The city where millions of people gathered was no longer as noisy as before in this winter. Separated by a wall, under the city wall to the north, the moat was quietly covered with thick ice, blood, corpses, and half of the objects thrown from the city wall sank to the bottom of the river.
, half of which protruded from the ice surface, gradually blended into ferocious ice sculptures in the process of cooling and melting, and melting and cooling again. At this time, they, along with the Jurchen camp in the distance, also became quiet.
In the thick and towering city walls, everything is rendered in gray and white colors, and the occasional red of flames does not appear bright. The city is immersed in the sorrow of death and cannot yet recover. Most of the corpses of the dead have been burned at one end of the city.
The family members of the victim took a handful of ashes back, put them in the coffin, and made a memorial tablet. Since the city gate was closed, there were more small doors and small households, and even the coffin could not be prepared. The sound of the suona sounded, and the sound of the suona stopped. Every household, mostly
Crying, but the sadness is so deep that even crying cannot be uttered. Some old people, women, at home, after hearing the news of the death of their children or husbands, are either cold or hungry, or are too sad, so they cry quietly.
Died.
Such sorrow and desolation are unprecedented sights in the entire city. Although the offensive and defensive battles have stopped, the tension shrouded inside and outside the city has not faded. Since the battle between the Western Military Division and Zong Wang, the entire army has been annihilated.
After that, the day-to-day peace talks outside the city were still going on. While the peace talks were still ongoing, no one knew whether the Jurchens would come to attack the city.
At first, everyone's ↑Chang↑Feng↑Literature↑The spirit of losing their son and the city has passed. After a slight relief, the pain has surged up, and not many people have that energy anymore. The people in the city are uneasy and pay attention.
News from the north of the city, sometimes even the footsteps can't help but slow down a little, for fear of alarming the Jurchen beasts over there. In the winter when the city has been besieged for a long time, the entire city is gradually turning into giant ice.
An undercurrent is quietly surging.
The wintersweet blossoms bloomed, creating a delicate red color in the corner of the courtyard. The servant walked through the porch as carefully as possible. In the main hall of the courtyard, the gentlemen were talking. The leader was Tang Ke and Tang Qinsou, and the guest next to him was.
Yan Zheng Yan Daozhang.
The charcoal fire was burning in the beast-patterned copper furnace, and the two of them talked in low voices, but there was not much excitement.
"...Since the Battle of Bianliang, countless people have been killed and injured. These dead cannot be worthless...Although Tang had previously advocated peace, many of his ideas were consistent with those of Prime Minister Li and Prime Minister Qin.
.The Jin people are as fierce as tigers and wolves. Now that they have started a war and can force peace, the peace talks should not be retreated. Otherwise, the Jin people will make a comeback... Brother Xidaoxian and I have been discussing it frequently these days..."
"... Mr. Tang and Mr. Geng thought, Yan naturally understood that the peace talks should not be hasty, but... Mr. Li Chu and Mr. Li are too cautious in nature. What I am afraid of is that he only wants to run errands and deal with the loss of ground. And this matter should not be too slow.
If it continues to be delayed and the Jurchens have no food and grass, they will have to rush hundreds of miles away to plunder, then the peace talks will definitely fail...it's not easy to control..."
"...Taishi Cai is aware of this, but according to what Tang thinks...there are Wu Rui troops outside the city. The Jurchens may not dare to act rashly. Now we are gathering the defeated Western Army again, and I believe Wanyan Zongwang does not want to stay here for a long time. The peace talks are about
The core, others are still second, one is elite soldiers, and the other is Taiyuan... I have elite soldiers so that I can deal with the Jurchens coming south next time. With Taiyuan, only in this battle can there be no loss of bones. As for money and materials.
Instead, we might as well follow the Wuliao precedent..."
"It's a pity that I don't have the final say on this matter..."
"...Yes. In this battle, the two prime ministers who contributed the most in this battle are the left and right prime ministers, the Western Army, and Mr. Zhong... We, the leader and the first line, really have nothing to do. However, when the time comes,
Everyone in the court must use their strength together. Yesterday, Tang asked Prime Minister Qin to discuss that in this war, the Youxiang Mansion contributed the most. His second son, Shao He, occupied Zong Han in Taiyuan, and Shao Qian retreated from Xiacun.
