Chapter 581 The Rise and Fall of Everything Is Destined by God

Hu Yinglin looked at Shen Mingchen and shook his head. “Master Wang never talked about current affairs in his letters. He only talked about some guidance on studying. My father is the same. He only talked about some current events he encountered in Hunan.”

Shen Mingchen asked curiously, “Then you just said with certainty that the Suzhou trial only hit tigers and wolves, not sheep.”

“Tigers and wolves eat meat, while sheep eat grass. Sometimes they are eaten by tigers and wolves.” Hu Yinglin replied with a smile.

Shen Mingchen understood what he meant, looked at Hu Yinglin, and said with a sigh: “There are too many tigers and wolves, and not enough sheep. Of course, we have to beat the tigers and wolves first, otherwise the sheep will be gone and everyone will starve to death.

If I had been this smart and clever, I wouldn’t have become the most useless person among Lord Ruzhen’s staff.”

Hu Yinglin laughed loudly, “Mr. Hu is the governor of the southeast, and his subordinates are all famous generals, and his staff are all the best in the world. Mr. Jiaze has this resume, so it can be said that everyone in the world knows you. Wherever you travel, you can find old friends and colleagues. Isn’t it great!”

Shen Mingchen laughed: “Yuanrui is quite good at comforting people. I want to see what the Suzhou trial will reveal.”

Hu Yinglin also smiled, with a gleam in his eyes.

Tu Long and Pan Zhiheng walked to another pavilion, looked around, and seeing no outsiders, they sat down and started discussing.

“It seems that there is a reason why the brothers Yuanmei and Jimei were able to return home safely.”

Tu Long’s words resonated with Pan Zhiheng.

“You don’t have the ability to change everything, but if you want to live well in this world, then change yourself.”

Pan Zhiheng said leisurely.

“However, Lord Fengzhou finally made his voice heard at the grand court meeting on the first day of February. Although he did not know the destiny at that time, his courage was commendable, much stronger than that of Wang Lin and Zhang Siwei.

However, although both were important officials in the imperial court, Wang Lin abandoned his post and lived in Xishi, Zhang Siwei stayed in the imperial court, and Fengzhou Gong lived in seclusion.

Tu Long glanced at him and said, “Brother Jingsheng, where is the martial arts world in Ming Dynasty now?

If you are in a high position in the government, you will worry about the people; if you are in a remote place, you will worry about your ruler. The wise men of the Han and Tang dynasties could still retreat to the outside world. But in the Ming Dynasty, we have nowhere to retreat.

A wise ruler should whip up the whip and inspire the people of the world to revive the Ming Dynasty and create the sun and the moon again. “

Not only were they intelligent, they were also good friends of Wang Daokun, Qi Jiguang, Xu Wei and others. They learned a lot from the various information they heard and saw.

“The Suzhou trial was the first whip that resounded throughout the world, spurring on the people of the world.”

Three days later, early in the morning, brothers Wang Shizhen and Wang Shimao took one boat, Tu Long, Pan Zhiheng, Hu Yinglin and Shen Mingchen took another boat, and Lu Yong took his own boat. The three boats sailed west along Baiqiupu and arrived in Kunshan in the afternoon.

Kunshan had its own group of officials and gentry to welcome them, and then held a banquet at the Bailu Tower near the pier to welcome Wang Shizhen, Lu Yong and his entourage.

When everyone went upstairs, Hu Yinglin and Shen Mingchen, who were not well-known and rarely attracted attention, went to the terrace on the fourth floor of Bailu Building to look at the view of Kunshan.

In the distance, Yufeng Mountain stands out among the vast plains.

Farther away, Yangcheng Lake is like a precious mirror, abandoned by an immortal in the northwest of Kunshan. Under the setting sun, the water sparkles.

The breeze blows on my face, and faintly, there is the sound of beautiful and gentle singing, accompanied by string music, faintly reaching my ears.

