The Bamboo Horse Dressed as the Emperor

After Song Jiao said those words, Mr. Xie fell into a long silence.

He was sitting on the side of the couch, with one hand on his knees, his white hair was loose, and his white beard was blown out when he exhaled.

Song Jiao suddenly saw that Grandpa Xie also had wrinkles on his face, and his eyes were already cloudy.

Master Xie comforted himself: "No, they have been with me for decades..."

Song Jiao simply lifted the quilt, got down on the couch, and knelt down in front of Grandpa Xie: "Grandpa, if the Wang family really thought about the friendship of these decades, they would not have committed such a heinous crime. It is to test the bottom line of grandpa, to see how far grandpa can tolerate him, if grandpa retreats again and again, I am afraid that we will not have to wait for grandpa for a hundred years, and Wang Er will be in charge."

He fixed his eyes and looked at Mr. Xie squarely: "Please Your Majesty deal with the Wang family fairly."

Master Xie wanted to help him up, but Song Jiao was determined and insisted that he agree.

Song Jiao knew that Mr. Xie had only two concerns. First, the Wang family had been with him to conquer the world from the very beginning. Now that the world is not settled, he would attack the Wang family. It would cause people to criticize him; Many places are guarded by the Wang family. I am afraid that once the Wang family is eliminated, the battle line will collapse and the Qing Kingdom will counterattack.

He raised a tiger to be a trouble, and now he can't get off the tiger.

Song Jiao thought about it, then raised his head: "Grandpa..."

Old Master Xie also raised his head: "Fan Kai, pass an order to the front line and let Brother Shen take charge of the army. He said that the Second Master will come to the front line soon, and I, authorize the family reunion of their father and son, and ask the generals of the Wang family to hand over the military talismans to Brother Shen." , and then go back to Nintendo City to meet the Second Master."

Mr. Xie made up his mind and would not change it.

He is giving the Wang family one last chance.

If the Wang family obediently handed over the military talisman, he would not make any further plans; if the Wang family refused to hand over their endowment and plotted against him, he would have a reason to attack the Wang family.

But this is too risky.

Song Jiao hesitated and said, "Grandpa..."

Mr. Xie's thoughts are smooth, but the Wang family's situation is strong. If the Wang family is determined to rebel, it may even be planned for a long time, and Mr. Xie may have a hard time coping with it.

Mr. Xie looked at him and patted his head: "The front line is dangerous, Fan Kai, you take people personally and send Maomao to Meicheng to avoid people, take the path and avoid people."

Song Jiao hurriedly said, "Grandpa, I won't go."

"No, be obedient." Mr. Xie's cloudy eyes swept away the mist and burst into light, "Let's go now, grandpa swore to your grandpa that he would protect you."

No matter how reluctant Song Jiao was, she stayed in Rentian City for a few days, but was finally dragged away by Fan Kai and thrown into the carriage.

In the early morning, Fan Kai took a bamboo hat, sat on the coachman's seat, and drove the carriage out of the city.

Just at this time, the carriage of Wang Erdang's family also arrived.Wang Jiajun escorted him, with black armor and long halberd, solemn and silent.

A carriage is simple, and a carriage is luxurious. When you go out and enter, you bump into each other at the gate of the city and pass by.

The wind blew the curtains of the carriages on both sides.

Wang Erdang spread his arms and leaned on the soft pillow.

Song Jiaoduan sat on the seat, carrying a bamboo basket and a bamboo hat just like when he came here.

The moment the wind blows the curtain, the old and the young turn their heads at the same time, see each other's eyes, and look into each other's cloudy or clear eyes.

Wang Erdang raised the corners of his mouth and showed a contemptuous smile.

Song Jiao always felt that something was wrong, but couldn't figure it out for a while.

When Wang Erdang arrived in Rentian City, Mr. Xie greeted him personally and hosted a banquet.

Wang Erdang straightened up, got out of the carriage, and held Mr. Xie's hand: "Brother, long time no see."

Master Xie smiled and nodded: "Second brother."

Two elderly people who add up to a hundred years old and have supported each other for half their lives, each with their own thoughts, went to the banquet hand in hand.

Master Xie sat on the main seat and raised the wine bottle with one hand: "Second brother, please."

Wang Erdang's movements were exactly the same as his: "Brother."

