As the New Year is approaching, snow falls on the Chengdu Plain.
The sprinkling of white snow drowned everything. On this piece of land, which is often covered by clouds, the heavy snow fell like a soft white blanket. On the eve of the small year, Zhuo Yongqing took leave to return to the mountain. After Jiading, he was going to send some food to the sisters He Ying and He Xiu, whose father was killed by the Chinese army.
In November, the situation in the Chengdu Plain had stabilized. Zhuo Yongqing often traveled between the two places, and visited several times one after another. At the beginning, the pungent sister He Ying always tried to drive him out, so Zhuo Yongqing would take him with him. Throw something over the fence. Later, the two sides got to know each other, and He Ying didn't want to chase people anymore, but his words were cold and hard. The other party didn't understand why the Huaxia Army kept coming, and Zhuo Yongqing didn't make it very clear.
This time he came to the door, but the situation became strange. When He Ying saw it was him, he slammed the courtyard door. Zhuo Yongqing originally put the food bag behind him, wanted to say a few words to ease the embarrassment, and then presented the things, but at this time he was quite puzzled. After a while, only a voice could be heard from inside.
"You go. Shameless..."
"what… "
"Go! Shameless!"
Perhaps because she didn't want to be watched by too many people, He Ying in the door suppressed her voice, but her tone was already extremely disgusting. Zhuo Yongqing frowned: "What... what shame, you... what's the matter... "
"Go! Go! My family would rather die than be insulted by your Huaxia Army! Shameless!"
Zhuo Yongqing took two steps back and looked at the yard, then turned and left.
He was not a stunner at first, so he could understand naturally. He Ying's anger towards Huaxia Army at first was because of his father's death, but this time, it was obviously caused by something, and it was very serious. Possibly related to himself. So I went all the way to Jiading Yamen to find the household registration officer who managed the He family. The other party was a retired army veteran named Dai Yong, who actually knew Zhuo Yongqing. This Dai Yong had a scar on his face and glanced blankly. Speaking of this, it was quite embarrassing.
Today's administrative officials in the Huaxia Army do not have too much reserves, even if they have a certain scale, when Liangshan was 200,000 people, and it was spread over the entire Chengdu Plain, many people must be able to do it. Ning Yi trained a group of people to frame the main axis of the regional government. In many places, the wounded soldiers were used at the beginning. Although the veteran soldiers were loyal and reliable, they also studied for a period of time, but after all, they were not familiar with the actual situation in the local area. And with some local staff. The one who partnered with Dai Yong was at least a staff officer, a local middle-aged woman.
This woman is also a matchmaker, so she has a wide range of contacts and is most familiar with the local situation. After the death of He Ying and He Xiu's father, in order to give an explanation, the Huaxia Army punished a large number of officers who were jointly and severally liable from top to bottom. Above, for the company commander who committed the murder, he did not have to bear all the problems alone. Resignation, imprisonment, and temporary military service to commit crimes and meritorious deeds can be regarded as leaving a hole.
After such a serious treatment, there is a good explanation for the public. In addition, the Huaxia Army did not have too many disturbing incidents in other aspects, and the Jiading Rendui Huaxia Army quickly gained some recognition. Under such circumstances, seeing that Zhuo Yongqing often came to He's house, Dai Yong's partner acted wisely and wanted to come to the door to talk matchmaking, achieve a good thing, and resolve a grudge.
In the eyes of the other party, Zhuo Yongqing is the hero who finished Yan Loushi in the array. He Ying from the He family has a fiery temperament, and she looks good enough to be considered a high-ranking opponent. After the woman came to the door, she knocked on the side and slammed it. After talking or talking, He Ying heard the meaning of the words, and she was so popular that she almost found a kitchen knife and chopped the person out.
The woman didn't say anything before, she was going to inquire about He Ying's meaning, and then she came to Zhuo Yongqing to repay her credit. In her own heart, she might have the idea of flattering. This time I screwed up, I dare not say more, and there is the embarrassment of Zhuo Yongqing at the door of the other party's house.
"This, this..." Zhuo Yongqing's face flushed, "Why are you doing such a stupid thing..."
"Well, yes yes yes." Dai Yong touched his nose, "Actually, I also think this woman is too outrageous, she didn't tell me beforehand, in fact... no matter what, her father died in our hands, and she has to sleep again. She, I also find it difficult. However, Brother Zhuo, if we take it all together, I don't think it's completely impossible... I'm not talking about bullying others, you have to be sincere... "
"What a mess, I didn't want to sleep... I want to marry her..." Zhuo Yongqing blinked nervously, "Hey, what I said was not this..."
"Uh..." Dai Yong thought for a while, "Then the sister-in-law of the Wang family... is not very reliable, but Brother Zhuo is also such a person. He knows the local area very well, and there are ways to do many things. I can't rush it because of this. Run her... or I'll call her over and scold her... "
"I, you..." Zhuo Yongqing stepped back with a tangled face, then waved his hand and left, "I'm scolding her for what, I'm too lazy to care about you..."
"Hey, or I'll accompany you to come to apologize..."
"Don't come here, don't make trouble for me!"
Zhuo Yongqing turned back and pointed at him, then walked away depressed.
All the way around the city.
This matter is quite tangled for him, but the matter itself is not big, at least compared to his usual military affairs, how big can a personal matter be? He counted the time to come out this time. At most, he will leave early tomorrow. Seeing that there is a misunderstanding, should he just save some time and go back to Liangshan, or continue to waste time here? After a few laps like this, the style of the army dominated, and he went to He's house again after gnashing his teeth and stomping his feet.
After knocking on the door for a while, someone clearly looked out from the crack of the courtyard door, and then tightened the doorbolt. He Ying angrily did not speak inside, Zhuo Yongqing took a deep breath, and then paused, Take another deep breath.
"He Ying, I know you're inside."
"roll… "
"Then what about the sister-in-law surnamed Wang, I have nothing to say, I don't know at all, hey, I said you are smart, why are you so stupid here, so what... I don't know if you can't see it. "
"roll!"
"Of course, I've caused you trouble, and I apologize to you. The New Year is coming. Every family eats meat and sticks happy characters next to each other? You're next to your mother and your sister? I'm just kind, Hua... The kindness of the Huaxia Army, I will send you something, what are you thinking about..."
"You go, what you brought was not sent by the Huaxia Army at all, they sent it before..."
"Send it away... You are different, we Mr. Ning told me to take care of you in private, Mr. Ning... "
"fraud!"
"What liar... You, you just listened to that Aunt Wang, Aunt Wang... Don't care what Aunt Wang and Aunt Wang say, right?"
"You bastards, killed my father... still want to..." The voice inside was already choked up.
"I didn't think about it, what did I think about it... Well, you have to listen to the truth, right? The Huaxia Army is sorry for you. Mr. Ning also told me in private, it's all true! Yes, I also have some good feelings for you... Not to you! I also like your sister He Xiu if I want to, and I also want to marry He Xiu. You always feel insulted, don't you, you... "
There was a bang in the yard, someone broke the jar, and after a while, someone fell, He Ying shouted, "Xiu..." and ran over, Zhuo Yongqing knocked on the door twice, and it was already He didn't care too much, one took advantage of the force to climb over the wall, the lame girl He Xiu had fallen to the ground, her face almost turned dark red, Zhuo Yongqing ran over: "I'm coming..." He wanted to rescue, but was rescued by He Yingyi Push it away: "What are you doing!"
"I... I know what to do, she... She was just a little frightened... You... " Zhuo Yongqing wanted to go over, but he controlled himself again, and danced and commanded He Ying. He Ying helped her sister up and carried her into the room with the always timid and silent mother who ran out in a hurry.
This whole thing is not too big. After a while, He Xiu woke up and turned around. After taking a few breaths on the bed, he looked up and saw Zhuo Yongqing at the door of the room. He was so frightened that he bowed his head and curled up into a ball. Zhuo Yongqing went outside in embarrassment, thinking what was going on. Just as he was sighing, He Ying and He Xiu's mother quietly came over: "That..."
"Ah... aunt... you... well..."
"The descendants of the Zhuo family, what you said... what you said is true... "
"... uh..." Zhuo Yongqing touched his head.
He Ying came over from the rear, holding a pottery bowl in her hand, and her words were very low: "You... You are satisfied, my He family and my He family did nothing bad, you talk freely and humiliate my sister... You... "
"What I'm saying is true… "
"you… "
"I said what I said is true!" Zhuo Yongqing stared at him with serious eyes, "I, I ran over again and again, just to see He Xiu, although she didn't speak to me, I didn't say I had to. Well, I have no ill will... She, she is like my former savior... "
After hearing Zhuo Yongqing say this, He Ying was so speechless, Zhuo Yongqing said: "I, I haven't thought about anything else, don't think that I am deliberately humiliating your family, I'll just look at her... That woman surnamed Wang is smart."
