Chapter 173 Chapter Seventeen

The turmoil came without warning, like a pot of cold water that was suddenly heated to boiling hot, and the people in the water were cooked before they could react. By the time we arrived at Hanshui, the war had expanded. After a few roads of cavalry passed by, the city was destroyed, the homes were burned, the former fertile fields were turned into rotten black ashes, silk and flowers were floating in the mud and yellow soup, and there were everywhere on both sides of the road. It can be seen that the prosperity of Limin people who died in the chaos of war was destroyed, and their flesh and blood gave off a pungent rancid smell in summer night.

Luo Wang raised troops in Meishan, and the people who didn't want to become rebellious officials and thieves came eastward with their families. The waterway ferry in the east was firmly blocked, and the soldiers of Bian Tang to the west of Hanshuiguan could not look at each other head to tail. They were defeated by King Luo in the battle of Hongcheng, and half of Bian Tang's rivers and mountains were in jeopardy. The trip of Chu Qiao and the others was delayed like this, and a big battle was imminent. Even with her strength, it was difficult to contend with such a situation. In the Hanshui generation, the people gathered together, and it was midsummer when the disease was prevalent. Within half a month, the plague began to spread in the city.All the rich and powerful families closed their doors tightly, and sent a large number of guards to guard and patrol. The inns and restaurants were even closed, and it was impossible to buy a grain of rice.Chu Qiao and the others had no choice but to go to the suburbs. Fortunately, they had made preparations for the long journey, and the food and tents were all ready.

As the days passed, various rumors and rumors came one after another. Even if Dorji Pingan and others ventured into the city to inquire, they could not find any useful information. There are different rumors, some say that Li Ce has rectified 800,000 armored cavalry in the east, and is coming to Hanshui to kill generals.Some people also said that King Luo defeated the Nanhuai army in Junshan a few days ago. Jiangzhe, Feicheng, Nanwang, Anxi County, and Xizhao Mountain fell one after another. Most of the imperial troops were killed and injured, and the rest surrendered. , Luo Wang's army is about to enter Hanshui.It is also said that the large households in the southwest donated money and food in response to the Luo Wang uprising, playing the banner of a foolish king and sending out family soldiers to join the Meishan Army, and the number of Luo Wang's army approached one million.It is even more absurd to say that Li Ce was no longer in Tang Jing, but hid in Daxia territory with his harem concubines, and Donghai Huai Song was helping him build a sea ship, so he was about to flee to the sea.

People in Hanshui were panicked for a generation. Although the rumors were not entirely true, King Luo's army was still approaching Hanshui day by day. Because there are fewer and fewer refugees in recent days, it means that Luo Wang's encirclement is getting closer and closer, and he is about to join forces with Hanshui's army. Another seven days later, King Luo's army finally arrived at Qibaipo, which is only more than 80 miles away from Hanshui, but unexpectedly stopped, and did not make a plan to meet General Xu Su, the guard of Hanshui. However, Hanshui did not clearly express his allegiance to King Luo.

The battle suddenly stalemate. At this moment, the Xishuo army of the empire realized that the incident was unusual. General Xu Su was a general of the empire. He had followed the old general Murong in his early years. If he was willing to stick to the righteousness and stand on Li Ce's side, then the chances of Bian Tang Zhengtong's victory would increase greatly. . In this way, after another four days of waiting and watching, Lu Bingbang, the leader of Xishuo's army, rushed to Qibaipo with 30,000 soldiers and horses under his command, and had a fierce battle with King Luo's army.Although the battle was fierce and Xishuo's army suffered heavy casualties, they bravely broke through King Luo's line of defense and rushed towards General Xu Su's camp in Hanshui. imperial capital.

However, at this moment, the Hanshui massacre that shocked the entire Simon continent began without any warning. Xu Su killed 13,000 soldiers under Lu Bingkuan overnight, blood stained the Hanshui River, even 30 miles downstream, you can still see the red river, the corpses piled up, almost formed A large stretch of high embankments. The first generation of Hanshui was surrounded by eagles and poisons all day long, and at night, there were tragic hisses and screams, and ferocious birds and beasts biting the rotting corpses, like a terrible nightmare. Three days later, Luo Wang, who finally believed in Xu Su's sincerity, entered the Hanshui camp with an army of 150,000.And on the second day, with the support of the soldiers, he added a yellow robe to his body, kowtowed to his ancestors, and ascended the throne with the emblem of Jingheng.

