Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 349: In the Hall of Heroes, former friends all have their own masters!

After reading the letter, Li Yu was filled with joy. He put the letter down and said with a smile:
"Why have I forgotten this old friend of the Jiangnan people? He is an old acquaintance with the remnants of Zhang Liyong and Bailian who are entrenched in Wugong Mountain in Pingxiang County. By the way, where is this person now?"

……

10 days ago,

Around the Maanshan Iron and Steel factory area, an alley welcomed an uninvited guest.

A group of soldiers carrying flintlock muskets escorted the four-wheeled carriage in, which seemed out of place in this dirty and smelly alley.

"Is this right here?"

"Back to Master, this is here. The person you are looking for is here now, making a living by taking care of a few old ladies."

boom,
The broken door was kicked open by soldiers with their feet, and several women screamed from inside.

Then three men rushed out. The leading shirtless fat man turned out to be Sima Shang, holding a kitchen knife in his hand.

"Ok!"

He was sent to the Jiangxi front line by ship.

"Mr. Sima, can you leave?"

"The villain Sima Shang."

With a splash, he fell to his knees in the muddy water.

"Dare to kick anyone who steps on a horse~"

A year ago, he managed to cross the river alive.

The soldier breathed a sigh of relief and waved:

The two attendants looked happy.

They are all scholars, so he can understand this feeling of grievance.
Sima Shangnai was born as a second-ranked Jinshi and served as a magistrate. Nowadays, I have fallen to the point where I have to rely on a few old ladies who sell jokes to make a living~
Anyone else would lament the difficulty of life.

In the end, he relied on winning over two brothers and started a shameless business with a few middle-aged ladies, barely making ends meet.

Sima Shang's hands trembled with excitement:

Arrive at Maanshan Iron and Steel first.

Finally, the day came when chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. It was not in vain. At first, several White Lotus believers who followed Sima Shang across the river from the Dabie Mountains in the north of the Yangtze River are now the only two left.

then,

"But Sima Shang, who served as the magistrate of Yunyang and also joined Bailian?"

Therefore, the more he messes around, the worse he gets.

"But His Majesty remembered the villain?"

The two followers immediately followed his example, abandoned their weapons and knelt down.

On pay day, the small courtyard can no longer be crowded.

The voice has not fallen,

……

After changing into clean and decent clothes, I ate another rich miner's meal.

Scholars could have made a living as private school teachers, but unfortunately the imperial examination was temporarily blocked in the State of Wu.

……

Sima Shang wiped away his tears and left the dirty courtyard with his two followers without looking back.

Hu Xueyu summoned him first, expressed a slight apology, and hinted that His Majesty suddenly remembered him, otherwise he would have been hidden for how long.

"Let's go, let's go now."

……

The cry echoed through the sky in the yard~
The Commerce Department official was not in a hurry and watched quietly.

Similar industries are developed around it.

"what's your name?"

People who have lost their value will naturally not be treated favorably. So I traveled around southern Anhui for half a month and exhausted all my money.

"Master Jun, can you tell me which law the villain has violated? Which yamen he should go to?"

A heavy industry like Maanshan Iron and Steel has tens of thousands of young workers, so some understandable demands naturally arise.

Along the way, Sima Shang learned some of the latest developments in Wu from the boatman's ears.

inside the house,
Several middle-aged ladies poked their heads in, their eyes curious and fearful.

Wow, he covered his face and squatted down on the spot, crying bitterly. Crying is called sad.

"Yes."

"Get up and follow us."

An official from the Department of Commerce stepped out of the carriage, covering his nose and looking around:
"Mr. Sima, congratulations. You are about to be transferred."

I was secretly alarmed that Wu Guo was progressing too fast and that my old friend could no longer keep up. At the same time, he cursed the damn leader Hong for delaying his future.

Sima Shang thought he was good at raising money and food, pacifying new states and counties, or enriching the harem!
Back then, if I had been captured by His Majesty Li Yu, I would have made progress long ago based on my ability. It is possible for you to start as a director or a minister.