He said this, walked out of the courtyard door, brought in a bag of New Year's goods, and then looked at the situation in the courtyard, and went to clean up the broken pottery under the eaves. This kind of cleaning should be done by women, but He Ying hesitated a few times, but did not come to intervene. Just halfway through, he hesitated and asked, "What you said... is it true?"
"believe it or not."
After finishing the work, Zhuo Yongqing left the courtyard. When the courtyard door was opened, He Ying seemed to have made up his mind and ran over again: "You, wait."
"What are you waiting for?" Zhuo Yongqing turned around.
"You're telling the truth? You're going to... marry my sister... "
"You, don't worry, I didn't intend to embarrass your family..."
"If you like He Xiu, bring your eight characters, and I'll find someone to match you."
"Uh… "
He Ying in the yard looked at him with stubborn eyes, and Zhuo Yongqing was stunned for a while.
On the way back to the mountain from Jiading, he thought, what's the matter...
****************
Zhuo Yongqing and the He family sisters had an inexplicable melee battle. Ning Yi's family spent it in a small village twenty miles south of Jiading. From a security point of view, cities such as Chengdu and Jiading are too big and complicated. With a large population, the business has not yet stabilized. If the commerce and trade are completely liberalized, the influx of green forest people and assassins will also increase on a large scale. Ning Yi finally chose a deserted village south of Jiading as a temporary residence for the core of the Huaxia Army.
The heavy snow fell, and the situation in the southwest froze. The temporary task of the Huaxia Army was only the orderly relocation and transfer of various departments. Of course, on New Year's Eve this year, Ning Yi and the others had to go back to Hedeng to spend it.
Contrasted with the temporary silence in the southwest is the ongoing battle from the north. In the occupied cities such as Chengdu, the Yamen will announce these news in great detail every day, which brings a lot of new talk to the people gathered in the teahouses and restaurants. Some people have also accepted the existence of the Huaxia Army, and their rule is better than that of the Wu Dynasty. After all, it is not bad. So in talking about the generosity and heroism of King Jin and others, people also talk about the day when the Huaxia Army goes out, it will be with the Jurchen. What is the situation.
During the Wu Dynasty, preparations were being made for the celebration of the New Year's Eve. Officials from all over the world were constantly sending New Year's cards, and many people stated the critical situation in the world in their annual summaries. Jun Wu, who should have arrived in Lin'an at a young age, did not rush back to the city until December 27. Zhou Yong greatly praised him for his diligence. As a father, he is proud of this son.
It's just that Zhou Yong still had many doubts in his heart about the entire battle that was to come. During the family banquet, Zhou Yong asked several times about the defense status of the front line, preparations for future battles, and confidence in whether he could win. Jun Wu sincerely introduced the situation of the various armies, and added: "... Now the soldiers are taking their lives, and the military's morale is different from the previous slump, especially the main forces of General Yue and General Han, who are quite different from the Jurchen. Those who have the strength to fight, this time the Jurchen has come from thousands of miles, our side has the depth of the waterway along the Yangtze River, and the odds of winning are five to five... There are still some."
Zhou Yong was a little hesitant about this answer. After the family banquet, Zhou Pei complained that his younger brother was too sincere: "Since there is a five-to-five chance of winning, in front of the father, it doesn't matter how much more you say, at least tell the father, you will not lose, that's all."
Jun Wu frowned and said: "In any case, the father and the king of the country, many things should be clearly understood. As a son, I stand in the front and risk my life, that is... In fact, 50% to 80%, how to judge? The first battle with the Jurchen was a few years ago, when they were all defeated... 50% is quite a lot."
Zhou Pei sighed, then nodded: "However, little brother, you are the prince, just stand in front of you, don't risk your life, when it's time to run, you still have to protect yourself, as long as you can come back, Wu Chao It's not a loss."
"But how can you win if you don't risk your life." Jun Wu said, and then smiled, "I see, Huangjie, in fact, I understand what you said, and I will definitely come back alive. I said to risk it... Well, it just means... in that state, you have to work hard... Huang Si, can you understand? Don't worry too much about me."
During this year's close, the courtroom seemed calm. Since there is no partisanship in the calm, the fight that Zhao Ding's clan and Qin Hui's clan almost started two months ago was finally suppressed. After that, Qin Hui admitted the fight and accepted the punishment, and there was no major action. Such harmony makes this Spring Festival seem extremely warm and lively.
