Chapter 356: 356decision
Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Decision
The surroundings fell into silent silence again.
Only the trees and shrubs were still swaying in the wind.
Prince Rui's face really didn't look good, and his eyes were like swords looking at the triangle-eyed Kingo Guard on the wall who killed Andaman with one arrow.
The triangular-eyed Jinwu Guard still held a big bow in his hand. He jumped down from the wall awkwardly and walked up to Prince Rui and Deputy Commander Xu. He clasped his fists and admitted his mistake: "Your Majesty, Deputy Commander Xu, the wind just blew the branches. When I met the general, he accidentally let go..."
He maintained his posture of bowing his head and clasping his fists, and a deep light flashed across his lowered eyes.
Prince Rui: “…”
Prince Rui felt a dull pain in his forehead and could not reprimand the other party any more.
In other words, rebuke is useless because people cannot be resurrected after death.
Deputy Commander Xu made a gesture, and his personal guards went to check the two corpses on the ground and Chu Qianhuang, and then reported back: "Both Hao people are dead, Miss Chu was just knocked unconscious."
Prince Rui's complicated eyes were on the two corpses and Chu Qianhuang. His temples were throbbing, his heart was heavy, and his expression was even more uncertain.
After a while, Prince Rui gave the order: "Take away the body of Prince Andaman and rush back to Beijing overnight!"
Then, in the inn where all the candles were extinguished, lights were lit again, like stars on the ground lighting up the dark night.
Those who had rested had to get up and pack their bags as quickly as possible. Half an hour later, the team was on the road again, but there was an extra black coffin in the team.
When the sound of horses' hooves and wheels gradually faded away, deathly silence returned to the inn, and the lights were extinguished one by one.
A few people slowly walked out of a small forest opposite the inn.
Walking at the front was a young man wearing a green curtain hat, holding a bead in one hand. He stopped at the intersection and looked quietly at the direction the convoy was leaving.
The gauze hanging around the curtain hat was blown wildly by the night wind. Behind the gauze, Uhagalou's face was beautiful and flawless.
A pair of deep eyes shone with wisdom and a calm temperament, as if he could see through everything in the world.
After a moment, a homing pigeon flapped its wings and flew up from the woods. Its wings brushed against the branches and leaves of the tree crown, and the branches and leaves rustled, as if whispering.
The night is getting darker...
The homing pigeon arrived in the capital three days later and flew into Prince Chen's Mansion.
The cat was the first to discover the homing pigeon and made an excited "meowing" sound, its green eyes shining brightly in the sun. It chased the homing pigeon around the yard several times, but luckily Jingfeng discovered it in time.
As a result, the cat was driven away by the gust of wind, and the message sent by the flying pigeon was quickly delivered to Gu Jue.
Gu Jue glanced at the letter carelessly and said to Shen Qianchen with a smile, "Everything went well."
"Meow?" The black cat came after the flying pigeon to deliver the message. He raised his head and meowed several times in succession at Gu Jue, as if asking him, where is the pigeon?
Gu Jue ignored it and said, "They will be back soon."
When the cat saw that its male owner was ignoring it, it started to rub against its female owner.
It squatted quietly on Shen Qianchen's skirt, rubbed it a few times, and then looked at her dreamingly.
The cat is so well-behaved, so why wouldn't anyone want to pet it?
Unfortunately, it was just flirting with a blind man. Shen Qianchen didn't pay attention to the cat at all. He leaned over to read the flying pigeon letter with great interest, and his cheek rested on his shoulder.
She knew that Gu Jue and Wu He Jia Lou had teamed up to set up a trap for the Andaman County King.
Gu Jue never told the details of this game, and Shen Qianchen didn't ask. He just read a few letters between Gu Jue and Wuhe Jialou, and he knew some vaguely, but there were still many things he didn't understand.
However, if she can't figure it out, she just can't figure it out. Anyway, she will naturally know it when Prince Rui and the others come back.
Shen Qianchen thought openly and asked smoothly: "Are you going out soon?"
She remembered that Gu Jue was going to Fengtai camp today.
Gu Jue's recovery has been getting better and better recently, and Shen Qianchen no longer restrains him. Starting from the end of February, Gu Jue went to the military camp more and more frequently.
Gu Jue responded, read the letter paper again, then put the letter paper on the candle and lit it.
In a moment, the flames engulfed the paper, and the thin piece of letter soon burned into ashes and scattered lightly in the breeze outside the window...
Gu Jue looked at the dissipated ashes with a dark glow in his eyes.
