Xie Qingwu stood under the shade of the tree this time, looking weak and delicate.
"Let's eat cold sophora noodles for lunch today. I'll bring them to you later." Xiao Luolan said. The Xie family's young lady often didn't eat any of the food in the small courtyard and sent it back intact. Xiao Luolan knew that the Xie family The little lady feels bad, but how can one not eat? Being hungry is always bad for the body.
Xie Qingwu looked at Princess Youzhou and said with shame and gratitude: "Princess has been worried about me for a long time. In the past, Qingwu was ignorant. In the future, she will order three meals and eat on time, and Princess will not have to worry about me."
After hearing this, Xiao Luolan's tone became gentler: "It's okay, as long as you can take care of yourself."
When she went back, Xiao Luolan found that the old housekeeper seemed to have something very important and urgent, and she didn't even bother to monitor them and left in a hurry. She paused and couldn't think of anything urgent other than the war. Waiting for the young lady of the Xie family After delivering the cold locust noodles, she went to Linyi Pavilion. Linyi Pavilion is close to the water. In front of it is a ten-acre lotus pond. Now the lotus flowers are blooming at the right time. The lotus leaves are touching the sky and the lotus powder is blooming all over.
Dongxue fanned her mistress with a round fan. It was much cooler here as she approached the lake.
Xiao Luolan still remembers that you can reach Fuxian Terrace by walking forward from Linyi Pavilion. Fuxian Terrace is built on a high mountain. When Xiao Luolan stands in the pavilion and looks far away, she can still see the Fuxian Terrace Palace on the mountain. It is just afternoon now. Not long after, Xiao Luolan vaguely heard the faint sound of music.
The loud music came from the top of the mountain, making Dongxue pay attention.
The enemy is at hand, the dance and music are at peace, and the battle has been won recently? Or to stabilize people's hearts, or both, Xiao Luolan thought, she didn't go near the front hall, but listened to the distant sounds across the ten thousand acres of lotus pond.
At dusk, candlelight lit up in various palaces in Fuxian Terrace in the distance. It was eye-catching in the gradually darkening sky. The music continued all afternoon and into the evening. This feast lasted so long. No wonder the old man The butler had no time to spy on them.
"Madam, it's late at night, let's go back." Dongxue said.
In her hand she held a lantern.
Xiao Luolan nodded and went back with Dongxue.
The next day.
Xiao Luolan found that the old housekeeper still hadn't come. She was thoughtful, and in the afternoon she went to Linyi Pavilion to take a look. The sound of dancing music had disappeared, and it was as quiet as if the grand banquet last night was a dream.
But in the afternoon, Xiao Luolan knew the reason.
"Wei Gong led the troops to attack the rebels." Master Cunzhen turned his prayer beads and said to the princess: "Luoyang City is now under the supervision of Governor Shi."
I see, so was last night a farewell party? Xiao Luolan sat in the tea room, thought for a while, and said, "Master, do you know that Duke Wei has a plan to burn Luoyang? Master, we must make preparations in advance."
Cuzhen stopped his hand and couldn't believe it: "It's impossible. The Duke has been stationed in Luoyang for many years. The prosperity of Luoyang was created by the Duke. How could the Duke burn it? The princess must not talk nonsense."
Even when the Turks invaded Jiangnan, Wei Guogong saved Luoyang from disasters. Luoyang has always lived under the protection of the Duke.
Cunzhen stood up. At the end of his speech, he realized that his tone was a bit angry. He sat down again, turned his prayer beads and said, "Luoyang has been prosperous for hundreds of years and has disgraced most of the people. The Duke of the country will definitely not do such a thing."
Xiao Luolan really didn't expect Master Cunzhen to believe in Wei Guogong so much. She moved her lips and then remembered that in Master Cunzhen's eyes, Youzhou was a rebel, and Wei Yanshan had ruled Jianghuai for many years and had a profound influence on Luoyang. Coupled with the fact that she usually presents herself as a gentle person, it's no wonder that Master Cunzhen doesn't believe her.
"I mean...if the war is not going well..." Xiao Luolan felt that her words were a little pale.
