Chapter 178 Chapter 6 Bleak life experience

As soon as he stepped into the gate of the mansion, Xing Shan greeted him and said, "Master Teng is here!" Xiang Shaolong was overjoyed and rushed into the inner hall, where Teng Yi was talking with Ji Zhao's two daughters. Teng Yi jumped up, showing his true feelings, and hugged him tightly. After sitting down, Ji Yanran smiled and said, "So we missed Second Brother Teng, Dan Quan and Wu Da met Second Brother Teng after only two days' journey." Teng Yi said: "We attacked Danchu's army seven times successively, and he blocked them all. This man's resourcefulness and military skills cannot be underestimated. Now Pu Bu and Xu Yiluan are responsible for dragging them. I am afraid that the third brother is not enough for people. , brought three hundred people here, and they all pretended to be merchants from Wei Jing, and entered the city in batches, all of them were the best people from our elite regiment."

Xiang Shaolong was overjoyed and said: "I was having a headache about assassinating Li Ling, but now it's all over, the second elder brother first selects dozens of people to pretend to be the old troops of King Dian, come to find their lord, and take up the responsibility of defending the palace of Dian King responsibility." Teng Yi hurriedly summoned Jing Shan and Wu Da and Dan Quan who had just arrived to take charge of the arrangement. Xiang Shaolong then explained the current situation to Teng Yi. When Teng Yi knew that his big enemy, Li Yuan, had become a comrade-in-arms, his eyes widened. Yanran carried it on her back.

At this time, Li Yuan came. The three entered the quiet room to discuss. Seeing the reinforcements coming, Li Yuan knew the power of the Wu family's elite soldiers, two hundred men could be worth thousands of troops, so he was very energetic and full of confidence. When the scrolls were spread out for discussion, Lord Chunshen sent someone to send an invitation to Mrs. Zhuang, Zhuang Baoyi and Wan Ruiguang to attend the dinner at the Mansion of Lord Chunshen. All three of them frowned. Li Yuan sent people back to the mansion to see if he was among those invited, and then said: "There is no good banquet, how should we deal with this matter?"

Xiang Shaolong said: "I'm sure Brother Li is also one of the invitees. Because after the failure to assassinate me today, Mr. Chunshen has lost his patience, especially since Brother Li's power has skyrocketed due to Qu Shiming's departure, so he Decided to get rid of both of us in one fell swoop." Teng Yi smiled and said, "Then it's better to follow the plan and kill Chunshen Jun tonight." Seeing that he spoke easily, Li Yuan smiled and said, "But we can't bring hundreds of people to a banquet. If we don't, it seems inappropriate. Until now, on the surface, my relationship with Mr. Chunshen is still very close." Good."

Xiang Shaolong said: "We must go to this banquet. This way they can't imagine that we would sneak attack Yelang Palace. How many people under Brother Li's men can be called real masters? At least it should be Yan Fu , Dongluzi's series." Li Yuan said: "Ten to twelve people should be picked out." Xiang Shaolong said: "That's it. Twelve people from my subordinates will be sent to you, and we will each bring twenty-four people. In addition, Brother Li will order his subordinates to stand guard in the mansion. If there is a signal rocket sent out, we will immediately Go to Lord Chunshen's mansion, Su will fight them to the death."

Teng Yi said: "How about preventing Li Linghui from sending people to attack the Dian Palace?" Xiang Shaolong said: "I'm just afraid that he won't come! Here... Hey! Yanran is in charge of directing the overall situation. Due to miscalculation of our strength, we guarantee that the intruder will come alive but not return." Teng Yi said: "Let me take charge of Li Ling's life. From my point of view, the strength of the forty-eight people is still a bit weak. It's better to add ten more people to take care of the chariots and horses outside. When something happens, we should cooperate with the inside and outside." , that would be much safer." Then he clapped his sleeves and said with a smile, "The "folding crossbow" hidden inside me will be a good helper in deciding victory or defeat."

At this time, Lou Wuxin came to report, and Li Yuan really received the invitation to the banquet at Chunshenjun's mansion tonight. After the three of them discussed the details of what to do, Li Yuan asked about the function and usage of the "folding crossbow", and then went hand in hand with Teng Yi. Xiang Shaolong went to find Mrs. Zhuang. When he arrived at Mrs. Zhuang's north courtyard, Zhuang Kong came up to welcome him and said, "Mrs. Qingxiu is here, and I'm chatting with her in the hall." The words are still not finished, and the sound of the ring is worn.

