Amidst the cacophony of voices and the urgency of carriages, the Prefecture of Daming, with its imposing ancient city walls, stood tall under the autumn sun, still bearing the lingering traces of the fierce battles of days past. Outside the South Gate, pale stone statues stood silently in the shade of the trees, observing the gatherings and dispersions of the crowds.

A grand migration was underway once more at the end of this year's autumn.

Wealthy households driving carts and horses loaded with grain, men with anxious faces dragging their families along, old scholars teetering amidst the throng, pregnant women pulling along bewildered children... mingled amongst them were public servants in official attire,镖头 (bodyguards) and martial artists with swords and spears strapped to their carriages, and lightly equipped heroes of the greenwood. On this day, the identities of people were reduced to the same level.

Their destinations were either the prosperous Jiangnan region or the surrounding mountains, or the remote residences of relatives nearby. All shared the same anxiety and unease, the dense and chaotic procession stretching for dozens of miles before gradually dispersing. Most were heading south, crossing the Yellow River, while some ventured north, disappearing into the unknown depths of the mountains.

The cycle of events continued, and this scene was not the first of its kind in the past decade. The repeated incursions of the Jurchens and the harshness of the environment had forced people to leave their familiar homelands. However, the present situation differed slightly from the past. More than ten years had taught people about the experiences of war and the fear of the Jurchens.

On July 24th, with Wang Shanyue leading the Wu Dynasty's "Guangwu Army" in a clever seizure of Daming Prefecture through a combination of internal and external forces, similar migrations erupted uncontrollably. In war, regardless of who was righteous and who was evil, the civilians caught in the middle had little choice over their own destinies. The southward advance of the Jurchen's 300,000-strong army represented an earth-shattering catastrophe in which hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people would be caught, crushed, and left helpless.

Some left, and some stayed. The imposing city walls of Daming Prefecture stretched for forty-eight *li*, and at this moment, cannons, ballistae, rolling logs, rocks, boiling oil, and other defensive materials were being placed into position by countless people working tirelessly. Amidst the fiery sea of banners, Daming Prefecture was to be transformed into an even stronger fortress. Amidst this bustling scene, Xue Changgong, a long saber at his waist, walked slowly, his mind flashing back to the great battle of defending Bianliang more than a decade ago.

More than a decade ago, Bianliang, facing north towards the Yangtze River, under the leadership of Left Chancellor Li Gang and Right Chancellor Qin Siyuan, experienced the baptism of the Jurchen army for the first time. The Wu Dynasty, inheriting two hundred years of national fortune, saw its hundreds of thousands of troops outside the city, including the Western Army, scattered and defeated by the Jurchen army of just over a hundred thousand, with countless lives lost. The forbidden army, proclaimed the strongest in the Wu Dynasty, repeatedly took to the field, suffering countless casualties and facing the threat of the city falling several times. That was the first time the Wu Dynasty faced the Jurchens' strength and its own weakness head-on.

Xue Changgong rose to prominence in the first Battle of Bianliang, and later experienced the Humiliation of Jingkang, and accompanied the Wu Dynasty's southward retreat, experiencing the Jurchen's "Searching the Mountains and Seas." Afterwards, with the Southern Wu Dynasty newly established, he felt disillusioned and retreated to the south with his wife, He Leier, to live in seclusion. After a few years, He Leier became weak and critically ill, and 君武 (Jun Wu), the Crown Prince, came to invite him out of retirement. He only rose to go north after accompanying his wife through her final journey.

Amidst the cruelty of the Battle of Bianliang, his wife, He Leier, was wounded by an arrow. Although she managed to survive, the child she was carrying was lost, and she was unable to conceive again afterward. In the years of wandering and the later years of peace, He Leier constantly worried about this and repeatedly urged Xue Changgong to take a concubine to leave descendants, but Xue Changgong always refused.

In fact, recalling their beginnings, there may not have been any undying love between them. Xue Changgong, a junior officer in the army, went to Fanlou, only to vent and find comfort. He Leier chose Xue Changgong, perhaps not because she thought he was better than those scholars, but simply because war was dangerous, and she needed someone to rely on. It was only later, when He Leier miscarried beneath the city walls, that Xue Changgong felt grief, and the emotions between them took root.

