Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 473
On April 55th in the [-]th year of Qianlong, Yangzhou City.

It is said that in the middle of the night in Yangzhou City, except for the Jiahe Liu Lane outside the Xiaodongmen, there are still tears and candles flickering, whispering softly, and the whole city has calmed down from the hustle and bustle of the day.

However, on Fuqian Street west of Taiping Bridge, it was completely different from usual.After nightfall, from the military storage warehouse at the west end of Taiping Bridge to the gate of the magistrate's office, there are guard posts and antlers everywhere, and the atmosphere is tense and chilling.In the middle of the night, more than a dozen tung oil torches were lit and crackled, casting a shadow in front of the gate of the magistrate's yamen.

Since Jiao Yingyuan, a prison student, anonymously reported his cousins ​​Jiao Xun, Zhong Huai, Huang Chengji, and members of the Jiao family for "conspiracy and rebellion" a few days ago, it has caused a great commotion inside and outside Yangzhou.Because well-known literati were involved, more than a dozen officials and gentlemen successively came to the magistrate's yamen to inquire about the case, which caused a lot of discussion in the city and made people feel uneasy.

Yesterday afternoon, Jiangsu Governor Chang Lin, Prosecutor Li Qingjue, and Xuezheng Hu Gaowang arrived in Yangzhou together and stayed in the Jiangjia Garden under Pingshan Hall in the north of the city.In order to prevent accidents, the magistrate Ma Huiyu did not dispatch a strong squad to be on duty today, but specially transferred more than 20 soldiers from the Green Camp to be responsible for the night guard outside the gate.

"Boom~~! Boom, boom, boom!"

Unknowingly, with the sound of bamboo clappers faintly heard from the other side of the Wen River, the fourth watch has arrived.

Although Ma Zhifu gave enough money, rice and food, all the green battalion soldiers still performed their duties in the middle of the night.But in the middle of the night, everyone was already very sleepy, sitting in groups against the wall, yawning and drowsy.

At this time, under the Taiping Bridge in the east, two dark figures slowly climbed up from the bottom of the river slope. It was Zhao Xin and Wang Yuanfang who came from Yunsi Yamen.

Li Qi of the Tang Dynasty said in his poem that "Yangzhou Guoli is full of tides", which refers to the small river behind them passing through the city and leading directly to the canal and the Yangtze River.Since the Ming Dynasty, boats on this river have been running day and night, and because both sides of the river are becoming more and more prosperous, and the prefectural schools, county schools and Anding Academy are all nearby, so it is named "Wen River", which is a homophony of "wen".

The reason why the two of them didn't walk on the bridge but swam from the river was because there were still a few big bright lanterns hanging on the bridge at night, so people could be easily spotted as soon as they got on the bridge.

Many people in later generations believed that the ancients would have night blindness, and they would become blind at night. In fact, this is also divided into time and time; those low-level people who are malnourished may have it, but Yangzhou, the land of fish and rice, certainly does not.

The two lay down on the low grass and observed it for a while. After checking the ammunition and other items again, they finally decided to do it.

"Da da."

As the trigger was pulled, two light sounds came out almost simultaneously. In an instant, the two shotgun soldiers who were dozing against the wall tilted their bodies and fell to the ground.It is said that three o'clock in the morning is the time when people's senses are the slowest, and the brain's response is also slow, so the abnormality of the two shotgun soldiers was not discovered by other Qing soldiers.

Zhao Xin and Wang Yuanfang's intention was to kill the shotgun soldiers and the Qing soldiers with bows and arrows first, and then the others.Compared to Zhao Xin, Wang Yuanfang's shooting was fast and accurate, and he used two consecutive bursts of fire on each target. In the blink of an eye, seven or eight Qing soldiers had already collapsed under the wall.

The two of them just got up from the grass at this time, one in front of the other, and began to move slowly forward against the base of the wall. As long as they found a living person in the thermal imaging scope, they would immediately kill them with two shots.Although Wang Yuanfang couldn't bear it, he also knew that he must not talk about being soft-hearted at this moment. It would be troublesome if the Qing soldiers found out.

In just over 20 minutes, the two of them cleared up the drowsy Qing soldiers, and the torches and lanterns began to be extinguished one by one, and the originally bright Fudong Street soon fell into darkness. in the dark.

Under the drum stand on the right side of the gate of the government office, the military officer leading the team, who was soundly asleep, suddenly trembled, as if he had a premonition of something, and suddenly woke up from his dream.

This person is an "extra foreign committee member" of Yangzhou Lvying. He has a big booger from the ninth rank. Although he has not entered the mainstream, he is still an official.Because he won two taels of silver from the boss by gambling a few days ago, he was jealous and was sent to lead the army to watch the night.

