It is getting dark gradually, snowflakes are falling outside the door, and pedestrians are passing by on the roadside.
After months of siege, supplies in the capital had become extremely tight. Wenhui Building had a strong background and would not go out of business. However, by this time, there was not much business. Due to the heavy snow, most of the doors and windows in the building were closed.
In this weather, the people who came to eat, whether they were black or white, were either rich or expensive. Shishi also knew the boss of Wenhui Building, so he came upstairs, asked for a small room, and ordered simple dishes and rice.
Wait quietly.
The two armies are still confronting each other outside the city. As a high-ranking member of the Xia Cun Army, Ning Yi has secretly returned to the city. Most teachers and teachers can guess what happened. However, she doesn't care about the specific things at the moment. Just thinking about it roughly,
Ning Yi was counterattacking the actions of others. He was not a front man of Xia Cun's army. He was doing some communication in private, and there was no need to be too secretive. Those who knew the severity would naturally know, and those who didn't know were often not insiders.
She didn't want to become an insider. Women couldn't get involved in men's matters at this level.
The wind and snow fell quietly outside the house. Although it was winter, the wind was not strong, and the city seemed to be whimpering far away. The anxiety she had felt for the past few days now became a little calmer. She ate something,
Not long after, she heard someone whispering and talking outside. She went downstairs, but she didn't go out to look. After a while, footsteps came up again, and Shishi went to open the door.
"Li Heng." She smiled.
"Why are you here? You scared me."
Naturally, the person outside the door was Ning Yi. The last time the two met was a few months ago. Going back further, most of the meetings and conversations were casual. But this time, Ning Yi returned to the city covered in dust.
When he meets people secretly and talks about serious matters, there is a complex weight in his eyes and temperament. This may be his face when dealing with strangers. Master has only seen it in some big shots. It is not an exaggeration to say that it contains murderous intent.
, but at this time, she didn't feel anything was wrong. On the contrary, she felt at ease.
Then he told a little lie: "I was also shocked. What a coincidence. Is Li Heng... dealing with those troubles?"
"There are people I want to see and things I want to talk about." Ning Yi nodded.
"Li Heng...have you eaten?" She turned sideways slightly.
"Someone else is coming soon."
"If something happens and I need to accompany you, Master, you can play the piano to entertain me..."
"not too good."
"Um."
While they were talking, someone came over and said something in Ning Yi's ear. Ning Yi nodded.
"It's getting late. I'm afraid I'll be very busy today. I'll be visiting Fanlou in the next two days. If Master goes back early...I'm afraid I won't be able to come out and say hello."
"If you don't go back, I'll wait for you here."
"I'm afraid it's going to be late at night."
"I've been on the battlefield these days and saw a lot of people die, and I also saw a lot of things later... I have something to tell you."
Ning Yi saw the woman in front of him looking at him. Her eyes were clear, and she smiled again. She was slightly stunned, and then nodded: "Then I'll excuse you."
****************
We have been waiting for nearly two hours. In Wenhui Building, people occasionally came and went, but Shishi did not go out to see them.
She came to Jiaofangsi when she was still young. Later she grew up and became famous in the capital. She also witnessed many major events. Power struggles in the capital. Ministers abdicated. He Chaoguang, the prime minister in the fourth year of Jinghan, fought with Cai Jing.
There were rumors that the emperor wanted to kill Cai Jing. In the fifth year of Jinghan, the two Zhejiang Salt Cases, Wang Ren, the richest man in the capital, and his family were executed together with many wealthy businessmen. In the seventh year of Jinghan, there was a war between Beijing and the two factions fighting each other, and many officials were dismissed.
Living in Beijing and close to the circle of power, she has seen a lot of the atmosphere that the storm is coming and the storm is coming.
Such a breath is like footsteps outside the room. Even if she doesn't know who the other person is, she knows that the other person's identity must be important. In the past, she was also curious about these shady stories, but this time, what suddenly occurred to her was that her father was murdered many years ago.
On those nights when she was arrested, she and her mother were studying piano, chess, calligraphy and painting in the inner hall, while her father and his staff were in the outer hall. The lights were shining, and the figures coming and going were filled with anxiety.
