Chapter 3 Wu Yi (Part 4) Li Xu is very familiar with the road leading to Dongjun. Back then, he and Zhang Xutuo had led soldiers and horses along the same route. But the moment they left Licheng, he was really
Hesitating whether he should continue heading west
Zhang Xutuo died not so much at the hands of the Wagang bandits, but because he died out of despair for the court. The old general believed that the situation was irreversible, so he did not allow his son to make any more unnecessary sacrifices and sent Qin Shubao and Luo Shixin away.
, unwilling to let the two accompany him to be buried in the Sui Dynasty, but he did not leave any last words to Li Xu, as if the other party had never interacted with him at all, ignoring this junior in the army who inherited most of his mantle.
I never expected that Li Xu would go all the way from Hebei to Henan for him.
"Perhaps the old general thinks that I no longer need his guidance!" Li Xu, who was astride his horse, shook his head and smiled bitterly. Apart from confusion, he had gained nothing from this trip to Qijun. Zhang Yuanbei had decided to escape into Buddhism and learn from Buddhism.
Looking for the origin of the reincarnation of chaos in the classics, Li Xu naturally could no longer force him, and he could not get any support from him. All Wang Shouren and Qi County officials could provide was a batch of food and grass, but in fact, the food and grass from various counties in Henan
Being within the jurisdiction of Li Xu, the arresting ambassador, the local officials only performed the duties of their subordinates, and many of them were very smart when executing orders, lest Li Xu sit in the arresting ambassador's position.
unstable, thus bringing unforeseen disasters to themselves
"Perhaps the old general is afraid of affecting your future!" Shi Lan approached Li Xu and persuaded him in a very low voice. The soldiers had already learned her identity from Zhou Daniu, so they tried their best to speak to Li Xu.
They formed a circle with their mounts and separated the two from the surrounding brothers. In this way, Li Xu did not have to worry about the whispers of the two being heard by unrelated people, and the soldiers behind him would not be surprised why General Li was talking to a thin man.
The soldiers were so close?
"Maybe!" Li Xu let out a long sigh. With the nature of the old general Zhang Xutuo, he would indeed not drag anyone irrelevant into trouble, but could he be considered a irrelevant person? What if he didn't do anything like Zhang Yuanbei?
Is he worthy of the kindness of the old general? How can he face the eyes of his old army that are red from crying?
Shi Lan could feel the confusion in Li Xu's heart, and quietly stretched out his hand to hold Xu Zi's rough hand. However, the distance between the two horses was too big, and their fingers just touched and were quickly pulled apart.
The tenderness at that moment seemed to relax Li Xu's frown a little. Shi Lan couldn't see clearly. She wished that what she saw was the truth.
"Xu Zi needs comfort and support, but I can't give it. I'm really useless!" she thought gloomily, the blackness in her eyes as thick as the midnight sky. "What would Qi'er do if she were here?"
?" There is no answer in the sky, only the years the two have walked together are as bright as stars.
After setting up camp at night, Shi Lan finally plucked up some courage and took the opportunity to warm Xu Zi's feet to advise in a low voice: "I thought of something and I don't know if you are willing to listen to it. You know that I'm not very good at talking, and sometimes I don't know how to speak."
Very stupid..."
"Silly girl, what are you thinking about again?" Li Xu didn't know why Shi Lan, who had always been bold, suddenly shrank, bent down, grabbed Shi Lan's hand from the basin, held it tightly and asked, "I'm tired, I
I really should have left you thousands of miles away here in Qi County, but you are pregnant again..."
"No, I'm not tired!" Shi Lan's body trembled, and the feeling in his heart spread from his palms to Li Xu's chest. "I don't want to stay. I'm not destined to be a wife. Staying in Qi County will make me sick."
I want to follow you and watch you galloping on horseback with our children!"
"What are you talking about? He is so young, how can he see it?" Li Xu heard what Erya said was interesting. He temporarily put aside his worries and retorted with a smile.
"They say mother and son are connected!" Shi Lan smiled and lowered his head, inspecting his slightly bulging belly. "He has already started talking, I can feel his movements!"
"Let me listen!" Li Xu, who had no experience as a father, pulled his wife up in surprise and put his ear against her belly. A soft and peaceful feeling instantly spread from his ears to the whole body that was gestating.
