Done! Your Majesty is going to prostitute me for free!

Outside the city, the night was as dark as ink. Hundreds of Shunjun brothers, wearing armor similar to that of the Ming army, were like a group of ghosts in the darkness. They suddenly lit torches, and the flames flickered in the night, reflecting the nervous and anxious faces. They shouted at the tower: "Open the door quickly, let us in!" In fact, their armor was no different from that of the Ming army, but the flag was particularly eye-catching in the night. It was a flag embroidered with mysterious symbols, which was completely different from the Ming army's dragon flag.

The guards on the tower were immersed in sleep, and were startled by the sudden movement, as if they were suddenly awakened by the cold wind. They hurriedly got up and looked down with sleepy eyes. In the firelight, they saw hundreds of soldiers in a mess, some with panic, some looking at each other, and looking back from time to time, as if something terrible was chasing them. It was a mixture of fear and despair, which made people shudder.

"Hey! What are you yelling about in the middle of the night?" the guards shouted, with a hint of impatience and vigilance in their voices. Then they asked, "Who are you? Why are you here so late at night?"

"We are the garrison troops coming from Si Shui. The county town was occupied by the Jiannu, and we escaped with great difficulty. Please open the door and let us in to hide." A voice came from below, with some pleading and eagerness.

"Stop talking nonsense! Who knows if you are spies sent by the Jiannu!" The guards responded lazily, their eyes full of suspicion and indifference. They have been guarding the city for many years and have long been accustomed to such sudden changes, but they can hardly hide their fear and uneasiness.

"No, we are the defenders of Si Shui! Please go and report to Guardian He quickly. If you don't open the door, we will leave." The voice below became more urgent, with a bit of despair and helplessness.

"Okay, wait, I'll go report." The guards yawned, turned around and walked towards the city. Their figures gradually disappeared in the night, leaving behind silence and uneasiness.

When they heard that Sishui City was gone, the guards were not very scared. After all, they had limited troops. They would fight when the enemy was small and surrender when the enemy was large. The court owed them military pay for several months. They were already loyal and good generals if they did not rebel. Moreover, surrendering to Jian Nu was not a bad thing. They treated the surrendered Ming army well, giving silver to the cavalry, and also giving silver to the combat soldiers and guards. Some people said: "Those who surrender to Jian Nu will be rewarded with a wife, a few cattle, sheep, and a donkey. If they die in battle, they will also receive a pension." But these are the treatments of the border troops and Guanning troops. Ordinary soldiers like them don't have such good things. They are more helpless and numb in their hearts. They have long lost their initial sensitivity and fear of war and life and death.

The news of the fall of Sishui soon reached the ears of He Shun, the garrison commander of Qufu. Qufu was different. The garrison commander was not a thousand-man commander, but a garrison commander, because there was the Confucius Mansion here, a holy place of Confucian culture. Although He Shun had only more than a thousand soldiers under his command, it was still a large team. However, as for the armaments, you know, there were always some problems, the equipment was worn out, the morale was low, like a group of lambs to be slaughtered.

When He Shoubei heard the news, he was so frightened that he quickly put on his clothes and hat and went up to the tower with his personal soldiers. He leaned on the wall and looked down. In the firelight, he saw a group of soldiers in disheveled clothes and panicked faces, like a group of refugees fleeing. His heart tightened and he asked, "Who is down there?"

"I'm Hao Zhong, the captain of Si Shui. Si Shui is gone. We fought for our lives to escape. I beg you, Captain He, to show mercy." A voice came from below, with some pleading and despair.

He Shoubei had never heard of the name Hao Zhong, but it didn't matter whether it was true or not. What mattered was that he couldn't open the door. He was guarding Qufu, Confucius Mansion and Duke Yansheng! He was panicked, but pretended to be calm on the surface and laughed: "Want to trick me into opening the door? No way! Since you are wearing military uniforms, I won't shoot arrows. Go quickly, or don't blame me for being rude!" His voice echoed in the night sky, with a bit of determination and indifference.

Hao Zhong knew that it was useless to say more, so he had someone shoot the surrender letter onto the tower, and then led the troops to retreat two miles, holding up the white-bordered flag high. The flag was particularly eye-catching in the night, like a flag of death, announcing the end of Qufu.

When He Shoubei opened the surrender letter, his face changed drastically. The letter said: "Tell the soldiers and civilians of Qufu that 80,000 Qing cavalry have entered the pass from the south, Sishui has fallen, and the army will soon arrive in Qufu. You have one hour to surrender, otherwise the city will be massacred! This is what Gushan Ezhen Bayan of the Bordered White Banner of the Eight Banners Han Army of the Qing Dynasty said." His hands trembled slightly, and an unprecedented fear and despair surged in his heart. He had defended Qufu for so many years, and never thought that there would be such a day.

