Night fell, and the forest turned green. While dinner was going on in the small courtyard on the mountainside, snowflakes began to fall from the night sky.
When the people in the courtyard saw the snowflakes falling, they stopped talking. Winter had arrived, and it was only a matter of time before it started to snow. However, once the snowflakes fell, many problems would become more pressing.
Of course, everyone had gone through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. From the beginning, they were already aware of many things. This year, and even the next few years, the problems that they would encounter would not be simple. With such mental preparation, all that was left was to take one step at a time and overcome one problem at a time.
Therefore, after a short pause, the laughter resumed. The men chatted casually about many things in the light of the first snow. In the room next door where the women gathered, Watermelon was holding Xiaoning Ji. When she looked out of the window, she was a little hesitant. However, as the child waved her hands, her expression turned into a smile. Off to the side, Su Tan 'er looked at her. When their eyes met, she smiled warmly.
Once the snow sealed the mountains, the roads became more and more difficult to travel. The people of the Tyrant Saber Camp had to move south.
To her, this was a complicated matter.
However, in this courtyard, in this valley, in this northwest, in this world, the complicated matters were far from this small matter.
Dinner gradually passed in a lively and interesting atmosphere. After dinner, Ning Yi sent Qin Shaoqian out and said in a low voice, "The matter in the capital has long been predicted, and it has little to do with us. However, in the northwest, it has become a problem to decide what to do. We've already handed over the letter you wrote. We hope that Old Master Zhong will listen to it for the sake of Prime Minister Qin's face. However, this time, the Western Army still broke camp and headed south. Now, they are blocked by Wanyan Chang's troops and have already started fighting. Li Qianshun is coming south. Something is going to happen in the northwest … "
Qin Shaoqian looked at the snowflakes in the night and clenched his hands. "The Jurchens are attacking Bianliang, and Old Master Zhong will send reinforcements. The Western Xia have exploited this loophole very well, but on our side, we have yet to stabilize our footing, what can we do? "He thought for a moment," The Zhong Family's army has been delayed in the south, the Zhe Family can only protect themselves. If Liheng thinks it's worth the risk to cooperate with the western army and defend the northwest together, I can go see Elder Zhong first. Maybe I can say a few words for the sake of my father and brother. "
Ning Yi shook his head. "It's too risky."
After their group came to the northwest, they also hoped for stability in the northwest. But of course, the propaganda of the Wu dynasty's demise was something that Ning Yi and his group had to do. In the early days of the rebellion, the Wu Rui Camp and the Lu Liang cavalry's momentum within the borders of the Wu dynasty was unparalleled for a time. But this kind of astonishing momentum did not have a lasting effect, and its tenacity was also poor. Even if no one dared to resist in a year and a half, it would inevitably decline. This tyrannical force could fall off the cliff at any time.
In this limited time, Ning Yi predicted that the Female Zhenren would go south, and at the same time, he strengthened the foundation of the Green Wood Stronghold and kept a close eye on the situation in the northwest. These were the keys to whether the rootless Wu Rui Camp could lay down a foundation.
In the process of defending Bianliang, Qin Siyuan and Zhong Shidao had a deep friendship. Later, when the defense of Bianliang ended, Zhong Shidao's discouragement for the sake of the Qin family could be seen. This old man who guarded the northwest had compassion in his heart, but after the regicide and rebellion, it was basically impossible to maintain the relationship between the two sides with such compassion.
Foreseeing the possible danger in the northwest, Ning Yi once asked Qin Shaoqian to write a letter to Zhong Shidao, hoping that he could focus on the northwest. If the Female Zhenren went south again, even if the western army had to send troops, they should leave enough troops to prevent Western Xia from taking advantage of the situation.
In fact, Zhong Shidao would not have thought of these things.
In the process of defending Bianliang for the first time, Zhong Shidao had lost a large number of troops. If he wanted to go south to rescue the emperor and defend the northwest at the same time, it had become a dilemma in terms of troops.
In many cases, there was no such thing as the best of both worlds.
