Waking up from a rare deep sleep, she felt as if she had just woken up from a distant dream.
On the morning of April 23rd, it was already dawn when Zhou Pei got up. It was an early summer morning, free from the stifling humidity of spring. There was a gentle breeze in the courtyard, and the world was as clear as if it had been washed. It was like Jiangning when she was a child.
She sat in the pavilion in the middle of the empty courtyard for a while. There were thriving flowers and vines next to her. The courtyard seemed to sink into a quiet gray as the sun rose. There were guards stationed in the distance, but none of them spoke. Zhou Pei clasped her hands together. It was only at this moment that she could feel how weak she was.
As a mortal, she had set foot in this complicated world, pushed many things, and sorted out thousands of relationships. Sometimes, she could decide a person's life with a single word, and sometimes, she couldn't sleep for days. After a long time, she felt that she was no longer herself, as if she was covered with a huge shell. But of course, this was all an illusion.
She was 30 years old, and in the eyes of the world, she was just a lonely and vicious old woman who had put her husband under house arrest and held power. Most of the officials were trembling with fear when they came, and they were actually more afraid than when they met Jun Wu. The reason was simple. Jun Wu was the crown prince. No matter how brave he was, he would take over the country in the future. Even if they had different opinions, they could still communicate.
But she was different. She stood behind Jun Wu and supported her brother as a woman. She had no one to accompany her, and her husband had been put under house arrest. Although she seemed to be gentle, she was capable of anything when she turned her back — that was what most people thought of her.
In fact, what else could she think of?
She thought of Zhou Xuan and Kang Xian, who were already dead.
When she was supposed to take over the business of Princess Cheng's Mansion, she was only a teenage girl. As she got married, the burden fell on her shoulders. She didn't realize it at first, but when she realized it, things had already pushed her away. Her teacher rebelled, and the country was destroyed. Countless things happened every day — of course, she could ignore them and pretend she didn't see them, but she didn't.
When she stood still again, she was 30 years old. Her husband had become a heinous villain, and her marriage was over. The happy life that was defined by the secular world was so far away from her that she couldn't even see it.
When he calmed down and thought about it, Zhou Xuan and Kang Xian's departure seemed to be right in front of him. Life passed in an imperceptible moment.
She picked up a branch from a tree beside the pavilion and held it in her hand like a sword. More than ten years ago, after she returned from Bianliang, Zhou Xuan taught her the sword dance. The Imperial Aunt was gentle in front of her family, but she also had a dignified and murderous side as she controlled the huge power and property of Princess Cheng's Mansion. When she first came into contact with the affairs of Princess Cheng's Mansion, the old lady taught her the sword dance in private.
"The sword has two edges. One can hurt others, and the other can hurt oneself. Most of the things in the world are like this … The interesting thing about the sword and everything in the world lies in the sense of propriety between being wounded and not being wounded …"
Zhou Pei's athletic ability was not strong, and she had never learned Zhou Xuan's imposing sword dance. However, she quickly understood the principles behind the sword dance. To injure or not to injure others was a matter of propriety, but to injure others was to injure oneself … What mattered was decisiveness. After understanding the principles, she never touched the sword again. Thinking about it now, she couldn't help but feel sad.
She recalled the original scene, stood up with the wooden branch, and slowly stepped forward to stab the wooden branch. As the old lady, who had died eight years ago, moved the sword in the morning wind and moved … The sword had two edges, hurting others but also hurting oneself. The girl from more than ten years ago finally couldn't keep up, so it was replaced by the current Princess Royal.
Cheng Zhouhai came in from outside, and then silently took two steps back at the courtyard gate. Zhou Pei danced a few times with the sword and stopped to look at the courtyard gate. Cheng Zhouhai came over and said, "Your Highness is in a good mood."
"Sir, so early."
"Waiting for the news. I didn't go back last night." Cheng Zhouhai smiled and said, "Your Highness is in good spirits."
Zhou Pei put the branch aside and said, "I don't know why, but I suddenly had a good sleep last night. I didn't have a dream until dawn. I forgot what I dreamed of. "
After the death of Kang Xian and Zhou Xuan, Zhou Pei relied on Cheng Zhouhai the most. They were both teachers and friends, so they were familiar with each other's situation. As the pressure on herself increased, Zhou Pei often suffered from insomnia and couldn't sleep. Many medical officers had seen her, but it didn't help much. When the Lady Zhenren called, Zhou Pei was worried, and staying up late was a daily routine. She was less than thirty years old, and she could still hold on on the surface, but the people around her were often anxious. At this time, when he heard that Zhou Pei had a good sleep, Cheng Zhouhai was stunned.
