roccoschili Chapter 1308 Lou Shuwan (Part 2)
Chapter 1308 Lou Shuwan (Part 2)
Chapter 1308 Lou Shuwan (Part 2)
In the field of vision, half is lush and green, and the other half is barren.
The female prime minister crossed the hill and could see the small village below, and the children herding sheep on the hillside. Those were her people.
She didn't go over; instead, she leaned on her cane and walked into the shadows of the mountain.
The scorching sun had dried out her face, but it was nothing compared to the pain from the cuts on her cheek. She tried to feel the two fingers on her left hand that were held in place, hoping they weren't completely broken. The pain she felt actually made her feel a little more at ease.
We can't go east...
Indeed, once Zou Xu makes a move, his primary objective must be Dongcheng.
Did Zhan Wu and the others anticipate this?
Or perhaps Zou Xu is preparing even more methods?
She was thinking, but then she laughed.
Recalling a few months ago, she was even testing Zhan Wu and Xue Guangcheng, asking them to take the garrison to the Northwest to redevelop the Xiaocang River. Her purpose was to make it easier for her to win over the technical personnel of the Huaxia Army here.
Her laughter became guilty...
But there was nothing she could do. She thought: Lao Zhan, Lao Xue, I'm already like this, I can't care if the sky falls or the earth collapses.
She couldn't go east, but she could go west, across this mountain. There should be a garrison about ten or twenty miles away, but after thinking about it, she decided not to go.
The sentry commander was a subordinate general under Niu Wenzhong. Was Niu Wenzhong truly loyal? It didn't matter that much anymore. If he were Zou Xu, having colluded with Ma Ling, he would try his best to spread his spies to every sentry post between Yuci and Weisheng. Once a target was spotted, he would mobilize troops to surround and kill them.
And I also need to consider whether I am loyal in each location.
The imperial court in Weisheng must also be undergoing such a test.
How will things develop?
With such a major incident, Yu Yulin is about to return and will be back in Weisheng within a few days. Is there anyone going to intercept and kill him?
She stood on the hilltop, gazing eastward.
Yes, regardless of whether or not Yu Lin is intercepted, Zou Xu will quickly push his army towards Weisheng. Most importantly, he will sever Weisheng's connection with Dongcheng, and then use pressure from outside the city to force those within to quickly switch sides. The Weisheng court might send troops north, but in their more than six months of planning, who... will that army be...?
If I could merge with my own team...
She struggled westward and southward, pondering for a long time. The temptation to go eastward was as sweet as honey. If she could reunite with her own team, if her team could still be considered her own team, she wouldn't need to choose such a uncertain path.
But in the end, she still headed west in a less populated direction...
The defection had already begun, and she could not place her life above the loyalty of any one person.
Because she was a woman and had no children.
And she was merely a female prime minister under Tian Shan's command...
Tian Shan...
Thinking of Tian Shan... inevitably brings to mind Tian Shi.
Stupid child...and your stupid mother...you...
Don't do anything foolish...
She traversed the mountains and fields, avoiding the sentries, and before she knew it, the sky was filled with stars. The weakness and pain in her legs, and the sense of powerlessness that stretched all the way to her hips, finally became the dominant sensations in her body. She carefully calculated the distance she had covered that day: thirty li? Forty li? Or fifty li?
I sat down and, by the light of the stars and moon, popped the blisters on my feet. My entire lower body felt hot and burning despite my weakness.
Have I gotten old?
She had the same kind of imagination as many others.
Before I knew it, I had passed forty. Although I held power, I had also endured much torment, both physically and mentally. If I were younger, these hardships would have been no problem at all...
She curled up in pain, then laughed, reminiscing about her past.
Young Lou Shuwan stood in the distance, amidst the warmth and prosperity of Hangzhou, gazing at her from afar. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to speak to her…
Haha...useless thing...
Poor me...
In her agony, she briefly hugged her broken body, clenched her teeth, and endured the sudden pain...
……
Weisheng stayed up all night, and the guerrilla camp in the northwest of Weisheng was also lit with torches all night long. Scouts went in and out from time to time, relaying news from the outside world back to the main hall where Wang Juyun and An Xifu were in charge.