Two maidservants led the way, and Mrs. Zhuang came out side by side with another beauty. Due to wearing a veil, he couldn't see Mrs. Qingxiu's appearance, but just looking at her slender figure and Jiejie's moving gait, he could tell that she was a rare beauty.Dou Jie is very lucky, I wonder if he will regret losing this beauty because he fell in love with Cheng Suning's concubine? Xiang Shaolong hurriedly stepped aside with Zhuang Kong to salute. Mrs. Zhuang said: "Ma'am! This is my younger brother Wan Ruiguang." Mrs. Qingxiu glanced at Xiang Shaolong through her veil, and saluted: "Hello, General Wan!" Without another word, Mrs. Zhuang sent him out of the mansion without stopping.

Seeing that the other party didn't care about him, Xiang Shaolong didn't mind.Because no man can pretend that all women will fall in love with him. After Mrs. Zhuang came back, she pulled him into the inner hall, closed the door, and said solemnly: "Mrs. Qingxiu came to warn me that Mr. Chun Shen, Li Quan, Dou Jie, Cheng Suning, Li Ling and King Yelang have formed a team. The party is going to get rid of us and Li Yuan, and wants us to flee immediately." Xiang Shaolong frowned and said, "Didn't she separate from Dou Jie? How did she know about this?" Mrs. Zhuang said: "Her niece is Huang Zhan's wife. Huang Zhan is the most inarticulate person. He scolded you and Li Yuan at home and leaked the secret."

Xiang Shaolong stretched out his arms to put his arms around Madam Zhuang who had a pale face, and said with a smile: "Even if they don't take action, I will force them to do so." Then he briefly explained the current situation of the enemy and ourselves. Mrs. Zhuang took a deep breath and said, "So you already know, so should Baoyi and I go to the banquet tonight?" Xiang Shaolong said: "Of course you shouldn't go. I'll find an excuse and tell Chunshen Jun. I think he predicted that you wouldn't go." Mrs. Zhuang asked worriedly: "Are we too disadvantaged in terms of numbers?"

