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Ladders were pushed against the city walls, arrows flew like locusts, shouts shook the heavens and the earth, and there was faint thunder rumbling in the dark clouds in the sky. Search: \(¨Complete¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

A scene that had occurred in Bianliang City more than a month ago was now replaying on the walls of Taiyuan City.

After besieging the city for several months, the Jurchen soldiers, having recuperated, began their all-out assault on Taiyuan City.

At this time, the food reserves within Taiyuan City were beginning to run low. At the end of the year, the food supply for the soldiers and generals in the city was halved, and the residents' supply was halved even more. In the freezing winter, there was not enough wood or coal for heating, and many of the elderly and weak died of cold and hunger. Now, it was early spring of the fourteenth year of Jinghan. Although some food had been saved, no one expected that even at this time, reinforcements were still nowhere to be seen.

Zongwang had returned, however.

The city's communication channels were blocked, and no one knew the news from the capital. Zongwang said that the Wu Dynasty had surrendered and ceded Taiyuan, which the people naturally did not believe. On the day Zongwang's army arrived, Li Pin and others, who were responsible for logistics, restored some of the food supply for the defending soldiers. For these two days, they were allowed to eat their fill. Subsequently, the tragic defense of the city began again.

The months of siege, with the passage of the long winter, had not depleted the will to defend within Taiyuan City. During this period, the members of the Bamboo Chamber and Cheng Zhouhai and others had spared no effort in their propaganda, so that all soldiers and generals knew that if Taiyuan fell, what awaited them would inevitably be an inhuman massacre.

On the other hand, since Zongwang had withdrawn his troops from the south, it also meant that the war in the south had come to an end, and before long, the court's reinforcements would finally arrive.

On the sixth day of the second lunar month, spring rain fell within the confines of Taiyuan City, and a coldness that seeped into the bones enveloped this area. The fighting on the city walls did not cease, but for Qin Shaohe, Li Pin, Cheng Zhouhai, and others who were participating in the defense at this time, there was also a warm hope in their hearts.

That afternoon, as the rain intensified, they sent out elite guards, choosing places where the Jurchen defense was weak and negligent, to break through and seek help.

At the same time, the news of the Jurchen attack on Taiyuan was being transmitted and spread southward at the fastest speed through different channels.

The first to receive the news, apart from the still surviving forces in various prefectures and counties, was the Wusheng Army, led by Chen Yanshu, which was rushing north. At this time, the snow in the south was gradually melting, and carrying tens of thousands of hastily assembled troops north in a hurry, in the cold weather and inefficient organization, the army's speed was less than half that of the Jurchen's northward march, and at this time it had only traveled one-third of the way.

Chen Yanshu's mood was close to collapse upon receiving the news of the Jurchen attack on Taiyuan.

He had led troops for several years, originally from a civil servant background, but later gained the reputation of being both civil and military, understanding strategy and being good at weighing things. It wasn't that he didn't have any valor, but the achievements of Zongwang's army all the way south had made him clearly aware of reality.

Originally, the Jurchens were strong, and everyone could not defeat them. He was just one of these generals. However, the tenacious resistance of Bianliang, coupled with the achievements of the Wu Rui Camp in Xia Village, had made them almost all feel like they were awaiting punishment. Sending him to lead troops north, the court had the idea of letting him make up for his mistakes, and Chen Yanshu also had hope in his heart. If the Jurchens did not attack Taiyuan and left, he might be able to regain some reputation and face.

That night, he ordered the soldiers under his command to speed up their march. It was said that Chen Yanshu, riding on his horse, drew his sword several times, as if intending to commit suicide, but in the end he did not do so.

The Wusheng Army's reaction after receiving the news was also transformed into a letter of request for help, which quickly went south.

"...The Jurchens are fierce and powerful. Our troops will certainly work together with one heart and resist with our lives...We hope that the court will quickly send reinforcements..."

Messengers belonging to various forces whipped their horses, and the news spread. From Taiyuan to Bianliang, the straight-line distance was nearly a thousand miles, and with the spread of the war, the postal stations were not fully functional, and only half of the accumulated snow had melted. On the night of the seventh day of the second lunar month, the first round of news that the Jurchens seemed to have the intention of attacking the city reached Bianliang City.

On the eighth day of the second lunar month, all kinds of news poured into Bianliang like a landslide.

There was no longer any possibility of luck. The Jurchen's strong attack on Taiyuan had become a reality.

In the upper echelons of the court, various officials rushed to the palace, and the atmosphere was so tense that it almost solidified, while the atmosphere among the people remained normal. Ning Yi waited in the Bamboo Chamber for feedback from the court. He naturally knew that as soon as the news of the Jurchen attack on Taiyuan came, Qin Siyuan would once again gather the officials he could persuade to make another remonstrance.

Time was of the essence, and the army had to be dispatched.

