The plan of the year is spring. In the Wu Dynasty, after saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, heaven and earth recovered. In the court, it was customary to have a continuous grand meeting. Summarizing the last year, and looking forward to the next year, Jun Wu will naturally attend.
This year, after staying in the capital for half a month, the arguing at the court meeting also raged for half a month. No one dared to be disrespectful to him on the bright side, but after the praise, the words of the courtiers revealed maliciousness. These adults stated the various factors behind the prosperity of the Wu Dynasty. This kind of problem, the reason for the hindrance, in the end, no one will say, but all kinds of public opinion, after all, are still pressing towards the Prince's Mansion.
Even with the loss of the Central Plains, the vigorous development of Nanwu for several years, the expansion of the economy, the abundance of the national treasury, and even the growth of military equipment, all seem to prove the strength of a dynasty after a painful experience. This leaping number proves the wisdom of kings and ministers, and since everything is growing, the slight flaws behind are understandable and bearable things.
No one can prove that the country can still take off like this after losing its inclination. Then, some flaws, labor pains, or inevitable. Now there is the shame of Jingping, and then there are Jurchens who are still eyeing them. If the court is inclined to appease the refugees from the north, then whether the national treasury is needed, the market needs to develop, and the military equipment needs to be increased.
The great Confucians eloquently cited scriptures and classics to demonstrate the inevitability of many things, but vaguely, they set off the line of princes and princesses who were not wise enough to become an obstacle to the development of the Wu Dynasty. Jun Wu was entangled in the capital for half a month, because some news returned to Jiangning, and the ministers handed over the book again, earnestly persuaded the prince to be wise and accept the remonstrance, how could he leave in a rage, and Jun Wu could only reply and be taught one by one.
In February and March, when the snow melted and the ice melted and the grass grew, Wenren Buer, who was sitting in the capital, also came over. The guest of honor stood at the head of Jiangning City, watching the huge yellow balloons flying into the sky.
In the hanging basket of the balloon, someone threw something out. The thing fell from a high altitude, and when it fell on the grass, there was a bang, and the soil splashed. Jun Wujiang frowned, and after a while, someone ran over one after another: "No explosion"
"Ten years ago, Master's researched hot air balloons. I stumbled and made little progress. Later, I found out that the paper used to seal the air over there is actually paper pulp. The ball, ignited, you can't imagine that you can still use paper! After two years of delay, Jiangning finally got this, thanks to me hurried back... "
There was a lot of wind on the city wall, and Jun Wu's voice was also high. The twenty-six-year-old Crown Prince had a wide robe, and after growing a two-stroke beard, he was already quite majestic. Wen Ren Buer just bowed his hands solemnly.
"To that rebellious person, Your Highness speaks cautiously."
"Senior brother Wenren is right, that thief who kills the king, we will not share the sky with him." Jun Wu said with a frank smile. Wenren Buer was a disciple of Qin Siyuan, and Jun Wu was taught by him when he was young. He was casual, and he relied heavily on Wenren Buer. Many times, he was called a senior brother.
"His Royal Highness left the capital angrily, but the Lin'an courthouse has already been abuzz, and we need to be cautious in the future."
"Yes, this is the fault of my character." Jun Wudao, "I also know it's not good. I have been patient in recent years, but sometimes I still feel uneasy. At the beginning of the year, I heard that this matter was progressing, so I simply gave up. When I ran back to the court, I said it was for the hot air balloon, but after thinking about it, I just couldn't bear the trivialities in the court and made excuses."
He directly admitted his fault, Wenren Buer did not say more, the two went down the city wall, Jun Wudao: "However, after thinking about it, I was originally not suitable for the temperament of the prince, and I like to study the characteristics of things. Xue, but in these years, various things have been entangled, and things have already fallen. The world is turbulent, I have a responsibility, and I have no brothers, thinking about covering Yue Fei, Han Shizhong and others, and then saving some Northland refugees, reluctantly , However, when you are in it, you only know how many problems there are.”
