The sky brightened.
Shishi woke up from her sleep when the servant girl came in to add coal. The room was a little too warm, causing her forehead to heat up. Over the past few days, she had gotten used to the somewhat cold barracks. Suddenly returning to Fan Lou, she felt a little uncomfortable.
"How is Miss Cen?" She rubbed her forehead and lifted the blanket covering her body to sit up. She still felt dizzy.
"Doctor said she, she …" The servant girl wanted to say something but stopped.
"It's fine as long as her life is saved." The girl sitting by the bed looked at the servant girl calmly. The two of them had been together for a long time. Usually, the servant girl knew that her daughter was cold and indifferent to many things. But this time … it was different.
"Miss Cen's life … is not in danger."
"… Her hands are gone." Shishi nodded. What made the maid unable to say was this matter, but Shishi already knew about it.
Last night, Shishi had brought the handless Cen Jiqing back to Fanlou.
Over this period of time, due to Shishi's influence or the propaganda in the city, there were some girls in Fanlou who went to help near the city walls like Shishi. Cen Jiqing was a famous red card in Fanlou. She had a plain temperament and was similar to Miss Nie, Nie Yunzhu, who was by Ning Yi's side. She used to be the daughter of a doctor and was much more skilled than Shishi in treating injuries. Yesterday, at the frontlines of Fengqiu Gate, her hands were cut off by a Jurchen soldier.
It was because she was a girl that she was saved in such a situation. Last night, when Shishi drove her back to Fanlou, half of her body was already dyed red with blood. Cen Jiqing's hands were only roughly bandaged and stopped the bleeding. Her entire body was only left with a trace of life.
The country was in danger. Although most of the doctors had been conscripted to the battlefield, places like Fanlou still had better medical resources than the battlefield. While the doctor was treating Cen Jiqing's severed arms, Shishi returned to her courtyard and washed herself with hot water. She leaned on the bed and fell asleep.
The weather was cold and the snowstorm was intermittent. Half a month had passed since the Female Enlightened Master's attack on the city, and more than three months had passed since the Female Enlightened Master suddenly went south. Now that he thought about it, it was still so real, as if what happened in front of him was just a nightmare that he couldn't escape from.
None of this was real. In the past few days, Shishi had this thought in her mind many times when she woke up from her dreams. Those ferocious enemies, the scene of blood flowing like a river, even though it happened in front of her eyes, Shishi couldn't help but think, "Is this real?" Perhaps such thoughts were swirling in the minds of countless Bianliang people at this moment.
His father, who was originally the pillar of the family, went to the city one day and suddenly couldn't come back anymore. Her husband, who used to earn her salary and food, had suddenly become a part of the city's nightmare. She used to be a beautiful woman with bright eyes and white teeth, but when she saw her again, she had lost a pair of arms and was bathed in blood … In this short period of time, the traces of countless people's existence and the memories left in other people's minds drew a line. Shishi had experienced many ups and downs in her growth, and she had seen the darkness of the world in her communication and flattery, but she still felt like a nightmare to this sudden reality.
However, all of this was real after all. The sudden arrival of the Female Enlightened Master broke the beautiful dream of this land. Now in the fierce battle, they almost took down the city.
In the early days, the news of the Female Enlightened Master's ferocity and the brave fight of the soldiers and civilians had almost never stopped, which indeed boosted the morale of the city. However, when the influence of the death of the defenders gradually spread in the city, sadness, cowardice, and even despair began to ferment in the city.
The death of a person would affect more than just one or two people. He would have a family, friends, and social relations of all kinds. The death of a person would affect the circle of dozens of people, not to mention that there were more than one or two people who had died in the circle of dozens of people.
The people started to become afraid. A large amount of sorrow, grievous news, and rumors of the intense battle caused the young people in their families to cry and beg, not daring to let their families die. Some of them had already gone to the city walls. The people moved around, trying to see if they could be taken down or transferred to other places. Those who had connections had already begun to find a way out — the Female Enlightened Master was too ruthless, and it seemed that she would not stop until Bianliang was destroyed.
