As they left the small village, the sound of the gurgling stream seemed to still ring in their ears. Ning Yi carried the small lantern and walked along the post road with Yunzhu, the carriage following behind.
Looking back, the little lights of the small village had become faint, blending with the night sky. It was impossible to see any difference. Holding her husband's hand, Yunzhu could still feel the depression in his mood. This was caused by the battle reports from the north, but the comments she had heard from above in that room were not the cause of her distress.
Over the years, she had followed her husband through many twists and turns. As for what Ning Yi, Watermelon, and the others were doing, Yunzhu had watched them discuss for several years. Although she did not participate, she could understand. At this time, after walking for a long distance, Yunzhu softly spoke of this matter.
"That is … Zhong Hesheng's Master Zhong. I have seen him in the school, but I have never heard him talk about these ideas …"
The lantern emitted an orange light all the way forward. At the other end of the road, two people carrying baskets on their backs walked over. It was unknown where they were going, but when they walked to the front, they stopped on the side of the post road with some restraint, letting Ning Yi and the carriage behind him pass. Ning Yi raised the lantern and signaled to them.
Ning Yi watched as their backs disappeared into the starlight in the distance before he said, "That's right, the two farmers left.
He then said, "If this Zhong Hesheng intends to get to know you in the school, he should be careful, but the possibility is not high. He has a more important mission, and he would not want me to see him. "
"Huh?" Yunzhu's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "He is … here to cause trouble? I thought he was influenced by Agua. "
Ning Yi smiled. "It is not wrong to say that it is Agua's influence."
"But you said that Agua is extreme."
"The beginning of thinking is extreme." Ning Yi smiled at his wife. "What is wrong with everyone being equal? It is the direction that humanity should be heading in for thousands of years. If there is a way, it would be better to realize it today. I am very happy that they can pick up this idea. "
"Isn't Liheng afraid of getting into trouble?" Seeing Ning Yi's calm attitude, Yun Zhu was more or less relieved. At this time, she also smiled and relaxed her footsteps. The two of them walked forward in the night wind. Ning Yi slightly tilted his head.
"When talking about equality, the biggest question is whether smart people can be equal to idiots, whether capable people can be equal to incompetent people, and whether lazy people can be equal to diligent people. Of course, it was impossible. This was not about the reason, but it was simply impossible. However, what was the difference between a capable person and an incompetent person? What makes a lazy person and a diligent person? Yunzhu, when you teach in school, you teach without discrimination. However, a smart child may not necessarily learn well, and an idiot may be more hardworking. If you meet a person who can't be carved out of a rotten wood, will you think that it is you who can't teach well, or that everyone in the world can't teach well? "
"Sometimes, I feel like no one in the world can teach me well." Yunzhu smiled and then said, "But of course, some teachers put in some effort and always have a way to teach children."
"In this world, anyone can become good, anyone can become useful. Smart children have different ways of teaching, stupid children have different ways of teaching. Everyone has the possibility of becoming useful. Those great heroes and saints that people look up to were all stupid children in the beginning. Is there any difference between Confucius and the farmer in the past? In fact, there is no difference. They took different paths and became different people. Is there any difference between Confucius and you, Yunzhu … "
"There is." Yunzhu hurriedly said.
