In Jindi, the belated spring rain had arrived.
The dark city was soaked in water, and the water smelled of blood. In the early hours of the morning, in a pitch-black attic, You Hongzhuo applied medicine to his shoulder. He felt the pain. He clenched his teeth and tried not to make any noise.
The long saber with a small chip was placed beside his leg, within reach.
After applying the medicine, pulling up the bandage and fastening his clothes, his fingers and teeth trembled in the darkness. The small movements below the attic had come to an end. A figure pushed open the door and entered.
"Old Five is dead …" The figure sat down at the side of the attic. "The one surnamed Cen was not found."
You Hongzhuo leaned against the wall and did not speak. On the other side of the thin wall, there was only the patter of the night rain. In such a quiet night, only the participants could feel the turbulent waves behind the curtain of night. Countless undercurrents were surging and accumulating.
After arriving in Wei Sheng, You Hongzhuo was greeted with one desperate battle after another. After Tian Shi's death had been brewing, blood splattered every day in the dark corners of the city. Those who surrendered began to move in the open and in the dark. The hot-blooded and righteous people launched the most primitive resistance against them. Some were betrayed, while others were killed. In the process of choosing a side, every step was filled with the risk of death.
The battle on the front lines had already begun. In order to pave the way for compromise and surrender, the lobbyists led by Liao Yiren discussed the situation in the north every day. Shu Liesu had surrounded Linzhou, and the Black Flags had nowhere to retreat. They would definitely be wiped out.
However, in the face of more than thirty thousand Jurchen elites, the ten thousand Black Flags still chose to fight.
They actually … did not retreat.
In these days of fighting, You Hongzhuo got to know some people, and some people died during this period. One night, they went to find a Jianghu leader under the Liao family, surnamed Cen, but they were ambushed. You Hongzhuo had some impression of the person called Old Five. He was a suspiciously thin man. When he was carried back, he was covered in blood and was on the verge of death.
Because of his injuries, You Hongzhuo missed tonight's operation, but he did not regret it. It was just that such a gloomy and oppressive night always made it difficult for people to calm down. The man on the other side of the attic spoke a few more words.
"How many people do you think are still on our side?"
"The Black Flag is unstoppable, I wonder how long it can stall Arcane Speed in Lin Province …"
No matter how long the battle of Lin Province lasted, the ten thousand black banners wouldn't be able to escape in the face of the thirty thousand Jurchen elites and the two hundred thousand Jurchen main force. Over the past few days, the private messages had been gathering, and all of them were talking about such things.
The night was pitch-black. In the cold, no one could see the road ahead.
But You Hongzhuo closed his eyes, held the hilt of his saber, and did not answer.
It was not easy to wield a hundred blades. When he learned to use a knife, he first learned to be flexible. But with the guidance of the Zhao couple, he gradually melted this flexibility into an unchanging mind. In Mr. Zhao's teaching, Grandmaster Zhou once said that scholars have a ruler, and martial artists have a knife. His saber cut through thistles and thorns, pressing forward with an indomitable will. The darker it was ahead, the more valuable the existence of this saber was.
In the past two years, although he had never mentioned it to anyone, he would often think of that couple. In this darkness, that pair of seniors must be somewhere, using their swords to cut open the road of this world, just like Grandmaster Zhou and his companions who had died today. With these people existing, or perhaps they had existed, You Hongzhuo knew what he had to do.
He suddenly opened his eyes, and pressed his hand on the long saber.
In the darkness of the night, there was a movement. The sound came from far away, and there was a faint sound of metal rubbing against each other. It was the army of the city. In such an intense confrontation, the city guards of Wei Sheng City were divided into two sides. No one knew when the other side would attack. In this heavy rain, the city guards brought with them the light of fire. Not long after, they ran past the front of the house.
— — They were running in the direction of Heaven's Pole Palace.
"I'll go take a look."
You Hongzhuo's figure had already silently stood up. Rolling up a rain cloth, he slid out of the attic's window like a mudfish. He ran on the roof, looking around in the heavy rain. Only after confirming that there was only a small group of soldiers running past did he feel relieved.
If a large group of soldiers were to rush towards Heaven's Pole Palace at this time, it might mean that a coup d 'état had already begun. At that time, these people would also be thrown into battle.
And in this kind of night, for a small group of soldiers to be so hurried, it might mean that they were … sending a message.