The plan has come to this point, and everything that needs to be done on the Uhagalou side has been done. Then, it is time to prepare for the follow-up on our side to avoid being too passive.
Gu Jue turned his head and lowered his narrow eyes, staring at her smiling little face. Her skin was so smooth and delicate that even a small flaw could not be seen.
He raised his hand and gently stroked her black and soft hair, and promised in a low voice: "We will return to the Northland by the end of the year at the latest."
His voice was gentle and soothing, and he simply outlined their future.
Knowing that Gu Jue was like her, Shen Qianchen had already guessed that many of Gu Jue's recent actions were in preparation for returning to the North.
Now that he has told her personally, they can definitely go back to the Northland openly.
She believed him, she believed whatever he said!
"Yes." Shen Qianchen nodded with a smile and raised his eyes to look into Gu Jue's eyes. The golden sunlight shone gently on the tips of the long eyelashes, as if they were covered with gold powder.
"I like Northland." She said seriously, her black phoenix eyes as clear as spring water, clearly reflecting his face, her chin still resting on his shoulder.
As she spoke, her warm breath sprayed on the side of his neck and chin. The fragrance of her body became stronger as she got closer, fresh and elegant, and penetrated his mouth and nose bit by bit.
Gu Jue's Adam's apple rolled slightly, and his eyes were filled with waves.
He raised his arms and hugged her slender waist, letting her little face rest on his chest.
Shen Qianchen subconsciously wanted to move his face from left to right, but his palm grabbed the back of his head and pressed it above his heart.
Thump, thump, thump!
His heart was strong and full of life.
Shen Qianchen thought she did it without leaving any traces, but in fact Gu Jue had noticed it a long time ago. Ever since she opened his chest, she had always regarded him as a fragile enamel doll. She didn't dare to do anything except when applying medicine and bandaging on him. Touch the scar on his left chest.
She was a doctor, so she probably knew how he was recovering better than he did, and it was she who told him that in a few days, he would be able to ride and shoot.
Because I care, I can't calm down; because I care, I'm always scared.
Every time Gu Jue thought about this, he felt distressed, sour, and full of tenderness.
Shen Qianchen listened quietly to his heartbeat, and also hugged his waist, tightly and forcefully, telling himself in his heart that he was okay.
Her eyes were slightly sour.
Suddenly, an inexplicable impulse emerged in my heart.
She moved her face half an inch and kissed his scar gently and tenderly.
Just like that, they kissed each other across the middle coat and outer coat.
Light as a feather.
Gu Jue's chest trembled violently, as if an electric current spread rapidly from the place where she kissed, the blood in his body seemed to boil and burn, and his whole body felt numb.
This girl!
It’s really…
He closed his eyes and tried his best to endure it, and his slender fingers couldn't help but insert themselves into her thick hair, gently and lingeringly.
Shen Qianchen didn't notice anything strange about him and smiled charmingly.
She also took the initiative to rub her head on his palm, like a cat, with a warm and sweet voice: "I like it where the prince is." Her tone was almost whispering, and she seemed to be coquettish.
No matter where they are, as long as they are together!
They will be together forever!
By the time Gu Jue's body recovered enough to ride a horse and bend a bow in mid-March, Prince Rui and his party also returned to the capital.
Prince Rui was also afraid of another change, so they traveled day and night on the way back to Beijing, without much rest, and they were all haggard.
When they set off from the capital before, the bride-to-be-sent-off team, including Haoren, was vast and high-spirited; when they came back, more than half of the team members were missing, and everyone was languid. Even the dowry prepared by Da Qi for Yuan Zhitong Also lost a lot.
The first thing Prince Rui, the doctor of the Ministry of Rites, and deputy commander Xu did after arriving in Beijing was to enter the palace to meet the emperor.
However, the emperor is still ill, and as time goes by, his condition is getting worse. The sun is fading, and he spends most of the day lying on the dragon bed, with not much waking time. Therefore, from the end of the year to the present, the prince has been in charge. Supervise the country.
Gu Nanjin learned a few days ago that Prince Rui and his party were about to return to Beijing, but Prince Rui's letter was vague and only said that Andaman was dead.
Gu Nanjin didn't know what happened specifically. He had been worried about this matter for the past two days, so he met with Prince Rui and the others as soon as possible that day and listened to their report on the journey south, including Andaman. How did he die in the hands of Jin Wuwei?
Afterwards, Gu Nanjin sent the East Palace guards to Prince Chen's Mansion to invite Gu Jue into the palace.
