Chapter 675 Change of Tune
The ladder was pushed up the wall, the bows and arrows flew like locusts, the shouts shook the sky and the earth, and there was a faint thunder in the dark clouds in the sky.
More than a month ago, a scene that happened in Bianliang City reappeared at the top of Taiyuan City.
After several months of siege, the Jurchen soldiers who had recuperated their strength began to launch a general attack on Taiyuan City.
At this time, the food reserves in Taiyuan City were beginning to be stretched thin. At the end of the year, the food supply of the soldiers in the city was halved, and the food supply of the residents was halved even more. During the cold season, there was not enough wood and coal for heating, and many elderly and infirm people died of cold and starvation. At present, It was already the early spring of Jinghan's fourteenth year. Although some food had been saved, no one expected that at this time, reinforcements would still not arrive.
Zong Wang came back.
The city's news channel was blocked, and no one knew the news about the capital. Zong Wang said that the Wu Dynasty surrendered and ceded Taiyuan. Naturally, everyone didn't believe it. On the day Zongwang's army arrived, Li Pin and others who were in charge of logistics restored some of the food supply for the soldiers defending the city. They had several full meals in the past two days, and then the brutal battle to defend the city began again. .
After several months of siege, as the long and cold winter passed, the will of Taiyuan City to defend the city has not been exhausted. During this period, the members of Zhuji, Cheng Zhouhai and others spared no effort in publicity and it worked. All soldiers and generals knew that if Taiyuan was defeated, what awaited them would be an inhumane massacre.
On the other hand, since Zong Wang has withdrawn his troops from the south, it also means that the war in the south has come to an end, and reinforcements from the imperial court will finally arrive soon.
On the sixth day of February, the spring rain fell within the confines of Taiyuan City, and the bone-marrow chill enveloped the area. The fighting on the city top had not stopped, but for Qin Shaohe and Li who were participating in the defense of the city at this time, For Pin, Cheng Zhouhai and others, there is also a warmth of hope in their hearts.
That afternoon, as the rain intensified, they sent out their elite guards to break out and seek help in areas where the Jurchens' defenses had been neglected and weak.
At the same moment, the news that the Jurchens were attacking Taiyuan again was spreading to the south through different channels at the fastest speed.
The first person to receive the news, apart from the remaining forces in various state capitals, was Wu Sheng's army coming all the way north under the command of Chen Yanshu. At this time, the snow in the south was gradually melting, and the army with tens of thousands of patchwork troops hurriedly rushed north. Due to the cold weather and inefficient organization, the army's speed was less than half as fast as the Jurchens' northward march. At this time, they had only reached a third of the way. on the journey.
After receiving the news that the Jurchens had launched an attack on Taiyuan, Chen Yanshu almost collapsed.
He has led the army for several years. He was originally a civil servant, but later gained the reputation of being both civil and military. He understands changes and is good at balancing. Speaking of bloodiness, it was not without it. However, the record of Zongwang's army marching south had made him clearly realize the reality.
Originally, the Jurchens were so powerful that no one could beat them, and he was just one of these generals. However, Bianliang's tenacious resistance, coupled with Wurui Battalion's record in Xia Village, made them all vaguely vulnerable. As he led his troops northward, the superiors wanted him to make up for his past mistakes. Chen Yanshu also had hope in his heart that if the Jurchens left without attacking Taiyuan, he might be able to gain back some reputation and face.
That night, he ordered his soldiers to speed up their march. It is said that Chen Yanshu, who was riding a horse, pulled out his sword several times, as if he wanted to kill himself, but in the end he did not do so.
Wu Shengjun’s reaction after receiving the news also turned into a letter asking for help and quickly came south.
"...The Jurchens are ferocious and ferocious. Our troops will work together and fight with all our lives...I hope the imperial court will send reinforcements quickly..."
The messengers belonging to various forces rushed forward, and the news spread. . From Taiyuan to Bianliang, the straight-line distance is nearly a thousand miles. Coupled with the spread of war, the post station was not fully operational, and the snow had only melted half. On the night of the seventh day of February, the first round of news that the Jurchens seemed to intend to attack the city spread. Arrive at Bianliang City.
On the eighth day of February, all kinds of news came to Bianliang like an overwhelming amount of news.
There is no chance of luck anymore, it has become a fact that the Jurchens stormed Taiyuan.
On the upper floor of the court, various dignitaries hurriedly entered the palace. The atmosphere was so tense that it almost solidified, but the atmosphere among the people was still normal. Ning Yi was waiting for feedback from the court in the Bamboo Notes. He naturally knew that as soon as the news of the Jurchen attack on Taiyuan came, Qin Siyuan would gather the officials who could be persuaded to make another remonstrance.
Time waits not for us, the army must be dispatched.