You Hongzhuo returned to the attic, and leaned against a corner in silence. He waited for the night to pass, and after his injuries stabilized, he would join in the endless new round of killing …
…
In the heavy darkness of the night, the city guards led the muddy scout through the gates of Heaven's Pole Palace.
The latest news from the battlefield in Lin Province was sent to Wei Sheng at the first instance. The scout had crossed the mountains and ridges, but in the heavy rain and darkness, he had broken his leg. However, he didn't stop and arrived at Wei Sheng in the early morning of the tenth day of the New Year.
This was the most urgent news. The scout had chosen to enter through the gate controlled by Lou Shuwan's side. However, due to his relatively serious injuries, the messenger was dispirited, and the city guards and soldiers couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Thinking of the rumors that had spread in the city over the past two days, they were worried that the scout had brought news of Black Flag's defeat.
Lou Shuwan, who was draped in clothes, immediately arrived at the meeting hall. She had just gotten into bed, but in reality, she had already blown out the light and couldn't close her eyes. The scout with the broken leg was drenched in the rain. As he passed through the cold and empty periphery of Heaven's Pole Palace, he was still shivering. He handed the letter that he carried with him to Lou Shuwan. When he told her the news, no one dared to believe it, including the city guards who had been supporting him.
"… The Huaxia army has defeated Shu Liesu in Lin Province City. They have already defeated Shu Liesu's thirty thousand elite Jurchen soldiers. The Jurchen suffered heavy injuries, and Shu Liesu's fate is unknown. The army has retreated twenty kilometers, and they are still retreating …"
"… What?" Lou Shuwan stood there. The cold wind blew in from outside the door, raising the hem of her black cloak behind her. At this moment, she seemed to have heard a hallucination. Thus, the scout repeated the news again.
This was also what the message said.
"Why isn't Charcoal Fire here yet? Where's the medical officer? Treat this warrior's wounds and arrange a place for him to stay." Her eyes were in a daze. Even after reading the simple letter twice, she still appeared to be in a daze. Her mouth was already continuously giving out orders. The appearance of that scout was really too weak. She looked at him twice. "Can you hold on? After you're bandaged, I want to hear from your own mouth … the situation in Linzhou … They said … the battle will be very long …"
As a superior, she shouldn't reveal all of her thoughts, but at this moment, Lou Shuwan couldn't help but say it out loud. In the battle of Lin Province, Shu Liesu set off on the fourth day of the month, arrived on the sixth, and fought on the seventh. The situation was already clear on the sixth day. Since the black flag army hadn't left, if they couldn't defeat Shu Liesu, then they wouldn't be able to leave anymore — the Jurchen army had many horses, and it was impossible for them to calmly retreat after a battle. And even if victory and defeat were to be decided, thirty thousand elite Jurchen soldiers fighting ten thousand black flag soldiers, most people with brains could roughly guess what would happen.
This was the early morning of the tenth day of the month. Suddenly receiving such news, Lou Shuwan couldn't help but feel that this was an evil plot. However, the identity of this scout was trustworthy.
"I can hold on …" The scout forced himself to nod, and then said, "The Female Minister has really won."
"… The Huaxia army led the garrison of Lin Province to attack Shu Liesu's army …"
"… The battle was extremely fierce, but they defeated Shu Liesu head-on …"
"… Twelve thousand Huaxia soldiers defeated thirty-five thousand elite Jurchen soldiers. During this time, the Huaxia army was scattered and regrouped, regrouped and scattered again, but … they defeated Shu Liesu head-on."
The medical officer came, and the scout was helped to the side. The wind blew in, and Lou Shuwan's cloak swayed behind her, making her look extremely thin. However, she didn't feel cold, and quietly walked to the desk. After a long silence, she said, "Pass on my order …" She said this, but her voice was extremely soft, and she didn't give any orders after that. Her thin face was filled with fatigue, and something was dripping from her eyes.
She shed two streams of tears, and raised her head, her gaze already determined.
"Pass on my order —"
The night wind was biting cold, and Wei Sheng City was about to move.
…
The sky gradually brightened.
You Hongzhuo woke up from his sleep with a start, and the cavalry was running through the streets outside.
It was still raining, and someone was beating a gong in the distance, shouting something.
He listened attentively.
Not long after, You Hongzhuo, wearing a straw cape, pushed open the door and walked out like the others, and walked onto the street. People came out from the neighboring houses, and asked, "… What did they say?"
