In April, countless people died of starvation in Bianliang, and the stench of corpses filled the city.
Tang Ke sat in a sedan chair, passing through Bianliang and returning to his mansion from the imperial city.
The sedan chair swayed slightly, and from outside the swaying curtain came a faint stench and the sound of crying. On the road outside, there were dead bodies and the people of Bianliang who were as thin as corpses and only had their last breath left.
There were not many pedestrians on the street.
The old man in the sedan chair was neatly dressed, and his face was dull and somewhat indifferent. He looked at the curtain in front of him and did not move.
As one of the highest officials of the Wu dynasty, he not only had servants to carry the sedan chair, but also guards to protect him around the sedan chair. This was to ensure that he would not be assassinated on his way to and from the imperial court. However, in recent days, the number of people who wanted to assassinate him had gradually decreased. In the capital, there were even cases of people trading their children for food. Those who were so hungry that they wanted to assassinate him for the sake of justice had, after all, starved to death.
This was a city that had been squeezed dry. A year ago, there were still millions of people living in this place. It was hard to imagine that it would be so desolate today. But it was also because of the millions of people that he had been reduced to a situation where foreign enemies could wantonly knead him, and the scene that appeared was even more desolate.
Half a year ago, when the Jurchen soldiers came to the city, the imperial court used Tang Ke, Wu Min, and the other advocates of peace, hoping that after they compromised, they could minimize the losses. On the other hand, they hoped that the generals could resist the Jurchen. Tang Ke was the most pessimistic during this period. This time, before the Jurchen besieged the city, he urged the emperor to go south to seek refuge. But this time, his suggestion was still rejected. Emperor Jingping decided that the emperor would die for the country, and not long after, he put Guo Jing in an important position.
The imperial court used Tang Ke and the others because they hoped that they could negotiate before the war and after the war. But the facts of the past few months proved that the compromise of the powerless did not have any meaning. After the farce of the Six-Armor Divine Weapon, no matter how rude the people of Bianliang faced, they were no longer qualified to say no.
In the past few months, the person who was once regarded as the Son of Heaven was now treated like a pig and a dog in the Female True Army outside the city. The wife and daughter of the Nine-Five Sovereign were ravaged and killed in the camp. At the same time, the Jurchen army kept making all kinds of requests to the Wu dynasty. The only choice Tang Ke and the others had was to agree to those requests, either by giving their wives and daughters or their gold and silver, to help the enemy squeeze the entire city step by step.
Not long ago, the Jurchen people who were preparing to leave made another request. They didn't intend to let Emperor Jingping of the Wu dynasty return, but the Wu dynasty had to manage. So they ordered Grand Chancellor Zhang Bangchang to inherit the throne, changing the Chu to Chu and Chu to. of of of of of of Chu.
Wu of of of. of to of of of of of of of, Zhou, the Jurchen people, of Zhou of of of County. of Zhang Bangchang, Tang Ke, and the others tried to refuse, but Lady Zhenren also warned that if Zhang Bangchang did not ascend to the throne within seven days, she would kill all the ministers in the court and massacre the city of Bianliang.
Today was the last day of the deadline.
In the imperial court, Song Qiyu took the lead and elected Zhang Bangchang as emperor. An hour ago, Tang Ke, Wu Min, Geng Nanzhong, and the others signed their names on the imperial edict.
Zhang Bangchang ascended the throne with an expression as if he had taken arsenic.
As the sedan chair left the court, Tang Ke sat inside, thinking about many things that had happened over the years. The once high-spirited Wu dynasty, thinking that they had seized the opportunity, looked like they wanted to go on a northern expedition. The once pro-war faction like Qin Siyuan and the Blackwater Alliance, even though Qin Siyuan had left, still looked like they were full of confidence about going on a northern expedition.
From then on, Bianliang was filled with songs and dances to celebrate peace and prosperity.
Merchants from all over the world gathered here. Confident scholars gathered here. Warriors from all over the world who sought fame and power gathered here. The high-ranking officials of the Imperial Court could decide everything in the world with a single word. Every word and every step taken in the Imperial Court could affect the rise and fall of thousands of families. The high-ranking officials constantly debated and schemed against each other in the Imperial Court, thinking that success or failure depended on this. He had also argued with countless people, including Qin Siyuan, whom he had always been on good terms with.
He was a pessimist through and through, but he was only cautious. Many times, he had even thought that if people like Qin Siyuan were given a chance, perhaps the Wu dynasty would also be able to seize an opportunity. But in the end, he hated himself for seeing the obstacles in his path too clearly.
His pessimism had never played any role. People didn't like pessimism. In the vast majority of political environments, radicals were always more popular. Pro-War. People could easily go to war, but very few people were clear-headed enough to strengthen themselves. People replaced self-improvement with pro-war. They blindly believed that as long as they were willing to fight, as long as they were fanatical, they would not be cowardly. But few people were willing to believe that in this world, the heaven and earth did not care about human feelings. The heaven and earth only cared about reason. The strong and the weak, victory and defeat, were reason.
