Towards the end of the year, it snowed on the Chengdu Plain.

The snow drowned everything, and the snow fell like a soft white blanket on this land that was often covered by clouds. On the eve of the New Year, Zhuo Yongqing asked for leave to return to the mountain, and when he passed through Jiading, he was ready to send some food to the two sisters He Ying and He Xiu, whose fathers were killed by the Huaxia soldiers.

In November, the situation on the Chengdu Plain had stabilized, and Zhuo Yongqing often traveled between the two places, and came to the door several times one after another, and at first his spicy sister He Ying always tried to drive him out, so Zhuo Yongqing threw the things he brought over the wall. Later, the two sides got to know each other, and He Ying didn't drive people anymore, but his words were cold and hard. The other party didn't understand why Huaxia Jun kept coming to the door, and Zhuo Yongqing didn't say it very clearly.

This time when he came to the door, the situation became strange, He Ying saw that it was him, and slammed the courtyard door. Zhuo Yongqing originally put the bag of food behind him, wanted to say a few words to relieve the embarrassment, and then offered the things, but at this time he was quite puzzled. After a few moments, all I could hear was a voice coming from inside.

"You go. Shameless stuff ......"

"What ......"

"Let's go! Shameless! ”

Perhaps he didn't want to be watched by too many people, He Ying in the door suppressed his voice, but his tone was extremely disgusted. Zhuo Yongqing frowned: "What...... What shameless, you ...... What's ......?"

"Get out! Billowing! My family would rather die than be insulted by your Huaxia Army! Shameless! ”

Zhuo Yongqing took two steps back and looked at the courtyard, then turned around and left.

He was not stunned, so he could naturally understand that He Ying's anger towards Huaxia Jun at the beginning was because of his father's anger, but now this time, it was obviously caused by something, and the matter was probably related to himself. So I went all the way to Jiading Yamen to find the household registration officer who managed the He family's area - the other party was a retired veteran of the army, named Dai Yong, and Zhuo Yongqing actually knew each other. This Dai Yong had a scar on his face, and he was quite embarrassed to talk about it.

The current administrative officials in the Huaxia Army do not have too rich reserves - even if there is a certain scale, the size of 200,000 people in Liangshan at the beginning, scattered throughout the Chengdu Plain, many manpower will definitely be able to be completed. Ning Yi trained a group of people to frame the main axis of the regional government, and many places still use the original wounded soldiers, while the veterans are loyal and reliable, and they have studied for a while, but after all, they are not familiar with the actual situation in the local area, and they have to work with some local personnel. Dai Yong's partner, at least as a staff officer, was a middle-aged local woman.

This woman is usually a matchmaker, so she can be regarded as a well-traveled and most familiar with the local situation. After the death of He Ying and He Xiu's father, in order to give an explanation, Huaxia Army punished a large number of officers who suffered joint and several responsibility from top to bottom - the so-called leniency and severity at the beginning was to increase the responsibility and distribute it to everyone.

After such a serious treatment, there is a good explanation for the public. In addition, the Huaxia Army did not disturb the people too much in other aspects, and the Jiading people quickly gained some recognition. In this case, seeing that Zhuo Yongqing often came to He's house, Dai Yong's partner pretended to be smart and wanted to come to the door to talk to the matchmaker, achieve a good thing, and resolve a grudge.

In the eyes of the other party, Zhuo Yongqing is a great hero who has killed Yan Lou's room, and his own character is good, so he can be regarded as a first-class talent anywhere. He Ying of the He family has a pungent temperament, and she looks okay, which can be regarded as climbing the other party. After the woman came to the door, she knocked on the side, saying a word or two, He Ying heard the meaning of the words, and the whole person was so angry that she almost found a kitchen knife to cut the person out.

The woman didn't say it before, and was ready to inquire about He Ying's meaning, so she came to Zhuo Yongqing to repay her merits, and she might still have the idea of patting on the back in her heart. I messed up now, and I didn't dare to say more, so I had the embarrassment of Zhuo Yongqing at the door of the other party's house.

"This, this, this ......" Zhuo Yongqing's face flushed, "What are you doing foolish things......

"Well, yes, yes." Dai Yong touched his nose, "Actually, I also think this woman is too disagreeable, she didn't tell me beforehand, in fact, ...... Anyway, her father died at our hands, and I find it difficult to sleep with her again. However, Brother Zhuo, if we sum it up, I don't think this matter is completely impossible...... I'm not talking about bullying, 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 is not this ......"

