Many years later, Li Shishi would often think of Bianliang in the 13th year of Jinghan in the Wu dynasty.
It was the eve before the Lady Zhenren came to the south. In her memory, Bianliang was warm and prosperous. The buildings and eaves in front of her were full of peace and prosperity. Fan Lou was at the east end of the imperial street. The setting sun shone from the other end of the street. It was always autumn. The warm golden yellow. The pedestrians on the street and the poetry and music in the buildings reflected each other.
That kind of prosperity was always more profound in the memory after the rain and wind blew away.
Ning Yi had other kinds of fallacies about this kind of memory.
"It's all thanks to the paint."
The man who didn't seem to have much interest always made a solemn vow about this. "Since ancient times until now, there aren't many colors that we can use. For example, red and purple paint is very expensive to build a house, and it's very difficult to keep it in the villages and towns. In the past, Bianliang seemed prosperous because the houses were at least colorful and well-maintained, unlike the countryside, which was filled with mud bricks and cow dung … When the industry develops, you will find that the prosperity of Bianliang is not worth mentioning. "
Ning Yi, who said this, was actually not worth mentioning in terms of aesthetics. Later, he often asked people to paint the walls white, making people feel like they were in another place that was incompatible with the mountains and rivers. He knew poetry, but obviously, he didn't know how to paint.
In her memory, Bianliang was always autumn, and it was always evening. The big sunset was warm and beautiful. That was the sunset of the prosperity of the Wu dynasty for two hundred years. From another perspective, perhaps it was because that period of Li Shishi's life had also come to an end. The days when she leaned against the window and dozed off as the top courtesan of Fan Lou were about to pass. She was hesitating about her future choice.
She couldn't make a decision.
The wind and rain always blew away. A huge, chaotic era was suddenly pushed in front of her, and also in front of the people of the Wu dynasty who had been peaceful for two hundred years.
She thought of herself in the past. She also thought of the people who came and went in Fan Lou. She thought of He Lei 'er. People were tossed about in the darkness. The hand of fate grabbed everyone's strings and tore them violently. From then on, some people's strings went to completely unpredictable places. Some people's strings broke in the air.
When one's vision stopped for a moment, the world had already changed.
*****
If she looked at it from another angle, she would occasionally think of the moment when she met Ning Yi in Jiangning.
Whether it was in this world or in her own life, that name was an existence that no one could ignore for decades. At one point, she had fallen in love with him, but later on, she was confused, even angry and confused … In the passage of time and the vicissitudes of life, people's love affairs sometimes seemed insignificant. Beside that man, she could always see the outline of something bigger.
Thinking back to the last days in Fan Lou, she was facing the most important choice in her life. This was the same for many people. The women chose a husband and married him. In the decades that followed, they helped each other in difficult times, helped each other, and raised their children … If all of this developed smoothly, the women would have a happy life.
Pure people like Li Shishi always had more autonomy than others. It was not up to them to choose what kind of man a pure girl wanted to marry. Li Shishi could more or less have some autonomy in this aspect, but correspondingly, she could not become someone else's first wife. Perhaps she could find a gentle and talented man to entrust her life to. This man might also have a certain status. She could give birth to a child before her beauty grew old to maintain her status and enjoy a period or a lifetime of dignity.
There were too many uncertainties in this kind of choice, but everyone lived their lives like this. In those days that were as warm as the setting sun, Li Shishi had once envied the atmosphere around Ning Yi. She approached and then was taken away by that enormous thing, unable to control herself the entire time.
It was hard to say whether it was luck or misfortune. In the decades that followed, she saw some more profound things in this world. Speaking of choices, there were of course some at certain points. For example, during the time when she was in Dali, and every time someone expressed their admiration for her, if she wanted to turn back and hand the matter over to the man beside her, she always had the opportunity to do so.
When she was in Little Canghe, she once quarreled with Ning Yi because of the matter of Jingping. Ning Yi's words could not convince her, so she went to Dali in a rage. During the three years of war in Little Canghe, he faced the attack of the millions of soldiers from the Central Plains and the Female Zhenren, fiercely resisted. Li Shishi felt that he was such a person. But when the news of his death came, she finally could not help but go out, wanting to ask why.
Ning Yi did not answer her. During the days when she thought Ning Yi had passed away, the members of the Huaxia Army accompanied her from the south to the north, and then from the north to the south. In the past two years, what she saw was a tragedy that was completely different from the peaceful years. People cried and cried miserably, exchanging children for food. It was pitiful.
