Come on, Your Highness

The king of Zhenbei, surnamed Xuan, is the only king with a different surname in Daqi, and the title of county king.

This is all in exchange for military exploits and the lives of young Xuanjia Erlang.

The king of Zhenbei was canonized during the last battle with the Xiongnu after Emperor Tiangan ascended the throne.

The battle at that time was too tragic. I heard that blood was flowing and corpses were everywhere. Whether it was Da Qi or the Huns, they all suffered heavy casualties, and King Zhenbei directly killed several sons in battle.

At the end of the war, both sides could only choose to cultivate their lives and rest. So far, the truce has lasted for 20 years. Except for occasional small groups of harassing the border, it is basically peaceful.

In order to comfort the heroic spirits and maintain the stability in the north, Emperor Tiangan conferred the title of King Zhenbei to show the imperial court's reward and appeasement to the loyal and martyrs.

So far, Xuanjia has been guarding the northernmost part of Daqi for so many years, just like the name of this title, firmly isolating the Xiongnu and preventing them from invading Daqi.

The strange thing is that this kind of Zhenbei Army, which is entrenched in the frontier and firmly in control of Daqi, and that it has not moved its nest for nearly 20 years during the period of the first emperor, has not heard a trace of fear in the court. discourse.

Once it is mentioned, it seems that there is only awe.

"I remember that King Zhenbei had several sons, how many died in battle?" He Xichao asked.

"Of the seven sons, six were killed in battle, leaving only the sixth son," Xie Gelao said.

He Xichao took a deep breath, thinking of General Yang.

"How many are still alive?"

"It's gone, the old six's old illness relapsed three years ago and he didn't stay."

He Xichao's eyes widened in surprise: "Didn't I hear that there was a small one left?"

"It's a female doll, and I only got palm beads later." Xie Gelao lifted it a little heavy, and he couldn't help sighing, "It's better for such a family to be a girl, so as not to go to the battlefield again."

It's not that He Xichao wants to discriminate against sex, but it is true that only women can escape the fate of fighting on the battlefield, but the Xuan family is too tragic!

"Does the Xuan family have any males?"

"Yes, but they are all too young. The oldest grandchildren are probably twelve or thirteen years old, so they are useless." Speaking of this, Xie Ge sighed, "I am afraid that the king of Zhenbei will have difficulty in suppressing the north." .”

He Xichao was silent. To be honest, his eyes had been on the capital all the time. He just wanted to inquire about the news at the border, but there was no one in his hands and he couldn't do anything.

Even if you want to cultivate power now, it won't be useful for a while.

In addition, border gates meant military power, so it was too sensitive, and if Emperor Tiangan didn't say anything, Xiao Hong wouldn't be able to ask, let alone intervene.

"Teacher, how many Kings of Zhenbei are there now?"

"Eight out of sixty."

He is not young, but compared to Xie Ge, he is still young. It's just that people who have come down from the battlefield have more or less problems with their bodies, and they don't live long.

"Then..." He Xichao lowered his voice and asked the key, "How much longer can he last?"

"Three months ago, the emperor ordered the imperial physician to go north secretly. I got the news two days ago. It may be half a year at least, or a year at most. It's hard to say."

so suddenly?He Xichao was very surprised.

"The emperor originally meant to wait another three to five years until the Xuan family's grandchildren grow up, and they will be able to successfully take over the Zhenbei Palace, but now it seems that it is too late." Xie Ge said with a sigh, " King Zhenbei's health deteriorated faster than we imagined."

"Did the Xiongnu also get the news, and there are secret actions?"

Old Xie Ge nodded: "A spy reported that the tribes of the Xiongnu royal court have frequent contacts. Due to the strict management of supplies, horses are no longer allowed to be smuggled into Daqi, and they are even purchased from countries in the Western Regions."

"So my nephew can see the Huns appearing in the Western Regions."

"That's it."

"The emperor must have arrangements?"

"Many secret decrees have been issued to the border troops in the northwest, but Da Qi has been living and recuperating for many years, and there are few battles..." Speaking of this, the old Xie Ge also had a difficult look.

He Xichao said quietly: "There is no general who can take over."

Old Xie Ge nodded: "Exactly."

He Xichao thought about it: "The only one that can be compared to it is the Marquis of Yongning. However, if Daqi and the Xiongnu have to fight, the countries in the Western Regions may be ready to move, and the West will have to guard against it."

"That's right, but the Marquis of Yongning has passed away, and the prestige of the three generals in the mansion is still a bit lower. What a troubled time!"

He Xichao talked with Mr. Xie Ge for a long time, and it was already dark when they left.

But he didn't stay for dinner because Xiao Hong was still waiting for him.

Speaking of Xiao Hong, I don't know why this kid is crazy, his mood is good and bad, his eyes are full of love one moment, and guilt is revealed the next moment, very contradictory.

He Xichao was not dull, on the contrary, when the relationship was established, he became more sensitive in this aspect, and he could feel even a little change in Xiao Hong's mood.

This person is fearless in the face of life and death, when has he hesitated?

Except... about the two of them.

He Xichao couldn't help but feel heavy when he thought of what he asked casually before leaving, and Mr. Xie Ge's answer.

"The emperor has already selected a candidate for the crown princess, so he should wait until after the canonization."

"Who is it? The imperial decree has not yet been issued. I can't just say it casually, but you can guess who has a sudden rise in rank and position in the court recently, and has a matching daughter at home."

……

He Xi got off the carriage and stood in front of the gate of the Prince's Mansion, suddenly he didn't want to go in.

Xiao Hong will be like this, obviously he has not thought of a good way to avoid this marriage.

