Let Me Pursue You

Zheng Jun had already been pardoned by Emperor Huining as early as the winter solstice, and was no longer imprisoned for Qingxiu at Wangji Temple, and returned to the Princess Mansion. Yuan Cixian went straight to Anxingfang, feeling a little apprehensive.

After all, on the first day of the first lunar month, Zheng Yun is more likely to be in the Daming Palace. If Anxingfang is empty, and he wants to enter the palace again, the delay is not a big deal, but he is afraid that it will alarm people like King Ping who are dissatisfied with the Yuan family. Well-meaning people, when the wind leaks, there is no guarantee that there will be no side effects.

She was worried all the way, but when she handed over the name card, she heard the reply from the servant of the Princess Mansion that Zheng Yun was ill today and did not go out, but was in the mansion.

Yuan Cixian heaved a sigh of relief, and followed the servants to the middle hall.

Zheng Jun came soon, and he seemed to be in good spirits, and he didn't appear to be ill. She held a small sandalwood wooden box in her hand, and when she saw Yuan Cixian, she straight to the point and said indifferently: "The jade ring of the county chief."

Yuan Cixian was really taken aback. She hasn't said anything yet.

She stretched out her hand to take the box, opened the lid and took a look, and saw that inside it was indeed a jade-white and flawless ring ring of excellent quality and texture, she raised her head in doubt and asked: "How does your lord know what I am here today?" She said After a quick reaction, he asked again, "Are you intentionally claiming to be sick in the mansion and waiting for me here?"

Zheng Yun laughed and didn't speak.

Yuan Cixian knew that the time was pressing, and seeing that she didn't answer, she first handed the box to the back to pick the branches, and said concisely: "Eight hundred miles to expedite, and send it to southern Yunnan."

This jade ring had to be effective before Lu Shiqing arrived in southern Yunnan, so she couldn't give it in person. It is more than three thousand miles from Chang'an to the frontier, and it is too slow to travel alone. Lu Shiqing has been walking for a day and a night, no matter how superb her horsemanship is, it is impossible for her to come from behind. The only way is to use post stations to send messages, changing people and horses all the way, traveling day and night, without slacking off for a moment.

After picking up the branches and leaving, Yuan Cixian glanced at Zheng Yun, feeling puzzled.

As the first princess, Zheng Jun should be more informed than her in the palace news, and should have known about Lu Shiqing's going south. In this case, why is he so passive and waiting for her to come here?

Although this question was a bit embarrassing, she felt uncomfortable not asking, so she said bluntly: "Since you already knew that this jade ring was useful to him, why didn't you give it to him before he left Beijing?"

Zheng Jun lowered his eyes and smiled, and said softly: "You will come anyway, won't you?"

Yuan Cixian frowned. In her opinion, what Zheng Yun did was really unnatural. Because it was predicted that the rival in love would come to fetch the jade ring and help the sweetheart, so he handed over this opportunity to others? What is this cause and effect?

What's more, even if this point is reluctantly explained as Zheng Yun's indisputability and generosity, this matter still cannot be explained. After all, she thought of that piece of uncut jade purely by chance, not premeditated, how could Zheng Yun be sure that she would come?

She suddenly thought of the secret letter sent to Shuzhou last time, reminding Lu Shiqing to be careful on the way home. At that time, Zheng Jun also seemed to have learned something early through some channels. Although in the end, the return journey was uneventful, she didn't think the news was false. Perhaps it was because the other party found out that the plan had been exposed, and seeing that Lu Shiqing was already on guard, he temporarily gave up the assassination.

Yuan Cixian became more and more curious about Zheng Yun, but it was very obvious that she couldn't get the words out of her mouth at the moment, and if she kept interrogating her, it would be a little rude and self-defeating.

She could only smile and said: "Anyway, thank you lord this time, I will take my leave first."

Zheng Yun nodded and sent her out of the house.

A big stone in Yuan Cixian's heart fell in half, and it was finally easier than last night. As soon as he returned to the mansion, he went to report the progress to his father. When he came out of Yuan Yizhi's study, he met Yuan Yu and asked him in surprise: "I My good sister, did you go to the princess mansion to meet your rival in love just now?"

ghost? Yuan Cixian squeezed her face strangely.