So in his heart, he actually understood that in this life, he might not be able to stand at the top of the Imperial Court. Even if he did, he wouldn't be able to achieve anything. But in the end, he still tried his best.
At least he helped the Female Zhenren destroy Bianliang City. It was as if he was facing an opponent that was too powerful. He chopped off his own hand, chopped off his own leg, bit off his own tongue, and only hoped that the opponent would at least leave something for the Wu Dynasty. He even gave away his own granddaughter. If he couldn't win, he could only surrender. If surrendering wasn't enough, he could give away his wealth. If giving away wealth wasn't enough, he could also give away his dignity. With dignity, he hoped that he could at least protect the Wu dynasty. If he couldn't protect the dynasty, he also hoped that he could at least protect the lives of the people in the city who already had nothing …
He was also clear about what the later generations' evaluation of him would be.
In these days, he had thought about many things, some that he could say, and some that he couldn't. He would occasionally think of that scene several months ago, on the last day of Jing Han's reign, and the situation in the Throne Room. Qin Siyuan was already dead. Just like the ending of every previous political struggle, people went to court as usual, rejoicing that they were safe. Then, the Emperor was thrown into a pool of blood. That young man sat down on the golden steps with a saber in his hand and patted the Emperor's head with the back of the saber.
In his life, the old man had seen many important figures, including Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Qin Siyuan, and even every powerful court official before him. They were either arrogant, high-spirited, or calm and reserved, but he had never seen such a scene. He had also seen the Emperor countless times, but never once did he find that the Emperor was like this, like an ordinary person.
Everyone in the Imperial Court was cursing. At this time, Li Gang's hair and beard were standing on end, Cai Jing was dumbfounded, Qin Hui was cursing like thunder, Yan Zheng was screaming in horror, and countless people were cursing, swearing, or quoting scriptures, stating that the other party's behavior was treason and could not be tolerated by heaven and earth. He also rushed up. But that young man just indifferently pressed his steel saber against the Emperor's head, who was screaming in pain. From beginning to end, he only said one sentence, and that sentence was also heard by some people in the front.
Over the past few days, there might have been people who recalled that disgraceful scene, but no one had ever mentioned that sentence. The moment he wrote down his name today, Tang Ke suddenly wanted to say this sentence to all the officials in the Imperial Court. "…"
That day in the Imperial Court, the young man faced the scolding and anger of the entire Imperial Court, but did not react at all. He only swept his eyes over everyone's heads and said, "… a bunch of trash."
For everyone, this might be a heavier slap in the face than killing the Emperor, but no one could say it.
Of course, the old man did not say this sentence. He left the palace, crossed the street, and returned to the Tang Residence. At this time, the entire Tang Residence was lifeless. His legal wife had long passed away, and most of his daughters, granddaughters, and concubines had been sent out to the Jurchen military camp. The rest of them were afraid of Tang Ke's authority and lived in the Tang Residence. Most of them dared not approach him. Only an old concubine who had been by his side for many years came to take away his clothes and brought a basin of water for him to wash his face. Tang Ke washed his face meticulously as usual.
He returned to the study, tidied up the bookshelves that had been messed up these days, and tidied up the pen and paper on the desk. The coldness of the winter had gradually faded, and the sun lazily shone in through the window. It was already the sunshine of late spring and early summer. There was nothing left in Bianliang, and the Jurchen should leave, he thought.
Not long after, when the old concubine came over, Tang Ke, Tang Qinsou, had already taken the poison, sat on a chair in the study, and quietly died.
*****
The collapse of the dynasty was like a burst of sparks. The aftermath of the collision between the Jin dynasty and the Wu dynasty rushed to the surroundings. In the six months since the Jurchen went south, the situation in the whole land had been turbulent and changing violently.
To the north of the Yellow River, the Jurchen's troops escorting the prisoners to the north were like a long dragon, passing through the mountains and ridges, and no one dared to stop them. The former Tiger King, Tian Hu, carefully expanded and consolidated his power in the places that the Jurchen did not care about. To the east and north, the troops that had risen up in the name of defending the Emperor and resisting the Jin Dynasty began to draw up their own spheres of influence, eagerly awaiting the development of the situation. The routed armies of the Wu Dynasty that had once been scattered either reorganized on the spot or headed south in search of their own way out. Many large clans in the north were also looking for their own way out in fear.
In the northwest, where the people were tough and sturdy, the Xixia people had swept over again, and the territory of the Zhong army was almost completely destroyed. Zhong Shidao's nephew, Zhong Lie, led the Zhong army to the north after a bitter battle with Wanyan Chang in the south, and then was defeated in the northwest after a battle with the kidnappers. At this time, the Zhong army that could still be gathered was less than five thousand people.
