Chapter 170 Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter 38: Loyalty and Doubt (Part 2) Next to the uninhabited official road, behind a lush grove, a crystal clear river winds out. This grove is very sparse, and a road that can accommodate a carriage goes deep into the forest. At a glance, you can see four or five broad thatched huts faintly in the forest, with wine flags on the doors. This must be a good place for tourists to get a sharp at noon.Although it was a time of war, the smell of wine in the forest was faint. It seemed that the business was not closed, but it was not surprising. Just a little uneasy.Ordinary people are like this, as long as the knife and the ax are not imminent, they have to make a living as usual, otherwise how can they support their livelihood for a year.

Duan Wudi has already changed into the casual clothes of a traveler, with a cloak on the outside and a Xinyang bamboo hat on his head. This kind of bamboo hat is a common item for people on the road. It is quite convenient for shelter from wind and rain. It can cover one's face. The spring and autumn winds in the Northern Han Dynasty are strong, and even men like to use it to cover the wind and dust.He galloped all the way, not caring about his horsepower. Although the Yong army had not yet stationed troops in this area, there were quite a few scouts coming and going, so he could only avoid it as much as possible. Sigh that the road ahead is boundless.Looking at the sky, it was almost noon, he felt a little sleepy, and his horse was dripping with sweat.He couldn't help looking into the distance, and saw the wine flag on the side of the road. His heart moved, and he hurried out, and he didn't have any dry food. Why don't he go in and take a rest, buy some dry food and pack some village wine for the road, and miss it. Here, I am afraid that it will be difficult to find the place where the tip is made.Thinking of this, he rode his horse into the woods, and walked to the door of the wild shop after a while, and saw the door was wide open, and the square tables inside were very clean, and there were already a few customers inside, sitting at the table on the far right, A middle-aged shopkeeper in his forties was serving wine and food with a smile.Seeing that leisurely atmosphere, Duan Wudi felt relieved, tied his horse to the tree in front of the shop, walked into the shop, and said loudly: "Bring some good wine and food, I have to go on my way later." Forget it, I picked the leftmost table and sat down, and casually threw a piece of silver on the table.

The owner of the shop hastily stepped forward to wipe the table, put the silver into his sleeve deftly with his left hand, poured hot tea, and said enthusiastically: "Master Ke has worked hard all the way. Although the small shop is far away, there are still rare wild game, as well as good ones." Old wine, please wait a moment." Then he shouted to the inside: "Little San, quickly serve good wine and food." Following his shout, a straightforward young man came out of the room with wine and food , this young man was in his twenties, with a thick back and waist, but he looked stupid, obviously lacking in intelligence. He foolishly put a plate of peanuts and a plate of pork head on the table, and filled it from the big wine tank in the corner of the shop. A pot of old wine was placed in front of Duan Wudi, and then he went back to the inner room, and then he heard the sound of a spatula, and after a while, a few game dishes were brought up, the table was full of meat and vegetables, and the aroma was tangy.

Duan Wudi felt hungry, but he was still vigilant. He looked across intentionally or unintentionally, and saw four people on the opposite side. A middle-aged man dressed as a businessman sat on the top, who seemed to be the owner, and the two on the left and right were bodyguards. Attire, looks brave, and there is a man in Tsing Yi with his back facing him. Although he can't see the face, but his hair is light gray, he must be not young, but seeing his back does not look old, he should be in his fifties Man, he only uses a hosta to tie his hair, and has no other decorations. He is wearing a green shirt. He must be a first-class accountant.After taking a closer look, these people did not look like members of the army. After confirming that these people should not be chasing soldiers, Duan Wudi heaved a sigh of relief, and began to gorge himself.

Leaving Yangyi in a hurry, he hadn't eaten for most of the day. He was so hungry that the appearance of eating was naturally ugly. After eating seven or eight percent full, he began to relax. Although the old wine in this shop was made from the countryside, it was sweet and spicy. He wanted to pour another glass, but he didn't know there was any left. He frowned and couldn't help asking for another pot. He rarely drinks alcohol, not because he doesn't drink well, but because he doesn't want to delay the military plane. Now that he has landed in this field, he is naturally less restrained. After drinking several cups, he feels much lighter and his fatigue gradually disappears.Alcohol is the most distracting thing. Once people relax, they can't help but start to think wildly. Thinking that I was loyal, but I was accused of treason and was forced to leave in a hurry. I couldn't help but feel sad. There was even more grief and loneliness in his expression.He didn't know that his state of mind had fallen into the eyes of several people on the opposite side. Although the man in Tsing Yi had his back to Duan Wudi, but a special small copper pot reflected Duan Wudi's figure in it, the man saw it in his eyes, and his face flashed with sadness. The color of pity.

