mountain river road

On the second day, early morning.

With a haggard face, Chu Yuanzhi said to the distinguished officials in the hall: "Now Lin'an can't be attacked for a long time, what's your idea?"

After receiving the news from Yan Shigao, no one dared to mention the nonsense about calling General Chu back.For a while, the courtiers whispered to each other.Chu Xi thought a lot.

In the midst of whispers, Wang Lang stood up and said to Chu Yuanzhi: "From my point of view, the matter of Lin'an is up to the general. Our army is stronger than the rebels by several times, so it should not take so long to make a decision. I have a way, please The emperor sent a special envoy to urge Vice General Yan to coordinate."

"It's a way." Chu Yuanzhi's expression softened slightly, "Is there anyone to choose?"

Just as Wang Lang was about to speak, Chu Xi immediately stepped forward and said loudly, "I wish to go!"

Wang Lang immediately wanted to stop him: "Young Lord Chu has never been to the battlefield, and he lacks experience. As a special envoy, I'm afraid..."

Chu Yuanzhi looked at Chu Xi, and Chu Xi said: "I have practiced martial arts for more than ten years since I was a child. I have worked hard and achieved success in my studies. I wish to be like my father, serving the country and sharing the emperor's worries!"

Wang Lang frowned and glanced at Chu Xi.

Chu Yuanzhi smiled and said, "Sure!" After all, he is the son of Chu Shu, so he can be used no matter what.

Chu Xi walked out of the palace excitedly early in the morning.I can't wait to rush back to the mansion immediately and tell Zhenqing the news.

"Young Lord Chu!" Wang Lang chased after him while panting.

Chu Xi stopped and turned around: "Wang Shangshu?"

Wang Lang took a few breaths, straightened up and straightened his beard, said: "Young Lord, please be careful when you go to Lin'an. Deputy General Yan is self-willed, so don't argue with him."

Chu Xi didn't even hear the words clearly, "I would like to follow the teaching of the Shangshu."

After speaking, he left like a gust of wind.

All thoughts of being ashamed to see people were completely forgotten, and Chu Xi went straight to Zhenqing when she came back.

"Can I go with you?" Zhenqing asked after listening.

Chu Xi smiled and said strangely: "You are my advisor, shouldn't you go with me?"

When Zhenqing heard this, she bent her mouth and her eyes.

"Then, then you get ready." Chu Xi felt a little embarrassed, and looked away from Zhen Qing's face, "I'll go to my mother."

When Chu Xi left, Zhenqing lowered her eyes, stretched out her hands, and buried her face in her thin hands, her back was as thin and thin as a piece of paper.The piece of paper moved slightly, and Zhenqing sighed deeply.

Lin'an, who had been away for a year, already made him feel as far away as his previous life.Mother's face has been buried in the damp and cold soil.Since Zhenqing left, she no longer remembers it, and the past seems to be a blank.A gust of wind blows away the accumulated dust, revealing that the porcelain is as clean as new, with strokes as clear as if carved with the tip of a knife, and the feeling of reaching out to touch it is like intricate scars.

Lin'an, Zhenqing didn't regard it as her hometown in her heart.Probably because there were no cheers that could be recalled, there was only a bond between Lin'an and Zhenqing that even he couldn't explain clearly.

He just didn't want the place where his mother was buried to be harassed by war.

Three days later, Qiucheng.

The rebel army stayed firmly in Lin'an, and Yan Qi led his troops to stay in the nearby autumn city.

Yan Qi hosted a banquet for the two of them.Drinks, meat and vegetables are all available.

Liu Muyi stood on the side, Zhen Qing sat beside Chu Xi, Chu Xi said to Yan Qi, "How is the battle going?"

Yan Qi: "The rebels are still fighting in a corner."

Zhenqing said: "Have you ever persuaded him to surrender?"

"Not yet. A group of mobs, just kill them." Yan Qi glanced at him: "I haven't seen you before, so I don't know how to call him?"

Chu Xi said: "This is my family's advisor, Xu Zhenqing, Mr. Xu."

Yan Qi said contemptuously, "I've never heard of it. But I should have heard of Mr. Xu's good looks."

Hearing this, Chu Xi became angry from the heart, and wanted to refute it when she opened her mouth.

Gently holding the hand of Chu Xina's wine glass with one hand, Zhenqing's expression remained unchanged: "I have been weak since I was a child, and I haven't obtained any fame yet. I am mediocre at first, so I naturally disappear from the public."

Chu Xi was gently held by him, and the unhappiness that had just burned instantly disappeared, and the skin that was attached to her seemed to be burning, and her ears and neck were completely red.

Sensing Yan Qi's strange gaze, Chu Xi could only say, "I'm too strong to drink, so I'm laughing."

Yan Qi laughed and said: "Everyone in the world knows that the king of Chu is good at drinking, but who knows that his son can't drink."

Zhen Qing turned to look at him in confusion.

Chu Xi laughed and got up to leave.Yan Qi sent someone to lead them to their residence.

