Linzhi

Ah Qing was lying on the bed, pale and dying.

When He Rong and the others went in, the doctor was getting up after finishing his pulse. When he saw Hongyan, he shook his head.

Hongyan frowned deeply: "How?"

The doctor is a Turkic man, and his Chinese is a little awkward, but the expression on his face is not difficult for people to understand: "I'm afraid I can't save him."

He Rong said to Hongyan: "She just rescued us from the siege, and asked Mrs. Hongyan to do her best to save us. I will repay it someday!"

Hongyan pondered for a moment, then said to the doctor: "Kedun still has medicinal materials such as ginseng and saffron. If you need them, I'll get them. This man has to be saved."

The doctor sighed: "I'll try my best, but no matter how precious the medicinal material is, it's useless to her, and it will hang her life for a few days at most."

Sitting on the head of the bed, Gao Shi looked at Ah Qing's frail body, and couldn't help having a sore nose.

She held Ah Qing's hand lightly, for fear of hurting him.

But Ah Qing seemed to sense it, the eyeballs under the eyelids trembled slightly, and opened a crack.

Gao Shi was overjoyed, and hurriedly turned to the doctor: "She's awake!"

The doctor hurriedly stepped forward to check, but after a while, his expression did not relax.

Ah Qing opened and closed her mouth, and managed to spit out four words: "Hongyan... Aunt..."

Hongyan said: "Don't worry, there is Ke Dun, Jia Luo dare not take you away, these are Ke Dun's distinguished guests, you just saved them, Ke Dun will save you too, you take good care of your wounds."

In fact, Ah Qing is just an inconspicuous female slave of Princess Zhending. After she was captured by the Turkic people, Hongyan happened to be short of men, so she asked her to come here. Ah Qing died, and Princess Zhending would at most let Hongyan go. Find a maid, but to He Rong and the others, this woman has an unusual meaning to them because of her actions just now.

Ah Qing closed her eyes slightly, showing a happy expression, and then her expression was distorted by the injury.

Gao choked with sobs: "We just met by chance, why did you risk your life and stand up for me just now?"

Ah Qing's expression was a bit sad: "...I, when I was first captured, I was ruined and my body was not clean, but you... are different from me. If Ye Hu is willing and willing to let you go, I will It's okay to be..."

Although we met by chance, because of the kindness of a single thought, we are willing to replace each other with our bodies.

Ah Qing didn't know Gao Shi, and she didn't know what good it would be for her to save Gao Shi, but she had experienced pain, so she didn't want her compatriots to experience it again.

During the days and nights spent in Zhang's house, when she was betrayed by Pu and tortured to death, Gao never cried, but now she couldn't bear it anymore, and the tears she held back rolled down.

She knelt in front of the bed and held Ah Qing's hand tightly: "My dear sister, I owe you my life. Get well soon. I'll take you back to the Central Plains and your hometown, okay?"

"Hometown..." Ah Qing's eyes became misty, "There is a river in front of my house... poplars are planted by the river, and the flowers bloom in spring. Sun Lang will string up those flowers and put them on my head..."

Her voice gradually faded.

In the end, I don't hear it.

Gao Shi held her hand tightly, trembling all over, suddenly let out a mournful cry from his throat, and fell on the bed, weeping uncontrollably.

Xue Tan, a big man, couldn't help it either, tears streaming down his face.

Even Hongyan, who was used to the bloody and cruel side of the Turkic people, could not bear to close his eyes.

The death of the rabbit and the fox are sad, both Han people, Ah Qing's death seems to be the death of thousands of Han people who were taken captive to Hudi.

Only He Rong, from beginning to end, didn't say a word, his face was indifferent, and he didn't have a single tear.

He clenched the bamboo stick in his hand, and suddenly turned and walked out.

Xue Tan was taken aback, thinking he was going to trouble Jia Luo, so he hurriedly chased him out.

"Zhenguan! Saburo!"

When they are away from home, it is inconvenient for them to call their official positions, and they all call each other equals.

The temperature difference between day and night in Turkic is very large. During the day, the heat is steaming, and at night, the moon is as cold as water, and even the surrounding Gobi is cold.

