In the early morning, people swept away the snow in the courtyard behind Zhuji Restaurant. In the still-bright scene, people had already begun to gather and greeted each other in low voices.
The courtyard was quite large, and there were about sixty or seventy people there. Most of them were wearing robes, and some even carried musical instruments such as erhu. They found long stools and sat up in twos and threes in the cold weather.
They were all storytellers, and Lu Si was one of them. He was holding his erhu and holding a few pages of paper in his hand. His eyes were slightly red from staying up late. After sitting down, he saw the shopkeepers in front of him and his boss came in.
"Gentlemen, I'm sorry for gathering everyone together in a hurry. There is a shortage of supplies in the city, and there is no fire. I will make a long story short. After I finish speaking, I invite everyone to eat noodles. You should have read some of these short stories I have sent to you.
Already."
"I've seen it." Lu Si replied in the crowd, and most of the answers around him were neat. They are usually storytellers, and they pay attention to eloquence, but at this time there are no jokesters. On the one hand, the people in front have high prestige.
, On the other hand, during the Jurchen siege, everyone experienced too many things. Some people they once knew went to the city wall to participate in the defense and never came back. There were also people who had their hands and feet cut off by the Jurchens before.
Dead. After all, it is because most of these people are literate and numeral, and were assigned to the logistics side. Now they have survived. It was only after reading the stories of some people inside and outside the city last night that I realized that so many things happened during this period.
matter.
Lu Si read the two stories that were sent to him overnight last night, and his mood was agitated. Sometimes they tell stories about fantasy and weirdness, and sometimes they can't help but tell anecdotes that they heard and add to the story at hand.
These things are ultimately different, especially if you have participated in them yourself.
The aroma of noodle soup could already be heard in the adjacent courtyard, and the owner in front continued to talk.
"The book printing department has just started to resume work. We don't have enough manpower, so we can't send them all to you for the time being. You can pass them on to each other after you read them. This battle with the Jurchens was not a good one. Many people died, but in
In this battle, there were many people inside and outside the city. They rushed forward and sacrificed their lives. They rushed forward and sacrificed their lives, not while escaping. Just for them, we need to keep these stories...
…”
"There is no need for impassioned exaggeration, no need for everyone to talk about Li Guang, Huo Qubing and others, saying that those who offend our strong men will be punished no matter how far away they are, or about the great achievements of sealing the wolf to Xu. This time we will only talk about individuals, and we have sorted it out.
There are many such things that have come out and have not been sorted out. If you have heard about it, you can also help sort it out. We may make people laugh by telling stories on weekdays. But now, everyone in this city is very sad. You have to go and help.
They want to express their gratitude, nothing else. We will remember those who sacrificed their lives... We talk about tragedy, not generosity. Do you understand? If you don't understand, you can raise it and discuss it with each other."
Then someone started talking, and someone asked: "My boss, have the peace talks outside the city been finalized?"
"The peace has not yet been decided." Nowadays, storytellers are often well-informed people in society. Sometimes after talking about something, they can't help but discuss some evidence with others. Naturally, someone may ask about the negotiation, and the boss replied, "That's right.
We have an idea, and both sides may be inclined towards peace talks, but everyone, don’t forget the wolf nature of the Jurchens. If we really take it as a sure thing and take it lightly, the Jurchens will definitely pounce on us. All the old hunters in the mountains know that when encountering
When meeting a ferocious beast, the most important thing is to stare into its eyes. If you don't stare at it, it will definitely bite you. If you go out, you can emphasize this point."
"...If we are prepared to fight, we are qualified for peace. If we have no intention of fighting, we will definitely be beaten."
The noisy conversation continued for a while, and the noodles were cooked and brought out hot.
This morning, Bianliang was still covered in white. After breakfast, the storytellers went out one after another. Together with the Zhuji guys, they mostly worked in groups of two. Lu Si found a small market next to the river to sit.
Next, he pulled up his erhu.
The siege of the city has been going on for a long time, the weather is cold, and there is nothing to buy in the market. The two white sheds erected not far away are perhaps the most eye-catching things. Under such circumstances, it is possible to hold a funeral for the family to express condolences.
Most likely his family had a lot of money. After he played the erhu for a while and began to talk, some people from nearby came over.
Erhu's voice was sad, but what he told was actually not an exciting story. When the Jurchens were attacking the city, he had seen many people die. He spent most of his time in the rear, and he survived by chance, but saw people die.
