Autumn winds had begun to blow.

Central China, Weisheng.

In the Tiger King's villa, a grand banquet was in full swing. Lights blazed, cups clinked, and a group of ministers and generals, emboldened by the occasion, began to indulge themselves before the Tiger King. As they fondled the serving girls, Yu Yulin emerged from the main hall with a small flask of wine.

Outside the hall were beautiful pavilions and waterside gazebos. Lanterns illuminated the long corridors built over the water. He walked along the corridor, past the lake, into a garden dominated by artificial hills and winding paths, encircling the lakeside in a beautiful, intricate design. Nearby guards stood at intervals of three and five steps, some looking languid, but all snapping to attention as Yu Yulin approached.

He walked a short distance further to a secluded, waterside pavilion. As he drew closer, he faintly heard a languid tune being hummed, a melody from Jiangnan, the soft, Wu dialect unintelligible. Yu Yulin rounded the rocks outside, and there, on a long chair by the water, sat a woman in a grey robe, leaning against a pillar, idly swinging a jade flask filled with wine in her hand, seemingly a little drunk.

In recent years, there was only one woman who could wear men's robes and wander freely around the Tiger King's residence. Hearing Yu Yulin's footsteps, Lou Shuwan turned her head, saw him, then turned away again, continuing her tune.

"Miss Lou has a good mood," Yu Yulin said.

"…General Yu is the one with the good mood." After humming a few notes, Lou Shuwan stopped and replied, "The Tiger King has provided delicacies and beauties. General Yu is not tempted."

"The outside world may be harsh, but delicacies and beauties are ours to command. But you, Miss Lou, now that Ning the Fiend is dead, I didn't expect you to be so happy."

"Hmph," Lou Shuwan chuckled, looking down.

"Or perhaps Miss Lou knows he's not dead, and that's why you're so indifferent?"

"Hmph." She chuckled again, then looked up. "General Yu, aren't you bored? Are you still a child?"

Yu Yulin smiled at her, then his smile faded. He opened his mouth, but at first, no sound came out. "…It's just that in recent years, we've been fighting so hard, and then something like this happens. I find it hard to believe. Miss Lou, you are wise and resourceful, and you were most concerned about Ning the Fiend. I think he might not be dead, and I wanted to discuss it with you."

Lou Shuwan looked at the lake. "Whether he lives or dies, I care, but I'm not a god. I haven't been to the battlefield, haven't seen his head. How can I say? You once said that the battlefield is ever-changing. General Yu, if you were to suddenly die one day, I wouldn't be surprised. If he really is dead, what's so strange about that? His death is a blessing for the world. These past few years, the people have suffered… not for him, but for whom… and yet…"

Lou Shuwan's voice grew softer as she spoke, then trailed off. Yu Yulin sighed softly. The night wind blew, shrouding the pavilion in silence.

Indeed, these past few years, the people have suffered – these few words summarized the state of Central China. The war with Xiaocang River and the Northwest had lasted so long, and its intensity was so great, that no one had foreseen it three years ago. For three years, to support this "Western Expedition," the manpower and resources of the entire Great Qi territory had been mobilized.

Under the pressure of the Jurchens, Emperor Liu Yu's actions were the most extreme. He conscripted troops on an unprecedented scale, oppressing the lower classes. Within three years, most of the people of Central China were barely able to survive. These areas had already exhausted their resources after the three Jurchen invasions. Now, under the oppression of Liu Yu's regime, there were widespread famines and cannibalism every year. Most of the grain was requisitioned for military supplies, and only those who joined the army or helped the government could get some food in this harsh environment.

Some areas not directly managed by Liu Yu were slightly better off. The Tiger King's territory was one of the best. On the one hand, he emphasized the role of commerce. After surrendering to the Jurchens, Tian Hu's forces maintained trade relations with them, making small subsidies. On the other hand, the alliance formed by Lou Shuwan, Yu Yulin, Tian Shi and others first cordoned off large numbers of manors in the form of military control, and even entire counties as restricted areas, strictly prohibiting the movement of people. Therefore, although many refugees were starved or killed outside the Tiger King's sphere of influence, this approach maintained a certain order of production and ensured a certain combat effectiveness of the soldiers. The Tiger King's forces used this advantage to attract talents and became a place of considerable superiority in this chaotic world.

