Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Memorial Hall

Although the expeditionary army suffered a big defeat, for the people of the Republic, this was just a small battle that took place in a remote frontier.At the beginning of the 20th year of the Republic of China, it was still a good year with good weather and peaceful weather.The fifteenth day of the first lunar month after the new year is Shangyuan Day, and the streets of Wuyun City, the capital, are decorated with lights and festoons, and it is very lively. Zheng Sichu got up early in the morning, practiced boxing in the yard, and was about to eat breakfast, when Old Wu, the gatekeeper, came over in a hurry and shouted, "Master! Master!"

Titles such as Master and Young Master had long been abolished in the Republic, and Zheng Sichu had told him many times, but Lao Wu was getting old and couldn't change it.Zheng Sichu sighed, and said, "Old Wu, what's the matter?" "The young master of the Cheng family is here, please go out." "Divine?" Zheng Sichu was startled, but felt relieved in his heart.Cheng Diwen originally wanted to come here once every three days, but he never came since he and Cheng Diwen were dismissed from the army.He didn't care about talking to Old Wu, and hurried to the door.As soon as he arrived at the gate, he saw Cheng Diwen wearing casual clothes, standing at the gate, whistling a little bored, while a two-seater carriage stopped.Surprised and delighted, he stepped forward and said, "Diwen!"

Cheng Diwen raised his head, smiled and said, "Si Chu, are you free today?" "I'm free, I'm free. Where can I go?" In the past, Cheng Diwen would always call him when he went to a restaurant to drink, or went hunting in the countryside.For the past two months, Zheng Sichu knew that he blamed himself for causing him trouble, and wanted to make amends, but he also felt that he couldn't bear this face.Unexpectedly, Cheng Diwen came today, which meant that he no longer blamed himself, which really made him overjoyed. Cheng Diwen said: "I heard that there is a new restaurant opened in the west of the city. There is a cook who is very talented. He cooks excellent barbecue and the wine is also very good. Let's go together, I will treat you."

Zheng Sichu said without a word: "Okay, okay, I'll go change my clothes, you go and sit first." "No, come out after you change your clothes. I'll wait for you outside." Cheng Diwen was punished purely because of his involvement, and Zheng Sichu always felt sorry.He finally forgave himself, and Zheng Sichu was happier than anything else.He quickly changed his clothes and grabbed some money.When he came out again, he saw that Cheng Diwen was already sitting in the car, and he got into the driveway: "Diwen, don't you blame me?" Cheng Diwen smiled and said: "My father also said, in fact, you saved me in this battle. If we didn't leave at that time, I'm afraid we would die in the chaos, not to mention that we almost won, it was just bad luck Okay. Let's go, it's been a long time since we've had a drink together, and the girls singing in the restaurant are pretty good too, hehe."

Zheng Sichu knew that Cheng Diwen was a lustful person, and because he liked a girl, he had been more cautious in his words and deeds in the past two years, not daring to deviate in the slightest.Now what is said about the singing girl in the restaurant, most of them are talking nonsense.But Cheng Diwen finally forgave himself, and he didn't dare to expose it, he just said: "Let's go." Now that the Chinese New Year is approaching, the business in the restaurant is booming. Cheng Diwen and Zheng Sichu sat together in a private room for a while.Cheng Diwen actually doesn't like drinking, because Zheng Sichu drinks a lot, so he suggested to come to the restaurant.His drinking capacity is not as good as Zheng Sichu's, but the wine served is new wine, sweet and delicious, Zheng Sichu eats it smooth, and he has a drink with Cheng Diwen, Cheng Diwen has to drink as soon as he wants to save face .There was a girl singing, but someone next door was drinking, and that girl was playing the pipa and singing, so she didn't have time to come.Although it was just next door, the woman couldn't sing very loudly, she couldn't hear what she was singing clearly, and she could only vaguely hear a piece of "One Calyx Red" from the tune.While drinking, Zheng Sichu couldn't help laughing, and was about to pick up a piece of sauced meat to eat, but he heard someone next door singing loudly: "Hey, girl, your song is so boring, let me sing it for you Bar!"

This man must have been a little drunk, the girl who sang the song let out a soft cry, but the man said: "What are you afraid of, I will return this pipa to you after I finish singing, and I won't take you away." It must have snatched the pipa from the girl's hand. Most of the pipa players are women.Legend has it that there were Mu Shan and Cao Liangshan who were masters of the pipa in the past. They were both men, but Zheng Sichu saw that only women could play the pipa.He heard the rough voice of the person next door, he actually snatched the pipa and thought: This person really doesn't know what is good or bad, he doesn't know how ugly it will be.

Just as he was thinking like this, he heard two clangs, protruding like knives and guns.Zheng Sichu was chewing the sauced meat, and was about to drink all the wine in his glass, when he heard these two sounds, he couldn't help being startled.Cheng Diwen on the opposite side was already drunk, but his eyes lit up when he heard this voice, he drank the wine in his hand, and praised: "Good technique! This person is an authentic three talents of the Cao family!" Cheng Diwen is good at playing the flute, and the fingering of the flute is quite similar to that of the pipa.Zheng Sichu didn't know what the Cao family's three talents said, but when he heard this man pointing down the pipa, it rang a lot, the sound was as straight as the rainstorm hitting the roof tiles, but it was not chaotic, he thought: I didn't expect this Ren is a good pipa player.