After drinking a lot of wine, Duan Wudi felt top-heavy and drunk, and couldn't help chanting loudly: "The descendants of the emperor Gaoyang, my emperor called him Boyong. I mentioned Zhen in Meng Zouxi, but Geng Yinwu descended ..." This famous piece by Qu Zi is his favorite work in his life. Although he is not very familiar with classics and history, he loves this piece of "Li Sao" so much that he can memorize it fluently. It is deep and deep, but the chanting is so sincere that it makes people sigh. When he chanted "I have the kindness in my heart, even though I died nine times, I still don't regret it", he chanted it repeatedly, but he couldn't go on anymore. Tears, once again toasted and drank.

At this moment, someone began to chant after this sentence, the voice was like gold and jade, with a long and long meaning, Duan Wudi listened fascinatedly, he stopped drinking, and the man chanted, "Bend your heart and suppress your will, endure it." In particular, he was criticized. Fu Qingbai will die straight away, solidifying the virtues of the former sage." Duan Wudi felt more and more pain in his heart, until the man chanted the last sentence, "Luan said: It's over! No one in the country knows me. , why do you care about the old capital! I have nothing to do with the good government, and I will live from Pengxian!" At that time, Duan Wudi suddenly woke up, how could anyone in the country shop, among the merchants, recite Quzi's poems , he looked up, and saw that there were still those guests on the opposite side, and the other three were drinking in silence, presumably the person who chanted was the one with his back turned to him.

Perhaps feeling his gaze, the gray-haired man turned around and said with a smile: "I see the general is heartbroken and cannot complete the whole chapter. I saw that the hunt was on the rise and I recited it for you. I must have disturbed the general's drinking. Please forgive me." crime." Duan Wudi's heart skipped a beat. How does this person know his identity? He looked carefully, and saw this gray-haired man with two temples and Xingshuang, but his appearance was elegant and handsome. At first sight, admiration arose.The figure of this person was familiar to him, and a flash of light flashed in his heart. Duan Wudi felt the bitterness in his mouth, and drank the strong wine in his cup. to."

I am not surprised that Duan Wudi saw my identity. After all, my appearance as a young man with white hair is too easy to recognize. I pretended to be a merchant and the two bodyguards are white masters who joined the army this time. They have no military personnel on them. Duan Wudi's eyes and ears were hidden from Duan Wudi's eyes and ears. Seeing that my identity was leaked, he immediately stood up to protect me. When the curtain in the room was lifted, Li Shun walked out slowly. The two secret spies also recovered their sturdy expressions, and there were two more figures at the door of the store, which were Su Qing and Hu Yanshou. A wild shop has become a net, and Duan Wudi is just a bird in the net, there is no way to escape.

Duan Wudi also understood the current situation in his heart. When things came to an end, he was as calm as a mountain. He just slowly poured another glass of wine for himself, raised his glass and said: "Since Lord Hou Donghai came back, our army has encountered setbacks many times. General and General Long died for their country one after another. General Shi was forced to commit suicide. Duan was charged with treason, but fell into the trap of Lord Hou. The resourcefulness of Lord Hou was indeed earth-shattering. It’s just that Lord Hou is a rich man. If you want to take Duan's life, you only need a team of cavalry, or a few guards, why go to a dangerous place in person." The last sentence implied sarcasm, but his expression was very calm, as if he was not in a trap.