As time goes by, this impression is actually not accurate. If you think about it carefully, it is the experience she has accumulated over the years that has made up for the memory that has gradually become thinner. After so many years, in that position, and
He was someone she really knew.
There is no real affection in the fawning exchanges in the romance field. There are always some romantic talents with great talents and sharp minds - like Zhou Bangyan - she has never regarded the other party as a private friend. What does the other party want?
She has always been able to clearly distinguish what she has. Even Yu Hezhong, Chen Sifeng and others whom she considers friends in private, she can also understand this.
For Ning Yi, they were neither close nor distant after they reunited. This was related to the other party's attitude of always maintaining a sense of proportion. Shishi knew that when he got married, he was beaten by someone and lost the memory of the past - which actually made him
She can correct her attitude very well - it's not his fault that she lost her memory, but she can't help but regard him as a friend.
Many things in the past, including my parents, have been reduced to the dust of memory. The only people who can be related to the original me are these few people, even if I had already entered the Jiaofang Department when I met them.
, but the still young self, at least at that time, still retained the aura of the past and the possibility of follow-up...
If Li Shishi wants to become Li Shishi - she always feels - the past self cannot be discarded. She cannot keep these things, but she can only go back to them from them.
Now, Ning Yi has also entered the center of this storm.
And there's not much she can do. After all, Ning Yi is different from Yu, Chen and others. Since their reunion, what the other party has done are all unimaginable things, including destroying Liangshan bandits, fighting with people in the world, and then...
When she went out this time to clear the country and fight against the resentful army in Xia Village, she faced this complicated situation. Because of this, she remembered those nights when her father was still there.
In the meantime, the window was opened, and the wind and snow poured in from the window, blowing the lights half out, and the chill penetrated people. I don't know when, she almost fell asleep in the room, and then there was another knock on the door. Shishi
He went over and opened the door, and there was Ning Yi's slightly frowning figure outside the door, thinking that things had just come to an end.
"You haven't left yet?"
"I want to wait for you to talk to Li Heng." Shishi stroked his hair, then smiled and invited him in. Ning Yi nodded and entered the room. Shishi went over and opened the window to let the cold wind blow in.
She hugged herself by the window and let the wind and snow blow in for a while, then closed the door with her teeth clenched. She came over to Ti Ningyi to move a stool and pour hot tea.
"It must not be easy to besiege the city for so long. Although I am outside the city, I have heard people talking about you in the past few days. Fortunately, nothing happened." Ning Yi took a sip of tea and smiled slightly. He didn't know that the other party was leaving.
When he came down to say something, he spoke first.
"I think... it's not easy at Li Heng." Shishi sat down across from him, "We have to fight outside, and we have all these things when we come back. Even after we win, we won't be able to relax..."
"The Jurchens haven't left yet, so we can't talk about winning." Ning Yi shook his head.
"Master, I heard in the city that the negotiation is almost certain?"
"There are 100% guarantees that we will give others what they want. There are also 100% guarantees that we will get whatever they ask for. Which one do you think it will be, Shishi?"
Ning Yi looked at her with a smile. After hearing this, Shishi held the teacup and his eyes dimmed slightly. After all, she was in the city, and there were some things that she couldn't find out, but when Ning Yi said it, the weight was different. Although it had been there for a long time.
I was mentally prepared. But when I suddenly heard about this, I was still not happy.
Ning Yi comforted him with a few words of comfort: "We are also trying our best, but... the matter is very complicated. It is difficult to say what can be preserved and what benefits can be obtained in this negotiation, whether it is immediate or long-term."
"I don't know much about this either..." Shishi replied, then smiled sweetly, "Sometimes in Fanlou, I pretend to understand, but in fact I don't. This is a man's business after all. By the way, Li Hengjin
Do you have anything else to do tonight?"
"There is something going on, but I'm afraid I'll be busy for the next hour. Master, I'm waiting here specially. Is there something wrong?"
"I just want to talk to you." Shishi sat there and smiled, "I didn't quite understand what Li Heng said to me when he left the capital. It wasn't until the Jurchens came south and began to besiege the city and attack
I wanted to do something in the city, and then I went to Suizao Gate and saw...a lot of things..."
