Chapter 4: Mending the Sky (Part 1) In the middle of the night, Xuzi was woken up by the sound of wind outside the window. It was Hu Yun from outside the Great Wall. Like the waves, he turned over when the wind and rain suddenly hit him, supported his head with his arms and looked towards the center of the room.
The fine sandalwood fine charcoal on the brazier is burning vigorously, and through the china china chimney made of white copper, layers of pale pink soft light are revealed. Under this soft light, which is bright and dark, everything in the room looks...
It's very unreal, including the sleeping face next to you and the corners of your eyes with faint traces of water.
Xuzi knew what Zhen'er was worried about, although the other party never said it clearly, but at this age, he was no longer a young boy who was ignorant about everything. He suddenly remembered a winter night many years ago, Tao
Kuotoshi also prayed like this. At that time, her body was so sacred and beautiful under the light of the charcoal fire. At that time, his heart was full of desire and emotion. But now, he can clearly touch the despair in the other person's heart.
For a long, long time, Li Xu always believed that if he had been braver and worked harder, Tao Kuo would have left him without hesitation. He hated himself for his cowardice and regretted his youth.
However, now he clearly knew that the moment Tao Kuo appeared in the tent with his clothes off, he had already made a decision about the future of the two of them.
She has no intention of leaving with her. She wants to stay in the tribe and fulfill the obligations of the patriarch's daughter to the entire tribe. The body that is constantly shaking in the charcoal fire is just a little compensation for the upcoming separation in the future!
Shi Erya also once asked him to hold her tightly. From the time the two began to be together, Xuzi thought that the other party must be trying to ask for something. But until the end of her life, Erya kept giving her and did not receive anything from Xuzi.
Take away anything except a deep yearning and regrets that can never be remedied
For a long, long time, Xuzi regretted that he did not understand Erya earlier. He always believed that he pulled Erya into his arms to a large extent because of loneliness and more desire than love. However, under Erya's
When her body grew colder in her arms, Xuzi finally understood that she liked Erya not just because of her beauty.
Her stubbornness, her boldness, her cleverness that she often displayed but could not deceive anyone, as well as her various efforts to change her situation and her disappointment after repeated setbacks were all deeply engraved in Asahi Zi's memory.
It will never fall off my heart. At the moment when Erya flew away, Xuzi had completely grown up. He not only understood the women around him, but also understood himself.
They are all weeds growing in the cracks of rocks. Although they are rooted in barrenness, they have never given up the pursuit of sunshine, warmth and the future.
Today, when Qi'er showed her wild side, Li Xu immediately noticed that this scene seemed familiar. Similarly, Qi'er did not ask him to do anything for her, except for the fierce embrace between his arms. However, Xuzi clearly understood
Knowing that he will never make the same mistake a third time
The matter about the royal marriage is actually more than just a rumor. At the beginning of this month, in order to promote the "friendship" between them, Dou Jiande, the chief steward of Hejian, wrote a letter and solemnly suggested that in order to live up to the love of His Majesty the Emperor, Boling and
The two families in Hejian jointly sent troops to expel the Wagang army that had penetrated into Ji, Wei, and Wuyang counties. After the war, Li Xu could successfully bring the beauty back, and Dou Jiande could restore order on both sides of the North Canal.
This suggestion was suppressed by Li Xu on the spot, and there has been no response so far. De Fang and Zhao Ziming were very angry about this, and they discussed it with him in private. They both agreed that Boling should not reject this good opportunity that came to him.
If the Sui Dynasty loses its deer, whoever inherits more things from the imperial court will have a better chance of conquering the world in the future.
But Li Xu didn't want to accept this opportunity, let alone give up his promise to Qi'er.
Of course he knew how much benefit an emperor's son-in-law would bring to him at this juncture, which would make the bloodline problem that had been bothering him disappear forever, especially when the two of them have a child with "noble" flesh and blood.
After that, countless "heroes" who hold the concept of family status will flock to Boling to serve his children. However, he will have to pay a huge price at the same time, which will not only make Zhen'er sad, but also violate the creed he has always adhered to.
People are not beasts, and they do not need to prove their nobility through the blood of the breed. After fighting for so many years, even in the most embarrassing moments, he did not believe that a child from a poor family could not gain recognition from the world through his own efforts. Now, he already has a
The gradually stabilized base area, why rush to accept the "gift" of secular prejudice?
