Yu Shuinan and Wei Su, who returned from the north, were people who knew what was right.
Among them, Yu Shuinan was a chivalrous person who liked to kill in the Heshuo area, while Wei Su was a martial scholar in the imperial court during the reign of Jinghan. The two of them grew up when the Wu Dynasty was at its peak. Later, when the Jurchen people went south, countless people's fates were involved in the chaos. The two of them went to Yunzhong and were then recruited by Chen Wenjun to work under her. Naturally, they had a thrilling encounter.
In the eyes of the Jurchen people in the north, Chen Wenjun may only be a vassal of the Goddess of Grains, Wanyan Xiyin. But for the Han people who were trapped here, the name "Madame Han" had a special and profound meaning. Some people would privately see her as a shameless woman who betrayed her people and defected to the enemy, while others saw her as the only hope in hell.
In the span of more than ten years, the number of Han slaves captured by Lady Zhenren from the south numbered in the millions. In Yunzhong, Chen Wenjun secretly sent thousands of Han people back to the south. At the same time, she bought thousands of Han people and brought them to the farm to be sheltered. Although these actions were more like a small pastime under the wings of the Goddess of Grains in the eyes of the Goddess of Grains, and Chen Wenjun also tried her best to do things under the principle of not arousing excessive vigilance, but in the lower levels of society, the power of this pitiful force was still not to be underestimated.
Of course, under the attention of all parties, the "Madame Han" group focused more on the aspects of ransom, rescue, and transportation of Han slaves. Their ability to act in the field of intelligence, or to carry out sabotage and assassinations of the Jurchen people, was relatively inadequate.
Especially after Wu Qiuhe's rescue of Shi Jin was exposed, Xi Yin carried out a seemingly quiet but decisive purge of the forces under Chen Wenjun. Many of the Han people with radical characters died in this purge. From then on, Chen Wenjun could only focus her actions on saving people. This was also a tacit understanding between her and Xi Yin, as well as Xi Yin and the Jurchen people.
Until Tang Minjie's sudden action.
After Chen Wenjun recovered from the initial pain, she quickly arranged an escape plan for some of the important people around her. She could no longer protect the thousands of Han slaves in the farm, but the few capable and knowledgeable Han people who had helped her before could only be dismissed as soon as possible.
These people were divided into different groups and chosen different paths to leave. Some of them would return to the Central Plains, some to the Wu dynasty, and some to the southwest. In the process of making these arrangements, Chen Wenjun even reminded them several times that this departure might be very difficult.
"It's different this time. After you leave Yunzhong, you may be intercepted and killed," Chen Wenjun warned them. "… They will be from the Ceres Sect. When the time comes … we'll just have to act according to the situation and kill our way out. "
Yu Shuinan and Wei Su had participated in this dismissal. The two of them were Chen Wenjun's most trusted executors, so they knew more than the others. Therefore, after letting Tang Minjie go, Chen Wenjun asked them to hide in the dark and secretly escort Tang Minjie back to the southwest.
When they let Tang Minjie go, this hasty dismissal had already lasted for a few days. After knowing the clues, the Ceres Residence really sent out their guards to hunt down the Han slaves that Chen Wenjun arranged to go south. During this period, it was very likely that there had been several killings. Some people escaped, some died.
In order to avoid further trouble from the East Prefecture, Wanyan Xi Yin did not openly launch a large-scale search. But at the last moment of losing power, this big shot who had allowed Madame Han to act freely in the past, for the first time, intercepted the Han elites sent away by his wife.
This was perhaps the most unique couple in the Northern Lands, or even the entire world. On one hand, they loved each other, and on the other hand, they finally made their move at the final moment of losing power. Each of them launched an equal round of slaughter for their own people. Mixed with this battle was the sinking of the Residence of the Goddess of Grains and even the entire West Prefecture of Jurchen.
In the chaotic situation in the Northern Region, escorting Tang Minjie to the south was the safest and most torturous path in the whole situation. This was Madame Han's last gift to them. But in the process of going south, both of them had thought of killing Tang Minjie more than once. Among them, Wei Su, who had a relatively strong personality, even tried to do it, but Yu Shuinan found out in time and stopped him.
