Chapter 45 first quarter

In November of the third year of Emperor Yincheng, Nanhuai City, Zihuan Palace. Holding the scroll high, the inner supervisor came out of the misty palace with cigarettes, walking slowly and with a solemn demeanor.He looked around and opened the scroll: "The lord has an edict, the Qingying Guards of the Xuanwu Hall, and the golden guard will see you at the end of the rest..." The person proclaiming the edict was extremely angry, and the long ending sound echoed in every corner of Zihuan Palace.At this moment, under the hundred steps in front of the Jian'an Hall, the officials are dressed in solemn dresses, and their robes are flying in the wind, as grand as the waves of the sea.It was as if someone had sliced ​​through the vermilion tide and purple sea with a sharp knife, and suddenly a road appeared out of thin air, allowing the young black-clothed warrior to quickly walk up to the hall.

Xiyuan's position is not high, the Qingyingwei of Wudian is just a minor title who waits on Wudian and directs daily life, and Zhijinwu is just the official shade bestowed by the king to the children of high officials.It is a very grand courtesy for the ministers to give way to such a young officer. This is the grand ceremony of triumph. In the Tang Dynasty, merchants were valued over martial arts, and the military prestige had been weak for nearly a hundred years. In this battle of King Qin, not only thousands of ranks were killed, dozens of vehicles were seized, but also the princess of Chuwei Kingdom was safely invited back. It is called an unprecedented event in a hundred years.The people in Nanhuai didn't know what happened in Shangyang Pass, they only heard the news of the battle, and the retreat from the country was the joy of the government and the people.The prestige of Xi Yan's uncle and nephew reached its peak for a while, and when Xi Yuan led the forward battalion into the city, he was surrounded by cheering young warriors.The girls tossed flowers, and their eyes completely regarded him as a future star and the best husband-in-law.

Xiyuan climbed up the steps, brushed his battle robe on the ground, and knelt down on one knee: "The Qingying Guard of Chenwu Palace, holding Jinwu Xiyuan, pays homage to the lord!" "After the famous family of General Xi, he was a young tiger. Five years ago, I saw the general's heroic appearance in the Daliu camp, and he had grown into a hero! He was awarded the guerrilla general, the Jinwu staff general, scale armor, iron sword, and rewards. Ten thousand baht!" The smell of water and aloe came from the Jian'an Hall, and Baili Jinghong was also dressed in formal attire, with a flat sky crown and a cloud embroidered robe, sitting behind the curtain.Although his brows were blurred, he could vaguely see the boundless joy on his face.

"Share the worries for the lord, even if you die, you will have no regrets!" Xi Yuan suddenly bowed down. The cheers of the ministers surged like a wave, and Baili Jinghong raised his hands horizontally, signaling that everyone should not be stingy with praise.The bronze bell roared, and the horn blew out a long and passionate sound. This was Xiyuan's first official audience with Baili Jinghong.Such a grand ceremony and courteous reception was unprecedented in Xia Tang Dynasty, and amidst the cheers, Xi Yuan's heart was burning like fire.All warriors who join the army expect to be awarded swords, to worship generals, and to make achievements. However, after the Battle of Shangyang Pass, Xiyuan has reached the sky in one step, and has obtained the status that many people may have to struggle for twenty years.

"How about the outcome of this battle?" Baili Jinghong asked majestically. "A complete victory!" Xiyuan replied loudly. "How many times to kill the enemy?" "Seven thousand four hundred people." "How many captives?" "Twenty-four hundred people." "How was it captured?" "More than 5,000 pieces of military equipment, 500 carts, 750 horses, 23 military flags, and other seized items have been piled up in the Daliu Camp outside the city. Please take a look at them." "Okay!" Baili Jinghong was in high spirits, and got up from his seat, "I have submitted the form, asking the emperor to grant General Xiyan Yuannan Marquis, seal 1,800 households, bestow jade swords, ride horses into the palace, and grant audience seats! God bless me when I go to the Tang Dynasty, and give me a god general, like the light of the sun, and the country will prosper!"