He Shoubei was so frightened that his soul was about to fly out of his body. He hurriedly shouted: "Go and report to the county magistrate and the Duke of Yansheng, the 80,000 cavalry of the Jiannu have occupied Sishui and will soon reach Qufu!" His voice echoed in the night sky, with a bit of urgency and despair. He was like a person who was about to face a catastrophe, desperately looking for the last glimmer of hope.

The sky gradually brightened. Two miles east of the city, several thousand "Eight Banner Soldiers" lined up, with their flags fluttering in the wind. He Shou looked through his telescope and saw that the enemy cavalry was in neat formation, with shining armor, and both the men and horses were wearing heavy armor, and they were aggressive. Their eyes were full of coldness and cruelty, like a group of bloodthirsty beasts. Looking at his own army, whose equipment was tattered, how could he fight against them? An unprecedented despair and helplessness surged in his heart.

The sentry on the tower was also frightened and shouted: "The Eight Banners soldiers are coming!" The soldiers were in an uproar, like a group of ants about to face a catastrophe. They looked into the distance in panic, only to see the black torrent slowly approaching them with an irresistible force.

"Captain He, should we fight or surrender?" a soldier asked, his voice trembling with anxiety.

"Make a decision quickly, otherwise we will all die if the city is captured!" another soldier urged, his eyes full of fear and despair.

He Shoubei was in a state of confusion. He had never expected that Qufu would become the target of the Jiannu. In the past, the bandits and the Jiannu had always avoided Qufu, but now they suddenly came to attack. He had been guarding Qufu for so many years and had never thought that such a day would come. He felt an unprecedented fear and helplessness in his heart, as if he was a person who was about to face a catastrophe and was desperately looking for the last glimmer of hope.

Before he could recover from the shock, bad news came from the city again: "Report to the garrison commander, the city is full of surrender letters, and the contents are very scary." A soldier hurried over to report.

"Hurry up and show it to me!" He Shoubei shouted hurriedly. He took the surrender letter and looked at it. His face turned even paler. It was exactly the same as the surrender letter outside the city. This made him even more panicked. There must be spies in the city! The situation is critical! He felt an unprecedented anger and helplessness in his heart, as if a person who was about to face a catastrophe found that there were enemies hiding beside him.

He Shoubei hurried down the tower and rode straight to the Kong Mansion. Qufu prefect Kong Hongyi and Yanshenggong Kong Yinzhi had already heard the news and looked at each other speechless. Their eyes were full of fear and despair, as if they were two people who were about to face a catastrophe but were powerless to save themselves.

Kong Hongyi held the surrender letter and asked: "Is this really the Jiannu army?" There was some trembling and uneasiness in his voice.

"It's absolutely true! They are all elite cavalrymen with excellent equipment. Who else but Jiannu? Even the Guanning Army can't compare to them." He Shoubei replied with a bit of bitterness and helplessness in his voice. He had defended Qufu for so many years and never thought that there would be such a day.

Kong Hongyi smiled bitterly and said: "Captain He, do you think Qufu can still be defended?" His eyes were full of despair and helplessness, as if he was a man who was about to face a catastrophe but was powerless to save himself.

"It's difficult!" He Shoubei shook his head and then said, "It's impossible to defend it!" There was a bit of determination and helplessness in his voice. With such a huge disparity in strength, how could his more than a thousand soldiers stop 80,000 enemy troops? Even if the enemy was steamed buns, it would take several days to eat them all! An unprecedented despair and helplessness surged in his heart, as if a person who was about to face a catastrophe found himself powerless to save the situation.

On the streets of Qufu, people were running in panic, crying and screaming. Shops were closed, and every household had its doors and windows shut. There was a dead silence. Only the occasional barking of a dog gave people a glimmer of life. However, this life was like a candle in the wind, which could be extinguished at any time.

In the Confucius Mansion, Kong Hongyi and Kong Yinzhi looked at each other, their eyes full of fear and despair. As the Duke of Yansheng, Kong Yinzhi guarded the holy land of Confucian culture. He never thought that Qufu would face such a crisis. He tightly grasped the surrender letter in his hand, his fingers trembling slightly, as if it was a death sentence.

"What should we do?" Kong Yinzhi asked, his voice trembling and uneasy.

"What else can we do? Just surrender!" Kong Hongyi smiled bitterly, his eyes full of helplessness and despair. He had defended Qufu for so many years and never thought that there would be such a day. However, facing 80,000 enemy troops, what could they do?

He Shoubei stood aside, his heart also filled with helplessness and despair. He had guarded Qufu for so many years and never thought there would be such a day. However, facing the cruel reality, he had to admit that Qufu was beyond redemption.

