The Jingzhe period had long passed. This year, the city of Lin 'an looked heavy and dilapidated inside and outside.
Some of the mansions in the city had long been in disrepair. After the death of the owner and the ravages of war, the ruins of the mansions became a gathering point for refugees and impoverished families. The rebels occasionally came, bringing the officers and soldiers to kill the rebels. Sometimes they lit fireworks again in the city.
Some of the bluestones on the imperial street had been worn out, and no one came to repair them. After the spring rain, the sewage channel was blocked, and the sewage surged out and flowed on the street. After the weather cleared, it turned into a stench and choked people's breath. The small court and yamen in charge of government affairs had always been troubled by countless things, and could not manage such things.
In fact, in such years, a little stinky sewage had long been unable to disturb people's peace.
A year ago, Lin 'an also had many splendid and colorful places. At this time, the paint gradually faded, and most of the city was occupied by gray and black. Walking on the street, you could occasionally see new green blooming in the corner of the courtyard wall of the trees that had not died, which was a bright scenery. The city, without the paint embellishment, was left with the thickness of the earth and stone material, but no one knew when this thickness would also lose its dignity.
In February, the main force of the Jurchen Eastern Army had withdrawn from Lin 'an, but the continuous turmoil did not leave much room for the city to live. When the Jurchen Zhenren came, she slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people. After staying for half a year, the Han people living in the cracks depended on the Jurchen Zhenren and gradually formed a new ecological system. With the withdrawal of the Jurchen Zhenren, this ecological system was broken again.
The fighting and killing of the gangs and outlaws at the bottom were staged in the city every night. Every day at dawn, the dead bodies could be seen on the streets.
Compared with Lin 'an a year ago, the population in the city had been sharply reduced at this time, but the living space enjoyed by everyone did not expand, but was greatly reduced. This was because the resources in the city had been reduced to a greater extent. The skinny people killed their compatriots in dark alleys for the small interests that they did not want to see in the past. For a few kilograms of rice, for the interests of a butcher shop, it was not too strange for dozens of people to die in the fight.
We cannot blame the savagery of those who seek survival. When the living resources of an ecosystem are greatly reduced, it is inevitable for people to kill each other to reduce their numbers. Ten people's rations could not feed eleven people. The only problem was how the eleventh person would die.
Only a few people still maintained a good life.
The rain came and went. The carriage of Assistant Minister Li Shan of the Ministry of Appointments passed through the long street that was overflowing with dirty water. Beside the carriage was an entourage of ten guards. These accompanying soldiers with sabers blocked the people who tried to beg on the road for the carriage. He watched from the window as the woman with the child in her arms was pushed to the ground by the guards. The baby in the swaddling clothes turned out to be fake.
"What a terrible plan," he thought to himself, and put down the curtain in annoyance.
At this moment, what truly troubled him was not the annoying things he saw every day, but the strange news that came from the west.
Since last year, the original officials and forces of the Wu dynasty, led by his teacher Wu Qimei and Tie Yan, sought refuge with the Jin Kingdom. They elected a branch of the royal family who was said to be related to the Zhou family to take the throne and establish a small court in Lin 'an. In the beginning, they were trembling with fear, and when they were scolded as traitors, they would more or less blush. But as time passed, a portion of them gradually adapted to the public opinion they created.
In fact, establishing this small court of the Wu dynasty might not be the worst choice in the current world situation. The Wu dynasty had existed for more than two hundred years. The current emperors, whether it was Zhou Zhe or Zhou Yong, could be said to be muddleheaded and tyrannical.
Even the Jingping Emperor Zhou Ji, who had been on the throne for less than a year, was also a muddleheaded person who prayed to the gods. He used the so-called "Heavenly Master" Guo Jing as a general to fight against the Female Zhenren. In the end, he opened the city gates, allowing the Female Zhenren to enter Bianliang effortlessly during the second southern expedition. Perhaps no one dared to say this at the beginning, but now it seemed that the shame of Jingping and the humiliation that Zhou Ji suffered for the rest of his life were all self-inflicted.
After all, the fate of the Wu dynasty was gone. With the Central Plains and Jiangnan already occupied, some resistance might come to an end. There might be some chaos, but as the Female Zhenren stabilized the situation of the entire Jin Kingdom, the chaos would gradually disappear.
After all, this was the process of one dynasty replacing another.
To accept this reality, or to die in the foreseeable chaos that would follow. In this way, some things were not so difficult to accept. On the other hand, many people actually did not have much room to choose.
The torrent of history was too big and too fierce. Recently, Li Shan often felt that he was just an ordinary person who fell into the raging tide. He either grabbed the only wooden plank in his hand and struggled to survive, or he let go of it and was swallowed by the tide. The reason why he could reach the position of the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel in such a small court was not because of his ability, but because of luck.
He worshiped Wu Qimei as his teacher. Wu Qimei became the Right Minister of the court, and he followed her. If he didn't go like this, he actually had no more choice.