He Rong didn't go to Jia Luo to settle the score, Xue Tan chased him out and saw his figure standing under the moon, he couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that it was impossible for He Rong to be so impulsive as a person.

"Sanlang." Xue Tan approached.

The night dimly depicts the shadows of the mountains in the distance, and the nearby tents are surrounded by a large area of ​​light, the bonfire candlelight, and the swaying figures, but they cannot be reflected in He Rong's heart, making him warm for a moment.

There was a fire, just like the bonfire not far away, burning in his heart, becoming more and more intense, almost about to explode.

He Rong remembered that earlier today, Xue Tan told Ah Qing that he wanted to take her back to the Central Plains to find her parents and relatives. At that time, he only wanted to meet Princess Zhending quickly and persuade her to cooperate with the court. He felt that Xue Tan sometimes Too much affection, passion will delay things, and care too much about those insignificant people, it is easy to delay business.

But in a blink of an eye, this woman named Ah Qing, when she saw Gao's possible humiliation, stepped forward to rescue her, and even lost her life.

What is the purpose of the imperial court sending envoys to the Western Turks?For the common people in the world, for the peace of the border, and for the people to live and work in peace and contentment.

If He Rong is willing, he can say a lot of high-sounding reasons, just like what he said in front of his father, the emperor, and Princess Zhending.

But he knew very well in his heart that in fact, he was just trying to earn a way to the top. Because he was disabled, he was destined not to be able to make contributions in the battlefield. Tougher than others.

He did not avoid hardships and dangers and traveled thousands of miles to come here, risking his life and future. The righteousness of his family and country is just a layer of Chinese clothes on the outside. In the end, He Rong is only for himself. Only those who succeed and fail,

For the first time, He Rong realized how precious his plan to gain huge political capital for himself was to people like Ah Qing who were like ants.

His eye sockets were slightly hot, but not a single tear came out.

"Sanlang?" Xue Tan felt that the silent He Rong was abnormal, but he couldn't tell what was abnormal.

"You came here with me, have you ever been afraid?" He finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

Xue Tan: "With you here, I'm not afraid."

He Rong: "Tell the truth."

Xue Tan coughed lightly: "Yes."

He Rong: "In order to get ahead, show off in front of your family?"

Xue Tan: "Half of it. The other half... just think of me as a young man whose passion is still alive. I want to emulate Zhang Qian and Ban Gu and help the imperial court to reproduce the territory of the Han Dynasty. Although this wish is still far away."

He Rong was silent for a moment: "In your eyes, am I the one who can help you realize this wish?"

Xue Tan rubbed his nose and said with a dry smile, "To be honest, I was still a little uncertain at first, but after hearing what you said in front of Princess Zhending today, I believed it, especially now."

He Rong frowned: "What do you mean?"

Xue Tan: "If you really have a heart of stone, why can't you bear to see it and leave? You are not ruthless, you just hide your feelings in your heart and don't want to show them easily. Such a person is cold on the outside and hot on the inside. If any woman in the future gets your favor, You must be a deeply affectionate person."

He winked at He Rong: "Am I right?"

He Rong had no expression on his face: "What crime should I be guilty of for speculating on Shangguan's mind?"

Xue Tan grinned, "Shangguan has a lot of people, so he will disdain to haggle with villains like me."

He Rong glanced at him.

Xue Tan suppressed his smile and cupped his hands towards He Rong. In order not to attract attention, he did not bow, but his tone was unprecedentedly solemn: "Yu Shen's family and life are all entrusted to you. dispatch."

He Rong said indifferently: "You are an official ordered by the imperial court, you should be ordered by the imperial court."

Xue Tan smiled, but did not refute.

At this moment, Gao Shi stepped out of the tent with a mournful expression and tears still on her face. She seemed to have lost her mind, and was about to bow down when she saw He Rong, but Xue Tan quickly grabbed her with a sharp hand, and stopped in a low voice: "You What are you doing!"

Gao Shi was slightly shocked, woke up, and murmured: "I'm sorry..."

Xue Tan looked stern, and he was no longer narrow-minded like usual: "This is not a place where you can be distracted!"

Gao Shi took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, her voice was still trembling slightly, but it wasn't because she was scolded by Xue Tan, but because she hadn't come out of the state of mind just now.

