There was a slight sweat on Guo Song's forehead. The matter in Anxi had nothing to do with him. If it was just to talk about Anxi, Li Shi would not recall him to the capital. If he guessed correctly, Li Shi actually wanted to talk to him.
Things in Hexi.
Li Shi walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looked at the sky and said slowly: "I finally figured out one thing during this time, where is the Tang Dynasty? In the Western Regions or in the Central Plains, it should be in the Central Plains. The Western Regions are just the icing on the cake.
It’s just like a person who doesn’t even have enough to eat, but thinks about what kind of clothes to wear and what kind of mansion to live in all day long, isn’t it a bit ridiculous?”
"Your Majesty, the Central Plains is the country of the Tang Dynasty, and the Western Regions are also the country of the Tang Dynasty. It is by no means the icing on the cake, and we must not abandon it!"
Li Shi finally became a little impatient, "Let me tell you the truth! I have decided to transfer 10,000 troops from Hexi to replenish the Central Plains battlefield. Originally, I could have just issued the order directly, but considering your emotions, I decided to send you
Recall to the capital and discuss with you in person."
"His Majesty--"
Li Shi waved his hand impatiently, "I know what you want to say. You added that the three thousand troops in Anxi must be transferred back, so that Shazhou and Ganzhou each have 10,000 troops, which is enough to deal with the challenge of Shatuo's army. In addition, Hexi
It has returned to peace, and there will be no war for the time being in the next few years, so I can only give you the supplies of ten thousand troops, and you can figure out a way for the other half."
"Has Your Majesty already decided?"
Li Shi's tone became a little colder, "I have decided!"
Guo Song felt helpless and could only nod his head, "Since His Majesty has decided, I can only obey the order. I just hope that Your Majesty will not forget that there is a group of veterans in Anxi who have loyally defended the territory of the Tang Dynasty for decades."
Speaking of this, Guo Song's voice was a little choked.
Li Shi's face was indifferent, and Guo Song's sadness did not move him at all.
.........
Guo Song didn't know how he got out of the Zichen Palace. Li Shi's attitude towards the Western Regions completely changed. He was so indifferent that his heart froze. Did the emperor really decide to abandon Anxi? Or did he simply think that Tubo's national power was exhausted and he was unable to invade the Tang Dynasty again?
?
"Good nephew, Guo Song!" Someone suddenly called him from behind.
When Guo Song turned around, he saw an official walking over in a hurry. It turned out to be Guo Yao, Guo Ziyi's eldest son.
Guo Song quickly stepped forward and saluted, "Uncle, long time no see?"
"Why is my nephew here?"
"I was summoned to the capital by the emperor. I just met the emperor. How is the ancestor's health?"
Guo Yao shook his head with a heavy heart, "It's very bad. The imperial doctor has already asked us to consider our funeral."
"Ah! So serious."
Guo Yao sighed, "We couldn't accept it at first, but then we gradually thought about it. When will my nephew be free these two days? He misses you very much."
"I'll go now!"
"That's best. It happens to be the first day of the dynasty. Come back home with me."
Guo Song followed Guo Yao out of the palace gate and boarded Guo Yao's carriage. Yang Jun went to Yuanzhai, and Zhao Xiu followed the carriage to Guo Mansion.
In the carriage, Guo Yao asked: "I saw your nephew's back just now, and I felt that you seemed to be worried. Is it not going well for you to meet the emperor?"
Guo Song nodded and told Guo Yao about the meeting with Li Shi. Guo Yao was silent for a moment and said: "I heard that the emperor sent his guards to Hebei not long ago to investigate the situation. The news the guards brought back hit him hard."
"Is the situation in Hebei very bad?" Guo Song asked.
Guo Yao smiled bitterly and said: "Let's put it this way! The imperial court thought that Hebei still belonged to the Tang Dynasty, but in fact, the vassals and towns were de facto independent. They just didn't want to quarrel, and they didn't proclaim themselves king or emperor. In the past, the emperor
He was still holding on to some luck, thinking that the Hebei feudal town just had too much authority, but he didn't know that the guards came back from the investigation and completely shattered his luck."
"But the reduction of vassalage is not a temporary thing. It will take at least several decades. I am worried that the court will eventually be unable to grow rice and the wheat fields will be abandoned."
"Good nephew, after Ma Lin died of illness last year, the Anxi faction in the imperial court completely collapsed. Officials who originally supported the Western Regions were demoted and promoted. Duan Xiushi was dismissed. Han Huang, who supported the recovery of Shazhou, was demoted to Zhejiang. Even compared with
Li Mi, who was neutral, also went to Jiannan. He didn't know when he would come back. Now the words Anxi and Beiting are very taboo in the court. Anyone who dares to talk nonsense will be demoted if it reaches Yang Yan's ears. This is the general trend.
It won’t change in a short time.”
Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of the gate of Guo's mansion. Guo Song followed Guo Yao into the mansion and went all the way to Guo Ziyi's ward in the back house.
Guo Song silently stared at the old man who was drinking medicine. His face was sallow and skinny. It was obvious that the old man had reached the end of his life.
Guo Yao stepped forward and whispered a few words. Guo Ziyi stayed for a moment, then slowly glanced at Guo Song with his cloudy eyes, and a smile appeared on his face.
Guo Song quickly walked up and held the old man's hand.
"Good boy, are you back?" Guo Ziyi said with a strained smile.
Guo Song nodded, "I'm here to visit Shizu."
Guo Ziyi waved to the other people in the room, and the maid and several descendants retreated, leaving them alone in the room.
Guo Ziyi's voice was very weak. Guo Song put his ear to his mouth and then heard Guo Ziyi ask: "Is he going to give up... Anxi?"
Guo Song didn't know how to answer, but he nodded anyway.
