In the seventh month of the eighth year of Wu Jianshuo, on the vast Central Plains, the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers were still surging. When the autumn wind blew, the leaves turned yellow and wildflowers bloomed. All living things lived like wildflowers and weeds. From the great Jiangbei to the Jiangnan water villages, all kinds of different attitudes appeared.
Joyfully dividing the riverside, huddling together in the southeast of Shanxi … these proverbs that had once been suitable for the Wu dynasty, after a decade of chaos and war, had now all moved south. North of the Yangtze, the public security situation was no longer peaceful. Large numbers of refugees from the north gathered, terrified and helpless, waiting for help from the court. The army was the main force in this area. Any army that could win a war and had an independent backer was busy conscripting soldiers.
Most of the commoners from the north already had nothing. Their families had to be settled, and their children had to eat. For families that still had strong youths, joining the army was naturally the only way out. These men had already seen the cruelty of bloodshed and the sorrow of wrongful deaths along the way. With a little training, they could at least go into battle. They sold themselves in exchange for the first sum of money for their families to settle in Jiangnan. Afterwards, they put down their families and rushed to the battlefield. In these past years, who knew how many more inspiring rumors and stories had brewed.
And those who took the gold and silver exchanged for selling their fathers and brothers south might experience the exploitation of corrupt officials along the way, the harassment of underworld gangs and ruffians. When they arrived in Jiangnan, they would also face all kinds of rejection from the southerners. Some people who went to the south to seek refuge with their relatives, after a narrow escape from death, would find that their relatives were not completely good people. Stories that began with "Don't bully the young for being poor" were brewing among the poor scholars.
If the Wu dynasty could still have a hundred years of national fortune, in the foreseeable future, people would certainly see these stories full of good wishes appear one after another. Generals died a hundred battles, heroes returned after ten years. People separated from their families at the conscription office would still have a moment to reunite. Young men who went to Jiangnan to suffer the disdain of others would finally be able to stand at the top of the court. They would return to the alleys of their childhood and enjoy the servitude of their relatives. Young girls who suffered bitterly in cold houses but were still pure would finally meet an elegant young man in the future …
How simple and beautiful were their wishes? How could they be said to be wishful thinking?
Xiangyang, nightfall.
As an important ancient city located at the throat of the Chinese plains, it no longer had the prosperity it once had. Looking down from the sky, apart from the torches on the four walls of this majestic ancient city, there weren't many lights in the city that used to be populated. Compared to the big cities of the prosperous Wu dynasty, which were often lit up all night, Xiangyang now looked more like a fishing village or a small town. Under the vanguard of the Female Daoist, this city, which had changed hands several times in the past few years, had also driven away too many local residents.
Of course, a month after this city fell into the hands of the Wu dynasty army, quite a few refugees in the vicinity gathered here after hearing the news. For a period of time, this place would become the best route south.
The military camp stretched on the northern side of the city, and there were houses, supplies, and half-built barracks everywhere. The patrol team returned from outside, and the warhorses galloped into the drill ground. A victory brought the morale and vitality to the army. Combined with the strict discipline of this army, it gave people a sense of progress even from afar. In the NMAU army, there were very few troops with this kind of appearance. A barracks in the center of the camp was currently brightly lit, and there were many galloping horses rushing over. This meant that the core members of the army were currently gathered here because of some matter.
The soldiers passing by from afar watched all of this anxiously and nervously.
Even though the army's morale had been boosted by the achievement of taking down Xiangyang, it was inevitable that they would be worried. After taking down the city, supplies from the rear had arrived, and the craftsmen in the army were busy repairing the city walls and strengthening the defenses. This also showed that this city, which was at the heart of the struggle, could be attacked by the fake Qi or Female Daoist army at any time. The higher-ups of the army with various missions suddenly gathered here, most likely because the enemy ahead had made a big move.
But not long after, the vague news from the higher-ups, which was not deliberately concealed, slightly dispelled everyone's nervousness.
In the northern part of the Central Plains, the black flag moved strangely.
