Returning to Laizhou after three months, Sun Yuanhua suddenly discovered that this city had become somewhat unfamiliar.
Laizhou is no longer as majestic as it once was, and there are ruins everywhere. Thick smoke is always emitting from nowhere, and the whole city is suffocating.
In addition to the unfamiliar city, the people in the city are also even stranger.
Countless eyes looked down, and when they looked at Sun Yuanhua, they were all filled with anger and hatred.
Many people walked by carrying dead bodies, and if there were no officers and soldiers stopping them, they would all rush in front of him.
It was as if the enemy outside the city was not the enemy, but him in front of him.
"Zhongcheng, I'm afraid I will die if you are the one."
Liaohai Supervisor Wang Zheng felt the atmosphere of being surrounded by enemies on all sides and felt desolate.
He was recommended by Sun Yuanhua and served as the Liaohai Supervisor. Now, naturally, he and Sun Yuanhua are like a grasshopper on a rope.
Sun Yuanhua's mind was in chaos and he had lost his ability to think.
When he left Dengzhou, he still had some confidence and felt that he could persuade the civil and military forces of Laizhou to recruit the Dongjiang Town rebels.
But when he arrived in Laizhou and saw the miserable situation here, his confidence was shaken.
Under the blood feud, who, be it civil or military officials or ordinary people in Laizhou, could accept the surrender of Dongjiang Town?
Sun Yuanhua didn't know that in the current situation, he was the only one who was thinking about appeasing.
Just as he stepped into Laizhou City, shouts of killing suddenly came from the rebel flank in the distance.
Sun Yuanhua looked in shock, but couldn't see what was happening.
Only the rebel soldiers were seen running towards the distance in chaos, as if something had happened.
At this moment, Xu Congzhi, Xie Lian, Zhu Wannian, Yang Yufan and others rushed in hand in hand. Like the soldiers and people in Dengzhou, they did not have a good look when facing Sun Yuanhua.
Zhu Wannian roared like thunder.
"Sun Zhongcheng, look at the good things you have done? How many people died tragically because of you!"
Sun Yuanhua was filled with bitterness, but he had to stay calm and try to explain.
"Everyone, there must be a misunderstanding..."
Yang Yufan interrupted directly and hummed: "What other misunderstandings are there? Rebels kill without mercy and cause endless trouble. To this day, the only option is to fight the rebels to the death."
Sun Yuanhua was in great distress.
"How can you, gentlemen, ignore the overall situation?"
Xu Congzhi looked at the haggard Sun Yuanhua, and pity flashed through his heart.
"Sun Zhongcheng, the matter has come to an end and there is no need to say more. You don't know yet, but at this very moment, Wang Xunjian has sent troops to sneak attack on the rebel camp. Don't mention the recruitment proposal again."
Sun Yuanhua was stunned and took several steps back.
He thought of everything, and even ignored the infamy behind him. He just didn't expect that Laizhou civil and military forces were so strong that they would take the initiative and break the peace between both parties.
After Wang Daochun did this, the rebels no longer had the possibility of being recruited.
Yes, Wang Daochun did another puzzling thing.
When Sun Yuanhua arrived in Laizhou City, he sent troops to attack the rebels without permission, causing the situation to escalate.
When Sun Yuanhua was still in Dengzhou, he showed his great righteousness to Kong Youde and others several times, demonstrated his power, and persuaded Kong Youde and others to surrender.
This was the content of his letter to Yu Dacheng at that time.
The court also agreed with his efforts.
But unfortunately, this matter was not successful in the end.
what is the reason?
Inspector Wang Daochun hid the imperial edict...
For two consecutive times, Sun Yuanhua's recruitment efforts were sabotaged by Wang Daochun.
Putting aside whether Kong Youde and others will change their minds, it is not surprising that the Wuqiao mutiny became so serious since we have such an expert in causing trouble.
Wang Daochun did so many tricks throughout the whole process, why was he able to be fine in the end?
In fact, this starts with the Ming Dynasty's attitude towards rebellion.
As we all know, the Ming Dynasty has been very tough on rebellions since the founding of the country. They never made peace or appeasement, and they must be completely suppressed.
If the suppression is successful, Xuanzong will destroy King Han, and Wuzong will destroy King Ning.
If the suppression fails, then it is better to be in pieces than in ruins, like Zhu Yunwen.
Because Wang Daochun's approach was actually based on the context of Chongzhen.
Another thing, to be fair, the Wuqiao Mutiny really cannot be compromised.
the reason is simple.
Kong Youde, Li Jiucheng, Geng Zhongming and others were not ordinary people who could not survive, but generals who led the army.
If this kind of people's rebellion is not completely suppressed, but they are appeased by good food and drink, what will the other leading generals think?
Isn't this the beginning of the birth of warlords?
Therefore, to deal with the Dongjiang Town rebels, complete suppression is the only option.
Sun Yuanhua couldn't see this clearly, so he sent himself to death.
Because Wang Daochun was good at making opinions, Sun Yuanhua's plan to run back to Laizhou and advocate for appeasement failed.