"Your Highness is calm and composed, and has the style of Xie An." He cupped his hands and said flatteringly, and then said, "… Maybe it's a good sign."
He said before that he was "waiting for the news". In fact, in the past few days, many people in Lin 'an City were waiting for the news. On the 18th of April, Xi Yin's army, which was originally aimed at Changzhou, changed its direction and rushed to Zhenjiang at high speed. On the same day, Arubao's army also cooperated and showed a posture of attacking Zhenjiang at all costs. For the time being, not many people could confirm the authenticity of this move.
At this time, in Jiangnan, Jiangning in the west and Zhenjiang in the east were the two fulcrum of blocking the Yangtze River. As long as these two fulcrum still existed, they could hold back Zong Fu's army and make it difficult for him to go south.
Now, the side of Jiangning had become the core war zone, and Zhenjiang was under the command of Jun Wu, who was responsible for dealing with the army led by Xi Yin and Yin Shuke. For a few months, both sides fought desperately and did not give in to each other. Jun Wu hoped to defeat Xi Yin as soon as possible, or even to use the tactic of overwhelming Xi Yin with numbers.
On the side of Xi Yin, there were two directions in the overall strategy. One was to ignore the training of the logistical supply, and continue to go south along the rich areas of Lake Tai area, attack the cities, and eat the people. In between, there was a distance of four hundred miles from Zhenjiang to Lin 'an. There were rich cities everywhere, and the people in Lin' an City were uncertain and the situation was complicated. As long as Xi Yin could kill the most elite Jurchen troops and reach Lin 'an City, together with the strength of Wu Shu's army, the people of the Wu dynasty could collapse at any time.
The second was to cooperate with Zong Fu to destroy the Yangtze River defense line. In between, it naturally included the option of attacking Zhenjiang City. Even between February and April, Xi Yin's troops put on such a posture several times, saying that they would attack Zhenjiang City and kill Zhou Junwu, which made the army of the Wu dynasty highly nervous. Then, because of the tight defense of the Wu dynasty, Xi Yin chose to give up.
But war was like this, with people trying to deceive each other, and every time it happened, it could become true. On the 18th of April, Xi Yin turned to Zhenjiang again. In the meantime, the army of the Wu dynasty had to face several possibilities. If they immediately closed the battle line and focused on defending Zhenjiang, Xi Yin and the others might directly go south and attack Changzhou. And if Xi Yin really chose to attack Zhenjiang, then the information that would leak out would be really thought-provoking and frightening.
In the face of Xi Yin's return, the people in Zhenjiang were already waiting for the arrival of the new news in Lin 'an. Perhaps at some point in the future, there would be news that Xi Yin had turned to attack Changzhou, Danyang, or the battle of Jiangning to distract everyone's attention.
This news was on the road to the south, and soon after, it shocked the whole city of Lin 'an.
*****
In Zhenjiang, teams of soldiers ran up the city wall. The morning wind was chilly, and the flags were fluttering. In the wilderness outside the city wall, countless corpses were lying in the craters caused by the explosions. The Jurchen army had driven the Han captives they had captured here. Just last night, they had used the most efficient method to clear the mines outside Zhenjiang City.
One by one, the catapults were being erected. Since Ning Yi's rebellion, he had implemented the assembly line, standardized production, and other technologies. In some aspects, the Jurchen side had even mastered them better.
Hot air balloons were slowly rising in the morning wind. On the city wall of Zhenjiang, hot air balloons were also rising one after another, and the soldiers with crossbows entered the frames of the hot air balloons.
Jun Wu was meticulously eating breakfast in the tent, accompanied by Shen Ruxin, the fourth wife of the crown prince's residence.
Shen Ruxin was originally from Zhenjiang. Last year, before the war with the Jurchen, her brother Shen Ruhua was imprisoned and executed. Shen Ruxin vomited blood and fell ill in Jiangning, but she managed to survive. At the beginning of this year, Jiangning was in a state of emergency. Jun Wu moved his wife and children to a safe place, but brought Shen Ruxin to Zhenjiang.
