son-in-law

Chapter 1307 Lou Shuwan (Part 2)

Chapter 1307 Lou Shuwan (Part 2)

It was already afternoon when You Hongzhuo rode his horse into the northwest outlying area of ​​Weisheng.

Three of the four city gates surrounding the city have been closed, and the gate leading to Weisheng has been reinforced with guards. The number of soldiers patrolling the city walls has doubled, and outside the city, rebels have been digging holes in some of the roads leading to the city, preparing to fill them with landmines.

The expressions of all the members of the Chaos Clan were terrifyingly grim.

The news of Chen Fangda's death, nicknamed "Little Ming King," was relayed back from the Northwest a few days ago. The initial information was not detailed, only stating that the rebel army had suffered a major defeat in the enemy's surprise attack, with various units collapsing and suffering heavy losses. This news also caught the attention of Lou Shuwan's side, and a large amount of information began to point to the merger of the Mongols and Jurchens, indicating that a dramatic change was imminent.

In order to deal with the situation that followed, Yu Yulin began to head south to stabilize the situation in Guanzhong. Everyone in the chaotic army was also eager to make a move, but Wang Juyun suppressed the calls to reinforce the Northwest immediately. The chaotic army had limited resources, and he decided to see things more clearly before taking action. In private, when the old man communicated with An Xifu, You Hongzhuo and others, he shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

During the years of Jurchen ravages, Wang Juyun's rebel army rescued many people in the ruins north of Jin and south of Yanmen Pass. However, under the generally difficult circumstances, its combat-ready troops numbered around 40,000, and if family members were included, the number would be over 100,000. The number of civilians it initially sheltered was between 400,000 and 500,000.

After the Jurchens were defeated and merged with the Jin region, a large number of civilians had already begun to disperse to various parts of Jin. The more than 100,000 people directly protected by Wang Juyun were scattered in three towns north and west of Weisheng. When Chen Fangda, the Little Ming King, led his troops westward, he took more than 40,000 soldiers and civilians with him in two separate groups. In the largest gathering point in northwest Weisheng, there were probably more than 10,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of family members left behind.

Anyone would be wary of having such a place right next to their bed. For Lou Shuwan to give up such a settlement specifically for the chaotic army to manage was already the greatest trust she could have placed in Wang Juyun.

They immediately picked up knives and guns.

On the morning of June 3rd, news suddenly arrived that Ma Ling had betrayed the government and that the female prime minister's team had been attacked on their way to Yuci. Everyone immediately realized the urgency of the situation. That day, You Hongzhuo led his team to collect all sorts of information in Weisheng City. When they returned to the Chaos Sect, a member of the Chaos Sect greeted them.

"You've come at the right time. Your godfather wants you to come over immediately for a meeting."

“I was just about to go there too,” You Hongzhuo said. “The city is in chaos, but the people behind it all are showing signs of something…”

"I can guess something," the sworn brother said in a low voice. "Zhan Wu of the Huaxia Army has arrived."

You Hongzhuo nodded and quickly ran with the other party. Before long, they arrived at the back of the mansion where the meeting was to be held. There, they saw Wang Juyun, An Xifu, Zhan Wu, and the other three adopted sons of the rebel master had already gathered. You Hongzhuo greeted Wang Juyun and then cupped his hands to Zhan Wu, saying, "Master Zhan Wu."

"Young man, you've returned from the city? Did you find anything?"

"Fifth Master, being here, should know better, right?"

"Why don't you tell us?"

“Yes.” You Hongzhuo nodded. “Judging from the current situation, it seems that some people in the court were prepared. News of the Empress’s predicament spread very quickly. Right Chancellor Shao Qingshi, as planned, ordered Bai Yuanzhou to lead troops north to attack Ma Ling and rescue the Empress, and also ordered Niu Wenzhong to send troops. I heard that Niu Wenzhong’s attitude was ambiguous… But the real trouble is that Madam Jin is stirring up trouble behind the scenes. This morning, six groups of people entered the palace, supposedly to discuss matters after the Empress’s death. I think this makes things quite clear…”

The Madam Jin that You Hongzhuo mentioned was Tian Shi's former concubine and now the mother of Tian Shan, the nominal heir of Jin. When Lou Shuwan was around, this mother and son dared not make any moves, but after the attack on the woman last night, Madam Jin has now taken action, and some things have become very clear.

Wang Juyun shook his head: "Impatient and foolish."

"I'm afraid it's not stupidity, but rather premeditated," Zhan Wu said. "According to the current development of the news, the court meeting tomorrow will probably be officially launched... Hmm, Brother You, please continue."

