"I was wondering..." Yao Ran looked at Chang Sui Ning and said, "If the general hadn't stopped him today, would the 60,000 prisoners of war really have been taken away by them and killed in the name of offering sacrifices to heaven?"
Although she was asking "Do you really know how to do it?", there was no doubt in her tone.
The answer is yes. In fact, prisoners have been sacrificed and killed in Luoyang City.
"I'm still thinking, Commander Xiao is still leading people to provide disaster relief. The general stayed up all night last night for the people in nearby villages and towns. Governor Hu and the generals have been busy with the flood. Yesterday, Governor Hu saved two children.
They were almost washed away by the flood. Even if they had responded early, they could only reduce the casualties, but they could not avoid it. People were still dying every day in nearby states and counties..." Yao Ran's words were a little confusing, and she didn't know when her eyes turned red.
: "And Governor Cui..."
Governor Cui said that he had an old acquaintance in Xingyang who knew how to control water. As early as the day before yesterday, Governor Cui took this person with him and set out from Luoyang to the Yellow River to dredge and check the condition of the dams in important river sections.
Floods in the Yellow River occur frequently, and once they break out, they cannot be prevented by manpower. It is not difficult to imagine the danger of Cui Dadu and his team's trip.
Natural disasters are cruel and ruthless, but what she saw was that everyone worked together to fight against the natural disasters and tried every means to save people.
This made her once think that this is how the world should be when faced with disasters.
But this morning she suddenly heard that people in Luoyang were killing people to sacrifice to heaven.
It was not enough to kill those people, but they also had to take away all 60,000 prisoners!
In the name of offering sacrifices to heaven and "saving the world", he commits murderous acts.
It turns out that just one word of "quelling the wrath of heaven" can wipe out 60,000 living lives?
But these more than 60,000 lives were saved by her general's long-term planning. The general said that Bianshui was chosen to stop the war and minimize the casualties on both sides.
But all the plans and efforts can be completely destroyed by the fluttering words "Sacrifice to Heaven".
She clearly did not witness the sacrifice to heaven in Luoyang City, but this method of killing made her tremble and frightened several times, a hundred times, a thousand times more than when she was on the Bianshui battlefield that day.
She had also heard about human sacrifice, but at that time it was just a distant rumor, but this time it was different. Those people had clear faces and voices. She felt their anger and fear, so she
She also had fear. After being frightened, she started to think, and then she had even greater fear.
She couldn't describe her feelings in detail. She was afraid, and she also felt confused about how to distinguish between good and evil enemies. For example, in the past, she simply believed that only people like Xu Zhengye were the real enemies.
She decided to come and follow Chang Sui Ning, thinking that she had seen a new world, but now it seems that what she thought at that time was naive. She thought that if there was one more of her, she would always be able to fight against those bastard villains who were causing trouble in this world.
More power.
But today she suddenly realized that someone could take away more than 60,000 lives at once, or even more, and they didn't need to use the knife themselves to kill, they only needed a word, a word that no one could verify as true or false.
She couldn't help but think more, if she could kill prisoners of war today, would she be able to kill refugees tomorrow, and what about the next day? Anyway, whether he was guilty or not, all he needed was "to offend the power of heaven" that no one could prove true or false, right?
These are just the words of Luoyang officials and Li Xian. The general can still stop him today. If someone from a higher position gives the order, if he uses a more high-sounding rhetoric, frame-up, slander, anything is fine, as long as it can be used to kill people.
In the name of... At that time, who can save those people whose life and death are decided?
And at a time like this, does it make sense to have one more of her and one less of her? Or, one day, will she face the same situation as these prisoners of war today?
She didn't think it was because she thought too much. On the contrary, it was because she had seen too little, knew and thought too little before, so she was severely shocked when she suddenly faced these existences outside of her cognition.
Yao Ran was overwhelmed by the overwhelming unknown and confusion. What he had seen since childhood, what he had learned in his boudoir, and what he had learned from Buddhist scriptures were all shaken tremendously at this moment.
She even couldn't help but ask: "Is this world...the way it originally was?"
It seemed like the first day she came into this world.
"When Pangu opened the world, there was no order in this world. The order and etiquette that exists today are all determined by humans." Chang Suining looked at Yao Ran and said: "In my opinion, this world does not have its original appearance. Even if it does, it is not what it was originally.
unimportant."