The later companionship, until He Leier died of illness, Xue Changgong held his wife and cried bitterly, and then buried her. In fact, his unwillingness to have descendants was not only because of He Leier. He had witnessed the Jurchens' strength and was a general who had worked his way up from the army without connections. He knew many of the drawbacks of the Wu Dynasty's army, which were impossible to change. If the Jurchens were destined to invade and swallow the entire Southern Wu Dynasty, his descendants would only be born as slaves to the Jurchens.

Now that his wife had passed away, he had no more attachments. He went north to Liangshan and joined forces with Wang Shanyue. Although Wang Shanyue had a gentle appearance, he was a ruthless person who did not hesitate to eat people in order to achieve victory. The two hit it off, and over the next two years, they formulated a series of strategies centered around Daming Prefecture.

At this time, Daming Prefecture, located on the north bank of the Yellow River, was an important defensive town on the Jurchen's eastern route southward, and also one of the checkpoints for the army to cross the Yellow River. When the Liao Dynasty was still in existence, the Wu Dynasty established a secondary capital in Daming Prefecture to show its determination to resist the Liao Dynasty's southward advance. Now, during the harvest season, Li Xizhi's subordinate officials were collecting supplies on a large scale, waiting for the Jurchens to come south and take over. With the city changing hands, all these supplies would fall into the hands of Wang, Xue, and others, and they could fight a big battle.

The autumn wind blew fiercely, and the banners stretched endlessly. As Xue Changgong advanced, he saw Wang Shanyue and his entourage standing on the city wall, looking towards the north. Surrounding them were soldiers and workers setting up ballistae and cannons. Wang Shanyue was wearing a red cloak and holding his and Hu Sanniang's eldest son, the four-year-old Wang Fu. The child, who had grown up in the Water Margin, was clearly fascinated by the magnificent cityscape. Wang Shanyue held him and pointed out the scenery in front of them.

"...North of here used to be our land, but now, a group of bad people are coming from where you see, killing all the way, stealing people's things, burning people's houses... Daddy, Mommy, and these uncles and aunts are going to stop these bad people. What do you think you can do to help Daddy..."

"Fight bad people."

"That's right, but we still have to grow up first. When we grow up, we'll be stronger and smarter... Of course, Daddy and Mommy hope that by the time you grow up, there won't be these bad people anymore. You need to study hard and then tell your friends what happened to these bad people..."

While he was talking to his child, Xue Changgong had arrived nearby, passing through the entourage. Although he had no children of his own, he understood the preciousness of Wang Shanyue's child. The Wang family was a family of martyrs. Before the Alliance of Black Water, when the Liao people went south, Wang Qisong led all the men in his family to resist, eventually leaving behind a house full of widows and orphans. Wang Shanyue was the only male heir of the third generation, and now little Wang Fu was the only heir of the fourth generation. This family had made so many sacrifices for the Wu Dynasty, it was only right that they leave behind a child.

"I still think you shouldn't have brought Xiao Fu here."

"Xiao Fu, look, Uncle Xue." Wang Shanyue smiled and handed the child to Xue Changgong, dispelling some of the sternness on the general's face. After a moment, he looked at the scenery outside the city and said, "Having a child by my side isn't always a bad thing. Today, the elders in the city came to see me, asking if the Guangwu Army intends to defend Daming Prefecture after taking it. What they meant was, if we can't defend it, we should get out and not implicate them... I pointed to Xiao Fu playing in the courtyard and showed them, 'I brought my child.' The Wu Dynasty will do everything possible to restore the Central Plains."

The two had countless times deduced and discussed the upcoming battle of Daming Prefecture. In the worst-case scenario, the possibility of the "Guangwu Army" being pinned down in Daming Prefecture was not non-existent, but it was certainly not as certain as Wang Shanyue had said. Xue Changgong shook his head.

"It's bound to have variables if you send him away before the war. The earlier he leaves, the better."

