In the eleventh year of Wu Jianshuo's reign, Lin 'an had been under martial law since the first day of the new year.
The people inside could not get out, and the people outside could not get in. For the next few days, there were all kinds of rumors in the city: some said that Wu Shu had killed countless people; some said that millions of people outside Lin 'an wanted to enter the city but were blocked outside the city gate; some said that the imperial guards had shot and killed the people outside the city a few days ago; and some said that the tragedy of Jingping was that everyone was blocked inside the city, and they were afraid that they would not be able to survive in the future … and so on and so forth.
People in the city discussed in the restaurants, teahouses, and courtyards. Even if martial law was occasionally imposed in a big city with nearly 1.5 million people, it could not last forever. The people had to eat, and the goods had to be transported. The bustling commercial activities of the past temporarily stopped, but they still had to maintain the lowest demand. The big and small temples and Taoist temples in Lin 'an were booming these days, just like the scene before and after every war.
Although Li Pin and the Princess's Mansion had wantonly publicized the dangers of the "Celestial Master Guo Jing", it was difficult to dispel the feeling of helplessness in the face of such a major disaster. For a time, there were many rumors about the "Celestial Master Guo Jing"'s defeat. For example, although Guo Jing had great supernatural power, the rapid rise of the Nüzhen had the protection of demons. For example, the "Goddess of Grains" Wanyan Xiyin, if she was not a deity or a demon, how could she be called the "Goddess of Grains"? There was also a story about the seduction of the "Celestial Master Guo Jing" by a seductive female demon, and the great supernatural power of the Six Armor Heavenly Weapon, resulting in a crushing defeat at the city gate of Bianliang. The content was complicated and erotic, and there were erotic illustrations sold along with the book. During the days when Lin 'an was under martial law, the supply could not meet the demand, and Luoyang paper was expensive.
There was nothing new in the world. The foolish men and women spent their accumulated wealth to ask for the protection of the gods. Then, they gave the talismans of safety to the people they cared about the most, hoping that they would be able to get through this calamity safely. This kind of humbleness made people sigh, but it also made people feel pity.
On the sixth day of the first month, Zhou Pei stood on the wall of the imperial city, directing the huge hot air balloon to slowly rise above the city. She pursed her lips and frowned, looking up at the huge object in the sky without saying a word. She was worried that it would fall.
When Ning Yi killed the Emperor, he had once flown a hot-air balloon over the Imperial City with a few people. Regarding this kind of treasonous object that could fly over the Emperor's residence, the entire Imperial Court of the Wu dynasty was rather taboo. Therefore, since the Wu dynasty moved the capital and Jun Wu made the hot air balloon, this was the first time it had risen in the sky of Lin 'an.
At this time, there were a total of eight hot air balloons swaying in the cold winter wind in Lin 'an. The city was in an uproar. People walked out of the courtyard and gathered everywhere. They looked up at the miracle-like novelty, pointing and discussing. For a time, the crowd seemed to fill every open space in Lin' an.
Zhou Pei's eyes took in all of this.
In order to push this matter forward, Zhou Pei spent a lot of effort. The Jurchens were coming. The people in the city were in a state of panic and morale was low. Among the officials, there were all kinds of complicated and strange thoughts. Wu Shu's fifty thousand light cavalry headed south to attack the heart. In theory, if everyone in the Imperial Court was united, defending Lin 'an should not be a problem. However, the situation of the Wu dynasty was complicated first, and Zhou Yong courted death later. All kinds of complicated situations piled up. Whether or not anyone would waver, whether or not someone would change sides, no one could be sure.
To a certain extent, the current Wu dynasty was like Liangshan after Ning Yi had used a heart attack. Before the test came, no one knew whether or not they could withstand it.
In the past few days, Zhou Pei lobbied all the high-ranking officials. Regarding the idea of raising hot air balloons to boost morale, everyone seemed hesitant. Lv Yihao said, "This lowly official feels that this matter will have little effect and will easily lead to unnecessary trouble. Of course, if Your Highness thinks it is useful, this lowly official feels that it is not impossible to give it a try."
Under these circumstances, Zhou Pei ordered the Imperial Censor to make a proposal in the Imperial Court. She also forced Chen Xiangji, who had taken over the Ministry of Rites after Hou Shao's death remonstrance, to endorse it. She only raised the condition that the hot air balloons should be raised in the air and that the people riding them should not look in the direction of the Imperial Palace to avoid suspicion of spying on the Palace. Under everyone's silence, the matter was finalized. However, when the discussion in the Imperial Court was over, Qin Hui came out to review the matter. He said that in the face of a formidable enemy, extraordinary things should be done. He strongly supported Zhou Pei's proposal, which made Zhou Pei feel a little more favorable toward him.
