〖In the 12th year of Tongtai, Wu Yue, a bandit in the East Sea camp of Yong's army, and Zhe accompanied the army. On February 12, Yong's army entered Jiaxing, and Zhe sneaked into Jiaxing to sacrifice to his mother.
— "The History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties: The Biography of Jiang Suiyun"〗
Jiaxing Yanyu Building is a famous building in the southeast, and it attracts the most scholars, especially in the early spring of February. It's a pity that although it is time to enjoy the scenery, the people in the building are all frowning. As early as a few days ago, there had been rumors that the Yong army had captured Dinghai, but the news did not cause them to be too alarmed. In Wuyue's land, it was rare to encounter soldiers. In their minds, the Yong army would soon be. Repulsed by Yuhang Water Camp. However, the evolution of things caught them off guard, and almost in an instant, Yong Jun's raging offensive had swept across Wu Yue. The day before yesterday, the Yong army had already captured Pinghu and Haining. According to the news from the two places, the Yong army did not massacre, but only detained the local soldiers and civilians in the city, not allowing them to move freely. Although they did not understand the intentions of the Yong army, but because of this, the Jiaxing army and civilians could not help but feel a little relieved. Then it's okay to lose some money and pay.
Everyone in the building are young children of major families in Jiaxing, and there are also well-known cold men in Jiaxing. Now that the Yongjun forward has arrived in the suburbs of Jiaxing, these young children do not want to be trapped at home, they are all gathered in Yanyu Building, hoping to know the latest news. In the situation of the battle, only these young people who still have the courage to have the courage to gather at this time. One of these young people looked a little different. It was a young man of a weak age. He was dressed in a blue shirt and dressed in Confucian clothes. He had a handsome appearance and a deep bearing. Everyone in the building avoided him intentionally or unintentionally, but they secretly watched his expression with their eyes. This young man's name is Jing Xin, he is the eldest grandson of the Jing family and the son of Jing Changqing.
Different from the atmosphere of attacking Jiang Zhe in various places, the family in Jiaxing is intertwined. For the face of the Jing family, most of them are silent, and deep down, these families secretly envy Jing's side sect for Jiang Zhe. characters. In the eyes of these aristocratic families, the glory of the family is the most important. Although the warriors of Dayong are inevitably regarded as barbarians, and they are not as romantic as the poets of the Southerners, the power of Dayong still makes them lingering in fear. Therefore, even in order to leave a way out, the Jiaxing family never dared to ignore the Jing family. Of course, the Jing family is not completely unaffected. In the face of the court, the Jiaxing family will still be cold to the Jing family on the surface. As the heir of the Jing family, Jing Xin naturally has a deep understanding of this situation. If Dayong goes to war with other countries, the young people often surround him when they argue in Yanyu Tower. If Dayong fights with Nanchu, everyone will It is to isolate him intentionally or unintentionally, of course, but he will not turn a blind eye to him, and even pay more attention to his judgment. Over time, Jing Xin got used to this kind of treatment, so today he deliberately kept a certain distance from everyone.
Looking at the lake outside the window, Jing Xin was not as calm as he appeared to be. He had never seen or had any impression of this cousin Jiang Zhe, but he knew something about Jiang Zhe's father, Jiang Hanqiu. When Jiang Hanqiu left Jiaxing in the past, he took all his manuscripts with him, but in Jing's study, he left a few notebooks with his reading experience. I deliberately looked at those notebooks. Although Jiang Hanqiu is unknown, his notes can be said to be all-encompassing and insightful. Every time Jing Xin read it, he gained something new and couldn't help but sigh. With such a father, no wonder Jiang Zhe can be famous all over the world.
Regarding Jiang Zhe, there are two tendencies in the Jing clan. Like Jing Shunjing who simply went to Dayong and relied on Jiang Zhe's support to rebuild his family business, he was also resentful like Jing Changqing, who regarded him as a chaotic minister and a thief. of. Jing Xinxin understands that over the years, his grandfather has gradually tended to his second uncle, and even the clan is dissatisfied with his father. He wants the second uncle to take over as the head of the family, but it is just because the second uncle does business in Dayong and is inconvenient to publicize. In Jing Xin's eyes, he naturally disapproved of his father's stubbornness and no family affection, but he would be reluctant if he would rely on Jiang Zhe to go to Dayong. Why does the Jing family rely on outsiders to gain a foothold? This is what he was thinking.
