Snow began to fall once more. Apart from the occasional dancing snowflakes in the cold wind, the vast plains near Bianliang City were filled with a deathly stillness.
Battle after battle, bloodshed after bloodshed. The millions of people who had lived on this land had all migrated. The abandoned villages and towns exuded an eerie and deathly stillness at dusk. The birds had long since flown away. A few animals ran through the snow in the mountains and forests. A squirrel hugged its hazelnut and stood at the edge of the forest, gazing at the land that had once belonged to humans. In the past few months, the people who had fallen on this land had long since turned into cold corpses.
Wolves occasionally appeared.
Only in a few cases would a lone group of horses gallop through the snow from one place to another, carrying out their mission.
In less than half a year, this place had become a forbidden zone for the living.
Mou Tuo Mound was ten li away from Bianliang City, and the road from this place to Bianliang City was still ruled by the aura of humans. Early in the morning, a loud bang resounded on the ice near Mou Tuo Mound.
A group of female Hercules, holding iron balls or sledgehammers tied to chains, smashed them on the ice near the camp, causing a white mist of ice to splatter in all directions.
This area where the Hercules had set up camp was originally where the horses of the Wu dynasty had been raised. Mou Tuo Mound was surrounded on three sides by water and had lush pastures. After the entrance was blocked, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack. But when winter truly arrived, the surrounding lake began to freeze, especially on snowy days. The ice thickened, and the originally three sides of the lake were now completely connected to the land.
After Yao Pingzhong's night raid plan failed, not many people dared to truly attack the Hercules' camp. But after the ice froze over, the Hercules soldiers on Mou Tuo Mound had the additional task of smashing open the ice and sending people to patrol. Every morning, after the Hercules smashed open the edge of the lake, the patrolling soldiers would form teams of three and go back and forth.
The snow was so thick that it was hard to tell whether it was morning or noon. They only knew that it had been a long time since dawn. The patrolling soldiers came and went. Occasionally, they would look at the smooth, snow-covered lake in front of them. Everything seemed monotonous. Only the bustling sounds of the barracks could be heard over the tall wooden walls. When the patrol passed by, a Hercules soldier paused and turned his head to look at the lake.
Heavy snow fell.
He took a few glances, and a moment later, he caught up with his two companions.
We looked over and saw something white on the ice several hundred meters away. It was two figures lying on the ice in the snow. They were wearing white clothes that were hard to recognize in the snow. One of them put down the cylindrical object in his hand, and even used one hand to silently block the front of the cylindrical object.
After the three people in the distance left, he raised the long, crude telescope again. The man next to him took out a small notebook and a charcoal pencil. His hand trembled as he wrote the numbers on it.
"Another hundred and twenty-five breaths … three people patrolling past … while sharing …"
Without an accurate timekeeping tool, they could only roughly estimate the time. In such a snowy day, hiding for a long time was also a huge burden for the two of them. They lay there quietly watching and recording, occasionally moving their bodies slightly. When they were hungry, they pulled out warmed meat jerky from their clothes and slowly chewed it, but they also tried not to move.
Sometimes, when Hai Dongqing passed through the snow and flew into the sky, that was the most difficult time for them.
At dusk, someone quietly came to take their place.
The two quietly retreated from the lake, carefully covering their tracks, and entered the small forest on the other side of Camel Mou Mound. After that, they also walked in silence. Their temporary residence and rendezvous point was a cave in the mountain. Someone came to take the things they had recorded, and after a brief conversation, he delivered some supplies. Before leaving, he reminded them as usual, "If it's not necessary, don't light a fire."
The fried rice, meat strips, and other food that the other party brought had long since turned cold. However, he took out a small iron pot that was wrapped in three layers inside and three layers outside. The meat soup inside was still warm, and he gave it to the two people to drink quickly. Then, he reminded them again.
On this kind of mission, the clothes they wore were enough to keep them warm. One of the two was a young man in his teens named Chen Hai, and the other was a middle-aged man in his forties named Zheng. Chen Hai called him Uncle Zheng.
"Uncle Zheng, do you think the things we record every day will be useful?"
"Sleep early." Uncle Zheng didn't speak much, and his voice wasn't loud either. "How would I know?"
