Dazhou in the dark, Dazhou surrounded by torches, the sky and the ground are full of sparks, Dazhou not much darker than the day. The former dean of the Overwatch Council, the most loyal servant and closest courtier of Emperor Qing, Chen Pingping, who was sitting in a wheelchair, looked at the people kneeling on the ground on both sides of the official road and kowtowed to her, without any trembling expression on her face. , those thin and deep wrinkles did not bloom into the appearance of chrysanthemums, but just straightened indifferently, just like the shocking pictures formed by the rain on the loess plain for thousands of years.
Dry and old-fashioned hands slowly stroked the wool blanket. This light gray wool blanket was always so smooth and comfortable. Whenever she touched it, Chen Pingping always felt that she was touching something she was not lucky to touch. thing.
It didn't take long for him to learn from the inner court eunuch what happened in Dazhou City, and also who the court prisoner who was being treated under the protection of the Overwatch Council subordinates was.
Gundam? The name Chen Pingping was unfamiliar, but it was not unfamiliar either. He knew that he was Fan Xian's trusted bodyguard back then. He glanced at the court prisoner covered in blood, his indifferent eyes gradually shrank.
The Overwatch Council didn't know that Gundam was alive. Chen Pingping sighed in her heart, thinking that the dignified leader of the Tiger Guards had also been turned into a character who learned to cherish his life by Fan Xian. There is such magic in the subtleties.
As Chen Pingping said to herself before, Qiaoqiao's mother actually gave birth to Qiaoqiao. Just like the convoy of 30 black carriages from the Overwatch Council today, just passing through Dazhou normally, but outside the city of Dazhou, they encountered the imperial court arresting imperial criminals, and the imperial criminals arrested by the imperial court were Fan Xian at the time. people.
This is not a coincidence, not a coincidence. Behind all of this, there may be something hidden.
"Master He was able to track down the escaped prisoner, really amazing." Chen Pingping coughed twice and said with a smile. Behind him, the old servant who never left left and right pushed his wheelchair and walked towards the crowd.
The wheelchair was crushed on the official road, making a palpitating sound.
He Qigan, the eunuch of the inner court, has a very high seniority in the palace, but he has a vicious temperament and has never been liked by the nobles in the palace, so his status is not very important. However, after decades of hard work in the palace, he naturally knows that at this time What kind of attitude should I show.
He led two eunuchs and masters from the thirteenth yamen of the Ministry of Justice to spread out the encirclement, for fear that old dean Chen would think that they were hostile.
He Qiqian knew what kind of terrifying old Dean Chen was. He never expected that since he met Dean Chen today, if the other party spoke, people like himself would still be able to take that court prisoner away. Of course, considering another aspect, he does not think that the old dean who has resigned from office will go against His Majesty's will because of such an inconspicuous imperial court. After all, old dean Chen is His Majesty's most loyal subordinate. Down.
It's just that he overlooked two things. First, Chen Pingping knew that Gao Da belonged to Fan Xian, and Fan Xian never liked other people to deal with his own people, even if those so-called other people were sent from the palace. Chen Pingping was immersed in a very complicated emotion. He looked at the court prisoner Gundam who was still in a coma on the ground, thinking about some things that others didn't understand at all.
The Overwatch Council's treatment was very effective. Gundam finally woke up slowly from the pool of blood. Originally, he shouldn't be able to bear such a serious injury, but to protect his wife and children, there were several knife wounds that penetrated into the flesh and blood, all of which were used by him. The body and arms are firmly connected.
As soon as he woke up, his eyeballs were stung by the torches around him, Gao Da's dry lips moved slightly, and then he saw the black wheelchair close at hand, and the big man on the wheelchair. He hadn't met old dean Chen a few times, but he knew what kind of person old dean Chen was, especially after seeing the slightly worried and complicated eyes of old dean Chen.
Seeing her husband wake up, the mute woman was overjoyed, hugged the child and knelt beside him, and nodded her thanks to the officials of the Overwatch Council around her. How subtle it is, I don't know whether the so-called saving people or not is actually just an introduction to the big events in the future, it all depends on how Chen Pingping does it.
Gao Da's face darkened. He knew that if Chen Pingping saved his life for the sake of Mrs. Fan, then He Zongwei could use this to drag Fan Xian into the water, and even Chen Pingping into the water.
With a slight movement of his fingers, a look of ferocity flashed in his eyes, he bent down and knocked on his temple!
