"Qin Mubai is dead."
The news flew from Dafeichuan to Helong as if it had wings, and spread all over the nine states of the Tang Dynasty. Different people have different versions of his death. Some people say that he was "loyal to the country", some say that he "has fallen out of jealousy", and some say that he is "finally finished", or, simply, "dead".
There are also some people who would rather not hear the news, or are quite stubborn and regard it as a rumor.
Thousands of miles away, in the Governor's Mansion of Youzhou.
The chill of winter is always the first to visit the land adjacent to Liaodong. There are no flowers in the flowerbed, and among the remaining grass and bare willows, there is a pot of wine in the pavilion.
Li Ke stood alone in the pavilion, wearing a purple brocade robe and a virtuous crown, standing in the wind with fluttering sleeves, looking as chic and elegant as ever.
The cold wind blew, and dry grass flew and rustled in the flower beds.
Just like a woman's beloved dowry, there are always precious jewels inside. It turns out that men also have a box in their hearts. The difference is that a woman will often look through his dowry, while a man will always keep that suitcase quietly deep in his heart.
When I accidentally opened the box, there was no jewelry or money inside, only some yellowed old calendars with some people's names and some old events written on them.
At this time, Li Ke opened the empty box. So, the scenes of him and Qin Mubai playing together as children, riding horses and shooting together, and cooking wine among flowers all came to mind. The various experiences in recent years are even more vivid in my mind. From the moment they first met Mei Niang, the two were firmly tied together. From Beijing to Jiangzhou to Xiangyang, and then to Lanzhou and Youzhou thousands of miles apart, Li Ke felt that no matter how far or close he was to Qin Mubai, it was always as if his left hand had become accustomed to the presence of his right hand.
When one day you suddenly find that the other person is no longer there...
"Qin Mubai, you are a big liar." Li Ke picked up the wine pot, tilted it slowly, letting the wine in the pot trickle down into the soil covered with petals in front of him, and whispered to himself, " You said you were a troublemaker for thousands of years, what’s going on now? Could it be that... you’re still a good person?”
"Give me a break."
"I have never met someone more cunning, cunning, lustful, and..."
Finally, I am speechless.
His hand trembled slightly, and the wine spilled messily, landing on Li Ke's gorgeous brocade clothes.
"Why, are you still angry?" Li Ke's lips curved slightly, and he actually smiled.
"Okay, I'll punish myself with three drinks!" He took a few sips from the wine bottle.
A gust of wind blows, and the remaining grass in the flowerbed is flying, and the fallen flowers are fluttering.
"If there is an afterlife, you can become a woman and I will marry you." Li Ke still smiled like that, looking at the distant sky with misty eyes, and said to himself, "Or you can become a flowing cloud, and I will marry you as soon as I raise my head. I can see you; maybe you become a pot of wine or a cup of tea and pass through my heart without concern, but we are not separated. Or maybe you pass me by but never know each other. In short, there is no connection. , in the next life... don’t be my brother anymore.”
"Be your brother..." Li Ke took a deep breath, his expression stagnant for a long time.
"It hurts so much..."
Chang'an, Duke Wei's Mansion.
In the living room hall, Li Shimin and Li Jing were sitting opposite each other, drinking tea and playing chess.
Li Shimin supported the chessboard with his left elbow, pressed his forehead with his left hand, and held a black chess piece in the air in his right hand. He had been deciding for a long time.
Li Jing's expression was still like an ancient well in late autumn, calm and calm. He slowly stretched his palm under Li Shimin's right hand holding the chess piece, and inadvertently, the black piece fell down.
"Hey!" Li Shimin suddenly came back to his senses and smiled to himself, "I was distracted."
Li Jing smiled slightly, returned the chess piece to Li Shimin, and said, "Your Majesty seems to be very worried. Have you heard any rumors?"
