Late at night, the lights and candles were still on in the study room of the Governor's Mansion, and people were everywhere.
Qin Mubai held a lamp in one hand and scissors in the other. He stood alone in front of the big map and stared at it for a long time.
Lanzhou is facing a huge catastrophe sweeping the world. In Dafeichuan, a war is about to begin. Although Gar Qinling is a barbarian, he is still a famous general. The 200,000 plateau cavalry under his command cannot be underestimated; at the same time, Lanzhou's vitality has not yet been fully restored, the military and people's livelihood are in dire straits, and the strength is not strong. At the moment, Qin Mubai's available troops, apart from the 50,000 defenders of Dafeichuan, were the only remaining 30,000 to 40,000 Zuoweiwei field troops led by Hou Junji outside Lanzhou City. There are less than 100,000 people in total, and less than half of them are new soldiers...
A clever woman cannot make a meal without rice, Qin Mubai frowned deeply.
If it's just a difference in military strength, it's fine. A total of 50,000 Lanzhou elite troops were detained in the areas of Gaochang, Puchanghai, and Yuyang Pass. Now they are passively falling into a huge trap, and their life and death are unpredictable. If this brigade is transferred back to Lanzhou, Qin Mubai will have full confidence and certainty to fight Gar Qinling.
However, Gal Qin Ling deliberately lured the enemy to deeply divide Lanzhou's main troops. How could it be so easy to let go? He borrowed knives to kill people, used Western Turks, Gaochang and other countries in the Western Regions to contain Qin Shubao's men, and then set fire to the backyard to rob him... I have to admit that Gar Qinling's skill was very beautiful, which fully demonstrated his good overall view and subtlety. strategic deployment capabilities.
This time the war is no longer a pure battle in front of the battlefield. This is related to the overall trend of the entire Helong and Western Regions and the game of international power.
Originally, these major issues should have been resolved by the Tang Dynasty court with great efforts. But now, everything is pressing on Qin Mubai's shoulders. At the same time, it is hard to say whether the imperial court will accept Qin Mubai's favor. It is estimated that he will be punished in the end.
"Ha!..." Qin Mubai raised the corner of his mouth with an indifferent smile, and couldn't help but chant, "A hero shows his true colors when the sea is crossing the sea! It's been so many years since I've done anything extraordinary, and I'm always so timid and submissive. It's so tiring to live! Gal Qinling, I'm ready, come and give it a try!"
"A hero can only show his true colors when he is crossing the sea!"
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Hou Junji walked in.
"Finally, I saw your ambition and arrogance." Hou Junji looked at Qin Mubai with a half-smile but sharp eyes.
Qin Mubai put down the lamp, smiled nonchalantly, and said, "If a man loses his ambition and revenge, how is he any different from a walking corpse?"
"You don't need to be sophistical." Hou Junji walked to a big chair next to Qin Mubai and sat down. He crossed his arms and tilted his head, looking at him with interest and said, "Tell me the truth, do you want to Support the troops and establish a separate regime? "
"What nonsense." Qin Mubai sneered and didn't answer.
"Don't be naive." Hou Junji said, "At this point, even if you do not separate and stand on your own, you must support your troops and respect yourself. Otherwise, you will die."
"You mean to let me hold on to the military power?"
"Of course." Hou Junji said, "I don't like to talk nonsense. You decided to fight to the death with Gar Qinling. I admire your courage and domineering. But I also want to advise you, don't give it a try. If If you really lose completely, you will be at the end of the road."
"What do you mean?" Qin Mubai narrowed his eyes and stared at him.
Hou Junji grinned and said with a sly smile: "The big officials in the border areas and the marshals in the border areas all feed the bandits to enrich themselves. Everyone knows this truth. If you really kill the Garqin Mausoleum in this battle, If you kill them all, your road will come to an end. In the same way, if you are completely defeated, you will be even more doomed."
"Ha!..." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind reminder. But if I want to tolerate adultery or hesitate to move forward, I don't have the right to make arbitrary opinions like I am now. I will send you a piece of paper to request. Chang'an can just leave everything to its own arrangements, so why bother asking for trouble?"
