In the pale white sky, the periphery of Bianliang City was in a massacre.
Xue Changgong spat out a mouthful of blood and felt his head buzzing. He pushed away the doctor who was bandaging his forehead and stood up with a knife, but his body still shook.
"Go away! I'm fine! I'm fine! How's the situation on the city wall? How's it going? "
He pushed open the door, and the light shone down. The sound of fighting suddenly became fierce. In front of him was the tall city wall near the New Sour Date Gate, and the sound of fighting was spreading on the city wall. Then the soldiers rushed over. "Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, how are you? Are you okay? "
"How dare you come down!" Xue Changgong grabbed the clothes of his brother-in-law in front of him. "Go up! Go up! "
"Brother-in-law, you fell from the city wall! You fell from the city wall! Brother-in-law, are you okay? "
Xue Changgong was slightly stunned. "I'm fine!"
Starting from the morning of the third day of the ninth month, the Jurchen launched a large-scale attack on Bianliang City. The targets were Chenqiao Gate, New Sour Date Gate, and New Fengqiu Gate. Among them, the New Sour Date Gate suffered the most intense attack. Xue Changgong was a general of the Baishi Army, with more than four hundred men under his command. Not long ago, Sai La, the general under Zong Wang, led the siege troops across the moat and set up ladders on the city wall. When Xue Changgong led his men to defend, he fought with a group of Jurchen who rushed up the city wall. He pushed a Jurchen general down from the city wall.
The seven-meter-high city wall fell down just like that, and the two of them fell on the roof of a large carriage. The Jurchen general used him as a cushion, and he was fine when he woke up. Now that he thought about it, he was really lucky.
But now was not the time to feel lucky. He almost dragged his brother-in-law and rushed up the city wall. Although the Baishi Army was one of the most elite troops in the Wu dynasty, with the best salary and the best training, this brother-in-law was his late wife's brother. In fact, he had just joined the army, and his saber skills were taught by him personally. In fact, he had not seen much blood. But the more it was so, the more he couldn't let his brother-in-law retreat.
On the city wall, someone carried boiling oil and poured it down. Arrows flew, and flames roared. Xue Changgong walked into his men and shouted, "Grandpa is back! Grandpa fell off the wall and he's totally fine. Did you see that! That Nüzhen brat had already turned into minced meat! I even ate two bites! Stones, oil, throw them down for me. Burn them for me! Cook them! "
The arrow flew over the parapet and fell into the city. He walked on the city wall without dodging. The surrounding soldiers saw the ferocity of their chief officer and picked up the city defense equipment to smash down even more fiercely. Not far away, there was a ladder that had been spared from the fierce defense, and the Jurchen elites rushed up. Xue Changgong held his broadsword and asked his brother-in-law and the others to rush over.
Xue Changgong used his ancestral saber skill to fight with a tall Female Daoist man and killed him. His bodyguards were also fighting with the Female Daoist fiercely. His brother-in-law made a feint and dodged when a Female Daoist swung her saber at him. Then, with a roar, he stabbed the steel saber into the belly of the Female Daoist and pushed the Female Daoist back with red eyes.
Xue Changgong suddenly rushed up and blocked the saber of another Female Daoist soldier. The Female Daoist whose belly was pierced was still retreating, and the long saber in her hand had already chopped down on his brother-in-law's head. Then, with a bang, it was smashed away by Xue Changgong's steel saber. At the same time, he kicked the Female Daoist away, then grabbed his brother-in-law's collar and jumped to the side, dodging the attacks of the other two.
Rolling on the city wall, he slapped his younger brother-in-law's face. The surroundings were filled with shouts of killing. He roared at his younger brother-in-law's fanatical face, "Stir! I told you, stir — do you want to die — "After shouting, he rushed out and stabbed the saber into the belly of a Female Daoist. He rushed out and stabbed his saber into the stomach of a female Daoist master. Then, "Ahhh —!" He madly stirred a few times before abruptly withdrawing his saber and retreating.
