Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 749 Undercurrent
The night of the building boat night Xueguazhou crossing, Tiema Qiufeng cleared.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, the importance of Guazhou Ferry was self-evident. The loss of Guazhou Ferry basically meant that the northern soldiers were going to cross the river.

Guazhoudu is in the south of Yangzhou, and Hong Chengchou set up a fort here to cooperate with the Zhenjiang fort in the south to ensure the normal operation of the Grand Canal. Withdrew to Nanjing, followed by movement in the direction of Nanjing. The artillery was transported to Guab Mountain opposite Nanjing to control the river near Nanjing.

In addition, Hong Chengchou also built a fort on the sandbar of Dinghuai Gate at the mouth of the Qinhuai River.

The Hekou Fort is in the west, and the Guabu Mountain Fort is in the east, which just prevented the Ming army from entering the Qinhuai River and threatening the city wall in the northern section of Nanjing that is close to the Yangtze River.

Now the Qing army controls the northern section of the river outside Nanjing with two forts, and Duoduo keeps sending Qing troops into Nanjing from the north of the river, so the Ming army basically has nothing to fight in this battle.

At this time, these two forts became the places that the Ming army must attack and the Qing army must protect.

If the Ming army took down the two forts, the navy would be able to control the river and completely cut off the connection between Nanjing and the outside world. If the Qing army kept the two forts, it would be able to receive continuous support from Jiangbei. Sooner or later, Wang Yan It was dragged down under the city of Nanjing.

In view of this, Hong Chengchou sent Zhengbai Banner Jialaer Zhensun Youguang to guard the Hekou Fort, and the Guabu Mountain Fort, and sent general Zu Zeyuan to guard it.

These two people are not ordinary generals, Zu Zeyuan is the son of Zu Dashou, he has many achievements, so you can rest assured, and Sun Youguang is the descendant of the traitor Sun Degong.

At the beginning, Sun Degong's rebellion led to the disintegration of Wang Huazhen's army, Liu Qu's death in battle, and the collapse of the Liao incident. With this account, his descendants should not even think about returning to the Ming Dynasty. If they fall into the hands of the Ming army, they must be liquidated.

Hong Chengchou's use of them is not to say how strong these two people are, the key is that their backgrounds are reliable enough. At a time when people's hearts are in turmoil, Hong Chengchou can't feel at ease for the general green camp generals. Only those who have no way out can be entrusted. Take heavy responsibility.

After Wang Yanbing came to Nanjing, Hong Chengchou expected that the Ming army would seize the fort first, so he sent people to repeatedly tell the two to prepare more equipment on the fort, strengthen the fort, and be sure to stick to it.

The two men got the order, knew that the matter was important, and did not dare to neglect it, so they followed the order. They put bags of earth on the fort, built a wall of earth, and built the fort into a fortress with sufficient bows and arrows and Gunpowder, trying to resist.

The naval divisions of the Ming army tried to attack the forts after they entered the city of Nanjing, but the artillery of the Qing army was sharper than ever, and even surpassed many of the artillery made by the Ming army. He piled up a pile of bricks and splashed a cloud of soil, and if the artillery shells of the Qing soldiers hit the navy warship, it would be a splash of sawdust.

The navy tried several times and withdrew after losing nearly a hundred people.

Liu Shun and Gan Hui were eager to make contributions, and they asked to attack the fort. After the discussion, they returned to the camp to arrange troops.

Wang Yan also prepared troops to attack Nanjing Waiguo.

For the Ming army, the Wai Guocheng is basically not difficult, because the Wai Guocheng is too big. Even if there are more than 5 people in Nanjing, it is still impossible to defend. The Wai Guocheng is more than 180 miles away. Hong Chengchou only left a few soldiers to guard the Jiangdong Bridge. Andemen and other places are used as surveillance and containment, and have no intention of guarding the outer country.

In the Ming army camp, there was a moment of movement, and people from all towns were on standby.

On the other side, Hong Chengchou in Nanjing City also made frequent moves, intending to eliminate hidden dangers in Nanjing City.

With the Ming army approaching the city, martial law has been imposed in the city, and the defense has been significantly strengthened. The Qing army patrolled and interrogated everywhere in the city to prevent the Ming army from cooperating with Wang Yanli.

This kind of action has indeed achieved results. The Qing army has arrested no less than a thousand people in the city. Except for some gentry who tend to restore their Ming Dynasty, many people who used to be officials in the Ming Dynasty, or honorable men of the Ming Dynasty, They were also arrested by the Qing soldiers, and all of them were confined in the Gongyuan and Fuxue in Nancheng to prevent chaos.

In addition to these suspects, Sticky Rod also cracked a Tiandihui stronghold in the city, killing dozens of Tiandihui masters, and judging from the information that sticky stick cracked, this stronghold existed in Nanjing for three or four years. Time, the main task is to instigate the rebellion of the Han officials and the generals of the green battalion.

The stronghold of the Tiandihui has been active in the city for many years, and it is under Hong Chengchou's nose, which shocked him so much that he felt as if he was sitting on a needle blanket.

