Remember our website, and wish you a pleasant reading! Don't forget to promote it.

April, the first year of the Jintianjuan reign, Yunning Prefecture.

Summer had already arrived in the south, but the ice and snow in the north were just beginning to melt. Near this city, the Western Capital of the Jurchens, the number of people moving about in the wilderness began to increase.

Near the east gate of the city, the wide street was almost under martial law. A solemn ceremonial guard escorted a convoy in from the outside. In the patches of lingering snow, pedestrians and merchants watched the fluttering banners and whispered among themselves.

"Another prince..."

"How many is this in the last half month..."

"This one is no small matter, Prince Lu, Talha..." (Wan Yan Chang)

"Now, the fighting will really become inextricable..."

"Don't panic, the Tushan Guard aren't pushovers. Let these people come..."

When dignitaries of the Jin Dynasty traveled, those who did not have to kneel and give way mostly had a certain status and family fortune. At this time, when talking about the arrival of these princes' carriages, there was no joy on their faces. Some were worried, but others had anger in their eyes, waiting for the Tushan Guard to give these people a good show in the coming days.

This round of power struggle between the eastern and western courts of the Jin Dynasty had already begun in mid-March.

Zonghan (Wanyan Zonghan) and Xiyin (Wanyan Xiyin) had set off from Shangjing after the Spring Festival, returning to Yunning in late February. Zongbi (Wanyan Zongbi, also known as Wanyan Wuzhu) didn't leave much later either. He arrived in Yunning on the tenth day of March, accompanied by not only two Jin princes but also a large number of replacement officials with noble status and official documents. Before the martial arts competition, they began trying to take over some important positions near Yunning, thus launching the first round of conflict between the two sides.

In the past, Zonghan, centered on Yunning, controlled thousands of miles of Jin territory, including the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. This de facto "Western Court" could not be established in name, of course. The appointment of countless officials in the west, broadly speaking, still followed the orders of Shangjing, although in the past, Zonghan held real power, which was a fact created with the cooperation of Wuqimai (Emperor Taizu of Jin).

In the matter of the new emperor's succession, Zonghan and Xiyin were too cunning and were hated by both Zonggan and Zongpan, so a round of suppression against him was inevitable. Although Zongbi had agreed to settle things in the martial arts competition, he was actually moving to seize power a step ahead of time. Once the slightly weaker officials handed over their positions and power, even if the Tushan Guard won in the martial arts competition, it would probably be difficult to get them back in the future.

Faced with such a situation, the atmosphere in Yunning had been tragic since March. Many of these events came from the machinations of Xiyin, Gao Qingyi, and Han Qixian. On the one hand, they exaggerated the tragic nature of the southwestern war, and on the other hand, they promoted the painstaking efforts of Zonghan and Xiyin, and even the late Emperor Wuqimai, in this power transition.

In order to cope with future troubles in the south, the Great Commander and Gushen (referring to Xiyin) had decided to give up a lot of power, only focusing on managing the Western Court, stockpiling military force to prepare for war, and the threat of the Black Flag had also been recognized by various powerful figures in the upper echelons of the Jin Dynasty. If Zongbi and others still wanted to provoke a struggle at this time, then let them see the sharpness of the Tushan Guard!

The expeditionary force returning from the southwest suffered heavy losses, and the atmosphere in Yunning was already mournful. Many people's fathers, brothers, and husbands had died in this great war, and some who survived had experienced narrow escapes. And after such a situation, the eastern side was still aggressively killing over, this behavior was actually despising these sacrificed heroes—it was really too欺人太甚 (qī rén tài shèn - outrageous)!

Although the bravery of the Jin Dynasty's army had been declining every year, before the southwestern war, the Western Court army led by Zonghan was still the most capable unit in the entire Jin Dynasty. Now, although they had experienced a defeat, the spirit in the hearts of both the survivors and the families of the sacrificed was still there. They had indeed been defeated in the southwest, but that did not mean that the eastern route army could step on the heads of the people here.

Thus, starting in mid-March, with Zongbi's initial arrival, several princes from other large clans also led teams over, one to supervise and witness the fairness of the subsequent martial arts competition, and the other to naturally seek some benefits from the original territory of the Western Court. And within Yunning City, Zonghan and Xiyin held large-scale memorial activities, on the one hand relying on their deep foundation to provide ample compensation, and on the other hand stirring up the morale of the people within their territory, making everyone hold their breath in their hearts, waiting for the brutal performance of the Tushan Guard in the martial arts competition in April and May.

On the eighth day of April, the arrival of veteran generals like Talha (Wanyan Chang), who could be called pillars of the state, further elevated the serious atmosphere of confrontation within the city.

The convoy passed through the city streets, where the snow had been cleared away, heading towards Zonghan's mansion. Along the way, the passersby knew the identity of the visitors and exchanged glances. Of course, there would also be some who were happy among these people. They were either officials who followed Zongbi, or people from the Eastern Court who had long been arranged here, and there were also many merchants or nobles with connections. As long as there could be a change in the situation, there would always be opportunities to rise or profit in the process. They were also passing on news in private, eagerly awaiting the arrival of this conflict, which was serious but did not harm the foundation of the country.

