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At the hour of Si (9-11 am) on the first day of the eighth month, the salute guns roared on the east and west city walls of Chengdu, shaking the earth and the sky. In the bright autumn sunshine, the huge, rhythmic sound covered the ancient Shu city from two directions.

The inaugural military parade of the China Army (Hua Xia Jun) officially began. The Fifth Army entered the city from the west, and the Seventh Army from the northeast. Banners embroidered with their respective regimental numbers unfurled in a continuous line, accompanied by the orderly steps of the China Army soldiers, grandly traversing the long streets lined with onlookers.

A military parade is not a temple fair; there were no flying knives or acrobatics, nor dragon or lion dances. However, in this era, there was a general lack of large-scale public events. Many residents of Chengdu had taken up positions along the road early. People waved red flowers, adults brought children, all wanting to see what the mighty army that had defeated the invincible Jurchens looked like.

Half the people came for the spectacle, but the other half had already begun to sincerely support this army. The Jurchens had wreaked havoc for more than a decade, and the Wu Dynasty had been turned upside down. Although Chengdu was located in the southwest and had not experienced war, the number of people fleeing the famine over the past ten years was not small. On the other hand, although the China Army had only occupied Chengdu for a short time, and some measures were not particularly people-friendly due to the impending war, there were indeed many policies that had genuinely won the hearts of the people.

"Do you see those women?" The China Army's ranks had already entered the city. In a teahouse next to the northern avenue, a middle-aged scholar gesticulating wildly pointed to the crowd below, indicating to his companions.

"Since the China Army occupied the southwest, one of its measures has been to encourage women to go out to work... In the past, there were some small workshops here, and merchants often went to farmers' homes to collect silk and cloth. Some women would do embroidery and needlework during the slack season to supplement the family income. However, the profits from these trades were uncertain, because the quality of the goods and the amount of money received were mostly controlled by the merchants, and from time to time, incidents of women being oppressed would occur..."

"... This Mr. Ning of the China Army started out in business. The Ning family, where his wife is from, was originally just a cloth shop. After the China Army occupied Chengdu, they greatly encouraged farm women to work in workshops, under unified management, with many subsidies. I have been in Chengdu for over a month and inquired privately. These women all have... something called training before they start working, where teachers teach them how to work, standardizing the craftsmanship. This avoids the shortcomings of merchants collecting silk and cloth of varying quality in the past. In addition, this Mr. Ning has used strict orders to ensure that these women's income is not deducted. Some people have been killed for it..."

"As a result, in these households, both men and women can earn money to support the family. Although it has only been a little over a year, they are visibly becoming prosperous. These women's families have benefited from this, and they work for the China Army, and the China Army has also benefited. Why are their voices so high at this time? They are tied to the China Army."

"The China Army's business operations are not limited to the weaving industry. Including their papermaking, printing, glass, brick making, perfume... all kinds of industries have workshops. Those who enter these workshops are also standing with the China Army... We are watching these troops pass by here today, but the roots of the China Army are far more than just these troops."

"... In the past, we all said that merchants were lowly professions. Now, are they lowly? You give people food, and people will work for you. In my opinion, in the future, the power to do business should be taken back and allocated by the imperial court. Not only important industries such as salt and iron, but all kinds of industries should be led by the imperial court. You give them money, and they will be of one mind with you. After leaving Chengdu this time, I will write down everything I have seen and heard..."

The people downstairs waved red flowers and shouted, while the scholars upstairs summed up their experiences. At every street corner, propagandists arranged by the China Army were loudly proclaiming the battle merits and achievements of the passing troops.

The Victory Square, newly built on the northwest side of the Mohe Pond in the city, was originally a patch of dilapidated buildings with a training ground belonging to the Chengdu Yamen. It had now been completely cleared, expanded, and opened to the public. The Fifth and Seventh Armies would take some time to return, but a large number of people had already gathered.

Inside the auditorium on the south side of the square, the guests specially invited by the China Army had already begun to gather upstairs. These were delegations representing various large and small forces who were willing to openly accept the goodwill of the China Army. An Xifu from Jin, Zuo Xiuquan representing the Zuo family, the official representative sent by Liu Guangshi, as well as merchants and intermediaries who had been traveling around for a long time, were interacting and talking to each other. Most of them came with a purpose, and they were relatively flexible and skillful. Even if they couldn't get anything from the China Army here, they might do business with each other in the future. Among them, there were also people who were friendly with Dai Mengwei and Wu Qimei, but they usually wouldn't directly point it out, just keep it in mind.

