Chapter 125 He who wears the crown must bear its weight
The misty rain in March lasted for several days. The grass was lush and green, and the trees were green and birds were singing. The places not affected by the war were already lush and green.
In this world, some people are happy, while others are in panic.
The raging flames of war destroyed the entire city's spring scene. The people in the city closed their doors and windows and no one dared to show their heads. The streets were filled with the sound of military boots hitting the ground, shouts and explosions and burning from the city walls, and the smoke was billowing in chaos.
Li Yi finally agreed to leave, his veins bulging to the extreme, and he was finally dragged away.
If you want to escape during the chaos, now is the best time. If you are late, it will be too late.
Lin Zhun had already ordered his confidants to rush back to the governor's mansion on horseback to pack up all the important items and personnel and take them away. Those that could not be taken away were quickly destroyed.
He swept all the small bags into a bundle on the tablecloth and put them on his back. He hurried out and shouted as he passed the gate of the mansion, "Hurry up!"
Yu Manzhen was in a panic. When Li Yi's defeat really came, she found that all her previous psychological preparations were in vain. Panic and fear filled her entire heart, and her head was buzzing.
She instantly thought of her deal with Gu Wan, but was it really okay to live with him, separated from her parents, and dependent on others? She hesitated, but Li Xun's captain of the guards had already picked him up without hesitation.
Yu Manzhen became anxious and rushed forward.
Li Xun was very scared today. As soon as she left her mother's arms, she cried out in fear and struggled. Yu Manzhen hurriedly reached out to catch her. Li Xun's personal guards dragged the horse up, and the captain hurriedly carried the mother and daughter up.
The person Lin Zhun sent back said urgently, "We will split into three groups and meet at Shili Pavilion in the north of the city!"
This is because they are worried about the child. If the protection is not done properly, it will be bad for both sides. Of course, Lin Jun cares most about his master Li Yi.
Tang Fen, Wei Changqing and others had already sent people to contact them. Yu Manzhen's heart suddenly rose to her throat. The captain of the personal guards understood immediately, pulled the reins, turned around and rushed back into the mansion.
He quickly disguised himself as a fat man, tied Li Xun with black cloth and covered him with spliced armor, and took advantage of the chaos of the broken city to rush to the top of the city.
At this moment, five of the eight city gates had been breached. The Northern Army swarmed in and engaged in street fighting in an instant. The situation was hopeless.
There were those in the Fanyang army who led the troops to fight stubbornly to protect Li Yi, and those from the five major families who shouted at the top of their lungs. Those on Gao Tang's side were in complete disarray and scattered on the city walls. More of them climbed down the city walls using rope ladders. What's more, some ordered the last three city gates to be opened directly, rushed out fighting, and took the opportunity to escape.
These fleeing soldiers have no will to fight anymore. This critical point in capturing the city is generally ignored. Those who block the way are eliminated, and those who don't block are released, racing against time.
No one would kill all the defeated soldiers, and it is not a good idea to block them in the city. Generally, if there are really large numbers of defeated soldiers, they will be relaxed and let out first.
It was at this moment that Li Yi escaped and was elected.
The people on both sides had already rushed out and dragged back dozens of bodies of the dead soldiers. Those present were all guards and death warriors from Xiaoshan Prefecture who were loyal to Li Yi. They quickly peeled off the torn and dirty cloth armor, put it on themselves, and then used their hands to smear it on their faces, hands and feet.
Soon, the place was in ruins, no different from the fleeing soldiers of the five great families of Gaotang.
Gao Wei and Tang Xianwang were guarding the same city gate. They had risked everything to tie up Li Yi's chariot and fought to the end. They screamed like crazy, but were dragged by their sons and knocked unconscious by their personal guards. They had hurriedly torn off their cloaks and armor.
The situation was hopeless, and the soldiers were out of control. A captain shouted, and the soldiers rushed forward, knocking down the huge door bolt and rushing out while fighting.
Outside the city gate, the Northern Army fought for a while, and the generals present ordered a retreat to release the scattered soldiers first.
The Heyang and Qingzhou troops on and below the city walls were in complete disarray. Countless soldiers threw away their armor and weapons and rushed out in a panic. The same was true on the city walls. Panic spread like a tide, and countless soldiers rushed down from the top of the city walls in panic.
This scene of overwhelming defeat brought tears to the eyes of many people in Lin Zhun's group. But when the tide of soldiers rushed halfway, Lin Zhun hurriedly pulled the master beside him and said, "Master..."
He pulled, but nothing moved. Amid the rumbling sounds of fleeing and shouting, Li Yi stood stiffly, motionless. Lin Zhun shouted hoarsely and pulled hard, and the group was instantly caught up in the tide of soldiers.
When they rushed to the city gate, they threw down their weapons like other defeated soldiers and rushed out towards the wide-open city gate with a clang.
…
However, Li Yi's escape was not smooth.
Xie Ci had taken precautions against this early on.
To some extent, Li Yi was just like Hu Yande, who was defeated but not beheaded, and was a potential instability risk every day.
At this moment, there is no old feelings left.
As the two armies confront each other, Xie Ci must be responsible to the world, to himself, and to his soldiers who are fighting hard, and eliminate this hidden danger.
The Cuimen sluice gate was broken, the five gates of Pengcheng were broken, and the sound of battle was thunderous at dusk. During this most critical period, Xun Xiao, He Yuan, Qin Guan, Chen Luo and others who had already received orders had rushed to the remaining three gates.
As expected, they caught Li Yi and his group in the chaos.
Xie Ci had already climbed onto the top of the arrow tower. For the final battle, he put on a bright red commander's cloak. A flash of crimson fluttered in the wind, and the red and black flag of the central army with a huge "Xie" character on it was planted on the top of the arrow tower, replacing the flag of the southern army.
It announced that this war was about to end in a great victory.
However, after "Li Yi" was captured and rushed to the arrow tower, Xie Ci was walking down quickly. In just a few dozen breaths, the two sides met head-on. Xun Xiao had already discovered something was wrong, because they had been specifically told by Gu Wan in advance that Li Yi had a substitute!
"This is the stand-in, right?"
As soon as Xie Ci met the man's eyes, he knew it was a fake. He kicked him in the heart, sending him flying dozens of feet and crashing heavily into the battlements. "Right!"
Xie Ci suddenly raised his eyes. In the dim twilight, the surging tide of fleeing soldiers had gradually slowed down and was intercepted. Xie's army rushed forward with great momentum, while the fleeing soldiers behind him could not break out. They turned around and either fled into the city or squatted down and surrendered, abandoning their weapons.
The street fighting was very fierce.
"Li Yi must have left the city."
Xie Ci glanced around with his sharp eyes, his mind racing. Pengcheng was surrounded by three mountains and rivers, which was a very advantageous geographical condition. But now that Pengcheng had been captured, this advantageous condition was in his hands.
The west gate of Pengcheng is exactly in the direction of Shizhamen, the direction where Xie Ci personally led his troops to attack. The most powerful force is still there, with a large number of naval and land divisions in this direction. It is impossible for Li Yi to go this way.
The south was ruled out for the same reason.
Now all the passes and checkpoints on the land are in Xie Ci's hands. If Li Yi and his party want to leave, they can only cross the mountains.
Xie Ci shouted, "Order Qin Xian, Chen Yan, Zhang Shen, and Huang Zongxi to gather all the soldiers immediately and disperse in the northeast and northeast directions! Find Li Yi's whereabouts among the defeated army!"
Below Pengcheng, the fighting has entered street mode and there is no need for so many troops.
Xie Ci has a million-strong army under his command, and he can immediately mobilize nearly 300,000 elite troops to conduct a comprehensive dragnet search for Li Yi's whereabouts.
…
This battle lasted for six days and five nights, and both sides had almost no rest and were exhausted.
The countryside of Pengcheng is very large, and horses are indispensable for escape.
But with the ability of Li Yi and his group, they quickly got horses after leaving the city, climbed on them panting, and galloped north.
But they were soon startled by the sound of horses' hooves coming one after another like the tide.
Xie Ci gave a noble title and a generous reward, and the entire army that was chasing the criminal became excited all of a sudden, and the horses' hooves clattered as they quickly searched.
