A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 857 Loyalty and Obedience

The army Zhang Shouyin went down from the city, and rushed towards Chongwenmen, there were crying and running people all the way, both soldiers and civilians.When I walked to the low and low alleys of this avenue, I saw all the old folks in Xiangzi with half-closed doors, their heads protruding from the cracks in the doors were all anxious, hopeful, and even more fearful.

When I came to a house, I saw the door slammed open, and a haggard and strong-looking woman in her 30s rushed out quickly, followed by a fifteen or sixteen-year-old woman with the same clothes full of patches. Patch Maiden.It was Yang Bagu, the gardener, and her daughter Niannu.

"Brother Shouyin..."

"Uncle Silver."

Bagu Yang came forward hurriedly, her expression anxious and concerned, she grabbed Zhang Shouyin's hand and looked up and down: "Let me see if you are injured while guarding the city."

Zhang Shouyin felt warm, he comforted Bagu Yang and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

He looked around and said in a low voice, "Let's go in and talk."

The three entered the house, Bagu Yang closed the door, and Zhang Shouyin tried to see if the door was closed tightly and whether it could be pushed open from the outside.Then he relaxed slightly, stretched it into his bosom, but seven or eight silver coins appeared in his hand, and put them into Yang Bagu's hand.

He said softly: "Bagu, you have been with me for a long time, and you have not been able to live a good life. Look at Niannu, the clothes are all old. You just got this money, you keep it, and plan to see how to spend it. "

Bagu Yang stared blankly at the silver coins in her hand, they were exquisite and dazzled, and the white flowers attracted people's hearts and souls. Of course, she knew the value of these silver coins. Nian Nu let out a low "Wow".

Bagu Yang tightly held the silver yuan, she tremblingly said: "Where did you get this money?"

Zhang Shouyin's expression was a bit complicated, and he said: "It was rewarded by General Fu. He gave away all his family's wealth to reward the army. He spent tens of thousands of silver dollars just by defending the city for the past two days."

Bagu Yang sighed: "The soldiers and slaves of Mr. Fu also heard that it is rare to have a good official, but there are too few such good officials in the court, so the city fell after guarding for two days....It's okay, now that the heavenly soldiers have entered the city, It's time for everyone to have a good time."

Zhang Shouyin said: "Well, the soldiers and horses have just entered the city, and they are still a little flustered. When the capital settles down, we can live a good life."

Bagu Yang snuggled into Zhang Shouyin's arms, both of them looked forward to it.

Yang Bagu's husband died early, and it was extremely hard to raise Niannu alone, while Zhang Shouyin's wife died young, and his children died in war disasters. There is such a relationship.

As for Yang Bagu's daughter, Niannu, Zhang Shouyin vaguely saw his daughter's shadow in her, loved her very much, and treated her as if he was his own, which made the hard-working mother and daughter of Yang Bagu very attached to him.

At this time, Nian Nu stood aside, she pursed her lips and smiled, feeling happy for her mother, after so many years, finally there is a man who is sincere to her.

The three of them got together right now, hearing the footsteps outside and the sound of crying, they were a little frightened, Bagu Yang couldn't help but said: "Don't be afraid, shopkeeper Tian said that heavenly soldiers don't kill people, don't love money, don't rob. Let everyone be safe."

At this time, the door suddenly slammed loudly, which shocked the three of them, and Nian Nu even screamed out.

Zhang Shouyin held her mother and daughter in his arms and listened to the movement outside. Fortunately, after this sound, there were no other sounds outside the door, which made him feel at ease.

I don't know how long it took before I heard the sound of horseshoes outside, galloping around in the streets and alleys, and then some orders with a Shaanxi accent said: "People are not allowed to open the door, open the door and kill!"

Bagu Yang heard this, and hurriedly said: "Niannu, follow me to look around, which doors and windows are not closed tightly."

They were busy looking around, and heard the sound of closing doors and houses in the streets and alleys outside. After an unknown period of time, another voice shouted: "Whoever opens the door will not be killed!"

They opened the door anxiously, the night outside was a little dark, they looked around, and saw that the neighbors were pasting something on the door, and many of them were still holding incense in their hands.Bagu Yang looked at the neighbors in the neighborhood, and saw the word "Shunmin" stuck on the door, and there was a book "Long Live the King of Shuntian in the first year of Yongchang".

Bagu Yang hurriedly said: "Niannu, hurry up and find some incense." She herself was busy with Zhang Shouyin to write the words "Shunmin" and so on. She wrote them crookedly and pasted them on the door.

