Chapter 812: Father’s Bandit’s Bloody Hands of Massacre (Part 1)
In September, at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, when the mountains and forests far and near gradually turned gray, Jishan County ushered in the last lively moment in previous years. .
The black morning star flag fluttered in the wind. A large team of horses gathered here, and there were also rice merchants who came with the ships. Most of the bustling crowds carried longbows and swords. After several years of operation, Black Flag negotiated with the Ni people and found that several trade routes near Liangshan were relatively peaceful. However, for the merchants of the Wu Dynasty, trade between Liangshan and the outside world was still a task without courage and strength. Dangerous things that cannot be done without background.
As the horse teams transported from the Wu Dynasty, most of them were grain, cotton and linen, as well as copper and iron. Those transported away were often mainly iron cannons, but also exquisitely processed bows and crossbows. Swords and other items, often hundreds of packhorses were transported, and several cannons made of iron and wood were transported back, as well as some cannonballs - to the outside world , the Black Flag Army has exquisite craftsmanship, and although the iron cannon is expensive, it is now a weapon that outside armies have to buy. Even the original wooden cannon has been "upgraded" by the Black Flag Army with steel and many crafts. The durability has also been greatly increased. Even if it is used as a consumable, it can more or less guarantee the winning rate in future battles.
The three-year bloody battle in Xiaocanghe was the best publicity for the new weapon "cannon". Let's not talk about the confrontation with the Jurchens for the time being. Puppet Qi, Tian Hu and others came one after another with millions of people. Come, as soon as the artillery fires, countless soldiers lie on the ground and are frightened to death. According to recent intelligence, the Jurchen side's artillery has also begun to enter the army. In the future, whoever does not have this thing will basically have trouble in the war. It's about to be eliminated.
In addition to the various forces in the Wu Dynasty, Liu Yu's regime in the north is actually one of Xiaocanghe's current trading clients. This line is currently relatively hidden, and the transaction volume is not large. The main reason is that the distance between resources is too long, the cost is too high, and it is difficult to ensure a smooth transaction. Since the Wu Dynasty army secretly bought artillery from Xiaocanghe, the puppet The warlords of Qi also sent several caravans. Instead of transporting food, they were willing to transport strategic materials such as steel to the Xiaocang River in exchange for iron cannons. This way, they could get more money.
Xiaocanghe pretended not to know about the forces behind these transactions, but last year Qi General Guan Shihu sent an army of 500 people to transport iron ingots in exchange for twenty iron cannons. An army brought iron ingots and directly joined the Black Flag Army. Guan Shihu was furious and sent people secretly to negotiate with Xiaocanghe to no avail, so he spread the rumor in private. When the generals of Qi heard about it, they secretly laughed at it, but the trade between the two sides failed to normalize in the end. In a state of piecemeal fighting.
The trade with Dali is not limited to war equipment.
Although it was the Black Flag Army's strong attitude that initially opened the door to Dali, and the most attractive materials were these steel equipment, soon after, Dali's demand for military equipment dropped, and with it Corresponding to the rise, there are a large number of beautifully printed books, decorative objects, perfumes, glass containers and other items that are almost "art" in this era. In particular, "collector's edition" Buddhist scriptures with fine paper are in short supply in Dali's aristocratic market.
Although the upper echelons of Dali have always wanted to close and restrict trade with Black Flag, when the door was knocked open, Black Flag traders lobbied and exaggerated in Dali, making this trade door impossible. After closing, Black Flag was able to obtain a large amount of food to meet its internal needs.
At this time, Jishan was already a city with nearly 60,000 residents and soldiers. The city was distributed in a narrow north-south shape along the river. There were military camps, fields, and residential buildings in the upper reaches. In the middle section, near the river dock, was the external commercial area. Black Flag The offices of personnel are concentrated toward the mountains to the west. There are workshops, iron smelting and gun factories emitting thick smoke, and there are also some military industry, glass, paper and printing factories downstream. More than ten water turbines are connected together by the river, and the chimneys erected in each factory area spit out black smoke. It is a novel sight that is difficult to see in this era, and it also has an amazing momentum.
Since Ning Yi came to this era, from exploring physical and chemical experiments on his own to research by craftsmen in small workshops, he has experienced the threat and baptism of war. In more than ten years, Jishan is now It is the industrial base of Black Flag.
Due to the addition of northwest residents and northern refugees, there are some small self-run workshops and various catering shops here, but most of them are the industries currently operated by Black Flag. During several years of war, Black Flag ensured In order to ensure the survival of craftsmen, the division of labor on the assembly line has become so proficient in various places that it is no longer appropriate to call it a workshop. Every piece of it is already regarded as a factory.