Working hard is nothing, choosing the right path and standing in the right team is the most important thing.

If you follow Bai Lian, you will be hungry for nine meals in three days!
Master Hong, you should be killed with a thousand swords.

……

Thoughts were interrupted.

One of the guards stretched out his hand:
"Mr. Sima, please come in. His Majesty is in the tent."

"Yes Yes."

As soon as he took a step, Sima Shang suddenly felt a heavy burden on the back of his head.

Ouch, braids!
He almost gritted his teeth and secretly cursed himself for almost missing something important.

It's damn good to hang such a backward and ugly pig tail to meet the open-minded, wise and mighty Majesty of the State of Wu.

He begged in a low voice:
"Brother, can I lend you my sword? Don't get me wrong, I want to cut my braids."

The guard smiled, took out his sword and pulled it gently.

Sima Shang suddenly felt his body light. He finally got rid of the heavy burden of history and went into battle lightly.

He looked up and saw that the sky was blue.

He stretched out his hand to push back his loose hair, and said in a strong tone:

"Sima Shang, the guilty minister, pays homage to Your Majesty. Long live, long live, long live."

Everyone within a 20-foot radius of the big tent could hear it clearly.

Watching this fat man perform a standard set of three kowtows and nine bows outside the tent - this is the ritual of the former Qing Dynasty!
Then he walked into the tent and knelt down on one knee again - this is my gift from Da Wu!

……

Sima Shang choked with sobs and raised his head excitedly. He saw that His Majesty was still so young and handsome, with a face that was busy with everything, and looked a little tired~
"Get up and sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I am busy with military affairs. I just heard recently that you arrived in Jiangnan early. How are you living?"

"Thanks to your majesty, under the rule of Wu State, everyone lives and works in peace and contentment, and is prosperous and peaceful. Even the rule of Wenjing is not as good as what is happening now. The guilty ministers also do some small business, and their lives are not bad."

"That's good." Li Yu held back his teasing and asked with a smile, "I want to use you to be a lobbyist for Zhang Liyong's remnants in Pingxiang County, Yuanzhou Prefecture. Are you willing?"

Sima Shang knelt down on one knee again, his eyes firm and fiery:
"I am willing to go through fire and water for the great cause of Wu State, even if I die."

"Okay, you can first take an official position in the Information Department under the Minister of Foreign Affairs. For specific matters, you can ask Mr. Miao for advice."

……

When leaving the tent, Li Yu caught a glimpse of the man's braids that were cut off behind his head.

It adds a little bit of impression points.

In this year of hard times, Sima Shang was like a drowning man, but now he finally grasped a life-saving straw.

No matter whether the straw is followed by a red chain snake or a water monkey.

He will hold on to it and look for hope of life.

When I first entered the Kingdom of Wu, if I didn’t make some hard work, I couldn’t even imagine how bumpy my future career would be!

He treated Miao Youlin with official courtesy and asked for advice attentively.

After that, the 10-man escort quietly embarked on a journey with a detour, and the target was Wugong Mountain in Pingxiang County, the village where Zhang Liyong was entrenched.

……

According to the Qing government's official newspaper, Zhang Liyong was doing well in Pingxiang County.

First of all, he defeated many encirclements and suppressions by officers and soldiers, and even captured the county seat for a time. He then withdrew from the county seat after being slightly punished. There was no massacre or burning of the city, but the county government offices and official warehouses were destroyed.

The magistrate who took over changed his predecessor's strategy of resolute killing.

Ambiguous attitude!

It is unknown whether there was any shady agreement between the two.

Anyway,

Zhang Liyong's troops have become more low-key, and there are few large-scale operations in Pingxiang County.

Instead, they moved to Anfu County, Ji'an Prefecture in the south, and Liling, Hunan Province in the west. The activities in these places were rife and big households were frightened. because,

Zhang Liyong gathered the essence of Green Camp and White Lotus and did a great job in robbing.

First send spies to get information by stepping on the plate.

