Going back in time, Hu Biao, who had a broken voice, spread his legs and stood on the Cubing Mountain.
Facing the direction of Kaifeng City, he put his hands on his waist and sang the song "Serve the Country with Loyalty" with his voice as loud as a broken gong. It was about ten minutes ago.
Location: At the foot of Chubing Mountain, in the Jinbing camp.
Under the bright moonlight, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves.
Wanyan Zonghan, Wanyan Xiyin, and Wanyan Loushi, the three giants of the Jin Army's West Route Army, were added to Wanyan Zongwang, the second prince of the Jin Kingdom and the commander-in-chief of the East Route Army.
It can be said that on the battlefield of Kaifeng, the four people with the highest status on the Jin side; under the protection of a group of generals, rode horses or carriages and galloped all the way into the camp.
As for the four of them, why are they here?
Of course, even though Chubing Mountain is such a small battlefield, compared to the huge city of Kaifeng and beyond, it is a place about the size of a booger.
However, as those Song people under the banner of "Xuange Camp" persisted on the mountain day after day, three days have passed.
Every time their golden soldiers attacked the mountain, they looked like they were beaten down in embarrassment.
It was like slapping the Jin Kingdom in the face again and again in front of millions of Song people in Kaifeng City.
What's worse is that they didn't care at all about such a small thing at first, thinking that everything was under control, but they already felt vaguely that something was wrong.
For example: According to some of the latest news reported by those subordinates in the army who are in daily contact with the Song people.
The civil and military officials of the Song Dynasty, Xiao Shi, were still extremely respectful in front of them; but when facing them to beg for grain and other supplies, they were no longer as straightforward as before.
They would always look embarrassed and find excuses to shirk the last thing; even if they were finally delivered, the quantity they wanted was less than what they originally wanted.
Even the amount of gold, silver and silk sent to the army every day is getting smaller and smaller every day.
Wanyan Zonghan and others naturally know why?
On the one hand, as they searched for many days, the amount of money and grain in Kaifeng City was indeed getting smaller and smaller, and was about to bottom out.
On the other hand, these cunning Song people, seeing their Jin army defeated a few times, had other thoughts in their minds and became a little dishonest.
Of course! For those of them who participated in the rise of the Jurchens, destroyed the Liao Kingdom, and established the Jin Dynasty.
In this process, for the Jurchen warriors who have experienced countless bloody battles and crises, things like this are nothing more than trivial matters.
As long as the mountain of cooking cakes is taken down as soon as possible, everything will return to normal completely.
The Song people in Kaifeng City couldn't make any splash at all; because they were like wild dogs with their spines broken. They could only bark a few times and couldn't bite anyone at all.
So under such a situation, Wanyan Zonghan and four others took this trip.
After galloping into the camp, the four of them dismounted and immediately rushed to the injured camp.
While walking around the wounded barracks, Captain Alubu, a Jurchen who was commanding the attack on Chubing Mountain, was introducing more detailed information:
"Four marshals, the methods used by those Song people on the mountain are really powerful and evil.
Every time there was a loud thunder-like noise, our soldiers suffered heavy casualties; if their arms and legs were blown off, their heads were blown off, etc., the soldiers were experienced in battles and would not be too afraid.
But before and after, a total of twenty-one soldiers fell to the ground, got up, and luckily escaped back.
At first, their skin was scratched a little and they could eat and sleep.
As a result, a few hours later, one moment he was either walking or eating in a fashionable and good manner; the next moment, he suddenly vomited blood from his mouth, and died in the blink of an eye.
Such an evil scene caused the army officers and soldiers to begin to spread rumors that the Song people on the mountain were all demons, and they could use some vicious curses to cause such a scene.
Even if they are driven and suppressed, they will still attack the mountain desperately, but they are afraid that if they continue like this, it will cause chaos in the army."
After saying this, Aru, the captain of the golden army, hesitated for a while.
He opened his mouth again and expressed his request:
"Please also ask the Second Prince, or Commander Zong Han, to send some shamans accompanying the army to cast spells in front of the formation to break the sorcery of the Song people.
Otherwise, if there were too few troops to attack the mountain, they would not be able to charge forward at all. If there were slightly more troops, those monsters would use that kind of magic to cause heavy casualties to the soldiers.
