As the saying goes, there is no greater sorrow than death. Xu Dingguo not only bet on everything about himself, but even sent his two sons to the Qing camp as hostages. He gave everything to the Qing Dynasty. Now he is in exchange for a letter of recommendation like Chen Hongfan.

His waist and abdomen were penetrated by Zhang Xiaofan's sword, and he was already incurred. He was about to close his eyes and wait for death, but when he heard Zuo Maodi's words, he suddenly opened his eyes and laughed like a rebirth. His laughter was miserable and crazy, as harsh and sad as the cry of a jackdaw.

Zuo Maodi didn't know what crazy he was causing, and said in a deep voice: "Why are you laughing at?"

Xu Dingguo ignored Zuo Maodi, laughed for a while, then stopped laughing, shook his head and said:

"You still ask me why? I have been in the army for decades, and I killed the Tartars in Liaodong during the Wanli period."

"After killing the Tartars, I went back to the Central Plains to kill the bandits. I had dozens of scars all over my body, and I dare say that none of them were on my back."

"But do you know where I was a year ago? It's in the death row of the Censorate!"

"In the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng opened the seal. The imperial court ordered me to rescue thousands of miles away. But he didn't give me any food or grass."

"I went to ask the military censor Wang Xie how to march without food and pay. Wang Xie told me that on the way, 'just food for the people'!"

"Do you know what 'food is'? It's just that my Ming Dynasty official army snatches the food of the people all the way to kill the thieves!"

"The soldiers don't know why they are fighting. They are obviously going to kill the thief, but they are a hundred times more vicious than the thief."

"The thief passes like combs, and the soldiers passes like combs. Have you ever seen it? The army can no longer march within a few years! Because there will be no more food or anything left in the village."

"As a result, as soon as the army arrived in Shanxi, the entire team mutinized."

"I tried all my strength to gather the remaining soldiers. I rushed to Kaifeng with my life. Finally, I arrived before Kaifeng fell."

"I kept working hard and set up the camp, and was eager to go to the Central Army to visit Hou Xun, the commander at that time, to discuss the matter of fighting against the thieves."

"As a result, the officer in the middle told me that it was not time to open the camp gate and Hou Xun was still sleeping and could not be disturbed."

"I had an argument with the central officer, and the commander Hou Xun didn't ask. He almost killed me on the spot."

"We are military generals who are dedicated to the country. We don't have so many tricks. We thought this matter would be over. But who knows that civil officials would not think so."

"Later, because of this, I was finally locked in death row and waited for the death row in the autumn to be executed."

"This is the civil servant of the Ming Dynasty. He is upright on the surface, but he can kill you in secret. He is thousands of times more vicious than Jianlu and thieves!"

"In the death row, I still fantasize about the treacherous and slandered, and the Holy Lord was deceived. But do you know what news I heard again?"

"The bandit named Gao Jie, who was called Shanshan Jiaozi, was actually promoted again."

"I have been fighting the thief for more than ten years. Gao Jie held a grudge and slaughtered more than a hundred people in my family. Just like this, a thief who was angry with both humans and gods. After he was recruited, his official position became bigger and bigger."

"The one who is determined to kill the thief is waiting for Hou Zhan in the death row, but the evil thief who kills the officials and rebels are granted titles to the vassal state."

"I can't understand why I killed people and set fire to become an official, repaired bridges and roads, and what did I do to sacrifice my life?"

"Later, I was finally released, not because I encountered some Master Qingtian who had examined my grievances. But Li Zicheng was going to Beijing and someone needed to kill the thief."

"At this time, the scholars and doctors who had thought to the point of death thought of me again."

"Do you know what I was thinking when I was out of death row? This world is over."

"The Ming Dynasty has rotted from its roots and is really rotten. Everyone is like a borer on this rotten wood. It calls this piece of wood its own home, but every borer can't help but want to bite two bites and borer a few holes."

"I want to destroy this world and destroy all this darkness."

"Did you see the Qing Dynasty? The Qing Dynasty is wise! There are not so many corrupt officials, and there are not so many evil and treacherous ministers."

"I won't be able to use the style of using literature to control martial arts. Black is black, white is white."

"So what if you are a slave? As long as the master acts fairly, you will reward your merits and punish your faults. You will know what is right and what is wrong. Then I would rather be this slave!"

Xu Dingguo was crying and complaining, like a night owl before dying, venting his last madness. He was already a dying person, so naturally he would not have any scruples and kept screaming.

Zuo Maodi's face was as deep as water, listening to Xu Dingguo's complaints without saying a word. The soldiers on both sides wanted to go up to stop Xu Dingguo several times, but were all stopped by Zuo Maodi.

After Xu Dingguo finally finished speaking, Zuo Maodi sighed and said:

"Even if you have ten thousand reasons, you've done something wrong in the end."

"As you said, there are many problems in the Ming Dynasty. I cannot ask you to devote yourself to your duties like Zhuge Wuhou or Marshal Yue, and to overcome all your integrity. But at least you can be able to protect yourself."

"As a minister, he eats the king's fortune, but he is a stolen person. He is always a crime of death. Since he has finished speaking, he is ready to go on his way."

Xu Dingguo spitted heavily and said, "Bah, I'm not convinced!"

Zuo Maodi shook his head and said nothing. He knew that everything Xu Dingguo said was true. There were too many injustice in the troubled times. Now he was a traitor and an tyrant and a vassal state, and a vassal state was unjust. Even if there were a few people who wanted to eliminate the accumulated ills and loyalty, what kind of waves could they make under this trend?

