The first month. The days were short, and the nights were long.
In the spring of the 10th year of Jianshuo, the sky in Jindi was always dim. There was no more rain or snow, and it was rare to see a sunny day. The curtains of the war were drawn and then paused for a while. Everywhere was a scene of chaos caused by the war.
Desolate cities, ruined cities, homeless refugees, millions of troops, all of these caused chaos everywhere. Occasionally, there were traces of the Spring Festival in this chaotic scene. People were like this. Even in the most difficult years, when the Spring Festival was approaching, there would always be people who would try their best to paste couplets in front of their doors, buy a pair of door gods, and look forward to the peace of the next year.
It was still early. Near the small mountain village, the soldiers began to sharpen their swords. The horses ate and drank to their heart's content and carried their things. A black flag fluttered on the side of the camp. Not long after, the soldiers gathered, their faces solemn.
Then, the army moved out silently.
Near the small mountain village, the roads and mountain ridges were all covered in thick snow. The army moved forward in the snow. Their speed was not fast, but no one complained. Not long after, the army disappeared into the snow-covered mountain ridges like a dragon.
The destination had long been decided, and the food was already prepared. That night, the army of tens of thousands of people rested in the mountains. They did not light a fire. The next day, they broke camp and continued forward.
In the camp that belonged to the Jurchens, there was also a festive scene at the end of the year. In a camp located in the south of Canton Vaud, the Jurchens put on their coats and felt hats. They shouted at each other and gathered, then left the camp and headed south. The scouts had been sent out. The next day, a small scale battle broke out along the route of the army. Then, the scouts hurried back.
Shu Lie urged his horse to gallop up the mountain and opened the telescope. On the other side of the snow-white mountains, an army began to change direction. A moment later, a black flag was raised.
The Jurchens advanced straight towards the other side and got into a battle formation. The other side stopped. Then, the Jurchens also slowly stopped. The two armies faced each other for a moment. The black flag slowly retreated, and so did Shu Lie. Soon, the two armies disappeared in the direction they came from. Only the scouts sent out to monitor the other side's army did the intensity of the battle decrease after nearly four hours.
…
This was a small incident that happened during the War of Jin Land. After the incident, the sky darkened and gradually brightened. This happened a few times, but the snow-covered land still did not change its appearance. A hundred miles to the southwest, passing through layers upon layers of foothills, the white ground was covered with endless little cloth bags, rising and falling as if there was no end to them.
This was a military camp of unknown size, and the silhouettes of soldiers could be seen in it. Our field of vision swept forward, and a sound rang out. The sound of drums, followed by someone shouting sonorously in this snowy land. The voice was old and vigorous, rising and falling in cadence.
"… Wild grass is boundless, white poplars are bleak!
Frost! The middle of September! Send me out of the outskirts … "
What the voice was shouting was one of Tao Yuanming's "Elegy". It was originally used when someone was about to die, but the tone was solemn and stirring. At this moment, the voice echoed in the snowy sky, and it had a heroic spirit that faced the heaven and earth. The sound was followed by drumbeats.
In front of our field of vision, there was a high platform surrounded by a forest of flags. The high platform was also white. The sound of the elegy continued. On the other side of the high platform was a large flat ground. First, there were rows of corpses wrapped in white cloth, and then the ranks of soldiers stretched out endlessly. The soldiers' hands were red as blood, but their arms were dazzling with white silk. At the top of the high platform was Prince Jin, Tian Shi. He was wearing armor and a white scarf. His eyes looked down at the ranks and the rows of corpses.
The "Elegy" continued from the mouth of the old man in front of the high platform until "Relatives may grieve, but others have sung." Then it was "What's the meaning of death, let's bury our bodies in the same mountain." The drumbeats ended with this voice, and then someone sang the elegy again, describing the sacrifices these dead had made against the invading barbarians. After that, people lit a fire and burned the corpses amidst the snow.
In Fen Yang, a large-scale memorial service was underway.
