"… Little Cang River flows out of the valley. The dam at the mouth of the valley was built at the beginning of the year and is more than two meters high. The southeast side of the mouth of the valley is the easiest place for pedestrians. If there is an army, it will be in this direction. After the dam is built, the people in the valley have nothing to fear … As for the other sides of the valley, the road is rugged and difficult to walk on … It's not that there is no way to get in and out, but only experienced hunters can go around. Watchtowers have also been built at key places. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, there are often 'hot air balloons' tied to the watchtowers as a warning … "
"… The army in the valley has been reorganized since they entered the mountains. It was in October last year that the black star flag was set as the military flag. According to the rebel, the black star symbolizes firmness, decisiveness, and unshakability. The star means that a single spark can start a prairie fire … After the reorganization, the Wu Rui Battalion has about ten people in a squad, about thirty people in a row, and above the row is a company with about a hundred people. Above the company is a battalion with about three to five hundred people. Three battalions and a special battalion are a regiment. There are five regiments in the rebel army. Some people call themselves the Black Flag Army or the Huaxia Army … "
"… The rebel army has a training session every three days, but they have other things to do during the rest of the time. The rules are strict. After every six days, there is a day of rest. However, since the fall of Bianliang, the morale of the rebel army is high. Half of the soldiers are even unwilling to take turns to rest … The rebel has set up many courses in the army. I took advantage of the winter refugees to sneak into the valley, so I am not qualified to listen to the courses. However, from what the rebels say, most of it is treason … "
In the slightly dimly lit cave, a man dressed in ragged clothes stood there solemnly. He was using a clear and organized manner to explain in detail what he had found out from his investigation. Sitting in front was Li Pin. He coughed occasionally and wrote down what the man said in detail with a pen and paper. Tie Tianying was sitting at the entrance of the cave where there was sunlight. He placed the Gigantic Sword on his knees and closed his eyes to rest. However, when Li Pin occasionally asked some trivial questions in the cave, he could vaguely see that Tie Tianying was not in a good mood.
"The rebel didn't stop the rumors about the food shortage in the valley?"
"Why didn't anyone mutiny?"
"How many refugees entered the mountains in winter?"
"How did they choose?"
Li Pin's questions were all over the place. Often, after getting an answer, she would ask in more detail, "Why do you think so?" "What are the signs that made you think so?" The spy that Tie Tianying had sent into the valley was an elite among the constables. His thinking was clear, but he often couldn't stand such questioning. Sometimes, he would stammer, and Li Pin's questions would even make some mistakes.
But most of the problems were the same as what Tie Tianying had told Li Pin.
Ever since winter, the defense of Little Cang River had become much tighter. The experts on Ning Yi's side had already carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain of the valley. Most of the time, the constables under Tie Tianying's command did not dare to go near the valley in fear of alerting the enemy. Of course, he had more than one spy infiltrating the Small Canghe River during the winter. However, calling them out when there was no need to, just to ask about some trivial details, to him, was already picking a fight.
The things that happened in the valley of Little Cang River were not many, but they were not few either. The spy had been questioned by Li Pin for more than half a day, and many of the questions were repeated over and over again. When the questioning was over, he said a few nice words and said, "If there is anything that I have missed, I will need this brother's help in the next two days." Tie Tianying stood up with his sword and asked the spy to leave. He walked closer to see what Li Pin had recorded, as well as the map of Little Cang River.
"Mr. Li, are you done with your questioning?"
"Cough, there might be some that I have not thought of." Li Pin frowned as he looked at the records.
"Mr. Li, please tell me, are there any discrepancies between what I have recorded and what I have recorded?"
"... Not much."
"Then there are! Come, I really want to have a face-to-face with Mr. Li today. Let's see if there are any mistakes in these reports, so that Mr. Li can remember my mistake! "
Li Pin, who was reading the reports, raised his head and looked at him. Then, he covered his mouth and coughed a few times with difficulty. He said, "I only hope that nothing will go wrong. Constable Tie, you have misunderstood."
"Nothing goes wrong? Mr. Li, do you know that I have spent a lot of effort to plant a spy in Little Cang River? If it is not a critical moment, Mr. Li, you will call him out like this and ask him some trivial questions. You really have the right time to show off your authority! "
Li Pin was silent for a moment, then his eyes became serious. "Forgive me for being straightforward, Mr. Tie, your information is indeed too lacking. Of course, the general direction is correct. But the wording is careless, and many parts are just guesses … cough cough cough … "
"I have been in the Ministry of Justice for many years, so I know more information than Mr. Li!"
"Cough cough … But are you his opponent?!" Li Pin grabbed a stack of things and threw them on the ground in front of Tie Tianying. Tie Tianying was shocked that a sickly scholar like him would suddenly make such a thing.