Even so, life was still very difficult compared to peaceful times.

It must be admitted that the main contributor to the emergence and implementation of this series of measures was Lou Shuwan. After referring to many of Ning Yi's actions, she combined them with her feminine sensitivity and used Yu Yulin and Tian Hu's nephew, Tian Shi, as allies to offer advice to the higher-ups.

Under the pressure of the powerful Jurchens and Liu Yu's leadership of the Great Qi, Tian Hu also increasingly realized the benefits of having such a "housekeeper." Therefore, although the areas governed by Tian's undisciplined relatives were still corrupt and the people were still living in misery, he still gave Yu Yulin, Lou Shuwan and others a lot of power and protection. He set aside several places with strict governance to increase production and support the operation of the entire territory. Within Tian Hu's forces, after Lou Shuwan became more and more important, she was granted the position of Censor, specializing in impeaching others to balance her relationship with others.

In such a gap, Lou Shuwan often fired cannons everywhere in the court. Today, she impeached this person for embezzlement, and tomorrow, she impeached that person for forming cliques for private gain - in any case, she was sure to impeach one accurately - and after the relationships became increasingly stinky, she has indeed become one of the most important "powerful ministers" under the Tiger King.

In the three years of the great war, Yu Yulin finally avoided the misfortune of rushing to the front line, thanks to his alliance with Lou Shuwan. However, even in the rear, he knew the hardships of those difficult days, and he was well aware of the tragic nature of the great war at the front. In these three years, millions of troops were continuously poured into that bottomless pit. Although there were no detailed statistics, the number of troops who never returned was more than one million.

The generals and soldiers who were sent to that death - not only those under Tian Hu, but even those under Liu Yu - few really wanted to go. Once on the battlefield, they all wanted to avoid it. However, they could not avoid the supervision of the Jurchens, nor could they avoid the Black Flag Army's surprise attacks. Over the years, the number of important figures who died at the hands of the Black Flag Army was more than just Ji Wenkang under Liu Yu. Liu Yu's own brother, Liu Yi, begged bitterly before his death, but in the end, he could not avoid the head-on blow.

Among the troops sent out by Tian Hu, Wang Yuan and Sun An led their troops into the mountains, initially with the idea of retreating when they met the enemy. However, they were buried alive in a mountain valley by a round of artillery from the Black Flag Army across the mountain stream. Wang Yuan and Sun An never came out again. General Wu Neng returned dying. He couldn't even speak when he saw his family for the last time. Ling Guang, Fan Yuming and others were scattered after being attacked, and their bones were never recovered after they died in the mountains…

When he saw Ning Yi in Mount Lvliang, he just thought that he was indeed a powerful figure, and it was remarkable that a merchant could reach this level. But during these three years of war, Yu Yulin really understood what kind of person he was. Killing the emperor and Lou Shi was nothing. Wang Yuan, Sun An, Ji Wenkang, Liu Yi and others were not worth mentioning. The other party held back millions of people who were rampaging, chased famous generals like Zhe Keqiu into a desperate escape, and directly beheaded the captured general Ci Bushi on the city of Yanzhou, and would never negotiate peace with the Jurchens. That was no longer something that could be summarized by "powerful figure."

The entire Central China, all those who fought against him, were dragged into the quagmire by him. No one was spared.

Yu Yulin even once felt that the whole world would be drowned by him.

But suddenly one day, it was said that he was dead. Although he didn't think it was impossible, some thoughts couldn't be let go after all.

"I… after all, I don't believe that he has no backup plans. To die suddenly, after all…"

After a moment of silence, Yu Yulin spoke again. Lou Shuwan, opposite him, always looked at the lake. Suddenly, she moved the wine flask and raised her eyes slightly. "I don't believe it either."