That very morning, Bai Yuanzhou's emergency response team quickly broke camp and headed north. By that afternoon, the advance scouts had already engaged in fierce fighting with a large number of scouts sent by Ma Ling. At the same time, all sides were searching for the female prime minister's whereabouts, and hundreds of bandits were fighting against Zou Xu's "special forces" and "Gongchen Guard" in a wider area.
On the eastern side of the battlefield, Zou Xu had already revealed his hand. He raised his own flag and led a force rapidly southward. Bai Yuanzhou's flank was not stopped and his defenses were breached. However, according to the scouts, apart from a small core group that might have been secretly infiltrated by the Gongchen Guard, the majority of this force still belonged to the army of traitors like Ma Ling.
News of the female prime minister's corpse hanging at the head of Zou Xu's army had already reached Weisheng. But...
"If the female prime minister is dead, he wouldn't need to send his special forces dozens of miles away to search for her and spread the news into the city. Don't be fooled by him."
Wang Juyun saw through the deception immediately.
Bai Yuanzhou and Ma Ling's main forces set up their formation and built a large camp thirty miles north of Weisheng at dusk. At the same time, Bai Yuanzhou issued an order for Niu Wenzhong's garrison in the east to attack Ma Ling's flank. However, the enemy suffered a defeat at the hands of Zou Xu's "special forces" as soon as they went out, and dared not advance any further.
Around 9 PM that day, about ten miles north of the Chaos Master's encampment, an unidentified scout was spotted spying on them. A small team led by two veteran martial arts masters arrived at the Chaos Master's gate and requested an audience with Wang Juyun.
These two veterans of the martial arts world were bandit leaders who had once been acquainted with Wang Juyun in the north. In the past, when the rebels needed to survive, they had addressed each other as brothers on certain occasions. Later, the Jurchens suffered a crushing defeat in the southwest, and the flames of war in Jin gradually subsided. The two men accepted the imperial amnesty and became wealthy men in a nearby city. They had only come because they had heard of the changes in Weisheng.
Wang Juyun personally received the team. After exchanging pleasantries, the team revealed their main purpose for the trip: to consider the future of the Chaotic Master. They said, "Brother, we're all getting on in years. Why should we get involved in the younger generation's struggle for fame and fortune?"
Soon after, they witnessed firsthand the legendary "Seven Spreads of the Peacock King's Feathers," a sight renowned throughout the green forest.
Wang Juyun's sword cut two veteran outlaws, who were originally quite skilled in martial arts, to pieces. The rest of his entourage were dragged out by An Xifu and his men, and all of them were hanged on the city wall outside.
"Send men out to disperse those people outside," Wang Juyun ordered. "If the female prime minister returns from our side, receive her."
The situation in Dongcheng was not good either. Although Zhan Wu and Xue Guangcheng had made preparations, a considerable disturbance still broke out inside the technological town after midnight that day. Perhaps it was because Zou Xu's backup plan here was triggered, and outsiders could not find out much about the situation for the time being.
On the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, at dawn, Zou Xu's banner crossed the hilly front line northeast of Weisheng and appeared in the sight of the city's defenders. This not-so-large army slowly set up camp and built defensive lines. The people on the city walls could clearly see the scene of them burying things in the ground...
The naked body of the "female prime minister" was hung on a tall flag.
The city was in an uproar.
Meanwhile, news of the fall of Guanzhong began to circulate widely...
The morning court session began, and the officials engaged in heated discussions and mutual accusations. They didn't discuss surrender, but instead accused each other of being spies sent by Zou Xu. The generals of the defending army, in particular, faced the most intense scrutiny. Lady Jin, behind a curtain, spoke for the first time: "The selection of those to defend the city is a matter of great importance. If there are any doubts, they must be replaced." Right Chancellor Shao Qingshi objected, and then a large number of officials began arguing…
The unrest had already spread from the imperial court to the common people. After the city gates of Weisheng were closed, large-scale fighting and conflicts suddenly broke out in many places within the city...
On the same morning, a detachment under Niu Wenzhong defected and launched a surprise attack on Bai Yuanzhou's flank. Although it did not cause great losses, the shadow of this large-scale defection has also loomed over the various armies belonging to Jin.
Zou Xu moved a stool and sat down in front of the formation to drink tea.