Jiangning City, originally the prison of Fusi in Jinyiwei North Town in the Ming Dynasty, is now the place where important criminals are held in the sticky pole of the Qing court.

This kind of place is dark, humid, and smelly. Except for the prisoners waiting to die, the soldiers guarding the prison are unwilling to stay longer, let alone the high officials above.

At this time, in the dark passage, Hong Chengchou left the city defense alone, and led several officials with Boluo to the prison.

He couldn't stop coming, and if he didn't come, he felt uneasy.

Hong Chengchou himself was a traitor to the Qing court, so he was naturally worried and afraid that someone would betray him.

Nanjing City Fortification, Wang Yan is desperate to attack, and he will not be able to defeat it for a while. Compared with foreign enemies, this old fox knows the hidden dangers inside, and is more terrifying than Wang Yan outside.

Fortified cities such as Wuchang and Zhangzhou were captured by the Ming army because of internal rebellions. Therefore, Hong Chengchou paid great attention to the internal unity of Jiangning and must find out all those who are inclined to restore the Ming Dynasty to eliminate hidden dangers.

At this time, Hong Chengchou and Bo Luo led several officials walking in the dark and damp dungeon, and from time to time they could hear the crisp sound of the whip.

Bo Luo advanced, Hong Chengchou, who was dressed in a black official robe and a bowl hat, was not angry but powerful. He also bowed his head and stepped into a torture room. The jailers and guards inside immediately stepped forward and knelt down to salute, "See you, little ones." Pass the prince, the governor, and several adults."

Hong Chengchou looked around, but didn't speak. Boluo next to him looked down at his clothes carefully, and brushed the dust on them with his hands. He seemed to dislike this place. After a while, he raised his head and said, "Did you confess?"

"Returning to the lord, these rebels are very stubborn, and the young ones have used the torture equipment all over the place, but they refuse to say anything." The leader knelt on the ground and replied with some regret.

Bo Luo frowned, snorted coldly, walked past the kneeling leader, and came to several prisoners. Hong Chengchou raised his hand, signaling the leader and the jailers to get up, and then walked forward.

Compared with the dark passage outside, this place is more spacious and brighter, because there are several stoves here, the charcoal fire is flickering, and the soldering iron inside also emits a dark red light.

Several jailers who were performing the execution hurriedly stepped aside. On a torture rack in the middle, the jailers pierced a man's shoulder blade with iron hooks, just like slaughtered pigs and sheep hung in a butcher's shop in the market.

The man was naked, his hair was disheveled, he couldn't see his face clearly, his body was ripped apart, there was not a single piece of intact skin, and his whole body still exuded a smell of burning, obviously he had just been scalded by Luo Tie.

Beside the man, there were three or four other people who were also hung in the same way, and another person was thrown on the ground with his back tied behind his back, his body was covered with water, he was motionless, and he didn't know whether he was dead or alive.

Although Bo Luo killed people like hemp, but most of them were done with one knife. He was also a little terrified when he saw such a scene. He turned around and pointed to the man hanging in the middle and asked, "Who is this person?"

"My lord, this person's identity turned out to be Wu Bangfu, the commander of Jinyiwei's north town governor, who later joined Hu Weizong and became one of the backbones of the Tiandihui in the south of the Yangtze River. This time, it was because many Jinyiwei took refuge in the stick. That’s why he was captured. Judging from the situation at the root stick, this person entered Jiangning to plan a rebellion in the city so as to cooperate with the Ming army outside the city, and the Tiandihui’s stronghold in the city should not be limited to them. A group of people. But the younger one has tried all kinds of instruments of torture, and this guy won't recruit anything." The leader in charge of the trial hurriedly stepped forward and said.

Boluo frowned slightly. He had just suffered a defeat, and his courage became much weaker. He felt a little cold behind his back. He carefully looked at the tortured man of inhuman shape, and couldn't help saying in a deep voice: "He won't recruit, what about the others? ? Have you ever used severe punishment? This king does not believe that they are monolithic, or that they cannot be pried open with a single mouth."

Before the little boss could reply, Hong Chengchou on the side shook his head, "Tiandihui has been acting more cautiously in recent years, and the members of the congregation are all in a single line of communication. Except for the sub-rudders and the leaders of the churches who have important information, it is difficult for the congregation to know too much. Information, even apart from knowing the leader, the members of the congregation do not know each other, and now Wu Bangfu does not order, and beating others is useless." Hong Chengchou ran Jiangnan, and he knew the situation of Jiangnan Fuming forces better than Boluo.

After he finished speaking, he raised his finger, and the jailer on the side understood, and immediately poured a bucket of cold water on it, while he slowly stepped forward, approaching the coughing Wu Bangfu, who was woken up by the water, and said in a gentle voice: "Master Wu used to be Zhengwu of Jinyiwei. This official feels that it is a pity that he is now a member of the Green Forest Society outside the laws and regulations of the Tiandihui."

Hong Chengchou said, but Wu Bangfu did not respond. Seeing this, Hong Chengchou paused for a while, and then said: "Master Wu, if you confess at this time, you will not suffer from flesh and blood. The governor will guarantee you to be a third-rank official in the Qing Dynasty. You see How about it?"