Then they cooperated internally and externally, acted quickly and fiercely, had a clear division of labor, and used bloody and cruel methods.

They emptied money, grain, livestock and cloth, killed all the men, and kidnapped the young women. The thousands of soldiers and horses in the village thrived on precise robberies.

Ji'an Prefecture and Yuanzhou Prefecture started a lawsuit, and Hunan responded fiercely.

But this kind of cross-government and cross-province matter is difficult to solve.

Following official procedures, no coordination plan could be produced for more than a year and a half. What's more, it's wartime now, and all the energy of Jiangxi officials and gentry is in Nanchang!
I really don’t have the time to study the bandits in a mere county.

……

The Luoxiao Mountains run north-south and stretch for hundreds of kilometers. Most of the mountains are between 1000 and 2000 meters above sea level.

The famous Jinggang Mountain is in the middle.

The northern section is Wugong Mountain in Pingxiang County!
This is a paradise for entrepreneurship, with vast strategic space for maneuver.

Outsiders! All young and strong! Quite a military temperament!
From the moment Sima Shang and 10 plainclothes guards stepped into Wugong Mountain, they fell under the gaze of eyeliners.

And after entering the mountain,

The guards assigned to him by Miao Youlin also realized that someone was following and observing them in the forest.

Just explain your purpose loudly:

"Mr. Sima Shang, Mr. Sima Shang, an old friend of Chief Zhang, is here to visit."

One hour later,

A group of remnant soldiers showed up, and vigilantly and politely invited them to the cottage as guests, on the condition that they hand over their weapons first.

……

The guards cooperated and handed over the short-handed guns and short knives.

The little boss blurted out in surprise:

"Are you soldiers of the Wu Kingdom?"

Sima Shang laughed:

"Little brother, you have a good look. By the way, did you follow Leader Zhang from Jingxiang?"

"Exactly."

Sima Shang was solemn and said a set of white lotus incisions.

It immediately caused a commotion among the soldiers, who looked excited and excited.

"A white lotus for one day will always be a white lotus. I was Sima Shang, who followed the Holy Emperor until he jumped off a cliff."

Everyone's eyes were red, and some even squatted down and cried. Even the leader of the group looked sad.

along the way,
Many people gathered around to watch or pay tribute.

An elderly White Lotus cultist even stopped Sima Shang and asked:
"Did the leader reincarnate as King Wu and raise an army in the south of the Yangtze River to establish a country?"

This question was very absurd, and people around him were talking about it. It was just that if Master Hong was really reincarnated as His Majesty Wu, that would be great!
Even the seasoned Sima Shang was moved. He took a deep breath, shook his head and denied:

"There is no such statement."

The old White Lotus cultist wiped his tears and left.

……

The guard captain whispered:
"Lord Sima, if you had just pretended to agree to them, would these thousands of people be marching forward for our Wu army?"

Sima Shang shook his head:

"No!"

Seeing that the young and capable guard captain didn't understand, he just sighed:

"I am still clear-headed in the face of great right and wrong. If I dare to act carelessly today, if Zhang Liyong doesn't kill me, His Majesty will kill me too!"

The guards didn't quite understand.

In their simple concept, wouldn't it be great if they could add thousands of miscellaneous soldiers and cannon fodder out of thin air.

and,

It is said that after Bailian's defeat, there are still residual forces in various places.

It's just that without a center, no one can connect them together.

The mountain range where Zhang Liyong is entrenched is over 1000 meters above sea level.

The mountain road is steep and has 5 lines of defense.

There are also many pits dug along the road. People who don't know the route will die miserably if they fall into them.

……

There is a water source on the top of the mountain and a well-built village.

Guns, shotguns, crossbows, stones and rolling wood are all available.

Two flags flew high.

On the left is: Zhang, the commander-in-chief of western Ganxi! On the right is: Zhang, the helmsman of Bailian Ganxi branch!
When you go out, your identity is given by yourself.

After going through ups and downs, Zhang Liyong has become more sophisticated and shrewd!

