Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 2 Scholar, died in the wild
Wang Yan thought very clearly. Hearing the voice, there were only about a hundred cavalrymen, and there were about two hundred of them here, and there were about forty of them who could hold a knife and kill people.

Although these people are not trained soldiers, as long as there are not many horse thieves and they guard against danger, they still have a chance.

But when Wang Yan ascended the horizon, his plan was doomed to fail.

I saw a fire dragon suddenly appearing on the originally dark official road, stretching for several miles.Countless people lit torches, there were thousands of people, they descended from the official road one after another, and rushed to the village all over the mountains and plains!
What kind of horse thief is this? It's clearly an army crossing the border!

In the land of Beizhili, there has long been no officers and soldiers, so it can only be Li Chuang's men and horses.

A sense of powerlessness came to Wang Yan immediately, causing him to sigh deeply. Unexpectedly, it had been more than a month since he escaped from the capital, and he would still fall into the hands of the bandits in the end.

Facing thousands of troops, even if Zhuge was alive, he would have no power to fight back.All Wang Yan could do was to report the facts. As for resistance, it was unnecessary to think about it.

Chuangjun is trapped in the capital, so he can no longer be regarded as a bandit. It is expected that ordinary people will not be embarrassing. This has made most people lose their determination to resist. As for them, the former scholars, nobles, and officials, they can only resign themselves to fate. up.

After several people who wanted to escape from the village were forced back by stumbling, the cavalry finally appeared outside the gate of the courtyard.

Just as Wang Yan judged, there were only about a hundred riders. They wore messy cotton clothes and looked very poor, but the chilling aura they exuded made people dare not take a peek.

The cavalry rode forward, but did not rush in immediately, which made everyone in the courtyard slightly relieved, only a few nobles still looked ashen.

They are inextricably linked with Lao Zhu's family. Scholars and officials can surrender, but they cannot. Even if they surrender, it is impossible for them to end well.

"Brother Shi Heng, I have something to ask, and I hope you will definitely agree to it." At some time, Xu Zhi was already standing beside Wang Yan, looking at the cavalry outside the courtyard gate, he said in a daze.

It was only then that Wang Yan found Xu Zhi standing beside him. He was dressed in an official robe, and his expression was a little dazed, but there was a trace of determination in his eyes.This surprised Wang Yan, nobles and rich people were busy changing into commoner clothes, Mr. Xu is well dressed in official robes, afraid that Chuang Jun will not know that he is a member of the imperial court?Or are you finally ready to be a thief?
Wang Yan was a little disappointed for a while, he had already decided to follow his mentor and let Chuangjun see the strength of scholar-bureaucrats, so he stopped responding to Xu Zhi.

At this time, outside the gate of the courtyard, the cavalry had surrounded the armored general and came to the gate.This man was about forty years old, quite majestic, he looked at the people standing at the door, raised his whip in his hand, pointed at them and said: "I am Zhao Yingyuan, the mighty general of the Dashun Dynasty, wait for who is in charge here!"

After fleeing for more than a month, but the result is still the same, this may be destiny.Wang Yan took a deep breath and was about to walk towards Zhao Yingyuan, but before he could move, he was grabbed by Xu Zhi beside him.

Wang Yan looked back at Xu Zhi in surprise, but he heard him say softly: "I am a minister of the country, I should have died early, but Ran Yan'er was innocent. Her mother died early, take good care of her for me!"

Wang Yan was taken aback, and his heart tightened suddenly, but Xu Zhi had already flung the official robe in front of him, and strode out. "I, Xu Zhi, a member of the Ministry of Officials of the Ming Dynasty, is in charge!" He shouted loudly as he walked, and finally stopped in front of Zhao Yingyuan's horse.

"Oh, since you are a senior member of the former dynasty, and I have captured him now, you may surrender." Zhao Yingyuan had noticed Xu Zhi long ago, he was stationed in Shandong under the order of King Chuang, and he needed the assistance of officials and scholars, so he said sincerely.

But Xu Zhi replied without even thinking about it: "I am a Jinshi of the Chongzhen Dynasty, a disciple of the Son of Heaven, and I don't want to be a thief!"

Hearing this, Zhao Yingyuan couldn't help being taken aback, many of the former chief ministers in the capital had surrendered, but why he couldn't even submit to Yuanwailang.For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a little angry, and threatened with a ferocious face: "If you don't surrender me, you will know the consequences!"

Faced with threats, Xu Zhi said resolutely: "I want to die quickly!" After finishing speaking, he closed his eyes and remained silent.

In Wang Yan's mind, since Xu Zhi did not die when the capital was destroyed, he must have taken life and death very seriously. It is entirely possible for such a person to surrender, but he did not expect that when he was captured, he would be like this decision.

This made him full of shock and shame, and at the same time made his blood surge. He studied hard for more than ten years in a cold window, and what he learned was loyalty, filial piety and righteousness.When he was in the capital, he was persuaded by his mentor to live alone, but today he doesn't want to escape again.

Seeing that Xu Zhi closed his eyes and waited to die, Wang Yandun had the heart to live and die together. If he was a mere referee, he would enjoy the power of a scholar-bureaucrat, and if he died for loyalty, death would be like living!

But when Wang Yan made up his mind, he remembered Xu Zhi's explanation, and he couldn't help turning his head to find out where Xu Yanyan was.

Behind him, a 13-year-old girl was streaming down two lines of tears, leaving two fair marks on her soot-covered face.Wang Yan couldn't help feeling a pain in his heart when he saw it. This must be the reason why Xu Zhi didn't follow the emperor at the beginning.

