The Grandmaster Strategist

In the twelfth year of Tongtai, Yong's army invaded Wuyue at Donghaihai camp. Zhe was marching with him. On February 12, Yong's army entered Jiaxing. Zhe sneaked into Jiaxing to sacrifice his mother and meet the Jing family. He wiped out all his past grudges, but no one knew about it.

——"The Biography of Jiang Suiyun, the History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties"

Jiaxing Yanyu Tower is originally a famous building in the southeast, and it attracts the most scholars and tourists. Especially in the early spring of February, the green willows are like smoke, the clear waves are rippling, and the shadows of fishing boats and sails come and go. The scenery is most pleasant. It's a pity that even though it's time to enjoy the scenery, everyone in the building is frowning. As early as a few days ago, there had been rumors that Yong's army had captured Dinghai, but this news did not cause them to be overly frightened. In the land of Wu and Yue, they rarely encountered war. In their minds, Yong's army would soon conquer Was repulsed by Yuhang Shuiying. However, the evolution of things caught them off guard. Almost in an instant, the Yong Army's aggressive offensive had swept across the land of Wu and Yue. The Yong army had already captured Pinghu and Haining the day before yesterday. According to the news from the two places, the Yong army did not massacre, but only detained the local soldiers and civilians in the city, preventing them from moving freely. Although they do not understand the intentions of Yong's army, the soldiers and civilians in Jiaxing can't help but feel a little relieved because of this. The Yong army's attack on Yue County is just relying on surprise. Once the Southern Chu army counterattacks, Yong's army will be forced to retreat to the sea. As long as Yong's army does not kill anyone, Then it won't be a big deal even if you lose some money and food.

All the people in the building are young children from major aristocratic families in Jiaxing, as well as well-known poor scholars in Jiaxing. Now the vanguard of the Yong army has arrived on the outskirts of Jiaxing. These young people do not want to be trapped at home, so they all gathered in Yanyu Tower, hoping to learn the latest news. Due to the war situation, only these young people who still have the courage to fight have the courage to gather at this time. One of these young people had a somewhat different expression. He was a young man of a young age, wearing a green robe and a Confucian uniform. He had a handsome appearance and a deep demeanor. He was sitting in front of the window overlooking the scenery of South Lake. He seemed to be deliberately isolated from everyone. Everyone in the building avoided him intentionally or unintentionally, but they secretly paid attention to his expression with their eyes. This young man's name is Jing Xin. He is the eldest grandson of the Jing family and the son of Jing Changqing.

Different from the trend of criticizing Jiang Zhe in various places, the aristocratic families in Jiaxing are intertwined. For the sake of the Jing family's face, most people remain silent. And deep down, these aristocratic families are secretly envious of the Jing family for having Jiang Zhe. characters. In the eyes of these aristocratic families, the glory of the family is the most important thing. Although they inevitably regard the warriors of Dayong as barbarians and think that they are not as elegant as the poets of the South, the power of Dayong still makes them feel lingering fear. Therefore, even if it is to leave a way out, the Jiaxing family has never dared to ignore the Jing family. This is one of the reasons why Shang Weijun wanted to eradicate the Jing family, but could not proceed smoothly. Of course, the Jing family is not completely unaffected. For the sake of the court's reputation, the Jiaxing family will still be a little cold towards the Jing family on the surface. As the heir of the Jing family, Jing Xin naturally has a deep understanding of this situation. If Dayong goes to war with other countries, the young men will often surround him during the debate in Yanyu Tower. If Dayong fights with Nanchu, everyone will Isolating him intentionally or unintentionally, of course, I did not turn a blind eye to him, and even paid more attention to his judgments. Over time, Jing Xin got used to this kind of treatment, so today he deliberately kept a certain distance from everyone.

Looking at the lake outside the window, Jing Xixin was not as calm as he appeared. He had never seen his cousin Jiang Zhe and had no impression of him, but he did know something about Jiang Zhe's father, Jiang Hanqiu. When Jiang Hanqiu left Jiaxing in the past, he took all his manuscripts with him, but in Jing's study, he left several notebooks containing his reading experience. Since Jing Xin learned about Jiang Zhe, Then I went to look at those notebooks. Although Jiang Hanqiu's name is unknown, his notes can be said to be all-inclusive and insightful. Jing Xin gained something new every time he read it. He couldn't help but sigh. With such a father, no wonder Jiang Zhe could become famous all over the world.