I didn't feel the slightest complacency in my heart, but rather faintly frustrated.I arranged everything to force this man to leave. From the moment he left Yangyi, there were at least hundreds of people monitoring his whereabouts. It was determined that this place must be the place where he was at the top, and it was controlled here until he fell into the net. I hope to give him a blow and frustrate his ambition.But even though this man fell into my hands, he was still so calm and indifferent, as if he had expected this scene long ago. I can destroy the glory of his life, but not his will, for such a firm-minded person. With a premonition of failure, I can only sigh secretly, ready to give it a try regardless of success or failure. With a wry smile, I said: "Although Jiang designed to frame the general, it was because I expected that Princess Jiaping would not harm Zhongliang, but the princess could not fight against many people in the Northern Han Dynasty, so she could only let the general go far away. To escape, the only way is to go to the East China Sea. Although the East China Sea will return to Dayong sooner or later, it is still a way out. With Jiang Hou as a man, even if he knows that the general's whereabouts have been detected by him, he will pretend not to know. So Jiang is waiting here specially. General, even if the general doesn't appreciate it, he shouldn't be so indifferent, it's not a disappointment to my sincerity." Duan Wudi's heart turned, he had already thought through many problems, and said: "The Fourth Young Master Qiu was originally trapped in the East China Sea, but this time he returned safely. Did the Lord Hou expect that the Fourth Young Master would come to protect Duan's life?" I secretly praised in my heart, this person hit the nail on the head, broke my mind, and said: "Yes, I used to put Yufei under house arrest in the East China Sea, just because he is already a natural master, I don't want him to participate in this battle, but now the overall situation is settled, I There is still something useful for him, so I specially invited him back, but there is another purpose is to be a general, otherwise at least he will stay in the East China Sea for half a month. Yufei is a man of temperament, and he is also involved in the matter of quartz in the past. Among them, I wronged the general with this matter. Even if others don’t believe in the general’s loyalty, Yufei will definitely not suspect the general’s treason. Although Yufei's whereabouts are elusive and difficult to trace, but after all, Qinzhou can be said to be in the hands of our army. The Ji family worshiped General Dragon, Pingyao peeped at King Qi's camp, and rushed to Yangyi to rescue the general. I know it well. General Duan I'm afraid you don't know, Xiao Tong was ordered to come here, in case Princess Jiaping let you escape, he wanted to chase and kill you, but Yufei stopped him." A look of gratitude flashed in Duan Wudi's eyes, and he said: "Master Qiu's life-saving grace, Duan is very grateful, but I'm afraid I won't have the chance to thank him in person, if Hou Ye sees him again, please thank Duan on his behalf." I frowned, deliberately ignoring the death ambitions revealed by him, and said: "Among the generals in the Northern Han Dynasty, Jiang admired the general's personality the most. Above Princess Jiaping, it's a pity that she was born in a poor family and had no one to rely on, so she has no chance to be the chief general. If the general is willing to serve Dayong, the emperor and His Royal Highness King Qi must be ecstatic. Highly praised, if the general is willing to surrender to Dayong, he will definitely not lose his position as a marquis. If he has no intention of drawing shadows, the general has always cherished the people. If he is willing to serve Dayong, he will definitely be able to treat the soldiers and civilians of the Northern Han Dynasty. Are you willing to continue to sacrifice your reputation for the people of the Northern Han Dynasty?" Duan Wudi smiled slightly, raised his glass and drank it down, feeling as if a fire had entered his throat, he pressed the sword on his waist, and said: "No matter how sweet your words are, you can't shake Duan's will, betrayal is betrayal, and Duan is The courtiers of the Northern Han Dynasty do not care about the wealth and honor bestowed by the Emperor Dayong. As for the consideration of the people of the Northern Han Dynasty, this is just an excuse. It doesn’t matter if Duan is missing in this world. If the Northern Han Dynasty really falls, the Emperor Dayong will treat me well. The common people are naturally the best. If they can’t, there will be righteous men who will rise up. Although Duan doesn’t cherish his reputation, he definitely has no possibility of surrendering to the enemy. Lord Hou also said that Duan’s reputation is mostly given by Lord Hou. Since it’s not true, Could it be that Duan is still going to break the pot and smash it, and really surrender? Lord Hou is so high today, I don’t know what it feels like to dream back at midnight, thinking of Nanchu.” I smiled wryly. Duan Wudi was determined. I