Eleven years into the Wujian Shuo reign, from the very first day of the Lunar New Year, Lin'an had been under martial law. Search: \(¨Wan¨Ben¨Shen¨Zhan¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

Those inside couldn't get out, and those outside couldn't get in. For days, rumors flew through the city: some said Wushu had already killed countless people; others claimed a million people outside Lin'an wanted to enter the city but were blocked at the gates; some said the Imperial Guards had shot and killed civilians outside the city a few days ago; still others spoke of the tragic disgrace of Jingping in the past, and now everyone was trapped inside the city, fearing a grim future... Such tales abounded.

People discussed and colluded in the city's teahouses, taverns, and private residences. A city with nearly 1.5 million residents couldn't remain under permanent martial law, even if it were occasionally enforced. People needed to eat, supplies needed to be transported. Although the bustling commercial activities of the past had temporarily ceased, they still needed to maintain a minimum level of operation. The various temples and Taoist temples, large and small, in Lin'an were thriving during these days, just as they always did before and after major battles.

Although Li Pin and the Princess Manor's propaganda efforts had extensively publicized the dangers of the "Celestial Master Guo Jing" in the past, the people's sense of powerlessness in the face of such a major disaster was ultimately difficult to dispel. For a time, many rumors about the defeat of "Celestial Master Guo Jing" spread in the streets. It was said that although Guo Jing, the Celestial Master, possessed great divine powers, the rapid rise of the Jurchens was due to the protection of evil spirits, such as the "Valley God" Wanyan Xiyin. If he wasn't a divine immortal or demon, how could he be called "Valley God"? There were also small books in the market describing how Celestial Master Guo Jing was seduced by a charming female demon, which corrupted the great divine power of the Six Jia Divine Soldiers, leading to a complete defeat at the head of Bianliang City. The content was tortuous, amorous, and had erotic illustrations sold with the books. During the days of martial law in Lin'an, it was in short supply for a time, making Luoyang paper expensive.

There was nothing new under the sun. Foolish men and women spent their accumulated wealth to seek the protection of the gods, obtaining safety talismans, and then giving them to their most cherished family members, hoping to survive this great calamity safely. This humility was lamentable, yet also evoked compassion.

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Zhou Pei stood on the walls of the Imperial City, directing the giant hot air balloons to rise slowly over the city. She pursed her lips, frowned, and stared silently at the huge objects rising into the sky, worried that they might fall.

When Ning Yi assassinated the emperor, he had used a hot air balloon to carry a few people over the palace. The Wuchao court was quite wary of such a rebellious object that could cross the residence of the emperor. Therefore, since Wuchao moved its capital and Jun Wu created the hot air balloon, this was the first time it had risen into the sky above Lin'an.

In the southeast, northwest, and northeast of Lin'an, a total of eight hot air balloons swayed in the cold winter wind. The city erupted in an uproar. People came out of their courtyards, gathered everywhere, looked up at the novel objects that resembled divine miracles, pointed and discussed, and for a time, the crowd seemed to fill every open space in Lin'an.

Zhou Pei took all of this into her eyes.

To promote this matter, Zhou Pei had put in a great deal of effort. As the Jurchens approached, the city was filled with panic and low morale. Among the officials, various thoughts were even more complex and strange. Wushu's 50,000 light cavalry were marching south, intending to carry out a psychological warfare strategy. In theory, if everyone in the court was of one mind and held firm in Lin'an, there would be no problem. However, the situation of the Wuchao was complicated from the past, and Zhou Yong's death wish came later. With all kinds of complex situations piled together, no one was sure if anyone would waver or defect.

To some extent, the Wuchao at this time was like Liangshan after Ning Yi had used psychological warfare. Before the test arrived, no one knew whether they could hold on.

Zhou Pei lobbied the major officials for several days. Regarding the idea of ​​raising hot air balloons to boost morale, everyone's words seemed hesitant. Lü Yihao said, "This humble official thinks that this matter may have little effect and is prone to unnecessary incidents. Of course, if Your Highness thinks it is useful, this humble official thinks it is also worth a try." The rest of the people's attitudes were mostly like this.

