The death of Qin Shubao caused a stir in the Guanlong Territory, which is three thousand miles away.
Now, the sky and the land are full of passionate fighting spirit and angry people's voices; on the contrary, there is peace and tranquility in Qin Mubai's private residence.
He is enjoying family happiness.
The appearance of Xiao Lou'er was like the arrival of an angel to Qin Mubai. Only when he truly became a father could he understand the same emotions his parents had for him, and how great that would be.
Die for Zhuzi... Now Qin Mubai would be willing to do the same for Xiaolouer.
Behind Qiongyu Tower, there is a small flower garden cultivated by Wu Meiniang's novice. Many flowers unique to Chang'an and Jiangnan have been planted with originality. It's not very expensive, but it's definitely rare in Helong. I don’t know when she developed such outstanding gardening skills and was able to keep them alive.
The family sat and lay on the green grass in the flower garden on a soft felt blanket, with the small building as the core, enjoying the time leisurely.
Wu Meiniang and Princess Gao Yang have been thinking that if Chen Yan and Xiao Louer hadn't appeared at this time, they really don't know what Qin Mubai would be like now. No matter how much grief and anger Qin Mubai held in his heart and how much pressure he endured, at least now, the smile on his face was comfortable and relaxed.
"Yan, when did you come to Lanzhou and why didn't you come to see me?" Qin Mubai asked.
Chen Yan smiled slightly and said: "About half a month ago, you were busy at that time. I didn't want to disturb you while you were doing business, so I took Xiaolou'er to find a place to live, and then visited my adoptive father first. That’s where I met Her Royal Highness.”
Qin Mubai glanced at Princess Gaoyang and said, "Ling'er, you are doing well now. You can pretend to be something. How can you hide this from me?"
Princess Gao Yang was about to argue when Chen Yan said hurriedly: "I don't blame the prince and princess. I forcefully asked them to hide it from you first. Anyway, now that we are together, that's enough, isn't it? Don't worry about the past."
Qin Mubai smiled and nodded, and said: "Yan, I know you have always wanted to avoid me. Now, you don't have the power and qualifications. Even if you don't recognize me as a man, Xiaolouer can't live without me as his father, right? "?"
"Hey, you are a frivolous, irresponsible, stinky man! You got an advantage and acted like a good boy, and you even used Xiao Lou'er to blackmail Chen Yan!" Princess Gaoyang shouted angrily, "Don't even think about it, she is pregnant alone for ten years. How hard it is to take Xiaolouer all the way from Youzhou to Lanzhou, how much hardship you have suffered - you have to make up for it!"
"No need." Chen Yan said with a smile, "I have been traveling around the world for more than ten years, and I am used to living alone. Xiao Lou'er has been very obedient since she was in my belly, and she has not made me suffer much - yes Now, speaking of Youzhou, Mu Bai, do you still remember an old friend? "
"Who is it?" Qin Mubai didn't react for a moment.
"What a fool! Of course it's my third emperor brother, King Wu Li Ke!" Princess Gaoyang said quickly, "He came back from Goguryeo and temporarily served as the governor of Youzhou on behalf of the uncle of the King of Jiangxia!"
"King Wu..." Qin Mubai frowned slightly and nodded, "Have you seen him in Youzhou?"
"More than just meeting me? I lived in his palace for more than a month. He regarded me as his sister-in-law with the respect of a prince, treated me politely, and insisted on recognizing Xiao Lou'er as his goddaughter. He held me in his lap and teased me every day. "Play." Chen Yan smiled and said, "Originally, I didn't want to come to Lanzhou. Firstly, it was too far, and secondly, I was afraid of causing trouble to you because of your ruthlessness. But King Wu advised me. The sooner I come, the better. So, here I am.”
"This is interesting." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "There are not many people in this world who can persuade you."
"King Wu is one." Chen Yan smiled.
"Why?" Princess Gao Yang and Wu Meiniang asked curiously.
"It's because he once rushed back to Xiangyang from Chang'an to see off the princess." Chen Yan said, "He is a person who understands, cherishes, and values love. Therefore, I am willing to listen to his words."
"What did he say?" Qin Mubai asked.
"He said that we cannot impose our own ideas on our children, and we cannot selfishly deny our children's happiness because of our own worries. Xiaolouer needs his father every moment and not for a day." Chen Yan Said, "He told me that even if you don't want Qin Mubai as a man, you must let Xiao Louer have a father."
"This makes sense." Princess Gao Yang and Wu Meiniang said in unison.
Qin Mubai nodded with a smile and said, "The King of Wu still understands me."
