"… And Uncle Song Mao, I wonder how he's doing. Is he well?"
The sky had already darkened. A bonfire burned by the river in the distance. Occasionally, children's laughter and women's voices could be heard. Song Yongping walked slowly under Ning Yi's lead. When he heard about his father's condition, Song Yongping glanced at him.
"My father's body is still strong. After he became an official, he had fewer chores to attend to. He's even wealthier these two years. "
"Uncle Song Mao became an official after I killed Zhou Zhe, right?"
"… Yes."
The two of them were talking about something that would be soul-stirring to others, but their words were indifferent. Ning Yi said, "Things happened in a hurry back then, so we didn't have time to care about the Song Family. I don't think it was good to invite you guys along. After Zhou Yong became the Emperor, with Zhou Pei and her brother at the top, they wouldn't make things too difficult for you. Only then did I feel relieved. These few years, Tan'Er, Wen Fang, and the others would occasionally talk about you. Among the in-laws, you're the most knowledgeable. I'm afraid it's holding you back. But I think that young people are at the age to take detours. The more you experience before the age of thirty, the easier it will be for you in the future. "
He smiled. "Of course, I was the one who caused you and Uncle Song Mao to lose their positions. My words have a different meaning. If you say that I'm taking advantage of you for granted, I can't refute that. "
Hearing Ning Yi bring up this topic, Song Yongping also smiled. His gaze was calm. "Actually, it's not wrong. When I was young, everything was smooth sailing. I always felt that I was the greatest talent in the world. It was only later that I realized my limitations. During the days when I lost my position, people came and went at home. Only then did I realize that the world is full of different things. My horizons back then were really too narrow … "
He smiled and shook his head. "When I was young, I followed the elders in my family to read Huang Lao, Confucius, and Mencius. I could recite the ancient scriptures backwards. I could also write a long essay on morality. When I thought about it in the past two years, the thing that touched me the most was the opening two lines of the Book of Changes … the heavens move vigorously, so should the nobleman. After thirty years, I've gradually understood a little. "
When they first met more than ten years ago, Song Xiaosi was in his early twenties. Now, he was already thirty years old. He had become an official, grown a beard, and experienced many ups and downs. If one were to say that his previous calm conversation was due to his self-restraint, then this conversation was from the bottom of his heart.
Ning Yi nodded. Song Yongping paused for a moment and said, "It would be a lie to say that I don't have any complaints towards cousin and cousin-in-law. But even if I complain, I think it's meaningless. Song paused. "Mister Ning," Ning Yi nodded. "It be.
Ning Yi laughed. He patted Song Yongping's shoulder and signaled him to go forward together. "There are many principles in the world, but there is only one for me. Back then, when the Jurchen went south, I watched as hundreds of thousands of people were slaughtered. Prime Minister Qin and the others tried their best to turn the tide, but in the end, their families were ruined. If he didn't kill the Emperor, these people's deaths would be worthless. Of course, he thought about the consequences of killing them. But in this world, there is no room for two good people. You can only choose the lesser of two evils. Before killing, you know your situation, but you've already weighed it, so you have to do it. The county magistrate is also like this. You sympathize with some people, but you can only punish them 30 times. Why? This is a little better. "
"But all these years, brother-in-law, have you really … not been confused?"
"Always, and a lot. But … in comparison, this road is a little better." Ning Yi said, "I know why you came here. Maybe you can find a flaw to persuade me to retreat or give in to the Wu dynasty. It doesn't matter. In fact, the world situation is very clear. You're a smart person. You'll understand after seeing more. I won't hide it from you. But first, I'll take you to meet the children. "
As they spoke, they got closer to the bonfire. Ning Yi led Song Yongping over and introduced this distant uncle to Ning Xi and the others. Soon, Tan 'er came over to meet Song Yongping. They talked about Song Mao and Su Yu who had passed away. It was a very ordinary reunion.
