Chapter 718: Flowers bloom on the other side of the river (3)
The autumn wind has begun.
Zhongyuan, Wei Sheng.
In the Tiger King's villa, a grand banquet was in full swing. The lights were brightly lit, and people were drinking and drinking. A group of ministers and generals began to have fun in front of the Tiger King. When they started to play with the ladies in their arms, Yu Yulin walked out of the palace with a small bottle of wine.
Outside the hall were beautiful pavilions and waterside pavilions. The lanterns lit up the long corridor built on the water. He walked forward along the corridor. After passing the lake, there were rockeries and winding paths.
Most of the courtyards are surrounded by the lakeshore, which is beautiful. The nearby guards stood three steps, one sentry, five steps and one post, some looked lazy, but when they saw Yulin approaching, they all cheered up.
Not far away is a quiet place located by the water. As we get closer, we can vaguely hear a lazy tune humming, a Jiangnan tune, and Wu Nong’s soft words don’t know what he means.
Yu Yulin walked around the rocks outside. On the bench next to the water in the pavilion, he saw a woman in gray robe sitting on a pillar, with a jade pot of wine in her hand, humming and swaying gently on the water, as if
He was a little drunk.
In the past few years, there is probably only one woman who can walk around in men's robes in the Tiger King's mansion. Yu Yulin's footsteps sounded, Lou Shuwan turned around, saw him, turned back, and said
The tune doesn't stop.
"Miss Lou is so excited," Yu Yulin said.
"...General Yu is so interested." After snorting a few times, Lou Shuwan stopped and replied, "General Yu is not tempted by the delicacies and beauties set up by the Tiger King."
"Although the outside world is miserable, delicious food and beauties are just a matter of time for us. On the other hand, Miss Lou, Ning Motou is dead, but I never thought you would be so happy."
"Humph." Lou Shuwan lowered her head and smiled.
"Or is it that Miss Lou knew that he was not dead, so she was so indifferent?"
"Humph." She smiled again and raised her head, "General Yu, are you bored? Are you still a child?"
Yu Yulin looked at her and smiled, then his smile gradually faded, and he opened his mouth, but at first he could not make a sound: "... In the past few years, I have been too tired from fighting, and suddenly something like this happened, but I felt like
It’s hard to believe. Miss Lou, you are so clever and resourceful, and you are also most concerned about Demon Ning’s affairs. I think he may not be dead, and I want to discuss it with you."
Lou Shuwan looked at the lake: "I care whether he dies or not, but I am not a god. The battlefield has not been gone and the heads have not been seen. How can I tell? You also said that the battlefield is changing rapidly. General Yu, you suddenly died one day."
, I’m not surprised either. If he really died, what would be surprising? The death of a person like him would be a blessing to the world. In the past few years, people have been in dire straits... not for him, but for who... However,
…”
As Lou Shuwan spoke, her voice gradually became lower and then paused. Yu Yulin also sighed slightly. When the night wind blew over, the pavilion was enveloped in silence.
Yes, in the past few years, the people have been in dire straits - these four words sum up the scene of the entire Central Plains. The war with Xiaocanghe and Northwest China will last for such a long time, and the intensity of the war will be so great. This is three years.
This was something that no one had thought of before. In three years, in order to cooperate with this "Western Expedition", all the manpower and material resources in Daqi were mobilized.
Under the pressure of the Jurchens, Emperor Liu Yu was the most aggressive. He conscripted a large number of soldiers beyond common sense and oppressed the lower classes. Within three years, it was almost impossible for most people in the Central Plains to survive.
After the Jurchens' three southern expeditions, the survival resources in these places had already bottomed out. After the oppression of Liu Yu's regime, there were large areas of famine every year. People exchanged food for food, and most of the food was confiscated.
In terms of military rations, only those who joined the army and helped the cruel officials who ruled could get some food in such a harsh environment.
Some places that were not directly managed by Liu Yu were slightly better. The Tiger King's territory was considered to be the best among them. On the one hand, it was because it paid attention to the role of commerce first. After surrendering to the Jurchens, Tian Hu's power has always maintained a relationship with the Jurchens.
