The first month of the year had just begun. In the Central Plains, Liu Yu was carefully fulfilling his duty to the Jin Kingdom. He sent Prince Liu Lin to lead an army to cross the Huai River and attack the Wu Kingdom. At the same time, an envoy from the Great Qi Kingdom went north to persuade Wu Qimai, Zong Han, Zong Fu and the others to send troops to the south. This was not the first time. For the past two or three years, Liu Yu knew that he could not defeat the Wu Dynasty with his own strength. He was also worried that the Black Flag spies in the court could take his life at any time. He had been looking forward to the Jin Kingdom going south to solve all problems once and for all.
However, in the third month, something serious happened in the Jin Kingdom's imperial court. Wu Qimai collapsed due to a stroke and was unable to stand up again. Although he still dealt with state affairs every day, the discussion about the southern expedition was closed to the emissaries of the Daqi Kingdom.
With the emperor sick, even the Jin Kingdom had to stabilize its internal affairs first. The southern expedition naturally had to be put on hold.
Liu Lin was defeated in crossing the river and returned with his defeated soldiers. Everyone was relieved. They looked at the Jin Kingdom and the southwest. Both terrifying forces were quiet and did not make any moves. This was good.
For a period of time, everyone could carefully survive …
It was also at this time when spring was warm and flowers were blooming. Along the thousands of miles of land from the Daimyo Prefecture to Zhengzhou, the deserters who brought their families and mouths with them passed through towns and passes with anxious eyes. The officials nearby organized manpower to block, drive, or kill, trying to keep these starving people out of their territory.
In the relatively prosperous areas, the people in the towns had experienced Liu Yu's court's exorbitant levies and could barely survive. Leaving the towns and entering the mountains and forests, they gradually entered hell. Mountain bandits and horse gangs ran amok everywhere. The fleeing people left their homes and had no shelter. They gradually gathered at the place where the rumored "Ghost King" was. The officials also sent troops and scattered the refugees led by Wang Shitong twice in the Hua Prefecture. The refugees were like a pool of muddy water. After being punched a few times, they were scattered and then gradually began to gather again.
This flood of refugees happened every year. Compared to the Jin Kingdom in the north, the Black Flag in the south was not a big deal. After killing twice, the army was no longer enthusiastic. They could not kill all of them. Sending troops required money and food. In the end, they had to manage their own land. Even if it was for the world, they could not spend all their time.
Development was also important.
The Yellow River made a big bend and flowed all the way to the northeast. From the plains near Zhengzhou to the mountains and rivers near the Daimyo Prefecture, there were many places where no rooster crowed for a thousand li. Compared to when the Wu dynasty was at its peak, the population of the Central Plains had decreased by three out of four. The mud walls of the small villages had collapsed and were deserted. Migrants walked in groups of three to five in the wilderness. The mountain bandits who occupied land as kings and the horse bandits who gathered together came and went. Most of them were dressed in rags and had emaciated faces.
In the surviving villages, the capable landlords built watchtowers and high walls. Many times, they would also receive visits from the government and the army, hauling carts of goods. The Horse Bandits also came. They could only come. After that, the Horse Bandits scattered like birds and beasts, or the high walls were broken, and the massacre and fire continued. The woman carrying the baby walked in the mud. At some point, she collapsed and could no longer stand up. In the end, the baby's cries gradually disappeared … In a world without order, there were not many people who could protect themselves.
The once smooth trade routes and the world of silk and satin were long gone from memory.
To the north of Puzhou, Wang Shitong wore tattered black clothes and had a head of messy hair. He squatted on a rock and stared blankly at the dark and messy sea of people, starving and emaciated. His eyes had already turned the color of blood.
"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer …" he muttered to his deputy who had lost an arm.
Spring was warm and flowers were blooming. Many of the people who went south last year froze to death in that winter. More and more people gathered here every day. Sometimes, edible leaves, fruits, and small animals could be found in the forest. There were fish in the water. Some of the people who had abandoned their homes to head south in the spring still had some food left in them.
They were not hungry enough.
They would eventually be hungry.
To the north of the Yellow River was originally the Tiger King's territory. After Tian Shi succeeded to the throne, he carried out a series of massacres and reforms. Grand General Yu Yulin held the plow in the fields and plowed the fields himself. After he came up from the fields and washed away the mud, he saw Lou Shuwan, dressed in black, sitting in a straw hut by the roadside and reading the intelligence report.
In the past few years, she had to deal with a lot of things. The woman who worked under a dim oil lamp every night hurt her eyes. Her eyesight was poor and she was nearsighted. Therefore, the way she held the paper with both hands and read it looked like an old woman. After she finished reading, she straightened her body. Yu Yulin walked over and found out that the third deal with the Black Flag Army in the south had been completed.
After the coup last year, Yu Yulin held a lot of troops and was in a high position. His relationship with Lou Shuwan also became closer. However, since then, he spent most of his time in the north stabilizing the situation and keeping a close eye on Wang Juyun, who was an "ally" who was also not a good person. The two of them did not meet often.
