Changping Pass, which was once considered by the King of Qi to be a barrier to Xie Changgeng's eastward advance, has now changed hands. Because it is located in the middle section, it is convenient for communication with Shangjing and receiving news from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Moreover, because the terrain is like a natural training ground, Xie Changgeng withdrew his troops last month after ending the war against the King of Zhao and temporarily stationed here.
On this day, Xie Changgeng received a secret message from Shangjing.
Zhao Xitai had previously communicated with Empress Liu through the old forces in Shangjing who were loyal to the Zhao royal family, saying that he was now like a bereaved family, and it was difficult to get off the tiger, and he was just trying to hold on. If Xie Changgeng sent troops to Jianghuai, he would never be able to resist. The current situation is different from a few years ago. Because of the existence of his Eastern Court, Xie Changgeng allowed her to sit on the throne all the time. Once he was gone, her court would also fall, and Xie Changgeng would not let her live. He said that he was now very frightened, and he had no choice but to beg Empress Liu to find a way to kill Xie Changgeng. In this way, he would not only save him, but also save himself. He also promised that if Empress Liu regained control of the Shangjing court in the future and agreed to pardon his father and son for the previous rebellion, he would be willing to surrender and surrender to Empress Liu. Empress Liu was frightened and could not sleep at night. She secretly summoned her confidants frequently, as if she was plotting something.
Xie Changgeng passed the secret letter to Liu Guan and several others for reading. After reading it, they looked solemn.
Liu Guandao: "No wonder Empress Liu mentioned marriage to the old lady in the name of supporting her some time ago. I guess she is not trying to please the old lady, but she is desperate and has other intentions."
Liu An sneered, "The King of Qin has been serving the people in the palace until now, but he has no reason to turn against them. Now the time is almost right. Since they are looking for trouble, the King of Qin might as well agree to it and pretend to be submissive to them. Let's see what they are up to. Then we can take advantage of the situation and kill them. We can use the excuse of being forced to do so and get rid of them. We will immediately support the King of Qin to ascend the throne and there will be no more troubles. Then we can send troops to pacify Jianghuai and see who dares to say no in this old dynasty!"
Everyone agreed. Amid the voices of agreement, one person suddenly said, "Zhao Xitai is trying to provoke Empress Liu to deal with the King of Qin, and for the sake of safety, he will definitely seek an alliance with Changsha. Changsha's current troops are not ordinary. If the two sides join forces, the resistance will definitely increase. It is better to ask Li Liang of Fuzhou to send troops to Changsha..."
As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to realize something and suddenly stopped talking. He glanced at Xie Changgeng who was sitting on the seat, coughed, and changed his words: "We are not really going to fight. We are just trying to make him stay put and make Changsha State hesitate."
The heated atmosphere just now gradually died down. Several eyes turned to Xie Changgeng who was sitting there.
Xie Changgeng was silent for a long time, and said: "There is no need to take action on Changsha's side for now. Send people to spy on the news. If there is really a sign of a joint military campaign, it will not be too late to take action."
Although he had severed his marital relationship with the regent princess of Changsha State, they had a past relationship after all. The people present had a very good impression of the princess and respected her very much. After hearing what he said, they would not raise any objections and agreed in unison. At this time, a message came from outside the gate that a young boy had come from a long journey to see the King of Qin. The soldier originally ignored him, but the young boy took out a sword and said it was a token given to him by the King of Qin and asked him to pass it on. The soldier did not dare to be disrespectful and reported it to his superior. The deputy general had followed the King of Qin for many years and recognized it as the sword that the King of Qin had worn before, so he brought it in.
Before anyone could finish their words, Xie Changgeng stood up and walked in front of the deputy general, snatched the sword from his hand, took a look at it, and suddenly raised his eyes: "Where is the child?"
"Waiting outside the gate..."
Xie Changgeng left the surprised people in the hall, walked out quickly, and hurried to the door.
A skinny young boy, dusty and exhausted, holding the reins in his hand, leading a strong horse, was standing alone in a corner of an open space outside the gate, waiting quietly. He heard the heavy sound of the two closed doors beside him opening, turned his head, and saw the adult walking out of the door quickly. His eyes lit up, his face showed surprise, he called him "Thank you, adult", and immediately ran towards him.
His steps were a little unsteady, as if his legs were not functioning properly, but he never stopped.
Although he had not seen him for three years, and the little boy outside the gate was no longer the child he remembered, Xie Changgeng still recognized him at a glance. He was Xier.
