The ancient tripod was used as an incense burner and was filled with sand, making it heavier than before.
But the ancient cauldron was beating.
The three beast-shaped tripod feet were stuck to the ground at the same time.
Yun Kong was awakened, put on his coat and ran out.
Xu Ling was seen kneeling on the futon, muttering scriptures in his mouth, begging the gods to calm down.
Emperor Guan Sheng on the altar looked very angry and anxious, his red face seemed to glow red in the darkness, and the ring on the Qinglong Yanyue Sword also sounded uneasily.
"Yunkong, give me a hand." Xu Ling stood up from the futon, holding a Y-shaped peach branch in his hand.
The incense ashes in the cauldron were rolling like waves, as if the gods were eager to speak.
The two of them each held two branches of the peach branch, and inserted the incense ash into the end of the peach branch. Xu Ling rolled his eyes, his horse stomped, his white beard blew, and his arms immediately waved to write on the incense ashes.
Yunkong was surprised that the old Xu Ling's arm strength was so strong that he couldn't keep up with Xu Ling's movements at all.
One word after another was written on the ashes, and Yun Kong kept it in his heart.
The more he looked, the more frightened and regretful he became.
He really shouldn't have come to town.
Luan Wen said: "When the army approaches the city, there is no way to escape. When the golden energy is strong, Taiyuan will be destroyed."
【Winter City】
In October of the seventh year of Xuanhe, Wanyan Agu sent troops to the Central Plains and divided his troops into two groups.
The east road attacked Yanshan Mansion (near today's Beijing City), which was one of the "Sixteen Yanyun Prefectures" that the Song Dynasty had just obtained from the Liao Kingdom with great efforts and was ceded to the Khitan in the Central Plains more than a hundred years ago. However, the defender Yaoshi Guo surrendered, and Yanshan Mansion returned to the hands of the Jin people.
This East Route Army quickly moved south, and was guided by Guo Pharmacist, who was familiar with the road. It crossed the Yellow River and approached the capital, Kaifeng Prefecture.
The west road led from Yunzhong Prefecture to Taiyuan Prefecture. On the way, they first occupied the neighboring Daizhou and then surrounded Taiyuan at the end of December.
In fact, as early as the second day of the twelfth lunar month, Jin envoys arrived, announcing in advance that they were coming to capture Taiyuan, with the intention of making Taiyuan fearful, and it would be best to surrender without a fight like Medicine Master Guo.
At that time, the powerful official Tong Guan happened to be sent to Taiyuan by the emperor for "Xuanfu" (inspection). He heard about it and wanted to escape, but was stopped by the prefect Zhang Xiaochun: "The king should meet with soldiers from all walks of life and try his best to resist the Jin people. If he leaves, the people's hearts will be shaken." , Hebei and Hedong will be lost!" At that time, Tong Guangang had just been named the king of Guangyang, so Zhang Xiaochun called him the king.
Tong Guan glared angrily and cursed: "I was ordered to come here to propagate, not to protect the land!"
Those who cling to power like Tong Guan are people without moral integrity. They usually only bully those above and dominate others. Zhang Xiaochun saw through it long ago, so he clapped his hands and sneered: "How much power does King Tong do in normal times?" Fortunately, once the Jin people are coming, they are so timid. As an important minister of the country, he cannot eliminate troubles for the country, but instead takes the lead in scurrying away. How can he face the world's scholars?"
Tong Guan hesitated and promised not to leave, so he rubbed oil on his soles and slipped back to Kaifeng Mansion.
Those who have the means can escape, and those who have no other means have to bear the same hardship.
Feather-like snow fell on Taiyuan Mansion, covering the roofs of the houses in the city and the tents of the Jin people.
Zhang Xiaochun, the prefect of Taiyuan, analyzed the pros and cons and decided to adopt delaying tactics and stay behind closed doors. He told the army and the people, "Taiyuan has been an important military town since ancient times. Now that the city is well-fortified and well-supplied, and the severe winter has arrived, we are waiting for work in leisure, waiting for the Jin people to run out of food and fatigue, and waiting for reinforcements to attack from inside and outside. We will be able to relieve the siege in a few days!"
The Jin people sent out troops in October in order to take over the Central Plains at lightning speed. The budget allowed for troops to be withdrawn early. Unexpectedly, the weather did not go as planned and the Jin soldiers were blocked outside the city. Taiyuan could not be captured for a long time. It was snowing and the army supplies were not available.
The twelfth lunar month of winter was a time when everyone was busy preparing for the New Year in previous years, but now it was a time for the whole city to save food, and the city was lifeless.
The people in the city were in fear every day, not knowing when the Jin people would attack.
The residents outside the city had nowhere to hide. All the grain stores were confiscated by the Jin people, and the young and strong were dragged to work.
Even the Jin people did not expect that the Song soldiers, who had been defeated repeatedly in battles, would have the ability to drag on this battle for so long!