"We have the imperial court and Duke Wei. The war is stalemate on the front and blood is flowing like rivers. Duke Wei personally goes to the front line to comfort the troops and they will not be defeated." Cunzhen advised: "I know the princess doesn't want to be here. If it's appropriate, If there is a chance, I will persuade the governor to write a letter to let you go back."
Xiao Luolan clenched her hands. It seemed that Master Cunzhen didn't believe Wei Yanshan's viciousness at all.
After Cunzhen left Luoyang Palace, he returned to the Tao Mansion. He swore in front of the princess, but he was restless after returning home and did not even want to see his friends.
Probably not. There are so many people in Luoyang that I can’t even count them. It’s bustling with traffic, the most prosperous city in the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, famous temples and monuments, and a thousand years of romance. This is Luoyang!
He couldn't sit still and went to the Governor's Mansion because he was very favored by the Governor. When he learned that the Governor was in the study, he also went in. The Governor drank a lot of wine last night and was sitting in the study snoring slightly. He had been to the study many times, but he had never been as nervous as this time. He quietly walked to the Governor's side, not knowing what to do for a moment.
He lowered his gaze and looked at the official documents.
Under several military documents, he saw the word "granary" in the last document. His heart skipped a beat, he glanced at the sleeping Governor, and stretched out his hand...
"Xiao Jing is here." Governor Shi touched Cun Zhen's hand. He opened his eyes and burped.
Cunzhen was sweating heavily and said with a smile on his face: "Captain, you fell asleep. I saw that the papers on the desk were piled up in a mess. I was just about to tidy them up when you woke up." He tapped the governor's shoulder with his other hand and asked for help. He said to relieve his fatigue: "The governor has worked hard these days."
Shi Zhi let go of his hand, waved the official documents aside, and leaned back, allowing Cunzhen to better massage his stiff shoulders: "Working for the Duke is not hard work, no matter how hard it is, it is not as hard as the Duke."
Cunzhen served the governor wholeheartedly. After so many years, the governor treated him well, and he was willing to reciprocate his kindness. He said with concern: "But the rebels are difficult to deal with..."
"Of course it is difficult to deal with. The rebels captured a large amount of war horses and fodder in the battle back to Yi, and almost all the oil and water in the tribes were looted. They became fat overnight and lost foreign enemies. So far, they have no worries." Shi Zhiguan Close your eyes.
"Now the rebel offensive is extremely fierce, and the defense line is tightening step by step. It has only been a month, and the crisis has emerged. The imperial court is extremely anxious and relies on the Duke of the country with all its strength. But once the Taiyuan soldiers support Luoyang, Youzhou Yu Wenqian next to me is like a mad dog and won’t let go.”
"Dilemma." Shi Zhi patted Tao Jing's hand: "Youzhou has been quietly recuperating in the past two years. The Duke has focused his energy on developing Jianghuai, but he has fallen behind."
Cunzhen hesitated and asked: "You mean...the National Congress..."
"The eight major passes guarding Luoyang are all defended with human lives. Now it depends on which side has more people." Shi Zhi said ambiguously.
Cun Zhen felt a chill: "Will Luoyang really fall?"
"Don't worry, the governor will take you with him wherever he goes." Shi Zhi saw Tao Jing's face turning pale and thought he was scared, so he promised.
Cunzhen walked among the bustling crowds, what would it be like if Luoyang fell? Is the Grand Governor's final meaning what he thought? Princess Youzhou's words lingered in his mind. Cunzhen staggered back home. In the next few days, Cunzhen discovered that the Grand Governor was secretly moving the Luoyang warehouse, and the grain in the city was The price also showed slight fluctuations...
The Governor didn't want anyone to know about these actions. Food came first. During war, food is always the most important thing.
These actions can be understood as nip in the bud, or... not wanting to leave anything good to the rebels to prevent him from continuing to grow.
Cun Zhen looked pale.
In the Xiyuan of Luoyang Palace, Xiao Luolan withdrew her gaze and closed the window. Master Cunzhen probably had a problem with her. He had never come since the last time he told Wei Yanshan about Wei Yanshan's plan to burn down Luoyang.
