In late November of the second year of Wu Zhenxing, while the Southwest Chinese Army, shrouded in damp, cold, and gloomy clouds, was carrying out land reforms, most parts of the Wu Dynasty had already entered a winter scene of white snow.

Since the feat of defeating the Jurchen Western Route Army, the most far-reaching social reform carried out by the Chinese Army had not attracted too much attention from the world at this time. It was only because, in this land, the more direct wars and killings, the conflicts and replacements of power, had not calmed down at all because of the winter snow.

This was a winter in which countless people died.

Jiangnan, the chaotic flames of war turned this originally fertile and wealthy land into a true purgatory.

Since late September, after He Wen announced a clearer program of the Fairness Party and carried out substantial actions to seize power, the entire Jiangnan suddenly fell into a chaotic war.

In fact, this killing of the Fairness Party was indeed a war initiated by the "Fairness King" against the other four parties. However, with the outbreak of the war, what was presented on the land of Jiangnan was not an orderly scene of the five major factions of the Fairness Party, which accounted for the majority, fighting four against one or one against four, but the collapse of the entire behemoth in front of the world, with dozens or hundreds of forces beginning to devour each other frantically.

In the past less than two years, the Fairness Party rose with the momentum of the Chinese Army, sweeping across Jiangnan in a short period of time, and thus giving birth to the so-called five major branches such as "Fairness King" and "Equality King." During the smooth sailing stage of the Fairness Party, the people who joined it were relatively united, and the various factions under the five banners could ensure that they obeyed orders as much as possible. Even if there were frictions between each other, the leaders of each side had formed a relatively clear principle of "negotiation."

After Fairness King He Wen took the lead in "rebellion," almost all of these principles were weakened. The conflicts of interest that could have been settled through negotiation became more intense. People who had ulterior motives began to think about re-aligning. Outside the direct lines of the five kings, a new round of factionalism broke out in the form of bloodshed. Infighting among various large and small groups occurred almost every day, and medium-sized forces such as "Chaos River King," "Big Dragon Head," and "Gathering Victory King" also seized the opportunity to rise up.

For a time, it was like a dance of demons.

In two months, the four kings, Shi Baofeng, Xu Zhaonan, Gao Chang, and Zhou Shang, nominally resisted He Wen together, but in reality, they were all overwhelmed by the collapse of their own organizational capabilities. During this period, the core forces of Gao Chang, Shi Baofeng, and Xu Zhaonan were relatively stable. However, the "King Yama" Zhou Shang, who had gathered the largest number of speculators in the past with radical methods, almost fell apart.

On the front lines, several core towns originally under Zhou Shang were successively stolen by He Wen, Gao Chang, Shi Baofeng, Xu Zhaonan, and others in the first wave of war. His most brutal warriors were vulnerable in this atmosphere of infighting. After being defeated by He Wen in two cities, Gao Chang, Shi Baofeng, and Xu Zhaonan began to take over his front-line forces and supplies on the grounds that "it is better to benefit us than to benefit He Wen."

In order to boost morale, in November, Zhou Shang led a large number of vagrants towards Lin'an, trying to reshape his leadership with the lure of profit. However, this time, the previously vulnerable Lin'an "puppet army" fought back. Tie Yan and Wu Qimei used promises such as surrendering one-tenth of the elite, not holding them accountable, and providing food and drink as bait to defeat the large stream of refugees led by Zhou Shang in the cold snow.

What the "King Yama" lacked the least was refugees. After the team was defeated, Zhou Shang led his core members to escape, and then gathered manpower again.

On November 17, Wei Xuwen, known as "Heaven Killer," who had been in private contact with He Wen, successfully assassinated Zhou Shang near Huzhou and then took over the King Yama's forces.

On November 21, before the news of the change of leadership in the "King Yama" camp spread throughout Jiangnan, several leaders of nearby forces such as "Avici Naraka" and "Karmic Obstacles," along with a subordinate of Wei Xuwen, rose up and forced Wei Xuwen to death in a reed swamp in the wilderness after half a day of bloody fighting.

The several leaders who killed Wei Xuwen announced that they would inherit the will of the "King Yama," but by this time, the organizational strength of the entire "King Yama" force, which had recruited millions of people in the past, had completely collapsed, making it the first force to be eliminated among the five major factions. He Wen and others then recruited the remaining forces under his command, and the entire killing scene became even more chaotic.

