Kyushu·Dendrobium Lady

Chapter 3 Grass green frost is white

Control the strings and hold the blade, and move the world.On July 32th of the [-]nd year of Lintai, Tongping was broken, and thousands of thieves were beheaded.

——"Conquest of Books · Kings · Hundred and Forty Two · King Jingyi"

I
It was no longer a day or two for Di Xu to become dizzy and violent.In those eight years of sleepless nights and waiting for the next day, what seemed to be exhausted was not his elegance and sobriety, but his longevity.From the day he ascended the throne, the person sitting on the throne has become a soulless body that is decaying day by day.

He knew people said that.People still avoid him, because he is the emperor, and he is a violent emperor.From the inner palace to the court hall, no one dared to meet his eyes, even so, he could still see the fear and slander pervading the court.In the chaotic world of eight years of upside-down world and ambushes from all sides, how he conquered east and west to fight for alliances, horizontals and verticals.Now that the disintegrated country has been joined together, at least he has the right not to sort out those intricate things. As long as the world is unified, people will take care of their own lives.However, he looked at the exquisite and small potted banyan tree in his palm, and gently pinched off a reverse branch.Pruning a tree does not require asking the tree for its opinion.That would be too much trouble.

21 years ago, when the rebellion started, it was the end of summer in the 27th year of Lintai.That year, the weather was miasma-hot, and the sky was so clear that it turned white. People said it was chaos.He was 17 years old at the time, and Lichun Taisha had just been conferred the title of King Xu.His father Emperor Xiu died of illness, and his uncle Yi Wang Chu Fengyi suppressed the turmoil in Gyeonggi under the pretext of suppressing the turmoil in Gyeonggi, and marched in the name of King Qin, intending to usurp the throne.At one time, soldiers rose from all sides, swarmed down the city, and set up fire at night, reflecting the flames outside the gate of Chengji for a long time.It has been more than a month since the three major battalions set out to change defenses, and the 6 horses who went to Mohe Pass and Mohe Pass turned around with the rebels to encircle the imperial capital.There are only [-] Kinki camps and [-] imperial guards in the imperial capital, and the fall of Tianqi is a foregone conclusion.Only he led the crowd to resist, while taking the risk of withdrawing from the Three Thousand Yulin, in order to protect the prince Boyao and fight out of the imperial capital in order to make a comeback.Who would have thought that he would fight hard and never retreat, killing three deserters and dozens of Pancheng rebels, and finally made it to the Three Thousand Yulin and turned back to Chengji Gate, but there was no sign of Bo Yao.Prince Bo Yao has always been cowardly, but he has a stubborn and foolish desire to die. He even claimed to share his destiny with the country and hanged himself in despair.The late emperor left four sons, the third son, Shu Yun, died at an early age, and the last son, Ji Chang, was sent to the Zhunian Kingdom of Leizhou in the Westland as a proton since he was a child. Now Bo Yao died again, and he was the only son of the royal family in Zhongzhou.

"It was in vain that I tried my best to pave a way out for him, Bo Yao." Zhong Xu fought hard to kill a rebel who was climbing the city, "He just died without making a sound."

The people in the city fell down one after another, and made up one after another.It took only half an hour for the three thousand feathers to go back and forth, and the corpses at the head of the city were piled up to the height of half a person, so they simply used them as logs and stones and pushed them down the city.

"Your Highness... No, Your Majesty! Please wait for Rong Chen to escort you to Hanzhou to gather troops and horses to wipe out the rebels!" Habayashi Qianqi was wearing heavy armor, kneeling on the ground with a clanging sound.

Zhong Xu turned his head back, carefully looked at the young Qianqi's face covered by his helmet, and then lightly smiled, pointing to the "Su" banner among the chaotic rebel banners below the city: "What are you from Su Jingfei?" People?" His voice was not loud, and the hearts of the few people around who heard these words trembled.

The young Qianqi raised his face, and replied bluntly: "My son, Su Ming." Under the light of the beacon fire at the top of the city, his frank face clearly resembled the rebellious governor of Tulin County, Su Jingfei.

"Su Ming, you protect me, you are going to face your father with swords." Zhong Xu smiled, without armor on his body, his crown-like face was smeared with blood, and he tilted his head to wipe the embroidered robe on his shoulders superior.

"The last general didn't know he had a father until he was 14 years old, and he doesn't plan to recognize his father in the future."

"The knife you wear is the Diaochongzhai steel-mouthed broad-bladed straight knife that the Su family's children are used to."

"It's my mother's relic. The general vows to use this knife to fight Su Jingfei. Today, please be the vanguard and clear the way for His Majesty. Please also allow Su Ming to fulfill this long-cherished wish." Su Ming couldn't restrain himself when he said this. The fluctuation in the voice brought a little light to his eyes.

"You are still young, but these rebel generals in the city are all veteran soldiers. Are you going to take these men to death?"

Su Ming pursed his lips stubbornly and did not answer.

"That's not necessary. It's useless to kill so many people just now to cover Boyao. We can't afford to lose people like this." Zhong Xu raised his eyes and looked at the sky.It was almost midnight, and the wind was blowing against Chengji Gate. He took the horn bow and released a Ming Dysprosium to the sky.The sound of Mingdi was different, like the sound of a falcon, sharp and loud.

The sound of throbbing had just disappeared into the depths of the night sky, when there was a sudden movement in the right wing of the rebel camp below the city, a group of troops bearing the banner of "Qing Hai" slammed into the city gate diagonally, it was the Liushang Army under Duke Qing Hai's command.The incident happened suddenly, and the rebels were caught off guard, and the Liushang Army rushed out of the formation.In front of the city gate was the Heyuan Army, the direct descendant of King Yi Chu Fengyi, who reacted quickly and began to fight in front of the city gate. Wang Yannian's, Cao Guang's, Luo Siyuan's, and Su Jingfei's troops on both sides and behind the palace were all gathered by guards from various places. He just stood still and didn't want to rashly get involved in the melee.Heyuan's army flanked the left and right sides, and Liushang's formation became thinner and thinner as the battle progressed, gradually becoming a long dragon, stretching from the city gate to the outside for more than a mile.At this moment, Liuzhang's army released a Ming Dy, which was the same sound as Chu Zhongxu's on Chengji Gate.The gate of the city suddenly opened, and a group of people rushed out from the capital.

Although the formation of the Liushang army is thin, it is extremely strong and difficult to cut off. The Heyuan army is fighting hard, but there is another sound of gongs in the Liushang army. In an instant, it was split into two from the left and right, and a passage of flesh and blood was opened in front of the city gate, and more than [-] soldiers and horses from the capital rushed out of the passage in one go, and the long dragon formation closed again, closing in successively. A bundle of more than [-] people surrounded the more than [-] horsemen and escaped from the imperial capital.Beside the leading young man, a black-ground golden dragon-patterned banner was waving.The sharp-eyed people in the Heyuan army knew that the commander-in-chief flag was used by the Gaozu of this dynasty for the uprising, and it had been enshrined in the Taimiao of the Forbidden City, and reported it to Chu Fengyi immediately.

It was unexpected that the Liushang army turned against them before the battle. The Yulin army and the Liushang army raised the flag high, so there must be a descendant of the clan who escaped.Although Chu Fengyi won the imperial capital, he was extremely unhappy in his heart. When the rebels entered the Forbidden City, he learned that it was not Prince Bo Yao who had escaped, but Xu Wang Zhongxu.

More than [-] soldiers and horses left the imperial capital and headed northward.The rebel Luo Siyuan was relentless and suffered several losses, so he had to follow behind and wait for an opportunity to attack.Chu Zhongxu and others fought and walked through the Qiyue pass. It was noon the next day, and the team gradually gathered.

Su Ming rides his horse and walks beside Zhong Xu, looking at him from time to time.Xu Wang is only seventeen years old, but his face is completely childish, and his eyes are clear and sharp, which shows that he is a person with rough chest.Su Ming couldn't help thinking in his heart.

The Fang family of Qinghai Gong is a rare prince with a different surname in this dynasty. He is entrusted with Liushang County in the Qingliang Peninsula of Lanzhou, and he is also in charge of the Liushang Army.It is not surprising that Prince Yi colluded with Lord Qing Hai in this rebellion, what is strange is that Lord Qing Hai's Liushang Army had already agreed with King Xu on a set of measures, the mutiny under the city, and the internal and external cooperation.Even the formation method seems to have been practiced proficiently earlier.This is what Xu Wang originally meant when he said that he would pave a way out for Bo Yao.

"Brother Xu, Brother Xu!"

Hearing this voice, Zhong Xu hurriedly reined in his horse, only to see a man controlling a Hanzhou horse, coming towards him against the direction of the army.When he got close, he happily took off his battle helmet, revealing a handsome and fair face. It was obvious that he was a noble boy, tall and tall, about one or two years younger than Zhong Xu.

Zhong Xu saw a new shallow knife wound on the corner of the boy's mouth, so he wiped the boy's wound with his sleeve, but the blood couldn't be stopped. "Jianming, what's the matter with you, is this disfigured?"

The young man smiled brightly, and answered the wrong question: "Father is not in good health, and he has to beware of the chaos and bandits around, so he allocated half of the Liushang army to me, and just said that I will leave it to you."

Zhong Xu turned his head and said to Su Ming: "This is Fang Jianming, the eldest son of Duke Qinghai. He was in command of the Liushang army under the city just now."

Su Ming clasped his fists in salute, secretly startled.More than [-] Liushang troops were caught in the chaotic army, and the formation was still not chaotic at all, changing freely, this boy is actually a good leader.

When camping at night, Zhong Xu and Fang Jianming slept in the same tent.The wound at the corner of Jianming's mouth has rolled dust, scabs formed, and there is a streak of ocher red, which looks like a smile but not a smile.

"Brother Xu, that Su Ming is someone from Su Jingfei, right?" Jian Ming suddenly folded his body and whispered in his ear.

Zhong Xu never opened his eyes, and said in a low voice: "He cut straight to the point, saying that he is Su Jingfei's bastard son, but he and Su Jingfei are at odds with each other."

"Can you believe it?"

"Su Jingfei had many concubines, but later he hired a kabuki and doted on him very much. He sent and sold those concubines, and the children were left outside. I think it is true. But this Su Ming, when he heard Bo After Yao died, he immediately changed his name to 'Your Majesty'—it is good to be shrewd, but it is too shrewd to be guarded against."

"Brother Xu."

"Ok?"

"We haven't studied martial arts together for two years. People only think of me as a proton in Beijing, but they never expect that you are the closest to me. When I returned to Liushang, my aunt and the others asked if you bullied me."

"The chasing soldiers are not far away, and there will be a tough battle tomorrow, don't talk about it, go to sleep."

"You want to go to Shuang earlier and see sister Zizan, you're so impatient." Jian Ming chuckled.

Zhong Xu didn't answer him, he just bent his fingers and chiseled him a chestnut, and fell asleep on his side, with a smile floating on his lips uncontrollably.

The Liushang Army and the Yulin Army led by Xu Wang fought for a hundred days, and arrived at Shuanghuan City, the capital of Hanzhou, at the beginning of the autumn golden wind.The soldiers and horses originally stationed at Huangquan Pass, and the [-] newly issued in summer, are also available for a total of [-].

The eastern land is in turmoil, and the seaport Quanming City is occupied by the tyrant, making it difficult to transport supplies; the shipping route to the east of Min Zhong has been blocked; the Yingge Strait to the west is often damaged by white tides, and two of the three shipping routes have become dead ends.The transportation and supplies of the entire western land depend on the only half of the air route out of ten.On the Chuliao Sea, only those Leizhou merchants who believed in the Dragon Tail God used their Mulan boats and experienced Yuzu sailors to travel between the West Land and the North Land.Shuanghuancheng and Qicheng have become the trading hubs of Hokuriku, and there are more and more Leizhou caravans with Kuafu Lishi, horse sellers, armor sellers, grain sellers, linoleum sellers, and even those who want to join the army Witch doctors, monks and Taoists, folk counselors, and people of all colors gather here.Zhulan, Tohuolu and other countries even sent envoys, claiming that they were willing to send troops to help suppress the rebellion.However, Zhong Xu knew in his heart that at the same moment, these western countries might also send envoys and business travelers with the same mission to the tyrant of Tianqi.In the vast Kyushu, almost all known gold veins exist in the Eastern Land, which is the territory of Zhengchao.The wealthiest two countries in the West Land, Juren and Nihualuo, reluctantly supported Zhongxu out of the covenant, but they would not let go of this opportunity to take advantage of the fire and exchange gold at a low price from the East Land.

Zhunian and Zhengchao originally had a covenant. Zhongxu's youngest brother, Ji Chang, was studying the language and customs of Leizhou in Zhuren.The princess doesn't like the climate of the Eastern Continent, but she lives in Shuanghuan for half a year. It is the purple hairpin that Zhong Xu likes.The purple hairpin has bright skin, looks attractive, and is naturally gentle and temperamental, and even jewelry hairpin rings are rarely used.The Zhuchari people are good at sailing and trading, and they regard the sharks as the dragon tail gods. The purple hairpin is still deeply believed, and they only wear a pendant with the coat of arms of the royal family on a daily basis, which is incomparably clean.

When the frost returned to the city, they saw white clothes against the wind from a distance, a shadow that was about to fly away standing on the top of the city, overlooking the world of mortals from a distance.

Zhongxu abandons his horse and runs up the tower, Zizan just smiles at him, and after a while he says, "If we don't see each other for half a year, you will be old."

Everyone said that during the [-] days of fighting hard, seeing Xu Wang and a group of young generals mature, they gradually became famous generals.Only Zizan, like an ignorant ordinary woman, only cherishes his emaciated figure and aging face.

The death of his father and brother, the fall of the imperial capital, he never showed some tragic expression.But because of Zizan's words, he shed tears.He is King Xu, the future emperor, and the commander in charge of suppressing the rebellion. He is everything, except that he cannot be an ordinary person who is happy, angry, sick and old.In the troubled times, she was the only one left, and treated him like a flesh and blood body.

The following Luo Siyuan had been besieging the city for less than two months, and winter in Hanzhou was coming.The wind and snow were bitter and cold, and the food and grass were unsustainable, so Luo Siyuan had to cross the sea and retreat.From October to April, 7 people recuperated and exercised in Hanzhou, quietly dormant until the spring of the following year.Zhong Xu has always refused to proclaim himself emperor, and the newly married Zizan only has the title of Princess Xu.

From the 28th to the 31st year of Lintai, time passed in a hurry, and the territory of conquering the dynasty was full of smoke.The war situation is entangled and overturned, the people have no peace, and many villages and towns do not even have an adult male.The prince Ji Chang, who lives in Zhunian, has grown from a child to a young man. With his efforts in every possible way, the supply of Wang Shi is still barely maintained by the Zhunian Kingdom.If Zhong Xu can take back the throne, the Princess Zizan of Zhu Ren will naturally become the queen of Zhengchao. This is the calculation of the Zhu Ren people.

In the spring of the 32nd year of Lintai, among the fourteen prefectures in Daoji Prefecture, only Gyeonggi and the three far east counties facing the sea were still in the hands of the tyrant Chu Fengyi, and the rest had been restored.With Shuanghuan as the accompanying capital, Zhong Xu and the six-winged generals have grown to a scale of nearly 30 kings, and there are nearly 10 rebels from all over the country.Everyone thought that the recapture of Gyeonggi would be no later than the winter of that year, and that the whole territory would be pacified just around the corner.However, in the summer of that year, the initial general trend was shaken again.The northwest Huku cavalry detoured more than 3000 miles in seven days, invaded the territory of Dazheng from Balinduo in the west of Huangquanguan, and forced them straight to Shuang, but they did not get entangled with the blocking king's division. Retreat after one battle, looting everywhere.Prince Fang Zhiyi of Qinghai led the kings of He'an and Chishan counties in the northeast to encircle and suppress the rebels in Tulin County, but they were desperately counterattacked.Chu Fengyi personally led 5000 troops, went south from Gyeonggi, and recaptured the three southwestern counties of Saga, Yuzhou, and Lilan within two months. At one time, Wannan and Yuexi were all rebel flags, Gyeonggi, Guanglu, and Tulin counties The rebels moved westward on a large scale, like tigers and wolves.

