People who heard that Ning Yi and Hong Ti did not return for the whole night made fun of them for the next two days, but they did not say much.
Just like every era had its own customs and rules, the emotional problems that occasionally made Ning Yi feel uneasy were handled in a natural way in this era. After living together for a long time, Ning Yi and the others gradually found the most natural way to get along with each other.
In this kind of big house with many wives, it was inevitable that there would be distant relatives, but generally speaking, they got along well with each other. Su Tan'er, who was soft on the outside but tough on the inside, was very helpful to Ning Yi. Her importance to the family was obvious to everyone. Back then, in order to cover for Ning Yi when he jumped into the river, she came to Little Cang River. She had become so skinny that it made people's hearts skip a beat because of the various affairs in the valley. Her meticulousness and tenacity were almost another core of this family. When Xixia was destroyed, she walked out from that period of thinness, and after a period of recuperation, she regained her figure and beauty.
During this period, Yun Zhu took care of her during her recovery. Although the two of them didn't get along well when they first met a few years ago, their friendship had always been good after all these years. In a sense, the two were women who lived around the same man. Although Yun Zhu cared and took care of Tan'er because she knew how important she was to Ning Yi, and Tan'er showed the bearing of a housewife, after living together for a few years, the friendship between the family was still there.
In between, Xiaochan and Jin'er were more casual. The young and immature maidservant was now a twenty-five-year-old woman. Although she had a child, her appearance did not change much. She was basically in charge of arranging the daily life of the family. As for the occasional bad habits of Ning Yi and Tan'er, she still nagged them in a low voice like a young maidservant. When she arranged things, she liked to count her fingers, and when she was anxious, she often clenched her fists. Sometimes when Ning Yi heard her nagging, he could not help but want to reach out and pull the braid on her head. After all, the braid was gone.
Recently, Yuan Bao'er wanted to have a child — she had been thinking about it for a few years. But no one knew whether it was because of her body after transmigrating or because of the author's arrangement, although there was no problem in bed, Ning Yi did not make the women around him pregnant one by one. Sometimes, it made Jin'er quite depressed. But fortunately, she was optimistic. She usually taught and took care of the children. Sometimes, she would chat with Yun Zhu and a few people in charge of performing and singing in Takeshi, so it was not boring.
Hong Ti, who lived in Green Wood Village most of the time, was the oldest among them. She was also the most respected and liked. Occasionally, when Tan'er encountered difficulties, she would complain to her. This was also because she was probably the one who suffered the most. Hongti, on the other hand, was soft and gentle. Sometimes when Tan 'er talked to her seriously, she felt uneasy. It was also because she was not sure about complicated things, which would disappoint Tan' er's expectations. Or, she said something wrong and delayed things. Sometimes, when she mentioned it to Ning Yi, Ning Yi would only smile.
The twenty-six-year-old Tan'er was just at the age of adapting to society in the future. She was beautiful, and after experiencing many things, she had a confident and calm temperament. But in fact, Ning Yi knew very well that no matter 20 years old, 30 years old, or 40 years old, no one could really face things without confusion. When children in their teens and twenties saw how adults handled things calmly, they thought that they had become completely different people. But in reality, no matter what age they were, everyone was facing something new. There were more adults than young people, just because they had a better understanding that they had no one to rely on and no way out.
And in the heart of Tan'er, she was facing everything in front of her with a strange and flustered mentality.
For Ning Yi, it was not necessarily the same.
He used to think of living a peaceful life in a remote corner of the world. Then, step by step, he came to where he was now. In the past nine years, from the warmth and indifference to the shadows of knives and swords, and then to the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, there were always places that made people sigh. Whether it was by chance or by necessity, they all made people sigh. In all fairness, whether it was Jiangning, Hangzhou, or Bianliang, the places that made people feel intoxicated were far more prosperous and fascinating than Little Cang River and Green Wood Village.
Sometimes, when Ning Yi looked at the barren and barren mountains and saw people living and dying, he would also sigh. He did not know if it was possible for him to return to that kind of world in the future.
Of course, the harmony of the family at this time might also be attributed to the difficulties and obstacles along the way. If there was no such tension and pressure, they would not have to work tirelessly and huddle together for warmth.