thought that this person would be shaken when he had a country where he could not escape, his family could not return, and he was in trouble. Unexpectedly, he was so stubborn.Or seeing that I had nothing to say when I was contradicted by Duan Wudi, Li Shun said coldly: "My son would like to persuade you, why are you so rude, don't you know that you are in a dead end, and you only need an order from the son to die a tragic death Afterwards, my young master will spread the word, saying that you have surrendered to Dayong, you will be ruined even if you die, even if you are utterly loyal, who will know, I am afraid that even Princess Jiaping and Young Master Qiu Si will regard you as a real traitor." Duan Wudi smiled lightly, put his hand on the hilt of his sword and said, "You don't need the order from the Marquis, Duan can do it himself. As for the honor and disgrace outside of your body, Duan doesn't care at all. What's the matter, besides, there are some things that can't be covered with paper, and the truth will come to light one day." A fierce murderous intent flashed in Li Shun's eyes, and he said coldly: "You may not be able to seek death in front of me." He said and took a step forward, his eyes fixed on Duan Wudi.Duan Wudi's face turned cold, and he drew his sword with his right hand. Just when everyone's eyes were on his right hand, his left hand pulled out a dagger from the side of his leg like lightning, and stabbed at his lower abdomen.The moment he pulled out the dagger, a double-pointed needle in Su Qing's hand was about to shoot out, but a thought flashed in her mind, instead of letting him suffer all the humiliation, let him die, she lowered her eyes and didn't say anything. The needle that originally wanted to shoot Duan Wudi's wrist.But when she heard painful groans in her ears, she raised her head in surprise, only to see Li Shun pinching Duan Wudi's throat with his left hand, and the dagger had already reached Li Shun's right hand.Su Qing's heart tightened, and where his eyes turned, he saw a pair of warm eyes looking at him with interest. His heart was shocked, and the sharp needles fell into the dust. Withdrawing my eyes, hiding the interesting scene just now in my heart, I waved Li Shun to step back, and said gently: "General Duan, please don't take offense if your subordinates are rude." Duan Wudi slumped to the ground. He was dizzy due to alcohol and the cessation of breathing just now. Even though Li Shun removed the long sword at his waist and poured a glass of strong wine into his mouth, he regained consciousness again, smiled wryly, looked up, but Seeing that handsome young man standing in front of him, holding a silk scarf in his hand, and a pair of cold eyes looking at him coldly behind him, Duan Wudi felt chills in his heart, like a frog being targeted by a poisonous snake. Dare to move.He knew in his heart that if he acted a little improperly, he would really fall into a life-and-death dilemma. He took the silk scarf and wiped off the stains on his face. He was clear in his heart, and there was only one way to get rid of this situation. Looking at Jiang Zhe, Duan Wudi said in a deep voice: "I had a detailed discussion with the Fourth Young Master Qiu, and I know a thing or two about Lord Hou. Although people in the world think that Lord Hou is vicious, I think Lord Hou is a man of temperament. Prince De treated Hou Ye coldly, but Hou Ye never added any bad words. Hou Ye devoted himself to the world for Dayong, and died. This kind of situation is well known in the world. Think back to the time when Hou Ye faced the master of Fengyi sect in the past He also has the courage to disregard life, death, reputation. Duan is not talented, even if he can't survive or die, he still has the courage to face it, and he will never bend his knees to take refuge. However, since Lord Hou has a lot of love for Duan, how can he bear it? Forcing Duan to do this, if Duan's loyalty can be fulfilled, Duan will be extremely grateful." I sighed slightly and looked into Duan Wudi's eyes, only to feel that his eyes were firm and fearless, my heart became more and more bitter, knowing that this time was really futile.At this moment, Su Qing took a step forward, with a sad tone, and said: "Master Hou, I hope you will fulfill him in the end." As soon as these words came out, Duan Wudi couldn't help looking at Su Qing, his eyes were full of gratitude , Su Qing's heart became more and more painful, and she turned her head away, unwilling to see this situation. I shook my head lightly, took a few steps back, and turned around. Li Shun understood in his heart, handed back the long sword, and also took a few steps back.Su Qing felt a pain in her heart, knowing that the intention was to let Duan Wudi commit suicide, she couldn't bear to watch, she took a step back slightly, and turned her face sideways.When Hu Yanshou saw it, he gently moved half a step to cover most of Su Qing's body. Jiang Zhe was suspicious, so he blocked her figure. Duan Wudi was half happy and half sad in his heart, he got up and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Hou." His eyes