The reason why he wanted to escape before was because he was single with his wife and children. Even in the face of Qing's powerful state machine, he still had to stubbornly live until the day he couldn't survive.
However, he wanted to commit suicide at this moment because he knew that if he lived, he would pose a problem to Chen Pingping, or more precisely, Master Xiao Fan whom Chen Pingping wanted to protect.
So he chose to commit suicide. Chen Pingping watched him attack without any reaction, but a flash of admiration flashed in her eyes, and then flashed a smile with insight into the world.
With a snap, the Overwatch Council official who had been guarding Gundam's side easily stopped Gundam from committing suicide. He looked at Gundam and said indifferently: "I finally lived for three years, and I have wives and children. Why are you in such a hurry to die?"
The voice was very familiar, Gao Da's heart shook slightly, he turned his head to look with difficulty, but unexpectedly saw a completely unfamiliar face, but the official of the Overwatch Council turned back to his original tone of speaking, coupled with those eyes The playful look familiar in the movie made Gundam immediately know the identity of the other party.
Gao Da's withered lips moved slightly, but he couldn't speak. He looked at the Overwatch Council official like a ghost, and after a long time, he cried and laughed in a very low voice: "So...you are still alive. "
The Overwatch Council official smiled slightly, tightened the cloth strips on his body, patted his hands, and said, "Who doesn't want to live? The dean is here. It's not up to you to decide whether you live or die."
Chen Pingping leaned slightly tiredly on the black wheelchair. The women from Chen Yuan on both sides of the convoy dispersed to the forest for convenience. Fortunately, those embarrassing voices did not come over, but the teasing voices gradually became louder.
The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Gundam and said, "You are not Gundam."
Gao Da's heart was shocked, and he looked at Dean Chen for no reason.
Chen Pingping said slowly: "You are just a small person, your life and death is not a big deal, so you'd better live."
As soon as this remark came out, not only Gao Da and the Overwatch Council official beside him, but even the experts from the Ministry of Punishment and He Qigan and the three inner court eunuchs scattered around all smelled something strange. That's right, the Tiger Guard Gundam who fled the battle, and the imperial convict who was secretly hunted down by Mr. He for a long time, in the eyes of the Overwatch Council, to be precise, in the eyes of Chen Pingping, they were just an inconspicuous little person.
He Qigan took two steps back in silence, and then the governor of Dazhou moved over in small steps nervously, saluted Chen Pingping solemnly, and then asked the old dean to enter the city for a rest.
The Overwatch Council is a secret service agency. It is the agency most feared and hated by all officials, and it is also the agency they most want to have a relationship with. However, from Chen Pingping to Fan Xian, these two people are excellent people who do not need to build relationships between the DPRK and China. Therefore, the civil servants of the Qing Dynasty never found any opportunities.
And right now there is no doubt that it is a great opportunity for the magistrate of Dazhou to please the old dean Chen, so as to continue to please the young man. As an official, he is not willing to miss it anyway. It's none of his business.
Chen Pingping ignored the official, he just looked at Gundam indifferently, thinking about his own affairs.
As I said before, Chen Pingping didn't think that Gundam's sudden appearance was a coincidence at all. He Zongwei secretly investigated Gaoda and Wang Qinian. This matter may be hidden from the Overwatch Council, but it cannot be hidden from His Majesty the Emperor. This thing broke out, for what
For a reason, an excuse, a question.
The emperor was far away in the capital, thousands of miles away, questioning Chen Pingping, questioning Chen Pingping with the fact that the imperial court violated this little life, are you a black dog of mine, or a powerful minister with your own will
Power ministers never had a good end, even if they were like Lin Ruofu, who were extremely opportunistic, retreated cleanly, thoroughly, and hid in Wuzhou as a farmer, but they were always afraid that His Majesty the Emperor would be unhappy someday.
Chen Pingping is not an ordinary courtier, he doesn't need to worry about these things, he knows that the emperor just wants to ask himself a question, and then take a look at his attitude - attitude towards the emperor.
Chen Pingping suddenly laughed, her smile was a bit weird, blown by the night wind and illuminated by the torches, she looked like those chrysanthemums blooming non-stop under the hanging temple, not afraid of the cold wind, ignoring the worldly dust, just Blindly blooming.
"Let Gundam recuperate." He gently stroked the handle of the wheelchair and said with a smile.