I like him and can't bear to let go, but I'm also afraid that there will be no result and I'll miss him, which is why there is such a contradiction.

In Jiangzhou, you can not think about it and deceive yourself and others to get the joy of the moment. However, when you return to the capital and the emperor mentions it, you can no longer deceive yourself.

The sad thing is that He Xichao is the same.

There will be no second Qinglian Temple, and the same reason cannot be used to delay the marriage.

He was at a loss. Between life and death, they could sacrifice their lives for each other without hesitation, but there was no path for them to walk together.

"Ah, Master Xichao, what are you doing standing at the gate?"

Xiao Dunzi heard the porter's report, and ran out in a hurry, seeing He Xichao standing at the door, seemed to be in a daze, so he hurriedly invited him in.

"His Highness is waiting impatiently. If you don't come back, he has to go to Xie Mansion to find someone in person."

He Xichao came back to his senses, and followed Xiao Dunzi into the Palace of the King of England.

After hearing the message, the dinner was put on the table one after another, and when He Xichao arrived at the flower hall, he could eat hot meals.

"What did Mr. Xie Ge say, can we talk for an afternoon?"

After He Xichao washed and dried his hands, Xiao Hong waved his hands, and the waiters silently retreated, Xiaoxuanzi and Xiaodunzi finally went out and closed the door.

"Come over to eat, are you hungry?" Xiao Hong pulled him to sit down, first filled a bowl of soup and put it in He Xichao's hand.

The weather is getting colder and colder, after a mouthful of warm soup, the whole person feels comfortable.

He Xichao looked at Xiao Hong's concerned eyes, sighed in his heart, put those entanglements and complaints aside, and slowly relayed what Xie Ge said to him.

Xiao Hong frowned: "But Father never mentioned it to me."

He Xichao said: "After all, the matter in the northern border is the most important thing. The emperor personally asks about it. Even in the cabinet, only the teacher knows the exact information. If it leaks out, it may cause turmoil in the court."

"It can't be kept secret for long. The Huns are ambitious, and they are also afraid of King Zhenbei. If he is gone, they will have no scruples, tear up the contract and invade aggressively." Xiao Hong said with a trace of worry on his brows.

He Xichao nodded: "Fortunately, it's already winter. The climate in the north is extremely cold, and it's inconvenient to march. The Xiongnu usually don't pick this time to commit crimes. We still have time to prepare."

Xiao Hong hummed, so he stopped talking and bowed his head to eat.

Xiao Hong was pulling the rice, and suddenly there was a chicken leg in the bowl, he was slightly taken aback, raised his head, and saw He Xichao asked helplessly: "Is today's white rice very delicious, and you don't need to add any food gone?"

He Xichao didn't want to disturb his thinking at first, but seeing that this man mechanically ate half a bowl of rice without realizing it, he finally couldn't help reminding him.

Xiao Hong stared blankly at the chicken legs in the bowl, and suddenly called out: "Xi Chao..."

These two words are like a heavy hammer, breaking the illusory calm they worked hard to maintain, ruining the self-deception, and putting the naked reality between them, which cannot be escaped.

Today's meal couldn't be finished properly, He Xichao gently put down his chopsticks, took a deep breath and said, "Just now I asked the teacher about the candidate for the crown prince."

Xiao Hong froze instantly, staring at him blankly.

"The teacher said that the candidate should have been decided, but the emperor refused to tell me without a decree."

Hearing He Xizhao's faint voice, Xiao Hong's nose suddenly became sour, and he said in a low voice, "Who is important... Anyway, it's not you."

These words made He Xichao's heart suddenly bitter. He smiled wryly and twitched the corners of his mouth: "It's not important, it's just Xiao Hong... I'm sorry, it seems like we really can't go on..."

This seemed to be the first time that He Xichao admitted his failure and bowed his head to fate.

I couldn't open my mouth for these words, as soon as I uttered them, sorrow flooded in like a tide, drowning the beating heart.

All the hard work and painstaking struggles for it, and the beauty of the past three years of mutual understanding, all disappeared in this sentence.

The baptism of life and death makes them more and more inseparable from each other, but the cruel reality seems to be that they can only be separated by force.

Compromise is the most helpless choice in the world.

Xiao Hong suddenly raised his head to look at him: "Then you want to leave me?"

He Xichao's eyes were wet and red, shining brightly, and Xiao Hong's figure was reflected in them: "I can't bear it..." He pursed his lips tightly, but finally opened them again, "It's too painful to just watch, I ... can't take it."

The weather is cold, and the food cools down quickly. Once it is cold, nothing tastes good.

But now, the two of them who only ate half a bowl of rice have no appetite to continue to move their chopsticks.

In silence, there seemed to be a thousand words, but in the end nothing came out.

After a while, it was Xiao Hong who broke the silence. He pretended to be relaxed and said: "Xi Chao, at this moment, I suddenly seem to understand the feeling of the third uncle taking your mother to elope desperately. I really have nowhere to go, and I can't let go." .”

"But you are different. My father and mother are just little people, and if they run away, they will get a bad reputation at most. But if the prince of the dynasty elopes with someone, he will definitely be caught back. The ending... the best is a pair of desperate mandarin ducks, But I guess it should be me who died, and you were banned." He Xichao is still rational even now.

Xiao Hong asked: "Are you afraid?"

"I'm afraid, I'm afraid of death. If I die, I will lose everything, not even the right to remember." He Xichao stretched out his hand to hold the soup bowl, as if wanting to absorb some warmth, but it was already cold.

"Xi Chao, what should I do? I just want to be with you."

He Xichao lowered his eyes: "I don't know."