At this time, the man played a few tunes, and suddenly sang loudly: "Come on, the wind! Sweep away the world of mortals, and release the sky. The silver man collapses, the stormy waves stand on the wall, and the bright moon is washed out like a bow. It will be a pull, and a thunderbolt will strike lightning , Shooting the dragon towards the sea, covering the waves. Pulling down the scales, splitting the remaining horns, the clear water is bright red." The pipa is known for its softness, and it still plays the piece "Yicahong", but under this man's finger, it is as compelling as the wind, the sea and the rain, and there is a faint sound of gold, and although his voice Some hoarse, but more impassioned singing.Cheng Diwen only felt a little hot all over his body. He didn't drink much, but he drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and said with a smile: "This man can sing really well."

Zheng Sichu was also secretly startled.Although the piece sung by this person is only a small piece, it is not considered a masterpiece, but the heroism in it is as straight as the rising sun, gushing out.He usually treats people with gentleness and elegance, but in fact he thinks highly of himself, and always hides a thought in his heart that he is far superior to his peers, but when he heard this man's singing, he couldn't help but feel very heartbroken, thinking: People say that heroes come forth in succession, like the water of a great river , the waves behind push the waves ahead, it's really good, listening to this person playing and singing, his demeanor is very extraordinary, I don't know who it is.

At this time, the man next door continued to sing: "I remember traveling thousands of miles, fighting with gold and iron horses, I am the only one fighting for supremacy. The blood of the battle is shed, the steel knife is broken, and the body is like a floating cape. Stroking the long sword, looking up the tower, pointing at the stars , still through the Changhong." Hearing this, Zheng Sichu felt surprised.Listening to that person's voice, it seems that he is not very old, but his singing voice seems to have experienced vicissitudes of life, as if he had read all the things in the world.He knew that there was a last paragraph in "One Calyx Red", but he didn't know what it would be.But when he held his breath and listened attentively, there was a "crash" from the next door, and someone shouted: "Mr. Xuan, what's the matter with you, Mr. Xuan?" The sound of cracking.

Zheng Sichu was stunned, and Cheng Diwen called out, "What's going on?" The two stood up at the same time and walked towards the door.As soon as Cheng Diwen stood up, he staggered from side to side, Zheng Sichu quickly supported him and said, "Diwen, sit down, I'll go and have a look." As soon as he walked out of the door, he saw a bartender helping a man come out from the next door. The man was very young, drooling, his face was flushed, and his mouth was full of the smell of alcohol.He said: "Little brother, what's wrong with this gentleman?" The bartender said angrily, "This kid is drunk." This person must be the one who sang "Yicahong" just now.Zheng Sichu didn't expect this person to sing so boldly, but he was a drunkard.He said, "little brother, where are you taking him?" "Throw it out the door." Zheng Sichu was startled, and said, "He's drunk." "Is it reasonable to be drunk? Not to mention smashing a table of fine china, and even beating someone. If you don't throw him in the latrine to sober up, you'll be doing him a favor." Only then did Zheng Sichu see that the bartender still had a bruise on his forehead, which must have been caused by Mr. Xuan when he was drunk.He said: "He is drunk now, of course he will compensate you when he wakes up, it's not good to throw him out the door." The bartender was just trying to stop the man from smashing things, but he was punched on the forehead, so he wanted to throw him out in a fit of anger.Hearing what Zheng Sichu said, he sneered and said: "How can this kid have so much money to pay? He used to be drunk and yelled at most, but now he still wants to do something. I'm sorry for such a nobleman." Zheng Sichu saw that the man was too drunk, but the bartender looked annoyed.Those who open a shop pay attention to making money with kindness, and if they are not really annoyed, they will not throw customers out.He hurriedly took out a few gold coins from his pocket, and said, "Second brother, do you think this is enough?" The bartender didn't expect that Zheng Sichu would lose money for that person, so he quickly laughed and said, "It doesn't need that much, two gold coins are enough." Zheng Sichu counted out two gold coins to him, and the bartender said, "Then I'll go to pay the bill and give you the change. Sir, are you his friend?" Zheng Sichu lost the money on behalf of that person, and the bartender's temper immediately improved.Zheng Sichu shook his head and said, "There's no need to look for it. What's