"He has indeed grown a lot over the years, but... he is still not good enough, far from enough..."
A generation of emperors sat upright, smiling warmly, with a cold look in their eyes. A round, jade-like sunspot was twirled between his fingers, and landed lightly on the chessboard, as if it were a glimmer of light.
At this moment, the night is quiet, and the endless night has swept away the last ray of sunset in the sky. It is so dark that it is breathless. There is only a trace of moonlight lurking in the shade of the trees in the temple, accompanied by a little sparseness in the night sky. The starlight brought a glimmer of hope and a glimmer of light to this vast dark night. Under the shroud of stars, moon and clouds, this magnificent Zhou Imperial Palace seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, gradually returning to tranquility.
The spacious imperial study room was dimly lit and silent. There were countless golden-armored imperial guards standing on the corridor, all of them with solemn expressions. They were equipped with sparkling golden armor and sabers slung around their waists. In addition, their burly bodies Their appearance increasingly highlights their majesty and magnificence as the royal guards, making them more and more dazzling.
I saw that in the inner hall, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, and fresh venison was roasting on it. Several charcoal flowers burst in succession. On the carved and gilded sutra table displayed near the window, There was a delicate small stove, in which milk tea as white as snow was boiled, and the fragrance overflowed for a while. In the huge imperial study, except for the sound of boiling water for cooking milk tea and the slowly rising mist of heat, there was no sound at all.
Because Her Royal Highness the Queen is from Xianbei, her eating habits are different from others, and also different from the Xiao royal family who came from a humble and heroic background. Queen Dugu has a loose nature, likes to bow and horse, ride and shoot, wears Hu clothes, and loves to fight. Play polo, drink milk tea, eat barbecue, and more importantly, the queen especially advocates Buddhism. Because of this, almost half of the books in her Chongde Palace are various books on Buddhism... ...Perhaps due to the influence of the Queen, even His Majesty the Emperor, who has always had a light taste, has gradually adapted to this eclectic northern diet.
Under the shadow of the flickering lamp, the emperor and the empress sat opposite each other, holding black and white in their forehands and playing chess on a wooden scale.
Empress Dugu, dressed in red and Hufu, is wearing a "single-knife bun" unique to Xianbei women, a high aunt crown on her head, and gilded earrings. She is sitting upright facing her; between the emperor and empress, Separated by a very beautiful pear wood chessboard, there are black and white stones all over the chessboard. Black wants to capture white. Unexpectedly, white has already laid an ambush and is waiting, killing black by surprise. Clearly, this is a chess game in full swing.
Looking at the entire chess game, the positions of the black and white sides seem to be evenly matched and evenly matched. Black's chess occupies the natural terrain on the periphery, like a rising barrier, forming an iron wall surrounding White's chess; White's chess does not fall behind at all, and is far ahead of Black's chess. The shape of the chess is complete and tight, and it is extremely rich. The elasticity and tenacity adhere to the dangerous points on the chessboard, like the blade of a spear, easily blocking the black chess offensive.
At present, it is still in the prologue stage, and Black seems to be relying on its peripheral advantages to launch fierce attacks one after another. On the other hand, White is also trying its best to use its own flexibility to withstand the invasion from Black.
In terms of chess position alone, the two sides in this game are really a pair of wonderful characters. One side has a fierce chess position, sweeping the world, and is actually able to use the ultimate move against the guest under layers of blockade, not only seizing the outside line in one fell swoop, but also Instead, White succeeded in outflanking him vertically.
As for the other side of the chess game, although the chess position is passive and always on the defensive, it is always as majestic as a mountain. There is a pattern of "using the sky and the earth as the chess game, the sun and the moon as the chess board", and the boldness of who else can resist it. The opponent's powerful crushing and attacks were not shaken by black's chess, and they were impregnable.
The two parties in the game are naturally the emperor and empress couple who share the power of the Zhou Dynasty!
