Morning mist drifted over the river.
Thirty miles east of Zhenjiang, orange flames occasionally flickered on the misty riverbank. As dawn approached, there was movement on the water surface. Boats docked at the shabby pier on the riverbank, followed by the sound of water, people, and carriages. Carriages loaded with goods came ashore along the riverside plank road that had been in disrepair for many years.
A middle-aged man in his forties with only half of his left arm watched from the side of the woods for a while, then came over with three trusted subordinates holding torches.
There were about ten carriages ashore, accompanied by more than a hundred people. They got off the boats, tied up the carriages, and moved the goods quickly and methodically. These people had long been paying attention to the movements at the edge of the woods. When the man with the severed arm and his entourage came over, they also went over to greet them.
The leader of this group was a middle-aged Confucian scholar. The two sides approached each other in the dark. When they could see each other clearly, the middle-aged Confucian scholar smiled and cupped his fists. The man with the severed arm bowed with difficulty and hit his chest with his right fist. "Mister Zuo, I trust you have been well."
The person who came was the world-famous elder of the Zuo family, Zuo Xiuquan. He cupped his fists and said, "Mister Duan, you have worked hard. I am truly sorry for troubling you to take the risk again."
"We are one family, so there is no need to be so polite. Mister Zuo, do you think of me as an outsider? "The man with the severed arm frowned.
"That's true." Zuo Xiuquan nodded with a smile. "Look who else has come."
After he said this, a figure behind him slowly stepped forward and said, "Uncle Duan, do you still remember me?"
This figure was dressed in the clothes of the Lulin Forest, and it sounded like a woman's voice. The man with the severed arm narrowed his eyes and blinked. He finally recognized the woman in front of him and said with a trembling voice, "It's, it's a … a young lady? It's Miss Yinping. Why are you here? "
"I have been separated from Uncle Duan for a long time. I missed you, so I came."
The woman was tall and her tone was gentle and natural. In the firelight, she had bright eyebrows and starry eyes, giving her a compelling heroic spirit. It was Yue Fei's nineteen-year-old adopted daughter, Yue Yinping. She walked up to the one-armed man and held his hand. Looking at his broken arm, there was a slightly sorrowful look in her eyes. The one-armed man shook his head.
"You, you are a priceless treasure, how can you …"
"Uncle Duan, don't look down on me. Back then, when we fought together, I never fell behind."
"Yes, yes." Hearing her talk about killing the enemy, the middle-aged man with a broken arm burst into tears. "Unfortunately … I was the one who fell behind …"
"Uncle Duan fought to the end, he's worthy of no one. Being able to survive is a good thing. When father heard about it, he was very happy … Oh right, Uncle Duan, look, who else is coming? "
As soon as she said this, the other side looked towards the direction of the pier, only to see the shadows of people over there, for a moment he couldn't make out their specific appearances. His heart was stirred up, he said, "Are … are they all brothers of the Beiwei Army?"
Yue Yinping nodded. At the same time, not far away, a carriage's wheels were stuck in the sand by the riverbank, unable to move. A figure was seen supporting the carriage's shaft and wheels from the side, his mouth saying in a low voice, "One, two, three … rise …" The carriage that was carrying the goods was almost lifted from the sand by his own strength.
Hearing that voice, the one-armed man stretched out his hand and pointed, "This is, this is …"
The figure laughed and ran over, "Uncle Duan, do you still remember me?"
The person who ran over was tall and sturdy, but he looked quite young. The one-armed man said, "Young General, you, you … this is a dangerous place, how could you all come together?"
"Since Mister Zuo is here, and Uncle Duan is here, how can the Yue Clan stay out of this?"
The "Young General" that the other side mentioned was naturally Yue Yun, the son of Yue Fei. He came closer and reached out to hug the other side. Regarding the broken arm, he was not as sentimental as his sister.
