The literary giants of the late Ming Dynasty began by copying books

Chapter 294: Chaos among all living beings, misfortunes fall from the sky

When the party started the next day, Wang Wenlong, Chen Di and others were already the most famous literati at the party. Wang Wenlong was even the second-highest official among those who came. The other one was a local magistrate, one rank higher than Wang Wenlong.

However, although not many people came, they still collected some money after posting so many posts: The rich Fujian people who were on the fence about immigration did not want to completely give up the business of immigrating to Dajuan Island, and finally collected more than 30,000 taels. Among the silver, there are two thousand taels brought by Wang Wenlong and one thousand taels funded by Pan Xiu. It is not known whether Pan Xiu paid for it himself or the Dutch gave it to him.

This money can support immigration for a while longer, but unfortunately without political guarantee, immigration will not be implemented smoothly.

Fortunately, Chen Di stayed in Quanzhou and waited to go to sea, because Shen Yourong's troops had gathered hundreds of people and built warships one after another, and they were just waiting for the storm to calm down before crossing the sea to go on the expedition.

Xiangshanao's warships were replenished by seven, and together with the three gunboats that had escaped from Taiyuan Island, they barely managed to make up ten warships that had an absolute advantage against the Japanese pirates. The rest could only be used by French ships. Machine and ship supplements.

We really can't delay it any longer. The pressure on Xu Xueju is too great and we must achieve results as soon as possible.

After Wang Wenlong landed on the island, he ran to Shen Yourong's Wuyu Water Village to have a look. After hearing Shen Yourong's introduction, he said that as long as half of these ships could successfully cross the sea, there was a high probability that they could surround and annihilate the Japanese warships. Shen Yourong said this Feeling optimistic.

He was a veteran who ran out to fight the Mongols single-handedly in the dark of the night. Evenly matched battles were already valuable to him.

Wang Wenlong left Wuyu Water Village and transferred to Zhangzhou to find Xu Xueju. Xu Xueju did a good job in patrolling the sea and asked Wang Wenlong when he would return to Nanjing.

"This..." Xu Xueju was stunned, smiled and waved his hands: "This can't happen." His words were full of disapproval.

The cause of Zhu Yunchang's death was not recorded in history, but after Wang Wenlong witnessed Zhu Yunchang's experience in Fujian, he felt that he was probably exhausted and died of anger in office after being splinted. official.

"My name is Li Bajin."

Wang Wenlong basically does not need to work as an official now. As long as there is a suitable reason, he can take long-term leave. The suitable reason is what is said in the official circles.

The Taiwan Strait was relatively calm in the first five months of summer. Shen Yourong and Chen Di waited in the water village until the end of January. Several more gunboats equipped with bronze cannons arrived from Xiangshan'ao. The sea was finally calm and calm. Shen Yourong Then he sent his troops to the east and led a fleet of 25 ships and more than 600 people to Da Yuan Island again.

Xu Xueju was quite puzzled when he heard this:

"Although the position of Guozi's assistant teaching officer is quite noble, if you take a vacation without a suitable reason, you will inevitably attract criticism at home. If this battle is won, things in Fujian will be settled. It is better for Jianyang to prepare to return to Nanjing earlier, so as not to miss it by then. I was in a hurry and was caught off guard.”

For example, if he wanted to help Xu Xueju in Fujian, the officials of the Imperial College would not think there was any problem with him asking for leave.

Because of the good news that the officers and soldiers were going to war again, the mood of the scholars and merchants in Xiamen city improved a lot, and the immigration work along the coast began again.

Wang Wenlong said he could stay longer in Fujian.

Wang Wenlong nodded and said: "Jing Yugong should also make more preparations. If something big happens in Fujian, the court will probably need you."

Wang Wenlong and his family had just rested at the inn in Yingxian Village when they heard Wang Pingbao say: "A man with a gold seal on his face came to you. Did he say he was a subordinate of Gao Yin?"

"Why did Gao Yin send people here?" Wang Wenlong frowned when he heard this, "Can he tell you his name?"

Everything seems to be getting better. After watching the naval expedition, Wang Wenlong's family slowly returned to Fuzhou, leaving Zhangzhou, passing Quanzhou, entering Xinghua, and entering Yingxian Village on the boundary between Xinghua Prefecture and Fuzhou Prefecture.

Wang Wenlong couldn't answer Xu Xueju directly, because he knew that if history had not changed, Xu Xueju would have been very busy this year - the current governor of Fujian Zhu Yunchang would have passed away in the past two months, and Xu Xuezhu would have taken over the official position of governor of Fujian. , Wang Wenlong felt that he had better not leave in a hurry, otherwise he would have to come back halfway.

This place is an important transportation thoroughfare. There are more than a thousand guardsmen in the fort. A small market town has been formed under the fort, and the market is quite prosperous.

Wang Wenlong was stunned and said with a smile: "Bring him in quickly."

Li Bajin was brought into the room. Wang Wenlong stood up and greeted him with a smile: "If you don't live in Fuzhou, why are you here in Yingxian Village?"

As soon as he said the words, he saw Li Bagin's expression was quite bad. After Wang Pingbao brought the tea, he walked out of the room and closed the door. Hearing his footsteps walking away, Li Bagin said: "Sir, run quickly, Eunuch Gao wants to hurt you!" Wang Wenlong was stunned and asked quickly: "What's going on?"