The emperor held black and raised his hands, with awe-inspiring murderous intentions everywhere, like a rainbow penetrating the sun, falling sharply from the sky and clouds. He was worthy of being the famous "No. 1 general in the Eastern Continent" back then. Every time he made a move, he gathered a lot of energy. As an emperor, the wind of the king's way is as powerful as a tiger's; the queen holds white, although she is not as murderous as the emperor, but it is like a pool of spring water, gurgling straight down, dripping on the black and white chessboard. , gathered the awe-inspiring righteousness of the angry bullfighting, and in just a moment, he single-handedly activated the entire stagnant chess game.
"It seems that His Majesty has already decided."
At this moment, Dugu Yuanji's eyes were firm and clear, like a pool of autumn waves, reflecting the blue of the sky. She stared down at the undecided chess game in front of her, her eyes were calm; during the break, the queen smiled slightly, Stretching towards the chess box in front of him, he picked up a white piece in his free hand, drew an ethereal light mark on his fingertips, and knocked it leisurely on the center of the chessboard, and the white piece circled the black piece.
Emperor Xuan also remained calm. The two mustaches under his nose twitched slightly, but his sharp gaze never moved away from the chessboard. The middle-aged emperor picked up another piece and said lightly before placing it.
"My decision is only on one side. The key is that the child can figure it out; otherwise, it will be all in vain."
After finishing his words, he saw that the emperor of Zhou, who was not angry and proud, put his two fingers together, and the black stone landed in the middle of the chess board. It did not make too much noise, but showed a murderous intention, which made people's hearts tremble. .
Then, Xiao Long was silent for a moment, then frowned slightly, picked up a roll of yellow silk silk on the chess table, and after thinking about it again and again, handed it to Queen Dugu opposite, and said in a calm voice.
"You take a look at this first."
Dugu Yuanji took the imperial silk and slowly unfolded it. The words on the silk were densely packed and eye-catching, and the content inside was enough to shock the whole world.
"In the sixth year of Yongxing's reign in the Wei Dynasty, Emperor Ruo said:
Since ancient times, emperors have succeeded to the throne and established their own power to control the world. They must establish the Yuan Chu to consolidate the foundation of the country and build the boundless foundation of the Mianzong Society. In response to Heaven's orders, I hold the map and accept the engraving. The scene is only new, and the years are predicted to last forever. I look up to the late Emperor Mollie, so I should obey public sentiment and appoint the deputy crown prince as early as possible.
However, King Changyao of Erqi, who is the direct descendant of the tomb, is gifted with extraordinary talents, has a clear sense of understanding, and has a career in his heart. He inherited the ancestral temple and the country, consulted the ministers, and admired the predecessors. I hereby carry out the ceremony and observe the will of heaven. I sincerely inform the gods of heaven and earth. , I appointed you to be the crown prince, bestowed with treasures, and placed you in the East Palace. You should respect the virtuous and be virtuous, be generous and benevolent, and do not neglect or neglect, so as to maintain the lineage of ten thousand years, and to tie the hope of the four seas. Don't be careful.
"Excellent"
This is an imperial edict to establish the throne.
In the lower left corner of the edict is the blood-red emperor's seal, which symbolizes the majestic imperial power.
Today, this talented and strategic king finally made his decision.
——Established Qi Wang Xiao Changyao as the crown prince.
Her Royal Highness the Queen's personal officer, Yunying, stood quietly aside, staring at the Queen who was sitting upright. However, she saw Dugu Yuanji's face was calm, and she lightly scanned the imperial edict in her hand. There was no joy or sadness on her face. There was no change in his expression, which made the atmosphere in the entire imperial study seem particularly cold.
After a long while, Dugu Yuanji put down the edict. Her gaze, as clear as autumn water, turned to the chess game in front of her. The expression on her face showed the calmness of the Sanggan River and the vastness of the Xiurong Grassland.
At this time, the milk tea placed on the fire had been boiled, and the heat was rising, making a squealing sound of "gurgling, gurgling".
Seeing this, Yunying quickly and quietly put a handkerchief on the stove and lifted the teapot on it. As the teapot was halfway tilted, milky white milk tea was slowly poured into the bowl, creating a lingering aroma.
