The prince is very fierce

The evening drums are like thunder, resounding through thousands of streets and hundreds of squares in Chang'an.

Dayefang, Qingshi Lane.

Old people have gone and new people have come, and the alley that has been walked for countless generations is covered with a thin layer of white snow. Scattered footprints remain on the snow, spreading forward to the source of the aroma of wine.

Sun's shop is still the same as it used to be. Three old wine tables are placed in the wine shop. The old shopkeeper puts a towel on his shoulders and wipes it next to several large wine tanks while muttering:

"It's the end of the New Year, and I feel like it's not very lively this year. In the past, the wine would have been sold out at noon. Old man, I can go back early to rest..."

The wine shop was as quiet as ever. At the wine table next to the fence, a middle-aged man in a Confucian shirt was holding a warm broken jade roast. In front of him were two plates of side dishes, drinking by himself.

Behind the middle-aged man, there is a fair-skinned young man, less than thirty, with a feminine face, not as upright as an ordinary young man. He always has his waist hunched, with a respectful and humble expression.

Hearing shopkeeper Sun's words, the middle-aged man recalled the past and looked at the alley where people could queue up to the entrance of the alley in the past:

"Yes, I often sat here drinking with Song Yu and Xu You. Song Yu secretly glanced at the women coming and going, while Xu You looked at them openly. After drinking, I paid the bill every time. Alas... …Times have changed and I have completely become a loner. Looking back on it, it’s quite interesting…”

Shopkeeper Sun smiled with wrinkled eyes: "That's not true. I wasn't carefree when I was young. Now that I'm older, I no longer want to be as uninhibited as a young man. I have no willpower."

"hehe……"

Song Ji picked up the wine glass, took a sip of Duan Yushao, and looked at the heavy snow in the alley with deep eyes.

Shopkeeper Sun wiped the wine vat and glanced at the young junior standing next to him. He felt unfamiliar and frowned:

"You're not going to follow your old servant, are you? That old guy is a bit older than me. When I was still an apprentice, I often came here with your father to drink. I always looked good..."

Song Ji shook his head: "He also watched me grow up. He has been a servant all his life. He is not in good health as he gets older. People like to return to their roots after falling leaves, so they went back to their hometown."

"That's not bad." Shopkeeper Sun showed a slight smile: "It's a blessing to be able to return to my roots after falling leaves. The wine shop has been passed down to the old man, and the ancestors' things can't be lost. I don't even have a chance to go out for a walk, I'm afraid I have to guard it. I’ll keep this little shop until death.”

Song Ji was silent for a moment and looked at the towering buildings of Chang'an City:

"It's all the same...it's a blessing to be able to defend it until death. It's better than losing it halfway."

"hehe……"

…

During the trivial chat, it was dark and the wine was cold.

Song Ji rarely left the palace. He stayed away from the complicated government affairs for a while and was not in a hurry to go back.

Just be in your position and sometimes if you don't do things, things will come to you.

Tap tap tap——

There were footsteps in the dark alley, and Secret Guard Lao Yi stood outside the wine shop with three straight knives behind his back, bowing slightly.

"Gone."

Song Ji's expression returned to its normal state, he took out a few copper coins from his sleeves, placed them on the table, and slowly walked out of the wine shop.

Shopkeeper Sun wiped his hands with a towel, stood under the dim yellow wine flags, watched the three figures disappear from the end of the field of vision, then shook his head and sighed softly, wanting to express a few words, but didn't know where to start.

After staying in this small wine shop all my life, I have seen too many people, and there are countless lonely people who can sit alone in the wine shop and drink.

Everyone has seven emotions and six desires, even the sons of heaven and emperors are no exception.

But with the position of 'Emperor', one is destined to be a loner. The temptation of imperial power is so great that friendship, love and even family ties that are thicker than water are sometimes not worth mentioning.

There are too many examples in history books where sons kill their fathers and brothers kill their brothers. Don’t these people have the feeling of brotherhood between father and son? There must be some, but before the imperial power, this kind of friendship is like flying snow in the sky, which can be blown away and swaying in the wind.

Song Ji was a very qualified emperor, so he never had any confusion or personal emotions. Faced with the betrayal of his compatriot brother, he used him as a chess piece without any hesitation, because this is what an emperor should do. The former brother became a tiger beside the bed, and he started to cut down the vassal without hesitation. This is what an emperor should do.

