The sky was gray, and it seemed to change color in the cold winter wind. Houjia Village, this is a little-known village on the north bank of the Yellow River. It was the end of October, and it was about to turn cold. Hou Yuanyong came out of the mountain with a large pile of firewood on his back.
A child of his age can't chop as much wood as him, let alone carry it back. Hou Yuanyong is twelve years old this year. He is not tall, but he has been strong since he was a child. It is not popular for children from poor families to be in charge at this time. Hou Yuanyong's family is not poor either. Going, eating a life-saving meal, not at home all the year round, but with his father's salary and a hard-working mother, he finally did not starve him.
In his memory, his father did not read, but he was outside all the year round. In fact, he had seen the world. His name was taken by a gentleman who was literate and hyphenated by his father. It is said to be very literate. During the few meetings, my father was reticent, but he also talked a lot about the outside world, taught him a lot of truth, taught him to be filial to his mother at home, and also promised him that he would have the opportunity in the future. Take him out to see the world.
In the early years, the family was difficult, but three years ago, my father was promoted to a small official in the army, and the family situation was much better. Six months ago, my father came back once, brought back many good things, and also told him about the war. My father fought with a good ruler and won many battles, so he received many rewards.
Houjia Village is located in the mountains. It is one of the most remote villages. Things from the outside world are often blurred when they are passed on. Hou Yuanyong never had the opportunity to study, but his brain is more flexible than ordinary children. He occasionally looks outside. People who come to inquire. Since last year, it was said that the outside world was not peaceful, the Jurchen was beaten down, and the world was in chaos. After his father told him, he learned that in the war outside, his father led the team to kill a lot of bad guys in the first column.
He is very proud of it, the last six months. I often show off to my friends in the mountains that my father is a great hero, so I got rewards, including the new cow that his family bought, which was also bought with rewards. cow thing. There are only two ends in the entire Houjia Village.
In Hou Yuanyong's imagination, he would eat a lot, grow strong, and then follow his father out to serve as a soldier. Kill bad guys and get a bunch of rewards back. Maybe in a few more years, he will be able to have such an opportunity.
The opportunity came early.
He will always remember that the weather on the day he left Houjia Village was gloomy, and it seemed that the weather was about to get colder. He chopped firewood and came out of the mountains. When he returned home, he found that some relatives and villagers had gathered relatives here. All belong to the mother's family, and the father has no family. Before marrying my mother, it was just a lonely military man who came over and talked in the room. It was my father who came back.
His father was tall, with a military uniform still on, and a knife scar on his face. Seeing Hou Yuanyong coming back, he beckoned to him. Hou Yuanyong ran over and wanted to play with the knife on his body. Father unsheathed the knife and started talking to the rest of the village.
"This year has begun to change. I don't know when the mountain will be closed. My time is too short, and the army is waiting to be dispatched. If I go too late, I'm afraid they won't wait for me. This is a big sin. When I arrived in the city, I have to arrange for Ah Hong and the child..."
"Then you don't even eat? You're rushing all night..."
"Let's go tomorrow morning, don't rush the night road, and say you can't meet a strong man..."
In what my father said, it seemed that he was going to take his mother and himself to where they would go immediately, and the rest of the villagers would stay. But my father just smiled: "I was fighting with Jurchen in the army, and there were thousands of people who came here, waiting for a few strong men, so don't be afraid. It's all because of the army's orders, so I have to rush."
Mother was packing things at home, and Hou Yuanyong held his father's knife and went over to ask. Only then did he know that his father bought a house in the city this time, and the army just happened to be nearby. Mountain, took himself and his mother over. This kind of good thing, the villagers will naturally not stop it, everyone kindly retains it, and the father's side temporarily entrusts many unnecessary things in the family, including the house, to the mother's relatives. In a sense, it is equivalent to giving it to others.
So the family began to pack up. The father tied up the ox cart and put clothes, grain, seeds, kitchen knives, plows, spatulas and other valuables on it. Several chickens in the family were also caught. The mother spread out some cakes to eat on the road. Hou Yuanyong was greedy, so he ate one first. While he was eating, he saw the two of them get together to talk, and then the mother hurried out and went to the grandparents' house.
Not long after, my mother came back, my grandparents came back, and the door was closed. The father whispered to the grandfather, the grandmother was an ignorant, holding him in tears, Hou Yuanyong heard the father and the grandfather whispering: "The Jurchen has arrived in Bianliang... We can't hold it... We will die..."