Dozens of people sent by the imperial court to arrest the imperial convicts, plus hundreds of yamen sergeants in Dazhou, felt chills at the same time when they heard such a faint sentence, knowing that Dean Chen decided to intervene, although they dared not resist, they also They were powerless to resist the Overwatch Council swordsman spies carried in thirty black carriages, as well as the forces hidden in the darkness, but they were still shocked.
If Chen Pingping wants to protect this person, I am afraid that His Majesty the Emperor will give him this face. He Qigan and those thirteen yamen masters think so in their hearts. Their faces are ugly and embarrassing, but none of them People dare to express any objection to Chen Pingping's words.
Because opposition is invalid, and opposition is impotent. He Qigan's throat was dry, and he was a little unwilling. He was sent by the inner court to the side of Master He, and wandered in the imperial court of Qing Kingdom for a year. Somewhat helplessly, he thought that even if this errand was messed up, after returning to the capital, as long as he told the chief officer and the chief eunuch that it was Old Master Chen who intervened, what business did it have to do with him
Those sweet-talking beauties from Chen Yuan finally came back. They opened their eyes wide and looked curiously at the people surrounded by torches. They didn't know what happened or what the master was talking about. They didn't worry too much about what they were thinking, whether it was in Chen Yuanli, or during the guerrilla warfare during the Kyoto rebellion, or even now on the way back to their hometown, they were surrounded by people from the Overwatch Council to protect them, no matter where they were Officials treat them with courtesy.
They are all orphans bought by Chen Pingping from the poor folk. Apart from being beautiful and singing good songs, they have no advantages. However, Chen Pingping is willing to raise and protect them. This eccentricity also creates these greenhouses. flowers.
If the mountain of Chen Pingping falls, I don't know what will happen to the flowers in these greenhouses.
Chen Pingping lowered her head, listening to the familiar voices of women not far behind, she smiled slightly.
He didn't let the convoy accept the invitation from Dazhou Zhizhou to stay overnight in the city, but just sat in the wheelchair calmly, looking at the complex-looking inner court eunuchs and criminal officials around him, as if thinking about something, as if waiting for something.
Then he closed his eyes.
There are not many people in this world who understand His Majesty the Qing Emperor like Chen Pingping. Gundam is indeed a small person. Even if he is a touchstone, he does not have that kind of hardness. However, things like the human heart are always a kind of subjective idealism. His Majesty the Emperor is waiting to tell Chen Pingping in the dark mountains at this time, this prisoner is the one I left behind. stone for you.
At this time, Chen Pingping had many choices.
He could save Gundam, and then Shi Shiran returned home. Although he knew that some people would come to him soon, just as Ye Zhong and Eunuch Yao thought, in the mountains and plains inside Qing Kingdom, there was another Who can keep Chen Pingping
He can ignore Gundam's life and death, and take the women in the convoy back to their hometowns to retire and spend the rest of their lives.
His Majesty the Emperor gave Chen Pingping the last chance to choose. No matter which one of the above mentioned Chen Pingping chooses, it may be what the Emperor would like to see. Nor can he be forced to do so.
Chen Pingping didn't move. The atmosphere on both sides of the official road became more and more weird. Many people had already seen that Chen Pingping seemed to be waiting for something.
Is there anyone else coming
The Overwatch Council official who had been guarding Gundam before walked to the side of the wheelchair, lowered his body and whispered something in Chen Pingping's ear. Chen Pingping shook her head slowly, very slowly but firmly.
Not long after, voices gradually sounded from behind the official road. These voices were not very noisy, but rather cautious.
The officials of the Overwatch Council did not stop the team, but vigilantly escorted them to the center of the torch circle with their eyes.
Dazhou Zhizhou and He Qigan, the eunuchs of the inner court and the officials of the Criminal Department, finally saw the team clearly, and finally knew who the old Dean Chen was waiting for. They were shocked, but they couldn't help but feel a chill. It turned out that Chen The old dean already knew what would happen next.
If this is a big chessboard, then the eunuchs including He Qigan, the officials of the Ministry of Punishment who have worked hard for a long time, and even He Zongwei who first laid out the plan, are actually just inconspicuous little pieces on the chessboard.
The people sent by He Zongwei's side did not have an imperial edict in their hands, and the Overwatch Council's intervention at this time could not be regarded as disobeying the edict. With Chen Pingping's status, there was naturally no problem.