"The Black Flag people have to give Madame Chen an explanation …"
"It was Madame Chen who let him live!" Wei Su said.
"Even so, they still have to give an explanation!"
Just like this, Tang Minjie brought Luo Ye's sister all the way to the south, while Qiu and Wei Su followed them secretly and secretly protected him from danger several times. When they reached Jindi, they showed up during a bandit attack. When they arrived in Hanzhong, they were interrogated again. Then, they were divided into two groups and entered Chengdu, where they were interrogated again. The Huaxia army treated the two of them with respect and only temporarily placed them under house arrest.
On the thirteenth day of the seventh month, they met the world-famous Mister Ning.
He was a legendary figure among the Han people. Even in the Northern Region, people often talked about him. "Madame Han" would occasionally talk about him. It was said that in the Ceres Residence, Wanyan Xiyin would occasionally talk about this regicide to his wife. Especially after the defeat of the Jurchen army, he would often look at the calligraphy written by Ning Yi in the residence and sigh that he had never met him in the Southwest. On the calligraphy, there was a heroic poem written before the Jurchen's first joint attack on the Little Canghe River.
— — "Lin Lin is still here, who knows that the Yunhan is dead!"
In the Central Plains, Jiangnan, and other places, there might be people from the Wu dynasty who talked about this Mister Ning and felt ashamed of his regicide. But in the Northern Region, after so many hardships, there were not many Han people who didn't feel respect when they talked about this name. Yu Shuinan and Wei Su were the same in the past. If Madame Han hadn't been betrayed, their feelings when they met Mister Ning would have been very different.
Mister Ning, who was in his forties, had a calm appearance and a gentle but imposing manner. Because of the two's background, his attitude was very kind. The three of them sat in the small courtyard beside the Pool of Mahānata, which was used to entertain distinguished guests. Ning Yi asked about the situation in the Northern Region. Yu Shuinan and Wei Su explained them one by one, and then repeated the matters of Chen Wenjun and Wanyan Xiyin.
"Mister Ning, I respect you, so please forgive me if I offend you in any way." After talking for a while, Wei Su couldn't help but stand up and speak first.
Ning Yi nodded. "Please speak."
"Madame Chen has been saving people in the Northern Region for more than ten years. She has been very kind to all the Han people in the world. Besides saving people, we all know that she has passed important information to the Wu dynasty and the Huaxia army many times at critical times. Countless people have received her kindness. But this time … she was betrayed by your people. The world's principles shouldn't be like this … "
Wei Su looked at Ning Yi, and Ning Yi looked back at him calmly. After a while, Wei Su pointed to an empty place to the side. "That Tang Minjie has to give an explanation … your Huaxia army has to give an explanation … Mister Ning, if you don't do this, the people of the world won't accept it!"
Sunlight fell on the surface of the lake, and a light breeze blew through the trees. The courtyard was quiet on this autumn afternoon. Yu Shuinan sat upright and still. Ning Yi gazed into the void, his brows furrowed. He was silent for a long time.
Perhaps because the silence had gone on for too long, Yu Shuinan said, "Mister Ning, I know that Tang Minjie is your disciple, but …"
"We will deal with it." Ning Yi slowly said, "But as far as I know, Madam Chen's idea is to let him live …"
Yu Shuinan and Wei Su looked at him.
"On the other hand, Tang Minjie doesn't want to live anymore. I'm sure you know about this." Ning Yi looked at them. "The two of you are honored guests sent by Madame Chen. This request is indeed … reasonable. So I will tell you this possibility for now. First, we might not be able to kill him, and second, we can't punish him for this matter. So I was thinking that it might be difficult for me to deal with it to your satisfaction. Do you have any specific thoughts on this matter? "
Zeng and Wei Su originally thought that Ning Yi wanted to act shamelessly, but his tone was slow. It was the attitude of someone truly considering and discussing things. They couldn't help but be slightly stunned. They had been full of anger along the way, but they were very conflicted about how to deal with Tang Minjie. At this time, they looked at each other. Wei Su said, "We … want him … to regret …" He hesitated. After saying it, his emotions became even more complicated and hesitant.
Ning Yi nodded.