The army is a meritorious service. However, in order to avoid suspicion, the right prime minister seems to have the intention of retreating..."
"...Qin Xiang is a great hero. If he can escape with his whole body at this time, it will be a good story..."
"...For the sake of the country and the people, even though tens of thousands of people are here, how can I allow them to retreat because of the national calamity? What the Prime Minister is thinking in his heart, Tang X understands that at the beginning, with the intention of war and peace, he and I
There have been many disputes, but the disputes were only about the family and the country, not personal grudges. Qin Siyuan's avoidance of suspicion this time is not a blessing for the family and the country. Brother Daozhang, Wurui camp cannot change generals easily, and Taiyuan cannot be lost. These matters all fall to the right prime minister.
On my body..."
"...Since Brother Tang said so, Yan and Brother Tang will advance and retreat together..."
As the charcoal fire burned, the whispers gradually came to an end. Yan Zheng stood up to say goodbye, and Tang Ke sent him out. In the courtyard outside, the winter plum blossoms lined with white snow, the scenery was beautiful and pleasant. After saying goodbye to each other, Yan Zheng smiled and said: "
There is heavy snow this year and there are many things going on. I hope the coming year will be peaceful and the auspicious snow will herald a good harvest."
"The auspicious snow heralds a good harvest, I hope so." Tang Ke also held up his hands and smiled.
He sent Yan Zheng out and then came back. Under the eaves outside the hall, there was already another old man looking at the snow with a tea cup. This was Xu Xiangxuan, an aide in his palace, a great scholar.
"Advance and retreat together, to be honest, Yan Daozhang is a boneless person."
"May he bring these words to Master Cai..."
In the court, Yan Zhengfeng has a very good reputation. On the one hand, he has an upright personality, and on the other hand, he has always interacted with Tang Ke and other talented people. But in fact, he is Cai Jing's pawn. He usually tends to advocate peace.
, at the critical moment, he is nothing more than a messenger.
"Just now, Mr. Geng and the others sent someone to send a message. The Duke of Guo was also hesitant. It seems that he is unwilling to come forward in this matter..."
"Recapture Yanyun and retire after success. The Duke of Chu has a reputation before him and a name behind him, so it is right for him not to show up."
The two chatted for a few words, and then there was silence for a while. The charcoal fire in the room burst into flames, and the snow outside was so cold that it penetrated people. Tang Ke looked at the snow scene for a moment and sighed.
"Winter is not over yet..." He closed his eyes and exhaled a white breath.
"Jingzhe is here..."
Xue Changgong was wrapped in bandages and was sitting on a chair. The people who came up to him were two superiors from the army who came to visit him, one was Hu Tang and the other was Shen Jue. They were both complimenting the middle and high-level officials of the Japanese army. They had been talking for a while.
"...Now that the Jurchens' front has retreated, we can take a break from the defense work in the city. Although Brother Xue's position is critical, we can rest assured to cultivate at this time, so as not to miss anything."
"...As long as the peace talks are over, everyone can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Brother Xue will definitely take the lead this time, but he is so rich. By then, everything in Brother Xue's family will have to be replaced."
"The small Han family relies on the kindness of the superiors and brothers to send things, but they haven't been counted clearly at this time. There was a big battle, and the bones of the brothers were still cold. Thinking of this, Xue felt very sorry." Xue Changgong was a little weak. smiled.
Hu Tang waved his hand: "Hey, that's not what you say. We, warriors, get our fame from our swords, and we wear heads on our belts. Brothers underground are not blessed. Those who are lucky enough to be alive should eat, drink, and enjoy. I have to enjoy it. The scholars scolded me after hearing this, but this is the case in the army. It is a good thing for Brother Xue to care about his brothers, but you should enjoy it, and you will not lose a cent. This way Ah, it’s only fitting that brothers follow you to risk their lives.”
Shen Jue smiled and said: "If I can survive this time, I will be promoted and make a fortune. It's not a problem. When the time comes, Brother Xue, you have to invite me to Fanlou, and my brother will definitely be there. Haha..."
