Sealing Knife

Ruan Shen made the cruelest choice in his life, knowing that he would not do it.

The second prince did have the heart to fight for the reserve, but when it comes to Wen Tao ’s military strategy and moral virtue, they are all excellent among the first emperors. It is normal for Qin Hebai to make good friends with him, but right now Let Emperor Xian treat the two of them as the same party.

Ruan Qingxing went to the Palace Face Saint all night. When he came back, he said to Ruan Shen: "Tomorrow, you will go to join the second prince of Qin He and Bai Xiu to seek rebellion."

Ruan Shen laughed angrily: "What is it about him? What is it about me?"

He has too much resentment in his heart, he is not used to the emperor, he is not used to his master, he is not used to the Manchu culture and martial arts, and he is despised to himself.

Ruan Qingxing was silent for a long while, and asked, "Do you think Qin Hebai is wrong?"

"Isn't it?"

"I think he deserves his crimes." Ruan Qingxing sat in his chair and did not move like a mountain. "Do you think that I am in disagreement with him? This is because I have the same power and status as me. Me? In order to guarantee my power and interests, do I have to remove obstacles? "

Ruan Shen looked up at him: "Is there anything wrong?"

"You are right, but not enough." Ruan Qingxing sneered. "It will be different from ancient times. If I can't even bear these, I can't climb where I am today ... I said Qin Hebai was wrong. Wrong and deserved, because his existence became a knife threatening the stability of the court! "

Ruan Shen frowned, and his thoughts changed sharply: "Master means ... He is the master of high power?"

"Master Gong Gaozheng, favored the people's hearts, the people in the border area only knew that Qin Gong did not know the emperor, but the hundred thousand army only saw his head, but he didn't know how to hide the clumsy. Although he was not proud, but he was sharp and sharp, do you think this is wrong?"

Of course it is. Ruan Shen sees it clearly. Qin Hebai is very straightforward and insufficiency. For example, he is also uncomfortable with the first emperor and individual princes and nobles. Ruan Shen understands the set behind him, but he does not hide his dissatisfaction. Three years ago, he went back to Beijing without being summoned, and went to the palace without asking for sin. It shows that he has a country in his heart, but there is no emperor.

"Qin Hebai is a good man, but he is not suitable for the court. He is a man of justice and justice. He brought the habits of the rivers and lakes to the temple. Although he has no selfishness, he has a solidarity ... Oh, do you think any emperor will not be afraid of him? ?

"I supported him in one hand because of the crisis of the country, and he was a rare general. For this reason, I paved the way for him all these years, and I had to bother to teach him to survive in the court, but unfortunately He despised these conspiracies and tricks, and even made good relations with the second prince. He wholeheartedly wanted to help him ascend to the big treasure to be a wise monarch ... The loss of the emperor to virtue is indeed a misfortune of the country, but most of the princes have their talents. Senior, if there is a fight to win the position at this time, fight for your life and death, and when the country is in trouble, how can I wait to remedy it? "President Ruan Qing sighed," I have been fighting him for these years, I want him to retreat quickly. It ’s a pity to go back to the rivers and lakes ... "

Ruan Shen has nothing to say.

He knelt on the ground for a long time, and his knees were numb for a long time. Ruan Qingxing had a pot of hot tea in his hand, so he said: "Therefore ... Qin Hebai must be cut off so that His Majesty does not have to be afraid of it before he can save the second prince? Only Only when the second prince is preserved can he continue to wrestle with other princes' parties to ensure the balance of the court? "

After a pause, Ruan Shen trembled and asked, "There is no other way?"

Ruan Qingxing said: "You have a night to choose."

Knowing not to do it, or knowing not to do it.

Ruan Shen thought for a whole night, thinking about the details and the big things, and finally wandering between the two roads, inexplicably remembering the scene when he was at the border.

Thirty-six road lock dragon guns are like a dragon traveling to the sea, he is a **** horse, he is an undefeated **** on the battlefield.

Why did Qin Hebai fight in his life? For the country and home, die without regret.

Ruan Shen finally chose the path he least wanted.

When impeachment was in progress, everyone was shocked. All of his flying and arrogance in the first half of his life were not as aggressive as this day, making the Qin Party speechless and pushing him to a valley where he could not turn back.

The emperor was furious, and he never issued a decree without turning back. Ruan Shen is so anxious that he burns his eyebrows. As soon as he comes back, he will surely keep his body in powder and crush his bones, but it is a pity that Qin Hebai is the wrong one.