At the same time, in a prison in the south end of the city, Mandu Dalu was in the torture chamber, watching his subordinates torment prisoners, already hoarse and covered in blood, with various methods. After one prisoner was tortured enough, another was brought in. Having already become the Capital Patrol Inspector of Yunning Prefecture, he did not participate himself, but frowned, quietly watching and listening to the prisoner's confessions.

Halfway through the torture, the patrolmen under him came to report that a Black Flag spy who had been held in prison could no longer hold on. Mandu Dalu then got up and went to the prison cell, glanced at a corpse, and turned it over for some inspection.

The original torture had already gone too far, and the information had already been squeezed out, so it was inevitable that he couldn't hold on. Mandu Dalu's inspection was only to prevent the other party from finding a way to escape by feigning death. After the inspection, he ordered the jailers to dispose of the body at will and left the prison cell.

The prison was gloomy and stern, and not a single flower or plant could be seen in between. After leading a group of followers out, the nearby streets were filled with people coming and going. Mandu Dalu and his companions went to a stall selling cooked food at a street corner, ordered something to eat, and his eyebrows slightly relaxed as he looked at the scenery of the nearby market.

Although he was a Jurchen, Mandu Dalu did not have a good background. His father had once been a deserter on the battlefield. Because of this stain, although he later fought bravely, he did not have many opportunities for promotion. After retiring to Yunning as a patrolman, rising to the rank of Chief Constable was the ceiling for ordinary clerks. He also knew that it was difficult to truly cross that invisible barrier and become an official.

However, Xiyin recognized his talent and promoted him to the Capital Patrol Inspector of Yunning Prefecture in late February. Perhaps he would even be promoted one or two levels next. March and April were the most glorious period of his life. He promoted old comrades who had good relations with him in the past, and suddenly more people at home cared about and flattered him. This feeling was really intoxicating.

Of course, in the officialdom, it was impossible for everything to go smoothly. For example, among the original four Chief Constables of Yunning Prefecture, there was a Bohai man named Gao Puhu, who was a hand planted by the Eastern Court and had always been at odds with Mandu Dalu. This time, Mandu Dalu was promoted, but the other party also put on airs and refused to give him face, and would even secretly proclaim: "Who knows who the Capital Patrol Inspector will be after May..." These kinds of small frictions were inevitable in the arena of fame and fortune.

In terms of rank, Mandu Dalu was already higher than the other party by the most crucial level, but within Yunning Prefecture, the Chief Constables originally had a high degree of freedom. Mandu Dalu did not want to engage in power struggles directly after taking office, so he followed Xiyin's orders and focused on searching for Hua Xia Army spies who might commit crimes next. Of course, the situation was not optimistic at the moment.

When Zonghan and Xiyin returned to Yunning in late February, under Xiyin's direction, the Great Commander's Office issued an order to treat Han slaves kindly. But in fact, as winter was coming to an end, it was also the time when supplies were running low, and although the Great Commander's Office issued "benevolent policies," the number of pitiful Han people lingering on the verge of life and death did not decrease much. Mandu Dalu took advantage of this wave of orders, using the relief rice to exchange for a lot of information that was usually difficult to obtain.

Throughout March, he cast a net among the Han slaves, sorting out various pieces of information, and then arrested dozens of people suspected of being Black Flag spies. However, after one by one interrogation and filtering, only two people could be roughly identified, and these two people were not high in status. From their mouths, Mandu Dalu did not obtain much key information. On the contrary, the information that the Black Flag had entered hibernation since the second half of last year made him slightly depressed.

As the person who had just ascended to the position of Capital Patrol Inspector, he naturally hoped to catch some big leaders among the Black Flag spies as soon as possible, so that he could truly establish his prestige among the other constables. The information about the hibernation was difficult to confirm, and he could not report it to Gushen like this, but if it was true, it meant that his chances of catching an important figure in the Black Flag army during this martial arts competition would become very small, and even Gushen would be disappointed in his ability.

Of course, he was not completely helpless.

Gathering information from the Han slaves and arresting suspicious people by casting a wide net was one way; targeting the key figures in the Tushan Guard and using them as bait, waiting for the enemy to take the bait, was another way for the upcoming martial arts competition. In addition to these two methods, Mandu Dalu also had a third way, which was slowly unfolding.

For the confirmed "Clown" in the Black Flag, his whereabouts had become increasingly mysterious and difficult to capture in the past two years, but before a few years ago, he had carried out a lot of activities in Yunning Prefecture, during which he had interacted with or colluded with many underworld figures. The investigation into this aspect was insufficient in those years, and many people had died one after another in the past few years, but if he traced back, he could always find a few survivors who had seen this person more or less.

Mandu Dalu was now the Capital Patrol Inspector, and this time he was also ordered by Gushen to investigate the Black Flag. In March and April, he forced his way into some underworld forces that he was unwilling to touch in the past and interrogated them all over, and many people died in his hands. By now, the drawing of this "Clown's" image had finally been outlined roughly. There was a relatively reliable understanding of his height, approximate appearance, and behavior patterns.

