Chapter 46 Chapter Forty-six: The Wind Blows the Four Flags
Li Chu woke up slowly in the afternoon.A ray of sunlight slanted into the room, his head was heavy and heavy, he propped up the bed with his hands, and wanted to get up, but his whole body was so weak that he couldn't exert any strength.Seeing many figures behind the curtain in a daze, he opened his mouth and asked, "What time is it?" The voice was hoarse and dry, as if it didn't come from his own mouth, and he smiled wryly.
The palace lady answered truthfully in a thin voice.
Li Chu asked again: "Where is the princess?"
The maid said: "Wangfei is resting in the side room after serving His Highness all night."
Although Li Chu was in a coma last night, she was still a bit hazy. Her face was anxious, her slender fingers stroked her forehead, and she wiped off the sweat little by little, but her fragrance still remained in the tent.In the endless exhaustion, there was a sense of warmth and warmth, and said: "Don't disturb her, let her have a good rest." The maid agreed to greet her and pass the medicine and serve the meal.Li Chu's mouth was tasteless, and after eating a little porridge, his body still couldn't stand it, and fell asleep again.
After a high fever, I should rest in bed. The imperial doctor added sleep-promoting drugs to the prescription. I fell into a deep sleep until the next day, and when I woke up, I was light and fast. While the maid was putting on my boots, I looked around and said: " Where is the princess?"
The palace maid secretly looked at him, although he asked casually, although his description was haggard, but his stern demeanor was three points stronger than before, she couldn't help but start to mutter: "Princess—hasn't gotten up yet."
Li Chu raised his eyebrows, Shen Zhenzhu had always acted rigorously and orderly, there was never a precedent for him not getting up at such an hour.In my mind, I heard the sound of footsteps outside, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are outside?" Put on the shoes and socks, put on a robe casually, and opened the door with a "boom".There was already a group of people standing outside, unexpectedly Li Chu came out suddenly, kneeling and standing for a while, not daring to show their air.Li Chu looked over suspiciously, the maids and internal servants were either holding cups, serving medicine, or lowering their hands. Some of them were serving by his side, and some of them were familiar with him. With the sound of clearing his throat, an imperial doctor in seventh-rank clothing came out from the side room.
Li Chu broke out in cold sweat, strode up, stretched out his hand to open the door of the side room, the outer robe was pulled by the door, he quietly hesitated, but he didn't care, he just walked in.Shen Zhenzhu faintly coughed, and the maid who was close to her greeted Li Chu, seeing his expression, she dared not speak, she hurriedly opened the curtain for him, and let him enter the inner room.
Shen Zhenzhu leaned half on the bed, Fang gradually calmed down from a severe cough, closed his eyes and rested his mind.A court lady held a towel and wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead. Seeing Li Chu coming in, Li Chu was about to salute, but Li Chu took the towel and raised her eyebrows to signal her to back down.
Staring at Shen Zhenzhu for a moment, he saw that she was getting thinner and paler, and the sweat on her forehead was profuse, and it was densely layered in an instant, so she wiped it with a towel.But hearing Shen Zhenzhu's "hmmmm", she turned her sideways, frowned and coughed, at first one or two sounds were suppressed and low, who knows that she couldn't stop, she coughed and wheezed like heart and lungs, her thin shoulders trembled Terrific, Li Chu took half of her body and couldn't help stroking her back.After a long while, she stroked her chest and settled down a bit, looked at Li Chu helplessly, and said softly, half panting, "Look, I'm really useless——"
Li Chu put his finger on her lips, shook his head and said: "Don't talk anymore. You are always stubborn...you even hide it from me. I'm fine, don't worry." She lightly relieved, nodded with a smile, and let him support her Lie down, close your eyes slightly, and the eyelids are light blue.Shen Zhenzhu coughed for more than a day and a night, the heart that was suspended because of Li Chu finally let go, and fell asleep on the side after a while.In sleep, still cough from time to time.
Li Chu waited for Shen Zhenzhu to fall asleep, changed his clothes and sent the imperial physician for questioning.
Shen Zhenzhu's lingering sickness lasted for more than a month, and she gradually got better.
Li Chu was the same as usual, acting as an agent of military affairs at the Marshal's Mansion all day long, or returning after Haishi, or even not returning all night.Even if he couldn't come back at night, he would definitely send someone to check on Shen Zhenzhu's condition.
On some quiet and peaceful nights, when Li Chu fell asleep in exhaustion, Shen Zhenzhu would always wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, and look at his handsome and clear face under the warm moonlight.It seemed to be the same as before, but there must be some difference, he was carrying so much, when did he start, even in front of her, he didn't say anything or show any clues?The person who followed him all the way, Cui Guangyuan was a doctor of imperial history, and fought against rebels several times his size in the northwest; Chen Zhou was wounded and hidden, and could not be reused temporarily; To die... Perhaps, he has never been so lonely as he is now.However, he is Li Chu, behind this calmness, there are always many things that she can't imagine...
