In September, Jiangning City, on the south bank of the Yangtze River, was surrounded by a water-tight prison.
The twilight scorched the sky, and the towering city walls that looked like hills under the sky were showing signs of being crumbled and broken. Since the beginning of this year, Jiangning has been attacked for nearly eight months, and the city walls are everywhere. The opening of the city was twisted a little bit, the blood drenched the city head red, and then it was burned black by kerosene, sandbags and logs raised the moat, and countless corpses lay on the battlefield between the city wall and the Jurchen barracks. ,rot.
The stench of the corpse spread, and the crows flew in bursts, dropping down to the ground from time to time. Several stone slings were still limply throwing boulders across the stretch of corpse piles in the areas south and east of the city that were heavily attacked.
On the top of the city, the soldiers of the Wu Dynasty, who looked like stubborn stones from a distance, were still holding on.
Crossing the corpse field outside the city, guarding the first and second lines of the siege were the main force of the Jurchen under Zongfu and some of the Han army in the Central Plains who had tasted the sweetness of the plunder and became firm. Extending outwards from this backbone camp, under the shade of the setting sun, all kinds of simple military camps are densely covered on the ground, pushing towards the seemingly endless distance.
The army of the Wu Dynasty who surrendered to the Jurchen and then was driven to the vicinity of Jiangning now number one million. At this time, half of the weapons were taken away from these soldiers, and they were being divided into relatively closed camps. There were open spaces between the camps. The Jurchen cavalry occasionally patrolled and killed people when they encountered them.
Every day, Zongfu will select a few troops and drive them to the city to fight. In order to break Jiangning early, Zongfu has offered a very high reward to the troops entering the city, but for more than two months, the so-called reward has still not been received. It's just that more and more troops are killed and wounded, more and more...
The flames were crackling and crackling, and plumes of smoke rose between the dilapidated tents. The iron pots for cooking porridge were standing on the fire, and the fire-head army put green ash wild vegetables into it, and ragged soldiers walked over: "Then Is the food edible? It's like that!"
"If you have something to eat, just read it."
"Throw away the black ones."
"I've already threw it away once, I can't eat you!"
"Your mother..."
It is not easy for the thin soldier to argue with the powerful Firehead Army. Both sides watched with bulging eyes. After a while, the soldier reached out and wiped his face, then turned away angrily. Only at this moment did a trace of grief and anger flash across the faces of the soldiers around him. , the gray-faced Firehead Army's eyes were red.
"If you want enough food, I'll feed you these pig glutinous rice. You go and get the grain. It's not even winter yet. The millet has just finished harvesting... Mother's... Do you want to cook me or not... "
The Huotoujun's eyes were smoky, tears rolled down his speech, and the black ashes sticking on his face were washed away, and there was someone on the side to persuade him.
"Alright, alright, you fat man has no more meat..."
In the voice of the open space, the soldier who had left before suddenly ran back. He looked indignant and obviously could not relieve himself. He rushed towards the wild vegetables in the hands of the Huotou Army, and someone blocked him: "What are you doing!"
"You can't eat it when it's dark"
"Fuck your mother, you are looking for something!"
"Kill me! Come on! Kill me!" Tears welled up in the soldier's eyes, and he pulled off his clothes to reveal his bony chest, "It's only the autumn harvest, my family has grown the land! They were all taken away by those Jurchens. Come on, we have to help them fight now, what are we doing! You bastards dare not speak! Kill me! Go and tell the gang of Jurchens, sooner or later, you will die! That one can't eat if it's dark!"
While he was crying, the soldier who had pushed him earlier wanted to hit him with his fists, but he gritted his teeth and pushed him away. Someone in the crowd said: "...He's crazy."
Someone pulled him: "Let's go, get away, don't hurt everyone..."
"What else can you do, you want to rebel..."
The voice was high and low, and it became noisy for a while. The Firehead Army gritted his teeth and reached out to pick off a little more wild vegetables. After a while, the previous soldiers were pulled away, and someone's voice sounded: " Lao Tzu is going to die anyway, this is the end of the matter, if anyone informs me, I will do him too!"
Behind a dilapidated tent not far away, Tie Tianying stooped and watched the scene quietly, then turned to leave.
The orange sunset was falling from the sky. It seemed that the chaotic camp and the feeble soldiers were gathering and eating. He followed the soldier who had been provocative before, turning around the crowds.
