After leaving the Prime Minister's residence, he went to Takeshi's two shops and returned home. It was still early, so Ning Yi walked around the courtyard.
Ever since Jing Han came to live in the capital ten years ago, three long years had passed in the blink of an eye. In these three years, which was neither long nor short, the entire family had moved to two places in a row. Both were due to the increase in the number of residents in the family.
Fortunately, young people were more used to the environment. Secondly, the Prime Minister's residence had helped to pull some strings to buy the house, so the original residents had some background. The house had been carefully decorated and taken care of by the original owner. After they bought it and moved in, they could quickly treat it as a home.
The courtyard that everyone was living in had originally belonged to a Confucian master who was skilled in calligraphy and painting. The layout of the house and courtyard was very particular, and it had an elegant and graceful spirit. After Ning Yi and the others moved in, the appearance hadn't changed. It was just that there weren't as many rules as the original owner, and the atmosphere was more lively and natural.
Autumn had arrived, and the leaves of the wutong trees in the courtyard had already begun to turn yellow. The sunlight and the shadows of the setting sun also had a warm atmosphere. Wen Fang, Wen Ding, and the others were mostly indifferent to this scene, but Ning Yi liked this atmosphere very much. On the way back to the inner courtyard, he nodded slightly to some of his family members. Because they knew of the recent tense situation in the north, and that Ning Yi was working in the Prime Minister's residence, these servants, siblings, and other relatives didn't dare to disturb him too much.
Returning to the room that he lived in with Tan Er, as the mistress of the family, Tan Er was flipping through some accounts or business records. Seeing him return, she welcomed him with a smile. At the same time, she had Juan Er pour tea. "Has the battle in the north improved? Why did the Prime Minister's residence let you back so early today? "
Ning Yi smiled. "There are some things I need to tell you. Sit first."
"En." Tan Er sat on the bed. Ning Yi held the cup of tea and looked outside. Then, he went to close the door. The room became slightly dark.
"The news just came and went directly to Prime Minister Qin, so you haven't seen it yet. The battle in the north has collapsed." Ning Yi gulped down the tea. "Medicine Master Guo was defeated. The Victorious Army at Yanmen Pass surrendered and opened the gate. Lady Zhenren has already killed her way through the first line of defense."
After Ning Yi took over the Office of Secret Investigations, in order to allow Tan Er's power to be fully utilized, as well as to give the family an additional pillar of support, a lot of intelligence would be passed on to Tan Er at the same time he received it. This information was too shocking and had not been passed down yet, so Ning Yi could only repeat it once. Hearing his words, Tan'Er also frowned. "Then, then what should we do? Does the imperial court have any countermeasures? "
"There are still hundreds of thousands of troops heading south from Yanmen Pass. It's not like we don't have any countermeasures. But there is one thing we have to do. Tan'Er, you have to take your family to the south. You can go back to Jiangning or not. We have money, so we can live in a place where we have a house. But … we hope to retreat south of the Yangtze River. Leave the things here. When the matter is over, you can come back. "
Tan'Er's eyes had already become serious. She looked at Ning Yi and thought for a moment. "Your … the Prime Minister's Residence's expectations … are that bad?"
"In the worst case scenario," Ning Yi lowered his voice, "the capital is not impossible to break through."
"Okay." Tan'Er took a breath. "I understand. What about you? And Wen Ding and Wen Fang? Will you leave? If you stay in the capital, will you have a chance to escape? "
"I want to go north."
The room became quiet.
"… What?"
