Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 390 Old Friend
At the Hou Mansion, it was already past noon. The Ninghai soldiers were arranged by the Hou family to have dinner in the side hall, while Liu Guoxuan and other soldiers and leaders were invited to the main hall.
In the hall, people sat down on both sides. Hou Qizeng led Hou Xuanxi, Hou Xuanhan and other family members to sit on the left side of the hall, while Liu Guoxuan and other Ninghai soldiers sat on the right side.
The hall is fully stocked with seasonal fruits such as cantaloupe and autumn pears on the table, and various cakes such as plum blossom cakes, Dingsheng cakes, and jujube paste sesame cakes on one side of the fruit plate.

After the two parties drank tea, Hou Qizeng was the first to speak.

"If General Liu had not arrived in time today, my family would have been killed by the evil officials."

"General, you have come a thousand miles to help me, but I am ashamed to say that I am not familiar with family affairs and I did not recognize my old friend. I would like to ask General Liu, where did my Hou family get to know General Chen?"

Liu Guoxuan put down the tea bowl, but his expression remained unchanged, and he spoke directly

"My general Chen was born in Yangzhou Wei. In the past, he served as the commander of the camp in Zhenjiang Prefecture. At that time, a villain in the army failed to extort bribes and falsely accused my general. Fortunately, Lord Yuzhan spoke out impartially, which saved my general from false accusations."

"My general wanted to come to express his gratitude after the victory, but Lord Yuzhan refused sternly and only told my general to behave himself and be loyal to the court. He also returned all the gifts my general had sent."

"Mr. Yuzhan is upright and honest, so my general has not dared to disturb your house for many years."

"My general once said that what happened in the past may be a small matter to Yuzhan Gong, but my general was able to escape because of it. I will never forget this great favor."

Hou Qizeng heard this and a flash of realization flashed in his eyes. He immediately believed what Liu Guoxuan said because, as far as Hou Qizeng knew, his brother had indeed worked in the Nanjing Military Department.
Hou Qizeng certainly had no doubt that this statement was a carefully fabricated relationship between Chen Tianchong and Hou Dongzeng based on their resumes.

Hou Dong once served as the director of Nanjing Military Selection Department. Anyone who investigates this matter can find the intersection between the two parties.

The safest approach is to push the relationship between Chen Tianchong and the Hou family onto Hou Dongzeng.

Hou Dongzeng is dead, and no one can find him to verify the past. As long as the Hou family and Ninghai are in agreement, no one can find any doubts.

Hou Qizeng couldn't help but feel a little sad at this moment. His brother was upright and honest, but everyone laughed at him for not being able to adapt.

But it was this uprightness that left countless blessings for the Hou family, which allowed the Hou family to be helped by many gentry after being listed as a rebel and to persist until now.
Hou Qi was about to ask about what happened back then, but Liu Guoxuan's eyes flashed and he suddenly said

"The past affairs between my general and Lord Yuzhan are somewhat taboo and should not be publicized. Please ask Mr. Hou to dismiss the attendants so that I can announce the auspiciousness on your behalf."

As soon as Liu Guoxuan finished speaking, the black-clad soldiers who followed him stood up immediately.
Hou Qi Zeng also looked stunned, but seeing that all the soldiers had stood up, he could only speak

"Xuan Xi can stay, Tian Kui and Xuan Han you can leave first."

Gu Tiankui and the others were about to stand up, but Liu Guoxuan spoke again

"General Chen has said that only Mr. Hou can be informed of what happened in the past."

Hou Qi was surprised when he heard this and said

"Xuan Xi is my eldest son. I am not a reckless person and will never speak nonsense outside."

"The general said that only Mr. Hou could be informed."

Liu Guoxuan immediately spoke without any hesitation.
Hou Xuan looked at Liu Guoxuan, who had a determined look on his face, and hurriedly stood up and said

"Since General Liu has something to discuss with my father, I will go to the side hall to welcome the heroes first."