But in this heartless world, if people really did not have the will to resist and the bloodthirsty beast in their hearts, they could not survive just by being pitiful. The songs and dances of Fan Lou were only decorations in the peaceful years. The pitiful little girls could only become dry bones that froze and starved to death.
How many people were needed to awaken and resist in order to support this world? Ning Yi's answer made people feel very naive. "It's best if it's everyone."
Back then, Li Shishi understood, "That's impossible." Ning Yi said, "If we don't do that, then what's the point of this world?" If there's no point in this world, then everyone should just die. Should people who had no meaning die? Ning Yi's slightly frivolous answer had angered Li Shishi for a time. But later, she gradually realized how deep the anger and helplessness in these words were.
One person put down his own burden, and this burden had to be carried by those who had awakened. Those who resisted died at the front, and after they died, those who did not resist knelt at the back and died. In the past two years, she had followed Lu Junyi, Yan Qing, and the others, and all the scenes she saw were like this.
She still did not completely understand Ning Yi. After the battle of the Daimyo Residence, she followed Qin Shaohe's widow back to the southwest. The two of them had not seen each other for many years. When they first met, they were actually a little unfamiliar. But fortunately, both of them were open-minded people, and not long after, this unfamiliarity was resolved. Ning Yi arranged some things for her and also told her in detail some bigger things.
"Fan Lou is nothing special." At times, Ning Yi, who was sometimes quick-witted and sometimes particularly taciturn, was so smug at the time. "There are not many women in this world who are educated, and they have not seen much of the world. Generally speaking, it is actually boring. For their own enjoyment, men created brothels and let some literate and talkative women sell … the feeling of love. But I feel that between two independent people, these things can be done by themselves. "
When Ning Yi said this, he was not boasting. At least from Li Shishi's point of view, Ning Yi's relationship with Su Tan'er, Nie Yunzhu, and the other family members was extremely enviable. Thus, she did not refute this.
"In the future, regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl, everyone can read and write. Girls see more things, know the outside world, and know how to communicate. Naturally, they no longer need fan lou. The so-called equality of men and women, of course, can also be equal. "
"Of course, don't be too happy too early. The basis of equality between people is actually to bear responsibility. Those who cannot bear responsibility, in fact, will not be able to obtain any power. Women want to be equal to men, but the prerequisite is that they have their own ability. After the conditions are met, there will actually be a process of proving their ability and fighting for power. "
"This process is being done now. There are already some female officials in the military. I feel that you can also consciously make some preparations to fight for women's rights. Look, you have seen a lot of things, seen the world, done a lot of things, and now you are in charge of things like foreign affairs. You are a good example of women not being inferior to men, or even better. "
This was what Shishi said to Ning Yi in detail after she asked for some external affairs from Ning Yi.
Shishi took on the many matters of communication and negotiation with the gentry and noble families in Sichuan.
In this world, people would sometimes gradually move closer, and sometimes move further away. Of course, the standard of distance and closeness was not as clear as people thought.
In order to persuade the gentry and noble families to stand with the Huaxia army, many times they relied on a combination of interests, threats, and temptations. There were also many times when they needed to argue and explain the big principles of the world to others. After that, Shishi and Ning Yi had many conversations about the administration of the Huaxia army, and about its future direction.
In the face of these specific questions, Ning Yi talked to her in more detail. Shishi finally understood everything about the Huaxia army — this was a communication that she had not had when she left Little Canghe a few years ago.
"… People are born equal, or in other words, we think that people should be equal. But idealistic equality needs to be supported by practical conditions. Will a smart person be equal to a fool? Will a hardworking person be equal to a lazy person? Will a scholar be equal to an illiterate person? We need to close the prerequisites as much as possible … "
"… The technology of investigating things has already made it possible for us to use books. People gain wisdom from books. Popularizing books and the most basic literacy education will give everyone the possibility to improve themselves. We also need to improve the way of education. Not only do we need to let people read books with their heads swaying, but we also need to do our best to develop education and enlightenment methods that are suitable for the masses. We need to let more people understand the big principles in a more popular way … "
"… Perhaps there is a limit to the study of things, but for the time being, it's still very far away. The guy who proposed grain production is very smart, and he's right. If too many people are put to work in the factory, there won't be enough people to farm … Regarding this, we've already calculated it a few years ago. Those who study agriculture have already made some progress, such as He Deng's chicken farm, and the seed selection and breeding that we've mentioned before …"
"… But most importantly, Mr. Gongsun's laboratory that studies explosives has recently made some very interesting results. We have made some fertilizers that might be able to increase the yield of rice by several times … Currently, we have not found the possibility of mass production, but at least we have a certain direction in agriculture … Actually, we need time and a peaceful environment to be able to do these things in peace. We are currently very short of manpower …"
"… The problem of the imperial power not being under the jurisdiction of the county must be changed. But for the time being, I don't want to be like Old Ox, who captured all the big families and killed them … I don't care if they are happy or not. My highest hope in the future is the law. They can have land and houses locally, but as long as they bully others, let the law teach them a lesson and let education take away their roots. Of course, there will be a transition in the middle. It might be a long transition or even a repetition. But since there is a declaration of equality, I hope that the people themselves can grasp this opportunity. What is important is that the things that everyone grasps themselves can take root and sprout … "
She could understand some of Ning Yi's words, but there were also some that she did not.
