Nearly mid-June, it was a hot dog day, and the barracks of the Zhenjiang Water Division were hot and dry.

The Jurchens have arrived, Han Shizhong has gone to Jiangbei to prepare for a big battle, and Junwu is in charge of Zhenjiang. Although the prince's status is noble, but Jun Wu is only in the barracks with the soldiers to rest, he is not special, when the weather is hot, the big families use the ice stored in the winter to cool down, Jun Wu just chose a house on the mountainside by the river is still a little cool, if there are distinguished guests to come, they will be entertained with a cold drink.

It was just after nightfall on the eighth night of the first lunar month, and when he opened the window, the wind blowing from the river was also hot, so Junwu prepared a simple meal in the room and a smoothie to entertain his sister who came all the way.

This kind of weather, riding in a bumpy carriage all day long, for many women, is unbearable torment, but over the years, Zhou Pei has experienced many things, many times there are also long-distance running, this evening arrived in Zhenjiang, but it seems that the face is dark, and the face is a little haggard. After washing her face and resting for a while, the eldest princess's face returned to its former fortitude.

Over the years, the sister and brother have carried a very heavy burden, Jun Wu has a beard under his chin, covering the natural childishness on his face, Zhou Pei's private affairs are difficult to talk about, what he wears is a mask of grace and solemnity and alienation, and the mask is worn for a long time, and it often becomes a part of himself. After freshening up, Zhou Pei's face was slightly pale, and his detached expression was not pleasing, although he softened a little in front of his younger brother, but in fact, there was not much relief. Every time I see such a sister, Jun Wu will always think of her more than ten years ago, although Zhou Pei was smart and proud, she was actually beautiful and cute, and the current royal sister, no matter how difficult it is to be close to cuteness, men other than himself will only feel scared when they look at him.

Regarding the tragedy of Zhou Pei's marriage, the people around him couldn't help but sigh. But naturally not mentioning it at this time, the sister and brother only meet once in a few months or even half a year, although the strength is together, but the words are inevitably formulaic.

After a little greeting, dinner is a simple one meat and three vegetables, Junwu eats simple dishes, and the sour radish strips are eaten, and the food is loud. In the past few years, Zhou Pei has been sitting in Lin'an, and he has not moved around unless there is a big event, and now that the war is imminent, he suddenly came to Zhenjiang, Jun Wu felt that there might be something big, but she has not yet spoken, and Jun Wu will not mention it. The two had a simple dinner, drank a sip of tea, and Zhou Pei, who looked thin in a white dress, pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Here, here, there's no big problem, right?"

This is a polite opening, Jun Wu just nodded and smiled: "It's okay, General Han is ready for war, logistics, Xu Guangting has 8,000 shells have not arrived, I am urging him, Huo Xiang's 30,000 people have crossed the river in the past few days, he is slow to move, send someone to beat him, and the rest is nothing serious." ”

Zhou Pei nodded: "Yes, it's just these days...... It's okay. ”

"Sister Huang came over suddenly, I don't know what it was for?"

"......" Zhou Pei held the teacup, fell silent, and after a while, "I received news from Jiang Ning, Shen Ruxin is sick, I heard that the illness is not light. ”

Jun Wu's heart sank, and his face flashed gloom for a moment, but then he glanced at his sister and nodded: "Well, I know, actually...... Others think that the royal brocade clothes and food are beautiful, but just like the sentence that once she enters the Hou Gate, she is as deep as the sea, she has married me, and there are not many happy days. This time...... With Imperial Physician Zou looking at her, let it be fate. ”

At this time, marriage has always been the order of the parents, the words of the matchmaker, the small family and the small family depend on each other, and in the high-ranking family, it is not a strange thing that the woman has passed through the marriage for several years and died unhappily and early. Shen Ruxin didn't have any family background, but when she arrived at the prince's mansion, she trembled and behaved in a proper manner, and the psychological pressure was not small.