flicked over Hu Yanshou and Su Qing. He was a thoughtful person, so he could see the strangeness at a glance, and smiled slightly , He bowed in the direction of Jinyang, and said sadly: "An invincible life cannot protect the country. After death, I only wish my soul to return to my hometown and protect my hometown." I didn't know why, my heart was hot, and I kept shouting: "Wait a minute." Li Shun was prepared long ago, and he flicked his fingers with strength. Duan Wudi felt his hand numb, and the long sword fell to the ground. He was startled, and said angrily: "Could it be Lord If you want to go back on your word, you can't make fun of Duan." At this moment, he was extremely angry, and stood up abruptly, although he was immediately stopped by someone to prevent him from violently attacking him, but he was so angry that his eyes almost turned blood red. I smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, general, I will never change my mind. I just want to give the general another choice. If the general doesn't want to, please end it yourself. Jiang will never stop me." Duan Wudi looked at Li Shun and the others, knowing that he couldn't do it if he wanted to or not, so he said angrily: "Master Hou has something to say, please speak." I said word by word: "I want to let the general go, but I don't know what the general wants?" Duan Wudi's heart was shocked, but he quickly smiled and said: "Master Hou thought he was joking, Duan is not talented, if he was in Master Hou's position today, he would never let the caged bird go." I went to the table and sat down, waved my hand to signal that everyone except Li Shun should retreat, then asked Duan Wudi to sit opposite, Duan Wudi hesitated a little, then walked over, he had already put everything aside and simply indulged. I said with a smile: "Jiang needn't deny it. In the past, it was an act of disobedience to turn away from Southern Chu and seek refuge with His Royal Highness King Yong. Now he married Princess Changle of Ningguo. It is even more disloyal and unrighteous for a minister to marry a king's wife. If you criticize me, it is possible to leave a bad name forever, but I don’t care about the fame outside of my body, because I made the choice that day voluntarily, and I didn’t force it.” When Duan Wudi saw Jiang Zhe suddenly uttering these words, he could only listen silently. I recalled the past, with a look of nostalgia on my face, I said: "Actually, although Jiang did not have scruples about loyalty and integrity, General Duan should know that Jiang was captured by the current emperor of Dayong and brought him to Yongdu." Duan Wudi nodded and said: "The general knows that Lord Hou was already a commoner that day. At that time, His Royal Highness King Yong personally invited him, but Lord Hou refused to obey, so he was taken to Yongdu for His Highness King Yong. It is said that His Highness undressed Lord Hou Food, respect and love, finally touched the Marquis, and changed his relationship." When it came to the last sentence, the irony was already extremely strong. But I didn't care, and said lightly: "Actually, how can the actions of those so-called courteous and virtuous corporals shake my resolve? Who is not like this in the world? Gong Zang, rabbit dead dog cooking, some stupid monarchs, even cut off their wings before the big things are accomplished. Although Jiang was concerned about common things that day, he didn't have to serve others, so I made up my mind not to serve King Yong. He even made things difficult for him, forcing His Highness Prince Yong to let go. His Highness is so talented and generous, so naturally he refused to let me go lightly, so he had no choice but to make up his mind to give me my death." Hearing this, Duan Wudi took a deep breath, knowing such a secret, he couldn't help being interested, and asked: "Then why did Lord Hou join His Royal Highness Yong?" I proudly said: "Jiang naturally had a clever strategy to save his life that day. The overlords in the world mostly treat talents who follow me and prosper, and those who oppose me die. I forced King Yong to give him poisonous wine. I just wanted to fake death and escape. I am free and unrestrained, I have to deal with my mundane affairs, if I still have my life left, I will find a clean place, and after this remaining life, this is a happy thing in life.” Speaking of this, I couldn't help showing a look of emotion, and continued: "Unexpectedly, I, Jiang Zhe, was confident that I could predict the world's affairs, but I finally lost to His Royal Highness King Yong. His Highness poured out poisonous wine at a critical moment, and filled the wine with a golden helmet I am strong, Jiang is not talented, and I know that there are few people in the world who can compete with me, but His Highness can let him go lightly. Such a benevolent Lord, how can I live up to righteousness for small things, so I finally surrendered to Your Highness, from now on The monarch and his ministers get along like a fish in water, even to this day.” A hint of admiration flashed in Duan Wudi's eyes, but he quickly said: "Although Emperor Dayong is benevolent, he