"The person you are facing, that group of people, they killed the Emperor of the Wu Dynasty in the most inopportune situation! They cut off all the routes of retreat! They became enemies with the entire world! They faced a million troops, but they did not beg for mercy! In more than ten years, they killed their way out, they endured! You still haven't seen it! They are us in the past … "
As the flames rose, the lion-like figure of the old general was reflected. His voice echoed in the wind and snow in front of the tent.
The rest of the people were solemn, but they saw the bonfire burning and the falling snow. The camp was silent for a long time.
Zong Han and the other generals all stood there, waiting until the curtain of night had completely fallen, the flames in the camp that stretched on in the wind and snow increased a bit, only then did they open their mouths to speak.
"In these thirty years, we have fought on the battlefield and won countless battles. But who among you dares to say that they have never been defeated? I can't, Lou Shi can't, Aguda can't, I don't dare to say that. In a war, there are always winners and losers. In the defeat of Yu Shui Xi, there were losses, but it was just a defeat. Some people are scared and want to blame others, but in my opinion, it is a good thing! "
"What's good about it? First, Yu Shui Creek's great battle has allowed you all to carefully see what kind of quality the Black Flag Army on the other side is. Invincible? A million troops surrounded Little Cang River for three years, they can do it too! Xie Lili was greedy and rash, this is his fault, but it is not his fault! Yu Shui Xi has been fighting for two months, he took the opportunity to bring his guards up. This kind of thing, I have done it, you have done it too! "
"Xie Lili has been with you for more than thirty years, he is a rare warrior. He died in Yu Shui Xi, but he is still a warrior. He died because he was greedy and rash? No. "
Zong Han shook his head. "His death is because he did not see the Black Flag Army as an equal opponent. He saw the Black Flag Army as the Liao people and the Wu Dynasty, and his risky attack was defeated in the end. Today, you still see the Black Flag Army as that kind of enemy, thinking that they used tricks, thinking that your own people are dragging you down, and that in the future, you will also die under the Black Flag Army's sabers and spears. True Pearl, Bao Shan, I am talking about you! Kneel down — "
His gaze suddenly became fierce and dignified. At this roar, Wanyan Shema and Wanyan Xibao on the other side of the bonfire were first stunned, then they knelt on the ground.
"Don't think that I don't know what you've been talking about these past few days! As a general, how dare you slander a comrade who has fought alongside you in hundreds of battles! If you don't admit your mistakes, this king will personally kill you all! "
"— Arrogant tigers die easily! The longest-living creatures in the forest are the wolves that form packs. "
Among Zong Han's sons, Shema and Xie Bao were generals who led the army during the attack on Bianliang. Now Xie Bao is over thirty years old and Shema is almost forty. Although Zong Han would scold and beat the two brothers in the past, such things had rarely happened in recent years. He slowly turned around and walked to the pile of firewood. He picked up a piece of wood.
That piece of wood was as thick as a bowl and should have been split in half, but it was not split in half. There was only a crack on it. Zong Han stretched his hands outwards, and the log split into two halves with a bang. White frost rippled out. Zong Han threw the log into the fire.
"Keep your eyes open. This is one of the benefits of the Battle of Rainwater Creek. Secondly, it tested your magnanimity! "
"It tested the magnanimity of conquering the world and ruling it!"
"If you rely on two thousand people to conquer the world, you have the tactics of two thousand people. If you rely on twenty thousand people, you have the tactics of twenty thousand people! But to this day, which one of you does not have twenty thousand people behind you? Our Jurchen is rich and has millions of subjects! Only by ruling together with the people of the world can we survive. "
Zong Han paused. "Zong Fu and Zong Bi are short-sighted. In Jiangnan, millions of Han soldiers surrounded Jiangning. The little prince of the Wu dynasty sacrificed his life, and millions of people collapsed like a flood. Zong Fu and Zong Bi suffered the consequences of their own actions. At the start of the war in the southwest, the Goddess of Grains taught everyone that you must survive with the Han army and be united on the battlefield. Only then will you be able to win this war. Why? The Han people will be the people of the Great Jin, and they will be your brothers! Without such magnanimity, will you continue to fight for the next twenty or thirty years? If you can't hold on to this empire, your descendants won't be able to either! "
"The snow in the south is fine." He raised his head to look at the blowing snow. "The Han people who grew up in the central plains and Jiangnan have been living in peace for a long time, so their combat power is not obvious. But is this really the case? When you force people to the point of death, there will be the Black Flag Army, and there will be a little prince who will fight his way out of Jiangning. If there are people who are loyal to the Jurchen people, they will slowly become like us. "
"… The Goddess of Grains did not force the Han army to come forward. He set the rules and rewards. Did he just want to repeat the mistakes of the war in Jiangning? That's not it. He wants the Han army, who is well aware of the situation, to enter the Jin army first. There will always be people in front and people behind. This is the preparation for conquering the world. It is a pity that most of you do not understand the Goddess of Grains' intentions. You fight side by side, but you treat them as outsiders! Even so, in the battle of Yu Yu Xi, was there really only the Han army who surrendered? "
"The battle of Yu Yu Xi." Zong Han said word by word, "Among the remaining seven thousand people, there were almost two thousand Han soldiers who did not surrender. The Han general Qu Fangyan had been leading the battle. Some people did not believe him, so he ordered his men to defend one side. After the battle, I heard that in Yu Yu Xi, there were people who said that the Han army was not trustworthy. They said that Qu Fangyan's men should be moved to the back or let them die in the battle. Those who said that are stupid! "
His scolding spread out. Among the generals, Dalai frowned and looked angry. Yu Yu and the rest also frowned. Zong Han took a deep breath and waved his hand. "Qu Fangyan, come out."
A moment after he finished speaking, an armored general walked out of the tent. He walked in front of Zong Han, his eyes slightly red as he kowtowed. Zong Han accepted his kowtow. He lowered his head and said, "Qu Fangyan, why did you not rebel or surrender during the battle of Yu Yu Xi?"
"I … My father died in the hands of the Black Flag Army … Marshal …"
Zong Han nodded and helped him up. "I understand." He said, "In the war of the southwest, this prince will give you a word. I will definitely let you avenge your father, but you must also give this prince a word."
"Please, Marshal, give your orders …"
"You will personally avenge this enmity. From today onwards, you will no longer be a deputy general with only three thousand men under your command. This prince will give you a good job — and not just in the southwest. The world is divided and united. The fate of the Wu dynasty has come to an end and the world belongs to the Great Jin. But in the future, the places where the Han live will also be ruled by you Han. This is this prince's expectation of you. Remember it. "
Qu Fangyan said words of gratitude and was about to kowtow again when Zong Han grabbed his arm. "Hey, you're a man. Don't imitate a woman. Go in." He waved his arm toward the bonfire. "From today onwards, you will be on the same level as them!"
Qu Fangyan cupped his fists and walked over. He used to be an insignificant general in the Han army, but at this moment, which one of those present wasn't a hero of the Jin army that had swept through the world? After taking two steps, he hesitated about where to go. Gao Qingyi waved his arm and called him over. "Come."
As he walked past Han Qixian, Han Qixian also patted him on the shoulder.
Zong Han nodded.
"Saba has done an excellent job in dealing with the Han. I am very pleased. Minister Han Qixian and Minister Gao Qingyi are also good examples. The rest of you, put away your arrogance. Look at them and learn from them!
"As for Yu Yu Xi, he lost because he underestimated the enemy, but that's not a big deal! In these thirty-some years, I've swept through the world. If all my opponents were like clay chickens and pottery dogs, this prince would find it rather boring! To be able to meet such opponents in the war of the southwest is very good.
"I think that everyone will also find it very good."
The snowstorm descended.
Zong Han spoke eloquently about the battle of Yu Yu Xi, but it was all about matters beyond the battlefield. As for the truth of the defeat, he only said two words: 'very good'. Now that he had finished speaking calmly, many people felt a sense of pride rise in their hearts.
That's right, in the face of a minor defeat, in the face of an evenly matched opponent, what other emotions should the Jin army that had looked down on the world for more than thirty years have but one word: 'very good'?
The snow continued to fall. In front of the blazing bonfire, after a while, Zong Han announced to Han Qixian the rewards and punishment of many generals and the details of the transfer.
After the announcement, Zong Han waved his hand and had everyone return. He turned and entered the large tent. Only Wanyan Shema and Wanyan Xiebao remained kneeling in the snow in front of the bonfire. Without Zong Han's orders, they did not dare to get up.
After the meeting was adjourned, a few more generals came one after another and met Zong Han alone in the camp. After midnight, Wanyan Shema and Wanyan Xiebao were covered in a layer of snow. Zong Han walked out of the tent and moved a wooden stake in front of his two sons. After sitting for a moment, he stood up and sighed. "Come in."