"Yes... the most important news from the court, in my opinion, is Madam Jin's actions... Meanwhile, in other places, some of the female prime minister's guards are returning one after another. Last night's battle south of Yuci was indeed fierce. The attackers were skilled in using firearms, and their fighting style was completely different from our Jin region's past methods. Even the Dragon King was seriously injured, and now his life or death is uncertain... Before Bai Yuanzhou set off, many people had already taken action, preparing to head north to rescue the female prime minister. But..." You Hongzhuo looked at Zhan Wu, "Fifth Master, this is actually the fighting style of your Southwest special forces, isn't it?"

Zhan Wu looked at him and said, "Go on."

“The rumors circulating behind the scenes are quite unusual,” You Hongzhuo said. “The news about the death of the female prime minister is being told vividly by many people. In fact, some people have almost revealed the mastermind behind it all to make their stories more convincing—it’s Zou Xu from your Huaxia Army.”

"He's no longer considered part of our Chinese army."

“But after all, only he truly understands your tactics.” You Hongzhuo looked at everyone. “After considering all the information, my opinion is this: Zou Xu launched a surprise attack on the female prime minister in Yuci last night. Although her fate is still unclear, Madam Jin and some people in the court have already colluded with him. Now, he and Ma Ling’s troops are blocking the female prime minister’s trail in the north. Regardless of whether the female prime minister is dead or alive, these people in the court are already preparing to take this opportunity to make things as big as possible… What we are afraid of now is that if Bai Yuanzhou, Niu Wenzhong and others have also made a deal with Zou Xu, I’m afraid the female prime minister will not be able to return to Weisheng safely.”

The people in the room fell silent after hearing his words. Wang Juyun and Zhan Wu exchanged glances, and Zhan Wu nodded: "I had heard that Brother You had also been trained in the Southwest. Now it seems that, apart from Zou Xu, there are others who understand our Southwest fighting style."

You Hongzhu cupped his hands in greeting: "Fifth Master, please stop keeping me in suspense."

Zhan Wu nodded: "The truth of the matter should be pretty much the same as what Brother You said. We also believe it was Zou Xu."

Wang Juyun looked at him: "What countermeasures does the Chinese army have in response?"

"Xue Guangcheng went to Dongcheng immediately after receiving the news. If I'm not mistaken, based on Zou Xu's style, the attack on the female prime minister and the surprise attack on Dongcheng will not be too far apart. By this time, the first operation may have been thwarted, and you will receive the news soon. In that case, it will be confirmed that it was Zou Xu's doing."

"Then what should we do?" An Xifu raised his head. "Fifth Master, do you think the Female Prime Minister is still alive?"

“I don’t know either. It happened so suddenly. Whether she survives or not may depend on the Prime Minister’s fate. But I’m here today hoping that you, the members of the rebel army, can do something to stabilize the situation, with the Prime Minister’s survival as the priority,” Zhan Wu said. “For example, try to persuade those you can, at least to keep the garrison of Weisheng from wavering and turning against them. So that when Zou Xu, Ma Ling and the others lead their troops to attack, you can keep Weisheng from falling… Also, Brother You is familiar with the special operations methods in the Southwest. Perhaps you could consider leading a team north to participate in the rescue of the Prime Minister.”

Wang Juyun asked, "Do we need to send troops to garrison the eastern city?"

"If the situation becomes critical, General Wang may provide assistance as appropriate."

Wang Juyun narrowed his eyes: "You were prepared all along?"

The air fell silent, and everyone's gaze turned to Zhan Wu, who let out a slow sigh.

"We have some predictions about the possibility of Zou Xu taking action."

"Why didn't you inform us? Why didn't you inform the Prime Minister?" Wang Juyun stared at him.

“Mr. Ning mentioned this in his letter to the Prime Minister,” Zhan Wu said calmly, looking back at him. “However, this matter cannot be discussed in detail. We believe that Zou Xu might betray Jin and even attack northwards. But in the early simulations of the Huaxia Army, the General Staff alone prepared seven feasible contingency plans. Thousands of miles apart, we have no way of grasping the details of this matter, and even the possibility of him turning against us is just speculation to us. General Wang, of these seven speculations, which one would you choose to discuss? Even if you do, the Prime Minister will only think it's sowing discord.”

He spoke these words calmly. The room fell silent again. Wang Juyun frowned, and after a long while, he finally said, "In your eyes... is Jin so... full of flaws?"

Zhan Wu shook his head: "Actually... the General Staff's simulations are often just wishful thinking. Thousands of miles apart, without the right timing, location, and people, without the details of the time, even we ourselves might not be able to implement them."

These words calmed the expressions of the people in the room somewhat. An Xifu pondered for a moment and said, "In Jin, our chaotic army is just an insignificant detachment. We were recently ambushed in the Northwest, and our strength has been damaged. If we're talking about a pillar of strength, your Huaxia army, though small in number, is enough to influence the overall situation. Why are you asking us to persuade the people in the city? If you, Fifth Master, were to step in and make a promise, many wavering people would surely choose your side."

He voiced the same question on everyone's mind. You Hongzhuo and the others looked at Zhan Wu, who remained silent for a moment before saying, "If the Prime Minister were still alive, it would be far better for these people to come forward today than for them to be suppressed. The situation here is complicated. In fact, in the past, it was the Chinese army's strong intervention that led to the Prime Minister's current predicament. In the past, words could not teach people, but today's events can."

Everyone nodded.

An Xifu said, "But why did you come here looking for us again?"

"If the female prime minister dies, the Huaxia Army hopes to make a deal with the rebel army—among all the people in Jin, you are the closest force to the four classes of people in the southwest."

As Zhan Wu finished speaking, everyone in the room, seasoned by experience, instinctively held their breath; the air was so thick you could hear a pin drop. After a moment, Wang Juyun let out a heavy sigh:

"Now that you've said that, the chances of the female prime minister surviving are even slimmer."

Zhan Wu smiled at him and said, "We also want to see what fate has befallen the female prime minister. General Wang and the others can decide for themselves what to do."

The representatives of the Huaxia Army in Jin have always shown a friendly attitude. They seem to have tacitly allowed the news of Lou Shuwan being Ning Yi's confidante to spread in private. Sometimes, outsiders even think that Lou Shuwan might become the "boss lady" of the Huaxia Army one day.

But at this moment, Zhan Wu's words were calm as water, but the meaning behind them was as cold as ice. The female prime minister's life was placed on the cruel scales of power without hesitation, left to fend for itself.

Not long after, Zhan Wu took his leave.

In the council chamber, the group remained silent for a long time. Some seemed to want to suggest that the female prime minister should simply be put to death, but in the end, no one spoke up. Wang Juyun sat there, seemingly satisfied with the silence, and after a long while, he smiled slightly and turned to look at You Hongzhuo.

"Of all the people here, only you have personally experienced the tactics of the Chinese army. If you were to go, would you be confident in handling them?"

"I'm not very confident," You Hongzhuo said, "but I'm afraid we'll have to encounter it sooner or later. We might as well take this opportunity to go and explore first."

“You will lead the team there, with survival as the priority,” Wang Juyun said, looking at him. After a while, he added, “If you can find the female prime minister, bring her back.”

"Doesn't our godfather consider the Chinese army's claims?" someone asked.

Wang Juyun remained silent for a moment.

"She managed the affairs of Jin for more than ten years. In politics, a female prime minister may have her own shortcomings. But as a woman, she devoted herself to taking care of the people of Jin for more than ten years. She worked hard without ever slacking off. The people of Jin owe her a debt of gratitude."

He looked at the group of people.

“You should admire her—just as I do.”

"Yes."

The group clasped their hands in a respectful bow.

Before evening, You Hongzhuo led his troops north. At this moment, the people of Weisheng were filled with unease. Officials and generals were secretly making arrangements, and some officials who were loyal to the female prime minister had already begun to arm their guards, preparing to fight the treacherous officials in the city.

On the road north of Weisheng, hundreds of bandits left the city, spontaneously moving out like You Hongzhuo. Over there, the army, the Gongchen Guard special forces armed with muskets, and some scattered female guards, as well as soldiers who were either under orders or acting on their own, were still fighting on every road heading south...

In the early morning of June 4th, news of the attack and fall of Guanzhong reached Weisheng City from the south bank of the Yellow River.

For a long time, the terrain of Guanzhong has been easy to defend and difficult to attack. However, under the premise of cooperative development and mutual assistance in trade, on the first day of June, several armies launched a simultaneous attack in places such as Wuguan and Tongguan. With the enemy caught off guard and the rebellion of some generals, Dai Mengwei was leading his troops to rule over the eight hundred miles of Qin Chuan.

During the day, the court assembly began. Lady Jin, holding Tian Shan, sat on the throne behind the curtain to rule. Several officials began to state the fact that the female prime minister was dead and demanded that the court immediately select a person to take charge in order to deal with Zou Xu's aggressive approach...

It is said that, near Yuci, Zou Xu had already raised his banner and hung the body of the female prime minister on the flagpole, the body hanging in a single thread.

Right Chancellor Shao Qingshi rebuked the rumor, but it seems that an era is slowly coming to an end...

******

Many of Zou Xu's actions had actually been foreshadowed long ago.

Ning Yi had already mentioned his temperament in his letter, saying that he could endure hardship and bide his time, but once he acted, he would definitely bite the opponent to death.

Why couldn't I understand it back then?

