Along the edge of a sparse forest, by a small river, the air was heavy with gloom. The only light came from the burning torches, casting dense, yet sparse shadows that stretched out into the distance. An unknown number of stragglers had quietly arrived, listening to the man beneath the trees as he finished reporting on the situation in Qi County, addressing the east. He paused in silence for a moment.

"Whether today's events are right or wrong, it's hard to say. You all work for the Bamboo Chamber, and at the end of the day, it's just a job. There was never any mention of going to war. I brought you all here and sacrificed so many of our comrades. I feel guilty in my heart, but guilt won't solve anything."

Ning Yi's voice, illuminated by the torchlight, wasn't loud, but it carried clearly enough on the night wind for everyone around to hear.

"Tonight, no one can solve this problem. Not even an army of hundreds of thousands. Look around at each other; we've all done our best. But I'm standing here talking to you to bring up an extraordinary request."

"Clear the fields and empty the houses," Ning Yi said with a hint of weariness. "This is what the folks at the Bamboo Chamber have been doing lately. Many people don't understand, they come to argue and make trouble. There are so many people around Bianliang, how can we possibly clear them all? What's the point? The truth is, it hasn't made a difference so far. There are too many people around Bianliang. As long as people are alive, there's food. Even if we evacuate eighty or ninety percent, the tens of thousands of Jurchens can still find something to eat here. It's pointless."

"For some people who are used to speaking ambiguously, for some officials, moving half a million people out of a million is a great achievement. Moving six hundred thousand is even more pleasing. But that's not the case for us. From beginning to end, if we don't move everyone, we're at zero. If we can't move ninety-five out of a million, everything we've done is meaningless." He waved his hand, his tone becoming fierce. "From the very beginning, this is what we've been doing!"

"We don't know how long this will take," Ning Yi's tone softened. "How will everyone react when the army is defeated? What will happen to the capital? We don't know. Will this battle stop here? Will the city fall? Will the Wu Dynasty fall? We don't know. But if the fighting continues, I have to do my job. But now the Jurchens have attacked the camp. I'm afraid the people there no longer have the will to fight. If they get supplies and provisions, what we've done will be undone."

He paused, partly because he was injured and tired from speaking. He looked behind him, found a rock, and sat down. Someone in the crowd picked up the thread: "Chamber Head, just tell us what to do."

"It's not that simple. I'm a reasonable man," Ning Yi shook his head as he sat down. "If I want you to die, I have to explain things to you clearly. Otherwise, you'll all be blaming me on the road to the Yellow Springs... I hate being blamed after death. "

He exhaled. "Of course, there's a chance you might not die. I need to select some people who can still move, who are skilled in martial arts, to go to Qi County and see if the people in the camp have already burned the supplies and provisions. If so, we'll turn around and leave. If not, we'll have to do it ourselves. There are only two thousand Jurchens. There are still quite a few people near Qi County, and everything is in chaos. We'll try to get in and out quickly, do the job, and maybe we can save our lives. That's... the plan. Who can still move and is willing to come with me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Biao came forward with his spear. The voice that had spoken earlier in the crowd also stood up, leaning against a tree. Several others also rose. They were all former Liangshan men who could still move. The Bamboo Chamber had done a lot of positive publicity, but after all, the situation was what it was. Many people were not only injured and exhausted, but also had concerns in their hearts, and were more or less hesitant. Ning Yi simply sat on the rock, resting, quietly watching everything. There was encouragement and incitement in his words, but it was enough. He didn't want to force anyone to do anything like this.

Gradually, more people stood up. Then someone nearby whispered, "Chen Tuozi, what about your wife and children?"

The figure in the darkness was a slightly hunched martial artist, being reminded by a comrade who was heavily injured and lying on the ground. The hunchback smiled coldly. "I, Chen Tuozi, have never been a good person. I killed and robbed when I was young. I stole my wife too, but she had no choice after following me. I originally came here to make a living, but I can tell right from wrong. I've seen clearly what the Bamboo Chamber has done in recent years, how many people it has saved. In the past few years, I, Chen Tuozi, have done a few good deeds. Today, someone else wants me to fight the Jurchens, and I won't listen to him. But I'm willing to sell my life here."

