"…Those grassland people are throwing corpses into the city."

The sky was gloomy, the clouds were heavy and low. In the old courtyard, there was a shed, under which were stacked boxes of various sizes. Firewood was piled in the corner of the courtyard, and a stove was burning water under the eaves. Tang Minjie, dressed as a porter and wearing a wide-brimmed hat, held a teacup in his hand and was sitting under the eaves, quietly exchanging information with Lu Mingfang.

Lu Mingfang was dressed slightly better than Tang Minjie, but he appeared relatively casual at this time. He was a merchant who traveled all over the country. Due to the sudden siege by the grassland people, he could not leave Yunzhong Prefecture, and Chen Ji's goods were also piled up in the courtyard.

"Throwing corpses?"

"There are human heads, and corpses chopped into pieces, even internal organs, wrapped up and thrown in. Some were thrown in with helmets on. Anyway, after landing, the stench is overwhelming. It should be the Jin soldiers who led the troops to relieve the siege these days. The grassland people killed them and ordered the prisoners to dismember and pack the bodies. After leaving them in the sun for a few days, they threw them into the city." Tang Minjie took off his hat, looking at the tea in his hand. "Those Jurchen youngsters were furious when they saw the heads..."

"Throwing corpses into the city, is this an attempt to create a plague?"

"It won't work." Tang Minjie shook his head. "The corpses have been left for a few days, and it is not easy to clean them up after they are thrown in, but it's just disgusting. Shi Li'ai's arrangement is very proper. The corpses that are cleaned up are cremated on the spot, and the outer clothing worn by those responsible for cleaning are soaked in boiling water. I transported lime over and sprinkled it on the base of the city wall... They are learning from the teacher's methods. Even if the grassland people really dare to throw corpses infected with the plague in, it is estimated that they themselves will be infected first."

"...Have you figured out the situation outside the city?"

"I inquired a bit, and the Jin people are not very clear either." Tang Minjie shook his head. "That old fellow Shi Li'ai is as stable as a stinky rock in a latrine. On the second day the grassland people came, he sent people out to test the waters. I heard that they even gained the upper hand, but I don't know what they saw, but they soon called everyone back and ordered everyone to close their doors and not go out. These two days, the grassland people have set up trebuchets and surrounded them with Jin prisoners outside the city. They threw corpses, and the city walls threw stones back, killing their own people in patches..."

Tang Minjie put the teacup to his lips, unable to help but laugh. "Hey... the little brats are furious, but if Shi Li'ai doesn't speak, they can't move..."

Lu Mingfang took a sip of tea: "Shi Li'ai is old and strong, his judgment and vision should not be underestimated, he must have discovered something."

"They only started fighting on both sides, and they took the upper hand in the first round. Then they became tortoises with their heads shrunk. If he does this, there are many loopholes, and there will be things to exploit in the future, hey..." Tang Minjie turned his head. "What ideas do you have?"

"First of all, the purpose of the grassland people." Lu Mingfang said, "Yunzhong Prefecture is sealed off. Now news from the outside can't get in, and those inside can't get out. According to the news pieced together so far, these grassland people are not without a plan. They had friction with the Jin people in the west a few years ago and didn't gain much advantage for a while. Later, they turned their attention to Western Xia. This time, they detoured to the Central Plains, and almost killed Yunzhong the day after breaking through Yanmen Pass. I don't know what they did to make Shi Li'ai alert. These actions all show that they have a plan. This battle is not aimless."

Lu Mingfang continued: "Since they have a plan, what is it? First of all, it is unlikely that they will take Yunzhong. Although the Jin Kingdom seems to have sent out hundreds of thousands of troops, there is still manpower in the rear. There are still many talents among the nobles and veterans. If you sort things out in various places, it is not a big problem to pull tens of thousands or tens of thousands of people. Not to mention that these grassland people do not have siege equipment, even if they are really talented and conjure up a magic trick and occupy Yunzhong, they will definitely not stay here for long. Since the grassland people can complete the military operation from Yanmen Pass to Yunzhong Prefecture, they must be able to see these things. So, if they can't occupy the city, what are they here for..."

He counted on his fingers: "Grain, military horses, manpower... or more critical supplies. Their purpose can explain their understanding of the war to what extent. If it were me, I would put the purpose first on the Great Crafts Institute. If I can't get the Great Crafts Institute, I can also play the idea of the other military supplies transfer and storage locations. The two nearest places, such as Hongshan and Langlang, were originally built by Zong Han for storing supplies and are heavily guarded. However, threatening Yunzhong and besieging to strike reinforcements, those troops may be mobilized... But the question is, do the grassland people really understand firearms and military equipment to this extent..."

Tang Minjie looked at him quietly.

Lu Mingfang continued: "Understanding the purpose of the grassland people can probably predict the direction of this war. We may be able to contact these grassland people, but we must be very careful and try to be conservative. The more important thing right now is that if the war between the grassland people and the Jin people continues, those Han people outside the city may have a glimmer of hope. We can plan a few routes in advance to see if we can take advantage of the opportunity when both sides are fighting fiercely to save some people."

Tang Minjie listened quietly to this point, and remained silent for a while: "Why didn't you consider the matter of forming an alliance with them? Does Boss Lu know any inside information?"

"The teacher said something."

"Hmm?" Tang Minjie frowned.

Lu Mingfang sat down, considering how to speak. Then he reacted and looked at Tang Minjie with a smile: "...You wanted to say this from the beginning?"

