Under the obstruction and harassment of Xu Guanzhong, Yan Qing and others, the Jin army panicked for a while and finally figured out that what attacked them was not the regular troops sent by the Song Dynasty court, but a small group of civilian armed forces of the Song Dynasty.
After grasping this situation, Wanyan Zongwang selected General Yelu Dawa to lead thousands of horse troops to deal with Xu Guanzhong and Yan Qing. He also sent more than a thousand archers to set up formations upstream of the Yellow River ferry, and shot all ships passing by. . These measures restrained the land troops led by Xu Guanzhong and Yan Qing, as well as the naval forces led by Ruan Xiaoqi. At the same time, Wanyan Zongwang organized the Jin army to speed up the crossing of the river. The first batch of Jin soldiers to cross the Yellow River quickly occupied the ferry on the other side, ensuring the Jin army's subsequent crossing of the river.
Xu Guanzhong, Yan Qing, Wang Jin, Jin Xia, Yin Xia and others fought with the Jin army for several days. Seeing that the Jin army had all crossed the Yellow River, they had to retreat.
The Jin army returned to the Kingdom of Jin safe and sound.
Among the high mountains of Tanzhou, Cai Jing and his son Cai Wei were walking strenuously. Originally, Cai Jing was demoted to the deputy envoy of the Qingyuan Army, and he brought his family and entourage along the way; but along the way, Cai Jing's reputation became more and more bad, and the common people did not want to see him, and scolding was a minor offense, as were some minor attacks. some. Gradually, the soldiers and their companions who saw the signs of the attack quietly fled. When they were approaching the border of Tanzhou, I don't know how the news leaked out, and a group of green forests burst out of the mountains and snatched away Cai Jing's young wife and his gold and silver. Cai Jing's family members also knew that Cai Jing was in decline, so they took advantage of the situation and ran away. Looking at the huge team that started out, now only Cai Jing, Cai Jing's wife and son Cai Ji are left.
The three people hugged each other and started crying.
The sky became increasingly gloomy. Without their carriage, horses, and money, Cai Jing's family of three was worse than an ordinary family. Ordinary people can at least climb mountains and wade in rivers. The senile Cai Jing and his wife Wang, who are usually spoiled, could not bear to cry like this. Immediately, the three of them cried and were at a loss.
Cai Jing is 83 years old. He has served as prime minister for four terms and has rich experience. Cai Jing said to his son Cai Wei: "Son! The environment is not up to you. You have to live a life according to the environment. Now that we are in trouble, we can't blame others, only ourselves. No one can help us with the current difficulties. You can rely on us alone. Dad and your mother haven't eaten for half a day, so go beg for some food so that dad and mother can eat."
Cai Chi cried and said, "Father, mother, it's my son's incompetence that has made his parents suffer, so he's going to beg for food." After saying that, Cai Chi took a bowl and leaned on a stick. Gone to beg for food.
At this time, it began to drizzle. Cai Jing and his wife curled up together to resist the wind and cold. About half an hour later, Cai Chi came back begging for food, which was a bowl of gruel and two black-faced steamed buns.
Cai Jing's eyes lit up when he saw the food. He quickly supported his wife Wang and said, "Chi'er is back begging for food. Come and have some."
Wang came over tremblingly, looked at the gruel in the bowl and the two black-faced steamed buns in Cai Chi's hands, and asked with difficulty: "Have you eaten?"
Cai Suan nodded and said, "Mom, I ate, I ate."
Cai Jing took the bowl, held it tremblingly, and handed it to Wang's mouth. Wang took a sip and pushed it to Cai Jing to drink. Cai Jing could vaguely see his own face in the bowl of porridge he was holding. There were muddy tears in Cai Jing's eyes. Thinking about how glorious I was back then, I saw myself fall into this state. Cai Jing remembered the bet he made with the fortune teller again. The fortune teller told him at that time that he would starve to death in the future. This sounded so ridiculous at the time. How could a prime minister ever starve to death? Looking at the current situation, I'm afraid the fortune teller's words will come true.
The more Cai Jing thought about it, the sadder he became, and he couldn't help crying.
Cai Sui and Wang were both shocked. This has never been the case. After Cai Jing cried for a while, he held back his grief and told his son Cai Sui: "Son! My father has made many achievements in his life. He has served as prime minister four times and has great glory. He never thought that he would end up in the situation he is in today. This shows that there are unpredictable changes in the sky and human beings." There will be misfortune and good fortune. My father has a vague feeling that his end may be coming soon."
Wang and Cai Chi were shocked when they heard this and looked at Cai Jing in fear.
Cai Jing shook his pale head, tears flowing down his wrinkled face, making him look even more aged.
Cai Jing said: "Birth, old age, illness and death are the normal course of life. Thinking about it, I have done a lot of scandals and bad things in my life, and I have also been a bit greedy. But for the court, my contribution is still the main thing. My son, my husband can't figure it out. Since there is bad luck, Why not cash it in early, instead of waiting until you are old, weak, helpless and hopeless?!"
Cai Ji was speechless and looked at Cai Jing blankly.
Cai Jing said: "My father and your mother gave birth to you eight sons and two daughters. Needless to say, women, but as for your eight sons, one died early, and you stayed with my father and mother, and the other six were all born." Jinshi are all officials in the imperial court. One of them even became the emperor's consort. Unexpectedly, his father is living in the wilderness and may starve to death. How sad! How sad!"
The family of three started crying again.
