The autumn wind began to blow.
The Central Plains was victorious.
In the Tiger King's villa, a grand banquet was in full swing. The lights were brightly lit, and toasts were exchanged. A group of officials and generals began to indulge in debauchery in front of the Tiger King. As they hugged and played with the court ladies, Yu Yulin walked out of the hall with a small bottle of wine.
Outside the hall were beautiful pavilions and waterside pavilions. Lanterns were lit up one by one, illuminating the long corridor built on the water. He walked along the corridor forward. After crossing the lake, he arrived at a courtyard surrounded by rockery and winding paths. It was a beautiful sight. The guards nearby were on sentry duty every few steps. Some of them looked lazy, but when they saw Yu Yulin walking over, they all perked up.
Not far away, there was a pavilion by the waterside. As he got closer, he could vaguely hear someone humming a song. It was a tune from Jiangnan, and he couldn't understand the meaning of it. Yu Yulin walked around the rocks outside, and on the bench in the pavilion by the water, he saw a woman dressed in a long gray robe leaning against a pillar. Her hand was hooked around a jade pot of wine, and as she hummed, she gently swayed on the water, as if she was drunk.
For the past few years, there was probably only one woman who could walk around in a man's robe in the Tiger King's villa. Yu Yulin's footsteps sounded. Lou Shuwan turned around. When she saw him, she turned back, but she didn't stop humming.
"Miss Lou is in a good mood," Yu Yulin said.
"… General Yu is the one in a good mood." Lou Shuwan snorted a few times and stopped. She replied, "General Yu is actually not moved by the delicacies and beauties that the Tiger King set up."
"Although the outside world is bitter, delicacies and beauties come to us at will. "Miss Lou, I didn't expect you to be so happy about Demon King Ning's death."
"Hmph." Lou Shuwan lowered her head and smiled.
"Or is it that Miss Lou knows that he's not dead, so you're so indifferent?"
"Hmph." She smiled again and raised her head. "General Yu, aren't you bored? Are you still a child? "
Yu Yulin looked at her and smiled. Then, his smile gradually disappeared. He opened his mouth, but at first, he couldn't make a sound. "… I've been too tired from fighting these past few years. Suddenly, something like this happened. I can't believe it. Miss Lou, you are more intelligent than others. You are also most concerned about that Demon King Ning. I feel that he might not be dead yet, so I want to discuss it with you. "
Lou Shuwan gazed at the surface of the lake. "I do care if he's dead or alive, but I'm not a deity. I haven't been to the battlefield, and I haven't seen his head. How can I say for sure? You've also said that the battlefield is ever-changing. General Yu, I wouldn't be surprised if you suddenly died one day. If he really died, what was there to be surprised about? The death of a person like him is a blessing to the world. For the past few years, the people have been living in misery … If it's not because of him, then who is it … However … "
As Lou Shuwan spoke, her voice gradually became softer. Then, she gradually paused. Yu Yulin also sighed softly. When the night breeze blew, the pavilion was enveloped in silence.
Yes, for the past few years, the people had been living in misery. These four words summed up the situation of the entire Central Plains. The war with Little Cang River and the northwest had lasted for such a long time, and the intensity of the war was so great. This was something that no one would have thought three years ago. In the past three years, in order to coordinate with this "Western Expedition", the manpower and material resources of the entire Daqi were mobilized.
Under the coercion of the Goddess Zhenren, Emperor Liu Yu's action was the most forceful. He conscripted an unreasonably large number of soldiers and oppressed the lower classes. Within three years, most of the people in the Central Plains could barely survive. After the Goddess Zhenren's three expeditions to the south, the resources for subsistence in these places had already been depleted. After going through the oppression of Liu Yu's regime, every year, there would be large areas of famine. Most of the food was taken away as military rations. Only those who joined the army and the cruel officials who helped to rule could obtain some food under such harsh conditions.