"Surrender!" said He Shoubei, with a hint of determination and helplessness in his voice, "We can't hold on!"

Kong Hongyi and Kong Yinzhi looked at each other, their eyes full of despair and helplessness. However, facing the cruel reality, they had to admit that Qufu was already beyond redemption. They nodded slowly, as if they were two people about to face a catastrophe, but were powerless to save the situation.

Night fell again, and there was a dead silence in Qufu. Only the distant fire flickered in the night sky, which was the army of Jiannu approaching. People hid in their houses, shivering, waiting for the fate to come. Qufu, the holy land of Confucian culture, was about to face an unprecedented catastrophe. He Shoubei, Kong Hongyi, Kong Yinzhi and others could only helplessly wait for their fate to come.

In the gloomy Qufu City, Kong Hongyi's bitter smile contained endless helplessness and determination. His face looked particularly resolute under the dim sky, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to deepen a little, each of which was engraved with a deep love for this land. He knew that although this decision could temporarily save the lives of the people, it would also push himself into an unknown abyss. He had heard and witnessed the brutality of the Jianlu. Every siege was accompanied by the wailing of innocent people. They were not eager to die, but were clearly struggling to survive in despair.

"Duke Yansheng, what do you think?" He Shun's eyes were full of expectation, as if Kong Yinzhi's words could bring a turnaround to this predicament. More than 10,000 people in the city all followed the lead of Duke Yansheng, and his decision would determine the fate of this ancient city.

Kong Yinzhi slowly stood up, his back looked particularly heavy, and he walked into the inner hall, each step seemed to step on everyone's heart. "Although I am the Duke of Yansheng, I have no real power. You are all officials appointed by the court. This matter needs to be decided by you." Before he finished speaking, he disappeared behind the door, leaving only that sentence, echoing in the air, heavy and resolute.

He Shun and Kong Hongyi looked at each other, both of them feeling bitter. This old fox wanted to stay out of the matter at the critical moment and put all the blame on the two of them. Surrender is a heinous crime. Once the court investigates, Kong Yinzhi will definitely distance himself from the matter and let the two of them bear all the blame alone. Hateful and pathetic!
"What should we do now?" There was weakness in He Shun's voice. He turned his eyes to Kong Hongyi, expecting him to give an answer.

Kong Hongyi imitated Kong Yinzhi's posture and slowly walked into the side hall, with a bit of helplessness in his voice: "As the magistrate of Qufu, my duties are only to collect taxes, lead troops to fight, and guard the city. That is the duty of the garrison commander. Whether to surrender or fight, please let the garrison commander decide."

He Shun was so angry that he almost lost control. He had hoped that everyone would discuss countermeasures and share responsibilities, but now it seemed that everyone wanted to escape, leaving him alone to face the storm.

"Okay! Okay! Okay! Since that's the case, then let's do it!" He Shun laughed in anger, glared at the side hall and the inner hall, clenched his fists, and left angrily.

Soon, He Shun stood on the tower of the east gate of Qufu, looking at the Ming army below, with mixed feelings in his heart. He knew that the Jianlu were powerful and it was useless to defend the city. Surrender might give the people in the city a glimmer of hope. However, were those corrupt scholars worth risking their lives to protect?
"Brothers, the Jianlu are too powerful for us to resist. It is better to surrender, maybe there will be a way to survive." He Shun's voice was a little bitter, "Are those scholars in the city worth risking our lives? If the court investigates, I will bear the responsibility alone, and it has nothing to do with you. If I die, please take good care of my family."

"Sir, we are willing to share the blame with you!" a Ming army soldier shouted loudly.

"The law does not hold everyone responsible, we face it together!" Other soldiers also responded.

He Shun shook his head, his eyes full of determination: "With those corrupt scholars around, I will definitely die, why should I implicate you?"

"Then...are we going to Liaodong with the Jianlu?" a personal soldier asked in a low voice, with a hint of uneasiness in his voice.

He Shun was silent for a long time, and finally just shook his head without saying anything.

Half an hour later, more than a thousand Ming soldiers lowered the drawbridge, opened the city gate, walked out with weapons in hand, knelt by the bridge and the river, waiting for the arrival of the Jianlu.

After Hao Yaoqi learned about the military situation in the city and saw that the Ming army had surrendered, he led his army into the city. He held the military register and looked at everyone with a sharp gaze: "Are you He Shun?"

"Yes, I'm He Shun, the garrison commander of Qufu." He Shun responded in a low voice with a respectful attitude.

"Very good, you and your men will camp outside the city, and I will garrison inside the city." Hao Yaoqi ordered.