Hou Xuanqi and his companions quickly stood up and walked out of the hall. The Hou family members walked out of the hall, but the soldiers who accompanied them did not leave after they left the room.

Several soldiers stood outside the door, guarding the doors and windows of the lobby, and not allowing anyone to approach.

Hou Xuanqi, Gu Tiankui and other people from the Hou family looked at each other. Although Hou Xuanqi looked worried, he did not dare to say much at this time and could only lead everyone to leave first.
In the hall, Hou Xuanqi, Guan Ke and others all left, leaving only Hou Qiceng and Liu Guoxuan.
At the lobby door, a soldier in black with a turban on his head closed the lobby door. After closing the door, the soldier did not leave, but walked back into the hall.
Hou Qizeng's face also became solemn at this time. He didn't know what happened that made these Ninghai soldiers so solemn.

"May I ask General Liu, what is going on that needs to be kept so secret?"

Liu Guoxuan heard this but did not say anything. He nodded to the black-clad soldier who was approaching, but suddenly stood up and retreated to the door.
The black-clad soldier walked forward and sat on Liu Guoxuan's seat.
Hou Qizeng looked at Liu Guoxuan who suddenly stood up, with a look of astonishment on his face. The man in black looked at Hou Qizeng opposite him, and suddenly said

"Brother Yongzhan, do you still recognize my old friend?"

Hou Qi looked at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him. He was puzzled at first, but the more he looked, the more he felt that the man was familiar.

The next moment, Hou Qi Zeng suddenly stood up in surprise and exclaimed

"Xu Angong, Brother Angong? Why are you here?"

Hou Qizeng certainly recognized Xu Fuyuan. After Nanjing was captured by the Qing army, the Qing army quickly marched south.
At that time, there were wars everywhere in Jiangnan. The gentry who supported the Ming Dynasty gathered their troops to revolt. Xu Fuyuan and other scholars also joined forces with Wu Zhikui, the general of Susong, and others to revolt in Songjiang.
When Hou Qizeng heard the news, he immediately rushed to Songjiang to join the rebel army and started the uprising together with Xu Fuyuan and others. The two were not only old friends, but also had rebelled together before.

However, Xu Fuyuan, Wu Zhikui and others were just hastily assembled soldiers and generals. Not long after the uprising in Songjiang, the rebel army was wiped out by the Qing army. Hou Qi fled back to Jiading, while Xu Fuyuan fled to the south by sea, and later joined the Longwu court.

After the Qing army occupied Jiading, the Qing government strictly monitored the Hou family, a family that colluded with the rebellion, and the news from the Jiangnan, Fujian and Zhejiang regions was cut off. After the failure of the Songjiang Uprising, Hou Qizeng never received any news from Xu Fuyuan again.

Hou Qi Zeng did not expect that he would see Xu Fuyuan again in his mansion today.

Hou Qizeng also realized at this time that there should be no gratitude between his family and the Ninghai General Chen. The reason why these Ninghai soldiers helped was probably because of Xu Fuyuan's relationship.

Some of the Ninghai soldiers shaved their heads and kept their braids, while others wore turbans. Xu Fuyuan wrapped his head with a black turban, shaved off all the hair near the back of his neck, and a braid also fell from the back of his head.
Hou Qi looked at the thin braid behind Xu Fuyuan's head, with a look of emotion on his face, and said

"I never thought that Lord An would also surrender to the Tartars... and even serve the imperial court."

"Well, well, we are living in a chaotic world with the breakdown of social order. What can scholars like us do? All we can do is to protect ourselves and our families..."

Xu Fuyuan's face darkened when he heard this, and he said, "Scholars of my generation read the books of sages, do the deeds of sages, sacrifice their lives for the sake of righteousness. Although I am not talented, I still know the importance of defense between China and foreign countries, and I know propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame. How could I surrender to the Tartars?"

"I am now the governor of Suzhou and Songjiang appointed by the imperial court. I have come here specifically to drive out the Tartars. Brother Yong Zhan, please do not make any mistake."

