February of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Nanyang Mansion, Yuzhou. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

If the ancient wind blows, the northeast edge of the Nanyang Basin is cracked into a pass, and the city of Yuzhou is located here, this place was also the place where Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, Han Dynasty, was also sent to the Western Regions.

However, at noon, the ancient city first spread from the east side of the city, and then the terrified screams and cries spread throughout the city.

"The city is broken......

"The thieves have entered the city."

In a dilapidated house near the City God Temple in Yuzhou, a young couple, a pair of five or six-year-old twin dolls, listening to the movement outside, the woman trembled, and said to the man next to her: "Brother Yuanfa, what should I do?" ”

The man looked around the room with a pale face, took a stick in his hand, and when the woman saw this, she also hurriedly found a kitchen knife, thought about it, and grabbed a handful of ashes and slammed it on her face.

The man gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Liuniang, look forward to the eldest and second mothers." ”

The woman who was called Liuniang snorted and said to the two female dolls holding hands: "Big girl and second girl, come to my mother's side." ”

The two female dolls called "mother", snuggled up to their mother's side obediently, and hid closely behind their father.

The family hugged together, listening to the chaos and crying outside, as well as the chaotic footsteps, the rumbling sound of horses' hooves, passing through the streets and alleys, and finally, the sound of door-to-door breaking sounded, all of them were frightened, and Liuniang cried even lower.

Her eyes were on a loom in the house, at home, the man was outside, plowing a few acres of thin fields, sometimes doing some short-term work, and she was helping at home, working hard, raising the big and two women, although the days were difficult, always looking forward to going on.

last month. I also gritted my teeth and bought a loom, but now, I am facing it. But it is an uncertain future.

In the midst of anxiety, suddenly the dilapidated door was kicked open with a "boom". The whole family screamed, and the eldest and second women were even more frightened and cried.

About six or seven of them entered. The first two were wearing felt hats and short armor, and their demeanor was full of fierceness and fierceness, while the other few were wrapped in turbans, and some of them held waist knives in their hands. Someone with a spear, a little lower status.

After a few intruders came in, the two of them glanced coldly at the little couple who were huddled together and terrified. didn't care about the stick kitchen knives in the hands of the two, and looked at the two of them with a little curiosity, after all, twins are not often seen.

Then they scattered in all directions, waved their hands to the leader, and said, "Look around, what kind of rice and noodles are hidden, take them all away, and use them as military rations." ”

He has a thick Shaanxi accent, which is obviously from the old battalion horse team in the army.

"Rice noodles?"

Liuniang panicked, she watched, a few turban-wrapped soldiers, rummaging through boxes and cabinets, and finally from the rice jar, a small bag of grain and rice was proposed.

She hurriedly said, "No, no......"

She threw away the kitchen knife, groped her whole body, took out a few copper plates, a small piece of broken silver, thought about it, ran to the wall again, lifted a brick, and took out a few pieces of dowry jewelry from it.

A few intruders watched her busy work with interest, and whispered: "Now people's ability to hide money is getting higher and higher." ”

"In my experience, many people hide their silver on the beams of their houses."

"I heard that over there in Shanxi, the rich man is a wealthy gentleman, and the silver is cast into winter melon."

Liu Niang came to the intruder who gave the order, and stammered: "Army...... Master Jun......"

A turbaned correction next to him: "It's the rebels." ”

"Yes, yes, righteousness...... Master Rebel, these silver jewelry are for you, is it good to leave rice and noodles? ”

The soldier glanced at her, took the silver coins and jewelry, looked at it, and threw it to a turban beside him, and put it in a bag he carried.

So these intruders didn't care.

"Let's go."

As soon as the leader of the soldiers waved his hand, several people were about to leave the house with rice bags.

Liu Niang was dumbfounded, and she screamed sadly: "No......"

"Liuniang."

Her man didn't hold her all of a sudden.

"Don't ......"

Liu Niang threw herself at the feet of the leading soldier, hugged his calf, and cried: "Please, there is only this last bit of rations left at home, take it all, and our family will not survive." ”

"Donkey balls."

The intruder frowned, lifted his feet, and Liu Niang screamed, and rolled back a few times.

"Ah, Liuniang, I'll fight with you."

Li Liuniang's man, Yang Yuanfa, rushed up with the stick in his hand, the intruder looked at him contemptuously, and punched Yang Yuanfa with a blow from the mouth, causing the stick to fall to the ground, and then several intruders stepped forward and punched and kicked him, causing Yang Yuanfa to roll all over the ground.

Suddenly, he let out a terrible howl, but he was slashed in the left arm by a turban-wrapper, and blood was dripping with blood.

Liu Niang screamed, knelt on the ground and kowtowed desperately and cried: "Please, don't beat my father-in-law, ask for food and rice...... Just take it all. ”

The twin girls, the eldest and the second girl, were crying heartbreakingly: "Daddy, don't beat my daddy." ”

Another soldier wearing a felt hat, with several scars on his face, looked at the little couple, and he scolded angrily: "Your mother's hair, dare to resist the rebels? ”

The saber on his waist, the blade of which was drawn out little by little, the cold light in his eyes flashed, and the scar on his face trembled slightly, showing that he had moved to kill.

"Let's go."

The other intruder, led by the intruder, held him down, and with a wave of his hand, several intruders rushed out, leaving a family, still crying.

"Brother Yuanfa, I hurt you."

