Tang Rong thought thoughtfully, shook her head slightly and said: "We can't judge what his plan is. I will ask people to inquire in detail in secret to see what Wang Xingchao wants." Then he frowned and said: "How many times did you assassinate Wang Dongjun?

Does anyone know?"

"There are only a handful of them." Qin Xiao said: "None of Wang Dongjun's guards have ever seen me."

Tang Rong said: "You had a feud with Wang Dongjun in the True Feather Division, but Wang Dongjun was assassinated on the way back. Wang Xingchao's first suspicion must be you. I'm afraid he has already secretly investigated Wang Dongjun's murderer."

"That's natural." Qin Xiao said: "Wang Xingchao suspected that the murderer was me. That's natural. But I also prepared a good response. He couldn't find any evidence in time."

Tang Rong nodded slightly and said: "It's natural that you have prepared a good response, but Wang Xingchao is so cunning, how can he be easily deceived by you. The more flawless your response is, the more suspicious he will be, even if there is no evidence in the end.

If I hold it in my hands, I am afraid that the hatred of losing my son will also be blamed on you."

Qin Xiao smiled lightly and said: "Although I haven't met him yet, from the moment I walked out of Yuguan and came to Northeast China, he regarded me as an enemy and cannot change it."

"You are really bold." Tang Rong sighed softly: "Bohai Moli Zhiyuan Gaijian's beloved son died in your hands, and now the only son of General Anton also died in your hands. Naturally, these two people felt that

I want to kill you and then quickly."

Qin Xiao's expression became stern, and there was a chill on the corners of his lips, but he did not speak.

Less than a hundred miles northeast of Liaoyang City, Liaodong Province, there is a foggy pine mountain. The mountain is covered with spruce, red pine, fir and other trees. From a high position, you can see a vast expanse of white. In the cold winter, except for a period of time at noon every day, most of the time

The Misty Pine Mountain is full of mist. Looking around, the white mist curls up, just like a fairyland.

There is a high tower built in the mountain, called the Zhonglie Tower. The reason for its name is very simple. In this seven-story tower, four of the floors are dedicated to countless Zhonglie spiritual tablets. These spiritual tablets are all generals of the Liaodong Army.

The official position is sacred and solemn.

During Emperor Wuzong's Eastern Expedition, although the Bohai Kingdom was defeated and surrendered, the two sides fought fiercely for many years and suffered heavy casualties. Many imperial soldiers died during the Eastern Expedition. Emperor Wuzong specifically ordered the construction of a Loyalty Tower in Liaodong to bring many soldiers to Liaodong.

The loyal soul of the empire is enshrined in this loyal tower.

On the top floor of the Zhonglie Pagoda, a window was opened, and a string of wind chimes hung outside. The cold wind blew by, and the wind chimes "dinged" very crisply, and the sound could be heard far away.

A tall man stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking down from a high position.

Zhonglie Pagoda is built at the highest point of Wusong Mountain. Standing on the top of the tower, you can naturally have a panoramic view of the mountains.

The man is wearing brocade clothes and a wolf-hair cloak. He is over fifty years old and has dark skin. Although his expression is calm, his eyes are as cold as cold stars, showing no anger or authority.

A few steps behind him, there was a chessboard. An old monk in black clothes was sitting cross-legged. He was nearly sixty years old and had a fluttering white beard. He was twisting a black chess piece in one hand and looking at the chess pieces on the chessboard.

The chess game is thoughtful.

"The general's chess skills have become much better." After a long time, the monk in black put down the chess pieces in his hand and sighed: "The situation has been decided. Even if the old monk can barely deal with it, he can't change the overall situation. In this game of chess, the old monk is willing to

Accept defeat."

The man by the window turned around, smiled faintly, and said: "It's not that my chess skills have improved, it's that my master's heart has become softer and softer. I still remember that in the early years, my master was so sharp in the chess game that every move

They all imply the power of wind and thunder, and those inadvertent chess pieces eventually become strange moves, which are wonderful." After a pause, he sighed: "But the master is now calm in his actions, leaving a way for people to survive everywhere, unlike that man and ghost back then.

The common fear of 'monk-killing' is becoming more and more different."

"Perhaps he is too old." The monk in black looked at the man and said, "The old monk and the general have experienced too much in this life, life and death, separation and reunification. After walking along this way, when they look back, they are a little confused.

It’s time to see through the matter.”

The man smiled bitterly and said: "Yes, I am fifty-six this year, but my hair is already starting to turn gray. In four years, I will be in my sixties. When ordinary people reach their sixties, they can already have children and grandchildren, and enjoy the happiness of a family.

." Without closing the window, he walked to sit opposite the monk in black and said calmly: "In a few years, I was ready to put down the burden in my hands. It's time for young people to shoulder the burden. I have already planned to retire.

After I come down, I just raise flowers and entertain my grandchildren, ignore other people's business, and spend my old age peacefully. When I'm bored, I come here to play chess with my master and drink tea. It's so relaxing."

"You have worked hard for half your life, and it's time to take a rest." The monk in black said.

The man smiled lightly and said: "It's a pity that God didn't give me this opportunity. Everyone thinks that I am General Anton, so naturally I am omnipotent, but a few people know that General Anton even owns his wife and children."

I couldn't protect them, so I could only watch them die. Seventeen years ago, I watched my wife die in my arms due to a serious illness without treatment. Before she left, she only asked for one thing from me:

I was asked to take good care of Dongjun, but I couldn't even do this well."

