The ladder was pushed up the wall, the bows and arrows were flying like locusts, the shouts were shaking the sky and the earth, and there was faint thunder in the dark clouds in the sky.←,

More than a month ago, a scene that happened in Bianliang City reappeared at the top of Taiyuan City.

After several months of siege, the Jurchen soldiers, who had gathered their strength, began to launch a general attack on Taiyuan City.

At this time, the food reserves in Taiyuan City were already stretched thin. At the end of the year, the food supply for the soldiers in the city was halved, and the food supply for the residents was halved. In the cold season, there was not enough wood and coal for heating, and the elderly and infirm

Many of the weak died of cold and starvation. It was already the early spring of Jinghan's fourteenth year. Although some food had been saved, no one expected that at this time, reinforcements had still not arrived.

Zong Wang came back to fight.

The city's news channel was blocked, and no one knew about the news in the capital. Zong Wang said that the Wu Dynasty surrendered and cut Taiyuan, so naturally everyone didn't believe it. On the day Zong Wang's army arrived, Li Pin and others who were in charge of logistics sent the soldiers guarding the city to

The food supply was restored to some extent, and they had several full meals in the past two days. Then, the fierce battle to defend the city began again.

After several months of siege, as the long cold winter passed, the will of Taiyuan City to defend the city has not dried up. During this period, the members of Zhuji, Cheng Zhouhai and others spared no effort in publicity and it worked. Both soldiers and generals

They knew that if Taiyuan was destroyed, what awaited them would be an inhumane massacre.

On the other hand, since Zong Wang has withdrawn his troops from the south, it also means that the war in the south has come to an end, and reinforcements from the imperial court will finally arrive soon.

On the sixth day of February, the spring rain fell within the confines of Taiyuan City, and the bone-deep chill enveloped the area. The fighting on the city top had not stopped, but for Qin Shaohe, Li Pin, Cheng Zhouhai and others who participated in the defense of the city at this time,

For people, there is also a warmth of hope in their hearts.

That afternoon, as the rain intensified, they sent out their elite personal guards to break out and seek help in areas where the Jurchens' defenses had been neglected and weak.

At the same moment, the news that the Jurchens were attacking Taiyuan again was spreading to the south through different channels at the fastest speed.

The first person to receive the news, in addition to the remaining forces in various state capitals, was Wu Sheng's army heading north under the command of Chen Yanshu. At this time, the snow in the south was gradually melting, and tens of thousands of cobbled-together troops hurried north.

, due to the cold weather and inefficient organization, the army's speed was less than half that of the Jurchens heading north. At this time, they had only reached one-third of the way.

After receiving the news that the Jurchens had launched an attack on Taiyuan, Chen Yanshu was almost in a state of collapse.

He has been leading the army for several years. He was originally a civil servant, but later gained the reputation of being both civil and military. He understands changes and is good at balancing. Speaking of bloodiness, he is not without it. However, the record of Zongwang's army going south has made him clearly realize it.

Reality.

Originally, the Jurchens were so powerful that no one could beat them. He was just one of these generals. However, Bianliang's tenacious resistance, coupled with Wurui Battalion's record in Xia Village, made them all seem to have become victims of crime.

As he led his troops north, the superiors wanted him to make up for his past mistakes. Chen Yanshu also had hope in his heart that if the Jurchens left without attacking Taiyuan, he might be able to regain some reputation and face.

That night, he ordered his soldiers to speed up the march. It is said that Chen Yanshu, who was riding a horse, pulled out his sword several times. He seemed to want to kill himself, but in the end he did not do so.

Wu Shengjun's reaction after receiving the news was turned into a letter asking for help, and he quickly came south.

"...The Jurchens are ferocious and powerful. Our troops will work together and fight with all our lives...I hope the imperial court will send reinforcements quickly..."

The messengers belonging to various forces worked hard, and the news spread. From Taiyuan to Bianliang, the straight-line distance was nearly a thousand miles. Coupled with the spread of the war, the post station was not fully operational, and the snow was only half melted. On the night of the seventh day of February, the Jurchens

The first round of news that there seemed to be an intention to attack the city reached Bianliang City.

On the eighth day of February, all kinds of news came flooding in to Bianliang.

There is no longer any chance of luck, and it has become a fact that the Jurchens stormed Taiyuan.

On the upper floor of the court, various dignitaries hurriedly entered the palace. The atmosphere was so tense that it was almost frozen, but the atmosphere among the people was still normal. Ning Yi was waiting for feedback from the court in the Bamboo Notes. He naturally knew that as soon as there was news about the Jurchen attack on Taiyuan

When the news came, Qin Siyuan would gather the officials who could persuade him again to make another remonstrance.

Time does not wait, the army must be dispatched.

Including Tang Ke, Wu Min and other peace advocates, they also stood on the side that advocated sending troops during this remonstration. In addition to them, a large number of high-ranking officials in the court, or originally idle officials, were on the right.

Under the operation of the Prime Minister's Mansion, he handed over the coupons. In more than a month, Ning Yi sent out an unknown amount of silver, and almost emptied the wealth of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, including Zhu Ji, level by level.

It is to promote this troop dispatch.

It is estimated that in the few days since the Jurchens arrived in Taiyuan, people have been coming and going inside and outside Zhuji. A famous shopkeeper and lobbyist played by the deacon went out to send money, treasures, and promised all kinds of things.

The advantage is that it also cooperates with Yao Zunian and others to send gifts to more noble places.

