Snow melted and ice thawed, the great river raged. In the Jiangnan area, the willow catkins had all fallen, and countless corpses gradually decayed with the spring mud in the wilderness along the Yangtze River and beside the post roads. After the Jurchens came, the flames of war never ceased. However, as the late spring and early summer of this year arrived, the Jurchen army, unable to capture Zhou Yong and others as expected, had to withdraw its troops after all.

The total number of the Jurchen's eastern route army that went south was around 100,000. The Jin troops that had crossed the Yangtze River and ravaged the area for several months were led by Jin Wuzhu, and were divided into three routes, totaling over 18,000 men. Originally, Jin Wuzhu held the W朝 (Wu Dynasty) in contempt, saying, "Five thousand tigers and wolves are enough to destroy it." But because the Wu Dynasty's imperial family fled too decisively, the Jin army simultaneously launched three routes south of the Yangtze River, attacking cities and seizing territories.

In early April, the three returning armies converged towards Zhenjiang.

In the past six months, the Jurchens swept away everything in their path. Whether north or south of the Yangtze River, the assembled armies were basically unable to withstand a single blow from the Jurchens in frontal combat. Later, many people were so terrified of the Jurchen troops that they knelt down and surrendered upon seeing them approach. Many cities opened their gates to welcome the enemy, and were subsequently looted and burned by the Jurchens. As the Jurchens prepared to return north, some armies quietly gathered nearby.

Crown Prince Junwu had secretly infiltrated the vicinity of Zhenjiang. When he glimpsed traces of the Jurchens in the suburban wilderness, his eyes revealed an undeniable fear and trepidation.

But as they say, for a man, "one must persevere until death." This was a joke Ning Yi had made in a playful manner years ago. Now, he could only persevere.

The Yangtze River was in its flood season. Every ferry crossing along the river had been destroyed and burned by the Wu Dynasty's army led by Han Shizhong. The wooden boats that could be gathered were largely destroyed at the entrance where the canal met the Yangtze River, blocking the route north. In the past six months, millions of people had died in the Jiangnan area under the ravages of the Jin soldiers. However, their only setback was the dispatch of large ships into the sea in an attempt to capture Zhou Yong.

Northerners were not skilled in naval warfare. For the Wu Dynasty people, this was the only weakness they could find at the moment.

The ten or so Mengchong warships that Han Shizhong led were already assembled and ready on the river. On the banks of the Yangtze River, Yue Fei's remaining troops, expanded later, as well as other troops that Junwu had secretly supported, were also quietly preparing nearby. Soon after, the Battle of Zhenjiang began.

The large ships on the river blocked the Jurchen fleet of light boats from crossing the river. The ambush in the Zhenjiang area caught the Jin soldiers off guard. Jin Wuzhu, realizing they had fallen into an ambush, did not panic. However, he was unwilling to directly engage in a frontal battle with the Wu Dynasty army lying in wait. The army and fleet fought and retreated, suffering over two hundred casualties, and turned into the swamps and pools near Jiankang along the waterway.

This place was known as Huangtiandang.

To cross the river, the Jurchens could not abandon their fleet, which mainly consisted of light boats. Gathering in this swamp, the Wu Dynasty's large ships could not enter to attack. Subsequently, the southern forces guarded the exit of Huangtiandang, and the Wu Dynasty fleet on the northern river stubbornly defended the Yangtze River. The two sides clashed several times, but Wuzhu's small boats could not break through the blockade of the large ships.

North of the Yangtze River, to support Wuzhu's return north, Wanyan Chang ordered the eastern route army, which was still north of the Yangtze River, to take Yangzhou again. When that failed, they turned to take Zhenzhou, attempting to cross the river after capturing the city. However, they were ultimately blocked on the river by the Wu Dynasty's navy that had been assembled.

Wuzhu's army was trapped in Huangtiandang for over forty days, almost running out of food. During this time, he repeatedly tried to persuade Han Shizhong to surrender, but was rejected each time. It was not until late May that the Jin people received advice from two Wu Dynasty defectors, who suggested digging through an old canal near Jiankang and then launching an attack on a windless day. At this time, the large ships on the river needed sails for propulsion, while the small boats could use oars. In the midst of the battle, rockets fired from the small boats set all the large ships ablaze. The Wu Dynasty army was defeated, with countless soldiers burned and drowned. Han Shizhong led only a small number of his subordinates back to Zhenjiang.