Compared with Jiangshan Sheji, there is nothing that cannot be given up. You must always regard yourself as a cold-blooded person without emotions, and you must not have the slightest pity or hesitation in your heart.

But emperors are also human beings. Being able to give up something for the sake of the overall situation does not mean that they will not miss it.

Sitting in the small wine shop where he used to drink with his tablemate, Song Ji also misses the scene of having a drink with Xu You in the past, and misses the flushed face when arguing about state affairs with his brother Song Yu.

If we could have the best of both worlds, not only bring peace to the world, but also maintain brotherhood, who wouldn't want to have a few close friends to drink and chat with when they grow old?

But the world is like this, and the emperor's position is like this. He can only choose one between the two. Song Ji can only choose the world. If he abandons everything else, he is destined to be a loner.

Shopkeeper Sun sighed softly, shook his head and smiled.

This loneliness belongs exclusively to the emperor. I am afraid he is the only one in the world who, as an old drunkard, can glimpse the tip of the iceberg...

---

In the dark alley, Song Ji walked slowly with his hands behind his hands. The little eunuch held an oil-paper umbrella in his hand to block the heavy snow falling down.

Lao Yi walked forward, took out a note from his sleeve, and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty, there is another news from Song Ying."

Song Ji kept his eyes on the city of Chang'an, which was full of New Year flavor, and said softly:

"Song Ying is a bit utilitarian. He didn't handle the Tang family's affairs well, and he wanted to make up for it, but he was too impatient. Based on this matter alone, even if Xu Buling was brought back to Chang'an, I have no reason to detain Xu Buling. Did he find new evidence?"

Lao Yi nodded: "The day before yesterday, there was a small disturbance in Leting County, Liaoxi County. Someone asked the county magistrate to summon civilians to dig up the underground of Bodhi Island. A bunker was found underneath, leading directly to Yuetuo Island. There were traces of fighting nearby, but the bodies were wiped clean and it was difficult to identify their identities."

Song Ji frowned slightly: "Did Xu Buling go to Liaoxi?"

Lao Yi nodded: "No trace was found, but he was very likely there. Song Ying has been tracking Xu Buling's traces, I happened to be in Liaoxi. After hearing the news, I rushed to Bodhi Island to investigate. From the martial arts moves left in the underground palace, I guessed that it might be the secluded place of Zuo Zhexian, the founding general of the Great Qi. Then I found a secret room in the bunker, with the body of a eunuch of the Great Qi. Judging from the accessories, it might be the eunuch in charge of the seal in the palace of the Great Qi... the one who disappeared before the Jiazi year. "

"Huh? !"

Song Ji paused suddenly and turned his head to look at Lao Yi:

"Confirmed?"

Lao Yi bowed and said seriously: "It's just a guess, but it's almost right."

"..."

Song Ji clenched his fists behind his back, and after a moment of silence, he paced back and forth in the alley, his face becoming more and more gloomy.

Lao Yi bowed his head and saw that Song Ji was slow to give orders, so he said:

"Your Majesty, this is a serious matter. The Detective Department killed two messengers in order to send back the news. Xu Buling is likely to be involved in this matter and should not have left Youzhou yet..."

Song Ji frowned like a lion about to explode. He paced for a moment and waved his sleeves:

"Send an order to the Liaoxi Protectorate. From now on, the entire Youzhou, Jizhou, and Qingzhou are under a curfew. Anyone who dares to cross the border will be killed without mercy. Send an order to the Qingzhou Navy to block the coast and stop all shipping and fishing. Anyone who dares to go out to sea will be killed without mercy. Send an order to all the Wolf Guards of the Tianzi Camp outside to rush to Youzhou immediately. You will be fully authorized to dispatch them."

"Yes."

Lao Yi bowed respectfully and thought: "If we intercept Xu Buling, Prince Su..."

"Since they are fighting, there must be other people involved. The things may not be in Xu Buling's hands. After intercepting Xu Buling, we must find out his whereabouts. If we can't find out, detain him. From now on, Guo Zhongxian will be appointed as the commander of the Guanzhong Army, and the troops will be mobilized to the west until the jade seal is found. If Xu You really dares to attack us, I will save myself from defending."

"This..."

"Go!"

"Yes."

Lao Yi was silent and retreated quickly...

-----

Thank you for the 20,000 reward from [English underline combination] boss!