met free Chapter 1222 Even though there are ten thousand people, I will go
Chapter 1222 Even though there are ten thousand people, I will go
Chapter 1222 Even though there are thousands of people, I will go
Bai Jiaxuan's carriage rolled up the dirt and rushed to the front. Before it stopped, he jumped out of the carriage and grabbed Qin Hao's arm: "Little bastard! Is the Qing army camp a place you can go? Come home with me!"
Mr. Zhu remained silent, but looked at Qin Hao with interest.
"Da, how far is Bailuyuan from Xi'an city?" Qin Hao twisted his arm and easily broke free from Bai Jiaxuan's hand.
Bai Jiaxuan was slightly stunned: "Less than a hundred miles."
"Fang Sheng led 100,000 Qing soldiers to attack Xi'an. Xi'an's defenses are strong and it is impossible to capture it in a short time. Bai Luyuan is so close to Xi'an. When the time comes, conscription of soldiers, grain, and laborers will be enough to turn Bai Luyuan into a ruin."
Qin Hao looked at Mr. Zhu after he finished speaking: "My uncle once said: When a nest is overturned, no egg can remain intact. The reason why you agreed to Governor Zhang's request to persuade Fang Sheng to withdraw his troops is actually because of this, right?"
Mr. Zhu's eyes flashed with surprise, but he asked back: "Oh? Why not for high office and high salary?"
"If you really want to be an official, why don't you take the imperial examination?"
"Why not because the times have changed and I want to be an official again?"
"If you really want a high position and generous salary, you should talk to Governor Zhang directly. How much weight can the promise of an adjutant have?"
Mr. Zhu put his hands behind his back, looked at the mountains in the distance, and smiled: "Those who know me well say that I am worried; those who don't know me say that I am not looking for anything. If you have a close friend in your life, you will die without regrets."
"Hao'er, let's go and meet Fang Sheng."
Qin Hao secretly sighed. It is said that Confucianism is a feudal and restrictive shackle. However, when Chinese civilization encountered foreign invasion, there was always a group of Confucian disciples who were not afraid of swords and spears, nor afraid of being torn to pieces, and they held on to the last breath of the Chinese nation.
Perhaps because he was overwhelmed by the momentum of Mr. Zhu and Qin Hao, "I will go even if there are thousands of people against me", Bai Jiaxuan pulled the carriage and chased after them.
"Brother-in-law, I'll go with you!"
Mr. Zhu looked at the honest Bai Jiaxuan and asked, "Are you not afraid of death?"
"I'm afraid of death, but I'm more afraid of your death. Let's just die together." Bai Jiaxuan gritted his teeth.
Mr. Zhu laughed loudly and vigorously, and kept wandering among the mountains.
……
As dusk fell, the three of them passed through the mountains and passed the last hill. The outline of the Qing army camp suddenly came into view. The continuous military tents were like dark clouds pressing in, and torches on both sides of the camp gate were burning, illuminating the iron armor with a cold light.
"Stop, what are you doing?"
A team of scouts stopped the carriage. Looking at the black muzzle of the gun, Bai Jiaxuan was frightened and quickly pulled the reins.
Mr. Zhu said calmly and loudly: "Bai Luyuan Zhu Chenxi has come to visit his mentor Fang Sheng. Please inform everyone."
When the scout heard that they were here to visit the Marshal, and that there were only three of them, including a child, he let down his guard.
"Come down."
When Bai Jiaxuan saw the soldiers trying to snatch his reins, he thought they were trying to steal his carriage and was about to resist, but Qin Hao quickly signaled him not to be impulsive.
Mr. Zhu was the first to get off the carriage and bowed to the scout.
The three of them waited quietly in the night for about a quarter of an hour, and the scout who went to report the news came back.
"Come with me."
When they arrived outside the camp, a group of cavalrymen came galloping in the dust. The leading general pointed his whip at the three people and said, "Anyone who trespasses into the camp shall be executed according to the law!"
Suddenly, all the Qing soldiers at the camp gate pointed their guns at Qin Hao and the other two.
Bai Jiaxuan was so frightened that his legs went limp, but Mr. Zhu put his hands behind his back and laughed loudly towards the military camp.
"One hundred thousand soldiers are stationed outside the city, but the commander dares not even meet a scholar?"
"How dare you!" The leading general waved his whip at Mr. Zhu.
Mr. Zhu only felt a flash before his eyes, but he did not feel any pain in the next second. He looked carefully and found that Qin Hao actually caught the whip with one hand.
"Arrogant!" The general became furious when he saw a child actually caught his attack with his bare hands.
Just as he was about to draw his sword and chop the kid to get back his revenge, a group of soldiers arrived the next second.
"Marshal Fang invites you."
Qin Hao loosened his whip after hearing that. The general glared at Qin Hao fiercely, then reluctantly put his saber back into its sheath.
"Are you okay?" Mr. Zhu asked with concern.
