Huaigui

In the east courtyard, the snow on the branches of the white jacaranda fell silently, and Meteor was reprimanded and went to the corner, his eyes vigilantly sizing up the stranger who had just entered his territory.

Shutting the door to separate the severe cold from the sky, He Lanmingyue boiled hot water and prepared to leave: "You guys talk, I'll..."

"Listen together too." Gao Jing said instinctively. After saying this, he felt that he was too tough, and immediately apologized, "I didn't mean that...you can listen to it too, okay?"

Helan Mingyue subconsciously wanted to touch his hair, but held back: "I'll get some cups."

Gao Jing nodded and turned to the man in black.He had Lin Shang's knife across his neck, but he remained calm until Gao Jing looked at him and said, "Your Majesty, my name is Zhou Beihai, and I am indeed General Hua's man. There is a token brought by General Hua at my waist. Submit it to His Majesty for inspection."

After he finished speaking, Gao Jing winked, Lin Shang didn't move his hand holding the knife, he touched the man's waist and found a gold seal.Feng Zhi Gaojing picked up the brocade handkerchief, and on the seal were the words "Longyou Army Superintendent Seal".

The person who called himself Zhou Beihai said helplessly: "Your Majesty, this... must be Captain Lin. How dare you make a fool of yourself in front of the boss? Let him put the knife away first, how would Rong Chen explain it to you in detail?"

Gao Jing pondered for a while, just as Helan Mingyue was also bringing tea in, he stretched out his hand to pick it, and Lin Shang immediately obeyed and withdrew the knife.

Zhou Beihai had never been dragged all the way back to the house with a knife in his life. Zhou Beihai lost his restraint. After a long breath, he got up, and then fell to his knees with a "plop": "General Hua said, 'The guilty minister is not strong enough to protect him, he hesitates. Missing good opportunities again and again, causing His Majesty to escape death, His Majesty will give you a sin, and there is no other way for the guilty minister'!"

"Why bother?" Gao Jing smiled, "General Hua received the letter from me?"

His tone and demeanor changed suddenly following the change of address, and He Lan Mingyue felt that he had changed from a young man who had just talked peacefully with his elders outside to an aloof emperor.

Zhou Beihai kowtowed and said, "The Longyou army is not good enough to protect the lord, please be punished by Your Majesty!"

Gao Jingdao: "It's okay, the king of Yu united with foreign clans to conspire against him from the north, and the Longyou army was in the west. It's reasonable that he couldn't react for a while. But later, when the city was besieged and the palace was forced, General Hua, as the commander-in-chief of the army, was able to hold his breath. It can be seen that There is a big plan. I am in prison, and now is the time to rely on the general."

A few words and a few words made Zhou Beihai sweat dripping down his back.

First of all, he made an excuse for King Yu's army and the Longyou army didn't respond, but then the conversation changed, and he suspected that Hua Mu had his own plan for not saving him, and whether this plan was the same as King Yu's or simply wanted to take advantage of the chaos Self-reliance speaks for itself.When King Yu usurped the throne and ascended the throne, he didn't take any action, but Gao Jing was asked to throw an olive branch first, instead he took the initiative, showing that Gao Jing wanted something from him, so that he would reward him for his merits in the future.

Now that the person is already here, although Gao Jing's body is disabled, his heart is still like a mirror, so it's not easy to be fooled.

Zhou Beihai pressed his forehead to the ground: "Your Majesty knows clearly that Yuan Taishi is the general's teacher, and the late emperor has Bo Le's kindness to the general. The general was restrained by talent and failed to rescue him in time. Your Majesty, please don't be suspicious of the general! This time the official seal is presented, which shows that the general is sincere to the king!"

Gao Jing rested his elbows on his thighs and supported his chin, leaning slightly: "What is your official position in the general's mansion?"

Zhou Beihai was taken aback by the sudden questioning: "Hui, Hui Your Majesty, this minister is a secretary of the Longyou Governor's Mansion, not an important official position, but he is indeed General Hua's adviser!"

Gao Jing said "Oh", and looked at He Lan Mingyue: "What do you think?"

He secretly laughed in his heart, and on the surface sold Gao Jing's face: "Only the official seal is not counted. If it is considered lost, it can be reported to Luoyang for corresponding record processing. Since it was controlled by others before, how can it be reported now?"

A drop of cold sweat fell from the corner of Zhou Beihai's forehead. He felt the overwhelming coercion, but he didn't know the identity of the young man in front of him: "Yes... I do have difficulties, Your Majesty..."

Gao Jing raised his eyebrows slightly: "I already know."

As soon as the words came out, Zhou Beihai hurriedly took advantage of the momentum to explain more, but Gao Jing interrupted him and motioned for the forest merchant beside him to speak.Lin Shangdao: "In the city of Suzhou, there are shadow guards from Da Nei. Several of them are recognized by the subordinates, and they are all old people from Prince Yu's Mansion. According to Lu Yi's method, I am afraid that relatives will be detained to force Hua Mu to submit."

Zhou Beihai was shocked: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

"It seems to be very clear. To protect the family and find another way out, General Hua is testing me."

