In 1953, a man came to Beijing and asked the government to posthumously honor his grandfather as a martyr, and the leader asked: Who is your grandfather? Why chase him as a martyr. This person said: My grandfather's name is Kang Tianxin, and he was executed by Ling Chi for offending Cixi.
Kang Tianxin, also known as Kang Xiaoba, was a native of Tianjin during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, because he had been a bandit since he was a child, and finally because he said in front of Cixi: If you want to cut off the imperial bar (royal money), if you want to play, you must play Niangniang. Angered that Cixi was executed by Ling Chi, today we will talk about this legendary story of Kang Xiaoba.
Kang Xiaoba, who makes a living in troubled times
Kang Xiaoba is a figure during the Guangxu period, and the world during the Guangxu period simply tells you a few words: corrupt officials run rampant, foreigners bully, Cixi is in power, and the people are not living. At that time, the Qing Dynasty was already corrupt to the extreme, and various systems had long been useless, rotten to the bone, and it was difficult to satisfy the problem of feeding the common people.
Kang Xiaoba was born in an ordinary family surnamed Wu, and ranked the eighth oldest, the family population was too large for fear of supporting him, so he gave him to a family surnamed Kang in Beijing, so he changed his surname to Kang Xiaoba, because of the problem of losing hair, also named "Wu Bald".
After Kang Xiaoba arrived at Kang's house, the family handed over the only source of living and income in the family to him - driving donkeys for transportation.
Once when Kang Xiaoba was transporting goods to the cargo owner, he met some local small ruffians and asked him to buy road money, but he didn't expect that Kang Xiaoba was not easy to mess with, holding a leather whip in one hand, while looking for guys who could be used around him, ready to go head-to-head with these small ruffians, the little ruffians saw Kang Xiaoba's desperate look, and he was afraid to run, and because of this, the cargo owner appreciated Kang Xiaoba very much, and asked him to transport the goods in the future, but he did not expect that the cargo owner caused himself a disaster.
The businessmen during the Guangxu period were all hands and eyes, and had a wide range of contacts, and this cargo owner had an uncle who was doing Japanese business, and this uncle bought a revolver in Japan and gave it to the cargo owner to let him protect himself, after all, the world is too chaotic.
After Kang Xiaoba knew that the old cargo owner had such a thing, he was very worried, so after Terman got acquainted with each other, Kang Xiaoba coaxed the old cargo owner, saying that you won't use this thing, or you still give it to me, I can protect you conveniently.
When the old cargo owner heard it, he felt that it made sense, so he gave the pistol to Kang Xiaoba, and after Kang Xiaoba got the pistol, he began to become arrogant, and did not hide it, seeing unhappy people or encountering provocative people, he held the pistol to other people's heads at every turn.
When the old cargo owner saw this situation, he was afraid that this unrestrained Kang Xiaoba really shot and killed people and affected himself, so he asked him for his revolver, but he did not expect that Kang Xiaoba not only did not give it, but also shot the old cargo owner to collapse, and the old cargo owner simply lifted a stone and shot himself in the foot.
After the old cargo owner died, Kang Xiaoba committed a crime, and he couldn't stay in the capital, so he ran to the area of Bali Bridge in Tongzhou, joined a group of local bandits, and became a bandit.
After Kang Xiaoba became a bandit, he often robbed the rich and helped the poor, so the people who received his help said that he was a hero and a good man, but the people who were robbed said that he was a robber bandit, so Kang Xiaoba slowly gained some fame.
What Kang Xiaoba cares about most is fame, so he can't hear others say anything bad about him.
Once when Kang Xiaoba was cutting his hair, he met two barbers who said bad things about him, saying that he would "not die well" in the future, and he shot him to death without saying a word, leaving a "lucky customer" and letting him pass on the message: Count you lucky, when these two bastards scolded Kang Baye, you had morality and no collusion. I'll keep your mouth, send a message to those who want to live a few more days, and say less to Kang Ba Ye behind my back. ”
Since then, the name of Kang Xiaoba has spread a little far, but as the saying goes, there will be disasters when people are crazy.
Once Kang Xiaoba went to the tea house to eat, a Baylor master came to ask for a private room, but there was no more, the shop Xiaoer observed, only Kang Xiaoba was a person, and he didn't look like any dignitary, so he asked him to give up the private room. Unexpectedly, this shop Xiaoer picked the person who should not be messed with.
Shop Xiaoer said that Kang Xiaoba would not let him, so the Baylor Ye was anxious, kicked the door open and cursed, Kang Xiaoba's anger was ignited at once, took out a pistol and killed Baylor Ye.
It's just enough to kill a nameless junior, now Kang Xiaoba has set up Belle Ye, so he is a person from the official family, so Yamen began to hunt down Kang Xiaoba, but the catchers knew that he had a gun, and they were unwilling to joke with their lives, so they began to complain to their superiors, and exaggerated propaganda, saying that Kang Xiaoba's martial arts skills were high and strong, and his light skills were excellent, and they couldn't help it after several twists and turns.
Kang Xiaoba's side also knew that he had broken into a big disaster, so he decided to temporarily avoid the limelight and hid, and this matter was later stopped.