After drinking for three rounds, Wang Erdang caressed his thigh and sighed softly: "Brother, you also know that all these years, my body is covered with wounds from the battlefield, and I am also getting old, so I really can't stand the long-distance travel. but……"

He sighed again: "Oh, I'm really ashamed to say that we still caused such a thing in the rear. My grandson is usually a bit of a dandy. He just came back from the country. I spoiled him, so he is guilty , nor will it be..."

"Okay, okay." Mr. Xie said, "I know everything, how are you?"

Wang Erdang lowered his head and wept: "I can't be rescued."

"My condolences to my second brother."

"Brother, let me ask you a question. Is it true that Mr. Jiang crossed the border and did not supervise effectively? When the elder brother entrusted me with the land, did you agree that everything in the fief will be under the control of my Wang family?" Wang Er The master raised his head and wiped away his tears, "Brother, I'm afraid you forgot?"

Mr. Xie paused for a moment, and took it over vaguely: "Okay, your family has a great career and countless descendants. One bad seed will ruin the whole family. It's rare for you to come here. I will take you to the front line tomorrow to see , and I have already ordered that all your sons and grandchildren come to see you, so don't cry."

But Wang Erdao said: "I am dying. My sons and grandsons are all on the battlefield, fighting for the country of Qi. I know that your majesty is worried that they will not see me. In comparison, state affairs are more important. I have already told them No need to come here, no need to hand in the Tiger Talisman, and continue to concentrate on serving His Majesty."

The smile on Mr. Xie's face froze: "They do listen to you."

It's better than listening to the emperor's words.

Mr. Xie secretly made a decision, he raised his hand: "Come on, dance swords for me and my second master."

Three blue-clothed warriors with long swords came in at the sound, saluted Mr. Xie, and drew out their long swords with a bang.

In the shadow of swords and swords, Old Master Xie and Second Master Wang did not change their faces, and laughed at Yan Yan.

The sword brushed against Wang Erdangjia's neck several times, but Wang Erdangjia only stepped back and blocked it with a wine bottle.

Suddenly, he smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I saw Mao Mao when I came."

Mr. Xie grasped the hem of his clothes suddenly, and calmed down: "He insisted on coming over and letting me make the decision. I was very annoyed, so I drove him away."

Wang Erdang smiled inexplicably, and raised the wine bottle towards him.

Mr. Xie was worried about Song Jiao, and was afraid that Mr. Wang would take him under the knife, so he put down his wine glass, called his attendant to come forward, gave a few orders, and let people go down.

Things are up to now, what Wang Yun, what Jiang Ping, is not important anymore.

Wang Erdang's family just needs an excuse to rebel, and Xie Laodang's family also needs a reason to crusade.

Because of such a common purpose, they gathered in Nintendo City.

Wang Erdang's family is already mobilizing troops to besiege the city, and he is threatening Mr. Xie, Song Jiao will not be able to leave Rentian City.

"Your Majesty, the sky is about to change." Wang Erdang pointed to the top of his head.

At the other end, the carriage left the city and went north all the way. Before going far, it encountered a checkpoint.

Fan Kai's intuition was wrong, and he said in a low voice to the carriage: "His Royal Highness, quickly enter the secret compartment, there should not be a checkpoint here, this is a checkpoint set up by Wang Erdang."

With a thump in Song Jiao's heart, he quickly pushed open the hidden door on the back wall of the carriage and hid in.

The Wang family has already started mobilizing troops, they...

At this moment, the carriage stopped in front of the checkpoint.

Song Jiao hid in the carriage and heard footsteps approaching outside.

He heard Fan Kai shout: "General Wang, Your Majesty collected some gadgets from the front line and sent someone to send them back to Fengxiang."

It really is a member of the Wang family.

The voice that sounded next was also familiar to Song Jiao.

"Well, I have a routine inspection."

This is Wang Kuang's voice.

Wearing armor, holding a saber in his hand, and wearing a blindfold over his left eye, Wang Kuang stepped forward quickly to check the carriage.

He leaned into the carriage, stretched out his hand, and knocked on the back wall of the carriage.

Song Jiao could clearly feel that the wooden board in front of him trembled and reverberated.

Fan Kai put his hand on the dagger in his sleeve, ready to strike.

But at this critical moment, Wang Kuang withdrew his hand, jumped off the carriage, turned around and left, closed his eyes, and said lightly, "Let's go."

Fan Kai didn't dare to delay, jumped into the carriage and continued on his way.