He walked down the stairs of the city wall with agile steps: "The aristocratic family has been in business for more than two hundred years. The forces are intertwined, and the interests are deeply rooted. The generals are short-sighted and afraid of death, and the civil officials are corrupt and ineffective, which has become a big net. I intervened a few years ago. People from the north moved south. On the surface, everyone applauded and turned their heads, inciting people to make trouble, beating people, and even inciting rebellion, killing people according to the law. This relationship and that relationship ended up on the father's desk, more than once. Returning to the south, people from the north return to the north, and they say that it is really helpless how the north can return! The north is smashed!"
"Look at General Yue, he is upright and upright, he grasps all kinds of things in his jurisdiction, never compromises with others, and finally maintains such a strong army. In recent years, he is said to be domineering, domineering, and competing with the people. There are more than a few hundred cases of profit and even disgust. This is under the condition that I am watching from behind, otherwise he would have cut his head long ago. Han Shizhong's side, he knows how to turn around better, but the ministers of the DPRK and the central government are managing them one by one. , he spends a lot of money, and I think his ordnance is a little worse than Yue Fei's."
The two got off the city wall and got on the carriage, Jun Wu waved his hand: "What if you don't do this? Oh, you train a soldier, come a civil official today, and say you should train like this, give me some money, or I will participate You have one. Come tomorrow and say that my brother-in-law will come to you as a camp officer, and the day after tomorrow, his brother-in-law will deduct his military pay. If you want to kill him, he will say that his brother-in-law is the prime minister of the state! Then stop fighting, and let them all die."
The carriage drove out of the city gate, took the official road outside, and then turned out of the field. Jun Wu vented for a while and whispered: "Do you know why the rebels wanted to kill the emperor?"
"His Royal Highness, speak with caution!"
"For example, you want to do... a big thing. The people under you have contacts with these guys, and you want to make a fool of yourself first, joking with them and perfunctory for a while, like... perfunctory for two or three years, but you There is no backer at the top, come to someone today, divide up a little of your things, you bear, put a little brother-in-law tomorrow, you bear, three years later, you have to do something big, turn around and see that the people around you are all the same as them … Ha ha ha ha."
Wen Ren Bu'er narrowed his eyes. Today's Jun Wu's mood is obviously a bit off. He's a little excited and even more unscrupulous. He's never seen such a situation before: "Your Highness, are you... what happened to you?"
"No." Jun Wu waved his hand, then lifted the curtain and looked forward, the hot air balloon was still in the distance, "Look, this hot air balloon, when it was being done, came to the imperial censor over and over again to consult and say this. The great rebellion is ominous, because ten years ago, it can bring people into the palace, it can fly higher than the palace wall, and it can spy on the palace... What a big rebellion, it means that I want to kill the king and fail. For this matter , I will keep all these workshops in Jiangning, and run away from big and small matters. When they participate in impeachment, I will apologize and admit my mistakes. It doesn't matter if I apologize and admit my mistakes... I finally made it.
"Your Highness..."
"Brother Wenren, this world may have a different look in the future, something you and I don't understand." Jun Wu closed his eyes, "Last year, before Zuo Duanyou died, I went to visit him. The old man said, Xiao Cang What He said may be right. If we want to defeat him, we must at least become like him. The artillery has come out, and it is still getting better and better. The hot air balloon has come out. Li Pin was talking about New Confucianism, and he didn't skip the examination of things. Those people in the DPRK, those aristocratic families, said this, said that, and those who were connected with them, all had no good results, but maybe in the future, the study of examination of things will flourish, and there will be other method?"
The carriage shook for a while and stopped in a green field. Many craftsmen gathered nearby. There was also a hot air balloon being inflated here. Jun Wu and Wenren got off the carriage.
"I'm not very proficient in Confucianism, and I can't think of how to reform and forge ahead. Two or three hundred years of intertwining, the inside is broken, even if you have lofty ambitions and a noble character, if you enter this place, thousands of people will block it. You, thousands of people reject you, you will either become bad or go away. Even if I have some luck and become a prince, I will try my best to keep Xu people like General Yue and General Han. And when we can't do it, even these people can't keep it."