That year, Fang Jian would be twenty years old next year, and he had a handsome appearance as a heroic king.Among the six-winged generals, he is the youngest one, but he has been in the army for more than five years.Chu Zhongxu was three years older than him. He was decisive and insightful before the battle, and he already had the air of a king.During the war, in all kinds of cover, support and outflanking, the two can echo each other from a distance, like a pair of biological brothers.Most of Wang Shizhong has outstanding young generals, and they have a deep love for their comrades during the years of battle. There are many stories of giving up their lives to help and defending with blood. However, everyone knows in their hearts that the only person Xu Wang can trust with his life is Fang Jianming, the son of Duke Qinghai.

In July, the news of Fang Zhiyi's death in Qinghai reached Shuanghuan, and the spies reported one after another. Liushang and He'an counties fell one after another, and Fang's family was wiped out.When the message arrived, an army of [-] troops was waiting to be dispatched to Tongping City, the capital of Lilan County in Wanzhou, which had recently fallen.Fang Jianming was silent for a long time when he heard the letter, and Zhong Xu called him from the horseback.The young deputy raised his head slightly, looked at the young man who was also a brother and a gentleman in front of him, and opened his mouth, but after all, he could not say anything, and left the front of the array silently.When he came back, he had changed into mourning clothes in the armor, and he was still light on his horse, his eyes were slightly red, but his expression was calm as usual.

Master Wang hurried for eleven days and stationed fifty miles outside the west gate of Tongping City.First they dispatched a small group of troops to yell and harass for several days. When the rebels opened the city to face the battle, they pretended to retreat. After repeated attempts, Chu Fengyi finally provoked Chu Fengyi to lead the main force out of the city and spread out along the long and narrow plain beside the Lilan River.

Lilan River is a tributary of Jianshui, from Baishui to Liunan and enters the sea.In the section of Tongping City, the plain on the south bank of the river is no more than five or six miles wide, and further south, there are rolling hills.Before dawn, the sky is pale, the mountains are green, and the outlines of vegetation are lined up on the ridges.The sword and the light armor accidentally collided, causing small ripples in the quiet air, and the bright red Liushang army banner faded into thick black under the ignorant sky—Fang Jianming was Qing Haigong and the lord of Liushang County for three generations in this dynasty.Either black or white, the trees cast gray shadows, and there is no third color.

Zhong Xu looked up at the boy on the horse.

Fang Jianming was still wearing black mourning clothes under his armor, his dark brows were hidden under his helmet, Zhong Xu could only see his thin white lips stretched into a line.The boy turned his head, Zhong Xu guessed that the boy was looking at him.In the quiet and cool air in the early morning, the boy's invisible eyes cast a chill, a suppressed, frozen anger, a black transparent flame, without heat, but it wanted to burn everything up.That anger was not directed at Zhong Xu, what was rolling in the young man's chest was bloodthirsty fighting spirit.

"Jianming," Zhong Xu said in a low voice, "remember, charge and encircle at sunrise tomorrow."

Jian Ming nodded slightly, turned his horse's head, and walked silently towards the southern hills, and soon disappeared into the morning mist in the thick green forest.The huge formation extended into a column, silently following behind him.Numerous footsteps and horseshoes trampled through the grass in the first dew of summer.

The young Qing Haigong led [-] elite cavalry and [-] infantry, circled eastward in the hills for more than [-] miles, and sneaked outside the weakly defended east gate of Tongping City in the late afternoon of that day.At this time, black clouds cover the sky and block out the sun, and then it rains violently and thunderously, making the two parties fight.

On the plain south of the Lilan River, the rain beats on the iron armor, and there is a sound of clanging for ten miles.Zhong Xu has led the king's division to fight against the army of the tyrant Chu Fengyi's direct line.The sky and the earth were dark yellow, mixed with blood and mud.Under the saw-saw of advance and retreat, the passage was gradually blocked by corpses, and in the heavy rain, the narrow plain was almost a road to hell.Master Wang's armor was heavy, and his clothes were inconvenient to move after being soaked in the rain. The army of Chu Fengyi's direct line had been fighting in the southwest for several years, and they had long been accustomed to heavy rains, so they were light and sharp.Nearly an hour later, Wang Shi was defeated and retreated to three miles in front of the Chinese army's tent.Drums roared, and huge vibrations drilled into the core of the person's spine from the ground.The formation of the rebels is gradually closing, and a vigorous charge is taking shape.Wang Shi's forwards also gradually gathered into a sharp shape, ready to fight desperately.

The drums stopped suddenly.Except for the angry roar of the Lilan River, and the sound of the torrential rain beating on the spine of the sword and the armor, the plain was completely silent.The dead will no longer make a sound, and the living will not make any other noises.The men gasped silently, their faces were covered with blood and mud, and the dirty rain washed down from their heads, blurring their vision.After the next confrontation, many will fall into the muddy water like their comrades, leaving their cold and unconscious bodies, allowing the heavy rain to wash away those fatal wounds.

Suddenly, from east to west, there was a wave of commotion among the rebels.

"Look, on the city!" A hissing shout pierced the vast rain curtain.

In the sky in the east, several smoke rose into the sky, half a moment later, a corner of the sky appeared reddish in the rainstorm, it was really a beacon of emergency in Tongping City.

"It's the Eastern Army, the Eastern Army has begun to attack the city!" Wang Shizhong suddenly burst into a joyous and cruel cry.

Tongping City has been attacked by Wang Shi from east to west, and the situation is in jeopardy.In the rebel formation, the tyrant king's commander-in-chief began to move eastward, presumably Chu Fengyi was in a hurry to rush back to the city to relieve the siege.On the long and narrow plain, only the rebel general Luo Jihan and [-] rebels were left struggling to support.

Chu Zhongxu led Wang Shixi's army and advanced steadily eastward. Luo Jihan's troops slowly marched towards Tongping City and retreated. Every step left dead bodies and stumps on the muddy red and yellow ground.

At night, the east gate of Tongping City caught fire.The rebel army was attacked head to tail, in a dilemma, opened the north and south gates, and tried to escape from the city, but was ambushed and suffered heavy casualties.The rebel army was hit hard by this, but it aroused a desperate ambition to resist desperately.The forwards of Chu Fengyi's troops had just returned to the west gate of Tongping City. Half of Fang Jianming's Eastern Army had already entered the city from the north and south gates.The east gate was still burning in the night rain, with tongues of flame fluttering, standing majestically behind Wang Shidong's army, as if the arch of the fiery hell stretched across the dark sky.

The city gate had been completely burned to charcoal and ashes, sparks shot out, and finally cracked with a bang, scorched wood and red-hot copper crushed and shattered.Hundreds of sergeants rushed in with shields on their heads. Against the background of blazing flames, the black silhouettes of men and horses were shocking.Several fine horses came after them, leaping proudly over the corpses of the rebels.Because of this leap, the huge drenched banner held by the standard bearer was unfolded, and the firelight showed an ominous red and black color.The fur of the black horse is as bright as satin under the light of the torch, and the young man on the horse is dressed in silver armor, with a heavy silver spear. The silver helmet blocks his eyes, and the rain mixed with blood drips from the proud jaw. .The young man raised his head and looked at the captured city gate behind him. The silver helmet loosened and fell to the ground with a clang, revealing an upright and handsome face.On the battlements, the rebel flags were still burning.

The old wound on the corner of the boy's lips was slightly lifted, like an unpredictable smile.He pointed the bloody spear point at Chu Fengyi's handsome flag, and the flames of destruction burned all over him, like a god of death.

"Warrior kills, surrender also kills!"

Responding to the brief order of the deputy commander, the soldiers of the Eastern Army let out howls of wild beasts, rushing towards the rebels like a stream of iron.Control the strings and hold the blade, and move the world.On July 32th of the [-]nd year of Lintai, Tongping was broken, and thousands of thieves were beheaded.

——"Conquest of Books · Kings · Hundred and Forty Two · King Jingyi"

By midnight, the rain had stopped and the cumulus clouds had parted, revealing a clear, star-studded sky.Late at night in midsummer, cold air and bloody air rise from the ground, along the calf of a person, climbing up like kudzu vines.

Wang Shixi's army has gradually been unable to withstand the strong pressure from the east.The main force of the rebel army who returned to Tongping City was driven out of the city and joined with Luo Jihan's troops. There were still nearly 5 troops in total.The city was broken, and Wang Shidong's army, who was raging like wolves, was chasing after him. The rebels had become poor bandits, and turned their heads to the west to kill desperately.

"The Eastern Army has charged ahead of time! What are those bastards doing?" The soldiers of the Western Army cursed loudly and brandished machetes, trying their best to stop the decline.They only heard the next day that that night, Fang Jianming, the deputy commander of the Eastern Army, handed down an order: whoever kills the head of the tyrant king will be rewarded with [-] gold.However, not every one of them survived to the next day.

Chu Zhongxu comforted the restless mount, overlooking the battle situation from the top of the hill.It has been seven hours since the two armies met, and out of the 12 soldiers and horses gathered on the plain, only less than [-] are left.The rebels broke through to the west, and Wang Shi retreated to the west.

Amolan, one of the six-winged generals, stood beside him with a longbow on his back, and said full of worry: "Your Highness, if you continue like this, you will soon retreat to the narrowest exit in the plain. That exit will greatly restrict the king. For the speed of action, we have to pay at least an additional price of thousands of troops, and it is no longer difficult to complete the encirclement with the Eastern Army."

Zhong Xu silently nodded, his brows tightened even more.This trip to the south of Lilan County, is it necessary to lose more than ten thousand soldiers and return empty-handed?

I can't stand it anymore.He heard a voice whispering in the air, a small but loud voice, omnipresent, passing through the crowd of melee like a miasma of wind.It is the voice of the people, separated from the body and consciousness, and gathered into the whisper of fate.The men's hands holding the knives have lost feeling, their arms are numb, and the tiger's mouth is cracked to the bone. They just keep chopping, chopping, chopping.

Just for a moment.Zhong Xu saw countless lights and colors flowing in his memory, whirling and passing by his side, as fast as a canopy.

The royal father clasped one dead green hand in the air, and scratched his throat violently with the other.The undiagnosed strange disease came on fiercely and collapsed overnight.

The army crushed the city.

The grain guards on the Hanzhou Road rioted repeatedly, and most of the grain and grass that the youngest brother Ji Chang managed to purchase from the Zhuren Kingdom were robbed.

Assassins sneaked into the royal palace in Shuanghuan City, Zizan was frightened and lost her two-month-old fetus.

The corners of Jianming's eyes are reddish.

Zhong Xu clenched the scimitar in his hand and took a deep breath.

Good luck child, you are so funny.But why - the young man wiped the blood stains on his cheeks, and looked straight into the depths of the starry sky where the clouds broke through the sky.The sneering eyes didn't seem to be looking for an answer, but rather provocative—why do I have to obey you?
The sky is vast, and the stars are everywhere.Under the sky, his figure was extremely small.

Zhong Xu sent the scimitar to the side of the ear, blocked a small crossbow arrow, and then galloped forward, galloping towards the front of the formation, like a lightning bolt splitting the ranks of rebels.

"Charge! Follow me if you want to survive!"

A loud voice floated high above the battlefield.Every soldier of the king's division heard their commander, their king, and for the first time, they heard their emperor.

The golden sound of white blades clashing suddenly became dense, and another majestic and real loud voice rose from the crowd.It was the fanatical cry of more than [-] people from the bottom of their hearts. It was messy at first, and then gradually became clear, overwhelming——

Long live Long live Long live!

The voice behind him rose higher and higher like a tide, but Zhong Xu couldn't hear anything.Breaking into the chaotic army, he swung the scimitar in his hand, and the powerful and sharp arc seemed to be heading towards the throat of fate.

Warm blood spattered his face.He also couldn't hear Amolan's exclamation.

When Wang Shi's eastern and western armies finally formed a successful encirclement, there was still less than half an hour before the scheduled charge.The Eastern Army launched an early charge and almost pushed the entire army into annihilation. Even so, seeing the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army emerge from the night fog at the end of the plain, the battle has turned so far, and the soldiers of the Western Army spit out from their hearts. Come in one go.The Eastern Army was so jealous that they refused to surrender. Less than 3 rebels survived, and they all begged for their lives from the Western Army.The sound of the troops withdrawing to gold rang three times, and the Eastern Army finally calmed down.

Under Zhongxu's banner with the golden dragon pattern on the black ground, Amolan squinted his eyes and looked towards the east.The red flag of the Qing Navy Commander towered high above the creepy head, and it was coming here.The captives dragged their injured legs and moved away in fear, revealing the pure black horse of the Qing Navy and the young general on the horse.Gradually getting closer, Amolan could see clearly that his long spear was gone, there were winding bloodstains on his sideburns, there were nearly twenty large and small wounds, and there were traces of fierce fighting all over his body.But those eyes, the boy's eyes, were just cast from boiling molten iron, with sparks and sparks still bursting out.The tyrannical and restless flame seemed to burn the young man's body to death.

"Where's Chu Fengyi?" His lips turned white, and when he spoke, blood oozes out.The young man licked his lips and swallowed the irony blood, "Have you found Chu Fengyi?"

Amolan didn't answer, but just shook his head.

The boy's eyes became more scorching in an instant.He quickly turned the horse's head in silence, whipped the horse and was about to gallop east again, when Amolan grabbed his shoulder.The boy failed to shake off, but was pulled back by Amolan instead.His brows were tightened, and his right hand was already on the saber at his waist.

"His Royal Highness Xu Wang," Amolan paused slightly, as if considering his words, and then pointed to the west, "His Royal Highness Xu Wang is in the tent of the Chinese army."

The young Qing Haigong looked at him suspiciously.This man, who is also a six-winged general like Fang Jianming, is in his early thirties. He has a purple-red complexion from a foreign race in the South China Sea, deep eyebrows, and brown pupils that look like cat's eyes.Even Zhong Xu only knew that he came from the Chenla Kingdom in the South China Sea, and was good at gambling, horse training, riding and shooting. As for his real name, where he was originally from, and why he went into exile in the Eastern Continent, he didn't know anything, and didn't ask much.During Emperor Xiu's reign, Amolan served in the royal division, and spent seven or eight years in obscurity. He was promoted by King Xu the year before last to become the captain of the guards. He has spoken very beautifully since then.

Amolan raised his eyes and glanced left and right for a moment, and the personal guards who followed Fang Jianming finally backed away a little.Amolan rode his horse close to the young man, spreading his palms upwards.The young man's breathing stopped suddenly, and the scars on the corners of his lips were stretched. The face that was originally so angry and bloodthirsty that people dare not look at it suddenly lost all expression - like a mask stained with blood and fire. Inhumanly handsome, cold and lifeless.