, or the desolate scene before death, they were not much touched at first. Only when combined with these stories that were originally recorded and compiled, did the people who died suddenly seem to have meaning and destination. Come around.
Many people, including those listening from afar at nearby homes, have had such experiences to some extent. After being pulled out of reality by the story, most of them could not help but feel sad and pitiful in their hearts.
After he finished telling a story, some people had gathered nearby, and there were also children wearing sackcloth and mourning. There was a small incident afterwards. A woman in sackcloth from nearby came over to beg for help. She set up a mourning hall for her husband-in-law, but at this time
There were too many dead people in the city. Not to mention the monks, there was no one around who could play a musical instrument. Seeing that Lu Si could play the erhu, he brought money over and begged Lu Si to come and help.
After Lu Si refused, the woman was so sad that she sat on the ground and cried, muttering about things at home. Her husband was a small landowner nearby. He was still young and liked to dance with swords.
When the real person came, the man left his wife and two young children at home and went to Xinjuanmen, where he died. The two children were now two and four years old. Although the family left a small fortune, she
How could a woman in her early twenties keep the family? She had set up a mourning hall for her husband, but she couldn't even invite monks or musicians. The woman had no choice but to send her young husband away in such a difficult winter.
It is a small family, and it is difficult for a young woman with two children to support this matter. In the past few days, the pressure on her has been too great to describe. Now she cried and said it, and everyone around her also wiped it out.
Tears. A **-year-old child wearing sackcloth and mourning beside him cried and said: "My daddy is dead too. My daddy is dead too..." There was a lot of crying.
People who are storytellers in the city on this day generally encounter such a situation. No matter inside or outside the city, there is often not much impassionedness about a person's death. For the survivors in the city, the death of their loved ones is not a very emotional experience.
What makes people see more is the reality that is pressing in front of them. Only so many people with different identities and the same death can add a little meaning to these deaths. Even if a lot of the propaganda of this meaning is artificial
, at least it won’t make people sink directly into the abyss of darkness.
While there was a slight commotion in the city due to the operation of thoughtful people, outside Bianliang City, the military camps facing the Jurchens were not peaceful either.
When Zhong Division led the Western Army in a fierce battle with the Jurchens, everyone in the Wurui Camp arrived a step late. Then word came out about the peace talks. The Wurui Camp and hundreds of thousands of people who came from behind gradually formed a formation to confront the Jurchens in front.
Wurui Camp chose a snowy slope that was not too steep to set up camp. Then they built fortifications, arranged their equipment, and began to prepare for large-scale battles. Seeing Wurui Camp's actions, the others also began to build fortifications.
As the peace talks progressed step by step, the Jurchens did not want to fight anymore, and public opinion began to emerge that the peace talks had been decided. The remaining more than 100,000 troops did not come to fight the Jurchens head-on. It was just that the attitude of the Wurui camp was revealed.
On the one hand, the war was coming to an end, and they had no choice but to follow. On the other hand, they rushed here to carve up a piece of this elite army before others intervene. Their morale was not high at first, and the fortifications were done hastily and sloppily. Then it became even more obvious.
Perfunctory.
Only Wurui Camp regards building fortifications and conducting offensive drills as a daily routine. At first sight, they immediately show their superiority and superiority. After a day or two, someone will say that during the peace talks, don't do it again.
To start a fight, you show your teeth and claws in front of the Jurchen formation all day long, as if it is a provocation. If the other party becomes more vicious and continues to fight, who can bear the responsibility of sabotaging the peace talks.
During this period, private exchanges and lobbying among various armies were the norm. Although Wu Ruiying could refuse some, there were also some who could not refuse. A few days later, at the suggestion of the Zhuji Staff Group, the same
Send out lobbyists to instigate those who can fight in the opposing army's formation.
In this way, although it can be regarded as defeating the opponent's army, privately, it is floating. There is another discussion, review, and reflection in the army. Naturally, they cannot target the opponent's actions, but discuss them together with the woman.
Why do real people lose in battles, what are the differences between the two sides, and what needs to be done to defeat these people. Regardless of whether there are talented people in the army or those who are not talented, they gather together to talk about their thoughts, and then summarize,
Unification and so on and so forth.