One day when she was ill, Ye Hu asked Emperor Suzong to visit Shen Zhenzhu in the palace.Shen Zhenzhu was half lying on the bed, so the maid raised the curtain to meet Ye Hu.
Ye Hu is wearing Huihe uniforms, and the leaders are all broad and intricately woven gold brocade lace, which looks extremely noble and gorgeous, with a bit of sharpness hidden in his eyebrows and eyes, and a bit more steady in his actions, showing a sophistication and maturity that does not match his age .
Shen Zhenzhu felt that she was very alienated from Ye Hu. In the past, a little bit of her status gave her a dilemma. After asking him about his experiences in the past few years, Shen Zhenzhu finally said: "Do you still remember what your Majesty said a month ago? How can you be satisfied in the Tang Dynasty?" woman?"
Ye Hu didn't blush, and there was a sneer of Ling Ran's sneer on the corner of his mouth, which was fleeting, and replied in a gentle voice: "Although the women of Tang Dynasty are beautiful, unfortunately, none of them are my favorite."
Shen Zhenzhu was a little surprised, and said with a joking smile: "I heard that you and Princess Anxian are very congenial, and His Majesty intends to give you a marriage." Princess Anxian is the seventh daughter of Suzong, and she was Zhou's concubine when Suzong was the crown prince. He was born under the age of fourteen.
Ye Hu was slightly stunned, smiled and said: "I'm telling the truth to my adoptive mother - An Xian is like a child, and the women I value in Huihe men are all able to help men support half of the world. I can't ask for a child Go back to the tent and raise it. Now I just want to play with the little princess because of my father Khan's order."
"Father Khan's order?" Shen Zhenzhu recited the words silently, not knowing what the purpose of silently delaying the sip was.
"Father Khan has always been concerned about the condition of the adoptive mother." Ye Hu saw the maid coming out of the chamber to bring medicine, with a hint of cunning on her face, and said in a low voice, "When His Royal Highness King Guangping didn't return all night, he sneaked into the palace several times to visit the adoptive mother. Does the step-mother know?" Seeing that Shen Zhenzhu was almost lost in shock, she solemnly said, "But Father Khan has been away from Huihe for too long, so he left yesterday to return to Hacibaci and his grandson, and the military affairs are temporarily entrusted to me."
Just leave like this?Shen Zhenzhu frowned, although there are good reasons, but silently delaying this trip to the Central Plains, returning with no success?Ye Hu sat in front of him, his expression was determined and composed, he didn't have the slightest timidity of a young general who was alone in a foreign country, and he was even a little leisurely, as if he had something to rely on.According to what Moyan Chuo said, Ye Hu is also leading the army for the first time, Mo Yan Chuo is really relieved to let go, can Ye Hu really be so reckless?With a shudder in his heart, could it be that Mo Yanchuu didn't leave?In the name of leaving, not only let him stay in the dark, avoid the danger of being alone in the Tang Dynasty, but also let the Tang room relax its vigilance?
What is Mo Yanchu's plan?Huihe is indeed powerful, but with its strength, it is indeed difficult to swallow the entire Central Plains at present.Shen Zhenzhu's head hurts—men in this world, they plan and plan all day long, and they never stop for a day.Some fights are bound to happen sooner or later, though not imminently.It is clear that I am tired in my heart, but I still have to deal with them.
Ye Hu's eyes sparkled, and he said, "What is the mother-in-law thinking? Are you worried that my Huihe iron cavalry will not be able to take on the task of helping Datang regain the two capitals? Or do you have something to tell me? I am determined to obey the order of the mother-in-law."
Shen Zhenzhu looked at the young man in front of her, feeling ashamed and guilty, her face was hot, and she finally said: "If you consider me as your mother, you can be regarded as half a person of Tang Dynasty. Can you promise me that you will never be with Datang?" enemy?"
The light in Ye Hubi's deep eyes gradually went out, and the corners of her slightly raised mouth raised a sneer, "Today, the mother-in-law is asking for warmth, so it's because of this last sentence." Shen Zhenzhu didn't regret it, but she was also speechless. Despicable, but for the country and family, all she can do is nothing more than that.
Ye Hu pulled the corners of his mouth, and was about to sneer, but the crystals in his eyes held up involuntarily. He turned his head and wiped away his tears with his backhand, and smiled sadly when he looked back: "I thought I really had a mother, so it turns out, I am an orphan after all.”
