readsfreenovel Chapter 141 Mao Xiang
Chapter 141 Mao Xiang
Meng Jun was so busy all day that he had no time to rest. And the little book boy Meng Bian who used to follow him was no longer a humble man, but the top figure who controlled the intelligence of all parts of Jiangnan.
Back then, Meng Bian was still a young man who was young and immature, and he only wanted to follow Meng Jun and serve him wholeheartedly. However, as time went by, he had become like a Jinyiwei.
At this moment, Meng Bian and Gu Qingmei, together with Zhou Zhuo from the Intelligence Department, Chen Ao and more than ten guards, disguised themselves as merchants and arrived in Jiangning again.
In the carriage, the two chatted.
"Ms. Gu, you said that the biggest source of information in Jiangning is your sisters? Do they have such great abilities?" Meng Bian asked with some confusion and disbelief.
Gu Qingmei nodded and said, "Yes, although we sisters were prostitutes in the past, we are as close as brothers and sisters. Many sisters are concubines or beauties. The people around them are either wealthy businessmen or high-ranking officials. Naturally, they get news faster than ordinary people."
"How can we know whether such complicated information is true or false? Moreover, it may be difficult to know important military secrets," Meng Bian said worriedly.
Gu Qingmei did not refute what he said, but nodded and agreed: "Your Excellency is right, but I think it is better to have a lot of information and verify its authenticity than to have no information to verify."
Meng Bian: “…………”
Jiangning, early morning
In a house, a young woman stood in the courtyard, looking at the flower petals that were blown down by the wind and rain last night and scattered all over the ground. She couldn't help but squat down and pick up one of the petals.
Thinking of the flowers that were so full and blooming yesterday, but have now withered and covered in mud, Dong Xiaowan couldn't help but think of herself. She entered the world of prostitution at the age of thirteen, putting on a smile in front of people but crying behind their backs. Until she met Mao Xiang, one of the four great young masters in Jiangnan, Dong Xiaowan admired his talent and took the initiative to confess her heart, but was rejected by Mao Xiang. It was not until Mao Xiang failed the sixth provincial examination in Nanjing and fell ill that Dong Xiaowan took care of him day and night that Mao Xiang finally accepted her.
When she arrived at the Mao family, Dong Xiaowan put away all her worldly desires and devoted herself to serving Mao Xiang. Just when Dong Xiaowan was fantasizing about a happy life, the Qing army entered the pass, the country was broken and the family was in chaos. The Mao family took refuge in Nanjing, but Mao Xiang was a talented scholar in the Fushe Society. He also participated in the public notice to prevent chaos in the capital. He was a sworn enemy of Ruan Dacheng. As a result, Ruan Dacheng and Ma Shiying welcomed King Fu to the throne. During the Hongguang period, Ruan Dacheng was promoted to the Minister of War and Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief. He fabricated charges against people from Donglin and Fushe and retaliated against them. Mao Xiang was arrested and imprisoned. Also arrested were Huang Zongxi, Feng Jing and other people from Fushe.
It was not until the fall of the Hongguang regime that Mao Xiang was able to escape from prison and move south with his family to seek refuge. However, they encountered rebel soldiers in Wuhu, and dozens of slaves in his family were killed and all his property was taken away. In the end, he barely escaped and had to return to Nanjing again.
Without money and servants, Dong Xiaowan did everything herself, washing clothes, cooking, serving her family, and even started growing vegetables to save money.
But Mao Xiang could not sit still and was always running around. Although Nanjing has now become Jiangning and there is no chaos in the city, other parts of Jiangnan are still in turmoil. Dong Xiaowan is always worried about her husband.
"Xiao Wan, I'm back." A magnetic voice came from behind Dong Xiao Wan. She turned around happily and saw that it was her husband who came back. Dong Xiao Wan said with a smile, "Husband, you are back."
"Well, I just came back." Mao Xiang's face was full of excitement. Dong Xiaowan looked at his happy expression and felt relieved. "I'll pour a glass of water for my husband first."
While pouring water, Dong Xiaowan turned around and asked, "Did my husband encounter any good things?"
"Yes, the situation is changing. I went to Huzhou, Shaoxing, Hangzhou, and Suzhou, and visited many old friends from the Fushe Society. Xiaowan, the world is changing, and it's getting better."
Dong Xiaowan handed her husband some water and said gently, "Drink some water first and then talk slowly."
Mao Xiang finished drinking the water, put down the bowl, and said excitedly: "Meng Jun has recovered the entire Zhejiang Province, Songjiang, Suzhou, Hangzhou and even Huzhou. Meng Jun has won several battles and defeated the Bolo Eight Banners soldiers in disarray. It seems that he will gather a large army to recover the Southern Capital."
"What? The Eight Banners lost the battle. I haven't even heard of that in the city." Dong Xiaowan showed a surprised look on her face. She had heard of the Eastern Tartar when she was very young, but every time she heard it, she said that the Eight Banners were invincible and the imperial army was defeated. This time, her husband swore that the Eight Banners were badly defeated and were preparing to attack Jiangning.
"Well, this is all because of the old villain Hong Chengchou blocking the news. I decided to contact people with aspirations and contribute to Governor Meng's efforts to recapture Nanjing," Mao Xiang clenched his fists and said firmly.
"Husband..." Dong Xiaowan shouted worriedly.
Mao Xiang looked at Dong Xiaowan with some reluctance in his eyes, but he still said firmly: "The state affairs have come to this point, how can we escape? Even if I die, I will not regret it."
Seeing this, Dong Xiaowan stopped trying to persuade him. She knew that Mao Xiang was a man with a strong sense of independence. Although he failed the provincial examinations six times and was still a scholar, Mao Xiang was famous for his poetry and prose, and he participated in the Fushe Society and cared about national affairs. He was one of the four famous young masters in Jiangnan. Even the great men had commented that among the four young masters in the late Ming Dynasty, only Mao Xiang had the greatest national integrity.
Mao Xiang looked at Dong Xiaowan and said, "I want to do something big, but I can't let Xiaowan go. This is all the money I have. You should leave for Suzhou tomorrow. I have written a letter to ask my close friend Qian Ziliang to arrange for you. If the matter is resolved, I will arrive in Suzhou as soon as possible."
Dong Xiaowan shook her head, tears streaming from her eyes, and said firmly: "I will not leave. I am willing to live and die with my husband..."
Just as the two of them were looking at each other with tears in their eyes, there was a knock on the door.
Dong Xiaowan quickly wiped away her tears, tidied herself up, and then opened the door. As soon as she opened the door, Dong Xiaowan showed a happy expression.
"Sister Gu, long time no see"
Gu Qingmei also took a step forward, hugged Dong Xiaowan, and said happily: "Yes, Sister Dong, it's been a long time since we last met. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Just when Dong Xiaowan was happy, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "Hey, Sister Gu, how did you know I live here?"
Gu Qingmei looked at Dong Xiaowan with a smile in her eyes and said, "Because my sister and I have a tacit understanding."
In fact, it was purely Meng Bian who sent people to investigate. After all, Mao Xiang was one of the four young masters of Jiangnan. It would be easy to find him with deliberate investigation.