Since ancient times, few famous officials with great achievements have had a good ending. Han Xin, Huo Guang, Zhou Yafu, Gao Dezheng, Gao Ying, Guo Ziyi, Di Qing, Yue Fei, these people are all heroes among people. But in the end there is no escaping a miserable fate.
The saying goes, "When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden. When the cunning rabbit dies, the lackeys are cooked." This is exactly the truth. Even though this truth is widely spread, only a few people can really understand it.
The reason why the famous Qi Jiguang was able to establish his unparalleled achievements in the southwest is inseparable from the support of Zhang Juzheng, the prime minister of his generation. There is a saying that "Success is Xiao He, failure is Xiao He". For this famous general, the decline of his official career also began after Zhang Juzheng died of illness.
In the tenth year of Wanli, Shenzong planned everything and liquidated the Zhang family. Officials promoted by the chief minister, both civil and military, were affected to varying degrees. Qi Jiguang was naturally among them, and he was naturally attributed to Zhang Dang. Zhang Dingsi, who was in charge at the time, tried to figure out what was going on, so he proposed to the court to transfer Qi Jiguang on the pretext that the north was stable and the south was facing danger.
After the Ministry of War made some plans and reported it to the cabinet and Shenzong approved, the old general was released to Guangdong. At that time, there were frequent wars in the north, while the southeast was relatively stable. The poor hero is helpless and has many injustices in his heart.
After being transferred to the border area, it was inevitable to express some emotion. Then some villain spread these things to the government and the public. During the incident, Zhang Xigao wrote a letter to impeach Qi Jiguang, saying that he was old and sick, and that he was occupying his position in vain and eating lumi, which was not the way of a benevolent minister. After hearing this, Qi Jiguang fell seriously ill and had to resign and return to his hometown, Dengzhou (today's Penglai area of Shandong Province).
In just five years, the famous general Qi Jiguang fell from the peak of his life to the bottom. After he returned to his hometown in despair, he learned that his younger brother Qi Jimei was no longer alive. His wife Wang also became crazy because of the death of her stepson Qi Anguo. In the name of divorcing her husband, she took away the family property and left the Qi family.
In such a desolate evening scene, no one can hold on. He has been ill since he returned to his hometown. Fortunately, fellow villagers helped him and his family could barely make ends meet. However, this situation did not last long. Rumors spread in the countryside that the imperial court was going to kill Qi Jiguang. In order to avoid disaster, fewer people went to Qi's house.
On this day, the evening wind blew and the reed flowers swayed by the river. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the broken roof tiles of Qi's house, adding a sense of desolation. The long gun on the weapons rack seemed to dim a lot under the setting sun.
Qi Jiguang drank some rice soup and felt better. He just let his son support him and walked outside the house, saying that he wanted to stretch his muscles. Years of marching and fighting have left many scars on his body. And his legs were even worse than before. He wanted to juggle the gun twice, but his knees hurt terribly.
He had no choice but to sit down on a bare wicker chair. The eldest son Qi Zuoguo stood beside him and remained silent. Qi Jiguang has just passed the age of sixty, but he is aging like an old man. The wrinkles on his face are like knife carvings. His originally bright eyes had become cloudy, and his gray temples and unkempt beard made him lose his former majesty.
Outside the door, there were two children playing with bamboo knives and riding bamboo horses. A kid with a double bun said: "I am Qi Laohu and you are a Japanese pirate. How can the Japanese pirates chase Qi Laohu and fight? Why don't you surrender?" Another kid said: "Don't surrender. We can't always let you pretend to be Qi Huhu, can you let me Dangdang too?" The two were having a fight in the distance.
The two young voices fell into Qi Jiguang's ears, and he smiled unconsciously. He thought to himself: "This child knows that I am Qi Jiguang and Qi Huhu, but what about the imperial court? They have really forgotten me."
He looked at the blush in the setting sun and recited: "When I was drunk, I lit up the lamp and looked at the sword, and I dreamed of blowing the trumpet company. Eight hundred miles apart, the sun was burning under my command, fifty strings were heard outside the Great Wall, and the soldiers were ordered in the autumn of the battlefield. The horseman Lu Swiftly, the bow is as frightening as a thunderbolt. It ends the affairs of the king and the world, and wins fame both in life and in life. Misfortune happened in vain!"
