The wind was blowing, and Lu Anmin walked on the city wall, looking at the slight light coming from the distance to the south. In the night, he imagined how many people were waiting there and suffering.

His mood was in a mess. During this day, he had thoughts of losing all his thoughts. Fortunately, he had experienced great changes and did not jump and go down from the wall at this time. He just felt that Zezhou City in the dark night was like a prison.

It is hard to say how many of them are because of Li Shishi's plea that day. He has experienced a lot and has experienced the separation of his wife and children, and has long been the age of being confused by beauty. What really drove him to stand out in these days was the rationality and the last remaining literati benevolence, but he had never expected that he would encounter such a serious wall.

In such a chaotic world, every major movement of any force is a pure power struggle, which must include the rise and fall of power. This is the most intuitive thing. However, due to the loss of order, the power struggle at this time has long become simple and rough. Not only that, behind the simplicity and rudeness is a faster effect. As long as power can be used, as long as it can be used, no matter gold, silver, women, wealth and glory, it will be quickly realized within one or two days. It is no longer like the complicated relationship when the Wu Dynasty was still there. Even if one person falls, a thin camel can be bigger than a horse.

The army has a natural advantage here. So what if the sword is drawn out, the magistrate? He is just a scholar without any power.

A slap in the daytime knocked off the authority he had accumulated and would also allow those who depended on him to quickly leave and find a way out. In such a situation, with Sun Qi's tacit approval, it was difficult or even impossible to resist, and the other party didn't mind killing at all. Lu Anmin could only swallow his teeth and blood when he saw this, but the resentment and helplessness in his heart piled up more.

To deal with the black flag, clean up internal troubles, you can kill the wrong ones, and never let it go... To put it beautifully, in fact, who is not taking over his own power! Sun Qi took over Zezhou, and Zezhou will become his power in the future. Several groups of people in the Tiger King Dynasty: civil officials, royal relatives, and military generals. Except for a group of people with traces of civil officials who struggle to manage people's livelihood, who else knows how to govern the land and maintain the people?

In recent years, the royal relatives around the Tiger King have lived almost unscrupulously, living a good life of treating everything around as private property and plundering and killing at will. It is common for them to see the good things, and to see the girl who is close to her eyes and to be reborn in the mansion. There are extremely cruel people who will play the county town under the rule, and there is no one else to visit. It is not a strange thing to ask the ministers everywhere to respect them.

It is normal for generals with heavy troops to plunder and not manage them. Sun Qi participated in the early years of conquest of Xiao Canghe. The army was beaten by the black flag and howled. In the chaos of escape, he was even cut off one ear by the opponent's soldiers. Since then, he has been particularly cruel to the members of the black flag. There are many people who died at his hands, black flags or suspected black flags, and all died in miserable ways.

In the past two years, the news that the black flag spies were everywhere, he was valued and promoted all the way. This time, Zezhou was dominated by Sun Qi. He was harsh and ruthless, but in private he was also making a lot of personal gain. Raising soldiers requires money and food, and with soldiers, he could get out more money and food. Most of the troops in the past few years have been operating like this. However, after Lu Anmin had been in charge of several years, the rice was cut without regard for the consequences, and it was difficult for Zezhou City to be restored.

Now that a group of people die, the civilians may not be able to react. After these upper-class gentry die, there will be big problems in the operation of the city. The vacant power will lead to a big fight and another group of people die. At that time, Zezhou, which is used to war, will speak with force and gangsters. The entire Zezhou city will really become chaotic and collapse.

What can he do?

At this time, Zezhou City was like a prison for him. Seeing all this, he was powerless. However, when he saw the figure appearing on the city wall in the dark, Lu Anmin still smiled bitterly in his heart.

"Master of the State."

"You haven't seen each other for so many years, you are really... so powerful."

"Even when you are in the capital, Shishi can find some connections and can go up the city wall at night. Lord Lu, it is really not easy for you to run around these days. You have tried your best, don't..."

"Don't have anything more? Haha, I'm not for you, you are not the only one who cares about the people in this city, you... Haha, I was wrong, you actually don't care about the people in this city, I am the only one who cares about... Miss Shishi, come to comfort me, what do you want to know from me again?"