"Yes, sir." He Shun did not dare to disobey and led his soldiers to camp by the river north of the city.

After Hao Yaoqi entered the city, he left only a Shun army as a backup, and then ordered the army to move in three directions. His eyes were sharp and his voice was firm: "Helan, you lead this unit to take over the city defense, especially the east gate, and guard it strictly. Remember, no matter how hot the weather is, you can't take off your helmet!"

"I obey your command!" Helan left quickly to carry out the mission.

"Ma Shitai, I will give you 500 cavalrymen to collect military pay from the rich families in the city. Those who have shaved their heads can take off their helmets, but those who have not shaved their heads must wear them!" Hao Yaoqi ordered.

Ma Shitai hesitated for a moment and asked, "General Hao, don't we have clamps? Can you give me a few sets?"

Hao Yaoqi glared at him and said, "Why are you so nosy? Remember, you are now a Jianlu, not a Shun army. Do you understand?"

Ma Shitai suddenly realized and quickly responded: "I understand!"

"Everyone else, come with me to the county government office to meet the legendary Duke Yansheng!" Hao Yaoqi stroked his beard, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Can we kill the people from the Confucius Mansion?" someone asked, with some uneasiness in his voice.

Hao Yaoqi thought about what Li Zicheng said and decided not to kill innocent people, so he replied cautiously: "Just follow my instructions!"

The group quickly rushed to the Qufu County Office and surrounded it. Hao Yaoqi issued an order: "Let all the people from the Kong Mansion come out and line up outside the County Office, otherwise they will be killed without mercy!"

The Kong family wanted to resist at first, but when they saw a soldier wielding a knife to kill a servant, they dared not to resist. Soon, the streets were cleared, and the people of the Kong family, led by Kong Yinzhi, lined up outside the county government office, waiting for their fate.

More than a thousand people stood there in complete silence, and the atmosphere was so solemn that it was suffocating. Kong Yinzhi just opened his mouth: "I am Confucius's...", but was interrupted by Hao Yaoqi: "I ask you questions, and you answer them. If I don't ask you, don't speak. Just nod or shake your head!"

When had Kong Yinzhi ever been insulted like this? He was so angry that his fat flesh was shaking, and he said coldly: "I am the son of Kong Shangtan, the 64th generation grandson of Confucius, and the Duke of Yansheng, Kong Yinzhi. This is a holy place for scholars, not a place for you to wield swords and guns!"

"I hope you will not harm my people, and do not destroy my Confucius Temple, Confucius Mansion and Confucius Cemetery!" There was a hint of pleading in Kong Yinzhi's voice.

However, Hao Yaoqi ignored his words and slashed the nearest servant of the Confucius Mansion to death with his knife. Blood splattered everywhere, and the stench filled his nose. The man fell to the ground and struggled, covering his neck with his hands to try to stop the bleeding, but blood gushed out from his fingers like a spring, quickly staining the ground red. After a while, he stopped struggling due to excessive blood loss, and his body became stiff.

This sudden change frightened the people in the Kong Mansion. The women fainted one after another, and the others were terrified. Some closed their eyes tightly and trembled all over, some were pale and shook constantly, and some vomited because it was the first time they saw such a bloody scene. Many more people watched their relatives being killed in grief, but they were powerless and could only stand there and cry. The people in the Kong Mansion, who had originally maintained a bit of pride, now became embarrassed.

Kong Yinzhi, the Duke of Yansheng, also took a step back, stared at Hao Yaoqi for a while, and then said, "I'll remember you!" As soon as he finished speaking, another person from the Kong Mansion had his throat cut...

Kong Yinzhi's face was really ugly, it was hard to describe. His chubby face seemed like a masterpiece specially carved by nature, sometimes white like rice paper unstained by dust in winter, sometimes red like a blazing fire in summer. Anger, sadness, helplessness, pride, humiliation, these emotions were like paints on a palette, perfectly interpreted by his face, and the anger in his heart felt like it could explode like a volcano at any time.

He thought to himself: "I am the Duke of Yansheng! Emperors of all dynasties have respected me, and I am the number one scholar. How could I fall to this point? How dare you, rude warriors, treat me like this? Aren't you afraid that all the scholars in the world will unite to attack you, and the common people will also attack you?" When he thought of the common people, Yinzhi suddenly felt a surge of courage in his heart. He wanted to speak, but it seemed as if he was blocked by something invisible, and he could only make a low "woohoo" hum. Before he could speak, Kong Hongyi, the county magistrate of Qufu, hurriedly covered his mouth and whispered: "Don't talk, be careful not to lose your life." Yinzhi was stunned when he heard it. He looked down and saw several corpses lying on the ground. The blood stained the bluestone floor red, which immediately calmed him down. He realized that in the eyes of his soldiers, the title of Duke of Yansheng was as light as a feather and was not worth mentioning at all. Yinzhi felt weak all over and sat down on the ground. He nodded helplessly to the man named Hao Yaoqi, his eyes full of humiliation and unwillingness.

