Chapter 187 Wildfire
Although they are as poor as most other places in the Ming Dynasty, the people of Guangwu Temple in Taihe County, Yingzhou always have a sense of pride: this is the only place in the Ming Dynasty named after the emperor's reign - Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty Have you heard of it? Well, it was his old man who gave the order himself! The person who spoke was full of pride, and the person who listened was filled with admiration. They often forgot that no matter how dazzling the True Dragon Emperor’s favor was, the two of them were chewing identical balls of wild vegetables, and the clothes on their bodies were also covered in patches.
The only place in the entire Ming Dynasty named after the Emperor's reign, is it true? Of course it’s nonsense! It is true that Liu Xiu was called Emperor Guangwu, but that was the posthumous title given to his father by his son Liu Zhuang, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty after his death! Having said that, don’t laugh at them. After all, the literacy rate in the Ming Dynasty is less than 5%. It is understandable for country slangs to put gold on their faces and make a joke... In the hit "Kangxi Dynasty" in later generations , Siqin Gaowa didn't always say "I am Xiaozhuang" - didn't the screenwriter who knew those many words also didn't understand what the posthumous title was about?
A mistake is a mistake, should you be proud or should you be proud? In order to embody this pride, people here have a special habit: getting up late.
There are many legends about Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu in Jieshou area, the most famous one is "Wang Mang chased Liu Xiu*". It tells the story of Liu Xiu running in front and Wang Mang's army chasing behind. One day at dusk, both armies were stationed here to rest. Wang Mang's large troops were stationed at Jibeitou, and Emperor Guangwu's small army was stationed at Nantou. A village separates us, but neither side knows that the other side is so close! If Wang Mang's scouting horses had waited until dawn to leave the camp, there would have been no Emperor Guangwu in the world. However, he is a real dragon emperor, of course God will protect him - before it gets dark, the dawn roosters on the Nanji end are crowing one after another. When Liu Xiu organized his army and set off, his pursuers were still there. Soundly asleep! By the time the chickens in Jibei began to crow and the pursuers got up sleepily, Emperor Guangwu had already left for a full hour!
Because of this legend, people here always get up at about an hour after the cock crows - showing their special relationship with Emperor Guangwu through customs that are completely different from other places. Unfortunately, self-enjoyment without strength as a foundation often requires a heavy price. This habit purely to satisfy vanity has brought them a terrible disaster.
The white morning mist enveloped the surrounding fields like a gauze, and the distant mountains were looming, like a light ink painting. The clear morning breeze blew through the rice fields, making a soft rustling sound, and the water flowed gurglingly. The sound of gurgling water added a bit of tranquility to the early morning. The chaffinches that got up early began to chirp and fly around, looking for insects whose wings were wetted by dew. The mixed smell of grass and earth fills the air, a unique taste of the countryside. Crystal dewdrops hang on the grass blades, reflecting the first ray of morning light. A dewdrop slowly rolled down along the leaf surface, moving its position bit by bit, as if it was lingering on the partner who had snuggled up all night. Another dewdrop moved, then the third, the fourth... In an instant, all the dewdrops began to tremble, jumped up in panic, hurriedly jumped into the air, and plunged into the soil, as if to avoid the approaching terror. . A series of muffled thunder sounded, getting closer and closer, continuous. No, this is not thunder, it is the sound of galloping horses! The black silhouettes of a group of armored cavalry emerged in the morning light. From time to time, the sharp sword light reflected a bit of cold light. They were like demons from the dark abyss. Their horse hooves stamped on the ground, like the vibrating sound of death. In the blink of an eye, all the poetic beauty was lost. Crash to pieces!
The cavalry passed straight through the main road that ran through the collection. When they reached the south end, they spread out to the east and west wings and rolled back. In less than half a stick of incense, they surrounded the entire Guangwu Collection like an iron barrel, leading to the intersection of the wilderness. There were dozens of knights shouting and guarding, and there were hundreds of knights sparsely scattered in the outer field. Sometimes they would gallop for a short distance with their swords raised, sometimes they would rein in their horses and look into the gathering for a moment, letting the horses lower their heads. Nibbling on the green grass seedlings.