"Cough cough … I have not had many opportunities to work with Ning Yi, but I do have some understanding of his actions in the Prime Minister's residence. Takeshi and the Office of Secret Investigations are under his control, so they are very clear about the requirements of information. Those who can use numbers, they will not be vague! He has already reached the point of nitpicking! Cough … His methods are bold and imaginative, but most of them are built on nitpicking! On the day he committed regicide in the golden palace, we have repeatedly deduced that he has at least a few backup plans. The most obvious one is that his first plan is to have Lu Hongti of the Green Wood Stronghold meet the Emperor. If not for the late Emperor summoning him in advance, cough cough cough cough … "
He rambled on and on about all of these things, then lowered his head and picked up the stack of intelligence reports. "Now that the Northern Lands have fallen into enemy hands, we're in a weak position here. It's difficult for the government to help us out. If we continue to be sloppy, we'll only be courting death. I know that Mr. Tie has his own way of handling cases, but if that doesn't work, maybe the opportunity lies in these nitpicking small things … "
Tie Tianying was silent for a moment. He couldn't win against the scholar in an argument, but he wouldn't be intimidated by a few words. He sneered, "Hmph, that's the part where I can't do it.
"There are many suspicious points, and I can't figure it out either," Li Pin said softly. "But this Little Blue River is the most suspicious point. Why did he choose to stop here? On the surface, it can be said that it is connected to the Green Wood Stronghold, but in fact, both sides are mountainous, and the road is not smooth. When he led the Wu Rui Battalion to revolt, he defeated tens of thousands of soldiers twice. If he really wanted to do something big, he could have chosen a city in the northwest to defend. There is land and people, and with the combat power of this group of people, even if the Xixia army attacked, they could defend the city and fight. It would be much better than being trapped in the mountains now … "
Tie Tianying retorted, "But then, the imperial army and the Western Army would take turns to attack him. He would risk universal condemnation, and it would be difficult for him to find allies. How long can he hold out?"
"It's not that he can't hold out. Taking a step back, if he really can't hold out, he can naturally enter the mountains again. Plus, with the resources of a city and a land, it will be better than the current situation. " Li Pin tapped on the information in her hand. "And it seems that he does not see the current situation as a dilemma. He took in the refugees during the winter, firstly to save food, and secondly, doesn't he know that the imperial court will send people to keep an eye on him? He is not even afraid of spies, and he directly drove away the envoy of Xixia. He is not afraid of angering the King of Xixia. How can there be such a person … "
"He is not afraid of spies." Tie Tianying repeated, "That might mean that some of the information we know now is fake information that he purposely leaked out. Maybe he is pretending to be calm, or maybe he has secretly contacted the Xixia people … No, if he wanted to be calm, he should have chosen to defend the city outside the mountains from the beginning. But it is more likely that he has secretly contacted the Xixia people. It is not surprising that such a person, who has no ruler and no father, would be a traitor. "
"If he has really joined the Xixia, it is useless for us to do anything here. But I always feel that it is not possible … "Li Pin glanced at Tie Tianying." But in the middle of this, why did he not forbid people to discuss the storage of grain in the valley? Why did he always ask people to discuss the political affairs inside and outside the valley? The more people think, the harder it is to control them. The people can do whatever they want, but they can't let them know. He is so confident that he is not afraid of the people in the valley rebelling? Becoming a rebel, seeking a dead end, rejecting the Xixia, and taking in refugees in winter … These things … cough … "
The two were quarreling, but Li Pin did not act recklessly. What he said was also the doubt in Tie Tianying's heart. At this time, when he was pointed out, he felt that there were many contradictions in this valley called Small Canghe.
"Ha, all these things together can only mean that Ning Liheng has been crazy for a long time!"
"If he is really crazy, it will be fine." Li Pin slightly exhaled. "But this person always plans before he acts, and we can never judge him by common sense. Hey, he killed the king in court! He said that it was difficult for him to calm down. If he really wanted to rebel, he should have left the capital first and arranged it slowly. Now that the Jurchen people are stirring up chaos in the world, he will always have a chance. But he did it … You say he is crazy, but his understanding of the current situation is not as clear as ours. According to the news he released, within a year, the north of the Yellow River will be under the control of the Jurchen people. It seems that within three years, it is not impossible for the Wu dynasty to lose the Yangtze River … "
"… I can't figure out what he wants to do."
After murmuring, Li Pin sat down on a rock behind him. Tie Tianying frowned and looked to the side. After a while, he said, "I can't figure it out either, but one thing is very clear."