Zhe Keqiu of the Zhe family had already returned, but he was also powerless to help the Zhong family, and could only hide in a corner of Fuzhou. After Qingjian City, Yanzhou, and other large cities were destroyed, countless refugees fled toward Fuzhou and other places. The Zhe family gathered the remnants of the Zhong family, expanding their power to deter Li Qianshun, and for this reason, Fuzhou was not too affected.
The rebellious troops that had once fallen into everyone's eyes temporarily calmed down and hid in the vast tide of the times. During this time, when everyone was busy with their own affairs, very few people could pay attention to their movements. There were even rumors that they had been swept away by the Xixia army in the cold winter, and not a single one of them remained.
In the south, the same fierce turmoil was brewing, and the middle-level society who could receive the news was full of patriotic feelings. But for the army, the previous head-on clash with the Jurchen people proved the fact that the army could not fight. The higher-ups in power suppressed the last of the troops, consolidated the defense line south of the Yangtze River, and suppressed the spread of the news. Because of that, many people spent the winter and the spring when everything was revived in the still prosperous atmosphere. Although they were worried about the safety of Bianliang City, the real atmosphere was no different from when the Jurchen people attacked Yanmen Pass and Taiyuan.
Jiangning, Prince Kang's Mansion.
The young prince hummed a little song and trotted through the corridors of the mansion. When he rushed back to his room, the sun was shining brightly. In the young prince's study, all kinds of strange drawings and books were placed in half the room. He went to the table, took out a book from his sleeve, and read it excitedly. He also found a few drawings on the table, and compared them with each other. From time to time, he clenched his fist and knocked on the surface of the table.
A figure appeared at the door. The young prince looked up and saw that it was his sister, Zhou Pei. He was in a good mood and smiled at her. "Sister, how is it? Have you met the old lady of the Wang family and the other sisters? They are indeed a family of scholars. Back then, Old Master Wang Qisong was loyal and brave. His family members were all admirable. "
Zhou Pei's eyes were a little cold. She narrowed her eyes and walked in. "I did go to see them. Although the Wang family is loyal and the widow of the Wang family is also admirable, they are involved in that matter. You secretly moved and brought them here. Do you want to put yourself on the fire to roast? Do you know how unwise it is? "
"They are treasures." Zhou Junwu was in a good mood. He whispered mysteriously and then looked out the door. Zhou Pei also tilted her head and asked the accompanying maids to leave. When only the two of them were left, Jun Wu picked up the book on the table and jumped up. "Sister, I found the key. I found it. Do you know what it is?"
Zhou Pei frowned. She was already dissatisfied with Zhou Junwu's dirty tricks, and now she was even more disgusted. Jun Wu said excitedly, "That … that person is really a genius. I thought the key was in the cloth, but I couldn't find a suitable one for a long time. Every time, the big Kongming lantern would be burned. Later, I carefully investigated what he did in Bianliang and found that the key was in the paper … Haha, sister, you can't guess it. The key is in the paper. If you don't want it to be burned, you have to apply paper pulp! "
"When I was in Bianliang, the Wang family was in charge of the paper workshop, and the Su family was in charge of making cloth. Only by considering both sides, I found that the big flying Kongming lantern had to be covered with paper pulp in order to expand and not let out air! That's why I said that the Wang Family is a treasure, and I should save them. "
When Ning Yi was in Bianliang, he was on good terms with Wang Shanyue's family, but when he rebelled and left the city, the Wang family was absolutely unwilling to follow him. So, Zhu Biao kidnapped the engaged daughter of the Wang family and almost beat up the old lady of the Wang family. The two sides had a falling out. But it was not so easy to get rid of the suspicion of regicide. Even though Wang Qisong had some connections in the capital, the Wang family was not in a good situation. They were almost imprisoned. When the Jurchens went south, the young lord Jun Wu contacted some people in the capital and tried to bring those poor girls back.
Otherwise, the whole Wang family would have been sent to the Jurchens' army during the disaster in Bianliang and died in humiliation.
In the capital, the one who had contributed to this matter was Monk Jueming, who had been ordered by Zhou Zhe to reflect in the temple after Qin Siyuan had been imprisoned. This guest of the Qin Manor had the status of a member of the royal family. After Zhou Zhe's death, the situation in the capital had changed. Many people were rather fearful of the guest of the Qin Manor, but they did not want to offend Jueming. This was why he had been able to use some of his power from the temple to help the pitiful widow of the Wang family. When the Jurchens besieged the city, the area outside the city was already empty and the temple was destroyed. Monk Jueming might have gone south with the refugees, so he was hiding behind the scenes and doing his own things.
