Spring was the start of the year. After the Wu dynasty, the world recovered after the old year was over and the new year was over. There would be a court meeting in the court to summarize the previous year and look forward to the coming year. Naturally, Jun Wu had to attend it.
He stayed in the capital for half a month this year, and the debate in the court also lasted for half a month. No one dared to be disrespectful to Crown Prince Jun Wu in public. However, after a round of praises, the officials began to show their malice. These officials stated all the problems that had occurred behind the prosperity of the Wu dynasty and the reasons why it had been a hindrance. In the end, no one said anything, but all the public opinion was still directed at the crown prince's residence.
Even without the Central Plains, NMAU's years of vigorous development, economic expansion, abundant national treasury, and even the growth of military equipment seemed to be proof of the strength of a dynasty after learning from its mistakes. This constantly increasing number proved the wisdom of the king and his ministers. Since everything was increasing, the following flaws were something that could be understood and tolerated.
No one could prove that a country could still develop like this after losing its bias. In that case, some flaws and pains were bound to exist. Now, there was the humiliation of Jingping, and the Jurchens were still eyeing them covetously. If the court leaned towards appeasing the refugees in the north, then the national treasury, the market, and the military equipment would be lost.
The great scholars quoted the classics to prove the inevitability of many things, but vaguely, they highlighted the fact that the unwise crown prince and princess had become an obstacle to the development of the Wu dynasty. Jun Wu stayed in the capital for half a month. When he returned to Jiangning because of a certain piece of news, a group of officials sent him memorials again, earnestly persuading the crown prince to be wise and accept advice, and not to leave in a fit of anger. Jun Wu could only reply to them one by one.
In February and March, the snow melted, and the grass grew. Wenren Bu 'er, who was in charge of the capital, came as well. The host and guest stood on the city wall of Jiangning and watched the giant yellow balloon fly into the sky.
Someone threw something out of the basket of the balloon. It fell from the sky and landed on the grass with a bang, sending dirt flying everywhere. General Jun Wu frowned. After a while, someone ran over. "It didn't explode —"
"Ten years ago, on Master's side … he researched hot air balloons. I stumbled and didn't make much progress. Later on, I discovered that the material used to seal the air was actually paper pulp. Kongming lanterns can be flown into the sky using paper, but such a large ball can actually be lit with paper! After another two years of delay, Jiangning finally has this. Luckily, I rushed back … "
The wind on the wall was strong, and Jun Wu's voice was loud. The 26-year-old Crown Prince was dressed in a loose robe and had grown a mustache, which made him look quite dignified. Waving his arm, he looked even more high-spirited. Wenren Bu 'er only cupped his hands in front of his chest with a solemn expression.
"Your Highness, please be careful with what you say to that traitor."
"Senior Brother Wenren is right. We can't live under the same sky as that villain." Jun Wu smiled calmly. Wenren Bu 'er was Qin Siyuan's disciple, and Jun Wu had also been taught by her when he was young. He was a casual person and relied on Wenren Bu' er a lot, so he often called her senior brother.
"Your Highness, you left the capital in anger, but the court in Lin 'an is already in an uproar. You need to be careful in the future."
"Yes, it's my fault," Jun Wu said. "I know it's not good, so I've been tolerating it for the past few years, but sometimes I still can't calm down. At the beginning of the year, when I heard that there was progress, I simply abandoned the court and came back. I said it was because of the hot air balloon, but in hindsight, it was just an excuse because I couldn't stand the trivialities of the court."