Compared to other families, Ning Yi's respect for everyone and occasional guilt was naturally part of the reason. Sometimes, the family held small gatherings or picnics on the mountainside of Little Cang River. Occasionally, when Ning Yi was too tired, he would talk to them about his worries and thoughts about the future. He was also long-winded, but Tan'er and the others could not understand most of it. In fact, they did not necessarily care. However, in the midst of Ning Yi's worries, they would naturally feel the weight. At that time, the stars were bright, and the moon was bright, but the weight and pressure under the night sky were different. After all, they were just a small family that had to move forward in this dangerous world.
The third day after they arrived at Green Wood Village was the eighth of February. Only a few days after the Waking of Insects, the spring rain began to fall. Looking down from the mountain, the entire huge valley was shrouded in a hazy halo of rain. On the north side of the mountain, there were rows of houses mixed with large areas of huts. On the south side of the mountain, there were rows of caves. On the mountain and at the foot of the mountain, there were fields, ponds, streams, and large areas of woods. At this time, in the spring rain, the settlement of nearly twenty thousand people seemed to be somewhat peaceful.
Some factories were distributed in the mountains, including gunpowder, stone chiseling, iron smelting, cloth weaving, oil refining, porcelain making, and so on. Some factories and courtyards were still lit with lights. The big theater next to the market at the foot of the mountain was decorated with lanterns and streamers, preparing for the evening play. In one of the houses of the Su family on the side of the valley, Su Tan 'er was sitting under the eaves in the courtyard, weaving in a leisurely manner. The Old Grandfather, Su Yu, was sitting on a chair next to her. Occasionally, he would say a few words to her. In the small courtyard, more than a dozen young boys and girls, including Xiao Qi, were listening to their conversation. Occasionally, some children couldn't bear the silence and would play around in the back.
These children were naturally the descendants of the Su family. Almost no one in the Su family could understand Ning Yi's rebellion, except for Su Wending, Su Wenfang, Su Wenyu, and Su Yanping, who had followed Ning Yi before. But at this point, it didn't matter whether they understood or not. For nearly two years, they had been living in the Green Wood Stronghold, unable to go out. Coupled with the news that Ning Yi's army had defeated the Western Xia army, some people revealed that they could not allow their children to work for Ning Yi and learn from him. Following Ning Yi was equivalent to rebelling. But in any case, as long as they had the surname Su, their nature had already been determined, so they didn't have much choice.
Su Yu would occasionally ask about the matters of Little Canghe, Ning Yi, and the matters of the Su family. Tan 'er would operate the loom and answer them one by one. Most of the time, the old man just listened attentively. In the past, when Tan 'er was still young, the grandfather and grandson would often have such a time. Whenever Tan' er told him something, he would explain and discuss it with her in order to cultivate his granddaughter. He hoped that she could become the successor of a weaving family in the future. But at this time, it wasn't easy for him to understand and weigh the pros and cons of these matters that Tan 'er had come into contact with. So, he didn't express his opinion anymore.
On the other hand, the group of children would occasionally hear about the matters of Little Canghe from Tan 'er, as well as the many details of the defeat of the Western Xia army. The old man would close his eyes and listen to them. Only when Tan 'er talked about the family matters would he open his mouth and ask her to manage the family well, balance the relationship between her and the concubines, and not let Ning Yi be distracted too much, etc. Tan 'er nodded in agreement.
Two days ago, when Su Yu and Ning Yi met, they didn't talk so much. He couldn't understand Ning Yi's rebellion. And in his heart, Ning Yi's defeat of the Western Xia army and the rescue of the people was an indescribably important matter. He couldn't comment on it, so he just asked Ning Yi to stay for a family dinner. Then, he asked Ning Yi to leave and "do his own things". He didn't mention to Ning Yi that Tan 'er had to "take care of the family".
That night, the play "Spiked Tiger", which was adapted from Hong Ti's attempt on Song Xian's life, was performed in the big theater next to the Green Wood Stockade Market. Although the template was Hong Ti, Song Xian, and the others, the names were changed. The heroine changed her name to Lu Qing, and Song Xian changed his name to Huang Hu. This play mainly depicted the hardships of the Green Wood Stockade. The Liao people raided every year. Huang Hu, a military officer of the Wu Dynasty, also came to Mount Lu Liang. He said he was recruiting soldiers, but in fact, he fell into a trap. He killed some of the Lu Liang people and used them as soldiers of the Liao to claim credit. Later, he became a general.
