Cao Rui opened the brocade box and took out the memorial sent from the northern border by Qin Lang, the heroic cavalry general.
"Your Majesty Fu Wei:
A few months ago, I made an appointment with Lord Kebineng of Xianbei to fight in Monan. Although our army won, it was not easy. Although Kebineng's tribe lost more than 10,000 cavalry, his tribe still had more than 80,000 or 90,000 armored cavalry. Strength cannot be underestimated. A month ago, Kebi Neng sent an envoy to write a letter, saying that he would like to make a peace treaty with the Wei Dynasty from now on, and no longer fight with each other. He thought that although Xianbei must be guarded against, he could not attack it easily, so I thought that I could agree to it. I am revising the alliance and making a temporary alliance. I also hope that your majesty will approve the alliance letter as soon as possible so that the northern border of Monan can be stabilized as soon as possible.
In the winter of the first year of Qinglong in the Great Wei Dynasty, Qin Lang, the general of Xiaoqi, bowed his head and paid homage again. "
After reading the table, Cao Rui was thoughtful. He tapped the sandalwood beside him with the knuckle of his middle finger and pondered for a long time.
After the war, Wei really needed to recuperate. What's more, after this battle, Ke Bineng should know how powerful Wei is.
After thinking about this, the emperor nodded and agreed to Qin Lang's petition in his heart. Today, Cao Rui felt that he was very energetic, so he decided to personally approve the edict. He took the pen and paper from his desk and began to draft the edict himself and approve the reply.
―――
In Jiuzifang, Luoyang, in the Changlinghou Mansion, the servants in the big and small mansions were busy.
Since it snowed continuously last night, the housekeeper Gu Ting directed everyone to start cleaning the courtyard and clearing the snow on the road in Fuzhong early in the morning. After working hard all morning, the snow started to fall slightly.
The old lady Cao Jue and the young lady Li Huigu were enjoying the snowy scenery and having lunch in the warm pavilion. Amo, who had grown into a big black dog, still looked like he was clinging to his owner when he was young. At this moment, he was drooping. Lying with her ears closed at the feet of the hostess in the warm pavilion, she was still as innocent as before, very naive.
Li Huigu couldn't help but feel a little dazed as she listened to the jingling bell in "Amo"'s neck and looked at the falling snow in the courtyard.
The north wind makes it cool, and the rain and snow make it cool. Be kind to me and walk hand in hand. ...
In the winter of the wedding year, the family was also drinking and chatting happily in this warm pavilion. I still remember that year, the iron horse wind chimes under the eaves jingled, and my husband still held my hand while singing the third poem to myself. Bai, while using the warmth of his palms to drive away the cold.
"Huigu..." Cao Jue looked at his daughter-in-law, who was in a daze, and said, "Are you thinking about Xuan'er again..."
Li Huigu was noncommittal and nodded lightly. Her husband had already been on the battlefield for half a year wearing armor and holding a halberd. How could she not worry about his safety.
"Don't worry, Xuan'er, this kid, has always been very lucky and will definitely return in triumph. This year, I'm calling Hui'er too, so that our family can celebrate the New Year together."
Although Cao Que was also worried about his son's safety, in order to reassure his daughter-in-law, she did not show any uneasiness on her face.
"Mrs. Qizhen, Mrs. Tai."
After finishing his chores, the housekeeper Gu Ting came to the court and said:
"An officer from the north came just now and said he had a message from the head of the family."
"Message?"
Li Huigu couldn't help but feel a little confused. She continued to ask:
"My husband has always communicated with his family through written letters. Why did he send someone to bring a message this time?"
Cao Jue also looked at Gu Ting with a confused face. The panic and uneasiness in her heart became particularly serious at this moment.
"Mrs. Qizhen, Mrs. Tai, I don't know the reason."
"Okay, then quickly invite the military master in and have a cup of hot wine to warm yourself up."
Cao Jue was eager to understand the situation, so he hurriedly arranged to meet with the northern general.
"Yes, Madam."
As Gu Ting said that, he strode away from Nuanting. Not long after, he led a northern soldier in military uniform and walked in.
"I have met Changlinghou's wife and Changlinghou's wife in my humble position."
The armor worn by the soldier was already extremely torn, and the shirt on his body was also torn into strips. Looking at the torn red shirt on the soldier, Li Huigu couldn't help but think of what her husband once told her in the "Book of Mountains and Seas". The five-tailed, red leopard-like one-horned mythical beast "狰" that exorcises evil spirits. Because Huigu was worried about her husband's safety, she only had a brief moment of confusion and immediately came back to her senses. She heard a Bingzhou dialect, and it seemed that she was not from the Central Plains.
"General, no courtesy."
Cao Jue was also very worried about her son's safety. She asked hurriedly. Judging from the soldier's armor and uniform, he was only a general with a hundred men, but Cao Jue still respected him as a general:
"The general came from the north. I wonder if you can tell me how the war in the north is going now?"