"The Enlightened Master is too ruthless …"
After saying all this, Chen Hai didn't say anything else.
The scouting team was put together by Ning Yi. They were selected during the process of fortifying the walls and clearing the fields, as well as after the Wu dynasty's army was scattered. Some were talents from before Takeshi, some were hunters, and some were talented people who were proficient in survival skills in the wild. Chen Hai had been healthy since he was young, and he was lively and lively. Rumors in the surrounding villages said that he could walk naked in the snow in the middle of winter. When the Enlightened Master came, his village didn't escape the first wave of slaughter. His parents died under the butcher's knife, and he was lucky to survive. Later, Ning Yi recruited him.
When they woke up the next morning, they ate something cold and hard, and then went to take over their shift. The snow fluttered in the air, sometimes heavy, sometimes light. When they went back and received new orders, they would slightly change locations. They also vaguely knew that they weren't the only group in charge of scouting the Enlightened Master's camp.
The person who came to contact them should be an official, or at least an official. The meat soup he brought with him every day made Chen Hai feel warm, because he vaguely knew that there might not be any other official who could do such a thing.
He hadn't known Uncle Zheng for long. Although Uncle Zheng was relatively taciturn, he should have been a formidable hunter in the past. Uncle Zheng would occasionally give him a few pointers on hiding and hunting. After several days of hiding in such a harsh environment, with only one companion by his side, he would unconsciously treat him as the only friend in the world, a relative, or an elder.
That day was the 20th of November.
At noon that day, while they were observing, they quietly changed locations. It had been snowing for so long that the ice on the surface of the lake was actually quite solid. Chen Hai would occasionally reach out and knock on it, but nothing would happen. That day, they probably encountered a relatively thin area.
They had been lying in that area for an entire morning. When the patrolling soldiers on the shore of the lake passed by, Uncle Zheng was observing with a pair of binoculars. Fine sounds rang out from under him.
The two of them froze there and slowly looked over. Uncle Zheng reached out to sweep the snow, and the fine lines spread out from under his body.
Both of them knew that they couldn't act recklessly at this time. Uncle Zheng was a taciturn person. At this moment, he slightly waved his hand to indicate for Chen Hai to move to the side while he moved to the other side.
The ice surface collapsed.
Uncle Zheng fell into the water and came up again, flopping a few times. In the distance, the patrolling soldiers were still walking over. Chen Hai, who hadn't fallen in, carefully reached out his hand. Uncle Zheng pulled his hand, and when he exerted force, fine lines began to appear under Chen Hai's body. The other party seemed to realize something and let go of his hand. He subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction of the Enlightened Master's camp. Falling into the water, he shouldn't be able to see anyone, but he had already stopped flopping and making sounds.
In the wind and snow, the faint voices of the Enlightened Master could be heard. They were also looking in this direction, but because they were too far away and the wind and snow blocked them, they couldn't see that a hole had already appeared in the ice.
Although he was in his forties, in the definition of the Wu dynasty, Uncle Zheng was actually already an old man. Chen Hai lay to the side, desperately reaching out.
"Give me your hand, I'll be able to come up …" He gritted his teeth and whispered.
The old man in the lake trembled and untied the binoculars around his neck. He stretched out his hand and gently placed the binoculars on the ice surface. Then he untied the small package on his back — Uncle Zheng always carried this small package with him, and it seemed to be all his belongings — and wanted to pass the package over, but halfway through, the package fell into the water.
"…" Chen Hai opened his mouth wide, desperately trying to open it. He was already crying, and his tears blurred his vision, but he couldn't make any sound. Two months ago, when the Enlightened Master came to their village, she killed his father, and his mother hid him in a pile of firewood. He heard many movements and sounds, and the last thing he heard was his mother's short scream. After surviving, he went out from the pile of firewood. His mother died outside the door of the woodshed. Half of her body was covered in black mud, and she was naked. Red blood and black mud covered half of her body. This was how he cried in the pile of firewood.
He vaguely knew what had happened outside, but he didn't dare to go out. From the beginning to the end, his mother didn't cry or call for help, but when she was finally killed, she couldn't help but let out a scream. He sat next to his mother's corpse and cried with his mouth wide open. His mouth could fit a fist, but he couldn't make any sound.