"Little prince." Zhenqing must have showered, changed into his clothes, and walked into his room refreshed.

Chu Xi didn't want to look up at him, "What's the matter?"

"In the siege of Lin'an, persuading surrender is the most appropriate."

Chu Xi lowered her head and replied, "Yes, I know that."

Zhenqing continued: "Can you send me as an envoy to negotiate with them?"

Chu Xi raised her head abruptly and said without thinking, "No. You don't serve in the army."

Zhenqing said, "Then I'll go and talk to Yan Qi."

As Zhenqing said, she turned around and stepped out of the threshold. Chu Xi hurriedly got up and grabbed him, her hand was a little strong, and Zhenqing staggered into his arms.

The moment he lost his center of gravity, panic surged from the bottom of his heart—then he was firmly supported, and half of his body was embraced by the trend.

The smell of alcohol and the heat of his skin enveloped Zhenqing. The warm feeling made him a little dazed, as if migratory birds had stopped on a warm branch. Zhenqing couldn't help but pause for a second before pushing away in a panic. Open Chuxi.

Chu Xi didn't expect that he subconsciously hugged the person, and the sound of his heartbeat was like a drum beating in his ears. He ordered himself to calm down, and said to Zhen Qing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Zhen Qing, you are only ten years old now. Six, how can I allow you to go?"

Zhenqing simply blocked him: "You are only seventeen."

Chu Xi rubbed her head with a headache, knowing that Zhenqing's stubborn temper would not be able to be stopped, so the little charm that climbed up in her heart was kicked down by irritability, and he opened his mouth: "If I knew this, I shouldn't take you Come on! What a kid to join in the fun!"

Zhenqing was completely enraged, and she ran away. This time, Chu Xi couldn't be caught.

He returned to his residence and slammed the door with a cold face.

Early the next morning, Zhenqing went to find Yan Qi, and Chu Xi followed behind with a dark face.

Deputy General Yan hugged his flowery concubine, and was sitting at the table eating his breakfast - a bowl of Jiangnan millet porridge and a steamed sea bass.

Zhenqing said: "I would like to serve as the envoy of the two parties and go to persuade them to surrender."

Zhenqing's appearance is cold and glamorous, mixed with a three-point pitiful sickness, Deputy General Yan felt that he was a little more charming than the beauty in his arms, he laughed and said: "No."

Seeing his unscrupulous eyes, Chu Xi felt extremely bored.

Xu Zhenqing said: "If we can persuade you to surrender, firstly, you will save money and food, secondly, you will avoid resentment from the rebel army, and thirdly, you will show the benevolence of the general and the emperor. The rebel army resists, but after all, it is not the right way. Surrender will definitely succeed, forcing them to die. It is of no benefit to us. .”

Chu Xi immediately said: "No, this is my counselor, who is like my right-hand man, so I can't take risks easily."

Yan Qi laughed when he heard this, and took a sip of the millet porridge on the table, "Young Lord Chu, the counselor is not a prisoner, why is he still chained?"

As soon as the words fell, Zhenqing's cold face became even colder.

With a "bang", Chu Xi slapped the table, stood up and said angrily, "Don't meddle in your own business!"

Yan Qi suddenly pushed the concubine in his arms away, his face was cyanotic, his lips were purple, and he vomited out a pile of liquid of unknown shape, twitching and making a "hissing" panting sound.

Chu Xi was stunned. How about a yell?

Zhenqing immediately said to Liu Mu who was following: "Go and call the military doctor, he is poisoned."

Yan Qi had fainted.A soldier came in, ready to remove the food from the table.Chu Xi called to stop him: "What are you doing? Put it down. It's time for a drug test."

As soon as the soldier put down, the military doctor rushed in.

Xu Zhenqing and Chu Xi walked out without a word.

Zhenqing: "Just after you arrived, something happened to him. Pay attention to Yan Shigao making a fuss about it."

Chu Xi: "Who did it?"

Zhenqing: "Either it is the secret work of the Yijun faction, or it is bent on bringing down the Chu family, or it has a grudge against you."

Chu Xi: "I don't have any enemies with me, but cats do."

Zhenqing laughed amusedly: "Don't make trouble with the cat. Chuxi, I must go to persuade you to surrender."

Chu Xi: "OK."

Zhenqing turned to look at him in amazement.

Chu Xi: "But you have to take Liu Muyi with you."

Liu Muyi on the side turned dark: "My lord, I am your bodyguard."

Chu Xi: "So listen to me. That's it, it's over. I still have something to do, so let's go."

As soon as Chu Xi said that, she ordered people to gather all the commanders and hold a meeting.

As soon as this incident happened, not to mention whether Yan Qi was alive or not, it was inevitable that someone would mess up.If the morale of the army is shaken, and the rebel army takes advantage of the vacancy, the consequences will be disastrous.What Chu Xi had to do was to immediately stabilize the morale of the army and reshape the military discipline.When he came, he had already noticed that Yan Qi's life was too extravagant for a general who was supposed to share weal and woe with his soldiers.It is not for nothing that the upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked.