Chapter 102: Father and Brother Don’t Blame Me; “If Xie Ci really manages to gather the imperial army, then it will be over.”
That night, after Xie Ci left, Master Wen struggled to bend over the desk and wrote a long handwritten letter to Zhang Yuanrang.
"My life is coming to an end. Zhonglian, when you read this letter, it will be as I lay dying. I have served you for twenty-seven years, and I know your devotion to the Emperor. If we were under a wise ruler or in a time of peace, I would not dare question you. But now, the northern barbarians are invading our borders, countless lives are being decimated, and the catastrophe of Zhongdu is still fresh in our minds. If you and I take even the slightest misstep, the Han Dynasty will be utterly destroyed! I grieve in vain, and harbor everlasting regret. Emperor Wu of Han is no longer with us, but the people live on. I hope you will pity, cherish, and respect us!"
Brother, you are writing your last words today. I am filled with gratitude and tears!"
Three letters, all rushed over eight hundred miles, were written in a completely weak handwriting. The last letter was rambling and unfinished, with no complete words. At the end, he barely added, "This is my last letter. I am filled with tears of gratitude!"
The three letters were placed on the desk in Zhang Yuanrang's office the next day.
Zhang Yuanrang sat there in boredom for half the night, recalling the emperor's enlightening words of thanks in the palace. This most conservative and loyal middle-aged man finally gritted his teeth before dawn, picked up a pen and wrote a reply to Master Wen, which completely overturned his belief of sticking to one path and being stubborn for half his life.
…
After Wen Tai Shi left the capital, Zhang Yuanrang was in charge of the affairs of the court, and he also did his best to carry out the logistics work of the northern expedition.
No matter what, the decision made by Master Wen must be agreed and supported by Zhang Yuanrang.
The neutrals and the royalists must now reach a high degree of consensus. The court's rear-end support for the Northern Expedition Army must be flawless, even though they know that the Wei Dynasty is coming to an end and the end of the Northern Rong will mean a civil war that will change the world.
It may be long or short, but it is bound to happen. What the court is doing now is both to expel the northern barbarians and to speed up this process.
But Zhang Yuanrang was just like Zhang Ningyuan who went on a hunger strike and his brother silently agreed. Faced with all the complicated circumstances that day, he gritted his teeth and replied to the letter. Then he immediately got up and went to the Council of Government. On the same day, the imperial edict was issued immediately after the reply letter.
It was also raining in Jiazhou. Zhang Yuanrang stood alone on the top of the city wall, watching the post soldiers in straw raincoats walking further and further away into the wind and rain.
I hope he made the right choice.
I hope Xie Ci won’t disappoint him!
…
On May 20th, Grand Tutor Wen passed away.
This old man who devoted his entire life to the country passed away suddenly.
Before his death, he summoned all the generals of the military governorates, the imperial army, and the generals under their command to the outside of the main tent.
Master Wen tidied up his appearance, changed into a clean robe, and holding Shang Rong and Xie Ci's hands, he walked out of the tent.
In front of the entire army, Zhao Xinhe read out the imperial edict.
Master Wen handed the imperial edict, the command arrow and the seal from the previous day to Xie Ci with trembling hands but solemnly.
"The task of driving out the Northern Rong is entirely in your hands."
As soon as the imperial edict came out, many people's expressions became a little subtle.
Li Yi's heart sank immediately.
But in fact, the expressions of almost everyone present changed the moment they realized that Master Wen had regained his vitality.
Although Master Wen is so ill, Xie Ci said that he is the magic needle that can stabilize the sea, and it is true.
So after Xie Ci took over as commander-in-chief, the first thing he did was to conduct a textbook-style campaign to rally the troops' morale.
…
After the hurricane passed, the rain gradually stopped, but there was still some wind, blowing gently and the air became cool.
In the distance, there are towering green mountains, and the battlefield has been flooded with water. Large patches of wet brown are mixed with the gray in the distance.