his name?" "His name seems to be Xuan Minglei." Hearing the name, Zheng Sichu couldn't help frowning.This name seems very familiar, and the surname Xuan is not common, but I can't remember it for a while.He said: "Then let this Mr. Xuan find a place to sit, make him a pot of tea, and I will take the blame." The things Xuan Minglei smashed were paid for, and there was still a small bill. The bartender was in a good mood, and said with a smile: "Okay. There is an empty seat in the lobby. I will find him a place to sit. I interrupted the gentleman to drink, I'm really sorry. What's your surname, sir?" Zheng Sichu said with a faint smile, "My surname is Zheng." When he returned to the room, he saw Cheng Diwen lying on the table and sleeping soundly.Cheng Diwen couldn't drink as much as he did, and he drank so fast that he couldn't stand it after a few drinks.Drinking alone is boring, so Zheng Sichu drank all the remaining wine in the flagon, and felt that he was not interested, so he ordered a pot of tea and drank slowly.He had just had a few sips, but he heard Cheng Diwen mumble a few words, but he couldn't make out what it was, but he seemed to be saying the word "Shunhua", and he didn't know what it meant.Zheng Sichu sorted out his memory while sipping hot tea. He is the son of the Secretary of State, and far more people know him than he knows. The name "Xuan Minglei" is not very impressive, so naturally I only heard it occasionally.Where did you hear about this guy? He was thinking to himself when Cheng Diwen stood up suddenly and shouted, "Don't go!" He was startled, and hurriedly said, "Diwen, I haven't left yet." Cheng Diwen was startled, and suddenly his face flushed, and he said with a dry smile: "Si Chu, it's you, I thought you reneged on your debt and left." Cheng Diwen's father, Cheng Jingtang, was also a famous general of the Republic, and his family was rich.Although Zheng Sichu's father, Zheng Zhao, was the Secretary of State in charge of political affairs, he was not as rich as Cheng Jiafu in terms of family background, so it was a joke to say that he had reneged on his debts.Zheng Sichu's mind was alert, he read words and expressions, and knew that Cheng Diwen had had a dream, and that "Sunhua" was about to leave, so he woke up in a hurry.That "Shunhua" is probably the woman he admires now, but she also looks hot.Zheng Sichu didn't bother to expose him, and said, "I'm almost done drinking, do you still drink?" By this time, Cheng Diwen was almost dead.Hearing Zheng Sichu say that he had had enough, he smiled and said, "Ha, you can't do it, you can't drink as much as I do now. But I have had enough, if I drink any more, I won't be able to go to the memorial hall." gone." Zheng Sichu was surprised: "Memorial hall? When did you change your gender and go there?" The memorial hall is very grand in scale and was built to commemorate the founding of the Republic. There are several exhibition halls in it, which respectively display the founding, development and growth of the Republican Army.It's just that the broken knives and guns on display are really nothing to see, so since the completion, except for the founding day and other anniversaries of Wuyun City, officials at all levels will come to meet the scene, and usually only teachers from literary schools or military schools will bring them. As for ordinary civilians, they would never go there to relax even in their dreams. Zheng Sichu and Cheng Diwen were often brought here when they were in the military academy, but they never came here again after graduation.Hearing what Cheng Diwen said about going to the memorial hall, Zheng Sichu was really surprised. Cheng Diwen said seriously: "Countless martyrs threw their heads and sprinkled their blood in exchange for the Republic. I should go to the memorial hall to commemorate them." He stood up as he spoke, and walked out staggeringly.Seeing that he was walking unsteadily, Zheng Sichu hurriedly helped him downstairs, and after paying the money at the counter, he asked the waiter to make a bowl of strong tea for Cheng Diwen to drink, and said, "Diwen, you really want to commemorate Church?" Cheng Diwen took a nap for a while, but he was still drunk, and now he is even more drunk.He was drinking tea, his mind was still not confused, but his head was tilted to and fro, and he said with a wry smile: "Si Chu, I didn't expect this wine to be so powerful." Zheng Sichu saw that the drunken Xuan Minglei just now was sitting quietly in a corner, with a cup of strong tea in front of him, and he had already drank half of the cup. He probably didn't expect the new wine to be so strong.Seeing Zheng Sichu coming down, Mr. Naxuan raised his head and looked up, as if he wanted to stand up, but he still didn't get up, and just nodded his head, probably to express his gratitude.Zheng Sichu knew that Mr. Xuan's wine quality was not good, and he would go crazy when he was drunk. People's homes by the roadside.He said: "You'd better go