After removing the resistance from the imperial court, there was still the factor of weather that hindered the hot-air balloon from rising. At this time, the weather in Lin 'an was still cold, and the wind in the air was not weak. The possibility of the hot-air balloon breaking down after it took off was correspondingly greater. On the sixth day of the New Year, Wu Shu's cavalry had already bypassed the defensive line and was approaching Lin 'an. The technicians from the Academy of Physics finally decided to take the risk when the wind was slightly weaker. Eight hot air balloon operators, who had disregarded life and death, lifted the hot air balloon into the air.
It had been more than ten years since the first hot-air balloon took off in Lin 'an, but there were still not many people who had actually seen it. The streets and alleys of Lin' an were in an uproar. Some elderly people shouted "Heavenly soldiers and generals" and knelt down and kowtowed. Zhou Pei watched all of this and prayed in her heart that nothing would go wrong.
This time, in the end, the heavens still stood on the side of the Wu dynasty. The eight hot air balloons hung in the sky for fifteen minutes before slowly descending. There were no possible breakdowns along the way. At this time, the Princess's residence and Li Pin's propaganda power had also begun to move. Speakers went to the streets and alleys to appease the people. By tomorrow, there would be more newspapers following.
On the other hand, with the first hot-air balloon taking off in Lin 'an, the influence of the Academy of Physics would always expand in the future. Zhou Pei was not as persistent as her younger brother in this regard, but she could imagine how happy Jun Wu would be if he heard that they had achieved this before the war began.
After arranging the following various matters and giving encouragement and commendation to the hot air balloon technicians who took off today, Zhou Pei returned to the Princess's residence and began to write a letter to Jun Wu.
At this time, Jiangning was under fierce attack by Zong Fu's army. Zhenjiang had sent troops to rescue them. Jun Wu and Han Shizhong had personally gone over to boost the morale of the Jiangning army. In the letter, she warned her younger brother to pay attention to his health, take care of himself, and not to worry too much about the capital. She, Cheng Zhouhai, and the others would guard everything. She also mentioned to him about today's hot-air balloon. She wrote that the foolish people in the city thought that the hot-air balloon was a heavenly soldier descending to the earth. She couldn't help teasing them a little, but in terms of the purpose of boosting the people's morale, it was very effective. Although the impact of this matter had to be considered in the long run, Jun Wu, who was far away in a dangerous place, could also be gratified.
She sent the letter that night. In the morning of the next day, Cheng Zhouhai came over and put a bigger message in front of her. The Huaxia army passed a resolution on the eve of the new year. On the first day of the new year, they had a peaceful Spring Festival. On the second day of the new year, a murderous declaration of war had already been sent out: Today, the Jurchens are fighting unjustly, the people of the Central Plains have no way to live, and the flames of war are raging in Jiangnan. All the people of Huaxia in the world should unite against the foreign enemy. However, there are those who are greedy for life and afraid of death, intimidated by the tyrannical power of the Jurchens, who raise their swords against their own compatriots. For these people who have already crossed the bottom line, the Huaxia army calls on all the Han people in the world to attack them together.
In this declaration, the Huaxia army listed a number of "war criminals". Most of them had served the puppet regime of the Qi Kingdom and were now leading troops on the southern expedition of the Jin Kingdom. Among them, there were also several Wu dynasty forces who were in cahoots with the Jin Kingdom. To deal with these people, the Huaxia army had already sent out tens of thousands of elite troops to behead them. While calling on the people of the world to join in this grand undertaking, it also called on all the people of the Wu dynasty to be vigilant and guard against all the shameless traitors who tried to defect to the enemy during the war.
In the early morning light, Zhou Pei quietly finished reading the declaration. She looked at Cheng Zhouhai, her expression unreadable. "… Really … or not?"
"There are indeed unusual movements in the Huaxia army. When the news was sent out, it was confirmed that several elite troops were gathering from different directions. The troops ranged from dozens to one or two hundred people. These are the 'special operations' troops that Ning Yi has specially trained over the years. They are based on Zhou Dong's tactical formation and are specially designed to deal with the hundreds of people in the Greenwood Forest …"
Zhou Pei blinked her eyes. "When he was in Bianliang, he was often assassinated …" "Yes.
