Ruan Dacheng stroked the thick beard on his chin and stood calmly in the hall. Yang Fangqian was slightly startled, not because he had never heard of him, but because this person was so famous.
Ruan Dacheng was a native of Tongcheng. He was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli Dynasty. He first entered Donglin and became a pioneer general of the Donglin Party. Later, because Donglin gave the position promised to him to Wei Dazhong, he became angry and defected to Wei Zhongxian and became an eunuch.
.But when the eunuch party also swayed from side to side, and finally became a stranger inside and outside, it can be regarded as a good example of a hand full of good cards turned into bad ones.
Although Ruan Dacheng does not hold an official position now, he does have the status of a Jinshi. In his early years, he was a censor of science and education in the capital. He was involved in the highest-level political battles of the Ming Empire. The connections he accumulated in the officialdom were not those of Yang Fangqian.
The county magistrate can compare.
Yang Fangfian did not dare to show off her official authority and did not want to get involved with this person, so she had to say to Ruan Dacheng, "It turns out to be Mr. Ruan. No wonder you are so eager for justice and justice. Please sit down."
"It is our duty to protect our country." Ruan Dacheng bowed slightly and bowed before slowly sitting down.
Seeing that Ruan Dacheng still wanted to speak, Yang Fangfian didn't want to tangle with this person, so he quickly spoke first: "I am ashamed to be the magistrate of Tongcheng County, and I really don't want Tongcheng to be invaded by both bandits and soldiers. Those local bandits are also
The people of Tongcheng, what I want to do is whether you can caress or care. Don't talk about war easily. I don't know if Mr. Fang agrees."
Fang Kongzheng seemed to have woken up at this time. He turned his eyes from the floor to Yang Fangqian and said, "Master Yang has a kind heart and what he said is reasonable, but I have a point here. Since ancient times, this kind of civil unrest cannot be ignored alone.
Words to suppress should not be used only to appease. Merely killing will add to the crime of killing. Repaying grievances between officials and bandits will take a long time, which will inevitably lead to local erosion;
He also has a face. Those who succeeded in quelling chaos in ancient and modern times must combine hardness and softness. Only by suppressing and pacifying can they achieve full success. Do you think this is true?"
Before Yang Fangqian could answer, the scholar who had previously objected heard this and interrupted: "Master Fang, what you said is inappropriate. We are all from Tongcheng. We are neighbors in the local area. It is rare to say that there are some stubborn people among us."
Since there are few people, there is no need to resort to words and killings. Seeing that since the chaos started, not every family in Tongcheng has been in trouble. The leader is still a bit cautious. At least they have not gone to Mr. Fang's house. And once
We have brought soldiers and horses from Chizhou, and they are all guest soldiers. Maybe they know the Zuo family of the He family, but the Fang family may not know it either, let alone the rest. When the time comes, they will knock on the door with their swords, which is really a scholar meeting soldiers."
A big man with a beard behind Fang Kongzhen said coldly, "There is something in Liu Xiucai's words, so you might as well say it directly."
Liu Xiucai tilted his head and said, "Wansheng is just telling the truth."
The bearded man stood up angrily. Fang Kongzhen turned around slightly and waved his hand to the man, then stared at Liu Xiucai and said, "Fang said that we should suppress and appease together, but he did not say that he would invite troops to Tong. Liu Xiucai had not finished listening.
Misinterpreting Fang’s intention and making some accusations, isn’t there something fishy about it if the thief doesn’t come to Fang’s house?”
"Wan Sheng didn't dare, but I saw with my own eyes that the thief passed by the door of Fengyili to perform incense, and he never disturbed the Fang Mansion. Remembering that Mr. Fang always admired Wang Guohua and was kind to him, everyone in Tongcheng knew this.
If you know it, you can't help others not to think otherwise."
Everyone in the hall was speechless. Every family suffered in this civil uprising. The only ones who were unscathed were the He family and the Fang family. He Ruchong was a senior official in the pavilion. No one dared to compare with him. Although Fang Kongzhen was a Beijing official.
, but after all, he has not recovered yet, so everyone can still compare, and there is indeed some imbalance in his heart. In the past, everyone was embarrassed to say it out of shame, but now Liu Xiucai spoke up, and everyone was happy to see it.
