Tan Leizi's dress still served as a disguise. He arrived at the temple smoothly. There were three words written on it. Tan Leizi didn't recognize the first two, he only knew what kind of temple it was.
At this time, the temple door was closed. Fortunately, the bandits really did not enter the temple, and there were very few people nearby. Tan Laizi walked around for a short while and found a crooked willow tree leaning against the wall.
At that moment, he threw away the torch and stick, Tan Leizi summoned his strength, climbed up the wall along the willow tree, and then slid along the wall into the temple.
When his feet landed on the ground, Tan Leizi's heart finally calmed down.
He was panting at the base of the wall. This seemed to be the inner courtyard. Some people nearby were talking anxiously. Tan Laizi didn't dare to go to those monks. He hugged his knees and hid behind a tree by the wall, his whole body kept shaking.
She was shaking, but it wasn't because of the cold, she just kept covering her mouth and sobbing softly.
There were endless screams outside the wall, and the dark sky reflected the firelight in the city, outlining the blurry outlines of dark clouds, like the vague face of the devil in the night sky.
I don't know how long it took to hide in the corner like this. There was some light around me. When Tan Laizi looked up, the sky was already slightly bright.
The courtyard was still in a mess, and the monks didn't know what they were busy with.
Suddenly there was a shout from the front yard, followed by a knock on the door. When Tan Laizi peeked out from behind the tree, he saw a group of gangsters in red clothes walking into the yard.
The leader, a tall and strong bandit, shouted at the abbot, "Everyone in your nunnery is called out, and no one except the monks can stay."
After he finished speaking, a group of his men started chasing him in the courtyard. Tan Laizi prayed to God and worshiped Buddha in his heart. He huddled behind a tree and wished he could become as small as an ant.
"Then monk come here too!"
There was a shout nearby, and Tan Leizi didn't know if he had noticed him, but he still didn't dare to move and huddled behind the tree motionless.
After a while, Tan Leizi felt a pain in his buttocks. He looked up and saw a tall and thin gangster, cursing and kicking him, causing Tan Leizi to roll and crawl into the courtyard.
There were already many people kneeling in the middle. Tan Leizi's legs and feet became weak, so he knelt directly on the ground. He peeked around and saw that there were both monks and common people, and he quickly lowered his head.
The tall and sturdy bandit leader waved his hand, and the common people with long hair were dragged out of the temple gate one after another. No one dared to stop the many kneeling monks.
Tan Laizi knelt on the ground and was sweating profusely. He was already in despair. Everyone except the monks would be captured. At this time, apart from these temples, Hezhou was surrounded by the Asura Hell.
At this time, the collar on the back of his neck tightened, someone was about to take him away. Tan Laizi was excited and immediately shouted, "Grandpa Qiantuan Mingjian, this villain is also a monk, look at my hair!"
The bandit who captured him turned his head and looked at it. Tan Leizi had been shaving his hair for the past two years because of his scurvy. Although he had grown some hair, he looked like he was bald, but his clothes didn't look like it.
The bandit asked the abbot, "Is he a monk in your temple?"
The host looked at Tan Leizi with fear and confusion, and was about to admit it. Tan Leizi's face twitched and he looked at the host with pleading eyes. He didn't say a word but seemed to have a thousand words.
The host's expression slowly changed and he nodded slowly. Such a simple action could mean the difference between Tan Laizi's life and death.
The bandits let go, and Tan Leizi lost all his strength and just collapsed on the ground.
After the other bandits finished arresting people, the tall and strong leader waved his hand and walked outside one after another. Tan Laizi gasped for breath, his life was finally saved. This small temple was almost like paradise.
"Wait a minute, let's see... Leper Monk, hahaha, do you still recognize me?"
Suddenly a voice came from behind, with an accent that seemed to have been heard somewhere.
Tan Laizi looked up tremblingly, and was immediately frightened. He fell from heaven to hell in an instant. The person in front of him had a cloth on his head and a piece of his nose and cheek was missing. He was clearly the gangster who was in the well just now. There were also people behind him.
Follow a fellow servant.
"I've been looking for you everywhere, and you turned out to be a monk!"
The gangster was tall, and he grabbed Tan Leizi by the collar and lifted him up like a chicken.