"As the light of the sun, the fortune of the country is prosperous!" The courtiers raised their hands high and echoed in unison.The imperial guards outside the palace shouted loudly, and the whole Zihuan Palace burst into cheers, as if they had seen the future where the Lower Tang Kingdom would dominate Tiannan. Xiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that these were actually rituals. In fact, how many times the enemy was killed and how many miles were captured? It must be clear that the purpose is to boost the prestige of the country and to create an atmosphere of national celebration.He looked quietly into the Jian'an Hall, behind the curtain, beside the king, there was a person sitting there, motionless like a sculpture.He knew it was his uncle Xiyan.It was very strange that Xi Yan was supposed to lead the army triumphantly to accept the cheers of the officials, but Xi Yan ordered Xiyuan to replace him.He himself had already entered the palace and sat beside the king, it seemed that this expedition had nothing to do with him.

"I have an inscription to present, and I hope the lord will be kind to the meritorious soldiers!" Xi Yuangao held the inscription written last night.He used a lot of thought to evaluate each one, Xi Yan watched him do all this, just smiled. "Reward to those who have meritorious deeds!" Baili Jinghong praised, "General Xi will retreat first, and the seal will be handed over to Zhang Xiang and the inner supervisor." "Xiyuan, there is no need to present the watch. Since you have received a reward, why don't you thank the lord?" Behind the curtain, Xi Yan said with a smile.

Xiyuan was stunned for a moment, unable to understand the meaning of his uncle's words.He couldn't say anything more, thanked him and stepped back. When he stepped into the corridor and handed the seal to the inner eunuch Zhang Xiang, the pale-skinned and honest-looking old man just smiled, and casually placed the seal in the pile of files. Xiyuan was a little worried: "If you put it here, can the king look over it one by one?" "Hey, Major General, you just don't understand the rules of the palace." Zhang Xiang's eunuch smiled, "How many people can the lord's grace reach? Today you are asking for a reward for your comrades, and you were not at the ceremony." In the content, if it’s not your uncle who is Xi Yan, and the king is happy, I’m afraid he will be reprimanded.”

He patted the young man on the shoulder: "The dead are already dead, so what's the point of rewarding them?" At the same time, in the restaurant "Tanggu Pavilion" in the city, Ji Ye, Lu Guichen and Yu Ran were bored around a pot of fish soup, waiting for it to boil.Yuran held the cup with both hands, stuck his lips on the rim of the cup, sucked the rice wine with his mouth pouted, and looked around with his big eyes. "Why are there so few people here today?" she asked. "Today is the grand ceremony of triumph. All the officers who did not go to the battle were assigned to guard the Zihuan Palace. Those who go to the battle are the only ones who are not." Ji Ye leaned against the wall, with a withered blade of grass in his mouth, rolled his eyes and looked at the roof .In winter, the Tanggu Pavilion put the table on the heated kang, and spread mats on the heated kang. The three older children stretched out on the kang, disregarding the eyes of the people around them, in an unseemly manner.But the people here are no strangers to them. The people who come to this small restaurant are nothing more than low-level military officers with low military ranks and small businessmen, and there are dozens of customers who come and go all day.

"Ji Ye, you have achieved a lot in battle this time, can you be named a lieutenant general?" "I don't know, Xiyuan said that he wants to ask the king to appoint me as a lieutenant general, but who knows." Ji Ye replied casually. "A lot of people have military exploits this time, right? Those who didn't go to the battle will regret it, you are timid, you are a mouse." Yu Ran glanced to the side as he said.On the heated kang there, Fang Qizhao, Lei Yunzhengke and the others were also at the same table, casting their eyes one after another while eating.

"What are you looking at? Aren't you afraid of the eye of a needle? I didn't say who, whoever made the right choice, I'm happy!" Yu Ran was annoyed at these people, looking at the roof and said loudly. Lu Guichen pulled her arm, telling her not to be so sharp-tongued: "There are probably not many people who survived." "Then why didn't you attend the grand ceremony, Asule? Didn't they invite you?" "Why do you want to go to Dadian?" Lu Guichen looked at the pot that was about to boil, and poured bright red chili oil into it, "There is no fish to eat in Dadian." The cotton curtain was lifted, and someone walked in, looked around, and jumped onto the kang on Ji Ye's side. "Xiyuan?" Yu Ran's eyes lit up, "So fast? Didn't you go to the grand ceremony?" "When I come down, I just go to the hall." Xiyuan looked at the fish pot. "Wait before you start, you haven't gotten out yet." Lu Guichen said. "Xiyuan, what did you seal?" Yu Ran grabbed his sleeve. "Guerrilla General." "What about Ji Ye?" Yu Ran glanced at Ji Ye, who was lying there lazily without moving.Yu Ran felt a little strange, Ji Ye still cared about his military rank and promotion before, but after returning from the expedition this time, he seemed to have forgotten all of them. "No, the others didn't receive rewards." Xiyuan threw the sword that he carried with him on the kang, it was something he was proud of, but at this moment he seemed to not care about the sword at all. "No?" Yu Ran was stunned, "What do you mean no?" "I'll say it again, it's simple, give me sword armor, seal me as a guerrilla general, nothing else! Nothing!" Xi Yuanhu said loudly.Yu Ran was stunned by him, and only then noticed that his face was flushed and his mouth was full of alcohol. "Have you been drinking?" Lu Guichen asked, "Put a bowl of fish soup for you to hangover." "If you don't have it, you don't have it. Don't be so loud." Ji Ye said lazily. "Don't think I don't know. I got the sword armor and received the reward, but the others have nothing! They are already dead! No one even asked me a question! Can you think highly of me?" Xi Yuan's eyes were red, fiercely He slapped the table loudly, and he did drink a lot. "Don't be so loud," Ji Ye continued to look at the roof without moving, "No one blames you, you are a major general, but the reward is for the king. If the king doesn't reward you, do we still blame you?" "The eldest son of the Ji family suddenly became able to speak today. After all, he is a man who has gone to war. He has gained knowledge and knowledge of current affairs." Fang Qizhao came over, and said in a strange voice, "Whether a reward is awarded or not, it is the state's responsibility." Regarding the matter of the Lord, Major General Xi cherishes his comrades, but he does not understand what the Lord means." He turned to Lei Yunzhengke and asked: "Brother Lei Yun, I heard that you got a promotion today." Lei Yunzhengke took out the military emblem from his pocket and threw it on the table: "A lieutenant general." Fang Qizhao chuckled: "I won a general, and I'm still a step behind Brother Lei Yun." He looked back at Ji Ye who was lying there: "The purpose of promotion and reward is to cultivate famous generals. Will the dead become famous generals? Didn't the lord of the country issue an edict that every household should be given a pension? The pension is enough, and the dead Well, he doesn't know how to reward him, so it's better to give him a little pension, and his family will think that this person's death is still useful after receiving the money." "Go to hell!" Xi Yuan grabbed a wine jug from the small table and smashed it into pieces directly on top of Fang Qizhao's head. Fang Qizhao wailed, held his head and backed out.He said this purely to find trouble, and he had already prepared for Ji Ye to jump up to attack, but he didn't expect that it was Xiyuan who was closest to him. "Xiyuan! Stop! You've drunk too much!" Lu Guichen was anxious to pull the Xiyuan, but when he turned his head, he saw Ji Ye sitting up and grabbing the small table on the kang. "Ji Ye! Ji Ye! What are you doing?" He was stunned, but he was only alone. He couldn't hug this crazy Xiyuan while going up to stop that vicious Ji Ye. Ji Ye lifted the entire table on the kang and smashed it to pieces on the ground, blocking a young officer who was about to pounce on him with a knife on his waist.He picked up a table leg from the fragments of the table, weighed it in his hand, and then swung the table leg like a tiger and rushed out. Xiyuan also picked up a table leg, weighed it in satisfaction, and jumped out with a roar. Lu Guichen remembered that when he was about to jump, he felt Yu Ran pushing him with his shoulder.He turned his head and saw Yuran holding a table leg by himself, and stuffed the last table leg into his hand. As night fell, outside Nanhuai City, Yuntai on the north side of Daliu Camp.The high platform has just been built and is not yet finished.It is said that the lord of the country intended to boost the military power and persuade the people of the country to practice martial arts, so this high platform was built.In the future, among the children of good families, those with outstanding military achievements will