Like a sleepless night, the clamor and excitement continued until the wee hours of the morning. Not long after the battle at Huo Chuanling broke out, the people from all over Green Wood Stronghold more or less found out about the result of the battle through different methods. After that, there was the complicated aftermath of the battle, the cursing and yelling that spread throughout the stronghold, and the celebration of the people in the mountain.
The people who were sent out returned one after another, and were then cursed one after the other. The residents of the stronghold also found out about the victory of the battle. Seeing this strange scene of triumph, they watched excitedly and joyfully in the mountain valley. After that, there was the unending aftermath of the battle. The people returned, gathered, and cleaned up the battlefield. In between the joy and joy, there was still the faint sound of crying …
This kind of activity continued until the east gradually brightened. Only then did it suddenly dissipate, as if it had been separated by something. Early in the morning, the morning dew wet their clothes. In the fresh air, everything seemed quiet and spacious. In the distant mountains, there was a refreshing mist dispersing. When she walked out of her room, her entire heart felt empty.
Lou Shuwan sat on the wall and looked at the people in the mountain valley as they woke up in the morning. After a while, Yu Yulin also walked out and looked at the state of the mountain valley. They both knew about the situation of the battle at Huo Chuanling last night, and found it hard to believe the results of the battle. Lou Shuwan could not understand how six thousand people could be killed to the point of collapse in less than two hours against a formation of only twelve hundred people. However, even if it was hard to believe, at that time, she could not say anything. Her mind thought of Ning Yi's words and the slap from last night. Everything was empty.
As the commander of the army, Yu Yulin saw the entire situation more clearly, and also thought about it more clearly. Although it was hard to believe in the beginning, after one night, he could think of everything that needed to be thought of this morning.
No matter how many subordinates Luan Sanlang, Chen Zhenhai, and the others had, in the end, it was just a moment of bravery. When this kind of troop met a soft persimmon, they would swarm forward, but in the end, they would not be able to truly break through. However, even if that was the case, the speed at which six thousand people were defeated against one thousand two hundred people was so exaggerated. From another perspective, it could only be said that the strength and drive of the Green Wood Stronghold's troops were a bit too strong.
Yu Yulin could see some clues from the chaos after their return last night. This was because after the main group came back, there were still groups of people who returned to the stockade later and were especially badly scolded. However, these people were all smiling, and it was obvious that they had not lost the battle.
Because he had charged too quickly on the battlefield and killed too many people, he had been separated from the group. After that, he had killed a large circle in the mountains before happily returning to the stronghold. Generally speaking, you could say that the enemy was too weak, but in reality, everyone cherished their lives. Even the regular armies of the Wu dynasty often only dared to pursue and kill unarmed enemies like this. For a team that took the initiative to search for the enemy's willpower, whether the enemy was weak or not was one thing, it was indeed a strong performance.
The most frightening thing was that after they returned, they were reprimanded. Following this, they might even be punished and made their leaders write a self-reflection or something. This proved that the leaders of the mountain were not like the other mountain strongholds, who were dizzy with a small victory. Their goal was far more than that.
In Yu Yulin's opinion, no one else could have done this and controlled Green Wood Stronghold to this extent except for Ning Rentu from the Office of Secret Investigations.
He wanted to tell Lou Shuwan about this, but in the end, he didn't. He wasn't clear about the grudge between the two of them, but this trip to Lu Liangshan was probably destined to be fruitless when Ning Yi got involved.
In the morning, people gradually went up the mountain to pay their respects to the leaders of Green Wood Stronghold. Since the Blood Bodhisattva was injured, the second chief of the stronghold, Zheng Ashuan, came out to receive them and calm them down. Although there had been some friction in Lu Liangshan recently, the Green Wood Stronghold was able to resolve the situation. Moreover, they would not change their attitude and conditions for doing business in Lu Liangshan. They would welcome everyone.
