Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 209 Hu people fear power but not morality

Sitting in the hall were Tuda women and older girls in twos and threes, dressed in bottom-of-the-box clothes, with restrained smiles on their faces. They had nothing to say to compliment Mrs. Ru, General Sun, and the court's disposition. It hasn't been announced yet. Is it gentleness or suppression? The opinions of frontier generals were important.

The banquet went on very late, Mrs. Sun Jiaru did not say anything, and none of us dared to say goodbye.

I was encouraged to drink some wine, and my mind began to blur. I couldn't see myself, I only saw the red faces of my companions.

At some point, I suddenly noticed that dozens of strong men appeared in the hall, wearing beautiful uniforms. They might not be soldiers of the Jinglu Guards, but they were definitely Ming soldiers. There was a strange look in their eyes, like those hunting for prey. It looks like a leopard and makes people very uncomfortable.

I thought it was an hallucination, and looked at Mrs. Sun Jiaru in panic. Mrs. Sun was no longer in her seat, and all the servants of the Sun family were missing. I shouted loudly: "Mrs. Sun, Mrs. Sun."

Unexpectedly, the lights went out, and I groped for the doors and windows in the darkness. My companions also reacted, screaming and trying to escape, but it was too late, the doors and windows were already locked.

Tearing and wailing sounded in the darkness. At this moment, I realized that I had been plotted. My companions and I had stepped into a carefully set trap. As a result, we were brutally humiliated and no one was spared.

It wasn't until the early morning of the next day that we were released in a daze.

Seeing the disheveled wives, daughters and sisters, the eyes of the fathers and brothers were filled with tears.

Last night, my father went to meet General Sun Shen twice. At the end of Xu Shi, General Sun Shen said that Mrs. Ru and Tuda's daughter-in-law had hit it off and they should get closer to each other. My father underestimated General Sun Shen's shamelessness and actually believed his lie. , waited until Haishi, and pretended to summon a servant to reply, telling the female family members attending the banquet that they had left on their own.

My father was so angry that he rode on horseback to argue with General Sun Shen. General Sun Shen retaliated and accused us of voluntarily serving officials from Chu Fan's racecourse, thus causing a breakdown in military discipline.

This damned thief is confusing right and wrong.

My father was so angry that he was trembling. We Hu men and women promised to sing love songs all night at the bonfire party. The man pulled out his sword and gave it to the girl he loved. It’s not like you greedy wise men who can sacrifice their wives, daughters and sisters for fame and wealth. Shangguan.

Sun Shen will show a contemptuous sneer.

My father rode his horse back to Qionglu and hurriedly gathered his trusted men and horses.
Brothers, let’s go back to the desert.

The ending is of course sad. What my uncle has been trying to do for many years has not been accomplished, and what my father couldn't do in a hurry.

My father traveled less than forty miles north and was killed in the wild by General Sun Shen. His head was hung on the city wall for public display. The bloody brave men who followed him were defeated, and all of our female relatives were taken to the imperial capital as prisoners of war.

By then, it was early spring, and the situation couldn't have been worse.

Spring is freezing in the Imperial Capital, and sorrow is like spring rain and spring thunder, unstoppable. Many people are sick and dying. Although I have no desire to die, I am almost like a living dead.

Many days later, one afternoon, the shrill voice of the woman from the Hell Temple rang out: "You are lucky, His Majesty the Emperor has pardoned your death penalty."

That day was also the day I separated from my sisters Vanilla and Hongzhu. On the day we were sold by the government, Vanilla and Hongzhu were bought by others. They were dragged away. I shouted in a hoarse voice that I hadn’t spoken for a long time: "Stay alive." Only by surviving can we seek revenge against Old Thief Sun.

Early the next morning, my mother-in-law called me loudly, urging me to pack my things and go out. I guessed that someone had bought me, so I obediently packed my belongings into a small bag and carried it on my back.

After leaving the prison temple, I boarded a mule cart with a male and female servant inside. After driving for most of the day, I arrived at Tongzhou Pier. An official ship lowered the gangway. After I boarded the ship, it immediately set sail and passed the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Go to Jiangnan.

The maid led me to the second floor of the cabin. There was a long book desk arranged in the large cabin. Sitting at the desk was a scholar in his thirties. When he heard the creak of the stairs, he turned around and said happily: "Miss Feng ,You came."

I was a little stunned. This person seemed to be Mr. Yan, who joined the army under the governor's censor, Mr. Liu.

"I know you still have a sister, but I found out too late and I don't know who she ransomed her for. Don't be anxious. I have asked my cousin to visit you slowly. As long as people are in this world, there is always hope. You sisters will eventually be reunited."

Although I don’t know Mr. Yan well, I think he is a warm-hearted person.

So, on the rippling canal, in the cabin of the boat returning to the south, sometimes in the morning with misty dew, and sometimes in the afternoon with the beginning of light rain, we had long and long conversations. Of course, most of them were Mr. Yan While talking, I just listened silently.

His Majesty the Emperor was originally furious at the rebellion of Feng San and Feng Si. Fortunately, the ministers in the cabinet were relatively tolerant. The rebellion in Cheng Tuda was also caused by excessive coercion and extortion by the imperial court and the local government, so he should be treated with preferential treatment. Therefore, most of the Tuda soldiers and civilians who participated in the rebellion have been pardoned.

Feng Si had two swords, one called Qingshuang and the other called Zidian. Now they belong to General Sun Shen. Mr. Yan has seen General Sun Shen dance with his own eyes.

Master Liu, the censor of the governor's capital, did not forget his promise to Feng Si. The first time Feng Si ran away, he sent people to intercept him. Unexpectedly, Feng Si had been killed by General Sun Shen. Master Liu personally went to question General Sun Shen. , Why did you act so arbitrarily and concoct the incident of military discipline being corrupted by the officers of the Chu vassal racecourse? General Sun Shen said proudly: The Hu people fear power but not virtue.

Mr. Liu read General Sun Shen's book and found out that he allowed the soldiers to corrupt military discipline, but the result was nothing.

The deterioration of military discipline in the Ming army was a common occurrence, and it also involved the Chu vassal clan. This time, Chu vassal officers came to Jinglu Tunbao to donate war horses and replenish supplies to the court. No one wants to take care of this matter, so they can only leave it alone.

Don't blame Mr. Liu. Mr. Liu is strict and upright. He just cherishes his feathers.

Mr. Yan therefore disliked the official career. He once went to the Imperial College, and later obtained the title of Juren. He decided to join the army purely because of his feelings for the frontier.

If heaven does not send down loyal ministers and good generals, what can they do? Mr. Yan thought about it and decided to return to his hometown in Wujiang to farm.

Mr. Yan's friend went to Hangzhou to be an official, and there was a place reserved for Mr. Yan on the official ship. As the ship sailed south through Guazhou, the air was filled with smoke and water, and the atmosphere of Jiangnan gradually became stronger.

Mr. Yan suddenly became uneasy, and he said calmly: "Miss Feng, my first wife died early in my family, leaving behind a boy and two girls. They will never marry again in the future. How about I ask you to be my concubine?"

Gradually I was able to say a few words to him, and then I replied, "Okay."

Mr. Yan was very happy and said: "My family has a lot of money and a lot of land. There is no problem in ensuring that you enjoy prosperity."