The autumn sunshine shines on Qiongyu Villa. The leaves of the sycamore trees have fallen, and the maple trees are red.
"Dad, I won't practice anymore!" Xiaolou'er slapped her hands on the strings of the guzheng, pouted her little mouth and said coquettishly, "You let your brothers and sisters ride big horses, and I'm going to sit here. Stop playing the piano!"
Qin Mubai laughed loudly, handed the little flute in his arms to Tantai Shuangshuang, and said, "Then I will let you ride a big horse for a while, and then you have to practice the piano well, okay?"
"Okay, okay!" Xiao Lou'er clapped her hands and smiled happily, "I want to ride a big horse and run three laps!"
"Okay, come on!" Qin Mubai lay down, and Tantai Dandan hugged Xiao Lou'er and rode on Qin Mubai's body, then got up on the ground.
Xiaolouer laughed happily, and the whole family was amused, and they laughed for a while.
Who would have thought that Marshal Qin from Kansai, who commanded thousands of troops to dominate the battlefield and was invincible in battles and made the enemy frightened, would be like this at home
While they were having fun, Chen Yan came in, took Xiao Lou'er down, and said, "Lou'er, don't be naughty, just go and practice the piano."
"Oh..." Xiao Lou'er always listened to his mother's words the most. After playing a game, he had a lot of fun and obediently climbed down to practice the piano.
Qin Mubai clapped his hands and stood up, saying, "Do you have anything to do with me?"
Chen Yan nodded and signaled Qin Mubai to come out.
After the two of them left the room, Chen Yan said, "Qin Shi is back. He is in the front hall."
Qin Mubai's heart moved and he nodded, "I'll go see him."
So he went to the main hall of the front house and saw Qin Shi dressed as a business traveler waiting there. Before they could even talk, Qin Shi bowed down and said, "I've met the master!"
"Get better." Qin Mubai quickly woke him up and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Tell me, how is the situation in Chang'an?"
"I went to meet the eldest son in secret!" Qin Shi's first sentence aroused Qin Mubai's interest. He said, "The eldest son told me that after hearing about the assassination of King Wu, His Majesty suddenly fell seriously ill. Later, Chu Suiliang and others investigated the assassination case and found out that it was the imperial censor Wei Ting who committed suicide! At this time, the king of Jin who went north to Taiyuan to worship his ancestors suddenly disappeared. !”
"Oh?..." Qin Mubai was quite surprised when he heard this. He thought for a moment and then said, "What else did the elder brother say to you?"
"The eldest son asked me to give you a sentence, which is..." Qin Shi hesitated and said, "There are only eight words, the family is loyal, I hope you will remember it!"
Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "My eldest brother is loyal, patriotic, upright and very similar to my father. These eight words should indeed come from his mouth."
"Master... I heard a lot of rumors in Chang'an." Qin Shi said, "There are rumors in the market that His Majesty the Emperor ordered Li Jing to strengthen the defense of the capital in order to prevent the master from rebelling. The villain is really angry after hearing this!"
"What's there to be angry about?" Qin Mubai said with a smile, "I asked you to spread rumors. Isn't that the result you want?"
Qin Shi was stunned, "So the master wants to test whether the court trusts you?"
"No more." Qin Mubai waved his hand indifferently, "Anyway, I have already resigned and will be leaving Lanzhou soon."
"Ah?..." Qin Shi was startled, and then he grinned calmly, "Just resign!"
"Why?" Qin Mubai asked with a smile.
"If it were me, I would quit my job!" Qin Shiyi said angrily, "My master has made such a great contribution to the Tang Dynasty, but because of some rumors in the market, the court treats him as a thief! This is it! How chilling! - If the court treated its master like a villain, then such a court would still be worth serving for! "
Qin Mubai laughed loudly, and then said: "Qin Shi, I am about to abandon my official position and leave. It's time for us to say goodbye. After all, you are also a fifth-grade guerrilla general, and you have Juelu. Let's go to the pass! Buy a share of the family property and live a good life in the future.”
"No! The villain would rather die than leave!" Qin Shi knelt down with a plop, "Generals and titles are not what the villain wants at all! The villain's greatest hope in this life is to follow his master forever, even if he is beaten to death. leave!"
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Then you don't want the titles, salary, land, etc. given to you by the court? Those things are enough to feed and clothe your descendants for several lifetimes. At least you can become a wealthy gentry."
"No! The master, a highly respected minister, has given up his official position and left, so why do you want the villain to eat those titles? No, I won't kill him!" Qin Shi lay on the ground and kowtowed, "Wherever the master goes, take the villain with him." Where to go!”
