Chapter 62: Nanhai Railway Travel (2)
In addition to the Xu Xiake brothers who want to go to Sanya to see the scenery of "End of the World", there are also some scholars from various backgrounds who also plan to go to Sanya. However, they are naturally not going to Sanya to see the beautiful scenery of "End of the World", but for the purpose of visiting Sanya. People who seek wealth and honor with the presence of the "Emperor of the Australian and Song Dynasties" there - in the past few years In 2008, the "Ausong Kun thieves" only sent a partial force led by Wen Desi and Ma Qianxu to land in Lingao. It is said that they were "guilty thieves" who were expelled from the Kun Song Dynasty and were sent out, similar to the "cannon fodder" in ancient times. "The Prisoner Army" can sweep across the Pearl River, bombard Guangzhou, and sneak attacks on Fujian, causing chaos in Lingnan and panic among people. Now, it was the "Emperor of the Australian Song Dynasty" who came in person with the imperial guards, which made people's faces change even more.
Although I heard that the "Emperor of the Australian Song Dynasty" left soon, and finally did not have a royal chariot to conquer the Ming Dynasty, he left the Supreme Emperor to sit in Qiongzhou, establish the "Sanya Xingzai", and also convened the "remainers of the old Song Dynasty" from all over to discuss the big plan , no matter how you look at it, he still seems to be plotting against the Ming Dynasty’s territory... ...If "loyal men" like myself can go deep into the enemy's nest regardless of hardships, spy out one or two secret military information, bring it to Guangzhou or Nanjing and present it to the Ming Dynasty officials, and win the favor of a certain "Ming Lord", maybe we can become Your career advancement, promotion and fortune are just around the corner!
Looking at the current state of the imperial court that is wandering around and creating smoke in all directions, according to the crude knowledge of these scholars, the Jiannu in Liaodong, the rogue bandits in the northwest, and the chaos in the south will not be over in a while. The so-called chaos in the world and the rise of powerful forces are the time for our generation to make contributions!
Of course, there were also a few scholars who saw that the Ming Dynasty was almost exhausted and there were signs of chaos in the world, so they had other thoughts - as the saying goes, good birds choose trees to roost. Some of them have even explored the path of "joining the establishment and becoming a cadre" in Lingao County. However, the poor treatment of having to shave their heads and starting from a petty official really discourages all self-esteemed scholars. Fortunately, although the Australian and Song officials here in Lingao look down on others, there may be some relatives of the emperor, important ministers and officials in Sanya who can identify talents...
It's just that even if you intend to join the "Aussie Song Dynasty" in your heart, you still have to put on a righteous and unparalleled face on the surface - isn't that what the drama says? Even if those servile wallflowers and weaklings are accepted by the king, they are often looked down upon because of their lack of integrity. They have no hope of being reused, and there is even a risk of being demoted and killed. On the contrary, those loyal ministers and state officials who behaved with unyielding integrity and uprightness were able to win the favor and respect of the king of the enemy country, and enjoyed the "state sergeant-level" treatment of visiting the thatched cottage and paying homage to the virtuous corporal!
In short, these ignorant, naive and pretentious scholars came to play as amateur spies with all kinds of intentions. At the beginning, this group of people was a little nervous, fearing that they would be interrogated and examined by the thieves. Unexpectedly, those thieves didn't seem to take them seriously at all. They easily bought a train ticket to Sanya. They relaxed greatly and even had the energy to comment on others. However, because Xu Xiake, the "shaved man" whom they criticized with words and writings, never responded, several scholars who thought they were very moral had been talking to themselves for a long time and found it quite boring, so they changed the topic and started Discuss the possible actions of "Kun Thief" in the near future.
"...Brother Nian, you have all seen in the past few days that the current Qiongzhou mansion is really arrogant and smelly. Barbarians from all over the world have been trapped by the Aosong bandits. I am just here at the dock. What I can see above is that there are hundreds of giant ships alone, and there are only a few Hongyi cannons on board. It is said that there are tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers from various countries, and there are even flying boats flying in the sky! The imperial navy in the southeastern provinces is definitely not their enemy. If the imperial court cannot take precautions early! , I’m afraid that another catastrophe of the Five Husbands will happen again!”
"...Yes, the wolfish ambitions of the Australian and Song thieves have been exposed! Otherwise, why would the king come to inspect in person and the emperor stay to supervise the battle? If these ungrateful and shameless things are allowed to take over the world, I really don't know what they will do. The common people!”
