Sky was overcast, seeming about to change color in the cold winter wind. Houjia Village, a small, unremarkable village on the north bank of the Yellow River. It was late October, and the weather was turning cold. Hou Yuanrong carried a large bundle of firewood on his back, emerging from the mountains.

Children his age couldn't chop so much firewood, let alone carry it back. Hou Yuanrong was twelve years old, not tall, but sturdy since childhood. Poor children matured early – though this saying wasn't popular at the time. Hou Yuanrong's family wasn't exactly poor. His father was a soldier, following the army and risking his life for a living. He was away from home most of the year, but with his father's salary and his mother's hard work, they didn't starve.

In his memory, his father hadn't studied, but being away from home for years, he had seen the world. His name was given to him by a literate scholar his father hired outside, said to be very refined. In the few times they were together, his father was taciturn but shared many things he had seen and taught him many lessons, teaching him to be filial to his mother at home and promising to take him out to see the world someday.

In earlier years, the family was struggling, but three years ago, his father was promoted to a minor officer in the army, and the family's situation improved a lot. Half a year ago, his father returned once, bringing back many good things and telling him about the battles. His father followed a good commander and won battles, so he received many rewards.

Houjia Village was located in the mountains, one of the most remote villages. News from the outside often became blurred by the time it arrived. Hou Yuanrong didn't have the opportunity to study, but his mind was more agile than ordinary children. He would occasionally inquire from people who came from outside. Since last year, it was said that the outside world was not peaceful, with the Jurchens attacking, and the world was in chaos. After his father told him, he knew that in the great battles outside, his father was leading the charge in the first line – killing many bad guys.

He was very proud of this. In the past six months, he often bragged to his mountain companions that his father was a great hero, and that was why he got rewards – including the new cow his family bought, also bought with the reward. The cow was a rare possession. There were only two in the whole Houjia Village.

In Hou Yuanrong's imagination, he would eat a lot, grow strong, and then follow his father to join the army, kill bad guys, and get a pile of rewards. Maybe in a few years, he would have such an opportunity.

The opportunity came early.

He would always remember the weather on the day he left Houjia Village. It was gloomy, and it seemed like the weather would get even colder. He chopped firewood and came out of the mountains. When he returned home, he found some relatives and villagers had gathered there – these relatives were all from his mother's side. His father had no family. Before marrying his mother, he was just a solitary soldier – these people came and were talking in the room. His father had returned.

His father was tall, still wearing his military uniform, with a scar on his face. Seeing Hou Yuanrong return, he waved at him. Hou Yuanrong ran over, wanting to take the knife from his body to play with. His father untied the knife with its scabbard, and then began talking to the other villagers.

"The weather has started to change this year, and I don't know when the mountain will be closed. I'm short on time here. The army is waiting to depart, and if I go late, they might not wait for me, which would be a serious crime. When I get to the city, I have to arrange for A-Hong and the children..."

"Won't you even eat? Are you going to rush overnight..."

"Leave tomorrow morning, don't travel at night, you might encounter robbers..."

In his father's words, it seemed that he was going to take his mother and himself somewhere immediately. The other villagers tried to persuade him to stay, but his father just smiled, "I fought the Jurchens in the army, came through a pile of ten thousand people, and there is no need to be afraid of a few common robbers. It's all because military orders are like mountains, I have to hurry."

His mother was packing things at home. Hou Yuanrong held his father's knife and went over to ask. He learned that his father had bought a house in the city this time, and the army happened to be near, so he wanted to take himself and his mother there before the army left and the heavy snow closed the mountain. Of course, the villagers would not stop such a good thing. Everyone enthusiastically tried to persuade them to stay. His father, on the other hand, entrusted many of the things he didn't need – including the house, temporarily to his mother's relatives to take care of. In a sense, it was like giving it to them.

So the family began to pack things. His father secured the ox cart, putting clothes, food, seeds, kitchen knives, plows, pot spatulas and other valuable utensils on it. The chickens were also caught and placed on top. His mother baked some pancakes to eat on the road. Hou Yuanrong was greedy and ate one first. While he was eating, he saw his parents whispering together, and then his mother hurried out to his maternal grandparents' house.

Before long, his mother returned, and his maternal grandparents also returned. The doors of the house were closed. His father spoke softly to his maternal grandfather, while his maternal grandmother, who didn't understand anything, held him and cried. Hou Yuanrong heard his father say to his maternal grandfather in a low voice: "The Jurchens have reached Bianliang...it can't be defended...we have a slim chance of survival..."

