In August, the sun often shone a magnificent color. Golden autumn was approaching, and the temperature had also dropped slightly. Li Pin held a stick and walked in the crowd. He was not in good health, and his face was pale and he was panting. There were refugees all around him. When they walked, their expressions were confused, cautious, and fearful. The cries of children, hunger, and exhaustion mixed together.
Li Pin, who had been traveling with them for two months, looked no different from these refugees.
They passed through the countryside near Zezhou, near Gaoping County. This area had not experienced a large-scale war, but there must have been many refugees fleeing here. The fields were bare, and there was no food nearby. After a while, there was a commotion in front of the group. The government had sent people to give out porridge.
The people rushed over, and Li Pin squeezed into the crowd, asking for some porridge with his small pot. He was very hungry, and he squatted by the side of the road to eat without caring about his image. The road was filled with people, and someone shouted from the porridge stall, "The Nine Bull Mountain Volunteer Army is recruiting! If you are willing to risk your life, you will get food! There are steamed buns! If you join the army, you will get two! You will get silver from the An Family! Fellow countrymen, the arrogant Jin Dog, Ying Tian City has fallen, General Chen is dead, General Ma is defeated, and you have left your homes. Where can you escape to? We are the soldiers under Grandpa Zong Ze, and we are determined to fight against the Jin. If we are willing to risk our lives, we will get food. If we defeat the Jin, we will get money and food … "
The people were greedy for the steamed buns, and many squeezed over. Some people had families, and were dragged along by their wives, crying on the road. Along the way, there were many places where the volunteer army recruited soldiers, and they were all tempted with money and food. Although it was hard to say if they could eat their fill after entering, it was a war, and they might not necessarily die. When people had nowhere else to go, they would sell themselves, and when it was time to go to the battlefield, they would find a chance to escape. This was not a strange thing.
But most people were still watching carefully and stupefied. Usually, the refugees would cause a mutiny, and it would cause public security to be unstable, but this was not necessarily the case. Most of these people were farmers who had lived their lives peacefully. Since they were young, they had never left their land. After being chased out, most of them were afraid and fearful. People were afraid of unfamiliar places, and they were also afraid of an unfamiliar future. In fact, not many people knew what the future would be like.
Even the elders who had seen the world a little would only say, "When we reach the south, the court will arrange for us."
There were also some who wanted to hide in the south for a few years and return to farming after the war ended.
Mothers held their children in their arms, watching everything around them vigilantly and anxiously. Families were gathered in twos and threes. Li Pin had nothing on him. More than a month ago, he had saved a child who was dying of hunger on his way to escape. That night, the child had stolen his bag and ran away. The three books that Ning Yi had given to him by Qin Siyuan were also in it.
He had already finished reading the book and thrown it away, but he lacked a souvenir. But it was good that he had thrown it away. Every time he saw it, he felt that those books were like a demon in his heart. Recently, he had been running with the refugees. Sometimes, he was troubled and tortured by hunger, but it could slightly relieve the burden on his mind.
Here, the big picture could be abandoned. There were only things that happened within two or three miles and in two or three days. It was hunger, fear, and death. The old people lying on the side of the road were no longer breathing. The children kneeling beside the corpses had despair in their eyes. The defeated soldiers in front of them fled one by one. They held steel sabers and long spears as they confronted the fleeing people.
One night, there was looting and a massacre. Li Pin hid in a dark corner and managed to escape. However, the defeated soldiers of the Wu Dynasty killed hundreds of civilians. They looted their belongings, killed everyone they saw, and raped the women among the refugees. Then, they fled in a panic …
From the north to the south, the army of the Female Zhenren crushed the hearts of the people.
After finishing the porridge, Li Pin still felt hungry, but hunger gave him a sense of relief. That night, he was so hungry that he ran to the recruitment shed. He wanted to join the army and earn two steamed buns, but his physique was too weak. The other party didn't want him. In front of the shed, there were also people coming over. They were men who wanted to join the army during the day but were stopped. The next morning, Li Pin heard the cries of that family in the crowd.
The group of refugees heading south stretched on endlessly. The number of people varied, and most of them didn't even have a clear goal. After another dozen or so days, as Li Pin moved forward, he saw a flood of deserters. Zezhou, Nine Ox Mountain, and a few other volunteer armies had been defeated on the battlefield against the Female Zhenren.
