Zichuan is a prosperous place in Shandong Province, with extraordinary output comparable to that of small remote counties. The exquisite celadon produced here is famous and was sold north to Korea and Japan. It was also used by the Song people in the Southern Dynasty. As for local celebrities, there is Tian He, the founder of Jinwen Yi School in the Han Dynasty. Later, the great scholar Zheng Kangcheng also set up an academy here to give lectures.
This city has now been destroyed.
When Shen Mo You was extinguished, the sky was gloomy and thick clouds were gathering. However, several fires in the city had not been extinguished, and the clouds above were reflected in blood red. Zhao Jin stopped and looked from a distance, feeling that the rolling clouds looked like the faces of ferocious and terrifying monsters.
And he himself was under the gaze of these demons, as if a violent roar descended from the sky, then gathered from all directions and poured into his ears. The sounds were either sharp, crazy, mournful, or frightening, one after another, making him suddenly feel dizzy.
That voice was of course an illusion, and Zhao Yan knew it very well.
Five days ago, when he went to the city to fight, he was hit by an arrow in the cheek, and the arrow cluster went straight behind his ear. Although it was removed in time, the wound has been experiencing severe pain and itching. Since last night, his forehead has been burning hot, his ears have been buzzing, and there are always various strange sounds. He has drank several decoctions, but it doesn't work.
After the trusted escort sent the military doctor away, they lamented secretly. Several people said that if Jin Chuang continued like this, he might develop a swelling and his life would be in danger at any time.
The guard thought that Zhao Yan didn't know, but Zhao Yan actually heard it.
But he doesn't care.
During that fierce battle on the city, he left with the intention of dying in battle, but he was hit by such a dangerous arrow and did not die. Instead, he defeated Zichuan City and won great praise from the Mongolian nobles. Zhao Yan only felt ridiculous about this.
Five days later, the high fever actually subsided. Except for the strange buzzing in his ears and physical weakness, Zhao Jin didn't feel any discomfort at all... That's even more ridiculous!
Zhao Yan shook his head violently, almost losing his balance and staggering.
His leather boots thumped on the ground. And many local officials who looked miserable were trembling beside his leather boots.
When Zhao Yan stood firm and stopped in front of them, they fell to the ground in fear. Some people curled up backwards cautiously, while others peeked at his expression and showed exaggerated smiles.
Zhao Yan looked at them with disgust.
The real warriors in Zichuan City, such as Qi Yingyang and others, are all dead. The rest are these mediocre people who fall with the wind. But Zhao Jin couldn't scold them because he, as well as countless people around him, were like this.
When Genghis Khan's army captured Feihu Pass, Zhao Kui's brother, Zhao Gui, who was supposed to be stationed here, fled in fear of the battle. Zhao Jin was trapped in the city and was afraid of death, so he led his private soldiers to kidnap the county magistrate and surrender. Could it be that his posture at that time was better than these guys in front of him?
The funny thing is that Feihu Pass is facing the Mongolian army's way to break through Yanshan, so Zhao Jin joined the Mongolian army earlier than others. So he became a senior in the eyes of these people. And the eyes of these people gathered on Zhao Yan include not only flattery and envy, but also hidden reluctance.
When the Khitans are no longer able to survive, they surrender to the Jurchens. When they suspect that the Jurchens are no longer alive, they surrender to the Mongols. This is natural.
But...after surrendering to the Mongols, is it natural for them to slaughter as much as they want in the past few months?
In the past few months, the number of soldiers and civilians of the Kingdom of Jin who were killed by Zhao Qian's troops was more than five or ten times greater than that of the soldiers and civilians of Feihu Pass. And what he witnessed were more than a hundred times as many people died under the knife of the Mongolian army?
Zhao Yan ignored them completely. He was preoccupied and physically weak, but he kept a firm and quick pace and walked quickly.
Walking more than half a mile further, you will reach Changguo City. This is a long-abandoned earthen city that is now used as a temporary garrison for the frontline of the Mongolian army.