The appearance and aura of Li Yi and his entourage were absolutely incomparable to those of ordinary defeated soldiers, especially since most of them were tall and strong, which was not common among ordinary soldiers.
It also emphasizes that there is a child inside, or perhaps a light cart is being pulled.
So it didn't take long for the traces to be discovered!
By this time, Li Yi and his party had already reached Jinfeng Mountain. During their previous comprehensive survey of the terrain within and beyond Pengcheng, they had discovered a rugged path through a ridge, a fissure in the mountain's ridges, and a cliff-like canyon. This path was only occasionally used by local hunters. By crossing it and then crossing several more ridges, they reached the southern bank of the Dajiang River and successfully escaped from Pengcheng territory.
But the journey was full of dangers and their whereabouts had been discovered.
As dusk deepened and night fell, a cold rain began to fall, and the late spring chill made her body cold. The howling wind in the dark sky sounded like ghosts and wolves. Li Xun was cold and hungry. She was pulled out of the carriage and carried onto the horse's back, bumping along the way. She was cold, hungry and scared. When a branch hit her face hard, she burst into tears.
The next moment, his mouth was tightly covered.
But the pursuers had already heard it, "It's over there! I heard a child crying——"
"Bang" a bright blue firework exploded in the sky, and suddenly there was a commotion in all directions!
They were already climbing the mountain at that time, and Li Yi had even killed Cai Heji and other people who were holding them back.
Li Xun cried and struggled, and the guards could hardly hold her down. Yu Manzhen rushed over crying, and Li Yi suddenly turned around.
There were still traces of blood on his face, his eyes were scarlet, and a heart-wrenching feeling of having everything overturned was in his eyes, which were once as bright as the sun.
——Now, Yu Manzhen and Li Xun are both dragging their feet.
In order to bring the mother and daughter along, it was mainly Li Xun who slowed them down a lot.
Li Yi has always loved Li Xun. He never expected that Zhu would dare to hit Li Xun. Li Yi only has this daughter. For Li Xun, he even tried his best to endure and let Yu Manzhen live.
But at this last moment, Li Yiding looked at the little girl who was crying hysterically but Yu Manzhen hurriedly hugged her and covered her mouth and sobbed.
He hissed, "Go!"
Yu Manzhen's head buzzed, but the captain of the personal guards behind her, Huo Di, immediately stood up, and the confidants that Li Yi had left behind, a group of more than ten personal guards immediately rushed forward, leaving her and Li Xun behind and following Li Yi.
The group quickly crossed the narrow gap at the edge of the cliff. Gravel and rocks fell down under their feet, and they soon disappeared from sight.
This is the middle of the mountain ridge, on the edge of a cliff. It is dark and the howling river wind mixed with cold rain almost blows people away. The ground is only three or four feet wide, winding, wet and slippery. With pursuers behind us, we dare not take a single step forward.
Yu Manzhen was terrified and said sternly, "No, don't—"
"Crackling, crackling" the rain mixed with gravel from above kept falling. Li Xun was so scared that he didn't even dare to cry. Yu Manzhen had disheveled hair. She hated it so much that she even regretted following Li Yi out.
Finally, with the sound of wind and rain behind them, the cavalry had quickly taken a detour. Xun Xiao, Qin Guan, He Yuan, Zhang Shen and other highly skilled generals came up the mountain directly with their guards.
Yu Manzhen was shocked and hurriedly hugged Li Xun and huddled to the edge of the cliff.
Xun Xiao and the others didn't bother to pay attention to Yu Manzhen and her daughter who were hiding at the edge, and rushed over to catch up.
Xie Ci and Gu Wan were the second group to catch up. When she heard the fluttering of clothes and the sound of footsteps for the second time, she turned around suddenly. The figure that she had never forgotten in her midnight dream, but now no longer wearing white clothes and without a blindfold, caught her eye.
But Xie Ci didn't even look at her. He quickly ordered the cavalry to take a detour at the foot of the mountain, and immediately he and Gu Wan and his party chased after them.
Yu Manzhen looked up with her eyes wide open, but Xie Ci didn't even look at her. He was so skilled that he rushed past like the wind.
