The mausoleum of Shenjing.
A huge pine tree is like a canopy, surrounded by dense shade, and the tips of the branches are hung with frosty ridges. A long pavilion is built under the pine tree. There is a chessboard in the center of the pavilion, and two men in yellow robes are sitting on the left and right of the chessboard. , one old and one young, are none other than Da Qi Emperor Zhao Bairen and his most beloved fourth prince Zhao Liexian. Next to them is a new tomb. The tomb is not majestic, but rather inconspicuous. The tombstone is also written very simply. There is no name, no title, no posthumous title, only four simple words. : Tomb of Concubine Ming.
Zhao Bairen was taking a long exam at this time. He had a sunspot dancing on the tip of his finger and stared at the chess position on the chessboard. However, his eyes were unfocused. He seemed to be concentrating, but in fact he was distracted.
Zhao Liexian was already used to this. He just waited quietly, taking a sip of tea from time to time, and then looking at the surrounding scenery.
"Father, what has passed has passed. Father has been coming to this place these days, sitting there for four or five hours. Although there is no wind or rain here, according to the Great Star Official, the Yin Qi here is soaring. I'm afraid it's not good for the dragon's body to stay for a long time." Zhao Lie waited for a while, and when he saw that Zhao Bairen was still motionless, he finally couldn't hold it anymore and whispered.
Zhao Bairen's eyes moved and he said, "Great Star Officer? Great Star Officer, I haven't seen him for a long time. Is his health okay?"
Zhao Liexian's eyes twitched and he said: "Father, the Great Star Official... He was assassinated last month and has passed away..."
Zhao Bairen was shocked: "Ah? This is actually happening?"
Zhao Liexian whispered: "Father, it was my father who urged us to investigate this matter."
Zhao Bairen asked in confusion: "Who is the murderer?"
Zhao Lie said first: "It has not been found yet."
Zhao Bairen was furious: "You bastard, it's been more than a month, why haven't you been arrested yet! Such a shocking and major case happened in the divine capital, how can the imperial court lose its face! Gu Changwei! Gu Changwei!! He is a bloody person Commander Wei, don’t you feel ashamed that you haven’t been able to close the case yet?!”
Zhao Lie sighed softly and said in a low voice: "Father, the ancient guard resigned ten days ago."
Zhao Bairen was still angry: "You bastard, you want to run away when something happens! Call him back! Let him get to the bottom of this case!"
Zhao Liexian cautiously whispered: "Father, the ancient guard returned home and left a suicide note, claiming that he had failed the emperor's favor, and committed suicide the next day due to guilt."
Zhao Bairen's mouth suddenly opened wide, and he couldn't close it for a long time. After a while, his lips trembled slightly and he closed them. He slowly closed his eyes, with a trace of tears leaking from the corners of his eyes: "He left too? He served You've been with me for eleven years, why did you leave so easily?"
After saying that, Zhao Bairen opened his eyes, looked at Concubine Ming's tombstone in pain, and choked with sobs in a low voice: "Concubine Ming has served me for eighteen years, and the Great Star Officer has served me for sixty-one years. They left just as soon as they said they would. No kindness left, no old feelings at all?"
Zhao Bairen shed two lines of hot tears. He covered his heart and cried softly: "Kill me..."
Zhao Liexian panicked and shouted: "Royal doctor, imperial doctor!!"
Doctor Fang, who was not far away, heard the sound and came over. He carried a small medicine box and trotted all the way to Zhao Bairen. After feeling his pulse, he nodded to the nervous leading eunuch beside him. The leading eunuch immediately After taking out the medicine bottle he carried with him and giving Zhao Bairen two pills, Zhao Bairen relaxed his brows a little, but after all this tossing, he had already fallen down on the recliner beside him, covered with thick fur. , face pale, lips foaming.
About half an hour later, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves outside, and then several people jumped off their horses. One of them came running quickly. Before he got close, he heard a voice shouting urgently: "Father! , Father! I’m late, I deserve to die!!”
The person who came was none other than Zhao Hanqing. He ran all the way and knelt down before Zhao Bairen collapsed. He choked and said, "Father, my son is here! How is the dragon body of the father?"
Zhao Liexian gently wiped the saliva from the corner of Zhao Bairen's mouth and said with a sneer: "Isn't this the Prince Supervisor who has everything on his plate? Why do you have time to come see your father?"
These words were sharp and harsh, and everyone else lowered their heads after hearing this, and they all pretended to be dead and stupid.
Zhao Bairen stared at Zhao Hanqing with cloudy eyes, and his fingers trembled slightly. Zhao Hanqing quickly kowtowed and defended: "Father, I rushed here as soon as I received the news."
Zhao Liexian snorted coldly: "On weekdays, you go to see my father every day, and the weather never stops. But now that you are about to abdicate and pass the throne, you simply don't come! Huh, it seems like you are going to burn a bridge by crossing the river!"