Picking up the tea bowl, Dugu Yuanji took a leisurely sip of milk tea, and then put it back on the stove. The milk tea was very fragrant, but no matter how fragrant it was, it was not the same taste as the one she drank in the Xiurong River felt tent. She woke up early in the morning. , mixed with the fragrance of green grass and the curling smoke, drinking a bowl of hot milk tea is called fragrant.
And her cheeks covered with a thin layer of rouge, even though her appearance has aged, even though her youth has faded away, she still looks so soft and beautiful, just like the beautiful Xianbei girl who dressed in red and rode her horse to the north.
His Majesty the Emperor, who was sitting opposite her, saw her calm expression and felt a momentary trance and delusion. It must be that Erlang's voice, smile, and every move were all inherited from his mother; therefore, Xiao Long began to calm down. The queen, who was spreading her dragon robe and looking at him with a smile, who was also his wife and the mother of his three children, asked calmly without any surprise.
"Yuanji, it seems that you are not surprised that I want to make Changyao the crown prince?!"
But at this time, Dugu Yuanji lowered her eyes slightly, with a warm smile on her lips, staring at the chessboard full of chess pieces; suddenly, she gently picked up the white piece and landed it on the left side of a black piece.
"Chengjun, you and I have known each other for thirty years and been married for twenty years. If I can't even see your thoughts, how can I still sit in this post? Changyao and Erlang, both of them are They are my biological children. I have always treated them equally and never favored one over another. Everyone said that you favor Erlang, but only I know that you have been cultivating Chang Yao over the years. I gave him the position of governor of Shangjing just for this day..."
Dugu Yuanji paused.
"Since you have already made up your mind to make Changyao the crown prince, why bother to carry Erlang out... Don't you think this is a bit too cruel!"
The queen's tone was obviously filled with resentment. She didn't understand why the emperor would deliberately praise Gao Erlang and let him compete with Chang Yao when he had already firmly determined to establish a direct heir. However, he didn't know that his behavior , will inevitably lead to an open and covert fight between the two sons, lead to two kings fighting for the crown prince, turmoil in the court, and even lead to the tragedy of brothers fighting against each other. Is this what he wants to see?
Perhaps because he heard the resentment behind his wife's words, Emperor Xuan suddenly raised his head slowly. The chess pieces in his fingers could not help but hang in the air. A pair of bright eyes looked straight at Dugu Yuanji's. Eye pupils.
"I admit that I do prefer Erlang a little, but I also have to consider Da Zhou."
The emperor's bright yellow figure in a dragon robe looked a little desolate.
"Emperor... not just anyone can be the emperor! In the same way, the inheritance of Jiangshan Sheji cannot be based solely on my likes and dislikes."
Speaking of this, Xiao Longxian finally had a faint smile in his tone.
"Yuanji, do you know what is the biggest problem with Erlang?"
"A little out of temper?!" Dugu Yuanji said lightly without raising her eyes, just slightly parting her jade teeth.
Unexpectedly, the emperor shook his head, "No. He is too affectionate. Sometimes, he even likes to act like a child."
Until this moment, the face of this hero, who is universally recognized as the most powerful hero in the world, finally showed an unprecedented sadness; but after the sadness, he showed the firmness and determination of being a king of a generation.
"As an emperor, one must neither be sentimental nor ruthless. Those who are ruthless to their closest relatives will certainly be ruthless to the world, and the world will be in chaos. On the contrary, those who are affectionate to their closest relatives will surely be taken advantage of by Xiaoxiao, and the world will also be in chaos. My words As a son, when it comes to commanding the three armies and defeating all the heroes, Erlang is indeed an extraordinary talent. However, he is not suitable for being a superior or a king. Don't look at his hard-hearted appearance on the surface, but his Deep down, he is gentler than anyone else. From this point of view alone, Chang Yao is much stronger than Erlang."
Snapped!
