In the second year of Wu Zhenxing's reign, September 21st was the day that decided the future of Jiangnan.
After He Wen, Zhou Shang and others left the scene, there were many quarrels.
But it doesn't matter anymore.
At the end of the day, the time was approaching evening, and the semi-finals of the city's martial arts competition had been suspended. According to the scheduled plan, the top four were decided. In the venue of the Fair Party Conference, some people overturned tables and chairs during the quarrel, and some threw papers. Burned in the fire, another column of smoke appeared in the gray city.
In the courtyard where the meeting was waiting, Meng Zhuotao walked into the hall and saw Chen Juefang, Gao Huiyun, Tan Zheng, Xu Longbiao and others already sitting there.
"The Fair King is crazy."
Chen Juefang spread his hands and expressed this conclusion...
Meng Zhutao opened a seat and sat down. There were also people talking loudly in the yard, and more people remained silent.
Someone said: "He refuses to talk, so prepare for war."
Not many people expected that King Fairness would really refuse to talk.
The so-called five-party alliance, no matter what charter is finally negotiated, the important thing is that everyone agrees before taking action. As long as they are willing to talk, there is hope for the alliance.
He Wen proposed a complete set of reform plans and countless regulations that looked strict but were debatable in terms of implementation. However, before the discussion, he asked the other four parties to immediately stop taking action on the book club.
This was the only thing he wanted to implement directly through orders.
The other four families are now cracking down on the reading club. At this juncture, if King Ping Ping's words are enough, he will slap the other four families in the face at the same time. In addition to establishing a huge authority for him, King Ping Ping, the reading club can use the influence of the Southwest The momentum to seize power will also be supported and indulged.
More importantly, after one compromise, if he becomes stronger again and again in the future, can everyone still compromise?
Zhou Shang overturned the table.
…
"...You are completely crazy."
At the back of the venue, in the study room near a pond, the atmosphere gradually became quiet. After the hustle and bustle of the venue, five people, including He Wen, Gao Chang, Xu Zhaonan, Shi Baofeng, and Zhou Shang, came here again by chance. place.
This is more like a private meeting, a final meeting...or a final fight.
"This world is crazy."
While Zhou Shang was accusing him, He Wen stood by the window and knocked on the window lattice, looking at the scenery outside and talking in a low voice.
"Is this the idea from the beginning?"
"What?"
"Is this the idea at the beginning of this conference? Do you want one person to have the final say?"
"...Everyone knows about the Fairness Party's problem. If it can't be solved, it will be dead anyway. Otherwise, we will die together, or... you will die. What's not to choose?" He Wen's eyes were cold.
"I don't see much of a problem."
"People are stronger than you, and it's your weakness that's the problem."
"...who is weak?"
"We are weak." He Wen spread his hands, "In the entire Jiangnan, tens of millions of people, they all have fair flags on their heads, but in fact they are just a bunch of gangsters, let them burn, kill and loot, they shout Fairness, swarm up and ask them to farm, will they go? Tell them not to kill indiscriminately, will they listen? You can't do what you say, and you can't stop what you say, so you just have to show off in front of people like Wu Qimei and Liu Guangshi. If the Jurchens come again, I will still dig up your ancestral graves and kill your whole family."
Xu Zhaonan's eyes twitched: "Even if you know this...can't we talk about it?"
"How many times have we talked, do you listen?" He Wen smiled, "According to the current thinking of the talks, we will send dozens of people from each side to form some kind of conference, and the five of us will form the presidium, slowly fight, and help each other.
The other party mixes the sand and makes it a stumbling block. I have to deal with a matter. You come to plead with me. You have to deal with a person. I come to stop it... What kind of nonsense can we unite to create? Orders and prohibitions, just this one request, can we achieve it?
Just talk, can you do it? If I ask you not to kill indiscriminately, won’t you fall out with me too?”
"That's very beautiful." Shi Baofeng was pouring tea aside. "Then King Fairness, please tell me why everyone has to listen to you, why can't they listen to me, Shi Baofeng? If all four of you listen to me,
Wouldn’t it be possible to impose orders and prohibitions?”
Zhou Shang pointed at Shi Baofeng.
He Wen shook his head: "It's not who you listen to, but what's right. Listen to whoever can solve the problem. Southwest has an opinion on these issues of the Fair Party. Why don't you listen? What you care about is the power in your hands, and who cares about listening to you?"
