Light dust danced in the air. It was quiet inside and outside the room, as if there was no one there. The spring air was cold and slightly moist, seeping into one's skin. Fan Hongji stood there, looking at the people in the room and scrutinizing their expressions. Luo Ye looked at the two heads on the table and calmly looked away. Ning Yi smiled outside the door. He looked at Fan Hongji and the expressions of the people in the room. Just as Fan Hongji was about to speak, he opened his mouth.
"Haha, Messenger Fan, you are really brave. I admire you."
"Oh?" Fan Hongji turned around and smiled at Ning Yi. "Why do you say that, Mister Ning?"
Ning Yi walked to the table, patted the wooden box, and said with a smile, "If these two warriors are really from Little Canghe, then how could Envoy Fan escape unscathed?"
Fan Hongji laughed too. "Haha, Mister Ning, you are exaggerating. I do not think so. If these two warriors are really from your side, and your people are so unwise, I am afraid that Little Canghe will not be able to escape unscathed. Or … they will have nowhere to go. "
"Like we said, we will only know after we fight."
Fan Hongji's gaze froze. He looked at Ning Yi for a while and said, "So, these two are really brave warriors from the Small Cang River?"
Ning Yi's gaze swept across the people in the room, and he said word by word, "Of course not."
"But I can see that from the expressions of your people, that is not what they are saying."
Fan Hongji spoke slowly, one word at a time. Ning Yi also shook his head, his gaze gentle.
"Messenger Fan, I understand what the Goddess of Grains and Headmaster Shi are thinking. But you brought two heads and placed them in front of a group of young people playing with knives. Anyone would think that you are provoking them. Moreover, to tell the truth, the fact that your esteemed country captured nearly two hundred thousand people in Bianliang is admittedly due to the incompetence of the Wu Dynasty. I do not wish to become enemies with your esteemed country, but if there is a way to save these people, even if it means ransoming them, I am very willing to do it. Emissary Fan, as I said yesterday, although the people of Little Canghe have the bottom line of not trading with foreigners, we are very willing to do business with them. You see, the Jin Kingdom captured hundreds of thousands of people in one battle. If you are really willing to trade, you will definitely make a profit. "
Fan Hongji was about to speak when Ning Yi approached him and patted him on the shoulder. "Envoy Fan, you are a Han Chinese, and yet you are able to hold such a high position in the Jin Kingdom. Your family must have some influence in the north. You see, if you are the one doing this business, it would not be a bad thing for us to work together."
Just as Ning Yi was about to speak, the man waved his hand, "Mister Ning is indeed eloquent. However, Han captives are not to be traded with foreigners. This is a decision of the Great Jin and cannot be changed. Therefore, I have no choice but to disappoint Mister Ning's good intentions. If this head …"
"Sigh, who said that decisions can't be changed? There must be a way to compromise." Ning Yi stopped him and said, "Emissary Fan, you see, we killed the emperor of the Wu dynasty. Now that we are here in the northwest, what we want is a good reputation. You have captured the Wu dynasty captives. The men are to work and the women are to be prostitutes. Of course, they are useful, but there will be a day when they become useless. For example, this captive has been beaten and scolded, his arms and legs are broken, he's so thin that he's about to die, he's useless to you. You name a price and sell him to me, I'll let him die a good death, the world will naturally give me a good reputation, and you'll be able to earn more. You see, if you don't have enough people, you can go to the south and catch them. The Jin army is invincible. You can have as many captives as you want. General Wu Han, Lord Goddess of Grains, and Headmaster Shi might be interested in this proposal. If Emissary Fan can help facilitate it, I will be grateful. "
Fan Hongji furrowed his brows. "… Even those with broken arms and legs and those who are on the verge of death, you want them?"
"Of course we want them healthy, but everything is difficult at the beginning. We don't have many ideas, we can take it slow."
"Mister Ning, this is not something I can decide. Let's talk about the heads first. If these two are not your men, I will …"
The atmosphere in the room was originally somber, but now it became a little strange. Fan Hongji was also an outstanding person. He pulled the topic back and was about to take the two heads. At the same time, Ning Yi reached out and pushed the box containing the human heads away. "Leave the heads behind."
