"...and Uncle Song Mao, I wonder how he is doing. Is he in good health?"
The sky has darkened, and there is a bonfire burning at the river bend in the distance, and occasionally the laughter of children and the voice of a woman can be heard. Under the leadership of Ning Yi, Song Yongping walked forward slowly. Hearing him ask about his father's condition, Song Yongping looked at
He glanced at it.
"My father's body is still strong. After he resigned from office, he lost many worldly duties, and he has become even richer in the past two years."
"Uncle Song Mao became an official after I killed Zhou Zhe, right?"
"……Um."
The two people talked about this thrilling thing for others, but their words seemed indifferent. Ning Yi said: "When things happened in a hurry, the Song family couldn't take care of it, and it was hard to invite you to go with them.
Later, Zhou Yong became emperor, and with Zhou Pei and his brother and sister in charge, they wouldn't make things difficult for you too much, so I felt relieved. In the past few years, Tan'er, Wen Fang and the others have occasionally talked about you, among the in-laws
, take your knowledge as the best, I am afraid it will delay your official career, but I think that when people are young, it is the age when they should take detours. The more you experience before the age of thirty, I am afraid the road ahead will be more difficult.
Good to go."
He smiled when he said this: "Of course, I was the one who made you and Uncle Song Mao lose their official positions. This is a bit off-putting for me to say. If you want to say that I got an advantage and behaved well, there is no way to refute it."
Listening to Ning Yi talking about this topic, Song Yongping also laughed and his eyes looked calm: "Actually, that's right. When I was young, everything went smoothly. I always felt that I was a great talent in the world. Only later did I understand my own limitations. Those times when I lost my official position.
As people in my family come and go, I realize that the world is full of different flavors. My horizons back then were really too small..."
He smiled and shook his head: "When I was young, I read Huang Lao and Confucius and Mencius with the elders in my family. I memorized the ancient scriptures backwards and forwards, and I could write a long moral article eloquently. When I think about it in the past two years, the one that impressed me the most was the Book of Changes.
Two sentences to open the book... Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman strives to constantly strive for self-improvement. After thirty years, I gradually understood something."
When we first met more than ten years ago, Song Xiaosi, who was in his early twenties, looked full of energy, but now he is already thirty years old, has become an official, has grown a beard, and has experienced ups and downs. If he was calm before,
In the several conversations he had, he still maintained calmness with self-restraint, but the current one was from the bottom of his heart.
Ning Yi nodded, and Song Yongping paused for a moment: "It would be false to say that I don't complain about these things to my cousin and cousin-in-law, but even if I complain, it doesn't make sense. Mr. Ning, who is all-powerful in the world, could he do it because of someone?
Don’t do anything if you complain?”
Ning Yi laughed "haha". He patted Song Yongping on the shoulder and motioned for him to move forward: "There are many truths in the world, but I only have one. When the Jurchens went south and watched hundreds of thousands of people being killed, Qin was completely defeated.
Even with the same manpower to turn the tide, in the end the family was destroyed. If the emperor was not killed, these people's deaths would be worthless. Of course, I have thought about the consequences after killing him, but in this world, people cannot tolerate a good couple, and can only choose the lesser of two evils.
Of course, I knew your situation before killing, but I have already weighed it up, so I have to do it. The same is true for county magistrates. You sympathize with some people, but you can only give them thirty dollars. Why, this is a little better
."
"But my brother-in-law has really... not been confused in these years?"
"They are there all the time, and there are many of them, but... in comparison, this road is a little better." Ning Yi said, "I know your intention of coming here. If you find a loophole, you may be able to persuade me to withdraw your troops or surrender to the Wu Dynasty.
It doesn't matter. In fact, the situation in the world is very clear. You are a smart person. You will understand if you look more and I will not hide it from you. However, I will take you to meet the child first."
As they spoke, the campfire was already approaching. Ning Yi led Song Yongping over and introduced the distant uncle to Ning Xi and others. After a while, Tan'er also came over to meet Song Yongping. The two sides talked about Song Mao, and about Song Yongping.
Su Yu, who has passed away, is also an extremely ordinary family reunion scene.