Reeds swayed, and the river flowed. As corpses and shipwrecks floated on the river, Junwu sat on the riverbank in Zhenjiang, staring blankly into space for a long time. In the past forty or so days, for a moment, he vaguely felt that he could use a victory to comfort his deceased son-in-law, but all of this ultimately fell short.

But soon after, the morale and spirit of the southern forces were boosted. The Jurchens' boast of searching the mountains and seas finally failed to materialize during this half-year delay. Although the places the Jurchens passed through were almost rivers of blood, they ultimately failed to substantially occupy this area. Soon after, Zhou Yong would be able to return and take charge of the situation. Moreover, in these several years of tragedy and humiliation, people finally gave the Jurchens the embarrassment of being besieged for over forty days.

Having slightly recovered his mood, the Wu Dynasty people began to issue proclamations to the world, vigorously promoting this "Great Victory of Huangtiandang." Junwu's grief was difficult to suppress, but in fact, since last year, the overwhelming pressure on the Wu Dynasty in the Jiangnan area had finally eased. For the future, they could only start from scratch at this time.

While the south began to promote the "Great Victory of Huangtiandang" in full swing, north of the Yangtze River, a large number of slaves and gold and silver plundered by the Jurchens were still being transported to the Jin Dynasty in a mighty stream. The turmoil in Jiangnan was receding with the departure of the Jurchens, while in the Central Plains, the Jurchens' tentacles had already begun to tightly grip this vast area.

Resistance still existed, but the survival space of the large-scale rebel armies was constantly being squeezed by various armed forces that had surrendered. Small-scale resistance was taking place everywhere, but with the continuous suppression and killings for nearly a year, the rolling blood and heads had slowly begun to teach people the reality that circumstances were stronger than people.

This summer, Liu Yu, the prefect of Jinan who took the initiative to betray the city, ascended the throne in Daming Prefecture. Under Zhou Ji's "legitimate" name, he became the "Great Qi" emperor, guarding the south for the Jin Dynasty. All forces south of Yanmen Pass were under his control. In the Central Plains, a large number of forces, including Tian Hu, submitted statements of allegiance to him.

Regarding the northwest, which had killed Lou Shi and defeated the Jurchen's western route army, the Jurchen court had not said much apart from a few simple speeches—such as having Zhou Ji write an imperial edict denouncing them. But in the Central Plains, the will of the Jin Dynasty was tightening and clamping down on this place day by day...

In the Central Plains, the Great Qi regime, with the assistance of the Jurchens, continuously launched attacks to wipe out the resistance forces within its territory. At the same time, with the determination to rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go, they searched for the Wu Dynasty's surviving imperial family. A large-scale conscription began. Liu Yu's edict conscripted all adult men within the "Great Qi" territory into the military. At the same time, taxes several times higher than before were imposed. In order to obtain money, the army, under Liu Yu's instruction, began to massively excavate the tombs of the Wu Dynasty's imperial family. From Henan to Bianliang, the tombs of the Wu Dynasty emperors and the ancestral graves were all dug up and emptied...

In Jiangnan, the Wu Dynasty regime gained a breathing space. In the process of going against the grain in the north, they desperately began to stabilize their position.

In the Northwest, the peaceful scene continued. Spring went and summer came again, and then summer gradually passed. In the Xiaocang River valley, in the afternoon, Qu Qing wrote the slightly stiff words "war" on the blackboard in the classroom, facing a group of young people: "...To discuss war, we must first discuss the word 'person'. What is it!"

"Since ancient times, why is a person a person, and what is the difference between them and animals? The difference is that people are smart, have wisdom, people can cultivate land, people can herd sheep, people can weave cloth, people can make what they need, but animals cannot. Sheep see grass and eat it, tigers see sheep and hunt them, what if there is none? There is no way. This is the difference between people and animals, people can... create."

"Then what is war? Two people, each holding a knife, risking their lives, risking their future decades, betting on this knife, you die, I live. The person who dies has a steamed bun, a bag of rice, and the person who lives takes it away. Just for this bag of rice, this steamed bun, kill people, rob! Is there any creation in this?"

"In the past two or three years, we have won several battles. Some people—young people—are very proud, thinking that winning battles is the most amazing thing. This is nothing in itself. But they use war to measure everything. When talking about the Jurchens, they say they are heroes and admirable opponents, and they think they are also heroes. Recently, Mr. Ning specifically mentioned this matter, and you are all very wrong!"

