Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 229 Hong Chengchou Was Assassinated

Since Doduo decided to sweep the eastern part of Zhejiang, he immediately acted vigorously and ordered Dorobe Le Boluo to select 20 elites and prepare to march south three days later.

There is a saying that before the soldiers and horses move, the food and grass go first. The reason why Duoduo was able to gather the food, grass and materials needed by the army in such a short period of time, apart from the extraordinary ability of the great Han thief Hong Chengchou, is mainly because the Qing government occupied the south of the Yangtze River. The assets of countless Han people were plundered, and the materials and money in their hands were extremely abundant.

In the Ming Dynasty, the gentry loved money, and they were unwilling to donate their money when the country was in trouble.

In the last years of Emperor Yizong, the court's finances collapsed. In mid-February, the emperor issued an order to donate payment, instructing the honorable relatives, eunuchs, and officials to repay their duties, with 3 taels of silver as the top priority.

The matter of paying salaries is not an advisable policy, but since the emperor has ordered, the honored emperor's relatives will receive the state's grace, and when the court is in danger, there will be no eggs under the nest, and the honored emperor's relatives will do it for their own benefit. , should also contribute to the country, but after the emperor's order was issued, the dignitaries did not care about each other.

Seeing this, Emperor Yizong had to send Xu Gao, an internal official, to secretly tell Zhou Kui, the father of Empress Zhou, Jiading Bo, to accept 12 taels of silver and set an example for other ministers, but Zhou Kui refused to agree, saying that he was an "old minister." And how much money?" He insisted that he could only donate 1 taels.

As the emperor's father-in-law, Zhou Kui received more than ten thousand taels of favors on weekdays. The emperor thought it was too little and asked him to give at least twenty thousand taels.Zhou Kui gritted his teeth and refused, but Zhou Hou really couldn't see it, so he secretly sent someone to send 5000 taels, but Zhou Kui not only refused to add a copper, but withheld two thousand of the silver sent by Zhou Hou. Only 3000 taels were accepted, and the actual donation was a negative amount.

Among the nobles of the Manchu Dynasty, only Taikang Bo Zhang Guoji lost [-] taels of silver and was promoted to Marquis.Donations from civil and military officials range from a few dozen taels to a few hundred taels, just to suit the occasion.

Soon after Dashun's army entered the city, 53 taels of silver were found from Zhou Kui's house, and other property was also worth several 10 taels. In Beijing, Dashun only collected more than [-] taels of stolen goods and subsidies.

It is certainly inappropriate for Emperor Yizong to order to donate salaries, but at the most critical moment of the country, the royal relatives love money so much, the upper class nobles of the country are like this, and the general gentry love money, which can be seen in the Ming Dynasty.

The land in the south of the Yangtze River has always been anti-tax, but the commercial tax levied by the imperial court is actually not heavy.

After the Qing army went south, the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River suddenly realized when the country was in crisis. military resources.

Before Wang Yan entered Chu, he tried every means to raise military expenses, but the Qing court had no worries in this regard, and could slaughter gentry in the south of the Yangtze River unscrupulously to obtain money.

The world says that keeping a business is far more difficult than starting a business, and disruptors often have more advantages than keepers.

The Manchu Qing ruled over half of China with small clans outside the Guan, and most of their money came from destruction and looting, but the Southern Ming court could not harm its own people. The Qing court relied on the wealth obtained from looting to give wisdom to the common people, reducing taxes and exempting them from buying People's hearts, but Nanming did not have such ill-gotten gains, and had to collect taxes, or even increase taxes, to maintain the operation of the court and fight against the Qing court. In the long run, both finances and people's hearts were not good for Nanming.

At this time, relying on the materials looted by the Qing court in the south of the Yangtze River, Duoduo easily organized an army of 20 to attack eastern Zhejiang, and Hou Fangyu's rudder order was also spread throughout Jinling.

In the second year of Longwu, the first year of Lu Jianguo, and the third year of Shunzhi in Qing Dynasty, on February 29, Duoduo's conscripts from the south of the Yangtze River gathered in the outskirts of Jiangning.

In the early morning, Duoduo handed over the affairs of Jiangning to Hong Chengchou, and then surrounded by guards, he rode out of the city on horseback, and all the officials in Jiangning sent him off.

On the street, teams of Qing soldiers stood on both sides of the street, isolating the common people. Duoduo rode on tall horses, majestic and majestic.

The common people along the street were all ordered to bow their heads and kneel, and they were immediately beaten by the Qing soldiers for any disrespectful behavior.

In the restaurants on both sides of the street, several windows were opened with a crack in the door, and a dozen men, with serious faces, watched a group of people walking slowly on the street from the crack.

They were dressed in strong clothes, and there were long knives on the table, and even bows and arrows and hand controls.

In the past dynasties of China, except for the extremely abnormal Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, other dynasties basically did not prohibit the possession of weapons by the people. Of course, sophisticated armor, bows, firearms, etc. are still not allowed.

"Xiangzhu, the captive chief Duoduo is here, let's do it~"

At the window, a man gently lowered the window, closed the gap, and turned his head to the heroic middle-aged man with sword eyebrows and staring eyes.

The middle-aged man glanced at the many congregants with cold sweat dripping on their foreheads, stood up, and walked to the window: "Who is Doduo? Everyone here must be very familiar with it. We gathered here today to get rid of this Thieves, prevent the Qing soldiers from going south. This operation is extremely risky. We will take care of our family members. The Tiandihui will take care of them with all our heart. Gentlemen, Confucius said to achieve benevolence, and Meng said to obtain righteousness. Today is the time for us to achieve righteousness. Anti-Qing Fuming, Let's encourage each other!"

Many members of the congregation heard the words, their faces were solemn, and they all echoed in a low voice: "Tiandihui, fight against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty, and kill for righteousness."

Seeing that everyone finished speaking, Xiangzhu distributed a piece of poison to everyone, and then he personally picked up a bow and arrow and leaned against the window.

He didn't choose the hand system, because the accuracy of the firearms is really not flattering. Although the power of the bow and arrow is small, he is sure to hit it.

At this time, Hou Fangyu was riding on a horse in the queue on the street, closely behind Hong Chengchou. He looked at Duoduo in front of him, who was already approaching the Baifanlou where Tiandihui was ambushing, and he couldn't help feeling very nervous.

At this time, he was about to slow down to avoid being accidentally injured by the congregation, but suddenly he heard a shout, three men kneeling by the street suddenly stood up, suddenly raised their hands, and a sleeve arrow shot directly at his waist, Hong Chengchou on the side He was also hit by two arrows.

Hou Fangyu and Hong Chengchou screamed and fell off their horses. Seeing this, many officials were in confusion. The Qing soldiers guarding Duoduo immediately raised their shields and surrounded him.

The three men succeeded in the assassination and did not leave. One of them even laughed loudly, "Chen dialect in Fujian, now we have eliminated the country's thieves, life is very lucky, and we will not disgrace the name of our ancestors."

Duoduo, who was on the horse, saw the sudden scene and was furious. He quickly scolded the Qing soldiers to take the three of them down.

At this time in the restaurant, the incense master saw this and couldn't help saying angrily: "Whose man is this, why are you assassinating at this time, don't you have a big concern for us."

The congregation saw that the Qing soldiers were already guarding Duoduo, and quickly asked: "Master Xiang, what should we do now?
(End of this chapter)