The moon had been full for some time, illuminating the ordinary night in the middle of June. Beside the sparsely lit Ankang City, the Han River flowed quietly. Half of the rice in the fields by the shore had been harvested. In the military camp next to it, the firelight and the figures of the people seemed small.
Even though the shadow of war was imminent, from afar, this ordinary world and the common people seemed to have just passed another ordinary day.
The bustling Ankang City during the day was now much quieter under the half-curfew. However, the heat of June had not dissipated. Most of the city was still filled with the smell of fish.
At seven o 'clock, the lights in an old house in the west of the city were already lit. The servant opened the window of the living room to let the night breeze flow slightly. After a while, the old man entered the hall and met the guest. He lit a small incense stick.
"… Honorable guest has come to visit. The servant doesn't know what's important and is impolite …"
"… I've been in Ankang for more than ten days. I've deliberately hidden my identity. It has nothing to do with others …"
"… The war in the northeast is imminent. You and I are enemies, not friends. General, aren't you afraid of being captured?"
"… Envoys are not to be killed when two armies fight. Sir Dai is the leader of Confucianism. I think he probably follows the rules …"
"… General, you have some misunderstandings about Confucianism. Ever since Dong Zhongshu dismissed the hundred schools of thought, the so-called Confucianism is all round on the outside but square on the inside. For old things like me, if I want to be unreasonable, there are ways. For example, although envoys are not to be killed when two armies fight, there is no rule that spies are not to be killed … "
"… Sir Dai's frankness is admirable …"
"… General, you're in danger alone. There must be something important. Since we're in the dark room, we can just talk. There's no need to beat around the bush."
The swaying lights illuminated the scene in the room. The tone of both parties seemed calm and unperturbed. On one side, the older one was Dai Mengwei, who was now known as the sage of today. On the other side, the middle-aged man who was talking to him looked capable. He was dressed in the short martial arts of Jianghu people. He used to belong to the Huaxia army and was now following Zou Xu to lead the army in Luoyang. His name was Ding Songnan. In theory, the lobbying at the frontline had already begun. He should be guarding the northern frontline, but he did not expect to appear in Ankang, a city behind the enemy lines.
Ding Songnan had once been an officer of the Hua Xia Army. At this moment, he was risking his life alone and facing Dai Mengwei. His expression didn't change much. He held his teacup and said, "I came to Ankang this time for a simple reason. I'm here on behalf of Commander Zou to discuss cooperation with you. Or at least … to probe Lord Dai's thoughts. "
Dai Mengwei narrowed her eyes, "I heard that … Marshal Zou went to the Land of Jin to discuss a collaboration with that female minister?"
"Be prepared for both. In the past, Mister Ning often told us that if we strive for peace through struggle, peace will exist; if we strive for peace through compromise, peace will perish. Deacon Dai, Deacon Liu, and the others are so excited that they want to attack us. We can't not have a countermeasure. Marshal Zou went to Jin to buy weapons. Before he left, he asked me to come to Deacon Dai's place. He said that maybe you can talk to him and form an alliance. I've been watching here for more than ten days. You're indeed worthy of being called a sage of today, to be able to clean up a mess to this extent. "
"The sage's words are just nonsense." Dai Mengwei waved her hand, "But since you can be prepared for both, how do I know that you didn't make preparations for three or four? You came to see me while making a deal with that person in the Land of Jin. Then, you sent someone to meet Marshal Liu and even the others. The war hasn't started, and we can only lose without fighting. It's a good plan."
Ding Songnan nodded in response to Dai Mengwei's words. After a moment of silence, he said, "Although Marshal Zou and I have betrayed the Chinese army, from the past until now, we still know what people are like. Deacon Liu is not enough to work with us. From the beginning to the end, he's just trying to smooth things over. But Deacon Dai has great ambitions, especially for us. Deacon Dai can make up for one of Marshal Zou's shortcomings. This is the so-called alliance of the strong, complementing each other's strengths. "
Dai Mengwei took a sip of tea, "Which one?"
"Deacon Dai's knowledge can let our army know why we're fighting."
"… Is this what Zou Xu is thinking?"
Ding Songnan nodded.
