Chapter 908 Boiling the Sea (8)
Wake up from a rare deep sleep, and suddenly it feels like you have had a distant dream.
On the early morning of April 23rd, when Zhou Pei got up, the sky was gradually getting brighter. In the morning of early summer, free from the depressing humidity of spring, there is a light wind in the yard, and the space between heaven and earth is as clear as water, just like Jiangning in childhood.
She sat for a while under the pavilion in the middle of the empty courtyard. There were flourishing flowers and vines beside her. As the day dawned, the courtyard seemed to be submerged in a quiet gray, with guards stationed in the distance. , but neither spoke. Zhou Pei clasped his hands, but at this moment, he could feel his own frailty.
As a mortal, I set foot in this complex world on my own, promote many things, and clarify thousands of relationships. Sometimes, life or death can be determined by a single word, and sometimes, I can't stand it for several days in a row. Sleep peacefully. After a long time, you will feel that you are no longer yourself, as if you have been covered by a huge body. But of course these are all illusions.
She was thirty years old this year. In the eyes of the world, she was just a lonely and vicious old woman who kept her husband under house arrest and was a formidable woman after she gained power. Most of the officials were trembling with fear when they came over. They were actually more frightened than when they faced Jun Wu. The reason is very simple. Jun Wu is the prince. Even if he is too brave and brave, he will have to take over the country in the future. Even if he has the opposite idea about many things, it will eventually happen. Able to communicate.
She was different. She stood behind Jun Wu, supporting her younger brother in his work as a woman. There was no one around to accompany her, and her husband was also under house arrest. Even though she speaks softly on the surface, she can do anything when she turns her back - this is how the outside world generally thinks of her.
Actually, how else to think about it?
She thought of Zhou Xuan and Kang Xian who had died.
She was only a teenager when she was scheduled to take over the property of Princess Chengguo's Mansion. As she got married, the burden also fell on her shoulders. She didn't notice it at first, but when she realized it, she was pushed away by things. The teacher also rebelled, the country was ruined and the family was ruined. There were countless things happening every day - of course she could just throw them away and pretend she hadn't seen them, but She didn't do it after all.
When I stood still, the thirty-year-old situation was looming in front of me, my husband had become a heinous villain, and the marriage was over. The happy life defined by the worldly people was so far away from her that she couldn't even see it.
When I calmed down and thought about it, the departure of Zhou Xuan and Kang Xian still seemed to be close at hand. Life passes by in an imperceptible moment.
She picked up branches from the trees beside the pavilion and held them in her hand like a sword. After she came back from Bianliang more than ten years ago, Zhou Xuan taught her sword dance. The imperial aunt had a gentle temperament in front of her family, but she had a majestic and murderous side as she controlled the huge power and industry of the Chengguo Princess Mansion. When she came into contact with the princess At the beginning of her career in the government, the old man taught her how to dance the sword in private.
“A sword has two edges, one end hurts others and the other end hurts yourself. This is also the case with most things in the world... The interesting thing about swords and everything in the world lies in the balance between hurting and not hurting...”< br>
Zhou Pei's athletic ability is not strong. In fact, he has never learned Zhou Xuan's majestic sword dance, but he quickly understood the principles taught in the sword dance. It is propriety to be careful not to injure others, but to injure others and yourself... what is needed is decision-making. After understanding the truth, she never touched the sword again. Thinking about it now, she couldn't help but feel sad.
She recalled the original scene, stood up with the wooden stick, and slowly stepped forward to stab the wooden stick out. As the old man who died eight years ago moved the blade of his sword and moved in the morning breeze... The sword has two sides. The edge hurts others and hurts oneself. The girl from more than ten years ago finally couldn't keep up, so she became the eldest princess today.
Cheng Zhouhai came in from the outside, and then silently took two steps back at the courtyard gate. Zhou Pei danced a few times with his sword, stopped and looked at the courtyard gate, and then Cheng Zhouhai came over: "Your Highness is so excited. .”
“It’s so early, sir.”
“Waiting for news. "Hey, I didn't go back last night." Cheng Zhouhai smiled, "Your Highness is in good spirits."
Zhou Pei put the branch aside: "For some reason, I suddenly had a good sleep last night. By dawn. , I just had a dream, but I forgot what I dreamed about.”
