A drop of dew tickled from the cypress leaves.
Mo Xi's wide sleeves were hunting in the breeze. He stood on the pine and cypress slope of the Heroes' Mausoleum in Zhanhun Mountain, looking at the small shadow between the winding forest of steles.
It was the middle of the night on the first day, and the stars were all over the place.
After a confrontation with Murong Lian, Gu Mang literally knocked over one grave after another in Zhanhun Mountain. What Murong Lian gave him was obviously just humiliation, but Gu Mang took it as a way out. He wanted to prove his renewed determination with the stubbornness that he couldn't pull back with ten cows.
"You really want to do this?"
"real."
"Even if nothing can be changed?"
"It can be changed." Gu Mang said, "At least I can feel better."
So Murong Lian knew that he had succeeded, and Mo Xi knew that Gu Mang had made a choice and would not look back.
Later, when Murong Lian left, Mo Xi had to leave too. Gu Mang was alone in the cemetery where the birds chirped and knelt down. Later, the tired birds also returned to the forest. The sunset fell, Wu hook frost and cold, and everything was silent. Only Gu Mang was the movement of this city of the dead. Knock and worship.
Afterwards, Mo Xi was restless and returned to the top of the Zhanhun Mountain by himself. It was not convenient for him to show his face, so he stood on the Songbai Slope and looked at the white figure from a distance.
Gu Mang knelt down all night, and he watched it under the tree all night. When dawn broke and someone came to pay homage to the tomb, Mo Xi left silently. He still has court meetings, so he cannot stay in the Mausoleum of Heroes all the time.
I don't know if Murong Lian was deliberately fanning the flames, but the matter of Gu Mang bowing to the Heroic Spirit in Zhanhun Mountain seemed to have wings, and in less than a morning, it spread throughout Chonghua City.
"What is this guy thinking about?"
"I heard that I suddenly got enlightened. I feel that I have done something wrong before, and I want to apologize."
"Does he really have this heart? Don't be a weasel greeting the chicken for the New Year."
"Go and see?"
The high-ranking dignitaries in Chonghua City have no time to go to Zhanhunshan to find things during the day, but there are still some loose people who are idle on weekdays. When they heard this, they smelled blood like mosquitoes and rushed to the heroic martyrs. Mausoleum, it is said to go to the tomb, in fact, it is to see this lively with my own eyes.
Although these people would not go directly to embarrass Gu Mang because of Xi He Jun's face, there were not a few people who spoke sarcastically.
So Gu Mang knelt down, but they covered their mouths with their sleeves and whispered to each other, "You really knelt like you are. When he was serving guests in Wang Shujun's courtyard, he never saw him have such a good attitude. Why? It's been half a year in the hands of Xi Hejun, and it's so cute?"
"Xi Hejun's methods are good."
"If you want me to say, Xi Hejun is soft and not hard, everyone knows that the surnamed Gu must have figured out Xi Hejun's temperament, so he pretended to repent, put on a hypocritical attitude, and deceived people and ghosts."
"That's it! Or what you said makes sense, oh, yes, I really want him to feel so guilty, why don't you just kill yourself?"
"Sure enough, he's still a liar!"
Gu Mang turned a deaf ear, and walked up the stairs while pointing, bowing and kowtow, repeating what Murong Lian had taught him:
"Gu Mang, a traitor, cannot atone for the sin of blood."
He recited so devoutly, as if this sentence was like a mantra, which could transport his sinful soul from the boundless sea of suffering.
There are too many people who hate him, and there are too many people who spurn him. He is struggling in the sea of hardship, but the people on the shore throw stones at him. Tell him to go back and drown. You deserve this kind of ending in your life.
Gu Mang kept repeating the action of kneeling and bowing in this countercurrent, knocking his forehead on the hard and cold stone surface thousands of times. His steps were heavy and his body was slumped, but his eyes were shining, supporting him up the stairs.
Bend his spine and lower his head.
"Rebel minister Gu Mang."
Reverently clasped palms, from the golden light of heaven and earth to the vast darkness of night.
"Death to redeem the sins of blood..."
On the third day, the sky was overcast with clouds, and the spring rain fell in Chonghua City. Gu Mang's clothes were already thin. He climbed up another layer of stone steps with his hands and feet, and knelt in front of the first jade monument. His lips moved, but he couldn't make a sound when he wanted to speak, and the rain fell dazedly down his face.
He raised his head and looked up at the majestic and solemn monument.
"The seventh generation Wangshu Jun Murong Xuan, the heroic spirit is sleeping forever."
It turned out that he had already hit Murong Lian's father...