After about 2 years of this, the limelight passed, at this time, Kang Xiaoba had long forgotten the fear at that time, and began to think about how to become famous, at this time, Kang Xiaoba heard that Cheng Yanjin in the Sui and Tang Dynasties did not have any great wealth, just because he dared to hijack the imperial bar (the local tax silver handed over to the imperial court, the main source of income of the imperial court), became the demon king of the mixed world, and also became an emperor.
So Kang Xiaoba decided to imitate Chen Bitjin - robbing the emperor's bar, but Kang Xiaoba's original intention was only to be famous, so every time he pretended to kidnap, put a few gunshots, and said a few loud words such as the eighth master, and ran away.
But this method worked very well, Kang Xiaoba's reputation spread quickly, but the matter of Kang Xiaoba's killing of Belle Ye back then has not passed, and the official government has not yet withdrawn the case, if he disappears from then on, it will be enough, and now he has made such a big movement, and he can't let it go.
So the arresters told their superiors that we had not been caught for two years, which was enough to see that Kang Xiaoba was really powerful, so I hoped that the superiors would ask martial arts experts to assist, otherwise they would not be able to make a difference, so the head of the official office found Li Hongzhang's personal bodyguard Song Yanchao and the great eunuch Li Lianying's bodyguard Shang Yunxiang 2 to help capture Kang Xiaoba.
After some layout, the two heroes successfully captured Kang Xiaoba, and after Kang Xiaoba knew the origin of the 2, he also said that he was willing to die in the hands of celebrities, without damaging his eighth master's name.
After Kang Xiaoba arrived at the cell, he said to these jailers who were guarding the cell: "The eighth master admitted this time, I didn't want to go out alive, you are happy to serve the eighth master, I obediently wait for the autumn to ask for the beheading, so as not to make trouble for you."
Unexpectedly, the errand in the cell was really serious, served with good food and drink, and passed on his dashing pleasure, and let Kang Xiaoba earn a wave of fame, what is more amazing is that after the famous prostitute in the local Qinglou knew it, he took the initiative to come to the cell to serve Kang Xiaoba, not only did not charge, but also posted upside down, it seems that the ancients really worshiped the "hero".
As more and more people worshiped Kang Xiaoba, someone in the prison gathered every day to bring him food, and this matter slowly reached Cixi's ears, and Cixi was very curious about him, so he proposed to try Kang Xiaoba.
After Kang Xiaoba knew that Cixi wanted to judge herself, she knew that this was a master who did things all according to her mood, maybe she could live if she made her happy, but Kang Xiaoba was not for Lai to live, what he hated the most was to whisper in front of others, so he refused Cixi's interrogation.
Later, Kang Xiaoba thought about it, he was going to die, and his reputation should not be bigger? So he agreed to see Cixi, and before entering the palace, he specially learned the etiquette of three worships and nine bows.
When Kang Xiaoba was escorted into the palace to meet Cixi on the day, when he arrived at the palace, Kang Xiaoba began to be presumptuous, saying that others had thick waists and other people's legs were short and ugly, although Cixi was unhappy but did not care.
When Cixi opened his mouth to ask him why he had committed the crime, Kang Xiaoba said the famous phrase that has been passed down to this day: if you want to cut off the yellow bar, if you want to play, you can play with the mother.
When Cixi heard this, he became furious, and ordered Ling Chi to be executed, and he must be executed by Ling Chi, and other criminal laws were not acceptable, that is, Kang Xiaoba had to suffer a thousand cuts in order to relieve the hatred in Cixi's heart.
Later, when he was executed, Kang Xiaoba smiled and said to the onlookers while being tortured: Are you afraid to see the eighth master, do you shout that it hurts?
The executioner also admired Kang Xiaoba, so he secretly hit Kang Xiaoba's heart to save him from torture.
Kang Xiaoba's sin
Kang Xiaoba's crime is actually very simple, nothing complicated, that is, the crime of intentional homicide, from the old cargo owner to the city villain, and then to the capital Belle Ye, it was all deliberately murdered by him.
In ancient times, there is a saying that for these green forest good men on the rivers and lakes, the grievances between them, the government generally does not intervene, the rivers and lakes are in trouble, so the first 2 people killed by Kang Xiaoba can be regarded as jianghu people, and the government can manage it or not, but Belle Ye is not a jianghu person, so this account must be settled.
It is said that Kang Xiaoba's name is in today's Beijing City, and some old people still have an impression of him, and remember his "glorious deeds" and "prestige"
But in my opinion, Kang Xiaoba seems to act brightly and cheerfully, but he really can't afford a "chivalrous" word. The heroes in the rivers and lakes are justified, they will not kill people at will, especially because of a false bad word, Kang Xiaoba's behavior is more like a dogleg who fights with his big brother as a blessing compared to the real hero, and Kang Xiaoba's big brother is the revolver he snatched from the old cargo owner.
As a hero, grace will be rewarded, the old cargo owner can be said to be Kang Xiaoba's benefactor, trust him very much, but Kang Xiaoba used the trust of the old cargo owner to cheat the pistol and kill him, this is a villain's behavior, I really don't know why I say he is a hero. Do you think such a person can be considered a hero?