The military officer lifted the thin quilt from his body, sat up and stared blankly for a while.It was dark and silent now, except for the lantern on the drum stand that was still burning.Immediately he felt that something was wrong, why the torches on the street had extinguished the lanterns, and there was no sound of speaking, where did everyone go?
"Zhou Kui! Feng Liuzi! Jiang Chun!"

"."

He called out the names of several subordinates in a row, but no one answered, and an ominous cloud began to cover his heart.So he got up and picked up his waist knife, took down the lantern from the drum stand, walked down the steps of the gate of the government office, raised the lantern and looked to both sides.

Under the dim light and shadow, he saw his subordinates lying slumped at the foot of the splayed wall "sleeping", and he was suddenly out of breath.

However, when he approached and was about to wake up one of them, he saw that person lying on the ground, motionless, very different from usual.He stabbed him with a waist knife with a scabbard, and was shocked to find that the other party did not respond at all.

The military officer moved the lantern closer and took a closer look, only to see a blood hole on the forehead of the other party, and there was still a puddle of blood on the ground under the head.He held up the lantern and looked at the other two nearby, and found that they were all in the same shape.

A chill suddenly hit my heart.The night in April in the south was not cold, even a bit muggy, but the military officer felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, trembling all over, his face turned pale in an instant, his mouth opened wide in a daze, and a sound like a bellows came out of his throat.

"Come"

However, before he could yell out, he heard two soft "da da" sounds, and the military officer was shot in the chest instantly and fell to the ground. After the lantern in his hand fell, he caught fire with a whimper.After a while, two figures came out from behind the antlers erected on the street.

Wang Yuanfang passed through the gap between the two antlers, pushed aside the burning lantern with his foot, turned to Zhao Xin and said, "Why did you beat him to death? Who will call the door for us later?"

Zhao Xin said in a low voice: "This yamen is locked at night, no one can ask to open it."

It is said that the defense of government offices at all levels in the Qing Dynasty actually relied first on the city defense. Once someone attacked the government office in the city, it could only rely on the garrison guarding the city for rescue.

For example, in the late Qing Dynasty, Huang Xing led people to attack the Governor's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi. He threw two bombs and killed several guards on the spot. When the soldiers came, they repelled the rebels.

In fact, whether it is the county government office, the government office, or even the governor's office, the only office on duty at night is the number room set up in the main porch of the government office.

In addition to the duty of "registration of visitors" similar to that of later generations of door guards, the main job of the No. [-] door is to respond to the release of signals for the internal work and rest rhythm of the government office.

For example, from the moment of Maochu (5:15 in the morning), please lock the key to open the door, until the third quarter of Xuchu (7:45 in the evening) to lock the door. The office in the signing and deposit room, as well as lunch breaks, casual offices, etc., are all signaled by the door by knocking on the bang, drum or cloud board.

In addition, the morning and evening opening and closing of the gates of the various courtyards and offices within the government office are also operated by the gates, and the keys of the gates are finally handed over to the chief officer who lives in the backyard for safekeeping.

In other words, even if there is a major event such as the sky falling, the door must first go to the backyard, risk the risk of waking up the master, explain the situation, and get the key to open the door.

Wang Yuanfang lost his temper when he heard this, and thought he could only use explosives.

The two of them walked outside the gate of the government office with flashlights and looked up and down. At this moment, Wang Yuan conveniently saw a barrel-like thing on the door leaf, half of which was exposed outside the door, and half of which was inside the door.He patted Zhao Xin, pointed to the drum, and asked what it was?
Zhao Xin shook his head, saying that he hadn't seen it either.

In fact, this thing is called "Turn Barrel", also known as "Turn Bucket", and its purpose is to deliver urgent official documents after the lock is locked at night.From the Tang Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty, there were doorbells in the gates of government offices. At night, people would pull the rope outside the door to wake up the door in the number room, and then use the rotary bucket to pass the official documents.After the Republic of China, the "rotating barrels" lost their function, and then they were all dismantled.

At this time, Wang Yuanfang took out a piece of 20 cm long and two-finger-square plastic explosives from his outer thigh pocket. After removing the outer packaging, he first cut it in half with a dagger, and then held it in his hand with Zhao Xin repeatedly. After a few clicks, the white dynamite was pinched into long strips slightly thicker than a thumb.

After that, like playing with plasticine, the two carefully glued the explosives around the knockers of the two doors, forming a ring with a diameter of about [-] centimeters.

Then, Wang Yuanfang took out a one-meter-long cable with an electric detonator from the pocket of his tactical vest, and forced one end of the detonator into the explosive.When everything was ready, he nodded to Zhao Xin, and Zhao Xin quickly stepped down the steps, ran to the outermost side of the horoscope wall and squatted down, about 20 meters away from the gate of the government office.

At this time, Wang Yuanfang twisted the small iron ring on the handle of the fuse to the right, and then pulled it outward violently, and the fuse inside immediately began to smoke.He hurried to Zhao Xin's position with the gun in his arms, and the two lay down on the ground together, waiting quietly.

