"His Majesty is bedridden. Over at Tianhui, Zong Fu and Zong Bi want to gather the army and plot against Jiangnan … According to reports, Sir Alubu has led the army to Hebei to train the troops. The new army that Zong Pan and Zong Juan have trained in Xijin is ready for war. Yesterday, Sir Wanyan Chang sent a request for military supplies. It's twice as much as last year. Iron cannons and ammunition take up 70% of the stock in the Great Building Yard. It's urgent. This matter has already been approved by His Majesty …"
"How do we transport it if it's urgent?"
"Someone said that Sir Goddess of Grains had confiscated the iron used for Sir Zong Bi's Iron Buddha two years ago …"
It was raining cats and dogs. In the room of the Marshal's Residence, Wanyan Saba's voice rang out as everyone took their seats. Gao Qingyi then sneered and Wanyan Saba replied with the same story.
Although spring was the start of the year, the snow in the north melted late. Coupled with Wu Qimai's stroke, the coordination between the east and the west was still ongoing at the turn of spring and summer. On one hand, it was to finalize the external strategy. On the other hand, the old Emperor's stroke meant that the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne was going to be a major event. During this period of time, the game of chess and choosing sides were going on. Since people had mentioned the grand strategy of the south year after year, this informal meeting was rather casual.
"Don't talk nonsense. The Fourth Prince has a strong character. It's a blessing for the Jin Kingdom. Plotting against the south is not a day or two. If it really succeeds this year, it's not a bad thing. "
"If that's the case, we should help him conquer the Central Plains."
"Last year in the Central Plains, the Black Flag was restless. We didn't make a move during Tian Hu's chaos. Now it seems that it's time to make a move. We can't just leave such a great achievement to the Princes in the west."
The people in the room, such as Yinshu and the other military commanders, began to talk about the key points of dispatching troops to the south. The Southern Expedition was discussed every year. Everyone had their own ideas at their fingertips. However, in this atmosphere of casual chatter, everyone's words also contained an unclear sense of caution. Zong Han gathered everyone for an informal meeting. He listened with a smile on his face. Wanyan Xiyin, who was at the side, lowered his head. He waited for the atmosphere to cool down before knocking on the table.
"Sending troops south to conquer the Central Plains has never been a difficult task. Qi belongs to the Great Metal Nation. Liu Yu is unbearable. Take him back. It was just that the Central Plains was vast, and it would not be easy to conquer it. His Majesty has been working hard and recuperating for more than ten years, but the number of our Jurchen people has never increased by much. It was once said that if our Jurchen people didn't reach ten thousand, we wouldn't be a match for ten thousand. But in the past ten years, the younger generation has indulged in pleasure and ruined the prestige of our Jurchen people. We have these people in our families. I've told you many times to be vigilant! "
Xi Yin's gaze swept across the crowd, all of them were veterans of the bloody battlefield. Even if they were Han people, they were brave and strong, and they nodded their heads in agreement. Xi Yin paused for a while, "Precisely because there are not many Nu Zhenren, we have divided the people under our rule into five classes, ruling them layer by layer, so that we can be stable. Governing Liao's previous territory was not difficult, but if they wanted to take over the Central Plains, these rules had to be strict and applied. The Central Plains is vast, and there are more than ten million people in the South. If we really want to take back power from Liu Yu, we have to start moving people to the South in the next few years. Our Jurchen people, Bohai people, Khitan people, and Han people need at least hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people to go over to be effective. These things need to wait, but Zong Fu and Zong Bi have great ambitions, we … can only pave the way for them. "
His gaze was solemn, and when he finished, he looked at Zong Han. Everyone looked at Zong Han too. Gao Qingyi stood up and cupped his hands, "Goddess of Grains is right."
The rest of the people expressed their opinions too.
Zong Han looked at Xi Yin, then smiled and cupped his hands, "Goddess of Grains, these are the words of an experienced strategist." He looked around, "That's good too. His Majesty is sick, and the situation is uncertain. The expedition to the South … will be a waste of manpower and resources. At this time, whether to do it or not, we have to gather all the generals to discuss. Today, I've asked everyone to discuss and see what they think. Don't leave today, there are two new cooks at home, and the lamb is well roasted. Let's have a meal together later. I have military affairs to attend to, so I'll go and settle them first. "
He gestured for the steward to serve tea, snacks, and songs and dances. Xi Yin stood up, "I have something to do too, so I won't be having dinner."