And the heroine, Lu Qing, who grew up in Mount Lu Liang, went south to Jiangning to avenge the villagers. On the way, she encountered several twists and turns. She encountered bandits and a tiger. She killed the tiger alone with only a sword. After she came to Jiangning, she fell into Huang Hu's trap and narrowly escaped death. Finally, with the help of Lu Dichen, the scholar of Jiangning, she succeeded in her revenge.
After that, the heroine, Lu Qing, returned to Mount Lu Liang. But the villagers she loved were still suffering from hunger, cold, and the oppression of the north and south. In order to save Mount Lu Liang, she finally put on a blood-red mask and turned into the Blood Buddha. She fought for Mount Lu Liang …
Ning Yi participated in the change of the story. In order to achieve the effect, there were also many symbolic things, such as the names Lu Qing, Huang Hu, and Lu Dichen, and the drama of a gifted scholar and a beautiful woman. As for the plot of killing the tiger, it was added to make it more enjoyable to the audience.
As a modern person who was used to watching popular movies, Ning Yi did not have much interest in the plays of this era. But the addition of some things greatly increased the audience's interest. For example, he asked Takeshi and the others to make lifelike props and the background of the play in Jiangning City, which greatly enhanced the audience's sense of immersion. That night, there were constant exclamations in the theater. Even Han Jing and the others, who were used to seeing the romantic scenes in Bianliang City, were watching intently. Ning Yi sat there with his chin in his hand, cursing the group of country bumpkins in his heart.
Sitting next to him, Hongti, who was also a country bumpkin, was also dumbfounded. She opened her mouth and exclaimed in surprise. For a moment, she forgot that the heroine Lu Qing, who was disguised by Yuan Jin 'er on the stage, was actually herself. She also watched with great interest the plot of heroine Lu Qing killing the tiger. This time, the people who came to the theater were all veterans of the Green Wood Stronghold. When they saw the crucial part, there were those who felt sad, those who felt indignant, and those who cheered. After Ning Yi finished watching, he thought to himself, It looks like the purpose of this play can be achieved.
In the next two days, the "Spiked Tiger" continued to be performed in this theater. Every time it was performed, Hongti, Tan 'er, Yunzhu, Xiaochan, and the others would go to see it together. For Xiaochan and the others, their feelings were mostly, "Miss Lu is so awesome." As for Hongti, what she really sighed with emotion were some innuendo characters in the play, such as the dead Liang Bingfu and Fu Duanyun. Every time she saw them, her eyes would turn red, and then she would say, "Actually, it's not like this."
After all, Ning Yi didn't have much time to relax in the Green Wood Stronghold. In these days, in addition to the performance of the new play, the soldiers on both sides also carried out a series of martial arts competitions. Ning Yi arranged for some of his intelligence personnel to go to the north. During the period when the Black Flag Army was fighting against the Xixia people, the team led by Lu Yannian, one of the leaders of the Takeshi intelligence system, had successfully opened up a secret route in the Jin Kingdom to buy back the captives of the Wu dynasty. Since then, all kinds of news had been transmitted. The matter that the Female Zhenren had begun to study artillery technology had already been completely confirmed.
According to all kinds of information collected, the army of the Female Zhenren didn't gradually decline after Aguda's death. Until now, they were in a period of rapid rise. This rising vitality was reflected in their absorption of new technology and continuous progress.
When the Female Zhenren rose and captured the capital of Liao in half a day, people who didn't know the truth might think that the Female Zhenren had mastered a powerful siege technology. But in fact, this was not the case. At that time, the Female Zhenren army didn't even have a systematic siege strategy. What supported them to capture that strong city was pure wildness and a fierce fighting spirit that didn't fear death. The siege strategy of the Female Zhenren was constantly improving in the process of capturing the whole of Liao and later in the invasion of the Wu dynasty. Even the siege of Taiyuan and the attack and defense of Bianliang also had the nature of training soldiers.
