The plan for the year begins in spring. In the Wu Dynasty, after bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, the heaven and earth revived. In the court, it was customary to hold continuous court meetings to summarize the past year and look forward to the coming year. Jun and Wu naturally wanted to attend.
This year, I stayed in the capital for half a month, and the court meetings also raged with each other for half a month. As the prince of Junwu, no one dared to be disrespectful to him openly. However, after some praises, the courtiers'
Malice was also revealed in their words. These adults stated the various problems behind the prosperity of the Wu Dynasty and the reasons that were holding them back. In the end, no one said anything, but various public opinions continued to move forward after all.
The Prince's Mansion is pressing forward.
Even if the Central Plains were lost, Nanwu's vigorous development over the past few years, economic expansion, abundant treasury, and even the increase in military equipment all seemed to prove the strength of a dynasty after learning from the pain. These constantly leaping figures confirmed that the king and ministers
is wise, and since everything is growing, some flaws in the back are understandable and tolerable.
No one can prove that after losing its tendency, the country can still take off like this. So, some flaws and pains may inevitably exist. Now there is the shame of Jingping in the past, and the Jurchens are still eyeing it in the future. If the court is fully inclined to
To appease the refugees in the north, then, whether the treasury should be used, whether the market should be developed, and whether the armaments should be increased.
The great Confucians quoted the classics eloquently and demonstrated the inevitability of many things. However, they vaguely revealed that the prince was not wise enough and the princess line became an obstacle to the development of the Wu Dynasty. Jun Wu was entangled in the capital for half a month, and because of a certain news, he returned to Jiangning.
The ministers then handed over another note, earnestly urging the prince to be wise and accept advice. How could he leave in anger? Jun and Wu could only reply one by one and receive advice.
In February and March, when the snow melts and the ice disappears, warblers fly and grass grows, Wenren Buer, who is in charge of the capital, also comes over. The host and guest stand at the top of Jiangning City, looking at the huge yellow balloon flying into the sky.
Someone threw something out of the basket of the balloon. The thing fell from a high altitude and landed on the grass with a bang and splashing dirt. General Jun frowned. After a while, people started running over:
"It didn't explode—"
"Ten years ago, Master... developed a hot-air balloon. I made little progress here, but later I discovered that the air-tight sealing material used there was actually paper pulp. The Kongming lanterns can fly into the sky using paper, but so
When you light a big ball on fire, you wouldn’t think you could actually use paper! It took another two years for Jiangning to finally have this one. Fortunately, I came back in a hurry..."
The wind on the city wall was strong, and Jun Wu's voice was loud. The twenty-six-year-old Crown Prince's robes were loose and he had grown a pair of beards. He was already quite majestic. He waved his arms lightly and looked even more high-spirited. He was solemn.
Rong hand over.
"Your Highness, be careful what you say to those rebellious people."
"Senior Brother Wenren is right, we have no sworn relationship with that regicide villain." Junwu said with a smile. Wenren Buer is a disciple of Qin Siyuan, and Junwu was taught by him when he was young. He has a casual personality.
He was very knowledgeable and relied heavily on others, and often referred to him as his senior brother.
"His Royal Highness left the capital angrily, but the Lin'an court has already caused an uproar. We need to be cautious in the future."
"Yes, this is a flaw in my character." Jun Wu said, "I also know that it is not good. I have been tolerant in the past few years, but sometimes I still feel hard to calm down. At the beginning of the year, I heard that there was progress in this matter, so I simply gave up.
I ran back from the court, saying it was because of the hot air balloon. Thinking about it afterwards, I just couldn't stand the trivial things in the court, so I made an excuse."
He admitted his fault directly and said no more. The two of them went down the city wall. Jun Wu said: "However, after thinking about it, I am not suitable for being a prince. I like to study the study of objects."
Studying, but these years, I have been entangled with various things, and the investigation of things has long been abandoned. The world is in turmoil, I have a responsibility, and I have no brothers, so I want to cover for Yue Fei, Han Shizhong and others, and save some refugees from the North, reluctantly
, but after being in it, I realize how many problems there are.”
He walked down the stairs of the city wall with a brisk pace: "A large family has been in business for more than two hundred years. The forces are intertwined and the interests are deeply entangled. The generals are short-sighted and afraid of death, and the civil servants are corrupt. It has become a big network. I intervened a few years ago.