Their legs were numb and they followed him in step by step. Once inside the tent, they knelt down again. Zong Han pointed at a chair to the side. "Find a chair and sit down. Don't hurt your knees. Drink some hot tea. "
The two brothers stood up again and sat to the side. They took a few sips of hot water from a small table and then sat up straight again. Zong Han sat behind the table. After a long while, he finally spoke. "Do you know why your father is beating you?"
Wanyan Shema lowered his head and cupped his hands. "It is indeed inappropriate to slander a general who has just died in battle. Moreover, after this defeat, Marshal Father's beating will have a deterrent effect on the others. "
"Shallow!" Zong Han's gaze was cold. "The battle of Yu Yu Creek shows that the strength of the Chinese army is not inferior to ours. If you think yourself clever and underestimate the enemy in the future, in the war of the southwest, your father will really send off the young!"
"… Yes." Wanyan Shema's gaze shifted. After a moment of hesitation, he finally lowered his head again.
At this moment, Wanyan Xiebao stood up and cupped his hands. "Marshal Father, your son has some questions that I don't know if I should ask."
"Speak."
"Many of the generals in the army know about the battle of Yu Yu Creek. With the intelligence of Gao Qingyi, Han Qixian, and the others, it is possible that they do not know the crux of the battle. Although they did not say it, they still allowed the people in the army to discuss the problem of the Han army. This is because the Han army is truly unable to fight. Marshal Father is now raising the morale of the Han army. Could it be that you can really get them … to participate in this war? "
Wanyan Xiebao asked with some hesitation, but his thoughts had clearly been carefully considered. Zong Han looked at him for a long while and smiled approvingly.
"You appear to be rash, but you are actually meticulous. This is not a bad thing. You have been leading the discussion of Xie Lili in the army these past few days. Did you already have a plan in mind? "
Xiebao said, "Reporting to Marshal Father, Xie Lili had nearly a thousand personal guards against 800 Black Flag troops at the Eagle Beak Rock, but he still could not win. Although the troops guarding the Eagle Beak Rock were also one of the most powerful troops among the Black Flag troops, it still shows the combat power of the Black Flag troops. Only Marshal Father can say this matter today. Only then will it have an effect on the people. I feel that … someone has to take the blame. Whether it is Xie Lili or the Han army, it is better than letting everyone think that the Black Flag troops are stronger than us. "
"Then why did you choose to slander Xie Lili and not scold the Han army for being incompetent?"
Xiebao smiled bitterly. "Marshal Father, you are asking a question you already know the answer to. After the battle of Yu Yu Creek, there were indeed less than 2,000 Han soldiers in front. But with the addition of Huang Ming County and those who have already been pushed in along the way, the Han army has nearly 100,000 people. We have spent two months to push them in. If we say that they can't fight and then retreat, there is no need to fight the war in the southwest. "
He paused. "But even so, I do not understand the reason for relying so heavily on the Han people. Of course, to plan for the future, rewarding Qu Fangyan is indeed reasonable. But if we drag them to the battlefield, I still feel that … the southwest is not a place where they should be. "
Zong Han laughed heartily. Wanyan Xiebao's face was rough. His words at the beginning were very cautious. Only when he reached the last sentence did he faintly show a hint of arrogance. Zong Han noticed this and was greatly comforted. He laughed for a long time before he gradually stopped.
He sat on the chair and was silent for a while. It was not until the big tent was so quiet that it almost made people hallucinate that Shema and Xiebao heard his words.
"The matter of the Han army is the strategy of the Grain Deity. There is a reason for it. Since you have some intelligence, try to build a good relationship with the Han generals in the future. Also, keep an eye on Qu Fangyan! "
Hearing the name of the Grain Deity, the two calmed down and stood up to receive the order. Shema said, "Does Father think that this Qu Fangyan is up to no good?"
"All the Han army has surrendered except for him. With the methods of the devil, who would know? We must always be vigilant. "Zong Han finished speaking and waved his hand.
"You are dismissed."
*****
The moonlight was covered by thick clouds. The wind and snow blew across the boundless mountains.
From the Jin Kingdom to the Central Plains to Jiangnan, the snow covered everything in sight. This was the worst year for the Han people. The burnt cities had yet to be rebuilt. The refugees who brought their families with them collapsed in the howling wind and snow. The starving people exchanged their children with each other and shared them among themselves. Not long after, many people who lost their families also embarked on the path of returning home with their families.