"General, there is no need to blame yourself." The monk in black said: "Both life and death are destined, no wonder General."

The man wearing a wolf-hair cloak is naturally the Anton general Wang Xingchao, who is talked about in the Northeast.

The general at this moment looked quite haggard.

"The master knows destiny." Wang Xingchao looked into the eyes of the monk in black and asked softly: "In the opinion of the master, is it time for my fate to come?"

However, the black-clothed monk looked unusually calm and said slowly: "If the general retreats and stays away from the world of mortals at this time, it will not be a disaster. If the general cannot see through it all the time and is bound by the mortal world and has no way to retreat, then

It’s a disaster in itself.”

"What the master said is absolutely true." Wang Xingchao nodded and said: "But for my Wang family, what we are today is a result of changing our fate against the will of heaven. We will never give in to destiny, and my destiny is mine.

It’s not up to God.”

The monk in black clothes clasped his hands together, sang the Buddha's name a cappella, and closed his eyes without speaking.

"There is a saying in Buddhism that if you put down the butcher's knife, you will become a Buddha immediately." Wang Xingchao smiled faintly and said: "But if you really put down the butcher's knife, I'm afraid you will go to the underworld immediately. We people have killed too many people, and our hands are

It is full of blood, and I have owed too much blood debt. I put down the knife in my hand and can only wait for the killing." He raised his finger and pointed at a chess piece on the chess board and said: "Master is willing to admit defeat, just because my move is full of killing intent.

, the next game will definitely be extremely cruel, but the master is in Buddhism, his heart has softened, and he is not willing to continue to fight with me."

The monk in black opened his eyes and said: "The general has a tenacious temperament. Even if there is a sea of ​​blood and mountains of swords in front of him, he will not flinch."

"That's right." Wang Xingchao's eyes were like daggers, and he said calmly: "In this game of chess, I was forced to make a move, but the master did not want to strangle, so he gave up and surrendered. But in the real situation, my position is the master's current position.

In this situation, the imperial court settled in the northeast, and it was murderous from the beginning. The master gave up his chess and surrendered. It was nothing more than losing a game of chess, and he could start a new game soon. But for me, once I bow my head and admit defeat, I will never be able to do it again.

There’s no chance for another round.”

The monk in black pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "General, do you think the court is forcing you into a desperate situation?"

"It's not the imperial court, it's never been the imperial court." Wang Xingchao sighed: "Master should have seen very clearly that it was never the imperial court that made me abandon my son and admit defeat, but the arrogant soldiers and generals around me. Today's Northeast,

It's a tightrope hanging in the air. I stepped on the tightrope. There was no way back. There were swords and guns behind me. They forced me to move forward. No one knew what the end of the tightrope looked like, but we could only keep walking.

.”

The monk in black also sighed softly: "Today's situation is no wonder, General. After so many years, the Liaodong Army is no longer just a soldier guarding the Northeast, but a blood-sucking insect attached to the four northeastern counties. Once it likes this kind of blood-sucking insect,

I just enjoy it so much that no one can stop it.”

"So no one can change the status quo." Wang Xingchao said slowly: "If I, the general, cannot meet their demands, I will be the first to be sacrificed by them." He smiled calmly and said, "In this case, why should I fight with them?

Everyone is an enemy? I am inseparable from them. Since I can't go back, I can only lead them forward. The woman on the dragon throne in Kyoto sees it clearly. She knows that if we keep going here, sooner or later we will break.

The soil is king, so she dropped a chess piece to the northeast. For her, it might just be her final struggle."

The monk in black frowned and said, "General, are you really ready to stand on your own?"

"Of course I won't take this path unless it is absolutely necessary." Wang Xingchao said with a stern expression: "It's just that the chess piece was too impatient. He even opened his mouth to bite Liaoxi so blatantly. Waiting for him to gain a foothold in Liaoxi, what will happen next?

It will inevitably press forward step by step to the east. In this way, whether I want it or not, the two armies will definitely differentiate themselves. The flag of Long Rui Army was given by the emperor, which makes Long Rui Army represent

No matter what the reason for the imperial court to attack Long Rui's army, in the eyes of the imperial court, our Liaodong Army is treason and a rebel army, so the day it sends troops to attack Long Rui's army will be the day the Liaodong Army becomes independent."

The monk in black said: "General, Qin Xiao is unscrupulous in western Liaoning. Is it because he understands this truth and forces the general to take action against him?"

"They control Liaoxi, capture Yuguan, and have Youzhou as their back. Once a fight breaks out, they can advance and retreat freely." Wang Xingchao sneered: "So with the current situation, he thinks he is invincible, so he just waits

Let’s take action.”

"The various ministries in Youzhou have gathered nearly 10,000 troops. Huaishuo Town, one of the four towns in the north, is stationed in the northern border of Youzhou. Once a war breaks out in the Northeast, the imperial court will label the Liaodong Army as a rebel. Youzhou and Huaishuo

I'm afraid they will all send troops out to reinforce Qin Xiao." The monk in black said slowly: "So the general must not act rashly unless it is absolutely necessary." After a pause, he continued: "Many forces around the Tang Dynasty are ready to move. Murong in southern Xinjiang,

Li Tuo in Xiling, and Duerhu Tiehan in the north. These forces are all threats to the Tang Dynasty. Now it is up to whoever takes action first, and the first one to take action will definitely attract a fierce attack from the court, so the general must not do anything for everyone.
Chapter completed!