On the viewing platform on the east side of the square, there were all kinds of celebrities and great scholars who had come to Chengdu this time. Those who received invitations included both civil and military figures, such as Lu Liutong, a martial arts master, his son Lu Xiaolun, and some relatively well-known heroes of the greenwoods, but didn't cause trouble on July 20th. After selection, a group of them came up, and other great Confucians and recently rising young talents also received a batch of invitations.

Yang Tiehuai took the invitation card and went upstairs, looking around. He saw some relatively familiar Confucian celebrities, Chen Shichun, Guan Shanhai, Lang Guoxing... etc. Among these great Confucians, some originally disagreed with his ideas and had argued with him, such as the mouth-cannon Chen Shichun; there were also some who had discussed "major events" with him in the previous days, but eventually found that he did not act, such as Guan Shanhai and Lang Guoxing. At this time, everyone showed a contemptuous look when they saw him come up.

No one scolded him on the spot, probably because they were afraid that he would become agitated and reveal more things, and no one came to hit him. Among scholars, they use their mouths, not their hands. But Yang Tiehuai knew that he had been completely isolated by these people.

His eyes were cold and clear. He raised his chin and straightened his clothes, extremely disdainful of these people's hypocrisy. The reason why he didn't act was because he saw clearly that things were impossible to do. The difficulties in this, ordinary people don't understand, so be it, but what are you pretending for?

He looked up at the square. The evil people of Ning Motou hadn't appeared yet. But it didn't matter...

He clenched the invitation card in his hand.

The decision had been made, and there was no other way. Yang Tiehuai thought so in his heart. When those evil people appeared, he would do something that would shock everyone.

"Mr. Yang, please come with me, this is your seat."

The soldiers on the viewing platform led him to the back row of the platform and pointed out his seat.

In front, the crowd was discussing, talking to each other, or arguing seriously, or stating loudly. The old man sat there... all of this had nothing to do with him.

…

The salute guns on the city head stopped after twenty-eight shots. Then, guiding the team forward was the heavy and rhythmic sound of war drums. The crowds on both sides of the road shouted, and some people tried to throw flowers into the ranks.

The army's steps were uniform, stepping out almost identical rhythms and sounds on the long street. Even the soldiers who had lost their arms marched in the same rhythm as the ordinary soldiers. In front of many teams were wheelchairs, and the meritorious soldiers who had lost their legs were sitting upright on them, their eyes faintly flashing with a murderous spirit.

Mao Yishan walked in the ranks, occasionally seeing figures kowtowing on the roadside. In the past ten years, too many people had died at the hands of the Jurchens.

Three thousand people from the Fifth Army participated in the military parade, stretching for several miles. At the rear of the army, one hundred and forty-six Jurchen prisoners of war were held in thirty prison wagons, passing through the streets of the city. The propagandists introduced their identities in general terms. Some people threw mud and other things inside. Although it was immediately stopped by the soldiers maintaining order, many of the mud, vegetable leaves, and rotten eggs were still thrown in.

Behind the thirty prison wagons holding Jurchen prisoners of war, there were also four prison wagons following, holding heinous Han Chinese war criminals who appeared during the war, as well as some criminals who had caused trouble and killed people in the southwest rear. Among them, two were once the leading dignitaries in Chengdu.

In the narrations of the propagandists on each street, many people recognized their identities.

…

Wanyan Qingjue clung to the bars of the prison wagon and looked out.

Several pieces of mud hit his body, and he suffered the impact of several rotten eggs. But as a prisoner, such humiliation was nothing.

All the way, he carefully listened to the words of the propagandists on the street, how the China Army introduced them, and how they would deal with them. Wanyan Qingjue hoped to hear some clues from the beginning.

Unfortunately, he was in the first prison wagon. Often, the propagandist had only just started, and the prison wagon had passed. So he could only hear the beginning of what the propagandist said each time.

Many times, he couldn't hear it very clearly either. The crowds on the roadside were emotional, their faces contorted, full of abuse. Because there would occasionally be flying debris, Wanyan Qingjue could only turn sideways and glance at those people out of the corner of his eye. He was not afraid of these people. These people were the weak among the Han Chinese. If the car door was opened and the shackles were removed, he didn't know how many of these people he could have killed in the past. He had also seen countless times these people kneeling and begging.