"A month ago, Wang Juyun's subordinate, An Xifu, came to discuss the garrison with me and talked about Li Xizhi. I saw that Wang Juyun wanted to start a war with Li Xizhi and came to test our intentions. "
Yu Yulin sat on a chair next to Lou Shuwan. Lou Shuwan crossed her hands on her knees and thought for a while. She smiled and said, "War is your business. I'm just a woman, what do I know? I hope General Yu can explain the pros and cons clearly."
Lou Shuwan's words sounded distant, but Yu Yulin was already used to her distant attitude. He didn't mind. "When the Tiger King was around, it was also the three of us north of the Yellow River. Now that the two of us have joined forces, we can push Li Xizhi a little. One of Wang Juyun's intentions is that Li Xizhi is a ball-less person. When the Jurchen attacks, she will definitely kneel and beg for mercy. Wang Juyun is obviously trying to backstab her. When that happens, Li Xizhi will probably stab her in the back. "
"So it's good for them and not for us?" Lou Shuwan smiled.
The south of Yanmen Pass and the north of the Yellow River were divided into three factions. Generally speaking, it was all Daqi's territory. In reality, the east side was controlled by Liu Yu's confidant, Li Xizhi. Wang Juyun occupied the most chaotic area near Yanmen Pass, and they did not verbally submit to the Jurchen. The Tian Family, which had developed the best in this area, was benefiting from both sides because they occupied the mountainous areas that were not easy to run on.
Yu Yulin, Lou Shuwan, and the others who were in charge of killing the Tiger King could be considered the rational faction among the forces. Coupled with the radical Tian Shi and the others, they could not bear to see the many drunken scum who relied on the Tian Family. The Tian Family had been operating for more than ten years and had yet to form a complex network of interests. After the massacre, the internal excitement was more or less effective, especially with the deal with Black Flag, which increased their strength in private. However, because of their previous ambiguous position, as long as they did not immediately fall out with the Jurchen, there was still some room for negotiation.
"Last year, the ravenous ghosts caused havoc, and the few provinces in the east were emptied. Now, they are in a terrible state. As long as there is food, we can eat. "Moreover, with these iron cannons, it is necessary to pick a soft persimmon to train our troops. However, this is not the most important point … "
While Yu Yulin was speaking, Lou Shuwan interrupted with a smile, "There are many things to be done. How can there be surplus food? If we pick a soft persimmon to train our troops, we might as well pick him. After all, we are good people under the Jin Kingdom. It is only right and proper to attack the rebels. "
Yu Yulin also smiled. "This is not the most important point. Wang Juyun, An Xifu, and the others wanted to stir up trouble and provoke Black Flag to attack."
Lou Shuwan was stunned. "What does Big Words have to do with those people?"
"Black Flag has some business in Shandong."
Lou Shuwan looked at Yu Yulin with a deep gaze, but it was not because she was confused.
"It's not just the Black Flag … When Ning Yi used a scheme to break through Liangshan, he borrowed the strength of a few villages on Lone Dragon Hill. Later on, he also trained his troops on Lone Dragon Hill and had a good relationship with the two villages on the hill. Zhu Biao and the others from Zhu Family Village also worked under him. Three years after Little Cang River, Black Flag fled to the south. Although Li Xizhi occupied Shandong, Hebei, and other places, the people were tough. He could not take many places by force. Dulong Gang, Liangshan, and other places are among them … "
Lou Shuwan naturally understood what Yu Yulin was talking about. When Ning Yi conquered Liangshan and made friends with the fierce people in Dulong Gang, people did not realize too much. When Ning Yi killed the king, many things were traced back to the past. Only then did people suddenly realize that Dulong Gang was actually one of the places where the armed forces under Ning Yi came from. It was difficult to say how many things he left there.
The three-year war at Little Cang River scared the Central Plains people. Li Xizhi, who had attacked Little Cang River before, naturally attacked Dulong Gang after taking control of Shandong. But to be honest, it was an extremely difficult battle. The Zhu and Hu families in Dulong Gang had no choice but to destroy the village under the direct attack of the soldiers. After that, they wandered around the Liangshan and Shuibo areas and gathered as bandits, which made Li Xizhi very embarrassed. Later, he burned Dulong Gang to the ground, but he did not occupy it. Instead, that area became extremely chaotic and ownerless.
To the outside, the power behind the bandits in Dulong Gang and Shuibo was the Black Flag Army's arch-enemy — NMAU. When Ning Yi killed the king, many people were implicated. The women of the family of the great scholar Wang Qisong survived because of the protection of the crown prince, Zhou Junwu. The only son of the Wang family, Wang Shanyue, was originally an official in Jiangnan. After the regicide, he was protected by his wife, Hu Sanniang, and went north, seeking shelter in the Hu family village. After the Central Plains fell, he did not forget to worry about the country even though he was a criminal. He led people to deal with the Jurchens and Daqi soldiers. So on the surface, this place belonged to NMAU's resistance force.