But Ning Yi had already held her hand and laughed. "There is no difference. This is equality. "
"... Everyone has an equal chance of success. Are those who can become successful smart people? I don't think so. Some smart people have a fickle temperament. They can't study hard and will suffer losses. On the contrary, because stupid people know their own clumsiness, they can work hard later and achieve success earlier. Then, is it possible for a smart person who can't study hard to develop a character of studying hard? Of course, there are ways. If he encounters something and learns a painful lesson, he will know the harm of not being able to study hard. Then, he can make up for his shortcomings. "
"… Sima Gong once said, 'Gaixi Bo was imprisoned and wrote the' Book of Changes'; Zhong Ni 'er wrote the' Spring and Autumn '; Qu Yuan was exiled and wrote the' Li Sao '… Most people who have a career often don't have a smooth life. In fact, it is these hardships that make them understand their own insignificance and powerlessness. They explore some things in this world that can't be changed. The more they understand the world, the easier it is for them to control the things in this world, and to do outstanding deeds …"
"… Equality for all is equality in terms of possibility. Everyone can gain wisdom through learning, through self-discipline, through continuous induction and thinking, and finally achieve equality and become an outstanding person. However, if you don't do anything and want equality from birth, sitting at home with your head in your hands, hoping to be as equal as those who work hard to kill, then that is a joke. Of course … it would be good if you can do that, but you definitely can't do it. "
Ning Yi turned around and looked. "The two farmers who just walked past, when we first arrived, they would kneel by the roadside. They don't have the thought of equality in their hearts. This is not their fault. For them, inequality is a matter of course because they have lived in inequality all their lives. Even if someone wants to become outstanding, even if they are smart, they have no money, no books, no teachers. This is unfair to them. However, if someone is outstanding, works hard, and exhausts everything to become more powerful, while someone is lazy, cherishes himself in the face of great things, forgets about righteousness for the sake of small profits, then the equality between these two types of people is the biggest mockery of equality. "
"A sense of equality is planted in the hearts of a generation. As for how to achieve equality, that is something that will take thousands of years. If someone is lazy, why would he be lazy? What kind of environment did he experience when he was young to develop this kind of character? Is it because his life is too good? Then, for children who have a good life, is there any way for teachers to teach them a sense of urgency so that they can feel the same? "
"Those who are able to work hard, why can they work hard? Is it because their family was too poor in the past, or because they enjoy the sense of achievement? In fact, regarding what an outstanding person should do, if a person is willing to read books, at the age of 30, they will already know it. The only difference is how they do it. Diligence, restraint, hard work, seriousness … When tens of millions of children are born in the world, how can there be a powerful system for them to learn and stimulate their excellence? When everyone in the world starts to become outstanding, only then will everyone be equal. "
Perhaps it was because he thought about these things a lot, as he walked, Ning Yi spoke softly. Yun Zhu was silent, but she could understand the sadness behind it. The sacrifice of Zhu Biao and the others — if they were really sacrificed — this was the value of their sacrifice. Or rather, this was something in her husband's heart that he had no choice but to do.
The dirt road turned a corner. Under the distant sky, the flames of the Huaxia army camp were spreading, the stars reflecting the Milky Way in the sky. The husband and wife stopped for a while, holding the small lantern, standing under a tree by the roadside to watch.
"I'm afraid we won't see equality for everyone in this life." Yun Zhu smiled and said softly.
"That is something that will happen in thousands of years." Ning Yi looked over there and replied softly, "When everyone can read and write, that is only the first step. It is very easy to talk about the truth, but it is very difficult for the truth to melt into people's hearts. The cultural system, the philosophical system, the educational system … After exploring for a thousand years, perhaps we will see true equality. "
"So, even if it is the most extreme equality, as long as they study and discuss it sincerely … it will be a good thing."
At this point, Ning Yi's voice became even softer. He smiled in the darkness, and then Yun Zhu seemed to hear a sentence, "I have to thank Li Pin …"
This sentence seemed to be a whisper. Yun Zhu looked over. "… Hmm?"
"What?" Ning Yi looked over with a smile. Before Yun Zhu could speak, he suddenly said, "Oh yes, one day, men and women will also become equal."
"Ah?"
"When men and women are equal, everyone will do similar work and bear similar responsibilities. Then, no one will be able to marry as many wives as I do … Hmm, when that time comes, everyone will dig up old scores, and I will probably be condemned by everyone."
As he said this, he pressed Yun Zhu's hand to his lips. Yun Zhu smiled so much that her eyes narrowed. "Then I think … it will be quite interesting …"
"… But in this life, let me take advantage of you like this."