On the other hand, the alliance formed by Lou Shuwan, Yu Yulin, Tian Shi and others first surrounded a large number of farms in the form of military control, and even surrounded the entire county.
The place is a restricted area, and the movement of the population is strictly prohibited. Therefore, although many refugees were starved to death or killed outside Tian Hu's sphere of influence after being rejected, this approach maintained a certain production order on the one hand, and on the other hand, it also
It ensured a certain combat effectiveness of the soldiers under his command, and Tian Hu's force used this advantage to attract talents, becoming a place with a sense of superiority in this troubled world.
Even so, compared to the peaceful years, life was still very difficult.
What has to be admitted is that the main contributor to the emergence of this series of measures was Lou Shuwan. After referring to many of Ning Yi's actions, she combined with her female acumen with Yu Yulin, Tian Hu's nephew Tian Shi, etc.
Advise others as allies.
Under the pressure of the powerful Jurchens and Liu Yu's command of the Qi Dynasty, Tian Hu became more and more aware of the benefits of having such a "housekeeper". Therefore, although the Tian family's unmotivated relatives still governed the place where the officials were corrupt and the people were making a living, but
For Yu Yulin, Lou Shuwan and others, he still gave a lot of power and protection, leaving several places with strict governance to increase output and support the operation of the entire territory. Among Tian Hu's forces, Lou
After Shu Wan became more and more important, she was given the position of imperial envoy, specializing in intervening and impeaching others to check and balance her relationship with others.
In such a crack, Lou Shuwan often fired shots everywhere in the court. One day he would impeach this person for corruption and dereliction of duty, and tomorrow he would impeach that person for forming a clique for personal gain. Anyway, he must be involved in one and the other. After the relationship became more and more bad, to
Now, Gui Ye has indeed become one of the most important "powerful ministers" sitting under the Tiger King.
After three years of war, Yu Yulin relied on his alliance with Lou Shuwan to finally escape the bad luck of rushing to the front line. However, even in the rear, he knew the difficult days and was heartbroken by the brutality of the battle ahead.
You know it all. In the past three years, millions of troops have gradually filled that bottomless pit. Although there are no detailed statistics, there are more than one million troops who have never come back.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Among the generals and soldiers sent to that dead place - not just those under Tian Hu - even those under Liu Yu, few of them really wanted to
Even when they went to the battlefield, they all wanted to escape. However, they could not escape the supervision of the Jurchens, nor could they escape the raids of the Black Flag Army. Over the years, the important figures who died at the hands of the Black Flag Army were not only Ji Wenkang under Liu Yu,
Liu Yu's younger brother Liu Yi begged hard before he died, but in the end he couldn't escape the knife in the head.
During the dispatch of troops under Tian Hu, Wang Yuan and Sun An led the army into the mountain. At first, they still had the idea of retreating when they saw the enemy. In the mountain, the Black Flag Army fired a cannon across the mountain stream. The collapsed mountain wall buried nearly a thousand people alive.
In the valley, Wang Yuan and Sun An never came out again. General Wu Neng was dying when he came back. He couldn't even say a word when he saw his family for the last time. Ling Guang, Fan Yuming and others were scattered after the attack and died in the mountains.
Even the bones could not be recovered...
When I first met Ning Yi in Luliang Mountain, I just thought that he was indeed a powerful person. It was extraordinary that a businessman could reach this level. It was only after these three years of war that Yu Yulin really understood what kind of person the other party was.
Not to mention killing the emperor and the Lou family, Wang Yuan, Sun An and even Ji Wenkang, Liu Yi and others are not worth mentioning. The other party drags millions of people on the rampage, and the famous generals like Zhe Keqiu run away with their lives.
He killed the captured general directly at the top of Yanzhou City without giving up his words, and he never negotiated peace with the Jurchens. This is no longer something that can be summarized by a powerful person.
Throughout the Central Plains, everyone who fought with him was dragged down into the mire by him. No one was spared.
Yu Yulin even felt that the whole world would be dragged to death by him.
However, one day suddenly, he was told that he was dead. Although he didn't think it was impossible, he still couldn't let go of certain thoughts.
"I... after all, I don't believe that he had no backup plan. He died suddenly, after all..."