After two years of lying low, this giant beast that had sunk to the bottom of the water finally flipped its body under the impact of the undercurrent. This movement caused half of the forces in the Central Plains to collapse, and the strongest bandit king of the fake Qi was thrown off with a bang.
"… Capturing spies and purging the internal Black Flag forces is something that all parties have been doing since two years ago. In cooperation with the Female Daoist army, Liu Yu even ordered his subordinates to launch a few massacres, but the result … no one knows if they killed the right people. So for the Black Flag Army, the north has long been in a state of fear …"
In the brightly lit barracks, the person speaking was a middle-aged scholar from Tian Hu's faction. After Qin Siyuan's death, the Office of Secret Investigations was temporarily disbanded. On the surface, part of his inheritance was divided among Tong Guan, Cai Jing, Li Gang, and the others. It was only after Ning Yi killed the king that the true remnants of the Office of Secret Investigations were pulled up by Kang Xian again, and later returned to Zhou Pei and Jun Wu. Back then, when Ning Yi was in charge of a portion of the Office of Secret Investigations, it was more inclined toward the front lines of the underworld and merchants. He had completely transformed this portion. Later, he had strengthened the walls and cleared the wilderness, and after the resistance in Bianliang, when he killed Zhou Zhe and rebelled, those who left with him were the most resolute members. But after all, not everyone could be moved. Many of the people in the middle stayed, and now it had become the most useful intelligence agency in the hands of the Wu dynasty.
This middle-aged scholar had a pair of narrow eyes and a mustache. He looked like a shrewd, cunning, and timid advisor — perhaps this was his usual disguise — but now that he was in the barracks, he truly revealed a solemn expression and a clear logical mind.
"According to what we know, the situation in Tian Hu's court in the north has been very tense since the beginning of this year. Although Tian Hu was born a hunter, he has been the most powerful of the fake Qi kings for more than ten years. He also found it the hardest to tolerate Black Flag spies lurking in his court. After more than a year of forbearance, he is about to make a move. We expected that Black Flag would resist and arranged for people to investigate. On the 29th of June, both sides made their move. "
The scholar inserted labels on the large map in front of them. "Black Flag's alliance consists of Wang Juyun, Tian Shi, Yu Yulin … Fen Yang, Wei Sheng, Jin Ning, Gai Zhou, Zhao De, Ze Zhou … and other places in Tian Hu's territory. Only Zhao De did not succeed. The other places changed their colors overnight. We confirmed that Black Flag is the main force in this connection. However, in Wei Sheng, which we paid attention to the most, it was mainly Tian Shi and Yu Yulin's forces. Among them, there was also Lou Shuwan's invisible influence. Afterwards, we confirmed that Black Flag's true planning center was Ze Zhou. According to our intelligence, a group of people suspected to be the rebel Ning Yi's group appeared in Ze Zhou. The highest-ranking person in Black Flag's plan was codenamed Black Sword."
At this time, many people had gathered in the room. With Yue Fei at the front as the leader, there were Wang Gui, Zhang Xian, Niu Gao, Li Dao, Gao Chong, Sun Ge, Yu Peng … and so on. These people were either military officers or advisors. They formed the core of the Beiwei Army. In an inconspicuous corner of the room, there was even a young girl dressed in martial attire. She had a slender figure but was obviously young. It was hard to tell if she was even sixteen. She had a sword at her waist and was listening to everything with excitement and curiosity.
Seeing the scholar pause for a moment, Zhang Xian, who was among the crowd, asked, "What is the black sword?"
The middle-aged scholar frowned. "Two years ago, when the remnants of the Black Flag went south, there were people in Changzhou, Zi Zhou, and other places who were eager to act, wanting to stop them. In the end, there was chaos everywhere. Several cities in Jing Lake and other places were breached. The county and state government officials were all captured. Guangnan military governor Cui Jingwen was almost killed. In Xiangnan, it was Chen Fan who led the troops. In Changzhou, Zi Zhou, and other places, he was in charge. His code name was' Black Sword '. This person was one of Ning Yi's wives, Liu Watermelon of Tyrant Saber Manor under Fang La's command."