Another scholar stroked the stainless steel column next to him with compassion, and said, "...Look at this colorful iron house and this railway that is hundreds of miles long. They are all made of fine iron. , I don’t know how much human and financial resources were wasted! The rulers of Australia and Song Dynasty were so arrogant and extravagant. The gentry and common people in the state have suffered greatly from their misfortunes! If we had not made plans in advance to curb such arrogant thieves, life in the southern half of the country would be in ruins! Only by doing our best to spy on the enemy can we relieve the worries of the imperial court and relieve the common people below. Oh, save this great trouble for the people of the imperial court!”
All the scholars and Confucian scholars were convinced of this. In their view, a place like Lingao with severe punishments and laws was really not a place where superior people like them could stay. There was a new young master who came here not long ago, but he just teased a common girl in the street, and he hasn't even slept with her yet! He was taken away by the Yamen, and no matter how much money his family spent on it, it was useless - he was a scholar with a great reputation! Aosong Yamen actually said that everyone is equal before the law... Bah! That kind of ant-like untouchables actually dare to have the same status as the gentry? It is really the collapse of etiquette and the destruction of music, which is intolerable.
As for this bustling market, it is nothing more than an illusion. Previously, the bandits sacked Guangdong, defeated several sea pirates, and took away a large amount of goods, all of which were piled in this small Lingao. How can this Lingao market not be rich? Look at those flashy street lights, tap water, and railways - it's just a waste of money! It's just for outsiders to look at and use it to confuse ignorant people - it's no different from when Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty wrapped a tree in silk with silk in Luoyang.
——In short, in a feudal society with extremely strict hierarchical concepts, as long as the landlord class sees that the working people are living well, even if it does not harm their own interests, they will feel unhappy, thinking that these poor bastards have forgotten their duties and dare to do good things. Keep things for yourself to enjoy, rather than paying tribute to the superiors for squandering! Poor people should swallow the chaff and eat vegetables, and starve to death every few years! How can you dream of eating meat and drinking wine?
This involves not only conceptual constraints, but also economic considerations - because according to the thinking of the gentry, purchasing land and collecting rent is the safest business method. In ancient Chinese society, land has always been the property with the strongest value-preserving ability. It does not require complicated knowledge or a lot of energy to have a stable income. Even if there is a war, as long as you hide the land deed and wait until peace returns to the world, you can take it out. No matter whether there is a change of dynasty or not, the government will acknowledge it. Even if all the tenants die in the war, it doesn't matter, as long as you recruit more tenants, there are so many refugees anyway. .
Although the agricultural capitalist management method of running a farm may be able to earn more profits, it is troublesome and energy-consuming after all, and there is also the risk of business failure and bankruptcy. How can it be as easy as releasing land to collect rent and passing all risks on to the tenants? Just like in modern society, if someone inherits a company and does business, it will definitely be much harder and the risk is much higher than inheriting a house to collect rent.
But there is a premise for this easy way of living, that is, the only way out for all the tenants in the world is to farm for the landlords honestly. If the most humble tenants have a better way of living, live a harmonious life, drink and eat meat all day long, can they still work for the landlords with peace of mind? Even if they still grow crops for the landlords, they will have to eat a large part of it themselves. How can they still have any leftovers to give to the landlords?
To put it simply, for landlords under the tenancy system, in order to ensure cheap labor, it is an unforgivable sin for poor people to live too well! Therefore, whether it is a capitalist or a socialist system, if you want to develop the economy and achieve industrialization, you must eliminate the landlord class in order to release a large number of rural laborers who are tied to the land. Therefore, Jiang Gong led a group of party-state officials to After the elite "transferred" to Taiwan, they had to learn from their old enemies, implement land reform, and forcibly expropriate Taiwan's landlords The land of Taiwan, more than 10,000 Taiwanese landowners were killed for crimes, which gave Taiwan's economy a foundation to take off. Otherwise, the situation in Taiwan today may not be as good as that of the Philippines... Then, perhaps due to the reincarnation of cause and effect, the descendants of Taiwanese landowners in the past have The forces organized the Green Party, which was like a "returning group" and launched a counterattack decades later...
In the same way, even if it is just to maintain this extremely cruel system of exploitation, the landlords and rich people have to make most of the poor people in the world struggle on the verge of death, and they have to come up with a set of theories to justify their own ingenuity. Supported by plundering and cruel exploitation. Such a long-term and persistent confusion of right and wrong has, over time, created an extremely deformed social concept - the four words "people will eat each other" are naturally unforgettable for the refugees in hell. But to the officials and gentry, it was just four words, no different from "moral turpitude" or "immorality". Compared to Emperor Hui of Jin who said, "Why not eat minced meat?", they may have a little more common sense and know that meat is just more valuable than bran.