Qin Hao spread his hands in front of him and smiled: "It's okay, if you don't believe me, just look."
Mr. Zhu and Bai Jiaxuan both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that there was only a light red mark on Qin Hao's hand.
"Mr. Zhu, my commander-in-chief invites you. Please follow me."
The leading guard gestured for Mr. Zhu to come in, and then brought the three of them to the outside of the central military tent.
"Please stay, all three of you. I'll let you know."
After a few minutes, the guards came out.
"Mr. Zhu, my Marshal invites you and the child beside you to come in."
Bai Jiaxuan got anxious when he heard this: "What about me?"
The guard bowed to Bai Jiaxuan and said, "It's getting late today. My commander has already prepared a tent for you to rest."
"Jiaxuan." Mr. Zhu nodded at Bai Jiaxuan, signaling him not to worry, and then took Qin Hao into the central military tent.
The tent was brightly lit, with dozens of copper oil lamps hanging from the beams. The flames swayed, distorting the human figures.
The floor was covered with a dark red felt carpet, the edges of which had been trampled black by military boots. In the center, a military map was spread out on a sandalwood table, with the cinnabar ink that had not yet dried glaring like bloodstains.
Behind the desk stood a bronze screen, on which was engraved a picture of a tiger descending from a mountain. The tiger's eyes were inlaid with turquoise, glowing faintly under the light, as if it would pounce on someone and bite him at any time.
Fang Sheng sat on a tiger-skin chair in front of the screen, wearing an indigo brocade robe with soft armor, and a gold-studded short knife buckled on a jade belt around his waist. He had a thin face, high cheekbones, and a pair of eagle eyes half-closed as he stared at Qin Hao and the others.
"Greetings, sir." Mr. Zhu bowed to Fang Sheng from a distance.
Fang Sheng snorted coldly, slammed the table fiercely, and cursed: "Humph, if it weren't for the friendship between you and me in the past, the heads of the three of you would have been hanging on the account by now. If you say the word retreat today, this day next year will be the day you die."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhu straightened his body, his back straightened, and his whole body stood there like a brush.
As their eyes met, the murderous intent in Fang Sheng's eyes grew stronger.
Just as the personal guards were ready to draw their swords and kill the two ignorant people, Qin Hao sneered.
Seeing this, Fang Sheng frowned and shouted, "Why are you laughing, you ignorant kid?"
"I am laughing at some people who are unaware of their imminent death."
"Bold."
The guards on the side drew their swords one after another. Fang Sheng frowned and looked at Mr. Zhu when he heard this: "Chen Xi, you and I have been master and apprentice for many years. When did you learn this trick of being mysterious?"
Mr. Zhu laughed out loud and said, "Sir, this boy is both my nephew and my disciple. He has been very smart since he was young. Although he is young, many of his opinions have benefited me a lot."
"Oh? When did such a child prodigy appear in Bailuyuan? I'm afraid you are making him famous?" Fang Sheng asked suspiciously.
Mr. Zhu just smiled and said nothing. Fang Sheng frowned even more tightly. Based on his understanding of this disciple, he would not bother to do such a thing.
"You little brat, I have an army of 100,000 and can easily take Xi'an. How dare you say that I am about to die? If you don't explain why, I will kill you tomorrow and I will lead my army to flatten Xi'an."
Qin Hao chuckled: "Xi'an's defenses are strong. If Marshal Fang was sure he could break through, he wouldn't have stayed in Gupo's Tomb for several days. He would have ordered an attack long ago."
Fang Sheng was about to refute, but Qin Hao changed the subject.
"Even if Marshal Fang can capture Xi'an, what can he do? The Qing Dynasty has fallen, and the emperor has abdicated. By then, the anti-Qing forces in the world will surely rise up and attack. A hundred thousand troops will be wiped out in an instant. Will Marshal Fang be able to escape by then?"
Fang Sheng opened his mouth and his upper body, which was originally leaning forward, unconsciously leaned back on the armchair. This was exactly what was bothering him. After all, he was only the governor of Xi'an. Even if he captured Xi'an, he had no royal family members of the Qing Dynasty and could not command the troops of the world to come to the defense of the king.
What's more, looking around, it seems that there is no other "loyalist army" except him.
Mr. Zhu looked at Qin Hao with relief and pride in his eyes.
"Chenxi, you taught him these words, right?" Fang Sheng questioned.
Mr. Zhu smiled faintly: "If you think so, then it is."
Fang Sheng was even more confused and uncertain, then he looked at Qin Hao and shouted, "That's for later. I will first destroy Xi'an, and then slaughter all the surrounding towns, villages, and villages. What do you think?"
"You can certainly issue such an order, but if so, do you think you can rest in peace in your grave a hundred years later?"
"How dare you!" The guards on the side glared at him with murderous faces.
Fang Sheng was horrified. He was not afraid of death. He had been ready to die for the Qing Dynasty since the moment he started the rebellion. But he was afraid that his ancestors' graves would be dug up after his death. And how would the history books record him? A loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty? Or an executioner who murdered the people?