When people from the north moved south, everyone applauded them on the surface, but then they turned around and encouraged people to make trouble, beat people to death, and even incited rebellion and killed people in accordance with the law. This relationship and that relationship eventually came to the father's desk, more than once. Finally, let's talk about the southerners.
Returning to the south, people from the north are returning to the north, and they say it is really helpless - how can we return to the north! The north is broken!"
"Look at General Yue. He is an upright man. He grasps everything in his territory and never compromises with others. In the end, he maintains such a strong army. In recent years, he has been said to be domineering, overbearing, and fighting with the people.
There are more than hundreds of favorable and even counter-intentional discounts, and this is when I am watching from behind, otherwise he would have had his head beheaded by someone who wanted to do it. As for Han Shizhong, he knows better about turning things around, but the ministers of the DPRK and the Central Government have dealt with them one by one.
, he spends a lot more money, and I think his weapons are inferior to those of Yue Fei."
The two of them got off the city wall and got on the carriage. Jun Wu waved his hand: "What if you don't do this? Oh, you train a soldier. Today a civil servant came and said you should train like this. You give me some money, otherwise I will participate."
You have a copy. One will come tomorrow and say that his brother-in-law is here to be a battalion officer. The day after tomorrow, his brother-in-law is deducting military pay. If you want to kill him, he says that his brother-in-law is the Prime Minister! Then don’t fight, just go and die."
The carriage drove out of the city gate, onto the official road outside, and then branched out of the fields. Jun Wu vented for a while and whispered: "Do you know why the rebels want to kill the emperor?"
"Your Majesty, please speak carefully!"
"For example, you want to do... a big thing. The people under you have dealings with these guys, and you want to give in and have fun with them for a while, just like... just deal with it for two or three years.
But you have no one to back you up. Today, someone will come and share some of your things. You can endure it. Tomorrow, I will give you a brother-in-law. You can tolerate it. In three years, you will be doing big things. When you turn around, everyone around you will be like them.
That’s it…haha.haha.”
Wenren Buer narrowed his eyes. Today's Junwu was obviously in a bad mood. He was a little excited and more unscrupulous. He had never seen such a situation in the past: "Your Highness, have you... encountered something?"
"
"No." Jun Wu waved his hand, then opened the curtain and looked forward. The hot air balloon was still in the distance. "Look, when this hot air balloon was being made, the censor came to the censor again and again to say this.
It is ominous for a great rebellion, because ten years ago, it could bring people into the palace. It flew higher than the palace wall and could spy on the palace... What a great rebellion is ominous, it means that I wanted to kill the king but failed. For this reason
I left all these workshops in Jiangning, and they were involved in big and small matters, so I apologized and admitted my mistakes. It doesn’t matter if I apologize and admit my mistakes...I finally did it."
"Your Highness..."
"Brother Wenren, this world may have another look in the future that neither you nor I can understand." Jun Wu closed his eyes, "Last year, before Zuo Duanyou passed away, I went to visit him. The old man said, Xiao Cang
What He said may be right. If we want to defeat him, we must at least become like him. The artillery has come out and it is getting better and better. The hot air balloon has come out and you don't have it. How can you fight with others?
When Li Pin was talking about New Confucianism, he did not skip the study of things. These people in the court, those aristocratic families, talked about this and that, and those who were connected with them all had no good results. But maybe in the future when the study of things flourishes, there will be other
What’s the method?”
The carriage shook and stopped in a green field. Many craftsmen gathered nearby, and a hot air balloon was being inflated here. Junwu and Wenren got off the carriage.
"I'm not very proficient in Confucianism, and I can't figure out how to reform or forge ahead. Two or three hundred years of entanglement has damaged everything inside. Even if you have great ambitions and a noble mind, if you enter this place, thousands of people will block it.
You, tens of millions of people reject you, you will either turn bad or go away. Even if I have some luck and become the prince, I can only try my best to keep people like General Yue and General Han. If one day I become the emperor, even Luan Xing
And when we can’t do that, even these people can’t be saved.”
"They alone can't beat the Jurchens." Jun Wu stood there, still talking, and the hot air balloon in front of him was also expanding, growing taller, and pulling the hanging basket: "But fortunately with the study of objects, maybe
... If I can find some opportunities with the help of these people, even if I gain a reputation as a headstrong person, I still don’t want to put this business down. I only see hope here."
