Xue He was so excited not because Chen Changsheng had freed him from the Bitter Prison and restored him, but because he was grateful that Chen Changsheng had buried his brother's body, participated in the memorial service, taken care of his widowed sister-in-law, nephew, and niece, and even protected Cong Province. After several years, the Cong Province Army headquarters had regained the glory of Xue Xingchuan, becoming one of the most important military headquarters of the Great Zhou alongside Blue Pass and Snowhold Pass precisely because he had the assistance of his old subordinates.
Chen Changsheng said, "There's no need to be so polite. Rise."
Xue He knew his personality, so he stood up and indicated for his wife to take the child and leave.
Before leaving, Young Madam Xue nervously glanced at him, thinking, is there no need to prepare a banquet? Will the two Saints be unhappy?
Xue He did not notice his wife's expression. All his attention was on the Red Cloud Qilin that Chen Changsheng was pulling.
"Someone had me bring it to you, hoping that in the near future, you will be able to ride it into Xuelao City."
Chen Changsheng continued, "On that day, I think that Divine General Xue Xingchuan will be extremely happy."
Xue He took the reins and said, "Be at ease, I will definitely take good care of it."
The Red Cloud Qilin was extremely intelligent and had already recognized him. It lowered its head and lightly touched his cheek.
Xue He was rather moved, but when he thought about how His Majesty had probably asked the Pope to bring the Red Cloud Qilin, he also felt rather uneasy.
He seriously said to Chen Changsheng, "I only know that His Majesty bestowed it to me."
There was only one meaning to this sentence, and that was loyalty.
This was also why he had his family appear and kowtow to Chen Changsheng.
Although it was the emperor who had appointed him as the Divine General of the Cong Province Army headquarters, he was keenly aware of who the true benefactor of the Xue clan was.
The Xue clan was Chen Changsheng's followers.
Whether it was the Xue clan in Cong Province or the Xue clan on the Road of Peace in the capital.
As long as the Xue clan existed, as long as he was alive, the Cong Province Army headquarters would only follow the lead of the Li Palace.
Even if the Imperial Court and the Orthodoxy once more came into conflict, he would unhesitatingly lead his tens of thousands of soldiers to stand behind Chen Changsheng.
Although it seemed that His Majesty and the Pope had a deep affection for each other, that such a thing was simply impossible, who could say what would happen in the future? When Emperor Taizu led his troops out of Tianliang County, could those young princes have imagined that so much blood would flow in the Hundred Herb Garden a few decades later?
Chen Changsheng knew that Xue He had made a mistake and said, "This should be the intention of Luoyang."
After hearing this, Xue He was silent for a very long time.
The eastern capital, Luoyang, had been quiet all these years. It did not make a sound, but there were still many people watching it.
Why? Of course, it was because of the Temple of Eternal Spring.
Nowadays, when people mentioned Luoyang, if there was no other explanation, they would refer to the Monastery of Eternal Spring and the old Daoist in the monastery.
If the Red Cloud Unicorn was really sent over by the Monastery of Eternal Spring, then the meaning behind it was very clear.
"This general does not dare to have any resentment."
When Xue He said this, he spoke very slowly, but his tone was very serious.
Since he had made up his mind, he did not want the Pope to think that he was still holding back.
Although saying this made him very unhappy, or perhaps it could be said that he was unwilling.
"You can't control what you think. You love and hate, and you have a reason to hate, so who has the right to stop you from hating?"
Chen Changsheng continued, "But before attacking Xuelao City, we might need to temporarily forget those things."
In this war, the Cong Province Army under Xue He's command was naturally the main force.
That person in Luoyang had returned the Red Cloud Qilin to Xue He without saying a word, but it had a deeper meaning.
It was precisely what Chen Changsheng had meant.
… …
… …
As dusk deepened, Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong did not stay to eat at the Divine General's estate, choosing to leave.
Now, the two of them had to share the same crane.
This sort of situation had occurred many times in the past, and the White Crane was already used to it, but it could sense that something was wrong with today's situation.
In the hazy twilight, the plains stretched as far as the eye could see.
Xu Yourong was focused on the scenery. When Chen Changsheng spoke to her, she would only respond with one sentence after every four or five sentences. She seemed rather cold.
The White Crane recalled Xiao Zhang's words and wondered, could there really be a problem between these two?
No matter how slow Chen Changsheng was, he had long ago sensed Xu Yourong's coldness and knew that there truly was a problem.
The problem was that he didn't know what the problem was, where the problem had come from, and even if he wanted to ask her, he didn't know where to start.