"Hmm?" Fan Hongji turned his head and stared at Ning Yi. He said word by word, as if he had caught on to something. "Mister Ning, this could easily cause a misunderstanding."
"It doesn't matter if it's a misunderstanding or not." Ning Yi waved his hand casually. "Since they are all warriors, they must belong to one side in the south. Emissary Fan, since you have sent them here, I will ask around and help them publicize it. Then, I will send the heads back. This is a favor. With a favor, there will be contacts and business. Emissary Fan, there is no reason to take back a gift. "
"If Mister Ning takes it, I will have to report it when I return."
"Of course, I will have to report it. Emissary Fan, you can say that this person belongs to Little Canghe or you can repeat what happened today. It doesn't matter. Even if this person is really mine, it only shows that I want to do business. Emissary Fan, you can mention this matter. " Ning Yi put his arm around Fan Hongji's shoulder. "Come, Emissary Fan, this place is boring. I will take you to see the treasures from Bianliang City."
"You …"
Fan Hongji still wanted to struggle, but Ning Yi brought him out. Everyone heard Fan Hongji say, "Mister Ning has a glib tongue, but I'm afraid it won't work. Yesterday, I already said why the army is here. If Little Canghe is not willing to surrender and take out firearms, anything I say will be meaningless. "
"I will also say the same thing. If you want to fight, we will fight. The Jurchen killed their way out of the White Mountain and Black Waters. They were invincible, but they only wanted to survive. We are the same. If General Lou Shi has made up his mind, we will treat you generously. This is simple. But if there is a chance, I will be more than happy. Emissary Fan, please don't mind my nagging. As long as you are fair, just, and have good intentions, the matter of firearms can be discussed. "
"Oh …"
"It's just that we live in the mountains. This thing is the foundation of our Chinese army. If we really want to exchange it, the Jin side must show sincerity, a lot of sincerity. I believe Emissary Fan can understand this? Haha, please come this way … "
The voices of the two gradually faded away. The room was still quiet. The heads of Lu Yannian and his deputy Qi Zhenbiao were placed on the table. They looked at the people in the room. At a certain moment, someone suddenly hammered the table. Qu Qing, who was in charge of the lecture and discussion in the room, did not speak. He stood for a while and walked out. About an hour later, he came back. Ning Yi also came. He entered the room and looked at the heads on the table with a solemn expression.
After a while, he turned around and looked at the people in the room. "Your faces are all swollen, right?"
In the crowd, the young man called Chen Xing gritted his teeth and suddenly raised his head. "Reporting! When the one named Fan took out the thing, I couldn't control myself. I am afraid he heard me clenching my fist. I am asking for punishment! "
Someone beside him said, "I am asking for punishment too!"
"Mister Ning, I will go kill him. He has already seen it anyway," someone else said.
"Just like the Western Xia, we have to fight anyway. Then let's fight! Mister Ning, we might be able to defeat Wanyan Lou Shi! "
"At most, we will die!"
Ning Yi's gaze swept over their faces. He frowned slightly and looked at Lu Yannian's head coldly. "I asked you to be brave, but you used your bravery in the wrong place, didn't you?"
He walked around the table and sat down. He hammered the table a few times. "What was the result of your discussion? Are we sure to win the war with Lou Shi? "
"No." Luo Ye said, "It would be better if we had more time."
