Su Dingfang went out in person to invite Liu Shanyin's son Liu Yi. Just as he walked to the gate of the Governor's Mansion, a fast horse landed at the door in a hurry. A soldier wearing a command arrow flag jumped out and rushed towards the Governor's Mansion holding a military briefcase.
"Stop, what's the military situation? Just give it to me." Su Dingfang stopped the soldier.
The soldier was startled, and then he came back to his senses and recognized that it was Su Dingfang. He hurriedly saluted and said breathlessly: "This villain has sent a reply letter from Liu Shanyin, the messenger from the plateau, on the orders of General Xue, the governor of Dafei Sichuan and Shanzhou. I am eager to serve directly as the Governor of Qin!"
"Come in with me to see the Grand Governor!" Su Dingfang's heart trembled: You've come at the right time!
Later, Su Dingfang, Liu Yi and the messenger boy entered the main hall. After seeing each other, Su Dingfang asked the boy to submit the official document.
Qin Mubai opened the article and read it. It was an official document written by Liu Shanyin as a special envoy, specifically to report back to Golmud, Tubo, to discuss the marriage alliance. The letter stated that he had met with Tubo Zanpu and Zizong Nongzan and everything had been negotiated. It was agreed that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the envoys of the two countries would meet at the Qingluoyuan Grassland, 130 miles west of Dafeichuan, to formally sign the peace treaty, and at the same time, the engagement ceremony of Qizong Nongzan and Princess Wencheng would be held. On that day, the Tubo Zanpu Hui personally attended the peace alliance meeting and welcomed Princess Wencheng Luanjia to the plateau with a grand ceremony.
Qin Mubai read the not-too-long letter in detail and over again, his brows gradually furrowed, and he couldn't help but murmured: "Did the peace negotiation really succeed?..."
"Did the peace negotiation succeed?" Su Dingfang was surprised, obviously incredulous.
"Read it for yourself." Qin Mubai handed the letter to him, then looked back at Liu Yi and asked him, "Are you Liu Yi, the son of Liu Honglu? Why do you come to see me?"
"The villain is Liu Yi." Liu Yi, a young junior who was full of scholarly spirit, bowed respectfully to Qin Mubai, and his conversation was generous and decent. He said gently: "I dare to ask the Governor, this letter, Is this a letter from my father?"
"Yes."
Liu Yi hesitated for a moment and then begged: "If you are brave, can you show me my father's letter?"
Qin Mubai nodded and said to Su Dingfang, "It's not a top secret. It doesn't hurt to give him a look."
"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief." Liu Yi took the letter and read it carefully, word for word, at least three times. A heavy cloud of sadness suddenly appeared between his brows. Finally, he closed his eyes and shook his head, sighing with infinite sadness and indignation, "Father, Life is at stake!"
"What?" Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang were both shocked, "Why did you say that?"
"Your Majesty, Commander-in-Chief." Liu Yi frowned, took a deep breath, exhaled for a long time, and said with cupped hands, "My father once made an agreement with the villain. This trip to Tibet will be a disaster. If the marriage cannot be achieved, he will Buried in the Tubo Plateau. If it can be done, a letter will be sent back to the Governor's Office within three months. Before leaving, my father repeatedly warned that if the Governor's Office received a written reply from him, it must be careful to verify the authenticity and beware of forgery. "
"Forgery?" Su Dingfang said in surprise, "You mean this letter is a forgery? It shouldn't be possible! I am familiar with Liu Honglu, and I recognize his handwriting!"
"The handwriting is 90% similar, but the letter is definitely fake." Liu Yi said with certainty, "My father is a rough man on the outside but delicate on the inside. Before leaving, he specially told me that if there is a reply from him, the second letter will be sent to me." The fourth, sixth, and eighth sentences should be acrostic sentences, and together they should be "benevolence and justice". But this letter does not. It can be seen that the letter is definitely a forgery. Moreover, although the handwriting is very similar, But the tone is not very similar. Although my father is well-read in poetry, his behavior is rough and unrestrained. Even when he writes official documents, his voice is loud and gruff, never as low-key and gentle as this."
Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang were each surprised. They picked up the letter and compared it carefully with reference to the method Liu Yi said. As expected, it was full of flaws as he said.
"What else did your father say to you?" Qin Mubai asked.
"My father once said that it is difficult to have both loyalty and righteousness, and that public and private matters cannot be balanced." Liu Yi's mood was already very heavy, and he said slowly, "Someone in the court asked my father to go to Tibet by name. Of course there is a reason."
"I know." Qin Mubai said, "Ten years ago, your father was just the head of a small county in Xiangzhou, Hebei Province. Later, he joined Changsun Wuji's disciples, and then he rose to the fourth rank of Honglu Temple Minister and a high official in the court. . After all, he is Changsun Wuji’s man.”