"Is there anything happening in the city today?"

"I heard that Prince Lu has entered the city."

"The people from the east really don't want to give us a way out."

"It depends on the Tushan Guard."

Everyone ate and talked by the roadside.

It was afternoon, and the sun shone brightly from the sky. Most of the snow piles by the roadside had melted, and the roads were either muddy or wet. In the small square at the corner, pedestrians came and went, and from time to time, one could hear the clanging sound from the blacksmith shop and various shouts. When Mandu Dalu and others by the roadside talked about the Tushan Guard, their faces were also filled with hideous expressions, wishing they could go into battle and kill the enemy.

Wan Yan Chang's carriage entered Zonghan's mansion, and after a while, it came out again, and Zongbi and others were already laughing beside him. In today's Yunning Prefecture, there were more than ten people with the status of princes gathered. This evening, they would gather again at the banquet to welcome Wan Yan Chang. Zonghan, Xiyin, Gao Qingyi, Han Qixian, Zongbi, Wan Yan Chang and others would again engage in various verbal battles, waiting for the moment to see the real chapter next.

Wan Yan Dezong, Wan Yan Youyi and others were also active in such an atmosphere. They either visited and comforted the warriors of the Tushan Guard, or participated in various banquets, cheering for everyone. Sometimes, young nobles would also fight because of impulsive disputes. Sometimes when they walked on the streets, they would also find that the trees in the city already had new leaves, and in addition to the black and white colors, the city already had the atmosphere of spring buds blooming and ready to go.

For the people of Yunning Prefecture, the most desperate moment was the days when they learned of the defeat in the southwest. The nobles in the city had even made the worst psychological preparations for losing power. Who knew that the Great Commander and Gushen decisively went north, and even though they were in a weak position, they still managed to settle Zonggan, Zongpan and others in the power-chaotic Shangjing, and supported the young new emperor to take the throne. The proud and arrogant Zongbi believed that the Western Court had lost its edge and wanted to start a martial arts competition with the Tushan Guard.

What could be more wonderful than 柳暗花明 (liǔ àn huā míng - a willow-lined village and flower-bright courtyard, meaning a ray of hope in a seemingly hopeless situation) after山穷水尽 (shān qióng shuǐ jìn - the end of mountains and rivers, meaning a dead end)?

Looking back from the present, in those days in early April, everyone in Yunning Prefecture was drumming up such energy in their hearts. Although the challenge had arrived, they all believed that the most difficult time had passed. With the strategizing of the Great Commander and Gushen, there would not be much of a problem in the future. And within the entire Jin Dynasty, although many people realized that small-scale friction would inevitably occur, many had already breathed a sigh of relief. All parties had put aside the idea of fighting, and both veteran generals and middle-level officials could start working for the country. It was really great that the Jin Dynasty could avoid the worst situation.

Outside Yunning City, a large number of soldiers had gathered. They trained every day, waiting for the arrival of the "martial arts competition." Not far from them were villages inhabited by Han slaves, which still looked lifeless. The slaves who had died of freezing and starvation in the winter had not yet been transported out, but the survivors seemed to be doing a little better than in the winter?

Across the wilderness, the ice on the river bay would occasionally make thunderous roars. That was the sound of the ice layer cracking.

It was like a city waiting to be rebuilt, full of vitality...

Tang Minjie stood on the street, watching all this...

Mandu Dalu was searching for clues in the city, weaving a huge net, trying to catch him...

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

April 9th was an ordinary sunny day. Many years later, Mandu Dalu would remember it.

Not much out of the ordinary happened to him that day. In the morning, based on clues from others, he captured a bandit who had been on the run for many years. From his mouth, he learned one or two events related to the "Clown", further enriching his character sketch of this high-level Hua Xia Army spy.

The torture of this bandit continued into the afternoon. Shortly after leaving the yamen, Gao Puhu, the North Gate Chief Constable who had a long-standing feud with him, hurried out of the yamen gate with his subordinates. Something had happened in the area under his jurisdiction: Wan Yan Linqi, the son of a marquis who had come to Yunning from the east with Zongbi, was bizarrely kidnapped by bandits while strolling through an antique shop.

These noble children who came to the west were certainly aiming for power, but being kidnapped in the territory of Yunning was no small matter. Of course, Mandu Dalu was not in a hurry, after all, it was Gao Puhu's area of jurisdiction. He even hoped that things would be resolved as slowly as possible, and in private, Mandu Dalu arranged for some of his subordinates to secretly investigate the case. If Gao Puhu was unable to do anything and the authorities blamed him, then his own side would solve the case, and the slap in Gao Puhu's face would be solid.

The sun was setting this day, and then lanterns were lit on the streets. Carriages, horses, and pedestrians passed by on the streets, and all kinds of small sounds gathered in the human world. Until late at night, nothing more happened.

Many years later, he would repeatedly remember this day that he had spent carelessly. This day sang the elegy of the Western Court.

Before the net could be formed, a member of the Hua Xia Army named Tang Minjie dropped a painful chess piece...

[Hint]: If you think this article is good, please recommend it to more friends! Sharing is also a kind of enjoyment.