After the capture of Bianliang, the Female Zhenren plundered a large number of craftsmen and returned to the north. Until now, the Female Zhenren army in Yunzhong Mansion had constantly strengthened their research on various kinds of war equipment, including firearms. In this respect, Wanyan Zonghan was indeed a man of great talent and strategy, and the existence of such a group of enemies who were constantly improving, for Ning Yi, after receiving a lot of information, often felt a numbing sense of urgency at the back of his head.
At the same time, the news of the mobilization of the Female Zhenren army to the north of Yanmen Pass also occasionally came. Under the national policy of recuperation bought by Jin Emperor Wu Qi, most of the places in the Jin Kingdom had recovered their commerce and the flow of people. The large-scale movement of the army couldn't escape the eyes of those who were observant. This time, the mobilization of the Jin Kingdom's army was steady and quiet. But in this calmness, there was a calmness and grandeur that could crush everything.
In the first half of last year, the Female Zhenren withdrew from Bianliang and allowed Zhang Bangchang to inherit the throne and change the name to Great Chu. When the Female Zhenren left, Zhang Bangchang immediately abdicated. This caused the Female Zhenren to send messengers to protest. Later, when Prince Kang succeeded the throne, the Female Zhenren protested again. Naturally, the Wu dynasty wouldn't stop electing a new emperor just because of the Female Zhenren's protest. The Female Zhenren didn't make a scene or say anything harsh.
However, in the eyes of those who were observant, the Female Zhenren's cultivation and silence over the past year had gradually accumulated and brewed a suffocating atmosphere. Even in a remote corner of the northwest mountains, Ning Yi occasionally thought about these things, but he didn't feel the slightest bit relaxed.
After sending a new batch of people to the north, on the twelfth day of the second month, Ning Yi and the others bid farewell to Su Yu and set out on the road back to Little Canghe. At this time, spring had not yet warmed up. It had been nine years since Ning Yi first saw this era. Flags fluttered in the wind in the north, the Yellow River surged again, and it was still a spring day in the south of the Yangtze River. In every corner of this world, people, as always, fulfilled their respective missions and faced an unknown fate.
Because of the mobilization and gathering of the army, the atmosphere in the Yunzhong Mansion had once again become somber. But for the Female Zhenren, who grew up in the battlefield, there was nothing wrong with such an atmosphere. The business in the market was still going on, and the banquets in the brothels and restaurants were still going on. No matter what the upcoming war was, for them, it was nothing more than an opportunity.
Chen Wenjun chased after her child and walked through the Lang Garden in the mansion. When she saw her husband and the captain of the personal guards walking in, they were talking in a low voice. She carried the child and walked over. Wanyan Xiyin waved at the captain of the personal guards and said, "Be careful, go ahead."
"You're back? How's the situation today? Is there something troubling you? "
The maidservant took the cloak that Wanyan Xiyin took off. Xi Yin smiled and shook her head, "It's just a small matter. It's time to deal with it."
"How's the news from General Lou Shi?"
"Let's see what His Majesty wants. Zong Fu is loyal and straightforward, while Zong Bi is short-sighted. The Wu dynasty is disobedient, and they want to kill that Prince Kang. But how can we use loyalty in a war …" When he said this, he glanced at his wife and held her in his arms as they walked inside, "You … actually shouldn't worry about these …"
Chen Wenjun looked at him calmly and smiled helplessly, "I always have to worry."
"That's true …" Xi Yin was slightly stunned and then nodded, "No matter what, the Wu dynasty's fate has come to an end. It's foolish for us to fight over them again and again, plundering some people and things back. Wenjun, the only way to bring peace to the world and reduce the suffering of the people is for us to conquer this Southern Dynasty as soon as possible … "
As he spoke, he walked inside with his wife. When they crossed the threshold of the courtyard, Chen Wenjun tilted her head and casually glanced at the personal guard captain who was leading a few people from the residence out in a hurry.
In a market on the side of Yun Zhong Manor, the finely dressed man and the local snake of the Jurchen Nation called Seventh Master secretly met in a courtyard. After exchanging a few words of greeting, that 'Seventh Master' put on a fake smile and remained silent for a moment. "To be honest, Old Seventh, there's something that's hard for me to talk about."