Back then, he was concerned about the affairs of the Greenwood Forest and offended many people. His teacher said that he did not attend to his proper duties … The people around him initially trained for this. Later, they formed the Black Flag Army. This kind of training was called special operations. They beheaded the enemy's chief in battle. Two years ago, near Xiangyang, a troop of over a hundred masters from the Jurchen side kidnapped a pair of General Yue's children. However, they just happened to run into Ning Yi, who was returning from Jindi. These Jurchen masters were almost all killed. There was also the villain Lu Tuo, who was known as the Great Grandmaster in Jianghu. When he ran into Ning Yi, he was killed with one palm. "
Zhou Pei listened quietly. All these years, the Princess and the Crown Prince had quite a reputation among the people. Under Zhou Pei, there were naturally a large number of masters and heroes who had learned both literature and martial arts and sold them to the Emperor's family. Zhou Pei would occasionally use thunderous methods, and the death warriors that she used were often from these people. However, in comparison, the "professionals" on Ning Yi's side were more like legends in this field. Just like the Huaxia army that defeated the many, they could always create frightening results. In fact, how could Zhou Yong's fear of the Huaxia army not come from this?
After Cheng Zhouhai finished speaking, he paused. "It seems that Ning Yi has really put in a lot of effort this time."
"What do you mean?" Zhou Pei asked.
Cheng Zhouhai smiled faintly. "Such a bloodthirsty and stubborn declaration of war does not match the current situation of the Huaxia army. No matter how fiercely we fight on our side, the Huaxia army is still at peace in the southwest. Ning Yi has issued this declaration and sent people to carry out assassinations. Although it will make some of the wavering people not dare to act rashly, it will also make those who have already sided with the Jurchens more determined. Moreover, the first thing these people worry about is not the Wu dynasty, but … Ning Rentu, whose words carry some weight in the world. He's pushing the burden to his side … "
Zhou Pei smiled faintly. At this time, Ning Rentu had a bad reputation among the people. This was the result of the joint suppression of the Jin Kingdom and the Wu dynasty over the years. However, in the eyes of the higher-ups of the various forces, how could Ning Yi's name only "carry some weight"? First, he killed Zhou Zhe. Then, he directly overthrew Tian Hu's regime in Jin and caused the heroic Tiger King to die in the Black Prison. Then, he drove Liu Yu, who was nominally the "ruler of a country", crazy and took him away from the palace in Bianliang. Until now, his whereabouts were unknown, and the blame was conveniently placed on the Wu dynasty …
How could this be considered "carry some weight"? In fact, if this Ning Rentu really targeted someone and said that he would not rest until he was dead, how many people in the world could really sleep soundly?
The smile on Zhou Pei's face disappeared in a flash. "He is afraid that we will not be able to hold on much longer and implicate him who is hiding in the southwest."
Cheng Zhouhai nodded. "It is also … uh, it is also His Majesty's previous actions that left him with no choice. The declaration of war said that he would send ten thousand people. This must be a bluff. But even if there are thousands of people, they are still the elite force that the Hua Xia army has cultivated with great difficulty. Since they have killed their way out, there will definitely be losses. This is also a good thing … In any case, the situation on His Highness' side and on our side can be slightly alleviated because of this. "
Zhou Pei nodded. Her eyes turned around on the big map in front of the house. She was calculating in her mind. "He sent so many people to cause trouble for the Lady Zhenren. The Lady Zhenren will certainly not sit by and watch. Those who have already changed sides will certainly see him as a thorn in their side … Well, this time, the whole world is going to fight, and no one will be left behind … Well, Mr. Cheng, I am thinking, we should arrange a group of people …"
Cheng Zhouhai laughed. "I was thinking the same …"
Zhou Pei walked to the front of the map. "These years, many people in Sichuan and Shu have done business with the Hua Xia army. I guess that the Hua Xia army dared to go out of Sichuan, they must first use these forces to gradually kill their way out. He was using the name of eliminating traitors. In the current situation, most people would turn a blind eye to it and not deliberately make things difficult for him. However, there would still be a lot of killing on all sides. We need to send our people and first order all the local authorities not to obstruct the Hua Xia army's action. When necessary, we can cooperate with these people from the Hua Xia army and give them help. First, we can try to clean up those scums who have secret dealings with the Lady Zhenren, including those we have previously counted. If it is inconvenient to act, then we can throw the blame on Demon King Ning. "
When she said this, she was already smiling. Cheng Zhouhai nodded. "Ren Shangfei … Old Ren is meticulous. He can be responsible for this matter, and at the same time cooperate with the Hua Xia army …"
"Find out who they are and record them." Zhou Pei smiled and took over the task. She looked at the big map. "In this way, even if there is a day in the future when the two sides are going to fight …"
She lowered her voice. "We also have an idea in our hearts …"
"…" Cheng Zhouhai stood at the back and looked at her for a while. His gaze was complicated, and then he smiled slightly. "I'll make arrangements."