Two days later, Meishan's 200,000 troops rushed to Hanshui, and together with Xu Su's 180,000 defenders in Hanshui, King Luo's army was close to 600,000. In this regard, a funny situation appeared in Bian Tang where the two emperors divided the river and ruled side by side. Ten days later, Li Ce, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty who seemed to be unable to endure such shame and humiliation, finally issued a conquest document with fierce words and personally led the conquest, leading the central army of 90,000, the southeast army of 110,000, and the wolf soldiers of 200,000 , with the momentum of Mount Tai, rushed to Hanshui.

War is imminent. On the ninth day of August, King Luo climbed up on the Chaoyang balcony to worship his ancestors, burned incense and sacrificed flags, and then crossed the river with his own army and 150,000 Meishan troops, leaving 50,000 Meishan troops and Xu Su to guard Hanshui.However, Li Ce's army stayed in the big camp for a long time and did not dare to fight. For five days in a row, there were only a few battles involving hundreds of people. The earth is reduced to a laughing stock.The fact that Emperor Tang was afraid of King Luo and dared not go out to fight in the camp was spread throughout the world.

However, just when everyone thought that Li Ce was about to lose his country, Chu Qiao suddenly ordered Mei Xiang to pack up and prepare to go to Beijing. Mei Xiang didn't understand what he meant, so she asked bluntly. Chu Qiao looked at Xu Su's camp in the east, and her eyes became a little blurred. She remembered the night when Xi Shuo's army was massacred, and the screams rang out in her ears, and continued all night. "This battle is about to end." On August 17th, the Tang army finally swept away the previous depression, and the army was dispatched in unison, and Yuhu Linyuan and Luo Wang's army started a fierce battle.

The soldiers fought bravely, and the war lasted for a day and a night, and neither side gave in the slightest.They all know that this is a battle for imperial power, and the winning side will surely have a golden life and a bright future, while the losing side will have all their families slaughtered, leaving no one behind. At the critical moment of the battle, General Xu Su suddenly appeared on the battlefield. King Luo's army roared with joy, but before their laughter disappeared, Xu Su's army suddenly raised a saber and came to kill the generals behind King Luo's army! On August 20, King Luo was defeated, killing more than 40,000 people, and the rest surrendered.

