Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 403 Squire
Ningbo, on the eleventh day of the first lunar month, in the afternoon, a melodious tune was heard from the back hall of Xie's mansion.
In the back hall, a bright-faced woman in a lake green costume was singing The Peony Pavilion. On one side of the hall, several musicians were playing pipa, sheng, flute and other instruments.
The singing in the hall is in harmony with the tunes, sometimes high-pitched and passionate, sometimes sad and long. It is obvious that this troupe is carefully trained and has extremely exquisite skills.

Xie Sanbin sat in the hall wearing a black brocade cloak, watching the opera troupe rehearsing below. In the late Ming Dynasty, opera flourished in Jiangnan. No matter whether they were civil officials, military generals or wealthy people, as long as they had a little wealth, they would raise an opera troupe at home.
These gentry and scholars not only listened to operas, but also personally created the plays, selected singing girls, and managed the opera troupes.

Today, the most famous opera troupes in the world almost all come from these wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River. In the midst of these elegant songs and dances, the Ming Dynasty, which had been passed down for hundreds of years, collapsed.
Xie Sanbin was usually very obsessed with music, but today he was a little absent-minded. Although his eyes were on the troupe below, his gaze kept looking outside the hall.

The music in the hall was playing for a while, and suddenly there was a sound of footsteps, and a young man in a brocade robe suddenly broke into the hall.

Xie Yucheng's forehead was covered with sweat, but his face looked extremely excited.
When Xie Sanbin saw Xie Yucheng coming in, his eyes lit up and he stood up.
But Xie Sanbin seemed to realize that something was wrong, and soon forced himself to sit down again, hiding the anxious look on his face and becoming calm again.
Xie Yucheng entered the hall, glanced at the troupe, and waved his hand to order them to leave.

After the troupe left, Xie Yucheng could no longer conceal the excitement on his face and said directly:

"Dad, guess who I met with that old man in China?"

Xie Sanbin saw the show-off on Xie Yucheng's face, but he could no longer bear it and shouted

"Don't keep us in suspense. Tell us what's going on with those two old thieves from China, Wang Jiaqin."

Xie Yucheng saw Xie Sanbin's stern face, but he was not afraid at all, and spoke directly

"Yesterday, the two thieves of Hua Wang entered the city to avoid disaster. I secretly went to investigate and found that the traitor Gao Yutai was mixed in with the family members of the two thieves of Hua Wang."

Xie Sanbin was stunned at first, but then he quickly remembered who Gao Yutai was. Xie Sanbin's eyes lit up and he immediately spoke.

"Are you sure? Is it really Gao Yutai?"

"When the servants reported it to me, I didn't believe it. But I just went to the King Hua's residence and saw it with my own eyes. It was indeed Gao Yutai and Gao Yuanfa."

"I just met Gao Yuanfa a few years ago when my family held a poetry gathering in Jiyuan outside the city. I would never make a mistake."

"Okay, okay, this is really wealth delivered to your doorstep!"

After hearing Xie Yucheng's confirmation, Xie Sanbin could no longer conceal his excitement and stood up from his chair with an excited look on his face.
Gao Yutai is not an important character, but Gao Yutai's father is extremely important.

Gao Yutai's father is named Gao Doushu, who was the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Henan Province during the Chongzhen period, but now he is the Governor-General of Hunan Province appointed by the Pseudo-Ming Dynasty in Guangdong Province!

Gao Doushu and Xie Sanbin are both from Ningbo. Others do not know Gao Doushu's situation, but Xie Sanbin is very well-informed and knows Gao Doushu's situation very well.

Three years ago, the Ming court in Guangdong Province recovered Huguang. I don't know who the traitor Gao Doushu followed, but he suddenly became the governor of Hunan Province of the Ming court.
Soon after Gao Doushu took office as the Governor-General of Hunan Province, someone from the Qing court came to Ningbo to arrest Gao Yutai.

However, when the Qing court arrived, not only Gao Yutai, but even the Gao family members disappeared without a trace.

Xie Sanbin didn't expect that Gao Yutai would dare to sneak back to Ningbo after disappearing. This thief is really bold!