In the past few months, generally speaking, the development of the "Jun Society" led by Wu Qimei was quite gratifying. In the small court, Wu Qimei was originally the Right Minister, and the most powerful one was the Left Minister, Tie Yan. But many of Tie Yan's forces came from the army in Fujian. At the beginning of the year, Princess Royal Zhou Pei used a trick to capture Fuzhou and killed Tie Yan's cousin, Tie Sanwu, so Tie Yan's reputation declined. And Wu Qimei, whose pace was more stable, not only expanded her reputation, but also gained more recognition from the Female Zhenren to a certain extent.
At present, the court in Lin 'an did not pay too much attention to checks and balances. Wu Qimei's reputation rose, and the rest of the people also rose. As Wu Qimei's disciple, although Li Shan was still only an assistant minister in the Ministry of Personnel, even the minister did not dare to not give him face. In the past two months, although the situation at the bottom of Lin 'an was still difficult, many things, including treasures, land deeds, and beauties, were sent to Li Shan like flowing water.
In such a situation, for the first time in his life, Li Shan felt what was called the general trend and what was called the strength of heaven and earth. He didn't need to ask for these benefits, and even refusing them would hurt others. Especially in February, after the main force of the Jin army withdrew one after another, the situation at the bottom of Lin 'an became turbulent again, and more benefits were sent to Li Shan.
It could be foreseen that in the near future, the "Jun Society" led by Wu Qimei would become the real ruling class of the whole Lin 'an and the whole Wu dynasty. And Li Shan only needed to go forward and he could have everything.
After all, the dynasty had changed, and he only followed, only seeking self-protection, and did not take the initiative to harm people, so he did not feel guilty.
If not for the information that came in the past few days, everything he had experienced could be regarded as a heavenly dream.
In the battle of Changsha, he defeated the Jurchen army and killed the Silver Array.
In the southwest, the Black Flag Army defeated the main force of the Jurchen army and killed Wanyan Xibao.
Of these two waves of big news, the first had arrived a few days ago, and everyone was still trying to confirm its authenticity. The second wave had entered the city the day before yesterday, and only a few of the higher-ups knew about it. All kinds of details were still being transmitted.
Separated by thousands of miles, it would take a few days to reach 800 miles. The first wave of news often had errors, and the confirmation period was very long. It was difficult to confirm whether there were other problems in the middle. Some people even thought that the spies of the Black Flag Army took advantage of the turbulence in Lin 'an and stirred up the situation with false information. Such doubts were reasonable.
In all kinds of speculations, in general, this news had not caused too much waves here thousands of miles away. People restrained their thoughts and tried not to express anything. And on the real level, people still did not know how to deal with such news.
At the end of last year, the news that Xie Lili was killed in the southwest war came, and people could still make some responses. Not long after, Huangming County was broken through, and the Jin army in the southwest also achieved its own results, and some discussions immediately subsided. But today … the Black Flag Army could really defeat the Jurchen army.
Wasn't it said that the Jurchen army was the strongest in the west? A legendary figure like Wanyan Zonghan, could it be an exaggeration?
What was going on?
What kind of person was Wanyan Zonghan? What was the situation in the southwest? What was the appearance of this war?
All kinds of questions hovered in Li Shan's mind, and his thoughts were restless and indescribable.
The carriage drove all the way to the residence of the Right Minister, and the people of the "Jun Society" also came one after another. People greeted each other and talked about the situation in the city these days. Almost all the interests involved in the small imperial court, the "Jun Society" got the lion's share. When people talked, they laughed at each other, and then they also paid attention to the situation of the training and recruitment of soldiers.
Only in a very private small circle, perhaps someone would mention the information that came from the southwest these days.
As a disciple of Wu Qimei, Li Shan's position in the "Jun Society" was not low. Although he was not an important figure among his fellow disciples, he had a good relationship with others. "Eldest Senior Brother." When Gan Fenglin came over, Li Shan went up to chat. Gan Fenglin and Li Shan walked to the side and exchanged a few words. When Li Shan mentioned a little about the situation in the southwest, Gan Fenglin asked a question in a low voice.
"Back in Lin 'an, Junior Brother Li knew a lot of people. I heard that you had dealings with Li Pin and Li Dexin. How was your relationship?"
"When Li Dexin was in Lin 'an, I did have dealings with him and visited him several times to ask for advice …"
Li Shan frowned. For a moment, he did not understand the purpose of Gan Fenglin's question. In reality, when Wu Qimei lived in seclusion, although he was a great scholar and had many disciples, none of these disciples were exceedingly talented. Back then, he could be considered to be neither high nor low. Of course, now it could be said that he was a treacherous official in power.
