When Yang Zhen heard what Li Ji said, he was startled for a moment. Then he thought of what Fang Guangchen had told him before about Yuan Shu going to Dengzhou to be the prefect, and what he had told Fang Guangchen. He asked with great joy:

"The guest from Dengzhou? Who is it? Is it Yuan Shu and Yuan Zhifu who came to Lushunkou in person?!"

"This person is not the governor of Dengzhou Yuan, but it is said that he is a friend of the governor of Dengzhou. I don't know the specific position. I have a letter from Mr. Zhang here. Please read it!"

Seeing that Yang Zhen was obviously very concerned about the news he brought, Li Ji quickly took out a sealed letter from his arms, bowed forward and presented it to Yang Zhen with both hands.

"Yue Qijie?"

Yang Zhen took the letter, opened it, took out the letter paper inside, read it at a glance, and then stuffed it back solemnly and put it into his arms. He didn't say anything else, but murmured

Mutter to yourself and say a name thoughtfully.

This person is the so-called guest that Fang Guangchen mentioned in his letter to Yang Zhen who came to Lushunkou from Dengzhou with him.

Fang Guangchen did not elaborate on this person's situation in the letter, but Yang Zhen seemed to have seen this name there before, but could not remember it clearly at the moment.

In his previous life, he was very interested in the history of the late Ming Dynasty and had seen many life stories of people in the late Ming Dynasty.

But what he remembered clearly were mostly the big shots who turned their hands into clouds and rain, such as Yuan Chonghuan, Mao Wenlong, Zu Dashou, Wu Sangui, etc.

As for other small figures who disappeared and appeared in the historical storm, even if he had seen their names for a while, Yang Zhen could not remember them at this time.

This Yue Qijie is like this. At this moment, when Yang Zhen first saw this name, he was scratching his head and could only vaguely remember that this name once appeared in a story related to Yuan Keli's son Yuan Shu.

Moreover, the ending of the story is also a tragic one - in the first year of Hongguang, after the fall of Jinling, Yue Qijie was as sad, angry and desperate as Yuan Shu, and died on a hunger strike.

However, Yang Zhen was a little confused as to where this Yue Qijie came from.

Fortunately, Yang Zhen knew that he died on a hunger strike after the fall of the Ming Dynasty and did not bend his knees to serve the Qing Dynasty. This alone can give a general idea of ​​his character.

"Captain, is the name you just mentioned more outstanding?"

Yang Zhen was thinking about the relationship between Yue Qijie and Yuan Shu, when he suddenly heard someone from among the generals who were discussing matters in the Jinzhou General Military Mansion asking this question.

Yang Zhen looked over after hearing this, and saw that the person who asked was none other than Yuan Jin, the commander-in-chief of Jinhai West Road who was present.

"This Yuan Jin has a close relationship with Yuan Keli and his son. Maybe he recognizes this person!"

Seeing the sound coming from Yuan Jin, Yang Zhen immediately thought of the relationship between Yuan Jin and Yuan Keli's father and son. He suddenly felt happy and asked quickly:

"That's right, that's right, it's Yue - Qi - Jie. The Yue of King Gou Jian of Yue. He only knows one but not the other. He is a Jie who is born to be an outstanding person! Why, Brother Yuan, do you recognize him?"

"It is indeed him, haha, if you want to say that I recognize him, I do, but I just recognize him. Although I have heard Mr. Yuan talk about him many times, I only have a one-sided relationship with him. To be honest, I have no relationship with him.

Familiar. Just——"

Yuan Jin saw that Yang Zhen was so interested in this person, so he immediately smiled and replied, "It's just that civil and martial arts are different. He is obviously not familiar with this Yue Qijie, and he can't tell much."

But when he saw Yang Zhen looking at him expectantly, he had no choice but to say something, and then began to quickly recall some of the words Yuan Shu once said when commenting on his friends of the same generation.

"Just what?"

When Yang Zhen saw Yuan Jin, who had made his fortune in Yuan's family, he stopped as soon as he started and asked questions quickly.

At this time, Yuan Jin was heard to say thoughtfully: "It's just that Mr. Yuan has talked about Yue Qijie many times. He and his wife and brother, who is also his elder brother-in-law, can be said to be highly respected.

I judge them to be rare capable ministers and officials in the world today, but it is a pity that they cannot be used by the imperial court."

Yang Zhen was interested in knowing more about Yue Qijie entirely because he had seen this name in later generations and knew that he was a lofty idealist who fought against the Qing Dynasty.

However, what Yuan Jin said not only did not solve his doubts, but instead brought up an uncle who was a great uncle, and was also praised by Yuan Shu as a capable minister and official.

Yang Zhen became even more confused and couldn't help but frown and asked:

"Yue Qijie's uncle? Who is his uncle, and what deeds does he have that can be called a capable minister and official?"

