Winter.
The rain fell and soaked the streets bit by bit, turning the originally messy streets into muddy alleys. When the carriage slowly passed by, Shi Shi lifted the curtain and looked at the lifeless shops on both sides of the street. The shopkeepers and a few customers were looking in a certain direction of the city by the door. A few children dragged wooden sticks and ran in the rain. When they reached the other end of the road, they also stood and looked in the north. One of the children waved his fist and shouted, "Kill all the golden dogs! Kill all the golden dogs! "
The sound of war was faintly heard from that side.
Bianliang was a large city with more than a million people. It was difficult to see the ends of the north and the south. The sound of war shook the city walls and then spread like ripples into the city. When it reached a distance, the sound faded away. But these days, most people in the city could understand the meaning of the sound.
After the Western Army suffered a crushing defeat on the 24th of September, Wanyan Zongwang sent out all his cavalry and defeated the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the field outside Bianliang. For the residents of Bianliang, this news almost made them despair, but it also aroused a great sense of crisis. The second day after the Western Army was defeated, the students of the Imperial College and the residents went outside the imperial city to petition for the imperial court to put Li Gang, Zhong Shidao, and the others in an important position to eliminate the traitors. Chen Dong, the student of the Imperial College, even listed Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and the others on the list of the "Six Thieves" and asked the imperial court to punish them.
After this incident, the imperial court accepted some of the opinions and promoted Zhong Shidao, ordering him to assist Li Gang and organize the defense of Bianliang. Zhong Shidao sat in a carriage and appeared in front of the people outside the imperial city. The petitioners were willing to leave. After that, Li Gang and the others launched propaganda in the city. Hundreds of thousands of people in Bianliang responded and expressed their willingness to fight on the city wall and die with Bianliang. In this way, everyone was united and the momentum of cutting off all means of retreat was unparalleled.
In the face of such a commotion, the original pro-peace faction no longer had any voice to speak. The Jin envoy Wang Qi died in the riot that night, and the imperial court spared no effort to publicize the cruelty of the Female Zhenren. After the city was breached, no one was spared. After that, the Female Zhenren attacked the city several times. The residents actively participated in the war preparation, but the city wall was firmly guarded for more than a month.
During this process, the prices of goods in the city began to rise.
The first to soar was naturally the price of food and vegetables. The city of Bianliang had always been rich in resources and the prices were stable. Most people would not expect the Female Zhenren to suddenly attack. Before the siege, although a large amount of food was transported in, it was still the imperial court's food. Li Gang and the other court officials not only used righteousness to instigate people to defend the city, they also distributed rations and other resources to those who contributed. Because of this reason, the upper echelons did not adopt the policy of stabilizing the prices of goods. Some of the young and strong could participate in the defense of the city, and they could participate in the production of rolling stones and other defensive items. However, in the process, most of the people would still be divided into different classes. The livelihood of a very small number of people in the city would eventually be threatened by this situation.
Fanlou was naturally not in the scope of threatened livelihood. Because there was no large-scale storage of food in the past, they had begun to consider the problem of food. Shishi went out today to find Su Wenfang in Takeshi to discuss the purchase of food. When Ning Yi left the city to the north, Su Tan'er and other family members had already gone south. Su Wenfang volunteered to stay in the city to continue to take care of Takeshi, and also to run errands for the Prime Minister's Mansion. With Shishi's help, there was no problem in buying food.
At this time, after the discussion, in the north of the city, the sound of the Female Zhenren attacking the city did not stop. Along the way, most of the residents in the city were paying attention to that direction. Even if some were calm, eating snacks and chatting with each other, they did not know how nervous they were. To everyone, the city wall was tall and sturdy, but now that they thought about it, it was like a thin piece of paper. If they continued to fight like this, they wouldn't be able to help much. Once it was broken, the entire city would be massacred.
Shishi also let the carriage go in the direction of the north of the city. As a woman, she was afraid that it would be difficult for her to help, and she would not be allowed to go near, but … she always wanted to go closer to take a look.
The rain was still falling. Along the way, when they passed by a certain street, they suddenly saw a figure in front of them. The figure moved forward hesitantly under the eaves, but perhaps because she did not bring an umbrella, her body was almost completely wet, and she looked quite miserable. Shishi hurriedly stopped the carriage, opened the curtain, and waved. "Lei 'er, Lei' er, come up."