After saying this, he looked at the military camp in the distance. The couple did not speak again. Not long after, they sat down on the grassy slope by the roadside.
The warm yellow light was like a gathering of fireflies. Yun Zhu sat there and turned her head to look at Ning Yi beside her. Since they met and fell in love, more than ten years had passed.
Except for the first few years of peace, for more than ten years after that, they were like a small boat floating in the turbulent waves. Even though Yun Zhu came from the family of a eunuch, she never thought that she would experience such a change in life. At that time, she lived in a small building by the river. Every day, she watched the scholar run by the door. Occasionally, they would greet each other peacefully. She imagined that she could spend the rest of her life as his concubine or mistress.
Jiangning finally became a thing of the past. What followed was an experience that even the most bizarre imagination had never experienced. The calm and composed young scholar had turned the world upside down. As he gradually entered middle age, he was no longer as calm as he was in the past. The small ship sailed into the sea, into the wind and waves. It was more like he was fighting with his life on the line against the huge waves. Even the demon in his heart, which was feared by the people of the world, had always clenched his teeth and tensed his spirit.
Over the years, Yun Zhu had been teaching in the school. Occasionally, she would hear Ning Yi and Watermelon talk about equality. She could understand, and she would feel a burst of warmth in her heart. But at this moment, she looked at the man sitting beside her and only thought back to the Jiangning of the past. She thought: No matter what happens to me, I only hope that he can be well. That would be good.
She reached out and wanted to smooth his slightly furrowed brows. Ning Yi glanced at her. He did not hear her heart, but he just took her in his arms. The husband and wife sat together in the yellow light under the tree for a while. Under the grassy slope, the sound of the stream flowed past. It was like the Jiangning of many years ago. They chatted under the tree, and the Qinhuai River flowed in front of them …
Not long after, Ning Yi returned to the courtyard and gathered people to continue the meeting. Time did not stop for a moment. That night, it rained outside.
*****
Time did not stop for a moment.
On both sides of the Yellow River, heavy rain poured down. There were many things, like every raindrop in this heavy rain, it streaked across the sky and the earth, converging in the direction of the stream, the river, and the sea.
When they converged, we could see where it went, its great destructive power. However, when it fell, no one could take care of the whereabouts of every drop of rain.
In the Central Plains, the storm of the world had been falling for a year.
This was one of the ordinary raindrops …
Night.
The rumbling roared. The water swept through the village and destroyed the houses. In the heavy rain, some people were shouting, some were running, and some were scurrying in the dark mountains.
Lightning streaked across the night sky, and the white light illuminated the scene in front of them. At the foot of the hill, the water was vast, submerging the place where people usually lived. Countless things tumbled in the water, roofs, trees, and corpses. Wang Xing stood in the rain, his whole body trembling.
On the hill, a small number of people who had escaped were still shouting in the rain. Some were crying loudly for their family's names. People walked up the hill, and the muddy water flowed down the hill. Some people fell into the water and rolled down. In the darkness, there were hysterical cries.
The heavy rain continued. In the daytime, people who had climbed to the top of the hill could see the surroundings clearly. The river burst its banks in the night, and the water rushed down from upstream. Even though there were people who reported the news, there were only two or three out of ten survivors who had escaped from the village. Wang Xing dragged out a small bag of dried fish. All his belongings were gone.
The rain did not stop. He hid under a tree and used branches to build a small shed. His whole body was trembling. There were even more people crying in the distance or not far away.
Many people's family members had died in the flood. Not only did the survivors have to face such sadness, but what was even more terrifying was that all their belongings and even food had been washed away by the flood. Wang Xing shivered in the shed for a long time.
When the sky brightened, the rain gradually eased. The surviving villagers gathered together, and then, a strange thing happened.
They saw Wang Xing carrying the bag of dried fish over. In his hand was half a pot that he had found somewhere. "This is all we have at home. After being drenched in the rain, it will be bad in the future. Let's cook it and eat it."