When the people in the gathering heard the commotion outside, they got up in panic and ran out of the house in panic, but it was too late. A little further to the north, a large group of soldiers with knives and guns are rushing towards here. There are probably tens of thousands of people in a black crowd. The east, west, northwest, southwest and other intersections are guarded by cavalry, making it impossible to escape. How could those few people who climbed over the wall and escaped into the wilderness outpace the riders in the outer circle? The cavalrymen threatened with a southern accent and a northern accent. As long as they didn't turn around and return to Jili, a sharp steel knife would be chopped down from above their heads! So people cried and fled south, where there was Yingshui. Most of the men in the group, young and old, knew how to swim. If they swam desperately, they might still have a chance to survive. However, soon, another stream of people rushed back. These were the people who were the first to rush to the river. From their desperate cries, the villagers knew that there was already a long boat parked in the river, and all those who tried to take the risk Without exception, the swimmers were mercilessly killed by spears and bows, and now Yingshui has become a river of death.
The crowd was crowded, trampling on each other, swarming from one place to another like headless flies, shouting and wailing, but their fate was already sealed. The soldiers from the north finally came up. In fact, strictly speaking, they are not soldiers, but several auxiliary battalions of Zhang Hu. Each person was given a sword and gun, which was enough to deal with the unarmed villagers. There was no need to use armored soldiers for this kind of thing. In the war barracks, all the women, children and cannon fodder of the old camp need to do is stay and wait for the rewards that will come soon - the veterans' eyes were filled with lust, and they spoke all kinds of obscene words in their mouths, and they all enthusiastically Guessing: For such a large group, no matter how few women were dragged into the camp at night, it would not be a problem to get one for each fruit... This is already the usual practice of Zhang Hu's troops: those with military exploits and qualifications The old war barracks will receive women as rewards, but they cannot be killed - they will be sent to the old camp the next day and become the care of the newly captured cannon fodder, the auxiliary soldiers who work hardest to loot the village, especially those who are useless. Those who wield the butcher's knife against the rebels without hesitation or mercy will be considered "courageous" and incorporated into the war barracks, and will eat war food from then on. Zhang Hu was surprised to find that it was often those who suffered the most and suffered the most not long ago who were the most ruthless in the ensuing looting. When he asked the military advisor, Wen Juren told him that this was a kind of psychological compensation. Zhang Hu didn't understand the word, but Zhang Hu understood after Wen Juren said: "I'm already so unlucky, why should I make it easier for you? I have to make you even more unlucky!" Then Military Advisor Wen shook his head and said four more words. : "acting for the tiger". Zhang Hu laughed after hearing the military counselor's explanation: No matter if he is a human or a ghost, it would be perfect if he has a tiger in his name and works for me - they are all cannon fodder who will die in that trench sooner or later anyway.
Like the previous villages, there were a few people trying to resist in Guangwuji. Seeing that they were in a desperate situation, some people picked up hoes and others raised kitchen knives. After all, those who entered the gathering were all auxiliary soldiers, and most of them relied on the large number of people to be emboldened. When they saw those who risked their lives at all costs, many people shouted and ran away, while those who ran slower were killed and laid on the ground. underground. The rebels knew that they had no physiology and frantically waved their weapons at the underground body to vent their anger and fear. The officers of the auxiliary barracks shouted and stepped forward, commanding several shield soldiers to surround them. The spearmen followed the shield soldiers, used their long spears to hold them back from a distance, and drove them towards the wheat field - this was also figured out by Zhang Huxin The best method: kill one person to serve as a warning to others, and also let his subordinates know the fate of those who resist. Soon, the three people were driven to one place one after another, surrounded by shield walls and spears in all directions. Zhang Hu rode his horse over, looked at the blood-stained people and smiled: "You are quite courageous. I, Mr. Zhang, like courageous people the most! But you have all killed my people. If so, I will spare you." Isn’t it okay for anyone to chop me with a knife? Let’s do this, if one of you wants to survive, chop the other two, and I will spare his whole family!”