At this time, a young man ran upstairs and said loudly: "Oh, the defenders of Jiaxing did not dare to go out of the city to meet the enemy, they have already dispersed and fled, the Yong army has already entered the city, and they are under martial law along the way, and the residents are not allowed to walk on the streets, after a while , I'm about to go to the Yanyu Building."
These young people shouted, fear in their hearts, although there is no news of Yong Jun's massacre, but this kind of person is a knife, and I am a fish. All I know is to collect and collect, this Wu Yue civil and military official position is his capital to sell the office, Xianda acts as the next Chen, and the mediocre people are golden, otherwise how could the Yong army go straight to Wu Yue inland." They applauded in unison. Usually, because of Shang Weijun's prestige, even if he was dissatisfied, he could only discuss a few words in private. Today, this young man denounced in public, and Jiaxing suffered another turmoil. Everyone felt relieved. But even so, it was useless, and everyone could not help but sigh. A chubby young man looked at Jing Xin, and seeing his calm expression, he could not help but sarcastically said, "Brother Jing can rest easy, even if the Yong army slaughtered Jiaxing, it would not embarrass the Jing family, so that Zun could still be safe in the chaos of the army. Returning from Huaidong, let alone now?"
Jing Xin was originally a deep-minded person, and he couldn't help being furious when he heard the words. Jing Changqing was in danger in Chuzhou. Fortunately, someone secretly rescued Jing Changqing's family back to Jiaxing. If Jing Xin had not stayed in his hometown to serve his grandfather, he would have suffered this catastrophe. The person who sent them off showed no signs of coming and going, but after thinking about it, he knew that the person who could rescue Jing Changqing during the Huaidong War was definitely not an ordinary person. The Jing family was reluctant to speak up about this matter, but unexpectedly, it was strictly investigated by the ruling people in the DPRK, and Jing Changqing was imprisoned and charged, and even a beheading document was issued. However, at this time, there was news that Yong Jun had conquered Dinghai. No matter how bold the Jiaxing government was, they did not dare to execute Jing Changqing at this time. Instead, they hid the documents and let Jing Changqing be released from prison on bail. Although others don't know it, all major families in Jiaxing know it. This matter is not only a secret of Jing's family, but also a taboo in Jing's confidence. As soon as the short and fat young man said it, he felt that he had made a blunder, but when he saw Jing Xin's gloomy face, he felt that he was right, showing a reckless look.
At this time, another calm young man said: "This is the end of the matter, Jiaxing has been acquired by Yong Jun, let's go home separately, or share weal and woe with our family." These young people heard the words and knew that they had no power to reverse the situation. , they left one by one while the Yanyu Tower was not yet under martial law.
Jing Xin stood upstairs and bowed his head without speaking, his expression was icy cold, thinking that his father was humiliated in Chuzhou, and it was very difficult to escape along the way, but in the eyes of the children of the Jiaxing family, it was just a pretense, which really made him hate it, suddenly in his heart. An idea came to me, if I joined the army to fight and expel the Yong army from Wu Yue, I think no one would accuse the Jing family of collaborating with the enemy. Once this thought came out, it was like a raging fire, and it was out of control. At this time, there was a commotion downstairs. He walked to another window and looked down. The streets were full of panicked people. Under their strong coercion, these southern Chu civilians who were unable to protect themselves closed their homes and returned home, and the entire Jiaxing city had gradually fallen under the control of Yong Jun.
Jing Xin was about to turn around and go downstairs, and took the opportunity to return home. Before he could go down the stairs, he saw a few black-clothed sergeants walking upstairs guarding a young man in green clothes. Jing Xin was startled and had not yet responded. The sergeant had already pushed him aside, pressed the handle of the knife and asked, "Who are you, why are you still hanging around in the Misty Rain Tower at this time?" The sergeant was murderous, obviously if Jing Xin didn't answer properly, he would be stabbed with a knife kill.
Jing Xin said angrily, "Wan Sheng was originally here to enjoy the lake view. Your army entered the city, and it was too late to dodge. If you wait for this to cause harm, Wan Sheng will have nothing to say."
The sergeant smiled and said, "You scholar is very domineering." After speaking, he turned around and asked, "Master Huo, do you want to imprison him?"
