Early in the morning, in the courtyard behind the Takeshi Restaurant, people swept away the snow. In the dim light, people had already begun to gather, greeting each other in low voices.
The courtyard was quite large, and there were about 60 to 70 people. Most of them were wearing robes, and some had instruments such as erhu. They found long benches and sat down in twos and threes in the cold weather.
They were all storytellers, and Lv Si was one of them. He held an erhu and a few pages of paper in his hand. His eyes were a little red because he had stayed up all night. After sitting down, he saw the shopkeepers and bosses in front of him come in.
"Gentlemen, I'm sorry to have gathered you in a hurry. There is a shortage of supplies in the city, and there is no fire. I'll make a long story short. After that, I'll treat you to noodles. You should have read some of these short stories that have been sent to you. "
"Yes, I have." Lv Si answered in the crowd, and most of the people around him answered in unison. They were usually storytellers, and they were good at talking. But at this time, no one was joking. On the one hand, the people in the front had a high prestige. On the other hand, during the time when the Jurchen people besieged the city, they had experienced too many things. Some of their acquaintances went to the city wall to participate in the garrison and never came back. Some of their hands and feet were cut off by the Jurchen people and were still alive. After all, most of these people were literate, so they were arranged to work in the logistics. Now they survived. Only after reading the stories of some people inside and outside the city last night did they know that so many things had happened during this period of time.
Lv Si finished reading the two stories that had been sent to him last night, and his mood was very excited. They were storytellers. Sometimes they told fictitious and fantastical stories, and sometimes they inevitably told hearsay anecdotes and embellished details. Ultimately, it was different from the matter at hand. Especially since he had participated in it, it was even more different.
The aroma of broth came from the neighboring courtyard, and the boss in front of him continued to talk.
"The printing of books has just begun to resume, and we don't have enough manpower, so we can't send them to you for the time being. You can pass them to each other after reading them. The battle with the Jurchen people was not a good one. Many people died. But in this battle, many people, whether inside or outside the city, rushed up and sacrificed their lives. They sacrificed themselves while charging forward, not while running away. It's just that for their sake, we need to preserve these stories … "
"There's no need for impassioned embellishments. There's no need for everyone to act like how they're talking about Li Guang and Huo Qubing, to talk about how those who offend us, the strong Han, must be punished no matter how far away they are, to talk about the great achievements of Wolf Storehouse. This time, we will only talk about individuals. There are many things like this that have been sorted out and those that have not been sorted out. If you have heard it, you can also help to sort it out. We storytellers might usually just make people laugh, but in this city right now, everyone is sad. You have to go and lift their spirits. There's nothing else. We'll remember those who have sacrificed themselves … We say it's tragic, not generous. Does everyone understand? If there's anything you don't understand, you can bring it up and we can discuss it. "
Then, someone started to speak. Someone asked, "Boss, has the peace negotiation outside the city been settled?"
"It hasn't been settled yet." The storytellers were usually well-informed people in society. Sometimes, after telling some things, they could not help but discuss it with others. Naturally, there would be people asking about the negotiation. The boss replied, "Speaking of which, there's some progress. Both sides may be inclined to negotiate, but everyone, don't forget the Jurchen people's wolf nature. If we really treat it as something that's in the bag and let our guard down, the Jurchen people will definitely pounce on us. The old hunters in the mountains all know that when encountering a ferocious beast, the most important thing is to stare at its eyes. If you don't stare at it, it will definitely bite you. Everyone, please go out and emphasize this point. "
"… If we are prepared to fight, then we have the right to negotiate. If we don't have the intention to fight, then we will definitely be beaten."
The noisy chatter continued for a while. The noodles were cooked and served piping hot.
This morning, Bianliang was still covered in white. After breakfast, the storytellers left one after another. They, along with Takeshi's assistants, were mostly in groups of two. Lv Si found a small market by the river and sat down. He played his erhu.
The city had been besieged for a long time and the weather was cold. There was nothing to buy in the market. Not far away, two white sheds were perhaps the most eye-catching thing. Under such circumstances, those who could hold funerals for their family members were mostly wealthy. After he played the erhu for a while and began to tell a story, some people came over.