"Qin Mubai, you are really overestimating your capabilities." Hou Junji sneered, "Do you think you can compete with a Tibetan dynasty and dozens of countries in the Western Regions by yourself? Don't be stupid! - Your mentality You must understand that by abandoning us in Lanzhou, the imperial court has regarded us as abandoned soldiers. No matter who comes to Lanzhou, he will seek no merit but no fault."
"I understand this, but I am not that 'no matter who'." Qin Mubai said, "Actually, this is not His Majesty the Emperor's original intention. The civil and military struggle in the court is fierce, and the civil servants are in charge of the mouthpiece of the court. In order not to provoke The conflict between the two factions forced the implementation of Lanzhou's military plan to be temporarily slowed down."
"Your Majesty alone cannot solve all problems." Hou Junji suddenly interrupted Qin Mubai and said, "You are not in the center, so you don't understand the subtleties. Think about it, if everything can be decided by His Majesty , where did all the turmoil and disputes come from? Such as the establishment of the crown prince, your majesty did not know how much he wanted to depose the prince and establish the king of Wei, but what happened? Don’t you know that King Li Zhi of Jin was weak and not qualified for the big job? But what happened? It is King Jin. What does this mean? - In the face of the overall situation, even His Majesty is powerless. I have only one meaning for you - don't be too naive to regard your father-in-law as an exempt person. Death Talisman. If Zhuge Liang kills Ma Su with tears, what does that mean to you?"
"Don't worry, I'm not that naive yet." Qin Mubai looked sideways at Hou Junji with bright eyes and said, "What do you want to say to me when you come today?"
Hou Junji stood up, stood proudly in front of Qin Mubai with his hands behind his back, and said, "Have you thought about the consequences? Are you really determined to turn the tide and fight against the odds?"
"Of course." Qin Mubai looked at him without hesitation, "Go on."
The corners of Hou Junji's mouth raised slightly, revealing a rare kind smile, "Then, Hou will follow you to the death with confidence."
"Thank you." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "With your help, great things can be accomplished."
"Really? But you don't completely trust me." Hou Junji shook his head.
"How can I see it?"
"Su Dingfang led Yi's troops out of the city at night. I don't know what he went to do, but why not me?" Hou Junji said, "You gave me the command of Lanzhou's 40,000 field army, but, Yi However, the elite of the government kept holding on to him and refused to let go. When there was an emergency military situation, Su Dingfang was the first to be dispatched. There is no need to trust anyone who is suspicious. Since you can't trust me, Hou, Hou. Why does a certain person put his cold face on your cold ass?”
Qin Mubai shook his head, turned to look at the military map, and remained silent.
"Have you got nothing to say?"
Qin Mubai still smiled and said nothing.
"Qin Mubai, at this juncture, if the top and bottom cannot work together, it will be difficult to achieve anything." Hou Junji said, "Hou Junji is not unreasonable. If you can't trust me, Hou will not let you risk his own life because of this." Dilemma."
"Hou Junji." Qin Mubai said, "I sent Su Dingfang to lead his troops out of the city to Puchanghai to convey military orders and receive the return of my father's commander."
"so what?"
Qin Mubai was silent for a long time and said: "No one can guarantee whether my father will come back safely. If something goes wrong, I, Qin Mubai, will not blame you, but how will the soldiers and people in Lanzhou treat you?"
Hou Junji's expression suddenly changed and he became speechless.
"You don't need me to tell you to understand. In the eyes of Lanzhou's military and civilians, you are an outsider, and sooner or later you will still be looked down upon and ostracized. Although you are a veteran on the battlefield, your popularity and prestige in the Lanzhou army are not yet That's great." Qin Mubai said, "How can I give you such a task? If you are eager to make a contribution, you will be able to use it sooner or later. Just give me enough energy to give it a try. , why should you be so fussy and suspicious?”
Hou Junji took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, nodded slightly, and said softly: "Thank you very much."
These two words are easy to say in anyone's mouth. Only the gathering of Hou Jun is difficult.
Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said: "The field army of Lanzhou Zuoweiwei will be left to you. This is the only main force left in my hands. Just don't let me down."
"Don't worry. Whether it's the Garqin Mausoleum or the barbarians of the Western Turks, I, Hou Junji, haven't taken them seriously yet!" Hou Junji sighed heavily, cupped his hands and said, "From now on, Hou will follow you with confidence and boldness. Riding on the battlefield with a smile on your face, no matter what the outcome is, it will be a thrilling experience!”
