Chapter 809 Chapter 750 In the past, when I left, the willows lingered; now I come to think about it, the rain and snow are falling (Part 2)
The southwest is mountainous.
In autumn, the yellow and green mountains extend overlapping into the distance under the bright sunshine. Occasionally walking through the mountain road makes people feel relaxed and happy. Compared with the barren northwest, the southwest is bright and colorful, but the entire transportation is even more underdeveloped compared to the barren mountains in the northwest.
Among the mountains and rivers, there are occasionally villages in twos and threes. It seems that there are primitive dense forests, and the rugged paths are hidden in the weeds, earth and rocks. Only a few developed places have post stations, and the horse teams responsible for transportation come every year. Traveling through these rugged roads month after month, passing through the mountains where ethnic minorities live, connecting trade between the Central Plains and the wastelands of the southwest, is the original Tea Horse Road.
This is the hometown of southwestern barbarians who have lived for generations.
The so-called southwestern Yi people call themselves the "Ni" people. They were pronounced Yi in ancient Chinese. Later generations changed their name because of the derogatory connotation of barbarians, and they became the Yi people. Of course, at this time in the Wu Dynasty, these people living in the mountains of the southwest were generally called Southwest Yi. They were tall, with tall noses and deep eyes, bronze complexions, and strong personalities. They were the ancestors of the ancient Di and Qiang who migrated south. descendants. At this time, a strict slavery system was still implemented in each village, and fights often broke out among each other. It was not uncommon for a large village to annex a small village.
During the two hundred years of the Wu Dynasty, business routes were opened here, and trade was exchanged with Dali. They also competed for the ownership of the Yi people in Liangshan. Two hundred years of mutual trade have allowed some Han Chinese and ethnic minorities to enter this area, and several small towns have been opened where Han people live or live together. Some felons have also been sent to these dangerous mountains.
When the year of Jinghan passed and the year of Jianshuo, several disputes broke out here, large and small. A black flag quietly entered this place in the process. In the third and fourth years of Jianshuo, there were successive disputes in Liangshan area. The three small counties of Bulay, Hedeng, and Jishan declared uprisings—all unilaterally announced by the county magistrates, and then the army gradually entered and suppressed the resistance.
Most of these soldiers who were withdrawn from the northwest were dusty and worn, and their bodies were thin after traveling thousands of miles in forced marches. At first, the nearby prefect organized a certain amount of troops to try to annihilate them, and then... nothing happened.
More troops came one after another, and more problems naturally followed. Friction with the surrounding Ni people, several wars, difficulties in maintaining trade routes and construction...
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The wind blew suddenly, and she woke up from her sleep. There was a faint light outside the window, and the outline of the leaves swayed slightly in the wind. It was already early morning.
The sound of cock crow came from far away.
Someone was already walking around in the yard. She sat up and put on her clothes, took a deep breath and collected her confused thoughts. Recalling last night's dream, it vaguely happened in the past few years.
Perhaps it was because the news coming from outside these days shocked the mountain, and also touched her a little.
This year, a woman named Su Tan'er was thirty-four years old. Due to the lack of resources, the outside world views women as beautiful because of their wealth. However, her figure is obviously thin, so she may not be considered a beauty. During the five years in Hedeng County, Su Tan'er gave people a decisive and sharp impression. He had a face with oval seeds, his eyes were candid and alert, and he was used to wearing black clothes. Even in heavy winds and rains, he could hold the skirt and run on rugged mountain roads and in the mud. In the next two years, the war situation in the northwest fell, and the news of Ning Yi's death came. She became an out-and-out black widow, indifferent to everything around her but resolute, and she would never change the rules she had set. During this period, even the most "orthodox" thinking officials around her did not dare to Send troops to Liangshan. The two sides maintain secret confrontations, economic games and blockades, just like the Cold War.
She has maintained this image.