The vicissitudes of the times flowed past the people's bodies. In the ten-some years after the setting sun over Bianliang, it had seemed extremely chaotic, even despairing. The enemy's strength was so powerful and unstoppable that it was like a giant wheel that carried the will of the heavens, crushing all those who had benefited in the past.
The teachings of the Great Radiant Church said that the people had lived too comfortably in the days of peace, indulging in extravagance and debauchery. Thus, the heavens would send down thirty-three great calamities in order to restore light. These words seemed very reasonable. Even if a portion of the rebels resisted in despair, in the end, they seemed insignificant and powerless.
In Li Shishi's memories, those two emotions, it was only until the first spring after the Wu Jianshuo dynasty completely passed that they could finally be put together.
For Li Shishi, the war in the southwest was also a busy and chaotic period of time. In the past year, she had been constantly lobbying for the Huaxia Army. Sometimes she would face ridicule and ridicule, and sometimes people would express disdain for her previous identity as a prostitute. But with the support of the Huaxia Army, she had naturally come up with a set of methods for dealing with people and negotiating with them.
Ning Yi's wife, Liu Watermelon, had given her a great deal of help. Most of the military operations and suppression of bandits within the borders of Sichuan were presided over by this wife of Ning Yi's. This wife was also the most powerful advocate of "equality" in the Huaxia Army. Of course, there were times when she would feel vexed because she was Ning Yi's wife. This was because everyone would give her some face, so when she forced the other party to back down in various matters, it was more like Ning Yi was playing with the feudal vassals, and it did not seem like it was her own ability.
For this reason, Watermelon was very envious of Li Shishi. On one hand, it was because Li Shishi had a very genteel temperament, and on the other hand, it was because she was not troubled by her identity. In this year, the two got along very well, and Watermelon even treated Shishi as his "military counselor."
After the end of autumn, the two had even more opportunities to work together. Because of the Female Zhenren's attack, some of the squire forces on the Chengdu plains that had been cowering and waiting for change began to make their positions clear. Watermelon led his troops in pursuit, and from time to time, he would have Shishi come forward to threaten and persuade some of the wavering or possibly persuasive gentry and Confucian scholars to forsake darkness for the sake of the Huaxia Army, or at least not to cause trouble.
Watermelon's work leaned toward military force, and he spent most of his time outside. Shishi had even seen the cold eyes of that round-faced madam bathed in blood more than once.
Shishi's work required the cooperation of a lot of intelligence and clerical work. Sometimes, she would go to Zizhou to contact Ning Yi. Most of the time, Ning Yi was also busy. If he had time, the two would sit down and drink a cup of tea, and most of the talk was about work.
The fighting on the front line was extremely tragic. Many times, Shishi could detect from Ning Yi's words what he was hiding — she used to do this — the tragedy on the front line was actually a huge pressure on Ning Yi. Ning Yi appeared very calm.
During this time, Shishi wanted to play a pipa or guzheng for him, but in fact, she did not find such an opportunity in the end. A man who was focused on work and shouldered a huge responsibility was always fascinating. Sometimes, this would make Shishi think about the problem of feelings again. Her brain would think of the stories she had heard in the past, such as when a general went to war, women would give their bodies to him, or they would reveal their affection … this and that.
But she did not say it out, not because she no longer looked forward to these things. In the very small gap of time that was related to herself, she still looked forward to this and that about feelings. But the moment she came into contact with Ning Yi, she suddenly realized that when a general went to war, women would give their bodies to him because, for a woman, this was the greatest encouragement and help to him.
Now, she had more practical things to do.