Inside the house, Liuniang was crying while bandaging the man's wounds, fortunately, the arm was still there, but the bones had been injured, and I was afraid that this hand would ...... in the future

Yang Yuanfa stroked his wife's hair and said softly: "I don't blame you, it's me who is incompetent and can't protect your mother." ”

Looking at his wife, she has not had a good day since she married herself, Liu Niang is only in her twenties, but between the sideburns, there are already a few strands of gray hair, Yang Yuan's heart is like a knife, right now, the only little grain and rice in the family has been snatched away, what will I do in the future?

The family wept silently, listening to the cries and noises that filled the streets outside. Slowly stopped, and a voice sounded, but it was a ride in the streets and alleys preaching back and forth.

"Fengtian Advocate Camp. Li Xi, the general of civil and military affairs: The government has no way, the small people are screaming, the princes and nobles are viciously stripping the poor people, and they are unwilling to help the people in a single grain. Today, there are civil and military generals who advocate righteousness in heaven, fight tyranny, and practice heavenly principles. Not bad, no food, exile, trade and ......"

"The discipline of the righteous division is strict, the army has passed, the autumn has not committed any crimes, and the general of civil and military affairs said: Whoever kills one person is like killing my father. Whoever fornicates a woman is like a for my mother......"

Then countless people entered the city, and the earth-shattering song sounded: "Kill cattle and sheep, prepare wine oars, open the city gate to meet the king, and when the king comes, he will not pay food." ”

The young couple listened blankly. Listening to the surrounding neighbors, who seemed to be bold, they had already opened the door, and Liuniang wept and said, "Brother Yuanfa, what should I do?" ”

Yang Yuanfa said: "Go out and have a look, let's take one step at a time." ”

The young couple took the twin dolls and cautiously went out of the house, looking at the street, more and more people, as well as neighbors, all inquiring about each other.

These poor peasants and small people, a little copper money, broken silver, and those intruders who search houses don't look down on them, but all the grain, rice, noodles, and food in the house have been taken away.

Seeing that Yang Yuanfa's left arm was tightly bandaged, still stained with blood, everyone sighed when they asked: "Why bother, the most important thing is to save your life." ”

Liu Niang shed tears again: "But, if there is no grain and rice, what will I do in the future?" ”

Yes, depending on the situation, the entire city has been emptied, and not a single grain of grain and rice is there, even if there is a little bit of silver, where can you buy food?

At this time, someone shouted: "King Chuang is going to give porridge in the Dragon King Temple outside the city, and Zhao Zhizhou and a squire will be executed in public." ”

Everyone was in an uproar and went out of the city, and the little couple took the eldest and second children and followed involuntarily.

Outside the east of the city, it is already a sea of people, especially in front of the Dragon King Temple, it is crowded with people, the small couple and the neighbors, also squeezed forward, and saw the front steps of the Dragon King Temple, with a big flag several feet high, embroidered with black satin with the word "Chuang", the flagpole is silver and white, it is actually made of silver.

The front of the temple is left and right, and there are standing soldiers like the two very fierce soldiers who broke into the house before, and then the temple is not far from the periphery, and behind the temple, there are many camps, nests, all the way to the nearby mountains, rivers, countless different flags, can not count the edges,

On the roads next to the temple, there are many vehicles, and the fish run into the camps, and the goods on them are full of grain, rice, and wealth.

The young couple also saw that on the top steps, there was a middle-aged man wearing a white felt hat and an arrow coat.

Beside him, there were generals wearing cotton armor or iron armor, as well as a few people who looked like literati.

"That's King Chuang?"

The little couple didn't dare to look at it more, so they hurriedly lowered their heads.

There was a commotion in the crowd, but I saw that Zhao Zhizhou, who was covered in blood, was tied up and escorted over by some intruders, and there were some officials and gentry behind him.

In addition, there are some people dressed as military attachés, and Liuniang saw that the obese, Sun Shoubei, who is usually powerful in the city, has a cloak and is tied with five flowers, tied like a zongzi.

Liuniang saw it, and couldn't help but feel relieved for a while, this thief also has such a day.

Zhao Zhizhou and the others were brought to the front of the steps, and the soldiers ordered them to kneel, Sun Shoubei and other generals hurriedly knelt down, and Zhao Zhizhou and the others stood proudly.

"Those who descend live, and those who rebel die! Who among you will come down? ”

I don't know who was talking on the steps.

Sun Shoubei was very frightened in the morning, and when he heard it, he hurriedly kowtowed, with a flattering smile: "The villain is willing to surrender, abandon the darkness and surrender to the light, and serve the righteous army." ”

Zhao Zhizhou glanced at Sun Shoubei and the others contemptuously, glared angrily at Li Zicheng and the others on the stage, and shouted: "I am an official of the imperial court, how can I be used by thieves?" Thief, kill if you want to! ”

In his words, with a strong Jiangnan accent, Liuniang had heard that Zhao Zhizhou was from Yangzhou, or from the Donglin Party, and he was also elegant and kind to people on weekdays.

As soon as Zhao Zhizhou's words came out, all the intruders were furious, and a soldier suddenly pulled out his blade and cut off his right arm, Zhao Zhizhou screamed fiercely, still scolded, and cut off his left arm, scolded Yili, and cut off his legs, Zhao Zhizhou fainted and woke up, still scolding unyieldingly.

In the end, the soldiers hung Zhao Zhizhou on the flagpole and shot it with arrows, Zhao Zhizhou was hit by many arrows, and his limbs were cut off, and he was dying, he struggled, looking at the hundreds of people in front of him, this city, mountains and rivers, and finally sighed: "Pity my country and my people." (To be continued.) )