"That's exactly what I want."
"Farewell!"
Just after Hou Junji left, a maid from Wu Meiniang came to the study and said that the night was deep, and the princess and her boss asked him to go back to Qiongyu Villa to rest.
After Princess Gao Yang came to Lanzhou, she settled in Qiongyu Villa. She was inseparable with Wu Meiniang all day long, enjoying herself and consciously not coming to the governor's house to cause trouble to Qin Mubai.
"To report back to the two madams, tell them that I am busy with military affairs today and have rested in the Governor's Mansion. Please go to bed early and don't wait for me." Qin Mubai said.
The maid agreed, and instead of leaving, she came forward, presented a robe and a food box, and said, "Actually, the princess and my boss knew that you probably wouldn't go back tonight, so they sent the maid to bring them to keep out the cold." Night clothes and stomach-nourishing porridge, please take care of yourself, Marshal."
"I see… "
After putting on his robe and taking a few sips of the warm wheat porridge, Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile. His tense mood relaxed slightly and his energy improved a lot.
The war is imminent, and all military deployments and strategic and tactical formulations must be personally decided by him as the commander-in-chief. Gar Qinling is a difficult opponent, Qin Mubai dare not take it lightly, not to mention that his side is still weak.
It was very late at night, and there was silence all around. He occasionally heard the neighing of owls and domestic dogs. Qin Mubai finally couldn't resist his sleepiness and fell asleep on the table.
At some point, the robe he was wearing fell to the ground, but someone gently lifted him up and put it back on.
Qin Mubai woke up with a start, and saw a person in his sleepy eyes, adding oil to the lamp and gently turning the wick.
The jade face is hazy, and the smile is like a flower.
"Your Highness Princess?" Qin Mubai stood up hurriedly, "It's already dark at night, how did you get to Wei Chen's study?"
The visitor turned out to be Princess Wencheng Li Xueyan.
"Why does the general have to give birth to his identity?" Princess Wencheng put down the tweezers after dialing the wick, and said with a smile, "Isn't it good to just be like before?"
Qin Mubai smiled and nodded, "Princess, please sit down."
Li Xueyan was not restrained, and sat down in front of Qin Mubai openly and said: "It's late at night, general, why don't you rest early? The war is coming, and your health is important."
"It's okay, I'm used to it." Qin Mubai said, "The princess needs to rest early. The water and soil in Lanzhou are not very good. If the princess doesn't pay attention to her health when she comes from afar, she will get sick easily."
"Don't worry, I'm not as fragile as you think." Li Xueyan smiled, "Mu Bai... Well, can I call you that?"
"Of course. This is actually my name, and it is a very polite name." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "My real name is Qin Liang."
"Mu Bai, I have always wanted to ask... why do you do everything?"
"What do you mean?"
"If we talk about the matter, it means - starting a war with Gar Qinling!"
"Princess, don't you think I'm doing it for you?" Qin Mubai said with a smile. After saying this, he regretted it and thought to himself: It's my old habit, why should I 'harass' her like this when I have nothing to do
Li Xueyan's face turned slightly red as expected, and she said: "Of course I won't be so sentimental. I just don't understand, Mu Bai, since you are a descendant of the Xun family and a relative of the emperor, you should think that everything depends on the will of His Majesty and the imperial court. But. Ever since you came to Lanzhou, you have been acting in your own way, treating the court as if it were nothing, acting arrogantly and arrogantly... This is really not like you before. "
"Then the princess thinks that what I did was right or wrong?"
"It's not a simple 'right or wrong' thing that can be determined." Li Xueyan said, "In the eyes of many people in the court, you are simply a disobedient minister; in the eyes of the soldiers and people of Lanzhou, you are the supreme god; In the eyes of the Tibetan enemies, you are a poisonous thorn that must be removed; in the eyes of me, Li Xueyan..."
"how?"
"You are the real you now."
"Haha!" Qin Mubai laughed, and laughed. He said, "Princess and I have rarely met each other and have no deep friendship. How can we understand me?"