Song Jiao can be sure that Wang Kuang must know that he is in the carriage.

He is grateful to Song Jiao, and still remembers the friendship he had when he was in Taixue.

But he couldn't disobey his grandfather's orders, let alone his family's orders.

He could only let Song Jiao go in this way, he was blind in one eye, just let him open one eye and close the other eye.

At noon, Wang Kuang, who was guarding the checkpoint, said: "Send a letter to grandpa, but he has not been found. He should still be in Rentian City."

The banquet in Nintendo City lasted until noon.

Someone came in to report to Wang Erdang's family. After Wang Erdang's family heard about it, the smile on his face obviously faded.

Coincidentally at this time, Mr. Xie also received news of Song Jiao's safety.

Mr. Xie held up his wine bottle: "The wind has passed and the sky has cleared up."

Wang Erdang laughed dryly, and then ordered his followers: "Go, let Second Master Xie not delay."

"Yes."

Wang Erdang made up his mind that if he wanted to rebel, of course he was fully prepared.

He contacted Second Master Xie who had been deposed early in the morning, and reached a consensus with Second Master Xie to distribute the soldiers in his hands to him.

Let him kill Song Jiao first, let him compete with Mr. Xie's father and son, and then reap the benefits himself.

This is what Wang Erdang had in mind. He had been with Mr. Xie for decades, and he knew where Mr. Xie's pain was, and he knew how to stab him there.

Now let's play a show of brothers and friends.

Meicheng is to the north of Rentian City, it is not an important military town, nor is it a key fortress.

So Mr. Xie asked Fan Kai to take Song Jiao to hide in Meicheng for a few days.

But the journey to Meicheng was not smooth.

The carriage arrived in Meicheng in the evening, and before entering the city, it met another carriage in front of the city gate.

The carriage was equally simple, and the curtains hanging in front of the carriage door and windows were plain white.

Fan Kai asked Song Jiao to hide in the secret door again: "Your Highness, those who don't know who will come, be careful."

Then on the other side of the carriage, a young maid was sent down. The maid stepped forward and said beside the carriage: "Young master, don't panic. Our wife heard the news of the Wang family's rebellion and came here to keep you safe."

After a brief conversation, the two carriages entered the city together and settled down in a private house.

In the evening, a man rode a horse and led hundreds of people, followed the carriage into the city, and searched around the city.

Although the leader is also wearing armor, he doesn't look like a general.

Because his head is bald, with only six ring scars.

He is a monk, or rather, he has been a monk.

It was Master Xie.

A few years ago, he asked himself to leave Fengxiang and become a monk to practice.

In fact, if he didn't mention it, Master Xie wouldn't have punished him so severely.

A while ago, the Wang family found him in the temple and "discussed the big plan together."The Wang family said that His Majesty is old and the sun is declining, and the crown prince is meek, and it is difficult to achieve great things. They hope that they can help him succeed to the throne.

He came.

Before leaving, he made a special trip to Yunzhou.

It was the place where the second lady had been all these years. He didn't dare to enter the door, so he sat outside the courtyard wall alone, watching the lights in the second lady's room, sitting and thinking all night.

Then he cleaned up his former soldiers and horses, and rushed all the way to Rentian City.

The Wang family asked him to kill Song Jiao first, and he came.

Soon, the subordinates discovered that the door of a private house was closed, and there was no response to knocking on the door.

Their intuition was wrong, so they hurriedly reported to Second Master Xie.

Xie Erye rode his horse to the entrance of the alley, then dismounted, holding his saber and wearing brand-new moccasin boots, he walked to the front of the house step by step.

He tried to push the door, but it couldn't be opened, so he drew out his saber, took two steps back, shouted, and split open the wooden door with the long knife.

This is a courtyard house with a lantern lit under the eaves. The guards arranged by Mr. Xie and hidden in the dark are ready to attack at any time. Song Jiao is standing on the other side of the courtyard, looking up at him without fear.

There was another person that Second Master Xie knew very well.

A girl named Yun Huijing, his former wife.

Huijing looked the same as a few years ago, even younger and more energetic than a few years ago, her face was rosy, her eyes were firm, she raised her chin haughtily, and looked directly at Xie Erye.

She stood in front of Song Jiao and opened her arms.

Like a phoenix spreading its wings.

"This is my child, you have to touch him and step over my dead body."

Xie Erye held a knife and stood over the threshold.

I don't know when his timid and cowardly ex-wife found out, when he came, and when he had such courage.