Everyone has brains, even if he was an illiterate farmer before joining the army, we can always distinguish between what makes sense and what doesn’t make sense after discussing it together. Why did I lose the battle with the Jurchens? Because I
Why are we afraid of death? Why do we all become afraid of death when we get together... As long as we go into these things a little deeper, we can filter out some problems. These discussions over the past few days have made some
Sharp things have been floating among the middle and lower-level soldiers, which has solved the crisis of differentiation to a certain extent. At the same time, some energetic things have begun to sprout within the military camp.
Walking through the not-so-thick snow, Chen Dongye returned from training with his men. When he approached his tent, he saw an officer standing outside. At the same time, he also heard the discussion in the tent.
The man outside the tent was familiar to him. He seemed to be standing casually, but in fact he looked like he was letting out some wind. Seeing that it was him, he winked and waved to let him in. After he opened the curtain and went in, he saw
There were already six or seven junior officers at the rank of captain in the tent. Seeing him come in, everyone stopped talking for a moment, and then started talking again.
What everyone is talking about is that the superior officers of the other armies are causing trouble behind the scenes and pulling people away.
"...My brother came to me and said that as long as he is willing to go back, he will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver and will be promoted to the third level immediately. These people are afraid that the world will not be in chaos, and they will spend more and more money every day..."
"Do you dare to say that you are not tempted?"
"Hey, am I short of money? Let me tell you, at that time I drew my knife and told him clearly, I said this again, brother is not appropriate, I slashed him with my knife!"
"Brother He is domineering!"
"There's nothing domineering or arrogant about it. How do we get here these days?"
"These days I finally understand how we lost and how those brothers died..."
The people in the tent were all lower-level officers, and most of them were young. They suffered defeats at first, but after fighting out of the battle in Xiacun, they were at their peak of vigor and violence. Luo Luo, who was in the same camp with Chen Dongye,
Among the businessmen, there is a family background in Beijing. He has always dared to speak, and he dared to attack and fight. This is probably why everyone gathered here. After talking for a while, his voice became louder, and someone patted the wood sitting next to him. Chen Dongye said:
"Please keep your voice down."
"What's there to be quiet about!" said a man with a scar on his face across from him, "I dare to say this at the discussion in the evening! Before the Jurchens leave, they will fight among themselves! Now this army
Who can't understand! We only have hope if we stay together. If we are separated, we will be like before, and we will all be together like before! So what if we are rewarded with a hundred taels of silver, or promoted to the third level! We turn people into bears!"
"What I'm saying is: let's not cause trouble to the superiors. I'm afraid General Qin and the others will have a hard time..."
After this period of time, everyone has quite agreed with the chief officer above. Especially at this time, during the daily discussions, they probably know some of the difficulties above, and they feel more united and have the same hatred in their hearts. He changed the topic.
.
"Master Ning is quite powerful. He gave them a powerful blow."
"But I heard from Zhu Ji's brother that this is also a benefit plan."
"Whether it should be demolished or not is ultimately decided by the superiors..."
"If we are really torn apart, we will be like before? To be honest, if we are really torn apart, give me a hundred taels of silver. I will be promoted to the third level. Next time the Jurchens come, I have no confidence that I can beat them. After saving the money,
Before the Jurchens come, I have to run to a place where no one is around..."
"Hey, what more money do you need to go to a place where no one is around..."
"Put things first!" the man shouted. "I didn't know it before, but I fought with the Jurchens and lost like that. Now I run back and follow those sons of bitches. If the Jurchens come again, will I still dare to fight? Go up.
Once, after I charged, I saw the Jurchens coming towards me and I was injured before I ran away. The next time the Jurchens came towards me, I would probably have to turn around and run away first, following those officials, stealing chickens, greedy money and taking empty pay. Why?
Is it reliable to fight? It’s hard to get through it. So many brothers have died. To be honest, if we are together, General Qin, Mr. Ning and I will fight wherever they point me. If I take a step back, my ancestors have been bullies for eighteen generations.
of!"
As the man spoke, his eyes turned slightly red, but no one could say anything to him. This man was a little sentimental, but he was always the most ferocious in killing enemies on the battlefield.
Someone on the side said: "I don't know so much, but if it really needs to be demolished, what do you think we should do?"
"Yes, we, a bunch of soldiers, have nothing to say about the affairs of the superiors..."
"It's not that I can't speak." said an officer named Luo Ye on the side, "The people above have their own ways of fighting. There aren't many people below us who can help, but first of all, we have to stick together as a team!