The figure in front was also a woman from Fanlou. Her name was He Lei 'er. She was neither a leading prostitute nor a courtesan. The two of them were quite different in reputation, and they did not usually interact. The woman was holding a food box in her hand. She turned her head, and when she saw it was Shishi, she was stunned for a moment. Then, she got into the carriage. Shishi gave her a towel, and frowned slightly.
"Sister Lei 'er, where are you going in this weather? The city is not peaceful. If you go out alone like this, something bad will happen."
The Female Zhenren attacked the city, and the prices of goods rose. The city was under martial law at night, and public security began to decline. Shishi was a leading prostitute, and when she went out, she had a carriage and guards, but He Lei 'er did not have such equipment. She wiped her face, bowed her head, and thanked her. Then, she said with some embarrassment, "I, I want to go to the Sour Date Sect to take a look. My … lover is now guarding the city. I am afraid that something will happen to him, so I want to go and take a look … I also brought him something to eat …"
"Oh …" Shishi nodded. In fact, He Lei 'er was not a virtuous person. In Fan Lou, she did not have much freedom to choose her guests. Speaking of lovers, there were more than one or two. But in the past, how could a soldier guarding the city be regarded as a "lover" by her? Naturally, there was no need to say this. After chatting for a while, from He Lei' er's somewhat proud tone, Shishi also learned that her lover was a general in the Imperial Army who led more than 500 people. His name was Xue Changgong. Shishi had an impression of this name. During this period of time, there were several generals in the army who were known for their bravery in killing the enemy. Xue Changgong was one of them. Shishi vaguely remembered that she had met him in Fan Lou and greeted him.
In the past, the people in Fan Lou were either high officials or rich gentry scholars. They were mostly judged by their literary talent, wealth, and status. Now that the war was continuing, the status of the soldiers was rising. He Lei 'er was obviously proud of having such a lover. At this time, when she mentioned it to Shishi, she revealed a lot of information. She even told Shishi that Xue Changgong had given her a token so that she could visit him at the city wall. She also showed it off. When she heard that Shishi wanted to take a look at the city wall, she volunteered to take her there.
However, Shishi felt that it was inappropriate. "Now that the war is going on, I just want to take a look around. I can't really go there, right?"
However, He Lei 'er said, "I am not a woman who does not know the severity of the situation. I have been to his barracks once. It is still some distance from the city wall. I will put the things down, and then we will go." She hugged the small food box in her arms. "There are not many things in the building now. These are the few pieces of pastries that I have saved. They taste quite good, and I can't bear to eat them. However, if I leave them here, they might go bad …"
In the past, supplies were abundant. Even He Lei 'er, who did not have a high status in Fan Lou, would not be so short on money. However, at this time, the pastries from before were no different from delicacies. When He Lei 'er wanted to give them to Xue Changgong, Shishi was more or less touched. After a while, the two of them arrived near the cordon at the north of the city. The sounds of the siege had become increasingly violent and noisy. If they went any further, ordinary people would not be able to go. Shishi took a scarf and a veil to cover their heads and faces. She also wrapped the food box. After getting out of the car, He Lei 'er showed the token to the soldiers guarding the street. Then, the two of them opened the umbrella and went to the new Sour Date Gate.
This side was originally close to the city gate. In the distance, the towering city wall stood at the end of their sight. It was daunting. The scenery outside the city could not be seen, but it seemed like it was being shaken by an unknown giant beast. Occasionally, there would be a boom, probably caused by a stone from a catapult hitting the wall. It made one's heart tremble. The people on the city wall came and went, the people below were busy moving the stones, and the screams of the wounded could be heard.
The two of them were heading towards the barracks of the nearby soldiers. There were figures coming and going around, and occasionally, there would be people turning their heads to look at them. It made them feel uneasy. As soon as they entered this area, He Lei 'er regretted it. She had been here once in the past, but it could not be compared to the situation during the war. Moreover, women were not allowed to come near during the war. It was possible that they would be punished by military law. Shishi also felt that this decision was a little reckless. While she was regretting, she suddenly saw a few people in the chaos in front of them.