Fanlou was in the center of Bianliang's news circle, so he was the most sensitive to these things. But for Shishi, she was already a person who had been to the battlefield, so she did not think so much.
After a little grooming, Shishi went to see Cen Jiqing who was still unconscious. She had been on the battlefield for half a month, and did not dress up much, but her original temperament was still there. Although she still looked weak, after being used to swords, spears, and blood, she seemed to have a tenacious momentum, like weeds growing out of the cracks in the stone. Li Yun was also outside the room. She looked at her and wanted to say something, but stopped.
If it was in the past, none of the ladies in the brothel would be able to bear the sight of a person's hands being chopped off. Even last night, when Shishi brought some people to carry the bloodied Cen Jiqing in, the moment they lifted the clothes covering him, they saw that both of Cen Jiqing's arms were chopped off and he was covered in blood. Some people fainted on the spot. Even Li Yun found it hard to bear. Only Shishi was still tiredly but calmly arranging everything. Only when the physician arrived did she go back to sleep.
The sky was not bright yet, but the wind and snow had stopped, so it would only be colder than usual — because Shishi knew that it would be more convenient for the Female Enlightened Master to attack the city. Looking from Fanlou to the northeast, a black column of smoke rose into the gray sky in the distance. It was the smoke of burning corpses for days. No one knew if the city would be broken today, but Shishi packed up a little and prepared to go to the barracks. Then, He Lei 'er came to find her.
"Shishi … Senior Sister, you were on the battlefield … How is he?"
This girl, who did not have a high position in Fanlou, was worried about Xue Changgong, so she came to ask Shishi for news.
"He hasn't come these days. I'm worried that something happened to him. Didn't they say … that the Female Enlightened Master won't attack the city at night …"
"I prepared some pastries that he likes … I wanted to give them to him, but he said he wouldn't let me go … and I'm afraid …"
"… Senior Sister, I also heard it from others. The Female Enlightened Master is determined to break the city. Many people are looking for a way out …"
"He was assigned to the Sour Jujube Sect, but he is a general … Senior Sister, can you … can you go find him and give him the pastries for me …"
He Lei 'er was not bad looking, but she could not get a high position in Fanlou because she only had good looks. At this time, he came to find Shishi with a heart full of worries. He was long-winded, talking about timid and selfish things. She wanted to find Xue Changgong, but she was afraid of the danger of the battlefield. She wanted to please him, so all she could think of was to give him some pastries. She wanted Xue Changgong to arrange for her to escape, and she hoped that Shishi could help her talk to Xue Changgong …
She did not notice that Shishi was about to go out. She talked endlessly. Shishi was angry at first, but she could only sigh later. She listened to He Lei 'er talk for a while and said a few perfunctory words. Then, he told her that Xue Changgong was stationed in the area where the battle was the fiercest. Although he was nearby, the two of them didn't have much interaction. It was even more impossible to find him recently. If you want to send something, you can only take his token. Maybe you can find it.
The flames of war swept over. In this unprepared situation, some people lost their lives. Some were confused, and some were depressed. Some people changed in such a war, and Xue Changgong was one of them.
Alas, such a man may like you before, but after the war, he will be promoted step by step. He will have all kinds of women. Even if you want to be his concubine, you won't be able to get it …
After sending He Lei 'er away, Shishi thought to herself. Then, the figure of another man appeared in her mind. The man who had warned her to leave before the war started seemed to have seen the development of the situation a long time ago. He had been doing his own things and then went to meet the enemy. Now, when she recalled the last time they met and parted, it seemed to have happened a long time ago.
Ning Yi …
He was not a man who changed in the war. What kind of category should he be? Shishi could not explain it clearly.
On the first day of the twelfth month, after the news that the Xia Village garrison won against Zhang Linghui and Liu Shunren, the only progress in Bianliang City was that Guo Yaoshi led the whole resentful army to attack.
