Chapter 1022 The sea is churning, clouds and water are angry (7)
The summer night glows with a green light. In the small county town under the night, the flames are burning, and the voices of people are chaotic, accompanied by the cries of women and children. cry.
The black flag was waving, but in the darkness, people could only see the flag in the place illuminated by firelight.
On the shore of Taihu Lake, in the small county town on the north side of Pingjiang Prefecture, there were not many people after the military disaster last year. At this moment, a group of refugees called the Fair Party came in again. After entering the county, they did not start a massacre, but the homes of several local gentry and wealthy families on the west side of the county were damaged.
At this moment, the flames and killings continued, and another group of people came from the wilderness outside the county seat holding flags high. In this night, both sides were flying the same flag, and they captured the county seat. The refugees at the city gate shouted and exchanged a few words with each other in the night, and they knew that this team had a high status in the Fair Party. They didn't dare to stop him. Only when the other party got closer did someone recognize the identity of the thin middle-aged man in front of Ma Dui. All the refugees near the city gate called him "King of Fairness" and knelt down.
The "King of Fairness" was He Wen. After the exchange, he rode in, and his soldiers began to take over the defense of the county. Another law enforcement team entered the county and started shouting: "If anyone harasses innocent people, kill them!" Anyone who takes advantage of the chaos will be killed! Anyone who insults women will be killed..."
< br>He Wen led his bodyguards towards the direction of the burning fire. There was the mansion of a wealthy family. In order to defend the house and yard, it seemed that both sides had experienced some offensive and defensive fighting. At this moment, as He Wen stepped on When you enter the house, you can see corpses lying on the ground scattered among the courtyards. Among the corpses, there were not only young men armed with swords and guns, but also women and children who were obviously hacked to death while escaping.
He did not speak. As he walked forward, a deputy brought a man to pay homage. He was a leader of the Fairness Party in his thirties who wore a black scarf on his forehead. His status was not high. This time he was After spotting the defense loopholes in this county town, he temporarily summoned nearby helpers to break into the city. After the Jin people left, livelihoods in various places in the south of the Yangtze River have not been restored, and there are homeless people everywhere. They can go to the city to beg, and go to the mountains to become bandits. . During this period, the Fairness Party gradually gained momentum, and the core team controlled by He Wen was still building. There were also countless peripheral forces that started fighting after hearing the name.
After briefly talking about what happened, the leader began to talk about the stubborn resistance of these rich clansmen during the attack, which resulted in the death and injury of many brothers on his side. He Wen asked about the treatment of the wounded before asking: "Where are the members? ? Where is the clan leader? "
The leader hesitated slightly: "These old guys are stubborn and would rather die than surrender, so I have to... kill them."
"Take me to see where it is."
"...over the ancestral hall, the ancestral hall." The leader led the way, and then said, "With these people, the people outside are having a hard time, and everyone will starve to death. The gold and silver grain and grass they had hoarded at home were piled up into a hill. But the gold and silver utensils were countless. I asked people to carry them to the ancestral hall. I didn't dare to be greedy... That, San'er, come here and talk to Mr. He. Tell me what it looked like when you opened the grain warehouse. Those bastards wanted to set fire to the grain..."
Everyone walked away as they talked, and arrived at the ancestral hall. Next to it, you can see the upside down corpse inside, and gold and silver in wooden boxes of various sizes are piled on the side of the ancestral hall. The leader immediately went over and opened the box to show He Wen. He Wen walked to the pile of corpses and looked at them for a few times. Then he went to the pile of gold and silver, took out a few gold utensils to play with, and then asked about the food and grass.
"Call all the brothers who participated in your invitation this time. I have something to say to them. I want to thank them."
At this time, his expression and tone After he became gentle, the leader and his deputies went out to call for people. After a while, several other leaders were summoned and came to see Mr. He, the "King of Fairness". He Wen looked at them for a few times before waving.
"Weapons have been removed. Please take custody first and release later."
His order has been given, and the deputy responsible for execution next to him also waved the order flag. Among the people in the courtyard, some shouted injustice, and some drew swords in their hands. , it was also heard outside the hospital. There was some movement, but because the elites on hand had been prepared before, the commotion soon subsided. A group of guards in the yard also surrounded the leaders. Some were bluffing, and the leader of the Fair Party was already kneeling. down. He Wen looked at them.
“Killing people to break up their families, just to vent their anger, they killed them all. There were even women’s bodies outside. After being insulted, you didn’t have time to hide them. It’s what animals did! Who did these things? Whoever did not do it will be found out later. In a few days, you will be judged in front of all the people. Trial! You want to be the Fair Party?”
