When he returned to the small courtyard halfway up the mountain, there were already many people gathered inside and outside.
Ning Yi walked into the courtyard and glanced at the room. Tan 'er was already back. She sat by the bed and looked at Ning Xi, her face green. Xiaoning, whose head was bandaged, was stuttering as she tried to explain something to her mother. Ning Yi inquired a few words with the doctor at the door. Then, his expression relaxed slightly and he walked in.
"Father." Ning Xi looked at him from the bedside and pouted. "I really wanted to catch a rabbit … I almost caught it …"
Ning Yi walked over and pinched his face, looking at the bandage on his head. "Does it hurt?"
"It didn't hurt at the start but it hurts a little now."
"It's fine." Ning Yi smiled and waved towards the door. "The doctor said it's fine, why are all of you here! Ning Yi, look who's here to see you. "
"Grandpa Zuo." Ning Xi bowed towards the old man who followed him in. Zuo Duanyou's expression was solemn. They had dinner together the night before and he didn't show much affection towards Ning Xi. But now, he couldn't keep a straight face. He held Ning Xi's shoulders and asked him to lie down. "Don't move, don't move. What happened?"
"Chuyi and I went to pick wild vegetables. There were guests at home and we didn't eat much. Then, I found a rabbit and went to catch it. Then, I tripped and hit my head … The rabbit was originally caught, it was about this big, but unfortunately, I tripped and scared Chuyi, so the rabbit ran away … "
The child gestured with his hands, looking depressed. It wasn't easy for him to catch a rabbit, and he was injured from the fall, but Min Chuyi still let the rabbit go. Wasn't it like drawing water with a sieve?
Zuo Duanyou turned and glanced at Ning Yi. Ning Yi was consoling Su Tan 'er. "Boys have to fall and hit themselves before they can be successful. The doctor said it's fine, don't worry." Then he went to the side and comforted the female soldier who had a face full of guilt. "They're just kids, they need their own space. I told you not to get too close to them. It's not your fault, you don't have to blame yourself."
Only then did this small storm gradually dissipate. The atmosphere in the Small Cang River looked peaceful, but it was actually very tense. The lack of food was a problem, and outside the Small Cang River, there were all kinds of enemies staring at them. No one said anything, but they all knew what was going on. Something happened to Ning Xi and some people thought that the enemy outside finally attacked. They all ran over to take a look and seeing that it wasn't the case, they left.
Xiaoning Xi's head was bleeding, and after persevering for a while, she fell asleep from exhaustion. After sending Zuo Duanyou out, Ning Yi went to settle other matters. The old man walked halfway up the Small Cang River, accompanied by his followers. It was afternoon, and under the slanting sunlight, the sounds of training could be heard from the valley. The construction sites were in full swing, and people were running about. In the reservoir far away, a few boats were casting nets, and there were also people fishing by the water. They were catching fish to make up for the lack of food in the valley.
These things looked normal in his field of vision, but in reality, there was an atmosphere brewing that was completely different from other places. Nervousness, a sense of danger, and a certain aura that contradicted the nervousness and danger. The old man had seen many things in this world, but he still couldn't understand why Ning Yi refused to cooperate with the Zuo family.
As the leader of a large family with roots all over the East River Road, he came to the Small Cang River because of his interests. But on the other hand, to be able to start planning last year and try to get in touch with the Zuo family, his friendship with Qin Siyuan played a big part. Even if he wanted something from the Small Cang River, it wouldn't be too much. The other party should be able to see this. Because of this consideration, the old man brought up this matter today.
Just to prevent the Zuo family from raising any conditions? Why did he refuse so decisively? Did he really have a way out? Here … they were walking on a cliff.
As he thought about this, he sent his followers to the valley to find the spies he had arranged to enter the Small Cang River. He asked them one by one to confirm the fact that there was a lack of food in the valley. This only deepened his suspicions.
However, at this time, in the valley, some things were happening in places that he didn't know or didn't care about.
In order to replenish the meat in the soldiers' daily rations, there were already kitchens slaughtering horses in the valley. That evening, some soldiers found fine bits of horse meat in their dishes. This news spread, and for a moment, half of the canteen fell silent. Then, the leader of the soldiers placed his bowl and chopsticks in front of the canteen counter and asked, "How can you kill a horse?"
Many people put down their chopsticks. Someone said, "Has the valley reached such a state? Even if we are hungry, we would rather not eat horse meat! "
"We don't need meat for every meal! We are so used to being poor that we can even eat wild vegetables and tree bark! "someone else added.
Everyone was anxious and uncomfortable. Fortunately, the canteen was still in order. Moments after the incident, General He Zhicheng rushed over. "Treating you like people makes you uncomfortable, right?!"