"That's right! You two are just like each other and work together! You don't do good things when you get together. You are the best at flirting with women." Princess Gaoyang said angrily, "Probably, my third brother knows best how much you like Sister Yan, right? "
Chen Yan and Wu Meiniang suddenly burst into laughter. Qin Mubai also smiled and said: "Ling'er, look at your current virtue, how can you still have the dignity of a princess? She is clearly a jealous little daughter-in-law!"
"I am originally the daughter-in-law of your Qin family's famous matchmaker, what's going on!" Princess Gaoyang became even more angry. She put her hands on her waist and said arrogantly, "Inside, I am in love with Mei Niang and Sister Yan. There is no distinction between sisters; but in name, I am the princess betrothed by the emperor and the mistress of the Qin family! Now, this mistress declares - Qin Mubai, you are not allowed to mess with women anymore, just the three of us in the house are enough! La! Did you hear that?”
Everyone laughed together, leaning forward and backward!
On the contrary, Xiaolouer, who was lying on the ground having fun, was startled and started crying loudly.
"Don't laugh!... Xiaolou'er, please don't cry! Did you hear me?" Princess Gao Yang jumped up and down anxiously.
No one paid any attention to her anymore, and everyone went to coax Xiaolouer.
At this time, Jiangxia King Li Daozong and Princess Wencheng Li Xueyan came together.
"Prince, uncle, foster father..." Qin Mubai and others stood up to greet him.
When Xiao Lou'er saw Li Daozong and Li Xueyan, she smiled very happily. She got up and called out in a childish voice: "Grandpa! Aunt... I want a hug!"
Li Daozong laughed loudly and picked her up, kissed her face several times before handing her over to Li Xueyan, and then called Qin Mubai aside.
"Mu Bai, this is interesting." Li Daozong took out a letter, shook it, and said, "Guess what this is?"
Qin Mubai glanced at it, smiled coldly and said: "I have troubled you to take charge of the affairs of the Governor's Mansion on my behalf these days. Could this be a letter of challenge from the Gar Qin Mausoleum?"
"Clever." Li Daozong handed him the letter and said, "The kid's plan at Gaochang failed, and the battle at Yuyang Pass 2 started in advance. As a result, the original plan to trap you and me also failed. . In order not to lose face, he took the initiative to write a gauntlet to Lanzhou.
"Let me take a look." Qin Mubai opened the letter and read it.
There are only eleven words in the letter - "The moon is full during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the sun is shining brightly. Do you dare to come?"
"Insolent!" Qin Mubai snorted coldly, folded the letter and put it into his arms.
"What are your plans now?" Li Daozong asked.
Qin Mubai raised the middle finger of his right hand and showed it to Li Daozong.
Li Daozong was immediately surprised and asked: "What's wrong with your hand? When was it injured and wrapped?"
"I wrote a bloody letter to the court!" Qin Mubai frowned and said, "Yesterday, it was urgently delivered over 800 miles away."
"What?" Li Daozong said in surprise, "Originally, I was planning to summon all the generals and common people under the Governor's Mansion to jointly submit a letter to the court. Why did you take this step first?"
"No need." Qin Mubai smiled lightly and said, "Mr. Yu, the imperial court appointed me as the Governor of Lanzhou, second only to the Governor of Anxi. Now that the Governor has died for the country, I should take up this important task. There is no need to let my The subordinates and the people share the pressure for me. It must be me who initiates the fight. I don't want to avenge my father's hatred, and I don't want people in the court to think that I, Qin Mubai, are cowardly and greedy at this time. Die! I'm the only one who asked for the fight. If you agree or not, I will fight! If you want to be punished or beheaded later, it will be me, Qin Mubai!"
"What a man!" Li Daozong praised him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Now that the blood book has been written, you should start actively preparing for war. Now, the war at Yuyang Erguan is in full swing, and Su Dingfang doesn't know whether he can stand up to it or not. Come on, it's up to you whether we need to send troops to assist. In addition, the military plan we made for the Garqin Tomb will also be rearranged, because what was originally a secret war has become an open war now. The two sides are bound to fight fiercely with swords and spears in Qingluo Yuan. This will be a great battle that has been extremely rare since the founding of the Tang Dynasty! I estimate that Tubo's Zanpu Qizong Nongzan will personally come to the battlefield to supervise the battle. And when the time comes, they may add more troops.”
"The prince has really thought deeply about it!" Qin Mubai nodded and said, "After my father died, Xue Rengui left north, which declared the failure of the layout of the Garqin Mausoleum. Thus, the battle of Yuyang Erguan officially started, and the Tang Dynasty and Tubo also An all-out war has begun. At this time, who cares about peace or not? One-third of the more than 600,000 troops in Tubo have already been concentrated under the command of Garqin Ling in Kunlun Mountain. Now, I guess they will do it again. If they increase their troops to attack Yuyang Pass 2, they will also increase their troops in Golmud, Kunlun. I even suspect that they will send their troops south to attack the Xichuan area of Jiannan, Tang Dynasty, which will make us unable to do anything, thus dividing our strength. It’s all mentioned in the blood book, and I hope the court will take precautions early. I, Qin Mubai, will bring my own soldiers and civilians to defend against foreign enemies and bandits.”
