Chapter 309: Persuasion (Continued)

His mentor, Xu Guangqi, had originally placed high hopes on this new army of the Great Ming in Deng-Lai. Now, not only was the new army gone, but it had even transformed into a rebel army that committed all sorts of atrocities. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Dengzhou had been killed. Even if it was due to the collusion of the Liaodong people, as the governor of Deng-Lai, he could not escape the blame.

“It is all because of my poor judgment in appointing people!” Sun Yuanhua sighed heavily. “It would have been better if Kong Youde had just killed me with one stroke of his sword, allowing me to die a loyal subject.”

“For you to die would certainly be an act of loyalty, but it would be a minor form of loyalty and righteousness,” Lu Wenyan said. Since he considered himself a junior, he could not speak too sharply. “The world of the Great Ming is already in a state of turmoil. The current plan should be to save the nation and rescue the countless common people from their suffering. This is your duty, sir.”

People like Sun Yuanhua, although inevitably possessing the various habits of late Ming bureaucrats, were generally practical officials willing to take responsibility and act. They had a strong sense of duty towards the affairs of the world. Therefore, Lu Wenyan used this as a starting point to persuade him to cooperate.

“The reason why Kong Youde, Li Jiucheng, and the others did not kill you, sir, is probably to place you in a position of disloyalty and unrighteousness,” Lu Wenyan said softly.

These words struck Sun Yuanhua like a thunderbolt, and he was instantly stunned.

Indeed, just the night before, Kong Youde had come to see him. Besides forcing him to write a letter to the governor of Shandong, Yu Dacheng, asking him to “pacify” them, he had also tentatively asked if he was willing to join the rebel army. He even said that the old subordinates of Dongjiang and the Liaodong people in Dengzhou all admired him greatly and were willing to support him as “king.”

Sun Yuanhua naturally refused. He had a family and was a high-ranking official who had received “great favor” from the emperor. Of course, he was unwilling to join the rebel army.

The conversation was highly confidential, yet this young man somehow knew about it. This person was truly unfathomable.

Lu Wenyan said, “Sir, please do not blame me for being blunt. Although this is my own speculation, given your relationship with Kong Youde and the other former Liaodong men, as long as you remain trapped in Dengzhou, such rumors will inevitably arise sooner or later.”

Sun Yuanhua nodded. On second thought, what he said made a lot of sense. He was not afraid of death, but he was unwilling to commit suicide because of his religious beliefs. However, outsiders would not be able to understand this. He had treated the Liaodong people very well in the past and had given them important positions. It would not be surprising if such rumors spread in the future.

The current emperor was a man who could not tolerate any “sand in his eyes” and was very suspicious. One could imagine what would happen once such rumors broke out.

“Sir, please consider this. Even if Kong Youde is grateful for your past kindness and does not kill you, and instead lets you go, I’m afraid you will not be able to escape the Imperial Prison.”

Sun Yuanhua’s expression changed instantly. The cruelty of the Imperial Prison was well-known during the reign of Tianqi when Wei Zhongxian was in power. Although Wei Zhongxian was gone now, it was still not a good place. Even if his teacher and friends came to his rescue and the emperor, in his wisdom, spared him from the death penalty, he would be a broken man after coming out of the Imperial Prison.

Those who were willing to do things also had a relatively strong desire for fame and official position. Being dismissed from office was one thing—the tides of the court turned, he was not old, and his body was still healthy. As long as he actively worked, there would always be a chance for a comeback in the future. If his body was broken, then there would be no chance at all.

“Sir, you are a pillar of our Holy Religion in China. If something were to happen to you, the countless lambs on this land of China would lose their support…” Lu Wenyan said with a pained expression.

This speech indeed moved Sun Yuanhua. He was in his prime and had plans to achieve something for the country, the people, and the church. Of course, he was not willing to withdraw just like that.

But when he thought of his current situation, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He had lost all his subordinates and was penniless. Apart from two servants who claimed to have been rescued, he had no one to command.

The Master Lu before him was certainly young and promising, and he had no idea what method he had used to get him out of Dengzhou. But after all, he was just a country gentleman. Even if he had militia, it was at best for self-preservation.

However, he still had some troops in Laizhou. Although the force was not large, as long as he got there and re-established his office, he could regain control of the local prefectures and counties in the three eastern prefectures that had fallen into chaos. He could also re-establish contact with the governor of Shandong, Yu Dacheng. Yu Dacheng had always been friendly with him, and besides, if the rebel army became too powerful, the three western prefectures would also find it difficult to remain safe. Yu Dacheng would certainly support him with all his might.

But saying this was one thing. To travel from Huang County to Laizhou with only two servants in this time of war and chaos, without a small escort, he would not make it out of Huang County alive.

Of course, he could also try to get to the nearest Huang County first. The magistrate of Huang County knew him and would certainly be able to help him. However, there would not be many troops in Huang County. There were no garrisons there originally. What the magistrate had was nothing more than a hundred or so bailiffs and constables, plus some hastily assembled local militia.

The rebel army consisted mostly of cavalry. The militia on foot was no match for them. Once pursued by cavalry, the militia could neither win nor escape.

There was another way, and that was to escape to the sea. The garrisons on the various islands under the jurisdiction of the Deng-Lai governor were all under his command. As long as he could gather them in time, he would not have to worry about not being able to retake Dengzhou in time.