Zhao Hanqing was furious, he raised his head suddenly, his eyes were like spears and arrows: "Prince Ping, what did you say!" As he said, he kowtowed to Zhao Bairen and said: "Father, it's not that you are unfilial, but that the most important thing in the world has happened right now. It’s a big event! Prince Ping, if you don’t know the situation, don’t make random accusations or speak out against others! Do you know what big things happened in the past two days!!”
Zhao Liexian said angrily: "How do I know? I'm just a useless prince who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun. I just accompany my father all day long. How do I know what's going on outside?"
Zhao Hanqing glared at Zhao Liexian angrily, and then raised his hands to Zhao Bairen and said: "Father! Urgent news came from the southeast. Long Tenghai led the army to engage in battle with the Puppet Kingdom and the Dijon Kingdom. The two sides fought all day and night, and the battle line was continuous. For more than a hundred miles, both sides suffered heavy losses and each had its own victory or defeat. The next day, Long Tenghai sent out surprise troops to attack Yuexiaguan on the Shanlan Plain openly, but secretly sent two thousand monks to bypass the frontal defense line and attack Lanzhou diagonally behind. Mountain granary.”
Zhao Hanqing spoke very fast, and his voice sounded like gold and stone. His tone made people feel the overwhelming murderous aura coming from the battlefield thousands of miles away. Everyone else became extremely nervous and nervous just listening to it. Dare to speak out.
Zhao Bairen struggled to do it, and with the support of Zhao Liexian, he sat down on the couch. He took a sip of the hot ginseng soup brought by the eunuch, regained a little strength, and then nodded to Zhao Hanqing.
Zhao Hanqing continued: "But the enemy coalition commander Ulala has already stationed heavy troops in the Granary of Lanshan. Two thousand monks failed to attack by surprise and the entire army was wiped out!"
"Ah!!" The surrounding eunuchs and maids exclaimed in low voices, looking at each other in shock.
Zhao Hanqing continued with an ugly expression: "Not only that, the enemy also sent ten cavalry regiments on both wings. After cooperating with the artillery regiments to penetrate the protection on both wings from both sides, they bypassed the strongest Chinese defense line and attacked our center. Later, the enemy's assault force, with the cooperation of air combat boats, the enemy's Holy Light Legion, Holy Power Legion, 5,000 Blood Corps, and 3,000 Blood Corps jointly broke through our Chinese army's defense line and rushed directly to the Chinese army's commander Long Tenghai. Our camp!"
Zhao Bairen's eyes widened and his fingers trembled slightly: "Is the general okay?"
Zhao Hanqing nodded quickly and said: "Although the enemy army is fierce and cunning, the enemy's actions were expected by military advisor Gao Shenghan. Our Chinese army commander's camp is all a trap. The enemy's assault troops, the Holy Light Legion, the Holy Power Legion, and the Five Thousand Blood Seeds The Corps and the Three Thousand Blood Corps were all trapped in the siege of our army. Gao Shenghan surrounded them without fighting, and lured the enemy commander to come to the rescue. However, the enemy commander saw through Gao Shenghan's plan and could not hold on, so General Long Tenghai ordered to encircle and annihilate them all. Enemy army. Our army has achieved... a tragic victory."
Zhao Bairen let out a long breath and murmured: "It will be good if we win, it will be good if we win."
Zhao Lie muttered sourly: "Isn't a tragic victory considered a win?"
Zhao Hanqing seemed not to have heard, he immediately said: "Although Long Tenghai reported good news, he also requested reinforcements. In this battle, our army severely damaged the enemy's elite troops and killed a total of 150,000 enemies. However, our army also lost two thousand monks and ten Sergeant Wan, Long Tenghai urgently requested the imperial court to recruit monks from various factions to support us, and at the same time send additional troops to coordinate operations."
Zhao Bairen was speechless and said: "How can the imperial court help him fill the gap of these two thousand monks at this time? The various cultivating sects have suffered heavy losses at this time, so how can they still send people to participate in the war?"
Most of the monks are selfish. For the benefit of the sect, they can send monks to cooperate with the court to fight, and then divide the various interests of the occupied areas, but once they encounter tragic casualties, they will have to retreat.
After all, life is more important than money!
Zhao Hanqing kowtowed and said: "Father, no matter what, this battle is already a good start. If reinforcements are not sent immediately, the Puppet Kingdom and the Dijon Kingdom will fight at home, and the replenishment speed will be much faster than mine. If the fight continues like this, the enemy will be strong." I'm weak, and once the war breaks down, I'm afraid... something unexpected will happen!"
There are no fools here. Everyone knows that once this war breaks out, all conflicts will be pushed back. The outcome of this war is the main conflict, because once this war is lost, it will not be as simple as losing power and humiliating the country. matter.
All the conflicts accumulated in Daqi will explode!
If Puppet and Dijon lost, they would just cede territory and pay compensation. But if Daqi lost, I'm afraid... the dynasty would change again.
They can't afford to lose!
Zhao Liexian lowered his eyes at this time, and his eyes moved rapidly. A poisonous plan that killed two birds with one stone suddenly came to mind.