"I didn't know that Your Majesty was coming, but I was not welcomed. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Upon learning that Zhao Yizhi was coming in person, Rong Lan led a group of Si Tianjian officials, big and small, to rush outside the Yamen to greet him.
"Ah, I just came over to take a look when I had nothing to do. You can go about your business."
Zhao Yizhi looked around and saw that Si Tianjian's talents were now withered, and none of the elderly ministers could be seen. The youngest one is just Rong Lan. You know, he is only twenty-seven this year.
Can such a young person really understand celestial phenomena?
Zhao Yizhi regretted a little. He was speechless for a moment in the court that day and praised Rong Lan for being young and promising. However, he did not expect that the old chief supervisor Chang secretly told him to return home. The other veterans of this Tianjian department may have resigned along with Chang Mi and returned to their hometowns.
Everyone waited for a while, and seeing that Zhao Yizhi had no other instructions, they all got up and returned to the government office, busy with their own affairs.
"Rong Aiqing, please wait a moment." Zhao Yi called to Rong Lan.
"I'm here." Rong Lan stopped and turned around to wait for the order.
Zhao Yizhi hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "I wonder if the old supervisor Chang Aiqing... is in good health?"
Rong Lan paused for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, we have been sending letters to Mr. Chang since he returned home, but... the old supervisor has never heard back. Therefore... I don't know."
After Rong Lan suffered a blow from Yi Xiaodao in Nanhuai, he no longer had that arrogant spirit and became much calmer and more cautious.
Zhao Yizhi nodded and laughed softly: "I'm afraid he is angry with me..."
Rong Lan didn't dare to reply, so Zhao Yizhi waved his hand helplessly: "Go ahead."
After leaving Si Tianjian, Zhao Yizhi was on his way back to the palace. He thought of Shen Mengyin's words and was still unwilling to give in. He shouted: "Manager Wang!"
"Old slave is here!" After Chen Congwei left, Wang Zhenliang stayed with Zhao Yizhi almost day and night, for fear that he would have no one to command him.
"Send a message to Chang Mi, saying that I have something to call you and asking him to come back to Beijing."
"Old slave, go and do it immediately!"
…
Northland.
The nine people were walking against the wind, and two people were far ahead. The two people in the lead were Bai Xinglong and Yao Qingmiao.
"We have been walking for so long and we haven't seen Wu Dinggong. Could it be that we have passed him and didn't notice him?" Yao Qingmiao frowned and asked everyone.
Among the eight masters of Yin and Yang, Yao Qingmiao is the best in Qinggong. Now that he is exerting all his strength, his speed is as fast as that of Bai Xinglong. But with such speed, he didn't even see the shadow of Yi Xiaodao, which made people suspicious.
The strong wind blew the white star dragon's robe. When the strength was gone, he tapped lightly on a branch and jumped up again: "I have never competed with my elder brother in Qinggong. I don't know how fast my elder brother is, but I can be sure that he is not inferior to me."
"Now I haven't seen my eldest brother with nine pairs of eyes, or do you think my eldest brother will slowly walk on the ground and return to the city?"
Yao Qingmiao thought the same thing. Although he didn't know much about Wu Dinggong, it was widely spread in the capital, the Jianghu, and even the military ranks that Wu Dinggong was a very affectionate and righteous man.
His wife was trapped and returned to the city, and anyone would be extremely anxious. What's more, what about the most affectionate and righteous Duke Wu Dinggong?
Among the seven people behind, one person moved up quickly and walked with Yao Qingmiao and Bai Xinglong.
"Jian Liuyun, when did your Qinggong become so fast?"
Yao Qingmiao was surprised. Among the seven, Jian Liuyun's Qing Gong was only average, not even as fast as Spear Yinjiao and Dao Henghai!
Jian Liuyun didn't answer, letting the strong wind blow his long hair, and his steps were only fast and not slow.
Bai Xinglong glanced at her in surprise. Naturally, he could see that she was in a desperate state, and reminded her, "If you continue like this, you won't be able to do anything even if you get to Guicheng."
Jian Liuyun seemed to have listened this time. He retreated slightly and fell back to the other six people. The anger in his eyes did not diminish.
"He Yue'er, are you seeking death?" Jian Liuyun silently asked over and over again in his mind...
…
Returning to the city, they had been fighting for a whole day and night.
It was night again, the lights on the city walls were brightly lit, and fighting continued.
Although the city wall of the North City is newly built and is shorter than the original city wall, it is still dozens of feet high. But now the corpses under the city have been piled up to half of the city wall.
The situation on the city wall wasn't much better either. There were corpses of Bei Yi and Bei Di Army piled up everywhere. Slowly, the corpses of Yu Lin Army came forward and covered the top.
Blood leaked from the city wall along the side seams, dripping and dripping, echoing the shouts of killing. Under the city, a stream of blood slowly flowed into the moat.
The moat... is almost full.
It is not an exaggeration to say that returning to the city was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
He Yue'er and Tang Xingchang stood on a high building in the city, looking at the battle situation on the northern city wall from a distance.
"Mrs. Yi, you have also seen that the soldiers used their lives to defend the city and never gave in. But if this continues, the defense will not be able to hold on. Is it true that Madam is seeking death here?"