The surroundings were filled with the smell of blood and burning. He didn't have time to check on his brother-in-law's condition because more female Zhenrens were rushing over. Beside him, there was blood splattered on his face. That was the neck of one of his bodyguards had been cut off, and his corpse had fallen. He yelled and rushed forward. Their swords clashed fiercely. Sparks flew, screams of pain, and blood spilled everywhere. The moment an iron spear smashed into his head, he saw his brother-in-law pouncing on him from the side.
Then, he vaguely heard someone shouting, "Hold on! Hold the fort! Prime Minister Li is here! Prime Minister Li is here with his troops … "
*****
After the army of the Jins arrived at Bianliang, the first place they seized was Mou Tuo Hill in the northwest of Bianliang City. This was originally the place where the Wu dynasty kept horses. It was surrounded by water on three sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Being able to find such a garrison so accurately was naturally due to Guo Yaoshi's understanding of the area around Bianliang City. Then, on the 28th of the eighth month, the Jins launched an attack on the West Water Gate of Bianliang City. This tentative attack was repelled by the well-prepared Li Gang that night.
On the third day of the ninth month, the main attack on the three city gates of Bianliang City was officially launched. The battle between Chenqiao Gate and New Fengqiu Gate was relatively simple. A large number of female Zhenrens stopped at the moat. Only the battle at New Suanzao Gate was unusually fierce. The Jins once climbed up the city wall. In the end, Li Gang gathered thousands of archers from the palace guards and rushed more than 20 miles from the city to help. Only then did they manage to repel the Jins. On the other hand, the imperial guards responsible for defense on the city wall also suffered thousands of casualties.
When Xue Changgong woke up, it was already evening. Tragic screams were heard all around him. The strong smell of medicine and blood mixed together.
This was the medical center set up by the army. A large number of the wounded who participated in the battle on the city wall were gathered here. Injuries on the battlefield were not the same as other injuries. Broken arms, broken legs, and missing eyes were all common. Some people moaned or screamed during treatment. Next to Xue Changgong was a wounded man with a broken leg. He opened his eyes and looked up, making meaningless sounds. Xue Changgong was dazed for a while before he could sit up. Then, a bodyguard came over and said, "Boss …"
Xue Changgong grabbed him and asked, "How is it? Did we win? "
"We won, we won. Prime Minister Li came with his troops and repelled all the female Zhenrens."
"Oh." Xue Changgong put down his hand and suddenly raised his head. "Where is Hou Jing? Where did he go? Why didn't he come? "
Hou Jing was the name of his brother-in-law.
Although his memory of his wife who died of a serious illness not long after they were married had long been blurred, Xue Changgong felt that he still had a responsibility to this brother-in-law who he brought into the army.
The bodyguard hesitated and said, "Hou Jing is … injured …"
"Injured! How is he? Where is he? Take me to him! " Xue Changgong was startled. He suddenly turned over and got off the bed. His body swayed and then he held the bodyguard's shoulder to steady himself. He patted his head and felt that he was fine, so he quickly walked forward. Next to him were countless hell-like injuries. There was a strong smell, blood scabs, crying, moaning, and the despair of those with broken arms and legs for the rest of their lives. Someone cried and shouted, "I can't see, I can't see …" The faces of those doctors were also pale. He walked out of the barracks and saw a doctor lying on the ground vomiting.
Fortunately, his brother-in-law's injury was not serious. Now he was staying in the barracks for minor injuries not far away. Xue Changgong walked over and saw him. Hou Jing had already gotten off the bed and was ready to leave. Seeing Xue Changgong coming over, he said, "Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, I killed three, I killed three!"
Xue Changgong looked at him and then patted him on the shoulder. His eyes became cold. "You brat, you are lucky. I told you to stir. When the knife is stabbed, you must stir immediately. Otherwise, you will die."
"I know, I know, Brother-in-law. Are you okay? Are you okay? "
"I'm fine." Xue Changgong nodded.
That night, the city was in a festive mood. When Xue Changgong returned to the army, his superiors were discussing about the reward. More than a hundred of Xue Changgong's soldiers had died. They belonged to the troops with great merits. Left Prime Minister Li Gang gave a large amount of money.