After Xu Fuyuan finished speaking, he untied the scarf on his head, revealing a head of long hair mixed with black and white.
Hou Qi was also surprised when he saw the bun on Xu Fuyuan's head.

Hou Qi Zeng also immediately realized why Liu Guoxuan and others had dismissed everyone just now, and why Xu Fuyuan disguised himself as a soldier to hide his whereabouts.
Although Hou Qi had surrendered and fled, Xu Fuyuan had obviously never changed his original intention. He was even highly valued by the court and was appointed as the governor of Suzhou and Songjiang.
However, the court that Xu Fuyuan mentioned is obviously different from the court that Hou Qizeng mentioned.
The governor of Susong appointed by the Qing court is a national treasure. Hou Qi once sent a lot of silver to the governor's office to confiscate the Hou family's property. There is no way he could have made a mistake.
But now Xu Fuyuan also calls himself the Governor of Susong. Obviously, Xu Fuyuan, the Governor of Susong, is the Governor of Susong appointed by the Ming Dynasty.
Xu Fuyuan looked at Hou Qizeng, who looked shocked, and said in a deep voice:

"Brother Yong Zhan, you have been in the enemy territory for several years. Are you a Qing or Ming official now?"

Hou Qizeng saw Xu Fuyuan staring at him, and his expression became flustered. Although Xu Fuyuan did not say much, Hou Qizeng already knew what Xu Fuyuan wanted to do.

Xu Fuyuan has now been appointed as the governor of Suzhou and Songjiang, and has quietly sneaked into Jiading. What else can he do? Xu Fuyuan is looking for the Hou family at this time, and he must want to use the Hou family's power to do something big.

But now the land of Jiangnan is full of Qing troops, and Jiading is located in the heart of Nanzhili. How can this be done so easily?
If he agreed to help Xu Fuyuan at this time, once the matter was leaked, all the people in the Hou family would be killed without a burial place. How could Hou Qi dare to respond?

Although Hou Qizeng joined the rebel army with great indignation in his early years, he became disheartened after the rebel army was defeated and Hou Dongzeng died for his country.

Although Hou Qizeng frequently inquired about the news in the south, his purpose was just to hope that the Guangdong army could recover Jiangnan as soon as possible and solve the current predicament of the Hou family.
Hou Qi once hoped that the imperial court would launch a northern expedition, but he himself did not dare to get involved in it.

After Hou Dongzeng died for his country, Hou Qizeng was the only one left to support the family.

Hou Qi now only wanted to complete his brother's request and protect the safety of the Hou family. He no longer dared to care about other things.

Xu Fuyuan saw Hou Qi avoiding his gaze and remained silent for a long time, but at this moment he suddenly stood up.
Xu Fuyuan took out a piece of bright yellow silk from his bosom, held it in front of him, looked at Hou Qizeng opposite him, and said in a cold voice:

"I am Hou Qizeng, a student of Jiading. I am Xu Fuyuan, the governor of Suzhou and Songjiang. I have been specially ordered by the Ming Dynasty court of Guangdong Province to promote you to be the governor of Suzhou."

"Here is the imperial decree, accept it or not!"

Xu Fuyuan looked at Hou Qizeng, who was becoming increasingly flustered, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

Liu Guoxuan, who had been standing by the door, suddenly raised his head with a stern look on his face and looked at Hou Qizeng, who was in panic.
Before Xu Fuyuan revealed his identity, Hou Qizeng still had a way back, but after revealing his identity, Xu Fuyuan knew that Hou Qizeng had no choice.
Although Xu Fuyuan was the governor of Suzhou and Songjiang, he was just an executor.
The overall plan for the Jiangnan incident has been reported to the palace. According to the plan set by the Secret Guard, if Hou Qi Zeng is unwilling to serve the court, then in order to prevent the news from being leaked, Hou Qi Zeng must be eliminated, and Liu Guoxuan is the person responsible for supervising the execution.
This is also the reason why Liu Guoxuan just asked Hou Xuanqi and others to withdraw. If the Hou family refuses to cooperate, all the people in the Hou family who know the news will be killed.
Xu Fuyuan certainly trusted Hou Qizeng's character, but Deng Mingwu and the Secret Guards did not.