The young man in green clothes stepped forward and said with a smile, "It's our rudeness. The Yanyu Tower is a place where everyone can come and enjoy it. It's not surprising that Xiongtai is here. I'm going to Huo Cong, please ask Xiongtai's surname. Da Ming, I see that Xiongtai has an extraordinary bearing, and he is still hanging around outside at this time, so he must be a young man from Jiaxing."
Jing Xin stared at the young man in green clothes. He was only sixteen or seventeen years old. He was average in appearance and not very outstanding, but his expression was indifferent, and the black-clothed sergeants could see at a glance that they were not ordinary sergeants. Although Jing Xin was very concerned about military affairs I don't know for sure, but I also know that the color of Yong Jun's clothes is black, and those who can wear black clothes and black armor must be Yong Jun's warriors. This young man can command these black-clothed sergeants at such a young age. He must be an important figure in the Yong Army. Although he knows that this man is a powerful enemy of Southern Chu, but seeing his pleasant appearance, Jing Xin does not have the slightest hatred and hatred. When I saw him again, there was an air of grace and indifference between his eyebrows, and he didn't dare to be neglectful. He bowed and saluted: "Jing Xin was born late, I don't dare to be called a hero."
The young man in green clothes changed his expression when he heard the words, and said with a smile: "It turns out that he is a genius of the Jing clan in Jiaxing. I heard that Brother Jing had already won the Juren when he was fourteen years old. , has become the backbone of Southern Chu."
Hearing his tone, Jing Xin didn't seem to pay attention to his identity of the Jing family, but his heart was relieved, but when he heard his compliment, he felt a chill. Yes, that is, kill quickly and then quickly, although this young man is a few words, but it may be the judgment that decides his life and death. But dealing with this situation, he could only smile and say: "Young Master Huo is so young, but he is obviously highly respected by the warriors of your army. Presumably, his status must be important. Only such a person can be called a pillar. Jing has no intention of fame, he just reads and drinks, and browses the scenery of Nanhu in his spare time, but he has no ambition, how can he be called a pillar, it is all praised by Mr. Huo.”
The young man in green clothes smiled lightly when he heard the words, and said, "Brother Jing is too famous, I'm just someone who is attached to Ji, and there is nothing to be gained. Today, I have a chance to meet Young Master Jing, and Mr. Huo intends to invite Young Master to share a few cups. how about?"
Jing Xin smiled bitterly, glanced at the sergeants who were standing with their swords in place, and said, "Dare to obey."
The youth in green clothes invited Jing Xin to the table, and the man in the building, under the supervision of Sergeant Yong Jun, timidly served wine and food. Jing Xin was originally uneasy in his heart, but after a few glasses of wine, seeing that the young man in green clothes never mentioned the relationship between Jing and Jiang Zhe, and never intentionally solicited, he calmed down. Eye-catching, but his speech and demeanor are already free. The young man in green clothes claimed that he had come to Jiaxing for the first time, so he asked Jing Xin about the scenic spots in Jiaxing.
Jing Xin was already a little drunk, and pointed to the lake in front of the building: "Jiaxing South Lake, known as the southeast beautiful, this is Phu Lake, the southwest of Jiaxing is known as Xiuchuan, and the Yuanyang Lake is connected to this lake, and the two lakes are side by side. It is called South Lake. The lake is where all the currents converge, and it stops, stores, plays, and captures its situation. The lake is called the East Lake, and the west of the bridge is the West Lake. The ancients once said in a poem, "The waters of the two lakes in the east and the west are compared to the mandarin ducks. The mandarin ducks in the lake have long wings." (Note 1), which is to describe the beauty of the mandarin duck lake. It is called Lihu by turns, and it is called Fanlihu for the descendants. It's like the arm of Xi Shi, and there is no arm.' (Note 2), this poem is to recite the beauty of the West Lake, and the arm of Xi Shi is the name of the lotus root of the West Lake."