The cold wind buffeted his face, but it did not make him more clear-headed. On the contrary, it made him even more confused.
The White Crane flew southwest, and it didn't take long for it to enter Tianliang County.
As he gazed at the familiar scenery of the wasteland and the familiar city in front of him, Chen Changsheng recalled the scene of him and Su Li fleeing for tens of thousands of li and couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
Following his orders, the White Crane landed in a forest outside the city. As it descended, Chen Changsheng noticed that the largest estate in the city was completely empty, its gate tightly shut. He couldn't help but wonder, could Liang Wangsun have left? Why isn't there a single person in the estate?
As the White Crane flew into the twilight, Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong walked out of the dense forest on the side of the official road.
Xunyang City was an ancient city, but the southern gate seemed rather new. At the very least, it didn't seem ancient at all.
"Back then, your teacher blew open this city gate, and Guan Xingke and Zhu Luo were badly beaten."
When Chen Changsheng thought of the events of the past, he was still rather excited, but also somewhat ashamed that he didn't know how to tell a story. He thought to himself, if it were Tang Thirty-Six telling it, it would definitely be much more wonderful.
The story of that night's storm in Xunyang City had long ago spread to the entire continent. Xu Yourong already knew all the details, so there was no need for Chen Changsheng to explain.
As she gazed at the city gate and thought of her teacher, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Chen Changsheng was somewhat gratified, thinking to himself, this arrangement really wasn't wrong.
After entering Xunyang City, they went straight to the Liang Household.
The gate of the Liang Household was tightly shut.
They used their spiritual senses to scan the place and confirmed that there really was no one inside.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong glanced at each other, somewhat confused. Just what had happened that Liang Wangsun had actually dismissed all the servants in the estate?
Upon entering the estate, they saw that famous imperial carriage and found the letter that Liang Wangsun had left behind.
Liang Wangsun had a very powerful influence on the northern world of cultivators and the common people. The palace had issued several decrees inviting him to enter the court, but he had always refused.
As a descendant of the previous dynasty's Imperial clan, he hated the Chen Imperial clan to the bone, so how could he be willing to lend a hand?
They had come to Xunyang City to persuade him. When Liang Wangsun had entered the capital to help the Tianhai Divine Empress manage the Imperial Design, he should have had a rather good impression of Xu Yourong.
Who could have expected that after Liang Wangsun received the news from the capital, he would immediately take the old and young of the estate and leave Xunyang City, not even willing to meet with them?
However, Liang Wangsun had clearly stated in the letter that it was impossible for him to help the Imperial Court. When he was truly needed, he would naturally appear.
This single sentence was enough, not to mention the fact that there was even a name on the letter.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong left the estate and arrived on the street.
Many soldiers hurriedly walked by, their faces somewhat at a loss.
The prefectural armies of the various provinces and counties were currently mobilizing their defenses and also training.
Logically speaking, they should not have appeared on the battlefield, but no one knew just how many people would die this time.
Even the Imperial Guards responsible for guarding the Imperial Palace were preparing to advance north at any moment, let alone them.
On the battlefield, death was unavoidable, and the phrase 'one after another' was a common occurrence.
Chen Changsheng understood that this was inevitable, but he still felt somewhat perplexed.
For the sake of his thoughts, tens of thousands of people would die.
Sometimes, he would think that it was fortunate that he was the Pope and not the Emperor, or else those decrees and conscription orders would have to go through his hands.
Soon after, he would feel that thinking this way was very unfair to his senior brother.
He knew that his senior brother would do these things extremely well, but just like him, his senior brother also deeply disliked doing these things.
The street behind the Liang Household was called Four Seasons Green. It was the straightest street in the western part of Xunyang City. There were no shops on either side, only gray stone walls.
The long street was quiet. Music drifted out from some courtyard, and it seemed like someone was singing an opera.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong followed the music. Passing through an alley, they arrived in front of an estate and saw two rows of red lanterns.
The paper used for the lanterns was an extremely red and heavy color. It seemed to be wet, and when illuminated by the ox candles inside, it looked like blood, somewhat dazzling to the eye.
Xu Yourong glanced at the lanterns, her elegant brows creasing as if she was thinking of something.
The music came from within the estate. Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong walked in, but no one stopped them.
Upon entering the estate was an enormous stone platform, paved with large blocks of gray stone. They were unpolished and not exquisite, and coupled with the burning torches all around, it seemed rather like a battlefield on the wasteland.
In front of them was a stage, and on the stage burned tallow candles as thick as a child's arm. The flames illuminated the white paper-covered back wall, making it seem like daytime.
