Daming: Stealing Chen Yuanyuan at the beginning

Chapter 274 I would rather die standing than live on my knees

At the beginning of March, when the news of Zheng Chenggong's submission to the Ming Dynasty spread throughout the country, Zheng Zhilong still knew nothing about it.He became a complete prisoner, under house arrest in a high-walled compound, isolated from the world.

Last winter, a plague broke out in the capital, causing panic.Fortunately, Zheng Zhilong escaped by staying at home.

Naturally, Zheng Zhilong couldn't witness the tragic scene in the city.But from the fragmentary conversations of the guards, he still knew about the outbreak of the plague and that the capital city had become a purgatory on earth.

In the morning of this day, Zheng Zhilong ate a breakfast with clear soup and little water, went outside the hall, and lay in the rattan chair to bask in the sun.

A cold wind blows in the sky, and fine sand and fluffy catkins are flying in the air.The sun was yellow, and the light that shone down was dim.

"This terrible weather!" Zheng Zhilong cursed, feeling very nostalgic for his hometown.

He squinted his eyes, thinking of the Jiangnan water town, the yingfei grass growing, the southern girl with a soft and soft voice, and the Zheng's mansion that spent most of his life saving to build.

"Hey, I still want to retire in Jinjiang, so I don't want to bury my bones in another land..." Zheng Zhilong lamented.

"When you live, you enjoy all the glory and wealth, so what regrets do you have when you die in another land?" Guang Shiheng's voice sounded.

Zheng Zhilong looked up and saw Guang Shiheng standing in the yard holding the imperial decree, with a sarcastic expression on his face.Behind him stood many imperial guards in yellow mandarin jackets with murderous expressions on their faces.

"Zheng Zhilong accepts the order!" Guang Shiheng shouted in a drawl.

Zheng Zhilong knelt down, listening to Guang Shiheng read every word.When he heard the imperial decree saying that Zheng Sen would submit to the Ming Dynasty and that the Manchu Qing court wanted to kill him, there was a buzzing in his head, and he couldn't hear anything anymore.

"Don't accept the edict to thank you?" Guang Shiheng bent down and handed over the edict contemptuously.

Zheng Zhilong raised his head slowly, and said, "I want to see Mr. Fan Wencheng, the Manchu court cannot treat me like this!"

Guang Shiheng said: "Zheng Zhilong, haven't you figured it out yet? At the beginning, the imperial court recruited you because you had a powerful fleet, but now the imperial court has not benefited from you, and your son Zheng Sen is leading the fleet again. The army surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, so what's the use of keeping you? A phoenix with feathers is not as good as a chicken, this is your true portrayal!"

"I want to see Master Fan Wencheng!" Zheng Zhilong still shouted.

Guang Shiheng became impatient, and stared and said: "To tell you the truth, the decision to kill you was made by Master Fan Wencheng who urged the regent to make it. Don't have illusions, no one will save you. Besides, nowadays The plague is raging in the city, Master Fan is so busy that he has no time to see you."

As he spoke, he waved his hand to signal the imperial guards to step forward.The imperial guards surrounded Zheng Zhilong and drew their knives.

Guang Shiheng said again: "Master Fan has treated you well, he asked me to bring a bottle of Hedinghong, you will die immediately after drinking it, it won't be too painful."

Zheng Zhilong got up, with a fierce light in his eyes: "What if I don't drink?"

"If you don't drink it, you'll be hacked to death with knives!" Guang Shiheng pressed on step by step, holding a bottle of Hedinghong, "Did you know that your son surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, and Emperor Chongzhen named him Zhongxiaobo. What a joke, you surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, and your son surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, how can your Zheng family be loyal and filial?"

"I'm fighting with you, you bitch!" Zheng Zhilong suddenly jumped up, kicked a man over, and snatched the knife.

"Kill him, kill him..." Guang Shiheng screamed and hid behind the guards.