While Su Tan'er and Song Yongping were talking, Ning Yi led a group of children to the fire to grill fish. Ning Ji, Du Sha, Fang Shuchang and other children had dinner and rested for a while, then set up a small arena to take turns competing.
After they were all famous players, the competition was quite fierce. Wenwen, Ning Ke and other little girls were either cheering for their brothers by the ring, or they came here to pester Ning Yi. After a while, the fish was burnt, which was quite embarrassing.
Ning Yi walked over to the ring and wrote a couplet to reward the winner. The first couplet was "Punching Guangzhou eggs" and the second couplet was "Kicking pineapple bread". After writing, he asked Song Yongping to come over to comment and correct him, and then asked Song Yongping to also
Write a word as a prefix.
The fight by the river made Song Yongping somewhat emotional, but he was here to be a lobbyist after all - in legendary novels, the story of a certain counselor persuading the princes to change their minds with just a few words has become more and more common in these years.
In fact, it is not an exaggeration. In the feudal world, the popularity of knowledge is not high, and even the princes may not have a broad vision. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the politicians laughed exaggeratedly and threw out a certain
From this point of view, it is not surprising that the princes bowed to him in return. Li Xiannong was able to persuade the barbarian king in the Liangshan Mountains, and he may have followed this path. But in this brother-in-law's case, no matter whether he was alarmist or impassioned speeches, he could not change the opponent's attitude.
Decision, without the most rigorous analysis, the rest can only be chatting and joking.
After meeting Ning Yi, he understood this more and more. Thinking back to Cheng Zhouhai's attitude when he set off - I'm afraid the other party also understood this matter very well. After thinking about this for a long time, when Ning Yi left
He went to rest aside, and Song Yongping followed him, deciding to put the problem back first.
"Brother-in-law, isn't there a good solution to the southwest issue?"
"It should be difficult for the Wu Dynasty."
Ning Yi took a branch, sat on a stone by the river beach to rest, and answered casually.
"The Jurchens are coming and the world will fall. What good will it do?"
"The Wu Dynasty is the world, the Jurchens are the world, the Huaxia Army is also the world, whose world will perish?" He glanced at Song Yongping, tapped the tree branch on the stone beside him, "Sit down."
"The humidity is heavy and not suitable for health." Song Yongping said and sat down.
"How many children do you have?"
"Three, two daughters and one son."
"As a very knowledgeable uncle, what do you think of Ning Xi and the others?"
"Okay. Xi'er taught you very well." Song Yongping said, "Ning Ji's martial arts skills seem to be much better than those of ordinary people."
"After I was born, I watched it to death. Next, I went to Chengdu and walked around. But it was difficult to be like ordinary children, crowding in the crowd and joining in all kinds of fun. I never knew when I would encounter an accident and compete for the world.
- We call it saving the world - this is one of the costs. If you encounter an accident, just die. It is possible that life would be worse than death."
Ahead was a flowing river. Ning Yi's expression was hidden in the darkness. Although his words were calm, his meaning was anything but calm. Song Yongping didn't quite understand why he said this.
"Fighting has begun north of the Yellow River. Near Taiyuan, millions of people have blocked Yan Zonghan's hundreds of thousands of troops. Now there is heavy snow there. People are dead on the battlefield and more are frozen to death on the snow. Wang Shanyue of Daming Prefecture is leading the army.
It has been nearly two months since 50,000 people defended the city. Wanyan Zongfu and Wanyan Zongbi led the main force to fight for nearly a month, and then crossed the Yellow River. I don’t know how many defenders there are left in the city..."
Ning Yi said in the darkness: "...Now Wan Yanchang is leading 30,000 Jurchen elites and more than 200,000 Han troops are besieging the city. In front of the Han army are ordinary people who are being driven forward. They use catapults to throw corpses every day.
Throw it into the city. Fortunately, it is winter and the plague cannot rise yet... Zhu Biao led more than 10,000 Chinese troops and wanted to open Wanyanchang's defense line, but he couldn't."