"Uh......" Dai Yong thought for a while, "Then the sister-in-law of the Wang family does things...... It's not very reliable, but Brother Zhuo, who is also this kind of person, knows the local area very well, and there are ways to do many things, and I can't drive her away because of this...... Or if I call her over, you scold her......"

"I, you ......" Zhuo Yongqing stepped back with a tangled face, and then waved his hand and left, "What am I scolding her for, I don't bother to pay attention to you......"

"Hey, or I'll accompany you to apologize......"

"Don't come, don't mess with me!"

Zhuo Yongqing turned his head and pointed at him, and then walked away depressedly.

All the way around the city.

This matter is quite tangled with him, but the matter itself is not big, at least compared to his usual military affairs, how big can the personal matter be? He calculated the time to come out this time, at most he would leave tomorrow morning, seeing that there was a misunderstanding, should he simply save some time and go back to Liangshan, or continue to waste time here? After turning around a few times like this, it was still the style in the army that prevailed, and as soon as he gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, he went to He's side again.

knocked on the door for a while, someone obviously looked out of the crack in the courtyard door, and then fastened the deadbolt tighter, He Ying didn't speak angrily inside, Zhuo Yongqing took a deep breath, then paused, and took another deep breath.

"He Ying, I know you're in there."

"Roll ......"

"I don't have anything to say about the sister-in-law surnamed Wang, I don't know at all, hey, I said that you are smart, why are you so stupid here, what is that...... I don't know, don't you see it. ”

"Get out!"

"Of course, I apologize for causing you trouble. It's about to be the New Year, and every household eats meat and sticks the word happy, and you hold on? Are you holding your mother and your sister too? I'm just kind, Hua ...... Huaxia Army's kindness, send you something, what are you thinking blindly......"

"You go, what you brought wasn't sent by the Huaxia Army at all, they sent ...... before"

"I sent it...... You are different, our Mr. Ning privately told me to take care of you, Mr. Ning ......"

"Liar!"

"What liar...... You, you listened to that Aunt Wang and sister-in-law Wang...... Whatever she says about Aunt Wang's sister-in-law, right? ”

"You brutes, kill my father...... I still want to ......" The voice inside was already choked.

"I didn't think about it, what did I think...... Okay, you have to listen to the truth, Huaxia Jun is sorry for you, Mr. Ning also told me in private, it's all the truth! That's right, I have a crush on you too...... Not for you! I want to fall in love with your sister He Xiu, I want to marry and marry He Xiu, you always feel insulted to you, you ......"

There was a clang in the yard, someone broke the jar, after a while, someone fell, He Ying shouted: "Xiu ......" ran over, Zhuo Yongqing knocked on the door twice, and at this time he couldn't take care of too much, one borrowed his strength 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'll come to ......" wanted to rescue, but was pushed away by He Ying: "What are you doing!" ”

"I ...... I know what to do, she ...... She's just a little frightened...... You ......" Zhuo Yongqing wanted to go over, but he controlled himself and commanded He Ying with his hands and dances. He Ying picked up her sister and carried her sister into the room with her mother, who had always been timid and silent when she ran out in a hurry.

This whole thing is not too big, after a while, He Xiu woke up leisurely, and after taking a few breaths on the bed, he looked up and saw Zhuo Yongqing at the door, and he was so frightened that he lowered his head and curled up in a ball. Zhuo Yongqing went outside embarrassed, thinking about what was going on. Just sighing, He Ying and He Xiu's mother quietly walked over: "That ......"

"Ah...... Aunt...... You...... Good ......"

"The descendants of the Zhuo family, what did you say...... Is that true......"

“…… Uh......" Zhuo Yongqing touched his head.

He Ying came over from behind, holding a pottery bowl in his hand, and his words were extremely low: "You...... You are satisfied, my He family, my He family did nothing bad, you opened your mouth and humiliated my sister...... You ......"

"I'm telling the truth......"

"You ......"

"I said it, I said it's true!" Zhuo Yongqing glared at him with a serious gaze, "I, I ran over again and again, just to see He Xiu, although she didn't say anything to me, I didn't mean anything, I didn't mean it...... She, she's like my former savior......"

