Lou Shuwan didn't stay in her weak mood for too long.
Reminiscing about the past could make one's heart clear, but looking back, people who had experienced the pressure of life and death still had to move forward on the road in front of them. Perhaps it was because he had been addicted to alcohol and women all these years that his mind was slow, Lou Shuheng did not seize this rare opportunity to mock his sister. This was also the last time he saw Lou Shuwan's vulnerability.
Two days later, the news of the impending war spread in Prince Jin's territory. The army began to be mobilized, and Lou Shuwan once again threw herself into her daily work. On the 25th day of the ninth month of the ninth year of Wu Jianshuo, Prince Jin Tian Shi's envoy left Weisheng and rushed to the Jurchen Western Army that had already crossed Yanmen Pass and was about to fight with Wang Juyun's army. At the same time, Prince Jin's declaration of war against the Jurchen and called on all the people of the Central Plains to resist the invasion of the Jin Kingdom was spread all over the world.
Moths flew to the flames.
More than ten years after the Jurchen invaded the Central Plains, the forces of Prince Jin, who had always been afraid, finally proved that they had the blood of the Han people with their actions.
The declaration of resistance against the Jin Kingdom was impassioned, and it also ignited the general trend of resistance in the Central Plains. Prince Jin's territory was originally barren, but during the ten years of the Jin Kingdom's southern invasion, all the rich and fertile lands were conquered, and the people had no way to live. Instead, this land had a relatively independent administrative power, and later it became somewhat peaceful. Now there were more than eight million people living under Prince Jin's command. When they learned of this decision, some people were excited, while others were sad. In the face of such a powerful enemy like the Jurchen, the lives and lives of more than eight million people had to be sacrificed, no matter what the decision was.
Some people joined the army, some migrated, and some waited for the arrival of the Jurchen to take the opportunity to seek wealth and fame. During the discussion in the court of Weisheng, the first decision was to send out the declaration of war and Prince Jin Tian Shi to lead the army. In the face of the powerful Jurchen, Tian Shi's decision was unexpected. The ministers in the court tried to persuade him, but failed. Yu Yulin, Lou Shuwan, and the others also tried to persuade him. That night, Tian Shi held a private banquet for Yu and Lou. When he first met Yu Lin and Lou Shuwan, he was still a rich playboy in his twenties. With the care of his uncle, Tian Hu, he had always had his eyes on the top of his head. Later on, he followed Yu Yulin and Lou Shuwan to Mount Lu Liang.
Later on, when the world was in chaos, Tian Hu's regime was located in the mountains. When the Tian family's relatives and nephews ran amok, Tian Shi's temperament became calm and steady. Occasionally, when Lou Shuwan wanted to do something, Tian Shi was willing to be kind and lend a helping hand. Just like that, when Lou Shuwan, Yu Yulin, and the Huaxia army went berserk and overthrew Tian Hu's regime, Tian Shi was one step ahead and stood on Lou Shuwan's side. Then, he was elected as the new Prince Jin.
Lou Shuwan, Yu Yulin, and the others had always had a good relationship with Tian Shi. However, their evaluation of his abilities was naturally not too high. When Tian Hu established Prince Jin's regime, the three brothers were born in a family of hunters. Tian Shi's body was sturdy and he had some strength, but he couldn't be considered a first-class expert. When he was young, he saw many amazing people. Since then, he hid his strength and bided his time. Although he was sharp in choosing sides, he couldn't be considered a hot-blooded and decisive person. It had been more than a year since he took over Tian Hu's position, but now he decided to personally go to war to resist the Jurchens. This was really strange.
But regarding this matter, Tian Shi didn't avoid it in front of the other two.
"… Regarding the discussion of personally going to war, the entire court is in an uproar. In the face of the menacing Jurchens, running away is the right thing to do. Rushing forward is foolish. Benwang doesn't look like a fool, but I can only tell you the truth in private. "
Tian Shi's private banquet was held in the garden of the Tianji Palace. Looking down from the balcony of the courtyard, one could see the endless stream of horses and carriages. The night scene was picturesque. Tian Shi smiled and sighed with his hands behind his back.