"...I don't know how many millions of hungry ghosts have died in the south. I sent 8,000 people to Xuzhou to block Wanyan Zongfu's way south. The main force of these hungry ghosts are now surrounding Xuzhou. Zongfu
I don’t know what it will be like when the army meets the hungry ghosts. Further south is the direction set by the prince. The army of millions will lose or win in this battle. And then here... tens of thousands of people have died.
La. Yongping, it’s not a bad thing that you came for the Wu Dynasty, but if you were me, would you be willing to give them a way to live, or not?"
"Maybe there is a better way..." Song Yongping said.
"Maybe, maybe... there is always such a person in the world. He can not only let the Wu Dynasty go and let the people of the Wu Dynasty live well, but also strengthen himself and save the whole world. Yongping, I'm not kidding, if
If you have this idea, it’s worth trying.”
"..."
"But I can't do it. It has been more than ten years since the first Jurchens went south, and the Wu Dynasty has made a little progress, probably... so much." He raised his hand and marked a distance about the size of a grain of rice.
"We know that the Wu Dynasty has a lot of troubles and complex problems. It is not easy to make a little progress. It is not easy to see them. If we want them to get better rewards, such as living longer, we can even write
An article regards this kind of enterprise as a rare light of humanity. However, is this enough? You like Wu Chao, so he should survive. If he cannot survive, do you hope... that I can show my favor? "
Ning Yi shook his head.
"...If I can't stop it, there will be nothing. In that statement, I will force the Wu Dynasty to negotiate with me. After the negotiation, our Chinese Army and the Wu Dynasty will be equal forces. If the Wu Dynasty wants to join forces with me to resist the Jurchens,
It's okay, Wu Dynasty can have more time to breathe, and they have to play tricks in the middle, and they don't work hard. It's okay, everyone plays chess, they all play like this... But, the impassionedness is your own, and the victory or defeat is yours.
It is decided by the heaven and the earth. In such a world, everyone is strengthening their minions, and no one has any luck on the battlefield. The problems of Wu Dynasty and Confucianism cannot be improved once or twice. One or two heroes can help them.
, if the Jurchens corrupted quickly, it is somewhat possible, but because of the existence of the Chinese Army, the speed of their corruption is actually not that fast, and they can still fight..."
Ning Yi tapped the branch on the ground three times: "Jurchen, Huaxia, Wu Dynasty, let alone the immediate situation, in the end, two of them will be eliminated. Yongping, today I will tell you something to make Wu Dynasty's life easier."
, which is also paving the way for the elimination of the Wu Dynasty. The way to stop the Chinese army is very simple. As long as the people of the Wu Dynasty are united as one, and the forces of the various big families in the court and up and down the court are willing to show their determination to be in pieces rather than destroy everything.
Come to attack our Chinese army, I immediately stop and apologize... But the Wu Dynasty can't do it. Now the Wu Dynasty finds it very difficult. In fact, even if they lose Southwest, they probably won't negotiate with me. I'm dumb and everyone will suffer, and no one will be blamed for the negotiation.
If you dare to carry it, then I will eat the southwest. Without strength, Wu Chao will feel humiliated by losing face? In fact, it is more than that. Next, they will have to kneel down. Without strength, the day they will be forced to eat shit will definitely be
some."
"After the battle in the southwest, they sent you here - of course, it is not a stupid move. In such a big situation, there is no way to use anything. Qin Siyuan was the same way back then. He tinkered and framed things, formed a party, entertained guests and gave gifts for private purposes. This is what he should do
When kneeling down, the old man is also willing to kneel down - maybe some people will be moved by family affection and relent, but Yongping, I don't dare to let go. After the battle is won, the next step is strength.
Growth means every extra point you can get. There is no need to be too high-minded because of selfishness. Even if you are too high-minded, it is because you have to. Because I don’t dare to have any luck..."
The calm voice was mixed with the sound of gurgling water in the darkness. Ning Yi lifted the branch and pointed to the firelight on the other side of the river beach, where the children were playing.
"Northern Tianhu mobilized a million troops to fight against Zong Han. If he loses, he will die. Wang Shanyue will keep his name. I hope Zhu Biao can save as many people as possible, but it is also possible that Zhu Biao himself can do it."