The next day, the money arrived. Apart from the pension for the deceased and the tribute for the superior officials, Xue Changgong's soldiers each received five taels of silver to ten taels of silver, and he had more than eighty taels of silver left in his hands. The imperial court was very generous this time. This was already a large amount of money. Those who were slightly injured in the battle were given two days off and were allowed to go home with the money. At the same time, the lightly injured were also responsible for sending compensation to the families of the dead. Of course, if the battle started again, they still had to come back immediately.
No one knew who gave this order, but it was actually quite reasonable. Sending compensation to the dead soldiers had always been a bad job, but if the injured did it, it would not be easy to be blamed. Moreover, these people brought the money home, and it could also inspire the will of the people in the city to defend the city. Therefore, the next day, Xue Changgong and his brother-in-law, Hou Jing, went to the homes of some of his brothers. This was an extremely tiring task, but after running around, his brother-in-law's mind also became active. "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, where should we go to play? Take me to Fanlou to have a look." As Xue Changgong's bodyguard, he received 13 taels of silver. For the soldiers at this time, it was also a large amount of money.
Although the soldiers of the Wu dynasty were not valued, as a subordinate of the Imperial Army, Xue Changgong had occasionally been to places like Fanlou. After his first wife died, he naturally had a second wife, but his second wife also died of illness not long after they got married. Because his parents also died early, people said that he had a tough life. Although he had the idea of marrying a third wife, in the end, nothing came of it. He was a martial artist and was full of vigor. Later, most of the money he earned was spent in the brothel.
In fact, in his heart, he also had a thought that the women in the brothel were actually far more interesting than the wives he married. Without the control of his family, he also felt that it did not matter if he continued like this.
However, when his brother-in-law mentioned this matter, he was a little reckless.
Xue Changgong looked at his brother-in-law. "More than 10 taels of silver is a lot to put at home, but it is nothing to go to a place like Fanlou. You stay at home, and after the war is over, you can marry a girl."
His brother-in-law avoided his eyes and curled his lips. "Brother-in-law, you also said that more than 10 taels of silver is actually a lot in the countryside, but in the capital, it is not enough to marry a good family. Moreover, brother-in-law, look at the situation these days. With the war like that, even if I take the money … I don't know if I will have the life to spend it … "
His words made Xue Changgong's eyes become serious. Hou Jing paused and said, "In fact, a few days ago, I went to Takeshi for a meal, and I saw Miss Shishi's performance. Brother-in-law, if … if I can see it again, I … will have no complaints …"
Xue Changgong slapped his head. After a while, his eyes became a little more relaxed. "You want to see Li Shishi with just a dozen taels of silver? Moreover, what is there to see with that old girl? " He took a breath and then said, "Forget it. In order to celebrate the defeat of the Female Zhenren, Fanlou does not accept money from the military for these two days. However, it is not easy to see Li Shishi. With your brother-in-law's military card, maybe you can see her. Tonight, you can go with me to try your luck. Quickly take the money back! Let your parents keep it and let them marry a wife for you! "
He agreed, and Hou Jing nodded repeatedly, getting excited. That night, the two of them went to Fanlou. Xue Changgong and Hou Jing were still bandaged, but with such injuries, they were indeed the most popular passports in Bianliang City at this time. On the way, Hou Jing talked about the day when Li Gang led his troops and defeated the Female Zhenren. He was going to take this to Fanlou and brag to the others. Then he talked about Li Gang, feeling that he was really a good person.
"… A few days ago, when the Golden Dogs raided West Water Gate, they did not expect that Minister Li was already prepared. He built wooden stakes in the water and blocked the waterway with huge rocks, so the Golden Dogs could not enter the city at all …"
"That is not hard to predict. When the Golden Men came, all the waterways out of the city were blocked like this, not just the west side."
