Pihanjin

The news of safety was conveyed on the road at an expedited speed of 800 miles. After six days and nights, it was sent to the border of Changsha.

On this day, more than a month had passed since Xi'er went north. Zhao Xitai had already returned to Jianghuai, leaving the messenger to wait for Mu Fulan's decision.

Another sleepless night passed. The next day, Mu Fulan summoned the messenger in the council hall of the palace, gave him a letter, told him to go back, and handed it over to Zhao Xitai.

After the messenger left, she then summoned Qi Lulin and other officials from Changsha, and rejected their previous suggestion that she could choose the crown prince from the Mu clan.

She said: "Among the children of the clan, at present, I have not seen anyone who can take on this great responsibility. I have never heard of the people in Changsha who are anxious all the time about the Crown Prince and cannot live."

"Before the king's death, he personally said that he entrusted the thousands of people of Changsha to me. You all heard it with your own ears. I have been regent for several years, and I dare not say that I have made achievements, but it is not a big deal. They are all veteran officials of Changsha, and they have contributed a lot. But I don’t care what you think about this matter. I hope you will stop here and don’t mention it again in the future! Now this is an extraordinary period, this regent, I will continue to do it Yes. I will know what to do next."

Her words are straightforward, and her attitude leaves no room for anything.

In the past few years, her authority has become more and more popular. In the people, people have long regarded her as a heroine. How did Lu Lin and others not know? Seeing her reply like this, Nuonuo came out.

Mu Fulan left Yuan Handing behind and said to him, "Prime Minister Lu suspects that I want to make myself king, and my sister-in-law has gone again. They may be afraid that they will be ostracized in the future. That's why they try to speak out and try to get closer to them. Some of the Mu clan is in the upper position. I have no intention to be the heroine of Changsha. If I don’t establish a new king of the Mu clan, under the current situation, I don’t want another person involved. Xi’er can’t be involved.”

"Brother Yuan, Prime Minister Lu and the others hope to form an alliance with the Eastern Court. It is an illusion that as long as the alliance is established, the two sides will work together to resist Xie Changgeng and keep Changsha from falling. You also persuaded me to form an alliance. What do you think? "

Yuan Handing hesitated.

Mu Fulan said: "I can actually guess what you are thinking, Brother Yuan. No one knows the three forces in the world better than you. The Eastern court wants to defeat Xie Changgeng, and the hope is minimal. The clan and vassal kings were originally gathered for profit. If there is no hope of bringing benefits, people will not be able to unite. Even if Zhao Xitai has the ability, he will not be able to change the fatal disease of the Eastern court. King Zhao's departure from the Eastern Court is an example. A court built on quicksand cannot go far."

"Our military is well-organized, but we also have congenital diseases. The regional population of Changsha is limited, and the combat power that can be supported is also limited. If we want to expand our army infinitely, we must attack, occupy more places, and capture more people. and wealth."

She smiled, "The previous kings of the Mu family gained a good reputation for their benevolence and righteousness, and they passed it on to me, and because of this, they became self-imposed. Since we can't plunder and annex others, our national strength is destined to be limited. If we can have today's situation, Yuan Brother, you have tried my best, and I have tried my best. I must admit that Xie Changgeng's strength far exceeds ours. Brother, you know that even if the two forces join forces, it will not be possible to turn the situation around, yet you still persuade me to make an alliance. You know that Xie Changgeng will have another day. Once he becomes the emperor, no matter how much the country of Changsha retreats, he will never tolerate this country in the belly. You are afraid that I will be humiliated when the country is destroyed, so you want to do your best to fight again, right?"

Yuan Handing was moved: "It's my incompetence that I failed the master's expectations."

Mu Fulan shook his head.

"Brother, I have already said that you and I have done our best, and there is no need to blame ourselves. Even though we are unable to fight for hegemony, we have not fallen yet, and we have an army that can compete with others. In my opinion, it is very important. Good. As for the future, I have also thought about it..."

She was silent for a moment.

"The world has had no fixed ruler since ancient times, and the same is true for the country of Changsha. Really at the last step, under the general trend, what we can do is to act according to the situation. To seek peace through war, negotiate with him, and complete his unification of the world. , he will not respond. The thousands of people in Changsha have supported my Mu clan for two hundred years, saving them from the endless war, which is also a little reward from my Mu clan to them."

Yuan Handing stared at her and knelt down slowly towards her.

"Sanmiao has been a place of transformation since ancient times. The imperial court's attack will outweigh the losses, and it is necessary to weigh and consider. Yuan Handing wishes to protect the Wengzhu from retreating to Sanmiao and live in peace and happiness for the rest of his life!"

Mu Fulan smiled and lifted him up from the ground.

"Brother, at least for now, we don't need to worry about it, Xie Changgeng won't attack us. You should also know how I replied to Zhao Xitai in the letter. I'm a little worried about that side. They had high hopes for the alliance, and I was late before. There is no reply, with Zhao Xitai's cleverness, it is not difficult to guess my decision. Xi'er hasn't come back yet, just in case, I want to trouble you to go out in person and bring him back."

Yuan Handing agreed immediately and went out on the same day.

…

Outside the Huguo Temple, Liang Tuan and the others were outside the mountain gate. After the next day, they saw people entering. After a night, they still did not come out. Hurry up, there is news.

Liang Tuan asked the others to wait, and he went up immediately, knowing his intentions, and was led by the monks to Tallinn in the back mountain and brought to the Sifang Temple.

Liang Tuan walked in. The surroundings were empty, no one was seen, and no sound could be heard.

The sun was shining overhead, but he felt a bleak stillness.

Shangjing was completely under control, Empress Liu and his henchmen were slaughtered, and the emperor with some dementia had been placed under house arrest.

