It was raining. When the carriage left the nearby street, he opened the curtain and looked back at the Su family mansion in the rainy night. What he could see was probably only the two lanterns still burning under the eaves of the side door. The rest of the place was mostly just
Occasionally, there would be a glimmer of light rising up from the dark outline of the courtyard wall, and Xi Junyu sighed.
"I knew you wouldn't listen, but..." He murmured, with a smile on his face, "Then don't think it's unforeseen..."
Regarding the matter of Huangshang, after Ning Yi appeared, he still mentioned a few words. Of course, because he didn’t know whether Ning Yi knew the whole thing, the last words he said were a bit circumstantial. In any case, the meaning should be that
It's here. In short, there is only so much that he can and should do in front of Su Tan'er.
The carriage left here, and in the yard over there, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er, and Juan'er had already gone to the small courtyard not far away where they were waiting for dinner. Ning Yi had already been aware of Gong Yin's matter, but it was not
He was very aware of the joints. He didn't hear the first half of the conversation between the two at this time. He just listened to Su Tan'er talk about the country's situation, and then made some ridicule. At this time, Su Tan'er smiled and said angrily: "I
Most of what I just mentioned was obviously what my husband had casually discussed last time, but now I am saying that I am not patriotic...my husband is not a good person either."
"The context is different, you can't generalize." Ning Yi smiled and talked about it in the heavy rain, and Juan'er followed all the way behind.
After going out for a few days, I didn’t feel much changed after I came back. Although my relationship with Xiaochan seemed to be a little different, we still ate together in the evening and talked about going to Nanting Village in the past few days.
After Geng Huwei and Dongzhu left, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er and others returned to their small courtyard holding umbrellas. Chan'er Juan'er was busy heating hot water for washing, Xing'er inside and outside
While cleaning in the field, Su Tan'er returned to the room and continued to deal with the accounts that she had been dealing with before Xi Junyu came over.
The heavy rain almost turned into surging water in the yard. Ning Yi watched for a while under the eaves. When he looked up to the opposite side, the window of Su Tan'er's room was open, and the woman's figure was writing on the table in front of the window.
Doing math, it was indeed the same scene as usual. When I was about to go back to the room, I saw Juaner standing behind, carrying a small basin of hot water.
Juaner usually feels quieter, but she has a good relationship with Ning Yi. At this time, she smiled and said, "Uncle, please go to bed early tonight."
Ning Yi thought for a while: "Huh?"
"For a few days when my uncle didn't come back, the young lady always slept very late. In fact, she was just settling the accounts, but Sister Xing'er and I couldn't persuade her."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head slightly, held the basin and walked away.
"Tsk." Ning Yi turned to look at the figure in the window and shrugged, "Then I can't persuade you."
He read in the room for a while at night, probably counting the time until midnight, and the light on the opposite side was still on. Ning Yi thought about it, put down the book, blew out the light, and went to sleep. In the room over there,
Su Tan'er raised her head and glanced over, still flipping through the account books in her hand, and frowned slightly.
She held her chin and took another look. She couldn't help but look towards the dark room. After a while, she turned another page, then reached out and closed the entire account book.
It's almost time, turn off the lights and go to sleep. She thought so.
In the maid's room on the side, Juan'er, who was wearing single clothes, leaned out of the window and looked at Ning Yi's window opposite. Then she turned to look at Su Tan'er's window. She lay on the window sill and sighed: "Uncle, you are so beautiful."
sharp……"
After the last burst of rustling sounds, the yard has become quiet, only the sound of the rainstorm is still continuing...
Also on this night, there was no cloud in Tokyo, the capital of the Wu Dynasty, thousands of miles away. The night was bright and bright, as if the first quarter moon, full of hope, was emitting a cold jade-like light, and the stars were dotted, forming a vast Milky Way like a jade belt. Under the night
The city is still lively, the lights in the markets, brothels, and houses of all sizes are still bright. The most lively Royal Street in the city leads all the way to Xuande Gate, the main entrance of the palace. From here, you can see the wide streets and the lights of the city. Over there
The towering imperial city was also shrouded in lights.