At this time, only Hou Qi Zeng was left here. If he really disagreed, then they would just have to kill Hou Qi Zeng. This was the only thing Xu Fuyuan could do for the Hou family.

Compared to the hidden lines that the imperial court had spent years laying, whether it was Hou Qi Zeng or the entire Hou family, in the eyes of the Secret Guards, these people could all be sacrificed.

Hou Qi was stunned for a long while as he looked at the dragon with bared fangs and claws on the bright yellow silk.

The heroic sacrifice of his brother for his country, the humiliation of having his head shaved, the sarcasm of the villagers, the oppression of the Qing officials, everything that had happened over the past few years suddenly came to his mind.

Hou Qi suddenly fell to his knees, banging his head heavily on the ground, sobbing.

"The guilty minister Hou Qizeng accepts the order and thanks you for your grace."

Xu Fuyuan looked at Hou Qizeng who was kneeling on the ground and kowtowed, and his heart suddenly relaxed.

The court did not choose the Hou family at random. On the one hand, the court chose the Hou family because Hou Dong had died for his country, making the Hou family more likely to be turned against.

Another reason was the status of the Hou family. The Hou family was a prominent family in Jiading. They had extensive connections in Suzhou and Songjiang, and were connected with the gentry in both places. What the court wanted was the relationship between the Hou family and the two places.
Although Hou Qizeng was unaware of the court's plan to kill people to silence them, he actually had no way out at this time.

Although Zhang Hong and others were temporarily forced to retreat, the predicament of the Hou family did not change.
If Xu Fuyuan and others no longer provide shelter, the Hou family will be reduced to its original state.

The Hou family was such a prestigious family in the past, but now even a scoundrel like Xu Xiang can bully them. Hou Qi has had enough of the oppression of these corrupt officials.

After Hou Qizeng received the imperial edict, there was no hesitation on his face. He held the imperial edict tightly, his face flushed, and immediately said:

"Mr. An, is the imperial court planning a northern expedition? If you have anything to say, please let me know. I will go to the palace now and contact the local righteous men."

Xu Fuyuan looked at the excited Hou Qizeng, but shook his head slightly and said

"Brother Yong Zhan, please be patient. The Northern Expedition is a major event for the imperial court. The court elders will take care of it."

"Although I am returning to Suzhou for the Northern Expedition, I have another important task. Yong Zhan, do you know where Chen Wozi is now?"

The Chen Wozi mentioned by Xu Fuyuan was Chen Zilong, who also participated in the Songjiang Uprising with Xu Fuyuan and others.

After the failure of the Songjiang Uprising, Chen Zilong hid in the coastal prefectures of Nanzhili and continued to plan an uprising against the Qing Dynasty.
In order to evade the Qing government's pursuit, Chen Youlong's whereabouts have been erratic in recent years, and the Guangdong provincial government has been unable to determine his exact whereabouts.
Xu Fuyuan came to the Hou family, not only to incite the Hou family to rebel, but also to find out the whereabouts of Chen Zilong.
Hou Qizeng hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Brother Wozi should be in Kunshan now. As long as I get to Kunshan, I should be able to contact him."

Xu Fuyuan's face brightened when he heard this, and he said

"Please lead the way, Yong Zhan. I have something important to discuss with Brother Wozi."

Xu Fuyuan discussed with Hou Qi in the hall, and Liu Guoxuan and others left the mansion the next day.
In Jiading County, although Xu Fuyuan asked Hou Qi Zeng to lead the way, Hou Qi Zeng did not leave.

Hou Qizeng, Hou Xuanqi and other members of the Hou family were still sitting in the Hou family, attracting the attention of the people in the county, while Gu Tiankui quietly left the city and led Liu Guoxuan and others to rush towards Kunshan.
(End of this chapter)