But the decree finally arrived.
This is like suddenly jumping a horse on the chessboard, riding on the back of the bishop, and then asking the black veteran, do you want to move, or kill the horse
There were no Xuanzhi eunuchs in the military team of ten or so people. These Qing army armored bodies were unusually heroic, but they all had complicated emotions on their faces.
The leading squad leader held a bright yellow imperial edict high in his hand.
The sound of horseshoes broke the tranquility outside the city of Dazhou. All the soldiers dismounted in unison and saluted Chen Pingping in the wheelchair solemnly. Then the squad leader carrying the imperial decree began to read out His Majesty's decree in a trembling voice.
The decree has nothing to do with Chen Pingping, who is returning to her hometown for the elderly, but only for the court criminal Gundam who is in the carriage of the Overwatch Council at this time. The members of the Ministry of Punishment will immediately arrest this bully and traitor and bring him back to Beijing. Inverse theory.
After the decree was read, the venue was so quiet that the sound of water dripping from the grass not far away could be heard. Everyone's eyes turned to the old man in the wheelchair in horror. How can there be such a coincidence, just now the Overwatch Council was still saying that the inner court did not have an imperial decree, and at this time... the imperial decree appeared in Dazhou.
The magistrate of Dazhou took a step back subconsciously, and everyone took a step back subconsciously. They finally knew that today's scene was actually a game between His Majesty and Old Dean Chen, and they were not qualified to interfere. Those involved in this matter are not even qualified to take a look.
The team leader finished reading the imperial decree with a trembling voice, took the bright yellow silk cloth back into his arms, then walked to the front of the wheelchair and knelt down on one knee, and said in a low voice: "The last general is the assistant general of the Kyoto garrison, General Feng Shi. Order to come to assist the Criminal Department of the Inner Court in arresting imperial court criminals, please make it easier for the old dean."
Chen Pingping's face was slightly pale. He knew that this scene was coming after all. After all, His Majesty did not block the final road, but that may be because His Majesty knew that he would block this road by himself.
It's still the same old saying, this matter started because of Gundam, but it has nothing to do with Gundam, it's just a question between him and the emperor.
…
…
In the mountains in the distance, there was peace, and all the horses had chewed on their horses. These war horses of the Qing Dynasty were trained so well that they didn't even make a sound of kicking the ground. Thousands of elite cavalry from the Kyoto garrison are waiting in this valley, waiting for the final order to attack. It shouldn't be such a difficult combat mission for thousands of armored men to rush to the 30 black carriages on the official road. However, whether it is the general Shi Fei standing at the forefront, or the officers and soldiers of the Kyoto division who already know the inside story, they all I feel that this may be the most difficult battle in my life.
Shi Fei sat quietly on the horseback, and put down the binoculars in his hand. He did not forget that only a few pairs of this binoculars were produced in the entire Qing Kingdom, and the one in his hand was It was a gift from Mr. Fan to himself during the New Year.
Shi Fei has experienced many battles in his life. He is truly a battle-hardened man. Three years ago, the Dongshan Road in the Qing Dynasty was in chaos. The Beiying Camp was in a state of panic. Although the rebellion failed, there was no leader in the Beiying Camp, and there was a high possibility of a mutiny or defeat. At that time, Shi Fei was ordered by His Majesty to enter the Beiying Camp single-handedly. With a single imperial decree, tens of thousands of soldiers were subdued, and it was precisely because of this great contribution that he became the current commander of the Kyoto garrison.
One person can subdue tens of thousands of people, but today thousands of people have to deal with that old man in a wheelchair with limited mobility, Shi Fei is still very nervous.
The decree's team had already gone, and Shi Fei prayed in his heart that old dean Chen would retreat in front of the imperial decree, but for some reason, he knew that Chen Pingping would not retreat, not even a single step.
This is a very strange feeling. Maybe His Majesty knew that Chen Pingping didn't want to retreat, so he left a way for Chen Pingping to retreat.
He didn't know what happened between the emperor and old dean Chen, but he knew that the matter must have been deeply stuck between the two of them, so that it was obvious that dean Chen was going to be old, but it forced the two of them Be sure to choose to fight face to face.
The official road illuminated by the torch over there seemed to have fallen into a kind of silence, and then Chen Pingping seemed to shake her head slowly again.