Tang Xingchang didn't understand why He Yue'er was clinging to Guicheng since she was already the princess's wife and had no need to worry about food and clothing for the rest of her life.
He Yue'er said slowly: "When I was a child, I once crushed a butterfly to death at the door of my house..."
Tang Xingchang was so angry that he stamped his feet. How long have you been telling stories here? But he didn't dare to scold He Yue'er, let alone hit him. He had no choice but to get off the city wall and lead the reserve team to the north of the city.
He Yue'er looked at Tang Xingchang leaving and stopped talking. The audience was gone.
"Master Wife, I want to hear, I crushed a butterfly to death, and then what?" Man Yong stood next to He Yue'er and asked.
"My mother saw it and told me six words, 'In the beginning, human nature is inherently good.' Later I found out that these were the six words from the opening chapter of the Three-Character Sutra. I used to live in the mountains with my parents, and I didn't know what goodness was. It was evil. Until...I met Yi Xiaodao."
"We were being chased. He went to the village to steal food and was beaten. He limped back and gave the little food he had to me and Xiao Ling. I cried at that time. I couldn't Got it...heh..."
"Later in Wucheng, the old boatman was killed. We didn't know about it until the capital. At that time, Yi Xiaodao was very angry...very angry..."
"Later... I heard that Zhao Ziyang, who had been bullying him in Wancheng, was in ruins due to the floods and was bullied on the street. He ignored the past and came to help..."
"Nanhuai, Donglu, oh, except for Chu Xiang, Chu Xiang is doing it for me... He does everything for others. I know that I have met the right person."
"Now that Guicheng is in trouble, if he wakes up and finds out, I don't know how sad he will be. But if he knows that I, the Duke's wife, will accompany the city until the last moment, he will be happier..."
Man Yong's eyes widened with disbelief on his face: "Master's wife... you have waited in this city until now just to... make Master happy?"
He Yue'er looked at Man Yong: "What? Don't you want your master to be happy?"
Man Yong shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, of course I thought about it. It's just... I think there are many things that can make Master happy, such as seeing you at the first sight when he wakes up. I wouldn't take such a big risk here. We will defend Guicheng to the death..."
"The first time you saw me..." He Yue'er murmured and repeated Man Yong's words, her mind couldn't help but go back to that night seven years ago, when she opened the door, and the boy outside the door was indeed full of herself.
At that time, I felt ashamed and annoyed, but also indescribably happy...
"Brother Qin, Yong'er, let's go!" He Yue'er hurriedly went downstairs, got on the carriage, and headed south of the city.
"Hey, does this make sense to Master Wife? If I had known, I would have taken action!"
Man Yong said to Qin Changqian as if he was taking credit, and the two of them jumped down from the tall building and followed He Yue'er's carriage away.
When they arrived at the south of the city, the Yu Lin army that was originally guarding the streets in the south of the city disappeared, but the sound of fighting came from the top of the city.
"When did the Beiyi army reach the south of the city?" Qin Changqian was shocked and angry.
"When? Of course it was last night." Under the night, on the street leading to the city gate, a man crossed his arms and looked at the carriage he stopped with interest.
"Who is it?" Qin Changqian and Man Yong quickly stood in front of the carriage.
The man didn't hide anything and replied openly: "Duan Tong."
"So you are Duan Tong? Are you one of the Four Beiyi Mastiffs? I heard that the Four Beiyi Mastiffs are loyal dogs, smart dogs, etc... By the way, what kind of dog are you?"
"Xiaoyong, don't talk too much and protect your wife." Qin Changqian pulled out two spears from behind, pointed them at Duan Tong, and whispered.
Duan Tong ignored Qin Qianqian's two spears, but stared directly at the carriage: "Can't they be members of the Zhou family in the carriage?"
"What? Is it possible that you and the Zhou family have any grudges?" Man Yong asked quickly.
He became a disciple of Yi Xiaodao, but he spent the longest time with his junior wife, He Yue'er, who had been with him for a long time. The two had long been like mother and son, and they had a perfect understanding.
He Yue'er didn't say anything, and Man Yong made some inquiries. Only when he knew the situation could he know himself and the enemy.
After all, the unshown He Yue'er could be anyone.
"Vendor... I can't say it's a grudge. It's just that I blame them a little. When my family was raided and executed, Prime Minister Zhou knew that we were wronged, but he didn't say a word from the beginning to the end. He allowed that foolish king to do whatever he wanted to check and balance the ministers. belongs!"
"But whatever, it has nothing to do with the Zhou family after all, but this does not hinder the revenge I want. I heard that the ancestors of the Zhou family have said before, kill the Zhou family before killing the Zhao family. Now it seems that it is time!"
"You blame others for everything. Are you really not at fault? The Beiyi invasion must have been fueled by you!" Zhou Ziru's voice rang out from the carriage.
"Ha... After all, I am a member of the Zhou family, and my brain is really fast. But I am not adding fuel to the flames, but my revenge plan! Of course, I can't do anything to the little emperor in the palace of the capital. So I took refuge. The Beiyi have worked hard for decades just to let the iron hooves of the Beiyi crush this great empire!"
"Idiots are talking about dreams!" was the comment of "Zhou Ziru" in the carriage.
