The Wu Dynasty lasted for two hundred years and lasted for about four years. During this short but long period of time, people had gradually become accustomed to war, displacement, death, and life.
The fact that the clouds have fallen. In the early spring of the third year of Jian Shuo in the Wu Dynasty, the south of the Yangtze River melted into a gray-white bleakness. The Jurchens' search for mountains and seas continued.
In Jiangning, the city is still covered with snow, but huge chaos is already brewing.
Many wealthy gentry and wealthy households are fleeing this city one after another. The property of Princess Chengguo's Mansion is being relocated. The Puyang family, which was once known as the richest businessman in Jiangning, has a large amount of gold and silver being moved onto trucks and trucks.
Cars and family members in various mansions are also ready to leave. The head of the family, Pu Yangyi, is not willing to escape first. He rushes between the government and the army, expressing his willingness to donate a large amount of gold, silver, and property for resistance and rebellion.
However, more people were already on their way out of the city.
If you all still remember, this is the city that Ning Yi first came into contact with in this era. Over the course of hundreds of years, it has become calm and graceful, with majestic city walls and mottled ancient courtyards. It was once the residence of the Su family.
It is still there at this time, it has just been sealed up by the government. Bushes and weeds have grown up in the courtyards. The valuable items in the rooms have long been moved away, the window lattice has become dilapidated, and the wall pillars have become dilapidated.
The old paint has faded away and is mottled.
In the yard where Ning Yi and Tan'er once lived, spider webs were formed in the rooms. Cats and stray dogs regarded this place as their home. They looked for food here and walked quietly through the snow-covered courtyard walls. Maybe.
We still remember that nearly ten years ago, Ning Yi and a woman named Su Taner talked in the room in the courtyard here. Their lives gradually became familiar in the spring rain and autumn frost, and gradually became a simple couple.
There were two small buildings here, one of which was later burned down by Tan'er, and they lived together.
At that time, the old people and children were still here, and the dandy boys spent their days doing limited things like playing chickens and fighting dogs, while the adults in each room were scheming with each other driven by small interests. In the past, there were also
When such a thunderstorm came, ferocious strongmen entered the courtyard, some fell in a pool of blood, and some resisted hysterically. Soon after, what happened here led to the destruction of the bandit village named Liang Shanshuibo.
.
Outside the courtyard, the city's roads go straight forward. The Qinhuai River, known for its wind and moon, passes through this city. Over the past two hundred years, brothels and Chu pavilions have opened on both sides of it. One after another, oirans,
The talented woman gradually became famous here, but was gradually blown away by the rain and wind. The Jinfeng Tower, which was ranked among the best in Jiangning City more than ten years ago, collapsed a few years ago. The person in charge of the Jinfeng Tower is named Yang Xiuhong.
His temperament is similar to that of Li Yunli's mother from Fanlou in Bianliang.
Different from Li Yun, when the Jin soldiers broke into Bianliang, under the huge pressure of the court to search for beautiful women in the city for the Jin soldiers to rape, his mother Li Yun and several fanlou courtesans committed suicide by taking medicine to protect their chastity. And Yang Xiuhong died in
A few years ago, she dissipated all her family wealth under the coercion and extortion of officials from all sides, but her life has become cleaner since then. Now, this aging woman has embarked on the road out of the city. In this cold snowy day,
Occasionally, she would think of the former Jinfeng Tower, the girl who jumped into the Qinhuai River on a heavy rainy day, and Nie Yunzhu, who had been chaste and self-possessed and finally redeemed herself and left.
Along the Qinhuai River, in a remote place by the river, the former traitor Qin Siyuan set up a chess stall under a tree beside the road. Occasionally, people of this kind would come to see him and have a game with him. Now the road is long and leisurely.
The trees are still there, but the people are no longer there.
Going further up, the small building by the river that Ning Yi once ran through has collapsed due to the snow and disrepair two years ago. The girl named Nie Yunzhu would stay here every morning to give him a warm welcome.