As soon as it was glued, there was the sound of footsteps not far away, accompanied by the sound of horseshoes stamping on the ground, and under the banner, a neat army of soldiers came in line.The soldiers and civilians in every street and alley are holding incense and setting up their gates. Wherever soldiers and horses pass by, they all raise incense and greet them, shouting: "Long live the King of Dashun."

A sound of long live spread over, and seeing all the neighbors knelt down with incense sticks, Bagu Yang and the other three hurriedly knelt down with incense sticks.

Zhang Shouyin took a sneak peek, and felt that Dashun's soldiers and horses were serious, so he didn't dare to look at them. He held the incense high, knelt on the ground, buried his head deeply, and shouted: "Long live the King of Dashun."

……

On the Dongzhi Gate, the thieves continued to climb up the city wall. The guards not only did not refuse, but also helped them enter the city.Hearing the opening of the city gate below, there was cheering from the bandits, and the overwhelming sound of long live.Wang Jiayan, the assistant manager of the Beijing Camp and the right servant of the Ministry of War, sighed, looked at everything in front of him with blurred eyes, and jumped off the tower.

At this time, it was Xu time on the [-]th, from [-]:[-] to [-]:[-] in the evening. I heard that the outer city fell, and the bandits came up from the corner tower of Dongzhimen, and the big city fell.

Like the outer city, the inner city was soon on fire. Wen Dongzhimen opened, Cheng Guogong Zhu Chunchen who defended Chaoyangmen, and Minister of War Zhang Jinyan who defended Zhengyangmen also opened two gates to welcome the surrender.The great eunuch Wang Xiangyao led thousands of internal soldiers to guard Xuanwu Gate, and also opened the gate and knelt down.

During the incident, Guang Shiheng and the supervisory censor Wang Zhang were patrolling the city. At this time, they were inspecting Xuanwu Gate. When Wang Xiangyao opened the city gate, Guang Shiheng's expression remained unchanged, and he knelt down to welcome him.Wang Zhang sighed and slammed his head against the edge of the city gate.

On the Zhengyang Gate, Meng Zhaoxiang, the right servant of the Ministry of Punishment, watched the thieves marching in line. Zhang Jinyan, Minister of the Ministry of War, knelt on the ground and remained motionless. He was silent and slowly drew out the sword at his waist.His son, the Jinshi Meng Zhangming, burst into tears, but just knelt on the ground silently.

After his father suddenly committed suicide, he returned to the mansion with his father's body on his back, and said to his wife, Wang Shi: "I can't bear to die alone, I will obey my lord."

His wife said: "If you die, I will die too."

Meng Zhangming staggered his head and said: "Madam Xie, but Madam must die first."

He sent all his family members out, leaving only one maidservant by his side. After his wife hanged herself, he took a pen and wrote a poem, and wrote it on the wall of a large book: "Whoever insults the corpses of my husband and wife, I will kill them for the ghosts."

He took one door and put it under his wife's body, added the scarlet clothes, and took another door and put it on the left side of his wife, and told the servant girl, "I will also put it on the door when I die."

Then he hanged himself in scarlet clothes.

……

The thieves kept entering the inner city, and there was a lot of people everywhere. Fan Jingwen, a scholar and Minister of the Ministry of Industry, listened to the movement outside, and sighed: "As a minister, you can't make achievements from the battlefield, even if you die, Xi Yi!" He had not eaten for three days, and his voice could not continue. With the support of his family, he knelt down and kowtowed three times and nine times in the direction of the Forbidden City, and wrote two poems.

Ni Yuanlu, Minister of the Household Department and Bachelor of Attendant, heard the sound of thieves riding outside and shouting at the people's quick offering of mules and horses, and sighed: "The country is here, and the death of the minister is more than responsible." kindness.He also told his family: "If you want to bury it, you must make a big burial before you can collect my body." He died by hanging.

Shi Bangyao, the censor of the left capital, heard that the thieves had entered, wept loudly, and wrote an inscription on the table: "I am ashamed that I have no half-measures to make things right, but I have a small body to repay the Lord's favor." Then he hanged himself.

Ling Yiqu, Qing of Dali Temple, burned all the books written on his life and commented on the stalls. Father." Touching the pillar with his head, he bled to death.

That night, the commander of Jin Yiwei made Wang Guoxing hang himself to death.