It's just bullying the tiger...

When the mud hit his head, he told himself this in his heart.

I'm afraid these people have never experienced the glory of the moment in their lives. And most of his past half of his life was spent in glory - thinking of this, his heart calmed down a little.

Bang!

A rotten egg burst on his head. He reached out and wiped it off, full of stench, but there wasn't much change in his expression.

"…Han Xin could endure the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs." The words that the teacher, who looked down upon the world, had once told him rang in his mind, "Those who can become people above people have mostly suffered bitterness among bitterness..."

This is… my bitterness among bitterness… as long as I have suffered…

As long as I have suffered…

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

The war drums, accompanied by the voices of the people, spread throughout the city of Chengdu.

Ning Xi trotted all the way, passing through the security perimeter of Victory Square, passing through the Great Drum Tower on the west side, and going to the three-story building on the north side.

Entering the small auditorium inside, Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, Chen Fan and others were still inside drinking tea and discussing matters. After Ning Xi came in, he generally reported on the new round of security in the city.

"... Ran around again from beginning to end. A total of three batches of people trying to make trouble have been arrested. There are no major problems yet. The roads in the several districts that the military parade passed through are not too congested. According to what was said before, several key intersections were unblocked after passing through. Anyway, after patrolling again, the people in charge of each district signed and made a note..."

Ning Xi had walked through the city completely again from the morning, and at this time, there was sweat on his forehead. Ning Yi nodded: "Well, the military parade is just a formality. Just follow the steps. There won't be much else to do next. Pour yourself a glass of water and tidy up. You'll have to go out to meet people later... Also, I still have my own ideas about the militia..."

He casually dismissed Ning Xi and discussed government affairs with Qin Shaoqian again. Ning Xi pouted and turned around to tidy up his appearance.

…

At the third quarter of Si hour (around 10:45 AM), the booming sound of war drums seemed to be getting closer to the square here.

On the viewing platform, several China Army members who were arranged to be responsible for reception and explanation began to persuade some veteran scholars to take their seats and be quiet. Yang Tiehuai looked towards the front. Ning Yi and others seemed to have come out too.

He stood up, ready to walk towards the edge of the viewing platform in front.

Two China Army soldiers walked over and stretched out their hands to stop him.

"Mr. Yang, the time is almost here. Please take your seat to watch the ceremony."

"I'll just take a look."

"Please take your seat to watch the ceremony. It's not good to block others, is it?"

"Isn't it not here yet..."

"Sorry."

The two China Army soldiers smiled and stretched out their hands to stop him. They were strong and the old man couldn't get past them. Although they were wearing military uniforms, their smiles didn't look like real frontline soldiers. And the apology was too casual.

The old man thought for a while and sat back in his seat.

Not long after, the first two groups of soldiers entered the square from different directions almost at the same time.

The old man stood up again. He took a few steps, and two soldiers came over again.

"I, I'm going to the toilet."

"Please, I'll take you there. The toilet is downstairs..."

The soldiers took him down.

…

Yu Hezhong sat in the front row of the viewing platform, watching the soldiers line up neatly and enter the square.

Although he and Yan Daolun were here to take up Liu Guangshi's task, because they didn't officially join the delegation, their seats were arranged on the east viewing platform with a group of great scholars.

At this moment, he didn't notice the abnormal movement of the old man named Yang Tiehuai on the side and rear of the viewing platform. He didn't know much about war or the army either. Seeing the army coming in with neat steps, he felt a little fancy and could only vaguely feel some differences between this army and other armies.

The experts watch the doorway, the laymen can only watch the fun. Most of the people here are scholars, and someone in the crowd said: "It looks like the spirit is a little different, but wasting the time of training on these steps... How useful is it to walk so neatly on the battlefield? I think, nitpicking..."

"After fighting for so many years, the Black Flag finally has some capital to show off. Today, with so many people watching on the stage, it is understandable that they make their steps more neat. I just don't know how long they trained temporarily..."

"The wounded soldiers in front of the ranks are very interesting. So many people with broken hands and feet can survive on the battlefield, which shows that the China Army's military doctors are quite remarkable. I have recently seen many places in the China Army. They have made great achievements in external injuries and bruises..."