In the end, the Emperor sent out the Yingyingwei and finally captured him back to Beijing. Ruan Shen looked at him on the day of entering the country. This man was in a **** state, and he did not see the bravery of the Beixia, nor the majesty of the guardian general. Only the proud remains. He glanced at everyone like a torch, and finally landed on Ruan Shen's face.

They finally met again, but under such circumstances, this time no longer talk about success or failure, only life and death.

Ruan Shen is like a leech smelling bloody, chasing Qin He in a white bite like crazy, hoping to bite off all his meritorious status, stripping the lead of Huarong glory, hitting him back to a mortal, and rolling back to the rivers and lakes will never be seen again.

But from the beginning to the end, let anyone else come and go to argue, Qin Hebai didn't take Ruan Shen's words directly, he still didn't think he was wrong, he stood up with his lips slowly, let the scolding and pressure Make no mistake, even stick to your knees and stop kneeling.

He finally tore away the long-suffering hypocrisy, revealing the shining responsibility.

Ruan Shen felt that this idiot was looking for death.

In the end, Ruan Qingxing's dynasty became the last straw that crushed Qin Hebai. He lost and was defeated in this political battle.

Ruan Shen was ordered to let him drag him out of the hall and hit 80 sticks, clenched his hands into fists, nails embedded in the palm of his hand without pain.

He just looked at Qin Hebai and thought, "Idiot, why don't you call me when you hurt?"

All the 136 people of the Qin family went to prison. That night Ruan Shen wandered outside the prison for most of the night, and finally did not go in. Instead, he encountered Gu Zheng, the commander of the shadow.

From this population, he learned the truth about why Qin Hebai resisted the order—a plague broke out in the chilling gate. Qin Hebai blocked the news in order not to disturb the military, and isolated all the soldiers and civilians who were sick.

However, he could not inform the court, because such an epidemic broke out, in order to avoid future troubles, the court would rather kill the wrong one.

Idiot, deserve to die! Ruan Shen was flushed with anger, and when he saw Gu Zheng enter the palace to plead, he turned to the prison, drove the jailer out of the prison, and slammed Qin Hebai into the cell.

For three years, he didn't want to scold this stupid **** dog ​​all the time. Now he got what he wanted, but he didn't feel happy. Instead, he scolded and couldn't speak. The tears suddenly came out.

Qin Hebai, who always listened to the curse as a song of music, finally panicked, but he was beaten so hard that he could n’t get up to wipe Ruan Shen ’s tears, and could n’t hold him in his arms and pat on the back like before. After only a long time, he only uttered a sentence: "Don't cry!"

Ruan Shen sat down on the buttocks, his voice hoarse: "Brother Yunfei ... you will die."

"I know." He tilted his head and looked at Ruan Shen. "Ruan Xiang and Brother Gu told me the cause and effect. Ashen ... I'm glad you still want to protect me, and I am grateful that you chose this path."

"The general has not been defeated in the battlefield, but died in the temple. None of your Qin family can survive ... Brother Yunfei, don't you hate it?"

"What I hate is that the faint monk is still there, and the poison is still there. Others don't blame anyone." Qin Hebai said with a smile: "A family can't be compared with a country, and no one can be compared with the people."

"Someday, I will assist a wise king to govern the country, uproot these moths and worms, amend the unfair laws, and return the world to the world." Ruan Shen held his scars. 'S hand, "I said yes, Brother Yunfei ... you have to look at me."

Qin Hebai smiled: "I believe in you."

"Gu Zheng went to plead with you. I said it was useless, but he still had to go." Ruan Shen stood up. "I can't count on him, but I have to come ..."

He seemed to have changed back to that impulsive and willful Zhou Shen this night. Qin Hebai missed it very much, but he had to hold him and said, "Don't let the fire burn you, I won't go."

The hand grabbed his ankle and was not too hard, but Ruan Shen could not take a step. He raised his sleeve and wiped his eyes hard, but he heard Qin Hebai ask him: "A Shen, have you forgiven me? "

Ruan Shen said: "I don't forgive you."

The light in Qin He's white eyes went out.

"I didn't forgive you before because I couldn't hate you or know how to treat you." Ruan Shen squatted down and took his hand: "But Brother Yunfei, if you die this time, I will hate you. And will never forgive you. "

Qin Hebai sighed: "Ashen, you are not small anymore, don't be willful."