In the snowy Jiangnan, the war ignited like a great fire in purgatory. The conflicting crowds sought self-preservation, and in such conflicts, groups after groups turned into ashes in the fire. The people in this war were fanatical and hysterical, but it was also the most confusing chaos in so many years. Some people tried to escape, taking their families with them, only to be killed by another group of refugees seeking survival in the wilderness. Some people held on to their own strongholds, but still inevitably had to choose a side. The piles of bones were burned by the flames of war and buried in the white snow.

Including He Wen, Gao Chang, Shi Baofeng, and Xu Zhaonan, who still had remaining power, while stabilizing their own foundations, also began to put forward clearer governing programs. Internal purification and external wars were carried out simultaneously.

This short and long winter, the Fairness Party's split in Jiangnan, contributed to the most chaotic farce in recent years, and also almost the most tragic series of bloody incidents. Throughout the entire war, it simultaneously possessed many elements such as seriousness and absurdity, loyalty and betrayal, ideals and ignorance, calmness and fanaticism, ridiculousness and tragedy, meaningfulness and meaninglessness. It attracted the most attention from almost the entire world, but most people could hardly explain why they were fighting.

In any case, many lives turned into remains.

And at the same time that Jiangnan turned into purgatory, other places in this world were also brewing their own intense changes.

Southeast, Fuzhou.

The undercurrents in the small court that inherited the Wu Dynasty's orthodoxy had never been calm for a moment.

A key battle was about to break out this winter.

"...Zhou Shang is out, a little too fast..."

On November 24, a long convoy was traveling along a mountain road that was not too rugged. In one of the carriages, Jun Wu was holding the intelligence he had just received, comparing it with the map, and studying the development of the entire Jiangnan situation. Accompanying him in the carriage were Cheng Zhouhai and Zuo Xiuquan.

Since ascending the throne in Jiangning, Jun Wu had devoted himself to government affairs and study for the past two years, rarely resting or relaxing. At the beginning of this year, after Zuo Wenhuai and others arrived in Fuzhou and brought support from the teacher in the southwest, some of his major strategies gradually took shape with the joint efforts of a group of staff members. On the one hand, he promoted investigation of things, promoted sea trade, and formed alliances with Lingnan. On the other hand, he focused on internal affairs, seized power, promoted young officials, and built the Southeast Military Academy to unify thought.

In the second half of the second year of Zhenxing, after the Southeast Small Court determined the direction of revitalizing sea trade, pirates rose up in the waters off Fujian. On the one hand, Jun Wu, with the help of Zuo Wenhuai and others, used thunderous methods to eliminate several large sea merchants whose families were still on land. On the other hand, he directly opened up the share subscription of official ship merchant fleets to the people and attracted Lingnan sea merchant teams to fight several battles fiercely with "pirates" on the high seas. Only now had he barely established the prestige of the imperial court.

After this series of actions was implemented, various impeachments and remonstrances in the court were inevitable. The local gentry, merchants, and even the foreign Confucian scholars were quite unaccustomed to the little emperor's arbitrary behavior. Not competing with the people for profit was the most common argument Jun Wu had heard this year.

When winter arrived, various conflicts and contradictions in various places had not stopped, but had intensified. This was because after Jun Wu arrived in Fuzhou and gained a firm foothold, he "selected scholars" on a large scale. He imitated Ning Yi's method, focusing on efficiency and purpose to reuse various young staff members, especially after Zuo Wenhuai and others arrived. Jun Wu, with Zuo Wenhuai in charge of the Military Academy, delegated more power to lower-level officials. These young officials conducted various investigations in Fujian, and some had begun to manage various government affairs, and conflicts with local forces in Fujian had also occurred frequently.

The entire Fujian was such a large place. The local forces that originally welcomed the emperor wanted wealth and glory, and even to rise to heaven with their dogs and chickens in the future. Who knew that the little emperor had such great ambitions? As soon as he arrived, he cleared household registration, counted the population, seized accounts, and even robbed sea trade business. This was not to mention that he had to insert a group of young people to take power. There was only so much power in one place, and everyone wanted it, so it was inevitable that they would often argue in the Golden Luan Hall. Jun Wu had not yet seized the real power of the local gentry on a large scale at this time, but the situation was already tense.