Moreover, even if he married Yang Jier and gained recognition from some scholar-bureaucrats, he still could not have a dream that was not commensurate with his own strength. Luo Yi would not surrender to him just because he became the son-in-law of the Yang family, and neither would Dou Jiande after he became a full-fledged man.
Because the six counties of Boling are the territory of the son-in-law of the Yang family, he gave up spying on it. As for his "clan uncle" Li Yuan, family ties will not affect his current alliance with Boling. Similarly, after gaining a clear advantage over Boling
, he will not give up his ambition to unify the world just because of his daughter's existence.
Marrying with the royal family will solve some of Xuzi's difficulties, but in the end it is strength that determines everything. Li Xu, who has clearly seen the secrets, decided to deal with the court's wooing with a procrastinating attitude. He did not want to give the world the impression that he had turned his back on Yang Guang, but he also believed that
The Wagang Army was strong enough to prevent Wang Shichong from crossing the Yellow River. Although he had no confidence in Li Mi's military skills, Xu Zi knew that with Xu Maogong and Zhai Rang at his side, the Wagang Army would never be completely defeated no matter how many defeats it experienced.
collapse
Now, he no longer needs the favor of the court, nor the recognition of the scholar-bureaucrats. What he needs is just a little time, a little time to develop and grow.
"I will give you an explanation soon!" He promised in a low voice while looking at Zhe'er's sleeping face.
Even though he knew that his wife could not hear him, a smile still appeared on his bearded face. He saw that his wife's lips were roasted by the charcoal fire like a delicate red cherry, and the skin that could be broken was filled with temptation, and this cherry
All temptations, as well as the silence and happiness in the house, belong to him. No matter who or which force wants to destroy it, they must first ask whether the black knife in his hand will agree.
He retracted his arms, which were a little cold from the air, and prepared to continue having a warm dream in the cold winter night. However, a sound of soft footsteps came from behind the sound of the wind, which was as alarming as the broken ice on the eaves.
"Password!" someone whispered in the dark outside the window.
"Peace!" The voice of the reply was very low, with a hint of anxiety and fatigue. Then, the human voice became thin and fragmented, and could no longer be clearly distinguished. At the same time, Xiao Cui, who was sleeping in the opposite room, got up alertly.
, holding the oil lamp and walking towards the outer hall
In a moment, Li Xu had put on his clothes and walked quickly to the door of the house. "Go to sleep!" He took the oil lamp and told Xiaocui, "The people coming should be Zhou Daniu and Zhao Sima. If Qier asks, just ask them."
Tell him I went to the study in the front yard!" Before going out, he explained again, and then quickly closed the door to block the warmth from the influence of the cold wind.
Just as Li Xu could tell from the whispers, the visitors were Zhou Daniu and Zhao Ziming. Both of them were blown away by the night wind, and tears were dripping from their nostrils. Seeing the coach appearing in front of them so quickly, they were both shocked.
He was stunned for a moment, then quickly clasped his fists and bowed
"Don't be too polite!" Li Xu stretched out his hand to support the two men's arms, and then shouted to the soldiers who came to serve him, "Hurry up and raise the charcoal basin in the study, and get a quilt each for General Zhou and Zhao Sima! Then!"
Go to the kitchen and cook three bowls of ginger soup!"
The guards agreed and quickly went away. After all the beeswax incense candles in the room were lit, Zhao Ziming sniffed hard and reported in a hoarse voice: "There are two things that my subordinates cannot judge the pros and cons of, so I have to find them."
After people discussed it and General Zhou listened, he suggested that it would be best to let you know about these two things as early as possible..."
"The others were not shocked by you two!" Li Xu interrupted him with a smile. He did not blame Zhao Ziming for his failure to advance and retreat, but he did not want his actions, those of Sima and the guard commander to cause too much trouble to others. Currently, the six counties of Boling are
What is needed most is stability. Whether a few core figures act calmly or not will often cause unexpected consequences among the people.
"It's just the two of us. It's Zhao Sima's turn to be on duty in the army tonight, and my subordinate happens to be responsible for patrolling in the second half of the night, so so far, the fourth person has not been alerted!" Zhou Daniu nodded and explained very seriously.