That Li Pin, Li Dexin, and Ning Yi's falling out, for some unknown reason, had caused an uproar and spread far and wide. Ever since he started to run the newspaper in Lin 'an, his reputation had increased tremendously, so much so that he could be mentioned in the same breath as Wu Qimei and the others. Li Shan did not have any achievements at that time, and his attitude was also very low. He visited everywhere in Lin 'an to learn and build relationships. He and Li Pin had the same surname, so they could be said to be from the same family. He participated in several gatherings and had the opportunity to speak. Later, he visited and asked for advice, so he could be said to have a good relationship with others.
But among the Wu brothers, Li Shan would usually stay away from this matter. After all, Wu Qimei had worked hard to accumulate the reputation of a great scholar who was recognized by people. Li Pin, a child, just by quarreling with Ning Yi, he became one of the leaders of Confucianism. This was really a matter of fishing for fame.
What was so great about quarreling with Ning Yi? Master Mei had even written more than a dozen articles to rebuke the regicide demon, which was not eloquent and eloquent. But the people were ignorant and only liked to make a fuss about vulgar things.
"What did Junior Apprentice Brother and Li Pin talk about?"
"Uh …" Li Shan was somewhat embarrassed. "Mostly … academic matters. When I first visited him, I asked him about sincerity and righteousness in the university. At the time, he said …"
Li Shan recounted the conversation between the two. Gan Fenglin waved his hand. "Did he mention the southwest?"
"The southwest … what is it?" Li Shan was shocked. In the current situation, everything related to the southwest was very sensitive. He did not know his senior apprentice brother's goal and was actually afraid that he would say something wrong. But he saw the other shake his head.
"Teacher asked me to investigate the situation in the southwest." Gan Fenglin said frankly, "The news from a few days ago has been verified by various parties. Now it seems that it is mostly true. We originally thought that there was no suspense in the southwest war, but now it seems that the suspense is not small. In the past, it was said that the Mountain Guards of the Nihan Tu Mountain would rarely be defeated. Now that I think about it, I don't know if it was an exaggeration or if there was some other reason.
"On the other hand, in these past few years, we know very little about the southwest. Thus, Teacher asked me to investigate the people involved in the southwest. Just what kind of savage existence is this Black Flag Army, and just what kind of situation has it become after regicide … Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. At least we have an idea … In these past two days, I've looked for some information, but there are not many people who know the specifics … "
Li Shan understood in his heart.
For a long time, when the people of Lin 'an talked about the southwest, they were actually only talking about a dark curtain. People reviled, condemned, and cursed, but the people of Lin 'an truly knew too little about the specific situation in the southwest. On one hand, this was due to the enormous pressure that the Female Zhenren was constantly exerting. On the other hand, when facing an 'enemy' like the Female Zhenren, people could still use a rational attitude to treat them. But when it came to the 'rebellion' of regicide in the southwest, people could only use an even more intense attitude to deal with it.
To go against the trend and fight against the entire world, in short, one had to die — there was no doubt about this. As for treating the southwest with the attitude of a national war, people would instead feel that it was a loss of face. People were willing to understand the Female Zhenren, but in reality, they were not willing to understand the southwest.
The reasons for the formation of this situation were too complicated, and there was not much meaning in analyzing it. In this southern expedition of the Female Zhenren, the people of the Wu dynasty actually found it somewhat difficult to measure and understand the strength of the Female Zhenren. The entire land of Jiangnan had fallen under the attack of the Eastern Army. As for the legendary and even more powerful Western Army, it was difficult for people to rationally explain just how powerful it was. The battle that would occur in the southwest was in fact beyond the scope of understanding of the people thousands of li away in the abyss of suffering.
There was also no need for too much understanding. In short, after Nu Han, the strongest army in the world, charged over, the southwest would be completely destroyed.
But at this time, all of this had developed into a problem. The people of Lin 'an couldn't help but seriously understand and measure the situation in the southwest.
What had happened in the Jin Kingdom?
Was Nu Han really the number one general in the world today?
Was the Western court of the Female Zhenren, who was rumored to be so great that it could intimidate the ruler, actually not so frightening? These rumors about the Female Zhenren, were all false? The combat strength of the Western Army was actually lower than that of the Eastern Army? Then, could it also be speculated that the rumors about the internal strife of the Jin Kingdom were actually also false?
All of these were possible results under a rational analysis, but if there was another explanation in the most impossible situation …
If the Western Army of the Female Zhenren was really stronger than the Eastern Army.
If Nu Han was really that invincible general who had swept through the world and established half of the Jin Kingdom.
If the Female Zhenren Wanyan Xiyin, Yin Shuke, Ba Licu, Han Qixian, Gao Qingyi … and many others really still had the strategies and bravery of the past …
If there was even the slightest possibility that such a situation existed …
Then, in these few years, in the mountains of the southwest that people did not pay much attention to, what kind of army had been built and forged by that regicide demon? How had that army been ruled, how had it been trained, how had it been operated … that army that had defeated the strongest army of the Female Zhenren with a small number of soldiers, just how barbaric and cruel would it be?
Cold sweat seeped out of Li Shan's back …
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