In autumn, under the light autumn sun, the frost is heavy and the dew is thick; a cool and beautiful color pours down, covering this majestic Shangjing Palace.
In the Xianyang Palace, the palace door is deeply closed. In the middle of the stone steps outside the palace, there is a nine-dragon ridge, which leads directly to the tall palace door. From Danqi to the palace gate, the golden-armored forest guards on both sides stood with swords.
At this moment, under Danqi, Long Xifeng looked solemn, and he was standing in the square outside the main hall with three iron Buddha warriors, waiting there anxiously.
In the spacious hall, it is empty and quiet, splendid and romantic, with peace in the nobility and exuberance in the strictness; two tables of palace banquets have been set up, singing and dancing are added to the entertainment, elegant music is playing in unison, and the sound of silk and bamboo orchestral music is endless.
A group of beautiful dancers, dressed in light blue dance costumes, dragging light skirts, sometimes with stretched sleeves, sometimes as graceful as a giant dragon, dancing softly and gracefully to the melodious melody.
At this time, phoenixes were dancing in the hall, and the Emperor and King Qin were already seated.
Xiao Changyao was sitting in front of the imperial cabinet, a little tipsy, holding a wine glass in his hand, lazily nestled on the dragon couch, drinking one cup after another, watching the singing and dancing; Lei Hao, the servant of Huangmen, stood beside Xiao Changyao , silently pouring wine for His Majesty the Emperor.
As for Xiao Changling, his face was calm. He sat in front of a plan at the bottom, holding a wine glass. From the beginning to the end, he kept his eyes straight and could not see a trace of ripples. It was like a vast expanse of thousand-year-old ice, downright miserable. , all over his resolute and stern face, increasingly showing his unruffled self-power and heroic spirit.
I saw Xiao Changling holding the wine cup and looking at the purple-red wine rippling gently in the cup. His eyes gradually became deeper. Dressed in white, he stared at himself reflected in the wine cup, which was broad and full. His forehead, straight bridge of nose, and slightly raised chin were silent for a long time, as if deep in thought.
After a while, Xiao Changling raised his wine glass, drank the wine in one gulp, and then coughed twice. Xiao Huangmen, who was waiting on the side, secretly looked at His Highness King Qin, but saw Xiao Changling suddenly turned his head. , gave the small yellow door a cold look, and knocked on the counter.
"Pour wine."
Although, throughout the Xianyang Hall, peaceful elegant music was playing, countless beauties were dancing to cheer for the guests, and countless royal dishes were placed on the table. However, unlike the singing and dancing at the palace banquet, the mood of the Tian family brothers was completely different. Although they are close at hand, they seem to be worlds apart. The two brothers' hearts seem to be blocked by this nine-layered palace. Brothers from the same mother are actually so alienated that they are replaced by endless suspicion. , precautions and temptations, this is the sorrow and misfortune of being born in an emperor's family.
The palace banquet is still going on, and so are the singing and dancing. The mellow wine, sumptuous delicacies, beautiful dancers, elegant dances, and beautiful music still cannot cover up the cold atmosphere in the hall.
Suddenly, Xiao Changyao supported the dragon couch, slowly sat upright, picked up a glass of wine in front of him, and said to Xiao Changling with a smile.
"Ah Ma, come here, you and I have not seen each other for many years. Let me have a drink with you."
The sound of these words, neither too loud nor too small, was like the nine rings of a golden bell, suddenly ringing at the edge of Xiao Changling's ears. Upon hearing these words, Xiao Changling raised his head and met his two sharp sword-like eyes. He saw Xiao Changyao's smiling face, but there was a hint of coldness in that smile.
"Your Majesty, please." Xiao Changling raised his glass and met the emperor's smile.
The two of them drank it all in one gulp.
The moment Xiao Changling put down his wine glass, he slowly raised his eyes from the gold-patterned wine glass, glanced around, and stared at the entrance to the inner hall behind Xiao Changyao's dragon couch. Relying on his more than ten years of experience in iron-blooded conquests, Xiao Changling concluded that there must be many ambushes hidden there.