What they said was true. Xue Changgong smiled and nodded: "...but, what is the situation outside the city now? I have been in bed for a few days and heard bits and pieces... The peace talks are not complete after all. Xin, if our morale weakens and the Jurchens come again, it will be a huge disaster... In addition, I heard that something happened to Mr. Xiaozhong, and I don’t know what the details are..."
"The Western Army is a man, different from the people outside our city." Hu Tang shook his head, "In the last battle at Wuzhang Ridge, Mr. Xiaozhong was seriously injured. He led his soldiers to attack Zongwang. In the end, the leader was killed. His subordinates could not The young cavalry guards could have fled, but in order to save the body of Mr. Xiao Zhong, they rushed into the formation five times in a row. In the last time, there were only more than thirty people left, all of them were seriously injured, both men and horses were red, and the entire army was finally wiped out... Xianggong Lao Zhong was also stubborn. According to the army, Xianggong Xiaozhong came with his troops. He sent people to ask the capital to send troops to harass them. Later, he was defeated. He also asked his own soldiers to ask for help. When his own soldiers entered the city, Xianggong Lao Zhong sent them to the city. Detained... Now at the Jurchen camp, Mr. Xiao Zhong and the heads of hundreds of people who rushed to the battle are all hanging outside the tent. Peace talks outside the city, this matter is one of them..."
"I heard someone say that Mr. Xiaozhong fought hard until he died. He still believed that Mr. Zhong would lead the troops to rescue him. On the battlefield, he used these words several times to boost morale. But until the end, the five armies in the capital did not move." Shen Jue whispered, "There is also a saying that Mr. Xiao Zhong already knew the outcome of the incident before he could escape before facing Zong Wang. He just told lies to deceive everyone..."
Shen Jue paused for a moment: "After Mr. Xiao Zhong died, Wu Ruiying sent troops. After that, Wu Sheng Wuwei and other armies came over. Chen Yanshu, Fang Lian, Lin Hetang and others advanced with more than 100,000 troops... …Actually, without a blow from the Western Army, the peace talks would not have happened so quickly…”
After guarding the city for nearly a month, I have seen many tragic and heroic things, but when talking about this matter, there was still some silence in the room. After a while, Xue Changgong coughed a few times because of his injury. Hu Tang smiled.
"Speaking of military achievements, the people in Xiacun defeated Medicine Master Guo, and now they are confronting the Jurchens outside the city. If we were to reward them based on their merits, maybe they deserve the most credit."
Shen Jue lowered his voice: "The country's military has always been led by civil servants. When we were in the army, we encountered countless constraints. In the end, everyone couldn't defeat them. It was said that the officers were incompetent. We, the generals, had nothing to say. Qin Shaoqian ...He is the son of the right prime minister, so he is naturally unfettered in his actions, so he can defeat the resentful army. This is a good thing, but... alas, in short, it is always a good thing to win..."
"It's not easy for them outside the city." Hu Tang said with a smile, "The Xiacun army is said to be led by Wuruiying. In fact, the army outside the city has been dispersed long ago. Now they are confronting the Jurchens and wrangling at the same time. Those commanders
Envoys, Chen Yanshu, Fang Lian, and Lin Hetang, which one is the most economical lamp? I heard that outside Chen Bing City, they went to Wurui Camp every day to ask for people, both from above and from below, and sent their brothers out to lobby. Xia
These people in the village have to some extent made some bones. With them making bones, it won’t look ugly when beaten. Everyone has no one and they all want to borrow chickens to lay eggs..."
"I haven't had any contact with the outside of the city yet. When the Jurchens leave, I'm afraid there will be some friction. The people brought by Brother Xue are the top ones in the Japanese army we praise. What we are facing is the Jurchens. They are outside the city.
Zhou Xuan, it was Guo Yaoshi who was defeated, it is really hard to say who is more difficult. When the time comes, our team in Beijing will not use force to bully others, and the military merits will be returned, but we cannot lose our prestige..."
"Don't worry too much. Their troubles outside the city are not over yet. Sometimes, it's not a good thing to show off to the forest. It's a gainer, but it's a person who makes a fortune in silence..."
A few people talked about what happened outside the city, and it was not a matter of gloating. It was just that friction was common in the military as they strived for merit, and each other was prepared in their hearts.
