It was near the middle of June and it was the hottest day of the year. The Zhenjiang Navy camp was unbearably hot.
The Enlightened Lady had arrived and Han Shizhong had already gone to Jiangbei to prepare for the war. Jun Wu was in charge of Zhenjiang. Although the Crown Prince had a noble status, Jun Wu normally only rested with the soldiers in the camp. He didn't do anything special. When the weather was hot, the large families would use the ice they had stored in the winter to cool down. Jun Wu only chose a somewhat cool house on the hillside by the river. If there were any honored guests, he would serve them iced drinks.
It hadn't been long since night fell on the eighth day. When the windows were opened, the wind from the river was also hot. Jun Wu prepared a simple meal in the room and also prepared some ice to serve his sister who had rushed over.
In this kind of weather, sitting in a bumpy carriage for an entire day was an unbearable torment for many women from large families. However, Zhou Pei had experienced many things in these past few years. Many times, she had run long distances. That evening, she arrived in Zhenjiang. However, her complexion was slightly dark and haggard. After washing her face and resting for a bit, the Eldest Princess's face returned to its usual resoluteness.
These years, the two of them had carried a heavy burden. Jun Wu's beard covered the natural childishness on his face. It was hard for him to talk about personal matters with Zhou Pei, so he wore a dignified and distant mask. After wearing the mask for a long time, it often became a part of himself. After washing up, Zhou Pei's face was a bit pale and her expression was distant and not pleasant. Although she softened a bit in front of her brother, it wasn't much. Every time he saw his sister like this, Jun Wu would always think of her from ten years ago. At that time, although Zhou Pei was smart and proud, she was actually pretty and cute. The current royal sister could no longer be considered cute. Other than himself, if any man saw her, they would only feel afraid.
The people around them couldn't help but sigh at the tragedy of Zhou Pei's marriage. But they naturally didn't mention it at this time. The two of them only met once every few months or even half a year. Although they used their strength together, it was inevitable that their words would become formulaic.
After exchanging greetings, the dinner was a simple meal of one meat and three vegetables. Jun Wu simply ate the pickled radish strips with the rice. For the past few years, Zhou Pei had been in Lin 'an and didn't come out unless there was something important. Now that the war was imminent, Jun Wu suddenly felt that there might be something important, but he didn't mention it before she said anything. After the two of them had a simple dinner and drank some tea, Zhou Pei, who was dressed in a white dress, pondered for a moment before speaking.
The two of them had a simple meal and drank tea.
Jun Wu nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, General Han is ready for war. Xu Guangting still has 8,000 artillery shells that haven't arrived yet, and I'm rushing him. Huo Xiang's 30,000 men have been crossing the river for the past few days, and his movements are slow. I've sent someone to give him a warning, but everything else is fine."
"of the Zhou of of of of of the river of of." Pei nodded. "Zhou of … Ying of. of.
I heard that Shen Ruxin is very ill. "
"…" Zhou Pei held the teacup and remained silent. After a while, she said, "I received news from Jiangning that Shen Ruxin is very ill."
Jun Wu's heart sank and his face turned gloomy for a moment. But then he looked at his sister and nodded. "Yes, I know. In fact … others think that the royal family is rich, but as the saying goes, once you enter the royal family, you will be as deep as the sea. She hasn't had many happy days since she married me. This time … Doctor Zou is watching over her. Let's leave it to fate. "
At this time, marriage was always arranged by parents and matchmakers. Small families depended on each other for survival. When it came to rich families, it was not strange for a woman to be depressed and die early because her marriage was not harmonious after a few years. Shen Ruxin didn't have a strong family background. When she arrived at the Crown Prince's Mansion, she was trembling with fear and followed the rules.
Although she and Jun Wu loved each other, the burden on Jun Wu's shoulders was too heavy. It wasn't easy for him to keep her in mind. Usually, he couldn't care less about her. That was the norm in this era. This time, Shen Ruhua was exposed and the investigation lasted for two months. Shen Ruxin didn't dare to plead for mercy in the Crown Prince's Mansion. She was hurt both physically and mentally. In the end, she vomited blood and fainted. Jun Wu was in Zhenjiang, but he didn't have time to go back.
"I heard about it and thought it was necessary to come." Zhou Pei held the teacup and didn't show much emotion on her face. "Yao Qifang, who exposed Shen Ruhua, isn't innocent. I also have a way to deal with the Dou and Chen families who committed crimes before Shen Ruhua. Shen Ruhua, if you want to keep him alive, put him in the army. I'll handle the matters of the capital and the matters of the subordinates. "
The corner of Jun Wu's eyes twitched and his face darkened. He had been under a lot of pressure over the years, but he didn't expect that his sister would really come for this matter. The room was quiet for a long time. The night wind blew in through the window. It was a little cold, but it also chilled his heart. Jun Wu put the teacup on the table.
"Sister, Ruhua … must be dealt with. I just didn't expect you to come here for this …"
Zhou Pei looked at him calmly. "I'm here for you."