Xiao Changling's eyesight was very good. He was vaguely aware that behind the screens on both sides of the inner hall, there were shadowy figures of countless warriors, flashing with a large shadow of swords and swords. He could even see clearly the armor they were wearing. That is the golden armor that only the Royal Guards can equip.
At the same time, behind the screen, Gao Yong was hiding in the dark, staring at the world-famous King of Qin with cold eyes; behind him stood more than twenty fully armed sword and axemen.
However, sixteen years of hard work on the battlefield, life and death, have already sharpened Xiao Changling's character like a rock, and forged a heart of stone. In these sixteen years, he did not know how many open blows he encountered. Hidden arrows, life and death, if you don't have a strong will, how can you be the king of Jingbei with an army of 400,000!
Therefore, through the screen of the inner hall, Gao Yong could only see Xiao Changling looking calm, with a strange smile on the corner of his mouth, and a cold light flashing in his eyes, playing with the wine glass in his hand casually.
"Ah Ma, there are no outsiders here today, you should call me big brother."
This time, Xiao Changyao did not call himself "I", but "I". Don't underestimate such a simple change of title. If it is "I", it means that Xiao Changyao still talks to Xiao Changling as the emperor; and if it is "I", it means that Xiao Changyao is just an elder brother in front of Xiao Changling, not a king.
Unexpectedly, in response to Xiao Changyao's initiative to surrender his identity, Xiao Changling's face was still as determined as iron, as cold and arrogant as if covered with a layer of silver frost. There was not the slightest change or even the slightest change. Touched, he just said lightly.
"Your Majesty, I... I don't dare. Your Majesty is now a ninety-five-year-old man. I can no longer call your Majesty this way. Please respect yourself."
Looking at the familiar figure in white under the stone steps, Xiao Changyao sighed softly.
"Hey, you don't even want to call me big brother now."
However, this time, Xiao Changling did not reply. His face was as cold as cold iron. He seemed to be a hundred times, a thousand times colder than his expression just now. He looked at his nose, his nose and his heart. He sat upright at the table, alone. He poured a glass of wine and drank it with a smile on his face.
Seeing this, Xiao Changyao had no choice but to suppress the embarrassment in his heart and said with a half-smile.
"That's all, that's all. Born in an emperor's family, every word, every action, every move must be an example for the world. You can't help yourself, just do whatever you want."
Xiao Changling remained silent.
After a long silence, Xiao Changyao became slightly emotional and asked with a smile, "Second brother, how long has it been since we last met?"
"Ten years." Xiao Changling turned sideways, maintaining his stubborn expression, and replied quietly.
"Yes, counting on my fingers, it has been ten years. Time flies so fast. But second brother, I would like to ask you, if you don't come back to Beijing for ten years, you won't even come back for the national funeral of my father. Is your resentment against me so great?"
What seems to be an understatement actually hides an awe-inspiring chill. The so-called murderous heart-breaking words, spoken from the mouth of a generation of emperors, are so decisive in killing and yet so strong and soft at the same time.
Sure enough, when he heard Xiao Changyao's words, Xiao Changling, who had always been cold and cold, couldn't help but feel his heart sink. He frowned slightly, and the two blue veins on his forehead twitched suddenly.
He knew his emperor brother too well. He was a man skilled in power and tactics, but also an extremely hypocritical person. Back then, he used such hypocritical performances to win the favor of his father and ascend to the throne: now, he is going to repeat his old tricks again, using this hypocritical trick to force himself to submit and surrender to him.
No, this is absolutely impossible!
As a result, Xiao Changling smiled lightly, his frown suddenly relaxed, and then he spoke in a deep voice, each word as heavy as a thousand words.
"Why did your Majesty say this? Since I was granted the title, I have always abided by my duty and guarded the northern frontier thousands of miles away for the Great Zhou Dynasty. I have never had any other ambitions. For the past sixteen years, I have been alone in danger and fighting the chaos for the country. I have done everything I can. I am willing to die for my country, and for the Great Zhou Dynasty. If one day, the Great Zhou Dynasty is in trouble, I should still rise up and help the country. I wonder why your majesty doubts me?"