be awarded here and announced to the whole country. But at this moment, an iron fence blocked the passage leading to the high platform, and through the fence, two groups of young officers kicked the fence while staring, and cursed at the same time. "If you have the guts, don't hide in it! Come out and try!" "If you have the guts, don't rely on the number of people! Tell your gang of bastards to retreat, and I will beat you four by myself, and I will only use one hand!" "You're shrinking like a fucking turtle, don't be arrogant! If you dare to take a step, I'll beat you to the point where your teeth are all over the floor." "One step? I'll give you one step!" Ji Ye raised his leg and kicked through the gap in the iron bars, kicking Fang Qizhao down from the steps. Fang Qizhao screamed, touched a stone from his side and threw it at Ji Ye, Ji Ye swung his arm and knocked the stone away.Fang Qizhao and the others found that this trick was still effective.The people on their side were unable to get up under the cloud platform, and there were many bricks around them. They picked up bricks one after another and threw them at the four people above.The four couldn't stand it, and withdrew to the high platform.Fang Qi summoned them to Xiaosheng, but he still couldn't rush in and beat those people to vent his anger, he could only stomp his feet resentfully below. After hearing the news, the patrolling captain came with a team of sergeants to watch from a distance, neither approaching nor far away.The two groups of people fought from the wine shop to the street in the afternoon, startling the spectators on several streets, who watched and applauded loudly.Soldiers fighting in the street, although it is an unsightly thing, but there are many such things in Nanhuai, but it is rare to see such a big scene like today.Fang Qizhao and the others were at a disadvantage, while they were fighting, they kept calling for people to come. Finally, hundreds of young officers in armor swarmed up to them.The four opponents were also extremely tough. I heard that they were people who had just returned from the battlefield. Three boys swung the table legs and smashed countless things. Many people were squeezed up by the brothers behind. Captain Xunjie knew those men and women, the leaders of them had always had a bad reputation in Nanhuai City, and the one who assisted him was actually the nephew of the commander of Wu Diandu. During the triumphant entry ceremony of the army, this young man At that time, he didn't see such stubbornness at all.The news was quickly sent to Xi Yan's mansion, but at this time the Commander of Wu Dian Du had already retreated from Zihuan Palace, and his family didn't know where he went.The news was sent to Tuoba Shanyue's mansion, and the only servant in Tuoba Shanyue's family came out and said that the general said that the affairs of the imperial army were not under his jurisdiction, and that he should ask the Commander of the Military Palace about these matters. So the captains had no choice but to follow these people from the city to the outside of the city.They kept catching up with the Yuntai, and they sealed the iron fence on it. Fang Qi summoned them and couldn't go up, and the two sides could only yell and curse through the iron fence.Ordinarily, Fang Qizhao and the others were at a disadvantage. The owner of the restaurant also said that the two officers named Ji Ye and Xiyuan were the first to attack Fang Qizhao. Fang Qizhao was injured on his forehead. Although it was a skin trauma, blood flowed all over his face. We should catch the first striker.Moreover, Fang Qizhao's team has always been powerful in Nanhuai City, even the patrolling captains would not want to offend these sons and soldiers.But the other four people are indeed not easy to deal with, and there is actually one young master of the barbarian Qingyang. In the end, Xunjie Xiaowei couldn't persuade the two parties, so he could only let them face each other through the iron bars.Anyway, even if there is punishment in the end, it has nothing to do with them.Both sides have a big backer, but there is a little skin trauma, and in the end there is no need for these street patrol captains to solve it. Fang Qi summoned someone to order food and wine from a big wine house in the city, and led a group of brothers to sit under the iron bars to surround him, unwilling to go back anyway.The lieutenants were also hungry, so they asked Fang Qi to have a meal with them. At this time, on the cloud platform, three of the four people were already dizzy from drinking.They fought their way out of the crowd and snatched unopened wine at the same time. Ji Ye held the jar in one hand and waved the table legs in the other. Those who knew said he was fighting, but those who didn't know thought he was robbing.They couldn't escape now, so they opened the mud seal of the wine and drank it. The wine was not mixed with water, and it was much more mellow than the wine sold in the wine shop.The only one who is sober is Lu Guichen, watching his drunken friends do all kinds of tricks but can't do anything. "Listen, people below, I understand!" Xi Yuan waved his arms and shouted on the stone wall beside the cloud platform, "They