She whispered: "I know I was wrong."

He Rong: "What do you want to say?"

Gao smiled wryly: "To be honest, before I came here, I was only thinking about how to complete the errands you gave me and find a way out for myself. I never thought that the righteousness of my family and the country were related to me, but Ah Qing, but Ah Qing..."

She was a little choked up, but she still tried her best to continue: "I was sold into the Zhang family since I was a child. Although they said they wanted to wait until I grew up, they would destroy my contract of sale and let me marry the young man of the Zhang family. The Pu family is harsh, but I have never had a good day, so I am cynical and always think that people in the world are sinister, and I always force myself to be cold-hearted and hard-hearted. Qi, until I met Xue Langjun and you, until I saw Ah Qing..."

Gao saw her own selfishness in Ah Qing. She didn't know where Ah Qing got her courage, but she knew that if she were Ah Qing, she would definitely not be able to step forward when she was in danger, just to save a few a stranger.

Ah Qing didn't know their identities, and it was impossible for her to think of benefiting from them. In her eyes, whether it was the Gao family or He Rong and Xue Tan, there was only one identity, and that was the Han people.

Gao: "I used to be ignorant and ignorant, but now I finally understand that what you did to the Han people living in Turks is really a great fortune... From now on, as long as you have orders from the lord, the concubine will be smashed to pieces , do your best.”

She was not born cold-blooded, but she was aroused by Ah Qing who met by chance.

In Gao's eyes, He Rong now represents the imperial court and righteousness, so following his words is tantamount to obeying the imperial court's instructions.

He Rong let out a sigh of relief.

The chill instantly turned the hot air into a light white mist, which dissipated in the night.

In the past, he might have had the complacency of conquering people's hearts, but not now.

He suddenly thought of He Zhan.

The distance between the Western Turkic Royal Court and the border city of Zhangye is actually not that far, at least it is much closer than Chang'an, but after all, it is still several days away.

He Rong thought, it's a good thing he didn't bring He Zhan here, it's too dangerous here, Princess Zhending can't protect herself, the Western Turks are in danger, it's not easy for the three of them to save their lives, let alone turn things around, step by step , are walking on thin ice, if He Zhan is by his side, then nine times out of ten he will be implicated.

He looked at Xue Tan and Gao Shi who were also looking back at him: "I will take you away, and I won't let you break here."

Xue Gao and two saluted silently, concealed but solemn.

……

He Zhan sneezed.

He had finished grooming and was half leaning on the bed to read a book, but he fell asleep unknowingly. After sneezing and sneezing, he suddenly felt a chill. It turned out that his hair was still half dry, so he quickly touched a clean cotton towel from the side and covered it. on the hair.

The door was knocked.

He Zhan: "Come in."

Chen Qian pushed the door open and entered: "Commander."

He Zhan smiled and said, "Brother Chen doesn't have to be so formal, just call me Goro in private."

Chen Qian nodded, and did not give way: "Goro."

He Zhan: "Brother Chen, why is he still awake, do you have something to say?"

Chen Qian hesitated for a moment: "These days, you have trained your soldiers harder than when you were in the Imperial Army. The soldiers complained in private. Does Goro have any plans? Or did Shaoqing have arrangements?"

He Zhan turned cold, but it wasn't directed at Chen Qian: "What? Are they unable to hold on anymore?"

Chen Qian hurriedly said: "That's not true. In fact, these people's quality is not bad. With a little exercise, they will become talents, but now we are in Zhangye City, and we can't walk around, so they don't know what is the use of practicing day and night. Inevitably muttering."

He Zhan: "Raise soldiers for a thousand days, and use them for a while. I know that they all want to make contributions in their hearts, so they followed the third brother and me to this place. Now the third brother is risking his life in front of us. Naturally, we can't slack off. One day, Always comes in handy."

Chen Qian nodded, and then sighed: "I don't know what happened to Shaoqing and the others in West Turkic."

He was originally a cold-tempered person, but He Zhangui was the emperor's grandson, and he performed well in the imperial army. In terms of personal force, Chen Qian was no match for him. He was already convinced, and he was not secretly unhappy because He Zhan was suddenly promoted ahead of him.