"Brother Xu sees the whole leopard from a spot, which is really remarkable..."

In the voices of everyone, Yu Hezhong couldn't help but want to nod in agreement. Then he heard someone say: "The China Army has strict military discipline. You think that the steps are completely useless, but they can train to this degree, which shows that orders are strictly prohibited in the army. Once on the battlefield, the army orders to advance, the soldiers in the army will know that no one around them will retreat. You are so frivolous, can you say that outside the southwest, there is an army that can do this?"

This voice made Yu Hezhong's heart alert, but was soon drowned out by the crowd's conversation. Everyone pretended not to hear and didn't answer.

Lu Xiaolun sat on the stool in the side rear, rejoicing that the Badao people had not really opened the back door for him, allowing him to enter the Black Flag Army as a instructor - doing something else is okay, but as an instructor, it is inevitable that he would be beaten to death soon - it seems that his father and the Badao people really have some real friendship. He almost misunderstood them at first.

…

Yang Tiehuai, who had finished going to the toilet, came up from below, and under the "escort" of the China Army soldiers, returned to his seat in the back.

He watched the soldiers gather in the square, and it seemed that countless people in the city were shouting. As time gradually passed, two China Army soldiers not far away looked at him with a smile that was not a smile.

People were discussing, talking, and occasionally someone would turn around, seeming to mock him with a smile that was not a smile. With his past status in the Jianghu, he had always been sitting in the front row, only this time was he arranged in the back...

He looked to the north, watching the evil people such as Ning Motou and Qin Shaoqian. They had trampled on the orthodoxy of the Wu Dynasty, and they were using various means to alienate the people of the Wu Dynasty. He couldn't wait to rush over and crash into Ning Motou's face, but how could these evil people be so easy to deal with? They had already made preparations and stared at him. It was ridiculous that no one on this so-called viewing platform realized this.

Look at those two China Army soldiers, they were arranged by Ning Yi to deal with me.

No one saw it.

Yang Tiehuai sat there in a daze for a long time.

Finally, he took a deep breath and stood up for the third time. He straightened his clothes and walked out of the viewing platform.

The soldiers came over again: "Mr. Yang, where are you going again..."

"I'm going down, I have something to do, I won't watch." Yang Tiehuai stared at him with a cold gaze, "Can I?"

"Oh, of course, I'll send you down."

The soldier sent him out of the viewing platform, and then sent him out of the inner perimeter of Victory Square.

At this time, more than 4,000 soldiers representing the two armies had gathered in the square, and the vehicles holding the prisoners had also arrived. Batches of prisoners were getting off the vehicles and lined up in the open space on the side of the square. The streets around the square were almost crowded with people.

The sun was hanging in the sky. Yang Tiehuai took a deep breath. The sky was clear and Chengdu was colorful, but at this moment, everything was gray to him.

The nearby servants and students had already seen him, and were coming towards him with difficulty from a distance. The old man lifted his long robe and hurried towards the highest teahouse near Victory Square.

That teahouse was three stories high, and counting the roof, it had four stories. The old man paid the money downstairs, accepted the inspection, and then went all the way up.

The people in the teahouse were gazing at the movements not far away. No one saw him at the moment.

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

The flags of the China Fifth and Seventh Armies officially met on Victory Square. After a simple ceremony, they, along with the black Chenxing flag representing the China Army as a whole, were raised high in the sky, surrounded by dozens of military flags with various regimental numbers.

Wanyan Qingjue was dragged off the carriage and led by soldiers to stand in the open space on the southeast side of the square. They could only watch the raising of the flag and the progress of the meeting from afar. Of course, he knew in his heart that it was all just a formality, all acting.

Many people gathered on the nearby streets, but were separated by the China Army when they got close. Some people threw mud here, but at this moment, they couldn't throw it on the Jurchen prisoners. Some people knelt on the street crying and scolding, perhaps because his side had killed their relatives. A few people wanted to rush over, but the China Army stopped them.

In fact, Wanyan Qingjue didn't care about being humiliated, but the China Army was always so strange, and there was nothing he could do.

On the streets not far away, the propagandist was loudly repeating the movements in the square to the outside. Wanyan Qingjue didn't care. He was just listening carefully to the things about himself and these people.

He didn't know when, he finally heard it...

…

The old man passed through the third floor of the teahouse and climbed up the small staircase on the side that was unattended to the roof.