What should we do if the hungry people are about to starve to death? Adhere to the teachings of the saints: dying of hunger is a small matter, but losing integrity is a big matter. You should "die peacefully and starve".
Did the thief feed the hungry people who were about to starve to death? It's just a small favor, how can it be as great as our kindness to educate all peoples? Since you can't support yourself, you should follow the teachings of the saints and die with peace of mind. How can you shamelessly commit yourself to a thief? You really have no king and no father, you have brought shame to your ancestors, and you deserve death!
Although you have never read a book, you must be like Boyi and Shuqi who did not eat Zhou millet and starved to death in Shouyang Mountain. This is called having backbone!
——In short, the scholars of the Ming Dynasty always liked to use the standards of saints to demand others, and at the same time they only wanted to enjoy the treatment of saints... Because in their understanding, the world should revolve around them. If If something violates this knowledge, it means that it should not exist!
"...Hey, a mere untouchable dares to challenge the gentry. Ever since the bandits came, the people of Lingao have been deceived into inhuman beasts. They don't know what duty is anymore!" A scholar clenched his fists. He roared in a low voice: "...turning barbarians into summer and poisoning the people! What a great crime!"
"...Yes, these trains, ships, and other strange and ingenious things look evil, and they must be harmful to the country and the people. When the king regains this place in the future, he must eradicate all kinds of evil things. Only by destroying it and killing all the bewitched traitors can Qiongzhou be restored to a peaceful world.”
"...Haha, the hero sees the same thing! In my opinion, after the royal army crosses the sea and captures Lingao, they must massacre the city for seven days! Kill and burn this demonic city and ghost land! Burn all these The false kuns who have no father and no king will all be disemboweled and then drive the Australian and Song dynasty thieves back into the sea!”
A Confucian scholar who seemed to have been taught a lesson by a fake policeman and had a few scars on his face and body raised his thumb and said so through gritted teeth.
In short, according to the above-mentioned way of thinking, several scholars made countless accusations against "Kun thieves" and "fake Kun". It's a pity that there is no one to flatter and support him, and this is the territory of the thieves after all, and they dare not shout loudly for fear of being sent to jail and squatting in a dark room.
So, the scholars had no choice but to compliment each other, and then found a place to sit down, some drank herbal tea, and some ate fruits.
However, what they didn't know was that just a short distance away from them, there were several real "pillars of the imperial court" who had been ordered to sneak into the bandit camp...
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"...It's rare! It's really rare! I didn't expect that in the hinterland of the enemy's nest where the thieves are entrenched, there are still so many righteous men who are thinking about the favor of the court! Although it is a bit rash to make shocking remarks here. But that place is full of fists and fists. The innocent heart is still worthy of praise..."
On another iron bench in the waiting room, another elegant and heroic young man wearing a square scarf, a lake blue silk trousers, foundation soap boots, and a Korean folding fan in his hand was squinting his eyes. Looking at these impassioned "loyal men" around me, listening to their words of loyalty to the emperor and serving the country, I couldn't help but sigh secretly in my heart, "...It seems No matter how the world changes, the blessings of the Ming Dynasty for three hundred years are still there. Even in Lingao, the home of the Kun thieves, there are still many loyal and righteous people who have not been deceived and love the Ming Dynasty. With such people's support, even if the thieves gather in Qiongzhou. , is coming fiercely, as long as the imperial court can unite sincerely and take precautions in advance, Lingnan may be able to do something especially good..."
——Of course, those scoundrels who were beguiled by thieves to come here to work for the tigers after they had enough to eat were basically not human beings in his eyes.
However, even though he had never regarded those untouchables as human beings, the young master also knew that if these ant-like untouchables refused to starve to death and instead made a fuss, they could also kill superior people like them. . However, Kun Thief has been doing charity work and relieving refugees on the mainland in recent years. Most of the naturalized people here who shaved their heads and went to Kun are "life-saving". It is really deplorable!
However, the common people are ignorant and have no sense of justice, and are most easily deceived by personal favors. The thieves have been making waves along the coast in recent years, winning every battle. They have conquered many territories because they have the help of these ignorant people. Their plans are far-reaching. The sinister intentions are really shocking!
