On February 27, the weather had begun to warm up, and the fields near Zhending were full of flowers of all colors.

The ground was silent, and crows flew down, pecking at the corpses of the wildflowers. The spreading blood has begun to condense, Zhending Mansion, the end of a big war has been a day, the iron cavalry has spread, stepping across this land, radiating to the south within dozens of miles, more than 100,000 troops, are routing and fleeing.

In mid-February of the second year of Wu Jianshuo, the Jurchens swore to send troops, kicking off the prelude to the third military attack. On February 23, the Jurchen Middle Route Army, led by Mu Han and shortly after crossing the Yanmen Pass, was intercepted by an army of 150,000 led by Hou Xin, a general of the Wu Dynasty.

Since the Jurchen army broke through the Bianliang and returned north last year, the number of troops nominally subordinate to the Wu Dynasty in the area north of the Yellow River and south of Yanmen Pass has been expanding.

After King Dekang ascended the throne and changed the Yuan Dynasty to Jianshuo, Zong Ze, who was in charge of the northern military affairs, worked tirelessly to run back and forth, and incorporated several civilian forces north of the Yellow River into the regular army system of the Wu Dynasty.

Hou Xin Hou Wenjing was originally the commander of the Wusheng Army, and this time the Jurchens went south, he did not choose to retreat, and said to his subordinates: "The family and country are in danger, and the eldest husband has to face the difficulties." Then the oath came, and when the army was exchanged, Zong Han saw that the morale of the army was high, so he did not fight with it, and the two sides tried back and forth for two days, in the early morning of February 26. The Iron Cavalry launched an attack on the Houxin troops.

At this time, the Wusheng army had been defeated by the other party in the first two southern expeditions of the Jurchens, and at this time the army was hastily expanded to 150,000, which was itself mixed. Zong Han attacked at night, and Hou Xin was originally somewhat prepared, but after receiving the enemy. More than 100,000 people still mutinied. The Jurchen cavalry penetrated the defense line of the Wusheng army like a torrent, and that night, the corpses of the soldiers killed by the Jurchens piled up and flowed like a river of blood.

On the morning of the 27th, the scattered soldiers crowded the roads and mountains south of Zhending. Some of these soldiers, who were originally bandits, were recruited and absorbed by the regular army, and were controlled by military law. It also aroused the first wave of blood in the battle against the Jurchens, but in the process of escaping, these things finally disappeared.

Yuanchang County, sixty miles away from Zhending, was crowded with the first wave of soldiers who had fled, and the order had begun to become chaotic, and a team of hundreds of people drove away the people in the county town to inform them of the news of the Jurchen killing. Urging everyone to get out of here. In this drive, they also began to loot the already small amount of wealth, grain and rice in the county. And there was a phenomenon of rape of women, and the county commander Liu Dongxiu tried to put an end to the chaos, and that afternoon, he was killed in the clashes, and his body was displayed in the county hall, shortly after the looting of the soldiers. The birds and beasts are scattered.

This phenomenon occurs in more than just Yuanchang County. Zhending, Taiyuan and other places were already suffering from war in the previous war, and in a sense, they were almost abandoned places. As they dispersed, the soldiers knew that the situation in the neighborhood was gone. There are still people who are enthusiastic and concerned and rush to the south, to join other armies and rebels. More than half of them began to think about themselves, either fleeing into the mountains or scattering far away. During this period, there are not a few people who look for nearby villagers and villagers to loot and enjoy themselves.

At the time of pacification, the bandits of Zhao'an became soldiers, and after the defeat, the soldiers became mountain bandits again.

In the rout and scattering of 100,000 people, more people fled, and scouts and spies from all over the country fled in different directions at a faster speed. The menacing message of the Jurchens was pushed to the whole world like a tide in this way.

More troops were assembled north of the Yellow River, but after seeing the power of the Jurchen god of war again and Yan Zonghan's troops, everyone began to adopt a cautious attitude and did not dare to make any more rash moves.

In the Yellow River defense line, Zong Ze quickly gathered the limited forces at hand to strengthen the defense along Bianliang and the Yellow River, and while he wrote a letter to stabilize the hearts of several rebel armies north of the Yellow River, he also sent a letter to Ying Tian, hoping that His Majesty at this time could resolutely resist in order to improve the morale of the army.