Although the gate of the Imperial City has been closed, the scenery there remains the same every night. Few people know that an extremely secretive major event is quietly happening in the Imperial City that night.
Under Zhongshu's sect, some of the most popular ministers in the court are gathering here at this time, Li Gang, Tong Guan, Wu Min, Tang Ke, Geng Nanzhong, Zhang Bangchang, Qin Hui, Gao Qiu, Zhou Zhi... Of course, these
People's official positions are also big and small, and they also have their own small groups. This is the break time for a secret and important discussion. Three people gather together, drinking tea and taking a break, while discussing some things, their voices are loud.
Although it was small, the excitement in my heart could not be suppressed.
"Not long ago, the Liao people submitted their credentials and requested to discuss the matter of the annual currency again. They were even willing to give up the annual currency and ask the Wu Dynasty to send troops to collect gold together. I guess they have also gone your way over this matter, right?"
"It's true. The envoy of Liao asked me to say some good words and send many gifts when I went to court. One of them is a very valuable incense burner, and the rest... oh, it's just a few..."
"The Liao people are in a hurry. It's not easy to wait until they are in a hurry..."
"I still think it is inappropriate to send troops this time. The Jurchens have the upper hand now. Once the Liao Dynasty is destroyed, how can I know that the next one will not be my Wu Dynasty?"
"This is too alarmist. There are too few Jurchens. Once the Liao Dynasty is destroyed, the entire country will probably only have a hundred thousand available troops. We still have to maintain the situation. How can we attack our Wu Dynasty with thousands of miles of troops?"
"Zhong Shidao has the same view now. He told people that we should not attack the Liao with the Jin. This time we should attack the Jin with the Liao. This is because the Liao Kingdom has been a brother country of the Wu Dynasty for hundreds of years. Now the Jin Kingdom is the tiger and the wolf.
Zhibang, and Deng Xunwu..."
"Nonsense, making friends at a distance and attacking at a close distance has been like this since ancient times. How can there be any reason to attack at a distance and attack at a close distance? The recapture of Yanyun this time is just around the corner, hundreds of dollars. If it can be accomplished, we... will all be remembered in history..."
"Master Zhong is really confused..."
"The strength of the Liao Kingdom has been exhausted. We must act in accordance with the destiny... The generals of the Wu Dynasty have risen."
"It's a pity that Mr. Tong is preparing to leave Beijing recently to deal with Fang La's matter..."
"A eunuch..."
"Shut up! Keep your voice down!"
There were buzzing voices, and everyone was talking about it. But no matter what, Lian Jin's Faliao proposal, which was initially promoted by Tong Guan on the surface, has now passed the initial stage and entered the stage of detailed discussions.
The real foreshadowing may have been set in the Blackwater Alliance seven years ago. Especially four years ago, Emperor Tianzuo of the Liao Kingdom personally led an army of 700,000 to attack the Jin Dynasty. As a result, Wanyan Agu defeated 20,000 soldiers and almost wiped them all out.
After Yubu Dagang, the call for the Liao and Jin Dynasties to resist the Liao Dynasty has been rising in China. Although some people think that the Wu Dynasty should not participate in this war, or that the Liao and Liao Dynasties should resist the Jin Dynasty, such as Zhong Shidao, a famous general in the northwest.
Perhaps Deng Xunwu, the leader of the Privy Council, also made a comment about this, to the effect of: "What is meant by 'attacking the weak and attacking the ignorant'? I think the weak should be supported and the strong restrained. Nowadays, the country's military strength is weak, its financial resources are scarce, and its people's strength is withered. Everyone knows this situation.
But no one dares to say it. I don't understand: Is it better to be neighbors with the strong Jin than with the weak Liao?" King Deng secretly sent a message: "Liao is a country of brothers, and it can be safe if it survives; Jin is
The country of tigers and wolves is not a country of friendship!"
