The desolate autumn wind blew in the wild, the black smoke column of the burning corpse rose into the sky, and the stench of the corpse spread everywhere.
After the war, Jiang Ning was trapped in a gray and dead aura.
The lanterns and the beating of gongs and drums in the city could not hide the sadness on the field outside the city. Not long ago, millions of troops clashed and scattered here, many people died in the roar of artillery and fighting, and the surviving soldiers went in various directions.
Some of the generals led their soldiers to surrender to the new emperor of the Wu Dynasty again.
Some generals or leaders take their brothers from the same place around to go to relatively wealthy but remote places.
Some soldiers had already lost their courage in this war. After losing their organization, they dragged their hungry and tired bodies on the long journey home alone.
The separation of the crowd is more like a symbol of troubled times. In the past few days, those who spread along the roads and mountains for hundreds of kilometers outside Jiangning City were all deserters.
In the process of being held captive by the Jurchen, the soldiers had long run out of living materials, and after a bloody battle in Jiangning, the fleeing soldiers could neither trust the Wu Dynasty nor fear the Jurchen. The fight for food happened quickly.
People with obsessions fell on the road. Hungry soldiers with superb skills hid and hunted among the hills. Some soldiers who wanted to leave the war zone quickly began to devour the surrounding skirmishers. I don't know how many tragic and heinous things happened in the middle.
Most of the soldiers who defected to the new emperor were not properly settled for a while. The city was besieged for several months, and the autumn harvest was also missed. The food in Jiangning City was almost bottomed out. Jun Wu, Yue Fei and others came out with the will of breaking the cauldron and sinking the boat. In fact, it was an extremely desperate counterattack. , the joy of victory has not yet completely settled in the bottom of my heart, and new problems have been smashed head-on.
The soldiers of the original Wu Dynasty, whose number exceeded 400,000 and were still increasing, turned to surrender. The first thing they asked for was a large amount of food and grass, military resources, and medicine. Impossible to put together.
After eleven years and nine months of fierce fighting in Jianshuo, corpses piled up outside Jiangning City, and the epidemic was actually spreading. In the camp where the crowd gathered before, Jurchen even slaughtered the entire wounded barracks several times, and then set them on fire. . After the previous battle, even the collection and burning of corpses was a problem in the following days. The reserves of lime and other materials used for epidemic prevention in Jiangning City quickly bottomed out in the two or three days after the end of the war.
These are still small things. On a really harsh reality level, the biggest problem is the army of Wanyan Zongfu who fled to Taiping Prefecture after being defeated.
Although in the mutiny and counterattack of millions of people, the Jurchen army, which was attacked head-on by the two armies of Zhenhai and Beiwei, suffered heavy losses and fled in a terrible state, but Wanyan Zongfu was not dead, and the core of the Jurchen army was not attacked. collapse. Once Zongfu, Zongbi and the others regroup and fight back, and they no longer treat the army of the Wu Dynasty with an inhuman high-pressure policy, Jiangning City, which is bitten again, will probably lose the chance to break through with millions of people fighting for their lives forever.
Even the hundreds of thousands of troops who surrendered will become a serious burden on Junwu's side. In a short period of time, it is difficult for these soldiers to generate any combat power, and even bringing them into Jiangning City is an adventure. These people have already I was starved outside the city for two months, and I am not a native of Jiangning. Once I enter the city and suffer from hunger, I am afraid that it will not be long before I will fight in the city again and sell the city for a bite to eat.
Black smoke continued, the sun was rising and the moon was setting. Hundreds of thousands of people continued to run on the remnants of the battlefield. The old camp of tents and shacks was built again. Junwu wore a white scarf on his forehead and entered and exited the city In addition, the few days are short breaks, and the officials at all levels under his command are even more busy.
Immediately after the victory of the war, messengers to lobby the Wu Dynasty have been sent out. After that, there are various affairs of treatment, appeasement, collection, distribution, etc., to encourage and even celebrate the people in the city, and for those outside the city. , The daily porridge, rice, and drug expenditures are general accounts.
Three days after the victory of this battle, the aides who had already begun to look to the future to gather up various opinions, Jun Wu's eyes were red and bloodshot. On the evening of September 11th, Shen Ruxin went to the tower to deliver meals to Jun Wu, and saw him standing silently in the red sunset.