The sound of the erhu was sorrowful. What he told was actually not an uplifting story. When the Jurchen people attacked the city, he had also seen many people die. Most of the time, he was in the rear and was lucky to survive. Seeing people die or the miserable scene before their death did not move him much. It was only when these stories, which had been recorded and organized, were put together that the people who had died back then suddenly found meaning and a home to return to. The people who came over, including those who were listening from a distance in front of their homes, more or less had the same experience. After being pulled out of reality by the story, most of them could not help but feel sad and sympathetic.
After he finished telling a story, some people had gathered nearby. There were also children in mourning clothes. After that, there was a small interlude. A woman in linen clothes came over and begged for help. She had set up a mourning hall for her Husband. But there were too many dead people in the city. Not to mention monks, there was not a single person who could play musical instruments. Seeing that Lv Si could play the erhu, she brought some money and begged Lv Si to help.
After Lv Si refused, the woman was so sad that she sat on the ground and cried. She murmured about her family. Her husband was a small landlord nearby. He was still young and liked to play with knives and swords. When the Jurchen people came over, the man left his wife and two young children at home and went to the new Suanzao Sect. He died there. Now the two children were two years old and four years old. Although there was a small amount of money left at home, she was a woman in her early twenties. How could she guard the family? She had set up a mourning hall for her husband, but she could not even invite a monk or a musician. The woman could only send her young husband away in such a difficult winter.
It was not a big family to begin with. It was difficult for a young woman to support this matter with two children. In the past few days, the pressure on her body had been so great that it was indescribable. Now that she was crying, the people around her also wiped away their tears. Next to her, a child of eight or nine years old in mourning clothes cried and said, "My father died too. My father died too … "Then there was the sound of crying.
On this day, most of the storytellers in the city encountered such situations. No matter if it was inside or outside the city, a person's death was usually not too impassioned. For the survivors in the city, the death of their loved ones made them see the reality in front of them. Only when so many people with different identities died at the same time could they add a little meaning to these deaths. Even if this kind of meaningful propaganda was caused by people, at least it would not let people directly sink into the dark abyss.
While some people with ulterior motives were stirring up some noise in the city, outside Bianliang, the military camps confronting the Female Zhenren were not calm.
When Zhong Shizhong led the western army to fight the Female Zhenren, the Wu Ruiying people arrived one step late. Then, the news of the peace talks spread. The Wu Ruiying and the hundreds of thousands of people who came one after another set up a battle formation and confronted the Female Zhenren. The Wu Ruiying chose a snow slope that was not too steep to set up camp. Then, they started to build fortifications, reorganize their equipment, and began to prepare for a large-scale battle. Seeing the Wu Ruiying's actions, the others also began to build fortifications.
As the peace talks progressed step by step, the Female Zhenren did not want to fight anymore. The public opinion that the peace talks had been settled began to appear. The remaining hundreds of thousands of troops did not come to fight the Female Zhenren. It was just that the Wu Ruiying's attitude was made clear. On one hand, the war was coming to an end, so they had to follow like this. On the other hand, they rushed over to divide up the elite troops before others intervened. The morale was not high to begin with, and the fortifications were done hastily and carelessly.
Only on the Wu Ruiying's side, they built fortifications day after day and did offensive drills as a daily routine. At first glance, it was obvious who was superior. After a day or two, someone said that during the peace talks, there should not be any more provocations. If the Female Zhenren made threatening gestures in front of the Female Zhenren all day, it would be like a provocation. If the other side became violent and continued to fight, who could bear the responsibility of ruining the peace talks?
During this period, it was normal for the various troops to contact and lobby each other in private. Of course, Wu Ruiying could refuse some of them, but there were also some that he could not refuse. After a few days, under the suggestion of Takeshi's advisors, they also sent out lobbyists to instigate those who could fight in the other side's battle formation to defect.
In this way, although it could be said that they had defeated the other side, in private, they became restless. On this side, there was another round of discussion, self-examination, and reflection in the army. Naturally, they could not target the other side's actions. Instead, they discussed together why they had lost the battle against the Female Zhenren, where the differences between the two sides were, and what they needed to do to defeat this group of people. In the army, whether talented or not, they gathered together to talk about their own thoughts, then put them together, and so on.
Everyone had a brain. Even if they were illiterate farmers before joining the army, they would be able to distinguish what was reasonable and what was not when everyone discussed together. Why they had lost the battle against the Female Zhenren? Because they were afraid of death. Why were all of them not afraid of death, but when they gathered together, they became afraid of death … These things, as long as they delved a little deeper, they would be able to filter out some problems. The discussions over the past few days had caused some sharp things to float among the middle and lower ranks of the soldiers. To a certain extent, the crisis of being divided had been resolved. At the same time, some lively things had also begun to sprout within the military camp.
