After Chen Chong returned to Chang'an, he sent people to Kunming Pond again the next day, hoping to find the blind old man again and search the surrounding area. If there were any people who were living alone in Kunming Pond like the old man, they would be moved out and find him elsewhere. Place it somewhere, and then start repairing it.
The people sent did indeed find more than ten secluded houses, but they could not find the blind old man who kept the big dog. At first, Chen Chong thought that they didn't know the way, so he asked Tian Zhao to go there again, but Tian Zhao couldn't find it either. He only said that the spring rain was falling, the road was difficult to travel, and the reeds looked vast in the distance, and there were no trails or signs. , I really don’t know where to go.
After that, they searched several times, but still couldn't find it. The experience that day seemed like a dream, but everyone who went there still clearly remembered it. So they said privately that they might have met some immortal to show you the way! However, Chen Chong told them to strictly keep their mouths shut and not to spread the word about this matter. He only said that it was nonsense.
But that night, he began to dream hazily. When he woke up in the middle of the night, his clothes were soaked with sweat and his mouth was dry. He could only hear the long breathing of his wife beside him, and his mind slowly stabilized. Looking back on the dream just now, I can hardly remember any part. I just vaguely remember that it was a nightmare, with fire and the sound of knives and axes everywhere. He lay down again and thought about it, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
I don’t know how long it took, but I suddenly found myself in front of the Xingshan Zichan Temple, with no one around. Although he was already an adult wearing plain Confucian clothes, a silk scarf on his head, and a green sword hanging from his waist, he still chose to step in and salute Zichan.
When he bowed and stood up, the scene around him suddenly changed and became the courtyard of Yingchuan's home. A person walked by in front of him. He looked over and saw that wasn't his uncle Chen Ji who disappeared during the Qingzhou Rebellion? Chen Chong had a lot to say to him, so he hurriedly chased after him, but Chen Ji couldn't see him at all, so he just kept walking forward and hit a wall. Chen Chong didn't have time to think too much and bumped into him immediately.
His eyes were black and gray, then slowly brightened up again. As a figure gradually became clearer, Chen Chong looked intently. In front of him, there was an old man sitting upright, wearing a simple linen robe, holding a crane stick in his hand, and his hair was already completely white. He looked at himself kindly, it was his grandfather Chen Shi who had passed away nearly nine years ago.
Chen Shi asked him: "Have you suffered any hardships in these years?"
Chen Chong put his left hand into his sleeve, shook his head softly and said, "It's okay, it's easier than my grandson imagined."
Chen Shi sighed and said to him: "If it is too painful, don't make it too difficult for yourself, but try your best and it will be enough."
Chen Chong deliberately showed a relaxed expression and comforted his grandfather by saying, "My grandson has always been casual. How could he do so much?"
Chen Shi's expression was extremely serious. He tapped Chen Chong with his crane stick and said: "The disaster will be in these two or three years. Don't be smart, think more about yourself, and you can do things only if you survive." Chen Chong has not yet refuted. , and heard my grandfather continue to say: "You have the virtue of fire, and you are a true dragon of the Yanhan Dynasty. You have become a dragon and have regrets. Next, you have to hide in the abyss, don't be discouraged!"
Chen Chong was stunned. Before he could ask further questions, the person in front of him suddenly turned into Zhang Jiao, who was holding a burning brazier with him. Zhang Jiao became much younger and more energetic, far less frail than when he saw him in person. His eyes revealed a dark brilliance, as if they had the magic power to capture the soul, rather than the despair and powerlessness before death.
Zhang Jiao held a talisman in his hand. He threw the talisman into the brazier. The talisman burned violently, and fine white smoke rose. The fire in the brazier dimmed strangely, and the surrounding sky dimmed. It also dimmed.
Zhang Jiao looked at Chen Chong and said with a smile: "My chess game is over, it's your turn."
Is this actually chess? Chen Chong looked at the brazier in front of him in surprise and uncertainty. He looked at the surroundings getting darker and darker, and felt a strange angina in his heart. But he didn't know how to play. As the sky became darker, his consciousness became more and more depressed. He couldn't see Zhang Jiao clearly, nor could he see himself clearly. He murmured: "What is a chess piece?"
A voice sounded from somewhere. It was very small at first, but soon became as loud as thunder. The voice roared at him: "You are a chess piece!"
He saw a young man coming from the darkness again. Chen Chong felt that his features were like his own when he was young. The young man said to him: "If there is still darkness in your eyes, it must be that you are not bright enough."
yes! I am a chess piece! Chen Chong suddenly understood. He used up his last strength and stretched his hand to the last flame. The moment his fingertips touched the flames, the flames seemed to have encountered catkins. They jumped up his arms like a snake, and then spread to his whole body. In the blink of an eye, they turned into a huge wave of flames. Chen Chong's eyes suddenly turned red.
I don’t know how long it took, but the red slowly faded away again. Chen Chong was a little surprised. He wanted to move again, but found that he had no body and could not move anything.
"Gene Era"
A blind old man walked to the brazier, looked down at the pile of ashes, and sighed: "Do you still have to choose this way?"
Chen Chong asked him: "Who are you?"
The blind old man said: "I am you."
"Me? How can you be me?"
"Everyone's destiny has been predestined, but many people cannot know it. But there are a very small number of people, or at very special times, a bright light will suddenly flash before their eyes. At this moment, they can vaguely perceive their destined destiny. "
"I sense it now?"