He Zhan: "Third Brother and I have agreed on a date and a password. If there is a chance, he will definitely let someone pass the news."

Why is he not anxious, but he can't show it in front of those soldiers, otherwise others will only be more anxious.

If the third brother encounters an accident there...

He Zhan didn't dare to think about it anymore, he didn't want to speculate even the slightest possibility of this.

Among the brothers in the He family, apart from the same mother He Xiu, he and his third brother He Rong have had the best relationship since childhood. During the years when their father lived in Fangzhou, the emotions bred in adversity made them depend on each other even more. Generally, brothers are even more affectionate.

For He Zhan, the third brother is not only his elder brother, but also has more meanings of existence. If other brothers go to the border and go to Turkic as an envoy, he asks himself, and he may not guarantee that he will follow him without hesitation. , just because he is the third brother, and only the third brother can let him do this.

"Third brother will be fine." He said to Chen Qian.

In fact, he was also talking to himself.

……

This tent was bigger than what He Rong and the others saw at Princess Zhending's place. There was a big lamp hanging on the top, and dozens of candles were placed on the gilded copper lamp holder. There were many candle lights around the tent. Brightly illuminate the inside of the tent.

Because of this, the face of the person lying on the bed was even more pale and haggard.

Princess Zhending was obviously used to it, she didn't look up and looked around, after entering the tent, she walked towards the person on the bed.

The latter moved his face slightly, as if aware of it, and after a while, he slowly opened his eyes and saw Princess Zhending sitting on the mustache stool beside his bed.

Under the flickering of the candlelight, the face that had been stained with years of wind and frost seemed to be still the delicate and pretty look of the past.

"Wen Xian..." Moli Khan opened his mouth, seeming to be raving.

But Princess Zhending knew it was not.

The man in front of her is called by her boudoir name.

Linghu Wenxian, after decades of leaving the fortress, only Moli Khan and his maid Hongyan remembered the princess's boudoir name.

Hongyan didn't dare to call it that, so Moli was the only one who still used this name.

Princess Zhending: "How does Da Khan feel, do you want to call the doctor in?"

Moli Khan shook his head: "No need."

The simple three words also made him a little breathless.

It was already the end of the battle—Princess Zhending knew it well, and Moli Khan himself knew it too.

Moli Khan: "You haven't come to see me these days."

Princess Zhending said indifferently: "Several guests came from my hometown, one of them is a descendant of my maid in the palace, and that maid served my sister later, when I meet her, I always have endless questions. if."

Moli Khan: "I heard that Jia Luo disrespected you a few days ago."

Princess Zhending: "It will be a matter of time."

Moli Khan sighed: "Wen Xian, do you have to talk to me like this? I know you're still blaming me for not giving you the man."

Princess Zhending's face remained calm: "How dare you? That's the Khan's personal soldier. Whom do you want to give it to? It's your power. I'm just a tool you married to get closer to the Central Plains court. Time has passed. , The Central Plains changed dynasties, and I, Ke Dun, should have given way to a good man long ago."

Moli Khan was also angry: "You have been married to Turkic for so many years. I don't like how you always talk like this. If you are not happy, you will not be happy. If you insist on telling me these duplicity words, don't you feel suffocated?" ?”

Princess Zhending sneered: "I'm panicking, but what can I do? You don't know how Jialuo treats me, your nephew, never had the slightest respect for me! You die, I will sooner or later What wants to follow you is not to be buried, but to be tortured to death by your good nephew! Molly, you are so cruel. I have followed you for decades, and I don’t know Turkic. Customs, I also worked hard to learn, and later, I helped you take care of the housework and assisted you in ruling the Western Turks. Which one is not better than your previous dynasties? But you actually want to pass the throne to Jialuo, and you don’t care about my life or death at all. !"

In the end, Princess Zhending couldn't help but her eyes were red.

Moli Khan softened suddenly, regardless of the opponent's struggle, he held Princess Zhending's soft hand with a hand covered with orange peel wrinkles.