Time seemed to have passed for a long time, and it seemed to be gone in a blink of an eye. There was a loud "boom", and a ball of fire with gunpowder smoke exploded on the two gates instantly. Countless sawdust accompanied the copper nails on the gates. It splashed outward, mottled the screen wall opposite the gate of the government office.

Now there is no need to beat the big drum for the alarm, and half of Yangzhou City has been awakened!
Zhao Xin and Wang Yuanfang used their hands to snort away the splashed wood slag on their heads, got up and turned on the tactical flashlight under the gun body, and got in through the hole blasted in the door.

When the explosion happened, the sleeping door in the number room was frightened half to death by the sudden roar and vibration.Because of the tradition of "officials do not repair yamen", the already very old concierge was crackling with dust, and the whole house looked crumbling.

The door kept coughing, and felt that the house was about to collapse, so they crawled out regardless of their heads, but they were grabbed by Zhao Xin as soon as they came out.

"Where is the prison cell?!" Zhao Xin asked twice in a row, but the doorman just covered his face with his arms and couldn't help dodging under the flashlight, shouting, "There's an earthquake! There's an earthquake!"

Zhao Xin muttered a curse, then raised his hand and gave the other party a big ear post, the doorman stopped, slumped on the ground, and looked at the two people in front of him in horror.

"Is Jiao Xiucai, who was arrested a few days ago, locked up here?!"

Seeing the doorman nodding blankly, Zhao Xin asked again: "Where is the cell? Tell me!"

It is said that the interior of the ancient government office is the concept of "the public gate is as deep as the sea".There are many halls and countless houses, and different areas are divided by heavily barriered walls and portals.People who have never been here will not know where to go if they come in for the first time.

The doorman was startled suddenly, covered his face with his hands, looked at the tall Zhao Xin in front of him, and said with trembling teeth: "You, you, you want to ouch!"

Faint footsteps could be heard on the street outside, Zhao Xin didn't care too much, kicked the door to the ground, pressed his knee on the other's chest and said, "I asked where your cell is, but I won't kill you!"

"Yi, Yi, turn left in front of Yi's gate, that's it."

As soon as the words fell, Wang Yuanfang stepped forward and slapped the opponent's carotid artery, and the doorman immediately passed out.

The two immediately turned to the north, trotted along the corridor, and soon came to the location of Yimen.In the dark night, Yimen, standing on two floors and three steps, looked gloomy.

This is the most important door in the government office. It is usually not opened, and it will only be opened when the chief official takes office, the superior inspects, and when the imperial edict is received.The daily entry and exit of personnel is through the small door on the right side of Yimen.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the county government or the cells in the government office were generally located in the southwest direction of the government office, that is, the Kun Palace in the gossip, and the location belonged to the gate of death.Because the gate of death belongs to the earth, it means "everything springs up and dies in autumn".

The two of them turned left from here according to what the door said before, and just ran for two steps, they heard the creak of the courtyard door directly in front of them, and the door was opened from the inside, two people wearing uniforms and waistcoats, who looked like government servants The guy was walking out with a lantern in his hand.

Seeing two black shadows running towards them, the leader carrying the lantern had already crossed the threshold, and asked in a low voice, "Who?!"

Zhao Xin didn't answer at all, and raised his hand to shoot. The man "thumped" and fell into the door opening, and the lantern fell to the ground.The yamen guard behind him was shocked, and hurriedly raised his hand to close the door, but the yamen guard who fell to the ground pressed his arm on the threshold, and the courtyard door could not be closed at all.

At this time, Wang Yuanfang stepped forward quickly, and kicked the door with a flying kick. The surviving yamen servant was slammed on the face by the door, uttered a scream, and fell to the ground.

Wang Yuanfang then rushed into the doorway, pressed on the man, and asked sharply, "Say! Is this a prison cell?!"

The yamen servant was bleeding from the mouth and nose from the previous knock, and his front teeth fell out. He mourned: "Yes! Yes! Master, please spare me!"

In fact, when the two entered the door, they didn't pay attention at all. Apart from the word "Prison Room" written on the door outside the courtyard, there was also a stone carving of a leopard head representing shock.

After hearing this, Wang Yuanfang got up and grabbed the other party's collar and said, "Where are Jiao Xiucai and the others locked up? Take us there!"

The yamen servant staggered to his feet and begged repeatedly: "The little one is just a prisoner, and he has never done anything harmful to nature, please forgive me!"

Zhao Xin scolded: "You fucking jailer dare to say that you don't do things that hurt nature and reason. The worst people in the yamen are you bastards. Go away!"

　This chapter is actually not easy to write. It has been revised three times before and after, and I have checked a lot of information about the government offices of the Qing Dynasty.Including the layout of the curfew at night, the responsibilities of the concierge, the internal system at night, etc.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)