"When the Jurchens attack, there are only two choices. Either they fight, or they make peace. The Tian Family has always been a family of hunters. When I was young, I didn't read any books. To be honest, if I could really make peace, I would also want to. The storyteller said that the world's situation changes every five hundred years. Once the Wu dynasty's luck is gone, the world will belong to the Jurchens. Surrendering to the Jurchens, hiding in Wei Sheng, and being the Prince of Peace for generations to come is also damn exciting … But, I can't do it. "
He shook his head, "When benwang and Miss Lou worked together for the first time, we went to Mount Lu Liang for a martial contest to find a spouse. We married into that Blood Bodhisattva. At that time, we saw many heroes, but at that time, we didn't have any self-awareness. Later on, Ning Liheng killed the king and moved to the northwest. At that time, I was terrified. What could a mere Prince Jin do? If I had angered him at that time, I would have lost my head long ago. From then on, I began to see the thoughts of these big shots. I also … read books and listened to other people's stories. Since ancient times, the so-called benevolence has always been fake. When the Jurchens first took control of the Central Plains, they didn't have enough power. That's why there were Liu Yu and Prince Jin. Once the world is settled, with the ferocity of the Jurchens, I'm afraid that the Tian Family will be exterminated. How can there be a vassal king for us? "
There was still a hint of arrogance on his face, but there was a hint of helplessness in his tone of mockery. After he finished speaking, he walked to the railing at the edge of the balcony and stood on it. Lou Shuwan and Yu Yulin walked forward nervously. Tian Shi waved his hand behind him, "Uncle has a ferocious temperament and never trusted anyone. However, he was able to come this far from being a mountain bandit, so he has good foresight. General Yu, Miss Lou, you both know that when the Jurchens came to the south, although this land had always been subservient to them, Uncle had always planned to go to war with the Jurchens. Was it because of his loyalty? Actually, he understood this point. When the world is in chaos, there will be a place for Prince Jin. When the world is in chaos, there will be no way for the vassals and ambitious people to survive. "
"But even so, Her Majesty can still stay in the middle and keep watch …" Lou Shuwan walked forward and said.
"Staying in the middle and keeping watch, what's the difference between Prince Jin and Liu Yu and the Emperor of the Wu dynasty? Miss Lou, General Yu, you both know what the outcome of this war will be like. "As he spoke, he sat down on the dangerous railing." … The lights of the Central Plains will be extinguished. "
The mountain breeze blew past. In front of them were the bright lights of this era. Tian Shi's words melted into the wind, like an ominous prophecy. However, to the three people present, everyone knew that this was the reality that was about to happen.
"There are already few places like this in the Central Plains. But after this war, there will be no more Wei Sheng City. Before the declaration of war, Wang Juyun privately sent a letter. You've all seen it. The Central Plains won't win. The Central Plains can't stop the Jurchens. Wang Shanyue defended his name because he cut off all means of retreat to slow down the Jurchens. Wang Juyun … is a bunch of beggars who don't even have food to eat. They can't stop Wanyan Zonghan. If we join them, it will be a great defeat. But I hope that after these great defeats, the people of Jiangnan, NMAU, and even Black Flag can finally fight to the death with the Jurchens. Only then will there be a piece of land for the Han people in the future.
"Since we know it's a great defeat, the only thing we can think about is how to move and regroup. If we can't win, we can escape. If we can win, we can fight. If we lose, we can go into the mountains. If the Jurchens go over, we'll cut their backs. I can even throw in all of Prince Jin's assets. But if the Jurchens really lose in eight to ten years … there will be a name for me in this world. Maybe there will really be a seat for me.