While Su Tan 'er and Song Yongping were talking, Ning Yi led a group of children to roast fish by the fire. Ning Ji, Du Sha, Fang Shuchang, and the other children had dinner and rested for a while. Then they set up a small arena to compete. They were all descendants of famous masters. The competition was quite intense. Wenwen, Ning Ke, and the other little girls either cheered for their brothers by the arena or ran over to pester Ning Yi. After a while, Ning Yi, who was embarrassed by the burnt fish, went to the arena and wrote a couplet for the winner. The first couplet was "Punching Guangzhou Eggs" and the second couplet was "Kicking Pineapple Bread". After writing it, he asked Song Yongping to come over and comment on it. Then he asked Song Yongping to write another couplet as an addition.
The fight by the river made Song Yongping feel a little emotional. But after all, he was here as a lobbyist. In the legendary novels, the story of a certain counselor who persuaded the feudal lords to change their minds with just a few words was actually not an exaggeration in recent years. In the feudal world, knowledge was not widespread. Even a feudal lord might not have a broad vision. During the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period, it was not surprising that the feudal lords would bow down to the political strategists who laughed exaggeratedly and threw out a certain point. Li Xiannong was able to persuade the Barbarian King in Liangshan. Perhaps he had taken this path. But in front of this brother-in-law, no matter how alarmist or how vehemently he spoke in the face of death, it was impossible to change the other party's decision. Without the most meticulous analysis, the rest could only be idle chatter and jokes.
After meeting with Ning Yi, he had come to understand this point more and more. Thinking back to Cheng Zhouhai's attitude when they set off, the other party probably also understood this matter very well. After thinking for a long time, when Ning Yi walked to the side to rest, Song Yongping also followed him and decided to throw the problem back to him first.
"Brother-in-law, is there no good way to solve the matter in the southwest?"
"It should be very difficult for the Wu dynasty."
Ning Yi took a branch and sat on a rock by the river bank to rest as he answered casually.
"The Jurchens are coming, and the world will fall. What good is there?"
"The Wu dynasty is the world, the Jurchens are the world, and the Huaxia army is also the world. Whose world will fall?" He glanced at Song Yongping and knocked on the rock with the branch. "Sit."
"It's too humid, not good for health," Song Yongping said and sat down.
"How many children do you have?"
"Three, two daughters and one son."
"As a very knowledgeable uncle, what do you think of Ning Xi and the others?"
"Good. Xi 'er taught them well, "Song Yongping said." Ning Ji's martial arts seem to be much better than ordinary people. "
"After he was born, he watched him closely. Next, he will go to Chengdu and walk around. But it's difficult to be like ordinary children, squeezing into the crowd and joining in the fun. You don't know when you will encounter an accident. Fighting for the world — we call it saving the world — this is one of the costs. If you encounter an accident, it's good to die. It's also possible to live a life worse than death. "
In front of them was a flowing river. Ning Yi's expression was hidden in the darkness. Although his words were calm, his meaning was not. Song Yongping didn't quite understand why he said this.
"There's already a battle north of the Yellow River. Near Taiyuan, millions of people are blocking Wanyan Zonghan's hundreds of thousands of troops. Now it's snowing there. People have died on the battlefield, and more have frozen to death in the snow. Wang Shanyue of the Daimyo Prefecture is defending the city with less than 50,000 people. Now they have been fighting for almost two months. Wanyan Zongfu and Wanyan Zongbi led the main force to fight for nearly a month. Then they crossed the Yellow River. I don't know how many troops are left in the city … "
Ning Yi said in the darkness, "Now Wanyan Chang is leading 30,000 Jurchen elites to surround the city with more than 200,000 Han troops. In front of the Han troops are the people who are being driven forward. Every day, they throw corpses into the city with catapults. Fortunately, it's winter and the plague hasn't spread yet … Zhu Biao is leading more than 10,000 Huaxia troops to break through Wanyan Chang's defense line, but he can't."
