In the southwest, the busy autumn passed, followed by a lively and prosperous winter. In the winter of the 10th year of Wu Jianshuo's reign, the people on the Chengdu plain who had experienced a good harvest gradually calmed down and got used to the new peace brought by the Huaxia army.
The huge disaster relief at the turn of the summer and autumn established a concrete image of the Huaxia army with appropriate propaganda. The relatively strict and relatively incorruptible law enforcement team calmed down the restless fluctuations in the market. The medical team that traveled around solved some of the illnesses that the poor originally couldn't solve. The arrangement of the veterans in each village brought a certain degree of iron blood and killing. Correspondingly, the Huaxia army cooperated with the Huaxia army to eliminate many gangsters and bandits with thunderous methods. Occasionally, there would be opera troupes and medical teams traveling everywhere. Every time they went, they would attract the attention of the villagers.
New workshops had been set up here and there to house the homeless and destitute idlers, and the trade between the great towns had been restored to its former condition in the summer, and in the winter there were many new sights to be seen.
After the Female Zhenren approached, the major clans and warlords of the Wu dynasty had already felt great pressure. They secretly contacted the Huaxia army to buy more weapons. Of course, the Huaxia army also contributed to this. The tacit understanding between the two sides had been established in the summer. By the end of the summer, a large number of iron ingots, ores, mirabilite and other originally embargoed materials had openly entered the area where the Huaxia army was located to exchange for new and better quality weapons such as iron cannons and mines.
In addition, the Huaxia army produced perfume, glassware, mirrors, books, clothes and other luxury goods and daily necessities, along with the arms business that the Huaxia army had turned a blind eye to, began to enter the external market on a large scale. Some of the businessmen who followed the Huaxia army's guidance to establish all kinds of new industries, based on the principle of seeking wealth in the face of danger. By this time, they had already recovered their investment.
In November of that year, a group of more than 500 people set off from the distant Dayang tribe of Tubo. After more than half a month of trekking, they arrived in Chengdu. The general leading them was like an iron tower. He was the current commander of the Seventh Army of Huaxia, Qin Shaoqian. At the same time, another group set off from the Miaojiang in the southeast and arrived in Chengdu. This was the representative of the 29th Army of Huaxia, led by Chen Fan, who had not been seen for a long time.
The "World Number One Martial Arts Competition" was held in Chengdu in December of that year.
This was the first large-scale sports event held by the Huaxia Army. Originally, the Huaxia Army often held similar martial arts competitions, but this time, not only were the members of the Huaxia Army taking part, but the people from the Underworld, people from the pugilistic world, and even representatives of the major clans from the Wu dynasty were also welcomed. Of course, on the side of the Wu dynasty, there weren't any officials who dared participate in this kind of activity for the time being.
There were stories about the Jianghu and the underworld. More than ten years ago, Ning Yi had "copied" all kinds of novels. Through Takeshi's storytellers, these stories were spread everywhere. The people who heard the stories yearned for the "Martial Arts Tournament" in the novels, but naturally, it wouldn't actually happen. Until now, after Ning Yi expanded the Huaxia Army's internal martial arts competition, he began to publicize it and open it to the public. In a short time, it caused a huge wave in the vicinity of Chengdu.
Within a radius of several hundred kilometers of the Chengdu plain, in the territory that still belonged to the Wu dynasty, a large number of people from the Underworld came to register. They said they wanted to kill the spirit of the Huaxia Army, and also said they were participating in this conference, calling for everyone to go north to resist the Jin. By the time the heavy snow fell, the entire ancient city of Chengdu had been filled with people from outside. The inns and restaurants that had been quite full before were now full of people.
Although the sports event had been made with great momentum, Qin Shaoqian and Chen Fan, who were in charge of the two ends of the Huaxia Army, had come in person, not just for this kind of fun. The war in Jiangnan was still going on. The Jurchens were determined to destroy the Wu dynasty in one battle. Whether the Wu dynasty defeated the Jurchens' Southern Punitive Army or the Jurchens advanced, the eleventh year of Jianshuo would be the turning point of the world's situation. On the other hand, Liangshan was besieged by more than two hundred thousand troops, and Jindi was also putting up a tenacious but tragic resistance. As the core and main body of the Huaxia Army, it was time for a new round of high-level meetings to decide the next strategic direction to be held.