Getting up and getting dressed, people outside were getting louder, and it seemed that they were already busy. It was the older children who were being urged to get up and do morning exercises. There were also voices saying hello, and Juan'er, who had just returned not long ago, came in with a basin. Su Tan'er smiled: "You don't have to do this."
"It's just convenient." Juan'er said.
The three personal maids at the beginning were all trained to deal with the business at hand, and later they became capable right-hand men. After Ning Yi took over the Secret Investigation Department, the scope of their involvement was too wide. Tan'er hoped that Xing'er and Juan'er could also be accepted by Ning Yi as concubines. Yi was not completely heartless, but Ning Yi did not agree. Later, there were too many things and the matter was delayed.
During the three-year war in Xiaocanghe, Xing'er gradually fell in love with an officer of the Black Flag Army and finally came together. Juaner remained silent, and Ning Yi lived in seclusion for the next two years. Because Wanyan Xiyin did not give up the search for Ning Yi, Jin State spies and Black Flag counterintelligence personnel had several confrontations within Liangshan. It was not easy for Tan'er and others to meet Ning Yi. During this period, Juan'er was with Ning Yi, taking care of his daily life and handling various contact details. Although they didn't talk too much about personal matters, they generally understood each other.
The family was originally just a merchant in Jiangning. After getting married, they just wanted to live a stable life. Unexpectedly, they were involved in a war. Looking back, it has been ten years. In the first half of the decade, Su Tan'er watched Ning Yi do his work and worried about him. In the second half, Su Tan'er sat in charge and watched with trepidation as the three counties gradually stabilized and developed despite the ups and downs. Occasionally when she dreams back in the middle of the night, she would also think that if she had not rebelled and had not interfered with the world's affairs, she might have been able to accompany her husband and live peacefully in the best years - —She is also a woman, and she also misses her man, and wants to be able to hold his body and sleep at night...
But she never said it once.
Over the years, she has also seen people who died and suffered in the war, faced with the fear of war, fled with their families, and lived in panic... Those brave people faced the enemy. He rushed forward bravely and turned into a corpse lying in a pool of blood... and the first When she came here, there was a lack of supplies, so she could only eat braised vegetables with red grapes, watermelon and others... By herself, she might be able to live in fear for the rest of her life, but for these things, she could only keep looking at them... …
Autumn is getting deeper, and the morning breeze is a little cool when I go out. Their family lived in the small courtyard. Hong Xi came out, probably not far outside the courtyard. Xiao Chan was helping to make breakfast in the kitchen. Yuan Baoer was probably still sleeping in. Her daughter, five-year-old Ning Ke has gotten up and is now entering and exiting the kitchen enthusiastically, helping to pass firewood and get things. Yunzhu follows her to be careful of her running around and falling.
Seeing Tan'er coming out of the room, Xiao Ningke said "Ah", then ran to find a basin, went to the water tank in the kitchen and started scooping water with difficulty, Yunzhu followed behind in distress: "What are you doing... ”
“Auntie, get up and wash your face.”
A ladle of water poured into the basin with a splash. Yunzhu squatted next to him and looked back at Tan'er with some distress. Tan'er hurried over: "Xiao Ke is really sensible, but the aunt has already washed her face..."
"Ah? You've washed it..." Ning Ke stood there holding a ladle in both hands, blinking at her.
“Yes, but I want a glass of warm water to brush my teeth.”
"Oh!"
The little girl nodded quickly, and then Yunzhu and others looked at her in panic when she touched the pot of boiling water next to her.
There are several children in the family with different personalities, but Jin'er is the most innocent, lovable and unique child. She is enthusiastic about everything and has never been idle since she can remember. When someone is thirsty, she will help get water. When someone is hungry, she will share half of her rice. When a bird falls from its nest, she will jump around anxiously under the tree. Even if a snail crawls forward, she will not tolerate it. I can't help but want to help. Jin'er was extremely worried about this matter and said that she would be a maid in the future. Everyone joked that maybe Jin'er looked like this when he was a child, but Jin'er would probably deny it with a look of disgust after thinking about it for a while.
