In August, the autumn wind stirred up swift dust on the loess land. The land in the northwest was turbulent, and strange things were quietly brewing.
Since ancient times, the northwest has been known as the place of the four wars. In the previous decades or even hundreds of years, there were wars here and there, and strong folk customs were developed. However, since the establishment of the Wu Dynasty, the customs passed down from generation to generation have continued.
Under the guard of several Western armies, this area finally had relative peace. Zhong, Zhe, Yang and other families fought with Xixia, Tubo, and Liao. While establishing illustrious military honors, they also
In this borderland far away from the mainstream vision, a peaceful ecological pattern has been formed.
The northwest was not peaceful, compared to the hinterland of the Wu Dynasty. However, the self-cultivated family and teachers pushed the Western Army's front through the Hengshan Mountains with all their strength. Amidst the disadvantages of Xixia, the people of the northwest had actually lived in relative peace for many years.
It’s been a long time.
This pattern was broken by the rise of the Jin Kingdom and its march southward. After that, the Zhong family was ruined and the Zhe family was trembling. When the war in the northwest resumed, the Black Flag Army, a foreign force that suddenly entered the northwest, was still unfamiliar to everyone in the northwest.
And a strange look and feel.
Before July of this year, perhaps not many people in the northwest knew of the existence of such an army. Those who occasionally heard about it learned that it was a bandit entrenched in the mountains. Those with greater magical powers knew that
This army once committed a shocking act of rebellion in the hinterland of the Wu Dynasty. Now it is being chased by many parties and is hiding here.
As to whether this army might cause harm to the northwest, all forces naturally have some speculations. However, before these speculations become serious, the real trouble has already arisen. The Xixia army swept in and pushed half of the northwest. People
The bandits in the mountains had long been ignored. But until June of this year, the long-quiet Black Flag jumped out from the mountains to the east and defeated Xixia with a mind-numbing astonishing combat power.
A large army, people suddenly remembered that such a team existed. At the same time, they also felt unbelievable and unfamiliar to this team.
After returning to Yanzhou City, the Black Flag Army still looks quite different from other armies. Neither the external forces nor the people in Yanzhou City have the slightest sense of familiarity with this army and its leadership——
This familiarity may not mean kindness. It is the same as what everyone else is doing: now that there is peace, we need to summon celebrities, care for the squires, understand the surrounding ecology, and how to distribute the next benefits, as a ruler. For everyone's dealings in the future
, and what kind of arrangements and expectations there are.
These things did not happen.
"We Chinese people must watch and help each other."
"Since we are both Chinese people, we have the same obligation to protect our homeland and our country!"
"This is what we have to do, no need to be polite."
In a month or two, this Chinese army actually did a lot. They went door to door to count the household registrations in and around Yanzhou City, and then made arrangements for the food issue that everyone was concerned about: Anyone who came to write
People with the word "Chinese" in their names will be given food based on their heads. At the same time, this army is doing some urgent things in the city, such as arranging to take in orphans, beggars, and the elderly after the Xixia massacre. The military medical team has been preparing for these days.
People who had been injured by weapons were treated, and they also mobilized some people to repair city defenses and roads, and paid wages.
If you want to win the hearts and minds of the people, having these things in place is actually pretty good.
It's just that for some of the original forces and wealthy families in the city, it was difficult to understand what the other party wanted to do. If in the other party's heart, everyone is really treated equally. For these people with family backgrounds and the right to speak,
If you think about it, it will be very uncomfortable next. This Chinese army is too powerful. Are they really so "independent"? Are they really unwilling to deal with anyone? If that is the case, what will happen next?
People don't have a clear idea of things like this.
If this foreign army relied on its own strength to ignore all the local snakes, and even planned to wipe them out at once. For some people, it would be a hell scene more terrifying than the Xixia people. Of course, they would return
We haven't had much time to go to Yanzhou yet, or maybe we want to see the reaction of these forces first, and plan to deliberately eliminate some thorns and kill the chickens to scare the monkeys in order to serve the future rule. That is not a strange thing.
The big families in Yanzhou were feeling uneasy, and the various forces outside the city, such as the Zhong family and the Zhe family, were secretly pondering all this. After the situation in the area became relatively stable, envoys from the two families had also arrived in Yanzhou, asking for help.
The Black Flag Army expressed greetings and thanks. Privately, they had some contact with the wealthy squires in the city. The Zhong family was the original owner of Yanzhou, but the Zhong family army had been defeated. Although the Zhe family had never ruled Yanzhou,
Prefecture, but among the Western Army, he is now the leader, and people are willing to have some contact with this side, in case the Black Flag Army really goes against the grain and wants to destroy all the strong men.
"...the people of the northwest have a strong temperament, something that even the tens of thousands of Xixia troops cannot defeat. Even if a few thousand people are invincible in battle, how can they really defeat everyone? Are they going to have to kill Yanzhou City again?"