Ruan Shen stopped talking on his neck, and Qin He said whitely: "Actually, you know clearly, now no one can save me, why bother to catch you again?"

After a pause, he said almost pleadingly: "Ashen, if you really miss me, just ... save Liu Rong, she was a short time before she was dumb, and she knew nothing."

Ruan Shen said: "I risked her to save her and waited for her to come to me to avenge her? No! Don't save her yourself, I will only save you!"

Qin Hebai's voice continued to soften: "A Shen ... I beg you."

Ruan Shen shook him away and walked away, but he burst into tears when he turned around.

He finally saved Qin Liurong and took another female prisoner to bury the dumb medicine and transplant the flowers. Finally, he rescued the girl from the prison. On the way, he encountered Gu Zheng. He thought he would be taken down. Without seeing him, he turned away, and by the way opened the guard.

Ruan Shen saw the wound on Gu Zheng's forehead that was smashed by a teacup, remembering the lonely person, knowing that Qin Hebai would die.

He personally sent Qin Liurong out of Tianjing overnight and said: "Qin Hebai was hurt by me. Your family was dragged into the water by me. You want to take revenge. I will wait at any time and don't die before then."

Qin Liurong ’s former appearance of Huarong was ruined, and the jailer in the prison was relieved. The girl was caught by chains and could not escape. When Ruan Shen arrived, she had drawn her face with sharp stones and was bloodied. , There is no beauty, no vitality.

Ruan Shen took her out of this way, she didn't move, until now she showed some popularity, chewing tears in her eyes, couldn't say a word, raised her hand and gave him a slap, she didn't look at her Go back.

Ruan Shen touched the hot face, but his heart was loosened, turned around and hurried back.

As a result, within a few days, Qin Liurong was revealed to be replaced and escaped. Emperor Xian was furious, and Ruan Shen was ready to go with Qin Hebai, but the unfortunate person was Gu Zheng.

Gu Zheng committed a crime for him, even if he was beaten to the Qin Party, he did not justify it. Ruan Qingxing deliberately covered up the facts, and when Ruan Shen knew it, he had already been taken away from it.

The first emperor did not like the glance of the shadow guard and was dissatisfied with Gu Zheng. Ruan Qingxing had already told Ruan Shen that he also had little contact in order to avoid suspicion, but he always regretted Gu Zheng.

Ruan Shen questioned Ruan Qingxing, saying that he did everything by himself, and he did not need Ruan Qingxing to take someone to escape his crime.

Ruan Qingxing said: "It's a matter of priority, people have relatives and distances. For Qin Hebai, home is like a country; for me, you and Gu Zheng are the same."

He rushed to the execution ground, but unfortunately it was too late. The calm, reliable, hot and cold glory commander had turned into a **** skeleton, and all he saw was a pool of blood that had not yet had time to wash.

He looked at the blood coat on the ground, and there was only a line of blood words on it: "Zeng Xuyin promised not to regret, but life and death remained unchanged."

Ruan Shen was seriously ill and missed a lot of things. For example, Qin Hebai finally confessed his guilt after learning of Gu Zheng ’s death.

But when he recovered from his serious illness, no one could save Qin Hebai, and the execution period was imminent. He became a prison officer.

Ruan Qingxing allowed him to say goodbye to Qin Hebai. He stood outside the prison door and could not say anything. Instead, Qin Hebai said first: "A Shen, are you going to monitor tomorrow?"

"……Ok."

"Can't change people?"

Ruan Shen said: "What do you think is the decree? No!"

"Trouble, you cry so much ..." Qin Hebai sighed, "Promise me one thing."

"what?"

"Close your eyes when you are going to be executed tomorrow. Don't look, don't cry." Qin Hebai smiled at him. "If you cry, I'll feel uneasy when I go."

"..."

He finally couldn't hold back, kneeling on the ground, holding the iron fence in his hands, and tears like rain: "Brother Yunfei ..."

Qin Hebai's hand stretched out of the gap and touched his head, probably trying to say something, but in the end it didn't.

The next day, there were overcast clouds and heavy rain.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Qin family was kneeling on the Jingtai door, and he threw the ordered arrow with his own hand, the executioner sprayed wine on the blade, and the hand fell with the knife.

Qin Hebai glanced at him when the knife was raised, and Ruan Shen closed his eyes as he wished, and slowly opened it until there were howling around.