After being noisy for a while, I washed up and left the yard. The sky was already spitting out light, and the yellow ginkgo trees were swaying in the morning breeze. Not far away was Sister Hongti, who was watching a group of children doing their morning exercises. Dozens of children, big and small, were running along the lookout at the foot of the mountain in front of them. Ning Xi, Ning Ji and others from her family were also among them, and they were older. Little Ning He was jumping around doing simple stretches.
In the quiet morning light, Hedeng County, located in the mountains, has come to life. There are stacks of houses on the hillside, in the woods, and by the streams. Due to the participation of soldiers, the scale of morning exercises is at the foot of the mountain. One side seemed very powerful, and generous singing came from time to time.
Among the three counties of Bulay, Hedeng and Jishan, Hedeng is the administrative center. Along the foothills, several core components of Black Flag - or Ning Yi's forces - are gathered here. The general staff is responsible for the strategic level and is responsible for coordinating the overall situation. It evolved from Zhuji and is responsible for internal thinking. The problem is the General Political Department. It is the General Intelligence Department that conducts foreign espionage, infiltration, and transmits various information. On the other side, there is the Department of Commerce, the Department of Engineering, and the military department that is independent of Bligh. It can be regarded as the largest group of Black Flags currently. Six important ones.
Of course, the alliance of the three counties of Bulay, Hedeng and Jishan is not the overall appearance of the current Black Flag Army. Outside of the three counties, the real places where Black Flag troops are stationed are Tubo and Dali In the Dayang tribe at the junction, this tribe had an old relationship with the tyrant Liu Dabiao in the early years. The place where they lived guarded an iron mine, and they had maintained sporadic trade with the outside world for many years. In recent years, the Dayang tribe has been sparsely populated and has often been suppressed by other Tubo tribes. Black Flag has moved southward, absorbing a large number of veterans and elites. The elite soldiers who have undergone ideological transformation are hoarded here. On the one hand, they are intimidating Dali, and on the other hand, they are fighting against Dali. There were also several conflicts between the Tubo tribe and the remnants of Guo Yaoshi's resentful army who had taken refuge with the Tubo king.
The location of the three counties of Bu, He, and Ji is, on the one hand, to separate the troops who surrendered after the Xiaocanghe Battle, so that they will not have an impact on the Black Flag Army before they receive sufficient ideological transformation. On the other hand, Jishan County, built along the river, was located at the trading hub between Dali and the Wu Dynasty. Bray stationed a large number of troops, trained, and ascended as the political center, while Jishan was the commercial hub.
Dali is a relatively docile and loyal country. It has always been close to the Wu Dynasty and is extremely disgusted with regicide and rebellion like Black Flag. They are unwilling to do business with Black Flag. However, when Black Flag penetrated into Dali, the first targets were some of Dali's aristocrats, various factions, copycats, and horse bandits. The resources used for trading were iron cannons, firearms, and other items.
Businessmen pursue profits and do whatever they can. In fact, the three counties of Dayang, Buheji are in the midst of a lack of resources. These merchants taught by Ning Yi are crazy and sell everything. At this time, Dali's political power was weak, and the Duan family in power was actually no match for the Gao family, a relative who held real power. Black Flag found the weak relatives of the Duan family, or the scum of the Gao family, and signed various paper contracts first. . When trade began, the royal family discovered and became furious, and the envoys of the Black Flag no longer paid attention to the imperial power.
"We only recognize the contract."
"Either we comply with the agreement, or we die together."
Dali's side will naturally not accept the threat, but at this time Black Flag is also struggling on the edge of a knife. The Bai Zhan elites who had just withdrawn from the Xiaocang River front line broke into Dali. At the same time, the operational troops that infiltrated into Dali City launched an attack. They were caught off guard and captured seven descendants of the Duan family and the Gao family clan. All aspects of lobbying had already begun. .
The stakes of the business are still secondary. However, Black Flag resisted the Jurchens and just retreated from the north. They refused to recognize the contract. If Black Flag is to die, then both jade and stone will be destroyed.
