The maids arranged the ceremonial cloth, and Qi Ji bowed to everyone again and knelt down in front of the ceremonial cloth.
I saw her slender hands crossing the strings, and the sound of music suddenly rose, like cracking silk, piercing the air.
While caressing her, she stared at Liu Ji intently, her eyes moving, and the orange light shone on her face, which was so delicate that it seemed to drip water.
This graceful and touching gesture, coupled with the courage to move forward, all made Lu Pheasant feel familiar——
In the last life, she had seen it in the eyes of her sister, Mrs. Han Guo, in the eyes of her sister's daughter, Mrs. Wei Guo, and in the eyes of brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.
She guessed that her young self, who had been with the elderly Tang Taizong for twelve years and was deliberately looking for a way out, probably had unconcealable ambition in his eyes.
I am still too immature and do not know how to hide myself. I always think that temporary luck means the eternal favor of the God of Destiny.
Strangely enough, when Lu Pheasant met the children, he could not help but feel affection. He thought it was the natural instinct of this body.
But now, as she looked at Qi Ji's graceful figure and charming smile, her mood did not fluctuate at all, as if she was looking at the gorgeous koi carps swimming in the pond, or the peonies in bud in the imperial garden.
It turned out to be like this, and her heart became clear——
In fact, this woman named Lu Pheasant no longer loves Liu Ji, let alone jealousy.
After all, eagles strike in the sky and fish fly in the shallows. They each have their own universe.
Lu Pheasant lowered his head, pursed his lips and smiled:
It's not in vain that I have been scolded for being like her for fifty years, she is really good.
***
Liu Ji's throat paused for a moment, and he sang in a low voice along with the melody,
“The grass is withered and it’s raining and snowing, and it’s hard to get married and have a home.
There is an old mother in the house who leans against the door and sheds tears; there is a beloved wife in the house who guards the empty curtain alone.
After ten years of fighting, the body and mind are exhausted, and if something unexpected happens, it will be hard to return to the dead.
When I return to my hometown, my flesh and blood will comfort me, and my family will be reunited and fill the lintel with joy. "
When everyone present heard the sound, their expressions gradually became solemn and fell into silence.
Because what Qi Ji played was a song of homesickness and longing to return.
As we all know, the Chu-Han peace agreement has been reached. Qi Ji is tactfully persuading the King of Han to withdraw his troops and return to the west as soon as possible.
Or, as Ai Ji, who stays with Liu Ji day and night, what she expresses and hints at this moment is exactly Liu Ji's inner voice?
When the song ended, Qi Ji stood up, bowed deeply to Liu Ji, and said softly,
"I am not talented, so I congratulate the king with this song. From now on, my swords and guns will be stored in the warehouse, and I will enjoy peace and wealth."
Liu Ji's eyelids twitched inadvertently. After a while, he supported the waiter crookedly and walked towards the inner hall on his own, very drunk.
"Qi Ji played well and I had a great time singing.
I'm drunk, so I'll leave today, let's leave. "
Lu Pheasant straightened out his dark clothes and stood up to leave. In a blink of an eye, he saw Liu Ji's closest servant running all the way and whispering a few words in the ears of Xiao He, Zhang Liang, Chen Ping, Zhang Er and other important ministers.
As a result, these ministers obviously slowed down their movements and began to wander around the courtyard chatting.
There was going to be a small meeting soon, and Lu Zhi thought to himself that if the matter was delayed any longer, it might be too late.
She has never been one to leave things to chance. Now that she can be reincarnated as Lu Pheasant, the direction of history may be different from what is recorded in the history books.
In this case, it is more secure to hold your own destiny in your own hands.
***
Lu Pheasant searched hurriedly among the few people left behind, and finally found Wang Ling.
Wang Ling was born into a wealthy family in Peixian County and had a close relationship with Liu Ji. He also held a high position in the leadership team of the early Han Dynasty startup group.
Lu Pheasant shook off the maid, walked quickly to Wang Ling, gently pulled his arm, and walked to a corner of the side room of the courtyard.
"Brother Wang, this... the old lady asked me to give it to you."
She took out a small object wrapped in silk from her sleeve and placed it solemnly in Wang Ling's hands.
The lights in the courtyard were dim, and it was vaguely visible that the silk fabrics, although old and yellowed, were very clean and must have been well protected.
Wang Ling's expression changed drastically, his lips trembled, and he was speechless. He only opened the layers of packages with trembling hands——
Inside is a hosta, and the owner of the hosta is Wang Ling's mother.
Two years ago, Wang Ling's mother was taken hostage by Xiang Yu along with Lu Fei and others. She refused to persuade Wang Ling to surrender, and was worried about being humiliated by staying in the Chu camp, so she soon committed suicide.
Xiang Yu was furious and did not let go of the body of Wang Ling's mother. He cooked it in a big pot to vent his hatred.
Wang Ling only knew that his mother had passed away, but he did not know that she had left something for him.
Lu Pheasant whispered,
"Brother Wang, I'm sorry, I failed to protect the old lady.
Later, I bribed a guard of the Chu army and buried the old lady's... old lady's body.
In the past two years, the man went to worship every New Year's Day and never missed it by mistake. "
Wang Ling, who had gray hair and beard, lowered his head deeply and murmured after a long while,
"Thank you, Madam, for performing your filial piety for me. Such a great kindness will never be forgotten by Wang Ling.