But when he saw Xiao Changyao sitting firmly on the dragon throne, looking down at this younger brother with a superior attitude, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Haha, my second brother has made outstanding achievements in the south and north. He is the Optimus Prime of my great Zhou Dynasty. How can I doubt your loyalty? It's just that my second brother, you don't come to Beijing for many years, and the government and the public are still very critical. , I am the king of a country, and I have to take into account the feelings of my officials, don’t you think so?”
Suddenly, Xiao Changling fell silent. After a long time, he answered calmly.
"Your Majesty, this matter is definitely not my intention. Due to the busy military affairs in the north, I really have no time to escape. Your Majesty should know that since my brother took office in Jinyang, Rouran has become increasingly rampant, repeatedly violating our border and killing me. My subjects, the troops under my command are all experienced in hundreds of battles, and the Rouran cavalry are brave and good at shooting, so they should not be underestimated. Therefore, I dare not leave my post without authorization. Please forgive me."
After hearing this, the emperor picked up a bottle filled with wine and took a long sip.
"I have never denied your military exploits for the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the imperial court will never forget it. By the way, I heard that you have been in Jinyang for ten years and have fought hundreds of battles with the main force of Rouran. You have gone out to the fortress three times to hunt down Kuanggui. , and destroyed their elite; and in the Battle of Shen'eryu in the 14th year of Yongxing, you divided your troops into three groups to attack and won a complete victory, causing you to expand your territory and flee north for 300 miles, but only escaped with your own life. Is this possible? "
After saying this, Xiao Changyao raised his long eyebrows deliberately and looked at Xiao Changling below, but saw Xiao Changling's intimidating gaze gradually turning from cold to calm, with a determined look in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, your words are serious. Kuo Kuo is the number one general in the grassland and is known as the 'Fantastic Man of the North'. How dare I take it lightly against such an opponent? What's more, in the battle at Shen'eryu, my younger brother missed the opportunity. Although he defeated Rouran's main force, however, caused Kuaoku's entire army to flee. In that battle, the imperial court raised a hundred thousand troops and spent countless money and food, but failed to plow the court and clear holes. To this day, I am still ashamed."
Although the words were spoken very modestly, one could still hear an innate pride in Xiao Changling's tone, a self-confidence that carried Zhengchen on the battlefield. Both inside and outside his words, he revealed his disdain for the Emperor of Zhou. .
As an emperor, Xiao Changyao could naturally hear the aloofness behind these words. He looked at Xiao Changling and at this powerful King of Qin, who made the world's heroes fearful. His heart suddenly had mixed feelings. He didn't know what it was. Fear or envy, he couldn't tell.
After a long time, Xiao Changyao blinked his eyes and then said with a teasing smile.
"Ama, I know that it has not been easy for you these past few years. As an elder brother, I have to be considerate of you, otherwise the world will not know what to say about me."
It was only at this moment that Xiao Changyao revealed his true intention, and Xiao Changling also guessed that his brother, the emperor, was still thinking about his military power after all; however, Xiao Changling did not feel that He was stunned, but very calmly and slowly raised his head.
"I don't understand what your Majesty means."
As expected, His Royal Highness the King of Qin's brother, the young emperor who was sitting on the throne of the Great Zhou Emperor, waved his hand casually. Lei Hao was impressed and immediately walked down the imperial steps holding a yellow silk edict. When he came to Xiao Changling, he presented the edict with both hands and said with a smile.
"Your Highness."
Looking at the Huang Ling Edict, Xiao Changling glanced at Lei Hao coldly from the corner of his eye, then calmly took the edict, and looked straight at him with his knife-like gaze. Xiao Changyao.
Xiao Changyao pursed his lips and smiled, while holding the wine glass, he slightly raised his eyebrows at Xiao Changling.
"have a look."