How did Tan Laizi know that he would see the bandit in the well again? He stayed for a moment before crying and begging, "Grandpa Qiantui, please have mercy on me. I clearly saw that woman dared to resist Grandpa Qiantui and threw stones at the woman."
The bandit chuckled, looking down at Tan Laizi who was in a state of despair, with a look of great interest, "Sir, I have a benefit in killing people. I want to kill you to convince you. Why don't you beat that woman?"
Hey hey hey, then you ask the girl if she is still alive, but you are asking me?"
"I, I..." Tan Leizi was stunned, stammering and unable to speak. This gangster actually didn't cry out when he was injured, and even heard what he said next.
"If you have nothing to say, just follow the master and let's go to the well to settle the matter."
Tan Laizi knew that he was destined to die this time, so he made his last desperate struggle, hugged the gangster's legs and cried heartbrokenly, "Master Qiantose, please forgive me, that's the woman I beat. You have to ask questions after beating me."
You have to beat him to death, right? If you don’t die, you still have to beat him... Wow wow."
The bandit dragged Tan Laizi by the back of his collar and laughed as he walked, "I told you that I didn't beat him to death. I dragged him up together. His face was burned and it doesn't look good. I asked you to be the short-lived duck together."
A servant next to him hurriedly added, "The boss of the reporting team knows that he is a mandarin duck."
The guard who was missing the nose kicked him over and said, "Sir, I say it's a duck. This maniac doesn't look like a mandarin duck."
After scolding the team leader, he looked down at Tan Leizi and asked, "Scabby monk, are you a duck?"
"The villain is a duck, really he is a duck."
Tan Leizi hurriedly said, "I am determined not to be a mandarin duck!"
The team leader looked serious, "All ducks can swim, can you?"
Tan Laizi nodded repeatedly, "The little man grew up by the river. He can't do anything else except how to swim. If the master goes to the south of the Yangtze River, the little man will carry him across the river."
The guard suddenly kicked Tan Laizi over and said, "You clearly have evil intentions. You want to imitate the turtle carrying Tang Monk and throw him into the Liusha River."
Siyang stood up and came over again, "Master in charge of the team, the turtle is the Tongtian River."
"Then you told me last time it was the Liusha River?"
"The Liusha River is where Monk Sha lives. Look at the word "sha" on it."
The team leader frowned and thought for a moment, and finally nodded slowly and said, "It makes sense. The word "sha" is a key point. Master, I am convinced."
He turned around and stared at Tan Leizi, "Are you convinced?"
Tan Laizi hurriedly knelt down and said, "I've been convinced for a long time, and I can't accept it anymore."
The team leader stared blankly at Tan Laizi, until the hairs all over his body stood up. The team leader suddenly shouted, danced and laughed, "I'll go swimming tomorrow after I take it!"
Facing the smiling face with missing nose, Tan Laizi opened his mouth in confusion.
...On December 29, the eighth year of Chongzhen, the day before New Year's Eve, the sky was overcast, and scattered snowflakes floated down, falling into the flowing Yangtze River and disappearing in an instant.
Thousands of people gathered outside the south gate of Hezhou, surrounded by countless bandits holding weapons in hand, driving the crowd slowly toward the north bank of the river, crying and shouting loudly along the way.
"God damn Jiang Fan, damn Pang Shoubei, I was killed by you two grandsons."
Tan Lezi in the crowd was wailing towards the sky. Like everyone else, all the cotton-padded clothes on his body had been taken away, leaving only a single piece of clothing.
"The mangy duck has floated on the water! If it dies, it will be a desperate duck, a pair of ugly ducks!"
There was a shout from outside, and Tan Laizi looked over with tears in his eyes. The excited-faced guard team with missing noses was dancing happily.
"You damn thief, go to Anqing and see if you can offend me."
Tan Laizi finished crying and scolded, and when he was about to wipe his nose, he raised his hand but couldn't. He turned around and looked at a woman on the left. A piece of her hair was burned off, the left side of her forehead was bloody, and her right hand was wrapped in a rope.
On Tan Leizi's left hand, he was limping. Sometimes he was unsteady and had to lean on Tan Lezi's body.