Qin Mubai smiled and pulled him up, "Okay! I also promised Master and Disciple Niu Wuzhi and others to take good care of you. Just come with me!"
"Thank you, Master!" Qin Shi stood up happily, but suddenly remembered something and said, "When I entered the villa just now, I saw General Pang Feipang wandering in front of the villa's gate, but he did not dare to come forward and knock on the door. He Let me send a message to the master, saying... I want to see the master one last time!"
Qin Mubai was silent for a moment and sighed, "Okay... Qin Shi, go and ask him to come in. Then go to General Xue Rengui's house and ask him to come see me at dinner time."
Qin Shi accepted the promise and left. Not long after, Pang Fei came in.
Qin Mubai sat in the main seat in the hall and looked at him quietly. When Pang Fei entered the hall, he didn't dare to look at Qin Mubai. He walked forward with his head lowered, knelt down and put his head on the ground, but said nothing.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Qin Mubai broke the silence.
Pang Fei then knelt straight, and Qin Mubai saw that his face was still bruised and swollen from the beating he received from Yuwen Hongtai. He said: "Students have no face to see their teachers anymore, but this time we say goodbye... I may never see each other again in this life. No matter how the teacher views the students, in the eyes of the students, the teacher... once is a teacher, and always is a father. !”
"I believe you." Qin Mubai said without hesitation, "Pang Fei, actually I have never blamed you. You don't have to feel guilty."
"It's precisely because my mentor doesn't blame me that I feel so guilty." Pang Fei still lowered his head and eyes, not daring to look up at Qin Mubai, and said, "If my mentor could be like General Yuwen, who scolded and beat the students, the students would feel , it can be better.”
"Forget it, everyone has his own ambitions." Qin Mubai smiled, picked up a box that had been prepared next to him, and said to him, "The army has been resting for a while after returning from the Western Expedition. I have already gone to the court to ask for orders. The expeditionary troops and horses will be transferred back to the imperial court. I believe that the Ministry of War's transfer order will be issued soon. Pang Fei, here are the tiger symbols of the Guanxi Army and my official certificate. Please take them back to Chang'an and hand them over to the imperial court."
Pang Fei was startled and said in shock: "My mentor... wants to resign?!"
"That's right." Qin Mubai said lightly, "Don't ask any more questions. I will leave the three hundred thousand troops to you to take back to Chang'an. Tomorrow, you can set off. Halfway through, you will receive an order from the Ministry of War and be allowed to enter the customs. ”
"Student, I dare to ask, why do we have to leave early instead of waiting for the order from the Ministry of War to arrive in Lanzhou?" Pang Fei said.
Qin Mubai smiled and said, "I told you that you don't need to ask any more questions. Just follow my instructions. As long as the Guanxi Army operates under the rule of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, there will be no problems. You don't have to worry about this."
Pang Fei was a smart man, and after thinking about it, he actually understood the intention of Qin Mubai's move. The look on his face suddenly became more sad, and he said softly: "Teacher, are you really determined to leave us and abandon your official position alone?"
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Don't worry, although I gave up my official position and left, I have already arranged the future and way out for each of you. Including you, Pang Fei."
Pang Fei clenched his teeth tightly, and finally couldn't help but burst into tears, and kowtowed his head on the ground, "Student... I am ashamed of my teacher!"
Qin Mubai didn't want to say too much to Pang Fei anymore, so he said: "Actually, I didn't do anything. You don't have to do this. After the generals of the Guanxi Army return to the court, they will be awarded by the court and entrusted with important tasks. Take the things, Let’s go!”
Pang Fei was so overwhelmed that he knelt with his head on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
Qin Mubai sighed, picked up the box and took a few steps forward, placing it in front of Pang Fei's head, "Pang Fei, in fact, in the end, I still said that. You and I are called master and disciple. In fact, brothers are like brothers, they are for life.”
Pang Fei burst into tears and suddenly hugged Qin Mubai's feet tightly with both hands, sobbing but speechless.
“Every banquet in the world must come to an end, let it go!”
Pang Fei was startled, then slowly let go of his hand.
"From now on, please be a good person and an official. No humiliation, you and I were once brothers!" Qin Mubai raised his feet and strode away.
Pang Fei knelt there with his head on the ground and did not get up for a long time. It wasn't until Chen Yan came to call him that he stood up and picked up the box containing the official seal.