Yao Ran was stunned, then what is important?
She saw the girl sitting there with her hair in a bun, and said to her with an expression that seemed to have never been confused: "It doesn't matter what the world looks like, it's what you want it to look like that matters."
In Chang Suining's view, many times, the so-called right and wrong of etiquette, law and order in this world are mostly just a means for those who control the discourse to get what they want and control people's hearts.
And she will not let herself be constrained by other people's means, so she often says that she has no moral bottom line in her actions. Only what she wants the world to be like in her heart is her way and the way she wants to abide by.
She is always determined, so she is never at a loss.
"What I want it to be like..." Yao Ran fell into even greater confusion, "Can I do it?"
Chang Suining smiled at her: "At least you can give it a try. Everyone can give it a try. Even if it's just a slight change, if a spark connects, it can start a prairie fire."
How to try it?
Yao Ran wanted to ask, but almost at the same moment, she had the answer in her mind.
She thought of the situation today when Chang Sui Ning blocked those people.
The reason why the general can make those people retreat is because she is now General Ningyuan, the General Ningyuan who killed Xu Zhengye, and the General Ningyuan who is respected by the people.
Military exploits, prestige, and admiration all gave the general the power that belonged to her.
She got it.
Yao Ran slowly tightened his fingers: "General, power is great."
This sentence was straightforward and shallow, but it was the only thing that could clearly express what was touching her heart at this moment.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! Power is great. With it, you can kill people and save people. It can make people fear you, but it can also make people look up to you.
Chang Suining: "So since ancient times, everyone has been fighting for power."
Women compete for the power to head the family, while men compete for power in the world. In comparison, most of the former have no chance to understand what power is in the true sense.
Most of them are kept in captivity and fight for a piece of snack crumbs thrown by the owner of the house, but they don't know that there is a real gluttonous feast in this world that makes people eager to die.
Anyone who has experienced the true taste of power cannot help but be moved by it.
Yao Ran felt that his heart was moved.
This kind of heartbeat made her panic, and also caused indescribable surges and excitement in her bones and blood. She was approaching this sea of power for the first time. It was vast, terrifying, thrilling, and people couldn't help but want to seize it.
She seemed to be suddenly in the midst of turbulent waves. The surroundings were as dark and treacherous as an abyss, and she could not see the edge. She could only see a small boat and a solitary lamp on the sea, guiding her.
She looked at the "lone lantern" and couldn't help but ask: "General, is all the desire for power just ambition?"
"Yes." Chang Sui Ning said: "But there is nothing wrong with ambition. It is just one of human nature. It just depends on how you accept it, control it, and make good use of it."
Yao Ran's eyes brightened slightly.
Therefore, ambition is not a fault, everyone has it, everyone can have it, and women are no exception.
She looked at Chang Suining: "The general used it very well. Fortunately today, the general has compassion."
But Chang Suining shook his head: "I'm not just out of compassion. I also have something in common with Li Xian and the others. I also have my own pros and cons. Keeping these prisoners of war has many benefits for me. Among these benefits, even
Continue and expand the power of your mouth.”
She taught Yao Ran that he could use power to do "good things" and change the world, but she also wanted Yao Ran to understand that power is complicated and that it is a knife. If only the word compassion is used to measure whether it is used "well"
"If you regard the word compassion as the criterion for everything, one day the blade will definitely pierce you.
She couldn't let Yao Ran go from the innocence of knowing nothing to another, more deadly innocence.
Yao Ran couldn't help but lose consciousness for a moment as he looked at the girl who was not afraid of showing her ambition to expand her power.
The girl in the crow-green round-neck robe was sitting cross-legged, with her dark hair disheveled. As for her appearance, that didn't matter...she had something even more eye-catching.
Yao Ran couldn't describe what a breathtaking aura it was. She was stunned for a while and then said: "Thank you, General, for your teaching. I have remembered it all."
"Then go and change." Chang Sui Ning said, "Then help me sort out these official documents and letters."
Xiao Min was not in the camp, so all the military affairs that had been backlogged for several days needed to be handled by Chang Sui Ning. In fact, when Xiao Min was around, he was used to discussing important matters with Chang Sui Ning and asking her for her opinion.
