Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 51 Family Love
Outside the west gate of Chuzhou City, tens of thousands of thieves have hastily set up camps all over the place. They are said to be camps, but they are actually more like refugee camps composed of straw tents. Specialized military drills, loose and chaotic behavior, and no discipline. They are used to fleeing and destroying. They break through the city to loot and go, and then go to find the next target. This kind of locust-like mobility can cause devastating damage to the place. It also caused huge troubles to the encirclement and suppression by the government and army.

In a large tent at the Sanli Bridge in the west of the city, Ma Shizhong, with his bare upper body full of chest hair, was drinking and having fun with a group of cronies. A beautiful woman was sitting beside him serving him. It is said that the person who snatched the filial leader from here was a big wife from a rich family, and her husband had naturally become the victim of a thieves.

Ma Shizhong picked up the wine bowl in his left hand and took a big sip, then put his right hand into the beautiful woman's skirt, the woman groaned slightly in pain, and frowned slightly, Ma Shizhong put down the wine bowl and stared at her: "Donkey ball ! Shout out!" After speaking, she slapped the woman's face fiercely, she tilted her body, covered her face and cried out, her pretty cheeks were red and swollen, and there were tears in her eyes. Not feeling the pain, she quickly knelt down on the ground and kept begging for mercy, because she knew Ma Shizhong's brutality. She saw Ma Shizhong hack a woman who resisted him to death.

Ma Shizhong got up and kicked her over, cursing: "If I'm not happy tonight, I'll chop you off with a knife! Go to the back tent and wait!" The woman scrambled and crawled to the small tent at the back , all the thieves in the big tent laughed and watched this scene.

Yang Jin, Ma Shizhong's confidant, said with a smile: "Brother, you have a thief! I like this kind of rich woman. She is soft-tempered and obedient. She can do whatever I tell her to do. When we were still muddy legs, this kind of woman couldn't even beat her. I dare not even think about it! Since the incident with King Gao Chuang, all kinds of women have to kneel in front of us obediently, I woke up happily from my dream!"

Another confidant, Pi Lizhen, also echoed: "Lao Yang and I have the same idea. I can't count the women I have played with in the past few years! Brother, when Chuzhou is conquered, I will bring you the family members of the prefect. Enjoy, how about you exchange this for me?"

Ma Shizhong laughed and said: "You donkey, why do you want to drink my pot-washing water? Fine! If you really took the prefect's family, I will exchange it with you!"

Gun Dilong took a sip of wine, wiped the wine stains on his mouth and said: "I said, brother, this time we will divide our troops to fight Chuzhou, and King Chuang went to the north. I think the current officers and soldiers are not enough. With 3 horses, it is no problem to attack Nanjing! By then, the eldest brother’s reputation will not be inferior to that of Chuangwang! What do you think of the eldest brother?” The rest of the leaders heard that what he said was reasonable, and they all agreed with him.

When Ma Shizhong heard the words, many thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. He looked at the crowd, shook his head and said, "Old Yang, we both grew up with bare buttocks. I know what your thoughts are. Ordinary officers and soldiers are not enough for us." Fighting, but there is Lu Yanwang, we have suffered from him, if we go to fight Nanjing, Lu Yanwang will have to fight with us, no, Nanjing can't even think about it!", a group of cronies heard him Saying that, they all showed disappointment. Nanjing is the most affluent place in the world. If it can be captured, how many beauties will be won.

Ma Shizhong scolded with a smile: "Donkey ball! Take down Chuzhou first! We can recruit more people when we have money and food. When we recruit 10 horses, we dare to go to Nanjing if we don't even know it!"

Gun Dilong smiled and said: "Let's listen to the elder brother, and take down Chuzhou first! I went to the city to have a look. The gang of grandsons did not break the city twice. I went to the front to hold the battle. This time I will be able to break the city. Big brother, wait for me Good news!" After finishing speaking, he drank the wine in the bowl, stepped out of the big tent, and went down the city with his soldiers.

Ma Shizhong got drunk and scolded with a smile: "You bastards! Get out of the way! Send scouts to the back road to look around, don't patronize the front, tell people to take the back road!" After finishing speaking, Ma Shizhong got up and took a drink Qi went to the back of the tent, everyone exchanged glances with silver expressions on their faces, and they also got up and went out of the tent to go down the city.

In the arrow tower at the head of Chuzhou city, the magistrate Xu Zhiyuan was observing the bandit camp below the city through the arrow window, while the co-prefect Wang Renyuan and the general judge Zhao Yuzhi sat on the top chairs with blank expressions.

The guard Dong Qigao rushed in, the long knife in his hand still stained with blood. This time, the guarding force of the city is mainly composed of a thousand officers and soldiers under him, the servants of the government office, the guards of the big households in the city, the guards of the big families in the city. Young and strong are supplemented.