The war was fierce …
The world's strongest army with a total of 36,000 people fought against the army of about 18,000 people. Shishi could not judge how fierce the war was. She could only look at the people dying on the walls of Bianliang City and occasionally imagine the war by the Yellow River. In any case, it might be good news that there was no news of defeat.
No matter how fierce the war was, as long as he could stay alive, maybe … it would be good news …
*****
Thud thud thud thud …
The sound of horse hooves rushed through the snow.
One horse, ten horses, a hundred horses. The figures of the cavalry galloped on the snowfield and then passed through a small forest. The hundreds of horses behind followed the dozens of figures in front and finally completed the encirclement.
When the two sides met, the horse in front turned around and approached the pursuers. The black figure stretched out his hand and rushed out from the horse's back. With a whoosh, the cavalry that collided with him spun in the air. The black figure landed on the ground and moved backward, shoveling up the snow under his feet. The two pursuers almost crashed into him. But then, the two galloping horses lost their balance. One jumped high to the left and fell with a long neigh, while the other rolled to the right. The black-robed man pulled the hand of the rider on the horse and waved it behind him. The rider flew out, drawing a shocking arc in the air and flipped dozens of feet before falling into the snow.
"Stop! Everyone stop! It's a misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding! "Someone shouted.
The black-robed man had already stopped in the snow with his hands behind his back. It was Fu Lu with sharp eyes and a solemn expression. Behind him, hundreds of horses were surrounded and protected by the crowd. It was Chen Yanshu, the commander-in-chief of the Wu Sheng Army. This man was in his forties and had a dignified appearance. He used to be a civil official and was now a military general. He was the type of scholarly general that the people of the Wu dynasty liked the most. Seeing Fu Lu throw away three charging cavalrymen with just one stride, he was shocked. He often marveled at the superb martial arts of these martial arts masters, but it was a pity that the person in front of him could not be of use to him.
These people who acted on impulse could never understand the big picture and the helplessness of those who maintained the big picture …
"Senior Fulu, please stop. I've already said that you've misunderstood me …"
"There's no misunderstanding." The old man said loudly and also cupped his fists, "Lord Chen, you have your ideas and I have my ambitions. When the Female Zhenren went south, my master died in order to assassinate Guhan. Now that the war in Bianliang has reached such a situation, you dare not go to Bianliang City and you are also unwilling to send troops to Xia Village. I can understand if you have your reasons, but I only have half my life left. If I want to die for this, you can't stop me. "
"The situation is complicated! Senior! " Chen Yanshu took a deep breath, "I have already told you in detail about the situation in Bianliang and Xia Village! Bianliang City is dangerous and dangerous. Everyone knows that the Female Zhenren is fierce and cruel. It's not that I don't want to send troops, but I really can't! These tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people have just been defeated. If I rashly go out again, I won't be able to go anywhere. If I stay here, I can still deter the Female Zhenren and the Resentful Army. As long as Bianliang can hold on, the Female Zhenren will definitely ask for peace because of our existence. As for Xia Village, isn't it the same … The Resentful Army is the world's mighty army. At that time, the imperial court supported him with six states of Yan and Yun and half of the imperial court's strength. But who knew that Guo Yaoshi was two-faced and betrayed the Female Zhenren! Xia Village? A few days ago, they underestimated us and took advantage of the moment. But sooner or later, they will be defeated. Senior, do you really want us to waste all our resources here?! "
Fu Lu was not good with words. On the other hand, because of Zhou Dong's teaching, he didn't want to ruin Chen Yanshu's reputation in front of the army even though they were separated at this time. He just cupped his fists and said, "Lord Chen, everyone has their own ambitions. I have already said …"
"Moreover! Those who want to do great things must let go if they can't succeed! Senior, in order to raise the morale of the army, did I, Chen Yanshu, not do anything?! I want to make your name known to the army in the hope that the generals and soldiers will carry on Master Zhou's unfulfilled wish and work together to kill the enemy. However, these things need time. If you leave now, what will happen to the morale of the tens of thousands of people? "
Seeing that Fu Lu didn't have anything to say, Chen Yanshu said one sentence after another, deafening and powerful. As soon as his voice fell, one of the dozens of people who were being chased said, "Shut up, Chen Yanshu!"
