Mu Fulan remembered clearly the scene when she first saw Xier outside the mountain gate of Huguo Temple in Shangjing in her life.
Time flies so fast, more than a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
Not just in the past year or so, even if you include the previous life, in the few years before the mother and son finally separated in Pucheng, the child has always been well-behaved and obedient.
Never disobeyed her.
This was the first time in two lifetimes that he went against his own will and stopped listening to her.
And, it was because of that man.
The carriage continued on its way in the opposite direction from where the man had ridden his horse.
Mu Fulan remained silent and didn't say a word for a long time.
Xier sat next to her.
As if he knew that she did not like the parting gift that the man gave her, after she got on the carriage, the sword disappeared.
It must have been hidden by this child.
Xier would glance at her secretly from time to time.
She looked out the car window, her expression dazed. The look in her eyes was perhaps a little too complicated for a child of her age.
But the child could easily sense her sadness.
After quietly looking at her countless times, he finally gently held Mu Fulan's sleeve and asked in a low voice: "Mother, are you angry because I was disobedient?"
Mu Fulan came back to her senses from her thoughts, lowered her head, and stared at the little face beside her that was looking up at her with anxiety and uneasiness.
Although there was a hint of sadness in her heart at this moment, she felt more confused and worried.
No one knew better than her that this child in her previous life had longed for his father's company in the years before she died. But his father was away from home all year round and rarely came home.
Later, his father got his wish and became the emperor of the world. The child was finally able to see his father day and night as he had always hoped.
Perhaps out of guilt or compensation, at the beginning, his father showed unprecedented efforts to get close to his son.
But for this child, it was too late. It seemed that he didn't need it anymore.
Faced with the superior father who tried to get close to him, his response was always to remain autistic and silent.
And that man needed too much distraction. The patience he could give to a son who didn't want him to get close to him and even showed obvious hostility was extremely limited.
So throughout this life, whenever she saw Xier approaching that person as if out of natural admiration, her mood would always be extremely conflicted.
She hoped that her child's regrets in his previous life could be fulfilled in this life. But when she thought of the grief and indignation that the boy had expressed before his death, saying that he no longer wanted to be a father and son, her heart was filled with confusion and worry.
But she still didn't stop the child and the man from getting closer. She didn't know whether it was right or wrong.
"Mother, thank you Sir for being really good to me."
The child continued softly.
"Mother, you may not know this, but when he took me to pick you up, we caught a spy on the way. Lord Xie wanted to light a beacon to alert the army, but the beacon tower was covered by heavy snow, and only I could climb in from above. I wanted to climb in and light a fire, but Lord Xie was afraid that something might happen to me, so he wouldn't let me in, and told me to light the next beacon tower."
"We met many northerners on the way. Lord Xie was recognized, so he asked Guard Liang and others to take me away while he led those people away. Later, when Lord Xie came back to find me, he was covered in blood. I could hardly recognize him. When he saw me, he picked me up..."
Tears slowly welled up in the child's eyes.
"Mother, I really don't want to make you sad, but I can't bear to make Master Xie sad... When I go back, I will put the sword away and won't take it out."
Mu Fulan only knew that her initial warning did not stop the child from wanting to get close to that man.
But she didn't know that, unknowingly, the child had actually developed such trust and bond with the man.
She couldn't even believe that the man in Xier's eyes today was the real Xie Changgeng.
Thinking that if one day the child saw the other side of this man that was hidden by today's warmth, she was left with only fear and reluctance.
Xier raised her hand and quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"Don't worry, mother. If he bullies you in the future and becomes a bad guy, I will return the sword to him myself and never like him again. I will protect you, mother. Mother, don't be angry with me, and don't be sad, okay?"
He climbed down from the carriage seat and knelt in front of his mother like a little adult.
Mu Fulan looked at the child kneeling in front of her, at his clear eyes that still contained some tears, and her eyes slowly became warm.
She reached out her hand, picked Xier up from her feet, and held her in her arms.
"Mother knows. Mother is not angry. It's just..."
She stared at the child, trying her best to clear her mind of the bloody memories that she couldn't bear to look at, and said, "But Xi'er, go back and remember what you promised me just now. Put it away and don't touch it!"
It has sucked your blood. It is a vicious creature.
She said in her heart.
Xier showed a happy smile on her face, hugged her arms tightly, and nodded: "I remember!"
This time, Mu Fulan's itinerary was not tight because she was traveling with Xi'er. She traveled along the highway, stopping at post houses to rest, and walked fifty or sixty miles every day. In a blink of an eye, she had been walking for nearly half a month.
At this rate, we haven't even covered half the distance yet.
Fortunately, there was nothing urgent, and the weather was gradually warming up. After leaving Hexi, I headed south for one day. What I saw on the roadside every day were mostly wild fields and deserted villages, but with the spring breeze, the greenery was growing thicker day by day.
At noon that day, the sun was at its highest and they had been walking for half a day. After Liang Tuan asked Mu Fulan's opinion, he asked the group to stop by the roadside to rest for a while.
