Sunset was approaching, with the last rays of light lingering on the western horizon, beyond the mountains. Search: \(Complete Book Station\) to read quality literature for free.

Near a small village, a river meandered, swollen with the receding spring floods. Roads snaked through the distant fields, where farmers, hoes slung over their shoulders, made their way home.

Summer was almost here, and the air was losing some of its humidity, bringing a sense of refreshment. It was a peaceful southwestern evening.

Ning Yi stood by the river, gazing at the scene. As the sun dipped below the horizon, distant lights began to flicker. Soon, a woman approached with a lantern. Her tall figure belonged to Yunzhu.

She stood a foot away from Ning Yi for a moment before drawing closer. “Xiao Ke told me that Father was crying…”

Ning Yi took her hand and smiled faintly. “…No.”

“Is the situation at the front not good?”

“Yes, something happened to Zhu Biao’s side…”

Yunzhu’s eyes trembled, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Ning Yi shook his head and looked into the darkness.

“I don’t know…” he murmured, then repeated, “I don’t know.”

“If you don’t know, then…”

“The Seventeenth Army…didn't make it out. Suffered heavy losses, almost…annihilated. I’m just wondering if some things are worth it…”

His calm words dissipated into the late spring air…

**************

In the north, Daming Prefecture was a desolate ruin.

The inhuman massacre following the war was over. The corpses and mass graves emitted a foul stench. The army gradually withdrew, but the search continued for miles around Daming Prefecture.

On April 15th, the last departing troops escorted batches of prisoners to various locations north of the Yellow River.

Starting in late April, the residents of major cities in Hebei East Road and Jingdong East Road, formerly ruled by Li Xizhi, were horrified by the scenes of slaughter. All the rebels who had defied the Jin dynasty and revolted in Daming Prefecture since the previous year had been killed or captured. The Black Flag rebel army that came to rescue them shared the same fate at the hands of Wanyan Chang. Thousands of prisoners were divided into groups of condemned men and transported to various cities for public beheading.

In April, the summer rains had begun to fall. The bodies confined in the prison wagons were barely recognizable as human. Those who refused to surrender to the Jurchens or were deemed worthless had already suffered severe torture. Many had been seriously wounded on the battlefield, but Wanyan Chang had medical officers keep them alive, prolonging their suffering, as a warning against resisting the Jin dynasty.

The Eastern Route Army had advanced its front line to Xuzhou, and the process of taking over the Central Plains had already begun. Oppressive taxes and levies, along with the high-handedness and slaughter by officials, had continued for six months. Some resisted, but most died under the blade. Now, the myth of the most fiercely resistant Guangwu Army and the legendary Black Flag Army, the only force capable of contending with the Jurchens, had finally been shattered before their eyes.

In Luoyang, as the convoy transporting the prisoners entered the city, the people lining the streets were dazed or confused. A few, aware of the situation, wept by the roadside. Those who cried were dragged out by Jurchen soldiers and executed on the spot.

In Shenzhou, amidst a light rain, a sudden prison break occurred. The rescuers were dressed in rags, consisting of martial artists and ordinary civilians, mixed with a group of monks. Due to Wanyan Chang's extensive sweeps after taking over Li Xizhi's territory, their weapons were not complete. A gaunt man, wielding a sharpened bamboo pole, bravely killed two soldiers before being cut down. Amidst the surrounding chaos, the blood-soaked man, his stomach slashed open, clutched the prison wagon and shouted.

“I am also a member of the China Army! I am also a member of the China Army! I…should not have left the Southwest. I…will die with you!”

His last words were probably directed at the prisoners in the wagon. Nearest to him, a former China Army soldier, his hands severed and his tongue cut out, made guttural sounds, trying to extend his mangled arm.

Soldiers rushing over had already raised their steel blades behind the man…

In Hejian Prefecture, the executions began in a downpour. Outside the execution ground, people stood in droves, watching the blades fall one by one. Some wept silently in the rain. At least in this heavy rain, they didn't have to worry about being seen crying…

On March 28th of the tenth year of Wujian Shuo, outside Daming Prefecture, the China Army launched a formal rescue operation for the Guangwu Army. Even though Wanyan Chang was prepared, the China Army still launched a two-pronged surprise attack. Within half an hour of realizing the chaos, the Guangwu Army also launched a formal breakout.

The desperate assault of the forlorn hope immediately put immense pressure on the 200,000-strong puppet army inside the battlefield. In the streets and alleys of Daming Prefecture, the suicidal attacks of over ten thousand Guangwu Army soldiers forced the puppet troops to retreat, with deaths from trampling exceeding the casualties from the front-line clashes. Zhu Biao, shortly after the start of the battle, led four thousand soldiers, along with three thousand stationed outside, in the most fierce assault on Wanyan Chang.

Wanyan Chang calmly responded, using his ten thousand elite troops to counter Zhu Biao's attack and thousands of cavalry to block any enemy attempting to escape the vicinity of Daming Prefecture. Zhu Biao repeatedly feigned a breakthrough during the offensive, then counterattacked, but Wanyan Chang never fell for it.