On the horse, the man pulled out his steel saber and pointed it at him. In a moment, dozens of people from the Green Forest who left with Fu Lu also pulled out their weapons, "Glib words and shameless boasting! Are you finished?! There are tens of thousands of troops, but you don't even have an inch of morale. What does the imperial court want you to do?! You even took this as showing off and said it shamelessly! Let me tell you, General Long Hui only has about six thousand people under his command, but they are far more courageous than the forty to fifty thousand people under your command … "
"Long Hui!" Chen Yanshu reined in the horse's head and sneered, "Let's not talk about the fact that he's just a deputy general who took advantage of the defeat of the army to gather a few thousand people. He doesn't have the qualifications to lead troops. If we really talk about his talent as a general, he's brave but not astute. Leading a few thousand people is just sending him to his death! I chased after you because I don't want senior to die with you idiots … "
"Chen Yanshu, you …"
"Enough!" The man on the horse wanted to say something but Fu Lu waved his hand and interrupted him. Then, he cupped his hands at Chen Yanshu with a cold expression.
"Lord Chen, you don't have to say anymore. We have already made up our minds. Even if we die in Xia Village, it has nothing to do with Lord Chen. If we really bring trouble to Lord Chen, we can only ask Lord Chen to forgive us even if we die. Everyone has their own ambitions. If Lord Chen is unwilling to forgive us, then forgive us for not being able to accept your way of doing things. You can order your brothers to kill us today. If we are lucky enough to escape, we won't be able to go to Xia Village. For the rest of our lives, we will only be enemies with your family. Although I'm not skilled in martial arts, if I focus on survival, I might still be able to escape today. Lord, you make the decision. "
His words left no room for negotiation. The companions around him waved their swords and spears. "That's it! Senior, if they really kill us, you don't have to care about us! "
"If we really kill each other! We'll just die here! "
"Chen Yanshu, did you hear that! If I'm alive! I'll definitely kill your whole family … "
The crowd shouted for a while. Chen Yanshu's expression changed from one moment to the next. In the end, there was a tense and awkward silence on both sides. After a long time, Chen Yanshu finally took a deep breath and slowly urged his horse forward. The guards beside him wanted to protect him but were stopped by him with a wave of his hand. He rode alone towards Fu Lu and then came down from the snowy ground. When he arrived in front of the old man, he proudly cupped his fists.
"Senior, you've deeply misunderstood me," he said slowly and in a deep voice. "But since things have come to this, there's no point in arguing. Long Hui is ambitious but incompetent. You guys attacked Medicine Master Guo and there's no chance of survival. It's the same for Xia Village. A moment of bravery, so what if you can hold on for a few days? Perhaps by now, that place has already been breached … I've chased you all the way here and I've done my best. Since I can't stop you … Sigh, everyone, take care … "
He slowly finished saying these words and then bowed. Then, he walked back to his horse with a solemn expression.
Not long after, in the snowy ground, the two groups of people finally separated and went in different directions.
*****
In the snowy ground, a long line of soldiers moved forward.
"It was still snowing yesterday. Today, we've moved and the sky is clear. This is an auspicious sign. Heaven is helping us! Brothers! Keep your spirits up! The brothers of Xia Village have already held on for a few days under the fierce attack of the resentful army. Now that our army has suddenly arrived and attacked from the front and back, we'll definitely be able to defeat the three surnames! Let's go! As long as we win, military merits and pay will not be a problem! You're all the heroes of this world … "
On the snowy slope in the middle of the troops, a general riding on a warhorse was cheering for the troops as he moved forward. He also had the foundation of martial arts. His voice was like a huge bell as he exerted his internal strength. In addition to his burly figure and righteous personality, his cheering along the way was very encouraging.