Xier got out of the carriage, walked to the little dragon horse, and fed it hay herself.
The little dragon horse is already over one year old. Although it is not yet a full adult, since it has been with Xier, under his careful care, it has now grown to the same size as an adult horse, with a small head and a long neck, strong limbs, and shiny fur all over its body, giving it a rather majestic aura.
Mu Fulan leaned against the car window, looking at Xier's back as she fed the horse. At this moment, at the end of the road ahead, a group of people who looked like locals came rushing in, pushing carts, carrying loads, and bringing their families with them. All of them had sad faces and were in a hurry, as if something big had happened.
Liang Tuan sent someone up to question them, and they came back soon with a piece of news.
The Prince of Pingyang had started a rebellion and was heading in this direction. These were the people from the villages along the way who had fled after hearing the news.
If she remembered correctly, in her previous life, the rebellion between Prince Pingyang and Prince Lu should not have started at this time.
The news came too suddenly. Liang Tuan sent a fast horse to the front to investigate the situation, and he led the carriage down the official road first.
The people who went out came back with even worse news.
Liang Tuan reported, "The rebels are very powerful and will soon arrive here. When the rebels arrive, bandits will rise up everywhere and we can't move forward. The nearest city is Pucheng, which is about a hundred miles away. Pucheng not only has strong defenses, but the current Pucheng magistrate has an old relationship with the Jiedushi and has experienced many wars. Even if the rebels come, they can hold out for a while. For the sake of the princess's safety, it is better to enter the city as soon as possible to avoid the chaos. This is the safest way!"
When Mu Fulan suddenly heard the word Pucheng, she felt dazed, as if her heart was lightly scratched by a sharp claw. The subtle pain slowly overflowed from the bottom of her heart.
She was totally unaware that it seemed as if God was playing a joke on her. While going around in circles, she and her Xier unexpectedly bumped into this place again.
It was here, in despair of waiting for the end, that she took her own life.
Although her Xier survived, from that day on, the child she once was could never go back to the past.
"My lady?"
She heard someone calling her.
She came to her senses and met the many eyes cast towards her, knowing that they were all waiting for her answer.
At dusk, the carriage that Mu Fulan was riding in, along with the flow of fleeing people, gradually approached the city called Pucheng.
Later in the previous life, this city, which was the only way to Shangjing, was once used by the King of Qi, who represented the dynasty, as a base for confrontation with Xie Changgeng, which shows how strong the city's defenses were.
She had no reason to oppose this decision, which was the safest for all of them after weighing the pros and cons.
She looked ahead from the carriage.
The dusk was heavy, the setting sun was like blood, and an unknown crow flew over the heads of the soldiers standing on the top of the towering city wall, emitting a shrill and strange cry.
Xier got off the carriage, stood beside her, looked up at the city in front of her that was about to be swallowed by the twilight, her pair of small feet seemed to be nailed to the ground.
"Mom, I don't like it here..."
The child held Mu Fulan's hand, hesitated, and spoke softly.
The dusk grew darker and darker, as if casting two shadows in his eyes.
The garrison commander learned of Mu Fulan's arrival and hurried out to greet her.
"Go in. We'll leave here as soon as it's safe."
Mu Fulan said softly.
She took Xier's little hands and walked forward with him.
…
This day was originally very ordinary.
Xie Changgeng had just finished inspecting the newly built garrison city in Mahe Valley.
A few days ago, he received a message that the new northern king, Bolihan, summoned the leaders of the 24 tribes scattered everywhere to his tent, suspecting that he was going to take new actions.
He knew in his heart that this time, a great war was about to come.
The problem of the Hexi natives that had been bothering him for a long time has been solved, and he has been preparing for this battle.
Only by achieving a great victory and destroying the fighting power of the northerners, rendering them powerless in the short term and daring not to think of acting rashly again, can he concentrate his strength and clear away the obstacles on his way to the summit one by one.
The war was coming, but it couldn't happen overnight. Although the new northern king was ambitious and capable, he had only been on the throne for a short time. He would not rashly dispatch troops to launch a comprehensive war that was bound to win without adequate preparation.
Xie Changgeng ordered to continue to send spies to investigate, and was soon informed that the old chief had arrived. He was about to go down the city wall when he saw the old chief coming up. He smiled and went to greet him, saying, "I was just thinking of going down to visit the old chief, but I didn't expect the old chief to come in person. How is your health recently?"
The old leader seemed to be in good spirits and said with a smile, "She is no longer in danger. It is a pity that I did not have the chance to thank the princess properly before she passed away. Why did she leave in such a hurry?"
Xie Changgeng still had a smile on his face: "Old leader, you know that now that the new Khan has taken the throne in the north, the situation is different from the past two years, and a war is probably inevitable. She is a woman, and it would be inconvenient for her to stay, so it is better for her to go back early."
The old chief nodded, turned around and pointed at the large group of young and strong men who followed him.
"We have also heard that a great war is about to break out, and we are willing to send out another 5,000 men. Please recruit them and train them. We are willing to serve you and follow you till death!"
