Half a month later, Hai Rui arrived in Qingjiangpu.
Hu Shouren and tens of thousands of the Emperor's personal troops from Jinwu Guard have been waiting for him here for a long time.
As soon as Hai Rui saw Hu Shouren, he darkened his face and said to Hu Shouren, "Didn't I tell you to go directly to Yangzhou and wait? How did you get here! How can Qingjiangpu support tens of thousands of troops like yours?"
Hu Shouren hurriedly raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty! The gates of Yangzhou City are closed. Some fierce people say that we are pretending to be the south to plunder the bandits, and they even shoot arrows at us. We don't have your order, so we dare not use force to attack without authorization." Yangzhou City had to retreat to Qingjiangpu for the time being. Qingjiangpu is an important canal town after all. Compared with other towns, it is easier to buy grain and bean feed, and there is no need to worry about the lack of food that will affect military discipline. But we can't stay long, and now we can get grain. Before we arrived, the major grain stores in Qingjiangpu did not have much inventory, and the most important thing was that they were short of beans."
After hearing this, Hai Rui's expression became even more serious: "This is ridiculous! What kind of tough people can make Yangzhou officials unable to control them and let the power of opening and closing the city be occupied? What is the difference between this and rebellion? They want to rule the country. Is he guilty of losing his position?!"
"Please let me know what we should do."
Hu Shouren said.
Hai Rui went back to the ship directly, wrote the Jun Order on the official paper, stamped it with his customs seal, took it out, and handed it to Hu Shouren:
】
"First of all, I would like to warn the people of Yangzhou once again. If you do not open the city within half a stick of incense and prevent the officers and soldiers from entering the city, they will be punished as rebels. All the officials and brave soldiers in the city will be charged with dereliction of duty. Those with meritorious status will be punished with disobeying the rules and will be directly punished. Yangzhou has counterattacked and attacked the city!"
After receiving the official letter, Hu Shouren said yes and left.
A few days later, in Yangzhou City, Hu Shouren and other troops of Emperor Jinwuwei arrived outside the city again with the rising sun.
At that time, Cheng Batian, a fierce citizen of Yangzhou who was standing on the city, asked Zhang Zongxi, the health official: "Ms. Zhang, the tax-collecting heavenly soldiers are here again. Do we still have to close the city gate?"
"Keep it closed!"
"Hai Rui is a man who loves the people. He is not afraid of officials but afraid of the people. He would not dare to attack without authorization. He might have realized the difficulty of paying for the officials and the gentry together and sued the court so that the ruling officials would also know the difficulties. I urge the emperor to withdraw his decree to cancel the exemptions."
Mr. Zhang said.
"That's right! Just tell the people that these heavenly soldiers will burn, kill, and loot after entering Yangzhou. Let them stop the Yangzhou Yamen and guard the city gate, and don't let the officers and soldiers in the city have the opportunity to open the city gate!"
Another student named Gong Yuanxiang started talking.
"People in the city are listening. The governor of the State Tax Department and the Haibu Hall have issued an order. If you don't open the city after half a stick of incense, Yangzhou will be considered to have rebelled, and the city will be attacked directly with force. At that time, the officials and soldiers of Yangzhou will be accused of neglecting their duties. Those who have meritorious service will be punished for not observing moral integrity, and those who defend the city will be accused of rebelling against thieves!"
At this time, a messenger came to the city with an official letter and shouted.
Cheng Batian hurriedly asked Zhang Zongxi: "Ms. Zhang, what should we do now?"
"No, let's take a look first, maybe it's just a scare."
Zhang Zongxi thought for a while and said.
When the time for half a stick of incense was about to end, Hu Shouren ordered: "Let the gunners fire! Tell them that the time for half a stick of incense is based on the sound of the cannon. If the city gate is not opened before the cannon sounds, Yangzhou will be considered to have rebelled." .”
Not long after, Cheng Batian pointed at the artillery five hundred steps away and said: "Mr. Zhang, they are going to fire off a cannon. The cannon jackets have been lifted. The cannon should look quite big. You can still see its outline from such a distance! They are This is really about attacking the city!"
Zhang Zongxi, who is nearsighted due to reading a lot, couldn't help but squint: "Where is the cannon?"
Cheng Batian pointed quickly.
Zhang Zongxi couldn't help but look at it carefully, and soon saw the outline.
Here, student Gong Yuanxiang has already hurriedly left the city: "I'll open the city gate!"
"Brother Botong! Why are you so courageous! He, Haigangfeng, will not really order an attack on the city. He might just be trying to scare us."
Zhang Zongxi couldn't help turning around and shouted loudly.
Gong Yuanxiang didn't listen to him, but took his slaves directly to the city first.
At the same time, many students came down to the city.
After seeing this and thinking about it, Zhang Zongxi said to Cheng Batian: "Chang Li, you have to lead the villagers to hold on and tell them that the heavenly soldiers will not really attack, because the one who rules them is Hai Qingtian, and Hai Qingtian is the one who rules them." Qingtian will not harm the people. Let them hold on until half a stick of incense is finished before leaving. I have something else to do and must leave first."