Nearly nine thousand Black Flag elites are gathered here to ensure that the technology here is not easily explored by the outside world. It also makes the escorts, soldiers, and Ni people who come to Jishan no matter what their backgrounds are. Don't dare to make mistakes here easily.
For several years, although the specific technology has not been leaked to the outside world, Black Flag has been open to the outside world regarding the basic concepts of Gewu. The booklets such as "A Preliminary Exploration of Things" and "The Principle of Everything" originally compiled by Ning Yi and others are sold extremely cheaply in the market. Based on the basic principles of physics, chemistry, and mathematics, they finally illustrate that as long as there is enough computing power and in-depth knowledge, By exploring, we can explore the universe The prospects of everything... The development of these theories in Europe may be extremely tortuous, but in the East, people actually have few taboos in studying things, and Ning Yi has already committed such treasonous acts as regicide, so the outside world can actually treat these things. Look at it more calmly.
These pamphlets leaked out secretly, and various forces in the Wu Dynasty, Dali, the Central Plains, and the Jurchens studied them in private. However, the most important ones were probably Junwu's Gwuyuan and the Jurchen Wanyan Xiyin's side. Dali is a peaceful country and has little interest in making weapons. The people in all parts of the Central Plains are in dire straits and the warlords are very purposeful. Even if you take a few such pamphlets and throw them to the craftsmen, the craftsmen with no foundation will still be confused. As for weapons, Dali is a peaceful country. Many officials and great scholars in the dynasty often burned them to ashes after reading them casually. On the one hand, they felt that such fallacies and heresies were not good for the world, and they obviously had no awe in studying heaven and earth. Secondly, they were afraid of leaving evidence to others. Therefore, even if the literary style of Nanwu flourishes, it is okay to criticize the country at many literary conferences, but the discussion of these things is still a treasonous and unethical thing.
In Jishan, the discussion of geophysics within the Black Flag industrial system has become a trend. It was first exaggerated by Ning Yi, and later by the propagandists of the Political Department. Nowadays, people Already standing at the source, we can vaguely see the future of physics. For example, building a cannon that can penetrate a mountain with one shot, such as the steam engine prototype envisioned by Ning Yi and currently the focus of our research, a chariot that can run in armor without horses, and a giant airship that is enlarged and equipped with guns. Wait, wait, many people already believe that even if it can't be done now, it will definitely happen in the future.
Located near the upstream military camp, at the Jishan Gewu Research Institute of the Chinese Military Engineering Department, a discussion on Gewu was taking place. At this time, the Engineering Department of the Chinese Army included not only industry, but also agriculture, wartime logistics support and other matters. The research institute of the Engineering Department was divided into two parts, the main body was in Hedeng, which was internally called the Upper House, and the other half It was arranged in Jishan, generally called the Lower Court.
In the past few years, this was probably the most extraordinary seminar for the institute. After several years, Ning Yi finally appeared in front of everyone.
“... Regarding the future, I think the most important node lies in an independent power system. As mentioned before, the steam engine... We need to solve the problems of cutting steel materials and castings, lubricating Problems, sealing problems... In the next few years, war will probably still be our most important thing, but we might as well pay attention to it as a technological accumulation... In order to solve the problem of explosive chambers, we must have better steel, carbon The content of the gun is more reasonable, and in order to have greater power of the shell, the shell and the barrel must fit more closely. These things are used in muskets. The bullets of the muskets can reach two hundred feet away. Although there is no accuracy, they will explode. The large barrel of the gun and one or two failures are all due to the accumulation of technology in this area... In addition, in the use of water wheels, we have improved a lot in lubrication, and every link has been improved a lot..."
"...In addition to physics, in terms of chemistry, explosions are already quite dangerous. Those responsible for this should pay attention to safety...but there must be methods for safe application, and there must be methods for large-scale preparation..."
“...In terms of agriculture, don’t always feel that it is useless. In recent years, we have We have been fighting back and forth, and we are also running around. This aspect of things needs time to settle, and we have not yet seen actual results, but I think this is the most important part of the future..."
The discussion meeting was basically It is a progress report on the current Chinese military research. After the report, Ning Yi made a summary at the front. Most of the more than two hundred people below were craftsmen, and many of them were even illiterate at first. In the first few years, Ning Yi could only hand out tasks, but there was no need to discuss them. In the past three to five years, the initial enlightenment of studying things was gradually completed. Some young students taught by Ning Yi himself were also included in the meeting, and the significance of this kind of outlook came into being at the meeting. Some people below had bright eyes and nodded their heads, while others blinked and tried to understand.