Xiao Changling did not hesitate and slowly unfolded the imperial edict, only to see countless rows of densely packed small characters reflected in his pair of deep eyes.
"In response to Tianshun's timing, and under the command of Ziming, the Emperor of Zhou issued an edict:
I have heard that since ancient times, emperors have commanded generals, trained soldiers, defended against insults and attacks, and sent special reports to the court. They were appointed to show their virtues, and they were actually virtuous. Therefore, they declared their power to control the Rong and Di. They were not talented in martial arts. How could they lead the central army and conquer the desert? ?
Virtue is promoted, officials are rewarded, merit is rewarded, the country is prosperous, and the wise king Yi teaches. Therefore, the Huagong Dragon Seal is used to honor the rare honors of the world; the jade relatives and Zhu Qian actually represent the nobility of the clan and ministers. Today, the Grand Sima, the Grand General, the Taiwei, the Shangzhu Kingdom, the Grand Marshal of the world’s troops, the Commander-in-Chief of all military affairs at home and abroad, the Grand Marshal of Xingtai in the north, and the Changling Tomb of the King of Qin are filled with clouds and mist, embracing the sun and moon, and the love is beginning to be established, and the merits are Participating in the business of tripod, it is always strange to achieve skill and wealth through civil and military skills, so it can defeat the heroes of the barbarians and be invincible.
When the Southern Chu bandits invaded Jingxiang and disturbed the north, the King of Qin, under the order of the late Emperor, received a special expedition from the country and led an army to attack them. He not only made a clear outline of the country and marched on Danyang, but also conquered the desert and fought against the foreign fortresses. The three armies were in perfect harmony, overcame the chaos in one fell swoop, their achievements were far and wide, and the nine surroundings were quiet. Hongxun's great achievements made the government and the public look forward to it. He applied for the Xi favor medal and was actually allowed to discuss it. It is advisable to worship Hui Ming, have a high status, and be added by cultural relics, which is extremely high. When an official is established, his merits are recorded, and his name is awarded. He can be awarded the title of Tianzhu General and be placed above the princes. He can increase the number of 10,000 households in the city and connect the previous 30,000 households. The remaining officers remained as before, and were given a gold chariot, a crown-dress, a pair of jade biscuits, six thousand jins of gold, the music of the nine tribes in front and back, and forty swordsmen, and the rest remained as before.
"I admire this"
…
Xiao Changling held the edict, his expression sometimes solemn, sometimes dark, silently scanning every word on it, his eyes seemed a little more teasing.
After a long while, Xiao Changling raised his head, closed the edict, and asked abruptly.
"Admiral Tianzhu?! Your Majesty, what do you mean?"
Perhaps guessing that his second brother would ask this question, Xiao Changyao smiled lightly.
"Oh, originally, the imperial court did not have the title of General Tianzhu. I asked the Ministry of Rites to specially draft it. Today, I am naming you General Tianzhu. From now on, you will be the commander-in-chief of the entire army of our Great Zhou Dynasty. "
After the words fell, Xiao Changling pondered for a long time, his expression became more serious, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
He sat below, recalling all Xiao Changyao's words and deeds today. His brother, the emperor, had just been insinuating himself, warning him to lead troops to Beijing without permission; now, he immediately changed his face and gave himself a "Tianzhu" Titled "Admiral", Xiao Changling secretly thought about what his intentions were.
Finally, he figured out that this was the imperial power used by any monarch: to use both kindness and power; and the Lord in front of him had used the power and strategy to the extreme. He wanted to use the world as a chessboard and pull everyone together. Enter his chess game.
What "Tianzhu Admiral"! It's obviously just a cover. You must know that when Xiao Changling was in his weak years, he was already a great commander and a great general commanding the three armies. In the following years, he experienced countless golden wars and iron horses, and even achieved great achievements in destroying Chu and the Northern Expedition. Today, he is already the uncrowned king who controls the three northern states and is in charge of the 400,000 Jingbei Army. He is already recognized as the supreme commander of the entire army. Is there any need to add the false title of "Tianzhu General"!
