiting for?" Let's walk! ”

The servant stretched out his hand and said, "Sister, it's just full, it's not a big deal to squeeze me any more!" As he spoke, he boldly stared at Aunt Su Mala and said, "If I am a man, and there is another one in the car, isn't it also a man?" ”

Although Su Malagu was born in Baoyi, she was selected into the deep palace since she was a child, and she was extremely favored, seeing that he was so inferior, a pair of hot eyes stared at him directly, and she was annoyed and ashamed, so she put down the curtain and no longer paid attention to him. Kangxi had already approached the curtain to examine, although he felt that this person was familiar, but he couldn't remember when he had seen it.

The man still stopped the car and refused to give way, and said that he had an urgent matter to go to Baiyun Temple.