Hao Yaoqi came over, patted Yinzhi on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Do you know who we are?" Yinzhi said nothing, but shook his head gently, his eyes full of doubt and fear. "We are from the Dashun Army. We came to Qufu this time just to borrow some money and food." Hao Yaoqi's words were a bit playful, as if this was not a robbery, but a friendly loan.

"Shun army? Bandits?" Yinzhi was puzzled, thinking that the bandits were fighting in Damingfu, right? Why did they suddenly come to Qufu? The Shun army general next to him was stunned when he heard this, but then he immediately realized that this operation was secret and he couldn't reveal his identity, so he said, "Yes, yes, we are the bandits." This trick really worked, and he got away in an instant. What a great idea! He was secretly happy, but his face remained calm.

Yinzhi still had a glimmer of hope in his heart, saying, "The Kong family doesn't have much money, and they all rely on the court for support." He fantasized that the other party might be lenient and let them go. But Hao Yaoqi didn't buy it. He sneered and ordered directly, "If you don't tell me, find it yourself!" His voice was cold and firm, as if it came from an ice cellar.

Following the order, two thousand elite soldiers moved quickly. Like a group of hungry cheetahs, they separated the people in the Confucius Mansion for interrogation. These soldiers were not only good at fighting, but also good at torture. Every time they arrived in a city, they would arrest officials and wealthy people and force them to hand over their money.

"Where is the gold of Confucius's Mansion hidden?" asked a soldier. His voice was cold and majestic, as if it could penetrate people's hearts.

"I... I don't know." A servant answered tremblingly, his eyes full of fear and helplessness.

"What about you?" the soldier asked another person, his tone full of impatience and threat.

"We are all servants of the Confucius Mansion. We really don't know where the gold is! Please spare our lives!" another man answered crying, his voice filled with tears and despair.

Everyone in the Confucius Mansion said they were poor and refused to hand over their money. But seeing how they valued money, it was obvious that they were lying. Everyone knew that it was difficult to go from extravagance to frugality, so they all pretended to be poor, hoping to escape this disaster.

Hao Yaoqi sneered and said, "Scholars just talk big! How can we not use severe punishment? Put on the tongs!" His voice was cold and firm, as if it came from hell.

The first group of soldiers immediately took out the clamps. The clamps were three feet long, five inches above the ground, and connected by wooden ribs. They could crush a person's bones. Kong Hongyi was so frightened when he saw this that his face turned pale and he begged for mercy. But the soldiers didn't care and clamped down directly.

"Ah!!!" Kong Hongyi screamed, the sound was so loud that it could penetrate the clouds, and the people around him were terrified. The soldier who was torturing him was also startled by the scream, and his hands loosened a little involuntarily. Kong Hongyi took the opportunity to pull his hands out of the clamps, held them to his chest and blew continuously, shouting that he was willing to tell the truth.

But Hao Yaoqi said coldly: "It's too late, continue the torture!" Kong Hongyi was clamped by the clamp again, his screams stopped abruptly, and then he fainted on the ground. The sound of bones breaking was crisp and audible, which made people shudder. Kong Hongyi woke up in pain and fainted again, and this happened repeatedly. The tragic scene was unbearable to watch.

The other people in the Kong Mansion were terrified when they saw this, and they surrendered one after another: "Don't pinch me! I'll tell you! I'll tell you! I'm in charge of the Kong Mansion's financial power. Let me go, and I'll tell you everything!"

"I have the key to the vault!"

"I have the key to the granary!"

……

Hao Yaoqi sneered and cursed, "What a bunch of spineless guys! You have brought shame to the scholars!" His voice was full of disdain and ridicule, as if he was watching a group of clowns performing.

Yinzhi finally couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you want to do?" There was a hint of trembling and helplessness in his voice, as if he was bowing to fate.

"Didn't I already tell you that I want to borrow some money and food?" Hao Yaoqi answered straightforwardly, as if this was just a simple transaction.

Yinzhi thought about it, then made up his mind and said, "If you can let my people go, you can take all the money and food in the warehouse." There was a bit of determination and helplessness in his voice, as if he was making a difficult decision.

"Okay!" Hao Yaoqi gave the order and stopped the torture. Everyone in the Confucius Mansion breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the ground gasping for breath. The power of the clamp was so great that it made people feel scared. They looked at Hao Yaoqi and his group with fear and helplessness in their eyes.