At the same time, Qin Shaoqian came from Dayang for another matter.
In May of this year, Lu Mingfang confirmed the whereabouts of Qin Shaohe's concubine, Wang Zhanmei, and her posthumous son in the north. He went to Liaoyang and rescued the mother and son, then arranged for them to go south. At this time, the Central Plains had already fallen into the flames of war. After more than ten years of suffering, the weak Wang Zhanmei couldn't bear the long journey. The whole process of going south was very difficult. They walked and stopped from time to time. Sometimes, they even had to arrange for the mother and son to rest for a period of time.
On the way south, they passed by Liangshan, which was constantly resisting by taking advantage of the lake. Later, they encountered Liu Chengzong and Luo Ye's troops who were fleeing southeast of Bianliang. Wang Zhanmei fell ill several times. During this period, she hoped that the Huaxia Army's escorts would leave her behind and send the child south first to avoid any accidents on the way. But the child was unwilling to leave his mother, so they stopped and walked. It was not until the end of November that they finally arrived in Chengdu.
Qin Shaoqian came to see the mother and son.
After Taiyuan City was breached, they were taken north. For more than ten years, no one asked about what happened to the mother and son. Lu Mingfang and the other staff in the north naturally had an investigation. After Ning Yi read it, he also sealed it.
When Wang Zhanmei arrived in Chengdu, she was only in her thirties. She was slightly younger than Ning Yi, but she already had a head full of sparse white hair. Some parts of her scalp had clearly been injured. Only the whites of her left eye could be seen — it was likely that she had been beaten blind. There was also a scar on her face that had been cut by a knife. Her back was slightly hunched, and her breathing was extremely weak. Every few steps she took, she had to stop to catch her breath.
As for the child who followed her, he was thin and shriveled. His cheeks had some of the squarish features that Qin Shaohe had in the past. But because he was thin and weak, his cheekbones were protruding. His eyes were large, and his gaze was often filled with fear and vigilance. He only had four fingers on his right hand — the little finger had been chopped off.
When he saw the mother and son, Qin Shaoqian, whose temperament had become as firm as iron over the years, almost immediately burst into tears. Although Wang Zhanmei had gone through a lot of hardships, her temperament was not dim. After crying for a while, she even joked, "Uncle's eyes and mine are really like family." Later, she dragged the child over and said, "I finally brought him back. The child only has a nickname, Stone. I haven't given him a proper name yet. It's uncle's business … To be able to bring him back safely, I've lived up to my Husband's expectations …"
The child with the nickname Stone was twelve years old this year. Perhaps it was because he had seen the struggle in Liangshan and the war in the Central Plains along the way, and there were many people in the Huaxia army who had come out of difficult environments. After arriving in Chengdu, there was some toughness in the child's eyes. He grew up in the place of Jurchen. In the early years, these toughness must have been suppressed in the bottom of his heart. At this time, it gradually woke up. Ning Xi, Ning Ji and other children occasionally came to play with him. He was quite reserved, but when it came to fighting, his eyes were full of spirit. After a few days, he began to follow the children in the Huaxia army to practice martial arts. However, his body was thin and weak, and he had no foundation. In the future, whether in mind or body, he would inevitably have to go through a long process to achieve something.
For Ning Yi, among the many important things, there was also a small matter that came with Wang Zhanmei and her son.
After Liangshan became the center of the war, Li Shishi, who was forcibly sent out by Zhu Biao, Lu Junyi and others, followed the team of the mother and son to the south. In this winter, she also came to Chengdu.
Previously, when the situation was dangerous and chaotic, Shishi and Ning Yi were old friends, and they more or less had a good impression of each other. The busybodies in the outside world regarded them as a couple. When Li Shishi traveled with Lu Junyi's team, under Su Tan 'er's indulgence, this rumor also spread more and more widely.
This rumor protected Li Shishi's safety, but to some extent, it also blocked the contact between her and the outside world. At this time, when Li Shishi arrived in Chengdu, Ning Yi felt a little embarrassed in addition to official business.