"Thank you, Mr. Cheng …"
After saying this, Zhou Pei looked at the map in silence for a long time. When she turned back, Cheng Zhouhai had already left the room. Zhou Pei sat on the chair and looked at the declaration of war and the intelligence report that came with it. The declaration of war seemed to be well-behaved, but the content was frighteningly iron-blooded and ruthless.
For a long time, facing the complicated situation of the world, Zhou Pei often felt powerless. She was proud by nature, but she was not strong on the inside. In the face of the world situation where there was no room for the slightest fluke, especially in front of the Female Zhenren, who was extremely fierce and decisive when it came to killing, and Ning Liheng, who she had once called her teacher, Zhou Pei could only feel her distance and insignificance. Even with the support of half of the Wu dynasty, she had never felt that she had the qualifications to compete with these people in the world.
In this aspect, her younger brother, who rushed forward regardless of everything, perhaps had even greater strength.
When the Huaxia army did not hesitate to put the blame of the fake Qi Emperor Liu Yu on the head of the Wu dynasty, Zhou Pei felt the coldness of the world. On the level of the game of the world, when had her teacher ever been emotional? Until last year, her father's cowardice and fear made Zhou Pei understand the cold reality. She sent Cheng Zhouhai to the southwest in the form of compromise to strengthen herself by hook or by crook. Now, the moment before Lin 'an was about to face Wu Shu and face internal and external troubles, the actions of the Huaxia army more or less made her feel warmth.
Even if that demon in the southwest was considering things based on cold reality, even if she knew very well in her heart that the two sides would eventually fight, at this moment, he finally had "no choice" but to lend a helping hand. It could be imagined that her younger brother and the soldiers around him would also feel gratified and encouraged when they heard this news in the near future.
On the other hand, in the deepest part of her heart, she wanted to laugh. Although this was a bad thing, from beginning to end, she had never thought that her father's wrong action would force Ning Yi, who was far away in the southwest, to "no choice" but to make such a decision. She could almost imagine what kind of mood he had when he made the decision. Perhaps he had even cursed her father.
No matter what, for Demon Ning, this was certainly a strange kind of defeat. Her father had done what no one else in the world could do in such a way. Thinking about it, Zhou Pei felt happy.
This happy mood lasted for a long time. The next day, on the eighth day of the first lunar month, Wu Shu's cavalry arrived in Lin 'an. They drove away some of the people who could not leave in time and launched a small-scale attack on Lin' an. Zhou Pei sat in the Princess's Mansion and coordinated with the advisors of various advisors. While keeping a close eye on the situation in Lin 'an and even in the imperial court, she issued orders to the outside of the city in an orderly manner. She ordered Xu Liejun, Shen Cheng, and the other rescue teams not to be anxious, to stabilize their position and slowly complete the siege and coercion of Wu Shu.
Even if there were people in the mansion who felt uneasy and showed it in front of Zhou Pei, Zhou Pei only calmly and confidently told them,
"We will definitely hold it."
In her heart, the rational side was still complicated and uneasy. But after so many years, after experiencing such a long period of depression and despair, this was the first time she saw a little hope.
After so many years, Zhou Pei had not seen Ning Yi since that midnight in Bianliang City many years ago. She went back to get married and stayed in Jiangning, while he went to Liangshan, wiped out the bandits in Liangshan, and worked for Grandpa Qin. Later, he killed the emperor, defeated Xixia, fought against the Jurchens, and even fought against the whole world. He became more and more unfamiliar to Zhou Pei. Standing opposite the Wu dynasty made Zhou Pei feel fear.
But at the same time, in her heart, there was always the image of the girl and her teacher when they bid farewell.
At that time, Ning Yi turned and left. Looking at his back, she always knew in her heart that no matter how difficult it was, as long as he appeared, there would always be a glimmer of warm hope.
That night, she dreamt of what happened that night.
In the early morning of the next day, all kinds of new information came in. When Zhou Pei saw a piece of information, she paused for a moment. The information was very simple. It was about yesterday afternoon, when her father summoned Lord Qin Hui to the palace.
After falling out with the officials, Zhou Yong hid in the palace and did not bother to deal with people. Yesterday, Wu Shu launched a superficial attack on Lin 'an, and Zhou Yong summoned Qin Hui. Of course, there was a lot of information in this, so her subordinates sent the information to her. But in general, it was not a big deal, so it was enough to know.
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