Xie Sanbin is very clear about the current situation in the court. The Ming court is now powerful in Huguang, and the court only has three prefectures in Hubei and Wuchang left in Huguang. The situation is precarious.

The Ming court was in Huguang, surrounding Wuchang on three sides. As far as Xie Sanbin knew, the defense zone south of Wuchang was guarded by the Hunan Provincial Army under Gao Doushu.
If the imperial court could capture Gao Yutai at this time, they could use Gao Yutai to threaten Gao Doushu. If they could take advantage of the situation to incite Gao Doushu to rebel, with Gao Doushu as an insider, the Qing court would be able to regain Hunan Province without any effort!

Even if Gao Doushu is determined not to surrender, it doesn't matter. As long as the court publicly releases Gao Yutai to Huguang, it will immediately catch the Ming court off guard.

As long as Gao Yutai appears in Huguang, the Ming court will definitely transfer Gao Doushu from Hunan Province even if they are unwilling. It would be even better if they can take this opportunity to stir up suspicion in the Ming court and let the Ming court kill Gao Doushu.

The governor of a province has a very important position. How can he be easily moved?
Regardless of whether the Ming court transferred or killed Gao Doushu, Hunan Province would inevitably be in chaos for a while, and this would be the Qing court's opportunity.
How the Qing court uses Gao Yutai has nothing to do with Xie Sanbin. He only needs to know that Gao Yutai is of great use to the court now, and that is enough.

If he could capture Gao Yutai and present him to the court at this time, it would be a great achievement. For Xie Sanbin, this would be a fortune from heaven.
Xie Yucheng stood at the bottom of the hall. Seeing Xie Sanbin's face flushed and he paced back and forth in front of his seat, he could no longer bear it and said:

"Father, what should we do now?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Sanbin's eyes flashed with a hint of sternness, and he said in a cold voice
"The two old villains Wang Jiaqin of China have repeatedly committed treason. Even though Zhejiang Province has become the territory of the Qing Dynasty, they are still secretly colluding with the fake rebel King Lu of Zhoushan. They really don't know how to live or die."

"This time, the traitor Gao Yutai sneaked into Ningbo and got involved with those two old thieves. He must be plotting to rebel against the court. His crime is truly heinous."

"These two old villains are stubborn and have no regard for the benevolence and grace of the Qing Dynasty. I will eliminate these traitors for the Qing Dynasty."

"Today is the day for me to rise again!"

Xie Sanbin and Wang Jiaqin of the Central Plains had long been feuding with each other. After the Hongguang court was destroyed, Wang Jiaqin of the Central Plains of Zhejiang Province and others initiated an uprising in Ningbo, intending to raise troops to resist the Qing invaders and defend Zhejiang Province.
Xie Sanbin was a junior minister of the Imperial Household during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen. He once commanded an army and quelled a rebellion in Shandong Province.

Hua Xia and others saw that Xie Sanbin had been a military commander and a disciple of Qian Qianyi, and had a great reputation among scholars, so they wanted to reject Xie Sanbin as the leader of the righteous army.

But when Xie Sanbin knew that Huaxia and others wanted him to be the leader of the alliance, his expression changed drastically. He said that the situation was fragile and that you were not afraid of death. Then he closed the door and refused to be the leader of the righteous army.

Hua Xia and others had no choice but to nominate Qian Sule, who held a lower position and had a lower reputation, as the leader of the Righteous Army.
Qian Sule was still ill at the time, but when he knew that Hua Xia and others were planning to start an uprising, he agreed directly and even distributed his wealth to recruit volunteers.
Xie Sanbin not only refused to join the rebel army, but also secretly contacted Wang Zhiren, who was then the general of the Qing army, to inform on a group of rebel gentry after learning that Qian Sulu and others from China were determined to resist.

Xie Sanbin originally wanted Wang Zhiren to arrest the rebels, but he didn't know that Wang Zhiren had already decided to support Lu as the regent.

On the day when the Ningbo gentry took the oath of allegiance, Xie Sanbin, as a well-known figure in the village, also pretended to be there.