Some places that were not directly under Liu Yu's control were slightly better. Tiger King's territory was considered one of the best. On one hand, it was because he had first attached importance to the role of commerce. After surrendering to the Goddess Zhenren, Tian Hu's forces had been maintaining trade with the Goddess Zhenren to supplement their income. On the other hand, it was because Lou Shuwan, Yu Yulin, Tian Shi, and the others had formed an alliance. First, they had encircled a large number of farms in the form of military control. They had even encircled entire counties as restricted areas, strictly prohibiting the movement of people. Therefore, although many refugees were rejected and died of starvation or were killed outside of Tian Hu's sphere of influence, this method maintained a certain level of production order. Secondly, it also ensured a certain level of combat power for the soldiers under his command. Tian Hu's forces used this advantage to attract talents and became a place with a sense of superiority in this chaotic world.
Even so, compared to the peaceful times, life was still very difficult.
One had to admit that the main contributor to the emergence and implementation of this series of measures was Lou Shuwan. After referencing many of Ning Yi's actions, she coordinated with her female acumen and used Yu Yulin, Tian Hu's nephew, Tian Shi, and the others as allies to admonish the higher-ups.
Under the valiance of the Goddess Zhenren and the pressure of Liu Yu's leadership of Great Qi, Tian Hu became increasingly aware of the benefits of having such a "housekeeper". Therefore, although the places governed by the Tian Family's unambitious relatives were still corrupt and the people had no way to make a living, he still gave Yu Yulin, Lou Shuwan, and the others a lot of power and protection. He left a few places with strict governance to increase production and support the operation of the entire territory. And among Tian Hu's forces, after Lou Shuwan became more and more important, she was given the position of Imperial Messenger, specializing in impeaching others and using this to check and balance her relationship with others.
In such a crack, Lou Shuwan often fired everywhere in the imperial court. Today, she would impeach this person for corruption and dereliction of duty. Tomorrow, she would impeach that person for forming a clique for personal gain. In any case, she would definitely impeach them one by one. After her relationship became worse and worse, until now, she had indeed become one of the influential "powerful ministers" under the Tiger King.
In the three-year war, Yu Yulin relied on his alliance with Lou Shuwan and finally escaped the misfortune of charging to the frontlines. However, even in the rear, he knew the hardships of the difficult days and was well aware of the devastation of the war at the frontlines. In these three years, millions of troops successively entered that bottomless pit. Although there were no detailed statistics, the number of troops that could never return was more than a million.
The generals and soldiers that were sent to that land of death — not only Tian Hu's subordinates — even those under Liu Yu's subordinates didn't really want to go. Once they entered the battlefield, they all wanted to hide. However, they couldn't hide from the Female Enlightened's supervision and also couldn't hide from the Black Flag Army's surprise attack. In these years, the important figures that died in the hands of the Black Flag Army weren't limited to Liu Yu's subordinate, Ji Wenkang. Liu Yu's younger brother, Liu Yi, had bitterly begged before his death, but in the end, he couldn't escape that blade that struck his head.
Among the troops under Tian Hu's command, Wang Yuan and Sun An led the troops into the mountains. At first, they still held the thought of retreating upon seeing the enemy. In that mountain, the Black Flag Army fired a round of cannon across the mountain stream. The collapsed mountain wall buried nearly a thousand people alive in the valley, and Wang Yuan and Sun An never came out again. When General Wu Neng returned, he was on the verge of death. When he saw his family for the last time, he couldn't even say a word. After Ling Guang, Fan Yuming, and the others were ambushed and scattered. They died in the mountains, and their corpses couldn't even be retrieved …
Back then when he saw Ning Yi on Lu Liang Mountain, he only felt that he was indeed a formidable figure. For a merchant to reach this level, it was very impressive. Only in these three years of war did Yu Yulin truly understand what kind of person the other party was. Putting aside the killing of the emperor and Lou Shi, Wang Yuan, Sun An, and even Ji Wenkang and Liu Yi weren't worth mentioning. The other party dragged along millions of people as he barged his way through, chased a famous general like Zhe Keqiu until he fled for his life. He didn't lose the right to directly execute the captured general on top of Yanzhou's city walls, and absolutely didn't negotiate peace with the Female Enlightened Race. That was no longer something that could be summarized as a formidable figure.
In the entire Central Plains, anyone who fought against him was ruthlessly dragged into the swamp by him. No one was spared.
Yu Yulin even felt that the entire world was going to drown because of him.
Yet suddenly one day, he was said to have died. Even though he didn't think it was impossible, there were still some thoughts that he couldn't let go.