During this period, Princess Zhou Pei, who had a better relationship with various gentry and Confucian scholars, often reminded Jun Wu that the local gentry forces were not small, and that the clan relationships of various families were close, more united than the clans in other places, and could not be forced. Jun Wu knew this, and while letting his sister unite the various Confucian scholars, he could only spend more time mediating, hoping that his own strength would grow faster, that sea trade would see results sooner, or that his investigation of things would break through and create rocket bombs like the teacher's as soon as possible, flattening everything he didn't like.

The weather snowed after winter, and the temporary government affairs in various places had eased somewhat, but Jun Wu still buried himself in hard work. Whenever he had time, he often asked about the progress of the investigation of things research institute and the Military Academy. People around him were pleased with the emperor's diligence, but on the other hand, they often advised him to rest more.

Jun Wu did not listen to the advice, but in November, Consort Shen Ruxin was not feeling well, and Jun Wu arranged for her to go to Lianjiang to soak in the hot springs. Around mid-November, he said he was going to find the consort to soak in the hot springs to nourish his body, but in fact, he pulled Zuo Xiuquan, Cheng Zhouhai, and a large group of young reserve officials, and inspected the livelihood of the residents all the way along the snowy countryside, heading towards Lianjiang in a roundabout way.

On the 24th, the news of Zhou Shang's elimination had spread.

"...According to Zuo Gong's previous arrangement, the news that Gao Chang is willing to defect has not been exposed. Now that Zhou Shang is gone, if General Gao takes these places bordering the south and Lin'an, then we can break out of Fujian, maybe we can make an agreement with He Wen and temporarily divide the Yangtze River to govern, so that the waterway will be smooth and sea trade will be more convenient..."

"According to He Wen's character and current territory, if he wants the Yangtze River, I'm afraid he will have to fight a battle."

"Then we'll have to fight a battle."

Referring to the map, Jun Wu and Cheng Zhouhai simply exchanged ideas, and at this moment, a warning sound rang out in front, and then, an explosion sounded from behind.

The surroundings suddenly became chaotic, and the carriage bumped for a while and tilted sharply. The wheels seemed to be stuck somewhere on the road. Zuo Xiuquan and Cheng Zhouhai both changed their faces, one said, "Is Your Majesty alright?" and the other said, "Your Majesty, do not act rashly!"

Jun Wu waved his hand and pushed aside some curtains in the tilted carriage. A guard standing by the carriage said, "Is Your Majesty alright?" At this time, Tie Tianying was in the distance, and his eyes seemed to casually scan over here. Jun Wu gave him a gesture, and the other party's eyes moved away.

There was more than one carriage in the advancing team, and nine of them were decoys. Jun Wu looked back and forth through the gaps in the curtains, and saw that the killing warning in front seemed to be still on the mountainside in the distance, and the explosion behind was closer, as if the bridge on the riverbed behind had been blown down by a fire ship loaded with explosives. Now this imperial procession of about 300 people was cut off from the return route by a small river, and in front, the assassins seemed to be killing down from the mountains, shouting and killing. They were discovered by the scouts in front, and it would take some time for them to kill over, but it was difficult to say whether there were any ambushes by assassins nearby.

Looking back and forth, Zuo Xiuquan and Cheng Zhouhai also understood the entire situation.

Cheng Zhouhai whispered, "The assassins who came seem to be a thousand. There are rafts in the car, Your Majesty can cross the river with Lord Tie and others."

Jun Wu smiled: "If a thousand people come, where are the assassins, this is an army." He had already taken out his armor from under the seat.

Zuo Xiuquan frowned: "Being able to mobilize thousands of people in this place, those who have this strength...Your Majesty, don't mess around..."

Jun Wu tore off his robe, revealing the armor inside, and put on the few pieces of armor that he had not put on before, and put on his helmet.

"If we cross the river and go back, what if they intercept us? When Chu Hegemon fought the Qin army in Julu, he destroyed the pots and sank the boats, and won nine battles. I admire it." He smiled and walked out.

On the road, soldiers and horses gathered, including dozens of young officials who came with him this time, who had already drawn their swords. Then, they saw the emperor come out of the tilted carriage, walk nimbly directly to the roof of the car, and Tie Tianying was so frightened that he rushed back.

The shouts of killing from the mountain rolled over, and Jun Wu opened one hand and smiled.