"It's impossible to beat Jurchen by relying on them alone." Jun Wu stood there, still talking, the hot air balloon in front was also expanding and growing, pulling the hanging basket: "But fortunately, with the knowledge of things, maybe ... With these people and strength, I can find some turning points, even if I have a reputation for being self-willed, I don't want to put down this stall, I only see hope here."
"Your Highness..."
Jun Wu walked forward: "I want to go to heaven to see, does Brother Wenren want to go with me?"
"Your Highness"
When he said these words, there was a commotion around him. Words such as "Your Highness think this thing is not safe" suddenly rang out, and the craftsmen in charge of technology were so frightened that they all knelt down. He also rushed forward and tried to dissuade him, Jun Wu just smiled.
"Since the end of the year, this hot air balloon has been flying up and down for six consecutive times, and it is very safe. I have also participated in the production of this hot air balloon. I know what is wrong with it, and you can't fool me. Regarding this matter, I would like to It has been decided, don't say more, now, my luck is your luck, if I fall from the sky today, all of you will be unlucky and buried with me. Jun Wu would like to thank everyone here... Wen Senior Brother."
The prince looked back at the hanging basket: "Do you want to go up and have a look?"
Wen Ren Buer was silent for a while, and finally sighed. Over the years, Jun Wu has worked hard to carry the burden. Although there are always some young people's impulses, he is generally very rational. It's just that this balloon has always been a big concern in the prince's heart. When he was young, he studied objects, and it was for this reason that he wanted to fly and go to the sky to see it. Later, the identity of the prince made him have to be distracted, but for this dream of flying , I have been thinking about it, never forget it.
It only took two or three months to make this thing, relying on such a thing to fly into the sky, the danger and the fear of leaving the ground, he did not understand, but he had made up his mind at this time, and it was difficult to change, if not so, I'm afraid he won't say what he said just now.
The Confucianism of the past... the art of governing the country, before such a powerful enemy as the Jurchen, has no way to go.
"The minister should follow the prince."
"If you are afraid of heights, you can naturally not come, but Gu just thinks that this is a good thing."
Ignoring the people around him who were kneeling on the ground, he couldn't help but climb into the basket, and he went over to the basket. There was also a craftsman who was manipulating the lift in the hanging basket, kneeling there, and Jun Wu gave him a look: "Yang Master, get up and do things, you can't let me do it myself? It's not that I can't."
The craftsman shuddered, and after a while, he began to throw the weighted sandbags.
Jun Wu clenched the rope beside the hanging basket with one hand and stood there, shaking his body slightly, staring straight ahead.
"The adults in the court think, how much time do we have?"
"The prime minister and several members of the Privy Council believe that the current situation is not good. In two or three years, if you are lucky, you may have another five years to recuperate." Wen Ren Buer also looked forward, her body stiff and tense, "Jurchen captured the Central Plains. After that, Liu Yu was established as king because there were too few clansmen, so they had to stabilize the entire Liaoning territory first. After they were completely stabilized north of Yanmen Pass, the first thing they had to do was to formally annex and digest the Central Plains."
The huge hot air balloon shook and began to rise into the sky.
"It's just that although the original Central Plains has been overthrown, Liu Yu's control is difficult to dominate. In the past few years, there have been dissidents in the north and south of the Yellow River. Many of them surrendered to the Jurchen on the surface and dared not take the lead, but if Jin Guozhen wanted to annex it There are still many people who will stand up and resist. Breaking down is different from domination. If you want to formally annex the Central Plains, it will take more effort for the Jin Kingdom. Therefore, there may be two or three years of breathing time... Uh"
The field of vision below continued to shrink, and they rose to the sky, and Wen Ren Buer's original statement was interrupted at this time. Jun Wu no longer listened, he stood there, looking at the fields and farmland below, people planting rice in the fields, cattle and horses pulling plows, and in the distance, the houses and the smoke from the cooking were spreading. The city wall extends, the river runs through, and the boatman on the Wu Peng boat holds up a long pole... In the bright spring, the vitality spreads like a picture scroll.
Six years ago, Jurchen's Soshan Jianhai had been here, and Jun Wu still remembered the corpse outside the city, the grandfather Kang who died here. Now, all these creatures are so vividly alive again. All these lovely, hateful, and hard-to-classify living beings can make people happy just by seeing them exist, and based on their existence, they are born again. Countless pains...