The three people who knew they were destined to die were all stunned when they heard this. They didn't expect that they seemed to have a glimmer of hope! The Guangwuji is such a big place, and the three of them knew each other even if they were not familiar with each other. They looked at each other, and one of them said: "Don't believe in this thief...ah!" As soon as he finished speaking, he was stabbed heavily in the waist by a hoe. At this moment, he let out a scream from the pain, and involuntarily bent his waist and curled up into a ball. The attacker shouted: "Brother Pei, I'm sorry for you, I have a whole family..." As he spoke, the hoe in his hand hit Brother Pei's Tianling Cap hard.
Blood spurts.
The attacker, who had his carotid artery cut off with a kitchen knife, covered his neck and fell on the body of Brother Pei whose brains had burst. The last person murmured: "Uncle Meng, I also have a family, so I can't help you." Then he knelt down on both knees to Zhang Hu: "Your Majesty, spare your life! Your Majesty told me to kill, so I killed him..."
The surrounding auxiliary soldiers burst into laughter: they had seen this kind of scene before.
"Hoo."
Hearing this light scolding, the auxiliary soldiers respectfully moved out of the way, and Niu Youtian rode his horse slowly into the circle. The kneeling man quickly turned to Niu Youtian and kowtowed heavily again: "Your Majesty, have mercy on me! That Majesty said you can bypass the villain..."
Niu Youtian stared at him condescendingly for a while and said, "Well, get up, I heard it."
"Kong San, the little man, has thanked several great kings!" He kowtowed three times again, threw away his kitchen knife and stood up tremblingly...
"Ah!" Kong San covered his almost completely broken right arm and fell heavily again, rolling and struggling in a pool of blood. All he could hear was Niu Youtian's ferocious laughter: "Did you hear me say I'll spare you?" Huh? If you kill my people, you have the guts to do it, and you will also kill your own people. Are you leaving a white-eyed wolf like you to come and kill me one day?"
The onlookers burst into laughter again. They had also seen the double act performed by several commanders, but this time it was Deputy Commander Niu, and last time it was Deputy Commander Fang.
"Find all the people from these three families for me. Don't give them any advantage. Anyone who dares to swing a knife with me will have their eyes wide open to see the consequences!" This was the last sentence Kong San heard in the human world.
Thick smoke billowed, and the entire Guangwu Temple complex that had been looted was burning. Zhang Hu's army carried all the newly captured people and marched toward Yingchuan in a mighty manner. The team stretched for nearly twenty miles. There are hundreds of large and small ships in Yingshui, carrying the army's baggage behind them - the wildfire that can no longer be easily extinguished has finally spread in the heart of the empire, and everything along the way will be burned by this raging wildfire. Into ashes!
*In fact, this legend can be found everywhere, and the characters are basically the same. The only difference is the place name. For example, the legend of Wang Mang chasing Liu Xiu in Shijiazhuang was even selected into the fifth batch of municipal intangible cultural heritage list in Hebei Province! Anyway, no one can dig out the real owner to testify - where can you dig a hole and insist that Yang Yuhuan and Tang Xuanzong took a mandarin duck bath in this hole? You must have bought the tickets and come in to see it. Woolen cloth. Even the hometown of Sun Wukong can make people blush, why not?
However, to be fair, the probability of this happening is very slim: even if neither army sends out the military intelligence tentacles of the scout Tangqi, even if the scouts of the two armies miss each other by accident... Whether the army is setting off or camping, they must always make a fire to cook - far away from themselves So close, with so many fires and smoke rising, are all the people in the two armies blind?
