Allied with the enemy to suppress the bandits
The sky was as gloomy as a piece of gray cloth soaked with water, pressing heavily on people's heads. The cold wind blew the snow foam on the ground and blew it on people's faces like a knife. There was a newly cleared wasteland outside the city, and the frozen soil was as hard as iron.
Wang Mengzi swung the pickaxe, hitting it hard again and again. His knuckles were numb from the shock, and he only dug up a little broken soil with ice on it.
Beside him, dozens or even a hundred Mingzhu Guards dug silently with him. The dull sound of iron tools hitting the frozen soil was the only sound in this silent wilderness.
They are digging a hole.
A pit so large and deep that it could hold 1,862 cold bodies.
The muscles on Wang Mengzi's face were tense and his lips were pressed into a pale line, but his tears were uncontrollable. They rolled down in big drops and hit the frozen soil under his feet, turning into ice in an instant.
He is the commander of the Mingzhu Guard.
Those three thousand young men were brought up by him personally. Since the bandit suppression in Mingzhou, he has been at the forefront and trained the hardest. He can call out everyone's name. He knows which wife has a loud voice and which child has just learned to walk.
Many of them had eaten at their homes, drank the muddy local wine, held those milk-smelling babies, and listened to their babbling calls of "Uncle Wang".
He didn't have a great background, but he was the strongest and could command the support of the people. They chose him and everyone recognized him. He was extremely proud at that time. He really felt that he was willing to lead his brothers to make a name for themselves and go north to kill the enemy, and they were also willing.
Isn’t conquering the Wolf’s Lair the dream of every man?
However, he never expected the people behind him.
All gone.
Those vivid faces and those noisy voices turned into the stiff corpses covered with white cloths in front of him, lined up silently, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Of the three thousand people, only a little over a thousand remained, and the bodies of the many more were stiff.
The pickaxe in his hand became heavier and heavier, and every time it fell, it felt like it was hitting his heart. The veterans who were digging with him also had red eyes, gritted their teeth, and dug while crying, their faces covered with tears and sweat.
He hates himself.
If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have relaxed. I should have made them train hard during the New Year holidays. If I hadn't let them go home to play, would they have been able to survive on the battlefield?
If I had known earlier, I should have indulged them more when I was in Mingzhou. At that time, they drank too much and he beat them with dozens of boards. They must have hated him, and some people must have said bad things about him behind his back.
If I had known earlier, I should have let Xiao Liuzi stay in Mingzhou. He's not old enough, and he's not strong enough. Even if he insisted on coming, I shouldn't have brought him. He's only sixteen. What does he know? Why did I agree to let him come? How could I explain this to his mother?
How could he not hate himself?
I hate myself for being incompetent and unable to protect them.
I hate myself for not being a good general and for turning the battle into this.
I hated myself for not being able to dig up the frozen soil and even bury their corpses.
Of course, he could convince himself that the deaths of so many people were war crimes and had nothing to do with him, Wang Mengzi. Even if a god came, he could not save them. He could just turn around and ignore them. It is an ancient truth that a general's success is built on the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers. He was right!
But, but.
But, but...
He fell to the ground, guarding his brothers. The scars on his face had not yet healed. Tears fell on the wounds like salt, piercing his heart and lungs with pain.
Oh my God, why didn't he die too?
Why let him live? What's the point of him living?
After an unknown amount of time, the people of Qinghe City came out in groups of three or two.
At first, only a few brave ones watched from afar.
Later, more and more people, including men, women, the elderly, and even half-grown children, joined the excavation with the simple tools they brought.
No one spoke, only the hissing sound of iron entering the ground and suppressed sobs intertwined in the cold air.
Thousands of people, a black mass, helped to dig this huge tomb.
Finally, the tomb was dug.
The bodies of the martyrs were carefully placed there, and the soil was covered again, burying the pain and the sacrifice.
Wang Mengzi found a huge bluestone and personally swung the hammer and chisel.
He gritted his teeth and carved large, blood-stained characters on it: "Tomb of 1,862 Martyrs of Mingzhuwei."
After the last stroke, he dropped the chisel and stroked the cold figures with his fingers. His body trembled uncontrollably. He seemed very cold, so cold that he shuddered and his heart ached.
He used to think that suffering was not having enough to eat or wear, and being bullied. It was not until today that he truly understood what suffering was.
Thousands of people who were alive in front of you yesterday have turned into cold corpses today, never to come back. Some of their bodies cannot even be collected completely. What can you do?
In the past, he was afraid, like a sheep, afraid of the Western Qiang people, afraid that the Western Qiang's sword would chop him. Now he hated, hated that his sword was not sharp enough, hated that he could not kill a few more Western Qiang dogs.
He no longer remembered how many Western Qiang dogs he had killed, but he always felt it was not enough, not enough!
How could it be possible? How could it be enough? Nothing was enough! A thousand, ten thousand, wouldn't be enough!
Wang Mengzi wiped his tears, returned to the city, and began to reorganize. He disbanded the remaining 1,000 Mingzhu Guards and re-formed the team with the young and strong men in Qinghe City who were crying and gritting their teeth to avenge their relatives.