…
Fifty li northwest of Vaud, in the main camp of the Jurchen army.
From Yanmen Pass, the regular Jurchen army, the supply train troops, and the Han army that had surrendered one after another, had gathered hundreds of thousands of people. The scale of this city was comparable to the largest city of this era, and it also had its own unique ecosystem. Passing through countless barracks, Wanyan Xiyin sat on a chair in front of an open space near the main camp, watching the fight in front of him with a cup of tea in his hand. From time to time, an assistant would come over and whisper something in his ear, or bring him a document to read. Xiyin's eyes were calm. As he watched the fight, he settled the matter in a few words.
The two people fighting in the open space were both tall, but one of them was a Jurchen soldier, and the other was dressed in Han clothing. Moreover, he did not see any armor, and looked like a commoner. The Jurchen soldier was burly and strong, but in terms of martial arts, he was clearly no match for the commoner. Although he looked like a commoner, in fact, the skin between his thumb and index finger was very thick. His hands were fast, and his strength was not bad. In a short period of time, he had defeated the Jurchen soldier several times.
The Jurchen soldier was brave, and after losing several times, he had already vomited blood. He stood up and shouted loudly, as if he was about to unleash his ferocity. Xiyin sat there and clapped his hands, "Alright, substitute."
He chose a Jurchen soldier, removed his armor and weapon, and went on stage again. Not long after, the new soldier was also knocked down by his opponent, so Xiyin called for a stop and prepared to substitute. The two dignified Jurchen soldiers were knocked down by this Han, and the other soldiers who were watching from the side were not convinced. A few of the soldiers who were extremely skilled in martial arts volunteered, but Xiyin was not moved. After thinking for a while, he picked another soldier who was not considered outstanding in martial arts to go up.
The new Jurchen soldier felt that he had shouldered the honor, and he knew his own strength. This time, he did not dare to rush forward recklessly, but tried his best to go around in circles with his opponent, hoping that the three consecutive matches had exhausted a lot of his opponent's strength. However, the Han also showed his boldness, and pressed forward a few times. His hands were like a tiger's, and the Jurchen soldier kept rolling and fleeing.
The surrounding Jurchen people cheered loudly, and kept cursing. While they were fighting, a group of people came from outside the arena. Everyone looked over and was about to salute, but the person in the lead waved his hand, telling everyone not to move, so as not to disrupt the match. This person walked towards Xiyin, it was the Jurchen Marshal Wanyan Zonghan who had returned from his daily patrol. He glanced at the arena a few times, "Who is this? His martial arts skills are not bad. "
"He came from the Huaxia army, his name is Gao Chuan." Xiyin's first sentence shocked everyone, and then she said, "He was once a platoon leader in the Huaxia army, and had more than 30 men under him."
"Oh?" Zonghan frowned, and this time he looked at the match more seriously, "With such skills, he is qualified to be a centurion in our army, how did he come out?"
"He beat and scolded his men." Xiyin said, "I sent someone to investigate, it should be that he beat and scolded his men at will, and refused to mend his ways. Later on, he got into a conflict with the higher-ups."
"He has offended someone." Zonghan smiled, the match before him had already come to an end. He stood up and raised his hand, and asked with a smile, "Warrior Gao, you used to be in the Black Flag Army?"
That Gao Chuan cupped his hands and knelt down, "Yes."
"Did he offend someone?"
Gao Chuan looked at Xiyin, then looked at Zonghan, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Marshal is wise …"
Most of the stories of offending people in this world seemed to be similar. Under Zonghan's question, Gao Chuan explained. Zonghan comforted him, "The Black Flag Army can't even use a warrior like you properly, it can be seen that once you rise up, it will not last long. Just stay in the army and do your work with peace of mind, you will naturally have a reputation …" and so on.
Since Zonghan had spoken, Xiyin did not speak anymore. The two busy people then left, and Zonghan said, "Valley Deity seems to be disapproving of what I said just now, I don't know why."
"What does Marshal think of the Huaxia army in the north, which has more than 10,000 men, their combat power?"
