The massacre in the clouds on the fifth day of the seventh month caused a stir in the mighty war situation in the world, and on the battlefields of Yangzhou and Xiangyang, it once became the catalyst for the offensive of the Jurchen army, and in the following months, it led to several more or less tragic massacres.

But war is like this, and even if there is no tragedy in the clouds, it is impossible to say whether everything will happen after that. The Qi family, who had stirred up trouble in the Wu Dynasty, had died in obscurity in the Yunzhong Mansion on this night—at least since Shi Yuanji's corpse appeared, their existence was insignificant.

Part of the Qi family led by Qi Yan was once besieged in a wooden building in the house, after the chaos expanded, the wooden building was ignited by the fire, whether the old and young women and children in the building or the adults and young people, most of them were burned by the fire. Qi Yan, the great Confucian of the Central Plains, took his two great-grandsons to hide in the water tank in the building, but the fire was too strong, and then the wooden building collapsed, and they were suffocated to death in the water tank.

The conclusion of the Yunzhong tragedy in the outside world has been clearly determined soon after, compared to the involvement of the Wu Dynasty spies in the sabotage, people are more inclined to the conspiracy and troublemaking behind the Black Flag Army - externally, the two are parallel, defined as the hand in hand between the Wu Dynasty and the Black Flag Army, and the dignified Wu Dynasty is Zhengshuo, and has knelt in front of the southwest demon Yunyun.

Inside, however, there is a dark tide surging.

On the ninth night of the seventh month, Yunzhong Mansion handed over the manuscript left by Dai Mo to Shi Liai's desk, and Shi Liai burned the manuscript after reading it, and ordered that this was a traitor's plan to provoke and not to be traced in the future. But the whole news has gradually spread among the middle and high-level Jurchens, whether it is true or not, killing Shi Liai's grandson, pointing the finger at Wanyan Zongfu, this matter is complicated and weird, and it is intriguing.

For a long time, the Jurchen and Eastern and Western courts checked and balanced each other and were also interdependent. When Ah Gu was there, he naturally had no doubt of authority, and when Wu Qimai was still in good health, everything was fine. But in general, after the establishment of the dynasty, Aguta's direct blood relatives are a faction of power, the core of this power is in the Eastern Imperial Court, initially headed by Aguta's second son Wanyan Zongwang, Zongwang downward, the third son Zongfu, the fourth son Zongbi (Wushu), prestige and strength, but not comparable to the original Zongwang who was almost cultivated as a prince.

In the west, the military god Wanyan Zonghan (sticky Han), Wanyan Xiyin, and even the original undefeated god of war Wanyan Lou and other important generals gathered together to create the prestige of the Western Imperial Court. The Jurchens are divided into two parts, east and west, not because there is really much conflict of interests, but simply because the territory of the Liao State is too large, and the two cores of mutual trust are easier to govern. In the previous years, fantasizing about the collision of the two imperial courts in the east and the west, and reaping the benefits, it was just the conjecture of a group of scholars of the Wu Dynasty who "lived in the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain".

Zong Wang's death expands the possibility of friction. Zong Fu, the third son of Ah Guda, is relatively honest and honest, without the domineering of his brother, Zong Bi is more domineering than enough and lacks strategy, and even due to his overly arrogant and rigid personality, he was beaten by Yan Xiyin when he was a child. When Sosuke was instigated by Sobi to take over his brother's class, friction between the east and west gradually began to appear. But at this time, Wanyan Zonghan, who can stand side by side with Ah Guda all his life, just treats the Zongfu Zongbi brothers as ignorant juniors.

Wu Qimai fell, and the Jurchen launched the fourth southern expedition, which was an extremely restrained external catharsis of domestic contradictions-everyone understood the principle of the overall situation, and had already seen the choice of the superiors-At this time, even if the two sides were provoked to start a war, such as Zongfu fighting Xi Yin, Xi Yin harming Zongfu, people could easily see that it was the people in the south who really benefited.

In the final analysis, the level of suspicion in the Jurchen country has not yet reached the level of the court of the Southern Wu Dynasty, and the group of people who really sit above this court are still the founders of the country who gallop on horseback and can pay life and death with a glass of wine.

Shi Liai's identity is the most special.

He is a Han family, with deep roots, he is in the clouds, staying in the Western Imperial Court, and his official position in the Jin State is the same as the Pingzhang Affairs of the Zhongshu Sect, which is slightly equivalent to the prime minister in charge of national affairs, and the privy envoy who manages military affairs, but at the same time he is the commander of the Han army, if he does not understand the key at all, he will feel that he is the confidant of Zong Han, the boss of the Western Imperial Court, but in fact, Shi Liai is the military advisor of Zongwang, the second son of Akuda, - he was invited out of the mountain by Zongwang.