After the deaths of Kang Xian and Zhou Xuan, Zhou Pei relied on Cheng Zhouhai the most. Both parties were both teachers and friends, and they were familiar with each other's situations. Since the pressure around him has increased, Zhou Pei often suffers from insomnia and cannot sleep. Many doctors have also seen him, but they are of little use. When the Jurchens called, Zhou Pei was very worried and stayed up late every day. She is less than thirty years old, and on the surface she can still hold on, but people around her are often worried about her. At this time, hearing that Zhou Pei had had a good sleep, Cheng Zhouhai was stunned.
"Your Highness is calm and composed, like Xie An." He flattered him with a cupped hand, and then said, "...maybe it's a good sign."
He said before that he was "waiting for news." , In fact, many people in Lin'an City have been waiting for news these days. On April 18, Xiyin's army, which was originally aiming at Changzhou, turned around and rushed towards Zhenjiang at high speed. On the same day, Arubao's army also cooperated and assumed a posture of desperately attacking Zhenjiang. Not many people can confirm this yet. It's true or false.
At this time, Jiangnan, Jiangning to the west, and Zhenjiang to the east, were the two fulcrums that blocked the Yangtze River. As long as these two fulcrums still existed, they could hold back Zongfu's army and make them unable to rest assured. Go south.
Now, the Jiangning side has become the core war zone, and Zhenjiang is under the command of Junwu, responsible for dealing with the army led by Xi Yin and Yin Shuke. For several months, the two sides have been fighting tooth and nail, refusing to give in to each other. Wu hopes to defeat Xi Yin as soon as possible - or even drag down Xi Yin with human sea tactics.
As for Xi Yin, in terms of grand strategy, there are two directions: First, no longer pay attention to the exercise of logistics supply, continue to move south along the prosperous areas of Taihu area, capture cities and territories, and provide food for the people. In the middle, Zhenjiang to Lin'an , a distance of four hundred miles, There are wealthy cities everywhere, and the people's hearts in Lin'an City are complicated. As long as Xiyin can kill this Jurchen's most elite force across 400 miles and reach Lin'an City, and cooperate with the power of the Wushu army, the people of the Wu Dynasty will be able to win. , it may collapse at any time.
Second, cooperate with Zong Fu to destroy the Yangtze River defense line. This naturally also includes the option of attacking Zhenjiang. Even from February to April, Xi Yin's troops made such a gesture several times, promising to capture Zhenjiang City and kill Zhou Junwu, which made the Wu Dynasty army highly nervous. Later, due to the tight defense of the Wu Dynasty people, Xi Yin I chose to give up again.
But war is like this, intrigues and intrigues come and go, and they may become true every time. By April 18th, Xi Yin turned to Zhenjiang again. In the meantime, the Wu Dynasty military had to face several possibilities - if it immediately closed the front and concentrated on defending Zhenjiang, Xi Yin and others might also go directly south to capture Changzhou. And if Xiyin really chooses to attack Zhenjiang, the information revealed in the process will be really intriguing and terrifying.
Faced with Xi Yin's turning back, the Zhenjiang direction is already well prepared, and Lin'an is also waiting for the arrival of new news - perhaps at some point in the future, there will be news that Xi Yin will attack Changzhou and Danyang again. Or it could be news that distracts everyone from the Jiangning battle.
This news was running on the road south, and soon it shocked the entire Lin'an City.
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In Zhenjiang, soldiers ran up the city wall one by one, the morning wind chilled them and the flags hunted them. On the field outside the city wall, countless corpses lay in the pits after the explosion. The Jurchen army drove away the captured Han prisoners. On the night before they arrived, they completed the journey outside Zhenjiang City in the most efficient way. mines.
Trebuchets are being erected one by one. Since Ning Yi's rebellion, the assembly line, standardized production, split assembly and other technologies he promoted have been even better mastered by the Jurchens in some directions.
Hot-air balloons are rising in the morning breeze. On the city wall of Zhenjiang, hot-air balloons are also rising one by one. Soldiers carrying crossbows enter the frame of the hot-air balloon.
Jun Wu was eating breakfast meticulously in the tent. Accompanying him was Shen Ruxin, the fourth lady of the Prince's Mansion.
Shen Ruxin was originally from Zhenjiang. Before the war with the Jurchens last year, her brother Shen Ruhua was imprisoned and executed. Shen Ruxin vomited blood and fell ill in Jiangning, but she finally managed to survive. At the beginning of this year, Jiangning was in emergency. Junwu moved his wife, concubines and children to a safe place, but brought Shen Ruxin to Zhenjiang.
