Those with fragile minds cry, and those with strong minds are struck by lightning.
They never dreamed of it, not only they, but also Zhang Xianzhong, the King of Han, and even Zhou Qing, who personally executed it, couldn't imagine it.
Liu Chengzong went to great lengths to send people across the Yellow River and into Baodezhou to kidnap Chen Qiyu's family members, either to persuade them to surrender or to vent his anger, but to force them into Xi'an Xiongcheng.
Of course, the one who was even more dumbfounded was Chen Qiyu on the city wall.
Since Xi'an Fucheng began to let people out of the city, he has been eating and sleeping on the city gate tower for the past few days, always sending people to keep an eye on the movements of the Marshal's army.
But to be honest, he didn't know what he was expecting or fearing.
Liu Chengzong accepted the people or not, he didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
Liu Chengzong was furious and attacked the city, or accepted it calmly. He didn't know whether to expect or fear.
Most of the officials and generals in Xi'an are like him.
In short, he was already exhausted from the siege.
But he really didn't expect that Liu Chengzong would escort people out of the camp.
So as soon as I heard the news, I quickly went to the city and took a look through the telescope. It was strange!
Although the people leaving the camp were too far away to see clearly, Chen Qiyu felt that those figures were very familiar, but he just couldn't recall them.
On the one hand, as the most noble descendant of the Chen family, he has been serving as an official between Xi'an Prefecture and Yansui in Shaanxi Province since the Shaanxi Uprising, and he has not returned home for many years.
On the other hand, he could not think of that direction at all. He only thought that it was to surrender to Liu Chengzong's fellow officials.
But there seem to be women and children. Whose family did Liu Chengzong bring here?
I don’t know, let’s take a look.
As the large group of people got closer and closer to the trench, Chen Qiyu suddenly stopped at the top of the city as if he had been struck by lightning.
Good guy!
Isn't that my brother?
If he is not in his hometown, why did he come to Shaanxi?
Oops, there are also mother and Aunt Bai, fourth uncle and Chen Qiying. Is that little guy Chen Qizhang? He hasn’t grown into an adult in a few years.
Nine years.
Since the sixth year of Tianqi, when he served as the deputy envoy of Guannei Road in Shaanxi, he has only returned to his hometown twice.
The first time was when he took office in Henan Province and participated in politics in the first year of Chongzhen. He thought that Guo's scoundrel son was not worthy of his younger sister, so he returned home and broke off the engagement.
Then in the second year of Chongzhen's reign, the younger sister committed suicide and went home to attend the funeral. Immediately afterwards, he hurriedly took up the post of inspector of Shaanxi. After that, he never returned to his hometown of Baodian.
I thought whose family was being escorted here by Liu Chengzong, but it turned out to be my family!
Chen Qiyu stood stunned on the spot, blood rushed to his head, he was furious, and his eyes immediately turned red.
He never expected that Liu Chengzong would bring his family over.
Because Chen Qiyu is not a traditional official like Duan Fuxing who believes that one person can achieve enlightenment and chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
He has been at odds with his family.
To be precise, he has been deliberately curbing the development of his family.
Relatives and relatives at home wrote to him, hoping to become an official by his side, but he rejected them all.
As a senior official from other provinces who had been deeply involved in Shaanxi for many years during the Chongzhen period, Chen Qiyu was deeply disturbed when he saw Wu Zhiwang and other high-ranking officials and dignitaries lining up to die.
At the same time, because of his sister Chen Jing's suicide, he also felt guilty towards his family and did not want to see anyone die unexpectedly because of power, wealth and other external things.
Therefore, after gaining power, he suggested to his brothers that those without any fame should take the exam to become a scholar, while those with a reputation as a scholar should settle down to study and stop pursuing the background of being a scholar.
Anyway, the Chen family is from a scholarly family in Baodezhou, a local wealthy family, and has great financial resources.
In the sixth year of the Apocalypse alone, Baode suffered a disaster. Chen Qiyu, who had just assumed the post of deputy envoy of the Shaanxi Guannai Road, took out 3,000 taels of silver from his family to provide disaster relief, and paid the rent and taxes for that year on behalf of his hometown.
Even if no one becomes an official, it will not affect our lives.
After all, the world is already in chaos, and there is no benefit in getting an honor and becoming an official at this time.
It is better to stay in my hometown and study. Anyway, I am already in Shaanxi and I have done well. When the disaster subsides, it will not be too late for you to become an official.
If things are not done well, even if I die, it will be regarded as Baode Chen's loyalty to the court.
It is precisely because of this that all the brothers in his family have the reputation of being a scholar or a Gongsheng student, and they don't even have the title of scholar.
Chen Qiyu simply does not believe in chickens and dogs ascending to heaven.
He knew how dangerous this road was, and he did not give his brothers, nephews, and nephews the chance to ascend to heaven with him.
Faced with such an environment, it is normal for the chickens and dogs to be restless, not to mention that the whole family will go to the west together if they are not careful.