Zongwang's military advisor lives in the Western Imperial Court all the year round, Wanyan Xiyin regards him as a friend, Wanyan Zonghan relies on him, and he has his own family power. In a sense, he is one of the most complex figures used to balance the north and the south, on the surface, he is loyal to the Eastern Imperial Court, and after the death of Zongwang, it is natural that he is loyal to Zongfu, but Zongfu killed his grandson?

On the face of it, this is certainly a fake. But if it's fake, who gets the benefit? The Black Flag and the Wu Dynasty did not benefit. And if it's true, it's too intriguing.

learned that the clues of the whole incident pointed to Sosuke at the moment when Tu Poor Dagger saw it. Chen Wenjun in the Ceres Mansion was in a trance for a while, frowning and thinking for a long time, this day was still the middle of the night on the ninth day of the seventh month, and by the next day, she had not moved, and the entire Yunzhong Mansion seemed to be silent without any sound. On the 11th day of July, the sun was shining, and Chen Wenjun found Tang Minjie who was sorting melons and vegetables in the backyard of the vegetable store, and her appearance seemed to startle Tang Minjie. A "wow" sound covered his still injured face, and his eyes rolled around.

Chen Wenjun stepped forward and walked all the way to his side: "Why is it Zongfu who planted the blame?" ”

"Shhh

"Don't pretend to be confused, I admit to underestimating you, but why is it Sosuke, you know that Shi Liai is Sosuke's person."

Tang Minjie touched his chin, then spread his hands and was stunned for a long time: "Uh...... Be...... Yes...... Why? ”

"What are you trying to imply? What other tricks haven't been released? Chen Wenjun frowned, "Shi Liai betrayed the Eastern Imperial Court?" Sosuke is going to beat him? Sticky Han wants to prepare for the seizure of power and deliberately provoke Sosuke and Shi Liai? Or do you want to point the finger at someone else......"

Chen Wenjun whispered her inference, Tang Minjie, who was standing on the side, looked at her innocently, waited until the other party's stern gaze turned around, and said in a low voice: "This is not child's play!" Don't play dumb here! Tang Minjie pursed his lips and nodded desperately.

"Actually...... That is true. Tang Minjie pondered for a while, "Mrs. Wanyan, you see, Dai Mo is an official of the Wu Dynasty, he has been arrested for almost ten years, his wife is dead, his daughter is ruined, he has a grudge in his heart, is this no problem?" I found him who was resentful in my heart, and taught Wanyan Wenqin badly, hehe...... There's no problem with that, it's all my machinations and tricks. Then Dai Mo had a daughter, and as soon as she was arrested, she was recorded in the name of Wanyan Zongfu......"

He gestured with both hands: "That...... What can I do? I'd like to put her under the name of Commander Zonghan, but how long have I been here? I didn't think about it so much, I just wanted to play a conspiracy to kill a few sons and brothers of the Jin Kingdom, you smart people think too much, this is not good, you see you have white hair, I used to hear Boss Lu say that you are beautiful and in good spirits......"

Chen Wenjun was unmoved: "Even if that Miss Dai is indeed under the name of Zongfu, you always choose who to kill on the night of the fifth day of the first month, which shows that you deliberately chose Shi Liai's eldest grandson to attack, this is your deliberate manipulation." You didn't choose the sons and nephews of the Zong Han family, and you didn't choose the children of my family, you chose the Shi family...... I want to know what kind of backhand you have, provoking Sosuke and Shi Li's love against each other? makes people feel that Shi Liai has already stood in line? Sosuke has already broken with him? Or who is going to be pulled into the water next? ”

"There really isn't any!" Tang Minjie emphasized in a low voice, and then picked up a box of melons and vegetables and put them away, "You smart people are just difficult to deal with, verbose and suspicious, I'm not a god, just kill people to vent anger, do you think Shi Liai's grandson is easy to follow, how long have you been staring at it before you have a chance, of course it's him, uh...... Again......"