After the friction last night, the Green Wood Stronghold had defeated the attacks of Luan Sanlang and the others with lightning speed. This result was already a good thing. Lou Shuwan didn't intend to pay another visit to the leaders on the mountain, so Yu Yulin and Tian Shi were the ones who came out. After meeting Zheng Ashuan, the Green Wood Stronghold invited everyone to stay for breakfast. While waiting, Tian Shi went to the back. Yu Yulin knew that he was probably trying to pay a visit to the Blood Bodhisattva. He walked outside the main hall and saw someone walking over from the nearby mountain path.
"General Yu, did you sleep well last night?"
He turned his head and saw Ning Yi in a long white robe. In the morning air, his smile was rather easygoing.
"Mr. Ning, what a coincidence."
"It's not a coincidence. I'm here to look for you, General Yu," said Ning Yi with a smile.
Yu Yulin frowned. "Oh, what advice does Mr. Ning have for me?"
"I don't deserve advice. I came to the mountain this time because I want to make things better for Mount Lu Liangshan. Although there have been some friction with everyone, I'm not here to be a villain. I hope General Yu can understand this."
Yu Yulin cupped his hands in a slightly puzzled manner and nodded.
"I want to facilitate business with the Tiger King. Of course, the prerequisite is that the Tiger King is willing to pledge allegiance to the imperial court and become a part of the Wu dynasty …"
"Wait." Yu Yulin waved his hand. "Young Master Ning should have already discussed these matters with Miss Lou …"
Ning Yi smiled. "That's right. I've already stated all the conditions to her. However, there are some matters of gratitude and grudges that can inevitably make people dizzy. This is a matter of business, so I'll be a little narrow-minded. This item is a copy of the one I gave to Miss Lou. Don't worry, the items on it are all the same. My suggestion is for General Yu to directly tell Miss Lou that I gave you such an item when you return. You can say that I might be trying to sow discord between the two of you, but you've confessed. This way, she won't be able to fake it, and it'll save her a lot of trouble. "
Yu Yulin looked at the envelope that Ning Yi handed over. He originally thought that if the numbers on the two items were different, he might be scheming against Lou Shuwan. Who knew that Ning Yi would actually advise him to confess? This way, Lou Shuwan naturally wouldn't be able to do anything. However, he would appear to be a little narrow-minded. "This way, Miss Lou will probably hate you even more. Mr. Ning, what's going on between the two of you? "
"It's an irreconcilable enmity. If she's willing to confess, General Yu will know. If she's unwilling, then let this matter be buried in her heart. However, overall, I don't have any ill feelings towards her, and I also hope that she can live a good life in the future. " Ning Yi cupped his hands. "Then I'll leave it to General Yu. If we can cooperate, this matter will be beneficial to both of us."
"This humble Yu understands."
Yu Yulin also cupped his hands. He actually felt some admiration for this man who was his enemy last night. After Ning Yi left, he ate breakfast in the hall and went down the mountain with Tian Shi, who was in low spirits after meeting with a wall. After returning to the courtyard, Yu Yulin took out the letter according to Ning Yi's instructions. Although he had a good impression of Lou Shuwan, he still said the words that Ning Yi taught him. Perhaps Ning Yi wanted to frame Lou Shuwan, and he took the initiative to take out the letter. This way, Lou Shuwan would also owe him a favor.
Sure enough, after he forced himself to calm down and check the two identical data, Lou Shuwan sat there with the letter in her hand. Her eyes were red. To the public, Ning Yi's actions could be said to be a form of protection. To the private side, it was the mistrust that a cautious person would have towards a gentleman. Yu Yulin quietly put away his letter and went out. Although he failed this time, he still admired Lou Shuwan's ability. He knew that Lou Shuwan would have great achievements on the Tiger King's side, and he was willing to do her a favor. However, in terms of personal matters, he had no interest in the feud between her and the Inner Demon.
Most importantly, if possible, he did not want to be enemies with this fellow nicknamed the Inner Demon. He always felt that he could take care of everything and calculate everything.
On this morning, many people, including those from the Great Light Sect, had already bid farewell to the Green Wood Stronghold and left the mountain. Due to the great victory last night and the battle that broke out in the hall, many people in the mountain were already restless from last night to this morning out of concern for the Blood Bodhisattva. They wanted to attack the people from the Great Light Sect in anger. No matter how much Lin Zongwu thought of himself, he would not stay in such a dangerous place for long. After putting on a good show, he openly bid farewell to the Green Wood Stronghold. Ning Yi, who did not plan to mention the plan to kill him, appeared even more open-minded. Both parties could be considered to have had a 'friendly exchange' and sent each other down the mountain.