For ordinary people, after the battle is over, the victory is over. For them, after the battle is over, many things after that are also foreseeable. They are curious about the team that defeated Guo Yaoshi, but after all, they have not yet
I have seen it before, but I don’t know what it is like. Now that I think about it, when they faced off against the Jurchens, they still took advantage of the Western Army’s desperate blow. If they really fought, they would definitely be defeated. But they faced ten people outside the city.
Tens of thousands of people. Guo Yaoshi left again. Even if the Jurchens could win, it would not mean much after seeing Bianliang's resistance. They discussed these things and felt more relaxed.
After all, the real wrangling and insider information are still in the hands of the big shots, and all they care about is the small amount of profit they can get.
After talking like this for a long time, Xue Changgong was injured after all. The two said goodbye and refused Xue Changgong's farewell. Looking out from the courtyard outside the door, it was a cold winter shrouded in dark clouds, which seemed to confirm the fact that the dust had not yet settled.
When he returned to the backyard, the maid told him that Miss Shishi was here.
In the bedroom, the master took some precious medicinal materials and came over to see He Leer, who was still lying on the bed unable to move. The two talked in a low voice. This was her second time here after a few days of truce.
The fighting stopped and the peace talks began. The division's help in the wounded barracks had also come to an end. As a courtesan in the capital who had begun to fade slightly, after being busy in the army for a period of time, her figure became thinner, but during that period
Her experience has also accumulated more fame for her. The past few days must have been not leisurely, so that her face still showed a little tiredness.
Even though he has passed away, there is still a world of difference between the master's status in Fan Tower and He Leer. Xue Changgong is not clear about the reason why she came to see He Leer. This period is still the time when warriors are popular, but even if
In this case, Xue Changgong was not worthy of such an oiran, so he didn't think too much about it. When the master came out, the two of them greeted each other and exchanged a few words.
Xue Changgong remembered the reputation of Fan Tower, and couldn't help but ask his master a few questions about the peace talks. The private discussions of several generals and deputy generals could not understand the current situation, but in Fan Tower,
They will know more if they receive various dignitaries.
"... Listening to the words of some of the adults in the court, there are no big issues in negotiating peace, General Xue, don't worry." After a moment of silence, the teacher said, "I praise the Japanese army for their military achievements this time, and I also hope that General
After you become a successful person, don't let my sister down."
Li Shishi didn't have much time, so after he finished speaking, he left here. As the carriage drove through the long snow-covered street, the noise from the surrounding cities came in from time to time. When the curtains were opened, most of these noises were from crying and meeting on the left.
People spoke a few words, sighed uncontrollably, and wailed faintly. A small piece of white cloth was hung on the door of a house where someone had died. A child ran across the street in despair. In the half-open door of the blacksmith shop, a child waved a hammer.
The monotonous sound of the blow showed no vitality at all.
In the past few days, time seems to be flowing in a thick paste.
The news I told Xue Changgong was monotonous and optimistic, but the facts are naturally not that simple. Hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people died in a battle. Sometimes, simple victory or defeat is almost unimportant, and it is really confusing.
The sad thing is that in these victories and defeats, people cannot distinguish between pure tragedy or joy, and almost all emotions cannot find simple sustenance.
Before the war was over, all kinds of messy things had already started.
In the court, the secret operations, private connections, and scheming of each and every official. Fanlou naturally cannot see these clearly, but the clues in private can be easily found. Grand Master Cai's will, His Majesty's will,
The will of the Duke of Chu, the will of the two prime ministers, the will of the Lord and the Harmony faction... In the flowing underground river, these things have become the main body vaguely. As for those who died, their will is not important, and it seems
, has never been important.
Shishi is also someone who knows all kinds of inside stories, but only this time, she hopes that there are some simple things in front of her, but when she thinks about everything deeply, those things no longer exist.
The impassioned Western Army, whose head is still hanging in the Jurchen camp, and the peace talks between the DPRK and China have not been able to bring him back. The negotiations between Mr. Li Chao and Zong Wang are even more complicated. What kind of situation is this?