In Amolan's palm lay an exquisite cypress doll the size of a domino.The doll has been split into two parts, and several lines of text are written in small script on the chest. The fresh yellow and white wood grains on the cracked surface seep ocher color, and the small hands and feet painted with varnish are covered with half-dried dark red fingerprints, which are greasy and sticky. People seem to have been soaked in a pool of blood recently.Jian Ming recognized that thing——when going out to battle, many soldiers carried such a doll in their arms, and the folks called it "Bo Xi", which was used to ward off the curse of calamity and disgust.If the owner is unfortunately ill and seriously injured, the doll will be split open and burned, and Bai Xi will bear the disaster for the owner, which is a protective thing.Zizan met by chance, and personally made a dozen Baixi dolls for the generals who had no family, and wrote their names, names, and birthdays. After the mirror.

As for the one in Amolan's hand, they all recognized it as Zhong Xu's.

"One hour ago, His Highness was hit by a arrowhead, which was pierced by the arrowhead and shattered. In order to prevent the morale of the army from being distracted, His Highness reluctantly cut off the shaft of the arrow, and only kept the arrowhead in front of his chest until the overall situation was settled. Send him back to the big tent. The doctor said—"

Amolan suddenly stopped talking, as if there was something to say, and it would come true.He silently put the fragments of the doll into Jianming's hands, turned his head and whistled softly, and the flag bearer followed Zhongxu with Zhongxu's black-ground golden dragon-patterned handsome flag, and followed Amolan to the plain full of corpses Go deep.He still has many things to do to take in prisoners, clean up the battlefield, and organize formations.

The armor on his shoulders suddenly became unbearably heavy.The young man in black and silver armor spread his hands, looked down at the bloody little pieces of wood on his palms, raised his head, and kicked the horse's belly vigorously.Wu Zou neighed for a long time, and then let go of his hooves and galloped towards the large tent of the Chinese army to the west.

The guard sergeants had no time to stop them, the steed had jumped over the antler barrier outside the camp, the man on the horse drew his sword out of its sheath, and knocked away several golden knives of the guards in front of the tent one after another, almost rushing into the tent with the man and the horse before slamming into the camp. Rein in the rein and rein in the horse.Crow's head roared angrily, and the man stood up and raised his hoof, just as the guards were about to raise their bows and shoot a volley, the man on the horse jumped down lightly, and was swept into the tent like a storm.Finally, a sharp-eyed person recognized it, and quickly shouted: "Wait a minute! That's the deputy commander!"

The saber in the right hand has been thrown out of the tent, but the wooden chip tightly held in the heart of the left hand is still there, sweating, and the hand is covered with mud powder and blood, and the place where the wooden thorns were pierced is a little bright red.

There was a fire in the empty tent, and the frozen hands and feet felt itchy and painful as if immersed in warm water.The young man stood still, without blinking his eyes, staring at a string of blood splatters the size of copper coins on the ground, bypassing the tent and heading towards the inner tent.Lights were lit in the inner tent, and a few busy figures were projected onto the tent.

Beads of sweat hung from the tip of the medical officer's nose, he didn't care to wipe it off, he couldn't stop shaking his head, and whispered something to the lying figure.

Zhong Xu's cold and pleasant voice rose, although weak, but stubborn: "How many times do you want me to say it? Show it to me."

The chief medical officer was so anxious that he also raised his voice: "Your Highness, I can't pull it out at this time! The arrowhead is between the lungs, if it is pulled out, the bleeding can't be stopped for a while, then—"

"I can't pull it out at this time. Could it be that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," Zhong Xu gasped hoarsely, and there was a broken breath in his words, "I can pull it out?"

The chief medical officer was speechless and just rubbed his hands repeatedly.Someone inside the tent poked his head out to take a look, and said to the inner tent, "Your Highness, Duke Qing Hai is here."

As if he was about to speak, but was choked by something, Zhong Xu coughed violently, and every time he coughed for a while, he made a long hissing sound when he inhaled, it was air leaking out of the injured lung duct.There was panic in the inner tent, several voices shouted: "Your Highness, Your Highness!"

Among such noisy human voices, Jianming could still hear the two or three soft puffs on the curtain, like a few drops of rain falling on tarpaulin.Everyone suddenly fell silent.From the inside of the heavy curtain, slowly, tiny red threads permeate, stretch out along the warp and weft, and gradually open.

Jianming was startled, and shouted loudly: "Brother Xu!" Without thinking too much, he lifted the curtain and stepped into the inner tent.

The chief medical officer was pressing Zhong Xu's chest tightly with a large stack of cloth towels. He was nearly 50 years old, his hands and feet were trembling with anxiety, and he kept calling out: "Your Highness, what are you doing?" Don't die!"

Fang Jianming took a step back.

Chu Zhongxu's whole body was ashen-blue, his figure seemed to be smaller than usual, blood was all over from the neck to the navel, it dried wet, wet and dry again, and the blackened blood scab was covered with a layer of bright red. The new blood was spurted out just now.He was moving his lips, but those who were a little further away could not hear him.

Jianming rushed to the bed, too panicked to speak.

Zhong Xu smiled slightly, his eyes beckoning him to come closer.Jianming complied, and saw that Zhongxu seemed to be about to speak, so he moved his ear closer to him.I could only hear Zhong Xu struggling and almost silently saying: "Look... Even if you die, you can't carry such a thing with you."

Shocked, Jianming broke off Zhongxu's right hand, and saw a bloody fine iron arrowhead with only an inch of shaft attached.

At this time, it was circulated outside the account that someone had sent a letter to Lord Qing Hai from Liushang County.Hearing the word Liushangjun, Jianming's throat tightened.In name, he is still the lord of Liushang County, but now his father and brothers in the clan have all died in battle, Chu Fengyi has ordered the Fang family to be wiped out, and Liushang County has fallen into the hands of the rebels. Who will send the letter from there?

Outside the gate of the camp, the waiting courier on fast horses couldn't even stand still, and the wounds all over his body were festered, emitting a foul smell.Seeing Fang Jianming coming out of the tent, he tremblingly took out the envelope from his arms, it was soft and rotten, probably soaked in rain and sweat.Opening the envelope, there was only a thin piece of paper inside. It took more than a month to travel from Liushang to Lilan, from northeast to southwest.

Jianming my son: Fang's blood is left alone in your body, so you can do it yourself.

It is the handwriting of Fang Zhiyi, the deceased old Qinghai official. I think it was written in a hurry, and the lines are crooked. It is still the dignified family heirloom style.

I thought it was a red paper envelope, but the color has faded in passing.Seeing that the paper note inside was half stained ocher red, and two fingerprints, I knew it was blood.

He knew his father was gone.He is a son of a nobleman, he entered the palace to study with the prince since he was a child, and when he entered the court during celebrations, his father often came to see him, but he felt strange.My father was not annoyed either, he always smiled unhappily, gave him one or two things, and even patted his head if he didn't avoid it.When he was six years old, he began to practice archery in the fall. His father gave him a gold finger inlaid with water-green glaze, which he used to draw a bow, in case the bowstring cut his finger.The finger ring is the size of a grown man, and my mother wrapped it with green silk thread, and it fits him perfectly.

In today's battle, although he was determined to kill Chu Fengyi for revenge, he still had some luck in his heart.Father looked warm and gentle. It is said that when he was young, he was also a man with outstanding martial arts. The Fang family was flourishing. How could it be so easy for them all to die?But when he got the letter in his hand and saw the white paper soaked in his father's blood, he really understood it.

They are all gone.Even if he personally beheaded Chu Fengyi's head and sacrificed it before the spirit, no one would answer.There is no one to complain about these words, only to speak to myself quietly in my mind, the indescribable emptiness and desolation.

Half of the wounded soldiers had already been carried to the side of the Chinese army so that the medical officers could treat them. There were wailing and wailing voices one after another, some of them looked like wolves that had lost their cubs, some of them looked like bellows, and some of them looked like everything except that they didn’t people.He ordered the messenger to be sent for medical treatment, and the soldier carrying the messenger muttered in a low voice: "I can't save my own people. If it wasn't for his grandma's Eastern Army charge earlier, how could so many people die."

The sun has not yet come out, the east is faint, looking from a distance, it seems that the Tongping City is still burning with raging fire.On the plain before him, he saw his men and horses, each wounded, driving the captives to dig pits to bury their comrades.He saw a rebel soldier with a rope tied to his left arm, connected to a chain of captives beside him, dragging his broken right arm, and digging with his left hand.He saw these tens of thousands of people, after half a day and a night of fierce fighting, all of them were hungry, cold, and bleeding, and fell asleep on the mud.He saw the enemies he fought in his lifetime, one's blade still pierced through the other's chest, but they were buried in one place, becoming eternal neighbors underground.They may have wives and children in their hometown, but even if they find here, they will never find their relatives again.With so many dead bones, who can identify them?

He shows no mercy.Although he is still young, he has been in the army for many years, and he deeply understands that if they are the ones who surrender, the enemy may not be able to treat them more kindly.It's just that the first rising sun turned the Lilan River into a river of blood. Tens of thousands of people squinted their eyes against the majestic morning glow, and the ten miles of plains were all red.

However, if it weren't for his mistake, some people would not have to die.Thinking of this, he woke up suddenly, turned around and rushed into the big tent, tucking the letter into his clothes.When he passed the brazier for heating, he poured the pieces of Bai Xi in his hand into the fire, the tongue of fire licked up in an instant, then fell down, devouring the wood chips, and the human form could no longer be seen.

It was already half light outside, but it was still late at night inside the tent.Zhong Xu's face was horribly pale, and the cloth towel around his heart had been changed a few times, which barely stopped the bleeding, probably because there was not much blood to flow in his body - if it wasn't because of his mistake, Zhong Xu wouldn't be like this.

Seeing him coming in, Zhong Xu opened his eyes and twitched the corner of his mouth almost invisibly.

Jian Ming half knelt down in front of his bed, holding his fingertips, the long and slender fingers as cold as iron stone, vaguely evoked ominous memories of his childhood in this dark space.

As if exhausting all the strength in his body, Zhong Xu's voice was still as soft as a whisper: "Jianming, are you feeling better?"

The young deputy commander raised his eyes in shock, and met Zhong Xu's eyes looking at him.His eyes were weak and dim, but he was smiling.

They are both fatherless children, the last survivors of the clan.From a friend who accompanied him since he was a child, he has grown into a comrade who can entrust his life to him.In this world, there is only him, and there is no need to speak to him.

——It turns out that he understands everything.

Fang Jianming suddenly burst into tears, choked up and said, "Brother Xu..."

"...I'm going to be the coach, it's so ugly." Zhong Xu closed his eyes as he said that, as if he was very sleepy.He was still alive, but his extremely exhausted body might not be able to last for two days.

The boy finally burst into tears.

At daybreak, Duke Qinghai sent all the chief medical officer and others out of the big tent, and only ordered twenty personal guards to guard in front of the outer tent in shifts. A few herbs go in.

After half a day, the chief medical officer wanted to visit Xu Wang's injury, but the guards at the door stopped him, saying that he was the bus agent of Qinghai, and as long as no one came out, even if the princess came outside, he was not allowed to let him go. , tea, medicine soup and the like are also not used.

The chief medical officer was furious, and in the midst of the clamor and dispute, the door curtain of the tent was lifted with a clang, and Mr. Qing Hai came out from the tent.The chief medical officer turned around and was about to have an attack, but was speechless for a moment.

The boy in front of him has become another person.

The appearance, posture, and clothes were all different. However, in just half a day, the young man's flying spirit disappeared without a trace, but there was a solid determination and courage in his eyes.He has grown into a young man.

Qinghai Gongfang Jianming sent a small team to send the chief medical officer and the eight medical officers who had rescued Xu Wang in the tent back to Shuanghuan City, and another chief medical officer was selected to replace the 35 medical officers who treated the wounded soldiers. can stay.With this order, everyone fell silent.From Hanzhou to Lilan, Master Wang spent more than a month traveling with 25 troops. Now, even with light and fat horses, it takes [-]-[-] days to go back and forth. up.It's just that since the commander-in-chief can no longer take matters into his own hands, everything must be obeyed by the deputy commander-in-chief, so everyone can only secretly be suspicious.

Fang Jianming ordered Amolan to preside over the aftermath, Amolan nodded quietly, and when he turned to leave, he couldn't help but look back again.The young Qing Hai just raised the door curtain and walked into the big tent.There was blood on the half-dried mud where he had stood, forming a small puddle.

The people who went to Hanzhou to meet and see the chief medical officer rushed all the way, and killed more than forty horses. Nineteen days later, the new chief medical officer was sent to Tongping.The new Baixi doll made by the Princess Zizan could not be sent to the account, but had to be handed over to Amolan for temporary storage.

For the nineteenth day, lights were burning in Asahi King's camp day and night. At first there was the sound of water droplets hitting vessels, but in the last three or two days, it seemed that there was no living person inside. Two ravings with a high fever, I'm afraid I really think that His Royal Highness Xu Wang and Qing Haigong are no longer alive.A few impatient five thousand riders wanted to break into the camp to visit, but Amolan drew his sword and stopped them.

The new chief medical officer arrived in the army, and after inquiring about the situation, he was a little restless, so he decided to go to treat the wounded soldiers first.Just as he was about to re-prescribe an external prescription for the sergeant who had a broken knife wound, he suddenly heard a commotion outside.Several young infantry broke into the camp, dragged him out without any explanation, and dragged him to the big tent.

It turned out that there was movement in the tent.The soldiers threw down their whetstones and rice bowls, and rushed to gather in front of the big tent, crowding thousands of people, holding their breath and listening intently.The sound of water from the Lilan River came faintly from three or four miles away.

Inside the tent, the clanging sound of the armor being fastened and fastened could be heard vividly, and the saber came out of its sheath with a clang, presumably the owner just inspected it once and put it back into the sheath again.Then, the footsteps came out from the inner tent and came towards the door curtain of the outer tent.It was the gait of a young man, though slightly frail, but still light and steady—just one.It's not surprising that Qing Haigong was in the tent without sleep or food for nineteen days, and his physical strength was weak.As for Xu Wang, everyone knows that it is probably gone.

The timidity that the chief medical officer had suppressed forcibly surged up in an instant.Hearing earlier that Lord Qing Hai sent the former chief medical officer back to Hanzhou and refused to allow others to see him, he had a solid foundation in his heart—this time in Wanzhou, there will be more bad luck than good luck.It's just that his wife and children are in Shuanghuan City, so he couldn't help leaving with these soldiers.If King Xu really died, Duke Qing Hai would be the number one person in the Wang Shi. In the future, he would rule the world, go to Zhu chariot to welcome King Chang back, and make himself a general supervisor and shadow emperor, that would be a matter of course.Xu Wang Tianhuang nobleman, the corpse must be examined by the eyes of the chief medical officer.If he wanted to keep his head, he had no choice but to give in.However, looking at this battle, if he said a word against his conscience, he might not be able to leave the barracks alive.He listened to the approaching footsteps, trembling at the top of his heart.

With a bang, the door curtain of the big tent was raised.The chief medical officer shivered, the hair all over his body seemed to be pulled up, and the skin was taut.

There was a shout from all around, so loud that it seemed to throw people suddenly into the sky.Standing in the middle of thousands of people, the chief medical officer couldn't tell whether the sound was anger, disappointment or joy, he just stared blankly at the young man who stepped out of the big tent in front of him.

The young man's complexion was so pale that it didn't look like a human being, like a shadow cast by the sun in a gloomy weather, which would disappear when the wind blows.Even though the hand that lifted the door curtain was still trembling, a pair of eyebrows were still raised proudly, sharp and compelling.

He spoke.

"Are you a medical officer?" The voice that used to be bright and clear like a blade was hoarse because it hadn't spoken for many days.

The chief medical officer heard the trembling sound between his upper and lower teeth.He should have breathed a sigh of relief, but he had never seen such an incredible thing in the past 30 years.With such a serious injury, how can he walk on the ground after nineteen days?