Gu Mang looked at the line of majestic golden characters, the inscription was so pure and clean, and he was like a puddle of mud and dust curled up in front of a god. His lips were trembling, his throat that was almost silent was squirming, and he muttered hard: "Treason Gu Mang..."
Chunlei was shocked, and the dullness was as if the sky had turned into a giant drum and was banged with a bang.
Gu Mang tremblingly raised his palms that seemed to be filled with lead, clasped them in front of his forehead, then closed his eyes and knelt down.
"10,000 deaths... hard to atone for blood..."
The sky is broken.
As if shattered by the might of this thunder, Gu Mang did not stand up again after kneeling. After three days and three nights of kowtow, sleepless, he finally passed out.
Seeing him collapsed in the rain and curled up in front of Murong Xuan's tomb, those who had come to watch the fun were like vultures smelling the dead, and immediately leaned in to take a closer look. They stared at the wet and thin body—they knew about Gu Mang's runaway incident, so when Gu Mang was awake, they didn't dare to be too presumptuous, and they mostly spoke in a casual manner. But Gu Mang was unconscious and exhausted at this time, and some people became more courageous.
"This dog slave said that he sincerely apologized, and fell down weakly before he finished knocking. Is it really dizzy or fake?"
"You won't know if you kick it."
So someone stepped forward and kicked Gu Mang's pale cheek. After waiting for a while, he still didn't see any movement from Gu Mang - "He really passed out!"
It suddenly became lively, like a dam torn open.
"The one who asked him to come to Zhanhunshan to kowtow is not to let him come to Zhanhunshan to sleep!"
"It's time to fight!"
It is also interesting to say that most of these people who have gathered in Battle Soul Mountain at this moment are not generals and heroic queens. Those high-ranking nobles who really had a direct blood feud with Gu Mang didn't want to climb the mountain for so long. They spent a whole day just to see the fun. They just wanted to see Gu Mang subdue the Fa. If he couldn't do it, then They would rather not look at this person, it is disgusting to look at.
As for the group of people who really hold the ability and power in their hands, such as Princess Mengze, Jiang Fuli, Yue Juntian, Murong Chuyi, nobles and capable ministers at this level, it is even more impossible for them to come and visit. Wander in muddy water.
Therefore, it is said that things gather together, and those who can deliberately go to the top of the mountain to watch Gu Mang make a fool of himself are all idiots with similar qualities, most of them have no ability, and they are too idle to panic. It was clear that Gu Mang did not owe their lives directly, but this wave of people was even more emotional than the true heirs of Heroic Spirits, and wanted to fight the injustice.
And the injustice in this world can be roughly divided into two types:
First, it is really difficult to calm down and talk about something.
Second, there is really nothing to do, nothing to do.
At this moment, the crowd gathered in Zhanhunshan belongs to the second category, but in addition to these people who are not looking for trouble, there are also a few passers-by who really come to Zhanhunshan to worship and sweep the tomb. Then, in the chaos of porridge, a child's soft voice suddenly came out, with a crisp childish tone, with a crying voice, and couldn't help whimpering any longer: "Uncle and auntie, you... can you please not fight. He's…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was covered by a big hand.
Those people turned around, at first I didn't know whose daughter dared to stop me directly, and they were a little flustered, saying goodbye to the daughter of some big noble family? But when they saw the speaker clearly, the panic leveled faster than the ripples, and instantly changed to a fierce face: "Lord Changfeng? Why is your daughter crazy?"
It turned out that the child who just spoke up was Xiao Laner.
Although Xiao Lan'er's father came to the cemetery today, she did not expect to encounter such a situation.
She has been scorned everywhere since she got sick, no one dares to play with her, no one wants to listen to her, and no one has ever laughed with her except her father.
Although she and Gu Mang actually only said a few words when they met at the Medicine Master's Mansion, in those few words, the dragonfly parked on her temples was the first time she had gotten innocence in so many years. At this time, seeing the elder brother being bullied like this, tears rolled down his cheeks.
Lord Changfeng hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Those people were unrelenting, and sneered: "It's true to say that your daughter is a mad dog, but you actually plead for such a disgusting thing."
"Take care of your daughter's rotten talk, she is still able to attend classes in the Academy because we are pitiful for you, and give you a chance. If you are ignorant, sooner or later, we will dig out the spiritual core of her calamity!"
What's more, he said sarcastically: "Changfeng-Jun, your daughter shouldn't be lustful at a young age, is she interested in this dog?"
No normal father in the world could endure such filthy remarks. But Changfengjun does not belong to the category of "normal". He is an elk who has been cornered, what can he do in the face of a tiger and a wolf who grinds his teeth and sucks blood? No matter how angry he was, he was so angry and trembling with anger, he could only hold back his anger.
Even though the meridians in his neck burst out, he could only laugh with him.