Qi Zuoguo, the eldest son standing next to him, couldn't help wiping his tears with his sleeves when he heard this. Qi Jiguang smiled bitterly and said: "Son, my father has only passed the age of sixty this year, so he is no longer useful? I think of the ancient general Lian Po, who was still able to fight on the battlefield in his eighties. As a father, I am unwilling to accept it!" As he spoke, tears flashed in his eyes, and his voice was extremely sad.
Qi Zuoguo choked and said: "My father's achievements in his life have far surpassed Lianpo's. Now that my father is old, it's time to have a good rest." Qi Jiguang said angrily: "Do you mean that I am old? I am useless. Let me tell you, I'm not old, I'm still useful, I can still fight.
If a general wants to die, he should die on that battlefield. It is the fate of a general to be wrapped in horse leather and stained with blood on the battlefield. If I were to die of old age or illness like this, I... I, Qi Jiguang, might as well die for my country. "
As he spoke, he tried to struggle to sit up, but there was a dull pain in his legs, and he fell back onto the wicker chair. Qi Zuoguo said: "Father, you once said, 'I don't want to be crowned a prince, but I hope the sea will be peaceful'. Now that the world is peaceful, my father has done it, and it's time to take good care of himself in his old age."
Qi Jiguang said: "You are talking nonsense, you are talking nonsense, can't you see that the north is not peaceful? The Tatars are waiting for the opportunity to bite our Ming Dynasty's throat? There is also Liaodong. Sooner or later, Liaodong will be in big trouble. I, I just want to help The Ming Dynasty has cleared away the border troubles, but there is a pack of wolves staring at my Ming Dynasty! The Qi Family Army, the Qi Family Army belongs to the Emperor, not mine. How many times have I said it, why are there still people slandering the Emperor?"
When he spoke, he was so excited that he couldn't help but cough. Qi Zuoguo stretched out his hand and caressed his chest and said, "Father, you are not old, nor are you useless. But I will change the sky tomorrow." Qi Jiguang said: "The sky will change? What kind of sky will change?"
Qi Zuoguo whispered in his ear: "For my father, Master Zhang is the sky. If Master Zhang falls, my father's sky will also fall. Without this sky, who else would be willing to support my father? Who else would protect me?" The Qi family?"
After hearing this, Qi Jiguang laughed and said: "Your son, you are really stupid. Let me tell you, there is only one sky in the Ming Dynasty, and that is the emperor. Yan Song, Gao Gong, Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng, the power in their hands is not greater than that of the emperor." .The emperor is the Ming Dynasty, they are just a cloud, sometimes just a rain cloud."
Qi Zuoguo asked: "Father, since you have seen so thoroughly, why are you still there?" Qi Jiguang said slowly: "Even though you have seen clearly, you still can't escape. That's not because my father is stupid, but because you have to have a choice when doing things. . Sometimes the choice is either black or white. Sometimes it is either good or evil. But sometimes it is nothing, and you still have to choose.
God chose the emperor, the emperor chose Zhang Juzheng, and Zhang Juzheng chose me. We all know it in our hearts. well! The more you understand, the more painful it is, and the more you wake up, the more painful it is. My son, remember. It’s not that the sky changes, it’s that the power of the sky is unpredictable. Do you understand? Heaven is always Heaven, high and supreme. No one is above heaven. "
Qi Zuoguo looked at his father half-understanding, while Qi Jiguang's eyes turned to the red sun, as if under the afterglow of the red sun, he recalled the past again. He was once a high-spirited young man who fought in the north and south with a spear and a horse. The Japanese pirates fell on their backs, the Japanese pirates threw away their helmets, and the Japanese flags were broken...
The old man only has memories. A once famous man can only regain his pride through memories. The sky in the Ming Dynasty is still over there, and the people he knows are all gone, including Yu Dayou, Tan Lun, Qi Jimei... Rainbow Literature Network
Xiao Yunfan and his party left the City of Darkness and set out from Yangzhou. Because the Demon Ship was too ostentatious, they abandoned the ship in a cave and headed north to Dengzhou via the waterway. A group of ten people walking together will inevitably attract attention. Therefore, Xiao Yunfan divided the troops into two groups, himself and Qianqian plus four followers. And the others followed the big Han Fang Kui.