"One path is to submit to the Jurchens and enjoy a few more years, a decade or so. Then, I'll be killed like a pig, and my name will probably go down in history. Other than that, I can only kill my way out in a narrow escape. How should I choose? I'm actually very afraid of the latter option. "
He then turned around and smiled at the two of them. His gaze was cold but determined. "But since I have to sacrifice everything I have, my reputation of being in the middle and leading the army into battle are two completely different things. Firstly, if I go into battle, the people below will have more confidence. Secondly, General Yu, don't worry. I won't command blindly, but I will follow the army. If we lose, we can escape together. Haha … "
Yu Yulin also laughed. Tian Shi laughed for a while and then stopped. "But in the future, my path will be different. Wealth comes from danger. Ning Liheng told me that some things can only be obtained by risking your life … Miss Lou, although you're a woman, I've admired you more and more over the years. After General Yu and I leave, I'll have to trouble you to take charge of the central command. Although you've always done many things better than me, and maybe you've already thought it through, but as a king, there are some words that we good friends should tell each other in private. "
"Your Majesty, please instruct me." Lou Shuwan cupped her hands and bowed.
"Fighting with Jurchen may sound like a good reputation, but there are too many people who don't want a reputation. Wei Sheng … I don't dare to stay, afraid that I'll be dragged out and killed in the middle of the night. I'll feel more at ease if I follow the army. Since Miss Lou is here, don't hold back against those who deserve to be killed. " His eyes revealed a murderous look. "Anyway, I have to sacrifice everything I have. You can handle Prince Jin's territory. There are a few unreliable old things who dare to mess around, execute their nine generations! Announce to the world that they'll be cursed for eight lifetimes! Even if it involves my father … you can do whatever you want! "
Previously, in Prince Jin's coup, the three Tian brothers, Tian Hu and Tian Bao were all killed. Only Tian Biao, who was Tian Shi's father, was placed under house arrest. Fighting with Jurchen was a battle of strength at the front and fear at the back. The shadow of Jurchen had shrouded the world for more than a decade. There were definitely many people who were unwilling to be sacrificed in this chaos. Therefore, in the Central Plains, which had been changing for more than a decade, the situation of Jurchen rising might be far more complicated than ten years ago.
Lou Shuwan simply nodded her head.
"I know that Miss Lou has subordinates, and General Yu will also leave some people behind. You can also use the people in the palace. But most importantly, Miss Lou … pay attention to your own safety. At this point, there will be more than one or two people who want to kill you. The road is long, and the three of us … have to take care of ourselves. "
He waved his hand on the high terrace.
People can only go with the flow.
When leaving Heaven's Pole Palace, Lou Shuwan looked at the bustling Wei Sheng and thought of this sentence. Tian Shi had only been Prince Jin for more than a year, but he hadn't lost the spirit in his heart. What he said was also heartfelt words that couldn't be shared with outsiders. In the ten years of operation in Prince Jin's territory, she had participated in almost everything she had seen. However, when the Jurchen came to the north, they wanted to go against the general trend and fight against the waves. Everything in front of them could change sides at any time.
The people in this city, the people in the court, in order to survive, they were willing to do unimaginable things. She thought of Ning Yi. Back in the capital, when Prime Minister Qin was imprisoned, the public opinion was turbulent. He was a person who fought against the waves. She really wished that she had the same ability …
A few days later, the messenger to declare war went to the Jurchen Western Army camp. Facing this letter of challenge, Wanyan Zonghan was in a great mood. He wrote two words boldly: Come and fight!
That day, the Jurchen Western Army defeated Wang Juyun's vanguard army of 160,000 and killed countless people.
Not long after, Wei Sheng's army swore an oath. Tian Shi, Yu Yulin, and the others led the army to attack the north. Lou Shuwan stayed in Wei Sheng and waved goodbye to the mighty army from the high city tower. The scholar named Zeng Yuhuai also joined the army and went up with the army.