When Ning Yi asked Qin Shaoqian to write such a letter, he did not consider Zhong Shidao's decision. It was more of a statement: "Although I killed the emperor, I have no malice toward the northwest." Recently, Takeshi's storytellers in several cities in the northwest had not been suppressed by Zhong Shidao. Perhaps this was part of the old man's compassion.
If both sides kept trying to smooth things over, there might be an opportunity to sit down and negotiate or cooperate with each other for a longer period of time. But at the moment, it was too fast.
Although Zhong Shidao was a kind old man in Bianliang, he had been guarding the northwest for many years, so he was definitely the most decisive person. He might be compassionate, but if someone felt that he was softhearted and went looking for him, the possibility of being beheaded and sent to the capital was definitely higher than being treated as a guest of honor.
This time, the Jurchen cultivators had come south, and the Western Army had withdrawn their camp to rescue the emperor. There were not many troops left in the northwest. Then, there might only be three possibilities. First, he hoped that the Western Army, with its weak troops, would be united and defend the northwest despite the slim possibility. Second, Qin Shaoqian went to see Zhong Shidao and hoped that the old man would cooperate with Wu Ruiying to defend the northwest for the sake of Qin Siyuan and Qin Shaohe. Even if he did not agree, he hoped that Zhong Shidao would let Qin Shaoqian go. Third, he watched.
But the first possibility was really too small. If the second possibility came true, it would be the best. With Zhong Shidao's acceptance, Wu Ruiying would immediately be able to gain a foothold in the northwest. But … how could he be so naive?
Ning Yi looked at the snowflakes in the night and paused for a moment. "I hope that Old Zhong will think of the people in the northwest and cooperate with us to defend the city. If we can defend it, after this battle, Zhong Shidao's army will be no different from rebellion. Although Bianliang has fallen, the Wu dynasty has not fallen. It's not realistic to pin our hopes on this. Besides, the houses in Little Canghe haven't even been built yet. The construction period is already tight, and we don't have enough manpower. It'll be difficult to get through the winter. How many people can we send? If there's a little animosity between the two sides, we won't be able to live in the future … "
Qin Shaoqian nodded. In his heart, he felt that the possibility of this matter was the smallest. However, Ning Yi often did what others couldn't, so he said it to him to try his luck. "Then … the situation in the northwest will be even more troublesome."
"Let's discuss it with everyone in the meeting tomorrow."
This was an important matter that would affect the future. After the two of them communicated, Qin Shaoqian left. The people inside and outside the courtyard were still chatting and laughing. On the other side, Watermelon said a few words to Fang Shuchang and the others. She took the Domineering Knife box and carried it on her back, as if she was going to do something. Usually, when she went out, Fang Shuchang and the others helped her carry the Domineering Knife. According to her own explanation, it was because it was very stylish. Seeing Ning Yi look over, her gaze was calm. She tilted her head slightly, and the snowflakes swayed on her body. Then she turned and walked toward the side path.
At this time, it was time for the banquet to end. Everyone left one after another, so it was not strange for Watermelon to leave alone. Not long after, the people in the courtyard left one after another. The servants packed up. Tan'Er and Yunzhu sat in the corridor outside the room and watched Luoxue chat. When Ning Yi came, Tan'Er said, "Why did Watermelon leave alone?" Although she was very calculative, she actually quite liked Watermelon's straightforward personality.
"She also has her own matters to take care of."
Ning Yi replied and squatted down in front of the two of them. He held up Yunzhu's hand and looked at her bulging belly. "How are you? Are you feeling well? "
Yunzhu smiled and nodded. "I'm fine." Her expression was peaceful, but she was slightly thin.
"Since you ran out, she has been worried about you every day," Tan'Er said from the side.
Risking universal condemnation, suddenly killing the Emperor, raising the flag of rebellion. Their previous lives had changed overnight. No matter how close they were, it was difficult for them to accept it in a short period of time. Whether it was Yunzhu or Su Tan 'er, they were both worried about these things. Yunzhu was not willing to say it, but when Ning Yi went out, she was often worried about his safety. Tan'Er was smart and capable, but on this matter, she was not necessarily resigned to adversity.