The rules in the military were good. Not long after, he suppressed the incident. At the same time, on the other side of the canteen, a group of young soldiers walked into the dormitory with knives and guns. They were looking for the founder of the Huayan Society, Luo Ye.
"Brother Luo, did you hear about what happened today?"
Luo Ye had just returned from training and was covered in sweat. He turned to look at them. "What happened? What do you want? "
"Something happened to the eldest young master of the Ning family. I heard he saw blood by the mountain. I'm guessing that the cowards outside the valley can't take it anymore and are going to fight! "
These people were all in high spirits, their eyes red. Luo Ye frowned. "I heard that Young Master Ning Xi was injured. He just knocked himself when catching a rabbit. What do you want? Taking a step back, even if something really happened, is it up to you to decide whether to do it or not? "
Everyone stilled. One person said, "We can't bear it either. If it really is an attack from outside the mountain, we have to do something. Brother Luo, you can represent us and ask Mister Ning to fight! "
"You are all muddle-headed!" Luo Ye said. "Also, there is no such thing. Who are you going to fight! You even said you want to do something big, can't you calm down? "
The group of people heard that something happened and didn't think about it. They all ran over excitedly. Now that they knew it was just a rumor, the atmosphere gradually turned cold. They looked at each other and felt a little embarrassed. One of them put the steel knife on the table and sighed, "What else can we do if we want to do something big? The valley is starting to run out of food. We … don't know what to do even if we want to. I heard … they killed two horses today … "
This person was depressed when he talked about killing horses. When Luo Ye heard this, he frowned. Another person sighed. "That's right. I don't know what to do about the food problem."
"Do you not trust General Qin and Mister Ning?" Luo Ye said. "The lords above haven't been lazy for a single day."
"It's not that we don't trust them. It's just that even the horses have been killed. We are also worried. If all the horses are killed, how can we fight? As for you, Brother Luo, you originally said that you could think of a way to deal with the large clans you are familiar with. But after you talked to Mister Ning about this, you didn't mention it again. If you know something, you can tell us about it too … "
"I have a guess, but it's hard to say." Luo Ye shook his head. "In short, you just need to put in more effort to train. The higher-ups will have a solution!"
"Who here has been lazy during training!?"
"That's right. Now that we are so worried, I really think … we might as well fight. They have already started killing horses. Even if Mister Ning has a brilliant plan, I feel … ai, I still feel unhappy … "
"Brother Luo, if you know something, just say it. We won't spread it."
"How can I know what Mister Ning and the others are planning? I only have some guesses these days. It's hard to say if it's right or not." Everyone was in an uproar. Luo Ye frowned and said, "But I think this will happen in the next few days …"
The noise in the dormitory did not stop. In the valley that was shrouded in unbearable heat, similar things were happening all over the place from time to time.
The old man in the room on the mountain heard some detailed reports. He was even more certain that the food shortage in Little Cang River was not fake. On the other hand, these trivial matters would be compiled into long and short reports every day. They would be categorized and sent to the higher-ups of Little Cang River. Every day, when the sun was setting, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er, Qin Shaoqian and the others would gather in the office for a short time to discuss the meaning behind the information. And today, because of Ning Xi's accident, Tan'er's expression was not very happy.
After some matters were decided, Qin Shaoqian left. Ning Yi and Su Tan'er ate a simple dinner together. Ning Yi comforted his wife. When they were alone, Su Tan'er's expression became weak. She nodded and snuggled up to her man.
As the sun gradually set and the sky was about to lose its afterglow, Zuo Duanyou, who had eaten dinner with Qin Shaoqian, came out for a walk on the mountain and met Ning Yi, who was walking back from the mountain path. For some reason, Ning Yi had changed into a new set of clothes. He cupped his hands and smiled. "You are in good health."
Zuo Duanyou looked at him. "Young Master Ning, do you have anything else to do?"
"Yes at night, but it is empty now."
"Then accompany this old man for a walk."
"Sure." Ning Yi spread his hands. "Zuo Gong, please."
The night breeze blew on the mountain path. The two of them walked one after the other. Zuo Duan You supported himself with his walking stick. After walking for a while, he slowly opened his mouth. This time, his tone was much calmer. "All these years, I have always thought that a person with authority should not act on impulse."
At the side, Ning Yi nodded respectfully.
"When I spoke this afternoon, I did not think there was much to talk about. Now, I'm just curious. Li Heng, how much of what I said today did I let my emotions affect my decision? "
"... Not even ten percent."
"I think so too. So, I am even more curious. "
Zuo Duanyou continued walking with his walking stick.
"The lack of food in the valley is not fake."
"It is."