"Yes, that is true." Hou Jing nodded, then lowered his voice and said, "But, according to everyone, in order to block the waterway, Minister Li directly sent people to Grand Preceptor Cai's residence before the battle and tore down the garden in Grand Preceptor Cai's residence, then filled the Taihu Stones into the water. Brother-in-law, I was thinking, to block the waterway, where can the stones not be used, but Minister Li just had to tear down Grand Preceptor Cai's garden, don't you think this is … "
"Shut up." Xue Changgong suddenly interrupted him and glared at him, "Don't mention this kind of thing in the future … How can you and I guess the affairs of those people above …"
After a moment, he said, "Whether you can guess or not is not something you can say!"
"Oh." Hou Jing nodded.
Not long after, the two arrived at Fan Lou. It was already early evening, and when the aroma of food filled the air, Fan Lou was decorated with lanterns and streamers. After Xue Changgong revealed his identity, he then learned that Fan Lou was hosting a free banquet for the soldiers these two days. It was not rare to see famous courtesans like Li Shishi, but naturally it was not one to one. At this time, there were several high-ranking military officers in Shishi's courtyard. However, when she saw Xue Changgong's injuries and the military establishment, Li Yun personally came to welcome him in.
In Li Shishi's room, there was a round table receiving guests. At this moment, there were also six or seven military officials present, most of them had higher ranks than Xue Changgong, but after hearing Xue Changgong's military establishment, they all gave him a thumbs up and called him a hero. In the room, Shishi and her two beautiful servant girls took turns toasting everyone, asking about the battle situation, and thanking them. After that, there was naturally a performance. Although Hou Jing was Xue Changgong's follower, because he was injured, he was able to sit down and watch the performance. He was even questioned by Li Shishi and the others. The young man had not even drunk the wine, but his face was already extremely red.
Even though she was no longer the most popular courtesan in Bianliang City, Li Shishi was still extremely famous, not to mention that her singing and dancing skills were already at the peak. When the lights in the room dimmed, Miss Shishi left the table and came back. A simple dance performance could really make people feel excited. However, as someone who had just come back from the battlefield and a place where his limbs were broken, Xue Changgong felt that something was wrong. After a while, he excused himself with an excuse and left, leaving his brother-in-law there.
When he left the room, Li Shishi was asking everyone about the fortification of the city walls and the clearing of the fields outside the city. A general said, "Now outside the city, hundreds of thousands of soldiers from all over the country are marching towards Bianliang. The survival of the country depends on this battle. Once the battle starts, millions of people will naturally run away. No one will mention the fortification of the city walls and the clearing of the fields. "
Another general said, "I don't know why Miss Shishi is asking about this. This fortification of the city walls and clearing of the fields was originally a crooked idea. Everything with the Jins will still be decided on the battlefield …"
Xue Changgong did not know about this. After leaving the courtyard, he asked about the whereabouts of a girl named He Lei 'er in the lively Fan House. At this time, there were hundreds of girls in the Fan House. Some were selling their bodies and some were not. He Lei 'er was originally the servant of a courtesan, but now she was just an unknown prostitute. When Xue Changgong found the other party, there were a few men and a few women in the room, eating and drinking. The men were all soldiers. Xue Changgong pretended to be drunk and revealed his identity. Then, he naturally sat down beside He Lei'er and started to chat with the others.
Those people were all low-ranking officers in the army. Seeing that Xue Changgong was a general of the Japanese army and was injured, they did not dare to be negligent. Soon, everyone became friendly with each other. After a while, he fell asleep in He Lei 'er's arms. He took out an ingot of silver and slapped it on the table.
When he woke up the next day, the girl was lying naked in his arms. Xue Changgong usually came to the Fan House and naturally did not have the money to look for famous girls. He had been with He Lei 'er for a period of time. After helping him get dressed and wash up, the girl asked hesitantly, "General, will you come back?"
Xue Changgong said, "If I'm not dead, I will probably come back."
After a while, the girl asked again, "Then … General, do you think this city can be defended?"
"This is the capital city. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are coming to rescue the emperor. Of course it can be defended."
"Oh." He Lei 'er nodded.
After a while, He Lei 'er said hesitantly, "General, we can't leave the city now. However, I heard that if there is really danger, there is some kind of warrant that allows people to leave the city from the south. General, if you have this warrant, I mean … if … if … can you take Lei' er away?"