Stepping on the not too thick snow, Chen Dongye returned after training with his subordinates. When he approached his tent, he saw an officer standing outside, and at the same time, he also heard the discussion inside the tent.
The person outside the tent could be considered to be familiar with him. Although he seemed to be standing casually, in fact, he had the feeling of letting out some fresh air. Seeing that it was him, he gave him a look and also waved his hand, letting him in. After he opened the curtain and entered, he saw that there were already six or seven junior officers in the tent. Seeing him enter, everyone stopped talking for a moment, and then immediately began talking again.
What they were talking about was the matter of the higher officers of the other troops stirring up trouble behind the scenes and pulling people in.
"… That brother of mine came to find me. He said that as long as I was willing to go back, he would reward me with a hundred taels of silver and immediately promote me by three ranks. These people only want the world to be in chaos, so they spend their hard-earned capital day by day … "
"Do you dare to say that you are not tempted?"
"Hey, I am not short of money! Let me tell you, at that time, I directly pulled out my saber and clearly told him that I will say this again. If he doesn't become my brother, I will chop him with my saber! "
"Brother He is domineering!"
"There is nothing domineering about it. How did we fight these days!"
"These days, I finally understand how we lost, how those brothers of ours died …"
The few people in the tent were all low-ranking officers, and most of them were also young. In the beginning, they suffered defeats, but after killing their way out of the battle at Xia Village, they were at the peak of their sharpness and hostility. Luo Ye, who was in the same tent as Chen Dongye, had an aristocratic family background in the capital. He had always dared to speak, and dared to rush and fight. That was probably why everyone gathered here. After a while, their voices gradually became louder, and there was also someone sitting next to them who patted the wood. Chen Dongye said, "Lower your voices."
"What is there to lower your voices about!" A man with a scar on his face opposite him said, "During the discussion tonight, I also dared to say the same thing! The Female Zhenren hasn't left, and they want to fight among themselves! Who in the army doesn't understand now! We only have hope if we hug each other. If we really break up, everyone will be like before, a nest of a bear! So what if we are rewarded with a hundred taels of silver and promoted by three ranks! You have turned people into cowards! "
"What I'm saying is, let's not cause trouble for the higher-ups. I'm afraid that General Qin and the others won't have an easy time …"
After this period of time, everyone quite agreed with the higher-ups, especially at a time like this. From the daily discussions, they more or less understood the difficulties of the higher-ups, and their hearts were more united against the common enemy. They changed the topic.
"Young Master Ning is really powerful, giving them a show of strength."
"But I heard from Takeshi's brothers that this is also a measure of expediency."
"Whether to break up or not, in the end, it is the higher-ups who have the final say …"
"If we really break up, will we become like before? To be honest, if they really break us up and give me a hundred taels of silver and a promotion by three ranks, I don't have the confidence to defeat the Female Zhenren next time. After saving money, before the Female Zhenren comes, I have to run to a place where there is no one … "
"Hey, go to a place where there is no one, why do you still need money …"
"Let's buy things first!" That person shouted, "I didn't know before, but I fought with the Female Zhenren and lost like that. Now, if I run back and follow those sons of b * tches, if the Female Zhenren comes again, will I still dare to fight? Last time, after I rushed out, I saw the Female Zhenren coming to kill me, so I ran away after being injured. The next time the Female Zhenren rushes over, I think I will turn around and run first. Following those officials, stealing chickens and eating without pay, how can I fight? How can I rely on them? It wasn't easy to build a foundation, and so many brothers died. To be honest, if we are together, wherever General Qin, Mister Ning, and the others point, I will fight. If I take a step back, my eighteen generations of ancestors will all be f * cked up! "
As this person spoke, his eyes turned slightly red, but no one could say anything. This person was a little sentimental, but when it came to killing enemies on the battlefield, he had always been the most ferocious.
Someone said, "I don't know much, but if they really want to break up, what do you think we should do?"
"Yeah, how can we, a group of soldiers, talk about the matters of the higher-ups …"
"It's not that we can't talk." An officer named Luo Ye said, "The higher-ups have their own ways of fighting. As for us, we don't have many helpers. But first of all, we have to stick together!"