So, Xiao Changling raised his sword eyebrows, rolled up the edict with both hands, placed it on the corner of the table, then picked up his wine glass and drank another glass of wine.
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Changling stood up, shook his white clothes, moved his steps, walked to the bottom of the imperial steps, and stood slowly.
"Your Majesty, it is said that no reward will be received without merit. I would like to know what you want to get from me by naming my younger brother as Tianzhu General?"
Seeing Xiao Changling speak straight to the point, Xiao Changyao was startled. This was somewhat beyond his expectation. However, he did not get up. He still sat on the dragon couch and looked directly into Xiao Changling's eyes.
"Ah Hao, you have worked really hard to guard the northern border these years. Now, you are General Tianzhu and the commander-in-chief of the entire army. From now on, you don't have to worry about border matters anymore. You and I have not seen each other for many years, brother. From now on, you should stay in Shangjing and assist me in handling government affairs."
Everything was under Xiao Changling's control. Xiao Changyao's move was indeed done with bad intentions. He wanted to use a false title to trap himself in the capital, thereby taking the opportunity to deprive himself of his military power.
Thinking of this, Xiao Changling smiled lightly, and this smile was mixed with a hint of ridicule in his relaxation.
"If I stay in the capital, who will guard the northern border for Your Majesty? Who will be in charge of the three states and the 400,000 Jingbei soldiers?"
"What? Are you unwilling?! If you stay in Shangjing, you will still be the master of Jingbei!" Xiao Changyao looked down at the steps and dropped these words lightly.
However, he saw that Xiao Changling had an arrogant attitude and raised his head high. A chill spread in his heart, and he couldn't help but snort coldly, all his anger turned into cold words.
"Your Majesty is very calculating. I would like to ask, if you stay in Shangjing, how can I be the lord of Jingbei?"
"Are you going to disobey my will?" Xiao Changyao's eyes became extremely sharp at this moment.
At this moment, Xiao Changling took a step forward, and with a proud and inviolable gaze, he pierced the emperor's chest like two unsheathed swords.
"Okay! In that case, I would like to ask Your Majesty, do you know how many soldiers and horses and how many people there are in the three states guarded by our Jingbei army, and how much taxes have been paid over the years?! Also, how much food and baggage does each battalion of the Jingbei Army have?! How many times did Rouran invade, and how many bloody battles did our army have with the main force of the expansion?! If Your Majesty can answer these questions one by one, I will hand over the military power immediately without saying a word; otherwise, let alone your majesty, not even the King of Heaven can even think of taking away the Jingbei Army!"
Even though Xiao Changyao was the aloof Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, although he had also practiced literature and martial arts since childhood, he had never been on the battlefield. Compared with his second brother who had been on the battlefield for a long time and had outstanding military exploits, he was naturally incomparable; of course , Xiao Changyao is not very familiar with the details of the military, and is not as clear as Xiao Changling.
Seeing Xiao Changling's tough attitude, Xiao Changyao, as the king of a country, was suddenly startled, but soon regained his calm expression, quietly looked at Xiao Changling's handsome face, and sneered. .
"According to King Qin's wishes, your Jingbei Army can't even be used by me?!"
At this time, the singing and dancing in the hall had finished, and the dancers had withdrawn. In the huge Xianyang Hall, only the two brothers from the Tian family, who were close relatives and bitter enemies, were left.
As dusk approached, a ray of blood-red sunset shone along the window lattice of the palace and onto the ground paved with white jade stones, reflecting a brilliant scarlet color.
Xiao Changling stood in the center of the hall, his elegant face showing a gleaming red luster under the dim light of the setting sun.
"Your Majesty, you may have forgotten that the real defenders of the Great Zhou are the soldiers who fought bloody battles at the border and were those staunch men who were scolded by the ministers as warriors who were rebellious. I, Xiao Changling, have been a soldier in the Great Zhou for half my life. I have cut off the heads of countless enemies to make the northern defense line of the Great Zhou Dynasty impregnable. The Jingbei Iron Cavalry that I created can trample the grasslands at any time. Your Majesty, if you insist on seizing my military power today, you can go Ask them, ask the soldiers of the Jingbei Army who have followed me to fight in all directions and protect the country of Great Zhou, if they will agree!"