Regarding Jiang Zhe, there are two tendencies within the Jing family. Those who simply went to Dayong like Jing Shunjing, and those who relied on Jiang Zhe's support to rebuild their family business, and those who were resentful and unjust like Jing Changqing.

Treat them as rebellious officials and traitors. Jing Xinxin understood that over the years, his grandfather had gradually favored his second uncle, and even the clan was dissatisfied with his father. He wanted his second uncle to take over as the head of the family, but it was just to prevent his second uncle from doing business in Dayong and making it inconvenient for publicity. In Jing Xin's eyes, he naturally disapproved of his father's stubbornness and lack of family affection, but he would not be willing to rely on Jiang Zhe to join Dayong. Why does the Jing family rely on outsiders to gain a foothold? This is what he has in mind.

At this time, a young man ran up the stairs and shouted: "Oh no, the Jiaxing garrison did not dare to go out of the city to meet the enemy. They have broken up and fled. Yong's army has entered the city and is enforcing martial law along the way. Residents are not allowed to walk on the streets. In a few moments, , we are about to arrive at Yanyu Tower."

These young people were in an uproar, and fear arose in their hearts. Although there was no news of the massacre of the city by Yong's army, it was not easy to feel that these people were fighting for the sword and I was fighting for the flesh. A heroic young man said angrily: "It's all Shang Weijun, that guy. He only knows how to plunder and amass the civil and military positions in Wuyue. These civil and military positions in Wuyue are all his capital for selling them. The virtuous people serve as subordinates, and the mediocre people are the most powerful ones. Otherwise, how could they be led directly into the interior of Wuyue by Yong's army." After hearing this, all the young men were all excited. They cheered in unison. Usually, Shang Weijun's power in governing was hindered. Even if he was dissatisfied, he could only discuss a few words in private. Today, the young man criticized him in public and Jiaxing encountered another incident. Everyone felt relaxed. But even so, it was of no avail, and everyone could not help but sigh sadly. A short and fat young man looked at Jing Xin and saw his calm expression. He couldn't help but sarcastically said: "Brother Jing can sleep peacefully. Even if the Yong army massacres Jiaxing, it will not embarrass the Jing family. Your Majesty can still be safe in the chaos of war." Returning from Huaidong, let alone now?"

Jing Xin was a deep-minded person, so he couldn't help but get furious after hearing this. Jing Changqing was in danger in Chuzhou. Fortunately, someone secretly rescued him and sent Jing Changqing's family back to Jiaxing. If Jing Xin had not stayed in his hometown to serve his grandfather, he would have suffered the same fate. Disaster. The person who sent him off showed no sign at all and came and went without a trace, but after thinking about it, he knew that the person who could rescue Jing Changqing during the war in Huaidong must be no ordinary person. The Jing family did not want to make this matter public at first, but unexpectedly, the people in charge of the government strictly ordered Jing Changqing to be investigated. Jing Changqing was imprisoned for questioning, and a beheading document was even issued. But at this time, news came that Yong's army had conquered Dinghai. No matter how bold the Jiaxing government was, they would not dare to execute Jing Changqing at this time. Instead, they hid the documents and let Jing Changqing be released on bail. This matter Although others don't know it, all the major families in Jiaxing know it. This matter was both a secret of the Jing family and a taboo among Jing Xin. As soon as the pudgy young man said it, he felt that he had made a mistake. However, seeing Jing Xin's gloomy face, he felt that he was right and showed a rebellious expression.

At this time, another calm young man said: "The matter has come to an end. Jiaxing has been captured by Yong's army. Let's go home separately so that we can share the joys and sorrows with our families." When these young people heard this, they also knew that they had no power to reverse the situation. , taking advantage of the fact that the Yanyu Tower was not yet under martial law, they left one by one.