Yes, even if the problem can be solved, as long as it doesn't listen to you, you won't agree. That's not the case with any of you." He sat down on his seat: "Okay, you are not needed, I will do it myself."
"That's not me." Zhou Shang confessed, "My path is the right one. With all due respect, you are all idiots."
He Wen was too lazy to pay attention to him, and the others didn't answer. Shi Baofeng made tea, looked at the cup and smiled.
"No matter what, we are still heroes, gathering for justice. He Gong, if we can't talk about it today, we will start a fight when we go out. The whole world wants to see our joke. To be honest, I am very sad."
"What kind of heroes are we?" He Wen laughed, "Ning Yi is a hero, Qin Siyuan, Li Gang, Zongze are heroes, Wanyan Aguda, Wanyan Zonghan are heroes, we are just a bunch of gangsters
, bandits, rise up in response to the current situation, cannot take root, and will disperse sooner or later."
"...This has been the case in all dynasties."
"Ning Yi has taken a new path."
"Can he make it? He doesn't have the guts to say it himself."
"It's not like this when we go the old way."
"We have a discussion on the old road... He Wen, you always betrayed your relatives and left."
"...Look, who can outsmart whom?"
The aroma of tea floated in the room. The people at the table looked at each other, their words gradually became tired, but they all laughed. He Wen held the small cup of hot tea in his hand.
"I'm serious, can't you let it go?" He said, "Southwest has promised to support me in reforming the Fairness Party. Ning Yi is a lunatic. He is keen to see us make such reforms. He is very fond of Lao Niutou.
, you can all see the attitude towards Jin, towards Southeast, and even towards Dai Mengwei... Put down the power in your hands and stop running things like a mess. We have caused enough harm to Jiangnan.
Can you do a real career?"
He paused: "You nod, I will bring people from the Chinese Army to see you."
Gao Chang tilted his head: "If you are so sincere, why don't you bring someone to see us first?"
He Wendao: "To do difficult things, you must have the determination to take risks."
Xu Zhaonan said: "We give up our power and go under you, and then we will let you slaughter us. If you were me, what would you do?"
He Wen looked at him: "So I don't want to talk anymore... But, Mr. Xu, let's just treat it as an agreement for the future. If one day, you suddenly want to do something good, think about it?"
"Can't I do it myself?" Xu Zhaonan laughed.
Shi Baofeng drank all the tea in his hand: "My son has broken a hand, He Wen, I originally thought... forcing you to take a stand on the book club is a good thing for the Fairness Party.
...My son, he broke a hand."
"Your son is a loser." He Wen looked at him, "Shi Baofeng, look at my mouth and listen clearly, your son is a loser. You can fight any way you want, but your son is a loser.
Trash, he has nothing to do with me."
The tea cup in Shi Baofeng's hand was suddenly thrown over. He Wen stretched out his hand and waved the tea cup. It flew to the side of the room and was smashed into pieces.
Zhou Shang held the tea cup with two fingers and looked at it for a moment. He raised his head and looked at Shi Baofeng.
"Your son is a waste." He finished speaking word by word. He turned around and opened his mouth. There was no sound for a while. After a while, everyone finally heard what he said:
"...This world is so rotten."
He stood up, turned around and went out. The other four people sat there motionless. Except for Shi Baofeng, who poured himself a cup of tea, the remaining four cups of tea remained untouched on the round table. The heat on the tea cups rose slightly, and
The pale light that came in when Zhou Shang opened the door was mixed together.
A humming sound in the distance came like a tide, and the footsteps stepped out.
...there is a war.
…
In late autumn, in the evening, the pale skylight is gradually fading, leaving the rule of this world to the spreading darkness.
On the street near the venue, Ning Ji was among the crowd listening to the gossip coming from the martial arts tournament. Suddenly, he felt an unusual aura around him.
The meeting broke up, and some carriages and horses left one after another on the long street. Along with them, there were a large number of guards or secret sentries from various forces. I don't know why, but the atmosphere of the meeting this time seemed particularly unusual.
In the teahouses and restaurants on the street, some people had established relationships with the attendees and immediately went to inquire about the news. Then, the atmosphere of commotion surged in the pale sky.
"problem occurs……"
"He Wenhe..."