"Your Highness..."
Jun Wu walked forward: "I want to go to heaven to see if Senior Brother Wenren wants to go with us?"
"Your Highness——"
When he said these words, there was a sudden uproar around him. Words such as "Your Highness, think twice," "Your Highness, this is not allowed," and "This thing is not safe yet" were heard loudly. The craftsmen in charge of the technology were so frightened that they all knelt down.
Wenren Buer also rushed forward and tried to dissuade him, but Junwu just smiled.
"Since the end of the year, this hot air balloon has flown up and down six times in a row. It is very safe. I have also participated in the production of this hot air balloon. If there is any problem with it, I know that you can't fool me. Regarding this matter, I mean
It has been decided, no more words. Now, my luck is your luck. If I fall from the sky today, you should consider it bad luck and be buried with me. Jun Wu would like to thank everyone...
Senior Brother Wenren."
The prince turned around at the hanging basket: "Do you want to go up and have a look?"
Wen Renfuer was silent for a long time, and finally sighed. Over the years, Junwu has worked hard to carry the burden. Although he still has some young impulsiveness, he is generally very sensible. But the balloon has always been a big concern in the prince's heart.
, when he was young, he studied the study of objects. It was for this reason that he wanted to fly and go to the sky to see. Later, the identity of the prince made him distracted, but he still had this dream of flying in his mind, and he never thought about it.
forget.
It had only been two or three months since this thing was actually made. He didn't understand the danger involved in flying into the sky with something like this, and the fear of leaving the ground. It was just that his mind had been made up at this time, and it would be difficult to change it. If it hadn't been so,
I'm afraid I won't say what I just said.
The Confucianism and statecraft of the past have no way to go before such a powerful enemy as the Jurchens.
"I should follow the prince myself."
"If you are afraid of heights, you don't have to come. I just think it's a good thing."
Ignoring the people kneeling around him, he climbed into the basket without any explanation, and went over after hearing the people. There was also a craftsman in the hanging basket who was controlling the lift. Kneeling there, Junwu glanced at him: "Yang
Master, get up and do the work, can't you let me do it by myself? It's not like I can't do it."
The craftsman stood up tremblingly. After a moment, he started throwing weighted sandbags down.
Junwu held the rope next to the hanging basket with one hand and stood there, swaying slightly and looking ahead.
"How long do the adults in the court think we have?"
"The Prime Minister and several members of the Privy Council believe that the current situation is not good. In two or three years, if we are lucky, there may be five years left to recuperate." Wenren Buer also looked ahead, his body stiff and nervous, "The Jurchens captured the Central Plains.
After that, Liu Yu was made king because there were too few tribesmen and they needed to stabilize the entire Liao territory first. After they were completely stable north of Yanmen Pass, the first thing they had to do was to formally annex and digest the Central Plains."
The huge hot air balloon swayed and began to rise into the sky.
"It's just that although the original Central Plains was defeated, Liu Yu's control was difficult to dominate. In the past few years, people with different intentions have appeared one after another in the north and south of the Yellow River. Many of them ostensibly surrendered to the Jurchens and did not dare to take the lead. But if the Jin Kingdom really wanted to annex it,
There are still many people who will rise up to resist. Defeat is different from rule. To formally annex the Central Plains, the Jin Kingdom will have to spend even more effort. Therefore, there may still be two or three years of breathing time... Well——"
The field of vision below continued to shrink, and they rose into the sky. Wen Renfu'er's nervous statement was also interrupted at this time. Jun Wu stopped listening. He stood there, looking at the fields and farmland below,
People are planting rice in the fields, oxen and horses pulling plows, in the distance, houses and cooking smoke are spreading, Jiangning's city walls extend, rivers pass through, and boatmen on awning boats hold up long poles...Bright spring scenery
Here, the abundant vitality spreads like a picture scroll.
Six years ago, the Jurchens came here to search mountains and seas. Junwu still remembered the corpse outside the city and Grandpa Kang who died here. Now, all these creatures are alive again, and all this
Lovely, hateful, living beings that are difficult to classify, just seeing them exist can make people happy, but based on their existence, countless pains are born...
Hot air balloon floats upward.
Throughout his life, Zhou Junwu never forgot the earth he saw in this look.