Hao Yaoqi didn't expect Yinzhi to give in so easily, but because of his noble status, he spared him the punishment. Yinzhi took them to the silver vault, and when the vault door was opened, they saw gold and silver everywhere, shining with an alluring light.

"There is so much gold!" Hao Yaoqi was overjoyed. You know, the value of gold is more than ten times that of silver. Now the salaries and wages of the officials of the Dashun Army are settled. There was a greedy light in his eyes, as if he had seen the glorious future of the Dashun Army.

"Move the gold first, then the silver!" Hao Yaoqi gave the order, and the two thousand soldiers immediately got busy. They moved quickly and soon moved all the gold and silver. Then they changed to Helan's troops to continue moving. In less than half a day, they returned with a full load. After stocking up on dry food, Hao Yaoqi led the army out of the city from the east gate, ran five miles, turned north to cross the Si River, and then headed west, and soon disappeared from people's sight.

The next morning, tens of thousands of soldiers passed by the city of Qufu. He Shun, the garrison commander, climbed up the tower and looked from afar. He saw dust flying and flags fluttering. He could not help wondering, "Why are the Jiannu coming again after they just left? Are these people bandits or Jiannu?" He frowned, feeling uneasy and doubtful. This sudden change plunged Qufu into turmoil again.

Kong Yinzhi, the honorable Duke of Yansheng, was sitting in the spacious but deserted hall of the Kong Mansion County Office. His face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it, and deep sorrow and anger gathered between his brows. The huge Kong Mansion has always been a symbol of glory for the descendants of saints, but now it has been looted. Not only has the gold and silver treasures been lost, but where can the face of the Duke of Yansheng be placed? It is really humiliating and extremely angry!
He reluctantly sat down, then turned to ask the servant standing beside him: "How is the situation with Hongyi?" The servant lowered his head and reported with a tremor in his voice: "Reporting to Lord Yansheng, County Magistrate Kong's hand bones are broken. Even if it can be cured, I'm afraid he will never be able to hold a pen again." When Kong Yinzhi heard this, he clenched his fists, burning with anger, and wished he could find the culprit immediately and tear them into pieces.

"Where is the garrison commander He Shun?" Kong Yinzhi's voice was filled with unquestionable majesty. The servant replied, "He is inspecting the city defense." Kong Yinzhi gritted his teeth and ordered, "Call him here quickly. I want him to give me an explanation!"

After a while, He Shun strode into the hall and stood directly in front of Kong Yinzhi. He was wearing armor, with a sword hanging from his waist, and looked unruly and arrogant. Kong Yinzhi was stunned, and his eyes swept to the servants outside the door who were supposed to report but bowed their heads and pretended to be deaf and dumb, and his heart was even more furious. He knew that the attitude of these servants was due to the strictness of him and Kong Hongyi before.

"What do you want to confess?" Kong Yinzhi stood up, sneered, and looked at him like a torch. "The bandits didn't even have siege equipment, but you surrendered so easily. This is a serious crime! You let the descendants of the Kong family suffer such a great disaster, and the Yanshenggong Mansion suffered heavy losses. Do you want to let it go like this?"

He Shun sneered and put on a condescending attitude: "I am the garrison commander of Qufu, a fifth-rank official of the imperial court. I am only responsible to the governor of Shandong, the governor-general, the Ministry of War, the cabinet and His Majesty. You are just a Yansheng Duke, what qualifications do you have to teach me?"

"The lives of tens of thousands of people in Qufu rest on my shoulders. Although I surrendered, it was also to protect the safety of the people in the city! Even if I was wrong, it is not yours to judge!" He Shun retorted, with unquestionable firmness in his voice.

Kong Yinzhi wanted to vent his anger at He Shun, but he hit a wall. He glared at He Shun as if he wanted to eat him alive. However, He Shun just sneered and turned away, not even giving Kong Yinzhi a chance to refute.

Outside the gate, the gatekeeper quickly caught up with He Shun and whispered, "Sir He, several of us brothers want to follow you." He Shun was stunned, thought for a while and said, "The court is asking each city to increase its troops, and I have a vacancy. But the military pay is seriously in arrears, and the little food and wages we get are barely enough to make ends meet." The officer hurriedly said, "It's okay, we are all bachelors, and one person's fullness can feed the whole family." He Shun smiled and nodded, "That's fine, you can come anytime." The two officers bowed deeply to He Shun, took off their officer uniforms in the street, and followed He Shun.