At the back of the auditorium, thirteen-year-old Ning Xi sat there, holding a pen and immersed in writing. Sitting next to her was Min Chuyi, a girl who had practiced martial arts with Hongti and was inseparable from Ning Xi. She blinked, with an expression on her face that said "I don't understand but I feel great". She seemed a little reserved about sitting next to Ning Xi.
Ning Xi had an innocent personality when she was young, and she and Min Chuyi often played together. For a while, they were inseparable playmates. When Ning Yi and others saw this situation, they thought it was a good thing, so Hong Ti accepted Chu Yi, who had good qualifications, as a disciple, and hoped that Ning Xi could be protected by more people.
As they grew older, their personalities gradually became different. After three years of war in Xiaocanghe, everyone went south. After that, news of Ning Yi's death came out. In order to prevent the children from inadvertently telling the truth and being discovered, even if It was Ning Xi, and his family had never told him the truth. After her father "died", Xiao Ningxi was determined to protect her family and immersed herself in her studies. However, she was much more silent than before.
Min Chuyi's family was poor at first, and her parents were both honest people. Even though Ning Yi and others didn't care, she gradually regarded herself as a bodyguard around Ning Xi. By the time she was twelve or thirteen years old, she had grown up and was a head taller than Ning Xi. Ning Xi took care of her brothers and family, and got along well with other children in the Black Flag Army, but she gradually felt awkward with Min Chuyi around. From time to time I want to throw the other person away. In this way, although Tan'er likes Chu Yi very much and even has the idea of getting a baby kiss between the two, Ning Xi and Min Chuyi are currently in a rather awkward period of getting along.
Ning Yi returned "suddenly" recently, and Ning Xi, who once thought her father was dead, was in a state of confusion. The last time he saw Ning Yi was four years ago. His mood when he was nine was completely different from when he was thirteen. He wanted to get close but was mostly shy and resented being so cramped. In this era, monarchs, ministers, fathers and sons, and juniors treat their elders with a lot of etiquette. Ning Xi has already received this kind of education. Ning Yi used to treat children with a modern mentality. They were relatively free and casual, and they could play together from time to time. It was such a noisy kind that at this time, the awkward thirteen-year-old boy was a little at a loss. Within half a month after returning home, both parties could only feel the distance and let nature take its course.
Getting along with other children is relatively good. Ten-year-old Ning Ji is good at martial arts, and his swordsmanship and boxing skills are quite good. Recently, he has lost a few teeth. He purses his lips and does not speak all day long. He is very cold. But there is no resistance to the Jianghu story He also admired his father very much - Ning Yi told his children at home about killing Lu Tuo and others on the road:
"... He wanted to get ahead by virtue of his martial arts skills, but Lin Zi In the fight inside, they have gradually fallen behind Wind. Lu Tuo shouted there: "You guys leave quickly, they can't keep me", wanting his followers to escape, and he slashed open Uncle Du and Uncle Fang with his swords. He is the great owl of the North. He started to act arrogantly, but I happened to be there. He couldn't escape... I blocked him, exchanged two moves with him, and then hit him on the head with a Heaven-shaking Seal. Before his followers could run far, they saw him fall... Now, this time We also caught a few..."
Ning Ji and five-year-old Ning He's eyes sparkled and they were filled with admiration. Later, Ning Yi told them about what they saw in Tian Hu's territory in the North, and the competition between Lin Echan and Shi Jin: "That fat monk didn't dare Come here, or let him look good" and so on.
As her name suggests, the eight-year-old Wenwen is fond of literature but not martial arts. She is a quiet little girl who loves to listen to stories. She has been carefully taught by Yunzhu. She has believed that her father is the most talented person in the world since she was a child. There is no need for Ning Yi to spread rumors and brainwash him again. In addition, the five-year-old Ning Ke has a warm personality, and the two sisters Ning Shuang and Ning Ning are only three years old. Most of them became close to Ning Yi after spending two days together.
On that day, Ning Yi came to Jishan to show up. Among the children, Ning Xi was the one who understood and was interested in studying things. They all walked together. After the meeting, they went to Jishan. Wandered through the streets and alleys. The market not far away was busy. A group of traders blocked the former county government office in Jishan. The mood was fierce. Ning Yi took his children to a nearby teahouse to watch the excitement. However, the iron cannon from Jishan recently came again. The price increase was announced, which attracted many inquiries.
Black Flag's government officials are clearing up doubts.
