In July of the eighth year of Wu Jianshuo, in the vast Central Plains, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River were still galloping. When the autumn wind rises, the leaves turn yellow and wild flowers bloom, and all living beings live like wild flowers and weeds.
Divide the river with joy and joy, and gather together to huhu to the southeast of Jin... These proverbs that once applied to the Wu Dynasty have now moved southward across the board after ten years of war. After crossing the Yangtze River to the north, the security situation is no longer peaceful. A large number of refugees from the north gathered, panicked and waited for the help of the court. The army is the big head of this place. Any army that can win a battle and have an independent background is busy recruiting.
Most of the civilians who came from the north to the south have no long-term possessions, their families have to settle, and their children have to eat. For families with young and strong people, joining the army is naturally the only way out. These men have seen the cruelty of bloodshed and the grief of dying in vain. With a little training, at least they can go into battle. They sold themselves and exchanged the first gold and silver for their families to settle in Jiangnan, and then left their families and rushed to the battlefield. Over the years, I don't know how many amazing rumors and stories have been brewed.
And those who went south with the gold and silver they sold their fathers and brothers in exchange for, may have to experience exploitation by corrupt officials, harassment by green forest gangs, and gangsters. Some people who went to the south to go to their relatives, after reaching their destination after nine deaths, may find that these relatives are not completely good people. The stories that begin with "Don't bully the poor young" are also in the brewing of the poor and literati.
If the Wu Dynasty can still have a century of national luck, in the foreseeable future, people will see these stories full of good wishes appear one after another. Generals have died in a hundred battles, and strong men have returned for ten years. People who have been separated from their families from the conscription office still have a moment to gather. When they go to Jiangnan, the young man who has been scorned can finally stand at the top of the court, return to his childhood alley, and enjoy The kinsmen's former condescending and the latter's respect, the girl who suffered in the cold house but was still pure, will finally wait for the future when she meets the handsome young man...
How simple and beautiful are their wishes, how can they be said to be wishful thinking
Xiangyang, at night time.
As an important ancient city at the throat of the Central Plains, there is no prosperity at this time. Looking down from the sky, apart from the torches on the four walls of this majestic ancient city, there were not many lights in the city where the crowds gathered at this time. Xiangyang is more like a fishing village and small town. Under the front of Jurchen, this city, which changed hands several times in a few years, also drove away too many local residents.
Of course, a month after the city fell into the hands of the Wu Dynasty army, many refugees gathered nearby after hearing the rumors. For a period of time, this place will become the best way to go south.
The barracks extended on the north side of the city, and there were houses, supplies, and barracks that were more than half built. The patrols returned from outside the camp, and the horses galloped into the school grounds. A victory brings high morale and vitality to the army. Combined with the strict discipline of this army, even from a distance, it can give people a sense of improvement. In Nanbu's army, there are very few teams with such a face. In a barracks in the center of the camp, the lights were bright at this time, and there were many galloping horses constantly coming, indicating that the core members of the army were gathered because of certain things.
The soldiers passing by in the distance watched all this nervously and nervously.
Even though the army's morale was boosted by the capture of Xiangyang, the ensuing worries were inevitable. After occupying the lower city, material resources came from the rear, and the artisans in the army were in full swing to repair the city wall and strengthen the defense. It also showed that this city on the cusp of the storm may encounter the counterattack of the pseudo-Qi or Jurchen army at any time. The high-level and middle-level military personnel with their respective tasks suddenly gathered, probably because the enemy in front had made a big move.
But soon after, the news that was vaguely passed down from the high-level and not deliberately covered up slightly relieved everyone's nervousness.
In the northern part of the Central Plains, the black flag moved.
After two years of lurking, the submerged giant beast finally turned over under the hedge of the undercurrent. This action caused the power of the half wall of the Central Plains to overturn. The bandit king was thrown down with a bang.
"... arresting spies and purging the internal black flag forces are things that all parties have been doing since two years ago. In cooperation with the Jurchen army, Liu Yu even let his subordinates launch a few massacres, but the result... No one knows there is They didn't kill the right ones, so for the Black Flag Army, the north side has long since turned into a shadow of a cup, bow and snake..."
In the brightly lit barracks, the one who spoke was a middle-aged scholar who came from Tian Hu's forces. After Qin Siyuan's death, the Secret Investigation Division temporarily disintegrated, and part of the estate was apparently divided among Tong Guan, Cai Jing, Li Gang and others. After Ning Yi killed the king, Kang Xian pulled up the remnants of the real secret investigation division. Later, it was attributed to Zhou Pei and Jun Wu. Ning Yi was in charge of the secret investigation division. He was more inclined to the green forest and the front line of business. , he has undergone a complete transformation of this part, and then he has been tempered by strong walls and clear fields and Bianliang confrontation. After Zhou Zhe rebelled, the ones who followed him were the most determined members, but after all, not everyone They were all impressed, and many of them stayed behind, and until now, they have become the most usable intelligence agency in the hands of Wu Chao.