In the spring of Wu Jianshuo's ninth year, he flew into the sky for the first time.
****************
Under the same sky, crossing Yanmen Pass and heading north, when the snow melted and the ice disappeared, Xijing Datong in the Jin Kingdom ushered in the peak period of business travel.
The flow of goods, the exchanges of merchants, and the bustle of traffic. After more than ten years of plunder, digestion, and internal recuperation, the emerging political power of the Jin Kingdom has gradually developed a prosperous and prosperous appearance. Entering from the four gates of Datong, flags on the city wall
Like a forest spreading in the wind, walking around on the big wall are teams of Jurchen soldiers with strong bows and sharp swords. The market in the city stretches out and is full of pedestrians. Patrolling officers walk among them with their backs straightened, and occasionally they can be seen among the crowds.
When a fight gets serious, step forward to stop it - the folk customs in the North are fierce, and this kind of thing happens often.
The bustling blacksmith shop was filled with tinkling sounds and the atmosphere was sultry. In the restaurants and restaurants, food and pastries from all over the world were sold, but most of them catered to the tastes of the Jin people. The storyteller played the huqin and took pictures of the scene.
Wood.
When Han slaves in ragged clothes were hanging around, some were as thin as firewood, with chains tied to their bodies, and were only used as animals. Their eyes had long lost their vitality. There were also waiters and cooks in various restaurants. Their lives might be better, but their eyes were full of them.
They were just timid and did not dare to look at people. In the bustling streets and alleys, some brothels and prostitutes still had Han women kidnapped from the south. If they came from small families, they were just animals for people to vent their anger on.
, there are also wives and children of wealthy officials, who can often command high prices. There are also several royal women, and they are still the cash cows of several brothels.
Even among the Jurchens, there are many who are elegant and good at poetry. When they come to the brothel, they are more willing to chat with the educated ladies from the south. Of course, this place is different from the south.
There are no shepherds here.
The woman in colorful clothes danced crazily on the street and sang songs from the Central Plains. Then she was dragged into the door of the brothel and into the room by the rough and arrogant Jurchen who came over. Her laughter has not stopped yet. Wu
Many people here now understand Chao's words, and the crazy woman is laughing: "Haha, my husband, you are here to pick me up... Haha, ah-haha, my husband, you are here to pick me up..."
In that room, the sound came out while she was being raped. But everyone nearby knew that her husband had been killed long ago - he was a craftsman who tried to resist and escape, but was beheaded in front of her.
His head was cut off, and his head was made into a drinking vessel... As the escort walked through the streets, Shi Jin lowered his head and listened to the voice, and his companions whispered these things.
"...My hero, don't think too much. There are too many of these things. The emperor of the Wu Dynasty still knelt in the palace and acted like a dog every year. The queen did the same thing... Oh, my hero, look,
Over there is Duke Xi Ying’s large courtyard..."
Shi Jin looked up and saw a long courtyard at the other end of the river. Pillars of smoke rising in the air. Soldiers patrolling the surrounding areas were heavily guarded. His companion tugged at the corner of his clothes and said, "My hero, you can't go. Don't be seen either."
arrive……"
Shi Jin nodded and looked away.
It has been three months since he came to the north.
Shi Jin was chivalrous and heroic by nature. A few months ago, he visited the Northland and saw the suffering of countless Han slaves. He couldn't help but violently killed people. Later, he was hunted down by the Jin soldiers in the snowy weather. Shi Jin was highly skilled in martial arts, so he was not afraid of this.
, he originally ignored life and death, wandering around in the heavy snow for more than a month, and killed more than a dozen golden soldiers, causing a fuss. Later, he went all the way north and rescued an escort, and finally found his companions, arriving in a low-key manner.
to Datong.
Although there are many Han slaves in the North, there are naturally also Han and Liao people who originally lived here. However, the Wu Dynasty was weak. Although the Han people in this place can also be good citizens, they have always been bullied and slighted. The members of this escort team
Most of the escorts were aborigines from the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun. They were first oppressed by the Liao people and then the Jin people. They were people who licked blood with their swords. They admired heroes like Shi Jin. Even though they knew that Shi Jin was dissatisfied with the Jin people,
But he was also willing to take him for a ride.
Although Shi Jin traveled with these people, he naturally did not tell them about his intention to assassinate Nianhan. While traveling north, he saw a gathering of Jin soldiers, and the atmosphere in Datong, which was the center of military and political affairs, began to become tense again.