"
The news here reached Qingjian. Zhe Keqiu, who had just stabilized the situation in Qingjian City, said such sarcastic remarks, but his heart was also full of doubts - he did not dare to reach out to Yanzhou for the time being, but the other party
If he is really going against the grain, and the local snakes who can speak well in Yanzhou take the initiative to contact him, he will certainly be able to follow. At the same time, Zhonglie far away in Yuanzhou may have the same sentiment. Whether they are gentry or common people, in fact, they all
I prefer to deal with local people, after all, I am familiar with them.
Such doubts have arisen for a while, but in the overall situation, Xixia's forces have not withdrawn, and the situation in the northwest has not yet stabilized. How will Gyeongju be fought, how will the interests be divided, will Black Flag send troops, and how will the situation be stabilized?
Whether the family will send troops, how to move the Zhe family, these undercurrents never stop day by day. Zhe Keqiu, Zhong Lie and others think about it. Although Black Flag is powerful, it has also been broken in the all-out battle with Xixia.
They have suffered a lot of damage. They are entrenched in Yanzhou to recuperate and may not move out again. But even so, it is worth testing to see how they act and whether it is a shelf they have forcibly put up after the war...
At the end of August, Zhe Keqiu was preparing to send an invitation to the Black Flag Army to discuss the matter of sending troops to pacify Qingzhou. Before the messenger was sent out, several extremely shocking messages had been sent.
A Black Flag Army came out from the Soocang River Mountain again, escorting the Xixia Army prisoners away from Yanzhou and heading towards Gyeongju. A few days later, the Xixia King Li Qianshun returned to Qingzhou and other places with the Black Flag Army. The Xixia Army retreated
North of Hengshan.
The Black Flag Army, which had been standing still, had quietly determined the situation in the northwest. This unbelievable situation made Zhong Lie, Zhe Keqiu and others stunned, and they all felt that they had nothing to do. Not long after, , and more bizarre things followed.
The envoys of the Black Flag Army came to Qingjian and Wonju respectively. They invited Zhe, Zhong and others to go to Qingzhou to negotiate and resolve all issues including the ownership of Qingzhou.
After Zhe Keqiu received the invitation, he stood in a daze for a long time in the reception room of his temporary residence in Qingjian City, and then looked at the envoy in front of him as if he were looking at something indescribable - he was the chief minister of the city government. The so-called head of the Zhe family and the envoy of the Black Flag Army were greeted with great enthusiasm on the way in. Only at this time, he seemed a little out of sorts.
"Discuss...the ownership of Gyeongju?"
Maybe the world is really going to be turned upside down, and I can't understand it anymore - he thought.
Soon after, Zhe Keqiu came to Qingzhou and met the confusing leader of the Black Flag Army, Ning Liheng, the scholar who killed the Emperor of the Wu Dynasty in the Golden Palace.
At this time, Gyeongju City, which had been in the hands of the Xixia people for two more months, was in devastation, and the surviving population was less than one-third of the previous number. A large number of people were on the verge of starving to death, and the epidemic was already showing signs of emerging. The Xixia people left By that time, the wheat harvested nearby had already been transported to some extent. The Black Flag Army had exchanged some grain with the Western Xia prisoners and was now giving porridge and handing out relief in the city. , this is what I saw.
******************
This traitor named Ning Yi is not friendly.
After meeting each other, this was the first impression that was strong and surprising.
It was a relatively neat military camp, but it was a messy and busy scene. Soldiers were deployed to give porridge and medicine to the people, and collected the corpses for burning. It was under such circumstances that the two of them met each other. It was a very busy and exhausting scene. In the middle, this junior, who was not yet thirty, greeted them with a straight face and did not give them a smile. Zhe Keqiu’s first impression was that he intuitively felt that the other party was acting. But he could not be sure because the other party’s military camp was full of soldiers. , it’s the same stereotype even when busy.
"During this period, both Gyeongju and Yeonju. Too many people died. I hate looking at these people's corpses!" He led the two people through the ruins of the city and looked at those who had suffered so much. Among the people, a scholar named Ning Liheng showed disgust, "I have been thinking hard about this kind of thing for the past few days. I have some immature opinions. Do you two generals want to hear it?"
"Mr. Ning is worried about the people's suffering, but he says it's okay."
"I think this is all your fault."
Ning Yi glanced at them: "It is your responsibility to live in the same place and protect the environment and the people. If things are not done well or messed up, it will be useless for you to give any excuse. If you find a reason, they will die without burial. Damn, I think both generals should reflect on this matter!"
Before coming here, I really didn't expect that the leader of this invincible army would be such an upright and upright person. The corners of Zhe Keqiu's mouth twitched to the point where his face hurt. But to be honest, with such a character, in the current situation, He was not annoying at all. He quickly admitted his mistakes and reflected on his mistakes. Several people climbed onto the city wall of Gyeongju.