Zong Han raised his hand, "I'll send Xi Yin off."
Zong Han wore a large robe, looking bold and burly. Xi Yin also had a sturdy figure, just slightly taller and thinner. The two of them walked out together, and everyone knew that they had something to say, so they did not follow. Along the way, the steward in front of them dismissed the servants in the residence. The two of them passed through halls and corridors, and it was rather quiet. They were now two of the most powerful people in the world, but they had fought their way out when they were weak, and the friendship that they had built up through life and death had not been diluted by the power they had.
They chatted along the way, and Zong Han talked about the newly hired cooks, "Bohai people, sent over by Da Yuan Xi. They have a high shelf, big feet, very rough on the bed, and average cooking. When he heard that I wanted them, Da Yuan Xi was very happy and quickly came over to thank me. Xi Yin, if you are interested, I can send one to you. "
"Marshal, you must be joking," Xi Yin shook her head, and after a while, she said, "Marshal, you have seen the attitude of the generals today. Humans may not harm tigers, but tigers may hurt humans. Marshal, you have to be more serious about the Central Plains. "
"I am a real man, I have never been afraid of tigers and bears." Zong Han placed his hands behind his back and did not care. He walked a few steps before turning back slightly, "Goddess of Grains, all these years of fighting in the north and south, have you ever been attached to power?"
"Marshal has never been attached to power."
"Because I do not need to be attached to power," Zong Han waved his hand, "I am here, power is power!"
The rain was pouring heavily.
"Back then, you, me, Aguda and thousands of people rose up, and Zong Fu and Zong Bi were just children. We have been fighting for many years … "His gaze was solemn, and when he said this, he sighed and clenched his fist," I promised Aguda that I will look after the Jurchen tribe, what do the children know! Without this residence, the Jin Kingdom will be in chaos, and the Central Plains will be in chaos! Even if I give the Central Plains to him, he will not be able to swallow it! "
"I knew that Marshal would have such thoughts."
"The Central Plains is a small matter, in the eyes of others, it is shameful to fight with the children for power!" Zong Han waved his hand, turned around and walked forward, "If it was ten years ago, I would have slapped Zong Bi to death!"
His voice was filled with anger.
Since the establishment of the Jin Kingdom, although they were invincible, the biggest problem they encountered was that the population of Jurchen was too small. Many policies were based on this premise.
The emergence of the political center of the East and West originated from this. In such a huge territory, there was a lack of ruling class. If there was only one core in control, many problems could not be dealt with. At this time, Zong Han's talent and strong attitude made up for some of the shortcomings. The residence of the Jin Kingdom not only controlled the West of the Jin Kingdom, but also a lot of affairs in the Central Plains. It seemed to be powerful, but if it was not so, with the primitive regime of the Jurchen, not to mention controlling the Central Plains, even the Jin Kingdom would be in turmoil.
In addition, the current ethnic policy of the Jin Kingdom was also set up to make up for the lack of Jurchen. In the territory of the Jin Kingdom, the first class was naturally the Jurchen, and the second class was the Bohai people who were once on good terms with the Jurchen. This was the dynasty established by the Tang Dynasty, which was later destroyed by Liao. A part of the survivors, led by Daguanghou, resisted the Khitans and moved to Korea, while the other part was still oppressed by the Khitans. After the establishment of the Jin Kingdom, these people were given preferential treatment. Yuan Xi, who sent a cook to Zong Han, was now a popular person in the circle of the Jin Kingdom.
The third class was the Khitans, who were still brave even though their country was destroyed. The fourth class was the Han people who used to live in the territory of Liao. However, the Han people were smart, and some of them had a good life in the Jin Kingdom, such as Gao Qingyi and Shi Liai, who were also trusted by Zong Han. As for the people of the Central Plains south of Yanmen Pass, they were not Han people to the Jin Kingdom. They were generally called Southerners, which was the fifth class. In the Jin Kingdom, most of them were slaves.
The Jin Kingdom's political power could only be maintained by dividing the social classes and giving them special privileges. Once the Jurchens wanted to officially conquer the Central Plains and Jiangnan, the difficulty would be doubled. Even though the Jin Kingdom had rested for ten years under Wu Qimai's rule, the number of Jurchens was still insufficient.