In the span of a night, everyone's lives had actually changed.
After half a year, Yunzhu had clearly lost some weight. Jin'Er sometimes appeared to be without a place to go. Tan'Er, Xiaochan, and the others took care of their family and occasionally appeared haggard and busy. The previously bustling capital and beautiful Jiangnan had become clouds and smoke in the blink of an eye. The familiar world had suddenly gone far away. This was an emotion that anyone would feel. Ning Yi hoped that time would heal everything, but he also felt guilty toward his family.
Sometimes, when he dealt with matters in the valley, he would bring Yuan Jin'Er with him. Sometimes, he would be busy with Tan'Er and Xiaochan until midnight. When he was with Yunzhu, Yunzhu would play the zither and tell stories for him. For these family members, this meant that they helped each other in times of need. As for what Ning Yi said about the Wu Dynasty dying and the Tiannan collapsing, how could people who were used to living in peaceful times suddenly feel a sense of urgency? Even the closest people like Tan'Er and Yunzhu couldn't do it.
Those soldiers, who had experienced the battlefield and faced the Perfected Woman, felt it more real.
"Every time I go out, there are so many masters following me. You know the martial arts of Chen Fan and the others. It won't be easy for them to kill me. Don't worry. This time, the Perfected Woman went south and Bianliang was broken. Everything started. It's not a joke that we've come to this mountain cave to stay for a while. The next few years won't be easy. I feel guilty for making you like this, but some situations will become clearer and more people will be able to understand … "
"I don't care about that, and Yunzhu doesn't care about that either." Tan'Er smiled. "If you can be at ease, we can be at ease."
Although she said that, the news this time could cheer up the people in the valley. For them, it had a more or less reassuring effect.
"It's just that when Miss Li heard the news, she might feel very uncomfortable …" Tan'Er thought and added.
"She …" Ning Yi thought for a moment.
"She should have heard the news," Yunzhu said. "Go and see her when you have time."
*****
The night was dark and snow was falling. In front of him, there was a winding river on one side and a desolate mountain on the other. In the snowy night, there were occasional lights in front of him. He asked the people around him to hold torches and Ning Yi turned around the mountain road in front of him.
Half a year ago, after making a scene in Bianliang and leaving the capital, Ning Yi could be considered to have kidnapped Li Shishi. Whether it was by accident or on purpose, Ning Yi had done his best to handle the things that could be handled. For example, the Su family in Jiangning, Ning Yi arranged for people to kidnap them to the north. At this time, they were arranged to stay in Green Wood Stockade. As for Wang Shanyue's family, Ning Yi had sent people to visit them and later beat up several women in charge of the family. He only kidnapped Miss Wang, who was engaged to Zhu Biao, and burned the Wang family's house to draw a line.
At this point, there was no warmth to speak of. As for Shishi, the two of them had a lot of contact when they were in the capital. Even if there was no personal relationship, after Ning Yi's rebellion, Shishi couldn't have a good life. This also included his two "childhood playmates", Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng. Ning Yi simply smashed them up and kidnapped them all. After that, it was up to them whether they wanted to stay or leave.
Because of what happened to the Qin family, Li Shishi was angry, but she still couldn't accept Ning Yi's sudden outburst. Because of this, Shishi and Ning Yi had a few arguments on the way. But no matter what arguments they used, they didn't have much meaning on Ning Yi's side.
After that, Ning Yi asked Hong Ti to assign two female warriors to protect her, but Shishi didn't leave. She followed the team to Little Cang River and helped Yun Zhu organize some ancient books. She couldn't see the trend of the world. She couldn't see the necessity of Ning Yi's regicide. She couldn't understand the reason behind it. She also became a stranger to Ning Yi. But no matter what, to an individual in such an environment, it was like a raging river suddenly running into a boulder. The river seemed to be stuck for a moment, but no matter which direction it flowed in, what followed was a torrent of endless torrents that would shatter one's bones and shatter one's body.
Ning Yi walked to the small house that was lit up. In the darkness outside the house, a woman wearing a plump green dress was sitting on a fallen tree branch, looking at the snow. When Ning Yi came over, she tilted her head and looked in his direction.