Even as the 200,000 puppet troops collapsed at the front, a constant stream of reinforcements acted like a massive quagmire, preventing them from escaping. The thousands of cavalry originally under Wanyan Chang's command controlled the battlefield, and each of their attacks caused heavy casualties to the breakout forces.

During this time, Yan Qing’s defection squad remained active on the battlefield, persuading several puppet army units to subtly allow the escapees to pass, either through pleas or threats. Some puppet army units even turned a blind eye, and the constant rumors of Wanyan Chang's death caused considerable confusion on the battlefield.

However, all of this was not enough to overcome the vast disparity in strength on the scales of war.

From the night of the 28th to the early hours of the 29th, the fierce fighting between the China Army and the Guangwu Army violently tore apart the massive battlefield. Zhu Biao's eastward advance and Wang Shanyue's main force's southward breakout attracted the most intense fire. The reserve cadre corps entered the battlefield that night, boosting morale and fighting to the last man. As the sun rose on the 29th, the entire battlefield had been torn apart, stretching for miles, as the attackers, at great cost, gained footholds in the surrounding mountains and forests.

By this time, many soldiers had been captured due to severe injuries or cowardice. The war continued unabated, as Wanyan Chang organized a large-scale pursuit and search, while also issuing orders to surrounding Jurchen-controlled cities, mobilizing a vast encirclement.

On March 30th, April 1st... battles of various sizes erupted in the dense forests, marshes, and mountains around Daming Prefecture. The encirclement and search operation continued until mid-April, when Wanyan Chang declared the end of the major battle.

Few would know in the short term how many soldiers and generals of the China Army and the Guangwu Army had sacrificed themselves in this extremely brutal assault and breakout. The number of prisoners, including the wounded, exceeded four thousand, most of whom were tortured before being transported by Wanyan Chang to various cities and slaughtered within two months.

Some confirmed intelligence indicated that during the assault and retreat on the morning of the 29th, a China Army unit was heavily besieged. A general wielding double whips led the team in a relentless charge, his steel whips smashing open the skulls of enemies with each swing. The general charged repeatedly, covered in blood like a war god, inspiring terror. But in the constant fighting, the number of soldiers around him dwindled. Eventually, the general exhausted his last strength in the endless siege, shedding his last drop of blood.

This was the hero who, though once belonging to Liangshan, finally returned to the right path, "Double Whip" Huyan Zhuo.

Near dawn on the 29th, "Golden Lance" Xu Ning sacrificed himself in the forests near Daming Prefecture while blocking Jurchen cavalry and covering the retreat of friendly forces.

China Army Commander Nie Shan led several hundred suicide troops in a counterattack on Wanyan Chang's main force as dawn broke. These hundreds of men charged like steel blades, striking fear into the hearts of the defending Jurchen generals and attracting the attention of multiple armies on the battlefield. All of these hundreds of men were ultimately wiped out, with none surrendering. Commander Nie Shan, before his death, had no uninjured part of his body. Covered in blood, he finished his life of asceticism, securing a slim chance of survival for friendly forces behind him.

Over fifty percent of those who broke through were left on the battlefield on the first night, and this number continued to grow. By the time Wanyan Chang announced the initial conclusion of the overall battle in mid-April, all formations of the China Army and the Guangwu Army had been almost completely shattered. Although some might survive the vast net, within a certain period, both armies were effectively destroyed…

According to Jurchen intelligence, Zhu Biao, Guan Sheng, Wang Shanyue... and many other generals were reported dead, their heads displayed high.

**************

The carriage moved slowly through the night.

"Sometimes I think, maybe we chose the wrong color for the flag..."

"Didn't my husband say before that black is the most steadfast?"

"But every war dyes it red."

The carriage stopped quietly by the roadside. Not far away was the entrance to the village. Ning Yi took Yunzhu’s hand and got out. Yunzhu looked around, confused.

"I often wonder, is it worth it… Lofty words, we used to say them so grandly, but the more you see, the more you feel the suffocating weight. Zhu Biao… Wang Shanyue… Tian Shi… and so many more who have died. Maybe everyone is just pursuing the three-hundred-year cycle, maybe it’s already very good, maybe… the dead just wanted to live, and they all deserved to live..."

In the darkness, Ning Yi's words were calm and slow, like a murmured whisper. He led Yunzhu along the small path of the nameless village, and as they passed the dim stream, he effortlessly picked Yunzhu up, stepping accurately on each stone – a testament to his familiarity with the place. Du Sha followed silently behind.

Yunzhu did not respond to Ning Yi's words, knowing that his murmurs did not require an answer. She simply followed her husband, hand in hand, walking slowly through the village. Not far away were a few earthen houses, lit by lanterns. They approached from the darkness, quietly climbed the stairs, and entered a loft on the roof of one of the earthen houses. The roof tiles were broken, allowing them to see the night sky. Ning Yi pulled her to sit by the earthen wall. On the other side of the wall, in the house below, the lights were on, and people were talking about the "Four Classes of People" and matters related to He Deng Three Counties.