"Now you feel it." The blind old man asked Chen Chong, "Can you tell me the reason? I can't figure out the reason for your choice."
Chen Chong was silent for a while, then he smiled and said, "There is no reason."
The blind old man looked at him for a while and sighed: "That's an unexplainable reason!"
"No." Chen Chong said, "I have the opportunity to do this. This is enough. There is no need to ask anything else."
"Is this the answer?" the blind old man asked in surprise. He then smiled and replied: "It is indeed a good answer."
Just as he was talking about this, the dust outside was rising, people were shouting and horses were neighing, and the sound of weapons and armors clashing gradually began to sound. Just when he was puzzled, he saw Yide running towards him covered in blood with a sharp arrow in his mouth, shouting vaguely: "Yiling is defeated, the eldest brother's life and death are unknown, Soochow has invaded!"
"Yiling's defeat? How is it possible!" Chen Chong opened his eyes and struggled out of his dream.
It was hazy outside and still dark. Cai Yan opened his eyes dimly, turned around and looked at him doubtfully, and asked, "Ting Jian, what's wrong?" Chen Chong smiled and just let Cai Yan continue to rest, but he couldn't fall asleep anymore.
He put on his clothes and went to see his second son in the side room. The second son was born in February last year, and Chen Chong named him Chen Zhang, with the diminutive form of Azhi. The wet nurse was still asleep, but Chen Zhang immediately woke up when he heard the noise outside the door. He was not as smart and sensible as Chen Shi was when he was young. He just looked at himself with his hands open and his round eyes smiling.
Chen Chong teased for a while, his mind calmed down, and he went to Xiaozhuzhong to review the documents. During these days, although there were no major events, celebrities continued to come from Guandong. Chen Chonggui was the captain of the Sili School, but he had to meet them, so many military reports in Hebei were not approved for the time being.
What worries Chen Chong the most is Wuhuan's rebellion.
In order to resist the north-south pincer attack by Ke Bineng and Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan's first priority after withdrawing to Youzhou was to recruit new troops. However, in the battle of Danhan Mountain, Gongsun Zan lost more than 30,000 good horses, which was difficult to make up for and he was unable to rebuild the cavalry army, so he sent his envoy Yuyang to contact Wuhuan Chanyu Tadun, hoping to obtain a batch of Wuhuan horses. . Tadun didn't like Gongsun Zan at all. In addition, Xianbei in the east had previously harassed Lulongsai and Wuhuan had suffered casualties, so he refused to agree.
This made Gongsun Zan extremely dissatisfied. He said to Tian Kai and others: "I am a prince of the Celestial Dynasty and the Patriarch of Northern Xinjiang. Do you think that because I have been defeated for a while, I dare not kill people?" So he sent people to inquire privately. When he learned that there were 8,000 fine horses at Wuhuan in Pinggu, Gongsun Zan immediately seized them without asking. After hearing about it, he felt that he was a southerner and rebelled in August last year.
Since the annexation of Wuhuan, Wuhuan has settled in Daijun, Shanggu, Yuyang, Beiping, Liaodong, and Liaoxi counties. There are millions of them, which is not inferior to the southern Xiongnu. At this time, Tadun rebelled, and most of Youzhou was immediately ignited. From Changli in the east, to Gaoliu in the west, to the north of Pinggu and to the west of Baitan, they were all the places where Wuhuan plundered.
In April, Gongsun Zan fought more than ten battles in the east and west. Although he won every battle, he could only barely pacify Daijun and Shanggu, and he was still far away from the difficult task of Jingqing. At this time, news came again that Yuan Shao of Jizhou and Kebi Neng of Monan were mobilizing troops and generals, and they seemed to be ready to make a move.
How to deal with this matter? Chen Chong thought for a while, thinking that if Gongsun Zan continued like this, the situation in Youzhou would only continue to worsen, but as the shepherd of Youzhou, he could not be dismissed hastily. It was still necessary to follow the example of Yanzhou and gradually decentralize power more appropriately. Thinking of this, Chen Chong began to write a reply document, ordering Gongsun Zan to suspend the offensive and stick to Jixian.
After writing the letter in his hand, Chen Chong prepared today's statement and asked the Chancellor to discuss the re-establishment of the Wuhuan Colonel. Halfway through writing, Chen Chong thought that Wuhuan was getting stronger and stronger, and it might be difficult to convince the public with the position of school captain. Perhaps the school captain should be promoted to Zhonglang general to show that the court valued him. With this thought in mind, he threw down the note in his hand and took another one to write again.
When the generals finished their work, the sky was still dark, and it was estimated that there was still half an hour before the Ming Dynasty. Chen Chong's heart moved, so he simply walked to the front yard in plain clothes and walked alone along the wall of the mansion.
The spring breeze was blowing, the willow leaves were swaying, and there was a fragrance in the air, which lifted his spirits a little. Because dawn had just broken, everything around him was in a layered gray-blue color, which made Chen Chong feel a little peaceful in his heart. He listened to his footsteps and recalled what happened in his dream.
A revelation? Or is it really a pure dream? Chen Chong didn't have an answer, but he couldn't let go.
After a while, a yellow light floated in front of his eyes, which made Chen Chong come back to his senses. He turned around and looked around. He was actually in front of Zhizhong Cao. He suddenly had an inexplicable feeling, as if there was a natural divine power, gently coming from behind. Pushing, he opened the door and stepped in.