Yuan Yu couldn't bear to look at him and said: "It's not here, but the eyes are swollen like walnuts, and the hair is messed up like a straw bag... Sigh, that's all, I am born beautiful, so I don't care about these anymore."

Yuan Cixian stroked her hair and gave a dry laugh, but she didn't mind these trivial matters too much, as long as the matter was done, she could do whatever she wanted. She turned to ask him: "Brother, is this here to find Dad?"

Yuan Yu mysteriously dragged her to a distance, and said in a low voice: "Father called me here, and I think I will ask about you and Lu Zishu again."

As a poor baby who just remarried, he only received a few words of comfort from his parents these days, and then he kept being asked about Yuan Cixian and Lu Zishu's situation. It's a pity that for the lifelong happiness of his sister, he has to desperately speak good things about that guy, saying how the two of them shared weal and woe, and fell in love with each other.

Yuan Cixian hurriedly said: "Then you have to keep it secret. If you are asked about my intentions, don't tell me that I am pursuing Lu Shiqing because I want to find him as a backer." It was hard to get to this point However, if Father knew that her original intention was to save the Yuan family, the marriage would most likely come to naught.

Yuan Yu glanced at her: "Father asked me to inquire about Lu Zishu, what is your intention? Our Yuan family, who is not blind, who can not see your intention?"

Yuan Cixian was taken aback: "Huh?"

Yuan Yu looked at her like a fool, and patted her on the shoulder: "Silly sister, you are a fan of the authorities, you can take care of yourself, don't be kidnapped and not know it."

Looking at his back as he turned away, Yuan Cixian blinked three times, her heart beating like a drum for a moment.

Ten days later, the Nanzhao garrison camp on the southern border of Yunnan was suddenly attacked at night.

These days, the morale of the Dazhou local army was low due to the lack of a strong backbone. Nanzhao's rapid march almost occupied an absolute advantage, all the way north, moving towards Yizhou, and captured most of Jiannan Road. The defenders, including Prince Xiju, stayed behind to ensure the retreat of the vanguard.

But just the day before yesterday, the grain and grass transported here from Nanzhao was accidentally intercepted. Several generals in the military camp got the news and proposed to move the position on the grounds that the position of the guarding military camp might have been exposed, but Xiju never responded.

What he meant was simple: the location of the defending barracks was not revealed.

This batch of food and grass is not the baggage to be transported to the front line, but the food supply of the defenders. Since the amount is not large, it is true that fewer soldiers were sent to **** it. It is not impossible for someone to take advantage of it.

But the opponent's purpose was obviously not the small batch of food that was not important to Nanzhao, but an attempt to make them think that the location of the barracks had been exposed, and lure them to evacuate urgently, so as to spy on the movements of the defenders.

This is the opponent's plan to lure the snake out of the hole. If they stand still, maybe everything will be calm, otherwise, they will really expose themselves.

But the problem is, Xiju can see the strategy clearly, but the generals under him can't see clearly. After arguing with him for most of the night, seeing that he shouldn't, he immediately sent the military report back to the capital of Nanzhao to ask the king of Nanzhao for his opinion. .

The day after the food and grass were intercepted, that is, yesterday, the king of Nanzhao ordered the defenders to move immediately, and Xiju had to obey his orders. The night after the transfer was completed, as he expected, he was attacked by a large Zhou army.

The garrison camp was in chaos, and when they were in an emergency confrontation with this night attacking army, they were caught in the huge golden tent, and they were standing in the middle of a black armor, and issued a military order: cease fighting.

The shouts of killing outside stopped suddenly, obviously the Da Zhou army saw that he had chosen to cease fighting, and also gave up the attack.

He sighed, and after a long silence, he raised his saber and went out of the tent. He saw a man in a crane cloak sitting on a horse outside the camp gate in the distance. He seemed to smile when he saw him, and said lightly, "Farewell to the Shangzhou post station. Long time no see, how is your Highness?"

It was Lu Shiqing who intercepted Nanzhao's grain and grass the day before yesterday.

Xiju didn't deny it either, and replied in his not-so-fluent Chinese: "When I don't see Minister Lu, I'm always fine."

"Hearing His Highness's words, Lu feels deeply regretful. In fact, Lu is also surprised, why did he go back and see His Highness, it was such a scene of fighting and killing."