The chaotic group stretched on endlessly, with no end in sight and no end in sight. Compared to the land of the Wu dynasty a few years ago, it was like a different world. Sometimes, Li Pin would raise his head in the group and think about the past few years and everything he had seen. Sometimes, when he looked at the refugees, he felt that it was the same world and the same people.
Ning Yi's words were like a magic spell that rang out again. Natural selection, survival of the fittest. The world had already begun to become cruel. The warm world was peeling off and shattering piece by piece. What could people do? What should people do? When he wasn't so hungry, his head began to hurt again. On this day, he arrived at the Yellow River. A large number of refugees had gathered. The Wu dynasty army and the volunteer army were constantly recruiting soldiers who dared to fight. More news had also arrived.
It was said that the northwest was also in chaos. The western army, once thought to be the most capable of fighting in the Wu dynasty, had been unable to recover after Zhong Shidao's death. Not long ago, Wanyan Loushi had swept through the northwest and achieved near-invincible results. Countless Wu dynasty troops had thrown away their helmets and armor and fled. Now, the Zhe family had surrendered. Zhong Lie was defending Yanzhou, but it looked like he was in imminent danger.
It was said that after taking Yingtian, they hadn't caught the Jianshuo Emperor, who had already gone south. The Jin army began to wreak havoc in all directions. The few Wu dynasty armies that came from the south had mostly been defeated.
It was said that Zong Ze was seriously ill …
Countless people gathered on the Yellow River's banks. The autumn rain fell continuously. The chaos was indescribable. This was the panic that enveloped the entire world …
*****
In the city of Bianliang, the autumn rain was like a crisp, knocking down the yellow leaves on the trees. Yue Fei braved the rain and walked into the courtyard.
After taking Yingtian, the Jurchen Zhenren had temporarily suspended their march to the south. Instead, they expanded and consolidated the area they had occupied. The Jurchen army, divided into several groups, had already begun to sweep through Shandong and the areas north of the Yellow River that hadn't surrendered. Zong Han's troops also began to approach Bianliang again.
Outside the city of Bianliang, where Zong Ze had consolidated the city's defenses, Yue Fei's army had several more confrontations with the small groups of Jurchen Zhenren. Seeing that Yue Fei's army was in good order, the Jurchen cavalry retreated. Bianliang, which was no longer the capital, had lost its value to the Jurchen Zhenren. In terms of restoring the defense, Zong Ze was strong. In more than half a year, he had basically restored seventy to eighty percent of the defense around Bianliang. Due to the large number of volunteer armies under his control, this area was still a tough nut to crack for the Jurchen Zhenren.
Only Yue Fei and the others understood how difficult this matter was. Zong Ze ran around and dealt with the leaders of the volunteer armies all day long, using all methods to make them achieve results in resisting the Jurchen Zhenren. But in fact, the resources he could use were few and far between. Especially after the Emperor Nan Shou, all these efforts seemed to be waiting for the day of failure. But this old man was still struggling here, and Yue Fei didn't see a word of complaint from him.
Especially when the Jurchen Zhenren sent messengers to summon them to surrender. Perhaps only this old man directly pushed several messengers out and beheaded them as a sacrifice. For Zong Ze, he never thought of the need to negotiate. Bianliang was a desperate army, but now there was no hope of victory.
After holding on for so long, the old man finally fell …
…
Yanzhou City.
Huge stones streaked across the sky and smashed fiercely on the ancient city wall. Stone chips splashed everywhere, arrows flew down like raindrops, and blood and battle cries rang out continuously in the city.
The siege towers crashed into the city wall and were then set ablaze by the fire arrows and kerosene. Soldiers howled and fell down from the tower.
Zhong Lie brandished his long saber and pushed back a group of siege soldiers who climbed up the ladder. His hair and beard were messy and his clothes were drenched in sweat. He shouted as he led the Zhong family soldiers to fight bravely. The top and bottom of the city wall were densely packed with people. However, the attackers were not the Jurchen, but the 90,000 Han soldiers who had surrendered to Wanyan Loushi and were in charge of attacking Yanzhou.
The one leading the army below the city wall was Yan Zhenguo, the former Military Commissioner of Qin Fenglu. At this time, he was also a general of the Wu dynasty. When Wanyan Loushi attacked, he was defeated and surrendered. At this time, the siege had already been going on for seven days.