Zhou Pei was skeptical of Jun Wu's words. "I know you admire him, so I can't blame you. But the situation is very tense now. Prince Kang's Mansion is also being watched. You'd better not do anything stupid and bring trouble to the family."
She thought for a while and said, "Did you know that the Jurchens made Zhang Bangchang ascend the throne in Bianliang and changed the name to the Great Chu? The officials in Jiangning don't know what to do … When the Jurchens retreated, they captured all the members of the Zhou family in Bianliang. To be honest, the demise of the Wu Dynasty … is all because of him … "
"Hmph." Jun Wu snorted and raised his eyebrows. He put down the book in his hand. "Sister Wang, you're deceiving yourself by blaming him for such a big thing as the Wu dynasty. You can't do a good job, so you torment those who can do a good job, thinking that others can only endure whatever you do. In any case … humph, in any case, the Wu Dynasty is dead. I'll say this, this dynasty … "
"Shut up!" Zhou Pei's eyes sharpened and she took two steps forward. "How can you say such treacherous words? You …" She gritted her teeth and calmed herself down. Then she said seriously, "Do you know that the court and the officials govern the country together? It's rare to see harmony in the court. After this incident, the emperor and the officials can't be united anymore. They'll be afraid of each other. When the emperor goes to court, he'll be followed by hundreds of guards, and they'll have to be on guard against assassinations. That's unacceptable … He's in the north now, and he's also the leader of the rebel army. Do you think he won't have a successor? "
Zhou Pei became very emotional when she talked about that person, and the two of them had a lot of arguments during this time. Jun Wu didn't bother to answer her at first, but he ended up arguing with her tit for tat, which exhausted his patience. He curled his lips and said, "What's the harm in having hundreds of guards with him? Xun Ziyun, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat. As the ruler, he's responsible for the lives of millions of people. Do you just want to be carried? The more you're afraid of the risk of capsizing a boat, the better you can do things. The more you worry for the ruler, the more benefits the people will get. Isn't it worth the trouble of having hundreds of guards following a few more benefits for the people? For propriety? Isn't the benefit of millions of people worth of propriety? "
He was quite proud of himself because he thought of something to refute. "I'm in charge of hundreds of people now, and I can't sleep at night. I'm always thinking about whether I've neglected any master, and which one is more capable. You're like this with hundreds of people, but when you have millions of people under you, you don't even want to worry? If you mess things up, you'll be scolded, and if you can't beat them, you'll be beaten. Bianliang's current situation is clear, so what's the use of propriety? I haven't revitalized the Wu dynasty. If there's any reason, you can tell the Female Zhenren! "
Zhou Pei stared at him, and the room fell silent for a while. This conversation was disgraceful, but first of all, the emperor was far away, and second, the royal army of Bianliang had been wiped out. Third, the young man was in high spirits, and that was why he talked like this in private. But after all, he couldn't continue. Jun Wu was silent for a moment, and then he raised his chin. "A few months ago, Li Qianshun conquered the northwest, and several cities in Qingjian and Yanzhou were destroyed. Wu Ruiying even sent people to fight against the Xixia people several times, and saved many refugees. That's what a real man should do! "
Zhou Pei frowned even more, and she tilted her head to look at him. "How did you know?"
Jun Wu raised his head. "I have hundreds of people under me. If I really want to find out something, it's not strange for me to find out."
Zhou Pei sighed, and the two of them calmed down. After a while, Zhou Pei took out a few documents from her clothes. "I originally wanted to tell you about the news of Bianliang, but since it's like this, you should also take a look."
She turned to walk out of the door, and stopped at the door. She tilted her head and said, "Do you know that he fought with the Xixia people a few times in the northwest? Maybe the Xixia people couldn't do anything to him for the time being. But north of the Yellow River, the world is in chaos. Now it's flood season, and the refugees in the north are scattered. It won't take long for people to starve to death. He killed the emperor's father, and we can't live under the same sky. I … I just sometimes think that if he didn't act so impulsively at that time and came back to Jiangning, now … how good it would be … "
After returning from Bianliang, Zhou Pei had been exposed to all kinds of complicated things under the guidance of Princess Cheng. The relationship between her and Jun Ma was not smooth. She devoted herself to these things, and sometimes became a little cold. Jun Wu didn't like this kind of sister, and sometimes they were tit-for-tat, but in general, the relationship between the sister and the brother was still very good. Every time he saw his sister leave like this, he actually felt a little lonely.
He had been smart since he was a child, but at this time, he didn't think about his sister's words carefully. He looked at the information about the tragedy in Bianliang City. As a young man, it was difficult for him to sigh with complicated feelings. Even as a person who knew the inside story, he felt that the tragedy in Bianliang was caused by himself. This kind of understanding made his eyes more determined. Soon after, he put the information aside and focused on studying the technology to make the hot air balloon take off.
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