Hearing what Zhuo Yongqing said, He Ying was speechless, Zhuo Yongqing said: "I, I haven't thought about anything else, don't think about it, I am trying to humiliate your family, I'll just look at her...... The woman surnamed Wang thought she was wise. ”

As he spoke, he walked out of the courtyard gate, brought in a bag of New Year's goods he had brought, and then looked at the situation in the courtyard, and went over to clean up the clay pot that had broken under the eaves. This kind of cleaning should have been done by a woman, He Ying hesitated a few times and didn't come over to intervene. I just hesitated halfway and asked, "What did you say...... It's true? ”

"Believe it or not."

After finishing the work, Zhuo Yongqing left the courtyard, and when he opened the courtyard door, He Ying seemed to have made up his mind, and ran over again: "You, you wait." ”

"What are you waiting for?" Zhuo Yongqing turned his head.

"What you say is true? You want...... Marry my sister......"

"You, don't worry, I didn't intend to embarrass your family......"

"If you like He Xiu, take your eight characters, and I'll find someone to give you a match."

"Uh......"

He Ying in the courtyard looked at him with stubborn eyes, Zhuo Yongqing was stunned and confused.

On the way back to the mountain after leaving Jiading, he thought, what is going on......

*****************

Zhuo Yongqing and the He sisters had an inexplicable melee battle, and Ning Yi's family spent it in a small village twenty miles south of Jiading. From the perspective of security, Chengdu and Jiading and other cities are too big and too mixed. With a large population and a stable operation, if commerce is completely liberalized, the number of green forest people and assassins who come in will also increase on a large scale. Ning Yi finally chose a deserted village south of Jiading as the temporary residence of the core of the Huaxia Army.

When heavy snow fell, the situation in the southwest solidified, and the temporary task of the Huaxia Army was only the orderly relocation and transfer of various departments. Of course, on Chinese New Year's Eve this year, Ning Yi and the others still had to go back to Hedeng to spend it.

In contrast to the temporary silence in the southwest, there is still a constant battle in the north. In occupied cities such as Chengdu, the yamen would publish the news in a big way every day, which brought a lot of new talking points to the people gathered in the teahouses and restaurants. Some people have also accepted the existence of the Huaxia army—their rule is not bad compared to the Wu Dynasty—so while talking about the generosity and bravery of the Jin Dynasty and others, people will also talk about what kind of situation the Huaxia army will have with the Jurchens when they are killed one day.

In the Wu Dynasty, preparations for the celebration of the New Year were also being carried out in an orderly manner, and the New Year's tables of officials from all over the country continued to be sent, and many people stated the crisis of the situation in the world in the last book of the year's summary. Junwu, who should have arrived in Lin'an at a young age, did not return to the city in a hurry until December 27, and Zhou Yong praised him greatly for his diligence. As a father, he was proud of this son.

It's just that Zhou Yong still has many doubts about the entire battle situation that is coming, and at the family banquet, Zhou Yong asked several times about the defense situation of the front line, the preparations for the future war, and the confidence in whether it can be defeated. Jun Wu sincerely introduced the situation of the various armies, and said: "...... Now the soldiers use their lives, the morale of the army has been different from the previous sluggishness, especially the main forces of General Yue, General Han and so on, and the Jurchens are quite a battle force, this time the Jurchens come thousands of miles, we have the depth of the waterway along the Yangtze River, and the odds of winning in five or five years...... There are still. ”

Zhou Yong was still 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-five chance of winning, in front of my father, it doesn't hurt to say a few more percent, at least tell my father that he will not be defeated, that is." ”

Jun Wu frowned and said, "No matter what, the father and the emperor are the king of a country, many things should still be clear. I, the son, stand in the way, and risk my life, that is...... In fact, how to judge this fifty out of eighty? The last time I fought with the Jurchens was a few years ago, and I lost them all at that time...... Fifty percent is quite a lot. ”

Zhou Pei sighed, and then nodded: "But, junior brother, you are the prince, just stand in the way, don't risk your life at every turn, when it's time to run, you still have to protect yourself, as long as you can come back, the Wu Dynasty will not lose." ”

"But if you don't give up your life, how can you win." Jun Wu said a word, and then said with a smile, "I know, Sister Huang, in fact, I understand what you said, and I will definitely come back alive." I'm talking about being open-minded...... Well, just referring to...... In that state, you have to work hard...... Imperial sister, you understand, right? Don't worry too much about me. ”

During this year, the court seemed calm. Calm is that there is no party strife, the fight between Zhao Ding and Qin Hui two months ago was finally suppressed, and then Qin Hui admitted punishment and did not make any big moves. This harmony makes this Spring Festival extremely warm and lively.