He smiled, and Yuan Jin'er started making mischief after living here. Sometimes, they would sit on the terrace next to the river, chatting and singing, watching the sunset, the falling autumn leaves, and the long winter snow. Nowadays, it is abandoned and decaying.
The foundations of the buildings have also been filled with snow and wormwood has accumulated.
Wu Qilong, who was once the head of the three major cloth merchant families in Jiangning, has succeeded as the head of this family. In the competition for the imperial merchants, he was severely set against by Ning Yi and the Su family. Since then, Wu Qilong has become the head of the Wu family.
Qilong learned from the pain and became calmer and more mature in a few years, and his relationship with the government became closer. He finally pushed the Wu family's business back to its previous scale, and even exceeded it. In the beginning,
In the past few years, he thought about regaining his place with the Su family after rising, but soon after, he lost this opportunity.
Over the years, Xue Jin, the former playboy of the Xue family, has reached his thirties. He still has not made any great achievements. He is just messing around with women and having a house full of wives and children. At this time, he may still remember the bricks he made when he was young and frivolous.
, the man who married into his wife who once gave him a brick, later killed the emperor, and at this time, he was still carrying out such an earth-shattering event as a rebellion somewhere. He occasionally wanted to use this incident as a topic of conversation with others,
But in fact, this matter was suppressed in his heart and he never spoke out.
The Jurchens are coming.
As they searched mountains and seas, burning and killing all the way, the Jurchens' vanguard was now approaching Jiangning. The Wulie camp stationed here set up a resistance formation, but not many people were optimistic about the outcome of their resistance.
attitude. During these months of burning and killing, except for the Jurchens who encountered slight setbacks when they went out to sea to capture, their siege on land was almost complete. People have realized that their court's
The fact that the army had no combat effectiveness, and due to the failure to pursue Zhou Yong at sea, the opponent's offensive on land became more and more fierce.
A few months ago, Prince Zhou Junwu returned to Jiangning to organize a resistance. Later, in order not to implicate Jiangning, Junwu took some soldiers and craftsmen to escape to the southwest, but one of the Jurchens still followed this route and killed
Came over.
The car from Princess Chengguo's Mansion also left the city in such chaos. The elderly Princess Zhou Xuan of Chengguo was not willing to leave, and the consort Kangxian was also unwilling to leave. There is no reason for a woman to die for her country. This is
The couple finally compromised for each other, but on the night after leaving the city, Chengguo Princess Zhou Xuan fell ill in her villa outside Jiangning City.
They stayed in Biye for two days. Zhou Xuan's condition became more and more serious, and Kang Xian did not intend to leave again. That night, someone came back from a dusty trip outside. It was the prince who traveled back through the starry night accompanied by Lu Agui.
Junwu, he visited Zhou Xuan, who was already critically ill, in his other business. When he asked Kang Xian about his condition in the courtyard, Kang Xian shook his head.
The old man was also gray-haired. After a few days of companionship and worry, his eyes were bloodshot, but there was already a hint of understanding in his expression. He said: "She has spent her whole life in Jiangning. She had discussed whether she should do it a few days ago.
When I left, I thought about it, maybe I shouldn't leave, but...when things come to a close, there is always a trace of luck in my heart."
Then he said: "You shouldn't come back. When dawn comes, leave quickly."
There were tears in Junwu's eyes: "I thought that if I left, the Jurchens would at least let Jiang Ning go..."
"How could the Jurchens let your father live here for half his life? In addition, there is no need to say depressing words. There are tens of thousands of people in the Wulie camp, so it may not be impossible for them to resist."
After he said this, Jun Wu looked at him and shook his head. Before the words were spoken, Kang Xian smiled: "Well, I deceived myself. Wu Lieying... shouldn't be able to resist it.
So, you can only go."
"That you……"
"The things from Princess Chengguo's Mansion have been handed over to you and your sister. There is nothing we can't let go of. The country's weakness is the fruit of two hundred years of sowing. You young people want to move forward, so you have to take your time.
