Traveler Major League

Chapter 252 Even if you jump into the Yellow River, you won’t be able to clean yourself.

While His Majesty Chongzhen of the capital was preparing to pay homage to the court officials who had made heroic achievements in Guanzhong, Longxi, Luoyang and other places in recent months, Fan Jingwen, the frontline figure in the memorial ceremony, was being gagged, tied up and crossed Sanmenxia to Xi'an. On the way there.

In the days after Fan Jingwen was captured, the weather finally got warmer. He was relatively lucky. The sunny weather for several days made the journey not difficult.

In the land of Guanzhong in May, the gunpowder smoke has dissipated, and the air is filled with a faint fragrance of earth. During the harvest and planting season, every village and town along the way is busy. Fan Jingwen doesn't care and doesn't listen to what is happening outside the window.

At this moment, he was completely immersed in the storm of the past. He knew very well the consequences of Luoyang's fall. When the people's army occupied Luoyang without bloodshed, it meant that the entire hinterland of the Central Plains of the Ming Dynasty would no longer have peace.

Fan Jingwen was gagged and unable to curse, but his absent-minded eyes seemed to say that personal grievances, honors and disgrace were all clouds in his eyes. What really made him regret was that he had single-handedly betrayed the trust of His Majesty Chongzhen and the country. The military and national plan was ruined in his hands.

Of course he knew that it was difficult for Luoyang's thousands of elites and tens of thousands of miscellaneous people to resist the attack of the people's army, but this kind of humiliation and capture by betrayal by his trusted people made him even more upset. Fan Jingwen's head hung low. , as if he was shameless, he felt that in a few days, his fate had undergone earth-shaking changes, and the significance of this change was that half of his military career ended in failure.

In this way, they walked all the way to Tongguan. Before sunset, Fan Jingwen was taken to a private house next to the People's Army's First Army Headquarters at Tongguan Guard Station.

At this time, he was released from the restraints, and he no longer wanted to die. He wanted to see what tricks the other party wanted to do. Fan Jingwen entered the room and sat down on a carved cypress chair.

He looked at the chair, then at the furnishings in the room, and couldn't help but take a breath. Isn't this the same residence where he passed by on his way to Xi'an to visit friends? He was once a distinguished guest here, but now he has become a prisoner. The old cypress chair under him, which is connected to his destiny, is so familiar, as if it was just yesterday.

For the first time in his life, he felt sad.

A dusty civilian army officer walked in with his entourage.

The attendant took out a photo of Fan Jingwen and handed it to the officer. The officer looked at the photo, then at Fan Jingwen, and then returned the photo to the attendant.

"Your name is Fan Jingwen?" the People's Army officer who spoke with a slight Shandong accent and some Shaanxi accent said: "You were passed the imperial examination in the 37th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, and were awarded Jinshi in the 41st year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty. In the 47th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, he was appointed as the head of the Examination and Honors Department of the Ministry of Personnel, and was transferred to the Examination and Examination Department. In the first year of Taichang, he was a member of the Literary and Selection Department of the Jin Dynasty. He was promoted to Shaoqing of Taichang Temple in the Ministry of Rites, and was promoted to the governor of the Siyi Pavilion. In the fifth year of Tianqi's reign, he became a doctor in the Literary Selection Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Fan Jingwen looked up with a surprised look on his face. He didn't know that this officer had investigated his resume in such detail.

The officer smiled and said: "I also know more details. In the second year of Chongzhen, he was appointed as the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple. He was transferred to the right of the Duchayuan as the censor of the capital. He patrolled Henan and established martial law in the capital. He led his troops to be the Qinwang. He was promoted to the left minister of the Ministry of War and trained troops. Tongzhou. In the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, he returned to his hometown to guard the system for his father. In the seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, he served as the imperial censor of the right capital of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate, served as minister of the Ministry of War, and was counselor to the military affairs. In the eleventh year of Chongzhen's reign, he angered the emperor by rescuing Huang Daozhou and others, so he reduced his status to Tongzhou. People. In the 58th year of Chongzhen, he was summoned to restore the official position. He was transferred to the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Works. In the th year of Chongzhen, he was also a bachelor of Dongge University and joined the military affairs department. Li Zicheng invaded the capital and died by throwing himself into an ancient well next to the Shuangta Temple. years old.”

"Historical records record that Fan Jingwen was a versatile man in both civil and military affairs. He was an upright official and was known to the world. He worked hard in many difficult national affairs, worked hard and led the troops in a measured manner. He was quite accomplished in poetry and prose, and his works include the chronicle-style history book "The Martial Arts of the Zhao Dynasty" 10 volumes of "Compilation", 18 volumes of military works "Zhanshou Quanshu", 16 volumes of "Shilu", 12 volumes of poems and essays "Collected Works of Fan Wenzhong", 10 volumes of "Collected Works of Fan Wenzhong", 9 volumes of collected works "Collected Works of Fan Wenzhong" Volume, the manuscript "Fan Wenzhonggong Manuscript" is not divided into volumes, etc."