Obviously the latter, after all, history is written by the victors.
Fang Sheng waved his hand at his guards and said, "Go prepare some wine and food. Chen Xi and I haven't had a long conversation all night for more than ten years."
"twitter."
After the guards left, Fang Sheng said to Mr. Zhu, "I heard that Chen Xi was devoted to learning, but I never thought he would have such a beloved disciple. It's really a cause for celebration."
Mr. Zhu calmed down after hearing this: "Sir, please don't praise him. This kid is so bold, who knows how much trouble he will cause in the future."
Fang Sheng stared at Qin Hao for a while and said, "Yeah, he is really brave. When I was his age, I was so scared that my legs went weak when I first entered the military camp."
As they were talking, the food and drinks were served.
Fang Sheng specially asked someone to bring three stools and motioned Qin Hao to sit down as well.
Qin Hao didn't hesitate and started eating after sitting down. To be honest, the food tasted average, but he was hungry after the long journey, so he just ate it.
"Haha, this kid will definitely achieve great things in the future." Fang Sheng poured wine for Mr. Zhu.
Mr. Zhu spoke modestly, but there was a hint of pride on his face.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Fang Sheng was already a little tipsy. He held the wine glass and seemed to be muttering to himself, or nagging to Mr. Zhu.
"Everyone says the Qing Dynasty is not good, but is constitutionalism really good?"
Mr. Zhu didn't know how to answer for a moment.
But Qin Hao, who was gnawing on a chicken leg, said casually.
"Whether constitutionalism is good or not is another matter, but the demise of the Qing Dynasty is what the people want. The wheel of history rolls forward, and those who stand in the way have no other choice but to be crushed to dust."
Fang Sheng was startled when he heard this, then smiled bitterly and shook his head: "But aren't all the famous ministers praised in history those who did things knowing that they couldn't do it?"
Mr. Zhu shook his head and said, "Sir, this is absurd. The reason why Wen Tianxiang is praised by the world is not only because he knew it was impossible but still did it and died heroically, but also because he was the spark of resistance against Mongolia in the hearts of the people of the Southern Song Dynasty. Sir, don't forget that the Qing Dynasty was a foreign race."
Fang Sheng's heart trembled. After drinking the glass of wine, he patted Mr. Zhu on the shoulder and said.
"You can ask me to withdraw my troops, but Chen Xi needs to agree to one condition of mine."
Mr. Zhu responded without thinking: "As long as the people of Xi'an can be saved from this war, even if you want my life, I will offer it willingly."
"Haha, you'd better keep Chenxi's head to handle this matter for me."
Fang Sheng leaned close to Mr. Zhu's ear and said, "I can withdraw my troops tomorrow, but Chen Xi, you have to go back to my hometown to teach for five years. How about that?"
"Are you serious, sir?" Mr. Zhu's eyes lit up.
"A gentleman's word."
"It's hard to chase a horse!"
The two men struck hands in the air, and the sound echoed throughout the central military tent.
……
Early the next morning, Qin Hao and the other two were escorted out of the Qing army camp by Fang Sheng's personal guards. Before leaving, Bai Jiaxuan subconsciously looked back and was shocked to find that there were two round human heads hanging on the flagpole in the center of the military camp. He was so scared that he almost fell to the ground.
Bai Jiaxuan waited until the three men returned to the carriage. After driving the carriage for a few miles and completely out of sight of the Qing army camp, he told them in horror about seeing the human head.
Mr. Zhu shook his head gently, while Qin Hao chuckled and said, "Da, we have experienced life and death together. Don't punish me when we get home."
Bai Jiaxuan glared at him fiercely: "Punish him, you must punish him severely, you little brat will tear the roof off the house if you don't punish him for three days!"
"Haha."
Along the way, Bai Jiaxuan told the story of Lu Zilin inciting the villagers to force the Bai family to give up their braids, and asked in a depressed tone.
"Brother-in-law, they were the ones who sold the braid to me with tears and shouting, but now that something has gone wrong, they are pushing all the responsibility onto our Bai family?"
Mr. Zhu asked back: "Why, do you feel wronged?"
"Ah."
"Then think about it, if those Qing soldiers really came and beheaded them because they didn't have queues, would you still be able to sleep peacefully?"
Mr. Zhu saw Bai Jiaxuan's guilty look and said sternly, "Didn't your father always want you to inherit his position as the clan leader? The clan leader is supposed to protect the villagers under you."
"With great power comes great responsibility. No matter what happens, you should first consider the villagers, not yourself. If you can do this, you are a qualified clan leader."
Just as Bai Jiaxuan nodded, Qin Hao sang a different tune: "But if the interests of the villagers conflict with the interests of the Bai family, do we have to sacrifice the interests of the Bai family to safeguard the interests of the villagers?"
"Then it doesn't matter if this clan leader is not qualified."