Of course, nowadays, only a small group of people maintain this concept. It has been more than two hundred years since Shi Jingtang lost the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun. No emperor can resist the temptation of taking Yanyun back.
Although the Liao people, now aware of the crisis, have begun to ask the Wu Dynasty for help, and are even willing to ask the Wu Dynasty to join forces with them to fight against the Jin on the condition of canceling the Sui coins. However, since a few years ago, the Wu Dynasty has been sending people to fight with the Jin people by sea.
After contacting and going back and forth several times, this time the Jin people sent several envoys, and finally got a relatively precise answer. The next step was to discuss the negotiation conditions here, and then sent people over, and the formal negotiation process has probably entered.
The envoy from the Kingdom of Jin who came this time only expressed his intention to nod, and did not have the power to discuss and make a decision. After the discussion here, he still had to send someone to the Kingdom of Jin to personally interview Wanyan Dagong. At this time, everyone was still there.
During the discussion in the imperial city, at a restaurant near Imperial Street, two members of the Jin envoy were drinking. One of them was a middle-aged man who seemed to be in his early forties, and the other was only
They are in their twenties, and they all have the fierceness of the Jurchens, but the middle-aged man's eyes looking at the lively streets outside are a little complicated. The two of them seem to be just accompanying people in the envoy, with no status.
Shi Ye followed him into the palace, but the meaning of the conversation at this time was quite unusual.
"Since Master Gu Shen is here this time, why don't you just show up and sign the agreement as soon as possible. In this way, when the Wu Dynasty sends its troops to the north, those Khitan dogs will inevitably be left to their own devices, so we can reduce the burden on our side.
"
If someone who really knows the situation of the Jin Kingdom comes and hears this title, he will probably be frightened by the word "Gushen". Huandu's son Gushen, also known as Wanyan Xiyin, is the most important counselor around Wanyan Aguda.
This person has been involved in many major events since Aguda launched his army to rebel against the Liao Dynasty. Not only was he a very strong military officer, but he was also a famous Jurchen scribe. A few years ago when Aguda became emperor, he thought that the Jurchens did not have their own writing, so he asked him to create
A set of Jurchen characters, which he modeled on Han regular script last year, has now begun to be implemented in the Jin Kingdom. At this time, he looked at the lights outside and shook his head.
"Although we considered the Wu Dynasty's help when we first launched the army, it was the Wu Dynasty who first proposed the matter. Since the Wu Dynasty wanted something from us, we naturally couldn't act too eagerly. I came to the Central Plains. Just to see the prosperity of the Wu Dynasty and the style of Tokyo...what I saw now is already worth the trip. Look at the scene in Tokyo, compared with it, the five capitals of the Liao Kingdom are still far behind."
"Meli Ye feels that it is too extravagant and fluffy without any strength. Lord Gushen, in fact, some people in the team that followed this time said that apart from extravagance, this Wu Dynasty really has nothing to offer. They have been oppressed by the Liao people for hundreds of years and have achieved nothing. Even if we form an alliance with them, I am afraid it will not be of much benefit. Although they can attract some attention, they are really dispensable. Without them, our Jurchen soldiers can also win The Liao Kingdom is just getting a piece of the pie from them..."
"Don't be arrogant." Wanyan Xiyin frowned, "The Wu Dynasty was located in the Central Plains. It was a vast land with abundant resources. Before the Jurchens appeared, the Han people had lived here for thousands of years. Although they seemed to have been oppressed by the Liao people in these years, they could If they were really that weak, wouldn't the Liao people have annexed them long ago? How could they be allowed to develop to such an extent?"
He shook his head. In fact, there was some uncertainty in his eyes: "I have been making characters in the past few years and studying Han culture. The more I study it, the more I admire its unfathomable heritage. No Satino, that's it. Your Majesty, your Majesty, when you talk about the Wu Dynasty, you are also in awe. The country of the Central Plains should not be underestimated. Once we join forces to capture the Liao Kingdom and we are bordering each other, we may become enemies. How can you treat your enemies with contempt? ?”