"I … in the end, I don't believe that he didn't have any backup plans. Suddenly dying, in the end …"
After a moment of silence, Yu Yulin opened his mouth again. Opposite him, Lou Shuwan had been staring at the lake all along. Suddenly, she stirred the wine pot and raised her gaze slightly. "I don't believe it either."
Her tone wasn't high. She paused for a moment before continuing softly, "Backup plans … to drag along millions of people and fight a three-year war without retreating a single step. What was it for? Was it for that one breath? I don't understand … Ning Liheng calculated every ten steps. He said that in the end, it would be hard to appease him. Even if he killed the emperor, there would still be a way out. This time, it was all to make the Female Enlightened Race unhappy? First, it was for his reputation. The name of regicide has long been irreversible. He used the name of Huaxia and said that the people of Huaxia wouldn't submit to foreign countries. This was his bottom line. Of course, this was his bottom line. What others could do, he couldn't do. If he compromised with the Female Enlightened Race, his reputation would instantly collapse. However, after fighting head-on for these three years, there were finally people who were willing to follow him. He fought head-on and opened up a path … "
"For the sake of his reputation, he risked his entire fortune here. Isn't it too difficult …"
Lou Shuwan was silent for a long time. "After entering the mountains, the battle for three years was a mess. The Female Enlightened Race only ordered people to charge forward, regardless of life or death. Those generals only cared about running for their lives. In the end, the camp was bombed eight out of ten times. General Yu, do you know how many people died?"
Yu Yulin frowned. "You mean …"
Lou Shuwan's gaze was blurred. "In April of last year, Shan Shiqi returned after a great defeat. After that, he was condemned. I went to interrogate him and confiscated his family's gold and silver. When I asked about the battle situation in the mountains, Shan Shiqi unintentionally mentioned something that I've always been thinking about. However, I'm not familiar with the matters of the battlefield, so it's difficult for me to delve into it. This matter has been buried in my heart … "
"…"
At this moment, the night breeze was gentle and the lake was sparkling. Far away, the lights in the main hall were still faintly coming from the side. Lou Shuwan spoke of her speculation, choosing her words carefully before speaking slowly.
"After Shan Shiqi was defeated, he fled for his life with a group of soldiers. Afterwards, he sought refuge under Liu Yu's general, Su Gai. One night a few days later, Su Gai's army was suddenly ambushed. Twenty thousand people bombed the camp and ran in all directions. Only after the Female Enlightened Race arrived did they stabilize the situation. Shan Shiqi said that on that night, he vaguely saw a general charging towards Su Gai's army. It was his original deputy general. "
Yu Yulin opened his mouth slightly. "In these three years of war, there were indeed people who surrendered to the Black Flag Army. However, what you want to say …"
"In these few years, in order to trap the Black Flag Army in the mountains, the Female Enlightened Race did place a lot of emphasis on rations and troops. However, no one can say for sure how much rations the Black Flag Army had stored in the mountains. No one knows how much they stole. We only feel that it's already so difficult to live outside. In the great war, the Black Flag Army definitely couldn't gather too many captives. They can't feed them at all. But … what if it's possible? "
Lou Shuwan spoke calmly. "Millions of people threw themselves into the mountains. They say they fought against tens of thousands of Black Flag Army. Is it tens of thousands? Who knows? In these three years of war, the first year's army still had some fighting spirit. In the second year, they were all captured able-bodied men. They were given a knife and a fork and placed in the mountains to be hanged … General Yu, originally not many people were willing to join the Black Flag Army. The Black Flag Army killed the Emperor and has a bad reputation. However, the Female Enlightened Race forced them to test the cannons. If they had the chance to choose again, General Yu, do you think they would be willing to follow the Female Enlightened Race or that Han army … General Yu, you also know about Ning Liheng's methods of training soldiers. "
Yu Yulin's brows were already tightly furrowed, silent as death.
