Southern Ming Rebel Army

Meng Bian's murderous look made everyone present a little nervous. Although Gu Qingmei was good at dancing, she had never killed anyone, let alone a talented scholar like Mao Xiang who was well-read in poetry and books.

When Mao Xiang heard Meng Bian's words, he wanted to defend Qian Qianyi, but when he thought of Qian Qianyi's behavior, he stopped talking helplessly.

After a moment of silence, Mao Xiang said, "Let's not talk about Mr. Qian. I would like to contact my old friends and hide in Jiangning. When Governor Meng arrives, I will contact the inside and outside and take the opportunity to act. Jiangning is such a big city, there must be some omissions."

Meng Bian was a little confused when he heard this. He didn't know when his young master would attack Jiangning, but he estimated that it would not be that soon. Thinking of this, Meng Bian slowly shook his head and said, "Well, it's not appropriate. The army has not yet intended to attack Jiangning. If we take any action at this time, I'm afraid it will alert the enemy and make Jiangning more vigilant."

Mao Xiang nodded upon hearing this, indicating that he understood Meng Bian's concerns. Then, he said firmly: "In this case, I am also willing to go to Suzhou to join Governor Meng and do my part for him." His words revealed his expectations and trust in Meng Jun.

Meng Bian scratched his head and said, "That's not right. Mr. Mao has a wide network of contacts and can be of greater use in Jiangning. To be honest, I am here to investigate the Qing army deployment in Jiangning, Changzhou and Zhenjiang. I have an important mission to shoulder."

At this time, Dong Xiaowan said: "Husband, I think we should contact Sister Liu first. She must know more than us."

Mao Xiang sighed and said, "Okay, then I will write a letter to Madam Liu first. However, it may not be appropriate to ask directly. Perhaps, I can visit the Qian Mansion directly."

At this time, Meng Bian slapped his thigh suddenly, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he said excitedly: "Yes, you can tell Qian Qianyi that you have made up your mind to surrender to the Qing court, and ask him to help you introduce him to Hong Chengchou. If it works, wouldn't it be like having a unique advantage?"

Hearing this, Mao Xiang's face turned red instantly and he said angrily: "How can I surrender to the Tartars!" His voice was full of anger.

Meng Bian waved his hands and advised: "Master Mao, this is not a true surrender, it is a false surrender. We just have to do it to gather intelligence for our army. As long as the army captures Nanjing, Master Mao will be credited with unparalleled achievements and will be remembered in history."

"Absolutely not! I would rather die on the battlefield than surrender! Even pretending to surrender is absolutely not acceptable! If the news of my surrender to the Qing Dynasty spreads out, it will not only damage the clean reputation of my Mao family, but even my old friends will definitely break off all ties with me." Mao Xiang kept shaking his head to express his opposition.

At this moment, Meng Bian was also a little angry. How could such a good plan be rejected so easily by Mao Xiang? Meng Bian said in a serious tone: "How many soldiers shed blood on the battlefield and were ready to die. Now they just want you to pretend to surrender as a stopgap measure. You are still shirking your responsibility like this, which only damages your reputation."

After saying this, Meng Bian felt that his tone was a bit harsh, so he softened it and advised: "Mr. Mao, you have talent and reputation, and you are also a member of the Fushe Society. If you pretend to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, Hong Chengchou will certainly use you. Although Hong Chengchou is in a high position and has great power, there are countless people in Jiangning City who despise him. Those who surrender to Hong Chengchou are just mediocre people. If the news of your surrender is known, he will surely be happy."

Gu Qingmei also advised softly: "Yes, young master, only by enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens can there be a turning point. Think of the past Goujian, who slept on firewood and tasted gall, and then he had the feat of swallowing Wu. Please put down the burden in your heart. When we recover Nandu, it will be the day for you to hold your head high. By then, everyone in the world will praise you."

Mao Xiang smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "I don't need the world's praise, nor am I afraid of the world's slander. I'm just afraid that I will be exposed and ruin Master Meng's plan."

Meng Bian smiled and said, "It's okay. We are not going to see Hong Chengchou right away. Let's go see Qian Qianyi first. Let's show him that we think the Qing court should unify the world and test his reaction."

"it is good……"

……

The next day, morning, Qian's house.

"Pijiang, I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you?" Qian Qianyi was dressed simply. A long robe showed his elegant temperament. He greeted in a low and gentle voice.

"Thank you, Mr. Qian, for your concern. Everything is fine in Pijiang," Mao Xiang replied respectfully.

The two chatted for a while, and Mao Xiang couldn't help but say: "...The Qing court has already occupied eight-tenths of the country, and the court is now fighting among themselves in Guangdong and Guangxi. In my opinion, the Qing court will unify the country."

Qian Qianyi could tell Mao Xiang's hidden intention as soon as he heard it. Wasn't Mao Xiang unwilling to surrender? Qian Qianyi looked at Mao Xiang in surprise and asked in disbelief, "Pijiang, do you want to surrender to the Qing?"

Mao Xiang showed a hint of embarrassment when he heard this, then gritted his teeth, nodded firmly, and said: "I am willing to submit to the court and serve it."

Qian Qianyi's expression kept changing. In his heart, there was a strange feeling of disappointment, excitement, and anger. After a long silence, Qian Qianyi slowly said, "Since you want to surrender, I can recommend you to Governor Hong, but you have to think clearly. I advocated surrender in the beginning, but now in this Jiangnan area, I don't know how many people despise me. Decades of building up my reputation have been destroyed. Why not wait a little longer and build up your reputation with peace of mind? With your talent and reputation, when the world is settled, no matter which court it is, they will definitely recruit you. If now..."

Qian Qianyi paused for a moment, sighed and said, "I am afraid it will affect your reputation."

Mao Xiang frowned unconsciously when he heard this, but he was still firm in his words: "Mr. Qian, I have thought it through. Please recommend me to Governor Hong. I am willing to be his official."

After Mao Xiang left, Liu Rushi came in. She cursed angrily, "It is true that most loyal people are butchers, and most unfaithful people are scholars. Mao Xiang is unworthy of the title of a talented scholar, but he is so flattering. I really misjudged him. It's a pity for Sister Dong that she followed this evil man."

Qian Qianyi advised awkwardly: "Madam, don't say that. Pijiang is still very attentive to Xiaowan, but everyone has their own aspirations..."

Before Qian Qianyi could finish his words, Liu Rushi interrupted him and said, "In my opinion, the Qing Dynasty is like the Yuan Dynasty. It will not last long. Before it has unified the world, it has shaved its head, changed its clothes, plundered everywhere, and killed people everywhere. Look, in Suzhou and Hangzhou, Meng Jun has been in power for so long, and the Qing Dynasty is unable to suppress him. It can be seen that he has run out of tricks. My husband, I think you should escape from Jiangning as soon as possible and surrender to Meng Jun. You can still save some reputation."

"How can I go to join Meng Jun, a ruffian? Besides, the journey is long and I am under surveillance by Hong Chengchou. How can I do that..." Qian Qianyi was still talking, while Liu Rushi looked at Qian Qianyi with disappointment and sighed helplessly.