Ning Yi sat there quietly, gesturing for Yunzhu to be quiet with a silent "shush." Then, the couple leaned close to each other, looking up at the sky through the broken tiles.

"Innovation and enlightenment… a process of thousands of years, the so-called freedom… not many people really care… People are such strange things, we only ever want a little bit more, a little bit better than the current situation. People can't understand history that's more than a hundred years old… A slave who gets a little bit better feels like they've gone to heaven… People with good brains, even if things get a little bit better, they're still not satisfied…"

His words came softly from his throat, with a hint of a sigh. Yunzhu listened, also listening to the words and discussions in the house below. But there was nothing particularly remarkable being said. In He Deng Three Counties, many people would gather at night to discuss new ideas and opinions, many of whom were likely Ning Yi's students.

"...Innovation, freedom, ha, it's like most people exercising: if your body is weak, you exercise a little, and when your body gets better, you forget everything. A cycle of thousands of years… When people have enough to eat, they think they've reached their limit. As for reading more books, why bother… How many people can understand them? Too few…"

Ning Yi’s words continued, it was merely a sigh, a slight sigh. Yunzhu listened, knowing that her husband was not confused by the things he spoke of. At this point, another person had begun to speak in the room below. At one moment, Yunzhu heard that person say:

"...The affairs of our China Army have made one thing clear: everyone in this world is the same! Why are those who till the land considered inferior? Why should landlords and wealthy gentlemen be so high and mighty? They give a little something, and people say they are benevolent families. Why are they benevolent? They have taken more than others. Their children can go to school and study, can take exams and become officials. Farmers will always be farmers! When a farmer's son is born, he opens his eyes and sees a world where he is inferior. This is innate injustice! Mr. Ning has explained many things, but I think Mr. Ning's words are not thorough enough…"

"...Because Mr. Ning's family is itself a merchant family. Although he married into a family, his family is very wealthy. As far as I know, Mr. Ning eats well and dresses well, and is quite particular about his food and clothing… I'm not here to speak ill of Mr. Ning. I'm saying, is it because of this that Mr. Ning has not explicitly stated that everyone is equal!"

"...Look at those farmers, especially those who don't even own land. They live the most miserable and hardest lives, and get the least. Isn't this unfair? We have to think about these things. Many of Mr. Ning's words are correct, but they could be more correct. What is more correct? Everyone in this world is equal. We have even killed the emperor. We must have the most equal world. We should let everyone know that they! Are born no different from others. If our China Army wants to succeed, we must equalize wealth! Establish equality!"

Many of these words were once used by Ning Yi, but the meaning they conveyed now was much more radical. The room below was noisy. Yunzhu was lost in thought for a moment, because Ning Yi's words had also stopped beside her. She turned her head and saw her husband leaning against the earthen wall, with a quiet and mysterious smile on his face, a smile that seemed to see something ineffable, with a hint of bitterness and sadness, complex beyond description.

"...I sometimes wonder, is this worth it… or not…"

He murmured the last sentence and did not continue to speak. The voices from the next room continued to come, and Ning Yi and Yunzhu's eyes looked up. In the night sky, billions of stars rotated, and the vast Milky Way shone into the small opening in the roof tiles…

Outside the roof, lay the vast earth, where countless living beings clashed together.

****************

Wujian Shuo Year 10, March 27th.

The China Army, rushing towards Daming Prefecture, bypassed the long roads. In the evening, Zhu Biao stood on a hilltop, looking at the direction. A team of fluttering banners marched past below the road.

Guan Sheng came up from below: “What are you looking at?”

Zhu Biao looked into the distance, hesitant. After a while, he put away the pose of looking at the map and said, "I was wondering if there was a better way."

"Did you think of one?"

"…No."

"You pig-brain, I knew you wouldn't think of one. Hey, but on the other hand, you, the Fire City Spear Zhu Biao, a fearless person, are being all wishy-washy today."

"…I don't really want to run head-on into a turtle like Wanyan Chang."

"…" Guan Sheng was silent for a moment. "I don't want to either."

Zhu Biao smiled: "So I was thinking, if that Ning fellow was here, maybe he could think of a better way to defeat Wanyan Chang and save Wang Shanyue. After all, that guy… besides not knowing how to pick up girls, his brain is really useful."

"I only know that that Ning fellow wouldn't not save Wang Shanyue."

"Yeah…"

The two stood there, looking into the distance for a moment. Guan Sheng said, "Did you think of one?"

"No."

"Then let's go."

The two figures, one laughing, one nodding, then disappeared into the rolling torrent.

……

On the ruins, tattered flags still fluttered, blood and black mixed together.

……

In May, Weisheng fell.

Soon after, Xuzhou fell.