Back then, Jun and Wu were on the run, and the two sides came together because they were dependent on each other. Now they are in a similar situation to each other.
While having breakfast, a soldier came in to report that the defense changes of various units had been completed. Jun Wu nodded and said he understood. Soon after he finished eating, Shen Ruxin came over to tidy up his clothes, and the couple went out together. The sky is full of clouds, floating over this big city on the Yangtze River.
Preparations and mobilization for the war were completed yesterday, and a strange atmosphere was enveloped in the military camp. Xi Yin's storming of Zhenjiang was the craziest move in the entire campaign and the one that was most likely to determine the outcome of the battle. After eight years of operation, a hundred thousand troops guarded Zhenjiang, and they were no weak force. When Jun Wu was determined to kill Xi Yin's troops, the opponent turned around and attacked Zhenjiang. Strategically speaking, it was a desperate choice.
If Zhenjiang is defended, Xiyin's troops may be heavily surrounded by the Wu Dynasty troops coming from all around. Junwu will complete the goal of defeating the Tushan Guards, and the Jurchens' fourth southern expedition will also collapse. .
But considering Xiyin's operational abilities and reputation, his decision to make such a choice may very well mean that there were some flaws in the game in the previous few months that have been caught by the other party.
"By defeating Wanyan Xiyin, I may gain peace in the world..." The night before, Jun Wu held his wife's hand and said, "But if we can't win, it will be very difficult." Maybe... you and I will die together. "
In my heart, I am actually very scared...
In the morning when the temperature and sunshine seemed gentle, Jun Wu and his wife walked through. On the road between military camps, soldiers will salute here. He closed his eyes and imagined the opponent outside the city. The opponent dominated the world and had been fighting in the battle formation for decades. They had fought their way out without giving in when they were at their weakest. Wanyan Xiyin, Yin Shuke, etc. ...He fantasized about the courage to dominate the world. Now he was standing in front of such a person.
He also thought of his teacher in Jiangning, and the choices he made when he made major events. In this world, people will encounter tigers... I put my life on the line, and we will It’s all the same...People from China will not surrender to foreign countries...Don’t even think about going back alive...
Linlin is still here, but Yunhan is dead... He joked with Wen Renbuer that he really hoped that the teacher would give me this calligraphy...
I put my life on the line.
He thought.
I will not retreat...
...
Outside Zhenjiang City, a huge hot air balloon flew towards the city wall, and soon after, it dropped large tracts of leaflets. At the same time, an envoy with the mission of persuading surrender and declaring war walked towards the city gate of Zhenjiang.
At 2:00 p.m., the envoys arrived at the Zhenjiang camp and proposed to Junwu and many Zhenjiang generals to persuade them to surrender: "...In the past few months, the envoys under Lord Gushen have successively planned and persuaded them to surrender. We have enlisted the help of several generals among you, and we have also mobilized the support of many officials and prestigious people in Lin'an and throughout the Wu Dynasty. Master Gushen will take Zhenjiang and Zhenjiang as quickly as possible. It must not be defended. In order to explain the situation to you and avoid unnecessary casualties, Mr. Gushen ordered me to bring some lists and evidence of the officials who have expressed their stance. In addition, he also ordered me to make it clear to you that once this war begins, regardless of victory or defeat, , all those who will participate in the war in our Kingdom of Jin will be killed! The nine tribes will not forgive..."
While speaking, the envoy presented a large list of "gold-dropping people" and evidence to Junwu. in front of. There are already generals in the camp who are ready to come over and kill this envoy who has confused people's hearts. Junwu looked at the stack of things on the table, waved his hand to call the messenger in, wringed the messenger's tongue, and then threw the things into the brazier.
“This is a replica of Ning Yi’s plan to annihilate Liangshan. It’s just a trick to pick people up, but the God of the Valley is nothing more than that... I originally wanted to save your life, but since I came up with this plan, you know that you can’t go back alive.”< br>
The messenger with his mouth full of blood laughed ferociously on the ground...
At noon, the envoy's head was hung on the city gate. Wanyan Xiyin was outside the city, watching all this expressionlessly.
On the afternoon of April 22, the Battle of Zhenjiang began.
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The carriage passed through the streets of the city and headed towards the palace. Qin Hui was sitting in the carriage, holding the message in his hand, trembling slightly. He was highly concentrated, with various things swirling in his mind. This was the tension he felt during major events, so much so that he didn't even know what was happening outside the carriage. After the charioteer called him several times, he realized that he was already there.