"We've been fighting until now, when have we not stuck together!"
"Sticking together is not something that can be said with words! If these scholars have ideas, they can speak. As for us soldiers, if we have ideas, we have to stand up and fight! " Although this Luo Ye was the son of an aristocratic family, he dared to fight, regardless of the consequences. At this time, his eyes widened, "What do you mean by sticking together? My family knows many people in the capital. If anyone doesn't agree, I'll kill them. This is called sticking together! General Qin, Mister Ning, I admire them. Now that those bastards are stirring up trouble behind the scenes, they can only deal with it from the higher-ups. To put it bluntly, it depends on who has more people and who has more influence. We are also considered people. Why did these people secretly send people to persuade us? It's because they think we are easy to deal with. If they want to stab General Qin in the back, then we will tell them: I am not easy to deal with, we are a piece of iron! This way, General Qin, Mister Ning, and the others will have an easier time doing things. "
"Brother Luo, what do you think we should do?"
"Fight! Beat whoever doesn't agree! It's the same logic as beating the Female Enlightened Being! Don't you all understand? After a few years, the Female Enlightened Being will definitely come again! If it is destroyed and we follow those shameless people, we will die. Since it is a dead end, then let's fight! Just like Xia Village, we have more than 10,000 people gathered together. We can fight anyone! If they come to obstruct us, then we will fight. If they are heroes, then we will make friends. Right now, it is not just about you and me. The country is in danger and we are about to be overturned. We don't have time to play with them … "
Everyone nodded, not really understanding. In the snowstorm, in the camp in front of them, there were many similar things that were fermenting. It was like a spark. Although it could be extinguished at any time under the pressure of the outside world, at least during this period of time, there were people who started to unite under the pressure of the outside world and were determined to do something. Finally, there were people who had the same feelings.
Like an undercurrent under a layer of ice, these things appeared among countless complicated things and then sank again. In the process of these things happening, outside the Female Enlightened Being's camp, there were caravans escorting some herbs, food, and other things into the camp. This was to appease the Female Enlightened Being during the negotiation. It was the Right Minister's Residence that was in charge of these things, and it immediately received a lot of criticism.
Time passed in the silence of the snowstorm. In Bianliang City, the propaganda led by Takeshi gradually raised the morale of the people who had sunk into sorrow. There were many discussions about the people who sacrificed themselves in the war and about heroes. The negotiation continued. In Fanlou, Shishi was waiting for Ning Yi and the others to put in the right effort in the negotiation — — Ning Yi and the people from the Right Minister's Residence were also running about in the capital for this matter. In these few days, she could occasionally hear about it — — but what she did not know was that even though they had put in effort, the feedback from the Right Minister's Residence was not ideal.
On the 23rd of December, on the fourth evening after Ning Yi quietly returned to Bianliang, he came down from Wenhui Tower while discussing some matters with a think tank beside him.
"… The situation in the capital is a bit strange. Everyone is playing Tai Chi. The real feedback is from Tang Ke, the leader of the peace faction … Tang Qinsou's personal morality is very good, but he is not important. Regarding the negotiation outside the city, the important point is that we will send troops to escort the Female Enlightened Being out of seclusion, and the internal point is the fate of the Wu Rui Camp. If these two points are implemented and the Wu Rui Camp rescues Taiyuan, the north can be preserved … Now it seems that everyone is somewhat ambiguous. Now the delay is one day less … "
"… Could it be that the officials in the court have other ways to protect Taiyuan?"
"In this battle, Zong Wang swept the Central Plains. Even if Zong Han did not make any big moves, he has already cleared out the area around Taiyuan. After the two armies join forces, who can stop them? The Wu Rui Camp is the only army that has a winning record. They went north with hundreds of thousands of people and cooperated with the defense line at Taiyuan. Otherwise, it would be like watching the enemy use a knife to cut their flesh. Prime Minister Qin has lobbied His Majesty, but His Majesty's attitude … is not very clear … "
In Bianliang, what Ning Yi was really responsible for was public opinion and propaganda, connecting the middle and lower levels, and contacting the military. But even though he was not personally responsible, the attitude of the upper echelons of the Wu dynasty was strange enough.