One of the people scolded: “Hypocrite! We worked hard for you, but you are doing this to your brothers. We! We have taken care of the people in our hands. The people outside have not done anything wrong! The people here are full of gold, silver and food. The grass is like a mountain, look at how well they are dressed. They are the ones killed by the people. You, the hypocrite of the Fair Party, just want to rob these things, regardless of the benefits-"
He Wendao: "Wear them. The good guys are the bad guys? Then everyone in the world just wears rags to kill people! They were evil people. What year, month and day did they do it? Where are the victims? Who of these dead people did it? Was it this old man who was lying outside? A young girl did it! If you kill people without speaking clearly, you are robbers! "
"They are so rich that people outside are starving to death. If you ask around a little bit about the evil deeds they have done, you will definitely find out. These are all in front of you, Mr. He, don't pretend to be confused -"
“The little girl outside did it too?”
“How can we distinguish so clearly from the chaos of war——”
“—Get it!”
A period of chaos and commotion continued in the night. The flames in the wealthy compound finally gradually extinguished. He Wen went to take a look at these wealthy families. The food stored in the home made the soldiers collect the bodies, and then they gathered in the outer courtyard with the deputies and personal entourage who came with them this time. Some people talked about the food, and mentioned the refugees and famine outside. Some people also mentioned that this time the leader was able to restrain the refugees and not disturb the ordinary people, and he did a good job. He Wen ate some dry food and slammed the bowl in his hand. The ground fell on the green bricks in the courtyard, and the courtyard was silent for a while.
"Were there rogues in any village or street where you lived before?"
He said: "I usually idle around and don't do anything serious. If I have the opportunity to go to this house or that house to have a good time, as long as I have The kind of person who gets good things for nothing is indispensable. This kind of people are not gangsters who kill people and buy goods, nor are they desperadoes who don't care about other people's opinions. They live next to you. As long as they can get some benefits, they will find reasons and explanations, one after another..."
< br>“This kind of scoundrel has one characteristic, If you are gangsters or desperadoes, you may be able to make a fortune one day. Rogues will never make a fortune. They spend their whole life just to get some advantages. They have no rules at all..."
"Today You guys smash up this big yard and take a look at it all It’s gold and silver, it’s all food. Ordinary people will never see so much in their lifetimes. Look again, these people are so well-dressed. They are rich and anointed by the people. We, the Fair Party, are doing justice for heaven. You guys are farting——"< br>
He Wen waved his hands, stared, and shouted.
"These people were not killed by mistake? What should I do if they were killed by mistake? You haven't thought about it! Because there is a reason for killing by mistake! No one is allowed to kill a few old, weak, women and children incidentally in the chaos of war! Looking for a reason for doing something, who can't find it? But do it If you look for it later, you will be pointing at the scoundrels who took advantage of you! When you take advantage of this, you will not be able to do anything big in the future. "If you want to do something big and do something real, you must have rules!" Moment! "
He Wen stood in the courtyard and spoke every word.
The fire was restless in the night. In May, the Fairness Party, which had been expanding for a period of time, began to have internal divisions and began to produce a more mature program and code of conduct.
At the same time, among the ruins of Daming Mansion on the north bank of the Yellow River, a black flag was floating quietly. At this moment, the Jurchen East Army returning north was stationed on the south bank of the Yellow River and was considering a proper way to cross the river. Strategy.
Beginning in April, the Huaxia and Guangwu armies, which had once been huddled in Liangshan, began to come out of the base areas in batches. They had several frictions with Wanyanchang's troops who were trying to protect the East Route Army's return northward. Although this Several battles were imminent, but the troops led by Zhu Biao, Wang Shanyue, and Liu Chengzong clearly demonstrated their future combat intentions: once the Jurchen army was ready to cross the river, they would never let go of harassing these troops. Ferry opportunity.
In the past two years, these troops in Liangshan have shown their tenacious fighting will. Although the Jurchen East Route Army is huge, the hundreds of thousands of Han prisoners who followed them northward have Extremely bloated, this is the weakness of the Eastern Route Army. Once it is opened, the chaotic situation that will be encountered will definitely give Zongfu Zongbi a huge headache.
But at the level of fighting for world hegemony, headaches are not such a serious problem.
Faced with the decisiveness of the Liangshan troops, Zongfu Zongbi had already assembled elite troops and was ready to cross the Yellow River and start a war. At the same time, there were also Wanyanchang and Shuliesusu leaders. Tens of thousands of troops came from the north. During this period, Wanyanchang used his troops densely, and his tactics were as fast as fire. The military styles of both sides echoed each other. So in mid-May, hundreds of thousands of Eastern Route Army troops would launch a dragnet to remove the last nail in the road on their way back north.
The news of the defeat of the Jurchen West Route Army and the disastrous defeat of Nianhan in the decisive battle in Hanzhong was poured on the land on both sides of the Yellow River like boiling oil at this moment. On the north bank of the Yellow River, Zhu Biao, Wang Shanyue, Liu Chengzong and others were inspired and determined to fight a beautiful battle here. To this end, the staff had made countless plans and deductions for many days. , although there are not many people on our side, they are all veterans who have experienced the most brutal fighting, while the other side's camp is bloated and eager to go home. As long as this weakness is identified, the ants may not be able to bite the elephant's body with tragic wounds.