Huo Cong was fascinated by what he heard, smiled and looked at Jing Xin. He saw Jing Xin in high spirits and arrogance. Thinking of this person's identity, he said in his heart that he was indeed a relative of his husband. The words of the first predecessors describe the scenery of Yanyu Tower. I don’t know if Brother Jing has heard of it?” After he finished speaking, he calmly said: “The drizzle is in front of the garden. The smoke is far away. The punts are light, and the fishing song outside Liuwai is slow. The wind blows away, and the mandarin ducks fly everywhere, but no one sees them.” (Note 3)
After reciting this poem, Jing Xin turned his thoughts, frowned deeply, and remained silent. He had seen a banner in his grandfather's study with these words. Hanqiu's nickname, this poem is not widely circulated, at least Jing Xin has never seen Jiaxing and others know it, but this young man chants it. Could it be that this person has something to do with Jiang Zhe? Doubts arose in his heart, and his expression gradually changed. The youth in green clothes asked him three questions, but it was difficult for him to answer one. The atmosphere upstairs in Misty Rain became awkward for a while.
At this time, a middle-aged general came upstairs and clasped his fists at the young man in green clothes: "Counselor Huo, Jiaxing has all been under control, please join the army and order."
The youth in green clothes stood up and said, "General Fang doesn't need to be polite, Huo Cong is only temporarily taking a vacant post."
The middle-aged general had a respectful expression and said, "Your Majesty has an order. This time, I have to obey the counselor's orders. Please do whatever counselor Huo ordered."
The young man in Tsing Yi smiled slightly and said, "So Mr. Huo is so good at specializing, please ask General Fang to invite the head of the Jiaxing family and the famous scholars to Yanyulou."
This middle-aged general is Fang Yuanxin. He is one of the best generals in the East China Sea. He is good at fighting. He would not have obeyed the orders of a stinky teenager. These documents are all secrets related to Dinghaishan Mountain. Later, Huo Cong knew the military situation of Dinghai and Wuyue coastal terrain very well, and even the Duke of Jinghai also depended on him. He perfected the large camp set up by the Donghai Navy in Dinghai according to the map. He even knew exactly where to build the fortresses and where to set up the outposts. In the end, the Marquis of Jinghai granted him the post of counselor, but he No one objected. What's more, he was a disciple of the Marquis of Chu Jun, and he was worthy of the Marquis of Jinghai, so these generals did not dare to despise him. This time Jiang Haitao couldn't stop Jiang Zhe from coming to Jiaxing, so he specially asked Huo Cong to take charge of the looting of Yue County, and let Fang Yuan lead the new army, just for the sake of Jiang Zhe's safety, otherwise, although Huo Cong was outstanding, Jiang Haitao would not A teenager will be in charge of the matter.
Jing Xin's expression changed greatly when he heard that, although he guessed that this young man's identity was important, he never thought that the life and death of the Jiaxing army and the people were in the hands of this person. He wanted to say goodbye, but before he could say goodbye, the young man in green clothes had already smiled and said, "Brother Jing is talented, Huo Cong is in awe, I also ask Brother Jing to stay for a while, first to introduce Jiaxing talents for me, and second I also want to make peace with me. Brother Jing, hang around for a while." Looking up, he saw that the young man in green clothes had a calm expression without any pretentiousness, and even if he was dissatisfied, it was difficult to say it. Dayong is so talented, how can Southern Chu survive for a long time? Jing Xin sighed and couldn't help himself, what could he do
On the shore of Yuanyang Lake, there is a plum forest. In the plum forest, there is a pingzi with a radius of several meters. A tomb is hidden in the sparse shadow of plum blossoms. In front of the tomb is a bluestone tombstone. , the text is difficult to read. However, although the tombstone is broken, the tomb seems to be taken care of. The tomb is green and there are fragrant flowers enshrined. There are footprints on the Pingzi. Obviously, people often linger here. Compared with the long grass outside Merlin, it is really weird.
It was almost noon, and the silence here was shattered by the voices of people. A man wearing a blue cloak and a Xinyang hat was slowly walking towards Merlin. Left and right behind, there are some black-clothed sergeants closely guarding. In addition to Merlin, some sergeants in black coats and cloaks had already surrounded Merlin, and the grass outside the forest had been devastated. The man frowned slightly when he saw this. In order not to allow these warriors to enter Merlin's decree.
Before walking to Merlin, the young man in green clothes walked into the forest. Although he didn't pay much attention to his steps, the grass was still green wherever he went, which shows that his feats of dexterity were outstanding. After a while, the young man in green clothes walked out of the forest and said, "Young master, you can go in and pay your respects. The old lady." The man sighed softly, gently removed the blue cloak, and took off the bamboo hat that covered his face, revealing his gorgeous hair and red face, dressed in white and plain clothes. He walked towards Merlin, and the youth in green took the incense paper money that a samurai was carrying, and then entered the forest. Those black-clothed guards carefully watched their surroundings. The concubine of Dayong and Jiangzhe, the marquis of Chu County, came here to pay homage to their deceased mother. Even if Jiaxing had already fallen into the hands of the Yong army, they should not be careless. , is it extremely troublesome.