"The people of the world … or people like Deacon Liu, all stare at the small piece of land in front of them. At most, they raise their heads and look three to five steps in front of them. Deacon Liu wants to take Bianliang. He talks a lot about it, but it's just to find a way out in the future, whether it's surrendering or submitting. But Duke Dai is different. Ever since he started waving the flag, Duke Dai was well aware of who his greatest enemy would be in the future. It is the same for me and Marshal Zou. Ever since we betrayed him, we have been tossing and turning restlessly in bed, unable to sleep at all … "
"… Then why did we betray?"
"First, it's a moment of hot-headedness. Second … Mister Ning's standards and requirements are too strict. The Chinese army has strict discipline. From top to bottom, there will be meetings and rectification. In order to achieve victory, those who can't keep up will be criticized or even excluded. In the past, this was the foundation of the Chinese army's victory. But when it turns out that we made the mistake, we have no other choice … Of course, the Chinese army is like this, and we're not the only ones who can't keep up …"
"… The Western Han Dynasty's Book of Rites of Great Dai said that when the water is too clear, there will be no fish, and when one is too scrupulous, there will be no disciples. You're not deceiving me. "
"We came out of the Chinese army and know what the real Chinese army is like. Deacon Dai, it looks like the world is in chaos. Deacon Liu can even gather a dozen or so feudal vassals, but in reality, there are only a few who can stabilize themselves in the future. Now, it looks like the fairness party has swept through Jiangnan and swallowed up the clowns Tie Yan and Wu Qimei. The future depends on how He Wen and the small court in the southeast of Fuzhou fight. The other female ministers of Jin are feudal vassals. It's hard to say whether she will come out or not. If others want to fight their way in, I'm afraid they don't have the ability. And in the world, the only person that Mister Ning looks favorably upon is a woman who constantly strives to improve herself … "
"Constantly strives to improve herself …" Dai Mengwei repeated.
"This is what Mister Ning said to her in the southwest. Marshal Zou heard it with his own ears." Ding Songnan said, "Jin and Liangshan have a special relationship, but no matter what, after crossing the Yellow River, the land will be divided between them. And south of the Yellow River, Deacon Dai, Deacon Liu, and I will fight it out until a winner is decided …"
He paused. "Frankly speaking, in this three-way battle, Deacon Dai and Deacon Liu seem to have the upper hand, but in terms of chances of winning, we still have the upper hand. The reason for all this is because Liu Guangshi is a weakling who can only fight battles that go his way. He can gather forces from all sides, but he can't fight a hard battle. Of all the parties here, perhaps Deacon Dai is clear-headed, but what can you do? Just harvesting this season's rice and sending it to the battlefield is enough to give you a hard time. Not to mention, how many soldiers does Deacon Dai have under him who can fight? I'm sure Deacon Dai knows the quality of the hoodlums who surrendered to the Jurchens and got rid of. "
Dai Meng smiled. "Fighting on the battlefield isn't about words. You'll only know after fighting. Besides, we can't fight a hard battle. You've already betrayed the Chinese army, so can you fight? "
"The Chinese army can fight mainly because of military discipline. In this aspect, Marshal Zou has never let go. But these things are exaggerated, but they'll be trivial matters in the future. " Ding Songnan waved his hand. "Deacon Dai, no matter what you say or how you fight, there will come a day in the future when the Southwest Army will slaughter its way out. When that day comes, none of the so-called feudal vassals will be able to stop it. Marshal Zou and I know exactly how frightening Mister Ning is. When that day comes, do you want to stand together with trash like Liu Guangshi and resist the powerful enemy? Or perhaps … no matter how ideal it is, you can defeat me and Marshal Zou and then have you drive away Liu Guangshi and purge all political enemies. Then … you can rely on these old soldiers under your command to resist the Southwest? "
Ding Songnan tapped his finger on the tea table next to him. "Deacon Dai, forgive me for speaking bluntly. You're good at governing people, but you don't necessarily know the art of war. Marshal Zou is someone who knows the art of war, but for various reasons, it's very difficult for him to properly govern people. Deacon Dai has the way and Marshal Zou has the art. In the area south of the Yellow River, if Marshal Zou were to choose a partner, Deacon Dai's side would be the most ideal. "