They were right, Xiao Lan'er couldn't stand any small mistake, she could be dug out of her spiritual core anytime, anywhere and expelled from the school.
While bowing to apologize, Lord Changfeng picked up his daughter in a hurry and took her away from the place of right and wrong. After leaving the cemetery, the little girl started to cry as soon as he let go of Laner's hand.
She crouched on his back and choked: "Daddy, what did that big brother do wrong..."
Changfeng-Jun touched her hair: "A death sentence, a death sentence for treason. Laner, don't talk more."
"Is there no way to forgive him?"
"Sin is unforgivable and unforgivable."
Laner's tears fell like beads with a broken thread: "But... but... "
She was carried by her father and walked down the mountain road. She leaned on her father's shoulder and watched Gu Mang and the circle of people get farther and farther in the field of vision. Without a mother, she choked and said, "but he is like this... his parents saw it... how painful it must be... "
If his parents saw it.
How painful it must be...
But Xiao Laner didn't understand that Gu Mang had no parents. He lost his relatives very early, then his brother, his army, and his honor and reputation—now he has nothing but filth. Mud has nothing to do with it. No one will be in pain for him, only people will applaud him for his pain.
No one will care about him.
And the only person who can accompany him is also bound by the shackles of fate and status, and he can't help himself.
—
"Xihe-kun."
In the Ming Hall of the Military Administration Office, Mo Xi, who had completed his official duties, was about to leave Wangcheng and head to Zhanhun Mountain. During Gu Mang's time in the cemetery, Mo Xi handled the military affairs as quickly as possible every day, and then came to the Songbai Slope to guard Gu Mang from a distance.
But today, he was stopped by the waiter.
"What's the matter?"
"Eastern Territory Emergency News, Your Majesty, please go to the Jinluan Palace to discuss at night."
Mo Xi's hand that was about to loosen the collar of his military robe stopped.
The waiter Bingxue was smart, and immediately felt the difference: "Xi He-jun has other important things?"
"What's the situation in the Eastern Region?"
"The country of Yun turned to the country of Liao to cultivate the way of the black devil, secretly accumulating a large number of sinister soldiers, and the people of the three small towns in the eastern border were all slaughtered and killed..."
Mo Xi's slender and fair fingers adjusted the robes of the Military and Political Department that he had just loosened, and said, "You report back to your Majesty. After I have sorted out the files of the past Yin soldiers, I will immediately go to the Golden Palace to discuss matters."
"Then we are waiting for Xihe-jun."
So, the man in the Golden Palace stayed up all night and talked at night.
And the person in Zhanhunshan was drowsy overnight, and no one cared about it.
Early morning of the fourth day.
Gu Mang woke up from a coma.
He opened his eyes vaguely, the sky had cleared up, he was lying in the stagnant water, and the clear blue sky seemed to be able to be touched by raising his hand. Gu Mang moved and felt that there were inexplicably several wounds on his body, but he didn't care.
"Um..." He rubbed the swollen bag on his head.
Did you fall when you passed out
I still have a lot of head knocks, so it's swollen...
He couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it.
There were only a dozen or so rows of stone monuments left. He slowly got up, scooped up the water standing in front of Murong Xuan's tombstone, and it was not too dirty. He slowly drank it into his stomach, and then climbed up with his hands and feet on the ground, and continued to push forward. go.
Just like when the sky clears after the rain, and the clouds are bright, he feels that his sins can finally be reduced by an inch and a millimeter. He didn't stop, he was kneeling to the ghostly ghost in his dream, kneeling to the past and the future.
One grade one jade.
One monument and one dead.
Mo Xi came half an hour later. He stayed up all night in the Military Aviation Administration, and his eyes were red because he never closed his eyes for more than 20 consecutive hours. Others stayed up all night and went home to rest after their military affairs, but he came to Zhanhun Mountain alone with the breakfast prepared by the Military Aircraft Agency like a nightmare.
It's been the fourth day, and Gu Mang has been praying here for four days. Four days and four nights without sleep may be nothing to Gu Shuai in the past. Gu Shuai has the most powerful spiritual core, which is enough to support him to burn light and heat like a torch for a long time.
But what is left of Gu Mang now? Only a broken body, a broken soul.
But he has to hold on.
Mo Xi silently looked at Gu Mang from a distance.
The ninth thousand one hundred and sixty one stele... The ninth thousand one hundred and sixty-two stele...
Gu Mang was kneeling, and he was counting for Gu Mang.
Soon.
Almost finished kneeling.
At noon, Gu Mang finally climbed to the monument of Mo Xi's father's heroic spirit again. He was like a little beggar who had rolled in a quagmire, his body was covered in mud, his face was dirty, his forehead was broken, and his knees were already bloody. But his eyes are surprisingly bright, and anyone who sees these eyes should not doubt his sincerity and shatter his hopes.