He chattered, the steel knife was on his neck again, Tang Minjie was so angry that he closed his eyes, and it took a while for his eyes to open, and he changed his face: "Hey, what's the benefit of killing the people of the Zong Han family?" What's the benefit of killing your two children? Mrs. Wanyan, the Jurchens chose the Southern Expedition instead of internal strife, which means that they have done a good job of ideological unity, and those scholars of the Wu Dynasty think it is very interesting to sow discord all day long, so to speak, even if I catch the two children in your family and kill them, all the evidence points to Wanyan Zongfu, whether you are good or Lord Ceres, will you seek revenge on Wanyan Zongfu? ”

He opened his hand: "How is that possible?" It must have been done by someone from the Huaxia Army, and it must have been done by someone from the Wu Dynasty! Let me put it another way, even if it was really done by Zong Fu, you know it clearly, will the two sides fight? Relatives and enemies are happy, madam, you can't beat Lord Ceres. The people below will hold you and your husband, this matter must be done by bad people, even if Lord Ceres wants to seek revenge, this matter is not a big trouble, but ah, Shi Liai's grandson died, and Sosuke did it, hehehe, it's really strange......"

Tang Minjie said while looking at the female guard with a knife next to him with that strange gaze, that woman can follow Chen Wenjun over, and she must be a person with a firm heart with a lot of skills, but at this time, he couldn't help but move the blade, and Tang Minjie went to move things again. Lowered his voice.

"What do you think, Mrs. Wanyan, didn't you see it just now? Smart people are the most troublesome, and they always love to ponder, but my teacher said that everything is ......," he exaggerated and attached Chen Wenjun's ear, "...... I'm afraid to ponder. ”

Satisfied with this answer? You just think about it, in fact, there are not so many things at all, it's all a coincidence, the wind is so strong on the night of the fifth day of the new year, I can't count it, right? Tang Minjie began to do things, and then said, "Don't come again in the future, it's dangerous, I said that someone is staring at me, maybe when you find me here, see you, Mrs. Wanyan, you can't wash it when you jump into the soup pot...... Hmm, soup pot...... Uh, it can't be washed, huhu, hahahaha......"

He whispered, as if sensing something interesting, and laughed uncontrollably.

Chen Wenjun looked at him, frowned for a while, and finally said: "Shi Liai was originally stepping on the middle of the two factions, Taoguang has been obscure for a long time, he will not let go of any possibility, on the surface he suppressed the investigation, and secretly he will inevitably find out all the possible enemies in Yunzhong Mansion, you will have a hard time in the future, be careful." ”

After saying this, he turned around and left, and behind him was Tang Minjie's indifferent scene of moving things.

It's autumn, the golden leaves are falling, and in the ruins of the Qi Mansion, the officials are clearing the field. Mandu Daru stood by the burned-out courtyard, thoughtful.

The deputy came from the side: "My lord, what's wrong?" ”

"Things were too messy that night, and there were some things that I haven't figured out yet." Mandu Daru pointed to the ruins ahead, "Some of the Qi family, including the old man, were burned alive here in the end, and too few escaped...... I found the burned door panel, and you see, someone banged on the door...... Who locked the door in the end? ”

"Uh, my lord......" The deputy hesitated slightly, "This matter, Lord Shi has already spoken, is it ...... And that night there was a mixture of dragons and snakes, their own people, the east, the south, and the southwest...... I'm afraid that they are not idle, if it is found out that there is nothing in the south, if you really pull out the radish with mud, my lord ......"

"yes, I won't check it out." Mandu Daru frowned.

The deputy followed from the side: "Moreover, the matter of the old man was planted to the Third Highness, the little one has always felt that it is a little strange, too strange, it is not like the Wu Dynasty or the Black Flag did it...... I always feel that there will be something to ......"

The small speculations disappeared into the autumn wind. In mid-July, Shi Liai came forward to keep many of the Qi family's belongings and handed them back to the survivors of the Qi family who survived the Yunzhong tragedy, at this time Qi Yan was dead, and several middle-aged people who were the pillars of the family had also been killed or injured on the night of the fire, and the descendants of the Qi family trembled, trying to send a large number of treasures, land deeds, and cultural relics to the Shi family to seek refuge, on the other hand, they also wanted to apologize for the death of the eldest grandson of the Shi family in their own home.

Shi Liai didn't receive a penny, but on behalf of the Jin Imperial Court, he apologized to the Qi family who was attacked by the tragedy, and at the same time released his words: "I think in the future, who else dares to move your Qi family in Dajin Country!" Even if the emperor is a relative of the country, I will never let it go! ”

The Yunzhong tragedy set the tone, and no one dared to make unnecessary discussions except for the condemnation of the Wu Dynasty and the Black Flag Army. During this time, the news has also reached the front. Xi Yin, who was sitting in Nanyang, read all the information and punched the table, only asking someone to notify the Zong Han army in the rear and accelerate the advance.