When Jun Wu searched the mountains and searched the sea, he fled everywhere. The two of them were together because they depended on each other for survival, and now they were in a similar situation.
During breakfast, a soldier came in to report that the change of guard had been completed. Jun Wu nodded to show that he understood. Soon after, he finished eating. Shen Ruxin came to tidy up his clothes, and the couple went out together. The clouds in the sky were like cotton, drifting over the big city by the Yangtze River.
The preparations and mobilization for war had been done yesterday, and a strange atmosphere was enveloped in the barracks. Xi Yin's attack on Zhenjiang was the craziest and most likely to determine the outcome of the battle in the whole battle. After eight years of hard work and a hundred thousand soldiers guarding Zhenjiang, they were not weak. While Jun Wu was determined to exhaust Xi Yin's troops, the other party turned around and attacked Zhenjiang. Strategically speaking, it was a desperate choice.
If Zhenjiang was defended, Xi Yin's troops would be heavily surrounded by the Wu Dynasty's troops from all directions. Jun Wu would then achieve his goal of defeating the Mountain Guards, and the Venerable Lady's fourth expedition to the south would also fall apart.
But considering Xi Yin's ability and reputation, it was likely that he had made such a choice, which meant that the other party had taken advantage of some of the flaws in the previous few months.
"If I defeat Wanyan Xi Yin, I may be able to bring peace to the world …" Jun Wu held his wife's hand the night before and said, "But if I don't win, it's very likely that … you and I will both die here."
In my heart, I'm actually very afraid …
It was a warm and sunny morning. Jun Wu and his wife walked on the road between the barracks, and the soldiers saluted them. He closed his eyes and imagined his opponents outside the city. His opponents had dominated the world and had been fighting in battle for decades. They had fought their way out from their weakest days without yielding. Wanyan Xiyin, Yin Shuke … He imagined their boldness as they dominated the world. Today, he was standing in front of such people.
He also thought of his teacher in Jiangning, and the choices he made when he made those big decisions. In this world, people will meet tigers … I'll put my life on the line, and we will all be the same … People of China, if you don't surrender to foreign countries … don't even think about going back alive …
As long as Ling Lin is still alive, who knows that the Han Dynasty is already dead … He joked with Wenren Bu Er that he really hoped that his teacher would give this piece of calligraphy to him …
I'll put my life on the line.
He thought.
I won't retreat …
…
Outside Zhenjiang, a huge hot air balloon flew to the city wall, and soon after, a large number of leaflets were dropped. At the same time, there were messengers who carried the mission of persuading and declaring war. They walked towards the city gate of Zhenjiang.
The messengers arrived at the barracks of Zhenjiang at 2: 45 AM. They advised Jun Wu and the generals to surrender, "In the past few months, the messengers under the command of the Goddess of Grains had already planned and persuaded a few generals to surrender. We, in Lin 'an, and in the entire Wu dynasty, have also instigated many officials and famous people to support us. The Goddess of Grains will take down Zhenjiang as soon as possible. Zhenjiang cannot be defended. In order to explain the situation to you and to avoid unnecessary casualties, the Goddess of Grains ordered me to bring some of the names of the officials and evidence. She also ordered me to make it clear that once the war starts, regardless of the outcome, the Jin Kingdom will kill everyone who participates in the war! Nine generations will not be spared … "
As the messengers spoke, they presented the names and evidence of those who surrendered to the Goddess of Grains to Jun Wu. Some of the generals in the barracks were ready to go and kill the messengers. Jun Wu looked at the stack of things on the table and waved his hand to call someone in. He cut off the messengers tongue and threw the things into the brazier.
"This is a copy of Ning Yi's plan to wipe out Liangshan years ago. The Goddess of Grains is just so-so … I wanted to keep you alive, but since you've come up with this plan, you know you can't go back alive."
The messengers, whose mouth was full of blood, laughed hideously on the ground …
At noon, the heads of the messengers were hung on the city gate. Wanyan Xiyin was outside the city, watching everything without any expression.
On the afternoon of the 22nd of April, the battle of Zhenjiang began.