This Chen Tuozi was originally a ruthless figure with a bad reputation in the Jianghu world. Now, saying such generous words, his smile seemed a little sinister. Someone nearby nodded. "Chen Tuozi is right." More people stood up. This Chen Tuozi said to Ning Yi, "By the way, Chamber Head, let me tell you, other people may not know what you've been doing, but we know. People are always coming to make trouble for you. Last year, a group of sworn brothers from my younger days came, saying they wanted to kill you to make a name for themselves. I, Chen Tuozi, have a bad reputation. I told them what you were doing, but they didn't believe me. They thought I'd been bought off. I didn't say anything more. I just went in with my blade and killed them all, burying their bodies outside the city."

Everyone was silent when they heard this. Someone said, "You didn't even call me for this." Ning Yi sat on the rock and laughed. "Who's your boss? Who feeds you? What, do you want me to thank you?"

He wasn't being polite, but Chen Tuozi was originally an evil character, and he appreciated this. He said, "I'm not saying that, Chamber Head. I can't do the things you do, saving so many people. I, Chen Tuozi, don't have much of a reputation. I used to value my sworn brothers, but after being in the Bamboo Chamber for a few years, looking at the way they are, I don't think much of them anymore. If you say we have to do something today, we'll go and do it for you, but you don't need to go. You just rest here and wait for us to come back with good news. That's all I wanted to say!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding people immediately echoed, "That's right, that's right, Chen Tuozi is right!"

"Chamber Head, you can't go. We'll go!"

"You don't need to do this."

Amidst the clamor, Yuwen Feidu, one of the severely wounded, even stood up from the ground where the injured were lying, raising his hand. "I, I want to go..." Ning Yi looked carefully and pointed his finger. "Quick, support him!" Someone helped the fallen teenager and laid him back on the ground. Ning Yi stood up sternly. "Alright! This isn't a meeting, I'm not asking for your opinions! While everyone still has a breath left, Zhu Biao, pick the men! Leave the ones who are too badly injured, don't try to fill the ranks! I am Ning Liheng, the Blood-Handed Butcher. Zhou Tong would give me respect, and Lin Echan wouldn't dare raise his voice in front of me. Do you need to teach me how to do things?"

At this time, there were dozens of people who were willing to go to Qi County with Ning Yi. As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Biao began to further select the men. At this time, someone outside the circle raised their hand. "I, can I go? I'm not injured, and I've practiced some moves. I can help!"

That was one of the free soldiers who wasn't a member of the Bamboo Chamber. After this person spoke, more people stood up in the crowd. Someone said, "My brother just died. I think what you said makes sense. I can go with you..."

The Wu Dynasty army, from top to bottom, was a mixed bag. In large-scale battles, it was difficult to trust each other. But even so, there were always some outstanding figures in the army, some with passion and courage. At this moment, by the small river in the darkness, one could see figures hesitantly standing up, walking out of the crowd. The night wind blew. Ning Yi watched this scene, Zhu Biao watched Ning Yi, and on Yue Fei's side, some soldiers also began to sign up. After a moment, Ning Yi said coldly, "It's not enough to just have passion. Those who can kill, those who have skill, can go."

Then he added, "If you die there, don't blame me."

His tone was cold and stiff, but when Zhu Biao went to pick the men, he tested their skills one by one, smiling and saying, "We're brothers from now on." Many people felt a fire burning in their chests.

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

As the seventy or eighty people gathered by Ning Yi crossed the river and hills, dragging their tired bodies towards Qi County, the drama of infighting in the capital, caused by the defeat of the Western Army, was reaching its climax.

Shi Shi went to a room on the outskirts of Fanlou, watching through the window as the army marched through the streets. The city in the night had subtly become noisy, disturbing many people's sleep. For ordinary people, they were guessing whether the Jurchens had started to attack the city again. On the solemn Imperial Street, many officials who had rushed over blocked the Emperor's carriage, begging him to return to the palace.

Zhou Zhe had been in a rage for a long time, but the development of the situation was indeed beyond his expectations. Originally, he wanted to use the name of curfew to send the officials home, but as soon as the order began to be issued, there was a subtle commotion in the city. Li Gang came to report, saying that someone had leaked the news of the Western Army's disastrous defeat. Now, many people in the city were starting to make trouble, especially the students, who wanted to brave the curfew and go to the palace to petition in the middle of the night - it was unknown how they had secretly colluded.