With such thoughts in mind, the young master's heart became a little heavier. He was born in a scholarly family. In addition to reading poetry and books, he also traveled around the world and was involved in the market and officialdom. Although he was young, he was already a well-informed young talent with both civil and military skills. In the past few days, what he saw and heard in Lingnan and Lingao gave him a strong impression that the power of the Kun thieves was far beyond the imagination of the imperial court. And their harm to the Ming Dynasty was probably more serious than the Donglu who repeatedly entered the pass and overwhelmed the court. If there were more treacherous ministers colluding inside and outside, I'm afraid even Jiangnan Paradise would be plunged into chaos and war... Just as he was meditating like this, his pupils suddenly shrank!
——I saw a Ming Dynasty military general wearing Mingguang armor and a bright red cloak, striding into the station surrounded by several "kun thieves" soldiers. Next to this Ming general, there were several short Japanese warriors with swords hanging from their waists and wooden clogs on their feet. They were chatting and laughing with the general in foreign languages (Japanese)... watching the general walk into the station. , all the soldiers and "gentlemen" stationed in the station immediately became solemn, and quickly stood at attention and saluted him. The conductor on the train also hurriedly opened the door, laid out another red carpet, and sent a servant to play the trumpet to welcome the man and the Japanese guests to the first-class carriage of the train - even though it was not yet time to depart...
"... Young Master, could that person be... Huang Pingman (Huang Shi once served as the vanguard general of Pingman, so he got this honorific title) who swept across Liaodong invincible and killed the old slave chief (Nurhaci) alone. In ancient times, the upper class was not allowed to curse. , otherwise you won’t call him by his first name)”
Seeing this, a middle-aged scholar who looked like an aide couldn't help but lean into his young master's ear and asked in a low voice - in the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, Fujian General Huang Shi had a close collusion with the Lingao "Kun Thief" Things are no longer a secret in the land of Lingnan...
"...It is this thief Huangshi! I once had an acquaintance with him in Fuzhou in the past..."
The young master nodded with a sad face, "...Hey, you are a beautiful lady, how can you be a thief! These vulgar warriors who don't read poetry and make friends with eunuchs really have no loyalty! Huang Shi is still the same as before. Unexpectedly, the pillar of the imperial court praised by Emperor Tianqi! Now he has become a traitor who colluded with foreign enemies and brought trouble to the Ming Dynasty! Not only did he liaise with the Japanese pirates and the Kun thieves, causing harm to the imperial territory, but he also openly appeared in the Kun thieves' territory... What a pity that the Dukes of Donglin did not count him as an eunuch at the beginning. The party has done it!”
When he said this, his expression suddenly changed, "...No! Huang Thief was heading to Sanya with the Japanese envoy at this time. Could it be that the Supreme Emperor of Na'ao Song Dynasty summoned him to give him instructions and lead the Funing Army? Raise troops to cause chaos , cooperate with the Japanese pirates and invade Fujian and Guangdong? In this case, not only the two provinces of Fujian and Guangdong will be difficult to protect, but even the land of fish and rice in Jiangsu and Zhejiang will be exposed to military disasters! "
"...In that case, brother Mi, we have brought many martial arts masters with us on this trip, but the yellow thief doesn't have many guards around him. How about..."
Another young scholar who was traveling with him also came over and whispered, making a chopping gesture at the same time, "...it can be regarded as imitating the past of this thief sneaking into Liaoyang alone and killing the old slave chief with his bare hands, in order to serve the imperial court. Eliminate this serious problem in one fell swoop..."
"...Absolutely not! Although Huang Shi is a deceitful and despicable person, he has experienced hundreds of battles and is highly skilled in martial arts. Even the slaves in Liaodong have never been able to defeat him. Even if we go into battle together, we may not be able to defeat him. He can get it from his hands, so it’s better to take a long-term approach..."
After hearing these ignorant arrogances, the leader of these genuine "imperial spies", Fang Yizhi, a famous scholar in Tongcheng whose nickname is "Mi Zhi", immediately broke into a cold sweat, "...it's not me, Fang Mi Zhi of Tongcheng." We are reluctant to part with this seven-foot body, but Mr. Mu Zhai and the Dukes of Donglin instructed us to sneak into the Qiongzhou Thieves' Cave ( The "big leader of Donglin" Qian Qianyi (also known as Shouzhi and Muzhai) was to spy on the enemy for the gentlemen of Donglin and the court in order to plan countermeasures, instead of showing off his momentary courage and imitating Jing Ke's assassination of the King of Qin. ! If we are all lost here, who will report the military situation to the princes in the court? ”
"...Uh...I've learned a lesson. What brother Mi said is absolutely true. It's really Meng Lang below..." Then, amid the different thoughts and hidden agendas of everyone in the station, an announcement was made to inform the passengers to board the train. The sound finally sounded...