"Two aspects." Ning Yi pulled a stool and sat in front of Tan'Er. He bowed slightly. "I want to be in charge of the plan to strengthen the northern defense and clear the field. This plan is very troublesome, but what should be done must be done. According to the current expectation, in the Yanmen Pass and Taiyuan, the Jurchen still has infantry and supply teams. Their cavalry is too powerful, but the infantry is our main target. "
"… While attacking the infantry and slowing them down, the nearby residents will retreat to the city or the mountains and cooperate with the army to fight against the Jurchen in these places. But there are too many people in the north. The effect of strengthening the defense and clearing the field is limited. It is almost impossible to completely destroy their supplies. However, if we only consider the cavalry, if they fight on the move, they can only have a few days of rations at most. They have to keep plundering. They can't fight a war of attrition with us in the north. So we must consider the possibility of them finishing the battle quickly and directly entering the capital. "
Ning Yi waved his hand and gestured. "If the cavalry really arrives here, they can start to station again. The food they plunder can also be used to prepare for the siege. So the most important thing is to prevent them from plundering enough rations to support the siege in Bianliang. The purpose of strengthening the defense and clearing the field in the north is to increase the efficiency of their advance and buy time for the clearing around Bianliang. "
"I told Prime Minister Qin that in order not to be passive politically, I will consider the order from the north to the south. But in fact, it must be a two-pronged approach. Prime Minister Qin also understands this. The north is a race against time. We don't have to do anything serious around Bianliang, but all the preparations must be started immediately. The whole thing is very big. I have to stay in the center to have the fastest response and the highest efficiency. Tan'Er, you can understand. "
The two had been husband and wife for many years. Since they gained each other's understanding, they could discuss many things together. Ning Yi's words were both an explanation and an inquiry. When doing such a big thing, he hoped to get his family's support. However, when he raised his head, Tan'Er had already straightened up. She looked at him and after a while, she suddenly shook her head.
Ning Yi rubbed his fingers a few times. "Tan'Er, this … must be done."
"But this is a war," Tan'Er said hurriedly. Since they became husband and wife, Tan'Er did have a strong side in the beginning. However, after the imperial merchant incident, at least in front of Ning Yi, Tan'Er no longer showed the attitude of a strong woman. Just now, when she sat there, she only listened with the attitude of a wife. Until now, when she blinked her eyes anxiously, she showed some of her former expressions. "I don't agree this time. Can't you … at least stay in the capital?"
"It may not be any different from Fang La and Liangshan."
"Of course it's different. Those are Female Zhenrens. Liao was defeated by them."
"Why do you …"
In Ning Yi's heart, there was no difference in many things he had experienced. He didn't expect that Tan'Er would object at this time. He stood up. Tan'Er, who was beside the bed, almost stood up at the same time. She grabbed Ning Yi's sleeves with both hands, as if she was subconsciously grabbing him and not letting him go.
Outside the window came the faint sound of people walking. In the room, Ning Yi sighed. "The matter has been decided." His right hand was grabbed by Tan'Er. He stretched out his left hand and hugged her body. Tan'Er took two steps forward and was hugged by him. Her eyes were already wet when she blinked.
"I'm not going to die. This time, the Female Zhenrens' troops are at most a hundred or two hundred thousand. They pay attention to speed, so there won't be many places they can sweep. I'm so well-informed, so I have more room to maneuver outside the city. It's very safe. "
Tan'Er just shook her head in his arms.
"Also, the matter of fortifying the walls and clearing the fields may not have much effect. The scale is too large. But there must be some effect. It won't be completely meaningless. The battlefield is one thing. On the other hand, Takeshi has hundreds or thousands of people who can participate in this action. They have received preliminary training in doing things according to the rules and regulations. I'll simplify the procedures and make rules for them. You can think about it. As long as these people participate in the large-scale migration of millions or even millions of people, no matter what the result is, Takeshi will have a large number of useful people in his hands. I know the census, terrain, and population situation of the north like the back of my hand. With them, not to mention doing business, no family in the north can suppress us in anything in the future … Our enemy is not only the Female Zhenrens this time. It's not enough to defeat them. Compared with the seriousness of the Female Zhenrens in defeating Liao, their attitude this time is simply a joke … "
In the second half of his words, Ning Yi lowered his voice. He held his wife in his arms and comforted her. At the same time, he took out his right hand and moved it up her body. He hugged her tightly, rubbed her back, and then gradually kneaded her chest. Then he unbuttoned her clothes. Tan'Er naturally did not resist his actions. She just listened to him and shook her head silently occasionally. When her blouse was mostly unbuttoned and her husband reached into her chest for a while, she suddenly struggled and stepped aside to get out of Ning Yi's arms.