Jing Xin, however, stood upstairs with his head bowed and silent, with a cold look on his face. Thinking of his father's humiliation in Chuzhou, it was very difficult to escape along the way. However, in the eyes of the children of the Jiaxing family, it was just pretentious. He really hated it, and suddenly his heart An idea came to my mind: if I joined the army and drove Yong's army out of Wuyue, no one would accuse the Jing family of collaborating with the enemy. As soon as this idea comes out, it is like a raging fire that is out of control. At this time, there were sounds of chaos downstairs. He walked to another window and looked down. The streets were full of panicked people. Yong's army was pouring in from all directions like a blue-black iron stream. Under their strong coercion, these Nanchu civilians who were unable to protect themselves closed their homes and returned home, and the entire Jiaxing City gradually fell under the control of the Yong Army.

Jing Xin was about to turn around and go downstairs, taking the opportunity to go home. Before he could go down the stairs, he saw a few sergeants in black walking solemnly guarding a young man in green walking up the stairs. Jing Xin was shocked, but before he could react, a The sergeant had already pushed him aside, pressed the hilt of the knife and asked, "Who are you, and why are you still lingering in Yanyu Tower at this time?" The sergeant had a murderous look, and it was obvious that Jing Xin would kill him if he answered inappropriately. Kill.

Jing Xin said angrily: "Wan Sheng was originally here to enjoy the lake view. When your army entered the city, there was no time to dodge. If you want to harm me, Wan Sheng has nothing to say."

The sergeant smiled and said, "You are a very domineering scholar." After saying this, he turned around and asked, "Master Huo, do you want to imprison him?"

The young man in green clothes came forward and said with a smile: "It's rude of us. Yanyu Tower is a resort that everyone can come here to enjoy, so it's not strange for me to be here. Huo Cong, may I ask your surname?" Dai Ming, I see that my brother has extraordinary bearing. He is still hanging around outside at this time. He must be a talented young man from Jiaxing."

Jing Xin looked at it intently. He saw that the young man in green clothes was only sixteen or seventeen years old. He had an ordinary appearance and was not very outstanding, but his expression was indifferent. And the sergeants in black clothes could tell at a glance that they were not ordinary sergeants. Although Jing Xin was very interested in military affairs. I don’t know much about it, but I also know that black is the most precious color of Yong army uniforms. Those who can wear black clothes and black armor must be Yong army warriors. At such a young age, this young man could command these black-clad sergeants, so he must be an important figure in the Yong Army. Although he knew that this man was a powerful enemy of Nan Chu, but seeing his pleasant appearance, Jing Xin could not feel any hatred or hatred at all. I felt that when I saw him again, there was a graceful and indifferent demeanor between his eyebrows, and he did not dare to be disrespectful. He bowed and saluted and said: "Jing Xin was born late, and I don't dare to be called a hero."

The young man in green changed his expression when he heard this, and said with a smile: "It turns out that he is a talented scholar from the Jing family in Jiaxing. I heard that Brother Jing had already won the imperial examination when he was fourteen years old. If he hadn't been studying behind closed doors in recent years and not seeking fame, he would have been on the gold list. , He has become a pillar of Nanchu."

Listening to his tone, Jing Xin didn't seem to pay attention to his identity as a Jing family, and his heart felt relieved. However, hearing his compliment, he felt a chill. Since the two countries are fighting, it is not appropriate to take the talents of the enemy country as one's own. Yes, just kill him quickly. Although this young man said a few words, it may be the sentence that determines his life or death. But when dealing with this situation, he could only smile and say: "Master Huo is so young, but he is obviously deeply respected by the warriors of your army. His status must be important. Only such a person can be called a pillar of talent. Jing has no intention of fame, he only studies and drinks on weekdays, and browses the scenery of Nanhu Lake in his spare time. He has no ambitions, so how can he be called a pillar? Mr. Huo is the one who made such compliments."

The young man in green smiled faintly when he heard this and said: "Brother Jing is too flattering. I am just a follower of Ji's family and have no merit. Today I have a chance meeting with Mr. Jing. Huo wants to invite him to have a few drinks together. I don't know. how about?"

Jing Xin smiled bitterly, glanced at the sergeants standing with their swords in hand, and said, "How dare you disobey your orders."