There was no other movement in the little life except the heartbeat, but a few slight heartbeats were enough. It was like the sunshine after a heavy rain instantly penetrated the dark clouds, making people suddenly discover the clear sky that still exists behind the clouds.
"I think that since Zhang Xutuo is not willing to let Yuan Bei avenge him, he is definitely not willing to let you go. Shu Bao and Shi Xin are both like his own children in his heart." Shi Lan's face shone with maternal brilliance,
At this moment, she had forgotten all the past grudges
"You are right. I also think that old General Zhang Xutuo might have had similar thoughts before he died in battle!" Li Xu took his head back from his wife's abdomen, looked into his wife's eyes, and answered solemnly.
"The Wagang Army killed Zhang Xutuo and shocked Henan. Those who successfully annihilated him will inevitably replace General Zhang and become the first general of the Sui Dynasty. If he has a dazzling title, there will definitely be many people staring at it, and no one is willing to let others
Come on!" Shi Lan slowly put away his smile and added in a low voice
"Alas -" Li Xu sighed quietly, "I think so too, otherwise His Majesty's appointment to me would not have been delayed in Henan for so long. Those families in the imperial court are fighting for these false names and power.
I really don’t care about life or death!”
"Since they don't care about their own life or death, why should Lang Jun go to this pool of troubled water?" As if afraid of seeing Li Xu's anger, Shi Lan slowly lowered her eyelids and said in an extremely soft voice. After speaking, she quickly
Open your eyelids to reveal the infinite expectations deep in your heart
"I've thought about it too!" Before Shi Lan could finish speaking, Li Xu reached out and put his wife in his arms. The foot-washing water in the tub had begun to get cold, but he deliberately didn't ask anyone to come in to refill the hot water. He just ran out of it.
He held his wife on his knees with all the tenderness in his body, protecting her like a treasure in the world, unwilling to relax his arms a little, and unwilling to look away a little.
"Then let's turn around and head east early tomorrow morning, and return to Boling via the original route!" Shi Lan heard her husband agree with her opinion, and her voice trembled with excitement. She added with longing for the future: "Anyway, Lang Jun is already here.
You have established your footing there, and no one can shake you anymore." She said excitedly, with a soft light flashing in her eyes, "We don't care about the court or the bandits, we live our own lives, give birth to the child, and watch him
Grow up little by little. If you think your children are too few, I'll give birth to one. After a year and a half, I can still..."
Suddenly, she took the initiative to close her mouth because she saw that Li Xu's face was filled with clouds again. The clouds were dark and cold, and the burning fire deep in her heart was extinguished little by little, turning into embers little by little. "I still advise.
Don't move him!" She heard her heart blame herself feebly, and at the same time, tears slowly filled her eyes.
"You are right!" Li Xu continued to sigh, reaching out his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of his wife's eyes. The wet feeling was like a knife, piercing his heart along the palm of his hand, "But I must
Go to Dongjun, otherwise you will not only fail the teachings of the old general Zhang Xutuo, but also fail to explain to the brothers in Qijun. Moreover, although those officials are causing trouble behind your back, Your Majesty has not failed me after all. If I had not gone to Dongjun,
I'm also sorry for his kindness over the years. I've thought about those days you mentioned, but now is not the time. Before I can live with my family, I have to do something within my ability. I can't just watch the world go into chaos like this.
!”
The two of them looked at me, and I looked at you, and there was no common topic for a while. Shi Lan took the initiative to jump off Li Xu's knees and reached out to pick up the wooden basin at her husband's feet. The heavy wooden basin obviously exceeded her arm strength.
, but she was unwilling to call for help. She just gritted her teeth and lifted the edge of the tub to stand up, as if she could save the whole world by holding up the tub of water. She refused to give up at all.
"Silly girl, what are you doing?" Li Xu was heartbroken. He kicked off his shoes and held the edge of the basin with both hands. He didn't want to call the soldiers in. Seeing the embarrassment between the couple, he tried to carry the water by himself.
He went out and poured it out once, but the tub didn't move at all. He applied force again, and the tub still stopped in mid-air. The third time, he felt guilty when he saw Shi Lan staring at him, with tears rolling down his eyes.