Fang Kongzheng became the target of public criticism, but he did not panic. He glanced around the hall calmly, and then said in a calm tone, "It turns out that Liu Xiucai saw it with his own eyes. Fang had a doubt. Once upon a time, a scholar-bureaucrat in Tongcheng served in the court. The crowns and covers look at each other. Within the four seals, the land is fertile and the people are prosperous. The family respects etiquette and people practice poetry and calligraphy. The customs are mellow. The gentry are all role models for the common people. It is called a country of etiquette. I wonder if Liu Xiucai has seen it with his own eyes? What happened at that time? Some people are causing chaos, but has anyone ever killed anyone and left a corpse hanging? Has anyone ever passed by offering incense in front of the gate of Fengyili?"
His voice was not loud, but it was strong enough that everyone could hear it clearly. The hall was quiet, and all the gentry were silent. Pang Yu felt that this man's momentum was stronger than that of a room full of people.
Fang Kongzheng did not wait for Liu Xiucai's answer, but continued, "Times have changed. Before the chaos in Tongcheng, the Shilu family rarely practiced etiquette. The children and servants relied on their power to dominate others, and slaves roamed the streets. They were heavily in debt. He complained about the common people, and even killed people in the street, which caused the people's resentment to boil. Did Liu Xiucai see it with his own eyes? Could it be that all of the above were caused by my admiration for a martial artist? "
Liu Xiucai was speechless for a moment, and Pang Yu secretly applauded Fang Kongzhen. Liu Xiucai insinuated that Fang Kongzhen connived with Wang Guohua and caused the civil uprising. Although Fang Kongzhen's counterattack did not mention Liu Xiucai's name, he was clearly talking about Liu Xiucai. What the gentry did was what triggered the popular uprising.
Fang Kongzheng cleared his throat and was about to pursue the victory when the next scholar suddenly stood up and said loudly, "It's exactly what Mr. Fang said. Invading and fishing for ordinary people will cause accumulation of resentment among the people. If you mess up, you will panic and collapse thousands of miles away. We and other scholars The country gentleman has been favored by the country for a long time, but when he encounters these clowns, he is dejected and sweeps the floor. There are not many people who are determined to fight against thieves. They only open the door to buy flags, gold and silver to win over the thieves, and they are patronizing to protect themselves. I don’t know what this is?"
There was an uproar in the hall, and everyone stood up from their seats. Liu Xiucai grabbed the scholar and cursed, "Jiang Zhihuai, who are you? Who said you were dejected and polite? If you don't explain clearly today, you will never leave this county government office." .”
The other gentry nearby were already taking advantage of the chaos to take action. They were outnumbered in the face of the chaos, but in the lobby, they were not afraid of Jiang Zhihuai at all.
The lobby was like a vegetable market. Fang and Kongzheng sat firmly in their seats without helping each other. The children of the Fang family behind them all stood up but did not leave their original positions.
Seeing that something was not going well, Yang Fangqian quickly called the people from the county government to come forward. Pang Yu had no choice but to enter the inner circle, follow the county magistrate and pull away the angry gentry, and finally rescued Jiang Zhihuai.
Jiang Zhihuai's hair was disheveled and he was yelling and yelling in disobedience. Yang Fangqian had no choice but to send someone to send Jiang Zhihuai to the back hall to rest so that the meeting could continue.
Now that those who advocated recruitment had an absolute advantage, Yang Fangqian successfully reached a resolution and asked the gentry to write a petition to Wang Gongbi, firmly refusing the Chizhou soldiers to come to Tongcheng.
A meeting broke up unhappy, and all the gentry left one after another. Fang Kongzheng deliberately stayed behind. Ruan Dacheng wanted to stay, but Fang Kongzhen said, "Brother Ruan Shi, please go first."
Ruan Dacheng had no choice but to leave, and only Fang Kongzhen and the children of the Fang family were left in the hall.
Fang Kongzhen said politely to Yang Fangqian, "Fang wants to have some words with you two adults in private."
Yang Fangqian nodded, looked at Pang Yu and the other Zaoli and said, "You guys, please step aside first."
Fang Kongzheng also said to Mr. Yu and other secret friends, "Gentlemen, please step aside for a moment."
Mr. Yu had no choice but to go down to the lobby with Pang Yu. Several people from the Fang family were scattered down the hall, keeping the friends and Zaoli far away.
Pang Yu asked Mr. Yu, "This Master Fang is also strange. He wants to hide it from other people."
"He is in the center contacting the thoughtful gentry in Tongcheng. They have raised a lot of money and are recruiting people to quell the rebellion."
Pang Yu's heart trembled, "What man can beat those many rioters?"
"That rural official is very tight-lipped and never reveals anything. No one knows exactly what happened."