"Then that will be his destiny." Wang Shanyue looked at his son, smiled, and then his smile faded away: "The Wu Dynasty is weak, and even if it wants to change, it can't be done in one generation. The Jurchens are strong because they have dared to compete and grab since childhood, fighting tenaciously. If our generation doesn't defeat them, I'd rather my child gets used to swords and spears from a young age! The Wang family has no soft bones, but no generals either. I hope things will be different starting with him."

Wang Shanyue's words were calm, and Wang Fu couldn't understand them, and asked in confusion, "What's different?"

Xue Changgong said, "Your daddy wants you to be a general in the future."

Hearing such expectations in the process of growing up was probably not the first time, and he understood, and then nodded heavily: "Mm."

Xue Changgong smiled, and Wang Shanyue also smiled. At this time, the city walls were bustling with activity, but the afternoon sun still seemed indifferent and detached. To the north of Daming Prefecture, the vast sky was flat and unobstructed. Li Xizhi's 170,000 troops, divided into three routes, had already crossed Xingzhou, more than a hundred *li* away. The billowing flags filled every inch of the view, and the dust raised obscured the sky. And ten *li* to the west, a Jurchen army of over ten thousand was rushing towards the Yellow River bank at top speed.

Li Xizhi, the "General Who Pacifies the East" of the Great Qi, was forty-three years old this year, with a long face, bright eyes, and a high nose. He was a general who surrendered with the Qi family during the second Jurchen invasion, and was also highly valued by Liu Yu. Later, he became the spokesperson for the Qi and Liu forces northeast of the Yellow River. After ten years of the Central Plains land north of the Yellow River being occupied, the idea that the world belonged to the Wu Dynasty had gradually loosened. Li Xizhi could see the rise of an empire - it was time for a change of dynasty.

The rise of the Jurchens was the general trend of the world, an irresistible trend. But even so, being a dog of a dog was not his ambition, especially after Liu Yu moved the capital to Bianliang, Li Xizhi's power expanded, and the area under his jurisdiction was close to a quarter of the Pseudo-Qi, even larger than the combined territories of Tian Hu and Wang Juyun. He was already a veritable warlord.

To maintain the status of a warlord, even Liu Yu, he could disrespect, but only the will of the Jurchens was inviolable.

This Jurchen invasion was no longer the skirmishes of the past. After these years of recuperation, this newly born empire was about to formally annex the southern lands. The Wu Dynasty was already in its twilight years, and only those who conformed to the trend could survive this great war.

Out of such considerations, before the Jurchen's southward advance, Li Xizhi had sent confidants everywhere to carry out rectification - since the Battle of Xiaocang River three years ago, such rectifications had become commonplace within the various forces of the Pseudo-Qi. It was a pity that after this, the news of the rapid fall of Daming Prefecture due to internal and external collaboration still reached him. After Li Xizhi was furious, he could only quickly raise troops to rescue the city according to the plan.

Time was a terrible weapon, as gentle as water and yet capable of crushing everything. During the first Jurchen invasion, there were countless resisters in the Central Plains. By the time of the second invasion, the Humiliation of Jingkang, there were still many struggles and activities of righteous armies in the Central Plains. However, after the Jurchens' rampant "Searching the Mountains and Seas" in Jiangnan ended, there were not many large-scale resisters left in the Central Plains. Although every band of bandits who went up the mountains and became outlaws used the name of righteous armies resisting the Jin, they were actually relying on drugging, robbing, killing, and enslaving people for a living. As for who they killed, it was nothing more than Han people who were even more defenseless. When the Jurchens were enraged, these righteous men didn't dare to move much.

Big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp, this was the ultimate truth in the world, and very few could jump out of it. Therefore, Li Xizhi didn't care about the many outlaws around the Jurchens' southward advance, but he knew his own situation. There were two forces in his territory that he had always been wary of. Wang Shanyue's disturbances in Daming Prefecture were not beyond his expectations. The strength of the "Guangwu Army" alerted him, but beyond that, there was a force that had always made him wary and even fearful, which was the shadow lurking behind everyone—the Black Flag Army.

No one wanted to be like Liu Yu, being beaten up in the palace in the middle of the night.

