He Kuan protected the old and young of the Qin family and waited outside the backyard door. He saw several corpses lying on the ground, and some female family members couldn't help but scream in surprise.
It was not easy to get them into the three prepared carts. As soon as they left the street, they saw a lot of people rushing towards the North Street. They were all holding sticks, and there were shouts from the other side. .
He Kuan looked at them with cold eyes, as if he were looking at corpses with disdain, and he shouted in a deep voice: "Clean and tidy, leave no one behind!"
The soldiers under his command were not fighting enough. When they got the order, five people rushed out first with swords and shields. They laughed ferociously and blocked the swords with their shields. They killed the rushing gangsters in an instant, leaving nothing behind. Eleven mutilated corpses lay on the ground.
After all, he is a real warrior who has killed bandits and Tatars. Dealing with thieves in these places is not as easy as chopping melons and vegetables. It is simply a dimensionality reduction attack without any pressure.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."
After several roars and loud noises, thick smoke rose up in the Qin family compound, and then balls of fire shot up into the sky, lighting up almost the entire night sky.
Qin Zichen stuck his head out of the window and looked back at the Qin house where the fire was burning, with mixed feelings in his heart.
His wife, Qin Chu, had also calmed down at this time and sighed softly: "It was such a good house that the Qin family worked hard for several generations to build, and it was ruined like this. What a pity!"
Hearing this, Qin Zichen put his head back into the car and comforted her: "In this situation, it's lucky to be alive."
"Such a nice yard shouldn't be set on fire." Mrs. Qin Chu was still a little stubborn and regretful.
"This... is actually my husband's idea."
In the confused eyes of the young lady Qin Chu, Qin Zichen continued to explain: "Now that the old house has been blown to pieces, and fires are spreading, if these thieves gather today, they must not plunder.
After daybreak, the government officials will definitely intervene. At that time, the registration will be done, and they will not be allowed to wait for the night to be wild, and the cellar left at home will be safe. "
When he said this, he stroked his beloved wife's head with his hand and continued: "You don't need to worry about these things. As long as you keep the child in your belly, my Qin family will not be extinct, which is the greatest achievement."
Qin Zichen then added: "Thank God, Uncle Yongning did not forget about us and waited. He arrived in time. As long as he survives, the Huairen old house and Qiandeji will still be ours sooner or later."
At this time, he heard a burst of orders from outside, and what Qin Zichen remembered so vividly and would never forget was this sentence: "Congratulations, sir, all twenty of my people are here, not one missing.
There are twenty-three servants of the Qin family. Except for two old servants who were unable to evacuate in time, no one is missing. The Qin house has also been bombed first and then burned according to the order. "
The blazing fire was full of cries and curses, which also attracted the attention of the surrounding neighbors. As they joined in with their basins, the whole street became more chaotic.
Taking advantage of this commotion, He Kuan led 20 strong soldiers to escort the three carriages as they moved further and further away, heading towards the south gate. The night became their perfect cover, and no one noticed their injuries along the way. Stained with blood.
He Kuan only brought thirty brothers with him on this trip, most of them were Ye Bushou and a few elite soldiers from his tribe. The main reason why He Kuan did not bring a large group of troops was to avoid causing a big reaction. After all, this was not a propaganda place. Mansion.
Even though Wang Pu, the commander-in-chief of Datong, was on hand to help, it was taboo for the military to intervene in local affairs with force. This would lead to collective impeachment and criticism from local governors and civil servants.
He Kuan also left five soldiers at the south gate. He had bribed the guards guarding the gate earlier. Although it was strictly forbidden to open the city gate after nightfall, He Kuan took out the letter from the General Military Office of Datong and gave it to them. Twenty taels of silver, this matter will be solved naturally.
Those who encouraged the green-skinned gangsters in the city to cause trouble could never imagine that the Qin family father and son, who had no power to restrain a chicken, could still escape from the deep courtyard, so they did not take care of the guards at the gates.
After the group of people escorted the three carts out of the south gate, they first met up with the five left-behind soldiers outside the city. Each of them took over their own horses, and then they went onto the official road. They protected the three carts and turned to the north in a hurry. go.
"Ms. sir, are you going north?"
"Yes. Direction to Datong Mansion."
"Are you going to Datong Mansion to report to the official? In that case, why don't you go directly out of the north gate?"
"General He has thought carefully. If we go out of the south gate first, the gang of thieves will think that I am heading south and will not realize that we are actually heading north."
Qin Zichen then said: "Report to the official? Humph. They have already had enough to eat, how can they complain for us?"