It was getting late, Xiao Yunfan and others stayed at an inn. There were many heroes sitting in the hall, three to five people sitting at a table chatting together. At this time, Xiao Yunfan has disguised himself as a middle-aged wealthy businessman, and Qianqian Tingting and his two daughters have pretended to be his personal followers. Sitting at the table next to them, two big men were chatting.
A red-faced man drank a bowl of wine, slapped his palm on the table and said: "This thief named Xiao deserves to be cut to pieces. If he hits my hand, I will have to pull out three layers of his skin." ." The man with a goatee opposite him said: "Brother Qi, I admire you very much for your bravery and bravery. If I want to meet that thief, I will have to peel off my skin and cramps."
The red-faced man's surname is Qi, and he is also a nobody in the world. But after he said these words, the men at the next tables couldn't help but give him a second look. A big man in blue clothes at the table next to them asked: "Is the surname Xiao mentioned by this dear friend Xiao Yunfan?" Qi Zhengyi said loudly: "It is this dog thief."
Xiao Yunfan was shocked when he heard the words. He was called a dog thief. Unconsciously, he only saw anger rising. He thought to himself: "Is it possible that what Mr. Xunyi said is true? In order to unite people's hearts, several leaders of the Central Plains martial arts community will All the blame is placed on me. There is no way to deal with the Ghost Prime Minister, but it is much easier to deal with me, Xiao Yunfan."
He was thinking about it when he heard Qi Zhengyi loudly say: "This dog thief murdered his sworn brother, harmed his martial arts seniors, teamed up with demons from the demon sect, and destroyed embankments and fields. His crimes are so heinous that it is difficult to describe them. Although Qi's martial arts skills are not good, he encountered this situation. If you wait for the evil thief, you must fight him to the end!"
A big man with a scar face on the opposite side said: "Master Qi, I admire you for your courage and courage. Come on, I'll give you a bowl." As he said this, he saluted Qi Zhengyi. Several other heroes also toasted to the man named Qi. Xiao Yunfan looked embarrassed. One of the followers, Leng Chen, said, "Have you ever seen Xiao Yunfan murder my brother with your own eyes?"
Qi Zhengyi said: "No." Leng Shen asked again: "Did you see it with your own eyes that Xiao Yunfan harmed the senior martial arts masters?" Mr. Tian, have you ever seen it with your own eyes?" Qi Zhengyi felt his ears burning, but he still said loudly: "My friends in the world say so, how can it be false?"
Leng Shen said: "If your friends in the world say that your face is on your butt and your butt is on your face, can you take it seriously?" Qi Zhengyi glared at Leng Shen and said, "Your Excellency, you are helping Xiao Yunfan to speak like this. , is it possible that Xiao Yunfan took advantage of him?"
Leng Chen put down the wine bowl and said slowly: "First of all, I said that your butt is on your face because you are talking without thinking. You haven't seen it yourself. You just believe what others say. If others say that I am your father, why don't you? Do you really plan to inherit my property? Do you want me to laugh to death so that you can inherit my property?"
Qi Zhengyi said: "You...you are not Xiao Yunfan's friend, why do you have to argue with me when I speak?" Leng Shen shook his head and said: "It's not that I'm arguing with you, it's that what you said makes no sense. I asked you three questions Your answer to every question is no. You haven’t seen it with your own eyes, you just heard it from hearsay. Didn’t your father teach you since you were a child that you should be cautious in your words and deeds? "
Qi Zhengyi's face changed slightly and he said: "Friend, although Mr. Qi has not seen it, there are always other friends in the world who have seen it. If I say this alone, you can say that I am spreading rumors and ruining people's innocence. But everyone knows this. I know, but are these friends talking nonsense? Do you think so?" When he said this, many people in the hall started talking to each other.