He had no room for maneuver.
Xie Lian said with a cold face: "Brother Sun, His Majesty has an order, ordering you to return to Beijing as soon as possible and not to stay."
Xu Congzhi was even more rude.
"Come here and arrange for them to get on their way."
A group of soldiers rushed over and surrounded Sun Yuanhua, Wang Zheng, and Zhang Tao with eager eyes. Obviously, if they did anything unknown, these soldiers would probably immediately use their swords.
Seeing this scene, the three of them all felt their eyes darken, knowing that they could no longer make sense.
Xu Congzhi and Xie Lian arranged for a group of soldiers and prepared carriages. Without stopping, they sent Sun Yuanhua and the others out of the city and went straight to the capital.
Seeing Laizhou City getting further and further away, Sun Yuanhua felt much calmer.
"Liangfu, it was Brother Yu who harmed you."
Wang Zheng smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"If we weren't promoted by Zhongcheng, how would the lower officials have a chance to show their ambitions? It's only God's fault that we are in this disaster."
The two people sighed together, and Zhang Tao next to them was about to cry but had no tears.
If he had known this, he would have simply surrendered to the rebels in Dengzhou City. He might as well have been a minor official, but it would have been better than being taken to the capital now, where his life or death was uncertain.
The group of people left Laizhou City and meandered westward. Because the battlefield was behind them, the road was a little desolate but not disturbed.
On this day, I walked near the Mi River.
Because Qingzhou Prefecture was the most poisoned by the White Lotus Sect, both sides of the official road were completely deserted. Looking at it, except for the overgrown weeds, it looked like ghosts.
In the quiet world, they were the only ones walking slowly, which was actually more leisurely than sightseeing.
Suddenly, a whistling sound broke through the air.
The soldiers surrounding the carriage did not react at all, and fell under the rain of arrows.
The leader, Xiao Qi, was about to open his mouth to warn, when he suddenly saw a very short crossbow arrow heading straight for his throat from the corner of his eye.
As he fell, his last thought was: "The enemy is so close."
All the soldiers of a small banner were wiped out, and only a few breaths were taken in total. Then the world returned to peace, except for the strong smell of blood.
The three people in the carriage, Sun Yuanhua, felt something strange. They opened the curtain and came out. They were stunned when they saw the situation.
Did they encounter robbers?
Just as they were stunned, there was a sudden rustling sound in the grass less than ten paces around the carriage.
Then they saw dozens of "straw men" rising from the ground, all holding powerful crossbows, slowly stepping forward and beginning to check the condition of the soldiers.
Sun Yuanhua and the others rubbed their eyes again and again, unable to believe what they had just seen. It was even more unimaginable that someone in the world could make such a perfect disguise.
The straw men paid no attention to the three of them. After the inspection, one of them whistled.
After a while, the sound of hooves came from the corner of the dirt road in the distance, and several horses came leisurely.
The first person, even if he is sitting upright on a horse, is as majestic as a mountain.
This man came to Sun Yuanhua with a smile on his face, and his tone was quite affectionate.
"Uncle Sun, congratulations on your escape from the catastrophe."
"Zhong...Zhongheng?"
Sun Yuanhua had no idea that the person who appeared in front of him and killed the official was Zuo Mengeng.
But then he thought about what Zuo Mengeng had done, and he wasn't so surprised anymore.
What he couldn't accept was that Zuo Menggeng killed the official, which made him even more unable to live with himself.
"Zhongheng, what have you done to me like this?"
Zuo Mengeng got off his horse, let his men deal with it, and said seriously: "How can my nephew sit back and watch his uncle bear the blame and die unjustly?"
Sun Yuanhua looked up to the sky and sighed.
"My only wish in life is to repay your kindness and help the world. I will never dare or forget the way of loyalty. Even if I die nine times, I will have no regrets. How can I allow my family to be humiliated and my ambition to be destroyed?"
From the moment he met Sun Yuanhua, Zuo Mengeng knew that he was a person with a very stubborn temper.
To deal with such a person, it is absolutely impossible to use soft tactics.
The only way is to block all his escape routes.
"Although my uncle's actions during the Dongjiang Rebellion were inappropriate, as the governor of Denglai, he had the overall situation in mind, so why was he wrong?"
Sun Yuanhua hummed: "Your Majesty must be able to discern everything clearly."
Zuo Mengeng sneered.
"If that person could really discern everything, Yuan Chonghuan would not have died in vain."
Hearing him mention Yuan Chonghuan and Sun Yuanhua, their expressions changed.
It has to be said that Yuan Chonghuan's experience has now become a thorn in the heart of the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty.
No official wants to repeat Yuan Chonghuan's injustice.
Sun Yuanhua was confused and no longer as firm as before.
When he returns to the capital this time, will he really become Yuan Chonghuan's second best?
He is not afraid of death.
As a scholar-official, he cared more about his posthumous reputation than death.
This is also the reason why he was furious when Zuo Mengeng came to save him.
But if he dies on a dishonorable charge, then what's the point of his persistence?