There was also a hint of sinister smile in the corner of Tang Minjie's eyes: "Seeing the enemy of the enemy, the first reaction, of course, is that they can be friends. At the beginning of the grassland people's siege, I thought about whether I could help them open the gate, but it was too difficult. Regarding the actions of the grassland people, I privately thought of one thing. The teacher pretended to be dead a few years ago. Before showing up, he went to Western Xia. Perhaps the actions of the grassland people are related to the teacher's arrangement. I am still a little strange, why haven't you notified me to make arrangements..."

He looked sincere and said: "Opening the city gate is very risky, but letting me do it should have been the best arrangement. I thought you didn't trust me very much in this matter."

Tang Minjie said these words frankly, with a smile in his eyes. Although he was scheming and sinister, and sometimes seemed crazy and terrible, he was usually honest in front of his own people. Lu Mingfang smiled: "The teacher has not arranged any tasks related to the grassland."

"If you say so, I understand." Tang Minjie took a sip of tea, the look in his eyes behind the teacup became a little dangerous again due to thinking. "If there is no participation from the teacher, the actions of the grassland people are decided by themselves, that means that among the people outside the city, there are some strategists with very long-term vision... This is very dangerous."

As he spoke like this, he was obviously thinking about the grassland knights outside the city. Then he turned his head: "By the way, you mentioned the teacher's words just now."

Lu Mingfang nodded: "The last time I returned to the southwest, I also considered the teacher's actions before he appeared. After all, he went to Western Xia and seemed to attach some importance to the grassland people. After I reported my duties, I chatted with the teacher for a while and talked about this matter. What I was considering was that Western Xia is relatively close to us. If the teacher arranged any backhands there, we would have some understanding in our hearts when it came to our eyes. However, the teacher shook his head. He didn't leave anything in Western Xia."

"...This is not like the teacher's way of doing things." Tang Minjie frowned and muttered.

"The teacher said something later that impressed me very deeply. He said that the grassland people are enemies, and we only need to consider how to defeat them. This is why I said that contact must be cautious."

Tang Minjie lowered his head and pondered for a long time. When he raised his head, he also considered it for a long time before opening his mouth: "If the teacher said this, then he really doesn't want to play any distant alliances and close attacks with the grassland people... This is very strange. Although the Wu Dynasty perished because of playing too many tricks, we can't be said to be dependent on strategies. When I was studying with the teacher before, the teacher repeatedly emphasized that victories are all accumulated from one cent and one milligram. He went to Western Xia but did not make a move. What was he considering..."

Lu Mingfang smiled: "The teacher did not say that he had allied with the grassland people, but he did not explicitly state that he could not be used. If you have any ideas that can convince me, I am also willing to do it."

Tang Minjie shook his head: "The teacher's thoughts may have profound meaning. I will ask him carefully next time I see him. Since there are no clear orders right now, let's follow the general situation. There is no need to put all our eggs in one basket if the risk is too great. If the risk is smaller, we will do what we should do. Boss Lu, you said we must save people. As for how to contact them, let's take another look. If there are really unparalleled great figures in this group of people, it's good for us to pay more attention."

Lu Mingfang also nodded.

Tang Minjie came with questions in his heart. The siege has been going on for ten days. Such a big event could have been used to muddy the waters, but Lu Mingfang's actions were not great. He also had some thoughts, wondering if there were any big moves that he had not been able to participate in. Now that he had dispelled his doubts, he felt a little more cheerful in his heart. He took two sips of tea and couldn't help but smile:

"By the way, Boss Lu."

"Hmm."

"Do you think it's possible that when the teacher and the others went to Western Xia, a group of ignorant grassland barbarians offended the Badao's wife, and the teacher simply wanted to kill them?"

"...You said it too... without considering the overall situation."

"That's right." Tang Minjie smiled, "If that's really the case, I'm afraid not many grassland barbarians would be able to survive in front of Badao's wife."

He paused: "Moreover, if the grassland people really offended the teacher, and the teacher couldn't take revenge for a while, he would only leave more backhands."

Now he really understood. If Ning Yi really held a grudge against these grassland people, the attitude he would choose would not be to let them go. I am afraid that distant alliances and close attacks, opening the door to do business, showing goodwill, and wooing would have been put into effect. Ning Yi did nothing. Although this matter was strange, Tang Minjie only put the doubts in his heart: there may be very interesting answers in it, and he was a little curious.

The two discussed here, and they had a general outline for the next thing. Lu Mingfang was going to Chen Wenjun's side to inquire about the news. Tang Minjie seemed to have something else in his heart. When he was about to leave, he hesitated. Lu Mingfang asked, "What is it?" He then said, "Do you know Luo Ye in the army?"

"I know, Luo the Madman. He is an old man who started with the Wu Rui Camp. It seems... he has always asked us to look for his younger sister. What's wrong?"

"..."

"Is there a clue? Alive? Dead?"

"...Forget it, I'll tell you after I confirm it." Tang Minjie hesitated for a moment, and finally said this.

Lu Mingfang nodded: "Okay."

If Tang Minjie didn't say it, he wouldn't ask. He had seen everything in the north for so many years. Such a long time has passed since the Humiliation of Jingkang. The first batch of Han slaves who went north had basically died out. Right now, no matter whether this kind of news is good or bad, only its process is enough to destroy a normal person's life. Before the complete victory arrives, just swallow everything that can be swallowed. There is no need to chew on it carefully. This is the only way to keep people as normal as possible.

The two left the courtyard and went in different directions.

Under the same sky, in the southwest, the flames of war at Jianmen Pass had not ceased. The great battle between the Jin army led by Zong Han and the China Seventh Army led by Qin Shaoqian had already begun.