A mocking and disdainful expression appeared on the face of the prestigious military leader of the Tang Empire. This slightly frivolous expression did not make Ning Que feel that he was more like an ordinary person. Instead, he felt a heavy pressure. He replied slowly, "It's not that I don't dare to, but I don't want to."
"General, you said that the Military Ministry has a pavilion without walls. I agree with you. The Tang Empire dominates the world and will not collapse no matter what happens in the outside world. I'm just worried that the disaster will come from within the city walls. If you insist on interrogating me, I'm afraid that the military is trying to suppress the Academy in the eyes of outsiders."
He said, "I know you don't mean that, but we can't send this wrong message to the enemies of the Tang Empire. So I don't want you to interrogate me, and you can't interrogate me either."
"Ning Que, Ning Que."
The expression on Xu Shi's face disappeared. He looked at Ning Que and said coldly, "If you don't deny it and take responsibility, maybe I can praise you as a man."
Ning Que replied, "It's not bad if I can be a good poet."
Xu Shi said, "You're determined to challenge the military of the Tang Empire? What an arrogant madman. Do you really think you're qualified? "
"Although I don't understand what you mean."
Ning Que paused and said, "I'm the core disciple of the Headmaster of the Academy. I represent the Academy to enter the human realm and follow Youngest Uncle to travel the world. I really don't know what I'm not qualified to do."
Xu Shi stared at his eyes for a long time. Then he walked to the railing with his hands behind his back and looked down at Chang 'an City outside the grass forest. He said, "You used to be a soldier, so you should know the duty of the Tang Empire's soldiers. So don't think that I don't dare to kill you."
As he said this, a strong and indifferent aura exuded from the slightly bent body of the general, completely isolating him from the world around him.
The fresh forest wind flowing through the pavilion suddenly stopped without a sound. The green trees outside the railings also stopped swaying. The superfluous leaves that had been blown off by the wind also stopped rolling among the grass.
From Ning Que's point of view, everything outside the attic's railing became motionless at this moment, like a landscape painting confined by a frame.
He himself had become a part of the landscape painting.
Only the old man by the railing, completely isolated from the landscape, was still free.
The aura of heaven and earth in the pavilion had already been completely controlled by the old man by the railing. It was motionless and had lost all of its vitality. As long as he willed it, he could crush everything here.
Looking at the back of the seemingly desolate and stooped old man who was actually extremely powerful and terrifying, Ning Que was speechless. He thought to himself that the old man was indeed the most powerful person in the Tang military.
This level of cultivation had actually faintly surpassed the limits of the peak of the Martial Dao.
Ning Que was very clear that he had absolutely no way to fight against such a powerful state. As long as Xu Shiwei moved his mind, the solidified Qi of Heaven and Earth around him would instantly crush him into powder.
Cold sweat gradually soaked the back of his clothes and the big black umbrella behind him.
The expression on his face remained calm.
In the landscape painting, only the old man by the railing was free.
Fortunately, the old man seemed to want to hear what he had to say, so Ning Que's mouth was free.
"I entered the Imperial City yesterday."
Ning Que looked at the back of the old man by the railing and said, "His Majesty took me to the small building."
He knew that as the leader of the Tang military, Xu Shi definitely knew what the small building in the Imperial Palace meant. As expected, the old man's court robe fluttered a little.
He continued, "Before going to the General's Mansion yesterday, I first went to the Vermilion Bird Avenue …"
Before he finished speaking, Xu Shi asked, "The Vermilion Bird … has recognized its master?"
Ning Que said, "Yes. So you should know that I am now responsible for the safety of Chang 'an. If you really care about the Tang Empire and want to fulfill your duty as a Tang soldier, what you need to do now is to protect my safety, not to try to kill me."
Xu Shi stood by the railing and looked into the distance with his hands behind his back. After a long silence, he suddenly murmured with some regret and anger, "I did not expect to fall into your hands in the end."
Ning Que did not say anything.
Xu Shi turned around and looked at him expressionlessly. He said, "The reason why I investigated you is that I did not agree with His Majesty to hand over the array eye pestle to you. To tell you the truth, Yan Se and I have been friends for many years. But I think he has misjudged you, and so has the Headmaster of Academy."
Ning Que did not expect the military leader of the Tang Empire to have such a deep friendship with his Master. He could not understand what had happened recently. He slightly raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why?"
"Because you are not upright. Because you are heartless and cold-blooded. Because I am very clear that if the Tang Empire is really at a critical juncture, you will not live and die with this magnificent city."
Xu Shi looked at him and said word by word.
Ning Que fell silent again. He had to admit that Xu Shi was right about him. Yesterday in front of the Vermilion Bird painting, he had been full of heroic spirit and silently vowed to protect Chang 'an and the Tang Empire. However, before he truly vowed in his heart, he still put his life in the most important position.