He smiled, showing his bright white teeth in the night: "You Han people have a word called 'Nie Yuan'."

Lu Shiqing seemed a little surprised, and said "Oh" in a low voice: "I don't think His Highness is so knowledgeable. Then come to think of it, you must have heard a saying among us Han people called 'turning hostility into friendship'."

Xiju laughed loudly: "It's too awkward to understand."

Lu Shiqing reached out to the golden tent and said, "So, you might as well allow Lu to enter and listen to Lu explain to you."

After hearing this, Xiju glanced at the 3,000 fine cavalry behind him.

He naturally understood his concerns, turned around with a smile and ordered: "Retreat to Baizhang, and don't approach unless I order it."

This cavalry team is the local army of Qianzhong Chongzhou. Lu Shiqing did not lead the army out of Beijing in order to avoid ostentation, but when passing through Chongzhou, which was relatively elite in defense, he mobilized the cavalry with the soldier talisman given to him by Emperor Huining in advance.

As early as the beginning of the war, Central Guizhou and Lingnan, which are adjacent to southern Yunnan, had sent troops to support them, but due to improper tactics, they were repeatedly blocked by Xiju from southern Yunnan until Lu Shiqing led these 3,000 people to detour all the way. Surprise attack, intercepting the Nanzhao military newspaper, broke through his line of defense silently.

It was also because of this that when Xiju heard that the grain and grass had been intercepted suddenly, he knew that the person coming was a strong enemy, and had just encountered a night attack, so he simply gave up the confrontation to avoid unnecessary injuries.

After all, he guessed that Lu Shiqing's purpose was not to capture the defending barracks, but to have peace talks with him. Because he received something in advance.

A few days ago, Nanzhao soldiers in the southern Yunnan border handed over a jade ring to the camp, saying that it was sent by Chang'an. He knew the cause and effect clearly at a glance, and knew that the person who gave the jade ring was showing favor to him, so as to remind him of the fire in his own backyard.

It's just that he didn't understand the reason for the other party's show of favor at the time, and it wasn't until he combined Lu Shiqing's night attack just now that he realized that this sincere jade ring was to express the friendship of the envoy of Da Zhou, hoping to avoid confrontation between the two sides.

Since he didn't want to fight, why should he fight this battle.

Lu Shiqing entered the golden tent alone with Xiaoju, and to show his sincerity in the peace talks, he sat down and brushed off the dirt on his skirt, and asked, "Can your Highness borrow some clean veil from Lu first?"

Xiju asked someone to bring him a brocade handkerchief, and said earnestly, "It's okay if you don't wipe it, your current attire is much more decent than that at the Shangzhou station."

Lu Shiqing choked, remembering the good deeds Yuan Cixian did back then, gritted his molars in resentment, but opened his eyes and said nonsense: "Oh, Lu's fiancée is really naughty, and she will be burned if she is not happy. My outer clothes."

This time it's time for a small house to choke.

Although he forced the marriage back then only for political purposes, not because of his love for Yuan Cixian, but he failed in the end, and even failed to take people from Shangzhou into captivity, so Lu Shiqing's words seemed to have sprinkled enough salt on his scars.

Xiju suddenly glanced at the jade ring on the table, and suddenly realized: "It turns out that the one who gave me this jade ring is Lu Shilang's fiancée."

Influenced by foreign countries, Da Zhou had the custom of using jade rings as tokens of love between men and women. Lu Shiqing raised his eyelids and frowned. This person with dark complexion can't see his face at night, what kind of **** is he talking about?

Xiju put the jade ring on his little finger, he seemed to think it fit well, so he didn't take it off, and said: "Lu Shilang, please start your explanation."

Lu Shiqing sneered in his heart, and lost the patience to go back and forth with him in a bureaucratic manner, and said bluntly: "What Lu wants to say is very simple. If His Highness continues to attack north, there will be two disadvantages. The first is for you—you will be attacked one after another. Lost the hearts of the army, the people, and the king. I don’t need to say that you know that the generals around you don’t all belong to you, otherwise you wouldn’t have fallen into the trap I set.”

"Except for them, the people in your country and your father are not very supportive of the war you initiated. The reason is that Nanzhao can no longer afford such a protracted war."