As long as I break their evil spell, I promise to kill them all in one battle~"
After hearing such an outrageous request, Wanyan Zonghan cursed on the spot:
"Idiot, where are the monsters and magic?
I have figured out that those huge movements are just some kind of artifact made by a group of Song people on the mountain using a kind of gunpowder.
The principle is similar to the porcelain fire bombs of the Liao people, except that these artifacts are more exquisitely made and more powerful. Now we rely on the terrain to create such a situation."
Hearing such a statement, Captain Alubuwan's face immediately relaxed.
The so-called "porcelain fire bomb" is actually a weapon used by the Liao Dynasty to put some gunpowder in a porcelain bottle and then ignite it and throw it out. In principle, it is similar to modern hand grenades.
In terms of power, the two are of course very different.
Aru Bu had fought countless battles with the Liao soldiers in those days, so he had certainly seen something like this. Now that he thought about it carefully, it seemed that it was really the case.
Then, Wanyan Zongwang, the second prince of the Jin Kingdom, added another sentence, making him feel more relaxed:
"I asked the soldiers who chased them that day. These Song people fled to this mountain in a hurry and did not have any premeditated plan. Therefore, the quantity of grain and gunpowder utensils they wanted to bring with them was also very limited.
After fighting for many days, how much is left?
Tomorrow the army will continue to attack the mountain. It will take a day or two at most, but these Song people will not be able to withstand it anymore; today, they will not be able to overturn it."
Shouldn’t it be said? During the period of time during which the Jurchens were rising, they really produced a lot of talents.
Not to mention Wanyan Aguda, a fierce guy, Wanyan Zonghan, Xi Yin, Wanyan Liang, Zong Wang and others are not only very good at hitting, but their brains are also very useful.
He clearly saw the current battlefield situation and made a reasonable arrangement.
Then Wanyan Xiyin added with a sinister smile:
"When we attack the mountain, don't kill all those women. Capture a few alive and bring them to me. I like such fierce horses, and they will be more powerful when beaten."
At this point, three of the four giants of Jin Bing have all spoken.
Only Wanyan Loushi, apart from covering her mouth and coughing from time to time, never spoke at all.
As for such a scene, not to mention Wan Yan Zonghan and the other three, even Alu, the captain of ten thousand men, did not pay attention to this kind of useless man who could not even ride a war horse and could only ride in a carriage like a Song Dynasty man.
Yan Zhenxin looked down on him very much.
It's just that they all thought that the matter had been arranged clearly and nothing would happen again.
Suddenly, from the cooking cake mountain, bursts of singing sounded again.
If this is all, then that's it; every time this time comes in the past few days, the Song people on the mountain will start singing, which gives the soldiers in the camp a little more entertainment at night.
But today, even many Jin soldiers who did not understand Chinese became inexplicably panicked after hearing the new song.
Because they seemed to feel vaguely that there was something more frightening in the singing.
After Wanyan Zonghan and other generals who knew Chinese understood some of the lyrics, their expressions changed drastically. They were no longer as calm as they had just now when everything was under control.
They have an intuition that they cannot continue like this, otherwise big changes may really happen.
After a long time, Wanyan Zonghan took a deep breath and said solemnly:
"Aru, no, it doesn't matter how much food, equipment, etc., or how many people die; in short, you can ask, we will satisfy you, but those Song people on the mountain must be taken down tomorrow."
After hearing nothing, Captain Alu silently nodded and agreed, with the same solemn look on his face as the others.
"Who are those Song people on the mountain, and why are they so brave? I will call the Song court in Kaifeng City tomorrow to explain the situation clearly."
In the following time, Wanyan Xiyin spoke more solemnly and gave suggestions to Zong Wang and Zong Han.
Faced with this suggestion, the commanders of the Eastern and Western Route Army of the Jin Bing were furious. At this moment, all the commanders of the Jin Bing could no longer relax.
That's not right, because Wanyan Loushi, who is currently covering his mouth with a handkerchief, has a rather complicated expression on his face with his head lowered.
On the one hand, it is a deep-seated hatred for Hu Biao and others.
On the other hand, it is gratitude to Hu Biao and others.
