"Your Majesty, please allow me to personally lead the Nan Fu Army into Mingshui and fight against the Southern Barbarians."
The light flickered, and the sound of rain hitting the ground could be heard.
The young man bowed. After a while, Emperor Wenxuan said slowly, "Do you know what you are saying?"
"The Southern Barbarians bullied the people of the Central Plains. Now that my father is dead, I am willing to carry on my father's legacy and enter the Southern Barbarians again to take back Mingshui."
Emperor Wenxuan did not speak, but Xu Jingfu spoke first. He said, "Second Young Master Xiao, although I can understand your grief and anger at the passing of General Guangwu, leading the army into battle is not something that can be done with just a few words."
Seeing that Emperor Wenxuan did not intend to stop him from speaking, Xu Jingfu continued, "In the Battle of Mingshui, General Guangwu was obstinate and self-opinionated. He caused thousands of Da Wei soldiers to die at Mingshui. Your Majesty is benevolent and did not pursue the matter. Now that you are here tonight, it is not to ask for forgiveness, but for military power. "
Xiao Jue said in a low voice, "I am doing this for the people of Da Wei."
"The people of Da Wei?" Xu Jingfu shook his head. "Second Young Master Xiao is only 16 years old and has never been on the battlefield before. There are many generals in Da Wei that do not dare to lead the army into battle. You are just a little kid, don't be too arrogant. "
"Go back." Emperor Wenxuan said, "Do not mention this again."
The young man paused and looked at Emperor Wenxuan. "I am willing to make a military pledge. If I am defeated, I am willing to accept any punishment."
Every word was powerful and resonant.
Xiao Family's Second Young Master Xiao's eyes had always been beautiful. They were as clear as the autumn water, but they always had a hint of laziness. Now, the laziness in his eyes had disappeared. It was as if something had sunk down, and something had gradually floated up. It made people feel as if they were burning.
It was hard to ignore.
"A military pledge is easy." Xu Jingfu said, "But Second Young Master Xiao, if you are defeated, it is just a life. To others, war is not a child's play. Because of General Guang Wu's defeat at Ming Shui, Great Wei's vitality has been greatly damaged. Now, because of your words, you want to use the tens of thousands of Nan Fu soldiers as a wager? "He stroked his beard, shaking his head and sighing:" Great Wei cannot afford to lose. "
Xiao Jue was silent for a moment. "I wouldn't dare."
Xu Jingfu's eyes.
Xiao Jue of the Southern Barbarians invaded my land. and my father died, I do not want to live. I hope Your Majesty allow me to lead the army to lead the army. Without seeing the news of victory, this subject does not dare to speak rashly. However many soldiers Your Majesty is willing to give this subject, this subject will take that many. Even if I die on the battlefield, this subject will have no regrets.
His attitude was stubborn, and he had the determination to stake everything on one throw. It seemed that as long as Wen Xuandi did not agree, he would kneel here and never get up.
Emperor Wenxuan rubbed his temples. "I do not want to talk about this again."
"Your Majesty is benevolent." The young man's voice did not back down.
"Your Majesty." Xu Jingfu spoke. "Second Young Master Xiao is determined to go to the Southern Barbarians to fight. He has a pure heart."
Emperor Wenxuan looked at him. "What, you want to speak for him?"
Xu Jingfu hurriedly said, "I do not dare. It is just that … Second Young Master Xiao is so confident in himself. Maybe there will be a miracle. It's just that the Great Wei does not dare to gamble with tens of thousands of Southern Prefecture soldiers, so … "
"So what?" Emperor Wenxuan asked.
"Three thousand."
Xiao Jue raised his head.
There were hundreds of thousands of Southern Barbarians. Three thousand against one hundred thousand. No one would accept this proposal. This was a war they would lose.
Emperor Wenxuan took a sip of tea. He understood. Xu Jingfu made this request on the surface to make Xiao Jue back down. Bringing three thousand soldiers to fight the Southern Barbarians was not forcing him. It was a fool's dream. As long as Xiao Jue did not want to die, he would not agree.
He put down the teacup in his hand and looked at the stubborn young man. "Xiao Huaijin, if you insist on going, I will only give you three thousand soldiers. Are you still willing to go?"