Shen Zhenzhu looked at Ye Hu in front of her, lost in time in a trance.It has been more than ten years since An Qingxu lost his mother on the night he lost his mother. He was also so sad, helpless, and cynical. He put a white handkerchief on the face of the dead mother, knelt for half the night, and only shed a tear, "Between heaven and earth I don't have any relatives anymore." She used to pity him so much, thinking that she was the only one in the world who truly understood him, but after all she made mistakes again and again, no matter how powerful she was, she couldn't pull him back from falling into the abyss.
"Ye Hu", Shen Zhenzhu didn't care about wearing boots and socks, she jumped out of bed and hugged the boy's shoulders and arms. She was actually only a few years older than Ye Hu, but Ye Hu was taller than her at this time, so she just Can look up, "You and I have been fettered by this identity. ——If you were willing to go back to Datang with me, the situation today may be completely different. My mother-in-law is indeed not worthy of the name, but Khan treats you very well. Like a parent and child, it doesn't matter if you have a father who loves you so much, or whether you have a foster mother like me." After finishing speaking, he relayed to Ye Hu one by one what Mo Yan Chuan said to himself in the Pingyuan Teahouse that day.
After Ye Hu listened in silence, with tears in his eyes again, he suddenly raised his head and said to Shen Zhenzhu: "Mother-in-law, I always remember that when I was very young, my mother hugged me. You can hug me like a mother ?"
Shen Zhenzhu was stunned, at first she only felt that it was ridiculous to hug this man into her arms, but seeing Ye Hu's earnest eyes, he was no longer the conceited and arrogant young general at that time, but just a child who lost his mother's love at a young age, recalling that he was also He lost his mother when he was young, not only did he suddenly feel sympathy for the sick, but also his motherhood spontaneously emerged. With a long sigh, he slowly hugged Ye Hu in his arms, his shoulders trembled, as if his clothes were wet with tears.
"Mrs. Datang Zhenguo", within a short time, Ye Hu had already held Shen Zhenzhu's shoulder, and slowly stepped back two steps, resolute in this short hug, with a calm and firm face, "I owe you my life, I will naturally agree to you My request is just - I don't have a mother anymore -" He raised his sleeves, wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes, bowed deeply, and left.
When Li Chu heard about Ye Hu's visit at night, he was very hesitant, "Father will definitely put you in it, and make things difficult for you."
Shen Zhenzhu persuaded: "Father has no choice but to do it, but I'm afraid he underestimated the Huihe people." Then he told him his doubts about Mo Yanchu.
There was a smile between Li Chu's brows and eyes, he helped her to lie down, and patted her on the cheek, "Go to sleep, it is true that Mo Yanchuu has not left, but he will not harm us for the time being, let's wait and see."
On the fourth day of August, Emperor Suzong made a family banquet in the inner court of Xingyuan, where he was waiting for Ye Hu.
After drinking for three rounds, Su Zong laughed and said to Ye Hudao: "I plan to send troops to hunt down thieves soon, and I want to use the prince's army as the vanguard, is it okay?"
Ye Hu got up and replied: "Father Khan has warned the ministers to obey His Majesty's orders, and Ye Hu obeys His Majesty's orders."
Su Zong was overjoyed, he looked around at the concubines, his eyes fell on Shen Zhenzhu, and he expressed his appreciation to Ye Hu: "This trip has been hard, I will definitely reward the soldiers of Huihe."
Ye Hu lazily drank a cup of wine from several cases, and said with a drunken look: "Your Majesty is too polite. I Huihe and Datang are relatives by marriage. If a relative is in trouble, how can I not come to help—— ——It’s just that the ministers have led troops thousands of miles away, so they must not return empty-handed. I just ask Your Majesty to agree, if my returning soldiers and horses are really effective, after conquering Chang’an and Luoyang, let our army take all the women, clothes and silks from the two capitals!”
Shen Zhenzhu was shocked, the wine cup in her hand moved slightly, Li Chu stretched out a hand to support her arm.She squinted, Li Chu's expression remained the same, but the strength of the hand supporting her increased, and he became more and more moody and angry.
Zhe Miyi blurted out, "Ye Hu, what are you talking about!"
Ye Hu brought a glass of wine to his mouth, raised his eyebrows and sneered, "I heard that there is a saying in the Tang Dynasty, 'The water that is poured out by a married daughter'. Aunt Zhemiyi has only been a princess of the Tang Dynasty for a few days. Protect your in-law’s family like this? The Tang Dynasty is rich in resources, what do we need for Huihe? What do you think, Your Majesty?”