"Oh? Seventh Master, please speak. "
"I heard that there's going to be a war, and the situation outside is tense. It's not easy to get the goods this time, so I have to increase the price."
"Seventh Master … we agreed before, but it's not like this. Moreover, where did you hear about the war? "
That Seventh Master twitched the corner of his mouth, "Humans have a pair of eyes and a pair of ears. If you watch and listen more, you will eventually understand. To be honest, after these few transactions, I, Old Seventh, haven't figured out everyone's background. This time, I don't want to play muddle-headedly, everyone …"
He spoke slowly, and a middle-aged guard behind the finely dressed man leaned over and frowned, "It's a trap …"
The finely dressed man's eyebrows sank, and he suddenly tore open his clothes and pulled out his saber. Across from him, that Seventh Master who had been speaking slowly before suddenly changed his expression and leaped ten feet away.
"He's stalling for time!"
"Let's go —"
Several people turned around and left. That Seventh Master led a few people to surround the finely dressed man. A smiling young man beside the finely dressed man took two steps forward, then suddenly turned around and pounced on that Seventh Master. At the same time, that middle-aged guard also pounced.
"It's not right to play dirty! Take him as a hostage! "
"Let's go first!"
The saber light flashed, and another person jumped down from the side of the courtyard. A warrior beside Seventh Master was chopped to the ground by that young man's saber, and the fishy smell of blood permeated the air. Seventh Master retreated a few steps, drew his saber, and roared, "This has nothing to do with me!"
The finely dressed young master rushed out with his men. On the opposite side of the street, there were Jurchen soldiers surrounding them …
On this day, there was a small-scale chaos in the city of Yunzhong Prefecture. A group of murderers ran in the city and fought with the patrolling soldiers. Not long after, this wave of chaos was quelled. At the same time, on the land to the north of Yanmen Pass, the campaign to clean up the infiltrating southern spies began on a large scale. The border began to be sealed, and the atmosphere was extremely somber.
The Goddess of Grains, Wanyan Xiyin, also casually waved her saber towards the many forces hidden in the dark.
In the south, in Jinan Prefecture, a new magistrate named Liu Yu arrived. Not long ago, he hoped to get a position in Yingtian, and after using the connections of Assistant Minister of the Secretariat Zhang Ji, he got the position of magistrate of Jinan. However, the people of Shandong were swift and fierce, and bandits were frequent. Liu Yu submitted a memorial to the new emperor, hoping to be transferred to Jiangnan as an official. After that, he was severely reprimanded. But no matter what, having an official position was better than not having one, so he angrily took up his post.
Not long after, this official would step onto the stage of history with great splendor.
Outside Yingtian Prefecture, on the grassy plains, Jun Wu was galloping on horseback. A few days earlier, with the help of Lu Agui and the others, he had battled with some old bureaucrats with wits and courage. He had obtained a batch of military equipment and supplies from the mouths of the military and the Ministry of Revenue, as well as some improved elm cannons, and sent them to the troops that he supported. It was hard to say whether this counted as a victory, but for the young people, it made them feel good. That afternoon, he went outside the city to test the new hot air balloon. Although he still failed as usual, he still rode on horseback and galloped for a while.
The horse stopped on a hillside illuminated by the setting sun. Yingtian's city walls were spread out in the distance. Jun Wu rode on horseback and looked at the light. In his heart, he felt that becoming the Crown Prince was actually not bad. He let out a long sigh of relief. In his heart, he thought of a poem and recited it, "Qinghai has long clouds and dark snow-capped mountains. A lonely city gazes at Yumen Pass. Yellow sand wears golden armor in a hundred battles. Loulan will not return until it is broken … "
After all, he was a man. Sometimes, he also wished that he could carry a sword and mount a horse, gallop across the battlefield that was filled with blood and rain, and save the people from disaster. But of course, at this time, there was a more suitable position for him.
He stood in the magnificent sunlight for a very long time.
North, Yanmen Pass.
The thick and heavy city walls were ancient and majestic. Over the past few years, they had been damaged by the battle with the Female Zhenren and had not been repaired. In this chilly spring day, it seemed lonely and quiet. Birds flew in with the wind and landed on the dilapidated battlements. There was a lonely long road on both sides of the city wall.
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