The words "fight to the death" came out, not to mention the earth-shattering shock, but actually fell Li Daozong and the other three into silence.
After a long time, Li Daozong said: "Mu Bai, you'd better think twice."
"You don't have to think twice. Even after thinking about it four or five times, I made this decision." Qin Mubai looked at Li Daozong with a smile and firm eyes, and said, "My lord, I don't need you to give me a detailed analysis of the pros and cons. You are all sensible people here, and you can understand that this decision I made was definitely not made out of impulse. It can be said that from the day I joined the official position, I have always been cautious and obedient, and I have not dared to go beyond the boundaries. Poor character sir. Today is the only day I feel proud of myself, because I can finally be myself with my head held high, and I will have no regrets even if I am going to perish from now on.”
The three of them stared at Qin Mubai in unison, with different expressions. The only thing in common is that they don't seem to recognize Qin Mubai anymore.
"Yes." Hou Junji stood up and took the initiative to give Qin Mubai a fist, and said, "Hou's life is no longer worth anything, so I'll let you go! I don't care about the rest of the nonsense. If you want to listen again, please say goodbye! Qin Mubai, let me know when you need to use Hou Mou. I will play with you with my head up - say goodbye!"
Qin Mubai looked at him, smiled slightly, and nodded: "Please go."
Hou Junji left with a long stride. After going out, several hearty laughs shattered the tranquility of the night sky.
"Crazy husband!" Li Daozong took a deep breath and frowned, "Mubai, he is a gambler who lost everything. Don't let him lead you away. Any decision you make now is not only related to you. The honor and disgrace of personal and family life and death, and on your shoulders, you also carry the life and death of Ningding, the entire territory of Guanxi, and hundreds of millions of soldiers and civilians. Taking a longer view, one of your decisions now affects the Tang Dynasty and the Chinese nation. The pattern and situation of the people in the next hundred years or even thousands of miles. I want you to think twice, not to express opposition. In the face of great right and wrong, men need to have the courage and determination, and at the same time, they need wisdom and skills. I hope you understand this."
"I understand what the prince means." Qin Mubai smiled easily and said, "In the past, when Xiang Yu was desperate and desperate, he must have thought a lot, but he had no other choice. Now, I am just like him. Sir, you Think about it, besides fighting Gar Qinling, do I have any other choice?"
Li Daozong fell silent for a moment.
Su Dingfang said: "Mu Bai's words make sense. Tubo has repeatedly provoked me rudely. This time they killed my envoys and refused to negotiate peace with me. They also tried to trick us into gathering on the plateau to annihilate them. It's so sinister and vicious that we can't do anything wrong. Their condemnation and crusade will definitely ruin the marriage. In this case, how can the court let us go? There is no neutrality in dealing with Tibet, only "war" or "peace". War has been declared, and we have to fight back. Instead of being passively defensive, I strongly agree with Mu Bai's idea... As for the desperate battle, it will be a dead end if we only consider the consequences and the way out!"
"Those who know me can determine the direction!" Qin Mubai took a long breath, cast a grateful look at Su Dingfang, and said, "Not only is the war situation going like this, but considering the public and private standpoints and the overall situation of Lanzhou, we can only take the initiative There is one way to attack. First of all, the failed marriage envoy was killed. This news will definitely shock the government and the public. Therefore, our Datang Division will be famous, and the main war faction will be active again and have the upper hand. This is in my favor. The downside is that I guess the court will still not forgive us for starting a war with Tubo without permission. Regardless of the success or failure of the war, the cruelest judgment awaiting me in the end may be too much for me to care about. It is fleeting and requires a high degree of confidentiality. Do you want me to ask the court for approval and then arrange the war with Tubo step by step? "
"What's wrong with this?" Li Daozong interrupted Qin Mubai and said, "Don't forget that everything the court has given you can take it back at any time. If you want your minister to die, you will have to die. Those who are ministers are the most taboo. It's so arrogant to do anything. Why can't you report to Chang'an quickly and ask His Majesty to decide on this matter and then follow your orders?"
"It won't work, Your Majesty." Qin Mubai said, "Not to mention that it will take a lot of time to send letters to and from Chang'an. It is also unknown when a decision will be made amid the dispute between the DPRK and China. These are not the most important. The important thing is that the people in the court don’t understand the current crisis in Lanzhou. Since Gar Qinling dares to refuse peace talks and take action against Lanzhou, who knows if he has other evil plans?”
Li Daozong was slightly startled and said, "You mean... the line between Gaochang and Puchanghai?"