Gu Mang kowtowed three times carefully.
ended.
He breathed a sigh of relief, staggering and trying to stand up straight, but because he had been kneeling for too long, he fell to the ground as soon as he stood up—
The expected pain did not come.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew, someone supported him and brought his muddy body into his arms. The smell on that person's body was very light, but it was the scent of gardenia honey that Gu Mang was familiar with. The man's hand was trembling slightly, although he tried his best to restrain it.
Gu Mang turned his head and saw Mo Xi's face.
Mo Xi has been enduring and suffering in the dark, waiting for the end of this apology with Gu Mang. And for support after all this, he waited for a long, long time.
Gu Mang looked at Mo Xi, and then at Mo Xi's hand holding his arm. Slowly, an almost relaxed smile appeared on his dirty face, but his eyebrows twitched and his tears were hot. The ground rolled.
Gu Mang felt embarrassed and wiped it indiscriminately. He wanted to speak, but he repeated tens of thousands of times, "Gu Mang, a traitor, nothing can atone for his sins." Looking at him crying and laughing.
He was too stupid to turn his broken brain around, but he was anxious to express himself, Gu Mang raised his hand in a hurry and poked his chest.
"You understand... my heart? I didn't lie to you."
Gu Mang's words were clumsy and powerful. He tried hard to grin, but the tears couldn't help rolling down first.
"I did not lie."
"… "
"It's true... this time... it's all true..."
Mo Xi's soul was about to be torn in half by selfishness and national hatred. He couldn't say anything, and in the end he just helped Gu Mang to the resting stone bench at the top of the mountain in silence.
Gu Mang looked at the jade monuments standing on the mountain steps, and he muttered, "It's good, I'm done kneeling..."
The breeze on the top of the mountain blew gently.
"It's time to start over..."
At this moment, every word Gu Mang said was like cutting Mo Xi's heart with a knife. He lowered his head and put down a bamboo rice pot on the stone bench. This pot was taken directly from the dining hall of the Military Administration. The taste and warmth of the dishes can be well preserved in the pot after they have been brought and applied with spiritual power. He brought out the food inside.
He didn't look at Gu Mang, and said in a low voice, "Let's eat first."
Raw porridge with straw mushroom lean meat, rice cakes, Dongpo stew with rich and melt-in-your-mouth sauce, thin cucumber slices with sweet noodle sauce, and a few soft steamed buns.
Mo Xi handed him the chopsticks.
Gu Mang didn't answer. He stretched out his gray hand in embarrassment and tried to rub it on his clothes, but found that it was not clean at all, so he sat in a distance and lost his mind.
Mo Xi sighed, took out his clean handkerchief, poured some water on it with the water-inducing talisman, and said to Gu Mang, "Bring it in your hand."
"Dirty… "
Mo Xi didn't say it a second time, he just pulled Gu Mang's hand over, and when his fingertips touched, he clearly felt Gu Mang's hand trembling in his palm.
Mo Xi lowered his eyes and wiped Gu Mang's hands slowly and carefully with a handkerchief soaked in water.
In the end, his hands were clean, but his original white and unsullied handkerchief was dirty.
Mo Xi said, "Eat it."
Gu Mang looked at the steamed buns and the meat, he was really hungry and swallowed: "Can I eat meat and steamed buns without chopsticks?" He raised the hand he had just wiped to show Mo Xi, "Look, Clean."
"..." Mo Xi glanced at it. Those fine scars on his clean palm became more and more dazzling. He turned his eyes away and said, "Just once today."
Gu Mang nodded immediately, and hungry, he grabbed the steamed bun and took a big bite.
Even though Mo Xi had been suffocating all night, he still looked at him, trying his best to say in a tone he didn't care much about: "No one is robbing you."
What responded to him were Gu Mang's unstoppable miserable eating, and an inexplicable whimper from his mouth full of steamed buns.
Mo Xi's tone softened again, and said softly, "...you eat slowly."
What responded to him was another guttural sound of unknown meaning, stuck in the steamed buns and roasted pork. It's been too long since they had been alone so peacefully. Mo Xi wanted to touch his head just like in the past for a moment, but in the end he just raised his hand and fell down without touching it.
But it was just such a subtle movement that Gu Mang noticed it. Gu Mang misunderstood what he meant, he froze for a moment, stuffed a mouthful of steamed buns, but broke apart the remaining half with trembling hands.
Steam came up.
Gu Mang kept the small self and handed the big one to him, his cheeks bulging, and his blue eyes opened as if they had been washed with water.
"Are you hungry too?"