Wei Sheng then imposed martial law. From this moment on, in order to ensure the operation of the rear, strict suppression and control, including a reign of terror, never stopped. This was because Lou Shuwan understood that at this moment, including Wei Sheng, all of Prince Jin's territory, inside and outside the city, up and down the court, had become a sea of swords. And in order to survive, she, who faced all of this alone, could only be even more ruthless and unscrupulous.
In the barren lands south of Yanmen Pass to the ruins of Taiyuan, Wang Juyun was defeated again and again, but he, who had long since prepared, gathered the routed army again and again. This was originally a place where there was not much chance of survival. The army was short of clothes and food, and the equipment was not elite. The people who had been gathered by Wang Juyun in the form of religion advanced under their last hope and encouragement. Vaguely, they could see the shadow of the Yongle Dynasty from back then.
The fierce battle in the Daimyo Residence was like a bloody hell. It continued day after day. Zhu Biao led more than 10,000 Hua Xia soldiers to incessantly harass and ignite fires in the surroundings. But there were also more places where rebels began to gather. From September to October, on the Central Plains to the north of the Yellow River, the people who were awakened were like the last white blood cells in the bodies of sick and weak people. They burned themselves and charged towards the invading powerful enemies.
This was the last fight of the Central Plains.
In the northwest, the flames of war on the plains pushed the ancient city to CD day by day. For the residents in the city, they had not felt war for a long time. News came from outside the city every day. The magistrate Liu Shaojing gathered "tens of thousands" of rebels to fight against the Black Flag Bandits. There were reports of victory and rumors of defeat. Occasionally, there were rumors of Jiading and other places being slaughtered by the Black Flag Bandits.
Some people had already fled before the war started. There were always people who could not leave their homeland, or those who hesitated slightly and lost the chance to leave. Liu Laoshuan was one of the people who did not leave. His ancestors had lived in CD for generations and had a small shop near the south gate. Business had always been good. When the first group of people left, he was still a little hesitant. Not long after, CD was surrounded by martial law and they could no longer leave. After that, all kinds of rumors began to ferment in the city.
Black Flag was an army that the people of the Wu dynasty did not understand. If one were to talk about its greatest rebellion, it was undoubtedly the regicide of over ten years ago. There were even many people who believed that it was the regicide of that demon that caused the fate of the Wu dynasty to be stolen, and from then on, it declined. In the years since Black Flag had moved to the southwest, the outside world did not know much about it. Even the powers that did business with it would not normally speak of it. Only after asking around did people learn that this group of fierce bandits had once fought against the Female Zhenrens in the northwest.
Just how savage did this group of people have to be to be able to fight back and forth with those Female Zhenren barbarians? Under the premise of this understanding, the rumors that Black Flag had slaughtered half of the plains of CD, that Jiading had been burned to the ground, and that the Black Flag Army not only ate people, but also women and children, continued to spread. At the same time, amidst the news of victory and defeat, Black Flag's artillery fire continued to extend towards CD.
By late September, in CD city, wounded soldiers who had retreated from the front lines could be seen from time to time. September 27th, for the residents of CD city, came too quickly. In reality, the Huaxia army, which had already slowed down their offensive, arrived at the south side of the city and began to besiege it.
Liu Laoshuan picked up the fire fork at home and said goodbye to his wife and children, preparing to go to the city to help at the critical moment.
On the first day of October, an hour after the Huaxia army's charge horn sounded, before Liu Laoshuan had time to go out, the south gate of CD city was breached by the defection of the defending troops.
The gate was pushed open amidst the artillery fire, and the black flag spread out …
Wu dynasty, Lin 'an.
Not mentioning the war in the southwest, by October, the weather had already cooled. The atmosphere in Lin 'an was filled with ambition and joy.
The fierce war that had broken out north of the Yellow River had already been known by the vast majority of the people of the Wu dynasty. Prince Jin's tactics of announcing to the world and his generous march north seemed to mean that the Wu dynasty was still the orthodox dynasty with the mandate of heaven. And the most encouraging thing was Wang Shanyue's persistence in the Daimyo's residence.
