The war is about to end, Daliang has decided the victory, and the entire Lingzhou is plunged into an atmosphere of joy and restlessness.

As the New Year approaches, brothels and restaurants, which had been silent for more than half a year, have become lively again. The storyteller climbed up to the high platform and kept telling the heroic performance of the men of Daliang in this battle. Naturally, Pei Yue and his Tibetan guards could not be bypassed. The outstanding performance on the northern and southern fronts, especially Pei Yue's two attempts to directly defeat the infantry army of Western Wu, became a feat that was passed down by everyone.

Some good people even compared him to a general star descending to earth, who was able to achieve such feats in his weak years that were comparable to the founding princes of the country.

For a time, the whole city was talking about Pei, and no one could not praise him.

Although Xue Tao, the governor of Lingzhou, was bored, he had no time to think about it. On the one hand, he had to dispatch a large number of civilians to assist the military in handling follow-up matters. On the other hand, he also worried about whether Emperor Kaiping would be furious. After all, he had previously had an affair with Wuwei Hou Ning Zhongzhi. There are still many connections between them. Although Ning Zhong is dead, Taishitai Pavilion Silent Cloud is on the front line, so there is no guarantee that he will not find out the secrets of the past.

Xue Tao was naturally not someone waiting to die. He tried his best to cooperate with the military's requirements and at the same time sent people to Kyoto with a large amount of gold and silver to smooth relations between North Korea and China in advance.

Pei Yue did perform perfectly in the Western War, but he killed Ning Zhong himself without being convicted by the court. In Xue Tao's view, this was naturally one of the opportunities to save himself. As long as Pei Yue could be nailed to death for this crime, There will be more room to move around in the back.

In such a complex situation with surging undercurrents, Pei Yue suddenly disappeared.

A few days later, a group of more than ten riders appeared in Taichuan Prefecture, south of Guangping Prefecture.

This place is located due south of Lingzhou, with Jinchuan Prefecture to the west and Yingde Prefecture to the east.

Pei Yue and Ye Qi were dressed in casual clothes, and the soldiers were also in disguise. They looked like young men from a wealthy family traveling.

They met Mr. Xi on the outskirts of Guquan County.

"Let the soldiers go find a place to live in the county. You and Ye Qi will come with me."

Mr. Xi said without any doubt, his mood seemed a little low.

Pei Yue responded, and then the three of them continued to ride eastward.

The road ahead gradually became desolate, almost deserted, and Mr. Xi remained silent.

Pei Yue and Ye Qi were both very patient people, especially Mr. Xi who had previously said that his questions would be answered after the war was over, so they did not show any anxiety and followed them leisurely. .

After walking for more than twenty miles, the surrounding scenery became more and more like the primeval forest that Pei Yue had seen in his previous life. Fortunately, the three of them were riding divine horses, otherwise they would have been able to walk.

After walking eastward for half an hour, Ye Qi calmly glanced at Pei Yue after observing the surrounding situation.

Pei Yue's martial arts cultivation was still weaker than that of Ye Qi, and his five senses were not as sharp. After receiving Ye Qi's reminder, he discovered that there were some hidden whistles nearby, and they were all masters with extremely deep cultivation.

"Sir -" he couldn't help but ask.

Mr. Xi interrupted him and said calmly: "Don't worry, it's almost there."

Pei Yue could only shut up.

After walking for two or three miles, we bypassed a dense forest, and our sight suddenly opened up.

A piece of clear lake water appeared in front of the three people.

There was a small boat parked by the lake, and the boatman was a middle-aged man in his forties. When he saw the three people appearing, he waved in this direction.

There is a vast island in the middle of the lake in the distance, hidden in the steaming water vapor. The features of the island cannot be seen, and only some buildings can be vaguely seen.

At this moment, Pei Yue couldn't help but have some strange thoughts in his heart. Isn't he secretly planning a rebellion? Along the way, it can be seen that the defenses here are extremely tight. If you want to get close to the island in the middle of the lake, you must not only avoid it, but also avoid it.

Open the eyes of those masters who are secretly sent, and you must be able to find a correct path among the mountains and dense forests.

If he wasn't planning a rebellion, he really couldn't figure out why he would create such a secret place.

The three of them took a boat and approached the island in the middle of the lake. When they got off the boat, Mr. Xi said in a gentle tone: "Thank you very much."

The boatman never paid attention to Pei Yue and Ye Qi. Hearing this, he smiled heartily and said, "Brother Xi, how can you be so polite to me?"

Mr. Xi smiled slightly and nodded at him.

Pei Yue seemed to accidentally glance at the boatman's hands.

After the three of them walked some distance away, Ye Qi said calmly: "That boatman has some military experience."

Pei Yue continued: "Looking at his calluses on his hands, he must be a master of swordsmanship and spear-wielding all year round. I didn't expect any boatman here to be so unfathomable."

Mr. Xi smiled and said: "You two have a tacit understanding now, and you are so proficient in singing and harmonizing. No need to test, he was indeed a general in the army before. The first army that captured Hucheng fifteen years ago was led by him."

Pei Yue's face was filled with shock, and he almost instantly thought of an almost absurd possibility.

"Let's go, the house in front is where I want to take you." Mr. Xi did not elaborate, pointing to a spacious yard a few hundred feet away to the north.

This island in the middle of the lake is very large, with many buildings on the island. Although it is not elegant, it looks very suitable for living. In fact, seriously speaking, this is the kind of tourist attraction that Pei Yue has seen in his previous life, but

No crowds of tourists and busy staff.

The three of them came to the gate of the house. Mr. Xi chatted with the old man sitting at the gate, then pointed at Pei Yue and said: "This boy fought two beautiful battles. This time's military exploits were the best in those years."

That's enough for the Duke."

The old man looked at Pei Yue intently, opened his mouth and said with a smile: "Good skill, it's a good thing I didn't grow crooked."

Mr. Xi pointed at Ye Qi and said: "This is the blood of the Ye family. His marksmanship is as good as that of the Duke of Guo. There is no rival among the young people in this world."

The old man's turbid eyes suddenly lit up, and he praised him profusely: "The Ye family's marksmanship is good, the little girl is so powerful!"

Mr. Xi smiled and said: "I call him Uncle Zhang. He was the closest old man to the Duke. You can just call him Grandpa Zhang."

Pei Yue and Ye Qi saluted him, but Lao Cangtou quickly stood up and avoided him, saying that he didn't dare.

The three of them entered the house and walked through the front hall to the atrium. There was a tall pine tree planted in the courtyard. There was a stone table and several stone chairs under the tree.

An old body stood under the tree, looking up at the gray sky.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, he turned around and his eyes fell on Pei Yue's face for the first time.

He was about seventy years old, with an old face and a kind demeanor. He was wearing a very ordinary cotton robe, no different from an old man in the country. His eyes were very calm, not sharp at all, and he looked at Pei Yue's face carefully.

From his eyes, Pei Yue could see many complex emotions.

Although Mr. Xi didn't reveal a single word along the way, the moment he saw the old man, he guessed his true identity.

Many mysteries suddenly became clear at that moment, but more doubts followed.

He doesn't understand how many secrets the people close to him hide from him.

Like Mr. Xi, like a silent cloud, like a valley beam.
Chapter completed!