"I've never heard of this thing." A wave of disgust rose in Xue Changgong's heart. His words became slightly rough. The girl must have sensed his emotions. After a while, her voice became choked.
"General … Lei 'er, Lei' er doesn't mean that. Lei 'er is … Lei' er heard that the women who fall into the hands of those Daoist Masters live a life worse than death. I don't want to die, and I don't want to fall into their hands …"
After she said this, Xue Changgong's heart softened a little. He sighed and said, "If there is that thing, I will tell you. You … Sigh, don't worry …"
In fact, no one had confidence in what would happen to the city next.
After he said this, the girl didn't mention it again. After that, she naturally tried to flatter him again. However, Xue Changgong's interest was exhausted. Not long after, he left Fanlou.
When Xue Changgong left Fanlou, Li Shishi was outside watching the people on the streets in the morning. The city was already under martial law at night. During the day, there was always an anxious atmosphere. As the top courtesan of Fanlou, although she couldn't know the atmosphere on the battlefield, she knew the overall situation better than the average person.
The arrival of the Daoist Masters caused millions of people outside Bianliang to flee in all directions. Hundreds of thousands of imperial troops were gathering. The Daoist Western Army led by Wanyan Zonghan was blocked near Taiyuan. Zhe Keqiu and Liu Guangshi led forty thousand western troops to rescue them. Small-scale battles and looting were breaking out everywhere. The attack of the Jins could shake the defenses of Bianliang at any time. The court was quarreling endlessly and there were already voices calling for peace.
No one could see the tense situation clearly. Shishi thought of what Ning Yi said to her a month ago when he left, "If possible, leave Bianliang and head south." Shishi was shocked by the meaning of his words, but she gritted her teeth and didn't choose to leave. However, at this moment, she was afraid.
What separated the Jins from the millions of people in the city was a thick wall. At the same time, it was like a thin layer of window paper. When the Daoist Masters really killed their way to Bianliang, no one knew when they would rush into the city. When such a nightmare fell, no one could imagine what the men and women in the city would become.
No matter how she felt when she decided to stay, at this moment, she knew that she was still afraid.
On the other hand, she didn't know what Ning Yi had become. In the early days, the city was in an uproar because of the fortification and clearing of the fields, and the court was also debating endlessly. Later, Wanyan Zongwang drove straight across the Yellow River and all the quarrels came to an abrupt end. Shishi vaguely knew that he was going to find Qin Shaoqian, the second son of Prime Minister Qin. However, the Wu Rui Army led by Qin Shaoqian was directly defeated by Zongwang's army in Shouzhang County. Now, it was said that in the court, there were still voices of impeachment against him.
What on earth was he doing in this?
She would always think like this …
*****
The convoy bumped along, and Ning Yi was processing the information.
In the evening, the convoy arrived at the bank of the Yellow River. Troops were stationed here, and the mountains and plains were covered with barracks. They were crossing the Yellow River one after another.
The integrated Wu Rui Army was the first to arrive, and then the Wu Sheng Army of the Daming Residence, led by Commander Chen Yanshu, joined the Wu Rui Army. Nearly a hundred thousand troops were gathered together, but the number of ferries on the river was pitiful, and there was not a single pontoon bridge. When Ning Yi entered the main tent of the Wu Rui Army, Qin Shaoqian was coughing and cursing. His body was full of the smell of medicine, and his head was wrapped in bandages. His left eye was also bandaged. During the battle of Shouzhang County, his cheek was scratched by a fire arrow, and his eye was affected. Now, it was very likely that he couldn't see anything with his left eye.
Seeing Ning Yi coming over, Qin Shaoqian dismissed several generals in the tent and sat back in his chair.
"When the Jins crossed the river, more than 140,000 troops were stationed south of the Yellow River," Qin Shaoqian said. "They didn't start the war. I heard that the Female Zhenren found some sheep, tied them to drums, and made them beat the drums for a day and a night. The troops on the south bank of the Yellow River all retreated back to Bianliang. They drove all the big ships away, so when the Female Zhenren crossed the river, they could only find some small boats. They slowly sent people over by boat for a few days. So now we only have some small boats, and the big ships will only arrive in a day or two. "
"I heard." Ning Yi nodded. "I originally thought that tying sheep to drums was something good people did."