"If you don't surrender me, then I can't keep you, but I admire Xu Yuanwai's loyalty, take it off and leave a whole body!" Xu Zhi's resoluteness does not seem to be fake, which makes Zhao Yingyuan very annoyed, but Han people have always respected you. He feels a little sorry for the loyal people, but he still won't spare his life when he treats those who don't surrender.

After speaking, Xu Zhi was dragged out by a warrior, but he didn't say a word, but looked at Wang Yan with pleading eyes.Looking at each other, Wang Yan felt a twinge of pain in his heart. He watched Xu Zhi being dragged backwards, his eyes misty, he understood that Xu Zhi was worried about something, and a sense of responsibility immediately surged in his heart, and he couldn't help pointing at him heavily. Nodding his head, he saw Xu Zhi close his eyes in relief.

At this time, Xu Yanyan, who was already crying with pear blossoms and rain, couldn't bear it anymore. Seeing her father being dragged to execution, she burst into tears and squeezed out of the crowd.

Wang Yan was shocked when he saw this, he didn't care about the loyalty and the strength of the scholar-bureaucrats.At this moment, he only remembered Xu Zhizhi's entrustment in his heart, he only knew that he nodded and wanted to protect Xu Yanyan.

A gentleman promises to travel thousands of miles alone, and he must keep it.

Taking advantage of Zhao Yingyuan and the others' attention being on Xu Zhi, Wang Yan hurriedly retreated into the crowd, holding Xu Yanyan back and blocking him.

At this time, Zhao Yingyuan finally turned his gaze to the courtyard, but without Xu Zhi, his interest in the people in the courtyard has faded, and he has no intention of wasting any more time.He raised his horsewhip and pointed at the people in the courtyard and said coldly: "Put down the leader, and the rest will serve as the front army."

After Zhao Yingyuan finished speaking, he hit the horse, turned the horse's head, and the soldiers behind him immediately separated a passage.

When he and his personal guard left, a military academy immediately got off his horse, pulled out a long knife at his waist and ordered loudly: "Come in with me, anyone who dares to resist, and anyone who doesn't listen to orders, will be chopped to death with the knife!"

None of the people dared to stop the wolves and tigers from breaking into the army, and all squatted in the courtyard according to his request.At this time Xu Yanyan completely collapsed and lost her mind, she just kept crying instinctively.Fortunately, her good education kept her from crying, but her petite body kept sniffling, which made Wang Yan even more uncomfortable. He couldn't imagine the consequences of such a lovely and pitiful little girl falling into the hands of the bandits.

Soldiers of the Chuang army walked up and down among the crowd with swords in their hands, and some people were identified from time to time.

This was the most common method used in the early days of the Chuang army. Every time a city was destroyed, the officials and gentry were killed, and the elders of the clan were killed. The habits of the peasant army make it difficult to make a big deal.

The rich and distinguished people in the crowd were pulled out one by one. Although some of them put on civilian clothes, their temperament, better skin and body betrayed their identities formed by long-term pampering.

This group of Chuangjun is obviously very experienced, and they have done such things a lot, picking out a dozen people from the crowd in a short time.

In their view, those who can grow fat these days are definitely either rich or expensive, and they should be killed.

Seeing this, Wang Yan couldn't help feeling anxious. He was fine. He had escaped for more than a month, relying on his old legs.But Xu Yanyan is not easy to pass the test, she is a delicate little beauty, although she has smeared some soot, she can still see a thing or two.

At the moment, Wang Yan didn't care about Confucian etiquette and the defense of men and women, so he grabbed a pile of dog shit beside him and smeared it on Xu Yanyan's body.Xu Yanyan was naturally taken aback by his behavior, she actually stopped her tears, she stared at Wang Yan with beautiful eyes full of tears, as if she didn't understand what he was doing.

Seeing her like this, Wang Yan felt a pain in his heart, he is such a lady, he has almost fallen into today's situation.Wang Yan didn't stop moving his hands until he dressed Xu Yanyan, who was carrying a faint fragrance, into an ugly and dirty little beggar.

The screening action of Chuangjun is not very strict, and it is irrelevant if there are occasional mistakes or omissions!After all, human life in troubled times is as cheap as a dog!

Wang Yan and Xu Yanyan were very lucky. After smelling the bad smell of excrement, one of the intruders frowned and didn't come forward. They escaped unharmed, but those who were pulled out were not so lucky. up.The Chuangjun left a few soldiers to guard the courtyard, and then pressed the ashen-faced people out, just outside the gate of the courtyard, lined up, the soldiers raised their knives and fell, a dozen fresh lives, instantly The head fell to the ground.

The blood splattered all over the ground, turning the muddy road red, which was shocking.

After killing people, the Chuangjun drove out all the people in the courtyard. This place is no longer a place for prisoners, only officers can live.

The invading army composed of poor people defeated the old landlords and nobles, and now they have become the new rich.Peasant uprisings in all dynasties have been like this, and it seems that they are not very advanced.

The people were driven out of the courtyard, and they were not allowed to carry any belongings. Under the pressure of the soldiers, they walked out of the village.

When passing by the corpse and the blood on the ground, Wang Yan tried his best to block Xu Yanyan's sight, fearing that the little girl would be hit again, but when he walked outside the village, the scene that broke Xu Yanyan still happened.

There is a person hanging under the big tree at the entrance of the village, the white pheasant pattern on the blue official robe is lifelike, if it is not Xu Zhi, who is it! The 13-year-old girl couldn't bear such a blow, she passed out after just one glance.

As the cold wind blew, Wang Yan carried Xu Yanyan on his back and continued walking. The rope behind him dangled with the corpse. This is the precarious Ming Dynasty!
　Thank you Brother Chenmang for your support, you are the first reader to vote, thank you for your encouragement.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)