Shi Fei took a deep breath, the cold wind from the valley entered into his lungs, making him a little bit cold, he slowly pulled down the armor on his face, and said in a deep voice: "Get ready."
Thousands of iron armors began to prepare to surround Chen Pingping, the outgoing president of the Overwatch Council.
…
…
"Your Majesty wants me to go back and ask me something." Sitting on the wheelchair, Chen Pingping said with a smile, "This is something I've thought of for a long time, but I didn't think of it. , just ask, but there are so many things going on."
He shook his head and sighed, "Your Majesty still doesn't understand me well enough."
The Overwatch Council official suddenly knelt down beside him, gritted his teeth and said, "You must obey the order!"
"No, I've been following orders all my life, and I'm about to die now, so why should I serve?" Chen Pingping said with a smile: "Your Majesty wants to ask me something, I...why don't you want to ask him something face to face?"
Then his face became indifferent, his eyes became cold, looking at the hundreds of people under the light of the torch, he said in a cold voice: "In life, there are always some questions that have been lingering in my mind for a long time that I need to ask."
As soon as this remark came out, the sound of hooves outside Dazhou City was like thunder, and the shadow of a armor reflected the moon, suppressing the light of the torch in an instant. I saw a cloud of smoke and dust rising up in the dark night behind the official road, and it only took a few breaths to kill the vicinity of the Lianlian convoy.
Thousands of iron armors filled the air silently and brutally.
Everyone's face turned pale, staring at this scene in a daze, and the delicate women in the motorcade couldn't help screaming in fright when they saw this scene.
Chen Pingping sat in the wheelchair, her face remained unchanged, except for a mocking smile on the corner of her lips. He didn't speak, and all the subordinates of the Overwatch Council didn't make a move. They just tightly held the handle of the iron rod, and their knuckles were clasped with the buckles of the crossbow arrows.
Different from ordinary battles, what is very confusing is that thousands of cavalry did not take advantage of this momentum to rush directly into the convoy and start killing, but willingly gave up the advantage of cavalry momentum, and at the last moment The speed slowed down, and it just turned into three sharp fronts, surrounding the thirty carriages.
Thousands of armored cavalry formed a palpitating scene among the black official road, red torches, and silver bright moon.
A chill.
…
…
The old servant pushed the wheelchair and turned around slowly. Chen Pingping propped her chin on the armrest, looked at the general who was hidden in the armor in the field next to the official road, and said with a smile: "Three thousand and six hundred people want to take me back." , General Shi, do you look down on me too much?"
Shi Fei, who was riding on the horse, was struggling all the time. He didn't issue an order to charge immediately to his subordinates because he hoped things would turn around. He was unwilling to completely turn against the Overwatch Council like this. He didn't care about Chen Pingping's backers, but he had to consider how miserable he would be in the future after he was loyal to His Majesty and became an indissoluble feud with the Overwatch Council.
He was afraid of Chen Pingping, he was also afraid of Fan Xian, but he was even more afraid of His Majesty, so he came today, but he still didn't do anything.
Hearing the old dean Chen's words, his body trembled slightly on the horse, and said in a hoarse voice, "Old dean, if you... resist the decree and take in the imperial convicts, you will have to..."
Before she finished speaking, Chen Pingping frowned and laughed: "Sure enough, it's always a matter of subjects resisting orders and not obeying orders, not a matter of the monarch sending troops to ambush and kill veterans returning home..." He sighed and said: "Our Majesty Ah, at such a moment, I still haven't forgotten to maintain my great and bright image, so naturally, a dark character like me should also play his role well."
Thirty carriages, excluding those dragging luggage and women's carriages, the Overwatch Council escorted a team of less than one hundred people in total, but these one hundred Overwatch Council officials faced more than three thousand cavalry from the Kyoto garrison. , but there was no sign of retreating, and his face was as indifferent as ever.
Shi Fei watched this scene quietly, and sighed in his heart, the current Overwatch Council has only old Dean Chen in its eyes, so where is His Majesty? Facing His Majesty's will, these Overwatch Council officials only know how to protect the safety of the old dean, and they don't even have to think about it. No wonder His Majesty is so afraid of this matter.
There were shadows swaying in the woods on both sides of the official road, and no one knew how many assassins from the Sixth Office of the Overwatch Council were there.
Shi Fei suddenly felt that he felt a chill.
Chen Pingping closed her eyes and leaned on the wheelchair, as if she was about to fall asleep in the night wind.