"...In early July, everyone knew about the chaos that occurred in Tian Hu's power. After Tian Hu's rebellion, the 'hungry ghosts' launched an attack north of the Yellow River. In the south, Xiangyang fought for the second time. The Beiwei army defeated the Jin and Qi coalition forces. Although there were reprimands and warnings within the Jurchens, no action has been taken yet. Based on the reaction of the Jurchen court, big actions are likely to be taken..."
"...Outside, you can say that the Wu Dynasty and the Chinese army are at odds with each other, but even if we kill the emperor, we still have a common enemy. If the Jurchens come, we do not want the Wu Dynasty to be defeated miserably. Once defeated, In order to deal with this matter, we have decided, All workshops are working hard and starting to prepare for war regardless of losses! The price of iron cannons has increased by 30%. At the same time, our scheduled shipments have also increased by 50%. You don’t have to accept it. When the shooting is completed, the price will naturally drop. You can come back to buy it then. It doesn't matter——"
"...... The situation is critical, and Black Flag will not change the decision to increase the price within two years. The price of iron cannons will only rise and not fall! As before, the price may be adjusted, and everything will be subject to the agreement when we made the contract. Go back and tell the adults behind you, we are not forcing you to buy or not to buy..."
No one is willing to accept such an explanation easily. There was a lot of noise from all kinds of voices in front of them. Some people scolded Black Flag for raising prices, while others said that in the past, people used to transport grain to the mountains, but now Black Flag is ruthless. Naturally, there are also some people. Those rushing to sign a contract with Black Flag made the scene noisy and lively. Ning Xi looked at all this, frowned, and after a moment asked: "Dad, do you want to be beaten?"
"It's still early, don't worry."
"Yes." Ning Xi nodded dullly, and after a moment, she said, "Dad, I'm not worried."
Ning Yi looked at the children beside him, suddenly smiled and understood. Black Flag's propaganda has been tragic and generous for a long time. Even among children, not many people are afraid of fighting. I'm afraid those who want to fight are the mainstream. He patted Ning Xi on the shoulder: "This war may end when your generation becomes successful, but don't worry, we will defeat those bastards."
"Yeah." Ning Xi was depressed again. He nodded.
Everyone watched upstairs for a while, and Ning Yi said to Ning Xi: "How about you go out to play first?" Ning Xi nodded: "Okay."
"Take the first grade of junior high school with you. Go to the market, you are a boy, you have to learn to take care of others."
Ning Yi said with a smile. When he said this, Ning Xi became a little embarrassed. A young man of twelve or thirteen years old always seemed awkward towards the girls around him. The two of them were originally a little confused, but when Ning Yi said this, they became more and more embarrassed. more obvious. Watching the two of them go out, he dismissed a few entourages around him. When he closed the door, he and Hongti were the only ones left in the room.
There was still some noise outside the window. Ning Yi sat down on the chair and opened his hand to Hong Ti. Hong Ti just pursed his lips and came over to sit in his arms. Ning Yi does not follow the rules of etiquette, and the two of them, an old couple, have long been accustomed to such intimacy.
During the two years when Ning Yi stayed away from the three counties of Hedeng, Yunzhu, Jin'er and others had more or less taken a look at him secretly. Only Tan'er and Hongti had not visited him in four years. See. On the day they first arrived home, Ning Yi and Tan'er went to pay homage to Su Yu's tomb, while Hongti led the people to further clean up the traitors. After the work was done, almost late at night, Ning Yi waited for her to come back and talked for a while. He whispered, and then he pulled her and Tan'er to sleep together.
Neither Hongti nor Taner refused, but the three of them lay together, but they were no longer in the mood to mess around. They held hands and chatted quietly until the early morning, cuddling each other and fell asleep. On the second day, Ning Yi felt that it would be more romantic to sleep separately.
The family has been separated for too long, and there is a period of adaptation to each other. After Ning Yi came back, he did not have any leisure. During these days, he was doing things while looking at the air conditioner and playing with the people around him. Now he can be regarded as having a restful life. Half a day free, Ning Yi is usually the most He likes to see the shy and submissive look of this highly skilled wife, but sitting here today, she didn’t make any small gestures between husband and wife. Listening to the sounds outside, he poured himself a cup of tea, chatted with Hongti, and waited. for something to happen.
"I always feel that there is something wrong with plotting against my own children." Hongti put her chin on his shoulder and said softly.
"...Yes." Ning Yi took a sip of tea.
......