"Your Majesty! This matter..."

"Hua Mu didn't express his position earlier, but now he is ordered to hand over his military power. After going to Beijing, his relatives and family members are still under Lu Yi's control. He may die at any time, and he will be finished by then. Just at this time, I gave him another Choice - it is human nature to be wise and protect one's life, and I will not blame it."

Zhou Beihai's thoughts had been seen through by the people in front of him. He shivered and lost his original complacency: "Your Majesty...has a well-planned plan—"

"You are not an important minister, but he can deliver the official seal to let you come, avoid the shadow guard's eyeliner and achieve his goal. Hua Mu is not a brave and foolish person." Gao Jing stretched his fingers, "I will not discuss conditions with him, Just tell the truth. If he is willing to assist me to return to Luoyang, he will definitely not be a bargaining chip in the small Longyou Governor's Mansion after that."

Zhou Beihai heard that Gao Jing wanted to win over, and hurriedly said, "That's natural! It's just... I don't know when His Majesty..."

Gao Jing looked at He Lanmingyue, he and Gao Jing briefly met their gazes, but understood the meaning: "Winter in the northern part of the country, there is not enough troops to do things, you just report back to Hua Mu Kaichun and wait for the news."

Seeing that Gao Jing had no intention of objecting, Zhou Beihai kowtowed and said, "The minister will definitely inform the general exactly!"

"One more thing." He Lan Mingyue said abruptly, and even Gao Jing looked over strangely, "His legs are inconvenient to walk, if Hua Mu is really sincere, how can you go to Suzhou without being discovered? Do you have a perfect plan?"

Zhou Beihai was stunned for a moment, and then said, "I think it's safest to go to Suzhou disguised as a caravan..."

"How do you explain the accompanying weapons? The caravan escort is mighty and carry luggage, and it will attract attention when entering Yumen."

"This, maybe as a funeral procession, put the weapon into the coffin?"

He Lan Mingyue said: "This method is feasible, but it is still not concealed enough. What's more, Yinzhou's bodyguards have always only accepted orders from east to west. Suddenly a large group of people will flood into Suzhou. General Hua has not gained enough trust. It is hard to guarantee that the incident will be involved in the whirlpool, and the plan will die."

After he finished speaking, there was a smile on the corner of Gao Jing's lips.Zhou Beihai was silent for a long time, but he was no longer flustered as before, and he settled down to think of a plan. He Lan Mingyue was not in a hurry, and just waited.

After half a cup of tea, Zhou Beihai's eyes lit up, and he said calmly, "Your Majesty, what do you think about the incident from Xiazhou?"

This was exactly what Gao Jing meant, he smiled and said, "Brother Mingyue, do you think it's feasible to be so vigorous?"

"Not enough troops." He Lanmingyue vetoed, "There are officers and soldiers guarding Xiazhou further to the east. A little militia in Yinzhou and a group of people from the Escort Bureau, who are willing to work hard may not be able to integrate an army. Joining with the Longyou Army, they were wiped out by the officers and soldiers. Furthermore, the division came out of nowhere, and if they wanted to raise the anti-flag, their identities would be exposed.”

Zhou Beihai hadn't thought about this yet, so Gao Jing said, "Chaos is not bad, but it can't be so chaotic. Anyway, let's talk about spring, Zhou Beihai, pass a message to Hua Mu for me."

"Yes, please speak, Your Majesty."

"Princess Pingcheng and son-in-law Yuanying don't know that I'm still alive, so I asked General Hua to write a letter and send it to Mr. Gao Le, asking her to suppress the Pingcheng Iron Guard as a princess and not be transferred by the emperor's uncle. As for the token, I will think about it again. "

"Your Majesty does not disgrace your mission." Zhou Beihai straightened up after finishing his sentence, kneeling until his legs were numb. He was about to leave, but when he reached the door, he suddenly thought of something, "Your Majesty, can I allow you to speak again?"

"Say."

"If you talk about the lack of troops, in the early years, I heard that the eighty-mile oasis in the north of Longcheng before reaching Rouran was called 'The Land of Xizhi'. It used to be the throat of the commercial road leading to the Western Regions, and a magnificent city was built. .In the city, the large and small buildings are all white, so it is also called 'White City'. I don't know if it still exists..."

He Lan Mingyue frowned slightly when he heard the word "Baicheng". He couldn't help but think of the phrase on the scroll, "The bright moon shines on the White City".

Apparently Gao Jing also thought of the same thing, and pondered for a while: "Go ahead."

Zhou Beihai said: "The chief minister lives in Suzhou, and he is quite familiar with the customs and customs in the northwest area. Two or three years ago, I met a man and a woman in a tavern in Suzhou. Maybe it was because of traveling. The man was handsome, and the woman was also heroic. They went forward to talk. When they asked about where they came from, the woman said: "We came from Liuzhong City." The minister was deeply worried, and after saying goodbye, he went home and looked through the classics. He found out that Baicheng was first built about 200 years ago, and it was gifted by Emperor Yingzong of the previous dynasty. The name of Liuzhong'. Therefore, there should be people living there, and the figure of the woman should be a martial arts practitioner..."