Xu Wang still held the door curtain with one hand, squinted his eyes, stared at him dead, and said word by word: "Go in and have a look." As he spoke, he turned his head to the inside of the tent, but his cold eyes never left the medical officer long face.

The chief medical officer hurriedly agreed to "obey the order", and walked into the tent with a cat waist. He heard Amolan come up to report to King Xu. After traveling eastward for a few miles, he had someone hold the commander-in-chief's flag, pretending to be the commander-in-chief and returning to the city, while he himself led dozens of relatives and went straight to the north.After rushing for several miles to the water's edge, I found a boat going down the current, fled to Baishui City and landed, and now escaped back to Tianqi.

The chief medical officer looked back, and Amolan was presenting a small wooden doll to King Xu.King Xu took the thing, looked at it for a long time, then took off the breastplate silently, and put it in his arms.

Qinghai Gong Fang Jianming took care of Xu Wang alone, without sleep for [-] days, and finally lost energy, contracted a serious disease, and could not be moved. He was bedridden in Tongping City for three months, and returned to Hanzhou to recuperate. Return to the front.

Destiny holds a scale, and at one end holds the soul of man.As for what kind of weight its big hand put on the weighing pan at the other end; or when the deadliest weight will fall into the weighing pan, thus pronouncing the coming of death, these are the blind human beings. Can't know.The so-called catastrophe of extinction may be just one of the thousands of quicksands that have slipped unintentionally from the fingers of the giant spirits of Ruins and Desolation.

One year later, on the eve of the Hongyaoyuan battle in February 34 of Lintai, there was news from Dashuang that Chu Fengyi's secret party dead soldiers had sneaked into the city and poisoned the water source. Nearly [-] people died. The fetus in the womb was not spared either.When the news of his death came, he was beside Chu Zhongxu, saw Zhongxu open his mouth, but couldn't say anything, he just quietly covered the breastplate with his palms, as if he could still touch the other pair of bare hands that had touched the cold metal.Under the breastplate, there is a tiny Bai Xi doll hidden.Zhong Xu raised his head and looked at the sky billowing with lead clouds, that was the gaze of a counterattacking ferocious beast.

"Do you think this counts as defeating me?"

In the heavy snow in Hongyaoyuan, Jian Ming seemed to hear Zhong Xu's voice, but he suspected that it was just his own imagination.

The rebellion was completely wiped out in the battle of Hongyaoyuan, and Zhong Xu led 12 kings to return to Tianqi.Eight years have passed since he left the imperial capital at the age of 17.

Kicking open the door of the Zichen Palace that has been locked for many years, the dust is choking.The greasy fragrance left over from the old year, like a ghost that refuses to disperse, is torn apart by the summer night wind.In the dark depths of the hall, the jewels, jade, gold and emeralds on the emperor's throne faintly shimmered.Zhong Xu walked forward, walking very slowly, as if there was an empty river between the emperor's seat and him, and he wanted to wade across the water, for fear that he would take a wrong step.On this road, how many people died trying to stop him, how many people died defending him, and how many people, unarmed, supporting the old and the young, were killed by gusts of rebellious troops—rebels, or counter-rebels. —sweeping life away.The sound of footsteps echoed empty. In his 25 years of life, the first 17 years were the flashy reflections of divine light separation and reunion on the water waves, but the last eight years were ferocious and mixed knife marks, cutting his heart to pieces one by one.When he returned to Zichen Palace, lines were carved on the corners of his eyes, and his 25-year-old temples were also mottled with frost.

Zhong Xu stretched out his hand, wiped a finger of dust from the throne, and looked at it for a long time.Then he turned around, flicked his clothes and sat down.Smoke rose from the throne.

The crowd bowed down like a tidal wave, from the main hall, to the layers of pills, and then extended to every corner of the Forbidden City, the grand sound of Shan Huan live shook the night sky of the imperial capital.From this day on, Xu Wang Chu Zhongxu officially ascended the throne, called Emperor Xu, changed to Yuan Tianxiang, and Zizan became the queen.Next to the emperor's seat, on the side seat that belongs to the queen, is only a spiritual seat wrapped in a phoenix-patterned robe, surrounded by various gold and jade embroidery.

Fang Jianming stood at the forefront of the officials, looking up at the young emperor.

Under the washing of the roaring sound, the young emperor suddenly felt a deep tiredness in his limbs and bones.He looked at the closest people who had fought side by side without saying a word.At this time, the palace people in charge of the candles finally squeezed through the crowd and lit up all the lights one by one.The gorgeous and tall palace is like a transparent pearl, inlaid in the middle of the Forbidden City, the top of the imperial capital.No one knew that before this, the new emperor on the throne had cried silently in the dark.

The chariot people quickly sent a princess, who covered her face and posture all the way to the front of the emperor, and took off the eighteen layers of soap veil, and the hall was full of shocks.The princess was dressed in a gold-red peacock-blue dress, and around her neck was a pendant with the dragon-tailed god-merman coat of arms for the royal family.That is Tilan, Zizan's niece.When Di Xu saw Tilan for the first time, he was speechless for a while, but he didn't love her very much, he treated her more tenderly than the other concubines, and the latter position was always reserved for Zizan.The one returning from the chariot with Tilan was the 21-year-old King Chang, Chu Jichang.

And the knife marks on the corner of Fang Jianming's mouth have not faded since Lintai 27 years ago, making that face always look like a smile but not a smile.Back then, he was a flying young man who talked and laughed like Yan Yan in three beautiful spring days, but now even if he changed back to the princely clothes, the solemn and vigilant look on his face never faded away——

"It can be seen at a glance that he has killed someone." That's what Tilan said.Di Xu just smiled when he heard that.Why not himself.

After that, the so-called "self-destruction of six wings" began.

There are not many young nobles left to conquer the dynasty.During the eight years of wandering in troubled times, the dead died and the scattered. Even in the second year of Tianxiang's New Year, Emperor Xu ordered the world to search for the royal family and nobles, but most of them were fakes.

Not long after the order to search for the emperor's relatives was issued, a young man and woman appeared in the government office of Baiyan County thousands of miles away, claiming to be Yanling Emperor Ji Chu Linlang and Prince Consort Zhang Yingnian.When the summer palace in the feudal land was swept away by the rebellious army, the emperor of Yanling was only thirteen years old, and the captain-in-law was 20 years old.Eight years later, there was no one in the palace who had served them personally. Thinking about these eight years, the emperor's concubine had grown in appearance and suffered from ups and downs, so she must not regain her former appearance; All of his family members were killed when they encountered bandits on their way to Nandu for refuge.Between similarity and dissimilarity, no one dares to say for sure, so Dixu has to decide for himself.

Emperor Xu and King Chang summoned them in Jincheng Palace.The pair of figures walked slowly from the corridor towards the main hall. Since their identities had not yet been determined, in order to avoid presumptuousness, they only wore ordinary clothes, but their gait was elegant.The time sequence is late spring and early summer, the climate is mild, the wind blows under the eaves, and the wind and horses are clanging. It seems that the young emperor came to Zhang's house for the first time, returned to the palace in Guining, dressed in Jiuzhong, a married royal woman. Sadu, holding a basket of pruned jade peonies, walked towards them in a beautiful manner.At that time, there were so many changes in personnel, and there were many difficulties and dangers, but they had not yet separated them into the world, and on that child-like pale cheek, there were still no traces of today's frost marks.

Chang Wang stood up abruptly, and called her baby name "Sister Peony". With just one cry, tears streamed down his face, and he rushed over like a child.

Chu Linlang laughed and wept, and said, "Little Qi'er, you are already an adult."

Di Xu smiled and said from a distance in the hall: "Peony, I owed you a hairpin when I played chess that year. After so many years, the profit is already incredible. Let me pay you off in one go."

The news of welcoming back Yanling Emperor Ji Chu Linlang was announced to the world the next day.Of the five princesses of the late emperor, only Chu Linlang survived.Therefore, Emperor Xu doted on her very much, and gave her a place to live in Fengwu Palace in the Forbidden City, with a salary of one hundred and eighty thousand shi, five hundred servants, and all kinds of rare treasures, which are countless.

At that time, Di Xu had gradually ignored state affairs.At first, I went to court early every day, but later I didn't even go to court at all.However, there is no particularly beloved concubine or favorite plaything, and the civil servants have nothing to give up if they want to persuade them.It's just that the military officers with heavy soldiers died one after another. In the second year of Tianxiang, three of the six-winged generals died of horse shock, dystocia, and conviction.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month of the third year of Tianxiang, Qinghai Gong Fang Jianming had an audience with Di Xu in the early morning, and when the eunuch on duty at night notified him, Di Xu was in Yu'an Palace where Tilan Shurong lived.

"Whatever, wait until I get up to talk about it. Who cares if he wants to—you just said, who is outside?"

"Return to Your Majesty, Lord Qinghai, please give His Majesty a memorial, and allow him to give a memorial yesterday." The eunuch on duty lowered his sharp voice, and lowered his voice even lower.

Inside and outside the Yu'an Palace, there was a moment of silence.

"Show him in."

When Fang Jianming walked into the inner hall of Yu'an Palace, he had an illusion: there was actually no one on the huge ornately decorated chariot-style bed, only layers of brocade and thin quilts and pillows, so many that they were about to drip off the bed.

"Jianming, do you also think I was wrong?" Di Xu slowly sat up amidst the piles of brocade, revealing a plain white robe.

Fang Jianming used the old address for a while, and said: "Brother Xu, the situation is not stable, and I don't feel at ease if you are alone in the palace."

Di Xu stared at him for a long time, and said in a low voice: "Silly boy, the only one I believe in is you. The military power in the world, except for myself, is yours. You can just be your Qing Haigong with peace of mind. Don't forget, if you die I won't live long either."

The young military general standing by His Highness met his gaze, the knife mark on his lips was like a smile but not a smile, and his expression was clear and open-minded: "I just want to make the emperor feel at ease."

Di Xu closed his eyes, as if he suddenly couldn't look at that familiar face.After a while, he murmured, "Tilan, get up."

The brocade quilt behind Di Xu was squirming, and the woman's elegant naked back and long black silk-like hair were gradually exposed from the quilt.She turned her back to the tent and looked back at her king in bewilderment.

"Stand up, face this way, stand up." Di Xu pointed to Fang Jianming.Tilan hesitated, turned around and stood up.The brocade quilt slipped over her delicate and smooth legs and fell to the ground.

Fang Jianming's gaze did not dodge.

Di Xu said: "Look at her carefully. I will reward her to you, or a woman who is more beautiful than her - as long as you want, as long as the world has, I will give it to you. You really don't miss it? Besides, you are only 24 years old. , have no heirs yet."

Fang Jianming smiled and said: "For generations of important ministers in the Fang family, I have never heard of a man who had a good death. Either he died on the battlefield, or he died in the officialdom. Why let the child come to the world and suffer such pains? "

Di Xu laughed back angrily: "Okay, okay. I'm sure, if you want to go, you can go."

The eunuch on duty outside the gate saw Lord Qing Hai walking out of Yu'an Palace, and bowed to salute.I didn't see Mr. Qing Hai leaving for a long time, so he took a sneak peek, and the young Mr. Qing raised his head to look at the cumulus cloudy sky in winter with uncertain brightness and darkness.

"Little Luozi."

"Huh?" The little eunuch raised the eunuch's characteristic sparse eyebrows.

"You are loyal to the emperor, which is very good."

Xiao Luozi bowed his waist and said with an apologetic smile: "That's natural. Those of us who enter the palace to serve can't lead soldiers to fight, and can't share the worries of the emperor like the prime minister. We can only serve with all our heart."

"That's right...not leading military power, not taking part in government affairs, you can be regarded as the one who doesn't seek power and position." Qing Haigong smiled slightly, seemingly very pleased.

After that, Fang Jianming went back to Liushang to dispose of the property and house, and when he entered Tianqi again, he did not come to see Emperor Xu.

On the fourth day of the second lunar month in the third year of Tianxiang, Qinghai Gongfang Jianming died of a sudden illness and heartache, and was given the surname of the country.The public in Roude was called Jing, and Gangke was called Yi, because he pursued the posthumous title of King Jingyi.

Half a month later, on the coldest day of winter, the Internal Affairs Supervisor came to report that Fang Zhu had entered the palace cleanly.Di Xu boarded his chariot and went to see him. In the vast palace courtyard, there was only fine snow blown by the new wind.

In the dim silkworm room, I don't know how many pots of charcoal fires were burned. When I opened the door, I felt a scorching air blowing towards my face.Di Xu immediately took off his heavy fur, and handed it to his attendant to hold it, while looking around.There is only a low couch in the room, nothing else.The red light of the charcoal fire reflected the dead green color of the hand hanging on the bed.Di Xu hurried forward, Huo Di lifted the bed curtain, and immediately took a step back.The eunuch in charge hastily stepped forward and rubbed against his side, watching his expression, but did not dare to speak rashly.

For a moment, the room was dead silent, only the soft crackling of charcoal fire could be heard.

The eunuch in charge almost thought that Di Xu would not have any more words.

The blood-stained man on the low couch frowned and turned his side slightly, but he couldn't wake up due to the effect of the medicine. There was only a knife mark on his lips, and he still smiled stubbornly.The vegan cotton mattress under his body was soaked and stiff with blood, and almost turned into a dark ocher color.When the new blood dripped onto the bed, it couldn't smear or condense, leaving a glaring bright red mark there.

"Jianming...you, why bother to come?" The voice, which was gradually fading away, sighed in a low voice.

The eunuch in charge peeked out, and there seemed to be a glint of light in Di Xu's pupils, ready to come out.Those eyes made people recall 11 years ago, at the gate of Chengji, the young King Xu who held his bow against the wind.However, that complexion was as silent as a stone statue.

After another moment, Di Xu turned around and said to the group of people standing behind him: "Show me your car, go back to the palace." At this moment, he had the same expression as the one in the court in recent years, looking down indifferently, with nothing to say. Seeing, also seems to see nothing.The flash of divine light in Cai Cai's eyes has been reduced to ashes—or it has never been burned.

Since then, there have been legends that there is a black-clothed feather forest in the palace, which is dedicated to doing secret things for the emperor, and the person in charge of this black-clothed feather forest is a eunuch.In the Kinki camp and the major camps, there are also black-clothed habayashi forces.Gu Dacheng, one of the six-winged generals, was killed by the ranger because he indulged his subordinates in plundering.However, there are rumors among the people that the one who killed Gu Dacheng was the black-clothed feather forest.

On October [-]th of the third year of Tianxiang, Emperor Ji of Yanling attempted to poison Emperor Xu, but failed to escape.Chased by the Yulin army to the corner tower of the outer city, he was hit by two arrows and shouted: "I am the concubine of the king of Fenyang County. The emperor killed my parents and brothers. If I can't kill the emperor in my life, I would rather not be reborn. I will be a ghost forever. Entanglement for generations!" Pulling out the arrowhead that pierced his chest, he fell from the five-foot-high turret and fell to his death on the magnificent Yongle Avenue.Nie Jingwen, the king of Fenyang County who followed Chu Fengyi's rebellion back then, was the younger brother of Concubine Nie of the late emperor, and the mother-in-law of Yanling Emperor Ji and King Chang. His daughter and Yanling Emperor Ji were cousins, so it is not surprising that they look similar.However, Zhang Yingnian, the captain's son-in-law, was greedy for wealth and honor, and actually helped this girl pretend to be the emperor's concubine.There were also rumors among the people that the Yanling Emperor Ji was actually true. In order to help King Chang usurp the throne, she went to poison Emperor Xu in person, but lost her way.In order to protect King Chang, she pretended to be the concubine of the king of Fenyang County, and fell to her death.This rumor is often treated as a joke by the world. King Chang's short stories are well-known even among the people, but who has the ability to put this mud on the wall?