"That's right." Liu Yi nodded without denying it and said, "In the past, my father always respected and trusted Changsun Wuji. But in this war, my father had his own ideas. , believed that it was not appropriate to negotiate for peace and marriage. He had worked in Honglu Temple for many years and had contact with many Tubo people. He knew that the Hu people were greedy and untrustworthy, and he was deeply disgusted by them, but because of the relationship between teachers and students, he could not disobey them. Changsun Wuji had no choice but to obey the order. In fact, my father knew very well that whether to fight Tibet or make peace was a matter that related to the fate of the country and the long-term plan in the eyes of the general and my father. However, in the eyes of Changsun Wuji and others. It seems that it is the key to the party's conspiracy. My father hates the party struggle in the court, but he is unable to change it... My father told me more than once that Changsun Wuji and others lived in the small Chang'an and the imperial palace, and gradually... Lost in the struggle for interests and power, he lost the vision and opinions that a national scholar should have. Today's Changsun Wuji is no longer the Changsun Wuji at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. In fact, there is no need to argue about the war with Tubo. The conflict between Tang and Tubo cannot be reconciled, and the fight will continue forever. Therefore, in the long run, the only solution is to use armed force to quell the conflict and then carry out complete inclusiveness. He was unwilling to delegate his military power and power to others, and he was unwilling to allow anyone to obtain higher achievements and prestige than him and thereby establish a strong enemy in the court, so... "
"You don't need to say anything, I understand..." Qin Mubai nodded and sighed, "So your father is in a very difficult situation. For public purposes, he is not willing to negotiate peace with Tubo at all; for private purposes, he cannot disobey his mentor Sun Wu. Ji’s wishes. He was in a dilemma, so he decided to die, right?”
"It's not relief. Although my father is a Confucian scholar, he is a strong man who would rather behead his head than bend his knees!" Liu Yi suddenly said loudly, "My father rushed to the plateau with a certain death intention! The reason why he took me I brought him here, firstly, to report the truth to the general today; secondly, I also hope that I can ask the Grand Governor for help to see if we can bring back his bones... Fallen leaves, return to their roots!"
Fallen leaves return to their roots, these four words, Liu Yi's words hurt his heart and made him burst into tears.
"Are you determined to die..." Qin Mubai groaned, stepped forward and patted Liu Yi on the shoulder, saying, "How did your father know that he would die during this trip?"
"Has the Grand Governor forgotten that my father once served in Honglu Temple? The Tibetan envoys lived in Honglu Temple earlier. My father paid attention to them sooner or later. He knew that not only were you not sincere in making peace, but you were also disrespectful to the previous great leaders. The defeat of Feichuan was still brooding and they still hated the governor. Their so-called initiative to negotiate peace was to give Gaoyuan a breathing space to recuperate his troops, and to earn money from the princess and his wife. The dowry wealth is all a profit-free business, "Liu Yi said, "Therefore, my father is fully aware of the treachery and deceit of the Tibetan bandits and deeply hates them. It was a major national matter, so he kept these thoughts deep in his heart and did not dare to tell anyone. Before leaving for this mission to Tibet, my father predicted that Tibet would never have any sincerity in negotiating peace and marriage; the commander-in-chief of the plateau who was responsible for contacting the Central Plains Mission Er Qinling has a very deep city and is proficient in the art of deceit. He is also a giant tycoon on the plateau who resolutely talks about the constitution of heaven. There must be a conspiracy at that time. Therefore, the following conspiracy agreement between my father and the villain was made. If the peace alliance is successful, it is God's will, and the letter contains the four words "benevolence and justice"; if it is not successful, there must be conspiracy and tricks in the Garqin Mausoleum, and my father knows that one of them is to send people to falsely submit the letter. Gal Qinling is proficient in Sinology and has many talented people under his command, so it would be easy to forge one or two letters. If he deceives the governor or the prince and daughter of Jiangxia to go to the Tubo Plateau... the consequences will be disastrous!"
Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang looked at each other and felt a chill running down their spines!
Liu Shanyin, this little person who was not noticeable at all before, now plays a vital role - if it were not for his integrity, shrewdness and generosity, even Qin Mubai would not be able to guarantee whether he and Li Daozong would win. Got rid of this poisonous plan of Gar Qinling!
As Liu Yi said, if the Tang Dynasty followed the agreement in the letter and Qin Mubai and Li Daozong took Princess Wencheng and others to the Qingluoyuan Grassland to meet with the Covenant, Gar Qinling would be able to catch them all without much effort. …
"Young Marshal... This... is really beyond the expectations of this humble position!" Su Dingfang, who has always been the most calm, said with a cold breath.
Qin Mubai clasped his hands behind his back, clenched his fists tightly and frowned, paced back and forth for a few steps, and said in a deep voice: "Invitation, King of Jiangxia!"
"yes!"
"The Governor..." Liu Yi's eyes were red and he was smiling.