At the side, Yue Yinping said, "This time's meeting in Jiangning is unusual. It may bring many changes to the world's situation in the future. Us siblings followed Mister Zuo here to broaden our horizons. As for Uncle Duan, I'm afraid he can't stay here after this, so he has to go back to Fuzhou with us. "
After she finished speaking, the one-armed middle-aged man was silent for a moment. Then, he solemnly took two steps back. In the flickering firelight, he suddenly raised his arm and gave a solemn military salute.
The night breeze blew gently on the riverbank, and there was a voice.
"Beiwei Army! Duan Siheng! Return to the unit … "
Carrying a mountain on his back, his body had been given to the country, and his body had become a ghost.
This was called Wei Wei!
…
The carriages left the riverbank and headed west along the road in the early hours of the morning.
The one-armed middle-aged man, Duan Siheng, who was originally a member of the Beiwei Army, was sitting in the carriage at the front. While leading the way, he pointed and talked about the surrounding situation.
At this time, the sky was not bright, and there was still a large area of fog around the road. But with Duan Siheng's guidance, the people began to recall many things in the past.
"There used to be a village over there …"
"Is Quanfengji still there …"
"A little further northwest, we're there, and we can beat Wanyan Xiyin!"
"We've been through this road … It's that time of defeat …"
Yue Yun stood in the carriage and talked about these things.
Zhenjiang was originally the core of the Jiangnan defense line. The Beiwei Army had trained here, and Jun Wu had killed his brother-in-law on the hill by the river. When the Female Daoist came, the man, who was now the Emperor and was still the Crown Prince at that time, ran around the city, shouting and fighting. When he was shot by the arrows of the Female Daoist, many local people rushed to the battlefield and fought with the Female Daoist.
As for Yue Yun and the others, they had directly torn apart the Female Daoist's formation in that battle, killed the Female Daoist General Arubao, and then stabbed the front of Wanyan Xiyin's formation. At that time, the four sides were routed and it was difficult to turn the tide, but Yue Fei still placed his hope on that desperate attack. Unfortunately, in the end, he was not able to kill Wanyan Xiyin, nor was he able to delay the collapse of Lin 'an.
Duan Siheng had participated in that battle, and so had Yue Yinping and Yue Yun. At this time, when they recalled the blood-soaked battle, they still couldn't help but sing with passion and enthusiasm.
Later, Jun Wu succeeded the throne in Jiangning, but soon after, he abandoned Jiangning and fled all the way back to Zhenjiang. The Female Daoist drove the millions of surrendered soldiers in Jiangnan to pursue him, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, including the Beiwei Army, fled. When they returned to this battlefield, Duan Siheng's hand was cut off during the escape, and he was left behind after losing consciousness. When he woke up, he was lucky enough to survive, but because the journey was too long, it was difficult to follow them to Fuzhou.
Relying on his experience as an officer in the Beiwei Army, he gathered some of the nearby refugees and formed a group to protect himself. Later, he joined the Fairness Party and muddled his way to the position of a small leader. After the Fairness Party gained momentum, the Fuzhou Imperial Court sent Cheng Zhouhai and the others to contact them. Although the Fairness Party led by He Wen no longer recognized Zhou Junwu as the Emperor, the small Imperial Court always treated them with courtesy, and even sent some food and supplies to help them. Because of this, in a situation where the forces of both sides were not in contact, the Fairness Party's upper echelons and the Fuzhou Imperial Court did not completely tear off all pretense of cordiality.
And after a few such exchanges, Duan Siheng also got in touch with the Fuzhou Imperial Court, becoming one of the Fuzhou Imperial Court's agents.
"… I am now one of the Fairness Party's Five Kings, Gao Chang, the subordinate of Gao Tianwang …"
The morning breeze blew through the morning fog. After reminiscing about the past several great battles with Yue Yun and the others, Duan Siheng wiped away his tears and sorted out his mood. He told Zuo Xiuquan, Yue Yinping, and the others about the current situation of the Fairness Party.