Shen Ruxin stepped forward to greet her, but Jun Wu was silent for a long time before she reacted. The inner official moved the table on the city tower, Shen Ruxin set out a simple meal, Jun Wu sat in the sun, staring blankly at the bowls and chopsticks in his hand and the few side dishes on the table, his eyes became blood red, he gritted his teeth and could not speak. words come.
There was a faint sound of celebratory gongs in the city.
Shen Ruxin said: "Your Majesty, after all, you have won the battle. You are about to take over the throne as the emperor, why..."
Jun Wu waved his hand with chopsticks: "Succeed the throne, succeed the throne! How can there be an emperor like me! How can I have the face to be an emperor!"
His reaction startled Shen Ruxin, she quickly got up and picked up the chopsticks, and whispered, "Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Two days before the victory, Jun Wu was happy even though he was tired. What overwhelms the general.
"...We're going to abandon the city and leave." Jun Wu was silent for a long time before he put down his job and said such a sentence, he stood up staggeringly, and walked staggeringly to the door of the tower room, his tone as calm as possible : "Not enough to eat."
"... Defeated the Jurchen, didn't you get anything at all?" Shen Ruxin asked in a low voice.
"Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, just like hungry ghosts. What they could grab was either divided or burned by Jurchen... Even if the logistics of Zongfu could be left, it would not be of much use. More than 400,000 people outside the city are just Cumbersome. If the Jurchen comes again, we will not be able to go there. To the southwest is Taiping Prefecture, which was occupied by Zongfu. To the east, Zhenjiang is already in ruins. Not enough…”
Jun Wudao: "We are three months late, the power of the Wu Dynasty is dead, and the Jiangnan area has surrendered the most. Even if there are loyal ones, we can't stay in this place for a long time. The Jurchen takes advantage of the autumn harvest, and the general trend is It's done, General Yue and the others also said, I can only run away, and I must never be besieged by the Jurchen again, otherwise no matter where I stand, I can only wait for the Jurchen general situation to rise higher and higher... I risked my life and won the battle. , but can only run. Ruxin, do you know what will happen to the people of Jiangning after I run away?"
He walked out of the door, and the high watchtower of the watchtower could see the city wall below, as well as the houses and dwellings in Jiangning city. The soldier's armor is old, but it seems to have an incomparable vicissitudes of life and a firm atmosphere.
"I grew up in Jiangning since I was a child, and I lived in Jiangning for most of the ten years as a prince. I tried my best to defend Jiangning. The people here treat me as their own and see some of them. Trusting me is like trusting themselves. So in the past few months, no matter how difficult it was in the city, they didn't say a word of bitterness. We broke the boat and hit this level, but then I... will take the throne in front of their eyes... and run away?"
When he said this, his eyes were sad, and Shen Ruxin had fully understood that she could not weigh these things, and such a thing was also a nightmare for her to decide: "Really... can't hold it?"
"There is no food in the city, and you may be able to keep it for a year and a half by eating people. In the past, it was said that Wu Qimai might have a chance of survival, but the battle has reached this level, once Jiangning is surrounded, even if Wu Qimai dies , they won't go back easily." Jun Wu closed his eyes, "... I can only collect as many boats as possible, send people across the Yangtze River, and flee for their lives..."
He stood on this lookout for a while, the sun was setting, and there was a little residual fire. The lights up and down the city lit up, illuminating the outline of the city, the cold light iron clothes on the city walls, the quaint houses entering the city, the flowing water and small bridges on the Qinhuai River, those Ning Yi who survived since he was a child. A place that I have seen with new eyes.
"I know... what is right, and I also know how to do it..." Jun Wu's voice came out from his throat, slightly hoarse, "Back then... the teacher was talking to his soldiers in Xia Village, saying, you all fight once. It's hard to win a battle once, but don't think that you can win this way. You have to win ten times, win a hundred times, go through a hundred thousand times of hardship, and then these things will end... On the seventh day of the first lunar month, I thought It's time to end the fight, but I understand now, Ruxin, winning is the most difficult, and there will be hundreds of thousands of difficulties ahead... I can figure it out... "
"But even if it makes sense..." he gritted his teeth, "...they're just too bitter."
Jun Wu remembered the arrow that flew from outside Zhenjiang, and when it shot into his stomach, he thought "that's all", he thought that he would not be afraid or sad any more, but of course it was not the case. After overcoming one difficulty, he finally saw a hundred thousand dangers ahead. This evening, I am afraid it was the first time he shed tears as an emperor.