Guo Ziyi let out a long sigh and asked weakly, "What about you?"
Guo Song pondered for a moment and said: "My grandson doesn't know. I don't know whether I should disobey the emperor's will and continue to support Anxi!"
Guo Ziyi closed his eyes for a long time, then he opened his eyes and looked at Guo Song, and said something with trembling lips. Guo Song didn't hear it and quickly put his ear to it again. He only heard his extremely low voice saying: "The fate depends on you."
In your own hands.”
...........
That night, Guo Ziyi breathed his last.
On June 14, the second year of Jianzhong, Guo Ziyi, known as the god of war, died at home at the age of eighty-five.
Before his death, he was in a coma and did not leave any last words. According to the recollection of his eldest son Guo Yao, his father's last message was with Guo Song.
The emperor Li Shi posthumously made him the Grand Master, gave him the posthumous title Zhongwu, deposed the court for five days, and ordered the ministers to express their condolences.
For three days in a row, Guo Song kept vigil for Guo Ziyi and could not take care of the Hidden Sword Pavilion for the time being.
At noon that day, Guo Song finished lunch at the Guo Mansion. The housekeeper of the Guo Mansion came up and whispered a few words to Guo Song. Guo Song nodded, got up and came outside the door of the mansion.
"What's going on?" Guo Song asked Yang Jun.
"I met Xiaoyu Niang."
"Where is she?" There has been no news about Xiaoyu Niang in the past few days, and Guo Song is really worried.
"She said someone was chasing her and she was in a very dangerous situation. She couldn't come to see the envoy. She was waiting for the envoy in a Jinyang restaurant."
Guo Song suddenly thought of Zhang Lei. He should be back too. Zangjian Pavilion wouldn't attack him too!
Guo Song was really worried, so he immediately changed into ordinary clothes and took the two of them to Jinyang Restaurant in Dongshi.
"Your Majesty, it seems that someone is following us." Zhao Xiu whispered to Guo Song.
Guo Song was not surprised. He had long discovered that someone was watching across from Guo Mansion. In the past few days, he slowly realized that killing Yang Yu, hunting down Yang Yu's posthumous son, and burning the Golden Body Pavilion were probably all events.
Li Man's real target is herself. Why is she targeting herself? Guo Song also has doubts in his heart.
As soon as Guo Song turned around, he saw two people dozens of steps behind with mysterious expressions. As soon as he turned around, the two people quickly ran away.
"Go and kill them!" Zhao Xiu and Yang Jun asked.
Guo Song shook his head, "It's the anniversary of the death of old Ling Gong. It's bad luck to kill people. Let them be arrogant for a few days. After the first seven days, we can deal with them properly."
When they arrived at Jinyang Restaurant, Guo Song asked Yang Jun and Zhao Xiu to guard the door. He went directly to the second floor, and sure enough, he saw Xiaoyu Niang in a corner of the second floor.
Guo Song came to sit across from her and said with a smile: "When did you become so cautious?"
Xiaoyu Niang quickly explained: "I'm not afraid. No one can catch me. I'm just afraid that they will find Zhao Xuan. She is Yang Yu's wife. They are looking for her everywhere."
"Is she with you?"
Xiaoyu Niang nodded quickly, "I placed her in a village outside Xicheng. When she heard that Yang Yu was killed, she was so sad that she almost had a miscarriage. I found century-old angelica and astragalus for her, as well as good bones.
The fetus can be saved by decoction and taking the muscle grass together with more than a dozen other ingredients."
"Have you heard about Yang Yu?"
"I asked, and I found a little sister who grew up with me. She told me that Yang Yu was poisoned by Wang Jianying, and both of them died together. Li Man ordered Zhao Xuan to be captured at all costs, and the entire Hidden Sword Pavilion was mobilized
, Sun Xiaozhen and his apprentice are both dead, and even Sun Xiaozhen’s parents were killed. Li Man is a little crazy now."
A flash of murderous intent flashed in Guo Song's eyes, and he said coldly: "She is so crazy that she even burned down the Jinshen Pavilion. My aunt's grave is right next to the Jinshen Pavilion, and she doesn't care. This woman is actually targeting me."
"Sir, what should I do now?"
"You protect Zhao Xuan. The child in her belly is my senior brother's only bloodline. I must protect it for him. Don't worry about the Hidden Sword Pavilion. I will take care of it."
Xiaoyu Niang nodded, and then said quickly: "There is also Boss Zhang. I felt that he was not safe, so I asked Mrs. Zhang to send a message to him by flying pigeons, asking him not to return to the capital, and to go to Ganzhou first for safety. The first two days
My God, Mrs. Zhang and her family followed Tianshi Li to Kongtong Mountain."
Guo Song's heart dropped and he praised: "You did a very good job. I was worried that they would attack Senior Brother Zhang."
Xiaoyu Niang was a little embarrassed by the praise, and said: "Young Master, I also think Li Man is targeting you. The people she attacked were all the Young Master's relatives, and even the Golden Body Pavilion was burned down. It seemed like she was deliberately irritating the Young Master.
.”
Xiaoyu Niang left silently, and Guo Song was still sitting at the table thinking. What Xiaoyu Niang said made sense. Why did Li Man want to anger him? Guo Song felt that there seemed to be a big conspiracy in this, and he would
A cold arrow shot at him from behind.
He suddenly remembered that when he saw Aunt Gongsun for the last time in Jinshen Pavilion, Aunt Gongsun mentioned Li Man's life experience, as if Li Man's life experience was extraordinary and told him not to provoke her.
It was a pity that Aunt Gongsun passed away and he could no longer explore Li Man's life experience, but Guo Song still had a vague feeling that Li Man's life experience might be related to one of his enemies.