Wang Xing was usually the most miserly and slippery person in the village. He had a protruding mouth and monkey cheeks, lazy and timid. He did not dare to stand out when big things happened, and when he could reap small benefits, he would make a fool of himself. He was the only one in the family, and he had not married a wife by the age of thirty. But at this moment, the expression on his face was very different. He actually took out the last bit of food to share with others, and it gave everyone a shock.
Of course, in the face of such a disaster, doubts were just doubts in their hearts. Then, everyone started a fire and divided the dried fish, eating it to satisfy their hunger. When they were dividing the dried fish, the survivors in the village did not see any trace of Wang Xing. Not long after, a child turned around a big rock behind the mountain and saw something strange again.
Wang Xing was squatting behind the rock, using a piece of stone to dig something. Then, he dug out an object wrapped in a long tarp. When he opened the tarp, there was a knife inside.
At this time, there was still rain falling from the sky. Wang Xing had been drenched in the rain for an entire night, and his hair stuck to his face. He looked like a drowning dog that had lost his soul. In addition, he was not good-looking to begin with, so this scene sent chills down everyone's spine.
The child was quite frightened. Not long after, he told the adults in the village what had happened. The adults were also shocked. Some said that there was nothing left, and that this guy was going to kill people and rob them. Others said that with Wang Xing's timid personality, how would he dare to take a knife? The child must have seen wrongly. The group searched for a while, but from then on, they did not see this impoverished village again.
Just as they were looking around, Wang Xing was already walking on a mountain path far away from here.
The heavy rain in the Central Plains had actually been falling for more than ten years.
From the first time the Jurchens went south, to the establishment of the fake Qi, to the present day, life had never been good. The Yellow River had been known as the Mother River since ancient times, but the people who lived on both sides of the river both loved and feared it. Even during the prosperous period of the Wu dynasty, the annual expenses of controlling the Yellow River were sky-high. When Liu Yu ruled the Central Plains and plundered the wealth, the annual work of controlling the Yellow River stopped.
Over the past ten years, the situation of the Yellow River bursting its banks worsened. Apart from the floods, the plague, refugees, conscription, and exorbitant taxes every year had long pushed people to the line between life and death. As for this spring in the tenth year of Jianshuo, the resistance in the Jin region and the fierce battle with the Daming Constabulary caught people's attention. But long before this, the flood had already surged over people's heads.
Since the beginning of the Jurchens' expedition in the second half of last year, the conscription and exorbitant taxes of the Central Plains had reached the point of sucking the marrow out of people's bones. After Wanyan Chang took over Li Xizhi's territory, in order to support the Eastern Army's southern expedition, the Central Plains' taxes on money and grain were raised several times. He ordered the Han officials to deal with this matter, and those who failed to collect grain were killed without exception.
In the first few months, almost half of the administrative officials in Li Xizhi's territory had been replaced. As for those who had been 'replaced', their heads had been hung on the city walls as a warning to the public. The grain reserves of the Central Plains' Han families had been completely emptied. As long as the officials were cruel enough, they basically had a way out.
The other way out was to become soldiers and eat rations. When Li Xizhi died, nearly two hundred thousand troops were scattered. After Wanyan Chang took over military affairs, it didn't take long for him to mobilize the remaining troops and start conscription. During the siege of the Daming Prefecture, the Han soldiers on the frontlines ate like beggars. Some of them lost their lives in battle, while others were scattered. By the time the Daming Prefecture was breached, the number of Han soldiers in the vicinity, together with the 'troops' stationed in various places, had already reached four hundred thousand.
These 'troops' might not be strong, but as long as they could rob the people of money and grain, it would be enough. A portion of the money and grain belonged to them, while the rest was sent to the south. As for the third month, when the Daming Prefecture was breached, the situation north of the Yellow River could no longer be described as' the people had no way to make a living '. In fact, cannibalism had already occurred in many places.
Wang Xing was a coward.