home and rest, it's not early today." Cheng Diwen jumped up as if he had been stabbed and shouted: "What? It's late? No, I have to go quickly." He stood up and staggered towards the carriage.Zheng Sichu supported him and said, "If you really want to go, just sober up in the car and I'll take you there. Anyway, I haven't been to the memorial hall for many years, so it's not bad to go and see it." Cheng Diwen muttered: "No... I don't want you to go, I can do it." But he said loudly, but he couldn't even stand up straight.Zheng Sichu helped him into the carriage without any explanation, untied the horse himself, raised his whip, and drove the carriage forward. The memorial hall is in the north of the city, not close to here, and it will take a while to take a carriage.He also knew that Cheng Diwen was quite drunk, so he didn't dare to go too bumpy, so he walked more slowly.Driving the carriage unhurriedly, at first Cheng Diwen was still talking about something, and then he leaned on the seat and fell asleep.While driving the car, Zheng Sichu wondered where he had heard the name "Xuan Minglei", but he couldn't remember. There were not many people on the road, and although Zheng Sichu was not in a hurry, he had already arrived.The Memorial Hall has always been very crowded, but today there are many large cars parked at the gate, and the number plates on the cars show that they are buses for elementary schools.The Republic has a slogan to open up the wisdom of the people, so it vigorously develops education. Children at the age of seven must enter kindergarten, and at the age of thirteen, they will enter the second civil and military school based on merit.This is a political achievement vigorously publicized by the Republic, and visiting the memorial hall is also an important measure to open up the wisdom of the people. Zheng Sichu can often read the same articles written by those children after visiting the memorial hall in the "Republic Daily". "Today I visited the memorial hall, and after I came back, I couldn't feel calm for a long time." The article probably started like this, and then thought of countless martyrs who threw their heads and blood to create this happy and happy republic, etc., or "this spirit inspires I" and the like.Although the text is not exactly the same, it looks like it was printed in the same mold.Is this considered to open up the wisdom of the people?Zheng Sichu couldn't help but wanted to smile wryly.It seems that Cheng Diwen doesn't need to be inspired by this kind of encouragement. He really can't figure out what medicine Cheng Diwen took wrongly, and he wants to come to the memorial hall.He stopped the car, patted Cheng Diwen who was sleeping drowsily beside him and said, "Diwen, we're here." But Cheng Diwen just muttered a few words, turned to another direction and snored again.Zheng Sichu really had no other choice, so he walked to the porter next to the memorial hall.There was an old man sitting in the concierge, looking at a newly published "Republic Daily". Zheng Sichu knocked lightly on the door and said, "Old man, can I ask for some hot water?" The old man looked up at Zheng Sichu, and said: "Yes, yes, it's burning on the stove over there. If it's too hot, there's cold water in the earthen pot next to it, mix it and drink it." Zheng Sichu poured a cup of hot water, mixed it with some cold water, tested whether the water was hot, brought it to the side of the carriage, and said, "Diwen, drink some water." Cheng Diwen took it in a daze, and just took a sip , the mouth of the throat suddenly made a "grunt" sound, and suddenly turned to one side, and spit it out with a "wow".At least he was still a little sane, he vomited out of the car and didn't vomit all over Zheng Sichu.Zheng Sichu also felt a pain in his chest, faintly nauseated, and thought: "Diwen is really harmful, don't make me spit it out too." He saw the old man at the porter rushing out aggressively, probably because he heard someone He vomited at the gate of the memorial hall and wanted to come out to intervene.He hurriedly jumped out of the car, handed the cup to the concierge and said, "Old man, I'm really sorry, please lend me the broom, I'll clean it right away." He spoke sincerely and was dressed decently. The concierge was not easy to get angry when he called "old man" a few times. He snorted and said, "It needs to be covered with firewood and ash before sweeping. Silk broom, I'll go get some ashes from the stove." Zheng Sichu saw that the concierge was no longer angry, so he breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly said: "I'll go get it, old man, please go and sit down, I will clean it up." Zheng Sichu took some ashes from the stove, covered Cheng Diwen's vomit, and then slowly began to sweep.Although the smell faded after covering it with some plant ash, the sour smell was still there, making his eyes moist.He stopped and wiped his eyes, but was shocked to find that it was really tears... Have you