If after the Battle of Xiaocang River, everyone could comfort themselves with the fact that the demon Ning Yi had been beheaded, then last year, after the sudden change in Tian Hu's power, the people of the Central Plains truly experienced the oppressive feeling of the Black Flag Army again. Later, the news that Ning Yi was not dead was like a high-profile mockery of everyone in the world: You are all idiots.

Liu Yu was frightened out of his mind in the palace, and the Jurchens were thus given a heavy slap in the face. However, the Jin Dynasty was in the north, and the Black Flag was in the southwest. They were angry but couldn't speak, and suppressed their anger on the surface, but internally, they punished many people.

Beyond that, the other forces in the Central Plains could only pretend to be peaceful. Li Xizhi strengthened the internal rectification efforts. In Hebei, Zhending, the elderly Qi Yanyan, the old master of the Qi family, was so frightened that he woke up several times at night, repeatedly shouting "The Black Flag wants to kill me!" Secretly, he offered rewards of millions of *guan* of wealth to take Ning Yi's head. Therefore, there were countless *lulin* adventurers who went to the southwest to seek wealth, and Confucian scholars who were encouraged by Qi Yanyan to persuade the Wu Dynasty.

As the saying goes, a thousand fingers pointing at someone will lead to their death without illness. However, only this Ning Yi, from the beginning, took the world's greatest risks, killing Zhou Zhe in the Golden Palace like a chicken. Since then, every move had been dangerous, offending the Wu Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty, the Central Plains, Xixia, and Dali... After he offended the entire world, people like Li Xizhi had to admit that once they were targeted by such a vicious person, no matter who they were, they would be skinned alive even if they didn't die.

The old Master Qi in Hebei was on the list of Chinese traitors. In the years of governing Shandong and Hebei, Li Xizhi knew that near Liangshan, there was a Black Flag force left for him and the Jurchens. In the small-scale frictions of the past few years, the information about this force had gradually become clear. Its leader, known as "Burning City Spear" Zhu Biao, had followed Ning Yi since Ning Yi slaughtered Song Jiang's lineage in Liangshan. He was Ning Yi's most trusted right-hand man, with high martial arts skills and a ruthless heart. He had been truly taught by the demon.

Having such a group of people buried around was bound to cause trouble sooner or later, but Li Xizhi didn't dare to put his own troops into suppressing the Black Flag. Times had changed. The powerful Liao Dynasty had been destroyed, the Wu Dynasty was weakening, relying on two hundred years of foundation to make a final struggle. The Jin Dynasty had emerged, with many heroes, and was the true pride of heaven, the trend of the times. As for Ning Yi's so-called Chinese Army, it was the most bizarre demon bred in this chaotic world.

When gods fight, mortals suffer. Wang Shanyue's so-called "Guangwu Army" blocking the Jurchens' southward path was inevitable. Even if they took Daming Prefecture, after all, the entire Yellow River was now in their hands, and there would always be a way to solve the problem. But only this Black Flag, Li Xizhi could only hope that they and the Guangwu Army were superficially united, or that the Chinese Army, which was entrenched in the south, was still wary of the Jurchens, and would not act rashly before the Jurchens safely transitioned to take Jiangnan. If so, this trouble would no longer be his.

"...The two princes of the Great Jin are sending troops south. Wang Shanyue's so-called Guangwu Army taking Daming Prefecture seems brave, but it is actually brave but unwise! This commander had already discussed the matter of this Guangwu Army with Lord Wanyan Chang of the Great Jin. These 30,000 to 40,000 people rely on the Liangshan Water Margin to defend themselves. If we want to encircle and suppress them, it will take twice the effort and be difficult to achieve success. But they dared to come out, and now that they have taken Daming, it is time for us to annihilate them. Therefore, in this battle, it is better to be slow than fast! Our first step is to gradually plan and drag all their troops to Daming, gathering them and encircling them! If they are really powerful, I will encircle Daming into another Taiyuan Prefecture. I would rather kill them into a wasteland than let them out even an inch. Cut the grass and eliminate the roots! Eliminate their troubles forever!"

