Chapter 69
Before Xie Changgeng left the border, although he had made arrangements long ago, the Changsha Kingdom was so out of nowhere that the pre-arranged defense lines were torn apart one after another under the absolute force beyond his expectations. Shangjing.
This was Xie Changgeng’s first strategic failure in his life. Soon, to make matters worse, he received another message.
With the rebellion of King Qi, the former superficial balance collapsed overnight, and there was no more loyalty to the monarch, sage and ministers, and the faction was peaceful.
Not only Empress Liu, any of his enemies might have to use his mother as a threat to hold him, so he arranged for someone to send his mother away from Xie County.
What he didn’t expect was that something went wrong.
That group avoided Empress Liu’s men, but did not avoid King Qi’s people.
On the way to the transfer, his mother was tracked and kidnapped by King Qi’s men.
The wolf smoke billows, the ten-mile company camp, above the border, just ended a **** battle. Hundreds of thousands of Beiren iron cavalry are still facing off across the river with the Hexi army. The next fierce battle is imminent.
Xie Changgeng had just returned from the battlefield, and he didn’t have time to take off his shirt. He looked at the messenger kneeling in front of him, blue veins appeared on his forehead one by one, and he remained motionless for a while.
Everyone knew that Jiedushi was a dutiful son.
His subordinates stared at his stiff, almost contorted face and breathed a sigh of relief. After a while, Liu An stepped forward.
“Don’t be too anxious, Jiedushi! Please divide your troops into the last commander, and the last commander will lead the troops into the customs…”
Before he finished speaking, Xie Changgeng raised his hand to stop him.
“They took my mother in order to threaten them. Until the end, please forgive me that they will not hurt anyone. The Hexi war is the number one priority now, you don’t have to be distracted, I will handle it myself!”
Xie Changgeng’s eyes were red, and he said word by word.
…
After Mu Xuanqing led his troops northward, news of the victory kept spreading back to Yuecheng. By October, the coalition forces were approaching Shangjing, and Shangjing was in danger, but at this time, Xie Changgeng’s main army was still detained outside the customs. According to Xie Changgeng’s last arrangement, Pucheng Ling brought Empress Liu’s mother and son and a group of civil and military officials to Longguan.
When the capital was broken, the King of Qi entered the city. With the support of all the vassal kings, he ascended the throne three days later and proclaimed himself emperor.
Mu Xuanqing did not participate in this farce-like carnival, and led the army to continue to attack Longguan. Relying on the terrain, Pucheng Ling could not defend, and the two sides fell into a stalemate.
In early November, Xie Changgeng defeated the Northern Iron Cavalry and entered the royal court. The Northern King abandoned the land and fled back to the old capital.
This war that lasted for nearly half a year has come to an end. The Beiren’s vitality was greatly damaged, so he sent books and tributes and bowed his head as a minister.
On this day, in the middle of the night, in the wilderness outside Longguan, the military camp was pitch-black, and in the tent, the candles were still bright at this moment. Yuan Handing hurried in and presented the letter he had just received.
“His Royal Highness, I just received the exact news that Xie Changgeng has defeated the Beiren, and it is expected that he will return to the army!”
During the siege of the city a few days ago, Mu Xuanqing was shot in the chest by an arrow. After being treated by the military doctor, he was anxious for days and couldn’t sleep at night. At this moment, his face looked very haggard.
“Where is King Qi’s group?” he asked.
“I’m about to report to His Highness. Although King Qi is self-proclaimed emperor, he must also know that it is difficult to defend the capital. The spies came to report. They have been withdrawing their troops since a few days ago and went to the Eastern Capital. Longguan can’t be attacked for a long time, so it is not appropriate to spend any more. , Your Highness, please issue an order immediately to reorganize the army and return to Changsha!
His expression was extremely solemn, and after speaking, he knelt down towards Mu Xuanqing.
Mu Xuanqing gritted his teeth and said, “There are not many defenders in Longguan! Tomorrow, gather the soldiers and have a feast. I will lead the troops myself and attack again!”
Yuan Handing looked at Mu Xuanqing without saying a word.
“What’s wrong with you? Just follow my orders! Xie Changgeng is returning soldiers, and he is not that fast!”
Yuan Handing turned his head and called out, only to see a dozen or so lieutenants in battle armor pouring in, knelt down together, and said in unison, “I beg Your Highness to issue an order!”
Mu Xuanqing was stunned for a moment, glanced at the people in front of him, and finally cast it on Yuan Handing, with an angry look on his face, he stood up suddenly.
“Han Ding, what do you mean? I regard you as a sibling, how dare you force me?”
Yuan Han Ding said: “Your Highness calm down, how can Han Ding himself have such courage. Just before launching the army, Lord Weng once called me to the temple of the late king, saying that if the battle was delayed for a long time, or if I knew that Xie Changgeng was returning to the army, he ordered me to be sure to send your Highness to the army. Please come back.”
“Master Weng ordered me to tell His Highness, she knows that His Highness’s wish has a long history, and it is also the responsibility of the Mu family to take revenge for her aunt. Therefore, when His Highness decided to send troops north, she did not dissuade His Highness, because what His Highness thought at the time was not entirely the case. It doesn’t make sense. If you miss such a good opportunity, I’m afraid that Your Highness will be uneasy after all.”
“Master Weng said, do your best, and obey the mandate of heaven. The soldiers are loyal, and His Highness has done his best. If God’s will is like this, and he insists on revenge and puts the safety of the soldiers and soldiers of Changsha country at risk, then the aunt has a spirit in the sky, and she will be uneasy.”
“I implore Your Highness to listen to the words of Lord Weng, and this is a cessation of troops, for the sake of future plans!”
Yuan Handing kowtowed to the ground with a loud voice.
The generals behind him kowtowed and pleaded in unison.
Mu Xuanqing took heavy steps and walked past Yuan Handing and others who were kneeling at his feet.
He opened the curtain and looked out.
Under the night sky, as far as the eye can see, is a top company. In an unknown corner in the distance, the sound of Ye Di drifted faintly with the wind. The flute whimpered, as if with a few strands of homesickness. After just blowing a few times, the sound was suddenly silenced, thinking that it was stopped by someone nearby.
Mu Xuanqing stood stiffly for a long time, then turned around slowly.
“Send an order to return to Changsha.”
His voice was extremely difficult. After speaking, he vomited a mouthful of blood, shook his body, and fell to the ground.
…
After all, her young brother Wang was still in a state of unease. On the way back to the south, he was depressed and his injuries continued to deteriorate. After entering Changsha, he was unable to walk and stopped in Yunmeng City.
When Mu Fulan, Lu Shi Aru, Lu Lin and the others arrived at Yunmeng City, Brother Wang had been in a coma for several days, and he had only his last breath left.
Mu Fulan woke him up with a golden needle. Mu Xuanqing opened his eyes and looked at his wife, who was holding her hand tightly, for a moment, her sloppy eyes gradually became clearer.
He smiled slightly at his wife, raised his other hand with difficulty, stroked Aru’s hair, and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry for you…”
Lu Shi and Aru burst into tears.
“Amei, don’t blame yourself, this is probably your life.” Mu Xuanqing said again.
“No matter what you said back then, Brother Wang wouldn’t listen to you. Brother Wang will have today, and it’s all my fault…”
“The reason why my father promised you to that surnamed Xie was because I couldn’t trust my son. I always refused to accept it. I thought that this time, I could prove it to my father, and I could do it. Now I know, Brother Wang is really useless…”
He murmured, his eyes seemed to pass through the people around him, and drifted into the nothingness of nowhere.
“After Brother Wang goes, the matter is left to you…”
Mu Fulan burst into tears and could barely hold herself.
The young king of Changsha died suddenly on his way back to the south. The news spread, the people grieved, and the whole country was slaughtered.
Those people and things in the outside world did not stop because of the changing weather here. Every day, new news kept coming.
Xie Changgeng returned to the army.
After Liu Hou returned to Beijing, order was restored to the court.
The King of Qi retreated to the Eastern Capital, occupied half of the country, gathered his forces, and established a separate court.
Xie Changgeng was also crowned king. From then on, he completely controlled the court and held great power, and soon, in the name of suppressing the rebellion, he should start a war against the forces that hindered his important affairs.
And in Changsha’s immediate neighbor, the former governor of Fuzhou, who was defeated before, is now ready to make a comeback.
From the moment he watched Brother Wang send troops north, Mu Fulan knew that sooner or later there would be such a situation, no matter if Brother Wang was there or not.
She is ready.
In the daytime, she faced the terrified ministers of Changsha, and dealt with the endless variety of things with a calm attitude. But when it got dark, she couldn’t avoid it. She had insomnia all night long and couldn’t fall asleep.
Before brother Wang died, he told her not to blame herself, but how could she possibly do it?
After the national mourning, Sister-in-law fell ill, but Mu Fulan knew that she couldn’t follow her.