Her tone was not high. After a pause, she opened her mouth softly again. "Backup plans… holding back millions of people, fighting a three-year war, not taking a step back, what is it for? Just for that one breath? I can't figure it out… Ning Liheng plans ten steps ahead. He said that he would eventually find it difficult to be at peace. After killing the emperor, there was still a way to go. This time, just to make the Jurchens unhappy? One is for fame. The name of regicide is already difficult to reverse. He plays the name of Huaxia, saying that it is the bottom line for the people of Huaxia not to surrender to foreign countries. This is of course the bottom line. What others can do, he can no longer do. If there is a little compromise with the Jurchens, his reputation will collapse instantly. However, after fighting head-on for these three years, someone will eventually be willing to follow him. He has killed a path head-on…"

"For the sake of fame, risking all his possessions here is too difficult…"

Lou Shuwan was silent for a long time. "In the three years of the great war, after entering the mountains, the fighting was a mess. The Jurchens only let people rush forward, regardless of life or death. Those generals only cared about escaping for their lives. After fighting to the later stage, there were ten or eight times of explosions. How many people died in the end, General Yu, do you know?"

Yu Yulin frowned. "What do you mean…"

Lou Shuwan's eyes were blurred. "Last April, Shan Shiqi returned in defeat and was later questioned. I went to interrogate him and confiscated the gold and silver from his home. When asked about the battle in the mountains, Shan Shiqi unintentionally mentioned something that I have always been thinking about. However, I am not familiar with the affairs of the battlefield, so it is difficult to investigate deeply. This matter is just buried in my heart…"

"…"

At this time, the night wind was gentle and the lake was sparkling. From the distant side, the lights in the main hall were still faintly visible. Lou Shuwan spoke of her guess, word by word, slowly.

"After Shan Shiqi was defeated, he fled for his life with a group of personal soldiers and later sought refuge with Su Gai, a general under Liu Yu. A few days later, Su Gai's army was suddenly attacked one night, and 20,000 people were killed. Without a head and no brains, they fled in confusion. It was only after the Jurchens came that they stabilized the situation. Shan Shiqi said that on that night, he vaguely saw a general rushing towards Su Gai's army. It was his original deputy general."

Yu Yulin opened his mouth slightly. "In these three years of the great war, there have indeed been people who surrendered to the Black Flag Army. However, you want to say…"

"In recent years, in order to trap the Black Flag Army in the mountains, the Jurchens have indeed attached great importance to food, grass and baggage troops. However, no one knows how much food the Black Flag Army has stored in the mountains, how much they have robbed, and we only feel that it is so difficult to live outside. During the great war, the Black Flag Army must not be able to gather too many prisoners. They simply cannot afford to raise them. But… what if it is possible?"

Lou Shuwan said calmly: "Millions of people threw themselves into the mountains, saying they fought with tens of thousands of Black Flag Army, how many tens of thousands in the end? Who knows? In these three years of war, the army in the first year still had some fighting spirit, but in the second year, they were all strong men who were arrested, given a knife and a fork, and sent to the mountains to be minced… General Yu, originally not many people were willing to join the Black Flag Army. The Black Flags committed regicide and had a bad reputation, but the Jurchens forced them to go up to test the artillery. If there is a chance to choose again, General Yu, do you think they are willing to follow the Jurchens, or are they willing to follow that Han army… General Yu, you also know Ning Liheng's method of training troops."

Yu Yulin had already frowned tightly and was as quiet as death.

"In the three years of the great war, they held the front without taking a step back, putting millions of people on the field of life and death, and when the knife was cut down, they asked them which side to join. If… I'm just saying if, he seized this opportunity… in that great mountain, wouldn't it also be a conscription field for them to choose from? Haha, millions of people, after we choose, let them choose…"

Lou Shuwan's laughter rang and stopped in the pavilion. This joke was too cold, and Yu Yulin dared not continue for a while. After a moment, he said, "After all… it is not easy to keep secret…"

"…Yes, I also thought later, if this is the case, why are there not many people talking about it? Maybe it is just that I think too much…" She paused, raised the wine pot and took a sip of wine, her eyes blurred, "Who can say for sure about the battlefield? In the three years, Central China has been beaten like this. Whether he is really dead or fake dead, everyone has a step down. General Yu, why delve into it? Maybe the next one to go to the front is you…"

Yu Yulin took a sip of wine, nodded, and after a moment, he left quietly without saying hello.