"To the south, I don't know how many of the millions of hungry ghosts have died. I sent 8,000 people to Xuzhou to block Wanyan Zongfu's way south. The main force of the hungry ghosts is also surrounding Xuzhou. I don't know what will happen if Zongfu's army runs into the hungry ghosts. To the south is the direction the Crown Prince has set up. The victory or defeat of a million troops will depend on this battle. And then here … tens of thousands of people have died. Yongping, it's not a bad thing that you've come for the Wu dynasty. But if you were me, would you leave them a way out, or not? "
"Maybe there's a better way …" Song Yongping said.
"Maybe there is. Maybe … there will always be people like this in the world. They can let the Wu dynasty go and let the people of the Wu dynasty live a good life. They can also strengthen themselves and save the entire world. Yongping, I'm not joking. If you have this idea, it's worth working hard. "
"…"
"But I can't do it. It's been more than ten years since the first Jurchen invasion. The Wu dynasty has made a little progress. It's about … this much. " He raised his hand and gestured about the size of a grain of rice. "We know that the Wu dynasty is very troublesome, and the problems are very complicated. It's not easy for them to make a little progress. Seeing that it's not easy for them, we want them to receive better rewards, such as living a little longer. We can even write an article that treats this kind of progress as a rare ray of human nature. However, was this enough? You like the Wu dynasty, so he should live. If he doesn't, do you hope … I can be lenient? "
Ning Yi shook his head.
"… If he can't stop them, then there's nothing left. I want to write that declaration to force the Wu dynasty to negotiate with me. After the negotiation, my Chinese army and the Wu dynasty will be equal forces. If the Wu dynasty wants to join hands with me to resist the Jurchen, that's fine. The Wu dynasty will thus have more time to breathe. If they want to play tricks in the middle, it's fine if they don't put in the effort. Everyone plays chess like this … But the impassioned ones are their own. Victory and defeat are decided by heaven and earth. In such a world, everyone is strengthening their claws and teeth. On the battlefield, no one has a sliver of luck. The Wu dynasty's problems and the Confucian Family's problems aren't something that can be raised up with one or two heroes. If the Jurchen are rapidly corrupted, that's a bit possible. But because of the Chinese army's existence, the speed of their corruption actually won't be that fast. They can still fight … "
Ning Yi tapped the branch on the ground three times. "The Jurchen, China, and the Wu dynasty. Not to mention the present, two of them will be eliminated in the end. Yongping, even if I say something today to make the Wu dynasty's life easier, it's still paving the way for the elimination of the Wu dynasty. It's very simple to make the Chinese army stop. As long as the people of the Wu dynasty are of one mind, from the top to the bottom of the court, and from each of the major clans, they all have the courage to strike down my Chinese army, and I'll immediately stop and apologize … But the Wu dynasty can't do it. Right now, the Wu dynasty feels it's very difficult. In fact, even if they lose the Southwest, they probably won't negotiate with me. Everyone will suffer in silence, and no one will dare take the blame for negotiations. In that case, I'll eat the Southwest. Without strength, will the Wu dynasty feel that losing face is humiliating? Actually, that's not all. Next, they will have to kneel. Without strength, there will definitely be a day when they are forced to eat shit. "
"After the war in the southwest is over, they sent you over. Of course, it's not a stupid move. In that sort of situation, there's nothing one can't do. Back then, Qin Siyuan was also like this, tinkering, hanging and pasting, forming cliques to entertain and give gifts. When it's time to kneel, the old man is also very willing to kneel. Perhaps some people will be moved by kinship and loosen their tongues, but Yongping, I don't dare to loosen my tongues. After the war is won, what comes next is the growth of strength. Every bit more is a bit more. There's no such thing as being lenient because of selfishness. Even if I do, it's because I have no choice. Because I don't dare to take any chances at all … "
His calm voice mixed with the gurgling sound of water in the darkness. Ning Yi lifted the branch and pointed at the fire on the other side of the river, where the children played.