Xiang Shaolong said: "The ratio of the number of people is indeed a big disadvantage, but the strength is definitely another matter. My people are all proficient in the ability to fly over eaves and walk over walls. When the Yelang Palace caught fire, it is guaranteed that Lord Chunshen and others will be helpless. At that time we There will be opportunities to take advantage of. I have decided to have a showdown with Chun Shenjun tonight, and it would be ideal if I can kill Tian Dan together." Madam Zhuang leaned into her arms and said, "Shaolong! I really appreciate you. But what is a showdown?" After explaining, Xiang Shaolong said: "I'm afraid that Chunshen Jun's target tonight is only your mother and son, so it will be difficult for us to take the initiative to attack. Since the troops were sent without names, at that time we had to make ends meet and only take Li Ling and Yelang Let the king be killed." Mrs. Zhuang said with a coquettish smile, "You put it so easily, Li Ling and King Yelang are surrounded by experts, so don't underestimate them!" Xiang Shaolong saw that her pair of watery eyes were shining, very attractive.Leaning over to her and kissing her lightly, he said, "What master have I never seen before? The most powerful thing is to attack people who are unprepared. Their attention must be focused on Li Yuan's family generals. How can I expect that I have other strange soldiers. I know myself but I don't know the enemy , is a big taboo for military strategists, don't worry, madam." Mrs. Zhuang said: "I have Xiang Shaolong to take care of my mother and son, why not worry about it? They just care about you." Xiang Shaolong saw that she was so charming, he couldn't help kissing her again, and then he went to prepare everything. No one expected that they would be confronted with the enemy so soon. Seventy-two members of the elite regiment came, and they all sneaked into the Dian Palace secretly by climbing walls and trees. Ji Yanran was very excited when she knew that she had been entrusted with such an important task, and her command was determined. First, gather Mrs. Zhuang and other women and children, and then set up defenses at strategic locations in the mansion, even the treetops.Zhao Zhi became her natural follower and orderly. At this time, Lou Wuxin came here under Li Yuan's order, and reported the situation to Xiang Shaolong, saying, "Now the whole city is under the watchful eye of Chun Shenjun and Li Quan, closely monitoring the movements in Xiangfu and Dianwangfu to prevent anyone from escaping. On the contrary, Prince Yelang's mansion is very peaceful, closed the house, and can't see any special behavior." Xiang Shaolong said: "It's unusual to close the house and not come out. It's also called wanting to cover up. They will definitely attack the Dian Palace tonight. Only through the hands of outsiders can Jun Shen and others shirk their responsibilities in front of the Queen Mother." .” Lou Wuxin said: "According to the eyeliner we put on Mr. Chunshen, there will be no special actions tonight, but Huang Zhan boasted that he will force you to compete in martial arts at the banquet, and that he will kill you in pain. , all of us brothers are waiting to see a good show!" He said again in a deep voice: "Mr. Chunshen's residence has the best swordsmanship of Huang Zhan. If he can be killed, it will be a serious blow to Mr. Chunshen." Xiang Shaolong said indifferently: "It's enough to just beat him to a cripple or seriously injure him." Lou Wuxin laughed and said, "It's really different to work for Lord Xiang." When it was time to continue, Jing Shan came to report, and the Empress Dowager summoned Xiang Shaolong into the palace.Xiang Shaolong was overjoyed in his heart, knowing that Li Yanyan was finally moved. ◇◇◇◇◇◇ After Gong'e served the fragrant tea and left, Li Yanyan, whose face was hidden in the veil, fell silent, making Xiang Shaolong, who was sitting on the seat below her head and right, had no choice but to drink tea by himself. This is a hall in a quiet courtyard in the harem. After closing the courtyard door, there is no one in the courtyard, and it seems that only the two of them are left in the world. Thinking of the humiliation and misfortune Li Yanyan encountered when she was just an adult, and now she has to make false claims with the enemy for the sake of her beloved brother and the overall situation of Chu State, she can't help but feel pity for her. Although she is the empress dowager, she is not happy at all. Just think about how she forced herself to flatter Chun Shenjun and Xiaolie Wang, two old and ugly men, and you will know her bitterness and pain. Now everything is over, but she is restrained by powerful ministers, and everything is carried out by the king's will to suppress her, a weak girl, and force her to do things against her will. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sighed. Li Yanyan said coldly: "Why are you sighing, sir?" Xiang Shaolong could hear the guard in her tone, and knew that she was very sensitive due to her past experience, and she must not be treated as an ordinary person, so he said in a low voice: "I rarely listen to certain things quietly, but just now But my attention was focused on the sound of the wind blowing the leaves in the courtyard, and I found that the sound was ever-changing and melodious, but I was usually negligent. Then I woke up, infinitely beautiful things always exist around me, just because of us If you forget about other things, you will miss it and miss it." Li Yanyan's delicate body trembled slightly, she didn't speak, and because of the veil covering her, Xiang Shaolong couldn't see her reaction. After a while, Li Yanyan said in a low voice: "Uncle Tai Guo is my half-brother, father only has the two of us, he has always protected me from childhood to adulthood, I... I still remember fourteen years old At one time, at a banquet held by my clan, Li Ling, who is known as the little overlord of the Li clan, molested me in the garden with other people. My elder brother fought with them and stood against more than ten of them alone. He still resisted to the death, and finally alarmed the lord, and he was relieved. Afterwards, I served him for seven days and seven nights before he woke up." Xiang Shaolong could imagine the misery and admiration, and also thought that their "brother and sister love" was not without reason.And Li Yanyan's subsequent misfortune may have been planted at that time. Li Yanyan said dreamily: "In the Li family, no one has always looked down on my