The number of troops in the Huaxia army had always been very limited. At the end of December, the largest wave of rebellion appeared — this was not just a spontaneous rebellion, but more of it was actually premeditated by the Female Zhenren, with Wanyan Xiyin's manipulation and provocation. Watermelon led the troops to pursue and suppress the rebellion, and part of the troops in Zizhou was also divided. Shishi cooperated with the intelligence department to analyze a few forces that might be able to persuade them to give up resistance.
Shishi participated in the analysis of these forces from the beginning to the end. Because the possibility of danger was relatively high, the intelligence department did not intend to let Shishi personally appear, but Shishi still chose two forces that had Confucian scholars in charge. Her persuasion might be effective, so she put them on her shoulders.
On the third day of the first month, she persuaded a large family that had rebelled and entered the mountains to temporarily lay down their weapons and no longer oppose the Huaxia army. In order to succeed, she even made a promise on behalf of Ning Yi to the other party that once the Female Zhenren troops retreated, Ning Yi would have a fair debate with this family of Confucian scholars in front of everyone.
After the matter was settled, Shishi went to Zizhou and reported to Ning Yi on the way. It was already evening when she arrived in Zizhou. There were people coming and going in the command center, and there was a continuous flow of war horses reporting. This was a sign that the frontlines were in an urgent situation. Shishi saw Ning Yi from afar, who was busy. She left behind a report and then turned to leave.
She hoped to save time and settle the second family as soon as possible. The carriage left the city at night. An hour after leaving Zizhou, an unforeseen event occurred.
The attack on the carriage was sudden, and there seemed to be someone shouting outside, "Tie up Ning Yi's mistress!" The guards following Shishi began to fight with the enemy, but one of the enemy's experts killed his way onto the carriage and drove it forward. The carriage jolted, and Shishi lifted the curtain on the window to take a look. After a moment, she made a decision and threw herself at the front of the carriage.
This was an all-out attack. Shishi and the man who had robbed the carriage flew and rolled into the snow by the roadside. The man rolled over and got up. Shishi also struggled to get up and jumped into the stream by the side of the road where the water was flowing rapidly because of the narrow river.
The river in winter was bone-piercingly cold. The moment she entered the water, Shishi felt her heart suddenly contract and her head become dizzy. The river flowed down rapidly, and when they reached a bend, Shishi's body hit a rock. She woke up for a moment and struggled with all her might. She struggled to get ashore on the bank of a river full of pebbles. Her body no longer felt like it was hers, and her mind wanted to stop.
But she didn't stop. For a long period of time, it was as if something not her own was controlling her. She had seen injured soldiers in the Huaxia army camp, and she had seen bloody scenes in the camp of the wounded soldiers. Sometimes, Liu Watermelon walked in front of her with a big knife on his back, and poor children starved to death by the side of the road, giving off a rotten smell … These things flashed through her mind mechanically, and her body mechanically searched for firewood and kindling by the riverbed.
A sunken stone wall by the riverbed saved her life. She found some dead branches, broke some firewood, took out flint, and struggled to start a fire with trembling hands … She took off her clothes and put them on the fire to dry. The mountain wind whistled at night. It wasn't until dawn that the Huaxia soldiers who had searched back and forth twice finally found her in this blind spot.
She was carried to the wounded soldiers' camp, checked, and rested. The cold had come, so she had to rest. Watermelon had sent her a letter, telling her to recuperate well. From what others had told her, she also knew that when Ning Yi heard that she had been attacked, he had sent a small group of soldiers to look for her in a very urgent situation.
This should have been the closest she had been to death in her life, and it was the most worth recounting. But when she thought about it after recovering from her injuries, it didn't feel like much. The past few years of running around and dealing with Watermelon and the others had made Shishi's health very good. In the middle of January, she recovered from her injuries and went to Zizhou again. Ning Yi saw her and asked her about what happened that night, but Shishi just shook her head and said, "Nothing."
She contacted Watermelon and the intelligence department, and returned to the work she was responsible for.
Participating in the huge and complicated work of the Huaxia army, sometimes Shishi could feel that a vague plan was moving forward invisibly. Every time there were fewer problems on the Chengdu plain, there would be more manpower for the frontlines in Zizhou.
Entering the end of February, the work in the rear didn't seem as difficult as before. Shishi followed a group of soldiers to Zizhou. It was the morning of February 23rd when she arrived. Zizhou City was as strict and austere as usual. Because Ning Yi wasn't free, she first went to the wounded soldiers' camp to visit a medical officer she was friends with. The other party suddenly realized. "You're here too. I told him there's something big going on …"
"What?"
"… You don't know?" The other party was stunned. "Then forget it. Take your time and see for yourself."