His words were interrupted by a burst of gentle footsteps. The door of the study room opened again. Several guards carried the relit charcoal basin into the room. Hot tea and hand stoves were also delivered one after another. The aroma of sandalwood began to fill the room.
Diffuse and warm, making people temporarily forget the cold wind outside the house
It wasn't until the room was completely warmed by the charcoal fire that Li Xu signaled Zhao Ziming to continue the topic, "Tell me, what surprised you so much?"
"There are two things! It's hard to predict good or bad luck!" Infected by the coach's calm demeanor, Zhao Ziming's heart gradually calmed down. "Last month, the Great Khan Suchuixil of Peiren died of illness, and his younger brother
Su Chufuli took over all the rights of Sir Khan, including his wife!"
"Wang Kewang sent the news back?" Li Xu frowned and asked. Wang Kewang was the shopkeeper of Li Xu's warehouse on the grassland. At the same time, he was also responsible for part of the task of sending news from the grassland to the Central Plains in a timely manner. He was currently on the grassland.
It has already snowed heavily. Sending a piece of information to Boling may cost a few lives, but the change of the throne of Minbu Khan is definitely not worth Wang Kewang's huge investment. On the grassland, it is common for father and son to inherit, and brother to brother.
As long as she is not the biological mother, there is no moral obstacle for the successor Khan to marry the concubine of the previous Khan. From the perspective of the Han people, this matter is unethical. But from the perspective of the living environment on the grassland, it is this inheritance relationship that ensures those
A woman who loses her husband can continue to live instead of starving to death
Before Zhao Ziming could think about the answer, Zhou Daniu rushed to the side and added, "It was Pan Zhanyang Dameilu who asked Wang Kewang to send the message back. He also said in the letter that when Su Chuipei came to sacrifice to the wolf god, Ashina Gutuolu, Ashina
Zhilifu and Ashina Dubi came to congratulate Qimin Khan at the same time. Although Khan was ill, he also sent his son Ashina Shibobi to congratulate several Ashinas. They drank and talked happily, and they became like flesh and blood.
Same!"
"They are flesh and blood!" After listening to Daniu's words, Li Xu grinned, but there was a touch of bitterness between his eyebrows. It's not to blame that Zhao Ziming and Zhou Daniu were at a loss. Even he, after listening to the second half of the narrative
I can no longer keep my composure. In the past two years, precisely because of the overt and covert fighting between Shibi Khan and his younger brothers, the Turks did not pose a fatal threat to the Central Plains, and several Ashinas suddenly made peace. Regarding Boling and Youzhou, which are closest to the grassland,
It is undoubtedly a huge trouble!
Zhao Ziming tugged at the corner of the quilt hanging on his shoulders, as if he had already felt the coldness coming from outside the Great Wall. "Ashina Dubi's dental tent is in Wuyuan, and Ashina Qilifu's dental tent is in Kerulen. It's just a short distance away."
They have come all the way to the Crescent Moon Lake, and it’s definitely not just for a drink!"
Of course, the gathering of several large tribes is not just for drinking and eating meat. A few years ago, Xu Dayan took advantage of the winter on the grassland to integrate all the Xi people by the Crescent Lake and prepared a fatal tomb for the Suotou Xi tribe. Now,
The same thing happened again on the grassland, except that the object of their joint calculation changed to another target.
That goal is the entire Sui Dynasty. In the eyes of the Turks, there is no distinction between the Yang family, the Li family, the Wang family and the Yuwen family. They all have a common name called the Central Plains. Whenever the Central Plains declines, it is a good opportunity for tribes outside the Great Wall to go south.
It's a pity that at this time, there are still people who are thinking of using the Turks to avenge their families, and there are still people who use the Turks as a strong backing in their fight for the throne!
"They may need to prepare for last winter! We still have time to deal with it!" Zhou Daniu saw Li Xu's ugly face and smiled to share the coach's worries.
"You're right, grassland tribes never have a sense of time when doing things!" Li Xu smiled and comforted himself that winter was not the best time to send troops, so within two or three months, he could be sure that he would not be threatened.
But what happens when spring arrives? Who is willing to stand side by side with me to resist the wolves coming from afar?