Now that Wu Qimai was sick, Zong Fu and the others proposed to reduce the power of the Marshal's Mansion, and on the other hand, they were secretly planning to conquer the south. They wanted to use military merits to build support for themselves, and wanted to subdue the Marshal's Mansion before Wu Qimai became sick.
It was easy for the Marshal's Mansion to deal with it, but Zong Han had been a military man all his life and was extremely arrogant. Even when Aguda was still alive, he was second only to him. Now that he was provoked by a few children, he was very angry.
On the one hand, they were gauging the heart of a gentleman with the yardstick of a villain, and using dirty thoughts to guess at him.
On the other hand, no matter how many actions these children took, what could they do to him!?
These things touched his reverse scale, and he remained silent when his subordinates reminded him. Xi Yin and the others beat around the bush. On the one hand, they advised him to choose the most rational response. On the other hand, only Xi Yin and a few people who were closest to him were afraid that the Marshal would do something extreme in a fit of anger. The succession of the Jin Kingdom was at least not from father to son, and there might be other possibilities in the future. But the more it was so, the more cautious they needed to be – of course, these were things that could not be said at all.
Now that they had talked for a while, although Zong Han was a little angry, in front of Xi Yin, it was also a kind of attitude. Xi Yin smiled and said, "As long as the Marshal knows what to do. Beauties are past their prime, heroes will grow old, and the younger generation is in the prime of their lives … If it was Zong Fu, he would be more honest, but Zong Bi has been suspicious and self-opinionated since childhood. After Zong Wang passed away, it would be difficult for others to control him. Ten years ago, I beat him until he screamed, but ten years later, I have to be more cautious. One day in the future, you and I will leave, and the younger generation of our family may be chased by him and beaten by him. "
"Xi Yin, you read a lot, so you have a lot of troubles. Bear it yourself." Zong Han smiled and waved his hand, "Zong Bi can't stir up a storm, but since they want to do something, how can I not take care of them? I am old, and my temper is a little bad, but I can still think things through."
As they talked, they were gradually approaching the periphery of the Marshal's Mansion. Xi Yin nodded and chatted for a while. Then, she said hesitantly, "Actually, I came here today because I have a matter to ask for Marshal's forgiveness."
When Zong Han turned back, Xi Yin had already bowed and paid his respects. Zong Han's eyes became serious and stretched out his hand to stop him, "What happened?"
"My family is not peaceful, and there are some things that need to be dealt with, and it has something to do with the Marshal … I am going to deal with it now."
Zong Han looked at him seriously for a moment, then raised his hand and said, "Go and deal with your family's matters. What kind of relationship do you have with me, if you want to talk about this … it has something to do with me? Are you going to deal with some people from the Marshal's Mansion? "
"That's not necessary …"
"Then go, I have to deal with a lot of things every day, how can I have time to listen to your Xi Yin family's trivial matters."
He sent him to the mansion's gate and said, "The rain is heavy, I won't send you off." Zong Han watched Xi Yin put on a cloak, hung a long sword, boarded the horse carriage, and bid farewell. Zong Han's eyes became serious for a moment.
Xi Yin's wife was a Han, and this matter was occasionally discussed by the upper echelons of the Jurchen society. Could it be that she had done something wrong, and now it was exposed? That was really a headache. Marshal Wanyan Zong Han shook his head, turned around and walked into the mansion.
*****
In the dim light, the sound of heavy rain drowned everything.
The cave was damp and rancid, and the smell of blood filled the air. Accompanied by this heavy rain, he woke up from his lethargy. With the faint light of the sky, he knew that he was not dead.
Since ten years ago, dying had become more difficult than he had imagined.
Perhaps it was because of the assassination ten years ago, everyone had died, and only he had survived. Therefore, those heroes had always been by his side, and insisted that he live like this.
However, he was not the only one. In these years, he had also heard the news that on that day of the assassination of Ni Han, there was still Senior Fu Lu who was by Grandmaster Zhou's side. He had brought out Grandmaster Zhou's head from that great battle, and later he buried the head, and later told the heart demon Ning Yi the location of the burial. It was said that after the world was settled, the Black Flag Army would make Grandmaster Zhou's burial place known to the world, so that future generations could pay their respects.