The young man in green invited Jing Xin to the table, and the waiter in the building, under the supervision of Yong Jun sergeants, carefully served wine and food. Jing Xin was initially uneasy, but after a few glasses of wine, he calmed down when he saw that the young man in green clothes never mentioned the relationship between Jing and Jiang Zhe, nor did he intend to recruit him. It's easy to see, but his words and deeds are already flowing freely. The young man in green said he came to Jiaxing for the first time and asked Jing Xin about the famous places in Jiaxing.

Jing Xin, already slightly drunk, pointed to the lake in front of the building: "Jiaxing South Lake is known as the most beautiful place in the southeast. This is Qihu Lake, and the southwest of Jiaxing is famous as Xiuchuan. There is Yuanyang Lake connected to this lake, and the two lakes are connected. It is called Nanhu. Qihu Lake is a gathering place for many streams. It stops and meanders to take in its situation. It is really popular for its beauty. There is a long embankment in the middle of Yuanyang Lake. There is a stone bridge on the embankment called Wulong Bridge. To the east of the bridge The lake is called East Lake, and the west of the bridge is West Lake. The ancients once wrote a poem that "the waters of the east and west lakes are as beautiful as mandarin ducks. The mandarin ducks in the lake have long brocade wings" (Note 1), which describes the beautiful scenery of Yuanyang Lake. West Lake is also called Li Lake. , it was called Li Lake, and later generations attached it to it and called it Fan Li Lake. Fan Shaobo Temple was built beside the lake to worship virtuous people. In Fan Li Lake in the south of Licheng City, wild peach blossoms fell in Chunwu. Yangchi lotus root was planted in the lake. It doesn’t look like Xi Shi’s arms.’ (Note 2), this poem is about chanting the beautiful scenery of West Lake, and Xi Shi’s arms are the name of the lotus root of West Lake.”

Huo Cong was fascinated by what he heard and looked around with a smile. He saw that Jing Xin was in high spirits and elegant. Thinking of this person's identity, he thought to himself that he was worthy of being a member of the husband's family. He raised a toast and said, "Brother Jing is really talented. I remember a few of them." The first person's words describe the beautiful scenery of Yanyu Tower. I wonder if Brother Jing has heard of it?" After saying this, he calmly chanted: "In front of the drizzle, the water chestnut flowers bloom across the broken apple blossoms. The guests leaning on the tower are tired, and the rain is far away. The smoke is far away. The flat-bottomed boat is light, and the fishermen's songs outside the willows are slow. The wind blows away, and the mandarin ducks fly everywhere, but no one can see them." (Note 3)

After reciting this poem, Jing Xin's thoughts were racing, his brows were furrowed, and he was silent. He had seen a banner with these words in his grandfather's study, and it was signed by Qingyuan layman, who was Jiang Zhe's father. Han Qiu's alias, this poem is not widely circulated. At least Jing Xin has never seen Jiaxing and others know about it, but this young man recited it. Could this person be related to Jiang Zhe? Suspicion arose in his heart, and his expression gradually changed. The young man in green asked him three questions, but he could not answer a single sentence. The atmosphere upstairs in Yanyu suddenly became awkward.

At this time, a middle-aged general walked up the stairs, clasped his fists at the young man in green and said, "Counsellor Huo, Jiaxing has everything under control. Please join the army and give the order."

The young man in green clothes stood up and said: "General Fang, there is no need to be polite. Huo Cong is only temporarily holding a false position."

The middle-aged general looked respectful and said: "The Marquis has an order. This time, we must obey the counselor's order. Counselor Huo, please do as you please."

The young man in green clothes smiled slightly and said: "Now that Huo is so good at it, please General Fang to invite all the heads of the Jiaxing family and celebrities to the Yanyu Tower."

