Firmament

Small crevices allow for strong winds.

- Manchu proverb

In the middle of the 17th century, the southern kingdom began to decline. Feudal politics became increasingly corrupt, social contradictions became more acute, natural and man-made disasters continued to occur, and millions of peasants were living in dire straits without clothes and food. Peasant uprisings broke out one after another throughout the country.

King Li Tianwang occupied Xijing, the capital of Sanqin Province, and officially named the country Dashun. In 1643, he decided to attack the capital of the southern country. In order to prevent the border guards from aiding Zhongdu, he sent the general He Jin to lead an army to attack Sanqin and Longyuan.

He Jin led the army to play a triumphant song all the way to the east gate of the West Sea.

The descendants of Gong Shixiang and the descendants of Wang Chen multiplied in Nian Bowei and passed down from generation to generation, forming a prosperous family of two people.

There was a young man named Wang Zixi in the Wang family. Instead of inheriting the royal family's tradition of doing business for generations, he leased other people's land and made a living from farming. The family's situation was much poorer than that of their relatives who were in business. Therefore, he was not very well received by his people.

Wang Zixi saw that the big families were wearing silk and satin, eating fragrant and drinking spicy, and speaking arrogantly, he was very unconvinced. He often fantasizes that one day he can become a hero who robs the rich and helps the poor in the play, so that his family can live a prosperous and comfortable life.

On this day, Wang Zixi carried a wicker on his back, took a wooden fork, and went to the road outside the city to collect cow dung.

Suddenly, a group of men and horses galloped in. They held high the colorful banner and ran in the direction of the city.

Wang Zixi took a closer look, and the big flag fluttering in the hula was embroidered with two golden characters: Heavenly King.

A few days ago, Wang Zixi heard a legend that Li Tianwang's army killed corrupt officials and opened the granaries of the rich to help the poor people. Two days ago, they seemed to be still fighting in Qilian, why did they arrive at Nian Bowei so quickly?

Wang Zixi was keenly aware that his chance to turn over the salted fish had come. He excitedly walked up to the group, waving a wooden fork for shoveling dung.

The rebel ranks were led by a black-faced man. He is none other than He Jin, the commander of the army.

He Jin thought that Wang Zixi was a beggar who was blocking the road and asking for food, so he grabbed the reins and scolded sharply: "Who are you?

Wang Zixi boldly asked, "Are you Li Tianwang's troops?"

He Jin saw that Wang Zixi didn't want money, so he replied, "Of course it is." I ask you, do you know the military defense situation in the city?"

Wang Zixi replied, "Sir, Nao knows. Nau knows all of them! Nau hates those corrupt officials and rich people the most, and has long been thinking about rebelling against them! Sir, can Nau join your ranks?"

He Jin looked Wang Zixi up and down with stern eyes, and said with a smile: "Of course you can." If you lead them to capture the city, you will definitely be promoted and rich. "

Wang Zixi threw away the dung fork in his hand after hearing this, and threw the back basket on his back to the ground.

He said happily, "Okay." Okay. Sir, Nau knows the situation in the city best. Now follow Nau into the city. "

Under the leadership of Wang Zixi, the rebel team penetrated through the cave at the corner of the city wall late at night, attacked the barracks in the city, and took the city in one fell swoop.

Wang Zixi made great contributions to the rebel army leading the way and attacking the city.

He Jin kept his promise and awarded him a handsome bonus and promoted him to the position of deputy captain of the stormtroopers.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Zixi took off the hat of poverty and bitterness in one fell swoop. His relatives also followed him to ascend to heaven and enjoy glory and wealth. The Wang Zixi family has become the most prominent and powerful family in Nian Bowei.

The Tusi of Pingxi City commanded Qi Tingji, Qi Xingzhou and Li Tianyu to entangle local forces and stubbornly resist the attack of the rebel army. Seeing that they could not resist the rebel army, they had no choice but to retreat to Nanchuan in Pingxi City, set up stumbling ropes on the road near Fuqiang Fort, dug many traps, and then pretended to continue to retreat, luring He Jin's troops into hot pursuit.

Wang Zixi was very familiar with the terrain of Nanchuan and was worried that the rebel army would suffer defeat if it attacked rashly.

He suggested: "Sir, the Nanchuan Gorge is slender and has high mountains on both sides, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If the Nau people broke in like this, once they encountered an ambush in front and a blockade in the back, the team would not even have a way to escape. "

He Jin laughed disapprovingly: "They are just a group of frightened birds, where do they still have the courage to calculate the amount!

He Jin was determined to win, and he got carried away for a moment and led the rebel team to break into the enemy's ambush circle. Wang Zixi became a prophecy. Sure enough, the rebel army was surrounded in a narrow valley by the enemy who occupied favorable terrain, and could not advance or retreat.

He Jin was unfortunately shot and died in the chaos.

A general was ordered to resolutely take up the burden of commanding the rebel army. With the assistance of the common people, they routed Tusi's troops and captured Qi Tingji and Li Tianyu alive.