What shocked her even more was Gu Wan. He was wearing an orange undershirt and black armor. His body was also covered in smoke and blackened by the flames of war, but he climbed the mountain and the cliff as if it were flat ground.
Yu Manzhen knew best what Gu Qie's skills were like back then, but in the past few years, Gu Guan had actually acquired such skills.
She walked across the cliff that frightened her very easily.
Gu Guan paused for a moment and couldn't help but sigh, "How could I leave a little kid here?"
She casually ordered, "Tsk, Xie Zi, take them over."
Yin Luo was impatient: "Why do you care what she does?!"
He was not very willing to help Xie Ci directly. He felt a little unhappy about being pulled by Gu Guan and was displeased with everyone he saw.
"Alright, alright, take me with you!"
Gu Guan quickly grabbed his arm. Her lightness skills were good, but her speed was still some distance away from that of top masters like Yin Luo and Xie Ci.
Yin Luo scolded her, put his arm around her shoulders, and flew over the cliff like a ghost.
Yu Manzhen's body felt lighter, and she was carried over the cliff and then thrown aside.
She was stunned. She recognized this person. Was this Xie Jiawei?
She stood there in a daze for a while, then hurriedly carried her daughter on her back and followed her down the mountain, one step deep and one step shallow.
…
At the foot of the mountain and by the river, Xie Ci finally caught up with Li Yi.
He can really run, and he has so many tricks to save his life.
But despite its absolute strength, it couldn't hold out for long.
Here, it is still five miles away from the fishing boat that Lin Zhun prepared to cross the river, and half a mile away from the river.
Hearing the sound of fluttering clothes behind him, Li Yi suddenly stopped.
He knew that he couldn't escape.
The rumbling sound of cavalry hooves bypassing the shining pass appeared in the distance, blocking the road on both sides.
The crackling cold rain hit his face, Li Yi's brows were grim, and he shouted: "Ahhhh——"
At this moment, the moment when he was powerless to do anything, he hated it so much, it was torn to pieces, and he wanted to burn the sky and destroy the earth and destroy everything!
All the past events surged before my eyes.
Many years ago, he watched Xie Ci struggle in the sea of suffering with cold eyes. Compared to Xie Ci at that time, he could be said to be high and mighty.
Compassion, scrutiny, and calm consideration of the potential benefits of the other person.
Xie Ci struggled to find the truth behind his father and brother's death, and he knew it all, so he calmly decided whether to tell him or not.
At the end of the Northwest War, the truth was devastating to Xie Ci. He told him calmly that night that this was it.
The world is cruel, and only the fittest survive in the sea of suffering.
At that time, he didn't even think much of Xie Ci.
When did the situation completely reverse?!
It’s Feng Kun!
It’s Master Wen!!!
Li Yi turned around in an instant. He had already torn off the Qingzhou army's cloth armor. He was wearing a crimson-purple undershirt with tight sleeves. The silk fabric was soaked by large amounts of rain and stuck to his body. Li Yi's black hair was a little messy, with a few wet strands hanging down, giving it a sharp and broken beauty.
Of course, no one present appreciated it, including himself, who was always proud of his appearance.
Li Yi's long sword pointed diagonally to the ground, with bright red spots on it. The rain washed the blade clean, but the hilt was not. The sharp edge of the sword reflected the murderous light.
There was only a moment's pause.
It only takes a moment to turn around.
In an instant, there was a sudden movement, and both sides shot out like arrows from a bow, and were fighting fiercely in an instant.
Xie Ci's side has more people and more experts, while Li Yi's side is at the end of its rope.
Xie Ci didn't think he needed to use martial ethics to fight Li Yi alone in this situation. He shouted, "Quick fight, quick decision! Kill them on the spot, leaving no one alive!"
Li Yi has too many tricks up his sleeve, so it’s better to get rid of all these people as soon as possible.
But in fact, Li Yi has reached the end of his road. He does have some power outside, such as a caravan and a villa for training guards, but all these things are of no help.
The people around me fell down one by one.
