"Fertile Central Plains …"
March.
In the Chengdu Plain, in a small village called Chen Village, south of Jiading, the construction project started last winter had reached a certain scale.
The first to be completed was a two-story building in the courtyard at the east of the village. In a room on the first floor, Ning Yi was reading the information he had received yesterday. Juan 'er, who was at the other end of the desk, was in charge of organizing and filing the information.
Although it was in the south, this seemingly remote village was the most well-informed place in the world. News from the Jin Kingdom, the Central Plains, and the Wu dynasty came every day. Most of the urgent information was short, and the follow-up information was more detailed.
The Central Plains were the focus of close attention at the moment. Of course, the siege of the Daimyo's residence had lasted for a long time, and the battle of Xuzhou was still in its initial stalemate, so there was not much information. The situation in the Land of Jin was truly changing three times in a day. The person in charge of the Land of Jin would gather information every three days and send someone to bring it over. Today, when he saw the news of the internal strife among Lin Zongwu's subordinates, Ning Yi frowned and threw the report away.
"What a waste of good stuff!" He cursed in a low voice.
Ever since the Huaxia army returned to the southwest, efforts to open up the trade route had been focused on Jindi. After Tian Hu was killed, Tian Shi, Lou Shuwan, and the others came to power. Many advanced crossbows, cannons, and even weapons were prioritized by the Huaxia army. Coupled with Tian Hu's ten years of management, Jindi was actually quite rich.
The division of the land of Jin after Tian Shi's death was, in fact, another fight and distribution of these resources. Even for someone like Lin Zongwu, who had a grudge against him previously, Lou Shuwan and the Hua Xia Army had put in a lot of effort to help him rise to power. They even lost some of the benefits that they could get. Who knew that this fat man would be slapped in the face before he could even warm his seat, which made Ning Yi feel unlucky to see his name.
"What?" Juan 'er came over.
"I'd rather help a dog than help him!" Ning Yi pointed at the information and curled his lips in displeasure. Juan 'er laughed. He had been in charge of the Huaxia army for a long time, and was always busy with work. His majesty increased day by day. She could only see him being relatively unscrupulous when he was alone with his family.
Of course, it was also possible that he did it on purpose.
After a few messages from Jin, there was also news from the south. In the direction of Huainan, Han Shizhong's army had already begun to accept refugees who came from the north. They were the remnants of the Hungry Ghosts, who were led by Wang Shitong and traveled thousands of miles down the mountain. Of course, most of them were probably refugees who had lost their families and were forced to come here. After going through such a long period of disaster, there were actually not many of them.
The "Hungry Ghost" was a major disaster that lasted for more than a year and affected millions of lives in the Central Plains. In the end, it came to an end, and the number of survivors numbered between fifty to one hundred thousand. The number was still decreasing. Due to the large decrease in the total number, the southern government, under the instructions of the crown prince, Jun Wu, began to rescue and shelter these starving refugees.
To Ning Yi's relief, Jun Wu didn't blindly let these people into the society of the south. Instead, he ordered the government and the army to gather and treat them. On the one hand, it was to prevent diseases, and on the other hand, it was to prevent these refugees, who had lost everything and most of them had eaten human beings, from causing a huge impact on the society of the south.
It was not hard to imagine that if these poor people were rashly placed into the society of ordinary people, they would feel moral disorder and lose everything. They would do anything just to eat and drink. After going through the baptism of robbery and killing, these people would not be able to integrate into society like other refugees in a short period of time. They would not be able to join small workshops or work quietly in other places.
Such a fact had nothing to do with sympathy.
Regarding Wang Shitong's dying request, Fang Chengye had also added it to the message and sent it along with the message.
Fang Chengye had made a self-reflection about Wang Shitong's matter. In the first half of last year, Fang Chengye should have taken action to kill him. However, Fang Chengye had a certain degree of sympathy for Wang Shitong, so he was not determined to take action. Secondly, Wang Shitong was very smart. Although his goal was rash, he had always been very strict with the internal affairs of the hungry ghosts and those around him. With these two reasons added together, Fang Chengye did not find a good enough opportunity to take action.
In the second half of last year, the Female Zhenren had already gone south, and the people of the Central Plains were already in an abyss of misery. The frontline personnel of the Hua Xia army thought that the hungry ghosts might be able to hinder Zong Bi's troops to a certain extent, so the plan to assassinate Wang Shitong, which had a low chance of success, was temporarily put on hold.
Looking back, it might have been a better choice if Fang Chengye had mobilized the frontline personnel to kill Wang Shitong at all costs in the first half of last year.
In the end, there were not many places occupied by millions of people in the intelligence report. Ning Yi read it twice and sighed. In fact, if he could really predict the development of everything, it would have been easier for him to kill Wang Shitong and scatter the hungry ghosts in Zezhou. One of the preconditions for Fang Chengye's failure to launch the plan was actually that Wang Shitong himself was an extraordinary person. After millions of hungry ghosts were formed, the success rate of assassinating him from inside was too low.
"File the matter about the hungry ghosts in the library. Maybe people in the future can sum up a lesson."