Looking at the woman wearing a thin cloak in front of her appeared in the dark, Lu Anmin was in a state of excitement for a moment, and his words were sarcastic. Shi Shi lowered his head slightly, and a trace of apology flashed in his eyes: "I... well... I just came to thank Lu Zhizhou..."

After saying this, she stood side by side with Lu Anmin and turned her head to look out of the city. Lu Anmin smiled and said, "Ha, you don't think that I want to jump into the city wall and come up to stop me."

Shishi lowered his head slightly and stopped talking. Lu Anmin looked bitter and was in a very upset mood. After a moment, he slowly calmed down in this silence. He didn't know whether the woman came over to use him or to prevent him from jumping from jumping to the city tower, but perhaps there were vague things between them, but he was willing to believe this in his heart.

The mountains in the distance and the shadows are shining, and the wind blowing is like the mountain talking in the distance. At some point, Lu Anmin shook his head and sighed: "People are not as good as peaceful dogs in troubled times. I am just... a gentleman stays away from the kitchen and hears his voice, and cannot bear to see him die. Even if he can understand some things, he will feel compassion. His family will be destroyed. This time, many people may not be able to react, so they will be destroyed and their families will be destroyed..."

"Master Lu, you have done your best."

"Try your best... I don't have the strength to do anything to those who are in the army, what's the effort..." He paused and said calmly, "Miss Li, be honest, do you have the intention to use me today? How long will it be?"

This sentence came out and the scene became quiet. Shishi was silent for a long time before finally looking up and looking at him: "...some."

Lu Anmin smiled and looked out of the city wall: "Do you feel good?"

"Most of the time is not good." Shishi replied, after a moment of time, adding, "It's not good to dream at night."

"Then...when did you join them?" Lu Anmin looked at her and pondered for a moment, "Is the one I mentioned really still alive?"

Shishi was quiet for a long time, watching the mountain wind whistling and whistling into the distance. There seemed to be someone talking in the distance of the city wall, and she spoke in a low voice: "In the fourteenth year of Jinghan, that man killed the emperor. When he decided to kill the emperor, I didn't know that everyone in the world thought that I had something to do with him. In fact, it was exaggeration. Some of this was my fault..."

The gentle voice was soaked in the wind: "I was doing that in the alum building. I was called a courtesan, but in fact I was just a business that accompanied people to see. I said that the scenery was also glorious, but there were actually not many things... At that time, there were a few friends I met in childhood. For me, it was extraordinary, but I was actually looking forward to it. This was really an extraordinary relationship."

"Ning Liheng is one of these. He is the most unusual person. I didn't know it at first. My friends are mostly minor officials in the capital and down-and-out scholars. Since Li Shishi is a courtesan in the capital and such an unusual friend, occasionally getting together with them can naturally help them a little... I have a utilitarian mind in my heart, but now I think about it, it's not pure. Now I think about it, it's because I'm young and ignorant and too arrogant."

"As for Liheng, he never needed my reputation. But since I asked him to invite him, he would occasionally go there. After a while, I gave this relationship to others. In fact, I may not be very special to him."

In the darkness, Lu Anmin frowned and listened, silent.

"...... When he was about to kill the emperor, he arranged to take away some related people. He was meticulous and had no choice but to do it. After knowing that he would be involved, I would be implicated, so I was counted. On the day of the regicide, I was also forcibly taken away from the Alum Tower. Later, I went to Xiaocang River in the northwest with him and lived for a while."

"I had been used to touching words at that time. He killed Emperor Jinghan because of the affairs of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion. These things are no longer taboos in the Central Plains. The Right Prime Minister was loyal to the country and had a clear heart. Emperor Jinghan was indignant, but I always thought that it was not necessary that you could kill the emperor in this way and rebel. What can you do if you are angry like this? I argued with him, but he did not give in."

A complex and nostalgic smile appeared on Shishi's face, and then he disappeared.

"In fact, with his temperament, he has thought about all kinds of emotions countless times in his heart. How could a superficial woman like me who is so obsessed with love and love all day long? This is a big thing in his heart. He will not give in to a woman. I was unable to persuade him, so I left Xiao Canghe. Under his arrangement, I went to Dali, and later took Fat to become a monk."

She spoke calmly, and Lu Anmin's emotions had actually calmed down. At this time, she said, "You chose to become a monk, maybe there is no reason for him, right?"