The Zhe family had surrendered five days ago. Zhe Keqiu didn't agree to attack Yanzhou, but he personally wrote a letter to persuade them to surrender. He emphasized that the situation was stronger than the people and that they had no choice but to surrender. He also pointed out that little Cang He was unwilling to participate in the war. Zhong Lie tore the letter into pieces and led the army to fight until now.
The Zhong family army was the strongest force in the Western Army. In the past year or so, there were still thousands of elites left. They had gathered their old subordinates and recruited new soldiers. Now, there were about 18,000 people who could fight in Yanzhou. This kind of core force was different from the 30,000 people sent to Fengxiang. At this time, they could still defend the city, but it was only a matter of time before the northwest sank.
The strongest Jurchen troops led by Wanyan Loushi had not moved and were only supervising the battle from the rear. Zhong Lie knew the opponent's strength. When the opponent saw the situation clearly and launched a thunderous attack, Yanzhou City would probably fall. At that time, there would be no northwest anymore.
However, the Zhong family had guarded the northwest for more than a hundred years and had killed so many Xixia people that they were terrified. There was no reason for them to surrender to an outsider!
He waved his long knife and chopped down an enemy who was charging at him. He shouted, "Traitor Yan! You traitors, do you dare to fight me? "
That voice was like thunder and it was awe-inspiring. The morale of the soldiers on the city wall was boosted.
Amidst the countless attacks and clashes, Zhong Lie raised his white-haired head.
The most unfortunate thing was that he could no longer return to the clear stream …
…
Miaojiang. Tie Tianying was walking among the yellow leaves on the mountain. Looking back, he saw that all around him was a dense forest.
A few small houses appeared at the end of the road. Most of them were already deserted. He walked over and knocked on one of the doors. Soon after, a questioning voice came from inside.
Tie Tianying told him about Jianghu. The other party opened the door and let him in.
Inside the room was an old and lame Miao man. He carried a knife at his waist and didn't look like a good person. After both sides introduced themselves, the other party became respectful and addressed him as Lord. Tie Tianying asked a few questions. The other party's eyes flickered and he often thought about it before answering. Tie Tianying smiled and took out a small bag of silver from his bosom.
"I am an official, but I know the rules of Lulin. It's not easy for you to live here. Take this money to buy information from you and help with your household expenses. Just that, Lame Min, I am giving you money because I follow the rules and respect you as a person of authority. But this is not my first time roaming Jianghu, I have no qualms. I am only inquiring about these matters. It's not harmful to you. If you think you can say it, then say it. If you think it's not possible, just say it and I will find someone else. That's a good thing to say in advance. "
When he said this, the other party nodded. This time, after receiving the money, he was more forthright. Just that after a few words, he hesitated.
Tie Tianying snorted coldly. The other party's body shook and he raised his head.
"Tie Daren, this matter, I'm afraid it's not far away. Let me bring you there to take a look …"
After speaking, both of them left the room. Although the Miao man was lame on one leg, but in the mountain ridges, his pace was still swift. But Tie Tianying was a top expert in Jianghu. It was impossible that he couldn't keep up. Both of them passed through a col in front of them and headed to the top of the mountain. When they reached the top of the mountain, Tie Tianying frowned. "Lame Min, are you trying to make fun of me or have you arranged someone to ambush me? Why not be more direct? "
"You've misunderstood, Daren. It should … should be just ahead …" Lame Min pointed ahead. Tie Tianying frowned and continued forward. This mountain ridge had an excellent view. At a certain moment, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and sprinted forward. Lame Min looked and abruptly followed, pointing ahead. "That's right, it should be them …"
In the distance, there was dust stirred up by the movement of a group of people.
As they sprinted on the mountain ridge, the scene on the other side gradually came into view. It was the tail end of a marching army, moving along the rugged mountain ridge, advancing forward in a zigzag manner.
After leaving the northwest, Tie Tianying mingled in Jianghu for a period of time. When the Female Zhenren went south, he also came to the south to hide. At this time, he remembered some things from a few years ago. Back in Hangzhou, Ning Yi and Ba Dao had been friends for a period of time. Later on, when they were escorting the Seven Buddhas to the capital, Ning Yi had beheaded the Seven Buddhas in front of Liu Guihua. The two of them could be considered as having an irreconcilable grudge. But later on, when he understood Ning Yi's character better, he realized that something was wrong. And from Li Pin, he had unintentionally heard that there was an unclear connection between Ning Yi and Ba Dao.