Suzong swept his robes and laughed loudly, "What's so difficult? I promise you!" As soon as Shen Zhenzhu said this, she seemed to see Concubine Zhang Shu, who was standing beside Suzong, breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at the people around her. , but there are many people who have this kind of form, and their hearts are slightly cold.
the fifth day of August.The golden autumn is extremely hot, and Shen Zhenzhu is ordering the midwife to prepare for Suci's delivery in the near future. The court lady hurriedly came to report: "Sister Suci's attendant just said: Sister woke up this morning with abdominal pain, I am afraid she will give birth soon. "
Shen Zhenzhu hurried over with two midwives in a hurry, Su Ci was dying of pain on the couch, the midwife said: "I'm going to give birth, I'm going to give birth! Wangfei, please stay away!"
Shen Zhenzhu walked outside the room for half an hour, when she heard the baby crying "Wow -" in the inner room, which was loud and clear.
The midwife came to announce the good news: "My maidservant has never seen such a smooth delivery of the first child! I tell the princess, the mother and child are safe, and he is a big fat boy." Shen Zhenzhu never thought that the delivery of Suci would be so smooth, but when she thought of the pain she had suffered when she gave birth to Li Shi, it was true. I was so touched that a stone in my heart finally fell to the ground.
The midwife wrapped the baby and handed it to Shen Zhenzhu. Shen Zhenzhu saw that the child was fair-faced, not as dark as Feng Shengyi, and his eyebrows were more like porcelain, which gave him a vague sense of familiarity.
Approaching the couch, she sent the baby to Suci, "Look at your child, how much like you." Suci opened her eyes wide, stared at the baby for a few moments, and suddenly burst into tears.
The midwife hurriedly yelled: "Madam must not cry at this time, it will hurt your eyes, it will be bad in the future." Shen Zhenzhu feels sorry for her, and she can't bear to mention the matter of naming, so as not to make Su Ci sad again, so she wipes it off for her Tears, persuaded: "Don't think about it, no matter what happens, I will always be there."
Su Ci closed her eyes and nodded, sobbed a few times on the side of her head, and slowly fell asleep.
Shen Zhenzhu was waiting in front of her bed.As the night swept in, Shen Zhenzhu closed her eyes and dozed off, but she heard Su Ci say in her ear: "Miss, I'm sorry." .When I woke up, I realized that Su Ci's house was by the lake, and after nightfall it was so cold that she almost caught a cold.Seeing that it was getting late, he sent someone back to Li Chu, explaining that he had to look at Suci for a living and could not go back home.
On August 23rd, Emperor Suzong rewarded the three armies, ordered Wang Chu of Guangping to be the Grand Marshal of the army, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi to be the Deputy Marshals, and led the Tang Army and the Huihe and Western Regions with 150,000 troops. Set out to break the thief.
On September 12th, Shen Zhenzhu stood in the Fengxiang City Tower, and Suzong and Concubine Shu personally sent the army to the battle.
The autumn wind suddenly blows, and the banners are flying.
Under the city tower, there are thousands of heavily armored soldiers, with swords and guns like a forest, arrayed like a sea, from east to west, from south to north, undulating like a jungle.A gust of wind blew up the old man's white beard and long beard, and passed over the immature face of the young man with a weak crown.
When Shen Zhenzhu was in this situation, she felt a sense of pride in her chest.Thousands of soldiers under the city tower, going to the gold and iron horses, bathed in blood on the battlefield, even though they will die, they will not flinch. Since ancient times, there have always been countless such passionate men, with iron bones and backbones, who would rather break than bend, die rather than regret, with their own Blood and sweat, saving the people from the fire and water, is commendable and admirable.
Suddenly he heard the neighing of the war horse, and a horse galloped out of the city gate. The flag officer shouted: "Raise the commander's flag—"
In the distance, Li Chu dismounted from his horse. He was wearing a silver bright armor, a crimson cloak, and a golden scorpion on his head with white feathers. Down.Immediately, the six armies raised their halberds and shouted, and the sound shook mountains and seas, shaking for nine days.
Li Chu pressed the hilt of the sword with his left hand, and swung his right hand downwards vigorously, the sound stopped abruptly.
A cyan-purple sword flashed across the sky, and Li Chu's Qingshuang sword unsheathed from his waist, pointing the sword at the sky, with a stern voice, he said every word: "An's traitor, bearing the grace of God, occupying our capital, humiliating my people, There is no way to stop the evil voice. Now I have received the holy decree, ordered to hunt down the thieves, and 200,000 people went south to Shan County. I swore to be a teacher here, and the heavens will auspiciously protect the Tang Dynasty. Two capitals, vow not to return!"
As soon as the sound fell, horns from all sides blew together. Li Chu turned around with his sword pressed against the sound of the horns, and half-knelt down towards Emperor Suzong: "My son, I will never fail the grace of God!"
Suzong raised his hand with a smile, signaling Li Chu to get up.Long live all the generals and soldiers.
Chang'an seems to be in sight.
(End of the second volume)