"It's not just me, everyone in Chang'an has heard it, right? I live in the deep palace and it's too late to realize it." Li Shimin clapped his hands on his knees and sighed heavily, "This chess game cannot be played. Let's play another day. Come on! ... I ruined Brother Jing’s elegance, so I’ll punish myself with three drinks at the wine table later.”
Li Jing smiled and said nothing. He knew that the emperor, an old minister who had been idle for a long time, had not visited him for nearly half a year. There must be a reason for my sudden arrival today.
"Your Majesty, why don't you let me... go to Lanzhou!" Li Jing suddenly said.
"Huh?" Li Shimin raised his eyebrows in slight surprise and said, "Why did Brother Jing say this?"
"There is a rumor in Chang'an that the commander of the Guanxi Army, Qin Mubai, has been killed on the battlefield." Li Jing said, "The battle of Lanzhou is of great importance, far more important than the Northern Conquest of the Turks and the recapture of Tuyuhun. Although the veteran is old, he can still serve the country. "
"Brother Jing, your words make me feel happy." Li Shimin stood up, held up his hands behind his back and walked to the eaves in front of the hall, looking northwest. In his words, he did not agree to Li Jing's request.
Li Jing stood up with a cane, walked behind Li Shimin, and stood quietly.
Both of them were silent. After a long time, Li Shimin said: "Brother Jing, do you believe it?"
"I would rather believe that it exists than believe that it does not exist." Li Jing replied decisively.
Li Shimin frowned and was noncommittal.
"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Li Jing asked.
"I'm very confused." Li Shimin said, "The frontline commander at the border was killed, but there was no military report to the court. It's just some rumors among the people... I can't be sure. But what Brother Jing said makes sense. I would rather believe this kind of thing. Believe it or not.”
"Then your Majesty should have made plans early." Li Jing said, "The Guanxi Army cannot be without a commander for a day. Without Qin Mubai, the generals there will not be convinced by each other. Although there is King Jiangxia sitting in Lanzhou, he after all He is an outsider and not a veteran of the Kansai Army. I am afraid that he will not be able to fully control the entire army."
"Brother Jing, you are worthy of being the military god of the Tang Dynasty... Qin Mubai is your close disciple. If something happens to him, your first thought will still be the overall situation of the military and the country." Li Shimin sighed with deep feeling, and sighed leisurely. , "It hasn't been long since Shu Bao left, and now it's Mu Bai again... I, how can I be so embarrassed!"
"Your Majesty, I have once again volunteered to go to Lanzhou!" Li Jing put his crutches on the wall next to him, clasped his hands in his fists, and said seriously with a trembling silver beard.
Li Shimin turned around, smiled slightly, stretched out his hands to hold Li Jing's fists tightly, and said, "Brother Jing, you don't need to take action this time."
"Your Majesty, have you made arrangements?"
"Yes." Li Shimin said, "I promised a long time ago that if Qin Mubai is not the opponent of Gar Qinling, I will raise an army that will overwhelm the country and fight to the death against the abandoned Zong Nongzan!"
"Your Majesty wants to lead the expedition in person?!" Li Jing said in surprise.
"If the news of Qin Mubai's death in battle is true, I will definitely fight in person." Li Shimin said firmly.
A sharp light flashed in Li Jing's eyes, and he nodded slowly and said: "Unless His Majesty personally conquers it, I will never give up this handsome position!"
"Brother Jing, it's rare that you are willing to tell the truth." Li Shimin showed a rare smile and said, "I have watched the government and the public select the world, and there are only two people who dare to pick up this handsome seal. These two people. Personally, I’m still standing here today.”
"Old minister, I'd better use a cane!" Li Jing smiled mockingly and still picked up the cane.
"After much thought, I not only don't want to believe that Qin Mubai has been killed in battle, but also feel that there is something fishy about it." Li Shimin said, "That's why I came to Brother Jing specifically to ask for advice."
"But if anything happens, your Majesty will let you know. I will discuss it with your Majesty," Li Jing said.