is not the Lord of the Northern Han Dynasty after all. If Lord Hou thinks that this can persuade Duan to surrender, please forgive Duan for being ignorant. " I waved my hand and smiled: "That's not the case. The general's determination was unparalleled at that time. I knew that the general would not betray the people of Sheji in the Northern Han Dynasty. I also knew that the general asked to kill himself because he didn't believe that I would let the general go." Duan Wudi remained silent, this was an obvious fact. I said lightly: "Indeed, the general is a famous general, and he is loyal to the Northern Han Dynasty. If I say that I am willing to let the general go, no one will believe it, but Jiang just remembered the past. The emperor loved the talent that day." It is absolutely impossible to cherish my talents and spare my life, I deeply admire the general as a man, and there is nothing wrong with letting the general go today, so as long as the general promises me one thing, I will let the general go." Duan Wudi's eyes showed mixed suspicion and expectation, but he remained silent. I affirmed again: "Jiang's heart can be shown every day, the general only needs to promise me one thing, and I will let the general go." Duan Wudi hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Please order, Lord Hou, but there are some things that Duan will not agree to." I understood in my heart and said: "Don't worry, I will definitely not make things difficult for you. I know that you are going here to transfer from Binzhou to Nanchu. If you promise not to go to Nanchu, I will let you go." Duan Wudi frowned and said: "Sooner or later, the East China Sea will belong to Dayong, how can Duan stay in the enemy's territory." Hearing what he said, I knew he was tempted, and said again: "Although so, there are many places to go besides Southern Chu. In recent years, people from the Central Plains often go out to sea with ships, either to Koryo, or to places in Southeast Asia. There are many countries, if the general is willing to leave the Central Plains, he will naturally not be able to be an enemy of Dayong, I just let you go, the emperor and His Royal Highness King Qi also said it, I don’t know what the general thinks?" Duan Wudi was silent for a long while. If the Northern Han Dynasty is subjugated, what can be done even if he arrives in Southern Chu? If the Northern Han Dynasty survives, it doesn't matter if he stays overseas. Thinking of this, he nodded and said: "The final general agrees to this condition." I smiled slightly and said: "In that case, General, please go to Binzhou on your own to find Haili, the young proprietor of Hai's Shipping Company, and he will arrange for the General to leave the Central Plains." Duan Wudi asked suspiciously: "Your Majesty often leaves no room for scheming, why is he being lenient today? Is it just for me to remind Master Hou of the past?" I stood up, and Xiao Shunzi tied a blue cloak for me. When I walked to the door, I stopped and said calmly: "I always use tricks to take advantage of other people's weaknesses, but this time, I took advantage of them." The general's loyalty and benevolence, perhaps this is the reason why I feel very sorry for the general. From now on, you will be far away from the Middle Earth and wander without a support. Compared with death, this kind of life is only slightly better than death. This is not considered leniency Just remember, the general, if you try to take advantage of my good intentions, Jiang’s revenge will make the general regret it. Although General Su cut off your favor with you, she pleaded for you today and still has the old friendship. If you don’t want to be burdened She, just stay overseas for a few years, when the Northern Han Dynasty will be gone, if you want to come back, there is no problem." Duan Wudi stood blankly in the shop, hearing the sound of horseshoes going far away, with mixed emotions in his heart, he slowly picked up the long sword and put it back into its sheath, that ray of light in the darkness, is it another world? Sitting on the horse, out of the corner of my eye, Su Qing bowed her head in silence all the way, presumably she and Duan Wudi still have friendship, but there is a national hatred and personal hatred between the two, I am afraid it will be difficult to warm up a romantic dream.Smiling slightly, I looked to the north. In the past few days, the emperor has issued four secret edicts asking me to go to Xinzhou to meet him.Now that the army is about to be encircled, we only need to act on behalf of the state, and then we can start the Jinyang offensive. The generals in the Zezhou camp are already very harmonious, and there is no more internal worries. My responsibility is over.I haven't seen you for several years, so it's no wonder that the emperor was anxious and called me to see him. The matter of resisting the decree should be repeated again and again, but I should leave as soon as possible.Looking up at the sky, I feel that the wind is clear and the clouds are calm, which makes me feel relaxed and happy, but I don't know if that silly boy Chiji is still alive now?