Juan 'er silently put the intelligence report aside.
The matter about the hungry ghosts had been closed, and the report could only be regarded as a summary. After this intelligence report, there were a few pieces of gossip that might be valuable or just lively in various places. The most popular news in various brothels and teahouses was the news about the situation in Lin 'an City. The matter about Long Qifei was also among them. After reading it, Ning Yi threw it aside and finished the first work of the morning.
Then there was a meeting about the security system.
Since the troops were sent to occupy the Chengdu Plain last year, the population under the rule of the Hua Xia army had expanded by more than a million people. It was not enough to have tens of thousands of soldiers who could fight to rule such a large area. In the past few years in the three counties of Hedeng, although some administrative officers had been trained, it was still not enough.
In the past Wu dynasty, or in the whole Confucian system, the rule had always been that the imperial power did not belong to the counties, which matched the political resources of the feudal society. But for the Huaxia army, it was not wise to completely belong to the country gentry. This was because the program of the Huaxia army incorporated some democratic ideas, emphasizing civil rights and people's wisdom. But at the same time, the method of beating the local tyrants and dividing the land was also not suitable for the current situation.
In later generations, after a hundred years of humiliation, coupled with the support of a series of rigorous theories and programs such as Capital and Marxist-Leninist, this thorough reform had a relatively stable framework. At present, the Wu dynasty had been extravagant for two hundred years and humiliated for less than ten years. Overly radical methods could easily turn into an unstoppable carnival. Even if they did not follow in Fang La's footsteps, in reality, it would be difficult to produce a good result. This was what Ning Yi had always wanted to avoid.
And at present, the Huaxia army's formulation of "Huaxia" called for people to reform and strengthen themselves, to have their own power, and to defend their own power. But for the time being, the people at the bottom level could not deeply understand it. After all, in the past thousand years, scholars had shouldered all social responsibilities, and the poor had buried themselves in work. This was the division of labor that was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. To make the army "strengthen itself" could use military law, but to make the people awaken, it could not be forced. Thus, although the formulation of "Huaxia" could inspire the people during the difficult times of Little Canghe, it was difficult to become the core idea that drove everything in the peaceful southwest.
Then, in the southwest at present, what could become the core idea? Ning Yi still chose the spirit of the contract.
He deployed retired or injured veterans to various villages to become the spokesmen of the Huaxia army, restricting the power of the local gentry, and writing the basic human rights and the spirit of the law that the Huaxia army carried out in the three counties of Hedeng into simple regulations. These veterans would supervise the implementation. He would rather have the law enforce mechanically to crack down on the heartless rich in various places, and he would also gradually win over the hearts of the people in these places.
And in order to prevent the speed at which the local gentry corrupted the veterans too quickly, it was extremely necessary to constantly carry out ideological work. And this kind of model was actually somewhat similar to the model of the sheriff in the early days of the United States.
From a practical point of view, the current situation of the Huaxia army had always been a military-run government maintained by the ideals of the modern army. In the face of the threat of the Jurchens and the corruption of the Wu dynasty, it had relied on military achievements and discipline to maintain its strength and efficiency for a certain period of time. But if this efficiency were to gradually decline — if the impending generation of the Huaxia army would inevitably return to the cycle of life — if the ideals that Ning Yi had put down, whether it was democracy, human rights, feudalism, or capital, could not be put into practice, then the entire Huaxia army would inevitably fall apart.
Up until now, what Ning Yi had spent the most effort on was the spirit of the contract, and the second was basic human rights. Talking about the contract, having human rights, and doing business were actually all preparations for the industrial revolution, and even the first round of capitalism. Because regardless of whether other ideals would take shape or not, the germination of the industrial revolution driven by the investigation of things was a future that was truly within reach for Ning Yi.
And in a relatively short period of time, making this public security system operate as steadily as possible and completely controlling the Chengdu plains also had another round of practical significance. The Huaxia army had about 60,000 troops in the three counties of Hedeng, and now nearly 10,000 had gone to Xuzhou. More than 50,000 people — even with a certain amount of militia — were barely enough to ensure the rule of the Chengdu plains. With the situation of the Jurchens moving south, if Ning Yi really wanted to do something in the future, he had to dig out enough fresh troops from his hands as soon as possible.
The public security resources selected from the veterans were relatively sufficient. With the beginning of spring, the 198 literacy teachers that Hedeng had reserved had already been distributed to various parts of the Chengdu plains for a certain period of time to teach literacy and mathematics.
The medical resources in the army had already been released last year. At the same time, the business department of the Huaxia army had been actively contacting local merchants since last year to encourage, matchmake, and help them. Being near Liang Mountain, the Huaxia army had also had dealings with many people in the past. At this time, the real trouble was that the situation on the periphery of the Chengdu plains was tense. But with the increasing threat of the Jurchens, the Huaxia army issued a truce declaration. By March, the tense situation on the periphery had actually begun to ease, and the business situation on the Chengdu plains had gradually begun to recover.