In the past few years, NMAU had been very strict about the Black Flag. Although the people in the room were all high-ranking military officers, they did not have much contact with them in the past. Hearing the name Liu Watermelon, some people could not help but laugh out loud. There were also some who secretly felt the power behind it and looked serious.
Two years ago, the chaos in Jing Lake was said to be caused by refugees, but in reality, it was the Black Flag who had gone crazy. The troops in Jing Lake and Guangnan were located in the south. Even when they fought against the Jurchens and the north to rescue the emperor, they did not fight much. It was said that the Black Flag was crippled in the north, and some of the big shots in the court wanted to reap the benefits. That young general called Chen Fan led the Xiangnan branch of the Black Flag Army to conquer several cities, defeating two armies of tens of thousands of people. Then, because of the changes in Changzhou, Zi Zhou, and other places, NMAU's eagerness to act was forcibly suppressed.
At that time, everyone was a military officer. Even if they did not know about Black Sword, they had a preliminary understanding that the Black Flag had such an army in the south. There was also the general called Chen Fan, who was originally a rebel of the Yongle Rebellion and a direct disciple of Fang Qifo. During the Yongle Dynasty's rebellion, Fang La's reputation was known to everyone. His brother Fang Qifo was the true master of the literary and military strategies. At that time, everyone finally saw the power of his direct disciple.
Of course, for those who really understood the Lulin or those who had really seen Chen Fan, the battle two years ago was the real shock.
All these years, Chen Fan's image had always been that of a brave and powerful swordsman. His image to his people was sunny and forthright, but to outsiders, he was a Grandmaster with great martial arts skills. During the Yongle Rebellion, Fang Qifo only let him be the vanguard in the army. Later, he gradually grew up and even killed Sikong Nan with his wife, shocking the Jianghu. When he followed Ning Yi, there were many masters in Little Canghe, but the only one who could really suppress him was Lu Hongti. Even Domineering Blade Liu Watermelon, who grew up with him, was likely to be a little weaker in this aspect. He showed off his bravery and strength. All along, when he followed Ning Yi, his identity was mostly that of a bodyguard.
No one would have expected that he, who was in charge of an army for the first time, was like a pot of boiled soup. Every aspect of the army's battle was impeccable. On the battlefield against tens of thousands of enemies, he calmly attacked with less than ten thousand troops and defeated the enemies one after another. He even seized cities and seized counties in between. Until then, the Black Flag had occupied a few places. The easternmost Hmong Village of Xiangnan was guarded by him. No one dared to touch it for two years.
"If that's the case, then Ning Yi might be the mastermind behind the upheaval in Tian Hu's faction?" Advisor Sun Ge asked when he saw everyone discussing or pondering.
The middle-aged scholar shook his head. "We can't say for sure right now. In the past two years, news that Ning Yi is still alive occasionally appeared. Most of them were Black Flag's deceptive tactics. This time, they launched an attack in the north to get rid of Tian Hu. They also wanted to show off, so it's possible that they wanted to deliberately make people think. Because of the chaos this time, we found some people who were in contact with the instigators. They are suspected to be members of Black Flag. But since they are related to both Wang Juyun and Tian Shi, it seems that we can't touch them for now. "
The scholar paused. "Three days after the great change, Tian Hu's relatives, except for Tian Shi's, were all arrested and imprisoned. Some who resisted were beheaded on the spot. When I left for the south from Wei Sheng, Tian Shi's faction had more or less taken over. They had long since made preparations and carried out a swift and decisive bloodbath against Tian Hu's faction's relatives, followers, helpers, and many other forces. Most of the people outside are clapping their hands in glee. I reckon that things will stabilize soon. "
"Tian Hu originally submitted to the Jurchen, Wang Juyun fought against the Jin, and Black Flag is a thorn in the side of the Jin," Sun Ge said. "Now that the three parties have joined forces, what's the attitude of the Jurchen?"