A man was currently singing an opera, dressed in a red dress and wearing extremely gaudy makeup.
He did not use his high-collared clothes to intentionally cover his throat, nor did he intentionally suppress his voice. He sang in a rather hoarse and exquisite manner, rather moving.
Without any warning, the music came to a screeching halt.
The man turned to Chen Changsheng and asked, "Sir, what do you think of my opera?"
Tonight, not many people had come to listen to the opera, only ten-some. They were sitting in front of the stage, and from their attire and demeanor, they were probably the leading figures of Xunyang City. Hearing the man on the stage speak, the crowd turned and saw Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong. They couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.
Today, Liang Hongzhuang had come to the estate to entertain himself, and he had even invited the best troupe in Lanling City. He was still singing the famous Spring Night Song, playing the part of a charming and lovely bride. Just as he was singing excitedly, his eyebrows flying and his eyes softening, he suddenly saw that young man and woman walk in from outside the estate. He thought to himself, I've finally arrived.
"I've never really listened to opera, but I think it's pretty good."
Chen Changsheng thought it over, then added, "It seems a little different from the opera in the capital."
"When I was little, I went to the Luling Estate to learn opera. Their singing style is a little strange, but it's nice to listen to."
Liang Hongzhuang said, "I hear that it's a singing style from the Great Western Continent, but I don't know if it's true or not."
The people present were all leading figures of Xunyang City. Seeing Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong's appearances, especially the latter, they very quickly guessed at their identities.
The tea table toppled to the ground and the chairs overturned.
Under the lead of the archbishop and the mayor of Xunyang City, the crowd solemnly bowed.
Chen Changsheng waved his hand, indicating that they should rise, but he had no intention of speaking with them. As a result, the crowd could only respectfully stand to the side, not daring to make a sound.
"It was a matter from ten-odd years ago. Countless people of the Liang Estate died, my father also died, and my big brother ran away from home. In those days, my life was very bitter. The Imperial Court did not like our clan, so naturally no one liked us. Now that I have no elders to protect me, who would be polite to me? At the most bitter times, I didn't even have food to eat, so I thought to myself that I had to find a way to support myself. My father liked to listen to opera, and I also liked to listen to it. I was familiar with this line of work, so I walked this path. At the time, I had no choice. Did you all just go to the estate? At the time, even the estate was occupied … "
Hearing Liang Hongzhuang's words, the expressions of those important figures of Xunyang City subtly changed. Could it be that something is going to happen tonight?
Liang Hongzhuang then fell silent for a very long time.
He originally had many things he wanted to say.
At the time of the incident, the people who had seized the power and wealth of the Liang Estate had been right in front of him, precisely these leading figures of Xunyang City.
If not for Liang Wangsun's outstanding talent, the fact that he had become an expert of the Proclamation of Liberation at such a young age, and the fact that he had established a relationship with the palace, how could these people have lowered their heads and admitted defeat? Even so, these people still relied on the Imperial Court's wariness of the Liang Estate and the power of the Tianhai clan to suppress the Liang Estate from retaliating.
The ones who had truly occupied the Liang Estate were not these people. To these important figures, this sort of behavior would be far too unsightly.
Thinking of the chaotic state of the estate when he returned three years later, Liang Hongzhuang sighed.
He took out a case from his sleeve and threw it to Chen Changsheng.
Inside the case was half of the estate of the Liang Estate, which could be used for military expenses.
"I want to drink."
Liang Hongzhuang suddenly said.
After a moment, a woman carrying a bowl of wine walked onto the stage, her footsteps hurried.
Liang Hongzhuang took the bowl and drained it in one gulp, then threw the bowl to the ground. With a clap, it shattered into pieces.
He cast a sidelong glance at the sky, his eyes filled with indescribable contempt and sorrow. Walking off the stage, he kicked off his cloud boots, threw away his headscarf, and walked into the darkness.
The woman anxiously yelled, "Third Young Master, where are you going?"
… …
… …
(My apologies to everyone, I've caused trouble for everyone, I've caused trouble for everyone. I admit my wrongs, I admit my cowardice, I admit my beating. I just have to trouble everyone to move to Weibo to criticize and educate me. After all, the book review section is a place to discuss books. I've troubled you, thank you. There is a story between Liang Hongzhuang and that woman, roughly similar to Fan Xian and Dong'er, except that the former is a tragedy. Many of the words used to describe Liang Hongzhuang in this chapter were copied from the first time he appeared. I really like the description in that chapter.)
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