Seeing this, Kong Yinzhi was so angry that he slapped the armrest of the chair: "This is too much! This is too much!" He glared at the door, as if he wanted to pour out all his anger. He immediately asked someone to bring paper and pen, intending to write a document to the Yanzhou Prefecture, the Ministry of War, and the Cabinet to expose He Shun's evil deeds. However, he changed his mind and said, "No! I will directly submit a memorial to His Majesty to impeach He Shun! Let His Majesty chop off his head!" He continued to roar in the direction where He Shun left, with endless anger and unwillingness in his voice.

After finishing the official document and the memorial, Kong Yinzhi's anger subsided a little. He returned to the inner hall and sat opposite his wife, Hou. Hou came from a family of scholars. Although she was not rich, she was well-educated and well-mannered. Seeing that Kong Yinzhi was still angry, she brought him a cup of hot tea and patted his shoulders to comfort him.

Kong Yinzhi punched the table, and the tea in the cup splashed out: "Humph! The murderer hasn't been caught yet, how can I not be angry!" Hou asked in surprise: "I heard from the servants that the murderer called himself Shunjun? Are they the bandits mentioned by the court?" Kong Yinzhi shook his head: "No! When they forced He Shun to surrender, they called themselves members of the Qing White Banner, and after entering the city, they changed their name to Shunjun. People who do this kind of thing are not stupid, and they will not easily reveal their identities. There must be something fishy here!"

Hou thought for a moment and asked carefully, "Master, do you think this was done by the government troops? They pretended to be Jiannu to force the defenders to surrender, and then pretended to be bandits to rob after entering the city?" Kong Yinzhi glared at her and said, "You have long hair but little knowledge! Use your brain before you speak! Those cavalrymen are well-equipped and well-disciplined. They are obviously elite troops. The elite troops in Shandong have long been transferred to the capital. How can they still have such strength?"

"Who did it?" Hou was also confused. She looked at Kong Yinzhi's frowning brows, and her heart was filled with worry.

After a while, Kong Yinzhi called a meeting of everyone in the mansion. He stood in the middle of the hall and looked at everyone solemnly: "Today, the Kong Mansion suffered such a disaster. As the Duke of Yansheng, I must seek justice for you and the Kong Mansion!" Everyone responded: "Please let the Duke of Yansheng decide!" "Please ask the court to send troops to capture them all!" "Yes! Execute them on the spot!"

Kong Yinzhi motioned for everyone to be quiet, and then asked, "Who do you think the murderer is?" "It's the Jiannu! The letter of persuasion says they are from the Qing Dynasty's Bordered White Banner!" Someone shouted. "No! It's the bandits! They came into the city and called themselves the Dashun Army to borrow money and food!" "It's the Jiannu!" "It's the bandits!" The two groups argued and the hall was in chaos.

At this time, the housekeeper stood up and said: "I think it was done by the Jiannu! When they were moving money and grain, I secretly observed that some people took off their helmets because of the heat, and I saw that they had pigtails tied behind their heads!" As soon as this sentence came out, everyone fell silent. The pigtail was the iconic hairstyle of the Jiannu!

Kong Yinzhi narrowed his eyes and memorized this important clue. He thought to himself: "It must be the Jiannu who did it! I will submit a petition to Your Majesty, requesting that you send troops to wipe out these Jiannu villains!" Just then, a servant ran in in a panic and shouted: "Oh no! Lord Yansheng! The garrison reported that tens of thousands of Jiannu troops are already at the gates of the city!"

Kong Yinzhi was shocked when he heard this. He stood up suddenly with a determined look in his eyes. He knew that this was a life-and-death struggle. He had to stand up and defend the Kong Mansion and the people of Qufu. He immediately summoned the guards and servants in the mansion to prepare to fight against the Jiannu army. A bloody battle was about to begin. Kong Yinzhi would use his wisdom and courage to write a legendary history of resistance.

In that turbulent time, Kong Yinzhi, the head of the Kong Mansion, felt an indescribable panic when he heard that tens of thousands of Jiannu troops were approaching the city like a tide. He felt as if he was entangled in countless messy threads and couldn't figure out the clues. He recalled the disaster that the Kong Mansion had encountered yesterday. Those gold and silver treasures, worth millions of taels of silver, were just watching them disappear into thin air. The pain in his heart was like being cut by a sharp knife, which was indescribable. He knew very well that if he encountered such a disaster again, the Kong family's hundreds of years of foundation would be destroyed and become a laughing stock.

"The people guarding the city said that the enemy number is about 20,000 to 30,000, but the exact number has not yet been determined." A servant reported hurriedly, his face full of anxiety.

Kong Yinzhi frowned upon hearing this and asked, "What's going on with He Shun?" What he was really worried about was not whether He Shun would surrender, but that he was afraid that he would be stubborn and refuse to surrender. After all, the barbarians of the Jiannu would massacre the city at will, and surrendering might save his life and reduce some losses.