Grandpa asked him something, and his father said: "If you want to leave, go south... A gentleman said that crossing the Yangtze River might be peaceful. I didn't say that Bazhou still has distant relatives..."
Hou Yuanyong didn't understand much of this exchange. Before evening, their family of three set off. The speed of the bullock cart is not slow, so he lived and rested in the mountains at night. On the second and third days, he walked all day again. On the edge of a mountain ridge, many people were already gathered there.
In the past few days, Hou Yuanyong had heard a lot of things from his father on the way. Half a year ago, the dynasties changed outside. A month ago, the Jurchens went south. They went to resist and were defeated by one blow. Now the capital is not saved, and half of the world may fall. These people are going to take refuge in a big man. It is said that they used to be. sir.
Hou Yuanyong was still young, so he had no idea about the capital, nor about half of the world. Besides, his father also said something about the corruption of being an official, bringing down the country, bringing down the army, etc. Hou Yuanyong, of course, had no idea. Those who are officials are naturally bad guys. But in any case, at this time, more than 200 people at the edge of the mountain are all soldiers and their families just like their father.
There are more than 200 people, there are about 50 or 60 families in total, there are many children and women, there are carriages, ox carts, and carts pulled by mules. Some families, and even some family members are doctors, dragging half a truckload of medicinal materials. Among these people, his father should be an officer, and he was greeted from time to time, and there was another officer named Qu Qing who came over to talk to their family during dinner.
That night Hou Yuanyong played with the children for a while. When it was late at night, he could not sleep. He came out of the tent, went to the campfire outside to find his father, and sat down beside him. There was the Chief Qu Qing and several others by the bonfire. They were talking, and when they saw the child coming over, they teased twice, but they didn't shy away from him listening. Hou Yuanyong didn't quite understand it, he was holding a long sword. Dozing off on his father's lap. The sound came from time to time, and the fire was warm.
"... When Mr. Ning left Beijing, he wanted to sort out Beijing and China before leaving, but Laoer Cai Jing broke the game. But later, Cai Laoer and others didn't feel well. They bought the Yanyun six states and took advantage of the disaster relief. After the method of scraping the ground was announced, the situation in Beijing has been tense... On Mr. Ning's side, this method is not only to make them feel a little bit uncomfortable. After that, you all know Mr. Ning's inference on the situation. Now, the first round It should be fulfilled…”
"… Within one year, Bianliang fell. The entire north of the Yellow River fell. Within three years, the north of the Yangtze River fell to the hands of the Jurchens. Tens of thousands of Li people became pigs and sheep to be slaughtered. Others will say that if Mr. Ning did not kill the king, the situation would not collapse. It happened so fast, you and I have both stayed in the Wu Rui camp, you should know the truth... The one who had a chance of survival was wasted by these villains..."
"... When General Qin was dismissed. I thought, this world is coming to an end, I am a motherfucker... "
"If it wasn't for my wife and children at home, I would have left with Mr. Ning and the others..."
"I'm also afraid... to be the enemy of the world. On Mr. Ning's side, I'm afraid it won't be peaceful..."
"It was said in Xia Village that you have to earn your own life. Of course, trouble is inevitable, but now, the imperial court has no energy to take care of us anymore. General Qin and Mr. Ning are not in a good situation, but he has made arrangements. Of course. This is a rebellion, a war, not a child's play, so I was really scared because there were a lot of people in my family, so I asked them to lead them to the Yangtze River."
"I have no relatives in the Yangtze River..."
"Yes, yes, but the Jurchen fights so fast, how long can the Yangtze be held?"
"After all, there are few Jurchen people. Mr. Ning said that if you move to the south of the Yangtze River, you can get away with it for a few years, maybe more than ten years. In fact, there are places south of the Yangtze River that can be resettled. They can also be accommodated. However, General Qin and Mr. Ning put their core in the northwest, which is not unreasonable. Although the north is chaotic, it is not the scope of the Wu Dynasty after all. The north is too chaotic, and there may be a gap to survive. If you go to the south, maybe you will encounter the full force of the Wu Dynasty... But no matter what, brothers, the troubled times are coming, and everyone must be prepared. "
"I have been a soldier for a few years, and I have escaped and beaten. Last year, when Jurchen went south, I saw what the troubled world was like. I have only a few family members, and I thought about taking them to hide, but I was afraid that I would not be able to hide. It's better to follow General Qin and the others and earn their own lives."
"Going to the northwest, are we going to Luliang Mountain? Over at Qingmu Village?"
"No, I can't say it for the time being, just follow me."