I looked at the vaguely like Merlin in my dream, and remembered the scene of saying goodbye to my mother's tomb that day. I couldn't help but shed tears on the loess. I bowed down before the tomb, bowed my head and knees, and the tears fell silently. If it wasn't for the death of my mother, how could my father and uncle have a quarrel? Therefore, I left my hometown and wandered in the south of the Yangtze River. If it wasn't for the exhaustion of the journey, how could my father relapse, and how could he be so heartbroken because he regretted the death of his mother that he left me alone as a sea pheasant. My father died of a broken heart, and I lost half of my life because of the death of my mother. Thinking about this, how can I not be heartbroken.
I didn't know how long I had been crying, but the cold infuriating energy invaded from the back of my neck, and I shivered all over. I just woke up. I realized in my heart that Xiao Shunzi saw that I was too sad, so he woke me up with infuriating energy, so that I wouldn't be too sad. I glanced at Xiao Shunzi who was kneeling behind me, there was a hint of warmth in his eyes, then took the paper money incense candle in his hand and burned it in front of the mother's tomb. His eyes flashed and he saw the stone tablet that was blinded by moss. He felt a pain in his heart. He stretched out his hand to remove the moss, revealing the handsome and elegant handwriting on the tablet. On the tablet was inscribed "Jing's Tomb in Jiangmen", and the inscription was "Cold Autumn Weeping" four. Character.
Seeing his father's calligraphy on the stele, the anger in his heart gradually dissipated, and a vigorous footstep sounded in his ears, from far to near, Xiao Shunzi walked out of the Merlin, and turned back after a while: "It's the old master of the Jing family who is here. , was blocked by Commander Huyan, do you want to see him?" I hesitated for a while, and said, "Please come in."
Not long after, an old man in Chinese clothes walked in with a cane. This man was over seventy years old, his hair and beard were all white, his face was old, and his expression was cold. He walked into the Merlin, without looking at me, he walked to the tomb, looked at the tomb, and said after a long time, "Zheer, you have been away from Jiaxing for many years, this time should be the first time to come back to pay homage to your mother."
I sighed and finally bowed down and said, "My uncle is as healthy as ever, and my nephew Jiang Zhe is here."
The old man didn't step forward to help, and said lightly: "Your accent still has a Jiaxing rhyme, and I think you have never forgotten your hometown, but why do you have to do such a rude ceremony, you should know my hatred for your father and son. I and your mother My biological mother died early, my stepmother was bad, and my father was obsessed with his career, which made my brother and sister suffer a lot at home. If I hadn’t been comforted by my younger sister, I would have left home long ago, and I would never have had the chance to inherit the position of the head of the family. You Mother's health is not good, I don't want her to marry a merciless person, so I choose a son-in-law for her personally, your father has no intention of official career and is very talented, so I took a fancy to my father and persuaded my father to betroth your little sister to him."
I stood up and listened to his words silently. His tone was excited. Obviously, these thoughts have been buried for many years, and no one can tell them. This time, I only told them to me. I don’t know these past events. Naturally, I listened intently. When I heard this, I interjected: "When my father was alive, Zeng Yan and his mother used to be a mandarin duck, and Uncle Domeng intervened."
The old man snorted coldly: "At last he still has some conscience, huh, after my little sister and your father got married, they raised their eyebrows and respected each other like a guest. It was only after a while that she was pregnant with you. At that time, she often fainted. The doctor diagnosed and treated her. The doctor said that your mother was born with insufficiency. If she gave birth, she would be in danger of her life. At that time, if the medicine was used to remove the fetus, it was not too late. I would advise your parents to agree. If your father is worried about not having any heirs, at most I sent him a few concubines. Unexpectedly, your father refused to agree. As a result, after the little sister gave birth to you, she almost survived. The next few years were lingering sick beds. If not, how could it be during the outbreak of the plague She was affected and died from time to time. It was your father and son who killed her. You can come back to worship today, but if you want to bring Jiang Hanqiu's coffin back for burial, unless I die, it is impossible."