On the south bank of the Yellow River, Zongfu Zongbi was looking forward to such a battle and victory to prove his difference with Nianhan and Xiyin of the West Route Army. Against the background of the disastrous defeat in the Southwest Battle, as long as I can bury this Black Flag Army in Shandong, which has been tested in combat prowess in the past, on the banks of the Yellow River, the morale of the country's military and people will be boosted.
In this context, on May 15th, in a deserted village west of Daming on the north bank of the Yellow River, Zhu Biao, Wang Shanyue, Liu Chengzong and others temporarily met and they welcomed The envoy coming from the southwest is Dong Fangxian, the "big shopkeeper" of Zhuji. Zhu, Wang, and Liu briefly stated their next combat ideas to Dong Fangxian. It was only in the afternoon that Dong Fangxian began to relay some of the words that Ning Yi asked him to bring over.
"Mr. Ning asked me to bring you an idea. It's just an idea. The specific decision will be made by you. Moreover, this idea was only considered after you were fully prepared for battle. Practical significance."
After Dong Fangxian said this, Wang Shanyue laughed: "What bad idea does Lao Ning have?"
"Negotiate and make peace."< br>
Dong Fangxian looked at Wang Shanyue and said calmly. The scar on Wang Shanyue's face immediately became unsightly, and he spat toward the ground.
"It's just a reference choice. As for the final decision, it's up to you to make it." Dong Fangxian repeated.
Wang Shanyue raised his head and waved his hand on Zhu Biao and Liu Chengzong: "There are many of you here, decide... what to do?"
"We will try our best to After listening to everyone's opinions, Mr. Ning said that you can even vote in the military. "Dong Fangxian is a bit fat and has a lot of white hair on his head. Fa, who usually seems kind, was calm and calm when facing Wang Shan's scorching gaze, without flinching at all, "Mr. Ning said when he came, at least there is one thing that Mr. Wang can rest assured, There are no cowards in the Chinese army."
Wang Shanyue stared at him for a moment: "You tell me, I listen."
Dong Fangxian nodded: "On the north bank of the Yellow River, the Huaxia Army and the Guangwu Army combined currently have less than 30,000 troops. The advantage is that they have all fought in battles and can take advantage of the favorable geographical location to move around and fight guerrillas. Everything else is a disadvantage. The Jurchen East Route Army Two hundred thousand, plus Wan Yanchang and Shu Liesu, they are indeed wearing shoes. If they have to fight, the gain will not be worth the loss. But if you really go all out and fight, your chance of survival... is not high. , this is a very polite way of saying it."
Wang Shanyue said: "First, we are not afraid of death; second, Zongfu Zongbi is eager to go back and fight for power, which is also our advantage."
Dong Fangxian said: "First, no one is afraid of death. We are talking about how to die; second, under the premise that the West Route Army has been defeated miserably, if Zong Fu Zong Bi really takes the risk, they can Go back first and leave the 200,000 troops to Wan Yanchang. We will kill you all in Shandong. They are very troublesome, but at least they will not be more ugly than Nianhan. "
Dong Fangxian's eyes turned to Zhu. Biao and Liu Chengzong: "In the most troublesome speculation, your entire army was wiped out, causing huge losses to the Jurchens' Eastern Route Army. They led hundreds of thousands of Han people who went north to die in this battle." There are tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of people. As for the possibility of you killing Zong Fu Zongbi in a decisive battle, it is not impossible, but it is very small. In terms of combat power, you are short of supplies and even hungry for so long. , I still can't compare with Tu Shanwei on the frontal battlefield."
"War is not just a matter of words," Liu Chengzong said, "But... you go ahead."
"Mr. Ning feels that the first crux of the situation in Shandong is that neither side believes that the other party has the possibility of retreating. Mr. Wang has been guarding Daming Mansion for so long and has already put his life and death at risk. I wish Brother Biao had mastered the art two years earlier. The train speed never retreated , faced with the crisis in Daming Mansion, we still came to save people. Our past achievements have shown that the Chinese Army is not afraid of anyone, not even death..."
"I am not the Chinese Army." Wang Shan. Yue interjected.
Dong Fangxian laughed: "It is also because of this that Zongfu Zongbi does not think there is a possibility of him crossing the border easily. He must fight because there is no choice. We here also believe that Zongfu Zongbi will never let go. Crossing the Liangshan Mountains. But Mr. Ning believes that besides fighting, I We still have at least two choices. For example, we can leave, give up Liangshan, and go to Jin to make a turnover first..."