This agreement was finally negotiated with difficulty. Black Flag released the hostages intact, withdrew the troops, paid compensation and apologized for every casualty in Dali, and at the same time, no longer pursued its own side. loss of life. In exchange for this, Dali turned a blind eye to Jishan border trade, and at the same time acquiesced to the rule of only recognizing the contract.
With the first gap, although the next step is still difficult, there is always a way out. Although Dali has no intention of provoking these madmen from the north, it can block the people in the country. In principle, they are not allowed to continue to do business with Black Flag. However, how can a country that can have foreign relatives control the government have strong control over the local area? Binding.
Although Dali and the Wu Dynasty have always had border trade over the past two hundred years, the initiative in these trades has always been firmly in the hands of the Wu Dynasty. Dali even wrote to the Wu Dynasty, requesting the title of "King of Dali" The requests were rejected several times by the Wu Dynasty. Under such circumstances, there are many monks but few people, and border trade cannot satisfy everyone's interests, but who doesn't want to live a good life? Under Black Flag's lobbying, many people were actually moved.
While communicating with Dali, the infiltration of the Wu Dynasty was also going on at every moment. The people of Wu Dynasty might rather starve to death than do business with Black Flag, but facing the powerful enemy Jurchen, who would not have a sense of worry?
The fall of the Central Plains has caused some armies to benefit from the huge crisis. These armies are of mixed quality, so that the firearms produced by the Prince's Mansion can only be provided to the Beiwei Army, Han Shizhong and other direct troops at first. In this way In this case, the firearms of the Black Flag Army, which had been fighting with the Jurchens in the Xiaocang River for three years, were the most tempting things for them.
Since then, under the principle of blocking the black flag, a large number of smuggling horse teams have appeared, and they have turned a blind eye. These teams brought the things designated by Jishan as agreed, in exchange for several iron doors. Cannons and ammunition, and trekked all the way back to the army's location. In principle, the army only bought iron cannons without asking where they came from. In fact, how could it not secretly protect its own interests?
This two-way trade was extremely difficult at the beginning. Many Black Flag elites died in it, just like those who died in the Dali operation. Black Flag could not take revenge. Even Su Tan'er could only go to the soul of the deceased. In front of him, he knelt down and worshiped. In the past five years, Jishan has gradually established the reputation of "contract above all else". In the past two years, it has truly established its foothold and radiated its influence, becoming the leader of Qin Shaoqian, Dayang and Chen Fan. Lan Huandong responded to the core base from afar.
In the five years that Su Tan'er has been sitting in Hedao, she has experienced more than just business problems. Although Ning Yi has solved many macro problems remotely, the detailed planning is enough to exhaust a person. The human mind. Getting along with people, the operation of new departments, dealings with local people, negotiations with the Ni people, and various construction plans. For five years, Tan'er and many people around her have not stopped. She has not seen her husband for more than three years.
The news about Beidi Tianhu came back a few days ago, causing a stir in Blai, Hedeng, Jishan and other places. Since Ning Yi's "suspected" death, Black Flag has been silent for two years. Although Ideological construction in the army has been going on, but there are always many people who are murmuring in their hearts or holding back a sigh of relief. This time, Black Flag's attack easily defeated Tian Hu. Everyone was proud of it, and some people understood that whether the news of Mr. Ning's death was true or false, it might be on the verge of being revealed...
Tan Of course I know more.
She stood on the mountain and looked down, with a smile on her lips. It was a small city full of vitality, with golden leaves on various trees and birds singing in the sky.
When they met, she was eighteen years old. She thought she was mature and old in her heart, so she treated him with a polite attitude. She never thought that so many things would happen later.
During the five years when He Deng worked hard, she never complained about anything. She just sighed slightly when she thought about it.
You are coming back, but I don’t look good.
It’s a waste of good times...
I thought it would be updated the day before yesterday, but it’s not easy to grasp the mood, so I revised it several times...
(End of this chapter)