Pang Yu carefully observed the people brought by the Fang family, and saw that they were all dressed up as literati, but their body movements were not weak.
Then he asked Mr. Yu in a low voice, "Are all the people he brought here invited?"
Mr. Yu shook his head and said, "No matter who is invited, they are all children of the Fang family. The man on the left is his son-in-law Sun Lin, the bearded man in the middle is his younger brother Fang Zhongjia, who is said to be the boss of Diggang, and on the right is his eldest son."
"But Liu Xiucai said that the rioters did not harass the Fang family. Why did Fang Xiangguan be so determined to quell the chaos?"
Mr. Yu turned his head and said in a low voice, "Do you know why the rebels dare not go to the door of the Fangxiang official? Firstly, the children of the Fang family are strong, and secondly, Wang Guohua has an old relationship with Fangxiang official. Fangxiang official usually appreciates his boxing, bravery and strategy, and the Yamen
Wang Guohua was once arrested and released because of the Fangxiang official scandal. Now Wang Guohua has caused a huge disaster. Once the court investigates him in the future, it will inevitably involve Fangxiang official. Therefore, Fangxiang official's first priority is to protect himself in order to put down the chaos at this time.
"
Pang Yu suddenly understood and silently remembered it in his heart. At this time, Fang Kongzheng and others had finished talking, and they walked down the hall together.
When they arrived in front of Yimen, Yang Fangqian said to the county magistrate, "I will be accompanying Mr. Pi in the near future and will also patrol the streets and alleys of the city wall. Mr. Zhou will contact Mr. Fang more often."
Fang Kongzheng said to the county magistrate, "This matter is of great importance. Fang exchanges opinions with the two adults every day."
The county magistrate also knew that Fang Kongzhen was a Jinshi and a capital official, so he dared not show any airs. He said respectfully: "If you have any news about me, I will definitely tell Mr. Fang. I am afraid that there will be an emergency. If Mr. Fang is not here,
, Who can I tell you?"
Fang Kongzhen hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the Fang family disciples behind him, "You can tell Quanzi."
Behind him, a young man wearing a white short coat stood up vigorously and said to the county magistrate, "Acolyte Fang Yizhi has met Mr. Zhou."
"Fang Yizhi? I seem to have heard this name before." Pang Yu looked at the young man and scratched his head, trying to get the name out of his head, but he just couldn't remember where he had heard it.
…
Late at night, the long alleyway in Fengyi could hear the sound of banging bangs. Even in the most chaotic days in Tongcheng, Fengyi had always been in order, never buying a fire-free flag, and Huang Wending and his gang did not come to Fengyi.
There is chaos in the ceremony.
This is all because of the presence of the Fang family in Fengyi, and the children of the Fang family are martial arts enthusiasts. They not only practice fists, feet, swords, and even riding skills, which is far beyond the comparison of ordinary aristocratic families.
The clear sound of banging came into the Fang family's study room, and the lights in the room were slightly dim. A maid held a pair of scissors and cut off the blackened wick in front with a click, then gently fiddled with the wick, and the lights became bright again.
Fang Kongzhen waved his hand, and the maid said a blessing and left, leaving only Fang Zhongjia, the tall man with beard, sitting opposite the desk. This man was Fang Kongzhen's younger brother.
The commander-in-chief of Diggang rushed back to Tongcheng from Diggang after the chaos broke out. (Note 1)
Fang Zhongjia waited for the maid to close the door and said in a low voice, "Brother, the few servants I brought back have all fought with the salt sellers. With the help of the healthy servants at home, it is not a problem to protect Fengyili, but if we fight out
To attack and kill, it will take a few days until all the people are available, so that we can ensure that the leader of the bandit does not escape."
Fang Kongzheng's eyes turned, "Then we can only ask Magistrate Yang and the others to continue to appease us, and it will drag on for a few more days. You and I are too conspicuous in the city, so you ask Sun Yi and Jiang Zhihuai to come to the house tomorrow, and they will run around to contact people.
"
"I remember it, but there will be dozens of people gathered by then, and the news will inevitably leak in the mansion."
Fang Kongzheng nodded and said, "Then we'll stay at Mi's usual study place."
Fang Zhongjia lowered his voice and said, "Brother, that person has already struck up a conversation. Should you go to meet him in person, brother, or should I go to the younger brother?"
Fang Kongzheng squinted his eyes and stared at the dancing fireworks on the wick for a moment before saying, "It's still inconvenient for me to go. You take Sun Lintong with you. You two can persuade him together and make sure he understands the stakes. This civil uprising must be over."