There were many forces in the Central Plains who were loyal to the Southern Dynasty. Instead, they were more tolerated. Li Xizhi's crusade failed a few times, so he let go. No one talked about it too much. But this year, there was movement in the south. This kind of speculation only floated again.
"Wang Juyun feels that whether or not there are Black Flags in the north now, of course there are. Different from the Black Flag spies in the court and the army, this group in Shandong is very likely the Black Flag elites lying in wait. If Li Xizhi is in chaos, with Ning Yi's shrewdness, he will definitely come out to take advantage. If he wants to take advantage, he has to take risks. In the future, when the Jurchens go south, the first place they will pay attention to will be Shandong. When that time comes, he can't not rely on you and me. At least he will hope that we can hold on for a little longer. "
"What if the Black Flag doesn't move?"
"Then we will split the benefits in Shandong and Hebei equally. When the Jurchens go south, we can naturally hide in the mountains. Shandong … at most, we don't want it."
"… He is determined to fight the Jurchens."
"The Han's rivers and mountains can be thrown into chaos by you and me, but not by the barbarians. An Xifu brought the exact words. "
"… Minister Wang." Lou Shuwan thought about it and smiled. When she was in Hangzhou, she had seen Minister Wang Yin of the Yongle Uprising. It was just that she was young at that time. The memories from more than ten years ago were already blurred when she thought about it now, but there was a different feeling in her heart.
At that time, the naive young woman only had fear in her heart. When she saw those people who entered Hangzhou, she only felt that they were rough and incompetent peasants. Now, after seeing the fall of the Central Plains, the upheaval of the world, the lives of millions of people in her hands, and the fear of the threat of the Jurchens, she suddenly felt that there were also great heroes among those who entered the city at that time. This hero was also very different from the heroes of the past.
"He seems like a great man." Yu Yulin said, then stood up and took two steps. "But now it seems that these heroes, you and me, the people in the court, the millions of troops, and even the world, are all played in the palm of that person's hand."
Lou Shuwan's eyes were calm and she didn't speak. Yu Yulin sighed. "The matter of Ning Yi still being alive has been confirmed. So it seems that he was also behind the chaos last year. It's funny that we fought to the death. This matter concerns the life and death of millions of people, but we became someone else's marionette. "
Although Yu Yulin said this, he didn't look too dejected. Lou Shuwan pressed her thumb on her palm. "Brother Yu is also an outstanding person of the current age. Why do you need to belittle yourself? The world is full of people who come for benefits. "He took advantage of the situation and we benefited from it. That's all." After she said this, Yu Yulin saw her raise her head and murmured softly, "In the palm of his hand …" No one knew what she thought of when she said this, but a hint of bitterness and charm flashed in her eyes for a fleeting moment. The spring breeze blew this independent lady's hair. In front of her was an endless stretch of green fields.
"A few days ago, I met with Sect Leader Lin of the Great Radiant Sect and agreed to let them continue building temples and spreading their teachings here. Not long after, I also intend to join the Great Radiant Sect." Yu Yulin looked over. Lou Shuwan looked in front of her and said calmly, "According to the teachings of the Great Radiant Sect, the position of Mystic Lady who descended to the world under the Venerated Ming can control the high and low branch leaders of the Great Radiant Sect. The Great Radiant Sect can't be overly involved in military affairs, but they can recruit monk soldiers from the poor. "We'll support them to the north of the Yellow River and help them to develop in Wang Juyun and Li Xizhi's territories. They can also collect food from the south and we can help them protect and transport it … Sect Leader Lin is ambitious and has already agreed to it."
She smiled. "Not long after, people will know that the King is also a deity who descended to the world and is the living Mystic King. Brother Yu, you'll also be a deity who will patrol on behalf of the Heavens. Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King or Dhrtarastra, Brother Yu, why don't you choose? "
Yu Yulin looked at her for a while. "That monk isn't a kind person either. You have to be careful."
"In such a world, how can you trap a wolf if you don't want to sacrifice your child? It's either he eats me, or I eat him. "
Yu Yulin didn't say anything else. The two of them, one standing and one sitting, looked in front of them for a long time. It was unknown when a low murmur was heard floating in the air.
"… In the palm of his hand …"
"… Sooner or later, I'll bite a piece of his flesh off …"
The two important people talked for a long time in the field outside. When they sat in the carriage and returned to the city, the sky was already filled with a bright and beautiful sunset glow. This sunset glow shone on the city walls of Wei Sheng. The streets were bustling with activity, and there were also many child beggars by the city gate. However, compared to the current Central Plains, this city seemed to have an indescribable sense of peace and tranquility after experiencing more than a decade of peace. Once they left despair, they would always be able to gather vitality and vigor in this corner.
"Protecting the land and bringing peace to the people. Miss Lou, these are all thanks to you. You have done the greatest good," Yu Yulin said as he lifted the curtains.
Lou Shuwan looked at the crowd outside with a calm expression. Just like how she had been for many years, there wasn't much lively expression on her face anymore.
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