The sadness that should have been felt has already been felt. Xie Ci has already witnessed too many separations and deaths.
A little depressed, but soon adjusted to it.
The most urgent task is the battlefield and Beirong. It is to gather together the people who have been torn apart and in unrest because of Huyan De, Yang Shu and Zhu Zhaopu, and to eliminate the strange feeling that he has been promoted to the top without reason when he was originally on equal footing!
Xie Ci knew exactly what he wanted to do.
After lighting a stick of incense, Master Wen's coffin was sent back to Jiazhou that same day.
Xie Ci wore a heavy black armor, a sword hanging from his waist, and a cyan cloak draped behind him. He suddenly turned around and said to the people present: "Everyone, Master Wen and Xie intend to defeat the Northern Rong and drive them out of the pass!"
"When the nest is overturned, no eggs will remain intact! Especially since we don't even have the natural defenses of the southwest and southern Jing!"
The reason why Yang Shu and Zhu Zhaopu left was because they had someone to rely on; the fundamental reason why the others did not leave was not because their sense of righteousness was stronger than the former two.
Just like Gao Wei, where else could he go? Even though they had fallen out, after considering it, he didn't leave.
Once the million-strong army is defeated and the southern Yan plain is completely occupied by the Northern Rong, where can he run to?
Then it was his turn.
Xie Ci did not mention anything about the commander's seal or the command arrow. His first words calmed everyone's restless hearts.
Xie Ci looked around at the crowd. In front of him were the governors of the five major military regions and the Grand Protector General Gao Wei, Li Yi, Fan, Dongyang, and Tang Xianwang. On the other side stood many generals of the court, headed by the five main generals Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi, Song Liansheng, Chen Zhuojing, and Lu Liang. Many of the latter had sad faces, but were soon attracted by the aftermath, their eyes fixed on the matter, and their expressions became solemn.
There are a lot of people, but not a sound.
Xie Ci said without hesitation, "After we drive out the Northern Rong, I will fight you all again based on our abilities!"
He made it clear directly. Anyway, each military governor now controls its own troops. He has always acted in an upright manner. The military governors are not fools. They can see that his deployment of troops is unreasonable and they have to obey his orders.
Xie Ci's words were quite frank, setting the tone immediately. Xie Ci immediately led his troops to support the besieged imperial army and Tang Xianwang's troops. Although everyone did not do it themselves, Xie Ci's role as commander was much more impressive than that of others or the airborne troops.
Tang Xianwang was the first to express his opinion: "That's true, I have no objection."
However, Gao Wei glanced at the five court generals standing on the other side, including Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi, and Song Liansheng, as well as the generals and captains under their command behind them.
Gao Wei raised his eyebrows. The imperial army had a full four hundred thousand men! If they all went to Xie Ci, what would be the point of fighting in the future?
"This imperial army..."
Xie Ci understood immediately and raised his right hand without hesitation: "I, Xie Ci, swear today in the name of my deceased father and brother that after driving the Northern Rong out of the border, I will not accept a single soldier or general from the imperial army within three years!
After the expulsion of the Northern Rong, the civil war could be long, like the Three Kingdoms War, or it could be short, ending in three years. In any case, three years was sufficient, but not indefinite. Xie Ci's inclusion of this three-year period was more reasonable and more convincing.
"If they break this oath, they will never rest in peace in the afterlife!"
If someone else had made this oath, it might not have been credible, but Xie Ci was different. The sons of the Xie family were all strong men, and their promises were worth a thousand gold. Everyone present had experienced this deeply.
Xie Ci escaped from prison over a thousand miles away, all the way from Xiangzhou to Zhongdu. He did this with tears and blood for his father and brother. Everyone present had sources of information in the capital, and after Xie Ci returned to Zhongdu, they knew almost everything.
Everyone looked at each other and nodded slightly.
However, Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi and Lu Liang all looked at each other, glanced at Xie Ci, and then lowered their eyelids slightly to cover their eyes.