"Silly girl, what are you talking about with a broken basin?" Li Xu was upset by Shi Lan's tearful eyes, and he unknowingly increased his tone and scolded
The hands that were fighting for the wooden basin were released as expected, but the choking sounds sounded at the same time, "I know it's wrong for me to advise you like this, but I really don't want to see you hurt again. Before I left the house, my mother-in-law and Qi'er both told me to take good care of you.
You, I'm afraid, I'm afraid that I have failed them! I am useless, really useless at all!" Shi Lan complained while crying, her body shaking like a lotus leaf in the wind.
"Alas!" Li Xu sighed, put the wooden basin on the ground again, then walked over and put his chest against his wife's forehead, "You take good care of me. What you just said makes sense, but there are some things that I have to face.
Yes, you can’t escape!”
"But old General Zhang Xutuo has been killed in battle. After you go, they will use the same method to harm you!" Shi Lan hugged Li Xu's strong body and clasped her fingers tightly, fearing that she would lose everything if she relaxed a little.
She dared to speak too clearly to avoid bringing bad luck to her husband, but the danger was clearly right in front of her, and she couldn't turn a blind eye no matter what.
"I know, but I have more imperial decrees and golden swords than General Zhang, and I have four thousand more elites in hundreds of battles!" Li Xu gently stroked his wife's hair and whispered to comfort her who was confused about the road ahead. He saw more than anyone else.
Everyone knows that there are things a man should do and things he should not do in the world. No matter how difficult and dangerous the road ahead is, he must face it with his head up.
"After defeating Wagang, Xu Yuanlang defeated Xu Yuanlang, and Du Fuwei, you are just one person. You are not gods descended from the sky. They don't want to live anymore, so why should they force you to save them?" Shi Lan knew that he
This is too much to say, but for her husband, she would rather be seen as a selfish and powerful woman
"I'm not alone. I have so many brothers under my command. Besides, Shu Bao and Shi Xin are still there. They will also help me!" Li Xu smiled and comforted Qin and Luo, and his voice gradually became softer.
Bright, tired eyes once again had a bit of hope, "Four thousand Boling elites, more than ten thousand Qijun disciples, and two tiger generals, Shu Bao and Shi Xin, even if we cannot defeat Wagang quickly, we can at least defeat ourselves."
I promise you don’t have to worry. We just need to level Wagang for the last time. I will take you, Shu Bao, Shi Xin and the brothers back to Boling. Everyone will guard the territory of the six counties and the people they care about most to live a safe life.
!”
"Is this really the last time?" Shi Lan heard her husband's tone loosen when he spoke, and suddenly raised his head and emphasized with red tearful eyes.
"Of course, I can also lie to you. If I look into your eyes and cry, how will I see you tomorrow!" Li Xu smiled and shook his head, promising, "Among the bandits in the world, the most powerful one is the Wagang Army. If the Wagang Army can successfully annihilate the Wagang Army,
Gang Jun, the arrogance of other rebel thieves will be knocked down. By then, whoever wants to take the credit will get it. We don’t care. My biggest wish when I was a child was to be a householder. Now that I am an official, I don’t care.
We have to fight again!"
"I'm just afraid that others won't listen to you!" Shi Lan knew that she couldn't get her husband to make any bigger concessions, so she put away her melancholy and said with a forced smile.
"Then I won't even serve as the consolation ambassador of the Six Counties and return home. I'll keep you and Qi'er alive!" Li Xu broke away from Shi Lan's arm and wiped away the remaining tears on the other person's face with a thick palm. "Look at you,
I cry and laugh without fear of being heard!"
"Just listen if you hear it. I am your concubine, not a general!" Shi Lan took the opportunity to grab Li Xu's hand, put it on his face, and added in a dreamy voice, "If the war is put down, you can really be old.
It would be nice to return home, and none of us would have to worry about it anymore. When I was a child, my biggest wish was to marry the village owner and become a mother-in-law. Every autumn, I would help the man collect the rent.
The guests were so grateful that they wished they could offer me up..."
"You are a landlord now! Aren't you always in charge of our rent?" Li Xu was so amused by Shi Lan's biggest dream that he stretched out his hand and pinched your partner's nose, joking.
In fact, our dreams are very simple! He shook his head, and after throwing away all the worries, he felt a soft satisfaction in his heart.
At this moment, Xuzi, who was having a good dream, didn't see it at all. Behind Shi Lan's smile, there was a trace of sadness that could never be resolved.
