On a passenger boat at the Yangtze River Ferry Wharf, Liu Wu was wearing fifty taels of silver and sat cautiously in the corner of the cabin.

He was covered in dirty clothes, and he looked like a man fleeing the famine.

It has been several days since he came out of Yichun, and he came all the way to Nanchang by boat, and spent money from Nanchang to take a boat to Jiujiang.

He carried fifty taels of broken silver and a letter in his arms, which was given to him by Cao Guoqi and was his travel fee to Shanxi.

The letter was written by the mistress, who, when she had finished writing the letter and handed it to him, told him not to lose it in any case if there was an accident on the road, and to destroy the letter if his life was in danger, even at the last moment.

Liu Wu knew that this letter was written by the mistress to her father, who was a high-ranking official in the imperial court.

Liu Wu has been staying in the king's personal army since he rebelled with the king in Yichun, and later the personal army was divided into two, and ten people were transferred to the side of the king's wife, that is, the main mother Yang Suxin as bodyguards, and the main task was to protect the personal safety of the main mother.

Liu Wu regarded this letter as more important than his own life, and in order not to attract attention, he deliberately dressed himself as a homeless person.

When taking the boat, he negotiated with the owner of the boat for half a day's price, and finally persuaded the owner of the boat to take him across the river at a price of 20 yuan.

The reason why he wants to bargain is to make people feel that he is a poor man and penniless, so that those who rob him should not pay attention to him.

The cabin was full of people, most of them ordinary people, but there were also a few scholars.

They shook their heads and didn't know what to say there, Liu Wu pricked up his ears and listened for a while, only then did he know that what these scholars were discussing was a national event.

A scholar said with a sad face: "I heard that two months ago, the governor of the five provinces, Hong Chengchou, ordered the general soldier Cao Wenzhao to smash the nest of the Liukou, Cao Wenzhao led his nephews Cao Bianjiao and Cao Dingjiao, and the three uncles and nephews personally led the army to defeat the thieves in Jinlingchuan, but unfortunately the disparity in strength was too great, and the final defeat was defeated, and Cao Zongbing committed suicide and martyrdom, which can be described as heroic!" ”

"Now the thief is fighting with Hong Chengchou in Guanzhong, and I don't know how long this vicious battle will last!"

"There are more than 200,000 soldiers and horses against thieves, and Governor Hong is only 70,000 or 80,000, this victory is unpredictable!"

As soon as these words came out, all the people in the warehouse were silent and stopped talking.

After listening to the conversation of these scholars, Liu Wu knew that there were now more than 200,000 soldiers and horses in the north, and he couldn't help but be a little surprised.

He originally thought that his king was already a very powerful figure with 20,000 horses, but he didn't expect that there were more than 200,000 horses and thieves in the north.

It seems that they are not the only ones who are fighting for the world.

Liu Wu silently recorded this information in his heart, thinking that when he returned to Yichun after delivering the letter, he would tell his own king about it, so that the king could be more careful in the future.

After a while, Liu Wu followed everyone to land at the dock, he first spent dozens of dollars to find a cheap inn to live in, and then asked the shopkeeper if there was a caravan going north recently.

Caravans generally have carriages and horses, and there are many people, Liu Wu knows that if he goes out alone in these years, it is very likely to encounter bandits.

If you want to protect your personal safety, you must follow the team, and now there are caravans everywhere, the caravans are in groups, and the caravans have raised kung fu thugs, if you can catch a caravan, then the safety factor will be greatly improved.

Sure enough, the shopkeeper quickly informed him that a caravan from Huangzhou would go north to the capital tomorrow.

Liu Wuyi was overjoyed when he heard this, and spent ten yuan to ask the shopkeeper to buy the caravan's information, and dragged the shopkeeper to help him get him to the caravan.

The shopkeeper has been dealing with caravans all year round, and he is familiar with this kind of thing.

He quickly helped Liu Wu with this matter, and the next morning, Liu Wu followed the caravan and headed north to the capital.

The caravan traveled very fast, and arrived in the capital after only forty-five days of departure from Huangzhou.

As soon as he arrived in the capital, Liu Wu said goodbye to the caravan people, he was already very familiar with the caravan people, and soon under the introduction of the caravan merchants, he took a caravan from the capital to Yanghe.

The journey was peaceful, Liu Wu didn't encounter any danger, but he made a lot of friends, and he basically had an understanding of the entire Ming Dynasty.

During this period, someone from the caravan asked Liu Wu where he was from, Liu Wu did not hide it, and said that he was from Yuanzhou Mansion in Jiangxi, and he went to Yanghe to seek refuge with his uncle, who was a petty officer in Yanghe's army.