"I'm fine. I've withstood so many things over the years and I've offended all the people I should have offended. The war is coming … "He paused and said," Just get through it. "
Because of his emotions, Jun Wu's tone was a little harsh. Zhou Pei stopped and sat there with the teacup. There were troops moving in the barracks outside and the light from the torches flickered in the wind. Zhou Pei was cold for a long time, but then she smiled for a moment.
"Shen Ruhua isn't important, but Ruxin is. Jun Wu, you've done a good job over the years. In order for the army to be able to make their own decisions in war, you have protected many people and blocked many storms. These past few years, you have been very unyielding, bearing the pressure. Yue Fei, Han Shizhong … this mess in Jiangnan, the refugees from the north, many of them were able to survive because of your identity. I didn't say that the strong are easy to break a few years ago. It's okay to offend people. But I'm afraid you'll regret what you did to Ruxin one day. "
Jun Wu was stunned and didn't say anything. Zhou Pei held the teacup with both hands and looked out of the window.
"… Over the years in Nandu, we've become very tough. People seem to be afraid, but it's because we have no other choice. Little brother, you know that I wasn't happy after I got married. I didn't like the son-in-law. Later, when I dealt with him, people said that I was hard-hearted and that I only cared about power. They said that I was going to be a loner like Wu Zetian. I didn't show any mercy when I dealt with Qu Zonghui. Even today, I don't think there's any problem. But time has passed. Many times, I want to have my own family … but I won't have one in this life. "
A desolate smile flashed across her eyes. Then, she smiled and added, "Of course, I'm not talking about Imperial Father and little brother. You will always be my family."
The room fell silent again. Jun Wu gradually understood the reason for his royal sister's visit. Of course, this matter could be very big or very small. It was difficult to measure. Over the past few days, Jun Wu had been having a hard time figuring it out.
He was silent for a long time and then said reluctantly, "Ruxin is a member of the royal family. She can hold on. Even if … she can't … "
He then smiled and said, "Sister, she's just someone close to me. All these years, I've personally ordered the killing of many people close to me. I can't let all my efforts go to waste … What will everyone think of me? "
"Maybe it's not as big as you think. Maybe … "Zhou Pei lowered her head and thought for a moment. Her voice became very low." Maybe … you've been too tough all these years. Enough … I know you're learning from that person, but not everyone can become that person. If you want to take a step back before you regret it … everyone will understand … "
Zhou Pei found it extremely difficult to say these words, because she herself did not believe it. But Jun Wu could understand her emotions. His sister had already gone to the extreme and there was no turning back. Even though she knew that this was the only way, she still hoped that her brother would regret it before the battle began. Jun Wu vaguely sensed her conflicting emotions. This was the first time in years that his sister had shown such indecisiveness.
He just shook his head.
Zhou Pei didn't try to persuade him anymore. "I understand … I've sent people to get the best herbs from the palace and sent them to Jiangning. It's not a bad thing to have you at the front. "
The siblings didn't talk about this again. After a while, the heat of the night was still there. They left the room and walked along the hillside to enjoy the cool breeze. Jun Wu thought of Shen Ruxin in Jiangning. The two of them had met on the way to search the mountains and sea. They had been married for eight years and rarely spent time apart. For a long time, Jun Wu told himself that he had to do something big. Before that, love was just a decoration. But now that he thought about it, he couldn't help but feel sad.
His sister had come to remind him of this.
"Not everyone will become that person. If we take a step back, everyone will understand … Sister, the person you mentioned also mentioned this. The people of Bianliang are like that, and everyone can understand. But not everyone can understand that bad things won't happen. "After walking for a while, Jun Wu brought up this matter again.
A trace of sadness flashed in Zhou Pei's eyes, but she just nodded. The two stood on the hillside and looked at the lights in the river.
"These years, I often read things from the north. Every year, Emperor Jingping was forced to write those imperial edicts, saying how well the Emperor of the Jin Kingdom treated him. For a period of time, he was kept in a well by the Immortal and didn't even have clothes to wear. The Empress was humiliated by the Immortal in front of him, and he had to smile and beg the Immortal to give him some food. All kinds of imperial concubines and palace maids lived worse than prostitutes … Sister, the people in the royal family were also vain. The people in the capital looked down on idle princes from other places. Do you still remember what those brothers and sisters were like? I remember when you went to the capital with Teacher, you met Zhou Qing, the princess of Prince Chong's mansion. She even invited you and Teacher, and Teacher even wrote a poem. The shame of Jingping, Zhou Qing was taken north by the Immortal. Sister, do you remember her? Two years ago, I found out where she was … "
Zhou Pei looked at Jun Wu, who smiled bitterly. "The Immortal took her to Yunzhong Mansion and humiliated her along the way. When they arrived, she got pregnant and was sold to a brothel in Yunzhong Mansion to be a prostitute. She was pregnant for six months, but she was beaten and miscarried. A year later, she got pregnant again, and the child was aborted. Two years later, a group of nobles from the Jin Kingdom went to the brothel and had fun. They wanted to see who had the guts to beat her. They pinned her to the table and cut off her ears. She went crazy, and one of her legs was broken … She died three years ago … She lived a long life …"
Jun Wu tried his best to be calm. "When people talk about the royal family and the struggles in the court, they will do anything. Lu Zhi, the Empress of Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, cut off people's hands and feet because of jealousy. How cruel … Sister, can you imagine how Princess Zhou Qing felt when she was treated like that? Those things are happening again. The Immortal is here … "
"I know." Zhou Pei answered. The things that happened in the north over the years were limited to a certain extent to the common people. But for them, as long as they wanted to, they could understand it clearly.