Although coal has been used to make fires in recent years, Taiyuan Prefecture still had woodcutters from outside the city bringing firewood in every day. Now the coal is gradually running out, and there are not even half of the firewood left. People who have furniture have begun to split the furniture to make fires, just to get some. With that ray of warmth, people without furniture picked up branches and cut down trees.
Thinking about the long winter, how can there be inexhaustible firewood in Taiyuan Mansion?
Everyone is dissatisfied.
The Jin soldiers were also very anxious. They called for formation outside the city every day, hoping that the Song people would open the door and send out troops. However, in this kind of ghost weather, the snowflakes would take away the strength of the soldiers, and the soldiers could not use their strength to shout and curse, let alone attack the city. .
How about retreating?
If it doesn't work, Deputy Marshal Zuo Nian shook his head heavily: The emperor has an order. If you can't capture the city, you don't have to go back.
The food and grass brought from the north were consumed very quickly, and the soldiers were sparing their food.
At this time of year, Yun Kong actually has business.
The stall he set up next to the Taoist temple gate had several owners every day, who came with sad faces to ask about disasters, passers-by, and the future. Yunkong also helped people who came to the temple to ask for signatures.
Later, the weather became unbearably cold and the cold wind almost made people freeze, so Yun Kong moved the stall into the temple.
The ancient cauldron in the temple stopped ringing, but Xu Ling's expression became more solemn day by day. The Jin soldiers did indeed besiege the city as expected, and according to what Luan Wen said, they were probably about to break the city.
"I'm afraid not necessarily." Yun Kong considered the Luan text repeatedly and said: "The so-called golden energy does not necessarily mean golden soldiers."
Yunkong knew that he could no longer escape from the city. Now he only hoped that the Luanwen would not work and the Song army would win, or else that he could still escape safely after the city was broken.
The siege lasted for nearly a month. Emperor Zhao Ji of the Song Dynasty suddenly abdicated and passed the throne to his son Zhao Huan. He was probably preparing to run away. None of this news was known in the city.
After a miserable New Year's Eve, there was no joy at all in Taiyuan Mansion.
On New Year's Day, the city was as quiet as a dead city. The heavy snowfall the night before turned Taiyuan Mansion pale, like a wandering soul panting in the snow-white wilderness.
The red lantern swayed in the wind and snow, and it was particularly conspicuous, seeming to warn that the bloodshed in the future would be as bright as it.
After that day, he changed his name to Jingkang.
Soon, the Song Dynasty finally agreed to cede Taiyuan Mansion to the Jin Kingdom.
【Old tree】
The rice shop was very busy that day, and the boss watched them move the rice without relaxing at all.
There was suddenly a loud noise outside, and the dutiful son did not dare to care about what was going on, lest his salary be deducted. However, the boss saw something was wrong and caught a panicked person for questioning.
"Don't you know? Jin Bing is coming!"
The dutiful son was stunned, his hands and feet were suddenly in panic, and his mind was filled with confusion.
The first thing he thought of was his mother.
He lives outside the city. If the Jin people attack him outside the city, what will the mother do?
He didn't move any more rice or salary, so he ran out of the grain store and rushed towards the city gate.
The city walls were lined with dense soldiers, and the city gates were closed, making it impossible to get out.
He cautiously found a pawn with a solemn face and asked respectfully: "Brother Bing, why is this city gate closed?"
"What?" The pawn looked at him in surprise, "Don't you know? The golden soldiers are outside!"
"Brother Bing! Master Bing!" He pulled the pawn excitedly, "Okay, please let me out, okay? My mother is still outside! My mother..."
"Are you crazy? There are all Tatars outside, and they drink blood like hair!"
"No! My mother...my mother..." He was so panicked and frightened that he lost consciousness. He knelt on the ground and cried. His head was so hot and dry that it was about to dry out.
He fell on the ground, tears streaming down his face, burrowing into the soil and seeping into the ground.
The sky is filled with snow.
The howling north wind, the bent and weeping old tree, accompanied the dutiful son in mourning and mourning.
The dutiful son staggered on the road, the tears in his eyes had frozen and clung to his cracked skin.
His nasal passages were filled with mucus and breathing became increasingly difficult, but he was worried that his mother would forget to breathe due to worry.
A layer of black mist suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, and the world suddenly spun around, and he fell to the snow.
In the haze, he saw the old tree in front of his house, and his mother was waiting for him to go back under the tree!
He smiled.
He reached out and tried to touch the tree.
He touched it.
In an instant, he woke up.
Yes, he encountered it!
When he opened his eyes, the sky was still full of wind and snow, and there was no tree or grass in front of him.
But his hand was indeed touching a tree.
He looked at his hand and saw that it had not touched anything except the flying snowflakes.
But his hand was indeed "touching" a tree at this moment.