Through the long road between palaces, Qin Hui saw Zhou Yong in the living room on the side of the imperial study. The emperor was wearing a large robe, his hair was messy, and his belt was not fastened. He was sitting by the bed. He was holding a few pieces of paper in his hand. He looked haggard and lost his mind. It was a long time after Qin Hui came in to greet him and salute that Zhou Yong came back to his senses.
"Have you heard the news?" Zhou Yong stared.
"...Return to Your Majesty, I understand."
"Xi Yin rushed to Zhenjiang, Xi Yin attacked Zhenjiang...Why did Xi Yin attack Zhenjiang...Everyone said, Zhenjiang It's a dead place, why attack Zhenjiang?" Zhou Yong waved the paper on his hand, "Qin Qing, tell me..."
"I, I am not sure..." Qin Hui hesitated. After a moment, he knelt down Next, "I am guilty..."
Zhou Yong was stunned, and then waved the paper in his hand: "What crime do you have! Tell me! Why did Xi Yin attack Zhenjiang? They, they all said Zhenjiang is a dead end! They said that if Xiyin attacked Zhenjiang, he would be dragged there. Why did Xiyin attack Zhenjiang? Qin Qing, you mentioned it to me before, don’t act stupid, you said..."< br>
"I, I dare not speak nonsense..."
Zhou Yong roared out: "You said-"
"That may be..." Qin Hui knelt there, speaking with difficulty, "Xi Yin has a perfect plan..."
The room became quiet, and Zhou Yong was stunned for a long time: "I knew, I knew, they were going to take action... those beasts, those traitors... they... Wu Dynasty had raised them for more than two hundred years, they... ...They are going to sell my son, they are going to sell me ...If you let me know who he is, I will punish his nine tribes... punish his ten tribes, punish... punish his eleven tribes..."
He muttered like this for a while, then turned to Qin Hui: "Qin Qing, what can you do? If you want to save my son, can you help me?" What can we do? There are soldiers in Changzhou around Zhenjiang... How many people can be sent there? Can we send the navy from Jiangning? Those people... Believe it or not, Qin Qing, you have to help me. Nothing will happen to my son... You Get up!”
Qin Hui knelt there and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly. Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise and will definitely have countermeasures. Maybe soldiers from Changzhou and Jiangning are already on the way, or maybe Xiyin has a plan, but His Highness the Crown Prince sees through it. In this case, Zhenjiang would like to The place of Yin's downfall. Our two sides are... separated from each other, so it's really not appropriate to interfere..."
"I know what those people are! I know the character of those people! I know!" Zhou Yong yelled, "I know! Just return it to the court. How many officials are waiting to betray me! Look at the cowardice of Jing Ping and his gang! They are still holding back! I have shown good intentions! He knows how to kill people! Jun Wu is his disciple! Soldier! Just like Qin Qing said! Black Flag is just trying to gain fame! Who can help Junwu?"
Zhou Yong was hysterical and roared throughout the palace. They were all shaking. When they arrived later, their faces looked sad and their mouths were already full of saliva. Qin Hui got up and bowed aside. Zhou Yong walked in the hall with trembling arms, muttering to himself from time to time, and then in a low voice: "Qin Qing, you are right, there is always a way, there is always a way. Maybe Xiyin's plan has been seen through before, and there is a way... It's useless to rush, it's useless to rush..."
He comforted himself for a long time, and was quiet for a long time. Qin Hui straightened his body: "As of now, we can only wait for the battle report from the front line."
His voice no longer had the panic, and there was a faint power that made people feel at ease. Zhou Yong He nodded, and after a while, he sat on the edge of the bed.
"I want Jun Wu to be fine..." He looked at Qin Hui, "Nothing will happen to my son. Jun Wu is a good prince, and he will be a good emperor in the future. Qin Qing, nothing will happen to him... Those beasts..."
The skylight shone in obliquely from the windows and doorways, and the cool wind touched the gauze in the palace, soaking the emperor's weak and feeble murmur in the afternoon wind.
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Southwest, in the corner of the Chengdu Plain, is Niutou County, which is also known as Lao Niutou by the outside world.
