The war in the north was still going on, and the south was not peaceful either.
A few days after the news of the battle of the Daimyo Prefecture spread to the southwest, the heavy rain came and went. The water level of the Min River rose, and it was already flood season.
Although he was worried about the situation north of the Yellow River, Ning Yi and the Huaxia army set out in the direction of Dujiangyan when the water level started to increase.
In the eyes of later generations, the Chengdu Plain was a land of abundance, but the biggest threat to this place every year was the flood. The Min River entered the Chengdu Plain from the Yulei Mountain Pass and flowed from the west to the southeast. It was a genuine suspended river on the ground, with a drop of nearly 300 meters between the river and the plain. Therefore, the Chengdu Plain had been under water control since the Qin Dynasty. It was not until the Song Dynasty that water control became systematic. After the formation of Dujiangyan, the pressure of the flood was greatly alleviated, and the land of abundance gradually lived up to its name.
But even so, in the 20th century, the Chengdu Plain had suffered two major floods in succession. The overflow of the Min River and the Tuo River made the whole plain a country of water. It was the same now. If the Min River could not be defended, the next year on the plain would be quite difficult. It would be a fool's dream for the Huaxia army to leave Sichuan in a short period of time.
And at the moment, the Huaxia army was not only facing the threat of natural disasters. In view of the current situation where the Huaxia army controlled the Chengdu Plain, the intelligence department had long received information that the Wu dynasty was trying to secretly destroy the Min River.
This kind of plan to create a flood and drown the army was quite popular among the scholars of the Wu dynasty. When the Female Zhenren attacked Bianliang, the idea of dredging the Yellow River to repel the enemy had been in the minds of many people. It was not a big secret. The Huaxia army had just occupied the Chengdu Plain. If there was really a flood, it would be a big burden for the next year or two. Therefore, although it seemed to be alarmist, it was not surprising if someone really wanted to do something.
On the one hand, they had to resist the natural disasters, and on the other, they hoped to use a major event to strengthen the unstable foundation of their rule. In early April, all the political departments of the Huaxia Fifth Army were mobilized, and at the same time, 40,000 soldiers were mobilized. Nearly 50,000 people in the villages and counties near the Min River were mobilized to fight the flood and strengthen the dike. In fact, the early propaganda had begun two months ago. When the flood increased in April, the Huaxia army also increased the scale of mobilization. Ning Yi personally went to the front line to take command. In terms of recruiting workers and propaganda management, it could be said that he used all his assets. After the flood, the Huaxia army had almost spent some of the money and food they had seized when they occupied the Chengdu Plain.
But such a big move naturally made the nearby people and the army unite, so that they could experience the Huaxia army's strict military discipline and determination to control the flood at a close distance. Naturally, it was also beneficial. The army was the main force at the front line, and the workers who had experience in flood control were the support. In order to quickly coordinate with the other places, for the people who did not go to the front line to strengthen the dike, the management personnel assigned to the villages and counties were mobilized to repair and open up roads, which could also be considered as leaving a fortune for the future.
In the middle and late April, the Chengdu Plain was gray every day, and heavy rain fell from time to time. Ning Yi found a few houses at the edge of the county near Dujiangyan to take command, and also to deter the clowns who wanted to take advantage of the natural disasters. News from outside gathered here every day. On the 19th of April, after Wan Yanchang finished sweeping the Daming Residences north of the Yellow River, he quickly launched the next move.
Liangshan Lake, where tens of thousands of families of the Guangwu Army and Dulonggang gathered, the army guarding it now only had a little more than 2,000 people.
Separated by a distance of thousands of miles, even if they were anxious, it was of no use. By the time they received the news, it was estimated that the hundreds of thousands of Han soldiers forced by Wan Yanchang had almost finished assembling.
However, on the 23rd of April, there was slightly better news.
After the battle at the Daming Residences, traces of the survivors appeared one after another. Near the Liangshan Lake, hundreds of people, dozens of people, and even lone survivors began to appear one after another. Although there were not many survivors, there was a lot of news that made people sigh.