"The Jurchens have killed throughout the entire world. They go to the Central Plains, to Jiangnan, robbing everything they can rob, killing people, and taking people as slaves. In this matter, what have they created? Cultivating land? Weaving cloth? No, others have done these things, and they go to rob them. They have become accustomed to the sharpness of knives and guns, and they want to rob everything. One day they rob the entire world, kill the entire world, what will be left in this world?"

"When they only remember the knives in their hands, they are no longer human. To risk one's life against beasts to protect what we have created is heroic. Only creating things without the strength to protect them is like a person encountering a tiger in the wilderness. If you can't beat it, it's useless to tell God that you are a kind person, this is death deserved. And those who only know how to kill people and rob others' steamed buns are beasts! Do you want to be ranked with beasts!?"

The voice in the room occasionally came out generously. Qu Qing was originally a general, but later he was basically used as a staff officer and political commissar. In the Battle of Xuanjia Ao, he lost three fingers on his left hand and was also stabbed in the leg, making it a little inconvenient to run. After returning, he temporarily led troops and taught classes, no longer participating in heavy training. Recently, the indoctrination of the difference between Xiaocang River and the Jurchens has been ongoing, mainly among some young soldiers or new recruits in the army.

What Ning Yi said was naturally the most煽动性 (shāndòngxìng - inflammatory), but after participating for a period of time, Qu Qing had also become skilled.

After finishing the class, it was dusk. He went out of the room. In the valley, some training was just ending. Soldiers were all over the mountains and plains, and the black banner with Chen stars was fluttering not far away. Smoke had already risen in the sky from the cooking fires. As Qu Qing saluted the soldiers goodbye, Mao Yishan and Zhuo Yongqing walked over from not far away, waiting for him to finish saying goodbye to everyone.

"You have finished training, go eat." Qu Qing said to the two.

"Hou Wu asked us to call you. Today his wife made a good meal, go eat at his place." Mao Yishan said with a smile, "Luo Crazy will also go over later."

"Ha, that's good."

"This class... how did it go?" Mao Yishan looked at the classroom, he was somewhat apprehensive about this place, rough people can't stand ideological education classes the most.

"It's almost there, let's take it slow."

"Actually, I think Mr. Ning is right." Zhuo Yongqing, who had been promoted to squad leader because he killed Wanyan Lou Shi and became a combat hero, still seemed somewhat shy most of the time. "When I first killed someone, I also thought that maybe the Jurchens were really heroes. But after thinking about it carefully, they are ultimately different."

"When they first started, it was right to say that they were heroes, but now... if they dare to come, we'll kill them!" Qu Qing's gaze was cold. In recent days, the situation in the Northwest had been frighteningly quiet. All around Xiaocang River, as far as the eye could see, various fortifications were being built non-stop, craftsmen were constantly manufacturing weapons, and trained soldiers were constantly interspersed around Xiaocang River, all the way to the mountains of the Lvliang Mountains. Everything was preparing for the upcoming clash.

On the eve of darkness, many people in this isolated corner had a spirit of pride and unyielding, and grand and great dreams. They went to Hou Wu's home in such a chat. Although every person in the valley was said to be brothers, after the experience of Xuanjia Ao, these five people had also become especially close friends, occasionally gathering together for meals to enhance their relationship. Luo Ye even accepted Hou Wu's son, Hou Yuangong, as his disciple, teaching him writing and martial arts.

The light of the setting sun dyed the valley into a piece of amber. Soldiers in groups of twos and threes or in teams had their own noises in the valley. On the hillside, Ning Yi walked towards that courtyard. The evening wind was strong, and the sheets drying in the courtyard were fluttering in the wind. Yun Zhu, wearing a white dress, was collecting the sheets while laughing with the running around Xiao Ningji, and the laughter seemed warm in the setting sun.

Since defeating Wanyan Lou Shi last year, Hong Ti and Jin'er had become pregnant one after the other. Now everyone lived here—except for Xigua, who had been leading the Overlord Blade Camp somewhere to handle affairs. After the affairs in the valley were on track, Ning Yi did not seem too busy. He could often come back, accompany his family and children, chat, and say some idle words. In this summer, on starry nights, they would also spread out mats on the hillside, cooling off while leisurely frolicking.

