One second to remember [End-of-book God Station] Mobile users enter the address:.，

At dusk, on the Weisheng Tianji Palace, one could see the sunset spilling over the mountains.

Wagons filled with wheat were coming in from the roads outside the city. The roads had been rebuilt after the great war and, although recently completed, seemed even wider than before the war.

"These are the last thirty wagons of wheat. They'll be in the granary in an hour, and the winter wheat harvest will be complete. If it weren't for those grassland Tartars causing trouble, April would have been a good month."

This was the observation platform on the side of the Tianji Palace. Lou Shuwan put down the monocular telescope in her hand, and the evening breeze blew warmly. Standing with Lou Shuwan were Yu Yulin and Wang Juyun, both high-ranking military officers. Since two years ago, the Tiger King's forces and the vagrant forces led by Wang Juyun had successively fought against the southward-bound Jin soldiers and Liao Yiren, who had defected to the Jin. Now, they had completely merged into one.

Among these merging parties, Wang Yin, using the alias Wang Juyun, was originally a minister in the Yongle Dynasty. He was proficient in detailed affairs, religious methods, and military strategy. After the fall of the Yongle Dynasty, he secretly rescued some of the former generals under Fang La and, among the vagrants on the frontier, began to propagate again the Bai Lian (White Lotus) and Maitreya teachings of "equal rights for all," uniting large numbers of vagrants and calling for mutual assistance. Against the backdrop of the Jurchen's fourth southward invasion, he selflessly threw the gathered people into the front lines of resistance against the Jin. For two years, although he was stern and unsmiling, his selfless attitude truly won the respect of those around him.

After learning about his idealistic side, the Jin region merged with him relatively cautiously. In fact, Lou Shuwan's steadfastness in the past anti-Jin struggles, her contributions to the Jin region, and her lack of descendants and unwillingness to seek personal gain greatly promoted this merger.

Since the Humiliation of Jingping, the Central Plains had been in great chaos. Wang Yin traveled through the northern territories, perhaps unable to bear the suffering of the people, and began to preach and save people here. In fact, his selection of the vagrant areas south of Yanmen Pass for development was far from ideal. It was basically impossible to build a base and gather too many supplies. This merger with the Jin region provided his subordinates with a temporary place to live.

On the other hand, Lou Shuwan, who had dealt with Lin Zongwu in the past, obtained the title of Descended Mystic Woman in the Maitreya sect. Later, she kicked Lin Zongwu away, and the resulting religious framework also played a certain cohesive role in stabilizing the people's hearts in the Jin region. But in fact, Lou Shuwan, who crushed Lin Zongwu in political operation and intrigue, was not very familiar with the essential laws of religious operation. After Wang Yin joined, he not only helped the Jin region in politics and military affairs, but also gave Lou Shuwan great inspiration and assistance in the operation of the "Great Brightness Religion" in the Jin region. The cooperation between the two, taking what they needed from each other, truly achieved an effect greater than two in this time.

In March, a group of grassland mercenaries wreaked havoc in the Jin region and burned wheat fields, which caused some trouble for Lou Shuwan and others. Fortunately, at the beginning of April, these reckless madmen advanced north to Yanmen Pass and directly attacked Yunzhong. Before leaving, they also solved the problem of Liao Yiren for Lou Shuwan. Thus, starting in mid-April, with the harvesting of wheat, the Tiger King's forces spent their time constantly recovering lost land and reorganizing surrendered troops, which could be described as joyful. At the end of April, the subversive news of the end of the decisive battle in Hanzhong came, and everyone's emotions were complex and even a little lost—in this way, wouldn't the Jin region not be considered a great victory?

Relatively smooth situations and successive good news can make people feel happy, but they cannot hide the rationality of Lou Shuwan, Yu Yulin, Wang Yin, and others. Although Zongwang and Xiyin were defeated by the Xia, it was inevitable that they would have another friction with the Jin region on their way back north. This friction would determine the future face of the Jin region.

Theoretically, the strength of the Jin region at this time has greatly leaped forward compared to the Tian Shi period two years ago. On the surface, the loss of a large amount of materials and the reduction of soldiers seem to have riddled the entire force with holes, but in fact, the two-faced and wavering people have been completely cleaned up. Two years of fighting and training have made the remaining people elite who can fight. Lou Shuwan and others have accumulated great prestige in the decisions of these two years. In fact, if it were not for the involvement of the Mongols in March and April, Lou, Yu, Wang, and others had originally planned to launch a large-scale offensive at the end of March and the beginning of April to flatten Liao Yiren.