Li Ruogui, commander of Jin Yiwei, guarded the Chongwen Gate, and when the city fell, he wrote a death sentence: "Dead! It is today's matter. Sad! Why do future generations know." Hanged himself to death.

Gao Wencai, a thousand households of Jinyiwei guarded Xuanwu Gate, the city fell, and all 17 members of his family committed suicide.

Liu Wenbing, Marquis of Xinle, heard that the thieves had broken into the inner city, and sighed: "As a minister of Qi, you should not be humiliated. You must share the same difficulties with the country." cast it.The grandmother Mrs. Ying Guotai, the emperor's grandmother, was over ninety years old, and she also died in a well.

Gong Yonggu, the governor of the son-in-law, heard that the thieves had broken into the inner city, killed his beloved horse, burned his bow, knife and armor, and wrote on the wall: "The world has received the grace of the country, and the body cannot be humiliated." At that time, Princess Le'an died first, and ordered The first fire was raised outside, and the fire burned, and the five children and their children threw themselves into the fire and died.

When the bandits were attacking the city in a hurry, Wai Lang Jinxuan, a member of the Ministry of War, knelt in front of his mother, Zhang, and said: "My son has received the grace of the country and served as a driver. If the city breaks down, you will die if you are righteous. If you get a secluded place, you can hide your mother. Fortunately, go quickly. The mother said: "You have received the grace of the country, and I have not received the grace of the country alone? It is urgent. I will die in the well."

Jin Xuan wept bitterly, resigned from his mother and went to inspect the matter. When he arrived at the Yuhe Bridge, he heard that the inner city had fallen.His mother, Mrs. Zhang, also died in a well, and her concubine, Mrs. Wang, also died.His younger brother, Zhu Shengjin, cried loudly: "When my mother dies, I will die. However, my mother has not returned to the soil, so I dare not die." He took the coffin to enshrine his mother, threw it into the well again and died.

Zuo Zhongyun Liu Lishun, the number one scholar in Qi County, led thieves into the inner city, and wrote a pen on the wall: "Being benevolent and taking righteousness, as taught by Confucius and Mencius. Wen Xin practiced it, why should I not." Then he drank wine and committed suicide. His wife Wan Shi, his concubine Li Shi, his son Xiaolian, and 18 maidservants were hanged to death after closing the door.

At that time, it was said that the minister died to the king, the wife died to the husband, the son died to the father, the servant died to the master, and the martyrs of a family were Liu Zhuangyuan as the most.

……

On the [-]th, the inner and outer walls of the capital were destroyed, and the ministers who died immediately included Fan Jingwen, a scholar of the Dongge University, Wang Jiayan, the minister of the Ministry of War, Meng Zhaoxiang, the minister of the Ministry of Justice, Shi Bangyao, the left deputy governor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Ling Yiqu, the minister of Dali Temple, and Wu Linzheng, the minister of Taichang Temple. Ten people died for the righteousness in their hearts.

On the [-]th day, there was still light rain and light snow, and the sky was covered with smoke and flames inside and outside the capital. At the hour of the hour, a bandit horse team entered the Forbidden City and went straight to the Qianqing Palace.At this time, there was great chaos in the palace, and many palace people had just escaped when they encountered thieves and fled in hastily.

Wei, a palace man, shouted: "Thieves enter the palace, and our generation will be polluted. Those who are interested will make a plan early." Then he jumped into the Yuhe River to die, and 200 people were collected from the dead in an instant.

At noon, Li Zicheng, dressed in felted hats, rode black horses and several hundred fine riders, and entered through Desheng Gate. The eunuch Wang Dehua led 300 members of his staff to kneel at Desheng Gate to meet him. Li Zicheng ordered him to be in charge of the Rites , the seal officials of each supervisory bureau welcome the same.

They turned around the Daming Gate and then entered the Forbidden City, accompanied by Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, Song Qijiao and other civil officials, and Liu Zongmin, Li Guo and other generals.Li Zicheng entered from the gate of West Chang'an, bowed his bow and looked up to the sky, laughing loudly.

Said: "If you shoot the middle character, the world will be peaceful."

Unexpectedly, an arrow was shot on the corrugated wall, and Song Xiance comforted him: "Shoot in the ditch, with the Huai River as the boundary."

They went to Chengtian Gate again, Li Zicheng was complacent, and saw the words "Chengtian Gate" on the archway, then bent his bow and pointed to the doorpost and said: "If I can be the Lord of the World, then I will shoot an arrow in the center of the four characters."