Since Jun Wu's troops broke into Jiangning in June, both Wanyan Zongfu and bystanders of various forces have been waiting for the moment when the last light of the Wu Dynasty went out. In July, waves of crowd tactics began. Rushing out, Zongfu mixed his elite soldiers among the descendants of the siege to try to open up the situation. Jiangning's city head was also broken several times, but they were killed again soon after, and even in several fights, it is said that the warrior The princes of the dynasty have personally entered the battle and directed the rush to kill.
By mid-August, people began to become numb to such an offensive, and some people were even a little respectful of the tenacious resistance of the 200,000 troops in the city.
However, all of this does nothing to improve the situation.
Zhou Yong's escape devastated all the people of the Wu Dynasty, and the army surrendered in batches, gradually forming a huge avalanche trend. Some of the generals really surrendered, and some of them felt that they were vain and arrogant. They waited for the opportunity to make plans and waited for the opportunity. However, after arriving at the city of Jiangning, their supplies and forages were all controlled by the Jurchen, and even most of the weapons were used. Was lifted, and inferior supplies were not released until the siege.
At this stage, the command to surrender is more of the choice of the generals. The soldiers still cannot understand the fact that the Wu Dynasty has already begun to die. During the process of attacking Jiangning, some soldiers still thought of surrendering on the battlefield and entering Jiangning. The prince's subordinates helped to kill the enemy. But what greeted them were the unbearable eyes of the soldiers in the city and the determined swords and guns.
During the entire offensive process, Zongfu Wanyan had already given random orders to some troops to surrender. Under the current situation, the defenders in Jiangning City didn't even have room to take in, isolate, or distinguish between enemy and foe. There were as many as one million Han troops outside the city. In a disadvantaged situation, if the other party shouted that I wanted it anyway, I would accept it. These troops will soon become uncontrollable gunpowder stores in Jiangning City.
People soon discovered that the more than 200,000 Jiangning defenders in the city did not accept any defectors. The morale of the Han troops who were driven to the battlefield was already low. They could not compete with the soldiers at the top of the city, and they had no way to surrender. Some of the soldiers aroused their last blood and rushed to the Jurchen camp in the rear. Unsurprising consequences.
In the past two months, there have been several mutinies in the barracks that surrendered to the Han army. The Jurchen cavalry killed a large number of people who tried to escape. The generals of Wu Chaojiang, who were ineffective in guarding and cooperating, were dragged out by the Jurchen and beheaded to the public. So between August and September, although the atmosphere surrounding the barracks became more and more desperate, there were fewer and fewer resisters, and some generals and soldiers were even looking forward to the early collapse of Jiangning City.
As long as the city of Jiangning is broken, everyone will not have to suffer in this dilemma of life and death.
More than ten years have passed, and these people who are swaying have finally inevitably walked to a dead end with no choice.
At the end of April, Tie Tianying was seriously injured in the assassination of the Jurchen messenger. Later, in May, the city of Lin'an was destroyed. Although he was lucky enough to save his life, it was extremely difficult for him to flee, and then the injury intensified. When his injuries recovered in August, he secretly came to the vicinity of Jiangning, and all he could see was such a desperate situation.
There are still many forces in the world that still support the Wu Dynasty in name, but no one dares to rush to Jiangning and face the soldiers of the Jurchen. In Jiangning City, there were more than 200,000 defenders formed by the reorganization of the Beiwei Army, the Zhenhai Navy, the former Zhenjiang Guards, the Jiangning Guards, etc., but even with the tenacious support of the Prince, within a few months, Jiangning City even Tie Tianying could not see clearly how difficult the situation in the city was after more than two months had passed under the daily attacks of the army of the Wu Dynasty.
In late August, the news that Zhou Yong, who had fled to the sea, had passed the throne as Jun Wu was brought ashore and quickly spread all over the world. This means that in the eyes of those who are willing to believe, the prince in Jiangning City is now the orthodox emperor of the Wu Dynasty, but in the surrender camp outside Jiangning City, it is difficult to cause too many ripples. Even the emperor, he is in a grindstone-like Jedi.
Seeing such a situation, even Tie Tianying, who has experienced ups and downs for a long time, could not help but cry. If such a decision had been made half a year earlier, the current situation in the world would probably be completely different.
He considered venturing into Jiangning to join the prince and others; he also considered waiting for an opportunity to assassinate Yan Zongfu among the soldiers. In addition, there are many ideas, but not long after, relying on years of experience, he also found some people who were out of place and still in action in such a desperate situation.