He really didn't understand why the King of Qin came here late at night to meet an old monk at such a momentous occasion that was worth celebrating.

It's okay to come, how come the night has passed, and I still haven't come out.

He walked to the door, stopped, and called out, but he didn't hear an answer for a long time, hesitated, and said, "King Qin, the news has just arrived, and the leader of the guards who was instructed to **** the young master to the south sent a message saying that the young master is worried. There may be an ambush on the road ahead, and they stopped halfway, and people are still in the post house in Pucheng."

After he finished speaking, after a while, he heard the sound of slow and heavy footsteps coming from inside.

The door opened slowly. He saw a figure appear behind the door.

Xie Changgeng stood there, holding the door with one hand, his eyes were dark.

At first glance, the person in front of him even gave Liang Tuan an illusion, as if he had lost all his strength, and even the simplest action of standing was so difficult for him.

In just one night, he seemed to be more than ten years older.

Liang Tuan was taken aback, strode up and stretched out his hand to help him. avoided by him.

"What did you just say?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Liang Tuan hurriedly repeated it again, saying: "King Qin, don't worry! Young Master is fine! The leader sent a letter just to inform King Qin of the progress on the road. He said he would protect the Young Master and send him back to Changsha safely. Don't worry, I can bring some more people over and **** them together!"

Xie Changgeng stood motionless.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"Pucheng."

"Pucheng..."

He murmured and repeated the name of the place, his face twisted, and a very strange look appeared in his eyes.

"I go by my own."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly murmured.

Under Liang Tuan's astonished gaze, he let go of his hand holding the door, slowly stood up to his slightly hunched body, straightened his shoulders, stepped out of the threshold, and strode away.

…

It was another evening, and a setting sun cast on the top of Pucheng.

This city, which was besieged by the rebels of King Pingyang a few years ago, has long since returned to peace. Only when the setting sun shrouded the city head like blood, can it still remind people of the tragic state of that day.

Xie Changgeng arrived here on horseback.

He stopped for a while outside the city gate, raised his head, looked at the neat row of crenels at the front of the city, closed his eyes for a long time, and continued to steer toward the inside.

When he was taken to the inn by Puchengling who had heard the news, the young boy was alone in the stable behind the inn. He had just finished feeding his little dragon horse and combed its mane with a comb.

The postman took Xie Changgeng to the stable, stopped outside the door, and looked at the people and horses in front of him.

The child looked at Xiao Longma's eyes, full of love. He seemed so attentive that someone behind him entered the stable as if he was unaware.

"The young master has been here for a few days. He is very good to this horse, and he feeds and takes care of it every day."

With a smile on his face, Yi Cheng whispered to Xie Changgeng.

It was a destiny that he and her son, their Xi'er, would stop his footsteps in this unbearable city.

Xie Changgeng looked at the figure in front of him, and the corners of his eyes gradually turned red.

In the past, the man who was controlled by power and desire for his life would be attacked if he was not alive. When he was about to die, could he really have a heart of repentance for his hair-bearing wife?

He ordered Yicheng to step back, and he raised his foot when he was about to walk towards the little boy, but it seemed that the soles of his feet were so heavy that he could not take a step.

The little boy seemed to have sensed something, turned his head, saw him standing at the door of the stable, called out "Sir Xie", turned around and ran towards him.

Xie Changgeng finally walked towards him, walking faster and faster, and stopped in front of the little boy.

"My lord, why are you here?" he asked, looking up.

Xie Changgeng lowered his head and stared at the young boy in front of him without blinking. Suddenly, he opened his arms and hugged the man into his own.

He held it so tightly. The little boy didn't seem to react at first, and struggled a few times, but soon, he stopped, motionless, and let him hug him.

"Thank you, what's wrong with you?"

After a while, Xie Changgeng heard a soft questioning voice coming from his ear.

He looked at the child's beautiful eyes that resembled his mother's, and couldn't look away.

In front of his eyes, there seemed to be a scene in the past, when the young man in white swung his sword in front of him, slaying himself, vowing not to be father and son again.

He remembered that day, the little boy in front of him, who was in the dust, traveled long distances, and came to Changping Pass alone without telling her, just to tell himself that he believed what he said to him, never more than half of it. of suspicion.

He thanked Chang Geng, He De He Neng, and what did he do, and in this lifetime, he could still get such whole-hearted trust.

His eyes were red, and he slowly let go of the little boy.

"I'm fine. Just heard that you stopped here and came here. I'll take you back," he whispered.

The little boy smiled, and he said: "Sir, you are so kind. I thought that my mother received my letter. If she believes in your lord and doesn't form an alliance with the Eastern Court, the people over there may think that it is not good for me, take me To threaten her, so I simply stopped here to avoid an accident."

He looked around.

"It's a nice place, I love it," he said.

Xie Changgeng felt as if a dull knife was slowly cutting somewhere in his heart.

"My mother will definitely send someone to pick me up again. Don't bother you, sir. I really hope I can grow up faster so that I can protect my mother." The little boy sighed.

"By the way, my lord, have you been to Huguo Temple and seen Master Chang?" He seemed to have suddenly thought of it and asked again.

Xie Changgeng stared at the young boy in front of him.

"Xi'er, you want to protect your mother, but do you know how to best protect her?" he asked suddenly.

The little boy said: "My lord, I actually know that she can only protect herself by being a king, the most powerful king in the world. But my mother, she is too kind, she doesn't want to be a king. She is the most powerful. The first thing to think about is always to protect the people of Changsha."

"Do you want to do it? Be the most powerful king and protect her?" Xie Changgeng paused and asked.

The little boy was silent for a moment, raised his eyes, looked at Xie Changgeng and said, "I want to do it."

"Very good. From today, Master Xie will help you and be the most powerful and only king in the world."

Xie Changgeng said word by word.