It's not that he's crazy, but he has an abnormal sense of comfort in his heart: I've reminded you a long time ago that you can't have the slightest contempt for Xuan Geying and Hu Yitong.
As a result, you took my words as farts, and you deserve to be in such a mess now...
*******
The next day, the 13th day of the first lunar month of the second year of Jingkang, early in the morning.
Chen Ergou walked out of his empty courtyard with a pair of bloodshot eyes, heavy dark circles, and a loud yawn.
That's right! In the city of Kaifeng, the former helper of the Butcher's family of Zhao Dynasty is now the Minzhuang of the Song Dynasty official family.
Last night, I suffered from insomnia again and didn't sleep for another whole night.
There was no way, even if he had only attended a private school for more than a year as a child, he couldn't recognize a lot of Chinese characters, let alone any poems and songs.
But after the singing sound reached his ears last night, some of the lyrics sung into his heart.
Especially the lines "How many loyal brothers and sisters are buried in a foreign land", "Why should I die to serve my family and country", and "Planting flowers in the grand hall will bring congratulations from all over the world".
After it landed in his ears, he immediately felt a surge of fire rising from his lower abdomen and rushing directly to Tianling Gai.
This inexplicable anger made him blush, and he wanted to take out the butcher knife under the bed and kill all the Jurchen barbarians.
Just when he was about to get up, he lay back on the bed slumped.
After living in an ignoble way for many days, my mother repeatedly told me before she died that they must let them flourish.
And these reasons, or excuses, that the wife promised to the other party before she died that she must live well, once again made him choose to give up habitually.
The problem was this. Ever since the fire in his head was ignited, it could not be extinguished, causing him to stay awake all night until dawn.
"Chen Ergou, you are a gutless waste."
He didn't know how many times he cursed himself...
As usual, with a half-full stomach and a spear with a rusty tip on his shoulder, Chen Ergou walked towards the east city wall.
While lowering his head and yawning widely, he thought to himself:
"Since yesterday morning, the princes of the imperial court have issued strict orders, asking us to strengthen our defenses and strictly prohibit other people from climbing the city wall, so as not to delay the military aircraft.
Bah! Nowadays, those who have been beaten like dogs by the Jin can only wag their tails and beg for mercy. What kind of military aircraft can there be?
These weaklings who have no bones and only want to bully their own people are just afraid that the people will remind the grandfathers on Chubing Mountain that the news of the Jin soldiers' sneak attacks will offend those Jin people.
But even if it doesn't go up to the city wall, when the people in the city climbed to the roof yesterday, they could not always see the Cubing Mountain, which is much higher than the city wall.
A group of soldiers on the city wall secretly communicated with the people below the city. Once the Jin people made any movement, everyone still shouted loudly.
Judging from the movement at that time, maybe most of the men, women, and children in Kaifeng East City were shouting at the top of their lungs?
I don’t know what tricks those princes will use today. Could it be that they dispatched Kaifeng Prefecture’s policemen and government officials to arrest those grandfathers and inform the common people?
No matter what, as long as those golden dogs want to make a sneak attack, you must find a way to notify them when the time comes."
With such an idea, Chen Ergou walked out of the alley where his home was; after arriving here, he met an absolutely unexpected person.
That was Old Master Huang, who was quite famous in the nearby area and everyone knew him.
Old Master Huang has been reading all his life, but he has never waited for the roll call outside Donghua Gate.
He usually makes a living by running a private school, and accepts all children from rich and poor families. He has some ancient customs of educating people without distinction. Chen Ergou studied in a private school for more than a year under Old Master Huang.
I still remember the incident where I was slapped hard on the palm with a ruler because I was naughty.
At the same time, Mr. Huang was an upright person. His own ability in taking exams was a little poor, but his ability to teach others was excellent. In recent years, he had three disciples who were taught by him and were admitted to the imperial examination.
Therefore, in Dongcheng's generation, they are quite famous and respected by everyone.
Unfortunately, on the day when the Jin soldiers entered the city, Chen Ergou never met Huang again. He used to like to carry Huang out of the house every morning early in the morning and eat a bowl of mutton soup with a pancake before returning to his private school.
I'm an old master.
It was not Old Master Huang who died in the hands of Jin Bing that day.