"Hmm..." Li Daozong nodded slowly with deep feeling. He was silent for a long time, and then said, "Do you plan to increase troops in the Yuyang area?"
"There will be no more increases." Qin Mubai said, "I believe in Su Dingfang. Although he only has 30,000 troops under his command, with his ability and the natural danger of Yuyang Pass, he is enough to withstand 100,000 troops. Now, I want to All my energy is focused on recruiting new troops and training new divisions. There is only about a month left before the Mid-Autumn Festival. I have to hurry up. In half a month, I will personally lead the main force of Lanzhou to Dafeichuan to supervise the battle in Lanzhou. , please ask the prince to take charge of the overall situation for me."
"No problem." Li Daozong nodded and said, "This time, I am also a child again, and you can be young and frivolous. When the time comes, the court will investigate and punish you, including me!"
"Whoever dares to accuse you will be punished!" Princess Gao Yang was chatting with Wu Meiniang and others quite far away, but she kept listening to them with her ears open. When she heard Li Daozong's high-pitched voice, she immediately became angry and ran over and said, "Uncle, I just want to know, who in the court dares to accuse you and Mu Bai? Did you do something wrong? Did you collude with the enemy and rebel against foreign countries, or did you lose your power and humiliate the country?" ?”
"Ling'er, you don't understand the affairs of the court..." Li Daozong said.
"Who says I don't understand!" Princess Gaoyang raised her eyebrows and said angrily, "Those so-called ministers sit in a well and watch the sky without any thought of progress. They cling to the word 'doctrine' and eat nothing but nothing. They can't tolerate the emperor's uncle." People like you, Mubai, have made great achievements and expanded the territory! Let me tell you, the Tang Dynasty has been in existence for more than 20 years, and it is peaceful and peaceful every day, but in fact, look at what kind of things have happened in the past few years! —My brother was killed for his rebellion; the prince and his eldest brother were abolished for their rebellion; my father claimed to be ill and ignored state affairs, and Situ, the child slave supervisor, was in power and was in a mess; Goguryeo ignored the power of the Tang Dynasty and attacked Baekje and Silla to unify the peninsula and dominate it; Xue Yantuo is getting worse and worse day by day. He is so powerful that he is ready to become the second Jieli Khan of the grassland; the Western Turks and Beiting have almost dominated the Western Regions, and can instigate small countries like Gaochang to betray the Tang Dynasty and kill our marshal; Tubo stationed troops in Yezhi to attack at the pass Central Plains... If these things can't explain the decline of the Tang Dynasty, I really have nothing to say! As a female, I don't care about political affairs, but I can see clearly. If my father and the ministers in the court are If you still don’t understand, then every day’s meal will be in vain!”
Li Daozong and Qin Mubai were stunned and looked at Princess Gao Yang in stunned silence for a long time.
Princess Gaoyang didn't seem to have any intention of calming down, and continued to speak passionately: "The Tang Dynasty is no longer the aggressive and powerful dynasty when my father just ascended the throne; The "Khan of Heaven" has made barbarians fearful and respectful all over the world. The world has been peaceful for a long time, and people are lazy and indulge in glory. They live in peace and don't think about danger. My father is only worried about establishing a prince. The ministers have nothing to do but fight for power and intrigue. Eliminate dissidents; the common people spend their days working hard and forget about the country's worries, and they just sing and dance in a muddle-headed way - if this continues, our Tang Dynasty will be doomed!"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Li Daozong scolded immediately.
"What are you afraid of! There are no outsiders here - besides, I dare to say this in front of my father!" Princess Gaoyang said tit for tat, "Uncle, you don't have to scold me! In fact, you must know better than me, but you I don’t want to say it! There are just a few men like my father-in-law and Mu Bai in the world who dare to do things and take on important responsibilities. However, they are still marginalized by those who are content with the status quo and do not want to make progress! The conservative ministers regard him as a dissident! Look - what will my father-in-law gain in the end by dying for his country? But it is a great pleasure for him to wake up those people who are serving the country with his whole life! He has made countless contributions to the border area and expanded the territory, but what has he gained? He has been thrown into prison before, and he may be thrown into prison again in the future - I don't care! No matter what happens to Mu Bai in the future, I will follow him. Determine him! Heaven, hell, wherever!”
The more Princess Gao Yang talked, the more excited she became, attracting Wu Meiniang, Chen Yan and others to come over and form a circle around her.