"But I still don't agree this time." Tan'Er's eyes were filled with tears. It was just like when Ning Yi wanted to go out to do dangerous things in the past. In the past, although she was also worried, she did not stop him. But this time, she had a different attitude. "I'm your woman. You obviously don't have to go to the battlefield, but you must go. Why do you want me to agree?"
"I'm not going to the battlefield."
"You are going to the north. Don't lie to me. If the efficiency is low, then so be it. If more people die, then so be it. I know you can stay in Jingcheng. If you want to do things, I will support you. If there is such a huge danger for no reason, I don't want you to go. "
As she said this, she suddenly ran to the door. She buttoned her blouse and opened the door, shouting outside, "Yunzhu, Jin'Er, Xiaochan, come quickly. Husband is going to the battlefield —"
Ning Yi did not expect this at all. He also walked over. Tan'Er turned around and looked at him. She wiped her tears with her left and right hands. Seeing Ning Yi walk over, she suddenly knelt in front of Ning Yi. At this time, Ning Xi appeared shakily in the courtyard. Ning Yi carried Tan'Er. "What are you doing?"
"I will stay with you in Jingcheng to do things. I don't want you to go."
As his wife spoke in a choked voice, Ning Yi looked outside. The entire courtyard was in chaos. Yunzhu and the others had been alarmed and ran over.
Such a scene had actually happened before heading north. This was definitely something he had not expected …
*****
In the north.
From Yanmen Pass to Taiyuan, a huge chaos was spreading.
After Yanmen Pass was broken, the scattered Wu dynasty army scattered in all directions. Along the way, groups of soldiers and generals began to form battle formations. They were either stationed and waiting for orders or gathering in the nearby cities. The Female Zhenren did not stop. The vanguard of the army quickly expanded to the surrounding towns and cities. On the third of August, Xinzhou's Dai County, 30 li from Yanmen Pass, had just been broken into.
Slaughter spread through the county, like a tide drowning the past. The defeated army and some of the original residents of the city organized a sporadic resistance. Soon after, they were crushed without a trace by this calamity.
This was an important gathering point and trading stop south of Yanmen Pass. Although compared to Taiyuan Prefecture, Xinzhou, and even Shuozhou, which had already been broken into and massacred, this could only be considered a small place. But because it was close to Yanmen Pass, Dai County's defenses were relatively tight. The business that came from the south and north prospered here, causing tens of thousands of permanent residents to live here. No matter what, it could be considered a juicy piece of meat.
At the north gate, Wanyan Xiyin pressed down on the hilt of his sword and led his troops into the streets of Dai County. All around him, the sounds of murder and arson continued to spread.
A pair of eyes was quietly staring at him from a collapsed two-story building on the side of the road …
…
Near the southern city gate of Dai County, soldiers and commoners crowded the city streets, madly rushing out of the city. In the back of the market, Female Enlightened Masters had already pushed forward, launching a devastating slaughter in the streets and alleys. In an alley that was packed with people, three Female Enlightened Masters blocked the path of retreat. Wielding long spears, they stabbed forward in a frenzy.
Blood sprayed everywhere. Men's screams, women's screams, and children's cries merged into one. Some people tried to hide below, but their arms and heads were crushed by the hooves of the horses. There were also people who were stepping on the bodies of others to climb to the other side of the wall. There were also defeated soldiers among them, wielding steel blades. Seeing that the crowd was moving too slowly, they raised their blades and began to kill. However, the long spears from behind still pierced through their bodies.
When the corpses and blood covered half the alley, a figure suddenly descended from the wall. With a bang, he smashed the head of one of the Female Enlightened Masters. The Female Enlightened Master at the side also reacted extremely quickly. She immediately swept her spear over. The descending Female Enlightened Master waved his hand, and the spear landed in his hand with a whoosh. He turned the spear around, and with two simple thrusts, the heads of two cavalrymen were instantly pierced through, their brains and blood splattering on the wall.
By the time the people in the alley saw that the newcomer was an old man, the old man had already pulled on the reins of his horse and was charging toward the other end of the alley. At this moment, a small group of Female True Soldiers appeared at the fork in the road. The newcomer pulled on the reins of his horse, and the horse's hooves stomped down, crushing a Female True Soldier into meat paste. The old man's spear danced wildly, smashing people, weapons, and blood as he began to fight with the surrounding Female True Soldiers.