His maternal grandfather asked him about some things. His father said: "If you want to leave, go south...a gentleman said that you might find peace after crossing the Yangtze River. Didn't you say that there are distant relatives in Bazhou..."

Hou Yuanrong didn't understand too much of this exchange. Before dusk, their family of three set off. The ox cart's speed was not slow. They spent the night in the mountains and rested. On the second and third days, they traveled all day again. It wasn't a road to a nearby city, but they passed through a main road midway. On the fourth day, they arrived at the edge of a mountain ridge, where many people had already gathered.

In the past few days, Hou Yuanrong had heard his father say many things along the way. Half a year ago, the outside world changed dynasties. A month ago, the Jurchens went south. They went to resist, but were defeated in one blow. Now the capital was beyond saving, and perhaps half the world would fall. These people were going to rely on a certain big figure – said to be their former commander.

Hou Yuanrong was still young and had no concept of the capital, and no concept of half the world. In addition, his father also said something about corrupt officials who had ruined the country and the army. Hou Yuanrong, of course, had no idea – officials were naturally bad guys. But in any case, at this time, more than two hundred people at the edge of this mountain ridge were soldiers like his father and their families.

More than two hundred people, about fifty or sixty families, with many children and women. There were horse carts, ox carts, and mule-drawn carts. The things on the carts varied. Although it looked like they were fleeing, they still had some family wealth. Some even had a doctor in the family, dragging half a cart of medicinal herbs. His father should be an officer among these people. People greeted him from time to time. There was also another officer named Qu Qing, who came to talk to their family during dinner.

That night, Hou Yuanrong played with the children for a while, but couldn't fall asleep late at night. He came out of the tent and found his father by the bonfire, sitting down next to his father. Officer Qu Qing and several other people were by the bonfire. They were talking. Seeing the child come over, they teased him a little, but didn't mind him listening nearby. Hou Yuanrong didn't understand much, hugging the long knife and dozing off on his father's lap. Voices came from time to time, and the fire burned warmly.

"...When Mr. Ning left the capital, he originally wanted to sort things out in the capital before leaving, but Cai Jing foiled his plan. But later, Cai Jing and others didn't have it easy either. After the actions of redeeming the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and taking advantage of disaster relief to seize land were made public, the situation in the capital has been tense...For Mr. Ning, this method was not just to make them feel a little uncomfortable. Later, Mr. Ning's predictions about the situation, you all know, now, the first round should be fulfilled..."

"...Bianliang will fall within a year, and all of the north of the Yellow River will fall. Within three years, everything north of the Yangtze River will be lost to the Jurchens, and millions of people will become livestock to be slaughtered. Others will say that if Mr. Ning hadn't assassinated the emperor, the situation wouldn't have collapsed so quickly. You and I have both been in the Wu Rui Camp, we should know the truth...Originally, there might have been a glimmer of hope, but it was wasted by these power-hungry villains..."

"...When General Qin was dismissed, I thought, this world is going to end, damn it..."

"If it weren't for my wife and children, I would have followed Mr. Ning and them..."

"I was also afraid...of being an enemy of the world. Mr. Ning's side, I'm afraid it won't be peaceful either..."

"It was said in Xia Village that you have to fight for your life yourself. There will definitely be trouble, but now, the imperial court doesn't have the strength to control us anymore. General Qin and Mr. Ning are not necessarily in a good situation, but he has made arrangements. Of course, this is rebellion, war, not child's play, so if you really feel scared, and there are many family members, let them lead them to the Yangtze River."

"I have no relatives in the Yangtze River..."

"There are some, but the Jurchens are attacking so fast, how long can the Yangtze River hold?"

"The Jurchens are few in number after all. Mr. Ning said that moving south of the Yangtze River can buy a few years, maybe even a dozen years. Actually, there are also places south of the Yangtze River where you can settle down. The remaining forces of Fang La, who rebelled, are centered in the south. Those who go there can also be taken in. However, General Qin and Mr. Ning have placed the core in the northwest, which is not without reason. Although the north is chaotic, it is not within the scope of the Wu Dynasty after all. There won't be much effort in arresting rebels. In the future, if the north is too chaotic, maybe there will be a chance to survive in the cracks. Going to the south, you might encounter the full force of the Wu Dynasty's suppression...But in any case, brothers, troubled times are coming, everyone must be prepared in their hearts."

"I've been a soldier for a few years, I've escaped and fought. Last year when the Jurchens went south, I saw what a troubled world looks like. I only have these few family members, and I thought about hiding them, but I was afraid I couldn't hide them. It's better to follow General Qin and them and fight for our own lives."

"Going to the northwest, are we going to Mount Lüliang? To Qingmu Fortress?"