When everyone heard that he was a son of an official family, they naturally didn't think much about it, but took care of him more.

By the time Liu Wu arrived at Yanghewei with the caravan, it was already the beginning of October of the eighth year of Chongzhen.

In October, Shanxi Yang and Wei were full of wind and sand, the temperature was very low and very cold, and in the Xuanda Governor's Palace, Yang Sichang, who had just been in office for one year, was full of sadness.

Since the beginning of spring, there has been no rain in Shanxi for a year, and this year there has also been a major drought in Shanxi, and there is no grain harvest.

Yang Sichang, as the governor of Xuanda, was in charge of the military affairs and food of Xuanda, Shanxi and other places, and Shanxi was out of harvest, so he, the governor of Xuanda, was worried.

Because he wants to pay and pay tens of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command, without food, the soldiers and horses under his command may mutin at any time.

Now the Central Plains is in a state of uproar, and the fundamental reason is that God does not give food, it has not rained for several years, the ground is dry and cracked, and where can grain be grown.

Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong's gang of thieves, most of them were soldiers in the guards in the three sides of Shaanxi and other places, and the imperial court could not pay food because of the drought.

Since Yang Sichang succeeded to the governor of Xuanda, he has not had a few days of peace of mind.

In the Governor's Palace, Yang Sichang pressed his forehead sadly, thinking about how to get food.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and after a while, the voice of Ding Yangsan sounded.

"Master, there's someone over there!"

As soon as he heard that it was someone from his father's side, Yang Sichang woke up immediately.

He immediately raised his head and hurriedly asked Yang Sandao, "Father has sent a letter?" ”

Yang San shook his head and said, "The old lady's letter didn't come, it was a messenger from Yuanzhou Mansion, saying that there was news from the old lady, and he wanted to tell the old man in person!" ”

"Bring it in yet!"

"Yes!" Yang San hurriedly turned around and went to ask for someone.

Yang Sichang, if you talk about his merits and demerits, it may be difficult to evaluate him, but in the area of filial piety, he can be said to be absolutely 100%.

After Yang He was reinstated in Yuanzhou, Yang Sichang wrote a recital to Chongzhen repeatedly, hoping that Chongzhen could open up the net and let Yang He return to Hunan, but Chongzhen has never allowed it.

Yang Sichang felt in his heart that his father was absolutely wronged, his father was a civil official of Yushitai, and he had always been honest and honest, but Chongzhen insisted that he serve as the governor of the three sides of Shaanxi.

Where is the trilateral governor who can be responsible for his father, to be a trilateral governor, you must know the soldiers, and Yang He just doesn't understand military affairs.

Yang Sichang knew in his heart that Chongzhen sent his father to serve as the governor of the three sides, in fact, he was rushing to appease him.

As a result, the father of the front foot did the job of appeasing him in place, but the court on the back foot did not allocate food, and there was no food, and the rogue who recruited him finally rebelled again.

Chongzhen didn't think that there was something wrong with what he did in this matter, but instead threw all the responsibility on his father, which was simply wronged.

However, as a courtier, Yang Sichang naturally did not dare to face the duty of Emperor Chongzhen, he could only pick good things to tell Chongzhen, hoping that the emperor could look at his face, open the net, and let his elderly father go.

It's a pity that the emperor didn't give him face at all, and he didn't rehabilitate Yang He.

Since the second year of Chongzhen, Yang He was appointed to Yuanzhou, it has been six years since this year, and in these years, Yang Sichang has sent his family to Yuanzhou every year to visit his old father.

It's just that since last year's bandits in Yuanzhou, there was a capable thief, and the Yang family's family did not dare to visit Yuanzhou, and it has been exactly a year, and Yang Sichang has not heard from his father for a year.

Now that he heard the news that someone in Yuanzhou had brought his father, how could he, who was a son, not be excited.

After a while, Yang San led a man into the study of the Governor's Palace.

As soon as the man entered the study, Yang Sichang couldn't help but ask: "This little brother, I heard that you have news of your father, but is it true?" ”

The man arched his hand and said, "You are Lord Yang Sichangyang, the governor of Xuanda, right?" ”

"I am!"

"Do you have a daughter named Yang Suxin?"

Yang Sichang nodded, "Su Xin is indeed my daughter, who are you?" ”

"The little one's name is Liu Wu, he is from Yuanzhou Mansion, here is a letter that the master mother asked me to bring you, please Lord Yang take a look!"

"Mistress?" Yang Sichang, who heard this word, was full of question marks on his face.

"Lord Yang, but you have doubts, please open this letter, after reading the letter, you will naturally know!"

