The sudden imposition of martial law brought a heavy pressure to the originally bustling Lin'an City, and the festive atmosphere that had been painstakingly created faded away in the face of this cold pressure. On the twenty-ninth of December, as the carriage passed through the market, Li Pin peered out through the gap in the curtain, observing the hidden fear and slight bewilderment in the eyes of the people walking in the streets.

Due to the martial law enforced by the Imperial Guards, the news from the leaflets was immediately suppressed. However, this so-called suppression only prevented the news from spreading to the lower classes of the populace. For the true upper and middle echelons of the Wu Dynasty, those things that had already caught the attention of the students of the Imperial Academy could not be contained.

The subsequent increased patrols by the Imperial Guards, the tense atmosphere in the capital, and the unease and movements among many upper and middle-ranking officials and various factions, would eventually transmit the various atmospheres down layer by layer. Those who had not left earlier were now buying the last of the New Year's goods in the streets, unconsciously exchanging various pieces of information. With the New Year's Eve just around the corner, the shadow was finally descending.

Sensing this strangeness and disharmony, people always wanted to do something, but the actions of the lower classes of the populace were ultimately insignificant. In Lin'an City, in this world, many people and many things had already begun to move or were in the process of moving.

Li Pin took in the scene on the street, his deep and melancholy gaze showing little fluctuation. In his early years, he had followed Qin Shaohe in defending Taiyuan, and later fought against Ning Yi in the Northwest. Afterwards, he experienced the disaster of the Central Plains' fall, following the refugees on their desperate southern escape. He had seen too many similar things.

The carriage went through the streets and alleys, finally entering the Princess's mansion through the back door, stopping in the courtyard at the rear. Li Pin got out of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and inside was a box-like object wrapped in black cloth. The driver and guards who had come with him, along with two guards from the Princess's mansion, carried the box down. Then, a steward from the Princess's mansion led Li Pin into the depths of the mansion.

Through the gaps in the corridors and turns, many people had already gathered in the Princess's mansion.

Li Pin and the people carrying the box entered the study inside the Princess's mansion. After a while, Zhou Pei arrived first, followed by Cheng Zhouhai leading six men of varying ages and heights, but all with sharp eyes. He introduced the six men one by one: "These are all trustworthy old friends." Li Pin also greeted the six men one by one, some of whom he had already met.

After ordering servants to bring tea, Zhou Pei dismissed all but the trusted guards and had everyone sit down in the room. After Li Pin sat down for a moment, he looked around at the others a few times before standing up again: "Most of those present are old acquaintances. Time is pressing, so I won't beat around the bush. Previously, I founded schools and published newspapers in Lin'an. Although the schools were not very successful, the newspapers achieved some results. The purpose of the newspapers was to communicate news of the world to everyone. Over time, a great deal of news came to me on its own. Over the years, I have taken advantage of my leisure time to sort and classify many seemingly useless pieces of information, analyzing the clues within... Now that Wushu has come south, all sorts of Jurchen arrangements, either already launched or about to be launched, these things should be taken out."

As he said this, everyone turned their attention to the box wrapped in black cloth on the ground. Cheng Zhouhai had already gone over and lifted the black cloth. Li Pin took out a key from his pocket and handed it over, then took out a blue-covered booklet.

"A storm arises from the duckweed's end, moving the whole body by pulling one hair... Everything in the world is connected. We all understood this principle in the past, but in recent years, the one who has used it most skillfully is Ning Liheng, who is now in the Southwest. The information in the box that I have been able to see clues in has been recorded. The rest is up to you all to analyze and consider. Among the great officials and clans of our Wu Dynasty, those who already have connections with the Jurchens, those who are wavering in their resolve, those who have been persuaded, if we can find one, it will be one..."

The lights in the room were a little dim. Li Pin's words were calm, but his face looked pale. He simply said: "Even if Wushu's 50,000 men cannot break through Lin'an, what he will do is nothing more than a strategy of attacking the mind. These tricks were originally the specialty of Heart Devil. In recent years, Xiyin and others in the north have followed suit and often achieved success. This is because Heart Devil's methods alternate between conspiracies and open plots. Once a momentum is formed, it is difficult to resist, and the Jurchens have had this momentum for ten years. In these ten years, Heart Devil struggled desperately to find a glimmer of hope. The Jurchens came with great momentum, and persuasion and defection often had a multiplier effect..."

As he said this, someone in the room said: "However, with this box of Dexin's, we have several more chances of holding Lin'an. Although Xiyin is intelligent, he is, after all, from a barbarian background. Although his conspiracies and tricks can take advantage of the moment, he can't turn the world upside down. We have just discussed and, like Dexin, speculated that Wushu's 50,000 cavalry lightly armored and going south, breaking through Lin'an is impossible. As long as we stabilize the rear, His Highness the Crown Prince will definitely be able to find a counterattack strategy."