Emperor Xuan made many moves, and the cold and solemn expression on his face became stronger and stronger.
"The most important point is that Erlang has been in the army for a long time and is good at conquests. No one in the government or the public can compare with him. However, governing the world is different from leading troops to fight. Leading troops to fight is the most efficient thing in the world, and success or failure is often Tie together, if you want to command the three armies and defeat the enemy, it needs the decisiveness to kill, the supreme military power of the commander, and the absolute obedience of the entire army to the commander; however, to govern the world, it depends on being open-minded and open to all rivers. , in order to unite the four seas, it has never been the arbitrary power of one person. I admit that when it comes to military talents, Erlang is indeed talented, but he is negligent in managing politics. Although he speaks clearly and logically, he is mostly talking about military affairs on paper and does not know how to farm. He does not know the sufferings of the people, nor the complicated government affairs. Such a person can only be the commander of the three armies, but cannot be the king of a country. Therefore, whether it is for the great Zhou Dynasty or for the world, I cannot establish Erlang As a prince, Chang Yao is more suitable."
Xiao Changyao has the talents of an emperor, but is not good at military strategy; Xiao Changling conquers the world and is invincible, but is not suitable to be a king. This is the most pertinent evaluation Xiao Longxian, an emperor and father, made for his two sons. The world has not yet After unification, Chu and Yan had not yet been annihilated, but the leader of the country in front of him was already thinking about matters that would last for eternity.
Finally, Dugu Yuanji raised her beautiful face with a look of unbearable.
"I'm just wronged Erlang..."
"Wronged?!"
Xiao Long first squinted his eyes, with a touch of elusive emotion in his gentle eyes, staring at Queen Dugu sitting opposite him.
"Is he the only one who feels aggrieved?! The smoke of war hides the bones of human beings. This world is already a time of great strife, and there are many people who have been aggrieved."
The emperor and empress both fell silent.
At this moment, an announcement from the chamberlain came from outside the royal study.
"Your Majesty, six ministers have gathered in Ganlu Hall to ask for an audience with Your Majesty."
"I'm tired today. If you need anything, I'll talk to you tomorrow morning." Emperor Xuan waved his hand.
"Yes, this slave accepts the order."
The next day, at the Taiji Hall, at the court meeting, the edict to establish the crown prince was made public:
The eldest son of Emperor Xiao Longxian of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the censor of the school, Ping Zhangshi under Tong Zhongshu's family, minister of Zongzheng Temple, chief of the carriage, Yin of Shangjing Prefecture, Prime Minister of Otsuka, Xiao Changyao, the king of Qi, was registered as the crown prince, and was given the special gift of nine tins. He was given the Yulin Tiger Guard and a hundred men in armor, and officially entered the East Palace.
The foundation of the country is established, and the whole country celebrates!
The battle for the reserve position that has been unresolved for many years has finally come to an end.
…
In the blink of an eye, a few days passed by, and dawn broke in the east.
In the early autumn of the sixth year of Yongxing, I quietly stepped into Beijing with the call of the season. At this moment, deep in the air, although there was still a little heat of midsummer, the rising sun broke through the early morning clouds. By then, the heat of summer had slowly faded away.
The autumn breeze is strong once a year.
The bleak west wind swept all the way from the inside out, sweeping across the broad thoroughfares of the Imperial City, the tall and wide head of Shangjing City, and the vast endless plain...
Seen from a distance, the morning in Gyeonggi Province is exceptionally magnificent and beautiful.
The vast Juma River has calm water surface and sparkling golden waves under the fiery red sky. The red sun rises high, gushing out where the water and sky meet, and the mountains, rivers and scenery suddenly become a hazy red silhouette. The vast reed swamps are rolling with long waves of gold and red, and they are shadowy.
Yongping, Jingbei camp.
This is Yongping City, known as the "throat of the capital", where 120,000 Jingbei troops are stationed. Xiao Changling, as the commander-in-chief of Jingbei, sits in control and orders the "Prince of Qin's Camp" under his command. location.
A chilling murderous intent enveloped the Jingbei Expedition Camp with its illustrious army.
A continuous line of various military tents, chariots, flags, and spears formed a magnificent camp, with a radius of more than 20 miles, surrounding the walls of Yongping City and the banks of the Juma River, forming a huge arc-shaped moon, wide and , majestic and solemn, standing in the shape of a mountain.
At the moment, the sun was fading, the morning mist was rising, and the thin autumn sun was dragged several feet against the wind. Under the cover of the misty sky, the huge camp was dyed into a large swath of flaming red, and turned into dozens of long fire dragons.
Looking down from a high place, outside Jingbei Camp, the vast plains with a radius of ten miles are like a dense group of ants covering the earth. Following the trajectory of these ants, it seems that the entire ground is gradually squirming, as if it is about to Across this plain.
Looking at the entire camp, the armor was shining coldly, and all that came into view were black clothes, black armor, black scarves, and black knights. It was so dark that it was extremely black, with no trace of brightness visible; all over the mountains and plains, there were huge black mountains. The battalion, the black armor, and the countless black soldiers in the battalion formed a black castle.
Between the defense lines of the camp, there is a row of fences. Countless Jingbei longbowmen, with solemn expressions and bulging veins on their foreheads, stand behind the fence with their bows in hand, but their bodies have not moved at all, looking at the smoke and dust billowing in the distance; and those in the back row. The pike team, all holding spears, spears and halberds, maintained a proud and heroic posture, marching with sonorous and powerful steps, divided into multiple columns, shuttled between the camps, patrolling back and forth.
At this time, the military academy grounds were filled with murderous intent and dust was rising.
A point-and-general platform that looks better than an iron tower rises majestically from the clouds against the whistling west wind, slowly taking on a hill-like outline.
Approaching the high platform, the first thing that was displayed in front of the soldiers in the camp were two majestic and eye-catching flags: one was a black ink banner fluttering in the autumn wind, with the word "Jingbei" written on it; the other was held high in the air. , inlaid with the word "Xiao" in scarlet block letters, symbolizing the "Silver Dragon King Banner" of Qin King Xiao Changling's illustrious achievements.
Under the king's flag and the military flag, from east to west, from left to right, there are three powerful and majestic large-scale military formations: commanded by the deputy generals of the Chinese army from Beidaying and Dongdaying, all covered with heavy armor and equipped with sabers. The long cavalry phalanx; the infantry formation, which looks like a long dragon with numerous soldiers and swords, and the powerful crossbow phalanx composed of giant crossbow machines, eight-column crossbows and hundreds of archers.
Between the three major military formations, there is a wide passage, revealing heroic faces. Each of their companies seems to still retain the blood-soaked conquests, and is filled with the pride of sweeping thousands of armies; as for such things as thunderbolt chariots, Heavy ordnance such as Wuhan Iron and Steel vehicles and horse rifles are also all in place, stacked one on top of the other.
Standing alone on the general stage, Xiao Changling was dressed in military uniform, his eyes were as cold as knives, and he was holding his dark ancient "Chengying" sword in both hands. He stood tall and tall on the top of the platform, standing still and motionless. Let the cool breeze of early autumn blow across his resolute face; at this moment, as the king of Zhou and Qin, and the commander of the 120,000 Jingbei Army, he had already removed his turban, his black hair was tied up casually, and he put on Marching attire:
A noble armor.
Wearing an elegant wind cloak.
In the past, the white clothes were more beautiful than the snow, but now under his cold armor, his majestic character was clearly visible.
Xiao Changling's military uniform is embossed with the flame emblem, and his shoulder armor is made of flowing cloud flames. His battle robe is bright with frost and snow; his iron helmet is decorated with white feathers hanging down from the back of his head. The plumed silver armor, coupled with the ever-present long sword, further showed the heroic and upright figure of the Lord of Jingbei; and his sharp eyebrows, stern face, and his arrogant expression further showed that It shows his unruffled dignity and illustrious demeanor as the man in charge of the 120,000-strong army.