The hot air balloon floats up.
Throughout his life, Zhou Junwu never forgot the earth he saw in this eye.
In the spring of Wu Jianshuo's ninth year, he flew into the sky for the first time.
****************
Under the same sky, across Yanmen Pass to the north, when the snow melts and the ice melts, Xijing Datong in the Jin Kingdom ushered in the peak period of business travel.
The flow of goods, the exchanges of businessmen, and the busy traffic. After more than ten years of plundering, digestion, and internal recuperation, the emerging regime of the Jin Kingdom has gradually given birth to a prosperous and prosperous appearance. Entering from the four gates of Datong, the flags on the city wall are displayed like a forest in the wind. Walking around the big wall are groups of Jurchen soldiers with strong bows and sharp swords. Walking in it with a back straight, I occasionally saw a fight in the crowd, and when the commotion broke out, it was not uncommon to go forward to stop the fierceness of the northern folk customs.
The business is booming in the blacksmith shop, and the anger is sultry. In the restaurants and restaurants, food and cakes from all over the world are sold, but most of them still cater to the taste of the golden people. Wood.
During the period when Han slaves in ragged clothes were scattered, some were as thin as firewood, with chains tied to their bodies, and only used as livestock. Their eyes had long since lost their vigor. There were also running halls and cooks in various restaurants. Life may be better. It's just that he is afraid to look at people. In the prosperous streets and alleys of Zhifen, there are still Han women kidnapped from the south in some brothels and prostitutes. Often able to mark high prices, there are also a few royal women, and it is still a cash cow for several brothels.
Even among the Jurchens, there are also many elegant and good poets. When they come to the brothel, they are more willing to chat with the well-known and reasonable lady in the south. Of course, here is different from the South.
There are no shepherds here.
The woman in flowery clothes danced crazily on the street, babbled and sang songs from the Central Plains, and was dragged into the gate of the brothel by the rude Jurchen who came over, dragged into the room, and the giggling laughter has not stopped. Wu Chao's words, many people here can understand now, the crazy woman is laughing: "Haha, Xianggong, you are here to pick me up... Haha, ahhaha, Xianggong, you come to pick me up..."
In that room, the voice came out while she was being raped. But everyone nearby knew that her husband had been killed long ago. He was originally a craftsman. He wanted to resist and escape, but his head was beheaded in front of her, and his head was made into a wine vessel... As the dart team walked through the street When Shi Jin lowered his head and listened to the voice, his companions whispered these things.
"... Hero, don't think too much, there are too many things. The emperor of the Wu Dynasty kneels in the palace as a dog every year, and the queen is the same... Oh, hero, look, over there. It's Duke Xi Yin's Grand Courtyard..."
Shi Jin looked up and saw that the courtyard at the other end of the river stretched, and smoke pillars rose in the air, surrounded by soldiers patrolling and heavily guarded. The companion tugged at the corner of his shirt: "Master, you can't go there, don't be seen..."
Shi Jin nodded and looked away.
It has been three months since he came to the north.
Shi Jin is chivalrous and heroic by nature. He first came to the north a few months ago. Seeing the suffering of countless Han slaves, he couldn't help but violently shot to kill. He was then pursued by the Jin Bing in the heavy snow. Shi Jin's martial arts skills are strong, but he is not afraid of this. He has put his life and death aside. Later, he went all the way north and rescued a escort. Only then did he find his companion and arrived at Datong in a low-key manner.
Although there are many Han slaves in the north, there are naturally also Han and Liao people who originally lived here, but the Wu Dynasty was weak. Although the Han people in this area can also have the status of good people, they have always been bullied and despised. Most of the escorts in this escort team are aborigines in the sixteen states of Yanyun. They were first bullied by the Liao people, then bullied by the Jin people, and those who licked blood at the knife edge. They admired heroes like Shi Jin, even if they knew about Shi Jin Dissatisfied with Jin Ren, but willing to take him for a ride.