Xie Sanbin came to the scene to watch Wang Zhiren arrest Qian Sule, Hua Xia and other righteous men, but who knew that after everyone arrived, Wang Zhiren directly read out Xie Sanbin's letter of accusation in public and prepared to behead Xie Sanbin as a sacrifice.

Xie Sanbin was horrified when he heard the letter of denunciation and tried desperately to get it back, but was immediately captured by Wang Zhiren's personal soldiers.
When Xie Sanbin heard that they were going to kill him as a sacrifice, he was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

Xie Sanbin finally donated a large amount of his family wealth to serve as military funds for the rebel army, thus saving his life.
After the establishment of the Lu Regent Dynasty, although the Chinese Wang Jiaqin and others were the first ministers, they were only students and were not given important positions by the Lu Regent Dynasty.
However, Xie Sanbin, the villain who informed on the righteous army, bribed the eunuchs in the palace of Lu Jianguo with gold and silver, and eventually transformed himself into the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of Dongke in the court of Lu Jianguo.
After the Qing army conquered Zhejiang Province, Wang Zhiren died in battle, Qian Sule followed the Lu Jianguo to sail on the sea, Hua Xia and others stayed in the village and secretly contacted Zhoushan to plan another attack, and Xie Sanbin quickly surrendered after the Qing court attacked, saving his life and property again.
Although Xie Sanbin was able to keep his family business, he was already notorious in the village. Even though he was a cabinet minister in the Lu Regent Court, he was not allowed to be employed after surrendering to the Qing Dynasty. He no longer had an official status.
The scholars who supported the Ming Dynasty in Huaxia despised Xie Sanbin very much. In recent years, they have repeatedly publicized Xie Sanbin's past misdeeds in the village. Now Xie Sanbin has become a target of public condemnation among the scholars in Ningbo. No one wants to have anything to do with Xie Sanbin.
Hua Xia's Wang Jiaqin and others repeatedly ruined Xie Sanbin's reputation, and Xie Sanbin hated Hua Xia and others.
Xie Sanbin knew Hua Xia and the others very well, and he vaguely knew that Hua Xia and the others were still secretly in contact with Lu Jianguo on Zhoushan Island.
Recently, Xie Sanbin heard rumors that Huaxia Wang Jiaqin and other traitors had been meeting in secret, so Xie Sanbin sent people to secretly monitor Huaxia and others.

Xie Sanbin's move was originally intended to catch Hua Xia and others secretly communicating with the Ming court, and then report them to the court, and use the court to get rid of Hua Xia and others.

But Xie Sanbin never thought that his ordinary surveillance would catch the big fish Gao Yutai!
Xie Sanbin sat on the chair, a ruthless look flashed in his eyes, and he said in a cold voice
"Withdraw all the people and don't alarm them. Follow me to the government office immediately to meet Chen Daotai. This time, I will definitely catch all these traitors in the court..."

Xie Sanbin's face was full of excitement, but before he could finish his words, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the hall, and the noise was getting louder and louder.

Xie Sanbin subconsciously looked outside the hall. There was a burst of hurried footsteps outside the hall. A middle-aged steward in black suddenly broke into the hall.

The middle-aged steward had a panicked look on his face and spoke as soon as he entered the room.

"Master, something terrible has happened. The imperial navy is charging towards the city!"

"The Imperial Navy? Aren't they in Dinghai Water Fortress to defend against Zhoushan rebels? What are they doing in Ningbo?"

Xie Sanbin had a puzzled look on his face. The black-clothed steward was also stunned when he heard what Xie Sanbin said, and then he immediately spoke

"It's not the imperial navy, it's the pseudo-Ming navy"

"Just now, citizens of Dinghai City fled into the city, saying that the Ming navy had surrounded Dinghai this morning and was heading towards the city now."

"Now the people in the city are all terrified and in great chaos."

Xie Sanbin stood up from his seat in shock, his face turning pale.

Xie Sanbin stood there for a moment, but his face suddenly became panic-stricken, and he spoke in a trembling voice

"It's over. The imperial court must be preparing for a northern expedition."

The black-clad steward looked at the frightened Xie Sanbin and was also confused. For a moment, he didn't know which imperial court his master was talking about.