Lou Shuwan leaned against the pavilion, still looking down, the wine pot in her hand shaking gently. She hummed a song, and after a while, the song was faintly: "...Smoke willows paint bridges, wind curtains and emerald screens, tens of thousands of households are uneven. Clouds and trees surround the embankment... Angry waves roll frost and snow, the abyss is boundless... Heavy lakes and stacked peaks are clear and beautiful. There are osmanthus in the three autumns and lotus flowers in the ten miles... The Qiang flute plays in the sunny day, and the diamond song floats in the night, happily fishing old men and lotus babies... Thousands of riders hug high teeth..."

This was something Ning Yi had written in Hangzhou many years ago. At that time, the two sides had just met, her father and brother were still there, and Hangzhou was a water town, rich and prosperous. It was a beautiful scenery that no one had ever thought would be lost one day. What a bright and happy thing it was… everything has finally gone back to now…

Thinking of the past relatives in her mind, now there is only the only brother who is living day by day and doesn't look like a human being at all, and then thinking of that name, Yu Yulin is right, she will not be happy if he dies suddenly, because she always thinks of killing him with her own hands. But, Ning Yi…

"Ning Liheng…"

The name flashed through her mind, and there was a complex and painful look in her eyes, so she raised the wine pot and took a sip, suppressing all those emotions.

"Ning Liheng, if you just died like this… it's also good…"

She murmured and looked forward to it like this.

On this suffering land, the night was shrouded for a long time. To the west, the boiling mountains that had not stopped for three years finally gradually subsided. On the once prosperous Qingmu Village, the moonlight was now like water. In the scorched valley, the former wooden buildings had been turned into fertile new mud, and new tree branches grew in it. Birds flew to it, and after staying on this still black land for a while, they flew away into the distance.

Xiaocang River, the old buildings had been completely destroyed, and the houses, streets, squares, farmland, and waterwheels were no longer the same as they used to be. The traces of the collapse of the houses were horizontal and vertical. After the people left, it was like a ghost town. This place had also experienced an extremely tragic massacre. Almost every inch of the place had been stained red with blood. The once huge reservoir had long since collapsed, and the river rushed into the valley as usual. In the valley that had been washed by floods and corpses rotted, the grass and trees had become more and more lush, and under the grass and trees were dense white bones.

The battle to defend Xiaocang River had been over for more than a year. At this time, even the few Jurchen and Great Qi troops who stayed here did not dare to come here. Under the moonlight on this day, some figures appeared rustling on the hill. There were only a few people, and they walked through the outer valley in stealth, and walked into the valley from the collapsed dam opening.

They tried their best to be careful and guarded their surroundings. They walked silently through the places they used to be familiar with one by one. Some people brushed their fingers over the broken walls. They also came to the hillside and saw that the small courtyard had been burned down, leaving only the appearance of the foundation. Now, weeds had grown in the foundation.

"Let's go." Someone said in a low voice, they may still be here, the last Black Flag team.

At the mouth of the valley, the stone tablet that originally read "Xiaocang River" had long been smashed to pieces, and now only the traces after the destruction were left. They stroked the place, and under the moonlight, they looked back at the valley: "One day we will be back."

"It won't be too long…" someone said.

These figures passed through the valley and crossed the mountains. Under the moonlight, the Xiaocang River flowed as before, winding through this land that buried millions of people, and some of the people who left here would return here one day in the future, and some would never return, they might be, exist in a happy place.

And war.

The war is temporarily subsided, but with weakness and hiding as nourishment, sooner or later, it will also burn with a transformed and more violent posture.

In the sixth year of JianShuo of the Wu Dynasty, late summer and early autumn. The history of Xiaocang River has turned a new page.