"You're a woman. You worry about the world, but you don't have to eat." Ning Yi stopped by the roadside and walked in that direction.
"You …" The woman called Shishi's voice was a little low, but then she coughed and paused. "Bianliang City has been broken?"
Clothes make the man. In the past, in Fan Lou, the women wore silk and wore gold and silver. No matter how cold the weather was, the charcoal fire never stopped. But now in the northwest, even the woman who was famous for her beauty only looked plump. In the darkness, only her figure was slightly better than the average woman, and her tone sounded a little dispirited.
Ning Yi nodded. "Yes, it has been broken."
"Are you happy?"
"Sort of. I can only stand after he's broken. "
"Hundreds of thousands of people in the city …"
"I predicted that he would be broken, so I had to leave. I predicted that these hundreds of thousands of people can't defeat tens of thousands of people, so I didn't want to be killed by them. "
Shishi lowered her head. "You're still saying the same thing. That's hundreds of thousands of people …"
Ning Yi sat down on a tree trunk. "The first time the Jurchen went south, we defended the capital. Many people died, but everyone still thought that Bianliang could be defended. The merchants and miscellaneous people from all over gathered in the capital. After I killed Zhou Zhe, everyone felt that something was wrong. The population of the capital scattered, and nearly 20% of the population was lost. On the bright side, at least these 20% were temporarily saved by me. "He knocked on the tree trunk." But it's only temporary … "
"I can't win against you in an argument," Shishi said in a low voice. After a moment, she said, "The thing I asked you for, you …"
"I've arranged two paths for you. Either go to a small city in the south and hide your name, or take a detour to Dali. If you're careful, you might be able to live a peaceful life. I owe you for getting you involved in this. "
The snowflakes fell quietly. The two people sitting on the fallen tree trunk spoke calmly. After saying this, they fell silent. The sea was flowing, and words were powerless. After this, she would go south. No matter what, she would leave her previous life, and this army would stay in the Little Cang River to struggle for survival. Thinking of this, Shishi felt sad. "Can I really not persuade you?"
This was something that didn't need to be said. After a moment of silence, Ning Yi smiled in the darkness.
*****
When the snowflakes fell on the Little Cang River, thousands of miles to the east, in the city of Fen Prefecture, blood and fire merged.
Outside the burning house, the archers shot down the people who ran out one by one. This was the territory of Tian Hu, the Tiger King of Hebei. The general who led this army was called Yu Yulin. At this moment, he was standing at the back of the army, watching everything burn.
Turning his head, he saw a figure watching coldly from a small building not far away.
The house that was burning at this moment belonged to Miao Cheng, the leader of the Second Great King Tian Bao. This person was quite good at scheming and had some ability in business operations. After being placed in an important position, he had always been high-profile and arrogant. Later on, he became arrogant and domineering. This time, he lost power in the battle and even his entire family was killed.
The enemy Miao Cheng offended was the woman watching from the small building behind him. At this moment, the woman was wearing a gray robe. In the winter, she looked thin and thin, making people feel cold. However, she didn't seem to feel it. Looking at the burning house for a moment, she sat down in front of the window upstairs, drank some herbal tea, and dealt with the matter on hand.
Miao Cheng's family had been killed. Yu Yulin turned and walked upstairs. The light in front of the window swayed. The thin figure, the cold tea, the pen and paper on the table, and the hard biscuit in the woman's hand formed a cold and lonely picture. This woman didn't have a good life, but many people under Tian Hu had started to fear her.
It wasn't like this in the beginning.
Since she came to the Tiger King's tent, she used her beauty to attract the Tiger King's attention. Then, she was put in an important position because of her ability. Before she accepted the mission and went to Mount Lu Liang, she was still the kind of hard-working but somewhat weak woman. After returning from Mount Lu Liang, she started to change.
