The carriage was shaking in the autumn wind, and there was a whistling sound coming from the window. Raindrops came from the wind, and the curtain was wet in a short time. The oil lamp in the carriage was flickering, and it seemed that it would go out at any time. Under the light, Chu Youxian looked pale, not because of fear, but because his father, who was sitting opposite him, was even paler than him, and he was crying.
Tears streamed down Old Master Su's face as he gripped his son's hand tightly, refusing to let go. Perhaps it was because the carriage was shaking too violently, but his voice was trembling as well. "All these years, we've spent tens of thousands of taels of silver on you. The family wanted to give you a good life, but who would have thought that we would send you down this road of death? If I had known this, I wouldn't have let you enter the Academy. "
Hearing this, Chu Youxian was silent for a long time. Suddenly, he lifted the curtain and pointed to the gray sky in the wind and rain, saying, "Father, a person's life is just like the sky. No one can predict what kind of weather we will encounter. But I know that we will encounter something sooner or later, so we have to do something big. The thing between the imperial court and the Divine Hall this time is the biggest thing in the past one thousand years …"
He retracted his hand, pointed at his own nose and said, "… And I, your son, am going to handle this matter. Don't talk about a few thousand taels of silver, even if you take out ten million taels of silver, you won't be able to buy this position."
"But what's the use of you going there?"
Old Master Chu cried and said, "Whether the imperial court or the Academy wants to negotiate with the Divine Hall, it's the bigwigs' business. It doesn't matter if you go or not. It's their business. Why do you have to take the risk?"
Chu Youxian didn't explain it clearly, and said, "Don't think too much. Didn't you say that we will fix the genealogy in the spring? You have to do it well. If I really can't come back, my memorial tablet must be placed in a good place. "
Old Master Chu was furious and scolded, "Stop saying such unlucky words! You are the only child of the Chu family. How can you die? "
Chu Youxian didn't take it seriously, and said, "I'm just saying."
Old Master Chu slapped him on the head. He knew that he couldn't change anything, so he forced a smile and scolded, "Even if you die, how can you expect to fight for a good position in the ancestral hall? Don't tell me you dare to put it on your grandfather's head? "
Chu Youxian said angrily, "If I die, I will die for my country. Why can't I?"
The curtain was lifted slightly, and the wind and rain seeped in. Chen Qi walked in with an expressionless face. Old Master Su knew that it was time to leave. He sighed and walked out of the carriage.
Looking at his father's stooped back, Chu Youxian was speechless. In the end, the father and the son laughed and scolded each other. It seemed that the atmosphere was much more relaxed, but he knew very well how his father felt at this time, just like everyone in Chang 'an knew that they were going to die.
Chen VII ignored his emotions at this time. He looked at the file in his hand and said, "If you don't want to die, don't think about dying."
There were two people who wanted to die in the same sentence, so the meaning was naturally different. Chu Youxian looked at the think-tank of the Fish-dragon Gang and sighed, "They say that you are resourceful, but I really don't believe that you can find a way out of this dead end."
Chen VII still lowered his head and read the information on the file in the dim light. He said, "Those are not important things."
After a moment of silence, Chu Youxian smiled and said, "You are right. It is not important whether we can go back to Chang 'an alive or not."
Everyone knew that they represented the will of the Tang Empire and the Academy in this trip to the Divine Halls of West-Hill. But they did not have an official identity. They were Ning Que's personal representatives, because they had thousands of bloody heads in their hands, which could not be put on the table to tarnish the reputation of the Tang Empire and the Academy.
So if the negotiation failed, they would naturally leave their bloody heads on Peach Mountain and would never be able to return to Chang 'an.
Just as Old Master Su was sad and puzzled, many people did not understand why the imperial court and the Academy sent them to the Divine Halls of West-Hill. Negotiation was only done on the edge of a knife, but on the battlefield, it seemed to be completely unnecessary.
The wheels of the carriage squeaked on the bluestone pavement. The carriage slowly moved out of the city. Chen VII and Chu Youxian did not speak anymore.
It was not important whether they could go back to Chang 'an or not. That was not their task. In this trip to the West-Hill, apart from promoting Ning Que's cold-bloodedness and showing the thousands of heads, their real task was to send a message to someone on Peach Mountain.
That message was very important. It could not be written on paper or spoken. The person who heard it was in the depths of Peach Mountain, and even Mr. First of the Academy could not see her.
Therefore, even though the road ahead was dangerous and they might die, Chu Youxian and Chen VII still got on the carriage without hesitation and started their own journey.
…
…
When Chu Youxian and Chen VII's carriage drove out of the city in the autumn rain, the person who asked them to send the message was in the imperial study of the palace, staring at the curtain of rain and the tender chrysanthemums in the imperial garden in a daze.
In the imperial garden, the young emperor, surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, walked to the back hall. Looking at the figure by the window from afar, he stopped stiffly and bowed deeply, which was not in accordance with the etiquette, just like how he greeted his teacher who was drifting outside.
Ning Que nodded and watched the emperor's figure disappear in the palace. Then he reached out to close the window to keep out the cold wind and rain. Turning around, he looked at the thinner woman behind the desk and said, "When you are free, go out of the palace more often. You should know how beautiful Chang 'an is in autumn when it is not raining."
Li Yu's face was a little pale. It was not because she was ill, but because she had not seen the sun for a long time. After the rebellion, she had never left the palace.
Listening to Ning Que's words, she smiled and did not say anything. She did not explain why she could not leave the palace, because he knew everything.
"Those courtiers who were once loyal to you no longer dare to betray you. So you don't have to lock yourself in the palace to avoid arousing suspicion."