In the Central Plains of Jinghan fourteen years, Qin Shaohe, the eldest son of the Qin family, led the soldiers and civilians of the entire city to defend Taiyuan for a year, and finally the city fell due to isolation and lack of support. The entire city was slaughtered, and Qin Shaohe was killed while fleeing. His body was chopped into pieces by the Jurchens, which became one of the most tragic events in the first Jurchen invasion. The strong city of Taiyuan, in the more than ten years since, was still a ruin.

On the first day of August, after the army passed Xingzhou, Li Xizhi set the tone for pinning down Wang Shanyue and his entourage in Daming Prefecture in the army's deliberations. And only a moment after this deliberation passed, a scout arrived from 400 *li* away, bringing news that there was no turning back.

"The Black Flag has seized the city, starting from Zengtou City!"

Li Xizhi sat in the camp for a long time: "So, Wang Jiya's 20,000 people are gone?"

Since the Wu Dynasty, many places in Shandong Province had been unstable, with local bullies and tyrants frequently emerging. Zengtou City was mostly a mixed bag, inclined to self-governance, but in theory, there were officials and garrisons.

Since Li Xizhi took over Shandong Province, in order to guard against the harassment of the Black Flag, he stationed 20,000 troops in the Zengtou City area, commanded by his fierce general Wang Jiya. This man was highly skilled in martial arts, meticulous in his mind, and cruel in his nature. He had participated in the Battle of Xiaocang River in his early years and had a deep hatred for the Chinese Army. Since he guarded Zengtou City, echoing the garrison in Jinan Prefecture, he had suppressed many surrounding mountain strongholds for a period of time, making most bandits afraid to act rashly. Who knew that this time, the Black Flag's gathering would first open the knife on Zengtou City.

On July 28th, 11,000 Black Flag soldiers suddenly attacked Zengtou City, first taking the east city wall. After the city fell into chaos, it fell into street fighting. Wang Jiya gathered the army to defend the south of the city, and even personally led the team to charge three times. During the third time he led the team to recapture the city, he was ambushed by the Black Flag Army and beheaded by "Big Saber" Guan Sheng after a few moves. The one leading the Black Flag was none other than Black Flag General Zhu Biao.

After defeating Wang Jiya and easily taking Zengtou City, the Black Flag Army had already released the news that they were going to directly kill towards Li Xizhi and Daming Prefecture. The messenger said this with some trepidation. Li Xizhi questioned him a few times before seeing the leaflets that the messenger had brought, which had been shot into the cities along the way.

The information on the leaflets was crooked and scrawled, and it said: Li Xiaozhi, the adults are going to fight, the children get out of the way!

"Too much bullying!"

With a loud bang, Li Xizhi slammed his palm on the table and stood up. He was tall and burly. When he stood up, his hair was disheveled, and the entire tent was filled with murderous intent.

But next, there was no more room for luck. Facing the southward advance of the Jurchen's 300,000-strong army, this Black Flag Army of ten thousand did not hide their strength, but directly confronted them at the forefront. For Li Xizhi, this kind of behavior was the most reckless and the most terrifying. When gods fight, mortals ultimately have nowhere to hide.

No one had anywhere to hide.

Strangely enough, with the unveiling of the prelude to the Jurchen's southward advance, the fierce battles in the world were still being launched by the Black Flag, which was "entrenched" in the southwest. The Jurchen's 300,000-strong army had not yet crossed the Yellow River. In the Liangshan area of the southwest, on July 21st, Lu Qiaoshan held negotiations with Ning Yi. On the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, a large army of 100,000 successively entered the Liangshan area, first responding to the Mangshan Ni tribe and others, and then carrying out deterrence and persuasion against the surrounding Ni tribe tribes.

Countless people were holding their breath and waiting for this battle, including the Gao family forces in Dali to the south, the resentful army of Tibet to the west, the Confucian scholars such as Long Qifei in Zizhou City, the various warlords of the Wu Dynasty at this time, and even Wanyan Xiyin of the Jin Dynasty, who was thousands of miles away. They all sent out spies and secret agents, waiting for the first shot to be fired.

On July 26th, at the Xiufeng Pass in Liangshan, the main force of the He Deng three counties Black Flag, which had been silent for several years, swung the first knife at the 100,000-strong army entering the mountains.