Hearing this, my vague memories of the past gradually came back. I remembered that when I was young, although my father and mother often sang in the flowers and played the qin and zither, but my mother always looked so pale and weak, and I remembered what my father had vaguely revealed in the past. , couldn't help shedding tears, sobbing: "Don't my uncle understand that this decision is my mother's intention, and my father just doesn't want to go against my mother's painstaking efforts."
The old man trembled, looked at Jiang Zhe's face, and the shadow of the dead sister floated in his heart. He found that his nephew's appearance and outline were quite similar to the dead sister. Fetus, after a long time, he sighed: "You're right, if it wasn't for my sister's insistence, how could I give in? It's just that the pain of losing my sister can't be calmed down, so I have to take my anger on your father and son." It was as if the pillar of hatred that had supported him for many years had collapsed. His expression was a little more decadent, and his posture seemed to be a lot weaker.
I also felt bitterness in my heart. Although my uncle caused my father and son to wander around the world, it was because of his deep love for his mother’s siblings. There were footsteps in Merlin. Obviously, my uncle often came to pay homage to my mother, but deliberately let my father stand The stone tablet at the bottom was covered by moss, but it was because his resentment towards his father never diminished. After I won the champion, the Jing clan wanted to reconcile with me. But it was mostly because of my uncle's objection, which was also my uncle's anger at me. But, in the final analysis, it is also because he can't forget his mother, why should I fight against him. Thinking of this, I stepped forward and bowed deeply and said, "Uncle, after my father left Jiaxing, he also missed his mother and became ill, because I didn't want to make my father sad, and I didn't dare to ask more about my mother, uncle. Now here, why not tell your nephew about your mother’s demeanor, so that Zhe will have more memories to remember.”
Hearing the words, the old man couldn't help but smile and said with a smile: "Your mother's little character, Mei Niang, loved plum the most in her life. When I was young, if the plum blossoms were about to bloom, I would stay up all night, waiting for the plum blossoms to bloom. Occasionally, the plum blossoms bloom early. She decided to go to appreciate the plums, even if the snow and ice had not disappeared. Once she was ill, when she heard that the plum blossoms in the garden were just blooming, she ignored the advice of the servants and went into the garden wearing clothes and folded the plums under the snow. As a result, she suffered from the cold, became seriously ill, and fainted for several days. Since she married your father, she often sang the zither with your father, and even composed a zither piece called "Plum Blossoms Falling", which fully described the arrogance of Plum Blossoms in Qinghua. Do you still have an impression?"
After thinking for a while, I remembered it, and sang softly: "There are many miscellaneous trees in the atrium, but it is Mei Ziyi. I ask you, why is it Duran? It can make flowers in the frost, and it can be fruitful in the dew. The spring breeze and the spring sun, Nian Er is scattered and driven by the cold wind, nothing but frost and no frost. (Note 4)"
The old man closed his eyes and listened, singing all the way: "In that year Jiaxing suffered a plague, your mother was weak and unfortunately fell ill. When she was about to leave, she told me and your father that although she did not want to leave, she was helpless after all. You can't resist the destiny. Although you are young, you have your father to take care of you. No hindrance, but you can't take another look at the plum blossoms and snow, but you have a lingering hatred. Therefore, after your mother passed away, I chose this place to be buried in the plum forest. She, let Mei Xiang sparse shadows, and always accompany Fang's soul."
I recalled that when my mother passed away, I was still young, and because of the plague, I was sent to live elsewhere, and I couldn't see my mother for the last time. Sad, my mother was cared for by her uncle when she was young, and after she got married, she was deeply in love with her father and her husband. Although unfortunately she passed away early, she must have been safe and happy at the time, just because her uncle and father loved her so much, she would die even if she died. I won't feel that this life is vain."
I don't know when, the setting sun has already set in the west, the sunset glow is reflected in the plum forest, the mist dyed with light red carries the sinking and floating, and then accompanied by the faint plum fragrance, the inside of the plum forest is like a fairyland Jade Pond, and the graves are sleeping again. It was the two of us who were close relatives. There was silence in the Merlin, and there was a breath of peace and tranquility in the air, which made me both reluctant to speak. The old man seemed to be caught in memory, and there was a tender nostalgia between his brows.
After a long time, the afterglow of the setting sun gradually dimmed, and the old man woke up and said indifferently: "How are you going to treat the Jiaxing family and the Jing family when you come this time?"