In this situation, Zhou Pei ordered a censor to make a suggestion in the court, and then forced Chen Xiangji, who took over the Ministry of Rites after Hou Shao's death protest, to endorse it. He only put forward the condition that the hot air balloons should be raised in the air and the occupants should not look towards the palace to avoid suspicion of peeping into the palace. With everyone's silence, the matter was finalized. When discussing it in the court, Qin Hui came out to second the motion, saying that extraordinary measures should be taken in the face of the enemy, and strongly supported Zhou Pei's proposal, which made Zhou Pei feel a little more favorable towards him.

After removing the resistance in the court, there was still the weather factor hindering the hot air balloons from rising. At this time, the weather in Lin'an City was still cold, and the wind in the air was not small. The possibility of failure after the hot air balloons rose into the sky also increased accordingly. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Wushu's cavalry had bypassed the defense line and approached Lin'an. The technicians of the Gewu Academy finally decided to take the risk of taking off at a moment when the wind was slightly weaker. Eight hot air balloon operators who put their lives at risk raised the balloons at the second quarter of Weishen.

It had been more than ten years since the first hot air balloon rose in Lin'an, but there were still not many people who had actually seen it. There was an uproar in the streets and alleys of Lin'an. Some old people shouted "Heavenly Soldiers and Generals" and knelt down to kowtow. Zhou Pei watched all this and prayed in her heart that nothing would go wrong.

This time, fate finally stood on the side of the Wuchao. The eight hot air balloons hung in the sky for a quarter of an hour before slowly descending, without any possible

malfunctions occurring midway. The propaganda forces of the Princess Manor and Li Pin's side had already begun to take action. One by one, the lecturers went to the streets and alleys to appease the people. By tomorrow, even more newspapers would follow.

On the other hand, after the first hot air balloon rose in Lin'an, the influence of Gewu would always expand. Zhou Pei's psychological state in this regard was not as persistent as her younger brother, but she could imagine how happy Jun Wu would be if he had done this before the start of the war.

After arranging the various things that followed, and encouraging and rewarding the hot air balloon technicians who took off today, Zhou Pei returned to the Princess Manor and began to write a letter to Jun Wu.

At this time, Jiangning was under fierce attack by Zong Fu's army, and Zhenjiang had repeatedly sent troops to rescue it. Jun Wu and Han Shizhong personally went there to boost the morale of the Jiangning army. In her letter, she urged her younger brother to pay attention to his health, take care of himself, and not be too anxious about the capital. She and Cheng Zhouhai and others would defend all of this. She also mentioned today's hot air balloon incident to him, writing that the foolish men and women in the city thought that the hot air balloons were heavenly soldiers descending to earth, and could not help but make a few jokes, but in terms of the purpose of boosting morale, the effect was not small. Although the impact of this matter should be considered in the long term, it was thought that Jun Wu, who was far away in a dangerous place, would also be gratified.

The letter was sent out that night. The next morning, Cheng Zhouhai came over and presented even greater information to her. The Huaxia Army passed a resolution on the 30th of the Lunar New Year, spent a peaceful Spring Festival on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and on the second day, a declaration of war with a murderous aura had been publicly issued: Now that the Jurchens are waging an unjust war, the people of the Central Plains are suffering, and there are continuous wars in Jiangnan. All the Chinese people in the world should unite to fight against foreign enemies. However, there are those who are greedy for life and afraid of death, and who, fearful of the Jurchens' power, raise their knives against their own compatriots. For these people who have broken through the bottom line, the Huaxia Army calls on all Han Chinese in the world to attack them together...

In this declaration of war, the Huaxia Army listed many lists of "war criminals," mostly secessionist generals who had served in the puppet Qi regime and were now leading troops to conquer the south with the Jin Dynasty. There were also several Wuchao forces who were privately colluding with the Jin Dynasty... Against these people, the Huaxia Army had sent tens of thousands of elite troops out of Sichuan to carry out beheadings. While calling on all righteous people in the world to participate in this grand event, they also called on all Wuchao people to be vigilant and prevent all shameless traitors who attempted to defect to the enemy in the war.

Zhou Pei quietly finished reading this declaration of war in the morning light. She looked at Cheng Zhouhai, but there was no expression on her face: "...Really...or fake?"

"There are indeed abnormal movements in the Huaxia Army. When the news was released, it had been determined that several elite troops had gathered out of Sichuan from different directions. The teams ranged from dozens to one or two hundred people. They are the 'special operations' lineups that Ning Yi has specially cultivated over the years. Based on Zhou Tong's formation in the past, they are specially designed to deal with the Greenwoods on a scale of one hundred people..."

Zhou Pei blinked: "He was often assassinated in Bianliang in the past..."