I wonder, did my mother leave any words before she died? "
"The old lady passed away peacefully and did not suffer much during her lifetime.
She only said that you should follow the King of Han with peace of mind, and one day you will be the winner and pay homage to her grave. "
Wang Ling said no more, bowed and turned to leave.
He held the hairpin tightly in his hand, and he didn't even notice that the tip of the hairpin pierced into his palm, causing blood to flow out.
***
Liu Ji's inner room was bright with candlelight.
Liu Ji, who was still drunk just now, lay half on the couch with his bare feet. He took the hot sweat towel from the waiter and wiped his face.
"The talented people have many eyes and are confused, so it is difficult to speak clearly.
Now that the room is full of my own people, I'm going to be honest. "
He glanced at everyone with his sharp hawk-like eyes and said slowly,
"My spies have come to report that Xiang Yu will officially break camp tomorrow and the entire army will retreat eastward.
This piece of information is absolutely true. "
He paused and then said,
"As for our army's next move, I would like to hear your opinions."
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing where to start.
Zhang Liang narrowed his eyes and asked tentatively,
"I have the advantage in the battle. Xiang Yu withdrew his troops as promised because he knew he was outmatched and it was reasonable.
However, I wonder if the king also intends to fulfill the contract? "
"Well, after fighting for so many years, the family members have been brought back and the soldiers are tired.
I see, since we have made a peace treaty, why not we also withdraw our troops to recuperate and live a good life. "
There was fatigue in Liu Ji's voice, and it seemed that he had made up his mind.
Zhang Er, the oldest king of Zhao, could no longer suppress it and had a fit.
"His son, Xiang Yu, also broke a contract and killed Emperor Yi. It was just a peace treaty, so it doesn't count!
He is willing to negotiate with you precisely because he is at a disadvantage and it is time to take advantage of the victory and pursue the victory. There is no reason to withdraw his troops. "
Liu Ji was silent and noncommittal.
Chen Ping coughed and said thoughtfully,
"Our army and the Chu army held firm in Guangwu for several months. Fortunately, Han Xin and Peng Yue's armies encircled the two areas in the southeast. Only then were we able to turn the tide and force Xiang Yu to negotiate peace.
Xiang Yu is a formidable opponent, and the war is changing rapidly. If he regains his strength in the future, it is still unclear who will win. "
Liu Ji waved his hand, a little indifferent.
"Xiang Yu can make a comeback, why can't our army? If that day comes, there's no harm in fighting him again!
Listen to the homesickness song played by Qi Ji just now. That is military spirit. "
Everyone was speechless because of Liu Ji's laziness and rogueness, and the atmosphere was frozen to freezing point.
At this time, Wang Ling knelt down with a plop and kowtowed to Liu Ji.
"Now our country Han has taken over half of the world, and all the princes and countries have joined us one after another. However, the Chu army is out of horses, tired and war-weary, and is in a desperate situation.
God gave you such a good opportunity, but you threw it away and only wanted to become a rich man while guarding half of the country. Do you also want to die like my mother, with no body intact? "
Wang Ling raised his head, his forehead was bleeding profusely, and his face was filled with tears.
"I am the one who leads the troops. If you want to see the military morale, my blood is the military morale.
The military spirit is to make meritorious deeds and pay blood debts with blood. The soldiers have followed you away from home for eight years, fighting hundreds of life and death battles. Now success or failure depends on this one move, but you want to retreat after listening to a little girl playing the piano! "
Seeing Liu Ji deep in thought and silent, Wang Ling took a few steps forward on his knees, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Today, I risk my life and say boldly that this time Han Xin will cooperate with you to encircle Xiang Yu.
What about next time? What if he cooperates with Xiang Yu next time? Can you defeat the Korean and Xiang coalition forces? ! "
Wang Ling didn't study much and had an upright temperament. At this time, he was full of grief and anger, and he spoke eloquently, and he revealed the thorn deep in Liu Ji's heart with one sentence.
Liu Ji's eyes flashed suddenly, and he sat up from the couch. He didn't even bother to put on his shoes, and went down to the ground to help Wang Ling.
"You are all right. I was greedy for comfort and almost became a dead soul in Wenwen Township. I really shouldn't have.
I listened to everything Wang Ling said, but I can still trust Han Xin's loyalty. "
He rubbed his hands excitedly and circled the indoor terrain map twice with his bare feet, his eyes shining with a strange light.
"Now that we are determined to eliminate the Chu army in one fell swoop, let's start deploying it now."
***
The late-night secret conversations that determined the direction of the war are also recorded in history books.
"Lv Zhoushu: The Chronicles of Emperor Shengshenzhao":
"Xiang Yu made an agreement with Gaozu to divide the world among them, and Chu led his troops back east. Gaozu also wanted to return, so he asked the officials at night, but Zhang Liang, Chen Ping, and Zhang Er tried to stop him, but Gaozu refused to listen.
He went to the royal tomb secretly and left it with his mother's hairpin. Lingsu was extremely filial to his mother, so he became furious.
When Emperor Gaozu asked about it, the mausoleum kowtowed and pleaded with blood. Emperor Gaozu obeyed, pretended to stop his troops, and secretly pursued Xiang Yu. "