Ning Yi glanced at him. "Attacking the Western Xia is the strategic goal set long ago. No matter what you do to the Western Xia emissary, the strategy will not change. But now, because of a slap in the face, you want to change your strategy and start the war ahead of schedule. Did you lose, or did they lose? "
His voice was calm. No one in the room answered. Ning Yi continued, "The Jin Kingdom is dominated by Female Zhenrens. The Han who have a position in the imperial court should not be underestimated. Fan Hongji gave me a show of strength. Yes, I am embarrassed. The dead Shopkeeper Lu makes me feel worse. But what did I say to you before? Those who are not angry are men. The so-called men have to take care of the people behind you. You are all generals who lead troops, and each of you has hundreds of lives under your hands. When you make decisions, you can't joke or be impulsive. You have to be extremely calm. Every bit of calmness you have could mean the lives of several people. "
His gaze swept around solemnly. Then, he slightly relaxed. "The Female Zhenrens are the same. Wanyan Xiyin and Shi Liai have taken a fancy to us. They won't be kind to us. But whether these two heads belong to us or not, their decision will not change. Wanyan Loushi will pacify other places and then come to us. You killed Fan Hongji, so they won't rush here tomorrow. But … it's not that we can't delay it. We can talk. As long as we have more time, I can even kneel to him. Just now, I gave them several paintings and a copper pot. They are all priceless treasures. "
"There is a trick to giving gifts." Ning Yi thought for a moment. "Give them publicly. If they accept it, they may take it out when they return. That's why I chose a few smaller but more valuable jades. In the next two days, I would secretly give them to each of them. This way, even if I took out the good stuff on the surface, he would still be selfish in the dark. As long as they are selfish, the information they report will be biased. As generals in the future, you must pay attention to this point when you recognize information. "
Ning Yi was silent for a moment. "About giving gifts and pretending to be a grandson, who is willing to go with me?"
As soon as he said this, everyone in the room began to open their mouths one after another, volunteering. "Me."
"Mister Ning, I am willing to go!"
Ning Yi laughed. "I'm joking."
He stood up. "I'll say it again. You are soldiers. You must preserve your courage. This courage is not for you to lose your head and mess things up. Remember what happened today. One day in the future, I will have to rely on you to regain my face. At that time, if the Female Zhenren is not hurt, I will not let you go. "
"As for now, admit your mistakes. Stand at attention when you are beaten. The heads of Shopkeeper Lu and Brother Qi will only be buried in a few days. Remember them well. We are not the ones who will suffer the most. " He looked at the two heads for a long time before letting out a sigh. "Alright, I and the brothers from the Bamboo Shop will go put them on. I only have one request for you. When you see Fan Xian and the others in the next two days, control yourselves …"
He knocked on the table and turned to leave.
"… Be friendly."
For the rest of the day, Ning Yi went over again to discuss business matters with Fan Hongji. He took advantage of the fact that the few people who came over were alone to give them gifts.
On the 29th of February, Fan Hongji left Little Cang River. Ning Yi saw him off for a long time. When they finally parted, Fan Hongji looked back at Ning Yi's sincere smile. His emotions were indescribable.
In fact, if he could really start a human trafficking business with this group of people, it would not be a bad idea. Then his family would profit a lot. He thought to himself. However, the Goddess of Grains and Dean Shi might not agree to it. There was no need for the Jin Kingdom to keep these people who were unwilling to surrender. Moreover, the Goddess of Grains was not just interested in firearms.
Lord Lou Shi is the War God of the Jurchen race. Even though he is a Han official, Fan Hongji can clearly understand the terror of this War God. Soon, he will sweep through the northwest and everything north of the Yellow River.
What a pity …
At this time, it was not only Little Cang River in the northwest. The Zhe family, the Zhong family, and all the other forces were also sent out messengers to persuade them to surrender. On the vast land of the Central Plains, the three armies of the Jurchen rushed down. Millions of Wu dynasty troops were gathered everywhere, waiting for the moment of collision.
Soon, the collision came.
Yun Zhong Residence.
Lu Mingfang crawled out from his hiding place weakly and quietly looked for food in the night. It was a dilapidated house and a messy courtyard. He was seriously injured and his consciousness was hazy. He did not even know how he got there. The only thing he clenched tightly was the saber in his hand.
A series of footsteps and voices seemed to pass by. Lu Mingfang took a deep breath and struggled to get up. He tried to find something useful in the dilapidated house. Behind him, there was a creaking sound.
The door opened and closed.
Lu Mingfang struggled to raise his saber. His body swayed a few times. The figure walked over with light steps, almost silent.
"Don't be afraid, I am a Han."
The voice was gentle and steady. It was rare to hear a hint of determination. It was a woman's voice. Before he fell, the other party had already walked over and held his hands and shoulders firmly. The moment before he fainted, he saw the side of her face in the faint moonlight. Beautiful, flexible, and calm.
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