Li Pin gently shook his head, looked at the other person, and sighed and nodded: "Although that's what they say... I hope so, but we must not be careless. These years, I have reviewed the information recorded in the north over the past thirty years. The Jurchen clan has been exceptionally brave since they started their uprising. It is generally undisputed that ten thousand are invincible, but what few people know is that during the Jurchens' destruction of the Liao Kingdom, they were not yet proficient in the use of siege equipment and the study of tactics. Under such circumstances, the Jurchens conquered the Liao Kingdom's capital, Linhuang Prefecture, in just half a day. Although there were many flukes and coincidences in the middle, many things in it are thought-provoking."

"...After the Jurchens destroyed the Liao, they captured a large number of Liao artisans, and only then did they gradually become familiar with many siege weapons. Later, when they invaded the south, their siege techniques quickly became rounded, especially during the fall of the Central Plains, the Jin people valued artisans above all else among the captives. Many things in the middle coincide with Ning Yi's ideas... The prosperity of the Jin Kingdom is only in the hands of Aguda, Wugimai, Zongwang, and Xiyin. Although they came from a barbaric background, they had no prejudices in their minds. As long as something was good, they quickly learned it. In this regard, the officials of our Wu Dynasty are not as good as them."

His gaze swept around, and everyone's eyes were also solemn: "After the Northwest War, Lou Shi and Ci Bushi were both beheaded by the Black Flag in battle. Zongwang and others valued the Black Flag even more than our dynasty. Xiyin built the Great Manufacturing Institute, and the Jurchens supported it with all their strength. The Crown Prince promoted physical investigation, but everyone watched with indifference, all thinking that when they defeated the Jurchens in the future, these strange and clever tricks could be discarded at will. In recent years, the Jurchens have not only made the Great Manufacturing Institute prosperous, but Xiyin has also secretly formed teams to constantly persuade and promise our Wu Dynasty, using both soft and hard tactics..."

He sighed: "...Like Tian Shi's rebellion against the Jin in Jin, the brave man cut off his wrist and cleared the internal affairs so tragically, but in the end he was assassinated by Xiyin in one fell swoop, and everything was lost. This time the Jurchens are determined to take our dynasty south. The two armies in the east and west have temporarily abandoned their previous grudges. Since Wushu has risked going south, Xiyin's calculations for Lin'an are probably not just what we see now. You must not fail to notice..."

Li Pin arched his hands at this point, and everyone nodded and arched their hands solemnly. After a while, when everyone began to analyze the information that Li Pin had brought, Li Pin, Cheng Zhouhai, and Zhou Pei went to a room next door to talk about another more urgent matter.

"...We have already noticed the news that Brother Li sent yesterday. The plan has been decided, and we are just waiting for Brother Li to come over to do the final consultation..."

On December 29th, Lin'an was covered with a thin layer of snow. The Princess's mansion was busy. On the night of this day, many more people came one after another. One of the travelers, wearing a raincoat and covered in dust, entered the Princess's mansion late at night. He took off his raincoat and took off his hat. In the firelight, his head was already covered with gray hair, but he still had the aura of a mountain and his eyes were majestic. This was the former Chief Constable of the Six Doors, and now the leader of the Caohe Gang, Tie Tianying.

His gaze looked at the courtyard corridor in the deep night. Under the door of the room not far away, acquaintances were already greeting him...

……

On the same December 29th, the Xiangyang and Fancheng defense line.

The catapult threw huge stones, shaking the towering city walls with a roar. The siege battle was proceeding as usual.

In December, Zongwang's army had steadily removed all the fortresses and strongholds around Xiangfan. Its main force, along with hundreds of thousands of surrendered Han troops, besieged Fancheng and launched a large-scale offensive to monopolize the Han River. The navy in Xiangyang fought several major battles with the enemy. Although they ended in victory, they could not defeat the enemy's viable forces. Some Jin soldiers had successively crossed the river from upstream and downstream. The complete encirclement of Xiangfan was to become a reality in January.

Goose feather snow was falling in the sky. In the training ground, tens of thousands of soldiers were gathering one after another. Yue Fei walked to the platform in front and spoke to the soldiers. Then he took the strong liquor and sacrificed it on the ground.

On December 30th, at dawn, Xiyin, who was leading 60,000 troops on the eastward march, received an urgent intelligence from Xiangyang.

Late on the 29th, Yue Fei led 40,000 elite Beiwei troops out of the city, one force of more than 30,000 going south along the Han River by water, and one force of cavalry leaving the city, rushing to Wuan in the south before Zongwang's army completed its encirclement to rest temporarily.

Xiyin put his finger on the map and a smile appeared on his serious face.

Xiangfan had been fought back and forth for nearly five months. Even though the Wu Dynasty army relied on the terrain to defend, this was an incredibly long operation for Zongwang's army, which had risked everything to attack. Over the five months, they had gradually become familiar with each other. Zongwang and Xiyin had a rough outline in their minds of this young general who was guarding Xiangfan.