Dong Qigao reversed his long saber, cupped his hands to Xu Zhiyuan and said, "My lord, the rebels are temporarily retreating, this is the second time the rebels have attacked the city, the casualties of the subordinates have already exceeded [-], Min Zhuang's casualties are even greater, everyone is panicking , The humble officer just beheaded a Minzhuang who fled the battle, and then stabilized the morale of the army, if the thieves attack a few more times, I'm afraid the city will be hard to protect!"

Xu Zhiyuan turned around slowly, and said with a calm expression: "I know, the bandits are powerful, and the city is broken, which is expected. Dong Shoubei has worked hard, and I should have asked the court to ask for credit for you. It's a pity, hehe, when the city breaks down, that's when we will die!"

When Wang Renyuan and Zhao Yuzhi heard the words, their expressions suddenly became miserable. Dong Qigao replied solemnly: "The salary of eating the king, the matter of being loyal to the king, and the lowly position have already embraced death, but my family members will also perish with the city. I really can't bear it! Why don't you send people to escort the relatives of your lords to Nanjing while you still have the power now, so as to leave some flesh and blood behind!"

When Wang and Zhao heard the words, their spirits were lifted. Wang Renyuan stood up and cupped his hands and said, "Master Zhifu, Dong Shoubei's words are justified. As officials of the Ming Dynasty, we have the responsibility to guard the land. We can live without face if we lose our land. It is indeed innocent, my lord's young son is clever and sensible, he can write at the age of seven, and compose poems at the age of nine, and he will definitely be a great talent in the future: if he dies like this, it would be a pity!"

Zhao Yuzhi also nodded in agreement, and the three of them looked at Xu Zhiyuan expectantly.

Xu Zhiyuan was taken aback for a moment, and the lovely face of his son Xu Wen appeared in his mind. His wife gave birth to four children for him, and the first three were daughters. It was not until ten years ago that Mrs. Xu gave birth at the age of nearly forty Having this son, for the ancients who were generally short-lived, they could call themselves old men at the age of 40. Xu Zhiyuan was very happy to have a son when he was old. He loved his son very much since he was a child, but his son was so smart that he was enlightened at the age of five , Xu Zhiyuan personally taught him in his spare time, and under the education of his Jinshi father, Xu Wen's knowledge far surpassed his peers, and everyone praised him as a child prodigy.

Seeing that his only bloodline inheritance was about to go to the underworld with his own life, Xu Zhiyuan was extremely unwilling, and he sighed: "Since the robbers and other thieves rebelled, they have broken through countless prefectures and counties, and countless colleagues are all family members. Martyrdom, if we break the convention, I'm afraid it will be tolerated by the imperial court!"

With tears in his eyes, Zhao Yuzhi said: "Your Excellency and the lower officials are of course determined to die, but when they think that their closest relatives will suffer such misfortune, their hearts are like a knife twisting. Your Excellency, the imperial court has no intention of not allowing family members to flee. Regulations, please think twice, my lord!"

Wang Renyuan continued: "My lord, why don't we just send our children out of the city, and let the rest of us die for our country? What do you think, my lord?"

Dong Qigao agreed: "Master Wang's words are reasonable, and it is only natural for me to go to disaster, but it is better to leave some flesh and blood behind. My lord, make a quick decision! The thieves will attack the city again soon!"

As if to verify his words, the rogues who had been calm for a while broke up again, and several people hurriedly came to the arrow window to watch.

Dong Qi said anxiously: "The thieves are coming fiercely, I am afraid it will be difficult to resist, please make a quick decision, my lord!"

Xu Zhiyuan let out a long sigh and said, "Just follow the advice of a few talents just now, Dong Shoubei, I will entrust my flesh and blood to you!"

Wang and Zhao were excited, Dong Qigao cupped his hands and said: "The humble official will arrange proper manpower to protect the relatives of the adults out of the city!" After saying that, he hurriedly left the archery building.

Xu Zhiyuan stepped out and said in a loud voice: "The affairs of the posthumous affairs are settled, and I will go to battle to kill the thief!"

Wang Renyuan and Zhao Yuzhi hurriedly followed them, and they came out of the archery tower to the wide corridor of the city wall. Several soldiers guarding the gate stood guard with long knives. Xu Zhiyuan stood still and looked towards the top of the city wall. A group of officers, soldiers and civilians shouted loudly: "I am the prefect of Chuzhou! I will fight the enemy side by side with you today! I swear to live and die with Chuzhou!"

After speaking, he snatched a knife from an officer and soldier beside him, and strode towards the battlements with his head held high.

Wang Renyuan and Zhao Yuzhi didn't say a word, they still held their knives in their hands and moved closer to Xu Zhiyuan. Now that their concerns are over, let's fight to the death today to repay the favor of the court!
Seeing the magistrate personally defending the city, the moraleless soldiers and civilians immediately lifted their spirits. After taking their positions, they hid behind the battlements and prepared to fight to the death. The bandits had already poured in like a tide. More than ten simple long ladders rushed over, ready to put the ladders on the city wall, and then attack the city with ants.

(End of this chapter)