The general called Xue Changgong was covered in blood. He was talking to a few soldiers next to him. When he saw He Lei 'er, he suddenly froze. He Lei' er also saw him. Before she could say anything, he rushed over with a fierce look and knocked away the umbrella they were holding. He suppressed his voice and said, "Why are you here? How dare you come here! Who is she? Aren't you afraid of military law!? How dare you … "
The heavy rain poured down. He Lei 'er's arm was suddenly twisted by him. She frowned in pain, "I … I came to give you something. You … you are injured …"
"You are reckless!" Xue Changgong gritted his teeth and said. He turned his head and looked around. He suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the side, "Even if you are women, go and help! Go to the barracks! Over there! Go and save people. Hou Jing, bring them there to help! "
He Lei 'er nodded desperately. She was still hesitating about the food box in her hand. Shishi also pulled her hand, "Let's go!" They followed the soldier named Hou Jing to the barracks. In fact, this man named Hou Jing was Xue Changgong's brother-in-law. He had met Shishi before. However, Shishi was not in the mood to care about this. The two of them followed the other party to the casualty barracks. Hou Jing picked up the umbrellas from the ground and covered them with them. He then jogged all the way to the casualty barracks. All sorts of screams, the smell of blood, and the smell of medicine permeated the air. Even the heavy rain could not stop it. They entered the hut and a more miserable scene appeared in front of them. Hou Jing called someone to bring them over and said a few words. However, Shishi and Shishi did not listen to him at all.
Corpses, fresh blood, broken limbs, and heart-wrenching screams filled the air. Shishi was still fine, but He Lei 'er was scared out of her wits. When she was called over to bandage a soldier who had been injured by an arrow, she vomited at the side …
Because the heavy rain was not good for attacking the city, the day's battle came to an end at noon. However, the things in the barracks did not stop. Most of the wounded soldiers who were sent here were wounded by arrows. Some were also wounded by stones from the catapults. In the midst of the chaos, Shishi, who knew a little about bandaging, helped a little. But as soon as she stopped, her body felt like it was about to collapse. Her whole head was buzzing from all kinds of screams and wounds.
The man named Hou Jing came here several times to see her. He even helped to treat the wounds of a few people. He was a little clumsy when he was beside Shishi. He would even sweat when he talked. However, after a few simple exchanges, Shishi also knew that the intensity of today's battle was not high at all.
"… Female Zhenren did not seriously attack the city. Recently, they are mainly testing the catapult. Moreover, it is raining heavily today. These injuries are not a big deal. If they were to climb the wall, it would be terrible … "
Even if the injuries were "not a big deal", when the arrow was shot into the body and then pulled out, it gave people the most unbearable pain …
After staying in such an environment for an entire afternoon, Shishi's upper body was also smelled of blood. Hou Jing brought her a steamed bun, but she naturally could not eat it. Her body was swaying as if she had no strength. Occasionally, when she talked to Hou Jing, Hou Jing would tell her about the scene of the siege in the early days and the tragedy of the battle. When Shishi looked at the city wall again, the towering, square city wall became as thin as paper.
More than a million people were surrounded by the city wall. Once the city wall was crossed, all of them could meet the same fate …
Even in a battle like today's, there were still many who died. Naturally, there were more in the past. Outside the city walls, the number of people who had died in the field was even greater.
During these days, Shishi occasionally fantasized about the fate of these people. She also thought of the last time they met when Ning Yi left. She had witnessed such a scene in the city today. What kind of situation did the other party experience outside the city?
In more than a month, there were several news of reinforcements and troops coming to rescue the emperor. However, the Female Zhenren attacked continuously and mercilessly. During this time, these troops were all defeated one by one.
"… Outside the city, hundreds of thousands of troops were defeated by the Female Zhenren. I heard that those Female Zhenren have already swept the north of Bianliang several times. Many people died. I'm afraid the corpses are still there … There is no place to bury them … Those Female Zhenren are not very familiar with attacking the city, but their cavalry is invincible on flat ground. They can't even run away …"
Hou Jing told her about the battle that he could understand. Hundreds of thousands of troops came one after another and were defeated one after another. No one could be counted on in Bianliang. Now it seemed that the north of the city had probably been killed and turned into a thousand miles of barren land …
A thousand miles of barren land …
Looking at the city wall, Shishi imagined that countless people had been killed outside the city. She didn't know if Ning Yi was inside, but the hundreds of thousands of reinforcements had either been defeated or killed. In this city in the wilderness, no one would be able to save the one million people who were all alone.