"I don't know much about his humble position. I only know that his elder brother-in-law, his wife's brother, is called Ma Shiying, and he once served as the governor of Xuanfu!"

"Who?! Who do you think this Yue Qijie's brother-in-law is?!"

Yang Zhen was of course familiar with the name Ma Shiying, but he never expected that he would still hear this name in Jinzhou City at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula.

What made him even more unbelievable was that the Yue Qijie who was waiting to see him at Lushunkou was actually related to Ma Shiying and Ma Yaocao, the future chief minister of the cabinet of Hongguang Dynasty, and they were so closely related.

Related!

Therefore, when Yang Zhen heard what Yuan Jin said, he was completely shocked. He immediately widened his eyes and asked again for confirmation.

Yuan Jin was obviously unprepared for Yang Zhen's strong emotions. He was immediately startled, scratched his head, thought about it again, and then said firmly:

"My name is Ma Shiying. You can't go wrong. Although I have never met this person, I have heard Mr. Yuan and his friends discussing government affairs many times, and many people even complained about Ma Shiying's dismissal from office!

"

When Yuan Jin said this, he saw that Yang Zhen was stunned on the spot, and quickly explained further: "It is said that this Ma Shiying only served as the governor of the Xuanfu for a month, and because of the old official rules of spending public funds, he was monitored by the Xuanfu at that time.

The eunuch Wang Kun reported it to the emperor, so he lost his official position and was dismissed.

"As for Yue Qijie, who has the same interests as Mr. Yuan, it is said that he was implicated in the case of his wife's brother Ma Shiying embezzling public funds, so he lost his official position and was dismissed from his post. Until now."

"This, haha, there is such a coincidence in the world, haha, good, good, good, hahahaha——"

After listening to Yuan Jin's recollection and narration, Yang Zhen was already very sure that this Yue Qijie he had never met was the Yue Qijie whose name he knew, and his brother-in-law was also the famous one in the history of Nanming, or

Let’s talk about the notorious “treacherous minister” Ma Shiying.

Thinking that he was able to get in touch with the "treacherous minister" who would later become "notorious" without any effort, Yang Zhen was so happy that he burst out laughing on the spot.

Yuan Jin and other people present, such as Shen Zhixiang, Xu Tianchong, Zhang Chen, Li Lu, Yang Shen, Liu Wanzhong, as well as Li Ji and others who came to report the news, naturally did not know why Yang Zhen was laughing, but when they saw Yang Zhen

He was so happy that he laughed along with Yang Zhen.

Of course, they couldn't know what Yang Zhen was thinking about and what he was happy about at this time.

It was even more impossible for them to know that Ma Shiying, who was mentioned by chance because of his visit to Dengzhou, would one day become a powerful figure with great power in both the government and the public.

But Yang Zhen knew this very well, and he knew it better than Ma Shiying himself.

Just next year, that is, in the autumn of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, Zhou Yanru will be resurrected and re-employed.

Shortly after Zhou Yanru's rise, Ma Shiying, who was dismissed as governor of Xuanfu in the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign after being convicted of a crime, would be re-employed due to Zhou Yanru's recommendation, as the right minister of the Ministry of War and the governor of Luzhou, the right governor of the capital.

Military affairs in Fengyang and other places.

A few years later, during the Jiashen Kingdom Rebellion, he supported King Fu Zhu Yousong to ascend the throne of God, and he himself became a figure who once influenced the fate of Nanming.

It’s hard to say whether the Jiashen National Revolution will happen in this life.

But regardless of whether it happens or not, Ma Shiying is currently down and out, running around and trying to make a comeback. If he doesn't burn up his cold stove, he will miss it.

Of course Yang Zhen did not want the Jiashen National Revolution to happen, but what he saw and heard during his previous visit to Beijing made him deeply aware that the current Ming Dynasty had long-standing shortcomings and the future was not optimistic.

No matter what, he must prepare in advance to deal with the worst case scenario.

It is said that Yang Zhen unexpectedly received the news from Lushunkou in Jinzhou City, and realized the importance of Yue Qijie to him in the future. That afternoon, he said goodbye to Xiangping Bo Shen Zhixiang and the generals on Jinhai Middle Road, and led the army.

Zhang Chen and Li Lu's second battalion took the lead in leaving the city and heading south, rushing towards Lushunkou.

Yuan Jin and Yang Shen were ordered to escort the remaining forty heavy Hongyi cannons and the two Tatar prisoners led by Liu Zhongjin, by boat and by sea, southward to Lushunkou.

As for Yu Liangtai's East Route Naval Camp, he will continue to lead his troops to stay in Jinzhou Bay for a while.
Chapter completed!