The new Mingzhu Guard once again has a full staff of 3,000.
The shouts on the training ground never stopped day and night. Wang Mengzi only taught one thing: how to kill the Western Qiang people in the fastest, most brutal and most effective way.
*
Inside the Qinghe Prefecture Yamen.
Nong Zishi brought over a dozen heavy boxes, and then handed the list to Ning Lingyi.
"Your Highness, the inventory is complete. The confiscated property and the remaining treasury treasures total approximately 1.3 million taels of gold, silver, and jewelry."
Ning Lingyi's eyes swept over the number, and there was no joy on her face, but instead a hint of self-mockery.
She raised her hand and rubbed her brow, her voice low and hoarse, "I never imagined that I, Ning Lingyi, would end up like this, having to plunder the wealth of my own people to feed the mouths of foreigners."
Nong Zishi looked at the expression on her face, sighed, and said comfortingly, "Your Highness, the Beishuo cavalry repelled the Western Qiang but did not take advantage of the situation to plunder the city. This was all because Tuoba Hong Khan strictly ordered the soldiers to be restrained. We are offering these now, not to flatter, but to protect them. Otherwise, if the 30,000 cavalrymen had looted and plundered in this way..."
"Your Highness, the lives of the people are far more important than these yellow and white things."
"I understand." Ning Lingyi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. "How could I not understand the truth? It's just that I always feel guilty."
"Your Highness's benevolence is a blessing to all people." Nong Zishi said, "To survive in troubled times, we sometimes have to do extraordinary things. We have great kindness but we don't get hung up on trivial matters."
Ning Lingyi gestured for Nong Zishi to sit down, poured him tea personally, and the two sat opposite each other and talked.
"It's not that I don't know what you mean, sir. To be honest, I used to live in the imperial palace in the capital, and I only saw prosperity. I never knew that it was so difficult for ordinary people to earn a penny." Ning Lingyi recalled her journey, and how could she not have changed a lot.
She went on to recall, "If I were to say that in the past, I would have given this money away, but when I think about how this money was painstakingly accumulated by the common people, and how it was taken away by the gentry and powerful in the name of collecting taxes and rents, now that it's in my hands, I have to give it to foreigners..."
“How can I convince myself?”
"Minister Nong said that you shouldn't be too particular about trivial matters. But the trivial matters don't concern me, but the people."
Nong Zishi looked at the young princess in front of him and was filled with mixed feelings when he said these words. He was sad that she had not met a wise leader until this moment, but he was happy that she had finally met a wise leader at this moment.
"Your Highness, more than ten thousand soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded in this battle, but we saved the remaining 40,000 people, and they are still alive. As long as Your Highness cares about these people, these 40,000 people, and even more people in the future can live well, we should do this." Nong Zishi said firmly.
He was a farmer and had read Confucianism, Legalism, the School of Diplomacy, the Four Books and Five Classics, and hundreds of histories, but he still did not have a set of knowledge that really satisfied him. It was not until he really bent down and looked at it, threw away the books, that he found his true path.
That is the living people in front of him. For the sake of all the people, he is willing to risk the wrath of the world and do things that will make people criticize him. He will do it regardless of his reputation before and after his death.
Ning Lingyi was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "You are right, Minister Nong, what should we do next? Qinghe can no longer withstand any more war."
Nong Zishi pondered for a moment and said, "In the previous battle, the Western Qiang lost four to five thousand elite soldiers. They have a deep hatred with the Northern Shuo. There will definitely be a fierce battle between them."
"While the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits?" Ning Lingyi looked at him. "All we need to do is secretly fan the flames and let Tuoba Hong fight a life-and-death battle with the Western Qiang. Then we can buy a chance to breathe?"
"Yes, but not entirely." Nong Zishi shook his head.
"Your Highness, if they start a war, the battlefield will be in our Heshuo land. Our cavalry is swift and has always relied on fighting to support the war. Why would we bother raising food and fodder? Wherever their army passes, they will inevitably plunder the land! If we allow these two tigers to tear apart our homes and feed on the people, the land of Heshuo will be reduced to scorched earth in an instant! How is this different from the massacre of the city by the Western Qiang?"
Ning Lingyi's expression suddenly changed. She stared at Nong Zishi and asked, "What does the gentleman mean?"
Nong Zishi met her gaze and said frankly, "It seems Tuoba Hong still has some old friendship with Your Highness, and he's able to control his troops. I dare to suggest that Your Highness find a way to raise food and fodder from within the Southern Dynasty to supply the Beishuo army."
"What?"
Ning Lingyi stood up suddenly, eyes filled with shock and anger. "Sir, do you know what you are talking about? Using the blood and sweat of my people to support the enemy who invaded our land? This is no different from collaborating with the enemy! Your words are truly chilling!"
There was already a scrutiny in her eyes. This Nong Zishi had suddenly appeared, and with these words, could he be from Beishuo? Ning Lingyi was filled with suspicion.
Seeing this, Nong Zishi lifted up his skirt and knelt straight down, his voice still calm: "Your Highness, please calm down and let me finish my words!"
Ning Lingyi glared at him, wanting to see what he could say.