"In these three years of war, they didn't even retreat a single step, putting millions of people on the battlefield of life and death. When the knife cleaves down, they'll be asked which side to join. If … I'm just saying if, he grabs this chance … in that mountain, will it be a recruitment ground for them to choose? Haha, millions of people, after we've chosen, we'll let them choose … "
Lou Shuwan's laughter sounded in the pavilion and then stopped. This joke was too cold. Yu Yulin actually didn't dare to continue. After a while, he then said, "In the end … it's not easy to keep it a secret …"
"… Yes, I also thought about it later. If it's really so, why didn't many people mention it. Maybe I was thinking wrongly after all …" She paused, raised the wine pot and drank a mouthful, her gaze blurred, "Who can say for sure about the matters of the battlefield. In these three years, he had beaten the Central Plains to this state. Whether he's really dead or faking his death, everyone has a way out. General Yu, why do you need to look into it. Maybe the next time, the one going forward, will be you …"
Yu Yulin drank a mouthful of wine, nodded. After a while, he didn't even bid farewell and quietly left.
Lou Shuwan leaned against the side of the pavilion, her head still lowered. The wine pot in her hand swayed gently. She hummed a song. After listening for a while, the song was indistinctly: "… Smoke willows painted bridges, wind curtains green curtains, a hundred thousand families. Cloud trees encircle the embankment sand … Raging waves rolling frost and snow, the natural moat is boundless … Heavy lakes stacked on top of each other. There are three autumn osmanthus, ten miles of lotus … Qiang Guan clear skies, water chestnut songs floating in the night, frolicking and fishing for old lotus children … A thousand riders crowding high teeth … "
This was what Ning Yi had written many years ago in Hangzhou. At that time, both parties had just met. Her father and brother were still alive. Hangzhou was a water town, rich and prosperous. That was a beautiful scenery that no one had thought would be lost one day. How beautiful and happy that was … Everything that had come to this day, in the end, could not go back …
She thought of her family in the past. Now, the only one left was her only brother who muddled along every day and did not seem like a human at all. She then thought of that name again. Yu Yulin was right. If he suddenly died, she would not be happy, because she would always think of killing him with her own hands. But, Ning Yi …
"Ning Liheng …"
This name flashed across her mind. In her eyes, there was also a complicated and painful expression. Hence, she raised the wine pot and drank a mouthful, suppressing all those emotions.
"Ning Liheng, if you die like this … it's also good …"
She murmured and looked forward to it.
On this land that had suffered a lot, the night shrouded for a long time. In the west, the boiling mountains that had not stopped for three years finally gradually stopped. On the once prosperous Green Wood Village, the moonlight was like water. In the valley that had long been scorched, the wooden buildings had already turned into fertile new soil. New branches of trees grew from it. Birds flew over and stopped for a while on this piece of land that was still black, then flew into the distance.
In the Little Cang River, the old buildings had already been completely destroyed. The houses, streets, squares, farmlands, and waterwheels of the past had all disappeared. The traces of the collapsed houses were everywhere. After the crowd left, it was like a ghost town. This place had also experienced incomparably tragic killings. Almost every inch of it had been dyed red with blood. The once huge reservoir had long since collapsed. The river rushed into the valley like in the past. After experiencing the scouring of the flood and the rotting corpses in the valley, the vegetation had become even more verdant. Under the vegetation, there were dense white bones.
The attack and defense of the Little Cang River had already passed for more than a year. At this time, even the few Jurchen and Daqi troops that had stayed here didn't dare to come here. On this day, under the moonlight, some figures appeared on the hill. It was just a few people, but they sneaked through the surrounding valley and entered the valley through the entrance of the collapsed dam.
They tried to be as careful as possible and silently walked through the places that used to be familiar. Some of them brushed their fingers over the broken walls. They also came to the hillside and saw that the small courtyard had long been burned down. Only the foundation was left, and now, weeds were growing on the foundation.
"Let's go." Someone said in a low voice. They were probably the last Black Flag troops that were still here.
At the entrance of the valley, the stone tablet with the three words "Little Cang River" had long been smashed into pieces. Now, only the traces of destruction were left. They touched the place and looked back at the valley under the moonlight. "We will come back one day."
"It won't take too long …" Someone said.
These figures passed through the valley and crossed the mountain ridge. Under the moonlight, the Little Cang River flowed like before. It meandered through the land where millions of people were buried. Some of the people who had left this place would come back one day in the future, while some would never come back. Perhaps, they existed in a happy place.
And the war.
The war had temporarily calmed down. However, with weakness and hiding as nourishment, sooner or later, it would also transform and spread with an even more ferocious attitude.
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