"We will deal with it," he repeated. He repeated, "Some of it can be said, some of it can't be said. Please forgive me for this. But for Tang Minjie himself, could it be that his conscience is the greatest torture for him … This is not to avoid responsibility, but I have been thinking about this matter for the past two days. Some of the harshest punishments may not be what we can give. Perhaps Madam Chen letting him live and letting him come back is the greatest torture for him … Could it be that, this is also a possibility? "
His words were slow and sincere. "Of course, if the two of you have any specific thoughts, you can bring them up to our people at any time. Tang Minjie's position will be sorted out, but considering Madame Chen's entrustment, we will carefully consider the future arrangements before making a decision. When the time comes, we should inform the two of you. "
With Ning Yi's current status, his words were extremely detailed. Yu Shuinan and Wei Su nodded. After a while, Yu Shuinan said, "Mister Ning, when … can we go out for a walk?"
"Today is fine," Ning Yi said.
The three chatted for a while, and even after Ning Yi left, the two were in low spirits. On the way, they had hoped that the Huaxia army would give them an "explanation". Although this was a general sentiment, they knew in their hearts that any punishment was powerless against a person who wanted nothing more than to commit suicide. Ning Yi had pointed out this point just now. In order to avoid conflict, he had even spoken with a hint of consolation. But of course, this sort of consolation wouldn't make them very happy.
That afternoon, a young man called Hou Yuanyong, who called himself "the best at telling jokes in the Huaxia army", came over to accompany the two on a tour around the city. This young man, nicknamed "Great Sage", had a soft figure and an amiable smile. He first accompanied the two on a tour of various commemorative sites of the southwest campaign, describing in detail the general outline of the Huaxia army. The next day, he accompanied the two to see the results of various investigations, imparting them with various concepts of enlightenment.
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, they had a general understanding of the concepts of newsprint, factories, and so on. They went to see two more plays, and when night fell, they even went with Hou Yuanyong to attend a literary conference. They listened to the various scholars and important figures discuss the "Battle of Bianliang," the "Party of Justice," "the internal problems of the Huaxia army," and so on. When they started talking about the "internal strife between the two prefectures of the Jin Kingdom," Yu Shuinan and Wei Su finally showed their disgust.
"… The fall of the Wu dynasty was caused by the civil and military affairs of the past. The Huaxia army finally defeated the Jurchen with great difficulty. Why did they have to create such a scene?!"
Wei Su lowered his voice and Hou Yuanyong nodded seriously. "That's right, that's right. I don't like this kind of literary conference either. Most of the people here aren't our people."
"Then why don't we just capture them and drive them out? They were just talking about the shortcomings of the Huaxia army."
"That's right, I think we should capture them too …"
During the two or three days of travel, Yu Shuinan and Wei Su were actually carefully observing the situation of the Huaxia army. They had come to the southwest under Chen Wenjun's request, and in reality, they already had a very important visiting card. If they wanted to stay in the Huaxia army in the future, they would definitely be given a good starting point. In fact, this was also Chen Wenjun's last bit of goodwill for them. However, after careful observation and shock, there were also many things that conflicted with their worldview and were incomprehensible. In particular, there were many beautiful and bright things in Chengdu that made them feel even more bitter about the hardships in the north and the mistakes of the Wu dynasty back then.
In this way, after staying at the literary conference for a while, they also expressed their dissatisfaction with Hou Yuanyong. Then, they left the conference, which was attended by the "spokesperson of Liu Guangshi" Yu Ho-chung and the deputy head of the Huaxia army's propaganda department, Li Shishi.
Late that night, Hou Yuanyong brought some people into the small courtyard where they were temporarily staying and separated the two of them.
*****
More than ten years ago in Bianliang, Shishi was often a key figure or organizer of all kinds of literary conferences.
Nowadays, she rarely showed her face in public.
Recently, because Liu Guangshi, Dai Mengwei, and Zou Xu had already started the first round of conflict north of the Yangtze River, Yu Ho-chung, who was in Chengdu, had risen to another level of prominence. It was obvious that the alliance between Liu Guangshi and Dai Mengwei would have a huge advantage in the upcoming conflict. Once they conquered Bianliang and recovered the old capital, his reputation would reach a peak. Even the scholars and great scholars in Chengdu who didn't like Liu Guangshi were now willing to befriend him and inquire about some of Liu Guangshi's future plans and arrangements.