Listening to the officer reading the manuscript in his hand, Fan Jingwen opened his eyes wider and wider. Finally he heard, "Li Zicheng invaded the capital and threw himself into an ancient well next to the Shuangta Temple and died at the age of 58." He stood up suddenly and said in a trembling voice: " Who on earth are you? Making such monstrous words to confuse the public?"

"I am Yang Zeming, the commander of the First Army of the People's Army! As for who we are, you will have enough time to understand in the future, so don't beg for death. I admire your life experience in the history books, so I came here. Looking at you, but this history will be changed by us, so you don’t need to be serious. You just need to know that the emergence of our people’s army is not a bad thing for the world. Wait until you arrive in Xi’an to educate the second world. After that, you will understand and take care of yourself."

Because Yang Zeming had Fan Jingwen's information for a long time, his first impression of him was one of sympathy and sympathy for him, so he was very kind to him. Fan Jingwen was also surprised that Yang Zeming was young, he was in a high position but he was plainly dressed, and he was curious. The people's army rose up quickly. After all, there was no personal enmity between them, they just had different positions.

Therefore, Fan Jingwen was quickly relieved of his previous tension and hatred by Yang Zeming's kindness.

"Commander Yang, where are you from?" Fan Jingwen didn't know what the position of military commander was, but the guard outside the door just called him commander, so he just called him the same. "Yantai, Shandong"

"How did you end up like this?"

"I came here with my parents to make a living, but later fled the famine."

"In the 41st year of Wanli, I was an official in Dongchang Prefecture, Shandong Province. I once went to Dengzhou Prefecture. To prevent Japanese pirates from invading, I set up a Qishan garrison and built the "Wolf Smoke Tower", from which Yantai got its name."

Fan Jingwen is a talkative person and talks endlessly about the customs of Shandong. Square tables and high chairs, tall cups and thick cups, and large bowls of wine and meat are commonplace. The fine wines all have a bold and majestic style.

Yang Zeming followed Liu Ze for a long time, and his words became humorous with him. Fan Jingwen laughed from time to time.

Yang Zeming seemed to have forgotten his identity as army commander, and Fan Jingwen had also forgotten the embarrassment of being a prisoner. The two were like old friends, sitting opposite each other in this Tongguan house after the smoke had cleared.

However, this harmony did not last long. As soon as the following conversation began, the harmonious atmosphere immediately changed.

"How did you get in touch with Wang Renbai?"

"In the Xin'an County area, the Second Brigade of the First Division of our army surrounded and annihilated 3,000 of his people, and captured a thousand general named Zu Changhui. Through the letter he gave him."

"What conditions did you bribe Wang Renbai?"

"Guarantee the safety of his personal and property. Those who want to lead soldiers can continue to lead soldiers after passing the training."

"What do you do with the tens of thousands of surrendered troops in Luoyang?"

"Our people's army treats prisoners preferentially. Those who are willing to serve as soldiers and those who have no evil deeds will be broken up and reorganized into the army. Those who are not willing to serve as soldiers will be given travel expenses to go home, except for officers." Yang Zeming looked at his watch. The free time was over, and he finished: "Brother Fan, you will thank us in the future. It is not your fault that you were defeated and captured, because our existence is indeed beyond your imagination. Believe me, you will understand in the future. Tomorrow dawns Let’s go to Xi’an, goodbye!”

Yang Zeming stood up, straightened his military cap, gave a military salute, and strode away, leaving behind a tall and capable figure that made Fan Jingwen sigh with emotion, "Old, old. How old is he just said? Only twenty-four years old? Alas. ..."

Yang Zeming's attitude also made Fan Jingwen understand that the People's Army was different from all the military teams in his impression, and it had no ill intentions towards him.

In the early morning of the next day, Fan Jingwen continued to Xi'an with the westbound captive team. Most of these prisoners were Ming officers and generals who had been captured in various places. There were no ordinary soldiers. Seeing their former acquaintances, neither party was interested in reminiscing about the past. , mechanically walking with the flow of people, the donkey cart that originally carried him in the team was replaced by the wounded. Along the road along the Yellow River, the turbid river water poured into his mind, and the white mist floated into his eyes, forming a Thick dark clouds obscured his sight.

Fan Jingwen thought about the necessity of his death for his country, he thought about the important task entrusted to him by Chongzhen, and also thought about the promise he made to Chongzhen, but he was really unwilling to give in, and thought about what Yang Zeming said to let him see the so-called In the second world, he sighed deeply: "I couldn't even wash myself off if I jumped into the Yellow River!"

Tears were streaming down my face by this time.

(End of this chapter)