"To report to Madam, the situation in the northern border is very good. General Qin Lang has defeated the main force of the Xianbei cavalry, and the Xianbei Lord Ke Bineng has fled to Mobei. The Marquis of Changling also asked me to come and report to Madam and Mrs. Safety."
"That's great, that's it, that's great..."
After hearing this, Cao Jue and Li Huigu finally felt relieved, and both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could not help but let out a long sigh of relief.
"Then, Marquis Changling, do you have any messages to bring back?"
Li Huigu felt a lot more at ease when she saw that her husband was safe, but she still asked earnestly.
"To Madam Changlinghou, Changlinghou has asked me to inform you to go to Jinyang City..." The Marquis said that he has not seen Madam for several months and misses her very much. He sees this northern border. The winter snow in the desert is very different from the winter scenery in Luoyang, and it is very beautiful, so I want to join hands with you to see it together..."
Li Huigu has always been sensitive, and she seemed to detect something abnormal in these words.
Since the front line has been victorious, why should my husband deliberately report to his mother that he is safe?
Since the army was about to return south, why did he have to go north to see him just because he wanted to see the snow scene with him?
Could it be...
Li Huigu shook her head. She reminded herself again that the army was about to return in triumph, so how could anything happen to her husband?
"Okay, please take a rest, general. I'll make some preparations and then head north with the general."
"That's very good." The Northern Lieutenant General said, taking the hot wine from Gu Ting, drinking it in one gulp, and immediately felt much warmer.
―――
Shortly after the envoys of the Wei Dynasty, carrying the letters of alliance between the two countries and their allies, set off from Luoyang in the capital, Li Huigu, accompanied and escorted by the steward Gu Ting and the northern deputy general, left the capital and walked through the frost and snow to the north of Bingzhou. I arrived in Jinyang City and went to meet my husband.
Although the snow scenery in the northern country on the way was indeed as magnificent as Xia Houxuan said, Li Huigu had no intention of admiring it.
She seemed to feel more and more that something had happened, and she felt vaguely uneasy in her heart, so she felt more and more anxious.
"Uncle Gu, please ask the coachman to hurry up." Li Huigu opened the curtain of the carriage and said to Gu Ting who was riding in the snow outside the window.
"Okay, ma'am." Gu Ting responded, then spurred his horse forward and continued to speed up. Dozens of Changling Marquis' Mansion Xuanjia Guards and Mansion soldiers who were following him also accelerated their horses with halberds in hand. .
―――
The group worked hard and finally arrived outside Jinyang City in Bingzhou before November.
Li Huigu thought about the upcoming meeting with her husband, but also worried that her husband was ill. She felt a mixture of joy and sorrow. She couldn't help but open the car window and look at the city walls of Jinyang City.
The layout of Jinyang City is different from that of Luoyang, and it is far less prosperous than Luoyang. There are only occasional passers-by walking in the snow on the road, and those who, although their hands and feet are frozen and stiff, are still reluctant to close the stall and want to sell more. A Bingzhou hawker of leather goods.
Li Huigu was walking on the streets of Jinyang. Although she was eager to see Xia Houxuan as soon as possible, for some reason, the vague tension and panic in her heart did not disappear at this moment. , but it became more and more obvious, so much so that she was a little scared, so her steps slowed down.
This official road covered with snow seemed as long as an endless chasm at the moment.
Just like this, she walked towards the city gate step by step, her heart beating with the height of her steps.
"Huigu...you are here..."
"Husband..." Finally, Huigu saw the familiar white fur coat, his tall Wu Bian crown, his long beard flying in the wind between his temples, and his warm smile. At this moment, he Standing like this inside the city gate, he stretched out his hand towards himself.
"Husband..." Li Huigu's anxious heart finally calmed down. She could no longer suppress the excitement in her heart and rushed towards Xia Houxuan, hugging him tightly.
"Husband..." Because Li Huigu was so excited, Xia Houxuan was staggered and almost fell back.
Li Huigu's heart skipped a beat. Her husband had been diligently cultivating his ancestral internal skills over the years and had a solid foundation. Not to mention her own collision, even a soldier in full armor might not be able to hit her husband. However, she clearly felt her husband just now. Vain steps!
"Husband..., what's wrong with you..." Li Huigu raised her head and looked at Xia Houxuan. Whether it was because of the white snow or her own misunderstanding, she seemed to feel that her husband's face had become a lot paler.
"It's okay." Xia Houxuan raised the corner of his mouth and smiled: "It's just that I was too tired from fighting in the past few days..."
After hearing this, Li Huigu's doubts eased slightly. She nodded and said, "That's good..., that's good..."
She nestled in her husband's arms, feeling both happy and crying. Suddenly, she seemed to see something red on her husband's pure white fox fur collar!
That's blood!
The blood was so bright red that it looked so unreal. At this moment, Li Huigu's heart was truly broken. She was still bursting with tears, but at this moment, her tears of joy turned into great sadness.
Xia Houxuan could no longer hold on at this moment. He still had that warm smile on his lips, but his body slumped down like Mount Buzhou and fell into the snow!