At this time, Xiao Changling was no longer the young man in white who was flirting with the beautiful woman under the moonlight of Huanhua River, nor was he the noble prince who was in the palace that day, stubbornly looking directly at the supreme being in the world; at this moment, he was , or in other words, his identity at this moment is not a young man, nor a prince, but the commander-in-chief of a large army, the master of 120,000 athletes, and the King of Qin who intimidates all heroes!
The rustling wind in early autumn, with a beautiful rhythm, blew over Xiao Changling's handsome face and his white armor; under the autumn sun, his face as calm as an icy lake seemed to be covered with a layer of dream-like The brilliance becomes more and more heroic and immortal, unparalleled in the world. He is so outstanding and so heart-wrenching. Facing such a man, not to mention a young girl with a heart full of love, even a man will be willing to bow to the light of this man's handsomeness.
Standing on the commander's platform, Xiao Changling stood condescendingly, holding tightly on the hilt of Chengying's dark sword, looking up into the distance with concentration, his eyes became deeper and deeper, looking at the Jingbei soldiers in the camp wearing armor and holding blades; those sharp and steady eyes , bright and solemn eyes like an eagle, swept across everyone's face one by one. They were engraved in the depths of Xiao Changling's eyes under the sun, and they were all shining with golden light.
This is the Jingbei Army of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it is a Jingbei Army that belongs to him alone. As a universally recognized commander, Xiao Changling firmly believes that one day, he will lead this tiger and wolf army to gallop freely, Going north to flatten the Royal Court of Rouran, going south to crush the river defenses of the Southern Dynasties, and lay a unified country... At that time, there will be no more wars in the world, and the people will live and work in peace and contentment, and his Jingbei Army may turn into withered bones in the graves, or maybe , will become the pillar of the country, have millions of soldiers, and dominate the nine states.
The world is in chaos and the sea is boiling. Xiao Changling and the Jingbei Army are destined to shoulder the mission of clearing up the chaos; even if one day, the Jingbei Army is destroyed, they will fall on the road of charge. They were born handsome and died heroically!
The school grounds were deserted, and the west wind suddenly picked up, blowing in all directions. Only the lone wild goose on the bank of the sky could be heard, and the faint and wailing sound could be heard constantly, just like the waves of wild geese.
Suddenly, with the sound of vigorous iron boots, the general Hu Kun in black helmet and black armor quickly stepped onto the high platform; I saw this fierce general of the Beidaying who was relied on by His Highness the King of Qin and who was famous in the Jingbei Army. In addition to the saber hanging on his waist, he also held a brand-new saber in his hand. It looked like a newly made standard saber.
"Plop!"
Hu Kun knelt on one knee, held the saber in both hands, and presented it to Xiao Changling.
"Your Majesty, this is the first batch of Jingbei sabers made by the Ordnance Department. Please inspect them."
"Okay, let me take a look." Xiao Changling's expression remained unchanged, he just put Cheng Ying on his waist again and took the knife from Hu Kun's hand.
However, I saw that the texture of this knife was unique; it was three feet long, with a gold and iron scabbard, the sharp edge was hidden deep in the sheath, and the handle was snow-white and shiny. It was polished from the finest marble and inlaid with a stone. The shining West Sea gemstone gives people a mysterious and dazzling feeling; moreover, in terms of the weight of the entire knife in the hand, it is also very moderate, neither light nor heavy, which greatly enhances the use of the knife by the person holding it. The flexibility not only takes into account the majesty and appearance, but also ensures practicality.
With the snow blade in hand, a shock of lightning flashed across Xiao Changling's eyes, gradually condensing into a sword energy, like a rainbow crossing the sky, splitting the sky with one sword, and killing so much that the world was eclipsed and filled with darkness. The coldness in his eyes suddenly turned into flying snow.
Suddenly, Xiao Changling laughed to himself, and Ling Jue's killing intent immediately burst out from his body.
"Gu is the sword in the emperor's hand. I never thought that today, I would be the one holding the sword!"