Although she and Jun Wu are in love with each other, the burden on Jun Wu's shoulders is too heavy, and it is not easy to have a memory in his heart, but it is difficult for ordinary people to care about it - this is also the norm in this era. This time Shen Ruhua was pushed out after an accident, and after two months of interrogation, Shen Ruxin did not dare to intercede in the Jiangning Prince's Mansion, but she was physically and mentally injured, and finally vomited blood and fainted, bedridden. Jun Wu is in Zhenjiang, but he doesn't even have time to go back.

"I heard about it and felt the need to visit." Zhou Pei held the teacup, and he couldn't see too many fluctuations in his expression, "The Qingliu Yao Qifang who poked Shen Ruhua out this time is not without problems, the Dou family and the Chen family who committed crimes before Shen Ruhua, I also have a way to deal with them." Shen Ruhua, if you want to spare his life, put him in the army first. I'll do the things in the capital and the things that the people below say. ”

The corners of Jun Wu's eyes twitched, and his face really sank. Over the years, he has been under so much pressure, but he didn't expect his sister to really come here for this matter. The room was quiet for a long time, and the night breeze blew in through the window, which was already a little cool, but it made people's hearts cold. Jun Wu placed the teacup on the table.

"Sister Huang, like a birch...... It's something that has to be dealt with, I just can't think you're ...... Come here for this......"

Zhou Pei looked at him as usual: "I'm here for you." ”

"I'm fine, over the years, so many things have been withstanded, and those who should be offended have been offended. The big war is coming......" he paused: "Just get through it." ”

Due to the emotions in her heart, Jun Wu's speech was a little tough, Zhou Pei stopped, she took tea and sat there, there was a team walking in the barracks outside, and the wind was blowing the fire. Zhou Pei was indifferent for a long time, but laughed for a moment.

"Shen Ruhua is not important, but Ruxin is very important, Junwu, these years...... You've done a great job. In order to make the army self-determined in the war, you have protected many people and blocked a lot of wind and rain, you have been very tough in the past few years, bearing pressure, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong...... This mess in Jiangnan, the fugitives from the north, many people were able to survive thanks to the hard resistance of your identity. If you are strong and easy to break, I won't talk about it a few years ago, and if you offend people, you will offend people. But Ruxin's matter, I'm afraid that you will regret it one day. ”

Jun Wu was stunned and didn't speak, Zhou Pei held the teacup in both hands and was quiet for a moment, looking out the window.

“…… Over the years of Nandu, our sisters and brothers have hardened their hearts a lot, and others seem to be afraid, but in fact, they have no choice. Little brother, you know, I was not happy after I got married, I didn't like the horse, and then dealt with him, others said that I was hard-hearted, I only had power in my eyes, and I was going to be a loner, and I was going to be a widow and a martial artist. I didn't have a soft hand when dealing with Qu Zonghui, even today, I don't think there is any problem. But time has passed like this, and many times, I also want to have my own family...... I won't have it in this life. ”

She smiled desolate from the corner of her eyes, fleeting, and then added with a smile: "Of course, what I said is not your father and junior brother, you will always be my family." ”

The room was quiet again. Jun Wu gradually understood in his heart, what was the reason for the imperial sister to come, of course, this matter can be very big or small, it is difficult to measure, these days, Jun Wu is actually difficult to think clearly in his heart.

He was silent for a long time, and then he could only reluctantly say: "Ruxin, she entered the royal gate, and she can stand it." Even if...... Can't stand ......."

He then smiled: "Sister, after all, it's just one of the people around me, and over the years, there are not a few people around me who I personally ordered to kill." I can't get to this day and give up all my efforts...... What do you think of me? ”

"Maybe it's not as big as you think. Maybe ......" Zhou Pei lowered her head and pondered for a moment, her voice became extremely low, "Maybe...... Over the years, you've been too tough, enough is enough...... I know you're learning from that person, but not everyone can become that person, if you want to take a step back before you push yourself to regret it...... You'll understand......"

Zhou Pei said this extremely difficult, because she didn't believe it herself. Jun Wu can understand the emotion, her sister has gone to the extreme, there is no way to retreat, even if she understands that she can only do this, but before the war, she still hopes that her brother may have a way to regret. Jun Wu was vaguely aware of this contradictory mood, this was the first time in several years that his sister had shown such an indecisive mind.