She said this, and then talked about her experience at Suanzaomen. Although she is a woman, she has always been mentally sober and self-reliant. This sobriety and self-reliance are different from the temperament of men. The monks said that she has Buddha nature and is
She has seen through many things. But to put it this way, a woman in her late teens and early twenties is still growing up after all. Over the past few days, what she has seen and experienced and what she thinks in her heart cannot be expressed in words to others.
In the world, Ning Yi was regarded as a reflection. After that, the war stopped, and more and more complicated things surrounded her, which made her exhausted physically and mentally. At this time, Ning Yi came back and found him and confided everything one by one.
Ning Yi never thought that she would talk about her experiences in these days, but then she listened. The slightly thin but still beautiful woman in front of her talked about the things on the battlefield, the broken limbs and the tragic death.
The warriors, the battles of Suizaomen... Shishi didn't speak too loudly, and didn't seem too sad or excited. Occasionally she smiled slightly and talked for a long time, saying that the warrior who died after she took care of her said that she
The process of being hunted and then being protected, talking about those people’s meager wishes before death, and later talking about Xue Changgong, He Leer and others...
Time gradually passed during this conversation, during which she also talked about her joy after receiving the news from Xia Cun in the city. In the wind and snow outside, the sound of the gong was already ringing.
"...In the past few days in Fanlou, the things I heard from people were all about fighting for power and profit. I have seen it a lot before and am used to it, but after participating in the defense of the city this time, I heard those young men talking about negotiations and saying
I couldn't continue to talk about the frivolous behavior outside the city. Before the Jurchens left, the adults in their family were already scheming over these dirty things. Li Heng had been outside the city these days, so he must have seen it.
When we arrived, I heard that they were secretly trying to dismantle Wu Rui Camp. I felt anxious after hearing this. How could these people do this? But... there is no way..."
In the midst of Shishi's words, Ning Yi laughed: "A few groups of people came and there were a few fights..."
The master also smiled: "However, Li Heng came back today, and he naturally has a way to deal with them. In this way, I feel relieved. I don't want to ask Li Heng what he did, but I want to come and spend some time.
I can hear the shameful things about those people, and then I can have a good sleep..."
"Uh..." Ning Yi was stunned for a moment, but knew that she had guessed the wrong thing, "That's not why I came back tonight..."
"Ah..." Shishi hesitated for a moment, "I know Li Heng has more things to do, but... this trouble in the capital. Can Li Heng have a solution?"
Ning Yi was silent for a moment: "The trouble is very troublesome, but as for the solution... I haven't thought of what I can do..."
"..." Shishi looked at him.
"They want to attack Wurui Camp, it's just a trivial matter." Ning Yi stood up, "The room is too stuffy. If Master still has energy, let's go for a walk. There is a place I have been looking at all afternoon and I want to go and have a look."
Shishi nodded. It was already late at night. There were no pedestrians on the road outside. The two came down from upstairs, and the guards followed quietly around them. The wind and snow filled the air, and Shishi could see that Ning Yi's eyes were on them.
, and there is not much joy.
But walking all the way in the wind and snow, Ning Yi still smiled: "In the afternoon, when I was upstairs, I saw what was going on here and asked someone to inquire about it. Oh... this is the place." They walked smoothly.
Not far away, we stopped in front of a small courtyard by the road. It was only about ten feet away from Wenhui Building. It was across a street from the dilapidated courtyard with a small door. The door had been closed. Shishi recalled,
When she went downstairs in Wenhui in the evening, Ning Yi was sitting by the window, seemingly looking over here. But she couldn't remember what happened here.
"This family is dead."
Ning Yi waved his hand, and the guard next to him came over. He opened the door latch with a knife. Ning Yi pushed the door open and entered, followed by Shishi. Inside was a dilapidated courtyard with three rooms. The darkness seemed to be full of death.
.As Ning Yi said, everyone is dead.
"In the afternoon, the security guard asked people to carry the body here. I watched upstairs and asked people to inquire. There are three people here, and they were living well." Ning Yi walked towards the inner room. As he spoke,
"Grandma, father, and a four-year-old daughter. When the Jurchens attacked the city, the family had little food and not much money. The man went to defend the city and asked the chief security officer to take care of the two people who stayed here. Then the man stood on the city wall.