Yu Yulin only found out later that she and the Inner Demon had a feud of killing her father and destroying her family. However, the experience on Lu Liang Mountain seemed to have enlightened her. She strongly advocated for a business partnership with Lu Liang's Green Wood Stronghold and controlled this trade route. After that, not only did she do things decisively, but all the selfish desires in her life seemed to have completely disappeared. She didn't care about her appearance anymore. She only wanted to be clean and tidy. She was not picky about her food, and she no longer had the requirements of a normal woman regarding her residence and clothing.
Sleeping on a hard bed and eating hard biscuits made of coarse grains, she quickly lost weight in the past two years. She became cold like a poisonous spider. However, it couldn't be denied that the things she took over were all very impressive. Tian Hu didn't care about this. If he wanted a woman, he could have any woman he wanted. There weren't many who could do things well. Without the desire of "this woman can be used", he trusted Lou Shuwan even more. Yu Yulin was also willing to cooperate with her on many things because of their past friendship. Because of this, he gained a lot of benefits.
For the sake of benefits, she endured the hatred of killing her father, cut off her selfish desires, and only wanted to strengthen herself. Yu Yulin knew that the woman in front of him had no martial arts skills. If they were to fight, he could poke her to death with one finger. However, during these days, she had always been terrifying in his heart. He just couldn't figure out what this woman wanted from the beginning to the end.
This time, the Jurchen people invaded the south for the second time, and the world was in chaos. Within the Tiger King's imperial court, there were many people suggesting to take down Green Wood Stronghold and defeat the Wu Ruiying rebels. This way, they could win the hearts of the people. Even if they couldn't defeat the Wu Ruiying, taking advantage of the situation to take down Green Wood Stronghold was also a good move. However, Lou Shuwan objected to this. Miao Cheng publicly accused her of being old friends with the regicide and helping the outsiders.
When these political disputes happened in the imperial court, Yu Yulin was still out of town. Not long after, he received Lou Shuwan's instructions to come over with Tian Hu's warrant and kill Miao Cheng and his family today.
In the light of the lantern, the woman's delicate face could still be seen. She raised her head and greeted Yu Yulin. She thanked him, but her smile wasn't warm. Then, she looked down at the things on the table. Yu Yulin praised, "Miss Lou, good move …" Then, he asked, "Miss Lou, why did you suggest not to make a move on Green Wood Stronghold?"
"They are the enemies of the world. There are people in the world who will fight them. We might not be able to defeat them, so why rush to ruin our relationship?" The woman answered casually without any hesitation.
"However, after the regicide, Green Wood Stronghold's foundation has been shaken. As far as I know, Green Wood Stronghold has gained a lot in the past few years. If we can seize the opportunity to take it, it will be of great benefit to us.
"Just because his foundation is shaken a little, you've forgotten about Wu Ruiying's ability to face the Lady Zhenren head-on?" Lou Shuwan smiled and then pushed an item on the table forward. "After Ning Liheng went to Green Wood Stronghold, the first thing he did was to issue these 'Ten Rules Decrees'. Have you seen them, Brother Yu?"
"I've heard about them. They're all useless things."
"It's not that they're useless. Every one of these Ten Rules Decrees seems to be an established rule at first glance. "The first rule seems to be a mouthful. Lu Liang belongs to the people of Lu Liang. All laws and regulations are based on the interests of Lu Liang. Those who go against these interests will be killed without mercy. "The second rule is that personal property is not to be infringed upon by others … The Ten Rules Decrees seem to be just some commonplace principles. They talk about some simple rewards and punishments that everyone knows. However, when the rules are set in words, the foundation is there."
Lou Shuwan's tone was displeased and calm. She retracted her gaze here and paused for a moment. "I read through these ten directives for two months after I brought them here. Then, I practically made a copy of them and wrote them down in detail before handing them to the Tiger King. Not long after, the Tiger King should also issue the decrees. "Green Wood Stronghold is under a lot of pressure because of the regicide. Indeed, their foundation is shaken. There's no problem on our side. If we do things according to plan, we're the ones who have the upper hand."
Yu Yulin frowned. "Even if it's useful, Green Wood Stronghold is still affected. What does it have to do with whether we should attack them or not?"