The road to the stronghold was filled with a strong smell of sweat and blood. Some soldiers were playing with the money they had looted in the past few days to compare whether the harvest was rich or not; some were draping silk and satin on their bodies and laughing; some were plundering women here. Through half the wall, Zhao Yan saw their tawny, naked bodies squirming, and heard bursts of low roars and cries.
Zhao Yan frowned and strode past without stopping.
After several months of massacre, some people like Zhao Jin felt tired and uncomfortable, but others were immersed in it and enjoyed it, becoming less and less like humans and more like beasts.
But what's there to blame? Every newly powerful tribe that rises is a beast. Since we are determined to follow the footsteps of the beast, can we still ask others to keep themselves clean?
Changguo City is not big. After zigzagging through the crowd for hundreds of steps, when I looked up, I saw several flags leaning horizontally and vertically. Blowing in the night wind, the flags sometimes rolled together and sometimes separated. One flag said "Deputy Marshal Yang Wan", and another flag said "Qianhu Shimo Badier".
Since the Mongols entered the Central Plains, the appointment of officials has been arbitrary. Sometimes the official names of the Jin Kingdom are used, and sometimes the Mongolian system is used.
In fact, this deputy marshal and Qianhu are not superior to each other, they are just titles. Zhao Yan, who is a colleague with them, is even a hundred households. However, the positions of this hundred households were personally assigned by Genghis Khan, so they were particularly respected.
As for Jeju's surrendered general and Jurchen Jiata Lahun, he only had a strangely named mission, called "Fourth Route Chief". Jatarakhun claimed that he was sent to supervise the army; while the other three surrendered generals only regarded him as a guide.
Under the flag, there was a luxuriously decorated tent. The tent was lit with lamps, but the door was closed.
Walking closer, Zhao Yan heard the crackle of whips in the room, many men and women wailing, and rough voices yelling curses.
Zhao Yan opened the tent door and went in, and sure enough he saw Shimo Badier beating his slaves, while Yang Wan was drinking by himself, as if he didn't see the flesh and blood flying everywhere.
Zhao Yan coughed heavily: "Laizhou Guoning has made some moves."
Shimo Badier stopped immediately.
He looked at Zhao Yan, opened the tent door, and drove out a few crying men and women: "That bitch finally moved? What do you say?"
It turns out that just a few months ago, Shi Mobedier's position was the civil officer of Pingqu Water Village in Bazhou. On that day, Guo Ning arranged for farming and harvesting grain around the Xijunhe camp, and his farming area reached as far as Bazhou. Wang Shixian, who was in charge of this matter, also visited Shi Mobedie'er, and the two families had some friendship.
At that time, although Guo Ning was powerful and Shi Mobedier was a local snake, he was not afraid of him.
However, after the Mongols invaded, everything turned upside down. Shi Mobedie'er surrendered to the Mongols, and they fought in front of the horse and behind the horse, while Guo Ning ran away with oil on his feet.
Just run away. For some reason, Guo Ning's name was still remembered by Tuo Lei, the fourth prince of the Mongols. This time the four generals led their troops deep into Shandong. The fourth prince had warned him several times beforehand, always saying that the most important target was Guo Ning...
How could Shi Mobedie'er tolerate the Fourth Prince's attitude?
He had long made up his mind to smash Shandong East Road and take Guo Ning's head to claim credit.
"Tanma came to report that Guo Ning's command sent a large-scale reinforcements the day before yesterday, passing through Changyi and Beihai, and will arrive at Yidu."
Shi Mobedie'er sneered and asked: "It's huge? How big is it?"
Zhao Yan took out the military report: "There are more than 500 vehicles loaded with supplies and more than 5,000 soldiers."
Yang Wan came over from the side and took a look at the military newspaper: "Five thousand soldiers? Did they all come out in full force?"
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
Zichuan is also the hometown of Pu Songling. In addition, there is a farm village in Xihe Town, Zichuan, with beautiful scenery.
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