"Teacher, don't worry. In this life, Pang Fei will remember your last teachings - be a good person and be an official well!"
Chen Yan sighed softly and said, "General Pang, if you can really do these eight words, Mubai's hard work will not be in vain."
Pang Fei nodded gently, "Actually, I know that my mentor Jiliu Yong resigned from his post not just for his own safety, but for the sake of all our brothers!"
"Yes!" Chen Yan sighed softly, "The imperial court was afraid that Mu Bai had great achievements and many powerful generals under his command. His power was too large to affect the imperial court's major decisions. So he voluntarily gave up his power and abandoned his official position. In this way, the officers and soldiers of the Kansai Army are leaderless, unable to gather together without threats, and the imperial court can use your talents appropriately and control them easily. That's why Mu Bai said that he has already arranged a future and a way out for all of you - but there is no need. He has deliberately arranged that as long as he retreats, you can all enjoy peace and success!"
Pang Fei gritted his teeth and nodded, speechless.
Chen Yan added, "By the way, these words were not said by Mu Bai, but I understood them myself. If General Pang wants to tell His Majesty the Emperor these words... I have no objection either."
Pang Fei was startled and suddenly felt ashamed. Not even daring to look directly at Chen Yan, they bowed their hands and bowed before slowly exiting.
Chen Yan looked at Pang Fei's retreating figure, shook her head and sighed softly, "Fame, wealth and wealth are like a splendid prison. The people inside want to escape, but the people outside are desperately trying to get in. Now, Mu Bai We are about to escape from transcendental liberation, but how many people like Pang Fei are still trying to get in after the squeeze is over?"
In the evening, Xue Rengui came as requested. They haven't seen each other for a long time, and Xue Rengui has been worried about Qin Mubai's "illness". Now that he saw that Qin Mubai was safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Mubai stayed with him to have dinner and said to him: "Rengui, in the next two days, Pang Fei will lead the Guanxi Army back to the court. After returning to the court, the soldiers should have a period of leisure and recuperation. How about you Take an early vacation and go to the northern grassland with me? "
"It's just what I want." Xue Rengui said with a smile, "Originally, the young commander didn't say anything, but I was going to ask the Governor's Office for leave. I still remember that we had made an appointment a long time ago. When the Western Expedition is over, I will go to the grassland. It’s time to bring Xi Yan back!”
"Well, get ready when you get back. We'll set off early tomorrow morning." Qin Mubai said with a smile.
"Okay." Xue Rengui nodded happily and said, "According to the agreement, the young marshal has to go to the grassland to marry Mrs. Ashina, right? Xue congratulated him in advance, haha! When the young marshal finishes the wedding, let's get together again Return to Chang'an together."
"No." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said calmly, "After I fulfill my promise and hold the wedding, I will go directly from Mobei to Samajian. From now on, I will never return to the Central Plains."
Xue Rengui's eyes widened, "Young Marshal, you... want to resign and go into seclusion?"
Qin Mubai nodded, "I have resigned."
"This!..." Xue Rengui was shocked, "The court will actually allow it?"
"They don't need permission." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Rengui, we will discuss these things in detail later when we have time. You go back early to prepare, and we will leave early tomorrow. I'm afraid... If it's a little later, Qin, But I can’t leave!”
"Okay..." Xue Rengui sighed, not having much to say, so he just ate and drank.
After the meal, Xue Rengui said goodbye and left, and the Qin family became busy. Pack up your belongings and prepare your carriage for an early departure tomorrow.
Qin Mubai didn't hesitate to help either. At this moment, he suddenly clapped his hands and said, "I almost forgot, there is a big idiot in the prison!"
Chen Yan burst into laughter, "How about I go for a walk, get him out, and take him with me tomorrow?"
"Go quickly!" Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Fighting is not a big crime. You go see Xiao Liang, redeem the copper for Hong Taijiao and bail him out! If I leave, I will leave him in Lanzhou , who knows what kind of trouble that idiot will make!"
"I'll go right away." Chen Yan nodded and said, "What about Princess Gaoyang who is still in Chang'an?"
"Don't worry, she will be fine." Qin Mubai said, "Sooner or later we will be reunited, but now we can't stay here waiting for her. Otherwise, things will change later, and I'm afraid the court won't let me go. So, let's go first Take a step to avoid being passive.”
"That's fine." Chen Yan nodded and smiled, "Mubai, tomorrow, we will break free from the shackles of this prison together. I hope that from now on, our family can be truly happy and free!"
Qin Mubai took a long breath and smiled, "That's... necessary!"