On the fifth day of September, he followed the thin soldier's back all the way, and before he reached the hiding place of the other side's line, the man in front suddenly slowed his footsteps and looked north.
At the end of the view from the north is the towering and broken city wall that is still under attack by the sling. At the moment when the sun shines, a huge white flag slowly falls on the city head, even if it is several miles away, That touch of white is also clearly visible in people's eyes.
Doubts flashed in Tie Tianying's heart. At this moment, his footsteps became a little weak. He still didn't know what happened. The news of the death of the prince was immediately reflected in his mind.
The voice of whispers spread like a tide in every military camp, but soon after, as the Jurchen raised the reward for Zhou Junwu, people knew the news of Zhou Yong's death, so the cognition of the end of the Jianshuo Dynasty was also there. Formed in people's minds.
Some people could not help but burst into tears.
But so what
In such a Jedi, no matter how tenacious and wise the former prince was... His death is only a matter of time...
****************
The buzzing sound spread across the land outside Jiangning City, and a wave was also formed in Jiangning City.
At the moment when the colorful tides in the sky spread, Jun Wu came out of the room in plain clothes. Shen Ruxin, who was also dressed in white, was waiting for him under the eaves. He looked at the sunset and walked to the front hall: "Look at this glow, it's like a Now of the Wu Dynasty..."
"I hope... Your Majesty cherishes..."
Jun Wu pressed the sword on his waist, he actually didn't have much self-consciousness as a king, there were tears just wiped off his face, and a smile: "The night is coming, but no matter how long the night is, the sun will also rose again."
The difference is... who can see it.
His eyes became chilling, and the words in his heart did not continue. The news of Zhou Yong's death had been introduced into the city since last night. By this time, some decisions had been made. The famous general, dressed in sackcloth and a white scarf, was quietly waiting for his arrival.
This may be the last emperor of the Wu Dynasty. His succession came too late, and there is no way to go around, but the more this happens, the more tragic emotions are felt.
"Soldiers!"
The setting sun gradually disappeared, and the fire was burning brightly. Jun Wu stood on the steps in front of the hall and let the sound come out.
"I have learned today that my father, the emperor, died at sea seven days ago, which means that the founding year of the Wu Dynasty... passed. Stretching, but here today, everyone, let me say... it doesn't matter anymore"
In the rising fire, he drew his sword.
"Today, you and I are guarding this Jiangning City. In front of us are the millions of Jurchens and the surrendered Jurchen army. Everyone knows that we have nowhere to go! There are still people from this city behind me, but we The world has been invaded and ravaged by the Jurchens. Our family members and relatives died in their original homes, on the way to escape, and suffered humiliation. There is no way to go ahead of us. I am not a prince, nor a martial artist. The emperor of the dynasty, all the soldiers, here... I'm just a man who feels humiliated, the world has fallen, I can't do anything, I want to die here"
He waved the long sword in his hand and looked down from the sky in the dark night. There was only a little fire on the square. After that, the tragic wake-up music sounded in the city, and the night and the day passed.
The news fermented in the military camps inside and outside the city.
The seventh day of September is sunny.
A huge dragon flag was raised at the head of Jiangning City surrounded by white flags. An hour later, with the tragic sound of trumpets, Jiangning opened the city gate. This was the first time that Jiangning City opened the door after more than two months of standing in the face of an army of millions. Everyone was immediately alerted. The first reaction was that the prince was ready to break through.
However no.
Under the leadership of Jun Wu, who was the emperor of the Wu Dynasty at this time, the mighty army rushed to Wanyan Zongfu's camp in the west of the city. The army led by it, rushed out of different city gates, and met the army of one million in front.
"Here... I'm just a humiliated man, the world has fallen, I can't do anything, I can't wait to die here"
"...I die with you all!"
At this moment, the boat is broken, and the underdog will win. After more than two months of hard fighting, the Jiangning army that was able to go to the battlefield was only more than 120,000 people, but no one retreated and surrendered at this moment. Millions of troops made enough demonstrations that they rushed to the billowing crowd.
"Today I am equivalent to dying here. As a Han Chinese, I killed the golden dog and cut Wanyan Zongfu with me."
The soldiers and generals who rushed out of the city shouted wildly in the slaughter. Soon after, outside the city of Jiangning, millions of people were washed into a reverse tide...