"Haha...ha..." Wu Bangfu suddenly laughed after hearing this.

Hong Chengchou's complexion changed slightly, he didn't expect to look like this, he could still laugh, he was really tough, but he didn't give up, he frowned and said: "Dynasty change has nothing to do with ordinary people like you and me, Why does Master Wu have to be loyal to the Zhu family? In troubled times, even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about your family!"

Hong Chengchou spoke with earnestness and heart, but Wu Bangfu laughed even more. That hearty laughter echoed in the dark and terrifying dungeon, which was really weird.

"What are you laughing at?" The laughter made Boluo feel a sense of contempt, and his heart was aroused. He stepped forward and asked sharply.

Wu Bangfu raised his head, and under his loose hair was a face with Chinese characters. He said slowly, "I am a loyal member of the Wu family. My father was the commander of Jinyiwei. He committed suicide by breaking down the city. Uncle Taichang Shaoqing Wu Linzheng said , The mountains and rivers are broken, why not die? He hanged himself in the ancestral hall. My younger brother Wu Guofu committed suicide at home. There are 83 members of my family, all of whom died for the festival, why should I die?"

Speaking of this, he suddenly stopped, and laughed angrily again: "I laugh at some people who are highly valued by the emperor and don't want to repay them. A national traitor would rather take his mother on a boat than accept the favor of a national traitor, and the fellow countrymen should be ashamed of him. Governor Hong, you say such an unfaithful and unfilial person, how dare you stand in front of me and try to make me Betrayal, let me become like him, Governor Hong, you think this person is not ridiculous, haha..."

Hong Chengchou was often scolded by others, and now he has developed a face thicker than the city wall, but the sarcasm in Wu Bangfu's words hit the thing he was least willing to mention.

If you say that he is also the governor of Jiangnan, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, and he is definitely one of the best among the Han people who have been demoted, but he can't get the understanding of his family, and he was even expelled from the clan. use?
Amidst the laughter, Hong Chengchou's face darkened, but Bo Luo beside him was furious: "You want to seek death? Believe it or not, this king cut you alive."

"Hmph, Tartar, what is death? What is death? I used to be the commander of the governor of Beizhen. I don't know how many people were killed in the scenes I saw. If you kill me today, the feudal lord will be destroyed tomorrow." City, I will invite you to eat all the torture tools of Ming Dynasty." Wu Bangfu was hung by iron hooks, but he snorted coldly and smiled strangely at Bo Luo, as if he had returned to the time when he was a Jinyiwei. As if it was Boluo who was tortured.

Boluo's face turned cold, and he took a step back, feeling as if there was a ghost behind him.He soon realized that he was actually frightened by Wu Bangfu's strange smile, which made him suddenly become angry from embarrassment, and a burst of anger rushed to the top of his head. With a choke, he drew out his saber, stabbed it into Wu Bangfu's abdomen, and then pulled it aside. , hot blood and intestines flowed out.

Hong Chengchou frowned, but it was too late to stop it. Boluo's impulse cut off the clue.

At this time, Bo Luo was grim, clutching the handle of the knife tightly, pulling it back and forth, looking at Wu Bangfu's distorted face, feeling a burst of pleasure in his heart, and said through gnashing of teeth, "I'm afraid you won't be able to wait until that day!"

Unexpectedly, Wu Bangfu suppressed the pain and forced a smile, "Tartar, thank you for giving me a good time!"

Boluo was stunned for a moment, his lungs were about to explode, he pulled out the knife suddenly, and then stabbed it in again, Wu Bangfu's face twisted, but he suddenly looked in Hong Chengchou's direction, and said, "Master Hong, water and fire are ruthless, swords and soldiers have no eyes , don’t sleep too hard, be careful not to wake up when you fall asleep...then there will be no...door..."

Hong Chengchou's heart sank when he heard the sound, and he rushed forward, "What did you say?"

But Wu Bangfu was already out of breath, Bo Luo threw away his saber, and exhaled a few times, "Governor Hong, don't worry, even if there are remnants of the Heaven and Earth Society in the city, I will send elites to guard you day and night, so that the rebels will not take advantage of it." .”

Hong Chengchou sighed, he didn't want to say much, it was meaningless to stay here, he turned and walked back, several officials hurriedly followed, but Hou Fangyu was stunned for a moment before he realized it.

Seeing this, Bo Luo told the jailer, "If you can't pass the trial, they will all be killed." After finishing his sentence, he also turned around and walked out of the prison.

After leaving the prison, the bright light outside made everyone uncomfortable. Hong Chengchou stopped and ordered: "The inspections in the city should be strengthened." Hou Fangyu quickly bowed and said: "Let someone do it for the humble job!"

Hong Chengchou breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to go back to the governor's mansion, when a general came to him suddenly, and came forward in panic to report: "My lord, the governor, just now came to report that the green battalion guarding Jiangdongmen rebelled, Jiangdongmen and The Jiangdong Bridge was captured by the Ming army, and the outer city was destroyed!"

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(End of this chapter)