And in Yingtian, more information and controversy filled the Jinluan Palace, and Emperor Zhou Yong was completely stunned, he had only been on the throne for half a year, and the invincible Jurchen army had already gone south to kill. This time, Wanyan Zonghan led the middle route army to rush forward, and there was no danger to defend in the direction of Taiyuan, and the East Route Army led by Wanyan Zongfu, Wanyan Zongbi and others of the Jurchen prince rushed to Shandong, and the slogans were to destroy the Wu Dynasty and capture Zhou Yong alive.

During this period, Li Gang, the left minister, still advocated strictly guarding and rejecting the Jurchens on the front line of the Yellow River, waiting for the army of King Qin to break through the Jurchen army. In the Heavenly City, in order to resist the Jurchens, the crowd was indignant, and the Tai students Chen Dong, Ouyang Che and others ran every day to call for resistance.

But there were the first two failures to resist the Jurchens, and at this time, the voice of the lord and faction in the court had also risen, which was different from the situation when Tang Ke and others were reprimanded for fear of war. At this time, the voices advocating the southward escape led by the right minister Huang Qianshan, the privy envoy Wang Boyan and others also had a market, and many people thought that if the Jurchens were really difficult to control, they might have to hunt south first, exchange space for time, and use the terrain of the southern waterways to suppress the benefits of the Jurchens' horse war.

After all, it has only been a year since Emperor Jingping was exiled to the north, and it is still the greatest shame for the entire Wu Dynasty.

Rationally speaking, in the next few years, this rapidly rising and even declining Jurchen army at this time looked like it was invincible and uncontrollable - although there seemed to be one at one time, it was a little difficult for the princes of the court at this time to consider it, after all, the leader of that army once said to them in the Jinluan Palace: "A bunch of waste." ”

If that person just killed Tong Guan and killed Zhou Zhe, or that's it. However, such a sentence actually shows that in the eyes of the other party, other people are compared with the corrupt officials and traitors in their mouths. It's no different. This is something that is still unbearable, including Li Gang and others.

Now, the situation in the northwest where that person is located is completely unpredictable.

Xiao Canghe was already suddenly nervous.

The training of the soldiers is carried out every day. A large amount of materials that can be scavenged in from the outside world are also constantly moving in and out of this mountain - including the contact with Aoki Village.

Riverside. As soon as a training session was completed, Luo Ye left behind the soldiers who were almost tired and paralyzed, hurriedly washed his face in the river, walked quickly to the barracks, took a small notebook and charcoal and came out, and when he walked to the house community halfway up the mountain, he met two soldiers who were in a hurry and looked serious. These two are both members of the secret investigation department of the bamboo system, and Luo Ye also knows them. Grabbed a person: "What's wrong?" ”

When the news of the Jurchen invasion of the south came, the atmosphere in the entire Xiaocang River valley also began to be tense and severe, and these people who were in charge of intelligence would probably be questioned many times a day, hoping to inquire about the specific news outside first. That person is also very familiar with Luo Ye, and he is a member of the Huayan Society, looking around, he is a little embarrassed: "It's not an outside matter, this time I may have to be punished." ”

"What's going on?" Luo Ye frowned. "You've done something?"

"North, the matter of the shopkeeper Lu. You know that, too. Someone told his family that today, Mingfang and his mother went to Mr. Ning to cry, hoping to have a letter. ”

He spoke quite quickly, and when he talked about it, Luo Ye nodded, he also knew the news. Originally in the Wu Dynasty. There is a secret investigation department under the name of the right prime minister's mansion, and some of them have been integrated into Zhuji, after Ning Yi's rebellion, the intelligence system in Zhuji is still in the name of secret investigation. One of the three people in charge, there is Lu Yannian Lu shopkeeper, last year it was Lu shopkeeper who first walked through the trade route of the Jin Kingdom in the north and ransomed some craftsmen who were captured by the Jurchens, his son Lu Mingfang loves to talk and laugh, and Luo Ye also has some friendship, and now he is not yet twenty years old, and he has always done things with Lu Yannian.