On April [-]th of the fourth year of Tianxiang, Su Ming, the last surviving six-winged general, went to Shangzhou as an envoy. traced.The day when the news came, June [-]th, was the day when new pearls were presented from all over the world.

Di Xu put down the potted banyan tree in his hand, frowned and looked at it for a while.The branches and leaves had been pinched out of shape, so he casually picked up a pot of freshly brewed tea on the table, poured it on the roots of the potted plants, and asked aloud, "What year is it today?"

The servant replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, today is June [-]th. Your Majesty saw this year's new tribute beads this morning."

"I'm asking you, what year is it?"

"...Tianxiang, uh, 14 years." The servant thought to himself, the emperor seemed really confused.

II
The hot tidal monsoon blowing from the southeast sea traveled thousands of miles and arrived at the imperial capital, which was already very dry and scorching, and could not bring any rain or coolness.The common people in Gyeonggi call this wind the Fenfeng.Together with Foehn, the bitter summer of Apocalypse begins.

Haishi and his party crossed the Mingluo Mountains to the south, and before they had time to see the outline of Tianqi's city wall in the dust and smoke, a mighty wind gushed in from the Qiyue pass.

"This year's weather is strange, there is actually moisture in the wind." Hai Shi couldn't help taking a deep breath, while restraining the jumping mount under him.

Fu Yi smiled and said: "Where, it's just an ordinary Foehn. This year may be even drier than previous years."

"But..." Haishi showed a puzzled look.Although the wind can't be called cool, it actually contains a wisp of water vapor, blowing on their weather-beaten skin, and they can feel the pores all over their bodies crackling open.

"We are here from Huangquan Pass. We always feel moist and comfortable with the kind of Foehn in Donglu. Mr. Fang was born in the imperial capital, right? That's better. The soldiers from the coastal counties just arrived at the pass. It will take a year and a half for the cracked skin to heal." Tang Qian turned around and raised his eyebrows.

"The late general's father was originally from the seaside of Linjie County, but he grew up in the imperial capital." Haishi replied respectfully.

While speaking, he turned around the pass, and on the downhill road, the horse started to gallop briskly.Haishi carefully controlled the horse and let out a low exclamation.The pass is still 500 miles away from Chengji Gate. Looking down from a bird's eye view, you can already see a huge stream of people, horses and flags slowly bypassing the outer country and gathering outside Chengji Gate. the school grounds.That army, with red flags and red armour, is well-trained. Every time [-] people arrive, they will form a square formation of [-] vertically and [-] horizontally. rules.More than a dozen formations have arrived at the front, but people and horses are still coming from the south around the city in an endless stream, which is a magnificent sight.

On the side of the dragon flag and the Kinki camp flag on the city, a vermilion horn banner was raised, which was the Chengcheng camp flag stationed in Jiguan.

"It was overtaken by the monkeys in the Guanguan." Tang Gan shook his head and said to the generals behind him, "Let's stay here and clean up the formation, so we don't want to make the monkeys laugh at us."

Haishi turned his head to look.As soon as the foehn passed, the green vines all over the mountain withered into a desolate and brilliant golden, and the team of indigo armors meandered on the mountain road, like a river rushing through it.Ming Siqi passed on the word, and there was a powerful echoing voice behind him, and the more it spread, the farther north it was, and the sound went three to five miles away.Every summer when the defense is switched off, the veterans who have withdrawn from the three major battalions must go back to the imperial capital for review.After their death, they also had 4 horses.

Smoke rose from the foot of the mountain, and Yiqi Yao stepped up, gradually seeing his figure and eyebrows clearly.Haishi jumped out of the queue, waved his hands and shouted: "Zhuying, Zhuying!"

As soon as the shouts fell, Zhuo Ying had arrived, wearing light black clothes, no martial crown, and a long bow on his shoulders. He thought that he had heard that the third battalion soldiers and horses who had returned from the defense had arrived at Chengji Gate, so they beat horses from the Forbidden Army Academy. Came straight to the upper pass.Zhuoying's deep eyebrows were full of smiles, she looked at her for a moment, and said: "Oops, people didn't grow taller, but the wind blown out wrinkles on their faces."

Zhuoying's face is tall and straight, if he is blond, he is obviously a barbarian, but he has dark eyebrows and eyes, and he has lived in the Eastern Continent for a long time, so he is an exceptionally handsome man.Haishi was speechless for a moment, but looked Zhuoying up and down, and suddenly asked in wonder, "When did you move from Qianqi to Wanqi?" He pointed at Zhuoying's belt hanging on his waist, inlaid with golden Zouyu patterns. And the purple tassels are clearly the emblem of the military officer Wanqi.The military officer of Yubayashi Imperial Guard is two grades higher than the same ordinary military officers. Yubayashi Nai Wanqi is the same as the three, only under the control of Yubayashi's coach and four Wanqi commanders, and Huangquanying coach Tang Ganzi is also of the same rank .

Zhuoying smiled but didn't answer, she just unfastened a buckle on her left shoulder, untied the crescent-shaped silver pot from her side, and handed it over.The jug is thin and fit close to the body, it is hidden under the side, if it is covered with a robe and armor, it will be nowhere to be found.Haishi took a sip of the drink, wiped his mouth briskly, and said with a smile, "I'm really drunk. Thanks to such a good flagon that doesn't show up, I can drink good wine everywhere I go."

"The foster father withheld a jar of Sanhua wine, and he refused to open it until you came back. This time there is hope." Zhuo Ying's dark golden eyes looked warmly at Haishi.

Haishi sighed inaudibly.The person who always had a half-smile, always regarded her as a man.Thinking of this, a little loneliness appeared on his face.

Zhuoying brought the horse over and touched her head: "Zheliu from our central weaving workshop made you a new set of clothes and hid them on your bed. Go back and try."

"I'm not a child." Haishi tried his best to smile, lowering his eyelashes with a gloomy expression.

Zhuoying smiled and said, "Tonight, my adoptive father and I are both on duty at the Jincheng Palace. You can go back to Jifeng Hall to rest for the night, and I will wash the dust for you tomorrow." Then he rode his horse and went down the mountain.

Haishi looked at Zhuoying's figure disappearing into a river of tobacco in awe, suddenly felt something strange, looked around and saw that Fu Yizheng turned his head back, fixed his eyes on Zhuoying who passed by him lightly.She knew that look, like a koi swimming beside the waterside pavilion in Jifeng Pavilion, lying under the lotus leaf, staring at a shallow-dwelling dragonfly.

Haishi withdrew his gaze and hid his startled expression—on Piluo Mountain Road, Fu Yi also met King Nahuku Xinzuo Putun.Fu Yi's covetous eyes faded without a trace, and his face was completely dark, with no expression on his face.

It took less than half an hour for the Huangquan Camp to set up camp outside the Chengji Gate, and the Chengcheng Camp also arrived from Mohe Pass, and the three major camps gathered under the city to listen to the announcement.As a rule, each battalion of 4 people will be assigned one general and [-] elite soldiers to stay in Beijing to enrich the Kinki battalion, and the rest will be disarmed and returned to their hometowns.The generals of Huangquanying who were included in Kinki were nearly fifty years old.

Word came out from the palace that the three major battalion owners would report to the court tomorrow morning, and Fang Haishi, the general of Huangquan battalion, would also announce that they would have an audience together.

At night, Haishi asked for leave and went back to Jifeng Pavilion.

In the third year of Tianxiang, Emperor Xu granted the Zhaoming Palace, the residence of Shu Yun, the third son of the late Emperor Xiu, to Fang Zhu, the head of Fengting in the inner palace, to live in.Zhaoming Palace abolished the name of the palace and changed its name to Jifeng Pavilion to distinguish it from the royal family. Fang Zhu's adopted son and servants and other people were also allowed to live in the palace, and horses were allowed to walk in the palace.

Before Prince Yi's rebellion, there was no such person as Fang Zhu in the palace, and during the eight years of war, he had never heard of any achievements.There was a lot of criticism among the people from the ruling and opposition parties.There must be a reason why Di Xu neglected to ask about politics.Such a shrewd and wise king has fought without defeat in eight years, and his government affairs are meticulous and flawless. Even for the empress who died before she lived to recover the emperor's capital, her sentiments are extremely steadfast and noble. How can she lose her heart? ?Although the heroes in the black-clothed Yulin pursued the restoration of the country, they acted secretly, but they gradually revealed their clues. These shady warriors are just puppets, and the puppet threads that are as dense as cobwebs are all tied to the hands of an eunuch—the tide of resentment is on the rise Turning to Fang Zhu, the manager of Fengting.Fang Zhu also didn't compete with the world, and all kinds of bitter remonstrances came from all over the country like a snowflake. The emperor was too lazy to look at it, so he asked Fang Zhunian to listen.He also sat under the imperial couch, chanting out the words and phrases such as evildoers and castrations without any embarrassment.There are rumors that Fang Zhu described him as ugly and vicious, and others said that he was as beautiful as a good woman, and used his sex to confuse the Lord.But in the past 14 years, I have never heard of Fang Zhu stepping out of the inner palace. Apart from serving Emperor Xu, he doesn't often move around in the palace.Be it courtiers or generals, no one outside the palace has ever seen the appearance of Feng Ting Chief.

Fang Zhu lived in the Jifeng Pavilion, which became the rumored lair of the black-clothed feather forest.Cars and horses entering and leaving the Jifeng Pavilion are not subject to interrogation. After the forbidden gate of the imperial palace is closed at night, only the Chuihua Gate outside the Jifeng Pavilion can be opened at any time from inside the pavilion.In the conversations of the world, Fang Zhu is no longer alone, but a monster attached to Di Xu's side.

The guard of the Forbidden Gate received the door order from Haishi, and when he saw the word "Ji" engraved on the door order, he immediately showed a horrified expression, and returned the door order with both hands.

Haishi looked down at the guard coldly, didn't say a word, just steered his horse and galloped towards the Jifeng Hall, the guard didn't dare to say anything.

Even with privileges, people in Jifeng Pavilion rarely enter and leave the Forbidden City on horseback, and it is even rarer to use the grace of opening the Chuihua Gate at night. Haishi has lived in Jifeng Pavilion for ten years, and her adoptive father and Zhuoying mostly took her to climb over the wall to go in and out. forbidden city.However, she also clearly knew that the people in Jifeng Pavilion had always had the right to enter the palace and not dismount from their horses.

Her room was still furnished as before, no different from ordinary noble young men, except that on the yellow rosewood bed, there was a lake-green silk and satin bag neatly placed on it.Haishi untied his bag, spread out his inner clothes, and after a look, he frowned, showing a slightly embarrassed expression.The clothes are really beautiful, they are cut from cool and smooth turquoise silk like blue waves, with dots of white gulls dotted on them, and the intricate patterns of white algae along the collar and waist are all embroidered by hand, the shape is extremely skillful.Embroidery is not used in summer clothes, and printing, weaving and dyeing techniques are often used, lest the thick embroidery patterns will make the wearer feel hot and uncomfortable, and the clothes will sag heavily.If the stitches are thin, the sleeves and trains will be elegant, but they will lose the embossed and exquisite benefits of embroidery itself.The embroidery work of this garment is unusual, the stitches are fine and tight, there is absolutely no stacking and knotting, the embroidery workmanship is as good as nature, and because the newly spun primary-color mulberry silk is embroidered, the luster is smooth, and there is a natural feeling of embossment, but the tentacles are still like a breeze. , not stagnant or astringent.What a Zheliu girl, look at the craftsmanship of this dress, even in the forbidden weaving workshop, it is first-class, if you want to see her, how exquisite and clear she must be.

Haishi wrapped the clothes on the left and the right, always feeling that something was wrong, and finally sat back on the bed dejectedly.Since I was six years old, I have changed into men's clothes, and no one can serve me personally. I don't know how to wear skirts anymore.Thinking back to the appearance of the palace clothes, he managed to put them on, stretched out his hands and looked down, stood up hurriedly, ran to the table, poured a new cup of tea, thought about it, and poured that cup of tea into the saucer of the official kiln She leaned over her face to cast a shadow—there had never been a mirror in her room.After a photo, he sighed again.Now that she is wearing a skirt, her hair can no longer be tied up in a scarf like a man's.Haishi simply unraveled his hair, and combed his long hair carelessly with both hands.

There was a light knock on the door.Haishi had just shunned all the servants, thinking in his heart that Zhuoying must have sneaked back, with a happy face, he randomly raised his skirt and ran to open the door.

The Haishi house is facing the Shuangping Lake in the museum, and half of the lake is full of Xinhe.As soon as the door was opened, a good wind rushed in and extinguished the candle.The moonlight poured in like silver paste, washing people from the top to the heels.Haishi felt that the surroundings became silent in an instant, and the noise of the gnats seemed to have been silenced for a moment.

The shadow of the smile was fixed on her wheat-golden face, the wind was blowing through her clothes, and her hair was full of black hair, she was about to fly away.

The people outside the door were also slightly shocked, their faces were shaken, and the knife marks on the corners of their mouths formed a straight line.

Usually dressed in men's clothing, which concealed most of the beauty of the sea market, at first sight she changed into a cardamom girl's attire, even though her breasts were crooked and her expression was uncertain, that kind of unknowingly fresh beauty was breathtaking.When he was a boy, his own pupils must have been so clear that steel blue could be seen from the black and white?
"Father..." Haishi called softly.

In Fang Zhu's eyes, a ray of divine light dimmed, so dark that it was chaotic and dull, like the thick blackness that could not be torn apart from the primordial primordial primordial.The years are especially lenient to him in other places. The 36-year-old man has only 27-[-] appearance, except for those eyes, which can never go back.It's not muddy, it's just that the eyes are always separated, no matter how hard it is to be so clear and innocent.The Qingjun young general back then was like a once-in-a-century dream, it was someone else.Haishi's sound woke him up from his trance.

"You have grown up after all." He took a deep breath and laughed in a low voice, "It's better to know that you want to marry than to shout and kill all day long."

Haishi stared at him intently, with doubts appearing on his face, as if he spoke a foreign language and she couldn't understand him.

"If there is someone in your heart, then find a gap to revoke your military registration, change back to the appearance of a daughter, and go back to Jifeng Pavilion for a year or so, and your adoptive father will go and make peace for you." He said with a smile.He also knew that he could bear it, seeing the natural and beautiful face in front of him gradually mourning, he just smiled and continued, like when a young man was fighting, he sent a knife into the enemy's chest on the battlefield, one inch deeper, one inch deeper, his men He could clearly feel his flesh and blood splitting, as soon as he pulled out the knife, blood mist seemed to be sprayed out.But he just smiled and continued: "Even the sons of princes and princes can easily catch them."

There seemed to be an unresolved lock between Haishi's brows, but there was a bleak smile on his lips, he said "You know it well, why should you do this", and then stopped, as if a sentence was choked in his throat between.

"You go to sleep, I'll go back to the palace, I won't see anyone for a while, I should lose my temper again." After he left the words, he turned around and walked away leisurely, the pace was not in a hurry, but very fast.

Haishi suddenly covered his face with his hands.When he raised his face again, sporadic white lights flickered under the tear trails in his palms, and the two words that were fragmented, Langjiao.

The next day, Haishi and his coach Tang Ganzi meet with Emperor Xu.Because of Haishi's meritorious service in shooting Huku Laozuo Putun King, he was rewarded with a hundred taels, a fine iron-bodied ripe rattan horn bow, and a hundred white falcon feather arrows.Haishi thanked him and was about to leave when the Highness suddenly spoke.