Hope was like a tiny spark.
The new Emperor of the Wu dynasty, the former Crown Prince, led the army and refugees south. Further south, on the coast, the Eldest Princess came ashore near Putian and contacted the nearby army to seek Fuzhou.
On New Year's Eve, Mao Yishan and his wife returned home with their children. They cleaned up the stove, pasted the character "Fu" on the wall and prepared a warm and lively New Year's Eve dinner.
In Liangshan, Zhu Biao, Liu Chengzong, and the rest gave the army three times the usual amount of food for the New Year's Eve dinner. A stage was set up in the camp and performances started at night. As Zhu Biao and the rest ate and drank, they discussed the war in the southwest, making up gossip about Ning Yi and the people in the southwest. The skinny men laughed heartily.
Wang Shanyue and her husband, who had been disfigured by Zhu Biao, also came to sit for a while. "The war in the southwest has been going on for two months. I wonder if Ning Yi can still hold on." Wang Shanyue said, "Maybe he has already died in Zong Han's hands and his head has been kicked around like a ball? It's up to our Wu dynasty to save the world. "
"Ever since he was disfigured, his face doesn't look like his own anymore." Zhu Biao and the others teased him. "Damned sissy, he's given up on himself, haha …"
The Huaxia Army of Liangshan and the Guangwu Army fought side by side, but nominally belonged to two different camps. They were already used to each other. Wang Shanyue would occasionally badmouth Ning Yi, calling him a lunatic. Zhu Biao would occasionally talk about the end of the Wu dynasty, saying that Zhou Zhe was a yin and yang person with a rotten ass. Both sides had already gotten used to it.
Who would stoop to the level of an idiot? Both sides thought so.
In Jindi, Lou Shuwan and the others organized a simple yet grand banquet.
Ever since Liao Yiren retreated in defeat and even gave up his victory, the horse bandits and volunteer armies of Jin all came to pay their respects to this legendary minister. There were dozens or hundreds of them who came to pay their respects to this legendary minister.
Under the suggestion of the Huaxia Army and Shi Jin, Lou Shuwan had cleaned up a group of bandits with serious misdeeds. For those who wanted to join and were relatively innocent, they were required to be scattered and unconditionally accept the leadership of their superiors. Only those with leadership ability would be retained.
Even after such strict elimination, the banquet at the end of the year was still very popular. Some people even saw the minister, Yu Yulin, and the others as future emperors.
Of course, Lou Shuwan, who had experienced so many ups and downs over the years, would not become complacent. Even if they really cleaned up Liao Yiren and controlled half of the Central Plains, there was still the possibility of destruction waiting for them ahead. Disregarding everything else, just the return journey of the Western Route army led by Zong Han and Xi Yin would be a difficult test for Jindi, regardless of whether they won or lost in the southwest.
She didn't hide it and frankly shared this prospect with everyone.
"… I used to be the daughter of a wealthy merchant family in Hangzhou. Since I was in my twenties, when Fang La conquered Hangzhou, I often felt like I was living in a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from."
At the banquet, she raised her wine cup and said so to everyone.
"When I was young, I was studying history. I often saw the turmoil that happened in the past thousands of years. It could easily last for hundreds of years. Starving people were everywhere, exchanging their children for food. The past was all in the books. Hundreds of years passed in the blink of an eye … Now that I've seen these things, I often think about it, but I still can't figure it out. How can people endure here for decades?"
Her words were solemn, and everyone was silent. At this point, Lou Shuwan stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked her lips. She laughed. "I'm a woman, and I'm sentimental. I've embarrassed myself. This world has been fighting for more than ten years. I don't know if there will be an end in another ten or so years, but other than enduring it — unless we endure it, I can't think of any other path. Everyone is a hero, and you must understand this. "
"This year's end will be easier. There will be a great war next year. Then … whether it's for ourselves or for our descendants, let's endure it together … Let's kill it!"
Her previous words were calm. Only when she raised her wine cup and added the words "Let's kill it" did a bright smile appear on her face. She lowered her head, and the smile on her face was like that of a young girl.
At the banquet, Yu Yulin, Wang Juyun, An Xifu, Shi Jin, Zhan Wu … and many other officials and generals also smiled and raised their wine cups.
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