. can appear, but behind the scenes, the mixture of various wills makes it difficult to see anything exciting. During the battle to defend the city, the Right Prime Minister's Office was responsible for logistics deployment and concentrated a large number of manpower to defend the city, but now it has begun to fall silent.
, because there are some ominous signs in the air.
The great victory of the Xia Cun army was exciting when it first came out. However, at this time, all kinds of forces were reaching out to this team. Hundreds of thousands of people outside the city were still confronting the Jurchen troops. Xia Cun
In the military camp, a lot of quarreling has started every day. News came yesterday that there was even a small-scale firefight. According to the adults who came to Fanlou, these things were clearly provoked by someone behind the scenes.
Let the soldiers and generals of Wurui Camp be so happy.
And the thoughtful people among them are not just the top executives among the more than 100,000 people outside the city. From the news network of Fanlou, we can vaguely feel that the will of people in the city, including Grand Master Cai and Tong Guan, has already extended out of the city.
Compared with the tentacles and undercurrents behind these, the more than 10,000 troops confronting the Jurchens did not have a fierce counterattack. They were separated by a high city wall, and Fanlou could not get much information from it.
For Shishi, all the complex undercurrents seemed to be flowing around her. As for negotiations, truces, and the value and significance of all the dead, she suddenly couldn't easily find a place to rely on and find refuge.
She stared at these things carefully. When she dreamed back at midnight, she also had a small expectation. After all, the person she knew existed in the Wurui camp at this time. With his character, he would not sit still and wait for death.
After the reunion, he repeatedly made many incredible achievements. This time, she also hoped that when all the information was connected, he might have launched a counterattack and gave all these messed-up people a sharp slap in the face.
There was little hope, but at least for now, she could still look forward to it.
After she returned to Fanlou in the carriage, she heard a special news.
"Over at Zhuji, Mr. Su just came over and handed us something."
Her mother, Li Yun, called her over and gave her a small book. Shishi flipped through it and found that what was recorded in it was what happened to some people on the battlefield. In addition to the battle in Xiacun, there were also other events including the Western Army.
Most of the people in the army are simple and heroic, suitable for propaganda stories.
"In fact, Zhujili started arranging storytellers a few days ago, but mom, let me tell you, the rumors are not right. I don't know if this treasure can be suppressed. You can help them talk about it, I don't care about you.
.”
Li Yun poured her a cup of tea to warm her hands. When Shishi raised his head to look at her, his eyes were calm and complicated, he sighed and turned to look at the window.
"It's hard for you and me to talk about these big shots." She sat down on the chair across from her, raised her head and sighed, "This time the Jin people go south, things are about to change. Whoever has the final say in the future will be seen by everyone.
I don’t understand... In these years in Beijing, some people have been ups and downs, and some have been prosperous for decades and never fell. But every time there is a big event, there must be people up and down. My daughter, you know them and I know them all.
In this game. This time, mom, I don’t know who will be up and who will be down, but things are coming, that’s for sure..."
The teacher held the book and was slightly silent.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Li Yun waved his hand, then lowered his voice, "I heard that Mr. Ning secretly returned to Beijing and was meeting people secretly. These must be his handiwork. I know you can't sit still, let you go
If you have a free day, go look for him. What does he want, and what does Mr. Qin of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion want? If he can give you an accurate answer, I will feel more at ease..."
Shishi's eyes lit up. After a while, he stood up and gave a blessing. After thanking him, he asked where he was and went out.
The carriage drove through the streets of Bianliang, and the light snow gradually fell. Shishi asked the coachman to take her to several places, including Zhuji's branch and Su's house. When she was helping, the carriage turned to the small bridge on the side of Wenhui Building and stopped.
Come down.
Shishi got off the carriage wearing a white coat. On the second floor, next to a window with warm yellow light, Ning Yi was sitting there, quietly looking at something outside the window. He had a beard.
, with a quiet and indifferent expression, as if feeling the gaze from below, he turned his head and saw the woman putting down her hood beside the carriage below. Snowflakes were slowly falling.
Someone seemed to have entered the room upstairs. Ning Yi looked over there and stood up, then turned to look at Shishi. He closed the window, and the blurry silhouette in the window greeted the guest, and then only a faint light was left.
In the evening, Shishi crossed the road and walked into the restaurant... (To be continued...)