He raised his head and said, "The reason I dare to say such shocking words is because I have seen clearly that with the current military strength of Your Highness, even if you have another three to five years, it will be impossible for you to recover the entire Heshuo by your own strength!"
Hearing this, Ning Lingyi became even more angry. She suppressed her anger and said, "So, sir, you're going to persuade me to just focus on making wedding clothes for Beishuo and hand over this vast land to Tuoba Hong?"
"No! No!" Nong Zishi kowtowed heavily, and when he looked up again, his face was full of brilliance. "What I am going to say next is the key to whether we can turn defeat into victory and recover Heshuo."
"Your Highness, do you understand why I assert that you cannot succeed alone? It's not that you are not brave, but it takes time to raise a good general and a skilled army. Your Highness, with the strength of a small corner of Mingzhou, has devoted all his resources to raising 3,000 Mingzhu Guards, but they were completely wiped out in the battle of Qinghe. What should we do next?"
Ning Lingyi remained silent.
She had personally experienced the hellish fighting and knew only too well the cruelty of war. She might have been able to recruit civilians into the army, but how could ordinary people fight the enemy? They would simply be sending themselves to die. If she had no troops, how could she recover the lost territory?
Seeing her expression soften, Nong Zishi continued, "Besides, Your Highness's talent doesn't lie in being a commander who charges into battle."
Ning Lingyi frowned: "What do you mean?"
"Your Highness's talent is truly that of a king!" Nong Zishi said in a firm tone.
"Ancient wise rulers may not have wielded swords themselves, but they were always able to coordinate the overall situation, appoint the right people, ensure logistics, and rally the people's hearts! Your Highness, with the dignity of a princess, was able to personally journey to dangerous places, to gather food and fodder from Mingzhou all the way to the front lines, and even in desperate circumstances, he still cherished the people's strength and enforced strict military discipline. How could this not be the talent of a king?"
"The victory of a general is the victory of a king, because he can provide everything necessary for victory. Your Highness has proven that he possesses this ability!"
Ning Lingyi was stunned by his words and murmured, "What does this have to do with winning?"
"It's very relevant!" Nong Zishi's voice was excited. "Your Highness, are you aware that Xue Cheng, the governor of Youzhou, has led tens of thousands of soldiers and over a hundred thousand civilians to establish his own state?"
Ning Lingyi nodded, "I've heard a little bit about it. He's already established himself, commanding tens of thousands of troops and occupying a large state. How could he be willing to serve me? What can I do to subjugate such a capable general?"
"This is your Highness's opportunity!" Nong Zishi said.
"Xue Cheng declared himself emperor. This must be because the imperial court was foolish enough to cut off his reinforcements and food supplies, leaving Youzhou isolated. They had no choice but to do this! Now the main force of the Western Qiang is definitely attacking Youzhou frantically. The longer this goes on, the more dangerous Youzhou will become."
"We can use Beishuo's power to contain Xiqiang and force them to split their forces. This is an opportunity to relieve Youzhou! If Your Highness can find a way to raise food and supplies to support Youzhou's soldiers and civilians at this moment, and alleviate their urgent needs..."
Nong Zishi continued, "Then, the soldiers of Youzhou are your Highness's soldiers, and Xue Cheng and other talented generals are your Highness's talented generals! Based on this, we can unite with our Mingzhu Guards to counterattack the Western Qiang. Why worry about the loss of Heshuo? This is a strategy of using the opponent's strength to defeat the opponent, and to remove the firewood from under the cauldron!"
Ning Lingyi stood there in a daze. The dark road ahead seemed to have a glimmer of light, but then another question came to her mind.
"How do you know that Xue Cheng won't declare himself emperor, or launch a surprise attack on Beishuo and Xiqiang to steal power?" she asked.
Nong Zishi smiled calmly and said, "Xue Cheng would never do that. Putting aside his current situation, declaring himself emperor would only mean his death a day earlier. Even Xue Cheng himself would never do that. It's not as if our Southern Dynasty is without brave generals and soldiers willing to fight to the death. It all depends on whether Your Highness can control them."
Ning Lingyi thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "Mr. Nong's words are like walking on a tightrope."
"Your Highness, you are right. Is this plan difficult? Extremely difficult. If we are not careful, we will be doomed, but we have no other choice." Nong Zishi bowed to the ground again.
A counselor is a strategist, and whether the plan succeeds or not depends entirely on the lord.
All of this once again fell on Ning Lingyi's shoulders. She had to ask for food and fodder to support Beishuo and to find supplies to subdue Xue Cheng. This plan was as difficult as climbing to the sky.
"It is difficult to travel, it is difficult to travel, there are many forks in the road, where are we now? It is so dangerous. Why did you come here from afar? I only feel the taste of Li Bai's poem today." Ning Lingyi said something irrelevant.
Nong Zishi, upon hearing this, understood the meaning and replied, "This is also what I desire. Even if I die nine times, I will not regret it. If this plan succeeds, the world can be spared from war. I hope Your Highness will give it more consideration and consideration."
"Mr. Nong, can we do this?"
"Your Highness, please try it."
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