ever cried yourself?It seems that since I was very young, I have forgotten what it is to cry, but now I actually cry.Thinking that I could cry too was more painful than thinking about the military career that I had completely ruined.In fact, I have been feeling sad for being fired from the army all the time, right?Zheng Sichu was at a loss for a while.He was born in a military academy, with high martial arts skills, proficient in the art of war, young, and the son of the Secretary of State. He had a great future, and everyone thought he would become a famous general—including himself.But this dismissal order ruined all of this. If there is no accident, I will bid farewell to my military career forever. But, will there be any surprises?he does not know.At this time, Zheng Sichu was just at a loss in his heart.Even when he went to the battle, he had never been so at a loss, but now he felt extremely confused, as if he didn't know what to do. "Uncle, don't cry." Suddenly, a child's clear voice rang out.Zheng Sichu turned his head, only to see a group of five or six-year-old children coming out of the memorial hall led by several teachers. Among them, a fat little boy was standing in front of him, looking up at him with concern. Own.He felt a little embarrassed, and didn't know what to say. A young female teacher came over and patted the child's head with a smile, saying, "Uncle is sweeping the floor, he was blinded by dust." Zheng Sichu forced a smile, pretended to be okay, and said, "Yes, uncle has ashes in his eyes." The little boy let out an "ah", raised his head and said to the female teacher, "Mr. Shunhua, please blow your eyes to uncle. I got sand in my eyes last time, so you blow them to me like this." The little boy's innocent words made Zheng Sichu want to laugh, and the female teacher also laughed, but she didn't blow eyes at Zheng Sichu, but took out a silk scarf and handed it over: "Sir, wipe your eyes, your hands It's also stained with dust, so don't rub it with your hands." This woman is actually a little younger than Zheng Sichu, but she behaves very generously, as if Zheng Sichu is also her student. Zheng Sichu took it and saw that the silk scarf was very clean, so she took it over and wiped her eyes. He also said to her, "Thank you." The woman pursed her lips and was about to leave when the little boy suddenly saw Cheng Diwen in the carriage and exclaimed, "Uncle Cheng! Teacher Shunhua, isn't that Uncle Cheng?" The woman looked at Cheng Diwen in the car, and was obviously a little surprised. She seemed to be going forward, but she still didn't move.Zheng Sichu said: "Miss, do you know him?" "Did you come with him? What happened to him? Ill?" Cheng Diwen vomited for a while, his complexion was not very good, and now he was sleeping again, looking very dazed, as if he had a serious illness.Zheng Sichu said: "No, he was drunk." "Drunk?" The woman frowned slightly.Her nose is very thin, and when she frowns, her small nose moves slightly, but she is very beautiful.Zheng Sichu also felt a little strange, and felt that making her angry was the worst thing to do, so he hurriedly said: "It's all my fault, I drank two more glasses with him, and forgot that he can't drink well. Let me wake him up." Seeing that Zheng Sichu was going to wake up Cheng Diwen, the woman hurriedly stretched out her hand to hold Zheng Sichu's arm and said, "No more." She smiled and said softly, "It's nothing. My name is Xiao Shunhua, how about you, sir?" Shunhua?Zheng Sichu suddenly remembered the name Cheng Diwen was chanting while drunk.What Cheng Diwen couldn't forget was Xiao Shunhua?He looked at Xiao Shunhua for a while, she was not the kind of bright and glamorous woman, but she was elegant and beautiful, like the new greenness on the willow branches in spring.He smiled faintly and said, "Hi, Miss Xiao, my name is Zheng Sichu." "Zheng Sichu!" This time it was Xiao Shunhua's turn to be surprised.She pointed at Zheng Sichu and said, "You...you are General Zheng Sichu and Zheng who won the second-class medal in the First Battle of Langyue Province? You...how are you so young!" Zheng Sichu smiled wryly, "I'm no longer a general." Xiao Shunhua was even more surprised: "Why, have you been promoted to marshal?" The Republic has three marshals and five generals, but now the chief marshal Ding Henry has been beheaded among the three marshals, the second marshal Mo Dengfu has long since died, and only the third marshal Deng Canglan is left. The admiral becomes a marshal.What's more, Zheng Sichu is only in his twenties, and becoming a marshal at this age is only possible in a storyteller's story.Zheng Sichu smiled wryly again, shook his head and said, "I'm not even a soldier now." Xiao Shunhua didn't ask any more questions.Zheng Sichu didn't say much, but the expression on his face said everything, not to mention that there were indeed tears in his eyes just now, and it wasn't because he was blinded by gray.She said, "Where's Cheng Diwen?" Zheng