When the Jurchens came south, the Guangwu army was the first to provoke them, seize the Daimyo's residence, and defeat Li Xizhi. At first, people criticized this army for being reckless. However, when this army unexpectedly miraculously defended the city under the attack of Zong Fu and Zong Bi's 300,000 troops, people's hearts grew more and more enthusiastic with each passing day. If the 40,000 or so people could contend against the 300,000 troops of the Jurchens, perhaps it proved that after ten years of tempering, the Wu dynasty was not without a chance of victory against the Jurchens.
At the same time as the battle of the Daimyo's residence, the rehabilitation of the defense of Taiyuan that year spread. When the Jurchens first went south, Qin Siyuan's eldest son, Qin Shaohe, defended Taiyuan for a year. In the end, because of fate, the city was broken and he died. After Ning Yi's rebellion, this matter was originally a taboo topic, but now it was finally brought up again. No matter how Ning Yi was, Qin Siyuan at that time was not without merit, especially his eldest son, who was a truly loyal person.
At least, the handling of this matter by Emperor Jinghan and Zhou Zhe was inappropriate.
This change in public opinion came from the princess's residence, which now controlled the propaganda power of the lower level in Lin 'an. But behind it, there was a deeper reason: First, for so many years, Zhou Pei had always hated Ning Yi. The reason for the hatred was that she still regarded Ning Yi as a teacher rather than an enemy. But as time went by, the push of reality, especially the fact that Ning Yi's means of dealing with the Wu dynasty became increasingly fierce, broke the illusion that she could not communicate with outsiders. When she really regarded Ning Yi as an enemy, she found that complaining was meaningless. Since she stopped complaining, then she could only soberly weigh the pros and cons.
The second was because of the awkward situation in the southwest. It was a group of ministers led by Qin Hui who chose to go to war in the southwest. It was the emperor who could not do his best because of fear. When the situation in the southwest was out of control, the war in the north was already imminent, and it was impossible for the army to be transferred to the southwest on a large scale. And in the face of such a strong fighting force of the Black Flag Army, letting the imperial court transfer some defeated soldiers and use tactics to add fuel to the fire again and again was just sending their face to be slapped.
How to alleviate the situation in the southwest? Crown Prince Jun Wu acted like a hooligan: You guys clean up the mess you made. The Black Flag Army made it clear in the declaration that we have to protect the trade route and temporarily occupy the city. If you want to take it back, just send someone to negotiate.
But in reality, how could they negotiate? There was an irreconcilable hatred between the Wu dynasty and the Huaxia army for regicide. And it had always been determined that the Black Flag Army was just a group of roving bandits. Once the imperial court sent someone to negotiate, no matter what the result was, this was the official admitting defeat and confirming that the Huaxia army was a major force equal to the Wu dynasty. With this kind of determination, even if the Black Flag Army really did surrender and return the plain, it would still be an exchange that the Wu dynasty could not accept.
But when the other party's strength was truly displayed, no matter how unwilling they were, in politics, people had to accept this kind of situation.
The vindication of Qin Shaohe was the first step in changing their attitude.
The world was too big. A great revolution, or perhaps a disaster, was right in front of them. In October, everything in Lin 'an was noisy. People proclaimed the deeds of the Wang family and pushed out a group of widows of the Wang family, praising them incessantly. Scholars threw away their brushes to join the army and sang songs of generosity. At this time, Long Qifei and the others were constantly running around in the capital, promoting the generosity and solemnity of facing the Black Flag Bandits and the sages of the southwest, praying for the imperial court's "heavenly soldiers" to attack. In the midst of this clamor, there were still a few things quietly happening in this corner of the city.
Ming Tang, where Li Pin was located, was a relatively quiet place these days.
In these years in Lin 'an, he engaged in news, education, and the so-called neo-Confucianism. Most of those who went to the southwest to fight against Ning Yi had some communication with him. But relatively speaking, Ming Tang gradually moved away from the core of politics. Recently, when the world was turbulent, Li Pin closed his door and refused visitors, maintaining a relatively quiet state. Although his newspaper was in line with the pace of the princess's mansion, he had not participated in more family and national affairs.