Although he was in the south, he was still well-informed. When the armies of Zong Han and Zong Fu invaded the south, the God of War, Wanyan Loushi, was also wreaking havoc in the northwest. When these three armies defeated the whole world, Tie Tianying was curious about the movements of Little Cang River. But in fact, there was not the slightest movement of Little Cang River. He also did not dare to risk universal condemnation and start a war with the Female Zhenren. But Tie Tianying always felt that with that person's character, things would not be so simple.
Along the way to the Miao Stockade Village, he inquired about Ba Dao's situation and his movements after occupying Lan Huandong. Many people knew about these things, but it was useless to report to the government. The Miao Stockade Village was dangerous and the Miao people had always been self-governing. The government could no longer send troops for the small group of Fang La's bandits. Tie Tianying asked along the way …
On the 20th of August, Tie Tianying was on the mountain and saw a shocking scene in the distance.
For so many years, the last group of bandits from Fang La's Yong Le Dynasty, who had occupied and stayed silent in the corner of the Miao Stockade Village, had sent troops from Lan Huandong.
The continuous army was in Tie Tianying's field of vision. It was like a long dragon pushing through the mountains of the Miao Stockade Village.
*****
On the night of the 20th of August, it was raining heavily.
Yue Fei and some other officials and generals were in the yard, listening to Zong Ze who was lying on the sickbed.
These words were about the battle with the Jins. Then he talked about some things in the government, how to ask for help, how to make some things work, and so on. The old man's career in the government was not smooth. He was upright all his life. Although he could do things, he began to run into a wall after a certain point. In the early years, he saw that many things could not be done, so he resigned. This time, the government needed him, so he stood up again. The old man was upright. Even if he did not have much support from the top, he still did his best to restore the city defense and order in Bianliang. He protected the volunteer army and pushed them to fight against the Jins. Even after the emperor fled to the south, and many of his ideas had gone up in smoke, the old man still did his best without complaining.
Now, the battle in the north was still ongoing. On the land north of the Yellow River, several volunteer armies and the government's army were still fighting with the Jins for territory. This was an indelible contribution of the old man. Even if there were continuous defeats, they were still consuming the energy of the Lady Zhenren to invade the south. Although the old man had always hoped that the army in the court would be motivated by the emperor and push north. Now, they could only defend.
So he could only explain some ideas for the defense.
In the afternoon, the old man fell asleep for a period of time. This sleep lasted until nightfall. After nightfall, the rain was still pouring, making the yard look shabby and desolate. Around seven o 'clock, someone said that the old man had woken up, but his eyes were wide open. No one knew what he was thinking and he did not respond. Yue Fei and the others went in to see him. At a quarter past seven, the old man on the bed suddenly moved. His son Zong Ying leaned over and the old man grabbed him. He opened his mouth and said something. It was vaguely, "Cross the river."
"What?" Zong Ying did not hear it clearly.
"Cross the river." The old man looked at him and said for the third time, "Cross the river!"
He stared and stopped breathing.
Yue Fei felt a lump in his throat and tears fell down. Countless cries sounded.
At the moment before the old man left, he confused hope with reality.
He had long lost the chance to cross the river. From the moment the Emperor of Jianshuo left Yingtian, there was no more.
The autumn rain drizzled and the yellow leaves fell. In every era, there would always be people who could be considered grand. Their departure would change the appearance of the era, and a portion of their souls would be attached to others and passed on to the next generation. After Qin Siyuan, Zong Ze did not change the fate of the world. But after Zong Ze's death, the revolutionary army north of the Yellow River began to fall apart and went in different directions.
Bianliang fell, and Yue Fei rushed to the south to welcome a new transformation. Only the word "cross the river" could not be forgotten in this life. Of course, this was a story for another time.
…
In a very small corner of the world, the Little Cang River.
It was a calm autumn.
When the yellow leaves fell, the valley was eerily quiet.
Unlike the restlessness before the invasion of Western Xia a year ago, this time, some kind of enlightenment had come to the hearts of many people.
In the evening, Luo Ye tidied up his uniform and walked to the small hall halfway up the mountain. Soon, he met Hou Wu, followed by other officers. People came in one after another and sat down. When the seats were almost full, and after waiting for a while, Ning Yi came in.
Everyone sat upright and still, their hands on their knees clenched into fists.
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