"Yes, he cared about the Greenwoods in the past and offended many people. The teacher said that he was not doing his job properly... The people around him were initially trained to deal with this matter. Later, they formed the Black Flag Army, and this type of training was called special operations. It is very powerful in beheading enemy chiefs during the war. As early as two years ago, near Xiangyang, a team of more than 100 masters from the Jurchen side robbed General Yue's pair of children, but they happened to meet Ning Yi who was returning from Jin. These Jurchen masters were almost killed. The fierce man Lu Tuo was known as a grandmaster in the Greenwoods, but he was also killed by Ning Yi with one palm when he met him."

Zhou Pei listened quietly. Over the years, the princess and the crown prince had a good reputation among the people. Zhou Pei's subordinates naturally had a large number of masters and heroes who had learned martial arts and sold them to the imperial family. Zhou Pei occasionally used thunderous means, and the death warriors she used were often from these people, but relatively speaking, Ning Yi's "professionals" were more like legends in this industry. Like the Huaxia Army that won more with less, they could always create frightening battle records. In fact, Zhou Yong's fear of the Huaxia Army was not because of this.

After Cheng Zhouhai finished speaking, he paused slightly: "It seems that Ning Yi has really gone to great lengths this time."

"How do you say that?" Zhou Pei said.

Cheng Zhouhai smiled slightly: "Such a bloody and tough declaration of war, which clearly intends to kill people, does not conform to the current situation of the Huaxia Army. No matter how fierce we fight here, the Huaxia Army is ultimately entrenched in the southwest. Ning Yi issued this declaration of war and sent people to carry out assassinations. Although it will make some wavering people dare not act rashly, it will also make those who have already defected to the Jurchen side more determined. Moreover, what these people are most worried about is no longer the Wuchao, but... this Ning Ren Tuo, who has some weight in the world. He is pushing the burden to his side..."

Zhou Pei smiled slightly. At this time, Ning Ren Tuo was mostly known for his evil reputation among the people. This was the result of the Jin Dynasty and the Wuchao's joint suppression over the years. However, in the eyes of the senior officials of various forces, Ning Yi's name was not just "somewhat" heavy. He first killed Zhou Zhe; later, he directly subverted Tian Hu's regime in Jin, causing the Tiger King, a hero of his generation, to die in a black prison; then, he drove Liu Yu, who was nominally the "King of a Country," crazy and grabbed him from the palace in Bianliang. His whereabouts are still unknown, and the blame was conveniently placed on the Wuchao...

How could this be just somewhat heavy? In fact, if this Ning Ren Tuo really set his sights on someone and said "I will never die," how many people in the world could really sleep peacefully?

The smile on Zhou Pei's face flashed: "He is afraid that we will not be able to hold on early and implicate him hiding in the southwest."

Cheng Zhouhai nodded: "It is also... Uh, it is also because of His Majesty's previous actions that he had no choice. The declaration of war says that he has sent 10,000 people, which must be a bluff, but even if there are thousands of people, they are still the elite forces that the Huaxia Army has painstakingly cultivated. Since they have come out to kill, there will definitely be losses. This is also a good thing... In any case, the situation on His Highness the Crown Prince's side and the situation on our side may be slightly alleviated because of this."

Zhou Pei nodded, her eyes wandering on the large map in front of the house, calculating in her mind: "Over the years, many people in Sichuan have had business dealings with the Huaxia Army. I guess the Huaxia Army dares to come out of Sichuan and will definitely rely on these forces to gradually kill their way out. He is holding the banner of eliminating traitors. Under the current circumstances, ordinary people should turn a blind eye and will not deliberately make things difficult for him, but there will be a lot of fighting on all sides. We have to send our people to first order the local governments not to hinder the Huaxia Army's actions. When necessary, we can cooperate with these people from the Huaxia Army and provide help, first try to clean up the scum who are privately colluding with the Jurchens, including those we have previously identified. If it is inconvenient to take action, then throw it on the head of Ning the Devil."

She smiled as she said this, and Cheng Zhouhai nodded and said, "Ren Shangfei... Old Ren is meticulous and thoughtful, he can be responsible for this matter, and at the same time cooperate with the Huaxia Army..."

"Investigate them and write them down." Zhou Pei smiled and took over the conversation. She looked at the big map, "In this way, even if one day in the future, the two sides have to fight..."