Including Tang Ke, Wu Min, and other pro-peace factions, in this remonstrance, they also stood on the side of advocating sending troops. In addition to them, a large number of court officials, or originally idle minor officials, also submitted memorials to the emperor under the operation of the Right Chancellor's Mansion. In this period of more than a month, Ning Yi did not know how much silver had been sent out, almost emptying the Right Chancellor's Mansion including the Bamboo Chamber's assets, level by level, just to promote this dispatch of troops.

During the few days it was estimated that the Jurchens would arrive in Taiyuan, the Bamboo Chamber inside and outside were also crowded with people coming and going non-stop. One by one, the shopkeepers and stewards played the role of lobbyists, going out to sway people, sending money and treasures, and promising various benefits,

There were also those who cooperated with Yao Zunian and others to send gifts to more distinguished places.

At the same time, various publicity efforts within the city had not stopped. At this time, it had reached the extreme of warming up. Once the court decided to send troops, the news about the Jurchen attack on Taiyuan would be disseminated in coordination with the pace of sending troops, stirring up the will to fight. And if the court still hesitated, Ning Yi and others were already considering the possibility of forcing political will with popular sentiment - of course, he did not want to mess around with this taboo thing until the last moment.

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already afternoon. Ning Yi stood by the window on the second floor and looked at the courtyard, holding a cup of tea in his hand. He only used this tea to quench his thirst, using a large cup. After standing for a long time, the tea gradually cooled. Juan'er came over to change his cup, but Ning Yi waved his hand.

"Is Young Master worried about Taiyuan?" Juan'er asked in a low voice beside him.

"A little." Ning Yi said, but shook his head slightly, "But that's not the main reason."

"Huh?"

"The matter of Taiyuan is clear, it's already being fought, worrying is useless." Ning Yi glanced slightly to the north, "The situation in the capital is what's problematic. It looks fairly clear, but I always feel like something's up."

"I heard several gentlemen say that even if troops really can't be sent to Taiyuan, the Chancellor has repeatedly requested to resign, but His Majesty has firmly refused, indicating that he is in the emperor's favor. Even if the worst happens, as long as the Xia Village troops can be trained as usual, there may not be hope for a comeback. And... this time, most of the officials in the court tend to send troops, so there is a high probability that His Majesty will accept it." After Juan'er said this, she pursed her lips again, "Well, that's what they said."

Ning Yi glanced at her and laughed. After a moment, he nodded: "Saying that there may be something behind the scenes is just some of my wild thoughts, and I haven't even seen it clearly myself. Logically speaking, we're following the steps, we've already done what we should, and the feedback is not bad... Let's wait for the news, and the preparations outside the city are also done. If all goes well, the dispatch of troops will be in these two or three days. Of course, before the dispatch of troops, His Majesty may have a review."

He paused: "The matter of Taiyuan is the end of this battle. After it's over, there will be bigger things. At that time, the Chancellor's Mansion and the Bamboo Chamber will probably be different in scale and nature. By the way, Juan'er, tell me honestly, did you find someone you like in Xia Village?"

He changed the subject suddenly, and Juan'er was stunned. Her face turned red for a while, then turned pale again. After hesitating for a moment, Ning Yi laughed heartily: "Come here, look downstairs."

He pointed to the courtyard downstairs, where figures were passing by from time to time. In the spring afternoon, the voices sounded noisy and lively.

"The people from Xia Village, or them, if there are no accidents, will mostly become important figures in the future. Because the next few years, or even more than a decade, may be spent in wars. If this country can strive for success, they can rise with the wind. If they can't strive for success in the end, they... may also live a life worth singing and weeping about."

"W-War?" Juan'er widened her eyes.

"Yes." Ning Yi looked for a while, then turned around and walked back to the desk, put down the teacup, "The Jurchen's southward advance is just the beginning, not the end. If your ears are sharp enough, you can already hear the impassioned melody."

He smiled and looked at the somewhat bewildered Juan'er: "Of course, I'm just saying that, Juan'er, you don't need to listen to this, but, at this time, if you want to live a good life, it may not be too easy. If there's someone you like..."

The room fell silent, and he finally didn't continue.

After Juan'er left the room, Ning Yi sat back at the desk, looking at some of the forms on the wall, the information gathered, and continued to calculate the next things. Occasionally someone came up to report intelligence, but it was all insignificant. The decision in the court was still undecided, and they might still be arguing and fighting over it. It wasn't until around Shen Shi (3-5 pm) that there was a slight commotion below. Someone ran in quickly, knocking down the staff below, and then ran upstairs with a thud. Ning Yi heard these sounds clearly in the room. By the time the person ran to the door and was about to knock, Ning Yi had already reached out and opened the door.

It was a steward in charge of palace news.

"What's wrong?"

"R-Received a message..."