Among these people, some had endured for half a month in the barren mountains under the blockade of the Jurchens before finally breaking through the defensive line with great difficulty. Some had been seriously injured but luckily survived. Most of their comrades had died, some had been separated, and some had been captured. They all had injuries on their bodies, but gradually, they began to gather back.
Some of them received help from the enemy or the nearby people, and a few groups were obviously let go by the members of the Han army who searched the mountains. There were also some members of the Guangwu Army or the Huaxia Army who were injured and were hidden by the nearby people. When the news that Wan Yanchang's next step was to attack Liangshan came, these people could no longer stay, and many of them rushed back in the direction of Liangshan with injuries that had not yet healed.
This was strange. During the ten years when the Jurchens conquered the Central Plains, there was a period of time when the people's resistance was high, but gradually, most of the people who resisted died, and the remaining people began to become numb. When the Jurchens went south this time and the Guangwu Army attacked the Daming Residences, there were actually not many people who responded. And among them, most people did not have a good impression of the Huaxia Army.
In the eyes of the world, although the existence of the Huaxia Army was born from the Han people and was named Huaxia, most people in the Central Plains would probably only regard them as Asura figures who were no different from the Jurchens. Therefore, the Huaxia Army had no foundation in the Central Plains.
However, after the fiasco of the Daming Residences, at least in the land north of the Yellow River, many people who had no way of making a living seemed to … at least a little bit began to accept them.
The Guangwu Army that broke out of the siege of the Daming Residences, together with the Huaxia Army that came to help, totaled nearly 30,000 people. No one could estimate the number of casualties at this time, but at least half of them were killed. Thousands of people were captured, and the tragic massacre had begun. The survivors — it was unknown how many survivors there were — gradually came back and headed in the direction of Liangshan to participate in a war that was likely to be even more tragic.
It was like a spark of fire.
On the 27th of April, the list of confirmed generals who had died was gradually reported, and the tragic massacre of the prisoners in the cities was also recorded and sent back. At this time, the water of the Min River had become more and more violent. While the Huaxia Army was reinforcing the dikes to fight the flood, the intelligence department was also reporting back to various places about the rumors of pro-martial forces preparing to breach the dikes, and screening them one by one.
On the 4th of May, the rumors of a group of people preparing to breach the dikes were confirmed, and the leader was Chen Song, a local scholar in Chengdu. The Chen family was originally a prominent family in Sichuan and Shu. After the Huaxia Army occupied the Chengdu Plain, some of the gentry fled with their families, but the Chen family did not leave. When the spring flood of this year began, the Chen family thought that the flood of the Min River would have the greatest impact on the Huaxia Army, so they secretly contacted some Jianghu heroes, preaching righteousness, and prepared to strike at the right time.
Chen Song originally thought that the most difficult thing about this matter was the psychological barrier, but who knew that when the flood season came, the Huaxia Army would be mobilized in batches. Although a large number of people were also mobilized, the guards and patrols nearby were extremely strict. In May, the Huaxia Army entered the house and took control of everyone. Chen Song had prepared a large amount of gunpowder, but he had not yet figured out where to use it.
The action of arresting the Chen family and their henchmen was quite a big one, and Ning Yi accompanied them. Chen Song was arrested in a garden of the Chen family not far from the Min River. Ning Yi met the old man with half white hair and beard. The two had met several times before. This time, the old man was no longer as muddle-headed as before. He cursed at Ning Yi in the hall of his house.
Ning Yi pulled up a chair and sat in front of him, quietly listening to the old man's curses.
In the past, when dealing with scholars, especially young scholars, Ning Yi liked to argue with them calmly. But this time, he had no interest in arguing. There were all kinds of martyrs: Qian Xiwen, Qin Siyuan, Kang Xian, Wang Qisong, whom he had never met … For those who were determined to die, arguing was meaningless.
He just listened to the old man's curses with a serious look, and then said, "Ten days later, you and your family will hold a public trial in front of thousands of people. The guilty will be severely punished. As for the necessity of breaching the dike, you can talk about it at that time."