Just when she was thinking about how to reveal the news, Master Cunzhen came to see her again.
"After the Duke left, it became more and more inconvenient to see you once. This time, it was for the sake of the Governor that the old housekeeper allowed me to see you." Cunzhen said.
Xiao Luolan sat opposite him and found that Master Cunzhen was much depressed and was about to speak.
"You don't need to say more." Cunzhen smiled bitterly and said, "I already understand that He Jin also knows about this, but I feel that if the Duke really wants to do this, you can't stop him, and neither can I."
Xiao Luolan's eyelashes trembled slightly, her hands rested on her knees, and the embroidered patterns on her skirt rubbed her palms, causing a slight tingling sensation.
Cunzhen continued: "The governor will take me out of Luoyang by then, and the princess should also be able to leave."
Xiao Luolan tightened her skirt and spoke for the first time in this conversation.
"I can't leave."
Cunzhen said: "Your status is so valuable. Even the Holy One wants you to stay in Chang'an as a trump card to restrain Zhou Youzhou. Why can't you leave? Guild Wei kept your life alive."
Xiao Luolan vaguely remembered the choice Wei Yanshan had given him, and was kidnapped by him to go to Taiyuan.
Xiao Luolan shook his head, his voice a little hoarse. Only then did Cunzhen notice that Princess Youzhou's eyes were full of pain. She looked at him: "I can't leave."
Cunzhen immediately understood that it was not that Princess Youzhou couldn't leave, but that she didn't want to leave. She had foreseen the tragic situation in Luoyang in the future, but her natural conscience made her pretend that nothing had happened and leave Luoyang. If Wei Gong is really so cruel and ruthless, there will be history books in the future. Recording this incident is just a few words describing the burning of Luoyang.
"I should tell more people to let them leave and let Wei Guogong's conspiracy be exposed." Xiao Luolan took a breath: "Instead of watching them go into hell on earth without knowing anything." This is not a person, Two people, the sheer number of people was already overwhelming her, giving her nightmares every night and making her unable to breathe.
"They don't deserve to die, this is wrong." Xiao Luolan murmured.
"What can you do alone?" Cun Zhen said unbearably. Princess Youzhou had a bodhisattva-like heart and was compassionate, but she had no means of saving the world. For her, the world could only be torture.
"I have a mouth to speak, and I have hands to write." Xiao Luolan: "When they seal my mouth and break my hands, I have done what I can do, and then I can think of what else I can do. .”
"You actually don't have to go to such an extent." Cunzhen said with a complicated mood. He never imagined that people from the hostile rebel faction would do their best to protect the civilians in Luoyang.
"What if you still can't save Luoyang in the end?" Cunzhen finally asked.
Xiao Luolan was silent for a long time, and in the light and dust, she said blankly.
"I don't know either."
Master Cunzhen looked at Princess Youzhou. Princess Youzhou probably didn't know that she felt a moment of despair and heartbreak when she just said these words.
She really wanted to save people, so much so that those people became the source of her pain.
Chapter 323
Xingyang.
The prefect of Xingyang, dressed in official robes, looked at the Youzhou rebels below and felt his heart broken: "Since the defeat of the Turks, Chu has been in peace for more than ten years. I didn't expect that one day I would see such a large-scale coalition of princes approaching. Luoyang City, what should we do?"
Dong Hun had a bad face and a bad temper. He listened to the prefect's cowardly words and tried not to get angry. On a hot day, his armor was very heavy and the clothes inside were soaked with sweat. He smelled of blood and sweat all over his body, and his eyes were filled with tears. Crazy, the rebel surnamed Hu downstairs was still shouting frantically, asking him to come out for a duel.
A surge of anger filled Dong Hun's forehead, and he kept walking back and forth.
"Calm down." Wei Yanshan shouted softly: "You have fought too many times, go down and rest for a while."
Dong Hun reluctantly raised his hands and said, "Yes."
