"Bang!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Not good, the barbarians are attacking the camp, the barbarians are attacking the camp!"
"Quick, quick, stop them!"
In the fifth year of Yongping of Yan, the third year of Yuanjia of Xia, Zhou Fugui, the general of the White Tiger Camp of the Yan army, led more than 1,500 cavalry, crossed the Su River at night, and attacked the Xia army's camp.
Dian Meng and Suo Dacheng, two fierce generals, led their troops to break into the camp first, slashing and killing while setting fires everywhere. The cavalry archers of the White Tiger Camp also galloped their horses and fired flaming arrows.
The Xia camp was immediately engulfed in fierce flames, with fires soaring into the sky and dyeing half the sky red.
The Xia army's camp was thrown into chaos. The Xia soldiers didn't know how many Yan troops had arrived. Some were shot or stabbed and fell to the ground, while others fled in panic, shouting and screaming, wishing they had more legs.
By the time the Xia army reacted and organized to intercept, Zhou Fugui had already led the White Tiger Camp up the hill and disappeared into the woods.
...
"Tch! What is this? Daring to stop me?"
After leading his troops up the hill, Zhou Fugui reined in his warhorse and looked back at the still blazing Xia army camp from above, saying dismissively yet triumphantly.
"Tch! Complacent!" Murong Huiying also "Tch"-ed...
"Complacent? You're right." Zhou Fugui rode alongside Murong Huiying, saying as they walked, "This is the third time I've crossed the Su River, playing the Xia army around. If I'm not proud, I can't help it."
"The third time? What do you mean?" Murong Huiying wanted to remind Zhou Fugui not to forget the more than a thousand brothers who had died, but having finally appeased him, bringing it up now would only make him sad and upset again. So Murong Huiying asked.
"Three crossings of the Sui River, a surprise attack; what can the Xia kids do to me?" Zhou Fugui smiled slightly.
Being beaten and scattered everywhere, and still boasting here? Murong Huiying felt amused.
"What kind of smile is that?"
"I smile because I want to, what's it to you? You're quite bold to question my smile?"
"In this White Tiger Camp, I am the commander. I have to manage everything, from eating and drinking to sleeping!"
"Tch!"
Amidst their bickering, the two rode their horses at full speed, followed by over a thousand White Tiger Camp cavalry. Dust billowed up, covering the sky and the earth. From above, they looked like a giant dragon, dancing in the wilderness, a magnificent sight.
...
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians!"
"My great Xia's brave sons, why should we fear death?"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Warriors of Great Yan, pick up your sabers, mount your horses, and kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!"
"Kill! Kill them!"
The war between Yan and Xia in the Yongping era of Yan and Yuanjia era of Xia lasted for a full three years. From Ruyuan and Yingchuan in the west, to Guangling, Linhuai, and Wujun in the east, to Xuzhou in the north, which is Pengcheng and Yuzhou, and to Jiangxia and Hefei in the south, everywhere was filled with smoke and fire. Not only Yan and Xia were involved in the war, but also Zhao, established by the Xianzhi clan of Lan Shi in the west.
Zhao was established as the capital of Yongzhou, and the Xianzhi clan was a branch of the Xiongnu.
However, after three years of war, both Yan and Xia had lost many soldiers and suffered heavy casualties. Both were exhausted, their countries and people were depleted, and they were no longer able to fight. Coupled with the rampant bandits and continuous internal unrest in various regions, the front lines gradually stabilized, with almost no major battles. Yan and Xia were mainly in a state of confrontation.
The talk of peace negotiations then re-emerged, both in Yan and Xia.
The Xia capital, Jiankang.
Jiankang, with its Malings landscape, Zhongshan coiled like a dragon, and Shitou like a crouching tiger, was a place fit for emperors. In the seventeenth year of Jian'an of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Sun Quan, the ruler of Wu, built Shitou City and renamed Maling to Jianye, meaning "to establish the great cause of an emperor."
Later, Jianye was renamed Jiankang.
Jiankang city was forty li wide and forty li long from east to west and north to south. It had three layers of palace walls, with the Qinhuai River to the south, the Back Lake to the north, and the Yangtze River to the west. The imperial gardens were mainly distributed in the northeast of the capital. North of the palace city was Hualin Garden, and on Fuzhou Mountain was Leyou Garden. Hualin Garden, Tianyuan Pool, and other gardens dotted the area. It was surrounded by many small cities such as Shitou City, Xizhou City, Dongfu City, Baixia City, and Nanlangy郡 City, forming a defensive posture.
After the Xia court moved south, Jiankang gradually became the most prosperous place in Jiangnan, with a large population and flourishing industries.
"Pitiful, pitiful, pitiful sister and brother-in-law!"
In Jiankang city, at the mansion of Yang Yiting, the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor of Xia, a woman in her thirties was crying as she held Hong Wuji.
The woman was Madam Hong, the wife of Grand Tutor Yang Yiting, and Hong Wuji's cousin.
After Hong Wuji killed to silence witnesses and stole a large amount of treasure, he did not return to Min Wuyan's army. Instead, he hired some laborers and went directly to Jiankang. After settling down, he came to Yang's mansion to seek refuge with his cousin Madam Hong.
Of course, Hong Wuji's main purpose was to rely on his cousin's husband, Yang Yiting, and to obtain an official position through him.
With a vast fortune in his hands, it was naturally easier for Hong Wuji. The reason he could meet his cousin Madam Hong smoothly was also due to money. Otherwise, at the gate of the dignified Crown Prince's Grand Tutor's mansion, a beggar like Hong Wuji would have been beaten away by the doorkeepers and guards before he even entered.