After a moment of silence, Yu Yulin spoke again. Lou Shuwan, who was opposite, kept looking at the lake, suddenly moved the wine pot, and raised his eyes slightly: "I don't believe it either."
Her tone was low, she paused, and then she spoke softly: "The backhand... held back millions of people, fought a big war for three years, and never retreated a step, for what? Just that breath?
I can't figure it out... Ning Liheng calculated every step of the way. He said that after all, it was difficult to reconcile his will. Even if he killed the emperor, there was still a way to go. This time just to make the Jurchen unhappy? He was doing it for reputation. He had already been known as regicide.
It is difficult to reverse. He used the name of China and said that Chinese people would not vote for foreign countries. This is the bottom line. This is of course the bottom line. He can no longer do what others can do. If there is any compromise with the Jurchens, his status will be lost in an instant.
Then he collapsed. However, after three years of head-on fighting, someone would eventually be willing to follow him, and he fought his way out..."
"For the sake of reputation, it would be too difficult to risk all your belongings here..."
Lou Shuwan was silent for a long time: "Three years of war, after entering the mountains, the fighting was a complete mess. The Jurchens just let people rush forward, regardless of life or death. Those generals only focused on escaping for their lives, and after the fight, they blew up the camp ten times and eight times.
General Yu, do you know how many people have died?"
Yu Yulin frowned: "What do you mean..."
Lou Shuwan's eyes were blurred: "In April last year, Shan Shiqi returned from a great defeat and was later questioned. I went to interrogate him and confiscated the gold and silver from his home. When I asked about the battle situation in the mountains, Shan Shiqi accidentally mentioned something,
I have always been thinking about it. However, I am not familiar with the battlefield, so it is difficult to delve into it. This matter is just buried in my heart..."
"..."
At this time, the night breeze was gentle, the lake was sparkling, and in the distance to the side, the lights in the hall were still faintly heard. Lou Shuwan talked about her guess, carefully choosing her words, and spoke slowly.
"After Shan Shiqi's defeat, he fled with a group of soldiers and took refuge with Su Gai, a general under Liu Yu's command. A few days later one night, Su Gai's army was suddenly attacked. Twenty thousand people blew up the camp and fled in confusion.
, the Jurchens came to the rear to stabilize the formation. Shan Shiqi said that that night, he vaguely saw a general rushing towards Su Gai's army, who was his original deputy general."
Yu Yulin opened his mouth slightly: "In the past three years of the war, there were indeed some people who surrendered to the Black Flag Army. However, what do you want to say..."
"In the past few years, in order to trap the Black Flag Army in the mountains, the Jurchens have indeed attached great importance to food and supplies, and to transport their troops. However, no one can tell how much food the Black Flag Army has stored in the mountains, and no one knows how much they have robbed. We
I just feel that if life is so difficult outside, the Black Flag Army will definitely not be able to gather too many prisoners during the war, and they will not be able to feed them at all. But... what if it is possible?"
Lou Shuwan said calmly: "Millions of people have thrown themselves into the mountains to fight tens of thousands of black flag troops. How many tens of thousands are there? Who knows? In the past three years of the war, the army in the first year still has some fighting spirit.
The next year, all the young men who were captured were given a knife and a fork, and they went up and hanged them in the mountain...General Yu, not many people were willing to join the Black Flag Army. Black Flag Regicide,
They have a bad reputation, but the Jurchens forced them to test the artillery. If they had the chance to choose again, General Yu, do you think they would be willing to follow the Jurchens or the Han army... General Yu, Ning Liheng's
You also know the training methods."
Yu Yulin had frowned and was as quiet as death.
"Three years of war, standing up to the front without retreating a step, putting millions of people on the battlefield of life and death. When the knife comes down, ask them which side they are on. If... I just said if, he caught it
This opportunity...will that big mountain be a recruitment ground for them to choose from? Haha, there are millions of people. After we have selected, we will let them choose..."
Lou Shuwan's laughter sounded and stopped in the pavilions. The joke was so cold that Yu Yulin didn't dare to take it for a while. After a while, he said: "After all... it's not easy to keep it secret..."
