July, Jiaxing.
The rebel army had already surrounded the ancient city.
The Luo family was the largest gentry in Jiaxing.
They had countless fertile fields in the area.
They had more than a dozen shops.
Several people in the family were officials.
They had an excellent reputation.
Among the villages in the area, his family had the strictest family rules. There were very few unfilial and unfaithful children.
The memorial archway in front of the door.
One by one, they stretched out to a distance of one li.
His family's ancestral hall was built to bring honor to his ancestors. Every time the Luo family opened the ancestral hall door for a family meeting, they would beat gongs and drums and have a banquet in the villages.
People would come to watch the show.
Moreover, his family had many servants.
Not only were they good at collecting rent,
Even if they beat the troublemaker to death on the spot, the magistrate would turn a blind eye.
No one dared to say anything the Luo family disapproved of under their nose.
The emperor was far away. The Luo family.
They were the local emperors of Jiaxing.
But these days, the Luo family, which relied on slaves and servants and was known as the best in Jiaxing, was full of people.
It was filled with a strange atmosphere.
They sold themselves in because they owed rent.
The handyman who was beaten and scolded day and night.
She actually dared to look at the butler, who was the most trusted by the master, with hatred.
The old chef, who was not agile because of his illness and had been beaten, began to secretly curse his picky and strict master in the kitchen.
The young maidservants, who were ordered by the madams and misses to not rest for a moment, no longer worked hard. Instead, they whispered about their mistresses' harshness.
All of this was almost unbelievable in the strict Luo family.
Everyone, even the young ladies who had lived in the embroidery house for many years, felt a strange panic. It was like the eve of a storm. They were uneasy.
On the fifteenth day of the rebel army's siege, the leaders of the Luo family saw that the rebel army was as steady as Mount Tai and did not move at all. Finally, they could not help it.
They quietly summoned the family meeting.
In the dark ancestral hall, in front of the ancestral lamp, the elders of the Luo family who had the right to speak sat on pear wood chairs.
"What do you think, the short-haired bandits … cough, the rebel army, they're surrounding but not attacking. What kind of style do they have?"
The men of the Luo family looked at each other. Among them, the younger Third Master Luo took the lead to answer the question of the Luo family's patriarch, the Old Master Luo.
"Father, I don't care what they do. Why don't we split up and walk through the tunnel? "The exit of the tunnel is away from where the revolutionary army is stationed, and there's also a dense forest blocking the way. If we act carefully, they might not discover us. Why are you still standing here?
Master Luo Qi, however, disagreed. He stuttered and was timid, so his voice was timid, but his intelligence was clear, "No, no! Third Brother, it's better to be safe than sorry. That, that revolutionary army's general, high-ranking officer stationed outside the city is, is, is, is, is, is a female Luocha, famous for her ferocity! "
Old Master Luo sighed, "Old Third, you're only a hothead. "The Revolutionary Army is fierce and fierce. They seem to be stationed outside the city. But these days, they have been sending in letters of persuasion with arrows. Judging from the way they speak, they clearly know the situation in Jiaxing like the back of their hands. What's more, the rebel army's ability to divide and conquer is exceptional. How long has it been? My family used to be like an iron bucket, but now it's like a sieve. Do your subordinates still treat you with respect? If all of us leave through the underground tunnel, how can you guarantee that the rebel army won't get the news in advance and catch us red-handed? "
For a moment, everyone was worried.
The one leading the rebel army to besiege the city was a famous female general in the rebel army. Her nickname was Rakshasa. She dealt with the aristocrats who resisted stubbornly, and her methods were so cruel that it made people tremble in fear.
When the city was besieged, she spread the word: "The aristocrats' families in the city. If there are any private escapees, kill them without question. "
"So, are we surrendering?" The second master of the Luo family next door said, "I think some of the aristocrats with weak family backgrounds can't hold on anymore. They've begun to secretly make deals with the rebel army."
When the rebel army besieged the city, they cut off the food supply in Jiaxing. Rakshasa declared to the common people: "In recent years, the situation has been difficult. The rebel army came to rescue the poor and did not harm the common people." Therefore, every day outside the city gate, they set up porridge to help the poor and help the poor.
In the beginning, who dared to open the city gate to get in touch with the 'rebels'?
It's just that the common people's lives were already difficult. In less than three days, they really couldn't bear to starve. Ignoring the soldiers who were guarding the city, they rushed forward and opened the city gate to fill their stomachs.
The rebel army did not take the opportunity to attack the city. Instead, they really began to help these common people.
When the common people fought for food, the rebel army did not reprimand them. They also did not face the aristocrats fiercely. Instead, they maintained order and reasoned with them one by one.
Sometimes, when some ruffians appeared, as long as the common people cried and complained, the rebel army would drive these people away on the spot. Several tyrants in Jiaxing City were killed by the rebel army because they bullied women and children and snatched food.
Just like that, in a few days, the wind in the city changed.
The scholars, the aristocrats, the rich and the powerful, all wavered for a while.
The common people breathed a sigh of relief. They were obviously no longer afraid of the rebel army's attitude.