"To understand someone, a lifetime may not be enough, but sometimes it doesn't take much time or effort." Li Xueyan pursed her lips and smiled, and said, "Mubai, actually, when we first met, I started with you. The notes on your fingertips can hear your voice. You are like an eagle in a cage, always looking forward to the day when it can spread its wings and fly. For this reason, you do not hesitate to change your appearance and play the role of a bird, lowering your eyebrows. Shunmu is restrained in a cage. Your heart is full of arrogance and deep emotions, but you always wear cynicism and indifference on your face. "
Qin Mubai put his hands on his abdomen and tilted his head, looking at her with what Li Xueyan said was a 'cynical' smile, smiling without saying a word.
"What, did I say something wrong?" Li Xueyan's smart eyes blinked for a few seconds and asked.
Qin Mubai smiled and answered the question: "Princess, what do you want to say to me?"
"The marriage failed and war is imminent. I, the so-called princess, have become a redundant and embarrassing person." Li Xueyan shook his head and said with a self-deprecating smile, "I should have believed you if I had known this."
"What do you believe in me?"
"I believe the heroic words you said in my home that day." Li Xueyan said, "Don't you remember? You said that the problem of Tubo can only be completely solved by force. One day, you will conquer the plateau and capture Zampu. , completely integrating Tubo into the Chinese nation.”
"So, you didn't believe it at first." Qin Mubai chuckled.
"Yes. That is too arrogant after all. How can I believe it?" Li Xueyan shook his head and sighed, "I thought I was already great. I am willing to leave my hometown and marry on the plateau, just to give alms on the wild plateau. The king's message is to bring peace to the people and bring peace to the people. But now... I'm so disappointed! The war is still unstoppable! The reality is like a ruthless man who gave me this stupid and passionate woman. A hard slap!"
"Princess, it's not your fault." Qin Mubai said, "The dispute between the two countries and the course of history cannot be controlled or resolved by anyone. You and I are just insignificant pawns; our destiny is not under our control."
"Then what are we living for?" Li Xueyan raised his head and looked at Qin Mubai with wide eyes, eagerly waiting for his answer.
"For survival and ideals? I don't know." Qin Mubai smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "It seems that I have been doing things that I cannot choose or avoid, like a puppet who cannot control myself. It's bitter and boring. This time, I can finally let go and do something I want to do... It feels like a beast has been locked in a cage for many years, and then suddenly escapes and returns to the forest to be free. Even if I know that I will be hunted by hunters or eaten by other beasts, I can face my destiny calmly and not be willing to go back to that cage. "
"My father once said that you should never be frivolous when you are young. A man should always do something he wants to do in his life, so that he can be happy and have no regrets." Li Xueyan stared at Qin Mubai and said, "Mubai, I I really envy you! At this moment, you are so frank and honest, living a wonderful and generous life. I have always believed that only a man as true and frank as my father is the most amiable and lovable... If I could turn back time. , I wish I could have met you, a man as stalwart and straightforward as my father, when I was young and ignorant.”
"Why?" Qin Mubai asked with a smile.
"That way, I can confidently stick to your side and act wild like a child until I grow up." After Li Xueyan said this, he stood up and said softly with a sweet smile, "I really I envy Sister Huang... Really! ... She once said something to me that deeply touched me."
"Which sentence?" Qin Mubai scratched his head in embarrassment and asked politely. He knew in his heart... Li Xueyan in front of him had obviously developed a crush on him. If it weren't for the identity of the two of them and the delicate situation at hand, she might have blatantly "launched an attack"... What a crime!
"Sister Huang told me that when you two first met, you once said something funny to her that was half true and half false, but it deeply touched her heart." Li Xueyan said, "You were in Jiang at that time. Zhou, the emperor's sister suddenly ran to find you... You once said to her, 'If you act wild, I will give you a drink'!"
"..." Qin Mubai was startled, "Sorry, I may have forgotten it myself."
"From then on, the emperor's sister always acted boldly without fear, while you, like a god, have always been quietly waiting by her side. No matter success or failure, you would happily accompany her with the wine." Li Xueyan smiled and said, "You two are really awesome. A match made in heaven, living so wonderfully and freely!”
"Really..." Qin Mubai smiled, not knowing what to say. When a woman becomes emotional towards you, it's best to be cautious. Because from then on, she will either trust you very much and even fall in love with you, or she will dislike you very much or even hate you.
"If you act wild, I will give you a drink... There is no woman who is not deeply attached to such a man." Li Xueyan pursed her lips, with a bitter smile on her lips, "It's a pity that Xueyan's life is short. Even if there is wine, no one will drink it... "