The parlor was silent for a moment. The only sound was the soft sound of Dai Mengwei playing with the lid of his cup. After a while, the old man said, "In the end, you … can't use the path of the Chinese army …"
"During the Little Canghe period, Mister Ning set two major directions for development. One was the spirit, and the other was the matter." Ding Songnan said, "The so-called path of the spirit is to use reading, education, and enlightenment to make everyone develop the so-called subjective initiative. In the army, they can hold heart-to-heart talks, reminisce about the bitterness and sweetness, and talk about the superiority of China. They want everyone to be selfless, and I for everyone …
"As for the path of the matter, it's the theory of studying things, researching machinery, and developing armaments … According to Mister Ning, if you follow either of these two directions, you'll be invincible in the future. If the spiritual path can really be taken, tens of thousands of Huaxia soldiers can kill all the Jurchen with their bare hands … But this path is too ideal, so the Huaxia army has always walked two paths together. In the army, discipline is used to restrain the soldiers. As for the material aspect, it can be seen from the appearance of Dijiang and the defeat of the Jurchen Western Road … "
"Right now, the strength of the Chinese army is known to the world. The only flaw is that his demands are too high. Mister Ning's rules are too tough, but without long-term practice, no one knows if they'll work in the future. After Marshal Zou and I betrayed the Chinese army, the rules can still be used, but what about telling the soldiers why they fight? " Ding Songnan looked at Dai Mengwei. "Deacon Dai, in today's world, there are only two people who can make up for this shortcoming. One is the small court in the southeast, and the other is you, Deacon Dai, the sage of today."
Dai Mengwei held her teacup and unconsciously swirled it. "The so-called Party of Justice in the east has its own theory."
"The Party of Justice's theory actually came from Mister Ning. When Marshal Zou was in the southwest, he made many deductions with the others. Mister Ning once said that the purer an ideal is, the more complex and harsh the conditions to realize it. I firmly believe that the Party of Justice will lose in the future, but before that, the more things it does right, the longer it can persist, and the greater its momentum will be. "
Dai Mengwei thought for a moment. "If that's the case, the Party of Justice's theory is too pure. Mister Ning finds it too difficult, so he doesn't carry it out. The southwest's theory is inferior, so he uses the path of the matter to supplement it. As for my Confucian School, it's clearly even more inferior … "
"Monarch and minister, father and son, each have their own order. The Confucian path is a Great Dao that has been tested for thousands of years. How can it be described as inferior? It's just that everyone in the world has different intelligence and different aptitudes. At this moment, how can we force equality? Eunuch Dai, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but besides Black Flag, the one who fears Mister Ning the most is you, Eunuch Dai. And besides Black Flag, the one who understands Black Flag the most is Marshal Zou. Eunuch Dai would rather feign civility with the Enlightened Woman in order to resist the southwest, and Marshal Zou is even more aware of the consequences of resisting the southwest. In the present world, only Eunuch Dai is in charge of politics and the people while Marshal Zou is in charge of the army and matters. If the two join hands, only then will they have a chance of accomplishing something in the future. Marshal Zou has no choice, and Eunuch Dai, you also have no choice.
"… In truth, in the end, Zou Xu and you want to free yourselves from the interference of Yin Zong and the others.
"Yin Zong and the others are short-sighted and thoughtless, just like Liu Guangshi. Could it be that Eunuch Dai doesn't want to free himself from the constraints of Liu Guangshi and the others? Time waits for no man. While you and I are scheming around Bianliang, the southwest is developing every day. In Mister Ning's eyes, our plans are nothing more than the squabbling of clowns. But perhaps Eunuch Dai and Marshal Zou joining hands will give Mister Ning a shock. "
As the two of them spoke, a faint commotion could be heard from a distance in the courtyard. Dai Mengwei took a deep breath and stood up from his seat. After a moment of thought, he said, "I heard that General Ding wasn't an official commander in the Huaxia army."
Ding Songnan also stood up. "I belong to the political department and am mainly in charge of military discipline. In truth, as long as military discipline is met, it's not too difficult to lead an army."
"… In the Huaxia army, how many talents like General Ding are there?"
"… It's everywhere," Ding Songnan replied.