Following this change, a few scholars who dressed strangely appeared in the rebel army and began to spread some rebellious words. Some actors specialized in strange plays, such as the plays adapted from Xiaoxiang's gentleman's stories. They specialized in teaching the common people to hate those aristocrats who refused to surrender for the sake of their own reputation and were hostile to the rebel army.
Gradually, some aristocrats with weak family backgrounds could not hold on anymore. Everyone in their family had to eat, and there was not enough stock. Thus, they put aside their pride and secretly sent people to collect food.
However, the rebel army sternly refused, claiming that they were helping the poor and could help the poor. However, they risked their lives to fight for the county and the common people worked hard to grow the food. They could not give it to these aristocrats for free. They had to exchange the land deeds.
There was a fixed amount of food that could be exchanged for one mu of land.
Land was the lifeblood of the people. However, for these people who lived like princes, starving their bellies was not something they could tolerate. Moreover, one mu of land was not a lot.
As a result, private transactions were not limited to this.
Step by step, the rebel army kept making demands.
For example, they were not allowed to abuse their servants in the prefectural city. If they were found to be abusing their servants, they would not be allowed to trade their food.
For example, they ordered the prefectural magistrate to immediately restrain those bailiffs who abused their power and not to extort the common people. Otherwise, they would immediately enter the city and take the prefectural magistrate's head.
Thus, day by day, the wind in the prefectural city of Jiaxing began to change. On the contrary, the local tyrant Luo Family, who had stored a large amount of food at home and was large in business but refused to come into contact with the rebel army, gradually became a small group of people who were isolated.
Second Master Luo said, "Uncle, now in the prefectural city of Jiaxing, those unruly people and servants. Even some of the aristocratic families can't wait for the rebel army to invade! They look at my family from the corner of their eyes! Just yesterday, a few in-laws came to our door. They told us that we shouldn't be like stones in the latrine, smelly and hard. Why don't we just … "
Old Master Luo shook his head. "Other people can surrender just like that, and those unruly people can't be punished by the law. However, my family can't. My family's reputation is well-known, and we have been loyal and virtuous for generations. Many of our promising descendants are officials in the capital. Once we surrender and the rebel army is defeated, not only will we be unlucky, but those descendants will also be implicated. Moreover, the saints will remember us in their hearts. "He sat in the middle and looked around. Then, he sighed.
"Sigh. It's just that my family is big, and we have more than a hundred people. Although we have been loyal to the emperor for generations, we can't just throw away the lives of our family members for no reason. "
A few of the smarter people's expressions changed.
Old Master Luo smiled. "There's no need to be afraid. It's just that someone has to show the saints how loyal my family is. When the time comes, no matter which side wins, we'll still be the Luo Family of Jiaxing. "
Third Master Luo lost his voice. "Father, you mean …"
Old Master Luo stood up with the support of his walking stick. He said coldly, "Second Master Luo, take the third branch, the fifth branch, and some of our clansmen to surrender to the rebel army."
After a pause, he said, "Carry my coffin there."
"The rest of you, after Seventh Master carries the coffin away, take advantage of the fact that the rebel army is distracted. With Eldest Master leading the way, sneak out through the underground tunnel. As for those useless maids, concubines, women, and even some good-for-nothing sons and daughters, they'll only be burdens if you bring them along. Just leave them to fate and let them be. All of you need to be ruthless. "
Everyone present stood up at once. Some called out the clan leader, some called out uncle, and some called out father. Tears streamed down their faces.
"Father, you're really ruthless. You're even willing to give up your own life. "Amidst the chaos, a woman's voice rang out faintly and echoed.
The eldest son of the Luo Family, who had been silent all this while, immediately looked over as if he had seen a ghost.
Old Master Luo felt that the voice was familiar, but he couldn't recall who it was. He frowned and looked behind the curtain in the depths of the ancestral hall. "Who's there? Come out! "
In this era, women were generally not allowed to enter the ancestral hall. Other than being registered in the genealogy on the day of marriage, women would be severely punished once they entered the ancestral hall.
The Luo Family was famous for its strict family rules. If the women in the family didn't want to be drowned or buried alive, they wouldn't dare to step into the ancestral hall.
Moreover … that direction was …
The woman laughed. She lifted the curtain and walked up the pitch-black stairs. The green everlasting lamp set off her thin face. For a moment, she looked like a thousand-year-old ghost that had crawled out of hell.
"Father, you're really old. Why don't you remember me?
She looked at Dalang. "Husband, you don't remember me either?"
Luo Dalang's expression changed.
Old Master Luo recognized this woman. She was the abandoned wife of his family. "Daughter-in-law? No, Madam Li. What are you doing here … "He was about to speak harshly when he suddenly remembered something. He took a step back and almost fell.
Madam Li looked elegantly and gently at the men of the Luo Family. She said, "What am I doing here? Father, husband, say hello to mother-in-law for me. I'm really lonely in the courtyard. That's why I made a friend. I want to introduce her to you. "
Someone walked up from the tunnel behind her. It was a thin woman.
The thin woman looked at the people present and smiled indifferently. "I've long heard of Old Master Luo's great name. My surname is also Luo. We're from the same family."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