father. We are so tired that our brothers and sisters are often bullied by others. Fortunately, the elder brother is never discouraged. He practices swordsmanship, riding and archery every day before the sun comes out, and reads widely. Books. In my heart, there is no one who is more skilled in swordsmanship and more knowledgeable than him." Xiang Shaolong knew that she had already made a very important decision, so he brought up these past events in order to strengthen her confidence in this decision.Although she seems to be talking to him now, in fact she is only talking to herself. Li Yanyan let out a breath slowly, blowing the veil away a little, said softly: "Do you know why Aijia told you these things?" Xiang Shaolong said softly: "Because the Empress Dowager trusts me, I know that I, Xiang Shaolong, will not be the kind of despicable person who uses these things as excuses." Li Yanyan said slowly: "This is only a part of the reason. When my eldest brother came back from Handan in disgrace, I found out from Guo Xiu'er that he was actually defeated by Dong Mazhi. When I asked about the situation, , and sent someone to investigate the real Dongma idiot, only then did I know that my brother was fooled by you. It was not until this time that my brother came back from Xianyang that I confirmed this guess and told Xiu'er. At that time, I was thinking, what exactly is Xiang Shaolong What kind of person is he? How can he be able to manipulate powerful figures such as eldest brother and Tian Dan with hundreds of people in the palm of his hand, and still lose for no apparent reason. A person like Lu Buwei who has power over the Qin court, Still can't do anything to you? I finally found out today." Xiang Shaolong smiled wryly: "I just have some luck!" Li Yanyan lowered her head and said softly: "Can you sit next to Ai's family?" After Xiang Shaolong was stunned for a long while, he came to sit about three feet to her right side and sat down. Li Yanyan lowered her head and took off her veil, and when she raised her beautiful face, her cheeks were already full of tears. Xiang Shaolong's mind was agitated, he lost his voice and said: "Queen Dowager!" Li Yanyan closed her eyes, tears flowed down uncontrollably, but her tone was surprisingly dry, she said word by word: "Xiang Shaolong! Kill Li Quan, Li Ling and Chun Shen Jun for Ai's family, They are all inferior to animals." Xiang Shaolong said heartbroken: "Shaolong respectfully obeys the Queen Mother's order!" Li Yanyan slowly opened her beautiful eyes, the kind of pear blossoms with rain, the delicate and pitiful beauty made Xiang Shaolong forget about the defense between men and women, stretched out his sleeves, and gently wiped away the shattered pink face for her Still hanging teardrops. Li Yanyan turned a blind eye and let him do what he did without moving. After Xiang Shaolong retracted his sleeves, he said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Empress Dowager, I will definitely protect Uncle Taiguo and prevent him from being harmed." He couldn't help but feel absurd. When he was in Handan that day, Li Yuan was one of the people he wanted to kill the most. How could he think that now he would fight side by side with him wholeheartedly. Li Yanyan's beautiful eyes shot a soft look, focused on his face, and said in a calm voice: "Wu Zhan just got a report saying that Dou Jie secretly mobilized the foreign defense force and transferred a directly subordinate army from the Huaihe River." I moved ten miles closer to Shouchun City on the water, and ordered a fleet of 20 warships to sail to the side of Shouchun City, clearly threatening me not to act rashly. Therefore, I have no other choice but to bear with it. Wu Zhan is supporting the overall situation, my eldest brother and I are already finished, and my eldest brother still doesn't seem to understand my difficulties." Xiang Shaolong smiled and said: "The number of troops attacking the city must be more than twice the number of defenders to be a bit of a threat. If you want to attack your own royal city, and the army is unknown, you will only be tired and the army will be torn apart. Dou Jie seems to be strong Weakness, the Queen Mother doesn't have to worry about it." Li Yanyan rolled his eyes at him and said angrily: "You put it lightly, but I only hate that our city is also unstable. Now the outer city troops are concentrated on the outer perimeter to defend, and the imperial guards have been transferred back to guard the palace. Ruo Chunshen Please wait for the Lord to attack you, how can I teach the Ai family what to do?" Xiang Shaolong laughed out loud, revealing incomparable confidence, and said calmly: "Soldiers are more expensive than many, and it is Li Quan and Li Ling who should be worried." Li Yanyan stared at him fiercely and said, "Xiang Shaolong! Did someone else sneak in Shouchun?" Xiang Shaolong smiled and said: "The Empress Dowager, please forgive me for making a fool of myself. By tomorrow morning, Li Ling should be dead, so let's seek some justice for the Empress Dowager." Li Yanyan's delicate body trembled, and she said sharply: "Did elder brother tell you about me, otherwise how could you say such a thing?" Xiang Shaolong didn't expect her to be so sensitive, so he said in surprise, "Didn't the queen mother just say that Li Ling bullied you brothers and sisters? She even beat your elder brother into a coma for seven days and seven nights." Li Yanyan's towering chest couldn't stop heaving rapidly, tears rolled in her eyes again, she looked directly at Xiang Shaolong's empty eyes, suddenly cried out with a "wow", and threw herself into Xiang Shaolong's arms. Xiang Shaolong stroked her violently twitching shoulders and back, feeling the wetness of her lapel was constantly expanding, and felt desolate, knowing that her emotions that had been suppressed for many years finally broke through the embankment and erupted uncontrollably. He didn't say anything to comfort her, but just caressed her like a baby, and of course there was no erotic taste in it. At this time, his heart was filled with noble sentiments and compassionate sincerity, and he only hoped to give some comfort and sympathy to this weak woman who had always been disguised by a strong shell. After a long while, Li Yanyan stopped crying, sat up straight with his help, let him wipe away the tears, then lowered her head and said softly: "Aijia is waiting for your good news tonight." Xiang Shaolong stood up without saying a word, and left quietly, his shoulders were completely soaked by her tears.