Yao Ran nodded in agreement and hurriedly walked behind the screen.
The excitement brought to her by the first introduction to the word power has not subsided, and her heartbeat is still fast. She is thinking chaotically, as a lieutenant colonel in the army, she can lead hundreds of people; if she is a county magistrate, she can lead a county; if she is a county magistrate, she can lead a county;
As a general of an army, he can lead 12,500 people; the general is now a fifth-grade Ningyuan general, and he can still protect these 60,000 prisoners of war today...
Thinking of this, she subconsciously looked back at the girl who was sitting cross-legged and had already begun to handle official duties. A voice suddenly came to her mind, what if she could be the king of a country?
As soon as this idea came up, Yao Ran was shocked.
She arrived behind the screen a few steps faster and couldn't help but raise her hand to touch her forehead.
As soon as she took one step, she went crazy and had the thought of killing the Nine Clan.
Chang Sui Ning was looking through official documents and suddenly found a letter addressed to her alone.
It's a letter from Xuanzhou, or rather a reply.
Long before she came to Bianzhou, she had someone send a letter back to Xuanzhou, hoping to take away the people she had stored in the secret room in the mansion of Princess Xuan'an.
This letter was written by the eldest princess Xuan'an. The letter stated that someone had already sent it to her, and it also included two other people as gifts.
When replying to the letter, no one expected that floods would suddenly occur in the Bianzhou area, and as soon as the reply arrived, people should arrive one after another. At this moment, listening to the noisy rain outside the tent, Chang Sui Ning couldn't help but feel a little worried.
She immediately sent someone to Changsuiren, but she heard that he had not returned to camp yet. Changsui Ning thought about it and asked He Wuhu to come over, telling him to bring someone to pick him up, and repeatedly told him to be more careful on the road.
"Don't worry, General, I'll take care of this matter!"
When He Wuhu received the errand specially sent by the general for the first time, his eyes were bright and full of energy. When he came out of the tent, six tigers, seven tigers and others wearing raincoats came to greet him.
"Brother, what did the general say to you alone?"
"Brother, why are you panicking?"
"...Nonsense, why am I panicking!" He Wuhu glared over: "I'm so calm now!"
When running errands for the general, you must be calm. Only by being calm can you accomplish great things!
"..." Liuhu and others did not refute, but only asked what the general said.
He Wuhu lowered his voice: "The general asked me to take people to pick up her brother!"
"Which brother, do you want to kiss me?"
If it's a kiss, then this job will be worth a lot of money!
We have not yet been able to completely abandon the gangster mentality.
He Wuhu: "Dear! That's my half-brother!"
Chang Suining is the adopted daughter of Chang Kuo, and this matter has never been a secret.
She and Chang Sui'an have different fathers and mothers, but everyone generally feels that this does not conflict with the fact that the two are biological siblings.
He Wuhu and others quickly prepared everything, left the military camp with the route map given by Chang Sui Ning, and headed southwest.
Soon after they left, Chang Suining thought for a while, and in order to prevent Li Xian and others from having other thoughts and hurting the innocent, he sent another letter to Luoyang. Although Cui Jing was not in Luoyang, Lieutenant General Yu and the others were still there.
…
Soon, in Luoyang City, Li Xian and others learned the news that Chang Sui Ning Wei had allowed He Shan to take away the prisoners of war.
"...This woman's actions are completely unreasonable!" A steward of Luoyang Palace who advocated the matter of worshiping heaven together with Li Xian said in a sharp voice: "General Li Xian does not need to pay attention to this person. If she stops him
, we can just send troops there!"
Li Xian smiled: "Cui Dadu is now leading people to manage and inspect the waters of the Yellow River. He is not in Luoyang City. If there is a conflict with General Ningyuan over this matter, I am afraid that I may not be able to send many troops."
Although Cui Jing is not here, the Xuance troops are still acting in accordance with Cui Jing's instructions, conducting daily inspections, providing disaster relief, and assisting the Luoyang government in distributing disaster food.
In addition, if the only person Xuance's army could use to listen to his orders was to suppress the Luoyang nobles who had colluded with Xu Zhengye, that was because this was a clear imperial edict and could not be disobeyed.
As for other uses, those people really wouldn't care about him, so why should he look for trouble?