The head fell to the ground, the rain diluted the blood, and the body fell down the steps.

He failed to find the head of Qin Hebai at first glance, because the rain and tears blurred his eyes.

Seven days later, Ruan Shen received a secret letter from Zhou Xi. He had already spotted patients suffering from chills and sergeants who might be infected with the disease. A total of 3,000 people were about to return to Beijing.

Zhou Xi will not really bring the plague back along the way. He gave this letter to make a cruel and complete ending for the plague.

The first one on the list is the name of Zhou Xi.

After the catastrophe was over, three thousand people were drowned together with the epidemic they had infected, and finally a piece of fire was destroyed by a fire.

When the news came, he looked at a note that Zhou Xi replied before he entered the mountain. It said: "I have known the general's matter. You are not wrong. Be good."

He clenched the note and sat alone until dawn.

The brother and sister who haven't seen in three years, used this simple note to make the end of a lifetime of blood thicker than water.

Ruan Shen ’s status in Chaotang became more and more important. He took over the forces entrusted by Ruan Qingxing in an orderly manner, and slowly turned himself into the person he once hated most.

After another three months, Ruan Qingxing was finally unable to support him. When he was about to die, he called Ruan Shen to the couch, angry like a gossip: "I know you hate me."

This old man changed his life and let him destroy everything he cherished, but like Qin Hebai, how much he hated him and how much he respected him.

Ruan Shen didn't speak, but just tucked him into the corner.

"Someday, you will understand ... There are things in the world, who should be left to me?" Ruan Qingxing laughed lowly and coughed violently. "A Shen ... When you crowned, I didn't take the word for you, now Make it up ... just take the "non-honour", how? "

The whole world is known without admonishment, and the whole world is not admired without discouragement, which is determined by the distinction between inside and outside, and the realm of honor and disgrace.

After Ruan Shen nodded, a slack in his hand, a generation of Nanru passed away with a smile. He looked at the pale hair and wind-scarred face of the old man on the couch, and he had already seen his ending.

This is indeed the case.

He became Ruan Feiyu, assisted the new emperor, implemented the new law, squandered power and conspiracy.

He also became a Southern Confucian, in charge of the academy, ordered the scribe, wrote the book and said, turning the clouds and rain.

Ruan Shen practised his promise in such a cruel and decisive manner, and also cut off his retreat.

Years after year, the blue silk was covered with frost and snow, and the spirit of the world was discussed by the world, and finally it was the day when he became a yellow flower tomorrow.

When leaving Tianjing, he deliberately went to the mass grave.

At that time, the Qin family's door was full of people, and no one had gathered bones, and was abandoned in the burial post of the wild grass. At that time, Ruan Shen came here at night, and put together a dead body with a head and a place in the wind and rain, digging up the soil. Put it in.

He also saw Qin Hebai's last face, and the skin and flesh of the man's face began to rot, but Ruan Shen still recognized him and buried it under a big tree carefully.

On this day, with the snow flying, Ruan Feiyu walked under the tree with Crane, and a generation of Beixia died without a tombstone, only a small grave bag.

He burned the paper money and poured another pot of wine, saying, "Brother Yunfei, I'm going."

Frost Snow covered his head, Ruan Shen felt that he was really old, he felt tired after standing for a while in this cold day, but he didn't want to leave yet.

This walk may not come back.

There were thirty-one letters in his hand. Even after Qin Hebai's death, he didn't change his habit of writing letters to him. This time he had planned to bring it to the grave and burn it to Qin Hebai. Ruan Shen hesitated for a while, then opened the letter and read it again to the grave bag. It was dry and stopped, and it was dusk.

As the sun went down, there was no warmth, and the snow on the ground did not melt.

"Over the years, I have been very tired. Many people asked me why I refused to be merciful. I think ... everyone will have selfishness, and you and Master were the same, and I was the same at that time, and finally lost.

"Since then I have understood that ... Only people who are ruthless, unselfish, unconcerned, and unscathed can live up to the world."

Finger rubbing the letter, Ruan Shen said: "Brother Yunfei, if you haven't reborn yet, just wait for me."

He stood here until the sky was dark before putting the last pot of residual wine on the ground, turning around and leaving, never looking back.

Jun buried Huangquan mud to sell bones, I send snow to the world (Note 2).

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Note 1: From Zhuangzi's "Xiaoyaoyou"

Note 2: From Bai Juyi's "Dream of Dream"