A few people knew that he had been forcibly conscripted into the army to attack Little Cang River. He was afraid and ran away. It was only after the incident at Little Cang River came to an end that he sneaked back. He was still young when he was captured to join the army. Over the years, the situation was chaotic, and the people in the village either died or left. Gradually, the people who could confirm these things disappeared. He returned here and lived a cowardly and wretched life.
Of course, no one knew that he had been captured by the Huaxia Army and sent to the southwest.
He was too afraid of death. After being captured and sent to the southwest, after a period of propaganda, the Huaxia Army didn't have a good time. There were many military rules, and at the beginning, they had to starve. Wang Xing couldn't stand it anymore, so he lied that he had an old mother at home and was released by the Huaxia Army.
The journey of thousands of miles had worn away Wang Xing's burden even more. This world was too scary, and he didn't want to die — he didn't want to be at the forefront and suddenly die.
Over the years, his life was extremely difficult. Until one year, when a soldier charged into his house and beat him half to death. He really thought that he was going to die, but he slowly endured it. The Jin Land was still fighting, the Daming Prefecture was still fighting, and those brave heroes were still fighting back.
He couldn't become such a person, and many people couldn't. This was human nature. Wang Xing told himself this in his heart. And in this world, as long as there were such people and people like the Huaxia Army constantly fighting back, it would never be destroyed.
During his time in the Huaxia Army, at least he remembered some things: Sooner or later, people would chase the Female Zhenren away.
When that day came, good days would eventually come.
But he wasn't a hero … He was just afraid of death, and didn't want to die at the front.
He thought this in his heart.
Until one day in April, there was a flood by the river. He was lucky and took the opportunity to catch some fish. He brought them to the city to exchange for some things, and suddenly heard the Female Zhenren's propaganda.
The Daming Prefecture was destroyed, and the Black Flag Army was defeated.
His heart suddenly collapsed.
He waited in the city for two days, and saw the convoy escorting the Black Flag Army and Effulgent Army prisoners into the city. Some of these prisoners had broken limbs, and some were seriously injured and on the verge of death, but Wang Xing could clearly recognize that they were Huaxia Army soldiers.
Not long after, they were all killed on the execution ground, and their heads rolled down.
In the Female Zhenren's propaganda, the Effulgent Army and Huaxia Army were completely annihilated.
No matter how hard life was, there would always be people who would live.
Some people wanted to live with ambition, some people wanted to live with dignity, and some people only bent their backs but didn't kneel … In the end, there would always be people who would rush to the front.
I'm fine, I'm just afraid of death. Even if I kneel, I'm fine. In the end, I'm different from them. They aren't as afraid of death as I am … There's nothing I can do about it. This was what Wang Xing thought in his heart.
The Wu dynasty had been defeated. Previously, there had been various volunteer armies, but the volunteer armies had gradually disappeared. Later, there was the Effulgent Army and Prince Jin. Even if the Effulgent Army and Jin were defeated, at least there was still the Black Flag Army. But all of these were gone … and we still hadn't defeated the Female Zhenren.
The lid of the Central Plains had been pressed down, and no one would resist anymore. Returning to the village, Wang Xing's heart gradually died. Two days later, the flood came at night. Wang Xing's body was cold, and he couldn't stop trembling. In fact, ever since he saw the beheading in the city, he already knew in his heart that there was no way out.
He kept a small amount of dried fish and distributed the rest to the villagers. Then, he dug out the rusty knife. Two days later, a Han soldier who had been fighting for food was killed on the side of a mountain road several dozen li away from the village.
Wang Xing took some of the food he had looted from the murder and found a small boat. He chose a day when the sky was slightly sunny and began to cross the river against the wind and waves. He heard that there were still Huaxia troops fighting in Xuzhou.
Having grown up on the banks of the Yellow River, he knew from a young age that most people who crossed the river under such circumstances would die. But it didn't matter, because those who resisted were already dead.
Even the most timid person had no way out.
It was still raining in the Central Plains.
Many things were gradually fermenting in the torrential rain …
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