This middle-aged general was none other than Fang Yuanxin, one of the best generals in the East China Sea. He was good at fighting. He would not have obeyed the orders of a young boy. However, since Huo Cong arrived in Dinghai, he was ordered to sort out the documents and books left behind at Dinghaijunshan. These documents were all secrets related to Ding Haijun Mountain. Later, Huo Cong knew the terrain and military situation along the coast of Dinghai and Wuyue so well that even the Marquis of Jinghai relied on him. The camp set up by the Donghai Navy in Dinghai was completed by him based on the drawings. He even knew exactly where to build forts and where to set up outposts. In the end, Marquis Jinghai granted him the position of counselor, but it was No one objected. What's more, he is a disciple of the Marquis of Chu, and is comparable to the brother of the Marquis of Jinghai, so these generals do not dare to look down upon him. This time Jiang Haitao couldn't stop Jiang Zhe from coming to Jiaxing, so he specifically put Huo Cong in charge of plundering Yuejun, and asked Fang Yuan to lead the new army, just for the sake of Jiang Zhe's safety. Otherwise, although Huo Cong was outstanding, Jiang Haitao would not A young man will be put in charge of this matter.

Jing Xin's expression changed drastically when he heard this. Although he guessed that this young man's identity was important, he never imagined that the life and death of Jiaxing's soldiers and civilians were under the control of this person. He wanted to say goodbye, but before he could say it, the young man in green had already said with a smile: "Brother Jing is very talented, and Huo Cong admires him deeply. He also asks Brother Jing to stay a little longer, so that I can introduce the talents of Jiaxing to you, and I also want to make friends with you." Brother Jing, please stay here for a while." Looking up, he saw that the young man in green had a calm look on his face, without any hint of intimidation. Even if he was dissatisfied, he could not express it. How can Southern Chu survive for a long time if Great Yong is so talented? Jing Xin sighed, he couldn't help himself, what could he do?

On the bank of Yuanyang Lake, there is a plum grove. In the plum grove, there is a square area of ​​several feet. Among the sparse shadows of plum blossoms, there is a tomb. In front of the tomb is a bluestone tombstone. The writing on it has been very blurred and even covered by moss. , it is difficult to read the text clearly. However, although the tombstone is broken, the tomb seems to be taken care of by someone. The grass on the tomb is green, and there are fragrant flowers for worship. There are even footprints on the ground. It is obvious that someone often wanders here. Compared with the long grass outside Merlin, it is really weird.

It was almost noon, and the silence here was shattered by the sound of people. A man wearing a green cloak and a Xinyang bamboo hat was slowly walking towards Meilin. Behind him, a young man in green clothes with a snow-like face was walking slowly, and the two of them were walking slowly. Behind him on the left and right, there were some black-clad sergeants closely guarding him. Outside the plum forest, there were some sergeants in black cloaks who had already surrounded the plum forest. The green grass outside the forest had been destroyed to pieces. The man frowned slightly when he saw this. He couldn't help but feel lucky that in order not to disturb the peace of the deceased, he had made a move in advance. He issued an order not to allow these warriors to enter Merlin.

Before reaching the plum forest, the young man in green clothes walked into the forest. Although he didn't pay much attention to his steps, the grass was not broken wherever he passed, which showed that he had great lightness skills. After a while, the young man in green clothes came out of the forest and said: "Young Master, you can go in and pay your respects." Madam." The man sighed softly, and gently took off the green cloak and the bamboo hat that covered his face, revealing his bright hair, red face, and white clothes. He walked towards the plum forest. The young man in green took the incense candle and paper money from a warrior's hand, and then entered the forest. Those guards in black were paying careful attention to their surroundings. Captain Da Yong's Prince Consort and Marquis Jiangzhe of Chu County came here to pay homage to their deceased mother. Even though Jiaxing had fallen into the hands of Yong's army, they could not be careless. If they were spotted by the secretive Nan Chu spies, , wouldn’t it be extremely troublesome?

I looked at the plum forest that vaguely appeared in my dream, and remembered the scene of bidding farewell to my mother's tomb that day. I couldn't help but shed tears on the loess. I prostrated in front of the tomb, bowed my head and knelt down, and the tears fell silently. If my mother hadn't died, how could my father and uncle have any quarrel? , so he left his hometown and wandered south of the Yangtze River. If it hadn't been for the fatigue of the journey, how could my father have relapsed? How could he have been so sad that he regretted the death of his mother, leaving me alone in the sea of ​​​​people? My father died of a broken heart, and I have been wandering for half my life, all because of the death of my mother. Thinking about this, it breaks my heart.