Because in the letters I wrote to the other party, I would often give some information or make some demands, just to deliberately annoy the other party who was far away in the southwest.

So when he saw bad things about Zou Xu in Ning Yi's letter, he thought it was Ning Yi deliberately trying to disgust him.

It wasn't that we weren't on guard...

But against an opponent like Zou Xu, it seems we were still... too hasty and careless...

Serves him right...

The midday sun was blazing.

At this moment on the fourth day of the sixth lunar month, Lou Shuwan stood in the woods, looking at two sticks on the ground, making a difficult comparison.

One of them is quite straight and looks like it could even be used as a weapon; he could be appointed as a great general in the future.

The other branch, slightly curved and with knots, seems more convenient to hold; it should be appointed as a minister in the future.

After comparing the two, she chose the one who would become the Minister. Although his appearance was less than ideal, he could help her go further in life.

She gripped the stick and continued her arduous journey.

Her forehead, fingers, waist, legs, and soles of her feet were in pain every moment. The sunlight made her feel thirsty. After finishing the last of her dry food and picking some wild fruit, her stomach was still uncomfortable. She tried to find her way in pain.

After becoming a female prime minister, she enjoyed a life of luxury, but living in a place like Jin, she also experienced many days being chased by the Jurchens. As a result, she studied the surrounding maps in depth. She tried to avoid the main roads and return to Weisheng, which was a long and tortuous journey. She didn't know if she had made the right choice.

But no matter what, she could only move forward...

That evening, I saw a dilapidated house in the distance in the wilderness.

She was thirsty and hungry, but for a moment she didn't dare go over.

From afar, voices could be heard. Lou Shuwan suppressed the urge to run out, crouched down, and hid herself behind a clump of bushes.

Several men who looked like outlaws arrived and approached the dilapidated house. Then, a hurried conversation could be heard.

Suddenly, several gunshots rang out from inside the dilapidated house. The bandits dodged and weaved, some falling into pools of blood. People rushed out of the house, brandishing weapons and fighting with several bandits in well-coordinated formations.

In a short while, all the bandits fell down.

The people who came out of the dilapidated house discussed something for a few moments, and then headed off in one direction.

The wind howled across the rugged mountains and fields, causing the grass to sway. Lou Shuwan waited for a long time behind the bushes before quietly crouching down and sneaking over there.

On the wasteland outside the dilapidated house, there were only the corpses of a few bandits. Lou Shuwan reached out and felt around the clothes on the corpses, finding some dry rations among them.

The first corpse's leather bag was empty of water, and the second corpse's water bag had been punctured by a gunshot—extremely unlucky. She tucked the food she had taken from the two corpses into her pocket, then turned to touch the third corpse. This time, the water bag still contained water. She struggled to remove the bag with one hand, when suddenly, the corpse moved, its bloodstained hand grabbing her right wrist.

The grip of that hand was so strong that Lou Shuwan clenched her teeth. Enduring the excruciating pain, she instinctively reached for the dagger at her side. The bandit on the ground opened his eyes, staring at her blankly for a long time. But then, at a certain moment, his eyes brightened.

"Lou...Lou...female prime minister?"

I let go of your hand.

Lou Shuwan grabbed the water bag, trembling and struggling to open the stopper, and then stuffed the bag opening to her parched lips.

After taking two sips, she finally looked at the critically injured man and said, "You..." She looked extremely disheveled and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Lou Xiang..." Tears welled up in the other person's eyes. He wanted to reach out, but only stretched his hand out in the air before trembling and no longer reaching forward.

“You’re still alive… Weisheng, Weisheng Luan…” The other person gasped for breath, closed his lips, and then said with difficulty, “Lou, Lou Xiang… He, they are powerful… Don’t go… to the east…”

“…Mmm.” Lou Shuwan nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"..." The other person's expression relaxed. The man had scars on his face and a ferocious appearance. He seemed to be trying to get up, but at this moment, his head was completely lying down. His eyes were looking at the sky, and his gaze began to scatter in a slight smile.

Lou Shuwan wanted to reach out her hand.

The last thing she heard him utter was a weak whisper: "...to save the people..."

Lou Shuwan squatted there, tears streaming down her face from the pain. She trembled and sobbed, stuffing the dry rations she had scavenged from the corpse into her mouth...

The cold sunlight shone on her back.

Soon, she straightened up and set off on the road again.

Just publish it once you've written it. Breaking your promise to stop updating is utterly rebellious...

There's an update today, please vote with your monthly tickets. I know this isn't good, I'll make up for the missed updates tomorrow, and I promise there won't be an update tomorrow, I mean it.

My sleep schedule is completely messed up. I only slept for four hours. I'm full of inspiration and still want to write, but my body can't take it anymore...