At the end of the long street, the crowd squeezed forward even more crazily. In the streets and alleys adjacent to them, the Female Enlightened Masters had already caught up. In some places, there would occasionally be small-scale resistance. However, except for the great masters like the old man who could fight, kill, and escape, the resistance was usually crushed soon. The corpses were either lying on the side of the road or pierced by the long spear …
…
Shi Jin and several of his subordinates sat in the restaurant, watching the occasional strange pedestrians and large vehicles passing through the county, or the residents of the county packing up in twos and threes to leave for big cities such as Taiyuan.
More and more people were fleeing from the north to the south. Among them were the original soldiers of the Wu Sheng Army, and all of them brought bad news. The Female Enlightened Masters had broken through Yanmen Pass and massacred Shuozhou City. Now, they were advancing towards Xinzhou. Dai County, which bore the brunt of their attack, was probably going to be gone soon. The Wu Sheng Army had surrendered to the Female Enlightened Masters, and these original Liao people had been defeated together with the Female Enlightened Masters. None of the surrounding Wu dynasty troops could fight. The Wu Sheng Army, Dong Pang'er, and the others were all unreliable. It was said that the Duke of Chu, Tong Guan, was in Taiyuan, so everyone was fleeing towards Taiyuan.
The restaurant was no longer open for business, and the boss was also packing up his valuables to leave. Shi Jin didn't care, and he wasn't afraid. As he watched all of this from the restaurant, some people came up from below. They were dressed in Jianghu clothes and wore bamboo hats. There were a total of three people, and they seemed to be people from the Green Forest.
"This place doesn't sell wine anymore. The boss has already closed," the subordinate said to the three people.
The three people looked over, then cupped their hands and said, "This is the only place I know. I have an appointment with someone, and I want to borrow a place to rest."
The subordinate glanced at Shi Jin, and Shi Jin turned his head to look down. He didn't care, so the subordinate didn't say anything. Not long after, two more people from the Green Forest came over and greeted the three people. After a while, another person came.
The six people whispered to each other. The last person who came was obviously a well-informed person in Jianghu. He was light and agile, and his martial arts were not bad. He was probably a messenger, and he told the other five people about the situation of the war in the north. Shi Jin pretended not to care, but his ears were listening.
After a while, a content caught his attention.
"… The Jins came aggressively, and they easily broke through Shuozhou City … When Shuozhou was being slaughtered, the old man was there … gathering the heroes to help … Grandmaster Zhou is already eighty years old, but he can still do this. We are still in the prime of our lives …"
The others asked, "Where is Grandmaster Zhou now …?"
"To be able to work by Grandmaster Zhou's side is my lifetime's blessing …"
Shi Jin stood up, and several of his subordinates also stood up. Shi Jin waved his hand, indicating for them to sit down. He walked towards the six people and cupped his hands. "Brothers, I'm talking about Grandmaster Zhou Dong, who is known as the Iron Arm."
The six people looked at him, then also stood up and cupped their hands. "This brother is …"
"My name is a disgrace to the ears, but if you want to go north to help Grandmaster Zhou, can you take me with you?"
They looked at each other, and one of them said, "Brother, we're going north to die. It's not something that can be done in a moment of hot-headedness."
"Let's fight."
Shi Jin stretched out his right hand, and the person opposite him also stretched out his hand. When their hands touched, the person suddenly exerted force, turned his wrist, and grabbed Shi Jin's pulse with his eagle claw. Shi Jin also turned his palm and let him grab him, but his sleeves were thrown out, blocking everyone's view. After a moment, the person withdrew his hand. "This brother is an expert. The only person in the world who can be called Grandmaster Zhou is naturally Senior Zhou Dong. However, brother's martial arts are so high, and you don't want to reveal your identity. Could it be that you are Grandmaster Zhou's enemy?"
"I'm also a Han." Shi Jin cupped his hands and said after a moment, "I'm a sinner, but one of my closest brothers is Grandmaster Zhou's personal disciple. His master is here, so I can go."
The people laughed. "It's hard for those who live in the underworld to be innocent."
The man with a light figure next to him said, "It's enough for you to say that you are a Han."
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