When the Northern Army cavalry arrived, the archers quickly dismounted, occupied the high ground and formed a battle formation, with two rows of arrow walls aimed at this side from the mountains and both sides.
In the end, Lin Zhun also died.
Killed by Tian Yu with one knife.
Zhang Shen was stabbed again, his eyes wide open, and he died with his eyes open.
Xie Ci unsheathed his goose-feather dagger, and the blade light formed a curtain of light in the flying rain. Xun Xiao came to help, and finally Li Yi was stabbed in the chest, pierced through by Xie Ci's knife, and fell heavily to the ground.
At this moment, the two were closest to each other.
Xie Ci's face was clearly visible, with clear edges and corners, and his sharp eyes were like cold lightning. Suddenly, the two of them met.
Li Yi's eyes were bloodshot.
The riverside finally became quiet. Xie Ci waved his hand and the archers retreated silently.
Li Yi was seriously injured, but not dead yet. He fell to the ground, and Xie Ci stood in front of him. The river breeze was cold, fluttering his bright red handsome cloak.
Beside Li Yi was Lin Zhun, who died with his eyes open.
Zhang Shen and Xun Xiao put away their swords and stood behind Xie Ci, while Yin Luo wiped the blade clean on the corpse and sheathed it with a swish. Of course, he would not stand behind Xie Ci. He walked to the river with an indifferent expression.
But Li Yi was not blind, of course he saw him, and he even saw Tian Yu.
He recognized Tian Yu, another top-level expert beside Feng Kun.
The ones leading the troops were Qin Guan and Huang Zongxi. Huang Zongxi stepped forward quickly and said, "We've received a letter from the rear saying that the street fighting is over and Pengcheng has been taken."
Even though he was well prepared, the moment he heard the news, Li Yi's eyes were covered with a layer of blood mist.
He looked through the hazy blood mist and fixed his gaze on Zhang Shen and Huang Zongxi.
At this moment, Li Yi still didn't think that his ability was inferior to Xie Ci's. He sneered, "Xie Ci, Xie Ci, if it weren't for the imperial army of 400,000, I would never have been defeated by you!"
A surge of anger filled his chest, threatening to burst through his body, and his voice was hoarse and bloodshot.
After half a lifetime of planning, from the age of eight until now, every step he took was filled with blood. How could Li Yi possibly accept this?!
Even if he was seriously injured and dying, even if he had gone to hell, he would never do that!
He truly hated Grand Tutor Wen, wondering why he had rejected the 400,000-strong imperial army that day.
Has he never been sincere to Master Wen?
He knew what kind of successor Master Wen wanted, and he had been working towards that goal.
But more than a decade of cultivation and recognition is not as good as the sudden outburst of thanks!
If he had taken over the coaching position, everything today would have been reversed!
Li Yi screamed hysterically, almost like a madman!
But Xie Ci looked indifferent and unmoved.
The wind from the river was howling, fluttering his cloak. Xie Ci stood on the gravel ground, looking down at Li Yi, who was trying to stand up with his sword, unwilling to be inferior to others.
The whistling wind passed between the two of them. Xie Ci suddenly smiled: "Li Yi, do you really not understand why Grand Master Wen didn't choose you?"
The words were not spoken loudly, and Li Yi's crazy expression and screams suddenly stopped. He raised his eyes suddenly, and Xie Ci's clear and cold eyes seemed to penetrate his heart.
"Li Yi, you actually understand everything."
How could Li Yi, such a smart person, not understand?
Why did Master Wen give up on him?
Why did Feng Kun finally resign from the Zhenwu Army?
One is loyal, the other is righteous.
Whether it is great loyalty or small loyalty, great righteousness or small righteousness, Li Yi has little of it.
The only thing that was acceptable was that he didn't stab Beirong in the back when he had the upper hand.
Of course, this is not because Li Yi has a strong sense of justice, but because he is not stupid.
Xie Ci smiled faintly: "Li Yi, you want to be the emperor, right?"
Ultimately, it’s this.
Otherwise, if Li Yi surrendered and changed his allegiance, he could also get wealth and honor, but Li Yi was unwilling to do so.
His ultimate goal was to become the ruler over all people.