This middle-aged scholar has narrow eyes and a mustache that looks like a shrewd, cunning and timid master. Perhaps it is also his usual disguise, but at this time in the camp, he really shows a solemn expression and clear logic. .
"As far as we know, the situation of Tian Hu's court in the north has been very tense since the beginning of this year. Although Tian Hu was born as an hunter, he has been in business for more than ten years, and now he is the most powerful one among the kings of the puppet Qi. It was also the most difficult for him to endure the presence of black flag spies lurking in his court. After more than a year of forbearance, he wanted to launch. We expected that the black flag party would resist, and he also arranged for manpower to investigate. On June 29, Both sides move."
The scholar inserted a side-by-side sign on the big map in front of him: "The black flag forces joined forces with Wang Juyun, Tian Shi, Yu Yulin... Yu Tianhu's site is Fenyang, Wasion, Jinning, Gaizhou, Zhaode, and Zezhou. … and other places were launched at the same time, only Zhaode was unsuccessful, and the rest of the places changed color overnight. We are sure that the black flag is the main force in the series, but in the Weisheng that we pay most attention to, it is mainly Tian Shi, Yu The power of Yulin's family, and Lou Shuwan's invisible influence among them, later we determined that the real planning center of the black flag for this operation was Zezhou. According to our information, a group of suspected rebel bandits appeared in Zezhou. Ning Yi's team, and the highest level of the Black Flag participating in the plan, is codenamed Black Sword."
There were many people gathered in the room at this time, headed by Fang Yuefei, Wang Gui, Zhang Xian, Niu Gao, Li Dao, Gao Chong, Sun Ge, Yu Peng... and so on. These were generals or staff members. , initially formed the core of the Beiwei Army at this time. In the inconspicuous corner of the room, there was even a girl in a military uniform. With a sword in between, he was listening to all this with excitement and curiosity.
Seeing the scholar pause for a while, Zhang Xian from the crowd said, "What is the black sword?"
The middle-aged scholar frowned: "The remnants of the black flag went south last year, and people in Bianzhou, Zizhou and other places were eager to move, trying to block their edge. In the end, there was chaos in several places. Several cities in Jinghu and other places were destroyed. They were all taken away, and Cui Jingwen, the military envoy of Guangnan, was almost killed. It was Chen Fan who led the troops in Xiangnan. The prime ministers in Bianzhou, Zizhou and others were all in charge. The code name was 'Black Sword'. One of Ning Yi's wives, Liu Xigua from the Ba Dao Zhuang under Fang La's command."
In the past few years, Nanwu has strictly forbidden the matter of the black flag. Although the people in the room are all high-level military officials, they have not had much contact with them in the past. Hearing the name Liu Xigua, some people couldn't help laughing, and some secretly realized how powerful it was, and their expressions were serious.
Two years ago, the chaos in Jinghu was said to be a disturbance by refugees, but it was actually a black flag. The troops in Jinghu and Guangnan are located in the south. Even if they fought against Jurchen and the King of Qin in the north, they did not fight much. I heard that the black flag was maimed in the north. Some bigwigs in the court wanted to pick peaches. The young general led the southern Hunan series of the Black Flag Army to conquer several cities and defeated two large armies of tens of thousands of people, and then because of the changes in Bianzhou, Zizhou and other places, Nanwu's eagerness to move was suppressed abruptly. .
At that time, everyone was an officer. Even if they didn't know Heijian, they initially knew that there was such an army in the south of Heiqi, and that there was a general named Chen Fan, who was originally a rebel bandit despite Yongle's rebellion. The direct disciple of Fang Qifo. When the Yongle Dynasty revolted, Fang La was known by his reputation, and his brother Fang Qifo was the real martial artist. At this time, everyone saw the power of his personal legacy.
Of course, for those who really knew Lulin, or who had actually seen Chen Fan, the battle two years ago was truly shocking.
Over the years, Chen Fan's image has always been a knight with extraordinary courage. His internal image is sunny and forthright, and externally, he is a master of martial arts. When Yongle rebelled, Fang Qifo only let him be the vanguard in the army. Later, he grew up and even killed Sikong Nan together with his wife, shocking the rivers and lakes. When following Ning Yi, there were many masters in Xiaocanghe, but Lu Hongti was the only one who could really overwhelm him, and even Liu Xigua, the tyrant who grew up with him, might be a little behind him in this regard. To show people with courage, all along, when following Ning Yi's identity, most of them are bodyguards.
No one could have imagined that the first time he was in charge of the army, he would be like an old soup that had been boiled through, and every aspect of the march was impeccable. In the face of tens of thousands of enemies on the battlefield, he attacked calmly with a team of less than 10,000, defeated the enemies one after another, and captured cities and counties in the middle, with precision and calmness. Up to now, the black flag is entrenched in several places, and the southernmost Miao Village in southern Hunan is guarded by him. For two years, no one dared to move.
"So, this turmoil in Tian Hu's forces might have been led by Ning Yi?" Seeing the crowd discussing or pondering, the aide Sun Ge asked.