At the same time, all kinds of propaganda in the city have not stopped. At this time, the temperature has reached the extreme. Once the court decides to send troops, the news about the Jurchens attacking Taiyuan will be spread out in accordance with the pace of sending troops, inciting the will to fight.

If the court still hesitates, Ning Yi and others are already considering the possibility of using the people's support to counteract the political will. Of course, he does not want to mess with such a taboo matter until the last moment.

It was already afternoon in the blink of an eye. Ning Yi stood at the window on the second floor and looked into the courtyard, holding a cup of tea in his hand. He only wanted to quench his thirst, so he used a big cup. After standing for a long time, the tea became colder, Juaner

Coming over to give him a drink, Ning Yi waved his hand.

"Are you worried about Taiyuan?" Juaner asked in a low voice from the side.

"A little bit." After Ning Yi finished speaking, he shook his head slightly, "But mainly not."

"Um?"

"The situation in Taiyuan is clear. The fight is already underway. There is no point in worrying." Ning Yi glanced slightly to the north, "The situation in Beijing is the problem. It seems quite clear, but I always feel in my heart

Something happened."

"I heard from several gentlemen that even if we really fail to send troops to Taiyuan, the prime minister's resignation has been rejected by His Majesty several times, which shows that his holy family is prosperous. Even if the worst happens, as long as we can train the soldiers of Xiacun according to the routine

, there may not be no hope of another comeback. Moreover...most of the princes in the court are inclined to send troops this time, and the possibility of His Majesty accepting it is still very high." After Juan'er said this, she pursed her lips again, "Well. They said

of."

Ning Yi glanced at her and laughed. After a moment, he nodded: "It's just some of my wild thoughts that there may be something going on behind the scenes. Even I didn't see it clearly. Rationally speaking, we should do what we should do step by step.

Everything has been done, and the feedback is pretty good... Just wait for the news. The outside of the city is also ready. If everything goes well, the troops will be dispatched in just two or three days. Of course, before the troops are dispatched, His Majesty may have a review."

He paused: "The incident in Taiyuan is the end of this battle. After it passes, it will be a bigger undertaking. By then, the Prime Minister's Mansion and Zhu Ji will probably be different in scale and nature. By the way, Juan

Son, tell me frankly, did you find anyone you liked in Xia Cun this time?"

After he spoke, the topic suddenly changed. Juan'er was stunned, her face turned red for a while, then turned pale again. After hesitating like this for a while, Ning Yi laughed: "Come here. Look downstairs."

He pointed to the courtyard downstairs, where figures were passing by from time to time. In the spring afternoon, the sound of people seemed noisy and lively.

"The people in Xia Village, or they, if nothing unexpected happens, will probably become important players in the future. Because the next few years, more than ten years, may be spent in war. If this country can live up to its expectations, they will

They can ride on the wind and rise, but if they fail to live up to their expectations in the end, they...maybe able to live a life of praise and tears."

"W-fight?" Juan'er stared.

"Well." Ning Yi watched for a while, then turned around and walked back to the desk, putting down the tea cup, "The Jurchens' journey south is just the beginning, not the end. If your ears are sharp enough, you can already hear the impassioned melody.

"

He smiled and looked at Juan'er, who was a little confused: "Of course, it's just a talk. Juan'er, you don't have to listen to this. However, at this time, it may not be easy for people to live a good life. If there is

The person you like..."

The room fell silent, and he finally stopped talking.

After Juan'er left the room, Ning Yi sat back at his desk, looked at some forms on the wall and the information collected on hand, and continued to figure out what was going to happen next. Occasionally, someone came up to pass on information, but they were all insignificant.

The internal decision was undecided, and they might still be arguing. Until around Shenshi, there was a little chaos below. Someone ran in quickly, knocked down the staff below, and then ran up again. Ning Yi listened to these sounds in the room

It should be understood that by the time the man ran to the door to knock on the door, Ning Yi had already reached out and opened the door.

That was a steward in charge of palace news.

"What's wrong?"

"Receive, received a message..."

Ning Yi frowned, and the steward took a step closer and whispered a few words in his ear. Ning Yi's face changed slightly.

"Really? Didn't you say anything over there?"

The other party shook his head: "I returned everything..."

"Has the news reached the prime minister's house?"

"It has been passed, but the Prime Minister is still discussing matters in the palace. The Prime Minister's Mansion should also pass the news to the palace."

"...I knew there was a problem, but I didn't expect it to be of this level."

Ning Yi murmured something in a low voice, but the steward didn't hear clearly: "...what?"

"It's nothing. Keep looking for people to visit until he picks you up. Check the people around you who have any relationship with him and ask them to be lobbyists... No, don't just invite people, lest the matter expands and alerts the snake... You need to find someone reliable.

people……"

He hurriedly made a few responses, and the steward nodded in agreement and left in a hurry.

Ning Yi stood in the room for a moment.

Before Tong Guan met him, he felt a little uneasy in his heart. However, Qin Siyuan's rejection of his resignation made him suppress his uneasiness. Only then did the uneasiness finally emerge.

He predicted what kind of melody it would be like in the future, but he never expected that it would develop like this.

No matter what, it made him feel a little ridiculous.

…

In the palace, the proceedings came to an end, and the ministers took a short rest in the side hall on the side of Chuigong Hall. During this period, everyone was still noisy and debating endlessly.

Qin Siyuan stood aside and talked to someone. Then, an official came in a hurry and whispered a few words in his ear.

The old man was stunned for a moment, stood there and blinked.

After a long time, he digested the situation, gathered his mind, and returned his attention to the discussion in front of him.
To be continued...