"Everyone, soldiers! There are two famous scholars in our team today! Lord Zuo Xiuquan, who is old and virtuous, you have all heard of him. Cheng Zhouhai, who followed the Qin family's eldest son to defend Taiyuan for a year more than ten years ago, went through killings and left injuries on his body. In winter, it's not very comfortable. This time, we will accompany them to Lianjiang to soak in the hot springs!"

"Now someone is blocking the way, all soldiers, all comrades—"

He drew his long sword.

In the snowy road, there was a moment of silence, and then, they heard Zhou Junwu's voice.

"Follow me to kill the enemy—"

This time, the Imperial Guards who followed Jun Wu were not many, but all of them had followed Jun Wu in launching an attack under the city of Jiangning. Therefore, almost at the moment they heard "all comrades," the figure in front had undergone an astonishing change in momentum.

Coming down from the mountain were the most elite confidants of one or several large clans in Fujian. They hissed, passing through the forest in the snowy mountains.

"Kill the fatuous emperor—"

"Support the female emperor—"

Then, they were greeted by a thunderous battle cry—

"Kill—"

…

At the same time that the front lines connected, on one side of the mountain ridge, a white team, almost integrated with the snowy mountain, suddenly set off a frenzy and inserted into the assassin's formation.

Zuo Wenhuai, a former Chinese Army warrior, took the lead and led his companions to stab the enemy's head.

At the same time, Jun Wu led the Imperial Guards and young officials wielding swords to directly resist the tide rushing forward.

Fresh blood splashed and danced in the sky above the snow, figures rolled and turned into corpses, and explosions rang out.

Jun Wu shouted and rushed forward, and then was pulled back by the Imperial Guards on both sides. Tie Tianying was only ten feet away in front, splitting the scattered assassins who rushed over on the ground.

"Kill!"

Jun Wu could only roar fiercely.

Fresh blood was pushed open like a tide from bottom to top, and at a certain moment, behind Jun Wu, who was being guarded forward, someone suddenly pounced.

"Ah!"

He turned his head sharply, and a young official who had originally followed him slashed with his knife. The guards around him met him in the first time, and Jun Wu swung his long sword with both hands and slashed out, the swords flashed in the air. Jun Wu's sword collided violently with the opponent's full-force slash, and the next sword, he cleaved the opponent's neck with a crash.

A soldier also cleaved the opponent's belly at the same time, and more swords were slashing at the assassin's body.

The stinking and hot blood poured all over Jun Wu's face. The assassin was almost chopped to pieces and fell behind. This was the first time the little emperor had personally killed someone in his life. He took two breaths to calm down, and then turned his head again and roared fiercely forward.

Being surrounded was boring, but in any case, he had to do his best to boost morale.

The large-scale assassination of nearly a thousand people was quickly pierced by the counterattack of nearly two hundred people. Jun Wu led the crowd to chase and kill all the way until he climbed to the top of the nearby snowy mountain. He held his long sword and stopped at the snow line at this moment. The winter sun shone down, engraving his figure in everyone's memory.

In the armor, Jun Wu's body trembled slightly.

He then thanked Zuo Wenhuai and others who had followed him all the way during these days.

…

That evening, Fuzhou.

Zhou Pei, having learned of the situation, summoned the ten or so famous ministers, great scholars, or representatives of aristocratic families who were gathered here now, and informed them of the assassination Jun Wu had encountered today, as well as his battle record and heroic posture of counter-killing a thousand people with a hundred Imperial Guards.

"More than ten years ago, the Shame of Jingping, the late Emperor crossed south to Lin'an, and the people of the world also followed him south. Later, there were more people and less land, and the court said, let the southern people return to the south and the northern people return to the north. But in fact, the northern people have no north to return to. Reaching that point, it was a loss of virtue for my Zhou family..."

"Now, in this land of Fujian, it seems that we must also say, southern people return to the south and northern people return to the north. And this time, they want to drive us, the imperial family from the north, out of here together..."

She wore a long dress, her eyes scanned all around, and then, the teacup she was holding in her hand loosened and fell to the silent hall with a snap. She looked at the teacup, was silent for a while, then sat upright with a solemn expression, and tears flowed from her expressionless eyes. Her voice was hoarse.

"Kill the fatuous emperor, support the female emperor... Everyone wants to force Zhou Pei to death... You can do it now."