Staying in the army for a long time would lead to some secrets, but there were also some things that could be detected with careful observation. After leaving the wounded soldiers' camp, Shishi sensed that there were signs of troops gathering in the city, and then she found out about some other things.
In the afternoon, she had finished contacting the intelligence department and the General Staff Headquarters. She saw Ning Yi in his military uniform, and the leading troops were passing through the streets outside.
"They said you're here. Come and take a look. Did you encounter any danger recently? "
"… You're going to the battlefield?"
"Zong Han is very close. It's time to meet him."
"Fight … outside? They said … it's not a good idea, we don't have enough people. "
Shishi racked her brains, recalling the military news she had heard in the past. Before this, no one had actually thought that this battle would be fought in front of Zizhou City. Ning Yi was going to throw all his troops in …
"It's war. Unexpected plans are the most useful. Don't worry, I've also stayed at the frontline for a long time. "Ning Yi smiled." I killed both Ci and Bu Li with my own hands. "
"I've always thought that you're the best at writing poems …" She felt that her words didn't convey her meaning, and tears were about to come out. At this moment, she felt the general's feelings of sacrificing his lover before going to war — it was actually much better than talking.
"Haha, poems …" Ning Yi smiled, but Shishi couldn't understand the meaning behind his smile. The silence between the two lasted for a moment. Ning Yi nodded. "Then … I'll go first. It's time to teach them a lesson."
"Ning Liheng … Liheng." Shishi called out to him. She had always had a big forehead, but she looked very elegant. At this moment, her eyes were wide open, and many thoughts seemed to materialize in her eyes. Fear, anxiety, complicated feelings, and anxiety for not being able to convey her meaning … Her lips trembled a few times.
"That … I … If you … die on the battlefield, you … Hey, don't you have anything to say to me? You … I know that you guys have to write, write wills on the battlefield. You've written them for your family, right? I'm not saying, that … I mean … your wills are for your family. We've known each other for so many years, if you die … Don't you have anything to say to me? We, we've known each other for so many years … "
She couldn't find a better way to express herself. At this point, tears began to flow down her face. She could only turn her head away, one hand gripping the skirt on her thigh and the other propping herself up on the table, so that she could only bend her knees slightly and not squat down. Tears pattered down her cheeks.
Ning Yi looked at her with a complicated gaze, his fingers tapping unconsciously on his thigh. After a long time, he finally said, "If I can come back … we can discuss this matter again, okay?"
After a moment, she wanted to turn around, but she felt that these words were a little inauspicious. She tapped the table and said, "Don't worry … no matter how big it is … I'll definitely come back."
Just like this, she turned around and left.
This was the 23rd of February in Li Shishi's memory. At the very least, at that moment, the future was uncertain. The wild waves of fate had swept up to this point, stirring up a tragic atmosphere like the bleak wind and cold water.
At this moment, the southwest, the world, and all the resistance that the Jurchens had faced for the past thirty years were about to come to an end. If they failed, then it would be the end of the world.
When Shishi came out of the room, the small number of soldiers on the battlefield was passing through the city gate in the thin sunlight.
Because of the paint, the momentum of the scene was not full. This was the beginning of spring when everything seemed pale.
*****
In the spring of the first year of Wu Zhenxing and the fifteenth year of the Golden Sky Association, the 23rd of February.
In the mountains of the southwest, the troops under the command of Balisu, Wanyan Saba, Dalai, and Wanyan Xiebao, who had participated in the southern expedition, suddenly launched a large-scale interception in an attempt to break the chaotic battle situation caused by the Huaxia army's desperate resistance due to the terrain.
At the same time as the interception began, the Huaxia army's command center in front of Zizhou responded. They concentrated their troops to carry out a large-scale interception against the Jurchens' weak troops, trying to swallow up some of the battle results before the Jurchens' strong troops could react. The two sides fought for a day.
On the night of the 23rd of February, on the morning of the 24th of February, a message was sent from Zizhou. After passing through various routes, it reached the main camps of the Jurchens at the frontline. To a certain extent, this message even interfered with the subsequent responses of the Jurchens' various armies. The troops under Dalai and Saba chose to defend conservatively, while Balisu penetrated unhurriedly. Wanyan Xiebao's Revenge Army, on the other hand, suddenly sped up and pushed forward in a frenzy, trying to break through the Leigang and Palm Creek frontlines in the shortest time possible.
On the 23rd of February, Ning Yi personally led more than six thousand elite troops out of the city gate of Zizhou.
— — Pressing towards the frontline.
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