"We have been operating here for a long time, and we have already established our power... ”
“If you want to fight, these lessons It is difficult for the camp to continue," Dong Fangxian said, "Then there is another option. When you are ready for the battle, let me cross the river and negotiate a result with Zongfu Zongbi. Some form, some step, make way for each other. Considering that Wu Qimai of the Jin Kingdom is about to die, and the lineup of the East Route Army is bloated, Zongfu Zongbi is likely to agree to such negotiation conditions, and you will retain the possibility of development for now and become a leader one day in the future. The vanguard force that invaded the Kingdom of Jin”
Wang Shanyue was silent, and Dong Fangxian said: "Shandong has been destroyed before. There were no wheat seedlings last winter. Your current rations are only enough for one or two months. Mr. Ning borrowed grain from Jin. Borrow rice seedlings, and after passing this level, you will slowly regain your strength. And in Shandong, you will start a real business..."
"Hundreds of thousands of people were kidnapped by the East Route Army. What should I do?" Wang Shanyue raised his head.
Dong Fangxian asked: "Can it be saved?"
"If we launch an attack, some people can take advantage of the chaos and escape."
"...Some people will escape. , more people will die. Next, if you die, the shameless Eastern Route Army will capture all the civilians they can and send them to the north. "
"Because if we avoid this, what will the world think of us in the future?"
"There are no good choices here, and it is difficult to judge which choice is worse. So Mr. Ning said, you can make your own decisions , if you decide to fight, I will do my best to cooperate with you. If you decide to talk, I will try my best to talk. We are all martial arts practitioners, and of course we all know that many times we draw back our wrists in order to punch the enemy in the face with a stronger punch..."
His fat arm shrank, and he punched When he came out, he also had a lot of strength: "The battle started here now can inspire the people of the world, and it is even possible that we will actually meet Zongfu Zongbi on the battlefield. Killing them is the simplest and simplest option, and if you retreat today, you will have regrets in your heart, and may even be found out one day in the future, or even be stigmatized. Five or ten years from now, will you have any regrets? It's hard to say if you might use more force to break into the Kingdom of Jin... You have to be careful in your judgment."
Wang Shanyue looked at him. : "It's also possible that you, a fat man, crossed the river, and Zong Fu and Zong Bi were unwilling to talk, so you became a sacrifice we sent to them. We burned you first."
Dong Fangxian He laughed: "It's very possible, but if you let others talk about this kind of thing, we probably won't be able to reach an agreement. I can only make a trip, fat guy."
His words were calm, and of course he was fearless regardless of life or death. In fact, most of the four people present had known each other and dealt with each other more than ten years ago. Even though Wang Shanyue was quite unhappy with Ning Yi and the idea he proposed, she also understood in her heart that the proposal of this idea It was not out of fear, but because the battles and losses the Liangshan army had experienced in the past two years were indeed too tragic. By this time, their vitality had indeed never recovered. In another fearless fight, they can certainly tear off a piece of meat from the Jurchens, but that's all...
The water of the Yellow River surges down, and the sun gradually moves to the west, and the river bank Zhu, Wang, Liu and others on the side were talking to each other and considering the next choice. In the barren mountains more than ten miles away from them, Luo Ye and others, who were already looking a little thin, were doing maintenance on their weapons in the sun. Not far away, the troops led by Guan Sheng were resting, and Lu Junyi was active with the scout troops. further afield. They were already gearing up to chop off a certain dog's head in the next fight.
Under the same background, more than a hundred miles south of the Yellow River, there was another team of envoys tasked with negotiating, approaching the Jurchen East Route Army camp on the river bank. This is a negotiation envoy sent from the small court in Lin'an. The leader is Huang Zhong, the Minister of Rites of the small court. This is one of the most trusted right-hand men of Zuo Xiang Tieyan. He has a clear mind and excellent eloquence. He is on this trip The purpose was to impress Zongfu Zongbi and ask the two Jurchen princes to release some of the Lin'an people who had been captured by them and headed north under the current situation.
This is the inspiration that the Lin'an small court got after learning about Dai Mengwei's deeds: After the tragic defeat in the southwest, in order to check and balance the Chinese army to the greatest extent, Xi Yin instead left a lot of benefits to Dai Mengwei, who was against the Chinese army. Now, The days of Lin'an small court In the foreseeable future, the Black Flag Army will become the most terrifying force on the land of the original Wu Dynasty. As one of the staunch forces against the Black Flag Army, they also hope that the two princes Zongfu and Zongbi can Try to give them some support before leaving.
When the East Route Army left, they gradually took away hundreds of thousands of people from Jiangnan. Under the current situation, if they can convince the other party, they can release at least 10,000 or even thousands of people who originally belonged to Lin'an. , everyone participating in this lobbying will become famous, and Tie Yan and others' rule over Lin'an will become stronger.
This is how they think about it. (End of this chapter)