To this end, he can sacrifice everything and everyone around him, weigh the pros and cons, and do whatever it takes.
A man who seeks to rule the world in order to become emperor.
One who wants to reach the top because he feels that he has a duty to the country and the people.
Let me put it this way, if any of Longqing's sons had the potential to become an outstanding ruler, Xie Ci probably would not have taken this path.
But Li Yi is not.
Li Yi's face changed instantly. Xie Ci's eyes were as sharp as an eagle, stripping away all his rosy words in an instant, leaving only naked desire and unwillingness.
Xie Ci's faint smile faded, and he said coldly: "You even sacrificed Feng Qizhou and his son!"
Xie Ci was so smart that he immediately figured out Li Yi's entire counterattack plan.
Of all the passes in Pengcheng, the first to be breached were the stone gates on the waterways, which was due to the powerful military force of Xie Ci, but wasn't there some deliberateness on the part of Li Yi?
He was willing to put Feng Qizhou and his son in a position where they would inevitably be sacrificed. Even Xie Ci knew that Feng Qizhou and his son had been loyally following Li Yi for many years.
Last time the Poor Vanguard Army was coerced, what about this time?
Xie Ci had been wanting to ask Li Yi something for a long time. He said bitterly, "The Wei Dynasty has been suffering from a serious illness for many years, and has nurtured a large number of powerful families. You are stirring up trouble in the world and forming an army with these people. Have you ever thought about how to deal with it in the future?!"
"Are you really not going to be another Longqing?!"
When Longqing was mentioned, Li Yi's fierce expression finally collapsed. This was the enemy who killed his father and wiped out his entire family!
"You're talking nonsense! Thank you! You're talking nonsense—"
Li Yi shouted at the top of his lungs, he even stood up all of a sudden, holding his sword horizontally. Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi and others behind Xie Ci immediately stepped forward and held their swords horizontally.
Xie Ci waved his hand and asked them to leave.
Li Yi stared at Xie Ci intently, breathing heavily, "I'm different from Long Qing. I'll deal with these people in the future!"
He staggered, rested his sword on the ground, and hissed.
Gu Wan interrupted and said, "No, actually you know, you can't solve it."
She said it with great certainty.
Because in his previous life, Li Yi held the power of regent, and he had no use for anyone except Zhu Zhaopu.
This shows that he actually understands it very well in his heart.
Gu Wan tutted his words: "Stop quibbling, you just want to be the emperor."
These words, the smiles at each other, the determined eyes and words, suddenly touched the deepest and most secret place in Li Yi's heart, like a file that ruthlessly scraped off all his concealed appearances, and he suddenly became embarrassed.
Li Yi finally broke down: "Yes! I just want to be the emperor, what's wrong with that? What's wrong with that!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, his expression becoming ferocious: "I'm tired of having my fate dictated to me by others!"
Well, that's right, from the very beginning, ever since Li Yi saw through the end of the dynasty, his plan was to dominate the world.
During this process, no matter what happened, he never adjusted his goal!
Either succeed!
Or be defeated and die!!
There is no second option.
Li Yi's expression changed drastically: "Do you know how my father died?"
He stared at Xie Ci, his eyes red as if dripping blood. Perhaps no one in this world could understand his emotions and feelings as deeply as Xie Ci did: "He died of pain."
Life in the Northwest was difficult, and his old injuries relapsed. There was nothing he could do, not even a good doctor or medicine. He struggled on the narrow wooden bed in the exile area and died in pain.
Li Yi could only watch and cry. Li Chun tried his best to hold back his tears, but little Li Yi could clearly see his pain.
Li Yi hissed, "What did my father do wrong? He's been garrisoned on the frontier, fighting on the battlefield and getting all these old injuries. It's simply because Xie Xinzhong is capable enough to take charge, and he's held the military power long enough. Now he deserves to be discarded!"
Li Chun was tortured beyond recognition by the pain and struggled for more than a month before dying.
Li Yi lost control. Standing by the river, cold and defeated, he lay covered in blood, his heart torn. "I hate this feeling of helplessness. I don't want anyone to dictate my fate! I'd rather manipulate others than be manipulated by others! What's wrong with that?!"