"No, I can't say for the time being. Just follow me."

"So...are we following General Qin and Mr. Ning to rebel and fight for the world?"

"Yes, actually I originally thought that we were only one or two thousand people, and we couldn't beat the Jurchens before. In the few months in Xia Village, Mr. Ning made us defeat the Grievance Army. If there were more people, and we were more united, what would we be afraid of the Jurchens!"

"...Mr. Ning is now saying that he is saving China. This country is about to end. So many good people have lived on this land, and we are just going to hand it all over to the Jurchens. Let's try our best to save ourselves and save this land. What rebellion and fighting for the world? Do you think Mr. Ning, with such deep knowledge, is the kind of person who would say such a thing?"

"Oh..."

"Haha, that's true..."

"Actually...Brother Qu, I was originally thinking, if we rebel, then we rebel, why do we have to kill the emperor? If Mr. Ning hadn't killed the emperor, this time when the Jurchens went south, if he said he wanted to leave, we would have all followed him. We would have taken it slowly and wouldn't have alarmed anyone. Would that be better?"

"Mr. Ning has actually talked about this matter. There are some things that I don't understand very clearly, and there are some things that I do understand. The first point is that this Confucianism, that is, the Confucian school, has too many interconnected relationships. I don't understand Confucianism, it's just the tricks of the scholars, all kinds of bickering and infighting. We can't beat them, they play it too well, and they've turned the Wu Dynasty into this. If you want to improve it, it will be slow and cumbersome. If you can't cut off this kind of relationship, then when you want to do things in the future, they will all hold you back. Including us, we will all feel that this matter should give the imperial court some face, and that matter is not very good. Then, it will become the same as before. For this kind of major event, you can't have wishful thinking. If you kill the emperor, those who are willing to follow, you and I, won't have wishful thinking. You don't have to worry about those emperors and ministers over there...And as for the second point, Mr. Ning said five words..."

"What?"

"He said...Ultimately, it's hard to reconcile..."

The bonfire burned, the air was warm, and occasionally a cold wind blew, but it was blocked by the mountain ridge over there, and only the sound was faintly heard. Hou Yuanrong didn't know when his father carried him into the tent. When he woke up the next day, they waited here for a day, and more and more people came one after another. More than a hundred people arrived that day, and by dawn, the team set off under the leadership of Qu Qing.

The group went northwest, and the road became more and more difficult along the way. Occasionally, they also encountered groups of people fleeing like them. Perhaps because the core of the team was composed of soldiers, the speed of the crowd was not slow. After traveling for about seven days, they also encountered a group of roaming bandits. Seeing that the crowd had abundant wealth, they prepared to make a move that night. However, the front of the queue had scouts arranged by Qu Qing, who figured out the other party's intentions. That night, the crowd took the initiative to intercept the other party halfway.

No more than thirty people from the team launched an attack, led by Hou Yuanrong's father, Hou Wu. After his father launched an attack, Hou Yuanrong couldn't sit or lie down in peace. He had previously heard his father talk about the battle array, generous and passionate, and also the terror of escaping. Seeing the uncles in the crowd these days, he suddenly realized at close range that his father might be injured or die. That night, he waited for three hours at the heavily guarded campsite. When a figure appeared in the night, he trotted over. He only saw his father at the front of the queue, covered in blood, leading a skinny horse. He looked like he had an aura Hou Yuanrong had never seen before, which made Hou Yuanrong a little afraid to go over for a while.

His father came over alone, squatted down in front of him, reached out and made a silencing gesture, and said, "Is mother over there?"

Hou Yuanrong nodded. His father said again, "Go tell her that I'm back. I fought off the bandits and was not injured. Don't say anything else. I'm going to find water with everyone to wash up. Understand?"

Hou Yuanrong nodded again, and his father waved at him, "Go."

Not long after, a group of people returned, most of the blood was gone, but they still had a fishy smell, but they were not as scary as just now.

This battle added a few more horses to the team, and everyone's emotions rose. Continuing for several days, they passed through many desolate ridges and rugged roads. There were also some delays due to various problems with horse carts and ox carts, and they encountered another group of more than two hundred people joining them. On this day when the weather was getting colder, when camping, someone asked everyone to gather together.

Hou Yuanrong liked the feeling of gathering. He stood on his own ox cart, looking far ahead. His father was also over there, and the uncle named Qu Qing was speaking.

"...Before we get to our destination, there are some things I want to tell everyone. If you understand them, listen. If you don't understand them, it doesn't matter...Since General Qin and Mr. Ning killed the fatuous emperor, there are many people in the court who want General Qin and Mr. Ning's lives. I know they originally transferred manpower and arranged people to infiltrate us. Perhaps there are such people among you. That's okay."