He pretended that he didn't know. These days, he was busy with meetings, sports games, and all kinds of reception, so he let Juan 'er "casually make arrangements" for Li Shishi, Wang Zhanmei, and the others. In the middle of December, at the site of the Martial Arts Competition in Chengdu, Ning Yi saw her again. Her eyes were quiet and graceful, and she followed Wang Zhanmei and the others, looking at him with a faint smile.
After greeting Wang Zhanmei, this old friend couldn't hide anymore. Ning Yi smiled and cupped his hands. Li Shishi poked her head out and said, "I want to ask you for a job."
"Hmm?"
"In the past few years, I followed Big Brother Lu and Big Brother Yan everywhere. I've been in touch with information and networking. Big Brother Ning, if there is a place where I can work, please arrange it for me. "
Her tone was calm, but the way she called him "Big Brother Ning" made Ning Yi slightly dazed. He vaguely remembered that in Bianliang more than ten years ago, she also had such a warm feeling, always wanting to help this and that, including the disaster relief, and the tragic defense of the city. At this time, looking at the other party's eyes, Ning Yi nodded and said, "I'll have time in a few days to discuss it."
"Okay." Shishi smiled and didn't say anything else.
On the 18th of December, it was already close to the Small Lunar New Year. The news that the Jurchen Cultivator Wu Shu went south and went straight to Lin 'an came urgently, which made Ning Yi, Chen Fan, Qin Shaoqian, and the others shocked. After a few more days, many news from Lin 'an came one after another, pushing the whole situation to an embarrassing state that they had never thought before.
On the 25th of December, Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, Chen Fan, Pang Liu 'an, Li Yi, He Zhicheng, and other senior officials of the Huaxia Army met before the morning meeting. Later, Liu Watermelon and the others came over and looked at each other's information, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.
"There's no need to go back for the New Year," Chen Fan said. "If this goes on, there's no need to celebrate the Lantern Festival."
"You say it as if no one can afford to treat you to Yuanxiao." Watermelon glanced at him.
"I said that there's no way to go back to accompany Qian 'er. You adulterous couple kiss each other, don't understand the feeling of being outside. "Chen Fan looked at Ning Yi and Watermelon.
Ning Yi looked down at the information and said, "You adulterous couple kiss each other, don't understand the feeling of a man who has to go home and kneel."
His words were calm and rigid, but after he finished speaking, everyone couldn't help but laugh. Qin Shaoqian's face was calm, and he moved the stool back. "A fight, a fight."
Everyone jeered, but naturally, it was impossible for them to really fight. After laughing and joking, their faces were also a bit worried.
For the sake of the situation of the Wu dynasty, the whole meeting had been extended for several days. Until now, the situation was changing every day, so the Huaxia Army could only watch quietly.
In Lin 'an, and even in the Wu dynasty, a huge chaos was brewing, and no one could grasp the direction it would go.
The beginning of the matter was the first court meeting after the Laba Festival.
On the 10th of December, it snowed in Lin 'an. On this day, it was a routine court meeting, and it seemed ordinary and ordinary. At this time, the war in the north was still anxious. The biggest problem was that Wanyan Zongfu had already dredged the canal and stationed the navy and a large number of troops near Jiangning, already preparing to cross the river. But even though it was dangerous, the whole situation was not complicated. The Crown Prince had a plan, and the officials had a statement. Although some people mentioned it as a major matter, it was just a matter of routine, one by one.
All the high-ranking officials in the court, including Zhao Ding, Lv Yihao, Qin Hui, Zhang Jun, and so on, had no intention of starting a fight at the moment. Although the war was a major matter, the vast territory of the Wu dynasty was not small, and there were many matters that were approaching the end of the year. Calmly reporting to them one by one was a painstaking effort. When the time was about to end, the last topic was the matter of appeasement for the civil unrest in the southeast. The people from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War spoke one after another. When they finished, Zhou Yong asked, "Is there anything else?"
At this time, someone stood up.
This was not good news. Zhao Ding's nerves tightened. Generally speaking, there was a procedure for reporting to the court. Most of the matters that needed to be reported to the court had to go through the Prime Minister first. Of course, there were cases of making things difficult at the last minute, but it was usually a result of party disputes, political disputes, or a desperate act. It was also a taboo, and no superior liked a subordinate who carelessly stirred up trouble without warning. He glanced behind him. It was a new imperial censor.