Xi’er, A-sister-in-law, Aru, the family needs her protection. Thousands of people in Changsha who have just lost their king need her to stand up and let them know that Mu, who has sheltered them for more than two hundred years, needs her to stand up. The royal clan did not abandon them.
…
This day was the last day of the national mourning in Changsha. Zhao Xitai, on behalf of the King of Qi, came here from Dongdu to offer condolences.
After he entered the palace, he respectfully offered incense in front of the mourning hall, and was led to Xuan Chong Hall.
Mu Fulan was dressed in plain clothes, with black hair like ink. She stood by the window, and she was as clear as a March snow on the pear stamens. Get closer, take a breath of heat, and people will melt into water.
Zhao Xitai stared at her for a moment, walked slowly towards her, and said in a low voice, “I feel very sorry for your brother’s affairs. I know you won’t believe me when I say this, but there are some things. Now I really can’t be the master. After breaking the Shangjing, I also want to send troops to help your brother to attack Longguan, but my father…”
“Congratulations.” She interrupted him with a slight smile.
“Now that you are the crown prince, remember to come here to give my brother a ride.”
“Master!”
Zhao Xitai took a few steps in front of her and held her cold hand tightly.
“It doesn’t matter how you scold me! I came here, although I was sent by my father, but it was my own wish. The last time I came to propose, you rejected me without seeing me. No matter what you are Thinking about it, or how outsiders see it, I really want to marry you.”
“Now on my side, the East is in hand, I have the terrain to rely on, I have enough money and food, and the number of troops and horses is increasing, which is enough to compete with Xie Changgeng. If you Changsha country is willing to serve my father and emperor, from now on, we will be My own people, you and I form an alliance, if you are attacked by Xie Changgeng here, my father and emperor will not sit idly by…”
Mu Fulan withdrew her hand and sneered.
“Prince, do you think your royal father is really credible?”
Zhao Xitai said word by word: “Master Weng, you and I have been playmates since childhood. In my heart, Zhao Xitai, you are the only one. I will take my life and swear to God that in the future, when I master the Eastern Capital, I will protect you to the end! ”
Mu Fulan looked at him and smiled: “But I don’t know, when will you be able to master Dongdu?”
Zhao Xitai gritted his teeth, got closer, and said in a low voice, “It was originally a family matter, and it was not enough to communicate with outsiders. You know, I was frail since I was a child, and I never thought that my father, he would have already prepared me to die. Since the early years, I have raised many warlocks, indulged in the art of the house, and begged for a son. My mother only knew about this at the beginning of the year, and he actually produced a son. The feng shui here died prematurely, and I kept it outside and didn’t bring it back. If it wasn’t for someone who was concerned about my mother’s clan this time, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to take the position of the prince.”
He sneered. “He is dedicated to begging for another son and cultivating it with all his strength. How can he ever have half-father and son love for me? Even so, I will not sit still.”
“Master Weng, Xie Changgeng is ruthless and ruthless to you. I am different from him. I will definitely take good care of my body. After I take power, I will put you first in everything. You believe me!”
Mu Fulan looked at Zhao Xitai who was excited and said softly, “I heard that Xie Changgeng’s mother is now in your hands?”
Zhao Xitai nodded: “Yes. Liu Houben will also do it, but he is stupid. I did a little trick, and I succeeded. With his mother around, at a critical moment in the future, he will be very useful to us.”
Mu Fulan was silent for a moment.
“Unfortunately, what you said now doesn’t count,” she said.
“If you come here this time, if you can’t go back and exchange you for Xie Changgeng’s mother, do you think your royal father will agree?”
Zhao Xitai was stunned for a moment, then hesitated, “What do you mean?”
Mu Fulan stared at him.
“This world is in chaos. If you want to be an emperor, you have to rely on your ability. Even if you are conspiratorial, it is understandable. But there is one thing, you know what, I despise the most?”
She paused.
“The most hated act in my life is to capture the enemy’s parents and wives as coercion.”
“Since you are here, then you can rest here for a while. If I have time, I can take care of your body for you. When your father has figured it out and is willing to send Mother Xie, you won’t be able to go back. Late!”
She flicked her sleeves and swept away a jade bottle by her hand.
With the cracking of the jade bottle, the door was quickly pushed open, and dozens of guards poured in.
Yuan Handing’s sword pointed on Zhao Xitai’s neck, and said coldly: “His Royal Highness, you must have someone in the Eastern Capital. If your royal father is reluctant to exchange people for you, I advise you, then call How can you think of a way to send the old lady here!”