The envoys to persuade him to surrender had already been sent out. He looked at Weisheng in the distance, savoring the taste of this city.
Having exhausted all his efforts, and taking advantage of the Yellow River's flood season to infiltrate hundreds of Gongchen Guards into this area, that was already the limit. Ma Ling's army wasn't without fighting power; relying on the success of the surprise attack and news of defections from various sides and the capture of Guanzhong, he had successfully boosted their morale. But to talk about besieging a city was a joke; it would take a hundred years to conquer it.
The possibility of assassinating Yu Yulin is small, but in any case, I have sent someone. Whether it succeeds or not is up to fate. Before Yu Yulin returns, it will be the time when I can make a move against Weisheng.
Without Lou Shuwan, how long can they hold out?
This is a test of humanity.
If the people inside give them a clue and allow them to enter the city gate, the entire Weisheng, or rather the Jin region, will change hands without any doubt.
People move forward amidst the rolling tide of history. He enjoys the thrill of strategizing while walking a tightrope.
After a while, he summoned the scout beside him and asked in a low voice, "Lou Shuwan, is there still no news?"
"...No message has been received yet."
"Hey, where did that woman go...?"
……
“…Interesting,” he said.
……
Lou Shuwan was unfamiliar with most of the places.
She was simply relying on her rough sense of direction to move within the arc she had estimated.
The sun shone even more intensely that day.
She endured another difficult night, and when she woke up in the morning, her legs felt like they were burning with fever. Her thighs and hips ached as if they were dislocated, and every part of her body was screaming for her to stop. But thankfully, she had a stick nearby, and she managed to stand up.
You should be given a good position...
She held onto the cane, walking forward while thinking.
Give him a job in the Ministry of Personnel, which is in charge of promoting officials and always profits the most.
But it won't be long before you're caught and beheaded.
Thinking about it this way, wouldn't the Ministry of Rites be better?
The people of Shanxi are mostly peasants and don't pay much attention to etiquette. The Ministry of Rites is a leisurely office where one can occasionally make a little extra money, live a life of ease and comfort without having to die. This position is perfect for a benefactor.
As she walked, she made up her mind that this stick would one day become the Minister of Rites of Jin.
The respectable people of Jin are truly pitiful, to have a minister like you.
But perhaps the officials who don't manage things do a better job than those who do?
She thought narrowly.
As she walked, she drank almost all the spring water she had collected along the way, and then a deep ravine of yellow earth appeared ahead. She felt as if she had been here before; she had passed through this place a few years ago when she burned down Weisheng and fled with the soldiers. She remembered that there was no water in the ravine then.
It's the rainy season now, and the rainwater from upstream is rushing down, turning into muddy water that flows through the river.
I was so thirsty.
The woman, leaning on her cane, paused for a moment on this cliff-like loess slope before turning and heading upstream along the turbid stream.
She didn't know how long she walked, but finally saw a gentler bend in the river. She didn't know how deep the water was, so she cautiously tested the water on the bank for a long time, carefully wrapped her shoes tightly, and finally stepped into the water with her cane.
The murky water was almost up to her waist. Thirsty but unable to drink, Lou Shuwan gritted her teeth and slowly walked forward. She could feel sharp stones at the bottom of the water. At one point, she was almost swept away, but with all her might, she finally managed to climb out of the mud on the other side.
I feel like a mudfish.
I still have wounds on my body, and I don't know if I'll die from getting this muddy water on me. But who cares about that?
With one hand, she struggled to take off her shoes and socks, then wrapped her feet in a slightly cleaner cloth. Putting her wet shoes back on, she was almost completely exhausted, her whole body trembling, as she struggled to her feet. She shakily moved forward, shakily pulling the last of her provisions from her breast pocket and stuffing them into her mouth…
It was past noon, and the sun overhead was so intense it made her dizzy. Lou Shuwan felt like all her strength was almost gone, and her whole body was burning hot. She thought of her father and her brother.
When we were in Hangzhou, my father was a very dignified man. In his youth, he was very resilient and had a firm character. He did a lot of remarkable things. My eldest brother Lou Shuwang, my second brother Lou Shuheng, and I grew up listening to our father's stories—but we didn't learn anything good from him.
But now it seems that he has finally inherited a part of his father.