"The Jin are guarding the north, Xixia are guarding the southwest, and the Wu dynasty are guarding the area. As far as I know, no one dares to help you in private. Right now, all the trade routes of the Greenwood Stronghold under your command have been cut off, and there is nothing you can do. Is there anything wrong with this information? "
Ning Yi was silent for a while. "We sent some people out to help some big families. Some of them succeeded. This is a fair trade, but we did not gain much. There were some who wanted to help in private. Some took the risk and came to talk about cooperation. They asked for an exorbitant price, but we rejected them. The Green Wood Village is under a lot of pressure, but they can hold on for now. Ci Buli is also busy with the autumn harvest and has no time to care about this barren mountain. But no matter what … it is not wrong. "
"You are afraid that my Zuo family will also ask for an exorbitant price?"
"No such thing." Ning Yi replied.
"Good." Zuo Duanyou nodded. "So, you refused me when you had no way forward, and you did not act on impulse. It is very strange when all these things are put together. What is even stranger is that since you are not willing to talk business with me, why did you spend so much time with me? If it is because of your love for Old Qin, you do not have to do this. You must have something to ask of me. You contradict yourself. Either I have missed something, or you are lying. Do you admit this? "
He was old, but although his hair was white, his logic was clear and his words were fluent. It was enough to show his elegance in the past. Ning Yi did not hesitate in his reply.
"Old man, you are very clear." He smiled calmly and said honestly, "I am accompanying you because of my love for you, and also because you have come at the right time. I want to give you a memory."
"Oh? Memory? "
"Yes. One day, when the Female Zhenren takes over the entire north of the Yangtze River, the power will change, and the people will have no way to live. When the Zuo family is about to fall apart and die, I hope that the descendants of the Zuo family will remember a place like the Little Cang River."
Ning Yi's tone was calm, as if he was talking about something very simple. But each word was like a needle that pierced the heart. Zuo Duanyou frowned, anger flashing in his eyes again. Ning Yi stood beside him and held one of his hands. The two continued to walk forward slowly.
"Don't be angry, Grandpa Zuo. I admire your courage and charisma for coming to the Little Cang River at this time. Because of Prime Minister Qin's favor, Little Cang He will not do anything to you. Everything that I have said comes from the bottom of my heart. You and I may not have many chances to get along, so I will tell you what I think. You are a great scholar and have seen countless people. Whether what I said is lies or lies, you can think about it in the future. There is no need to rush. "
"... Oh? What do you mean? "
"The Female Zhenren has retreated to the north, and the imperial court has moved south. The north of the Yellow River has been thrown to the Female Zhenren. The Zuo family is a big family on the east side of the river and has a deep foundation. But if the Female Zhenren comes, no one knows what will happen. This is not a nation that cares about rules. At least, they don't need to for now. If they want to rule the east side of the river, they can cooperate with the Zuo family, or they can kill everyone on the east side of the river and then surrender. At this time, it is natural for you to seek a safe way out for your clansmen. "
Zuo Duanyou's eyes were calm and he did not speak.
"How can we seek a way out? It is too big to talk about it. One thing is for sure, the Little Cang River is not the first choice, nor is it the second. You can't expect us to stop the Female Zhenren when she comes. But you came in person. You didn't know me before and you haven't seen Shao Qian for many years. The main reason you chose to come here is because of your relationship with Prime Minister Qin. There are a few possibilities for you to come here. Either you come to an agreement and the Little Cang River will secretly help the Zuo family, or you go back safely if you don't come to an agreement, or you will be kept as a hostage and we will ask the Zuo family to pay for your ransom. Or, the most troublesome possibility is that you will be killed. During this period, we also have to consider the possibility of the imperial court or other big families finding out about your arrival. In short, it is not worth it. "
"Even with this possibility, you still came. I can promise you that you will return home safely. You are a person worthy of respect. But at the same time, there is one thing for sure. The Little Cang River will not accept any of the conditions you propose from the Zuo family. This is not cheating, this is official business. "
Zuo Duanyou's expression did not change. "Oh, then why?"
"The reason why the Wu dynasty ended up like this is because of people like Duke Zuo's cousin Zuo Houwen and grandson Zuo Jilan. Do you agree with what I said?"
With a bang, Zuo Duanyou's crutch fell to the ground. He turned around and looked at Ning Yi. His eyes were burning and his face was like a ferocious tiger that was about to devour someone.
"So, at least for now, and for a long period of time that I can still control, I will not allow them to speak about Little Cang River, not even half a word," said Ning Yi calmly as he supported the old man.
Zuo Duanyou said word by word, "If anyone else said this, I would think that they are crazy."