Shen Mingchen couldn’t help but sigh: “It’s really a place of outstanding people, gentleness and wealth. Every time I pass by Kunshan, I can’t help but slow down my pace and miss it.”

Hu Yinglin said with a smile: “Mr. Jia Ze must be reluctant to leave this gentle land and this beautiful and melodious Kunqu opera.

“The golden powder has not yet faded, and the fragrance of the Six Dynasties can be smelled. The tobacco in the sky is heartbreaking. I am afraid that the flowers will bloom soon, and the wind and rain will miss the spring.”

Shen Mingchen cheered on the side: “Good, good!”

Suddenly, a loud and majestic singing voice came from a distance.

“With one heart and one mind, the mountains can be shaken. With loyalty and righteousness, the spirit can surpass that of a bull.”

Shen Mingchen and Hu Yinglin looked at each other.

“Qi Fengning’s Victory Song!”

The two men lay on the railing and looked in the direction of the singing. They saw a string of boats coming slowly from the east in Baiqiupu. The singing came from the boats, rising and falling. As one boat sang “Victory Song”, the other boat started singing another military song.

“The imperial wind covers the four seas, and the waters are clear for a thousand years; I no longer need to wear military uniforms, as today I declare my success. Looking back, I see the Qin Pass is as low as a horse, and gradually I see the Yellow River flowing straight north.”

Then the third boat started singing.

“Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger, fame, wealth and honor are all dust and dirt. Looking at China, the people are suffering, and thousands of miles of fertile land are all barren. A good man leaves his parents and serves both the people and the king. Holding a steel knife ninety-nine times, he will not stop until all the enemies are killed.”

A ship, a song, coming together like huge waves on the sea.

Hu Yinglin couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Jia Ze, what is this?”

“This is a military fighting song.”

“The second song should be the former Tang Kaige song, and the third song should be listened to less.”

“That was a song sung by the Red Turban Army at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, with a few words changed.”

“The Red Turban Army’s military song from the end of the Yuan Dynasty? I didn’t expect it to be found.

Mr. Jia Ze is an aide to Lord Ruzhen. Do you recognize which army this is?”

“Let me take a look at the flag first. The military system has undergone a major change in recent years, so it’s hard to recognize it.”

Shen Mingchen tried hard to look at the flag on the mast of the ship. After carefully identifying it, his expression changed slightly.

“It’s actually the Shenjie Army.”

Hu Yinglin’s expression also changed. “Shenjie Army? It’s actually the Zhenwei Army.”

“Yes, the Shenjie Army is based on the Southeastern Anti-Japanese Army and reorganized from the elite troops of the Southern Zhili Garrison. One unit is stationed at Dashengguan in Jiangning, one at Danyang, and another at Langshan in Tongzhou.

It seems that this group was transferred from Langshan across the river. There are about a thousand people, that is, a battalion of troops. “

“Mr. Jia Ze, they are heading west, and it seems that their destination is the same as ours. Suzhou is an important place in southern Jiangsu. It has its own camp guards and guards stationed there, and they even sent in the town guards.”

Shen Mingchen’s eyes flickered, “Duke Ruzhen once told me and other aides that the emperor is very thoughtful and always makes perfect plans for everything, and plans for victory before defeat.

It seems that the Suzhou trial is more complicated than we thought.”

Hu Yinglin and Shen Mingchen looked at a string of troop transport ships gradually moving westwards in Baiqiupu with complicated expressions, like ink dots gradually fading away on a white silk ribbon.

Listening to the majestic military songs intertwined with the beautiful Kunqu opera, it is like the Yangcheng Lake in the distance and the sunset lake light intertwined together.

On the fourth day, we set off from Kunshan Pier early in the morning and arrived at Suzhou Changzhou Pier near dusk.

If Taicang and Kunshan are the prosperous Yangcheng Lake, then Suzhou is the most splendid Taihu Lake in the world.