He did not know if this was true or not, but in these years, with the heart demon's temperament and style, he felt that the other party would not lie about these things. Even if assassinating the king was taboo in the world, but no matter how much he hated the heart demon, he had to admit that in some aspects, the other party was indeed indomitable.
He could not catch up, so he could only run over to do the work of an ordinary man.
He did not know where Senior Fu Lu was now, ten years had passed, whether he was still alive in this world.
His body was entangled with injuries, and his mood was tired. After thinking for a while, he thought about whether he would not die in the future. He had assassinated Ni Han twice, and when he recovered this time, he would kill him a third time.
Leaving his life to assassinate Ni Han three times, such a feat would shock everyone's jaws off!
Just as his thoughts were running wild, in the rain outside, there was suddenly some sound.
Shi Jin held the copper rod, and struggled to stand up. Then, there was someone knocking outside the cave.
— — It's her? Shi Jin frowned.
Then, that person slowly came in. Shi Jin leaned over, and his hand pressed on the person's neck. He did not press down, because the other party was a woman, but if the other party had any evil intentions, Shi Jin could wring the other's neck in an instant.
"… Ying, Ying Xiong … you are really here." The woman was shocked at first, and then calmed down.
"How did you find me?"
"I said that I wanted to give medicine to the hero."
He saw this strange woman on the day of the second assassination. She was a Han, wearing a veil, and was extremely familiar with the environment outside Datong City. After Shi Jin killed his way out of the city, he fled all the way, and was later found by this woman. Originally, he wanted to kill her, but she actually gave him some medicine and pointed out two hiding places. Shi Jin did not trust the identity of the other party, and after taking the medicine, he was extremely cautious, but he did not choose the hiding place pointed out by the other party to hide. He did not expect that after two days, the other party would find him again.
"I was originally the daughter of an official of the Wu dynasty, and was kidnapped to the north. Later, I was saved by a great figure of the Jurchen, and was able to live here. Over the years, I have also saved many Han slaves and sent them back to the south. I know that the hero does not trust strangers, but you are seriously injured, and if not treated, it will be difficult to survive. The quality of these medicines is good, and the configuration is simple. The hero has been in Jianghu for a long time, and must have some experience. You can take a look and mix it yourself … "
This time, the woman brought the raw materials of the Golden Sore Medicine. The quality was good, and it was not difficult to identify them. Shi Jin let the other party eat some of the various herbs, and then mixed them himself. While applying the medicine, the woman could not help but talk about the news inside and outside of Datong, and also gave some suggestions. Nihan was heavily guarded, and was quite difficult to kill. Rather than taking the risk of assassination, with this kind of skill, it was better to help gather information, help do other things, and so on, which would be beneficial to the Wu dynasty, and so on.
After listening to her chatter for a while, Shi Jin asked, "Black Flag?"
"I am not a member of the Black Flag."
The woman shook her head, and then talked about the matter of hiding, pointing out two new hiding places for Shi Jin. "If the hero does not trust me, I am afraid it will be difficult to meet in the future. If the hero trusts me, we will talk about other things in detail when we meet again. The north is dangerous, and it is not easy for those who come from the south to live. Hero, take care. "
The woman got up and left. Shi Jin used the medicine, and his mind calmed down a little. Seeing the woman gradually disappear into the curtain of rain, Shi Jin was about to go back to sleep. However, he had been in and out of the battlefield for many years. Even in the most relaxed situation, he had never let down his guard. Not long after, he faintly felt that something was wrong in the forest outside.
Shi Jin put on a camouflage made of leaves and left the cave. After quietly sneaking for a while, he saw the searchers coming from all over the mountains and plains.
"Bitch!"
He subconsciously cursed in his heart. His figure was like water, submerging into the heavy rain that filled the sky …
*****
The heavy rain continued. It was an early summer evening, and the sky darkened early. There was already the light of torches in the prison on the outskirts of Datong City.
The torture was in progress. The whip flew in the air, and every time it brought along a piece of flesh and blood. The woman tied to the rack screamed hysterically and begged for mercy. Her original clothes had already been torn into strips by the whip. The person in charge of the torture simply tore off her clothes and pants. The woman's figure was beautiful, and in such torture, it was common for her to be naked. However, at least for now, the interrogators were anxious to get something out of her and did not put their own privacy first.
They occasionally stopped to interrogate the other party. The woman would shake her head in tears and continue to beg for mercy. However, in the end, she did not even have the strength to beg for mercy.