Sichu hesitated for a moment, and said, "Just like me, he also retired from the army." Xiao Shunhua stopped talking.She looked at Cheng Diwen and murmured: "He said he wanted to be a general since he was a child, and it seems that this wish will come true." Zheng Sichu only felt his nose a little sour.Want to be a general, why don't you have the wish?But for me, this wish has already been shattered.Xiao Shunhua should have seen what Zheng Sichu was thinking, but he pursed his lips and said with a smile: "Mr. Zheng, actually, have you heard a story?" Zheng Sichu was startled: "What?" "A hunter went out to hunt and caught a young eagle that just hatched. So he took the young eagle home and raised it with the chickens at home." Xiao Shunhua's voice was soft and crisp, and he suddenly laughed: "It's really Excuse me, I say this, as if I regard Mr. Zheng as my student." Her students are those chubby kids.Zheng Sichu also smiled: "Very good, I want to hear it." "The little eagle grew up slowly. Because it lived in a flock of chickens, it thought it was a chicken and would never fly out of the yard. At the beginning, everyone was the same, all fluffy, until one day, This little eagle found that he was so different from his brothers and sisters. It had steel-like feathers, iron-like sharp claws and a beak. With the sound of the wind, the blood in my whole body seems to be boiling." Even though he knew what the story would be like, Zheng Sichu was fascinated by it.Not just the story, maybe more because of her voice.He said, "What happened next?" "Later?" She smiled, "What happened later can only be known later. You just have to remember that the future will always belong to you." She waved her hand and walked towards the cart.Zheng Sichu also waved his hand, watching her disappear into the carriage, but her last words seemed to be still echoing in his ears. Indeed, the future will always be my own. The young woman's words seemed to ignite a lead wire in his heart, making the blood in his body seem to start to boil. "General Bi is here." Following the announcement of the salute, the two guards at the gate of the Grand Control Mansion stood at attention one by one.Although General Bi Wei suffered a big defeat recently and even lost an eye, the fifth general Hu Jitang also started to lead the army after he broke his wrist. Island, so even though Bi Wei was blindfolded on his right eye, the two guards respected him even more. It's just that Bi Wei didn't feel so good in his heart. In the First Battle of Xiyuan, the Republican Expeditionary Army suffered a crushing defeat, with 8,000 people before and after, only about 4,000 escaped in the end, and half of them died on the Xiyuan prairie.Winning or losing is a matter of course for military strategists, but as a famous general of the Republic, it is unjustifiable to usher in such a defeat under the circumstances of having an absolute advantage.Although it has been a while since the incident, and the Grand Commander has finished punishing him, Bi Wei is still uneasy when the Grand Commander summons him this time. Wuyun City was originally the capital of the empire, and the Great Control Mansion was also the Hall of Qinzheng where the emperor summoned his courtiers in the past.Although many years have passed, Bi Wei still remembers the first time he followed the emperor Wenhou to the palace to meet the emperor.Even though the Dijun was a person who had been sick for many years, he still broke out in a cold sweat when he heard Dijun speak.Power, majesty, these words seem to be deeply engraved in the depths of his mind since then, until today. "General Bi." It was a young man who came to greet him.This man's name is Wu Jizhou, and he is the secretary of the Great Control System.Although he is young, he is now the middleman of the ruling government to issue government orders, and he can almost be said to be the second person in this huge republic—of course he has no real power, but is just a loyal mouthpiece.Bi Wei stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Wu." "General Bi, the general will meet the general at Hexiang Pavilion, please come with me." There was a polite smile on Wu Jizhou's face, but these smiles seemed to be glued to his face. From this face, Bi Wei had no way of judging the joy and anger of Datongzhi at this time.He just said: "Yes." He said it respectfully, although he was probably older than Wu Jizhou's father. Let the two soldiers brought by Bi Wei wait in the Hall of Qinzheng, and Wu Jizhou led Bi Wei to Hexiang Pavilion.Hexiang Pavilion is in the backyard of Qinzheng Hall, where Datongzhi studied, and the building is very elegant and quiet.When he arrived at the entrance of Hexiang Pavilion, Wu Jizhou bent down and said in a deep voice: "General Commander, General Bi is here." Isn't all of this exactly the same as the original Marquis Wen?No, the feeling of oppression when seeing Marquis Wen was not so heavy.Before Bi Wei had time to compare anything, a