Xu Jingfu hid his hands in his sleeves and watched from the sidelines.
He would not agree.
The young man slowly lowered his head and kowtowed to Emperor Wenxuan. "This subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace."
Everyone in the hall was stunned.
When Xiao Jue raised his eyes again, his expression was calm. "A monarch does not joke. Three thousand it is."
The heavy snow pressed down on the bare branches, and with a crack, the branches broke.
Lin Shuanghe was in a daze.
It had been a long time since he found out that Xiao Jue had brought three thousand soldiers to Mingshui. It had been so long that the Battle of Guo City and the scholars had cursed Xiao Jue behind his back. It had been so long that Xiao Huaijin had become Da Wei's God of War, General Fengyun. It had been so long that the two of them had not seen each other for two years.
The affairs of the world were unpredictable and there were many different opinions. However, no one knew how the young man felt when he left the city with three thousand soldiers and found out that he was facing an army of one hundred thousand.
Xiao Rubi did not know that Xiao Jue had drugged him and entered the palace in the middle of the night to ask for three thousand soldiers. He thought that the Emperor had handed the Southern Barbarians to Xiao Jue and that Xiao Jue had temporary military power.
Everyone cursed Xiao Jue behind his back. They cursed him for fighting for power. They cursed him for entering the palace before the seventh day of his mother's death. They cursed him for deceiving the Emperor and handing the Southern Barbarians to a young man. How ridiculous was that?
Who was the one who was being ridiculous?
How ridiculous was this world?
Xiao Jue left the city in the middle of the night. No one knew the look in his eyes before he left, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Countless interesting things happened in the capital every day. Some people sighed at the Xiao family's misfortune, while others took pleasure in it. However, it only lasted for a few days. After a month, there were very few people who mentioned it. After a few more months, it had long been forgotten by people.
Until the news of the Battle of Long Valley came.
Second Young Master Xiao had led the Southern Barbarians to take down Guo City and drown sixty thousand Southern Barbarians. The whole nation was shocked.
They were shocked by the young man's surprise attack and how ruthless he was at such a young age.
Everyone thought that he could have used a gentler method to capture the captives. Who knew that there were civilians among the sixty thousand who drowned?
But what could they do?
"Three thousand against a hundred thousand." He Yan rubbed a small bump on the bamboo stick and pressed it gently. His hand hurt. "He has no other choice."
Lin Shuanghe smiled. "That's right."
No one would use such a method unless they were forced into a dead end.
The Southern Barbarians were stationed in Guo City. Xiao Zhongwu had been attacking for a long time, but he couldn't defeat them. Now that he had three thousand soldiers, it was even more impossible for him to fight them head-on. Xiao Jue ordered the three thousand soldiers to secretly build a dam a hundred miles east of Guo City to block the water from the East Mountain Long Valley. When the water accumulated and turned into a vast ocean, he ordered the dam to be breached.
Fei Nu asked, "Young Master, you must think carefully. If this goes on, everyone will curse you behind your back. "
Even if they won by drowning Guo City, it would leave a cruel mark in the history books. All the generals and soldiers had always wanted to be remembered in history and be famous for a thousand years. Moreover, the Emperor advocated "benevolence" and didn't like to kill indiscriminately. This kind of victory meant that they had to bear more than they could gain.
The young man sat under a tree and looked in the direction of Guo City in the distance. He stroked a weed in front of him and said self-mockingly, "Do I have any other choice?"
Fei Nu didn't speak.
"It doesn't matter what others say about me." He stood up, his black cloak leaving a trail behind him. "Open the dam."
Fei Nu didn't speak or move.
The young man walked forward and said coldly, "I said, open the dam."
Thousands of feet of water flowed down.
Guo City was submerged. The water poured in from the east and came out from the west. The barbarian soldiers and civilians in the south couldn't escape. All sixty thousand people drowned.
The city fell, and Xiao Jue won without a fight.
When the news reached the imperial court, Emperor Wenxuan was also shocked.