Under the protection of 2,000 iron-blooded personal guards, King Luo fled all the way to Hanshui, only to find that all 50,000 soldiers under his command had died.There is no boat to cross Hanshui.The king of Luo was desperate, he sighed by the Hanshui River and refused to join me, and then he drew his sword and killed himself. So far, Emperor Jingheng, who had only been enthroned for eleven days, sadly left the territory of Bian Tang history books, and everything disappeared, as if he had never appeared before. On August 21st, the Great Emperor's army pursued and killed the remaining party of the King of Luo, beheading more than 300 families of the southwestern clan along the way.Almost overnight, the entire Southwest clan was uprooted, and the Shu wind passed by, creating a desolate mess. On August 27th, the Tang Emperor's squadron returned to the court. General Xu Su, who had made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion, continued to lead troops to suppress the rebel party. The blood was centered on Meishan in the southwest, winding all the way across the entire Bian and Tang Dynasties land. On the fourth day of September, the Great Emperor issued a decree to divide half of the materials confiscated from the Southwest clan this time, and distribute them equally among the provinces and counties that were persecuted during the war. A place to recuperate.All of a sudden, Li Ce's reputation climbed to the top. These common people who lost their homes and relatives in the war suddenly knew that they could still live, and they all burst into tears of gratitude and thanked the emperor for his kindness. On the ninth day of September, Chu Qiao took Pingan Duoji and others on the road again, crossing the Hanshui River by boat to Tangjing. Bian Tang is still Bian Tang, the sky is blue and the clouds are white, and the smoke is still the same, but those soldiers who died on the battlefield are never seen again. On September 15th, the moon outside the window was round, like a jade plate of fine color.Between the phoenix trees outside the hall, there are countless fireflies flying, shining with blue light, circling gently back and forth. The entire imperial palace was cold and quiet, pure white curtains were hung up and down, and pale candles replaced the previous palace lanterns, emitting a glowing halo. She followed the guards and walked slowly. The Jinwu Palace is still as big, but without the all-night soft music, pink waist and jade arms, this majestic palace suddenly looks so empty up. The arrow patterns on the cuffs brushed against the skirts on both sides, making the sound of scorpions. The night was too quiet, and the crows flew over the head. When I looked up, I could only see the town beast squatting on the high eaves.The boundless twilight spread like a mist, and the incense was curled up under the gloomy pines and cypresses. Chu Qiao looked down, and faintly heard the scriptures chanted by the monks, as if they came from the other side of the sky, which made people feel empty. There is no change in Miheju, the phoenix trees are continuous, the lotus pond is dark at night, and the cicadas sing longer than one.The faint moonlight shines through the white cotton window paper, but the windows on the west side are wide open. The moist wind blows in from the outside, carrying damp water vapor, and the blue and white curtains all over the hall flutter. Only the dilapidated wind chimes hung in front of the window, jingling from time to time, still crisp, like the singing of breaking ice. Li Ce was sitting between the green and white tents, with an ebony table on one side, futon seats on two sides, a green jade pot, and two white wine cups. The green gauze curtain danced with the wind, sweeping across the empty and silent hall from time to time. Li Ce's black hair was disheveled, and he was wearing a dark purple brocade robe, embroidered with blue cloud patterns, spiraling and crisscrossing, layered upon layer, which is unique to the royal family. The stitches are finely sewn, and the face is like white jade, sitting there quietly reflecting the moonlight, like a still painting. Chu Qiao stood at the door, holding on to Qing Zhu, for a moment, she didn't know how to go forward. The night wind blew the gauze curtain, and Li Ce turned his head under the moonlight. His face was clear and his eyes were slightly narrowed. He still looked like a fox with a slight smile. He smiled softly at her and said, "You're here." This sound was very calm, but it made Chu Qiao feel sour. Looking at him, she felt that he was still the same as she left, with a playful smile and mischievous mischief, but she could see everything clearly. Years passed by in a hurry, so many things happened one after another, it was so fast that she couldn't recover. Looking at him now, she felt a little strange, but also a little distressed. Going forward, squatting beside Li Ce, pursing the corners of his mouth tightly, his eyes were sore and astringent. Li Ce rubbed her hair with a smile. As usual, he intentionally messed up her neat bun, and said with a smile, "Why are you so sad? I'm not dead yet." The more he smiled like this, the more sad Chu Qiao felt. She forced herself to smile, nodded and said, "It's fine." The window is half closed, and the last pool of clear lotus blooming outside the window is hidden. Li Ce lowered his head, quietly groping for the complicated pattern on the side of the wine cup. "He is a traitor and a traitor, so he cannot be buried in the imperial mausoleum. I buried him on Luofu Mountain." A gust of wind blows in, and the wind chime on the window makes a series of sounds. Looking up, I see that the bell is carved with intricate