After he left, Xingyang Prefect said: "I believe in the people brought by Wei Gong, but the flags are all over the sky and powerful enemies are surrounding. Do we still need to come up with a strategy to deal with the enemy?"
Han Fu frowned and said: "Of course the main thing is to defend. When we came, except for General Dong and General Yuan, who were a bit bold and courageous, you and others talked about it clearly and logically. However, in the face of the enemy, they were all timid and fearful of fighting. They looked at the wind and descended. He has no backbone and is simply hateful!”
The prefect of Xingyang had no shame in his face, thinking that he had not surrendered yet, so Han Fu started scolding him. Why didn't he scold the more than 30 counties that had surrendered? He was being used as a punching bag. Who would have thought that the anti-thief offensive would be so fierce? , It's like destroying the dead, and you can't beat it again and again. What should you do?
At any rate, the rebels didn't do anything as barbaric and bloody as breaking the city without sealing the sword, otherwise he would have risked his life to bite off a few pieces of their flesh. But as long as the rebels don't make any mistakes, they can surrender later and rebel. Most thieves can safely survive.
The prefect of Xingyang knew that these were gentle tactics against the rebels, but he didn't look at what the late emperor had done. How could a king of a country collaborate with the enemy? The governor of Xingyang was disheartened by this thought and quickly withdrew.
Han Fu said angrily: "We are the only one supporting Nuo Da's defense line. They don't want to defend their homeland. Are they going to move all the troops from Taiyuan here? This is simply unreasonable!"
Wei Yanshan looked at the siege equipment that was almost built. The next attack would be more fierce. There were dim yellow clouds in the sky in the distance, and birds were circling like dark clouds. He said: "The hearts of the people have been lost, and it will be difficult to gather them again."
Han Fu was still aggrieved. His master had done so much for Jianghuai, but now that Zhou Youzhou came and showed off, those people turned to him like grass on the wall.
Hu Dali yelled from below and his voice was smoking. He had fought with Dong Hun several times before and found that his strength was really amazing and his reputation was well-deserved. After being defeated, Dong Hun retreated to Xingyang. Xingyang was not only a military center but also famous. The granary, this place, they must capture it no matter what.
Hu Dali returned to his military tent and asked his soldiers to change into light armor for him. Now that he was a high official, he also had a few decent soldiers under his command. Now this soldier was brought up by him.
"So what, is there anything good in the military camp kitchen?" Hu Dali asked.
"Returning to the captain, my subordinate went out yesterday and found some wild grapes and wild plums. They have been washed." The soldier presented a bamboo basket with a coarse cloth underneath and some small grapes and plums on top.
Hu Dali took the basket and tasted a grape first. It was so sour that he grinned. Then he tasted a plum with a bitter taste. He put down the basket: "You can keep this for yourself. The little princess will have to eat this with her teeth." It won’t be sour.”
Miss Xiao knew that Luoyang was going to be attacked, so she couldn't stay in Guangling. She kept trying to come here, and envelopes were sent to the general like snowflakes. The general waited until the war situation stabilized and the rear was clear. If you dare to let her come here, it will be her Bubu and Juliushiro who will escort her.
The two of them have been here in Xingyang for several days. Hu Dali thought about the hardships in the army and planned to get some fruit for the little princess to eat, but it failed.
Hu Dali entered the general's main tent.
Her comrade Jiang Dasheng stood behind her.
"Little Princess." Hu Dali greeted with a smile: "What are you looking at?"
"Captain Hu." Xiao Qingxue said politely, "I'm looking at Dad's map."
"As long as we capture Xingyang and Sishui Pass, we will be only two hundred miles away from Luoyang. Then Luoyang will be within our grasp." Hu Dali explained to Mrs. Xiao, and drew a few signs on the map: "In the past few days The army will intensify its efforts to attack the city, don’t worry, little princess.”
After Xiao Qingxue heard this, she was excited and happy. When she heard that her father was going to attack Luo, she couldn't calm down anymore. She temporarily handed over the matter at hand to Gongsun Qi and the others. After receiving her father's permission, she took the song with her. Went to my father's side on Saturday.
This time she wanted to find A Niang with her own eyes.