"The current situation of the Fairness Party is commonly known to outsiders. It has five extraordinary Great Kings, formerly known as the 'Five Tigers'. The greatest of them is, of course, the 'Prince of Fairness' He Wen, who is known throughout the world as the 'Five Tigers'. Right now, in the Jiangnan area, he is nominally the leader. It is said that he came from the southwest, and in the past, he sat and debated with Mister Ning, and they were equally matched. He is indeed an extraordinary person. In the past, it was said that he inherited the mantle of the Southwest Black Flag, but now it seems that it doesn't seem like it … "
"He is the boss, and there is nothing to fight about. But under Mister He, the situation is actually very chaotic. I don't want to say it, but it is a complete mess," Duan Siheng said. "The Gao Tianwang I follow is relatively simple. If we talk about personality, he likes to fight. He has the fewest soldiers among the five, but his military discipline is very strict, somewhat similar to our Beiwei Army. This is also the reason why I joined him in the past. With the elite soldiers under him, he can fight, so no one dares to casually provoke him. Outsiders call him the Gao Tianwang, referring to the Dhrtarastra of the Four Great Heavenly Kings. On the surface, he and Mister He don't seem to have any conflicts, and he listens to Mister He's commands the most. Of course, we can't see the specifics clearly … "
"Below the Fairness King and the Gao Tianwang, Chu Zhaonan is known as the Rotating Wheel King, but it doesn't mean one of the Four Great Heavenly Kings. He is one of the Ten Yama Kings. This person relied on the foundation of the Maitreya Sect and the Great Radiant Sect. Those who follow him are actually followers of the Jiangnan area. Back then, the Great Radiant Sect said that there would be thirty-three calamities in the human world. After the Female Zhenren killed her way over, there were countless believers in Jiangnan. Among the disciples under him, when they went to the battlefield, some ate talisman water, some shouted that they were invulnerable. They were indeed fierce and unafraid of death, but because the world is bitter, when they die, they can enter the Void Hometown to enjoy happiness. In the previous few battles against Linan soldiers, some of them dragged their intestines as they ran on the battlefield, scaring people to tears. He has many subordinates, and many people really believe that he is the reincarnation of the Rotating Wheel King. "
"Below Chu Zhaonan is Shi Baofeng. This person has many subordinates, dealing with all sorts of people. It is said that he doesn't put on airs, and outsiders call him the Equality King. But his greatest ability is not only to amass wealth, but also to generate wealth. Now that the Fairness Party has reached this level, they naturally started by plundering things everywhere. Things like military equipment were also seized and used. But after Shi Baofeng rose and organized many people, the Fairness Party was able to carry out maintenance and reconstruction of military equipment … "
"Today, the Fairness Party has mobilized millions of troops, and more than seventy percent of the military equipment is under his control. Cannons, gunpowder, and all sorts of supplies, he can make them all. Most of the trade and transportation channels are controlled by his people. I heard that he and Mr. He had a very good relationship in the past, but now that he holds such a large amount of power, there will be friction from time to time. The two sides fight very fiercely in the shadows. Especially after he was called the 'Equality King'. Listen, 'Equality King' and 'Fairness King', don't they sound like they're about to fight … "
"As for the current fifth person, Zhou Shang, outsiders call him the Yama King because he is vicious and merciless. He is the most vicious when it comes to killing people. All the landlords and country gentlemen, as long as they fall into his hands, none of them end up well. His subordinates were also a group of people with the most vicious methods … Back then, Mr He had set down a rule that every time the Fairness Party conquered a place, they would conduct a statistical analysis of the local tycoons and tycoons. Those with bad records would be killed without mercy, but if they did good deeds, they could be spared. They could not be completely exterminated. However, wherever the Shang of Zhou was, these people would always die a clean death. Some were even buried alive, skinned alive, and tortured to death. It is said that because of this, the relationship between the two sides is very tense … "
At this time, the morning breeze was blowing, and the sky behind them was already beginning to brighten. Duan Siheng gave a brief introduction of the Fairness Party. Yue Yinping thought for a moment. "These people all have their own specialties."