He admitted his mistake, so Wenren Bu 'er didn't say anything more. The two walked down the wall. Jun Wu said, "Actually, after thinking about it, I'm not suited to be a Crown Prince. I like to study the study of things, but I've been caught up in all these years, so I've long fallen behind. The world is in turmoil, and I have responsibilities, but I don't have any brothers. I just want to cover for Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and the others, and save some refugees from the north. It's a difficult task, but I only know how many problems there are when I'm involved. "
He walked down the stairs of the wall, his steps agile. "The aristocratic families have been operating for more than two hundred years. Their power is intertwined, and their interests have long been deeply rooted. The generals are short-sighted and afraid of death, and the civil officials are corrupt and incompetent. They have become a big net. A few years ago, I intervened in the migration of the northerners to the south. On the surface, people applauded me, but in the end, they incited people to cause trouble, beat people to death, and even incited people to rebel. They killed people according to the law. This and that, in the end, they brought this matter to my father's desk more than once. In the end, I said that the southerners should return to the south, and the northerners to the north. I even said that I had no choice — how could the north return? The north was destroyed! "
"Look at General Yue. He's an upright man who controls all kinds of things in his jurisdiction. He never compromises with anyone, and in the end, he maintained such a strong army. In the past few years, there have been hundreds of memorials saying that he's domineering, tyrannical, and even rebellious. And this is under the situation where I'm watching from the back. Otherwise, he would have been beheaded long ago. As for Han Shizhong, he knows how to maneuver, but he has to bribe all the officials in the court, and he spends a lot of money. I think his military equipment is a little worse than Yue Fei's. "
The two of them went down the wall and boarded the carriage. Jun Wu waved his hand. "What else can I do? Oh, you train the soldiers. Today, a civil official came and said that you should train the soldiers like this. Give me some money, or I'll report you. Tomorrow, another comes and says that his brother-in-law came to you to be a military officer. The day after tomorrow, his brother-in-law embezzled the army's pay, and you want to kill him. He says that his brother-in-law is the prime minister! Then don't fight the war, just die. "
The carriage drove out of the city gate and onto the official road, then turned into a field. Jun Wu vented for a while, then said in a low voice, "Do you know why the rebels want to kill the emperor?"
"Your Highness, be careful with your words!"
"For example, you want to do … something big. Your subordinates have dealings with these people. You want to pretend to be polite and play along with them for a while, like … for two or three years, but you don't have anyone to rely on. Today, someone comes to take some of your things, and you endure it. Tomorrow, someone gives you a brother-in-law, and you endure it. Three years later, when you're about to do something big, you turn around and see that everyone around you is just like them … Haha. Haha. "
Wenren Bu 'Er narrowed her eyes. Jun Wu was obviously not in a good mood today. He was a little excited and even more unscrupulous. She had never seen him like this before. "Your Highness, did something happen to you?"
"No." Jun Wu waved his hand, then lifted the curtain and looked ahead. The hot air balloon was still in the distance. "Look, when this hot air balloon was being made, the censors repeatedly came to impeach me. They said that this thing was inauspicious, because ten years ago, it could bring people into the palace. It could fly higher than the palace walls and spy on the palace … What inauspicious? Did they mean that I wanted to kill the emperor? Because of this, I left all the factories in Jiangning. I had to deal with big and small matters at the same time. When they impeached me, I apologized. It's okay to apologize … I finally did it. "
"Your Highness …"
"Senior Brother Wenren, this world might be different in the future, a world that neither you nor I can understand." Jun Wu closed his eyes. "Last year, before Zuo Duanyou passed away, I went to visit him. The old man said that what Little Canghe said might be right. If we want to defeat him, we must at least become like him. We have cannons, and they're getting better and better. Now that we have hot air balloons, how can we fight without them? When Li Pin talked about the New Confucian School, she didn't skip over the topic of studying things. The people in the court, the aristocratic families, all talk about this and that, and those who are related to them all have no good ending. But maybe in the future, studying things will flourish, and there will be other ways? "
The carriage jolted and stopped in a green field. Many craftsmen were gathered nearby, and there was also a hot air balloon being inflated. Jun Wu and Wenren got off the carriage.
"I'm not very proficient in the Confucian School, and I can't think of any specific ways to reform or advance. After two to three hundred years of entanglement, the inside is ruined. Even if you have great ambitions and a noble heart, once you enter this place, millions of people will stop you, millions of people will reject you, and you will either become bad or leave. Even if I'm lucky and become the crown prince, I can only protect people like General Yue and General Han. If one day I become the emperor, I won't even be able to do what I want, and I won't be able to protect these people. "
"They alone won't be able to defeat the Jurchen." Jun Wu stood there and was still talking. The hot air balloon in front of him was also expanding and pulling the basket. "But fortunately, with the study of things, maybe … we can rely on these people and their strength to find a way to turn the situation around. Even if I'm known to be stubborn and self-opinionated, I don't want to give up. I only see hope here."