"You woman, stay away from me, I will be killed by you."
Tan Leizi shook his left hand and pushed the woman away, preventing her from leaning on him.
He couldn't understand his hatred and cursed at the woman, "Why did you run away? You jumped into the well and didn't know where to go. You harmed me for no reason. I obviously survived in the temple, wow..." Tan Leizi said
Then he covered his face with his right hand and cried loudly.
The woman staggered and buried her head without saying a word. She was taller than Tan Laizi. When she buried her head, Tan Laizi could see the side of her face. The right side of her face was not burned. Although her face was not pretty,
But Tan Laizi felt that she was quite good-looking and her skin was fair, especially when she was only wearing a bellyband.
Tan Laizi was crying. He couldn't help but open his eyes, looked carefully between his fingers, and secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
But this still didn't allow him to forgive the woman. He thought for a while and then let go and cursed, "The thief arrested you, but you didn't come up. You even fought with him. If he didn't burn you, how could I not help but take the stone?"
Beat him, I entered the temple on my own and saved my life. How could he have captured me here? Do you know how difficult it was for me to escape to the temple? It was you who killed me."
Tan Laizi said that he had been wronged, and sat down on the ground and cried loudly. The woman could not move, but she did not sit down, but just stood there blankly.
The management team looked at it from outside and said angrily: "A duck is walking!"
"I'm not leaving."
Tan Leizi cried, "Everyone on the left and right is dead. If you die early, you will be reborn."
Suddenly there was a scream next to him, and Tan Leizi stopped crying. He quickly turned around and saw five or six people not far away kneeling and begging for mercy. An old man was hacked to death first. Many bandits gathered around and killed him.
The whole family was killed one by one, and an old woman with silver hair was left in the end. She knelt on the ground and screamed in despair, but was still shot to death.
The crowd moved away in panic. Tan Laizi scurried up, dragging the woman forward a few steps. After entering the crowd a little, he felt more at ease.
People didn't know what the rogues would do to them, and their fear of the unknown continued to ferment. There was a lot of crying, and Tan Lezi was so saddened by it that he cried even more sadly.
The woman next to me said faintly at this moment, "I have never thanked you for rescuing me. It was the slave family who unintentionally caused you trouble. I can't help you."
Tan Laizi didn't expect that the woman could still speak. He grinned and stopped crying, glaring at the woman sideways, "What's the point of talking about this? It won't do me any good, Mr. Tan."
The woman lowered her head and said, "I will serve you in the next life and repay your kindness."
Tan Laizi turned around and took another look. With his figure and appearance, if his face was not bad in the next life, it would still be a good deal for him. But on second thought, the next life would still be too ethereal, and since he would die soon in this life, it would still be a good deal.
"I've never gotten married in my life."
Tan Laizi burst into tears, "Let's talk about the next life."
The woman's face was ashen, and after a moment she said, "That slave will marry you right now, and he will serve you on the road to hell."
"Marry now..." Tan Lezi stopped crying and looked at the woman as he walked. The woman was probably of average appearance. Normally, those women would not marry Tan Lezi. Even if they were prostitutes, Tan Lezi had never done it before.
Definitely can't afford it.
Tan Laizi thought for a moment and then asked, "Um, you were fucked by that gangster last night...that's all, then you will be my wife."
He thought it was better than nothing, so he wanted to put his left hand around his waist, but his left hand happened to be tied up, so he couldn't do it for a while.
Tan Laizi was inexplicably excited. He thought about it and asked, "What is your maiden name?"
"My surname is Sun, my maiden name is Hong'er. I am from Jiyefang in Hezhou City. My father and brother are both tofu makers."
The woman whispered, "My sister-in-law jumped into the well with my slaves. They all died yesterday."
The woman's voice lowered as she spoke, and Tan Leizi stretched out his right hand to support the woman's tied hands to help her walk more steadily.
Both of them were wearing single clothes, but because there were many people around, they didn't feel too cold. At this time, Tan Leizi was holding the woman's hand and felt that the palm of his hand was a little warm.
"My name is Tan Erlin. I am the second eldest child in my family. There is no wood in my horoscope.
It’s always been at Yaxing at Shengtang Wharf in Anqing.”