After returning to Fanlou, she fell sick that night. She was sick for five days. After she recovered, she asked the doctor in Fanlou for treatment and went to the camp to help the wounded soldiers.
Sometimes, Yu Ho-chung, Chen Sifeng, and others would come to talk to her about the battle. She often thought of Ning Yi. Someone she knew had gone to the battlefield. She didn't know how he was, whether he was still alive, or what he was doing. If he was alive, she didn't know if he was afraid or escaped in such an environment. She didn't know if she wanted him to escape, live, or die bravely. Time in Bianliang passed day by day in such an atmosphere.
In the military camp of the Jurchen Sect in Motuo Hill, the soldiers didn't rest because of the cold weather. Many siege weapons were being built in full swing. The Jurchen Sect was good at fighting on horseback. Although they had accumulated some knowledge in the process of destroying Liao, it was still a shortcoming. Zong Wang planned to train them while they were besieging the city. After all, the Jin Kingdom would conquer the Wu dynasty in the future. They would have to conquer many cities all the way south.
During this time, the cavalry under his command had shown almost invincible combat ability in this field. Except for this city, which was the only target to be conquered, there was basically no need to worry about other aspects.
After fighting a few battles, he knew the combat ability of the Wu dynasty. To be honest, it was beyond his expectation that the power of a country could be so weak.
In addition to training the soldiers here, the other purpose of the Jurchen army these days was to hunt for novelty. In the process of sweeping the surroundings, the Female Zhenren plundered a lot of good things and also captured a lot of people. Delicious food and fun things were now popular in the military camp. Fortunately, Zong Wang's prestige was now sufficient. While he was slightly relaxed, the group of generals also made their subordinates maintain sufficient training and a sense of tension.
In November, it was going to snow. On this ordinary day, when Commander Liu Yanzong and General Huo Ligai were patrolling the military camp, Huo Ligai mentioned something casually.
"There are fewer and fewer Han people around here."
"Hmm?" Liu Yanzong frowned.
"Yesterday, we sent out 3,000 people to patrol the surrounding 50 li, but they found nothing." Huo Ligai said, "They returned empty-handed."
Liu Yanzong smiled and said, "The army of our dynasty has been here for so many days. Those who should have left have already left. What's there to be surprised about?"
Huo Ligai shook his head. "In the past, the surrounding soil was fertile. Even if the army came, there would be many people hiding in the mountains. Now, even if we searched the mountains, we wouldn't be able to find anyone. This general isn't worried that they were scared away or killed. It's just that I heard from some of the captured people that some of the Wu dynasty officials are still evacuating the people and food in the surrounding area. The area may have already expanded to a radius of more than a hundred li. Their goal is to fortify the walls and clear the fields, cutting off our army's source of provisions. If this is true, perhaps we should pay more attention. "
Liu Yanzong frowned in thought, but then he laughed in a relaxed manner. "The Wu dynasty will certainly do fortify the walls and clear the fields. Right now, our army still has enough provisions to last us for several months. Sending people out to patrol is just to stretch our muscles and bones. Right now, there's no need to worry too much about provisions." He immediately lowered his voice. "The Wu dynasty is to the south. The winter is bone-chilling. Although it's different from our Liaodong, it's not a big problem. Once the siege equipment is ready, the army will immediately attack the city. The Wu dynasty's army has no morale at all. They only rely on the fortified city to resist. Just like Liao's Shangjing, if it weren't for the use of these equipment, I'm afraid it would have been broken long ago. Right now, let's wait and see. "
When the Female Zhenrens attacked Liao's Shangjing, they didn't care about the cost. Shangjing was also a fortified city, but it was broken through in half a day. Of course, there were many complicated reasons for this, but after defeating hundreds of thousands of troops in succession outside Bianliang, the Female Zhenrens mostly had this kind of confidence. If it weren't for the fact that the Marshal wanted to train in the use of the siege equipment and attack the city at all costs, perhaps Bianliang wouldn't be able to hold out for more than a few days. Under these circumstances, naturally, there was no need to take these jumping clowns to heart.
This was just a small interlude, and no one remembered it for a while. Although Liugi said it, he wasn't too worried in his heart. He only said it out of a cautious habit. After that, he no longer took it seriously. When this matter was brought up again, it was already a period of time later when the Female Zhenren had no choice but to take it seriously …
*****
On the north bank of the Yellow River.