Qin Mubai stared at her, smiled slightly, and said to Li Daozong: "Your Majesty, how is Ling'er's eloquence?"
"In general, a little clumsy." Li Daozong also smiled and said, "But his words are rough but not rough, and he hits the nail on the head!"
Qin Mubai's bloody letter asking for war was still running on the thousand-mile highway in Kansai; but the news that Qin Shubao died in battle and that all-out war in Lanzhou had spread to the Central Plains along with the strong westerly wind in the desert.
The people were shocked and Kyushu was shocked!
Since the Lanzhou Bian Guantang Report did not report the exact news, although the entire Tang Dynasty was in an uproar, no one brought this to the court meeting for public discussion.
Therefore, every morning in the morning, everyone was obviously preoccupied, but they all discussed trivial matters, and no one mentioned "Lanzhou". The courtiers, from time to time, would look at the Dragon Case of the prison prince Li Zhi, constantly guessing whether there was a Lanzhou military report in the thick stack of memorials every day
At the same time, many people in the government and the public were thinking that if Qin Qiong died in battle, it would mean that the Tang Dynasty would never be at peace. From now on, will the court's trend be to fight alone, or will the peace faction continue to have the upper hand? …
Everyone is once again faced with the decision of "standing in line"!
But this time, even Changsun Wuji was tight-lipped and never mentioned a word about Lanzhou.
The prince Li Zhi fell into complete confusion - he obviously heard the news that Qin Qiong died in the battle and started the war in Lanzhou, and obviously saw that everyone in the court was restless and full of worries, but no one took the matter to a discussion!
When did the imperial court become like this? ... There is no action on a pool of stagnant water. Everyone snows in front of their door, ignoring the frost on other people's tiles!
As for the emperor Li Shimin, he still saw the beginning but not the end of the dragon, and stayed in seclusion to recuperate.
The mountain rain is about to come and the wind fills the building, and the whole court feels like this.
…
In the harem of the imperial city, a place that is insignificant and easily overlooked, at the Protectorate Tennoji Temple, two women who have nothing to do with affairs of state are sitting opposite each other, saying Zen.
"Master, my disciple has been restless and worried recently." Concubine Yin De held a Buddha bead with her palms clasped together, her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows furrowed and she whispered softly.
"Where does the queen's worries come from?" Master Qingshan, the abbot of the Protectorate Heavenly Temple, asked softly.
"Lanzhou."
Master Qingshan paused briefly and said with a smile: "As the mother of a country, you should worry about national affairs. This is what you should do."
"No." Concubine Yin De shook her head and said, "Although I am one of the four concubines appointed by His Majesty, I never interfere in state affairs."
"Then, are you worried about Princess Gaoyang who is far away in Lanzhou and is involved in the war?"
"..." Concubine Yin De remained silent, folded her hands and chanted a Buddha chant... Amitabha!
Master Qingshan stared at Concubine Yinde with a smile. At this moment, her gentle gaze penetrated Concubine Yinde's heart like a sharp dagger, making her unable to help but tremble slightly.
"Amitabha... Concubine Virtue, are you worried that he will take a wrong turn and fall into the devil's path forever, and will be trapped in a sea of misery after countless tribulations?"
Concubine Yin De frowned slightly, slowly opened her eyes, and said softly: "Disciple, I am worried about this... If he is like this, Ling'er will be in a sea of suffering in this life!"
"Amitabha!" Master Qingshan said, "Then how can you be sure that he will not become famous in one battle and leave a name in history that will last forever?"
"I don't know... Disciple is very upset!" Concubine Yin De said with a worried look on her face, "He is a person who attaches great importance to friendship. Moreover, although he usually looks very gentle and generous, his paranoia in his heart is unstoppable. And. At this moment, I don’t think anyone can understand the grief and anger in his heart. He can only give up by holding a knife and unleashing all his murderous intentions for the devil!”
Master Qingshan nodded slowly and said: "Speaking of a bosom friend, a bosom friend! He is thousands of miles away and has sworn never to play the piano... Even if the string is broken, the bosom friend is still there! - Empress, one thought becomes a demon, and one thought is a Buddha! Whether it is a demon or a Buddha, there is only a thin line between them. The Earthly Burial King Bodhisattva once swore that he would not become a Buddha until hell was empty... He could hold a sword to unleash his murderous intent on the demon, or he could kill with great compassion. In the blink of an eye, the Buddha just picked up the flower and smiled, understanding what he meant without saying anything. He was born with different talents and was destined to be a Buddha. Everything could just go as it should, and there was a destiny for it, so why should I worry about it? think?"
"One thought becomes a devil, one thought becomes a Buddha..." Concubine Yin De chanted repeatedly, chanting carefully...