Song Jiao stood behind Yun Huijing and called out, "Auntie."

Yun Huijing looked back at him: "It's okay, Mao Mao is not afraid." She turned her head and looked at Xie Erye: "Xie Xin, you have time to turn around now."

Like a barrier, Second Master Xie stood on the threshold, not daring to take a step forward.

After standing in a stalemate for a long time, only a "bang" sound was heard, and the long knife in Xie Erye's hand slipped and fell to the ground.

He held his breath, and stood upright, with only two knees bent down.

With a "plop", he knelt down in front of Yun Huijing.

He took off his helmet, exposing his head with six scalding scars, and with a "bang", he bent down and kowtowed.

His back trembled and he couldn't help crying: "Hui Jing, I'm not, I'm here to protect Mao Mao, I'm here to protect Mao Mao, you believe me, I know I was wrong, I have changed it..."

No one would believe it, not even Mr. Xie himself.

On the day he left the mountain, he spent the whole night thinking outside Yun Huijing's courtyard, and finally sent someone to deliver a letter to his elder brother Prince, telling him to beware of the Wang family.

He had no intention of rebelling against the throne.

He came here to rescue his father, to protect Xie Chen, and to protect Song Jiao.

How ridiculous, with such a righteous name, no one believes him, no one believes him.

He did too many wrong things, thanks to his name "Xin", in the end, no one believed him.

Second Master Xie raised his head and saw the defense in Yun Huijing's eyes.

He tried to climb forward, but Yun Huijing protected Song Jiao and retreated, fearing that he would make other moves.

Second Master Xie fell at Yun Huijing's feet: "May I live forever as a dog at Madam's feet."

Yun Huijing frowned: "Tell your people to back off."

As dusk fell, Second Master Xie led his people back outside the city gate, while Song Jiao and Mrs. Huijing were eating in the settled house.

Mrs. Huijing brought him vegetables: "Maomao, eat more, and you can grow taller."

"Well, thank you, auntie." Song Jiao lowered his head and took a bite, thought for a while, and asked, "Auntie, it was too dangerous just now."

Mrs. Huijing said calmly: "It's okay. After all these years, I know Xie Xin, and he won't do anything."

"But... when did Auntie know about it?"

"Only a month ago, he ran over inexplicably and wandered around my house. I thought something was wrong, so I sent someone to look at it, and then told my eldest brother and sister-in-law." Mrs. Huijing poked his forehead, "I I didn't know until I returned to Fengxiang that you had already run over, so I was really worried, so I came over to take a look. Look, it was really dangerous just now."

Song Jiao chewed the food and said in a low voice, "Auntie, the Wang family has rebelled. I think I can't go back."

"Well, I can't go back."

"No, I mean, I can't go back to Fengxiang, I have to go back to Rentian City."

"No, His Majesty finally sent you out, you can't go back."

"But Wang Erdang's family has already entered the city, Grandpa Xie may be in danger at any time, and Brother Shen, the Wang family will not give him the military talisman, he is also in danger."

Song Jiao thought for a while, and continued: "If I were Wang Er in charge, Wang Kuang and Xie Erye both missed, I would not be able to wait, fearing that there would be another change, I would immediately send troops into Rentian City, and take Xie Erye away. Grandpa is in control. Brother Shen is fighting outside, it is very difficult to get out to save Grandpa."

He made up his mind: "Anyway, I can't stay here alone."

Song Jiao integrated the troops around Meicheng and the troops brought by Xie Erye.

Meicheng is not an important town, and there are not many troops around. Xie Erye's soldiers and horses are all private soldiers raised by him in the past. There are not many people, only a few thousand in total.

With these thousands of people alone, it is of course difficult to compete with the Wang family.

So Song Jiao was going to help Xie Chen out of the siege first, and then rush back to Rentian City with Xie Chen.

Second Master Xie went with him, and Mrs. Huijing also wore her cloak and rode on a horse—she was the daughter of a family of generals in the Qing Dynasty, but she was not as skilled as Mrs. Xie.

Xie Chen was at the forefront, by the Wei River.

When Song Jiao was rushing over, the spies he had sent came back with a lot of news.

——The Wang family army who was also on the front line refused to hand in the military talisman, and clashed with His Royal Highness Taisun.

——Old master Xie had a dispute with Wang Erdang. Mr. Xie vomited blood at the banquet and is now seriously ill.