But the censor, He Yong, had not greeted him. Zhao Ding glanced at He Yong, who also had a solemn and puzzled expression.
The new imperial censor was called Chen Songxian. He was 45 years old and had been in the imperial examinations for half his life. He had passed this year's examination and had later stayed in the court because of various factors. Zhao Ding did not have a deep impression of him and sighed. Generally speaking, these old scholars who had been currying favor for half their lives were more obedient. Perhaps they were doing this for something important, but more often than not, it was because they had lost their heads.
Chen Songxian continued to talk about the matter of appeasement for the southeast. There was nothing new in what he said. For example, the current situation was critical, and the rebels should be given a way out. As long as the rebels were loyal to the country, they could consider being forced to rebel, and the court should also reflect on its actions. Everyone knew how to talk big. Chen Songxian spoke eloquently for a while, and his reasoning became more and more superficial. The people around him were starting to yawn, but Zhao Ding was shocked. He could feel something bad flashing through his words.
"… Now that the Jurchens are powerful, they have destroyed Liao and taken over the Central Plains. They are at the peak of their power. To fight against them, we must have the resolve to cut off our heads. However, we have no choice but to open our eyes and see the difference between us and the enemy. At this time, all available forces should be united …"
When he said "united", Zhao Ding suddenly opened his eyes. Beside him, Qin Hui also raised his head abruptly. They looked at each other and then at Chen Songxian. These vaguely familiar words were clearly from the Huaxia army's declaration. They listened for a while more before Chen Songxian continued.
"… Today, there is a force in the southwest. Although they have a grudge against us, in the face of the Jurchens' menacing attack, they actually have the intention to retreat and cooperate with us … Gentlemen, you all know the situation on the battlefield. The Jin Kingdom is strong, and the Wu dynasty is weak. However, in the past few years, our Wu dynasty has been catching up with them. Now, we only need a few years to catch up. Our Wu dynasty will prosper and recover the Central Plains will no longer be a pipe dream. However … how will we survive these few years? We have no choice but to pretend to be naive. Gentlemen … "
"Shut up! Rebels and traitors … "
Just as Chen Songxian was shouting, Zhao Ding turned around, picked up the ceremonial tablet in his hand, and smashed it down on Chen Songxian's head!
In an instant, the imperial court was in chaos. As Zhao Ding continued to shout, someone else rushed forward. The Imperial Censor He Yong's face was already flushed red. At this moment, he had already knelt down and shouted, "Ignorant child, you have lost your mind. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I did not know that there was such a crazy person in the Imperial Censorate. I did not investigate, I am guilty! I request that this person be removed from his official position immediately and imprisoned for investigation … "
Another person shouted, "Your Majesty, this person must be a member of the southwest bandits. We have to investigate him. He must have colluded with the bandits. How dare he come to disturb our imperial court …"
All kinds of shouts mixed together. Zhou Yong stood up from his seat and stomped his feet to stop them. "Stop! Stop! What a scandal! All of you, stop … "He shouted a few times. Seeing that the situation was still chaotic, he grabbed a jade Ruyi and threw it down. With a bang, it shattered on the gold stele." All of you, stop! "
Only then did everyone stop. Chen Songxian's forehead had been hit by Zhao Ding's ceremonial tablet. At this moment, he was dripping with blood. Zhao Ding returned to his original position, wiped his mouth, and began to beg for forgiveness. In these years of ups and downs in the imperial court, there were many who had gone mad for the sake of fame. This Chen Songxian was obviously one of them. He had not been an official for half his life. Now that he was able to enter the imperial court, he brought out what he thought was a brilliant but extremely stupid statement in hopes of rising to the heavens in a single step … This traitor's career as an official ended here.
Zhou Yong began to scold from above. "You officials, how can you still act like officials of the imperial court … If you want to frighten me, then so be it. I want to hear it! I don't want to watch you fight … Let him finish. You are officials, he is the imperial censor. Even if he has gone mad, let him finish … "
Chen Songxian endured the blood on his forehead and suddenly knelt on the ground. He began to state his proposal to mend his relationship with Black Flag. He said things like "extreme times call for extreme measures", "the life of an official is insignificant, but the survival of the Wu dynasty is important", and "the aristocratic officials of the imperial court are all pretending to be deaf and mute". He had already incurred the wrath of the masses, but his words were even more direct. Zhou Yong watched from above. Even after Chen Songxian had finished speaking, he still had an angry attitude.