calm voice came from the door: "General Bi, please come in." Wu Jizhou gently opened the door.When the door was pushed open, there was a sound of "Yah", obviously the hinge hadn't been oiled for a long time.Bi Wei heard a rumor that Datongzhi had a quirk, and liked to listen to the sound of doors opening and closing. Once a new internal affairs official entered without knowing it, and filled the door hinge of Datongzhi's residence with oil. , It also provoked the Great Commander to be very angry, and ordered that the oil be wiped off immediately until the door could still make this somewhat harsh sound when it was opened and closed.It's just that Bi Wei knows that Datongzhi doesn't have a quirk of liking to hear the door open, but rather that he doesn't like people walking in without him noticing. It was the same as Marquis Wen at that time, but Marquis Wen was not as picky as Datong.he thinks. As soon as Bi Wei walked in, Wu Jizhou gently closed the door. The door made an "ah" sound, and when it closed, it made an appropriate "click".Datongzhi's documents are not easy to handle. Although Wu Jizhou is young, he is said to be proficient in historical facts and writes quickly. Datongzhi probably took a fancy to him for this. Inside the door, a bamboo curtain separates the inner and outer rooms.Through the bamboo curtain, one can see that Datongzhi is writing something in the inner room.Datongzhi doesn't like to meet people face to face, and he doesn't show up in public unless it is absolutely necessary, even in such private occasions.Bi Wei stood straight outside the bamboo curtain and bowed, saying: "Great control, Bi Wei is here." The Republic puts people first and puts the people first, so the kneeling ceremony was abolished and replaced by bowing and saluting.But even though it has been practiced for more than ten years, Bi Wei is still a little unaccustomed to it. He faintly feels that the previous kneeling ceremony made him more comfortable. "General Bi, please sit down." Datongzhi's voice was very gentle, but Bi Wei didn't know what was hidden behind this gentleness.On the surface, the Grand Regime doesn't like to show their faces, but as the supreme leader of the republic, they will still appear in front of the people.In the eyes of the public, this picture can only be called an ordinary appearance, coupled with such a gentle voice, it makes people feel close and admired.However, Bi Wei, who is at the core of the republic, can see the other side of the patriarchal system: insidious and vicious. These two derogatory terms are not excessive at all when they are used on Dazhi.And this conclusion that cannot be told to others was reached when Bi Wei accidentally read a secret letter from the Fifth General Hu Jitang to the Great Commander during Dongping City's change of banner, and found a small inkblot. For the Republic to be able to win in the end, the fact that the water and fire armies turned against each other at the most critical moment was the most important contribution. At that time, Dongping City, the largest outpost of the Empire, fell to the Republican Army when the main force of the Republican Army and the Imperial Army fought in the Falling Star Field. It also played a great role. effect.At that time, it was Zhong Yugu, the famous general named after the empire, who was guarding Dongping City. Later, Zhong Yugu also performed extremely eye-catching in sweeping up the remaining forces of the empire. The status of the republic surpasses itself.However, when Zhong Yugu led his direct descendants to wipe out a remnant of the imperial Xifu army, news came that his entire army was wiped out, and Zhong Yugu also died on the spot.Afterwards, Zhong Yugu's name entered the memorial hall as a martyr of the Republican Army.The remnant of the Xifu army that wiped out Zhong Yugu was once incorporated into the ground army of the Imperial Army. Of course, its combat power is remarkable, but it is just a remnant army defeated.But just before that battle, there was a traitor in Zhong Yugu's army, and the commander of the Xifu Army learned all about the marching plan, so that there was no suspense in this battle, and the entire army was wiped out. When Zhong Yugu was trapped to death, another republican army with a considerable number was stationed more than ten miles away.If this army could be reinforced in time at that time, Zhong Yugu would not have been defeated at all.But it was very strange that even though the distance was only more than a dozen miles, when the battle started, that army remained on hold. The explanation at the time was that it had not received a messenger from Zhong Yugu for help.It was not until the next day that this army rushed to the battlefield. At that time, Zhong Yugu's army was completely wiped out, and even though the Xifu army won, it was a disastrous victory. They were blocked by the Republican army, and they were also completely defeated. wipe out. When the Republic has won the