——His Royal Highness Taisun fought with the Wang family and was trapped in the city. Because he was worried about His Majesty, he was so angry that he fell off his horse and died.

When Song Jiao heard the third message, he was also riding on the horse.

His figure wobbled, and he almost fell off his horse.

Mrs. Huijing supported him, her expression anxious: "Maomao? Maomao?"

Song Jiao only felt that his eyes went black for a while, his hands and feet were numb, he couldn't see anything clearly, he couldn't hear anything.

He pushed away the hands that were supporting him, and calmed himself down. After a while, he said: "No, Brother Shen should have faked his death. It should be to avoid the entanglement of the Wang family and deliberately fake his death."

Song Jiao blew the whistle to call Goshawk, and took out the pen she carried with her.

Because he couldn't see anything clearly, he could only write by feeling——

Is it safe?

With trembling hands, he rolled up the note and stuffed it into the small bamboo tube, out of sight. After stuffing it two or three times, it was Madam Huijing who stuffed it in for him.

Song Jiao let the goshawk fly.

He said this to himself, and comforted himself: "Brother Shen often pretended to be dead. He often pretended to be dead when he was young. He pretended to be dead almost every year..."

Before the words were finished, Mrs. Huijing caught Song Jiao who fell down, and shouted anxiously: "Maomao? Maomao!"

It turned out that what he said just now was spoken in such a low voice that no one else could hear it, only he himself could hear it.

Only he can hear it.

When Song Jiao woke up, it was already night.

He opened his eyes, and his eyes began to blur.

He groped around for a while, and then Mrs. Huijing held his hand: "Mamao?"

Song Jiao's voice was hoarse: "Auntie, is that eagle back?"

"Not yet..." Mrs. Huijing said softly, "Not yet, don't worry, Brother Shen is alert and brave, such a thing would never happen, it should be his plan."

"I think so."

But of course Song Jiao was still worried.

"I'm going to take a look, Auntie, you and Uncle Fan Kai led troops to the vicinity of Rentian City. I have already contacted Grandpa Xie. We made an appointment. Five days later, we will cooperate inside and outside the city to annihilate the Wang family. Odds."

"how about you?"

"I'm going to Weicheng."

Weicheng is the place where Xie Chen "stopped his spirit".

Mrs. Huijing held him down: "Maomao, that's not allowed. The area around Weicheng is full of people from the Wang family, and the roads to and from the city have been blocked."

Song Jiao's eyes turned red immediately: "Auntie, I beg you, I really want to take a look, I will go alone, I will not bring soldiers and horses, let others die in vain, I will go there alone. "

"Mao Mao..."

"The Wang family will let me into the city. They think that I will definitely not be able to escape, and they will not be able to do anything. They let me into the city and just caught me."

At this moment, a figure appeared outside the tent, Second Master Xie said cautiously: "Huijing, I'll take Maomao, I promise Maomao will be fine."

Early the next morning, they separated.

Mrs. Huijing and Fan Kai led their troops to the vicinity of Rentian City and waited for the opportunity. Xie Erye and Song Jiao went to Weicheng.

Passing by Wang's army's camp, Second Master Xie said: "After all, it's my nephew. He's dead. I'll go in and have a look. Besides, if we can get in, how can we get out?"

The Wang family asked Wang Erdang for instructions, and the calculations in Wang Erdang's heart were pounding.

Let them in, and surround the three members of Xie's family to death in Weicheng, not bad.

So he waved his hand and let them in.

Song Jiao arrived in Weicheng three days later.

White cloth was hung on the towers of Weicheng, the city was wrapped in plain, and the soldiers were dressed in hemp, but Song Jiao rode a horse and went all the way into the city at a fast speed, and couldn't see anything clearly.

He got off his horse in front of the Weicheng Garrison Mansion, and quickly ran through the door.

Walk through the corridor to the main hall, where white cloth is also hung, and a coffin is placed in the middle.

This is a mourning hall.

Song Jiao suddenly stopped in his tracks, feeling that a huge stone was pressing on his heart, trying to suffocate him.

Song Jiao vomited a big mouthful of blood with a wow, staining a large part of his clothes red.

He didn't notice that the soldiers behind him quickly closed the door and opened the coffin board when they saw his appearance.

Xie Chen crawled out of the coffin, flipped out lightly, strode forward, and hugged him into his arms.

But Song Jiao fainted after closing her eyes.