"Then... Are we following General Qin and Mr. Ning to rebel against the world?"
"Yeah, in fact, I originally thought that we were only ten or twenty thousand people, and we couldn't beat Jurchen before. In a few months of Xia Village, Mr. Ning let us defeat the grudge army. If there were more people, we would be more united. , what is the Jurchen afraid of!"
"...Mr. Ning is now talking about saving China. This country is coming to an end, and so many good people have lived on this country, and they will all be handed over to Jurchen. We try our best to save ourselves and this world. What? Do you think that Mr. Ning, with such profound knowledge, is someone who can say such things?"
"Oh… "
"Haha, but also..."
"Actually... Brother Qu, I was thinking that if you rebel, you will rebel, why do you have to kill the emperor? If Mr. Ning never killed the emperor, this time Jurchen went south, he said he was going, we must all follow, take your time, and also No one will be disturbed, isn't it better?"
"Mr. Ning actually said this, some I don't think too clearly, and some I understand. First, this Confucianism is Confucianism, and all kinds of relationships are involved too much, but I don't understand. What Confucianism is, it is the way of the scholars, all kinds of wrangling and intrigue, we can't play them, they play too much, and they have tossed the Wu Dynasty into such a state. If you want to improve, you will be slow. The relationship will be cut off. In the future, if you want to do something, they will hold you in various ways, including us, and you will feel that at that time. This thing will give the court a face, and that thing is not very good. At that time, it will become the same as before. Doing this Such a big event, you can't have delusions. If you kill the emperor, you are still willing to follow. You and I will have no delusions. On their side, you don't have to worry about the emperor's ministers... As for the second point, Mr. Ning Just five words..."
"what?"
"He said...after all, it's hard to calm down..."
The bonfire is burning, the air is warm, and the occasional cold wind blows. It was blocked by the mountains over there, and I could only hear the sound faintly. Hou Yuanyong did not know when he was carried into the tent by his father. When they woke up the next day, they waited here for a day, and people came over one after another. There were more than 100 people on this day, and when it was dawn, the team set off under the leadership of Qu Qing.
The group went to the northwest, and the road became more and more difficult along the way, and occasionally they encountered the same crowd of refugees. Perhaps it was because the core of the team was composed of soldiers, and the speed of the crowd was not slow, and they traveled for about seven days. They also encountered a group of bandits who were wandering around. Seeing that everyone was rich and wealthy, they were going to come to make an idea that night. However, there was already a scout arranged by Qu Qing in front of this queue. After figuring out the other party's intentions, everyone was the first to move out that night, intercepting the other party in the middle of the journey.
There were only more than thirty people in the team, led by Hou Yuanyong's father Hou Wu. After his father attacked, Hou Yuanyong was restless. He had heard his father talk about fighting in battle. Generosity and blood, but also terror when fleeing. In the past few days, I was used to seeing the uncles and uncles in the crowd. When I was close at hand, I suddenly realized that my father might be injured or die. That night, he waited for three hours at the well-guarded campsite. When a figure appeared in the night, he trotted over and saw his father at the front of the queue, blood-stained on his body, holding a thin horse in his hand. It seemed that there was an aura that Hou Yuanyong had never seen before, making Hou Yuanyong a little afraid to go there for a while.
Father came over alone, squatted down in front of him, stretched out his hand and made a silent motion, and said, "Is your mother over there?"
Hou Yuanyong nodded, and his father said again: "Go and tell her, I'm back, I've beaten the horse bandits, and I haven't been injured, so don't say anything else. I'll go and wash it with everyone. Do you know?"
Hou Yuanyong nodded again, and his father waved to him: "Go."
After a while, a group of people came back, and most of them had no blood stains on their bodies, but they still smelled a little fishy, but they were not as terrifying as before.
This battle made a few more horses in the team, and everyone's emotions were high. After going on like this for a few days, we passed through many desolate mountain ridges and rough roads. There were also delays due to various horse-drawn carts and ox-carriage problems, and a team of more than 200 people joined in. On this day when the weather was getting colder, when they were camping, someone called everyone together.
Hou Yuanyong liked the feeling of gathering. He stood on his ox cart and looked ahead from a distance. His father was there, and the uncle named Qu Qing spoke.
"... Before I go to the place, I have something to say to everyone. If you understand it, listen to it. If you don't understand it, it doesn't matter... After General Qin and Mr. Ning killed the king, the court wanted the lives of General Qin and Mr. Ning. There are quite a few people, and I know that they also recruited people, arranged people, and infiltrated us. Maybe there are such people among you. It doesn't matter."