As soon as Tan Leizi mentioned the dock, he suddenly raised his head and said, "People on the dock call me Master Tan. When you go to Anqing in the future, ask around the city who can offend Tan Ya..." Before Tan Leizi could finish his lines,
, but the crowd stopped. The people behind didn’t know what was going on, so they looked around and wanted to know what happened, and their cries became quieter.
Tan Laizi walked very slowly because he was afraid of death, and always wanted to see if there was a chance to escape. He was now on the right side of the middle of the crowd, and the guard was dancing outside, so he walked inside again
, you can’t see the outside at all at this time.
It's just that Tan Leizi was short and couldn't see outside even when he stood on tiptoe, so he had to squeeze out a few more steps. When he looked out from among the crowd, he found that he had reached the riverside.
"It's over, it's over, I'm going to die today."
Tan Leizi murmured.
When the bandits escorted the people out of the city today, everyone felt vaguely that something was wrong, but they didn't know what methods the bandits would use. When they saw Dajiang, many people seemed to have guessed the outcome.
The panicked cries in the crowd became louder and louder. When Tan Leizi saw the guard looking outside again, he quickly pulled the woman and squeezed into the crowd. The crowd was automatically shrinking inward, and it became more crowded as they got to the middle. Tan Lezi squeezed
Only when it stopped moving did he stop and use his strength to untie the rope from his hand.
The rope was tied very tightly. This was just the bad taste of the guard. He didn't have the patience to tie their hands tightly, just to satisfy his wish of a pair of dead ducks.
Tan Leizi was untying the hemp rope with one hand, and he could not untie the rope while the surrounding people were crying and shouting loudly.
Distraught, I turned around and saw that there were many old and weak people around me. There was only one young man. His inner clothes had also been taken off. He found a woman's skirt somewhere and put it on. He cried very loudly.
Tan Laizi kicked him over, and the man looked up with tears in his eyes.
"I'm crying. Come and help me untie the rope."
The man pulled up his skirt, then reached out obediently and untied the rope while crying.
Tan Laizi was so anxious that he felt that the woman was looking at him. He suddenly put away the mournful look on his face and coughed dryly and said, "Daughter-in-law, what is your last name... Sun, wife-in-law, please remember this later. I know how to swim, husband, so don't follow me."
If you go to a crowded place, the bandits will definitely be guarding the shore and will follow your husband."
The woman's lifeless eyes regained some vitality. She looked at Tan Lezi and asked, "Where are we going?"
Tan Leizi turned over and whispered, "Mr., I have hidden the boat, not far from here."
After hearing this, the woman nodded seriously and looked at Tan Lezi with some changes in her eyes.
The man trembled and untied Tan Leizi's rope. Because he was so close, he also heard Tan Lezi's whisper, so he couldn't help but grab Tan Leizi's trouser legs, "My dear friend, can you take me with you!"
"You go aside."
Tan Leizi kicked him away, but the man refused to let him go. He insisted on pulling Tan Leizi's clothes, for fear that he would run away.
The sound of horns came from outside, and by this time the crowd had reached the riverside. The bandits around them were shouting, and the horseshoes behind them seemed to be driving away the people behind.
The people started to commotion, and panicked screams came from behind, and the crowd crowded forward.
The three of them walked forward involuntarily, and the crowd became more and more crowded. Tan Laizi was not tall, and he could only see the backbones of others. He held the woman's hand tightly, and did not notice that the other hand was covered by that.
The man held on desperately.
Thousands of people cried loudly at the same time, and the sound resounded throughout the world, but no one resisted or ran away. They just walked slowly towards the river. Tan Laizi held his grandson's wife's hand and was pushed by the crowd, step by step.
As I walked forward, my feet were suddenly freezing cold, and the river gradually covered my feet.
...Note 1: Lu Kezao's "The Story of the Lost City of Hezhou in Yihai, Chongzhen": "On the 29th, those who fled the city and the people inside and outside the city were driven into the river by thieves. The thieves boasted that Fufeng had killed the most people in the past few years. Today, Hezhou is
Especially fast."
According to Lu Kezao's records, after this battle, Hezhou's men saved one out of every ten men and every woman out of twenty. All the houses were burned down, except for the nunnery and temple.