"… If not for the small number of people, it is not an exaggeration to say that they are the only one that worries me. It is just that it is still difficult to say whether they can compare to the one in the southwest. "
"In the battle to defeat Li Xizhi, they cooperated with Wang Shanyue, and in the battle in Linzhou, Wang Juyun attacked from the front. Only that Linhe Ao can show that his combat power is outstanding. " Xiyin said, then shook her head and laughed, "In today's world, the one that really gives me a headache, is that Mister Ning from the southwest, he is ranked first. In the battle in the northwest, Lou Shi and Ci Bu Li, who had been unstoppable for a lifetime, still fell in his hands. Now that he has been chased to the mountains in the southwest, the battle in the central plains has begun, the most troublesome thing is still this black flag. A few days ago, when Shu Liesu met with that side, everyone said that he was invincible, and that he was no longer a Jurchen. Heh, if it was ten years earlier, who in the world would dare to say such words … "
"Haha, the future is the time of the younger generation." Zonghan patted Xiyin, "You and I shall settle these troubles for them before we leave. To be enemies with the heroes of the world, this life is not in vain. "
Xiyin nodded and laughed, "I only regret that I did not have a proper fight with that Mister Ning before. After the battle in the northwest, I found out about his capabilities, and he taught Wanyan Qingjue. Originally, I wanted to train him before I had the idea of fighting him, but before I was ready, I was captured … In the battle in early December, Wei Sheng had the Black Flag Army. If not for their intervention, Tian Shi would have been long dead. Sigh, after fighting, I fought with his disciple, and he fought with my disciple. It is not a big deal if he wins, but if he loses, it is a big loss of face … "
At this point, he paused slightly, "The Hua Xia army is very strict, and this is Mister Ning's handiwork. The military rules state that the officers of the higher ranks are not allowed to 'humiliate' the soldiers of the lower ranks. I have carefully observed that during training, on the battlefield, it is normal to have accidental injuries and scolding. However, if the officers have an unfair view of the soldiers, it is extremely serious. In order to put an end to such situations, there is a military judge in charge of such matters in the Hua Xia army. A light punishment is reflection, a heavy punishment is dismissal. This platoon leader surnamed Gao is skilled in martial arts, cruel and merciless, and is a fierce general no matter where he is. There is a situation where he beat, scolded and insulted his subordinates, and he was dismissed. "
"… Inequality?" Zong Han hesitated for a moment before asking this sentence. He could understand this adjective, but he did not understand it at the same time. The Jin people were divided into several classes. The Jurchen people were the first class, the Bohai people were the second, the Khitans were the third, the Liaodong Han people were the fourth, and then the Han people in the south. Even outside of the Jin Kingdom, the "inequality" of the Wu dynasty naturally existed. Did the scholars need to treat the farmers as human beings? Some ignorant poor people who were paid to serve as soldiers, their brains were not good, and they could not speak more than a few words in their lifetime. Who said that it was not normal for the officers to beat and scold them at will?
Based on this, Wanyan Zong Han naturally understood what Xiyin meant by "equality", but it was difficult to understand what this equality was. After he asked for a moment, Xiyin nodded to confirm, "Yes, inequality."
"How can this be done?"
"That is why the Huaxia army's military discipline is extremely strict. If their subordinates do not do well, they can beat and scold them. If they look down on their subordinates too much, they will really reform them. I have repeatedly asked this person today, and he was originally under Zhu Biao's command … Therefore, these ten thousand people cannot be underestimated. "
"I share the same robe with my son." When Zong Han heard this, the smile on his face disappeared. He clasped his hands behind his back and frowned. After walking for a while, he said, "Regarding Tian Shi, we cannot underestimate him."
Xiyin reached out to stroke her beard and nodded. "In this battle, we know that the Huaxia army secretly works meticulously and meticulously. However, even that Ning Liheng must have made some mistakes in his meticulousness … Of course, these things can only be confirmed in the south. After all, ten thousand people is too little …"
…
The cold wind blew for a thousand miles, and the winter in the north was even colder. The water in Yun Zhong Mansion turned into ice. After the Spring Festival, although there was a festive atmosphere in the city, there were not many people willing to go out.