. Junwu, you don’t have to sacrifice generously here. You have to hide, endure, and don’t worry about other people. It’s meaningless for anyone to risk their life here. As long as you are alive, you may be able to win in the future.”
The old man had a clear understanding in his heart. When he spoke these words, he felt calm and gentle. Jun Wu felt sad and unspeakable in his heart, but he didn't know where to say it.
Late that night, Zhou Xuan regained consciousness. Kang Xian went into the room to talk to his wife, and Jun Wu was waiting at the door. He thought the old man would finally ask him to come in, but after waiting for a long time, there was no more movement inside.
Dawn was about to break, the night was darkest, and the lights in the room had naturally been extinguished. Jun Wu carefully pushed the door open and went in, lighting the lamp. Kang Xian held his wife's hand beside the bed and sat quietly.
The tears on his face had dried, but his eyes were clear. Jun Wu walked over, and Zhou Xuan hugged Kang Xian's hand, closed her eyes and fell asleep peacefully forever.
Jun Wu couldn't help but fell to his knees and started crying. It wasn't until he finished crying that Kang Xian spoke softly: "She finally talked about you without saying much. You are the last heirs of the emperor, and she hopes that you can guard the Zhou Dynasty."
The blood of the family. If you are here, the Zhou family will still be there." He gently stroked his dead wife's hand and turned to look at the familiar face, "So, run away quickly."
At this time, Zhou Pei was drifting on the sea with his fleeing father. Junwu knelt on the ground and kowtowed in front of the bed on behalf of his sister. After a long time, he wiped away his tears and choked up: "Grandpa Kang, come with me.
Bar……"
Kang Xian just looked at his wife and shook his head: "I won't leave. She and I lived in Jiangning all our lives and died here in Jiangning. This is our home. Now, others are coming into our home. We shouldn't have
If she is alive, I will cherish my life. If she is dead, I should do what I should do."
"But I can't live without you, Grandpa Kang..."
"Of course you can live without me. Only when the old man is gone can children see the cruelty of the world and grow up to be independent. Although sometimes it is a little too fast, things in the world are what they are and there is nothing to criticize about. Junwu, the future is yours.
The way to go..."
In Jun Wu's life, among his relatives, those who were the best to him were his grandparents. Now that Zhou Xuan has passed away, Kang Xian in front of him was obviously extremely determined and unwilling to leave again. He felt sad for a while.
Unable to restrain himself, Kang Xian finally spoke again after choking for a while.
"Well, when I was young, I had my own way. Me, your Grandpa Qin, Zuo Duanyou, Wang Qisong... these people, one by one, want to find a good way for this world. Jun Wu, we
It is a failure. It seems that there is some experience, but it is nothing more than the experience of the loser. What should be taught to you has actually been taught to you. Don’t be superstitious. The views of the old people and the views of the loser are only for reference and not enough.
"By the way." He was silent for a moment and then said, "The only one who is unwilling to admit defeat kills the emperor..."
When he talked about Ning Yi, he regarded him as an equal.
In this room, Kang Xian didn't speak anymore. He held his wife's hand, as if feeling the last warmth of her hand. However, Zhou Xuan's body became uncontrollably cold. Long after dawn, he finally held that hand.
Let go, go out calmly, and ask someone to come in and handle the rest.
At noon, Kang Xian urged Jun Wu to go on the road and leave. Jun Wu persuaded Kang Xian to go with him for the last time. Kang Xian looked back at the courtyard and house covered with white flowers, shook his head slowly but firmly, and smiled again:
"I know what you are thinking, but your Grandpa Kang is already old. If you leave, he will definitely die on the road... How can you bear to see your grandma stay in Jiangning all the time, while I die in a foreign land and can't be reunited again? Okay?
Yes, please leave quickly."
Jun Wu and others then prepared to leave. When they were leaving, Kang Xian looked in the direction of Jiangning City and finally said: "Over the years, your teacher's battle in the northwest has been the most exciting. I really hope that...