Ning Yi often thought of that small露台 (lùtái - terrace) in the Jiangning bamboo building. Tan'er had not experienced those days. During those times, she was always busy, busy managing the family's business and dealing with the relationships with the second and third branches. Occasionally chatting idly with Ning Yi in the courtyard at night was her only moment of relaxation. Now, hearing Ning Yi talk about these things, she was a little jealous. Yun Zhu would continue to play the qin for everyone, but Jin'er was pregnant and could no longer dance.

The moonlight was clear. Under the moonlight, Yun Zhu's qin music was more gentle and warm than it had been in the past, making people feel relaxed. He talked to them about the past, about the future, and roughly said everything. Since the news of the fall of Jiangning City came, the few people who shared common memories inevitably felt a little regret. The witness of a certain period of memory had finally passed away. The world had changed drastically, and life had changed drastically. Even if they were still together, however... separation might come soon after.

After becoming pregnant, Hong Ti would occasionally seem anxious. Ning Yi often walked with her outside, talking about the former Lvliang, talking about Grandpa Liang, talking about Fu Duanyun, and talking about this and that past. They met in Jiangning, Hong Ti went to assassinate that general and was seriously injured. Speaking of that night, Ning Yi forcibly留 (liú - kept) Hong Ti, and said to her: "What do you want, I will get it for you, tie it with a bow, and send it to your hand..."

"Before coming here, I wanted to plan it slowly. But now it seems that it will take a long time before the world is peaceful, and... Lvliang will probably also suffer."

"We are husband and wife, after giving birth to the child, I can accompany you..."

"There is a turning point, what I said... I won't break my promise this time."

As with every time he faced a dilemma before, Ning Yi would also be nervous and worried. He just understood better than others how to struggle out of a possible path with the most rational attitude and choice, but he was not an omnipotent god.

He occasionally thought of that floating city that seemed to be built on the water, of Tang Mingyuan, whose memory had gradually faded, of Qingyi, A Kang, and Ruoping. Now in front of him were clearer faces, family.

Tan'er would put on a strong appearance in front of him, clenching her teeth and trembling slightly behind his back.

Yun Zhu would bury the love in her heart in peace, hugging him, leaving tears quietly with a smile, that was her worry.

Xiao Chan would clench her fists and cheer him on all the time, with tears in her eyes.

Jin'er would cry frankly and recklessly for him to see, until he felt that not being able to go back was an unforgivable sin.

Hong Ti would be by his side, facing life and death with him.

As for Xigua in the distance, that childish round face would probably smile boldly, saying that life is no joy, death is no bitterness.

And the children would ask him what war was, he would talk to them about the difference between guarding and destruction, and in the children's nodding with understanding, he would promise them certain victory...

He thought of the dead, of Qian Xiwen, of Lao Qin, Kang Xian, of those warriors who awakened in confusion in Bianliang City and in the Northwest who sacrificed their lives. He used to not care about anyone in this era, but having been stained with the mortal world, he finally felt the weight.

Alas, this era...

*****

***********

In Jiangnan, the new court was gradually becoming orderly. A group of knowledgeable people were working hard to stabilize the situation in Jiangnan, breathing hard while taking advantage of the Jin's digestion of the Central Plains, and making reforms with painful determination. A large number of refugees were still pouring in from the Central Plains. In the second month after autumn arrived, Zhou Pei and Junwu and others received news from the Central Plains that could not be widely publicized.

On the seventh day of the eighth month of JianShuo Three, Great Qi gathered an army of more than 200,000, led by General Ji Wenkang, and under the drive of the Jurchens, advanced to the Lvliang Mountains.

This was something that all parties had long anticipated. Its final occurrence caused complex feelings among the bystanders, and the subsequent development of the situation truly shocked, bewildered, amazed, and palpated everyone in the world thereafter, causing many people thereafter to feel excited and generous once they mentioned it, and also uncontrollably for it, feeling the grief and sorrow...

On the night of the tenth day of the eighth month of this year, before the army of 200,000 had approached the edge of the Lvliang Mountains and the Xiaocang River area, a blatant slaughter suddenly descended. The Huaxia Black Flag Army, which had traveled far from Xiaocang River, launched a surprise attack on the 200,000 people. That night, Ji Wenkang's army collapsed, and more than 200,000 people fled in panic, chased and killed by the Huaxia army, beheading more than 10,000 enemies, and their heads were stacked on the wilderness outside the mountains into Jingguan (corpse mounds). This extremely ferocious conflict opened the prelude to that three-year-long, tragic offensive and defensive battle in the Xiaocang River area...