"Maybe." Shishi smiled, "All women admire heroes and heroes. They are like me who grew up in the alum building. They are considered to be the most popular among the people in the alum building. However, apart from killing the king, Ning Liheng's actions should be the most evaluating of the word "hero". I... have no close feelings for him, but I occasionally think that he is my friend, but I can't help him or persuade him, so I have to go to the temple to recite scriptures and pray for him, and redeem his sins. With such thoughts, it seems... it seems like we really have something to say."

"So... you finally chose to help him because he is indeed a hero."

Shishi shook his head, and a strong bitterness and sadness surged in her eyes. She closed her eyes and opened it, and her words were like a dream: "Later, the Northwest War, the Jurchens also went south, and the Jingping shame, he fought against Xixia in the northwest, and then resisted the Jurchens again. Three years of Xiaocanghe Battle, I was also shocked in Dali... The world was overthrown, and millions of people in Bianliang defended the city with a liar, and the Central Plains were defeated. Who has ever done this? He has barren cities in the northwest, resisted the siege of the world until his death..."

When she said this, she looked at Lu Anmin, and there seemed to be flames burning in her eyes. Lu Anmin couldn't help but nodded: "Yes, no one can do it."

In the three-year battle of Xiao Canghe, Xiao Canghe defeated Da Qi and attacked more than one million people. Even the elite Jurchens were invincible in front of the black flag. Although the news of spies left by Xiao Canghe later made all the forces in the Central Plains reluctant and miserable, as long as they talk about the names of Ning Yi and Black Flag, many people still have to give a thumbs up, sigh or be afraid, and have to accept it.

"After the battle of Xiaocanghe, the news of his death came, and I felt no peace in my heart. Sometimes I remembered the debate with him in Xiaocanghe. I... finally refused to believe that he was dead, so I went north. I met his wife in Tubo, but I never saw Ning Yi...."

She lowered her head, unable to see her expression in the darkness, but it can be imagined that it was probably bitter and complicated. It was only after so long that she could not hear anything in her tone: "They said to the inside that Liheng is not dead, but not many people know the truth or falsehood. I don't know. After leaving Tubo, they were worried about my safety and arranged for people to protect her. Haha, actually... they were just a trick to show the world."

"...I heard that there are one or two wives and concubines of the inner demon Ning Yi, who are very tough."

"Miss Tan'er..." Shishi smiled complicatedly: "Maybe he is indeed very powerful..."

She paused and passed for a moment, saying, "I was in a state of peace. I couldn't go back to Dali and pretended to recite scriptures. So I went north and the situation in the Central Plains that I saw on the way was even more difficult than before. Lord Lu, Ning Liheng was able to resist the world with the black flag, and even if he killed the emperor, he would not be moved by the infamy. What can I do with a woman? Do you think I will use you, Lord Lu, along the way... I have used everyone."

Shishi said the last sentence in a very difficult situation. Lu Anmin didn't know how to take it, but fortunately she spoke again.

"Even in this situation, there are still passionate people. I ask people to give food, do good deeds, and help them. After thinking about it carefully, I have never given anything. However, in this world, if you want to do good deeds, you will suffer a great loss. Lord Lu, you have done good deeds, maybe it is not because of me, but this great loss is indeed in front of me. I have taken advantage of it along the way... "

"So what? Lord Lu, what I asked for is not to get better overnight, and I can't do it either. I begged Lord Lu a few days ago, nor did I think that Lord Lu can save Zezhou or those dying refugees by taking action. But Lord Lu, since you have this status, you feel more compassion in your heart, and you may be able to save a few people and a few families... In the past few days, Lord Lu has been running back and forth, saying that he is powerless, but in fact, in these days, Lord Lu has punished dozens of cases. After all, the dozens of people saved are dozens of families, and hundreds of people have avoided the disaster by chance."

Shishi looked at Lu Anmin and smiled: "In such a chaotic world, they may suffer misfortune in the future, but we can naturally only save people one by one. Could it be that this is not considered kindness?"

Looking at the smile, Lu Anmin was stunned. After a moment, Shishi looked forward and stopped smiling.