After a long silence, he raised his head and looked at Xu Shi seriously. He said, "I can promise you that at least I will do my best."
Xu Shi said, "How can I trust you?"
Ning Que asked, "Why can't you trust me?"
Xu Shi said, "Because you are not trustworthy."
Ning Que asked back, "What kind of people are trustworthy?"
Xu Shi said, "Like your Master Yan Se. He seems to be playful, but he actually knows what is justice and what is reverence."
Ning Que shook his head and said, "My Master is dead. Although you have been friends with him for decades, I don't think you know him well enough. My Master has never been a person who upholds justice. He doesn't know reverence either. He only knows what is called responsibility. And I know that too."
Xu Shi said, "Your hands are stained with too much blood. You are not qualified to hold that pestle."
Ning Que said, "Yesterday in the General's Mansion, you asked me where I was when censor Zhang Yiqi died in the 14th year of Tianqi era. Where was I when the old blacksmith in the east of the city died? Where was I when tea master Yan Suqing died? Today in this attic, you asked me where I was when Huang and Yu died last night. "
Xu Shi looked back at him coldly.
Ning Que asked calmly, "You have asked me many questions about where I was. I also want to ask … where were you when Xiahou massacred the villages in the Yan territory and burned hundreds of innocent people? Where were you when Xiahou buried 30,000 surrendered soldiers? Where were you when the Xuanwei General's Mansion was flooded with blood?
As he listened to these questions, Xu Shi seemed to have aged a little in an instant.
The atmosphere in the attic loosened a little, and the scenery outside the building came to life again.
Ning Que took two steps forward and came to Xu Shi. He continued, "There is indeed a lot of blood on my hands. General, maybe there is no blood on your hands, but it doesn't mean that your hands are cleaner than mine."
"As you said, I am certainly not a good person. I never care about the ugly, bloody, and unfair things in the world as long as they have nothing to do with me. Maybe I am not qualified to hold that pestle, but there are not many people in the world who are qualified to question my right to hold that pestle."
"At least not you, General."
"Xiahou was able to stay out of it, and those generals and captains who massacred the villages were not punished. The imperial court said that there was no evidence and the case could not be investigated according to the law of the Tang Empire. In fact, you and I both know that it was only because Xiahou had made contributions to the Tang Empire and the Northeast Border Military was useful to the empire."
Ning Que said, "Since the imperial court insists that the law of the Tang Empire comes first, then if you want to investigate my relationship with those murders, please find evidence first. Otherwise, please don't bother me in the future."
Xu Shi was silent for a long time. He looked at him and asked coldly, "Then can you tell me, did you do it for justice or for revenge?"
"I am not a messenger of justice."
Ning Que said, "There is no hatred between me and General Xiahou. It is only because he offended me in the Wilderness."
Xu Shi said, "Who can believe this?"
Ning Que said, "I don't need others to believe me. As long as the Headmaster and His Majesty have no objections."
Xu Shi said, "Do you think His Majesty will always favor and trust you?"
Ning Que shook his head and said, "This has nothing to do with favor and trust. But I think even if His Majesty knew about this, he would probably think that I did the right thing."
He suddenly felt that he had said enough today.
So he turned around and walked to the stairs.
However, at this moment, Xu Shi suddenly sighed.
"You are very calm. I can imagine that you will become a very good person in the future, even better than Ke Haoran. Then you may also be more dangerous than him."
Ning Que heard the voice behind him and stopped. He thought of what His Majesty had said in the palace. Xu Shi was undefeated on the battlefield, but he had suffered a great loss in the hands of Youngest Uncle. Did he really have to bear the consequences for his teacher?
He turned around and looked at Xu Shi who was standing by the railing. He was finally annoyed.
"I respect you as the Defender-general of the State. That's why I said so much to you with sincerity. If you really want to fall out with me and don't care about the law of the Tang Empire, then why did you say so much nonsense before?"
"The law of the Tang Empire is not a fig leaf. It is the foundation of the Tang Empire. If you still think this way, then I can't let it continue like this. "
Xu Shi looked at him and said calmly, "As long as it doesn't violate the law of the Tang Empire, I have many ways to make you disappear."
Ning Que said, "I am looking forward to it."
Then he shook his head and said, "Don't lead some Buddhist and Taoist people to challenge me like the previous times. You should know that it is not very useful."
Xu Shi said, "Do you really think that no one dares to challenge you after Liu Yiqing lost to you?"
Ning Que said, "At least a big shot like you will not challenge me, because you can't afford to lose that face."
At this moment, a voice sounded behind him.
"I can afford to lose that face."
Ning Que turned around and saw a slightly fat man at the entrance of the stairs.
The man smiled and said, "My name is Wang Jinglue."
Ning Que looked at Xu Shi who was standing by the railing and shook his head. He said, "It's a bit vulgar."
…
…
(My hand hurts and I am upset. The third chapter may be late. Please don't wait.) (To be continued.) If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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