Every word is sonorous, striking, domineering, heroic and decisive.
For a moment, their eyes met again, and two violent bolts of lightning collided with each other.
Compared to the tense situation in the front hall, Gao Yong, who was hiding in the inner hall, also had extremely fierce eyes, staring intently at the man in white. His right hand was slightly raised, ready to give orders at any time and direct the ambush troops to attack; The swordsmen and axemen behind him all had terrifying faces, holding sharp steel knives tightly, with sinister eyes.
At this moment, Xiao Changyao's face was already livid, with scorching flames shooting out of his phoenix eyes, and his eyes were covered with bloodshot eyes. As the saying goes, "When the emperor is angry, millions of corpses will be buried." It is obvious that Xiao Changyao Ling's refusal to give in made the Zhou emperor completely angry.
He slowly stood up from the dragon bed, picked up a glass of wine on the table, walked down the imperial steps, walked to Xiao Changling, and stared coldly at the second brother who was elegantly dressed in white, standing upright in front of him.
Suddenly, Xiao Changyao sneered and slowly raised the wine glass in his hand above his head.
"Second brother, this is a toast that I give you. You have to drink it whether you want to drink it or not. I know that my second brother is a smart man, but you must not toast him and not eat as a penalty, otherwise, when the time comes, None of us have closure.”
At this moment, Xiao Changling frowned slightly, and his black and white eyes suddenly shrank, but soon he raised his head again and gently held the emperor's hand holding the wine glass.
"A good glass of wine, your Majesty, don't you have to break it?"
The two brothers looked at each other again, and two cold lights suddenly flashed out.
Less than a moment later, Xiao Changling raised his sword eyebrows and his expression was serious and calm. His whole face and eyes were full of unprecedented firm belief.
"Your Majesty, in this Xianyang Palace today, I am just a thing in the palm of your Majesty's hand. If your Majesty wants to take my life, it is easy to kill him. It only takes two or three tigers to cut my brother into pieces. Why bother to throw a cup as a sign of victory?" What? However, I still want to ask your majesty to think clearly. If Ruo Gu really died in the palace today, I can't guarantee that the 400,000 troops in the north will be motivated. Also, there are still 3,000 soldiers who are going to Beijing this time. Tiefutu is accompanying them. If they know that something unexpected happened to me, I can't guarantee whether these three thousand iron cavalry will take the risk. I would like to remind your majesty that if the time comes, 400,000 men from Jingbei will march straight into the capital and march to the capital. Your majesty Have you thought about how to deal with such changes? Therefore, Your Majesty, it is best not to break this glass of wine."
This is no longer a face-to-face resistance, but a naked threat. He can openly bargain with the Emperor of Zhou in public, without any soldiers. Looking at the whole world, only Xiao Chang Only Ling Ren dared to do this because he had such capital. This is the heroic spirit of the Lord of Jingbei!
In the Xianyang Hall, it was as cold as ice. Xiao Changling stood unmoved, standing face to face in the center of the hall, staring at his brother the emperor, as if like a sharp iron arrow shooting out of the string.
"boom!"
A clear sound.
Xiao Changyao let go and the wine cup fell to the ground, breaking into pieces.
Gao Yong waved his big hand, and in an instant, more than twenty swordsmen and axemen rushed out from the inner hall like a rolling sea tide, and surrounded the front hall tightly.
Countless steel blades were stacked on top of each other, and the blades were shining brightly, pointing straight at the white clothed man.
I saw Xiao Changling standing proudly in the palace, his face calm, his eyes slightly raised, narrowed into a line of cold light, and the piercing sword intent bloomed, crushing the dazzling blades around him and eclipsing them.
At this moment, the picture is poor, the dagger is visible, and there seems to be no way to retreat.