Li Bajin said: "Eunuch Gao didn't have enough money this year. He went to Fuzhou to collect more money. He searched according to the list of scholars in Fuzhou Prefecture. One scholar, relying on some influence in his family, dared to fight with Eunuch Gao. The father-in-law was furious and ordered the father to be taken to the street and beaten with a stick for thirty years. The stick was given by Shibosi himself. Those thieves wanted to show off their skills. The attack was very cruel, and the two pieces of flesh on the person's buttocks were beaten to pieces. If they fell to the ground, the old man would die when he returned."

Li Bajin said: "The scholar Wang Yu we rescued in Yuegang Market before, together with his friend Xu Xinggong and his younger brother Xu Ji, were very angry when they heard this. That Wang Yu actually led the people to surround the shipping company. That Wang Yu was quite skilled in martial arts." , He is really desperate. He led the soldiers to attack fiercely, and Lin Zongwen's Tiqi could not defend him. Several soldiers were injured and dispersed in a hurry. Now Eunuch Gao has hidden in his house, and Lin Shiqing is recruiting troops everywhere for defense. .”

"I saw that this matter was not a big deal, and my subordinates had made some money in the past few years. I didn't want to be associated with them, so I ran out while taking advantage of the chaos."

Wang Wenlong nodded when he heard this, knowing that the chaos caused by Gao Yin had indeed happened according to history, but he asked in confusion: "What does this have to do with me?"

Li Bajin said: "Then Gao Yin was besieged in the palace and was very angry. Moreover, this caused a civil uprising, which was also a troublesome matter for their eunuchs. They had to answer to the superiors, so naturally they thought of Luo Zhi's charges. He doesn't want to offend the Xu family, so he wants to start with Wang Yu. He also thinks he doesn't have a strong background and can't bear the blame. Sir, you and Wang Yu are good friends and have a good reputation, so he wants to cause trouble for you. .”

"I'll go." Wang Wenlong heard that everyone was dumbfounded. He knew that the Chaos of All Living Things would probably happen this year, but he asked himself that it had nothing to do with this matter, and he never thought that someone would bite him.

And according to what Li Bajin meant, Gao Yin wouldn't have chosen him as a target if he hadn't been famous.

This is so unlucky for me!

Wang Wenlong asked: "Brothers, do you know what they are going to do now?"

Li Bajin whispered: "I heard that this idea came from Lin Shiqing. When I ran out of Fuzhou, they were looking for people in Fuzhou who had written articles for "Xunbao" and asked them to produce stationery to prove that you had instructed them, sir. I write articles specifically to attack the tax supervisors, and I want to claim that this civil uprising was also instigated by your Xunbao newspaper."

Li Bajin advised: "Mr. Jianyang, I am going to the south now. You should run away quickly. Gao Yin can deal with people. Not to mention that you have an official status. Even the governor and censor can be bitten by him." He’s covered in blood.”

Wang Wenlong took a deep breath. He knew that what Li Bajin said was right. Emperor Wanli's level of connivance with tax eunuchs was shocking. Chen Feng had no problem killing people on the streets of Huguang. Gao Yin was no more favored by Emperor Wanli than Chen Feng. Feng Gao, I am really being targeted by him. What the heck is an eighth-grade official who is an assistant to the Imperial Academy? Even if they are officials at the level of Xundao Censor or Magistrate, tax inspectors, eunuchs, etc., they will be thrown into the imperial prison if they report to the next one. What a disaster!

But walking is not an option. Should I throw away all the results of my three years of hard work in Ming Dynasty?

Wang Wenlong was a little at a loss. After thinking for a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, "I know this, Brother Bajin, what are you going to do in the future?"

Li Bajin said: "I had known that being someone's pawn was not the way to go, but I had already prepared myself to join my relatives."

"Where to go to visit relatives?"

Li Bajin smiled and did not answer. Wang Wenlong was stunned, and then he realized that he would probably remain anonymous from now on, and he would not tell his final whereabouts even to him.

Wang Wenlong asked again: "Can we get enough money together?"

"Sir, don't worry, I have already been there for you."

Wang Wenlong went to call Shen Yixiu and Li Guoxian to meet Li Bajin again, and said with emotion: "When you captured me from Jianyang, I was alone, but now I have a family."

Li Bajin nodded: "How could you have thought of today at that time?"

He sent Li Bajin outside the inn, just when Wang Pingbao came back from the silver building. He had exchanged the silver taels beside Wang Wenlong for three ingots and twenty taels of gold.

When Li Bagin saw that he had taken out the gold, he was about to shirk it. Wang Wenlong stuffed the gold into his baggage without saying a word, and told him: "Don't drink too much in the future, save some money, and marry a woman to build a family..." …I’m afraid we won’t see each other again if we go here…”

Li Bajin's eyes were also red, and he cupped his hands and said: "Master Wang is benevolent and righteous. I wish your family can turn the bad luck into good luck, and I will have a great future."

After Li Bajin finished speaking, he shouldered his baggage, picked up his long knife and headed towards the south road. He turned a few corners and looked back twice. Wang Wenlong waited until he disappeared from sight, then sighed and went back to think about the next step. action.

(End of this chapter)