After that, Ning Yi ordered people to spread the news of the Great Light Sect's Leader, Lin Zongwu's defeat to the Blood Bodhisattva in Mount Luliang — you're so famous, yet you came to a mountain and left with your tail between your legs. Who would believe you if you said it was a draw …
After all, there were not many witnesses, and the Blood Bodhisattva did not lose. After Lin Zongwu left, who would dare to speak the truth in Mount Luliang …
On this afternoon, after things had calmed down, what appeared in the training camp at the back of the Green Wood Stronghold was not a celebration. Instead, it was a funeral, a review, and the execution of military law.
After praising some soldiers who had fought bravely and giving them a kilogram of meat and a small metal medal, the list of their comrades who had died last night was announced. A portion of the corpses were found and placed at the front of the plaza. After that, several company leaders and platoon leaders were called to the front to be punished with a stick. Some of them had also been praised and received meat and medals.
"… In the battle yesterday, we won. Some people also performed very bravely. We do not wish to erase their contributions. But at the same time, the battle yesterday was also a complete mess! " Among the several Stockade Masters, Han Jing, who was the best at training troops, was speaking loudly on the wooden platform. Inside his sleeve was Ning Yi's opinion and suggestion, which he had written in the name of Hongti. After reading it several times, he had memorized quite a few words.
"… It's fine as long as we won?! It's fine as long as not many people died?! Our brothers and companions could have died even less! Did you see how their families cried last night and this morning? When others were happy, they could only cry at home. Some of them could only pretend to be happy. Fan Meng's mother from the third brigade, when you were training, she would always bring some fruits for you to eat. Last night, she was looking for Fan Meng the entire time. When she saw the corpse this morning, she told me while crying that the stronghold was defended and that everyone would be fine … Is it really fine?! Her son is dead! He can't come back … "
Han Jing waved his arms and shouted loudly. His eyes were already a bit moist.
"Every one of you only has one life. Every brother also only has one life. We grew up in Luliang Mountain. It's not a problem for us to risk our lives. But the reason we risk our lives is to survive! Qi Qianjun, Zheng Ashi, and the others, why did they beat us today? When we fought yesterday, they were the bravest! But as your team leaders, they are not qualified! Because when we were risking our lives outside, not only did they have to think about risking their lives, they also had to think about how to guarantee victory and bring back one more brother's life! So, they are team leaders. Qi Qianjun, tell me, did you let Fan Meng's mother down? "
Qi Qianjun, who was lying on the bench, lowered his head and did not say anything. After a while, he said in a rough voice, "I was wrong. I am willing to be punished!"
Han Jing turned around and took a deep breath. "Of course, you will say that this is the first time you have gone to war after training. There are some things that you can't stop because you are inexperienced. It's fine as long as you win … But the truth is, we have not met any strong opponents. Right now, there are more than two thousand people wandering north of Luliang. They are the former Liao people's army. You can be so strong against Luan Sanlang and the others. But what about them? Can you be lucky? In any battle, we have to learn from experience. This time, we have made a mistake. Let's all go back and think about it! How can we stay calm? How can we work together with our brothers? How can we not let yesterday's incident happen again? Tonight, all of you will do a self-reflection, with your teams as units. Think about it, then tell me what you think you can do better! Finally, all of you will come together and reflect on yourselves … "
Han Jing came down from the wooden platform when he started to beat them with the stick. He was satisfied with his speech. Cao Qianyong followed behind him. "Fifth Brother, I didn't expect you to be so eloquent. It makes sense, but it feels a little weird …"
Han Jing took out the piece of paper from his sleeve. "Let's follow what is written here. Damn, I also feel that I am a little scholarly. Third Brother, do you think Fourth Brother is more suitable to talk about this … "
In Green Wood Stronghold, Second Brother and Fourth Brother focused on administration while Third Brother and Fifth Brother focused on military affairs. Cao Qianyong took the piece of paper and looked at it. "Tsk, this Ning Rentu … Sigh, do you think the matter he mentioned to Hong is a little troublesome …"
"I heard about it. To be honest, I don't really like that pretty boy. However, I have to admit that he is very capable … That Lin Zongwu from the Radiant Sect, damn it. If I had known this would happen, I would have gotten rid of him last night … "
There was a reason why the two of them were having this discussion. Ever since last night's matter had spread, Ning Yi's name and his story had finally begun to spread widely in the Green Wood Stronghold.