As long as this battle can be decided, no matter how many clowns jump off the beam in the future, they can naturally be cleaned up slowly. But if this battle does not go well, the enemy in the rear is already prying the foundation of the Jin Kingdom, and the contradictions that were suppressed by the East and West in the tacit understanding of the southern expedition are afraid that they will erupt......

In August, the situation in the Jin Kingdom began to become strange, but this strange atmosphere did not enter the eyes of the people of the world, especially the people of the Wu Dynasty, for a short time. In addition to the center of the Huaxia Army, which had been keeping a close eye on the situation in the Northland, more people only noticed the change of mind in the Jin Kingdom during this period of time after a few years.

Although after Wu Qimai fell ill, many Jurchen magnates were already preparing for the future, but the large-scale southern expedition suppressed many contradictions, and since then, it seems that the internal situation in the Jin State has gradually deteriorated, and many seemingly non-existent effects have begun from this tragedy in the clouds.

During this time, Shi Liai, who was sitting in the clouds, cleaned up the suspicious people among the local Han slaves on a large scale, and killed the entire city. On the one hand, with the pain of bereavement, no one dared to touch the old man's moldy head, and he was expanding the power of the Shi family and had to respond to the violations. On the other hand, this old man, who has been up and down in the political changes of Liao and Jin, seems to have vaguely sensed the danger behind the conspiracy.

Judging from some of the manuscripts left behind in the last days of his life, Shi Liai's thunderous methods against the Han people in Yunzhong Mansion during this period of time were also to find out the power of the suspected southwest "heart demon" hidden behind the shadows. However, the shadow behind Yunzhongfu fell silent, and he did not hand out any further follow-up related to this, but drew the period into a question mark, leaving aside the relationship and letting it ferment in people's hearts.

That's an afterword.

In the autumn of Wu Jianshuo's tenth year, our eyes left the clouds and turned to the south. As if the news of the massacre in the clouds had inspired the Jurchens to attack to a certain extent, Yangzhou and Xiangyang were plunged into white-hot fighting in July.

In Yangzhou City, Han Shizhong put on the defensive, according to the city's defense of the location to defend, but the Jurchens' offensive was fierce, at this time many veterans of the Jin soldiers still had the fierceness of the year, the Khitans, Xi people, and Liaodong people who joined the army to the south were holding their breath, trying to make contributions in this war, and the entire army offensive was fierce and abnormal.

In August, Han Shizhong pretended to abandon Yangzhou and fled south, Jin Wushu was ecstatic, led a large army to pursue, and wanted to behead Han Shizhong to show the world, and then suffered an ambush and counterattack by Han Shizhong's troops. At the head of Yangzhou City, Jin Wushu bombarded indiscriminately with a large number of siege equipment, and gained the upper hand, but was surrounded by Han Shizhong and killed more than 3,000 Jurchen soldiers, and he himself was affected by the cannon and fell off his horse, and was almost captured.

This battle became the most eye-catching record on the entire Eastern Front, but at the same time, on the battlefield near Yangzhou, all the participating troops totaled more than 1.5 million people, of which the Wu Dynasty army accounted for 900,000 people, belonging to 12 different teams, and about half of them were defeated in the first battle. After the defeat, these teams vented their bitterness on the Zhenjiang battalion for different reasons, whether they were deprived of military funds, or some of their friendly forces were ineffective, or some of them were not equipped with swords and guns...... made Junwu have a headache and scolded his mother again and again.

However, compared with the first Battle of Bianliang more than ten years ago, when 100,000 Jurchen troops successively defeated millions of Wu Dynasty reinforcements outside Bianliang City, the current situation that many troops north of the Yangtze River can still fight back and forth is much better.

The defeated army was gathered and reorganized into the system, and the soldiers who had already experienced the war were slowly selected into the elite troops, and Junwu, who was in Zhenjiang, was cutting and promoting generals every day according to the battle reports on the front line, and fed the combatable soldiers into the establishment of Han Shizhong and other generals. Many of the soldiers on the battlefield in Jiangnan have never experienced a major bloody battle, and they can only continue to filter and purify under such circumstances.

In September, the Yangzhou defense line finally collapsed, and the front was gradually pushed to the edge of the Yangtze River, and then successively retreated across the Yangtze River, with the naval division and the Zhenjiang battalion as the core for defense.