As the burden is difficult to return, I can only give full play to my duties as a minister, but no matter how many there are, I can't do it.

At this time, Zhang Xiaofan came out from the crowd and said in a deep voice to Xu Dingguo:

"To be honest, before today, I only knew your name roughly. More but I don't know."

"When you said this just now, I even checked search engines and character encyclopedia... Well, you don't need to know what that is. You just need to know one thing, that is, you're dying."

"So, no matter what kind of reasons and grievances you have before you die, can you say something to yourself? You always have a clear conscience?"

"Even in this extremely dark and chaotic world, there should be many people who can say the four words "a clear conscience" to themselves."

"No matter how hard the farmers who work by the field, woodcutters who cut firewood and burn charcoal in the mountains, fishermen who cast nets to catch fish in the river, or even civil servants and scholars you have always looked down upon."

"I think I can say something loudly to myself. I am afraid there are countless people who have a clear conscience in my life."

"Not to say that far away, I will only talk about the Lord Zuo standing in front of you. On the day when Jianlu entered Beijing, Lord Zuo's high-den mother was in Beijing."

"She didn't want her son to be forced by Jianlu, so she went on a hunger strike alive."

"At least, she can say 'I have a clear conscience in this life' before she dies."

"Everyone has good times and bad times, but blames his miserable experiences on the injustice of the country and the world. He complains and acts against others, and becomes more and more serious in killing those kind people, so that more people can fall into misfortune. What is this?"

"You think you see light, but have you ever thought it was deeper darkness?"

"You can't predict that century-old history of humiliation, but you should at least have heard of the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China and the shame of Jingkang."

"I won't tell you about national justice or loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. Because you can't understand. I'll only reason with you now."

"The common people are hungry every year, and those who sell their children and daughters pay Liao pay for their wages, so that you can kill Jianlu."

"You have taken the money now, not only do you not kill the thief, but you are the Jianlu's spy. No matter how the world changes, this principle doesn't make sense, right?"

Zhang Xiaofan turned around and pointed at Diandian and Ma Xier lying on the ground, and continued:

"We have no grudges and grudges with you. Just because we accidentally see through your secrets because of a meal, we will kill people to silence you. This principle doesn't make sense."

"If you kill someone, you will always kill him. If you want to kill me, it's a pity that you didn't kill me."

"Then I will kill you. The cycle of heaven and law should have been like this."

"You agree or not. That's all your business."

"What you do in this life is a final conclusion. You have a historical comment!"

After saying that, without hesitation, he suddenly pulled out the Yuliang Sword inserted behind Xu Dingguo, and cut off Xu Dingguo's head with a backhand sword.

Zuo Maodi next to him was a civil servant, but when he saw Xu Dingguo die tragically, he still couldn't help but close his eyes.

At this time, the breeze on the street blew, and everyone who had been infected with the medicine gradually recovered.

Because Wang Yanlin and Zuo Maodi were acquaintances, they told Zuo Maodi about this story one by one.

Dian Dian and Ma Xier on the side looked at Zhang Xiaofan and were also curious: "This person doesn't say a word, but when he speaks, he is reasonable and rumored. It's really the world's greatest and full of wonders."

"It's okay to pretend to be mute, what's another strange hobby..."

When Zuo Maodi's personal soldiers saw that Xu Dingguo was dead, they also collected his body. They reported to the government and then went to find a nearby inn and arranged for everyone to rest. Many details will not be described.

The next morning, the two groups of people had to part ways.

Zuo Maodi's ambassadors were going east and along the Yangtze River to Nanjing.

However, Zhang Xiaofan and the other three were going back to Tongguan, and they happened to be on the same road as Wang Yanlin who went to Tongguan to find her younger brother.

So after breakfast together, they each arranged to leave.

Ma Xier knew that Wang Yanlin's destination was Tongguan, so she recommended herself: "Miss Wang, I am very familiar with Tongguan. I have acquaintances at all levels. What is your brother's name and what is in Tongguan? I can ask you for a few questions."

Wang Yanlin talked about her brother's situation in detail with Ma Xier.

The two had a great conversation, and Ma Xier kept patting her chest and told Wang Yanlin that she would worry, that everything was covered by him. She would definitely help her find her younger brother.

Ma Xier's little thoughts and actions were clearly seen by Dian Dian and Zhang Xiaofan next to her.

Dian Dian kept pissing her mouth sore that she said to Zhang Xiaofan with a sore face: "You little face, what's the point of saying this big breast is good? It's not convenient to walk!"

Zhang Xiaofan looked Dian Dian seriously, and then said slowly: "She is taller than you."

"It's just a little taller, so what's so surprising? I'm young and can grow a little longer!"

Zhang Xiaofan continued: "Her eyes are bigger than you, her skin is whiter than you, her nose is straighter than you, her waist is thinner than you, and her legs are longer than you..."

Diandian stomped her feet and said with a dark face: "You don't need to say so much!"

...

After everyone packed up their salutes, they prepared to set off.

Wang Yanlin hired a carriage and a donkey cart, took the carriage herself, and gave it to Zhang Xiaofan and the other two.

When Zhang Xiaofan saw that Ma Xier and Dian Dian got on the car, he was stunned for a moment and suddenly said, "Wait, why do we have to go with her and take her donkey cart?"
To be continued...