Not long after, a small group of troops came to join them. After gradually merging, the entire troop became even more impassioned. It was the eighth of the twelfth month. In the afternoon, Fu Lu and the others also arrived. The mood of the troops became even more impassioned.
The battle in Xia Village was able to attract the attention of many people outside of Bianliang City. Fu Lu played a huge role in it. He was the one who secretly lobbied many parties and instigated many people to start such a situation. In reality, when Medicine Master Guo gathered the resentful army on the side of Xia Village, the tragic but still able to fight back shocked many people. However, it also made them feel encouraged.
The general who was leading the troops, Long Hui, was one of them. Of course, it was hard to say if his impassioned speech was driven by the desire for power. However, at this moment, all of this was not important.
"Commander Chen is wise to protect himself and is unwilling to fight. We have already expected this. The situation in this world is so rotten. Even if we curse here, it is useless. If he is unwilling to come, then so be it. " After listening to Fu Lu and the others, on the snowy slope, Long Hui only laughed boldly. "Senior, you came from Xia Village. In the village … how is the battle?"
"It is sunny today. It is not easy to hide. I just took a quick look … it is quite tragic …" Fu Lu sighed. "The resentful army seems to have broken through the camp wall …"
The news he brought made Long Hui silent for a moment. It was already the sixth day since the Battle of Xia Village had entered its climax. In the previous news, the defending army and the resentful army had been exchanging blows. The resentful army had used various methods to attack the city. However, with the cooperation and assistance of the firearms, the defending army had never been truly attacked by the resentful army into the camp walls. Who would have thought that the sturdy defense would still be broken today?
Of course, it was just a wooden wall. No matter how good it was, it was already extremely lucky to be able to last for five days in such a battle. It was not that they did not have any mental preparation. It was just that as a companion on the periphery, they did not want to see it.
Outside of Xia Village, on the snowy ground, Medicine Master Guo rode on a horse and looked at the fierce battle in front of him. The three colors of red, white, and scorched black almost filled everything in front of them. At this time, the line of soldiers spread from the southeast into the gap in the crooked camp wall. Halfway up the mountain, a reserve team rushed over and was fighting fiercely with the soldiers of the resentful army who had rushed in, trying to push out the front line that had broken through the camp wall.
Ning Yi rushed over the slope that was dyed red with blood. He swung his long knife and sent a tall resentful soldier flying. Beside him, Zhu Biao, the Qi brothers, Tian Donghan, Hunchback Chen, Nie Shan, and the others all rushed into the enemy like fierce tigers. In a sense, these people were the personal guards that Ning Yi kept by his side. They were also the reserve cadre group.
The injuries he had suffered previously had basically healed, but the internal injuries from breaking the Six Paths had accumulated. Even with Hong Ti's treatment, it was not completely healed. Now that he was fighting with all his strength, his chest could not help but ache. Not far away, Hong Ti waved a big spear and led a small group of elites towards Ning Yi. She was afraid that Ning Yi would get hurt, and Ning Yi was also afraid that something would happen to her. They fired a shot and fought with all their might. Blood splashed on their heads and bodies from time to time. In the boiling crowd, the figures of the two people were already red from the killing — —
With a whistling sound, the long spear rushed past Ning Yi's side like a giant python and stabbed towards his back. Hong Ti heard his low voice complaining, "What?"
"Didn't you say that if 10% of the army died, it would collapse? How many have died now — —"
After several days of fierce battles, the casualty rate between the resentful army and the defending army of Xia Village was no longer a mere 10%. However, at this moment, no matter which side was fighting, no one knew how much longer they would have to fight before they could see the signs of victory.
But at this moment, in the valley of the Xia Village, the resentful soldiers still had the upper hand. Compared to Ning Yi's killing and complaining, Guo Yaoshi, who was in the resentful soldiers' battle formation, watched the development of the battle. He muttered, "What other tricks do you have, use them …"
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