But occasionally, acquaintances would come over, sit at his place and leave. Cheng Zhouhai, who had been working for the princess's mansion, was one of them. On the seventh day of October, the carriage of the eldest princess, Zhou Pei, also came over. In the courtyard of Ming Tang, Li Pin, Zhou Pei, and Cheng Zhouhai sat down, and Li Pin simply said some things.
"… Over the years, it has been almost impossible to fight the Huaxia army head-on. Their offensive in the fourth road of Sichuan seemed invincible, but in fact, the pace has slowed down near the cooldown. Ning Yi is very stingy in this regard. He would rather spend a lot of time to instigate the enemy than to lose too many soldiers. The opening of the cooldown is because the army changed sides at the last minute. But in these news, I only care about one thing … "
In the sunlight, Li Pin slowly poured tea, "The Huaxia army swept through most of the fourth road of Sichuan. At first, there were some violations of the law, but in Jiading, they were all found out and severely punished. After entering the cooldown, the soldiers of the Huaxia army and the people in the city almost did not offend each other. They did not demolish houses or rob food. Except for necessary arrests, there were almost no conflicts with the people in the city. Your Highness, Mr. Cheng, how many armies of the Wu dynasty can do this? Yue Fei's Beiwei Army may barely be able to do it, but only barely. The other armies, after breaking the city, set such a rule and still have to carry it out. Those who lead the troops will come to complain, so they can't lead the troops at all … "
Li Pin paused, "Ning Yi … he is right. If we want to defeat him, we can only become like him. So all these years, I have been thinking about what he said, what he did and what he thought … I have figured out some things, but there are also many things that I can't figure out. In these words that I have figured out, I found that there are many contradictions in what he did and what he thought … "
"… At the beginning of his regicide and rebellion, there might be some things that he didn't think clearly, so he spoke rather passionately. When I was in the northwest and broke off with him, he said some things. He said that he wanted to destroy the Confucian school, that it was natural selection and survival of the fittest. But later on, it seems that his steps were not so radical. He said that there must be equality and awakening, but from what I saw later, Ning Yi was very cautious in this aspect. Even his wife, the one with the surname Liu, had gone further than him. The two of them often quarreled … Before Duke Zuo Duanyou left Little Blue River, Ning Yi played a joke with him. He said that if the situation got out of hand and everyone in the world became his enemy, he would have equal land rights … "
Li Pin held the teacup and thought for a while, "Duke Zuo talked to me about this matter later on. He said that although Ning Yi seemed to be joking, he was very certain about this matter … I talked with Duke Zuo through the night and thought about this matter carefully. It was extremely terrifying … The reason why Ning Yi said this matter must be because he knew how terrifying these words were. Equal land rights and equality for everyone … But he said that he would use it when he had no other choice. Why didn't he use it at that time? He seemed to be very generous along the way, but in fact, he didn't have it easy. He wanted to destroy the Confucian school, make everyone equal, make everyone awaken, fight the Wu dynasty, fight the Jurchens, and fight the whole world. It was so difficult, so why didn't he use this method?
"All these years, after thinking about it repeatedly, I feel that there is an even more extreme path behind Ning Yi's idea. He couldn't be sure about this path. All this while, he said that equality comes after awakening. If equality comes after awakening, then everyone is equal, then why can those country gentlemen and landlords, like you and me, sit in this position? Why can you and I live better than others? We are all human … "
The winter sun was not warm. He paused for a moment as he said these words, "… The affairs of the world are about to be moderate … The Huaxia army is about to come out, so there will be more people talking. If Ning Yi wants to be moderate, we can give him a push. In this way … "
He took a sip of tea, "… I don't know what will happen."
The city was restless, and the whole earth was restless. Li Pin's eyes were cold and sorrowful, as if the last peace in the world was contained in them.
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