Protecting his family was once the most correct decision Chen Qiyu had made in a long time.
But he hid in this way and blocked him in that way, and Liu Chengzong still sent his family members to Xi'an Fucheng.
Chen Qiyu's sky is about to fall.
The officials in the city looked at each other, and the soldiers guarding the city whispered. People didn't know why the marshal's army was driving those innocent people away. They could only see those people walking through the ditch outside the city, getting closer and closer to the moat.
Only Chen Qiyu knew what happened.
His eyes almost burst out with fire as he stared at the city, his whole body uncontrollably trembling slightly.
Chen Qiyu was so angry that he wanted to bite his teeth into pieces, and his heart was in chaos.
There was only one question in his mind: Is Liu Chengzong crazy?
This makes no sense!
If you put your family members and relatives under the city to persuade them to surrender, the real relatives under the city would rather die than to persuade them to surrender, and the people on the city would rather have their relatives die than surrender!
Times have changed, sir.
This is not the end of the Han Dynasty, and I, Chen Qiyu, am not a local lord like Zhou Mu, nor am I a frontline military officer during the Three Kingdoms period. Even in this era, I am not a prefect or county magistrate with direct authority over the local area.
Moral kidnapping doesn't work. If you kidnap me with the morality of my family outside the city, the officials behind me in the city will kidnap me with the morality of loyalty.
In our day and age, the only way to persuade someone to surrender is in private and secretly opening the city gates.
But haven't the damn Xi'an city gates been opened for you a long time ago? You bastard didn't even go in!
Now you bring my family members to the city. What are you doing?
At this moment, a general led two men, held up two flags, galloped across the boarded ditch, and galloped towards the city.
There are two yellow flags. On the left is a dragon pattern on a yellow background, and on the right is a yellow background with black characters. The words are clear: Zongren camp.
After he crossed the ditch and got closer, people discovered that the hustle of the general was not a war horse, but a big black donkey with a tall and strong head.
This man ran all the way to the other side of the moat suspension bridge without carrying any weapons. He raised his hand and pointed at the city and shouted at the top of his lungs: "I am General Jin Chanzi Zhu Danyu, the counselor of the clan camp of the Grand Marshal's Mansion. Is Chen Junmen on the city?"
To be honest, when the defenders on the city saw a general rushing towards him, many thought that the opportunity to perform a meritorious service had arrived, and the musketeers even lit the match.
But upon hearing this self-introduction, they all crushed the matches on the city wall with unlucky expressions.
The sect's camp is run by the immortal Jin Chanzi. This bastard has been reincarnated several times. Why bother with him?
To be honest, the soldiers are not afraid of the clan camp. After all, these people are different from the King of Han. They have no title and are just common people. They have joined the rebels and rebelled. What's more, they are also famous thieves. Killing them is meritorious.
I just might be sued by the clan, but if the sky were to fall and a tall man could hold it up, it wouldn't be a problem.
Wealth can be found in danger.
But Jin Chanzi is different.
This bandit was killed so many times by the army and reincarnated so many times that the imperial court and Shaanxi Province no longer recognized him as a famous thief.
If you kill the golden cicada, you will not get the reward.
Of course, Zhu Danyu, the second-generation Jin Chanzi under the city, didn't know about this. He only thought that the name Jin Chanzi was majestic. When others heard that it was him, they all put down their weapons.
Chen Qiyu who was on the city was about to answer, but was stopped by Wang Qionian, the political and academic officer beside him. Then he saw him walking to the battlements and said: "The military gate is not here. If you have anything to say, just tell me!"
"It's okay if I'm not here, haha!"
Zhu Danyu reined in the black donkey and spun it around across the suspension bridge, and then shouted to the city: "Chen Jun was kind-hearted and sent out the poor people in the city. My general is very grateful and sent a general on a special trip.
The family members have brought it from Shanxi and brought it to the city, asking you to reunite and open the city gate and put up the suspension bridge!"
After Jin Chanzi said that, he patted the donkey and returned to the camp.
Wang Qiaonian and other officials in the city looked at each other in confusion and did not realize what was going on for a while.
Even Chen Qiyu didn't even think about it. He originally thought that all the family members would die under the city, but when he suddenly heard that they were going to be released into the city, he was overjoyed for a moment.
During Liu Chengzong's siege, Wu Bian, the official in the city, was well trained.
At this moment, no one suspected that he took the opportunity to attack the city when he opened the city gate.
I don't even think about it.
Then everyone on the city saw groups of people, old and young, from the siege camp, being driven down the city by the soldiers.
At this moment, Wang Qiaonian was still wondering why Chen Junmen's family members were looking at... so unhappy. They didn't seem to be happy to come here, and they were even crying.
Chen Qiyu had already reacted. He gritted his teeth and stared at the siege camp outside the city. He wanted to curse a few words, but he couldn't.
He almost vomited blood from holding it back.
Damn, Liu Chengzong is so cruel!