"Your Highness …"
Jun Wu walked forward. "I want to go up to the sky and have a look. Senior Brother Wenren, do you want to go with me?"
"Your Highness …"
As soon as he said this, there was an immediate uproar. Words like "Your Highness, please think twice", "Your Highness, you can't", "This thing is not safe", and so on were all heard. The craftsmen in charge of the technology were so scared that they all knelt down. Wenren Bu Er also rushed forward and tried to dissuade him. Jun Wu just smiled.
"Since the end of the year, this hot air balloon has flown up and down six times in a row. It's very safe. I also participated in the production of this hot air balloon, and I know all the problems with it. You can't fool me. Regarding this matter, I've already made up my mind, so there's no need to say more. Now, my luck is your luck. If I fall from the sky today, you guys can consider it bad luck and be buried with me. I, Jun Wu, thank you all … Senior Brother Wenren. "
The crown prince turned his head around. "Do you want to go up and have a look?"
Wenren Bu Er was silent for a long time, and finally sighed. All these years, Jun Wu had worked hard to shoulder the burden. Although he was still a little impulsive, he was generally very rational. However, this hot air balloon had always been a big concern of the crown prince's. When he was young, he studied things, and it was for this reason that he wanted to fly and have a look at the sky. Later, his identity as the crown prince distracted him, but he still kept this dream of flying in his mind and never forgot it.
It had only been two or three months since this thing was made. How could he not understand the danger and the fear of leaving the ground by relying on this thing to fly in the sky? However, he had already made up his mind, and it was hard to change it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said those words just now.
In the past, Confucianism … the art of governing a country, in front of such a strong enemy like the Jurchen people, there was no way out.
"I will follow the crown prince."
"If you're afraid of heights, you don't have to come. I just think that this is a good thing."
Ignoring the people around him who were kneeling on the ground, he climbed into the basket without any explanation. Wenren Bu Er also went over. There was a craftsman in the basket who was in charge of flying in the air, and he was kneeling there. Jun Wu looked at him. "Master Yang, get up and work. Do you want me to do it myself? It's not like I don't know how to do it. "
The craftsman stood up shakily. After a while, he started to throw heavy sandbags down.
Jun Wu held the rope beside the basket tightly with one hand. He stood there, his body swaying slightly as he looked forward.
"How much time do the officials in the imperial court think we have?"
"The Prime Minister and the Privy Council think that the current situation is not good. In two or three years, if we're lucky, we might have another five years to rest and build up our strength." Wenren Bu Er also looked forward, her body stiff and nervous. "After the Jurchen people conquered the Central Plains, they made Liu Yu their king because they had too few people. They needed to stabilize the whole Liao territory first. After they have completely stabilized the north of Yanmen Pass, the first thing they need to do is to formally annex and digest the Central Plains. "
The huge hot air balloon shook and began to rise into the sky.
"However, although the original Central Plains has been defeated, Liu Yu's control can't be the only one. In the past few years, disloyal people have appeared in the north and south of the Yellow River. Many of them seem to be loyal to the Jurchen people and don't dare to show their faces. But if the Jin Kingdom really wants to annex the Central Plains, there are still many who will stand up and resist. Defeating and ruling are different. If they want to annex the Central Plains, the Jin Kingdom will have to spend more effort. Therefore, we still have two or three years to breathe … Oh … "
The field of view below continued to shrink. They rose into the sky. Wenren Bu Er's nervous speech was interrupted. Jun Wu stopped listening. He stood there and looked down at the wilderness, the farmlands, the people transplanting seedlings, the oxen and horses pulling the plows. In the distance, the houses and smoke were spreading. The city walls of Jiangning stretched out. The river passed by, and the boatman on the black awning boat held up the pole … In the bright and beautiful spring, the exuberant vitality spread like a painting.
Six years ago, the Jurchen people had come to this place when they searched the mountains and seas. Jun Wu still remembered the corpse outside the city, Grandpa Kang, who died here. Now, all the living creatures were living so vividly again. All these lovely, hateful, and indescribable living creatures could make people happy just by looking at their existence. But because of their existence, it gave birth to endless pain …
The hot air balloon floated up.