This is the first time Gu Jue has entered the palace after congratulations on the first day of the new year. Unlike that time when he was formally dressed, today Gu Jue was dressed very casually, only wearing a moon-white Taoist robe, and his hair was half **** and half draped as usual at home.
The road from the palace gate to the East Palace attracted countless inquiring and scrutinizing eyes.
Both the officials and the palace people were secretly speculating on why Gu Jue, a rare visitor, came.
The atmosphere in the entire palace had undergone a subtle change due to Gu Jue's arrival. Gu Nanjin was probably the only one who was overjoyed.
He was originally worried that Gu Jue would not come, and wondered if he would still have to go to Prince Chen's Mansion in person.
"Uncle Nine Emperors, sit down and talk." Gu Nanjin personally asked Gu Jue to sit down.
This is Gu Nanjin's study in the East Palace.
The study is a very private place for a person. On weekdays, Gu Nanjin always entertains guests in the side hall. He invited Gu Jue to the study to express his closeness.
There was a quince wood chessboard on the coffee table by the window. Gu Nanjin seemed to be playing chess before. There was also a chess book beside the chessboard, and there were densely packed black and white chess pieces on the chessboard.
Gu Jue only glanced at the chess game and knew it was the end of the game. Surrounded by Bai Zi with murderous intent, Heizi is at the end of his rope.
After the chamberlain brought two cups of hot tea, Gu Nanjin asked again: "Does Uncle Nine Emperors know about Prince Rui's return to the capital?"
Gu Jue just said "Oh" lightly, neither nodding nor denying.
Gu Nanjin didn't care. This was just an opening statement. Then, he carefully relayed Prince Rui's remarks to Gu Jue.
Gu Jue drank the tea without saying a word, without even moving the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
Gu Nanjin knew that Gu Jue had always been reticent, so he didn't care. He honestly said his analysis and speculation: "Uncle Nine Emperors, what happened in Changjing Town, I think Prince Rui and the others were set up by the Hao people."
Gu Nanjin made a fist with his right hand, tapped the coffee table thoughtfully twice, and looked at the birds flying by outside the window.
He thought for a while and then said: "But there are a few things that don't make sense..."
"First, what benefits does this have to the Nanhao people?" "Second, why did Andaman track them to Yanzhou, and what was the purpose of taking Miss Chu away."
While speaking, Gu Nanjin's fist knocked on the coffee table twice more.
He couldn't figure these two points out, so he thought there might be some "misunderstanding". He also mentioned his thoughts to Prince Rui and others, and asked about any unnatural behavior in Andaman on the way south from the capital.
However, Prince Rui disagreed. He explained this: "Prince, in my opinion, Miss Chu and the King of Andaman County have obviously colluded. Maybe something has changed in the agreement between them. Miss Chu has had a sudden change. I don't want to He went to the country of Hao with Hao Ren, so Hao Ren took the risk and chased her, and even knocked Miss Chu unconscious in the inn. "
However, Gu Nanjin felt that there was a loophole in Prince Rui's explanation.
Although he has not met Chu Qianhuang yet, and although he also speculates that Chu Qianhuang may have reached some agreement with Haoren, he feels that what happened in Changjing Town is too bizarre and cannot be explained.
Gu Jue put down the tea cup and suddenly said: "I know Changjing Town too."
Gu Nanjin suddenly looked towards Gu Jue and looked at him with questioning eyes.
Gu Jue said calmly: "Last year, when I was sending Wuhe Jialou back to Hao Kingdom, I was ambushed in Changjing Town, and the citizens of Changjing Town were massacred..."
Hearing the massacre, Gu Nanjin was stunned and shocked, as if he had been punched hard. A suffocating feeling surged up from his chest, just like the flood that broke out and swept away a village in an instant.
He also knew before that Gu Jue and Wuhajialou had been ambushed by the Hao people. Apparently, this was ordered by the new emperor of the Hao Kingdom, Wuhaduluo.
The essence of this ambush can be attributed to the internal fighting in the Hao Kingdom. However, the Hao people secretly sneaked into the territory of Daqi and massacred a whole town of people. More than half a year has passed, and the local officials of Yuzhou have not reported it to the court until now. !
Ridiculous, this is simply ridiculous!
At this moment, he wished he could immediately issue an order on behalf of the emperor to punish the relevant officials.
Gu Nanjin slapped his palm heavily on the coffee table, his eyes were blood red and he was angry.
He could understand why Gu Jue had no talent. After all, the emperor was so wary of Gu Jue, so naturally Gu Jue would not tell the emperor this.
