Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 467
In the blink of an eye, it was July and a half.

For the Han people who value the culture of their ancestors, it is impossible to miss the Ghost Festival.

Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as July and a half.

Among the Taoist gods, there are heavenly officials, local officials, and water officials, collectively known as the "three official emperors". They are the representatives of the emperor sent to the world.

"Heavenly officials give blessings for Shangyuan on the fifteenth day of the first month, earth officials forgive sins for Zhongyuan on July [-]th, and water officials relieve evil for October [-]th."

Therefore, the local government is governed by the underworld, and the focus of the inspection is naturally the ghosts.

On the day of the opening of the underworld, all the ghosts will leave the underworld and take the exam. Ghosts with masters go home, and ghosts without masters wander the world, wandering around looking for something to eat, so it is also called Ghost Festival.

Although the city of Beijing is now full of Han people and few, there are not a few people who celebrate the Ghost Festival.

Fireworks are lingering, ashes are flying, and there are countless smells of paper money in the huge capital city.

In the ancestral house, Zu Dashou brought a group of wives and children to pay homage to the ancestors in the small ancestral hall.

His brothers are still in Beijing, only Zu Dale and Zu Dabi are left.

"The ancestors and ancestors bless—"

Zu Dashou knocked his head hard several times, and muttered, although his voice was not loud, it was clearly heard by everyone.

After the incident, the father, son and brothers sat in a group, the number of them exceeded two digits, and they all looked at Zu Dashou in the center.

Zu Dashou, who is in his 60s, is in good spirits at this time, with gray temples, but his eyes are extremely energetic, his gray beard is long and slender, and his tiger is still there.

If one were to say who was the most helpless among the surrendered generals at the end of the Ming Dynasty, only Zu Dashou was the only one.

Although it is said that he has all kinds of bad habits of Liaodong generals, such as corrupting military pay, raising servants, rebellious and unruly soldiers, etc., his loyalty to Daming can be guaranteed.

In the sixth year of Tianqi's Ningyuan victory, he was the main manipulator.

After Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned, he was worried that he would be implicated, so he escaped from the customs and returned to the Ming Dynasty after Chongzhen personally recruited him.

In the fourth year of Chongzhen (1631), he participated in the Battle of Dalinghe, faced with the shortage of food and aid, and then surrendered.He fled to Jinzhou, continued to fight against the Qing army, and refused to surrender.

In the Songjin War in the 14th year of Chongzhen (1641), Hong Chengchou was defeated and surrendered. After Zu Dashou held on for a year, he ran out of ammunition and food.

This is because of helplessness, as a last resort.

The other nephews worked for Manqing, but he was leisurely at home and had no intention of working hard.

Stubborn with stubbornness, full of helplessness.

"Father, the momentum of the court is gone."

At this time, the adopted son Zu Kefa suddenly opened his mouth and looked at Zu Dashou who was at ease.

The two brothers Zu Dabi and Zu Dale also turned their heads to look at this elder brother.

"No more!"

When Zu Dashou heard the words, he just blinked his eyes lightly, gloated a little, and said in a relaxed tone:

"How can there be eternal prosperity in the world?"

"But--"

Zu Kefa raised his head and said helplessly: "Our brothers are all serving in the army. The Eight Banners of Han Dynasty suffered heavy losses, and there are no soldiers under their command. Will we go back to Liaodong in the future?"

"What's wrong with Liaodong?"

Zu Dashou stared: "It has been more than 200 years since our ancestors moved from Nanzhili to Ningyuan before Xuande. Liaodong is a good place."

"no……"

Zu Kefa was helpless.

As an adopted son, he was detained as a hostage in the Qing army's camp during the Battle of Daling River in the fourth year of Chongzhen (1632).

He has the highest official position in the ancestor's family, but because of his early resignation, he has been complained by Zu Dashou to this day.

The third son, Zu Zehong, saw it, and hurriedly said, "Brother didn't mean that, it's just that our ancestral family is based in the Han Eight Banners, and now the army that settled down has been beaten to pieces. Even if we return to Liaodong in the future, I'm afraid it will be sad." It's..."

"Fate, you can't believe it."

Zu Dashou glanced at him, and said to himself: "Since the Wanli period, the Ming court has been defeated again and again, and the Qing army has won again and again, but since the defeat of Luoyang the year before last, the momentum has been hindered..."

"The Manchus are in a corner of Liaodong, a small country with few people, tens of thousands of troops are enough to run across Liaodong, just like the palm of a person, hold it tightly and use it."

"And after entering the customs, the fists become fingers. Not only do you have to guard the provinces, but you also have to fight with troops. If things go well..."

Having said so much, Zu Dashou stopped talking and became silent.

The brothers, nephews and nephews also looked ugly.

"Brother, what about our ancestral home?"

Zu Dabi raised his head and asked seriously.

"Go with the flow!"

Zu Dashou sighed.

"Unfortunately, Wu Sangui is dead."

There was some helplessness in Zu Dale's slightly cloudy eyes: "Otherwise, with his Guan Ning Army as the backing, we wouldn't be so entangled."

"Why did Wu Sangui die?" Zu Hongze and other brothers were also extremely puzzled by the death of this cousin.

Another corner of the inner city.

After offering sacrifices to the ancestors, Fan Yongdou and the other eight imperial merchants gathered together again.

As merchants and domestic servants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they were extremely well informed, and obviously already knew the movements of the Ming army.

On the tenth day of July, when reinforcements and food from the Ming army arrived, they immediately chose to go north, followed the canal, and arrived in Dezhou.

And when it comes to NO.15 in July, I am afraid that it has already arrived in Nanpi, and the gathering in Cangzhou is close at hand.

The distance between Cangzhou and Tianjinwei is only two counties. At that time, let alone threatening Gyeonggi, it will be the turn of the capital to fall.

"The imperial court will never defend Beijing."

Fan Wencheng made the final decision, and said at the beginning: "The outer city of Beijing is tens of miles long. Even if it is full of people, there will be 30 to [-] people. There are not so many people in Beijing."

"Then what to do!" Wang Dengku was also anxious, his face flushed red: "The family's money has also been transported outside the customs, and no one wants the land deed of the house. These losses are nothing."

"The only thing we can't keep is the rice bowl where we settle down and live."

As soon as this remark came out, the other people were also full of bitterness.

The reason why the Eight Great Imperial Merchants rose up was not because they had an advantage in position, they could sell the gold, silver and jewelry looted by the Qing Dynasty into food, and survived the famine period of food shortage.

In addition to the advantages of the Ming people, they bought the guards, found out the military situation, and bought gunpowder, ironware, etc. by the way, and made great contributions to the entry of the Qing Dynasty.

Even for the conquest of Chahar Mongolia, they provided maps and information.

Therefore, these talents have to enter the Ministry of Internal Affairs and obtain business privileges.

Now they have been ranked among the imperial merchants. Once the Manchus withdraw from the customs, the Ming court will definitely not let them go, and the house raids are certain.

And the huge business network that has been built will also be cut off, and there will be no use value. Can these eight imperial merchants keep their interests?
"If you can enter once, you can enter the second time!"

Fan Yongdou said in a deep voice, "Business with Mongolia requires us to do our best."

(End of this chapter)