Unexpectedly, the shot missed again, and when the shot hit the sky, Li Zicheng bowed his head and was unhappy. Niu Jinxing said: "If you hit the bottom, you will divide the world."

Li Zicheng was overjoyed, threw his bow and smiled.

They entered the palace and asked where the emperor was. Wang Dehua had a complicated expression, and led everyone to the Huangji Hall, which had been burnt into ruins and still smoldering.

Li Zicheng and others were shocked to see a corpse sitting on the dragon throne, and another corpse prostrating in front of Emperor Daxing, both of which were scorched black by the fire.

Li Zicheng was surprised: "This is the emperor? Who is the person next to him?"

At this time, some eunuchs couldn't bear it any longer, and threw themselves to the side crying, saying "Your Majesty", and others crying "Wang Gonggong".

Wang Dehua wept and said: "This is the Emperor Chongzhen, and the person next to him is the eunuch Wang Chengen. Although it was destroyed by the fire, the general body shape and appearance are not wrong, and the servants will not admit mistakes."

Li Zicheng and others called some eunuchs who had served the emperor in the palace. They either trembled and pointed out, or cried for His Majesty.

Li Zicheng had no doubts anymore, looked at the scorched corpse on the dragon seat, sitting upright, looking up, the raging fire burned his body, but he couldn't move him on the seat, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "The emperor is so strong!"

He looked at Wang Chengen's corpse beside him, and sighed, "There are such loyal servants."

He didn't know what it was like, according to his heart, he really wanted to see Emperor Chongzhen, but there was only the charred corpse in front of him.

Behind Li Zicheng, Niu Jinxing, Liu Zongmin and others were also amazed, all of them had complicated expressions. Li Yan sighed and slowly closed his eyes.

At this moment, everyone suddenly saw a white light rising from the sky, flashing for a long time.

One exclaimed in surprise: "This is the aura of the emperor, reaching up to the sky."

Li Zicheng looked at it for a long time, finally sighed, and ordered that the emperor who was buried with the emperor's ceremony should be honored with the king's ceremony. 23. On the day of the funeral, go out of Ziguan Er, and use red lacquer to bury the emperor, add the emperor's wings and good crown, and set up an altar. All the officials can't help but worship.

……

After ordering this matter, Li Zicheng and others remembered a very important thing, that is, the prince and others were gone, as well as the empress, concubine Yuan Gui and others were all gone, and they were not available in Dasuo Palace.

They discussed, Li Guo said that in the middle of the night last night, there were many soldiers and horses from various sects breaking out, could the prince and others be among them?After all, the capital is vast, and it is impossible for soldiers and horses to besiege in groups, and the horse soldiers cannot patrol around in the dark night, so it is very possible for them to escape.

Niu Jinxing said that it may also be hiding among the people, and it must be rewarded and severely punished. This is a major event and should not be ignored.

Li Zicheng agreed, and he ordered that the prince and the two kings be offered, both of whom would be rewarded with ten thousand gold, and be made earls, and those who dared to hide would be of the Yi nationality.

Liu Zongmin and Niu Jinxing issued a notice: "Looking at all the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty, all of them will enter the court on the next day. First, you must have a manuscript of characters, a blue cap, and go to the government to register. Those who are willing to return to their hometowns are at their own discretion. Those who are willing to serve as officials, Promoting talents according to their ability. Those who can’t resist and disobey will be severely punished. They hide in their homes and sit together when they go away.

They sent people to the six ministries of the five prefectures, and each yamen, and ordered the chief squad to sign up for their own officials.

……

The capital fell on the second day, and the news of the emperor's death spread rapidly in all directions like a thunderbolt.

Hui'anbo Zhang Qingzhen heard that the city had fallen, scattered all his belongings and relatives, bought wine and drank together with his family, accumulated salaries around, and the whole family burned to death.When Xuancheng Bowei heard about the change in the spring, his whole family went to the well to die, and there was no survivor.Chen Zhenda, governor of Shuntian Prefecture, committed suicide.

Xu Yan, a student in Changzhou, heard of the changes in the capital, was utterly mournful, and wrote the four characters "Chongzhen Shengshang" all over his body, and died within seven days of dying.

Upon hearing that the capital had fallen, the Marquis of Yongning, Wangdou, led the generals and rushed into Xuanfu Town. At this time, Li Banghua, Zhu Zhifeng, Wei Jingyuan, Cai Maode, etc. all gathered in the town.They originally thought that the capital was strong and they could hold on until they sent troops to the Protectorate, but now all their hopes were lost, so they all had the ambition to die for their country.