He said: "Mr. Ning asked me to tell you that if you are asked to do things, they may control your families. Now Bianliang is surrounded, and perhaps it will be broken soon. If your families are there, then that's troublesome. The imperial court can't protect Bianliang city, and they can't protect your families either. Mr. Ning knows that if they want to find such people, you will be forced to do it. That's okay. We are all people who have gone through life and death together on the battlefield! We are people who have defeated the Grievance Army! We won't look down on you because of your one time when you were forced to do something. So, if there are such people among you, who have been threatened, or they have talked to you about this matter, take these few days to think carefully."

"After you have thought about it, you can talk to me, or you can talk to Shanzili, whoever you think you can talk to. Once you say it, the matter will be cancelled, and we are still good brothers. To be honest, as long as there is this matter, Mr. Ning can even turn it around and use it to follow the clues, so you can't hide it. You might as well help and fight them back! Once we enter the mountain, what we want to do is save the world! Don't play around, don't be so sure. If your families really fall into Bianliang, please think about them. Will the imperial court care about their lives?"

"For those brothers who sacrificed in Xia Village, in the great battle against the Jurchens, for the right prime minister who devoted himself to the task, because everyone's hard work was ruined by the imperial court, Mr. Ning went directly to the imperial court and even killed the fatuous emperor on the spot. Everyone is our own brother, and he will treat your families as his own. Now, near Bianliang, we have our brothers there. When the Jurchens attack the city, they may not be able to save many people for sure, but they will do their best."

"Alright." Qu Qing waved his hand, "Everyone think about it."

Nothing happened that day. They set off afterwards. Three days later, Hou Yuanrong and the others arrived at their destination. It was a valley located among desolate mountains. A small river quietly passed through the valley, and the water flow was not rapid. On both sides of the small river, various simple buildings gathered together, but it looked like the outlines of residential areas had already been drawn. Winter had arrived, and everything was waiting to be rebuilt.

On one side of the river, there was an abandoned small village. An hour after Hou Yuanrong arrived here, he learned the name of this river. It was called Little Cang River, and the village by the river was originally called Little Cang River Village. It had been abandoned for many years. At this time, a camp of nearly ten thousand people was constantly being built.

The sky was gloomy and cold, but the work of groups of people coming and going by the Little Cang River and on the mountains seemed to be proceeding in an orderly manner. Hou Yuanrong and others first gathered on the west side of the valley. Soon, someone came over and arranged a wooden house for each of their families. It was a relatively well-formed building on the west side of the mountain, given priority to the people from outside the mountains. His father, Hou Wu, followed Qu Qing and the others to gather on the other side, and then came back to help his family unload supplies.

"General Qin might come later, Mr. Ning has been out for a while." While carrying various things into the house, Hou Wu said this to Hou Yuanrong. He probably told his son about these two people on the road, but Hou Yuanrong was now happy about the new residence, so he didn't say anything.

Soon after, it seemed that something had spread in the valley. Hou Wu and Hou Yuanrong finished moving things and watched many people up and down the valley talking to each other. On the river channel, someone shouted: "Then you must work hard for us!"

This sounded not like a reprimand, because soon many people answered in unison: "Yes!" The sound was quite loud.

While wondering, Qu Qing walked towards this side. He was followed by a young, honest man. Hou Wu greeted him: "Yi Shan. Come, Yuanrong, call him Uncle Mao."

Hou Yuanrong called out, turning his eyes in curiosity. Mao Yishan also waved to the child. Qu Qing looked complicated and said in a low voice: "Bianliang has fallen."

Hou Wu was stunned for a long while: "...So fast? They directly attacked."

"They found a Celestial Master who used the Six Armor Divine Soldiers..."

Qu Qing said in a low voice, explaining the matter of the Celestial Master Guo Jing guarding the city with the Six Armor Divine Soldiers. Hou Yuanrong blinked, and in the end, he didn't hear how the Six Armor Divine Soldiers were broken. Hou Wu clenched his fists: "So...this kind of thing...so the city was broken?"

"Yes, the Jurchens prepared under the city for half a month, and nothing was used."

"...General He was right." Hou Wu said in a low voice, turning and walking into the room, "They are finished, let's work quickly, don't wait..."

This day was the 24th of November in the first year of Jingping. It was the first time that Hou Yuanrong, still a child, came to Little Cang River Village. It was also on this afternoon that Ning Yi returned from outside the mountains and learned the news of the fall of Bianliang...

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