"Mr. Zhang, the time for half a stick of incense has come."
Cheng Batian said something at this time.
"What?"
Zhang Zongxi couldn't help but look back for a moment, and saw that he was the only distinguished scholar left on the city. His other friends had already left the city, and the heavenly soldiers outside the city had already drawn their swords and lit the match ropes.
Zhang Zongxi regretted it greatly for a moment, and turned around and said to Cheng Batian: "Don't betray me, I will take your wife and children to my home to support you!"
With that said, Zhang Zongxi hurriedly walked towards the city.
boom!
Suddenly, the city wall trembled violently.
Zhang Zongxi fell to the ground as a result.
At this time, the city gate had been opened in advance, and Gong Yuanxiang was already kneeling at the city gate, shouting: "Yangzhou has not rebelled, but some unruly people are causing trouble. We specially invite the heavenly soldiers to enter the city!"
Moreover, Hu Shouren had already sent a group of cavalry to rush in and climb up the city wall.
Seeing that he could no longer escape, Zhang Zongxi had an idea and burst into laughter. Then he pointed at Cheng Batian and cursed:
"You anti-thief monsters, do you think you can take Yangzhou as your own by inciting stupid militiamen to trap the government and occupy the city gates?!"
"The emperor's majesty is great and his law is clear. Have you ever thought that once the heavenly soldiers arrive, all you will do is just a mantis trying to use his arms as a chariot!"
Cheng Batian was a little confused by the scolding, so he froze in place.
Li Yitian, the commander-in-chief of the Jinwu Guard who had climbed up the city wall, was also a little stunned when he saw this.
Zhang Zongxi also directly turned back to command Li Yifu: "This general should kill these rebels quickly to eliminate their troubles!"
"Kneel down and surrender your arms, please be lenient!"
At this time, Lin Linfeng, an orphan who was also a graduate of Xingming Academy and was a follower, reacted faster. He shouted and said to Li Yifu:
"It is not ruled out that these people are being coerced, and it is not appropriate to kill them directly. In this way, we may be able to dig out the mastermind behind the scenes!"
After hearing this, Li Yifu suddenly felt that it made sense and hurriedly said: "Kneel down and surrender your weapons, please be lenient!"
Zhang Zongxi knelt down first and whispered to Lin Linfeng and Li Yitian: "If the two generals can directly kill these people, I am willing to give thirty acres of water at home to the two generals!"
Lin Linfeng laughed: "My husband, if you want to give bribes, you should be more generous. You can't get anything worth a few hundred taels, and it's not enough to seal the mouths of these brothers. You also let us bear the risk of being expelled from the pro-military guard." Reading really makes my brain go crazy.”
Li Yifu asked people to disarm Cheng Batian and other tough people first, and then pointed at Zhang Zongxi to Cheng Batian: "What is his name and what is his identity."
Cheng Batian replied without hesitation: "Mr. Zhang Zongxi Zhang is the son of my family."
…
Not long after, Hai Rui also arrived in Yangzhou City.
At this time, the wealthy officials, gentry, and wealthy households in Yangzhou City all held their breath and concentrated, and many high-rise mansions were decorated with decorations that were illegal and suspected of violating the royal privileges.
"Take the rebellious people like Zhang Zongxi and Cheng Batian into the Yangzhou Prison. Hu Tishuai, you order the first bureau to take over the Yangzhou Prison, and send another group of officers and soldiers to the Yangzhou Mansion Office! Let the Yangzhou Prefect come to see us!"
After Hai Rui came to Yangzhou and listened to Hu Shouren's report on the relevant situation, he gave orders.
Not long after, Wu Xiumin, the magistrate of Yangzhou, came to Hai Rui, knelt down and cried: "The ruthless people are causing chaos, but fortunately the army arrived in time with the heavenly troops, otherwise I would have to die for justice, woo woo!"
Hai Rui stood up, looked at the sailboats going north and south on the canal with his hands behind his back, and asked: "How many brave people are there, so that you, the magistrate, can't do anything, and the transshipment envoy, the Yamen, and the salt patrol censor can't send salt." Ding comes to rescue?"
Wu Xiumin said: "It was the salt men who were estimated to be no less than one hundred thousand who took the lead in besieging the yamen, which made the lower officials unable to do anything!"
"Why are these saltmen besieging the government office?"
Hai Rui asked with a stern face.
Wu Xiumin said: "It's all because of the system where the officials and gentry pay taxes and errands together. Many of these salt farmers have family members who are tenants of the officials and gentry. They think that canceling the preferential exemptions will cause the officials and gentry to pass on the extra taxes and silver to them. So I thought." The imperial court continues to give preferential exemptions to officials and gentry."
"There's no need to discuss this!"
Hai Rui waved his sleeves and replied sharply.