That night, he remembered the existence of his master, summoned Wen Ren Buer, and asked him about the progress of his search for Huaxia Army members. Previously in the surrender camp outside Jiangning City, the personnel responsible for secretly connecting and inciting were clearly aware of another force. In terms of the activities of the forces, when the war started, a large number of unidentified people participated in the instigation of surrendering generals and soldiers.
After the war, Jun Wu arranged for someone to be in charge of liaising with the other party. He originally thought that he had already succeeded to the throne at this time, and many things were different from before, and the communication would definitely go smoothly. Get in touch with Master's "Bamboo Ji" members.
On the night of September 13th, Jun Wucai met a thin man who was attracted by Wen Ren Buer in the mansion. This man was named Jiang Yuan, who was originally a middle-level member of the Huaxia Army here.
During the conversation with the other party, Jun Wu realized that the collapse of the Wu Dynasty was too fast and hastily. In order to protect some people in it, Zhu Ji has also taken the risk of exposing his identity, especially in this Jiangning war. Among them, Ling Zhiguang, the leader of the team originally sent by Ning Yi to be responsible for the situation in Lin'an, has passed away. At this time, another responsible responder from Jiangning was also seriously injured and unconscious. After getting in touch one after another, they decided to meet Jun Wu.
Jun Wu nodded, and from the seemingly simple statement of the other party, he could guess how many things happened.
"... Originally, Mr. Ning issued a hoeing order at the beginning of the year and sent us here in the hope of strengthening the will of the people of the Wu Dynasty to resist gold, but now it seems that we have failed to fulfill our responsibilities, but instead served Wanyan Xiyin Waiting for people to ride... "
In Jiang Yuan's speech, Jun Wu waved his hand: "It's none of your business. Your dispatch at the beginning of the year and the dispatch of the old hero Fu Lu have helped us a lot, and the morale of the army has been boosted. It's not a lie. It's just a success. You must be united, bad things only require a few mice, and the Wu Dynasty has its own losses, so I can't blame you."
"Your Majesty is reasonable, and the blessing of the Wu Dynasty." Jiang Yuan's face was expressionless, and he thanked him.
"...You Mr. Nanning, you taught me a lot of things earlier, and now... I'm about to ascend the throne, so I can talk about a lot of things. I just sent people to get medicines. I don't know how many people are here. If If you need any other help, feel free to speak up. I know you sent a lot of people out earlier, and if you need something to eat, we still have some…”
"...Enough to eat." Jiang Yuan cupped his hands, his eyes trembled, "There are not many people left."
His words were short and cruel, Jun Wu opened his mouth, but couldn't speak, but saw Jiang Yuanqiang, who had no expression on his face, smile and explained: "Actually... most people have gone there at the end of May. Changsha, prepare for battle, the two teams who stay here to support His Majesty's actions... have enough to eat."
Jun Wu nodded. At the end of May, the Wu Dynasty was in decline. In June, the whole line collapsed. After Chen Fan made a surprise attack on Changsha, the Huaxia Army was ready for a full-scale war with the Jurchen. He made an appointment with the people of the Huaxia Army. He originally had some hope in his heart. He hoped that the teacher would leave a little help here. Maybe he didn't need to choose to leave Jiangning, and there were other paths to take... But at this time, Jun Wu's Pressing his fists tightly on his knees, he suppressed the thought of opening his mouth.
The depression in my heart was relieved a lot.
When the world is overturned, who will have the time to spare? Among the Chinese soldiers and teachers in the southwest, which man did not come from the Jedi
"I ascended the throne on fifteenth... But Jiang Ning is already dead. I will work with General Yue and the others to block the Jurchen and try to evacuate all the people in the city. You are helping too much. When the time comes... Please try your best to take care, if possible, I will give it to you. Arrange for the departure of the car and boat, don't refuse."
On September 15th, Jun Wu was enthroned as emperor in Jiangning City, and the title of his reign was "Zhenxing".
The new king succeeded the throne, and the city of Jiangning was crowded with people, and the lanterns were like dragons. Jun Wu sat on the long chariot on the street that he was already familiar with, looked at the cheering crowd on the side of the road, stretched out his hand and grabbed the dragon robe. Under the sun, he only felt sadness in his heart, like a knife twisted...
At the same time, between the large and small cities near Changsha, the first round of fighting had already been bloodshed.