Instead, I heard from some people living next to Old Master Huang's house that he now locked himself in the yard every day and drank alcohol all day long.
Once drunk, he would curse the officials for their stupidity, the ministers in the court who misbehaved the country, and the barbarians of the Jin Kingdom who would not have a good death.
The ladies in Old Master Huang's family have long since passed away, and only one daughter married a disciple she loved a few years ago. She followed him to Jiangnan to become an official, and now she lives alone.
If I abuse myself like this every day, even if I don't drink myself to death, I'm afraid I won't be in shape anymore.
But the old Master Huang in front of Chen Ergou was nowhere near what he was rumored to be.
There is no trace of filth on his head and face, he wears a Dongpo scarf on his head, his long snow-white beard is combed very elegantly, he is wearing a brand new green shirt without any wrinkles, and a pair of thin-soled fast boots at his feet are also 70% to 80% new.
It's exactly like the old Mr. Huang who loves to be clean, and he's back again.
No! It should be cleaner and neater than before.
What was a little strange was that there was actually a long sword hanging on Old Master Huang's waist; but before Chen Ergou could figure out why the old man was hanging such a light long sword that didn't seem to weigh much.
Old Master Huang had already looked over. He had developed a huge sense of intimidation and fear when his palms were slapped with a ruler when he was a child.
Chen Ergou's instinct was to stand up straight and salute, and respectfully shouted: "Master~"
After the salute was completed, he asked his doubts:
"Master, are you planning to go to the imperial court? It's just that there has been a serious shortage of food in the city recently, and all the restaurants have been closed. I'm afraid I won't be able to find a place."
After hearing such a statement, Mr. Huang waved his hands indifferently and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. I have other delicacies to enjoy today. It's okay not to eat the mutton soup and pancakes."
While he was talking, Old Master Huang had already passed by Chen Ergou.
At this moment, Chen Ergou noticed another detail:
Old Master Huang, who was originally a bit hunched, actually straightened his back, and his back looked indescribably heroic as he strode forward...
Strangely enough, Chen Ergou met a lot of acquaintances today.
With his head full of confusion as to what Old Master Huang was doing today, he continued walking a few steps forward.
When he saw a figure, he blurted out again: "Master Zhao~"
In fact, this so-called Zhao Daguanren is not an ordinary character like Ximen Daguanren.
To be more precise, it was Chen Ergou's original employer, one of the largest butchers in the east city of Kaifeng, Zhao Butcher.
A man with a height of six feet, a waist circumference of almost six feet, and a sinewy face.
Although he is engaged in a lowly profession like butcher, he has more than thirty people just as helpers. They help kill pigs and sheep every day and sell them. Sometimes there are at least hundreds of them.
After twenty years of accumulation, my net worth is quite rich.
There is a large courtyard in Kaifeng City, and even the concubines are married to three wives. Many people call her "Zhao Daguanren", and she is simply the envy of Chen Ergou's idol.
It is also a pity that I heard that Butcher Zhao's recent situation is not that good either.
Not to mention that now that Jin Bing has arrived, his business has completely declined; more importantly, in order to collect enough compensation for Jin Bing, the court almost robbed him openly in the city.
Poor people like Chen Ergou are better off. There is nothing to rob at home.
But at Butcher Zhao’s house, I heard that Xiao Shi from Kaifeng Prefecture took his people there three or four times, fearing that the family might have suffered a disaster.
Miraculously, at this moment, Chen Ergou couldn't see the slightest trace of decadence on Butcher Zhao's face; instead, he was just like Old Master Huang just now, refreshed and tidied up very cleanly and meticulously.
Wearing a square scarf on her head and a new silk robe on her body, she was dressed as if she were going to a banquet.
The only discordant thing was that in the hand of Mr. Zhao, there was something wrapped in red cloth; judging by Chen Ergou's familiarity, it was obvious that the thing was a butcher's knife.
Faced with Chen Ergou's greeting, Butcher Zhao said nothing.
Just a smile was enough to respond to his greeting.
When the two people passed by each other, a big doubt suddenly arose in Chen Ergou's heart:
Why does the bastard Babu, who usually helps them and laughs at Zhao Daguan in private, look a little different today? Perhaps, he has an extra momentum and ease that he can't tell...