Although Shi Jin was with these people, he naturally didn't tell them about the idea of assassinating Nianhan. All the way to the north, he saw the gathering of Jin soldiers. The atmosphere of Datong, which was the center of military and political affairs, began to chill again. He couldn't help but want to inquire. Later, he saw the artillery among the Jin soldiers. Bing has also researched and installed these things, and the person in charge of this matter at the top of the Jinren is Wanyan Xiyin, known as the God of Gu.
After the southern expedition of the Jin Kingdom, a large number of craftsmen from the Wu Dynasty were obtained. Xi Yin referred to the study of gewu, and together with Shi Liai and other officials, he built a large courtyard to develop firearms and various new crafts. In addition to weapons, there are many novel objects. Circulating in the markets of Datong, it became a popular commodity.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the carriages and horses, the escort team arrived at the destination of Datong. Shi Jin was unwilling to drag his feet and say goodbye. He set up a table in a fairly high-end restaurant in Datong City. He was thankful for Shi Jin's life-saving grace. He was someone who knew what was wrong. He knew that when Shi Jin went north, he must have a plan, and he would know. The situation and layout of the Datong city of Datong were introduced to Shi Jin more or less.
After three rounds of drinking, his face was red and his ears were red, but there was some embarrassment in his words.
"... I know that the hero's coming here is by no means a traveler. Although the villain has been a Han from the north for generations, he also knows that the heroic chivalrous and life-saving grace of the south is definitely not a mere table of banquets that can be repaid. However, although the villain is also Qijin people are domineering, but the villains are here, with wives and children... Datong, this place is unusual after all. In the early years, Jurchen called this place the Western Court, but at that time, there was still the second prince Zongwang among the Jurchens. You can suppress Zong Han's arrogance. After Zong Wang's death, the East and West of the Jin Kingdom will compete with each other, and the authority of Marshal Zong Han here will be the same as that of the East Tianhui..."
"... In this city of Datong, there are heavy troops and Xiyin, the god of the valley. The masters under his command are gathered, and the Dazao Institute is also heavily guarded. Although the heroes are highly skilled in martial arts, they come from the south, and their identity as Han people is too conspicuous. Please... Be careful. ,Take care of yourself… "
The escort told Shi Jin to be cautious, and he was not afraid that he would be exposed, which would involve his own worries. It's just that Shi Jin is a hero and a hero, knowing that the other party has already taken too many risks in order to repay his kindness, so he doesn't say much. The escort thought about it for a while, and then told Shi Jin about some anecdotes in Datong City, those chivalrous men who were wanted or hunted down against Jurchen, thieves who specialize in stealing treasures, and so on. That Wanyan Xiyin Guang received the warriors, and has also swept and cleaned up these Jianghu people several times, but there are always some people who can survive the past and become legends told by everyone.
The escort thought, if the other party really encounters trouble in the city and it is difficult for him to intervene, these people may be able to become his companions.
After the banquet, the two sides officially parted ways. Shi Jin carried his package on the street and watched each other leave. When he turned around, he saw that there were Han slaves like pigs and dogs in the dingy blacksmith shop in the restaurant.
This year, in the 12th year of the Nuzheng Tianhui, Wanyan Wu Qimai succeeded to the throne, and it has also been 12 years. During these twelve years, the Jurchen has consolidated its rule over the subjects below, and the Jurchen presence in the northern land has been officially stabilized. And accompanied by the pain and disaster of countless Han people.
The three expeditions to the Central Plains, the shame of Jingping, the search of mountains and seas... After all these years, many Han slaves who were arrested and went north are still living in this land, but they are no longer human...
Shi Jin's life was full of chaos. He fought bravely when he was young, then he became a bandit, and then he fought against the Jurchen and infighting... The fights he experienced ranged from upright to unbearable. , and has since seen countless tragic deaths. But there has never been a time when the distortion and pain he felt was as deeply rooted as the one he felt in the bustling Datong street right now.
He walked over the street, and the figures of slaves came into view. Many people were used to it, and he didn't stop. For the next few days, he squatted near the Marshal's Mansion, and on March 23, he launched an assassination attempt on Zonghan. A bloody battle that shocked Datong... (.)