"Captain He has not yet expressed his position, because the Jiannu did not attack the city, nor did they stay outside the city. They went directly to Yanzhou Prefecture in the west!" The servant's answer made Kong Yinzhi feel relieved, but then a surge of anger rose again. He shouted at the servant: "How can you say something like 'the enemy is at the gate' casually? Do you know how much panic this will cause?" The servant was so scared that he trembled all over, and quickly punished himself by slapping himself hard.

After the servants left, Kong Yinzhi took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and said to everyone: "Don't panic, no matter who did it, the court will definitely give us justice!" After that, he ordered everyone to go home, count the losses, and report to the court.

However, everyone knew clearly that the Ming Dynasty was now in trouble both internally and externally, and it was difficult to protect itself, so how could it have the energy to care about the affairs of the Kong family? But there was no other way, so they could only sigh and disperse, busy counting the losses.

Half a day later, Kong Yinzhi looked at the loss list presented to him, frowning and silent. The housekeeper was waiting on the side. Seeing that he had not moved for a long time, he asked cautiously: "Master, is there anything wrong with this number?" Kong Yinzhi looked up and raised a meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth: "Not right? No, it's too right, but this is just the surface number."

When the housekeeper heard this, he felt nervous, thinking that the calculation was wrong, and hurriedly said, "Damn it, I'll recalculate it now." Kong Yinzhi waved his hand, "No need, I'm not saying that the calculation was wrong, but that the loss figure is not big enough!"

"Not big enough?" The butler looked confused.

"Yes, how much silver was lost in our house?" Kong Yinzhi asked.

"My lord, the total amount of gold converted into silver, plus other losses, is about 1,574,000 taels," the butler replied respectfully.

"You see, this number needs to be added up to two million, seventy-four thousand taels!" Kong Yinzhi's smile deepened.

The housekeeper was stunned, and his mind was full of doubts: This... Is this possible? This figure has been repeatedly checked by various courts, why do they suddenly have to add 500,000 taels? Is it because I am old and my eyes are blurry and I calculated it wrong?

Kong Yinzhi gently patted the butler's shoulder and explained: "The court has exempted the whole country from taxes for one year. What does this mean? It means that the court's treasury is full! We can take this opportunity to report more and cry to the court. They will naturally find a way to help us fill this hole. Do you understand?"

The housekeeper suddenly understood what was going on and nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand. Master, this is a really smart move!"

Kong Yinzhi laughed loudly, and then told the housekeeper: "This matter must be kept secret. After the matter is completed, you will definitely benefit from it." The housekeeper quickly agreed: "Don't worry, sir, I am very tight-lipped and will never leak a word."

……

Let's talk about Kaizhou Prefecture. It was called Hebei Road in the Tang Dynasty. It was the place where the Zhenning Army of Chanzhou Chanyuan County was governed. The people were used to calling it Chanyuan. The famous Chanyuan Alliance in history was signed here. In the fourth year of Huangtong in the Jin Dynasty, Chanzhou was renamed Kaizhou, and this name is still used today.

In the Kaizhou government office, Li Zicheng's troops were busy counting the casualties. Jing Changhao stepped forward to report: "Your Majesty, yesterday we exchanged Daming Prefecture for General Fang Liang, and our army attacked from the left wing, but unexpectedly encountered a counterattack from the right wing of the Ming army, resulting in a loss of about 3,000 people, while the Ming army only suffered a few hundred casualties." His words were euphemistic, but in fact they were due to underestimating the enemy.

"Who is the commander of the left wing?" Li Zicheng asked in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!" Gao Yigong fell to his knees, "I should not have underestimated the Ming army, and I should not have attacked rashly. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

Li Zicheng sighed and said earnestly: "I know you are eager to make achievements, but the Ming army today is no longer the same as before. In the past, they lacked food and money, and our army scattered as soon as they charged. Now they have sufficient food and money, and their combat effectiveness is strong. If you still look at them with the old eyes, you will be the only one who suffers!" After that, he sternly warned Gao Yigong again.

Gao Yigong admitted his mistakes repeatedly and retreated back to the team of generals. In fact, he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly this time in order to cover up Hao Yaoqi's actions. Li Zicheng understood in his heart, and seeing Gao Yigong's sincere attitude in admitting his mistakes, he did not blame him too much.

Afterwards, Li Zicheng comforted Luo Wenbin and asked him to go back to Guanzhong to recruit soldiers. Although Luo Wenbin was a little unhappy, he also understood Li Zicheng's intention and had to agree. He was still thinking about the mysterious person he met in prison that night. Who was he? Why did he know everything? However, now was not the time to think about these things. It was more important to finish the job first. (End of this chapter)