Tang Minjie passed through the alley and met Lu Mingfang in a warm room. The battle situation and intelligence in the south had just been sent over, and Tang Minjie had also prepared to send the news to the south. The two sat on the brick bed, and Lu Mingfang conveyed the news in a low voice.
"… The turmoil at the end of November seemed to be Xiyin's well-prepared move. After Tian Shi disappeared, he suddenly launched his attack and almost succeeded. However, Tian Shi later walked out of the snowfield and met up with the troops. After a few days, the situation was stabilized, and there were not many opportunities for Xiyin to attack … "
"… In this way, Tian Shi's side can be said to be scraping the bones to cure the poison. Although there are many internal losses, almost all of Prince Jin's faction were fence-sitters. Now that they have been more or less uprooted, his control over the troops has improved. Moreover, his determination to resist the Jin has been made clear, and some of the people who were originally watching have also gone over to join him. In December, Zong Han felt that there was not much meaning in attacking forcefully, so he slowed down his pace. I guess he will have to wait until the snow melts in spring before making any plans … "
As Lu Mingfang spoke, Tang Minjie tapped his fingers on the table, and calculated the whole situation in his mind. "It is said that the key to a good fighter is to take the enemy by surprise. With Zong Han and Xiyin's experience, will they attack before the snow melts, and seize the initiative …"
"That is a matter for the frontline, after all, you and I are not good at it." Lu Mingfang smiled. "But what you said makes sense. The brothers who sent the news to the north will set off after the New Year. It is said that Brother Zhu Biao took advantage of the excitement of the New Year to launch a sneak attack on Shu Liesu, who massacred Vaud Province, to show the Lady Zhenren his strength. Shu Liesu had the same idea, he wanted to take advantage of the New Year to launch a sneak attack on the Tian Family troops in the south. The two groups met on the road, looked at each other, and then went their separate ways. Shu Liesu mobilized more than twenty thousand men, but did not dare to attack Zhu Biao's ten thousand men. I am afraid that he will become a joke. "
"Hehe." Tang Minjie smiled politely, and then said, "They wanted to launch a sneak attack head-on, but they did not act rashly with their superior forces. This shows that Shu Liesu is cautious in using his troops, which is even more terrifying."
"Haha, it is just a joke. You might as well say this to promote the morale of the troops."
"Yes." Tang Minjie nodded, and then took out a piece of paper. "I have found a few more people that were not in the previous list. Send it to see if it is helpful …"
He frowned, hesitated, and said, "After all, I did not have much contact with Xi Yin before, so I do not know much about his way of doing things. But I always feel that, if I were to put myself in his shoes, Zong Han's battle in the past few months has been a little stupid. Although there was a big move in December, but … I still feel that it is not enough. If it is teacher's style, Prince Jin's forces would not only have these backup plans after sitting on the fence for ten years."
Hearing him say this, Lu Mingfang also frowned. "What you said makes some sense. But according to the previous investigation, first of all, Xi Yin is more ambitious in strategy, meticulous in planning, and good at internal affairs. In terms of conspiracies, hehe … I am afraid he is not as good as teacher. In addition, Prince Jin's faction has already set the tone. Their subsequent actions, whether it is scraping the bones to cure the poison or cutting off the wrist, are not overboard. With such a great effort, coupled with our help, the possibility of Xi Yin being affected and unable to launch an ambush is also very high. "
"I understand." Tang Minjie nodded. "Actually, I have also thought too much. When I was in the southwest, teacher told me that when using a strategy, one must have unconstrained creativity, but the most taboo is empty and fearless conjectures. I have thought too much, and this is also a disadvantage."