Originally, when Ning Yi came to Green Wood Stronghold, he was an outsider. Even though he announced his relationship with Hong to some of the core members of Green Wood Stronghold, there was still a layer of estrangement between them and Ning Yi. If not for this, when a large group of people came to Green Wood Stronghold to force him to abdicate, Green Wood Stronghold could have announced that they had a strong ally. The leader of the Office of Secret Investigations, Ning Rentu, who was feared in the pugilistic world. The development and training of Green Wood Stronghold were all affected by him … Because of this layer of estrangement, his identity was not used here.
Ning Yi had originally planned to use some time to get rid of this estrangement. Who knew that after the battle last night, the situation would slip in a direction that no one had expected. Sect Leader Lin of the Great Radiant Sect had challenged the Blood Bodhisattva. As her own Stronghold Master, and a woman at that, she had still been injured. In the end, the person whom the Stronghold Master was supposed to marry had taken control of the situation.
And from Lin Zongwu's mouth, this marriage of his Stronghold Master was described in an extremely ugly way. He spread rumors that the two of them had a master-disciple relationship and made slanderous accusations! Who could tolerate their Stronghold Master being bullied to this extent!
As these rumors spread, Ning Yi's identity was finally completely dug out. Everything that had happened in Green Wood Stronghold in the past, his guidance to the training of the soldiers, and this time, the incredible firearms he had brought with him were all spread out. Because of these things, the original estrangement had turned into a common enemy in a single day. And this Young Master Ning had suddenly become the most eye-catching guest in Green Wood Stronghold.
However, there were not many people who could see him.
At night, when Zheng Ashuan walked into the courtyard, he saw Ning Yi peeling an apple by the bed in Hong Ti's room. The scholar raised his head and nodded at him. Then, he nodded back and walked toward Liang Bingfu's room.
As the Second Stronghold Master of Green Wood Stronghold, Zheng Ashuan looked like an honest farmer. His martial arts skills were not high, and his ability to handle affairs was only above average. It was just that he had been taking care of things for many years, and slowly, he had become a person like the Chief of Green Wood Stronghold. After entering the room, he reported to Liang Bingfu what had happened in Green Wood Stronghold. As he had been busy for the past two days, this report had been intermittent for a very long time. After he finished, Liang Bingfu smiled.
"I heard that Shitou was beaten up." Zheng Shitou, the leader of Green Wood Stronghold's Fifth Brigade, was Zheng Ashuan's son.
Zheng Ashuan said, "He did something wrong, so it's a good thing that he was beaten up. When he returned home today, he also said that he had let down his dead brothers. He said that some brothers could not die … "
Liang Bingfu smiled and shook his head. "No matter what, it's a good thing that he won."
Zheng Ashuan said, "It's a good thing that he returned safely."
"Mm." Liang Bingfu nodded. After thinking for a while, he raised his head and said, "Brother Ashuan, let me ask you something. What do you think about Liheng?"
"Uh … Brother Liang, you mean …"
"Ahem, I mean, Liheng has come to the mountain, and now the crisis has been resolved. Next, the first thing he wants to meddle in is actually the matter in your hands. Some of the village's mundane affairs, such as arranging people to take care of things, opening up the fields, repairing houses, and so on. Do you think that it's not good for him to meddle in like this, or perhaps, to take away your authority … "
Generally speaking, such words could not be said openly. Because of this, after Liang Bingfu said it, Zheng Ashuan's expression changed, and he shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, no. Of course not. How can I not know where my ability lies? Young Master Ning is a very capable person. Of course, I won't think … "
"Brother Ashuan, I'm not really thinking about this matter." Looking at Zheng Ashuan's defense, Liang Bingfu smiled and waved his hand. He coughed a few times. "When people from the outside suddenly come, we won't think about it. Sometimes, when there are small conflicts at the beginning, it's inevitable that there will be some resistance. Some things are human nature, and can't be avoided. Of course, I also know that Brother Ashuan is magnanimous, and you definitely won't do anything to him. But this matter, it's not enough. I think Brother Ashuan, you should think in another direction."