As long as he could retake Dengzhou as quickly as possible, he would have some room to maneuver with the two grand secretaries, Xu and Zhou, at court. Even if he ended up with a dismissal from office, it was better than being arrested and sent to the capital for trial.

But to escape to the sea, he needed a boat. He didn’t know if this Master Lu had any boats available.

He wanted to inquire, but then he thought about how he had been rescued from Dengzhou, which he was still not clear about.

Although he was a fellow Christian, his years of experience as an official taught him not to easily reveal his true intentions.

Thinking of this, he straightened his clothes and cupped his hands. “Mr. Lu, words cannot express my gratitude. You have saved me, and you have also saved the people of the three prefectures of Deng-Lai. Your merit is immeasurable. If one day I can return to the court, I will certainly request a title for you…”

Lu Wenyan felt a little disgusted in his heart. He thought to himself, you officials are always so used to appointing yourselves as representatives. He immediately smiled humbly.

A thought suddenly struck Sun Yuanhua. Since this Master Lu was able to rescue him from Dengzhou, he was definitely not an ordinary member of the gentry. He immediately stopped talking.

Seeing the change in his eyes, Lu Wenyan knew that he had not yet fully gained his trust, which was to be expected. Anyone who could become a high-ranking official was a shrewd person and would not completely trust him based on a few words. He said no more and just asked him to rest well first. If he needed anything, he should just ask. Then he told Cheng Lingsu to take Sun Yuanhua back to his residence.

“I would like to walk around this estate. May I have your permission, sir?” Sun Yuanhua suddenly asked.

“Sir, you are the parent official of this place. Why not?” Lu Wenyan said with a broad smile. “It’s just that the sea breeze here is very strong. I will have someone send some outdoor clothing.”

When Sun Yuanhua returned to his residence, he saw that his two servants and Sun Yuan were all there. The master and servants could not help but feel a pang of sadness upon seeing each other. Sun Yuanhua originally had many servants in Dengzhou. The number of servants used by scholar-officials in the Ming Dynasty was very large. When a scholar-official from Jiangnan went out, he would have more than ten servants with him, and this was considered quite simple. Sun Yuanhua, as a governor, had seventy or eighty male and female servants, not counting the personal guards and retainers selected in Dengzhou. After the city fell, some died and some fled. To show his preferential treatment, Kong Youde specially recruited the scattered servants for him, but in the end, he only found these three people.

Seeing that all three of them had changed into clean new clothes and had rosy complexions, it was clear that Master Lu was treating them well. He felt quite pleased.

“You have all worked hard!” Sun Yuanhua said. “I have not given you any benefits, but you have shared my hardships.” He said this with great emotion.

Sun Yuan said, “Your well-being, sir, is our blessing, and also the blessing of the people of Shandong.”

Sun Yuanhua gave a bitter smile and said no more. Sun Yuan was just one of his retainers. He had two or three hundred such personal guards and retainers, all selected from the local garrisons and Liaodong people in Deng-Lai.

Now, these personal guards and retainers had probably all joined the rebel army. When Sun Yuanhua thought that only Sun Yuan was left of the new army he had painstakingly built up over the years, he could not help but feel dejected.

He returned to his room and asked about what happened last night. The servants and Sun Yuan did not hide anything and told him everything that had happened that night. The three of them spoke at once, and it took them the better part of an hour to finish.

Sun Yuanhua was silent. Warriors dressed all in black, silently scaling the walls from outside the city in the dark of night, moving through the army as if it were an empty land… This sounded like something out of a ghost story about swordsmen. If it weren’t for the fact that the three of them all said the same thing and it was difficult to find any flaws in their stories, he would have thought they were making it up.

Although he was still skeptical, Sun Yuanhua already understood in his heart: this Master Lu, who was introduced by Guo Jujing, was by no means an ordinary person. Combined with the fact that he was from Guangdong, a thought had already vaguely formed in his mind.

He then put on the sheepskin vest that Cheng Lingsu had sent. The Lingao clothing factory had used Persian sheepskin imported by the Dutch to make a batch of leather vests specially for the northern troops to keep them warm and protect them from the wind. The quantity was not large and was specially for the sentries at night.

The door curtain rustled, and Cheng Lingsu came in to report: “A friend of Master Lu wants to see you, sir. He says he will accompany you for a walk in the estate.”

“Please, come in.”

A young man in his early twenties came in. Although he was wearing a six-in-one hat, the roots of his hair exposed at his temples made Sun Yuanhua somewhat understand who the visitor was.

The handsome young man was Lu Yang. Seeing Sun Yuanhua wearing a sheepskin vest, he couldn’t help but feel that it was out of place, but of course, he didn’t show it, otherwise it would be too rude.

Lu Yang bowed. “Mr. Huodong, I have long admired your name.” Huodong was Sun Yuanhua’s courtesy name, and the admiration was not just a polite phrase. Although he had not had a deep impression of Sun Yuanhua before, it was precisely because the Northern Expeditionary Force needed cold-resistant members that Lu Yang, who grew up in Ningxia, could be promoted to navy lieutenant ahead of schedule. The officers of the Northern Expeditionary Force all had to read the materials on the Dengzhou Mutiny, so he also had some understanding of Sun Yuanhua.