"Based on what I know about Qin Mubai, he should be the kind of general who works hard and plans for victory." Li Shimin said, "The so-called war is never tired of deceit. Although he is smart, he doesn't seem to be in this way. What does Brother Jing think?"
"Your Majesty, do you mean that Qin Mubai is using a deception?" Li Jingbai frowned deeply, pondered for a long time, shook his head and said, "Is this unlikely? If he dares to use such a deception, then But everyone in the world was deceived, including his closest relatives and friends.”
"I have no evidence, just speculation. But I have an intuition that Qin Mubai will not die that easily." Li Shimin said lightly. In my heart, I couldn't help but recall the words of Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng. They had said a long time ago that the Emperor Star did not know the prosperity of the demon star, and once the brilliance of the demon star bloomed, it greatly assisted the emperor star.
Since this demon star was so powerful, how could it fall so easily? ...Although the words of the warlock should not be taken lightly, they still influenced Li Shimin's thoughts subtly.
"As far as the actual situation on the front line is concerned, our army's strength is not as good as the enemy's. There are 150,000 Kunlun cavalry under the command of Garqinling, which can be said to be the most powerful in the world. There are also more than 100,000 cavalry, which are also the main force of Tubo. , a total of more than 300,000, accounting for more than half of Tubo's total strength, and its strength cannot be underestimated." Li Jing said slowly and thoughtfully, "The Kansai Army suffered a defeat in Gaochang before, and more than half of its elite main force was lost. The battle line is too long and the troops are scattered. There are only a hundred thousand troops on the main battlefield of Dafeichuan, and at least half of them are new soldiers. Under such circumstances, it is obvious that the main force will win. Impossible. It’s not certain that Qin Mubai will use deceit.”
"Yes!" Li Shimin said, "I think so too. If I were leading the three armies to fight in Dafeichuan, I would have racked my brains and used all kinds of strange troops to win. But... if Qin Mubai's death is really just It’s a scam, then this guy is too bold!”
"Your Majesty..." Li Jing called out but hesitated.
"Well, Brother Jing, please tell me if you have anything to say. Why should we be taboo between you and me?" Li Shimin said.
"I believe that soldiers are cunning and strange, and whatever can defeat the enemy is a superior art of war." Li Jing said, "Qin Mubai can be said to be the least skilled among my three apprentices, and he can also be said to be the least skilled. He is the most proficient in learning. If you ask him to recite any passage in the Song of War, he will probably not be able to recite it; if you ask him to explain the subtle flaws in the classic battles in history, he will also be unable to explain it clearly. However, But he is the best at adapting to local conditions and can learn the most vividly. To use an analogy, Hou Jun has gained the flesh and blood through practicing military tactics, Su Dingfang has gained the bones and muscles, and Qin Mubai has gained the essence."
"You mean, it's really possible that this is a big lie told by Qin Mubai, a trick in the art of war?" Li Shimin asked in surprise, his eyebrows sank.
"I don't dare to say for sure, but based on my understanding of Qin Mubai, it is possible." Li Jing said cautiously.
"Sure enough, there is no better son than a father, and a disciple better than a teacher." Li Shimin sighed and murmured to himself: "Then he is really a demon star worthy of the name, and he dares to use such a bold and absurd conspiracy. …”
"Your Majesty, just imagine... If even everyone in the world is deceived by him, and Your Majesty and the old ministers are also suspicious here, then Abandoned Zong Nongzan and Gar Qinling..." Li Jing stopped talking at the right time.
Li Shimin suddenly realized, his eyes flashed with light, "Then there is no reason for them to fall into the trap?"
"That's true." Li Jing chuckled and shook his head, "But all of this is just our speculation. We still have to wait until the Lanzhou army reports to determine the truth."
"Well..." Li Shimin took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, saying meaningfully, "Then I will wait a little longer. Let's see what kind of news Lanzhou will give me."
Li Jing was speechless, but there was a strange light shining in his slightly cloudy old eyes, and he thought to himself: Whether it is good news or bad news, it must be... enough to shock the world!