*****
The carriage passed through the streets of the city and headed towards the palace. Qin Hui sat in the carriage, his hands trembling slightly as he held the news that had been delivered to him. He was extremely focused and his mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts. This was the kind of nervousness one would get when something big happened. It was not until the driver outside the carriage called out to him several times that he realized that they had arrived.
After passing through the long road between the palaces, Qin Hui saw Zhou Yong in the living room at the side of the imperial study. The emperor was wearing a loose robe. His hair was messy and his robe was untied. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding a few pieces of paper in his hands. He looked haggard and lost. Qin Hui came in to pay his respects. After a long time, Zhou Yong came back to his senses.
"You … you know the news?" Zhou Yong's eyes widened.
"… Your Majesty, I know."
"Xiyin went to Zhenjiang. Xiyin attacked Zhenjiang. Why did Xiyin attack Zhenjiang? Everyone said that Zhenjiang was a dead end. Why did she attack Zhenjiang?" Zhou Yong waved the papers in his hands. "Qin Qing, tell me. Tell me …"
"I … I'm not sure …" Qin Hui hesitated for a moment, then knelt down. "I'm guilty …"
Zhou Yong was stunned. Then he waved the papers in his hands. "What are you guilty of? Speak for me! Why did Xiyin attack Zhenjiang? They … they all said that Zhenjiang was a dead end! They all said that Xiyin would be delayed if she attacked Zhenjiang. Why did Xiyin attack Zhenjiang? Qin Qing, you've mentioned this to me before. Don't play dumb. Tell me … "
"I … I don't dare to speak nonsense …"
Zhou Yong roared, "Tell me …"
"Perhaps …" Qin Hui knelt there and said with difficulty, "Xiyin has a foolproof plan …"
The room fell silent. Zhou Yong was stunned for a long time. "I knew it. I knew it. They were going to make their move … Those bastards, those traitors … They … The Wu dynasty has raised them for more than two hundred years. They … they're going to betray my son. They're going to betray me … If I find out who they are, I'll execute nine generations of their family … ten generations of their family … eleven generations of their family …"
He muttered to himself for a while, then turned to Qin Hui. "Qin Qing, what can I do? What can I do to save my son? There are soldiers around Zhenjiang and Changzhou … How many people can we send there? Can we send the navy from Jiangning? Those people … Can they be trusted? Qin Qing, you have to help me. Nothing can happen to my son … Get up! "
Qin Hui knelt there and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing. The Crown Prince is wise and will definitely have a countermeasure. Maybe the soldiers from Changzhou and Jiangning are already on their way. Or maybe Xiyin has a plan but the Crown Prince has seen through it. If that's the case, Zhenjiang will be the place where Xiyin will be defeated. Our two sides … are separated by territories. It's really … not a good time to intervene … "
"I know what those people are like! I know what they're like! I know! "Zhou Yong roared." I know! How many officials in the imperial court are waiting to betray me! Look at the cowardly faces of Jing Ping and the others! My son! Rushing to the front! They're still holding me back! And that black flag! I've already shown my goodwill! What kind of reaction is that? They only know how to kill! Eliminate the traitors! Jun Wu is his disciple! Send out the troops, send out the troops! It's just as you said, Qin Qing! The black flag is just to gain fame! They're waiting to kill me! Who can help Jun Wu … "
Zhou Yong was hysterical. The entire palace shook. In the end, he looked distressed and his mouth was full of saliva. Qin Hui got up and bowed to the side. Zhou Yong's arms were trembling as he walked around the hall. He muttered to himself from time to time and then said in a low voice, "Qin Qing, you're right. There's always a way. Maybe we've already seen through Xiyin's plan. There's always a way … There's no point in panicking …"
He comforted himself for a long time and then fell silent for a long time. Qin Hui sat up straight. "Now that things have come to this, we can only wait for the news from the frontline."
His voice was no longer as panicked as before. Instead, it was filled with a kind of strength that made people feel at ease. Zhou Yong nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I want Jun Wu to be fine …" He looked at Qin Hui. "Nothing can happen to my son. Jun Wu is a good crown prince and he'll be a good emperor in the future. Qin Qing, nothing can happen to him … Those bastards …"
Sunlight shone in through the window and the door. The cool breeze ruffled the gauze in the hall and drowned the emperor's weak and feeble murmurs in the afternoon wind.
*****
Southwest of the Chengdu Plain was Niutou County, also known as Old Niutou.