This place is located at the junction of the area under the jurisdiction of the Huaxia Army and the area under the jurisdiction of the Wu Dynasty. The terrain is complex and the population is large. However, since last year, due to the active efforts of veteran cadres and members of the Huaxia Army stationed here, this place An area has won positive recognition from several nearby villages and counties - Huaxia Members of the army helped many people nearby for free, donated medicines and medicines, and opened private schools for the surrounding children to go to school for free. By this spring, the reclamation and planting of new land and the people's enthusiasm for the Huaxia Army had greatly developed. , if in later generations, it can be regarded as a place like "learning from Lei Feng to advance the county".
Therefore, Ning Yi came to commend the advanced personnel stationed here. In the afternoon, Ning Yi gave lectures to some young officers and cadres gathered in Niutou County.
“...Sometimes, some things are very interesting to talk about...Our biggest opponents today, the Jurchens, have risen very quickly. The generation that was born in trouble has no ability to learn from the outside world. The level of acceptance is very strong. I once told everyone that when they attacked the Liao Kingdom, their siege techniques were still very weak. They quickly improved in the process of destroying the Liao Kingdom, and later in the process of attacking the Wu Dynasty. , they gathered a large number of craftsmen , and continued to improve, which was beyond the reach of the Wu Dynasty people..."
"...But at the same time, when the environment became comfortable, their second and third generations decayed very quickly, and everyone in the staff department Just kidding, if our several years of war in Xiaocanghe had not served as a wake-up call to the top Jurchens, the current situation in the Jiangnan War would have been completely different... The Jurchens only stopped after conquering the Liao Kingdom and almost leveling the world. , Fangla’s uprising that year, There is no difference between equals, but they stopped much faster. Just after they captured Hangzhou, the top brass began to enjoy themselves..."
"...You don't have to laugh, our Chinese army is facing the same thing. This question... In this process, what is the driving force that determines their progress? It is culture and spirit. The original Jurchens suffered a lot, and they had a sense of urgency. This sense of worry ran through their entire spirit and their learning. Very fast, but too If the world is flat, stop until our rise gives them a sense of unsteadiness, but if the world is too flat, they will be destined to move into a rapid downward curve..."
"...We must pay attention to this matter Things, we will also slip into such a curve. Several years have passed since the struggle in Xiaocanghe and the difficulties in the northwest. We have conquered the Chengdu Plain again, and the Wu Dynasty is in a mess... We have even begun to be blindly optimistic..."
He was talking in class, and Juaner appeared outside the door and stood there to signal to him. Ning Yi walked out and saw the urgent message.
"...Xi Yin attacks Zhenjiang. The situation may be complicated. The General Staff sent a message, do you want to go back immediately..."
Ning Yi folded the message and looked outside. Small county town: "It's beyond our reach. What can we do if we rush back?" So...we have more important things here."
Juan'er nodded and was about to leave, when Ning Yi reached out and touched her arm: "Spread the news and we will set off tomorrow morning."
“Yes.”
...
More than eighty miles away from Lao Niutou, Xigua and his men galloped into Zhang Village on horseback.
The horse team was like a whirlwind, stopping in front of the courtyard where the family lived at this time. Xigua got off the horse, and Wenwen, who was playing in front of the courtyard gate, came up to her: "Aunt Gua, are you back?"
"Wenwen, Auntie Gua has something to do. I'll take care of it for you next time. Food..." Xigua's words remained in the air, and the figure had already rushed to the yard more than ten feet away, and quickly rushed into the study. Only Su Tan'er was sorting things: "Watermelon? "
"Where is my husband? Where have they gone?"
"He... has been out for two days, for that... person..."
"He went to Lao Niutou?"
"Yes." Su Tan'er nodded. , his eyes began to become serious, "What's wrong? Is there a problem? "
"When did Mr. Xian go?"
"It was at noon the day before yesterday. Speaking of which, I should have arrived last night. Is there someone from Wu Dynasty who wants to take action at this time? The garrison..."
"That's them..." Xigua whispered, and Su Tan'er was slightly startled: "What did you say?"
"I'm not sure, I hope...I'm overthinking it." Xigua His eyes were slightly hesitant, and after a moment, he suddenly disappeared into the room like the wind, "I will rush over immediately...don't worry."
...
Old Niutou.
After the lecture, going down the hillside was a river that passed through the county. The sunset was about to set, and the sand was clear and white. Ning Yi stood by the river and watched for a while.
After that, the visitor came...
This chapter is six thousand five hundred words long.
Next chapter, enter "Monster".
Well, this big chapter of Tao Tian may be the last paragraph of the ninth episode.
(End of this chapter)