I saw him wearing a black robe and welcoming him out of the village with a big smile.

"Lord Sima, you are fine."

"Brother Zhang, okay."

The two happily held hands and walked into the cottage.

Because of this move, the guards were treated very well, and the food, wine, and food were the standard for entertaining distinguished guests.

Inside the village, the Hall of Heroes.

After three drinks, Zhang Liyong began to introduce his business:

"Lord Sima, now I have 10 battalions and 20 floods under my command. Not to mention Pingxiang County, even Yuanzhou Prefecture is the first-class existence."

Sima Shang glanced at the white lotus sacred object enshrined in the Hall of Heroes, as well as the officers around him who looked like the green battalion.

Praising:
"It's not simple. Brother Zhang has learned from the best of hundreds of families, just like a prince. However, Brother Zhang must have guessed the purpose of my visit, right?"

……

"Give me the Yuanzhou and Linjiang Prefectures, plus 200 artillery pieces, 1 flintlock muskets, and no ammunition. When the King of Wu gives the order, I will immediately send troops to cut off the Qing army's food route."

"Brother Zhang, your price is too high."

"Hehehe, officers and soldiers from 4 provinces, a small hundred thousand soldiers. Lao Zhang, I am also pulling the donkey prong for the King of Wu. The risk is very high."

Sima Shang silently picked up a piece of chicken with chopsticks:

"Brother Zhang. You and I are both smart people, so there is no need to say something too explicit."

Zhang Liyong waved his hand and retreated to the left and right.

There were only two people left in the Heroes Hall.

"Go ahead."

"Brother Zhang, why don't you look at the current situation from another angle. Jiangxi has become the main battlefield between the Qing and Wu armies. There are only three outcomes: the Qing court wins. The Wu army wins. Or the stalemate continues, and no one can defeat the other. If the Qing court wins, When the army is ready, it will definitely take advantage of the power of victory and wipe out this place easily. "

Zhang Liyong looked calm:
"I am easy to defend but difficult to attack. We have soldiers and food. At worst, we can retreat south into the Luoxiao Mountains."

Sima Shang smiled:
"Both you and I have been in the government. We know how the government works and how scary it is if we take it seriously."

……

Zhang Liyong did not refute, but nodded gently.

Sima Shang saw this and continued:

"To be honest, I am more optimistic that Wu Jun will win. His Majesty the King of Wu is firmly established in the south of the Yangtze River, sitting on the wealth of the world, money and food, and he can also produce guns and cannons. I stayed at the Ma'anshan Iron Mine for a long time and witnessed the grand scene with my own eyes. Muskets and cannons Carloads of people are pulling out~Brother Zhang, you are also leading troops, you know what this means."

Silence~
Sima Shang continued his analysis:
"His Majesty the King of Wu is shrewd and calm, and has an extremely keen judgment on the overall situation. He has the shrewd calculations of the Jiangnan people and the gentleness and ruthlessness of the heroes. The most important thing is that he is still young. And Emperor Qianlong is more than 60 years old and is almost seventy years old. How long can we live? The Eight Banners stationed south of the Yangtze River are thin, and the Wu army cannot be stopped by the green battalion. According to the worst case scenario, it will be the Southern and Northern Dynasties in the future. "

Zhang Liyong sighed softly and took the initiative to pour the wine.

Sima Shang quickly picked up the wine glass and took the drink.

The two of them clinked a glass and drank it down in one gulp.

"What do you mean, Master Sima?"

"You and I are in the same boat. We have no control over our fate. First we were officials of the Qing court, and then we were officials of Bailian. Now I'm afraid we have to change the court again. What do those people call us behind our backs?"

"Slave with three surnames~"

……

The two looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

Sima Shang is also quite sincere:

"We don't want to be the slaves of the three surnames, but do we have a choice? To die for justice, to be a loyal ghost of the Qing Dynasty? Or a loyal ghost of Bai Lian? It's impossible. You and I both know what this world is really like."

(End of this chapter)