Some people couldn't make any sound when they were extremely sad.
In his blurry vision, the old man didn't retract his outstretched hand. He used the last of his strength to give him a thumbs-up, and slightly shook it in the air.
The sound of weapons being forged came from the Enlightened Master's camp, and several patrolling soldiers left.
The old man had already sunk. When his body floated up again, Chen Hai knew that the cold weather would have sealed the hole, and this winter, the old man would never see the world again …
That night, the official who brought him the meat soup brought him back to the valley of Xia Village. The valley was bustling with noise and excitement, and everyone was doing their own things. He was arranged to stay in a small room, and someone brought him food, but he couldn't eat it. Not long after, someone came to ask him about the details of Uncle Zheng's death. He repeated it mechanically, and the other person said, "There will be more people coming later. Brother Chen, please repeat it again, and they will write it down."
"Write down … what …" Chen Hai asked mechanically.
"Write it down … Tell others about Uncle Zheng in the future."
"Why … do I have to tell others?"
"Because …" The other person pondered for a moment. Suddenly, someone outside knocked on the door, as if to report something happened. The person listened to the report, nodded, and came back, "To … let others remember him …"
"He's already dead …" Chen Hai shook his head.
"Yes, Brother Chen, I know you are very sad, and we are also very sad, but I still have something to do here. The person who comes will explain to you."
"What are you sad about? You don't even know him, you don't even know him!" Chen Hai shouted, choking with sobs.
The other person's eyes seemed to be a bit awkward, but he finally left. After a while, another person came in. Chen Hai was about to lose his temper, but he saw that it was the man named Ning Yi. Chen Hai knew that he was a high-ranking official.
The person who came in had prepared a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The high-ranking official named Ning Yi and his entourage were stopped by the door. The high-ranking official looked at him for a while, and then sat down next to him.
"I heard about Uncle Zheng's matter, so I came to see you."
Chen Hai shook his head, but said nothing.
The other person said, "He will ask you in more detail, and we will write it down so that others will remember him." This kind of cliché infuriated Chen Hai. He gritted his teeth and stared at the other person, "Uncle Zheng, who is he? Where does he come from? He gave me that burden before he died, and he definitely wanted me to pass it on to him. Who am I passing it on to now?! "
"That's for you," the other person said. The other party said, "Zheng Yiquan is the same as you. His family is dead. His wife passed away five years ago. His son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren, when the Female Enlightened Master came …"
The other person shook his head and breathed a long sigh of relief. "… Phew. So, no matter what is in the burden, it should be for you. "
Chen Hai stared blankly for a long time. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and even more anger welled up in him. "It's because of this, it's because of this that you … that you chose us. It's because of this that you chose us to die, right? You know how my family died, right? How my father died, how my mother died … "
"I know all of it." Before Chen Hai could finish crying, the other person interrupted him. "Because of this, I chose you people … Of course, not all of you, but a large number of you."
Chen Hai was so angry that his teeth were chattering. "You people, hiding in the back, you people …"
"I sent you to the most dangerous place, but I did not 'hide' in the back." Ning Yi emphasized. He unbuttoned his clothes and revealed the scars on his chest and arms. Then, he walked to the person who was about to write something and pressed his head to the side. "They did not hide behind!" There was also a shocking scar on the side of the person's neck.
"There were indeed people hiding, but the people here today did not 'hide behind'," Ning Yi looked at him and said. "I know what happened around you, and I have seen many people die. To be honest, I chose you to go to that place because of the hatred in your hearts. That is why you could do those things. Even when you die, you will not let those people go. Because of this, I chose you people. But there was no other way. This was the only way to achieve things. I randomly sent a person over. They were not cautious enough and were captured by the Female Zhenren. They were not resolute enough. Our matter was exposed bit by bit. In the end, everyone died. The Female Zhenren broke through Bianliang and killed more people. Am I fair to you people? "
"But … he is already dead …"
"The continuation of civilization does not rely on blood." Ning Yi whispered something that he did not quite understand. "When the Female Zhenren came, many people died. Many people lost their entire clans. Zheng Yiquan's bloodline did not survive. But when he died, you were beside him. You passed him on. The Female Zhenren killed so many people along the way. Many people died. Some of their deeds were left behind. Let future generations know that there was a group of such people. They lived and died. Civilization was passed on. The dead cannot be resurrected. If there is really no other way, try to pass on the story after death. "
He looked at Chen Hai. Chen Hai did not speak again. After a long while, he raised his head and took a deep breath. He sat down on the stool behind him. He opened his mouth and cried silently. Ning Yi closed his eyes and stood for a moment. Then, he walked over. When he passed by the recorder, he knocked on the small table. "I have already said it. Don't ask too much … It's hard enough …"
That night, Chen Hai dreamed of the old man giving him a thumbs-up. He woke up from his dream. He lay on the warm bed that he had not seen for a long time. He opened his eyes wide and could not fall asleep. Thinking of the figures he saw in Camel Mou Gang, he knew that there would be countless people who would die. Everything was just the beginning.