Including Tang Ke, Wu Min and other peace advocates, during this time's remonstrance, they also stood on the side that advocated sending troops. In addition to them, a large number of high-ranking officials in the court, or originally idle officials, all submitted documents to the government under the operation of the Right Prime Minister's Office. In more than a month, Ning Yi sent out an unknown amount of money, almost wiping out the wealth of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, including Zhu Ji, level by level, just to promote this troop dispatch.
It is estimated that in the few days since the Jurchens arrived in Taiyuan, people have been coming and going inside and outside Zhuji. A lobbyist played by a famous shopkeeper and deacon went out to send money, treasures, and promised all kinds of things. The advantage is that it also cooperates with Yao Zunian and others to send gifts to more noble places.
At the same time, all kinds of propaganda in the city have not stopped. At this time, the temperature has reached the extreme. Once the court decides to send troops, the news about the Jurchens attacking Taiyuan will be spread out in accordance with the pace of sending troops. Inciting war. And if the court still hesitates, Ning Yi and others are already considering the possibility of using the people's support to counteract the political will - of course, he does not want to mess with such a taboo matter until the last moment.
It was afternoon in the blink of an eye. Ning Yi stood at the second floor window and looked into the yard, holding a cup of tea in his hand. The tea he had was just to quench his thirst, and he used a big cup. After standing for a long time, the tea gradually became cold. Juaner came over to give him a different cup, and Ning Yi waved his hand.
"Are you worried about Taiyuan?" Juaner asked in a low voice.
"A little bit." After Ning Yi finished speaking, he shook his head slightly, "But mainly not."
"Huh?"
"The situation in Taiyuan is clear. The fight is already underway. There is no point in worrying." Ning Yi glanced slightly to the north, "The situation in Beijing is the problem. Look It seems clear to me, but I always feel like something is wrong.”
“I heard from several gentlemen that even if we really failed to send troops to Taiyuan, the prime minister would have to invite him several times. Even if the worst happens, as long as the soldiers of Xia Cun can be trained according to the rules, there may not be no hope of re-emergence. Moreover... this time, most of the princes in the court are inclined to send troops. , the possibility of His Majesty accepting it is still very high." After Juan'er said this, she pursed her lips again, "Well, they said it."
Ning. Yi glanced at her and laughed. After a moment, he nodded: "It's just some of my wild thoughts that there might be something going on behind the scenes. Even I didn't see it clearly. Rationally speaking, we are following the steps and doing everything we should. It has been done, and the feedback is pretty good... Just wait for the news, the city is also ready, and if everything goes well, the troops will be dispatched in the next two or three days. Of course, the troops will be dispatched. Your Majesty may have a review before."
He paused: "The Taiyuan incident is the end of this battle. After it passes, it will be a bigger undertaking. When the time comes, the Prime Minister's Office and Zhu. Remember, I’m afraid the scale and nature are different. By the way, Juan’er, tell me frankly, did you find anyone you liked in Xia Cun this time?”
After he spoke, the topic suddenly changed. Juaner was startled, her face turned red for a while, then turned pale again. After hesitating like this for a moment, Ning Yi laughed: "Come here and look downstairs."
He pointed to the courtyard downstairs, where figures walked past from time to time. In the spring afternoon, the sound of people seemed noisy and lively.
"The people in Xia Village, or they, if nothing unexpected happens, will probably become a very important role in the future. Because the next few years or more than ten years may be spent in war, this If the country can live up to its expectations, they can ride on the wind. If they can't live up to their expectations in the end, they...maybe able to live a tragic life. "
"Fight, fight?" Juan'er stared.
"Well." Ning Yi looked at it for a while, turned around, walked back to the desk, and put down the teacup, "The Jurchens' journey south is just the beginning, not the end. If your ears are sharp enough, you can already hear it It’s time for an impassioned melody.”
He smiled and looked at Juan'er who was a little confused: "Of course, it's just a talk. Juan'er, you don't have to listen to this. However, at this time, it may not be easy for people to live a good life. If there is The person I like..."
The room fell silent, and he finally did not continue.
After Juaner left the room, Ning Yi sat back at his desk, looked at some tables on the wall, and the information collected at hand, and continued to figure out what to do next. Occasionally, someone came up to pass on information, but it was a bit insignificant. The decision in the court was undecided, and they might still be quarreling. Until around Shenshi, there was a slight chaos below. Someone ran in quickly, knocked down the staff below, and then ran up again. Ning Yi heard these sounds clearly in the room. When the man ran to the door to knock on the door, Ning Yi had already reached out and opened the door.
That was a steward in charge of news in the palace.
“What’s wrong?”
"Receive, received a message..."
Ning Yi frowned, and the steward took a step closer and whispered a few words in his ear. Ning Yi's expression changed slightly.