I wanted to find out more, but later I saw the artillery among the Jin soldiers. After a little inquiry, I found out that the Jin soldiers had also researched and installed these things, and the person in charge of this matter at the top of the Jin soldiers was the perfect person known as the God of Ceres.
Yan Xiyin.
After the Southern Expedition of the Jin Kingdom, a large number of craftsmen from the Wu Dynasty were obtained. Xi Yin, referring to the study of objects, worked with Shi Liai and other ministers to build a large courtyard and develop firearms and various new crafts. In addition to weapons, there were also many novel objects. Today
Circulated in the markets of Datong, it became a popular commodity.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of carriages and horses, the escort team arrived at their destination in Datong. Shi Jin was unwilling to drag his feet and said goodbye to the other party. The escort was very friendly and said hello to his companions. He took Shi Jin out to eat first. He was in Datong City.
A table was set up in a relatively high-end restaurant, which was considered a thank you to Shi Jin for saving his life. This man was also a person who knew what was good and what was good. He understood that Shi Jin must have a plan when he went north, so he told what he knew about Datong City.
The situation and layout were more or less introduced to Shi Jin.
After three rounds of drinking, my face turned red and my ears turned red, and I felt a little embarrassed when I spoke.
"...I know that the hero is not here to travel. Although the villain has been a Han in the north for generations, he also knows that the heroism and chivalry in the south cannot be repaid by a mere banquet. However, although the villain
I am also angry that the Jin people are domineering, but the little people here have wives and children... My heroes, this place in Datong is extraordinary after all. In the early years, the Jurchens called this place the Western Court, but at that time, there were still two princes among the Jurchens.
Wang can suppress Zong Han's arrogance. After Zong Wang's death, the east and west of the Jin Kingdom will fight against each other. The authority of Marshal Zong Han here will be the same as that of Tianhui in the east..."
"...In the city of Datong, there are heavy troops gathered, and there is the Valley God Xiyin. There are many masters under his command, and the Dazhuoyuan is also heavily guarded. Although the heroes are highly skilled in martial arts, they come from the south and are Han Chinese, so they are too eye-catching. Please...
...be careful and take care..."
The escort told Shi Jin to be cautious, not without fear that he would be exposed and involve himself. However, Shi Jin was a heroic man and knew that the other party had taken too many risks in order to repay his kindness, so he did not say more about it.
After thinking for a while, he told Shi Jin some anecdotes about Datong City, the chivalrous warriors who were against the Jurchens and were wanted or hunted down, the thieves who specialized in stealing treasures, etc. Then Wanyan Xiyin recruited warriors
, there have been several raids and cleanups on these Jianghu people, but there are always some people who can survive and become legends told by everyone.
The escort thought that if the other party really ran into trouble in the city and it was difficult for him to intervene, these people might become his companions.
After the banquet, both parties formally said goodbye. Shi Jin carried his parcel on the street and watched the other party leave. Looking back, he saw the clanging blacksmith shop at the other end of the restaurant filled with Han slaves like pigs and dogs.
This year, in the twelfth year of the Jurchen Tianhui, Wanyan Wu succeeded to the throne for twelve years. In these twelve years, the Jurchens consolidated their rule over the subjects below, and the Jurchens in the north
The existence was officially stabilized. Along with this period, there were countless pains and disasters for the Han people.
Three Expeditions on the Central Plains, the Shame of Jingping, Searching Mountains and Seas... Many of the Han slaves who were captured and headed north are still surviving on this land after so many years, but they no longer look like human beings at all.
…
Shi Jin's life was chaotic. When he was young, he was brave and fierce. Later, he fell into trouble and became a bandit. Later, he fought against the Jurchens and had internal strife... He experienced some upright and some unbearable fights. When he was young, he was reckless, and naturally he got innocent people's hands on his hands.
Blood has seen countless tragic deaths since then. But never once has the distortion and pain he felt been as deep into his bones as what he felt now on the bustling streets of Datong.
As he walked down the street, the figures of slaves came into view. Everyone was accustomed to it, and he never stopped. In the next few days, he stayed near the Marshal's Mansion to explore. On March 23,
Then he launched an assassination attempt on Zong Han. A bloody battle shocked Datong... (To be continued.)