Resilient, yet extreme.
The eldest brother, Lou Shuwang, died because of his extreme behavior.
Once the city falls, he thinks the world has turned upside down and can't wait to embrace the extreme rules of the battle. Little does he know that he will encounter even more unruly people.
My second brother, Lou Shuheng, is utterly useless.
They can even enjoy extreme luxury...
They're still alive...
And what about myself? Did I inherit my father's resilience?
I've actually managed to endure all the bumps and stumbles along the way...
But perhaps what I inherited wasn't from my father's side.
Ning Liheng said, "A man's only option is to persevere to the bitter end."
Yes, it's all about perseverance. If you want to accomplish something, who doesn't do that?
Ning Liheng, how did you manage to hold on all this way?
Have you ever been in more pain than I have?
As she walked, the wind felt like fire, which ironically made her body, which had been soaked in water, feel a little more comfortable. Her clothes were gradually drying, and the mud clinging to her legs clumped together and slowly fell off, making her feel as if she were slowly decomposing and turning into powder. She found it amusing. In her weakness, she fell twice more, one of the falls being more severe. She broke half of the nail on her right index finger, which she had hastily grabbed onto the ground, causing her to crouch on the ground, enduring the pain for a long time.
There is no water nearby, and people don't even have tears.
With many things on her mind, it was already afternoon. Where was that damned Yu Yulin now? Had she made a mistake by avoiding the army and the village? At one point, she turned her head on the hill and paused slightly in surprise.
...Wayson?
She followed the sunlight and struggled to turn around once.
Why in that direction?
In the distance, to the northeast, the city of Weisheng came into view. Following her memory, she circled a huge arc and arrived at the southwest of Weisheng.
Lou Shuwan, leaning on her crutches, gritted her teeth and continued forward. When she went downhill, she ran out of strength and slid all the way down, rolling to the side of the road. It was very difficult for her to stand up again.
At this time, many people could be seen walking on the main road. Most of them came from Weisheng, and a very few were heading towards Weisheng. Lou Shuwan lowered her head and covered her face with a strip of cloth.
Moving forward, the walls of Weisheng swayed and shook before my eyes.
Lou Shuwan felt like a snail.
When they finally arrived at the city, the gates were already closed, which was not surprising. It was clear that Zou Xu had already adopted an attack stance. A group of people had gathered outside the southwest gate, many of whom had family members inside the city and wanted to enter.
Lou Shuwan stood at the foot of the city wall, looked up at the people on the wall, and after a while, she trembled as she reached into her bosom and slowly raised a token in her hand.
"Hu Changshu! Open the door!"
In the sunlight, her voice was hoarse and didn't carry far, but those nearby had already noticed her action. That afternoon, a warm breeze from outside Weisheng City blew away the cloth covering her face, and some also saw the token in her hand…
People around were crying...
Someone knelt down...
The Jin region has suffered greatly from war.
Twenty years ago, they may have had moments of naiveté.
But as the Jurchens ravaged the land, and Weisheng was repeatedly devastated, the people who survived here had long since begun to learn to recognize who was truly capable of bringing peace to the region.
Therefore, as news of the female prime minister's disappearance spread, the wandering knights of Jin had already spontaneously headed north to actively search for her traces around the battlefield.
When this news reached the city, countless people began to feel lost and weep, having lost their pillar of support.
At this moment, the palace had already undergone several debates and heard the conditions proposed by the envoy sent by Zou Xu. The signs of the disintegration of Jin were already clearly visible.
In the northeast, a man sitting in front of the army formation waits for the fruits of their labor to fall.
At one point, a general named Hu Changshu heard shouts coming from below.
He turned his head and saw hundreds of people kneeling densely below the city wall. A battered figure stood in front of him, raising a token in his hand.
Actually, a token is not needed.
Because those who knelt down were all shouting for her.
Hu Changshu's eyes widened.
From the crowd below, a figure stood up, leaped several feet, and thrust the long sword in his hand toward the female prime minister by the city wall.
call……
Outside the moat, a gentle, warm breeze blew, and Lou Shuwan felt the burning sensation in her lungs, which was miraculously and gradually subsiding.
On the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, in the afternoon, at 1:15 PM.
The tattered female prime minister returns to her majestic state.