This time before the Jurchen went south, the north suddenly began to purge the southerners, after a few days of silence, the members of Zhuji who fled back from the north brought back the message, the intelligence team led by Lu Yannian bore the brunt, and was ambushed in the clouds, Lu Yannian's shopkeeper is afraid that he has died, and the rest of the people are also more auspicious. This time, the actions of the Jurchen high-level were very violent, and in order to cooperate with the southward movement of the army, a terrible bloody storm was set off in the area of Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, and the Han people who were slightly suspected were slaughtered.

Although the people of Zhuji had a plan in the face of this kind of thing, they also suffered heavy losses in this kind of slaughtering atmosphere that did not treat the Han people as human beings. Later, the news of the Jurchen army marching south came in.

Luo Ye thought slightly: "Aunt Huo is actually a sensible person, so she shouldn't cause too much trouble to Mr. Ning." ”

"Not for this ......," the man sighed, and saw from afar that another companion was already waving and urging him, and shook his hand, "Alas, you'll know in a while." Don't spread this matter anymore, don't mention it to anyone again. ”

He pulled his legs and left, and Luo Ye reacted: "I know." ”

In the courtyard halfway up the mountainside, Su Tan'er accompanied the woman of the Lu family who was crying, and was comforting carefully - in fact, for any woman, in the case that her husband and son may have died, comfort is probably powerless.

In another room, the middle and high-level members of the Zhuji Intelligence Department had already gathered, and Ning Yi looked at them coldly: "...... You think the people in the valley are fine. You feel that your friends are loyal and reliable. What you think is a big thing and something is a small thing, so you can take the little things lightly. Do you know that you are engaged in intelligence! ”

"You may not see your own importance right now, even though I've told you over and over again! You are the most important link in the life and death of war! Anticipate the enemy's chance! Anticipate the enemy's chance! What a concept! What enemy are you facing! ”

"Jurchens, they have already begun to move south, and no one can stop them! Neither can we! Xiaocanghe Qingmu Village adds up to less than 50,000 people, and it is not even worthy to stuff their teeth. You think that the people around you are reliable, and maybe at some point someone who is greedy for life and afraid of death will take refuge in them! Your trust is meaningless, your assumptions are meaningless, discipline is meaningful! One less negligence and one more achievement, your companions may survive hundreds or thousands more, since you feel that they can be trusted and relied upon. You should have the strictest discipline and be responsible for them. ”

"Aunt Huo is a reasonable woman, but whether she is reasonable or not, Shopkeeper Lu may still not be able to come back. If you were more powerful, you might have noticed the Jurchens before they even made a move. Do you have room for improvement? I think we can start with our weaknesses first. This time, anyone who has discussed with the people around him and has not been made public will be punished! Do you guys think there's a problem? ”

After he said this, there was a burst of noise in the room: "No." ”

Ning Yi knocked on the table a few times: "The Jurchens are coming, whether we will be affected or not, it is difficult to say, but it is very likely that no amount of preparation may be enough." Defeat Western Xia. It's not a good thing, we've come into the eyes of others too early, and it's actually the worst-case scenario, you ......"

Before he finished speaking, someone outside the door reported it, but it was Xiao Hei who was in charge of interrogating him, he walked over and said a few words, and Ning Yi paused. Then he looked at the people in the room:

The worst is coming.

this day. Few of the people in the room heard the content of that sentence, and even if they did, they never spread it, but that night, most of the people in the valley still understood what had happened. Emissaries sent by the Jurchen army have arrived in the valley. Convey the ultimatum to Xiaocanghe.

Hearing this news, there are those in the valley who are indignant, excited, and worried. Without going through the organization above, Luo Ye and the others spontaneously gathered the soldiers. Hold a meeting to cheer up and strengthen the fighting spirit, but of course, the real decision still has to be made by Ning Yi's side.

Few people knew what Ning Yi had talked to the messenger that night. The next day, after completing the training, Luo Ye and the others went to class according to the scheduled arrangement and gathered together to discuss the situation of the Jurchen army going south.

At this time, the information of the Jurchen army's mobilization was already clear in the valley. Zong Han of the Middle Route Army, Zong Fu of the East Route Army, and Zong Bi all rushed straight towards Yingtian, so there was no need to think about it. The real threat to the northwest is the Jurchen Western Route Army, in this army, the composition of the Jin people is only 10,000 people, but the leader must not be overlooked, it is Wanyan Lou Room, who is one of the most outstanding generals in the Jurchen army.