Her voice lowered: "We will also have a bottom line in our hearts..."

"..." Cheng Zhouhai looked at her for a while from behind, his expression complicated, and then smiled slightly, "I will arrange someone."

"Thank you, Mr. Cheng..."

After Zhou Pei finished speaking, she stared at the map in silence for a long time. When she turned her head, Cheng Zhouhai had already left the room. Zhou Pei sat on the chair and looked at the declaration of war and the accompanying intelligence. The declaration of war looked proper, but the content was frighteningly iron-blooded and fierce.

For a long time, Zhou Pei often felt powerless in the face of the complicated situation in the world. She was naturally proud, but not strong inside. In the face of the relentless fighting and the global situation that allowed for no luck, especially in the face of the extremely fierce Jurchens and Ning Liheng, who she once called her teacher, Zhou Pei could only feel her distance and insignificance. Even with the support of half of the Wuchao's power, she never felt that she had the qualifications to compete with these people on the world stage.

In this regard, her younger brother, who charged forward regardless of everything, might have more powerful strength.

When the Huaxia Army unhesitatingly placed the blame for the puppet Qi emperor Liu Yu on the Wuchao, Zhou Pei felt the coldness of the world. At the level of global game, had the teacher ever been emotional? Last year, her father's weakness and fear made Zhou Pei realize the cold reality. She sent Cheng Zhouhai to the southwest to strengthen herself by any means in the form of compromise. Now, on the eve of Lin'an facing Wushu and internal and external troubles, the Huaxia Army's actions, to a greater or lesser extent, made her feel warm.

Even if the devil in the southwest was considering based on cold reality, even if she understood in her heart that there would eventually be a battle between the two sides, at this moment, he finally "had to" extend a helping hand. It was conceivable that her younger brother and the soldiers around him who heard this information soon would also feel gratified and encouraged by it.

On the other hand, in the depths of her heart, she wanted to laugh maliciously. Although this was a bad thing, she never thought that her father's wrong actions would cause Ning Yi, who was far away in the southwest, to "have to" make such a decision. She could almost imagine his mood when he made the decision, and perhaps even cursed her father.

In any case, this was definitely a strange setback for Ning the Devil. Her father did something that no one else in the world could do in this way, and Zhou Pei felt happy when she thought about it.

This happy mood lasted for a long time. The next day was the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. Wushu's cavalry arrived in Lin'an. They drove away some of the people who did not have time to leave and launched a small-scale harassment of Lin'an. Zhou Pei sat in the Princess Manor, combining the advice of various staff members, while keeping a close eye on the situation in Lin'an City and even the court, she issued orders to the rescue teams of Xu Liejun, Shen Cheng, and others in an orderly manner, telling them not to be anxious, to stabilize their positions, and to slowly complete the coercion and encirclement of Wushu.

Even if some people in the manor were worried and showed it in front of Zhou Pei, Zhou Pei would only tell them calmly and confidently:

"We will definitely hold on."

In her heart, the rational side was still complex and uneasy, but after so many years, after experiencing such a long period of oppression and despair, this was the first time she saw a glimmer of hope.

So many years have passed. Since the farewell in Bianliang City many years ago, Zhou Pei has never seen Ning Yi again. She went back and got married, stayed in Jiangning, and he went to Liangshan, wiped out the bandits in Liangshan, followed Grandpa Qin to work, and later killed the emperor, and later defeated Xixia, fighting against the Jurchens and even against the whole world. He became more and more unfamiliar, standing opposite the Wuchao, making Zhou Pei feel scared.

But at the same time, in her heart, there was always the image of the girl and the teacher at the time of farewell.

At that time, Ning Yi turned around and left. She looked at his back and always understood in her heart: No matter how difficult things were, as long as he appeared, there would always be a glimmer of warm hope.

That night, she dreamed of what happened that night.

The next morning, all kinds of new information were sent over. Zhou Pei paused for a moment when she saw a piece of information. The information was simple. It was about her father summoning Qin Hui, Lord Qin, to the palace yesterday afternoon.

After falling out with the ministers, Zhou Yong hid in the palace and was too lazy to pay attention to people. Yesterday, Wushu launched an insignificant attack on Lin'an. Zhou Yong summoned Qin Hui - of course, there was information in the middle, so the intelligence personnel below handed over the news, but in general, it was not a big deal, and it was enough to keep it in mind.

Zhou Pei left an impression in her mind, and then put it aside...

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