"When I went south, the Jurchen had already sent people to reprimand Tian Shi. It's said that Tian Shi submitted a letter of apology and said that he will stabilize the situation as soon as possible so that it won't affect the people's lives."
"He's dragging it out. Once the situation stabilizes and the internal troubles are eliminated, Tian Shi and the others will be stronger than when Tian Hu was still alive. His power is located in many mountains, and it won't be easy for the Jurchen to attack. As long as they submit in name, it's very likely that they will turn a blind eye … This is a good plan. " Sun Ge analyzed and paused. "However, there are also people among the Jurchen who are good at planning. Will they give the Central Plains such a chance?"
The room quieted down. Everyone was thinking, "If the Jurchen send their troops, what should we do?"
For the people of NMAU, this was a real problem that they had to bear every day. The pro-peace faction in the court was here because of this. If we attack Xiangyang, what if the Jurchen send their troops? If we assume an offensive stance, what if the Jurchen send their troops because of this? If we walk too loudly today, what if the Jurchen send their troops because of this? Some of these ideas were too unambitious, but most of the time, they were real threats.
If the people who attacked Xiangyang could still be said to be lucky, this time, Black Flag's actions were obviously another sensitive signal.
Sun Ge stood up and walked forward. He pointed at the map and drew a circle in the southwest direction. "Now, Black Flag is here. Although there was the three-year war at Little Canghe, after they retreated, most of the places they occupied were bad. "In these two years, our Wu dynasty tried our best to block them and not trade with them. Dali, Liu Yu, and the others also rejected and blocked them. The northwest has become a barren land with few people. The Western Xia war almost destroyed the whole country. Black Flag is surrounded by trouble everywhere. "Because of this, after two years, they are looking for a way out.
"Tian Hu endured for two years and finally couldn't take it anymore. He finally made his move, and it can be said that he ran into Black Flag's hands. "In this place, Tian Shi, Yu Yulin, and the others wanted to rebel. Outside, Wang Juyun was watching. In this battle between the two sides, he was crushed by Black Flag. It was not an injustice that he lost. "Black Flag also has a big plan. This time, he roped in Prince Jin and Wang Juyun's forces. He has opened the road to the Central Plains. We all know Ning Yi's ability to do business. As long as the other side has people to cooperate with, in the middle … Liu Yu is nothing to be afraid of. To be honest, with Black Flag's arrangements, if they want to kill Liu Yu now, I'm afraid it won't take much effort … "
Sun Ge circled around Prince Jin's territory. "In Tian Hu's place, there is a woman called Lou Shuwan who maintains the people's livelihood. She was one of the first people to do business with Green Wood Stronghold and Little Canghe. Under Tian Hu's command, she pays the most attention to relationships with all parties. Why is this place the most peaceful place in the Central Plains now? It is because even after Little Canghe was destroyed, they still maintained the trade with the Jin Kingdom. In the early years, they also wanted to receive Western Xia's blue salt. Once Black Flag's army connects with this place, he can reach into the Jin Kingdom with just a turn of his body … In this world, they can go anywhere. "
"Our Beiwei Army is still not a concern. Once Black Flag breaks through, the Jurchen Nation will have a headache." Sun Ge looked at the map. "However, when it comes to chess, it is not something that others will wait for you to play. I can see Black Flag's plan from the surface. Whether the Jurchen Nation will follow his wishes, everyone, it is hard to say … "
As Sun Ge spoke, some people's gazes were indifferent, some frowned in deep thought, and some — like Gao Chong and the others — had already laughed fiercely. "Then there will be a war."
This was something that everyone could think of. Once the Jurchen Nation really sent out troops, they would not stop at just flattening Jin. All these years, every time the Jurchen Nation went south, it was a catastrophe that turned the world upside down and plunged the people into misery and suffering. Little Canghe back then had already brought NMAU six or seven years of time to recuperate. Even if there was a large-scale battle, it could not compare to the cruelty of Wu Shu and the others "searching the mountains and the seas" back then.
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