I don’t know how long I cried, but cold Qi invaded the back of my neck. I shivered all over, and then I woke up. I knew in my heart that it was Xiao Shunzi who saw that I was too sad, so he used Qi to wake me up, so as to prevent me from feeling too sad. I glanced at Xiao Shunzi who was kneeling behind me, with a hint of warmth in his eyes. Then I took the paper money and incense candle in his hand and burned it in front of my mother's grave. His eyes flashed, and he saw the stone tablet covered with moss. He felt a pain in his heart. He reached out to remove the moss, revealing the elegant and elegant handwriting on the tablet. On the stone tablet was written "The Tomb of the Jing Family in Jiangmen" and the inscription was "Crying in the Cold Autumn". Character.

Seeing his father's Mo Bao on the stele, the hostility in his heart gradually dissipated. Vigorous footsteps came to his ears from far to near. Xiao Shunzi walked out of the plum forest. After a while, he turned back and said, "It's the old master of the Jing family who is here." , was stopped by Commander Huyan, do you want to see him?" I hesitated for a moment and said, "Please ask uncle to come in."

Not long after, an old man in rich clothes walked in with a cane. This man was over seventy years old, with white beard and hair, an old face, and a cold expression. However, seeing his figure, you knew that he was still light and healthy. He walked into the plum forest without looking at me. He walked directly to the tomb, looked at the tomb, and said after a long time: "Zhe'er, you have been away from Jiaxing for many years. This should be the first time you come back to pay homage to your mother."

I sighed and finally bowed down and said, "My uncle is as healthy as ever. I'd like to see my nephew Jiang Zhe."

The old man did not come forward to help him, but said calmly: "Your accent still has the aftertaste of Jiaxing. I think you have never forgotten your hometown, but why do you have to do this false courtesy? You should know how much I hate your father and son. Your mother and I My biological mother died young, my stepmother was a bad person, and my father was obsessed with his official career, which made my brother and sister suffer a lot of loneliness at home. If it weren’t for my little sister’s constant comfort, I would have left home long ago and would never have the chance to inherit the position of head of the family. You My mother has a bad son, and I don’t want her to marry a heartless official, so I personally choose a husband for her. Your father has no intention of a career, but he is talented, so I took a fancy to him and persuaded my father to betroth my little sister to him."

I stood up and listened to his words silently. His tone was excited. It was obvious that these thoughts had been buried for many years and no one could tell them about them. They just told me this time. I don't know much about these past events. I heard my uncle talk about them today, Naturally, I listened attentively. When I heard this, I interjected: "When my father was still alive, he once said that he and his mother became a couple in the past, and Uncle Domeng mediated it."

The old man snorted coldly: "At least he still has some conscience. Hum, after my little sister and your father got married, they treated each other with equal respect and treated each other as guests. But not long after, she became pregnant with you. At that time, she often fainted, so I summoned the good husband. The doctor diagnosed and treated her. The doctor said that your mother was born with a congenital deficiency and that if she gave birth, her life would be in danger. It would not be too late to use drugs to abort the fetus. I then advised your parents to agree. If your father is worried about having no heirs, at most I gave him a few concubines. Unexpectedly, your father refused to agree. As a result, after giving birth to you, my little sister almost died. The next few years were spent in bed. If not for this, how could she have survived when the plague broke out? She was affected and died. It was your father and son who killed her. You can come back today to pay homage, but if you want to send Jiang Hanqiu's coffin back for burial together, it will be impossible unless I die. "

Hearing this, my vague memories of the past gradually came back. I remembered that when I was young, I often saw my father and mother singing among the flowers and playing the harp and zither, but my mother was always so pale and weak. I thought of the vague words my father had revealed in the past. , couldn't help but shed tears, and cried: "Don't you understand, uncle, that this decision is mother's wish, and father just doesn't want to disobey mother's painstaking efforts."

The old man trembled and looked at Jiang Zhe's face. The image of his deceased sister floated in his heart, and he realized that his nephew's appearance was quite similar to that of his deceased sister. The younger sister was also in tears that day and begged him to stay. Fetus, after a long time, he sighed: "You are right. If my little sister hadn't insisted, how could I have given in? It's just that the pain of losing my sister couldn't be calmed down, so I had to vent my anger on you and my son." When he said this, it seemed as if It was as if the pillar of hatred that had supported him for many years collapsed. His expression was a bit more decadent, and his body seemed to be much weaker.