There are millions of hungry ghosts inside, and they will die in one winter. Yongping, Ningxi, Ningji, Wenwen and Xiaoke are my children. If someone told me, there would be luck in this world.
, I can pray to gods and kowtow a thousand times every day, hoping that they will live a happier life than me... But there is no luck in this world, not even a trace, so I will not kowtow. If the power of the Chinese army can be a little bit more,
I will never let him lose even one point."
The voice was silent for a long time.
…
"...I have been reading books in the past two years, and there are also sentences that have deeply touched me. One of the 19 ancient poems says: 'Life in the world is like a traveler from afar.' This world is not ours, we just come here by chance.
It has only been a few decades, so I am always cautious when dealing with things in this world, and I dare not be arrogant... The most useful principle in the middle, Yongping, you have already said it before, it is called "Tian Xingjian, gentleman"
Self-improvement is the only thing that is useful. Praying for the Wu Dynasty is actually not necessary."
…
Laughter came from the small river bend. In the next few days, Ning Yi and his family went to Chengdu to see the bustling ancient city. It was the first time for a group of children, except Ning Xi, to see such a scene.
The prosperous city was completely different from the situation in the mountains. They were all very happy. Ning Yi, Tan'er, Yunzhu and others were walking on the streets of this ancient city. Occasionally they would talk about what happened in Jiangning and Bianliang.
Scenery and stories, that story has been going on for more than ten years.
Song Yongping followed him, and like Zuo Duanyou back then, he understood Ning Yi's thoughts, and then started discussions every day. The two sides sometimes quarreled, and sometimes broke up unhappy, which lasted for a long time.
Shortly thereafter, Ning Ji followed the doctors from the military medical team on a medical trip to nearby counties and rural areas. Some household registration officials also visited various places and penetrated into every part of the newly occupied territory. Ning Xi followed Chen
Tuozi sits in the center, responsible for arranging security, coordinating and other things, and learning more skills.
Winter has already deepened, and on the south bank of the Yellow River, a biting wind and snow suddenly came this day. The Jurchen army going south was already a long way from the Yellow River ferry. The further south they went, the more miserable and desolate the road became.
The small town has been attacked and burned, like a ghost, and corpses of starved to death can be seen everywhere on the road. This time, the "solid walls and clearing the wilderness" are more thorough than those more than ten years ago.
In the heavy snow, the small Jurchen grain transport team was trapped on the road. The wind and snow roared for more than an hour. The centurion who led the team asked the team to stop to avoid the wind and snow. At a certain moment, something gradually came from the front.
come over.
Struggling and swaying, the thing that passed through the heavy snow gradually came into view, and it turned out to be a figure of a person. The figure was swaying, as skinny as a skeleton, which made people look at it with a glance.
They were all numb, and they seemed to be holding a motionless swaddling in their hands. This was a woman - a woman who was starved to the point of being skinny and bone - no one knew how she got here.
The "skeleton" stood there in a daze, casting a gaze at the cart and the goods here. Then she shook a little, opened her mouth, and made an unknown sound from her mouth. Water seemed to fall from her eyes.
She was running towards this side.
The centurion walked over, dragging his long knife, and slashed the woman to the ground with a single blow, and the swaddling clothes rolled out. There was no "baby" inside, so there was no need to add another blow.
"If you see these things, you will be killed without mercy."
The centurion also knew that there were still hungry ghosts wandering in this area. Just as he was about to go back after killing the woman, another figure came towards him in the wind and snow.
The hungry ghosts, and then the hungry ghosts, saw the team transporting military supplies. The figures that were almost no longer human were startled, and then they just hesitated for a moment, then shouted and ran over. They had no strength, many of them
The man had fallen in the wind and snow, and his shouts at this time were almost hoarse. The centurion killed the two men, slapped the armor with his long knife, and called to his subordinates to build a defense line.
Those figures were running one after another...
Life in heaven and earth is suddenly like a traveler from afar.
With the coldness all over his body, he shed dry tears and made a hoarse voice...
That was their last running figure in this cold world.
In the wind and snow, endless hungry ghosts surged over——