"
"We have been fighting until now, when did we not stick together!"
"Tuan Tuan is not just a matter of words! If they, the literati, have ideas, they just talk. If we soldiers have ideas, if we want to stand up, we must fight!" Although Luo Ye is a son of an aristocratic family, he is the most daring to fight.
Fighting, regardless of the consequences, he glared at this time, "What is Baotuan? My family knows many people in the capital. Anyone who disobeys will be beaten to death. This is called Baotuan! General Qin, Mr. Ning, I obey, and now those bastards are here
When things happen behind the scenes, they can only deal with it from the top. To put it bluntly, it depends on who has more people and greater influence. We are also human beings. Why do these people send lobbyists in private? They just think we are easy to attack.
If we want to stab General Qin and others in the back, then we have to tell them: It’s not easy for me to attack, we are the same! In this way, General Qin, Mr. Ning and others will be able to do things better."
"Brother Luo, what do you think we should do?"
"Fight! Beat anyone who refuses to obey! It's the same principle as beating the Jurchens! Don't you understand? In a few years, the Jurchens will definitely come again! If we are demolished and follow those stupid people, we will die.
Since it's a dead end, let's fight! Just like Xia Cun, if more than 10,000 of us gather together, no one can fight! We will fight those who make trouble, and we will make friends with those who are heroes. Now it is not just about you and me.
, the national crisis is imminent, overthrow is imminent, I don’t have time to play around with them..."
Everyone nodded in understanding. In the wind and snow, there were many similar things fermenting in the camp in front of them. Like a spark, although it may be extinguished at any time under the pressure of the outside world, at least during this period
Here, with the same mood, people began to band together under the pressure of the outside world and determined to do something. Finally, people appeared.
Like an undercurrent under the ice, these things appeared among countless things, and then sank again. While these things were happening, outside the Jurchen military camp, a convoy was escorting some herbs, grains and other items in.
This was a move to appease the Jurchens during the negotiations. The person responsible for these matters was the Right Prime Minister's Office, and it immediately encountered a lot of criticism.
Time passed by in the quietness of the wind and snow. In Bianliang City, the propaganda led by Zhu Ji gradually cheered up the hearts of the people who were in sorrow. There were topics about those who died in the war and about heroes. The discussion started
The negotiations are still going on. In the clamor of this information, Shishi is looking forward to Ning Yi and others to put the right force into the negotiation situation - Ning Yi and others, people from the Right Prime Minister's Office
At this time, she was also busy working on this matter in the capital. Within a few days, she could occasionally hear about it - but what she didn't know was that even though she had exerted her efforts, this time, the feedback she received on the operation of the Right Prime Minister's Office was
Not ideal.
On December 23, the evening of the fourth day after Ning Yi quietly returned to Bianliang, he came down from Wenhui Building while discussing matters with a think tank beside him.
"...The current situation in the capital is a bit strange. Everyone is practicing Tai Chi. The only ones who really gave feedback were Tang Ke's gang leader and sect... Tang Qinsou's personal ethics are very passable. But he is not important. Related
The most important thing about the negotiations outside the city is that we sent troops to escort the Jurchens out of the customs. The inner point is the fate of the Wurui Camp. If these two points are implemented, the Wurui Camp will be used to rescue Taiyuan. Only then can the north be preserved... Now look at
Get up, everyone is a little vague. Now every day is getting worse..."
"...Could it be that the lords in the court have other ways to protect Taiyuan?"
"In this battle, Zong Wang swept across the Central Plains. Even if Zong Han didn't make any big moves, he had already cleared the area around Taiyuan. After the two armies merged, who could stop them? Wu Ruiying was the only unit with a winning record, and with hundreds of thousands of people
Going all the way north and cooperating with the Taiyuan defense line, it is a little bit of a deterrent. Otherwise, it is basically watching people cut flesh with a knife. Prime Minister Qin lobbied your majesty, but the attitude of the emperor's side is not very clear..."
In Bianliang City, what Ning Yi is really responsible for is public opinion propaganda, the connection between the middle and lower classes, and some matters in contact with the military. However, even though he is not personally responsible, the current attitude of the upper class of the Wu Dynasty is strange enough.
Qin Siyuan, Jueming, and Yao Zunian are all talented people, and there is no problem with their abilities. However, after operating for such a long time, Qin Siyuan has met with the saints many times and cannot get clear answers in all aspects, which makes people a little anxious.