He just shook his head.

Zhou Pei stopped persuading: "I understand...... I sent someone to take the best medicinal materials from the palace and sent them to Jiangning. It's not a bad thing to have you ahead. ”

The siblings stopped talking about it, and after a while, the heat of the night was still there. The two of them left the room and cooled down the hillside. Jun Wu thought of Shen Ruxin in Jiangning, the two of them got married on the way to search the mountains and check the sea, they had been married for eight years, gathering less and leaving more, for a long time, Jun Wu told himself that there were big things that had to be done, and before the big things, the private feelings of the children were just decorations. But when I think about it at this time, I can't help but feel sad.

My sister came here to remind him of this.

"Not everyone will be that person, take a step back, everyone will understand...... Sister Huang, the person you said also talked about this matter, and the people of Bianliang are like that, and everyone can understand it. But not everyone understands that bad things don't happen. After walking for a while, Jun Wu talked about it again.

A trace of sadness flashed in Zhou Pei's eyes, and he only nodded. The two stood on the edge of the hillside, watching the lights in the river.

"Over the years, I have often seen things coming from the north, and every year Emperor Jingping was forced to write those edicts, saying that the emperor of the Jin Kingdom treated him well. For a while, he was raised by the Jurchens in a well, and he had no clothes to wear, and the queen was insulted by the Jurchens in front of him, and he had to look at it with a smile, and knelt down and begged the Jurchens to give him something to eat. All kinds of imperial concubines and palace maids are not as good as prostitutes...... Sister Huang, the royal people were also vain back then, and the people in the capital looked down on the idle princes in other places, do you remember what those brothers and sisters looked like? Back then, I remember the time when you went to the capital with the teacher, and met Zhou Qing, the county lord of the Chongwang Mansion, in the capital, and they invited you to go over with the teacher, and the teacher also wrote poems. Jingping's shame, Zhou Qing was taken north by the Jurchens, Sister Huang, do you remember her? Two years earlier, I knew her whereabouts......"

Zhou Pei looked at Jun Wu, Jun Wu smiled miserably: "The Jurchens took her to Yunzhong Mansion, humiliated her in every way along the way, got pregnant in the place, and was sold to the Qinglou in Yunzhong Mansion as a prostitute, the child was pregnant for six months, was beaten, miscarried, and a year later she was pregnant again, and then the child was drugged and beaten off, two years later, a group of powerful children of the Jin Kingdom went to the building, and they were more willing to play than anyone else, pressed her on the table, cut off her ear, she went crazy, and later broke a leg...... Died three years ago...... She's a long-lived ......"

Jun Wu said this matter as calmly as possible: "When outsiders talk about the royal family and the struggle in the court, they do everything they can, and Lu Pheasant, the queen of Han Gaozu, can cut off people's hands and feet in order to fight for the wind and be jealous, how cruel it is...... Imperial sister, can you imagine how that Zhou Qing County Lord felt when he was treated like this? Those things are in front of us again, and the Jurchens have already come......"

"I know." Zhou Pei replied. Over the years, the things that have happened in the north have certainly had certain restrictions on the spread of the people, but for them, as long as they have the heart, they can understand it clearly.

Jun Wu looked at the river in the distance: "Over the years, I have actually been very afraid, as people grow up, they will slowly understand what war is." A person rushed over to kill you, you picked up a knife to resist, and after beating him, you will definitely have to break your hands and feet, if you don't resist, you have to die, I don't want to die and I don't want to break my hands and feet, and I don't want Ruxin to die like this, she died...... One day I will regret it when I think about it. But over the years, there is one thing that I am most afraid of, I have never told anyone, Sister Huang, can you guess what it is? When he said this, he shook his head, "It's not a Jurchen......

Zhou Pei looked at him.