"...Yeah, I also thought later, if this is really the case, why not many people talk about it, maybe I was wrong after all..." She paused, raised the flask and took a sip of wine, her eyes blurred.
, "Who can say for sure what happened on the battlefield? It took three years to defeat the Central Plains like this. Whether he is really dead or fake, everyone has a way to go. General Yu, why bother to dig deeper? Maybe
The one who goes forward next time will be you..."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Yu Yulin took a sip of wine, nodded, passed a while, and left quietly without saying hello.
Lou Shuwan was leaning against the pavilion, her head still lowered, and the wine bottle was gently shaking in her hand. She hummed a song. After hearing it for a while, the song was vaguely: "...Smoke willows paint bridges, wind curtains are green curtains,
There are hundreds of thousands of houses scattered around. Clouds and trees surround the embankment and sand... Raging waves roll up the frost and snow, and the sky is boundless... There are many lakes overlapping Qingjia. There are three autumn osmanthus and ten miles of lotus... Qiang pipes clear the sky, the watermelon songs fill the night, and the fishermen play
Lotus baby... Thousands of riders with high teeth..."
This is something Ning Yi wrote in Hangzhou many years ago. At that time, the two parties had just met. Her father and brother were still there. Hangzhou was a prosperous water town. It was a beautiful scenery that no one thought would be lost one day. That
How bright and happy it is... Everything up to now, after all, can never go back...
Thinking of the relatives in the past, now all that is left is the only brother who lives his life every day, not like a human being at all. Thinking of that name again, Yu Yulin was right, he died suddenly, and she would not be happy, because she always
I thought about killing him with my own hands. But Ning Yi...
"Ning Liheng..."
The name passed through her mind, and a complex and painful look flashed across her eyes. She then raised the wine bottle and took a sip to suppress all those emotions.
"Ning Liheng, it would be fine if you died like this..."
She just whispered and looked forward to it.
In this tormented land, night has been shrouding it for a long time. To the west, the boiling mountains that had not stopped for three years have finally come to a halt. The once prosperous Qingmuzhai is now covered with moonlight.
Like water, in the long-scorched valley, the once wooden buildings have turned into fertile new mud, new tree branches have grown out of it, and birds have flown in to stop for a while on this land that still looks black.
Fly far away.
In Xiaocang River, all the old buildings have been destroyed long ago. The houses, streets, squares, farmland, and waterwheels have no traces of the past. The traces of the collapsed buildings are everywhere. After the crowds have gone, it is like a ghost. This area
This place has experienced extremely brutal killings, and almost every inch of the place has been stained red with blood. The once huge reservoir has long since collapsed, and the rivers rush into the valleys as before. They have experienced floods and decomposed corpses.
In the valley, the vegetation has become more and more lush, but under the vegetation, there are dense bones.
More than a year has passed since the offensive and defensive battle of Xiaocang River. At this time, even the few Jurchens and Daqi troops who stayed here no longer dared to come here. Under the moonlight that day, there were silhouettes of people coming and going.
Appearing on the hill, just a few people sneaked through the surrounding valley and walked into the valley through the collapsed dam opening.
They tried their best to be careful around them, and silently passed through familiar places. Some people brushed their fingers over the ruins. They also came to the mountainside and saw that the small courtyard had been burned down, leaving only the foundation.
It looks like, now, weeds are growing in the foundation.
"Let's go." Someone whispered, they may be the last black flag team still here.
At the mouth of the valley, the original stone tablet with the words "Xiao Cang River" had been smashed to pieces, and now only traces of the damage were left. They caressed the place and looked back towards the valley under the moonlight.
: "We will come back one day."
"It won't take long..." someone said.
These figures passed through the valleys and across the mountains. Under the moonlight, the Xiaocang River flowed as before, winding through this land where millions of people were buried, and some of the people who left here will one day in the future
, will come back here, and some will never come back. They may exist somewhere in happiness.
And war.
The war has temporarily subsided. However, with weakness and hiding as nourishment, sooner or later, it will spread with a transformed and more violent attitude.
In the sixth year of Jian Shuo of the Wu Dynasty, at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the history of Xiaocang River turned another page.