A cry of hatred like crying blood.
In fact, almost everyone present knew Li Chun, and only then did they suddenly remember that the person in front of them was Li Chun's son.
Xie Ci was silent. In fact, he understood this feeling very well, deeply, because he had also felt deeply resentful and unwilling.
Xie Ci's indifference and deep hatred suddenly disappeared. He was silent for a moment and said, "Li Yi, but you forgot one thing. With power comes responsibility. You can't just focus on peak power and ignore everything else."
In fact, to put it bluntly, it is rights and obligations.
This is equal.
If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.
If you turn a blind eye, you will go astray.
Xie Ci shook his head. "As a commander, you can't cherish the lives of your soldiers as if they were your own. As a leader, you actually pushed the defenseless poor people into battle. You treat the people in the fields as tools, you spy on them, you deceive them, you forget the promises you made to them. Isn't it only natural that they would betray you?"
He looked up, the patter of rain hitting his face. Xie Ci took a deep breath and said to Li Yi, "Actually, you understand everything, but in your heart, none of this matters."
Similar experiences ultimately led to two completely different paths, and this is the most fundamental reason.
So many poor people died at the hands of the vanguard army, and the lower classes of Jiangnan were exploited to death. Xie Ci did not think that Li Yi was innocent. The pain of the past was not a reason for abuse. Only by insisting on oneself and constantly reflecting on oneself to avoid going astray can one be as shiny as the metal blade in one's hand.
Xie Ci said, "Master Wen finally saw through you, that's why he didn't choose you."
"If he were still alive and knew what you did afterwards, he would probably die of anger."
Li Yi's current situation is largely due to the contribution of Master Wen. He pitied him and really helped him a lot, including regaining the title of king and laying the foundation for the initial development of his power. It was all because of Master Wen's support for the young him.
"He didn't do you any wrong."
"But are you really worthy of him?"
In the dark night, the wind was howling, and Xie Ci's voice was faint, with a hint of chill in the spring rain.
Li Yi could no longer speak.
The handsome and tall man with disheveled hair, blood-stained purple clothes and a long sword at hand was breathing heavily and could not utter a word in rebuttal.
He was originally holding on to his last breath, determined to fight to the death with Xie Ci, but perhaps he had been talking for too long, he suddenly felt the cold wind from the river blowing all over his body.
Li Yi opened his eyes wide and clenched his teeth tightly, but the blood gradually dried up. A cold chill rose from his limbs and invaded his heart.
His surging resentment finally gathered in this place in his chest, neither rising nor falling, and stayed there forever along with the flowing blood.
Li Yi staggered a bit, and finally, he slowly fell down.
Zhang Shen stepped forward and checked his breathing and neck pulse: "Commander, he's dead."
…
The sound of the whistling wind, here, far away from the flames of war, there is a tranquility in the night.
Xie Ci tilted his head, but Gu Wan was no longer standing beside him without him knowing when.
Gu Guan went to Yu Manzhen's side.
There is no other way up the mountain, so Yu Manzhen can only come in this direction.
When Gu Wan saw her finally stumble out, she walked over slowly.
Some things need to be settled.
It's nothing for her, but she has to settle the account with the original owner.
Yu Manzhen has done a lot of evil things, so it is not easy for her to live in peace.
But the little girl on her back was someone that Gu Wan had promised to take care of during the deal, and she wouldn't go back on her word, so this made the situation a little tricky.
Gu Wan was thinking about how to deal with the situation quietly and coldly afterwards, but he didn't want to, so he didn't have to.
Yu Manzhen stood quietly at the edge of the mountain, watching Li Yi become hysterical and eventually fall down slowly.
She couldn't believe it, her heart felt cold, her lips trembled, and there was an indescribable emptiness in her eyes. Finally, she moved and looked at Gu Wan walking towards her.
In front of Li Yi's fallen body, a bright red handsome cloak fluttered in the wind, always so eye-catching, no matter whether it was red or white.
The distance was so far, but from her angle, his and Gu Wan's figures were close together.
Yu Manzhen stared at Gu Wan in a daze. She said, "You are so lucky to have him."
Her voice was hoarse and had a congested and sad feeling.