Leng Chen took a sip of wine, sighed and said: "What people say has always been true. Whether Xiao Yunfan is good or bad, virtuous or stupid, it all depends on the coffin. I wonder if you can really kill people by scolding them like this all day and night. Or can you curse people to death?" A bald old man sneered: "You guys just talk to have fun. If you don't like what you hear, just get out. What's the point of sitting here and arguing?"
Leng Shen said: "Everyone in the world decides whether what is fair or unfair must be judged by others. Why do you speak with righteousness, while I speak with arrogance? Who stipulates that what you say is right?" The bald old man said: "That's not the case." Leng Chen picked up a peanut with chopsticks and put it in his mouth. "Since no one stipulates it, and I say mine, why do you accuse me of arrogance?"
The scar-faced man opposite Qi Zhengyi said: "Brother, you must have heard of Qin Hui's thousand-year infamy. If you speak for Xiao Yunfan now, it is tantamount to putting this thousand-year infamy on your own head, so why bother?"
Leng Shen shook his head and said: "Qin Hui's reputation is bad, that's not Qin Hui's fault. It's just that the emperor found a big scapegoat for Qin Hui to shoulder. I speak for Xiao Yunfan, Xiao Yunfan is not Qin Hui, let alone what he did for the Central Plains Wulin. A lot of things have happened. Accusing someone without any reason is definitely not what a gentleman would do."
The scar-faced man glanced at Leng Shen and said: "Xiao Yunfan has done a lot of things for the Central Plains Wulin in the past, but these things were all calculated by the Gui Xiang Sect." Leng Shen asked curiously: "Is the Gui Xiang Sect so capable?" Qi Zhengyi said: "My dear friend, please sit down and let Qi tell you slowly.
The Ghost Prime Minister has a far-reaching plan to place Xiao Yunfan as a chess piece in our Central Plains Wulin. The purpose is to let this kid achieve a few great achievements first, so that the big guys will support him as the leader of the martial arts alliance, and then let this kid take charge of the power. This will be good for all of us. The various factions of the sect are dividing and cannibalizing. This is why Youdao is a traitor but also a loyal person. In the past, we were almost deceived by his disguised appearance.
Now in Dajue Temple, several seniors from Zhengyi Sect and Chishui Gang have come forward to confirm this matter. How can it be false? Even if you don’t believe me, Mr. Qi, but the words of famous martial arts masters like Master Zhishan and Zhang Tianshi should be reliable, right? "
Xiao Yunfan couldn't hold himself back and asked: "What did they say?" Qi Zhengyi said: "Several seniors have already spread the word to the world: Anyone who beheads Xiao Yunfan will be regarded as a great hero in our Central Plains martial arts world." Xiao Yunfan's heart sank. He smiled bitterly and said, "A great hero?"
Qi Zhengyi said: "My dear friend, are you also angered by the shameless behavior of this dog thief?" Xiao Yunfan said: "You keep saying that he is a dog thief, have you ever seen what he said?" Qi Zhengyi said: "He said Nothing matters, it’s just trying to justify his evil deeds. But who would believe what he says?”
Xiao Yunfan thought to himself: "Yeah, he can't defend himself, so who will believe what he says?" He felt like he had a splitting headache, and his chest was filled with righteous indignation. He glanced at everyone, then strode out of the door, running as fast as he could.
Qianqian and Tingting were concerned about his safety, but Naihe's footsteps were not as good as his, so they had to ask others for help. Leng Shen handed over a secret signal to his companions, while he was still sitting on his chair and bickering with the heroes. Firstly, it is just to draw everyone's attraction to himself, and secondly, it is convenient for his companions to leave early.
He estimated that everyone had gone far, and suddenly he raised his hand and overturned a table and shouted loudly: "I am Xiao Yunfan, didn't some of you just now say you want to take my head, cut out my tongue, and pick my hand tendons? Mr. Xiao is here now." Sit down and come forward if you want to touch Xiao."
He took off the bamboo hat on his head and threw it away. The bamboo hat was embedded in the beam and column, about a foot deep. When everyone saw that he showed his hand, they were inevitably a little afraid. Everyone looked at him with eager eyes, but in the end no one dared to step forward to lead him to death.