These various things made Ning Yi enter a state of continuous work. In the afternoon, in the evening … listening to all kinds of reports, holding meetings, and meeting people he wanted to see … When he returned home at night, most of the children had gone to bed, and the courtyard was not necessarily noisy. At this time, it was quiet to meet with his wives. Sometimes, he sat under the eaves with Yunzhu and talked to her about the news from Lin 'an …
"Ah, now the top courtesan there is called Shi Daidai, a woman from the Western Regions … Alas, public morals are degenerating day by day, and the name is too careless …"
Sometimes, he made an appointment with Tan'Er, Xiaochan, and others to cook noodles for supper. Although it was late, he did it himself, but he was not tired.
Sometimes, he ordered Jin'Er to come over and massage his head. Sometimes, he bullied Hongti or was bullied by Watermelon … These were the most relaxing moments of his day.
In fact, there were not many.
Although the southwest was peaceful, sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night, he still smelled the smell of gunpowder in the dream.
"What's wrong?" His wife, who was sleeping lightly, would also wake up.
"Nothing … You didn't become a magic trick, and I didn't build a house."
It was a little regretful to say this, but for the two of them, it was a very warm memory. Then his wife would talk about the children.
"… After the war, let them build."
The topic gradually changed. When Ning Yi looked at the moonlight outside the window, the smell of gunpowder still did not dissipate …
…
On the north bank of the Yellow River, in the drizzle, the sound of weapons and spears clashed together, and a war was going on.
A rain of arrows danced, horses neighed, shields and spears clashed, and the believers with yellow scarves on their arms charged into the front lines.
"Waaaah!" On the frontlines of the battlefield, a figure like a blood-soaked Buddha charged into the front lines with a thunderous roar. Wielding a saber with both hands, this figure slashed in the direction of the enemy's commander's flag. The Han soldiers who had surrendered to the Jurchens were scared out of their wits by this blood-soaked giant and turned to flee. The giant was powerless to resist, practically carving out a bloody path, and the soldiers who were too slow were sent rolling on the ground by him.
In this encounter, the surrendered army's chances of victory were not high. With one side of the vanguard scattered, it was clear that they were losing. The generals under the commander's flag urged their horses to flee, but the blood-soaked giant followed the crowd and charged over, his figure faster than a galloping horse.
In the rain, one man and one horse, one in front and one behind, closed the distance between them in this chaotic battlefield. The general on the horse turned around and shot an arrow, but the giant casually waved his hand, and the arrow was instantly sent flying. Seeing that the giant was getting closer and closer, the general lost his courage and shouted, "I surrender, spare my life …"
However, the giant bellowed and charged over.
This was the number one person in the world, Lin Zongwu.
That giant figure bumped into the warhorse from the side, and with a loud boom, water splashed everywhere. The warhorse was sent flying, and the general on the horse was sent rolling in the mud. The general felt dizzy, and before he could get up, Lin Zongwu had already dashed to his side, grabbed his neck, and suddenly flung him up.
His body, which weighed over 100 jin, flew to the side like a cannonball, smashing into a small group of soldiers who were running away. When he landed on the ground, his body was already twisted beyond recognition. Lin Zongwu charged over, snatched the steel saber, and started slashing wildly. He led the soldiers under him and gave chase …
This small victory and massacre raised the morale of the people slightly. The believers searched the battlefield, and by the time they returned to the stronghold in the mountains over ten li away, the sky had already started to turn dark. The stronghold was filled with soldiers and their families who believed in the Great Radiant Sect. The backbone of the army had already started to spread the news of today's victory. Lin Zongwu returned to his room, took a shower, and changed his clothes. Night fell, and the rain had stopped. He left the tent and passed through the stronghold with a smile on his face. It was only when he reached the darkness at the periphery that his smile disappeared.
He walked toward the darkness.
Although his body was huge, as the world's best in martial arts, the rugged terrain of the mountains could not stop him. To him, there was no place that could be considered dangerous. During this period of time, Lin Zongwu had gotten used to looking at this stronghold and his believers in silence in the darkness.
In the small square at the back of the stronghold, a portion of the believers were practicing martial arts. There were some children at the side who were also practicing.
It was unknown when, but Lin Zongwu had returned to the stronghold. He came out from a dark corner and appeared before a child who was swinging a wooden stick. The child was startled.
"… Uncle … Tathagata?"
It was only after he got a clear look that the child addressed him as such.
The child's name was Mu Anping, and he was the son of that crazy Lin Chong. After finding out the truth, Lin Zongwu had already made up his mind on how to settle down this child. However, at that time, he had still been busy with the situation in the Land of Jin, wanting to gain a foothold in the world. As a result, the entire matter had been delayed. But now, all of this had passed.
Lin Zongwu stroked his head and sighed.
"From today onwards, your name is Pingan, and you're my disciple … I'll teach you martial arts. One day in the future, you'll be the best in the world."
At this moment, there was no grand display of extravagance, nor were there any grand congratulations from the crowd. Even the child before him was still blinking his eyes in a daze, not really understanding what was going on. The bonfire in the stronghold flickered, and all sorts of noises and sounds were noisy and chaotic. It was as if the world was dancing in the rain …
…
Boom —
Daimyo Residence.
The catapult was moving.
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