"Victory report from Lin Zhou, the Huaxia army defeated the Jurchen army, the Jurchen General Shu Liesu's fate is unknown —"
"Twelve thousand Huaxia soldiers, and twenty thousand Lin Zhou guards, defeated seventy thousand elite Jurchen soldiers and bandits led by Shu Liesu. Victory in Lin Zhou, the Jurchen General Shu Liesu was killed —"
There were all kinds of voices, and people rushed out of their houses, running on the streets in the spring rain.
In the old house of the Liao family in the suburbs, people were running in fear. The white-haired Liao Yiren placed his palm on the table, and his lips trembled in intense emotion. "Impossible, thirty-five thousand elite Jurchen soldiers, this is impossible … that woman cheated!"
"Great uncle, many people believe it, and we also have news from our side … the second and third branch are making a big fuss, and they want to pack up and escape …"
"The troops guarding the city have already assembled, and Wu Xiangyuan has received the order. That woman is going to take the opportunity to make a move … With this news, I'm afraid that some people have already started to rebel …"
"Stupid, stupid — find them, I'll talk to them … The situation must be maintained, the Jurchen army of more than two hundred thousand, led by Zong Han and Xi Yin, can attack at any time. We must maintain the situation, or else we will all die —"
Countless orders had been issued with the Celestial Palace as the center. Chaos was spreading, and the conflict was becoming more and more intense.
In the Celestial Palace, the maid Yuan Xiaoqiu walked into a room and quietly tightened the curtain that was blown by the wind. When she passed by the bed, she saw that the female minister had just washed up and was sleeping peacefully for the first time in a while. She hugged the quilt, her face was pale and thin, and the corners of her mouth were slightly stretched, as if revealing a smile.
This was the first time Yuan Xiaoqiu saw the female minister smile after putting down her burdens.
She quietly left the room and closed the door. On the square outside, the rain was still falling. In the distance, on the towering city wall, a tall and straight figure was standing there, gazing at the scene outside the Celestial Palace. It was Shi Jin.
The clouds were still hazy, but there seemed to be a ray of light at the other end of the clouds, breaking through the clouds and descending.
*****
— — It was a false light.
In the Jurchen camp, the generals were gathering, and people were discussing the news from the south. The battle report from Lin Province was so unexpected that even the Jurchen army thought it was fake news.
After receiving the news, General Wanyan Safa pondered for a long time and came up with this conjecture, "Perhaps it's a scam by that inner demon."
But not long after, it was confirmed to be true.
More detailed information was also being gathered.
In a small tent, Wanyan Xi Yin personally questioned the Jurchen soldiers who had withdrawn from Lin Province. He personally questioned them for nearly a day. When Zong Han found him, he was as silent as a stone.
"How is it?"
"… There's no deception."
"… …"
"… … More than 12,000 Black Flag Army, 20,000 Lin Province soldiers, and some of them were instigated by us. Shu Liesu was in a hurry to attack the city, and the Black Flag Army chose to launch a surprise attack. Although Shu Liesu was seriously injured, before he was seriously injured … thirty-five thousand men against twelve thousand Black Flag Army, in fact, the army was already defeated. The situation was too chaotic, and the Han army was useless. The Black Flag Army was defeated again and again, and our people were also defeated again and again … "
Xi Yin calmly said these words, "… … After being defeated, they regrouped, regrouped, and regrouped again. But before Shu Liesu was seriously injured, thirty-five thousand men were already on the verge of defeat. That is to say, even if he wasn't seriously injured, this battle would have …"
He opened his mouth, but he did not finish his words. Zong Han already understood. He patted his old friend's shoulder and said, "For thirty years, I have been through countless battles. It's a little sad that something like this happened at such an old age. But … Shu Liesu was too eager to win, and was taken advantage of. Goddess of Grains, after this incident, the people you arranged in the South will be scared out of their wits. Wei Sheng girl, I'm afraid, is laughing. "
Xi Yin laughed as well, "Marshal already has a plan, there's no need to laugh at me."
"Hmm." Zong Han nodded.
"We will set off tomorrow."
In the dark sky, the Jurchen camp was like a giant ant's nest. Flags, battle horns, and the sound of messages began to surge along with the sound of the early spring rain.
When the conspiracy failed, the real war machine had to be awakened in advance.
Tian Shi was dead after all, and the division had appeared. Even under the most difficult circumstances, they defeated Shu Liesu's army. The Hua Xia army, which was originally less than ten thousand men, had been severely injured in such a battle. This time, including the entire Jin, no one would be able to stop the march of this army to the South.
At the same time, the battle of Xu Province began.
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