"Along the way, I said I was saving people, but after all, I went with the kindness of others and the power of others. Sometimes, good people suffer bad luck. After the Puyang flood, I was proud and thought that I could finally do something. Later... someone was told to save people. In the end, the whole family was killed by the Jurchens. Lord Lu, is this sin on me or who? I never killed people with a knife myself, but let others go. I never saved people myself, but incited Lord Lu, I pretended to kowtow to you. In fact, kowtow was nothing. Lord Lu, I just wanted to... use you more..."

In the darkness, Shishi's figure wearing a cloak was like a silhouette. Lu Anmin looked at her with his head in front of her. After a long time, he finally laughed: "So, knowing that I'm on the wall, you're worried that I will jump down..."

Shishi was about to speak, Lu Anmin waved his hand: "Forget it, it doesn't matter whether you should clear or admit it now. In the current situation in the city, will the black flag behind you... take action?"

"I don't know, they just protect me and don't tell me anything else..." Shishi shook his head and said.

"That's right." Lu Anmin nodded, "But you may know some things, maybe you don't know. This time, the incident has affected far more than Zezhou, it is a big situation. The most important thing is that it is far more than the Tiger King involved..."

The wind was quiet at night, and the dim fire lights on the city walls were swaying in the wind, and she couldn't see anything clearly. The lights in the city extended and went out, and the lights were intertwined, and the crowd gathered together brightly and darkly. Lu Anmin said a lot on the top of the city. Shishi just listened quietly. When it was late at night, Lu Anmin stopped and bowed to Lu Anmin extremely heavy. This was not a woman's etiquette, but it seemed to have a special meaning at this time.

"Master Lu, you may be like this..." Shishi carefully considered the words and Lu Anmin waved her.

"Miss Shishi, don't say these words. If I die because of this, you will be somewhat uneasy, but you can only do this. This is the fact. Speaking of which, if you have such a dilemma, I think you are a good person, but because you are a good person, I hope that you will not have a dilemma. If you really just use others, you will be happier."

"Mr. Lu..."

Lu Anmin shook his head: "I don't know whether this is right or wrong. When Sun Qi comes, Zezhou will be in chaos. When the black flag comes, Zezhou will be in chaos. No matter how beautiful you are, Zezhou people will have no home after all, but... Miss Shishi, as I said at the beginning, there are not only you, a kind-hearted person in the world. You may only think about the lives of Zezhou, how many people will be saved, but I really hope that Zezhou will not be in chaos... Since you hope like this, there are actually some things that can be done after all..."

He figured out something during this conversation. Not long after, the two left the city wall. When they were only alone, Lu Anmin calmed down and thought about it carefully before realizing some things. Since he was slapped outside the lobby, Sun Qi could not have sent someone to stare at him, but he had been able to talk to Shishi on the city wall for so long... How far has this black flag penetrated the power system of the Tiger King?

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

In the same night, I don’t know how many people were acting mysteriously in the dark. The summer wind blew in the middle of the night, and the next morning, it was cloudy, and the day to kill the King Shitong was tomorrow. Early in the morning, in front of a broken courtyard in Ersong Hutong in the city, two people were squatting on the threshold on the roadside to eat noodles. One of these two was a middle-aged man about forty years old and the other was a young man in his twenties.

Both of them can be considered locals from Zezhou. The middle-aged man looked kind and sat a little more steady. His name was Zhan Wu. He was a carpenter with a reputation from far and near. He lived by carpenters who came to the neighbors and had a good reputation. As for the young man in his twenties, he looked a little ugly, with a sharp-mouthed and monkey-mouthed cheeks. His name was Fang Chengye. Although his name was a good person, he was a demon king who had a headache for nearby neighbors when he was young. Later, he moved away with his parents and was bandits. His parents passed away, so he returned to Zezhou a few years ago.

The early Demon King of the World is now a gangster. He is alone, fighting and even collecting protection fees nearby. However, with the spirit of a rabbit not eating grass by his nest, Fang Chengye will not make people angry and resentful in the nearby area. Even if some foreigners smash the ground, everyone will come to him.

He was having sex every day. Today, he probably saw Uncle Zhan Wu eating noodles at home and came to eat noodles. At this time, he brought a big bowl to eat at the door, and had no image. Zhan Wu squatted by the threshold, talking to him in a row.