The door was pushed open with a bang, and a tall figure came in with his entourage. The figure was wearing a black cloak and had a dark gold longsword hanging from his waist. His footsteps were vigorous, and the torturers in the cell hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects.
"Official constables, stay. Irrelevant people, get out!" Looking at the woman's blood-stained body in front of him, Wanyan Xiyin waved his hand and dismissed a large number of his entourage. The interrogators stayed, and so did Mandudaru, who was in charge of the assassination case, and the rest of the constables. They half-knelt at the back and watched everything.
Wanyan Xiyin looked at the woman for a moment, then slowly walked forward, "Qiuhe … Wu Qiuhe, you were the niece of the governor of Kaifeng in the Wu dynasty. You came to the Jin Kingdom and were saved by Madam, so you could avoid the dangers of the outside world. Wanyan Xiyin is a Lady Zhenren. I can tolerate your disrespect, but if you still have any conscience, let me ask you … How did my wife treat you? Has she ever mistreated you? "
The woman named Wu Qiuhe was originally the maid of Xi Yin's wife, Chen Wenjun. Over the years, Xi Yin and Chen Wenjun had a deep relationship, so they naturally met every day. At this time, Wu Qiuhe's mouth was dripping with blood. She shook her head, "No … I didn't treat her badly …"
"Then why did you do such a thing?" Xi Yin enunciated each word clearly, "An assassin who secretly went to assassinate the Marshal, do you know how much trouble this will bring to me!?"
Wu Qiuhe stared at Xi Yin for a while. She opened her bloody mouth and suddenly let out a hoarse laugh, "It, it has nothing to do with Madam …"
After saying this, she paused and then said, "I, I confessed … It's … it's Lord Gao Qingyi …"
"You shut up …" As soon as the words Gao Qingyi came out, Xi Yin suddenly opened her mouth, her voice was like thunder, wanting to interrupt her.
The woman's voice was mixed in between, "… He pitied me and loved me. He said that if I kill the marshal, he can become the marshal and marry …"
"Bitch …"
"Lord, you can't …"
At this moment, Mandudaru's assistant subconsciously shouted. Mandudaru stretched out his hand and strangled the assistant's neck, cutting off his assistant's voice. The fire in the prison swayed. Xi Yin pulled out her long sword and slashed down.
Blood spurted out, the fire shook for a while, and the smell of blood filled the air.
Wu Qiuhe was as dead as dead could be.
"Bury her!" Xi Yin carried the blood-stained long sword and turned to leave.
When the other party was far away, Mandudaru and the rest stood up, then he quietly let go of the assistant's neck. The group of constables looked at the dead body in the room, speechless.
"Lord, Lord …"
"This woman is very smart. She knew that if she said Lord Gao's name, she would not be able to live anymore." Mandudaru frowned and said in a low voice, "Moreover, how would you know if Lord Goddess of Grains is willing to let her live? Don't meddle too much in the affairs of the big shots, I'm afraid you won't have a good death. Alright, get someone to collect the body … "
Outside, the mountain search was still in progress in the heavy rain. Perhaps due to the failure of the search in the afternoon, the few commanders in charge of leading the team had a small argument. In a valley far away, Tang Minjie, who had long been soaked in the rain, squatted on the ground and looked at the fallen figure and stick in the mud not far away.
"Chen Wenjun, Wu Qiuhe … You guys are really good, you guys are really local, you can even find people like this …" He muttered, "Unfortunately, I took advantage of you …"
In the early years, Black Flag's intelligence network in the north was built with the efforts of Lu Yannian, Lu Mingfang and his son. After Lu Yannian's death, Lu Mingfang and Chen Wenjun formed a relationship, and the development of the intelligence network in the north was really smooth. However, Chen Wenjun was initially the most confidential and high-ranking informant in the Office of Secret Investigations. Although Qin Siyuan passed away and Ning Yi killed the emperor, Chen Wenjun helped Black Flag, but the interests of both sides were actually still separated. As a person of the Wu dynasty, Chen Wenjun leaned towards the whole Han people group. The interaction between both sides was always in a cooperative mode, and not a unified system.
This was also the reason why Tang Minjie called Chen Wenjun and her lackey Wu Qiuhe "local snakes".
"Idiot." When there was a chance, he would laugh at Wu Qiuhe.
He thought about it.
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