Yang Sichang glanced at Liu Wu, then ignored him, he opened the crumpled envelope, tore open the seal, took out a few pieces of white paper from the envelope, and looked up and saw a few big characters - Father...."

Yang Sichang knew that it was written by his only daughter as soon as he saw the handwriting, and when he read the content of the letter, he couldn't help but have a richer expression on his face.

He was sometimes surprised, sometimes angry, and when he saw the letter at the end, he fell to his knees, crying and shouting, "Father! ”

After reading the handwritten letter written by his daughter, Yang Sichang learned that his father had died of illness two months ago, and his daughter had also married someone, and she was also married to a thief.

When Yang Sichang first saw the letter saying that his daughter was married to a thief, he was so angry that he almost vomited blood on the spot.

However, when he saw that his father had tried his best to bring about it, he was a little surprised, and when he finally saw the news of his father's death, he couldn't help but be very sad.

Yang Sichang got up and sat on the chair after crying, and asked Liu Wudao, who was standing in front of him: "Su Xin.. No, your housewife, are you okay? ”

Liu Wu arched his hand and said, "Everything is fine with the master!" ”

Yang Sichang nodded and said, "Well, your father-in-law, is the Mo Qian mentioned in the letter?" ”

"Yes, he's our boss!"

"Dashuai.... Hehe, Ben Du has lived for almost fifty years, and he is only qualified to be called a handsome by his subordinates, and your lord is only twenty years old, so he dares to call himself a handsome! ”

Liu Wu didn't know what this handsome old man meant, so he simply lowered his head and pretended not to understand.

Yang Sichang saw that Liu Wu didn't answer, so he couldn't help but ask, "Old lady, is he still peaceful?" ”

Liu Wu replied: "The old lady has a serious lung disease, and when she leaves, her breath is not smooth, and she is extremely painful!" ”

When Yang Sichang heard this, his face immediately turned painful, thinking that his father was suffocated to death because of his illness, and he didn't know how painful it was in his heart as a son!

He got up and said, "Your name is Liu Wu, right?" ”

"Yes!"

"You live in my mansion first, and this official wants to play the emperor first, and ask to return to his hometown, and when His Majesty's will comes, you will go south with the old man, is it feasible?"

Liu Wu thought for a moment and replied: "My lord, Lord Cao has explained that he wants me to return to Yuanzhou after reporting the letter, this...."

Yang Sichang stretched out his hand and said: "The old man's house is in Huguang Wuling (now Changde), not too far from Yuanzhou, before the old man goes home, he still wants to go to Yuanzhou, the old man wants to meet my unmasked son-in-law, you just happened to walk with the old man!" ”

When Liu Wuyi heard that Yang Sichang was going to Yuanzhou, he no longer shirked.

"Thank you, sir!"

Yang Sichang asked the family to send Liu Wu to the guest room to rest, and he himself immediately wrote a note, wanting Emperor Chongzhen to play the news of his father's death, and he wanted to resign to the emperor and prepare to return to his hometown.

Four days later, Yang Sichang's fold appeared on Chongzhen's desk, Chongzhen read Yang Sichang's fold, thought about it in his heart, and approved a quasi-word on the fold.

Soon, Yang Sichang received a holy decree from the imperial court, which allowed him to return to his hometown and restore Yang He's official position during his lifetime, but refuted Yang Sichang's request for a bereavement pension.

Yang Sichang knew that Emperor Chongzhen couldn't save face, and it was already a very difficult thing for him to restore his father's official position with grace.

Yang Sichang received the holy decree, left the official seal of the governor of Xuanda, and instructed his subordinates to train their troops diligently after he left, and pay attention to the Tatar buckles outside the pass.

Everything was ready, and on October 15, Yang Sichang, dressed in filial piety clothes, embarked on the journey back to his hometown with more than a dozen family members and three carriages.

Yang Sichang's family is in Huguang Wuling, according to the process, he should go south directly from Shanxi, take Taiyuan, pass Nanyang, Xiangyang Jingzhou, this is the fastest route.

However, Yang Sichang did not take this route on the grounds that Nanyang was making trouble and the bandits were serious, but took his family members from Kaifeng to detour and go south to Nanchang through Wuchang and Huangzhou.

The family members were extremely puzzled, and asked Yang Sichang: "Master, isn't our family in Wuling, why did you come to Nanchang?" ”

Yang Sichang explained: "The old lady is still in Yuanzhou, of course I, who is a son, will take his old man back to the ancestral tomb of Wuling for burial!" ”

When the family members heard this, they understood the truth.

The group hurried and hurried to finally enter Nanchang Mansion on this day at the end of November.

As soon as he entered the boundary of Nanchang Mansion, Yang Sichang felt that the atmosphere was wrong.

Lewen