"This is just my personal opinion. Against such a person, if we don't have the confidence to kill him, we shouldn't provoke him." Lou Shuwan's lips curled. She looked a little distressed. "He even killed the Emperor. Do you think he won't kill his way to Fen Zhou and Wei Sheng?"
Yu Yulin was silent for a moment. He was the one who led the troops. By right, he shouldn't be so overcautious when it came to matters of battle. However, he actually felt that it was possible.
That Ning Liheng looked rational and steady, but when he went crazy, he actually killed the Emperor in front of the court and became the enemy of the world. He was completely irrational. He was basically a lunatic!
The fire outside the window was still burning. Lou Shuwan took a look and said, "Fortunately, he has gone to the northwest. It won't be easy for him to stand firm. Not to mention the imperial army, the Jurchens have gone south this time. The northwest is empty. It's very likely that the King of Xixia will seize the opportunity to recover Mount Hengshan and even go south to the Wu dynasty. "His life will be difficult, so he will definitely use all his skills. In terms of planning and planning, I can't compare to him. In terms of foresight and planning, I'm just a woman and have a lot of limitations. "With him as my teacher, I will definitely learn everything from him …"
The fire raged. The calm voice and the thin figure upstairs had the smell of iron and blood. Yu Yulin nodded.
"That's true. It's hard to say whether he can stop Xixia …"
*****
The same fire had appeared in Hangzhou in the south a few years ago. At this moment, following the memory, it returned to the Qi brothers' eyes.
In Little Canghe, Qi Xinyong, Qi Xinyi, Qi Xinhan, and the others saw a woman who came alone. The woman wasn't tall, but her body was well-proportioned. Her face was slightly round, and she was quite beautiful but also a little arrogant. She walked over and put the long box on the ground.
Among the warriors under Ning Yi's command, there were a few groups. The three Qi brothers who had followed him at the beginning led one group. Later, Zhu Biao came and also brought some people from the Lulin Sect from Shandong. Together with the ones he took in later, there was another group. During this period of time, the hundreds of people who followed the Qi brothers knew that their boss was old friends with this Blade Overlord from the south. Sometimes, they would rub their palms together and there would be some small conflicts. This time, the woman came alone. Many people came out from the riverside one after another.
There was a breeze by the river, causing her clothes to flutter and her hair to flutter in the wind. Liu Watermelon stood there and said loudly, "I will return to the south. Some things have been delayed for half a year. It's time to solve them. What do you think, Qi brothers? "
This was a matter for the higher-ups. After a moment of silence, Qi Xinyong came out of the house and said coldly, "How do you want to solve the problem of killing your father?"
Not far away, Qi Xinhan, who was taking a bath by the riverside, came over with his gun. Water vapor evaporated from his body. Qi Xinyi, who had lost an arm, stood on the other side with his gun, his back straight. Liu Watermelon's eyes swept over them.
"There are two ways. First, the same conditions as last time. You three and I alone will settle the grudge between the Qi brothers and the Liu brothers according to the rules of the Jianghu. Life or death, no grudges!"
Among the three Qi brothers, Qi Xinyi had lost an arm in the battle with the Nizhen. Qi Xinyong was also injured. But as the younger brother, Qi Xinhan, who had been through many hardships, was now like a sharp blade that could lead to greater heights. They listened to the woman's words.
"Second, Uncle Qi is my elder. I feel guilty for killing him. If you want to settle it, I will go to his memorial tablet and make three cuts and six holes. After that, all grudges will be settled. You choose one of these two ways. "
Watermelon had a delicate face. At first glance, she had the delicate aura of a young girl from Jiangnan. However, she had been in charge of the Saber Manor for many years. At this time, with just a few words, she gave people the impression of a heroic grandmaster.
One of the Qi brothers' subordinates sneered. "You are old friends with the boss. What do you mean by three cuts and six holes? If you have three cuts and six holes, why does my boss still need to be here …" Before he could finish, Qi Xinyong turned his head and whispered, "Shut up!"