To put it more harshly, even if Gu Jue said it, the emperor would not necessarily believe it. He would even doubt Gu Jue, or whether Gu Jue was trying to sow discord between Da Qi and Hao Emperor Wuhaduluo. .
When the emperor doesn't want to believe it, he will doubt whatever others say...
When the emperor wants to believe it, no matter how absurd Taoist Master Xuanjing's words are, the emperor will believe it.
Gu Nanjin's eyes darkened a bit, and after taking two deep breaths, his emotions calmed down a bit, but his voice was still tight, and he asked again: "Uncle Emperor, can you tell me what happened at that time?"
He asked, and Gu Jue answered, one, five, ten.
Gu Nanjin listened intently, his eyes flickering, and he didn't speak for a while.
It wasn't until Gu Jue finished speaking that Gu Nanjin opened his lips slightly and hesitated for a moment. He wanted to ask Gu Jue if Wuhejialou was still alive...
The words came to his lips, but he still didn't ask.
Gu Jue raised his eyebrows, and he could tell at a glance what Gu Nanjin was thinking, and made the topic clear: "Do you want to ask Wuhe Jialou if he is still alive?"
Gu Nanjin: "..."
Gu Nanjin was struck by Gu Jue's words, and he couldn't help but look a little embarrassed and complicated.
He hesitated again, and finally nodded.
After nodding, he regretted it again, feeling that no matter whether Uhagalou was alive or dead, the answer he got from Gu Jue would probably be the same.
However, Gu Jue's answer was completely beyond Gu Nanjin's expectation—
"Alive."
Gu Nanjin was so shocked that his jaw dropped.
He pursed his thin lips, hesitated for a moment, and then asked the next question: "Uncle Nine Emperors, did you bring him to the capital?"
He tried hard to keep his voice calm, but even so, there was still a hint of cautious exploration in his tone.
Gu Jue took another sip of the fresh and mellow Longjing. With elegant movements and graceful demeanor, he said unhurriedly: "Not long after the ambush in Changjing Town, I crossed the river with him and went to Changhao." country."
"In the territory of Hao Kingdom, we encountered several more attacks. The last time, the other party attacked us from both sides and took advantage of the location and people. He and I had to split up and go in two directions. After that, we were separated."
Gu Jue deliberately told a half-truth. He and Wuhe Jialou were indeed separated for a time in the Hao Kingdom, but this was also part of their plan. Soon the two parties reunited. Later, he brought the seriously injured Wuhe Jialou brought Daqi back.
It was because Gu Jue's words were half true and half false that Gu Nanjin believed them.
Calculating the time, Gu Jue should have been able to return to Beijing twenty days earlier last year. It was probably because he went to Hao Kingdom that he spent more time.
Moreover, even if Gu Jue wanted to save Wuhejialou, there was no need to bring people back to the capital.
Gu Nanjin felt relieved, so he asked again: "Uncle Nine Emperors, is this a trap set by Wuhejialou?"
I have to say that this possibility is very high.
Uhagalou was ambushed by Uhadura's people in Changjing Town and narrowly escaped death; this time Uhagalou was repaying the enemy in kind and ambushed the King of Andaman and his entourage at the same place. To retaliate for the original revenge.
This was also his response to Uhadura.
Therefore, Prince Rui and his entourage were safe and unscathed, because Uhagalou had clear grievances. He was going for Andaman and the others and did not want to be an enemy of Daqi.
It is conceivable that if Prince Rui has an accident in Changjing Town, it will be a provocation to the Qi court and the royal family. Even if the emperor digs three feet into the ground, he still has to give everyone an explanation, but it is Hao who will die. People are different.
So, everything is correct!
Wuhajialou's thoughts are also obvious. The main purpose is revenge; secondly, he can also use this to dissolve the alliance between Daqi and the current Hao Emperor Wuhaoduluo; and his ultimate goal should be restoration.
Gu Nanjin fell into deep thought and didn't speak for a long time.
The weather in March is sunny and sunny, willow silks are fluttering, and flowers are blooming into a sea. The spring breeze is full of fragrant fragrance, carrying petals flying in the air.
The pot leak on the desk was dripping gently, tick, tick, and time passed slowly.
Gu Jue also stopped talking and continued to drink tea leisurely. Even though he was in the palace, he still looked like a wandering crane, with a kind of indifference to the world.
Suddenly, Gu Nanjin asked again: "Should Gu strengthen the troops on the border with Nanhao?"
His expression was solemn and solemn.
Daqi and Hao used Dajiang as their border.