——The emotion and change of mind they experienced at the Fengshui East battlefield a few days ago, coupled with the private words of Master Wen before his death, have made them determined to follow Xie Ci!
Xie Ci swore not to accept them, but they were secretly determined.
However, it is not appropriate to reveal this plan for the future now.
Gao Wei and his subordinates looked at each other and were certain in their hearts that this was indeed the best outcome, considering the current situation.
Finally, Gao Wei said, "Okay, it's settled then. Xie family boy, remember what you said, you must make sure that Mr. Xie and his son die with regrets!"
Xie Ci said without hesitation: "Of course!"
…
Xie Ci had thought about it over and over again, and he calmed the army down very quickly.
Afterwards, taking advantage of the momentum of reunion, he mediated between Gao Wei and Tang Xianwang, allowing the two to reluctantly reach a superficial tacit reconciliation.
Then Xie Ci readjusted the positions of the camps, bringing the military governorates and the imperial army, which were originally separated from each other, back together into a unified camp.
Then readjusted the deployment.
After a series of events, it was already past noon when Xie Ci returned to Dongying where the Shuofang Army was located.
He dismounted from his horse, holding the command arrow and the seal of the Northern Expedition in his hands, feeling heavy in his palms.
Qin Xian and the others were there just now, following all the way back, and they all seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Xie Ci patted Qin Xian's shoulder and said to them, "Go back and change your clothes first." It's not too late to talk about it when you come back.
I just saw off Master Wen with a military salute, and half of my pants were wet. We are all warriors who have fought on the battlefield, so we must take good care of ourselves.
"I and you will wait for another day."
Xie Ci said to them in a gentle voice, "When the wars both at home and abroad are over, you and I will enjoy a peaceful and prosperous era."
It seemed as if these words didn't say anything, but it also seemed as if they said everything. Everyone's hesitation in speaking immediately relaxed, and they responded loudly and bowed.
Xie Ci watched them for a moment, then turned around, lifted the curtain and entered the main tent with Gu Wan.
After entering the tent, Xie Ci's tense and straight shoulders finally relaxed. He solemnly placed the seal and command arrow on the long main table, and then stroked the Qilian jade ring on his hand.
He turned around and said to Gu Wan, his handsome and resolute face and eyes were filled with indescribable emotion and relief, "I lied."
He will definitely ask for the imperial army.
He also caught the look and micro-expressions of Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi and Lu Liang when they looked at him.
Xie Ci understood.
But he still relied on the character of a man of the Xie family and even swore a lie in the name of his father and brother.
"I'm sure my father and brothers won't blame me if they are in heaven," he said firmly.
It's like an honest man who has never told a lie in his life, but now he lies for the first time.
But I thanked him calmly.
He thought that his father and brother were men of steel, loyal and courageous to their country and their people. If Yama were to settle accounts of their achievements after their death, he would definitely not allow his father and brother to rest in peace because of such a vow.
If not, he thought, his father and brother in heaven would certainly not blame him.
Because that was the long-cherished wish of my father and brother.
Gu Guan looked at him. The guards had seen them coming back from afar and had already lit the eternal lamp. The skylight and the lamplight made the tent very bright. When Xie Ci said these words, his expression was natural and his eyes were calm.
The first time he mentioned the death of his father and brother, he did not feel angry, cry, or have any uncontrollable emotions.
The deep wound in his heart finally healed. He would miss his father and brother, but he would no longer be in so much pain and sadness that he couldn't control himself.
Millions of people have gone,
He agreed with his father and brother's choice, and he also embarked on this long path.
Accepted reality and continued with their past.
Stand tall and be a man of integrity.
Gu Guan couldn't help laughing. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the corner of his mouth.
It was quite loud. Xie Ci quickly turned his head to look at the tent door. It was closed, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up.