Yu Ho-chung enjoyed this feeling very much. In the past in Bianliang, he could only occasionally attend some of the top literary conferences because of Li Shishi's name, but now …
Until now, he still relied on Li Shishi's fame, but at least when he attended the conferences, he didn't need to be accompanied, and he wouldn't be left out.
After staying in Chengdu for a year and being surrounded by all kinds of halos, he had already understood the gap between him and Li Shishi. The complexity of the reality made him put away his past delusions, and some reality made up for his regrets. With the prominent identity brought by the deal between Liu Guangshi and the Huaxia army, he now had no lack of women. After letting go of his delusions, he and Shishi maintained the friendship of seeing each other once a month.
In his heart, he already knew that this friendship had brought him everything.
The Hungry Ghost Festival was on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and Chengdu was very lively. His carriage met Shishi's carriage on the road. Since she had nothing to do for the time being, Shishi also went to sit for a while at the conference. A young man from the Huaxia army saw Shishi and ran over to greet her, then brought two friends over.
Yu Ho-chung was a little concerned about this and wanted to find time to chat with the three of them, but they didn't sit in the corner for long and left. Not long after that, Shishi also said goodbye and left.
…
The carriage passed through the city and went near the Maha Pool. After walking into the courtyard that she was already very familiar with, Shishi saw Ning Yi sitting on a chair, frowning in a daze.
She knew that Ning Yi was thinking about something, so she didn't say anything. She gently sat down on a bench under the side eaves and sat for a while, ready to leave.
"Let me tell you a story." Ning Yi looked ahead and slowly said.
"Okay." Shishi responded, then walked over, poured a glass of water for him, and sat down beside him.
"It's about Madame Han in the north."
They sat in the courtyard, and Ning Yi talked about things that happened many years ago, including Qin Siyuan, Chen Wenjun, Lu Yannian, Lu Mingfang, Tang Minjie, and the conflict between the Jurchen people and the Eastern and Western Prefectures. This was the most popular topic in Chengdu recently.
After all this, it took a lot of time. Shishi listened quietly, picked up the teacup, took a big sip, and held the teacup in her hand.
"I just came from the Wen Conference on Square Street," she said softly.
"Huh?" Ning Yi turned his head, "What about the Wen Conference?"
"Only now do I realize how superficial they were."
"Heh." Ning Yi smiled.
Shishi said, "These things have to be kept secret, right?"
"There has to be an explanation about Madame Han sooner or later. Even if it's not good to publicize it for the time being, we have to keep records about her. "
Shishi nodded and was silent for a moment.
"Regarding that Madame Han … that Tang Minjie … is there really no other way to explain it?"
"There are still some things I'll do," Ning Yi said, "I need to keep it a secret for the time being."
His words meant "it's better if you don't know". Shishi said, "Okay."
The two sat for a while and talked about some private things. Soon after, someone came in to report that a person who was previously summoned had arrived. Shishi got up and left. When she walked out of the door, she saw Hou Yuanyong coming from a distance, probably to see Ning Yi. The two smiled and greeted each other.
At this time, Ning Yi was meeting with an intelligence officer named Xu Xiaolin in the study. Not long after, he met with Hou Yuanyong and listened to his preliminary views on Ji and Wei.
Late at night, Hou Yuanyong took some people to the other side of the courtyard and isolated Ji and Wei. A clerk had prepared notes. This was the attitude of an interrogation.
Wei Su slammed the table and stood up, "You don't fucking believe me! What are you trying to do — "
Hou Yuanyong came in from outside and sat down. She smiled and pressed her hands together, "Mr. Wei, please calm down and listen to my explanation."
"If you don't believe me, what else can I explain?"
"We've decided to send people to the north to rescue Madame Chen."
Wei Su was stunned.
Hou Yuanyong said, "If we want to do this well, we need to prepare the information about the north. If possible, we need a guide."
"Then let me go." Wei Su shouted.