"What you said is the truth." Ning Yi nodded. He wasn't angry. "Therefore, when the world is overturned one day and the Female Zhenren kills her way to the Zuo family, you might have already passed away by then. Your family will be killed and the women will be humiliated. They will have two choices. The first is to submit to the Lady Zhenren and swallow the humiliation. The second is to change and become good people. By then, even if the Zuo family's wealth is gone and there is not a single grain left in the barn, the Little Cang River will still be willing to accept them as a part of this place. This is what I want to leave behind, as an explanation to Duke Zuo. "
Ning Yi supported Zuo Duanyou's arm. The old man supported himself with his crutch but only looked at him. He did not plan to move forward anymore. "I am now certain that you are crazy. There is indeed a problem with the Zuo Family, but before this, I'm afraid that your insignificant Canghe Family is already gone! "
"That's also a possibility." Ning Yi slowly let go of his hand.
"So, you still have a solution to the current situation?"
The night wind blew and fluttered the clothes of the two people on the mountain. Ning Yi nodded and looked down the mountain. After a while, he said, "A few days ago, my wife asked me if I had any ideas. I asked her, 'Look at this Little Cang River and what it looks like now.' She did not know. Duke Zuo, you have been here for more than a day. You have asked some people and got the details. What do you think it looks like now? "
At the foot of the mountain, specks of fire gathered in the valley. The old man looked at it for a while.
"On the cliff, there is no way forward and there are pursuers behind. It looks peaceful but it is actually anxious and burning. It is like an egg in danger. "
"Duke Zuo, you are right." Ning Yi laughed. He stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling as he looked at the light below. After a while, his expression turned serious. "Grandpa Zuo, what you saw was correct, but the method of deduction was wrong. Forgive me for being blunt, but the Wu dynasty is used to the mentality of the weak. You have thought about it and calculated everything, but you have neglected the first way out. This is a difficult path, but there is only one real way out. "
"Ignorant junior." Zuo Duanyou smiled and said, "Are you thinking about the mentality of the strong?"
"It is about to start. Of course, the result is hard to say. The strong and the weak may not be accurate. It is more appropriate to say that it is the mentality of a madman. " Ning Yi smiled and cupped his hands. "I have a meeting to attend. Ning Yi will leave first. Duke Zuo, please do as you please."
With a bang, the old man slammed his crutch on the ground again. He stood at the side of the mountain and looked at the light spreading below with a serious expression. He looked like he did not care about the second half of Ning Yi's words, but he was still thinking about it in his heart. In his heart, after these words, this junior who was leaving was indeed like a madman. But the last comparison of the strong and the weak caught his attention.
This was because people like Zuo Houwen and Zuo Jilan would directly and cleanly reject a way out. Zuo Duanyou had never seen such people in his life. Even the once upright Wang Qisong would not be so pedantic to this extent.
That was right. In a broad sense, these useless scions and officials had destroyed the Wu dynasty. But which family did not have such people? The Zuo family was still in Zuo Duanyou's hands. This was a positive thing. Even if he died like this, the one who would take over the Zuo family would be a strong family head. The Zuo family helping Little Canghe was a timely help. Of course, they would ask for some privileges, but they would not go overboard. Ning Liheng actually asked everyone to look at the big picture and rejected the Zuo family's help for people like Zuo Houwen and Zuo Jilan. Such a person was either an idealist or a madman.
Nothing could be accomplished by pure idealism, and neither could a madman. But the most confusing thing was that Zuo Duanyou still could not figure out what the so-called "madman's thinking" was.
He raised his head. The mountain breeze was blowing warmly and the moon and stars were shining in the sky. Ning Yi's figure left this side of the hill. Meanwhile, in a brightly lit wooden house on the other side of the hill, all of the officers at the battalion level and above in Small Canghe Black Flag Army, as well as the internal affairs, staff officers, and intelligence officers, a total of sixty-eight people, entered the room one after another.
The soldiers walking in the house gave them a copy of the document. According to the title of the document, this was the decision made by the higher-ups of Little Canghe on the 8th of December last year. Most of the people who came to this room were literate. When they received this document, a small scale discussion and commotion arose. Under the watchful eyes of He Zhicheng, Liu Chengzong, and a few other officers, the discussion gradually subsided. Everyone's face turned into a strange and excited red color. Some of them were even trembling slightly.
After a while, Qin Shaoqian and Ning Yi came in from the door. Su Tan'er, who looked serious and thin, attended the meeting while holding a small book.
It was the 12th of June in the second year of Jingping. It had been a whole year since Ning Yi had killed the emperor in the Golden Palace Hall and the Wu Rui Battalion had raised their troops in rebellion. During this one year, the Female Enlightened Person had once again marched southward, destroyed Bianliang, and overturned the entire Wu Dynasty. Meanwhile, the Xixia people had broken through the northwest and begun their formal invasion southward. The entire rebel army hiding in the mountains in the northwest was about to be forgotten by the people in this vast upheaval. At the moment, the most important thing was the ascension of the new Emperor of the Wu dynasty in the south. It was an estimation of the next reaction of the Female Zhenren.
But not long after, the crazy actions of the army hiding in the northwest mountains would sweep over.
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