"My soldiers, you can't control them. Most of them have followed Galo and have been subdued by him. Galo is like a lone wolf, while Luji is more like a camel. Turkic people need lone wolves and don't like camels, so Lu Ji and you are single and weak. It’s not that I don’t care about you, but these people, it’s useless for you and Lu Ji to go. But I’ve already prepared a way out for you. I’m in Yanqi City, and there’s another The personal guards of 3 people, they are stationed in Yanqi all the year round, they have no entanglements with the various forces in the royal court, and they will not be bribed by Jia Luo. Once I die, you and Lu Ji will go to Yanqi City to join them. I have already explained it , they will take you westward, to Persia, and Galo won’t do anything to you.”

Princess Zhending stared blankly at Moli Khan.

Moli Khan breathed weakly: "They all said that women in the Central Plains have too many thoughts and would not be loyal to Turks, but who made me fall in love with you back then?"

Princess Zhending was hit hard in the heart.

The age difference between her and Mo Li is 20 years old. From the very beginning, they never fell in love at first sight as written in the drama legend. What they have between each other is the marriage between countries, full of political color and mutual temptation. Later, she defeated other women and became his only Ketun. Princess Zhending didn't feel that she had any special status in Moli Khan's heart. Even if she did, it was because of the recognition she gained with her ability.

Moli Khan: "Wen Xian, listen to my advice, don't confront Jia Luo head-on, you can't compete with him at all, although I am a Khan, there are also tribal leaders and nobles below, they will not support you and Lu Ji .”

At that moment, Princess Zhending put away all the turbulent emotions in her heart and returned to her usual calm.

She approached Moli Khan: "I am very grateful for your maintenance, but this is not only your Western Turkic, but also my Western Turkic. I know that the people under your hands have never believed me. If I just leave In other words, then the decades of operation and maintenance will be in vain, I, no, willing, heart!"

Moli Khan looked at her deeply, and almost sighed for this stubborn woman again: "You..."

Princess Zhending: "If behind me, there is the support of the entire Central Plains dynasty, do you think those Turkic nobles will firmly support Jia Luo?"

Moli Khan suddenly opened his eyes wide: "You?!"

Princess Zhending wiped the sweat off his forehead for him, and said softly: "Over the Eastern Turks, Fu Nian has always been ambitious, wanting to annex the Western Turks and dominate the north, you should know that. Jia Luo is your nephew, he is as young as you When you were brave and fierce, but without your calm and self-restraint, he is arrogant and will only lead the entire Western Turks to the abyss of death and destroy the achievements you have built in your life. You should be very clear. But I am different, with me Now, with Lu Ji here, I will continue to rule this land according to the style you had during your lifetime. If there is a chance in the future, I will unite with the Central Plains dynasty, attack Fu Nian, unify Turks, and realize your long-cherished wish. These things, Jia Luo can Can you do it?"

Moli Khan's chest rose and fell violently, he closed his eyes, opened them again after a long time.

"You can't beat Jia Luo. The Central Plains court can't save the near fire. Jia Luo has a hundred thousand soldiers in his hands!"

Princess Zhending: "Lu Ji has secretly lobbied the leaders of the various tribes, trying to split them up. Even if they don't support us, don't push them to Jialuo's side. Jialuo still has a few tribal leaders. Human life, I don't believe they can be so forgetful."

Moli Khan: "The Central Plains people are cunning and insidious, they are just using you!"

Princess Zhending: "I know, but they need me as well, and I need them too. You men have ambitions, but don't women have them? Why do you want women to waste their youth, sacrifice their lives, and travel far away for their family and country, but they can't have their own? I have thought about marrying the son of a noble family in the capital, and I will live a rich and peaceful life. I also thought that if I hadn’t been born in the emperor’s family, I would have already been a grandmother, with children and grandchildren around my knees, enjoying the family. But since I was born, I was destined to leave This road, then why can’t I plant flowers on the road, why can’t I be enshrined and admired by others, and enjoy the glory to go forward instead of taking off my shoes and socks and stepping on gravel and thorns with bare feet?!”

Moli Khan looked at her, his gray beard trembling slightly, unable to speak a word.

Princess Zhending stood up, straightened her dress with a flick of her hand, her posture was elegant, her chin slightly raised: "There has never been a consort princess who has been able to take power in a foreign land, and there has never been a consort princess who has not died in depression, but I don't believe it. Molly, I am not They don't want to be them either!"