It will shock Nanzhi, and it will definitely alarm the emperor. No one can stop him and ask for help. He will have to perform meritorious service and redeem himself. The only way to survive is to make it clear."
"I understand, if he is willing to respond internally, half the battle will be to quell the chaos." Fang Zhongjia paused and said solemnly, "Someone told me that Ruan Dacheng left for Anqing, and he should be supporting Wang Gongbi to open the bank."
Fang Kongzheng waved his hand and said, "Don't stop him. He is full of utilitarianism and wants to use this civil turmoil to gain help, or even gain a reputation as a knowledgeable soldier, so that he can get favored by the emperor again. It's just some wishful thinking."
"But what if Chizhou soldiers cross the river and scare away the thieves..."
"There is no need to worry. We have reached an agreement with Yang Zhixian. The Tongcheng gentry unanimously refused to call for troops. The detailed application sent by Yang Zhixian and Pi Zhifu to Wang Gongbi clearly stated that the rebellious people had been pacified, and Wang Gongbi would not dare to trespass even if he crossed the river.
Tongcheng, otherwise if anything happens, the rebellious people will be provoked by him and rebel again, and he will not dare to take the trouble. You just have to prepare your manpower to quell the chaos."
…
Outside the Wengcheng Gate of the north gate of Anqing Mansion, Prince Bi of the Anchi Bingbei Road squinted his eyes and observed the marching troops not far away.
The soldiers passing by outside the city were none other than Chizhou soldiers. The team had just crossed the river from Chizhou and arrived in Anqing. The comrades who stayed behind in Anqing felt like they were facing a powerful enemy and closed all the city gates. They regarded the Chizhou soldiers as rebels.
Although Wang Gongbi prepared his troops, he had no choice but to let the Chizhou soldiers go around the city and camp outside the north gate. After half a circle around the city, the Chizhou soldiers harassed the stalls outside Anqing City to a pulp.
The dog jumps.
Half of the soldiers in the army were wearing tattered civilian clothes, and they had a sword or spear in their hands. Some were carrying it, some were shouldering it, and some were standing high. From a distance, the formation looked chaotic like a mob.
.
Wang Gongbi knew that those were beggars and refugees who had been captured to make up for their income, so he turned to a military attache beside him and asked, "Pan Guerrilla, have you paid back the spies you sent to Tongcheng?"
"Sir, the spies I sent came back and said that Huang Wending and a group of rebels claimed to have been pacified, but they still formed a stronghold at Wuyin Temple in the south gate and made weapons and armor in the city walls. This was not at all what the Tongcheng magistrate said they were pacifying.
"
Wang Gongbi sneered and said, "Just caressing, but the chaos is still there. Yang Fangzhaipi should use "just caressing" to stop me. If the chaos breaks out again in the future, the court will still accuse us. How can I allow them to deal with it perfunctoryly?
.”
"Your Majesty, it is clear to me that the Tongcheng Shepherd said that he had surrendered, but he only asked you to be wary of rats. If your Majesty insists on marching, in case of chaos and trouble, the Tongcheng gentry will hand over the impeachment in the future. All consequences will be caused by your trespassing. If your Majesty
If we don't march, in case a small rebellion turns into a big one, and the imperial censor wants to impeach me, please wait and see to support the bandits."
Wang Gongbi sneered and said, "Governor Yingtian Zhang Dutang has been stationed in Jurong. He inquires about the progress of quelling the chaos in Tongcheng every day. The officials and gentry of Tongcheng refuse to send troops into Tongcheng. Pi Yingju and Yang Fangqian have put themselves in a dilemma."
realm."
Pan Youyi frowned and whispered, "My spies also said that Tongcheng rebels went through the city to perform incense, and earned no less than 70,000 taels of silver from selling the Emperor's Free Fire Flag, as well as the proceeds from looting several large households... My subordinates want to
It may be able to supplement the salary arrears in the camp."
After Pan Youyi finished speaking, he peeked over to see Wang Gongbi, only to see Wang Gongbi's eyes flashing slightly. After a moment, he said calmly, "I will not go as they want. I want to enter Tongcheng, but I will not enter Tongcheng.
Leave them speechless."
Note 1: It is recorded in "Old Biography of Tongcheng Senior Citizens" that Fang Zhongjia (Kong Zheng's younger brother) was a member of the martial arts department and served as the commander-in-chief of Digang. During the Tongcheng civil uprising, he rushed back alone to participate in quelling the rebellion. There are other records saying that Fang Kong Zhen was the only son. Please refer to it here.