After he said this, he turned his eyes to the bustling night scene outside again. The young man named Mu Satino lowered his head and pondered. No matter what other people said, they would not be able to change his cognitive thoughts, but the Lord Ceres in front of him was different. Not only did he have He has extraordinary martial prowess, military strategy, and wisdom. What he says must be reasonable.
With this thought in mind, Muzano also cast his gaze outside and began to think about how powerful these Han people were.
Maybe one day... we can see it on the battlefield.
He thought so.
This night in Kaifeng may be remembered by people many years later and occupy a place in the history books. Of course, this is just a small episode among the many things that will happen in the next many years. People are doing their own things at this time. think the right thing.
The influence of the rebellion by Fang La and some rebels in the southeast of the Wu Dynasty began to spread widely. While the famous general Tong Guan advocated the alliance with Jin to conquer Liao, he considered using thunder to pacify these mud-legged soldiers first and then send his army northward. The emperor was waiting to regain Yan Yun, return the country to me, and then slowly work hard to govern. At this time, Wanyan Xiyin, who was in Bianliang, and Wanyan Aguda, who was on the anti-Liao front line, were both considering the boost that the Wu Dynasty's Northern Expedition would bring and the future situation. , the Jurchen population and army are too small. If they capture the Liao Kingdom, how can they maintain a balance with the Wu Dynasty so that they will not be swallowed up by the Wu Dynasty...
Of course, Ning Yi didn't know any of these things.
He was sleeping. When he got up in the morning, he saw that the rainstorm had stopped, so he went for a run as usual. During the run, he practiced internal energy according to the breathing method taught by Lu Hongti. He went all the way to Nie Yunzhu's small building, drank a cup of tea, and said
Talk. After all, they haven’t seen each other for a few days. After a brief exchange of greetings, the two sat quietly for a while. Nie Yunzhu considered how to tell him that he had met Mr. Qin, who might become his adoptive father. Ning Yi
When he picked up the teapot and poured water for himself, a hand holding a teacup was also handed over from behind.
"Hey, give me a drink too."
The woman's hand was white and small. Ning Yi was stunned for a moment and poured some into the cup. Then he looked back and saw a woman wearing a dress that seemed to belong to Nie Yunzhu sitting on the steps two steps behind.
I blew the teacup a few times and drank it slowly.
The two of them should already know each other. Nie Yunzhu turned around and spoke in slight surprise, but for a moment he didn't know if it was necessary to introduce him. After a while, Yuan Jin'er put down the teacup and smacked his lips. He found that Ning Yi was still looking at her, mouthing.
Nu, eyes widened, leaned back: "Why are you looking at me all the time!"
"Oh." Ning Yi blinked and nodded, then turned to drink tea and stopped looking at her. After a while, he shrugged again, "I saw a woman climbing up from the river yesterday, and it rained heavily again.
The whole body is soaked, cough, very wet... it shouldn't be you."
The tone was nonchalant. Yuan Jin'er's eyes widened instantly. Nie Yunzhu said "huh?" and turned to look at her. She still remembered the scene when Yuan Jin'er came in, and later took her to take a bath.
She was already asleep, so in order to prevent her from catching the cold, he took off Jin'er's clothes and wiped her body.
Yuan Jin'er blinked and looked at Nie Yunzhu: "Of course it's not me!" Then she pulled up her skirt, got up and ran away. Nie Yunzhu was slightly taller than her, and his skirt was also slightly longer. When he ran inside
Ah, I almost fell down.
Nie Yunzhu smiled angrily, turned to look at Ning Yi again, Ning Yi still drank tea calmly, then glanced at her...and glanced at her...
"Why are you looking at me like that? She even said it's not her!"
"……lecher."
Nie Yunzhu picked up the tea cup and turned his face away...