I sighed lightly, after all, I wanted to get back to business. Compared with the survival of the family, the importance of grudges is more important than that of the family. My uncle also understands that, not to mention that we are close relatives after all. He raised his head and smiled and said, "Why did uncle say this This time, Zhe is just taking advantage of the opportunity of our army to capture Jiaxing to come to pay his respects to his mother, and as for military affairs, I am inconvenient to intervene."
A cold light flashed in the old man's eyes, and he said, "As you are the Marquis of Chu County, how can you easily come to Jiaxing, even if you are not afraid of danger, Emperor Dayong may not be relieved, and if you are only to worship your dead mother, why send people? I secretly sent the message to the Jing family. I think you are going to make a break with the Jing family this time. If I don't come today, I am afraid that the Jing family will also disappear. A few days ago, the imperial court issued an official document and sentenced Changqing to death. You must already know that?"
I looked around and said, "I do know about this matter, this time is the last chance, the Yong army will retreat, and no one will be able to protect the Jing clan. Does my uncle not care about the safety of the clan, not to mention that Wu Yue will be a battlefield in the future, Jing clan It is also difficult to live in Jiaxing.”
The old man sighed: "It's hard to leave my homeland, but I also know that I have no choice. After this incident, Changqing has become disheartened, and it is not difficult to convince him."
I had already expected this, the war between the two countries was imminent, and I didn't want to leave my weakness in Southern Chu. For the Jing clan, since I can't completely forget them, I can only force them to belong to Dayong. He bowed gently to his uncle, and said: "Uncle is so sensible, and I admire it in my heart. Tomorrow, the Yong army will clean up Jiaxing. All young men and women, scholars and craftsmen will be in the robbery. I have entrusted the responsible general to him. Take care of the Jing family, and when the time is right, my uncle can go to Dayong with the boat to live in peace."
The old man's body trembled lightly, and it took a long time to say: "What a vicious method, to seize the money and food of Wu Yue's population, and to capitalize on the weak enemy, although it is a pirate method, it is very effective, even if I do not agree to submit, you will make Jing Shi Captive to Dinghai, right?"
Seeing my uncle see through my thoughts at a glance, I admired it in my heart, but it was inconvenient to say anything, I just bowed deeply. The old man sighed softly and walked out. I was embarrassed and turned my back, not wanting to see his old figure, but his vigorous voice floated in the wind: "Zheer don't have to be embarrassed, you are right to Jing. Thank you for your help and assistance to Changqing and Shunqing."
Hearing this, I felt relieved and let go of the big stone in my heart. The Jing family's affairs were finally handled properly, and I could leave with peace of mind. Facing her mother's tomb, she bowed her head again, wandered for a long time, and finally said goodbye.
This time, I tried my best to convince Jiang Haitao to let him allow me to visit Jiaxing in person. Besides wanting to pay homage to my mother, the most important thing is to reconcile with the Jing clan. After all, the Jing clan in Jiaxing is my mother's clan. There is a possibility of winning. This time I offer a plan to plot Wu Yue and rob civilians of aristocratic families to fill Dinghai, in order to weaken Southern Chu, but I am not going to really kill the people of Wu and Yue. It is not in line with my temperament, and I will never do anything unprofitable. Second, it will also damage Dayong's glory. Third, after the unification of Jiangnan in the future, the land of Wuyue will inevitably refuse to surrender for a long time, so the best way is to select some people from the captive Wuyue people and manage them through them. Captives, in this way, the outside is strict and the inside is wide, and the people of Wu and Yue are gentle and forbearing, so that it will not cause difficulties in Dayong's rule. And such candidates cannot be easily chosen, and they need the ability to manage internal affairs, so the Jiaxing family has become my choice. Whoever has no selfishness, I will be no exception. It's just that I only told Haitao about half of the reasons that day. I have other reasons for coming to Jiaxing. I just hope he won't beat his chest after he gets the report, right
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Note 1: Song Zhangyao Tong "Hundred Songs of the Golden Harvest"
Note 2: "Ten Songs of He Yuanyang Lake" by Tan Jijing of the Qing Dynasty
Note 3: "Little Crimson Lips: Yanyulou Autumn Pan" by Feng Dengfu of the Qing Dynasty
Note 4: "Plum Blossoms Falling" by Bao Zhao in the Southern Dynasties