Once you get to the dock, you can see square scarves and long robes everywhere, as well as loyal and jing crowns, brocade and silk inlaid shoes, and blue silk umbrellas.

Everywhere I look, I see students; everywhere I hear, I hear officials.

Wang Shizhen was already a leader in the world’s literary circles, and his great performance at the first meeting of the second month of the lunar calendar made him even more famous. Upon hearing that he was coming, hundreds of scholars and literati came to greet him, and hundreds of students who admired him came to see him. As one of the only two great officials sent by the inner court to the southeast, only local officials came to flatter him.

For a time, the Cheung Chau Wharf was full of celebrities, and those in green robes were even worse than dogs.

As soon as Wang Shizhen got ashore, he asked his friend, “Has Mr. Shaohu arrived in Suzhou?”

The friend replied, “Mr. Shaohu arrived in Gusu yesterday and stayed at Hanshan Temple.”

“I will go visit Lord Shaohu first, and then I will meet you all.”

So anxious?
Everyone looked at each other, and finally agreed with Wang Shizhen.

After sending him to the carriage, the rest of the people split into two groups, surrounding Wang Shimao, Tu Long and others and Lu Yong, and rushed to the Humble Administrator’s Garden together.

The carriage sped along, and Wang Shizhen arrived at Hanshan Courtyard before sunset.

When Xu Jie heard that Wang Shizhen came to visit him as soon as he got off the boat, he quickly invited him to his study.

After they met and exchanged a few pleasantries, Wang Shizhen couldn’t wait to say, “Shaohu Gong, why don’t you take a step back and the world will be broader?”

Xu Jie stroked his beard, his eyes sparkling as he asked, “Take a step back? Fengzhou, how do you know you only need to take a step back?”

“Shao Hu Gong, if you need to retreat a few steps, just retreat a few steps. As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.”

Xu Jie narrowed his eyes slightly, “So Fengzhou hurried here to act as a lobbyist? Who asked you to do that? I heard that you were traveling with Lu Yong, could it be that you were asked to do that?”

“Shaohu Lord, Lu Yong is not Yang Jinshui. He will not care about the affairs of the southeast. Whether the Xu family rises or falls, whether the scholars in the southeast live or die, has nothing to do with him.

He came to Suzhou just to watch the show, he won’t take the lead, and he won’t ask his students to be his lobbyist. “

Xu Jie looked at Wang Shizhen, with an imperceptible touch of emotion in his eyes.

The strong wind knows the strong grass.

In times of crisis, Wang Shizhen, who had little contact with him, took the risk to come and persuade him. He was much better than those disciples and old officials who pretended to be deaf and dumb.

“Fengzhou, your heroic deeds at the first meeting of the second month of the lunar calendar really impressed me. It’s a pity that in the past few years, I have been playing it safe and not willing to stand up and defend the government. In the end, I ended up like this, and I deserved it.

You can withdraw, the Wang family can withdraw. How can I withdraw? How can the Xu family withdraw? “

Wang Shizhen continued to persuade him: “Shaohu Lord. Yan Song could retreat back then, and he retreated again and again, so why can’t Shaohu Lord retreat again?”

Xu Jie’s face suddenly turned red and his eyes flashed with anger.

Wang Shizhen noticed Xu Jie’s abnormality and quickly explained: “Yan Song is the most treacherous minister in the world, while Shao Hu Gong is a pillar of the three dynasties and a model for civil officials. Of course, they cannot be compared.

The student just made an inappropriate analogy.”

Xu Jie’s complexion slowly returned to normal, but the disdain on the corner of his mouth was still there.

“Yan Song and his son have committed many evil deeds. To save their lives, they must retreat again and again. I have lived a clean life and have always been upright. Why should I humble myself and retreat again and again in fear of slander?”

Wang Shizhen was speechless.

Lord Shaohu, you have been with the emperor for a long time, and you don’t know his temper. If you were not completely sure, how could you make such a big fuss?