It was located on the border between the Huaxia army and the Wu dynasty. The terrain was complicated and the population was quite large. But since last year, due to the active efforts of the veteran cadres and members of the Huaxia army stationed here, the area had won the approval of several nearby villages and counties. The members of the Huaxia army had helped many people in the area for free, including giving medicine and medicine. They had also set up private schools for the children in the area to go to school for free. This spring, the reclamation and planting of new land and the enthusiasm of the people for the Huaxia army had greatly increased. In the future, it would be considered a place with advanced learning.
Because of this, Ning Yi had come to commend the advanced personnel stationed here. In the afternoon, Ning Yi gave a lecture to some of the young officers and cadres who had gathered in Niutou County.
"Sometimes, some things are very interesting to talk about … Our current biggest opponent, the Jurchen people, rose very quickly. They were once born into a troubled generation, so their ability to learn and accept the outside world is very strong. I have told you before that when they attacked Liao, their siege technology was still very weak. In the process of destroying Liao, they improved rapidly. Later, when they attacked the Wu dynasty, they gathered a large number of craftsmen and constantly improved. The people of the Wu dynasty could not catch up …"
"But at the same time, when the environment became comfortable, their second and third generations rotted very quickly. Everyone in the General Staff Department was joking. If it weren't for our few years of war at Little Canghe, which alerted the higher-ups of the Jurchen people, the situation of the war in Jiangnan would probably be completely different … The Jurchen people only stopped after they conquered Liao and almost flattened the whole world. Fang La's uprising that year was equal to the law, but they stopped much faster. After they conquered Hangzhou, the higher-ups began to enjoy themselves …"
"Don't laugh, everyone. We, the Chinese army, are also facing the same problem … In this process, what determines their motivation to move forward? It's culture and spirit. At first, the Jurchen people suffered a lot, so they had a sense of urgency. This sense of anxiety ran through all of their spirits, so they learned very quickly. But when it was too peaceful, they stopped. Until our rise gave them a sense of insecurity. But if the world is at peace, they are destined to go down a curve … "
"We have to pay attention to this matter. We will also go down a curve like this. The struggle at Little Canghe and the difficulties in the northwest have passed for a few years. We have conquered the Chengdu plain, and the Wu dynasty is in a mess … We have even started to be blindly optimistic …"
As he was speaking in the classroom, Juan 'er appeared outside the door and stood there to signal to him. Ning Yi walked out and saw an urgent message.
"… Xi Yin is attacking Zhenjiang. The situation may be very complicated. The General Staff Department sent a message. Should we go back immediately …"
Ning Yi folded the message and looked at the small county outside. "It's too far away. What can we do even if we rush back … We have more important things to do here."
Juan 'er nodded and was about to leave when Ning Yi reached out and touched her arm. "Release the news. We will set off tomorrow morning."
"Yes."
…
About eighty miles away from Old Ox Head, Watermelon led the people and galloped into Zhang Village.
The horse team was like a whirlwind. They stopped in front of the courtyard where a family was living. Watermelon dismounted from the horse. Wen Wen, who was playing in front of the courtyard, welcomed her. "Aunt Melon, you are back?"
"Wen Wen, Aunt Melon has something to do. I will bring you something delicious next time …" Watermelon's words were still in the air. She had already galloped to the courtyard that was more than ten feet away. She quickly rushed into the study. Only Su Tan 'er was inside arranging things. "Watermelon?"
"Where is Husband? Where did he go? "
"He … went out for two days, for that … advanced person …"
"He went to Old Ox Head?"
"Yes." Su Tan 'er nodded. Her gaze became serious. "What's wrong? Is there a problem? "
"When did Husband go?"
"At noon the day before yesterday. Speaking of which, he should have arrived last night. Old Ox Head is at the side. At this time, are the people from the Wu Dynasty going to make a move? There are troops stationed there … "
"That's them …" Watermelon said softly. Su Tan 'er was slightly stunned. "What did you say?"
"I am not sure. I hope … I am just overthinking." Watermelon's gaze was slightly hesitant. After a moment, she suddenly disappeared from the room like the wind. "I will rush over immediately … Don't worry."
…
Old Ox Head.
After the lecture, there was a river that passed through the county from the hillside. The sun was about to set. The clear and white sand was on the banks. Ning Yi stood by the river and looked at it for a moment.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