The roof was made of blue tiles, and because it hadn't rained recently, it was still dry, but for an old man of his age, it was still too scary.

He stood there for a moment.

From here, he could see the open space of the square where the prisoners were standing not far away, and he could also see a corner of the military parade in the distance. Ning Motou and other evil people must be there enjoying themselves and saying something.

You will be punished!

He thought in his heart.

In the crowd not far away, his servants, students and others seemed to be coming towards him.

He thought of many things.

He thought of the suicide note he wrote in the Xiangwu Guild Hall.

He thought of some of the points he made in his suicide note about how to use the news of his death.

He thought of the scene of remorse when everyone began to regret after his death, feeling that they had misunderstood a great Confucian.

He wanted to take a step out...

But it was too steep.

The old man looked back at the ladder behind him.

He didn't know why, but he had taken these few steps on the roof.

That side was too steep.

In the streets not far away, the propagandist seemed to have said something, and suddenly the shouts of the people spread.

The hatred in the old man's heart welled up, gnashing his teeth and "too steep" intertwined in his heart.

Above the teahouse, people were talking to each other.

"What did they say? What did they say over there..."

The sounds of "Wow-" and "Ah-" rang out. A black shadow suddenly flashed across the eyes with tiles, and then the sounds of banging and rattling rang out below.

The people upstairs leaned out their heads and realized that someone had accidentally fallen from the roof, smashing a noodle stall cart downstairs. A wooden stick supporting the awning of the cart pierced through the person's body, so that the corpse on the ground was twisted and the blood was red.

Upstairs and downstairs, many people were silent for a moment. Some people turned their heads to look at the roof, and looked at the ground... Then, screams began to be heard.

…

At some point, Wanyan Qingjue heard the voice of the propagandist - that was the part he had been paying attention to.

But his mind was in a knot for a while. After the sound outside suddenly became louder, he still didn't quite understand the meaning of those words.

"... After the Southwest War, our army has made the following arrangements for the Jurchen prisoners of war captured this time after strict screening and evidence collection..."

"... For these war criminals who have owed a lot of blood debts in the long-term war of aggression, the China People's Court has listed 146 of the most heinous ones, and will announce their crimes to the public today, and their verdicts will be executed immediately!"

"... The first of these criminals, Wanyan Qingjue -"

Wanyan Qingjue's mind buzzed.

He didn't know what the China Army would do to him, but some clues had already emerged in his mind.

"Most heinous."

…Me?

He felt doubt in his mind. Looking at the others around him, these people are considered heinous, right? He had maintained the decency of a scholar from beginning to end in the entire war. He was even defeated before he could start and was captured twice. How could he be a heinous person?

He remembered the scene when he last saw Ning Yi.

Ning Yi is a person who values ​​interests, and he is not a person who likes to kill...

Ning Yi is in the square now. For a moment, he really wanted to go in and take a look.

Ning Yi should remember him.

That Mr. Zuo, and some other people, should have presented his letter to Ning Yi...

Didn't he see it...

The propagandist's announcement was quite long. After a general introduction to his background, he began to talk about what he did in Lin'an.

"... Assisting Wanyan Xiyin to open the gate of Lin'an City, directly leading to the Lin'an Massacre afterwards... causing devastation -"

Wanyan Qingjue remembered the sound of arrows in the wind that day, and the fight in Lin'an City. Many people wanted to stop the Jurchen envoys from entering the city. They killed the fake envoys, but Wanyan Qingjue then came out, and the corpses and scarlet blood all over the ground were like a red carpet in front of him.

That was the greatest victory he had ever achieved in his life. He walked towards the imperial palace of Lin'an. Countless Han people, the entire Wu Dynasty Jiangshan, surrendered to him, followed by countless intoxicating cries and bloodshed...

"... After deliberation by the China People's Court, the verdict against him is, the death penalty. Executed immediately -"

The surrounding voices boiled.

Wanyan Qingjue stood there. He wanted to say something, wanted to do something, wanted to run away, wanted to rush into the square. He wanted to shout loudly, he wanted to struggle hard... He knew that the shackles on his feet had not completely restricted his actions. There were still more than a hundred "most heinous" former Jurchen generals around him. Although there were China Army soldiers standing next to them, it was not impossible to resist... He wanted to resist, wanted to start inciting...

He stood, staring.

Immobile...

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