"That's right!" Qin Mubai frowned and said, "Gar Qinling is definitely not the kind of hot-headed reckless man who would not recklessly declare war on Lanzhou on his own. Now I have a very strong feeling in my heart. I have an ominous premonition, and when I think about the situation in Lanzhou and the previous wars, I have a vague feeling... From the beginning, we have fallen into his trap, and we are getting deeper and deeper. The death of Liu Shanyin is just an appearance. And the inducements made me vaguely aware of his profound and sinister intentions! "
"Why do you say this?" Li Daozong and Su Dingfang both asked in shock.
"The Gar Qinling Tomb is by no means simple!" Qin Mubai took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, and said, "Your Majesty, Dingfang, you still remember that when we were in Chang'an last year, Tubo instigated Gaochang to rebel and took the initiative to attack Liangzhou Something about the area?”
"Of course I remember. What's wrong?"
"It is estimated that from that time on, a huge trap was set on Lanzhou's head." Qin Mubai said, "In the battle of Dafeichuan, Tubo Gar Qinling's troops were defeated and fled thousands of miles away. Lanzhou regained Tuyuhun. The prince once said that Galqinling joined the army at the age of ten and took command at the age of fifteen. He had experienced hundreds of battles without losing a single battle. The defeat in the battle of Dafeichuan was undoubtedly an unprecedented stimulus for people like him. He would never give in! So I guessed that he immediately took a series of actions - first of all, he sent envoys to Chang'an to request a marriage with the Alliance. Of course, the purpose was to delay this and give himself a chance to breathe. You can easily find the proof - the Tubo envoy heard that His Majesty had chosen the prince's beloved daughter Li Xueyan as a princess and planned to marry Tibet, but he actually left! This is absolutely rare in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This shows that Tubo is not! I came to propose sincerely, and the so-called dissatisfaction with the fake princess is just an excuse!"
"Go on." Li Daozong's face was tense.
"Immediately, after taking a rest, the Tibetans started military operations." Qin Mubai said, "They first sent troops out of Kunlun to invade Liangzhou, cutting off the Silk Road trade routes and Lanzhou's external connections, and containing the main force of Lanzhou. We had no time to think about it. This gave Gaochang time and space to rebel. Then, under the instigation of Tibet and the Western Turks, Gaochang rebelled. While the court was fighting and the two factions were arguing, my father thought that the military situation was as good as the war. The fire was imminent, so we marched out of Yangguan in the west to resist the imperial edict, and fought for eighteen consecutive victories all the way to Gaochang... You two, have you ever thought that although my father was a tiger general, he went deep into the division alone and the old soldiers were tired, so he fought thousands of miles and fought for eighteen consecutive victories, why did he just So easy?"
"Ah?" Li Daozong and Su Dingfang both screamed and said, "Are you implying that it was Gar Qinling who set up a false defeat plan and deliberately lost the Eighteen Formations to Shu Bao?"
"Isn't it?" Qin Mubai frowned and said, "Although I am not completely sure yet, there is at least a 50% possibility!"
"Is his purpose just to distract Lanzhou's troops so that I can defeat him one by one?" Li Daozong's expression suddenly changed and he said loudly, "If this is the case, then Uncle Bao is in danger!"
"Not only that, Gar Qinling is still sitting on the mountain watching the fight between tigers and tigers, watching Lanzhou fight with the Western Turks and other countries in the Western Regions, so as to reap the benefits and shoot cold arrows behind the scenes." Qin Mubai's face also turned a little livid, and said : "If nothing else, my father has already encountered big trouble in Gaochang. At this moment, Garqin Ling only needs to send a brigade of iron cavalry across Kunlun to threaten the Yuyang Second Pass and trap Xue Wanche's troops in Puchanghai. , then, Lanzhou is like being imprisoned in an urn. My father and Xue Wanche's troops have become a kite with a broken string. My lord, at this critical moment, do you still want to persuade me to write to the court to request a fight? Those ministers have been arguing for ten days and a half, and my father and tens of thousands of soldiers are probably dead to death!"
"Hey..." Li Daozong was breathing cold air.
Su Dingfang said solemnly: "In this case, prepare for the worst beforehand! Mu Bai, you must urge the commander as soon as possible and ask him to return to Lanzhou as soon as possible! And order Puchang Hai Xue Wanche and Yuyang Erguan to be on strict alert. , to prevent Tibetan raids, and to protect the commander's troops. If we can successfully move this army back to Lanzhou, we will be able to put an end to our worries and gain more confidence in our strength. "
"It's exactly what I want." Qin Mubai said resolutely, "It's no time to delay, there's not much we can do about it. The formula will be decided, and the writing will be done. I will personally write a letter to ask for my father's guidance. In addition, I ask you to work hard. You will lead My Yifu cavalry of 10,000 horses set off at starry night and rushed to Puchanghai to convey my general order. Tell Xue Wanche that Puchanghai does not want it, but if the second pass of Yuyang is lost, he should just dig his own grave and crawl in. Don't come back to see me again! "
"No!" Su Dingfang solemnly accepted the order and said, "Then... when will Xue Wanche abandon Puchanghai and stick to Yuyang Second Pass? Is it necessary to let him wait until he meets up with the commander's troops before abandoning him?"