On several occasions, the words of transferring the Shenjie Army to Suzhou came to Wang Shizhen’s lips, but he never said it out loud.

Xu Jie had many informants in Suzhou. How could he not know about the large-scale mobilization of the Shenjie Army?
Even after knowing this, he still didn’t take it seriously and believed that the emperor and Hai Rui still couldn’t do anything to him. This showed that he still overestimated his reputation, or overestimated the character of the people in the Xu family, and underestimated the emperor’s means and determination.

Xu Jie is still using the same tactics he used against Emperor Shizong to deal with the emperor.

No way, Lord Shaohu!
Times are different!
Even I have realized it, Mr. Shaohu, why don’t you understand it?
Maybe he has been in the game for too long and it is difficult to jump out.

Or maybe he is a master strategist who has won every battle, and he thinks he has seen many storms and waves and disdains such a small disturbance.

Mr. Shaohu, the better you are at swimming, the easier it is for you to drown.

Looking at the expression on Wang Shizhen’s face, Xu Jie stroked his beard, with an indescribable light in his eyes.

“Fengzhou, I am very grateful that you can come.

I have been in the political arena for decades, walking on thin ice for decades, and I have reached the highest position among the officials. I should be remembered in history. There are some things that you can do, but I cannot.

Fengzhou, do you know the origin of the name Hanshanyuan?”

“Mr. Shaohu, I know that during the Zhenguan period of the pre-Tang Dynasty, Hanshan, a famous monk from the Tiantai Temple in Zhejiang, once lived here. Later, the eminent monk Xiqian of the pre-Tang Dynasty founded a monastery here, and it was named ‘Hanshan Temple’.”

Xu Jie nodded: “Han Shan once asked Shi De, ‘How should I deal with those who slander me, deceive me, insult me, laugh at me, look down on me, despise me, hate me, and cheat me?’

Fengzhou, how did Shi De answer? “

Wang Shizhen glanced at Xu Jie and replied, “Shi De replied, ‘Just tolerate him, let him be, let him be, avoid him, respect him, ignore him, and after ten years, you will see what happens to him!'”

After hearing Xu Jie’s feelings, Wang Shizhen stopped trying to persuade him and bowed.

“Mr. Shaohu, that’s all I have to say. Please take care of yourself.”

Leaving Hanshan Courtyard, the carriage rattled away.

The sound of bells rang out slowly. Wang Shizhen lifted the curtains and looked back at Hanshan Courtyard in the twilight.

“The green willows and white egrets are all contented, the nearby water and distant mountains are all sentimental. The rise and fall of all things are determined by heaven, and ordinary people can rest easy with the sufferings of life. Shaohu Gong, why can’t you understand this will of heaven? Why can’t you be like ordinary people and let go of the sufferings of life?”

At the welcoming banquet, Wang Shizhen was worried and said a few words to everyone with a forced smile, then said bluntly: “Tomorrow, the Jiangsu Governor Hai Gong will hold a public hearing at the grain supervision office. This matter is of great importance and everyone is concerned.

We should disperse early, have a good rest, and go to the trial early tomorrow morning.”

Everyone praised it as a great virtue and then dispersed.

Silent all night.

The next morning, as soon as the sun rose from the east, thousands of people gathered in front of the Grain Inspectorate’s office. They were officials, gentry, famous scholars, and students who had rushed there from all over the place after hearing the news.

All the talented people in the southeast gathered here.

With a creaking sound, the vermilion gate of the yamen was slowly pushed open under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Twenty-four policemen came out and lined up on both sides of the gate. Then hundreds of guards marched in from both sides of the street, surrounding the Grain Supervisory Office.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

“Xu Xiangguo is here!”

A shout, like a morning bell, shocked everyone.

All eyes were focused on a blue wool sedan chair, and then the quiet yamen suddenly became lively and noisy.

(End of this chapter)