2004年4月27日 星期二

The legend of the late Ming 1


During the late Ming dynasty, natural disasters continued to occur, and the heroes everywhere raised an army to revolt to the authorities. Among all the rebel army, Li Zicheng was the most powerful, because there was a very smart man who works for him. His name is Song Xiance. Song Xiance was a really different person.


He was only 90cm-tall lame, so everyone called him the LameSong. But he was really clever; he once pushed the fame of Li Zicheng to the top by on sentence “ten eight son control the god throne.” By this sentence, many patriots, like Li Yan, came to work for Li Zicheng. This sentence had same function as the “eight thousands witch revolt the Ming” which was said by the Liu Bowen in the beginning of the Min. In Chinese, the three letters “ten eight son” combined into a word, “Li”. That was the last name of Li Zicheng, so everyone believed that the next emperor must be Li Zicheng. And it made all of the force came to help Li Zicheng.
Chongzhen 16th, Li Zicheng had occupied most of the Territory, and leading an army came to Beijing, where the capital of Ming. Regardless of Li Zicheng tried how hard, he couldn’t conquer the capital, because the Ming force defended really well. And this made Li Zicheng really impatient. Unfortunately, the charge grain officer came to reply that there were only 6 months more rations, and if they couldn’t conquer the capital in two months, the soldiers may revolt. This information forced Li Zicheng to consider whether he had to make an agreement with Chongzhen that Chongzhen dominated the north of the Yellow River. And Li Zicheng dominated the south of the Yellow River. As he was cudgel his brains, the guards came and said that Song Xiance wanted to give him some advice. Song Xiance said he had a mean that could conquer the capital. Li Zicheng was really happy, and he asked him for the advice. Song Xiance said “If you give me lots of money, and help enter the capital, I promise that I can conquer the capital in two months.” Li Zicheng said “we have no more money left, and you are one of my important courtiers, I can’t allow you to make a risk.” But Song Xiance had already made up his mind. So Li Zicheng finally allowed him to enter the capital.
The next day, Song Xiance brought up with lots of money and entered into the capital. He disguised as a Taoist priest, and setted up a fortune-telling stall beside the road. There was pen, ink and paper on the table. And he erected a flag which said “the teacher of Gui, the friend of Kwanro, the greatest fortune teller.” Song Xiance wore like an immortal. Finally, he waited on the road for the chance that he could put his strategy into action……



李闖王困明王圍攻京師 宋獻策進良策欲取都城


明朝末年,天下大亂,各路英雄紛紛起兵,其中,以闖王李自成最成氣候,因為在他手下有一奇人名叫宋獻策。宋獻策這人,光身材就令人一驚,身長三尺,以現今標準也才不足一米,而且還是瘸子,人稱宋矮子,但此人智慮過人,當年以一句「十八子主神器」將闖王聲勢推至巔峰,


更使李岩、紅娘子夫婦…等志士前來投奔。所謂「十八子主神器」乃是和明初那位異士劉基──劉伯溫所預言的「八千女鬼亂明朝」相同,十八子合起來便是「李」字,「主」為掌管之意,而「神器」即天下共主之位,綜合起來「十八子主神器」的意思是下代王朝,必是李家天下。而各路起兵中,就只有闖王一人姓李,故天命所指,闖王如日中天。
崇禎十六年,闖王已攻克大江南北,並兵臨明都燕京城下,但不論闖王如何猛攻,明軍仍是以百足之蟲,死而不僵之勢,堅守王城。闖王久攻京師不下,日漸急躁,不幸的是,押糧官來報說軍糧只剩半年,若不能在時間內打下京城,士兵必反,迫使闖王不得不想和大明議和,以黃河為界,黃河以北為大明朝庭,黃河以南為大順天下。正當闖王為此事苦惱之時,士衛來報,說宋獻策求見,且已想出破城之法。宋獻策說道:「只要給我黃金百兩,並讓我混入京城,我保證二個月之內,闖王必能拿下京師。」闖王面有難色說:「現在已軍糧告急,可用銀兩多已為籌軍費用盡,況且你是我重臣,猶如左右手,我又豈能讓你冒大險,入城呢?」宋獻策信心十足回答道:「我願立軍令狀,若事不成,甘願人頭落地。」闖王見其意已決,只得答應。翌日,宋獻策便攜黃金百兩,化裝成一道士,混入京城,選了個醒目的地方,便擺起了個算命攤子,桌上筆墨紙硯皆齊備,右置一支殷紅硃砂大筆,左立一面素白幡旗,上頭寫道:「鬼谷為師,管輅為友,天下第一神算。」宋獻策身披鶴氅,手持拂塵,頭頂孔明方巾,足踏絲織藍鞋,雖身材短矮,卻儼然有仙家下世之勢,在街道旁為往來行人測字算命,以待他破城奇謀之機會……。


注:
管輅(209年-256年),字公明,三國時代的人物,平原郡人,以卜筮著名。根據文獻記載,管輅容貌醜,沒有威儀,愛喝。被後世的命相家奉為管先師,時有人與朱建平並稱「朱」、「管」;《稱謂雜記》管先師:君平家莫不祀「鬼」、「管」;鬼為鬼谷管先師則魏管輅也。(參考自:http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E7%AE%A1%E8%BC%85)

2004年4月26日 星期一

真龍求法國再興 鐵口測字命已盡

話說崇禎被圍於京,憂心不已。從小帶崇禎長大的老太監王德化(又稱王承思)深知皇帝心煩,便建言道:「皇上若是憂心國事,何不微服出巡,一可散心解悶,一可了解民心,此非甚好?」崇禎早有此意,立即命王德化為其更衣,一作老爺,一作管家,二人便出了皇宮,來到市集。雖然闖軍已兵臨城下,但京師街上還是不減熱鬧。