But at this moment, Xie Sanbin had no time to think about what the manager was thinking. He was filled with fear and instantly connected all the things together.
The Simingshan righteous army rebelled and broke through Shangyu. Gao Yutai suddenly sneaked into Ningbo with a mysterious whereabouts. The garrison in Ningbo had just been transferred out of the city, and then the imperial navy suddenly attacked Ningbo.

How could such a coincidence happen in this world? This was clearly something the court had planned long ago.
Yes, it should be so. The imperial court has not resorted to war for several years since it defeated the Qing invaders in Huguang, Sichuan and Shu three years ago.

The imperial court must have moved the tiger away from the mountain this time in order to capture Ningbo. The imperial court must be going north to fight against the Qing invaders.
Xie Sanbin was still stunned, but Xie Yucheng below was already panicking. Xie Yucheng looked anxious and said directly

"Father, the Pseudo-Ming army is attacking Ningbo this time. Gao Yutai and his men have sneaked into the city. They must be spies from the Ming court. They are definitely planning to cooperate with the Pseudo-Ming army to seize the city."

"We should go to the government office immediately to report to the governor and arrest Gao Yutai and other traitors. We must not let these spies disrupt the city."

Xie Yucheng's voice finally woke up Xie Sanbin, but after Xie Sanbin came to his senses, he suddenly cursed at Xie Yucheng.

"Fool, the Ming court is well prepared this time and will definitely not give up."

"Let's go to the government office now. If the imperial court attacks Ningbo, all the people in my Xie family will die without a burial place. Do you, a beast, want to destroy my Xie family?"

The Ming Dynasty won consecutive victories over the Qing Dynasty several years ago, and its strength is catching up with that of the Qing Dynasty. At least Xie Sanbin himself can't tell which side is stronger.

Xie Sanbin had no idea who would win or lose in this Northern Expedition.
Now he could go to the government office to report Gao Yutai and others and help the Qing court defend the city, but this would involve great risks.

If the Qing Dynasty wins, Xie Sanbin's assistance in defending the city would be a great achievement.

But what if the Ming court conquered Ningbo? Once the Ming court found Gao Yutai and others were killed, Xie Sanbin and the entire Xie family would surely die.

Xie Yucheng looked at the furious Xie Sanbin, and could no longer suppress the fear in his heart. He said in a trembling voice:
"Then what should we do now?"

"What should we do? Take your family with you and leave the city immediately. We cannot stay in the city any longer."

In case of a small riot, one should avoid the city; in case of a big riot, one should avoid the countryside. This principle is not only understood by the common people, but also by Xie Sanbin.

The Ming army launched a massive northern expedition. Xie Sanbin thought that the situation was already in chaos. In order to ensure his own safety, he had to leave the city immediately.

Xie Yucheng was completely confused at this time, and subconsciously said

"What about Gao Yutai and the other traitors?"

"What Gao Yutai? What does that have to do with us? Stop talking nonsense. The city may be closed at any time. We must leave the city immediately!"

Xie Sanbin directly waved his hand to interrupt Xie Yucheng, with an impatient look on his face. It was already this late, how could he care about the traitor?

In Xie Sanbin's opinion, the Ming army had a plan but no intention, and it was very likely that Ningbo City would not be able to be defended this time.
Going to the city to report Gao Yutai and others at this time is actually gambling with his life. Xie Sanbin has a huge fortune and enjoys endless luxury. How can he gamble with his own life?
When Xie Sanbin thought of this, he felt that the city was full of dangers. He did not want to delay for a moment and walked directly out of the hall.
When Xie Yucheng saw Xie Sanbin leaving, he immediately reacted, with a look of panic on his face, and followed Xie Sanbin's back.
Xie Sanbin led the Xie family members out of the city in a hurry, no longer caring about the great achievements of the anti-thieves.

When the Xie family members were fleeing the city in a panic, a white sail suddenly appeared on the river east of the city.

Outside the East City, tall warships filled the river, with vermilion military flags erected on top of them. The huge military flags embroidered with the Chinese characters for Ming fluttered in the wind.
On the river, warships were linked end to end, like a huge wall, rapidly pressing towards Ningbo City.

(End of this chapter)