It was getting late, and the light rain was still falling. The big trees can no longer block the rain. At the end of the branches, raindrops dripped, soaking the clothes of Cai Jing, Wang and Cai Chi. Cai Jing looked up at the sky and said, "The first priority is to find a shelter from the rain; if not, how will we spend this long night?"
Cai Ji remembered that he had passed by a broken kiln when he was begging for food. He saw that it was a place where farmers would get wet and shelter during busy farming. Cai Chi hurriedly told Cai Jing about the situation. Cai Jing was overjoyed when he heard this. He held his forehead and hands in celebration and said, "There is no perfect way, so let's spend the night there tonight." Immediately, Cai Jing stood up and helped Wang up. Cai Jing felt Wang's whole body getting hot. Cai Jing was shocked and reached out to touch Wang's forehead. Cai Jing's hands felt hot. Apparently, wind and rain had given Wang a typhoid fever. Wang was swaying and couldn't stand firm. Cai Wei was packing a few people's luggage. Seeing that Mrs. Wang was weak and swaying, she hurriedly asked Ms. Wang: "Mom, what's wrong with you?" Ms. Wang shook her head, smiled miserably and said: "I guess my mother is going to leave behind you." The Father is with you."
Cai Ji panicked and just put down the luggage he had packed. He came to Cai Jing and Wang, stretched out his hand to support Wang and said, "Mom, don't be afraid, I will carry you on my back." Cai Ji bent down and carried Wang on his back. . Cai Jing was carrying the luggage of three people. Cai Chi walked in front with Wang on his back, and Cai Jing followed behind with trembling feet. After walking for about half an hour, we finally arrived at the broken kiln in the pouring rain.
The inside of the broken kiln was dark, with an earthen kang and stove vaguely visible. Cai Chi put Wang on the earthen bed and touched it. There was straw on the earthen bed. Cai Chi put the Wang family down. Cai Jing hurriedly took out his luggage, pulled out a blanket, and covered Wang. Wang felt hot all over and coughed from time to time. Cai Chi and Cai Jing were at a loss.
After finally surviving the night, when she woke up the next day, Wang was dead.
Cai Jing and Cai Chi were very sad. The father and son shed tears relative to each other.
The sun came out and there were clouds and mist all around. The father and son discussed it and decided to bury Wang here temporarily, and then move Wang's remains back to his hometown of Cixiaoling in Xianyou County after the situation stabilizes in the future.
Cai Chi came out of the kiln and borrowed a shovel from a nearby farmer. Cai Jing and Cai Chi buried Wang's body in a depression in the mountain and piled it into a small earth bag.
After burying the Wang family, Cai Jing was so exhausted that he collapsed on the ground.
Cai Chi helped Cai Jing up and stumbled back to the broken kiln.
Cai Chi said to Cai Jing: "My father is here, my mother has been buried, and my father is exhausted and hungry. I will go out now to ask for some food to satisfy my father's hunger."
Cai Jing waved his hands with difficulty and said, "That's fine. Let's go. I'll rest in the kiln for my father until you come back." Cai Jing said, "Okay, father, rest in peace. I'll go now." Cai Jing helped Cai Jing lie down on the kang. He put a blanket on Cai Jing, then took the bowl and stick and left the kiln to beg for food.
Cai Chi begged several houses. Seeing that Cai Chi was pitiful, the family gave him a piece of steamed bun and a bowl of soup for Cai Chi to eat. Because there was no water in the kiln, Cai Chi couldn't bear to eat it, so he put the bun in his arms and walked back with the bowl of soup.
It rained all night last night, and the ground was muddy. If you were not careful, you would slip on it. Cai Chi was holding the bowl and carefully walking on the hillside path. He never thought that his foot would slip and he would slide to the bottom of the hillside. Cai Chi was also hungry and exhausted. He fell straight down the hillside dozens of meters deep, causing Cai Chi to faint.
Cai Jing in the kiln was waiting bitterly for the return of his son Cai Ji. The sun moved from east to west. It was getting dark, but Cai Chi didn't come back. Cai Jing was hungry and panicked. He struggled down and resisted. He came to the door of the kiln and looked out. It was dim outside, with only a few stars faintly visible in the sky.
Cai Jing looked around at the kiln door for a while, but his son Cai Chi didn't come back. He was cold and couldn't hold on, so he climbed back on the kang. That night, Cai Jing, who was hungry and hungry, could not sleep and was suffering.
A ray of light came in from outside the kiln, and it was bright again. Cai Wei hasn't come back yet. Cai Jing was filled with tears. At this time, he didn't even have the strength to lie down on the kang. Cai Jing looked desperately outside the kiln, looking forward to the return of his son Cai Ji.
Cai Chi never came back.
Cai Jing, who was extremely tired and dazed, suddenly became much more awake and felt energetic. Cai Jing sat up and looked at the kiln entrance. The light from the kiln entrance fell on Cai Jing's face. It was a face that was ugly from hunger and old age.
Cai Jing chuckled twice and sighed: Eighty-one years ago, there was no home four thousand miles away. Now I am wandering to the end of the world, dreaming of being under the Yao Chi. The Jade Palace has fortune-telling four times, and Tongting has experienced numbness several times. If you stop being greedy and love glory, you will have what you are doing now!
Cai Jing stared in confusion, and suddenly he saw two green-faced and fanged weirdos, holding iron chains in their hands, jumping up to Cai Jing, putting the iron chains on Cai Jing's neck, and said loudly: "In honor of the King of Hell, Order, capture Cai Jing and report."
Cai Jing was shocked and screamed, "He died."