"...I took root in Xiaocanghe, and originally planned to go to the northwest to do business. At that time, Mr. Zhong had not passed away, so I was lucky. But not long after, the Xixia people came, and Mr. Lao Zhong also went. We, the Black Flag Army, did not want to
Fighting, but there is no other way, I came out of the mountains just to earn a life. Now that the northwest is settled, it is a good thing. I am a man of rules, so my brothers are willing to follow me. They chose
Own path. I believe that in this world, everyone is qualified to choose their own path!"
In the first half of Ning Yi's words, Zhong and Zhe both nodded in agreement and were willing to say a few compliments. However, in the second half, the scholar seriously spread his hands towards the devastated city, and the two of them
They became more or less confused, frowning and exchanging glances with each other.
Such a person... no wonder he would kill the emperor...
Such a person...how could there be such a person...
Ning Yi's words did not stop: "The people in Qingzhou City have suffered a lot. When they settle down a little, I will let them choose their own path. Two generals, you are the mainstay of the northwest, and they are also the ones who protect the territory and the people."
As a responsible person, I have now counted the number of people in Gyeongju and their household registrations. When the food on hand is distributed, I will launch a vote to see if they are willing to follow me or follow the Zhong Family Army based on the number of votes.
Jiajun—if they choose someone other than me, I will hand over Gyeongju to the person they choose when the time comes."
The city was already quiet and bitter, and Zhe Keqiu was shocked beyond words. They looked at the cold-faced scholar and raised his hands: "It is my lifelong wish to allow everyone in the world to choose their own path."
"You two, the situation is not going to be easy next." The scholar turned around and looked at them, "First of all, the food for the winter. This city is a mess. If you don't want it, I won't just give it to you. They
As long as they are in my hands, I will do my best to take responsibility for them. If they are in your hands, you will also be troubled. So I invite two generals to come for an interview. If you are not willing to take it from me in this way,
I understand if you think it's hard to manage after taking over Gyeongju. But if you are willing, there are a lot of things we need to talk about."
He turned and walked forward: "I have thought carefully about it. If there is really such a vote, many things need to be supervised. How to do every process of letting them vote, how to count the votes, and which local elders need to be invited.
The choices of tens of thousands of people will be supervised by highly respected people. Everything must be fair and just in order to convince the public. I plan to negotiate these matters with you and write them down in detail..."
Ning Yi kept talking nonchalantly as he walked, Zhong and Zhe, both of whom seemed to be listening to a fantasy.
"... Frankly speaking, I am a businessman, good at business but not good at governing people, so I am willing to give them a chance. If this goes smoothly, even in Yanzhou, I am willing to hold a vote, or to have a vote with the two
Co-governance. However, no matter what the result of the vote is, I must at least ensure that the trade route can pass and cannot hinder our Xiaocang River and the people from Qingmuzhai crossing from the northwest. When I have money, I am willing to give them a choice. If one day in the future
There is no way out, and our Chinese army will not hesitate to fight to the death with anyone."
Ning Yi frowned, mentioned the trade route, and talked about it lightly. After that, the two sides talked about a lot of things. Ning Yi occasionally said: "... Of course, the two generals should not be too happy too early, humans are not grass, who is better?"
If you can be ruthless, our Black Flag Army has done so many things, they will see it in their eyes and remember it in their hearts, but they may not necessarily choose you."
The two laughed loudly and nodded repeatedly.
That night, Zhonglie, Zhekeqiu, and the accompanying people who came over, gathered in the resting villa as if in a dream. They did not care about the details of what the other party said today, but in terms of the overall concept, the other party had
No lies.
Let the people vote on who will govern this place? Is he really going to do that?
In the dark attic in the distance, Ning Yi looked at the lights there from a distance, and then withdrew his gaze. Next to him, the spy who came back from the North was whispering about what he had seen there. Ning Yi tilted his head
, occasionally asking questions. After the spies left, he sat quietly in the darkness for a long time. Soon after, he lit an oil lamp and buried himself in recording some of his thoughts.
The guard in charge of the garrison occasionally turned his head to look at the figure in the window. Since the Jurchen envoy left, Ning Yi has become increasingly busy, step by step and racing against time to promote everything he wants...
In the next two days, the three parties met and discussed some unimportant matters. These matters mainly included things that needed to be guaranteed after the Gyeongju vote. That is, regardless of the outcome of the vote, both parties needed to guarantee that the Sookang River caravan was doing business.
Convenience and preferential treatment when passing through the northwest region, in order to protect the interests of the caravan, the Xiaocanghe side can use the means, such as priority, supervision, and in order to prevent a sudden change of sides from a certain party and impact on the Xiaocanghe caravan.
Each side should have means to check and balance each other.
Ning Yi also focused on talking to them about the taxes that can be obtained by folding two parties in these businesses - but to be honest, they didn't really care.
Just when everyone seemed to be happy and everyone was doing their own thing, soon after, an activity that made everyone unbelievable happened in the northwest.
(To be continued.)
ps: One person is missing...please vote, please vote, ah ah ah ah ah ——