"Mr. Ning said that you have done so much for the Hans in the north. Madame Chen sent you back to the south because of her painstaking efforts, and also because you deserve the reward. The matter of going north is very complicated. First of all, Madame Chen is unwilling to leave. Out of moral considerations, we have to save her. Maybe she will change her mind after Wanyan Xiyin dies, but this is a risk. You have the right to live in a better place. This is a choice we have to give you. "
"I choose to go."
Hou Yuanyong took out a few pieces of paper. "At the same time, please understand that before we do this, we have to confirm that you are not spies sent by Wanyan Xiyin."
"You …" Wei Su opened his mouth to curse, but he realized something in the next moment, and his face turned red.
"After two days of observation, we believe that your views on the Wu dynasty and the Huaxia army are not complicated. But at the same time, we still have to ask you some questions. As for the detailed information you know about the north, as well as any information that is useful for this operation, please tell us everything you know … If we have offended you today, please forgive us. "
Wei Su sat down.
After a while, Hou Yuanyong went to another room and repeated her words to Yu Shuinan. Yu Shuinan thought for a moment, then nodded.
"That makes sense. Ask away."
*****
By the time they sensed Ning Yi's arrival, it was already late at night.
It was the Hungry Ghost Festival, and it was very lively outside. Tang Minjie sat in the courtyard, imagining the scene outside. When Ning Yi entered, he stood up and bowed. Ning Yi asked him to sit down. As the master and disciple sat in the courtyard, they heard the sound of firecrackers exploding outside.
"Do you want to go out and take a look?" Ning Yi asked.
"If possible, I want to see what it's like …"
"There will be a chance. We've already dealt with you."
"…"
"There's a farm on the edge of Mount Liang …"
"… Why … is there no trial …"
With a bang, Ning Yi slammed his palm on the small table in the courtyard.
"Trial my ass! How are you going to try it?! Can't you make more records about how you betrayed Chen Wenjun?! "
"If the Huaxia army doesn't try me, how can the law be enforced …"
"Chen Wenjun let you live! The person you betrayed allowed you to live … "
"The Huaxia army should shoot me. If that's the case, Xi Yin … the Jurchens won't have anything to say …"
"The Jurchens won't have anything to say in the first place! It's as if nothing happened! What's there to say about the enemy slandering us? I can print eight to ten versions of the story about Aguda f * cking around with pigs at any time and spread it all over the world. Are you out of your mind? According to Xi Yin … "
Tang Minjie's beady eyes widened in the dimly lit courtyard as he subconsciously shook his head.
"There's a farm on the edge of Mount Liang that's been doing selective breeding. You know about selective breeding, right? It's related to the problem of eating. You should understand the specific principles behind it. They haven't experimented with any new fertilizers. They're using feces compost. Aren't you very mobile? Chen Wenjun said that she wants you to live and do something useful for the Hans. Since you've made such a mess, she'll have to deal with you … So, she'll strip you of your military rank and send you to the mountains to pick up feces. Look at your body. The scenery there is beautiful. Just treat it as a vacation … "
Tang Minjie's lips trembled, "I … I don't need … a vacation …"
Ning Yi grabbed the cup beside him and splashed the hot water on Tang Minjie's face. He was extremely angry, "Beautiful is an adjective! Vacation is an adjective! Vacation is an adjective! "
He waved the teacup and grabbed the edge of the table with his other hand. The table flew into the courtyard.
Tang Minjie didn't speak again. Ning Yi was angry for a while. He sat there and looked at him, "Go pick up feces first. We'll talk about what to do in the future. But before that, there's another thing …"
He paused, "Xu Xiaolin will come to find you later. He's been to Yunzhong to contact you. Next, he'll bring a team to Yunzhong to clean up the mess you left behind. At the same time, prepare to rescue Chen Wenjun. You'll hand over everything that can be handed over to him in the next two days. This is a risk that you don't have to take, but since you've made this mess, we have to make up for it morally … You'd better be careful … "
Tang Minjie looked at his teacher, who rarely got angry. At this time, he also showed a trace of exhaustion. He was silent for a long time. In the end, he shook his head with difficulty and said in a hoarse voice,
"I … can't live …"
"… But Chen Wenjun wants you to live."
Ning Yi said.
"Do as you see fit."
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