The wide and steep river is a natural barrier, but it is also difficult to defend. The river stretches thousands of miles from west to east. If we want to strengthen our defense, we must mobilize a lot of troops.
This is not an easy decision.
If he hadn't mobilized tens of thousands of troops to suppress bandits and strengthen coastal defense today, that would have affected the entire Daqi defense pattern.
Gu Nanjin suddenly felt as if there was a mountain pressing on his shoulders, giving him a heavy feeling that he could not straighten up.
He is the crown prince of Da Qi. How noble he is means how much he shoulders. One of his decisions affects tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people and the country of Da Qi.
Gu Jue did not answer and asked instead: "Prince, what do you think the situation in Hao Kingdom is now?"
Gu Nanjin fell silent, and for a moment, he calmed down a lot.
As the saying goes, one can make great efforts, then they will decline, and three times they will be exhausted.
Last year, if Wuhaduluo could hold the entire Hao Kingdom in the palm of his hand in one fell swoop, then the current Hao Kingdom would be Da Qi's strongest opponent.
However, Uhaduluo failed to capture Uhadura, so the last two states of Hao Kingdom have not surrendered to Uhadura. Now that Hao Kingdom is divided into pieces, it is not an exaggeration to say that it cannot protect itself.
How could Wuhaduluo choose to go to war with Da Qi at this time? !
"Wuheduluo doesn't dare." Gu Nanjin whispered almost to himself, his voice so low that it was inaudible.
To put it bluntly, if the Hao Kingdom takes action against Daqi now, then Wuhejialou will be able to reap the benefits.
Although Uhaduluo officially ascended the throne and used strong methods to subdue all the civil and military officials in the court, Uhaduluo has always had prestige among the people, nobles and the army. This prestige is subtle and cannot be achieved overnight. Destroyed.
It is difficult to say how much of their current surrender to Wuhaduluo is sincere, and how much is just dormant waiting for Wuhaduluo's return. I'm afraid Wuhaduluo himself doesn't know.
Wuhaduluo had finally reached this position and ruled the world. How could a man who was so high and powerful and sitting on the throne dare to put his country and his country on suspicion? He definitely wouldn't dare to take action against Da Qi.
Gu Jue heard Gu Nanjin's whisper and raised the corners of his lips with a half-smile.
Uhaduluo's reaction had already been anticipated by him and Uhadugalou.
After Gu Nanjin figured it out, there was a smile on his face again. His mind was like a ball being thrown up and down, rising and falling. His heart was empty and tired.
He looked at Gu Jue with even more awe. This awe came from the heart and was also a kind of self-knowledge of himself. Gu Jue had a too thorough understanding of the government and the situation between the two countries. Looking back at himself, he was too limited and could not see as comprehensively and thoroughly as Gu Jue.
This prince is far inferior to the Nine Emperors Uncle!
Gu Nanjin felt a little helpless and a little ashamed.
If his father was not too suspicious, with a wise king like Gu Jue as his assistant, he would be able to frighten the barbarians and calm the people, so why worry about the Hao Kingdom!
Maybe Daqi can take advantage of this Nanhao chaos to unify the country, fulfill Emperor Taizu's long-cherished wish during his lifetime, and end the hundreds of years of division between the north and the south in the Central Plains.
This was a piece of work that would go down in history, and his father could even be called a famous emperor through the ages because of it...
However, this can only be called a fantasy.
Thinking of the haggard emperor in the Yangxin Palace, the sun was setting in the west, the fatigue in Gu Nanjin's heart became even stronger, so thick that it almost swallowed him up.
He picked up the tea cup and tried his best to conceal his emotions. After taking two sips of tea, he asked calmly: "Uncle Nine Emperors, how should I deal with this next time?"
Gu Jue raised his eyebrows and smiled, his cold brows exuding an elusive temperament, like winter snow melting into his narrow eyes with the arrival of spring.
He didn't say anything, he just casually picked up a black stone from the chess box and landed it firmly and firmly on a certain position in the middle of the chess board.
took this as his answer.
Gu Nanjin: "..."
Gu Nanjin was stunned at first, and subconsciously looked at the chess game, frowning slightly, thoughtfully.
What a wonderful move!
Gu Nanjin felt as if a ray of morning light had broken through the heavy gloom, and he suddenly became enlightened.
He is also a smart man who knows everything right.
He stared at the turbulent chess game on the chessboard and couldn't help laughing, feeling that he had been stupid for a moment.
No wonder the ancients said that a chess game is like a battlefield!
We will return to the Northland soon.
(End of chapter)