Qin Siyuan, Jueming, and Yao Zunian were all intelligent people. There was no problem with their ability. But after working for so long, Qin Siyuan had met with the Emperor many times, but he had not received a clear answer in any aspect. This made people a little anxious. What exactly was the Emperor's attitude toward the military? What exactly was everyone's attitude toward Taiyuan? Was it possible for the negotiations at the front to be stuck? These things were all pressing matters that rolled over like a wheel. Once they hesitated, they would have to watch helplessly as they missed a good opportunity.
The negotiations outside the city should be settled in a few days. Ning Yi was also a little puzzled by the silence and hesitation of the upper echelons. Just as he was coming out of Wenhui Tower, he suddenly heard a voice in front of him.
"* * * * * — The weather is so cold, and there are not many dead people on the streets. I'm so bored. When … I! Fuck! Ning Yi! Hahahaha, Ning Yi! "
That voice was extremely arrogant, and one could tell who it was the moment they heard it. Ning Yi raised his head. As expected, it was the wretched-looking Playboy Gao Muen who was dressed like a panda. When he saw Ning Yi, his expression changed a few times. After that, he placed his hands on his hips.
"You're back! Hahahaha! Ning Yi! 'How dare you come back … You don't have many good days ahead of you!' When the time comes, I'm going to kill you — "
He pointed a finger at Ning Yi and said some unclear words. Ning Yi tilted his head and frowned slightly. Just at this moment, a sudden swoosh rang out.
"Kill the treacherous dog —"
On the street, someone suddenly shouted. A person lifted the cloth covering the carriage nearby, and the sky was filled with snow. Blade light flashed, and hidden weapons danced in the air. On the long street, a peddler who was originally setting up a stall overturned his stall. Not far away from Ning Yi, a woman wearing a headscarf and holding a basket suddenly raised her hands and slashed out with her two blades. Someone jumped down from the top of the building. Two assassins rushed past Gao Muen. At this moment, a killing formation formed by over ten people suddenly spread out on the street, pouncing toward Ning Yi who was dressed like a scholar.
At the same time, a figure beside Ning Yi rushed out. The sky was filled with blade light. Behind him, spear strikes were like the roar of a dragon, sweeping across the area. Shouts also erupted at the same time, like the essence qi of a battle formation. In an instant, the entire street trembled as killing intent soared into the sky.
Snowflakes filled the sky, human figures clashed, and the sound of weapons clashing could be heard. The sound of steel blades cutting into flesh could be heard. After that, the outline of blood splattered everywhere.
This was a sudden assassination. Gao Muen stood there. At first, he only pointed at Ning Yi and stared at Ning Yi. But in the blink of an eye, his vision blurred. Figures rushed out, and there were also ferocious men rushing toward Ning Yi. On the other end of his vision, Ning Yi's gaze also suddenly changed. Gao Muen only saw this for an instant before he was covered by the figures. The burly man rushed to Ning Yi. In the next instant, his entire body curled up and he was flung to the side of the long street. The goods on a carriage were blasted away by him, and the boxes flew everywhere. Some people used earth blades and rolled over. The blade light bloomed like a lotus flower. After that, they were pierced by a steel spear and rolled away with a dark red color. And in front of him, the crisscrossing blade light caused human heads to fly. Sticky and warm blood splattered on Gao Muen's face. A hunchbacked swordsman brandished a long blade and killed his way over like moving clouds and flowing water. He let out a strange cry that caused one's heart to palpitate.
"Wah —"
In the blink of an eye, blood and chaos filled everything in front of him.
Gao Muen couldn't understand what was happening in front of him at all. After a moment, he came back to his senses and suddenly shouted, "Ahhhhhh — Blood! There's an assassin! Quickly protect me! I want to go back and tell my father — "He hugged his head and ran toward the group of guards. He ran all the way through and crashed into a tree with a bang. He covered his nose and rolled on the ground.
Due to the war, the people of the Underworld had stopped assassinating Ning Yi for a period of time. But even so, after this period of training on battle formations, the guards around Ning Yi would only become stronger. How could they be rusty? Although it was unknown how they received the news that Ning Yi had returned to the city, the moment these assassins made their move, they immediately ran into a tough opponent. On the long street, it was as if a massacre had suddenly occurred. A few assassins rushed into the restaurant on the opposite side. After that, someone was killed and pushed out of the restaurant. A few of Ning Yi's attendants also rushed into the restaurant. After a moment, someone was shouting. The voice was heard.
"His Highness is here. Who dares to alarm His Highness —"
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