Under the city wall, five thousand natives lined up and, led by their leader, knelt on one knee toward Xie Changgeng on the top of the city wall, shouting in unison: "We are willing to serve the governor and follow him until death!"
Previously, they had recruited an army of young and strong natives, who were excellent in daily horseback archery training and military construction. Unexpectedly, today, the old leader personally brought another 5,000 troops. All the generals around Xie Changgeng were surprised.
Xie Changgeng asked the soldiers under the city wall to stand up, and then solemnly thanked the old leader.
The old leader was excited. "Your Excellency and the princess are deeply in love, but in order to save my life, you made the princess risk her life and travel all the way to Tianshan. How could you bear to do that? I am really ashamed and have no way to express my gratitude. I can only do my best to help you defend Hexi and live up to the kindness of the Jiedushi and his wife!"
Xie Changgeng smiled and said nothing more. He just shook the old leader's hand vigorously.
"Xie will do his best to live up to the old leader's trust!"
He ordered people to recruit these 5,000 men, and then personally took the old leader to show him the daily training of the native soldiers. The two men were talking and laughing, and just as they were going down the city wall, a soldier ran over and shouted loudly: "Sir, Liu Biejia sent an urgent letter, please return to the city as soon as possible!"
Xie Changgeng took the letter, unfolded it and took a look at it. He immediately apologized to the old leader, asked someone else to lead him to the parade ground, and returned to the governor's mansion by himself.
In the meeting room of the government office, Liu Guan and a group of officials were waiting anxiously.
"Sir! The Prince of Lu and the Prince of Pingyang are rebelling together, one in the east and the other in the west, responding to each other, and splitting their troops into two groups to attack Shangjing. Although the Prince of Lu's rebels are temporarily blocked by the Prince of Qi, the Prince of Pingyang's side is more powerful and unstoppable. It is said that all the cities along the way have fallen. The court will surely summon you to help the king quell the rebellion. It just so happens that Hexi is in such a situation. If you are not here, I am afraid it will be inconvenient."
Xie Changgeng listened to his subordinates talking at once. Some were worried about the situation, some were cursing the princes. He had an indifferent expression and did not say a word for a long time.
Everyone gradually stopped and looked at him.
Xie Changgeng finally stood up and ordered Liu Guan to follow him into the inner room. He stood there for a moment, turned his head, and asked, "Where have Liang Tuan and his group gone? Have you received any news in the past two days?"
Liu Guan didn't expect him to ask this first. He was stunned for a moment, and said, "Yes, I was just about to inform you. The day before yesterday, I received a message from Liang Tuan, who asked the postman to bring him a message saying that he had escorted the princess and her son to Qizhou. Because you were not in the city the past two days, I was not able to inform you in time..."
Xie Changgeng walked to the wall and pulled open a curtain with a "swish", revealing a detailed map of the city hanging on the wall.
While Liu Guan was speaking, he suddenly thought of a question and broke out in a cold sweat.
Qizhou is on the way between Pingyang Prefecture, the fief of King Pingyang, and Shangjing.
When the Prince of Pingyang went north to dispatch troops to the capital, he must have taken the most convenient route for marching. And when the princess and her entourage went south, they also took the most convenient route.
The rebels' actions began several days ago. According to the date Liang Tuan brought, it was very likely that the group would encounter the rebels on the way.
He looked at the motionless figure standing in front of the map, hesitated, and advised: "Don't worry, sir. The rebels are strong and the news will spread along the way. The princess and her group must have received the news. Besides, Liang Tuan has followed you for many years and has experienced many battles. He will act according to the situation..."
Xie Changgeng turned his head, his eyes as dark as ink.
He said, "I want to know where they are now!"
The author has something to say: Thank you for your patience. I'm back. The next chapter will be out this time tomorrow. Thank you to the little angels for voting for me~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: 3 pieces of flowers blooming on the road, 2 pieces of 35649295, 1 piece of crystal, 1 piece of Xinghezaitian03, 1 piece of 23228263, 1 piece of lychee, 1 piece of Yuerugou, 1 piece of sophia?, 1 piece of sarbrina, 1 piece of Mingmingyi's little fangirl, 1 piece of Nini, 1 piece of lene, 1 piece of Yishengsheng, 1 piece of Yunpiaofeifei, 1 piece of Ye Gong, 1 piece of Bingshatang, 1 piece of Yujing, 1 piece of Fengshixuan, 1 piece of Xiangxiang, 1 piece of Xiaoqi_tse, 1 piece of Qingyi, 1 piece of w2954c, 1 piece of nell, 1 piece of Situ Wuqing, 1 piece of petitefleur, 1 piece of Ye Zhimu, 1 piece of eexueer, 1 piece of Zijianyounian, 1 piece of linaai, 1 piece of Zhijian
Thanks to the little angels who threw [grenades]: 1 for Louis, 1 for KD
Thanks to the little angels who threw [bazooka]: Shuyu 1, Old Street 1, Jiyuetang Hall Master 1
Thanks to the little angel who cast [Deep Water Torpedo]: 1 piece in Old Street
Thank you little angels for irrigating me with nutrient solution~
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