This was the first time they had behaved intimately after getting married. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Xie Ci put his arm around her waist, raised his head and took a deep breath. A lot had happened in the past few days.
The hurricane was very windy and rainy, but it soon passed and things calmed down.
Once the sun comes out and the temperature becomes hot again, the ground should dry out quickly.
Xie Ci shook his head. He had actually thought about everything that Master Wen had told him. He sighed and said, "I really hope the war ends as soon as possible."
His expression became serious.
"Aren't you going to wait until Qin Xian and the others come over?"
Who wouldn't want that? She wants it too, right?
"I hope that when the war is over, everyone in our camp will be fine." She couldn't help but sigh. Many people were injured every time, which made her nervous every time a war started, fearing that something would go wrong.
The longer they were together, the deeper their feelings became. If anything happened to Qin Xian, Qin Guan, Chen Luo, or anyone else, she would find it hard to bear.
Gu Guan hooked her arm around Xie Ci's neck. He was so tall now that she had to lean back to see his face. However, his lower body was extremely stable, and his waist was tight and strong, full of power.
Xie Ci held her waist, his heart softened by her action, and he could no longer maintain his serious expression. Well, let's wait until Qin Xian and the others come before talking about it, so as to avoid having to say it again.
"Let's take advantage of this opportunity to talk."
She whispered.
Xie Ci's ears immediately felt hot, and he hurriedly whispered, "Don't mess around! Qin Xian and the others will be here soon!"
Changing pants will only take a moment.
Gu Wan couldn't help laughing, "Just talking, what do you think I'm going to do?"
Thanks: "..."
He didn't believe it. She was very mean and was just teasing him.
But when he glared at her, he couldn't help but laugh. His beautiful eyes completely lost their previous sternness and were filled with sweetness.
…
However, compared with the warm and cozy atmosphere in the East Camp where the Shuofang Army was located, the atmosphere in the central tent where the Fanyang Army was located in the rear camp was completely different.
Li Yi's face was as gloomy as water. He dismounted and quickly walked into the tent.
He may be the only one among all the Jiedushi who saw through the oath of thanks.
Tang Fen and the others in the field followed Li Yi into the main tent. They didn't even bother to sit down, and hurried to follow the master's case. Tang Fen hesitated a bit, "What did Xie Ci say today? How true is that?"
This is a matter of great importance and will have a huge impact on their future plans.
Li Yi said without hesitation: "Not a single cent!"
He was extremely perceptive and didn't believe a single word of the oath Xie Ci made today.
Li Yi's face became extremely ugly for a moment. The 400,000 imperial troops were all elite troops from the Beijing camp.
He had subtly expressed his feelings to Master Wen many times and tried so hard for such a long time, but in the end, Master Wen gave the seal of command to Xie Ci!
He was deeply indignant and couldn't sleep all night, but he was still trying hard. Today the dust has settled.
And the worst thing was that Xie Ci's recent assistance had just won the hearts of Huang Zongxi and other main generals and the entire imperial army.
Even Tang Xianwang's tone softened. He even gave face to Xie Ci and accepted Gao Wei's mediation.
Li Yi did not regret his decision. He did not regret it after making it. He just said in a low voice: "If Xie Ci really manages to gather the imperial army, then it will be over."
Xie Ci controls half of the world's military forces, so it is almost certain that he will conquer the world.
The author has something to say:
Xie Ci has completely come to terms with the death of his father and brother, and he continues to move forward along the path he has explored and has already made clear.
Career is indeed the best medical beauty for men (who said that, I totally agree). The stunning and innocent boy in the past was also very charming, but now Xie Ci is really charming, haha.
Don't worry, our Wanwan is going to have some plastic surgery soon. She used to do all the logistics and finance work herself because she had no one she could trust. Wanwan is actually a very adventurous and pretty girl.
…
Haha, today's episode was a little short due to the plot, but it should be thicker tomorrow! Kiss Kiss~ babies! See you tomorrow~(づ￣3￣)づ
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