As he spoke, he stuck his head out of the car window again, looking at the still-extinguished fire in Huairen City in the distance, and sighed faintly: "Alas. If I want to redress my grievances, I'm afraid I have to go to Xuan Mansion."
The old man Qin Zukang was sitting on the cart in the middle, and he could clearly see the outside world. His wife was trembling at the side and kept chanting the Buddha's name, praying for the Buddha's protection.
Seeing this, Qin Zukang couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He shook his head and murmured: "Destroy it, just destroy it. As long as everyone is fine, the house can be built again in the future!"
His words seemed to be comforting his wife and himself. Soon, under the protection of He Kuan and others, the three carts headed north along the official road and disappeared.
However, the Qin Mansion compound in Huairen City was completely burned to the ground, with not a single tile left.
Scenes like this have been repeated in Datong and Shanxi. Tragedies have been staged one after another. Many businessmen who had close contacts with merchants on Bei Road suffered disasters one by one...
However, there are very few people who can be rescued by the Yongyi Army in time. That is to say, large companies like the Qin Family are on Zhang Cheng's protection list, and only they can escape this man-made catastrophe.
…………
Because various major businesses in Shanxi were causing trouble behind the scenes, rumors about Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng spread all over the sky.
In various prefectures and counties in Shanxi and Datong, it seemed that overnight, Zhang Cheng was transformed from a martial god of the Ming Dynasty, a brave and invincible general in the world, and a great hero who became the king of both worlds.
In an instant, he turned into a villain who did all kinds of evil by drinking the blood of soldiers and sucking the fat and oil of the people. He was simply a scum of the world without a king and a father, and he became a black sheep hated by everyone among the officials and gentry.
Originally, the high-quality goods from the North Road continued to circulate in Shanxi and Datong. Coupled with Zhang Cheng's unparalleled achievements in recent years, he still has many fans among Shanxi people.
But as these unfounded rumors continued to spread, the people who originally had a good impression of Zhang Cheng were gradually blinded by the rumors, and along with the angry businessmen, they began to curse Uncle Yongning.
The influence of Shanxi merchants in Shanxi and other places has long been deeply rooted. Many scribes, officials, and generals in the territory are either their tribesmen or have inseparable interests with them.
These people ignored the rumors that attacked and abused Zhang Cheng.
But if anyone dares to speak a word of justice for Zhang Cheng, they will be targeted by them. At least they will give him a good punch, at worst they will be arrested and imprisoned for no reason. In more serious cases, they may be imprisoned for no reason. Disappeared, as if the world had evaporated.
The spread of rumors is becoming more and more mysterious and intense.
Even many young people and women in remote rural areas know that there is a place called Xuanfu North Road in the northwest of Shanxi. There lives a man with sores on his head, pus on his soles, and a heart thicker than coal. The black commander-in-chief.
The commander-in-chief did not respect the gods of heaven and earth, and did not worship his parents. He was simply a madman without a king or father. Not only was he rude to the gentry, officials and people, he was also debauched and immoral. He would recruit beautiful women wherever he went. There are music, singing and dancing every night, and it takes eight ladies to sleep peacefully.
What's even more hateful is that he also wants to rob everyone's jobs and want to starve all the brothers and fathers in Shanxi to death. No, all kinds of merchants on the North Road are coming in, and with the dumping at low prices, where are the local merchants? A way to survive?
As for someone claiming that the North Road area is rich, that is a big lie. Those businessmen are as shameless as Zhang Cheng. The reason why they can eat well is to suck everyone's blood, just like mosquitoes and flies, who can't suck it? Feeling full?
They have enough to eat and drink. Do we, the fellow villagers in Shanxi, deserve to starve to death?
Finally, they shouted even more viciously: Zhang Cheng and profiteers should be treated like mosquitoes and flies, and they should all be beaten to death at once!
Zhang Cheng and the profiteers on his North Road are certainly shameless, but what is even more shameless and hateful are those Shanxi traitors who seduced foreign thieves...
As time went by, with the help of rumors, a memorial to impeach Zhang Cheng was delivered to the court of Emperor Chongzhen, while brutal robberies continued to be staged across Shanxi, killing many innocent people. Small businesses have suffered.
No one or shop that has any intersection with Zhang Cheng or Bei Road will be spared!
…………
In early March, the weather gradually became warmer. Even in the border area of Datong Prefecture in northwest Shanxi, the ground began to thaw, and people were making preparations for spring plowing.
Shanxi, Taiyuan Prefecture, Xinzhou.