I also feel very bitter in my heart. Although my uncle caused my father and son to wander far away, he did it out of his deep love for my mother's brother and sister. There are many traces in the plum forest. Apparently my uncle often came to worship my mother, but he deliberately made my father stand alone. The stone tablet under him was covered by moss, but it was because his resentment towards his father never diminished. After I won the first prize, the Jing family wanted to reconcile with me, but in the end they just let it go. Although it was not my intention, But it was mostly because of my uncle's objection, which was also my uncle's anger on me. But, in the final analysis, it's because he can't forget his mother, so why should I go against him. Thinking of this, I stepped forward and bowed deeply and said: "Uncle, after my father left Jiaxing, he also missed my mother and became ill. Because he didn't want to make his father sad, I didn't dare to ask more about my mother. Uncle Now that I am here, why not tell my nephew about my mother's charm, so that Zhe can have more past events to reminisce about."

Hearing this, the old man couldn't help but smile and said with a smile: "Your mother, Miss Mei Niang, loved plum blossoms the most in her life. When she was young, if the plum blossoms were in bud, she would stay up all night, waiting for them to bloom. Occasionally, plum blossoms would bloom early. , she was determined to go to enjoy the plum blossoms, even if the ice and snow had not gone away, she did not care. Once when she was ill, she heard that the plum blossoms were beginning to bloom in the garden, so she ignored the dissuasion of her maid, put on her clothes, went into the garden, and walked in the snow to pick plum blossoms. As a result, she caught wind and cold, became seriously ill, and fell into a coma for days. After she married your father, she often sang with your father on the zither. She even composed a zither song called "Plum Blossoms Fall", which fully described the proud appearance of plum blossoms in Tsinghua University. Do you still have an impression?"

I thought for a moment and remembered it, and sang softly: "There are many miscellaneous trees in the courtyard, but most of them are plum blossoms. I ask you why it is so unique? I thought that flowers can be grown in the frost, and fruits can be grown in the dew. The swaying spring breeze makes the spring sun beautiful, The memory of you is scattered and chased by the cold wind, with only frost and no frost quality. (Note 4) "

The old man closed his eyes and listened, and then said after the song was over: "That year Jiaxing was hit by a plague. Your mother was already weak and unfortunately got the disease. When she was about to die, she told me and your father that although she didn't want to leave, she had no choice but to do it after all. You can't resist destiny. Although you are young, your father will take care of you, so there will be no hindrance. However, you can't look at the plum blossoms and flying snow again, but you still regret it. Therefore, after your mother died, I chose this plum forest to be buried. She makes the fragrance of plum blossoms sparse and the shadows always accompany her soul."

I recalled that when my mother passed away, I was still young, and because of the rampant plague, I was sent to live elsewhere. I was not able to see my mother for the last time. I couldn't help crying and said, "My uncle doesn't need to hurt me for my mother." Sadly, my mother had been taken care of by her uncle when she was young, and after she got married, she and her father had a deep love for each other. Although she unfortunately died young, her mother must have felt peaceful and happy at that time. Just because her uncle and father loved her so much, she would not have died even if she died. I won’t feel that this life is vain.”

I don't know when, the sunset has set in the west, the sunset glow reflects into the plum forest, the mist dyed with light red floats, and accompanied by the faint fragrance of plum blossoms, the plum forest is like a fairyland fairyland, and there are people sleeping in the tomb. We are two close relatives. There was silence in the plum forest, and there was an aura of peace and tranquility in the air that made neither of us want to speak. The old man seemed to be lost in memories, with a look of tender nostalgia on his brows.

After a long time, the afterglow of the setting sun gradually dimmed. The old man came to his senses and said calmly: "How do you plan to treat the Jiaxing family and the Jing family when you come here this time?"

I sighed softly. I had to get back to business after all. Compared with the survival of the family, my uncle also understood the importance of hatred. What's more, we are close relatives after all. I raised my head and smiled and said, "Why did my uncle say this? Zhe just took advantage of the good opportunity of our army to capture Jiaxing to come to pay homage to his mother. As for military matters, it is inconvenient for me to interfere."