"Huh?"
Zheng Ashuan was a little puzzled. He did not understand what the old man was talking about. Liang Bingfu took a sip of tea, thought for a while, and then continued to speak.
"Brother Ashuan, do you think … I am capable?"
"Brother Liang, you've been here for so long. Without you, the Green Wood Village would be gone. Of course you are capable," Zheng Ashuan said.
Liang Bingfu shook his head. "You're mistaken. Actually, I'm only of medium aptitude. I'm not considered a very capable person. I can survive in the Green Wood Village for so long because of my responsibility. You also know that when I was young, I came from outside the mountain. Let me tell you, there are too many capable people outside the mountain who are educated. Whether it's Liheng or that Prime Minister Qin Siyuan above him, they are the most capable people. Ashuan, I don't have much time left … "
"Brother Liang, you …"
"No, no, no. Listen to me. I know that I don't have much time left. As for the Green Wood Village, after I leave, I'll hand it over to Hong Ti. In fact, it's you who's helping to support it. We're at the dividing line, and we're in a precarious situation. No one knows what the future will be like. We feel that we're powerful now, but maybe one day, we'll be gone again … Brother Ashuan, whether it's you or me, or our descendants, it's most important that we have the ability. While Liheng is here, not only do you have to cooperate with him, but you also have to let people learn from him … "
The old man swallowed his saliva and paused. "As for Young Master Ning, he's not limited to Lu Liang. You have to think more. As long as your family's Shi Tou, Little Girl, and the others learn even a little bit from him, it'll be useful in the future …"
Speaking up to this point, he thought about it again. Liang Bingfu was, after all, old. Sometimes, his thoughts couldn't keep up. After being in a daze for a while, he said, "In the outside world, the people that Liheng and the others come into contact with are all smart people. I want Hong Ti to have a good life in the future, but who can say for sure? Maybe something bad will happen to this Young Master Ning … So, when you can learn, follow him and learn. After all, my ability is limited, and I can't teach you much. What you can learn from Liheng will be the future of the Green Wood Village … "
The old men always wanted to leave behind their own seeds, but they knew that their ability was limited. The old man was still thinking about the future of the Green Wood Village. Zheng Ashuan nodded. "Brother Liang, I know what you mean. Don't worry." He usually addressed the old man in a normal way, but at this time, he still used 'you'.
The old man smiled. "Also, I heard that everyone in the village is talking about him …"
"Yes, because of Hong Ti's injury last night, Young Master Ning's reputation has spread."
"That's not enough. This is a good opportunity," the old man said. "Last night, because of the rumor about the master-disciple relationship that Sect Leader Lin spread, Hong Ti doesn't want to get married …"
Zheng Ashuan was stunned. "How … how can this be …"
"So, you should go and tell the outside world about this. This Sect Leader Lin not only ruined people's reputation, but also ruined their marriage. Liheng has a great career outside. In order not to let this rumor affect him, Hong Ti doesn't want to get married. Our Green Wood Village has been slapped in the face … You can go out and say this. "
"Then, about the two of them … really …"
It was getting late at night. The people in the barracks at the back of the mountain were still doing their self-examination. The lights in the houses in the valley were filled with longing and joy. In the rooms of the old men in the small courtyard, the lights were still on. In the mountains far away from the Green Wood Village, some people walked out of some barracks and looked in the direction of the Green Wood Village. They could no longer see the lights of the Green Wood Village, but in that direction, they felt that there was a huge force that had broken out of its shell. In the future, they didn't know what kind of force it would become.
Or would it become an enemy or a friend …
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