Now, this accumulated power can become the basis for meeting the Jurchen Western Route Army, but everyone is still not very confident about whether they can win. On this day, Yu, Wang, and others basically finished collecting and training troops outside, and only then took the time to return to Weisheng to discuss further major events with Lou Shuwan.

"Since after the New Year, you have been running around outside. The two generals have worked hard. With this batch of wheat entering the warehouse, the winter wheat in various places has been harvested almost completely. Although it was ruined a bit by those grassland people before, looking around, we are the only ones in the entire Central Plains who are stronger. We can be a little more confident about doing anything."

Looking at the road between the western foothills, Lou Shuwan had a smile on her face, and the setting sun cast a golden color here. She then restrained her smile.

"The only concern is that I have asked the generals in the army, and I have also privately written to the two generals. No one still has the confidence to win against the defeated Jurchen soldiers... The news of the decisive battle in Hanzhong has spread all over the world, but we are unable to deal with even the defeated soldiers of the Xia army. Can we really explain this to the people?"

As she spoke, her expression became serious. In the Jin region over the years, Lou Shuwan has managed mostly political affairs and logistics, but she has been with the army for two years of war, and she does not have no understanding of the army. The seriousness at this moment cannot be called reprimand, but more of a sense of urgency in private.

Wang Juyun frowned, even more serious. Yu Yulin did not hide his expression and sighed: "In these years, watching Mr. Ning's management of the army, there are many obvious innovations. The Wu Dynasty values ​​civilian affairs and neglects military affairs, fearing that the army will use force to become independent, so the restraint of the army is deeply rooted. As a result, the generals have no power and the army is weak and difficult to change. In recent years, the strategies of strengthening the army by all parties are first to delegate power to the generals. For example, the Beiwei Army, which can fight in the south, uses the power of the Crown Prince to isolate the external checks and balances, so that some combat power can be trained under Yue Pengju's iron-blooded rule. This is one of the reasons. The Xia army is naturally even more so, needless to say."

"It is not difficult to achieve this condition. Our army has also developed in this way in recent years, especially in the past two years. Many shortcomings have also been removed during the war. Originally, the small families in the Jin region inevitably reached out to the army, doing it for their own purposes, which essentially prevented the army from fighting. We have also cleaned up almost all of this in the past two years. But this condition is only the first threshold..."

Yu Yulin paused: "After entering this first threshold, the army is naturally like an army, but what is really powerful about the Xia army is the intensity of training and the strictness of military discipline. All the soldiers of the Xia army were in the past the standard of private soldiers and guards, working full-time, training every day only to fight, and strictly prohibiting orders in military strategy. Everyone wants such soldiers, but they cannot afford them, and they will not last long. The Xia army's approach is to support the army with all its strength. With Mr. Ning's business methods, reselling military equipment and buying grain, he has done everything possible. In many times in the middle, they actually have to go hungry. If it were ten years ago, I would think it... would not last long."

"If the army goes hungry, it will lower morale, disobey orders, and violate military law. But what is really powerful about Mr. Ning is that he can maintain the strictness of military law while letting the army go hungry. There is naturally the reason for the 'Xia' name in the middle, but in our place, it cannot be maintained. If you want military law, you must have military pay. Without military pay, there is no military law. There are also reasons for the middle and lower-level generals in it..."

"In this way, the Xia army is not different from us in any one aspect, but in fact, there are differences in all aspects. Of course, we have never felt that this difference is so great until the battle report of the Wangyuan Bridge and the Battle of Hanzhong came. The Seventh Army of Xia defeated Zongwang's 100,000 troops with 20,000 people, but to say that we can deal with the remnants of Zongwang and Xiyin, there is indeed... no evidence."

After Yu Yulin finished speaking, he was silent for a moment: "This is the difference between me and the Xia army today."

Since the meeting with Ning Yi in Mount Lvliang more than ten years ago, Yu Yulin's attitude towards the name of the Xia army has always been cautious. At this moment, it is only a private conversation between three people, and his words are quite frank. Wang Juyun nodded, and when Lou Shuwan's gaze swept over, he opened his mouth.

"The power of one battle, the power of several battles, can all be there. Although it may not be able to win, it may not necessarily lose."

Lou Shuwan nodded: "... At least it is possible to fight, and it is a good thing."