"You are anxious for the South, everyone understands. But … a war is not fought by one or two people. For the success or failure of the South, you and I have done our best, and that is enough. Your body is not considered good usually. Teacher has long advised you that thinking too much is too harmful to your body. You should take a few days off and rest. "
"Okay." Tang Minjie nodded.
Lu Mingfang knew that he did not listen, but there was no other way. "I will send these names over as soon as possible. But, Brother Tang, there is one more thing. I heard that you have been in contact with that person recently?"
"I did not disturb her too much, but I have already started to see Xi Yin as an enemy, and there are many things that I need to understand clearly. Regarding Xi Yin's back-up in Jin, as well as his way of doing things, I only hope to look for her for a review. After all, she is the person who understands Xi Yin the best … Maybe I have made her feel disgusted, but I will take note and not trouble her too much in the future. "
"Mm." Hearing Tang Minjie's words, Lu Mingfang nodded. "After all, she is not one of us. Although she is loyal to the Han people, Xi Yin has been her family for the past twenty to thirty years. This is her sacrifice. Teacher said that we can't ignore it."
"Okay."
"… Take care of yourself."
Tang Minjie put on his felt hat, took a deep breath, and went outside the door to the world of ice and snow. But the things in his mind did not stop at all. In the face of enemies like Zong Han and Xi Yin, no matter how vigilant he was, it was not excessive. As for the body, after the enemy died, there would be a lot of time to sleep …
…
In Fen Zhou, the huge memorial ceremony had come to an end.
When Tian Shi walked down from the high platform, he saw the leaders of the various forces coming over. The memorial ceremony for the soldiers could stimulate the morale, and at the same time, a declaration was issued to restore the name of the resistance against the Jin Dynasty. Among them, the more meaningful thing was the alliance meeting after the various forces had shown their determination to resist the Jin Dynasty.
In the past, the war in Prince Jin's territory was fierce, and everyone felt like a year. At the beginning of December, during the few days when Tian Shi was missing, many of the spies arranged by Xi Yin took action. There was a rebellion in Linzhou, Wu Su, who was guarding Hu Guan, defected to the enemy, and several big clans in Wei Sheng secretly colluded with each other. The news of Tian Shi's death spread in other places. It seemed that the whole force of Prince Jin would collapse in a few days.
Fortunately, Lou Shuwan and Zhan Wu of the Huaxia army kept running and stabilized the situation of Wei Sheng. The Black Flag led by Zhu Biao of the Huaxia army also arrived at the battlefield in Linzhou. Before this, if Wang Juyun hadn't made a prompt decision and led his troops to attack Linzhou for three days, even if the Black Flag arrived, it would be difficult to take over Linzhou before the army of the Jurchen Wanyan Saba arrived.
In other places, there were games and conflicts of various sizes. In the middle of December, Tian Shi led his troops to escape from the heavy snow. In the next few days, the news that he was still safe spread throughout Jin. All of Prince Jin's forces had been on the brink of destruction.
During this process, the city of Vaud was destroyed and massacred. The garrison of Linzhou and Wang Juyun's troops suffered heavy losses. In the area of Huguan, several troops of Prince Jin's side fought against each other. The crazy rebels almost burned down half of the city. They buried gunpowder and blew up half of the city wall, making the checkpoint defenseless. Wei Sheng also removed the names of several clans. At the same time, they needed to clean up the chaos caused by the influence of their clansmen in the army. This was also a complicated reality that Tian Shi and the others had to face.
However, it was after experiencing such a cruel internal clean-up that Tian Shi, Yu Yulin, and Lou Shuwan's faction had a certain choice and the ability to act on the matter of resisting the gold. Otherwise, why would millions of Prince Jin's army be defeated again and again? Tian Shi, Yu Yulin, and the others were always on guard against someone stabbing them in the back. The soldiers were also trembling with fear and would collapse at the slightest touch. Of course, these were all things that Tian Shi realized after he went to the battlefield. It was a fact that was crueler than speculation.