On the way back, the heavy rain gradually turned into a light drizzle. At noon, Ning Yi and others were resting at a courier station on the way. In front of them, three riders in straw raincoats came over. Seeing Ning Yi and others, they dismounted and entered the inn. The person in front took off the straw raincoat. It was a tall woman. She was Juan'er, who had always dealt with trivial matters for Ning Yi. She brought some news from the north.
At this time, as time went by, some news near the Daimyo's Mansion and even in Liangshan had begun to become clear. The death of some people had been verified, including the sacrifice of Xu Ning, Huyan Zhuo, Nie Shan, and others. But there were also generals such as Qin Ming, Li Jiakai, and Xue Changgong who had returned to Liangshan. The first batch of generals and soldiers who returned had more than 4,000 people. They could be regarded as the real remaining main force in the battle of breaking out of the Daimyo's Mansion.
Due to Wan Yanchang's blockade and mopping up for half a month, some troops and soldiers were scattered. It was possible that these soldiers would return one after another or not return at all. And the number should not be large.
In the room of the courier station, after listening to Juan'er's simple report, Ning Yi murmured, "That is to say … out of nearly 30,000 people, only 6,000 are left at most …"
In the room of the courier station, after listening to Juan'er's simple report, Ning Yi murmured, "Many people have been captured.
"Don't even think about it. Wan Yanchang is not a dead man. He is a guy who is known for doing things safely. Killing someone in public means that he wants to fish." The situation in Liangshan was urgent. In the past few days, the news began to become clear again. The intelligence personnel in the front line returned one by one and sent a large number of news as soon as possible. So much so that several intelligence newspapers were densely filled with words. Ning Yi frowned as he read.
Juan'er stood for a moment. Ning Yi glanced at her and smiled bitterly. "Sit. There have been too many things these two days. I'm in a bad mood. You don't have to stand … I have to write a letter to Liangshan later … "
"Uh …" Juan'er's expression was a little strange. "The last page … reports one thing."
"What is it?" Ning Yi frowned and turned to the last page.
Seeing that Ning Yi began to read, Juan'er pursed her lips and sat on a stool.
On the last page, it was written about Li Shishi's upcoming marriage.
The rescue operation of the Effulgent Army was a risky one, but in a normal battle, the Huaxia army also did their best to fight for that slim chance of survival. The Han army under Wanyan Chang had a hard time. The intelligence team led by Yan Qing had spent a lot of effort to persuade some of the Han generals to let the battle go or even switch sides. Naturally, there were successes and failures in such operations. But not many people knew that Li Shishi, who was originally in Liangshan, had also participated in this operation.
When Li Shishi found out that the Huaxia army had defeated Shu Liesu and was heading towards the southeast, she knew that Zhu Biao and the others would definitely go and rescue Wang Shanyue. When the Huaxia army set off, Li Shishi, who had escaped from Liangshan, also made her own move. She went to persuade a Han general named Huang Guangde to go easy on Wang Shanyue during the siege. She also tried to persuade him to help rescue Wang Shanyue when the battle entered the siege stage.
Huang Guangde was originally a High Scholar in the Wu Dynasty. In his early years in the capital, he had no backing and could not fill the vacancy after passing the High Scholar exam. He wandered around the capital and for a long time, he stayed at Fan Lou. At that time, Miss Shishi was very popular and Huang Guangde naturally could not get close to her. He had only met her a few times. When Li Xizhi was in power, Huang Guangde rose through the ranks. Among the Han army under Wanyan Chang's command, he was considered a relatively powerful general. He had over ten thousand subordinates and many confidants, so he could do some things.
When Li Shishi found Huang Guangde, he was initially very conflicted. But later, he agreed to some conditions and finally extended a helping hand. Only now did he know that Miss Shishi had agreed to marry Huang Guangde and become his concubine. Fortunately, Huang Guangde, who was almost fifty years old, was bold, or perhaps he missed the good times of the past and took the risk out of desperation. At this time, Miss Shishi had already moved into the backyard of the Huang Mansion.
Ning Yi read through the information in detail, his brows furrowed even tighter. He then flipped back to the front and skimmed through the entire information. He naturally knew why Juan 'er's expression was, and the anger in his heart grew. He placed the intelligence report on the square table and asked, "Who is the person in charge of intelligence at Liangshan?"