For the rest of his life, Zhou Junwu would never forget the earth he saw in this glance.
In the spring of the ninth year of Wu Jianshuo's life, he flew into the sky for the first time.
*****
Under the same sky, after crossing the Yanmen Pass to the north, when the snow melted and the ice melted, the Xijing Datong of the Jin Kingdom ushered in the peak period of trade and travel.
Goods flowed, merchants came and went, and the traffic was endless. After more than ten years of plundering, digesting, and internal recovery, the new regime of the Jin Kingdom gradually gave birth to a prosperous appearance. Entering from the four gates of Datong, the flags on the city walls fluttered in the wind. There were teams of Jurchen soldiers with bows and knives everywhere on the big wall. The market in the city extended, and pedestrians weaved. The patrolling officers walked among them with their backs straight. Occasionally, they saw people fighting, and when it got out of hand, they stepped forward to stop them. The people of the Northern Land were fierce, and such things were common.
In the thriving blacksmith shop, clanging sounds could be heard. In the restaurants and eateries, food and pastries from all over the world were sold, but most of them still catered to the tastes of the Golden Men. The storyteller played the huqin and slammed the gavel on the table with a bang.
The Han slaves in ragged clothes were mixed together. Some of them were thin and weak, with chains tied to their bodies. They were only used as livestock, and their eyes were lifeless. There were also waiters and cooks in various restaurants. Their lives might be better, but their eyes were just timid, and they did not dare to look at people. In the bustling cosmetics streets, there were still some Han women captured from the south in some brothels and brothels. If they came from small families, they were just materials for people to vent their desires. There were also the wives and children of the big families, and they could often be sold at a high price. There were also a few women from the royal family, and they were still the money trees of a few brothels.
Even among the Jurchen, there were many who liked elegant poetry and literature. When they came to the brothels, they were more willing to chat with the educated and reasonable wives and young ladies in the south. Of course, this place was different from the south.
There were no prostitutes here.
The girl in the flowery dress danced crazily on the street and sang the songs of the Central Plains. Then, she was dragged into the door of the brothel by the boorish female Zhenren. She was dragged into the room, and the laughter did not stop. Many people here could now understand the words of the Wu dynasty. The crazy woman was laughing, "Haha, Husband, you came to pick me up … Haha, ah … Haha, Husband, you came to pick me up …"
In the room, she was being seduced while this voice came out. But the people nearby knew that her husband had been killed long ago. He was originally a craftsman who wanted to resist and escape. He was beheaded in front of her and his head was made into a wine vessel … As he walked along the street with the escort team, Shi Jin lowered his head and listened to this voice. His companion beside him whispered these things.
"… Hero, don't think too much. There are many such things. The emperor of the Wu dynasty still knelt in the palace like a dog every year. The empress is the same … Oh, hero, look, over there is Lord Xi Yin's big courtyard …"
Shi Jin looked up and saw the courtyard at the other end of the river. Columns of smoke rose into the air. There were soldiers patrolling around, and it was heavily guarded. His companion tugged at the corner of his clothes, "Hero, you can't go there. Don't let them see you …"
Shi Jin nodded and withdrew his gaze.
It had been three months since he came to the north.
Shi Jin was a chivalrous and heroic person. A few months ago, he came to the north and saw countless Han slaves suffering. He could not help but kill them. Then he was chased by the Jin soldiers in the heavy snow. Shi Jin was highly skilled in martial arts and was not afraid of this. He did not care about life and death. He wandered in the heavy snow for more than a month and killed more than a dozen Jin soldiers, causing an uproar. Later, he went all the way to the north and saved an escort. Then he found his companion and quietly arrived at Datong.
Although there were many Han slaves in the north, naturally there were also Han people and Liao people who originally lived here. It's just that the Wu Dynasty was weak and small, the Han people in this area, although they had the status of good people, they were always bullied and looked down upon. Most of the escorts in the escort team were indigenous people of the 16 states of Yan and Yun. They were bullied by the Liao people first and then by the Jin. They were people who lived on the edge of a knife and admired Shi Jin. Even though they knew that Shi Jin was dissatisfied with the Jin, they were willing to bring him along.