When he saw the sword he had given him just now, he was a little bit unbelieving. How could this child suddenly come at this time, and how could that woman let him come to her
His heart was filled with disbelief, but when he saw the child for the first time and heard him call him the long-lost "Thank you, sir", a feeling of joy and excitement that he had not felt for a long time quickly surged in his heart.
He strode up to the young boy, staring at him without blinking. After a moment, he slowly raised his hands and gently placed them on the boy's still young shoulders. Then he tightened his palms, clenched them tightly, and smiled.
"Xier! Why are you here? Are you here alone?" he asked.
The young boy seemed to sense a familiar feeling coming from the heavy hands placed on his shoulders.
"Yes, it's me. Sir Xie, I came here on my little dragon horse. People from many places along the way were saying that Sir Xie had just pacified the King of Zhao and stationed troops here, and was about to attack the Eastern Court, so I asked around and came here."
He replied, his eyes slightly red.
Xie Changgeng glanced at the Hexi warhorse behind him that was already as strong as a dragon. His eyes swept over the bag hanging beside the saddle, and the hands holding his hands tightened even more.
He nodded. "Let's go in with Master Xie first, and we'll talk slowly."
Amid countless gazes from people inside and outside the city, he led the young boy into the gate.
"Are your legs and feet injured?" Xie Changgeng asked as soon as he entered.
"I'm fine. Thank you, sir. I came here to confirm something with you." There was no one around, so he couldn't wait to say it.
Xie Changgeng nodded: "What's the matter? Tell me."
"Thank you, sir. I remember you once told me that you would never embarrass my mother again. I want to know if what you said to me at that time still counts?"
Xie Changgeng was stunned, and met the young boy's gaze, and paused: "You came out from Changsha alone to find me just for this matter?"
"Yes." He nodded. "This is very important! Thank you, sir. My mother doesn't believe you. She told me not to believe you either, but I do believe you. So I want to ask you for confirmation again so that my mother can rest assured!"
"Thank you, sir. Do you still take what you said to me seriously?"
Xie Changgeng understood everything immediately.
He stared at the young boy in front of him, was silent for a moment, and said slowly: "Xi'er, Master Xie once told you that things given away will not be taken back. The same is true of what Master Xie said to you."
"You came just in time. When you go back, tell your mother that there are things in this world that cannot be solved without war, and there are also things that may not be solved by war. Although Xie is a scourge, as long as Changsha does not step forward to resist, Xie will not send a single soldier to Dongting."
“There are things that cannot be solved without war, and there are also things that may not be solved by war.”
Xi'er's eyes shone with joy. She quickly repeated it twice and said, "I've remembered it! Thank you, sir. I knew you wouldn't lie to me! Great! I'll go back and tell my mother so she can rest assured!"
"To be honest with you, sir, I ran away secretly and I have to go back as soon as possible." He whispered and bowed deeply to Xie Changgeng.
Xie Changgeng smiled slightly: "I figured it out."
He stopped the young boy who was in a hurry to get going and pushed him down. "How did your legs get hurt? Rest for a few days first. When you are healed, I will send someone to take you back. Don't worry. There are post stations all along the way to the south. I will send someone to send a letter with an express delivery of 800 miles to pass your news to your mother first."
Xier said gratefully: "Thank you, sir. You are so kind. I will write a letter to my mother right now. Please help me bring it along!"
Xie Changgeng nodded with a smile, and personally took out the pen and ink for him. He watched him quickly write the letter, and after the messenger delivered it, he squatted down and personally checked the wound on his leg. He rolled up his trouser legs and saw a cut on the back of his calf. Although it had not yet scarred and the wound was slightly swollen, it was fortunately limited to the skin.
Xie Changgeng could tell at a glance that it was a scratch caused by a sharp weapon such as a knife.
"Don't worry, sir. I accidentally got a minor injury on the way. Before I left, I brought some gold medicine with me. It had healed a lot in the past few days, but I was in a hurry to travel these days and didn't have time to apply it, so it swelled again."
Seeing that he frowned, Xier immediately said.
"Did you encounter robbers?"
Under his all-seeing gaze, the young boy finally admitted in a low voice that one day when it was dark, he was still greedy to take a shortcut and encountered two robbers who came up to rob his horse and personal belongings, and a conflict ensued, which led to his injury.
"I shot a man with a dagger and hit him in the throat. The other man was terrified and turned around and ran away. After that, I changed to taking the official road during the day and never met bad people again."
"Don't worry, sir. Although I met some bad people on the road, I met more good people. Although those people were poor, they were enthusiastic to show me the way. Some even let me stay overnight and reminded me to be careful on the road ahead. Along the way, I saw many things I had never seen before and learned a lot."