A team of horses was crossing the river.
This team of horses had about two thousand people. The square formation by the river was neat, quiet, and solemn. There were also some things being transported in carts at the back.
The fleet responsible for transporting them was arranged by the nearby county magistrate. Because it was located at the Yellow River crossing and it was wartime, recently, the captain of the fleet had transported countless people over and back. However, it was the entire army that went over, and the ones that came back were often defeated soldiers, wounded soldiers, and corpses.
After transporting so many troops, the captain could basically recognize the quality of these soldiers. However, this team of horses in front of him was a little strange. The soldiers among them all looked weather-beaten and experienced in killing. In the army of the Wu dynasty, such people were often the elite and personal soldiers. However, it was easy for such elite soldiers to become sloppy and indifferent ruffians. The ones who remained serious and trembling with fear were often the new soldiers. Although they looked obedient and orderly, such soldiers often broke down when they went on the battlefield. Some of them didn't even have the order to escape, and their casualties were often the highest.
This team had two characteristics. On the one hand, their team was so orderly that it looked like it was drawn. On the other hand, looking at it individually, each of their members didn't look like they were mediocre.
After looking at their organization, the captain knew that this was the volunteer army that had surrendered during the recruitment in the north. But to be honest, this was even more strange. The so-called volunteer army was usually formed by mountain bandits and bandits. These troops were even less disciplined. After the Female Zhenren conquered the area, volunteer armies rose up everywhere, but those who really dared to chase after the Female Zhenren and fight it out were few and far between. They just said it in a nicer way. According to Ning Yi, those people were the model example of "at least patriotic". But to put it more harshly, how many shameful things did they have to do for them to be "at least patriotic"?
But no matter what, his fleet still obediently transported this team over. Before leaving, he also explained the situation of the Female Zhenren in detail to the other side, telling them to be careful and not repeat the mistakes of the army at the front.
"We are different." When he put a few silver ingots into the hands of the captain of the fleet, the deputy general of the army named Han Jing said this. The captain thought that this was for the best. Naturally, he didn't refute, but in his heart, he remembered this team that was said to have come from Luliang Mountain. He sneaked a peek at the front of the formation. The leader of the group, who was wearing a cloak, looked like a woman.
He had glanced at her when he was on the other side of the Yellow River. When the eyes under the cloak looked at him, he felt as if his eyes were pricked by needles. The murderous aura coming from the female general made him not dare to look at her for a long time …
*****
This was a valley on the south bank of the Yellow River. The forest and the valley stretched out. At this time, this place had become a temporary barracks. Outside the valley, barricades and trenches stretched out one by one, making this place the most unsuitable for horse fighting.
Since the night of September 24th, the Female Zhenren launched an attack. Until now in November, on the plains north of Bianliang, hundreds of thousands of troops had been defeated. Many corpses were now in the plains, and many defeated soldiers had fled in all directions and disappeared without a trace. But there were always a few forces that could temporarily gather the crowd.
This place in front of them was originally a branch of the Wu Rui Battalion. In the name of this, they gathered many other defeated soldiers and finally settled here. Now, they were training all day long.
This place was a little difficult to conquer. It was not very far from Mou Tuo Gang and Bianliang City. The Female Zhenren knew of their existence, but after seeing the overlapping trenches and barricades outside, she was too lazy to attack.
Ning Yi stood on the river bank, looking a little pale. He coughed a few times. Beside him were several people who belonged to Takeshi — they were not warriors, but mostly accountants and advisers.
"… I have asked. It is the dry season now, so the water level is so low. After spring, it will rise." Ning Yi looked back and pointed to the south. "If we dig this when the water level is at its highest, the Yellow River will change its course, and the flood will rush straight to Bianliang City. At that time …"
He paused, took a breath, and waved his hand. "At that time, when the water level recedes, there will be thousands of miles of fertile land … and many people can be fed."
They were all looking at the river, only Ning Yi was facing the direction of the valley, the trenches and barricades in the distance, the fortifications, and the people in the entire valley. His face was pale, and his eyes were also a little pale, which was the color of death.
Although he boasted that he was cruel and merciless, and had once dominated many people's lives, the death he had seen in the past month had far exceeded the sum of the past. Including himself, he had already faced death several times.
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