The middle-aged scholar shook his head: "I can't make a conclusion at this time. In the past two years, the news that Ning Yi is not dead has occasionally appeared, mostly because of black flags, so there are suspicions. This time they launched in the north to get rid of Tian Hu. The meaning of the demonstration, so it is not clear if we want to deliberately attract people's imagination. Because of this chaos, we have found some people who are in the middle and set off the incident. They are suspected to be members of the black flag, but they have both Wang Juyun and Tian Shi. The relationship seems to be unable to move for a while."
The scholar paused: "Three days after this great change, Tian Hu's relatives who were rampant in the north, except Tian Shi's family, were all arrested and imprisoned, and some who resisted were beheaded on the spot. The fact that the first clan has taken over is almost the same, they have already made preparations, and the relatives, followers, helpers and other forces of the Tian Hu clan have been bloodbathed resolutely, and most of them are applauding from the outside world, and it is estimated that they will stabilize soon."
"Tian Hu originally surrendered to the Jurchen, Wang Juyun raised his army to fight against the Jin, and the black flag is a thorn in the eyes of Jin." Sun Ge said, "Now that the three parties have joined forces, what is the attitude of the Jurchen?"
"When I went south, Jurchen had sent someone to reprimand Tian Shi. It was said that Tian Shi had written a letter of guilt, saying that the situation would be stabilized as quickly as possible, so that the situation would not be turbulent and the people's livelihood would not be affected."
"He is going to delay. Once the situation is stabilized and the internal troubles are eliminated, Tian Shi and others will be stronger than when Tian Hu was there. And his power is in many mountains, and it is not easy for the Jurchen to attack. As long as the name is attached, it is very likely One eye can be closed... This abacus is good." Sun Ge analyzed and paused, "However, there are also people who are good at planning among Jurchens, will they give Central Plains such a chance? ?"
The room was quiet, and everyone had thought in their minds: What if the Jurchen sent troops
For the people of Nanwu, this is a real problem that they have to bear every day, and the main and faction in the court are all from this. We fight Xiangyang, what if the Jurchen sends troops? We took an attacking stance, what if the Jurchen sent troops because of this? We are walking too loudly today, what if Jurchen sends troops because of this? Although some ideas are too unwilling, but too many times, this is a real threat.
If everyone who captured Xiangyang could still get away with it, this time the action of the black flag was obviously another sensitive signal.
Sun Ge stood up, walked forward, pointed to the map, and drew a circle to the southwest: "Now the black flag is here. Although there was a three-year battle at Xiaocanghe, after retreating, the place they occupied, Most of them are bad. In the past two years, our Wu Dynasty has tried our best to blockade and not trade with them. Dali, Liu Yu and others are also ostracizing and blocking attitudes. , they are in a predicament. So after two years, they are looking for a way out."
"Tian Hu endured it for two years, and he couldn't bear it any longer. Finally, he made a move. It was a bump into Hei Qi's hand. In this place, Tian Shi, Yu Yulin and others wanted to betray, and Wang Juyun was staring at him. , he was run over by the black flag, and he was not wronged. The pattern of the black flag is also big. At one time, he attracted the two forces of King Jin and Wang Juyun. Even if he got through the road in the Central Plains. We all know that Ning Yi is in business. Skills, as long as someone on the opposite side cooperates, in the middle... Liu Yu is not to be afraid of, to be honest, with the arrangement of the black flag, I am afraid that they will not take too much effort to kill Liu Yu at this time... "
Sun Ge circled the Jin King's territory: "Here in Tian Hu, the person who maintains the people's livelihood is a woman named Lou Shuwan. She was one of the first people to do business with Luliangshan Qingmu Village and Xiaocanghe in her early years. , Under Tian Hu, they also pay the most attention to the relationship with all parties. Why is this place the most peaceful place in the Central Plains now, because even after the collapse of the Xiaocang River, they have been maintaining trade with the Jin Kingdom. In the early years, they still I want to receive the Qingyan of Xixia. Once the Black Flag Army is connected to this place, he can turn his hand and reach into the Golden Kingdom... In this world, they can go anywhere."
"It's not enough for us to carry the Wei army now. Once the black flag is broken, the Jurchen will have a headache." Sun Ge looked at the map, "However, when it comes to playing chess, it's not you who play, others will wait. I can see the flag's plan here on the bright side, whether the Jurchen will follow his wishes, everyone, it's hard to say..."
In Sun Ge's voice, some of the people present were indifferent, some frowned in thought, and some, such as Gao Lan and others, all laughed fiercely: "Then there will be a battle."
This is something everyone can think of. Once the Jurchen really sends troops, it will never stop after just smashing one Jindi. Over the years, every time Jurchen went south, it was a catastrophe that turned the world upside down and life was devastated. The Xiao Canghe of that year has brought Nanwu the opportunity to recuperate for six or seven years. The cruelty of waiting for others to "search the mountains and pick up the sea" is simply incomparable.
Now that the news has come, everyone is aware of it: perhaps, the world is on the verge of a new catastrophe... (.)