"Wait a minute, raise your head." This is a clear and bright voice that is not inferior to the youth, but it is like the strings of a piano that has not been tuned all year round, bringing out the tremor of strong impatience and burnout.That was Dixu's voice.

Haishi raised his face hesitantly.In the deepest and highest part of Zichen Hall, there is a place like a shrine made of pearl and jade curtains, which is the emperor's seat.The throne room is so deep that the sunlight can never shine directly.The people on the emperor's throne will always be hidden in the shadow of the sun, just a bunch of brocades with no face to describe.

But she recognized the figure in Tsing Yi standing in the veil beside the throne.That person would never go to court with his servants, and thanks to his care and caution over the years, the servants in the Jifeng Pavilion are all trustworthy people, and the black-clothed feather forest has eyes and ears all over the world, and the people in front of the imperial court dare not gossip sentence.Now among the more than a hundred civil and military officials of His Highness, none of them recognize his face—even if they do, he always stands in the shadow beside the emperor's throne, looking up, there is only a cloud of gray shadow.

But she recognized him.There is no need to get close, and there is no need to ask for proof, just know it categorically.The person who cares in his heart does not need to see his face and five sense organs, as long as he sees his gestures from a distance, even among thousands of people, he can be distinguished.

The people on the throne said to the people around them: "Is this the boy who was rescued by the shark?"

Fang Zhu replied in a low voice: "Yes."

"This child is so handsome." The man on the throne raised one corner of his lips, and his voice was as low as a whisper, as if he didn't intend to let anyone hear him.

The servant standing beside him bowed his head respectfully as if he had never heard it, the wide sleeves of the blue eunuch's clothes were heavy and drooping, without even a single ripple.

Suddenly there was a soft crack in the silent main hall, and all the officials sat for a long time, but their eyes calmly glanced towards the sound.Wang Chang fished out a ball of wet and sticky yellow and white silk cotton from his arms with a look of displeasure on his face, and held it in his hand without knowing what to do with it, and there were even broken eggshells and egg whites flowing down.On the one side, Xiao Huangmen hurried up to pick it up, and also sent wet towels, and all the officials saw it and laughed secretly.King Chang loved fighting eagles and monkey tricks. He often recruited entertainers from the rivers and lakes into the mansion. They raised them for several years. In the early morning, the animals in the various courtyards of the palace flew away, and all kinds of silk and bamboo operas were performed, which was more lively than the teaching workshops in the city.Recently, it was rumored that King Chang got a way to tame the falcon. It was said that the owner personally hatched the falcon eggs, and the young falcons that came out treated the owner like a mother, which was sympathetic to the heart.King Chang was overjoyed when he heard it, and he really hatched it. Whether it was listening to music, going out on a green trip, or going to bed, he would carry a falcon egg in his arms. It is said that it is a joke in Gyeonggi.

King Chang has the idle position of Kinki Shou, and as usual, he has to attend the court meeting. In the mansion of King Chang, he sings and sings in the middle of the night, and gets lazy in the early morning. On two days out of the usual three days, he excuses himself to not come to the court because of the evil spirits.Today, he probably fell asleep in the hall and accidentally crushed the falcon egg in his arms.

Hai Shi knelt behind the coach Tang Gan himself, looked sideways, and couldn't help smiling quietly, the charm of a young woman faintly emerged from his heroic martial arts.

King Chang looked around with a smirk, his eyes swept towards Haishi.Haishi felt impolite, and quickly lowered his eyebrows, staring at the cardinal felt on the ground.Tang Ganzi's shadow dragged extremely long and cast obliquely on the cardinal felt in front of Haishi's eyes.When military commanders go to the hall, the etiquette is different from that of civil servants sitting in the hall. Just touch the ground with their right knees.Haishi clearly saw the shadow raise his finger, and firmly tapped three points on his left knee, as if signaling to someone.All civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty looked at King Chang, thinking that no one had paid attention to Tang Ganzi's subtle movements.Haishi pursed his lips and smiled again.

Looking from a distance from the depths of the hall, her smile is not very charming, I just feel that this young man is cool and bright, with an indescribable charm.

The people on the throne saw it in their eyes, and a faint smile floated on their lips.

On the way back from Shangchao, Zhuoying and Haishi walked side by side.Haishi deliberately staggered the royal driver and the palace people, chose the small road to the inner palace with great interest, passed the Ningtai Gate, and bypassed Renze Palace and Yu'an Palace to the west. .

"How do we go next?" Haishi turned around with a smile, looking at Zhuoying.

There was a little doubt on Zhuoying's face, and he soon became a little embarrassed: "To go back to Jifeng Pavilion, I have to turn around and go back."

"Whoever wants to go back to Jifeng Pavilion, I want to thank the girl Zheliu from the weaving workshop face to face." Haishi narrowed his long eyes and smiled with a row of white teeth.

There are several side courtyards in the weaving workshop, and the yard where Zheliu lives is very easy to find. The walls are full of durian flowers, like a flame blown by the wind, ready to burn people.Taking advantage of the coolness in the early morning, Zheliu placed the embroidery frame outside the house under the shade of the Zheliu tree, and there were needle-cut books and other things on the small stool beside her, and silk threads of various colors were sandwiched between the pages of the books, and she immersed herself in embroidery.

Haishi crept forward and saw that Zheliu was embroidering a twelve-foot-long beaded hibiscus belt, using double strands of four-color gold twisted on the yarn floor to make a pavement brocade.

"What's the matter, girl?" Zheliu stopped the needle with a smile, raised her eyes, and looked at Haishi with a pair of clear brown pupils.

Haishi was at a loss for words for a while.She was still wearing the court uniform of a military officer, with her chest tied and her hair tied, she knew she looked like a young military general, why did this woman see through her at a glance?
Zheliu turned her head and greeted Haishi softly behind her: "Master Fang, you are here."

Zhuo Ying responded, and said: "This is my sister, who said she would come to thank you for making her clothes."

Zheliu smiled all over her face, and said: "If Miss likes it, Zheliu will be happy." At the right time, the breeze came, and the double petals of agates all over the tree fell like rain and hail, which seemed to make Zheliu's pale face red.The pages of the book flipped, and two or three strands of silk fell to the ground. Haishi hurriedly picked it up, wiped off the dust, and handed it back to Zheliu.Zheliu touched the book to examine the pages one by one, thoughtfully, then held the two or three strands of silk thread to Haishi's eyes.

"Miss, please tell me, which strand is Gongbi blue and which strand is Dayanglianzi?" Zheliu's pair of light tea pupils did not blink for a moment, but she did not look into Haishi's eyes, but only stared at her right cheek. .

Haishi looked back at Zhuoying in astonishment, Zhuoying nodded silently.

"This is purple, this is blue..." Haishi hesitated, pointing with his fingers.

Zheliu nimbly clipped the silk thread back into the pages of the book: "Then, the last twist is light jade. Thank you, miss. If you two happened to be here, I couldn't tell the difference, it would be terrible."

Haishi was stunned and speechless.

On the way back to Jifeng Hall, Haishi just walked with his head dull, occasionally raising his eyes to look at Zhuoying.Zhuoying saw that she hesitated to speak, she couldn't help but smiled wryly: "You don't have to worry about it, even if it's like this, I feel very happy."

"But, Zheliu's eyes..."

Zhuoying replied in a low voice, "That's...he was blinded by medicine."

Haishi opened his eyes wide in shock.

Zhuoying's eyes were heavy, and her voice became lower and lower: "Do you know the blind embroidery master of the previous generation?"

During the Emperor Xiu's reign, a highly skilled embroiderer came out of Tulin County.This woman was originally an embroidery worker. She was seriously ill and blind in both eyes at the age of 26.Embroidery workers are not old enough to do this job, but by the age of 30, almost all of them are half-blind, crying in the wind.Who would have thought that this embroiderer would not be reconciled to fate, and set colors based on memory, asked her daughter to pass the thread for her, and only by touching with her fingertips, she imagined in her heart all kinds of scenery, flowers and plants that she saw when she was not blind. Ten times better than ordinary embroidery.After becoming famous, he was called into the palace to teach the skills, and the palace was known as the embroidery master.During the rebellion of King Yi, the embroidery master fled to the people.In the fifth year of Tianxiang, Emperor Xu recalled the embroiderer and ordered him to buy an orphan girl from the people into the palace to learn art with the embroiderer.In the 12th year of Tianxiang, the embroiderer died of illness.Some of the disciples cried and blinded their eyes, and some self-destructed their eyes. Most of them were sent back to their hometowns to recuperate, and a few outstanding ones stayed in the palace to serve and do fine embroidery.Zheli is one of them.

"This... is too surprising..." Hai Shi muttered to himself.

"After the embroiderer died, one morning, all the apprentices of the embroiderer were blind. At that time, some people committed suicide by throwing themselves into a well, while the rest who could not embroider blindly were sent back to their hometowns—but they were orphans. The fate of returning home can be imagined. Zheliu... is considered good."

"Whose idea is it? It can't be—" Hai Shi was puzzled, "It can't be Uncle Shi, who is in charge!"

"When the embroiderer died of illness, Uncle Shi was buying new silk in Rouran. When he came back, all those who should have been sent away had been sent away." Zhuoying's dark eyes contained a gloomy golden glow, "What happened?" The night before, it was people from Jincheng Palace who came to give almond tea, especially for the apprentices of the embroidery master."

"Jincheng Palace?" Haishi paused blankly. "Is it—the emperor?"

Zhuoying didn't answer her.Looking back, the pomegranate flowers in the wall were flying like blood rain.

III
The summer of the apocalypse is burning hot, but the water pavilion Lingbo Hall in Changwang Mansion in the west of the city is the famous Crystal Cave Mansion.The wind and lotus in the Quyuan, the flat lake ten miles away, the water and the moon in the Lingbo Hall are beautiful, and the singing girls sing a cappella.

The deacon came to report, saying that the falcon seller had been summoned.Chang Wangping retreated the singing girl. A maid had long since put down the thin bamboo curtains around the waterside pavilion, and retreated one after another.

The three eagle sellers who were led by the deacon to the hall were also wrapped in black shawls to cover their head, face and neck even in such a scorching hot night. They were wrapped twice around their waists and finally hung on their knees.Two people on the left and right of the eagle sellers bent down and pressed their chests to salute King Chang, but the one in the middle stood upright, and King Chang was not surprised, he just asked lazily, "Where is the eagle?"

The leading hawker looked around for a while, but said nothing.

King Chang laughed and said, "Let me see the goods."

The two eagle dealers bent on the ground suddenly lifted their shawls, and King Chang narrowed his eyes slightly: "... Hey, the feathers are really shiny."

There are no falcons in the eagle's arms, but their brilliant red-gold mane and cold blue almost colorless pupils are the most eye-catching.

"Is it a first-class falcon?"

"There is nothing better." The leading eagle vendor spoke Mandarin with a slight Gyeonggi accent.

"If it's not worth the price, I won't pay a penny." Chang Wang still had a smile on his face.

The bamboo curtains on all sides suddenly burst into flames without wind, a black shadow fell straight from the top of the water pavilion, a clear light flashed in the black shadow, the murderous intent was as fierce as a thunderbolt, and it hit the leader eagle at the door.The incident happened suddenly, the two blond men on the left and right did not speak, and their eyes did not meet. One of them jumped up, but he couldn't see how he moved, and the clear light was sent flying out with a loud bang, and was directly nailed into the side of the other. In the square bricks of clear mud, there was an endless buzzing. It turned out to be a long sword with a green glow.The air was rustling, and the wind suddenly picked up, making people unable to look up. The bamboo curtains tied to the pillars of the water pavilion were blown up by the gust of wind. Dozens of ribbons were cut and broken, and the heavy curtains suddenly fluttered, rattling. The sound of rainstorm.

"Ah, Wind Summoner." King Chang murmured to himself, his eyes glowing with deep joy.

That is the legendary sorcerer who practiced the art of vertical wind. No matter in the Eastern Continent or the Northern Border, he has been close to a fairy, and it is rare to see him in a hundred years.In this vision, he couldn't detect the aura of the black shadow that just attacked directly.King Chang knew that it was because he was not proficient in martial arts, but also because the wind summoned by the blond man was too majestic and mighty.Even though the stab in the air just now was as sharp as lightning, in such a powerful storm, it was only a little spark from the flint.In just a few seconds, the two shadows fell separately, separated by six or seven feet, the black shadows were already trapped by a small hurricane, the wind was fierce, as if mixed with invisible sharp knives, making him unable to move.On the other hand, the other blond man who bowed and saluted was still as silent as a mountain. The sword was nailed to his side just now, but he didn't even shake his figure. His pair of ice blue eyes showed a look of indifference.Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that there was a faint white mark on this person's face, which was actually a trace of a sword blade.

The leader of the hawk trader breathed calmly, and said with a low laugh: "It's a single-minded killing, with no other distractions, and a focus on the front line. Since there are such talents in the family, the big business is easy to achieve, why not travel thousands of miles to buy the falcon?"

"He tried." King Chang smiled as usual, "Ten years ago, when he was in his prime, he teamed up with another person whose skill was comparable to his, but he lost."

"Oh? I underestimated Zhengchao's imperial guards." The leading eagle dealer turned his gaze to the two people in the hall, and suddenly smiled, "So it's you."

The person who was trapped in the cage of the wind by the blond man raised a black face when he heard this, but still couldn't see any expression.

"Let go, that's Donglu's general, don't make mistakes." The blond man immediately retracted his hands to his chest, only to see that the small hurricane gradually weakened, Fu Yi stretched out his arms, and fixed his eyes on the leader eagle dealer.

King Chang smiled slightly and said, "That's right, the coat color is good, and the claws are sharp. I hope I can succeed in one fight."

"If the great event is accomplished, I hope His Highness will give me the reward agreed upon at the beginning."

"If this happens, our country will not intervene in war and annexation between your country and Kaman. However, you refuse to show your true face to others. You will have to pay in the future, and I don't know who you want to pay. "

There was a low laugh coming from under the shawl, the leader Hawkman stretched out his hand, and the shawl fell to his waist, revealing a handsome and handsome appearance.

King Chang gave a soft ah.

"You are... King Zuo Putun!" Sparks burst out in Fu Yi's eyes.

"I met you in a hurry at the Piluo Mountain Valley, and the general has a good memory." The tall blond young man has blue eyes, clear and energetic.

"This one is the guard who blocked an arrow for you empty-handed on the mountain road at that time?" Fu Yi coldly stared at the quiet man who was still kneeling on one knee.

King Zuo Putun smiled slightly, noncommittal.

"There is a Wanqi in the imperial army of our country, who looks exactly like King Zuo Putun, and I was startled just now." King Chang said.

King Zuo Putun raised his golden eyebrows. "The appearance is absolutely similar? How old is that person?"

"Twenty-four and five years old." Fu Yi replied.

"In this way, I do have a younger brother Duohan who was lost in the original battlefield of Hongyao. Duohan's appearance and body are similar to mine, almost twins, but he inherited the black hair and black eyes of my mother Hongyao Diji. During the battle He rode on the same horse with his uncle, King Podona. After the Eastern Army retreated, we went to the battlefield to search for four days and four nights. We only found the body of my uncle. The head had been cut off by you Donglu people. Duohan disappeared. .”

"The name of Yulin Wanqi is Fang Zhuoying." Fu Yi said.

"Zhuying..." The young Zuo Pudun Wang Donglu spoke extremely fluently in official speech, but at this moment he spoke with a strong Huku accent, as if he was very nostalgic, and there was an intricate undercurrent passing through his crystal blue eyes.For a moment, he looked at King Chang with a smile, and said, "That must be Duohan, who was just ten years old."