Ning Yi frowned. The steward took a step closer and whispered a few words in his ear. Ning Yi's expression changed slightly.

"Really? Did they say anything over there?"

The other party shook his head: "Returned everything..."

"Was the message sent to the Chancellor's Mansion?"

"It was sent, but the Chancellor is still discussing matters in the palace. The Chancellor's Mansion should have also sent the message to the palace."

"...I knew there was a problem, but I didn't expect it to be at this level."

Ning Yi muttered in a low voice. The steward didn't hear clearly: "...What?"

"It's nothing, continue to find people to visit, send it until he accepts it, check around to see what relationships he still has, and ask them to be lobbyists... No, don't ask people casually, lest things escalate and we startle the snake... Find reliable people..."

He hurriedly made a few responses, and the steward nodded and left in a hurry.

Ning Yi stood in the room for a moment.

Before he met with Tong Guan, he had felt a little uneasy, but the fact that Qin Siyuan's request to resign was rejected made him suppress the uneasiness in his heart. At this time, the uneasiness finally emerged.

He had predicted what kind of melody there would be later, but he didn't expect it to turn into such a development.

In any case, it made him feel a little absurd.

...

In the imperial palace, the meeting was temporarily over, and the ministers were resting in the side hall on one side of the Hall of Preserving Harmony. During this period, everyone was still arguing and debating endlessly.

Qin Siyuan stood on the side talking to someone. Then, an official came in a hurry and whispered a few words in his ear.

The old man was slightly stunned, stood there, and blinked his eyes.

After a long time, he digested the situation, gathered his thoughts, and put his attention back on the matter at hand.

...

In the evening, Ning Yi's carriage entered the Right Chancellor's Mansion, crossed the courtyard gate on the side, and went straight in. When he arrived at the study, he saw Yao Zunian and Jueming.

"How did things get to this point?"

"It could be big or small..."

"The monk came back immediately after hearing about this..."

"People have already been sent inside to notify the Chancellor."

"At such a critical time..." Ning Yi frowned, "It's not a good sign."

Soon after, Qin Siyuan also returned.

The decision to send troops was still undecided.

In this month, the Chancellor's Mansion had used all its assets and power to try to promote the dispatch of troops. Ning Yi had always been in charge of the Chancellor's Mansion's property, and he had been involved in various matters such as sending gifts. There was a lot to learn about sending gifts and bribery, and naturally some people accepted and some people refused, but what happened today was different.

In the imperial palace, the Grand Eunuch Du Chengxi refused and returned the gifts sent by the Right Chancellor's Mansion.

For hundreds of years, the Wu Dynasty had always been ruled by civil officials, and eunuchs did not have much power. After Zhou Zhe succeeded to the throne, he adopted a strategy of suppressing the power of eunuchs, but in any case, people who could be by the emperor's side, whether they said a few small words or passed on a piece of information, had great value.

This Grand Eunuch Du Chengxi had always been cautious and restrained. Although he did not dare to speak nonsense in front of Zhou Zhe, he was relatively sensible and inclined to the side of Li Gang and Qin Siyuan. He usually accepted some benefits, but he was also cautious. Because of this, in the current situation, his sudden return of gifts, its meaning and warning, was quite thought-provoking.

Before this, everyone had thought about the problems of the military, the problems of Cai Jing, the problems of Tong Guan, and all kinds of resistance, but they had not thought that suddenly, the situation would rise from Du Chengxi's side to the point where things needed to be returned.

Thinking carefully, it was like a huge, dark metaphor, which was gradually emerging from everyone's hearts.

...

In the imperial palace, Zhou Zhe overturned a pile of memorials on the table.

"Wolves' ambitions!" he shouted, "I knew that the Jurchens could not be trusted, I knew... they were going to attack Taiyuan!"

The pile of memorials pushed off the table were almost all petitions requesting the dispatch of troops. He stood there, looking at the words on the memorials scattered on the ground.

"Wolves' ambitions, the Jurchens..." After a long time, he repeated with red eyes.

As Zhou Zhe walked back behind the desk, Du Chengxi signaled to the little eunuch to pick up the memorials. Zhou Zhe didn't care. He sat in the chair and leaned back for a while before opening his mouth in a low voice.

"I took a chance..." he said, "Du Chengxi, you see, I took a chance, and in the end, I suffered..."

Du Chengxi hesitated for a moment: "Then... Your Majesty... why not send troops?"

Zhou Zhe looked at him for a long time: "You eunuch, what do you know?"

After a slight pause, Zhou Zhe raised his head, his voice not loud: "I don't want to lose Taiyuan, and I don't want to lose all my family property in Taiyuan. And... the example of Guo Yaoshi. Du Chengxi, the example of the past... the overturning of the cart behind... Du Chengxi, do you know the example of the past?"

He muttered these words, and Du Chengxi lowered his head: "This servant... this servant should not discuss state affairs with Your Majesty..."