Du Xun, the eunuch in charge of Xuanfu Town, wanted to hang himself, but Bai Ling had already set it up. He went up and down many times, but in the end he did not dare to commit suicide. He wailed: "No, our family cannot die, and the people of Xuanfu Town cannot die." Without me." He howled loudly, and the little eunuch beside him was also crying.

When Wang Dou arrived, more than 100 officials, gentry and students had already gathered in front of Li Banghua’s mansion. They all followed Li Banghua to Zhencheng Ji’an Guild Hall to worship Wen Tianxiang. Take the loyal heart to reflect the history. Today, I ride up on the Jitian, and my children and grandchildren will admire their names for a hundred generations."

When Wei Jingyuan, governor of Datong, came, he also left his last words to his mother: "My mother is over eighty years old, so she should take care of herself. Son, minister of the country, you must die."

All the rest have their own titles.

Wang Dou saw that many of them knew each other and many of them didn't.Those who knew Li Banghua, Zhu Zhifeng, Wei Jingyuan, Cai Maode, Ma Guoxi, Wu Zhi, and even the original subordinate, the official Feng Dachang, were also in the crowd.People who don't know each other have firm expressions, full of determination.

Seeing Wang Dou approaching, Li Banghua saluted and gave alms. He knew what Wang Dou was going to say, and said: "The master humiliated the subject to death, and the subject is divided. What can the husband say? Now that there is Yongning Marquis in the Ming Dynasty, I have no regrets."

He said: "The old man has received the grace of the country, but he is ashamed that he has no half-measures to deal with the difficulties. Only a small body can repay the Lord's grace. Marquis Yongning, please let me do this loyalty and filial piety, and die for the righteousness in my heart."

Wang Dou looked at Zhu Zhifeng, the tough old man said: "The Lord is worried about the humiliation of the ministers, and we can't save them. The disaster has come to this point, and the only way to repay the country is to die. There is a king in Xuanfu Town, Feng, don't worry about your ears."

Cai Maode gave a deep salute to Wang Dou, he raised his head, his frail body was full of determination: "A dignified husband, a sage is a disciple, let him be shot to death."

Wang Dou looked at Ma Guoxi, the tactful soldier in Wang Dou's heart before, and said, "Being loyal and filial, Guoxi must not die."

Wu Zhi, the magistrate of Yanqing Prefecture, saluted Wang Dou deeply and remained silent.

Wang Dou finally looked at the official Feng Dachang. This former subordinate of Wang Dou suddenly bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, Dachang can only repay you in the next life!"

More than 100 of them straightened their clothes and said in unison: "We are deeply favored by the country, and we should die to show our ambitions and do our best!"

Firewood and kerosene had been prepared inside and outside the mansion, and then the servants lit the firewood, and the fire slowly ignited, and finally the whole mansion became a raging fire. Li Banghua and others laughed, and they bowed to each other, saying: "Please."

"Please."

They looked calm and walked into the fire like that. All their family members bowed down outside, sobbing and choking.

Everyone was silent behind Wang Dou, Wang Dou slowly closed his eyes, and he sighed: "Oh, my Confucianism academy is empty."

His tears poured out uncontrollably.

Ah, this great dynasty, this great civilization, how can I not miss it.She has all kinds of faults, such and such shortcomings, but the flickering light still makes people unable to control themselves.This dynasty is so heartbreaking and deplorable, and I yearn for it.

She is so elegant, with gorgeous clothes and elegant etiquette, which has never been seen after the death of the Ming Dynasty, and the elegant and pure Han culture has been cut off.

There are so many loyal ministers and righteous men in her. There are more than a thousand officials and scholars who were martyred in the Jiashen Kingdom, and more than eight thousand people who died in battle and died in the country to pursue their posthumous posthumous titles. Such a large number of martyrs will no longer exist in the post-Ming dynasty, and there will be no more. There will be again.

She is so tenacious, awe-inspiring, heroic, and calm, even after the subjugation of the country, she resisted for such a long time and resisted so fiercely.

How brilliant and unforgettable her civilization is.

Ah, I will always remember her.

I will not hinder these people who sacrifice their lives for righteousness, I will respect their choices.

All I can do is miss them, so remember them.

Facing the burning mansion, Wang Dou saluted deeply.

(End of this chapter)