Gu Wan smiled and raised her eyebrows and said, "Yes, I am lucky. But he is also lucky to have me!"
That kind of soaring self-confidence burned Yu Manzhen's eyes. She was stunned and burst into tears.
After a while, she put the child down from her back, kissed the little girl, and stroked her bruised face.
Yu Manzhen tried her best to calm her voice and said softly to her child, "Your father was not a good person, but I still couldn't bear to let him go. He passed away, and I want to be with him."
"Look at that aunt. We used to be good friends. Although we had opposing views, our private friendship has never been severed. She promised mother that she would take care of you in the future. You must listen to what aunt says."
As of today, Li Yi is already dead.
And she was well aware of the conflicts between herself and Gu Wan.
She may not be a qualified mother. She failed to protect her children in her previous life, and in this life she was cruel and spent less time with them but ultimately to no avail.
But a five-year-old child can already remember things.
This was the only thing Yu Manzhen could do for her child.
She knew that she might not be able to survive.
There are hundreds of ways to take care of her. Gu Wan has no feelings for Li Xun, so she has to eliminate the grudge between her child and Gu Wan and make her future as smooth as possible.
Yu Manzhen slowly stood up and let go of her hand. Li Xun burst into tears, ran after her, and tripped and fell to the ground.
She burst into tears, her heart breaking.
But Yu Manzhen did not look back. She slowly picked up Li Yi's body and dragged him step by step to the end of the beach until she reached the place where the water flooded.
Yu Manzhen's temperament is just like that.
She walked in step by step until she was submerged.
Yin Luo snorted coldly. He had seen too much darkness in human nature. He tilted his head and sent one of his men forward and dived directly into the water.
After a long time, he came up and nodded in the direction of Yin Luo and Gu Wan.
Yin Luo just stopped there.
…
"Go back."
Xie Ci gave the order for the army to return to the city, and rows of cavalrymen from the rear turned to the front and returned in the same direction.
The rain gradually became lighter, with only a few drizzles.
Xie Ci and Gu Guan walked side by side along the beach to the water's edge, slowly walking along the fine sand following the waves of the river.
Tonight, Xie Ci was deeply moved. He said, "If there was even one virtuous and wise son of Longqing, I would be willing to serve him as a minister or general, even if I couldn't clear my father and brothers' names."
To get to where I am today, I have gone through so many hardships and overcome so many psychological barriers.
And this war between the North and the South cost the whole world a huge price.
After driving out the Northern Rong, you can retreat to the mountains and forests.
After going through so much, wealth and prosperity are like clouds and smoke.
He will probably live such a simple life for the rest of his life, because he has witnessed too many difficulties, and too many predecessors have sacrificed their lives before dawn.
Xie Ci is something I will never be able to afford in my lifetime.
At this moment, the North-South War was a complete victory. What Xie Cixian felt was not the joy of victory, but a heavy burden on his shoulders.
He was already worried that he wouldn't be able to do it well.
Xie Ci is not a timid person, but the other side of the scale is too heavy.
He still has a lot to learn and a lot to explore, but he hopes that he can achieve a peaceful and prosperous world in the rest of his life.
He shuddered just thinking about it.
Gu Wan tilted his head and smiled, holding his hand, "It's okay, I will accompany you!"
Her deerskin boots were half wet, and she kicked one foot on the beach, laughing and talking. Her eyes had a kind of long-lasting warmth and a kind of smiling excitement.
Xie Ci suddenly laughed: "Well, you're right!"
The heaviness in his heart suddenly felt light, and he felt happy and sweet.
Yes, he still has her.
They will always be together.
The author has something to say:
A hero is called a hero because he is rare and precious.
A baby was right yesterday. It’s not that Li Yi didn’t understand, he just chose to ignore it. Even if he could do it again, he couldn’t follow Xie Ci’s path.
Okay, there's probably another chapter tomorrow! A huge kiss to you all~ See you tomorrow, my dears! (づ￣3￣)づ╭
Finally, I would like to thank the "cute and charming villain" for throwing the mine, pen refill, pen refill!
^
And all the big babies who watered Wenwen, give me a kiss~
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