He opened the window. The snow stopped temporarily. He thought of the old man, his parents, the people in the village, and the people who died in this field in the past few months. The old man was quietly at the bottom of the lake. They all seemed to be standing quietly in a certain place. The heavy snow spread out endlessly with the valley as the center. Their figures also seemed to spread out in the surroundings. There were really too many of them …
The moonlight in the night sky was like water. The moonlight was like water, shining on countless black clothes.
He found that he could no longer sleep peacefully on that bed. The next day, he returned to Camel Mou Gang. Before he reached the lake, the Female Zhenren camp was already filled with murderous intent …
*****
It was noon. When the old man walked up the city wall at the new Suanzao Gate, he was surrounded by running defenders.
People carrying buckets of water were rushing up the city wall in batches. They poured water on the outer wall and then went down again, repeating the process. The soldiers had already raised their shields and were ready to defend the city, such as yaksha rings, rolling logs and stones. Countless defenders were ready to spread out on the city wall.
Above the city wall, the strong wind was very cold. However, the cold was no longer something to worry about at this time. Qin Siyuan walked to the center of the city tower not far away. Two old men were already there. The one in the lead was Li Gang, and the other was Zhong Shidao of the Western Army. Zhong Shidao had not recovered from his serious illness, but at this time, he could only hang on bitterly.
Looking outside, it was the camp where the Female Zhenren stationed when they attacked the city. During this time, some siege weapons were displayed there, but there were not many of them. However, the atmosphere in this area had already begun to change.
More siege weapons and troops had not yet arrived, but the scouts outside the city had received the news that the Female Zhenren's general attack was coming.
Everyone in the city knew that the Female Zhenren had been working hard to build weapons during this time. When Zhong Shidao was ill, he had considered the strategy of taking the initiative to attack. However, after what happened to Yao Pingzhong, no one dared to carry out this plan. Moreover, the 30,000 Zhong soldiers brought by Zhong Shidao's younger brother, Zhong Shizhong, had also suffered a defeat on the plains outside Bianliang City not long ago. At this time, they were holed up nearby and reorganizing the defense.
When the Western Army first arrived, people had high expectations for the combat effectiveness of the Western Army. They felt that the Western Army would be able to turn the tide once they arrived. Yao Pingzhong's failure shattered this expectation. People could continue to look forward to Zhong Shidao's performance. However, under such expectations, when Zhong Shizhong arrived with his army, Zhong Shidao couldn't just stand still. As a result, after a fierce battle between the two sides, the Zhong army also returned in defeat. Although Zhong Shizhong had seen the opportunity and the Zhong army still retained more than 20,000 soldiers, at least the higher-ups had completely understood that even the most powerful Western Army of the Wu dynasty would find it difficult to win against the Female Zhenren cavalry that dominated the world at this time.
In fact, at the beginning, perhaps only Zhong Shidao himself had clearly understood this point. After he arrived in the capital, he had suppressed the Yao army and prevented the army from attacking recklessly. He had only hoped that after his subordinates met up with all the troops sent to rescue the king, they would be able to scare Wanyan Zongwang into retreating or gather all their forces to fight him. Unfortunately, when he entered the city, his prestige was too great. Zhou Zhe couldn't stand it and finally put him under house arrest. He then agreed to Yao Pingzhong's plan. By the time Zhong Shidao was released, the 200,000 soldiers had been defeated. This old man, who was still conscious despite his illness, could no longer be saved.