"In recent years, you have had frequent confrontations with the Great Zhou. Wars and conquests have caused the population of your country to drop sharply, and the people cannot farm normally. At the same time, the grain, weapons, and horses needed for war have continued to surge. It is becoming more and more empty. If this continues, you, the crown prince, will probably be disliked by the people, and your father will choose a more suitable person to replace you."

"The second is for Nanzhao—you will make a wedding dress for Tubo, and you will end up hurting yourself. You know very well that the main force in this battle is your Nanzhao army, and the reason why Tubo, who had a good relationship with Da Zhou, suffered You bewitched and agreed to cooperate with you, the purpose is to use your hand to attack all the way north, get involved in Hexi, which he has been coveting for a long time, and take a piece of Da Zhou's pie."

"But you must remember that Tubo is not only adjacent to Dazhou, but also adjacent to you. Tubo who gets Hexi will become more and more prosperous, and Tubo will prosper, and Nanzhao will decline. The stronger Tubo will store enough strength to compete with Dazhou. Sooner or later, we must first aim our troops at Nanzhao. At that time, Da Zhou is very happy to see the snipe and the clam fighting each other, so as to reap the benefits of the fisherman."

"After talking about the disadvantages, let's talk about your two gains from this battle. The first is to attack the King of Southern Dian. The second is to occupy Jiannan. But compared with the disadvantages mentioned by Lu, it is really worthless. A mention. And you might as well ask yourself whether your subjects can understand the great sacrifice you made for a mere county king with a different surname and a mere small land."

"Finally, I want to tell you the benefits of withdrawing troops. You only need to make Tubo give up the covenant with you first, and you can gain the upper hand for a long time in this cooperation and even in the political exchanges with it in the future, so as to win a steady stream of benefits. —Food, gold and silver, labor, and even land. Even if you are defeated, you can use these interests that can be seen, accepted, and understood by the people to appease the whole country. Dazhou is willing to give you this opportunity to earn profits and recuperate, Mr. Lu But after tonight, I will go to Tibet for you to lure them to withdraw their troops, as long as you agree to the peace talks right now."

"Of course, if you still insist on not retreating after hearing these words..." Lu Shiqing smiled lightly, "Lu is not afraid of being your soul, but judging from the situation in your country, I'm afraid you will be in the underworld with me soon. Let's meet again, and we will continue our fate. You also said that you are always very good when you don't see me."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the jade ring on his little finger: "Are you satisfied with Lu's explanation tonight?"

Five days later, Tubo broke the contract and withdrew its troops, and Dazhou was able to take a breather to counterattack, forcing Nanzhao to retreat, and driving the enemy out of the country all the way. At this point, the war that lasted just twenty days came to an end.

When the news reached Chang'an, Manchao was overjoyed and shocked. Yuan Cixian was so excited that he almost picked up his burden and went south to meet Lu Shiqing, but was stopped by Yuan Yizhi with an axe.

She had no choice but to wait for him with her fingertips every day, never leaving the house, and asked each morning and evening if she had any news from the south, but it turned out that Lu Shiqing was really good enough, and he didn't bring her a letter from the beginning to the end, so angry that she waited until Later, I lost my patience and simply stopped asking.

The first month is approaching the end, and February is the day when the red apricots are blooming outside the wall, whether he loves to come or not.

On the eighth day of the second lunar month, Yuan Cixian took her elder brother and mother to Furong Garden to take a walk on the green that hadn't fully emerged, to relax, and originally planned to never miss Lu Shiqing, but unexpectedly walked around the garden , and unknowingly climbed up the bamboo building that I had been here before.

At that time, she came here to see Zheng Zhuo, but when she reached the top floor, she first saw Lu Shiqing who was dressed in dazzling silver and vermilion.

She was suddenly curious, that day she invited Zheng Zhuo to eat lychees, and she was in the same boat with Zheng Zhuo, if Lu Shiqing remembered these things now, what would he think.

She secretly sat beside the long desk in the small room, imagining his mood with a little secret joy, and kept giggling non-stop. No one was there.

She's out of this world.

Yuan Cixian was taken aback, and hurriedly got up to look around, but at the end of the long corridor outside the door of the small room pavilion, there was a person standing with his hands behind his back, as if he had been looking at her for a long time.

Seeing her look, the man twitched the corners of his mouth, and asked proudly and arrogantly: "Yuan Cixian, why are you sitting here alone and giggling?"