Watermelon glanced at that person. "You want to avenge your father. How can everything in this world go smoothly? Brothers of the Qi family, make your choice! "
She held a single knife in her hand. As soon as she finished speaking, she plunged it into the ground. In the wind and snow, the woman had a huge Domineering Saber on one side and a sharp single knife on the other. On the opposite side, Qi Xinhan's eyes flashed with determination. He held his gun and moved forward …
*****
The great sorrow in Bianliang City was just the beginning.
The carriage drove through the street. Tang Ke was in the carriage, listening to the chaotic sounds coming from outside.
Since the incident with Taoist Master Guo Jing, the Jurchen people had surrounded the inner city of Bianliang City for several days. Now, in order to pay the huge amount of compensation to the Jurchen people, the army had begun to search every household in the city, searching for gold and silver.
But this was not the most despairing thing. When the shrill howling and crying came, a group of soldiers was in a house on the street, arresting the woman in the family according to the list. The owner of the family was a small official. He tried to resist, but was knocked to the ground by the soldiers.
The sound of a woman crying and a child crying mixed together. Looking out through the gap in the curtain, the official, whose head was bleeding profusely, was still fighting with the soldiers, crying and shouting, "Let go of me! Let go! You scum! Don't you have wives and daughters at home? Let go! I'm willing to defend the city, I'm willing to fight with the golden dog … Ah … "
The adult man's cries had a kind of despair that seeped from his bones. The voices of his wife and family were sharp and hoarse. The people who saw this scene on the roadside paled, but the captor's face was also pale.
Yes, everyone had wives and daughters. This official had wives and daughters, and so did some soldiers and generals. This time, the Jurchen people had all kinds of siege weapons outside the inner city walls, asking for gold and silver, women, and craftsmen with all kinds of skills. This kind of alliance under the city walls was unreasonable. The entire treasury in the city had been emptied, and all kinds of treasures in the palace had been moved out. Then, to fill the number that the Jurchen people said, the whole city was plundered. As for women, all the prostitutes in the capital had been taken out, followed by the wives and daughters of the families who did not participate in the defense of the city in the last battle. After that, the widows and widows who had no men at home were probably not lucky.
Tang Ke was already the Prime Minister, the respected Left Prime Minister. The reason why he reached this position was that he used to be in favor of peace. In a war, one should be in favor of war, and naturally in favor of peace. The high-ranking officials in the court were looking forward to him, who was in favor of peace, being very good at negotiating peace and being able to negotiate a better result with the Jurchen people. However, people who did not have any bargaining chips in their hands, what kind of judgment could they talk about?
Along the way, there were crying and fighting, and the whole way was chaotic and sad. There were also people who fell in the middle of the road, cursing and begging. Tang Ke sat in the carriage and did not move. All the orders were issued by him. Including the orders that were going to Cai Jing's and the others' mansions to capture the women in their mansions.
Just like that, he returned home. After opening the door of the mansion, the courtyard was also filled with the crying and begging of women. Among them was his most beloved granddaughter. She threw herself at him but was blocked by the servants. Tang Ke's body and fingers were trembling as he walked out from the side corridor.
On this day, hundreds and thousands of women were gathered. Some of them were still unmarried, some were already married, some had husbands and sons who died defending the city, and some still had babies waiting to be fed in the city. Their families were crying and begging outside, trying to find all kinds of connections, but all of this was meaningless. At the end of the day, they were sent to the Jurchen army outside the city and began to be used by the soldiers who were besieging the city.
On the same day, Emperor Jingping, who had only been on the throne for half a year, also came to the Jurchen army camp. He tried to curry favor with Wanyan Zongwang and quell the anger of the invaders. At this time, not many people knew that he would never come back.
But compared to the experiences of nearly 100,000 people in the next two or three months, compared to the experiences of tens of millions of people in the entire Wu dynasty, his specific experiences were actually not outstanding or worth mentioning …
*****
At the same time, in the northwest, in Qingjian City.
In the old house of the Zhong family, the old man stared at the light hanging on the edge of the bed, as if he had lost his mind. He had not spoken for a long time. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest continued, but at a certain moment, the rise and fall stopped.
There was the sound of crying.
The old commander Zhong Shidao, who was famous for guarding the western border, passed away after falling ill for several months.
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