The old man's eyes flashed with cold light, and he said: "With your status as the Marquis of Chu County, how could you come to Jiaxing easily? Even if you are not afraid of danger, Emperor Dayong may not be at ease. And if you are just to pay homage to your deceased mother, why bother sending people?" I secretly sent a message to the Jing family. I thought this time you were going to make a break with the Jing family. If I didn't come today, I'm afraid the Jing family would also disappear. A few days ago, the imperial court issued an official document and sentenced Chang Qing to death. You must already know?"

I looked around and said, "I do know about this matter. This is the last chance. After Yong's army retreats, no one can protect the Jing family. Doesn't my uncle care about the safety of his people? What's more, Wuyue will be the battlefield in the future, and the Jing family It’s hard to live safely in Jiaxing.”

The old man sighed: "It's hard to leave my homeland, but I also know that I have no choice. Chang Qing is already disheartened after this incident. It is not difficult to convince him."

I have already expected this. A war between the two countries is imminent. I don't want to leave my weakness in Nanchu. Since I can't completely forget the Jing family, I can only force them to belong to Dayong. He bowed gently to his uncle and said: "My uncle is so sensible. I admire him in his heart. Tomorrow the Yong army will clean up Jiaxing. All young men and women, scholars and craftsmen will be kidnapped. I have entrusted the responsible general to him. He will Take care of the Jing family, and when the time is right, my uncle can go with the ship to Dayong to live in peace."

The old man's body trembled slightly, and he said after a long time: "What a cruel method, to seize the money and food of the Wuyue population, to weaken the enemy and benefit yourself. Although it is a piracy method, it is extremely effective. Even if I don't agree to submit, you will have the Jing family captured." Taken captive to Dinghai, right?"

Seeing that my uncle could see through my thoughts at a glance, I admired him in my heart, but I couldn't say anything. I just bowed deeply. The old man sighed softly and walked out. I felt sad in my heart and turned my back. I didn't want to see his old figure, but his vigorous voice floated in the wind: "Zhe'er, there's no need to be in trouble, you are facing Jing." I have done my utmost to be kind and righteous, thank you for your support and assistance to Qing Chang and Qing Shun."

Hearing this, I felt relieved and let go of my heavy heart. The Jing family's matter was finally settled, and I could leave with peace of mind. I bowed and kowtowed to my mother's tomb again, lingered for a long time, and finally said goodbye.

This time I tried my best to persuade Jiang Haitao to allow me to go to Jiaxing in person. In addition to wanting to pay homage to my mother, the most important thing was to reconcile with the Jing family. After all, the Jing family in Jiaxing is my mother's clan and has been born in heaven. There is a possibility of fighting for it. This time I proposed a plan to plot against Wu and Yue, and robbed the common people of the aristocratic families to fill Dinghai, in order to weaken Nanchu. However, I did not intend to actually harm the people of Wu and Yue. It was not in line with my temperament, and I would never do anything unprofitable. Secondly, it will damage the glory of Dayong. Thirdly, after the Jiangnan is unified in the future, the land of Wuyue will inevitably refuse to surrender for a long time. Therefore, the best way is to select some people from the captive people of Wuyue and manage them through them. Prisoners, in this way, being strict on the outside and lenient on the inside, and using the gentle and tolerant folk customs of the people of Wu and Yue, will not cause difficulties in Dayong's rule. Such a candidate cannot be chosen easily, and he must have the ability to manage internal affairs, so Jiaxing Family became my choice. No one has selfish motives, and I will not be an exception. It's just that I only told Haitao half of the reason that day. I came to Jiaxing for other reasons. I just hope that he won't beat his chest after getting retribution, right?

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Note 1: Song Zhang Yaotong's "Hundred Odes of Jiahe"

Note 2: "Ten Songs of Harmony with Yuanyang Lake" by Jicong of the Qing Dynasty

Note 3: Feng Dengfu of the Qing Dynasty's "Dian Jiang Lips \u0026amp;

Note 4: "Plum Blossoms Fall" by Bao Zhao of the Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties