The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 421 Lu Xiangsheng

Lu Xiangsheng held the broken knife in his hand, and blood flowed from the many wounds on his body.

At his feet, a large number of Western Army soldiers wearing yellow turbans were lying down.

In front of him stood the army of the nations wearing black scarves.

Behind Lu Xiangsheng, there were only dozens of Ming army soldiers still standing.

They fought hard to repel the attack of the Western Army, but had no way to face the swarming Wanmin Army.

The Western Army burned, killed and looted everywhere. Each group consisted of no more than a few dozen people, and some no more than a hundred.

However, the people's army that poured into the palace came in an organized manner, with thousands of people, in a strict military formation and neat rows.

The flags are waving and the murderous aura is strong.

Spears came like a forest.

Despair...

Lu Xiangsheng clenched the broken knife in his hand and faced the army of Wanmin soldiers that were coming like a forest.

There was no trace of fear in his eyes.

When he was in Jiazhuang, he showed no fear when facing the massive Qing army.

When the arrows are used up, use the gun.

If the gun breaks, use a knife.

If the knife is broken, use your fist.

If your fists have lost their strength, you can still use your teeth.

As long as he has breath left, he will not give up resistance.

Death does not scare Lu Xiangsheng.

Lu Xiangsheng had never been afraid of death.

A real man has no fear of death.

Lu Xiangsheng slowly raised the broken knife in his hand. He no longer had much strength left.

But facing the hundreds and thousands of soldiers slowly approaching, he still raised his sword, just like he did in Jiazhuang.

When a man is born, he has ambitions to travel the world, and it is normal for him to be wrapped in horsehide.

"bring it on……"

Lu Xiangsheng whispered to himself.

The soldiers of the Wanmin Army had already approached within ten steps.

Ten steps away, Lu Xiangsheng could already see the cold faces of the soldiers at the front row of the Wanmin Army.

He had made all the preparations. He held the broken knife tightly in his hand and looked calmly at the army formation of the People's Army that was slowly approaching in front of him.

However, the expected rain of arrows or the sound of gunfire did not appear.

"Mr. Lu..."

A trembling sound was heard from the army formation of the Ten Thousand Peoples Army.

Lu Xiangsheng was shocked and turned to look in the direction of the sound, because that voice sounded very familiar to him.

The one who called out "Mr. Lu" was an officer of the Wanmin Army.

With a shout of "Lu Gong", the slowly advancing army formation of the Wanmin Army suddenly stopped.

The murderous intent in the eyes of the soldiers of the Wanmin Army disappeared in an instant, and the expressions on everyone's faces were complicated and strange.

"you are?"

Lu Xiangsheng's gaze slowed down slightly as he looked at the officer of the Wanmin Army.

The officer of the Wanmin Army stepped out from the crowd, tears streaming down his face.

The officers of the Wanmin Army walked to the front of the battle, threw away their weapons, knelt on the ground, and choked with sobs.

"I, Yao Yaping, pay my respects to Lord Lu."

"Yao Yaping..."

Lu Xiangsheng's expression was moved, and he remembered who the officers of the Wanmin Army in front of him were.

In the eleventh year of Chongzhen, he bid farewell to the elders of the three prefectures and led his lone army to Jiazhuang. At that time, food and grass were no longer sustainable. They had been without food for nearly three days, and all the soldiers were starving.

He was a student from Daming Prefecture. Before the Qing army completed the encirclement, he took advantage of the cover of night and led his clansmen, carrying a total of 700 dan of grain into Jiazhuang, thus relieving the urgent need of the army.

The student's name was Yao Dongzhao.

Lu Xiangsheng never forgot it.

Yao Yaping was Yao Dongzhao's nephew, and they had met in the tent before.

The gradually blurred memories of the past became clear again in Lu Xiangsheng's mind.

"Your uncle..."

Lu Xiangsheng took a step forward unconsciously and spoke subconsciously.

But as soon as he said this, he stopped.

Yao Dongzhao was a local gentry, quite wealthy, and concerned about the country. Logically, it was impossible for him to join the bandits.

But with Yao Yaping's appearance here at this moment, many things are self-evident.

And most importantly, Lu Xiangsheng saw the sword on Yao Yaping's waist.

The sword that Yao Yaping is wearing on his waist now is the sword he gave to Yao Dongzhao in Jiazhuang.

"Mr. Lu can remember my uncle. If my uncle knew about this, he would be able to rest in peace in peace."

Yao Yaping knelt on the ground, crying like rain.

"Daming Prefecture was first hit by drought and locusts, and then a major epidemic. Nine out of ten households were wiped out. My uncle died of illness, and civil unrest gradually arose. In order to protect ourselves, we had no choice but to go with the flow."

"Later, we were recruited by General Sun as officers and soldiers, but the imperial court was defeated in the battle of Pizhou, so we had no choice but to join the People's Army."

"Human beings are like ants, their lives are worthless. Today, we finally understand the meaning of 'It is better to be a dog in peacetime than a man in chaos'."

Yao Yaping's voice was miserable, and he burst into tears as he described his tragic experience.

All the soldiers in the Ten Thousand People's Army showed the same expression.

Yao Yaping's experience is a microcosm of the tragic circumstances of many people.

They each have their own misfortunes, their own sorrows, and their own sufferings.

It is better to be a dog in peace than a man in chaos...

In troubled times, human life is so precious.

Lu Xiangsheng was in a trance, looking at the Wanmin Army soldiers in front of him with sad expressions.

The faces of these so-called soldiers of the National Army are all weathered.

Their skin is rough and dark. They were once just honest farmers who worked in the fields, peddlers who made a living from door to door, and ordinary people who toiled diligently all day long.

them……

Not a rebel...

them……

They are just a group of poor people trying to survive...

Living is the simplest thing, but it is also the most difficult thing.

Lu Xiangsheng's vision gradually blurred. He clenched his teeth, trying hard to control his turbulent emotions and suppress the depression in his chest.

The north wind whistled, blowing across the towering palaces in the palace city, and brought Lu Xiangsheng's thoughts back to the time when he was still studying in the academy.

"Kendou."

His father's face gradually became clear in Lu Xiangsheng's eyes.

"What are your ambitions?"

"I wish to study the strategies of ancient generals and ministers, and the rules of military and state management!"

In the study, the young man was full of energy and high spirits, and answered loudly.

"I want to be a hero like Zhang Xun and Yue Fei!"

"Restore the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties and strengthen the prestige of China!"

"Good ambition."

There was a smile on my father's face, and he seemed very satisfied, but he quickly put it away.

"But, Jiandou..."

His father stood up, looked at him seriously, patted his shoulder gently and gave him instructions.

"Don't just look at the high and mighty temples, but also keep in mind the livelihoods of the people in the fields."

"When you serve as an official in the future, you must be down-to-earth..."

He didn't understand his father's words at first.

It was not until he became an official that he gradually understood his father's instructions.

The treasury was empty, the finances were in trouble, and the ordinary people were oppressed by heavy taxes and levies, making it almost impossible to breathe.

He was just doing what an official should do, but the people under his rule treated him...

This is also why he could not stand idly by when the Jiannu invaded the south.

How could he not understand Yang Sichang's thoughts, how could he not understand Yang Sichang's difficulties.

only……

He really, really, really had no way out, no way to just sit back and watch.

Lu Xiangsheng's mood was fluctuating, and at this moment, his heart, which had just been firm with great difficulty, began to waver again.

The country is in darkness and the world is in turmoil.

People’s hearts…

He has long been away from the court.

The whole world wants change.

"Mr. Lu."

Among the Wanmin Army, many soldiers also knelt down with Yao Yaping and choked with sobs.

Many of them were civilians who had fled from the three prefectures because Sun Chuanting had raised the banner of Lu Xiangsheng.

They first joined the officers and soldiers, and later joined the People's Army.

They have too many grievances in their hearts and have no one to vent to.

There is so much pain in their hearts that they are oppressed and unable to speak.

No one stood up for them, no one vindicated them.

The wise man who was once willing to speak up for them has left them.

This damned world has torn them apart from their families and forced them to leave their homes.

When they saw Lu Xiangsheng again, all the grievances and emotions that had been suppressed in their hearts burst out at this moment.

Lu Xiangsheng's eyes were blurry, tears blurred his vision, and he really couldn't see clearly what was ahead.

"We have never done anything to let Lord Lu down..."

Yao Yaping clasped his fists and saluted, saying with tears in his eyes.

"Lord Lu, the Wanmin Army is not the bandits of the past."

"They will not burn, kill, rob, or harm the people. They have not harmed anyone along the way..."

Lu Xiangsheng raised his head and wiped the tears from his face with his hand.

"say no more."

Lu Xiangsheng interrupted Yao Yaping in a hoarse voice. He knew what Yao Yaping wanted to say.

"I know everything."

Yao Yaping raised his hand, wiped away his tears as well, and said with hatred looking up.

"Lord Lu, the court is dark and corrupt, and the people are living in misery, causing the whole country to want change."

"The people have no way to survive, but the government is doing nothing."

"Bones are exposed in the wild, and no rooster crows for a thousand miles!"

"With such a foolish court, does Lord Lu still want to serve them?"

Lu Xiangsheng's body trembled slightly, and he closed his eyes in pain, but tears kept flowing down.

"I know everything..."

Lu Xiangsheng's voice trembled, his expression was in great pain, and his heart was also in great pain.

"I know everything..."

What Yao Yaping said.

How could he not know, how could he not be clear.

Compared to what Yao Yaping saw and heard, he saw and heard more and knew more inside information.

He knew the private filthiness of those high-ranking officials who sat high in the government, and he knew the termites and maggots lurking in the court.

"I know everything."

Lu Xiangsheng's voice trembled, and the pain suppressed in his heart tormented him all the time.

"But I can't. I can't."

Lu Xiangsheng felt extremely distressed.

He knows it all. He knows everything.

The imperial court was wrong, and the Wanmin Army was right.

The current imperial court has reached a point where it is beyond redemption.

Although the current emperor is diligent, he is unable to save the situation.

The court is corrupt and only pursues profit, even at the cost of selling out the country, making the country poor and the family rich.

The local tyrants exploit the people in the village like jackals and wolves.

"I really can't..."

Lu Xiangsheng looked at Yao Yaping who was kneeling on the ground.

He is a Ming official, a minister of the Great Ming.

The present emperor is kind to him.

In times of crisis, he was appointed Prime Minister of the South.

Although there were misunderstandings in the past.

But, he still couldn't.

"Mr. Lu..."

Yao Yaping's voice trembled, and he didn't say the rest of the words.

He could understand Lu Xiangsheng's dilemma and he could also feel Lu Xiangsheng's pain.

"The Ming Dynasty is indeed corrupt."

Lu Xiangsheng's eyes regained their calmness and he let out a long sigh.

He is aware of the country's ills.

"The Ming Dynasty is no longer the Ming Dynasty it once was."

"There are so many rats that people can hardly survive."

Ming dynasty……

When the luck is really over...

The stronger the north wind, the more difficult it is to withstand the biting cold, no matter how thick the cotton-padded clothes are.

Lu Xiangsheng's heart was also cold.

Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty.

What on earth can save you?

Lu Xiangsheng's thoughts were in a mess, and he remembered a poem he had heard before.

"The peaks and mountains are like clusters, the waves are like angry waves, and the mountains and rivers are like Tongguan Road inside and outside."

"Looking at the Western Capital, I feel hesitant."

"It is sad that the palaces of the Qin and Han dynasties have all turned to dust."

"When prosperity occurs, the people suffer; when it dies, the people suffer."

He wants to be Yue Fei, he wants to be Zhang Xun.

But he could not be like Yue Fei after all. He did not have the ability to win every battle, and he had no way to drive out the invaders and protect the people.

He can't be Zhang Xun either.

Facing the Wanmin Army who were clearly rebels, he couldn't even hold the sword firmly in his hand.

"Your marshal is right."

Lu Xiangsheng's gaze slowly swept across the soldiers of the Wanmin Army in front of him.

“Since ancient times, the rise and fall of emperors has been accompanied by the omens of the people.”

"If the people's hearts are lost, how can the country survive?"