This is the most common situation every day among tens of thousands of people in Zezhou, but what both sides say is probably the most unheard dialogue.

"...I have notified my brothers who have taken action to ensure that they are safe. As for the contact person who came suddenly, don't be impatient. The one who came this time is codenamed 'Black Sword'..."

"Gu..." Fang Chengye's noodles almost choked into his nostrils, "...Um... Su... what..."

"Maybe it is that one. If you want to meet, you are ready..."

The information leaked during the conversation made Fang Chengye particularly lose his composure. It took him a long time to recover. He suppressed his emotions and returned home. He was circling the gangsters like him in the dilapidated room. Most of them had no body and were barely in the house. He wanted to find some good things, but at this time he scratched his ears and faces and had no way to find them. It took him a long time to get a small package from under the wall tiles of the room. The inside was wrapped in a piece of bacon, mostly fat.

He was squirting nearby, so naturally some gangsters often came and went. Generally speaking, bacon should be hung in the kitchen and smoked and blasted, and it is easier to preserve, but everyone is not doing well. If it is hung out, the piece of meat would probably have been gone long ago. Fortunately, the life he buried was not long, and the bacon seemed to be of good quality.

He sneakily changed the bacon to a package. Fang Chengye put it in his arms, ate some food at noon, and went out to meet Zhan Wu, and was calling someone who asked Zhan Wu to do things. The two of them walked forward, Zhan Wu asked, what have you prepared this morning. Fang Chengye took out the bacon to show him.

"Uh..." Zhan Wuyi looked complicated, "This meat looks good, it's fat enough, but just take this one, isn't it a bit too... too strange?"

"If I don't take this, what else can I have? The family is coming and going by those people. What good things are there long ago. I have only this little left... I originally wanted to keep it for the New Year to give you some." Fang Chengye looked gangster, but after saying these expressions, he looked slightly solemn, "If the person who came is really that person, I... actually don't know what to take. Just like Uncle Zhan Wu, you said, it's just a courtesy. But in the past two years... if the teacher is gone... the courtesy to the master's wife is my filial piety..."

He rarely mentioned the word "teacher" in front of Zhan Wu, but every time he mentioned it, he was extremely respectful. This may be his very few respectful moments, and he was a little incoherent for a moment. Zhan Wu patted his shoulder: "We will be happy enough when we do things well. It's not important to bring things or not."

"That's right, of course things must be done well... But etiquette is also important..." Fang Chengye said inconsistently.

The two of them walked forward and arrived at an ordinary courtyard in the city. They knocked on the door. Someone came to open it. Then they said the code. They walked through the yard outside and entered the room inside. When they opened the door, there were three people in the room, one man and one woman talking at the table. Inside, there was a man reading a book. When he saw someone coming, he stood up.

Fang Chengye suddenly became confused and settled there. After Zhan Wu entered the door, he spoke as usual. When he saw the woman in black clothes and clear eyes at the head of the table, he vaguely guessed the other party's identity. He was also excited. But when he turned his head to look at Fang Chengye, he saw that the usually pointed mouth and monkey cheeks were all in a state of breath, and his eyes were red, and his expression was so solemn that he was going to fight to the death.

"Teacher..." the young man said, and then knelt down. The scholar inside had already come over and supported him.

"Brother Zhan Wu and Fang Houzi, what are you doing? I didn't kneel down before, so don't be pretentious."

The scholar greeted Zhan Wu. Zhan Wu was stunned and then gave a not-so-standard black flag military salute. He had a special identity in Zhu Ji. He had never seen the legendary boss at first, but later he had made great contributions and never met Ning Yi.

The scholar replied with a gift, then looked at Fang Chengye, opened his hand and hugged him, patted him on the back, and laughed: "Here is taller than before."

"Teacher, you are not dead..."

"I was said that I was not dead, but Wanyan Xiyin was watching it tightly. I was so bored that I went to Xixia with your watermelon master. This time I went to Xixia and went back in a big circle. It happened to be a good time to meet you. In fact, if there is something important, I don't have to worry about us."

Fang Chengye was in a high mood: "Teacher, don't worry, everything has been arranged. You and your master's wife only need to watch the show. Oh, it's not right... Teacher, I will introduce the situation to you and your master's wife. For this time, you two elders are in charge..."
To be continued...