Jun Wu was silent for a long time, pointing to the river over there: "In the second year of Jianshuo, the army escorted me to the riverside, but I only found a small boat, and the guards sent me to the boat, and the Jurchens were killed. On that day, thousands of people were killed into the river by Shuliesu, some were desperately swimming, some were drowning others, and some were dragging their families and mouths...... There was a woman holding her little child, and the child was swept into the water, and I could hear her cry when I stood in the boat. Sister Huang, do you know how I felt at that time? ”

Jun Wu's eyes widened: "I feel ...... in my heart Glad...... I survived, I didn't have to die. He said.

The wind blew over the hillside at night.

"For so many years, I think of their eyes at night, I am frightened, they are slaughtered, I don't feel angry, Sister Huang, I ...... I just felt like they were dead, but I was alive, and I'm glad they got me on the boat...... For so many years, I have killed many people by military law, I told Han Shizhong, I told Yue Fei, and countless people that we must defeat the Jurchens, I am with them, and I killed them for the great cause of resisting Jin. Yesterday I brought Shen Ruhua over and told him that I must kill him, I am fighting against Jin...... Sister Huang, I have been talking about bold words for several years, and every night I think about what I want to say the next day, and I am here alone to practice those words, and I am afraid...... I'm afraid that someone will jump out on the spot and ask me, in order to resist gold, they have to die, and the soldiers who went to the battlefield will fight bloodily, what about yourself? ”

"All the people who died that day were looking at me, they knew that I was afraid, I didn't want to die, there was only one boat, I pretended to go up, why could I go up? Now that so many years have passed, and I have said so many big things, I ask myself every night, when the Jurchens come again, will you be able to bear it? Can you grit your teeth? Do you dare to shed blood? Sometimes I pick up the knife and want to cut it in my hand! ”

Jun Wu said, pulling out a dagger from his waist and gesturing towards his left arm. Zhou Pei's face changed, he took two steps over, grabbed Jun Wu's left arm, and lifted his sleeve.

There was no scar on his arm, and Jun Wu laughed: "Sister Huang, I can't do it once...... I'm afraid of pain. ”

"You, you ......" Zhou Pei's face was complicated, looking into his eyes.

"What I am most afraid of is that one day the Jurchens will be killed, and I will find that I will still be afraid of pain and death, and I am afraid that one day, tens of thousands of people will be squeezed to the river with me, and I will get on that boat, and I am still glad that I survived. I'm afraid that I will kill so many people with righteousness and strictness, and when it comes to the end, I will give my brother-in-law extrajudicial grace, I am afraid that I will kill my brother-in-law with righteousness and strictness, and when the Jurchens come, I will still be a coward. I haven't told anyone about this matter, but Sister Huang, I'm afraid of ...... every day."

"I'm afraid of everything......"

When he said this, his eyes were sad, his eyes had turned red, and his teeth had already been gritted hard. Yes, who in this world is not afraid, he is just a pampered son born in the royal family. Fear of bloodshed, fear of sacrifice, fear of defeat, fear of experiencing all that tragedy. And until the test of reality really comes, no one knows what they have become.

That night, the sister and brother talked a lot, and the next day, Zhou Pei found Wenren before leaving, and told him that if the battle ahead was critical, he must bring Junwu down from the battlefield. She left Zhenjiang and went back to Lin'an, while the weak prince stayed by the river, continuing to surround his heart with iron and stone every day.

At noon on the tenth day of the first lunar month, eighteen-year-old Shen Ruhua was beheaded in Zhenjiang City, and in the palace of the prince of Jiangning, the fourth lady Shen Ruxin's physical condition deteriorated day by day, struggling on the boundary between life and death, which is just an insignificant life and death ups and downs in the world now. That night, Zhou Junwu sat by the river on the side of the barracks and did not sleep all night.

At this time, in the north, the Jurchen Wanyan Zongbi's East Road Forward Army had already left Xuzhou and was heading towards Xuyi, less than 300 miles away from the Yangzhou line.

Around Yangzhou, Tianchang, Gaoyou, Zhenzhou, Taizhou, Zhenjiang...... With Han Shizhong's headquarters as the core, more than 800,000 troops, including 100,000 sailors, are waiting for battle.

In the tenth year of Wu Jianshuo, on June 23, the Jiangnan War broke out.