"You want to say that Baicheng still has its own armed forces?" He Lan Mingyue said.

Zhou Beihai nodded, "Just like Yinzhou."

Daning has a vast territory, and many towns in the northern border have been included in the territory but sparsely populated. In particular, the border is sparsely managed, and the cities are fragmented and intricate.It is reasonable to say that it is similar to Yinzhou.

He was noncommittal, Zhou Beihai suddenly said: "There is one more thing, Liu Zhongcheng used to be armed, I came to a conclusion after collecting text messages and people's rumors—"

"what?"

"Before the founding of our dynasty, the Helan family of the three guards in Saibei seems to have been stationed here for a very long period of time, and that was also the time when Liu Zhongcheng became famous."

Gao Jing's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't express his opinion immediately: "Zhen will investigate again."

"Then, I will wait for your majesty's good news."

After Zhou Beihai left, the room was silent, and Lin Shang asked, "Do you need someone to follow him after entering the customs?"

"No need." After a little thought, Gao Jing said, "You send two shadow guards who are close to you to secretly protect Hua Mu's family."

Lin Shang said in surprise: "This...Your Majesty, he doesn't trust you, why bother?"

Gao Jingdao: "Hua Mu doesn't want to get in, but his family should be his weakness. Compared with threats, isn't protection better for buying people's hearts?"

Lin Shang suddenly realized: "The subordinates understand, so let's do it!"

He left in a hurry, and Aman went to do his own thing, leaving Gao Jing and He Lan sitting opposite each other.He touched the side of the armrest of the quadricycle, and said after a long time, "Do you think it's true or not?"

He Lan Mingyue digested the overly complicated information, and she had already made a preliminary judgment. Hearing this, she said, "Liu Zhongcheng is not a fake."

Gao Jing said: "Then I will go."

Helan Mingyue almost laughed out loud, his pointed eyes glanced at Gao Jing's legs and feet, and the man shrank his shoulders in embarrassment, pretending to be tough: "Why, how do you think I got here? ?”

He Lan Mingyue didn't answer his words, stood up: "I'll go."

Gao Jing was taken aback: "What...do you know where that place is?"

"Last August, when I was walking north with the Broken Leaf Merchant, I encountered a sandstorm. I lost my way and almost couldn't come back when I ran out of drinking water." He Lan Mingyue said plainly about his adventures. When I went there, I saw an oasis with a vague city. Later, someone came to rescue me, and after I got better, I left without having time to think about it.”

The words were calm and breezy, but Gao Jing was terrified when he heard it. He couldn't help thinking: He Lan lives in the border and relies on himself for everything. Could it be that he often goes through life and death?

Gao Jing flatly refused: "No, it's too risky!"

"Anyone is going to take risks. I remember that we are heading towards Longcheng." He Lan Mingyue said without discussing with him, "If I want to give Hua Mu an answer in spring, then I will leave in a few days."

Gao Jing stopped him: "Such heavy snow will... be dangerous!"

He Lan Mingyue pressed lightly on that finger: "Don't worry."

"I'll let Lin Shang go with you!" Gao Jing said anxiously, but He Lanmingyue refused, and he said in a panic, "You can't go alone alone, otherwise how can I rest assured?"

"There is a caravan, and the business of the Escort Bureau will not be closed until Dongyue. I am very familiar with the road from Yinzhou to the west and north. As long as it is sunny during the day, you can go forward. You can rest assured that you can recuperate here." As soon as the words came out, unexpectedly It was a gentleness that she didn't even realize, Helan Mingyue was stunned.

The tone seemed to repeat itself from yesterday, Gao Jing suddenly asked a strange question: "Can I still be alright?"

Helan Mingyue couldn't comfort his loss, so she intentionally staggered the answer: "This is the end of the matter, don't think so much. This winter is going to be tough. When I'm away, remember to ask fourth uncle for help."

Gao Jing pursed his lips: "Brother Mingyue, when are you coming back?"

With no one else around, Gao Jing looked much weaker. He Lan Mingyue thought this was another frankness from him to himself, and when he listened to the frank words, he didn't feel as angry as he did at first, so he said softly: "It won't be too long. .”

"That's right, even if you leave, this is your home, and you will always come back." Gao Jing clenched his hands on his lap, and stubbornly raised his head to look directly at him, "But where else can you and I go back?"

go back?

Is it the past that Gao Jing wants to go back to, the past where he traveled hand in hand during the day and spent time together at night, or the past where his sincerity can't withstand many deceptions and calculations?

He Lan Mingyue didn't answer in the end: "Tell me all Gao Hong's actions."

Three days later, he bid farewell to Li Ciyuan and set off with the Suiye Caravan to search for the mysterious Liu Zhongcheng.

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About the place of Xizhi: I watched a documentary last year, in which I mentioned the origin of the Dangxiang clan, and I roughly understood that it is located in a river valley on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Xianbei, Dangxiang, and Tuyuhun have successively occupied this place. , so there is a preliminary idea.Borrowing the name and the setting of the plateau oasis, "White City" comes from the Miya people's advocacy of white, and the Miya people are probably descendants of the Xixia people.