Ning Xi and Chu Yi walked through the street one after another. The thirteen-year-old boy was actually handsome, with slightly furrowed brows, and he looked somewhat calm and peaceful. Little majesty, but his eyes were somewhat disturbed at this time. When walking through a relatively secluded place, the girl behind came closer.
"You..." Ning Xi didn't want to walk side by side with her. In a sense, although he could be regarded as the "Prince" of the Black Flag Army, he actually didn't have much Squeamish - at least not on the surface - he is usually easy-going and likes to help others. The scenes of suffering and death when people went south made him particularly cherish the people around him. He often helped with things and was not afraid of hard work. I don't want to stop until I'm covered in stinky sweat.
It’s just a different emotion for the girl around me. He doesn't like that people of the same age always have the intention of "protecting him", as if she is inferior to him. We all grew up together, why should she protect me? What if she meets an enemy and she dies - of course, If others are following him, he usually doesn't have such awkward emotions. The thirteen-year-old boy is not aware of these things yet.
"Someone is following..." Chu Yi lowered his head and whispered. The young man's eyes calmed down and he looked at the alley ahead, ready to shout out as soon as he saw the patroller.
However, things happened faster than he imagined.
The figure from behind suddenly approached. Min Chu turned around and drew his sword: "Who -" the man's voice was hoarse: "Haha, Ning Yi's son?"
The figures intertwined, and the sword light of the girl who had obtained the true inheritance of Hongti was flying. However, the man's fierce fist knocked down a shed, and wood chips flew everywhere. Ning Xi walked forward and shouted: "Spy - come quickly -" she picked up a wooden stick on the roadside and turned around. Min Chu said: "Ning Xi, hurry up -" Before she could finish her words, the man printed a stamp on on her shoulders.
Min Chu stepped back a few steps, almost bumping into Ning Xi, and said: "Let's go!" Ning Xi shouted: "Get him!" He hit him with a wooden stick. However, with only two moves, the wooden stick was abruptly interrupted by a punch, and huge force surged in. Ning Xi's chest felt tight, her hands hurt, and the man swung his second punch fiercely.
Min Chuyi rushed up from the side, using his long sword to push back the fist. Ning Xi took two steps back. Min Chuyi exchanged two moves with the masked man in a hurry. The wind of the fist roared like a rushing river, and he was about to fight. On Ning Xi's head. He has been taught by famous teachers since he was a child. In terms of martial arts, he studied under masters such as Hong Ti, Xigua, and Chen Fan. Even if he is not very talented or interested in this area, it is enough to tell that the opponent's skills are terrifying. , in this moment, Ning Xi just swung the broken stick to fight back. Min Chuyi rushed over to hug him, and then the two of them flew out, and blood sprayed on his face.
"Go quickly..."
The girl's voice was almost moaning, Ning Xi fell to the ground, her head went blank for a moment. After all, he was not on the battlefield yet. Facing the crushing force of absolute strength, he could not react quickly at the critical moment of life and death. At this moment, someone from behind was heard shouting: "Who--" "Stop!"
The sound of fighting started, and more people came one after another. The assassin flew away and ran out of sight in the blink of an eye. . Ning Xi sat up from the ground, her hands trembling. He picked up the girl's soft body and watched the blood come out of her mouth, staining half of her face red. The girl tried her best to smile at him, and he was all Everyone was confused and tears flowed out: " Hey, hey, you...doctor, come quickly..."
After a moment, he tried his best to gather his thoughts, looked at the girl's condition, picked her up, shouted, and walked out of the alleyway Ran out...
...
"...Yes." In the teahouse room, Ning Yi took a sip of tea, "Unfortunately... there is no normal environment for him to grow up. There are some setbacks, let's simulate them first... ..."
Hongti looked at him for a while: "You are scared too."
"Well, I am very scared." Yi held her hand and squeezed her hand, and after a while, he said, "Tell him when he is thirty years old."
The sound of commotion in the distance came over, Hongti stood up, Ning Yi looked at She nodded, and her wife's figure had already jumped out of the window, flying along the eaves and tiles, and disappeared into the distant streets after a few ups and downs.
Ning Yi pushed the door open and walked out, frowning. The people around him had already caught up and followed him down quickly: "What happened? Tell everyone to hold their positions. Why are you panicking..." Everyone around him started to move.
The sunshine in early winter hangs lazily in the sky. Liangshan is like spring all year round, without scorching heat or severe cold, so winter is also very easy to live. Perhaps thanks to the weather, the assassination incident that happened on this day did not cause much damage. Min Chuyi, who protected Ning Xi, suffered some minor injuries. He just needs a few days of good rest and will get better... (End of this chapter)