After Xiao Zhongwu's death, the officials who supported the Xiao family were suppressed by Prime Minister Xu's party. Now that Xiao Jue had won, they could hold their heads up high. Xiao Jue took the opportunity to submit a letter asking Emperor Wenxuan to hand over the Southern House Soldiers to him so that he could wipe out the southern barbarians in one go.
Emperor Wenxuan delegated power bit by bit.
Xiao Jue's victories were also won one battle after another.
In the past few years, the Southern Barbarians had been defeated by him again and again. In the end, they were utterly defeated. The young man who led three thousand people out of the city alone at night had finally become the frightening General Feng Yun in the eyes of the world.
No one cared about the truth anymore. What people cared about was the fact that he had been greedy for military exploits, treated human lives like grass, and slaughtered at will. What he cared about was that he was arrogant, domineering, and looked down on everyone else. He even chopped down the only son of the Minister of Revenue without any mercy.
But was he willing to be like this?
When they were young, they went to school together in the Xianchang School and read, "The young man has his own arrogance. He despises the Kunlun Sect and laughs at Lu Liang. He sharpened his sword for many years and showed his edge today." How spirited and handsome he was. In the years that followed, he was no longer as bright as he was then.
The handsome young man in a white robe and a silver crown became the Jade-faced Killing General in black clothes and black armor. This was not something to be celebrated.
From the beginning to the end, he was just one person.
The snow fell even harder.
It was so heavy that just by standing on the spot, one could already feel the chill. Their feet would leave clear footprints on the snow, but it wouldn't be long before they would be covered by the snow, leaving no traces behind.
"I don't know. At that time, the Governor only led three thousand people in the battle of Guo City," He Yan said.
"Do you know how the Nine Flags Battalion came to be?" Lin Shuanghe asked.
He Yan shook his head.
"His Majesty asked the Xiao Jue to pick three thousand people from the South Mansion Army. This was his last mercy to Huaijin. Huaijin stood in front of the South Mansion Army and asked them to choose whether they were willing to follow him to Mingshui. "
Before they went, no one thought that they would win the battle. They were going to die. Everyone who stood out had the determination to die and followed the general's son.
"The first eight hundred people who stood out later became the Nine Flags Battalion," he said with a smile.
No wonder. He Yan understood why the Xiao Jue did not easily accept people into the Nine Flags Battalion. No matter how outstanding, brave, smart, and capable they were, they could not compare to the friendship they had built up in the past. Even if they were injured in the Nine Flags Battalion and could not go to the battlefield again, the Xiao Jue would help them settle down.
Because it was worth it.
"I didn't know about this at that time." Lin Shuanghe reached out and brushed away a snowflake that had landed on his body. Later, when grandfather was treating the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager told him about it. Grandfather then told me that there were many rumors in the imperial court. After piecing them together, we formed the original outline of the situation. "
"Didn't Military Governor Xiao tell you about this?" He Yan asked. She remembered that when she entered the Xianchang School, Xiao Jue, Lin Shuanghe, and another young man were very close. When Xiao Jue was in trouble, he would tell his friend about it.
"To be honest, I only met him a few times in the past few years." Lin Shuanghe shook his head. "The few times he wrote to me, he wanted to borrow money."
"Borrow money?"
"You didn't expect that, right?" When Lin Shuanghe said this, his tone became more relaxed. "Xiao Family's original silver was confiscated when General Guangwu was killed. When he led the troops to the south two years ago, he didn't have enough resources. Xiao family's eldest brother was an honest official. He couldn't bear to squeeze his brother dry, so he came to me. Our Lin family's medicine shops are all over the Da Wei. We are loved by many noble ladies in the capital. He treated me as his father and gave him pocket money. "
He Yan: "…"
"Even though he won many battles these years and got a lot of rewards and spoils of war, it's still not enough compared to what I borrowed from him." Lin Shuanghe smiled. "Of course, I'm very generous. If he can't pay me back, then forget it."
He Yan: "… It's good to have a friend like you."
These words were said with sincerity.
Lin Shuanghe waved his hand modestly. "You're too kind. That's why I was surprised when Xiao Jue sent me a letter asking me to come to Liangzhou. "
"Did the Governor ask Doctor Lin to come to Liangzhou?" He Yan asked curiously.