The two cities of Xiangfan were extremely important. They were an important support point for blocking the Jurchen's western army from destroying the Wu Dynasty. But the focus of the current battle was not here - especially since the Jurchens were based on the premise of destroying the Wu Dynasty, even if they broke through Xiangyang, there were still thousands of miles of Wu Dynasty territory to the south.

But here, half of the Wu Dynasty's military strength was gathered.

Zongwang tried to gradually remove the support around Xiangfan, using the Jurchen military force as the main force, supplemented by a large number of Central Plains Han troops, directly surrounding Xiangyang. Even if he didn't aim to break the city, he would surround this support point to death. At the same time, he sent elite troops to insert into the heart of the Wu Dynasty, expanding the entire chaos.

But obviously, the other side had abandoned Xiangfan.

Without this young Yue Pengju, without the most core part of the Beiwei army, the siege of Xiangfan was only a matter of time. However, just before Zongwang and the siege army were gradually closing in, gradually grinding down the Wu Dynasty navy's viable forces, the other side broke through with elites.

The Wu Dynasty navy in the Han River was still dominant. Going south into the Yangtze River, and then down the Yangtze River, it would eventually reach Zhenjiang. Needless to say, the destination chosen by the other force of 10,000 cavalry, gathered with the strength of the country, must also be the battlefield of Shura between Zhenjiang and Lin'an.

"Okay..."

In the flickering light, Xiyin said softly.

Outside the tent were countless extending military tents. Goose feather snow fell gently. Above the Han River, more than a hundred miles away, the Beiwei army's fleet was rushing into the future more than two thousand miles away in the midst of the heavy snow...

……

At the moment before the possibility of destruction descended, thousands of troops and horses were gathering, from court officials, soldiers and generals, to chivalrous heroes, vendors and porters... Near Lin'an, some people were leaving, and some people were coming...

New Year's Eve was approaching. Tie Tianying was in a high place in Lin'an City, secretly observing the movements of a household with a telescope. This was one of the many actions in Lin'an City. Tie Tianying had returned to help as a professional. The former Chief Constable of the Six Doors was just a clerk and could not be seen by high-level people. But over the years, he had followed Li Pin's work, opposed Ning Yi, and later led the Caohe Gang to transmit a lot of information, which made him have a more important identity and qualifications than he had back then.

Cheng Zhouhai walked in from outside: "How is it?"

"More than thirty people, who are desperate men who want to risk their lives for wealth. There are traces of thunder fire and gunpowder buried outside the yard. If they resist stubbornly, there will be a lot of noise..."

"If it doesn't work, let the Imperial Guards drag the cannons over and flatten this place first."

"Well, Master Cheng's consideration is not without merit. But my people have already made some arrangements, so let them try first."

Seeming to have somewhat incompatible words, both sides fell silent. In fact, when Qin Si Yuan had an accident, Tie Tianying was one of the people who added insult to injury. He had directly confronted Li Pin and Qin Shaoqian, and naturally had disagreements with Cheng Zhouhai. In these years, Tie Tianying followed Li Pin to work because of the Northwest's companionship and reconciliation. There was no harmony between him and Cheng Zhouhai.

But today, many people who were not harmonious at the beginning have gathered here. At this time, in the Princess's mansion, there were also enemies of Tie Tianying from back then, and his colleagues from back then. They were all old now, and they had reached this moment. Many things didn't need to be kept in mind.

"You followed Li Pin to the Northwest back then." After a moment of silence, Cheng Zhouhai said.

"Yes."

"When you were still in the capital, you also stared at Ning Liheng. What do you think of him?"

"I regarded him as a small person back then. I formed a grudge while chasing and killing Fang Baihua and Fang Qifo, and I always wanted to kill him by the way... Later I knew, it was naturally a joke." Tie Tianying was old at this time, and when he talked about this, he smiled slightly. "These years of traveling around the world, I naturally hope that the surname Ning died, completely, but after all, there are some words that he said correctly."

"Oh? What words?"

"Tie began to wander the world, and later served in the Six Doors. After the Jingkang humiliation, I was disheartened and left the Six Doors, returned to the world, turned and turned, rose and fell. Sometimes I was dull, sometimes I wanted to escape, sometimes, I learned from the people of Bianliang back then, scolding the Jurchens, scolding the Black Flag Army. Now, I have to come back to Lin'an to do these things that should have been done long ago... Only one thing, I think clearly." The old man turned his head and smiled, with exhaustion, relief, and the simplicity and purity after complexity beyond description. At this time, outside the half-closed window, countless people in the entire Lin'an City were walking.

……

"Their whole lives... they can only rely on themselves to make a living..."

……

Gloomy, iron-blue.

Between the boundless sky and the earth, snow was falling.

There were countless phantoms clashing under this sky. Wushu's cavalry was coming towards Lin'an, Tie Tianying was heading towards the enemy, countless people were heading towards their enemies, sails were breaking through the heavy snow, iron cavalry was galloping, passing through the fields, fireworks exploded, flying into the sky.

In the Southwest, the crouching behemoth was moving...

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