He said: "Mr. Ning asked me to tell you that if you want you to do things, you may control your family. Now that Bianliang is besieged, the city may be broken soon. If your family is there, it will be troublesome. If they can't live in Bianliang City, they can't protect your family. Mr. Ning knows that if they want to find such a person, you will be forced to do it. It doesn't matter. We all lived and died on the battlefield. People! We are the ones who defeated the resentful army! We will not look down on you just because of your last resort. So, if any of you have been threatened, or they have talked to you about this, these few brothers Time to think about it."
"After thinking about it, you can talk to me, or you can talk to someone in the mountains, who you think can talk. Say it, the matter is written off, and we are still good brothers. To be honest, as long as there is this matter, Mr. Ning even It can be used in reverse, so if you can't hide it, you might as well help to do them in reverse! When we enter the mountain, what we have to do is to save the world! Don't play around, don't take chances. If your family really falls Bianliang, please think about them, will the court care about their lives or not?"
"For the sake of the brothers who died in the battle against the Jurchens in Xia Village, and for the right minister who worked hard, because everyone's efforts were wasted by the court, Mr. Ning went directly to the court, and even the faint can be killed on the spot. Everyone It is his own brother, and he will treat your family as his family. Now near Bianliang, there are our brothers, and the Jurchen attacked the city. They may not say how many people they will save, but they will definitely Do your best."
"Okay." Qu Qing waved his hand, "Everyone think about it."
Nothing happened that day, and then set off. Three days later, Hou Yuanyong and the others arrived at the place. It was a valley between the desolate mountains. A small river quietly passed through the valley, and the water flow was not in a hurry. . On both sides of the river, all kinds of simple buildings gathered, but it seemed that the outline of the settlements had been drawn. The winter has arrived, and everything is waiting to be done.
On the side of the river, there used to be a small abandoned village. Hou Yuanyong came here for an hour and knew the name of the river. It is called Xiaocanghe. The village by the river was originally called Xiaocanghe Village. It has been abandoned for many years. At this time, a camp of nearly ten thousand people is being built continuously.
The sky was gloomy and cold, but by the small river and in the mountains, the work of people coming and going seemed to be orderly. Hou Yuanyong and the others first gathered on the west side of the valley, and soon after, someone came over and arranged wooden houses for each of them. It was a relatively well-formed building on the west side of the mountain, and it was given priority to people from outside the mountain. Father Hou Wu followed Qu Qing and the others to gather on the other side, and then came back to help the family unload the supplies.
"General Qin may come later. Mr. Ning has been out for a while." Hou Wu said this to Hou Yuanyong when he was carrying various things into the house. He probably told his son about the two people on the way. However, Hou Yuanyong was happy with his new residence at this time, and he didn't say anything.
Soon after, it seemed that something was spreading in the valley. After Hou Wu and Hou Yuanyong finished moving things, they watched as many people up and down the valley were talking to each other. On the other side of the river, someone shouted, "Then why don't you do a good job for us!"
This did not sound like a reprimand, because many people answered in unison: "Yes" in a loud voice.
While he was in doubt, Qu Qing walked over here. He was accompanied by a young simple and honest man. Hou Wu greeted him: "Yishan. Come on, Yuan Yong, called Uncle Mao."
Hou Yuanyong let out a cry, turning his eyes still curious, Mao Yishan also waved with the child. Qu Qing looked complicated and said in a low voice, "Bianliang has broken the city."
Hou Wu was stunned for a while: "...So fast? We attacked directly."
"They found a Celestial Master, Shi Liujia Divine Soldier..."
Qu Qing said in a low voice, recounting the story of the Celestial Master Guo Jing guarding the city with six armors. Hou Yuanyong blinked, but in the end he didn't hear how the Liujia Divine Weapon was broken. Hou Wu clenched his fists: "So... this kind of thing... so broke the city?"
"Well, Jurchen has been preparing for half a month in the city, and nothing is used."
"...General He is right." Hou Wu whispered, turned and walked into the room, "They are finished, let's do things quickly, don't wait..."
This day was the 24th of November in the first year of Jingping, and Hou Yuanyong, a child, came to Xiaocanghe Village for the first time. It was also in the afternoon of this day that Ning Yi came back from outside the mountain and learned the news of the fall of Bianliang... (.)
ps: At the beginning of a new episode, there are a lot of things to think about, and the speed will not be fast. Finally, it is updated. This chapter is 5950 words. I am too lazy to add more.