We can also fight such a battle...I probably can't see him again. If you can see him in the future, tell him for me..." He may have a lot to say, but after being silent and thinking for a long time, he finally just said: "
... He plays well, which is very difficult. But he is too rigid in his formal affairs. When it comes to playing chess, I am afraid that he will never be my opponent again."
When winter came last year, the Jurchens marched southward in a destructive manner, and no one could be their general. Only when the northwest battle report came, the Black Flag Army defeated the Jurchen West Army head-on, and killed the Jurchen War God Wanyan Loushi. For some
For senior people who knew about it, this was the real shock and the only exciting news. However, at this moment when the world was in chaos, not many people could know the news, and Ning Yi, who killed Zhou Zhe, could not
Perhaps as an example to boost morale, he was promoted in the Central Plains and Jiangnan. For Kang Xian, the only person who could express a few words was probably the young man in front of him who also had a trace of goodwill towards Ning Yi.
This is both his pride and his regret. The Zhou Zhe and Wu dynasties were too corrupt back then, and a hero like Ning Yi could not be used by the Zhou family after all. Now, he can only watch the world fall and die.
The army in the northwest, after killing Lou Shi, will eventually fall into an isolated and helpless situation...
After that, Jun Wu and others headed southwest in a few steps, and in the evening, Kang Xian returned to Jiangning together with the coffin of Princess Cheng Guo. He was already old and had no worries, so he was no longer afraid.
To enemies who invade your home.
Soon after, the Jurchen soldiers forced Jiangning, and Yin Tu, the commander of the Wulie Battalion, surrendered and opened the city gate to welcome the Jurchens into the city. Due to the "better" performance of the city defenders, the Jurchens did not launch a massacre in Jiangning.
A large number of wealthy households were robbed in the city and gold and silver treasures were collected, but of course, various small-scale massacres also occurred during this period.
Kang Xian dismissed his family, leaving only more than twenty relatives and loyal servants at home to make the final resistance. Before the Jurchens arrived, a storyteller came to ask for an audience. Kang Xian received him with some surprise.
Face to face, he asked the storyteller carefully about the situation in the northwest, and finally sent him away. This was the first and last indirect communication between Ning Yi and Kang Xian since the regicide.
Advising him to leave, Kang Xian refused.
Jun Wu, who was far away in the southwest, had no way of knowing about this small episode. He met Ning Yi again a few years later. Not long after, the old man named Kang Xian left forever in Jiangning.
Human world.
************
In the Northland, the cold weather continues, and the prosperity and tragedy of the world are also happening at the same time without interruption.
The Jingping Emperor Zhou Ji, who liked to seek divination from gods all his life, and who soon after he ascended the throne enlisted the Heavenly Master Guo Jing to fight against the Jin Dynasty, was the Emperor of the Wu Dynasty who was kidnapped to the north and was living a miserable and unspeakable life here. He was captured by himself.
Zhou Ji, who had been "conferred" as the Duke of Hunde by Wu Qimai since the Northern War, was now a special slave used by the Jurchen nobles for fun. He was locked up in a small yard near the imperial city, and was provided with a small amount of food every day.
Every time there was a Jurchen gathering, he would be taken out and humiliated to demonstrate his martial arts skills.
At first, Zhou Ji, who was pampered and pampered, naturally couldn't adapt. However, things were simple. As long as he was hungry for a few days, he would be able to swallow the food that looked like pig food. The Jurchens named him "gong", but in fact they regarded him as a "gong".
Pigs and dogs, the guards guarding him can beat and scold them at will. Whenever food is brought, he has to kneel down and thank the guards.
These are not the most unbearable ones. Some of the royal women who were captured and sent to the North were his sisters-in-law and nieces—the wives and daughters of Emperor Jinghan Zhou Zhe—and some were his biological daughters and even wives and concubines. These women would be
Being caught and humiliated in front of him, of course, what if you can't tolerate it? If you don't dare to die, you can only endure it.