The disastrous defeat of the Western Army was already a major event. In addition, there were problems in the city. If people knew that the Emperor was leaving overnight, it was unknown what would happen. Li Gang kowtowed and said that he had mobilized the army to maintain order. Zhou Zhe's forehead was bulging with veins. Then Li Gang said that the Jin envoys were still in the city. If the other party knew that His Majesty had left the city, the Jin army in the north would definitely bypass Bianliang and pursue him south.

At this moment, Zhou Zhe felt that there was no way to turn the tide.

On the Nanxun Gate tower, the cries of Liang Feng, the Emperor's uncle, echoed through the night sky. In a small room on the side of the tower, the defending general Cao Yan paced back and forth anxiously, his face full of sorrow. He had wanted to go out several times, but the reason he hadn't done so was because of a figure in the corner of the room.

"Going out and opening the gate, General, you would be a sinner for all time."

In the darkness, that figure held prayer beads, slowly turning them. It was the staff member of the Right Chancellor's office, and the royal relative, the monk Jueming...

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

Bang—

Half an hour later, in the palace, Zhou Zhe smashed a huge vase.

"Outrageous! Outrageous! These civil officials, these traitors... they're forcing my hand! They have no regard for the Emperor! They don't have me in their eyes--"

The Empress knelt on the ground, facing Zhou Zhe, who was almost driven mad. But Zhou Zhe ran over, pulled her up, and placed her to the side to sit. After a moment, he came to her again. "You're confused! You're also confused! Empress, you..."

He shook his fingers for a long time, and finally waved them down. "Alas, I'm also confused! Empress, you see, what unrest in the city, what clamor, these are all things they've created! Those who advocate war, those who advocate peace, they've all united, wanting to hollow out this Emperor! Li Gang! No, Qin Siyuan! Only Qin Siyuan has such means. He thinks that he can just not show up today, call on others to block me, and I won't know! I, I know everything..."

He paused here for a long time, then shook his head. "No, no, no, it might be more than just him... Cai Jing! Hmph, old thing, Cai Jing, don't I know him? On the surface, he rushed over, pretending to want to go south with me, but in reality, he... he's secretly manipulating things, making sure my eyes are only on other people. Don't I know this old dog's methods? He's clever. Either he leaves, and when he leaves, he can suppress all those who aren't on his side. Either way, he wins. These things, I, I..."

He said this for a long time, even his tone was a little stuttering. "Once, once the situation stabilizes, these guys, I'll knock them down one by one... I'll knock them down one by one, let them... know my power... I am the Son of Heaven!"

"I am the Son of Heaven..." he said. "The most urgent thing is to negotiate, to negotiate, no, no, no... there's no way to negotiate. The Jurchens have gained an advantage, so it's not easy to negotiate, but we have to negotiate no matter what... Immediately send someone to summon the Jin envoy to discuss this matter..."

Before he could finish speaking, someone entered the palace and reported to him: "... There was unrest in the city. Some students and civilians rushed into the residence where the Jin envoy Wang Rui was temporarily staying. In the chaos, they actually beat Wang Rui to death."

"You..." Zhou Zhe stood in front of the throne, his hands clenched into fists, looking at the eunuch who was reporting the news. After a moment, his body swayed and he sat down in his seat, his clenched hands resting on his knees, his lips tightly pursed, trembling slightly with anger...

"Alright..." he said through gritted teeth, "Alright... let them do what they want..."

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

Inside Bianliang City, Qingluo Garden was a small garden where Qin Siyuan occasionally stopped to rest. It was already late at night, and in the dim light, Qin Siyuan sat in the pavilion, his eyes seemingly trying to go beyond the surrounding courtyards, beyond the city walls, to see the area hundreds of miles outside the city.

Some people were already nearby, and some were on their way, including Yao Zunian, Jueming, and even Tang Ke, who had rushed over.

"If I hadn't been forced to, I wouldn't have wanted to do this, but there's already no other way to think." He closed his eyes, and after a while, he sighed wearily. "Gongnian, after this matter, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you and me to have a good end..."

His voice was low, and no one spoke.

Outside the city, in the east and north directions, the beacon fires that had been spreading over a range of nearly a hundred miles began to dissipate. Hundreds of thousands of defeated soldiers, wounded soldiers, and corpses were scattered over this vast area, dispersed and fleeing. On this night, the Second Prince of the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Zongwang, completed his strategy, shattering almost all the threats near Bianliang in one fell swoop. Late autumn was fading, and soon, a cold winter would arrive...