"In the north, Tian Hu mobilized his army of a million to fight against Zong Han. If he loses, he dies. I hoped that Zhu Biao would be able to save as many people as possible. However, it was also possible that Zhu Biao would lose his life in the process. There are millions of hungry ghosts, and in a single winter, all those who should die will die. Yongping, Ning Xi, Ning Ji, Wenwen, Young Ke, they are my children. If someone told me that luck exists in this world, I would kowtow a thousand times every day, hoping that they would live a happier life than I do … but there is no luck in this world, not even a sliver, so I will not kowtow. If the strength of the Huaxia army can be increased, I will not dare to let it be reduced. "
The voice fell silent for a long time.
… …
"… In the last two years of reading, there is a sentence that has left a deep impression on me. In the nineteen ancient poems, there is a line that says, 'Life between heaven and earth is suddenly like a traveler from afar.' This world is not ours. We have only come here by chance and spent a few decades here, so I am always on edge when dealing with the affairs of this world, not daring to be arrogant … Yongping, you have already mentioned the most useful principle in this. It is called, 'The heavens move vigorously, and a gentleman should constantly strive to improve himself.' Only self-improvement is useful. There is no need to plead for mercy for the Wu dynasty."
… …
Laughter came from the small river bend. In the next few days, Ning Yi's family went to Chengdu to see the flourishing ancient city. The group of children, other than Ning Xi, saw such a flourishing city for the first time. It was completely different from the situation in the mountains, and they were all very happy. Ning Yi, Tan'Er, Yunzhu and the others walked on the streets of the ancient city. Occasionally, they would talk about the scenery and stories of their time in Jiangning and Bianliang. Those stories were already more than a decade ago.
Song Yongping followed them. Just like Zuo Duanyou, he understood Ning Yi's thoughts and started to discuss them every day. Sometimes the two sides quarreled, and sometimes they parted on bad terms. This lasted for a long time.
Not long after, Ning Ji followed the doctors in the military medical team and started to visit the nearby counties and villages to treat illnesses. Some of the officials also followed them and infiltrated every corner of the newly occupied territory. Ning Xi followed Hunchback Chen to oversee the central area. She was responsible for arranging security, coordinating everything, and learning more skills.
It was already deep into the winter. On the south bank of the Yellow River, a cold snowstorm suddenly came. The Jurchen army was already quite a distance away from the ferry on the Yellow River, and the further south they went, the more miserable and desolate the roads became. Small cities had already been destroyed and burned down like a ghost town, and corpses of starving people could be seen everywhere along the way. This time, the 'fortification of the walls and the clearing of the fields' was even more thorough than ten years ago.
In the heavy snow, a small Jurchen grain transport team was stuck on the road. The wind and snow howled for more than two hours. The leading centurion asked the team to stop and take shelter from the wind and snow. At a certain moment, something gradually approached from the front.
Rustling and swaying, the thing that passed through the snowstorm gradually came into view. It was the figure of a person. The figure was swaying, and it was as thin as a skeleton. Anyone who saw it would feel their scalp go numb. It seemed to be holding a motionless baby in its hands. It was a woman — a woman who had been starved to the point of only skin and bones. No one knew how she made it here.
The "skeleton" stood there in a daze. She looked at the cart and the goods on this side. Then she swayed a bit and opened her mouth. An incomprehensible sound came out of her mouth, and tears seemed to fall from her eyes.
She ran toward this side.
The centurion dragged his long knife over and slashed the woman to the ground. The baby also rolled out. There was no longer a "baby" inside, so there was no need to add another knife.
"If you see these things, kill them without mercy."
The centurion also knew that there were still hungry ghosts roaming around this area. After killing the woman, they were about to go back when more figures came from the snow.
Hungry ghosts, and then more hungry ghosts. When they saw this military transport team, these figures that almost didn't look human were startled. Then, they only hesitated for a moment before running over while shouting. They were already out of strength. Many of them had already fallen in the snow. At this time, their voices were almost hoarse. After killing two people, the centurion patted his armor with his long knife and shouted for his subordinates to build a defensive line.
Those figures ran over one after another …
Life was like a traveler on a long journey.
Their bodies were cold, dry tears flowed out, and their voices were hoarse …
That was their final running silhouettes in this cold human world.
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