This person was in the Jurchen army, and he had great achievements, and it was he who captured Emperor Tianzuo and Yelu Dashi of the Liao State at the beginning. During the Jurchen two wars, he won countless victories in Taiyuan, Guanshan and other places, and was best at taking the Jin soldiers as the core, supplemented by pawns and pseudo-soldiers, expanding his own fighting style, and often commanding more and more soldiers, and he was very skillful in politics, military, strategy and tactics. Even among the Jurchens who will be star-studded at this time, he is probably the strongest one at the tactical level.

As Ning Yi said, while defeating Western Xia, Xiao Canghe had already fallen into the eyes of the Jurchens in advance, if the arrival of the Jurchen envoy meant that the Jin State's high-level intentions on this side, Xiao Canghe's army would most likely face this invincible Jurchen general. Although the Black Flag Army had 7,000 men to break the record of the 100,000 army of Western Xia, on the other side, the enemies that were defeated one after another were probably in the millions, and the disparity in strength was more than 1 to 10 battles.

A group of people were discussing in the room, and the voice of talking gradually came from outside the door, and there were Ning Yi in that voice, and there were also a few slightly strange Chinese words. Everyone stopped discussing, and at the door, Ning Yi and a figure dressed in the official uniform of the Jin State appeared.

There was a sound of "bang", everyone looked at the door and stood up together, the envoy of the Jin State was obviously stunned for a moment, Ning Yi looked around at the people inside: "This is the envoy from the Jin Kingdom, Fan Hongji Fan Envoy, Mr. Fan, this is a child of my army." He spread his hands, "Let's go." ”

Fan Hongji looked around and laughed: "Sure enough, he is worthy of being a hero, no wonder he can make such a record, oh, by the way, Fan remembered something." ”

"Oh?"

"When leaving the clouds, Lord Ceres and the master of the time courtyard, Tuo Fan, brought two things and gave them to Mr. Ning for a look, so many people are here at this time, you might as well take a look together."

That Fan Hongji said, the two guards who followed behind had already come over, took out the two big boxes that had been hanging beside him, and walked to the room, here Chen Fan came over with a smile, Ning Yi also spread his hand, and smiled: "Is it a gift?" Let's go over and take a look. ”

"It's okay, it's okay."

The two were tall, and they were also warriors in the Jurchen army, and then they were held down by Chen Fan, and in the midst of a simple push, with a snap, one of the boxes was squeezed out, Fan Hongji opened the box, and some lime shook out, Fan Hongji copied the things inside in his hand, Ning Yi's eyes were slightly fixed, and his smile did not change, but many people inside had also seen it.

It was a human head.

There was silence inside and outside the room for a moment, and vaguely, it seemed that someone's fist was clenched slightly, and Ning Yi's voice sounded: "What do you mean by bringing this kind of thing here?" His words had flattened out, and he no longer stood in the way, and the messenger named Fan Hongji smiled, took the pickled head, walked into the door, and put the head on the table. Another guard also went in with the wooden box, put it down, and opened it.

In the room, everyone looked at this side calmly, and Fan Hongji's eyes met them, smiling and sweeping over.

"It's nothing, not long ago, some people made trouble in Yunzhong Mansion, and these are two of them. They wanted to buy Han slaves in the clouds and send them back to the Central Plains, this kind of thing, our Jin country does not allow, but these two are warriors, after they were caught, they refused to tell their origin no matter how they tortured, and finally committed suicide. Lord Ceres felt his courage and admired it very much, and said, this may be your people, Tuo Fan brought it to you for recognition, if it is true, let them be buried in the ground. ”

Fan Hongji smiled, his eyes were calm, Ning Yi's eyes were also calm, with a smile, the eyes of a group of people in the room were also calm, and the corners of some people's mouths slightly pulled out a smile arc. It's an eerie silence, and the murderous aura seems to be brewing and scattering. However, Fan Hongji is not afraid of anyone, he is the messenger of the strongest army in the world, he does not have to fear anyone, and he does not have to fear anything.

On the table, Lu Yannian's eyes opened, staring quietly ahead, empty and deadly silent.

At the same time that the Jurchen army pounced on the whole world, in this corner of the northwest, time was briefly frozen.

A little interlude...... (To be continued.) )