Although Shi Jin traveled with these people, he did not tell them about his plan to assassinate Bi Han. Along the way to the north, he saw the gathering of Jin soldiers. The atmosphere of Datong, which was already the center of the military and politics, began to become solemn again. He could not help but want to find out more. Later, he saw the cannons among the Jin soldiers and asked a little. Only then did he know that the Jin had also researched and equipped these things. The person in charge of this matter was Wanyan Xi Yin, who was known as the Goddess of Grains.
After the Jin conquered the south, they obtained a large number of craftsmen from the Wu dynasty. Xi Yin studied the study of things and built a large courtyard with Shi Liai and other officials. They developed firearms and various new crafts. Other than weapons, there were also many new items. Today, they circulated in the market of Datong and became popular goods.
Amidst the noise of the carriages, the escort team arrived at their destination in Datong. Shi Jin did not want to waste time and bid farewell to the other party. The escort was a person who valued friendship. He greeted his companions and brought Shi Jin out for a meal. He set up a table in a high-end restaurant in Datong City as a way of thanking Shi Jin for saving his life. This person was also a person who knew what was good for him. He understood that Shi Jin must have some ulterior motives for going north, so he more or less introduced the situation and layout of Datong City to Shi Jin.
After three rounds of wine, his face and ears were flushed, and his tone was somewhat embarrassed.
"… I know that you are not here for sightseeing. Although my ancestors are Han people in the north, I also know the heroism and chivalry of the south. The kindness of saving my life is not something that can be repaid with a table of wine. However, although I am angry at the Jin for being domineering, I have a wife and children here … Hero, Datong City is after all not an ordinary place. In the early years, the Lady Zhenren called this place the Western Imperial Court. But at that time, among the Lady Zhenren, there was still the second prince, Zong Wang, who could suppress Zong Han's arrogance. After Zong Wang's death, the east and west of the Jin were divided. The authority of Marshal Zong Han here was no different from that of the Heaven Association in the east … "
"… In this Datong City, there is a large number of soldiers. There is also the Goddess of Grains, Xi Yin, who has many experts under her command. The Great Courtyard is also heavily guarded. Although you are highly skilled in martial arts, you are from the south after all. Your identity as a Han is too eye-catching. Please … be careful and take care … "
The escort urged Shi Jin to be careful. He was also afraid that Shi Jin would be exposed and that he would be involved. However, Shi Jin was a chivalrous and righteous man. He knew that the other party had taken on too many risks to repay his kindness, so he did not say much. The escort thought for a while, then told Shi Jin some anecdotes in Datong City, such as those who went against the Lady Zhenren, the chivalrous men who were wanted or hunted down, and the robbers who specialized in stealing treasures, etc. Wanyan Xi Yin recruited many warriors and had wiped out these Jianghu people several times. However, there were always some who were lucky enough to escape and became legends that people talked about.
The escort thought that if the other party really met with trouble in the city, it would be difficult for him to intervene. Perhaps these people could become his companions.
After the banquet, the two parties formally bid farewell. Shi Jin carried his own bag and watched the other party leave. When he turned around, he saw the Han slaves who were like pigs and dogs in the smithy of the restaurant.
This year was the twelfth year of the Lady Zhenren. It had been twelve years since Wanyan Wu Qi succeeded the throne. In these twelve years, the Lady Zhenren consolidated her rule over her subjects. Her presence in the north was officially stabilized. What accompanied this period of time was the pain and disaster of countless Han people.
The three wars against the central plains, the humiliation of pacification, the search of the mountains and the sea … After so many years, many of the Han slaves who were captured to the north were still alive on this land. However, they did not look like humans at all …
Shi Jin's life was chaotic. When he was young, he was brave and ruthless. Later, he became a bandit. Later, he fought against the Lady Zhenren and had internal strife … He had experienced both righteous and unrighteous battles. When he was young, he was reckless and his hands were naturally stained with the blood of the innocent. Since then, he had seen countless tragic deaths. But there had never been a time when the distortion and pain he felt was as deep in his bones as the one he felt on the bustling streets of Datong.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