"Really? Didn't you say anything over there?"
The other party shook his head: "Everything was returned..."
"Has the news been sent to the Prime Minister's Office? ?”
"It was passed, but the Prime Minister is still discussing matters in the palace. The Prime Minister's Mansion should also pass the news to the palace."
"...I knew there was a problem, but I didn't guess it was This level."
Ning Yi murmured something, but the steward didn't hear it clearly: "...What?"
< br>"It's nothing. Keep looking for people to visit. Until he picks you up, check the surrounding people to see if they have any relationship with him, and ask them to be lobbyists... No, don't just invite people, lest the matter expands and alerts the snake... You need to find someone. Reliable people..."
He made a few hurried responses, and the steward nodded in agreement and left in a hurry.
Ning Yi stood in the room for a moment.
Before Tong Guan met him, he was a little uneasy. However, Qin Siyuan's resignation made him suppress his uneasiness. Only then did the uneasiness finally emerge. There's a clue.
He predicted what kind of melody it would be like in the future, but he did not expect that it would develop like this.
No matter what, it made him feel a little ridiculous.
……
In the palace, the proceedings came to an end for the time being, and the ministers took a short rest in the side hall on the side of the Chui Gong Hall. During this period, everyone was still noisy and debating endlessly.
Qin Siyuan stood aside and talked to someone. Then, an official came in a hurry and whispered a few words in his ear.
The old man was stunned for a moment, stood there and blinked.
After a long time, he digested the situation, gathered his mind, and returned his attention to the discussion in front of him.
……
In the evening, Ning Yi's carriage entered the Youxiang Mansion, crossed the gate of the side courtyard, and went straight inside. When he arrived at the study, he saw Yao Zunian and Jueming.
"How did things get into this?"
"It can be big or small..."
"After hearing about this, the monk came back immediately..."
“Someone has been sent in to inform the Prime Minister.”
"At such a critical time..." Ning Yi frowned, "It's not a good sign."
Not long after, Qin Siyuan also came back.
The decision to send troops has not yet been decided.
In this month, the Prime Minister's Mansion has used all its family resources and strength to try to promote the dispatch of troops. Ning Yi has always been in charge of the property of the prime minister's house, and he has intervened in various matters such as giving gifts. When it comes to giving gifts and bribes, there is a lot of knowledge. Naturally, some people accept it and some refuse it, but what happened today has a different meaning.
In the palace, the eunuch Du Chengxi refused and returned the gift sent by the Right Prime Minister.
For hundreds of years, the Wu Dynasty had always been governed by civil servants, and eunuchs had little power. After Zhou Zhe succeeded to the throne, he adopted a suppression strategy against eunuchs who exercised power. However, no matter what, those who could be by the emperor's side, whether it was said A few small words or a piece of information are of great value.
The great eunuch Du Chengxi has always been cautious and self-possessed. Although he did not dare to speak nonsense in front of Zhou Zhe, he could be regarded as someone who understood the righteousness and tended to side with Li Gang and Qin Siyuan. On weekdays, he accepts some benefits and is cautious. Therefore, in the current situation, the meaning and warning contained in him suddenly returning the gift are quite intriguing.
Before this, everyone had thought about the military's problem, Cai Jing's problem, Tong Guan's problem, and all kinds of resistance. However, they never thought that suddenly, the situation would change from Du Chengxi's side. , rising to the point where things need to be returned.
If you think about it carefully, it is like a huge, dark metaphor that is gradually emerging from everyone's minds.
……
In the palace, Zhou Zhe overturned a bunch of papers on the table.
"Ambition!" he shouted, "I had known that the Jurchens could not be trusted, I had known... that they were going to attack Taiyuan!"
A bunch of papers pushed down on the table, Almost all of them were petitions for sending troops. He stood there and looked at the words on the memorials scattered on the ground.
"Ambition, Jurchens..." After a long time, he repeated with red eyes.
As Zhou Zhe walked back to the desk, Du Chengxi motioned to the young eunuch and asked him to pick up all the memorials. Zhou Zhe didn't care. He sat on the chair and leaned for a while before speaking in a low voice.
"I was lucky..." he said, "Du Chengxi, you see, I was lucky, but I suffered in the end..."
Du Chengxi hesitated for a moment: "Then... Your Majesty... why don't you send troops? What?"
Zhou Zhe looked at him for a while and said, "You eunuch, what do you know?"
After a pause, Zhou Zhe raised his eyebrows. At the beginning, the words were low: "I don't want to lose Taiyuan, let alone lose all my belongings in Taiyuan. And... Guo Yaoshi has learned from the past. Du Chengxi, you have learned from the past... you have learned from the past... Du Chengxi, you know the lessons from the past, right? ?”