Duohan had just turned ten years old that year.Huku boy only shaved his hair twice in his life, once when he was ten years old and once before his death.On the grasslands, herdsmen live by water and grass, women have difficulty conceiving, and babies often die, so children are extremely precious.Boys before the age of ten are regarded as babies, with braids of fetal hair. On the day of the tenth birthday, the family members shaved off the child's fetal hair and poured blood wine into the head.If the Huku tribes killed or wounded a child with fetal hair during the battle, it was a crime of inhumanity, and the tribe would be punished by annihilation.

"At that time, you were a little bald, probably just a few days after your birthday." Fang Zhuxian shook a round fan calmly, and the night wind blew his white clothes, looking graceful and elegant.

Zhuo Ying no longer remembered what it was like on her ten-year-old birthday.However, he remembered the moment when he first met Fang Zhu.

As a child, for some reason, he was abandoned alone on the red medicine field where thousands of troops were rushing, and passed out.When he woke up, the noise of fighting had receded far away, and many Donglu people had already left the battlefield, passed by him one after another, rearranged their formation, and ignored him at all.He sat up, clutching the toy-like dagger at his waist, wondering if he should cry.At this moment, a red horse stopped beside him, and the Donglu youth on the saddle leaned over to watch him.

Donglu's young man took off his armor, and the splendid robe underneath was completely stained with blood and dust. The original bright and delicate patterns emerged from the blood color, which had a kind of shocking beauty.The Huku people have always looked down on the silk clothes of the Donglu people. They are not cold-resistant, not durable, and cannot withstand tearing. They are as weak and weak as their people.However, there are also people from the Eastern Continent who smile frankly, with bloodstains on their faces and bodies, and are not afraid at all.

The child's dark and beautiful pupils stare up at the young man with extreme sensitivity, like a small animal, showing young determination and will.

"I asked your name, and you answered something strange. I just realized that you don't understand what we're talking about." Fang Zhu threw away the round fan, and stretched out his hand to refill Zhuo Ying's tea.

Zhuoying smiled blankly and said, "What strange words did I answer? I hardly remember what Huku said."

Fang Zhu also smiled: "It's a long string, I heard it looks like the word Zhuoying at the beginning, so I used it to make your name."

Zhuoying remained silent, the moon shadow in the teacup shattered and separated, and he watched it fascinated.

"It's been 15 years, have you thought about going back to Hanzhou?"

In Zhuoying's chest, a hole seemed to open in an instant.Hanzhou... a place I thought I would never go back to in my life.

There are endless changes in winter and summer in the Pingchuan outside the Great Wall, and there are days of flying sand and rocks throughout the year. Only in the short three or four months of summer, the pasture grows wildly, forcing people on the grassland to gallop on horses, running ahead of wolves, running ahead of the days. Running ahead of the snow, running ahead of the blizzard, running ahead of death, running without stopping.What God bestows to the people of the grassland is only such a harsh life, but in such a day, the people of the grassland still retain their hearts of playing and singing.They live calmly and regard life as a round of riding, archery and wrestling that they are willing to bet and lose. Those who are slow die, those who hesitate, those who are weak, and those whose skills are not as good as others die, without any complaints.

It is a hometown with indescribable joy and joy.However, just because he is a Huku man, he is even more promising, and it is not easy to move.

Zhuo Ying looked down at the thin tea bowl in her hand, the rim of the bowl, as clear as a mirror, gradually and silently cracked ice patterns, and the obsidian-like pupils were slightly golden: "It's really rare for foster father to say such words. I If you go back, your three years of work will be in vain? Aren’t you the person who hates futile work the most in the world?”

The smile on Fang Zhu's lips grew stronger: "People say that thousands of years ago, there was a man named Si Jiu on the northern grasslands. In order to tame the Dragonborn Pegasus, he spent 12 years fighting with him until his body was like a stone and his hair was like a stone. I finally found a chance to ride the Dragonborn Pegasus. The Pegasus neighed, and ran for another 12 years on the rainbow clouds and electricity between heaven and earth. Si Jiu stayed on the horse for another 12 years. Finally, the Dragonborn Pegasus was willing to tame , turned into a woman, and gave birth to four children with Sijiu, these four children are the ancestors of the Huku Sibu, and they are also the grandsons of the dragon."

In Zhuoying's smile, there was a slight sourness: "Why, talk about ancient times? I am more familiar than foster father."

"The first time I saw you, I knew that you were a strong horse, and you would not yield under any pressure, unless you were convinced by defeat. Three years is already cheap." Fang Zhu turned to Shuangping Lake.The houses in the sea city on the other side were lit with lights.

"You are already a man, so from today onwards, there will be no guards outside my camp, and you can choose the weapons, guns, bows and crossbows in your arsenal. If you can kill me within three years, then you can go back to Hanzhou. No one can stop you." But, if you can’t kill—” The young general bent over immediately, with a smile on his lips like a knife mark, “You have to call my adoptive father, and listen to my orders.”

After listening to the translation by the sergeant, the child's pure black eyes, like a small animal, had a golden glow, and he spit out a series of words.The interpreter sergeant hesitated when he heard this, Fang Jianming said flatly, "You shouldn't be afraid of a child, right?"

The sergeant was furious, and sweat broke out on his forehead: "This little barbarian said, he said, not only to kill, but also to roast and eat Qing Haigong..."

Fang Jianming laughed long, and lightly flicked his arms, he had lifted the child onto the horse's back, then whipped the horse and galloped straight to the brigade.At that time, it had been two years since Old Qing Haigong died in battle, Fang Jianming succeeded his father as a young man, and Hong Yaoyuan was only 22 years old when he joined the battle.

After three years of Tianxiang, people began to notice that the handsome young man next to the young Qing Haigong called him "Father".

The two were nostalgic for the old things in their hearts, and the lotus leaves on the Shuangping Lake were heaving and falling, but no one spoke.

"—However, it is a waste of nature to keep such a good horse in a herd of dogs and hogs. Sooner or later you will go back to Hanzhou. I have raised you for 15 years and taught you martial arts, so that one day I can watch you run like lightning." Fang Zhu sighed lightly.

"Father, the situation around you is unclear, I would like to stay in Tianqi." Zhuoying said eagerly.

"Recently, there has been some movement in Prince Chang's mansion. Seeing that the chaos is coming, I also want to keep you in Beijing." Fang Zhu was slightly moved, and then sighed quietly, "It's just that there are some things that you can't do. I have seen you since Haishi After my elder brother, I can't help but have some guesses about your life experience, not to mention the many sergeants on the mountain road that day. You can no longer stay in Beijing for a long time, and if you want to return to Hanzhou, you will inevitably be jealous of your fellow clansmen. The only way out is this. " He put down the round fan and stood up, "These days, you brothers and sisters should have a good chat, it will not be easy to meet each other in the future."

Zhuoying watched Fang Zhu's back disappearing into the corner of the corridor, then sat down again, and stretched out her right hand holding the tea bowl to the side of the beauty facing the water.The tea bowl had already been crushed by Zhuo Ying's grasp, but it was held tightly by the palm of his hand for a moment, and the force was very skillful, so the thin and fragile pieces cut each other like a knife's edge, but they were so tightly sealed that no water leaked.The slender and beautiful hand with well-defined tendons gradually unfolded, and the tea bowl also split into six or seven pieces. The thin porcelain of clear tea, shining with clear light under the moonlight, fell into Shuangping Lake one after another.

Yifu, the situation around you is unclear, I would like to stay in Tianqi.These words suddenly came from my own mouth back then.Fang Zhu walked in the Jiuqu Water Pavilion, closing his eyes as if in pain.

"Duohan has been a wolf cub since he was a child, nothing can restrain him." The blond young man mused, "But I really want to see the wolf cub that has been raised in the fox den for 15 years after hearing what the prince said. "

"If the day happens to happen, these two good falcons will definitely fight Lingdi." The water shimmered on King Chang's face.

"It's a pity that I can't see it in person." King Zuo Putun tilted his head and smiled, "I'm still rushing back to the west through Mohe Pass, exploring the Kaman situation on the way."

King Chang knew that there was always some quarrel between Zuo Putun King Duoluo and Right Putun King Erji, and he was afraid that he was in a hurry to rush back to Huku, and he didn't want to leave any traces, so he smiled lightly and said, "Then, this month Let's wait for the good news together in the new days and nights."

King Zuo Putun hid his blond hair and face under the shawl, and looked up at the Forbidden City dozens of miles away.The Forbidden City is high on the top of the mountain, and you can see it everywhere in Tianqi, and the palace is like a pearl.

There are ten miles of heavy smoke towers.The eaves of countless blue-gold glazed tiles undulate under the moonlight and form a silent blue sea. Occasionally, a golden sand glitters on the top of the waves, which is the golden eye in the eyes of the swallowing beast.

It was just past the third watch.On the top of the double-eaved Xieshan Mountain six feet above the ground, Haishi is a young man dressed up, sitting comfortably with his knees hugged, his chin resting on his knees, watching the little yellow gate beating clappers and the night guards passing by, no one would I never thought that there would be people sitting idle on the eaves of Ningtai Gate.The Ningtai Gate is the main entrance on the central axis separating the inner palace and the outer court. Looking down from there, you can clearly see the unadorned corridor waist and high eaves of the East and West Six Palaces.

There was the sound of carriages and horses outside the gate in the southwest corner. It was the Lingmen who were in charge of the imperial ice storage taking out ice cubes from the ice storage under the Anlan Mountains and transporting them into the palace while the night was cool.Haishi lifted his body lightly and flew away along the top ridge of Ningtai Gate, then jumped up, shuttled silently between the top of the hall and the top of the hall, and soon hid himself in the double eaves of Weiyang Palace, overlooking the southwest The road from the corner gate to the imperial dining room.The mule cart transporting ice was escorted by several Habayashi, accompanied by Ling people.At the fork in the road, one of the Lingren turned around and walked to the northwest, the strange thing is that the several Yubayashi turned a blind eye, and the rest of the Lingren also went straight to the imperial dining room calmly.

Haishi rolled his lacquer-like eyes, looking at the whereabouts of the lingering man.Going down that road, you can only reach Fengwu Palace and Yu'an Palace.Fengwu Palace has been vacant since the incident of Yanling Emperor Ji, and Yu'an Palace is the residence of Princess Shurong and Concubine Tilan.

The lights in Yu'an Palace are still on, and the crimson light screens and curtains fluttering in the wind are in the style of chariots.

Haishi escaped from under the eaves, leaped to the top of Weiyang Palace, and hurried all the way to Yu'an Palace.

The man dressed as bullying walked to the side gate of Yu'an Palace, looked around for a while, and stretched out his hand to push the door, when the night birds on the palace wall were startled.Looking sideways, an unknown bird fluttered away, and a cold crescent moon hung in the sky in the quiet night.He breathed a sigh of relief, pushed open the half-covered side door, turned around and closed the door, without looking around, picked the small path in the garden with ease, passed the corridor of Yu'an Palace, bypassed the side hall where the palace people were on duty, and went straight up small pavilion.

The palace people in front of the small pavilion seemed to be familiar with Ling Ren who came to visit in the middle of the night.

"Zhenchu!" A slightly sandy female voice called his words, and before he could react, he heard a pair of soft bare feet running towards the ebony floor, and in the next moment, a woman in a gorgeous robe rushed in like a butterfly. his arms.

"Tilan, you are always so careless." The man frowned slightly, but there was no harsh look in his eyes.

Concubine Shurong's red lips and bright teeth showed a warm smile: "General Tang returned to Tianqi, um, let me think about it." She tilted her head, and her crow-black hair fell down, "It happened last summer. If I'm more cautious, I'm afraid I'll grow old if I don't see you." As she spoke so delicately, she couldn't restrain her sadness, and she had a desolate look.

Tang Gan smiled helplessly: "Look at you, you are 28 or [-] years old, and you are still like a child. You haven't made any progress for many years."

The window was half open, and the crimson light screen curtains surged heavily.Next to the bucket arch under the eaves, a slender black shadow hangs upside down.It is Haishi.

So that's the case, Haishi lightly raised his thick eyebrows.Tang Gan is a general guarding the border, once he enters Beijing, he can't stop the entertainment. It's not very difficult to meet someone in the court.He took such a risk to pass the news in the court, not to meet the officials of the court, but to meet the people in the inner palace.

Haishi had heard that in the early years, the charioteers sent Princess Zizan according to the old practice of the two countries, and asked for a prince to bring back the chariot as a pledge.At that time, Queen Chang's mother Concubine Nie lost to Queen Yun's concubine Song in the competition for favor. The 11-year-old Chang Wang Jichang was sent to Zhu chariot, and the accompanying palace people were either old or immature.As usual, when the prince travels, he will send a five thousand cavalry from Habayashi and five thousand sergeants to accompany him. Under the instigation of Concubine Song, the military department selected the last one in the martial arts test from among the new recruits who applied for the Imperial Army, and promoted the 15-year-old boy jokingly. A position of 25 cavalry, accompanied by 21 recruits, accompanied King Chang to the chariot.The desolate situation of King Chang and his party was no different from exile, and even the envoys of the chariot dared to scold the prince.One month after King Chang and his entourage set off, the French test papers of the Imperial Army were unsealed, and the boy Tang Ganzi, who was sealed as a joke with five thousand riders, was the first in the Chinese test, and he couldn't catch up.Three years later, King Yi rebelled, and the king of Fenyang County also rebelled. The man was the uncle of King Chang and the brother of Concubine Nie.Ji Chang immediately sent someone to write a letter to Zhong Xu, expressing his heartfelt sorrow for Chen's unambiguous intentions. For the next eight years, there was a steady stream of food and fodder information sent to Hanzhou via the Yingge Strait, which was of great help.After Emperor Xu practiced Zuo, King Chang returned with his own chariot, and Princess Tilan, who had also returned with his chariot, and five thousand riders.Even if he hasn't been promoted in ten years, the [-]-year-old Wuqianqi is still young. The [-]-year-old King Chang was almost still a teenager, and he indulged in having fun every day. His subjects who originally had high hopes for Ji Chang were quickly disappointed.During the eight-year rebellion, it is said that Tang Qian handled all the food supplies and secret reports that were urgently needed.

There were voices in the window, Haishi turned slightly sideways, and looked in through the gap in the veil.

Tang Ganzi was let to sit on the low couch, but Tilan sat on the floor barefoot as if she was overwhelmed by the heat, and put her head on his knees: "Zhenchu, you have to be more careful these days. That man, he is getting weirder, if you are sharp If it's too exposed, maybe..."

"You don't need to worry about these things, you just need to live your life well and teach me to rest assured." Tang Gan stroked Tilan's thick black and cold long hair.

Tilan eagerly raised her head and looked at him: "You don't know, Zhenchu, that person is no longer human, I—" Her lips trembled beyond words, and she just lifted up the azure and bright red silk robe Sleeves, bruises all over her white arms.

"You..." Tang Ganzi clenched his fists at his side suddenly.

"I'm afraid, Zhenchu." Tilan finally cried out, "I'm afraid of death, I'm afraid you're still alive after I die, or you're dead and I'm still alive. I'm afraid that after 14 years, I'm still alive I can't live with you." She climbed onto Tang Ganzi's shoulder suddenly, and bit down with tears, not coquettish, not grudge, but a ruthless bite, the kind that would really leave scars.

He is not a strong army man, he has never used a sword in the army for many years, and his thin shoulders are like a young scholar.However, he just gritted his teeth and endured, letting her bite.

"I pray to Dragon Tail God day and night, I'm afraid she won't grant me that blessing." Tilan let go, her tear-drenched petite face was buried on his shoulders, black hair covered half of her body, He said brokenly, "I hate you, I hate you for giving me to that person with your own hands."