"If he really defected to Xixia, with his current backing, no one in the northwest can do anything to him." Tie Tianying said, "But if he doesn't, the food shortage in the valley cannot be faked. Before the food is exhausted, he will definitely take action! No matter what action he takes, it will be the best opportunity for us! "
After saying this, he suddenly waved his hand. After taking two steps, he stopped and looked back at Li Pin. "But I am worried that even this opportunity is in his calculation. Lord Li, you are familiar with him, and you are very smart. If there is any danger, you should figure it out yourself! "
"Cough cough … cough cough …"
Tie Tianying left the cave. Li Pin sat there and coughed a few times. He took the information in his hand, opened it, and read it again and again. His eyes were confused, and he frowned. Then he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a long time.
"You … what do you want to do …"
His voice was hoarse. Outside the cave, the sun poured down. Tie Tianying walked up the hill and looked in the direction of the Small Cang River, and then looked back to the southeast.
When he first accepted the task and was about to come here, he had a strong desire to prove himself. But when he really came here, his desire was fading. Sometimes, he was not a match for this madman who wanted to be the enemy of the whole world. But now, he knew that everyone's reason to stay here was slowly disappearing. From the information brought by Li Pin, he knew that in the southeast, the high-ranking officials and nobles were leaving Bianliang. This was the decline of an era, and the people who used to be the leaders were losing their color.
Tong Guan, who had the most military achievements in the past decades, died on the day Ning Yi rebelled. The emperor also died on the same day. More than a month ago, Tang Ke, the Left Prime Minister who was in charge of the court, met all the requirements of the Female Immortal and emptied Bianliang. Then, he hanged himself in his home. But before he died, he did something. This old man, who had always been the leader of the peacemakers, confiscated Cai Jing's home as soon as he took the throne. Cai Jing, who used to have followers all over the world and had controlled the court for decades, starved to death on his way to exile.
Eighty-one years ago, without a home three thousand miles away, alone in the world, looking at the Divine Land with tears. Five times in the Golden Palace, ten times in the Jade Hall, recalling the prosperous days of the past, but now it becomes a dream talk …
This was Cai Jing's last poem. It was said that he was disliked by the people because of his many evil deeds. While he was exiled, he couldn't buy anything even if he had money. But in fact, there was no such thing. This eighty-one year old powerful official starved to death. Maybe it also proved that the rest of the powerful people in the country had some complaints about him.
But what was the use?
All the members of the royal family in Bianliang were taken away, and now they were rushing back to the territory of the Jin Kingdom like pigs and dogs. Hundreds of officials went south. They were really going to give up this place in the north. If the Yangtze River was the boundary in the future, this half of the world would collapse on his head.
He looked back at the Small Cang River and thought, "This madman!"
*****
In May, the world was collapsing.
After the departure of the Female Zhenren, a large number of officials in Bianliang began to move south.
The emperor was gone, and the royal family was wiped out. The next to succeed the throne would definitely be the royal family in the south. Although the situation was not completely settled, there were also officials in the south who thought, "Are we going to give the credit to the idlers in the south?"
Tong Guan, Cai Jing, and Qin Siyuan were all dead. The remaining traitors, who had been denounced as the 'Seven Tigers' by the people of the capital, had either been dismissed or demoted. The court was finally back in the hands of the righteous. Led by Qin Hui, the crowd began to cross the Yellow River in a mighty manner, preparing to support the new Emperor. Zhang Bangchang, who had no choice but to accept the throne of the Great Chu, also pushed all kinds of materials to the south in May. He was going to the south to ask for forgiveness. From Yanmen Pass to the Yellow River, and from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River, there were many problems as to whether people should stay or leave. For a time, a greater chaos was brewing.
In the south, a solemn and festive atmosphere was gathering. In Jiangning, where Ning Yi used to live, Zhou Yong, the idle Prince of Kang, was soon going to become the new emperor of the Wu dynasty with the help of Princess Cheng and Kang Xian. Some people had already noticed this. In the city, in the palace, Princess Zhou Pei knelt in the hall. She looked at the benevolent old granny handing her the pendant that symbolized the Princess of Cheng's Mansion. She thought about how the barbarians had chased the Zhou family members to the Northern Lands, and whether they were dead or alive.
The young prince sat on a high stone block and looked to the north. The sunset cast a magnificent color. He was also a little emotional.
"… Forty years of home and country, three thousand miles of mountains and rivers. The phoenix pavilion and the dragon tower connect the sky to the Han, the jade tree and the jasper branch as smoke, when have we ever known war? "
This "Breaking the Formation" was a poem about the fall of Li Houzhu. He looked at the flowing clouds in the sky and recited half of it in a low voice. Then he sighed.
"Master..."
He jumped down from the stone block and stood there, looking at the sunset for a long time until the evening wind fluttered his clothes. He waved his hand.
"I will carry forward the Way of Investigating Things. I will help the Zhou family protect the Wu dynasty. You see. "
He spoke in a low voice and made up his mind.
He should become the Crown Prince.
— So he could build a bigger workshop!
The summer was hot. As if it didn't feel the collapse of the outside world, days passed in the Little Cang River.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