In such peace, Qin Hui fell ill. After the cold was over, his body had not recovered yet, and he seemed to have aged ten years for more than ten days. On this day, he entered the palace to see the fight, and he asked for it again. Zhou Yong comforted him and gave him a gift. Lots of tonics. In a certain space, Qin Hui knelt in front of Zhou Yong.
"...The criminal is faint and incompetent, and now he is dragging on this wreckage, and I don't know if it will be okay. There are a few words, just the private thoughts of the criminal... The end of the southwest is due to the fault of the criminal, and it is still unsolved. , the Jurchen in the north has arrived. If the prince is brave and can defeat the Jurchen, then the heaven will bless me in the Wu Dynasty. However... Your Majesty is Your Majesty, I still have to do it... If the plan is invincible... The sinner will die, and the war will come before this. You shouldn't think like this, shake the hearts of the army, and the sinners will die... Your Majesty's sin..."
The Wu Dynasty and the scholar-officials ruled the world together. When the ministers went to court, they did not kneel at first. Only when there was a serious crime did someone kneel to listen to the training. Zhou Yong looked at the old minister who knelt down and kowtowed and sighed.
Originally, because Qin Hui had recently become a mother, he was tired of keeping it safe, and he already had a certain opinion on the other party. However, at this time, he felt guilty. In his heart, he promised the other party to attack the southwest with all his strength. Things that had been hesitant again became clear again.
"Alas..." He stepped forward to help Qin Hui: "Qin Qing, this is also an old saying to seek the country. I have heard people say from time to time that a good fighter must not lose sight of defeat, and plan ahead. What's wrong with it. However, at this time, the crown prince has already tried his best. Plan ahead for the war, and I have to support him while I am in the back. Qin Qing is my secret secretary. He will recover in a few days. On your head..."
He patted Qin Hui on the shoulder: "You can't ask for it at every turn, Qin Qing, to be honest, in the middle, the one I trust most is you, you are capable..."
Qin Hui was so moved that tears filled his eyes, and after a while, he solemnly bowed down again: "...I will do my best, I will die."
In the words, choked up.
The two rulers and ministers supported and encouraged each other for a while, but at some point, heavy snow fell from the sky again.
The wind and snow continued until the north to Xuzhou. This year, Luo Ye lived on the city wall of Xuzhou. The people who accompanied him during the New Year in the wind and snow were millions of hungry ghosts outside Xuzhou.
This is the main force of the hungry ghosts led by Wang Shitong. Ever since the news of the eight thousand Huaxia troops entering Xuzhou, the hungry ghosts have been coming. They couldn't attack the city in the ice and snow, besieged outside the city, and kept dying. Compared with the scattered refugees who are short of food and clothing, the core group of hungry ghosts is slightly richer, and people without food can still feed each other, so it is foreseeable that when the spring flowers bloom, these people will still have Many survive.
Looking out from the Xuzhou city wall, outside the city is a hell where everyone can eat each other, and there is not much food in Xuzhou city, so it is unrealistic to open the door for relief. Luo Ye watched the hell scene outside the city every day, and many times, Li Anmao, the prefect who invited them to Xuzhou, would also come. This is a descendant of a big family who is attached to the Wu Dynasty, and has a lot of common topics with Luo Ye, who originally had quite a family background in Beijing.
On the New Year's Day, the two were drinking at the head of the city. Li Anmao talked about the hungry ghosts besieging the city, and the army of Zongfu and Zongbi who might arrive in Xuzhou in the spring except for the hungry ghosts besieging the city. Li Anmao was actually attached to the Wu Dynasty, and he asked for help from the Huaxia Army to drag people into the water. He did not shy away from this. Liu Chengzong, Luo Ye and others who came here this time also knew it well. Luo Ye took the glass of wine and sprinkled it on the ground.
"...My family members were killed and kidnapped by the Jurchen in the shame of Jingping, and most of them are nowhere to be found. Most of these people are mediocre and vulgar, not worth mentioning, but I never thought that they would When I encountered this kind of thing... I have a younger sister at home who is cute and obedient, and the only person I care about. Now it's probably in the north. I'm looking for my brother in the army. There's no news for now, I just hope she's still alive... "
"As for the Jurchen..."
He said, "Come on then."
In the tenth year of Wu Jianshuo and the thirteenth year of the Jintianhui, the snow has not disappeared, the blood has not disappeared, and spring has arrived as promised.