The various aspects of measurement for the war that may occur next have actually been summarized. Basically, more than two years of resistance have made the combat power of the Jin army stronger, and with the gradual unification of thought, there is more resilience. Even if it is not possible to say that Zongwang and Xiyin can be defeated, even if a battle is not won, the subsequent operations can be carried out calmly and continuously. Relying on the terrain of the Jin region, there is not much problem in getting Zongwang and Xiyin to go back.

This situation makes people not cry, but also can't laugh. After Lou Shuwan finished speaking, there was some silence between the three, but then the woman smiled: "In this way, it is no wonder that the people in the southwest are so proud."

Yu Yulin thought for a while and laughed: "How is Zhan Wuye recently?"

"After the decisive battle in Hanzhong, he came here several times. One of them brought a letter from Ning Yi." Lou Shuwan said lightly, "Ning Yi mentioned the future situation in the letter and talked about the problem of Zongwang and Xiyin's return north. He said: In the fourth southward invasion of the Jurchens, the Eastern Route Army won a great victory and the Western Route Army was defeated miserably. After returning to the Jin Kingdom, the dispute between the East and West Houses may be seen. We should sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. For the Zongwang and Xiyin troops who are already at a disadvantage, we may adopt an attitude of being able to fight or not fight, and try not to fight if possible..."

"Heh, he is quite considerate..." She smiled slightly, with a lazy sarcasm, "I guess he is afraid that we can't beat them, so he is giving us a way out."

"..."

"..."

Yu Yulin and Wang Juyun looked at each other.

Wang Juyun said: "Did he say anything else in the letter?"

Lou Shuwan took the letter from her sleeve and handed it over: "Yes, he is playing his own little abacus, hoping that we can lend a batch of food to those people in Liangshan in the east... There are thousands of miles of starvation in Shandong. Last year, even grass roots and tree bark were almost eaten up. Winter wheat does not have enough seeds, so although it is time for harvest, I am afraid that only a few grains of food will be harvested, and it will run out soon."

The letter written by Ning Yi was very long, and even if he held it in his hand, he could not read much for a while. After Lou Shuwan finished speaking, Yu Yulin said: "The Jin dog's Eastern Route Army is approaching the Yellow River. Once it crosses Shand

ong, I am afraid that he will not let go of Zhu Biao, Wang Shanyue, Liu Chengzong and others. Wheat has only recently been harvested. They have been able to survive until now, and they should be able to survive for a while. Ning Yi is confident that they can survive the Jurchen Eastern Route Army? What he wants to borrow is the food in the future, right?"

Lou Shuwan nodded: "He didn't say much in the letter about how Liangshan survived in front of the Jurchen Eastern Route Army. I asked Zhan Wu, and there are probably a few ways. Either give up Liangshan altogether and hide with us first, or recognize that Wanyan Wugunai is dying soon and just endure it on the mountain, or simply ask Zongfu and Zongbi to give them a way out? I am too lazy to guess..."

Speaking of this, she paused, and then said lazily: "He invited us to the south in the letter - he is so proud after defeating the Jurchens once. In June, he will hold a hero meeting in Chengdu to select the leader of the Green Forest Alliance, saying that he wants to talk to the people of the world about the Xia army's ideas. The matter of selling food can also be discussed together at that time. It seems that he is not afraid of us charging sky-high prices..."

Hearing her say this, Wang Juyun, who was reading the letter, changed his expression slightly and turned two pages towards the back. Yu Yulin also glanced over here, naturally knowing that if there was such an invitation on the letter, the rest of the information would probably become trivial details. Lou Shuwan turned around, approached the edge of the parapet, and looked at the distant scenery.

The three of them were quiet for a while. Yu Yulin looked at Lou Shuwan and said, "Are you going to go?"

The evening breeze lifted the skirt, Lou Shuwan turned her back to this side, looking into the distance.

"... Although I am not reconciled, we are indeed much different from the southwest in some things. As Brother Yu just said, it is different, we have to change, but how to change, we have to be cautious. It is a good thing to go to the southwest to see it once. What's more, Ning Yi has a request for me this time. If I can run to the southwest, I can get a lot of benefits..."

"... But Zongwang and Xiyin are returning north, and the war is imminent..."

Lou Shuwan put her hands on the parapet, her gaze towards the distance was cold, and she said:

"How can I go?"

She stated the facts calmly and indifferently. She scoffed.

Support (End-of-book God Station) to share this site with those little partners who need it! If you can't find a book, please leave a message!