"Say it, say it, everyone is saying it, they've been saying it all day!" Zhou Zhe stood up, his eyes suddenly becoming fierce, and pointed at Du Chengxi, "Look at Guo Yaoshi! I treated him so well, I used the power of the world to raise troops for him, and even wanted to make him a king! What did he do? He turned around and joined the Jurchens! Xia Village, not to mention that they only have more than 10,000 people, the most powerful of these 10,000 people are said to be righteous soldiers from the north! Du Chengxi, I haven't grasped this army in my hands, I haven't conquered their hearts, and I want to let them go out again. Tell me, should I let them go?"

He spread his hands: "My dynasty has a vast territory and abundant resources, but there are no soldiers to fight. It's not easy to have some people who can fight. I let them out, and there are so many variables. I want to use them as seeds. If I lose Taiyuan, I still have this country. If I lose the seeds, I'm afraid. In a few days, I'm going to review this army. I want to conquer their hearts and keep them in the capital. Whatever they want, I'll give them. I'm buying bones with gold, and I can't buy them like Guo Yaoshi again."

"What's more, Taiyuan may not be lost." He closed his eyes and muttered to himself, "The Jurchens are exhausted, and Taiyuan has persisted for several months. Who says they can't persist any longer? I have sent Chen Yanshu north to rescue

assist, and have also issued orders for him to march quickly. Chen Yanshu knows the stakes, and if he fails again this time, I will not let him go. I will kill his whole family. He dares not not fight..."

He babbled and talked, and Du Chengxi listened respectfully, leading Zhou Zhe out the door, and he hurriedly followed.

...

That night, Ning Yi returned to the Bamboo Chamber and summoned several stewards to give them a few instructions. Most of them were private arrangements for colluding and sending gifts to get through the joints. Afterwards, he also gave an order to stop the propaganda on the Taiyuan matter.

He sat in the courtyard and carefully thought about all the things, the ins and outs. At dawn, Yue Fei came out of the room and heard a loud bang in the courtyard. Ning Yi was standing there, waving his hand and breaking the trunk of a tree. It looked like he had been practicing martial arts before.

Yue Fei was a direct disciple of Zhou Tong, so he could naturally see some of the complex meanings of this. He hesitated and came over: "Young Master Ning... is something on your mind?"

Ning Yi glanced at him: "The matter of Taiyuan, I'm sure the fighting is still going on, right?"

"Could it be that there's been a change in the dispatch of troops?" Yue Fei asked tentatively, "Fei heard some rumors tonight..."

"...It's hard to say." Ning Yi said, "Something has happened, and it doesn't seem like good news. But it's not clear how far it will go."

"Young Master Ning... can't solve it either?" he asked.

"Hahahaha." Hearing this, Ning Yi was slightly stunned, and then laughed loudly, "You do believe in me."

Yue Fei cupped his hands: "Before the Xia Village battle, Fei did not know the Young Master's abilities, but after the battle, the Young Master has become someone Yue Fei admires in his heart. Just as the Young Master said in Xia Village, some things cannot be reasoned, there is no way to retreat, and they cannot be passed. If Taiyuan falls, the Central Plains will be in ruins, and the Jurchens will come again, advancing straight in. At this dangerous time, the Young Master must not be discouraged. If there is anything Yue Fei needs to do, Fei will not hesitate to die!"

He said these words慷慨激昂, with a resounding voice. Ning Yi looked at him for a moment, smiled slightly: "You're right, I will do my best to do what should be done..."

After saying this, he walked over, reached out and patted him on the shoulder, and then walked past him and went upstairs.

The next day, although the Bamboo Chamber did not deliberately strengthen the propaganda, some things still happened. The news of the Jurchen attack on Taiyuan spread, and Tai student Chen Dong led a group of people to the imperial city to petition, requesting the dispatch of troops.

At the same time, the discussion on whether or not to send troops had not moved Zhou Zhe, he just listened quietly to the quarrels of the civil and military officials, and then decided on some things that he had intended to do before: three days later, the army that had contributed to this battle would be reviewed outside the city.

Qin Siyuan privately asked to see Zhou Zhe and once again提出please Resignation, which was also politely rejected by Zhou Zhe.

He also showed a暴躁 and angry side on the matter against the Jurchens, but only when facing Qin Siyuan's Resignation did this天子 kindly comfort the old man every time.

The great battle in Taiyuan continued. Due to the time delay in information dissemination, no one knew that when the news that Taiyuan City was still safe was received today, whether the northern city had been breached by the Jurchens.

Compared to the quiet month before, waiting for the development of the situation, at this time, time seemed to have entered a mire, but a trace of malice had already appeared. The further forward, the more difficult it became.

Three days later, Zhou Zhe reviewed the Wu Rui Camp outside the city...

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