and exquisite patterns, and the corners are decorated with hollowed out acacia flower patterns and fine gold powder. Years of wind and sun, the color is still bright. Li Ce took a shallow drink, his eyes were calm, and he said calmly, "Fu'er was also buried there." He raised his head, the corners of his mouth were light, his expression was misty, but there was a slight brightness like the morning sun in his eyes. "You can't live together, and you can't die together. It's not in vain for him to fight his last battle." The hall finally became quiet, and Chu Qiao sat beside Li Ce, drinking with him quietly.She didn't sit in the seat opposite, because she knew it wasn't reserved for her. Gudeng Haoyue, he was waiting for someone who would never come again. "I knew he would rebel." Li Ce spoke to himself, but Chu Qiao didn't make a sound, she knew that he didn't need someone to answer now, all he needed was someone who would listen quietly. "I've been waiting for him for many years, but I also have a little hope that he won't want to go against his will." Li Ce laughed at himself, raised his head and drank a glass of water and wine, turned his head and smiled at Chu Qiao: "You know, Li Luo has been less intelligent than me since he was a child, and his military skills and martial arts are not as good as mine, but poetry is better than me. When he was a child, he said that he hoped that when he grows up, he can recruit all the world-famous Confucian scholars, find a place with beautiful scenery to open a government office, and compile the most detailed history book of Simon." His brows curled slightly, and the moonlight leaked in through the plain veiled panes and sprinkled on his handsome cheeks. He said quietly: "Actually, he didn't know that the day I became the prince Since then, a history museum has been established for him in Anqing, but it's a pity that after Fu'er died, I never had the chance to talk to him again." His brows were suddenly furrowed tightly, and his voice carried a hint of hatred, and he squeezed out a few words through his teeth with such force: "You said him, why do you have to oppose him?" The wine cup shattered into two halves, the sharp jade pierced his tiger's mouth, and the bright red blood sprayed out, like blossoming begonias. Chu Qiao suddenly remembered that many years ago, under this palace, under the phoenix trees on an autumn night, a man in a green shirt stood there quietly, and said to her with gentle eyes, "I am Luo Wang." Vaguely, in the dust-covered corner, the wind gently blows the water waves of the years, and the time goes back many, many years ago. Three young children used to play and run in this empty hall. Laughter is like the smoked wind in June, blowing through the thick fog in this cold and lonely palace, and blowing through this dark and unpredictable imperial residence. "Fu'er, you agreed to be my daughter-in-law today. It was him yesterday and the day before yesterday. Today it's my turn." "I do not want!" "Why? Your words don't count!" "Just don't!" "Hmph, I'll tell my father that I will marry you right now." "I don't want, I don't want, I don't want!" "Ah! Damn girl, why do you bite?" "Okay, stop fighting, you two, it's time to go to the study room for class." "Brother Luo, the prince bullied me." "Brother what? I want to call you Uncle Huang! Uncle Huang, Fu'er is sick and biting people. I'm going to the medical center to find the imperial doctor. I can't go to class today." The night is as cool as water, the flashy light and shadow of the past gradually dissipate, leaving only a shallow brilliance, the cold moon is like frost, and the plains suddenly become cold and chilly, but in such a hot midsummer, the skin arouses a fine tingling numbness, the wind is smooth Climb up with your back, after all, entrenched in your mind, spreading a sense of extravagance. Li Ce drank too much, and with a thin back, he walked out of the gate of Mi Heju crookedly. He seemed to have lost weight, and disappeared little by little into the phoenix trees and moonlight. Standing in front of the window, Chu Qiao watched him gradually leave, feeling empty in her heart, like a broken ice lake. The struggle for imperial power has always been cruel and bloody, either you die or I die. Just like between Yanbei and Daxia, there is no way to reconcile. She suddenly thought of Yan Xun and how he felt when he killed Mr. Wu and others. Maybe the situation is slightly different, but it is all a power struggle after all.Today's Li Ce will be sad because of the death of King Luo, so at this moment, Yan Xun will regret what he did that day? The desperate roar before his death and the last scream of the Xishuo army by the Hanshui River merged little by little, like sharp roars, surging in his mind. The edifice of power rises up little by little, and only one person can step on it in the end, but before that, tens of millions of people will fall down and build up the cornerstone of progress. There are a few faint water stains on the small ebony table, without the aroma of wine, and under the moonlight, it is shining with crystal color. "There is a string of wind chimes over there, which are covered by dust. If you have time, girl, you might as well ask the palace servants to clean them. The autumn wind is cool, and the rings are crisp, very pleasant." A faint voice sounded leisurely in his mind. Chu Qiao walked over slowly, stretched out her fingers, and gently touched the string of wind chimes.With a sound of swish, the silk thread hanging the wind chimes suddenly broke, and the whole string of wind chimes fell immediately, and fell into the Taiqing Pond below at once, creating a white splash and rolling ripples.