In October, some areas of Jiangbei that had not experienced Jurchen attacks were still resisting, but most of the army, led by Han Shizhong, had withdrawn south of the Yangtze River. From Jiangning to Zhenjiang, from Zhenjiang to Jiangyin, 100,000 sailors were ready to go on the river, observing the movements of the Jurchen army at any time, waiting for the attack of the opposing army.

On this day, in Lin'an City, Zhou Yong summoned his daughter to the palace again to inquire about the battle situation. For example, where are the Jurchen troops, when will they fight, Junwu should be evacuated in Zhenjiang, and whether they are sure.

Zhou Pei once again explained the situation on the battlefield in the north, although the battle situation in Jiangbei was not ideal, and he finally withdrew across the Yangtze River, but this was originally something that he was mentally prepared for. After all, the army of the Wu Dynasty is not as war-hardened as the Jurchen army, at the beginning of the Liao and the army, and later by the black flag to fight, although some of the veterans have retreated over the years, but there are still a considerable number of elites who can support the troops. After a certain amount of fighting, our Wu Dynasty army has given them a lot of preferential treatment over the years, and the training is also strict, compared to the situation of the Jinghan Dynasty, it is much better.

The three-month battle in Jiangbei, there were victories and defeats, but the soldiers who really saw the blood, there were still quite a lot of them who survived, the Jurchens wanted to cross the river and fight, but did not occupy the advantage, Junwu They thought at the beginning, if the first wave of attack, the Jurchens were aggressive, they would train troops in Jiangbei, and fight a decisive battle in Jiangnan, as for the Zhenjiang camp was guarded by layers, the water and land routes were extended in all directions, and Junwu was there, naturally nothing happened.

Zhou Yong nodded again and again: "Oh, you know this matter in your hearts, of course it is the best." But...... But ......"

The emperor, who had often looked haggard lately, walked around the room, and there was something in his throat, but he hesitated for a long time: "But ......"

"My father has something in his heart, but it doesn't hurt to say it, in this battle with the Jurchens, there is no way to retreat, and the daughter and the father's family must stand together."

She accentuated the tone of "there is no way to retreat" in her words, trying to remind her father of something, Zhou Yong smiled on his face, and nodded at her again and again: "Well, there is one thing, my father heard others talk about it, daughter, don't be too careful, this is also a good thing, it's just, it's just ......"

"......" Zhou Pei politely tilted his head and stared at him with a blazing gaze.

"Father Emperor heard that you sent someone to the southwest earlier, daughter...... Zhou Yong shook his hands after saying this, "Daughter, don't be angry, Father has no other meaning, this is good...... Well, whatever the daughter does, the father will never interfere, never interfere, but the father has been thinking recently, if something is ...... If you want your father to cooperate, say it...... Father has to know in his heart, daughter, you ......"

Zhou Yong smiled and signaled to her, cautious and trembling. Zhou Pei stood there, looking at the middle-aged man in front of him, after being the emperor for ten years, he had uneven white hair on his head, and he already looked old, he was his own father, as an emperor he was not qualified, most of the time he was more like a loving father - in fact, before he was neither like an emperor nor like a loving father, in Jiangning City, he was just like a loser prince without cultivation and moderation. When did his conversion come from?

In the second year of Jianshuo, the Jurchen came south, he was chased to the sea, drifted for half a year, and after coming back, he gradually became a loving father. or the guilt of Jun Wu in his heart, or finally understand the preciousness of family affection. Zhou Pei and Jun Wu are gradually satisfied with such a father, even if they sit on the emperor's seat, what else can you ask of him.

But for some reason, at this moment in front of her, Zhou Pei suddenly felt disgust in her mind, which was an emotion she had never had. Even if this father is no longer on the throne, he is at least a loving father.

But at this moment, almost four months have been in the beginning of the war.

Lin'an still seems to be peaceful, the Jurchens have not yet crossed the Yangtze River, but only Zhou Pei understands that these days, on the road from the bank of the Yangtze River to the south, how many people have dragged their families and families to embark on wandering and migrating, how many people have lost their families and even their lives north of the Yangtze River, and what kind of atmosphere is there in the south bank of the Yangtze River.

And at this moment, Zhou Pei suddenly saw clearly the two words in the eyes of the smiling father in front of her, for many years, the meaning of these two words has been hanging in her father's eyes, but she only felt ordinary, only now, she suddenly realized all the meanings of these two words, in the blink of an eye, her back was cold, and the cold hairs on her whole body stood upside down.

Those two words are:

- Fear.