The general of the rebel army decided to hold the main force in Pingxi City, and assigned Wang Zixi to lead a capable team to escort Qi Tingji and Li Tianyu to Xijing Zhengfa.

Wang Zixi successfully escorted Qi Tingji and Li Tianyu to Xijing. After completing his mission, he did not immediately return to the West Sea, but headed east to Zhongdu, which was occupied by King Li Tianwang.

In the wide and grand central capital, Wang Zixi excitedly walked around east and west, and finally walked to the cattle street in the south of the city. He saw that there were a lot of Hui people on Niu Street, and there was a worship temple, and he was a little curious: Nao only knew that there were Hui people living in Xihai, Longyuan and Sanqin, and he didn't expect that there were so many Hui people in the capital thousands of miles away. It's really in response to the old saying: Go back all over the world!

Wang Zixi soon returned to his hometown in Xihai.

Soon, the army of the Northeast broke into Zhongdu from the northeast, overthrew the southern country, and then marched all the way to the west, marched into the West Sea, dispersed the rebel army, and occupied Pingxi City, an important town in the west.

Wang Zixi found that the situation in the world had changed drastically, which was extremely unfavorable to him. He immediately broke away from the remnants of the army, hurriedly ran back to Nian Bowei, and hurriedly fled with the Wang family into the Tiger and Wolf Valley in Nanshan. From then on, the Wang family hid in the mountains, and no longer dared to easily step into Nian Bo City.

In 1781, in accordance with the tradition of the dynasties of the Eastern Kingdom, the Northeast Kingdom opened the imperial examination and selected outstanding talents to participate in the governance of the country.

After years of war, the common people found that they had read poetry and books and became officials without worrying about food and clothing by taking the imperial examination, and realized the beautiful dream of carp jumping over the dragon gate. As a result, every family saved money and used the money they had saved to send their children to public schools and private schools.

One of Gong Shixiang's descendants in Nian Bowei is called Gong Dengke.

Gong Dengke became an indirect beneficiary of the resumption of the imperial examination policy. Born into a poor scholarly family, he inherited his family's tradition of education and opened a private school to teach literacy and arithmetic to the children of his fellow villagers. Although the life is not rich, compared to the farmers who have worked the yellow earth for many years, at least the family members cannot be exposed to the cold wind and the scorching sun.

Because of his ability to read and write, Gong Dengke had a relatively high social status in the East Gate. Whoever asks him to help write letters, always prepares fruit and meals for him. Even if Gong Dengke resolutely refused, the owner had to wrap up the fruit and pot helmet and ask him to take it home.

Gong Dengke likes to read and write since he was a child, and he has a kind and tender heart. Every time I help the villagers write letters to their families, they are nothing more than "there is no safety at home, don't worry", "you are in a foreign place, take care of your body", "eat and drink more every day, don't miss your family" and other words full of family care.

Sometimes, when villagers tell their distant relatives about the difficulties of life or sudden changes in their families, they can't help but burst into tears and even choke up and sob.

Gong Dengke wrote a letter while accompanying the villagers to shed tears. Tears dripped onto the letterhead, wetting the freshly written words, and soon became a mass of ink. He had to rewrite it. Sometimes, it takes several times for a letter to be completed.

Gong Dengke's wife, Gong Gu, is the daughter of a distant relative arranged by her parents, with a strong personality, quick work, and good at managing housework. Although she was angry with Gong Dengke, she was very good to him in her heart, and she was also very attentive to her life.

On this day, Gong Gu was going to wash the clothes of the family.

She rummaged through Gong Dengke's clothes. Waiting left and right, that is, I don't see my husband who goes out to run errands come home. Anger rushed up from my heart. She pushed open the gate of the courtyard and went out into the street to look for Gong Dengke.

Gong Gu walked to the street and suddenly saw a group of refugees from other places walking in front of him.

They were unkempt one by one, carrying large bags and small bags, helping the old and the young, and staggering towards the city. The man wears a white hat on his head. The women's faces are covered with hijabs of various colors.

Gong Gu was very surprised: it was a relatively peaceful year, and he hadn't heard of any disasters. Are these refugees from Ali?

Gong Gu stepped forward and asked a middle-aged woman, "You guys came from Ali in a scrape (Xihai dialect, all)?

The woman wore a black gown stained with dust and grass, and wore a dark green cotton veil on her head. She glanced at Gong Gu with frightened eyes, and only relieved when she saw that she was a woman.

The woman said, "The Naws have come from the stones." The yamen oppressed Salur to rebel. The officers and soldiers of the black pressure came and killed a lot of people. The Nau's life is really not going on. "

Gong Gu hurriedly asked, "Are you going to Ali now?"

The woman replied with a confused look, "Nao...... Nau doesn't know. "

Gong Gu's heart couldn't help but tighten. She quickly spread her small feet and ran back to her house tremblingly.