Qin Mubai stepped forward, patted his shoulder lightly, and said softly: "Liu Yi, I have nothing to say. If it weren't for you and your father this time, Qin and countless soldiers and civilians would have been buried in Gaoyuan! Lanzhou is over. , the land of Guanxi in the Tang Dynasty may collapse thousands of miles and be lost to the hands of Tubo, and the country will be shaken by the crisis of the Tang Dynasty... Although your father is a weak Confucian scholar, he turned the tide and supported the building that was about to collapse. He was an upright man. Great hero! Qin is very grateful to him and to you - please accept Qin's thanks!"
"The Governor, don't try to hurt this villain!" Liu Yi was frightened and hurriedly knelt down, kowtowing and said, "This villain has only one thing to ask for!"
"Get up and please speak. Whatever Qin can do, I will promise you till death!" Qin Mubai looked at him and said word by word.
"The little man... just wants to fulfill my father's last wish, and bring my father's bones or ashes back to his hometown in Xiangzhou for burial, so that he can return to his roots. My father also said that it is difficult to have both loyalty and justice, and asked the general not to publicize all his words and deeds, so as to prevent his grandson from being born. On Wuji's side... The general just said that the Tubo betrayed their faith and insulted me as the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, and then they were justified. My father has worked so hard, and I hope the general will show his sympathy and help!"
"I promise you." Qin Mu gritted his teeth and nodded solemnly, saying, "Actually, Tubo may not really have the guts to kill your father..."
"Yes, my father also said so. But my father will definitely die for his country." Liu Shanyi's eyes were red and his lips were trembling as he choked with sobs, "Otherwise, what is the name of our Tang Dynasty's division? How can the Qin Governor raise an army? !”
Qin Mubai clasped his hands on his back, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and muttered: Liu Shanyin, you are amazing! The great Tang Dynasty finally has a righteous man and a national scholar that I, Qin Mubai, truly admire! Both public and private, I, Qin Mubai, owe you everything in this life... I will pay it back in the next life!
Late at night, the lights flickered in the study room of the Governor's Mansion. There were actually not many people present, only Qin Mubai, Su Dingfang, Li Daozong and Hou Junji, but it was as if there were thousands of people holding their breath and concentrating together, and the atmosphere was tense and depressing.
"Everyone has been expressing their opinions for a long time, and the debate cannot be resolved. This is not a solution." Li Daozong said, "Mu Bai, if you listen, you will understand that you have listened to all our opinions, which is good. But after all, you are the lord of Lanzhou, and your Majesty will control the situation. Half of the country in the West is left to you and your son. At this time, it is up to you to make the decision. "
"Wait a minute!" Hou Junji interrupted Li Daozong and said, "I don't think my idea is the best, but in the end, there will be a battle with that bastard Gar Qinling sooner or later. . Instead of doing this, why don't we try to trick the young marshal and the prince into killing them all in one fell swoop? "
"Hou Junji, don't underestimate the enemy." Li Daozong said, "Don't underestimate the young Gar Qinling. Unless this king has the prestige of others to destroy his own ambition, Gar Qinling joined the army at the age of ten and fifteen. Taking command, Qizong Nongzan was able to pacify the various tribes and unify the plateau, which was inseparable from the father and son of the Gar family. Among them, Gar Qinling was the first in military merit, and he grew up with Qizong Nongzan, and they were as close as brothers. Trusted and relied upon, he even dared to exercise the power of the state on behalf of Zizong Nongzan. Moreover, Gar Qinling dared to command the 200,000 Tibetan cavalry at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains as freely as his own slaves. Let me ask you, Hou Junji, how dare you? Qin Mubai, how about you?"
Hou Junji's expression was stiff and speechless, and he suddenly lost his temper.
Li Daozong's words hit the mark, and also hit the weak spots of Qin Mubai and Lanzhou. Comparing the two, Gar Qinling's ability to dominate troops is not inferior to Qin Mubai's. His superiority lies in his absolute authority and freedom. On the other hand, the imperial court lacks trust and support for Lanzhou, and Qin Mubai is targeted. The situation is extremely difficult, and there are many constraints in getting things done - if they go to war with Gar Qinling without informing the court in advance and getting approval, Qin Mubai and Lanzhou will face great pressure and even sanctions.
To put it more seriously, this is a typical example of supporting soldiers with self-respect and no regard for the court!
"I'm really a little envious and jealous of Gar Qinling." Qin Mubai smiled at himself and said, "You don't need to argue anymore, I have made a decision."
"What should I do?" everyone asked together.
Qin Mubai glanced at the other three people present with his eyebrows slightly lowered, and said solemnly: "Even if I am beheaded by the court in the future, I do not want, dare, and cannot be a turtle governor at this time, huddled tightly in the shell and pretending to be dead. . I have decided to fight to the death with Gar Qinling on the day of the alliance!"