"..." Qin Mubai, who was busy writing, paused in his hands, his expression stagnant.
He thought: Xue Wanche led more than 20,000 troops to station in Puchanghai, the purpose was to connect with his father's troops in Gaochang, as a response and backup. But now, nothing is known about the situation in Gaochang. How should Xue Wanche make a decision then? - Two extreme assumptions are made. One is that my father has realized the subtleties and risks of the overall situation and decided in advance to leave Gaochang and return to Lanzhou. This is the most ideal situation. In this way, Xue Wanche can join his father's soldiers and horses in the shortest possible time, move back to Yuyang Pass 2 smoothly together, and stick to the gate; the other extreme is... his father's soldiers and horses have fallen into the trap of Garqin Mausoleum. Unable to escape, even completely covered...
Qin Mubai's hand shook. A ball of ink dripped down and broke into several petals.
Both Li Daozong and Su Dingfang's expressions changed slightly. They had never seen Qin Mubai show such a frightened and panicked expression, even if it was just fleeting.
"Mu Bai, what's wrong with you?" Li Daozong asked, "When did you become so frightened?"
The attentive Su Dingfang advised: "Mu Bai, please relax. The commander has been unstoppable for half his life. He is wise and courageous and cunning. Maybe he has escaped safely on his way to Lanzhou!"
"Well..." Qin Mubai recovered his thoughts and responded. He picked up a piece of paper to write again and said, "As you said, prepare for the worst in advance. If... I mean if my father, the commander-in-chief, leads the army, It has already been destroyed, so Xue Wanche’s troops cannot be included again.”
"You mean... to allow Xue Wanche to retreat to Yuyang Second Pass first without waiting for the commander's troops?" Su Dingfang said in surprise, "Mu Bai, this... is inappropriate!"
Li Daozong frowned and said: "Mu Bai, I understand your mood at this moment. You must be wishing to fly to Gaochang with a pair of wings and bring your father back. But at this moment, you are in control of the overall situation, and everything must be in the interests of the overall situation. Let's go. You just said to prepare for the worst, which is very calm and wise... However, we can't abandon Shubao in public and private matters. It's better to adopt a compromise plan. It lasts for one month. It would be best if Shu Bao returns within one month. The two troops will retreat to the second pass of Yuyang together; if Shu Bao does not return within one month..."
"Just do as the prince said." Qin Mu's white face was as solid as stone, and his pen was flying. He quickly wrote a military order, took out his Grand Governor's seal, stamped it heavily, dried the ink and handed it to Su Dingfang, saying, "Brother, please!"
These five words made Su Dingfang feel quite heavy. He has always known that Qin Mubai is not a frivolous and shallow person. Especially after assuming the position of Lord of Lanzhou, he became more stable and sophisticated, and his emotions became complex and deep. At this moment, everyone knew how much Qin Mubai wanted to take his father back as soon as possible. Even if he now sends an order to Xue Wanche to send troops to Gaochang to rescue Qin Shubao, it is only human nature.
But Qin Mubai did not do this, because Xue Wanche's troops must not make any mistakes, otherwise not only will Qin Shubao not be rescued, but it will also lead to the fall of Yuyang Second Pass, which will cause the entire Lanzhou Gate to collapse!
So Qin Mubai made the coldest decision, expecting that something had happened to his father and it was irreversible... He would continue to do his best and obey fate!
Li Daozong looked at Qin Mubai with complex and deep eyes. He knew very well that the Qin Mubai at this moment was no longer the Qin Mubai he had known when he was in Jinzhou in the early years. Now, he has dared to shoulder heavy responsibilities and go his own way, and he has become more mature in military and political matters.
But this kind of maturity often comes at a huge price...
Su Dingfang led the elite Ten Thousand Yi Mansion under Qin Mubai's command to ride out and left the city at starry night, carrying with him a heavy military order that could determine the life and death of tens of thousands of people.
The night is like ink, and the cold moon hangs in the sky.
Qin Mubai stood alone at the top of Lanzhou City, with his hands behind his hands and his eyes raised, looking into the northwest, as quiet as an ancient stone sculpture.
"Father... you are already on your way home, right? Do you know how much Saburo misses you... "