"What?"
"No." Ning Yi smiled. "Your eye."
"I can't see the left eye, but it doesn't matter. Anyway, the telescope you gave me only needs one eye." Qin Shaoqian pursed his lips, then a smile appeared on his face. "Oh, Taiyuan is holding. The order from the capital has been issued. Zhe Keqiu and Liu Guangshi are each leading 20,000 people to help. The Western Army has combat power. Maybe they can slow down the situation in Taiyuan."
Ning Yi nodded. After a while, he said, "I want a boat to send a few people over."
"I'll give you a small boat. If you're in a hurry, you can leave immediately."
"I'm not in a hurry." Ning Yi said, "Bianliang is already surrounded. Some of the people nearby who didn't have time to enter the city are running away, and some are still staying where they are. Although I've arranged a lot of Takeshi's men over there, the Female Zhenren is moving south too fast. I'm afraid they won't be able to coordinate well with the government. I need to send some orders over, and some have to be sent into Bianliang."
Qin Shaoqian glanced at him and hesitated for a moment. "In this situation, hundreds of thousands of people are about to cross the river, and the war is about to start. The outcome shouldn't be too long. The area around Bianliang has become a battlefield, and those who should leave will leave. Liheng, do you think it's still necessary to fortify the walls and clear the fields? "
"If we retreat in an orderly and purposeful way, we should be able to save a lot of people. Besides, those who entered the mountains and thought that they could avoid the battlefield, the food they brought was enough to feed the Nu Zhenren near Bianliang. I don't know how the war will turn out, but I want to try to evacuate them." Ning Yi smiled, "Maybe this is the only thing I can do."
Qin Shaoqian looked at him and paused. "You want to withdraw all of them?"
"… I'll try my best."
The room quieted down. Qin Shaoqian clenched his fists and nodded after a while. "Okay, I'll arrange a boat for you right away. Oh, by the way, some things have arrived. Liheng, come with me and have a look. "
He waved his hand and led Ning Yi out of the central military tent. After instructing the guards to allocate a boat to Takeshi, he took Ning Yi to the rear of the camp. Some supplies were piled up there. There were about sixty to seventy wooden boxes. After Qin Shaoqian opened the boxes, there were elm cannons inside, as well as some shells and gunpowder.
"These are the cannons designed by you, Liheng. The firearms department made them. Every army has some, but no one likes to use them. I asked for the ones from Wu Sheng Army and sent someone to contact Wuwei Army …" Qin Shaoqian patted the elm cannons and said to Ning Yi, "I didn't use these during Shou Zhang."
"Why not?" Ning Yi frowned. "Of course, I know that the firearms department made them a little sloppy."
"That's one aspect." Qin Shaoqian said, "I've tried this thing. After shooting it a few times, it's easy to explode and hurt our own people, so no one dares to use it. Moreover, the momentum is greater than the power. But I heard from Liheng that if this thing is used well, it can scare off horses at night. The Female Zhenren's subordinates who can fight are all cavalry. They have never encountered this thing before. I know you have people under you, Liheng. I'll ask for all the elm cannons from the Bianliang army this time. See if you can gather those craftsmen to repair these elm cannons better. If there's a chance, I want to use it on a blade. "
"Okay." Ning Yi looked at the elm cannons and nodded. "The group of craftsmen in the courtyard didn't retreat far. After crossing the Yellow River, I'll gather them. In addition, I have a better batch in the north. If there's a need, I'll ask someone to send it over. "
"I'll leave it to you."
Ning Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Second Young Master, as you said, the momentum of this thing is greater than the power. If you encounter an army that is bluffing, you may be able to defeat it in one blow. If you encounter the Female Zhenren, you can't blindly rely on these things to win. You can't ignore it. "
Qin Shaoqian nodded and thought for a moment. "Yes, I understand."
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