"Do you regret it? Regret coming to Donglu with me." Tang Ganzi held Tilan's shoulders and turned her face to him.

"Regret." Tilan's lips were stained with tears, and she was about to drop, "I should have cut off your legs long ago and left you in the chariot."

"It's almost here, Tilan. It's almost here, Cang Falcon should be delivered to Prince Chang's mansion tonight. As long as that person dies, I will never owe you a single cent."

Tilan's eyes ignited with blazing flames, mixed with sadness and joy: "Zhenchu, that person...will die, right?"

"It will," he promised.

The "that person" that Tilan was talking about——Haishi suddenly realized that the "that person" that Tilan was talking about was Di Xu.

Haishi sneaked back to Jifeng Pavilion, and saw that the lights in Fangzhu's room were still on, and when he raised his hand to knock on the door, he hesitated again.While hesitating, the quiet voice inside the door asked "what's the matter", she suddenly made up her mind to push the door in, and it turned out that Zhuo Ying was there, so she felt less embarrassed.

After listening to Haishi's narration, Fang Zhu's expression was as usual, and he said lightly: "Tang Qianzi is a man, and he has been wronged by being a military commander. King Chang has rebellious intentions. Tang Qianzi has followed him for 11 years and is his minister. If you want to do something wrong, it is absolutely impossible to do without this person. Earlier, I told you to pay attention to him, that is the reason. Now that the situation has changed, after you return to Huangquan Pass, even if I send you a letter from Beijing, there is no need to respond He started. Even if he doesn't die, they won't be able to accomplish this matter. You go out first, Zhuoying and I have something to discuss here."

Haishi held back his tears proudly and saluted, and went out without saying a word.The footsteps became more and more urgent, and finally almost ran away from Fang Zhu's yard.

Zhuoying could hear it clearly, but she couldn't bear it in her heart: "Father, don't tell Haishi about this, in case..."

Fang Zhu interrupted him: "This kid in Haishi doesn't have a city mansion. It would be bad if there are traces. You want to go back to Hanzhou. This is a rare opportunity. Don't miss it carelessly. Your brother, King Zuo Putun, and your uncle, Right Putun King Erji has always been at odds, you can do something when you go back, and I will send people to help you."

"...Yes." Zhuo Ying agreed, but seemed to hesitate to speak.

Fang Zhu smiled, and patted Zhuoying's shoulder: "That Zheliu, I will take care of her and not make her feel wronged."

Zhuoying nodded deeply, and said, "I promise to live up to my mission."

Fang Zhu smiled again, with an elegant face like a teenager: "This is also your own way forward. Remember, on the first day of this month, you and I will be on duty at the Jincheng Palace."

"Father—" Zhuoying suddenly hesitated before she stood up and went out, "Hai Shi, she treats you..."

The gentle and gentle man in white robe didn't allow him to continue talking, he shook his head with a wry smile: "Zuoying, I'm already like this, why bother to drag a child down."

Zhuoying was stunned for a moment, saluted hurriedly, and then searched all the way outside the door.

When she found Haishi, she was lying on the roof, and when she heard him coming, she still closed her eyes.She couldn't have fallen asleep, but was just stuffy—with such uneven and cold glazed tiles, if it weren't for people with foundations like them, it would be difficult to lie down peacefully, let alone sleep.

Zhuoying didn't talk too much, she untied the silver pot from her waist and shook it in front of Haishi's face.Haishi didn't even open his eyes, he reached out to grab the silver jug, unscrewed it and drank it in one go.He let out a sigh of relief, then squinted at Zhuo Ying, and smiled sweetly.

Zhuo Ying lay down beside her side by side and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Haishi replied in a low voice, "It's just that I just heard Concubine Shurong say something like that, and I suddenly feel depressed and panicked."

Zhuo Ying took the silver pot and drank it all in one gulp: "What?"

"Concubine Shurong told General Tang that she hated him and hated him for giving her to others with his own hands. I always feel that my adoptive father will give me to others with his own hands sooner or later."

Zhuoying turned her head to look at her, but Haishi closed her eyes as if overwhelmed with alcohol.He watched the moon gradually sinking to the west, and what loomed in the forest was already a thin hook-the new sun is approaching.

On the second day, Zhuoying went to the weaving workshop to visit Zheliu.The flowering period is coming to an end, and the trees are full of vigor.There was no one sweeping the small courtyard for several days, brocade red piled up everywhere outside the closed door.A few days ago, Zheliu was picked up by Prince Chang's mansion to teach her embroidery skills, but she has not returned yet.

Another day later, Fang Zhu suddenly became interested in drinking for some reason, and asked Zhuoying to go to the Daigo Tower in the west of the city to buy a jar of thousand-year-old jade.Before Zhuoying went out, Fang Zhu said: "Uncle Shi sent someone to Prince Chang's mansion to pick Zheliu back to the palace today, you go and come back quickly. If we can't see each other today, it will be even more difficult in the future."

Zhuoying agreed, then hurriedly backed away, took out the most proud "Feng Jun" in the stable, and rode his horse straight to the nearest Chuihua Gate.

The twelve guards guarding the Chuihua Gate heard the sound of hoofbeats in the palace coming towards this side from a distance, Fang turned his head to see what happened, but who would have thought that the horse had already arrived in front of him in an instant, and it flew straight out of the Chuihua Gate with the force of the wind and thunder. Going to Huamen, he almost overturned a small blue mule cart at the gate.

The people in the car heard people yelling and raised the curtain, an old palace lady rushed up to support her hand: "Embroiderer, didn't you startle me?"

Zheliu shook her head and smiled lightly: "It's okay. What happened just now?"

"Oh, I don't understand, these young guards in the palace are becoming more and more unruly."

The imperial guard said: "Mother-in-law, it's not that we are not good at our duties, that is our Lord Wan Qifang from Yulin, who walks around the imperial palace."

Zheliu smiled slightly and said, "Aunt Su, forget it, I have something important to do. Let's go."

The old palace man held Zheliu's hands steady: "Come on, embroiderer, we have arrived at the Chuihua Gate. You are not allowed to enter the palace unless you are using an imperial chariot. Let me help you in."

After sending the zeglime to another courtyard, the old palace man started rambling again: "The ground is full of flowers, it's outrageous." He insisted on placing the zeglime on the stone bench in the courtyard, and took a small broom to clean the courtyard. , Zheliu had to be arranged by her.The weather was fine that day, bees and butterflies were flying around, and occasionally fine petals got into the neck of the zheliu, so she hung down her small face that was cut like a lotus petal, caressing the back of her neck like itchy.Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, she turned her face in surprise, and after thinking for a moment, a confused expression appeared on her face: "You are..."

"This Zheliu tree will start to bear fruit in a few days, right?" The visitor's voice was warm and mellow, as warm as a spring breeze blowing on his face. Zheliu only felt that the person's voice seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was.

"This gargoyle is a thousand-leaf red flower, but all gargoyles with thousands of leaves will not bear fruit, and even if they do bear fruit, there will be no seeds inside." Zheliu replied respectfully, suddenly covered his mouth lightly, and quickly got up to salute, "Boss Fang, Zheliu has no seeds." Li, please forgive me.”

"You don't have to be restrained." Fang Zhu smiled softly, and then sighed softly, "In this way, this tree full of red flowers has bloomed for nothing all summer."

Zheliu didn't know how to answer, so she lowered her face.

"Miss Zheliu."

"Yes." Zheliu looked up blankly.

"Zhuoying's life is in danger now, it's imminent." It was still a flat and gentle voice, without any waves.

Zheliu's slender hands resting on the skirt silently clenched tightly.

"He is the last son of King Huku and Emperor Ji of Hongyao. He is qualified to inherit the throne just because of his appearance that is absolutely similar to King Huku. Now King Chang is colluding with King Zhuoying's biological brother, King Huku Zuoputun. In order to expose his background, I will use the hand of the emperor to remove Zhuoying."

Zheliu's light brown pupils looked at Fang Zhu without blinking, as if those blind eyes could still see something from his face.

"I want Zhuoying to go back to Hanzhou to join his uncle, but he is a silly boy with a lot of affection - he said, he won't leave unless he is with you. I can protect myself. I'm afraid this child is determined to die." He finished speaking without haste, and it didn't seem like he was waiting for her reply, so he didn't speak for a long time.

Foehn whizzed past, the red and green were scattered like weaving.The double petals of agate that had accumulated all over the ground fluttered and flew backwards with the low cyclone, hitting her skirt like a silent red wave.Zheliu turned around peacefully, and Fang Zhu noticed that the blind girl had a resolute smile on her lips.

"Boss Fang, I know what to do."

"You know?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Just ask Director Fang to tell him that if he doesn't cherish his own life, Zheliu's life will be ruined in vain."

Fang Zhu didn't answer her, just nodded, as if she could really see, turned and left.

Zheliu heard that he was gone, and called out, "Aunt Su?"

There was a thud, like a broom fell to the ground, the old palace man came out from behind the house tremblingly empty-handed, unable to speak for a while, just knelt down to Zheliu.

"Don't worry, Aunt Su, Zheliu will never be a burden on you. You can go now while there is no one around." Zheliu smiled apologetically.

The old palace man hesitated for a moment, then rushed out the door, staggered on the way, knocking against the door panel.

Zheliu fumbled to cover the courtyard door, and walked into the house, the courtyard behind him was turned red by the lonely flames.

The liquor sellers in Daigolou are all barbarians, and the names of the wines are also charming, such as Luyao, Jiegu, Huxuan, etc. Fang Zhu named the brand of millennium Bi, but it was not listed in front of the wine. middle.The red-haired savage woman in the cabinet is lowering her head to settle the accounts. She heard that Zhuoying wanted a jar of thousand-year-old green jade, she lazily raised her head and glanced at him. The huku-style golden steps inserted in her bun immediately swayed gracefully, and there were clusters of garnet and peridot necklaces. Beautiful and moving.The savage girl turned around and called Xiao Er, who had chosen the altar, and still bowed her head to settle accounts, while the broken gold was tinkling, but she whispered: "Seize Hanersa."

Zhuo Ying's heart skipped a beat.Duohan is his barbaric name, and Ersa is the Huku people's respectful name for the young master.It had been 15 years since he had been called that.He opened his mouth, and the Huku words he said made him feel strange and hesitant: "Are you the one who took Luo?"

The barbarian girl raised her bright green eyes, and quickly lowered them again: "King Zuo Putun is too late to seize Hanersa, why would he send someone to find your whereabouts? It was King Youputun who ordered us to take Hanersa here. .”

"It's Uncle Erji..." Zhuoying had mixed feelings.If biological brothers don't have flesh and blood instincts, what can uncles and nephews expect?It's just that he is an eagle dog, a pawn.

Xiaoer brought the wine and tied it firmly to the horse for Zhuoying.

The barbarian pinched a pinch of broken gold on the pot, and said in a low voice: "There are maps of the corresponding places in the mud seal of the wine jar, and you can exchange horses. Please be sure to arrive in mid-August Outside the Mohe Pass. When you leave the pass, someone will escort you across the border of Kaman to return to Huku.”

Zhuo Ying nodded, weighed the broken gold she was looking for, and frowned slightly: "Eight qian gold for a jar of wine?"

The barbarian girl covered her mouth with a smile, changed the official language, and said loudly: "Young master is from a wealthy family, so you don't often come out and walk around. In the past, it was rare to see gold collars in the market, but since the treasury released the relief, the gold has been splashing like water. It is not uncommon for it to flow to the street. Right now, a basket of gold is only exchanged for 42 collars of silver, and at this price, I don’t know how long it will last.”

Zhuoying didn't bother with her either, she went out and got on her horse to see that the sun was setting in the sky, Zheliu had already returned from Prince Chang's mansion, so she hurriedly urged the horse and ran out of the street in a blink of an eye.Xiaoer was stunned when he suddenly heard the neighing of the horse, and Zhuo Ying galloped back, casually tossed the bag of broken gold and the other two gold collars back onto the cabinet from the outside of the store, and the figure rushed in immediately, and disappeared again and again. Go out, get on the horse and gallop away as usual.The savage woman raised her hand in a daze to brush back her messy temple hair, only to realize that Bu Yao had disappeared and the sound of horseshoes was far away.

The summer flowers are in full bloom, and it is the end of the day.Wherever the wind passes by, the blue sky raises and falls flowers all the way.Zhuoying whipped her whip one after another, only thinking that it would be good to go back to the palace sooner—Zheliu, Zheliu.

When passing through the Chuihua Gate, a wooden cart suddenly turned out of the gate. At this time, Feng Jun was so fast that he was about to fly away. Seeing that he couldn't dodge it, the guards at the gate and the person pushing the cart screamed and fled.Zhuo Ying frowned, and let go of the rein, Ren Fengjun figured out his own direction, exerted strength with all four hooves, jumped over the wooden cart, broke into the door, and left in the dust.

"It's dangerous, it's dangerous." A guard who fell to the ground hissed and gasped for air, stood up while supporting the cart, and suddenly shouted: "Hey! This is——!"

The white cloth covering the car had been removed, and it turned out to be a corpse, thin and thin, with a shriveled face, dressed in palace clothes.

"Isn't this the mother-in-law who served the embroiderer? She entered the palace well in the morning, why did she die before noon?"

Xiao Huangmen, who was pushing the cart, replied with a mournful face: "Who knows, he actually broke his neck on the ten or so steps under the Changqi Pavilion, without even making a sound. By the time we found out, he would have passed away long ago."

Zhuo Ying sent Feng Jun to the stable, patted the mud seal off the mouth of the altar, took the map and put it in her arms, then ran towards the weaving workshop.Haishi called him, but he didn't have time to agree——

gargoyle.

This farewell has been going on for many years, and this life may not be expected.Her temperament is the kind that is upright and clear, and does not bother anyone. He knows that Zheliu can arrange herself well without him telling her to add more clothes, eat more meals, think less, and cherish all kinds of things carefully.However, it is always necessary to hear her agree to him personally, and it is considered to be a farewell, so I have to wait, and I always think about this exhortation.

The gate of the courtyard was locked upside down, and it didn't answer for a few beats. Zhuoying supported the wall with one hand and gave a little strength, and the person flew in obliquely like a swallow.Haishi chased after him and stopped in front of the courtyard wall, holding his hands on his knees and panting unsteadily, his upturned face showed a very painful expression, but he didn't move for a long time.There was nothing in front of her, only a whitewashed wall with a pomegranate tree protruding from the wall.This flower tree unique to the Eastern Continent stands silently under the dark blue sky, holding a bright red, letting the wind blow away.Quiet and beautiful, even shocking.

Mayor Hai let out a breath, as if he wanted to let out the heavy lumps in his chest.

The small courtyard was deathly silent, and the reds were flying around in disorder, as if they knew that they had never been taken care of since then.

From noon to dusk.The sky is dyed layer by layer, adding heavy indigo with each brush stroke, adding bright orange, and fading crimson purple, and finally turning black.

The door latch finally rang, and Hai Shi, who was sitting with her back against the door, jumped up, turned her head, and the door opened in front of her.Zhuoying's military officer's attire is still neat, not even a wrinkle can be seen, only her pair of black eyes with gold in them are covered with dust.Haishi handed over the sword he held in his arms, and said: "The watch has sounded at Shangshi, it's time to go to duty."

Zhuoying took it silently, gently pushed the sword out of its sheath with her thumb, only an inch, and raised it to her eyes, as if she wanted to see her eyes from the water-like blade.

The stars are like a plate full of silver sand, but there is no moon-tonight is the night of the new sun.

(End of this chapter)