突然,崇禎看見市集邊有一高舉的幡旗,上頭寫著天下第一神算,便不由哼了一聲,對身邊的王德化說道:「這可是神氣到家啦,吹牛也吹得太大了吧!我乃真命天子,有什麼事,不是我說了算?」王德化見崇禎滿臉不信,便說道:「那老爺何不去試試那小子到底有幾斤幾兩重?」二人便向前,來到了那測字攤前。
這個管攤子的道長不是別人,正是宋獻策,他一看到崇禎二人前來,眼睛為之一亮,心想:「滿街所見往來行人,都不似這二人華貴,此亂世中,能有如此錦衣華服的有錢人,哪一個不是攜家帶眷,遠走他鄉,又豈會在這兵荒馬亂的都城中呢?看來此二者,必來自宮中。」於是趕忙招呼道:「二位客官,似乎有心事,何不測個字,算算命,看小的為二位解解禍吧!」扮作管家的王德化開口道:「這是我家老爺,看見你這幡旗會不會太吹牛了,說什麼鬼谷師、管輅友到底是準還是不準?」一聽到王德化半男半女之聲,宋獻策更加確定此二人必來自宮中,一旁的老爺又是方面大耳,一副神人之像,更加懷疑是崇禎本人,心頭一喜便回話道:「二位莫看貧道其貌不揚,貧道測字無一次不準,不信您老可試試,這就不收您多少銀兩了!」
一旁的崇禎開口道:「看你這麼大的口氣,我就來討教討教!」「就測這天下大事!」此話一出,宋獻策幾乎就已肯定此人必為大明天子,心中大喜卻仍故作無事,淡然問道:「不知老爺要測何字?」崇禎看了看一旁的幡旗,便回答:「既然你有自稱『鬼谷為師,管輅為友』那我就測這『友』字好了!」一聽之下,宋獻策興奮極了,他知道崇禎已然上當,卻又裝作臉色大變道:「此字不好,老爺您看,這『友』字,乃『反』字出頭,說明闖王反軍將取大明而代之,二月之內,將攻入京師。天命如此,您勿怪我口出大逆之言,給您個勸,快快出城逃難吧!」崇禎一聽,不由得眉頭一皺說:「大膽,光天化日之下你竟說如此,小心你將遭亂軍分屍而死。方才所言,我看是不準,自古測字必測同音,那就測個有無的『有』字吧!」
宋獻策思索一會兒,又變色回答:「此字更不好,有無之『有』分別由上下二部組合而成,此二部又分別為『大』之無捺,『明』之無日,意乃『大明各取一半』實是下下之兆。」崇禎聽罷,已無先前怒氣,反是心中一驚,卻又強作鎮定,反駁道:「不算,這不過是析字組合,豈可當真,我要再測一字。」這時宋獻策面色凝重,說道:「客官,古者測字不過三,你已測二字,這第三字可要好好思量,仔細端詳才是呀!被他一說,崇禎當場慌了,趕忙看向王德化,王德化心領,思索片刻,便在手心中寫下了個酉時的『酉』。崇禎這才又對宋獻策說:「我已想好,就測這午未申酉的『酉』字吧!」
此話一說完,又見宋獻策馬上回身,發狂似的東翻西找,好不容易才從袋中拿出一蜜蠟封死的信,小心翼翼的交入崇禎的手中,並在其耳邊細細低語道:「此為天機也,望君回去於明日子時沐浴一番,親啟此信,切莫早了時辰,莫晚了時辰,不然必遭蒼天之罪,死而無葬身之處啊!」說罷,算命攤也沒收,便轉身離去,消失在街的一頭……

2004年4月25日 星期日

字字藏機明朝出丹青書 句句成真清兵入山海關


話說崇禎攜著宋獻策所給的信回到宮中,心中惴惴不安,急欲拆信一觀,卻又擔心宋獻策所說之事成真,好不容易捱到近子時,只剩下一柱香的時間,崇禎終於還是忍不住,提前拆了宋獻策所予之書。書中寫道


:「『酉』字乃『尊』字去除其上二點,及其下一寸。意即『尊』之無頭無足也。君為九五之尊,當今之天子崇禎皇帝也,此兆乃大凶也。推究其原因,乃天命已盡,闖王必於二月內攻破京師!」
崇禎讀罷此信,胸中一口氣吸不過來,當場吐了口鮮血,嚇得一旁王德化不知所措,急忙搶救。雖然崇禎在搶救後並無大礙,但其心中卻已是信心全無,性情大變。明軍又受謠言所惑,已無再戰之力,果不其然,闖王於二月後攻破了燕京。而崇禎入宮殺了袁貴妃,攜王德化出北邊之玄武門,來到京外煤山,長嘆一聲:「君非亡國之君,臣盡亡國之臣。」說罷便在一棵頂蓋茂密的老槐樹下上吊自盡,這卻應驗了宋獻策所言:頭頂不著天。足踏不了地。崇禎上吊後,卻沒有一個人願意為他收屍,因為他平日昏庸無能,無法管理朝臣,以至於今日死無葬身之地,最後只得埋於一貴妃墓中。
隨著崇禎的逝去,大明也就此滅亡,未如本來所想以黃河分南北,各自為政。然而闖王反軍卻也沒出頭。不久,吳三桂開山海關引清兵入關,李自成失其勢,不得江山,此後生死不明。
宋獻策的下場亦未能善終,闖王敗後,宋獻策仍隨劉宗敏持續抗清,最後死於亂軍之中。
想不到一段談話,只因一是真龍金口,一是神算鐵口,竟使一代帝王,一方之霸和一代神算盡皆折腰……