Juan 'er blinked her eyes and said, "Uh, this …"
"Crazy!" Ning Yi stood up and slammed his hand on the table. "An intelligence officer writes down everything, no matter how big or small! Writing a story! Huang Guangde is forty-nine years old and he still wants to tell me? Li Shishi is over thirty years old. He wrote a whole page about a marriage that could be finished in two lines. Does he think I have too much time? He thinks I'm interested in something!? If they love each other, let them be together. If they want to force a girl to be a prostitute, kill this Huang Guangde! Is it necessary to write it down for me? "
Ning Yi's voice was already roaring in the room, "He thinks I don't know what he's thinking! He thinks I have an affair with Li Shishi! Who the hell cares if I have an affair with Li Shishi! Tens of thousands of people are dead! A group of heroes died on the battlefield and their families are about to be slaughtered! He gave me an entire page of Li Shishi's name for such an important piece of information! Crazy! The guy who sent this information must make a serious reflection! "
Juan 'er nodded and put away the information. Ning Yi was angry for a moment and sat down again, "Tonight I will write a letter to Liangshan, at least … encourage them. Liangshan has tens of thousands of family members and thousands of people. Although they have the geographical advantage, it is hard to say whether they can survive. The lives and futures of hundreds of thousands of people in the southwest are also hanging here. There is no need to take up so much information about one person. Can't they love each other … "
He glanced at Juan 'er, "You are crazy too …"
Juan 'er lowered her head, "I thought … you at least cared about Miss Shishi …"
"We have known each other for so many years. When we were in the capital, she took care of me … But so what? After reading this information, do I have to send an order to rescue Miss Shishi from thousands of miles away? If they really love each other, they would be pregnant by now. "
Ning Yi touched the bridge of his nose and paused. He looked at Juan 'er, "Also, I really don't have an affair with Miss Shishi …"
Juan 'er smiled and the two stopped talking about this topic. After lunch, they returned to the front line of Dujiangyan in the rain. There was a lot of news from the outside world. One of them was that Cheng Zhouhai, the special envoy of the Princess Royal's residence of the Wu dynasty, would arrive in a few days.
"… Old friend, welcome him," Ning Yi said.
*****
When they arrived near Dujiangyan, it was already past the Dragon Boat Festival, the seventh day of May. The weather was clear. Cheng Zhouhai rode on a horse, accompanied by the guards, and saw the nearby villagers working hard to repair the road. The soldiers of the Huaxia army were involved, and there was also a manager wearing a red armband standing on a big rock to encourage the villagers who were building the road.
"Why is that?"
"Mr. Ning said that the workers and troops who know how to control the flood are fighting the flood at the front, and everyone at the back is ensuring that the road is smooth. We are all contributing to the flood control." The Huaxia army personnel beside Cheng Zhouhai explained.
Cheng Zhouhai nodded, "After the flood is controlled, the road here is also repaired, and everyone gets along well … Watertight is Ning Liheng's style."
Along the way, they saw mostly such scenes of labor. When they arrived at a military doctor's camp where many people were treated, Cheng Zhouhai met Ning Yi. They had not seen each other for more than ten years. Ning Yi was middle-aged, and Cheng Zhouhai was nearly 50 years old. He dismounted from the horse and saluted Ning Yi. Ning Yi also came over and saluted back. They looked at each other and smiled without saying anything.
Then Ning Yi tilted his body and pointed to the distance, "There, my son."
"Ning Ji, the one who follows the doctor." Cheng Zhouhai smiled. When he was a subordinate of Qin Siyuan, he was regarded as an extremely scheming poison warrior. These years, he had been working for Zhou Pei and was the chief steward of the princess's mansion. Apart from Li Pin, he was probably the one who paid the most attention to and knew all kinds of information about Ning Yi.
Then he said, "I released the news that the Min River will burst, and I also arranged some people."
Ning Yi nodded, but before he could answer, Cheng Zhouhai smiled and said, "Give me some benefits, and I won't stand in your way."
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