At this time, in Bianliang City, all the civil and military officials of the imperial court had gathered. There were still many people who knew how to use troops. However, the Ministry of War, starting from Tong Guan, did not dare to accept the responsibility of defending the city when they saw the Female Zhenren's imposing manner. He only said that he had retreated from Taiyuan and could no longer convince the people because he was a criminal. This kind of gaze proved that he knew how to use troops. If he didn't accept it, the others would understand. A few of the more experienced people also didn't dare to accept it.
And the Emperor's recent silence had allowed the Left and Right Ministers to hold power, but in reality, they were just watching from the sidelines. In the end, the Left and Right Ministers only had the power to appoint the middle-level officers at will. In this way, they could only use the tactics of defending the city in an orderly manner and couldn't do too many risky things.
In short, they could only defend.
As the wind blew, three old men in their sixties stood in the wind and snow, waiting for the arrival of Zongwang's army. Only Qin Siyuan, after a long period of solemnity, gradually laughed. The laughter was heroic and didn't match his usual image. But Li Gang also gradually laughed, and then Zhong Shidao also laughed.
"Today, the three of us are here. Let's face this matter!" Li Gang said with a smile.
In the distance, the banners of Zongwang's army arrived.
*****
In the valley of Xia Village. The news had already arrived.
In a room, Hongti and Juan 'er were mending the linings of some clothes. In the open space outside the door, Qin Shaoqian, Han Jing, Yue Fei, Qi Xinyong, Yuwen Feidu, and many others gathered here, watching the young man named Black put on those clothes.
When the armor made of iron and steel pieces was completely put on, the young man's entire body almost became a walking iron armor.
It wasn't the first time the young man wore this. When he swung his fist, the dancing snowflakes in the air whistled and spun. Behind him, the armored warhorse let out a soft whimper. Behind him, more than a hundred armored cavalrymen were also putting on their armor.
"Not bad." Ning Yi said in a low voice. Not far away, Qin Shaoqian stroked the armor on the warhorse, shaking his head and sighing.
Putting on the helmet, the young man picked up the guandao and jumped onto the horse with a bang.
Soon, the valley began to move. Gradually, in the evening, everyone gathered all over the valley. Piles of bonfires spread. Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, and all the other generals appeared on the high platform above the valley. Qin Shaoqian raised his cup to everyone in the valley. Then, from left to right, they slowly fell down.
"Today, this cup is for heaven and earth, the gods and ghosts, the dead, and you and me who are here. Today, Zongwang has officially sent troops to attack Bianliang. Everyone, the time has come … "
The bonfires blazed, and the valley was filled with a solemn atmosphere. Everyone listened to him in silence.
The wind and snow drifting in the sky seemed to be afraid to come close for a moment …
*****
Taiyuan.
At night, the sick Qin Shaohe woke up from his sleep. In the dark room, his concubine was asleep by the bed. He opened his eyes for a long time until he couldn't help but cough, waking her up.
"Master, you are awake. Do you want some water?" The concubine asked and then said, "The city defense is fine. Don't worry."
"I had a dream. I dreamed of father. "He said weakly.
"Father-in-law is in Bianliang. It's better than here. Don't worry."
"Okay." Qin Shaohe nodded slightly. Then he smiled and said,
"Zhan Mei, I think, I may not see father …"
*****
The sea of snow spread. Day and night came and went. November 22nd, morning came.
This morning in Bianliang City was exceptionally quiet. Except for the falling snow, it seemed that no one had woken up. Fanlou's carriage passed through the quiet streets and came near the city wall. The sky was just beginning to brighten. Shishi got off the carriage. She often came here to help recently. But this time, the atmosphere in the military camp was a little different.
Before she could discern the change in the atmosphere, the faint and abrupt sound of a bugle horn came from the distant wall. A huge object was passing by in the sky. There was a muffled bang. In the bright sky and the falling snow, it seemed that a wind suddenly passed by. Shishi's body shrank. She felt the ground was shaking. Someone was shouting in the distance —
Boom —
Boom — Boom — Boom — Boom — Boom —
The sound of the siege rose to the highest level in an instant. The terrifying sound drowned the city and shook everything it touched …
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