"That's right. The letter said that one of his confidants had an eye injury and asked me to come and treat it. I thought it was Fei Nu Chi Wu who was injured. Halfway there, there was a letter saying that the person's eye had recovered. Since I couldn't turn back halfway, I heard that he was in Qingnan. So I changed my route and went there to meet him. I also followed him to the Liangzhou Guard to see where he lives now. "
He Yan was surprised.
Xiao Jue's letter said "confidant with an eye injury". It must be her. She had been injured by the assassin at Sun Xiangfu's banquet. However, she quickly realized that it wasn't serious. At that time, she didn't know that Xiao Jue had already asked Lin Shuanghe to come and treat her.
Although Lin Shuanghe only looked at women, he was Lin Qingtan's grandson. His medical skills were superb and no one dared to look down on him.
This person wasn't as heartless as he made himself out to be.
As the two of them talked, they had already arrived at He Yan's door.
"Here." Lin Shuanghe handed He Yan a robe. "You can give this to him."
He Yan: "… Why me?"
Lin Shuanghe thought for a moment. "Because Xiao Huaijin must be in a bad mood right now. If I go and join in the fun, I'll be scolded. But you're different. "He leaned closer to He Yan and whispered," If a cute and obedient girl goes, he'll control his temper and won't make things difficult for you. "
He Yan's lips twitched. "Doctor Lin, do you think Military Governor Xiao is the kind of person who'll have tender feelings for the fairer sex?"
Moreover, in Xiao Jue's mind, she wasn't "cute and obedient" at all.
"Of course, why wouldn't he be?" Lin Shuanghe looked at her with a smile and gently pushed her into the room. "He didn't chase you out of the Liangzhou Guards immediately after discovering your identity. This proves that he treats you well. Go, be careful. Don't fall. "
He Yan: "Wait!"
"I'll come see you tomorrow."
He Yan was pushed into his room.
The door was closed behind him, and the room was empty. The food that Cheng Lisu and Song Taotao had brought over was still by the bed. He Yan walked over with the support of a stick and sat down on the bed.
The black robe was next to his hand. He Yan looked at the other side of the door. He wondered if Xiao Jue was there right now.
If she was, wouldn't it be a bit awkward for her to just give him the food?
The window was open, and the salt-like snow drifted into the room with the wind.
The young Governor stood in front of the window and looked at the wind and snow outside.
In the dungeon, Lei Hou's words rang in his ears.
The snow grew heavier and heavier, almost blinding his eyes. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
When he was young, he had learned martial arts from a master in the mountains. Before he left the mountains, the master had said to him, "You will walk on a very difficult path. You must walk on alone and never look back. "
He was young then and didn't understand what this meant. It wasn't until the huge waves of fate came crashing down and overturned the boat that carried the youth's hopes. As he floated alone in the sea, he suddenly understood.
So that's how it was.
Xiao Zhongwu only had two sons. Xiao Jing was like a flawless white jade, pure and noble. How could he participate in this kind of thing? If one of them had to walk on this path and bear the burden of murder, misunderstanding, infamy, and loneliness, why not let him do it?
He didn't care.
So many years had passed. He didn't care about misunderstandings, nor was he afraid of being questioned. How could he lose something he had never owned?
But …
But this kind of snowy day was too cold.
"Creak —"
A sound came from behind him.
Xiao Jue turned around and a head popped out from behind the door. He Yan struggled to walk in with a stick, holding his pajamas in his hands.
"Sorry," the youth said sincerely, "I just knocked on the door, but you didn't respond, so I …"
Xiao Jue: "So you picked the lock and came in uninvited?"
He Yan said embarrassedly, "Don't be angry, we're all neighbors." She sneezed, "Achoo — why didn't you close the window, it's so cold."
How could she say something like "we're all neighbors" so calmly? Xiao Jue didn't bother to pay attention to her and closed the window.
He Yan also felt wronged. She knocked on the door for a long time, but Xiao Jue ignored her. She thought that Xiao Jue wasn't home. She thought that it was good that she didn't bump into Xiao Jue when he was in a bad mood. She might as well use this opportunity to secretly pick the lock, sneak in, put down the pajamas, and leave. She didn't have to think about how to comfort him when they met.