"I'm so upset..."
"This time things are going to be big..."
There were waves of whispers and a large number of pedestrians began to leave in different directions in a hurry, just like the first wave of receding waves. Ning Ji listened to a few words, and then tried to go to a higher place to check the direction chosen by Shi Baofeng's convoy.
There are several streets leading from this venue, and each king will try to choose a different road each time.
However, it is a bit troublesome to get to high places. At this time, secret sentries and guards from all sides have arranged manpower to patrol the roof. Even though some sharpshooters cannot beat him, they still have the advantage of eyesight. He is wandering around
After a while, I considered countermeasures.
After a while, there were sounds of fighting in the distant night. Ning Ji listened for a while, and then saw the rising fireworks, and someone was warning them in the distance.
"The Assassination of King Equality"
Is there anyone with the same philosophy?
Ning Ji was stunned for a moment, and then moved towards the direction of the commotion. If these assassins failed to succeed in the assassination attempt, he would not mind joining the gang halfway to do something big.
However, the fierce assassination only lasted for a moment. Halfway through his run, Ning Ji noticed that the momentum belonging to King Ping Ping became more and more stable. Then, guards and masters belonging to King Ping Ping began to appear in various places on the nearby streets.
Their expressions no longer looked anxious, and they may have already grasped the situation.
Ning Ji couldn't go to a high place, so he walked against the chaotic crowd along the hidden spot of the street corner. When he reached the corner of the street in front, the chaotic sound had come to an end. Through the gap between the soldiers guarding the street, he saw
The long street in the distance was covered with blood. Five or six figures were controlled and kneeled on the street. Shi Baofeng's figure walked in front of these people and slashed them to the ground with a knife.
"kill me"
"You alone want to kill me"
"He Wen! Why don't you come in person?"
Forced by his inner strength, Shi Baofeng roared loudly in the last ray of autumn light. Darkness crossed the long street and drowned him. Only then did Ning Ji realize that Shi Baobao's martial arts were actually quite good.
He gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
The opponent is on guard, and there is no chance of assassination at this time.
But what exactly is going on at today’s conference?
After walking far away, he had time to recall what had happened before. As for the rift between the five idiots of the Fairness Party, there were rumors in the city every day. There was talk of a falling out a few days ago. What happened today? Let’s make another quarrel.
Turn it over once?
Night has fallen, and there are all kinds of pedestrians on the street, some running in a hurry, some sneaking around, piles of garbage exuding a stench on the street, and in the surrounding dark alleys, the corpses of dead people exude the smell of decay.
It smells like the city is in a state of death, almost hopeless.
Having lost the chance to assassinate, Ning Ji felt a little confused. What should he do next? Find some medicine? There were no medical clinics around him... He walked through half of the city amidst the vague hustle and bustle. Surprisingly,
Yes, no one came to trouble him, so it was impossible for him to use the topic to beat anyone up. In this way, he returned to the road near Wuhu Inn and walked towards the familiar low bridge.
There was a faint orange flame burning under the bridge. The young monk did not stay by the fire. He stood on the river beach outside the bridge, looking strangely into the bridge. He also paid attention to the situation on the bridge side. Ning Ji
The young monk looked at him with a look of compassion. He said nothing.
Ning Ji walked across the short bridge and looked into the distance from the top of the short bridge. The outline of the ancient city in the darkness seemed to look better again. The ignited flames were like orange lanterns above the outline. He
Going down from the river embankment, in the bridge hole, Xue Jin was holding the woman's body and crying slightly. Ning Ji went over and squatted down, reaching out and touching the side of the woman's neck.
There was only a little residual warmth left on the body.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah……"
Xue Jin opened his mouth with only a few missing teeth, crying weakly and sadly.
Ning Ji looked at him.
"She's dead..."
He wanted to say this as calmly as possible.
But I don't know why, I couldn't do it.
…
In the dark night, there are fireworks rising...
Those are fireworks and arrows used by various forces as warnings, and they have been rising from time to time recently.
For some reason, Ning Ji remembered the first time he saw this couple.
It was the night of August 15th. Xue Jin brought back the food he had begged for. They leaned weakly together on the river embankment, facing the dark night, waiting for the fireworks to rise again.
"They...will let it go again..."
At that moment, they faced the darkness, looking forward to it with such longing...