Up ahead, Duan Siheng laughed bitterly. "If you think that the Fairness Party only consists of these five people, then you're wrong."
"These five people are just like the current five heads of the Fairness Party." He paused, then said, "When Jiangnan was defeated and the Female Zhenren wreaked havoc, Her Majesty … brought people to Fuzhou. Mr. He stirred up trouble in the name of fairness, so he gathered some people around him. But not long after, Jiangnan was filled with forces that fought with the rich under the banner of fairness. Later, these forces joined together, saying that they were following the banner of fairness. They all said that they were following so-and-so, but in reality, the people above them might not even know that they had a bunch of underlings … "
"At the time, the Fairness Party was practically everywhere in Jiangnan, but the place was too big, so it was difficult to gather all of them. Mister He issued the 'Code of Fairness' and set down many rules. He told outsiders that anyone who believed in his rules would become a member of the Fairness Party. Therefore, everyone followed these rules. However, it was up to them to decide who they would serve. Some people casually worshipped a big brother of the Fairness Party. Above the big brother, there was still a big brother. This went on for a few rounds, and perhaps it was under the name of Mr. He, Chu Zhaonan, or someone … "
"In this one year, Mr. He and the other four Great Kings were the most famous, and they occupied the most territory. They incorporated and trained many armies that were on the right track. But if you go to Jiangning, you'll understand. From the top to the bottom, each faction is fighting for territory, for benefits, and they're fighting fiercely. Among them, Mr. He has the 'Seven Virtuous', Heavenly King Gao has the 'Four Towns', Chu Zhaonan has the 'Eight Executors', Shi Baofeng has the 'Three Talents', and Zhou Shang has the 'Seven Murders'. Everyone still fights for territory. Sometimes they openly fight on the streets, and the ground is covered in blood, and it gets out of hand … "
The Fuzhou court's arrangement of spies and information transmission was not as systematic as the southwest's. Now that Duan Siheng was talking about the internal situation of the Fairness Party, Yue Yinping, Yue Yun, and the others were all dumbstruck. Even the well-cultivated Zuo Xiuquan frowned, struggling to understand everything Duan Siheng was saying.
"In addition, don't think that the Fairness Party only consists of these five Great Kings. In reality, other than the members of the armies that have officially joined them, those heroes, whether they're in name or not, actually all want to fight for their own glory. Other than the five most famous ones, in this half a year, there are also factions like 'Chaotic River', 'Supreme Dragon Head', and 'Victory King' who say that they're part of the Fairness Party. They also do things according to the 'Fairness Code' and want to fight for their own glory …
"After all, the Four Heavenly Kings aren't full, and there are only two Yama Kings of the Ten Halls. Who knows, maybe they'll be a bit more vicious and merciless. In the future, when the heavenly soldiers and generals are ranked, they'll have their names on it. Sigh, Zhenjiang is now Heavenly King Gao's territory. You guys won't be able to see so many things. Let's take a detour. When we get to Jiangning, you'll understand … "
At the first rays of the morning sun, the clouds drifted away. Duan Siheng drove the carriage. As he talked to everyone about these strange things, he led the group westward in the direction of Jiangning. Along the way, they met a group of guards wearing blue scarves who set up checkpoints for inspection. Duan Siheng went over and gestured with them about how to cut, then slapped them on the head and ordered them to scram. Seeing that the soldiers were strong and sturdy, and that Yue Yun was still showing off his muscles, they dejectedly stepped aside.
"Right now, we're one of the 'Four Towns' under Heavenly King Gao. We're the Second Generals under 'Suppressing Sea' Lin Hongjin. My title is … uh, One-Handed Dragon …"
Duan Siheng was a little embarrassed. Yue Yun wanted to laugh, but Yue Yinping asked, "Why is it Second Generals?"
"After the General, it's Second Generals. This is to make it easier for everyone to know your rank …"
As Duan Siheng spoke, his voice became softer and softer. It was very embarrassing. The surrounding members of the Beiwei Army all laughed.
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