Jun Wu looked at the river in the distance. "I've been afraid all these years. As people grow up, they slowly understand what war is. If someone rushes to kill you and you fight back with a knife, you will definitely lose your hands and feet. If you don't fight back, you will die. I don't want to die, and I don't want to lose my hands and feet. I don't want Ruxin to die like that. If she dies … I'll regret it when I think about it. But all these years, there's one thing that I'm most afraid of. I've never told anyone about it. Imperial sister, can you guess what it is? "As he said this, he shook his head." It's not a Female Zhenren … "
Zhou Pei looked at him.
Jun Wu was silent for a while. Then, he pointed at the river. "In the second year of Jianshuo, the army escorted me to the riverside. They only found a small boat. The guards put me on the boat, and the Immortal attacked. That day, tens of thousands of people were killed by Shu Lie Su and his men. Some swam with all their might, some drowned, some dragged their families … There was a woman who was holding her child. The child was swept into the water. I could hear her screams even though I was standing on the boat. Sister, do you know how I felt at that time? "
Jun Wu's eyes widened. "I felt … lucky … that I survived. I didn't have to die." He said.
The night wind blew across the hillside.
"All these years, I still remember their eyes at night. I was scared out of my wits. They were slaughtered, but I didn't feel angry. Sister, I … I just felt that they were dead, but I was alive. I felt lucky that they put me on the boat … All these years, I killed many people according to military law. I told Han Shizhong, Yue Fei, and countless others that we must defeat the Immortal. I was with them, and I killed them for the cause of fighting against the Jin Dynasty. Yesterday, I brought Shen Ruhua here and told him that I must kill him. I did it for the cause of fighting against the Jin Dynasty … Sister, I've been saying these brave words for years. Every night, I think about what I'm going to say the next day. I practice those words alone, and I'm afraid … I'm afraid that someone will jump out and ask me, 'In order to fight against the Jin Dynasty, they have to die. Soldiers on the battlefield have to fight, but what about you?'
"Everyone who died that day was looking at me. They knew that I was afraid. I didn't want to die. There was only one boat, and I pretended to get on it. Why was I the one who got on it? Now that so many years have passed and I've been boasting so much, I ask myself every night, 'When the Immortal comes again, will you be able to fight against her? Will you be able to grit your teeth? Will you bleed? ' Sometimes, I pick up a knife and want to cut my own hand! "
As he spoke, Jun Wu drew a dagger from his waist and gestured at his left arm. Zhou Pei's expression changed. She walked over, grabbed Jun Wu's left arm, and lifted his sleeve.
There was no scar on his arm. Jun Wu smiled. "Sister, I can't do it … I'm afraid of pain."
"You, you …" Zhou Pei looked at him with a complicated expression.
"What I'm most afraid of is that one day, when the Immortal comes, I find that I'm still afraid of pain and death. I'm afraid that one day, tens of thousands of people will be pushed to the riverside with me. I'll get on that boat, and I'll be glad that I survived. I was afraid that after righteously killing so many people, when the time came, I would show mercy to my brother-in-law. I was afraid that after righteously killing my brother-in-law, when the Female Zhenren came, I would still be a coward. I've never told anyone about this, but sister, I'm afraid every day …
"I'm afraid of everything …"
As he said this, his gaze was mournful. His eyes had already turned red, and his teeth were already clenched tightly. Yes, who in the world wouldn't be afraid? He was just a spoiled son of a royal family. He was afraid of bloodshed, afraid of sacrifice, afraid of losing a battle, and afraid of going through all the tragedies. Before the real test came, no one knew what would happen to him.
That night, they talked a lot. The next day, Zhou Pei found Wenren Bu 'er before she left. She told her to bring Jun Wu back from the battlefield if the battle was dangerous. She left Zhenjiang and went back to Lin 'an. The weak crown prince stayed by the river and continued to surround his heart with iron and stone every day.
At noon on the tenth day, the eighteen -year-old Shen Ruhua was beheaded in public in Zhenjiang. In the crown prince's mansion, Shen Ruxin's health condition was deteriorating day by day. She was struggling on the border between life and death. It was just an insignificant life and death struggle in the world. That night, Zhou Junwu sat by the river on the side of the military camp. He didn't sleep the whole night.
At this time, in the north, Wanyan Zongbi's eastern vanguard army had left Xuzhou and was moving towards Xuyi. They were less than three hundred miles away from Yangzhou.
Around Yangzhou, Tianchang, Gaoyou, Zhenzhou, Taizhou, Zhenjiang … With Han Shizhong's army as the core, more than eight hundred thousand soldiers, including one hundred thousand sailors, were waiting.
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