Dai Mengwei walked to the window and nodded. After a long time, he finally said, "… This matter needs to be considered at length."
The commotion in the distance became clearer. Someone was shouting in the night. Ding Songnan stood in front of the window and frowned as he sensed the commotion. "This is …"
"There's a group of jianghu people who formed a team to kill this old man in the past year. The leader is a vicious man called Old Eight. I heard that he went to the Huaxia army and persuaded Mister Ning to kill me. Mister Ning refused, so he scolded Ning Yi in front of him and came to do it himself. "
Dai Mengwei lowered his head and swirled the teacup. "Speaking of which, it's really interesting. At that time, the jianghu people went to kill Ning Yi in batches, but they were killed by him one after another. Today, they came to kill me. As long as we set up a little, they can't wait to jump in. Even if Ning Yi and I don't like each other, even Ning Yi looks down on their actions … It can be seen that there are always some short-sighted people who want to do great things in the world. No matter what their thoughts and positions are, they should be sent away … "
He put down the teacup and looked at Ding Songnan.
"… Then … Tell me about the plan."
*****
Under the gloomy starry night, a small commotion broke out on the streets in the west of Ankang City. A group of bandits was fighting and fleeing, and from time to time, someone was hacked to the ground.
There were not many troops in charge of intercepting them. The ones who were really in charge of rounding up these bandits were some famous gangsters in the chaotic world. After being courteously received by Dai Mengwei, the sage of today, most of them shed tears of gratitude and bowed their heads to worship him. Now, they had forsaken the past and formed the most powerful guards around Dai Mengwei. The assassination against Dai Mengwei, led by Old Eight, also fell into the trap that had been set up at the beginning of the launch.
As Dai Mengwei said, similar scenes had happened many times around Ning Yi as early as more than ten years ago in Bianliang. But the same response was still enough until now.
"Old Eight!" A rough shout echoed in the streets. "I respect you for being a man! Kill yourself, don't hurt your brothers around you — "
The fleeing bandits were driven into a nearby warehouse, and the pursuers surrounded them. The person who spoke moved forward and waved his hand to ask his companions to surround the gap.
At the street corner behind the warehouse, a big man on a warhorse with a big saber in his hand quickly surrounded them with a few fast companions. He held his saber in front of his horse and looked in the direction of the warehouse's back door. A dark shadow had quietly climbed in and was trying to kill them. Behind him, someone suddenly shouted, "Who's there —"
The man on the horse looked back and saw that on the originally empty street behind him, a figure in a cloak suddenly appeared and was walking towards them. Two companions, one with a spear and the other with a saber, walked towards that person. In an instant, the cloak shook, and the violent saber light rose. With a few clanging sounds, the two companions fell to the ground and were left behind by the figure.
The man with the saber urged his horse to rush forward. With a bang, he saw that his chest had been hit by a crossbow arrow. His cloak fluttered, and the figure approached in the blink of an eye. The long saber in his hand slashed out a bloody shadow.
In the clanging sounds, the young sabersman named You Hongzhuo fought with several other pursuers, and warning fireworks flew into the sky. After a little longer, there was a sudden explosion in the street. After arriving at the territory of the Huaxia army last year, he was lucky enough to experience a period of real special force training in Zhang Village due to Lu Hongti's appreciation. He had learned how to use various weapons such as crossbows, explosives, and even lime powder to hurt people.
He had been wandering around Dai Mengwei's territory for several months and had investigated some of the inside stories. As a reward for last year's training, he was ready to leave after being sent to the southwest. At this time, when he saw this assassination and encirclement, he officially took action and tried to save Lao Ba, Jin Chenghu, and other assassins.
The battle that could have ended quickly became long because of his action. The crowd rushed left and right in the city, and the chaos continued to spread in the night.
In the northeast side of the city, Ning Ji and a group of scholars climbed to the roof and curiously looked at the chaos in the night …
Dai Mengwei was discussing important things with Ding Songnan in the yard. He was a little displeased with the spread of the chaos, but compared to the core of their discussion, such a thing could only be regarded as a small interlude. Not long after, he sent this group of masters under his command to Jiangning to spread his name.
Things big and small kept going on. Even in the history books many years later, no one would put these fragments together. The curves of all kinds of things passed by …
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