In such calm, Qin Hui fell ill. After this wind and cold, his body has not yet recovered, and he seems to be more than ten years old in ten days. In a certain gap, Qin Hui knelt in front of Zhou Yong.

“…… The sinner is stupid and incompetent, and now he is dragging this stump, and he doesn't know if he can be okay next. There are a few words, just the thoughts of the sinner in private...... Such an endgame in the southwest, due to the fault of the criminal ministers, and now it is unsolved, the north Jurchen has arrived, if the prince is brave and can defeat the Jurchen, then it is really God bless my martial dynasty. But...... Your Majesty is Your Majesty, or you have to do it...... If you don't win, you plan to ...... The guilty ministers will die, and the war is ahead, so we should not have made this idea, shaking the hearts of the army, and the guilty ministers will die...... Your Majesty condemned ......"

The Wu Dynasty and the scholars ruled the world together, and the ministers went to the court, and they did not kneel originally, but only when they committed a major crime, someone knelt down to listen to the training. Zhou Yong looked at the old minister who knelt down and kowtowed, and sighed.

Originally, because Qin Hui had become a mother recently, he was tired and already had a certain opinion on the other party, but at this time, he felt guilty, and the matter in his heart about the fact that he promised the other party to attack the southwest with all his might last year and finally hesitated became clear again.

"Alas......" He stepped forward to help Qin Hui: "Qin Qing This is also the words of the old man to seek the country, I have heard people say from time to time that those who are good at fighting must not worry about defeat and take precautions, what a crime." However, at this time, the crown prince has done his best to prepare for the war ahead, and I have to support the situation for him well in the rear, Qin Qing is my privy, and after a few days of recovery, the burden of helping me do a good job of this stall should fall on Qin Qing's head......"

He patted Qin Hui on the shoulder: "You can't just ask to go, Qin Qing, to tell the truth, in the middle, I trust you the most, you are capable......"

Qin Hui was moved, tears filled his eyes, and after a while, he bowed solemnly again: "...... Minister, do your best, and then die. ”

In the middle of the words, he choked up.

The two monarchs and ministers supported and encouraged each other for a while, and at some point, the snow fell from the sky again.

The wind and snow stretched, all the way north to Xuzhou, this year, Luo Ye was on the city wall of Xuzhou, accompanied him in the wind and snow for the New Year, is a million hungry ghosts outside Xuzhou.

This is the main force of hungry ghosts led by Wang Shitong, and since learning the news that the 8,000 Huaxia army has entered Xuzhou, the hungry ghosts have been coming over in a steady stream. They couldn't storm the city in the snow and ice, they were surrounded outside the city, and they were constantly dying and dying. Compared with the refugees scattered on the periphery who lack food and clothing, the core group of hungry ghosts is slightly more abundant, and people who have no food can still feed each other, so it is foreseeable that when the spring flowers bloom, many of these people will remain.

Looking out of the city wall of Xuzhou, outside the city is a hell where everyone cannibalizes, and there is not much food in Xuzhou City, so it is unrealistic to open the door for relief. Luo Ye looked at the hell scene outside the city day by day, and many times, Li Anmao, the governor of Xuzhou who invited them to Xuzhou, would also come over. This is a child of a big family who cares about the Wu Dynasty, and he has a lot of common topics with Luo Ye, who originally had a family background in Beijing.

On the day of the New Year's Pass, the two were drinking in the city, Li Anmao talked about the hungry ghosts besieging the city, and said that in addition to the hungry ghosts besieging the city, Zongfu and Zongbi's army might arrive in Xuzhou in the spring. Li Anmao actually cared about the Wu Dynasty, and asked for help from the Huaxia Army, but in order to drag people into the water, he did not shy away from this, and Liu Chengzong, Luo Ye and others who came over this time also knew it. Luo Ye took the glass of wine and spilled it on the ground.

“…… Most of my family members who were killed and captured by the Jurchens in the shame of Jingping are nowhere to be found. Most of these people are mediocre and vulgar things, not worth mentioning, but they didn't expect to be subjected to such a thing...... There is a younger sister in the family, lovely and obedient, the only person I care about, and now it is probably in the north, I am looking for my brother in the army, and there is no news for the time being, I just hope that she is still alive......"

"As for the Jurchens......"

He said, "Then come on." ”

Wu Jianshuo has been ten years, Jin Tianhui has been thirteen years, the snow has not disappeared, the blood has not disappeared, and spring has arrived as promised.