"There won't be a next time! Do you hear me?" He said sternly to the young boy who was calmly recounting his encounters along the way.
"I understand. After I return, I will apologize to my mother." He lowered his eyes and said in a low voice.
Xie Changgeng looked at the child's beautiful eyes that seemed familiar to him and hesitated.
"Xier, why didn't you listen to your mother and come here to find me?" he couldn't help but ask.
The young boy slowly raised his eyes and looked at him.
"Sir, although you and my mother have nothing to do with each other anymore, if there is a glimmer of hope, I still don't want you to fight each other. My mother doesn't believe you, but I believe what you said to me that day, sir, and I never had any doubts! I remember when I was a child, you took me to Tianshan to pick up my mother. We encountered the enemy on the way and were eager to light a beacon. I said I would go, but you would rather go to the next place than agree. On that day in Yuecheng, the way you looked at me when you spoke to me was exactly the same as then. I will never forget it."
Xie Changgeng's hand paused in mid-air.
He stared at the child for a long time, slowly raised his hand, touched his head, stopped talking, and continued to bandage his wounds.
He was young, and the wound was only on the skin, so it healed quickly, and the scars formed after a few days of rest. The child was anxious to go back, and on that day, Xie Changgeng received a report that the people sent by Changsha to pursue him had also caught up, so he ordered them to receive him politely and arrange for Xi'er to return.
Those subordinates of Xie Changgeng who didn't know Xi'er before were quite surprised to see that this child, who looked less than ten years old, dared to come here from Changsha alone. Liu An, Liang Tuan and other old people from Hexi were used to it. When asked, they told him some old things he had done when he was younger. Then everyone suddenly understood. In comparison, this matter was indeed common. Today he was leaving, and everyone followed Xie Changgeng to see him out of the customs. They were closer and could see clearly. They all stared at the faces of the two people, wondering in their hearts.
"My dear! Have a safe trip!"
Liu An, Liang Tuan and others dismounted to see him off, with an extremely respectful attitude.
Three years ago, after Xie's mother was brought back from Changsha, she had been urging people to bring the child back. Although Xie Changgeng suppressed her request later and it was forgotten, several people close to Xie Changgeng had heard about it. They were all suspicious but no one dared to mention it.
Xi'er first bid farewell to Xie Changgeng, then returned the greetings to Liu An, Liang Tuan and others one by one, asking them to stay. Her behavior was very graceful. When she was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something, turned back to Xie Changgeng and said, "Master Xie, if you return to Shangjing one day and pass by Huguo Temple on the way, please say hello to Master for me and tell him that I am doing well now. If I have the chance in the future, I will go back to visit Master again."
Xie Changgeng nodded.
"Thank you for your help, sir."
He saluted again, then turned around, mounted his horse swiftly, and galloped south with the man who came to pick him up.
Xie Changgeng watched the group of people in front of him disappear from his sight, then turned around and ordered, "Return to Shangjing."
The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angel who threw the [Grenade]: 1 Pagoda to suppress the river monster;
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: 28851213, Lu Yu Wei Han 2; Waiting for the flowers to bloom, chris7blue, 26857398, Xiao Qi_tse, Dou Ku Bu Lu Qing, Wu Tong Qing Ying, Shen Gong Miao, nell, Chang Xiao An Zi, Shan Li Hong, Mao Mao Chong, Yun Piao Fei Fei, Yue Ban Xiao Qu 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
No No 86 bottles; Cat Catching Sparrows, Canaan 60 bottles; Gao Yueyue 27 bottles; Xixi, Jiyan, 21283883, Weinuo, Lie, □□ile, Condolence 20 bottles; 23098063 18 bottles; Kongxia Liunian° 15 bottles; 12 bottles of Coke; 10 bottles of hellenwoo, 19259106, nell, wind blowing wheat waves, little demon lena, xixi, heart more, look down from above, reed flower thief, pony under the osmanthus tree; 8 bottles of petitefleur, ye gong; 5 bottles of quilt, yinni, lily in July, wei-3, shuhan, 27196789, little dream cloud, cambrian, emily, yang cuiwen niki, wen dao yi xin; 3 bottles of zhen yumei and zhang qian; 2 bottles of yiyuan, hua ziqing, niki, winter sister; 1 bottle of emma, xiaomi, xiao, years of peace, erpang, yingdao, xiaomo, vanderyang, ye, eeee, feichen, ye ye ye, luo mu, youyou, 18541722, ye ruosan, diamond, cute and charming villain;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!