But this person was in the house, and he still ignored her. It was too disrespectful.
"Commander in chief, your pajamas." He Yan handed the pajamas to him.
Xiao Jue looked at her, "Just put it on the couch."
He Yan said, "Oh," and put it on the couch. She then sat down on a stool in the house. She saw that this person was still standing in the same place, thinking about something. She guessed that he was still upset about what Lei Hou said in the dungeon. She couldn't help but sympathize with him.
During her years in the Fuyue Army, she didn't know that Xiao Jue had such a difficult life. If it was her, then so be it. He Yan never felt that she was special, but if this kind of thing happened to Xiao Jue, then she felt that the heavens were too cruel.
It turned out that God wasn't Xiao Jue's biological father. He had to take away what he had given her. He was even an unscrupulous businessman who never made a loss.
She tried to find something to talk about, "Commander in chief, I see that your pajamas are really beautiful! Where did you buy it? How much did it cost? "
Xiao Jue said, "The palace gave it to me."
He Yan, "…"
This person obviously didn't want to talk to her anymore. That was why he deliberately made it difficult for her to continue the conversation. He Yan hesitated whether to leave or not. She thought about the medicine that Xiao Jue gave her when she was injured and sighed in her heart.
She was a person who would take revenge for revenge and repay kindness for kindness. Now that Xiao Jue was in a bad mood, it would be disloyal to her if she left just like that.
"Commander in chief, the wound on my waist hurts." He Yan changed the topic, trying to attract his attention to something else, "Will it leave any side effects in the future?"
"Hurts?" Xiao Jue sat down in front of the table and said indifferently, "I see that you can get out of bed and walk around. It shouldn't be a big problem."
He Yan, "…"
She said, "Commander in chief, you can't vent your dissatisfaction with Lei Hou on me."
This person was like a firecracker now. She couldn't even talk properly.
Xiao Jue flipped through the pages in front of him and said without turning his head, "You think too much."
He Yan looked at him. It was probably the report sent by the Liangzhou Guards about the attack on Rida Muzi and the number of casualties. He sat in front of the table and carefully flipped through it.
Xiao Jue didn't have it easy.
He Yan thought to himself. He first went to Qingnan and rushed back with the Nan Fu Army. He led the army to destroy Rida Muzi's soldiers and then helped the injured soldiers settle down. Then he went to interrogate Lei Hou. After that, he was scolded by Lei Hou. Now he came back to continue reading the military report. He didn't stop for a moment.
He Yan was injured, but at least he had a good night's sleep. This person, on the other hand, didn't rest from beginning to end.
But when he was in the Xianchang Hall, he liked to laze around. So even Xiao Jue couldn't avoid it?
His back was always as straight as a tree, as if he would never get tired. But in fact, he would get tired.
He Yan sat in the chair and looked at his back. He said, "Commander in chief, don't take Lei Hou's words to heart."
He Yan didn't hear Xiao Jue's reply, but he didn't care. He continued, "He's the enemy. Of course he's happy to see you angry. Those words were purposely said to anger you. You're not the only one who was scolded. He also scolded me. Uh, he called me a sissy. " He Yan started to talk nonsense again. "He also said that I have a hidden disease and that my fiancée will run away with someone sooner or later. I'm all alone and will end up in the east of the city with no one to buy tofu."
This kind of consolation was really lame. After He Yan finished speaking, he felt that he didn't put in the effort. But what could she do? She was rarely comforted by others, so she didn't know how to comfort others.
There was no right or wrong in some things. You had to make the right decision based on your position. Outsiders couldn't understand the feeling of shouldering everything alone. It wasn't a good feeling. She had experienced it before.
So she could understand Xiao Jue's feelings.
Xiao Jue still couldn't be bothered with him. Her eyes didn't move away from the military report in front of her.
He Yan stood up, leaned on the staff, and walked to his side with difficulty. Her right hand clenched into a fist and landed on his desk.
"I'll give you something," she said. "I'm leaving."
She slowly dragged her feet back to her room and closed the door.
After He Yan left, Xiao Jue stopped what she was doing and looked at the table.
There was a sesame candy lying on the spot where her palm was just now.
It looked very sweet.
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