The winter in the north was cold. When winter came, the Jurchens did not give him enough charcoal fires or clothes to keep out the cold. Zhou Ji could only hug the queen who followed him to keep warm. Sometimes the guard was in a good mood, and the queen would give him physical aid or he could go
Kowtow to get some charcoal and clothes. As for the Jurchen banquet, Zhou Ji was called out. Every time he knelt on the ground, he praised the Jin Kingdom. He even wrote a poem praising the Jin Kingdom's civil and military achievements. He brought the blame on himself.
If the other party is happy, he or she may be able to get a normal meal in exchange. If he is not convinced enough, he may be beaten or starved for several days.
We cannot judge whether this emperor who has only been in power for a short time has to endure such huge humiliation for the Wu Dynasty, nor can we judge whether Ning Yi did not kill Zhou Zhe and let him bear all this is a more just outcome. Between countries
In this time, the loser can only endure misery, and there is absolutely no justice. And in this northern country, it is not just the emperor who lives the most miserable life. Those nobles and royal women who are sent to Huanyifang are not the only ones who live the most miserable life in this winter.
Nearly half of them died of cold and starvation, and most of the captive slaves lived a life worse than death. In the first year, more than half of them died miserably.
The Jurchens did not care about the death of slaves, because more would be captured from the south one after another.
This second winter in the past was even more difficult for Zhou Ji. The Jurchens were searching the mountains and seas in the south but failed to capture the new emperor of the Wu Dynasty. However, the battle situation from the northwest came, and the Jurchens were facing Zhou Ji.
Their attitude was even worse. At the end of the year, they summoned Zhou Ji to a banquet and asked him to write some poems to praise the Jurchens, and then asked him to write several edicts.
One of the edicts was that he, as the emperor of the Wu Dynasty, advised the people of the Southern Dynasty to surrender to the rule of the Jin Kingdom, denounced the resisting troops as rebellious people who were worse than animals, cursed him, and at the same time taught Zhou Yong earnestly,
Advise him to stop hiding and come to the north to share His Majesty’s grace with the Kingdom of Jin.
In the second copy, he once again denounced the treason and regicide committed by the Wurui camp in the northwest, and called on the people of the Wu Dynasty to jointly attack the common enemy of the world who fled after the regicide.
The third part was that he passed on the virtuous man Liu Yu, the magistrate who surrendered at the gate of Jinan City, and ordered him to establish the Daqi regime south of Yanmenguan. He would regard the Kingdom of Jin as his brother, guard the territory and borders, and appease the people.
inverse.
Then, the people of the Jin Kingdom compiled Zhou Ji's eulogies, poems, and edicts into a volume, and sent them to the south for free like half of last year...
******************
In the northwest, a brief period of peace continues.
After the beginning of spring, Ning Yi came to Yanzhou City to visit Zhonglie. At this time, the people in this area were in a state of high morale, and the surrounding area was like a house. Most of the forces close to the Jurchens had shrunk.
It was quite a difficult time.
Many people have chosen to join the Chinese Army or the Zhong Family Army, and the two armies have now formed an alliance.
"The crowd is so excited." Ning Yi and Zhong Lie stood on the city wall, looking at the scene of people signing up to join the army below.
This is the last excitement.
The fall of the Central Plains has become a reality, and the northwest has become a lonely corner.
"There is no way out." Zhong Lie pressed his hands on the city wall, his tall body showing the unique heroism of a man from the northwest, "Then fight out a way!"
After the battle against the Jurchen West Route Army, his whole life seemed to be burning. Ning Yi watched from the side without speaking.
On January 29, Jiangning fell.
He thought of that city.
There are many things that are broken and gone. The dark light and shadow are crushing and crushing everything, and are about to press here. This is a darkness that is harder to resist than ever before, but it is still difficult to explain clearly now.
In what form will it come?
In the third year of Jian Shuo of the Wu Dynasty, the northwest was on the eve of becoming desperate.