Hong Wuji's entire family was killed by the Xianbei people. Now, the only thing he could rely on was the vast treasure in his hands.
"Wuji, you have nowhere else to go, do you? How about staying in the mansion for now?" After Hong Wuji told Hong about the Danyang Manor massacre, and after a period of sighing, Madam Hong stopped crying and asked Hong Wuji.
"Madam, whom do you want to stay in the mansion?" Before Hong Wuji could reply, someone came from outside and asked as he entered the inner hall.
"My lord, it's Wuji. Sadly, his entire family was killed by the barbarians," Madam Hong said hurriedly after greeting the newcomer.
The newcomer was named Yang Yiting, styled Xu Wu. He was the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor of the Great Xia Dynasty, in his early forties, with a dignified face, a three-strand long beard, tall and strong, and a rather imposing appearance.
The Grand Tutor was one of the Three Tutors, a minister of Shangshu, a powerful minister of the Xia court, and held high office and great power.
"Your humble servant Wuji pays respects to the Grand Tutor!" Seeing Yang Yiting enter, Hong Wuji quickly bowed deeply.
"We are all family, Wuji, you don't need to be so formal." Yang Yiting said, then sat down and looked at Hong Wuji, saying, "Wuji, I have already heard about your affairs. The barbarians are brutal and truly hateful!"
"The Grand Tutor speaks the truth." Hong Wuji stood with his head bowed, gritting his teeth and saying, "Wuji has an irreconcilable hatred for the barbarians!"
"Hmm..." Yang Yiting nodded and asked, "After the Danyang Manor incident, where did you go?"
"Grand Tutor..." Hong Wuji replied, "In this time of war and chaos, this humble one had nowhere to go, so I joined the Hedong Righteous Army."
"The Hedong Righteous Army? You joined the army?" Yang Yiting asked in surprise.
Hong Wuji looked thin and weak. He actually joined the army? And he's still alive? He's lucky, Yang Yiting thought to himself.
"Yes, I joined the army. The leader of the righteous army is Min Wuyan of Hedong," Hong Wuji replied.
Speaking of Min Wuyan, Hong Wuji couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. He was most afraid of Min Wuyan after committing such heinous acts.
If Min Wuyan knew the truth, wouldn't he seek revenge on Hong Wuji?
However, Hong Wuji could also deny everything, and besides, Min Wuyan might not be able to uncover the truth, as all those who knew were already dead.
"Little Fengxian Min Wuyan?" Yang Yiting asked in surprise.
"Exactly..." Hong Wuji asked in surprise, "Does the Grand Tutor know this person?"
If Min Wuyan knew Yang Yiting, or even if Min Wuyan was Yang Yiting's man, then Hong Wuji would be in great trouble.
"I haven't met him, but..." Yang Yiting nodded and said, "His name is very famous right now. Not long ago, he led his troops to defeat the barbarian chieftain Left Virtuous King Murong Bole, and beheaded the Yan army's great general Murong Sihan, among others. He is truly a brave general in the army! The battle report was submitted to the court a few days ago, and His Majesty is already aware of this matter."
Hong Wuji didn't know what to say and could only give an awkward smile.
"Wuji, you were in Min Wuyan's command. Did you achieve any merits that brought you to Jiankang?" Yang Yiting then asked.
"This..." Hong Wuji hesitated for a moment and then replied, "Grand Tutor, do I look like a soldier?"
"Oh? Hehe..." Yang Yiting agreed with a smile, saying, "The army is indeed not a place for you."
"Wuji, I still have a question." Yang Yiting then looked intently at Hong Wuji and asked.
"What is the Grand Tutor's question? This humble one will answer truthfully," Hong Wuji replied.
"Why do you have such a generous gift? Where did you get it from?" Yang Yiting asked.
When Hong Wuji arrived at Yang's mansion, he presented a generous gift, which included many rare treasures. According to Yang Yiting's understanding, the Hong family in Huaibei was just a farming family. Even if Hong Wuji's father, Hong Biru, was the owner of Danyang Manor, selling all of Danyang Manor would not yield so much wealth.
"Grand Tutor..." Hong Wuji replied without hesitation, "My family suffered misfortune and a great disaster. After the barbarians left, this humble one sold all the deeds and other documents of his home, and obtained some money. Before that, this humble one had no hope of being recommended, so he did some business and acquired some property. After selling everything, I obtained these treasures."
Hong Wuji knew that someone would eventually ask about the origin of these treasures, so he had already racked his brains to come up with a response.
"Oh, you engaged in business and acquired property?" Yang Yiting asked curiously, "What kind of business did you do?"
"This... mostly lending money for interest," Hong Wuji replied with a slight hesitation.
"Haha..." Yang Yiting burst into laughter and turned to his wife Madam Hong, saying, "Madam, it seems Wuji is skilled in business management."
This kind of business, which drains the blood of people, can indeed accumulate a large amount of wealth in a short period, but it requires ruthlessness.
Yang Yiting's family had a large amount of land, beautiful houses, shops, etc., which required reliable people to manage.
When the Xia court moved south, Yang Yiting's family also moved south, plundering the people in Jiangnan on a large scale. It was also somewhat chaotic, and Yang Yiting was worried about this matter. Now, someone had delivered themselves to his doorstep.
It would be best if it were managed by a close relative, and one who had no one to rely on. Hong Wuji, who had no one to rely on, could only depend on the Yang family. If Yang Yiting also bestowed him an official position, then Hong Wuji would be loyal to the death.
"My lord speaks the truth," Madam Hong said with a smile as she served Yang Yiting a bowl of fragrant tea.