Xinzhou, known as "Xiurong" in ancient times, is located on the official road from Taiyuan to Xuanfu via Datong. It is 160 miles away from Taiyuan City in the south and more than 400 miles away from Datong City in the north. It has Dingxiang County under its jurisdiction.
Fifty miles north of Xinzhou City, there is a long and narrow walled city called "Xinkou Village".
Xinkou Village is under the rule of Xinzhou. Its walled city is located on a hillside to the west and Hutuo River to the east. It is located in the northeast of Shili Gushan Mountain. The terrain is dangerous. It is one of the "Eight Towns of Xinzhou" and is an important gateway to the north of Xinzhou. It is known as the "Key to Northern Shanxi".
It faces Sanjia Village and Yuhui Village in Dingxiang County across the Hutuo River to the east. It is only more than two miles away from Shihezi in the south, and another two miles away from Hongya Bay in the north. More than 70 miles further north is Ningxia. The inner Great Wall defense line in the Wuguan area.
During the last years of Zhengtong, the northern barbarians penetrated deeply into the territory. The officers and soldiers refused to defend the Xinkou Walled City and the bandits could not fall, so they failed to penetrate deep into the territory of Taiyuan Prefecture.
Because of its dangerous terrain, it has always been one of the important gateways between the Central Plains Dynasty and the northern ethnic minorities. Therefore, the Xinkou Walled City was built according to the terrain and was very tall and strong. Especially the northern wall was covered with city bricks.
According to the records of "Xinzhou Chronicles" in the sixth edition of Guangxu: "Xinkou Town is geographically narrow and long, about eight miles from north to south, and only more than 33 feet from east to west. It has more than 4,000 acres of cultivated land and nearly 3,000 people in Dingkou. In addition to grains, the main products include walnuts and peppers.
There is a garrison in Xinkou Walled City, with a thousand troops stationed as a rule. However, because it is located in the hinterland of the Great Wall, and there have been fewer troops in recent years, the military equipment is relatively weak. In particular, many military households have fled, and there are no more soldiers. to five hundred people.
This slightly dilapidated small city has only one long and narrow north-south street, which is considered a lively place. The City God Temple, Confucian Temple, Wenchang Pavilion, etc. are all built along this street.
Just like Xuanfu Town, there are many military castles and temples in Datong Town, and these places are often crowded with people.
It was only after noon, and the area around the Chenghuang Temple was already full of pedestrians. At the street entrance in front of the temple, there were many shops and vendors of all kinds, waiting for customers coming in and out.
On Wuyaqian Street, not far east of the Chenghuang Temple, a few men dressed as businessmen were watching a Bangzi opera by the stage. They were munching on local sesame oil and frying it, while drinking thick millet porridge while it was hot.
Suddenly, a big man with a powerful figure moved his eyes and asked in a deep voice: "Are you full?"
Several people around him nodded or made eye contact, indicating that they were full.
The big man immediately said to an older man next to him: "Settle the account."
The older man reached out from his waist and took out a money bag, and shouted to the vendor setting up the stall: "Waiter, do you accept Xuanfu military tickets?"
The dealer sighed and said, "I used to collect them, but now I don't dare to collect them."
The man touched the stubble on his chin and didn't say much. He just took out a handful of copper coins, tapped them, and slapped them on the table: "Here you go."
After paying the bill, a group of people got up and walked away. Soon they got mixed up in the crowd and disappeared into the vast sea of people, making it difficult to distinguish and find them.
The vendor who set up the stall put away the copper plates and counted them very carefully. He couldn't help but feel happy. This was at least 30% more than the selling price.
He couldn't help but think in his mind: This group of people who went out to run gangs were so generous. It's such a pity that there is no one to take care of the children in my family, and they have a lot of worries. Otherwise, why would I go out to help, so why would I have to make a living by this hard work.
Although these men were dressed like foreign merchants, they all had fierce looks on their faces. Even if they were walking struttingly on the street, those green-skinned men would not dare to come up and bully the foreigners.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, they turned to the side and entered the alley next to Yuewang Temple. They met two ordinary local men dressed up. Their eyes met and they just nodded to each other and remained silent. He walked behind the two men.
The crowd wandered through alleys and finally entered a small, dilapidated courtyard house.
This courtyard is close to the south gate and built against the mountain. Although the interior is very dilapidated, the courtyard walls are still tall and strong, indicating that its original owner must have been a wealthy family.
After closing the courtyard door and checking that there was no more movement outside, the nine people entered the house and sat together, as if they were discussing.
(End of chapter)