don't have a reward because they died. I have a reward because I survived. Really Reasonable, so fucking reasonable!" Accompanied by loud but meaningless yelling, another brick was thrown up from below, but it couldn't hit the shaft, and hit the outer wall of the platform with a loud noise, followed by the scolding of the patrol captain Voice.It is always bad to smash a newly built gimbal.Xiyuan pointed down and laughed wantonly. And Yu Ran spread her wings, and slowly soared into the air like a brisk white swallow, fluttering her wings against the wind, and gliding out of the high platform. "Yu Ran!" Lu Guichen shouted. "Ah!" Yu Ran cheered triumphantly. Lu Guichen wanted to go up to catch her, but Yuran had already flown away on his own.Lu Guichen felt that his head was about to explode. He had a bunch of good friends, but when they got drunk, each one was more terrifying than the other. He turned his head to look at Ji Ye, and was taken aback. Just now Ji Ye and Xiyuan were swearing profanely, like two punks who grew up in the dark street. At this moment, Ji Ye suddenly became very quiet, looking at Yun The vast blue mountains in the distance are in a daze. "Himino, what's wrong with you?" Ji Ye shook his head and didn't speak. "Jiye?" Lu Guichen said.He couldn't stand Ji Ye being like this, it was too quiet, not like himself. "Asule, did you see anything at Shangyang Pass that night?" Ji Ye asked suddenly. Lu Guichen was terrified.He wasn't sure if the scene he saw was just a hallucination caused by being too tired, but it was such a real hallucination that he could still recall the feeling of his body's rapid growth and protruding muscles, and he really had the power to concentrate into the whole body.He didn't want to tell others, including Ji Ye, he didn't want to say that he really saw those beast-like men pressing on Haruntie that night. "Himino...you too..." he said hesitantly. "I saw it," Ji Ye stood up, "I didn't want to see it..." "She's dead." He suddenly said this nonsense. Lu Guichen was stunned. "I remember... she looks... like my mother..." Ji Ye said this, as if exhausting all his strength.He turned his head and looked into Lu Guichen's eyes. Lu Guichen watched his black pupils that were reddened by strong wine slowly cool down, and then tears flowed down slowly. Lu Guichen was stunned for a moment, and suddenly understood who he was talking about, the face of the black-eyed woman was very clear in his mind.It was at the last moment of her life, Lu Guichen threw the torch, and the torch rolled in the dark night, and the warm light of the fire illuminated her quiet face for the last time.Ji Ye shot out from the city wall like an eagle, roaring with tiger teeth, the servant of Leibi City let go of his arms with a smile, the torch passed by, and the woman fell like a page of cinnabar-colored paper.At the last moment, she was exceptionally beautiful. He grabbed Ji Ye's shoulders hard, but didn't know what to say.Ji Ye broke free from his hand and staggered forward a few steps. He stopped in the center of the cloud platform, facing the starry sky on his back, and stretched his arms, like a bird practicing take-off with its muscles tensed. young eagle. "She died again, again," Ji Ye murmured, "he died right in front of me, but I still couldn't save her." He bent down slowly, as if he could no longer bear the sadness.He held his head tightly, trying to isolate himself from the whole world. "Mom, I'm a useless kid...Mom, I'm a useless kid...I'm a useless...kid..." he whispered. Lu Guichen felt the pain in his heart, and he felt that he understood why his friend's black pupils always looked so fierce, as if they were filled with hatred.Himeno is hating others, or in fact he is hating himself.There is no escape from this hatred, because the dead are dead. What is death? Death is the end, forever, never to meet again. You can remember, but you can't hold hands. Himeno fell on his back, landing heavily on the ground.Lu Guichen went up to help him up, only to find that he was lying there and fell asleep. That night in Nanhuai, the sky was clear and quiet, the stars were clear, and the feathers were like a white-winged swallow flying across the sky in the distance, probably still shouting, but it was too far away to hear clearly. Lying groggyly on the edge of the cloud platform, leaning half of his body out to vomit, while Ji Ye lay quietly on the cold bluestone, covered with Lu Guichen's outer robe, breathing evenly like a baby. Lu Guichen played the flute on the cloud platform, the sound of the flute was indifferent, like a shepherd looking back at the flat forest and distant mountains from the saddle.Lu Guichen felt really lonely, everyone was like this, lonely like a flying canopy in the wind. Then he fell asleep and dreamed of Suma and his father, and dreamed that his father was also a child the same age as him, who was put in front of the saddle by an old man like a wild lion, and they rode their horses to hunt together.In his dream, the entire mountain was shrouded in mist, and only the top of the mountain shone with a sacred golden light. When he woke up, Lu Guichen felt that he was homesick, maybe he should go home, he suddenly had this feeling.