"He's finished! I said to let him finish! Hit someone? What kind of appearance is that? How are you all like my prime ministers? My officials! The Lady Zhenren is coming! Let's discuss and see! "After he said this, he suddenly stood up." Court dismissed! All of you, go back and reflect! "
As for the matter of reconciling with Black Flag, Zhou Yong left angrily. The rest of the officials glared at Chen Songxian and walked out of the throne room. He Yong grabbed Chen Songxian and said, "You will stay at home tomorrow and await your punishment!" Chen Songxian said righteously, "The empire is in danger. My death is not to be regretted. It is a pity that all of you are short-sighted."
Chen Songxian's words were not worth discussing. Zhao Ding and the rest were already thinking about whether he had connections with the rebels of Black Flag and were considering whether he should be imprisoned. Something unexpected happened the next day. On this day, Zhou Yong took the initiative to call for a court meeting and summoned everyone from their homes. "Regarding yesterday's matter, I have thought about it …"
Zhou Yong looked at the crowd and said that he wanted to consider Chen Songxian's proposal.
In an instant, all the officials in the court were trying to persuade him. Zhao Ding and Qin Hui knew that Zhou Yong's experience was very shallow. It was understandable that he was afraid and would try anything in a desperate situation. Some of the officials began to speak up, while others put themselves in Zhou Yong's shoes to analyze the situation. Ning Yi had committed regicide. If he could be forgiven, the one to worry about in the future would be the Emperor. Who would still respect the Emperor? Therefore, anyone could propose to compromise with Black Flag, but only the Emperor should not have such an idea.
Zhou Yong was hesitant and indecisive, but he refused to give up on this idea.
It was only then that Zhao Ding and the rest realized that something was wrong. They had been dealing with Zhou Yong for ten years. Now that they thought about it carefully, they realized a terrifying possibility.
There was no court meeting on the twelfth day. Everyone began to probe the palace and admonish Zhou Yong. Qin Hui, Zhao Ding, and the rest each visited the Eldest Princess, Zhou Pei. Zhou Pei also entered the palace to admonish Zhou Pei. At this time, public opinion in Lin 'an had begun to fluctuate. Various powers and clans also began to exert pressure on the palace. .
There was no court meeting on the thirteenth day. On the fourteenth day of the court meeting, Zhou Yong seemed to finally realize the magnitude of the backlash and suppressed the topic.
It was not until the afternoon of the sixteenth that the scouts hurriedly reported that Wu Shu's cavalry had crossed the Yangtze River. Zhou Yong gathered Zhao Ding and the rest and began a new round of insistent pleas. He urged everyone to consider the matter of reconciliation with Black Flag.
This time, the Emperor steeled his heart. The turbulent discussion continued for four or five days. The court officials, learned scholars, and various aristocratic families gradually began to express their views. A portion of the army's generals began to submit petitions. On the twentieth of the twelfth month, the Imperial College of Students jointly submitted a petition to oppose the idea of destroying their orthodoxy. At this time, Wu Shu's army was already on its way south. Jun Wu hurriedly ordered the 170,000 soldiers in the south to intercept them.
On the twenty-second day, Zhou Yong had already persisted in court with a group of officials for seven or eight days. He did not have much willpower to begin with. At this time, he had already begun to feel fear and regret. However, he had been an emperor for more than ten years and had never been offended. At this time, he was still a little angry. The crowd continued to persuade him. He sat on the throne with his neck tilted and did not say a word. In the throne room, the Minister of Rites, Hou Shao, straightened his clothes and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
As soon as he said this, he suddenly exerted strength in his legs and rushed out. The guards in front of the hall suddenly drew their weapons. Ever since Ning Yi had killed the Emperor, the security in the court had been strengthened. The next moment, there was a horrifying bang. Hou Shao crashed into a pillar at the side. Red and white matter splattered all over the ground.
Everyone was dumbfounded. Zhou Yong stood up shakily, his body swaying, and then with a "wa" sound, he vomited.
It's over …
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