What's more, he suspected that Xuance Army had obtained other instructions from Cui Jing and was monitoring his every move.
For example, in the past two days, they had no prisoners of war to kill, so they replaced them with serious prisoners in Luoyang Prison. But as of yesterday, all the prisoners who could be killed had been killed. They tried to arrest the beggars and refugees for backup, but they were blocked.
Lieutenant General Yu "dissuaded" him by coincidence.
And even if we put aside the issue of Xuance's army, at this juncture, how could he send troops there just for the sake of Chang Sui rather than release the prisoners of war?
In his heart, Li Xian sneered at the superficial and ignorant words of the chamberlain.
Who is Chang Sui Ning now? He was a hero who decided the world in one battle and was known to the whole world as a great hero.
It is normal for such a great hero to be arrogant and arrogant based on his achievements.
Why should he contend with such an arrogant person who is in the limelight and winning the hearts of the people?
I just don’t know whether this arrogant young general is really stupid or pretending to be stupid? Doesn’t she know that this matter is related to the saint? If she knew the seriousness of it, why did she dare to act like this?
But no matter whether the other party is really stupid or fake, he must truthfully report this matter to the saint.
There was no anger on Li Xian's face at being humiliated, and he could only ask the subordinate who came back from the message in an orderly manner what Xiao Min's attitude was.
Hearing that Xiao Min was going around to provide disaster relief but could not see him yet, Li Xian said: "In this case, it is difficult to achieve results within three to five days, so let's just let He Shan and the others come back."
As for He Shanzhong's arrow and the other party's unreasonable obstruction of his actions...he would just write down this account for the time being.
"That's it?" The chief chamberlain stood up and said, "How can we stop? The heaven-sacrifice array has been opened and the rain has not stopped, how can we stop it!"
"Yes, General Li..." Some officials also frowned: "If the ritual of worshiping heaven is interrupted, how will we explain to the people?"
They claimed that the natural disaster was caused by the failure of Xu Zhengfei's evildoings to be wiped out. They wanted to sacrifice the remnants of Xu's family to pray for the rain to stop. If they stopped it without authorization, wouldn't it be equivalent to a slap in the face?
The loss of their face is second only to the fact that if this happens, the rumors against Fengxian Palace and the saints will come back again.
"General Li, until the rain stops, the sacrifices to the sky cannot be stopped..."
Some officials even suggested: "Otherwise... let's discuss with General Ningyuan. Instead of all the prisoners of war, let her release 10,000, no, thousands of prisoners of war to complete the sacrifice to heaven with us. How about that?"
There is no way, this woman is arrogant and arrogant, but she is still a figure at the moment, and no one is taking the lead to support her. It is really hard for them to offend each other.
"She probably won't give in, so why bother trying to deal with her anymore." Li Xian said with a smile: "It's not just the prisoners of war who can be used by Xu Zheng's party members to sacrifice to heaven."
"General Li means..."
Li Xian looked at the rain curtain outside the hall: "Isn't the most indispensable thing in Luoyang city none other than the remnants of the traitor Xu?"
He sighed: "If you can't kill lowly prisoners of war, then let's try the scholars. They always think they are superior. Killing one of them to get rid of the crime, I think it can be worth ten people and a hundred people."
Li Xian decided to advance the plan.
This flood allowed his plan to wipe out the nobles in Luoyang to proceed more smoothly. In the current flood, those nobles who were aware of the danger had no chance to let a large number of tribesmen leave Luoyang.
Furthermore, most of them still hold on to luck and stubbornness, believing that the imperial court dare not seriously kill them. Since the incident of the Pei family and the Changsun family, due to the gentry's massive counterattack, the court and the political power everywhere
The turmoil is getting worse day by day, and chaos has begun in the world. With such a price and crisis, does the empress really dare to go her own way without caring about it?
But they underestimated the empress' determination.
Moreover, passed down from generation to generation, their wealthy and stable life had been living for so long that they could not imagine that everything they owned could be overturned overnight. It turned out to be such an easy thing.
Those soldiers wearing armor easily broke through their high-ranking family.
When they glared angrily and waved their sleeves, those long knives easily pierced their bodies full of knowledge.
Li Xian took the confession he had obtained, and day after day, in the endless rain, he led his army to destroy the mansions of Luoyang aristocratic families one after another.