As he murmured these words, Du Chengxi lowered his head: “I, my servant, should not talk to your Majesty about political affairs...”
"Go on, go ahead, we've been talking for a whole day!" Zhou Zhe stood up, his eyes suddenly turned fierce, and pointed at Du Chengxi, "Look at Pharmacist Guo! I treat him so well. He wanted to raise troops for him, and even wanted to make him a king! He turned around and defected to the Jurchens! Not to mention that there were only more than 10,000 people in Xia Cun, but among the more than 10,000 people, the most powerful ones were from the north. The rebels are coming! Du Chengxi, I have not yet grasped this army, and I have not yet conquered its heart, and yet I want to let it go. Do you think I should let it go?"
He spread his hands: "I have a vast land and rich resources, but no soldiers to fight with. I finally found some people who can fight. I let them out. There are so many variables. I want to use them as seeds, but I have lost Taiyuan. I still want them." I am afraid that this country has lost its seeds. In a few days, I will go to inspect this army. I will accept their hearts and stay in the capital. I will give them whatever they want. I can no longer buy them like gold. "Mr. Guo is the same."
"What's more, Taiyuan may not be lost." He closed his eyes and murmured, "The Jurchens are tired, and Taiyuan has been holding on for several months, who can say. We can no longer hold on. I have sent Chen Yanshu to the north for rescue, and I have also issued an order for him to march quickly. Chen Yanshu is guilty of meritorious service. He has always known the stakes. If he loses again this time, I will not let him go. I will Kill his whole family. He doesn't dare not fight..."
As he talked, Du Chengxi listened respectfully and led Zhou Zhe out of the door, and he quickly followed.
……
That night, Ning Yi returned to Zhuji, summoned several stewards, and gave some instructions. Most of them were arranged to send gifts in private to open up joints. Later, he also issued an order for Zhuji's publicity side to stop making big moves and not to consider excessive publicity about the Taiyuan incident.
He sat in the yard and thought about everything carefully, the whole story, the whole story. In the early morning, Yue Fei came out of the room and heard a bang in the yard. Ning Yi stood there and broke the trunk of a tree with his hand. It seemed that he was practicing martial arts before.
Yue Fei is a direct disciple of Zhou Tong, so he can naturally see some of the complicated meanings of this move. He came over hesitantly: "Master Ning...is there something on your mind?"
Ning Yi glanced at him: "The matter in Taiyuan must be still at war."
"The matter of sending troops "Is there something unexpected?" Yue Fei asked tentatively, "Fei heard some rumors tonight..."
"...It's hard to say." Ning Yi said, "Some things did happen, and it doesn't seem like a good thing. But to what extent it will be, I don't know yet."
"Master Ning...can't solve it either?" ?" he asked.
"Hahahaha." After hearing this, Ning Yi was slightly stunned, and then laughed, "You believe me."
Yue Fei cupped his hand: "Xia Cun Before the war, Fei didn't know the young master's abilities, but after the war, the young master has become a person that Yue Fei admires in his heart. Just as the young master said in Xia Cun, some things cannot be justified, there is no way out, and there is no way to live. There is no way to go. If Taiyuan falls, the Central Plains will be devastated, and the Jurchens will come again and march forward. If there is anything that needs to be done, Fei Fei will not hesitate! The words were impassioned and resonant. Ning Yi looked at him for a moment and smiled slightly: "You are right, I will try my best to do what I need to do..."
After saying this, he walked over, reached out and patted his shoulder, then walked past him and went upstairs.
The next day, although Zhuji did not deliberately increase publicity, something happened. News of the Jurchens' attack on Taiyuan spread. Chen Dong, a student from the Imperial College, led a group of people to the imperial city to petition for the dispatch of troops.
At the same time, the discussion about whether to send troops also did not move Zhou Zhe. He just listened quietly to the quarrels between the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, and then decided on some things that he had previously intended to do: Three days Afterwards, they reviewed the troops who had made meritorious service in the battle outside the city.
Qin Siyuan asked to see Zhou Zhe in private and asked to resign again, but Zhou Zhe also dismissed it pleasantly.
He also showed a irritable and angry side when it came to matters against the Jurchens, but only when facing Qin Siyuan's resignation, the emperor kindly comforted the old man every time.
The war in Taiyuan continues. Due to the delay in the spread of information, no one knows whether the city to the north has been broken by the Jurchens when they received the news that Taiyuan City is still safe today.
Compared to the previous month of being quiet and waiting for the development of the situation, now, time seems to have entered the quagmire, but a hint of maliciousness has appeared. The further we go, the more obvious it becomes. Get tough.
Three days later, Zhou Zhe reviewed Wurui Camp outside the city... (End of this chapter)