He was dead, and the caretaker couldn't take care of him. As for the old man, she had a cold, and she was also afraid of chaos in the city, and someone would come into the house to grab things, so she locked the door. Then... the old man was sick, cold, and hungry, and she died slowly.
The four-year-old girl also starved to death here..."
The room was filled with the stench of corpses. Ning Yi stood at the door and reached in with a torch. It was a cold and messy ordinary people's home. Although Shishi had adapted to the stench on the battlefield, he still covered his nostrils, but did not understand that Ning Yi
What's the point of saying this? Such things happen every day in the city recently. The people who died on the city walls were even more miserable.
"When I heard this incident upstairs, I was thinking that many years later, others would talk about the Jurchens going south and what happened in Bianliang. They said that tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people died. How cruel the Jurchens were.
.They began to scold the Jurchens, but in their hearts, they actually had no idea at all. They scolded, and most of the time they felt comfortable doing so. They felt that they had repaid their responsibility as Han people, even if they actually had nothing.
Didn't do it. When they talk about hundreds of thousands of people, all the weight is not one ten thousandth of what happened in this house. An old man was sick, cold and hungry, and died while suffering.
That little girl... no one cared about her, she became more and more hungry. First she cried, and then she couldn't cry anymore. She slowly stuffed all the messy things into her mouth, and then she also starved to death..."
Ning Yi said this calmly, lowered the torch and was silent for a moment.
"I didn't go into the city just to argue with those people. If they want to demolish it, we will fight. Who cares... Prime Minister Qin is busy with negotiations. He is not in the house during the day. I came to meet some people and arrange some trivial matters. A few months ago
, I got up and headed north, wanting to help organize the Jurchens to go south. Now that I have accomplished that, more troublesome things have come again. Unlike last time, I haven't figured out what I should do this time. What can I do?
There are many things to do, but no matter how you do it, it is very difficult to do it without turning back. If possible, I would like to retire after my success, and it is best to leave..."
Shishi was slightly confused. She was standing next to Ning Yi and gently and carefully pulled his sleeves. Ning Yi frowned and showed his anger, but then he tilted his head and smiled slightly.
Laughed.
"You were on the city wall, and I was outside the city. I saw people dying like this, with their stomachs cut open with knives, and their hands and feet chopped off. Just like these people in the city who slowly starved to death, they died.
It’s heavy. You can’t throw this thing away, and it’s difficult to pick it up even if you can’t throw it away. How to pick it up is a big problem after all.”
When he said these words, there was unconcealable anger in his eyes, but then he turned around, waved his hand toward the door, and walked over. The master asked hesitantly: "Is it possible that Li Heng... is also discouraged?"
Leng, want to leave?"
"It's not the same as this. I'm still thinking." Ning Yi shook his head, "I'm not a murderer. So many people died in front of me. In fact, what I think is similar to you. It's just more complicated.
It’s hard to say what’s going on. It’s getting late. I’m going to the Prime Minister’s Mansion later and will send someone to take you back. No matter what I do next, you should know. As for those who are causing trouble for Wu Ruiying
Help people, actually you don’t have to worry about it, clown, even if there are hundreds of thousands of people following you, a coward will still be a coward."
Shishi also nodded. After reuniting several months apart, she still couldn't see clearly about Ning Yi that night. This was different from before.
The door to the courtyard was closed behind.
The wind and snow were still falling, and lanterns were lit on the carriages, heading in different directions in the city. On the streets, watchmen held lanterns, and patrolling soldiers passed through the snowflakes. When the division's carriage entered the alum building, Ning
Several carriages belonging to Yi and others had already entered the Right Prime Minister's Mansion. He passed through the Langyuan and walked towards the Qin Mansion's study room where the lights were still on.
The night is deep, and the thin lights are moving... (To be continued.)
ps: This chapter is a bit vague. It’s been a long time since I’ve written the clues so vaguely, but no matter what, it’s a necessary chapter. The seventh episode will wrap up. I’ve been thinking about it for too long, so I finally have to update it.