Ning Que looked at her unchanged expression and knew that it was difficult to persuade her. He frowned and said, "Even if you don't want to leave the palace, you should walk around in the imperial garden, boating on the lake, and picking willows by the lake. I am not saying that these artistic scenes are important, but you must keep healthy before His Majesty truly matures."
Li Yu put away the scroll and said calmly, "I can live for another few decades. But why did you come down from the city wall today? Don't you need to keep an eye on those horrible bigwigs? Aren't you afraid that something will happen during this period of time? "
Ning Que had lived on the city wall for a long time. He used his iron bow and iron arrows to frighten the powerhouses in the wilderness, just like the Drunkard used his speed and killing to frighten the emperor, ministers, and soldiers of the Tang Empire.
"I have to take a break."
He said, "And some things have to be confirmed before I can be at ease."
The disputes in the world were not over. The war between the Tang Empire and the West-Hill Divine Palace was about to start. The Academy was not outside the world, so it naturally had to care about these things. Ning Que trusted Li Yu's ability to govern the country, so he had to get confirmation from her.
"I have deduced it many times before. If the Academy can't kill the Drunkard, the war will not even start, let alone win."
Li Yu looked at him quietly and said, "Do you have a way or not?"
Ning Que said after a moment of silence, "I still need some time."
Li Yu said, "That is the problem."
The Drunkard wandered the world and was not afraid of killing people. He was the biggest threat facing the Tang Empire. If they could not kill him, the war would just be empty talk.
For the West-Hill Divine Palace, this was not a problem. They could choose when to start the war, and the timing was very important to the victory of the war.
Ning Que said, "So we have to wait for a while."
Li Yu said, "So you let Chu Youxian and Chenqi go to the West-Hill Divine Palace."
Ning Que said, "The joys and sorrows of the world cannot affect the Drunkard, but it can affect Taoism. We can only hope that Taoism can affect the Drunkard."
Li Yu said, "What if they can't?"
"Fortunately, people like the Drunkard and the Butcher never do meaningless things, including meaningless killing. They are Haotian's dogs, so they must carry out Haotian's will. And the person who interprets Haotian's will is on Peach Mountain."
"You mean the Abbey Dean."
"Yes."
Li Yu said, "If Chu Youxian and Chenqi go to the Qinghe River, will the clans talk to them? If they know that you have killed so many people. "
Ning Que said, "The more people I kill, the more the clans in the Qinghe River will want to talk to me. Even if they don't talk, they will at least invite them to dinner."
Li Yu was a little worried. She looked at him and said softly, "But the more people you kill, the more famous you will be … Even the Tangs can't accept such a killing."
Ning Que thought of the scene he had seen from the window and the fear and unhappiness on the face of the young emperor in bright yellow. He couldn't help but laugh at himself and said, "I'm not like Eldest Brother after all."
Li Yu said, "You can be like that."
Ning Que said firmly, "I don't want to be like Eldest Brother … Because he is just a good person, but not a person who can talk to the whole world."
"Talk to the whole world?"
"Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"When I speak, the whole world must hear my voice."
"Has there been such a person before?"
"Of course the Headmaster can do it, and so can Eldest Brother. But they didn't. Because as I said before, they are good people."
"Who has done it?"
"If Youngest Uncle didn't exist, Lotus could definitely do it."
"Even if he has to destroy the world?"
"That is his purpose, not mine."
Ning Que paused and said, "I just want to talk to the world."
It was just a talk. His attitude was very gentle, even a little reserved and humble. But somehow, Li Yu felt that the air in the imperial study had become cold, even colder than the autumn rain outside the door. She walked to Ning Que's side and opened the window, letting the wind and rain in, as if she felt that she could get more warmth this way.
The autumn rain kept falling in the imperial garden. The golden chrysanthemums were still dazzling, as if they were burning. But in an inconspicuous corner, there were many broken branches and fallen leaves. The wet soil half-covered the fruits that were about to rot, like skulls.
The entire Tang Empire was shrouded in the cold autumn rain. The withered trees by the road were as wet as the pedestrians under the trees. Just like the execution grounds in each prefecture, there was sticky blood everywhere, and all kinds of skulls were soaked in the blood.
This autumn, Ning Que wanted to talk to the world.
Just as he had said to Cheng Lixue, since the world refused to listen to his voice quietly, then he would put all his chips on the line.
Those falling fruits in the autumn rain and those skulls soaked in blood were all proof of his determination and will.
Under such circumstances, Chu Youxian and Chen Qi's carriage drove out of the Verdant Canyon, passed the misty rain, and arrived at the Qinghe Prefecture.
Hundreds of crossbows were aimed at the carriage, and dozens of powerful cultivators in the Seethrough State were waiting silently in the alley on the side of the street.
The bigwigs of the warlords in the Qinghe Prefecture were not in the manor by the Fuchun River, but in the largest restaurant in Yangzhou.
As long as they gave the order, arrows would fall like rain, and dozens of powerful cultivators would attack together. The people in the carriage would not be able to survive.
There was dead silence in the restaurant, and the heads of the warlords did not say a word.
…
…
(I haven't seen you for a long time. Bow to the ground … I suddenly think of the sentence I often heard on the Spring Festival Gala. I really miss you. Those who follow my Weibo should know that I have been suffering from tinnitus for the past two months. That kind of frustration and pain is hard to imagine for those who have not experienced it. I can only say that I am numb now, but I have to continue living and working. There are some things that should be endured. Perhaps this is the time when I am being tested by Junior Martial Uncle's words. Please help me get through this period. Thank you very much for your concern for me. Let's live a good life together. This chapter is definitely very messy because I couldn't sleep to write it. I will find time to revise it. I will try to write it tomorrow during the day. Thank you again.)
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