What is the situation in Xi'an Fucheng now? If we put my family members into the city, doesn't this mean that my whole family will be buried here?
In fact, he thought wrong.
Because soon, Jin Chanzi came back on his donkey and shouted to the city: "Please tell Chen Junmen that these are sixty-four close relatives of his family. They should be sent into the city first."
"There are still seven out of four hundred tribesmen who have not been out of the fifth uniform. They are on their way here. Please don't worry, Junmen. The commander-in-chief has said that for the old man who has weak legs and feet, we will carry him over in a sedan. We will ensure that no one is left behind.
Send it to the city!"
"The Generalissimo also said that our Ming Dynasty rules the world with filial piety. If the princes in the city miss their relatives and have such needs, just send a message and the Generalissimo will do it for you!"
Chen Qiyu felt dizzy and almost lost his balance and fell down - Damn, not the whole family, but the whole clan.
And outside the city.
Liu Chengzong, who was looking at Jin Chanzi's back, put down his telescope, clapped his hands with satisfaction, and said to Zhang Xianzhong and others: "Okay, Lao Chen's family is reunited, and I, the Generalissimo, do one good deed every day."
After saying that, he waved his hand: "Let's go and see where the hungry people are resettled."
Zhang Xianzhong followed suit and followed the Living King of Hell, learning new knowledge every day.
The eight kings were now in awe of Liu Chengzong, and they were also frightened.
Ever since he found out that Liu Chengzong decided to send Chen Qiyu's family to the city, he didn't dare to look at Liu Chengzong.
Really, let alone a leader like Zhang Xianzhong who was born on the tip of a knife, given the current environment in Shaanxi, if ten people were randomly pulled out, not to mention killing people like crazy, at least they would turn a blind eye to matters of life and death.
very common.
But this kind of... Zhang Xianzhong didn't dare to think about what he would think and say if he and Chen Qiyu were to change places.
Zhang Xianzhong felt that there were a lot of things on his mind, but he couldn't say anything, so his breath was stuck in his throat and he couldn't spit it out.
How to say?
Do you think Liu Chengzong is so cruel?
What cannot be said.
There are so many pairs of eyes behind you staring at you, oh, they sent your family to the city, they are so cruel.
What does it matter if we follow your orders and are always in the city?
Zhang Xianzhong thought to himself that if he were in the city, even if he broke his teeth and swallowed it in his stomach, he would still have to pretend that nothing was wrong and write a letter to the outside world.
Thank you Marshal Liu for taking care of our family.
Otherwise, nothing will come out.
So suffocated!
After they had gone a long way, Zhang Xianzhong spat out: "The handsome man is extremely resourceful. If we, Lao Zhang, were to handle this matter, I'm afraid that even if his whole family was chopped into pieces under the city, it wouldn't be as generous as sending him into the city."
"Hehe, Brother Bingzhong is serious. How can he be wise? However, you are misunderstood because of your foolishness and wisdom."
Liu Shizi sighed and shook his head slowly.
In fact, he didn't have any vicious intentions, he was just tired of recruiting people to surrender.
The most tormenting thing in the world is not getting what you want. How does Cao Cao feel when he sees Guan Yu? He just doesn't get what he wants.
But then again, if Guan Yu really abandoned Liu Bei and went to Cao Cao because of Cao Cao's power, he would not be the Guan Yunchang that Cao Cao longed for.
The same thing applies to Liu Chengzong.
Those loyal ministers and good generals whom he looked up to would rather hang themselves on beams, fall to death on the city wall, or die through fire and water than surrender to him.
Chen Qiyu defended the ruined city, ran out of ammunition and food, and was helpless, but unwilling to surrender.
As long as you don't surrender, forget it. Liu Shizi doesn't like to force others to make things difficult for him.
Bringing the family members to the city walls and asking them to persuade Chen Qiyu to surrender would be counterproductive.
Liu Chengzong was tired of such things, why bother? Of course, other people's lives still have to be decided by others.
He respects other people's thoughts and actions.
"Everything has a price, and everyone can do whatever they want, as long as they can afford the price."
"I didn't do anything to them in this city."
Liu Chengzong looked back and glanced at Xi'an Fucheng in the distance: "Everything they did was what they wanted to do. The soldiers went to the city to buy food when they ran out of food. I didn't force the officials to surrender if they wanted to defend the city."
"Chen Qiyu wants to be a loyal minister. Naturally, the loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty cannot be used by me. Let him get what he wants, and I will fulfill his wish."
"I can lose, but I have to be convinced."
Zhang Xianzhong was very puzzled by these words: "Lost, how can the commander lose?"
Liu Chengzong shook his head. It would be difficult for Zhang Xianzhong to understand his thoughts.
He wanted to help Chen Qiyu throw away all excuses and leave Daming with absolutely no restrictions on why he could not surrender.
The city is in his hands, and his family members are by his side. Whether he surrenders to the Marshal's Mansion as a traitor, or dies in Xi'an City as a loyal minister, it all depends on Chen Qiyu's own ideas.