Zheng Zhilong, the pirate leader, who has been running for decades, finally saw the ugly face of the tartar, and at the last moment of his life, he burst into blood.

But in the end, two fists are no match for four hands. After killing two people, Zheng Zhilong had already been stabbed several times, his clothes were stained with blood, and his body was crumbling.

"Kneel down!" Guang Shiheng shouted.

"I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees!" Zheng Zhilong brandished a knife and made the final struggle, roaring, "Guang Shiheng, you traitorous dog will not end well! Fan Wencheng, old man, I am here The Hall of Yama is waiting for you! Brother Sen, you did a good job and avenged your father..."

Guang Shiheng became furious and shouted: "Swarm up and hold him down, let him kneel down, and then hack him to death with a knife!"

First, two guards knocked down the knives in Zheng Zhilong's hands, and the rest rushed forward, trying to force him to kneel on the ground with all their might.

I don't know where Zheng Zhilong got his strength from. Under the coercion of so many people, his knees still didn't bend, but his upper body bent down, like a pine tree with an upside-down crown.

In the end, Zheng Zhilong was prostrate on the ground, and a guard hurriedly drew a knife and stabbed him to death.Blood gushed out of Zheng Zhilong's mouth and flowed all over the floor, his face was buried in the blood.

But as he said, he didn't kneel down, he died standing up!

"Standing or kneeling, it's the same death, what's the difference?" Guang Shiheng scolded, but for some reason, he felt a strange feeling in his heart.

……

After killing Zheng Zhilong, Guang Shiheng went to report to the regent.Entered the palace, but was stopped by the housekeeper: "Master Guang, the regent is discussing military and state affairs with Lord Fan in the study, and no one is in sight."

"I was ordered to kill Zheng Zhilong. The task is completed. Please come and report to me." Guang Shiheng said with a low eyebrow.

"Just give me the official document." The butler said.

Guang Shiheng handed over the official document, but the housekeeper had already left.He stood there blankly for a while, thinking that he had failed to capture Princess Changping last year, had ruined his errand, and lost the trust of the regent.

In the study, Dorgon rubbed his temples, and said worriedly: "Master Fan, when will this plague be over? This king read the notes of officials from various places this morning. Plagues have appeared in Shanxi, Henan, and Hebei, and the dead It’s too many to count, it’s too horrible to look at.”

Fan Wencheng's face sank like water: "Plague is a natural disaster, manpower is limited, how can we compete with God? There is nothing to fear if there is a plague here, as long as there is a plague in the Ming Dynasty in the south, no one can stand on the dry shore, then never mind."

As expected, Yan Ermei's prediction was right, the pimple plague in Nanjing was really related to the Manchu Tartars.

Dorgon nodded, gave a thumbs up and said: "Master Fan is still a man of foresight and wisdom! When the plague first appeared in the north, you immediately suggested that the king issue an edict to expel the plagued people to the south. , Presumably the plague has already appeared in the south by this time.”

"The soldiers in the barracks fell ill, and the people were unable to cultivate the fields. If there was no plague in the Ming Dynasty, and they took the opportunity to send troops to attack us, it is unimaginable how serious the consequences would be. Whenever the king reads the officials' disaster reports , I couldn’t help but be afraid for a while, so this king would like to thank Mr. Fan!"

With that said, Dorgon stood up and solemnly bowed his hands to Fan Wencheng to thank him.

Fan Wencheng hastily returned the salute, saying: "My subordinates have pushed the Ming Dynasty into a pit of fire by using the strategy of diverting disasters to the east. But this is only to reduce the external pressure, and the internal troubles are still intensifying. The regent must come up with effective measures." A way to fight the plague!"

Dorgon said: "The king has ordered the imperial doctors to find a way, and asked them to issue a military order..."

Just as she was talking, a servant girl rushed to the door of the study, regardless of the housekeeper's obstruction, and shouted in a panic: "My lord, it's not good, Ge Ge is sick, and her eyes hurt very badly!"

(End of this chapter)