If it weren't for the loss of destiny.

How could the Ming Dynasty encounter so many disasters?

How could so many civil uprisings be aroused within the territory of the Ming Dynasty?

With internal and external troubles, the signs of the end of the world are evident.

But there are thousands of reasons and tens of thousands of excuses.

Neither is a reason to give up.

If it is possible.

He would still choose to keep going.

The world is unfair, so let's change it.

Lu Xiangsheng's eyes gradually became firm.

He no longer regrets the path he is taking now.

By now.

Let him use everything he has now, including his life.

Come tell it to the world.

The path he chose, which was to change from the inside out and from the top down, was ultimately difficult to succeed.

Let those who choose another path and want to change the world become more determined.

Lu Xiangsheng slowly raised his head.

As the sun sets in the west, the afterglow of the setting sun dyes the entire sky blood red.

The setting sun was about to completely sink into the palaces of the palace.

Everything he had experienced in his life flashed through Lu Xiangsheng's mind quickly.

In the first year of the Tianqi reign, he was full of energy and ambition when he passed the imperial examination.

In the second year of the Tianqi reign, he was full of ambition when his name was listed on the gold list.

He first observed the affairs of the Ministry of War, and was later appointed as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of clearing the warehouses, and was promoted to the Deputy Director of the Shanxi Division of the Ministry of Revenue. He was transferred to the prefect of Daming, and then to the Right Councillor of the Shandong Provincial Government, in charge of the rectification of the military preparations of Daming.

Later, he was appointed Prime Minister of the General Political Department and supervised various towns in the southern country when he was less than 40 years old.

"What a pity..."

Lu Xiangsheng sighed.

He has too many regrets and too many things in his life.

Lu Xiangsheng raised the broken knife in his hand, flicked the knife and hummed softly.

"Voting for a job... is it the job of a scholar..."

"Leaning on the sword, chanting to wish for peace..."

"Mr. Lu."

More people knelt on the ground.

Not only the soldiers of the Wanmin Army, but also the remaining soldiers following Lu Xiangsheng fell to their knees.

They had already burst into tears.

"Mr. Lu..."

Yao Yaping clenched his teeth, looking miserable.

Lu Xiangsheng smiled indifferently, shook his head gently, raised the broken knife in his hand, and placed it across his neck.

"Gentlemen."

"When the world is clear, don't forget to tell me at my grave."

Lu Xiangsheng's eyes were calm, without a trace of fear.

"Mr. Lu!"

Amidst the cries, the blood-stained broken knife in Lu Xiangsheng's hand fell to the ground with a dull sound.

Lu Xiangsheng's body also fell to the ground, with blood gushing out from his neck.

At first, Lu Xiangsheng could still feel the pain in his neck, but soon the pain gradually disappeared.

Lu Xiangsheng felt his body becoming lighter and lighter.

The howling north wind brought his consciousness back to Daimyo and the three prefectures.

Back to the time when the elders of the three prefectures came to see them off with food.

"We are weak, so please forgive me. Please cook these grains and use them as military rations so that your soldiers can eat well and fight."

"There's a lot of wind and rain ahead, be careful on the highway..."

Lu Xiangsheng looked painful, with tears all over his face.

He lay on the ground, looking up at the setting sun in the west.

Everything in the field of vision is gradually becoming dim, and all sounds are rapidly fading away.

Lu Xiangsheng slowly closed his eyes.

He was really, too tired...

"History of Ming Dynasty, Volume 261, Biography 149, Biography of Lu Xiangsheng"

The crowd wept and cried loudly, and each of them brought a bowl of millet from their bedside to feed the army, or gave a liter of dates, saying, "Cook them for food!"

……

In times of danger and chaos, there is always a lack of talent, but they are often not fully utilized.

If you use it, or if you pull its elbows and drive it away, it will die. If it is like this, it is indeed caused by man, but in the end it is also God's will.

Wasn't Lu Xiangsheng a rare talent during the reign of Emperor Zhuanglie?
Why was he suppressed and even died?
When people are inspired by loyalty and righteousness and are not afraid of danger, like Liu Zhilun and Qiu Minyang, and die together, then we can see what is God's will.