world and wiped out the remaining enemies with a destructive force, such a defeat is really disgraceful, so when talking about Zhong Yugu in the history of the Republic, it only added some praises such as "sacrificing one's life for the country" The speech did not describe the cause and effect of this matter in detail. When Zhong Yugu turned against him, Hu Jitang contributed a lot in it. Later, he took over Zhong Yugu's military power and became the last of the eight famous generals who founded the Republic.Hu Jitang was a close confidant of the Great Commander, so the secret letter was nothing serious, it was nothing more than a report on the situation in Dongping City at that time, so when Dongping City successfully changed its flag, this secret letter was of no value and was ready to be destroyed.Bi Wei also saw this secret letter by chance, and secretly kept it. Originally, he didn't have any other ideas. He just heard that there was a letter of approval from the Datongzhi on it, hoping to figure out the calligraphy of the Datongzhi. , so that when writing the letter, the distance with the Great Commander can be shortened.But after reading the approval several times, he discovered a strange thing. The Datongzhi is very diligent, and it also approves a lot of such letters. For example, in this secret letter, Hu Jitang mentioned the key points of Dongping City. There is a faint ink smear, it seems that I wanted to write at first, but then I changed my mind and did not write. "His heart wants to surrender, but according to his job, he still waits and sees." The dot of ink was right next to this sentence, it was very faint, and if you didn't pay attention, you wouldn't notice it, or if you found it, you would think it was splashed occasionally.If it was Bi Wei when he was young, of course he would not take it seriously and would not think about it at all.However, after being coerced by Deng Canglan and forced to turn against him, Bi Wei no longer dared to let go of any doubts, even paranoid. If you look carefully, you can see the bristle marks on the tip of the brush, so it is not ink splashed.Judging from that little trace, the texture of the fine hair marks is quite smooth, so it is the first stroke of a word. From this point alone, it is natural to not see what the Datongzhi wants to write.但大统制写字有个习惯，一定要打完腹稿，所以下笔如游龙，从无滞涩。为什么他会在准备写下批文的当口突然又改了主意，只能是一个原因：大统制不希望被别人看到自己的想法。假如把这件事作为“因”，钟禺谷军败干西府军之事作为“果”，毕炜就可以肯定，钟禺谷的死一定另有文章。尽管钟禺谷死于帝国覆灭后的第二年，但很有可能在大统制落笔又收回的当口，就已种下了死因。一想到大统制在轻轻一提笔的瞬间，对已经答应投降的钟禺谷的杀机就已种下，可是付诸实施却是在第二年了，而且是在这个虽曾起过观望之心、却已死心塌地的降将为了共和国不遗余力消灭帝国残部的同时，毕炜就感到无比的寒冷。 自己比钟禺谷还不如。钟禺谷虽有观望之心，但他还是主动与共和军接触，而自己却是因为受到邓沧澜的裹胁才投降的…… 一想到这一点，毕炜的身体就会颤抖起来。不只一次，他在做梦时都会梦见自己睁开眼，面前站着一个蒙面的刺客，而这刺客却穿着……大统制的礼服。大统制当然不可能来行刺自己，即使他真的有心要除掉自己，可是这个荒诞的梦毕炜却觉得如此真实，真实得让他胆战心惊。这么多年来，他从来不敢有违大统制的命令，甚至只做大统制说过可以做的事，可是他仍然害怕。 戎马半生，身经百战，即使是面对死，毕炜也相信自己挺得过去，可是这种背后隐隐悬着一把利刃的感觉却让他心力交瘁。大统制究竟知道了什么？他对自己究竟是怎么想的，仅仅这两个问题就纠缠得毕炜几乎要发疯，所以当他听说儿子毕此道不愿从军，只想踏上仕途、做个小官时，他这个共和国第一流名将居然全力支持。其实在他看来，毕此道能够不卷入官场才最好。 从少年时就热衷名利，一心想要出人头地，老来却有这种想法，毕炜都有点不敢相信，但事实就是这样。他站得笔直，却垂下眼不敢看竹帘背后的那个人。有句话，叫“成大事者，必生异相”，但那人身材并不如何高大，外貌也毫不惊人，与在路上见到的那些平民百姓毫无两样，可是这个人不折不扣可称得上“成大事者”。也许，他的异相并不在外貌，而是在心里。 “毕将军，此番远征失利，请你将前后详细说一下吧。” 毕炜又感到了一阵寒意，那股曾经在纸上嗅到过的对钟禺谷的杀机，仿佛一瞬间都对准了自己。战事在刚结束时就由随军参谋撰写详细军情总结上报了，大统制也已肯定看过。隔了这些日子，大统制又专程让自己讲述一遍，恐怕并不是要知道战场上的细节，而是想知道自己隐瞒了什么吧。 这种汇报，大多避重就轻，尽量为自己开脱，但此时毕炜却再也不敢有所隐瞒，事无巨细都说了，连同大败前夕，郑司楚那封被自己驳回的上书都说了。 “毕将军，郑司楚的上书，你觉得有没有见识？” 毕炜怔了怔。在战况总结里，他故意把郑司楚自作主张，拉了两百人突袭楚都城这件事夸大了些，说此举使得兵无死斗之心，以致抵挡不住叛军进攻，却没想到大统制居然会问郑司楚有没有见识。 他到底是什么用意？毕炜心里极快地捉摸着，但一时间却摸不透。是该对郑司楚落井下石呢，还是说两句好话，这个念头只是一转，他马上就道：“颇有见识，但还是书生之见。” "how do I say this?" “战场上瞬息万变，此人的看法却有点拘泥兵法。”他咽了口唾沫，又道，“但这只是因为他经验缺乏而已。假以时日，这人才堪大用。” 大统制没再说话，只是在挥毫写着。毕炜也不敢抬头，听着那种笔锋擦过纸面的声音。大统制突然问起郑司楚，到底是什么用意？在开革出伍前，郑司楚只是个行军参谋，论军衔也是个校尉，也许是郑国务卿私底下向大统制求情了，此时毕炜又有些后悔自己不该往郑司楚身上推卸了太多责任了。虽说郑昭不能与大统制相提并论，但郑昭毕竟也是这个政权里的第二号人物，如果郑昭恼恨自己害了他儿子，对自己怀恨在心，岂不是无妄之灾，不过郑昭大概不知道，郑司楚其实似乎…… “才堪大用吗？” 大统制的话打断了毕炜的思绪。声音依然温和，但毕炜陡然间觉得身体又有些寒意。但这寒意也使得他脑海中一亮，直到此时他才恍然大悟，这一次大统制叫自己来，真正的用意并不是对质自己哪些是避重就轻地瞒过去了，而是为了郑司楚吧…… 这想法让毕炜也有些吃惊。郑司楚只是个年轻人，又已开革出伍，无论如何大统制都不该对他如此关心。那么，大统制实际上，关注的是郑昭了。难道并不是自己所想的，郑昭为了儿子向大统制求情，而是大统制对郑昭动了杀机？ 这个想法让毕炜的心都一瞬间变得冰冷，如果不是强忍着，几乎当时就要发抖。大统制对国务卿动了杀机，这可是一件惊天动地的大事了，共和军受到的震动，将不亚于天崩地裂。不过毕炜当然不敢去向大统制求证，脑海中只是飞快地打着转。 起因，当然是自己递交上去的那份军情总结。在总结里，自己将贵任推了一大部份给郑司楚，不过也说了些好话，说他熟读兵法，胆量也大，颇有谋略决断。也许正是这几句话触动了大统制吧。大统制至今没有子女，但年纪不老，这些年多半会生下儿女来的。而主管政务的郑昭有这样一个才堪大用的儿子，将来说不定有朝一日会威胁到大统制的地位，也许大统制担心的就是这一点。可是这样一来，大统制难道……难道想复辟帝制？ 毕炜几乎要惊呆了。大统制复辟帝制的话，那也有点太出尔反尔了。共和国胜利后，当时为了斩断复辟的可能性，把几乎所有帝国宗室全都斩杀了。这种血腥行为，虽说震慑了民众，却也使得那些帝国残军也铁了心与共和国对抗到底，五德营甚至一直抵抗到了十多年后的今天。当然这也符合大统制斩草除根的原意，可是大统制真的想让自己的儿子接任大统制，岂不是成了变相的帝君？那与当初宣扬的一切未免也离得太远了。 Of course not.毕炜心里想着。大统制到底想做什么，不是我能看得出来的。他也自知自己有好用计而不擅用计的风评。虽说经过那么多年战火洗礼，自己已算得上足智多谋了，不过与那些心计极深的人比起来，仍然是“不擅用计”吧。 他没有再说什么，只是道：“当然是要在战场上磨炼才行。不然，也仅仅是一本活的兵法罢了。” 大统制没有再说什么，只是挥毫写着。眼角瞟到了竹帘后的身影，耳朵里则是沙沙的走笔之声，毕炜一声不吭，心里却默默地念叨道：郑昭，我也卖给你一个人情，只是你不知道罢了。 自己老了，能与人为善，就多行善事吧。他想着，猛然间却想起了自己让洪修光暗中保护丁亨利妻女之事。他是有意让自己忘了这事，但此时却不住地冒出来。 大统制，有识人心事之能。在这当口毕炜还想到了这种传闻。如果大统制真能识人心事的话，现在他岂不是就知道自己违背了斩尽杀绝的命令？他越想越怕，紧紧咬住牙关，要不然上下排牙齿真要捉对厮杀了。半晌，才听得大统制缓缓道：“毕将军，说下去吧，说说叛军首领之事。”