By now, no one had the slightest doubt about Prince Jin's determination to resist the gold. Many soldiers ran away, many died, and the rest could finally be used. Wang Juyun recognized Prince Jin's determination. Some of the people who were still watching were infected by this determination and contributed to the great turmoil in December. At this time, most of the people who should be on the side of the Jurchen people and wanted to take action had already been drawn out.
In the following month, the Jurchen people no longer attacked. Wang Juyun's forces had been compressed to Prince Jin's territory. He even cooperated with Tian Shi's forces in the work of absorbing and reorganizing them. Some bandits and volunteers on the north bank of the Yellow River realized that this was the last opportunity to show their anti-gold flag, so they finally came to join. Tian Shi's idea of becoming the leader of the Central Plains to resist the gold became a reality after such a tragic sacrifice.
On the day of the memorial, the leader of the rebels, Wang Juyun, came with his team, Zhu Biao of the Black Flag, the bandit Ji Qingli from the west, Lin Zongwu, the leader of the Great Radiant Sect, Yu Yulin, the representatives of the generals in Prince Jin's system, and the representatives of the volunteers like the Eight-armed Dragon King Shi Jin … Almost all the anti-gold forces near the land of Jin, big or small, sent their people to participate.
Some of these people knew each other before, some even had conflicts with each other, and some met for the first time. The leader of the rebels, Wang Juyun, carried two swords on his back. He looked solemn, and his white hair carried a bit of elegance. He used to be Wang Yin, a minister under Fang La of the Yongle Dynasty. After the fall of the Yongle Dynasty, he betrayed Fang Qifo, Fang Baihua, and the others, and even fought with Ning Yi and the others. After that, he disappeared for several years. When he reappeared, he had built up a business in the chaotic situation south of Yanmen Pass.
Zhu Biao, who came in person on behalf of the Huaxia army, was also one of the few masters in the world. Thinking back to that year, Chen Fan had gone to the capital to ask for help because of the matter of the Seven Buddhas of Fang, and Zhu Biao had also participated in the whole matter. Although Minister Wang's actions had been elusive throughout the whole matter, Ning Yi had still been aware of some of his actions behind the scenes. In the battle of Linzhou, both sides cooperated to take down the city. Zhu Biao did not mention what happened in the past, but they understood each other, and the small grudges of the past were no longer meaningful. They could stand together, and could be regarded as reliable comrades.
Another acquaintance, Lin Zongwu, was in a slightly awkward position. This "first in the world" monk was not very popular. Zhu Biao looked down on him, and Wang Yin seemed to have no intention to pursue the past relationship. Although he had a lot of followers, they really did not have much power in a war.
During the first defense battle in Vaud, Lin Zongwu even fought side by side with the defending army, and finally the siege was lifted. After that, Lin Zongwu dragged the army to the front line, running around everywhere with loud thunder but little rain. According to his plan, he was looking for a battle that he was sure to win, or find a suitable time to hit the snake where it hurt, and make a great achievement. However, there was no such good thing. Later, they met Wanyan Saba who failed to attack Linzhou, and their army was scattered. Although they were not massacred, and some people were reorganized later, their position in the alliance at this time was nothing more than an extra.
Everyone's recognition of Tian Shi seemed to be boundless. In the imagination of a few months ago, it was really something that made people feel proud. However, only after experiencing these struggles between life and death, Tian Shi was finally able to understand the difficulty and weight. After the end of the day's alliance meeting, there was news from the northern border that the Perfected Woman was ready to make a move, but it seemed to be a feint.
Tian Shi boarded the carriage back to Wei Sheng. The life and death situations had made him miss the women and children at home. Even his father, who had been under house arrest, was someone he wanted to visit. He only hoped that Lou Shuwan had mercy and hadn't killed him yet.
The caravan moved slowly in the snow. At this time, he understood that after taking a breather in this frozen world, they would have to embark on another journey. Next, perhaps no one would have a chance to take a breather.
In the Jurchen camp.
Wanyan Xiyin was in the tent, writing on a desk under the warm yellow light, dealing with his daily work.
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