I got angry. What is the emperor's attitude towards the army? What is everyone's attitude towards Taiyuan? Is it possible that key issues will be blocked in the negotiations ahead? These things are all imminent and will roll over like wheels. Once
If you hesitate, you may miss an opportunity.
The negotiations outside the city should be finalized in a few days. Ning Yi was also a little surprised by the silence and hesitation from the upper management. Just as he was coming out of Wenhui Building, he suddenly heard a voice in front of him.
"Fuck - the weather is so cold and there are not many dead people on the street. I'm so bored. When...me!~Fuck!~Ning Yi! Hahahaha, Ning Yi!"
The voice was extremely arrogant, and he knew who it was as soon as he heard it. Ning Yi looked up and saw that it was indeed Gao Mu'en, a slut who was wrapped like a panda and described as wretched. When he saw Ning Yi, the expression on his face changed several times, and then he put his hands on his hips.
"You're fucking back! Hahahaha! Ning Yi! You fucking dare to come back... Your good days are only a few days away! Damn it! I'm going to kill you then -"
He pointed one finger at Ning Yi and said these words with unclear meaning. Ning Yi tilted his head and frowned slightly. At this moment, a crashing sound suddenly sounded.
"Killing and raping dogs——"
On the street, someone suddenly shouted, and one person lifted the cover of a nearby car. The sky was full of snow, the knife was bright, and hidden weapons were flying. A vendor who was setting up a stall on the long street overturned the stall, and Ning Yi was not far away.
At this place, a woman wearing a headscarf and holding a basket suddenly raised her hands and slashed with two swords. Someone jumped from the top of the building, and two assassins rushed past Gao Muen. At this moment, there were more than ten people.
A killing array of people suddenly spread out on the street and pounced on Ning Yi, who was dressed in scholar uniform.
At the same moment, figures around Ning Yi rushed out, and the sky was filled with sword light. From the side and behind, guns came out like dragons roaring, sweeping across. The shouts also burst out at the same time, like the energy smoke above the battle formation, in an instant, shaking the whole
The streets are filled with murderous intent.
There were snowflakes all over the sky, silhouettes clashing, the sound of weapons, the sound of fighting, the sound of steel knives cutting into flesh, and then, the outline of blood splashing all over the sky.
This was a sudden assassination. Gao Muen stood there, originally just pointing at Ning Yi, but also staring at Ning Yi. In the blink of an eye, he was dazzled, and figures rushed out, and there were also fierce men rushing towards Ning Yi. At the other end of the field of vision,
Ning Yi's eyes also suddenly changed color. Gao Mu'en only saw this moment and then was blocked by a figure. The big man rushed in front of Ning Yi. The next moment, his whole body curled up and flew to the side of the long street. A tractor-trailer
The goods on the freight car were blown away by him, and the boxes were flying around. The underground sword rolled over, and the sword bloomed like a lotus. Then it was pierced by a steel gun, and rolled over with a bright red color. And ahead, there were staggered
With the light of the sword, the head flew up, and the thick and warm blood splashed on Gao Muen's face. A hunchbacked swordsman wielded a long sword and killed him all the way like flowing clouds, and his mouth made a heart-stopping sound.
The strange cry.
"Wow-"
In the blink of an eye, blood and chaos have filled everything ahead——
Gao Mu'en couldn't figure out what was happening in front of him. After a moment, he realized it and suddenly shouted: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! There is an assassin. Protect me quickly. I want to go back and tell my dad."
——" He held his head and ran toward the group of guards. He ran straight past, slammed into a tree, and rolled on the ground holding his nose.
Due to the war, the green forest people have stopped assassinating Ning Yi for a while, but even so, after this period of training in the battle formation, the guards around Ning Yi are only stronger, how can they be unfamiliar. Although I don’t know
How did they get the news that Ning Yi had returned to the city? But as soon as these assassins took action, they immediately hit a hard target. On the long street, there was a sudden massacre. Several assassins rushed into the restaurant opposite.
Afterwards, I don't know who I met, but someone was beheaded and pushed out. Immediately, several of Ning Yi's followers rushed in. After a while, I heard someone shouting. The words came out.
"The Duke of Chu is here, who dares to surprise you——"
Afterwards, some guards rushed out of the building. (To be continued)